From Scratch

Pork Chops with Sage and Tomatoes

2010-03-16T18:25:00.004-05:00

Ingredients:

2 TB butter
1 TB vegetable oil
4 pork loin chops about an inch thick
Flour to dredge the pork chops
Salt and pepper to taste
8 sage leaves torn in about 4 pieces each
1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes and their juice
Red wine to deglaze the pan

Directions:

Melt the butter and the vegetable oil at medium high heat.
After the butter has stopped foaming, dredge the pork chops in flour on either side and slide into the pan.
Cook for about 1-2 minutes on both sides until browned.
Sprinkle over sage leaves.
Grind pepper and salt to taste.
Add chopped tomatoes and juices.
Turn down to a simmer and cover with a lid slightly ajar and cook for an hour, turning the pork chops occasionally.
Remove the pork chops and swirl a little wine in the pan and use a spatula to stir up the meat juices.
I serve the chops and the sauce over a bed of spaghetti.

Broccoli with Pasta

2010-03-14T17:47:00.005-05:00

We found these interesting pasta shapes at Whole Foods and used them in a very simple recipe to really enjoy the pasta flavor.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 LB broccoli
1 LB pasta
6 TB olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
6 anchovy fillets in oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Directions:

Cut broccoli florets in 2 pieces.
Bring a large pan of water to a boil.
Boil broccoli until barely tender, about 5 minutes.
Remove broccoli pieces from the pan to a serving bowl and do not discard the water.
Add salt to the cooking water.
Add pasta, stir well, and cook until al dente, in this case about 8 minutes.
While the pasta is boiling, heat the oil in a small frying pan.
Add the garlic, and after 2-3 minutes the anchovy fillets.
Mash the anchovies and garlic into a paste with the back of a wooden spoon.
Cook 3-4 minutes more.
Before draining the pasta, ladl3 1-2 cupfuls of the cooking water over the broccoli.
Add the drained pasta and the hot anchovy and oil mixture.
Mix well, and season with salt and pepper if necessary.
Serve at once.

Spaghetti, Ham and cheese casserole

2010-03-01T00:01:00.002-06:00

I came up with this casserole to feed us during a long weekend at work.

Ingredients:

1 16 oz package of spaghetti
1 LB ham
1 onion
1/2 cup butter
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
1 TB lemon juice
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 TB brown mustard
paprika
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup half and half
1 10 oz package frozen spinach
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Directions:

Cook spaghetti to specified directions.
Grease a 13 by 9 baking dish.
Meanwhile chop ham into cubes.
Drain spaghetti in colander and spread it out evenly in the baking dish.
Chop onion.
In a sauce pan over medium heat cook onion and mushrooms and lemon juice for 5 minutes and then remove to a medium bowl.
In same sauce pan melt remaining butter.
When hot stir in flour, 1 TB salt nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon paprika until mixture is smooth.
Gradually stir in chicken broth until liquid is thickened.
Add half and half, ham chunks, and chopped spinach and cook over low heat until mixture is heated through.
Spoon ham mixture over spaghetti in baking dish.
Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and add a little paprika.
Bake in a 350 degree oven 30 minutes or until spaghetti and ham mixture are thoroughly heated and surface is golden and bubbly.

Ham with Red-eye Gravy

2010-02-28T00:01:00.001-06:00

Ingredients:

4 slices ham cut 1/4 inch thick
1 cup freshly brewed coffee

Directions:

Trim the excess fat from the ham slices and cut it into small bits.
Place fat in a frying pan and fry over medium heat until the bits are crisp and have rendered all their fat.
Discard the bits of fat.
Fry the ham in the rendered fat, turning the slices so they color evenly.
Transfer the fried ham to a warmed platter and pour the coffee into the skillet.
Bring to a boil over high heat, meanwhile scraping in the brown bits.
Boil briskly, uncovered, until the gravy turns red and then pour it over the ham and serve at once.

Polish Food Night

2010-02-27T00:01:00.004-06:00

Last Saturday our friend's Aga and Jerzy had my husband and I and our friend Michelle over for traditional Polish fare. It was to die for.

Aga, our lovely chef!

Pickled pumpkin, pickled cucumbers and yummy breads

Pickled herring with onions and parsley. This was one of my favorite dishes.

Smoked Salmon.

Borscht and mushroom pastries.

And, of course, Polish vodka.

Chicken and potato dumplings.

Pierogi's

It was a night to remember!

Chocolate Spiced Pork Chops

2010-02-26T00:01:00.001-06:00

I was laying around watching Paula Deen the other morning in between watching the Olympics when she made these mouthwatering pork chops. Her spice rub is made from chocolate and brown sugar among many other spices. Yum!

Chocolate Spiced Pork Chops

Ham, Egg, and Cheese Biscuits

2010-02-25T15:05:00.004-06:00

Here it is the end of February and I'm still finding uses for all the frozen meat left over from my Christmas ham.

Simple to compile using Alton Brown's Southern Buttermilk Biscuits recipe and ham, cheddar cheese and a simple egg omelet.

Garlic, Pasta, and Ham Soup

2010-01-30T18:06:00.009-06:00

This is an excellent soup for a cold winter day.

Ingredients:

Garlic cloves from 3 garlic bulbs, unpeeled
4 cups of water
3 or 4 sprigs of oregano
1 Bay leaf
Rind from Parmigiano Reggiano (optional)
4 oz ham, small dice
4 oz small pasta shells
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Bring garlic cloves, bay leaf, oregano and the Parmigiano Reggiano rind to a boil.
Lower to a simmer for about half an hour or until garlic is soft.
Drain the broth through a colander into a large bowl and pour the broth and the Parmigiano back into the cooking pot.
Run the garlic cloves under cold water until cool and then squeeze the garlic out of the peel into a blender.
Blend with some of the reserved broth to form a milky liquid.
Pour the garlic liquid into the broth.

Add the ham.

Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer adding the pasta cooking until al dente.
Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Making Mushroom and Ham Lasagna

2010-01-19T10:39:00.023-06:00

My boss gave me a ham for Christmas. A huge ham and two people, means lots of leftover ham! My freezer is full.

Here's a photo essay of my first use of the leftovers.

Soaking porcini mushrooms.

Chopped, fresh button mushrooms.

Diced onions.

Melting butter.

Cooking the onions.

Adding crushed tomatoes.

Adding chopped flat leaf parsley.

Adding the porcini mushrooms.

Adding the porcini mushroom water.

Adding the button mushrooms.

Melting butter for Bechamel sauce.

Heating milk for Bechamel sauce.

Adding the milk to the flour and butter for the Bechamel sauce.
Julienned ham.

Adding Bechamel sauce to the mushroom mixture once the porcini water has cooked away.
Spreading a little Bechamel in the bottom of the casserole.
Layering the mushroom mixture, ham and parmigiano reggiano with cooked lasagna noodles.
Finished product.

Mom's Golden Thumbprints

2009-12-25T08:53:00.000-06:00

I made these this morning feeling homesick. Because of some icy road conditions near my parents home, we weren't able to be there for Christmas. These cookies are ones that my Mom always made when I was growing up. I didn't have any walnuts in the house since I wasn't expecting to be doing any Christmas baking so I skipped that step. I used a ginger-rhubarb preserve that my husband had bought for me as a stocking stuffer as a filling.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup margarine or butter
1 egg, separated
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.
Cream together first four ingredients, save egg white for later use.
Stir in the flour and salt.
Roll inot 1 inch balls.
Dip into slightly beaten egg white and roll in nuts.
Bake 5 minutes, take out of oven and quickly indent each center with your thumb, fill the center with a small spoonful of jam of your choice.
Bake again for 8 minutes.
Cool on a wire rack.
Easy way to make the nuts finely chopped is to shred them in a food processor until fine.

Hot and Sour Pork Stew

2009-12-24T06:00:00.000-06:00

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 lb. pork loin, cut into chunks
1 head of garlic, crushed
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/2 c. vinegar
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
6 bay leaves
2 cups of chicken broth
1/2 cup of chopped peanuts
A handful of chopped cilantro

Place the pork in a medium-size pot together with the garlic, soy sauce, pepper, vinegar and bay leaves; let stand for 2 hours.

Transfer the pieces of garlic from the pot to a separate pan and fry in hot oil until brown.

Add pork pieces to the garlic and then fry until brown.
Drain.
Add reserved marinade and chicken broth to the fried pork and garlic; simmer for 10 minutes.
Serve in bowls and sprinkle on peanuts, cilantro, and liberal amounts of freshly ground black pepper.

The Garden, Dec. 18--Basil, Tomato, and Breadcrumb Pasta

2009-12-18T18:47:00.003-06:00

The basil plant that I transplanted inside from the garden didn't make it. It was limp this morning and never perked up after I watered it. So I stripped the leafs off and chopped them up for pasta tonight. Before the first frost I had harvested all the green tomatoes off of my roma tomato plants and five or six of them had ripened in the house so I used them as well.

Ingredients:

4 oz. dried spaghetti
2-3 TB olive oil
A handful of fresh basil leafs, chopped
5 or 6 small roma tomatoes, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup bread crumbs

Directions:

Bring water to a boil and cook pasta according to directions.
Meanwhile heat the olive oil and add the basil, tomatoes, garlic, black pepper and crushed red pepper and saute over medium low heat while the pasta cooks.
Drain the pasta and add to the vegetable mixture, stirring well.
Sprinkle over the bread crumbs and stir well to combine.
Serve in two bowls with fresh Parmigiano Reggiano

Flour Tortilla Flautas

2009-12-16T18:52:00.004-06:00

Ingredients:

2 cups seasoned and shredded chicken
9 flour tortillas
Oil to deep fry
toothpicks

Directions:

Tightly roll about 2 spoonfuls of the seasoned and shredded chicken in a tortilla and secure with a toothpick.
Repeat for each tortilla.
When the oil is hot enough to sizzle a spare piece of tortilla pretty quickly it is ready to cook to the tortillas.
Put in about three tortillas at a time depending on the size of your pot and let get golden and crispy on both sides, flipping once.
Remove and allow to drain on paper towels.
I served mine with a pepper-jack cheese sauce, pico de gallo, and guacamole.

Chicken Enchiladas

2009-12-09T18:56:00.002-06:00

Ingredients for 12 enchiladas:

4 ancho chiles
1 cup of water reserved from hydrating the chiles
1 garlic clove, diced
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs
oil for frying
12 4 1/2 inch white corn tortillas
1/4 pound pepper jack cheese
2 cups seasoned and shredded chicken

Directions:

Remove the stalks from the dried chiles.
Slit them ope and remove seeds and veins.
Toast chiles lightly in a cast iron skillet.
Remove and soak in hot water for 15 minutes.
Put the 1/2 cup of water, garlic and salt in a blender and blend until smooth.
Add the chiles to the blender and blend until sauce is smooth.

Break up egg with a fork and stir into the sauce.
Heat enough oil to cover the bottom of a small frying pan.
Dip one tortilla at a time into the chile sauce to cover it thickly and from for about 8 seconds on each side.
Use a spatula to flip.
Remove to a plate and place a slice of cheese on the tortilla and a large spoonful of seasoned and shredded chicken and then double the tortilla over.
Continue until all the enchiladas are done.
I served mine with pico de gallo.

Seasoned and Shredded Chicken

2009-12-09T18:51:00.004-06:00

Ingredients:

2 TB vegetable oil
3 TB chopped whole onion
1 large tomato
2 jalapenos, sliced
2 cups shredded chicken
salt to taste

Directions:

Heat the oil in a frying pan.
Add the vegetables and fry on low heat for about 5 minute, stirring occasionally.
Add the shredded chicken and salt and continue cooking until the mixture is well seasoned and almost dry.

Impromptu Chicken Broth

2009-12-06T10:37:00.005-06:00

I had a chicken in the refrigerator that I had to either use or freeze, so I decided to make a chicken broth out of it and then shred and freeze the meat.

I had to go with whatever was in the house to make the broth, since I had absolutely no desire to run to the store, so here's what I ended up with.

Ingredients:

1 small chicken
1/2 large yellow onion, sliced in two
4 carrots roughly chopped
1 garlic bulb, the top cut off, but don't bother to peel.
3 or 4 black peppercorns
3 or 4 sprigs of oregano

Directions:

Place a cleaned chicken in a pot with the other ingredients and cover with water.
Bring to a boil.
Lower temperature to a simmer for several hours.
Strain broth and shred the chicken.

It's December Now, so There will be Less Posts

2009-12-01T17:17:00.003-06:00

I'm in retail management and it's December now so I'm working longer and weirder hours. So there will probably be much less posting as this is what our grocery shopping looked like today! Not much "From Scratch" going on this week, or for several to come!

Our Thanksgiving

2009-11-28T19:05:00.009-06:00

We went home to Mom and Dad's for Thanksgiving, so no cooking from me this week! Our typical Thanksgiving included a Packer's game. Go Packers!

The kids spent a lot of time at the kitchen table drawing.

My nephew was trying his hand at designing a quilt for Mom.

A moment of Scrabble victory for my sister Jessica. Scrabble is a huge big deal in our family.

Mom and Jessica playing scrabble.

My Mom's devilled eggs.

My Mom's fridge, of which I'm intensely jealous, which includes a thin drawer for pies.

Mom cooking! I'm afraid she didn't get a lot of help from us. I peeled and cut some potatoes and my sister made some sweet potatoes, but Mom did all the rest of the work. Sorry Mom!

Green Mole Stew

2009-11-22T19:07:00.003-06:00

Another recipe, this one Oaxacan, based off of one in Diana Kennedy's "The Art of Mexican Cooking." A book I highly recommend buying if you are into regional Mexican cuisine and not just Tex Mex.

Ingredients:

For the Pork:

1 TB shortening
2 LB pork cut in cubes
1/2 white onion cut in slices
Freshly ground black pepper to taste.

For the Sauce:

5 tomatillos
1 green tomato
3/4 cup water
5 small garlic cloves peeled.
1/4 large white onion
2 tsp mexican oregano
pinch of cumin seed
2 whole cloves
2 whole allspice
2 jalapenos, seeded
1 TB shortening
1/4 LB prepared corn tortilla masa
1 and 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 big leafy stems of epazote (I find this dried at my local mercado, La Perla off Rodney Parham)
1/2 a small bunch of fresh parsley, stems removed and roughly chopped
4 avocado leaves (also found dried at La Perla)
3/4 cup water
salt to taste

Directions

Melt the shortening in a skillet and fry the onions until soft.
Add the pork and cook until browned.
Grind on black pepper to taste.
Simmer while making sauce.

To Make Sauce:

Roughly chop tomatillos and green tomato.
Add to blender along with 3/4 cups water, garlic cloves, roughly chopped onion, Mexican oregano, pinch of cumin, 2 cloves, 2 whole allspice, and jalapenos.
Blend until smooth.
Heat the shortening in a large skillet and add the blended mixture.
Saute for fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile mix 1/4 cup masa with 1/2 cup of the chicken broth.
After the green mole mixture has sauteed for 15 minutes add the masa and broth mixture to the mole mixture along with 1 more cup of chicken broth.
Simmer for about 10 minutes or until thickened.
Meanwhile in a blender add the greens: the epazote, parsley and avocado leaves, and 3/4 cup water.
Blend until smooth.
After the mole mixture has cooked for 10 minutes add the herb mixture and stir in gently.
Add the meat and onion mixture and serve in bowls as a stew with corn tortillas on the side.

Pork and Mole Stew

2009-11-18T19:25:00.006-06:00

I've changed this recipe considerably from Diana Kennedy's "The Art of Mexican Cooking" but it served as the basic skeleton of the recipe. I strongly suggest buying this book if you are into serious Mexican cooking. A very hearty stew for a cold fall or winter evening.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 LB pork, cubed
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Salt to taste

The Sauce:

5 chiles guajillos
3 chiles anchos
3 TB shortening
1/2 cup slivered almonds
3 to 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 whole cloves
1 TB powdered chocolate
freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
salt to taste

Directions:

Put water on to boil for hydrating the dried peppers.
Chop the pork and slice the onions and place in an enamel dutch oven with the garlic, pepper and salt.
Just cover with water, bring to a boil, and drop to a simmer for 25 minutes.

Meanwhile remove the stems from the dried chiles, slit them open and remove the seeds and veins.
Simmer in the hot water for 5 minutes, remove from the heat and set aside for about 15 minutes.
Heat 2 TB of the shortening in a frying pan, add the almonds and toss in the oil over medium heat until they begin to brown.
Put 1/4 cup of the broth into a blender jar, add the spices and the garlic, and blend thoroughly.
Add 1/2 cup broth and the friend almonds and blend to a thick, textured paste.
Heat the rest of the shortening in a heavy pan in which you are going to cook the mole.
Add the seed paste and fry over medium heat, turning and scraping the bottom of the pan almost constantly to prevent sticking, for about 5 minutes.
Add 1 cup broth to the blender jar and blend half of the chiles very thoroughly; add to the pan.
Repeat this procedure until all the chiles make a thick sauce, adding more broth only if absolutely necessary to release the blades of the blender.
Cook the mole over medium heat, scraping the bottom of the pan from time to time, for abut 15 minutes--it will be quite thick.
Add to the pork and broth mixture and blend well.
Allow to cook for 5 more minutes for the flavors to meld.
Serve with corn or flour tortillas.

Grean Beans with Eggs

2009-11-17T00:01:00.001-06:00

Ingredients for 2:

4 oz
2 tsp vegetable oil
1/4 onion, thinly sliced
1 egg
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup mild Cheddar cheese

Directions:

Bring a saucepan of water to a boil, add the beans and cook for 5-6 minutes.
Drain and rinse under cold water.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onion slices for 3-4 minutes.
Break the egg into a bowl and beat with salt and pepper.
Add the egg mixture to the onion and cook slowly oover moderate heat, stirring constantly so that the egg is lightly scrambled.
Add the beans to the pan and cook for a few minutes until warmed through.
Grate cheese over the top.

Ancho Chili and Cheese Enchiladas

2009-11-16T00:01:00.001-06:00

Ingredients for 6 enchiladas:

2 ancho chiles
1/2 cup of water reserved from hydrating the chiles
1 garlic clove, diced
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg
oil for frying
6 4 1/2 inch white corn tortillas
1/4 pound pepper jack cheese

Directions:

Remove the stalks from the dried chiles.
Slit them ope and remove seeds and veins.
Toast chiles lightly in a cast iron skillet.
Remove and soak in hot water for 15 minutes.
Put the 1/2 cup of water, garlic and salt in a blender and blend until smooth.
Add the chiles to the blender and blend until sauce is smooth.

Break up egg with a fork and stir into the sauce.
Heat enough oil to cover the bottom of a small frying pan.
Dip one tortilla at a time into the chile sauce to cover it thickly and from for about 8 seconds on each side.
Use a spatula to flip.
Remove to a plate and place a slice of cheese on the tortilla and then double the tortilla over.
Continue until all the enchiladas are done.
I served mine with pico de gallo.

Navy Bean Soup

2009-11-15T11:24:00.001-06:00

I've posted this recipe before, but had to mention that I made it again, this time with ham hocks instead of a ham bone. It turned out so yummy for a warming fall soup. It made a nice big pot to share with a friend who wanted the recipe, and plenty of left overs for my husband and I to eat for lunch.

A Late Night Breakfast--Huevos Tirados

2009-11-11T22:55:00.003-06:00

This was a super way to make a quick dinner when I got off working a night shift tonight and a great way to use up left over pinto beans and pico de gallo.

Ingredients:

About half a cup to 3/4 cup of cooked pinto beans in their liquid
About 1/2 a cup of pico de gallo
6 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
Tortillas to serve on the side

Directions:

In a small pan heat the pinto beans in their juice.
Whisk together the eggs, pico, and salt and pepper in a bowl.
Brush a large frying pan with a little oil and pour the eggs in and light scramble.
When the eggs are still a little wet add the beans and cook to desired consistency.
Serve with tortillas on the side.

The Garden--November 10th

2009-11-10T00:01:00.000-06:00

Well, most of what is left of the garden has moved indoors. On top of the fridge is the oregano that was in the window box in front of the house and on top of the microwave is the basil and a huge lemongrass plant, that was much smaller when I bought it at the farmer's market earlier this year. I had no idea how big it was until I moved it in the house and had to trim it back.

I'm still getting several small tomatoes a week, if you look closely you can see a few in the wooden bowl on top of the microwave.

Bean and Cheese Enchiladas

2009-11-09T00:01:00.002-06:00

These were a great way to use up left over pinto beans.

Ingredients:

4 thick slices of pepper jack cheese
1 cup left over pinto beans, mashed up in a mortar and pestle.
4 corn tortillas
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon chile powder
oil to fry the tortillas
pico de gallo to serve

Directions:

In a shallow bowl whisk together egg, milk and chile powder.
Heat oil on a griddle on medium high heat.
Dip each side of a corn tortilla in the egg and milk mixture.
Fry for about 10 seconds on each side.
Drain on paper towels.
Repeat with each of the other three tortillas.
Put two tortillas on each plate and place 1/4 cup of pinto beans on one half of each and one thick slice of pepper jack cheese on top of each.
Fold over the tortillas.
Repeat with the other two tortillas.
Heat the enchiladas in the microwave for about 30 seconds to melt the cheese, or else place under a broiler.
Serve with pico de gallo.

An Early Morning Project

2009-11-08T07:18:00.014-06:00

So what do you do when you wake up at 4 in the morning and can't fall back asleep?

Apparently I rearrange furniture. This isn't the first time I've done it in the middle of the night, but the first time since I've been married and had some one sleeping in the house while I tiptoed around pushing ovens and fridges and dining room tables.

Before I really woke up I was looking up articles on small spaces online. We live in an 1000 foot 1940s clapboard cottage--my kitchen experience in this house has been the mixture of the nightmare of a very small space, but FINALLY a gas oven.

While I was surfing, I ran across a slide show of Shaker style kitchens that really grabbed my attention. As someone who loves the simplicity of modern design, but is also nuts about antiques and old homes, these kitchens grabbed me. So I analyzed what I had in the house, found lots of wood items and white porcelain, and removed quite a bit of the Asian stuff that was my previous theme and went to work.

I knew that one of the things I wanted to do was to give my self more workspace. So I slid the oven over as far as I could and squeezed in an old wooden ironing board that used to be in the dining room loaded with cookbooks and apothecary boxes. It has been very inconvenient not having a counter next to my stove, so this will give me the a place to set things while I'm cooking. My chitarra has a great place to sit now, leaning against the wall at the end of the ironing board. And I love the contrast between the old antique wood and the modern art above the stove, my mosaic I glued together of a children's memory game (bought seriously reduced at Old Navy) of my favorite mid century modern illustrator, Charlie Harper.

Somehow ducks just seemed to fit in with the Shaker theme, and my ducks are some of my treasured possessions. My father-in-law told me before he passed away that he wanted me to have his collection of ducks. We used to spend time talking about all the birds that I saw when I would return to his house from hiking trips with my husband. These miniature ducks are sitting on top of the stove.

On top of the refrigerator are more of my treasured ducks, along with the apothecary boxes that store things from bay leaves and cumin seeds to several varieties of dried peppers and yeast and rennet and more. My husband bought these for my birthday a couple of years in a row during Target's global bazaar, merchandise which always seemed to get marked down right around my birthday in February. Also pictures are my pasta cutting rolling pin and biscuit cutter that I bought at the Little Rock Greek Food Festival several years back, a kitschy bird sugar bowl that was so ugly I had to have it, and a cat figurine that I believe my parents bought for me when I was around 3 years old in Mystic, Connecticutt.

One Asian touch that I kept was my bamboo tray. Placing it over one half of the sink with my cookbook holder will give me a larger work space on the counter. You can also see more wood ducks, this time given to me by my mother-in-law in the corner and a white ceramic pitcher containing my wooden utensil collection previously owned by my mother.

I love my huge cabinets, one of the few blessings of my tiny kitchen.

Another Asian item that I kept was my lucky bamboo, given to me by a co-worker at Christmas last year. I'll be digging up my oregano and basil and lemongrass from the garden soon to add more greenery to the kitchen. I love this old wooden bowl that I found at a flea market and that I use as part of a mortar and pestle for making curry pastes, etc.

Another item that seemed to go with the Shaker theme and that helps optimize space is this picnic basket that I use to store my linens. It is sitting on an old printer cart that my father-in-law made to go with my husbands old computer desk, I use the underneath to store my antique collection of cookbooks.

Do you know what you'd grab from your house if it was burning to the ground? I'd grab my quilts. I have five hand sewn quilts that my mother made that are my absolute all time biggest treasures (sometime in the near future, hopefully, it will be six when I get the Dear Jane that my Mom just finished!!!!). This one goes really well with the dishes on my china cabinet which are in blues and whites. I moved the dining room table up to the window to give guests a closer place to sit while I'm working in the kitchen and so that I can enjoy the view of the much prettier houses across the street, 1920s beautiful brick homes, mostly, while I drinking my morning coffee.

Don't worry Mom, food will not be eaten off the quilt!

On top of the quilt is a simple bowl given to me by my friend Marty and inside it another bowl given to be by my Mom.

My "china cabinet" an old, as in actually now an antique, stereo cabinet from when my parent's first got married, topped by a piece of display shelving from the department store that I work at. I moved my quilt frame into the dining room as this old fashioned, beautiful, hand pieced work of art by my Mom seemed to suit the Shaker theme as well.

Chile Verde with Nopalitos

2009-11-07T00:01:00.002-06:00

Chile verde served with flour tortillas and yellow rice.

Ingredients:

2 TB vegetable oil
1 1/4 pounds pork loin cut in 1 inch cubes
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp dried oregano
3 fresh jalapeno chiles, seeded and chopped
2 cups drained tomatillos
2/3 cup vegetable stock
11 oz jar nopalitos, drained
salt and ground black pepper

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan.
add the pork cubes and cook over high heat, turning several times, until browned all over.
Add the onion and garlic and saute gently until soft, then stir in the oregano and chopped jalapenos.
Cook for 2 more minutes.
Transfer the canned tomatillos to a blender, add the stock and process until smooth.
Add to the pork mixture, cover and cook for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile soak the nopalitos in cold water for 10 minutes.
Drain, then add to the pork and continue cooking for about 10 minutes or until the pork is cooked through and tender.
Season the mixture with salt (although, I found this wasn't necessary even after soaking the nopalitos because they were so salty) and freshly ground black pepper.

Yellow Rice

2009-11-06T00:01:00.001-06:00

Achiote Seed

This is my favorite rice to serve with Mexican food.

Ingredients:

1 cup long-grain white rice
2 TB vegetable oil
1 tsp ground achiote seed (annato powder)
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves crushed
2 cups chicken stock
1/3 cup drained pickled jalapeno chile slices, chopped
salt
cilantro leaves to garnish

Directions:

Put the rice in a bowl and pour boiling water to cover and let stand for 20 minutes.
Drain, rinse under cold water and drain again.
Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the ground achiote seed and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add the onion and garlic and cook for another 3-4 minutes or until the onion is translucent.
Stir in the rice and cook for five minutes.
Pour in the stock, mix well and bring to boil.
Lower the heat, cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and simmer for 25-30 minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed.
Add the chopped jalapenos to the pan and stir to distribute them evenly.
Add salt to taste, then spoon into a heated serving dish and garnish with the cilantrolleaves.
Serve immediately.

Horchata

2009-11-05T18:53:00.004-06:00

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups long-grain rice
3 cups water
1 1/4 cups blanched whole almonds
2 tsp ground cinnamon
finely grated zest of lime
1/4 cup sugar
ice cubes to serve.

Directions:

Rinse rice under cold water.
Drain, transfer to a large bowl and pour in the water.
Cover and soak for at least two hours, but preferably overnight.
Drain the rice, reserving 2 1/2 cups of the soaking liquid.
Spoon the rice into a blender and grind as finely as possible.
Add the almonds to the blender and continue to grind until very finely ground.
Add the cinnamon, grated lime zest and sugar to the ground rice and almonds.
Add the reserved soaking water and mix until all the sugar has dissolved.
Serve with ice cubes.

Green Sauce

2009-11-04T00:01:00.000-06:00

Ingredients for six enchiladas:

salt to taste
6 canned tomatillos
1 pickled jalapeno (I didn't seed mine to give a little more spice)
1 garlic clove finely chopped
oil to fry

Direction:

Put all ingredients into a large mortar and pestle and pound into a paste.
Heat the oil and cook over fairly high heat until sauce has reduced
Serve over enchiladas, such as easy cheese enchiladas.

Huevos with Pico de Gallo and Corn Tortillas

2009-11-03T00:01:00.000-06:00

Ingredients:

3 eggs
1/3 cup milk
1/4 tsp chili powder
2 tortillas
2 thin slices pepper jack cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Pico de Gallo to taste

Directions:

Whisk one egg with the milk and the chili powder in a shallow bowl and set aside.
Fry the other 2 eggs and set aside.
Dunk one of the tortillas in the egg and milk mixture and fry for 8 seconds on either side.
Put on a plate and place a slice of pepper jack cheese on top and one of the fried eggs on top.
Repeat with the other tortilla and egg and cover with pico de gallo.
We served ours with mexican style hash for a late brunch.

Pico de Gallo

2009-11-01T00:01:00.002-05:00

Ingredients:

4 vine ripe tomatoes
1/2 onion
2 green onions
1 serrano pepper
Handful of cilantrol
3 garlic cloves
1 lime juiced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt

Directions:

Dice up all the produce pretty small.
Mix all ingredients together.
It's better if you make it ahead of time and give the flavors time to meld together

Pork, Chile, and Tomatillo Stew--and positive ravings about La Perla

2009-10-31T11:12:00.008-05:00

Ingredients:

3 LB pork loin, cut into cubes
1 tsp salt
2 ancho chiles and 6 guajillo chiles
1 cup water, reserved from rehydrating the chiles
2 garlic clove, peeled and chopped finely
1 small small onion, diced finely
1/4 tsp cumin seed
About 16 tomatillos with the husks attached
flour, if necessary to the thicken the stew.

Directions:

Put the pork in a large pot and cover with water, cook over medium heat while preparing the other ingredients.
Remove the stalks from the dried chiles, cut in half and scrape out veins and seeds.
Cover with hot water, and soak for about 15 minutes.
In a mortar and pestle add salt and the garlic clove and grind into a paste.
Chop rehydrated ancho peppers into small pieces and scrape the flesh out of the guajillo peppers, discarding the skins.
Add the peppers and cumin seeds to a spice grinder or blender and blend into a paste.
Add the pepper mixture and the onions to the mortar and pestle and blend into a thick paste.

Add the blended ingredients to the pork.
Slice the tomatillos into quarters, leaving the husks attached, they will give flavor to the stew.
Add the reserved water from the peppers.
Let the meat cook for about an hour to let all the flavors blend.
If the broth is still watery, place a tsp of flour in a small bowl and slowly blend in some broth from the stew, stir this paste into the stew and continue to cook until thickened.
Do not eat the tomatillo husks.

Note: If you live in the Little Rock area, La Perla off of Rodney Parham is a great location to find a variety of dried peppers and other Mexican ingredients. I was quite chagrined to have paid $5 for 5 ancho peppers at Fresh market and then walk into La Perla later that evening with a friend and find them in bulk for much cheaper. The proprietor was very friendly and helpful as well. Other positives about La Perla included Mexican snacks, such as the spoons of spicy/sweet/sour tamarind paste that I adore, and they had fresh, perfect little loafs of bread for tortas, and a small quantity of fresh produce including tomatillos and plantains and jicama.

chilaquiles

2009-10-29T00:01:00.001-05:00

These eggs, from Mexican: Healthy Ways with a Favorite Cuisine by Jane Milton has been a quick dinner lately. The author calls them huevos rancheros, but we've always seen them referred to as chilaquiles at our local restaurant and rancheros usually have a hot sauce.

Ingredients:

2 corn tortillas, several days old, fried crisply
oil, for frying
2 fresh green jalapeno chiles, diced
1 garlic clove, crushed
4 scallions, sliced
1 large tomato, diced
8 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup light cream
small bunch of cilantro, finely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Directions:

Heat 1 Tb oil in a large frying pan.
Add the garlic and scallions and saute gently for 2-3 minutes, until soft.
Stir in the diced tomato and cook for 3-4 minutes, then stir in the chiles and cook for 1 minute.
Pour the eggs into the pan and stir until they start to set.
When only a small amount of uncooked eggs remains visible, stir in the cream so that the cooking process is slowed down and the mixture cooks into a creamy mixture rather an a solid mass.
Stir in the chopped cilantro.
Arrange the tortilla strips on four serving plates and spoon on the eggs.
Serve immediately.

Mexican Style Hash

2009-10-28T11:49:00.000-05:00

This is one of my favorite dishes to serve with Mexican food. I can't remember where I got the recipe, so I always throw it together from memory.

Ingredients:

1 TB vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, smashed
6-8 small red potatoes, small dice
3 pickled jalapenos, sliced into thin rounds
A small handful of fresh oregano, or a tsp dried
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmegiano Reggiano to taste

Directions:

Heat the oil in a skillet and add garlic clove, sauteing until fragrant.
Add potatoes and fry until golden brown.
Add jalapenos and oregano, salt and pepper and fry for a couple of minutes longer.
Add shredded parmegiano on top and serve.

An Evening with Friends--Tortilla Soup

2009-10-27T11:27:00.006-05:00

Making tortilla soup.

My friend Michelle had us and some other friends over for Mexican food. She made pork and potato tacos, stuffed poblano peppers, and tortilla soup. Our friend Aga made guacamole and pico de gallo. I've show cased the tortilla soup recipe, courtesy of Michelle, because it is one of my all time favorite foods and this version was just as good as my favorite restaurant version. I didn't get too many pictures this time, because I was busy helping make the soup.

Tortilla Soup Ingredients:

8 cups chicken broth
2 bone in chicken breast (I didn't have this, just used B&Sless)
1 lg white onion quartered
2 cloves garlic (I used 4, love that garlic!!!)
cilantro
1 chipotle chile
2 tsp adobo
2 medium tomatoes
1/2 jalapeno
1Tb veg oil

Directions:

Boil chicken, 1/2 onion, garlic and 8 sprigs cilantro for about 20min.
Shred chicken, set aside.
Strain broth; set aside.
Process chipotle, 1tsp adobo, 1/2 onion, tomatoes and jalapeno.
Heat oil in a dutch oven, add sauce and 1 t salt.
"Fry" about 10 minutes, sauce will get really thick.
Add broth and simmer about 15min
Add shredded chicken and 1 tsp adobo.
Heat through.
8 6" corn tortillas cut into strips.
Drizzle with oil.
Cook at 425 for 7min, turn and cook additional 7 min.
Iput some jack cheese in the bottom of the bowl, spoon soup over, top with tortilla strips and cilantro

Stuffed poblano peppers.

Michelle and I.

Aga and Jerzy eating guac and pico.

Old West Jerky Chili

2009-10-23T00:01:00.001-05:00

I found this recipe in The Real Chili Cookbook: Americans 100 All-Time Favorite Recipes by Marjie Lambert. I use this cookbook as a starting point for a lot of my chili experiments. Our brother-in-law had brought us jerky from the ranch that his parents run a week or two back and in the fridge it had dried to a consistency that was impossible to chew. So I thought I'd try the jerky chili rather than throw the jerky away.

This is definitely a novelty chili, not an everyday chili--an experiment to see what chili would have been like on the chuck wagons. The result? Meat that was hydrated, but still jerky for all that! The sauce was very flavorful between the chili powders and the spices in in the jerky.

My jerky was a mixture of beef, turkey and sausage. I changed the books recipe up some as I usually do, making my own chili powder and substituting an onion for dried onion flakes, etc.

My Ingredients:

3 TB vegetable shortening
1 onion, diced
8 oz jerky (chopped into small pieces, it will swell)
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp whole cumin seed
4 TB home made chili powder (commercial chili powder would have too much salt combined with the jerky)
1 tsp dried oregano
2 TB flour

Directions:

Melt the shortening and cook the onion, garlic, and cumin seed until the onion is soft.
Add the jerky and cook for 3 minutes.
Add 2 cups of water the chile powders and oregano.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer.
Simmer at least 2 hours, then taste and adjust seasoning.
To thicken the chili, mix the flour with 2 TB cold water to make a paste and then add the paste to the chili.
Cook, stirring, until thickened

Farm Fresh Eggs with Hollandaise Sauce

2009-10-22T13:31:00.006-05:00

A friend gifted us with some farm fresh eggs, so I wanted to do something simple but special. If you've never had fresh eggs you'll be surprised at the difference in taste. I served these fried with southern biscuits, smothered in hollandaise sauce.

Hollandaise Sauce for two

Ingredients:

1 egg yolk
1 tsp cold water
5 TB plus 1 tsp. cold unsalted butter finely diced
salt and white pepper (I was out of white pepper so I used black)
cayenne pepper (I was out so I used ichimi)
1 tsp lemon juice

Directions:

Pour water to a depth of about 1 inch into the bottom of a double boiler, or a large saucepan.
Heat the water until it simmers, then reduce the heat to low.
Place the top of the double boiler over the bottom; or set a rack or trivet, into the water bath and place the saucepan on the rack or trivet.
Put the egg yolk and the cold water in the upper pan and beat until smooth.
Whisk a handful of the butter into the yolks and beat until the butter has been absorbed; continue adding butter in this way until all of it has been used.
Beat until the sauce becomes thick and creamy.
Season the sauce to taste with salt, white pepper and cayenne pepper.
Then add the lemon juice.

Getting Ready to Make More Chili--Home Made Chili Powder

2009-10-19T14:00:00.000-05:00

To give credit where credit is due: I copied this recipe from Alton Brown's chili powder, substituting the chiles that I had in the house. I only made a 1/3 of the recipe because I needed a 1/4 cup non-commercial chili powder for the Old West Jerky Chili I'm planning to make. The jerky already has plenty of salt so I need a chili powder without any salt, thus an excuse to make a home made chili powder which I was planning on starting to experiment with anyway. And who else to riff off of than AB? He's one of my reliable starting places for beginning my own experiments in the kitchen and one of the few food network cooks that I have much use for.

Ingredients:

2 guajillo chiles
1 chipotle chile
2 tsp whole cumin seeds
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1/3 tsp sweet paprika (since it was in the house and since I was using chipotles for a smoky flavor)

Directions:

Place all the chiles and the cumin into a cast iron skillet over high heat.
Cook, moving the pan around constantly until the cumin becomes fragrant and starts to pop.
Set aside and cool.
Once cool place the chiles and cumin into a coffee grinder along with the garlic powder, oregano and paprika.
Process into a fine powder.

Cheesy Beef and Chipotle Quesadillas

2009-10-18T17:55:00.004-05:00

Ingredients:

Olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
A garlic clove, diced
1/2 a chipotle pepper, soaked in hot water for 1/2 an hour and chopped
A sprig of oregano, chopped
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
A pinch of commercial chili powder
1/2 lb ground beef
Shredded cheddar cheese to taste
6 flour tortillas

Directions:

Saute the onion and garlic until soft.
Add the oregano and the chipotle pepper
Add salt and pepper and chili powder.
Saute until fragrant.
Add ground beef and brown.
On a griddle head some more oil, lay down a tortilla and cover with shredded cheese, 1/3 of the meat mixture, and then more cheese, and top with another tortilla, press together with a spatula.
After a couple of minutes, when the bottom tortilla is browned, flip and cook the other side.
Repeat twice.

Huevos Rancheros with Guajillo and Chipotle Peppers

2009-10-12T13:25:00.004-05:00

Ingredients:

1 dried guajillo pepper
1/2 chipotle pepper
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 TB extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, small dice
1/2 TB minced garlic
reserved water from rehydrating the chili peppers
1 cup diced tomatoes
1/2 TB white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
small handful oregano leafs
1/2 TB lime juice
4 eggs

Directions:

Bring water to a boil and cover peppers in a jar with the lid on for half an hour.
Meanwhile dice garlic, onion, tomatoes, and oregano.
Dry toast the cumin in a frying pan until fragrant and begins to pop.
Add the oil, onions and garlic.
Saute for two minutes.
Add the rest of the ingredients, including 1/3 cup of water from rehydrating the chilis, and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes.
Remove the seeds from the pepper and scrape the meat off the skin, chop finely and add them to the saucepan.
Add another 1/3 cup of chili water if the sauce is thick, cook another five minutes.
Break the eggs into the sauce and cover tightly with a lid for another 5 minutes or so, depending on how cooked you like your eggs.
Serve with tortillas.

Chili is Serious Business at our House

2009-10-11T13:35:00.019-05:00

Chili, sans beans, which will be added right before serving.

Midmorning today I started the first pot (no doubt of many) of the season.

Ingredients:

2 LB pork loin cubed
2 TB oil
1 1/2 medium onion chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic minced
15 oz can tomato sauce
4 dried gaujillo chilis
2 chipotle chilis
2 TB chilli powder
2 tsp cumin seeds
A small handful of oregano leafs
12 oz bottle of beer
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 x 15 oz can of beans (I used 1 can kidney and 1 can pinto)

I chopped the vegetables while defrosting the meat.
I also brought water to boil in a pot to have on hand to rehydrate the peppers.

When the meat was defrosted, I cut it into cubes.
When the water came to a boil I put the peppers into individual jars and filled to the rim with boiling water. I used a pint size jar for the chipotles and a larger jar for the guajillos.

I set the kitchen timer for 30 minutes and put the peppers to the side.
I browned the pork.

And sauteed the vegetables in the oil for 5 minutes.

I then combined the meat and vegetables and poured the tomato sauce over and stirred well to combine.
Next I prepared the cumin seeds.

I dry fried them in a small cast iron skillet until they were fragrant and began to pop.

And then ground them in a mortar and pestle.

I broke off several sprigs of oregano from the window box and chopped the leafs into small pieces and added it, the cumin, and the chilli powder to the meat and vegetable mixture.

When the peppers were ready I cut off the stems and cut in half, and then removed the seeds and chopped the peppers into small pieces.
I reserved the water that the chipotle peppers had soaked in and added it to the chili mixture.

I added the peppers to the chili and then poured a bottle of beer over the mixture and stirred well to combine everything.

I cook my chili all day long, starting in the morning and then 10 minutes before I'm ready to serve it I add the salt, sugar, and canned beans.
I keep coffee and reserved liquid from rehydrating the guajillo peppers on hand, just in case the chili gets too thick.

Getting Ready to Make the First Pot of Chili of the Season

2009-10-10T19:01:00.005-05:00

Guajillo chilis

Chipotle Chilis

Chili Powder

Nutella French Toast

2009-10-06T18:12:00.003-05:00

Yummy, yummy french toast. I used old challah and spread nutella between two slices, and just followed the rosemary french toast recipe, without the rosemary.

Schweinskoteletten mit Knackwurst and Kartoffeln--Pork Chops with Knockwurst and Potatoes

2009-09-20T10:55:00.010-05:00

On a bored day off my husband and I decided to give ourselves the challenge of making a feast with $20 to spend. The idea was to go to the grocery stores and specialty markets in our area and hunt for something interesting and then make a feast with ingredients that we already had at home.

Towards the end of the afternoon we ended up finding knockwurst, which we'd not seen in awhile, not being as common at the markets as brats. Somehow I wasn't surprised when we ended up going with German cuisine after we'd been viewing Richard's friend McArdle's pictures of Oktoberfest in Cincinnatti.

We ended up spending the rest of our money on some little jars of mustard and horseradish, individual beers, hoagie rolls, and sauerkraut. When we got home I dug through my out of print Time Life Foods of the World: Recipes: The Cooking of Germany that I purchased at the library's most recent book sale. We were supposed to slice the knockwurst up in the recipe, but since we had hoagie rolls and mustard, we only sliced up one and cooked the other four whole. This was indeed a feast when we served it with the sauerkraut as well. The recipe serves six, we halved it, and saved leftovers for a second meal.

Ingredients:

1 TB caraway seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
6 center cut loin pork chops, cut 1/2 inch thick
1/2 cup flour
2 TB shortening
1/2 pound knockwurst, sliced in 1/4 inch rounds
1 cup coarsely chopped, peeled carrots
3 small sweet gherkins (I substituted homemade pickles), drained rinsed in cold water and finely chopped
1 cup chicken stock
4 large boiling potatoes (about 1 1/2 LB) peeled and sliced into 1/3 inch rounds
6 medium sized tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped (I substituted sliced romas from the garden)

Directions:

Combine the caraway seeds, salt and pepper, and press the mixture firmly into both sides ofthe pork chops.
Dip the chops in flour, then shake off the excess.
In a heavy 12 inch skillet (I used my dutch oven), melt the shortening over high heat until a light haze forms above it.
Brown the chops for about 5 minutes on each side, turning them with kitchen tongs and regulating the heat so that meat colors quickly and evenely without burning.
Transfer the chops to a plate and add the knockwurst, onions, carrots, and gherkins to the fat remaining in the skillet.
Cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.
Return the chops to the pan and pour in the stock.
The stock should come just to the top of the chops without covering them.
If necessary add more stock or water.
Arrange the potato slices evenly over the chops, covering them completely and scatter the chopped tomatoes over them.
Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low, and cover the skillet.
Simmer undisturbed for 45 minutes, or until the potatoes and chops show no resistance when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife (I ended up cooking this closer to an hour).
Serve directly from the skillet.

Gedünstetes Sauerkraut--Steamed Spiced Sauerkraut

2009-09-20T09:59:00.003-05:00

Ingredients:

2 LB plain sauerkraut
1 TB shortening
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
1 TB sugar
5 juniper berries, 6 black peppercorns, 1/4 tsp caraway seeds and 1 clove ground together
2 small bay leaves
3 or 4 slices of bacon finely chopped
1 large raw potato peeled

Directions:

Drain the sauerkraut, wash it under cold running water.
A handful at a time, squeeze the sauerkraut vigorously until it is completely dry.
In a heavy 3 to 4 quart casserole or saucepan, melt the shortening over moderate heat.
Add the chopped onions and cook stirring frequently for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the onions are light brown.
Add the sauerkraut, sugar and 2 cups of water and mix together thoroughly, separating the strands of sauerkraut with a fork.
Add the spices and the bacon.
Bring to a boil over high heat and then cook undisturbed for 20 minutes.
Grate the raw potato directly into the sauerkraut mixture. Cover the casserole tightly and cook over low heat for about an hour until the sauerkraut has absorbed most of its cooking liquid.

Kitsune Udon

2009-09-19T11:25:00.006-05:00

Kitsune udon are Japanese udon noodles with seasoned tofu pouches which are generally used for inari--tofu pouches filled with sushi rice.

Seasoned Fried Tofu Pouches

Ingredients:

2 or 3 fried tofu pouches (you can buy these at an Asian market that stock Japanese products)
3/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon dashi powder
1 TB sugar
2 tsp light soy sauce
2 tsp mirin

Directions:

Blanch tofu pouches 2 minutes in boiling water to remove excess oil
Press underwater several times with a fork.
Drain; cool slightly.
Squeeze out excess liquid.
In a small saucepan, combine 3/4 cup water, dashi powder, sugar, soy sauce and mirin over medium high heat until simmering.
Add tofu pouches; cook 3 to 10 minutes, turning them several times.
Most of seasoning liquid with evaporate.
Cool; squeeze dry if too moist.
Cut open on 3 sides.
Unfold tofu pouches and slice into 2 to 3 inch julienne strips.

Savory Noodle Broth Ingredients:

7 cups primary or secondary bonito stock
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
2 TB mirin

Directions:

In a large saucepan, combine stock, salt, soy sauce, sugar and mirin.
Heat until hot but not boiling; remove from heat.
to serve pour 1 cup broth over noodles in each serving bowl.
Makes 2 quarts.

Kitsune Udon

Ingredients:

4 seasoned fried tofu pouches
8 pieces of fish cake
1/2 recipe savory noodles broth (above)
3/4 lb dried white wheat noodles, or 4 small packages of fresh udon (we prefer these for their plumpness)
1 tsp sesame oil
1 bunch green onions thinly slice
Other condiments of choice: nori cut in matchsticks and pickled beansprouts

Clockwise: nori cut in matchsticks, sliced green onion,
pickled beansprouts fish cake, and sliced inari pouches.

Directions:

Prepare seasoned friend tofu pouches.
Slice fish cake into thin strips.
Prepare savory noodle broth, and keep warm over low heat.
If using dried noodles, in a large saucepan, bring 3 quarts water to a boil.
Slip noodles into boilin water, stirring once or twice.
When water returns to a rapid boil, cook noodles 10 to 12 minutes until tender.
drain noodles, min in sesame oil.
Divide noodles among 4 deep bowls.
Add tofu pouches, and a few strips of fish cake.
Pour about one cup of hot broth over each bowl of noodle mixture.
Serve with condiments.
If using fresh noodles warm them in the hot broth for a couple of minutes and then divide amongst serving bowls.

Primary and Secondary Bonito Stock for Japanese Noodles

2009-09-19T11:11:00.002-05:00

Kelp and Bonito Flakes Steeping in Hot Water for
Secondary Bonito Stock

Primary Bonito Stock

Ingredients:

1 5" piece of dried kelp (dashi konbu)
4 cups water
1/2 cup dried bonito shavings

Directions:

Lightly wipe the dried kept with a damp cloth.
Make 2 or 3 slits in it with a small knife.
In a medium saucepan, place kelp and water over medium low heat.
Heat slowly 8 to 10 minutes or until water reaches simmering point.
Do not allow water and kelp to boil at any time or stock will become bitter.
Remove kelp; let water come to a full boil.
Add bonito shavings and remove pan from heat.
Let shaving settle to bottom of pan.
After 2 to 3 minutes, strain stock through 2 layers of dampened cheesecloth or a fine strainer.
Use stock immediately or refrigerate up to 2 days.
Reserve Kelp and bonito flakes for secondary bonito stock.

Secondary Bonito Stock

Ingredients:

Strained bonito shavings and kelp from Primary Bonito Stock.
3 1/4 cups water
Additional 1/4 cup dried bonito shavings

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, heat strained bonito shavings, kelp and water over medium heat.
When water is hot, remove pan from heat; steep 30 minutes.
After steeping, slowly bring to a boil over medium high heat.
When water boils, add additional bonito shavings.
Remove pan from heat.
Let shavings settle to bottom of pan.
After 4 to 5 minutes, strain stock through 3 layers of dampened cheesecloth or a fine strainer.
Use stock immediately or refrigerate up to 2 days.
Remaining piece of kelp can be added to braised dishes or stews for enrichment.
Makes about 3 cups.

Tempura

2009-09-18T19:40:00.009-05:00

Small slices and chunks of vegetables in tempura batter.

Ingredients:

Your choice of vegetables thinly sliced or cut into small chunks. I used sweet potato, mushrooms, and okra.
1 egg yolk
2 cups of ice cold water
1 1/2 cups of flour
Vegetable oil for frying

Directions:

Whisk together the egg yolk and the ice cold water.
Add the flour and gently whisk, leaving lumps in the batter.
Heat the oil. I always use the bread test, so heat it until a piece of bread turns brown and floats pretty quick (how scientific is that?)
Add vegetables in batches, fry for a couple of minutes.

Heat the oven to 250 degrees and put a jelly roll pan with a wire rack in the oven and add the batches as they cook, so they don't get cold and soggy.

Serve with Tempura sauce

:

Ingredients:

1/3 cup light soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp dashi granules (instant fish stock, I get mine at an Asian market)
1/4 cup mirin

Directions:

Combine ingredients in a bowl, whisking the dashi into the wet ingredients.
Serve at room temperature.

Sticky Pecan Buns

2009-09-15T08:53:00.001-05:00

I'm still trying to come up with ways to use all the pecans we got from our friend Gil who has pecan trees growing in his yard, I have a feeling I'll still have pecans when we get the next batch from him.

Ingredients:

Butter
Honey
1/2 recipe basic coffeecake dough
3 TB melted butter
Cinnamon
1/4 cup pecans

Directions:

Butter a 9 x 12 pan
Spread about 1/4 " honey on the bottom
Roll the dough into a 9 x 12 rectangle.
Spread with melted butter and sprinkle heavily with cinnamon.
Spread the nuts evenly over the dough.
Roll the dough up and cut into 9 pieces about 1" thick, and place them cut side down in the honey lined pan.
Let rise until double.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Bake for about 20 minutes.
Let cool in the pan for a couple of minutes and then turn out to complete cooling.

I used a cookie sheet, which I placed on top of the sticky bun pan, and flipped it over and let the buns land on top of the cookie sheet, so that the honey side would be up.

Basic Coffeecake Dough

2009-09-15T00:01:00.001-05:00

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup plus 2 TB sugar
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup hot milk
1 packet active dry yeast
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup warm water
grated orange peel
3 whole eggs
3 egg yolks
4-5 cups flour

Directions:

Place the butter, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl.
Pour the hot milk over it and let it cool to lukewarm.
Meanwhile, mix together the yeast, sugar, cinnamon and warm water in a certamic bowl and place in a warm place until it bubbles vigorously:

Add eggs and egg yolks to the milk mixture and beat well.
Grate the orange directly into the bowl so no aromatic oils are lost.
Add 1 cup flour, mixing well; add the yeast.
Continue adding flour until you have a smooth, medium soft dough that is shiny and elastic.
Knead until it cleans the sides of the bowl.
Cover with a towel and place in a warm place to rise, abut an hour and a half.
This amount makes 2 9x5 loaves.
Use any filling and then let rise again until double, about half an hour.

Ramen with Broiled Pork and Mushroom

2009-09-14T00:01:00.002-05:00

Ingredients:

4 cups vegetarian ramen broth
12 slices pork broiled
1/4 cup mushrooms, sliced and broiled
2 eggs
2 packages ramen noodles, cooked

Condiments:

2 scallions thinly sliced
1 sheet nori cut into matchsticks
2 garlic cloves, minced
hot chili oil
soy sauce

Directions:

Heat broth in a stockpot to nearly a boil, lower heat and gently slide 2 eggs into the broth, cover and let cook for 5 minutes (this results in a very soft yolk, cook longer for a harder yolk)
Layer the bottom of each bowl (2) with ramen noodles.
Next add sliced pork and mushrooms
Using a ladle scoop an egg into each bowl
Ladle broth over noodles
Serve with condiments on the side

Powdered Cocoa Brownies

2009-09-13T00:01:00.001-05:00

These are a quick brownie that can be made with simple pantry ingredients and eggs.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup oil
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

Blend oil, sugar and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.
Add eggs, mix well using a spoon.
In another bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; gradually blend into the egg mixture.
Spread into a greased 9 inch square pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
Cool completely in pan.

Vegetarian Broth for Ramen Noodles

2009-09-12T00:01:00.001-05:00

Ingredients:

4 Spring onions
2 1/2 inch piece of fresh root ginger, quartered
1 large onion, quartered
4 garlic cloves
1 Large Carrot
6-8 dried mushrooms
6 TB miso (any color)
2 TB shoyu

Directions:

Bruise the spring onions and ginger.
Boil 9 cups of water, and add all stock ingredients except for the miso and shoyu.
Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 2 hours.
Strain into a bowl.
Scoop for Tb of soup stock from the pot and mix well with the miso and shoyu in a bowl.
Stir back into the soup.
Reduce the heat to low until ready to serve.

Spicy Indoneasian noodles

2009-09-11T00:01:00.004-05:00

I made these noodles from scratch Thursday morning, using whole wheat flour instead of white flour, to make a Chinese style noodle. Other than the change in flour I used my usual method. The whole wheat made a chewier noodle that was odd at first, but pretty tasty as I got used to it.

Ingredients:

3 stalks of lemongrass (I picked mine straight out of the garden!), finely chopped
2 fresh chilies, chopped
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 cloves
2 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 batch fresh noodles cooked in boiling water
3 TB oil
3 green onions sliced
1/2 lb. ground beef
2 inch piece ginger, grated
2 tsp lime juice
2 TB roughly chopped peanuts

Directions:

Grind together the lemongrass, red chilies, garlic, cloves and coriander seeds using a mortar and pestle or in a spice grinder to make a paste. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the brown sugar, curry paste, and ground cinnamon.
Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet.
Add the green onions and cook until soft.
Add the ginger and stir-fry for one minute.
Add the spice paste and stir-fry until fragrant.
Add the lime juice and noodles and cook for 4 or 5 minutes.

Serve with chopped peanuts, fish sauce and/or soy sauce, and lime juice on the side.

Breakfast Bruschetta with Prosciutto, Poached Eggs, and Warm Mustard Vinaigrette

2009-09-10T15:06:00.005-05:00

I found this recipe online this morning and it sounded so yummy I had to try it.

I substituted challah for the sour dough, and made my own vinaigrette, since I didn't have all the ingredients called for in the house. The rosemary gave the bread a nice little kick.

And for once my poached eggs turned out decent!

Mustard Vinaigrette

2009-09-10T15:00:00.000-05:00

Ingredients:

1 tsp brown mustard
2 TB white wine vinegar
pinch of salt
1 to 1 1/2 tsp small dice, white part, scallions
1/4 cup plus 2 TB extra virgin olive oil.
2 tsp hot water
1/4 tsp sugar

Directions:

Combine ingredients in a jar, screw on the lid, and shake well to combine.

Two kinds of Granita and Tea Cookies

2009-09-02T00:01:00.000-05:00

Coffee Granita Ingredients:

2 cups water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup very strong espresso coffee, cooled

Directions:

Heat the water and sugar together over low heat until the sugar dissolves.
Bring to a boil.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Combine the coffee with the sugar syrup.
Place in a shallow container or freezer tray, and freeze until solid.
Plunge the bottom of the frozen container or tray in very hot water for a few seconds.
Turn the frozen mixture out and chop it into large chunks.
Place the mixture in a food processor fitted with metal blades and process until it forms small crystals.
Spoon into serving glasses.

For Lemon Granita substitute 7-8 TB lemon juice for the coffee.

Tea Cookies

Ingredients:

10 TB butter, softened
3/4 cup confectioners sugar, sifted
1 egg beaten
a few drops almond extract
2 cups flour
candied orange peel

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, then beat the egg, almond extract and flour until evenly mixed.
Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a nozzle and pipe 10 rosette shapes on each of the bakin sheets, if you don't want to pipe the mixture, simply spoon it onto the baking paper and press it down with a fork.
Cut the candied peel into small diamond shapes and press one diamond into the center of each cookie to decorate.
Bake for 5 minutes or until golden.
Transfer the cookies on to a wire rack and let cool.

Fried Green Olives

2009-09-01T00:01:00.002-05:00

From Biba's Italy by Biba Caggiano

Ingredients:

30 pitted green olives
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup fine, dry bread crumbs
Vegetable oil for frying

Directions:

To remove some salt, place the olives in a bowl of cold water and soak for about 1 hour.
Drain rince and pat dry with paper towels.
Place the olives in a strainer.
Add the flour and toss lightly to coat.
Dip each olive in the eggs and roll them in the bread crumbs.
With you hands, press the bread crumps lightly onto the olives.
Line the olives on a sheet pan or plate and refrigerate for about 1 hour.
Heat 1 inch of oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat.
When the oil is hot, fry a handful of olives at a time until they are golden on all sides, 1 to 2 minutes.
Remove with a slotted spoon and spread on paper towels to dry.
Serve while warm

Onion and Herb Bread

2009-08-31T09:06:00.002-05:00

From the Vegetarian Epicure, by Anna Thomas

Ingredients:

1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 TB sugar
1 tsp salt
1 TB butter
1 package yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 1/4 cup white or whole wheat flour
1/2 small onion, minced
1/2 tsp dried dill weed (I used oregano, as I didn't have any dill)
1 tsp crushed, dried rosemary

Directions:

Scald the milk and dissolve in it the sugar, salt, and butter; cool to lukewarm.
In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water.
Add the cooled milk, flour, minced onion, and herbs, and stir well with a large wooden spoon.
When the batter is smooth, cover the bowl with a towel and let the dough rise in a warm place until triple in bulk, about 45 minutes.
Stir down and beat vigorously for a few minutes, then turn into a greased bred pan.
Let it stand in a warm place about 10 minutes before putting it into a preheated, 350 degree oven.
Bake for one hour.

Noodling with Friends

2009-08-30T08:48:00.017-05:00

For the first time since I started the blog, I got to cook for someone besides my husband! It was my first turn on our rotating foodie night . I knew that I wanted my chitarra that Richard bought me for my birthday to take center stage, so I had two egg pasta dishes, instead of the traditional pasta and then meat dish after the antipasto.

Onion and Herb Bread

The first Antipasto was Onion Herb Bread from The Vegetarian Epicure by Anna Thomas. This is so easy! A yeast bread with no kneading involved and the smell is heavenly! The recipe calls for rosemary and dill; I didn't have any dill on hand so I used oregano to make it super Italian.

Dressed Raw Okra, Okra and Salami, Richard Preparing Okra and Salami, Prosciutto with Balsamic Dressed Parmigiano Reggiano, and Dried Figs.

I put out the next two antipastos while I was making the dough for the homemade pasta. The first consisted of raw okra sliced in half and dressed in balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper served with salami slices. The other antipasto was thinly sliced prosciutto, parmigiano reggiano dressed in balsamic vinegar and dried figs.

Me Dressing the Parmigiano Reggiano

While we were still eating that I started the next antipasto, fried green olives, a recipe from Venice. Unfortunately, I made a major mistake and didn't read the recipe all the way through! I was supposed to soak the olives for an hour to remove the saltiness. So these were salty fried olives. I will have to try it again sometime to see what they were really supposed to taste like!

Fried Green Olives

After letting the dough sit for an hour I rolled out the pasta and let my friends try the chitarra.

Me and Aga, Richard and Michelle.

The next dish was pasta with pecans and broiled red pepper, which is much easier to make when you have four helpers cracking nuts. I was cooking at my friend Michelle's house and was unfamiliar with her stove and the pasta for the first recipe wasn't quite as al dente as I like it, but everyone seemed to enjoy it anyway!

Jerzy, Aga, and Michelle, talking while helping to chop pecans.

Richard grinding green tea into a fine powder
for green tea pasta with dried tomatoes.

The next dish was what has been a summertime favorite of mine, green tea noodles with dried tomatoes.

Me preparing green tea pasta dough.

Michelle processing the frozen coffee granita.

For dessert we had two kinds of granita (lemon and coffee) and Tea Cookies with homemade Candied Orange Peel.

Tea Cookies with homemade candied orange peel and a
bowl of granita.

We ate, cooked, talked, and drank wine and beer slowly over about 5 hours. I f we hadn't of taken our time I don't know if I could have eaten so much. It was so much fun to cook for fellow foodies and I can't wait to do it again!

For Nikki--Snickerdoodles

2009-08-27T11:42:00.000-05:00

I'm afraid I forgot to take pictures of these before I brought them to work, but I promised a friend the recipe. This one is from my 1973 Betty Crocker.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 TB sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions

Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix thoroughly butter, shortening, sugar and eggs.
Blend in flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt.
Shape dough by rounded teaspoonfuls into balls.
Mix 2 TB sugar and the cinnamon; roll balls in mixture.
Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set,
Immediately remove from bakin sheet.

The Garden--August 25

2009-08-25T07:45:00.003-05:00

I was very lazy and shot these through the office window this morning!

The tallest okra plant is now a good foot taller than my 5 feet 8 inches. I have to stretch to pick the pods. I've started freezing okra now, because it's still producing. The tomato plants are looking scraggly and slowing down, but I still get 4 or 5 tomatoes every couple of days.

The purple hull peas are getting bigger by the day. I put out wire for them to climb, but they show no indication of being climbers, at this point anyway. This is a mad experiment so I have no idea. That's been half of the fun of jumping into this uneducated--everything has been a surprise.

Tomato and Basil Fritatta

2009-08-24T11:34:00.003-05:00

This has been one of my favorite easy dinners this summer. Just run out to the garden and grab a few small plum tomatoes and a handful of basil, run back in and break a few eggs . . . you get the idea.

Ingredients:

Olive oil
5 or 6 eggs, whisked with a little milk
3 or 4 small plum tomatoes
Basil to taste
2 slices of provolone cheese
salt and pepper

Directions:

Heat the oil on medium high.
Pour in the egg mixture and toss on the vegetables and herbs.
Heat the broiler.
Run a spatula along the side and lift up the set eggs to allow the unset to run under.
When the eggs are set tear the cheese slices to cover and put under the broiler until golden.

Popovers

2009-08-21T00:01:00.001-05:00

Ingredients:

2 eggs
1 cup of milk
1 cup of all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

Heat oven to 450 degrees
Grease 3 medium muffin cups.
Whisk eggs slightly; add milk, flour and salt and whisk until just smooth. Do not over whisk.
Fill muffin cups 3/4 of the way full.
Bake 25 minutes.
Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake 15 to 20 minutes longer or until a deep golden brown.
Immediately remove from pan; serve hot.

These reminded us of hollow mini-pfannkuchens. Serve with honey.

Eureka!

2009-08-20T09:07:00.004-05:00

My husband came looking for me while we thrift store shopping with an excited look on his face. When he took me to the books, I understood why. Someone had unloaded what looked like an almost complete Time Life set of The Good Cook/Techniques and Recipes, an out of print collection of cook books that teaches how to cook and provides recipes. My holy grail, which I have been trying to complete for probably a decade now. I didn't have my list with me of what titles I already had, so I had to go through them from memory. I ended doubling up only one title, Shellfish, which I'll probably use for another give away sometime down the road. With the addition of the six books we found at Goodwill, I now have 26 of the 27 titles, missing only Wine.

Kofte with Tomato Sauce

2009-08-18T21:11:00.003-05:00

Ingredients:

3/4 cup cubed stale, firm white bread, crustless
1 1/4 pounds lean ground lamb or beef
1 small onion grated
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 egg, well beaten
2 tsp olive oil.

For the sauce:

2 tsp olive oil
2 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 tsp chopped mediume hot green chili
pinches of salt
and sugar
1/4 tsp crushed garlic
1 tsp red wine vinegar

Directions:

Kofte:

In a bowl, pour warm water over the bread cubes and le them stand for a few iutes.
Press out and discard the liquid, leaving the bread in the bowl.
Add the meat, onion, cumin, salt, and black pepper and knead until well blended.
Add egg to the mixture and knead with a fork until light and well combined.
Shape into four patties and fry on both sides to desired doneness.

Tomato sauce:

In a second skillet, warm the olive oil.
Add the tomatoes and chili and cook over high heat, stirring until thick.
Add the salt, sugar, garlic, and vinegar and bring to a boil, stirring,.
Set aside makes about 1 cup.

We served ours with couscous, the meat patties on top and then the tomato sauce over that.

Okra--Eastern Mediterranean Style

2009-08-13T19:05:00.001-05:00

So much okra from the garden, I've been having to try all sorts of recipes. This one was very good, from The Cooking of the Easter Mediterranean by Paula Wolfert..

Ingredients:

1 Lb. firm crisp okra, each vegetable about 3 inches long
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 TB coarse salt
5 1/3 Tb olive oil
2 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced.
5 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced.
2 large ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup water
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Juice of 1/2 lemon.

Directions:

Rinse the okra and carefully pare the tops, taking care not to cut into the pod. Toss with the vinegar and coarse salt and let stand one hour. Rinse again and dry on kitchen toweling.
In a non stick skillet, heat 2 TB of the oil, add half the okra, and quickly brown on all sides. Tilt the skillet to keep the oil while removing the okra to a side dish. Repeat with the remaining okra.
Add another tablespoon of the oil to the skillet, add the onions and sliced garlic, cover and cook over medium heat until the onions are wilted and golden, about 2 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, sugar, water, and salt and pepper, and simmer, covered 10 minutes.
Add the lemon juice.
Arrange the okra tightly in a spoke patter with the tips pointing toward the center. Spoon the tomato and onion mixture over the okra.

The Garden--August 11

2009-08-11T00:01:00.001-05:00

Crazy okra!

The tallest one is taller than I am now.

It looks so bare with the cucumbers and the pole beans and cucumbers pulled up.

The tomatoes are almost done. They are looking very scraggly.

But, I just put in my first fall crop, so things are still popping up.

Sprouting purple hull peas.

The mysterious periwinkle (as in I did not plant it and don't know where it came from) is still getting blooms.

"Na drowie"--Polish for "Good Health"

2009-08-10T01:18:00.011-05:00

Aga

We were invited to dinner by this wonderful lady to celebrate her husband's and our friend Michelle's upcoming birthdays. This bizarre looking picture was taken after sampling a little bit of all of the following, I believe. Na drowie!

Left to right, top to bottom: Sangria, Polish beer, more polish beer, Miod pitny (drinkable honey), and the small glass behind it cherry liqueur.

Michelle playing Vanna with a bottle of Vodka.

Pizza fresh from the grill and Sangria.

Wow! And did she cook! The appetizers alone would have made a whole meal. I couldn't stop eating them even though I knew the pizza was coming up next.

Left to right, top to bottom: shrimp with olive oil, garlic, Northwood seasoning and Italian mix of herbs, A bruschetta-like appetizer from Krete, Proscuitto and melon, breadsticks, pizza on the grill, and Caprese salad, the red, green and white replicating the colors of the Italian flag.

Michelle and Aga

Michelle and Aga

Jerzy with Ric in the background

Michelle

Jerzy

I think we all pitched in and made the pizzas, very rustic and cooked on the grill, including the potato pizza that was inspired by Larry's Pizza here in the Little Rock area. But, wait, there was still more--the birthday cake from the top picture. It is called Karpatka, from the Karpaty mountains and is supposed to look like mountains and valleys. It is sort of a cake version of eclaires.

Karpatka

Michelle and Jerzy blowing out candles, Ric in the center. Remember these weird double exposure film-looking photos were taken after several forms of alcohol were imbibed!

One last picture of our lovely hostess. Thank you again, Aga, for all your hard work and the beautiful and yummy results!

Bold, Yet Simple

2009-08-09T18:26:00.003-05:00

Pasta served with challah and simple refrigerator pickles.

Oven-dried tomatoes, freshly ground black pepper, spaghetti, basil, crushed garlic, Parmigiano-Reggiano.

I think the captions speak for themselves. Do I really need to put a recipe?

Experimenting with Pizza

2009-08-05T20:08:00.004-05:00

One of the managers at work won a contest and used some of the money she won to order pizza from Larry's Pizza. It was the most wonderful pizza I have ever had.

When my husband and I were trying to figure out where to eat out the other afternoon for a treat, I suddenly remembered Larry's Pizza. Richard loved it as much as I did.

I did my best this afternoon to replicate my favorite, the baked potato pizza, and came up with something pretty good, but not as good as Larry's. I've made a vow to stick to my grocery budget--no extra trips to the grocery store between paydays, so there was no bacon, chives, or sour cream. But it was pretty tasty all the same, and next payday bacon, chives, and sour cream will be on the grocery list along with potatoes!

I also made a pizza with salami, oven dried tomatoes from the garden, basil from the garden, and provolone cheese. Both pizzas had a béchamel rather than tomato sauce.

Baked Potato Pizza Ingredients:

Pizza crust (I took the short cut today and did the bread machine pizza crust)
About a cup of béchamel sauce
About 6 new potatoes, but next time I'll probably double it, baked and sliced into rounds
About a cup and a half of grated cheddar cheese.

And I would recommend about 4 or 5 slices of bacon cooked and chopped up and several tablespoons of chopped chives and sour cream drizzled over the top!

Directions:

Make the pizza crusts and bake the potatoes.
Prepare béchamel sauce.

Spread on the béchamel sauce.

Cover the pizza with a layer of potatoes.

Then the bacon and chives.
Then the cheese.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 425 degrees.

Salami Pizza Ingredients:

Pizza crust
About 6 to 8 rounds of salami
A couple handfuls oven-dried tomatoes
A handful of shredded basil
About 6 rounds of provolone cheese, torn in big pieces to cover the pizza.

Directions:

Make the pizza crusts and bake the potatoes.
Spread on the béchamel sauce.
Cover the crust with a layer of salami.
Sprinkle over oven-dried tomatoes.
Sprinkle over basil.
Cover with provolone cheese.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 425 degrees.

The Garden--August 4th

2009-08-04T18:54:00.003-05:00

Well, I pulled up the cucumbers today. They weren't producing much anymore. I have way too many cucumbers, though, from last week that I need to hurry up and decide what to do with. I'm soaking some purple hull peas right now to plant later this evening or in the morning to start my fall garden. The pole beans are finally starting to produce enough that we had some for supper the other night.

Challah

2009-07-26T11:11:00.005-05:00

Another yummy bread recipe from The Vegetarian Epicure, by Anna Thomas.

Ingredients:

1 pkg. active dry yeast
2 tsp sugar
1 1/4 cups warm water
4 1/2 to 5 cups white flour
2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
2 TB butter
1-2 egg yolks
Sesame seeds or poppy seeds

Directions:

Dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup of water and add sugar.
Sift 4 cups of flour together with the salt into a large mixing bowl and add the 2 eggs, the melted butter, and the rest of the water, as well as the yeast mixture.
Stir until all is well-blended.
Dust a flat surface with about 1/2 cup of flour and turn the dough out to knead.
Knead in as much of the remaining flour as needed to make a smooth, elastic, non-sticky dough.
Grease a large bowl and put the dough into it.
Cover and leave it to rise in a fairly warm place for about 1 hour.
Punch it down and let it rise again until doubled in bulk.
On a lightly floured surface, shape the Challah:
First divide the dough into 2 parts--one slightly larger than the other.
Then cut the larger part into three equal pieces. Roll thepieces into strips and form a fat, even braid.
Place it in the middle of a buttered bakingsheet.
Now repeat this procedure with the smaller piece of dough, and place the second braid on top of the first.
Cover with a light tea towel and let rise for about 1/2 hour.
Brush the loaf heavily with the egg yolk and sprinkle it generously with poppy or sesame seeds.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 50 minutes.

And the Winner Is:

2009-07-26T11:05:00.002-05:00

Grad School Mommy!

I numbered everyone in order that they posted and used the random generator at random.org.

Thanks everyone who stopped by. I'll probably do another give away sometime soonish, since I'll still have double copies of the salad book.

Pecan Fingers

2009-07-25T15:44:00.003-05:00

I whipped up three quick batches of cookies yesterday morning as a thank you to the team that works under me for all their help in achieving a positive district walk through. One of the other managers loved these and asked for the recipe, so here it is. This is from an old Betty Crocker cookbook that I was very excited to find on my vacation. This is the 1976 version of my Mom's cookbook that I grew up learning to cook out of.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar (packed)
2 TB flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.
Cream shortening and confectioners' sugar.
Blend in flour. Press evenly in bottom of ungreased baking pan, 13x9x2 inches.
Bake for 12 t0 15 minutes.
Mix remaining ingredients, spread over hot baked layer and bake 20 minutes longer.
Cool, cut into bars, about 3 x 1 inch.

Sesame Ring

2009-07-21T00:01:00.000-05:00

This is a recipe from a book (The Vegetarian Epicure by Anna Thomas) that my friend Michelle strongly recommended when we were out shopping last week. This was the first recipe that caught my eye while I was leafing through it at the store.

Ingredients:

1 pkg. active dry yeast
1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
4 to 4 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
1 egg
2 tsp salt
2 tb melted butter or oil
1 egg yolk
4 tb sesame seeds

Directions:

Dissolve the yeast in the water and put aside for a few minutes.
Pour 4 cups of white flour into a large mixing bowl.
Add to it he egg, yeast and water, and butter (or oil)
Stir vigorously until the dough is smooth and somewhat elastic.
Add a little more flour to make a stiff dough.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until it is very elastic and smooth.
Form the dough into a ball and put it into an oiled bowl, turning it over once so all the surface is lightly oiled.
Cover the bowl with a tea towel and set it aside to rise for about an hour; it should double in size.
Punch down the dough, knead it a few more turns, then form it into as smooth a ball as possible.
With your fingers, poke a hole through the center of the ball.
Pull apart the dough carefully into a donut shape, making it even and pulling up dough from the sides into a tightly pinched seam.
Place the ring in a buttered pan, cover with a tea towel, and leave it to rise until nearly double.
Brush the top with beaten egg yolk and sprinkle a dense layer of sesame seeds over the entire visible surface of the loaf.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 50 minutes.

Quiche Lorraine with Provolone Cheese

2009-07-20T14:51:00.004-05:00

Pie Crust Pastry (makes enough for 2 pie shells, or one covered pie)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sifted flour
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

Sift flour with salt.
Cut the shortening in with pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse meal.
Sprinkle 4 TB ice water, one tablespoon at a time, over the flour mixture and blend it in with a fork.
Wrap the dough in waxed paper and chill it for at least 15 minutes.
Chilled dough will keep in the refrigerator for 2 days.

Quiche

Ingredients:

5 slices bacon
6 slices provolone cheese
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups heavy cream
1 TB flour
Ground nutmeg
Cayenne pepper
Freshly ground black pepper
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Cut bacon slices in half, fry until crisp, drain, cool and crumble.
Line pie plate with unbaked pie shell.
Overlap bacon crumbles and cheese slices to cover the bottom of the crust.
Combine the eggs, cream, flour, a pinch of nutmeg, a few grains of cayenne pepper, and black pepper.
Beat well.
Strain and pour over bacon and cheese slices.
Bake in hot oven for 15 minutes.
Reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake for 30 minutes.

Hungarian Goulash a la Betty Crocker

2009-07-19T11:57:00.008-05:00

We went flea marketing and to the library book sale on Friday and I found lots of wonderful old kitschy cookbooks from the 50s and 60s, including the Betty Crocker cookbook that I grew up with in my Mom's house. I found a recipe in there for Hungarian goulash that called for a large quantity of ketchup--and since Mom and I had just made all that home-made ketchup I knew I had to make it.

My friend Michelle had recently given us some venison, so I used it instead of beef. Boy, Patty Dog was going crazy while I was cooking this up.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup shortening
2 LB beef cuck or round, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 small clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup ketchup
2 TB Worcestershire sauce
1 TB brown sugar (if you use the home-made ketchup recipe, I suggest leaving this out as the ketchup is already pretty sweet)
2 Tsp salt
2 Tsp paprika
1/2 tsp dry mustard
Dash cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups water
2 TB flour
1/4 cup water
3 cups hot cooked noodles.

Directions:

Melt shortening in a large skillet.
Add beef, onion and garlic; cook until meat is brown and tneder.
Stir in ketchup, Worcestshire sauce, sugar, salt, paprika, mustard, cayenne and 1 1/2 cups water.
Cover and simmer for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
Blend flour and 1/4 cup water, stir gradually into meat mixture.
Heat to boiling, stirring constantly for one minute.
Serve over noodles.

My First Giveaway!

2009-07-17T09:31:00.005-05:00

My mother recently did a giveaway on her blog, which inspired me to do my own. Also, I have recently passed the 6 mos. mark here at From Scratch, and am pretty pleased with sticking to it this long. I have to admit I wasn't sure I was going to when I first started.

The rules are simple. Leave a comment on the recipe you'd most like me to cook for you, if you were a guest at my house for dinner. Saturday the 25th is the deadline (midnight central standard time). I'll be pulling a name out of a hat, and sending someone one of my extra copies (your choice) of either Poultry or Salads from the Time Life series The Good Cook/Techniques and Recipes.

This series is like a bible to me. I chose five or six volumes of this set at random when my Mom was giving them away to a charity garage sale and, sigh, let the rest slip away. They sat on my bookshelves unused for years until I really got into cooking several years back. Alton Brown recommends them in the back of one of his books. The first half of each book is devoted to detailed techniques. The latter half is filled with recipes from various authors. The series is edited by Richard Olney.

I have spent a lot of time at flea markets and used book stores tracking these guys down. These are a couple that my husband picked up for me (isn't he a sweetie) when I wasn't around and he wasn't sure if I had them or not.

Breakfast Panini with Eggs, Bacon, and Pecans

2009-07-17T00:01:00.000-05:00

I found this panini recipe while looking for something to make for breakfast using my pecans. I changed it up a little bit. I didn't have sausage so I chopped up 4 slices of bacon. I also cut the pecans, wanting to use them in a support, rather than starring role. I think 1/2 a cup would have been a little bit much.

Pasta with Pecans and Broiled Red Pepper

2009-07-16T10:51:00.003-05:00

Ingredients:

1/2 LB spaghetti, cooked
1 cup bread crumbs
1/3 cup ground pecans
1/2 red pepper, seeded and chopped
Olive oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
A small handful of basil leafs
Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper

Directions:

While cooking the pasta, broil the red pepper until it gets a little black around the edges.
Saute garlic until fragrant.
Add pasta, bread crumbs, ground pecans, red pepper, and basil leaf.
Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
Serve when pasta and bread crumb mixture are well combined.
Serve with Parmigiano Reggiano.

Pecans

2009-07-14T14:35:00.002-05:00

I received two gallon size ziplocs of pecans when I stopped by a friend's house yesterday. He'd been saving them for me since fall. They are straight from a tree in his yard. How's that for loca! I have a feeling these are going to keep me busy this week.

Tomato, Bread, and Cucumber Salad

2009-07-13T00:01:00.001-05:00

Ingredients:

1/2 LB old bread (or grilled in the broiler, or best of all old and broiled)
3 large, ripe tomatoes, diced
1 smal cucumber sliced into small rounds
1 small red onion thinly sliced
10 to 15 basil leaves,shredded
Salt and Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 TB red-wine vinegar

Directions:

Combine bread, tomatoes, cucumber, onion and basil in a large bowl.
Season with salt and pepper.
Add the oil and vinegar and mix well to combine.
Chill the salad for about an hour before serving.

Sunday Brunch--Oatmeal Pancakes with Bacon

2009-07-12T00:01:00.001-05:00

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup pinhead oatmeal
Pinch of salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
8 strips of bacon (we prefer applewood smoked)

Directions:

Mix the flour, oatmeal, and salt in a bowl.
Beat in the eggs and add enough buttermilk to make a creamy batter of the same consistency as ordinary pancakes.
Thoroughly heat a griddle or cast-iron frying pan over medium heat.
When very hot, grease with butter or oil.
Pour in the batter, about a ladleful at a time.
Tilt the pan around to spread evenly and cook for about 2 minutes on the first side, or until set and browned.
Turn over and cook for 1 minute until browned.
Roll the pancakes with 2 strips of bacon and serve with honey

Okra-Meditteranean Style

2009-07-11T10:11:00.004-05:00

I've finally been getting enough okra from the garden to make some dishes.

Ingredients to serve 2 people:

4 oz canned or peeled fresh tomatoes
4 oz fresh okra
3 TB olive oil
1/2 onion thinly sliced
2 tsp coriander seeds crushed
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp lemon juice
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Trim stalk from okra and keep whole
Heat oil in a saute pan nd saute the onions and the coriander 3-4 minutes, until the onions begin to color.
Add the okra and garlic and saute for 1 minute.
Gently stir the tomatoes and sugar and simmer for about twenty minutes, until the okra is tender.
Stir in the lemon juice and add salt and pepper to taste.

Learning from Mom--Dill Pickles and Ketchup

2009-07-08T09:13:00.025-05:00

Mom and I had a wonderful day in the kitchen yesterday. She traveled about an hour from her house to mine here in North Little Rock, bringing canning equipment with her. We went to the farmer's market to eat an early lunch and grab a few things we needed: locally grown dill and garlic from my dollar lady and some locally grown tomatoes. We also stopped at Whole Foods to pick up some celery seed in bulk. And then the rest of the day was spent in a really steamy kitchen and dining room!

As one of the oldest of twelve children in a not terribly affluent family, canning was serious business for my Mom growing up. As we were working Mom recalled canning beets, tomatoes, and cucumbers as a child. They also froze a lot of corn and green beans and had a cellar where they kept onions, potatoes, and carrots--I think she said they kept the carrots in a large bin filled with sand and hung the onions. She also recalled that they grew their own dill. Each child had a long row of cucumbers that they took care of and sold at the end of the season for spending money.

So yesterday I learned to can from my Mom, who learned to can from her Mom, who learned to can from her Mother-in-law Hazel Caldie Marlow, who I wrote about at Mother's day.

Mom sitting in my Great-Grandma Hazel Caldie Marlow's Lap, My Aunt Vickie to the left (who also spent a lot of time in that steamy kitchen), and My Grandma Lorraine Thibodeau Marlow sitting on top of the picnic table.

Pickling Cucumbers

We messed around and combined two different recipes to come up with pickles mostly based on a Jewish recipe that used the spices we could locate between whole foods and my spice boxes!

Equipment:

A canner
Large canning tongs to pull the hot jars out of the water.
15 pint size canning jars and lids
Cheesecloth
Kitchen twine

Ingredients:

8 LB cucumbers--smaller ones are better, according to Mom, who should know since she sold them as a child for spending money! Mine were huge, so we cut them into spears and sandwich pickles. We had a couple small ones we stuck in whole.
30 cloves of garlic
15 small red chilis
Freshly ground black pepper

For pickling spice:

5 or 6 broken up bay leaves
1 tsp juniper berries
1 1/2 tsp coriander
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp of cloves
15 Dill heads

For pickling liquid:

6 cups of vinegar
6 cups of water
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup kosher salt

Directions:

Fill canner with water to cover the jars by two inches and put on to boil. This will take a while as it is a large amount of water. We did this first and the water ended up being ready exactly when we needed it.
Fill a teapot with water and bring it to a boil. Put the lids in a bowl or or pot large enough to hold them and pour the boiling water over to sterilize.

Run the jars through a hot dishwasher to sterilize.
Wrap your pickling spices in cheesecloth and tie with kitchen twine.

Pour the water and vinegar into a stock pot and add the sachet of pickling spices. Bring to a boil, add sugar and salt, stir to dissolve the sugar and salt, turn heat down and simmer for at least 15 minutes.
Meanwhile scrub cucumbers and if you have big ones slice into desired shapes.
When the jars are ready fill each jar with cucumbers leaving a half an inch or so empty at the top.

Add 2 cloves of garlic, one red chili pepper, a sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper, and a head of dill at the top.

Using a ladle add pickling liquid to 1/4 of inch below the top of the jar.

Screw the lids on tight and make sure no dill, etc. is hanging out over the lids.
If the water is ready start by putting one jar in the center of the "thingie" (what is this thing called?) that holds the jars, and put the rest around it. Gently drop the "thingie" down to where the jars were covered with the boiling water.

When the water comes back to a good roiling boil, cover and let boil for 15 minutes.
Pull the "thingie" up after 15 minutes (Mom and I worked together taking a side, because it is HOT) and use the large tongs to place the jars on the counter on a towel.

Listen closely to make sure that the lids make a popping sound, and/or eyeball them to make sure that none are domed, the lid should be sort of sucked down. Mom said if any aren't then you can add them back to boiling water for another 15 minutes, or else make sure you use them within a couple of weeks.

Store the jars, with nothing on top of them, in a cool dark place (I used the back of my pantry cupboard) for two weeks or so to let all the flavors meld together.

I know you're looking at my Uncle Jeff and Aunt Lisa, who used to be really cute, but look at all those jars on the counter that Grandma, Mom, and Aunt Vickie canned.

Our results today.

Making Ketchup

Mom in the kitchen back then

Ingredients:

10 big tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 onion chopped
1/4 of a red pepper, deseeded and chopped
1 cinammon stick
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp mustard seed
1/2 tsp celery seed
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 TB paprika
3/4 cup vinegar

Directions:

Combine and cook the chopped tomatoes, onion, and red pepper for about 15 to 20 minutes until vegetables are soft.

Puree ingredients in a food mill or a food processor

Return ingredients to pot and cook on very high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is reduced by half.

Combine cinnamon, cloves, mustard seed, and celery seed in a cheesecloth sachet and add to the mixture.

Also add sugar, salt, and paprika
Cook for 25 minutes on medium heat, stirring constantly

Add 3/4 cup vinegar, continue cooking and stirring until mixture is at the desired thickness.

Process for 10 minutes in a canner if you don't plan on using it right away. It should make about two pints and since Mom and I each took a pint, we decided not to process it, since we should use it pretty quickly.

Mom's blog post of our day

The Literal Fruits of my Labor

2009-07-07T00:01:00.001-05:00

The Great BBQ Adventure of 2009--Our Third Outing

2009-07-06T00:01:00.003-05:00

So, little did we know that the next time we would have BBQ comparable to our favorite, Whole Hog Cafe, that it wouldn't be a restaurant at all, but a friend's backyard. Look at the smoke ring on this guy!

At this point I'm just going to cut and paste what Michelle had to say about smoking pork for pulled pork sandwiches:

"So, here is the info about the pulled pork, and I did change the recipe a bit!

North Carolina Pulled Pork from Steven Raichlen's How To Grill:

I had a 5lb Boston butt roast and I covered it with Steven's basic Barbeque rub (brown sugar, sweet paprika, black pepper, coarse salt, garlic powder, onion powder, celery seeds and cayenne...but you can use your favorite rub). Make sure to massage that rub into the meat! I like to let mine sit for 24 hours...you can grill it right away, but it is so much better it you let it cure in the fridge.

About an hour before you are ready to start, take your roast out of the fridge and let it come to room temp and get your wood chips soaking in water. A lot of people like hickory chips, but being from Texas, I love my mesquite chips and hickory just tastes off to me! Once the chips are soaking, get your mop sauce ready. The mop sauce contains: apple cider vinegar, thinly sliced onion and jalapeno, coarse salt, brown sugar, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Now you can start your coals...I use a chimney starter (no lighter fluid for me! Mel knows why!) It will take about 30 minutes for the coals to get to a medium low heat. You want them to be glowing orange and ashen around the edges. Once they are ready, set up the grill for indirect cooking. Place an aluminum pan in the center that the roast will sit above; this catches the fat that drips off, keeps you from getting flame-ups and keeps the heat away from the roast, which is important for slow cooking. The coals will go to the left and the right of the pan and at this time you will add 1 cup of wood chips to each side. Place your roast on the grill, fat side up and make sure to slightly open the bottom and top vents. Close the lid and walk away.

Now the hard part is over. From this point on all you have to do is check the roast every hour. When you check it, add 12 new coals to each side and top them with 1/2 cup soaked wood chips. You also want to 'mop' your sauce onto the roast every time that you check it. Repeat this until the roast reaches an internal temp of 195 degrees. My 5 pound roast took about 4 hours. When it is ready, I like to take it off the grill and let it rest before pulling...or you can get the tough and hungry guys at your cook out to pulled the pork apart so you don't burn you hands!

This is were I deviate from Steven's recipe. He has a vinegar sauce to add to the pork but it is just too much for me. Instead I double the mop sauce recipe and add it to the shredded pork in a pan and bring it to a simmer on the stove...this allows the pork to soak up all of the sauce's goodness and cook the onion and jalapeno a bit. Serve immediately and you must have a yummy slaw to put ON your sandwich...it is absolutely the best way to eat this sandwich!"

Jerzy and Richard did an excellent job pulling apart the hot pork--I helped a little in between snapping pics.

Our hostess, grilling brats because she was afraid there wouldn't be enough pork. She cooked enough food for a small army. She also made slaw, baked beans, and potato salad from scratch. We though we'd died and gone to heaven. And then we had the peach cobbler that Aga brought. We left with very full and very happy bellies.

Thanks Michelle!!!! And I have finally come around to eating coleslaw on top of my sandwich. Miche is right, it is absolutely the best way to eat a pulled pork sandwich. And here is one of the best compliments I can give on BBQ--I didn't add any sauce to my sandwich, the meat was so smokey and well-seasoned that it really wasn't necessary.

Berry Semifreddo

2009-07-05T10:24:00.006-05:00

Ingredients:

1 cup berries
1 TB sugar
Base Ingredients

Directions:

Base Directions
Crush the berries and the sugar to the desired consistency, and stir into the egg and cream mixture.
Freeze for four hours and serve.

I made two batches, one with the very small harvest of blackberries (pictured above) from my backyard this year and one with blueberries from my Uncle's blueberry farm. Yummy, yummy summer treat--and easy!

Muffins with Basil and Red Bell Pepper

2009-07-03T00:01:00.004-05:00

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
2 TB grated Parmesan cheese
1 TB sugar
2 TB fresh basil
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup canola oil

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the flour, cheexe, sugar, basil, red pepper, baking powder and salt.
In another bowl whisk the egg, milk and oil.
Stir the egg mixture into the dry ingredients until just moistened.
Fill greased muffin cups 3/4 full.
Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
Cool for 5 minutes.

The Garden--July 2

2009-07-02T15:23:00.012-05:00

It has really taken off from the bare patch of soil a couple of months ago.

The ants ants are climbing all over the okra plants, but it doesn't seem to be hurting them.

I picked 2 pieces of okra today and should have some more over the weekend. Enough to make my mother try fried okra when she comes up on Tuesday to go to the farmer's market with me and then teach me how to can my cucumbers.

The cucumbers are growing like Kudzu.

I finally had to find something to stake the tomato plants up even higher.

The bean plants are growing like crazy but not really producing much beans.

We've been enjoying basil with dinner almost every evening.

Anybody have a clue what this is? It's been growing next to my basil and I didn't weed it because it looked like it was something. It started flowering a couple of days ago.

Omlet Sandwiches

2009-06-30T00:01:00.001-05:00

Ingredients: For Filling number one:

About 1/2 LB or so cremini mushrooms
1 clove garlic
Fresh basil
salt
pepper
parmigiano reggiano

Filling number two:

2 slices applewood bacon
2 or 3 red baby romas
2 or 3 green baby romas
about 1 tsp agave nectar
cheddar cheese

For the omlet:

6 eggs
A splash of milk

Directions: Filling number one:

Saute the garlic in olive oil, and then add the other ingredients, except cheese.

Filling number two:

Chop and fry the bacon, add the other ingredients, except cheese, and saute.

Make the omlet.
Cut omlet in half, put one half aside.
Put filling number on one half of the first omlet, filling number two on the other half.
Sprinkle on cheese, if necessary, melt under broiler.
Put the second half of the omlet on top of the other, and cut into four sandwiches.
Serves two people, one sandwich with each filling.

Oven Dried Tomatoes with Green Tea Noodles

2009-06-28T20:47:00.009-05:00

I adapted this dish from a recipe in Biba's Italy by Biba Caggiano. The version in her book is from the Hotel Hassler in Rome, by chef Paolo Londero. His has shrimp, we but just had ours with the tomatoes. I plucked about 8 baby roma's from the garden, cut them in half and then in half again, and dried them in the oven at 250 degrees for two and a half hours before dinner.

About half an hour before dinner I made Egg Pasta with the addition of 2 TB of Japanese green tea, that I ground into a powder in my spice grinder.

While cutting the pasta, I put water on to boil.

When I got done cutting the pasta I chopped up a clove of garlic and tossed it and some crushed red pepper in some olive oil, and then added the dried tomatoes. A dash of salt, a splash of white wine vinegar, about a tablespoon of butter and some chopped parsley finished the sauce. I cooked the fresh pasta for about two minutes before it was al dente and then tossed the pasta with the sauce and served with Parmigiano Reggiano. The dried tomatoes were bursting with flavor.

Hen of the Woods and Tomato Sandwiches

2009-06-27T19:33:00.008-05:00

When I asked a fellow blogger (Dianne at A Stove With a House Around It ) who mentioned that her Italian American grandfather used to forage for hen of the wood, what she suggested I do with the next batch of it I bought, here's what she had to say:

"I just consulted Dad, who is my hen of the woods expert, to remind me of how he cooks them. After cleaning them, he blanches them in boiling water for about five minutes, then drains and cools them. When they're cool enough to handle, squeeze out any excess water.

You can then proceed with cooking them, or you can freeze them in plastic baggies in single-serving sizes to use later. Regardless of how he's going to eat them, Dad always begins by sauteing the cleaned, blanched and drained mushrooms in olive oil with a little garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper until the mushrooms are tender and a little crispy on the edges.

His favorite way to eat them is to add some fresh tomato to the sauteed mushrooms, near the end of the cooking time. Cook the tomatoes gently, combining them with the mushrooms. He eats the mushroom-tomato mixture as a sandwich, on some fresh Italian bread with a little mayo.

He also adds the sauteed mushrooms to tomato sauce to eat with pasta, but says that mushroom sandwiches are his favorite. He reiterates: the key is to blanch them in advance of however you're going to cook/prepare them. Otherwise they won't be fully cooked and the texture/flavor will be off."

I served them for dinner tonight with hen of the woods from the farmer's market, tomatoes from the garden, home made mayo, potato cakes cooked with oregano and parmesan melted on top, and cucumbers from the garden in a dill vinaigrette.

Dianne, tell your Dad I think I love him. I don't know if I'll ever bother eating hen of the woods another way.

My first taste of cucumers grown by myself.

2009-06-24T00:01:00.001-05:00

I had them on the side of my Asian style Potato Cakes along with Duo Gai and Nuoc Cham.

The Garden--June 23nd

2009-06-23T00:01:00.002-05:00

I found this cicada shell on the bottom of one of the okra leafs this morning when I was weeding. I remember collecting these shells like crazy with my niece and nephew one year when we went camping at Petit Jean State park, so immediately thought of the kids this morning.

Aren't okra blossoms beautiful? Forgive the dirty fingernails--I was weeding!

My cucumbers and tomatoes are certainly going to be the crops that yield the most produce in my first garden!

I'm afraid the pole beans are probably going to yield the least! :(

Happy Birthday Utah!!!!

2009-06-21T22:49:00.006-05:00

Today is my nephew's birthday. I can't believe he is nine! He accompanied his Dad to a grown up dinner the other night. His dad is in the field of entomology and this was a meeting of "bug people." The foods were all locally grown and prepared by a local chef (local being where my sis and family live, which is too far away from me!). one of the appetizers (cooked and seasoned, I believe) for these bug people's dinner was grubs.

Yes, bugs.

He said they tasted like shrimp!

I think my little guy is going to be an adventurous foodie like his Auntie M. He ate five of these guys!

Zinnias from Wye Mountain

2009-06-20T00:01:00.006-05:00

We met our friend Michelle at the farmer's market again, because we were all craving huevos from the Casa Manana taqueria in the River Market. And, of course, I ventured off my list again. The zinnias were to beautiful to pass up!