Thanksgiving 2010 Love November

I have always cooked for a crowd for Thanksgiving since we have lived on Cooke Road. I like cooking BIG. One year I had three ovens going and when the guests left I found one oven with several forgotten dishes which did not get served. Last year I prepared two turkeys and a ham. One turkey was so all of the guests had a bag of turkey to take home for left overs. I am going to do that again this year. One ham with a juicy left over bone will make a nice bean soup once all of the left overs have been enjoyed. I like Falters ham from Carfagna's the best.

The magazine, which has become my favorite, Food and Family from Kraft Foods has so many lovely dishes to prepare this year. Pam and Chee always make the pies for dessert, but since we are having two meals, lunch and late dinner again this year, I am going to whip up one or two items for lunch treats. I have a yearning for Glenda's Hawaiian cake which was the hit of a spring party that I had this year and it lingers in my mind as well, but I have posted that recipe on this blog once before--around June, I think.

For lunch for 24 people I have four soups and stews with crusty breads of different sorts. Before that I have about four starters because once they arrive they are all ravenous and the people here are staggering from the good smells coming from the kitchen and... the bloody Mary's from the drinks stand. I am using my gazpacho made from Andy's garden and frozen for winter use in the bloody Mary's. It is spicy and just right for many uses. Then a tray of desserts such as the pecan bars or a trifle or maybe pumpkin cheesecake. I don't fool with dinner dessert, that belongs to the girls as a tradition. Glenda brings the green bean dish which I have long refused to make (or eat.) Pam will bring a fresh fruit salad. The others have not determined what they are bringing. I hope a sweet potato dish. I like it so much, but have no luck making it to look and taste good at the same time.

For a late dinner it is turkey, ham, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, roasted butternut squash, Mexican monkey bread, brussels sprouts (I can eat them like popcorn...just love them.) Matt's fixing his famous asparagus on the grill, a very large salad with things that are good for us.

I'll be adding and subtracting things as the time draws near, so stay tuned.

Let's start with a simple beginning and one that I had last year and they seemed to enjoy: Easy-five step Mexican dip.

1/2 lb. (8oz) Velveeta cheese cut into cubes
4 oz. cream cheese, cubed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp, ground cumin
1 tomato, chopped

Combine all except tomatoes and microwave on high 4 min. or until blended. When melted, stir in tomatoes. Serve warm with tortilla chips or toasted bread fingers.

Then, my stand by from forty-five years ago from my maid of honor, the cheese ball with dried beef, or other dried meat, green onions, this and that rolled into a ball and rolled again in parsley and strips of meat like ham or pastrami. Have you tried the new Triskets made with roasted sun dried tomatoes etc. They are full of flavor and good well with this put-in-everything-you- like cheese ball.

Okay. I'll add more as I decide.

October CAN Be Fun!

Andy and I, along with sixteen to twenty family members had a wonderful, memorable October. On the 11th we drove to Cincinnati and picked up Andy's brother, Joe, and his wife, Glenda. We drove to Hilton Head to a beach house with six bedrooms and seven full baths and several powder rooms. There was a pool and with just a few steps we were on a white sand private beach...at least it seemed private at that time of year. It was in the high eighties all week and no rain, no clouds, no humidity and NO CROWDS. (I would not like it there in the heat of summer with the traffic and the crowds.) This was perfect and I got a great tan to boot even though I cooked every meal except breakfasts. Everything is hidden in the Plantations of Hilton Head. Palm trees and peek-a-boo foliage hide the shops and stores so that you have to really want to buy food to find the stores, and, have you ever heard of a place like that that does not have a whole ham to buy??? Not one place provided an entire ham and I was cooking for over twenty family and guests one evening. So, I bought the biggest half ham I could find and two of those small pork loins marinated in luscious liquids and spices and they turned out to be the hit of the evening, although they liked it all and ate it all.

We actually arrived on Tuesday having spent the night on the road. Everyone else was making it in one eleven hour driving session. (We, however, drove straight through from Florida on the way home which was at least fourteen hours for poor Andy.) So there were sixteen when they all finally arrived staying at the house, with various friends and family members coming each night for dinner. From home, prepared for the first night, I had a spicy lasagna so big I could hardly lift it frozen. I made and froze two kinds of soups, a pasta soup and one that I call hot stuff which is eaten with Scoops. I can never give a recipe for soups because they are made differently every time. After sticking the lasagna in the oven (it had ridden in ice perfectly) we started looking for stores. We went to three different places and our Escalade was packed with food, drink, and happy women. Oh, the din, when we all get to wagging our tongues. Those who did not go shopping had rented bikes for the week and were investigating the area. (Joe's family has been going to Hilton Head in July for years.) HOT, HOT, HOT, they admitted. We ate hot stuff with our drinks and icy beers. Then we had the lasagna with garlic bread and salad. Those men like to eat!

The next day, Wednesday, we were on the beach all day with everyone eating left over lasagna or sandwiches of their own making. Before I left for the beach I got the slow cooker perking with beef stew with red wine sauce, onions, carrots, potatoes and all the fresh herbs I could lay my hands on. Eight hours later, with crusty bread and a crisp salad there was dinner.

Thursday was an all day event on the base called family day. I elected to stay home and cook for the twenty or more guests coming that evening. I had plenty of time in between to sit in the sun, walk the beach, and read...no dogs, no hoopla, peace. Around 3:00 the first tired group got back, starved and elated at seeing the new Marine, Andrew. Boot camp hadn't killed him after all! They took a swim, made drinks and ate the French baguette slices rubbed with raw garlic, and rubbed with a sliced open tomato then topped with a bit of olive oil and finished with Kosher salt. There was a big cheese and fruit platter to nibble as well. The crowd started arriving after five and there went the cheese ball, the tray of cheese and fruit, and the bruschetta. Not to mention the nuts, olives and other sides. Finally, with drinks in hand they gazed at the ham, the pork, the scalloped potatoes with vegetables in cream sauce, the homemade pasta soup, the salad and so they set-to with gusto. Glenda had made brownies and we topped those with ice cream.

Every morning Tom, Mary Susan's husband, fixed a big breakfast. So for lunch on Friday, the day of the graduation, I made the ham and cheese and mustard in puff pastry. We had two big trays of that. I had none of it, but it was gone in a flash. We played cards by the pool every chance we got. It was lovely. That night I made a pasta sauce from the left over hot stuff and a jar of Carfagna's famous pasta sauce and heaped it on a big dish of pasta. The guys grilled steaks, brats and hamburgers.

On Saturday we shopped at the Salty Dog area for tee shirts because on Sunday we, the four of us who had ridden down together, left to visit our son and his family in Florida. I can't remember Saturdays meals, but they enjoyed them. I guess we emptied two refrigerators. (This kitchen, like mine, has two of everything.) Oh, yes, we had a slow cooker of bean soup with the ham bone from the other evening.

The graduation ceremony on Friday on Parris Island where they turn out 500 new Marines every week, 20,000 a year, was moving to say the least.

Florida did not disappoint us in any way either. We had three days to tour the area, make plans for Thanksgivings to come (next year at the beach house on Hilton Head), and to watch J.D., our newest teenager, play baseball. He's an all star. Loved it all and loved the people we were with at all times.

Along with all of that fun, Ina Garten's new cookbook, Barefoot Contessa...how easy is that? came to my house today. This woman REALLY tests the recipes and there is no cause for failure. Now that she has toned down the giggling, I love to watch her cooking shows. She also has a new series showing these recipes from her new book. October is fun after all.

October At the Beach

We will be leaving for Hilton Head and Florida in the next few days. We are joining the Cincinnati Lechlers for a beach house (or two) stay. I have been gathering my favorite seafood recipes because I think we are invited only because they like my cooking. We will be going on to Florida to visit one son and his family too. Mike, Nate, and Matt will be staying behind for school and work...and for doggie boot camp. Mike says he will not put up with dog mischief and that they WILL eat what he puts before them or they won't eat at all. Sounds harsh to me.

I have not been to Hilton Head in the fall, but beach time is certainly on the schedule and many have pre-rented bikes for trail rides. (That won't be on my to-do list of favorites.) There is a seafood shop very close by, hence the hunt for seafood recipes. I am also taking a slow cooker for autumnal dishes, like beef stew, shoulder pork roasts with potatoes and carrots. Tom will be doing breakfasts otherwise they would be having doughnuts and frittatas every day for I am not good with breakfasts. Although I might work in that potato puff tart that I have written about and shown on this blog.

I think I have shown my favorite, tattered, cookbook called Virginia Hospitality. I have never tried a recipe that I didn't like listed in this well worn tome. One of the ones I tried in 1979 for a dinner party was flounder fillet in herb sauce with the left overs (if there are any) used for a seafood chowder the next day. What a lovely base for that good rich seafood stew. I haven't a picture of the dish, but here is the tried and true and easy to do recipe:

Flounder Fillet in Herb Sauce (I think any white fish would be good in this dish)

4 chopped ribs celery
2 teaspoons onion, minced
3 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons dill
1/2 teaspoon tarragon
1 cup sour cream
2 1/2 cups condensed mushroom soup
1 teaspoon parsley
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard salt and pepper to taste
16 ounces of flounder or other dense white fish
Preheat oven to 375. Saute celery and onion in butter until tender. Add remaining ingredients, except fish, mix well. Pour into shallow 10x16 inch casserole. Lay the fish in the sauce and spoon some sauce over the fish. Bake 20-25 minutes. Serves 6. I will certainly have to double this or maybe triple it. Remember, use the left overs for a nice fish stew with added potatoes, carrots, more celery and a variety of fish like shrimp, scallops, more white fish etc. for the next day.

I hope to make this company crab casserole too.

Company Crab Casserole
1 pound crabmeat
1 1/2 cups milk, scalded
1 cup soft bread crumbs
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon grated onion
2 tablespoons green pepper, chopped finely
1/2 cup pimento, chopped\1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 beaten eggs

Preheat oven to 375. Pour milk over bread crumbs to soften; add remaining ingredients except eggs. Stir in eggs. Pour mixture into a well-greased loaf pan or a 6x8 inch casserole. Set the dish in a hot bath to bake for about 45 minutes until an inserted knife comes out clean. Serves 6

There will be more, but I will let you know what they liked best. Actually, I have not found anything that they didn't like. I am taking this cookbook with me along with many other books for the beach...watch it rain everyday :(

Reading:

I have just finished Isabel's Daughter by Judith Ryan Hendricks, author of Bread Alone and The Baker's Apprentice. I have liked them all.

Reading and Recipes for Foodies

I had forgotten about Ruth Reichl, the editor for many years, for Gourmet magazine. When I would have long stretches of time in Paris, I loaded up with evening reading because TV was so awful. I also took movies to play on my computer. Anyway, Ruth Reichl caught my attention before she was Gourmet editor and on one trip I read and enjoyed very much: Comfort Me with Apples; Garlic and Sapphires and Tender to the Bone.Today I noticed Remembrance of Things Paris (six years of writing for Gourmet); Endless Feasts (60 years of writing from Gourmet magazine, edited by Ruth). She of course has a web site which I intend to read with pleasure. If you like the skillful word cushioned in food and life with funny situations, you will like these books. I especially remember one book where she detailed the events that unfolded when she was food critic for The New York Times.

Today I received the voluminous Australian Women's Weekly magazine. It's the first time I've received a copy and I am about to immerse myself in this hopefully wonderful first issue of 338 pages...in a magazine. I'm just sayin...

I'm exhausted! It will take forever to read this magazine which is an amalgamation of: People, USA Today, Elle, Gourmet, famous people, sewing, people I don't know anything about, Mel Gibson, shopping, beauty secrets, health, nutrition, cash, home design, gardening, crafts, home hints, entertainment puzzles, humor horoscopes, jazz, racing, swimming, best buys, risottos, Julie's comfort food, stuff for kids, test kitchen and ideas for the pantry! Oh...an ads galore! So far I don't like it.

I have given up on that magazine and concentrated on Cook's Corner, today, from the Columbus Dispatch. I made their delectable onion-potato puff tart and it is now my new favorite. It is scrumptious and easy and pleasing to the eye, and, you can serve it hot or at room temperature. I have pictures, but Bella chewed the camera wire that goes from the computer to the camera, so I must wait to get a new one. Here is the recipe, so you can get started:

Onion-Potato Puff Tart (makes 6 servings)
1 package frozen puff pastry, thawed in the refrigerator (or make your own...LOL, I laugh because I did this ONCE)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar, cheese or which ever you like and if it melts well
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
salt, pepper to taste
4 cups frozen shredded hash browns, thawed (I used tater tots)
1/2 cup sour cream with 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme (I used several different fresh herbs) oven 450, racks upper third of oven
Place puff pastry on prepared sheet. Press together at the short ends, creating a long rectangle. Brush the edge of the pastry with water. Fold edge over to create a 3/4-inch border. Poke the interior of the pastry several times with a fort. Sprinkle interior with 1 cup cheese. Bake this until golden, about 125 minutes. Meanwhile, melt butter with oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion. Cook until softened, about 10 minutes while it starts to brown (I added a little sugar).Pat potatoes dry. Season with salt and pepper. Add these to the onions and cook until lightly browned, about eight minutes.
Combine sour cream and herbs in a bowl. Spread potatoes over the partly baked crust, sprinkle with more cheese if you want. Bake about 5-8 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.

A muffuletta (muff-uh-LOT-uh) is a sandwich made with a Sicilian seeded bread commonly known as muffuletta bread. An average muffuletta averages 10 inches in diameter. The inside of the muffuletta contains ham, salami, mortadella and provolone cheese and olive salad. The meats and cheeses in the muffuletta can be found at any local delicatessen. We had this delicious sandwich in New Orleans one Christmas when we took the entire family there to enjoy the festivities. It is Andy's favorite, but it is the Sicilian olive salad which I enjoy with crackers that sets the pace for flavor. I make a ton of this at a time and keep it in the frig for the sandwiches, for snacks, for some meat and fish dishes. It is wonderful. The best recipe I've found in a couple of weeks. I made the sandwiches with Carfagna's new pretzel bun because I don't have muffuletta bread, which can be bought on line. (You put the muffuletta in a sandwich press to squish it all together and to make it flatter. If you don't have an electric press, it can be done in a skillet with something heavy on top of the sandwiches. They are served hot.

Sicilian Olive Salad (YUM)
2 1/2 cups large green olives (about one pound) diced
3 diced ribs of celery
1 small diced red onion (I also put some green onion in mine)
1 minced clove of garlic (I used several)
one small jar of caperberries drained
1 tablespoon chopped herbs--I used a variety from the garden... the recipe says oregano 1 1/2 tsps. dried
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Mix it all together and refrigerate for 24 hours before use. Take it out an hour before using to come to room temperature. I just put it in several jars and set it out as I need it. It is MUCH better at room temperature.

Sunday Brunch Casserole

I love make- ahead dishes and this one fits the bill. It can be assembled the night before (or three hours before baking.) Its base consists of split English muffins which have been buttered and laid in a long 8 inch dish or pan. This recipe serves four, but it can easily be increased. In fact, you can hardly do anything wrong with this dish. I added some ingredients, but here is the recipe as shown with one of its rave reviews.

"My husband used to take this casserole, doubled, to his office for potlucks. It was a favorite to serve at special-occasion breakfasts or even dinner for two. Leftovers taste just as good reheated in the microwave," says Linda Hinkley from Oregon.
Southwest Brunch Casserole:
4 teaspoons of soft butter
2 English muffins, split
1/2 pound pork sausage (I used Bob Evan's zesty)
4 jumbo eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup canned chopped green chilies (I used Ro-tel)

Spread butter over cut sides of each muffin half. Place buttered side up in an 8 inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray: set aside.
In a small skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Spoon sausage over muffin halves. In a small bowl whisk eggs and sour cream; pour oer sausage. Sprinkle with cheese and chilies. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or over night.

Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes until the eggs are set. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.

I had a former student who grew up to become an HER realtor. She kindly sent me the HER cookbooks each year and the recipes are just fabulous. Today, while I was looking for a recipe for peanut butter pie with streusel for a requester from Cook's Corner I ran into a recipe that I had requested on Cook's Corner many years ago. While I did not find the peanut butter pie recipe, I grabbed the cherry-pecan loaf recipe to try today! Someone told me about this but would not give me the recipe, so now I am about to try it. It uses buttermilk and maraschino cherries. If it is good, I will add the recipe to this entry.

CHERRY-PECAN LOAF: (I MADE IT AND IT IS GOOD!)
This is from he HER holiday cookbook from many, many years ago.
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs (I use jumbo)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup chopped pecans
1-10 ounce jar maraschino cherries drained and chopped (If I were doing it again, I would use more cherries.)
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 tsp. vanilla
milk to drizzling consistency. Drizzle over cooled loaf.

In large mixing bowl cream together butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy. In medium mixing bowl stir together flour, soda and salt. Alternately add dry ingredients and buttermilk to creamed mixture, beating just until blended after each addition. Fold in nuts and cherries. Pour batter into greased loaf pan and bake at 350 for 55 to 60 minutes depending on your oven. Let stand10 minutes before removing from pan. Cool and drizzle if you like.



It's Wednesday and Cook's Corner is packed with wonderful information and recipes today.
Did you know:
How much alcohol actually remains in baked desserts?
A dessert in which the alcohol is mixed into the batter and baked for 30 minutes ends up with 35 percent of the alcohol.
When alcohol is poured over the batter, then baked, about 45 percent remains.
A cake soaked in alcohol after baking picks up 70 percent.
When alcohol is poured into a frosting, 100 percent remains.
When alcohol is poured into boiling liquid, 85 percent is left.
When alcohol is added to a flambe, 75 percent stays in the dessert.
I'm just saying...Sounds good to me.

Culinary lavender:

The lavender bought for cooking should be labeled "culinary lavender", says Kathleen Gips owner of the Village Herb Shop. If you grow your own, then use varieties hidcote and munstead--but not lavandins, because of the high perfume content.
North Market Spices, 59 Spruce St. sells lavender 614 224 4107
Village Herb Shop, www.village herbshop.com


Since Andy put in 72 tomato plants this year, I have been knee deep in sauce. Here is a hint that I am going to try tomorrow. This way, we can have the freshness from Andy's garden all winter long. Give it a try.


Freezing whole tomatoes with peels: Prepare tomatoes as described above. Cut away the stem scar. Place the tomatoes on cookie sheets and freeze. Tomatoes do not need to be blanched before freezing. Once frozen, transfer the tomatoes from the cookie sheets into freezer bags or other containers. Seal tightly. To use the frozen tomatoes, remove them from the freezer a few at a time or all at once. To peel, just run a frozen tomato under warm water in the kitchen sink. Its skin will slip off easily.

I am a real fan of Barefoot Contessa (Ina Garten) on the food TV Network. Especially now that she has toned down the giggles and is producing more new shows rather than the constant reruns and redos of recipes. Today, for lunch, I made her Szechuan Noodles with Chicken and broccoli although I changed a bit of it because it is long. I used shrimp, too, instead of chicken and I used the Hills peanut sauce in a bottle instead of making hers. She is showing the recipe on Saturday on her regular spot on the food network and you can view the recipe as well on the food network TV show. So I won't go into it now, but I found it to be very tasty. It is a pretty dish, as you can see from the picture and it is special enough for company.

Paris Purpose

Although our primary purpose in visiting Paris was to find antiques, we kept one day for Andy's least favorite activity--searching for batterie de cuisine. Entire days and weeks and sometimes months were spent antiquing, circling the city and outside areas for the best of the best, usually found in the worst of the worst situations.

A visit to Dehillerin, a gourmet cook's fantasy with devices that must be carried home for the American kitchen is a need. Having first read about the haven for cooks and would be cooks, nothing would do but I would visit and yes, buy. Andy would give up and take a nap in a park close by while I went over the shop with a fine toothed comb. From the beginning I knew I must visit and revisit this shrine which has been serving top-notch chefs for over one hundred fifty years and they NEVER have a sale! (Their prices, however, were half of what the items cost in America...shhhh) Don't look for courteous treatment or advice in Dehillerin which is located at 18 Rue Coquilliere. I ask for Franc because he speaks English and works on commission and does not care that I am American...and, by the way, I don't care that he is French. For years Andy and I went the long convoluted way to Dehillerin and then one day while I was in Paris alone at Le Louvre des Antiquaires at Palace Royal, I found a side street that I could walk, and there, sitting like an odd shaped rose among the thorns, was Dehillerin.

The building is a warehouse, really, with no frills but every cooking device fit to put in a kitchen is on display. A whisk the size of a car length hangs from the ceiling. There are bins and bins of knives, choppers, clippers and zesters. There are mandolines that can julienne your little fingers off. The cacophony of languages stuns the ear while everyone is speaking importantly of food. I escaped to the basement where the shelves are filled with colorful le Creuset. I had to have some of those pots. (I imagined I could hear Andy groaning from afar.)

I am not finished. I leave the shop and make a sharp left going down a narrow street which dumps me into another street of dreams. All cook and tableware...the entire street lined with windows featuring dried shittake mushrooms, spices, vinegars, and oils of every kind. By now my arms are pulled from their sockets and the bags on wheels have developed a mind of their own smacking anyone who dares to walk near them.

On the way to the park to pick up Andy there is a brick pathway lined with restaurants of every kind, all with indoor and outdoor accommodations to suit the season. Colorful umbrellas and potted plants line the way. Andy and I decided to try out one of these restaurants before heading back to the hotel with our booty. We read the menus as we meandered (meandering is difficult with heavy wayward bags) along trying to decide where to have lunch. Big iced trays of remarkable seafood catches our eyes and then we read about dim sum and duck a la cantonese. But, by this time we are really looking forward to something big and cold--never enough iced things in London or Paris. We decide on the Chicago Meat Packers restaurant. English is spoken and pitchers of iced beverages are passed. We can let down our guard after days of posturing and pretending to understand French. We are weary of sophistication and crave the familiar. So, we slip on the bibs and dig into the mountains of American ribs washed down with frosty beer or chilled champagne. These days are among my favorite French memories and I cherish the items bought on those easy, happy, days as I use them over and over, remembering as I cook.

Gourmet on Wheels

Don't you think having a food truck would be amazing? These vehicles seem to be flourishing all over the place. I would love it because if someone was nasty, I could just drive off leaving them in a cloud of dust. Or, if I ran out of food, which isn't likely, I could just go home and start again. I would like the confinement, finding it cozy and available. I think it is because I liked teaching in a van the last ten years of my teaching career. Due to separation of church and state I taught reading in a van at various private schools for Columbus Public Schools. The children were eager to come to the mysterious van especially because it was air conditioned (or heated as the season demanded). I liked the small space and the lack of distractions for the children and for me. Anyway, if I were to have a food truck, let's see what the truck would contain: A cooling window with glass shelves to display the cakes, cookies and nutty bars. (No pies, though I love them, I can't make them to save my self.) I'd have a pizza oven to produce those small pizzas like the ones in the frozen section of Trader Joe's though mine would be fresh. I'd have my panini grill there for hot dogs and toasted, buttered buns, also for ham and cheese sandwiches. I'd have homemade potato salad with Gorgonzola cheese. I'd have cold, spicy gazpacho in cups for drinking in the summer and hot and tasty soup for sipping in the winter. I'd have beef stew with red wine starting in autumn. One could serve a ploughman's lunch with various cheeses and sausages. Well, the list is endless and so is the dreaming.

Helloooo, anyone out there?

I want to be sure to have you look into The Australian Women's Weekly cook books which are really glossy, wonderful pictures and recipes (tested three times each) in slick magazine form. They have been turning out weekly magazines for seventy years. Now they have now been taken over by a London firm, but the care is still there. Some of the magazines have been reprinted due to demand, but it is the original set that I bought in London that means more to me. I have, however, been receiving some that I bought through Amazon and I now have a subscription from London for a year. If you can resist these pictures, then you are better women than I.

This picture of coconut and sour cream cheesecake...wonderful, isn't it?

This Sunday we had a rib roast with mashed potatoes and noodles. I fixed a new dish of my own making; fresh cauliflower with fresh tomatoes, corn off the cob and cheese. It is a gratin, after all, with bread crumbs and butter on top. The men in the family, and I, gobbled it up. A nice meal to intro into the fall season and a salute to the passing summer. I've enjoyed this summer, short though it seems.

Andy and I are looking forward to going to Hilton Head with Andy's brother's family in October to see Andrew off to the Marines. We've rented a nice big beach house and will spend a week or so there with them and then Glenda and Joe and Andy and I are off to visit J.D., Johnna, and David Lechler in Florida where we will be on the beach again for a few days.

School of Essential Ingredients (for beach reading)

Erica Bauermeister's novel The School of Essential Ingredients is a good summer read. It's a hymn to food and friendship set in Lillian's kitchen where a cooking class meets each Monday night when her restaurant is closed to the public. Each attendee has a chapter detailing his or her woes and successes and they melt into one at the end. Food plays an important part in their recovery, as does the company they keep.

I am reading at the moment The Owl and Moon Cafe. It is about four generations of women with the plot centered in a California cafe. They all have the known foibles, successes, trials and tribulations, that are thrown into the stew of life. I like these women for different reasons and so I read more slowly, trying to keep them within my reading circle.

To take the edge off of the Lisa Gardner Live to Tell that I am also reading, I have bought some other foodie books as a relief to gore and sin that stirs the evil bones of our society. Lisa is a prolific writer and not all of her books are a home run with me, but the last three that I have read were really gripping. She ferrets out the evil in our world and holds it up as a warning.

The Baker's Apprentice and Bread Alone are both by the same author, Judith Ryan Hendricks. I haven't gotten in to them as yet. I try to keep two books going at once and that is enough with all that I have to do now days. My life is full with cooking, traveling, and nurturing those in need right now. Life is slapping a few of my family members around, as it does to all of us at one time or another, so I am pleased to give them the love and help that they need and the healing food that nurtures them.

Note: I am eating my words. I can't put down Bread Alone and I have lost interest in The Owl and Moon Cafe. May be just my mood, but I really like Bread Alone and Hendrick's style of writing.
Note: Finished Bread Alone and discovered The Baker's Apprentice is a continuation of the story from Bread Alone. I'm a happy woman.

Sundays in London

I used to spend a lot of time antiquing in London and surrounding areas. I'd fly over every few months to attend antiques shows, flea markets, and shops. Across from my hotel was a book shop where I spend lazy Sunday afternoons if there were no shows or business meetings to attend. My relief from the hectic schedule was the book shop and there I discovered some of the most beautiful magazines I have ever seen. The Australian Women's Weekly cookbooks (magazines) were wonderful with the awe inspiring pictures and short easy recipes. The Australian women must have haunted their mailboxes each week anticipating the delivery of these wonderful cooking instructions. I bought an entire series over the years I spent there and today I've started going through them again. The bake shops of London and outlying areas always featured moist dense cakes, delectable tarts, and the fat deep biscuits (cookies). The rest of the food in London, as you have heard, was not to be written about in the same paragraph.

London sported very few open markets. One at Portobello Road (one of the world's largest flea markets) was nice, but the antiques took up all of my Saturdays with little thought given to fruits and vegetables down the hill from what I had my mind on, and really, the reason for being there at all. In the country side I don't recall seeing outdoor markets, but then I was fixated on my center of interest and how to pack it all and how to get it back to America.

The good news is that you can still get these magazines. I went to Amazon and typed in Australian Women's Weekly cookbooks and there it is! Unbelievable. I ordered a bunch more, so I will inundate you with pictures and recipes from these wonderful magazines.

The second picture shows a clafouti which is basically pancake-like batter poured over fruit and baked. The fruit of choice is usually cherries and now the bing cherries and the Queen Anne cherries are in season, it is my fruit of choice. Barefoot Contessa shows a pear clafouti (which she seems to mispronounce on her shows) in her book Barefoot in Paris. Perhaps there is more than one way to pronounce clafouti, but hers is just funny to me. I was told, in Paris, that it sounds like 'klaf o TEE'. Ina pronounces 'kla flutee' or some such thing. (Mine is correct, I heard it prounced on the Internet several times and it is confirmed below.)

Anyway, it is an easy doable recipe and is a quick fix for pop in guests or over-nighters. We must remember that most countries do not make their sweet treats as sweet as the Americans and its especially true with this one.

Cherry Clafoutis or clafouti (pronounced kla-foo-TEE) is a rustic looking French country dessert from the Limousin region that has become very popular in North America. Traditionally it was made with the first sweet cherries of the season, and the cherries were left unpitted so their kernels could release their delicate almond flavor as they baked. A Cherry Clafoutis is a pudding of sorts, with the sweet cherries covered by a thin pancake-like batter and baked in a hot oven until the batter has set with nicely browned and slightly puffed edges. The clafoutis should be served immediately with a dusting of confectioner's (powdered or icing) sugar.Read more: http://www.joyofbaking.com/breakfast/CherryClafoutis.html#ixzz0u8RCtWmb

Cherry Clafoutis: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) and place the rack in the center of the oven. Wash the cherries, remove the stems and pits.
In your food processor or blender place the flour, salt, eggs, 2 tablespoons (25 grams) sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Process for about 45 - 60 seconds, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Once the batter is completely smooth, let it rest while you prepare the fruit.

In a large 9- inch (23 cm) heavy nonstick ovenproof skillet melt the butter over medium heat making sure the melted butter coats the bottom and sides of the pan. When the butter is bubbling, add the pitted cherries, and cook until the cherries have softened a bit and are coated with butter (2 - 3 minutes). Then sprinkle the cherries with the sugar and cook until the sugar has dissolved and turns into a syrup (1 - 2 minutes). Pour the batter over the cherries and bake for about 20 minutes or until the clafoutis is puffed, set, and golden brown around the edges. Do not open the oven door until the end of the baking time or it may collapse. Serve immediately with a dusting of confectioners sugar and yogurt, creme fraiche or softly whipped cream.

Serves 2 - 3.



Cherry Clafoutis:
1/2 cup (65 grams) all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated white sugar

3/4 cup (180 ml) milk

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3/4 - 1 pound (340 - 454 grams) fresh sweet cherries, pitted

1 tablespoon (13 grams) unsalted butter

2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated white sugar



Read more: http://www.joyofbaking.com/breakfast/CherryClafoutis.html#ixzz0u8TV3eSA

Barfoot Contessa:
(Pear Klaf o tee)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons pear brandy (recommended: Poire William)
2 to 3 firm but ripe Bartlett pears
Confectioners' sugar
Creme fraiche
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Butter a 10 by 3 by 1 1⁄2-inch round baking dish and sprinkle the bottom and sides with 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar.

Beat the eggs and the 1⁄3 cup of granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. On low speed, mix in the flour, cream, vanilla extract, lemon zest, salt, and pear brandy. Set aside for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel, quarter, core, and slice the pears. Arrange the slices in a single layer, slightly fanned out, in the baking dish. Pour the batter over the pears and bake until the top is golden brown and the custard is firm, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, sprinkled with confectioners' sugar, and creme fraiche.

PEACH CLAFOUTI:
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds fresh peaches, (about 4 cups) peeled and sliced
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup orange liqueur
2 tablespoons cornstarch combined with 2 tablespoons water, to form slurry
Batter:
1 cup sugar
4 egg yolks
4 whole eggs
1/4 cup heated milk
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup flour
2 scoops peach ice cream
Fresh mint, for garnish
Cinnamon, for garnish
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine the peaches, sugar, orange liqueur, and slurry together in a sauce pot. Bring up to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Reduce to a syrup consistency, about 3 to 4 minutes. For the batter: In a standing electric mixer, whip the sugar and eggs together until light in color and ribbon like texture, about 3 minutes. Mix the milk and butter together, and incorporate into the egg mixture. Fold the flour into the egg mixture. In a 13 by 9-inch baking pan, cover the bottom of the pan with the peach mixture. Spoon the batter over the peaches, spreading evenly. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes for until the batter has set and is slightly golden brown. Spoon the clafouti into a bowl and top with the peach ice cream. Garnish with fresh mint and cinnamon.

Reaction to Australian Women's Weekly:
As I review these magazines called cookbooks, I am having a tough time not squealing with giddy excitement. How can they turn out these wonderful magazines every week for over seventy years. I can literally feel my shirt and Capri pants morphing into a frilly apron, lace collar, and a broomstick skirt. Clear the way, I am ready to cook.

http://www.dispatchkitchen.com/live/content/recipe/cookscorner.html
If you are looking for good recipes try visiting the Cooke's Corner in our Columbus Dispatch newspaper. It once was bigger, but with the economy, the pages on Wednesdays have been cut back, but it is all on line. (Not as much fun as having it every Wednesday morning with a hot cup of coffee, but good, just the same.) I just made the Kroger recipe of peanut butter-oatmeal cookies as seen on my facebook. I want to try the ham rolls next.

So Many Recipes, So Little Time

I have totally stopped entertaining for the rest of the month. I don't care if a baby drops from the sky, or Matt gets his Masters degree tomorrow...no more parties! My plate is full for the rest of the month and probably for longer than that. Yesterday I never got out of my pajamas--the dogs got worried. After all we have a ritual that must be kept. Their outing first, my coffee second, their breakfast, my crossword puzzles, and then out of the pajamas.

I am also not going to the store for an entire week. My cupboards are bulging and so is the frig. I made a scrumptious mac and cheese today using up all of the cheese board left overs from two weeks of heavy entertaining. This dish was topped with sliced tomatoes and bread crumbs made from all of the left over buns. (Our cherry tomatoes are just now coming in...remember Andy planted 72 tomato plants.)I think what made the dish was the addition of some left over goat cheese and the rush of pepper cheese. It will never turn out the same again, so no recipe for that. As people revolve in and out today, it is mac and cheese and left over ribs. So far no one has complained.

I got a Food Network magazine today with an interesting item called an Oatmeal Souffle--no recipe since it is featured at the Red Feather Lounge in Boise. But I got on the Internet and found some recipes that had much in common. If I ever do Sunday breakfast again, I am trying this. I have taken several pictures of the picture in the magazine, but they did not turn out so great, but will give you an idea... in case there is anyone reading this blog. (LOL) Here is one of the recipes. If you try it, let me know so we can compare notes.
Oatmeal Souffle

1 cup Milk
2 tablespoons Butter
3/4 cup Quick-Cooking Rolled Oats
1/3 cup low-fat Cream Cheese
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Brown Sugar, firmly packed
1/2 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
3 Eggs, separated
1/2 cup Raisins
1/2 cup Chopped Walnuts

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and sugar 1 1/2 quart souffle dish or casserole; set aside.

Put milk and butter into a small saucepan and heat until barely boiling. Slowly add oatmeal, stirring constantly. Cook oatmeal until thick, stirring often. Remove from heat and add cream cheese, salt, sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon. Stir briskly to blend and smooth the mixture.

Beat the 3 yolks slightly and slowly add them to the oatmeal, stirring constantly. Stir in the raisins and walnuts.

Beat the egg whites until they are stiff but still moist. Using a rubber spatula, gently stir and fold the whites into the oatmeal mixture. Don't overfold; fold only until no large lumps of whites remain. Spoon the mixture into the souffle dish.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the center still trembles a trifle but most of the souffle is set. Serve immediately with cream or warm milk.

This souffle is still tasty when cold and fallen. For a touch of decadence, serve with whipped cream.

To reheat, place in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, or heat individual servings in the microwave.

Another set of inspirations that we enjoy on Saturday mornings, starting in the spring, would be the street markets. The biggest and best, so far, is the Worthington outdoor market. They close the main street and spread out far and wide so that it takes a bit of time to do it properly. It is like Paris, but right in the home town of many people now days. The freshness and beauty draws the crowd. We spend more per item or per bunch, but the taste claims victory.

Today I bought new tiny beets which I washed and sprinkled with olive oil and salt and bundled them tightly in a foil package to bake. That way the skins slide right off and you can have your way with the sleek bulbs. Yummy! Sometimes I leave a bowl of slices or tiny bulbs in the frig and pop one or two in my mouth as I search for dinner items. They are a great and tasty snack.

I bought Matt's favorite, fresh new green beans. I've taken a ham bone from the freezer and coupled it with the green beans and onions in the slow cooker. I will add new potatoes as the day goes on (don't want them mushy) and lay corn on the cob on top for the last half an hour. It's a summer one pot meal. They are going to the zoo today to meet the new polar bear, so the bean dish will hit the spot as the sun goes down.

The salad fixings were especially nice today. Butter lettuce for chicken wraps and and a big summer salad with tomatoes from Andy's garden, will tempt those that arrive for Sunday with the Lechlers. Life is good!

Though a bit pretentious, I love Ina's (Barefoot Contessa) recipes and I have all of her books. She giggles less now days, we all appreciate that, and, she has some new shows for us. The Barefoot Contessa entertains in an easy manner and once she settles into cooking, the results are very tasty. Her mustard roasted fish is so good it can be served to guests as well as to the family for an easy healthful week day treat.

Mustard-Roasted Fish
2008, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics, All Rights Reserved
Prep Time: 10 min Inactive Prep Time: -- Cook Time: 15 min Level:
Easy Serves:
4 servings Ingredients
4 (8-ounce) fish fillets such as red snapper
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces creme fraiche
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
2 tablespoons minced shallots
2 teaspoons drained capers
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. (You can also use an ovenproof baking dish.) Place the fish fillets skin side down on the sheet pan. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.

Combine the creme fraiche, 2 mustards, shallots, capers, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Spoon the sauce evenly over the fish fillets, making sure the fish is completely covered. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish, until it's barely done. (The fish will flake easily at the thickest part when it's done.) Be sure not to overcook it! Serve hot or at room temperature with the sauce from the pan spooned over the fish.

Love potatoes with vineger!
Grilled Salt & Vinegar Potatoes

The original recipe calls for white vinegar. I used part white balsamic vinegar and regular white vinegar. - but you can use either. I suspect you could actually experiment over time w/ different types of vinegar. I used fingerling potatoes that were on the large size, but any waxy potatoes will do.
2 cups / 475 ml white wine vinegar
1 pound / 16 oz / 450 g waxy potatoes (see head notes), cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, plus more for seasoning
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper salt to taste (optional)
Pour the vinegar into a medium saucepan, then stack (or arrange) the potatoes so the vinegar covers them completely. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, or until the potatoes are just fork tender. You want them to hold their shape, so they don't fall apart on the grill later. Let the potatoes cool in the vinegar for 30 minutes. Drain well, then very gently toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Heat the grill to medium high. Grill potatoes, covered if possible, until golden on one side, then flip and grill the other side - roughly 3 - 5 minutes per side. Serve sprinkled with Kosher salt to taste.
Serves 4.