Blaa Day

My DH and I were watching one of those international cooking shows. The ones where you could make absolutely the best food ever if you would only travel to their country - where of course you would stay at this wonderful B&B where they would take care of your every whim, and then you would cook with the 6-star chef in his accurately restored historic kitchen and serve delightful food on dishes that were national heirlooms.

Anyway. So we were watching a cooking show. And they made poached eggs on blaa. Which sounded pretty funny to us. You know - blaa.

So Sunday morning, my DH calls me down for breakfast (I know, right?) and he has made blaa. It was delicious!

Nothing blah about it at all.

Martha Martha Martha!

It was bound to happen sooner or later.  I celeb spotted Martha Stewart during her book signing at Grand Central Station.

Of course I had to join in with the other folks taking pictures (there were about 25 of them), or my sister would just not believe me.  So I brazenly walked in front of them and took out my little smartphone and snapped a shot.

Naturally someone else brazenly stepped in front of me to take a shot as well.  I had to laugh - Martha paparazzi!

My DH wanted to know why I didn't go up and meet her.  The reason is simple.  It was not in my budget!  It was, after all, a book signing and I would have had to buy her book.  Actually I'm not even sure which one it was - baking, cooking, crafting, sewing - but someone mentioned it was over $60.  Too much for my pocketbook especially when you consider that my mother taught me to bake, cook, craft and sew.

Maybe I'll get it one day if I see it at one of the street vendor's book tables.

At any rate, I actually felt a bit sorry for this multi-millionaire.  She looked perfectly fit, tanned, and made-up, but not very happy about having to sit at a tiny little table in the corner of Grand Central Station.  And she has to do it for 2 days - during rush hour.  It didn't seem to be an ideal location.

Of course, to make the most of it, she was filming the signing for something or another - the little disclaimer posters were posted here and there.  So she'll get the $ from her signing, the publicity for doing it at Grand Central Station and the film clips to be used in more programs and promotional spots.

All in all, not a bad days work, I guess.

Me?  Well, no one wanted an autograph for "Haiku Seasons", so I just went to catch my train.  Maybe next time.

Holy Guacamole

I decided to make some guacamole today.  The slow cookin' way because I had the whole day to play with my food.

It was so cool to use all garden ingredients - except for the avocado.  But, hey, it's not like I live in California or something.  On second thought, maybe my DH will build me a hothouse!  Hmmmm...

So what I did was...

Slow cook about a dozen shallots and 1 1/2 heads of garlic in about a tablespoon of olive oil with 2 teaspoons of butter.  They took about 5 hours to turn into melted savory goodness.

All caramelized.  All deliciousness.  Once they were done, I let them cool down in the pan.

I got some nicely ripened avocado's at the market.  Once I cut them in half, I twisted them to pull the sides apart, then did a dice pattern - not cutting through the skin - to make it easy to scoop out the insides.

I used a spoon to scoop out the avocado into a bowl that had about 2 teaspoons of lemon juice in it.

I needed the lemon juice to a) stop the avocado from turning brown and b) add a little acid to the guacamole.

Now here's the most important part.  Use a fork to mash the avocado.  I know that it's easier to use a Cuisinart, or a stick blender or a potato masher.  Don't.  Use a fork.

It'll mash into better sized pieces and the creamy to chunky proportion will be just perfect.  My DH's brother learned this from a Mexican grandmother.  And if you can't take the word of a Mexican grandmother on this, whose word would you take?

Use fork.

Creamy chunky goodness.

Add in 1/4 cup of diced jalapeno pepper and 3/4 cup minced parsley.  What can I say, I don't like cilantro.

Then add about 2 cups of diced, drained tomatoes.  Freshly picked and still warmed by the sun's kiss.

Then add about a 1/2 cup of your roasted shallots and garlic goodness.  Sprinkle on about a teaspoon of sea salt.

Mix it all together and let it sit and meld while you make the tortilla chips.

Cut a pile of tortillas (I used 4) in half.  Pile them up and cut that pile into 1/3s.

Add a teaspoon of olive oil to the pan that you were using to cook the shallots and garlic in and let it get nice and hot.  Put a few pieces of tortilla in the oil and toast them - lightly.  Flip them once, sprinkle about 1/16th to 1/8th of a teaspoon of salt on them, let the other side toast a little bit.  We're not going for brown here, just a little crisp and nice and warm.

Put a few on a plate, top with a big spoonful of the guacamole and serve to your DH!  Okay - eat a few first and then bring him a plate of them.

They were really good.  The tortilla is still foldable since it wasn't crispy browned so I could load up on the guacamole.  The light salting of the tortilla was nice - and the best part was that I didn't end up with salt burns on my mouth from eating.

My DH really loved them.  And the best part is that now he has left-overs - or in his words, finally something good as a left-over.

Guacamole - simply lovely!

Tomato Tomato

You say tomato, I say tomato.  Hmmm - that doesn't really translate well in text does it?

The tomatoes are ready for harvesting so I spent the evening out in the vegetable garden, flashlight in hand, hunting for the ripe ones.  My DH really loves these bite-sized "Jelly Bean" tomatoes.  Wrap them in a basil leaf and it's the perfect mouthful of Italian goodness.

Of course, I had to plant some cherry tomatoes.  They're perfect soaked in vodka and dipped in Bloody Mary spices.  And then I needed to have some heirlooms just for BLTs.

Over the next week or so, they'll all ripen and we'll get the ones that the rabbit leaves us.  He only takes one bite out of each one - I guess it's the best bite.

Once we're done with eating and gifting, I'll dehydrate the rest and pack them in olive oil with some garlic cloves.  They keep for a few months that way so we'll still have our garden harvest in January.

This is what makes the vegetable garden worthwhile.

Hot Dog - Cool Treat

Okay - so this has nothing to do with peas, but it was way too hot today to take pictures of anything having to do with cooking - even if it was just making cool pops for my hot pup - so here's the latest (and probably last) of the spring peas.

I don't give my pup ice cubes to cool her down.  They are just too cold for her to eat and they shock her digestive system.  Also, the thought of her breaking a tooth on an ice cube always makes me nervous.  So - no ice for the pup.

But what to do when it is hot hot hot outside and I know she just wants a little something that is cool and refreshing?  Peanut butter yogurt cubes to the rescue!

It takes less than 5 minutes to make these and toss them in the freezer.  I take a large container of plain yogurt, add about a cup and a half of (natural no sugar added) peanut butter and mix it all up.  Then I spread it out on a sheet pan and pop it in the freezer until it's frozen solid.  Once it's ready, I cut it up into squares and toss them into a zip bag, storing them in the freezer.  

Our pup can have a couple of these cool treats anytime she needs it - and I don't worry about her tummy or her teeth because they're cold - but not as cold or hard as an ice cube.

Now I'm off to think about the rain we are going to get when this little heat front moves on out of here and things cool down again.

Grape Leaves

A few years ago, I think it was 5 actually, I got some Concord grape vines.  They were bare root scraggly looking little things with some lame little leaves barely hanging on to the dried out branches.  So I potted them up, put them in a sunny spot in the gardens and left them alone.

About 3 years ago I noticed that the vines were growing out of the pots.  So I dug a hole for them at the base of the columns of my vegetable parterre and plopped them in there.  Then I left them alone.

Last year when I was picking tomatoes, I noticed there were grapes on my grape vines.  I harvested them - all 5 of them - and my DH and I feasted on them right away.  They were sweet and wonderfully grapey.  Everything a Concord should be.

This year, though, I'm going for something else.  This year I want to make stuffed grape leaves.  I think I can get some good ones from my grape vines.  They should be big enough and there should be enough of them that harvesting a dozen or so shouldn't make a difference to the vine.

So since it isn't even past the last frost date yet, I decided to go out and check on the status of the grape leaves.

It was a little windy and they were moving around a bit, but so far it looks good.  A few are still in bud, but most of them have opened up.

I wonder if you have to use a particular type of grape leaf to make stuffed grape leaves.  And I think they will need to be brined or something before they are stuffed.

Ah, the simple questions in life.  You have to love it.

Derby Day

The Kentucky Derby has one of the best traditions, I think.  Mint Juleps.  There aren't too many things that you can just stop whatever needs being done at the moment and legitimately tell your DH that you have to go and make yourself a drink.  But on derby day, the making of the julep is a time honored tradition in our home.

Of course you need to have mint - and plenty of it.  We grow our own here at our bucolic manor - spearmint, peppermint, apple mint, orange mint and chocolate mint - all in organic beds, all ready for julep derby day.  This year I went with the apple mint for the syrup and peppermint for the rest of the drink.  My selection is more based on which bed does best instead of the subtle taste of each type of mint.

First we have to make the simple syrup.  That means 2 parts sugar to 1 part water.  I put the sugar into the saucepan and turn the heat on high (don't walk away from this, overheated sugar is highly flammable).

Add in cold water.  I have 4 cups of sugar, so I need 2 cups of water (2:1).  Cover it.  Leave it alone. Let it come to a boil until it boils clear.  Then it's done.

Add in a few handfuls of fresh mint.  I've used the apple mint here.  After you wash it off, just rip it off of the stem and twist it a little to bruise it, then dump it right in the boiling syrup.  Let it simmer for 2 minutes, then remove the syrup from the heat.  Let it cool to room temperature and then stick it in the refrigerator to chill.  Once it's cold, strain out the mint leaves and pour it into a Ball jar.

You just have to use a Ball jar - it's a whiskey drink, anything other than a canning jar simply would not be appropriate!  Okay, maybe if you're a Southerner you might do this in something other than a Ball jar, but I'm a Northerner, so it's got to be a Ball jar.  Put it in the refrigerator and keep it cold.

So now it's right before the race.  The jockeys are mounting their horses to bring them to the gates.  It's time to make the mint juleps.  I've got the Maker's Mark whiskey, my mint simple syrup, fresh peppermint (washed), and a blender of crushed ice that I poured in 2 jiggers of whiskey and 3 tablespoons of syrup just to get it going.

Pick out a sprig of mint - use the short ones for this, save the tall ones for garnish.

Rip off the leaves and toss them into your glass.  We're using these cute little red tumblers just because they're pretty.

Just a light coating of leaves down at the bottom of the glass - maybe 7 or 8.

Take a spoon and use the back of it to smash up the leaves, smearing them all over the inside of the glass.  What you're doing is releasing the oils from the mint and coating the inside of the glass with fresh mint oil.

Add a tablespoon of the mint simple syrup into the glass with the leaves.  If you like it sweet, add more syrup later.

Muddle the mint leaves in the simple syrup - just keep smashing them into the syrup with the back of a spoon until the syrup turns a little green.

Pour in a goodly amount of the crushed ice/syrup/whiskey mixture on top of the muddled mint.  I usually fill the glass up about 3/4 of the way with the ice mixture.

Gently pour a jigger of whiskey on the top of the ice.  You want it to float on the ice, not mixing it in.

Garnish with a tall sprig of peppermint and serve it up.

And there you have it.  Mint Julep for Derby Day.  Delicious!  Just make sure you have a designated driver before you taste it, because these are strong drinks - and the simple syrup has a tendency to disguise that.

Enjoy!  (I think I'll have another...)

No More Potatoes

I don't know where my mind was on my way home from work tonight, because when I got home I realized I had forgotten to get more dog food for our little pup.  Now I know that some folks just feed their dogs whatever it is that they eat for dinner - and that works for them.  Others cook their dogs special meals just for the dogs - and that works for them.  I buy dog food for our pup - that's what works for me.

But tonight I forgot to pick up her food on the way home.  So when I was greeted by one very hungry puppy at the front door, I needed to figure out something fast.  

Corned beef & cabbage.  That's what was in the refrigerator, so that's what she got for dinner.  Of course I couldn't give her any onion because you don't feed that to dogs.  And I didn't give her any cabbage because she has never had that before and a weeknight is not a time to be introducing your pet to a new food. (You need to know which end it will come out after you put it in, if you get my drift...)

So that left the corned beef, carrots and potatoes.  Corned beef definitely - she loves it.  It's meat, 'nuff said.  Carrots were a go - she's not a big fan of them, but she will eat them and I know they are good for her.  

Now about those potatoes.  Dogs eat potatoes.  Some dogs even love potatoes.  And I've told her again and again that potatoes are really yummy and she will like them if she just would give them a chance.

But there is absolutely no way that she is going to ever ever ever eat potatoes.  Won't. Ever. Eat. Potatoes.

However, I really appreciate the way she lines them up in a neat little row off to the side of her food mat.  It tells me that she has at least thoughtfully considered them and deemed them unworthy of actually being eaten.

So, no potatoes - ever.

Spotted Dog

I found the recipe card just in time for St. Patrick's Day.  I'm not sure where I got the recipe - I've had it for many many years, but I am sure it is the best soda bread recipe I have.  Actually, since it has raisins, it is really Spotted Dog, but just leave them out if you prefer plain soda bread.

Sift together 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 1/2 Tablespoons sugar and 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg.

Cut in 6 Tablespoons shortening.

Stir in 2/3 cups raisins, 2 teaspoons caraway, and 1 cup buttermilk.

Knead the sticky mess for 1-2 minutes.  It will come together and smooth out.

Shape into a round then cut a 1/4-inch "X" in the top of it.

Bake it for 45 minutes at 375-degrees until it sounds hollow when tapped.

After you pull it from the oven, guard it carefully for at least 15 minutes so that no hungry men come around and pull off huge hunks of it before the steam inside sets a bit.

Then cut it up into chunks and serve with creamy butter slathered all over the top.

Usually I end up making about 4 of these on St. Patrick's Day.  1 for the dinner table, 1 for snacking on and the others for neighbors who seem to just show up at the door for some unknown reason...

Irish Time is Near

St. Patrick's Day is coming this week and the traditions must be observed.

This corned beef and cabbage is a good representation of what I'll be serving come dinnertime on St. Patrick's Day.  The ingredients are few, but they are specific.  So tonight I went to the grocery store(s) to make sure I have what will be needed for this weekend.

St. Patrick's Day Grocery List

Corned Beef & Cabbage:  Corned Beef, Green Cabbage, White Potatoes, White Onion (jumbo), Carrots, Guinness Stout (bottles), Bay Leaf, Peppercorns, Sea Salt.

Irish Coffee:  Jameson Whiskey, Coffee, Heavy Cream

Irish Soda Bread (Spotted Dog): Flour, Raisins, Caraway Seeds, Salt, Baking Soda, Sugar, Buttermilk

These are the 3 dishes I make every year on St. Patrick's Day.  Since they are really plain foods - not a lot of sauces and seasonings - the key is to make sure the ingredients are very fresh so that the taste of the food shines.  The boiled potatoes should taste like the creamiest potatoes you have ever had.  The corned beef should practically melt in your mouth.

That's the goal.  There are the ingredients.  Now I just have to find my recipe cards!

It's okay, though, I have all week...

Take That, Yarn Harlot!

I finished reading the Yarn Harlot blog today.  Well, actually do you ever finish reading a blog?  It keeps getting new posts.  So, I guess not.  I read all the posts up to today's on the Yarn Harlot blog and I have to say that after I was done, I felt that my fiber arts skills are really lame.

Let's set aside, for a moment, that she is a professional knitter/fiber artist/knitting author (NY Times Best Selling Author, no less) - she does it for a living.  Let's just put that all aside and focus on one little tiny thing.  I've been knitting for as long as she has and I have yet to make 1 single pair of socks!

Not only does she knit socks (pick any month, you'll find them), but in 2011she set up her own sock club and knit a pair a month from that in addition to the 8 other pairs she knit up - and those are just the ones she blogged about.  (I know, right? But we're setting aside the fact that she does a Sock Camp and a Sock Summit.)  Then she goes on her book tours and encourages sock knitting from coast to coast.

And to top it all off, she seems like an intelligent, hard working, loving and all around nice person.

But!  I still felt lame with a miserable case of sock envy.  She's the one who knit up a scarf in two days - I'm still working on mine (it's all those beads) and I don't see an end in sight.

So, what's a girl to do?  The only thing I could - the one thing that I knew for sure that Stephanie Pearl-McPhee would never be able to do better than me.

I roasted a turkey.

With stuffing.

That was almost making me feel better, but not all the way better.  So then...

I baked up a batch or 7 of Biscuit Fiend dog treats.

Now I feel much better because I know for sure that the Yarn Harlot can never ever do that.  

Why?  She's a vegetarian - who has a cat.  

So there!  Take that, Yarn Harlot!  You may be a phenomenal professional knitter and NY Times Best Selling Author and write really humorous and informative books and beautiful knitting patterns and encourage donations to a fantastic charity and be a good person, mother and wife - BUT! 

I can roast a turkey and make healthy organic dog biscuits.

(Okay, how hard can it be...where's that sock yarn?)

It's An Honor Just To Be Nominated

My friend pointed out that I have been nominated for the Bloggers Choice Awards in the categories of Best Blog About Stuff, Best Food Blog (they must not have tried the chili!), Best Hobby Blog and Best Humor Blog.  I'd love for you to vote for my site - if you think it's worthy - if not, you can vote for other worthy sites!

Cool!



Thank you and Happy Valentine's Day!

Quit While You're Ahead

Basking in the glow of my disastrous marmalade escapade, I decided that nothing would help me lick my wounds better than a nice bowl of chili.  I should have known better.

I couldn't find my mom's recipe, but I had made it 100s of times.  I had to know the basics and since I wasn't going for anything fancy, I thought I'd just dive right in.  How hard could it be?

Just sauté up some chopped onions in a little olive oil.  Smells good.  I am on the right track.

Add in some spices.  Salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic.  I'm feeling the recipe coming back to me like it was yesterday.

Toss in the ground beef and brown it nicely.  That looks good!

Add in the tomato.  Lots of tomato makes for lots of chili.  2 big cans should do the trick.

And we can't forget the kidney beans.  It wouldn't be mom's chili without the kidney beans.  But it looks a little soupy.  I was holding back on this, but I think it needs one more thing...

Tomato paste.  A whole can of tomato paste should thicken it right up. (Where were you to stop me!?)

Left to simmer on the stove until it was nice and hot.  My version of chili.  Doesn't it look cute with its' little dollop of sour cream?  It must be good!

Nope! Nasty!!! I''ve done it again.  This time it is edible - just barely.  It tastes like tomato paste with meat and vegetables throw in for texture.  Even adding more spices doesn't make a dent in the thick tomato goo that I thought would be chili.

Kill me now, I've made enough for a week.  It's not nasty enough to throw away.  I can't feed tomato to my pup.  My Dear Honey won't eat it - he laughed so much he dropped his spoon.

It's awful.

I should have quit while I was ahead - or in this case, while I was behind.  2 recipes.  2 strikes.  I think I'll make oatmeal for awhile just until I get out of this slump.  It happens sometimes.  Must be the full moon or something.  I'll just have to wait it out.

In the meantime, I have some chili to "enjoy".

Ewww.