My version of Snickerdoodles

To make my snickerdoodles I first start with my basic cream cheese sugar cookie recipe -
I like this recipe better than the standard sugar cookie - I feel like it has a better depth of flavor - and more origionality than a plain sugar cookie -

I'll post that recipe first and then give you the add on to make it a snickerdoooooodle type cookie!

Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies


1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup softened butter
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
2-1/4 cup all-purpose flour

In large bowl combine sugars, butter, cream cheese, salt, vanilla extract and egg ; blend well.

Stir in flour until well blended.

Chill dough for 2 hours.

Pre-heat oven to 375 F.

Scoop the cookie with a small cookie scoop

Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

Leave cookie plain, or brush with lightly beaten egg white and sprinkle with colored sugar.

Bake for 7-10 minutes or until light golden brown.

Cool completely on wire racks.


Now for the snickerdoodle option....

To the batter stir in one teaspoon cinnamon
scoop the cookies using a cookie scoop
and then roll in cinnamon sugar
Bake as directed above.

super bowl chili fiesta!

food rules the menu for Superbowl sunday for a very good reason....

Whether you're sitting at a bar, or huddling around the television with friends, you can eat, chat, and watch the game without having to miss a play, or better yet the excellent comercials. A buffet of finger foods is excellent but time consuming - and lots of $$$ My vote is for a Chili Buffet!

Start with one Large Crockpot of your Favorite Chili
dont even ask me for my recipe - VERY few have it - I rarely share (UNLESS THERE IS SOMETHING MAJOR IN IT FOR ME)

and then set up the toppings galore! ( my personal favorite its to make like *chili salad* a version of taco salad! you can even have some hot dogs and buns for people to make chili dogs! For the toppings: shredded cheese, jalapenos, choped red onion, sour cream, extra hot sauce, scallions, shredded lettuce if you want to try the chili salads, Tortilla chips, Diced avocados, maybe a little salsa! Have plenty of cold beer and *other* beverages ready! DIG IN -- Think about it!

Pasta Carbonara

Pasta Carbonara - Just the speaking of the dish's name conjures up memories of my trip to Italy.

The dish was served to me in Florence - and burned a hole in my memory!

Please dont freak about the raw eggs - if made according to my specs - the eggs get cooked!


Pasta alla Carbonara

1 pound dry spaghetti or linguini

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces slab bacon, cubed or sliced into small strips
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 large eggs
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano,
plus more for serving
Freshly ground black pepper
1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Prepare the sauce while the pasta is cooking to ensure that the spaghetti will be hot and ready when the sauce is finished; it is very important that the pasta is hot when adding the egg mixture, so that the heat of the pasta cooks the raw eggs in the sauce.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until tender yet firm
Drain the pasta well,

heat the olive oil in a deep skillet over medium flame.
Add the bacon and saute for about 3 minutes, until the bacon is crisp and the fat is rendered. Toss the garlic into the fat and saute for less than 1 minute to soften.

Add the hot, drained pasta to the pan and toss for 2 minutes to coat the strands in the bacon fat.

Beat the eggs and Parmesan together in a mixing bowl, stirring well to prevent lumps.

Remove the pan from the heat and pour the egg/cheese mixture into the pasta, whisking quickly until the eggs thicken, but do not scramble (this is done off the heat to ensure this does not happen.)

Thin out the sauce with a bit of the pasta water, until it reaches desired consistency.

Season the carbonara with lots of freshly ground black pepper and add salt after you have tasted it to make sure it needs it... ( the bacon and the parm cheese are pretty salty)

. Mound the spaghetti carbonara into warm serving bowls and garnish with chopped parsley.

Make sure there is more cheese for the table

Calling all superbowl fans...

Catering the Super Bowl is a major undertaking.
Raymond James Stadium in Tampa where the game is being played holds 65,857 people and has nearly 200 suites, as well as a couple restaurants and 93 concession stands and portable operations. With all those hungry fans, Levy Restaurants is making a lot of food. In fact, their projections for how much food they will sell are a bit staggering:
55,200 hot dogs
14,500 burgers
2,250 pounds of beef short ribs
32,400 slices of pizza
107,250 pieces of chicken tenders
2,500 pounds of shrimp, lobster, oysters, and crab
12,000 pieces of assorted desserts
Thats a lotta grub!


Here are some of the recipies Created by chef Ron Krivosik of Levy restaurants for the players and staff of both teams for Superbowl sunday!

approximately 30 chefs come in from all over the country and then as far as hourly and support [staff] that's going to be anywhere from 100 to, on the day of the game [when] we have cooks in the stands and in some of the clubs, around 400 people. - Chef ron


Jerk Chicken wings
6 pounds - jumbo chicken wings
6 tablespoons - vegetable oil
6 tablespoons - Spanish onion1/2 pepper - scotch bonnet pepper
1 pinch - fresh ginger,
grated
1 clove - fresh garlic
1 pinch - fresh thyme
1 tablespoon - red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon - light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon - cinnamon, ground
1 pinch – nutmeg, ground
1/4 teaspoon - allspice
1/2 cup - lime juice
1/2 teaspoon - kosher
1 pinch - black pepper

* Scotch Bonnet peppers are one of the hottest peppers in the world and similar to the habanero pepper. Please substitute habanero pepper if Scotch Bonnets peppers are not available.

Preparation
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. Add the raw chicken wings to the Jerk Marinade; cover and refrigerate. To enhance their flavor, allow the chicken to marinade over night. After the chicken wings have marinated over night, re-season with a little salt and pepper before grilling. Heat the grill to medium and lightly oil the grates before putting the wings on. Grill each wing should take 12 minutes, 6 minutes per side. Remove from grill, garnish with grilled lime halves and enjoy! We recommend serving your Jerk Wings with a citrus barbecue sauce and blue cheese dip. Makes about 3 dozen wings to serves 6-8 people.



Tampa Dogs:
4 – jumbo all beef hot dogs
1 cup - cheddar cheese sauce
1 cup - spicy chili con carne (your favorite brand)
1/4 cup – jalapeños, sliced
4 – hot dog buns

Preparation
Grill the hot dogs until they are heated through for 5-6 minutes. Next, warm the cheese sauce and chili in two separate medium sauce pans until hot and bubbly. Then place the hot dogs in the fresh buns and top with chili and then cheese sauce. Finally, top the hot dogs with the sliced jalapeños. Serve the Tampa Dogs with a fork and knife and enjoy!




Lechon Asada
( cuban style5-7 pounds - pork shoulder, bone in
3 cups - chimichurri marinade

Chimichurri Marinade:1/4 cup - parsley, stems removed 1/4 cup - cilantro, stems removed 4 cloves - garlic, crushed 2 - jalapeño pepper, minced 3/4 cup - red wine vinegar 1/3 cup - fresh squeezed lime juice 1 1/2 cups - olive oil 3 teaspoon - salt 1 tablespoon - black pepper

Preparation
In a food processor, add parsley, cilantro, garlic, vinegar, lime juice and jalapeños. Pulse the processor for 30 seconds until the herbs are chopped. With the processor running, add the oil slowly to incorporate evenly. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl and set aside 1 cup for later preparation.Lechon Asada:With a sharp knife, carefully make deep cuts into the roast on all sides. Coat the roast with the Chimichurri Marinade, cover with plastic wrap and let marinate 2 to 4 hours.Preheat oven to 325°F. After marinating, remove the pork from marinade and place into a roasting pan. Once there, cover the pork with foil and cook for 2 1/2 hours. Remove the foil and cook for an additional 1 hour to deepen color. The roast is done when a fork pierced into side will easily flake meat.Once out of the oven, place on cutting board and using a fork, "pull" the meat into medium size bowl. Shred the meat about the size of a postage stamp. Put the shredded pork in a clean mixing bowl and toss with reserved Chimichurri Marinade

Lechon Asada can be enjoyed on fresh Cuban bread as a sandwich for a fantastic lunch, or served with yellow rice and black beans as a homestyle Cuban entrée, enjoy!



SUPER BOWL CUBAN


Ingredients
1 loaf - cuban bread, 36 inch extra long loaf
1 pound - roast pork loin, thinly sliced
1 pound - black forest ham, thinly sliced
8 slices - swiss cheese
8 slices - tomato
8 slices – pickle, sliced lengthwise
1/2 pound – salami, thinly sliced
1/2 cup - Dijonaise Dressing

Dijonaise Dressing: 1 cup - Dijon Mustard 1 cup - mayonnaise 1 tablespoon - honey

Preparation
To begin, slice bread in half lengthwise and spread Dijonaise Dressing on both sides of the bread. Then place the pork loin, ham and salami on one side of the bread. Top the meats with the swiss cheese, then the tomatoes and pickles. To finish, insert a bamboo skewer into the sandwich about every 2 inches down the length of the sandwich. Slice the sandwich between the skewers and place on serving platter. Enjoy!Dijonaise Dressing: In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the mustard, mayonnaise and honey and mix well. Cover the bowl and store in a refrigerator.

Florida Strawberry Crisp


Ingredients
8 cups - strawberries
1/2 cup - granulated sugar
1 tablespoon - orange zest
2 tablespoons - cornstarch
2 tablespoons - Grand Marnier liquor
1 teaspoon - vanilla extract
2 tablespoons - orange juice

Streusel Topping (recipe below)
Butter to grease baking dishS

treusel Topping
3/4 cup - all purpose flour
1/2 cup - granulated sugar
1/2 cup - butter
1 teaspoon - vanilla extract
Pinch - salt

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 °F and butter the bottom and sides of an 8-inch x 8-inch baking dish. Begin by cutting the very top of each strawberry to remove the leaves. Then slice each strawberry in half and place in large mixing bowl. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the cornstarch and sugar and mix. Then add the orange zest, Grand Marnier liquor, vanilla extract and orange juice to the second mixing bowl with sugar and mix well. Next, pour this mixture over the strawberries and gently fold together. Place the strawberry mixture in the greased baking dish and top with streusel topping. Bake for 45 minutes at 350°F. Once baked, remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Streusel Topping: Cut the butter into cubes and place in a food processor. Add the flour, sugar and vanilla. Pulse the food processor just until the mixture is combined, but still course and crumbly. It is important not to over mix.

GRUB rub for BBQ

I have an all purpose *grub rub* that is the perfect dry rub for ribs, pork, brisket, chicken you name it! Its the multi purpose go to seasoning that is the kicker to Great BBQ!

3 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp freshly cracked black pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder ( i like granulated)
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon season salt
1 teaspoon ital seasoning
1/2 teaspoon chili powder ( optional)

mix well and apply liberally to meat
proceed as necessary to grill, roast, BBQ, smoke whatever you like!

Molasses Crinkles

This recipe is an old family Favorite.

My Uncle Jack ADORED these cookies, as Did my Poppee!

Braydens Great Grandfather Leo likes these quite a bit also!

My Son loves them in dough form as well as the finished product! (as does his daddy)

This is a super simple time honored tradtional recipe - that is sure to please any molasses cookie lover. I make sure I slightly underbake these cookies. It produces a tradtional crips edge with a chewy center that really cant be beat!

MOLASSES CRINKLES COOKIES

¾ cup canola oil
¾ cup vanilla sugar ****
1 egg
¼ cup dark molasses
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger

First step is to mix all liquid ingredients until well combined

Second step is to add in all the dry ingredients and mix completley

Chill dough. AT least 30 mins

Roll into balls. ( I use a small size cookie scoop to make sure each one is uniform in size and shape)

Roll balls in granulated sugar and bake at 350° for ~9 - 10 mins.

Chefs trick:

Cool and store in an air tight container with a slice of bread on the bottom.

I store all my cookies this way.

It prevents them from drying out and tasting like bricks!

Strawberry

I think for the moment - the strawberry is Braydens perfect food.

He likes it in Jucie, in ice cream, milk, and of course all naturally by itself. At the farmers market today a couple was selling perfect trays of luscious strawberries. Each one red and vibrant.

They had a mystical memory envoking fragrance of my summers past -


Brayden ate 6 for breakfast!

I ran home to photograph them before they dissapeared into chocolate, or a pie, or an after naptime snack!

Enjoy!

all from My Backyard....

YAY for Citrus!

The only time of year I am in Love with Tucson is winter. Lemons, Grapefruit, oranges, limes, they droop from the trees. Herbs in my backyard flourish - grow and stretch out! you can open the windows during the day - and cuddle up when it gets cooler at night! here are some photos of my lovley citrus fruits - from my backyard!

Tomato soup day

Tomato soup on a rainy winter day in the desert
what not a better way to warm and comfort my family for dinner ( aside from adding grilled cheese of course) You can imagine my grilled cheese is a little sideways from ordinary - but more importantly the soup........

1 2 quart stock pot melt
1 tbsp butter

in the bowl of the food processer add

6 baby carrots
1/2 small onion ( sweet type)
2 cloves of garlic

and pulse until small dice

add the chopped vegetables to the melthed butter
cook until the aroma of the onions and garlic is strong.

add 16 oz of good chicken stock ( 2 cups)

and bring the mixture to a full boil.
cook until the vegetables are softened -
about 10 mins

add one can large petite diced tomatoes, and one small can
stir -
reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 mins
puree in a blender or with an imersion blender until smooth
season to taste with salt and pepper

serve hot

* you may add cream at the end for extra richness

Baked Mac and Cheese - Not comercial, not prepackaged, not full of chemicals - Just good old fashioned Yumminess!

Baked Macaroni with Mixed Cheeses
Ok - so
As a mother and a chef, I want to make sure my child gets all the goodness I can provide and afford. As a child I RARELY indulged in the *blue Box* mac - it was always moms.

Are we so spoiled by convenience that we are willing to feed our kids chemicals - yup! I was reading on the Kraft website that they sell close to 1 million servings of Blue box mac every day. I can't call it mac and cheese with ingredients like *yellow # 6 and powdered cheese culture! YUCK.

Making mac and cheese is not a long labor of love.

But it is tasty goodness!

there must be a place in your recipe boxes for a version using real ingredients

Cheddar, in my opinion, is the cheese of choice, but a mix of cheese provides to be more interesting! I chose half cheddar, combined with a mix of Monterey Jack and fontina and added some dijon mustard and a dash of hot sauce and Worcestershire, reminiscent of old recipes for Welsh Rarebit.

For a crunchy top I am way off base from my mom's traditional saltine crumb topping. I like to use Low fat cheese-its, mixed half and half with panko, and a little Parmesan cheese

The result is a creamy version with cheddar flavor predominating but with other cheeses and flavorings giving it layers of more complex flavors,

Serves six as a main course, more as a side:

¾ pound of pasta – small penne, campanelle, gamelli or elbows
2-14 ounces of cheese, grated – all cheddar or a mix of half cheddar and fontina, Monterey Jack or other remnants.
2 ½ cups milk
2 ½ tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons butter or substitute
1/3 onion, diced
1 teaspoon Dijon
¼ teaspoon hot sauce or to taste
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Topping
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup crushed cheese-its
1 ½ teaspoons paprika
Freshly ground pepper and salt


In a large pot of salted water, cook the pasta, removing it just as it reaches “al dente”, usually 2 -3 minutes before the time suggested on the box.
Drain the pasta and run it under cold water to prevent further cooking.
Melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium heat and add the onions when the butter melts. Cook until the onions are soft but not browned.
Add the flour and cook, stirring for several minutes to cook the flour.
Whisk in the milk gradually and cook, stirring over low heat until the milk thickens, 10–15 minutes. S
stir in the grated cheese and stir until it is melted.
Add the mustard and cayenne , Worcestershire and then taste, adding black pepper and salt (remember cheese adds significant salt) and more cayenne or mustard to taste.


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Mix the pasta into the cheese and transfer the mixture to a greased baking dish.
Mix the grated Parmesan, crushed cheese its, and panko bread crumbs and paprika and spread them evenly over the surface.
Bake until the top is browned and the liquid is bubbling: 45 – 50 minutes.

serve with a nice green salad - and as Brayden says it with be *LISH-ous*

Chefs View of the inauguration

I am so happy to have Watched the inauguration. A breath of New and fresh air entering the whitehouse. A day of history made - and a sense of renewal in my faith in the Good OLE USA!
To celebrate I have located the menu and recipes to be served today at the inaugural luncheon.

Here it is -

Recipes from the 2009 Inaugural Luncheon

Menu
Seafood StewDuck Breast with Cherry Chutney
Herb Roasted Pheasant with Wild Rice Stuffing
Molasses Whipped Sweet Potatoes
Winter Vegetables
Cinnamon Apple Sponge Cake

First Course:Seafood Stew Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients 6 (1 Lb) Maine lobsters

20 medium size Sea scallops

36 Large shrimp, peel, cleaned and tail removed, aprox. 2 lbs.

10 (1 oz) pieces of black cod

½ cup small dice carrots

½ cup small dice celery

½ cup small dice leek

½ cup small dice Idaho potato

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground white pepper or black pepper

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 quart heavy cream

1 cup dry vermouth (can be made without)

10 (5 inch) puff pastry rounds Equipment

10 (3 ½ inch) terrines/ramekins or serving dish of your choice

Directions1. Bring 1 gallon of water to a boil; poach lobsters, then shrimp, then black cod and last scallops. After seafood is cooked, remove from water; reserve water and bring to boil.

2. Cook all vegetables in liquid that was used for the seafood, remove vegetables when tender. Allow the liquid to continue to boil until only 1qt of liquid remains. This will be the base for the sauce.

3. Bring seafood liquid back to a boil and add the vermouth and heavy cream and reduce by half, season with salt, white pepper and nutmeg to taste. You have reached your desired thickness when the sauce will cover the back of a wooden spoon. Set aside to cool.

4. Cut Maine lobster, shrimp and scallops into bite size pieces.

5. Pre-heat oven at 400 degrees.

6. Fold seafood and vegetables into cool sauce, being careful not to mix too much as this will break up the seafood. Scoop mixture into terrines or oven proof baking dish of your choice.

7. Cover terrines with puff pastry rounds, brush them with egg wash and bake them until golden brown about 8-10 minutes, allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

You can cook this 2-3 hours ahead of time and keep warm at 150 F degrees.*All seafood can be substituted with other favorite options of your choice and availability.

Second Course:Duck Breast with Cherry Chutney

Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

½ cup chopped onion (1 small)

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon ground cumin

Scant ¼ teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes

¾ teaspoon salt

½ cup coarsely chopped red bell pepper (½ medium)

1 plum tomato, coarsely chopped

¼ cup dry red wine

1 ½ to 2 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 can (3 cups) Bing cherries, quartered *Oregon brand

½ cup Golden Raisins

10 (6 oz.) boneless duck breasts with skin

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon or chives

Method for chutney and glaze: Heat oil in a 2 to 3 quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook onion, garlic, and shallot, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 7 minutes. Add tomato paste, black pepper, cumin, hot pepper flakes, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Reduce heat to medium and add bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in wine, vinegar (to taste), and sugar and simmer approx 5 minutes. Stir in mustard, 1 1/2 cups cherries, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer 1 minute. Allow to cool slightly and reserve all but ¼ cup of the mix to the side. Place1/4 cup mix in a blender and puree until very smooth, about 1 minute (use caution when blending hot liquids). Reserve for glazing duck. To finish the chutney, add the remaining 1 ½ cups of cherries, tarragon, chives and all the golden raisins. Can be prepared one day ahead.Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F. Score duck skin in a crosshatch pattern with a small sharp knife and season duck all over with salt and pepper. Heat water in an ovenproof 12-inch heavy skillet over low heat until hot, then add duck, skin side down. Cook duck, uncovered, over low heat, without turning, until most of fat is rendered(melted) and skin is golden brown, about 25 minutes. Transfer duck to a plate and discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet. Brush duck all over with cherry glaze and return to skillet, skin side up. Roast duck in oven until thermometer registers 135°F, about 8 minutes for medium-rare. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Holding a sharp knife at a 45-degree angle, cut duck into slices. Serve with cherry chutney and molasses whipped sweet potato.

Herb Roasted Pheasant with Wild Rice Stuffing

Yield: 10 portions

Ingredients

10 Pheasant breast, boneless, remove tenders and reserve for stuffing, cut small pocket in side of breast for stuffing

½ cup Olive oil with chopped rosemary, thyme and sage

1 lb. Wild rice, long grain

2 quarts Chicken stock or canned chicken broth

2 Carrots, diced

½ Onion, diced

½ cup Dried apricot, small diced

1 Tablespoon Salt and pepper mix

2 Tablespoons Garlic, roasted

Directions

1. Boil the rice with the chicken stock, cook until soft and most of the liquid is gone.

2. Add the onion, carrot, garlic and apricot. Cook until the vegetables are soft and all liquid has been absorbed. Refrigerate rice mixture until cold.

3. In a food processor, puree pheasant tenders to a paste consistency to use as a binder for rice mix.

4. When rice is cool, add the pheasant puree to the rice until well mixed. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and return to refrigerator until ready to stuff.

5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

6. Make 10 small football shaped patties of the rice mix, stuff inside the pheasant, being careful not to overstuff the pheasant. Rub herb/oil mixture on top and bottom of the pheasant, season with salt and pepper. Place the pheasant on a heavy gauge roasting pan and then in a preheated oven for approximately 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and cover with lid or foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Serve over sauté of spinach.

*Pheasant can be substituted with chicken.

Molasses Whipped Sweet Potatoes

Yield: 2 quarts

Ingredients

3 large sweet potatoes, about 3 pounds

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¼ cup orange juice

½ tablespoon of brown sugar

1 tablespoon of molasses

1 teaspoon of ground cumin

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and roast until easily pierced with a fork, about 1 hour.

3. Peel the skin off of the sweet potatoes while still hot.By hand or mixer, smash potatoes until all large chunks are gone. Combine the potatoes, butter, salt, orange juice, brown sugar, ground cumin, molasses and maple syrup in a large bowl. Continue to mix all together until all lumps are gone. Adjust any of the seasonings to your specific tastes. Can be made the day before.

Winter Vegetables

Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients

2 bunches Asparagus, green, bottom 1/3 of stem removed

2 lbs. Carrots, peeled, cut oblong or large dice

1 lb. Baby Brussels Sprouts, fresh, cleaned or frozen can be used

1 lb. Wax Beans, ends snipped

2 oz Butter

1 each Zest from orange

4 oz. Olive Salt and Pepper to taste.

Directions Asparagus: preheat grill or large heavy bottom sauté pan. Rub 2 oz of olive oil on asparagus and season with pinch of salt and pepper. Lay flat on grill or sauté pan until lightly browned. Using long fork or tongs, rotate the asparagus to brown other sides. Usually 2 or 3 minutes per side. The asparagus is done when you can use a fork to cut through. Do not overcook, this will cause asparagus to become stringy. Keep warm until ready to serve.Carrots: bring 3 qt salted water to a boil, add carrots to water and cook until fork tender, meaning a fork will easily pass through the carrot. Drain the water from the pot and toss 1 oz butter and zest of orange and mix until carrots are coated. Season with pinch of salt and enjoy. Keep warm until ready to serve.Brussels Sprouts: For Fresh: Bring 3 qt salted water to a boil, cut into the stem of the sprout with a pairing knife to create an X on the bottom, this will allow the stem to cook more evenly. Place sprout in boiling water and allow to cook until bottom of sprout is tender and easily cut with a knife. Preheat a heavy bottom sauté while the sprouts are cooking. Remove sprouts from water and allow all water to drain completely. Add 2 oz oil to sauté pan and add the sprouts, season with salt and pepper while tossing the sprouts around to evenly brown in the pan. If sprouts are too big, you can cut them in half, keep warm until ready to serve.For Frozen: Bring 3 qt salted water to a boil and drop frozen brussel sprouts into water, these are precooked so you are only thawing them out. Remove from water and sauté as above.Yellow Wax beans: bring 3 qt salted water to boil, add snipped wax beans to water and allow to cook until fork tender or to your liking of doneness. Remove from water and toss with 1 oz butter and season with salt and pepper.

Third Course Cinnamon Apple Sponge Cake

Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients

Apple Filling:4 lbs Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

¼ cup

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup apple sauce

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon salt

Grated zest from 1 lemon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Bread Crust:14 tablespoons unsalted butter,

melt 10 of tablespoons

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

34 slices brioche bread (or white bread)

Equipment:10 Ceramic baking ramekins or metal molds (3” diameter)

Sauce:2 cups caramel sauce(store bought)

2 cups granny smith apples, peeled, cored, diced

smallPinch sugar

Pinch cinnamon

1 tablespoon butter

Ice Cream1 quart vanilla ice cream

Preparation:

Filling1. Melt butter in 6-quart saucepan over medium-low heat. Add apples and caramelize, add water, cook, stirring occasionally for 15 to 20 minutes, or until apples are completely soft. Remove cover and add sugar, nutmeg and salt. Increase heat to medium-high and continue to cook, stirring apples frequently, until liquid has completely evaporated, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon zest, apple sauce and vanilla. Set aside to cool while making crust. The filling can be made one day aheadMaking crust and assembly1. Position oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 425°F. Grease 8 ceramic dishes with 1 tablespoon butter. Sprinkle sugar in dish and tilt to coat bottom and sides. Tap out excess sugar and set aside.2. Using a bread knife, remove crusts from bread. Center the bottom of mold over one of the bread squares. Cut around mold to form circle to use as the top. Make a total of 20 of these round pieces. Ten will be for the bottom and 10 will be used for the top. Dip each one in melted butter and place at the bottom of mold.3. Cut each of the 15 remaining slices of bread into four rectangular pieces. Dip one side of each strip in the melted butter and arrange strips, upright, around the inside of molds, buttered-sides against mold and overlapping by about 1/2” to completely line mold. Use 6 rectangles to line the mold.4. Spoon the apple filling into bread-lined molds, mounding it slightly in center.5. Take the remaining ten rounds of bread and dip pieces of bread into the melted butter and place on top of filling, buttered-sides up. Press down lightly.6. Bake for 30 minutes, then cover top loosely with aluminum foil. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, until top is deep golden brown and side slices are golden brown (slide a thin-bladed knife between bread and pan to check). Remove from oven, uncover, and let rest for 15 minutes on wire rack. Run thin-bladed knife around edges of molds to be able to flip the mold out onto serving plates.7. For the apple cinnamon caramel sauce, sauté 1 cup of peeled and diced Granny Smith apples in butter, add a pinch of sugar and cinnamon. Allow to cook until apples are lightly browned and all sugars have dissolved. Remove from heat and add 2 cups caramel sauce to the apples and stir to coat apples.To AssemblePour caramel apple sauce over warmed apple cakes and serve with your favorite vanilla ice cream.

Creamed corn ---deeeeellllishous

If you havent seen the episode on Food network where
Chef Simon makes creamed corn.... then Im sorry!

I tried this recipe after christopher and I watched Chef Simon create this dish for a christmas dinner. It is AMAZING

Definatley tasty goodness - to the last bite! The lime zest addtion is really unique and quite a suprise.


Creamed Corn with Bacon
Prep Time:
25 min

Inactive Prep Time:
hr min

Cook Time:
55 min

Level:
Intermediate

Serves:
4 to 6 servings as a side dish

Corncob stock: 5 shucked ears corn (kernels removed and reserved*) 1 bay leaf 2 cloves garlic 1/2 onion peeled and quartered 1 tablespoon whole coriander seed 1 teaspoon salt 2 quarts water

Corn saute: 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 pound thick-cut bacon cut into lardoons 1 cup diced yellow onion 1 clove garlic minced *Reserved corn kernels 1 teaspoon salt 2 cups reserved corncob stock 1/2 cup creme fraiche 1 tablespoon butter 1/2 cup freshly chopped cilantro leaves 1 lime, zested

For the stock:
Place all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a lively simmer and cook to reduce liquid to 2 cups, approximately 30 minutes. Strain and reserve, keeping stock warm.

To finish the corn:
Begin heating a large saucepan, and glaze bottom with the extra-virgin olive oil. Add the lardons and cook over medium heat, rendering the fat and browning the pieces, stirring as needed. Add the onion and sweat, about 45 seconds. Add the garlic and continue to cook, stirring, another 30 seconds. Add the corn and salt, continuing to cook for another 2 minutes. Add the reserved corncob stock and bring to a simmer, cooking until the liquid reduces to approximately 2/3 cup. Add the creme fraiche and simmer 3 minutes or until the mixture begins to thicken. Add the butter and stir. Remove pan from heat; stir in cilantro and lime zest. Check for seasoning and serve.

Farmers Market

Get up - get out and go! I love the Tucson Farmers market. over the last year we have developed a great relationship with the vendors.. and its GREAT place to get local products -- support your local community and get great quality food and beverages.

We always get empanadas for breakfast - and fresh roasted coffee ( for me and maybe a sip for brayden NONE for CJR)

Corn, fresh roasted hatch chiles, salsas, jerkey - its all there Goat cheese, wine... YUMMYYYY

Cant type anymore - Im off to the market!

Killing a Craving at home somtimes isnt worth the effort!

I ask the usual question.... what do you want for dinner. Im greeted with the same answer... I dunno what do you want? I reply.... for you to Choose! HAHA!

Thinking I'd won I sit back waiting for an answer.... Nothing...

OK - hmm.... Challange me I say - what do you want for dinner...

I've been craving potato skins ( like the kind from BJ's All day) want me to call and order some?

Challange accepted.... Game - set - match! I won.

HOWEVER....

While the end result was tastier than ordering out - cheaper than ordering out - it was FAR more time consuming than ordering out....

If you dare to make potato skins at home the way I did - here ya go

4 small potatoes, scrubbed but NOT peeled

cheese - shredded co-jack as necessary

sour cream- as much as necessary

4 sliced of bacon cooked ( in the oven on a parchement lined sheet tray for 20 mins at 400)

Chopped parsely for the green - makes it look semi-healthy garnish

I cooked the potatoes in the micorwave for 15 mins

then cut each one in half and scooped out about half of the potato flesh

(which I made mashed potatoes for Brayden with)

then I deep friend each half until crisp - about 3 mins at 375

Drained the potato cups on a paper bag ( thank you Trader Joes)

and seasoned whtm with salt and pepper

Filled each cup with shredded cheese - bacon bits and put in the oven

@ 375 for as long as it took to melt the cheese.

Topped with sour cream and parsley - and served per CJR's request with a sde of ranch! It was culinary bliss.

My kitchen was a mess - But!...

Brayden loved making mashed potatoes -

CJR loved his skins... and I once again was able to prove that you can make restaurant food at home - in less then 30 mins...

Im no Rachel Ray - ( THANK GOD) - but it can be done!

Dnt forget to KISS THE CHEF~~

Saturday morning biscuit breakfast

There are a lot of way to make biscuits... and frankly I still fall back to my grandmothers recipe. She is the Mother of 6 - and biscuits were served most days as a staple quick bread that was loved by everyone.

Her recipe is
2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp sugar
3 1/2 tsp. baking powder
2/3 c. milk
2/3 c. shortening
Mix ingredients together. Knead and add flour until the dough is not sticky. Roll out dough to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into desired shape. Put on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 425 degrees until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Take them out of pan and put on cooling rack while they are hot.


Now I make a few modifications...
for shortening I use 1/3c butter and 1/3 c crisco. way better flavor
KING ARTHUR flour
you just cant go wrong with this one.

check out their website @ www.kingarthurflour.com It may be a little more $$ than your standard flour - but its a better results producing product - and I love it!

For a typical saturday morning at my house I make this recipe... but if Im making it for anyone else... I double it! I like big thick fluffy biscuits... and a double recipe makes the best!

I have been toying around with the idea of blogging now for quite sometime. Seems there are many things to do with any spare free time - not taken up by work outside of the home or work in the home - or raising an almost 2 year old whirlwind of a little boy. But There are so many things that need to be put down for preservation the the e-world.

Like The fact that I used 36 lemons from our trees in the back yard to make my very first ever batch of limoncello tonight... I'll post later on wether or not it works - but seems sorta fool proof. I remember having this in Italy -- Florence to be exact - almost 16 years ago now... But That FIRST taste of anything always sticks with you ( any good chef will agree) and with the abundance of free lemons from the backyard this year i had to give it a go....

Recipe is....

20 - 30 lemons - clean, unwaxed with nice plump skins. The skins should give off a lemon sent, don't get ones that don't smell heavenly.
2 (750-ml) bottles everclear
4-6 cups water
2-4 cups sugar (more if you want it thicker or sweeter)

For this recipe you also need a 2-3 litre glass jar with a sealed lid. The jar should be washed and rinsed very well or sterilized. You don't want anything in your limoncello but what you put there.. .
You will also need the bottles you want to put the final brew in. I have good reusable tops.
I will employ a three-step process.
Step 1
Wash and dry the lemons. Only use the ones without blemished peels or pare off any spots and the stems, ends.
Remove the peel from the lemons with a sharp peeler or fine grater, carefully avoiding the bitter white pith. If any white pith remains on the back of a strip of peel, scrape it off. If you get any of the white part in the batch, the limoncello will be bitter and you don't want that!

put those the peels in a glass jar and add the vodka and/or Everclear about two inches below the top and seal tightly.
Leave the jar to steep in a cool, dark place until the peels lose their color, at least 2 weeks. I think I'll leave mine for at least 2-3 months. (maybe it will make it extra yummy). Every couple of weeks I will swirl the peels around in the jar to mix up the oils in the alcohol, plus It will be good just to check in on it!

Step 2


Put the water and sugar in a saucepan, stir and slowly boil until it turns clear. Let the syrup cool
Put the cooled syrup in the jar with the lemons (you might have to divide the batch into two jars at this point, depending on the size of your jar).
Put the jars back in the closet for at least two weeks. Longer is fine too.

Step 3
Strain out the lemon peels through a coffee filter or cheesecloth and pour the limoncello into another container.
Press down to remove all the vodka and oils that you can from the peels before tossing them in the trash.
Stir the liquid with a clean plastic or wooden spoon.
Put the liqueur in clean bottles, seal tightly and leave the finished bottles for at least 1 week before using.


For best flavor and drinking it straight, store the limoncello in the freezer. It shouldn't freeze because of how much alcohol is in it and it's wonderful ice cold.

Tips:
The time consuming part is the peeling, but take your time and don't get any of the white underbelly of the skin in the batch. I use a very sharp paring knife or a potato peeler.
Use organic lemons or at least ones you know where they came from. Now that I have an everbearing lemon tree in my backyard, I don't have to worry about that anymore.
Make a big batch at once. Especially if you're letting it steep as long as I do. Once you taste this or give it away to friends, it goes quickly and people will beg you for more.
You can also make similar liqueurs using other citrus fruits, but I've never tried them myself. “Lime-cello” sounds great to me and could be terrific in cocktails and cooking. (Substitute the peel of limes for the lemon peel. Taste the liqueur for the degree of sweetness you want as you add the syrup.) An orange version might make an appealing alternative to triple sec.

Delicious Uses for Limoncello:


straight up frozen in limoncello shot glasses (best if you put them in the freezer too)
spiking a tall glass of cold lemonade or iced tea
splashed in glasses of champagne
over ice cream or angel food cake
splashed on a fresh fruit mixture
in cranberry juice
in sparkling water, tonic or soda.