It's all about food...well, mostly!

Kale: My favorite superfood!

2013-04-03T17:46:00.000-04:00

The Amazingly Delicious Kale Pesto

My latest obsession is kale and I just can't seem to get enough of it. Here is a single recipe that can be used in many ways. My favorite is as a spread on a grilled cheese sandwich...it sounds much simpler that it tastes. This was our dinner on a Tuesday night...and for the following 4 nights! I LOVE IT!!!!!

Ingredients

Just as beautiful as it is tasty!

6 cups kale-roughly chopped

1 lemon-juiced

1t salt

2 cloves garlic

½ cup walnuts

½ - ¾ cup olive oil

Directions:

In a food processor, pulse the garlic until chopped.

Add the kale, (If your kale seems like it won’t fit, add it in batches until it reduces a bit.) lemon juice, salt and walnuts and process until combined.

With the food processor running, slowly add the olive oil until you reach a thick, spreadable pesto...done!

Alternatives, ideas & suggestions:

If you'd like to use the pesto on pasta, add reserved, hot pasta water to the pesto until the desired consistency is reached. Don’t forget to add the parmesan cheese!!
Mix it up a little and add some other flavors like arugula, spinach, basil, parsley, cilantro etc. (substitute the other greens for the kale)
Kale pesto makes a great spread on chicken & fish.
Drop a dollop in your soup. Yum, what a great idea!
Mix into plain Greek yogurt and use as a dip or a spread for your quesadillas.
This would be a fresh-tasting sauce on a pizza...

Get out there and play with some Kale

Hot & Sour Soup

2012-12-29T22:00:00.000-05:00

This soup is perfectly balanced and makes a great meal on a cold winter's night!

Ingredients

6 cups beef stock

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp. diced fresh or pickled ginger

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

2 Tbsp. fish sauce

1/2 - 1 tsp. dried chili flakes

1 Tbsp. rice vinegar

1 Tbsp. brown sugar

2 kaffir lime leaves, OR 1 Tbsp. lime juice

3 scallions sliced

2 eggs

12 ounces tofu, cubed

½ cup fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Heat the stock in a large sauce pot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, fish sauce, chili flakes, rice vinegar, brown sugar and lime leaves to the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and add the scallions.

2. In a small bowl, lightly whisk the eggs. While stirring the soup, stream in the eggs. (The slower you stir the eggs into the soup, the larger the pieces will be.)

3. Next add the tofu.

4. Serve with a garnish of fresh cilantro.

A few ideas, alternatives and suggestions...

Beef stock was used in this recipe simply because it was what I had on hand. You can use any stock you'd like and I’m sure it’ll be just as wonderful.

I generally use pickled ginger over fresh because it is much easier to deal with. It can be found in any Asian market (maybe the American too…I’ve never checked there). It is already peeled and in matchsticks and just needs a rough chop.

Kaffir lime leaves are so tasty and I suggest you use them if you can. They can be found in Asian markets as well, and they are usually dried. I am fortunate enough to have some wonderful friends who have given me a Kaffir lime tree. If you live nearby, I can bring you some!!

Rice or noodles make a nice addition to your soup. I recommend cooking the rice/noodles first, adding a serving to each bowl and pouring the soup over the rice/noodles. This way the they won’t absorb all of the soup leaving you with a soggy mess.

Don't forget, any protein can be substituted for the tofu.

Go play with your soup!!

Gluten-Free Brownie Attempt...Take 2

2012-09-09T13:41:00.000-04:00

OK, so as I continue my quest for gluten free brownies, I kept coming across this whole black bean brownie thing. I know, right? How gross and desperate can we be getting? Should I waste my time with this? After thinking long and hard (and spontaneously purchasing black beans at Trader Joe’s today) I have decided to go for it. Today is black bean and agave nectar brownie day.

It only took me 12 minutes to mix the batter (which tasted pretty good) and get it in the oven...hmmm. Hopefully this isn’t one of those instances where “if it seems too good to be true, it probably is,” that would stink!

With the first experiment finished, I must say that they weren’t too bad. I don't know if I'd make them for a crowd, but they didn't go to waste. The texture was "off," it was more of a brownie-like fudge than a fudgy brownie, if that makes any sense. For as simple as it was, the recipe was OK, but for now I think I will continue my research before attempting to make this one better.

If you have any tips or suggestions on this experiment, please get in touch! I am new to this gluten free thing and could use all the help I can get.

On to the next experiment!!

I love playing with my food. Now get out there and play with yours!!

Baking the brownies...my first attempt

2012-08-28T16:06:00.000-04:00

OK, it’s baking time and I have been looking forward to this all day. Gluten free and refined sugar free brownies…here we go!

There are 2 batters going on here. Batch #1 is with the brown rice that I ground, and batch #2 is with Bob’s Red Mill which is a store-bought, finely ground, brown rice flour. I just can’t wait to try these bad boys out.

Batch #1 is mixed and in the oven. When I tasted the batter I could definitely see, taste and feel the rice. It definitely isn't ground fine enough and this makes me a bit nervous.

After tasting the batter of batch #2, it is clear that this one will be better than batch #1. It has a more chocolaty flavor and there is no trace of grit from the rice flour. I am quite happy about that because I really didn’t like grinding my own rice. It took way too much time and was really noisy.

We are half way through the baking process now and I am beginning to smell the chocolaty goodness floating from the oven. Hopefully they taste as good as they smell!

Well, they look like brownies…but how do they taste? Drum roll please….

Batch #1 with the homemade rice flour is, well, gross. The flavor of the brown rice is very prominent and it really overpowers the chocolate flavor. The grains of rice in the flour are obvious and create a crunchy texture...yuck!

Batch #2 is curious…in a good way. The texture is much better than batch #1 because there is no grittiness at all and it is very moist. The flavor is interesting and I'm not sure how to put it in words...but I'll try. Though not sweet at all, brown rice flavors the brownie in a warm and mellow way as it gently works its way through the chocolate. As far as texture goes, the brownie is moist and dense, almost too dense. Actually, I'd call them gummy, but I think this is a good base to start from. More research is required. A couple of things for sure, then next time I will add more salt and perhaps coffee to enhance the chocolate.

Is it possible to make a gluten free, refined sugar free and dairy free browine that tastes good?

2012-08-23T16:35:00.000-04:00

There's only one way to find out!

As my life progresses and I learn about gluten allergies, dairy allergies and the ill-effects of my beloved refined sugar, I am now ready to delve into the world of baking with these things in mind…and out of product. Curiosity has gotten the better of me...can a brownie be made without sugar, eggs, all-purpose flour and BUTTER and still be good? Is it possible? Hmm, I'm not too sure about this one, but determination is one of the things that drives me in life and I am determined to give this recipe my best shot. Being a baker by trade and having created many baked items in my life, I think this direction may become a new passion for me.

My mission is to start off by making brownies with brown rice syrup instead of sugar and brown rice flour instead of all-purpose flour. Eventually, once I get that recipe down, I would like to replace the eggs with tofu and replace the butter with vegetable oil. Can I do it? I will definitely keep you posted! I am going to start by making my own brown rice flour. As I research this online, I understand that brown rice flour can be found in almost any market, and it can be fairly simple to make at home. Well, since I have a 15 pound bag of brown rice in the pantry…that’s right, I will attempt to make my own.

So far the process is slow and loud. (Making popcorn at the same time doesn’t do much to help the noise level in the kitchen.)
I feel the need to shut the Cuisinart off every few minutes to let it rest because the machine gets pretty warm.
OK, after 45 minutes of grinding I think I have the texture that I am looking for but note: Next time I am out, I will look into purchasing the rice already ground.

It is important to grind the rice into a fine flour, otherwise you can feel the texture of the rice grains in the final product. (Oops, I just found a grain of rice in my water glass!)

This is not your ordinary pasta salad!

2012-08-09T20:31:00.000-04:00

For some reason Asian foods really inspire me in the kitchen. I can’t get enough of the flavors that are so simple and soooo craveable. You can really kick up your summer picnic with this dish!

Sesame Pasta Salad

Ingredients

1lb macaroni

1/3 c hot pasta water

½ c + 2T tahini (sesame paste)

¼ T soy sauce

1T minced, fresh ginger

¾ t garlic powder

2T rice vinegar

1 ½ t sesame oil

1 ½-2 T honey

1-2 t red pepper flakes

4 scallions-whites thinly sliced & greens sliced into ½ inch pieces

2 T chopped cilantro

Sesame seeds

Edamame
Snap peas

Shredded carrots

Chopped cucumber

Fresh baby spinach

Anything else you can think of!!

Directions:

Cook the macaroni to al dente. Don’t forget to reserve 1/3 cup of the pasta water!
Toss scallion whites with the hot pasta.
Combine the tahini, hot pasta water, soy sauce, ginger, garlic powder, vinegar, sesame oil, honey and pepper flakes.
While pasta is still warm, toss some of the dressing over it. The macaroni will absorb the sauce making it extra tasty.
When the pasta is cool, add the dressing to taste.
Toss in the veggies.
Top your pasta salad with a generous sprinkle of sesame seeds, the scallion greens and the cilantro.

Alternatives, ideas and suggestions

I like to use garlic powder in this recipe because it is easier to tolerate than raw, minced garlic.
Using hot water helps thin out the tahini when making the sauce, and the starch from the pasta adds body to it.
If you accidentally get rid of the pasta water, you can use hot tap water.
Adding the scallion whites to the drained, hot pasta will help enhance the flavor of the scallions.
If you’d like to make this salad a main course, add a protein like fried tofu or sliced rare steak.
The veggie possibilities you could add to this salad are endless! Bok choy, fresh green beans, tomatoes, red onion, broccoli…

Who ever said "Don't play with your food?!!?" Go on now, get creative and play with your pasta!!!

A vegetarian Asian dish that won’t disappoint…Hot & Sour Eggplant

2012-01-15T12:33:00.003-05:00

Asian food has always been a favorite of mine, and now I have been exploring the culinary delight in my own kitchen…I am obsessed!! Here is my first Asian post…Enjoy!

Hot & Sour Eggplant

Ingredients

½ cup + 1T soy sauce

¼ cup + 2T rice vinegar

¼ cup +1T brown sugar

1/2-1 t red pepper flakes

1 ½ T cornstarch

1 T sesame oil

7-8 Japanese eggplant

3+ T vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic

4 scallions- whites thinly sliced and greens sliced to ½ inch

Directions:

Slice eggplant into ½ inch rounds and place in a large bowl. Sprinkle the eggplant with 1 tablespoon of salt, cover with water and soak for 30 minutes. Drain the water and dry the eggplant on a clean kitchen towel to remove excess water.
Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, pepper flakes, cornstarch and sesame oil in a bowl and set aside.
With the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat, sauté the scallion whites. After around 1 minute add the garlic.
After another minute, add the eggplant to the garlic & onion and sauté for 10 minutes or until tender. Add a splash of oil as needed.
Give the sauce a mix and add it to the eggplant. Gently stir until it thickens.
Remove from heat and mix in the scallion greens.
Serve over rice and enjoy with a smile!!

Alternatives, ideas and suggestions:

What the heck is a Japanese eggplant?!!? Well, it is a long, slender, beautiful version of its Italian relative. The eggplant is around 9 inches long and 1-2 inches in diameter.
Soaking the eggplant is done to extract the bitterness within the eggplant, and it also prevents it from drinking up way too much oil creating a mushy mess...no one wants that!
I absolutely love Japanese eggplant versus the Italian eggplant. It is sweeter, more tender and wonderfully delicious!!
You can most definitely adjust the mount of red pepper flakes in this recipe!! Some like it hot and some prefer no heat at all…it’s your dish play with it!!
If you don't have rice vinegar, you can use red wine vinegar in its place.
I love this over brown rice, but it is equally enjoyable over white rice.
This is a totally awesome vegetarian dish as is, but feel free to add any veggies like celery, pea pods, edamame, button mushrooms or whatever your palate craves.

Now get out there and play with your Asian cuisine!!

Our anniversary dinner at The Back Eddy

2011-10-02T21:57:00.000-04:00

Charles and I have been married for 3 years on October 4 and to celebrate, Charles, my father and I went to The Back Eddy which is where we got married. Our wedding was, of course, the best party I have ever been to!!! The monsoons ended, the clouds in the sky parted and the sun shone through just for our special day. Not only was the wedding perfect, the food was OUT OF THIS WORLD!!

Ingredients used to make up the fabulous meals at The Back Eddy are as fresh as fresh can be and they are as local as possible. Actually Aaron, the executive chef, gets a lot of his ingredients from his family’s farm. Sal is the owner, and every year he travels to different parts of the world to get inspired by the foods he finds and this translates amazingly well onto his menu.

Today I am going to tell you about the appetizers we had…and yes their appetizers are good enough to make up one blog!!! My next post on The Back Eddy will be about the meals.

We started out with some fabulously tasty oysters…Mmmmmm, so fresh!! The delicate flavor of the oysters is only enhanced by the oyster liquor that is surrounding it in the shell. Although they are oceany fresh on their own, the shallot relish gave the oysters a great little bite. I could have had a dozen all to myself…but I resisted…ha!

Our second appetizer was an order of deviled eggs. Hey…don’t turn your head like that because these aren’t your ordinary run-of-the-mill deviled eggs, oh no they aren’t! Now deviled eggs were never up there on my list of favorite foods, but a friend of ours insisted we give them a try and I am forever grateful. The eggs are called “Deviled Eggs from Hell,” and they are served with an “inner beauty drizzle” (a delicate sriracha sauce,) tuna tartar, aged soy and wasabi tobiko. This sounds crazy I know, but the eggs are so perfectly cooked with insanely smooth and velvety yolks. The individual flavors and textures flow gently on your palate...one by one...aaahhhhh! I want more right now!! If they weren’t an hour away I’d totally go get some…they are THAT good!!

Now you must go and check out The Back Eddy and trust them to play with your food...you won’t regret it!!!

www.thebackeddy.com

The Back Eddy

1 Bridge Road

Westport, MA 02790

508-636-6500

Today I have a recipe for Fresh Basil Pesto Pasta…

2011-07-24T13:15:00.005-04:00

Well it’s been a while since my last post, and I sure have missed writing about my culinary thoughts. It's good to be back!

Fresh Basil Pesto Pasta

Pesto is extremely versatile, delicious and incredibly simple. This is the perfect example of a recipe where less is more...enjoy.

Ingredients

2 cups fresh basil…only fresh will do my friends!!

1/4 cup walnuts

1 clove garlic

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp fresh cracked black pepper

Juice from 1/4 lemon

1/2 - 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

2T reserved pasta water
12 ounces spaghetti
1 cup cherry tomatoes

1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives

1 cup fresh mozzarella pearls (mini fresh mozzarella balls)…(pearls sound so much prettier, no?)
2 grilled chicken breasts, or grilled shrimp, or grilled salmon...or whatever makes you smile!

Directions:

In a blender or Cuisinart chop the garlic. Next add the basil, walnuts, 1/4 cup of the olive oil, lemon juice, salt & pepper... blend. You may have to stop the blender a few times to push the basil down with the end of your wooden spoon. Do not attempt to push the basil down while the blender is running...After all, this is not a recipe for Fresh Basil Wood-Chip Pesto Pasta.
With the blender still running, slowly drizzle in the other 1/4 cup olive oil, adding more if needed.
Pour the pesto into a bowl and stir in the parmesan cheese...Whammo, you have a deliciously fresh sauce for your pasta.*
Place the pesto in the bottom of the serving dish and whisk in 2 tablespoons of the reserved hot pasta water to loosen it a bit. If needed, add more hot water a little at a time until the sauce is smooth enough to coat the pasta.
Place the hot pasta over the sauce and toss to coat each awaiting strand of spaghetti.
Add the tomatoes, olives & mozzarella cheese and gently toss together allowing these goodies to mingle with the pesto pasta. The mozzarella cheese will begin to melt with the heat of the pasta...such cheesy goodness!!!!!!
Top with the grilled chicken.

Pesto sauce should not be exposed to direct heat because of the amount of cheese that is in it…the sauce will get bitter and chewy in texture…blech!!! How does it get hot you ask? The heat from the reserved water along with the heat of the pasta will warm the pesto perfectly.

*If you aren't planning to use the pesto sauce immediately, it can be refrigerated at this point up to 5 days or frozen for up to 6 months.

Alternatives, ideas and suggestions:

Looking for a creamier sauce? Add around 1/4 cup ricotta cheese. This will raise your sauce to the next level.
Pesto isn’t just for pasta!!! Line a small bowl with saran wrap and add enough pesto to cover 1/2 inch of the bottom of the bowl. Fill the bowl almost to the top with softened cream cheese, cover with saran wrap and put in the fridge. When the cream cheese has set, remove the saran wrap and flip the bowl upside down onto a serving plate. Remove the saran wrap and you have a wonderfully glorious dip.
Pesto makes a great sandwich spread, especially on a panini with prosciutto, provolone cheese & thinly sliced pear…Ab Fab! (ie: absolutely fabulous…ha!)
Traditionally this recipe calls for pine nuts instead of walnuts, but because I am still bruised from the economic punch I use walnuts. I recently read a recipe that called for sunflower seeds instead of nuts…it sounds delightful and I will definitely give this a try…SOON!
Pesto is one of my favorite sauces for PIZZA!!! Talk about taking a dish to the next level, I just can’t get enough of this amazingly delicious pizza. Tasty accompaniments are sundried tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese…YUM
Looking for something to zazz up your pork tenderloin? Why not pesto?!!? It also works well on pasta salad, bruschetta and steak too.
If you’re watching your waistline, you can use pesto in potato salad instead of mayo!! To loosen the sauce, add about 1/4 cup rice vinegar until you reach the desired consistency. Toss with yellow and red bell peppers for a beautiful and healthy side dish.
Try pouring the pesto on a tomato and mozzarella salad with a slow drizzle of a good quality balsamic vinegar…jazzy…

· I could go on and on with ideas, but I have to stop somewhere!!

Now get out there and play with your pesto!!

Lookin’ for an absolutely fabulous soup recipe?

2011-01-31T16:09:00.000-05:00

I made this soup on the day of a blizzard…simply perfect!

Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion diced
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 Empire (or something similar) apple peeled, cored and cubed
• 4 cups of butternut squash
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• ¼ tsp cumin
• ¼ - ½ cup heavy cream

Directions
1. Roast squash by cutting it in half. Drizzle each cut side with olive oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Place cut side down on a foil-lined pan and roast at 350* for around ½ hour. (Until a fork can easily pierce the squash.)
2. After the squash has cooled a bit, remove the skin and cube the squash.
3. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat.
4. Add the onion and sauté until tender.
5. Add the apple and garlic and sauté until tender. (around 8 minutes)
6. Add squash and sauté for around 5 more minutes.
7. Pour in vegetable stock, and season with salt, pepper, nutmeg and cumin. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until the squash can be easily mashed with a fork.
8. In a blender, food processor or with an immersion blender, puree the soup mixture until smooth.
9. Return the soup to the pot (unless using an immersion blender) and stir in the heavy cream.
10. Serve warm and ENJOY!!

Wait!! Don’t throw out those seeds...why not roast them!?! It is quick and easy way to create a healthy and delicious snack.

Ingredients
• Butternut squash seeds
• olive oil
• salt to taste

Directions
1. Rinse seeds with water and remove any pieces of squash that may try to tag along, pat dry.
2. Preheat the oven to 275* and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
3.Drizzle the olive oil over the seeds just to coat and sprinkle with salt.
4.Spread out in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet.
5.Bake for around 15 minutes, or until seeds start to pop.
6. Enjoy!!!

Alternatives, ideas and suggestions:
• Wondering how many butternut squash will offer 4 cups of “meat?” Generally 1 medium squash will be just fine. What if there is only a large squash at the market? Take it…more soup for you!! If the squash are on the smaller side, you can use 2, no problem.
• I like the addition of cumin in this soup because is adds depth and smokiness, and it enhances the earthiness of the butternut squash. If you are unsure of the flavor of cumin, please feel free to eliminate it from your soup!
• What’s with the apple in the soup? Well, it is there to add a touch of sweetness. Also, the pectin from the apple will help thicken the soup. Cool, huh? It is not necessary, but I just love the extra layer of flavor is offers!!
• Are you curious how the cumin will taste, but don’t want it to “ruin” you soup? Use a bit less that what I used...if you like it you can always add more.
• Is your nutmeg supply out of stock? Cinnamon will do you just fine. Personally, I prefer nutmeg because it is peppery and warm and is a great addition to this recipe. If you don’t have either one, I suggest you go to the market. Because this soup is so delicate, there is a necessary level of flavor that needs present and the spices are just the right thing. To me, nutmeg and cumin are the perfect combination!!!
• Chicken stock can be substituted for the vegetable stock. I don’t think I’d use beef stock because is tends to have a strong flavor that may interfere with the delicate taste of the butternut squash.
• I used ¼ cup of heavy cream to cut down on the fat content and it was just wonderful. If you want to splurge a bit, go for the ½ cup of cream...it’s definitely worth it!
• When blending the ingredients in a blender or food processor, please do it in small batches because no one wants hot soup to go flying all over the kitchen, even worse, YOU!! I have an immersion blender that I just love! I can’t remember when or where I bought it, but I am soo glad I have it. It looks like a wand and it has a small blade at the bottom of it. The blade goes right into the pot with the ingredients in it and whirls away...before you know it the ingredients are as smooth as can be!! Incredible, easy and neat!!!!! There is no transferring it to the blender, to a bowl and back into the pot only to reheat it again…no thank you! Speedy, efficiently and easy is the way I like to roll!
• As far as the seeds go, why would anyone throw them out now?!!? They are super delicious and nutritious and I highly recommend roasting them. Squash and pumpkin seeds are a great source of iron and protein.
• Sweeten the deal by using a cinnamon and sugar mix on the seeds instead of salt, or maybe add a pinch of cayenne for spice…MmmmMMMMmmm!
• The seeds can be eaten alone, or you can throw them in your salad, in oatmeal, on chicken or fish, in your granola mixes, in your rice for added crunch…let your inner foodie go wild!!

Now go play Squash...I mean go play with your squash!!

What's unique in my pecan pie?…Honey!!!

2011-01-09T11:35:00.000-05:00

This is the best pecan pie I think I have ever made, and I have made a lot of pecan pies.

Generally a pecan pie calls for corn syrup, but I choose to make this pie with raw honey instead. Why did I choose raw honey as my substitute? Because I have started a small love affair with raw honey this summer while working at the farmer’s market, and I am trying to sneak it into as many recipes as possible! Raw honey is delicately sweet and luscious and has a uniquely velvety texture.

When using honey, it is important to me to use raw, local honey for a couple of reasons. Using local honey supports the local farmers which is super important. Raw honey means the honey in the jar is as close to the honey in the hive as you can get. This process varies from bee-keeper to bee-keeper, but generally it is removed from the hive and simply strained, or spun, to remove any natural impurities that may be in the honey. Generic honey purchased in the supermarket is usually processed with heat, is clarified, and may have unwanted things added to it creating a less tasty and less nutritious product. Have a taste test with store-bought, processed honey vs. raw honey and you won’t believe the difference in texture and flavor!! There is nothing like a spoonful of creamy, delicate, fresh honey!!

Honey Pecan Pie

Ingredients
• 1 cup honey
• 3 eggs, beaten (in a large bowl)
• 3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1 9-inch pie crust (I like the deep dish, it make me very happy!!)

Directions
1. In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the honey to a gentle boil then remove from heat
2. With a ladle, carefully whisk a ladleful of the honey into the beaten eggs. Continue gently whisking the eggs while adding one ladleful of the honey at a time until the honey and eggs are combined.
3. Add the butter and stir until it is melted
4. Add the vanilla, nuts, and nutmeg and combine
5. Pour into the pie shell.
6. Bake at 325 for 25 minutes or until set

Alternatives, ideas and suggestions:
• Adding the honey to the eggs slowly and carefully is called tempering. It is important to perform this process or you will have scrambled eggs instead of a well blended product.
• I know I have told you this before, but before you make this pie, I think it is important to toast the pecans before baking with them. Actually any time you are using almonds, pecans or hazelnuts, toasting them is a wonderful thing to do because it really intensifies the natural flavor of the nuts. It also gives them a more palatable crunch. Bake them at 325 for 10-20 minutes depending on the nut. After around 5-10 minutes, give them a toss in the pan for even toasting.
• If you don’t want to use honey, feel free to use fresh maple syrup…is it super delicious and isn’t nearly as sweet as you’d think it is. Again, you must use real maple syrup and not the cheap kind. Why? Because the cheap kind is actually corn syrup with artificial maple flavoring!! Blech, no thank you!! Go for the good stuff, it is totally worth it!
• Want to sweeten the pot a little? Add ½ cup of chocolate chips in with the pecans…the angels will sing when your knife goes in for the first cut of pie.
• Feel free to top the pie with pecan halves before baking. This will make a nice presentation.
• Over time, raw honey will crystallize but don’t panic, it is OK and is a natural thing. The crystals are safe to consume as they are or you can gently warm your honey to dissolve the crystals. To warm the honey, submerge the honey jar in warm water no higher than 110 degrees. Heating the honey too high will diminish its nutritional value.

Did you know…
…Raw honey has antibacterial properties that help treat infections and heal wounds?
…Raw honey can hasten the healing process by encouraging circulation?
…Raw honey has an anti-inflammatory property that may reduce pain?
…Raw honey contains polyphenols which act as antioxidants?
…Raw honey contains vitamins and minerals and offers a trace amount of amino acids and proteins?

Now go play with your food!!

Lookin' for a tasty snack? How about Pumpkin Muffins!

2010-11-14T21:17:00.011-05:00

I am always on the hunt for a good pumpkin muffin recipe and I have finally found “The One!” (Of course I played with the recipe it to make it extra tasty!) The ingredients list looks long, but please don't let that fool you. This recipe is very easy and quick.

The pumpkin flavor really shines in this recipe while letting the spices gently emerge. I love the addition of bright red, dried cranberries because they add a slightly chewy texture, and the pecans add a sweet, delicate crunch. Textures and colors in my food always make me happy...well, usually. Ha!

Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup wheat flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup pecans
Streusel Topping
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 Tbs flour
• 1 Tbsp butter cut into small pieces
Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and flour. Add the butter and blend together with your fingers…go ahead…get dirty!

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350*. Line your muffin pans with the paper liners.
2. Combine the flours, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt and set aside.
3. Mix together the sugars, vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla.
4. Add the pumpkin and milk to the sugar mixture and mix well; then add the flour and stir to combine.
5. Fold in the dried cranberries and pecans.
6. Scoop the batter into 12 regular size muffins.
7. Generously sprinkle the streusel topping onto each muffin.
8. Bake for around 15 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean.

Alternatives, ideas and suggestions…
• If you have non-stick muffin pans, paper liners will do you fine. If you don’t, I recommend you spray your muffin pan with a non-stick pan spray and also use paper liners…you can’t be to careful!!
• Feel free to mix up the mix-ins...i.e. pecans & cranberries.
• If you don’t have pecans, walnuts can be added instead.
• Rather use frozen or fresh cranberries? Go for it! Just give them a rough chop.
• If you don’t want dried cranberries in your muffins, try substituting them with raisins.
• Don’t want cranberries or raisins in your muffins? You could add a 1/4 cup of pecans to the 1/2 cup that is called for in the recipe.
• Why do I choose to use pecans instead of walnuts? Pecans are a bit sweeter and crunchier, and I just love them.
• Remember, toasting the pecans first gives them a more refined flavor.
• Don’t want dried cranberries, raisins,walnuts or pecans in your muffins? How about adding 3/4 cup chocolate chips?
• Mini chocolate chips work really well because they lend a nice texture in the muffin, but I’d only use 1/2 cup…pumpkin should be the main flavor here.
• If you’re a purest, just leave out the mix-ins an go for the straight-up pumpkin.

Use your imagination and go play with your food!!

Do you like curry as much as I do?

2010-11-08T16:06:00.001-05:00

It's recipe time and here's one that will knock your socks off...Thai Coconut Curry!! It's super tasty and very easy to make, but there's one thing...it involves tofu. Don't panic! I know it is foreign to a lot of people; and I want to take that fear of cooking it (and eating it!!!) away from you because it is very easy to work with and is loaded with protein. The texture of tofu is a bit...shall we say...different... but after you cook it, it gets more palatable. It is an acquired texture, and once it's in the mix, it is delicious. The flavor is very light and takes on the taste of whatever you season it with. Tofu can be marinated the same way you would marinate a steak, pork or chicken, and after it is marinated, you can grill it, sauté it, fry it, or broil it.

If you’ve never tried tofu before, just give it a chance…it is healthy and funky, and you control the flavors! If you’d rather not use tofu, you can use any protein you'd like in this recipe.

Thai Coconut Curry

Ingredients
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 tsp sesame oil
2 (12 ounce) package extra-firm tofu
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium sweet, yellow onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 celery stalks, sliced
1 (13 ounce) can coconut milk
1T 2t curry powder
2 tsp cumin
2T soy sauce
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup dry roasted, unsalted peanuts

1. Wrap the extra-firm tofu in a couple of paper towels and press the water out. Be gentle when pressing because the tofu is delicate when it is right out of the package. This is important because we are going to be frying the tofu and you know what happens when water is added to hot oil…booms and splashes = burns and messes. No bueno!
2. After most of the water has been pressed out, cut the tofu into cubes.
3. Heat the oils together in a very large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tofu cubes and fry until golden on all sides. (This takes about 15 minutes.) Remove from skillet and set aside.
4. Melt butter in the same skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until tender.
5. Add the celery to the garlic and onion.
6. Combine the coconut milk, curry powder, cumin, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, peanuts and add to the skillet.
7. Return the tofu to the skillet. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
8. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.
8. Serve over rice.

Alternatives, ideas and suggestions…
• Don’t have cilantro? Don’t like cilantro? Don't use cilantro! Think of another herb that may have a similar flavor or will brighten a dish like cilantro will…how about basil...oooh, or mint!
• I like the onion to be seen in this recipe. To do this, cut the onion in half and then cut each half into quarters. They add a nice delicate crunch when cut this way.
• Feel free to use 3-4 green onions instead of the sweet yellow onion.
• If you’d rather, you can use olive oil instead of butter to sauté the onions and garlic.
• When substituting another protein in this recipe, go by weight to figure out how much to use. This recipe calls for 24 ounces of tofu, so you could use 1 1/2 pounds of the protein of your choice.
• Coconut milk is available in a light variety and is an excellent substitute for the regular coconut milk which is very high in saturated fat. I always use the light coconut milk.
• Whenever we have this dish, I serve it over Jasmine rice, but I think it would be super delicious over brown rice too!!!
• If you don’t like spicy food, eliminate the red pepper flakes. This is one of those things that you can alter in the recipe according to your likes. I’d hate to see anyone turn this recipe away because they don’t like spicy foods!
• Peanuts are also optional, but I just L.O.V.E. the added crunch and flavor they offer!!
• Add any veggies that float your boat! Try adding sugar snap peas, baby corn, broccoli,carrots etc.

Why do I offer these alternatives, ideas and suggestions? Because cooking is like art. When the strokes of a brush are swept across a canvas, a beautiful, unique piece is being created. You must be patient and a certain order is required, but a masterpiece is in the making. The same goes for cooking. There is an ebb and flow with the ingredients, the tools, the method, and the cook. When you see a recipe, I want to encourage you to feel freeeeeee in the kitchen!! Art, either in the studio or in the kitchen, should be liberating, fun and creative. If every detail of how the paintbrush is moved is written down, every painting would look the same; you need to add your own personal touch to the artwork. The same goes for cooking. Ingredients can be substituted and some steps may be altered; it is up to you, the cook, to choose how the final product will turn out!!

Now get out there and play with your food!!!!!!!!!!!

What? Homemade doughnuts?

2010-10-18T17:24:00.002-04:00

That’s right, I made homemade cake-style doughnuts the other day. They were sooooo super delicious and a lot easier to make than you’d think.

Cake Doughnuts
2 Tbs white vinegar (or apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar)
½ cup milk
2 Tbs shortening or margarine
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
¾ tsp vanilla
2 c flour
½ tsp cinnamon (optional)
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
Oil for frying (I use vegetable oil)

Topping
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1Tbs 1 tsp cinnamon
Mix together

Directions
1. Heat the oil, around 4 inches deep, in a large deep skillet, (or large sauce pot) to 375*. Be careful, if there is too much oil for your pot, it will overflow and may cause a fire! DON'T BURN THE DOUGHNUTS...or your house!!!!
2. While the oil is heating up, add the vinegar to the milk and let stand while you prep the rest of the ingredients. This will thicken slightly because the acid from the vinegar is mixing with the protein in the milk.
3. In a medium bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar.
4. Mix in the egg and vanilla until combined.
5. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
6. Add ½ the milk to the sugar and mix until combined; then add ½ the flour and mix until just combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl, and then repeat with the rest of the milk then flour.
7. Let stand for about 7 minutes.
8. To make doughnut holes (this is what I do), use a mini ice cream scoop (or a tablespoon of some sort) to shape the dough. Scoop the dough and drop it right into the oil, frying in batches so the doughnuts aren't overcrowded in the oil. If you’d like a true doughnut shape, roll dough out on a floured surface to 1/3 inch thickness. Cut into doughnuts using a donut cutter. If you are using this method, let rest for 7 minutes after forming the doughnuts
9. Drop the dough into the oil being careful not to splash the oil. Fry until the doughnuts are golden on the bottom then turn them over in the oil.
10. Drain on paper towels.
11. Roll in the sugar cinnamon while they are still warm, and serve immediately.

These doughnut bites were the best Sunday morning snack one could ever ask for. They were delectably crunchy-on-the-outside, soft-and-fluffy-on-the-inside, tasty, and not at all greasy. Also, they are quick and easy to make, stay crunchy for a while, and you probably have all of the ingredients in your cupboard!! Get to frying my friends!!!

A few alternatives, ideas and suggestions…
I like to use my mini ice cream scoop to make these doughnut holes. Because they are on the smaller size, they fry up pretty quickly. The doughnut will turn golden brown and will only need to be flipped over once. I like to make a tester one to get an idea of how quickly they cook.

Don’t have a doughnut cutter hanging around? You could use circle cookie cutters, a can, a glass…be creative!

For the best results, use a thermometer to get your oil to the right temperature. If you don’t have a thermometer and are unsure about the temperature of your oil, drop a test piece of dough into the oil to see what happens. When the oil is ready, it will get tiny, but fast, bubbles all around it and, the dough will gently turn a golden brown. If it browns too quickly, your oil is too hot and needs to be turned down a bit. If the oil is not hot enough, the dough will sink and become saturated with oil….this leads to the lead ball…yuck!

Your topping choices are endless. I used the sugar cinnamon mixture because it is what I had on hand. You could dust them with powdered sugar, make a glaze with powdered sugar and just enough milk to make a glaze (and a bit of vanilla too), combine equal parts cocoa powder and sugar and roll doughnuts in it, make a chocolate glaze with equal parts powdered sugar and cocoa and add just enough milk to make a glaze…use you imagination to create the doughnut of your dreams…

We have the kids over each year for Christmas breakfast, and this is one thing that I am definitely going to add to the menu this year! Instead of using cinnamon in the doughnut, I think I am going to use pumpkin spice…that sounds so yuuuUUUuuuummmyy!! Can’t wait!

Now for a quick science lesson…
As you see, this recipe calls for shortening and not butter. Under many circumstances I would change this out for butter, but that isn’t really a good idea when it comes to making doughnuts and I’ll tell you why. Butter has a melting point of around 90-95* where shortening has a melting point of around 117-119*. This fact is important here. Picture the shortening forming tiny beads when blended into the ingredients. When these “beads” of shortening melt, they create steam which in-turn creates a pocket. When this pocket is formed, the dough around the pocket needs to be set to prevent the pocket from collapsing. Because shortening has a higher melting point, the pocket of dough will already be set by the time the shortening has melted. If we were to use butter in this recipe, the butter would melt too quickly, potentially not giving the dough enough time to set around it; and the pocket where the butter “bead” was would collapse creating a flatter ball of dough. Some have tried the recipe with butter and had good results, but it’s not worth the sacrifice to me!!

Why is vinegar added to the milk? Vinegar is an acid and when it is mixed with the baking soda in the dough, bubbles of carbon dioxide are released throughout the dough creating a light and airy product.

Now go play with your dough!!!!

Luxe Burger again? You got it!

2010-09-21T16:36:00.000-04:00

My husband & I went to Luxe burger again this past weekend and had yet another delicious meal. Why did we go to the same place we went to last time? Well, we had a gift certificate, of course...ha…and we always enjoy the atmosphere and the food.

Whenever Charles & I go out to eat we love to sit at the bar where things are more exciting, and there is always someone interesting to talk with, like Ben & Neil, the bartenders. In my quandary of what to drink, I settled on a Harpoon I.P.A., and as I sip my beer I see the Goslings rum behind the bar…if only they had ginger beer I’d order a Dark & Stormy. If you like ginger, this is a great drink to try. When the spiciness from the ginger beer (it's actually soda) combines with the sweetness from the dark spiced rum you get the intense Dark & Stormy. I didn’t even ask if they had ginger beer because not too many bars serve it. Well, don’t you know when the bartender opened the cooler, my husband happens to see ginger beer!!!! Aawww yea! One Dark & Stormy please!!

Now onto the food…Charles & I usually plan on getting something we haven’t had before or something we haven’t had in a long time. Right off the bat, we wanted to try their Buffalo Calamari because we saw it the last time we were at Luxe Burger and it smelled soooo good. I LOVE buffalo anything, I love it so much I could drink the sauce. When the calamari was delivered to us, the tang from the hot sauce made my nose tingle…zip zip zippyyyy! With the first bite, I knew right away that this wasn’t a store bought sauce, it was very unique. The sauce had a good, spicy zip to it, but it offered an unusual sweetness at the same time. Hmmm, a sweet and spicy buffalo sauce…who knew?!? It was something that I had never experienced before, and I just absolutely loved it! Now if I could figure out how to make it…I’ll let you know when I do!!

For some reason, the menu and atmosphere at Luxe Burger just makes you want a burger (yea, hence the name…Luxe Burger). With that, I had all intentions of trying something different, but the burger menu just called to me. Then I saw the Umami sandwich. It is a tuna steak with a soy glaze, julienne cucumbers, and wasabi dressing. When I asked Ben about the sandwich, he said “It is my favorite, if you like tuna you gotta try it!” It is unique because many people will grind the tuna to make a burger out of it, but they left it as a steak. So I decided to give it a whirl. When Ben asked me how I want it cooked I said “rare, of course!” Then it dawned on me, I was ordering sushi at a burger joint…this could be bad. I very rarely order sushi from a place other than a well established sushi bar, it’s too risky. Too late now, the order is in and I decide to go with the flow and hope for the best while sipping on my most refreshing Dark & Stormy. Well, the best came to me on a plate. The tuna was cooked perfectly. The soy glaze added a sweet and saltiness while the cucumbers added crunch and a dash of freshness. All-in-all, the sandwich had the perfect balance of flavors. I’m happy to report that ordering sushi here worked out just fine!!

What did Charles have? He ordered a burger topped with goat cheese and roasted red peppers with a side of Gorgonzola Tater Tots. The burger arrives and the amount of goat cheese on top was insane! There was a very generous chunk-o-cheese and it was tangy, creamy and delicious. With the goat cheese on top of the perfectly cooked burger, and the roasted red peppers on the bottom, a delectable burger was born. As for the “Tater Tots…” oh heavenly potato, how I love thee! These aren’t you average tater tots. In fact, they aren’t tater tots at all! They are potato croquettes filled with Gorgonzola cheese!!! Eating one of these bad boys is like eating a piece of heaven. The potato is crunchy on the outside, and the Gorgonzola cheese is creamy and smooth on the inside making this a rich, delectable, little ball of goodness. This is a MUST try when you go to Luxe burger!!!! I actually suggested they change the name because “Gorgonzola Tater Tots” does NOT do this side dish any service.

Have you played with your food today? Well, what are you waiting for...go!

Looking for a quick and delicious meal? Check out this recipe!

2010-09-15T11:41:00.002-04:00

Charles & I went to our friend’s Anne & Dave’s house for dinner, and Anne served an awesome sandwich that was like pulled pork, but it was chicken instead. This sandwich has the perfect balance of sweet, savory and spice and with the right roll…super delicious!!! The recipe came from Rachel Ray, and it is quick, easy and very tasty…I highly recommend it! First I’ll give you the recipe and then some suggestions to follow.

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
1 cup chicken stock
1 bottle of beer
4 pcs. boneless chicken breast
2 Tbs olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbs Tabasco
1 ½ Tbs grill seasoning (use store bought or see recipe to follow)
3 Tbs dark brown sugar
¼ c tomato paste

6 Sweet Rolls

1. In a medium skillet, bring chicken stock & beer to a simmer and poach chicken for around
    5 minutes on each side.
2. In a separate skillet, sauté onion and garlic in olive oil on medium-low heat.
3. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a separate bowl.
4. When chicken is cooked through, remove from poaching liquid and slice.
5. Take 2 ladles of the poaching liquid and add to ingredients in bowl and mix well.
6. Add chicken to mixture and combine using 2 forks, shredding the chicken as you mix.
7. Add chicken to the skillet with the garlic & onions and simmer for 10 minutes adding more
    poaching liquid as you need to reach your desired sauciness.
8. Put in a sweet roll and enjoy!!

OK, as you may have figured out, I always enjoy changing things up a bit, and I also like to try to make things as natural as I can. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not talking about making things difficult for anyone; but if I can make it from scratch instead of buying it already made, I will. Why? I like to know exactly what is going into the product and my belly, and I like to be able to control the amount and quality of ingredients.

Here are a few options for the BBQ Chicken Sandwich recipe:
• Anne saved some time by using a roasted chicken that she bought at the market. Very smart
  gal!!
• If you use the roasted chicken, just add beer at step 5 instead of poaching liquid.
• If you don’t have any beer on hand, don’t panic! There is no need to go out and buy beer just
   for this recipe; you can simply use chicken stock whenever beer is called for. White
   wine would be tasty too!
• I love Tabasco and think it runs in my veins; but Anne used an Asian hot sauce called
   Sriracha, and I highly recommend it!! It is a bit hotter and thicker than Tabasco and has more
   garlic in it…KAPOW! You can find it in the Asian section of the market.
• If you don’t have dark brown sugar, you can use light brown sugar. If you don’t have light
   brown sugar, you can use white sugar with about 2 tsp of molasses added to the mix. If you
   don’t have molasses…go get some brown sugar! Ha ha ha…no really, brown sugar of some
   type rocks it!
• Now as far as the roll goes…definitely go for the sweet roll!! The slight sweetness of the roll
   with the spiciness of chicken was revelry in my mouth! Anne found “Sweet Rolls” from Stop &
   Shop in their bakery section. They are so light, delicate and airy and are a must have for this
   bold and spicy sandwich. The top of the roll must have been lightly brushed with a light sugar
   syrup right after it came out of the oven, mmmmmmmmm...
• There is another Portuguese sweet roll out there called the Bolo Levedo. It looks like an
   English Muffin, but it has a delicate, sweet flavor and is a bit more dense.
· Avoiding carbs? This chicken would be excellent on it’s own too!
• Coleslaw would make a great side dish, but I think it may be even better on it!!! You know I’m
   going to include a recipe for this now, right? Ha ha ha…

If you don’t have Grill Seasoning on hand, here is a recipe with ingredients that you may already have in your pantry. I recommend making your own because, again, you are in control of the ingredients and there are no preservatives, artificial ingredients or ingredients that you can’t pronounce.

Grill Seasoning
3 Tbs fresh coarse ground pepper
1 Tbs kosher salt
1 Tbs onion powder
1 Tbs garlic powder
1 Tbs ground coriander (Did you know that coriander seed is the seed of the cilantro plant?)
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1. Place ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
2. Store in an airtight container in a cool dark space.

Simple Slaw
1 bag shredded coleslaw mix
½ cup Mayonaise
3 Tbs rice vinegar (or cider vinegar, or wine vinegar)
3 Tbs sugar
¼ tsp celery salt (no celery salt? Feel free to use Kosher instead)

1. Mix mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar and celery salt together.
2. Pour over coleslaw and toss well.
3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Don't forget to play with your food today!!

I will follow youuuuuu…..

2010-09-02T11:24:00.000-04:00

Hello there! Are you enjoying this blog as much as I enjoy writing it? It’s kind of funny…I never was a writer growing up because I didn’t know how to express myself on paper. If a teacher asked me to write about an apple, I’d say: “it is red and round.” While both are true, I never fully understood what my teachers were asking of me. Now, as an adult, I’ve finally figured it out. It took a while, but I can appreciate an apple as being red and round, and also as crisp, sweet and juicy. The apple reminds me of the smell of fall as the leaves change while the temperature in the air dips low enough to wear a light sweater and no jacket.

Anyway, I digress…

If you are enjoying my blog, please feel free to “Follow” me. Just click on the “Follow” button on the right and sign in. It is kind of like being a friend on Facebook. You’ll have to join Google, but it only takes a minute and is free. Also, If you’d like to get a notice each time I post a new entry, you can “subscribe via email” by clicking the link.

Thank you for your support, and I hope you all continue to enjoy my posts!!

Did you play with your food today? I did!!!

Clam Cakes & Chowder update…

2010-08-31T13:50:00.000-04:00

Over the last several weeks, Charles & I have asked many people which restaurant or clam shack they feel has the best clam cakes & chowder. We were told about the old standbys, and we had been to most of them; but we were looking for that one place we’d never been to or heard of before, that special place with clammy clam cakes & chowder.

Well folks I have some good news for you, I think we’ve found what we've been looking for! There is a place in Charlestown, RI called The Hitching Post. Now, for those of you who know us, you know that we spend most of our summer weekends down in Charlestown. How could we have been going to Charlestown all of these years and not known about The Hitching Post?...A place that has been around for 60 years?!!?...I don’t know and I am pretty upset, but alas, after a recommendation from a friend, we found it.

Now let me tell you a bit about the family run shack called The Hitching Post. It is located at 5402 Post Road (Rte. 1) Charlestown, RI and has been in business since 1950…they must be doing something right. The gal who served us is third generation and truly enjoys working at her family’s restaurant. Eat-in dining is available, but they also have a sweet little outdoor garden where you can sit and enjoy the food and weather at the same time. We choose to sit in our car and eat, as the buggy time of night was approaching. (And I usually end up with tartar sauce all over my face.)

I’ll start by telling you about the chowder, saving the best for last. Clear chowder is the only chowder style they offer. Why? Because it is the traditional way Rhode Islanders make their chowder. That’s news to me, but it's OK because I really enjoy the clear chowder the best. The broth is very light; almost too light, but still very delicious. (I think because they don't use a ton of butter, the broth is very light and pretty healthy!) You can taste the ocean with each spoonful, as well as onion and celery. As you stir the chowder, you can see the clams swirling about in the bowl…yes, actual clams!! And they are soft, tender clams, not the chewy kind you may be used to. As far as the potatoes go, there weren't a ton of them and they're cut into small cubes which made me happy because they are my least favorite part of the chowder. I actually ate them all!

At The Hitching Post they offer “clam fritters” instead of clam cakes. Why? I don’t know, but I’ll find out! It doesn’t even matter because they are just so good! We ordered 6 clam fritters and we actually got 7! Mistake? Who cares!! These fritters also taste like the ocean (in a good way) and are light and airy and actually have clams in them!! With each bite I took I’d carefully examine my fritter, and to my surprise, I’d see at least 3 clam pieces waiting in the dough pillows for me to eat. YAHOOO!!!! YUUUUMMMMM!!! GIDDY UP!! I can't believe we finally know where to go for good clam cakes, I mean fritters, and chowder! My summer is now complete, and I can rest easy knowing that The Hitching Post is near!!

Oh, I must tell you about the tartar sauce…totally homemade! I could tell it was homemade just by looking at it. The tartar sauce has a fresh, crisp, sweet taste that paired very well with the clam fritters.

Go to The Hitching Post and play with your food!!

Farmer's Market updates…

2010-08-30T12:40:00.001-04:00

There are a few bits of information I wanted to add to this blog that may be helpful to you.

The first thing I’d like to tell you is the address of the Scituate Farmer’s market. It is located on Rte. 116 at the intersection of Institute Lane and Rte. 116. It is the same location as the Scituate Art Festival. Our farmer’s market will run through the first weekend of October.

Next is Eric The Honey Guy at Hillside Apiaries. His phone number is 573-1015. If you’d like some super-delicious, smooth, local honey please give him a call. Eric is at the market every Saturday and often does other locations as well. He may be at a market near you!

Then there is Marcia…She has the most beautiful flower bouquets you could imagine. All of Marcia’s flowers are grown at her home at 965 Chopmist Hill Road (102) in North Scituate, RI. Why am I giving you her address? Because she also has a flower cart at her home where she has flowers available to purchase! There are deep burgundy dahlias as well as pink ones and white ones with pink tips. And the vibrant yellow gladiolas are to die for!!

Pezza Farm is at the Scituate Farmer’s Market, and they also have a huge farm located at 2279 Plainfield Pike in Johnston, RI. The farm is open to the public everyday during the summer from 9-5. What a great place to take the family!! For more information on Pezza Farm, go to their website at http://www.pezzafarm.com/.

And lastly, Quint’s Finest also has a website where you can shop for great gifts like the Cookie of the Month Club. We also offer cookies sold by the dozen and brownies too!! Check us out at www.quintsfinestcookies.com/ . If you are looking for something special like party favors, please call at 401-935-8459.

Who is at the Scituate, RI Farmer’s Market?

2010-08-25T15:32:00.005-04:00

As you may or may not know, Quint’s Finest Gourmet Cookies & More has a table at the Scituate, RI Farmer’s Market which runs every Saturday from 9-12 through the first week in October. I am just loving the experience, and I also love being a part of something so dedicated to the community!

Ever since I started my business last year, the 2 words “Farmer’s Market” kept popping up so I decided to find out how to get a table at one. After many e-mails, I ended up choosing the Scituate Farmer’s market to be my host. I hadn’t been to a farmer’s market since I lived in Florida 15 years ago. Why? I’m not sure; it’s one of those things that you do when you live in an area and then when you leave that location, you leave some of the things that go along with it behind…does that make sense?

So anyway, here I am participating in a local farmer’s market, and as each Saturday passes, I feel a tighter bond with my community. That is an awesome feeling because it is my community that is supporting me as I am supporting them. Each Saturday, my regular customers (and the new ones too) will come up to say hello and tell me how much they enjoyed their cookies over the last week. If that is not one of the best feelings in the world, I don’t know what is!! They actually love my cookies! I will never get tired of hearing those words, and I don’t know if I can put into words how much I appreciate them; but I can say “Thank you for all of your support!!!”

Here are a few of the local farmers at the Scituate Farmer’s Market…

There is sweet Eric, the honey guy who owns and operates Hillside Apiaries…get it…sweet? He harvests the honey from his own bees!!! I never realized how fabulously creamy and gentle fresh, local honey could “bee”. The taste and texture are like no other honey I have ever had, and I highly recommend (if I could, I would demand…ha) using honey from your local honey man!!

Then there are the super nice folks from Blue Sky’s Flower Farm. Their table is always set up so beautifully and what I would think of as traditionally. When we first started the market together, I purchased a few lavender plants that are just thriving!! They also offer a variety of herbs, vegetables and flowers.

Next is Pezza Farm which is located in Johnston, RI. They always have a wide variety of vegetables such as green beans, corn, eggplant and squash along with flowers and herbs. When I don’t have any zucchini left from my own garden, I use theirs to make my zucchini bread.

Saving the most important for last, we have Olga’s Cup and Saucer. They have a huge selection of the best breads ever!! The Olive bread is loaded with olives and is definitely my favorite followed by the perfectly tangy sourdough. They also sell various cheeses from Narragansett Creamery including a spicy feta cheese spread called Pirate Spread, YUUUMMMM!. This table is run by a committee from Scituate and the proceeds from the bread sales, as well as the rent collected from the vendors at the market, is used to pay for the insurance for the market; but better than that, what ever they have left goes to a scholarship for a student of Scituate. Last year they were able to give away 2 scholarships!! Thank you to the Scituate commitee for being such wonderful hosts for us!

If you’re in the area, please come by and say “Hello!!” If you don’t live in the area, please find out where the Farmer’s Market is in your area and support your local farmers!!

We play with our food at the Farmer’s Market!!

Who was voted Best BYOB in Rhode Island?

2010-08-20T22:45:00.007-04:00

That’s right; it was Pinelli’s Café at Night! If you’ve been there before you already know why it was voted best BYOB in Rhode Island, but if you haven’t been there yet, let me tell you a bit about it and why I love going there.

How did Pinelli's get it's name? The the restaurant is named after the owner, Bill Pinelli. Bill opened this restaurant 20 years ago and is still going strong. He is often there to greet the guests when they arrive. When he isn't there, he is at his other place, Flare, which is another fabulous place to dine!! Finally, there's good pizza in Coventry, RI!!

Pinelli’s Café at Night is an awesome Italian restaurant tucked in a plaza at 701 Quaker Lane (Route 2) in West Warwick, RI. Now when it comes to eating Italian food, I usually don’t go out to eat because, as you know, I love to cook at home. But when I am craving Italian and don’t feel like cooking, the only place I’ll go to is Pinelli’s!! As soon as we walk in the door, my husband and I feel right at home. The wait staff is always pleasant and on the ball…and quick with the bottle opener!!

One of the main reasons I love Pinelli’s is because when the food comes out, it is ALWAYS hot!! Always! There is nothing better than receiving your dinner plate piping hot, am I right? Firstly, the fried calamari is just so good! The hot peppers… with the calamari…in the buttery sauce…sooooo tangy and spicy, yet the squid is tender and sweet. My mouth is watering just writing about it! Talking about hot and spicy, the occasional Buffalo Calamari special is a must try. Next is my favorite entrée, the Linguini with Clams in white sauce, which is a clam broth…YUM, YUM, YUM!!!!!!!!!!!! The clams are perfectly steamed, and the broth is seasoned just right and has that oceany freshness that the linguini just soaks up. It really hits the spot, you know?

Another reason I love to go to Pinelli’s is because of the service. I have been there as a party of 2 and a party of 25 and the servers never skip a beat. Again, the food is always served hot, fresh and oh so delicious. Did I mention the portion size? Holy hugeness Batman. There is enough food to feed an army, but it is so good that you won’t share it with any army, you’ll eat it aaaaall yourself! Executive chef, Michael, along with Manny, his wing man (i.e. sous chef) are always coming up with creative and tasty specials each night.

Yes, there is yet another reason Pinelli’s is on the top of my Go-To places. It is a BYOB restaurant, how cool is that?! Whether you like margaritas, beer, wine, champagne or pina coladas, if you can carry it in the restaurant, you can drink it! I’ve seen the pros walk in with coolers!!

Check out Pinelli’s Café at night, you won’t regret it.

Remember, it’s OK to play with your food.

Let’s talk about the internet, old friends and coincidences…

2010-08-16T17:06:00.004-04:00

Patty is on the left and I am next to her...caught making bunny ears!

Is there such a thing as a coincidence? Does everything happen for a reason? I believe in the latter, but occasionally wonder…

With this whole world of technology that is always growing and changing around us, I must admit that I am a bit slow on the draw; but I’m hanging in there and doing my best to keep up with the times. About a year-and-a-half ago I reluctantly jumped onto the Facebook bandwagon. It took me a long time to join because I thought it was a thing for high school kids. Then one night I had dinner with a few women from my childhood and they were telling me how fun it is to reconnect with people who have faded from our memories, how entertaining it can be, and what a great networking tool it is. So finally I joined. It took me quite a while to get comfortable with this because there really is no handbook; you just kind of go online and figure it out for yourself. People from my past would pop up and want to “friend” me, and as time passed and I started to feel more comfortable with Facebook, I would “accept” their invitations. Friends from college, from my time spent in Florida, relatives, and people from my childhood were flooding into my life. It was quite a surreal experience because with all of these people coming back into my life, all of these memories came flooding back into my mind. For those of you who know me, that is a lot for me to handle because I remember everything!

Anyway, it was exciting to reconnect with people from my past and see what they are up to. Then a friend from elementary school “friended” me, her name is Patty. Wow, there is a blast from the past. She was always a sweet girl, and I remember going to a couple of her parties as a child and playing with her on our school field trips to Diamond Hill. So I accepted her invitation and once again, we were friends.

One day as I was browsing my Facebook page, I noticed Patty had a blog…how cool is that?! I had wanted to write a food blog for a couple of years, but I had no idea how to even start one never mind how to write one. I sent Patty a message on Facebook asking her how she got started and to see if she could offer any advice. Within a few days I received a message back loaded with all kinds of information. Yes! Thank you, thank you, thank you Patty!! With the information given, I was on my way to Bloggerville, USA. One day, after Patty had read an entry from my blog, she suggested I read the book “My Life in France” by Julia Child. “Hmm, Julia Child,” I thought; I admire Julia Child as a chef, but I don’t know too much about her or how she got started. Since I had just finished reading one book and was looking for another, I went out and got “My Life in France.” I wondered what the book was going to be about and if I was going to be able to relate to Julia; after all, if she were alive today, she’d be 58 years older than me! Well, within the first 7 pages I was ready for a trip to Paris. What a neat woman!! She had determination like no other and quite an engaging personality. She had a strong curiosity for life and for the people who surrounded her. And as it turns out, we do have quite a few things in common. We both met our husbands when we were 32 years old. Our husbands are 10 years older than us. We must to create a dish over and over again until we get it just right!! We realized our intense passion for food, especially cooking, later in life. And now, we both love to write about food and share our knowledge with whoever will listen!! Who knew?!

Life is an interesting experience filled with strange happenings, and I love to encounter, absorb and realize them. Everything happens because it is supposed to, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the pretty. I’m not saying in any way that I’ll be the next Julia Child, no way, one could only dream of that! I am saying that if it weren’t for my childhood gal pals leading me to Facebook, then I wouldn’t have reunited with Patty, I wouldn’t have taken the leap to write a blog, and I wouldn’t have discovered the person who is Julia Child, and I wouldn’t have rediscovered the person who I am today….do you see where I’m going with this?

Enjoy the day and remember…it’s OK to play with your food. Julia Child did!!

Are you looking for a good burger?

2010-08-15T12:07:00.008-04:00

You must check out Luxe Burger in downtown Providence! Their burger menu is set up like a sushi menu, it’s very unique. There is a paper “Burger Menu” (as well as a full menu) and you check off what you’d like and how you’d like it. First you pick out the meat of your choice (there are 6 options), and then you pick from a long list of goodies to dress your burger with such as a variety of cheeses, toppings, sauces etc. Not only that, but you are free to dress your fries too! They offer cheese, chili, jalapenos along with many other toppings, oh don’t forget the bacon!!!

When it came to burgers I was totally traditional, just ketchup & mustard please. Then one day I ordered a hamburger and forgot to ask for it without the pickle. I bit into it, tasted the tang, zestiness and sweetness of the pickle and thought, holy shnikies! For the last @# years I have been missing the best part of the burger… the pickle!! How could I have been so stubborn all of these years? Didn’t I learn with the whole “tasting the cantaloupe” thing?! Anyway, I thank my lucky stars each time I eat a burger now, and I always ask for extra pickles!!

The other night Charles & I decided to use our gift card for Luxe Burger and we are glad we did! Kenny the bartender greeted us with a smile and was very knowledgeable and helpful in navigating us through the menu. When we asked about the Gold Label Burger, Kenny told us it was a combination of 3 types of beef: sirloin, chuck, and brisket. I am not sure who thought of this concoction, but I want to thank them because it is a very juicy and tasty blend.

The combinations on the burger menu are endless, and since I am a traditionalist, I had a tough time deciding on whether or not I should change my ways. Then I thought of that mysterious pickle on my burger and the surprise it brought when I bit into it. “I must try something new on my burger,” I thought…but what? Then I saw those 3 magical words…Fried Onion Strings!!! Oh yea baby, that’s it, I’m going to get fried onion strings on my burger!!! Giddy up! Now how about a sauce? If I am going to try a different topping, I must get a different sauce too. As I read down the long list of sauces, I couldn’t find anything that seemed to catch my eye like the words “fried onion strings” did. Then, the third to last sauce was practically blinking at me on the menu “Garlic Aioli! Garlic Aioli! Garlic Aioli!” Now I’ve got it, I am going to have a Gold Label burger on a sesame seed bun with garlic aioli, fried onion strings, and of course, pickles!! Oh, I can’t forget the side of hand cut fries.

When the burger arrived I couldn’t wait to dive in. I must admit, I was excited yet a bit nervous about the new flavors that were waiting for me. What if it wasn’t what I had expected? What if I just wanted my ketchup and mustard back? Ahhh!! Bite into it and find out already!! From the first bite to the last, it was out of this world. Between the juiciness of the burger, the garlic aioli, the crispy onions, and the tangy pickles, I was in burger heaven! It was a disco party in my mouth!!

The best thing about Luxe Burger is the fact that they do not make dense patties the size of softballs. The beef was gently packed into a perfectly sized patty that was very juicy, tender and delicious. Not only that, they don’t put all of the toppings on the top of the burger, some of the “toppings” go underneath the burger! This offers a nice balance for the bun so all of the toppings don’t go flying out when you bite into the burger…genius!

I wish I had my camera to take a picture of Charles’ burger because it was picture perfect! Charles also had the Gold Label Burger and chose the wheat bun. On top of the burger, there were sweet caramelized onions as well as a copious amount of gorgonzola cheese that had gently melted with the heat from the burger. Underneath the burger, Charles opted for roasted red peppers and fresh baby spinach, “A perfectly dressed burger” he said. The side of sweet potato fries was cooked just right, with a nice delicate crunch and a light sprinkle of salt. When the burger was cut in half, the colors were just beautiful…and the taste? Unforgettable!!!

At Luxe Burger, it's OK to play with your food!

What to do with all that watermelon...

2010-08-11T13:20:00.006-04:00

Before I get into the watermelon recipes, I'd like to share some information on how to tell if a watermelon is ripe enough to purchase.

First and foremost, if you can get your watermelon, or any fruits and veggies, at your local farmer’s market, then please do so. Farmers know exactly when to pick their produce and take pride in selling you the best product possible. Local produce is always fresh, hasn’t been sitting in a truck and then the market for days, and isn’t covered with wax and who knows what else. So please let the Farmer’s Markets be your first choice, support your local farmers!!

The best way to see if a watermelon is ripe is to give it a thump. If it makes a hollow, deep thud, it is ripe. Next, pick up your deep-thudding melon and compare its weight with a few other watermelons that are the same size. The heavier the melon, the juicer and more ripe it is. Another way to see if a watermelon is ripe is to look for the patch on the melon where it was resting on the ground. This patch should be yellow or yellow-ish white. If it is bright white, it is not yet ripe. There was another interesting method I read about but haven’t tried yet. Take a long piece of straw or dried grass and place it across the width of the melon. If it is ripe, it should spin to lay lengthwise! Sometimes it will keep spinning!

My first watermelon recipe is a spin-off from a Giada De Laurentiis recipe. She is a great chef and has simple yet wonderful recipes!

Refreshingly Unique Watermelon

¼ cup fresh basil
¼ cup fresh lime (or lemon) juice
¼ cup simple syrup (recipe to follow)
Watermelon balls from ½ of a melon

Put the first 3 ingredients in a blender and blend. Toss over watermelon balls and serve.

Simple Syrup

1 cup sugar
1 cup water

Combine ingredients in a small sauce pot and bring to a simmer. Once the sugar has dissolved, you have simple syrup. Reserve any extra syrup and use it for iced coffee or iced tea. Using simple syrup in your cold drinks helps immediately blend the sugar into the drink. No more sugar chunks at the bottom of your glass!

Wondering what to do with the rest of the watermelon? Here are a few suggestions:

Watermelon sorbet

Take the remaining watermelon balls (drained) from the recipe above (or plain ‘ole watermelon) and fill a blender. Add ¼ cup simple syrup and ¼ cup lime juice, blend. Pour into a popsicle mold and freeze. If you don't have a popsicle mold, you can freeze this in a Tupperware container. It will be a little hard to scoop out so just let it sit for a bit.

Watermelon Limeade

5 cups watermelon
1/2 cup blueberries
3/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup simple syrup

Blend ingredients together and serve over ice. Garnish with fresh basil.

Be free and creative with your recipe. If you don’t have any blueberries, try using raspberries or strawberries. Maybe you could use half watermelon and half cantaloupe!

Frozen Watermelon Margaritas

Take 5 cups of the watermelon balls from recipe above (or plain watermelon) and put in your blender.
Add 1/4 cup simple syrup and 1/4 cup lime juice, blend
OR you could use 5 cups of Watermelon Limeade
Pour into ice cube trays and freeze.
Fill blender halfway with frozen watermelon cubes.
Add ½ cup tequila and 1 tablespoon of triple-sec.
Blend and enjoy!!!

Remember, it's ok to play with your food!

The story & recipe of Sassy Salsa

2010-08-09T15:44:00.005-04:00

Each year my husband & I plant a modest garden in our back yard, and we love to cook with the fresh veggies that are produced. There is always a fantasy I have that the tomatoes and hot peppers will be so abundant, I will be able to make a ton of fresh salsa and enough tomato sauce to get us through the winter. Well, this year my fantasy is coming true!! Our tomatoes are ripening by bushel, and the hot peppers are poppin’ by the pound. First comes the salsa…Bliss!!

An old friend of mine would make salsa on the stove top, which was something I had never seen before and was very curious about. He would puree the ingredients together and let it simmer on the stovetop until they reduced a bit and the flavors intensified. As he was stirring it, my curiosity grew and I had to go check this out. I took a whiff of this delicious concoction and the fumes from the hot peppers went through my nose and came out my eyes…Wow! Intense!! Must have!!! The flavor of this salsa was like no other I had tasted since visiting New Mexico 15 years ago. My mission to find a similar recipe began…

Thankfully, it didn’t take too long to find a recipe that reminded me of my friend’s salsa. It is a little different, but has that same intense, fresh, spicy flavor. I named my version Sassy Salsa…Why Sassy Salsa?...you’ll see when you taste it for yourself!

When I first looked at the recipe, I was nervous that the roasting process wouldn’t create the same flavor as my friends but I had to give it a whirl anyway… you never know ‘til you try. Thank goodness I did try it because this is the best salsa ever and is exactly what I was looking for. The roasting of the ingredients intensifies the flavors perfectly; it’s like having a party on my tongue!!! Ole!!

Sassy Salsa

15 plum tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, unpeeled
½ small onion, quartered
2 chili peppers (just 1 for a mild spice, or none for spice-free salsa)
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin (this adds a nice smoky flavor)
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (just have a lemon? use 2 Tbsp instead)
1/4 cup fresh parsley

1. Preheat the broiler. (Want an even more intense flavor? Roast them on the grill!)
2. Place the tomatoes, garlic, onion and chili peppers in a medium baking dish and drizzle with olive oil.
3. Broil 10-20 minutes stirring occasionally until outsides of vegetables are just charred.
4. Remove vegetables from the broiler and let cool until warm to the touch. Peel the tomato skins off (they come off very easily!), cut the tomato in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Remove the stem from the chili pepper and the skins from the garlic and onion.
5. Place the roasted vegetables and remaining ingredients in the food processor and coarsely chop.
6. Enjoy!!!

One fun thing about cooking is that no recipe is set in stone. Originally this salsa recipe called for cilantro, but I had parsley in the garden so I used that instead. I actually prefer the parsley because it has the same fresh taste as cilantro but is a bit milder. The first time I made this, I didn’t have an onion so I didn’t use an onion; it was still fabulous. If there is an ingredient that you don’t have or don’t like, you may be able to eliminate it or substitute it. If you aren’t sure, just let me know and I’ll help you out!! Also, feel free to add things to the recipe such as fresh mango, pineapple or peach chunks!! YUMMM!!! Those will jazz up any salsa! (Stir them in after the chopping process.)

Now, don’t feel limited to pairing only tortilla chips with this salsa. Oh no my friend, the possibilities are endless! Sassy Salsa is awesome in an omelet, on a burger (or in a burger!!), stirred into some whipped cream cheese, on fish, on a hot dog, as a sandwich spread, over roasted chicken, mixed in with roasted potatoes…etc.

Explore and be free with your food!