Recipes worth a go~

Like

Pin It

Crispy Baked Portobello Mushroom Fries

Portobello mushroom slices coated in breadcrumbs and baked until golden brown, crispy and delicious!

Servings: makes 2 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 medium portobello mushrooms, gills removed and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Dredge the portobello slices in the flour, dip them in the egg and then into a mixture of the panko breadcrumbs, parmesan, thyme salt and pepper.
2. Place the mushroom slices on a wire rack on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 425F oven until golden.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwich

All of the flavors of buffalo chicken wings rolled up into a golden brown grilled cheese sandwich.

Servings: makes 1 sandwich 

Prep Time: 5 minutes 
Cook Time: 10 minutes 
Total Time: 15 minutes

Printable Recipe 

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup cooked shredded chicken, warm
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon mayo (optional)
• 1 tablespoon carrot, grated
• 1 tablespoon celery, sliced
• 1 tablespoon green or red onion, sliced or diced
• 1 tablespoon blue cheese, room temperature, crumbled
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, room temperature, grated
• 2 slices bread
• 1 tablespoon butter, room temperature

Directions

1. Mix the chicken, hot sauce, mayo, carrot, celery and onion in a small bowl.
2. Butter the outside of each slice of bread, sprinkle half of the cheeses on the inside of one slice of bread, top with the buffalo chicken salad, the remaining cheese and finally the other slice of bread.
3. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat.
4. Add the sandwich and grill until golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 2-4 minutes per side.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Supper's ready!

Cowboy lasagna:
Ingredients
1. 1 lb of ground beef
2. Minced onions - 4 tbsp
3. Worcestershire sauce - generous sprinkling
4. Parsley - roughly 3 tbsp, divided
5. One can of tomato soup - 10 3/4 ozs
6. One can of corn - 15.25 ozs
7. Dried ground mustard - 3 tsp
8. One package of tater tots - 32 ozs
9. Salt and Pepper to taste
10. Mozzarella cheese - roughly 4 cups

Directions
1. Brown ground beef with spices - drain.  Add can of soup and can of corn, simmer for about 10 minutes.
2. In a greased 9x13 baking dish, arrange tator tots in single layer.  Cover with 2 cups of cheese.  Pour ground beef mixture over top and cover with remaining cheese and 1 tbsp of parsley.
3. Place in a 350F oven for 30 minutes.  Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bacon

Let me eat cake~

Alone at last, well almost. There are four sleeping dogs but not another human on the property and here I am thinking about cake. (Oops  I spoke too soon.)  Cake:  Isn't it a lovely word?  It slips out along with a vision and a memory. I was browsing Pinterest which is a site that is a beauty and one that does not miss much.  A coconut cake popped up and even though I swore not to enter the kitchen today if at all possible my mind is touring the pantries.  Do I have this?  Do I have that? Darn  it, I have it all. What is it about coconut? Either you can eat it by the bag full or you hate it.  I know a person who is actually insulted it if it appears on the table at any house she visits. I serve it any way because I can't resist. It is simply beautiful and delicious and clean yet sticky.  Baker's is the best in my opinion.  So, I was going to do an ode to coconut today and then up popped a pumpkin skillet cake.  I have mother's large iron skillet that I have used  for blueberry buckle and baking has good results when this skillet is used for hearty English type dense cakes, but not for coconut cakes or any thing delicate. I am going to do both cakes with an emphasis on coconut (in writing only) today.

pumpkin- pecan skillet cake with salted butterscotch glaze

Yield: 10 servings

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 45 min

Ingredients:

CAKE:
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) salted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree
1 cup Gold Medal® White Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 cup Gold Medal® All-Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans (optional)

GLAZE:
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 cup butterscotch (or caramel) syrup
1 to 2 tablespoons milk

EXTRA:
flaky sea salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 10-inch cast-iron skillet.

2. To make the cake: In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer to combine the butter and sugar until they are well mixed. Mix in the eggs, vanilla and pumpkin.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until combined. Add the buttermilk and mix until incorporated. Stir in the pecans (if using). Scrape the batter evenly into the prepared skillet and smooth the top. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until the center is set (a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean). Let the cake cool completely in the skillet.

4. To make the glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, syrup and 1 tablespoon of milk. If the mixture is too thick, add another tablespoon of milk. It should be of thick "drizzling" consistency.

5. Drizzle the glaze onto the cake in the skillet. Save the extra glaze (in a covered container) to add extra drizzle to individual servings. If you're into adding sea salt, sprinkle it on top!

Tips:

*If you don't wish to use white whole wheat flour, you can certainly use ALL all-purpose flour in this recipe.

Plethora of coconut cakes on http://www.pinterest.com/kitschycupcakes/crazy-for-coconut/

Coconut loaf cake 

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk, divided
• 1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut, toasted, divided
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a loaf pan. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large mixing bowl with paddle attachment, beat butter and granulated sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, scraping down bowl as needed. Add vanilla, then eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping down bowl. With mixer on low, add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with two 1/2-cup additions buttermilk, and beat until combined. With a rubber spatula, fold in 1 1/4 cups coconut.

Transfer batter to pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 60 minutes. Let cool in pan the remove cake from pan and let cool completely on rack.

Whisk together confectioners' sugar and remaining 2 tablespoons buttermilk. Drizzle over cake and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup coconut.

Christmas Coconut Cake

Well, you get the idea.  Go to Pinterest and search coconut cakes and the recipes and pictures appear in all of their glory.  Love them all.

The sisters are coming, the sisters are coming....again

Each year my Otterbein sisters get together for an afternoon of pleasure.  Each person brings a salad and along with these delectable dishes is a bunch of catching up.  Andy and I hosted it last year and we have volunteered to do it again this fall on the 24th of September.  We are inviting the husbands this year since they now do most of the driving.  Andy will have a good time chatting with the guys.  I am not supposed to make anything....like that is going to happen.  I am told I could buy dinner rolls if I wish, but that's it. LOL

Last year there were ten or twelve of us which is a rather large crowd coming from all over the country.  Everyone is so busy one never can figure a good time for everyone to get here easily.

Today is the first OSU home game and some Cincinnati relatives are coming for the day and night.  We are going to have a bite to eat before they leave here for the band show.  Andy is chomping at the bit because our band director was fired, unfortunately, and he thinks there will be some shenanigans going on at the skull session, so he wants to be front and center on that. My menu got bigger than I wanted it too: corned beef with potatoes and carrots, chicken/noodles,and the oxtail pasta dish, (carbs, carbs, carbs) sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, kale salad (my first) and the number one poke cake for dessert. After the band session four will come home (the rest go to the game) and seven of us will watch the game and have take out Chinese; I'm done cooking. (OSU lost it's first opener in years. Andy's bummed.)

I am in the mood for pumpkin something something.  I found this recipe on the English Kitchen blog.  I think I will give this a try.  She is not English, but lives in England and the English have the best old fashioned baked items: sticky buns come to mind, but their best seem to be the dense loaf cakes and breads.

*Cinderella's Pumpkin Cake*

Makes 16 servings  

Printable Recipe  

This is a wonderfully moist and delicious pumpkin cake.  Nicely spiced and iced!  

For the cake:

380g of sugar (2 cups)

4 large free range eggs

225ml of sunflower oil (1 cup)

280g of plain flour (2 cups)

2 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cardamom

400g of pumpkin puree (1 15-oz tin)

1 tsp vanilla  

For the icing:

115g of cream cheese (4 ounces)

115g of butter, softened (1/2 cup)

225g of icing sugar, sifted (2 cups)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp cinnamon extract

fudge bits to decorate

   

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.   Butter and lightly dust a 9 inch bundt pan with flour, shaking out any excess.  Set aside.

Beat the sugar and eggs together until light.   Beat in the oil.  Sift together the dry ingredients.   Add to the egg mixture, combining it well.  Stir in the pumpkin, combining it in well.  Turn into the prepared baking tin, smoothing over the top.

Bake for 55 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.   Allow to set in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to finish cooling completely. Once it is completely cool, froze with the icing and decorate with the fudge bits.

To make the icing blend together all of the ingredients until smooth and creamy.   You may need to add more sugar.  I often do.   Frost the cake and sprinkle on the fudge bits before the icing sets. (English Kitchen's blog picture and recipe) Thank you.

Ina Garten's  no cook GAZPACHO FOR A CROWD.  We have a bounty of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, herbs and what ever it takes to turn this soup out for company.

GAZPACHO FOR A CROWD!! This is the ultimate no-cook tomato soup – chop up tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, red onion and garlic in a food processor or blender and whisk in olive oil and vinegar. It’s a fresh salad in a bowl. I am going to add some Mr. and Mrs. T's bloody Mary mix and some hot sauce.

   

Grab the bed rails, it's time~

"Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow is a mystery.
Today is God's gift.
That's why we call it the present"
Joan Rivers

Get the bed rails on the bed, I have officially gotten old.  I was dreaming this nightmare of robbers stealing my stuff and my chasing them all over the Middle East trying to get it all back. Suddenly I found myself in a corner and thought what the hell, I just gave a thrust outward  to give chase, rolled out of bed knocking two blocks of wood off the antique night stand and scaring the dogs so badly they didn't think to bark.  Now I have a golf ball sized lump on my head and as I was rubbing it I looked at the clock and it was 6:18 and still dark so I thought I had gone blind. Why is it still dark at 6:18 in the morning what happened while I wasn't looking?  Andy was already downstairs, so all of this was news to him as the dogs rushed ahead of me to bark about what had just taken place.  We are going to have to have some sort of alert system because you can't hear a thing in this house especially with Andy wearing head phones all the time.

Note:  I want to tell you about these expensive Sleep Number beds.  I have fallen out of that bed two times.  Here are the draw backs: expense, base set too low to clean under, mattresses too high for short people to get into gracefully (or not.) The necessary trappings to go on the bed ( very difficult to get these on the bed at all) are astronomical in price and if you ever want to move this skating rink sized bed you need to get their techs back to disassemble, move, and reassemble it for around $149. Seek other options is my best advice.

Over Labor Day's festivities, Joe Lechler brought me some Cincinnati goodies.  Two packages of ox tails from my favorite meat store.  Yesterday I put them in the deep crock pot with all the tomatoes from the garden that I could stuff in there, some Mr. T's Bloody Mary spicy mix, peppers, celery, corn on the cob, and all the left overs that fit the bill from the meals on Labor Day.  It burbled all day.  This morning, after I righted myself and stopped thinking 9  1  1 , I got busy separating the good from the done for.  I got the meat off the bones and each of the four dogs got a bone and spent a pleasant hour or so outside and away from my feet.  After all the good was extracted I was left with a delectable sauce.  So I made two dishes of LUMACONI pasta with ox tail sauce and meat, and, of course  cheese.  One for tonight's dinner and one for the week end guest coming for the OSU football game. That was the first thing that went right today.

Then Sally and Jim arrived from Cincinnati bringing back our car which Jim had to borrow because his broke down on the way up here for Labor Day.(That car promptly broke down two days later. We are now in our full moon stage... oh yes, I believe in the full moon theory; lived it.)  Sally and Jim didn't get to stay...maybe because I was a little dizzy acting and maybe because Jim really did have a noon meeting back in Cincinnati.  Any way after they left I needed an ice capp from Tim Hortons badly!  Got in the returned car and Jim had put on the safety brake.  I do NOT KNOW where the release is on that car, or any car because I never use a safety brake.  So no ice capp for me. The way this day is going I should not be driving any way.

Unforgettable Taste

If you are like me, there are memory foods that stick to the ribs, unfortunately, but also in one's mind.  I was reading David Lebovitz's blog this morning and saw this picture of his tour of France. (He also lives and writes from Paris.)  He showed this picture of pâté from the Loire region and I immediately thought of Marie Claude's Paris party to celebrate the opening of her new antiques shop.  There was a pâté there among many generous dishes and it looked like this and probably tasted like the one I had that special evening which was near the end of my thirty years of trips to Paris.  I'll hope to never forget that taste or her kindness.

                                                                  

I was a very little girl when my parents took me to my grandparents 50th wedding anniversary party.  It was way out in the country and so snowy that my grandfather had to bring horses and a wagon to transport everyone from their cars to the house.  It was an exciting adventure and one that is so memorable.  When we got in the house, the table was laden with the most delicious looking food.  But, one platter stood out--what was that delectable white loaf sitting proudly among the various and beautiful offerings?  When my mother asked what I wanted on my plate, the first point was at the white roll, sliced and ready to be enjoyed.  My first bite and I was hooked for life on pork.

I must say I will eat potatoes in any form at any time.  When I am not feeling well, a potato fixed any way is exactly what I need...that coupled with an apple seem to do the trick for me in many cases.  I don't know why.  When I was doing the antiques circuit in England,  I always looked forward to a jacket potato from the cart outside the main door especially in Birmingham.  Those large fluffy clouds that cushioned combinations not thought of in America soothed my aching bones.



Even during the winter I can conjure up the taste of corn on the cob. Now you don't find this in London and Paris very often; I've never seen it in either place, but it is easy to break into thought during those snowy days in the USA.

I don't know how long Glenda and Joe's daughter, Mary Susan and Tom, her husband, have been married.  but they were the cause of this obsession.  We were having a bridal shower at a restaurant in Cincinnati and Glenda was to do the dessert and she pulled out this concoction.  I could never forget the first taste of this refreshing cake if my life depended on it. I have served it countless times to rave reviews.  At outdoor graduation parties after a heavy dose of scrumptious, pull this from the frig and it becomes the center of attention. Poke cakes are wonderful, no doubt about it, and this is the queen of poke cakes.

W




Prime Rib Restaurants & Steakhouses | Lawry's Restaurants

Well over fifty years ago Andy and I honeymooned in California while he worked on the Minute Man Project for the government. Andy planned something different and special for us to explore every week end.  Lawry's Prime Rib and Steak House was one of the adventures.  Their prime rib can be cut with a fork and simply melts in one's mouth.  It is the best as far as we are concerned.

Fall Activities

               

Face it. It's here.  Andy and Matt will be starting classes as soon as Wednesday.  Andy is going to OSU for classes every day and Matt is back in school full time in Computer Science.  The new driveway is in and we are preparing for Labor Day festivities.  Glenda gets to make the trip to Columbus and we are all looking forward to that. Andy, Nate and Matt have birthdays to celebrate during Labor Day. Alyssa is back at Tulane and Brooks is back at the Citadel. It is going to be quiet around here, except for the dogs barking at the falling leaves and the snapping of green beans from the garden.

I have already started some dishes for the holiday, but we intend to buy some ready made items too this time.  We've had a busy and hectic summer and no one is going to have a better time if I make the food and then get cranky.  So I am taking some help and the Cincinnati gang will bring their special dishes so there will be no lack of food, as usual. ( Also, Joe called and he is bringing us one or two of these!)

Then there are the OSU football games.  We will have over-nights during the week- ends for most of the home games. Cooking will be involved because I know who is coming. George, my hero, there will be ox tail something something for you.

I am still reading Stuart Woods' books.  He is a prolific writer and I am panting trying to read them all. I almost have it whipped.  I finished reading Dead Eyes. Lee Child's has a new book coming out early in September and I have to fight the urge to buy the hardback.  I need to just calm down!

Here is a dish Kate and Sam can make with the extra large zucchini that they can take home with them if they make it to Labor Day in Columbus.

Good-bye August

 

Cookbooks

Beth, my daughter-in-law and Matt, my grandson, have this place looking so good I have time to greet and sort my old friends which come in the form of my cookbook collection.  I thought of doing them in some sort of sensible order but that is so cold. So, instead I am letting them come to me, offering up memories and good reading. While I was working on this post I looked out the window to see the driveway being done and there was this old guy on the ground with a cigarette near a flammable piece of machinery. Workers are bound to blow this house up some day, although these guys are much less likely to accomplish that.  So far, until today, they have had the lightest touch I have ever seen with big equipment.  Mike Brown is a master with a back hoe and careful with the property he is serving.

Now to the cookbooks:

I must admit, when I bought this I did not know who Dorie Greenspan was.  Since this book, which I bought in Paris for 25.00 euros, but it can be bought here as well, she has written many more while dividing her time between Paris and New York. She visited every shop, usually more than once, that appears in this book.  She tells the story and gives the recipe.  I like a cookbook that 'talks' rather than those that give recipe after recipe with no cozy details. She gives the addresses of these shops as well and so you can visit them yourselves when you are in Paris...and you will be sure to hit all the good ones with Dorie as your guide. I made the French macaroons from this book. They turned out well, but now you can buy them in America pretty handily. Back in 2002, not so much, so I bought this book back then.

The Barefood Contessa, Ina Garten, loves Anna Pump and her shop Loaves and Fishes. When I read or heard several years ago that Anna charged over a hundred dollars for a pound of lobster salad, I think $125.00 per pound, I figured I should buy the book and find out the secrets of success like that! You'll have to go to Long Island to pay those prices, although I was just told that short ribs (here) are selling for $11.00 a pound...go figure.
One Review of many:

Fondly referred to as "Loaves and Thieves" and "Loans and Finances," as you basically need a second mortgage to cover the cost of a serving of pasta salad and a chunk of cheese. All the food is scrumptious, but so expensive it borders on insanity. If the government needs help finding Bernie Madoff's missing billions, I'm sure much of it is in their cash register.

Anna Pump (born April 11, 1934) is a chef, cookbook author, baker, and innkeeper famous for her Hamptons bakery Loaves & Fishes.^[1] She is the author of four bestselling cookbooks and the owner of the Bridgehampton Inn. Notably, Pump was a mentor to Ina Garten, of Food Network fame, who writes the forward to Pump's most recent cookbook Summer on a Plate. She can also sometimes be seen as a guest on Garten's Barefoot Contessa.

If you want to read the reviews of this establishment, they are scathing when it comes to prices.  I did not see one that left out the prices and the treatment they got in the Loaves and Fishes. (A jar of jam is $24.00.)

Here is the lobster recipe and you see if you would pay over one hundred dollars a pound for this.
1 1/2 pounds chilled, cooked lobster meat, cut in chunks
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoons of drained capers
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh dill
mix together (4 servings)
                                       
                                                  

Every time I saw the easiness of Sara Foster on the Martha Stewart show I marveled at her relaxed state AND because she seemed to be a real friend with  Martha Stewart. Her book, too, is relaxed and the recipes are doable and there is a folksy story to entertain you as well.  I like her and I like her book. I would enjoy a trip to her market. Now they have a food truck as well.

Tasha Tudor was a friend of mine.  I first met her when I asked if she would do the cover of one of my books.  She said she would then my publisher backed out saying it would not seem like a research book on antiques but like a children's book...so, his loss.  Anyway, Tasha was a trip.  She lived her life with her doll as though she were in the 1830s. Her son built her home by hand while reciting from memory one of the classics.  When he finished reciting one, he would begin another.  I first became familiar with Tasha's illustrations in The New England Butt'ry Shelf Cookbook by Mary Mason Campbell.  (I had seen Tasha's work before, but this is the book that caught my interest.) Tasha loved to collect as well and she had the toy dishes and accessories and liked pink lustre china so when she visited here I prepared her room accordingly with a child's red velvet fainting couch for her doll to sleep upon and before bed tea time with my pink lustre tea set.  I forget the doll's name and I don't know how I could forget... Nevertheless,I understand she left her estate in a tangle for her children to fight over and fight they did and one of them was to have said Tasha was enjoying the scene from her grave.   

(Tasha Tudor died on June 18, 2008 in Marlboro, Vermont.^[7] Her estate, valued at over $2 million, was contested by the three children she disinherited. According to the Daily Telegraph:^[8] "Her will, written in 2001, left the bulk of the estate to Seth Tudor, 67, and his son Winslow. It left only $1,000 each to her two daughters, Bethany Tudor, 69, and Efner Tudor Holmes, and a piece of antique furniture to younger son Thomas Tudor, 64, because of their 'estrangement' from her." However, according to Brattleboro Probate Court documents, over Tasha Tudor's lifetime she gave her son Thomas Tudor a half share in her home in Marlboro, Vermont, and over $2 million in art work and other gifts, with a similar lifetime disposition to her two daughters.^[)

                          

Tasha, as you can see, wrote and illustrated her own cookbooks late in life.  She wrote a note and illustrated the thank you to me for her tea party I had here at Many Branches for her adult and children admirers. I am one of those who admired her and the life she selected for herself.

The picture she drew is of a pink lustre tea set.

For Kate and Sam:

What mixes well with what chart:

 

from Cursos y C