Many Times, Many Ways.. Merry Christmas!

Best wishes to you and your family! Most of my readers are my family.. so Merry Christmas family!



...and the amputated gingerbread man...

New Cook

There have some serious changes going on and it's not just the leaves. Until recently, the economic crisis hasn't hurt at all. In fact, in the last year I've been able to have 2 jobs and will get a raise in the upcoming months. Unfortunately, E hasn't been as lucky as his job is so closely connected with construction. Hence the new changes. E has been spending more time at home and I've been spending more time working. We've been lucky enough to spend A LOT of time together.

So E has been doing almost all of the cooking, which is why you haven't been seeing any new recipes. Here's E's Banana Walnut Bread from scratch.




Our walnuts are coming down in a plethora! Every time we drive the car over the driveway, you always hear a bunch of crackling noises... our way of cracking walnut shells! We also just picked all of the olives from the olive tree's and have about 6 gallons of organic olive oil. We didn't have to take it far to get the olives pressed. The Greek Orthodox Church on Main Street has a press machine in the back of the church and they're nice enough to do all pressing for us!

If you want the recipe for the Banana Walnut Bread you'll have to ask the new cook! He's pretty nice but he won't give it away for free!

RIP Gourmet

I'm sorry to say that Gourmet Magazine has been buried in the magazine cemetery forever. Goodbye Gourmet.. I'll miss the good and bad times we've had together

Yikes!!

I haven't been food blogging in about a century it seems. I honestly don't know where all the time has gone.. and I don't even have kids! Yesterday, I went to the evil super store which shall not be named in fear of my life and watched my mom's teachers (Pomo Elementary) get a $1,000! The store was on good behavior for a day. It should be in the Record Bee sometime in the near future but this newspaper isn't exactly what you'd call... what's the word I'm looking for....... sympathetic towards educators I think is as polite as can be written.

Back to the kitchen, I haven't made anything fun or fancy. In fact, I've gotten down to the basics, hamburgers, pasta, and whatever else I can throw in the mix. E made some tasty cornmeal pancakes the other weekend where we used a birthday present that E's sister, S, gave me. It was a great gift because I'm horrible at making breakfasts hence the reason why E makes them! And E is an excellent breakfast chef!

In other news, someone suggested that I start a new section of the blog called "Cooking for C!" While C hasn't been to her normal zip line of energy, E and I have been making dinner at our house and bringing it over for a much fuller conversation filled dinner. Actually, I make the dinner and E drives while I balance a very hot casserole dish on my lap (with some beach towels underneath) with a bag of side dishes in some tupperware and garlic bread in between my knees. Don't worry, they literally live less then a mile from our house. Anyway, I've made some tasty things for "Cooking for C!" like Chicken Tortilla Soup, Lasagna, and Enchiladas! All good and all easy so it's a must that they make an appearance on the blog!

The only kind of painful/funny cooking I've been doing is at work. We're gearing up for the Pear Festival which is THE FESTIVAL for Kelseyville! It's on Saturday on Main Street, where the ice cream shop is located. One of the great things about the ice cream shop is that we make our own waffle cones. It's also one of my least favorite things to do at work. I already have so many scars from burns on that darn waffle maker. I swear, it's my arch nemesis. My co-worker Paulina, thinks it's hilarious.. I on the other hand do not! When the weather gets cooler, I'm hoping to enjoy it much more because I know it will keep my warm. Those things produce crazy heat! It's always interesting to hear what people have to say about the waffle cones. Almost everyone says they smell good, because they do. For some reason the waffle cones always smell like chicken noodle soup to me. Strange? I think so too. So here is the recipe for our waffle cones, but please keep it a secret!!! We don't want people to know our top secret recipe!

Some tips before you start your waffle cones:
- make sure you roll the waffle as tight as possible so that when it gets hard it has a solid formation

- the most important tip, make sure there isn't a hole at the bottom of the waffle cone or else your ice cream will be gone faster then you can lick it and it'll be on your lap!

Enjoy! And remember Shhhh.......



Lu Lu's Waffle Cones
secret recipe
time: 20-25 minutes

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch salt
• Nonstick cooking spray

Special Equipment:

• Pizzelle iron
• Cone-shaped mold

In a large bowl, add sugar, vanilla extract and eggs and beat until creamy with a hand held electric beater. Add butter and mix well.

In a medium bowl, add flour cinnamon and salt. Slowly blend into wet ingredients.

Spray pizzelle iron with nonstick cooking spray and allow to warm up. Pour 3/4 tablespoon of batter onto the iron and cook until baked and brown.

While still hot, quickly roll the waffle around a cone-shaped mold, sealing the point. (The cones will harden as they cool; remove from the mold when cool.) Repeat with remaining batter.

" I think I can, I think I can! "

As I stated earlier, I've really let my blogging go to the dogs, or the garbage disposal! I swear I've been cooking up a storm lately, especially for the dinner's we've been invited to. I made a tasty Paella Salad that E thoroughly enjoyed. I also learned how to make fresh gnocchi, which I've been dying to learn how to for years! I still need to blog about "Julie & Julia" and S's encounter with Julia Child at Macy's in Union Square. Us Lake County folk are also up in a tizzy about the upcoming Pear Festival and currently the pear picking season (it's kind of a big deal around here). When E came home early last Friday, he witnessed a sheriff giving a ticket to some people stealing pears from the orchard across the street.

Getting back to the blog, my last blog was about finding various dishes using peaches from our backyard. I was somewhat unsuccessful and couldn't find too much in my magazines or online. Much to my appreciation, MB sent me a site from the NY Times about a recipe for canned brandied peaches. It looked delicious but I didn't think I had the culinary expertise to accomplish such a feat! After sitting on the idea for a couple of hours, I finally talked myself into actually doing it! It's not like I didn't have 75-80 peaches sitting outside my door! The entire time I spent canning the peaches (which was only about 1 hour 20 minutes) I told myself...... "I think I can.. I think I can .. I think I can.. I think I can can these peaches!!!!" It might be somewhat strange, silly, or weird that I got encouragement from a book that's targeted for children age 4-8, but hey, whatever works right?


It was such a fun task, although very sticky! I misread a sentence and became extremely anxious not knowing some of the lingo. I asked around the neighborhood, i.e. V&S and E's dad looking for the #1 peach fan, and no one knew what it meant. I even e-mailed MB, asking her what the heck it meant. Well of course nobody knew what "fleshing" meant because there's no such thing as "fleshing!" I plan on doing the rest of the canning tomorrow and as convenience would have it, the Times also had a canned poached pear recipe which I will be using!! If you're upset about this being the last encounter with the brandied peaches and poached pears, not all is lost my friend! E and I will be giving these out as Christmas presents! So you too, can experience all the tastiness Lake County has to offer! I thought this would be a good environmentally friendly, economical gift since we're trying to save some money to go on a trip... perhaps Africa!

A special thanks to MB, for which this blog post would not have not been possible (do I sound like PBS?)

Also, you're not hallucinating if you see a bunch of crazy different fonts on this blog.. I have no idea how to control it or get it to the size I want.. it's infuriating, but if I can can peaches I can figure out how to control the font!


Brandied Peaches
recipe by New York Times & MB
time: around 1 hour 20 minutes

3 pounds ripe peaches

3 cups sugar

About 1/2 cup brandy.

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Using the tip of a paring knife, make a shallow “X” in the bottom of each peach. Add the peaches, one at a time, to the boiling water and cook for 1 minute. Remove the peach from the water and plunge into a bowl of ice water. Repeat with the remaining peaches. Peel off the skins, then pit the fruit and quarter the flesh.

2. In another large pot, combine 3 cups water and the sugar and bring to a boil. Add the peaches and simmer until just soft.

3. Have the jars, bands and new lids scalded and ready. (To scald, dip the jars and rims in boiling water. You don’t need to sterilize the jars, as you will be processing them for more than 10 minutes.) Simmer the lids in hot water to soften the rubberized flange. Gently pack the peaches into the jars.

4. Boil the leftover syrup until it thickens slightly, then spoon it over the fruit, filling the jars ¾ full. Use a butter knife to release any air bubbles caught in the jars. Pour in enough brandy to fill the jars, leaving ¼ inch of headroom. Wipe the rims, cover with the lids and screw on the bands fingertip-tight. Place the jars on a rack in a big pot and cover with 2 to 3 inches of water. Cover the pot and bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat to medium and gently boil for 20 minutes. Remove the cover and then, after about 5 minutes, remove the jars. Allow them to cool, untouched, for 4 to 6 hours. Check the seals and store in a cool, dark place for up to a year. Refrigerate after opening.

Makes 2 pints.

Picking in the backyard

My main goal since I've been home is to become a master solicitor and get people to come pick some peaches by the vineyard. So far it's been good although not good enough. We've even been giving them out as presents. We gave Grandma L 35 peaches on our way to Oregon thinking she probably wouldn't be able to get rid of the whole bunch. On our way back we stopped for dinner, she didn't have a single peach left! After dinner, we went to T&B's, where T made a tasty peach & berry crumble with some Humboldt Creamery ice cream on the side. It was to die for!

With my blog seriously lacking any recent recipes and my absence from the grocery store haunting me, I decided to make a recipe (with some help from Bon Appetit) with ingredients entirely from the garden... or as much as possible. It's so very Alice Waters!!! Enjoy!


Arugula and Peach Salad with Creamy Chive Vinaigrette
time 10 min
serves 6 (as a side dish)

2 large ripe peaches (backyard)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided (meyer lemon's from my parents backyard)
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (fresh from our olive trees)
1 1/2 tablespoons whipping cream (grocery store) :(
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh chives (from the garden)
12 cups (loosely packed) arugula (about 6 ounces) (grocery store) :(


Wash peaches, rubbing to remove fuzz. Cut in half; remove pits. Thinly slice peaches. Place peach slices in large bowl. Add 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice; toss. Whisk 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice and olive oil in small bowl. Whisk in cream, then chives. Season with salt and pepper.

Add arugula to bowl with peaches. Add dressing and toss. Season with more salt and pepper, if desired, and serve.

Busy in August

I know I haven't been blogging too much recently and I apologize. I knew something was amiss for the past few weeks and didn't realize what it was until I checked my blog site! So sorry!

I haven't made any super delicious meals lately because we've been in Oregon for half the month and yesterday we had to bury our beloved Remy. Also, we've been going from house to house this week, enjoying the luxury of other people's cooking and company due to my birthday tomorrow. As you can imagine, it isn't going to be the best birthday ever. E has taken it better then I but it's still hard for the both of us. The two things I enjoy most both involved Remy; reading and cooking. Regardless, we're both thankful to have had such a wonderful creature come into our lives.

Anyway, due to my total lack of responsibility, I thought I'd share some pictures from Oregon! Enjoy!

It makes me smile..

My friend who happens to be a wedding planner in Napa, sent me this video and I've been in love with it ever since...




what a creative and wonderful thing to do to show your personality.

¡inspiración!

This very minute my parents are probably leaving their house to drive to Sacramento Airport to drop off my Mom so she can go to her 30th High School class reunion in Aberdeen, South Dakota. I'm almost positive that I've gone a week without talking to her but since I've moved home, we talk everyday. It's making me feel anxious and antsy enough to where I questioned if I even needed coffee this morning.. but I can't say no to coffee!

So naturally, I couldn't let my Mom go off to a special event without going shopping and since she hardly spends any money on herself, even she realized that it was a necessity. As her fashion consultant, I knew she would be one tough customer but I promised her and myself that I would solider through! The day ended in success and we found 3 dresses (the reunion is a 3 day event- a picnic, a tour of the old and new Aberdeen Central, and a dinner/dance). Calvin Klein or "Cal" as she refers to him, really knows how to dress a woman!

While we were busy shopping, my Dad slaved away at making the best meal I've had in 2009! He found a bomb diggity Cuban recipe in "the Cron" but substituted the pork for chicken and added some tasty black beans. IT WAS SOO GOOD! It also co-incited with the book I'm currently reading (not Cuba, Dominican Republic but close enough.) This inspired me to cook a delicious meal for E and I based on a book I just finished. Side note: I just looked at some of the reviews on Amazon and boy are some people rude!! Sometimes you just want an entertaining, well written book, ya know?

Who better to ask about Spanish cuisine then Mario Batali...... wait Mario Batali? Yes, Mario is "the dude" when it comes to Spanish food. I recently (recently like in the past 6 months recently) watched a special on PBS called "Spain - On The Road Again" with Gweneth Paltrow, Mario Batali, Mark Bittman, and Claudia Bassols. It was awesome! Pilar Sanchez, an elderly home cook who lives in Asturias, taught Mario Batali and Mark Bittmanhow to make pollo cassero, a luscious chicken in rich white wine and pepper sauce. When they asked where she buys her poultry, Sanchez told them to go to her yard and listen for the "singing in the field" from the chicken she raises.



Chicken with Piquillos

recipe by Mario Batali

time: 2 hrs 15 min; active 35 min.
serves 4

One 3 1/2 lb. chicken, cut into 8 pieces
2 garlic cloves. sliced
kosher salt
2 tablespoons EVOO
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
One 9 oz. jar piquillo peppers. drained
1 cup dry white wine ( I used Wildhurst reserve Sauvignon Blanc - the grapes come from my backyard!)

Rub the chicken with garlic and 1 tablespoon of salt. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour

(E's Mom gave us this for Christmas our 1st year together and it's pretty much amazing but make sure you're not topless when cooking with it. E's a repeat offender in this area, I, on the other hand, am not.)

Heat the EVOO in a large, deep skillet. Scrape the garlic off of the chicken pieces. Add the chicken to the skillet in a single layer and cook over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until browned all over, about 12 minutes. Transfer chicken to a platter.


Add the onion to the skillet and cook over low heat, turning occasionally, until very tender, about 10 minutes. Add the piquillo peppers and white wine and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits.


Return the chicken to any accumulated juices to the skillet. Cover partially and cook over low heat until the chicken is tender and cooked through and the sauce is thickened, about 30 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a platter, spoon the sauce on top and serve!


Make Ahead: The chicken can be refrigerated overnight; rewarm before serving.

Enjoy!

Next up, the movie "Julie & Julia" and S's meeting with Julia Child!

All's well that ends well..

As I mentioned on the 4th, I hosted my first Book Club meeting this past Saturday and to say the least, it was an utter disaster! I created the Book Club in late April and thought it would be a fun way to get together and learn more about my closest friends and family and even meet new friends. I had done lots of research on how to orchestrate a Book Club and how many members is ideal. I originally thought I wouldn't have enough people to have a healthy club but quickly found out by all of the upbeat and excited e-mails that I might have too many! Today I have 15 book club members, all over northern California & one in L.A.

Finally the week came for the Book Club meeting and the e-mails started to trickle in about how a couple of the members couldn't make it or flat out had made other plans. I thought with a few people absent, the meeting would go better then planned and wouldn't last too long.

Before the meeting, E and I did a lot of planning, grocery shopping, and cleaning to accommodate everyone. E was just as excited as I was because he was going disc golfing and cigar shopping with the men. After much agony, I decided to make a raspberry lemonade, angel tea, scones, and a potato peel pie... of course!

As I found out, the meeting quickly turned into a small gathering. Only 3 out of 15 people showed up to the meeting! In my mad scramble to find someone to eat all of the food prepared, I called my parents and asked if they would like to join, expecting a quick no but was delighted to hear a yes!

In the end, I'm glad people canceled last minute and made other plans because I had a great time with just my parents and best friend. I wouldn't have invited my parents if people didn't cancel last minute. My parents especially enjoyed my friends, to which I was more than delighted to hear! My mother also enjoyed our BBQ sauce so much, she went and purchased some the very next day.

Here are some valuable things I learned this past weekend:

1. You don't need a lot of people to have a good time
2. I still need to work on my patience
3. Don't buy so much food!!

Anyway, here are my recipes that I made for the Book Club, I hope you enjoy!

Dad's Lavish Raspberry Lemonade
recipe from my father

3 (12 oz.) cans each frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
3 packages (10 oz.) each frozen sweetened respberries, partically thawed
6 tablespoons sugar
3 liters club soda, chilled
ice cubes

In a blender, combine lemonade concentrate, raspberries and sugar. Cover and process until blended. Strain to remove seeds.

In a pitcher, combine raspberry mixture, club soda and ice cubes; mix well.
Serve immediately





Angel Tea
recipe from Epicurious

1 cup sugar syrup
1 pint lemon juice
1 quart strong green tea
2 quarts white grape juice
1 block ice
2 quarts chilled club soda

Combine all ingredients except soda, and refrigerate for an hour or two. Pour over ice in a punch bowl and add the soda. Serve in 4-ounce punch glasses.

(My new pitcher I bought at the Pampered Chef party!)

Potato Peel Pie

2 cups raw, grated potato skins (I added some of the white part to keep the texture somewhat tender), use mashed potatoes for filling
1/3 cup grated onion
1 egg, beaten
3 Tbs flour
beetroot
sour cream (optional)
chives (optional)
butter (optional)
garlic (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a small pie plate. Mix grated potato peels with egg, onion and flour. Press the mixture into the pie plate and up the sides to form a crust. Bake crust for 20-25 minutes.

While the crust is baking, cook potatoes, drain and mash. You can add your favorite mashed potato flavorings here i.e. garlic, onion, milk, butter, salt, etc. Fill crust with mashed potatoes and sprinkle with beetroot. Bake in oven at lower temperature of 375 for 10 minutes or until browned.

** I would only suggest that you make this during a World War and rationing!**

Glorify the 4th of July!

In a funny and strange turn of events, I've been informed that about half of my friends and CA family are going back to South Dakota this summer, for totally unrelated occasions.This is big news considering South Dakota's population doesn't reach 1 million. My mother is going to her High School reunion at the end of the month, yay for her!

I love living in California, but the fourth of July festivities are embarrassingly meek! The Midwest on the other hand, takes their Independence Day celebrations quite seriously including lots of Main Street parades and firework shows. My two favorite fourth of July memories both took place in South Dakota. The first was at Uncle Wayne's summer cabin, watching the parade go by in the front yard and catching lots of candy!! The second is spending time on the fourth of July weekend in Battle Creek, SD (just west of Badlands) with Grandma Great at one of her flea markets selling antique jewelry.

To get me in the mood for the fourth, I decided to make something very "SoDak" and traditional since I didn't do anything festive because ice cream beckoned my name!!

Either way, I hope you had a wonderful fourth of July!! Enjoy!!

***Picture coming soon!!***





Glorified Rice
recipe from my Great Grandma or "Grandma Great"

(My Great Grandmother thought that the "great" sounded too old so she opted for the "Alexander the Great" motif instead.)

1/3 cup sugar
1 cup drained, crushed pineapple
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup rice, cooked
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons drained, maraschino cherries, chopped
1 cup whipping cream

Stir together sugar, pineapple, and vanilla. Then stir in rice, cinnamon, and cherries. Whip the cream and fold in. Chill 1-2 hours.

THAT'S IT!!!

Next up, Potato Peel Pie Book Club!!

Iran with the thought

With all of the political issues going on in Iran and all of the negative attention the country is receiving, I decided to focus on some of the positive things about Iran and there is many to choose from. From what I hear, Iran is extremely clean, serene, and the food ain't too shabby either!




Persian food, by and large, is not what you'd call "pretty". The stews, in particular, range from dark green and gloppy to dark, dark brown and gloppy. Regardless, if I had to choose one culture whose food I would have to eat for the rest of my life, it could possibly be Persian.

As I've gotten older, I've perfected a few dishes while still striving for my mother's touch in others. Ghormeh Sabzi, or "Green Herb Stew" is one of the few I've nearly perfected.

Ghormeh Sabzi is deliciously savory and loaded with the flavors of several different green herbs. It's traditionally served atop Polow, but I haven't had the time to sift through the recipes to find some good Polow!

So here's my Iranian stew, enjoy!







Ghormeh Sabzi

1 or 2 lbs. of stew meat
1 potato
1 1/2 cup of rice
1 small onion, diced
2 green onions
1 cilantro sprig
4 italian parsley sprigs
1 cup pinto beans
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup oil
salt & pepper

Chop parsley, cilantro, and green onions. Cook until dark green.

In a large pan, cook meat, beans, and onion. Add parsley, cilantro, and green onions along with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Cook 30 minutes.

Cook rice until 1/2 done according to package. Drain and rinse. Cut potato into 1/4". Layer pan with potato and rice over the meat mixture. Cover with a kitchen towel and lid. Cook until potato's are golden brown (around 40 minutes.)

Next up, "Glorify the fourth of July!!"

Intermission..

While in the midst of my morning haze, I saw NYC's P.S. 22 chorus perform on "Good Morning America." I was completely blown away by two things, how amazing these kids are and what an awesome teacher Mr. B is! I hope I can be as good of teacher as he is.



They have their own blog and it's my new favorite thing!

Rat-a-tat-touille

ra⋅ta⋅touille

  /ˌrætəˈtui, -ˈtwi; Fr. rataˈtuy^ə / Show Spelled Pronunciation [rat-uh-too-ee, -twee; Fr. ra-ta-too-y^uh ] Show IPA

–noun

a vegetable stew of Provence, typically consisting of eggplant, zucchini, onions, green peppers, tomatoes, and garlic, served hot or cold. "rata" is slang from the French Army meaning "chunky stew" "touiller" to stir

---

Origin:
1875–80

I'm not sure if I can say for sure when and where I started learning the joy of cooking but I'm sure some of the following helped it along:
- Cooking for 2 instead of 1
- Getting kicked out the house (not literally, that would hurt) for college
- Watching the little kid movie, Pixar's Ratatouille

Out of the MANY different kinds of animals I had growing up, from fire belly toads to rabbits to dogs, the one pet I never acquired was a rat. I'm still not sure why but I'm positive that I asked multiple times. E on the other hand, had only 3 pets growing up. Felix the cat (female), Baby and Charlotte... both rats. Watching old family Christmas video's of one the rat's climbing the stairs and having miniature stockings, brought up some familiar feelings of wanting to nurture a different species.

E was pretty dead set against any pets. So cleverly, I thought if we could get pets that E has already had experience with it wouldn't be so much of a hassle. So when someone dropped off a beautiful calico/tortoise shell cat at my parents house around my birthday, you better believe I swooped up the opportunity! After the 1st "no", I knew I needed to up my game. I made protest signs and put them all around the house and requested the cat for my birthday. Well, who can deny a cute girl?



Soon after Callie was added to the family. we started the tradition of going to the movie's to see Pixar films with my brother C. I FELL IN LOVE WITH RATATOUILLE! So cute, so French, and so creative! Pretty instantly, I knew we just had to get a pet rat. Sure enough.....




Callie and Remy have brought so much joy into our lives. Although they have no say on big family decisions, they definitely are apart of our little family. Without further ado...

Ratatouille
recipe adapted from "Emeril Live"

prep time: 20 minutes
cook time: 40-45 minutes
serves 6-8 servings

1 large head of garlic, top sliced off to expose tips of garlic
5 tablespoons EVOO
2 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 3/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 large ripe tomatoes, halved
1 small eggplant, trimmed & cut lengthwise into 1/2" slices
1 large zucchini, trimmed & cut lengthwise into 1/2" slices
1 small onion, peeled & sliced into 1/2" rings
2 bell peppers, stem, seeds & ribs removed, cut in 1/2" lengthwise
1/4 cup dry red wine
3 tablespoons freshly minced basil leaves
2 tablespoons freshly minced parsley leaves
1 tablespoon freshly chopped thyme leaves
grated Parmesan, for garnish

Preheat grill. Before preparing the veggies, roast the garlic. Rub 1 tea. of EVOO & a pinch of salt & pepper onto the cut side of garlic. Wrap in foil and place on grill. Roast until soft and starting to caramelize, turning occasionally, about 25 minutes. Remove from grill and let sit until cool enough to handle. Squeeze the pulp from the garlic skins and set aside.

Rub 2 tablespoons of the oil and pinch of the salt & pepper on the tomatoes. Place on the grill away from the direct heat (or on the upper rack) and grill until tender and starting to char, about 6 minutes, depending on heat. ( The longer the tomatoes are on the grill, the smokier the flavor.) Remove from heat and when cool, remove the skin and roughly chop.

In a large bowl, combine the eggplant, zucchini, onions, and bell peppers and toss with 2 tablespoons of the EVOO, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper. Grill, turning until marked by the grill and tender, 3-5 minutes per side. Remove with tongs and let cool. Dice into 1/2" pieces.

In the bottom of a large bowl, mash the roasted garlic and 1 teaspoon of the EVOO to make a paste. Drizzle in the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of EVOO, 1 teaspoon of salt & pepper, and the wine and whisk to combine. Add the chopped veggies, tomatoes, and the herbs and toss to coat. Serve at room temperature, garnished with Parmesan. (Ratatouille can be made ahead and refrigerated overnight to allow flavors to further develop.)

-you can put ratatouille over any kind of carb: rice, pasta, boiled cubed potatoes, or toasted bread

Enjoy!



Here's to my "little chef" who makes my life tasty!

Ice cream, you scream, we all scream for employment checks!!

Just a quick note:
I started my new job yesterday and it was so much fun! I'm working at a Lu Lu's Ice Cream Shop in downtown Kelseyville. So if you're in the neighborhood, stop by!

Carmen Sandiego in Pakistan?

After finishing "The Time Traveler's Wife," I had to ask what I would tell my 8 year old self.. if anything at all. I came to the conclusion that I would only tell myself 4 things:

1. Don't be such a brat to Mom & Dad!!
2. Give Grandpa Boyde's letters and his $2 bill to Mom so you won't lose it because you will!
3. Don't quit ballet or piano.
4. And lastly, when you get older it's cool to like history so don't worry!!

From an early age I've always been extremely interested in anything History.. and it's not because my dad and grandpa were History teachers! Well maybe it has something to do with it, but I'll never admit it. The first time I heard of Pakistan I was 8 years old playing the coolest computer game ever invented....

Carmen Sandiego was my idol back in the retro days of 1995.

So when "Where In the World Is Osama Bin Laden" posters were printed I was instantly interested in the history, geography, and culture of Afghanistan and Pakistan like I once was. Soon after I was lucky enough to meet E's friend's wife, Lil' S, who's from Pakistan. (Ask me how they met, it's a funny story.. although not as funny as how E and I met, but I'm biased). Lil' S and I became good friends fast. I'm surprised she doesn't think I'm obsessed with how many questions I ask about Pakistan. Her dad is a General for Pakistan and is constantly in Newsweek & was on 60 Minutes (4:24 in the video) in February. I hope to go to Pakistan one day (Mom, this is a great Christmas gift idea!!) But in the meantime, I have Lil' S's Chicken Curry recipe to keep my stomach warm and imagination going. Enjoy!

(E suggested that I "switch it up" so we went for the ethnic place mats from Tanzania!)

Lil' S's Pakistani Chicken Curry

2 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1 potato, cut into big chunks
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 white onion, chopped
1 15oz. can tomato sauce
3 heaping tablespoons curry powder
4 bay leaves
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 chicken bouillon
salt & pepper to taste
oil

Heat oil, add onions, curry powder, & bay leaves. Cook until onions are tender. Add tomato & chicken. Cook chicken & add tomato sauce & one can of water. Add garlic & bouillon cube. Simmer 40 minutes. Add potato and simmer another 40 minutes.
-Serve over hot white rice

Next up, M's Pampered Chef Party!!

'Tis the season for avocados

It only took me 20 years to fall in love with an avocado but after that first smooth bite, I was hooked for life! When I think of avocado's, I think of a trip I took to Minnesota in 2005, where most, if not all of my family resides. After a long day of driving/waiting/sitting/flying/driving/unpacking I finally had the chance to sit and hunker down on some good old fashioned mid-west food (at a restaurant of course). To my surprise, I found the avocado few and far between the menu list. The only thing I found amusing was a chicken caesar wrap (avocado included). After I ordered, I received strange looks and was told that not only do I speak "Californian" but I also eat like a Californian. My response was, "like oh my gosh, I guess I like totally do, huh?" I guess I never realized how lucky I am to have SO much produce grown nearby. Californians have it made..


Back to the avocado, did you know that the avocado is a fruit? Yes, fruit. Native to Central and South America, avocados have been cultivated and eaten in these regions since 8,000 B.C.In the middle of the 17th century, they were introduced to Jamaica and spread throughout the Asian tropical regions by the mid 1800s. Cultivation in United States, specifically in Florida and California, began in the early 20th century.

So what's for dinner tonight?

Crusty torta with black beans & chorizo

time: 25 minutes, roughly
serves 2
adapted from NY Times

4 ounces fresh Mexican chorizo, casings removed (this can get nasty)
1 fifteen-ounce can refried black beans
2 large Mexican rolls
3 ounces queso fresco, mild feta, or other crumbly white cheese
1 avocado, peeled and sliced
1 tomato, sliced thinly
Hot sauce
Canola oil
Salt

Toss the chorizo into a large skillet over medium heat. Cook for about 8 minutes or until the fat has rendered, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon until it is crumbly. Dump in the whole can of refried beans into the skillet. Stir until combined and cook for 10 minutes at a simmer. Add a little water if it becomes too dry. Season with salt to taste.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Slice the rolls in half and scrape out some of the soft insides. Brush the carved out inside with a little oil. Set in the oven for about 3 minutes. Pile on as much of the bean and chorizo mixture as you want, and then top with the cheese, avocado, and tomato. Add some hot sauce if you're into that kind of thing.

Buongiorno/Memorial Day Weekend

After a few weeks of some personal conflict, I've decided to become more self-indulgent than I already was. I was first drawn to the "blogosphere" after taking a trip to L.A. for a wedding. There I met E's cousin in-law who blogs and in her spare time is in her 2nd or 3rd year of residency. The way I figure it, if she has the time to do some awesome blogging then so do I! My blog will focus on my families recipes, some of my friends recipes, and some recipes from a huge stash of Bon Appetit & La Cucina Italiana (thanks to S). It will also focus on recipes for 2 or slightly larger and I will also strive to make all ingredients available for everyone..(this reminds me of last year, when President OBAMA couldn't find any arugula in Iowa). I by no means am a "Master Chef!" I just enjoy the art of cooking and am looking forward to sharing my thoughts and recipes! Enjoy!!
P.S. My grammar and spelling are horrible so I hope I don't offend!



This Memorial Day weekend we were invited to W & C's BBQ in Sacramento and asked to bring a specialty side dish. It took me .5 seconds to decide what it will be. My pasta salad is a classic, somewhat healthy, super easy dish that goes well with camping, BBQ's, and great weather!

I remember making this recipe with my amazing mother in high school during warm long weekends, birthdays, & summers. Although my mother is a big time baker, I like to stick to the good stuff... CARBS!! On a side note: I never get complaints from E since he bikes 15 miles round trip to work. My mother likes to stay with the core ingredients of the salad, while I've veered off and have experienced different things to add. Either way, I hope you enjoy!

Summer Pasta Salad
recipe adapted from my mother

Time: 30 minutes; minus the chill time
Serves: 6 or more (as a side dish)

-1 package of rotini or bow tie pasta
(I like colored, it looks more appetizing!)
-one red & green bell pepper, chopped
- one red onion, chopped
- one can of olives, quartered lengthwise
- small jar of marinated artichoke hearts, quartered*
-handful of cherry tomatoes, halved*
- parmesan cheese*
-one packet of "Good Seasons" Italian Dressing, (water, vinegar, & E.V.O.O.), or whatever italian dressing you like
-garlic powder
-sea salt & fresh ground pepper
-italian seasoning

* an ingredient added by Amber


Cook noodles according to directions. While the water is boiling, coarsely chop peppers, onion, olives, & tomatoes.

Drain pasta, and let noodles cool (about 5 minutes), add noodles, peppers, onion, olives, & tomatoes to a large container. Add italian dressing to mixture. Place lid on container and shake it up!! (My favorite part!) Then add artichokes and sprinkle with cheese and seasonings.

It's always better if you let it chill overnight but it's great if you're in a rush as well.


Next up, 'Tis the season... for avocado's that is!