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Archive for the ‘Everyday Food’ Category

An Ever So Sweet Sunday-Caramel Chocolate Pretzel Bars

Posted in Everyday Food, tagged , , , , , , , on February 23, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Photo credit: Mommiecooks

Photo credit: Mommiecooks

I don’t usually post recipes on Sunday but lately I’ve been on a sweet tooth binge and this recipe just jumped off the page at me.  It is a modified version of Shortbread Candy Corn Kissed Brownies, posted by Jenny of Picky Palate.   I found it on Gojee and it comes from another blog, Mommiecooks. Just goes to show you how a good recipe travels kind of like bad news!

For the crust:

1 1/2 cup mulched pretzels

1 stick of melted butter

1/4 cup sugar

For the bars:

1 pkg of caramel kisses

1 stick of butter melted

1 cup of brown sugar

1 tsp of vanilla

1/4 cup of evaporated milk

1 egg

3/4 cup of flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp milk

Start with the crust; Put a few handfuls of pretzels in your food processor mulch up till you have 1 1/2 cups worth.  

Dump into 9×9 baking pan and add in melted butter and 1/4 cup sugar.  Mix up and press into the pan.

Cook in oven at 350 degrees for about 8  minutes.  Remove and let cool.

Melt second stick of butter on low heat.  Once melted, remove from heat and add in brown sugar, vanilla, and evaporated milk.  Next add the egg, then the flour and baking soda. Mix all ingredients.

Lay the kisses in rows on top of the cooled crust.

Pour the batter over the kisses.

Bake in 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes.

While cooling, take any extra kisses and melt them in double boiler with tsp of milk.  Spread melted kisses over the top of your bars and put in refrigerator to set about 3-4 hours. 

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Soup of Borlotti (Pinto) Beans, Dried Porcini and Tubetti

Posted in Everyday Food, Tasty Tidbits Tuesday, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on February 4, 2014| Leave a Comment »

It’s Tasty Tidbits Tuesday and now that Monday’s snow has turned into gray slush around here, we’re getting ready for tomorrow’s snow storm.  And when and where’s there’s snow, there will be soup!  

English: "Painted Pony" dry bean (Ph...

 “Painted Pony” dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I have made this soup many, many times and each time it has received amazing accolades, yes really!  It’s rich and hearty and absolutely a fantastic soup to make when the weather is blustery and cold and snowy.  It’s also vegetarian except when I make it because I’m partial to chicken broth.  But if you are vegan and/or vegetarian, you know what to do about the broth.

The recipe calls for Borlotti beans which are very much like our own pinto beans.  The woodsy  aroma and flavor of the dried porcini subtly flavors this soup.

2 ounces of dried porcini mushrooms (or other dried mushrooms)

1 cup of boiling water

3 TBS of olive oil

1 medium-size onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 cups pinto beans (1 can rinsed and drained)

1 cup chopped canned tomatoes with their juice

3 cups broth

Kosher salt

1/2 cup dry tubetti or other small tubular pasta such as ditallini

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Place the mushrooms in a heat-proof glass measuring cup with the boiling water; allow to stand 30 minutes.  Strain the mushrooms through a double thickness of paper towels, reserving the liquid, and coarsely chop.  You should have about 1/2 cup of chopped mushrooms.

Heat the oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the onions.  Cook until the onion begins to soften, 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the garlic, beans-mashing some of them against the side of the pot – tomatoes, mushrooms with 1/4 cup of their soaking liquid, and the broth.  Turn the heat to high; bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low; simmer until the soup is thick, about 20 minutes.  Season with salt to taste.  Add the pasta; continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until it is tender but still firm, al dente, about 10 minutes longer.  Serve with Parmesan.

Recipe from PASTA VERDE  cookbook

  

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Slow-Cooked Short Ribs Ragu – Saturday Night Supper

Posted in Everyday Food, We Called It Macaroni (Pasta recipes), tagged , , , , , , , , on February 1, 2014| Leave a Comment »

a slow cooker Oval Crock Pot

A Slow Cooker Oval Crock Pot (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Blessed are the meals made in crockpots for those are the days free to go and do and not worry about getting home to make dinner.

Today was a lovely sunny Saturday;  Just the kind of day to clean up the rest of the snow on the walkways, to throw peanuts out to the squirrels and of course with the bright sunshine, I was able to see some more of winter/old radiator  dust!  It was also warm enough for Peter to put the sensor light we bought a couple of weeks ago. The days are growing noticeably longer and so when we went shopping this afternoon to pick up this and exchange that, we stayed out quite late.  Then we stopped by to see our friends Joe and Michael and have a pre-dinner cocktail.  Soooo relaxing and WHY?

Because my supper was already mostly made!  This morning I prepared  a recipe that I had never tried before.  I knew this would be a good night to try it out.  It turned out to be not only amazingly rich, but also economical.  

2 TBS vegetable oil

3 lbs. boneless short ribs cut into 3″ pieces

coarse salt and pepper

1 medium yellow onion diced small ( I used a good size Mayan onion)

1 large carrot diced small (I chopped up quite a few small ones) (the kind that come in a bag already peeled)

1 can (28 oz) whole peeled tomatoes

2 sprigs of oregano or rosemary

Serve with pasta or soft polenta

In a large skillet, heat oil over med-hi.  Season short ribs with salt and pepper.  In batches, cook until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes.  Transfer to ribs to slow-cooker.  Pour off all but 1 TBS of oil and add onion and carrot.  Season with salt and pepper and cook until vegetables are soft, about 3-4 minutes.  Add 1/2 cup of juice from tomatoes, stirring and scraping bits up with wooden spoon.  Transfer veggies and liquid to crockpot and add tomatoes, breaking up.  Add sprigs.  Cover and cook on high till fork tender – 6 hours.  *I only had rosemary and removed them after about 2 1/2 hours).  Skim fat off. Remove meat and shred with 2 forks and return to pot.

 * I thought it didn’t look like enough sauce for 1 lb of pasta so I added about 1/2 to 1 cup of a tomato basil sauce and about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of red wine and heated it through in the slow cooker.  My intention was always to serve this Ragu over large shells pasta although I think the recipe may have been meant to be a main meat dish, served with sides of polenta or pasta and a vegetable.  We ate it as a pasta dish with Italian bread and a salad.  It was one of the richest sauces I have ever tasted.  And economical too.  

The costs were: Short ribs – $10.44

 Tomatoes – $1.49

                                      Bag of peeled carrots $1.29

                                      Box of large shells $1.29

                                     Mayan onion $1.00

                                    Italian bread – $1.39

                                   Half bag of salad mix w/dressing – $2.50

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White Bean and Portobello Mushroom Soup

Posted in Everyday Food, Tasty Tidbits Tuesday, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on January 28, 2014| 2 Comments »

Portobello Mushrooms

Portobello Mushrooms

It’s Tasty Tidbits Tuesday and as long as this weather stays so cold and I stay indoors, I’ll be making soups.  I have made this soup many times and it’s always a hit.  Flavorful and delicious.  This is one of quickest tastiest homemade soups I’ve ever made. 

1/4 cup olive oil

1 medium onion chopped

2 garlic cloves minced

1/2 lb sliced portobello mushrooms

1 medium carrot chopped

4 cups of vegetable or chicken broth

Kosher salt

1/2 cup of orzo

1 (16 oz) can cannelloni beans drained and rinsed

2 TBS chopped parsley

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Saute the onions, garlic and carrot in a large saucepan until onion are soft 4-5 minutes.  Add the mushrooms, season with salt and cook for another 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add broth and bring to a boil; then lower heat to medium low.  Cover and simmer 15 minutes.  Add the orzo and cook 10 minutes.  Add the beans; cook until orzo is completely tender and beans are heated through, about 5 minutes longer.  Season with salt to taste. Add the parsley and  serve with Parmesan.

Recipe from PASTA VERDE  – more than 140 vegetarian recipes for soups, pasta sauces, salads and baked pastas

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Farro and Arugula Salad – Tasty Tidbits Tuesday

Posted in Everyday Food, Tasty Tidbits Tuesday, tagged , , , , , , , on January 21, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Farro

Farro (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I found this recipe on a blog that I follow, Proud Italian Cook and I knew right away I wanted to make it.  I had all the ingredients in my kitchen except for one.  I made it for myself for dinner one night to test it out because I planned on serving it for a planned dinner party.  It was delicious and I served it this past weekend. This is so simple and so tasty, you should make it tonight.  It’s a good winter salad.

1 1/2 cups of cooked farro 

1 lb. baby arugula

handful of marcona almonds

1/2 cup, sliced cherry tomatoes

1/3 cups nicoise olives

1/2 cup good feta crumbled

FOR THE DRESSING

1 lemon

olive oil

1. Make the dressing by squeezing the juice of one lemon into a small bowl then whisking in olive oil and tasting until you get the right balance.

2. Place all the ingredients into a bowl and then toss with the dressing adding salt and paper to taste.

*** The first time I made it I didn’t have farro in the house but I had some Ancient Grains and I used them.

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DAY #3 – HELP! There’s A Tomato Bleeding All Over My Counter!!

Posted in Amuse-bouche du jour, BY THE WAY, Everyday Food, Smooth or Crunchy, tagged , , , , , , , , , on December 23, 2013| Leave a Comment »

I LOVE TOMATOES and if you’re a follower of this blog you know how often I extoll the virtues of Jersey tomatoes.  So no one should be surprised that eventually this countdown to Christmas blog would find a Foodie gift for tomato lovers.

Look at this wild and crazy cutting board!  Really now, a tomato bleeding all over the counter?  You know I just had to include this in Foodie Gift category.  There are serious Foodie gifts and delicious Foodie gifts and I guess you can put this one in the whimsical category.

Bloody Tomato

Bloody Tomato

Hopefully this isn’t a sign of things to come… But The Splash Chopping Board looks as though it’s bleeding off your countertop.
Designed to remain stable while you work, the durable surface will hold up to all of your cutting needs. And, the ‘drip’ is easily removable for cleaning and storage. Available at The Foodiggity Shop, $18.99.  **

**Excerpted from Foodiggity.com

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DAY #4 – “Well Maybe Just A Nibble”

Posted in Amuse-bouche du jour, BY THE WAY, Everyday Food, Smooth or Crunchy, tagged , , , , , , , , , on December 21, 2013| Leave a Comment »

I have just found the perfect Foodie gift for my Mah Jongg group or your Bridge Club or your Book Club gang.  When we play Mah Jongg it is usually on a card table and there is hardly room for the racks and the tiles let alone the glasses of wine and nibbles on the table.  I often hope that I might be able to reach another surface with my wine glass because I’m always afraid the glass of red wine will get knocked over and Oy what a mess!

In my group we set up the snacks in a convenient location but not on the table; Of course everyone wants to bring their  carrot sticks, cheese and crackers and chips to the table with them and again we have this cramped situation with either people eating off of napkins or the possibility of a dish falling to the floor. 

Well, I’ve got the solution!!! Nibble Coasters!!

Two In ONE!

Two In ONE!

Isn’t this a fantastic idea?  I love it.  It was being offered at URBAN OUTFITTERS but they’re sold out.  You can find it on Ebay  or Convenient Gadgets.  This ceramic coaster works just as well with a coffee mug and a cookie.  Fantastic!!

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DAY #5 – “This Probably Won’t Be Your Last Meal”

Posted in BY THE WAY, Everyday Food, Smooth or Crunchy, tagged , , , , , , , , on December 20, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Cover of "My Last Supper: 50 Great Chefs ...

Cover via Amazon

The title of this blog post is a phrase that my husband has said to me many, many times!  Why? Well, because for some reason, I often (almost always) have a difficult time deciding what I would like to order when we are dining out.  And put me in an ice cream shoppe and I revert to a kid with a nickel in a penny candy store!  I can’t pick a flavor I want, I want all of them.  Mostly I order two different flavors for my cone or cup.  Hey at least I’m getting two out of the 3o I had to choose from!!  When this behavior takes hold, Peter looks at me and reminds me, “This probably won’t be your last meal”. 

Little did I know that there’s a book and a game about your last supper!  Actually not your last supper but rather the last meal of 50 great chefs.  The title of the book is: My Last Supper: 50 Great Chefs and Their Final Meals/Portraits, Interiews, Recipes, Melanie Dunea is the author.  

If the title of the book alone is not intriguing enough for you to purchase  one for the Foodie on your list, then let me drop a few names of the very famous chefs who have been interviewed for the book and they’re so famous, I need only to use their first names:  Wylie, Lidia, Scott, Daniel, Mario, Gordon, Jean-Georges, Alain and MORE!   

The following has been excerpted from Amazon’s web site – Chefs have been playing the “My Last Supper” game among themselves for decades, if not centuries, but it had always been kept within the profession until now. Melanie Dunea came up with the ingenious idea to ask fifty of the world’s famous chefs to let her in on this insider’s game and tell her what their final meals would be. My Last Supper showcases their fascinating answers alongside stunning Vanity Fair-style portraits. Their responses are surprising, refreshing, and as distinct from each other as the chefs themselves. The portraits–gorgeous, intimate, and playful–are informed by their answers and reveal the passions and personalities of the most respected names in the business. Lastly, one recipe from each landmark meal is included in the back of the book. With My Last Supper, Dunea found a way into the typically harried, hidden minds of the people who have turned preparing food into an art. Who wouldn’t want to know where Alain Ducasse would like his supper to be? And who would prepare Daniel Boulud‘s final meal? What would Anthony Bourdain‘s guest list look like? As the clock ticked, what album would Gordon Ramsay be listening to? And just what would Mario Batali eat for the last time?

I think this would be a really interesting addition to any Foodie’s cookbook collection!  Personally I would love it, however, I just received a fantastic present of a cookbook.  My FB friend, Melissa sent me an autographed copy of Ree Drummond a.k.a. The Pioneer Woman‘s  latest cookbook, The Pioneer Woman Cooks Holidays.   This gift is very special;  I’ve never met Melissa and she lives in Texas.  She posted on Facebook that she was going to a book signing by Ree.  I replied to her how lucky she was because I’m follower of Ree’s blog.  She offered to get me a copy and would not allow me to pay for it.  Isn’t that a wonderfully generous gift to receive for Christmas?

My Last Supper: 50 Great Chefs and Their Final Meals/Interviews/Recipes  is available through Amazon.com for $30.11

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DAY #6 – Give Me Some Of That OLD and BITTER Stuff!

Posted in Amuse-bouche du jour, BY THE WAY, New York Speaks, Smooth or Crunchy, Tasty Tidbits Tuesday, tagged , on December 20, 2013| Leave a Comment »

If that title didn’t grab you, I don’t know what will!!! LOL LOL.  No, I haven’t lost my mind or forgotten what these count-down blog posts are all about – Gifts for the Foodies in Your Life.  

We know that there is a broad definition to the word Foodie;  Some like to eat out and experience a wide range of ethnic foods or dine exclusively  at restaurants owned by renowned chefs, some prefer the ever-changing and exciting world of cocktails which often includes revivals of the classics.  Then there are creative cooks at home, the bakers and candy-makers as well as the gadget-collectors!

This post is for young emerging generation of cocktail connoisseurs.  They started out drinking the sweet, syrupy fruit-flavored drinks like all things made with Raspberry Vodka, Orange Vodka and every other fruit vodka.  Since vodka doesn’t  have too much flavor of its own and can be disguised with fruit flavorings, the newly-legal and the many under-age drinkers preferred drinking the equivalent of a cherry soda with a kick!  And some resorted to Jack and  Coke  or Jack Daniels and Red Bull (OMG) to get their highs.

But now, I see the Gen X and Gen Y crowd (well especially here in New York City) growing  into sophisticated crowd of cocktail connoisseurs.  They meet at the secret speakeasies around town and order classic cocktails, some with a modern twist.  Manhattans and Martinis, Single Malt Scotches, and aged Bourbons are among the new old preferred drinks of the day.

Additionally, one of the new hot buzz words in the Foodie world is small batch which could be described as artisanal and sometimes even local or regional unique offerings from private label companies.  In that vein, today’s gift idea is: AGED CITRUS BITTERS by Five by Five Tonics Co.

Aged Citrus Bitters

Aged Citrus Bitters

The company’s description of their product is as follows:  

Five by Five’s Aged Citrus Bitters are unique in that our aged component does not come from aging the bitters themselves, it comes from selecting citrus varieties at various stages of maturity from fresh to aged.  This gives the Aged Citrus Bitters a wider range of flavors than you will find in any other citrus bitters available from the aromatic flavor of citrus peel to the savory flavor of aged tangerine peel.  This is a truly handmade product crafted meticulously from botanical to bottle.

Mixing notes:  This is an extremely versatile citrus bitters able to mix well in all traditional uses of citrus bitters, while also imparting enough balanced savory flavor to shine in cocktails where normal citrus flavor wouldn’t.  These bitters pair well with brandy, vermouth, and work exceptionally well in a martini.

Tasting notes: Savory and warm with complex citrus notes.

And as a bonus I’m including their recipe for a FIVE SQUARED VIEUX CARRE

5 Squared Vieux Carre

  • 3/4 oz. Rye Whiskey
  • 3/4 oz. Cognac
  • 3/4 oz. Sweet Vermouth
  • 2 Dashes Five by Five Aged Citrus Bitters
  • 1 Dash Five by Five Aromatic Bitters

Stir 50 times over ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.  Garnish with a orange peel.

Notes:  I’m sure there are many of you crying out that the Vieux Carre is not a cocktail that is served up.  Traditionally the Vieux Carre is served in an old-fashioned glass over ice.  I like to think of this more as a Nouveau Carre for two reasons.  One, being that this drink is best made with high quality spirits, serving it up will not allow these flavors to be diluted.  Also, the keen-eyed observer can see the absence of Benedictine in this recipe.  I feel the herbal component of this cocktail is handled quite nicely by employing both of Five by Five’s bitters flavors and makes this gem of a cocktail a bit more accessible to the home cocktail enthusiast.  

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DAY #7 – Why Don’t You Just Pluck It?

Posted in Amuse-bouche du jour, BY THE WAY, Everyday Food, Smooth or Crunchy, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on December 19, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Not all Foodies excel in the kitchen, some just love good food and they eat out all the time.  They love gourmet food, they  follow certain chefs but they may not do much cooking or baking at home.  However, if the Foodie on your list cooks and bakes, this handy-dandy little kitchen tool will make a great gift!  And inexpensive too – just $10.39!!

I know you’ve seen those famous chefs on television crack eggs with one hand swiftly and efficiently but how about the rest of us?  And what if you’re cooking for someone who is watching their cholesterol intake and wants only egg white omelets?  Or your recipe calls for eggs and then extra egg yolks?  

Well lookee here…You need to buy a PLUCK.  A PLUCK is a cleverly-designed egg separator. Think Sunny Side Out! Extracting the yolk from healthy egg whites can feel as tricky as pulling a rabbit from a hat. Pluck makes it easy by separating the two with a simple squeeze and release of its silicone chamber. Now everyone from bodybuilders to soccer moms can just pluck that caloric yellow stuff right out.  Pluck’s clear tip plastic and silicone bulb come apart for easy cleaning by either hand or machine.

Squeeze Me

Squeeze Me

Can you imagine how easy this makes separating a yolk from the white?  No more tiny bits of shell floating in the gooky yolk  or the sticky white!  I think this is a terrific kitchen toy for a Foodie.

Available online through Amazon and in stores such as Bed, Bath and Beyond.

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