Bee-ing Green

i hope i don't sound like a braggart

when i say

i have knowledge of a lot of things

need a business plan?

i can set you on the right path

hungry?

i can make you a good meal out of whatever you have in your pantry

toilet leaking?

not a problem

need a gift, dress, ride?

i'm your gal

but when it comes to beekeeping

i am completely green

a rube

bush league

novice

rookie

(insert your best out of my league insult here)

and now

after two years of talking about it

dreaming about it

pestering about it

we are going for it

hubster and i have decided

that this year is the year

the year we start our hive

if you may remember

this summer past,

we stalked a local beekeeper

and have been doing some reconnaissance

and finally are ready

to have our own hive

so today

i ordered our bees

3 lbs of bees and a queen

of the finest bees money can buy

mite resistant

and

very prolific

and all ours

i will name each and every one of them

bob

except for the queen

she will be

shirley

because i like the sound of

shirley and the boys

shirley and the boys are fighting

shirley and the boys are busy

shirley and the boys.....

yes...i know all about the workers

and they are female

but i use boys like the italians do

when the male and female are mixed together

it is proper to use the male plural

for simplicity

so there

my bees will know nothing about

betty friedan

and i'm okay with that

Banoffee Pie

At the approach of our 30th year a few friends and I decided to take a vacation of a lifetime. We were all single and accomplished and wanted to really treat ourselves.  

We booked an African Safari and spent Christmas in the Serengeti

and yes

i do

miss the rains down in africa

unfortunately, 

this occasion was well before the advent of

digital cameras for home use

and most of my photos are on slides

which makes them impossible to post here

but believe me when I tell you

there are not words to describe

how it feels

to be killing distance 

(you not them)

from a wild beast

watching them

play and frolic

or

stalk their dinner

or 

to enjoy a picnic lunch

beside a herd of elephant

taking an afternoon bath

life affirming moments

that i collect

like shiny marbles

in a jar

but what about banoffee?

on our journey we stayed in tents

luxury tents

tents as nice as some fancy hotels

and were attended to by locals

however

 our camp host

was this lovely

Australian couple

who would make these amazing meals for us

with precious sweet treats

and one evening we were served

Banoffee Pie

and it was crazy good

and now i make it

when i need something that will make everyone happy

and i don't want to fuss

trust me

this will knock you into tuesday

Banoffee Pie
(printable recipe)

graham cracker crust baked and cooled

dulce de leche (i make my own, but you can find it in specialty stores or mexican groceries)

mascarpone or double cream (in the states mascarpone is more readily found)--room temp

lightly sweetened whipped cream

bananas

Thinly slice your bananas---not chunks--and overlap them in the bottom of the graham cracker crust. Next, spread a layer of the mascarpone equal to the thickness of the banana layer...do not lay it on thick, otherwise that is all you will taste.  Top with a thin layer of dulce de leche, again, cover the layer, but don't put globs and globs.  Place another layer of thinly sliced bananas on top of the ddl, and then top with freshly whipped cream.  Sometimes, I make the whole pie without the whipped cream the day before, cover it and keep in the fridge. I then whip the cream, generously top the pie and serve.

ah shucks....a remembered joy

hubster was doing a bit of a mid-winter spruce up today

clearing the bookshelf

making room for the bundles of pages

we seem to collect throughout the year

and

when tackling the top shelf

he came across

this

do you know what geo-caching is?

it is a lot of fun

go check it out here

 when my husband and I first started dating

we found this activity

and really enjoyed it

especially

since we lived in different cities

it became a great way

to explore the towns we loved

one day

on a family vacation in santa barbara

we went geocaching

to this beautiful and sacred spot

in the hills of montecito

a benadictine monastery

and while i was distracted

which i easily am

he planted that green box

for me to find

sweet right?

except it gets better

because I found the box

tucked away behind a rock

and when I opened it

this is what I found

do you know....

it took me a few minutes to even realize what it said

and then i looked up

and he was on bended knee

and i cried

and then i laughed

and then i cried again

and then i realized that there was a ring

tucked in there

and then i cried some more

i remember it like it was yesterday

and i wish that beautiful place still stood

 (sadly it was destroyed in the wildfire of 2008)

so i could revisit

and remember the joy

but i can't

so

the box has become the

treasure and the treasured memory

all in one

my hubster is pretty special

don't you think?

sorry there is not a recipe attached to this post
have some champagne
that's what we did

Tuesday Night Supper Club--Gumbo

i have this thing for spicy food

i just love it

and i sort of unapologetically make it

fragile palates beware

you cannot come up in here (pronounced hare)

and enjoy this gumbo

Gumbo Spice
(printable recipe)

(from Emeril's New Orleans Cooking)

2 Tbs  chili powder and paprika

1 Tbs ground coriander, garlic powder and salt

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper, black pepper and dried leaf oregano

Mix together and keep in an airtight container. Use on anything that you want to spice up a bit...dare I say

BAM!?

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
(printable recipe)

3/4 cup  boneless skinless chicken breast--cut into pieces

2 cups chicken stock

2 Tbs gumbo spice (recipe above)

¼ lb  andouille sausage--cut crosswise into pieces 

1 cup sliced okra

1 ½ Tbs olive oil

1/8 cup flour

½ medium   onion –chopped

1 ½ stalks   celery-chopped

½   green pepper--chopped

1 clove garlic--chopped

½ (14 oz can)  diced tomatoes, undrained

½ cup  Mr and Mrs T’s

¼ cup  sliced scallions

1 tsp    Worcestershire

3/8 tsp  thyme

3/8 tsp  salt

1/8 tsp  black pepper

1/8 tsp  white pepper

1/8 tsp  cayenne

1 ½-2 ½ dashes Tabasco sauce

Brown sausage in a little bit of olive oil.  Keeping the heat on medium, brown the chicken pieces, and remove from pan and add to sausage.  Sprinkle the chicken and sausage with the Gumbo Spice. Add oil to the fat..you will need about ¼ cup total

Add flour and stir constantly until it becomes medium brown in color.  When it is brown turn off the heat and quickly add the okra, onion, celery, garlic and bell pepper.  Allow the sizzling to stop.  Pour in stock.

Add tomatoes, Mr and Mrs T’s , green onions, bay leaves, worcetershire sauce, thyme, salt, cayenne, black and white peppers and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer.  Add back chicken and sausage and let cook for about 45 minutes to an hour.  The longer it cooks, the better.  Add hot sauce to please your taste

serve with or without rice

Beautifully Peared

yes, i know

that is not how you spell

pair

or

pare

but i am taking poetic license

because i can

yesterday

i taught a cooking class

to eight very enthusiastic women

who

scared me a bit

because let's be honest

they were all very fit

and didn't quite look the part

of hearty eaters

which is always scary for a

caterer, chef or cooking instructor

i kept saying to myself

don't take it personally if they just glance at the food

and the plates remain completely full

over and over again

the good news is

they were very interested in the cooking of the food

and

the eating of the food

some even had seconds

yeah!

they all ate dessert

and I know

because I forced it on them

we poached pears in wine

placed them on top of a very small scoop of vanilla ice cream

and then drizzled homemade chocolate sauce on top

come on

i won't apologize

there were 2 superfoods in there

red wine

and

bittersweet chocolate

paired beautifully

and absolutely delicious

i didn't take pictures

which meant i had to duplicate it all today

so i could show you

which means i cheated a bit

and used some wine poached pears I made this fall and canned

but they are poached in white wine

and not as beautiful as the ones last night

you can find that recipe here

for the class we used a combination of

moscato and petit syrah

with enough sugar to make it lightly sweet--not sticky sweet

2 cinnamon sticks, 1 star anise pod, a pinch of cardamom

and two strips of orange peel

it simmered away for about 45 minutes

the pears are delicious in this dessert

or

you can tuck them into some puff pastry and bake

and serve with a bit of cream

or

enjoy just how it is for an afternoon snack

perhaps you would rather

slice thinly and serve as part of a cheese platter

or maybe

add a little zip

to your luncheon plate

Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce
(printable recipe)

1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate--chopped

(please use good chocolate...with a 57% or more cocoa content)

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup + 2 Tbs granulated sugar

2 Tbs water or other liquid (you can use coffee or liqueur or poaching liquid)

3 Tbs corn syrup (if you are opposed to corn syrup or don't have it...omit it..it is not essential..it won't affect the taste)

Place all ingredients together in a double boiler after the water has begun to boil  Don't let the mixture get too hot, it should just be warm enough to melt the chocolate and sugar.  I like to turn the heat off the pot once the water begins to boil, it will have enough residual heat to do the job.  Once chocolate is melted stir so the ingredients all mix nicely together and you are ready to serve.  This will keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge.

A is for Asparagus

i've joined a group

and we are learning the alphabet

on thursdays

see what it is all about here

its a remedial round-up

and each thursday i will be challenged to come up with a recipe

for the letter of the day

today was the first day

and the letter is A

and it took me some time to get with the program

so i am a bit late

but like epstein

i have a note

dear jenny

christy didn't meet the deadline

because

she lives in southern california

and building the arc took longer 

than anticipated

but although 

A is for Arc

thats not her topic

please excuse her tardiness

signed

christy's mother

(if you are too old or too young to get the epstein reference, i am sorry that you missed out on that very important time in our cultural history)

today i made a lunch that started out light

until i guilded it

to an obscene caloric giant

which i am so very good at

Asparagus with Poached Egg and Hollandaise

1 bunch steamed asparagus

1 recipe hollandaise sauce

(recipe in old post here)

1 poached egg

parmesan cheese

black pepper

Layer and serve

rainy day crafting {wreaths}

i have a compulsion

and it is making things

it could be food

it could be a craft

it could be trouble

today

i am sharing some of my rainy day projects 

during the holidays

jen at tatertotsandjello

made an adorable marshmallow and gumdrop wreath

which i shamelessly copied for a valentine wreath

substituting conversation hearts for the gumdrops

Marshmallow Wreath

Fabric Wreath

Embroidered Gift Bag

i used a piece of linen

from the remnants pile

i wanted it to look a bit

like it had been sitting in the bottom

of a civil war widow's hope chest

it is a gift

for a yet to be born

little wonder

named Ruby

it will hold baby essentials

and then it can be easily transformed

into a small pillow

Ribollita

i am in LOVE with this soup

when I visit Italy

well north of Rome

i order this just about every day

even if

they dare to have it on a

spring or summer menu

you have to appreciate

thick hearty soup

to enjoy ribollita

it is not light

it is not delicate

it is me

as an allegory

in a soup

and here is the best part

day two

is better than

day one

seriously

Ribollita
(printable recipe)

2 cans cannellini beans--drained

1 large bunch cavelo nero, kale, swiss chard, or other dark leafy green--chopped

3 stems fresh italian parsley--chopped

3 garlic cloves--peeled and chopped

4-5 celery stalks-chopped

3 carrots--chopped

1 onion--chopped

1 large can diced tomatoes

1 loaf (approx) stale ciabatta or other hearty bread, crusts removed--sliced or torn

olive oil

chicken or vegetable broth

parmesan cheese

salt

pepper

In a large stockpot, fry the onion, celery, carrot, garlic and parsley in about 3 Tbs olive oil on low for about 30 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, cavelo nero (or other leafy green), the beans and enough broth to cover. Simmer for an additional 50-60 minutes. 

The bread and broth are used to manage thickness of the soup.  I would start with 1/2 the bread and add more broth and let it sit on low heat for a bit, allowing the bread to break down.  Add more bread or broth to achieve the consistency you enjoy.  Season with salt and pepper.  When serving, top with some parmesan cheese and a glug or two of good olive oil.

cheese glorious cheese

The lovely people and when I say people, I mean I was contacted by one person and got a note from another...so technically its people, at Sartori Foods sent me a package of cheese. A variety of ten to be exact.

They are wondering what I think

and I told them I would taste and play and let them know

so here I am

but first

a complete and total disclaimer

because it isn't like someone at Sartori Foods was cruising the internet and happened upon this blog and thought...I like her....let me send some cheese.

I have a connection

several actually

My MIL and her husband both retired from Sartori, my husband worked there when he was in high school, I have been at social events with the Sartori family. Okay FTC? You happy...full and total disclaimer.

that being said

Sartori Foods did not ask me to review, comment, discuss, endorse, in any shape or form, on my blog. I am doing it of my own accord

But they did give me free cheese.

and now we can get back to what this is all about.

I went to the farmer's market the other day and picked up a bunch of beets. I heart beets. I heart beets even though some stupid blood sugar or blood type diet tells me I shouldn't eat them.  Who am I to turn down loads of vitamin C and the earthy delights of such a beautiful orb?

Today for lunch, I shaved a beet

...hmmm that doesn't sound right.

I made beet ribbons with a vegetable peeler and made a nice little salad using Sartori Gorgonzola for a nice creamy and briny component.

The salad was perfect for a nice light meal, and I think would be delicious perched atop a pan roasted chicken paillard, or even a thinly sliced, medium-rare, cooked over an open flame---flank steak.

Oh yum!

Or

add poached pears and some watercress to the salad making it a bit more rounded

and composed.

Beet Ribbons with Gorgonzola
(printable recipe)

1 large raw beet--scrubbed clean

4-5 walnut halves--sliced into delicate bits

red wine vinegar

olive oil

black pepper

2 or 3 chives--chopped

gorgonzola cheese

Using a vegetable peeler, make fine ribbons from the beet.  Add just a bit of vinegar and let sit while you finely slice the walnuts (the reason I do this is so they match the delicate-ness of the beet ribbons.  If you prefer a nice big crunch from the walnut, leave them as is...it isn't critical to the recipe). Toss together the beets, the chives and then a bit of olive oil, just to make it glisten.  Add black pepper to taste and then pile the beet onto the serving plate or platter.  Top with walnuts and a generous slice of gorgonzola cheese. I do not add salt to this recipe as the gorgonzola is quite salty and carries enough brininess for the salad.

So What About The Cheese?

The gorgonzola is salty...but not offensively so.  As a matter of taste, I prefer my cheese to have impact on my palate.  It is also quite creamy, and I love that when I sliced a wedge for my salad it stayed intact. While it is my first instinct to not let food items stand alone...i immediately look for pairing opportunities...this gorgonzola can stand quite nicely by itself. As well, it would be scrumptious with a nice fig jam, some apple slices or a nice glass of port.

all bottled up

in italy

 this october past

i shared a meal with a truffle hunter

see my adventure here

and his family

in their home

and after we ate

a treat was served

 limoncello cream

which they made by hand

naturally

and i have been wanted to make my own

and

 as fortune would have it

i had a batch of limoncello steeping in my cupboard

just waiting for inspiration

Limoncello Cream
(printable recipe)

4 cups of lemon peel steeped in vodka or Everclear (after removing the lemon peel)

which is step 1 of my limoncello recipe you can find here

please note...you will need the lemon peels to steep for the specified time

4 cups whole milk

2 1/2 cups sugar

2 cups water

Place milk, sugar and water in a heavy saucepan.  Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Repeat the boiling process 3 more times.The repeated boiling minimizes the chances of the milk curdling when adding the limoncello. Remove from the heat and let cool a bit (maybe 5 minutes). Stir in the limoncello. Pour in sterilized bottles through a sieve using a funnel.  Let sit for a few days before drinking (a week is best).  

This tastes best cold, and I suggest storing in the fridge or freezer. 

I packaged these up to give as favors for a baby shower

cute, right?

the packaging possibilities are endless

which are just the way i like my possibilities

cherry bomb

i have started an experiment

i am calling it cherry bomb

because it has cherries

and may not come to anything

but i hope it does

because I am already dreaming of

delicious elixirs

and

sweet possiblities

with this simple cocoction

i will put this in a cool dark place

for 4 weeks

finger's crossed!

Cherry Bomb

fill a jar with clean ripe cherries

drop in 3 or 4 cardamom pods

fill with everclear

cover and place in a cool dark place

the end of the white whipped road

i've been having fun with whipped egg whites this week

here and here

and now

i present you with my final meringue entry

for the time being

pavlova

it is THE BEST

dinner party dessert

because all components can be prepared in advance

and composed at the final moment

 presented

to oohs and ahhs

that make you feel like

the finest 

french pastry chef

but 

for the record

we have the aussies to thank

for this crunchy-creamy-pillowy confection

not the french

so maybe you might tell your friends

to tuck in

rather than

bon appetite

Pavlova
(printable recipe)

1 recipe meringue piped into individual nests

1 recipe pastry cream or vanilla pudding

1 recipe fresh whipped cream

fruit of choice

For the Cherry Pavlova

pastry cream

6 large egg yolks

5 Tbs cornstarch

2 1/2 cups milk ( i used 2%)

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

4 Tbs unsalted butter

fruit

2 cups pitted fresh cherries

1/4 cup sugar

juice of 1 large lime

1 Tbs cherry herring liqueur (optional)

for pastry cream:  Whisk the egg yolks and the cornstarch in a bowl. set aside.  In a saucepan, simmer milk, sugar and salt.  Once it is simmering, temper the eggs with the hot milk.  Return to the saucepan and whisk continuously until the custard begins to thicken.  Once you see large bubbles coming up through the middle of the pot, remove from heat. Pour into a clean bowl (use a sieve if you feel you have overcooked), and stir in butter and vanilla.  Place clingfilm over top and refrigerate until ready to use.  

for the fruit:  Place cherries, sugar, lime and liqueur into a small saucepot.  Place over low heat and allow to simmer until a nice syrup forms and cherries are softened.  Allow to cool until ready to use.

Whip cream with a bit of confectioner's sugar and vanilla to taste.  

When ready to put together, take a bit of the whipped cream and whisk it into the custard to soften it up a bit, it will give it a nice creamy consistency.This is also a great filling for cream puffs.

Fill the meringue nest with the custard.  Top with the fruit and then place a generous dollop of cream on top.  

cherry pavlova

kiwi pavlova 

made with a dessert sauce of kiwi, pineapple juice and some sugar

bittersweet chocolate pavlova

there is a bit of chocolate ganache tucked under the custard 

and a bit more chocolate shaved on top

whipped again

nothing shows that you are

 "whipped" 

better than

meringue hearts

easy  to make

but not easily forgotten

whip some up 

 your

valentine

will be ever so pleased

(for the meringue recipe click here)

this is how i plan to deliver 

to my 

valentine

please don't freak out. 

this is very old, from england

in the victorian style of taxidermy

and while a bit

macabre

reminds me of

my childhood collection

of

beatrix potter books and figurines

which have found a new home

in my memories

here is a pic of how I managed to make all my hearts uniform

I used a heart cookie cutter, and traced onto a piece of kitchen parchment. I then turned it to the reverse, and spread (although you can pipe) the meringue to the reaches of my outline

I then sprinkled with colored sugar in the colors of february

whipped heaven

i found myself wanting to play with meringue today

which might seem silly 

because it was raining 

 and

"they" say you shouldn't  make meringue when it is raining 

i think "they" are wrong

and

 i couldn't shake the slideshow in my head

 of fluffy, sugary-white meringue

it billowed in my mind

and melted like spring snow on my tongue  

I just love it

and you can probably expect quite a few posts about it  these next few days

especially since valentine's day is rearing its

darling little head

upon our days

cupid's wings

Meringue

(printable recipe)

3 large egg whites at room temperature

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

pinch of salt

Make sure the beater and bowl are extremely clean and free of any oil or fats.  Beat whites on low until foamy. Add salt and then kick up the speed to medium. Add cream of tartar.  Begin to slowly add the sugar "raining" it into the egg whites.  Continue to beat until soft peaks form, then add vanilla.  Beat to stiff and firm peaks.

If you over-beat, you will see moisture starting to "weep" from the whites.  If this happens, start over!

Tuesday Night Supper Club--Potato Leek Soup and Chicken Cutlets

Tonight we are eating simply

I am taking leftovers and re-purposing them

very green, i think

on saturday I made braised leeks

and

truffle roasted potatoes

and

tortellini en brodo

and today

i took these components (not the tortellini, but the broth)

and tipped them into a stock pot

and simmered away

then blended it all together

to make potato leek soup

added some pepper

and served

YUM!

Chicken Cutlets
(printable recipe)

chicken breasts

eggs

bread crumbs

parmesan cheese

olive oil

Butterfly your chicken breast and then pound until very thin. You can buy them already as scallopini, but you pay a premium. I find it much easier to slice if the breast is slightly frozen...but if that is too time consuming for you, make sure the breast is dry so it doesn't slip and slide while you have a sharp knife in your hand.   Crack eggs in a shallow dish and scramble with a fork.  Add a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper and a bit of milk.  Let's say 2 eggs to about a tablespoon of milk.  In another shallow dish, pour in bread crumbs with grated parmesan cheese.  The ratio is about 2/3 bread crumbs and 1/3 cheese.  Dip the chicken breast into the egg, then into the bread crumbs.  Pan fry in a large skillet using olive oil. Don't let the chicken swim in the oil, but put enough to ensure the chicken doesn't stick.  You will have to add more olive oil as you go.

The best part about these cutlets is that they are delicious hot, cold or room temperature.  They also freeze really well. I keep a stash in my freezer for last minute dinners. I will add tomato sauce and cheese for chicken parmesan, or a bit of lemon juice, white wine, and capers for a quick piccata.