Make your own Cream Cheese!

Buy or make plain yogurt. Pour it into a papered cone coffee filter propped over a wide mouth jar. Let drain for a few hours. The yogurts liquid (whey) drains out and what remains is yogurt cream cheese. Keep the whey in the refrigerator for using when making breads, pancakes, waffles or soups. You can even freeze it! Don't waste it! It's full of vitamins! You can sweeten the yogurt cream cheese with honey raisins and cinnamon or make it savory with chives, salt and pepper or just enjoy it plain like sour cream or cream cheese. I like to use local milk! This is really fun and easy for a young child to do.

Caponata

Last night I made Caponata! It was so fast and delicious - perfect for a hyper active impatient cook! I sauteed chopped onions, cubed eggplant, chopped kalamata and regular black olives, tons of fresh garlic cored and chopped-in-salt, sprinkles of red chili flakes, a large can of diced tomatoes, freshly chopped basil, 2 bags of fresh spinach. I usually add chopped celery and Job Lot capers too. I simmered it in my Dutch oven, uncovered, on the stove top. We ate it as a stew for supper with fresh bread and chunks of Romano cheese.

From Wikipedia

Caponata is a Sicilian aubergine dish, a cooked vegetable salad made from chopped fried eggplant and celery seasoned with sweetened vinegar, and capers in a sweet and sour sauce.

[1] Numerous local variations of the ingredients exist with some versions adding olives, carrots and green bell peppers, and others adding potatoes, or pine nuts and raisins. There is even a Palermo version that adds octopus, while an aristocratic Sicilian recipe includes lobster and swordfish garnished with wild asparagus, grated dried tuna roe and shrimp.[2] However, these last examples are exceptions to the general rule of a sweet and sour cooked vegetable stew or salad.

Today, caponata is typically used as a side dish for fish dishes and sometimes as an appetizer, but since the 1700s it has also been used as a main course.

Caponata is an example of the aubergine-tomato combination that is found in many Mediterranean cuisines, such as Provençal ratatouia, Catalan Samfaina, Maltese kapunata and the different moussaka found in the eastern Mediterranean.

Gazpacho Variation

I took my refrigerated leftover yogurt cucumber, red onion, horseradish, raisin salad and mixed it with my cooked spinach pie guts; mushrooms + garlic + spinach, red chili, kalamata olives and I added them together with a quart of leftover steamed kale stock + a large can of diced tomatoes. Fabulous, and best enjoyed at room temperature!

Waffles!

I have been thinking about waffles for a few days. This morning I made them and they were great.

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of sugar
1 1/2 cups of milk
1/3 cup of oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

While the waffle iron is pre-heating whisk wet ingredients in a bowl, and measure out and stir the dry ingredients separately, and then combine them. Share the extras with your dog! Or freeze them to plop in the toaster on a rainy day.

Stone Soup

Anyone can make a great meal with an ample budget! I call them "wallet cooks". We all know what money can buy! I am much more interested in the ingenuity of resourcefulness; stone soup! Techniques poor immigrants have passed down to each other for years; saving stock, cooking in quantity, making soups from bones, cooking with beans and hearty greens, making noodles and dumplings, never wasting a thing. Authentic kitchen ecology! I love finding those family-run markets in the low rent parts of town, with makeshift beef drying on racks, those dangerous-looking places full of authentic, inexpensive, and interesting ingredients.

Asian American Market

Asian American Market
122 North Main St
Woonsocket, RI 02895
(401) 356-0675

A fabulous inexpensive market run by a very sweet family. We love to buy their 25 pound bags of jasmine rice, the 5 heads of garlic for a dollar, fresh ginger root, bouquets of fresh cilantro, limes, Napa cabbage, bean sprouts, gunpowder green tea, bananas, fresh noodles, home dried beef, interesting candies and homemade goodies, fresh tofu! Open every day until 8PM.

Baroody Middle East Bakery

580 Chalkstone Avenue
Providence, RI 02908
(401) 274-0899

We love to go to Baroody's because when we walk in we are in the Middle East! We love to get fig jam made with anise and sesame seeds. We admire the big jars of sesame tahini, large tins of Earl Grey tea, sheets of halavah, troughs of shiny and wrinkly black olives, and the hookas! We love the little Lebanese pizzas and the big blocks of feta cheese. We even check out what music they recommend. It's fun to go at Christmas time to buy holiday gifts.

Sanchez Tortilleria

I love to see how things are made! I once went to Sanchez Family Tortilleria, my favorite Mexican market and tortilleria on 802 Atwells Avenue in Providence, and asked them if I could see the tortilla machine which is nearly always running, making batches of hot fresh tortillas. They took me in the back, and it was amazing to see! There's a conveyor belt running around the room like a large train set. The unbaked tortillas are squeezed out of what looks like the cement mixer you'd see on a truck, but the size of a cow rather than an elephant. The aroma is magnificent. Huge bags of masa harina are piled high! Next time you're there ask to see the back room and while you're there buy some fresh tortillas and Mexican cheeses and chilies. At Christmas time we always ask what traditional Mexican music CD's they recommend and pick up a few of the Sanchez family calendars for the New Year. It's worth a visit!

Apple Season!

An apple pie without the cheese is like a kiss without the squeeze.
-an old saying

Spinach Pies

I found this fabulous review of Jeanette's Pastry (by Eric G, on Yelp!) They make the best spinach pies in RI! I am duplicating them from memory in my kitchen today with some variations. I use whole pitted kalamata olives. I use red hot chili peppers and tons of salted fresh chopped garlic. I buy tons of fresh spinach from Fernandes on High Street Woonsocket, and rinse it and add it to the sauteed garlic and chopped mushrooms. Sometimes I add raisins or balsamic vinegar or chopped onions or leftover red wine for sweetness. if you go to Jeanette's peek in and see their antique built-in wall oven, just like the oven Palmieri's Bakery on Federal Hill used to have!

Jeanette's Pastry
348 Branch Ave
Providence, RI 02904
(401) 521-1440

I love it when tough girls call me "honey".

Any of the short, tomato stained women working here are tough enough to kick your ass, and they all call you "honey". It's sweet and I love them for it.

Spinach Pies and Calzones to die for.
These are loaded with spinach, cheese, garlic, pepperoni, sauteed mushrooms, and a host of other goodies. Several different varieties available. Bonus points for not being pussy with the garlic.

Helpful tips:
They sell out fast! This place is busier than a half-price crackhouse. Try to call ahead. Or pad your schedule so you can wait 20 minutes for the next batch to come out.
Always have a second choice in mind because they might have a run on one item. I saw one lady come in for 20 spinach pies!
Try to get their hours and daily schedule. It can be unpredictable.
Don't get nervous that the interior looks like a front for a bookie joint.

Voted Best in the state, and they earned it.

Mushroom Secret

If you wrap fresh mushrooms in a cloth to go in the refrigerator, they're able to breathe and will last longer. Any cloth will do; an old tea towel, a cloth napkin, a clean orphaned cotton sock, or a cotton pillowcase. Sweet dreams!

Fernandes Market

Fernandes Market in Woonsocket is a cozy little produce shop located on 273 High Street behind Market Square. They are open Monday through Friday 7:30-4:30 and Saturday 7-2. They have a friendly staff and the best and freshest produce at bargain prices. They also sell milk, eggs, meat, and cheeses and have a deli counter. You can special order vegetables too. They recently added a coffee bar. If you live within a 10, 20, or 35 mile radius I urge you to come here to shop!

Butcher Shop Update

My painting, Blind Date, which was hanging in Jamie Sullivan's butcher shop, has been sold! I'll have to fill the gap with another one. Stay tuned!

New Variations

I aim for the least amount of fussing when I bake and cook! Maybe I am also impulsive in the kitchen! For example, last night I cooked two bunches of fresh kale by rinsing, chopping, and tossing them into my large pressure cooker with the steamer tray and a quart of water. I added a few generous dollops of Job Lot extra virgin olive oil and then I threw in a head of garlic whole, unpeeled! I sliced some leftover lemon and threw it in skin, seeds, and all.

After 5 minutes of the pressure regulator rocking, it was cooked. The lemon had spread its flavor throughout. I squeezed the garlic out of the paper skins and stirred the garlic mush into the greens. It was exceptionally delicious, especially with a sprinkle of salt. I saved the liquid for soup!

This has been the summer of coleslaw! I love cabbage! It's cheap and plentiful and delicious to eat, raw or cooked. Last night I made my regular coleslaw but I spiced it up. I added horseradish, chopped roasted red peppers from Job Lot, sliced pepperoncini (also from Job Lot), pimentoed green olives, raisins, and carrots to the mix. It was fabulous!

Celery

Celery, raw
Develops the jaw,
But celery, stewed,
Is more quietly chewed.
-Ogden Nash

Quick Curry

Last night I made another one pot meal using everything that was in my house! I threw it all into the pressure cooker: 3 frozen boneless chicken breasts, 1 cup of raisins, 1 small package of curry powder from the local Asian-American market (made of saffron, chili, cumin, ground cloves, ground coriander seed, and ground anise seed), generous bloops of olive oil, 6 fresh whole cloves of garlic peeled, 1 can of diced tomatoes, 1 bottle of beer, 1 cup of brown rice, a slice of lemon with the rind, a quart of water, 9 red potatoes cubed, and a cup of toasted almonds. I brought it up to steam for 30 minutes. The flavors were very intense, so I added my 4 cups of cold leftover home-cooked chic peas with the liquid for balance. Then I added salt. It was fabulous and it tasted like it had simmered all day!

Peaches

It's peach season in New England. On Sunday we visited The Big Apple in Wrentham Massachusetts and got a half bushel of peaches for a bargain (seconds). We've kept them in the refrigerator so they won't ripen any further. I've been chopping up two at a time and then warming them in the microwave for a minute and adding a teaspoon of honey if they need sweetening. Delicious!

Toasted Almonds

Toast whole almonds in a cast iron skillet at 250 degrees for 45-50 minutes. We buy them in a 25 pound box, wholesale at JAR Baker's Supply in Lincoln RI. We store the raw almonds in the freezer. Try toasting them with a splash of tamari too!

Delicious One Pot Meal

Saute onions and celery and garlic in olive oil. Then add two cans of diced tomatoes and three boneless chicken breasts, and fresh basil if you have it, add 1-2 quarts of stock or water and 1-2 cups of uncooked brown rice. Pressure cook on medium heat for twenty or thirty minutes. You can also bake this in a dutch oven at 350 or stew slowly in an electric crock pot or simmer on the stove top but it will take a bit longer than the pressure cooker. Enjoy!

Hummus

Soak a one-pound bag of chicpeas (garbanzos) overnight. Rinse them and cook them fully immersed in water, in a pressure cooker with a few dollops of olive oil, for 20 minutes. The oil is essential to keep the bean foam from clogging the vent pipe of the pressure cooker. You can also cook the chic peas on the stovetop or crockpot or bake them in a dutch oven, 45 minutes to an hour. Please don't add salt until they are cooked or they will never become tender!

After they are cooled, drain most of the liquid (save it in case you need more liquid later). Use a food processor or blender and pour in a whole can (15 oz) of Joyva sesame tahini. Blend it for a few seconds until smooth and then pour out half the amount back into the can and refrigerate it. Then squeeze four lemons and add the juice and pulse in the food processor or blender. Add the chickpeas to the tahini/lemon mixture and blend. Add more chickpea liquid if the mixture seems dry. Then add a few fresh cloves of garlic, cored, and a pinch of cumin and cayenne and parsley and salt. Pay attention to the magic Lebanese trio - the salt/tahini/lemon balance. Enjoy! This makes a lot of hummus! You can freeze the extra or share it with a neighbor.

Lemonade Iced Tea

This is the time of year when I buy frozen lemonade and mix it with a freshly brewed pot of Red Rose or Tetley tea and dilute it all with water and ice. It's the perfect summer drink especially if you've been dancing all night! You can add sprigs of mint too.

Hard-Boiled Eggs

I love to try to get double use out of things. The other night when making spaghetti I saved the salty boiling water in a new pot as I was draining the noodles into my colander. Then I took our a half a dozen eggs and lowered them into the pot of hot water and let them sit for 15 minutes. Hardboiled eggs!

Butcher Shop

I now have three paintings hanging up in Jamie Sullivan's fabulous SHAW'S MEATS butcher shop on North Main Street in Woonsocket Rhode Island. This makes me feel that Woonsocket loves me as much as I love Woonsocket! Come on by!

Apple Iced Tea

Brew a pot of black tea and then add equal parts apple cider and lots of ice cubes. Add fresh mint leaves if you have'em! Enjoy!

Vanilla Granola

I just love the taste of vanilla raisins and oats.

10 cups rolled oats (or combination of rolled barley, rye, wheat, and oats)
1/2 cup corn oil
1/2 cup honey (or 1/2 cup of sugar with a little extra water to moisten.)
A splash of tea, apple juice, or plain water to moisten
1 teaspoon vanilla (or more if you love vanilla!)
salt to taste

Preheat oven to 300
Combine the oil, vanilla, honey and salt, over medium heat to dissolve them. If you use sugar it might not completely dissolve. Then in a big bowl pour the mixture onto the oats and coat them like you are tossing a salad! Use your hands! Add the splash of juice or water to moisten if it seems to need it. Bake in a shallow Pyrex baking dish or cast iron skillet. Stir every twenty minutes using a wooden spoon or spatula. The oats become golden when baked and they will become crisp after they cool.
Add raisins and toasted almonds after the oats have cooled. Store in a big glass jar!