Sunday Morning Granola

I bake my granola at 250 for 45 minutes and then I let it hang out in the pans for hours in the residual heat after I've turned off the oven.

Savory Cornucopia Waffles

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
pinch of baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 cups lowfat buttermilk
1/3 cup corn oil
4 oz. nonfat Greek yogurt and chopped kalamata olives
4 cups frozen defrosted drained chopped spinach
pinch of dill weed,
splash of hot sauce
chopped garlic
we had leftover yams, beets and eggplant we chopped and threw in, holding back on the spinach.

Jon Frankel: My Favorite Food Writer

Read

Marinated and Grilled

Saturday I marinated 4 chicken breasts in a vinegar molasses hot sauce garlic and ginger mixture. Sunday afternoon we grilled them over hardwood and they were spectacular. I had made cauliflower kale stir fry the night before and we warmed them to room temps to enjoy with the chicken. Best meal ever, out on the picnic table.

Nuts over Peanuts

Tuesday, Jul 05th 2011
5 Reasons You Can Lose Weight With Peanuts

authored by Sheryl Kraft

Among the benefits of eating peanuts is one that resonates with nearly everybody (and makes everyone happy, if they love—and previously eschewed—peanuts): peanuts can help with weight loss.

No, I'm not going to present yet another crazy fad diet, like eat unlimited amounts of peanuts and peanut butter and you're guaranteed to drop 10 pounds in one week.

Eating peanuts while you're trying to lose weight seems like an oxymoron, right?

When I told my friend Isabelle about the connection, she eyed me skeptically. So I told her to make sure to read this post for some solid information. And, besides that, there's a chance for her—and any of you—to win some yummy peanut products, including red-skin peanuts, boiled peanuts, peanut flour and a gourmet peanut spread. (I feel like Forest Gump when I write this. Only with him, it was shrimp...pan-fried, deep-fried, stir-fried…pineapple shrimp, shrimp salad, coconut shrimp…I think he left out shrimp with peanuts).

But before I tell you how to enter the contest, let me tell you how peanuts can help weight loss.

Since peanuts and peanut butter are packed with fiber and protein, they keep you satisfied and full for a long time, helping to manage your hunger.
Because of their protein and fiber, peanuts and peanut butter will stick with you for about 2 1/2 hours vs. the half hour you'll get from high-carbohydrate foods, according to one study.
Peanuts can increase your metabolic rate. When researchers studied resting energy expenditure on peanut and peanut butter eaters, they found that it was 11 percent greater after regular peanut consumption for 19 weeks compared to the baseline.
The fat in peanuts (the "good fat") provides satiety and taste satisfaction, so you don't feel deprived.
Since peanuts stabilize your blood sugar with their low glycemic index (meaning they are digested more slowly and release sugar gradually into the bloodstream), they provide long-lasting energy and decrease cravings.

And now for the fun part. To win, please post your most inventive recipe or use for peanuts by 5 p.m. EST, July 6. It could be an unlikely or unexpected combination or something fairly common but with a twist. We'll choose the most original and announce the winner. As always, make sure to include your e-mail address so you can be notified. Once notified, you must respond within 48 hours or another winner will be selected. Sorry, contest is open to U.S. residents only. Good luck!

For more information on peanuts, click here and for more information on weight management, click here.

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Roasted New Red Potatoes

3 pounds small red new potatoes, halved
1/4 cup olive oil

Directions:

Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Toss potatoes with oil, salt and pepper.
Roast until tender and golden brown, about 30 minutes (check after 20 minutes). Transfer to a serving dish.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Recipe by: JAQATAC
"This recipe is from my mother. It may sound strange, but these are really good and very easy to make. The Brussels sprouts should be brown with a bit of black on the outside when done. Any leftovers can be reheated or even just eaten cold from the fridge. I don't know how, but they taste sweet and salty at the same time!"

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and yellow leaves removed
3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).
Place trimmed Brussels sprouts, olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper in a large resealable plastic bag. Seal tightly, and shake to coat. Pour onto a baking sheet, and place on center oven rack.
Roast in the preheated oven for 30 to 45 minutes, shaking pan every 5 to 7 minutes for even browning. Reduce heat when necessary to prevent burning. Brussels sprouts should be darkest brown, almost black, when done. Adjust seasoning with kosher salt, if necessary. Serve immediately.

Homemade Pickled Ginger

Recipe by: Phoena
"Pickled ginger is called gari or amazu shoga in Japanese. It's served with sushi or sashimi and eaten between different kinds of sushi. It helps to clean your taste buds and enhance the flavors. It's also great with Century Eggs - a Chinese delicacy. You can find prepared pickled ginger in pink or white at most Asian markets but I preferred to make my own and share with family and friends."

Ingredients

8 ounces fresh young ginger root, peeled
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

1 cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup white sugar

Directions

Cut the ginger into chunks and place them into a bowl. Sprinkle with sea salt, stir to coat and let stand for about 30 minutes. Transfer the ginger to a clean jar.
In a saucepan, stir together the rice vinegar and sugar until sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil, then pour the boiling liquid over the ginger root pieces in the jar.
Allow the mixture to cool, then put the lid on the jar and store in the refrigerator for at least one week. You will see that the liquid will change to slightly pinkish in few minutes. Don't be alarmed because it's the reaction of rice vinegar that causes the change. Only quality rice vinegar can do that! Some commercial pickled ginger has red coloring added. Cut pieces of ginger into paper thin slices for serving.

For safety when canning and preserving foods, contact your local extension for guidelines in your area that will be specific to your altitude. Click here to read more about canning and preserving.

Crisp Pickled Green Beans

Recipe by: Janis Whitsett
"This recipe is from my Grandmother's cookbook she made to pass to all her grandchildren. They come out very, very crisp with a wonderful dill flavor. The red pepper flakes give them a nice punch. They are much better than the recipes that call for cooking the beans first."

2 1/2 pounds fresh green beans
2 1/2 cups distilled white vinegar
2 cups water
1/4 cup salt

1 clove garlic, peeled
1 bunch fresh dill weed
3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Add all ingredients to list

Directions:

Sterilize 6 (1/2 pint) jars with rings and lids and keep hot. Trim green beans to 1/4 inch shorter than your jars.
In a large saucepan, stir together the vinegar, water and salt. Add garlic and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. In each jar, place 1 sprig of dill and 1/8 teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Pack green beans into the jars so they are standing on their ends.
Ladle the boiling brine into the jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of the tops. Discard garlic. Seal jars with lids and rings. Place in a hot water bath so they are covered by 1 inch of water. Simmer but do not boil for 10 minutes to process. Cool to room temperature. Test jars for a good seal by pressing on the center of the lid. It should not move. Refrigerate any jars that do not seal properly. Let pickles ferment for 2 to 3 weeks before eating.

Burrito in the Toaster

This makes a great quick chip type bread.

Whole Grains

Article

Eggs+Tortilla Bake

I greased a cast iron skillet and beat 6 eggs adding adobo and cajun spice. Then I found pepper jack cheese and grated it into the egg. I used seven old corn tortillas that needed a new life. I chopped them up and sprinkled them onto the egg. I added cooked chick peas and mixed it all up and baked it at 350 for 15 minutes. Delish!

Coco Granola

http://www.budgetbytes.com/2012/11/choco-coconut-granola/

Granola Extras

We added extras into our granola today: dried coconut flakes, cranberries, raw sunflower seeds, raisins, semisweet chocolate chips. This is good energy food.

Five Minute Rice and Veggies

We store our 3 pound bag of rice in a huge glass jar we were given as a gift for Christmas. The rubber seal on the lid of the jar smells like fresh tobacco a flavor I can detect in the cooked rice.

I pressure-cooked rice in a bowl with water and salt on the steamer tray over a small amount of water for 5 minutes. I made napa cabbage stir fry with almonds ginger garlic, olive oil, and rooster sauce. I tossed in rice and my chickpea soup so it wouldn't stick to the pan.

Delicious.

Sourdough Pretzels from King Arthur

There's nothing better than soft, chewy, warm pretzels from a street vendor — except possibly making them yourself, using this easy recipe. You can make these pretzels on a moment's notice, too: the recipe calls for sourdough starter straight from the refrigerator, no need to feed it first.
Prep
20 mins. to 50 mins.
Bake
25 mins. to 30 mins.
Total
2 hrs 35 mins. to 3 hrs 15 mins.

Yield
12 pretzels

Pretzels
3/4 cup lukewarm water*
1 cup unfed sourdough starter, straight from the refrigerator
3 cups King Arthur Sir Lancelot Unbleached Hi-Gluten Flour* or King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/4 cup Baker's Special Dry Milk or nonfat dry milk
2 tablespoons (1/2 ounce) non-diastatic malt powder or 1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon butter or vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons instant yeast
*Add an additional 2 tablespoons water if using high-gluten Lancelot flour.

Topping
1 tablespoon non-diastatic malt powder or sugar
2 tablespoons water
pretzel salt
2 tablespoons melted butter, optional

Instructions
Mix and knead the dough ingredients — by hand, mixer, or bread machine — to make a cohesive, fairly smooth dough. It should be slightly sticky; if it seems dry, knead in an additional tablespoon or two of water.
Cover the dough and let it rest for 45 minutes. It will rise minimally. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly greased work surface, fold it over a few times to gently deflate it, then divide it into 12 pieces, each weighing about 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 ounces.
Roll each piece of dough into an 18" rope. Shape each rope into a pretzel.
Dissolve the malt in the water. Brush the pretzels with the solution, and sprinkle lightly with coarse pretzel salt.
Bake the pretzels for 25 to 30 minutes, until they're a light golden brown. Note: This is correct; there's no need to let the shaped pretzels rise before baking.
Remove the pretzels from the oven, and brush with melted butter, if desired.
Yield: 12 pretzels.

Hot Food in Fridge

source

Is it OK to Put Hot Food Directly Into the Fridge?

Question: Can I put hot food in the refrigerator?

Answer: It’s fine to place hot food directly in the refrigerator.

Don’t worry about overheating the fridge — as the U.S. Department of Agriculture points out, the refrigerator’s thermostat will keep it running to maintain a safe temperature of 40° F or below.

What you do need to worry about is whether the hot food will cool off quickly enough to reach a safe temperature once it’s in the refrigerator. So never put deep containers of hot food in the refrigerator — instead, place the hot food in shallow containers so it will chill quickly.

A large pot of soup or stew, for instance, should be divided into smaller portions and placed in smaller containers before being refrigerated. A large cut of meat or whole poultry should be divided into smaller pieces and wrapped separately or placed in shallow containers before refrigerating.

If you prefer, you can also quick-chill the food in an ice water bath before refrigerating it.

Either way, be sure you refrigerate the food within 2 hours of cooking it.

I LOVE OLIVES!!!

Especially in the summer!

Bok Choy and Napa Cabbage

I love all of the cabbages. Chop these up and enjoy with coleslaw, hot sauce and chick peas.

Hummus with Chilli Lime Peanuts

Make your hummus using peanut butter and lime instead of tahini and lemon. Use garlic and hot sauce. Make the beans by soaking and pressure cooking the next day for 15 minutes with a dollop of olive oil to prevent foaming and clogging the vent pipe.

Six Overripe Bananas

I will bake a whole wheat banana bred with cocoa powder in it too. Stay tuned. Yes, I bake in heat waves!

Cocoa Banana Bread

Cocoa Banana Bread

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tablespoons raw sunflower seeds
6 tablespoons buttermilk

1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup oil
2 cups mashed bananas (4 large bananas)


Yields 1 loaf


Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside. Mix wet ingredients.

Combine dry ingredients with wet ingredients.

Pour batter into prepared loaf tin. Bake at 350 F for about 45 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Let cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Then take out and let cool completely on rack.

Free Lunch for Kids at Social Park

Woonsocket Rhode Island. Social Park has been renovated and there's now 4 basketball courts, a kids gym and water-park, picnic tables and restrooms. It's better than it ever was when the state owned it. Woonsocket is giving it constant care with a kind and friendly team of staff.
There's a free lunch program for kids on weekdays at noonish.

Spicy-Hot Peanuts!

Ingredients

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 cups unsalted peanuts
2 teaspoons chili powder
1⁄4 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
1⁄2 teaspoon garlic salt, use more if you like

Directions

In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Stir in the peanuts, chili powder, and red pepper.
Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until peanuts are warm. Drain well on paper towels.
Sprinkle garlic salt over peanuts and toss to combine. Cool completely.
May be stored in a tightly covered container at room temperature.

Breakfast: Beets, Red Onions, Red Potatoes, Green Olives and Chick Peas

Crazy good.

Lime Chili and Late Night Swims

My brain switched into transmit and my tongue did too. I made peanut butter toast with Cholula and a bowl of nuts with rooster sauce. I started up my wagon after 6 months of not driving. I got every cruciferous vegetable that would fit in my car, and limechili peanuts all at PriceRite. Twice while shopping I nearly crashed my shopping cart into stack of glass vinegar bottles. Because I PULL my cart rather than PUSH it.

GOOD NEWS: park is yenta heaven. I go thru on my walks no matter where I am supposed to be headed. CENTRAL PARK of Woon. I LOVE IT.

Last night I swam in the pool at ten PM. Ann Marie was there it was our own private pool. She loves Woonsocket too.

Craving: Peanuts, Sunflower Seeds and Almonds

With rooster sauce on top!

Also peanut butter on toast with Cholula Hot Sauce.

Spicy broccoli with ginger and garlic and corn.

Some like it hot!

Summer: Ice, Seltzer and Sewing Dresses

When my mood lifts and if it is summer I start making lot of ice cubes, at least three plastic trays twice a day. I love filling up my steel super-insulated Thermos mug with ice cubes and then drinking a liter of cold seltzer through them using a colorful fat straw. The ice doesn't melt. The cold at the bottom cools off your throat fast.

I also think about sewing dresses but I never do it because I am writing, reading, swimming, walking my dog, baking, laundering, and vacuuming. Maybe someday I will sew dresses and blouses again. I have a cupboard full of fun fabric that I have collected over the years like unborn children each with it's own fantasy of what they could become. In the summer it's too hot and in the winter its too cold to use the sewing machine. Perhaps I should move my sewing machine to a better location. The Moon.

Sewing and pie crusts are the two pleasures I have not incorporated into my repertoire recently.

I know I am in 'transmit' because I keep saying WOW!
I wake up very early ready to write.
The computer seems very slow.
I am distracted and seduced by everything.
All subjects could become poems.
I love everybody and everything.

WOW!

I try to stay inside and keep my routine.
Writing is my grounding wire.

This is why I am not sewing.

Hazardous Waste

Someone has begun pouring automotive oil next to my garage. Not only is it hazardous waste but it is also a fire hazard. I am trying to catchup with whoever is doing this. I have a hunch it is the guys rebuilding cars back here. The new landlords are completely absentee and sadly full of promises yet not acting on the tenants complaints. Thankfully we have a great City in spite of the slumlords.

Save the World with a Trash Grabber and a Bucket

I went out and did the beachcomber thing across the trash-filled asphalt parking lot. I picked up the bottles cans broken glass, crushed fast food containers, tissues, a gray plastic sword with fake blood on it, freeze pop plastic, a pink plastic fire engine, and a condom using my trash pickers & grabbers.

I threw out the office chair that a man used to climb the fire escape yesterday.

The Cash Cow is a Trash Cow

Sadly the new landlord and manager of our shared parking lot doesn't believe in providing clean up, security or lights. The neighbors some of whom have lived there for 20 years complained to me about the garbage, dirty hallways, trashed parking lot, abandoned cars, broken windows, drug-dealing and more. I have tried to convey to the new owners that they need to have a watchful presence. I have caught kids smashing windows, climbing fire escapes, drug dealing, etc. They're just interested in the rent, they tell me. Sadly the CASH COW is a TRASH COW. Just another greedy slumlord.

Heavy-Duty Super insulated Thermos Mug

I have a stainless steel Thermos mug that I bought in 1995 and it still is one of my prize possessions. In summer I fill it with 8-10 cubes of ice and add my cold coffee and the ice doesn't melt, so the coffee is super delicious. I even drink beer the same way, with 8-12 ice cubes. The ice doesn't melt so the beer is truly ice-cold. The next morning the ice cubes STILL haven't melted. In the winter my house is freezing cold and I use the mug for hot coffee and it stays piping hot.

Summer Sauerkraut Sandwich

Wheat bread toasted then mustard added, sauerkraut and raw red onions, sliced green olives and spicy hot pepper Monterey Jack cheese, melted. Enjoy with a few potato chips and pickles.

Ghosts of my Ancestors

This morning I ate homemade borscht for breakfast with a dollop of Greek yogurt on top and iced coffee on the side. The ghosts of my ancestors were communing with me.

Summer Means . . .

Summer means we get to bathe in the tub.
Summer means I'm making lots of trays of ice cubes and storing them in a huge plastic bowl in the freezer.
Summer means iced coffee and fruit smoothies for breakfast.
Summer means washing the clothes before bed and hanging them on the line at 5 AM.
Summer means 10:AM is already very hot.
Summer means wearing dresses and having exposed toes.
Summer means having a cold supper.
Summer means dunking my head under the hose every 20 minutes until my clothes get mildewy.
Summer means walking around wearing a wide-brimmed straw hat.
Summer means German potato salad, coleslaw, and pasta salad and cold beets.
Summer means red onion sandwiches.

Favorite Summer Foods

Wholegrain pasta salad is a snap when you can pressure cook a pound of wholegrain ziti in 5 minutes. Lately I've been saving the leftover 3 cups of liquid from my German Potato salad and I pressure cook my pasta in that. Summer is also the season for making home made coleslaw. My secret to coleslaw is Marion Cunningham's recipe from the SUPPER BOOK and adding buttermilk and apples.

Five Minute Vegetables: Pressure-Cooked, Delicious, + Colorful

I made this for supper last night and it was so good I ate some of the cold leftovers for breakfast. The beets add their magnificent magenta color to the potatoes and carrots. It was like wearing rose-colored glasses to the table.

One large beet peeled and thinly sliced and quartered,
2 super large carrots or equivalent, chopped into coins
4 ribs of celery chopped
6 average-sized red potatoes cubed (keep skins on but cut out any blemishes)
1 small bunch of kale, rinsed and chopped into one-inch lengths

Place steamer tray in pressure cooker.
Add water to cover the bottom of the cooker (up to the tray).
Add the chopped vegetables.

Mix up a dressing to pour over the veggies before they cook:

Equal parts generic red wine vinegar and olive oil (quarter of a cup each)
Tablespoon of Guilden's prepared mustard
Tablespoon Kosher salt
Tablespoon of sugar

Mix the dressing with a fork or shake in a jar and pour over the vegetables. Steam in the pressure cooker for five minutes (start your timer as soon as it comes up to pressure). Immediately cool under cold water to release pressure. Enjoy the veggies. Their flavor gets cooked-in and is terrific hot or chilled.
Save the liquid to drink or use in soup.

Raymond Chandler

I went out the kitchen to make coffee - yards of coffee. Rich, strong, bitter, boiling hot, ruthless, depraved. The life blood of tired men.
― Raymond Chandler, The Long Goodbye

Americans will eat anything if it is toasted and held together with a couple of toothpicks and has lettuce sticking out of the sides, preferably a little wilted.
― Raymond Chandler, The Long Goodbye

Variations on a Theme

Last night I added fresh kale rinsed and washed to my Presto German Potato Salad recipe and cooked it all together in my pressure cooker. It came out great and was a delicious variation.

Presto German Potato Salad

This recipe came with my first Presto Pressure cooker and I have made it for over 35 years.
Ingredients:

6 bacon strips, diced or in place of bacon I use 1/2 cup olive oil
5 pounds unpeeled medium red potatoes, cubed
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup cider or red wine vinegar
1/2 cup water
2-3 teaspoons sugar
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, divided (optional)
2-3 teaspoons Kosher salt
1-2 teaspoon prepared mustard (Guilden's)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Adobo seasoning (optional)

In a pressure cooker, cook bacon (or olive oil) over medium heat until crisp; drain. Add potatoes and onions. In a bowl, combine the vinegar, water, sugar, 2 tablespoons of parsley, salt, mustard and pepper; pour over potatoes.
Close cover securely; place pressure regulator on vent pipe. Bring cooker to full pressure over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes. (Pressure regulator should maintain a slow steady rocking motion or release of steam; adjust heat if needed.) Remove from the heat.
Immediately cool according to manufacturer's directions until pressure is completely reduced. Just before serving, sprinkle with remaining parsley.

Refrigerate!

Salt and Vinegar Tuna Salad

Last night we made a simple tuna salad for supper that was notably refreshing. We used two cans of drained tuna, a small can of red kidney beans drained, sliced dill pickles, chopped red onions and chopped celery. We added a mild wine vinegar and salt. It was delicious!

Hot Day? Drink Slush

I don't like hot weather. Today in a heat panic I put 12 ice cubes and orange juice in the blender until it was slush. I added plain yogurt and banana too. It cooled me off so well I had to put on my sweatshirt.

Whole Wheat Rigatoni

I just pressure cooked whole wheat rigatoni in my Presto pressure cooker. It was ready in 5 minutes. Amazing. Pasta is no longer a project. Be sure to add a tablespoon or two of olive oil to prevent foaming which could clog the vent pipe.

A New Twist on Kale

I am an unfussy cook so I generally like simple methods. I decided to rinse a head of kale after I trimmed the ends off and not chop it into one-inch pieces like I usually do. I left the leaves intact. I filled the pressure cooker with water up to the steamer tray and curled the leaves in. Then I pressure-cooked the kale for 3 minutes. Afterwards I made a sauce of olive oil, wine vinegar, salt, sugar, and mustard and poured it over the bowl of greens. Leaving the leaves whole was a fun discovery and the stems were perfectly tender. It was like eating asparagus. I saved the kale steaming liquid for soup or steaming pasta, or drinking as a cold broth. It was delicious.

Colorful Coleslaw with Apples and Raisins

I filled a huge bucket with two heads of cabbage chopped fine one red and one green then I added chopped carrots celery and onions. I made a sauce with a quart of low fat buttermilk, ample Hellman's mayonnaise, regular mustard, wine vinegar, salt, sugar, black pepper and rooster hot sauce. Then I added apples and raisins and raw sunflower seeds. My original inspiration for coleslaw was from Marion Cunningham's Supper Book. I have made her recipe a million times. Later I learned about the magic of buttermilk and I have never stopped using it in my coleslaw.

Grilling Broccoli

We just experimented with grilling broccoli over a hot hardwood charcoal fire. We cut the broccoli into large 'trees' and dipped the florets into various sauces. We found that a mixture of olive oil and soy sauce and a bit of rooster hot sauce was a perfect dipping mixture for grilling the broccoli. Broccoli isn't naturally sweet, so charring wasn't necessary. We dipped the broccoli into the mixture and placed the heads over the coals with the tails pointing out for about a minute or two. Olive oil is flammable - be prepared! There was no need to turn them over. We discovered all this after a few trials and many errors.

Remembering the Rewards of Pressure Cooking

I finally replaced the rubber gaskets on our three PRESTO pressure cookers. I am back up and running with STEAM HEAT. Do you remember Doris Day singing that song?

Anyway I am sorry I didn't buy my gaskets 10 years ago. Nonetheless it's been a sweet reunion.

I forgot how amazing the leftover concentrated broth is after pressure cooking vegetables. This is liquid GOLD. I call it vegetable liqueur. Save it in a jar in the fridge and use it to make a quick broth or add it to a soup or a stir fry. It is full of flavor and vitamins.

Years ago when I taught a pressure cooker workshop I told people, Don't be scared. It's not any more dangerous than driving a car. There are many safety features built in to the modern cookers but just like with driving be alert when you are using this tool.

A friend of mine traveled to Tibet. When she came back home to Rhode Island she said, I thought of you because the first thing I saw on top of the mountain was a gigantic pressure cooker being used to cook barley and yak meat. I was honored.

I am always trying to convert people to the joys of pressure cooking.

If you have delicious food, give it to your guest.
If you have important things to say, say it at a wedding.
—Tibetan proverb

Eleven O'clock Tea

I love black tea with milk and honey but if I drink it after noon the caffeine gives me a fitful sleep. A friend sent me this tea called Eleven O'clock and it is just as good as black tea. Read more about it.

Scrambled Hearts of Art

Lately I have been buying the large wide mouth jars of marinated artichoke hearts at Price Rite. This morning I made two scrambled eggs with six quartered hearts and a few heaping tablespoons of Greek yogurt. It was delicious.

The Secret to My Best Granola

I have to make something a million times before I devise the simplest and best-tasting method.

The secret to my best granola is not toasting it but drying it out in the oven. This way the flavor of the vanilla and molasses are not overshadowed. Bake in a preheated oven 250 degrees for 35 minutes and let sit for an hour or overnight to absorb residual heat.

Recipe:
One cup of corn oil, Grandma's Molasses, teaspoon of real vanilla extract, one heaping teaspoon of kosher salt (half this amount if using fine grain salt). Maybe I should just admit it, two teaspoons of kosher salt.

Directions:
Heat the oil, molasses, salt, and vanilla, in a large spaghetti pot and stir until bubbly then turn off the heat. Then add one (42 oz, or 2 lb 10 oz) large cylindrical container of old fashioned rolled oats and stir like mad. It's like tossing a salad of oats with molasses and oil dressing. When the oats are evenly coated pour them onto two baking trays or into two large cast iron frying pans and bake for 35-45 minutes at 250 F. Then after it has baked for 35-45 minutes turn the oven off and keep the oven door closed. Just let the granola dry out by itself. This is the important secret discovery. Come back a few hours later or the next day when it has dried and cooled and break it up and store the granola in an airtight container.

This is my favorite travel and snack food. I often carry a little bit with me just in case I get peckish when I am out on a long walk. Sometimes I add raisins.

Pressure Cooking Pasta

I tried pressure cooking pasta today. It's a REVOLUTIONARY technique. It took only six minutes under pressure. This is going to be my new go-to method. All you do is cover the dry pasta with water or stock and add a bloop of oil to prevent foaming/ clogging vent pipe and cook under pressure for half the time normally needed. Use SHORT pasta; ziti or twisty pasta not spaghetti, fettuccine or linguini. Have fun!

Pressure Cooker Romance

I have rekindled my pressure cooker romance. Last night I made kale and potato chopped and steamed for 3 minutes in the pressure cooker then tossed in frying pan with olive oil fresh garlic, ginger root, rooster hot sauce and soy sauce. I call it 'Asian meets Southern' style greens.

Right now I am pressure cooking chick peas in my leftover kale stock. The pressure cooker stock is GOLD and must be saved for making soups rice or beans.

Next I must try pasta under pressure.
http://www.hippressurecooking.com/pressure-cooker-pasta-with-spinach-pesto-casarecce-ai-spinaci/

UPDATE: I tried pressure cooking wholegrain pasta and it was great. It took 6 minutes. This will be my new go to method.
https://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/7536-pressure-cooker-easy-ziti-with-sausage-and-peppers

Irish Weather: Boiled Dinner

We're having Irish weather! Maybe this is why I thought of making a boiled dinner. I chopped a bunch of potatoes, carrots + cabbage, then I dug out my pressure cooker and put in the steamer tray and water and chopped vegetables. When the pressure came up to full steam (with the pressure regulator rocking), I timed three minutes and then fast cooled the cooker under the faucet for quick pressure release. We enjoyed the hot vegetables with olive oil and salt and pepper on top. It was delicious.

Napa Cabbage Delight

Chop up a huge Napa cabbage leaving out the core. Then core and chop 4-6 cloves of garlic. Peel and chop a knob of fresh ginger.

Heat a large skillet or wok and add (olive) oil and the fresh garlic and ginger, rooster sauce and soy sauce. Then add cabbage sesame seeds peanuts almonds and cocoanut and leftover spaghetti. Squeeze fresh lime juice on top.

Enjoy!

Simple Supper

Last night I steamed up a head of cauliflower and a few peeled and sliced carrots. When they were cooked I added olive oil and Adobo and Parmesan cheese. It was excellent.

Three Grain Bread with Pumpkin

The other night I mixed up my regular multigrain* sourdough and I added a few cups of leftover pumpkin puree. It made a fantastic bread with a tint of orange coloring.

(wheat, oats and corn)*

Deviled Eggs

12 hard cooked eggs, peeled and halved lengthwise
1 avocado, diced or equivalent amount of mayonnaise
1/4 cup Mustard or Sirracha sauce
3 Tbsp. plain nonfat Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt or Adobo
1/2 cup diced red onions, divided

REMOVE egg yolks, reserving egg whites.
LIGHTLY mash egg yolks in small bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients except 1/4 cup red onions.
SPOON or pipe into egg whites. Garnish with additional remaining 1/4 cup red onions and chopped cilantro, if desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Progress + Efficiency are an Illusion

My microwave from 1990 doesn't shut off any more. But for years we used it with a kitchen timer. Recently our pal Steve gave us a microwave he salvaged from a kitchen job. This one does shut off but the beep sounds like a smoke alarm and scares our dog to death. So now when we want to heat up our coffee we have to take our dog into the backyard and run back inside and set up the coffee and then run outside and wait. Progress and efficiency are an illusion.

Casual Two Course Meal

My favorite two course meal is my home made coleslaw (it rocks) and a bucket of home made popcorn. This is living!

Lazy Pizza Toast

My homemade tomato sauce on top of homemade bread toasted is a quick pizza. My tomato sauce has lots of olives in it so it is a satisfying meal.

Do the Dough Thang

I set my bucket o' dough to rise in the foyer. It did! Now it's in the fridge cooling down for the night. I plan to bake it tomorrow.

Asparagus, Noodles and Peanuts IMPROV Dinner

I bought two bunches of asparagus today and decided to steam them with leftover multigrain spaghetti and peanuts. I added soy sauce olive oil and red chili jam. I used chick pea broth to steam everything. Fabulous!

Southeast Asian Canned Salmon & Rice Cakes with Sriracha Mayo

http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-southeast-asian-canned-salmon-rice-cakes-with-sriracha-mayo-recipes-from-the-kitchn-186433

Lately I've been looking to add more healthy seafood to my diet without breaking the bank, and while canned fish will never have the allure of a fresh filet, today's good-quality canned salmon is not the fishy, bone-studded mush you may be picturing. The boneless and skinless fish — once flaked and mixed with brown rice, cilantro, shallots and lime juice — cooks up into crisp-edged cakes that make an easy and satisfying weeknight meal, especially when topped with a dollop of Sriracha-spiked mayonnaise.

The fresh flavors of Southeast Asia season these cakes, making them a little different from the usual mustard- and celery-studded fish cakes. In addition to cilantro, lime juice, and minced shallot, a bit of fish sauce adds depth and savoriness to the mixture. But I think it's really the Sriracha mayonnaise that takes it over the top, whether dolloped over each cake or served on the side for dipping.

It's one of those condiments that tastes so much better than it ought to, given how simple it is to make. Mix bottled Sriracha sauce with mayonnaise. Done. Yet the subtly spicy sauce that results is so much better than plain old mayonnaise, it's difficult to not slather it onto everything. I have my friend Lydia of Apples & Onions to thank for this magic condiment; she made it for the bánh mì bridal shower she and some friends hosted for me a couple years ago, and I have found many excuses to make it since then.

And while these cakes don't take much time to mix together if you have cooked rice on hand, they hold together a little better if they are allowed to rest in the fridge. This makes them easy to assemble ahead of time — either in the morning or the night before cooking — for a quick, healthy main dish that feels fancy enough to forget it's actually budget-friendly.

Makes about five 2-1/2-inch cakes (Serves 2)

2 6-ounce cans boneless skinless pink salmon
1 cup cooked short-grain brown rice
1 large egg
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon grapeseed or canola oil

For the mayonnaise:
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
3/4 teaspoon Sriracha chili sauce

Before cooking cakes, place a large cast iron or other oven-safe skillet in the oven. Preheat to 400°F.

Combine the salmon, rice, egg, cilantro, shallots, lime juice and fish sauce in a large mixing bowl and mix with a fork until thoroughly combined. Using your hands, shape and lightly squeeze the mixture into cakes about 2 1/2 inches in diameter and set aside on a plate. If you have time, cover and let rest in the refrigerator. (See note below.)

Remove the hot pan from the oven with oven mitts. Coat pan with oil and place cakes in pan. (Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to cook in batches.) Return to oven and cook 5-7 minutes, until lightly browned on one side. Flip and cook for another 5-7 minutes.

While the cakes are cooking, whisk together the mayonnaise and Sriracha in a small bowl. Dollop mayonnaise on top of cakes or serve on the side for dipping.
Additional Notes

Refrigerating the cakes for at least 15 minutes or up to one day before cooking will help them hold their shape better. Otherwise, just handle them more carefully as you cook them.
Short-grain brown rice has a sticky texture that helps hold the cakes together better than long-grain brown rice. (The cakes will still be delicious if made with long-grain brown rice, but they will fall apart a bit during cooking.)
You can also cook the cakes in a skillet on the stove over medium heat until browned on both sides.
Try cooking the cakes in coconut oil for another flavor variation.

Salmon Burgers

PACIFIC SALMON BURGERS
1 pt. jar salmon, drained and flaked
1 c. crumbs (bread or cracker)
1/2 tsp. dill weed
1/4 c. shredded Swiss cheese
1 egg
1/4 c. mayonnaise
2 drops hot pepper sauce
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. oil
Hamburger buns, toasted and dressed with sweet pickles (I like red onion)

Or use 1 (16 oz.) can red salmon, drained and flaked (or tuna, no bones or skin).

In bowl, combine the salmon, crumbs, dill weed and Swiss cheese. Beat the egg, mayonnaise, hot pepper sauce and Dijon. Add to salmon. Shape into 4 patties, 1/2 inch thick. Heat large fry pan and add butter and oil. Add patties and gently saute 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Serve on buns.
http://www.cooks.com/recipe/oj1ci6ab/pacific-salmon-burgers.html

Pub Dinner at Home

Home made bread toasted and sliced into strips dipped into homemade hummus, Greek yogurt and spicy homemade tomato sauce. Great with RAVENOUS brewery Woonsocket's finest beer.

Honey and Cashew Butter Yogurt Ice Pops

http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-honey-and-cashew-butter-yogurt-popsicles-228123

Makes 6 (1/2-cup) ice pops

2 cups plain Greek yogurt
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup creamy cashew butter
1/3 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon fine salt

Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and whisk until completely smooth. Divide the mixture among ice pop molds, insert the sticks, and freeze until completely solid, at least 8 hours.

To serve, run the molds briefly under running hot water until the pops loosen from the molds.

Waffle Day March 25th

1⁄2 cup sourdough starter
1⁄2 cup whole wheat flour
1⁄2 cup any whole grain flour
1 cup 1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
2 tablespoons oil or 2 tablespoons butter
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda

In a large bowl, stir together the starter, flours and buttermilk. While you're waiting for the waffle iron or pancake pan to heat up, mix the egg, oil, and salt into the flour mixture. Just before cooking, stir in the baking soda.
Using a quarter or half cup measuring cup ladle the batter onto the hot pan. For waffles cook according to the waffle iron directions, usually around 5 minutes, for pancakes flip when the edges start to bubble and the surface loses it's gloss.
Notes- You can use your choice of whole grains. I like rice flour, available at Whole Foods or health food stores. It adds a light crunchy texture to waffles. I've also used quinoa, barley, spelt, and coconut flours with great success. (If you use half cornmeal it makes a most excellent supper when topped with chili or beans n cheese!).
This recipe doubles or triples beautifully if you're feeding a crowd.
This recipe doesn't call for sugar, as I've found that using sugar in waffles makes them stick to the waffle iron. Without sugar they never stick (no need to grease the iron) and with the sweet flavor of whole grains you truly won't miss it. For pancakes you can add a tablespoon or two of sugar if you must.
A teaspoon of vanilla in the batter makes them smell terrific as they bake but we don't notice much difference in the taste, so I save that for company.
http://www.food.com/recipe/healthy-sourdough-whole-grain-waffles-and-pancakes-226011

Six Sourdough Boules Rising

Lately I have been using loaf pans and letting my bread rise in the cold oven. When the desired poof has been reached I turn on the oven to 450 F and bake them starting from a cold oven.

Don't try this technique with lobster like my Brighton Beach Brooklyn grandmother did. She put two lobsters in a vat of cold water and turned on the gas burner to high. They crawled out! She stood on a kitchen chair screaming for my grandfather.

Don't say it. I know what you're thinking: that apples don't fall far from the tree. True. When we first moved in I woke up my husband one Sunday morning to see the scariest bug alive. He came downstairs and picked it up. It was made of plastic.

Waffle Day

Tomorrow is waffle day. I'm going to join in the fun with mixed grain sourdough waffles, for breakfast.

Delightful Spaghetti Sauce

We enjoy living on this.

It's very simple to make.

Simmer all day in slow cooker:

fresh garlic sauteed in extra virgin olive oil

3 large cans of crushed tomatoes

2 cans of chopped black olives

1 small can of tomato paste

3-6 stalks chopped celery

3-6 chopped carrots

2 bay leaves

basil

oregano

parsley

red chili pepper

optional: A splash of robust red wine if you have it.

Hummus to live for

The secret to great hummus is soaking and cooking your own 1 pound bag of chick peas and then drain the excess liquid and SAVE IT for soups or breads. Add freshly squeezed lemon juice, (three lemons worth) and fresh garlic cloves, some powdered cumin, kosher salt and sesame tahini. BLEND. Use a potato masher or blender or food processor to merge the ingredients. Enjoy with pita bread or carrots. You can freeze the extra for another day.

Woonsocket: Cupcake City

Brainstorming with librarians about decorating cupcakes for April vacation. It would be great to get the public officials involved. The Mayor's Cupcake, the Fire Chief's Cupcake, the Building Inspector's cupcake, the Chief of Police's cupcake. You get the idea. I've volunteered to photograph them.

Triggers and Cravings

“Triggers are the same for everyone,” says Martinez. “These are stress, boredom and anxiety.” You may be binging to soothe yourself, but you’ll suffer after you finish. Identify your triggers and make a plan to deal with each of them. For instance, if you eat when you’re bored, structure your time more by deciding what you’ll do next before you start the task at hand. For stress and anxiety, try using coping mechanisms like meditation, walking, talking with a friend or reading a book.
article

Delish Fast Lunch

Tuna and small white beans and robust red wine vinegar. Delish and fast.

Peanut Brittle

1 cup Agave nectar
1/3 cup coconut oil
1 1/2 cup roasted peanuts
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Measure agave and coconut oil into a small to medium sized pot. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the peanuts. Stir continually for 20-30 minutes until you’ve reached hard crack temperature (300F). Remove from heat and stir in salt and baking soda. It will be very frothy so be careful that it doesn’t bubble over. Pour onto a Silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Put into freezer for two hours to cool. Once cool, break into pieces. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!


http://cooklisacook.blogspot.com/2012/02/healthier-peanut-brittle.html

Starts and Ends

I have discovered I like Nutella on toast or a digestive biscuit for breakfast with coffee.
I also like a small jam jar of home made India Pale Ale before supper.
I know what you're thinking.
It's all downhill from here.

Dawn Lerman's Love in a Bowl of Soup

Article
http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017934-mushroom-barley-soup

Hazelnut Joy Churros

I finally bought NUTELLA yesterday at Job Lot and spread it on my toast at 4AM this morning. My friend Andi told me about it. It was excellent with coffee. It was like Spanish churros.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/churros-and-hot-chocolate-recipe.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Churro
http://theprisma.co.uk/2011/07/17/churros-a-secret-history/

BORSCHT: Black Beans and Beets

We're still eating the crazy borscht I made from bok choy and beets and carrots. I added it to the back beans and rice and turnips. Yum!

Snow Day: Second Breakfast

Smashed twice-baked olive oil and vinegar potatoes with fried eggs hatched on our street and BARRY'S Irish Breakfast tea.

SNOW DAY HURRAY!!!

Impatient Almond Joy

Toasted almonds, sweetened cocoanut, and semi sweet chocolate morsels.

Spaghetti and Home Made Red Sauce

Home made tomato sauce on top of old fashioned white pasta was so delicious we ate it for dinner two nights in a row.

Borscht and Humus!

A colorful lunch.

Leave the CLOCKS ALONE!

I prefer daylight wasting time.
http://www.standardtime.com/

This is how it goes:

Woke at 3:00 because alarm goes off at 4 Lily comes in to wake us. After making Bill's breakfast and lunch I walked Lily. I came home and boiled soaked black beans and then dumped all the leftover rice and spinach and roasted veggies in with olive oil and it became a soup. Then I boiled the soaked chick peas and took them away from the liquid for making humus (later). I boiled 4 pounds of beets in the chick peas broth. SMELLS LIKE DIRT!! I baked six pounds of potatoes to SMASH and add salt and olive oil and pepper and malt vinegar (a knish without fussy pastry!) Baked four fennel herbed flat bread to crisp-crackers. Hazards of work at home. I hope to BICYCLE to grocery store for lemons.

Ravenous Runners Saturdays at Noon

Woonsocket Rhode Island

Shepherd's Pie on Saturn!

Tonight I took all of my leftovers and layers them into a shepherd's pie. The bottom layer was leftover cooked rice and wheat berries, the next layer was roasted root vegetables, and the top layer was spinach roasted garlic sun dried tomatoes and white beans goop. A shepherd's pie on Saturn!

Picnic Freak

I am a picnic freak. I don't go far, just into my backyard but eating and writing outdoors is my "retreat".

Gordon Ramsey's Scrambled Eggs are a Hit

I use Greek yogurt in place of creme fraiche.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUP7U5vTMM0
We've made them three times since learning last week.

Tuna Melts in the Oven

Tuna Melt Burger

This recipe comes to us from The Texas A&M University System’s Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program.
Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Drain tuna and break the meat apart with a fork.
Wash and chop the celery and dice the cheese.
Mix tuna, celery, cheese, light mayonnaise, dried onion, salt and pepper into a medium mixing bowl with a wooden spoon.
Spread tuna mixture on 6 of the pieces of whole wheat bread and place a single slice of bread on top of each (making a total of 6 sandwiches).
Put each sandwich on a square of aluminum foil, then wrap the foil around sandwiches, folding edges securely.
Bake about 20 minutes or until hot in the middle. Cool slightly before serving.

Reviving the Flaming Tea Ceremony by Miriam Leberstein

Article by Miriam Leberstein

Chef Michael Smith's Slow-Baked Salmon with Honey Mustard Glaze

Recipe
http://chefmichaelsmith.com/recipe/slow-baked-salmon-honey-mustard-glaze/

Flatbread Friday

Lately every time I set up my dough in loaf pans I also set up pizza dough in pie pans. We LIVE ON BREAD and I blend flours

Flatbreads: Scrumptious Sustenance From Around the World
May 22, 2012

Cooking with Master ChefsIn COOKING WITH MASTER CHEFS, Julia Child visits sixteen nationally acclaimed master chefs in their own kitchens. Each chef demonstrates distinct techniques, regional recipes, and culinary tips which guide home cooks through their favorite recipes. Expertly preparing each dish and teaching with passion along the way, the master chefs offer the viewer a unique and inspirational learning experience.

While some think of “flatbreads” as exotic, hard-to-make crackers from foreign lands, many bread-loving culinarians realize that there are plenty of quick and delicious snacks from within all the varieties that are becoming rapidly available in U.S. markets and bakeries. The truth is, flatbreads have been popular for centuries all over the world simply because they are easy to produce and even more delicious to eat. From ubiquitous Italian pizzas to lesser-known Indian chapatti, the one food that connects almost all culinary cultures is the simple but flavorful flatbread.

In their infinite variations of shape and form, flatbreads share more than just the delicious aroma of sweet baked grain. Varying in thickness, but typically less than 2 inches high, flatbreads range from fluffy leavened breads to translucent crisp wafers. A substantial part of daily nourishment in many cultures, flatbreads are rustic, irregularly shaped slabs cooked in mass, rather than individually polished loaves reserved for the sophisticated elite. Flatbreads are cooked with a variety of different methods, and each type has its own unique flavor, from the clay-baked, smoky naan to the yeasty, oil-laden focaccia prepared in a conventional oven. While all are flavor-packed and filling on their own–some crisp and crunchy, and others soft and spongy–the unique shape of flatbreads makes them perfect hosts for flavorful dips, spreads, and toppings. A complete flatbread experience gives food lovers a taste of faraway lands without ever boarding a plane.

Developed during some of the earliest ages of mankind, flatbreads reflect the modest resources available around the globe at the time. Heat sources, grains, and techniques differ in neighboring countries. Where the sun is extremely strong in Algeria and Tunisia, flatbreads are sometimes baked in slabs buried beneath the dessert sand. Other cultures prefer open flames, cast-iron skillets, or more conventional ovens. Unlike most breads which rely solely on wheat flour, flatbreads are commonly made from a variety of grains, including corn, rye, oats, millet, rice, and buckwheat. In areas with harsh winters and poor harvests, such as Finland, rye flourishes where other grains would not grow and lends itself well to the bakers’ ovens. Adaptable to any environment, flatbreads remain a reliable source of sustenance for even the most rugged regions.

Flatbreads may seem intricate and exotic, but most of their recipes are quick, simple, and easily translated to succeed in modern home kitchens. Like conventional breads, flatbreads are prepared by combining a few common household ingredients, including flour (of varying types), liquid (in most cases water), salt, and sometimes yeast to create a malleable dough. When the dough is yeasted, it’s likely that it will go through the typical proofing and resting periods of most breads. Doughs without yeast–like traditional Israeli matzoh or Mexican tortillas–never proof, skipping directly to the shaping process before entering ovens or skillets. When it comes to baking, traditionalists may prefer indigenous stone or clay ovens for preparing authentic flatbreads, but standard ovens can easily suffice. Baking naan without a Tandoori clay oven? Home chefs can insert quarry tiles into their everyday ovens to reach the desired smoking-hot temperature necessary for this scrumptious snack. Even easier, Indian chapatti or Mexican tortillas cook easily in a cast-iron skillet or non-stick pan. Originally created as an economical food source in a world with an ever-present fuel shortage, thin savory flatbreads cook quickly, making them wonderful, wholesome snacking solutions for our modern, time-starved culture.

The staff of life in many foreign lands, flatbreads are cropping up in American households. The recipes have survived hundreds of years of baking heritage not only because they’re economical, but also mostly because they’re versatile and great to eat. Fast, easy, and nutritious, there are few snack foods that match flatbreads in convenience, flavor, and historical significance. Pick up a pita, nibble on some naan, or munch on some matzoh–remember, the whole world is with you on this one!

http://www.pbs.org/food/features/flatbreads-scrumptious-sustenance-from-around-the-world/

Twice-Baked is the Secret to Life!

Twice baked foods are my favorite:
toast is technically twice baked--( biscotti)
potatoes, (Chef Michael Smith's smashed potatoes)http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2016/01/spaghetti-pie-with-pecorino-and-black-pepper/
spaghetti (spaghetti pie)http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2016/01/spaghetti-pie-with-pecorino-and-black-pepper/

Friday Baking Day

Happiness abounds. I just made my multi-grain sourdough and herbed flatbread dough. Will bake them all later. I can't wait to make Chef Michael's smashed and twice baked potatoes again. It's my addiction I could LIVE ON THEM Especially today when it is 30 degrees out and raw and cloudy. Snowing on Martha's Vineyard. Those lucky ducks. I feel snow deprived.

People always remark at my love of food versus desserts when I am at a party or a banquet. I love real food over desserts any day. Eggplant, Spinach pie, Hummus, Guacamole, Salsa, bring it on.

Fast Pizza

Toast terrific bread preferably homemade sourdough, lather slices with Greek yogurt (as cheese) on top, chopped red onions, olives, freshly ground pepper, cholula, salt.

Sexy Scrambled Eggs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUP7U5vTMM0

Fast Winter Day Salad

Tuna, white beans, kidney beans, celery, red onion, Adobo, olives, roasted red peppers sliced small for color, honey mustard vinagrette, frozen corn. Sometimes I add sundried tomatoes.
Delicious, fast, healthy. COLORFUL!

Chef Michael Smith Lemon Fennel Slaw

I tell everyone to watch Chef Michael on PBS and get his books. He is AMAZING. My favorite Chef.

Lemon Fennel Slaw
Chef Michael Smith By Chef Michael Smith
http://chefmichaelsmith.com/recipe/lemon-fennel-slaw/?platform=hootsuite


This salad really shows off why fennel is one of my favourite vegetables. It’s loaded with crisp sweetness and subtle licorice flavours. Try it. Its simplicity will blow you away! It’ll soon be one of your favourites too.

Yield: Serves 2 - 4
Ingredients

1 bulb fennel
1/2 lemon, zest and juice
1 tablespoon honey
a few splashes olive oil
a sprinkle or two sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Procedure

Remove the stalks from the top of the fennel bulb. Cut the head in half through the core. Carefully trim out the woody core and then slice the remaining bulb as thinly as possible. Alternatively, shred it through the large holes of a box grater.

Whisk the lemon zest and juice, honey, olive oil and salt and pepper together in a nice salad bowl. Toss with the fennel and then grab some forks!

Specialty kitchen stores sell a fancy French slicing tool known as a mandolin which the pros use to slice fennel, onions and potatoes paper thin. It’s nice to have one, but if you don’t 'no worries' the salad still tastes awesome.

Variation

For lots of fresh herb flavour, toss a handful of cool mint leaves, sharply sliced chives or aromatic basil leaves into the salad. You can also toss in the feathery fronds from the top of the fennel. This salad may be made well in advance and tossed again at the last second. Its texture will soften a bit but it will still be bright and vibrant.
This recipe:
Side Dishes Vegetarian Veggies

Recipe by
Chef Michael Smith
I’m a FoodTV host, cookbook author and official food ambassador for Prince Edward Island, more importantly I’m a Dad and passionate home cook!

Black & White Rice

Tonight I made a pot of white rice but while it was cooking I decided to throw in the toasted wheat berries I had in a jar on my kitchen counter. This cooked up fast and was excellent with the stir fried sesame seeds and red chili garlic ginger broccoli I made.

Sunflower Seeds: Tryptophan, Serotonin, Selenium

Top Three Reasons to Eat Raw Sunflower Seeds Now

by Hicham Chraibi

Some think raw sunflower seeds are for the birds, and it’s true that feathered friends love these little treats. But it’s surprising just how much these power-packed little kernels can bring to the table for humans, including improved moods, nutrition, and taste. There are plenty of great reasons to consider adding them to your diet today – while saving some for the birds, of course.

Sunflower seeds are nutritious
Whether roasted or raw, they provide ample amounts of protein-building amino acids, along with magnesium, potassium, zinc and Vitamin E. In fact, a quarter-cup serving provides 90 percent of daily Vitamin E requirements, which helps prevent asthma, arthritis, colon cancer and cardiovascular disease. Magnesium promotes a healthy immune system and strong bones, potassium improves kidney functioning, and zinc supports healthy overall growth. Even when roasted, these kernels lose only a minimal amount of vitamins and minerals, and still pack a powerful health punch.

Sunflower seeds taste great
Even those who don’t like raw sunflower seeds might enjoy them roasted or covered in chocolate. They are a tasty, easily portable snack for healthy eaters on the go, yet versatile enough for use in gourmet dishes. Whether used as a topping or baked right into the dish, they are a great addition to salads, breads, fish, pasta and vegetables. Salted sunflower seeds provide extra flavor, but can also increase cholesterol significantly. For that reason, unsalted sunflower seeds provide the maximum health benefit and can still add texture to many recipes.

Sunflower seeds make you happy
These kernels contain tryptophan, an amino acid that helps create the neurotransmitter serotonin. In turn, serotonin eases tension, relaxes nerves and prevents depression. There is also a plentiful supply of selenium, a nutrient believed to lighten a mood almost instantaneously. That’s a powerful perk for such an easy-to-use snack. They are versatile, healthy and tasty, not to mention budget-friendly, so your wallet will be happy too. Health, flavor and happiness – what more could you want? Try a pack and you’ll know this tasty snack is not just for the birds!
Hicham Chraibi is a Food Scientist at Superior Nut Company, a successful nut, candy & chocolate manufacturer based in Massachusetts since 1929. http://www.superiornut.com/

Monica's: The Yummy Life

I believe you can’t have too many cook books.
I believe you can’t subscribe to too many cooking magazines.
I believe you can’t have too many kitchen gadgets or dishes.
I believe you can’t have too many baskets or containers.

Monica, founder of The Yummy Life

Carrot Ginger Lentil Barley Wheatberry Soup

I've had a 1/2 gallon of vegetable stock I saved from steaming potatoes and broccoli and it was crying out to be used. We are due to grocery shop so I didn't think I could come up with a soup dinner but I started with boiling a cup of barley and then I peeled all of the carrots I had which was two pounds. I found celery and chopped five stalks. I added a knob of ginger root and peeled six cloves of garlic. I added Adobo and olive oil and kosher salt, and a pound of lentils, and a 1/2 cup of toasted wheat berries I baked this morning. I had to sample a bowl and it is magnifique! It's simmering in the slow cooker at 225 degrees.

Mushroom Barley Soup

Zingerman's Ann Arbor Mushroom and Barley Soup
by Joan Nathan September 1998 Jewish Cooking in America

When I first heard about Ari Weinzweig's delicatessen in Ann Arbor, Michigan, I couldn't believe it. A deli in the home of my alma mater. It's not really a deli but more of an international food emporium like New York's Zabar's with a definite Jewish touch. Mr. Weinzweig, a drop-out Ph.D. candidate, has taken an academic and appetizing interest in updating Jewish recipes like mushroom and barley soup, going back in history to the nineteenth-century Eastern European version similar to that served at New York's Second Avenue Deli.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings (P) or (M)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons dried porcini mushrooms
2 tablespoons margarine
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 ribs celery with leaves, diced
1/4 cup parsley
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound fresh porcini or other mushrooms
1 tablespoon flour
2 quarts beef broth or water
1 cup whole barley
2 teaspoons salt

Preparation

1. Soak the mushrooms in enough hot water to cover for a half hour. Strain through a filter. Reserve the water.
2. Coarsely chop the dried mushrooms.
3. Melt the margarine in a stockpot and sauté the onion, celery, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, carrot, garlic, and fresh mushrooms until soft, about 5 minutes.
4. Lower the heat and add the flour, stirring every 30 seconds for about 5 minutes or until thick.
5. In a soup pot heat the broth or water. Add a cup of mushroom mixture at a time to the pot, stirring.
6. Turn the heat to high, and add the reserved mushroom water and barley. Stir well and add salt to taste.
7. Simmer, covered, for about an hour or until the barley is tender and the soup is thickened, stirring often.
8. Add additional chopped parsley, mix thoroughly, and adjust seasonings.

Reprinted with permission from Jewish Cooking in America by Joan Nathan. © 1998 Knopf /n
Nutritional Info

Calories234
Carbohydrates37 g(12%)
Fat5 g(8%)
Protein13 g(26%)
Saturated Fat1 g(5%)
Sodium1468 mg(61%)
Polyunsaturated Fat2 g
Fiber7 g(29%)
Monounsaturated Fat2 g

per serving (6 servings)

Vegetarian Chili

Tofu Chili

Serves 6
Tofu works well in chili, absorbing flavors and mimicking the texture of meat. Add a small jalapeño pepper to spice it up a bit. Serve chili piping hot in bowls, over steamed brown rice, if you like.

Ingredients:

1 (14-ounce) package extra-firm tofu, drained
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 small jalapeño, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
2 cups fresh or frozen corn
1 1/2 cup gluten-free vegetable broth or water
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with their liquid
1 (14-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
Salt or gluten-free tamari, to taste

Method:
Arrange tofu on a large plate lined with 3 or 4 paper towels and top with more paper towels. Press firmly to release as much water as possible from the tofu. Discard paper towels, crumble tofu and set aside.

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium high heat. Add pepper, onion, jalapeño and corn and cook for 5 minutes. Add broth, beans, crumbled tofu, tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin and salt or tamari and stir well. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered or partially covered, stirring occasionally, until thickened and flavors have melded, about 45 minutes. Ladle chili into bowls and serve.
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/tofu-chili
Nutritional Info:
Per Serving: 280 calories (90 from fat), 10g total fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 920mg sodium, 35g carbohydrates, (7 g dietary fiber, 9g sugar), 16g protein.

Carrot Ginger Soup

Serves 4
Freshly grated ginger gives this sweet carrot puree a hint of heat and flavor. For some crunch, add a garnish of toasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds.

Ingredients:

4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, divided
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
1 pound carrots, coarsely chopped
1 medium Yukon Gold potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon sliced fresh chives

Method:
Heat 1/2 cup broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until tender, about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in ginger, carrots, potato and remaining broth and heat to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook 25 minutes or until vegetables are tender. In batches, carefully puree in a blender. Add water or broth if needed to thin to desired consistency. Reheat soup if necessary. Stir in lemon juice and garnish with chives.
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/carrot-ginger-soup
Nutritional Info:
Per Serving: 130 calories (5 from fat), 220mg sodium, 28g carbohydrates, (5 g dietary fiber, 9g sugar), 3g protein.

Pumpkin Pecan Cookies

Makes about 30 cookies
Toasted pecans are the foundation of this spiced oat cookie, sprinkled with cinnamon and cloves and scented with orange juice and zest. These cookies are tough to resist fresh from the oven...so don't. Dig in when they're warm, or store them for snacking later.

Ingredients:

2 cups pecans, toasted and cooled
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cup puréed pumpkin
1 tablespoon orange zest (from 2 small oranges)
3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (from 3 small oranges)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup chopped, pitted dates

Method:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Put pecans and oats in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until a fine meal forms, about 25 times. Add flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves and pulse another 20 times to combine all the ingredients. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Add pumpkin, orange zest, orange juice, vanilla extract and dates to the food processor. Blend until a smooth puree forms, scraping the sides down occasionally, about 1 minute. Form a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Scrape the pumpkin mixture into the well and fold all the ingredients together with a large spatula.

Scoop little heaps (about 2 tablespoons) of batter onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 1/2 inches apart. Flatten the batter slightly. Bake 20 minutes, until the bottoms are just browned. Remove to a cooling rack and cool slightly before serving. Store in an airtight container.

Nutritional Info:
Per Serving: Serving size: 1 cookie, 100 calories (50 from fat), 6g total fat, 0.5g saturated fat, 80mg sodium, 11g carbohydrates, (2 g dietary fiber, 5g sugar), 2g protein.
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/pumpkin-pecan-cookies

Wheatena

When I discovered I could make my own Wheatena cereal I was ecstatic. The results were a million times tastier than the store bought cereal. It's so simple. Place a thin layer of wheat berries on a baking pan. Put them in a 350 degree oven. As they bake take a spatula and redistribute the berries so they get toasted evenly and they don't burn at the edges of the pan. Stick around, they toast fast and they can burn easily. When the wheat berries darken a bit they are toasted. Let them cool off and then grind them coarsely in a hand cranked grain mill. I don't know myself but it might be possible to grind them in a coffee grinder or a food processor. Boil the cereal in water and salt. Enjoy! You can use the toasted wheat berries in bread and soup too. You can cook up the cereal and serve with vegetables as a supper dish or make a Middle Eastern tabouleh!

Love is Making Pepper Biscuits for a Friend

I doubled the recipe. I mixed up the dough last night to bake fresh at dawn. These are better than kisses!

Reposted:
I will make these a few hundred more times. I could have a bakery based on wine and pepper biscotti and my bread.
Delicious!!
If you fall in love with these, you will want to double the recipe.

Biscotti Di Pepe - Taralli - Italian Pepper Biscuits

By DeSouter

A great hard biscuit with a twinge of hotness! A staple in Italian delis and "pastosas".

1 (1/4 ounce) package dry yeast (equals 2 and 1/4 teaspoons)
1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees) (I used 1/2 cup of my liquidy sourdough starter)
2 cups flour (I used half whole wheat and half bread flour)
1/2 teaspoon salt (I used a heaping teaspoon of Kosher salt)
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper (I used twice that, cracking the peppercorns myself)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
(I added a Tablespoon of fennel) thanks to Donna Ruzzano who grew up on Da Hill!

Directions

Dissolve yeast in water.
Sift flour salt and pepper onto mixing board.
Make a well in the center and add yeast and oil.
Blend together and gradually incorporate into flour.
The dough will be stiff.
Knead 10 minutes.
Place in oiled bowl, turn to coat, cover with towel and let rise until doubled in bulk.
Preheat oven to 375º.
Break off small pieces of dough and roll into ropes about 6 inches long. (I baked mine straight like bread sticks or cigars)
Form a ring and pinch edges together.
Place on baking sheet and let rise 20 minutes.
Brush with oil and bake 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. (I had to double the baking time)
(I turned the pepper biscuits over halfway through the baking time so they could gently brown on the other side)

THEY WERE FANTASTIC!!!!!
NOTE: My husband pointed out that the reason why I needed to add salt pepper and increase baking time from the recipe was because I used one cup of whole wheat flour instead of white flour and this increased the oil content and need for more spices and salt.
Don't be afraid to pinch a taste of the raw dough to test seasonings.

Quick and Easy Pizza Crust

"This is a great recipe when you don't want to wait for the dough to rise. You just mix it and allow it to rest for 5 minutes and then it's ready to go!! It yields a soft, chewy crust. For a real treat, I recommend you use bread flour and bake it on a pizza stone, but all-purpose flour works well too. Enjoy!"

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
Stir in flour, salt and oil. Beat until smooth. Let rest for 5 minutes.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round. Transfer crust to a lightly greased pizza pan or baker's peel dusted with cornmeal. Spread with desired toppings and bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let baked pizza cool for 5 minutes before serving.

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast (Fleishmann's Instant Yeast NOT Quick rise)

1 teaspoon white sugar or more if using whole wheat

1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)(wrist temperature)

2 1/2 cups bread flour (half whole wheat)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil


adapted from original source

The Daily Miracle

If there was a cooking show where a nearly empty fridge was on stage with random items and the contestant had to make a meal meal I would play. This is my life and I have become quite good at it. "Stone soup every night, the nightly miracle!" I say to my husband laughing. We have been in the bunker mentality for a decade. "We can't go back, we're just like our grandparents now, having survived the Great Depression. I always wanted to be a modern day MFK Fisher." I tell him.

Cocoa Black Pepper Cookies

Source: Martha Stewart Living, November 1998
Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon finely ground pepper, plus more for sprinkling
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon good-quality instant espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Coarse sanding sugar, for rolling

Directions

Sift together flour, cocoa powder, salt, pepper, espresso powder, and cinnamon into a large bowl; set aside.

Put butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined.

Turn out dough onto a piece of parchment paper, and roll into a 2-inch-diameter log. Roll log in the parchment. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove log from parchment paper. Let soften slightly at room temperature, about 5 minutes. Roll log in sanding sugar, gently pressing down to adhere sugar to dough. Transfer log to a cutting board, and slice into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Place rounds on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 1 inch apart. Sprinkle each round with freshly ground pepper.

Bake cookies until there is slight resistance when you lightly touch centers, about 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 2 days.

http://www.marthastewart.com/315946/chocolate-black-pepper-cookies

Comfort me with Mashed Potatoes and Broccoli

2 pounds Idaho or Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled
Kosher salt, to taste
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper

Pour enough cold water over the potatoes in a large saucepan to cover them by a few inches. Season the water with salt, and bring to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are tender but still hold their shape, about 30 to 40 minutes, depending on their size. Drain, and let stand until cool enough to handle.

Peel the potatoes, and pass them through a ricer or a food mill with a fine disk. Gently stir in the olive oil, and season them to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

For a variation, toast three garlic cloves in olive oil in a large skillet, then let cool to room temperature before adding to the riced potatoes.

http://lidiasitaly.com/recipes/olive-oil-mashed-potatoes-2/

I fished out the potatoes from the boiling water when they were done (30 minutes). I saved the potato water to blanched 4 heads of broccoli chopped into flowerettes fishing them out when the water came back to boil. I saved the stock for a future soup. Then I mashed the cooked potatoes with their skins on, adding extra virgin olive oil and a dash of milk and a dash of the broccoli potato water. I added Adobo and Kosher salt.

Mobile Chef

I wish I could drive around town and just cook out of my own mobile kitchen.

Sourdough Pizza Crust

King Arthur

Sourdough pizza crust? Well, why not? For one thing, this crust can go from quite sour to "can't even tell it's sourdough," depending on how recently you've fed your starter. And even if you want very little (or no) tang, the vigor of the starter enhances the pizza dough's rise. Even the merest hint of tang comes across as rich flavor, which marries beautifully with the usual pizza toppings of tomato, cheese, veggies, and meat.

We've been looking for ways to use the "extra" cup of starter, the one you're directed to discard with each feeding; this is another good solution for you thrifty bakers who hate to throw anything away.

1 cup sourdough starter, unfed (straight from the fridge)
1/2 cup hot tap water
2 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour or Bread Flour*
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast Fleishmann's*

Irish Steel Cut Oats

Irish oats are the best on zero degree days.

We buy Northern Gold Steel Cut Oats for a bargain at PRICERITE.

Northern Gold Steel Cut Oats are 100% whole grain and are selected and toasted in old world style for exceptional flavor and quality. It’s a nutritious way to start the day with a bowl of oatmeal or use as ingredients in your favorite cooking recipe.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup shortening
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 cups (12 oz package) semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups uncooked Northern Gold Steel Cut Oats
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation:
Sift flour with salt and soda. Cream shortening and sugars; beat in eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy. Stir in sifted dry ingredients, Northern Gold Steel Cut Oats, and chocolate chips. Drop cookie batter by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake chocolate chip cookies in a preheated 350° oven for about 10 to 12 minutes; cool on racks. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Baking Apple Crisp

We had a refrigerator drawer full of apples that need to be cooked. I greased two skillets and started coring and chopping. I filled two greased skillets with chopped apples, then I made an improvised topping with rolled oats, wheat flour, corn meal, sugar, corn oil, and salt and poured it on top of the apples. They baked for an hour at 350 F.

Beer Here Now

We discovered an excellent local brewery practically on our street and sampled their creations at their tasting. They're open Thursdays 4-7 and Saturdays 1-4. It's a real MAN CAVE environment. Feels like a speakeasy. The place smells just like the milking barn at Wright's Dairy Farm. They use the same sanitizer!

The problem with the world is that everyone is a few drinks behind.
– Humphrey Bogart

Always do sober what you said you would do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut.
– Ernest Hemingway

Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.
– Benjamin Franklin

He is a wise man who invented beer.
– Plato

I feel sorry for people who don’t drink. When they wake up in the morning, that’s as good as they’re going to feel all day.
– Frank Sinatra

Give me a woman who loves beer and I will conquer the world.
– Kaiser Wilhelm

I would kill everyone in this room for a drop of sweet beer.
– Homer Simpson

Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza.
– Dave Barry

24 hours in a day, 24 beers in a case. Coincidence?
– Stephen Wright

Everybody has to believe in something…..I believe I’ll have another drink.
– W.C. Fields

May your glass be ever full. May the roof over your head be always strong. And may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you’re dead.
– Irish Toast

You can’t be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline – it helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer.
– Frank Zappa

I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts, and beer. – Abraham Lincoln

An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools.
– Ernest Hemingway, For Whom the Bell Tolls

Always remember that I have taken more out of alcohol than alcohol has taken out of me.
– Winston Churchill

Ah, beer. The cause of and the solution to all of life’s problems.
– Homer Simpson

Beer makes you feel the way you ought to feel without beer.
– Henry Lawson

I would give all my fame for a pot of ale and safety.
– Shakespeare, Henry V

God made yeast, as well as dough, and loves fermentation just as dearly as he loves vegetation.
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Sesame Noodles with Napa Cabbage

This easy dish is equally good hot or cold, and leftovers make a great lunch.

3 Tbs. peanut butter
2 Tbs. roasted sesame oil
2 Tbs. soy sauce
2 Tbs. sherry or mirin (rice wine)
1 Tbs. rice vinegar
1 Tbs. sugar
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes or ½ tsp. chile sauce
10 oz. long noodles, such as udon or spaghetti
½ lb. napa cabbage, shredded (about 4 cups)
¼ cup chopped cilantro

Whisk together peanut butter, sesame oil, soy sauce, sherry, vinegar, sugar and red pepper flakes in saucepan.
Cook noodles according to package directions.
Meanwhile, place cabbage in colander over sink. Warm sauce over medium-low heat.
Drain noodles over cabbage in colander to wilt cabbage. Transfer noodles and cabbage to serving bowl, add sauce, and toss until combined.
Sprinkle with cilantro, and serve.

http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/sesame-noodles-with-napa-cabbage/

Oatapaluza

I made granola, hot Irish oats and now apple pie with oat topping.

Roasted Cauliflower with Spinach and Carrots on Multigrain Linguini

My suppers are always unplanned adventures. Last night I chopped up a head of cauliflower to saute in olive oil. I boiled a pound of wholegrain linguini. I was worried about the lack of color. So I added chopped carrots and spinach to the cauliflower then I sprinkled Adobo on it. It was fantastic.

Corn tortilla Cholula and Cheese Grilled

Eaten with ripe avocado and red onion.

Save the world with Soba Noodles

I really believe we can save the world by sharing food, music and poetry!

recipe

Rice and Broccoli

Nothing like shoveling to sharpen the appetite. Lily and I walked downtown to return a movie at the library. Steve had carved a spot in the snow for Lily to sit while I ran in. I kissed Lily and my lipstick made a red print on her white snout. A lady noticed. I was so happy that the sidewalks were plowed. AMEN for pedestrian walkways. When we returned home I shoveled paths through my little and big yards and I hung up my wet laundry in our boiler room. Then I set out to make lunch from leftover rice and fresh broccoli sauteed in olive oil and Adobo.

"We can feed the neighborhood now!"

We bought a 25 pound bag of rice today. I thought "We can feed the neighborhood now!"

New Painting to Share

Here

Tuna Salad with Friends

2 cans of white tuna, 1 pound of chick peas cooked, 1 pound wholegrain elbows, chopped red onion, sliced sun dried tomato, chopped dill pickles. Olive oil, mayo, pickle juice, Adob,o Cajun spice, and chopped celery. Eaten with hard cooked eggs.

Baked Rice

I find the best way to cook rice is to bake it covered in a heavy pot in the oven rather than simmer it on the stove.

Chef Michael Smith "World's Tallest Freestanding Chef"

If you haven't experienced Chef Michael Smith you are missing out on my favorite new chef.

The Inn Chef: Creative Ingredients, Sensational Flavor

Open Kitchen: a Chef's Day at The Inn at Bay Fortune

Chef at Home: Cooking Without a Recipe

The Best of Chef at Home: Essential Recipes for Today's Kitchen

Chef Michael Smith's Kitchen: 100 of my Favourite Easy Recipes

Chef Michael Smith: Fast Flavours 110 Simple Speedy Recipes

Chef Michael Smith: Back to Basics 100 Simple Classic Recipes with a Twist

Chef Michael Smith: Family Meals

Michael Smith: Make Ahead Meals

Three Spaghetti Squashes

Yesterday I baked three spaghetti squashes. I didn't to anything except place them in a 350 degree oven, whole. When they were done I cut them in half and took out the seeds. Normally I slice them and de-seed them first but I wanted to try the lazy method. Both methods work. I also roasted the seeds and ate them. I sauteed spinach in garlic and olive oil and ate it with the spaghetti squash.

I LOVE Pancakes

Monday morning pancakes:

1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour
2 Tbs sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 rounded tsp Kosher salt
2 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 Tbsp corn oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs

I find that making pancakes is meditative. I don't like anything on mine. The batch makes a lot. Save the leftovers in fridge or freezer for quick meals. Warm in the toaster or freezer. Have fun blending flours if you are inclined: buckwheat flour, oats flour, whole wheat flour, corn meal.

Whole Wheat Dutch Baby Pancakes Recipe

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup milk
3 eggs
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour*
dash of salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a cast iron pan (I did this by placing the pan in the oven while it preheats). Mix all ingredients together in a mixing bowl until frothy. Do not over beat. Pour batter into the pan and cook for 17 minutes.
Slice and serve with fruit and maple syrup.

Notes

Serves four.

You can use a mixture of oat flour and whole wheat pastry flour or use all whole wheat.

http://www.thevintagemixer.com/2014/03/whole-wheat-dutch-baby-pancake-recipe/

Home Made Coffee Yogurt

Take a cup of low-fat or fat free plain yogurt. Add a dash of cold coffee and a teaspoon molasses. Stir and enjoy.

Saturday

I woke at 3:15 am after going to sleep at 7PM. As I was putting on my blue jeans I got a pain spasm shooting through my hip and thigh. No matter which way I turned it was unrelenting agony. I started wailing. I became dizzy and nauseous from the pain. I woke up my husband. He wanted to call 911. He was thinking I fractured my hip. I pictured a troop of Emergency Medical Technicians climbing up three flights of stairs, taking me down on a stretcher, and over to the hospital. "No way," I thought.

I got up and went downstairs very slowly and made coffee, and took a shower. I had to be presentable to the EMT's just in case. At 8AM I called my Dr's answering service and got an appointment for ten thirty.

After examining my leg, the doctor said that I pulled a groin muscle. I realized it was the perfect storm: shoveling running dog walking and most of all my not-swimming due to skin surgery. Oy!

She prescribed 800 milligrams of Ibuprofen three times a day for ten days and a muscle relaxant so I can sleep tonight.

She suggested physical therapy but I said I probably won't need it because the pool will straighten me out. "No frog kick!" she said.

I feel like I am 100 years old. But the Ibuprofen is just kicking in!

Thursday evening Bill and I attended a function. There was a buffet supper made up of meatballs, gnocchi and eggplant lasagna. The food was ready at 6PM but sat on sterno trays for four hours. Apparently just enough time to grow a hearty infestation of bacteria. I wonder how many people spent Friday being as sick as us.

Be healthy everyone, Count your blessings!

Buffet of Food Posioning

We went to an event that had food sitting on Sterno trays for 3-4 hours before anyone was served. After we got sick we realized this was very dangerous.

Ready Set Joe

I'm back to my one cup drip brewing for coffee. Since I only drink one cup a day it seems right to have it be fresh. I preheat my thermal mug and preheat the milk. Hot Rocks!

Roasted Fennel

Chop fennel and roast with olive oil and salt add sun-dried tomatoes.

I Treat Chocolate, Sugar and Meat as Spices

I have been blessed with a sensitive system. My maternal grandfather and mother also had sensitive stomachs. Unfortunately they ignored their symptoms and ended up losing vital body parts (gallbladder and part of stomach). I know that oily or fried foods will have me doubled over in agony if I eat them on an empty stomach or if I don't cut them with strongly acidic foods like citrus fruit, vinegar, pickled foods, coffee (light roast), black tea (with milk), or seltzer.
Most sugary, chocolatey foods are not in my repertoire. I love meat as a spice blended with 90 percent vegetables.

Churros: Eating Chocolate the Spanish way by Alejandra Garcia

I grew up in the southern United States thinking that chocolate was a treat associated exclusively with dessert. Now living in Spain, I haven't found it hard to adjust — especially to one specific traditional practice: eating chocolate the Spanish way.

Drinking chocolate, white chocolate truffles, hazelnut-chocolate muffins — the Spanish love it all. Small children, for example, snack on chocolate sandwiches, made with bread in the shape of a hot dog bun filled with chocolate paste.

Spain has taught me to eat chocolate for breakfast. The Spanish go out at night until the wee hours of the morning, and then have a cup of chocolate for breakfast on their way home, before going to sleep.

Born in Lima, Peru, and raised in both Kentucky and North Carolina, Alejandra Garcia has mastered the arts of ceviche, sweet tea and saying "y'all." She currently lives in Marbella, Spain, and works as an editor for the Spanish lifestyle magazine Absolute Marbella.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99259513

Instant Breakfast Cocoa Biscotti

Make toast preferably homemade and dip into a paste: teasp. cocoa powder, teasp. molasses or sugar, and a Tbsp water heated to a dissolved paste. Optional: add cinnamon and weensy bit of salt.

Pallavi Gupta: Pumpkin Almond Biscotti

Pumpkin Almond Biscotti

Rather than compliment the pumpkin base with the classic spice pairing these biscotti offset the autumnal flavor with almond meal and a chocolate drizzle.
Pallavi Gupta
24 cookies
Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
¾ cup brown sugar
¾ cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
¼ cup butter (or oil)
¾ cup almond meal (ground almond)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup dark chocolate, for drizzling

Instructions

In a bowl mix together flour and baking powder, keep aside.
In a large bowl cream butter and sugar till the mixture turns pale. Add the egg and mix well.
Add pumpkin puree & vanilla and stir till its mixed well into the butter, sugar and egg mixture.
Mix in the almond meal.
Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix with a spatula till it comes together as a sticky dough.
Turn the dough out on a floured surface and using your hands form it into a ball.
Divide the ball into two equal parts and transfer onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper.
Keep them at-least 4 inch apart. Shape each dough into a 6 inch log shape, flatten the top with your hand.
Bake the logs for 20 to 25 minutes, check if its cooked completely by inserting a toothpick in the center (it should come out clean).
The logs will crack slightly on its surface – its okay. Let the logs cool completely on a rack.
Cut each loaf into ½ inch slice and bake again (on the same baking sheet) for 10 minutes turning the the baking sheet midway.
Cool the biscotti completely before adding the chocolate.
Melt chocolate in the microwave – you want it in a runny consistency.
Drizzle some chocolate using a spoon over the cooled biscotti. Add as much or as less as you want. Let the chocolate set on the biscotti before serving.

Bill Neal and Crooks

Article

Pork, still the meat of choice in the South, made no appearance on the menu, much to my surprise; Mr. Neal, a big pork man, put an oversize fiberglass pig outside Crook's Corner. But don't worry, Mr. Currence assured me, ''it's there in the background of almost every dish: the side meat in the muddle, cracklings in the cornbread and bacon fat in the Country Captain.''

In a recent article in Metro Magazine, a North Carolina monthly, Ms. Neal described Mr. Neal as ''a trendsetter, a driven perfectionist, a seductive charmer and the possessor of a legendary temper.'' He had a Pied Piper quality, one of his protégés recalled, that engendered fierce loyalties.

''The food,'' Ms. Neal insisted, ''the food was always sublime.''

Mr. Neal was an unusually well-read chef, who quoted Eudora Welty and Carson McCullers and Homer in his books, not to mention Mary Randolph, the 19th-century authority on Virginia cooking, who was related to Thomas Jefferson, and André Simon, the 20th-century French-born English authority on wine.

He tirelessly pleaded the cause of his native region's culture. All of it interested him, high and low, new and old.

Actually, Mr. Neal discerned a ''confluence of three cultures -- Western European, African and Native American -- meeting, clashing and ultimately melding into one unique identity, one hybrid society, which was changed forever by civil war in the 1860's.'' The legacy of that society, he wrote, ''is what still makes some of us Southerners -- the architecture, the literature, the food, the continuity of man and nature that shapes our perceptions.''

Over breakfast Thursday morning at Home, a Greenwich Village bistro where Mr. Stehling once worked, the chefs spun yarns about their mentor.

Mr. Stehling brought a tin of beluga caviar. His first trip to New York, he explained, was an eating expedition led by Mr. Neal. From a taxi on the way to the airport, Mr. Neal spotted a Caviarteria sign, jumped from the cab, dashed into the shop, bought some beluga, ran back out and sprinted down the street, catching up to the cab several blocks later. They ate the caviar on the plane, with Mr. Neal passing out samples to passengers sitting nearby.

''That was pure, exuberant Bill Neal,'' Mr. Stehling said.

Mr. Neal refused to hire Mr. and Mrs. Barker because they had degrees from the Culinary Institute of America, preferring to train his employees himself -- from scratch.