Schnitzel and the Trout

Mushroom and Barley Soup

2012-01-28T13:12:00.001-05:00

When I saw Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, I knew immediately we would love this soup. And we did!! She found it in the Chicago Tribune, and I remember my grandmother's sister always found the best recipes in the Tribune. This rated right up there at the top.

She made a few changes to the original, and I followed Pam's suggestions to the T. I know this soup will be made often. The only change I made was using the dried mushrooms I had on hand. Last fall I bought an 8 oz. container of gourmet mushroom blend at Costco. I have used it often and love the combination of mushrooms....morels, porcini, Brazilian caps, ivory portabella, shiitake and oyster mushrooms. They worked beautifully in this soup and this is a much less expensive way to buy dried mushrooms.

Mushroom and Barley Soup
from Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner

1 package (1 ounce) dried porcini mushrooms (I used about 1 cup of my mixed blend)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large shallots, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 pound button mushrooms (I used baby portabellas)
8 cups beef stock
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning
1 cup pearl barley
1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Sale and pepper to taste
Chopped parsley for garnish

Method:

Place dried mushrooms in a bowl. Cover with 2 cups of boiling water. Soak, submerged with a small plate for 20 minutes. Squeeze liquid from the mushrooms and reserve the water. Slice the mushrooms.

Slice the fresh mushrooms. Warm oil in a large soup pot and set over medium-high heat. Add shallots and garlic and cook until fragrant and translucent, about 2 minutes. Remove shallots mixture to a small bowl and set aside.

Add fresh mushrooms to the pot and cook until their liquid releases, about 5-8 minutes. Stir in shallot and garlic mixture, beef stock, thyme, reserved mushroom liquid and reconstituted mushrooms. Add Montreal Steak Seasoning and heat to a boil.

Stir in barley, reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, partially covered until barley is tender, about 40 minutes. Stir in balsamic vinegar.

Season with salt and pepper to taste and simmer for 5 minutes. Top with parsley and serve.

6 servings

Be sure to have some great crusty bread to go along with this great soup. Thanks, Pam.

P.S. I just want to add a comment about the great job that blogger is doing keeping Spam off my blog. Today, it caught some foreign language trying to add a comment to my blog anonymously, 6 times. I do not have the extra security code on my comments as I feel it is a waste of time for those commenting and not necessary. Blogger does a great job all by itself. Thanks.

Braised Chicken with Lemon and Capers

2012-01-23T00:30:00.001-05:00

We were looking for a different way to eat chicken. Rather than cookbooks, I do spend more time searching the blogs for recipes. I always feel that if a blogger writes about a recipe they tried and leaves true comments about the dish, it is the best source available.

Best of all, I had all the ingredients in the kitchen!! You can do your own thing with this recipe. Use whatever chicken parts you prefer or have on hand. Our verdict was "DELICIOUS!" This recipe serves 2, but would be easy to increase the sauce for more servings.

Braised Chicken with Lemon and Capers
Recipe from UrbanSpork.com

2 bone-in chicken thighs with skin
2 chicken breasts with skin
all purpose flour for dusting
salt and freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 large peeled garlic cloves
3/4 cup Sauvignon Blanc
3/4 cup chicken stock
3 1-inch strips lemon zest
4 thyme springs
2 teaspoons capers, drained
2 bay leaves

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and dust with flour. In a large, ovenproof skillet, melt the butter in the oil. Add the chicken, skin side down and cook over moderate heat turning once, until browned (about 12 minutes). Transfer chicken to a large plate and pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat.

Add the garlic to the skillet and cook over low heat until softened. Add the wine and boil over high heat until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the stock, lemon zest, thyme, capers and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Return the chicken to the pan, skin side up. Transfer the skillet to the oven, cover and braise for 30-35 minutes, or until the meat is tender.

Remove chicken, then return skillet to the stove and boil until the sauce is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Discard thyme, bay leaf and lemon zest before serving. Serve the chicken with the beautiful gravy this dish makes. Very nice!!

Buckwheat pancakes

2012-01-21T08:54:00.000-05:00

My mother was always an adventurer in the kitchen. When my friends were eating simple pancakes for breakfast, we had buckwheat pancakes. Certainly richer in fiber, a little more "earthy" tasting and to me, very delicious. I, personally, have never liked maple syrup. If you can imagine, I preferred Karo white syrup on my pancakes.

We lived for 20 years in northern Wisconsin when our children were growing up. A lot of Scandinavian influence in that area. In fact, lingonberries could be found fresh in the produce section around Christmastime. That is when I first fell in love with them. Since then, whenever I am in a store with unusual foods, I search for lingonberries. This jar says they are from Sweden. If you have never tasted them, I would say that they are very tiny and remind me of cranberries.

So this morning, we had buckwheat pancakes with sour cream and a topping of lingonberries. Absolutely delicious. The Trout added some maple syrup to his, but I liked them 'just the way they are.'

It was probably 20 years ago when Martha Stewart was raving about her buckwheat hull pillows. So, yes, I ordered a massive amount of buckwheat hulls and made pillows. They were comfortable to lay on...comfortable to the head and neck, but I could not get used to the sound. Kind of like a crunch with each turn. Hmm...wonder what happened to all those pillows.

In the end, I still prefer my buckwheat in a pancake with these delightful lingonberries. But....I do remember visiting friends in Soltau, Germany, in the northern part of the country. Actually it was in the "Heide," the heather country. After spending an afternoon walking through the heather, we stopped at a delightful little restaurant. It must have been about 4 p.m., because that is when Germans have their afternoon coffee and sweets. I ordered a slice of buckwheat torte spread with layers of lingonberries. It was so good, I remember the taste and that was over 30 years ago. I hope one of my German friends reading this will tell me how to make this torte. That would be a real tasty surprise!!

"How about a kumquat, my little chickadee?"

2012-01-05T08:41:00.000-05:00

The title quote comes from W.C. Fields, and is probably the first time I ever heard of a kumquat. Growing up in eastern Iowa, kumquats were not something around in the 50's and 60's.

When I saw them at the market last week, I bought them knowing I would do something with them, but not quite sure what. After searching, I decided a marmalade would be the best way to enjoy them. The Trout and I did "pop" a few into our mouths whole. They are sweet/sour and with no need to peel them. They do look like little oranges, but are not even related.

The kumquat originated in SE Asia and has been cultivated in China since the 12th century. Kumquats came to the US in 1850. There are four varieties and Nagami is grown primarily in Florida and California.

I found a recipe here and followed it. This morning for breakfast we tested it. It was okay...the Trout said he tasted a strange spice. I did not add spices. I am guessing we were both thinking orange marmalade and it did not taste like orange at all. The kumquat is unique to itself.

I would not say rush out to make kumquat marmalade, my little chickadee, but if you do have a chance to try it, please do.

I am hoping to try cooking new foods to me this year. Two items I have not liked very much are kale and collard greens. In all honesty, I love ALL foods, so I am determined to conquer these two 'green' leafy items to a tolerable side dish.

Homemade Créme Fraîche

2012-01-02T09:06:00.000-05:00

Créme fraîche is a dairy product that we have come to love. It is one of the main ingredients in Flammkuchen which we enjoy a lot. In America, it is also expensive and not readily available. I knew immediately when I asked the man stocking the dairy in the largest grocer in town for it, and he asked me to spell it, that it was not to be had!! It is available in Whole Foods which means a trip to Tampa or Orlando which will take up 1/2 of a day. And, it is still expensive.

I started reading about making it at home, and now I wonder why I waited so long to try it. It is simple, it is delicious, and can be ready for use in 2 days. Use it as a topping for soups instead of sour cream, as an ingredient in muffins and cakes, mixed with honey on top of fruit, in scalloped potatoes, etc.

Créme Fraîche

1 cup whipping cream..do not use ultra pasteurized
2 tablespoons buttermilk

Mix together in a jar and let set, covered, in the kitchen in a warm spot for 8 to 24 hours. It will thicken when ready. Refrigerate and use within 2 weeks. So simple, so easy, and so good.

Norwegian Kringler

2012-01-01T03:56:00.001-05:00

Having a husband who is 1/2 Norwegian and living in northern Wisconsin for a long time where most of the population has a Scandinavian background, this recipe was destined to fall into my lap. It is wonderful with coffee...what European does not savor his afternoon coffee with a sweet treat?

It is a simple recipe and delicious. The topping is a pâte à choux, cream puff batter, that is placed on a crust. No matter what your nationality, I know you will enjoy this.

Norwegian Kringler

1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons water

Cut butter into flour and sprinkle water over mixture. Roll into a ball and divide in half. On ungreased cookie sheet, pat each ball into flat 12 x 3 inch strips.

1/2 cup butter
1 cup water
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup flour
3 eggs

Heat 1/2 cup butter and water to a rolling boil. Remove from heat and quickly stir in extract and flour. Stir over low heat until mixture forms a ball (about 1 minute). Remove from heat and beat in eggs, one at a time, until smooth and glossy. Divide in half and spread over each strip. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour...until browned. The top will fall.

Mix glaze ingredients and put over each strip. Add sliced almonds on top. Can be prepared ahead.

Glaze: 1 1/2 cups confectioner sugar (powdered sugar)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons butter
1-2 tablespoons water
sliced almonds

Cut into strips and serve with coffee. Enjoy.

A Look at the Past and Facing the Future

2011-12-30T10:47:00.000-05:00

It's been a good year and it has been a rough year. We got through it together. Celebrating our 45th anniversary in August is testament that we can get through it all.

Family is always the most important. We visited my brother and sister-in-law in North Carolina in May, The Trout's brother and sister-in-law in Iowa, and were able to see all the nieces and nephews who live nearby. We spent time with both daughters and families in Ohio and Wisconsin and time with the grand kids who are growing so quickly.

Three weeks were spent in France and Paris. We have a great love for the food, wine, people and the magnificent history and sights of France. We met the most wonderful people in the gités we rented. Our greatest thrill was meeting Barbara and her husband, Robert, a fellow blogger I have corresponded with for some time. It is true..when you meet a blogger you have been reading for a while, you are not meeting a stranger. It is more like connecting with a friend you have known forever.

Then the next adventure....we bought a 26 foot travel trailer so that we could be a little freer in our travels out West. Unfortunately, my knee was bothering me a lot by this time, so we could not do all we wanted to. There is always next year.

We had beautiful weather in Montana this year. A high school friend and his wife stopped by to reconnected after almost 50 years. The Trout's best fishing buddy and his wife spent time with us at the cabin also. And then I had the pleasure of meeting another blogger friend; Diana and her husband Pete. Once again, it was as if we had known each other for years. What a thrill to finally meet.

After that, things started going a little sour. The Trout had to have surgery for a small intestine blockage. We were fortunate to find an excellent surgeon and though he lost a lot of time fishing the trout streams, he was able to recover so that we could start our long trip back to Florida.

My knee has a long history. It started back in March when we decided to get healthy and work with a trainer at a gym. I hurt my knee and after several doctor visits, nothing was resolved. So, I limped all the way through France and when it got worse, saw a doctor in Wisconsin. No resolve there. Saw an orthopedic surgeon in Montana who gave me a cortisone shot that was short-lived. So when we got back home, I finally had a much needed MRI. Both medial and lateral meniscus in the knee were torn...since March...so I had arthroscopic surgery on December 16. Hoping this would correct the problem was short-lived again. It seems the surgery simply aggravated arthritis which I did not know I had, so the pain is still there, but different. They hope to baby my knee with cortisone injections for a year or two until it will need to be totally replaced.

So, that means we have to be careful with what trips we plan until we have a better idea how I can handle the walking. Believe me, I can be patient. I have also let my blog slide by not writing much in the last year. I hope to improve that in 2012. That is a definite goal.

Our two daughters and their families came to Florida for Christmas week. It was the first time in 6 years that we have all been together. I told the Trout that our quiver was definitely full....all because we fell in love 50 years ago. The path of life is amazing. We have been blessed.

Happy New Year to all of you. May 2012 be healthy and happy, and as we say in German, "Einen Guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr!!"

My favorite German cookie....Wiesbader Brot

2011-12-11T16:08:00.000-05:00

A long, long time ago, a recipe came from Germany with a group of people looking for religious freedom. They traveled across the ocean and, according to a diary that I found many years ago in my parent's attic, they suffered from a lot of sea sickness. But they had faith in their Creator, and they arrived on the shores of America. The time frame was the 1850's. So what did the women bring with them? I can only guess, but recipes were an important factor..keeping them in touch with their homeland.

One such recipe I baked today. A Christmas cookie that I have always known as "Wiesbader Brot.". This translates to "the bread of Wiesbaden, Germany." As a child, I loved to watch my grandmother bake these great smelling cookies. If this cookie has ever seen itself in Wiesbaden, Germany, is a mystery. Perhaps, it was only remorse of leaving the homeland that named this cookie. Nevertheless, with a little imagination, it does look like a slice of bread topped with butter.

It has been a few years since I have baked Wiesbader Brot, but I do think today, they tasted better than they ever have. I have to give credit to the cinnamon that I added. For quite a few years, I have been buying my cinnamon from Penzey's in Wisconsin. This Vietnamese cinnamon is absolutely the best tasting. I hope you will discover Penzey's and try their cinnamon and other spices. They rank top quality on my list. I also buy all my peppercorns for grinding from them including a lot of other spices.

The cookie is supposed to look like a slice of bread topped with butter. When you read the recipe, you can see how this happens. The recipe is printed in "Seasons of Plenty", a cookbook from the Amana Colonies in Iowa, that I gave away earlier this year on my blog anniversary. The tool that should be used to cut the cookies is a ruffled roller cutter that I do not own. My grandmother's disappeared in the family home auction years ago, but I do remember it and use my pizza cutter instead. The ruffled edge on the cookies does make it extra special.

Wiesbader Brot (The Bread of Wiesbaden)

1 cup butter, softened
2 1/3 cups sugar
4 eggs, reserve yolks from 2
5 cups flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Reserving 2 egg yolks, beat 2 whole eggs and 2 white until very frothy and combine with creamed sugar and butter. Gradually add flour, cinnamon, and baking powder. Mix well. Cover and chill dough overnight.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. On a large lightly floured board, roll out small portions of the dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Use a fluted pastry wheel, or pizza cutter and cut into diamond shapes. Place on a greased baking sheet and brush with beaten egg yolks. Bake about 15 minutes until light brown. Makes 4-5 dozen cookies.

I hope you have a chance to try my favorite German cookie. They are now resting until the grandchildren arrive Christmas week. By the way, my favorite way to eat them is dunked in hot chocolate. YUM

Cheesy, flaky and absolutely delicious crackers

2011-12-07T09:43:00.001-05:00

I am always looking for the perfect addition to an ice cold martini or other beverage for "Happy Hour." By the way, we have found that this special hour, when the neighbors come out their doors with drinks in hand is getting earlier and earlier. Perhaps because the dark sets in so much earlier. Perhaps because we are all retired and don't care about putting up appearances any more.

I think I have found it. I stumbled across "In the Kitchen with Kath" and found this very simple, very easy and very tasty cracker recipe. These cheesy crackers, (which, by the way) smell outstandingly delicious as they bake, are flaky and can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days..but, I really doubt they will last that long.

They do require a food processor and then this cracker can be started and to the enjoying with a drink part in less than one hour. If you want to eat them warm, even less than that. I would suggest that you use a food processor though. I would think it would get a little discouraging trying to make this dough without one.

Cheese Crackers
from In the Kitchen with Kath

Depending on the size you cut them, you can get 75 to 100 crackers

1 1/2 cups (6 oz) grated, extra sharp Cheddar cheese
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened and cut into pieces
3/4 cups flour, plus more for rolling out
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Put everything except the milk in a food processor. Pulse the processor 5 seconds at a time, for about 5-6 times, until the dough is in coarse crumbs.

Add the milk and process until the dough gathers together in a ball.

Roll the dough out on a floured board with a rolling pin that has been floured, until the dough is about 1/8 inch thick.

Cut the dough into 1 inch squares with a sharp knife or pizza cutter. You can put a bit of flour on the blade of the knife to keep it from sticking. Use the flat end of a wooden skewer, I used the rounded tip of a chopstick, to poke a hole in the center of each cracker.

Place the crackers at least 1/4 inch apart on parchment paper on a baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the edges are just starting to brown.

Put the baking sheet on a rack and let the crackers cool completely. Eat or store in a covered container to eat within a day or two. ENJOY!!

Tampa Bay Brewing Company

2011-12-06T09:09:00.000-05:00

Every once in a while, I do a post. I have not been doing too much or feeling inspired enough to write, but am finally scheduled for arthroscopic surgery on my knee on the 16th. Seems like I have a torn meniscus and my knee can't handle too much walking or standing. The fact that this has been going on since March does not help. So slowly, I am seeing the end of the tunnel and it is encouraging. We have been eating, but nothing worth writing about. Other than a quick trip to the grocery store, not much else has been going on.

But yesterday, we did go out for lunch. The Trout saw Guy Fieri from "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" visit The Tampa Bay Brewing Company in Ybor City, a suburb of Tampa. He knew we had to try it. This is a very nice pub/restaurant and I know we will be back. They usually have 10 beers that they brew on premises. Having trouble deciding, we were both offered two samples to choose from. The menu offers a little of everything. Nice choices. We opted to share Pan Crisped Pierogi with caramelized onions and mushrooms, served with sour cream. Six large pierogis arrived, stuffed with a creamy, cheesy mashed potato mixture. They were delicious.

I order the Tandoori Chicken Pita with romaine lettuce, tomato, red onion and house made tzatiki sauce with a side of black beans and yellow rice that was fantastic. Nice choice.

The Trout had a very large Cobb Salad. For some reason, he has a great love for this salad and it was right on. Oh and the beer....on the right is my "One Night Stand Pale Ale" and the Trout had "Red Eye Ale". The beers were very nice. Overall, this was a delightful place for lunch or dinner and I know we will be back.

In case you are interested, the dish Guy Fieri ordered and raved about was "Brewhouse Barleywine Meatloaf with Wild Mushroom Demi." Darn, they were out of it. Next time.

Pizza on the Grill

2011-11-30T12:00:00.000-05:00

For some time now, I am reading all I can on grilling pizza. The technique is what makes grilling pizza successful. I realize that most of you are now creeping into cold, rainy, snowy weather, but down here in Florida, we will be grilling all winter. That's a good thing!!

So if you can't try this right now, file it away in your memory bank and I hope you will give it a try. This is actually not a recipe at all, just explaining the technique on how this can be done successfully.

Roll or pat out your pizza dough onto an oiled sheet of parchment paper. Let rest. Start your gas/charcoal grill. It does not need to be too hot. Use a cooler spot on the grill. Take the parchment paper and flip the dough onto the grill. Quickly peel off the parchment paper and dispose. Put the lid on the grill and let the dough bake for about 3 minutes. It will be making large bubbles on the top of the dough as it cooks. Peek underneath to see if you have good grill marks and before the crust starts to get too dark.

Now flip the dough off the grill with the grilled side up. Arrange your toppings...sauce, herbs, browned sausage, pepperoni, etc., top with cheese and slide back on the grill with the uncooked side of the dough down. It will take 3 to 5 minutes to finish the bottom crust. I think you can see the grill marks on the crust above. It was getting too dark outside to take a better photo.

A quick way to make pizza and it was tasty. The crust turned out to be quite crispy. Obviously because of the short cooking time, the ingredients you put on top need to be precooked.

Orange Ice Cream with Dried Cherries and Toasted Pecans

2011-11-27T08:05:00.000-05:00

It was just about a year ago when my friend Barbara, at Moveable Feasts posted this recipe for ice cream. I immediately copied it and knew I would make it shortly. I will admit, the more and more I thought about orange ice cream, the less desirable it sounded. The Trout kept asking when we were making "that ice cream". I just could not commit. Then, after we had decided on duck for Thanksgiving, the orange sounded so good. First of all, DO NOT let the orange flavor turn you off. It is very subtle and both of us decided that this ice cream is so very, very good. Absolutely delightful!!! It just seemed like such a better idea than pies though I did miss my pecan pie.

So, thank you, Barbara, for posting this a year ago and WOW, did we enjoy it. Why did I wait so long?

Orange Ice Cream with Dried Cherries and Toasted Pecans
from Moveable Feasts

2 medium navel oranges
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
large pinch of salt
5 large egg yolks
1/2 of a vanilla bean split lengthwise (brought this baby home from France)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup orange juice
2 1/2 tablespoons Cointreau
3/4 cup toasted pecans, broken
Toast pecans and set aside.
Soak the cherries in the orange juice and Cointreau for a few hours until soft
Pare off the peel of the oranges and set aside.

Fill a saucepan half way with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and combine milk, cream, sugars, salt, egg yolks, vanilla bean and orange zest in a glass bowl and set over the simmering water.

Stir mixture constantly until it reaches a temperature between 165 and 180 degrees. Mixture will thicken somewhat. Add vanilla and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. When you are ready to freeze, pour through a sieve to remove the peel and vanilla bean. Add half the cherries and ALL of the excess soaking liquid.

Freeze according to directions of your ice cream freezer. When the mixture is semisolid, add the remaining
cherries and pecans. Continue freezing with it holds stiff peaks. I poured into my plastic covered container and it went into the freezer for a day.

A Duck, Wild Rice and a Great Wine

2011-11-26T08:38:00.000-05:00

It had been quite a few years since we had roasted duck for dinner. We love duck. I think we ate duck for two weeks straight while we were in the Dordogne of France a few years ago. So, since it was just The Trout and me for Thanksgiving, we enjoyed our smaller meal.

Beautifully roasted and with a crispy skin, the duck was delicious. I made a Cumberland Sauce to go with it with port and orange juice. We also had roasted Brussels sprouts and apples, but the recipe I want to give you is for the wild rice side.

I still have wild rice that we bought in 2010 when we were in northern Minnesota for a wedding. I knew I wanted to use it with the duck, but wanted a different recipe. Of all places, I found it on the large bag of Craisins (dried cranberries). It was a perfect blend of flavors. This rice dish would also be perfect with chicken or pork or turkey.

Wild Rice with Cranberries and Caramelized Onions
from Ocean Spray Cranberries

2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup brown rice
1/2 cup wild rice
3 tablespoons butter
3 medium onions, sliced in thin wedges
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 cup Craisins dried cranberries
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

Combine chicken broth and both rices in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 45 minutes or until rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and brown sugar. Cook 6 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and onions are soft and translucent. Reduce heat to low. Slowly cook onions, stirring often for 25 minutes or until they are caramel in color. Stir in dried cranberries. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes until cranberries swell. Gently fold cranberry mixture and orange zest into cooked rice. Serves 4 to 6

Along with this special meal, we had a bottle of wine which turned out to be a real "find". A Jordan 1980 Cabernet. This wine was 31 years old and so delicious. A good meal, a good wine and being together. It is the best of the best. But wait until I tell you what we had for dessert........

Our veterans

2011-11-11T11:11:00.021-05:00

A repeat posting from 2008. This photo was taken in the Memorial Chapel in the American cemetery, Normandy, France.

I can't let this day go by without remembering our veterans. I think being a veteran or being closely related to one is the most significant way to be a proud American. During my time, the conscientous objector, the draft dodger were not looked upon favorably. I even grew up in a community built on religion where men were given conscientous objector status, yet so many of these men went to war to defend their country. That is a real veteran. Not being together on our first anniversary because my husband was drafted into the Army right after college graduation; that is a sacrifice we do as Americans.

To be alive during the Vietnam war, getting news that my brother was shot down over Vietnam, rescued, and that his co-pilot was taken prisoner; that is what makes an American proud. God Bless you, Col. Day, for surviving the Vietnam prison and tortures. That is a real veteran. Be proud to live in America and always be proud of our country. Let our leaders guide us proudly and not falter or undermine just who we are. We are proud Americans!

I am almost done!

2011-11-10T14:41:00.000-05:00

For Mother's Day, my daughter gifted me with me a yarn and a pattern for knitting socks. She reasoned that it does get cold in the winter in Florida and thought I could use them. I started them in Montana, but then dropped a stitch or two and with complete frustration, put that knitting away.

This last week I have been at it again. I finished the first sock and this morning started the second. There is a way to knit both socks on two circular needles at the same time, but I have not taken the time to learn the manipulation needed to do this. I am totally content knitting socks on two circular needles, one sock at a time.

This fun pattern is called "Laughing Matters" and the yarn is "Aussi Sock", made in Australia from 90% Aussie Merino and 10% nylon. Color is called "faded valentine." Thank you Knit Purl Hunter for this pattern.

Grapefruit for the Cocktail Hour

2011-11-07T10:31:00.000-05:00

We don't have a grapefruit tree in our yard, but many of our neighbors do. These trees grow huge, and always seem to be loaded with their bounty. Our neighbor brought over a large bag of grapefruit and tangerines, so it looks like it will be "Salty Chihuahua's" for cocktail hour.

My bookkeeping is so bad....I know I found this recipe on a friend's blog, and now I simply can't find it. We had a fair share of Salty Chihuahua's with the neighbors before we left last spring. Just some freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, a jigger of Tequila, perhaps a splash of Triple Sec, salt on the rim of the glass....you get the picture. Come over about 4 p.m.

Butternut Squash Soup...very tasty

2011-11-04T17:57:00.000-04:00

For the last week, I have been searching for a butternut squash soup recipe. I wanted something tasty, simple and simple. I saw all kinds that were very intriguing. Adding curry, different spices, etc. Then this morning I woke up and told the Trout that I wanted butternut squash soup for dinner.

So, we were off to the farmer's market and there sat a very large butternut squash for $1.50. What is not to love. In fact, we only used about 1/2 of it for this soup. Now I need to find something to do with the rest.

The recipe I used from Whole Foods Market was excellent. Simple, as I wanted, but extremely tasty. What you do not see in the picture is me dipping my warm, crusty bread into the soup and getting every last drop out of the bottom of the bowl.

Actually, as we were preparing it in the kitchen....the Trout is definitely the chopper and dicer, I started thinking that maybe this will be too bland. Nah....not at all. If you want a simple but great tasting soup that will be on the table with only 30 minutes of cooking.....look no further. Enjoy.

Classic Butternut Squash Soup
from Whole Foods Market

2 tablespoons olive oil
2/3 cups diced carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
2/3 cups diced onion
4 cups cubed butternut squash
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
4 to 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
seat salt and ground black pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot. Add carrot, celery, and onion. Cook until the vegetables have begun to soften and the onion turns translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the butternut squash and thyme. Stir to combine with vegetables. Stir in chicken broth and season with salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until squash is fork-tender, about 30 minutes. Use an immersion blender to puree soup. Alternatively, carefully puree soup in batches in a traditional blender. (CAUTION: do not put the lid on tight without leaving an opening for steam to escape) Don't ask for reasons...just believe.

A butternut squash is difficult to prepare. Use a carrot peeler to get the skin off the squash and go deep enough to remove all the light yellow colors. They will be stringy otherwise. It will not be too difficult then to cut in half, remove the seeds and then cube in uniform sizes.

By the way, the immersion blender is on my wish list!!!

It is a SO GOOD recipe for Lemon Pound Cake

2011-10-30T16:05:00.000-04:00

I have been baking just about all my life it seems. My grandmother always let me into her kitchen and she was a very fine baker. Her cakes were outstanding!! So, I know that you almost have to be a chemist to put all the ingredients together to make it work. Unlike regular cooking, baking must be exact. I know this.

So here is my problem. I have known forever that I have this problem and I have a very difficult time correcting it. When I see baking soda and/or baking powder in a recipe, invariably, I always interchange them. Not very smart. I take the time to get out the baking powder and the baking soda, look at each product, figure out which one I need and then pick up the wrong one. I know that baking soda is usually used when one of the ingredients is sour cream, sour milk or buttermilk. It is necessary to help the batter rise. Baking powder is used to help everything else rise. So, it happened again today. I always put my flour, salt and baking powder or soda in a separate bowl before adding to the batter. There, all is not lost if I make a mistake. So, once again, today, I ended up throwing out the flour, salt and baking powder....because it was not soda.

I honestly believe my baking days will soon be over. I could contribute this flaw in my skill to old age, but believe me, I have been doing it forever. Also, I have never gone ahead to bak with the wrong ingredient...maybe it would actually work.

Anyway, this is what came out of my oven today....with the first batch of flour thrown out. As Pam says on her blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, this lemon pound cake is WONDERFUL!! I am just thrilled she shared it. Please check out her blog for the recipe.

Chicken Satay with Slaw and Peanut Sauce

2011-10-28T18:01:00.000-04:00

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The Trout and I love Thai foods. At one time we lived near a Thai restaurant and we loved it! So since that time, we have been trying to find recipes that we love a lot.

One challenge has been a peanut sauce. There are cooked sauces and uncooked. We decided we really don't like the taste of the warm peanut sauces, so we experimented until we found a sauce we liked. Then, some years back we found a cabbage slaw with a peanut sauce, so we finally put all this together into a great dinner. This meal is perfect for the two of us with a little leftover salad and leftover peanut sauce for another salad. Enjoy!!

Grilled Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce and Cabbage Slaw

2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
2 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs brown sugar
2 cloves garlic
1 tbs minced fresh ginger
1 tsp Sriracha sauce

Cut the chicken breast into long strips, 3 or 4 from each breast. Mix the rest of the ingredients and marinade chicken strips for about 45 minutes.

Thread the meat the long way onto skewers, sort of pleating it. Grill over direct heat 8-10 minutes or until done.

Cabbage Slaw

1/2 head cabbage
1 large carrot
1/2 jalapeno
chopped mint leaves (optional)

Slice cabbage and carrots as thinly as possible. Place in a bowl along with the jalapeno. Pour peanut sauce over mixture and toss to coat.

Peanut Sauce

3 tbs. grated ginger root
1 or 2 shallots, minced
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice, (Use a little less)
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup toasted sesame oil

In a large bowl, combine ginger, shallots, fish sauce, soy sauce and lime juice. Slowly whisk in peanut butter and then sesame oil.

This makes more than you need, serve extra sauce on the side. Unused can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator up to 4 days.

Toss the cabbage slaw with some of the dressing and use some of the peanut sauce for dipping the chicken satay.

We had a Magical Week!

2011-10-25T12:18:00.000-04:00

We spent a lot of time this last week at Mickey's House. In fact, we received our 5 year pin for volunteering at the Children's Miracle Network Golf Classic. The best part is that we have worked with the same "crew" for all 5 years. So, it really is a reunion each year to see each other again.

The Trout and I drive a wagon/cart which we fill with cases of bottled water and bags of ice. We divide the golf course into sections and deliver the water and ice to the tee boxes in our section throughout the day. The ice and water is only for the golfers and caddies, so we do get up close to watch some golf. That is the very best part!!

Readers have been asking me how the Trout is doing. He is doing quite well, seven weeks out from surgery. In fact, he was lifting the ice and water without problems so he is definitely on the mend. The difficult part is that he will probably have to wait another seven weeks or so until he can swing a golf club, but we are thankful he is feeling so well.

We are glad to be back in Florida, because the weather is gorgeous. I love this time of year when you can turn off the A/C, open the windows and let the cool air flow through. After living over 50 years in the Midwest, it is so refreshing to enjoy warmer falls and winter. Yes, we do cheat and get out of Florida in the heat of the summer, but that is what retirement is all about.

Spelt/Farro Salad

2011-10-18T12:04:00.001-04:00

Back in December of 2008, when my blog was just starting and there were very, very few readers, I posted a favorite salad recipe. I just put it together again and feel it needs repeating. This is very good and very healthy.

After a trip to Italy where we found "farro" on the menu a lot, I did some searching to find out more about this grain. It is very similar to "spelt" and often, in the US, you can find it by the name spelt.. I usually get a large bag of it when I am at Whole Foods. It looks sort of like barley, cooks the same way, and to me, smells like oatmeal while it is cooking.

Starting tomorrow, we will again be volunteering at Disney for the Children's Miracle Network Golf Classic which means we leave home before 6 a.m. and get home after 6 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. That means a quick, hearty, simple dinner will be necessary in the evening. I made a large batch of this salad as it "cures" nicely. I also used what was available in my refrigerator this morning, so most anything goes.

Spelt/Farro Salad

In salted water, boil farro for 40-45 minutes. Drain and let cool. In the meantime, dice into small pieces, tomatoes, zucchini, radishes, spring onions, red bell pepper, and finely chop parsley. Mix with the cooled farro.

Make a vinaigrette with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, minced garlic, touch of honey and salt and pepper. Blend and mix into the salad. Enjoy.

Ratatouille

2011-10-15T14:45:00.000-04:00

Susan Hermann Loomis, in her book, French Farmhouse Cookbook, says that "perhaps no dish is so classically Provencal as ratatouille." I absolutely love it and try to eat it as often as possible while in France. We have made "medleys" of these same vegetables at our house before, but never before cooked each vegetable individually before melding them all together in the end. Until today....

In Loomis' cookbook, she has a recipe that she got from Monique Tourette, therefore it bears her name. Yes, it does take some cleaning up, and the chopping can be time consuming, but the recipe makes a fair amount and much can be done with it.

It can be a main course along with bread and a salad. How about a sandwich filling, by itself or with cheese or ham? You can even spread it on fresh bread dough and bake it as a pizza. It also gets better with age and supposedly reaches peak flavor on the third day. I doubt it will last that long around here.
I know most of you have gardens that have come to an end, but I would really suggest you try this, and enjoy!!

Monique's Ratatouille
La Ratatouille de Monique
from Susan Hermann Loomis and French Farmhouse Cookbook

1 large eggplant, cut into medium cubes
sea salt
5 tablespoons olive oil
3 onions, peeled and cut into small cubes
Freshly ground black pepper
2 large green bell peppers, cored, seeded and cut into small dice
1 large zucchini, cut into small cubes
1 pound plum tomatoes, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried

1. Place the eggplant in a colander, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt, toss and let sit for 1 hour. After 1 hour, rinse the eggplant quickly and pat dry. Place in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of oil. Toss so the eggplant is coated with the oil and then spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in the center of the oven, 425 degrees, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant is soft and golden, about 40 minutes.

2. During the time the eggplant is salted or baking, prepare the rest of the dish. In a large, heavy skillet, combine 1 tablespoon of the oil with the onions. Stir, cover and cook over medium heat until the onions begin to turn golden and are very soft...20 minutes. When done, season with salt and pepper. Transfer onions to a bowl and set them aside.

3. In the same skillet, combine 1 tablespoon oil and the green peppers. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until the peppers are olive green and tender, about 15 minutes. Remove the peppers to the bowl with the onions.

4. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet. Add the zucchini, toss to coat in oil, cover and cook until tender throughout, about 15 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes which have been peeled and cubed, garlic, bay leaf and thyme in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Cook until the tomatoes have softened and are tender but still have some shape, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.

6. To finish the ratatouille, combine the eggplant and all the other ingredients in the skillet with the zucchini.
Stir to combine and season to taste. Let cook just long enough so that the ingredients are hot through, about 10 minutes. Adjust the seasoning.

Minced parsley leaves can be used to garnish along with lemon wedges. Vinegar is also comely used as a garnish for ratatouille.

A very fitting wine

2011-10-14T18:44:00.000-04:00

We found a beauty of a wine yesterday. We took a drive to a favorite wine shop in Orlando. Picked up a bunch of every day wines and this Sean Minor was one of them. It is a Cabernet, 2008 from the Napa Valley. I don't think this can be found all over, but certainly should be available in California.

We had a grilled Porterhouse, sauteed mushrooms, loose leaf salad with vinaigrette and goat cheese and Craisins. This cab was the perfect finish.

As quoted "warm, full and fruity in the mouth with soft tannins and gentle acid core that make this very accessible and pleasant. The finish is gentle with cedar tones and cherry." I love the way these wines are described. We paid $13.99 and felt the price was very fitting.

You have to know that since the Trout had his surgery on September 2, he has not been able to drink wine. He was on several antibiotics for 10 days and lost all taste for wine. It was like his taste buds took a vacation and could not tolerate the taste of wine. So finally, this bottle tasted just right!!

A Lentil Recipe from Provence

2011-10-11T17:12:00.001-04:00

So what is the difference between a cook and a chef? Let me show you. When we were in Provence in June, I had just read Barbara's blog, Cuisine de Provence. I had told Barbara I had just seen her recipe for lentils and asked about it. I remember her words so well; "It was absolutely delicious!"

So, I knew I had the French lentils in my pantry in Florida, and I knew I would not be in Florida until October. In my head, I obsessed about this lentil recipe all those months. We got home yesterday, and tonight the lentils are on my table.

And Barbara, I have to say, "They are absolutely delicious!" The only difference in her photo and mine....she is the chef....cutting everything to perfection. I am the cook...simply putting it all together. See how large my chunks of zucchini are? (sigh) I would guess the flavor is not that different.

A great tri-tip roast

2011-09-25T20:49:00.001-04:00

One item we do not find in Florida and I have never found before is a tri-tip roast. My California and West Coast bloggers mention it often. I have longed for it for years. A trip to our Missoula, Montana, Costco, brought us face-to-face with tri-tip roasts. Of course, I remembered Debbie at A Feast for the Eyes. We had it twice this summer and enjoyed it tremendously. I am now wondering what kind of response I will get from my Florida butchers when I ask for a tri-tip roast. We loved it!!!

I followed Debby's recipe quite closely, and we absolutely loved it!! Check out Debby here.

Tri-Tip

For a 2 pound roast

6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 cups wood chips
1 teaspoon pepper
3/4 teaspoon garlic salt

Pat dry the roast and poke 20 times on each side with a fork. Combine garlic, oil and salt. Cover with plastic and refrigerate 1-24 hours.

Soak wood chips (we used alder and cherry). Heat your charcoal briquet's on one side of the grill.

Wipe the garlic off the roast and rub with pepper and garlic salt.

Grill over the coals for 5 minutes on each side. Scatter wet wood chips over the coals. On the cooler side of the grill...the one without wood chips, place the roast. Cover the grill and cook for 20 minutes. DELICIOUS!!!

Of course, to go with a fantastic main dish like this, you need a great wine.

This Genesis 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon was excellent. It was rich and complex with bright berry and cherry flavors and hints of clove, cinnamon and cocoa. It was a well-enjoyed meal with a baked red sweet potato and a salad. It was also a well-enjoyed meal after the Trout's surgery and his temporary loss of taste. I think we are back on track.

A Blogger Meeting in Drummond

2011-09-16T10:06:00.000-04:00

Well, it is time to get back on schedule. Even though my balloon went Pftzt...things are getting back to normal. The Trout is doing well, though full strength is still a few weeks off. With his staples removed this week and post-op check with the surgeon, he has rules to follow, but we both are doing well. In fact, I went with him yesterday as he leisurely walked a trout stream for about 1/2 hour. It's a good thing!!

My week started off with such fun. I drove to small town Drummond to have lunch with a blogger friend from Oregon who was passing through Montana. If you were in grade school like me in the 50's, I am sure you also had a "pen-pal." I had several from Japan, Pakistan and Cuba. There were long times between letters, but such excitement to read what others, my age, were doing in different countries.

Meeting Diana and Pete was like that pen-pal experience, only I would call it "blogger-pal." Diana and I have been corresponding back and forth for a couple of years now. When you read a blog on a regular basis, you really get to know the writer. We started talking like we had just seen each other a week or so ago.

The Trout was not up to having lunch with us yet, so he missed seeing this friendship grow. We hope to change that next year and meet up again with these delightful friends. Diana and Pete are quite the gardeners and live in a beautiful part of our country. If you do not know her, I hope you will check her blog, "Voice in the Garden" and see the magic they have performed on their property.

Diana and Pete, thank you so much for the friendship.

Handling the unexpected

2011-09-05T11:07:00.000-04:00

They say it's a place like home. Well, almost. I did spend 3 nights here this last week. Alone. Sometimes plans are interrupted and you need to adjust quickly and calmly.

The Trout had been having some abdominal discomfort for a couple of weeks and it finally reached a point where it was out of our hands. Being ill away from home is not a comfortable situation. But, we handled it.

We are still in Montana and headed to a small town hospital for help. What comforted us most was the kind, caring attention showed to both of us. Dale spent the night and the surgeon did all he could to make The Trout comfortable. X-rays showed a blockage in the small intestine but it could not be determined as to cause or extent. The next morning, Trout felt better and went home. That night things went bad so the surgeon suggested we head to Missoula which had a larger hospital, 1 hour and 45 minutes from the cabin. Amazingly, he gave me his cell phone number and asked me to call with any questions or concerns.

Missoula admitted him to the hospital and took more x-rays. The surgeon decided to do a watch and wait because the small intestine was a strange place to have diverticulitis, which is what this looked like. By Friday morning, surgery was definitely needed. There was inflammation and the start of perforation.

A 10" scar and 3 inches of intestine removed later, the Trout is doing pretty good. Getting slowly back to allowing food intake has been frustrating since the fly fishing right now is getting quite good. He will try to recover at the cabin for a couple of weeks and hopefully we will both be in good health to drive the long drive back to Florida.

Anyone care for a lollipop?

2011-08-23T14:20:00.000-04:00

Our friends, Bob and Annette, spent two nights with us in the cabin. Bob is an inventive cook and he came prepared to cook an amazing meal for us.

He took two racks of lamb for the four us and and cut them into chops and frenched the legs. They were grilled over gas and glazed with a fantastic tasting sauce. Strangely enough, I have never thought of making chops out of a rack of lamb.

Just a short time on each side on the hot grill and then brushed with the glaze and again just a short time on each side. This was absolutely delicious and we will make this again and again.

Glaze for the Lollipop Lamb

For one rack of lamb, this is an estimate of the glaze

1/8 cup honey (if using agave, use a bit less since it is sweeter)

1/8 cup Dijon mustard

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh mint

1 Tablespoon horseradish

Salt and Pepper

Bonjour from the West

2011-08-14T01:25:00.002-04:00

A good French wish for you this morning! I fell in love with this sign immediately and I did not find it in France. Found it in a delightful little gift shop in Philipsburg, Montana, where my friend Chris works. Go check out her blog. The sign is stenciled on old tin that was so prevalent on the ceilings out West.

First of all, we did not go to the Bahamas for our anniversary. That was my mistake for not taking care with my writing. I had placed that phrase under our wedding picture. We went to the Bahamas on our honeymoon so long ago. Not this year.

After spending a month in a travel trailer, which I truly loved, we are now in the cabin we have been renting for the last 5 years. It is definitely roomier, but we are a little higher in altitude and it still gets cold here in the night. One morning this week we woke up 37 degrees. We do have a furnace, space heater and fireplace, so it is easier to keep warm than in the trailer.

The Trout goes fishing every day and I am catching up on my reading and we do have satellite TV. Actually, the first TV we have watched since we left Florida in mid-May. I kind of stick to HGTV and the Food Channel. Everything else does not seem worth my time. We are now on Broadband Internet connection, so I have to watch my time on the computer. It goes by quickly when there are so many blogs to read.

Doing a little knitting, a little baking and cooking, but mostly the Trout grills so there is not too much to write home about. I am not saying he does not grill as an expert; just saying it is simple but good grilled food. This will be home until early October when we start heading east and then south. We really do enjoy getting out of the Florida heat in the summer. I only wish we did not have to drive so far. In the planning stages of trying to make the trip a little easier for us.

A Kindle cover

2011-08-12T15:29:00.000-04:00

After saying for much too long a time that I did not need a Kindle, I got a Kindle. I did not think I would enjoy it as much as I do. But, what I was not willing to do, was spend a large amount of money for a cover. I soon discovered that there might be a danger with carrying it around in my purse or a bag with scratching of the screen. So I did a search for a knit, felted cover. I found the perfect one.

It was quick and easy, felted nicely and I really like it. I found it on a blog called Musings of a Yarn Mom. If I was a little more ambitious, this would be fun to make and sell at craft shows.

Our 45th Anniversary

2011-08-06T04:56:00.004-04:00

August 6, 1966

I guess it is most surprising to us...that today we are married 45 years. The number seems to suggest a long, long time ago. But, in fact, it does not seem that far in the past.

To our beautiful daughters and their husbands, to our four beautiful grandchildren, thanks for the wonderful years of memories. And to our friends, we look forward to being together with you all for many years to come.

Off to the Bahamas!

The Apricot Jam is finally here.

2011-08-03T11:25:00.000-04:00

The continuing story of the Washington state apricots. A couple of weeks ago, we went to Washington, to the town of Leavenworth, and I had to buy the "green" apricots they were selling. I knew it would be at least 10 days before we would be in the cabin in Montana before I could make apricot jam. I remembered seeing Tom's apricot recipe, and since the Trout devoured several jars of apricot jam while we were in France, I knew I had to make this jam.

The lady I bought from told me I could hold off ripening of the apricots for 10 days. HA!! Within 5 days, these babies were ready for jam. PROBLEM: I was still in the travel trailer and the equipment I needed to make this happen was in the cabin we were renting after August 1. Luckily, Tom's recipe was flexible. I got into the cabin early and cooked up the apricots (first step) and froze them until the following week.

Improvise, improvise. If there would be a banner out there expounding on this subject, today I would be wearing it!! I am not at home and this is not my kitchen. Think, Schnitzel, think!! I had enough apricots for two batches, and dear, patient, Tom, told me to make one batch at a time. Okay, I did that and froze two batches.

I bought my jelly jars, and all I needed to accomplish this. Oh yes, at this point the Trout is figuring out the cost of this jam. (I did not remind him the cost of the Alaskan salmon he brought home several years ago) wink wink

Yesterday morning the stove was blazing. I got it all completed with a quick trip into (town) to buy more jars because I under-estimated the amount. Can you imagine my heartbeat at this moment in time? I am in small town Montana and canning jars are often not to be found.

Alas, all is well this evening. I have 16 jars of perfectly canned "Alsatian Apricot Jam." I am waiting for breakfast to sample, but our neighbor, Louie, got a jar and already has eaten it spread on hotcakes and toast for dinner and he is jumping up and down!!

Please, let me give Tom credit for posting this recipe here. I think it is the ultimate, easiest recipe. If you can get fresh apricots, this must be tried.

ALSATIAN APRICOT JAM

Adapted from Mes Confitures: The James and Jellies of Christine Ferber
and Tom from Tall Clover Farm

3 pounds fresh apricots
12 ounces dried apricots
4 cups sugar
juice of 1 lime
juice of 1 orange
zest of 1 orange
2 vanilla beans
10 ounces of Gewurtraminer wine

Chop dried apricots, placed in bowl, add Gewurtztraminer, soak overnight.

Quarter fresh apricots, remove seeds. In non-reactive pan, add fresh apricots, sugar, orange zest/juice, lime juice and vanilla. Simmer for 10 minutes, mixing all ingredients together until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, cover and refrigerate overnight. (It is at this point that I froze the apricots.)

Next day, add dried apricot mixture to fresh apricot mixture. Stirring, simmer until thickens and remove vanilla beans. Put the jam in jars and seal in water bath.

My vanilla beans, which I bought in France, are waiting for my return in Ohio at my daughter's house. Therefore, I was not going to buy more vanilla beans. I used a couple of drops of good vanilla instead.

This recipe will be a must in the future. Next summer, I will be bringing a lot of canning equipment to Montana. Did you hear that Trout?

OK, a little repeat on the peas

2011-08-02T09:44:00.000-04:00

Sometimes the obvious to me is not to someone else. I have had at least three requests asking how I make creamed peas. You see, I thought everybody did this. Now I am almost embarrassed to tell you what I do, because I think I invented this myself.

I really was not allowed in my mother's kitchen much, unless it was in the preparing of the food or the clean-up. Being a strong German, she simply did not want me to mess up her kitchen. Speaking to my friends that I grew up with, they share some of the same reflections.

But, I digress. Here is how I cream peas. Actually there are two ways. Barely cover the peas with enough water and simmer them gently until they are softened. Not too long. I then prepare in a cup some cream, half and half or milk and add enough cornstarch or flour to make a thickened slurry. When the peas are almost done, stir this slurry mixture into the peas and continue cooking until the peas are thickened nicely with a beautiful cream sauce. Of course, salt and pepper to taste. Cornstarch works best this way so that you don't have the raw flour taste.

The other way I do it is, again, simmer the peas in just enough water. In a separate pan, I make a roux of butter and flour and brown slightly. When the peas are done, I pour the water the peas have been cooking in, into the roux and stir the sauce. If it is too thick, since I am just going by guess and by golly, add some milk or cream which is a nice topper for the butter flavored roux.

There you go. Oh yes, I almost forgot. When my daughters were young, I often made a roux and added it to the liquid of a can of peas and then added the peas back in. This helps make the canned peas taste just a little better.

Now, this morning I have all my little soldiers in a row, so I am going to finish my apricot jam. I hope to tell you about it tomorrow.

Pretty Green Peas

2011-07-30T13:21:00.000-04:00

I had some pleasant memories this morning. We stopped in a local town to buy vegetables from the Hutterites who drive in from up north to sell their wares. Peas in the shell just sounded delicious to me.

As I sat there this morning, shelling the peas with a tray and bowl in my lap, I was reminded how, as a child, it was always my job to shell the peas for my mother and grandmother. My left thumb would get a little green, but I so enjoyed getting these little nuggets out of their pods. Yes, my thumb is sort of green today also.

So, no doubt about it, tonight the Trout and I are having creamed peas. There are just enough for the two of us.

Apricot Tart with Cots from Washington

2011-07-29T03:00:00.001-04:00

On our short trip to Washington State, we found quite a few fruit stands selling the seasonally ripe apricots. One place we stopped had at least 4 varieties. I did not write down the names (sigh) but the lady I talked to told me one would be excellent for a tart and the other would be wonderful for jam.

So, almost 10 pounds of apricots later, we headed back to Montana. I had to make an Apricot Tart. Just had to.

With much improvising since I am not at home in my kitchen, I came up with this recipe. I looked on the Internet at several and then kind of tweaked and twaddled my way to this ending. Therefore, I really can't give credit to anyone, since I am not sure where all I looked. I knew that these apricots were very fresh and a beautiful color and I wanted the tart to be very simple.

Apricot Tart

1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 stick unsalted butter
1/8 to 1/4 cup ice water

I combined the crust by hand and added enough water until it felt right. I then refrigerated it while I worked on the apricots.

1 1/2 pounds apricots (possibly 8 large or 12 small)
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon good vanilla

Half the apricots and cut each side into 2 or 3 wedges. Put in a bowl and add the salt, sugar and vanilla. Toss gently and let set while you prepare the crust.

Arrange the wedges on the rolled out pastry which is about 13" in diameter. Scrape remaining sugar in the bowl over the top of the apricots. Fold up the edges of pastry, extending over the top a short distance.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes and then reduce the heat to 375 degrees for an additional 40 minutes or until the crust is browning and the apricots are bubbling nicely.

I have never been so fond of apricots as I was this day, cutting into this tart!!

You are wondering about the jam. Well, that is a whole 'nuther story. Stayed tuned because I am not done with it yet.

My Blog Anniversary Winner!!

2011-07-28T02:42:00.006-04:00

I have been overwhelmed with the response and words of kindness on my blog anniversary. You will never know how I wish I could give each and every one of you this cookbook. It is a beautiful book of the many lives that were driven out of Europe because of religious persecution, only to finally find "home" in Iowa. I know all of you would enjoy reading it as well as trying some of the outstanding recipes.

So many of you are bloggers from when I started and found you and you found me. Several of us even email each other when there are blogging problems, so I feel I have gotten to know so many of you.

Then there are the newer bloggers that have found me. Every blog is different because every personality shines through so beautifully. Of course, there are some old friends, a former high school teacher, a friend of my daughter who has spent time in our home, bloggers from England, France and yes, a new friend from Sweden. I am so pleased she commented.

That being said, I chose a winner by putting all your names into a hat, the old-fashioned way, and I had the Trout "fish" one out. I thought that was quite appropriate.

I am so pleased to announce that the recipient of Seasons of Plenty is KATHLEEN from

Cuisine Kathleen. Kathleen send me your physical address and I will put this in the mail today.

Some of you have asked if this book is available elsewhere. Check Amazon here to pick up your own copy.

A visit to Leavenworth....Washington, that is

2011-07-27T05:39:00.002-04:00

For several years now, the Chamber of Commerce of Leavenworth, Washington, has been sending us brochures of what is happening in this community. It has always been a wish to travel to Leavenworth to enjoy this town for ourselves. There is virtually some sort of fest going on each month of the year.

Leavenworth was incorporated in 1906. A timber community, the Great North Railroad was located there since the 1900's. The railroad relocated in the 1920's and this greatly affected the economy of the town.

Leavenworth struggled until 1962 when a committee was formed to transfer the city into a so-called Bavarian village. The population of this town in 2009 was 2347 people.

The homes and businesses are painted and decorated almost exactly like what you would find in Germany, in Bavaria. The whole town atmosphere is very German. We were a little disappointed in the wines. There are quite a few wineries in this area, and tasting rooms which let you sample before buying. For us, the wines did not meet expectation. We are disappointed though did buy a bottle of dessert wine which went well with the apricot tart I baked.

Oh yes, we came back with close to 10 pounds of beautiful apricots. Some went into the tart and the others into a "gourmet" jam that is still in production. You will have to come back later to find out about this jam. A work in progress.

Leavenworth is located on the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains. The scenery is gorgeous, not unlike Germany. The "committee" that wanted to bring life back to Leavenworth was quite astute in thinking of a German theme for this town. First of all the background was made for it. The people are very friendly though I did not find one who spoke German. The bakery was closed, but I was told the couple who own it are originally from Germany. No one else speaks the language.

Leavenworth is not on the main drag running through the state of Washington. It is a little drive to reach this village. But on the way, you are entertained by the farmers.

How often have you driven through the "bread basket" of America, only to wonder what is planted in those fields next to the highway? It is always a guess. Well, the farmers of Washington have placed signs along the road by their fields telling you what is planted. How great is that!!! I saw field corn, seed corn, sweet corn, wheat, peas, potatoes, wine grapes, Concord grapes, gala apples, bosc pears, cherries. The list goes on and on. Did I forget apricots?

If you have the chance to be in central Washington, want to shop the stores that carry everything German including a constant Christmas season, nutcracker museum, doll shops, and food. I did not mention the food.

Several very nice German restaurants where you can order anything from bratwurst and schnitzels to sauerbraten and of course....

Schweinshaxe

This must have been close to 5 pounds! Roasted and lying on a bed of sauerkraut, rot kraut and spaetzle. Along with a beer, it was a good German meal.

I will draw the winner of my anniversary giveaway tonight and share with all in the morning.

It will always be home

2011-07-26T00:47:00.003-04:00

When I remember back to my childhood, growing up in the Amana Colonies in Iowa, many pleasant thoughts come to mind. It was beautiful place, where children could grow in safety and with a faith that would last a lifetime. Everything was centered around family and church. Usually three generations, sometimes four, lived under one roof, and those roofs were covering very large homes.

The photo below, to me, is how I remember home. The bricks houses, the grape trellis covered with leaves and grapes in abundance. The windows; quite often 9 panes of glass above and 9 panes below.

My family home, built in 1872, with the same family owning it until we needed to sell it in 2001, after my mother passed away.

Our home had 9 panes of glass above and 6 below. I am not remembering the significance right now why some had 9 below and some had 6 panes of glass. You could sometimes see the little bubbles left in the glass during it's making.

Some of the homes were wooden and some were made of sandstone. No matter, these were homes where our parents and their parents grew up and then where we children were also raised.

And in the end, we are all put to rest in the same way. There are no family plots. You are buried in the order in which you died. The tombstones are simple; made of concrete with your name, date of death and the length of your days on earth. In years past, the tombstones only recorded the year of birth and the year of death.

I have taken you on a very short tour of my Amana. No matter where I have lived or what I have experienced, it all comes back to my childhood, growing up in Amana.

My 500th Blog and a Giveaway

2011-07-24T06:03:00.002-04:00

In October, it will be 3 years since I started blogging on Schnitzel and the Trout. I have not always posted in a timely fashion, but today, this is my 500th posting. The Trout asked me how I could possibly have that much to talk about. HA!! It really has been easy. But more importantly, it has been fun.

I have been able to share some fun events, lots of traveling, some sadness and some family recipes. I have also talked some about my roots, being born in the Amana Colonies in Iowa. I know several of you have visited the Colonies and some of you are curious about what they are all about.

Amana is a seven village German community in Iowa where people talk with accents and many of those people have never set foot in Germany. It is a great place to raise children, to grow up in safety and lots of love. I still have many childhood friends from Kindergarten whom I connect with on a regular basis. Having said all this, I no longer live there. I moved away when I married, but there are cousins I still visit and friends when I have a chance to go back.

So, for this 500th posting, I am giving away a cook from the Amana Colonies. Not only is this a cookbook, but a history book of the community and its religious beliefs and how they came to settle in Iowa. It also contains the rhubarb pie recipe I posted on July 5.

The recipes are outstanding. I use the book often to remind me of my beginnings; the food that was present on our dining table, lovingly prepared by my mother and grandmother. Several of the recipes in the book came directly from my mother.

If you are interested in winning the Amana Colonies cookbook, Seasons of Plenty, please leave me a comment by midnight, July 27, and I will announce the winner on Thursday, July 28.

I also want to add that it is so thrilling for me to have comments from all of you who read me regularly. I appreciate my "followers" because that is what keeps me writing. I know many of you are still lurking out there also. I am puzzled that several of you are visiting almost every day...weekly for sure, but I don't know your name. Someone from Sweden visits so very often that I feel I know you, but you have never left a comment. This is the time to step out of your screens and let me know who you are. Now onto the next 500!!!

Eiffel Tower

2011-07-22T00:56:00.000-04:00

Words are not important here. I would think most anyone in the world recognizes this structure. I took this picture from a different viewing point and I think it is my very favorite picture of the Eiffel Tower.

Be it early morning, afternoon or in the evening when the Eiffel is lit with bright lights, you have to admit it is magnificent!! I was also able to capture this picture without any tourists in the photo. That is a real accomplishment.

Be sure to come visit me on Sunday when I am having my first giveaway and an anniversary of sorts!!

2011-07-20T13:56:00.002-04:00

There are so many bridges over the Seine in Paris, and they are all beautiful. Of course, with that "tower" in the background, the view is all the better.

But, this is starting to be a nuisance. It started quite a few years ago, I believe in Hungary. Lovers or close friends will write their names on a lock, click it onto the bridge wires and together, throw the key into the river below. It sealed their friendship and love. Many also have the dates on them. It is interesting and I found, rather appealing. Officials think that it is a form of littering. At this point, it would be a tremendous job to remove all these locks and keep them from going up again. Besides, the lock salesmen are doing a fine business.

Okay, we will admit that we are small town Midwesterners who have never tasted Fallafel before. Heard lots about it, have seen recipes for it, but have never tried it. So, off we went to one of the most "famous" fallafel restaurants in Paris. With Metro map in hand, we found it easily though the day was a little rainy.

And so, the pita filled with fallafel and red and green cabbage...it was outstanding. There were at least 6 or 7 of this round little babies in my pita. Thank you, thank you, for letting us taste this treat. I doubt it will be the last time.

Paris

2011-07-18T00:52:00.000-04:00

In our little apartment in Paris, we enjoyed our oysters on the half shell with a crisp bottle of white wine.

The above photos are of an absolutely beautiful restaurant in Paris, "Julien" on rue du Faubourg St-Dennis, just a short walk from our apartment. The decor was so "old time Paris". Besides that, we had a fantastic meal of salmon and a roasted chicken with mushroom sauce. Enjoy the photos below.

The architecture in this area was so beautiful. I had to take a picture of the arch. See the lion on the bottom sticking out his tongue? Don't we all feel like that once in while?

And then, of course, for some reason, most Americans want to go to the cemetery looking for a particular grave site.

We made the trek to Pere Lachaise cemetery and thanks to the kind efforts of a Parisian, he led us to several interesting monuments and then to Jim Morrison's resting place. By far, the largest crowd this day in the cemetery was standing around this grave. Understandably, they were all Americans, of many different ages.

This is the monument to the artist Gericault (1791-1824). It was quite beautiful and our French "guide" for our visit, had a strong connection to the artist. When I told him I did not recognize the name, he asked me to study him when I had the chance. He seemed quite proud of this Frenchman.

His most famous painting The Raft of the Medusa is engraved on the stone.

The village of Caromb

2011-07-17T01:43:00.001-04:00

Near the gite' where we spent a week, was a lovely little town called Caromb. Quiet and colorful with many fountains.

To think that this was the only means of getting water to the people years ago, ...it just seems so beautiful.
Imagine the conversations around this fountain.

Beautifully constructed walls and bell towers.

And, of course, the colors and beauty of Provence.

Pictures that tell it all

2011-07-16T01:21:00.000-04:00

Sometimes, a picture speaks a thousand words. These apricots which we purchased at a market in Provence were so perfect, so aromatic and tasted wonderful.

Banon cheese, wrapped in chestnut leaves and tied with raffia.

It was an outstanding goat cheese.

At Bistro les Petits Carreaux in Paris, a roasted lamb shank with lots of dauphine potatoes. No need to tell you that it was wonderful.

A beautiful paella available for purchase at the many markets. Just a little left, but look at the shrimp!!

When it comes in food in France, sometimes the pictures say it all!!

Those little jewels, the Macarons

2011-07-15T02:35:00.000-04:00

You might think this is a jewelry store. The crystal chandeliers, the lights....we'll, not quite. But, for some, it does hold the next best thing to jewels. French macarons!!

Here is my little green bag that I walked out of that store with. Laduree is well known for the best tasting macarons.

Here is what we bought and I think I can remember the flavors. Starting from the left, coffee, violet, cherry, strawberry mint, raspberry, vanilla bean, pistachio and chocolate. These 8 little "jewels" cost $17 American dollars. The Trout and I cut each one in half so that we could enjoy all the flavors. Was it worth it? Yes, because we do not get these but once a year if we are lucky.

You ask what is a macaron. Americans think coconut, but not so, these little gems. They are made with egg whites, very strong flavors and lots of patience. I have never tried making them and really do not have much desire to try. However, a blogger friend of mine, Cathy at Wives with Knives has perfected the procedure to making beautiful macarons. I hope you will check her blog here to find out how they are made.

Sealed with a kiss!!!

Monet's Waterlilies

2011-07-14T11:21:00.002-04:00

One of my very favorite artists has always been Monet. His "Waterlilies" was on display at the Musee de l'Orangerie. The museum was closed the last time we were in Paris, so we were anxious to see it this time.

I think the reason I like Monet so well, is that he was an impressionist artist. Simple, wonderful colors and beautiful. I guess I would call his paintings very feminine and soft.

The crowd was small when we arrived and we were quite surprised that people were photographing, without flash, in front of the "guards." Usually photography of any kind is not permitted. So, sheepishly, we did take a couple of photos without getting into trouble.

Monet, "Waterlilies." Enjoy this short peak.

Le Village des Bories

2011-07-12T14:48:00.000-04:00

An interesting drive took us to "Le Village des Bories."

These dry stones huts are well worth the drive to visit near the village of Gordes. Instead of going into a lot of detail about them, I refer you to the following website to give you more information. They are uniquely built by the way the stones are laid...using no mortar. They date back to the 14th or 15th century.

http://www.avignon-et-provence.com/luberon/village-des-bories/gb/

The Stones and the View

2011-07-10T02:48:00.000-04:00

Of all the small villages we have walked through in the last few years, there is always one that tugs at me a little more. One that means more to my inner self than the others. One that makes me say immediately, "I really like this place."

This year there were two of these villages that spoke out to me. Lacoste and Oppe'de-le-Vieux. These small, stonework villages made of limestone, just had such beautiful character.

It's looking like some tender loving care could go into this walk-way. It is also what helped my knee go into a place it has never been. I am still trying to recover from the over-use I gave it.

And then you walk along and WOW!! This was unexpected. Yet, these beautiful little old villages draw artists of every kind. Actually, I was kind of posing like this myself at the moment. I just love these surprises.

Taking the walk toward to town of Oppe'de-le-Vieux. The cypress trees are so impressive.

And, of course, the view. Now, who would not want to wake up to this every morning?

The Lavender -We were just a little early

2011-07-08T12:44:00.002-04:00

I'd say we were about a week too early to see the Provence lavender in full bloom and full aroma. Nevertheless, we enjoyed it thoroughly. This is the walk-way to the second apartment we rented near the town of Carpentras. Walking this every day and letting your hands or legs brush the lavender brought out the intense aroma.

Our landlady brought out shears and a ribbon and told me to cut some to take home. I brought just a little home. Was not sure if it would get through security, but it did. I was also given a bottle of lavender extract oil from two different friends in France. The idea is to put very little in the towel and linen cupboard and enjoy a dreamy, restful sleep on exotic smelling sheets. The first night, I think it kept me awake. I just wanted to keep sniffing.

It's beautiful...it is Provence in a nutshell. It is a memory I will keep forever.

Settled in Montana

2011-07-07T12:38:00.000-04:00

We are settled in Maxville, Montana for a month. Good friends are letting us set up in their large yard with all the necessary hose attachments that we need.

A neighbor dog seems to have adopted us. Sitka is one of the largest dogs I have seen. His head is huge. But he kind of hangs around and sleeps under the trailer at night.

The Trout has been teaching him a few tricks, such as knowing which wines to search for when out and about.

We have taken on another challenge and it seems to be working. We both are sleeping much better than we have in a long time. Our little RV is comfortable and other than the fact that we have to drive 4 miles to get cell phone connection, we do have excellent computer connections.

No TV, but haven't really missed it. Since we left for France in May, have not watched more than a couple of hours of television. It is refreshing. Books are making up for that kind of entertainment.

It does remind you of the Klampetts, doesn't it?

But the view....now no one can tell me this is not a good thing. The creeks and rivers have been very high in Montana and there has been some flooding, but it still looks very beautiful. Montana, just the way we like it.

Amana Rhubarb Pie

2011-07-05T09:00:00.001-04:00

I will admit, the one thing I really miss, living in Florida, is being able to go to my garden and harvest rhubarb. I grew up eating rhubarb pie and later, as an adult, drinking rhubarb wine. My grandfather and father always had a barrel or two of rhubarb wine in our basement. They would make it themselves, with rhubarb juice, water and sugar. This was clear and strong and almost like drinking gin. Let's just say, you need to acquire a taste for it. But, the pie, that was a beautiful treat.

As soon as we got to the Midwest on this trip, I knew I had to make a pie. The rhubarb was beautiful. So, Rhubarb Pie, the Amana way, was on the menu.

I have spoken before of coming from the German villages in Iowa, the Amana Colonies. This recipe is the most typical of our villages. There are variations, of course. In fact, you can still find Rhubarb Pie on the menu at the Ox Yoke Inn restaurant in Amana.

If you can't get there soon, and they serve it all year, make your own. Oh, yum!! The pieces of rhubarb lie in a creamy custard in your favorite pie crust.

Amana Rhubarb Pie
Seasons of Plenty
Recipe by Janet Zuber

3 cups rhubarb, cut into small pieces
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup milk or half and half
1 9 inch pie shell, unbaked
Powdered sugar is optional

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Chop rhubarb into 1/2 to 1/4 inch long pieces. Beat eggs well, add sugar, vanilla, milk or half and half. Fold in the rhubarb. Pour into pie shell.

Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake an additional 35 to 40 minutes or until custard is set. When cool, you can sprinkle with powdered sugar.

A blogger meeting in Provence

2011-07-02T22:37:00.000-04:00

I started reading Barbara's blog some time ago. I tend to lean toward French blogs since I have such a love for their country, traditions, food and wine. Cuisine de Provence is a wonderful place to sit for a while. Barbara, is an outstanding cooking instructor and even more, she and her husband, Robert, are beautiful people. The Trout and I were invited to come visit and partake of a typical Provencal dinner.

The gite' we were renting near Carpentras was but a short drive to Vaison-la-Romaine, to their lovely home.
Barbara's brother was also a guest this evening. Everything clicked immediately. There was never a lack of conversation and, of course, the meal was delightful. Barbara had a table filled, but her red pepper mousse, quail eggs dipped in hickory smoked salt, her special tomato tapenade and a chocolate mousse...well, you get the picture. Since Barbara and I have a German connection, we were absolutely delighted when Barbara's brother placed grilled Nuremberger sausages on the table. You can't imagine how wonderful they were. And then, I was also sent home with a container of her tomato tapenade which we totally enjoyed the next day and an apron from her cooking school with Cuisine de Provence written on it. I am so looking forward to wearing this at home for my dinner guests.

Thank you Barbara for an unforgettable evening. It was absolutely the highlight of our trip to France.

Heurtoir...it was knocking!!

2011-06-30T07:30:00.000-04:00

It was a plan, early on. My obsession for door knockers had to be fulfilled...one last time! We were in the perfect location...Provence. It was Sunday, the largest antique day in the village of I'lsle sur la Sorgue. But, it was raining. Fear not...nothing will stop us.

We left early that morning, because as any of you know who have ever been to any kind of a market in a French town, parking is minimal. You really have to plan ahead.

We were early enough to peruse the setting up of the individual tents and tables. Early enough to enjoy a cup of coffee sitting near the church as the fruit, bread and cheese vendors were setting up. That gave us time to decide which loaf of bread we wanted for the day. Actually, we chose a loaf with Kalamata olives this day.

"Heurtoir" is what I was looking forward. I had learned the French word and had a photo of what I wanted. It saved time because I had a lot of looking to do.

Let me just say, that I was lucky enough to find 3 of them; I already have one at home. They need a little loving care, but I am looking forward to finding them a new home. As to how to display them, that is still a work in progress, but I am getting closer. Thank you Trout, for letting me fulfill a crazy desire to obsess these old hands.

A perfect meal in Bonnieux

2011-06-28T08:41:00.000-04:00

We drove to Bonnieux, which is an absolutely lovely little town. It has a 12th century church and cemetery at its summit. It was lunchtime, and even though I could share views from this village with you, I really want to share what we found was one of the best meals we have had in France.

We were very excited to see this outstanding menu at a small restaurant in Bonnieux named "L'Arome." Our lunch started out with an amuse bouche, or a tickle to the mouth. A verrine (sometimes referred to as 'luxury in a glass') of basil pesto topped with whipped ricotta.

Though I chose the outstanding eggplant compote topped with goat cheese, The Trout picked the real winner. He had a tomato aspic, (remember those?), tomato and herb sorbet, cucumber verrine and tomato salsa. I cannot wait to get back to Florida in the fall and experiment with the tomato sorbet. It was so wonderful, cooling and delicious, that I will be working on this to perfect it.

For our main coarse, we both selected roasted duck breast in black cherry sauce with purple mashed potatoes and one lonely but delicious baby carrot.

As usual in France, dessert was outstanding. We had the Creme Brulee Nougat with a honey mousse that we drank with a straw. I know, you can only imagine!!

A glass of red wine for each of us, and we both declared this meal was at the top of our "Fabulous Meal" list.

Delightful Cassis by the Sea

2011-06-26T08:01:00.003-04:00

One small town I fell in love with is Cassis, on the sea. The sea has been a favorite place of mine since I saw it for the first time when I was 18. The Mediterranean is exceptional. Who would imagine that such a massive body of water would be so clear and clean looking.

The dockside is lined with delicious seafood restaurants. Many are quite pricey, but if you dare to wander down a back street, many wonderful restaurants exist there also and they seem to be frequented more by the locals instead of the tourists.

The magnificence of Cassis is the calanques, long, narrow inlets eroded from the limestone cliffs of the Gardiole. You can walk along the top of the cliffs, several hours round trip, or take the boats, as we did. It was a beautiful tour along the cliffs. The day was perfect...actually, probably the most perfect day we had all trip. Not saying the weather was bad, but some days could have been better.

The Massif des Calanques

"The Massif des Calanques stretches in a mostly continuous line from east to west. It is the result of erosion due to several factors: the sea, the heat and perhaps most of all, the winds. The sea played an important role when, several million of years ago, the massif formed by sedimentation at a time when the area was completely submerged. Then, as the sea withdrew, it left behind very hard and


	View from the Massif des Calanques (Click photo to enlarge)

very white limestone. Indeed, the water level was about 400 feet lower only 10,000 years ago. As it went back up again, little by little, it ended up forming small islands and creating little inlets some of which are eroded very deeply into the rock. These are the beautiful "calanques" that we see today. While the near absence of tides in the Mediterranean limited the importance of marine erosion, the heat on the other hand has always played an important part. Just imagine a massif heated by the sun's rays 320 days per year, a place where between the months of June and August the sun shines more than 15 hours a day. It is easy to see how the relief of the hottest and driest region of France evolved from the combined effects of the sun and the wind that blows quite strongly at times."

Because of all the limestone cliffs in the area, there are not many vineyards. However, the wine produced in the Cassis area is highly priced. The light, fruity white wines go beautifully with the seafood and bouillabaisse.

Just by chance, we came upon one of those off the street restaurants for lunch. "Restaurant Le Bonaparte" was a lucky find. Above, I had mussels in wine sauce and The Trout had a salad with bacon.

The special of the day was scallops, sole and red fish in olive oil. Outstanding!! Along with this was ratatouille and roasted potatoes. We also each had a glass of Cassis white wine, which we enjoyed.

Of course...dessert. Strawberry cake with pudding and whipped cream. Oh, yes!! After dinner, the owner treated me to a glass of cassis liqueur and The Trout had a drink of cognac. It happened to be mother's day in France, so as we left, I was presented with a red rose.

We went back a few days later for the bouillabaisse. It was made the traditional way for this area. We enjoyed it, but it was not the best we had ever had. They brought out the fish to show us how they had been marinated overnight in saffron. We then had a bowl of the broth with potatoes as the fish was cooked in the remaining broth in the kitchen. It was not a pretty dish, but it was fulfilling.

We Love the Wine!

2011-06-25T16:43:00.000-04:00

One of the major reasons I wanted to return to Provence was for the delightful wines found throughout the region. I have become especially fond of the reds of BANDOL, a small AOC region of 3,200 acres. This wine is 80% comprised of the Mourvedre grape and blended with varying amounts of Grenanche and Cinsault to produce a dark and soft wine with undertones of spice, vanilla and blackberry. This is a pretty rough wine while young but after 10+ years of aging, it is great addition to that special steak dinner.

There are plenty of other fine wine producing areas that produce outstanding Cotes du Rhone reds such as Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Rasteau, Carianne etc.. Their wines are usually blends of Grenache, Syrah, and other varietals that produce a soft, fruity wine meant to be drunk fairly young. Look also for the whites of Cassis, a special wine for the great seafood dinners and the sweet dessert wines of Beaumes-de-Venice.

The most famous wine of the region has to be the strong, aged reds of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Up to 13 different grape varietals can be used to produce a deep red, full bodied wine. I like these wines but they are a bit "vegetal" tasting to me so I prefer the better Cotes de Rhones.

I think the most consumed wine of the region is the lovely Rose' meant to be drunk young and well chilled with the great salads and breads easily found for an afternoon repast. The same red varietals are used to make rose' of varying hues and dryness.

So fellow wine drinkers, lift your glasses high to salute the good life found in Provence!!

TROUT

The best olive oil..for us

2011-06-24T05:22:00.000-04:00

During the planning of our trip, The Trout searched about where to buy the "best" olive oil in France. It was in the area we were going to, so it was put on our travel destination list.

The name of the village is Maussane. The olive oil maker is Jean Marie Cornille. The tasting room was very pretty. The variety of different oils were awaiting us as we entered. A young woman, a member of the family, spoke perfect English and invited us to taste.

We tried 3 different oils and tasted them with a small plastic spoon. Much like wine, you let the oil slowly be pulled into your mouth, hold it and then swallow. It is surprising how they can taste differently. We chose one we liked a lot. It was only a small bottle of black olive oil and we paid 10 Euro.

This was excellent for our salads while we rented the small apartment in Provence. The Trout makes our vinaigrette and with using a fork, he gently whipped the oil with a small amount of Dijon and some lemon juice. It almost turned to mayonnaise in seconds. It was so very good.

Of course, the lettuce we found in the markets was soft and tender. Yes, we enjoyed!!

The Roman architecture in Glanum

2011-06-22T17:10:00.000-04:00

Outside of the town of St. Remy are the ruins of Glanum and the remarkable Roman ruins known as les Antiques. Beside the road you see this well-preserved mausoleum and arch. It is estimated that they were erected around AD30.

On the opposite side of the road is the true entrance. Excavations have taken place since 1921, and many different layers of habitation have been recovered.

I have a real love of walking through these ruins. It is like my imagination gets carried away and I wish I could have been there at the time all this land was inhabited.

Several times I ran my fingers along the edges of this carved stone. I can only imagine....

And who might have sat here? I am so glad we found this area. Enjoy the pictures.

Seeing France, Our Way - Avignon

2011-06-17T07:09:00.000-04:00

This week, I almost succeeded in filling my second travel journal since we retired 12 years ago. Let's just say, I have never been one to keep a diary for more than a month. I know many that do this faithfully. But, I knew that as I grew older and traveled more, all my experiences would blend into one big trip and many details would be lost...I love details. I started keeping a travel journey in 1999, of each day we are in Europe. Laughingly, I ALWAYS write about what we eat along the way. We love Europe for the food, the wine, the people and the history that is so very old. So, if you care to, you may follow along on one more trip over the big pond. Europe..the place that my heart always yearns for.

With one checked bag, one carry on, a backpack and my large purse, The Trout and I flew to Paris on May 25. We caught the TGV (bullet train) to Avignon where we spent two nights in a studio apartment. Surprisingly, that night we slept 12 hours straight. Woke very refreshed and ready to start our trip.

The Palais des Papes, where the papal court moved in 1309. After the return to Rome, the papal property remained for the next 300 years as the summer home for the popes.

The last remaining arches of Avignon's famous bridge, The Chapelle St.-Nicholas. It is part Romanesque, part-Gothic.

The side of the Palace of the Popes

I found this small street amazing. Just look how man built housing out of the rock and left the rough, untouched rock as a foundation. This is a walking street that is photographed many, many times a day.

The next day we went to several museums seeing art from the 13 through 20th centuries.

For dinner that evening at "Brigadeer at the Theatre" The Trout had Durade a la creme a'Amade. This plate is a work of art, and it tasted wonderful.

I enjoyed Saute de Volaille Chilindron, a curried chicken. Notice the balsamic vinegar that kissed the plate. We noticed that a lot this trip. A nice added touch. Of course, this was very old and heavy balsamic.

On the second day, we went to the train station to pick up our rental car. With our trusty GPS that we brought from home, we plugged in "Sylvie" and were off on our driving adventure. To rent a GPS in France costs about $20 a day. This is the second year we brought our's from home. It has European maps which work wonderful. Sometimes we did not trust Sylvie, but she always got us there. Road signs can not always be trusted. You have to know the map of the country well. As always, I am the designated navigator. In otherwords, I would not drive in Europe for anything!! If you want to drive to a town 20 miles away, you need to know the location of the largest town in that direction, perhaps 200 miles away. You do get used to it.

So, I have started you on our journey. The views get better...the food becomes exceptional...and we do have fun. Bientot!

Almost forgot...I wanted to add a little French fashion to the end of the posting. The Trout could hardly turn these down as we walked by the store window.

The days are passing quickly

2011-05-05T15:08:00.000-04:00

Freshly squeezed tangerine/grapefruit juice from the neighbor's trees

Tomatoes, basil and fresh mozzarella

The oleander are especially pretty right now

I thought I'd share a few pretty colors around the house with you. As if I haven't already, I am going to take a blogging break. We have a lot going on and I just can't get into the mood for writing.

Always this time of year, things get a little hectic for me. I like to have a schedule and traveling always throws me off. We will be heading north shortly. We will be visiting my brother and his wife, my niece and family and then further north to spend time with daughter #2 and family. Then flying to France and spending three weeks in one of our favorite places in the world. We are very excited to have plans to meet a blogger who lives in Provence. We also will be staying very near the Mediterranean, so seafood will be on the menu often.

The trip will end with 4 days in Paris. We will try to see what we missed on our last trip to this beautiful city and again repeat favorites such as the Eiffel Tower.

Then we will be heading further West in the US to visit more friends, daughter #1 and family and then to Montana until the fall.

Organizing a wardrobe for all these climates can be challenging, but we always seem to pull it off.

I am planning on blogging about our trip after I get back from Paris and then off and on as the summer continues. I will be checking in on your blogs after we are back in the States. Bientôt

Very, very good potato salad

2011-04-28T18:39:00.000-04:00

Everyone has to have a favorite potato salad recipe. As for me, I am always game to try something new. Our daughter makes fantastic potato salad and we do request it often when we visit.

But, I have found a recipe for potato salad that is rated by us among the top! I found "browneyedbaker" and her website and this recipe told me I had to try it. We loved it and will be making it often.

Best Ever Potato Salad
courtesy of Brown Eyed Baker

Yield: 6-8 servings

4 cups cubed red potatoes
10 slices bacon, cut in 1 inch pieces
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1 stalk celery, diced
1 small onion, diced
1/2 medium green pepper, chopped

Boil potatoes until they are fork tender. Drain and set aside. (I did not use the red potatoes this time as I had Yukon gold potatoes to use.)

Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a skillet over medium-low heat until crisp. Remove the bacon and brain on a paper towel lined plate. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings.

Add the mayonnaise, mustard, sugar and salt to the reserved bacon drippings in the skillet and whisk to combine.

In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, eggs, celery, onion and green pepper. Pour the dressing over the ingredients and gently stir to evenly coat. Stir in the bacon.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.

Happy Easter to all!

2011-04-24T15:23:00.000-04:00

A blessed Easter to all! It has been a beautiful day so far. We so enjoy the church we attend when we are in Florida. It is large....something like 9000 to 10,000 members. Therefore, the choir and orchestra and local talent is over the top. I just love that.

In contrast, the church we attend while we summer in Montana is very, very small. Maybe 30 show up on a Sunday morning. We are at 7000 feet altitude over-looking the mountains and all the beauty of God's world. It is over the top also.

Easter has changed for me a lot since I was a child. It was always a family event with church together and a large dinner and then the Easter egg hunt for all the children. The Trout and I are always alone now, the children living in different states. They have their own traditions to establish and carry on.

So this year, no beautiful dyed eggs and not even a piece of chocolate within the walls of this home. But, we did have a beautiful dinner. Our outdoor temperature is in the mid-80's, sunny. Over the top!!

Grilled butterflied leg of lamb, grilled asparagus and wild rice. No dessert. It was a very lovely dinner embraced with a bottle of Chateau la Couspaude 2001, Grand Cru from France.

We eat lamb often because we like it so well. I have a grilled leg of lamb recipe where the lamb is marinated in yogurt. This time I tried a recipe I found on a German cooking newsletter. I changed it a little bit, but the meat was very, very tender and tasty.

Lammbraten

Grilled Leg of Lamb

1- 3 lb. leg of lamb

2 lemons

5 springs of rosemary

1 onion, diced

12 cloves of garlic, minced

salt and pepper

A small amount of olive oil to help the marinade cover the lamb

Cut the lemons in half and squeeze the juice into a plastic Ziploc bag. Cut one of the lemons into pieces and add to the bag. Slide the rosemary off of the springs and add to the juice.

Butterfly the leg of lamb by cutting around the bone and then flattening the piece of meat until it is quite uniform in thickness.

Marinate overnight. We grilled on a gas grill though had thought about using the charcoal grill also. Flip it after one side has crusted nicely. Temperature at 140 degrees is medium rare and can cook longer to your desire. Let the meat rest before serving.

Our beautiful sky

2011-04-19T20:04:00.000-04:00

It is 8 p.m. Tuesday evening, Central Florida. This is the Eastern sky. I just had to share.

Scones are now a favorite!

2011-04-14T08:53:00.000-04:00

Tuesday I bought the blueberries. Wednesday I saw blogger friend, Mary, post perfectly looking blueberry scones on her blog, One Perfect Bite. So by last evening, my scone batter was resting in the refrigerator only to be awakened early this morning for baking.

I like to think that I can analyze what a good recipe is by reading through it quickly. Especially in baking, I have found that if the ingredients include sour cream, fresh cream or cream cheese, every time the recipe will be a success. Mary's recipe called for 1 1/4 cups of heavy cream. I just knew this would taste great.

This was my first time baking scones. I think what turned me off before was that every scone I have ever purchased tasted so dry and crumbly that it needed several cups of coffee or glasses of milk to wash it down. I never understood what the cheering was about concerning scones.

Well.....now I know. It took much restraint to keep me from eating them all before The Trout was even out of bed! The recipe comes together quickly. No need to even use your mixer. It does not make an outrageous amount of scones, though that would have been a treat! I will definitely be looking into more scone recipes. I hope you try these. Thank you, Mary, for sharing your excellent recipe.

Blueberry Cream Scones
from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar, divided use
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup blueberries
1 1/4 cup heavy cream

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut butter into dry ingredients. Stir in blueberries.

Add heavy cream and stir by hand just until dough forms. Dough will be soft and sticky. Cover and refrigerator 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently until dough just holds together. Press dough into an 8 to 9 inch circle, 1 inch thick. Cut into wedges. Place scones on baking sheet and sprinkle with the reserved sugar.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes at 400 degrees or until scones are a light golden brown on top. Yield: 6 scones.

Israeli Couscous with Balsamic Glazed Vegetables

2011-04-13T16:00:00.000-04:00

You know how it goes. You are reading a blog and your eyes drift to the writer's favorite blogs. You take a moment...ha ha...to check it out and then it takes you to another blog, and so on and so forth. I just love doing this, but the time does get away from you.

I found a blog this week and I no longer remember where I found it...like who led me to it. But, I am glad I found Susi. Her blog is delightful and tonight her Israeli Couscous with Balsamic Glazed Vegetables are on our table!!

I have had a box of Israeli Couscous in my pantry and I always like to clean out as much of the pantry items before we head north for the summer. This recipe was perfect. Check out Susi's Kochen und Backen Adventures.

Freshly picked Florida blueberries

2011-04-12T12:41:00.000-04:00

The young man said that these blueberries were freshly picked this morning. Who could refuse? When I first moved to Florida, I did not realize that blueberries were actually grown down here. I remember very well, going with my girlfriend, Carolyn, and her two daughters along with my two daughters, to pick blueberries when we lived in Michigan. I believe each of us (Carolyn and I were the only true pickers) picked 90 pounds and they cost about 35 cents a pound. Of course, this was in the 1970's. Our daughters had blue mouths, blue tongues, blue hands and were totally filled up with blueberries by the time we got home. I love those memories.

So, if you can't enjoy freshly picked blueberries today, I hope you will enjoy my photos.

Salade de Gésiers

2011-04-08T18:53:00.000-04:00

As the weeks are quickly creeping by until our trip to France, I am getting my mind in the mood. Thinking food, mostly.

This precious can has been sitting in my pantry for quite a while. I guess, just waiting for the right moment. It seems, that moment arrived this evening.

Parlez vous français? Ya, I know, I don't either, much. After 10 weeks of French lessons, The Trout and I should be doing so much better. I blame it on my German background. I seem to take the English word and translate it to German first and then try to put it into French. Very time consuming and not very productive. But, we have definitely learned a lot.

Gésiers d' oie are goose gizzards. Don't get that look on your face. You really have to try them. This evening we ate them the same way we ate them in the Dordogne. In a salad...a beautiful way to enjoy this tasty part of the goose. In fact, every time I see them on a menu in France, I order them...they are that good. Tender, sweet and tasty.

I boiled a couple of Yukon gold potatoes and let cool to room temperature. Added them to some mixed greens and then opened the can of gizzards. I cut them into smaller pieces and sautéed them in their own goose fat until slightly crisp. I removed them and scattered them on the salad. I then added some red wine vinegar to the goose fat and let it cook up and then poured the hot mixture onto the salad for the dressing. Truly, I believe you need a true love for French food to really enjoy this.

This trip we will not be in the Dordogne, but Provence. The gésiers will not be as available, but I still have hopes to find a can to bring back home to the pantry.

The Passion Flower is Blooming

2011-04-05T19:21:00.000-04:00

The season is Lent and fittingly, my Passion Flower is blooming! In fact, it is prolific in blooms. I hope you are familiar with this beautiful plant and flower. If not, let me explain it to you.

I grew up with a Passion Flower blooming in the dining room bay window and then it was transplanted into the outside"Rabatt" or raised bed next to our brick home in the spring. It was always a beautiful memory of my childhood and when I found this plant in Florida, I knew I had to have it.

The legend of the Passion Flower is this: Five petals and five sepals are ten apostles leaving out Judas and Peter because he denied knowing Jesus. The purple corolla had seventy-two filaments, the number of thorns in Jesus's crown. The three pistil stigmas are nails. The five stamens are the number of wounds, so that to this day, Catholics in South and Central America call it "The Flower of the Five Wounds."

The leaf represents the spear that placed the wound in Jesus's side. The dark spots under the leaves are the 33 pieces of silver paid to Judas. When the flowers are spent after a single day (the time Jesus spent on the cross), the petals do not drop from the vine but re-close over the ovary. This symbolizes the Hidden Wisdom that constitutes the Mysteries of the Cross, and is like Jesus enclosed in the tomb.

It is a beautiful, climbing vine. If you have never seen it or not familiar with it, I hope you will research it. It gives off a delicate fragrance.

Thin crust pizza, Roma style

2011-04-03T14:36:00.000-04:00

Before Baking

We have been to Italy several times, but I think the trip to Rome in 2003 (before we went to the digital camera), was one of the best. We ate traditional Italian pizza quite a bit. We loved the crisp, cracker-like crust with very few toppings, but very high on flavor.

We rarely order pizza out in the US, but I do try to make it at home quite often. Never have I been able to get that real Italian crust.....until today!!!

We stopped for lunch in Tampa on Friday at The Toasted Pheasant which is a bistro that is as cute as its name. We had the Niçoise Pizza. It was a crispy, cracker crust and topped with goat cheese, fresh basil, marinated olives and anchovies. We loved it. I asked the waiter if the crisp crust was a secret. He revealed that semolina was used. A-ha! Now I get it!!

So I started searching and found this recipe for a semolina pizza crust on "Hide the Cheese". I followed the directions exactly and we had the crispy, crackling crust that we both love. Topped it with a thin pizza sauce out of the freeze and some browned Italian sausage, a basil-Parmesan spread, chopped olives and goat cheese. It was perfect!!!

We have never been fans of the deep dish pizza crusts since visiting Italy. It is just tastier and less filling to eat the crisp crusts.

This first time, I also did not use my stone in the oven. I picked up this fantastic, slick, pizza pan at a local restaurant supply store this winter, and I really love it a lot. I do plan to use the stone next time to see the difference it might make.

Oma's Burnt Sugar Cake

2011-04-02T19:18:00.000-04:00

Sometimes memories smack you right in the face. This happened to me; twice this week. I was re-reading a beautiful cookbook from my heritage with stories of the past and the present. And then, once again, I was reading on the Internet, the hometown weekly newspaper where my friend, Barbara, reminded me of the cakes that were always baked by certain cooks. My grandmother was mentioned for her special cake, Burnt Sugar Cake.

I remember this cake so well. My father's parents lived downstairs in our home, and my Oma was a wonderful baker. When I was asked which cake I would like, I always asked for the Burnt Sugar Cake. And Oma would always bake it in her heart-shaped pans. I wonder if that is why I have always loved heart shapes? Or perhaps this is why I have always loved this special cake.

So today, I simply had to bake this special cake. Besides, I have my Oma's heart-shaped pans. It doesn't matter that it is not Valentine's Day. Hearts are special every day.

Thankfully, I asked my Aunt Louise, my Oma's daughter, to write down the recipe for me back in 1976. Otherwise, I would not have it today. Of course, something always gets lost in the translation, so instructions like "bake until done", or "beat until just right", and "a little butter" for the frosting, just made me chuckle. It also brought on some "angst" or anxiety, because I really wanted to get this right.
I had also promised myself back in 1976, that I would bake this cake when I had extra time...like retirement. Well, we have been retired for almost 12 years now....wow....and it really is time to bake this cake. It is tricky though. In fact, The Trout entered and kitchen and proclaimed that it smelled like burnt sugar. My thoughts were that I was on the right track.

In the Amana Colonies in Iowa, whenever there was a wedding or a funeral, the ladies of the villages would bake their cake specialties to take to the receptions. Marie would bake her marble cake, my Oma's sister, Tante Kätchen, would bake Mystery Cake or known by it's second name, Lady Golden Glow. That cake is an interesting story which I will have to share, along with the recipe, someday soon. Then there was always a contest as to who could bake the best nut cake. Hickory nuts and black walnuts were always available as the trees grew either in our yards or in the neighboring woods. Hickory nut cake....now that was very, very good. I can't imagine where I would go to find hickory nuts now. Of course, big competition on the Feather Cakes.

Burnt Sugar Cake
from my Oma Susanna Kippenhan...1940-1950's

First: 1 cup white sugar. Pour into a cast iron skillet. Place over moderate heat and stir while it is melting. This will take a few minutes. As it starts totally melting, stir in 1/2 cup warm water and stir until smooth. I did have some sugar crystallize and I merely fished them out to leave a smooth liquid. Set this aside.

In a mixer, cream 1 cup sugar with 1/2 cup softened butter. Separate 2 eggs. Mix the egg yolks into the creamed sugar and butter. Add 2 tsps. vanilla.

Sift together 2 1/2 cups flour and 2 tsps. baking powder. Add alternately to the butter mixture with 1 cup milk. Beat until smooth. Now beat the 2 egg whites until stiff and set aside.

Now pour the burnt sugar mixture, which has cooled some at this point, into the cake batter. Stir until smooth. Then fold in the stiff beaten egg whites. Bake in greased 9 x 13 or 2 round cake pans. Bake 25-30 minutes. Be sure to check to see if the cake is done. Do not over bake this cake.

Frosting

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup milk
1 Tblsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla

Cook in the skillet where you burned the sugar. This gives it the color and flavoring. Cook this frosting until it begins to thicken, but don;t cook too long. Everything should melt together and then beat it, off the stove, until it is thick enough to spread.

My first suggestion would be to not use this frosting. Unless Oma had some culinary skills or unwritten directions, this frosting simply does not work. I would suggest the following instead...

Caramel Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Place butter and brown sugar in a saucepan and heat, stirring constantly until mixture bubbles. Cook for 1 minute. Stir until mixture cools and add 3 cups powdered sugar gradually with milk, beating well after each addition. Add more sugar if needed to preferred consistency. Add vanilla.

I am really hoping that if someone from Amana is reading this and knows the secret to this frosting, that they contact me. The cake was perfect! Very moist and the flavor I remember. Being that Oma passed away when I was 13, I did not spend a lot of time in the kitchen with her. That is very sad for me. I could have learned so much. After all these years, I still miss her terribly. I sure could have used a lesson in frosting today.

My favorite blogs are gone!

2011-04-01T16:39:00.001-04:00

Blogger, I am not happy that this morning all my favorite blogs in the right hand column have disappeared. That means I have to re-find all of them one by one and place them back in. Just doesn't seem fair. I will accomplish this though..eventually.

A later addendum: I have added most of my favorite blogs back. I know I have forgotten some, but they will come back to me in the following days. If Blogger decides they made a mistake and put all my favorites back...I guess then I will have to delete the doubles. Nothing is easy....I believe this more every day.

Flammkuchen

2011-03-27T14:45:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite places in Europe is the area of France named Alsace Lorraine. It sits right on the German border, and this darling section of Europe has changed leadership from French to German to French more times than should be allowed. However, during this exchange, recipes also exchanged hands and Flammkuchen is one of those that survived to treat both the French and German citizens alike. Being of German descent, I will admit that I feel this has more German than French exuding through the flavors. I mean, bacon and onions.....doesn't that just scream German?

The above photo is just before entering the oven. Even in this stage, I find it irresitible.

It could be called a German pizza, and that makes me happy. We were served this in a bed and breakfast we stayed at last year in Alsace.

I baked bread a couple of days ago and saved half the dough in the refrigerator to make the crust for this kuchen. It worked out perfectly. Very crispy and crackly at the edges. The smell...well, you can only imagine.

And, once again, a very favorite wine. We served this last month with scallops and it was very fitting to go with the onions and bacon and crème frâiche. It is a Spanish wine, chenin blanc-like, 2009.

My recipe comes from a combination of resources. A blogger friend sent me to a German site and once again, Ann from Thibeault's Table blogged about it also. Here is my version which I like a lot. I have tried recipes that actually add sugar and it turned me off. Personally, I do not like to add sugar to any savory foods, even salad dressings. It is just a taste "thing" with me. After all these years, I am pretty persnickety about flavors.

Flammkuchen

Any bread dough that works to make a pizza-like crust, crispy and thin

For the toppings:

1 cup crème frâiche
1 onion sliced thinly
1 Tbsp. butter
1/4 pound bacon
Salt and pepper to taste
1 clove garlic

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Roll dough very thinly and place on baking sheet, pizza pan or stone.
Thinly slice onions and sauté in butter until clear...not caramelized.
Cook bacon until crisp. Finely chop garlic and add with the salt and pepper to the cream.

Spread the crème frâiche over the rolled out dough and top with the bacon and onions.

Bake for around 10-15 minutes, or until the dough has begun to create bubbles and you see nice browning.

Tonight we ate so very German

2011-03-26T18:43:00.000-04:00

Komme, alle Freunde! Komme zum essen Tisch. Heute Abend gibt es Bockwurst, Frätzele Kartoffel, Apfelsosse und Spinat. Wir essen echt Deutsch!

Now, if you are all still with me, let me share my excitement. Last week I ordered from my hometown meat market, German bockwurst. It is not bratwurst, but similar. It is only produced during Lent. As a child, growing up in the Amana Colonies, this was a typical meal every Friday evening during Lent. It has been much to long, many, many years since I have eaten Bockwurst.

When we lived in Michigan as a young married couple, we would be able to obtain bockwurst from Milwaukee, a German meat market, Usinger's. But, it was oh, so very different. Usinger's uses veal as a base. It was alright, but not my favorite.

The Amana Meat Shop and Smokehouse makes their bockwurst from beef, pork, eggs, milk and chives. I do believe it is the chives that makes this delectable sausage sing "Spring". I do not have to express my satisfaction on the first slice of this sausage this evening. You get the picture.

Of course, the Frätzle Kartoffel are also a must. Traditionally, they are always served on Maundy Thursday, the Thursday before Easter. My childhood neighbor, Larry, always called them Grüne Frätz, which sort of translate "green funny face." It is simply shredded potatoes and salt, but if the potatoes sit too long, the pink-colored starch starts seeping out and when fried, it does tend to have a green hue. It is a wonderful way to get kids to eat their fried raw potatoes.

And then, applesauce is a traditional partner to the potatoes. Not store-bought applesauce. Oh no...don't do that! Just cook up some nice cut up apples and perhaps, add a touch of sugar. The creamed spinach added a nice touch of color. I'm sorry you couldn't all join us. Ausgezeichnet!!

Such great bread!!

2011-03-25T19:41:00.000-04:00

On my "to do" list for quite some time was Ann's bread recipe from her fantastic blog,
Thibeault's Table. If you have not looked at Ann's blog, take a moment. I have admired this woman for quite some time. Her recipes sound delicious, are delicious and her photography is the very best!

I baked one loaf today and was very pleased with it. The other half of the dough is in the refrigerator waiting for me to make Flammkuchen sometime this weekend.

Ann, I don't know why I waited so long to try this. Oh yes, I do. I knew I would keep on eating it until it was gone because it tastes that great. Thanks!

A Magical Day

2011-03-24T12:38:00.001-04:00

Who's the leader of the club that's made for you and Me? M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E!!!!

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

2011-03-18T12:36:00.000-04:00

The flowering shrub, Brunfelsia, is commonly known by the name "Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow." It grows well in zones 9, 10 and 11. Most commonly at about 3 feet tall, without pruning, it can get to 10 feet in height.

What makes this plant so lovely and unusual is that the color of the flower changes during the day. It will open in a soft purple, change to pastel lilac and then finish near-white. With all three colors on the plant at one time, it is outstandingly beautiful. It is a favorite of mine, though I understand the plant is poisonous to animals.

There be Irish among you

2011-03-17T14:54:00.002-04:00

There is no Irish in me, but I've been blessed with two son-in-laws with lots of Irish in them. One come from the Finnegan's and the other from the O'Neil's. Happy St. Paddy's Day to you all.

May you have warm words on a cold evening,
A full moon on a dark night,
And the road downhill all the way to your door.

Cukes, shrimp, dipping sauce.....yummm

2011-03-14T10:30:00.000-04:00

The Trout is a regular reader of Wine Spectator. When he found this recipe, along with a video showing how to prepare it, he was very excited and started the grocery list. This was a very nice first course. I can see preparing this often. In fact, the dipping sauce was so great, we have prepared that again as a substitute for the traditional chili sauce and horseradish sauce for shrimp cocktail. A very nice change, though I really do love horseradish!!

Cucumber Rolls with Shrimp Ceviche and Spicy Oriental-style Dipping Sauce
Makes 10-12 rolls

2 Kirby or English cucumbers

For the shrimp ceviche:
1 scallion finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely grated
1/2 lb. shrimp, cooked, peeled and coarsely chopped
5 Tbsp. freshly squeezed pink grapefruit juice
3 Tbsp. lime juice
3 Tbsp. olive oil
4 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, finely minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Spicy Oriental Dipping Sauce
1 Tbsp. hot chili pepper sauce (Be very afraid)
1 1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. dark sesame oil
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. black sesame seeds
1 Tbsp. white toasted sesame seeds
1/4 cup red, green and yellow bell pepper, very finely diced
1 Tbsp. finely chopped cilantro

Prepare the cucumber by cutting off both ends and then cutting lengthwise into very thin slices. Arrange on paper towels and sprinkle with salt and let sit 30 minutes.

Prepare the ceviche by assembling all the ingredients in a large bowl. Season to taste and let marinade in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. In true ceviche, the fish, or shrimp in this case, would be added raw to the marinade and the citrus in the juice would "cook" the fish. Even the author of this recipe believes that boiling the shrimp for at least 1-2 minutes is necessary.

Prepare the dipping sauce and reserve.

Rinse the cucumbers and dry with a paper towel. Make a roll and secure with a toothpick. Add a few spoonfuls of the shrimp ceviche and continue until all the cucumbers slices have been rolled and filled.
Arrange on a serving platter and spoon the spicy dipping sauce over each roll and sprinkle the rest around the rolls. Serve at once.

This should not be ordinary

2011-03-11T08:18:00.000-05:00

A constant reminder that we are no longer in Iowa!! No, this is not an alligator farm. We see this large creature on almost a weekly basis as we deliver Meals on Wheels.

Our usual route is to deliver Meals on Wheels on Tuesdays, and after our last delivery, we drive past this lake where at least one, if not two or three of these beauties are lying in the sun. After all these years, I am still in awe of these ugly, dangerous creatures.

Lucky for us, we are doing an extra Meals on Wheels run today. Alfredo Alligator, "See you later!"

By the way, if you have a couple of hours free during the week, volunteer to deliver Meals on Wheels. It is the most heart-warming experience. You are greeted by the same people weekly and they are so appreciative of a hot meal, your smiling face and just a friendly hello. There is often a dog that greets you that also needs a little scratch behind the ears. I usually check to make sure the house feels warm or cool, depending on the weather and ask them if they are doing okay for the day. We may all be in that position one day. It is just a very little way to give back to our elderly or infirm. As for the alligator...no hot meal today for you!!!

Bulgogi

2011-03-05T12:06:00.000-05:00

I think the year was 1979, a long time ago, when my Italian sister-in-law gave me this wonderful Korean recipe for Bulgogi. We have been making it ever since and every time we still love it as much as the time before. Doing some research, I find that there are many ways to marinate the beef and different ways to cook it. We have always done it the same way and see no reason to change.

We served the Bulgogi along side with brown rice and stir-fried pea pods picked up at the farmer's market that morning. You can make this as hot as you like. It is the oriental marinade that makes it taste so good.

Bulgogi
from the Kitchen of Schnitzel and the Trout by way of Josette

2 pounds of steak - always have used sirloin
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds
2 chopped scallions
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

By putting the beef into the freezer for a short time, you will be able to get it frozen enough to make cutting, long, thin slices easier. Slice the beef into long strips and as thin as possible.

Put the marinade into a zip-loc bag and add the beef strips. Mix it all around by kneading the closed bag. Refrigerate anywhere from 4 hours to overnight. I think the longer the better and more tender.

Thread the beef strips onto skewer rods, keeping it tight, not too loose. We have long rods and can usually fill 4 rods with this amount of meat. Bamboo sticks will just not hold the weight of the meat.

Place the skewers on the grill and turn as they cook, about 10 minutes or so.

Not my German mother's lentils!!

2011-03-04T06:04:00.003-05:00

About a week ago, I saw a recipe on one of my blogger friends' blogs. I grew up eating lentils on almost a weekly basis. Most of the time, they were in a soup. My mother loved lentils. But she added bratwurst meatballs to the soup, lots of onions and it was baptized as German soup.

Bonnie, at From a Writer's Kitchen posted a recipe for Crispy Salmon with Spiced Lentils. I had to try the lentils. Luckily, I learned a lesson some years ago. When more than one spice is added to anything, place the measured spice in a dish or plate before adding to the pot. Good thing I did. I grabbed the cayenne and measured 3/4 teaspoon. When I picked up the paprika, I saw that I had made an error. It should have been 3/4 teaspoon paprika and 1/4 tsp cayenne. So, I just fluffed the large amount of cayenne into the sink and continued on! Ah..hoo.ah!!

We grilled a large, thick pork chop and split it between the two of us. Placed it on a bed of the spicy lentils and everything was right in the world. I love these lentils. In fact, as left-overs the next night with a marinated flank steak, I loved the lentils even more!! Thank you Bonnie. This is a keeper and will be repeated often.

Spiced Lentils
Inspired by Williams Sonoma and From a Writer's Kitchen

1 1/2 cups French lentils
8 whole cloves
1 small onion
2 bay leaves
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small red onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tomatoes peeled, seeded and chopped (I used a 14 ounce can of diced tomatoes, undrained)
1/12 cups clam juice (I used chicken stock)
1 1/2 tsp. each ground cumin and ground ginger
3/4 tsp. ground tumeric and sweet paprika
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Fresh lemon juice and salt and pepper

Pick over lentils, rinse and place in a large saucepan. Add water to cover by two inches. Stick cloves into the yellow onion and add along with the bay leaves. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to medium-low and simmer, uncovered until tender, 15-20 minutes. Drain and discard the onion and bay leaves. Set aside.

In a large frying pan over medium heat, warm one tbsp. of oil. Add the red onion and sautè until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, tomatoes, clam juice or chicken stock and all the spices. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 3 minutes. NOTE: Because of using canned tomatoes, cook this down a bit more, reduced by about one third. Add the parsley and lentils. Cook for about 5 minutes or until most of the tomato juice is reduced and absorbed. Season with lemon juice and salt and pepper. Keep warm. You WILL enjoy this!!

Orzo and Veggies

2011-03-03T11:02:00.001-05:00

I am sharing a side dish with you today that doesn't come with a recipe. It is something I started putting together last summer while in Montana, and just prepared it again this week. I do not know what it is about it that makes it taste so good, but we love it. Very simple, very easy....as Chef Tell used to say.

I boil orzo (whole wheat in this case) a couple of minutes short of total cooking time. Drain and set aside.

Then olive oil in a hot pan, diced onions, carrots and red pepper. Sautè until softened, add back the cooked orzo and mix together well as the orzo has probably tried to stick together. It will come apart nicely. Top with lots of fresh chopped parsley and enjoy. It is even better left over.

I must add...I should have mentioned that orzo is a type of pasta that can be found in any grocer in the pasta aisle. S

Ybor City, worth a visit

2011-03-02T06:21:00.001-05:00

Ybor City, pronouned EE-borh, is a historic neighborhood of Tampa, Florida. In the 1880's, immigrants from Spain, Cuba and Italy settled in this area and started cigar manufacturing. Even today, as you walk historic 7th Avenue, you see numerous cigar stores where cigars are still being hand-rolled. The bars and coffee shops have thick cigar smoke rolling out of them. Not exactly my favorite smell, but once again....when in Rome....

We did sit down and enjoy a Cuban coffee in the late afternoon and just look around the old-fashioned bar.

And then, of course, a little window shopping. I did not get the price on this suit on display, but then you have to realize, some things are priceless.

In 2008, 7th Avenue in Ybor City was listed as one of the "10 Great Streets in America" by the American Planning Association. Using the word great might be a stretch, but it certainly is unusual for the US.

A long overdue reunion

2011-03-01T06:13:00.000-05:00

Yesterday turned out to be a wonderful day. One of my bridesmaids that I have not seen since our wedding (that would be 45 years in August) was passing through Tampa yesterday, so The Trout and I made plans to meet her and her husband.

Judy and I have kept in touch with each other for most of those years, but we did misplace each other for a few years until I found her on Facebook about 3 years ago. After quickly catching up on families, we found a common bond again. We were roommates in college. It was a time of the Beatles and the assassination of President Kennedy. As I get older, I find it amazing that friendships survive...true friendships.

It was great meeting Judy's husband, Bob. Have seen pictures of him through the years in Christmas letters, but finally making a live connection was so very nice. A short visit, lunch and now back to corresponding through the computer. It was a good day, Judy. Thanks.

Lamb Chops with Cherry Marsala Sauce

2011-02-21T11:30:00.001-05:00

The Trout found this recipe on Blue Kitchen blog and since we had the dried cherries in the pantry, lamb chops in the freezer, rosemary growing outside the door, this sounded perfect for a Sunday dinner.

I also found out that February is National Lamb month. As far as I am concerned, every day could be national lamb day. We really love it.

Along side this beautiful lamb chop in cherry sauce was a lettuce salad with a lemon vinaigrette and wild rice which we bought while traveling through northern Minnesota last summer to attend a wedding. Wild rice is not a true rice, rather a seed of a grass. It has a wonderful nutty taste and can be quite expensive. It goes wonderfully with wild game or poultry also.

We really liked this sauce. We did change it a bit and were very happy with the end results.

Lamb Chops with Cherry Marsala Sauce

1/3 cup dried tart cherries
4 lamb loin chops, about 1 inch thick
salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup finely chopped shallot or scallions
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup dry Marsala wine

Place the dried cherries in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Let rest 15 minutes and then drain.

Grill the chops to your liking, cover and let rest until the sauce is done. "Blue Kitchen" sautèed the chops on the stove top. We prefer grilling them.

Melt butter in a pan and sautè shallots until just tender, about 3 minutes, stirring to avoid burning. Add garlic and rosemary and cook, stirring until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add broth and Marsala to skillet. Stir in cherries and cook for 2-3 minutes, until sauce is slightly reduced and thickened. I did add another pat of butter at the end to add some body, flavor and gloss to the sauce.

Spoon sauce over the lamb chops. A very nice change for a perfectly grilled lamb chop. Other than the kitchen looking like the 'perfect storm' had hit it, we did enjoy this Sunday dinner.

Salzburger Nockerl

2011-02-20T17:00:00.001-05:00

Aside from the apple studel, Topfenstrudel and Kaiserschmarrn, the Salzburger Nockerl is the most famous and legendary dessert of Austria.

It is said that the "Nockerl" was invented by Salome Alt, the concubine of Salzburg's Prince Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raintenau in the early 17th century. It is supposed to resemble the mountains of Salzburg.

We were in Austria in 1991. The Trout found a guide who took him fly fishing in a most beautiful area of the country. Unfortunately, the time was short as the mountain snows started melting in the late morning and the blue colored water washed down the mountain and into the streams and the fishing was over.

It was also before I realized that my paternal grandmother's ancestors came from an area of Austria called Spittal. We were there. But, it was many years later before I realized that my ancestors had also been there. Such a missed opportunity. I do remember the beautiful landscapes, the mountains, the food. We must go back. We must.

While in Austria, we dined beautifully on the typical food of the area. This dessert, Salzburger Nockerl has always lingered on my mind. I made it many years ago, shortly after returning from Austria, but it wasn't until this week that I remembered it. All the ingredients were in the kitchen. It just had to be.

You will find that this is a rather simple dessert, not too difficult to put together, but it does need to be served immediately after coming out of the oven. It is light, very flavorful and puts on quite a show by itself.

Salzburger Nockerl

serves 2 persons

6 egg whites (room temperature)
4 egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1 whole lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For a 10 inch oval skillet

1 oz. butter
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons raspberry jam

powdered sugar

Heat oven to 450 degrees

Instead of a skillet, I heated the butter, cream and raspberry jam in the microwave. Then spread it into the bottom of a casserole dish.

Beat the egg whites until stiff and gradually add 3 tablespoons sugar while the mixer is running. Then add the vanilla extract.

Remove the mixing bowl and fold in by hand with a wire whisk the egg yolks, flour and lemon zest. Mix as little as possible.

With spatula, form four individual peaks, one at a time (the mountains of Austria) and place into the casserole with the raspberry mixture.

Bake in a hot oven, 450 degrees for 9 to 10 minutes. Nockerl should be soft in the center and browned on the top.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve at once.

Scallops and a Spanish White

2011-02-19T20:19:00.001-05:00

Saturday always starts out early for us. We headed to the downtown market by 8:15 a.m. to pick up some loose leaf lettuce, then to the seafood store to pick up scallops and shrimp and then to the gym to work with our trainer. He works us hard but we really need it.

We had these scallops tonight in a recipe from Fine Cooking. It was perfect with the loose leaf lettuce with a simple lemon and olive oil vinaigrette.

Seared Scallops with Herb-Butter Pan Sauce

1 lb. dry large sea scallops
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tbsp. olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Sauce:

3 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
2 tbsp. finely diced shallot (we used scallions)
1/4 cup dry white vermouth or dry white wine
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh herbs, such as flat-leafed parsley and chives
1/4 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2-3 lemon wedges for serving

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the oil and butter and heat until quite hot. Pat the scallops dry once more time and put them in a single layer in the hot skillet. Season with salt and pepper and sear undisturbed until one side is browned and crisp 2-3 minutes. Using tongs, turn the scallops and sear until the second side is well browned and the scallops are almost firm to the touch. Take the pan off the heat and transfer scallops to a plate and let them sit in a warm spot.

Return the pan to the heat and add a piece of butter and the shallots and sautè until the shallots begin to soften, about 1 minute. Add the vermouth or wine and simmer until reduced by about half, another minute or two. Add the herbs and lemon zest. Reduce the heat to low and add the remaining butter, whisking constantly until the butter melts into the sauce. Return the scallops to the juices in the pan and gently roll them to cover with the sauce. Taste for salt and pepper and serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Last night we went to a wine tasting of Spanish wines in Tampa. We found a white wine we really liked. Bodegas Shaya Verdejo 2009, was the perfect pairing for the scallops. In fact, as we were tasting the wine, I told the server than this wine was "screaming for shrimp." He laughed and used that phrase quite often after that until he had too many people asking where the shrimp were.

We did add 4 shrimp to the scallops tonight to just let the wine prove itself. The experts, as in Robert Parker, say "This wine offers up an alluring aroma of baking spices, spring flowers and peach. On the palate it has a creamy texture, vibrant acidity, and intense flavors leading to a lengthy, fruit-filled finish. It is a great value in a dry, aromatic white wine, that over-delivers in a big way." At $15.95, we found this wine a real pairing with the scallops (and few shrimp.)

We had to finish this off with a spectacular dessert. Since dessert has not found our lips in a long time, this was quite the treat. A dessert from Austria that I think you might like. Check back tomorrow to find out all about it.

Quinoa Pilaf

2011-02-18T08:53:00.000-05:00

Since we started eating quinoa a couple of years ago, I have often added it as a side or salad to our meals. In our newspaper yesterday, four new recipes appeared and I quickly knew I wanted to try the Quinoa Pilaf with Lemon and Thyme. I hope to try the other three soon, because they sounded just as tasty.

Quinoa is the perfect protein, gluten free and just tastes great. You can do with quinoa as you do with rice. It just works as a salad, stuffing, pilaf, even mixed with ground turkey to make burgers. How about Quinoa, Apricot and Nut clusters? That might be on my list next.

I have jars of the white and red quinoa and quite often mix them for the beauty of it.

Quinoa Pilaf with Lemon and Thyme

1 onion. minced
1 teaspoon olive oil
salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed and dried on a towel
1 1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, basil, cilantro or scallions
(I used cilantro because it is growing so quickly, it will soon be invading the house)

Combine the onion, oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt in large saucepan. Cover and cook over medium low heat, stirring occasionally until the onion has softened, about 8 minutes.

Stir in the quinoa, increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until the quinoa is lightly toasted and aromatic, about 5 minutes. Stir in the broth, lemon zest and thyme and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the quinoa is transparent and tender, 16-18 minutes.

Remove from heat and let sit, covered for 10 minutes. The fluff with a fork, stir in lemon juice and fresh parsley or herbs. Season with salt and pepper.

Per 3/4 cup serving 170 calories, 3.5 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 30 g carbs, 6 g protein, 4 g fiber and 220 mg sodium.

Oh, oh, oh.....

2011-02-16T18:10:00.000-05:00

I LOVE salmon. We LOVE salmon. We usually marinate for 30 minutes and grill it. The January-February issue of Cook's Illustrated had a section on "Better Glazed Salmon." Several different glazes were suggested, but when we saw the "Asian Barbeque Sauce" we knew we had a winner.

As The Trout put together the ingredients and they started bubbling on the stove, I KNEW this would be great!! We absolutely loved it and as we ate our glazed salmon, I kept babbling about how great this would taste on chicken thighs, chicken breast, pork...you name it. This sauce is so tasty. We loved it.

We had a sliced cucumber with sesame oil, Kosher salt and ground pepper on the side. The perfect cooling accompaniment.

Try this sauce and if you are lucky enough to have the copy of the January-February Cook's Illustrated be sure to try the Soy-Mustard glaze, the Pomegranate-Balsamic glaze and the Orange-Miso glaze also on this page.

Asian Barbeque Sauce

2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons Asian Chili-garlic sauce
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

Whisk ingredients together in small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, simmer until thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

In the last few minutes of grilling our salmon, this beautiful sauce was brushed onto the salmon. It glazed on beautifully, and there was some sauce left to put on the salmon at the table.

We always have the Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce in the refrigerator. My friend in Montana calls it the Rooster Sauce since there is a picture of a rooster on the bottle. This is the best in our estimation and we rarely are without it. At this point, I will also add that we have a Norwegian and German background and no, we do NOT add 2 teaspoons....perhaps 3/4 of a teaspoon. That is hot enough for us without spoiling the flavor of the salmon. Feel free to pour it on if you love it. This sauce is wonderful.

Have you tried POM concentrate?

2011-02-15T13:14:00.000-05:00

Have you tried the new POM concentrate? All the reducing time has been done for you. We had a pork roast and I used 1/4 cup of the POM concentrate, added some raspberry jam for sweetness, a splash or two of red wine, garlic, thyme and a pat of butter. This all combined into a very nice sauce for the pork.

I have been reading a lot since I received this bottle of POM concentrate. I even read where someone made jello out of it. It is rather tart, and it does need some sort of sweetener. I loved the consistency of it. I have been also putting it into water to drink and find it refreshing. POM is healthy and that is how I have been trying to use it.

I have thought of baking with it, but then again, you are getting sweet calories that are not needed. I'll be using it again for a sauce. Turkey and chicken would be very nice with it also. Have you used the concentrate and how did you use it?

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T02:09:00.001-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day!! It is strawberry season in our part of Florida. If you can't partake of the succulent, sweet berries, enjoy my photo. Sending love to all.

Tuna with a Ginger-Shiitake Cream Sauce

2011-02-12T18:28:00.000-05:00

This is another favorite recipe of ours that I have not blogged about yet. We have been making this cream sauce for tuna since 2002. It is that good!! It was found on Epicurious at that time. In the past, we have even used this sauce on salmon. Today, we vary it somewhat, because a trip to the big city was just not in the cards. So, instead of fresh shiitake mushrooms which I saw last week at Whole Foods....darn...we are using Portobellos which are really, just as tasty.

The recipe is for 6, but we are cutting it down for the two of us. Other than changing the mushrooms, we follow it exactly and it is always a winner!!

Pan-Seared Tuna with Ginger-Shiitake Cream Sauce

6 6-ounce tuna steaks, each about 1 inch thick
2 tablespoons peanut oil

3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, chopped
8 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps sliced
6 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Preheat over to 200 degrees F. Sprinkle one side of tuna steaks with pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy, large skillet over high heat. Place tuna steaks, pepper side down in hot oil and sear 2 minutes. Turn tuna over and continue cooking to desired doneness, about 2 minutes for rare. Transfer tuna to rimmed baking sheet to keep warm in oven.

Add butter, sliced green onions, cilantro, ginger and chopped garlic to same skillet and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Mix in mushrooms and soy sauce and simmer 30 seconds. Add whipping cream and simmer until sauce lightly coats back of spoon, about 3 minutes. Stir in lime juice. Spoon sauce onto plates; arrange tuna atop sauce. Garnish with lime wedges and cilantro springs, if desired.

The Trout says this sauce would taste great on anything. I know some of you do not like cilantro. I truly believe there is no substitute for this herb. As you can see by the photo, we did throw in a few shrimp because we just love them!!

Before I finish this posting, I would like to introduce you to a most wonderful blog. Living Tastefully
is a delightful blog written by two sisters, Eileen and Susan. They come from my part of the world...a small German village in Iowa. We went to high school together although they both are a lot younger than me ..sigh. Susan is the antique collector and Eileen is the baker, chef. Together, they do beautiful things. They both have a love of Germany and France. Eileen's pastries would rival any French Pâtisserie. Take a moment to stroll through beautiful photographs, humorous stories, fantastic foods and home decorating that will awe you. Tell them Susan sent you. You won't be disappointed.

Beautiful orchids

2011-02-05T10:49:00.000-05:00

I found a real treat this morning at the downtown Farmer's Market. We try to go every Saturday morning for the beautiful lettuce that is available.

This morning, a new booth had opened and it was filled with orchids...lots of orchids. Plants to buy and they lovely stems of orchids. Eight long stems of perfect orchids for........$3.

I will enjoy these for a long time.

Cream Cheese and Raspberry Truffle Brownies

2011-02-02T12:23:00.000-05:00

Years ago when The Trout was still working, I used to bake 4 or 5 varieties of brownies on his birthday and send a large box of them to work with him. They always were well accepted and almost expected after several years.

I will be the first to admit that I have not baked these two favorites in a very long time. We just rarely eat sweets, but last night my neighbor had a birthday so we invited just the immediate friends in our neighborhood over for the Dulce de Leche ice cream and these brownies.

Both recipes come from a 1994 "Country Woman" magazine. If you are wanting very tasty brownies, these are simple to put together. Don't buy that box stuff. You just don't know what's in it!

Chocolate Cream Cheese Brownies
(in the foreground of photo)

1 package (4 ounces) German sweet chocolate
3 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

FILLING:

2 tablespoons butter
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a saucepan, melt chocolate and butter over low heat, stirring frequently. Set aside. In a bowl, beat the eggs. Gradually add sugar, beating until thick.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt and add to egg mixture. Stir in melted chocolate and extracts.

Pour half the batter into a greased 8 inch square baking pan and set aside.

For filling, beat butter and cream cheese in a mixing bowl until light. Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy. Blend in egg, flour and vanilla and mix well.

Spread over batter in pan. Dollop remaining batter over filling. With a knife, cut through batter to create a marble effect. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until brownies test done. Cool. Store in refrigerator. Yield: about 2 dozen

Raspberry Truffle Brownies

1/2 cup butter
1 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon instant coffee crystals
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup all-purpose flour

FILLING:

1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup seedless red raspberry jam

GLAZE:

1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon shortening

In a heavy saucepan, melt butter and chocolate chips over low heat. Cool slightly. In a large bowl, beat eggs and brown sugar. Dissolve coffee crystals in water and add to egg mixture with melted chocolate. Mix well.

Combine baking powder and flour and stir into chocolate mixture. Spread in a greased 9 inch square baking pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until brownies test done. Cool.

For filling: Melt chocolate chips, cool. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add confectioners' sugar and jam. Stir in melted chocolate and spread over cool brownies.

For glaze: Melt chocolates chips and shortening, Drizzle over the filling. Chill before cutting. Store in the refrigerator. Makes about 5 dozen, depending on the size you cut.

Dulce de Leche Ice Cream

2011-02-01T12:51:00.000-05:00

My blogger friend, Mary, at "One Perfect Bite" has won me over again. When I saw the recipe for her "Dulce le Leche" ice cream, I knew I had to make it.

Mary's recipe is simple, especially if you can find the dulce de leche in the Hispanic section of your food market. If not, Mary gives perfect directions on how to make your own. Living in Florida, I had no problem finding this ingredient.

My only advise is to have friends over so that when it is gone, it is gone and the temptation to keep going into the freezer is no longer lingering over you.

The taste is creamy, butterscotchy, caramely, well, you get the picture. I know you will want to try it.

A wonderful dinner for Trout's birthday

2011-01-27T10:13:00.000-05:00

Last evening, we celebrated The Trout's birthday by going with friends to Tampa, to a restaurant we have long been wanting to try. In fact, we had reservations for New Year's Eve, when I came down with the worst cold, so we had to cancel. Last night, we made it and enjoyed every moment.

Bern's Restaurant in Tampa, is well worth the drive. From the moment you walk in, you know you are in a special place. If you care to do so, check the menu at their website. It is a large book and the waiter explains everything with a great sense of humor.

Prime steaks are what we wanted last evening. They are sold by the ounce and by thickness and cut. You choose. The kitchen guide told us that they trim the steaks and it takes 4 pounds of meat to get to the 1 pound of steak they find acceptable for serving. Along with this you get French onion soup, two side vegetables, their signature deep fried onion rings, a baked potato with all the toppings you want, and a salad with a wide choice of dressings.
They grow their own vegetables on a 14 acre farm. It is the job of the newest, young employees, to keep the farm producing.

The wine list is a very heavy book, but a condensed version of the most popular wines is available. After dinner, we got a tour of the kitchen. Can you imagine? What restaurant lets you tour the kitchen and explains each station and what is going on?

And then a tour of the wine cellar. They have the largest wine cellar in the WORLD. Attached to the restaurant is a cellar kept at 50 degrees F holding 100,000 bottles of wine. Across the street in a separate building, 900,000 bottles are kept at ideal temperature. Some of the wines are old and well-aged, including a Madeira from 1907. Bottles from the 1950's. Our guide said that even wine connoisseurs from France come to their restaurant for wine that is no longer available in Europe. I should add, the wines are very fairly priced. The price at time of purchase holds and no mark up after that.

Do you think this is the end? Far from it. Now we are escorted upstairs in the restaurant, to the dessert room. Rounded half barrels with a table and chairs and a lot of privacy invited us to rest. On the wall was a music selection where we could push a button and listen to classical music, jazz, you name it.

Then came the dessert menu. We decided to share a Framboise Macadamia Decadence. Chocolate cake, raspberries, macadamia nut sorbet, raspberry sorbet. Well, you get the picture. Coffee and the birthday boy had an Armagnac.

A lovely evening and a birthday to remember. As usual, I get too involved in taking everything in, so the only picture I remembered to take was the French onion soup. Not a large bowl, but just the right size. No bread except for thin spelt cracker bread and Parmesan toasts. I liked this idea, because it is so easy to fill up on good, warm, bread and not be able to enjoy the rest of the meal.

I hope if you are near Tampa one day and feel the urge for something out of the ordinary, you will remember Bern's Restaurant.

Fish and Shrimp....everyone is happy!

2011-01-22T18:20:00.000-05:00

I have a new blog to which I have become addicted. I found Chef Dennis some weeks ago. Actually, he found me. I received an email from him asking permission to use one of my photos. I had no problem with his request and got very interested in what his blog looked like.

Chef Dennis is the Chef director of dining services at Mount Saint Joseph Academy in Pennsylvania. He cooks for 560 girls every day, and I think he is amazing. I have emailed him with questions about blogging, specifically photos, and have always gotten an immediate response. He is definitely worth reading. Please go to More Than a Mountful and check out his great food blog.

This evening we deviated from one of his recipes slightly, but still found it delightful. A change because monk fish is impossible to find around here, we substituted cod. Instead of broccolini, we switched to spinach. This dish is very, very nice, and I know we will make it often. Thanks, Chef!!

Monk Fish Scampi

12-14 ounces of cleaned monk fish
6 Jumbo shrimp, cleaned and deveined
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
splash of white wine
2 oz. chicken stock
1/2 cup canned plum tomatoes, chopped
1 cup broccolini cooked and chopped
1/4 cup cooked linguine
2 tbsp Romano cheese
1 tbsp butter

Cook monk fish with olive oil and sea salt and black pepper to taste. Roast in a 400 degree oven for about 18 minutes, depending upon thickness of fillet. In a saucepan, add olive oil, chopped garlic and gently saute garlic and then add shrimp and plum tomatoes.

Saute shrimp until almost done, remove from pan. Add splash of white wine to stop cooking and deglaze pan. Add chicken stock and Romano cheese. Remove 1/3 of sauce from pan and add to shrimp on the side.

Now add chopped broccolini to the pan and continue to saute. Then add cooked linguine and toss to mix and remove from heat.

In another pan reheat the shrimp and sauce as soon as the monk fish is done. Add one tablespoon butter to the scampi sauce while reheating and top sauce with shrimp over the monk fish. Serve with the pasta.

In addition to switching to cod and spinach, we also used Parmesan instead of Romano. Next time I would add red pepper flakes for an extra kick.

A doll, a wedding dress and a story that continues

2011-01-21T11:02:00.000-05:00

We gave our only granddaughter, Rachel, an American Girl Doll for Christmas. This is Rebecca. I sewed a few clothes for her, but being the season, I did not accomplish as much as I had wanted to. I also found it more difficult than expected. The pieces that you are sewing together are quite small and can be frustrating. That being said, I did sew this outfit; a top and denim jeans and an over the shoulder purse.

Rebecca also got a visor. I sewed a nightgown out of flannel that I had made crib sheets out of for Rachel when she was a baby. The bathrobe was an old nightgown of mine, pink and silky. I never did wear it much as I tended to slide out of bed. There was also a sun dress that all went into the box and was mailed for Christmas. I took careful measurements of the doll as I had planned to make one more outfit without having the doll around.

So, my model is my own teddy bear. I really don't have that much attachment to the bear; he just belongs to me. I bought the fabric for the wedding dress, and lace over skirt, but the beads that I sewed on the dress came from my daughter's own wedding gown. I knew I had saved these for a reason at the time she got married and had alterations made to her dress. I just had no idea at the time what I was saving it for.

The veil just fell into place also. The beads on the headpiece were also from my daughter's wedding dress. They just fit perfectly onto a barrette. The veil...well that actually comes from my own wedding veil from 1966.

The veil had been in my mother's house and I had totally forgotten about it. It was in a white box and my mother had written on the box that it was my veil. Fast forward 34 years. After my mother passed, my brother and I took what we wanted from the house. The rest was going to be auctioned off. Now imagine this. My mother's house, the house where I grew up, had a full basement, two full floors, and a completely and fulled packed attic. Unless we would have spent 2 or 3 months going through everything, I might have found the veil. In fact, I did not even know my mother had saved it.

So a few years ago, my dear childhood friend, Connie, said that at the auction (which I did not attend) she had seen the box with my veil and she won it at the auction. And then, bless her heart, she gave it to me.

So, of course, part of that veil was perfect for Rachel's doll. And so, history carries on.

50 years ago today

2011-01-20T13:53:00.000-05:00

I was carefully watching John F. Kennedy's inauguration on January 20, 1961, on television. Not only was this a very exciting and very new step in our country, but my brother was also there and I was hoping for a possible glimpse.

My brother, at the time, was a cadet at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He was in the select group that was in Washington, D.C. this very cold day. He and his classmates marched past President Kennedy and extended a respectful salute. No, I did not glimpse my brother that day, but I knew he was there.

Fast forward two years and 5 months. I was a guest at the Air Force Academy Graduation on June 6, 1963. My brother was graduating as a Lieutenant in the Air Force and President John F. Kennedy was the commencement speaker. It was a proud day with lots of joyful tears and excitement. No one at that time ever dreamed the horrible tragedy that would follow the following November. It was a part of history that affected me very strongly.

Hubert's Relish

2011-01-16T14:03:00.001-05:00

Do you know of Hubert Keller? As a Foodie, I am sure you have come across his name. He is such a cutie!! A French chef born in Alsace, France. He has two restaurants named Fleur de Lys; one in San Francisco and one in Las Vegas. I love watching him on television. He is so calm and soft spoken, and what a chef!! One recipe of Hubert's we have made before is Double Salmon Burgers. Once again, today, we were not disappointed.

Yesterday at the seafood store, we debated between a piece of grouper or this piece of swordfish. I'm glad we took the swordfish. The Trout found his recipe for Lamb Burger with Roasted Red Bell Pepper Relish. The lamb burger will be definitely tried in the future, but today, The Trout made the red bell pepper relish to go on the fish. Good choice. In fact, Trout said he could even see this relish on a pizza, burgers or chicken. You name it...it will taste great. Possibly just change out the herbs as we did today.

Our basil is hurting from all the cold weather, so we just bought some new and planted it this morning. So, since we had lots of tarragon and marjoram, this was used and it tasted very good.

Red Bell Pepper Relish
by Hubert Keller, chef

1/4 tablespoon olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 plum tomatoes, blanched, peeled, seeded and diced
1 large bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded and diced
1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves
1 teaspoon sugar
6 basil leaves, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

The Trout did not roast the red pepper. Because he omitted this step, it left a little crunch which was very nice. As I said before, he substituted marjoram and tarragon for the thyme and basil. Any herb would do nicely.

Heat saute pan over medium heat. Add olive oil, onion and garlic. Saute for 3 minutes or until translucent. Add in the sugar, bell pepper, tomatoes, thyme and salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the fresh basil.