it has been a while since my last post. i don't have a recipe to post today, but i do have some thoughts:

planning a wedding can be fun, but there a lot of details to it
cuban food is the new mexican food--carne empanadas and steak sandwitches are yummy
cabbage is a vegetable that is forgotten often. i will be posting a stuffed cabbage recipe when it is ready
work is overrated and takes up too much of my time. this year i will not let work run my life. i run my life
and
i need to get together with my friends more often. we all need to make more time for one another

i was thinking that the concord grape sauce could be made in a season when fresh concords are not available. here is a non-seasonal way to make the concord grape sauce:




3 c. concord grape juice-- make sure it is 100% juice with no sugar added

follow instructions for the fresh sauce, but expect shorter cooking times.



harry and i had lamb again on thanksgiving. i have a new found appreciation for pomegranates lately. this sauce involves good quality jarred cranberry sauce. every year dr. onstad makes this wonderful cranberry sauce, jars it and gives it to the office. last year my mom stole mine, i barley got any. this year dr. onstad made the sauce even more remarkable, and gave us the choice of regular, rosemary, and ginger. i wanted to take home all three flavors because they smelled so good, but i went with rosemary. i knew we were having lamb and i wanted to use the pomegranate, so the rosemary cranberry sauce was a natural choice to make.


this is basically the same method as the concord grape sauce, but the preparation is a bit different.


juice 2 large deep red pomegranates:

cut them in half the way you would an orange if you were juicing it. then quarter them. they are naturally segmented, separate the segments over a med fine sieve that is perched over a deep bowl. gently sluff off the kernels from the white membrane. discard the peel and membrane, keeping only the little, red, juicy kernels in the sieve. with the handle of a fat wooden spoon, or large pestle, crush the pomegranate kernels to extract the juice. once the juice is extracted it needs to filtered a bit. rinse off sieve and place a coffee filter in it. pour juice over filtered sieve over a bowl. repeat this process over the first bowl. you should have about 4 c. pomegranate juice. you can get pomegranate juice at the store these days. it would be fine to use that, but you wold miss out on a pretty fun experience. if i get a camera for christmas, i will post pics of juicing a pomegranate on this blog.

1/2 c. good quality jarred cranberry sauce or chutney.
it should have pieces of fruit in it. a chutney would be perfect.

use the concord grape recipe. omit the grape juice, replacing it with the pomegranate juice and cranberry sauce.


yummy in the tummy and a little more holiday-ish than the beautimous concord grape juice.

enjoy

i had the comment ability disabled to non blogger users. sorry. if you would like to leave comments, i encourage it. please let me know if you have tried any of these recipes or just your general thoughts about what you read.

have fun,

ammie

so, while in nyc, christy mentioned that it was nearly spiced wine time. well, it is finally that time here, and this is what i have come up with. this is with christy in mind, i hope she tries it and likes it:


my spiced wine


10 c (roughly) shiraz grenache (i used hardys boxed wine. cheap and good)
1 airplane bottle grand marnier (or any orange liquor)
1 airplane bottle brandy
1/2 c apple cider spice blend from whole foods (it has bits of dried citrus, clove, cinnamon, and lots of other stuff)
1/4 c sugar
1 orange cut into 8ths

i have a large coffee percolator, and put everything except spice blend in bottom part of percolator. i put the spice blend in the top part where coffee would go. i let it percolate, then it was ready. but if you didn't have one of these machines, then combine everything into a large sauce pan or crock-pot and let simmer slowly for a while so that everything has a chance to marry. drink it hot! i had leftovers the next day and it was better. i recommend not taking a hot bath while drinking this drink 'cause it gets you really mellow, you might fall asleep in the tub. enjoy, i hope it warms to the bones!

ps i plan to come up with a white version, hum...maybe with riesling. i will post that recipe when i have mastered it.

spiced pecan pie



1 1/2 tbs butter
1 c packed dark brown sugar
1 c cheap original flavor pancake syrup
3 eggs, well beaten
1/4 tsp each: cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cardamom
1 tbs vanilla
1/2 large bag of pecan halves, broken a bit
1 unbaked 9" pie shell

cream butter and sugar. add beaten eggs, salt, spices, and vanilla. mix well, then stir in pecans. pour into the pie shell and bake in preheated 350 oven until center of pie is set (doesn't jiggle when you wiggle it). mine took about an hour. let pie cool for about 4 hours before cutting into it.



stuffed mushrooms


8 oz package of large white mushrooms
1/4 c chopped pecans
3 tbs chopped cilantro
3 tbs chopped green onion, white and light green parts
3 tbs soft butter
1 large clove chopped crushed garlic
2 tbs finely chopped green olive
3 tbs crumbled feta cheese
1/2 c cream

de-cap mushrooms, saving the stems. place caps in baking dish stem side up. heat oven to 400. chop stems and add all other ingredients except cream to chopped stems, mix well. stuff the caps w/ 2 tbs or so of stuffing, pressing stuffing into the cap. when all caps are full, repeat until all of stuffing is used and caps are over-stuffed. drizzle w/ cream and bake 30 min, until mushrooms are soft and stuffing starts to brown a bit. serve w/ cream sauce from bottom of baking dish spooned over stuffed caps.

i'm back in the kitchen so i have some new stuff. my new inspiration is FOOD TO FEED MY FRIENDS!!!!

my friends inspire me to think of how food makes us feel and the reasons we like the foods we like. much of my time is spent thinking about the next time i get to make a meal for a group of my friends. so my first friend inspired menu goes out to one of the best:




HERE'S TO YOU, COLIN!!!!!!!!!!!

this is meal came out of union square green market, bedford cheese shop*, and walking around on an amazing saturday morning.



really great seared lamb chops

serves 9


18 bone in lamb chops (the rib roast kind)--should be 2 per person
1/4 c finely chopped fresh rosemary
kosher salt
cracked pepper

lay chops on cookie sheet. drizzle chops w/ olive oil, slat, pepper, and rosemary. toss around so that chops are well coated in oil. in batches of 3 or 4 depending on the size of your skillet sear chops on high heat for 2 min per side. basically, the way that i could tell when they were ready to flip, was by the sound they made. they will sizzle loud at first then after about two minutes the sizzle died down. also, look at the side of the chop while it sears. it will brown about half way up the side that is when you turn the chop. this should leave a light pink stripe in the middle after both sides are seared. place the batches on a warm dinner plate to rest. i just keep a plate at the back of the stove top. my oven will usually be on, and that makes the stove top warm enough to keep the plate warm. let all the chops rest about 15 min before serving, but these babies are very good slightly warmer than room temp, too. mmmmmmmmmmm. serve with beautimous concord grape sauce



beautimous concord grape sauce


2 lbs concord grapes picked off stems and washed (this is an estimate b/c i just bought the container of grapes at the green market)
1 med shallot minced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 whole sprig plus 3 tbs finely chopped fresh rosemary
4 tbs butter
1/2 c balsamic vinegar
1/2 c broth of choosing**


in a large sauce pan, melt 3 tbs butter add shallot and garlic, saute until tender and the shallot just starts to brown on edges, add whole sprig of rosemary, reduce heat to low and infuse butter w/ rosemary for about 5 min. add grapes and 1/4 c vinegar, crank heat to med high. stir grapes occasionally until they start to break down and boil. reduce heat to med and cont. to stir occasionally until all of the grapes have burst. remove from heat and pour sauce through a sieve over a mixing bowl. mash grape pulp and juice through sieve to remove large chunks of shallot and garlic, grape seeds and skins, and sprig of rosemary. remember to scrape sides of sieve to get all the goodness out of those grapes. return sauce to sauce pan over med heat, bring to a bubble then add 1/4 c vinegar, the broth of choosing, and some salt and pepper to taste---you should be tasting. and sniffing. and gazing..this sauce is an incredible color. christy commented on how it made her want to paint with it. i have discovered that when i make a meal for a group of people i love, the meal becomes this very sensual experience. the music is always the best and our conversations are imaginative and warm and silly. they go on forever. atmosphere like that makes it so easy to make great food.--whoa, okay. sauce...turn the heat to med high and bring to a rolling boil. at this point you want to turn all you attention to the sauce, it should start to reduce pretty fast, you may have to turn the heat up to high for short bits of time to keep the boil rolling. but when it gets thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, take it off the heat and stir in the last tablespoon of butter. it is ready for your saucing pleasure.


*bedford cheese shop, bedfordcheeseshop.com, 718 599 7588 / 888 484 3243
**i split my batch of sauce into two sauce pans after i mushed it through the sieve and made 1/2 batch with veggie broth and it was yummy over the baked acorn squash, and i also made a 1/2 batch with beef broth that made the lamb chops not of this world. i suppose chicken broth could be used as well. even other forms of meat broth like lamb or veal (if you are that way) could be acceptable. i don't think mushroom broth would be a good fit, nor would fish stock.




bedford cheese shop mac & cheese, baby!


serves 9 w/o leftovers

this mac & cheese deserves an introduction. this is the best mac & cheese i have ever made, and i will probably never be able to make it the way it was the night of colin's birthday yumfest. but, this way is super yummy, too.*



1 lb cooked pasta that makes good mac & cheese, whatever kind makes you scream!
2 c heavy cream
8 oz marscapone cheese, stirred so that it is smooth
6 oz brie, rind removed
10 oz english white cheddar, shredded
1 garlic clove crushed and chopped
1 shallot finely chopped
1 tbs butter
1 tsp nutmeg
salt, pepper


large sauce pan med heat melt butter, saute shallot and garlic until tender, add cream, heat until the cream starts to bubble around the edges of the pan and the cream starts to rise . reduce heat and stir in marscapone cheese. stir until sauce is smooth, then add brie, and keep stirring until melted and smooth, then add cheddar, and just stir to incorporate cheddar, but not melt it all the way. add nutmeg, salt and pepper. drain pasta into a baking dish and pour sauce over it. place in a preheated oven at 375, uncovered. bake until sauce is thicken and the edges of the dish are bubbling and light brown patches start to form on the top of the macaroni (about 45 min i think). it is a good idea to try to stir mac & cheese every 15 min or so. but this can be a pain, so i think it would be ok just to let it bake, just make sure you stir the sauce in with the pasta before you put it in the oven. let cool for 15 min before serving.


* the cheese monger at bedford cheese shop was the best at helping me pick the cheeses that went into that mac & cheese, the perfect balance of creamy, salty, soft, tart, and buttery. there wasn't even one noodle left after dinner. to those who got to have the original, consider yourself the lucky few. i truly think mac & cheese like that only comes around once. or maybe i just feel that way about that mac & cheese, which is fine. mac & cheese is definitely a personal thing.




i also made quinoa stuffed golden acorn squash (purchased at green market) and a green salad with a balsamic vinaigrette. i followed a recipe for the squash, and that can be found in Joy of Cooking under quinoa stuffed acorn squash. i will make it again, just as it was written...it was good!

we had icecream cake at the gutter.

mexican iced coffee

1/4 c. whole coffee beans
2 TBS cocoa powder (not hot chocolate mix, real unsweetened cocoa)
1 TBS. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 c. raw sugar
1/2 c. half and half
ice cubes

in a coffee grinder, combine coffee, cocoa, cinnamon, and nutmeg until coffee is ground to the grind for your maker. brew this mixture just like you would your normal morning brew. once brewed, pour coffee into a pitcher, add sugar, stir until sugar is dissolved. stir in the half and half. i usually cover the pitcher with plastic wrap and refrigerate this over night, pouring it over ice the next morning. it is the perfect eye-opener on these 95 degrees at eight in the morning mornings.

i make this popcorn before we go to the movies. it is so good because you get little bites of garlic and little hints of herbs. then there is the aromatic flavor of the olive oil, definitely with less guilt than butter. this would be good for you non-dairy eaters out there.



lo-fat take-it-to-the-movies popcorn

1/4 c. popcorn kernels
5 TBS. extra virgin olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, smashed
4 TBS. chopped fresh herbs (i used oregano, basil, end thyme)
3 tsp. salt
2 tsp. pepper

in a small saucepan, heat garlic, oil and herbs over low heat for about 10 min, or until tiny bubbles form around the herbs and garlic turns brown. pop popcorn in air popper or over stove, whatever. just don't use nasty microwave crap. take smashed cloves of garlic out of oil and chop. drizzle oil with herbs in it over popcorn, add chopped garlic. toss popcorn seasoned popcorn with salt and pepper. put yummy treat in a paper bag, grab something yummy and fizzy to drink (something portable). place said items along with some napkins into a large purse with a zipper or really good closure. head out to the movies. enjoy a good flick without the guilt and stomach ache that comes from eating the sick shit they serve.

chicken marsala with porcini mushrooms

1/2 oz dried porcini mushrooms
1 c. hot water
1/4 c. olive oil
6 skinless chicken breast halves
flour seasoned with salt and pepper (for dredging chicken)
1/2 c chopped pancetta
8 oz sliced cumini mushrooms
3 TBS minced shallot
1/2 c. dry marsala wine (i use what they have at my neighborhood liquor store)
1/2 c. chicken broth
4 TBS butter
1 TBS chopped fresh parsley

let porcini mushrooms reconstitute in hot water for 20-30 minutes. in the meantime, dredge chicken in seasoned flour, shaking off excess flour. Heat oil in large skillet over med-high heat. Cook chicken until brown and cooked through (about 4 minutes per side). Transfer to a plate. keep on stove top to keep warm

in same pan with same oil, saute pancetta until it begins to crisp. add the shallot and cumini mushrooms, cook until shallot is translucent and mushrooms are soft. strain the porcini mushrooms and reserve the water. add the porcinis to the skillet, stir for 30 seconds or so. stir in marsala, mix for 2 minutes or so. add broth and mushroom water (leaving sediment in bowl). turn heat down and simmer until thickened (about 5 minutes). season with salt and pepper. return chicken to pan, and cook until the chicken is heated through. remove the chicken again, transferring it to the serving platter. whisk butter into the skillet. pour sauce over chicken. sprinkle with parsley.


harry and i eat this often. when chicken breasts are too costly, i like to use skinless thighs. i like the flavor the thighs give the sauce. i serve the chicken over egg noodles or rice, but is is really good with angel hair pasta or just by its self.

Father's Day eggs in bread


i got his one from watching giada de laurentis on foodnetwork. i adapted to what i already had. this is how it turned out.


1 loaf left over french bread
3 large farmer's market brown eggs
1 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. olive oil w/ 4 tsp. lemon juice whisked in
2 TBS. chopped tarragon
1 c. grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
salt and pepper

oven 350

cut the top of the loaf of bread, save. hollow out the middle to make it like a bowl. brush the inside and edges with olive oil/ lemon juice mixture. put on cookie sheet and toast in oven for the amount of time it takes you to do the rest of the recipe. chop the top of the bread into small squares, place a mixing bowl. whisk eggs, cream, and nutmeg until smooth. add tarragon and cheese, salt and pepper. put over bread cubes. incorporate bread with a spoon to make sure it soaks up all the egg mixture. take the bread out of the oven. pour the eggs into the middle. put it back into the oven. bake until set and bread is crispy, about 30 minutes. once baked, let it cool and set for about 15 minutes. then, slice it into 1 in slices.

other things i will try in the future with this recipe.

pancetta with rosemary and mild goat cheese
sweet sausage with spinach and swiss cheese
canadian bacon with chives and cheddar cheese
spinach, garlic, olives, basil, feta
mushrooms, rosemary, roasted garlic, brie

man, the options are endless. try this your way and let me know what works and what doesn't.

win her vegetarian heart spaghetti marco polo


so, the story goes: after a summer of sitting at the corner table of the bar, laughing at ourselves, laughing at other people, harry finally asked me out. our first date was on labor day to the fort worth zoo. we saw Galapagos tortoises gettin it on. we may have even held hands, so sweet. a couple of months roll by and i get a call from someone far away. well, i had to go get some answers to some questions, so i booked a flight. the night before i take this trip, our harry asks me over for a harry cooked vegetarian meal. i have never had someone go all out before. he really was so thoughtful and romantic. so, the back yard at his house in denton on B St. was decked out in fairy lights of all colors and candles and good wine and great music. it was oct 2, 1999. i'll bet he doesn't even remember the day. ok, anyway, to the recipe. i was not eating meat at the time and he kicked the veggies straight for me that night. many know this, and have eaten it time and time again. it changes every time, but i will give you the one and only true win my heart recipe.

1lb angel hair pasta
1jar diced pimentos
1 small can sliced black olives (if you really like her, get the whole ones and slice them yourself)
1 bunch green onions diced green and white parts
8 oz grated swiss cheese
1/4 c olive oil
salt and pepper to season

boil your pasta, chop your veggies, grate your cheese. drain the pasta, drizzle with olive oil, toss in veggies, sprinkle cheese, salt and pepper to season. put in nice bowl, server her favorite wine. play some new groovy music, light the candles, and win her heart.

we have had this with gouda, red onions, bacon, sautéed shrimp, chicken, and portabello mushrooms, rosemary, basil, parsley, and cilantro. the possibilities are endless, but you have got to always have the basics going on no matter what.

it brings us back every time we make it.

Camille's bachelorett party scones


these scones are so good and don't take long to make. we had them made with milk and apple juice saturday morning the weekend of camille's bachelorett party.

3 c. flour
1/2 c. plus 2 TBS sugar (equal parts honey and sugar works well, mix honey in milk and add that way)
1 stick plus 2 TBS butter (don't skimp this!)
2 TBS plus 2 tsp baking powder
1 1/3 c. milk (cream or half/half) or for lighter scones 1 c. milk and 1/3 c. apple juice
1/4 c. apple juice
6 oz. dried cherries
2 tsp. vanilla

heat oven to 375. in a small sauce pan over med heat reconstitute cherries in 1/4 c. apple juice. bring to a boil then simmer for about 10 min (or until you get to the part where you add the cherries to the dough). amaretto liqueur works well in place of apple juice.

mix flour, sugar, baking powder together. one tablespoon at a time, cut in butter. using your hands thoroughly break butter into small pieces, mixing with four mixture until it has the consistency of corn meal and holds together when squeezed in the palm of you hand. add vanilla. add the milk or milk and 1/3 c. apple juice in small batches until all liquid is absorbed by the four mixture and the dough begins to hold together ( i do this with my hands) and is slightly firm. mix in the reconstituted cherries and any liquid left in pan until cherries appear to be evenly distributed. turn the dough out onto a floured surface. the key at this point is to not over work your dough. shape the dough into a circle about 1/3-1/2 inch thick. using a nice sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut into slices like a pizza. i usually cut 8 slices. transfer slices to a baking sheet and bake about 8-12 min, checking at eight to make sure bottoms aren't burning. serve warm with butter and coffee or tea.

you can get really creative and add nuts, chocolate chips, candied ginger, fresh berries, other dried fruit, or other spices, in place of the cherries. i like candied ginger and cinnamon or fresh blueberries. harry's favorite is chocolate chips and pecans. for those with super sweet teeth; make a glaze out of 1/4 c. powdered sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla or almond extract and 3TBS milk, drizzle over scones while they are sill warm.

so easy fruit dip or banana pudding filling

four ingredients.
makes a ton.
not for weight watchers.
may cause addiction.

fruit dip:

1 jar marshmallow cream (i have never had this before this dip, OMG!)
1 8oz pkg cream cheese
8 oz sour cream
1 can sweetened condensed milk

mix all ingredients with electric mixer. serve with lots and lots of fruit or use as a filling for banana pudding.

banana pudding:

3 ripe bananas sliced thin and tossed in about 1 TBS lemon juice to keep from turning brown
1 box nilla wafers (not, i repeat, not generic)
fruit dip prepared above adding 1 teaspoon banana flavoring

line casserole pan with nilla wafers, save about a cup to crush and scatter on top of dessert. then layer banana slices, pour 1/2 dip filling, then layer nilla wafers, then banana slices, then other 1/2 dip filling. sprinkle with crushed wafers. refrigerate 1 hour to overnight. yummy in your tummy!