My Zen

It is so interesting to me how cooking has become so everything! I love to read recipes, I love to plan menus, I love to shop for ingredients, and, most importantly, I love to cook, especially for people that love to eat! It brings me so much pleasure that I seek it out regularly. There really is nothing better. And, as I get everything set up, pour a glass of wine, turn on the music, plan my serving dishes, I get giddy. It is my zen, my meditation, my happy place. And, I hope it stays that way for a long, long time. I have a lot Grandma's recipes to make. And, as I read over the recipe for dinner tonight, I got to thinking- I really do have a lot of recipes to make; a lot of recipes I want to make. And, then it hit me, with eyes watering, who will take over the recipes, this beloved box of memories and hopes and meals and love. What will become of all of this...sigh...some questions are best left unanswered for now...because, right now, I love to cook and I am cooking my grandmother's ratatouille. And friends are coming to dinner.

I decided to make ratatouille because I fell in love with the dish in Nice. Maria and I had an amazing vacation throughout France and Italy this last summer. One of my favorite spots was Nice.  Especially the outdoor row of restaurants. I remember thinking, how could I ever pick just one. And, will the one I pick be the best one?! The pressure of being a food snob! Well, Maria and I settled on one and dove into the menu. Very quickly, we both decided that ratatouille had to be on our plates. She ordered beef and I ordered fish, but the ratatouille was the best bite on the plate. The sweetest thing was that we were still in our suits from the beach. We felt like locals. And we were so happy. (The picture above says it all.)

My grandmother's recipe called for eggplant, tomatoes, onions, zucchini, and garlic. Basically, cut up each vegetable and brown in a saute pan and then add to a Dutch oven (I have a beautiful black Le Creuset Dutch oven that I am in love with). When everybody is in the pot, add salt, pepper, marjoram and thyme. Well, Maria didn't have any marjoram so that didn't make the recipe. But, I added lots of fresh thyme sprigs (which I removed when it was done cooking) and an extra clove of garlic (based on my taste). Let it all simmer for an hour. I finished it with drizzle of garlic olive oil.

I served it with a mustard crusted pork tenderloin with mustard sauce and gnocchi gratin with a gorgonzola dolce. It was a yummy meal with good friends.

By the way, the ratatouille was amazing and, in the midst of a bustling evening of laughs and stories, Maria and I were transported to Nice and our quaint table for two. A great food memory enjoyed again. And, as I sat at the table watching everyone laugh, taste and savor the dishes, I got to thinking- maybe, if I just keep cooking my grandmother's dishes and sharing them with the people I love, then they will love them too and they will be passed on and on and on...

as it stands~
guests- 3
emotions- love and loss
mistakes- none
meltdowns- just one, but one that pulled at the heartstrings
recipes- 1
recipes to date- 22

The Recipe

Ratatouille

1 eggplant, peeled and cubed
3 cups sliced zucchini
3 onions (I only used 2 because I thought it appropriate)
2 green peppers (not in my ratatouille, ha ha)
5 tomatoes
2 celery stalks (I omitted as well)
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
parsley
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp marjoram

Saute eggplant in olive oil until brown. Put in a Dutch oven with garlic. Saute zucchini in oil. Repeat with onion, peppers, tomatoes and celery, adding oil as needed. Add all to Dutch oven with seasonings and cook, stirring, 10 minutes. Turn heat to very low, cover pot and simmer for 1 hour.

Per my grandmother's notes- You may add leftover meat. Freezes well.

Once upon a souffle...

Once upon a time a girl from the shore wanted to have a Halloween Party complete with cobwebs, fancy dishes, glittered pumpkins, bowls of candy, and a souffle. Not just any souffle, but her grandmother's butternut squash. And, to make it oh so perfect, the souffles needed to be in there own little dishes. But, as most fairy tales go, there has to be a "bad guy" and this tale was not unlike all others. This time the "bad guy" was disguised as a clock. Let's just call him- Time. Now, Time was a bit impatient (the irony of it all) and he wanted everything to be ready all together. But, the souffles were not having anything to do with being on schedule. They unanimously decided to be stubborn. And, the girl kept checking on them because she was worried about them. And, if there is one rule about souffles, it is this- DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DURING THE BAKING PROCESS. Yes, that rule is a stickler, but the girl was trying to remedy the meal! I mean, who has a dinner party and tells everyone the first course isn't ready and it won't be ready for, well, an undisclosed amount of time! Let's just drink some more witches brew, aka red wine. As the wine flowed and people laughed, cute little hoodlums, princesses, football stars and witches smiled and asked the proverbial question, "trick or treat?" I said, "TREAT" in response. I got odd looks but I seriously wanted someone to cast a magic spell and "POOF" the souffles would be cooked! No such luck, just an emptier candy bowl!! So, in keeping with a tale, the girl had to go to plan B. Every good cook has a plan B! I knew the souffles rising celebration had left the building, but their flavor was sure to be in tact. Forge on and throw the other food on the stove and oven and serve course two first. Everyone finally sat to savor the roasted cauliflower with cumin, braised beef in red wine and caramelized brussel sprouts; however, when the souffle decided they were ready to play, they were the star! The flavor was amazing and the cute dishes were licked clean by all guests. They even out shone the pumpkin gingersnap ice cream I had made from scratch! I love how the fairy tale ended...everyone was smiling with full bellies, the wine was polished and a prince did the dishes! Thank you to Prince Ray!

The Sequel...because this tale needed one! ha ha

I decided to make them with the girls at the condo in Palm Desert. I couldn't let them be remembered in such bad light because of a girl in the shore who fought with Time. This was a better showing all around and, once again, the flavor was loved. But this time, they were a beautiful sight of puffed up goodness!

By the way, if you didn't already get the message, I should probably repeat it. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN WHEN THE SOUFFLES ARE BAKING!

as it stands~
guests- 12 plus 3
emotions- about a billion (it is a longer story then this little girl wants to share!)
meltdowns- same answer as above
mistakes- a big fat one
recipes- 1
recipes to date- 22

The Recipe 

Butternut Squash Souffle

2 cups cooked, mashed squash (I purchased a squash that looked to be about cups- not exactly exact, but it worked for me! ha ha Cut it in half lengthwise and rub with olive oil, place cut side down on cookie sheet and roast on 325 degrees for about 40 minutes to an hour. Take out and let it cool. When at room temperature, scoop all the goodness out. I did this the day before and stored in a container in the fridge.)
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
1 tsp grated lemon rind
3 egg whites, stiffly beaten
1/2 chopped nuts (I didn't include)
1 tsp salt
dash of pepper
dash of nutmeg
3 egg yolks, well beaten

Mix squash, syrup, lemon rind, seasonings and egg yolks. Fold in egg whites. Spoon into ungreased 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Set in a pan and fill pan with hot water almost to top of dish. Bake at 350 degrees until knife inserted comes out clean - about 1 1/2 hours. Garnish with a circle of nuts. Or can be baked in a 9" pastry shell for 50 minutes at 400 degrees.

Or, try my version and bake in ramekins at 325 degrees for about 40 minutes to an hour (time is dependent on how many you are cooking).Watch through oven window to monitor.

Some Kind of Crazy

Meshugeneh and MSG, what do they have in common? Both a little crazy. Let me explain- Meshugeneh is a nickname I gave Scotty, Wendy's son, when he was born. I was reading a book by a Jewish author and she had sprinkled Yiddish throughout her vignettes. I was enamored by one specific word- meshugeneh- which means crazy person. When Scotty was born and I looked at him, right then and there I knew he was my little crazy person. Now for MSG. Not really sure where to start with that one except for it being a banned/fearful/crazy ingredient that no one would touch. But, there it was in my grandma's recipe. Yup, neatly typed on the index card- 1/2 tsp of MSG. How crazy?? As soon as I saw it, all these hand-scribbled signs posted in Chinese restaurants popped into my head! "NO MSG!" Needless to say, I got a bit concerned. How was I to get around this one? I always wanted to follow the recipe (well, except for when it calls for green peppers!) But, clearly, it was not an ingredient anybody was wanting. So, I figured, my grandma would forgive this one indiscretion. For sure. Okay, enough about all the crazy. Let's talk about the fun!

It was Meshug's (of course, Meshugeneh had to turn into a nickname! ha ha!!) birthday and he had set ideas about how to celebrate and Auntie Jodi wanted to give him everything he wanted, right down to the round cake with another smaller round cake on top with Mike and Ike's sprinkled on top of it. (It was pretty cute!) He also wanted a taco bar complete with Mexican rice. This is where Grandma comes in.

I found a recipe for Mexican rice and got started on my "mis en place." I toasted the rice. I think this is the best part of making rice. It has such a nutty aroma and you just want to stick your whole head in the pot to take it in! And, you gotta love a rice dish because you just let it do it's thing.

When it was done, I did add quite a bit of chili powder and cumin. I love cumin. It is so fragrant and can completely transform a dish. I think the rice is a great base and can be seasoned in any fashion you prefer, mild to spicy.

By the way, Scotty's birthday party was a hit! I had covered the dining room in 'glow in the dark' green webs and black ribbon, complete with sparkly purple pumpkins. It was a howling good time, even if I took a million photos of him to get "the shot" for the blog. His patience during all the photo mania was his "thank you" to me for the birthday bash.

Happy Birthday, Meshugeneh, my favorite crazy person! I love you!

as it stands~
guests- 3
emotions- 1
meltdowns- 0
mistakes- none
recipes- 1
recipes to date- 21

The Recipe

Mexican Rice

1/2 stick of butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove of garlic
2 tbsp chopped green pepper (I omitted, of course!)
1 3/4 cup tomato sauce (I used a can versus a jar.)
3 cups of chicken stock, hot (I used vegetable stock to keep it vegetarian.)
1/2 tsp MSG (see, I told you it was here!!! But, I don't think you should use it because it is a bit controversial.)
2 cups raw long grain rice (I just used white rice.)

In a large pan, heat half the butter and saute the onions, garlic and green pepper until golden. Heat the rest of the butter in the same pan, add rice and cook gently until rice is well coated. Add tomato sauce, heat and add chicken stock. Cover and cook 20 minutes over low heat. Season.

a picnic at midnight

My grandma's frosting is the whitest, glossiest thing you will ever see...

So, in honor of the annual Dinah Shore weekend (the white party), I was going to make it for the girls. I thought I would add turquoise sprinkles. Is there anything better than a chooey sugar cookie, dreamy frosting and brightly colored sugar crystals... (okay, fine, I have had a glass of wine tonight, so I guess sugar crystals does seem a bit dreamy, but I am Jodi.)

Back to the illustrious night- after hitting the town, a picnic seemed to fit the spot. "Turn on the grill, turn on the oven and pour me a glass," she says. After baking potatoes with heavy cream, horseradish sauce and sharp cheddar cheese; grilling romaine hearts; and blending a fresh chimichurri sauce, I poured myself a glass of magistrate (my new favorite cab-go get some!) we set the table on the floor (more fun!) and passed the salt and pepper. It was to be a meal of epic proportion...alright, fine, we were high on life...aka buzzed!! the food was amazing. However, I think the group was tired of me professing my love to the chimichurri...still giggling at this thought!

One might think that after a bitchin' dinner after midnight that there was only one logical next step...yep, you guessed it!!?!?! crashin' in bed...NOPE!!!! It was time to make my grandma's frosting!!!!! ha ha ha ha ha ha still laughing ha ha ha...actually everybody was laughing...but, remember, i am jodi!!

first batch, i threw in all the ingredients...NOPE

second batch, i let some of the egg yolk slip in...NOPE

third batch, i added too much vanilla...NOPE

Now, at this point, you might think- GO TO BED! You can't make frosting, stupid head...but then again, I am very determined. "I'll do it," were my first words.

fourth batch, it was perfect

Everyone gathered around...the love languages had been discovered; the wrinkle room had been explored; the jokes of the night had been shared; the jackalope had been admired; the comedy/irony of Dinah Shore singles and couples had been analyzed and smirked at; and the golf balls had been hit over the pond, it was now time to lick the spoon, and play with the best frosting ever!!

After a few cookies and ridiculously full bellies, it was determined that this perfect Saturday in the desert (with more women that could be counted but spent with only a few special ones) was, well, perfect just the way it was. I guess a good bottle of red, a great group of confident women and a passion in the kitchen equals the right kind of contentment...it is surely all I will ever need.

Make this recipe when you want something that is sweet, but not too sweet; something that is dreamy, but doesn't promise anything; something that loves you back but doesn't expect anything; something that is easy but seems so hard; something that is the prettiest one at the party but doesn't even get it. make this frosting and spread it on something you love...or someone you love...you won't be disappointed.

On a total side note, I crack up when I think that I was going to be the modern girl to my grandma's kitchen...she has shown me up to the point that I am truly humbled at how bitchin' she was...but, I digress, I think she would've liked my picnic at midnight and she would have thought my chimichurri was pretty good!!! ha ha ha I only hope wherever she is that she knows that today, yesterday and tomorrow she is my hero, my inspiration and my guru in the kitchen. My kitchen where, I know she would agree, it wouldn't matter if you were young, old; gay, straight; black, white; modern or experienced; or knew saffron existed or not...it would and should only matter that you want to cook and share good food with the people you are happy to know on this big beautiful planet...

By the way, the chimichurri is great on bread the next day...Dinah would approve- it is an effigy to the greens! ha ha

as it stands~
guests- 4
emotions- joy sprinkled with dismay
meltdowns- 1 ( i was going to run out of eggs!!!)
mistakes- i think you know!!
recipes- 1
recipes to date- 20

The Recipe

White Frosting

2 egg whites
1 cup light corn syrup
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar

Beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. Mix corn syrup and sugar in saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring, until sugar is completely dissolved and mixture just comes to a full boil. Beat in hot syrup to the egg whites, a little at a time. Beat in vanilla. Continue beating until the mixture holds still peaks. Makes enough to frost tops and sides of 2 8" or 9" layers.

if you halve the recipe it is good for a dozen sugar cookies or a great decorative topping for your significant other...your choice...

gooey, cheesy goodness and an introduction...

I have the day off and all I can think about is planning a fabulous evening for my new girlfriend. Candles, music, flowers, and delicious food. I think it's time to introduce Maria to my grandma's recipes. And, the flavor on my mind was Mexican. Digging through Grandma's box always leads to something fun...something unexpected...something special. I found a recipe for baked rice and the ingredients were rice, sour cream, green chilies, and cheese. I think, with these ingredients, it has to be amazing.

The menu will be homemade chipotle shrimp tacos with cotija cheese and cilantro, baked rice with a cilantro dressing, and a Mexican Caesar salad.

For the rice, it needed to be cooked for the recipe. And, as I start to prep everything, the first big belly laugh of the evening lets loose. It called for 3/4 cup cooked rice. Really, Grandpa? Really? 3/4 a cup, that's one serving. And, before you know it, Maria and I are joking about it. I had to explain to her that my grandpa has made some mistakes. (just a couple mistakes! ha ha) We decided to make a bit more; 4 servings which was 1 cup of uncooked rice. I used jasmine. Now, to prep it for the oven, I needed a square casserole dish. Big belly laugh number two- Maria didn't have one. So, the search began. After playing with a few dishes, we decided on her prized "meatball dish." Yes, that's what she called it, but she is Italian so she has liberties!! The dish was a perfect fit. I took half the rice and blended it with the sour cream. Because I cooked more rice, I knew I should just add enough sour cream to balance it out. I spread that in the bottom and then layered it with 4 whole green chilies. Then came a few big handfuls of the Mexican blended shredded cheese. I totally fudged on the recipe but, because all the ingredients would taste delicious no matter what, I knew it would come out smashing. I placed the rest of the rice on the top. I spread it like I would spread frosting on a cake. I then added a handful of cheese on the top. You can never have too much cheese! ha ha! I threw that in the oven and, after a few sips of my Corona, flittered off to make the table pretty.

While listening to Spanish music, I arranged my red flowers, lit the candles, sipped my beer, kissed my girl, placed the dishes, kissed my girl, folded the napkins, and stood back and smiled as I witnessed another great evening being born.

I roasted the shrimp in my homemade chipotle sauce, threw together the salad, and plated the sauces. As everything was coming together, I smirked because I was so happy. I can't believe how lucky I am...I have found an amazing girl and she loves my cooking and my giddy pleasure in the small things...like a homemade chipotle sauce that will knock your sombrero off. ha ha

By the way, the baked rice was unbelievable. It was gooey, cheesy goodness! You have to make it! Seriously! Hurry up! Make it tonight!!

Oh, and Maria loved everything. She even took pictures! I think my favorite shot of the night was definitely the one where I was washing the shrimp! ha ha! Too funny! But, honestly, I loved everything too...especially the sweet smiles and sounds that come from eating yummy food with someone special. Mmmmmmm!!

One final recommendation, take a walk in the moonlight after a meal like this...and ask yourself, "How do you like to hold hands?"

As it stands~
guests- one, but a very special one
emotions- only joy and laughter
meltdowns- none
recipes- 1
recipes to date- 17

The recipe~

Baked Rice

3/4 cup cooked rice (I made 1 cup uncooked; yields 4 servings)
1/2 lb Monterrey Jack cheese
1 lb green chili peppers
1/2 cup grated Jack cheese
butter (I didn't add this.)
2 cups sour cream (I added enough to cover the rice.)

Blend the sour cream with the rice. Salt to taste. Put half in the bottom of a casserole. Cut 1/2 lb cheese to to the size of a domino. Wrap each piece in 1 strip of green chili. Place on rice. Cover with remaining rice mixture. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top. Dot with butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

A couple notes- you can follow this recipe but the way I cooked it was delicious and easier. Also, you could make a huge batch of this and it would be perfect for a large party.

Experimentally Delicious

It was a Christmas to remember...
All you could hear from the kitchen was laughter...I mean serious laughter! My mom and I were on our third bottle of champagne, the "hot and cold" game of finding a childhood memory present was over and it was time to start experimenting! That's right, experimenting. My mom and I decided to try some new stuff...a turnip and sweet potato gratin and, of course, one of my grandmother's recipes, Spaghetti Squash Fritters. Now, the turnip recipe had excited both us as we were pouring over magazines and cook books in preparation for this exciting family Christmas; however, today, as we looked at the odd root vegetables in front of us and noticed the 60 minute cook time (we promised brunch at noon and now it was looking more like 3ish! ha ha), we were a bit trepidatious to say the least. It only got more interesting when my mom said that she couldn't cut it and would have to ask my dad for help. I squealed at the thought!!! "Mom, we can't let them come in here because they will freak out about what we are making!!" She did agree so she told my father to come help, but he couldn't ask any questions or make any comments! ha ha My father is an amazing husband and so he obliged, but not without a few odd looks and suspicious "hmmmm's." Meanwhile, for g-ma's recipe, she wanted me to use a spaghetti squash. Of course she did because that just sounded weird and, as I stated before, this was an experimental Christmas. My mom told me to throw the squash into the microwave for 5 minutes and then check. "Not done," she says with a squeeze. After another 5 minutes, it was plenty squishy so I pulled it out to rest. By this time, my brother sauntered in. This was not a good sign! Mom and I quickly scrambled to cover up the title on the recipe and stand in front of the cut up turnips and sweet potatoes. It was ridiculous how we were both trying to distract him from the stuff. I just kept saying, "WE HAVE HAM!!" That seemed to quiet the masses. Truly what made it so entertaining was that we had the giggles! We were very suspicious. I guess you can't begrudge my brother and father for coming in and checking on us...we were supposed to be cooking and all we were doing was laughing. Oh, and I forgot to mention that I only had one knife. So, to cut the onions for spaghetti squash fritters, I had to use a little cheese knife, ridiculous.

On to cooking the fritters, I put the onions and garlic in an oven safe pan and started to soften them. Meanwhile, my mom cut the squash in half lengthwise and scraped out the seeds. Using a fork, she dug into the flesh. It pulled up like strands. It was pretty cool and, I must say, quite delicious. We added it to the pan. I scrambled 11 eggs (the recipe called for 12 but I needed one for the cake, who cares!?!), added freshly grated parmigian reggiano, bread crumbs (I used panko because they are so much better!! yum), and a splash of water. All that was added to the pan and cooked.

Time for more champagne! It was all coming together beautifully.

The turnip dish was done, the ham was done and the asparagus was grilling as we high-fived in the middle of the kitchen. All I had to do was pop the fritter dish in the oven to finish cooking through and we were going to be table-bound. That, of course, is when things go awry! My mom is scrambling to finish the traditional Christmas Cake, my dad is carving the ham, my brother and I are arguing about how to get the egg fritter dish out of the pan, and the dog is running through the kitchen. Okay, so maybe there wasn't a dog!! ha ha!! It just made the scene seem more exciting. Anyway, the ham got sliced, the cake got mixed, and the egg dish flopped out of the pan...with a big divet! I guess you can't win them all. I scraped the rest out and played Picasso as I creatively recreated the masterpiece. Let's be honest, I just threw extra parmesan and some green onions in the hole!

Now, it was truly time for the table. Everything was delicious; however, a few dishes became the big topics of the table. Yes, we have some skeptics...don't act surprised. I truly enjoyed the turnip dish as did my mother. I think I will make it again but it definitely needs some doctoring. As for the egg dish, it was the favorite. Well, I have be truthful here- I asked people their favorite dish, but made them choose something other than ham. I know it sounds kind of unfair, but who is going to pick anything other than the ham!

I asked each person to think of one word to describe the meal...my dad needed four he says, "I'm not done yet." I said, "experimentally delicious!" My mom said, "unique." And, my favorite was by my brother, "country." It made me think of us sitting at a big rustic table in the Italian countryside. "Mmmm, that's nice," we all say. And, before we can keep dreaming, I say, "I think something is burning!" My mom and I look at each other and, in unison, say, "THE CAKE!" All we could was laugh!!

By the way, eating chunks of "unburnt" cake from the middle of the dish with our fingers, was a glorious way to end one of the best Christmases I have ever had.

As it stands~
guests- 3
emotions- 1 (joyful laughter)
mistakes- 1 (the masquerading divet)
meltdowns- 0 (anything that went wrong became sheer comedy!)
recipes- 1
recipes to date- 16

The recipe~

Spaghetti Squash Fritters (basically a frittata)

1/3 cup of oil

1 onion, minced

1 clove of garlic, minced

1/4 cup of water (I thought this was a little too much)

3 cups cooked squash

12 eggs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs (I used panko)

Heat oil. Add onions, salt, pepper and garlic. Cook until tender. Stir in squash. Beat eggs thoroughly. Add cheese, crumbs and water to blend. Stir in egg mixture into sauteed vegetables. Cook slowly, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Gently lift. When bottom is browned, put under a broiler and cook top. Invert omelet onto platter.

Bisous, Mes Amis

I had planned my first party and I was truly excited...my new place...I was giddy picking out the plates and cocktails and invitations and napkins and sweets and dishes and sparkly things and candles and music and food, oh my! As everyone knows, I cherish all the little details of an event and this was no exception. Especially because everyone on the guest list was coming! I wanted it to be perfect and yummy and full of great fun.

A bit of side comedy...my grandma left me all of four to five appetizer recipes, so the fun always begins when I try to find something in the box to make its debut as an "appetizer" versus its original intentions!! So, tonight, I will attempt to masquerade a fish sauce as a shrimp dip! ha ha And, this sauce was going to need some work...let's be honest, one has to wonder when all the ingredients add up to a whole lot of mayo...I sure was curious. And, it didn't help that the next main ingredient was dill. The last herb on the list of favorites. But, plug along and have faith in grandma because she has been pretty kick ass so far. Did I mention that the sauce is titled "Deluxe #1"? Is that not hysterical?! Deluxe. That word has so aptly fell out of "cool"...it is truly outmoded. But, on the other hand, it reminds us of our childhood past when something could seem bigger than life...big burgers and sassy sedans and art sets and pizza. But, I digress. Tonight, it's about the shrimp.

I started to mix the ingredients. For those of you that have read the last blog, you know that at this point there are no measuring cups in the house, so this is going to get interesting. Honestly, I was 100% okay with it. I mean it was all going to come down to taste so a bit more of this or a bit less of that was totally kosher. I squirted in the mayo (such an odd food!),  vinegar, tabasco, Wocestershire (coolest food word ever!), and threw in the herbs. At this point, it was all about tasting and adding and tasting and adding and tasting, etc. That's a lot of mayo tasting...ugh! Just thinking about it makes me gag!! I know, so dramatic! It truly needed more dill and tarragon and tabasco and parsley, but at no point, did it need any more mayo!!!!!!! ha ha

I chilled it and prayed to the food gods that it would be delicious with the shrimp. Now, nothing against my grandmother, but we decided to grab a jar of cocktail sauce just in case!!! Both sauces would accompany the shrimp to the party...but, as luck would have it, my grandmother's sauce was the belle of the ball and the cocktail sauce didn't even know what hit it. It was such a pleasant surprise and the sauce became a dip. A dip that everyone loved.

By the way, the party was a smash, and one of my favorite things was telling all the glorious stories of Paris...those of you that were here know what the best story was...I will never forget the jaws dropping in the kitchen!! hee hee

As it stands~
guests- 16
emotions- one big yummy smile of joy
mistakes- lots...but they were all on purpose, so I will let you decide
meltdowns- about 5, every time I had to taste it when it just tasted like mayo
recipes-1
recipes to date- 15

The Recipe~

Dill Sauce Deluxe #1

1 cup of mayonnaise
2 tbsp vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp marinated sweet pickle (I didn't include because I think it is yucky!)
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
4 drops Tabasco sauce
1/4 tsp powdered mustard
1/2 tsp tarragon (used fresh)
1 tsp parsley (used fresh)
1 tbsp chopped fresh dill

Mix all ingredients. Serve with fish. OR SERVE WITH SHRIMP!! ha ha

Trick and Treat

The kitchen is a mess, we've gone through two bottles of wine already, the peppers are stinging my eye and the doorbell won't stop ringing and I couldn't be happier. The funny thing is that it was never planned; it was never thought of; it was never to be, but here it is and it is good. LIFE. Just happening and smiling. In a moment, Flo and the Machine will be playing on the ipod and a dance fest willl ensue. A dance that resembles flailing joy! One I know well. For music makes it all, even the yummiest of dishes, sing.

To compliment happiness, I have created a menu of appetizers with grilled asparagus, freshly shaved parmesan reggiano, tomatoes with pepper oil and French bread (I love bread!! hee hee) and a dinner of fish in red wine and risotto with parmesan cream.

The appetizers were enjoyed over great conversation...and great wine! Dinner was another story...a crazy story of debauchery...

We set out to make the sauce in a casserole dish. Why waste a bowl? Besides, I don't think my counter had a square to spare!! It was beautiful and messy and dark. Probably because midway through the assemblage, we realized that there were no measuring cups. "I guess we are going to free ball it!" I wouldn't have it any other way. A few swigs of olive oil, a dousing of tomato sauce, and a sprinkling of oregano were the first to decorate the dish. Now for the red wine! I just poured it from her glass...well, after I kind of wrestled it from her! She was drinking it at the time. ha ha Then it seemed to be a "Who is the strongest and can open the olives?" kind of drama! (Side note- is the joke, "you loosened it for me" getting a BIT old???) Before the olives made it into the casserole pool, they had to have their pimentos pooped out!!!!!!!!!!!!! HA HA HA (Now that is funny). Finally, the comedy of errors that seemed to be set from the start- a sweet pepper that has never "dressed up" as a sweet pepper found itself in the mix. Yes, the recipe called for a sweet pepper, but I really wanted to try a Pasilla pepper. Go figure...it's Halloween and I thought it was fitting. With a quick stir and a couple of pieces of orange roughy, it was popped into the oven right as the smoke alarm went off! Really?? How does cooking in the oven equate to a fire?? Hmmm? Don't answer that! But, in the midst of it all, she still found time to open the door to princesses and goblins and spooky things while I stirred the risotto, watched the "burning" oven and waited for the next song to take us away...

By the way, as we sat at the table set for macabre, we enjoyed a dish of gluttony and greed...it was a perfect fit for creatures of the night...or two princesses that had lost their crowns...or two princesses that had found their crowns...I'll let you do the math.

As it stands~
guests- 1
emotions- 1 (girly fun giggles)
mistakes- 1
meltdowns- 1 (we ran out of Twix candy bars...don't look at me! It was a sweet little 2-year-old cheerleader!)
recipes- 1
recipes to date- 14

The Recipe~

Fish in Red Wine

2 lbs filets or steaks

Sauce
1 tsp oregano
1 sweet pepper
3 tbsp parsley
1 cup green olives
1 tsp capers (I love capers!!!!!!!)
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup dry red wine (Use what you're drinking, or what your friend is drinking! It is more fun that way!)
1 clove of garlic, minced
salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients for sauce and let stand for 1 hour or more. (We cheated and made it on the spot...it's okay, my grandma won't be upset! And, it was still quite delicious.) Place fish slices flat in a casserole with a cover. Cover with sauce. Cover and bake at 350 degrees  for 20-30 minutes.

I am back with my stilettos and apron...

...thanks to all my peeps for sticking around when the blogger snuck off to Paris to have a couple of dreams, a few pastries and a bunch of wine. Well, I am back and the recipe box beckons me...of course, a French dinner party is in order. I have to be honest...I am ridiculously excited. Bisous

My New "Go To" Fish Recipe

I was so excited to be digging through my grandma's recipes again. Of course, I found quite a few that peaked my interest. What was to be on the menu...fish cooked in red wine? fish with gremolata? shrimp creole? Considering that I am embracing Tracy's Italian heritage (let's say calling it my own), I thought the fish with gremolata sounded Italian and cool. Besides, it only had a few ingredients! Since I was having a dinner party with a complicated artichoke recipe, I thought this would be my best bet.

Wendy and Dave arrived and with a glass of white from a recent wine tasting trip in Temecula and an aged white cheddar, we were on our way to another fabulous evening. Thank goodness I had already prepped the difficult part of the menu, so I was available to chat about the latest! (It's funny to think that I am a teacher and I truly struggle with multi-tasking...I mean it!! Ask my wife!) As she dished the dirt, I prepared the gremolata.

I got out the parsley and started to chop it. As I was chopping, I got to thinking- parsley, for most of my life, was the odd garnish on restaurant plates. Now, it seems to find its way into most of my favorite recipes. Weird. Next, I placed the butter into a ramekin and added the parsley. (I didn't really measure the parsley- I just eye-balled it.) Then, I zested one lemon into the same ramekin. Finally, I minced a couple cloves of garlic and with a dash of salt and fresh ground pepper, I microwaved it. It smelled so good. It even interrupted Wendy from her story! I had to walk around and let everyone smell the beautiful gremolata.

For the fish, I used two pieces of orange roughy. As I got it ready with olive oil and salt and pepper, I turned the oven on to broil. Based on the recipe, I only needed to broil it for five minutes. I was nervous about this but I decided to just go for it. After the five minutes, I took it out and spooned the gremolata on the top. Popped it back in for a minute, and let out a sigh because Tracy was coming in from the backyard with her steaks...perfect timing! As I took the fish out, I knew it was cooked perfectly. And, not to mention, looked so elegant.

We sat at the table with my new placemats from Vancouver, my complicated artichoke dish (delicious), flowers, Tracy's steaks, my favorite salad with Paula Deen's dressing, candles, and the prettiest fish dish I have ever seen! It truly is the little things that make an evening an event! Everyone loved the food. I was so thrilled with the fish that I knew it would be my new "go to" recipe for a quick but fancy affair!

By the way, the artichoke dish was from a recent Food and Wine magazine. Mario Batali was pairing wines with vegetables (vegetables that are typically hard to pair). And, when I mentioned mozzarella cream sauce to Tracy, difficult as it may be, I knew I was making the recipe the next chance I got!

Oh, and one more thing, I got a sweet tooth a little later that night and decided to bust out the ice cream machine. It was so cool; however, I didn't follow my grandma's recipe because I didn't think we had a hundred hours! So, in a mere twenty minutes, Wendy and I were slurping some vanilla love and the night was complete!

As it stands:
guests: 3
emotions: 1
mistakes: proud to say none!
meltdowns: none of those either!
recipes: 1
recipes to date: 13

The Recipe

Fish with Gremolata

1 lb fish fillets
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp margarine (used yummy butter)
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 1/2 tsp grated lemon rind
1 clove of garlic

Place fish in a foil lined broiler pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and dot with margarine (used olive oil). Broil 6" from heat for 5 minutes. In a small bowl, cream margarine with parsley, lemon rind and garlic. Spread over fish and broil 1 minute longer, until fish flakes with a fork.

Remembering the Yellow Phone

It all started with a text. My BFF wanted to play. It reminded me of being a teen and skating around the garage waiting for the yellow phone to ring. I don't know what it is but age doesn't seem to change the girly giddiness I feel when I get to play with my friends. Now, of course, back in the day there would inevitably be some issue dealing with the phone...Sharon or Barbara's line would be busy or no answer. With the absence of the answering machine, this Saturday afternoon event would typically end in frustration or miscommunication. But, every once in a while, the planets would align and I got to play with my friend. Times have changed and with technology allowing for you to be found in even the remotest of places a potential "play date" doesn't usually get missed! Woo hoo!

What shall I serve? (As a teen, it would've been Doritos and salsa with shredded cheese. I think I will have to make that soon!) Grandma's guacamole would be perfect! Especially because I had three ripe avocados and I desperately needed to post something on the blog...hee hee

What shall we drink? (Diet Coke would've paired nicely with the Doritos!) For us, water with lemon and pinot blanco would be delicious. We are so sophisticated.

I got to making the guac and everything was going well until I started the first step. You may be asking, "How could everything be going well if the first step was already messed up?" Good question...well, did I mention that my BFF was coming over to play. I was just so excited! Back to the guac, the avocados were too ripe and had some brown spots so I had to do some fancy spooning. After completely "massacring" the avocados, I had enough to salvage. I squeezed in the lemon juice, chopped in the tomatoes, sliced in the onions, cracked in the pepper, dashed in the salt and dripped in the tabasco. TAMARI? What's tamari? Of course, my grandma has to have some odd ingredient. Oh well, this guac isn't going to see tamari. It is, however, going to see my belly. Ha ha ha ha (That was a weak joke...I think I 've been influenced by my teen years!)

By the way, I didn't rub the bowl with a garlic clove because I made the guac in the bowl I was serving it in and I didn't have a garlic clove...okay, those are both lies...I just started eating it and I was so excited about my BFF being here and the yummy guac that I forgot all about it. (Yes, I know, another teen moment here.)

We had a great time laughing and gossiping and just plain being stupid...all the way into the night! I think BFF's at any age would consider that a great "play date." It got me thinking...I really wished that I had asked my grandma about her BFF. What were their best memories? What did they like to do? What did they like to eat? I'll never know the answer, but I am sure that it would've been glamorous and delicious...just like her.

As it stands~
guests- 1
emotions- 1
meltdowns- 0
mistakes- 3, but who's counting- everybody loves guac!!!
recipes- 1
recipes to date- 12

The Recipe~

Guacamole
Peel and mash 2 avocados with lemon juice, salt and grated onion to taste. Add 1 small finely chopped tomato, 3-4 chopped green chilies or chili peppers, a few drops of Tabasco and a few drops of tamari sauce. Rub a bowl with garlic and heap in the mixture. Chill and serve with crackers, potato chips or tortillas. (I am cracking up- crackers!!! bwa ha ha bwa ha ha! Obviously, I served with tortilla chips)

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Vanilla Soup

Okay, so apparently this post has three lives. I will attempt to share each of them because...

No. 1~ I had never felt that my blog lived up to its name until today. I had attempted to make vanilla ice cream...homemade vanilla ice cream. It just sounded delicious; like "roll around on a cloud giggling" delicious. My grandmother's recipe called for the "old school" barrel packed in ice method. Well, I didn't have to deal with that because I had an ice cream maker. (This is where the modern part comes in.) I whipped up the recipe. It was quite easy and fun. I placed it in the machine and, since we were outside having a delicious meal, the whirring sound didn't bother anyone. Scotty, Wendy's son, helped me check on its progress. Unfortunately, it had made no progress...15 minutes later, still no progress and when dessert could be prolonged no further...it was determined that Vanilla Soup would be making its debut! With a few sugar cookies to disquise, I had presented the concoction. To everyone's surprise, it was absolutely delicious! We actually had seconds. Now, did it live up to my original prophecy? No, the ice cream maker was no match for my Grandma's ice cream. Well, maybe I just needed to re-freeze the machine's core...

No. 2~ The next day all I could think about was making the ice cream. I raced home from school (I sound like a little kid with a new toy; not that far off!) and threw it in the machine. I had refrozen the core and thought this was definitely the trick. As it whirred, Tracy and I tried to watch American Idol. I say "tried" because with the whir of the machine and the "pitchiness" of the singers our ears were wincing! Finally, after enduring a lot of bad, we decided to move the machine. So, I put it in the bathroom and shut the door. It wasn't really that funny until I walked out and told Tracy that I put the ice cream on the toilet!!! We were dying laughing...the fact that we were watching bad singing and we were making ice cream in the bathroom. Needless to say, it didn't freeze. I did, however, eat/drink/slurp another delicious bowl of vanilla soup. It did help to make the singing better.

No. 3~ The freezer it is! We had to uncover a huge tupperware because this batch makes one lot of...stuff. I poured it in and prayed to the freezer gods. Maybe, just maybe I might actually get to eat this in its intended form. One can dream! After many hours, and a few more hours to be doubly sure, I checked on it and it was, drum roll, please, frozen! I grabbed the nearest spoon for a taste and it was right back to dreamy delicious. I guess if you put in 2 cups of sugar and lots of cream then there is no other outcome! Yum!

By the way, I forgot to mention that I am the only ice cream eater in the house, so, needless to say, next time I will make a smaller batch. No, next time, I think I will make the ice cream in the ice cream maker recipe book. Sorry Grandma, but this modern girl is a little too impatient...

As it stands~
guests- 3
emotions- 501
meltdowns- now this is just plain funny!!!!!!
mistakes- 1
recipes- 1
recipes to date- 11

The Recipe~

Homemade Ice Cream
5 tbsp vanilla
4 eggs
4 cups heavy cream
2 1/4 cups sugar
5 cups half and half
1/2 tsp salt
Beat eggs. Add sugar and beat until stiff. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into freezer, leaving head room. Pack outside of cylinder with rock salt and ice and freeze. Fruit, berries, or nuts may be added when ice cream is about half frozen. When adding any of these, decrease vanilla to 1 tbsp.

A Tribute to Sourdough Starters...Wherever You Are

Once upon a time a little Belmont Shorean dreamt of a martini brunch. She had visions of cinnamon rolls and croissants dancing in her head...of pastries and sugary icing on the lips of all her friends. And, it was all thanks to a romantic dinner date at Roman Cucina, where she had tasted the inspiration for such an event, an espresso martini. A martini that would tantalize all her friends.

Okay, so I can drop the princess act, but the dreamy espresso martini needs to get all the glory it is due. It was so delicious that after a couple of sips, my mini notebook came out to play. A party was born!

After playing around with some yummy ideas that would bring this martini brunch to fruition, I decided on a sweet round and a savory round. Of course, the espresso martini would pair with the sweet breakfast appetizers...blueberry muffins, cinnamon rolls, monkey bread and fruit with dip. The savory course was filled with bacon, latkes, cheese souffles, and ham pastries; this would be paired with a champagne cocktail.

Grandma's blueberry muffins would be so cute. I even purchased silver muffin cups and turquoise sugar crystals to go with the motif.

As I got everything ready, I laughed with Sue about the grocery shopping adventure! She had come up the night before and shopped with me...I would be remiss if I didn't mention our fun and merriment! So, we dashed out to the store for all the yummies. First stop, Trader Joe's and we found potato latkes that would be so much easier than the potato bites Tracy wanted! (A quick text to get approval and we would be solid!) Sue and I picked up the rest of the ingredients and payed the bill. Off to Ralph's for everything else. As we walked in to the cheese rounder, I screamed, "We forgot the latkes!!!" We run out and leave the cart for a mad dash to TJ's. All I can say is they are going to be closed! Sue thinks we will be fine, but I don't agree. It's about 8:56 PM...they close at 9! We raced there and I kicked Sue out of the car by the door. She's yelling, "I don't have any money!" I just yell back, "Who cares, just get the latkes," as a guy closes the door behind her! I pulled the car around to a spot and realized that if I want the latkes, I will have to get her money. I run up to the door and flash a $20 bill through the crack in the door. A guy that works there is cracking up at the crazy ladies running and yelling about latkes! (P.S. I will save you the time of reading the whole post and let you know that the latkes were well worth the drama!!) We went back to Ralph's and our cart was still there...we busted up about our crazy adventure. We thought the drama was over until we got to the alcohol aisle. Apparently, making espresso martinis was going to be the most difficult and expensive "fricking" inspiration! We ended up buying so many different bottles because we weren't sure what would be right. Finally, it was time to go home and crash.

Up early the next morning, to start the festivities. Most everything was just heated in the oven, so the muffins got my full attention...and when I read 'add enough sourdough starter from crock' as a direction you better believe they got my full attention. In fact they got the full attention of everybody in the whole household! AHHHHHH! What the heck!! Plan B...thank goodness my grandma had two blueberry muffin recipes. This next one, however, had seaweed as an ingredient! Huh!?!? Okay, the little princess that dreamt about this pretty party didn't factor in seaweed...

So, the muffins, sans the seaweed, were quite easy. After pulling them from the oven, they looked so beautiful with their silver coats and turquoise sugar caps! I placed them on a cake pedestal for all to admire...truly a princess brunch treat. But after a bite, Baby Bear would've thought they were too dense and Mama Bear would've thought they weren't sweet enough, but Papa Bear would've thought they were just right...well, maybe he would've said they needed seaweed! Hee hee...

All in all, the inspiration lived up to its dream and everyone enjoyed themselves.

By the way, my mom shared the "sourdough starter" story. It was something women kept in crocks and used to make breads. These starters were shared with friends and neighbors to then be shared again and again. Oh, to live in a time when people shared bread...

As it stands~
guests- 5
emotions- 1
mistakes- 1 (but does it really count; I mean who has sourdough starter in a crock?)
meltdowns- 1 (the latkes, of course!)
recipes- 1
recipes to date- 10

The Recipe~

1 3/4 cup flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp allspice
6 tbsp honey (sugar would've been better; needed the sweet!)
3/4 tsp kelp (need I say more)
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup oil or shortening
1 cup blueberries
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 tsp lemon peel

In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, 1/4 cup honey, baking powder, kelp and allspice. Make a well in the center. Combine milk, egg, and oil and pour into well. Stir to moisten. Combine blueberries, remaining honey and lemon peel. Stir into batter. Spoon into muffin pans, filling 2/3rds full. Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown.

A Souffle and a New York Engagement

"Some where over the rainbow bluebirds fly. Well, if bluebirds fly over the rainbow then why oh why, tell me, why can't I? Some day I'll wish upon a star and wake up where the clouds are behind me," dreamed Wendy. Well, last summer, Dave took her to New York and proposed. She was over the rainbow and the moon with a diamond on her finger! I promised to scrap her adventure and that is exactly what I did. After a weekend of scrapping and gluttony with Susan, I created a romantic black and silver book. I was so excited to give it to her. What dish would complement a much needed and anticipated girl's night? A souffle. Yes, a souffle.

First, I started with a dose of reality. I don't think I can cook a souffle. When I found a recipe for "Puffed Crab," I thought that might be more up my alley. Hee hee. I had to make a thick cream sauce. I did that in a large saute pan because it seemed that all steps could take place in the same pan. Really? I asked myself. Could a "Puff" masquerading as a souffle be this easy? The verdict was still out but I was game for the adventure.

I used crab meat from a can and added that to the mixture. Time to whip up the egg whites. That was serious fun. Surprisingly, they take a good amount of time to whip into stiff peaks. I folded that carefully into the pan with all the other ingredients. Once again, I reflected on my Food Network knowledge in order to keep my egg whites fluffy. I didn't want to deflate them.

I greased a round casserole dish with butter and carefully folded my puffy goodness into it. With a beautiful sprinkling of smoked paprika, it was ready for the oven.

Now, on to the "Squash Provencale." I prepped all the vegetables. Of course, I used yellow pepper instead of green pepper. I threw everything in the pan. Unfortunately, I was supposed to cover the pan, but we din't have a lid that fit. I grabbed a sheet pan and giggled. We were going ghetto style! I planned to cook the vegetable dish before the souffle was ready, but, as most people know, I suck at timing!!! What many of you might be thinking at this moment is...you can't make a puff/souffle wait!! If I have learned anything, it is that the souffle is the star, like "Glenda, the good witch"! Well, there is only one thing to do when a meltdown is coming, pour a glass of wine. Sip, sip and the world of cooking seems more palatable.

Ding. The puff is ready! Everybody gathered around the oven to watch the unveiling. It was...it was...a beautiful souffle! It was truly cool! Just like in the movies! Ha ha! We just stared at it. Then we posed with it! You laugh, but we were serious. I mean it was my first souffle and, although it had been masquerading as a puff, it was a genuine, no doubt about it, souffle. I had been christened.

Now, if only my f@#$ing vegetables would be done, this meal would be perfect. Of course, they weren't. So, every couple of seconds we had to check on the souffle. Yes, it was falling. Still pretty, but falling. Finally, it was time to add the tomatoes to the vegetables. And, with a shower of parmesan and parsley, the dish was ready.

We threw together a salad with meyer lemon olive oil and honey balsamic vinegar (a lovely Christmas present from Tracy xoxo). I felt it would round out the delicate flavors in the souffle and the bold acidity in the squash provencale. I was proud to produce a meal of my grandmother's recipes and have it all be so balanced.

By the way, the long awaited squash provencale was magnificent and the crab souffle was decadent. And, if I do say so myself, I had created a truly French dinner. Although her memory book was from our beloved NY, all we could do was dream of flying over the rainbow to Paris!

As it stands~
guests- 2
emotions- 2
mistakes- 2
meltdowns- 1
recipes- 2
recipes to date- 9

The Recipes~

Crab Puff (aka souffle)

2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 cup hot milk
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 eggs, separated
1 can crabmeat
1 tsp paprika

Make a thick cream sauce by melting butter, adding flour and gradually stir in milk and bring to a boil. Cool slightly and beat in egg yolks and fold in mayonnaise. Add flakes of crabmeat. Season. Beat egg whites stiff and fold into crabmeat mixture. Place in greased casserole. Dust with paprika. Bake at 400 degrees until light brown and puffed- about 25 min. (I would probably add more crabmeat next time and cook for a bit longer---but as they say, souffles are finicky!!)

Squash Provencale (an absolutely delicious and beautiful dish)

4 small zucchini
1/2 cup green pepper (used one whole yellow one)
1 clove of garlic
1 onion, thinly sliced (used yellow)
2 tomatoes, peeled, in wedges (I didn't peel...I was too stressed about the souffle!)
1/2 tsp oregano
2 tbsp polyunsaturated oil (used evoo)
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 tbsp snipped parsley
1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

Cut unpared zucchini into 1/4" slices. Cook and stir all ingredients except tomato wedges, parsley and parmesan in a medium skillet until heated through. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until vegertables are tender crisp. Add tomato wedges and cook over low heat just until tomatoes are heated through- about 3 minutes. Sprinkle on parsley and parmesan.

A Great Team

Being at a new school, has had its ups and downs! By far, the biggest "up" is the new family I have joined, namely Jami, Claire and Tammy. To further foster this new and exciting relationship, we decided to break bread, or, to be more specific, drink wine with really delicious appetizers! We decided to meet at Tammy's house after school and the rest is, as they say, school history! What is the perfect dessert to accompany this menagerie? Well, cheesecake dreams! I had made them for the Charger Party and thought they would be delicious with the girls.

To get started, I had to poke my head out the window to my wonderful neighbor, "Janelle, do you have an 8" by 8" dish?" "Of course, I do!" she says. And, like many other times before, our neighbors always seem to have what we need and vice verse!

On to the dreams, I mixed the brown sugar, flour and walnuts. I just needed to melt butter, so I threw the amount in a ramekin and hit the start button. Apparently, it wasn't long enough, so I turned it on for a few more seconds and, unfortunately, it frothed all over the place. Argh! Now, how do you measure the melted butter that frothed up and over? I asked myself. At this point, most people, including myself if I were sane in the kitchen, would just dump it and start over. No, not me. I tried to quantify it and then add it to the ramekin. Oh, and by the way, Tracy has mastered this technique so I got to hear all about how I was doing it wrong. Huh, melting butter will have to be added to my "not that good at" list.(And, yes, this is a lot of talk about butter...you may think it silly but Julia Child would think it a proper discussion! Hee hee) Ultimately, the butter created glorious crumbs! Glorious crumbs!

Now, to the cream part. Mmmmm, cream. This needed lots of blending and a few dashes of fun things before it was all ready for the oven. Since, I haven't baked much this is a real exciting point because you just know it's going to be yummy...maybe that's why I haven't baked much...how can you be a skinny baker? No, seriously, it just isn't possible; it would be like nailing Jell-o to a tree, like Tracy leaving the house with her first outfit on, like Susan not farming on farmville, like me melting butter, like Sue leaving my house without stealing anything, like Chewy walking up to strangers and licking them, like Wendy saying no to a pair of shoes, like Autumn thinking she can draw cheese, like Dave walking out of Best Buy with nothing...I could go on, but I probably shouldn't. (Boy, that was fun!)

Ding (or would that be dong in past tense? HAAAAAAAAAAAAAA I'm crying right now). The dreams were ready. And, yes, they were dreamy! Bet, you knew that was coming.

By the way, everybody loved them, and it was a wonderful night with a wonderful team, "The Bobkittens." "Absolutely," said James.

As it stands~
guests- 3
emotions- 1 (it was a Julia Child emotion= melted butter smell)
mistakes- 1
meltdowns- 0 (happy to report)
recipes- 1
recipes to date- 7

The Recipe~

1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup walnuts
8 oz package of cream cheese
1 egg
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup melted (hee hee) margarine (used butter)

Grease 8" by 8" square pan. In small bowl, mix brown sugar, flour and walnuts. Stir in butter until well combined. Reserve 1/3 cup crumbs. Pat remaining gently in pan. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven 12-15 minutes. In same bowl, at medium speed, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in remaining ingredients. Pour over crust. Sprinkle remaining crumbs on top. Bake 25 minutes more. Cut into 2" squares and then cut diagonally in half.

The Baked Bean Debate

So, the Chargers were one game away from a Super Bowl opportunity and I thought, "Let's throw a party." After a few emails, our house was full and the french onion dip was made. I left the menu up to Tracy so my fancy self was shlepping over chunks of cheese and fried chicken. I think baked beans would match nicely. I found three recipes and one of them required eight hours of cooking. Really, eight hours! I don't think I am going to make that one. Ever.

Okay, imagine standing in a grocery store in front of tons of beans. Beans. What kind of beans should I choose...the recipe didn't say? Why does there have to be so many beans? We decided to check a baked bean can to determine that the white bean was the winner. As we were driving home, I started to panic. Remember Daryl Hannah in Steel Magnolias (use the right accent when you read the next part!)..."I was supposed to soak the beans overnight. Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, what will I do? I had everything ready to make 'bean and ham something.'" That's funny. But, not that funny because I am in the same predicament! Tracy hadn't brought all the groceries in before beans were flying into the pot of water. Paying attention to the quick soak version, the beans would be ready for half time. Not too bad. I told the beans to be good little beans and cook, cook, cook.

By the time the guests had arrived, the beans were on round two of the cooking process. I did enjoy that they could be left alone for awhile because I wanted to get into the game, enjoy the guests and, yes, eat the french onion dip! hee hee Apparently, everone else wanted to eat french onion dip because we went through a ton of it. Back to the beans, I mixed up the rest of the ingredients. As Sue and I were looking at it, it seemed too "tomatoey." The proportion was all tomato and only a little brown sugar and molasses. We decided to double the brown sugar and the molasses. When I poured in the molasses, it kind of poured a lot. Ooops. This recipe was doomed. Take that last comment as foreshadowing...no, really, I mean it. The recipe called for 7 cups of boiling water, but that would be too "liquidy." We, I mean Sue and I (I didn't want to take the blame, so I made her help with the decisions!), only put in 2. Once again, I was faced with a recipe that looked weird and, might I add, needed to bake for one hour on NO SPECIFIED TEMPERATURE...huh, did I say doomed? It was covered and in the oven.

Everybody enjoyed lots of snacks because, yes, you guessed it, the beans wouldn't be ready for a long time. Now, I could turn my focus to the game...Oh no, we're losing! The team needed my full attention and so did my forgotten Blue Moon beer. With a few screams and lots of jumping up and down, we were on our way to...nowhere. Ding. The beans were ready. Out came the fried chicken, amico mio pasta and the AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I forgot to put the onion in the beans!! In went the chicken and the pasta. I threw in a cut up onion quickly and then had a mini meltdown. Did I mention doomed? I told everyone just a few more minutes in my most Julie McCoy coy voice. I decided to add some cornstarch as well. It needed to thicken up and, based on the recipe, that was supposed to happen as it cooked, but that didn't have a specified time either. Really? Really.

Okay, enough stalling and enough onion seepage into the beans. Time to eat. Finally. Everyone started digging in. And, fortunately, the game was still on. Unfortunately, my Chargers were losing.

Everybody tried the beans (well, not everybody- Melissa hates beans and she gets a free pass because she's pregnant.) and here are there comments:
Mike- They taste fresh and healthy.
Wendy- I like 'em better than in a can although they're a bit too sweet. (Apparently, I shouldn't have doubled the brown sugar---that is surely Sue's fault!)
Tracy- The sauce is sweet and delicious...I had to spit out the beans cuz I don't like 'em.
Sue- I like the onion the best. (Jerk!)
Autumn- I like them. I've never had homemade baked beans. (She's the cutest!)
Janelle- I don't really like baked beans. (After tasting them quietly, she said, "Hmmm, good.")
Dave- Bacon. Bacon. Bacon. (But he had 2 helpings.)

By the way, the beans were good if you like Spaghettios (my verdict). Big picture, everybody enjoyed them and Mike took the rest of the them home. He's my new best friend!

The final score- Beans- 7 fans out of 11; Chargers- 13 and Jets- 17
Regardless of the beans or the Chargers, it was an amazing day with absolutely wonderful friends. I am smiling just thinking about it.

As it stands~
guests- 19
mistakes- 2
emotions- 3
meltdowns- 1, no 2, maybe 3
recipes- 1
recipes to date- 6

The Recipe~

Baked Beans
2 1/2 cups dried beans (used white beans)
7 cups boiling water (used 2 cups lukewarm)
3 1/2 cups tomatoes (used canned diced tomatoes)
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup brown sugar (doubled, but Wendy said it was too sweet, go figure!)
2 tbsp molasses (doubled)
2 tbsp oil
1 large onion
1 tsp basil (OMG! I JUST realized that I forgot to add this! Did I say doomed?)

Cook beans as directed. Add all ingredients except onion and basil. Mix well. Put in bean pot. Place whole peeled onion in the center. Bake for 1 hour (started at 350 and then elevated to 425 degrees) covered. Remove cover. Add basil. Stir with a fork. Bake, uncovered, until liquid is thickened.

Boxing Up Christmas

I am such a fan of setting up Christmas, but boxing it up has to be low on my list of things I like to do. It has a sadness to it...like that yummy, sparkly, festive, eat-anything-you-want moment is over. So, in honor of ending a chapter, I thought I would cook up something really fattening and delicious...something cheesy! I perused the recipes and "Golden Potato Casserole" was the ticket. It was requiring a whole tub of sour cream, a half stick of butter and cups and cups of cheddar cheese. Yum. As I've gotten older, and shall I say wiser (okay, let's say prissy), I am all about the fancy cheeses- brie, gruyere, gouda- but when it really comes down to it, cheddar rules the world.

So, on to my cheddar escapade. My grandma's recipe called for potatoes that had been cooked & chilled then grated, but I decided to use raw potatoes. I threw them in the food processor and had grated potatoes in seconds. I used a trick I saw on Tyler Florence's show- wrap shredded potatoes in paper towels to squeeze out all the moisture. (I thought I was so cool at this point.) I then followed the recipe and melted butter and cheese together; I let it cool and added the sour cream. I omitted the green onions for two reasons- 1) my wife is really picky and 2) I didn't have any. For the record, if I had them I would've added them. Hee hee.

I poured my dreamy, cheesy mixture all over my potatoes and kissed them into the oven...just 45 minutes until dinner.

Well, 45 minutes came and went. Apparently, my grandma knew what she was talking about. You have to cook the potatoes first. They were still crunchy, but the cheesy mixture was delicious (but you already knew that). Maybe 15 more minutes...no...maybe the microwave for a bit. Huh. Since we were starving and Christmas had now been crammed in any and all tubs and dragged kicking and screaming into the rafters, we decided to eat, regardless. Funny how melted cheese, sour cream and butter fixes everything- we decided they were delicioius, not revolutionary, just delicious. With every bite, I snickered to myself because I knew my grandma would get a kick out of this.

By the way, I added a Polynesian marinade to a piece of salmon. It had a great flavor; I mean it tasted Polynesian...who am I kidding! I don't even know what Polynesian tastes like. For crying out loud, I have never even been there. And, yes, I said, "for crying out loud." It reminds me of that movie where Hugh Grant says, "whoopsadaisy"! Bugger, I can't remember what that movie is called. Anyway, the salmon was great.

As it stands~
guests- 1
mistakes- one big one
emotions- 2
meltdowns- one big one
recipes- 2
recipes to date- 5

The Recipes

Golden Potato Casserole
6 potatoes, cooked and chilled
1/4 cup butter
2 cups cheddar cheese
2 cups sour cream
1/3 cup chopped green onion

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 2-quart casserole. Grate potatoes into a large bowl. In a medium saucepan, over low heat, combine butter and cheese, stirring occasionally, until almost melted. Remove from heat. Blend in sour cream, green onions and salt and pepper. Pour over potatoes. Stir lightly and turn into a casserole. Dot the top with butter and bake for 45 minutes.

Polynesian Marinade
1 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup of honey
1/2 cup of sherry
1 clove of garlic, minced

Combine ingredients. Mix well. Pour over meat and let stand about 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Drain. Brown meat lightly. Then add a 1/4 cup of the (reserved) marinade. Cover skillet and and simmer until meat is tender.

Ding, Ding, Ding, Round Two

Okay, so I wanted to make something for our New Year's Eve Game Night. Unfortunately, my grandma didn't make a lot of appetizers. I think, as a matter of fact, there are nine recipes in that section, and 3 of them are versions of guacamole. Funny, I don't know if I even needed a recipe for guacamole. Oh well, enough about that, let's get on with it. So, I needed an appetizer for the party and I would have to fish through another section...breads, No; vegetables, No; seafood, Maybe. After flipping through every card, I stumbled on Sweet and Sour Shrimp. Sounded good. I read over the recipe and, after seeing catsup (I thought it funny that they called it catsup and not ketchup...huh? How did that come to be? I'll have to google that later.) and apple juice, I thought I should call in some reinforcements! Foodnetwork.com would lead me on the right path to culinary nirvana. I checked out a couple of recipes and it looked like Grandma wasn't crazy, well at least not crazy when it came to Sweet and Sour Shrimp. Alrighty then, on to cooking.

As instructed, I combined the catsup, apple juice, vinegar, sugar, butter, salt and soy sauce in a sauce pan. I brought that to a boil. It didn't look that good. In fact, I thought it looked kind of gross. The catsup was a little clumpy. Oh well, one must forge on. I boiled it for about three minutes. The recipe wanted me to basically cook all the veggies in this "concoction," but, remembering what Tyler Florence said on the food network (my culinary college, if you will!), "more color equals more flavor," I must grill them first. I was actually excited about this part because I got a grill pan for Christmas. I chopped up the carrots, yellow peppers (Green peppers were the recipe's choice, but I think they are yucky.), and green onions. I kind of cheated because I had leftover "stuffing mix" celery and onions. I thought if I just rinsed them off, then I would wash away the Thanksgiving flavor. Hee hee. It worked. So, I threw all the veggies, with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper, on the grill pan. Everything sizzled with delight, even me! I can't believe how beautiful grill marks are!!

Back to the sauce, hmmmmm, about the sauce...it looked, well, weird. I just kept on cooking it. I didn't know what else to do with it. I added the cornstarch to a bit of juice and added that to the pan. It instantly thickened. So cool. I love cornstarch. I really, really do; it's magic! The sauce still looked weird, but at least it was thick now. When I tasted it, it kept its weird verdict. I think its time to cheat. Ginger would be my hero...lots of ginger and a pinch more of sugar and a couple dashes of soy sauce. Taste number 253 and, yes, yes, yes, Houston we have lift off! Tracy, the pickiest eater on the planet next to her mother, said, "It's delicious...tastes warming...like home." Wow, that's a compliment considering that her favorite bread is Wonder bread. Scary, I know. Okay, so my sauce is amazing...how the heck did that happen?? Veggies in the pool!

It was time for the shrimp. I peeled them and tossed with garlic and salt and pepper. Back to the grill (love the grill!), I threw them on for a couple of minutes on each side. Delicious. Then I threw them in the pool too. I think it's party time. No, it actually is time for the party. AHHHH! I am not ready. Ding, ding, ding, dong.

By the way, everyone slurped up the shrimp...it was like a party in your mouth with the sweet, the salty, the sour...huh, I guess I know where it got its name. Duh!

As it stands~
guests- 7
mistakes- 1
emotions- 2
meltdowns- 1
recipes- 1
recipes to date- 3

The Recipe

Sweet N Sour Shrimp
3 5 oz. cans shrimp (used 2 lb. raw, frozen shrimp, 16-20 count)
1/2 cup vinegar
1/4 cup catsup
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 1/2 cup apple juice
1/4 cup apple juice (dissolve cornstarch)
1/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp melted margarine (used butter)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup diagonally cut carrots
1/4 cup sliced green onions
(added diced white onion and celery)
1/2 cup cubed green pepper (used yellow pepper)
2 cups cooked rice

Drain and rinse shrimp (Defrost and peel shrimp). Combine apple juice, soy sauce, salt, catsup, sugar, vinegar, and margarine in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Add carrots and simmer for 15 min. Add green pepper and onion. Cook 5 min. more. (Grilled all the vegetables before putting in sauce.) Dissolve cornstarch in 1/4 cup apple juice and add to the sauce pan. Stirring constantly. Add shrimp (grilled shrimp first) to the sauce. Heat. Serve sauce over rice.

The First Recipe

So, I pulled out the box and fingered through all the sweets. It's Christmas and my in-laws are in town. Ironically, it is also my father-in-law's birthday and he loves chocolate cake. Therefore, the "Favorite Company Chocolate Cake" sounded perfect. I had never made a cake from scratch so this was a bit daunting. I got out all the ingredients (I actually had most of them!) and stared them down. They were not going to scare me. I wanted to make a 2-layer cake, but the recipe said to use a tube pan! What's a tube pan? This, of course, began the calls to my mother. She didn't know anything about a tube pan either, great! Well, I will just double it and pray to the cooking gods! Her cake called for 3 squares of unsweetened chocolate. I didn't have that so I decided to use Toll house semi-sweet chips. I poured the chips in my hand in a square shape...it seemed technical enough to me! I melted it and threw it in. I sifted flour for the first time...we pretended it was snow. Okay, so the batter was all done and it was incredibly thin. Yes, this would be call number two to mom. Her questions were hilarious, "Is it like milk?" "Like pancake batter?" Unfortunately, my response was, "Uh, no." We decided that, because I had followed the recipe, it had to be okay. Yes, it was time to bake!

On to the frosting, "Cream Dream Dot Frosting" sounded delicious. Unfortunately, I had the same issue- needed Baker's Dot Chocolate. I did not have that; in fact, I don't think anybody did! The recipe called for a dash of salt, and I was so excited to use my mini measuring spoons. Yes, I have a dash measuring spoon. Hee hee!

I took the cake out a minute early...I just got nervous, like in Terms of Endearment when Shirley McClaine wakes up her daughter to make sure she's still alive! The cake was like my baby! I used dental floss to cut off the bump in the cake. Of course, everyone in the house had an opinion about what kind of floss I should use...I am sure Martha Stewart never dealt with this!! Well, I didn't butter the pan enough because it wouldn't come out. Argh! Then, I finally get out the first layer and place it on my pretty cake dish. (I had parchment paper down so I could frost it and still make it look pretty.) I put the next layer on. Ooooops, I forgot to frost it. Phew, it came off without breaking. While I was frosting, everyone munched on the cake scraps. It was delicious. And, I might add it went really well with the Bella Sera Pinot Grigio I was drinking. Yes, I was drinking...my in-laws are here for a week...you do the math. Anyway, back to the cake. I was so excited that everyone loved it!! And, I cried a little...my first recipe was a success and I owed it all to my beautiful grandmother.

Ultimately, the frosting didn't have the rave reviews the cake had received. Apparently, too sweet is just too sweet...note to self. I used the semi-sweet chips again and this time they didn't upstage their original counterpart. Oh well, I can't be perfect. Oh, and the recipe called for an egg. I didn't think anything of it until I was laying in bed that night thinking, should I have put the cake in the fridge...is that egg going to go bad...am I going to make everyone sick on Christmas...is everyone going to get violently ill on the first recipe...this would be a disaster...my chest was burning...I think I was having a panic attack...the pretty cake dish won't fit in the fridge...but everyone could get sick...can I call my mom this late...chest pains...the stress of it all...toss...turn...snore...

By the way, no one got sick. And, my father-in-law said it was a perfect cake...even after his fourth, maybe fifth, slice.

As it stands~
guests: 6
mistakes: 1
emotions: 3
meltdowns: 1
recipes: 2

The Recipes

Favorite Company Chocolate Cake
3 squares unsweetened chocolate (used 3 mini palm-fulls of Toll house semi-sweet chips)
1/2 cup margarine, softened (used butter)
2 cups sifted flour
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups hot water
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
2 eggs

Generously grease a 9" tube pan (doubled recipe and used 2 9" rounds). Melt chocolate in a double boiler over hot water. Cool. Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed just until mixed. Beat in cooled chocolate. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 1/4 hours. Cool on wire rack 10 min. Remove from pan and cool thoroughly. (Frosted with Cream Dream Dot Frosting)

Cream Dream Dot Frosting
5 squares Baker's dot chocolate (used 5 mini palm-fulls of Toll house semi-sweet chips)
3 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 1/2 tbsp hot water
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/3 cup margarine, softened (used butter)
dash of salt

Heat chocolate in a double boiler until partially melted. Remove from water and stir rapidly until entirely melted. Blend in about half of the sugar, the butter, salt and water, then remaining sugar, alternating with the egg, beating well. Makes about 2 cups of frosting or enough to cover the tops and sides of 2 9" layers.