No, I haven’t lost my mind.

This is the final part of my strawberry project, and I saved the best for last. Bacon is the new “it” food; companies and chefs are pairing it with everything from ice cream to chocolate. So it’s got to go with strawberries, right?

Well, I set off today to find out. I tried several techniques, from wrapping fresh strawberries in prosciutto to stuffing strawberries with chocolate chips and wrapping them in a cooked piece of bacon. The prosciutto was a definite no, but I knew I was on to something with the bacon. It just needed one adjustment…

The oven! Again, I tried a few techniques, including broiling the bacon-wrapped berries, but I really only ended up filling my house with smoke. Finally, I stuffed three berries with chevre, three with chocolate chips, and three with nothing, wrapped them each in a strip of low sodium bacon, and roasted them in a 450F oven for roughly 10 minutes — 7 on one side, 3 on the other.

They were all wonderful, but I liked the chevre-filled ones the best. They were even better drizzled with aged balsamic vinegar. Okay, so maybe I also drizzled a tad of chocolate sauce on the plate. But I swear it was just for the visual effects.

Ohhh, but it was good.

Now, normally I wouldn’t eat nine pieces of bacon unless I was serving these little piggies as an appetizer to guests. Instead, I might do something like this and eat three or four pieces with a salad for lunch or dinner:

The good thing about strawberries is that you can eat them plain, use them in baking, or eat them any of the various ways I’ve been testing out. And bacon is sliced, so you can use just a few pieces at a time. I honestly have never tried freezing bacon, but I don’t see why you couldn’t if you used a freezer bag. Either way, paired with a salad, this makes a great lunch or dinner and a perfect appetizer for friends. Plus, they’re so easy!

Recipe: Berries in a blanket
Serves one

4 fresh strawberries, washed and capped (stem removed)
4 strips reduced sodium or turkey bacon
1 tsp chevre, divided into 1/4 tsps (optional)
1 tsp aged balsamic vinegar (optional)

Preheat oven to 450F. If you’re going to use the chevre, make a shallow slit in the side of each strawberry, just big enough to fit a 1/4 tsp of the soft cheese. Filling the strawberries from the side instead of the top helps keep the cheese from melting out while roasting.

Wrap each berry horizontally (to cover the chevre and hold it in) with one strip of bacon and secure with a toothpick. Place on a baking sheet and put in the oven for about 7 minutes. Check after 5, and if the bacon is browned, turn each piece with tongs. Roast for another 2 — 3 minutes until all sides of the bacon are cooked and brown.

Remove from the oven and immediately place each piece on a plate covered with two layers of paper towels to drain the grease. Cool slightly, then plate and drizzle with the 1 tsp of aged balsamic vinegar. Enjoy with a salad or as a snack.

It’s day two of my strawberry project. I’m back from the International Food Styling and Photography Conference at Boston University, and I’m itching to try some of the photography tips I learned over the weekend. Not only that, but I’m excited to experiment with new flavors and representations of food.

Today I dipped strawberries in honeyed whipped cream; lemon, mint, and basil; and freshly ground black pepper. All are terrific snacks, and the first two make lovely desserts. Best of all, they’re so simple; they make eating more enjoyable and less of a task. So take a seat on your patio, balcony, or porch with one of these sweet summer treats.

The recipes really are to your taste so don’t take the measurements to heart. Add more or less until it tastes good to you. Just remember: you can always add more, but you can’t take it away.

Photos by Julia Boyle

Strawberries and honeyed whipped cream

Whip 1/4 cup of heavy cream, drizzling about 1 Tbsp of honey into the mixing bowl as it whips. When the cream forms soft peaks, turn the mixer off and fold the whipped cream over once or twice. Enjoy with fresh, whole strawberries.

Cut strawberries with basil, lemon, and mint

Wash and cut 1 cup of strawberries. In a medium bowl, sprinkle them with 1 1/2 tsp sugar and 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice. Add 2 mint leaves, minced; 2 basil leaves, minced; and lemon zest from half a lemon. Toss to combine. Enjoy!

Strawberries and pepper

Using a pepper grinder, sprinkle your strawberry with freshly ground pepper. This also goes well with a little balsamic vinegar.

Next up: strawberries with white wine and strawberries with chevre (soft goat cheese). I may also try strawberries with bacon or prosciutto. This next post may have to wait until next week since I’m heading out of town Friday and have to actually get work done on the newspaper this week. I promise it’ll be worth the wait, though!

Strawberries are one of those amazing fruits you can eat just about a million different ways. From sweet whipped cream to tangy balsamic vinegar to spicy freshly ground black pepper, it seems that just about anything enhances their flavor in a new and exciting way.

Starting today, I’m embarking on a project to test several of the various ways to eat strawberries. Today’s parings are traditional cream with raw sugar and the more eclectic age balsamic vinegar. Really, any way you slice them they’re delicious and oh so photogenic!

Photos by Julia Boyle

The verdict? Sweet, creamy, almost buttery coat-your-mouth feeling that’s refreshing yet indulgent. Yummy!

Now, on to the balsamic…

It’s sweet. It’s savory. It’s tangy. It awakens every little taste bud from tip to throat. It’s worth a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper too, but that’s for the next post.

Until next week, go get yourself some strawberries! I’m off to the International Foodstyling and Photography Conference in Boston for the weekend. Hopefully I’ll come back with tons of food photo knowledge to make your mouth water!

I wait all year for strawberry season. So much so that I meticulously plan out my jam-eating throughout the year so the frozen jars last until I pick again. And the time has finally come; as long as the rain stops for a few hours tomorrow, I’ll have my hands in the strawberry patch. In preparation, I’ve been browsing the blogosphere for other jam posts. Here are a few of my favorites:

Photo credit: Intimate Weddings

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
I’ve heard of strawberry-rhubarb pie, but here is another variation of the classic combo.

Photo credit: The Perfect Pantry

Jam-making 101
This post from Craving Comfort has some fabulous jam-making tips at the end. Definitely worth a read.

Photo credit: Craving Comfort

Here’s hoping the rain holds off!

I know I may seem obsessed with coconut and lime lately, but that’s only because of how lovely it tastes. Here is a scaled down recipe for scones. I flavored them coconut-lime, but you can substitute any flavoring, really. The recipe makes four scones instead of the usual 12. The photos only have three, though, because I ate one

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp sugar
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 stick cold butter, cut into small pieces
1/3 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1/4 tsp coconut extract
1 tsp lime zest
2 Tbsp butter, separated into four equal pieces

Preheat oven to 425F. Place the four equal pieces of butter into each of four triangles in a separated iron skillet.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt with a fork or whisk. Add the 1/2 stick of cold butter pieces and work them into the flour mixture using a pastry blender or your finger tips, tossing and rubbing the butter pieces until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Some pieces will be pea-sized, but that’s okay.

Pour in the coconut milk, coconut extract, and lime zest. Toss with the fork until the ingredients are just moistened. Gather the dough together and, adding just a handful more of flour, knead it together in the bowl briefly just until the ingredients mixed and come together.

Heat the skillet on medium until the butter melts, but be careful not to burn/brown it. As soon as it has melted, ppoon dough evenly into the four triangles of the hot iron skillet. Place the skillet carefully into the preheated oven using oven mits. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the tops are cracked and golden.

Remove skillet from oven, and let scones cool for 10 minutes in the skillet. Using a knife to separate the edges from the skillet, turn the skillet over to remove scones from the skillet onto a cooling rack. Best when served warm.

I had this dish at the Venetian, in Las Vegas. It was superb. Of course, it could have been the atmosphere — “outdoor” seating (the Venetian is designed as though you are outside along the streets of Venice), a live string trio, the Vegas vibe. But when I made it today at home, I knew the taste was true.

It’s the perfect summer dish. Sweet and salty and cool. Make it for yourself, perhaps with a salad, for lunch. Or serve it as a finger-food appetizer at a summer soirée.

I enjoyed it with a chilled glass of sauvignon blanc for lunch, savoring the contrast of flavors and textures: sweet, firm bosc pears; salty Parmesan and chewy prosciutto; and the honeyed drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar.

I’m not usually one to splurge on high-end ingredients, but this is one dish to indulge yourself. Besides, it’s an everything-in-moderation dish — a sliver of Parmesan, a drizzle of aged balsamic — where just a touch will do. And make sure you sit down and enjoy it s-l-o-w-l-y.

Recipe: Grilled Pears with Prosciutto and Parmesan
Serves 1 as an entree or 3-4 as an appetizer (makes 10 pieces)

1 firm bosc pear, cored and cut into ten equal chunks
10 pieces of shaved aged Parmesan cheese (about 2 oz)
10 long, narrow slices of prosciutto (about 2 oz)
2 Tbsp high-quality aged balsamic vinegar, such as this

Prepare grill on high to start. Brush each pear piece with 1 Tbsp of the balsamic vinegar. Carefully place on grill, making sure they don’t fall through the grates. Lower heat to medium. Grill pears for about two minutes. Remove from grill. Wrap each pear piece with a sliver of Parmesan then a slice of prosciutto. I found that one slice of prosciutto covered two pieces; I split each one vertically into two pieces. If you’re serving them as appetizers to a crowd, secure each piece with a toothpick, piercing through both sides of the prosciutto. Finally, drizzle the remaining balsamic vinegar over all pieces. Eat with your fingers or a toothpick, and enjoy with a chilled glass of Italian white wine.

This year, my favorite Memorial Day sale comes from Amazon.com. It’s their kitchen and home sale! Find everything from KitchenAid mixers, glass tumblers, and knife sets to table lamps, vacuums, and cookware sets for up to 80% off. Does it get better than that? I think not.

Click here to go to the sale. Happy shopping!

This year, Mother’s Day was extra special for my family. Not only did we honor Mom with presents and cake, we also celebrated her strength in facing cancer for a third time. Every day when I talk to her on the phone, I am amazed. She is such an inspiration to me and to her friends who also suffer from cancer.

For our Mother’s Day celebration, held at my sister’s house, I was in charge of salad and dessert. I chose the spring spinach salad that ran in the April 2009 edition of The Erickson Tribune as well as here on the blog. For dessert, I was inspired by this song:

Put the lime in the coconut and drink it all up
You put the lime in the coconut and drink it all up
You put the lime in the coconut and drink it all up
You put the lime in the coconut and call the doctor woke him up
I said Doctor! Is there nothing I can take
I said Doctor! To relieve this bellyache
I said Doctor! Is there nothing I can take
I said Doctor! To relieve this bellyache

You can find the rest of the lyrics here.

So I took my coconut white cake recipe, added lime buttercream icing, and topped it with shredded coconut. It was a big hit and made a happy ending to our Mother’s Day celebration.

Today, I made a mini version.

Tip: You can find mini cake pans at Target and Giant supermarkets.

Recipe: Mini coconut lime cake
Serves one to three

Cake

1 large egg whites
1/8 cup milk
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp coconut extract
3/4 cup cake flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/8 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 stick butter at warm room temperature
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1/4 cup sweetened flaked or shredded coconut for garnishing
Small lime wedge for garnish (optional)

Icing (adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook)

1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp fresh lime juice (just a small squirt)
Zest from 1/2 lime
1 to 1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 to 1 1/2 Tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray two 4-inch round cake pans with cooking spray.

In a large mixer bowl, sift flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat dry ingredients on low briefly to combine and break up any remaining clumps. Add butter and coconut milk, and beat on low speed just to combine. Raise the speed to medium, and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg white mixture, scraping the side of the bowl while mixing until combined. Divide the batter among the two pans. If you have extra, make a few cupcakes.

Bake for 30 minutes of until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the cakes’ centers. Allow the cakes to cool for 15 minutes before removing them from the pans and cooling them completely on a wire rack.

While cake is cooling, make icing. In a medium mixing bowl, beat butter, vanilla, lime juice, and lime zest with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Slowly add half of the powdered sugar, beating well and scraping the sides of the bowl. Then beat in the remaining powdered sugar and 1 Tbsp milk. Add more milk if needed to reach spreading consistency.

Once cakes are cool, spread icing on top and sides of one of the cakes. Sprinkle with about 1 Tbsp of the shredded coconut. Place the other cake on top of the bottom cake, and spread icing evenly over the top and sides, blending the crease between the two cakes. Sprinkle remaining coconut over top and sides. Garnish with a lime wedge.

It’s hard to believe, but here are The Erickson Tribune we’ve already planned our stories through September 2009. While I edit copy for June, our reporters are gathering information, quotes, and photographs for our July edition. The lead “local” stories for that mid-summer month will be about the patriotic efforts of people who live at Erickson communities around the country.

As I prepare to read these stories in just two weeks, I’m taking a look back at similar stories we’ve covered in the past. They are inspirational accounts of people who, in their retirement, take their hard-earned time to send care packages, collect coupons, knit blankets and helmet warmers, or greet troops at the airport. They are so inspirational, in fact, that I decided to send a care package to my friend J, who is deployed in Afghanistan (for the third time, I might add).

He sent me some photos, which give real insight to what it’s like there. He said the troops have to grow beards as a sign of solidarity with the Afghan culture. Pretty interesting.

The following image shows two young Afghan children. They walked to the base by themselves because the brother (age 4) had an ear infection and needed to visit the medical clinic. The boy’s sister is 6.

I had not the slightest clue what troops need over there, so I asked one of my coworkers whose husband was deployed. Here is what she told me:

“I sent my husband tons of coffee and insulated mugs since they work long hours. Also big hits were:
The single serving drink mixes to put in water bottles
Flavored nuts
Sunflower seeds
Car magazines (or any magazines)
Personal hygiene wipes
Candy (that doesn’t melt or freeze)
Personal letters and cards

FYI – you cannot send pork products, porn (this includes anything with photos of scantily clad women – like Cosmo!) or perfume. They don’t check every package so you can get some things thru – but they do spot check, and if your package has anything in it, your soldier could get in trouble.

You can also get some free materials from the Post Office so you can prepare your packages at home. Here is what they say:

‘The U.S. Postal Service introduced a Military Care Kit, or “Mili-kit” in 2004 to make it easier for military families and friends to send care packages to their loved ones stationed overseas. Since the inception of the Military Care Kit, the U.S. Postal Service has shipped more than 150,000 kits. Each kit contains two Priority Mail boxes, six Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes, eight Priority Mail labels, one roll of Priority Mail tape and eight customs forms with envelopes.

This kit may be ordered by calling the USPS Expedited Package Supply Center at 1-800-610-8734 and requesting a Military Care Kit. There is no charge for the kit. The Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes included in the kit can be shipped to any APO/FPO in the world, regardless of weight, for $8.10.’

Good luck! Your friend will appreciate what ever you send since it means you are thinking about them!”

And so off to Target I went with her list.

I have no idea if he’ll like these things, but I’m hoping at least he’ll appreciate the thought and know we don’t forget about them while they’re gone.

I hope this post inspires some of you to send a care package, especially since the Mili-Kits are free and cost just $8.10 to send.

Finally, I hope you will read our July issue of The Erickson Tribune — truly heart-warming stories that will inspire you, if this post didn’t, to do something patriotic for our troops. You’ll get great ideas and maybe even find a volunteer group in your area to join.

Some desserts simply must be made in small portions. Otherwise we would eat every last morsel because they are so good.

This is one of those desserts.

Every layer, every texture, every detail make it mouthwateringly delicious. The graham cracker crust, the semi-sweet chocolate, the praline, the coarse sea salt, the coconut, the caramel all come together in such a harmony of flavors your mouth cries out for just one more taste. And then another. And then another. And then…

You get the picture.

I had been thinking about this dessert all week. Someone brought classic seven-layer cookies to work. They reminded me of baking with my mother when I was younger — standing on my wooden stool, wrapped in an apron with the too-big ribbon doubled around my little-girl waist and tied in the front, stirring something sweet while paying close attention to my mom.

“I think one of the best things I ever did was teach you how to cook,” she told me the other day while I made spaghetti and meatballs for her and Dad. I think I’m the more grateful one.

I digress. Anyway, somehow my mind and my taste buds collaborated to create this new layer cookie, which was quite simple to scale down in size. When it came time to photograph it, I was inspired by Sweet Paul’s last post, which was done in black and was, as always, incredible.

I’ve never shot with black background, so only a couple of my photos turned out even half as good as his. It’s like when I lived in Italy. I always wore brightly colored clothing until, one day when I toured around Bassano by myself. I was alone in color. Italians love black. Italians have style. I learned.

So thank you, Paul, for being Italy, for providing inspiration to try something new. I love the black background, especially with the glowing wildflowers against it.

Recipe: Bourbon Praline Layer Cookie
Serves one to two

2 graham crackers
5 Tbsp butter (separated)*
2 Tbsp sugar (separated)
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate (chips)
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract (separated)
1/3 cup pecans, coursely chopped
2 Tbsp packed brown sugar
1 tsp bourbon
Pinch salt
Pinch coarse sea salt (about 1/8 tsp)
1/4 cup shredded, sweetened coconut
1 tsp water
1 Tbsp milk or heavy cream

*”Separated” means that I have listed the total amount of that ingredient, but the measurements will be separated out in to smaller portions and used at different part of the recipe.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Crush graham crackers in a plastic bag or food processor until they are fine crumbs. Melt 2 Tbsp butter in a small sauce pan; stir in 1 Tbsp sugar. Add graham cracker crumbs, stirring until combined. Press into a small tarte dish or 4-oz shallow ramekin.

Next, process chocolate into fine crumbs using a food processor. Melt it over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, or use a double boiler to melt it. Immediately remove from heat, and stir in vanilla extract. Spread over graham crust.

Using the same sauce pan as you did for the crust, melt 2 Tbsp butter. Stir in brown sugar, pinch of salt, and bourbon. Stir in chopped pecans. Pour and spread over chocolate layer. Sprinkle with a pinch of course sea salt. Top with coconut. Bake for 8 minutes, watching that the coconut does not burn. It shouldn’t, but all ovens are different.

Meanwhile in the small saucepan, stir 1 Tbsp sugar and the water over medium-high heat. Stir constanly until sugar dissolves. Add 1 Tbsp butter. Keep stirring constantly until the mixture turns a light caramel color. Remove from heat, and stir in 1/4 tsp vanilla and the milk or cream. If it gets too thick, add a tin bit of milk or cream until it is the right consistency. Drizzle caramel sauce over coconut. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.