New Years Eve is Fondue Night!

Among the side dishes was a generous fondue, from which the prelate served himself without stint. But, oh surprise! Not recognizing its appearance and believing it to be a crème, he ate it with his spoon instead of using his fork, which from time immemorial had been the custom with this dish. All the guests, astonished by this peculiar behavior, looked sideways at one another, with imperceptible smiles.
~Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin


Fondue is our New Years Eve tradition. It's such good food, and so accessible that everyone can graze all evening.

We have a lot of fondue pots - I practically collect them. So, when I do fondue, it becomes a meal, not just an appetizer. In addition to the fondue dips detailed below, I have a Mongolian hot pot for hot oil so thin strips of beef can be fried and dipped.

Ingredients for dipping:
French bread cubes
Ham cubes
Fresh veggies (broccoli florets, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, green peppers, celery)
Fresh fruits (bananas, apples, strawberries)
Black and green olives
Pretzel rods
Marshmallows
Pound cake cubes

The Fondue Recipes

Cheddar Cheese Fondue:
¾ cup milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoons ground dry mustard
1 tbsp flour
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
Heat milk, worcestershire sauce, mustard and flour in a saucepan over medium heat until almost boiling. Gradually stir in Cheddar cheese. Continue heating until all the cheese has melted. Rub the inside of a warm fondue pot with garlic clove and pour mixture in. (Save the garlic clove - you'll be rubbing more pots with it.)

Swiss cheese fondue:
8 oz shredded swiss cheese
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup dry white wine
Pinch white pepper
1 clove garlic

Heat wine in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in cheese and cook until melted, stirring frequently. Add the corn starchand pepper. Continue to cook until thick and smooth, stirring frequently. Rub the inside of a warm fondue pot with garlic clove and pour mixture in.

Israeli Fondue:
1 avocado halved and stoned
1 tsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup dry white wine
8 ounces grated Edam cheese
1 tbsp corn starch
2 tbsp sour cream

Mash the avocado with lemon juice. Heat wine in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in cheese and cook until melted, stirring frequently. Add the corn starch, sour cream, and avocado mixture. Continue to cook for 4 to 5 minutes until thick and smooth, stirring frequently. Rub the inside of a warm fondue pot with garlic clove and pour mixture in.

Chocolate Fondue:
1 cup heavy cream
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla

Heat the cream in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until hot, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chocolate and stir until it is just melted and smooth. Stir in vanilla. Transfer to a warm ceramic fondue pot - we put this in our Hershey Kiss fondue pot.

Boxing Day! More Ham & Cheesy Puff Pastries

Boxing Day, also known as the Feast of St. Stephen (after the first Christian martyr), originated in England in the middle of the nineteenth century under Queen Victoria. It originated as a holiday for members of the merchant class to give boxes containing food and fruit, clothing, and/or money to trades people and servants.
~Fairly Well Established Historical Fact

"Few Americans have any inkling that there even is such a thing as Boxing Day, let alone what the reason might be for a holiday so named...even though Boxing Day is celebrated in Australia, Britain, New Zealand, and Canada, not all that many in those countries have much of a notion as to why they get the 26th of December off. Boxing Day might well be a statutory holiday in some of those lands, but it's not a well understood one."
More About Boxing Day

A few years ago my sister Carrie added Boxing Day to our family holiday season traditions. The first year she had the event, December 26 - the official date of Boxing Day, landed conveniently on a Saturday. Because the day after Christmas does not always accommodate us, we have modified Boxing Day to fit in with our American work schedules. The first Saturday after the 25th is Boxing Day.

Why Boxing Day? Mainly because we really like to get together over the holidays but we all have families with different Christmas traditions and everyone pretty much likes to be at home on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. Boxing Day has become the perfect time to spend time together, have some fun, exchange gifts - and, of course, have some yummy chow!

The Boxing Day Theme this year is "finger foods."

I'm going with the Ham & Cheesy Puff Pastries, but this time with a ham mousse filling.

Filling:
Ingredients:
6 oz soft cream cheese
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 oz ham chopped in cubes
2 tbsp chopped green onions
Preparation:
Blend ingredients in food processor until smooth

Cut the tops off the puff pastries and spoon the ham filling into the center
Replace tops

Christmas Dinner

Good bread and good drink, a good fire in the hall, Brawn, pudding, and souse, and good mustard withal. Beef, mutton, and pork, and good pies of the best, Pig, veal, goose, and capon, and turkey well drest, Cheese, apples and nuts, and good carols to hear, As then in the country is counted good cheer.
~Thomas Tusser

Christmas dinner! Ham, Au gratin potatoes, gougére, and fresh broccoli florets, with (of course) cookies for dessert! Everything was excellent, as evidenced by the fact that the only thing left over is a bit of ham - which I already have some recipes in mind for.

After dinner, we watched the totally awesome Transformers movie, which Santa had left under our tree. I hadn't really expected to enjoy this movie, but it was really fun!

The Recipes:

Ham: A 10# ham, cooked in the oven at 325 for about 3 1/2 hours. I poured some honey and orange juice over it, and basted it every 40 minutes or so. Once I took it out of the oven (let it rest for about 20-30 minutes before carving) I mixed some of the pan drippings with a little more orange juice, some orange marmalade, and brown sugar over medium heat. This is a nice glaze for the sliced ham - but should be applied as a condiment, not a gravy.

Au Gratin Potatoes
Ingredients:
5-6 large potatoes
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
2/3 cup heavy cream
Preparation:
Lightly grease an oven safe glass dish
Peel and thinly (about 1/4") slice the potatoes
Put a layer of potato in the dish, a little salt and pepper, very thin butter pats, and cover with cheese
Repeat layers until all the ingredients are in the dish
Pour in cream
Cover and cook right along side the ham in the oven for about 1 1/2 hours
When you take the ham out of the oven, uncover the potatoes and raise the oven temp to 400 - which, conveniently, is the temp to cook the gougére
Cook and additional 20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown

Gougére

Broccoli: Fresh florets blanched (3 minutes in boiling water)

Served with a chilled Pinot Grigio.

Christmas Cookies!!!

Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childhood days, recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth, and transport the traveler back to his own fireside and quiet home!
~Charles Dickens

Making cookies is one of our Christmas traditions. The boys and I spend practically all day baking. We have a lot of fun, and we end up with a lot of yummy cookies!



This year we made:
Rolled Sugar Cookies, which we then decorated (Same as every year, Pinky)
Chocolate cookies with cherry frosting, butterscotch frosting, and minty frosting
Peanut butter cookies with chocolate frosting*
Pecan pie cookies**

*These have traditionally been everyone's favorite, but the
**Pecan pie cookies, which Ryan made may push them out of first place.

Black Beans & Yellow Rice

Better beans and bacon in peace than cakes and ale in fear. ~Aesop

The Recipes

Black Beans

Ingredients:
1 lb black beans
1 ham steak
1/4 butter
1 medium onion finely chopped
1 small jalepeno pepper finely chopped
1 tsp garlic
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
8-10 cilantro leaves
6-8 cups water
7 chicken bouillon cubes
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
Soak the beans overnight
Melt the butter in a large pot
Stir in onion, jalepeno pepper, and garlic
Chop the ham into bite size cubes and add to the pot
Let cook for about 3-5 minutes with frequent stirring
Add beans, water and bouillon cubes and bring to a boil
Add white and cayenne pepper. cilantro leaves
Cover and reduce to a simmer for aprx 1 1/2 hour, until beans are tender

Yellow Rice
Ingredients:
1 cup long grain rice
2 1/4 cups water
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tbsp turmeric
1/2 tsp garlic
1 bay leaf
Preparation:
Mix all the ingredients in a microwave safe bowl
Cook on high for 9 minutes
Cook on medium for 17 minutes
Let sit for 5 minutes
Remove bay leaf

Rob's Birthday Dinner (Sunday) - Beef Stroganoff

You're now alone in a room that looks like a vat of beef stroganoff exploded in it.
~The Gamemaster

I make my stroganoff for Rob on his birthday every year. It's his favorite.

This is an excellent recipe I am sharing. It's one of my specialties, and I am giving away the secrets here... ...at least I think I will... ...

The measurements listed are really approximate. I just kind of 'eyeball' the amount of any particular ingredient in this recipe. This served 4, with 2nd servings (always anticipate a desire for 2nd helpings of this dish).

The Recipe

Beef Stroganoff
Ingredients:
1-2 pounds good beef, (steak, roast, sirloin tips, whatever looks the best) chopped into very small bite-sized pieces (trim as much fat as possible)
4 tbsp butter
1 small onion finely chopped
1/2 tsp garlic
1/2 cup red wine
1 can beef consommé
Salt to taste (be conservative - the consommé has salt)
1 tbsp worchestershire sauce
16 oz sour cream (Get the sour cream out of the fridge when you start cooking)
Preparation:
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat
When the butter is bubbling, but not brown, add the onions and stir them for about 2 minutes
Stir in the garlic
Add the beef stir frequently until it is completely browned
Salt if/as needed
Pour in the wine and beef consommé, and the worchestershire sauce
Bring to a boil while stirring
Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes
Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream

Serve over white rice (yes, RICE, not noodles!!).
The finishing touch - top with a sprinkling of chow mien noodles. The chow mien noodles add a delightful crunch to the texture, and complement the flavor of the dish perfectly!

Benihana

I could understand them coming back with any amount on the award. But to find that Benihana's not responsible, I don't get that.
~Jacqueline Colaitis, after losing a $16 million lawsuit claiming that Benihana was responsible for her husband's death 10 months after he had dined there

I didn't cook tonight because I had a late holiday business lunch at Benihana. Mmmmm...

Food Thoughts

I hadn't been to a Benihana for years. The food is still excellent - is there any better fried rice anywhere? - I had the chicken, it was delicious (albeit a little over salted). Everything, really, was as as tasty as I remembered.

The thing that seemed different was the service. It was kind of... lackluster compared to what it once was. The chef did a great job preparing the food, but he may as well have been on his own in a kitchen.

Maybe it's the "Flying Shrimp" lawsuit?

I don't know.

Breaded Baked Chicken & Mashed Potatoes

Remember what I said -if you want your mashed potatoes to be the tastiness, you have to use real butter and heavy cream!
~me

Probably the first meal I ever learned to cook, and I learned it because I loved it! It was actually shake-n-bake and boxed mashed potato flakes but I've modified the meal since then.

The Recipes

Breaded Baked Chicken
Ingredients:
Boneless skinless chicken breasts (1/serving)
1/2 cup bread crumbs (I use the 3 cheese variety)
1/2 cup crushed corn flakes
1 tbsp Tony Chachere's cajun spice
1/3 cup milk
1 egg
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375
Rinse and pat chicken breasts dry
Mix bread crumbs, corn flakes, and Tony Chachere's in a dish big enough to accommodate the chicken breasts
Beat the egg and milk in a dish of similar size
Dip each breast in the egg mixture, then into the bread crumb mixture
Be sure to coat the breast evenly and thoroughly with the breading
Place chicken breasts in an oven safe dish and bake for 40 - 50 minutes

Mashed Potatoes:
Ingredients:
Potatoes (1 lrg/serving + 1 "for the pot")
Note: The following measurements are based on 4 servings
6 tbsp butter
1/2 cup cream
Salt & pepper to taste
Preparation:
Peel and quarter potatoes
Boil for 20-25 minutes until very tender (but not breaking apart in the water)
Drain in a colander and return to pot
Use a masher to mash potatoes
Add butter and let it melt into the potatoes
Add cream, salt and pepper
Mash with a beater set on whip for 2 minutes more or less until potatoes have desired consistency

Served with:
Corn
Dinner rolls

Baked Potatoes

For me, a plain baked potato is the most delicious one....It is soothing and enough.
~Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher

This is an easy one! Pick your bakers, wash them, wrap them up in aluminum foil. Preheat the oven to 400 and cook potatoes for 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on the size. You can test by sticking a fork into the thickest part of the potato - if the fork slides in smooth, it's good!

Remove from oven, remove from foil, split, salt and pepper to taste. Top with any combination of:
Butter
Cheddar Cheese
Sour Cream
Chives
Chili
Bacon Bits

Chicken Quesadillas

It is not the fault of the mouse but of the one who offers him the cheese
~Mexican Proverb

I do get cravings for good tex-mex food from time to time. I've given up on finding any around here, unless I make it myself. So I do.

The Recipes:

Pico de Gallo
Ingredients
1 lrg tomato
1 small red onion
6 Cilantro leaves
Jalepeno pepper
Garlic
Lime
Salt & pepper
Preparation
Cut the tomato in half, remove seeds, and cut it into very small pieces
Cut the red onion into very small pieces
Cut the cilantro into very small pieces
Slice the jalapeno pepper into tiny pieces (to taste)
Put all into a bowl
Put about 1/8 tsp crushed garlic in
Salt and pepper to taste
Cut the lime in half and squeeze 1/2 juice
Mix

Chicken Quesadillas
Ingredients
6-8 large corn tortillas
Boneless skinless chicken breasts (1/serving)
Olive Oil
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese
Cilantro
Garlic
Salt & pepper
Lime
Preparation
Cut the chicken into bite size pieces
In a large pan, saute chicken over med-hi heat in olive oil
When chicken is cooked and starts to brown add about 1/4 tsp garlic, chopped cilantro and stir
Squeeze the juice from the other lime half over the chicken and let sit on medium heat
Preheat oven to 325
Place 3-4 tortillas on cookie sheets
Spread the cheddar and jack cheese on the tortillas
Spoon the chicken pieces over the cheese
Cover each tortilla with another tortilla
Bake for about 12-15 minutes until the cheese is melty and the tortillas are a little crisp around the edges
Remove from oven and cut into triangular wedges
Serve with
Pico de Gallo
Sour Cream
Salsa
Avocado slices

The meal was nicely rounded out with black beans and spanish rice.

Food Banks, in a Squeeze, Tighten Belts

No Recipe tonight - it's pizza night. (recipe here)

Food Thoughts

Here is an article from the NYT about food banks in need. If you can, please think about donating to your local food bank.

Food banks around the country are reporting critical shortages that have forced them to ration supplies, distribute staples usually reserved for disaster relief and in some instances close.

“It’s one of the most demanding years I’ve seen in my 30 years” in the field, said Catherine D’Amato, president and chief executive of the Greater Boston Food Bank, comparing the situation to the recession of the late 1970s.

Experts attributed the shortages to an unusual combination of factors, including rising demand, a sharp drop in federal supplies of excess farm products, and tighter inventory controls that are leaving supermarkets and other retailers with less food to donate.

“We don’t have nearly what people need, and that’s all there is to it,” said Greg Bryant, director of the food pantry in Sheffield, Vt.

“We’re one step from running out,” Mr. Bryant said.

“It kind of spirals,” he added. “The people that normally donate to us have less, the retailers are selling to discount stores because people are shopping in those places, and now we have less food and more people. It’s a double, triple, hit.”

The Vermont Food Bank said its supply of food was down 50 percent from last year. “It’s a crisis mode,” said Doug O’Brien, the bank’s chief executive.

For two weeks this month, the New Hampshire Food Bank distributed supplies reserved for emergency relief. Demand for food here is up 40 percent over last year and supply is down 30 percent, which is striking in the state with the lowest reliance on food banks.

“It’s the price of oil, gas, rents and foreclosures,” said Melanie Gosselin, executive director of the New Hampshire Food Bank.

Ms. Gosselin said household budget squeezes had led to a drop in donations and greater demand. “This is not the old ‘only the homeless are hungry,’” she said. “It’s working people.”

Lane Kenworthy, a professor of sociology and political science at the University of Arizona, agreed, saying: “The overall picture is that household incomes are kind of stuck. There’s very little way to increase income, and most people have a very heavy debt load. Any event that increases your costs is really, really troublesome, because you’re already stretched thin.”

The food bank in Manchester delivers provisions to a housing project each week, and on a recent Monday, Matthew Whooley, 26, of Manchester, was waiting in line with his wife, Penny, and their four children.

“Every week there’s less and less food,” Mr. Whooley said. “It used to be potatoes, meat and bread, and last week we got Doritos and flour. The food is getting shorter, and the lines keep getting longer.”

More

Eggs, Benedict

Yet, who can help loving the land that has taught us Six hundred and eighty-five ways to dress eggs?
~Thomas Moore

Eggs Benedict is a tasty repast. Plus, I get to call everyone "Benedict." Do you like your eggs, Benedict? How are the eggs, Benedict? Hahaha! *guffaw* *snort* *giggle*

The Recipe

Ingredients:
Eggs (1/serving for the eggs benedict, 3 yolks for the Hollandaise sauce)
1 tbsp vinegar
Canadian sliced bacon
English muffins (1/serving)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 dash cayenne pepper
Preparation:
Boil about 3" of water in a large, deep pan and add the vinegar (this helps the eggs hold together)
Gently crack the eggs into the boiling water
Poach for about 3 minutes, or until egg is the consistency you like
Broil the canadian bacon slices
Split and toast the English muffins
To make the Hollandiase sauce:
Fill the bottom of a double boiler with water and boil
Put the butter in the top of the double boiler and melt
Mix the 3 egg yolks with the salt, lemon juice and cayenne pepper
Whisk the egg mixture into melted butter in the double boiler and stir until it starts to thicken
Remove from heat
To serve:
Layer from bottom to top: toasted english muffin, slice of canadian bacon, poached egg, hollandaise sauce.

Ribs & Baked Potatoes

Ribs must be America’s favorite barbecue dish.
~Anonymous

Baby Back Ribs were on sale the other day, so I picked up a couple of racks. It's like a summer barbecue, except it's freezing cold, and I cooked them in the oven.

The Recipes

Baby Back Ribs
Ingredients:
2 racks Baby Back Ribs
Bottle of Barbecue sauce
Worcestershire sauce
Tony Chachere's Cajun Spice
Tabasco
Salt & Pepper
Preparation:
Cut the rib racks into pieces that will fit into a big pot full of water
Boil for about an hour
Mix the barbecue sauce with the other ingredients until it has the amount of "bite" you like
Remove the ribs from boiling water and put in oven safe pan
Pour the sauce on
Cover with foil and cook at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes
Put under broiler for 8-10 minutes to make them crisp

Baked Potatoes

Ingredients:
Baking potatoes (1/serving)
Butter
Salt & pepper
Grated cheddar cheese
Sour cream
Chives
Preparation:
Clean potatoes and wrap individually in foil
Cook in oven at 350 degrees for about an hour (they can cook right alongside the ribs)
Remove from foil, cut open, and slather generously with any of the toppings you want

Served with: Blanched broccoli, and 3 cheese texas toast.

Hamburgers & French Fries

Sacred cows make the best hamburger.
~Mark Twain

I just grilled up some burgers tonight.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

It makes me mad when I go to all the trouble of having Marta cook up about a hundred drumsticks, then the guy at Marineland says, "You can't throw chicken to the dolphins. They eat fish." Sure they eat fish, if that's all you give them. Man, wise up.
~A Deep Thought, by Jack Handey

This is quick to prepare, but because it has such a nice French name, it seems like haute cuisine. I used Healthy Choice Deli smoked ham slices wrapped around the swiss cheese - wrapping the cheese up tightly keeps it in the chicken instead of it leaking out.

The Recipe

Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
12 pieces thin-sliced ham
4 slices swiss cheese
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt & pepper
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375
Slice chicken breasts almost in half and pat dry
Beat the eggs in a bowl big enough to put the chicken pieces in
Mix the bread crumbs, cheese, and salt and pepper (to taste) in a container large enough to put the chicken pieces in
Put 3 slices ham and 1 slice swiss cheese into each breast and close back up
Dip the breasts one at a time into the eggs drenching both sides
Place them in the bread crumb mixture, coating generously
Cook uncovered in oven safe dish for 45 minutes

Served with:
Forbidden Rice (a.k.a. Black Rice, the Emperor's Rice)
Blanched fresh Broccoli Florets

Ratings
***1/2 Seconds on everything. Favorite element: Forbidden Rice
**** Went for seconds on the chicken. Favorite element: Blanched broccoli
*** YUM! Chicken!

My notes: I'm not crazy about the black rice (I'm such a peasant!). I've tried preparing it 2 different ways and am just not convinced that it's better than good old basmati.

Random Post to Address Dieting

Why Blog about meals?

So far, I'm not losing any weight...

...but I'm not using the right pencil either ;-)

Thanksgiving Dinner

Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not coincidence.
~Erma Bombeck

Good food, good wine, good company. I love Thanksgiving! I have been cooking thanksgiving dinner for 17 years or so, with a few years excepted for various reasons. It is my favorite holiday - it reminds me how much I have to be thankful for :-) Most of the family comes for dinner. Here are some pics:

The Menu:

Turkey
Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes
Gravy
Cranberry Relish
Sweet Potato Casserole
Green Bean Casserole
Creamed Corn
Dinner Rolls

I stuffed and cooked a 23# bird (Butterball) - it was just enough for our crowd of 13. The stuffing was traditional herb with some chopped onion and celery - prepared with chicken broth and butter.

Mashed potatoes, I boiled apprx 15# of potatoes and mashed them with butter and heavy cream, salt and pepper (yes, if you want the most delicious mashed potatoes, you have to use cream and real butter.)

Mom brought the cranberry relish, made with cranberries, orange, sugar, and a secret ingredient.

Sweet potato casserole - yams mashed with orange juice, brown sugar and walnuts, topped with marshmallows.

Green bean casserole - french style green beans, cream of celery soup, topped with french fried onions.

It was delicious!

Spaghetti & Meat Bulbs - Quick and Tasty

Those who forget the pasta are condemned to reheat it.
~Anonymous

A quick and easy dinner tonight because I spent most of the day prepping what I could for tomorrow's big dinner, cleaning my good dishes, polishing the silver, shopping for last minute items etc. Thanks Mom for all your help!

I call it spaghetti and meat bulbs because that is what Ryan used to call meat balls when he was a wee one. It was sooooo CUTE, I've always said it ever since.

The Recipe

Ingredients:
1# Spaghetti noodles
A jar of Barilla Pasta sauce
15 frozen meatballs
Grated parmesan and mozarella cheese
Preparation:
Add spaghetti to boiling water
Boil 10-12 to desired consistency
Heat the meatballs in a pan over medium heat, or in the microwave
Drain noodles and return to pot
Add pasta sauce, meatballs, and cheese
Stir over low heat far about 5 minutes

Serve with 5 cheese Texas toast and fresh greens salad

Round Steak

The only time to eat diet food is while you are waiting for the steak to cook.
~Julia Child

Quick and easy dinner tonight - beef and potatoes. The guys all like a bit of beef from time to time, so I try to indulge them ... from time to time.

The Recipe

Ingredients:
1 good size round steak
1 onion
3-4 potatoes
Several baby carrots
Salt & Pepper (to taste)
Worcestershire sauce
Thyme

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375
Place round steak in an oven safe pan
Splash a few times with worcestershire sauce and sprinkle with thyme
Peel and slice the onion and put in a layer over steak
Cut the potatoes into large pieces and tuck into the pan around the steak
Tuck the carrots in too
Salt and pepper
Add about 1/3 cup of water
Cover with foil and cook for 35-40 minutes
Remove foil and cook for another 10-15 minutes

My notes: I like to use the baby carrots because they are already peeled and are the right size. We call them care-OTTES.

Saturday Night Sampler Platter

The first law of dietetics seems to be: if it tastes good, it's bad for you.
~Isaac Asimov

Sometimes, when dining out, I'll order the sampler platter from the appetizer selection. It's always a nice selection of tasty sounding food and usually more filling than anything else on the menu. The appetizers at most restaurants are deep fried - yes, that makes them tasty, but it also makes them much of a sameness. I only fried the (pre-packaged) cheese sticks tonight. The wings were prepared in three styles so as to suit all tastes.

The Recipes

Chicken Wings - 3 Styles
Ingredients:
3 lbs chicken drumettes
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup melted butter
Worcestershire Sauce
Tabasco
Cayenne Pepper
Salt and pepper
Your favorite barbecue sauce

Preparation for 3 different Chicken Wings:
Hot Wings:
Mix 1/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup white vinegar, 1/4 cup melted butter, 3 generous splashes Worcestershire Sauce, 2 splashes Tabasco (more or less to taste), 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (more or less to taste), 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper
Marinate chicken drumettes in this mixture for 1 hour.

Hot Barbecue Wings:
Mix 1/3 cup favorite barbecue sauce, 1/4 cup white vinegar, 2 splashes Tabasco (more or less to taste), 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)

Barbecue Wings:
1/2 cup your favorite barbecue sauce

Preparation for ALL Wings:
Place drumettes (including the marinated hot wings) on a cookie sheet and BROIL for 12 minutes
Remove wings from broiler, re-heat oven to 350 degrees
Place drumettes in oven-safe pans
Cover 1/3 (the marinated) wings with the rest of the marinade
Cover 1/3 with the hot barbecue sauce
Cover 1/3 with (plain) your favorite barbecue sauce
Bake for 25-30 minutes

Serve with celery and bleu cheese dressing

Olives:
Ingredients:
1/2 cup fresh large green olives (pitted, no pimento)
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
1/3 cup Olive Oil
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp basil
Garlic (to taste)
Preparation:
In a saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat
Add garlic, pepper, thyme, and basil to oil and stir until you can smell the wonderful aroma
Add olives and sauté for 5 minutes

Cheese Sticks
Prepare according to package instructions (I fried these in vegetable oil, but oven cooked is also good for this type of pre-packaged food stuff).

My notes: The wings were great - texture was perfect! Could have used more heat, though. It's hard to sample the hotness when vinegar is in play - next time I make wings I will add the vinegar last so that I can assess the heat of the wings more accurately. I wasn't sure about the olives when I started, but ... YUMMY!

I also served parmesan bread sticks with the platter.

Food Thoughts

Bear in mind that you should conduct yourself in life as at a feast.
~Epictetus

Friday is pizza night (recipe here) so no new recipe today.

Thanksgiving! It's my favorite holiday. I cook a traditional Thanksgiving Dinner for the whole fam.

This is a very funny commercial:

Maple Bacon Bake

He who goes to bed hungry dreams of pancakes.
~Proverb

The Recipe

Ingredients:
2 cups Bisquick
1 tbsp sugar
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup maple syrup (Or Miz Butterworth's)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
8-10 slices cooked bacon crumbled into pieces
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Mix the Bisquick, sugar, eggs, milk, syrup, and 1/2 the cheese in a mixing bowl

Bake in 13x9 inch pan in 450 degree oven for 15 minutes
Take out of oven and sprinkle the rest of the cheese and the bacon on top
Return to oven and bake for 5 minutes
Cut in slices and eat like a pancake (add butter and syrup)

Taco Night!

You know how I feel about tacos. It's the only food shaped like a smile.
~Danielle Sanchez

Taco dinner tonight. Not much re: 'gredients and prep. I use taco seasoning packets to spice the meat, pre-packaged shells and tortillas...

Chicken and ground beef, soft and hard taco shells. Toppings: shredded cheddar cheese, salsa, tomato, avocado, lettuce, black olives, sour cream, jalapeno peppers.


No ratings for this Dinner Tonight - everyone loves tacos, especially with the options of chicken or beef, soft or crisp, top as you like.

For this dinner, and aprx 90% of any other recipe I blog that includes chicken, I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I pick them up at Costco - 99% fat free, no hormones, no preservatives. They are packed 2 chicken breasts/pack in lots of 6, very reasonably priced.

Fried Chicken, Red Beans & Rice

If God grants me longer life, I will see to it that no peasant in my kingdom will lack the means to have a chicken in the pot every Sunday.
~Henri IV of France

I don't usually fry chicken but I came across a recipe over the weekend that is based on Popeyes secret recipe. I'm not a huge fan of most fast foods, but I always liked Popeyes and have not lived near one for over five years. So I decided to give the recipe a try. Please note: the recipe calls for a cut up fryer but I used boneless skinless breasts.

The Recipes

Fried Chicken
Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
6 cups vegetable oil
2/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp white pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp paprika
3 eggs
Preparation:
Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium heat
Combine the flour, pepper, salt, and paprika in a shallow dish
Beat the eggs into another shallow dish
Check the oil temp by dropping a pinch of the flour mixture into it - if it sounds and looks like it's frying, the oil is ready
Dip the chicken breasts first into the eggs and then into the flour mixture (coat generously)
Place the chicken into the oil (CAREFUL!) and fry for 20-25 minutes until it is a deep golden brown
Use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken and place it on several sheets of paper towel

Red Beans & Rice
Ingredients:
Lrg can of Progresso Red Beans (19 oz)
1 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
4 tbsp butter
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
3-4 cups cooked white rice
Preparation:
Heat the beans over medium heat in a pot
Add the pepper, paprika, butter, salt, and garlic powder
Use a fork to smoosh the beans against the side of the pot
Let beans come to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes, stirring frequently
Remove from heat
Add rice to beans

Buttermilk Biscuits
Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter (soft)
1 tbsp sugar
1 egg
6 tbsp buttermilk
2 tbsp club soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups biscuit mix
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Mix all the ingredients
Knead until smooth
Turn out dough on floured surface
Pat into 1" thickness
Cut into biscuits (about 2" diameter)
Place on greased cookie sheet
Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown

Serve with cole slaw, salad, or cooked greens

Ratings
**** Chicken is very good, save some red beans and rice for lunch tomorrow
***1/2 had seconds on chicken and biscuits
*** YUM! Chicken!
(dinner guest) **** Everything tastes so good!

My notes: The chicken was really good. I will use this method for frying again. The red beans and rice was okay, but not as good as my regular recipe starting with dry beans. The buttermilk biscuits were ta-asty! I'm thinking of making them for Thanksgiving if they taste as good after being refrigerated for one or two days.

PIZZA Night!!

“Believe it or not, Americans eat 75 acres of pizza a day.”
~ Boyd Matson

Friday is pizza night at our house. I make it myself - it's much better than frozen or or delivery. It isn't a long and involved process, I use a pre-mixed crust and a jar of pizza sauce, but I know all the ingredients are fresh, and it is not greasy like delivery pizza. I use fairly high quality mozzarella cheese and fresh grated parmesan, and that makes a real difference. (When I downgrade the cheese, everyone still likes the pizza, but they don't rave about it.)

The Recipe (makes 2 12" pizzas)

Ingredients:
3 boxes of Jiffy pizza crust mix
1 1/2 cups hot water
Olive oil
1 jar of pizza sauce
1/3 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
3-4 cups grated mozzarella
3/4 cups grated cheddar
Toppings (I usually make one pepperoni and one cheese pizza)
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 425
Mix the crust mix and water and let "rise" for 7 minutes
Grease 2 12" pizza pans with olive oil
Knead the dough about 15-20 times and divide in half
Press the halves evenly into the pizza pans (I pour a little olive oil on so the dough doesn't stick to my hands, plus the olive oil on the crust prevents the sauce from making the crust soggy)
Sprinkle crust with parmesan cheese
Put in the oven for about 5 minutes
Take out the crusts one at a time
Use 1/2 of the sauce, and cheese on each one, and add any of your other favorite pizza toppings
Return to 425 oven for about 12-15 minutes until cheese is melted and lightly browned

Ratings:
***** Everyone loves pizza night!

My notes: You will get spoiled if you start making your own pizza at home instead of ordering out - it really is better. Plus, it's not really that much effort if you use the shortcuts that I use. Special Plus - EASY CLEAN UP!

No Recipe Tonight

If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.
~J. R. R. Tolkien

We are having warmed up potato soup :-)

Here is some food news for thought instead:

New York's $25,000 dessert sets Guinness record

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A day after New York City came up with a $1,000 bagel, a local restaurateur unveiled a $25,000 chocolate sundae on Wednesday, setting a Guinness world record for the most expensive dessert.

Stephen Bruce, owner of Serendipity 3, partnered with luxury jeweler Euphoria New York to create the "Frrozen Haute Chocolate," a blend of 28 cocoas, including 14 of the most expensive and exotic from around the globe.

The dessert, spelled with two Rs, is infused with 5 grams (0.2 ounces) of edible 23-karat gold and served in a goblet lined with edible gold. At the base of the goblet is an 18-karat gold bracelet with 1 carat of white diamonds. The sundae is topped with whipped cream covered with more gold and a side of La Madeline au Truffle from Knipschildt Chocolatier, which sells for $2,600 a pound.

It is eaten with a gold spoon decorated with white and chocolate-colored diamonds, which can also be taken home.
More

Quiche - 2 Variations

How you spell quiche?
Well you don't spell it son, you eat it!
~from the movie Sixteen Candles

Quiche Lorraine is a classic French recipe, from the Lorraine area of France. It has become popular throughout France and the world. There are many variations on the basic idea. Tonight, we had two.

The Recipe
Quiche
Ingredients:
2 deep dish pie crusts (I use frozen)
8 eggs
1 1/2 cup milk
8 oz shredded swiss cheese
4 oz shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp ground mustard
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Splash of worcestershire sauce
Salt & pepper to taste
8 slices cooked bacon, crushed into small bits
1 large sliced tomato
1/2 tsp basil
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400
Bake frozen pie crusts for 12-14 minutes, until light brown
Reduce oven temp to 350
Whisk eggs, milk, salt, pepper, mustard, worcestershire sauce, and cayenne pepper in large mixing bowl
Stir in cheese, and bacon
Add half of mixture to one pie crust
Put the sliced tomatoes in a layer on the bottom of the other pie crust and sprinkle with the basil
Pour the remaining mixture on top
Place both quiches on a large cookie sheet and bake for 40-45 minutes

Serve with:
Salad of fresh greens

Ratings:
***1/2 - very tasty
*** - like the bacon quiche, not the tomato quiche
*** 1/2 - doesn't like the crust
(dinner guest) **** - very good

My notes: you can't go wrong with all this good cheese!

Honey Pork Chops & Apple Sauce

“There is poetry in a pork chop to a hungry man.”
~Philip Gibbs (NY Times 1951)

The sprouts and apples I used in preparing this dinner were the last fresh produce from the local Farmers Market. The Market runs on Sundays from May until October and I try to pick up my produce for the week there. I like to shop local when possible, and you cannot beat the great taste of truly fresh fruits and veggies!

The Recipes

Pork Chops
Ingredients:
Boneless pork chops (1/serving)
Honey
Salt & pepper to taste
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375
Arrange pork chops in a shallow glass pan
Salt and pepper to taste
Drizzle honey over the chops
Bake for 30-40 minutes depending on the thickness of the meat

Apple Sauce
Ingredients:
6 medium size apples
Apple crisp mix (available at the grocery store)
1 stick butter
Preparation:
Peel apples and slice into bite-size pieces
Layer into a shallow glass pan
Sprinkle generously (or less generously as you prefer) with apple crisp mix
Slice butter evenly over the top
Put it in the oven where it can cook right alongside the pork chops (about 25 minutes)

Sides
Fresh brussel sprouts (boiled for about 5 minutes) with butter melted on them
White rice (I usually make rice in the microwave)
French bread

Ratings:
*** -good overall.
*** - thought the apple sauce needed to cook longer, but overall a very tasty meal.
** - finally tried the apple sauce and thought it was like dessert.

My notes: Pork and apples always go well together, so the meal was a success. Rice is a good side for this meal. The brussel sprouts were delicious! I think next time I do oven baked chops I will add some ginger and maybe some grated orange rind or lemon juice with the honey to liven up the flavor a bit.

Remember, Remember, The Fifth of November - Potato Soup

"I live on good soup, not on fine words."
~Moliere

In England in 1605, a plot was hatched to blow up the Houses of Parliament. Guy Fawkes, Britain's most notorious traitor was caught and confessed to the "Gunpowder Plot." Ever since, bonfire night has been an English tradition.

Hot food and drink is customary - baked potatoes (delicious if cooked in the embers of the fire), treacle toffee and toffee apples, and drinks of hot soup and cocoa.

This year, we celebrated The Fifth of November American Style.









The recipe

Leek & Potato Soup

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter
3 leeks
8 cups water
8 chicken bouillon cubes
8 (good-sized) potatoes
2 carrots
2 stalks celery hearts
3/4 cup heavy cream

Preparation:
Peel the potatoes
In a big soup pot: melt butter over medium heat
Slice leeks thinly (about 3/4" into green) and sauté in butter
Add water and bouillon and bring to a boil
Add potatoes, carrots and celery hearts
Cover and simmer for 1 hour
Remove from heat and blend until smooth
Stir in cream

This is a ***** family favorite - even Cordell likes my potato soup :-)

My notes: This soup is even better on the second day (warm over medium heat without bringing to a boil). It can also be served cold (vichyssoise).