Cherry Pickin’…Sorta!

Hi All,

Not too long ago I visited my family in Seattle. It’s always fun because not only is Seattle a rockin’ place, but I get to see my 18 month old grandson, Jordan.

What’s not to love about that face? He’s really cute and very smart….

Ok, I digress! His mom and dad are really into eating healthy so a lot of his food is natural and organic. While there this time, mom was fixing fresh cherries and removing the pits. Now you know I’ve never met a tool I didn’t like, so I was fascinated by the pit remover tool she was using. I’d never seen one before, so this was new to me and I was anxious to give it a try. Who knew? It might be a must have for my ever growing kitchen tool collection!

Looks like something out of a Medieval torture scene, doesn’t it?

Lining it up was a bit tricky. But that’s just me.

Squeeze!

Tah Dah!

It does work, and I think if you have little kids and choking on pits is a concern, this is the tool to have. I’ve since seen several other pit removing tools, some fancier, some plastic, etc…but this is functional and easy to clean, and for folks like me, easy to use. Did I run out and buy one? Nope. But then, for me, part of the fun of fresh cherries is the ability to suck on the pits for a while, and I don’t have any little kids in the house. Just Zack and Zoey, my furry children.

Toodles,

Silly food pic:

Back in the Kitchen!

I haven’t been able to spend any time in the kitchen lately due to a lengthy – one month, actually – trip to Europe, so I’ve neglected this blog shamefully. I’m back, and though more trips are in the plans, they are not long, so I will be cooking and trying out all sorts of equipment. In fact, yesterday I bought a new small electric tool! You just can’t have enough tools in the kitchen, right? I will give it a try in the near future and will report back.

Just because I wasn’t actually cooking doesn’t mean I wasn’t paying attention to food. I was able to sample food from several countries and I loved all of it, but I think my favorite was a Belgium Waffle we ate in Belgium. While on a tour of Bruges, we wandered off the beaten path and found a little hole in the wall that offered the waffles. It only had two seats at a small counter and the proprietor was a nice young man who seemed very pleased to have customers! The menu offered a large variety of waffles but I stuck to the basics….and I was not disappointed. It was yummy, crispy and delish! I love Belgium Waffles and this one took the cake! (pardon the pun).

Take a look!

I do have a waffle maker, so I think I’m going to try to duplicate this at some point. Need to do my research because this is no ordinary waffle! And I also want to duplicate the look of ecstasy you see here!

I will be cooking again this week, so let’s talk later!

Toodles,

Silly picture:

Candied Peanuts

The last couple of weeks have been incredibly busy. You know what I mean – you have to set an alarm to get up early every morning, and you’re buzzing around all day only to come home late and then you have to cook dinner! Then you fall asleep sitting on the couch, get up and go to bed, only to start all over the next day. That kind of week.

Anyway, one night I had to make a pie for a desert the following day, and in keeping with ” that kinda week” , I forgot to buy a key ingredient – honey coated peanuts.  It was too late to run out and get some so I had to improvise. I made candied peanuts. The recipe is below….but it was really easy and if I can do it, so can you. Truthfully, I think they tasted much better than the ones you buy in the store.

 

I started with dry roasted peanuts….make sure you don’t use the salted kind.  Then I mixed all the ingredients together in a medium pan and bring to a boil. Keep cooking until the sugar appears dry and coats all of the peanuts.

Lower the heat and continue to cook until the sugar turns Amber colored, then cook for another two minutes.

 

Remove the peanuts and spread on a parchment lined cookie sheet and allow to cool. And there you have it! Easy Peasy. You can serve as a pre dinner munchie or use them as an embellishment like I did on this pie.

Here’s the recipe:

1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts

2 tbsp sugar

2tbsp water

1/4 tsp salt

Combine all the ingredient in a medium pan and bring to a boil. Keep cooking until the sugar looks dry and coats the nuts.

Lower the heat and cook until the sugar turns amber in color, then cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from pan and spread on a parchment  lined cookie sheet and allow to cool. There you have it! Give it a try!

Toodles,

Silly food picture:

 

 

Roasted Red Peppers

America’s Test Chicken

I love roasted red peppers. My mom used to make them for holiday dinners and I anxiously awaited that grand meal every year. I’ve always been intimidated by the idea of making them myself…. not unusual since , until recently, most cooking intimidated me. I’m getting braver as I add and conquer new challenges in my kitchen but I still felt that buying a jar of roasted red peppers made more sense than actually making them. I didn’t know how easy it was!

If you’ve been following this or my other blog with my partner Karren, America’sTest Chicken, you know that we’ve been focusing on Indian cuisine. It’s been fun learning about the culture and food! One of the cookbooks we’ve been using regularly challenges us to make many ingredients from scratch and a recent recipe included roasted red peppers. I decided to accept the challenge and set out to make my own using the biggest, most red peppers I could find. Here’s how it’s done:

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place the whole peppers on a sheet pan and place in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the skins are completely wrinkled and the peppers are charred, turning them twice during roasting.

Remove the pan from the oven and immediately cover it tightly with aluminum foil. Set aside for 30 minutes, or until the peppers are cool enough to handle.

Remove the stem from each pepper and cut them in quarters. Remove the peels and seeds. If you’ve really charred them and then cooled them down, they should peel very easily.

 

Now my recipe called for slicing the cooled peppers into several long pieces and storing until you’re ready to add to the dish but if you plan on serving up a plate of these beauties, place the peppers in a bowl along with any juices that have collected. Discard the stems, peels, and seeds. Pour the oil over the peppers and cover with plastic wrap. You can keep them in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Give it a try, you won’t be sorry!

Toodles,

Silly food pic:

 

Flour Power

The photo above is what the end result looked like when I made Aloo Parantha – otherwise known as potato chile bread. I’m not going to go into the recipe or how to make it because I’m actually going to make another attempt at making these in the very near future and will publish the details probably on the next Americas Test Chicken.  The reason for the repeat attempt is to show you how it should be done, without the part where I stumbled through the first try. And stumble I did!

First of all, never ever (make that never, ever, ever) blindly follow a recipe when it tells you to add liquid to a flour mixture to achieve a soft, pliable texture. Please, please test the texture first. I felt like a kindergarten kid at the crafts table for most of the afternoon. After adding just four tablespoons of water to the flour mixture, as instructed, I had what was pretty close, I’m sure, to that glue we all made for our paper crafts! So I added more flour….still a sticky mess…. I added even more flour….a little better. However, trying to roll the ball into a flatbread shape proved impossible with the mixture sticking to the rolling pin and everything else in the vicinity.  (and yes, before you ask, I had flour on the rolling pin and the counter.) So I added more flour. No joy!  Still more flour…now I’m wondering how this could possible taste like anything but paper mache glue.

I will stop here. By the time I was finished and had achieved the texture required, I had used nearly a half of the bag of pastry flour. The recipe only called for 1/2 cup and “little to dust with”. hahahahahahah!

Here’s what the “little to dust with” looked like!

Need I say more???

Imagine how I’m looking forward to another attempt!

Toodles,

Silly food pic:

Fire it up! Home Made Curry Blend

If you’ve been following my other blog America’s Test Chicken, written by me and my partner in all cooking crimes, you know we have been cooking Indian food of late. Last week we did a basic chicken curry that required a curry blend. Now if you don’t have time to make it yourself, look for Madras Curry blend in your grocery store. However, I made the blend my self, and I’m here to tell you….there’s absolutely no comparison!

Most of the recipes call for the blend to be added to whatever you’re stir frying so that the vegetables can act as a cushion to prevent the spices from being burned. If you add the spices to a preheated naked pan, or hot oil, you risk getting  burnt flavors and unappealing aromas.

Here, the spices are added to garlic and onions.

After searching high and low for an adequate spice grinder, I settled on an inexpensive electric coffee grinder. (I needed one I could use for pods, seeds  and bark and twigs! ) It also needed to have easy access and be easy to clean. This worked just fine.

Here’s the recipe:

2 Tablespoons coriander seeds             1/2  teaspoon whole cloves

1 Tablespoon cumin seeds                      12 – 15 dried red cayenne chiles, stems discarded

2 teaspoons black or yellow mustard seeds

1 teaspoon black peppercorn                1 teaspoon ground turmeric

Place the coriander, cumin, mustard seeds, peppercorns, cloves and chiles in spice grinder and grind them to the consistency of finely ground black pepper. Stir in the turmeric, which will yellow the blend.

You can store the spice in a tightly sealed container away from light, heat and humidity  for up to 3 months.

Honestly, give this a try. It’s fabulous! And…if you stick your nose in it, like I did, it’ll clear your sinuses!

Toodles,

Silly food picture:

 

Not Your Mother’s Pressure Cooker

I’m always looking for new experiences and with that in mind, my partner in all cooking crimes, Chicken #1 (aka Karren) and I signed up for a cooking class at the BergHOFF culinary center.

The menu included  Roast Beef in the Pressure Cooker with Red Wine Sauce. Now I don’t know about you, but I remember my mom’s pressure cooker. You know, the one with the little metal thingy on top that rattled and jiggled as the steam built up! We were all intimidated by the big noisy pot sitting on the stove and the cautionary warnings “let the steam out first or it will explode!” Explode????

I’m sure we all have tales – I know I do – of horror stories involving these scary cooking appliances, so when I saw this on the menu, I was a little afraid. Ok, more than a little….but I figured Chef Toni knew what she was doing.

First we browned the roast in the pot, then added ingredients (I won’t go into all that here) and with a twist of the lid….set the cooking in motion. Yes, I said “with a twist of the lid”. That’s all there was to it. When the cooking was done, lower the heat, the steam automatically reduces, and with another twist of the lid, you can remove your yummy food.

This slick and shiny looking instrument is a wonder. I’m sure there are lots of good brands out there, but since this was my first experience with the new kind, I can only speak to this brand.  The roast was done in 15 minutes! Now isn’t that every cook’s dream??? My mind is full of possibilities.

It’s not noisy, nothing jiggles and I think I definitely want one!   Check one out!

Toodles,

Silly Food Picture:

 

 

It’s a New Year! Eat Gum Drop Cookies!

Yup, I’m a day late (and a dollar short). Call it the holiday hangover. No, not a hangover from too much alcohol, but rather from food. Cooking it, baking it, and, of course, eating it. After the New Year was properly rung in, I left on a 9 day cruise where someone else did all the cooking and baking while I did all the eating! Holy growing waistline, Batman!

Well, it’s a new year, and I’m on to healthier waters. Americas Test Chickens are taking on some international foods starting with Indian cuisine, always a healthy option with lots of veggies and tons of interesting spices. I’ll provide some insights and helpful hints to accomplishing those recipes including testing some new equipment and some low fat alternatives. And maybe….just maybe…I’ll join Weight Watchers so I don’t have to buy a new wardrobe. I’ll let you know.

Meanwhile, back in the kitchen, I want to tell you about a not – so – minor victory I had over the holidays. First, a little history. Many years ago, my late mother – in – law used to bake these wonderful gumdrop cookies. My whole family loved them, and every year for Christmas she would gift a giant box of them to my father, who was particularly fond of them. She passed that recipe on to me (I’ve included it at the end of this posting) but for years my efforts could not produce the same puffy results as she had. They always turned out flatter than a pancake! Then one day in December, while baking cookies with a couple of friends, I mixed a batch and got ready to bake them. However, we decided to take a lunch break so I threw the bowl in the fridge. I think it was refrigerated for a little over 30 minutes before I finally put them on the cookie sheet to bake. Much to my surprise, these cookies turned out perfect! Refrigeration is apparently the key. I proceeded to refrigerate every batch prior to baking and they all turned out beautifully! Victory! Mystery solved!!!!

 

So here’s the recipe: Remember, refrigerate the batter prior to baking – at least 30 minutes.

Gum Drop Cookies

1/2 cup butter      1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar (firmly packed)

1 egg                         1tsp vanilla

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp double acting baking powder

1/2 tsp salt              3/4 cup quick cooking oat meal

1/2 cup chopped gum drops  (buy small ones, they’re easier to cut)

1/2 cup nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheets. In mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugars. Beat in egg and vanilla until fluffy. Gradually add flour, baking powder and salt. Continue to mix until well blended. Stir in oatmeal then nuts and gumdrops. (refrigerate!) Drop batter by the tsp on cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Bake 12 to 14 minutes.

From my house to yours, have a happy and prosperous New Year.

Toodles,

 

Silly food pic:

 

Pumpkin Musings

 

Are you tired of Turkey and Pumpkin Pie?  I’m a little late with this entry but since this is Pumpkin season, let’s talk about them anyway! Now I might love to eat all things Pumpkin…in fact, I’ll even include the recipe for my favorite and much sought after Pumpkin Casserole here….but pumpkins that don’t come in a can remain a mystery to me.

Last year I thought I would make all manner of things pumpkin by going totally organic and using a real one. So I bought the biggest one I could carry from the market. Note to self (and anyone reading this)…bigger is NOT necessarily better!

First, according to all the recipes, I needed to get the insides out of this big beautiful mother of all pumpkins. I took the biggest knife I could find and cut and cut and hacked and hacked to no avail. I couldn’t cut it in half much less quarters. What was the secret???? I have countless friends who use real pumpkins so how do they do that???? Short of standing on my head, I did everything I could – and finally I got it in half. Now what?? I finally decided to ask Dr. Google…my go to guy in a pinch…and he said (or one of his minions) that I needed to roast it in the oven for a few minutes to soften the outer shell and it would be easier to  remove the pulp. Aha! So that was the secret! (of course he didn’t say how to fit a huge pumpkin into the oven without the hacking).

Now I admit, I got the pulp out  but when I tasted it, it didn’t taste at all like the pumpkin in a can. Yes, I’m really that naive! But even when I added all the spices, it just never quite got there. If you’ve been following my blog, you know I don’t have a lot of patience and am always looking for short cuts…..this doesn’t make my list, for sure. I vote for Libby’s canned pumpkin.

Never one to give up – I was determined to move forward so I decided to harvest the pumpkin seeds to roast them. This too is very time consuming! However,  I’ve always loved roasted pumpkin seeds as a snack so  it was going to be fun to make them myself.  Enter that devil Murphy and his negative law! I followed the directions, sprinkled them with salt and oil, spread them on a cookie sheet and put them in the oven. I swear I only turned my back for a sec…..but when I turned back around, smoke was bellowing out of the oven. Of course they were burned. I don’t know what it is with me and pumpkins….but from now on  I’m sticking to Libby’s!

Here’s the recipe I promised. Trust me, it’s phenomenal! You and everyone you serve it to, will love it!

Pumpkin Casserole

1(15oz) can Pumpkin

1 cup evaporated milk ( you can use regular milk, but don’t use as much)

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 box butter flavored yellow cake mix

I cup chopped pecans

I cup butter, melted

 

Mix first five ingredients. Pour into greased 13 x 9 baking dish. Sprinkle cake mix evenly over mixture- sprinkle evenly with pecans then drizzle butter over pecans.

Bake at 350 degrees for I hour. The top will get too hard if you leave it in too long.

Enjoy!

Toodles,

 

Funny food picture:

Garlic – How to peel, chop, or scare off Vampires!

If you’ve been following my other blog, America’s Test Chicken, you know that Chicken #1 and I made a garlic tart. Sounds odd, doesn’t it…but check it out. Once the tart is cooked, the garlic doesn’t taste as you would expect.

Of course, in order to make a garlic tart, you need lots and lots of garlic and peeling it can be a real pain. (not to mention you might smell like garlic for a week! But trust me, no vampires will get anywhere near you!)  A couple of years ago I discovered  a simple, inexpensive tool to help with this….and I swear by it.

Silicone garlic peeler

Just insert the garlic and roll on a solid surface.

The skin comes right off!

Easy peasy!

I’ve given one to everyone I know who likes to cook. No kitchen should be without it!

Now if a recipe calls for chopped garlic, that’s a whole other matter. I prefer to use a sharp knife, but if you’re in a hurry or don’t want to handle the garlic much, there are lots of chopping, mincing tools out there. Here’s one I decided to try to see if it shortened the work time….you know I’m short on patience….

It’s made by OXO and comes with it’s own measuring cup, which is really handy! It works well, and if you don’t mind cleaning it after using, I recommend it for a quick chopping job. I’m always on the look out for tools to make my life easier….so if you have a garlic tool you love, let me know about it and I’ll give it a try because I LOVE garlic!!!!!

Of course if you just want to keep the vampires away, and don’t want to eat it, you could  string a bunch of garlic and wear it around your neck. I’m told this works.  Just saying…………

Toodles,

Silly food pic: