k is for kumquat

 i love the kumquat

it is 

sweet on the outside

and oh so sour

inside

sort of like 

a 

john hughes character

truth be told

i would rather

eat them straight

than 

cook with them

but today

i decide to build a treat

around kumquats

panna cotta with kumquat confit
(printable recipe)

(say that 10 times fast!)

kumquat confit

10-15 kumquats--sliced thinly lengthwise

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup water

pinch salt

put sugar and water into a pot and bring to a boil  toss in salt and kumquats. let cook for 5 minutes then turn off heat. allow to cool completely.  Remove kumquats with slotted spoon and place on silpat or parchment paper.  Store sugar water separately.  The kumquats should be good and gooey.  The sugar water should taste citrusy. I use it to flavor my tea, or you can boil it up again and use it in your favorite marshmallow recipe.  If you want to store the kumquat for longer than a day, put in a jar, add a bit of the sugar water and put in the fridge.

vanilla panna cotta

1 1/2 cups cream

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

pinch of salt

2 tsp powdered gelatin

3 Tbs cold water

Place cream, milk, sugar and salt in a saucepan.  In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let sit for a few minutes.  Heat the cream until the sugar is dissolved and the liquid is simmering. do not let it boil.  turn off heat, and drop in the gelatin and stir until it is dissolved.  you may need to put it back on the fire to completely dissolve the gelatin, but do it over a gentle heat.  Add vanilla.  Pour into 4 ramekins or other serving pieces.  If you want to serve the panna cotta unmolded, put a little oil around the bottom and sides before filling, for insurance.  Refrigerate for about 4 hours or overnight.  Serve plain or with a bit of the confit, or sugared berries.

I am participating in alphabe-thursday over at 

jenny matlock

you should go check it out

and see what all the fun is about

this week

sponsored by the letter K

Tuesday Night Supper Club--Garlic Chicken

there is something poetic

about eating

chicken with 40 cloves of garlic

on the eve of holy week

with a pair of dominican sisters

i "won" this dinner in a school auction

my alma mater

and a school i do some work with today

here's the part that might make you jealous

the school sits atop a hill 

with a million dollar view

with historic buildings and cottages rambling among 40 acres

and

walkways are lined with trees

and a family of deer

that roam about 

as if they are the family pet

it was so wonderful to be

among friends and family

in a place so blessed

enjoying an amazing evening

sister c spent the day putting together a meal

that had us licking our plates

but she wouldn't divulge the recipe

okay, 

she gave bits and pieces of the recipe

but never the whole thing

here is my interpretation

of what really should be

required eating

during lent

40 clove garlic chicken
(printable recipe)

olive oil

40 whole cloves (about 3 heads) of garlic--peeled

6 large chicken breasts (or parts you like) seasoned with salt and pepper

1 large leek--finely sliced crosswise (optional)

1/4 cup cognac

1 cup white wine (use your favorite)

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

salt and pepper to taste

in a dutch oven or heavy pan, heat olive oil.  cook chicken breasts or parts, skin side down until skin is browned.  remove from pan before meat is fully cooked.  with oil still hot, toss in whole garlic cloves and stir for a few minutes--they should start to color.  toss in leek (if using).  continue to cook while stirring occasionally until the leek begins to soften.  pour in cognac and then light it up. BE CAREFUL!! let the flame burn out completely. if you are uncomfortable with this technique you can skip it. the alcohol will cook off. i like the extra little smoky-ness it offers.

when flame is completely out, add wine and chicken broth. lay chicken side up in the pot.  cover, lower heat to lowest setting and cook until the chicken is cooked through. this will vary depending on the type of chicken parts and size of pieces.  check for after 30 minutes.

the sauce is a bit brothy and you want it thicker, remove the chicken and then simmer the sauce down until it achieves the required consistency.  If you like the sauce really, really garlicky, you can take 1/2 the sauce and blend then return to the pot. 

madeline cloak project

i am working on a few things for a school auction

it is that time of year!

in the past i have donated cooking classes and dinner parties

but frankly

i am so busy

and 

coordinating schedules

has become tedious

so this year i switched it up a bit

and i am donating the fixins

for a 

madeline birthday party

i'm not going to lie

i was inspired by a kate landers party

that has been flying around the blogosphere

essentially,

what i am doing 

is providing all the things a

very hip and classy parent

(wink, wink)

would want and need

for their small child's party

and one of those things

actually i made 8 of them

is a madeline cloak

(fully lined, mind you)

i am not a seamstress

so this has been a bit of a challenge

but i have to say

i am 

in love with them

so cute

can't you just imagine

eight little girls

in two straight lines

more to come, i am sure

j is for jiffy pop

who can forget

those nights when mom and dad 

left a babysitter in charge

which meant 

hours of

 prank calls

(do you have prince albert in a can?)

ding dong ditch

pong

and then finally

settling in to 

The Magical World of Disney

with some freshly popped

jiffy pop

shaking back and forth

on the electric coil

until the foil hat was so full

it just might have exploded right then and there

the memories i have 

are so vivid

that

although the popcorn wasn't

gourmet

it has come to symbolize

the joy

and simplicity

of my childhood

I am participating in alphabe-thursday over at 

jenny matlock

you should go check it out

and see what all the fun is about

this week

sponsored by the letter J

Bee-lieve It!

get ready 

for

loads and loads

of 

honey recipes

well, truthfully

you will have a whole year to prepare

our hive went up today

and our bees arrive

april 7th

post invariable

emergency room visit

(a mere distraction

caused

by being stung numerous times)

we will sit and watch our

3lbs or

9,000 bees

acclimate themselves to their new home

isn't it just grand!

in the meanwhile

try not to bee too jealous

we will share the honey

eventually

Franken-Tree

if you have been following my blog for a while

you know that we purchased a mountain cabin

last year

and have been working on it 

in bits and pieces

the interior

while not perfect

is 

perfectly livable

and even a bit

charming

spring has sprung

in our little mountain community

and we are planning our garden

sprinklers are going in

along 

with raised beds for vegetables

our berries and fruit trees have come through the winter looking strong

and 

we have been sprouting seeds while waiting for warmer days

lots of work

for homegrown fruit and veg,

summer evenings in the company of our well-pollened bees,

and an unobstructed view of 

this

FrankenTree

this little sweetheart

is a plum tree that bloomed last year

with 

just a few pieces of fruit

that 

never fully ripened

so hubster

being a mad scientist type

felt

it would be perfect

for grafting

so

under each brown paper wrapping

is a graft

from

a plum tree

a pluot tree

a peach tree

and

a nectarine tree

it seems a bit nutty

but if it works

i will be up to my elbows

in stone fruit salad

Tuesday Night Supper Club--fried rice and chicken wings

i do love fried rice

and am partial to the thai version

over the chinese

flavor aside

i like my fried rice more moist than dry

authentic or not

for tonight's dinner

i am serving baked chicken wings

along with the rice

just a simple way

to get a bit more protein into the meal

and they taste good

Fried Rice
(printable recipe)

olive or peanut oil

3-4 cups cooked rice

1 zucchini--cut into julienne

1 large carrot--cut into julienne

1 cup straw mushrooms or sliced button mushrooms

3 green onions--chopped

3 eggs--lightly beaten

salt and pepper to taste

generous handful pignoli nuts

scant handful raisins

1/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth

1/4  light soy sauce

2 Tbs tomato paste

2 Tbs oyster sauce

1 Tbs seasoned rice vinegar

2 large garlic cloves--finely chopped

1" piece ginger--peeled and finely chopped

1/4 tsp chinese chili paste (optional)

in a small bowl mix together the broth, soy sauce, tomato paste, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger and chinese chili paste (if using).

heat oil in a large skillet or wok.  fry the carrots, zucchini and mushrooms until they just start to brown, stirring frequently.  add the salt and pepper to just season (a generous pinch each).  pour in the egg and stir until the egg is evenly distributed, fully scrambled and cooked through.  toss in green onion, then the rice.  Stir and mix together, then add the sauce all at once. toss in pignoli nuts and raisins. stir until it is evenly distributed.  taste for salt and pepper and additional soy sauce.  

Chicken Wings
(printable recipe)

10-12 wings

1/3 cup light soy sauce

2 Tbs honey

1/4 tsp garlic powder

mix together and pour over chicken wings. let marinate in the refrigerator for about an hour or up to 4 hours. heat oven to 400.  remove the wings from the marinade and bake on a cookie sheet until they are mahogany in color and cooked through. this should take about 30 minutes, but oven times vary.

EAT UP!

i is for italian pastries

listen

i know yesterday was a big day

for the irish

and the color green

and corned beef and cabbage

and shamrock shakes

but hear me and hear me now

tomorrow

is the day 

everyone should cheer

pull out your italian flag

fire up the stove 

pull out all your big pots

open a bottle of wine

yell 

prego, prego

at the top of your lungs

and you will be ready

for

st. joseph's day

or

as it is called in our house

the feast

of

san giussep

and here is the best part

not only is there amazing food

at the St. Joseph Table

there are desserts

amazing

delicious

desserts

the best being

zeppole

which we only eat

this time of year

and the other best

are

cannolli

which i eat 

all too often

and another best is

pasta chote

which is not how they are spelled
but
how it sounds
in a
 complete and total dialect

i think may actually be

pasta croce

but i don't know

because this is what we call it

and when i say we

i mean everyone i have ever known

who has ordered, made, or eaten

pasta chote

and today

as my offering to you

and your st. joseph's table

i pass to you

the secret

to fabulous italian pastries

find a really good

italian bakery

and spend your time

making friends

livin' la vida lucky

i'm still debating the

luck of the irish

i'm awaiting a story which will lead me to believe

they are indeed a lucky group

unless 

you consider

the most beautiful landscapes

guiness

a brogue

mad limerick skills

colin farrell

and

smilin' eyes

lucky

do ya?

do ya now

in closing

here is a limerick i didn't write

but wish i did

Archimedes, the well known truth-seeker

Jumping out of his bath, cried "Eureka!"

He ran half a mile,

Wearing only a smile,

And became the very first streaker

Tuesday Night Supper Club--Chicken Gyros

it is times like these that i am a little bit glad

that
 i can't find my old photos

don't hate me
because

 i spent a year in italy
i know how fortunate i am
it was

my junior year of college

and when that year of education was over

i packed my duffle and headed south

first to sicily

(which is a whole different story)

then to greece

the plan was to spend 1 week in mykonos

and then meet up with some other friends 

on santorini

mind you...

there were no cell phones

there was only

meet us on this day at this place at this time

very sleepless in seattle, no?

except we were all girls

i was traveling with two other girls to mykonos
and the three of us settled in nicely

and enjoyed ourselves more than anyone should

and
gorged ourselves on chicken gyros
every day for lunch

partly because they were so yummy

and partly because they cost next to nothing

to make a long story short

because i know you are dying to know

we never made it to santorini

the biggest storm ever to hit the islands

arrived
 the day before our scheduled departure

and didn't leave for 2 weeks

no boats in or out

at least i think that is how the story went

grin with me

here is my version of the chicken gyros

we ate

day after day

much to my delight

Chicken Gyros

(printable recipe)

4 large chicken breasts-cut in half crosswise

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

finely grated zest from a med to lg lemon

olive oil

tomatoes-sliced

lettuce leaves

pita bread

(i like to buy the fresh thick pita from a specialty store, but this works with the grocery store kind too!)

In a bowl, mix the salt, pepper, oregano and lemon zest.  Rub the chicken with olive oil and the spice mixture, then begin stacking on the skewer. You may need to cut the top of the skewer off to make it fit in your oven.  Place in a 400 oven and let it cook until it is done use a meat thermometer.  Let the chicken cool a bit and then begin slicing on the vertical, just like you see them do at your local donner kebab place.  Fill each pita with chicken, lettuce, tomato, roasted potato and tzatziki sauce. Fold and enjoy!

Tzatziki Sauce

1 small container plain non-fat yogurt

1/2 cucumber--halved, peeled, seeded and sliced paper thin

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 small onion--sliced paper thin

salt and pepper to taste

mix all ingredients together and let sit in the refrigerator at least an hour, but ideally overnight.

Roasted Potato Wedges

1 large russet potato--cleaned and cut into wedges

olive oil

salt

toss the potatoes in the olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  place in a 400 oven to bake until nicely browned.  check for doneness at 30 minutes

Wait...don't go!!!

i want to show you the most fun part of this whole thing

it is my homemade

meat stacker

you know

like you see in the kebab places

i have this beer can chicken thing

and where you are supposed to put the beer

i put foil

and a skewer

apologies for the poor photo quality

and then i stacked the chicken breasts

like so

and just popped it in the oven

easy, right?

Eat Up!

a little piece of cheese

i have been talking about making cheese for months now

and today

was the day

and i am not so excited 

about the result

first of all

what is up with starting with a gallon of milk

and ending with a 1/2 cup of cheese?

huh?

bogus

good news is

it tastes good

although 

it isn't as soft and supple

as i would like

i'm just a bundle of negatives

i know

but it was my first 

mozzarella

but not

my last

because i am going to do this

until i get it right

now

what i need

 is a 

cow

Fresh Mozzarella
(printable recipe)
1 gallon whole milk

1 1/2 tsp citric acid

1 cup cool water

1/4 tsp rennet diluted in 1/4 cup cool water just before using

thermometer

heat the milk and citric acid--diluted in the 1 cup cool water in a large pot to 90F.  Remove from heat and slowly stir in the rennet/water mixture.  Cover and let sit 5-10 minutes.  a nice medium firm layer of curds should form on the top. it will look like custard.  Cut it in cubes with a knife and using a colander, separate from the whey.  Reserve the whey to make ricotta (my next project!).  Place the curds in a microwave safe bowl.  You will heat this in the microwave until the curds melt and are just about too hot to handle.  Remove from the microwave and begin kneading and pulling, much like you would taffy.  If it gets too hard to stretch, pop it back in the microwave and start again.  You will notice that it will stretch and pull and become a bit glossy.  Form into a ball by folding and tucking. Eat right away or store in the fridge.

I think where i went wrong was my milk got a bit too hot before i added the rennet....and I didn't get a nice thick firm layer of curd.  I was able, however, to manipulate what i did have to make a fine tasting ball of mozzarella...but i really want it to be softer.

I am letting the whey sit for a bit before using it for ricotta cheese. I have read that it should sit for 12-14 hours. We'll see.

Chorizo Hash

i like my breakfast to taste like lunch

and

i think i might possibly have a slight potato addiction

so 

when i think about hash

i get glassy-eyed

because 

it is quite possibly

the perfect breakfast food

the best part is

it is so versatile

and yummy 

with any and all types of meat

and here's what else

it is a good hangover food

which i know

doesn't apply to you

or me

but you might know someone

who

 has maybe once or twice

overindulged

Chorizo Hash
(printable recipe)

2 medium russet potatoes--small cube

3 links chorizo--chopped or crumbled

1/2 large onion--finely diced

3 scallions--chopped

1 tsp garlic powder

olive oil

salt and pepper

plop cubed potatoes into a bowl of cold water for at least 5 minutes.  Drain and thoroughly dry.  In a large skillet, brown the onion and chorizo.  Toss the potatoes in a bit of olive oil, then drop into the pan with the chorizo.  Saute until the potatoes are cooked through and begin to brown. Just as the potatoes are starting to brown, toss in the scallions, garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste.

Serve as a side dish or top with a fried egg (or even a chicken breast) for a complete meal.

Tuesday Night Supper Club--Pineapple Chicken

i'm not sure why

but i have multiple cans of pineapple slices in my pantry

and i am not really

 a

dig into the pineapple slices, as a snack kind of girl

i suspect at some point

i was going to make pineapple upside down cake

and then lost interest

it kinda sounds like me

naw

it sounds a lot like me

i figured i would put the fruit to use for tonight's dinner

a very 80s display of culinary delight

you know

a unapologetic use of curry powder and other anglo-indian spices

for sure

i'm gonna be honest

i wasn't sure how this would turn out

and i was afraid to tell my husband that i kinda sorta started throwing things into the pot

but it turned out pretty good

and very light

Pantry Pineapple Chicken
(printable recipe)

2 lbs chicken

(i used skinless boneless chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces)

1/2 tsp salt

3 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1" knob fresh ginger--peeled and cut into pieces

pinch paprika

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 medium onion--thinly sliced

1 cup chopped mushrooms

3 scallions--chopped

1 carrot--finely cut into matchstick size pieces

2 large handfuls of fresh spinach

1 can pineapple slices or chunks in juice (not heavy syrup)

1 cup chicken or vegetable broth

Heat heavy lidded pan over medium heat. Add enough oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan...just enough to prevent sticking.  Toss in onions and cook to lightly brown.  Meanwhile place salt, pepper, cayenne, cumin, curry powder, ginger, paprika, turmeric and garlic in a mortar and pestle and grind to a paste. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, you can use a blender with a bit of water for liquid or even the back of a knife to smash to a paste.  Once onions begin to lightly brown, toss in the spice paste and cook for a couple of minutes.  Add carrots, mushrooms, scallions and chicken.  Let cook a minute or two, then add the pineapple with juice and the chicken broth. Cover and let simmer about 20-25 minutes.  If you are using boneless chicken, it should be cooked through after about 25 minutes, but check to be sure.  I removed the chicken and then threw the heat up to high and reduced the sauce to thicken it a bit. It is not necessary, you can keep the sauce brothy if you prefer.  Toss in the spinach just before serving.  Serve over rice or couscous.

EAT  UP!

hello cupcake

 happy 18th birthday

to my

niece

Meghan

welcome

to

the 

adults table!

everybody loves a winner!!!

congratulations to the winners of my book give-a-way

random.org pulled #12 and #20

and those numbers were assigned to

drumroll please

amy@ KeepingupwiththeSchultzFamily

and

 pat@ MilleFioriFavoriti

send your mailing address to: christy@luciagrace(dot)net and I will put them in the mail to you

congratulations and  happy saturday

G is for Give-A-Way

oh so glad that g is here

finally!

i have something really special to give-a-way

books

children's books

that speak to any age

about finding your passion

these books are written by

my younger brother

(full disclosure)

they are fun and have amazing illustrations

and there is a toy too!

a little plush bug for your little one's backpack

or your backpack

i won't tell!

i have 2 sets to give away

and i will pick the winners on saturday

entries will be accepted until midnight (pst) friday march 5th, 2010

i will be using random.org

here's how to enter:

1 entry if you leave a comment

1 additional entry if you are a follower (please specify in a separate comment)

1 more entry if you blog about the give-a-way (please specify in a separate comment with link)

Good Luck! 

I am participating in alphabe-thursday over at 

jenny matlock

you should go check it out

and see what all the fun is about

this week

sponsored by the letter G

Tuesday Night Supper Club--Coconut Shrimp

a couple of weeks ago we were in san francisco

for my mom's birthday

and we ate at the most amazing restaurant

called The Slanted Door

the food is fresh and delicious

and i have found myself craving it daily

one of my favorite dishes they serve

is a cabbage and jicama salad

i had it for the first time a couple of years ago

and i talked about it so much

that a friend of mine tracked down the recipe 

and left it on my doorstep

tonight

i share the recipe with you

with my little twist

coconut shrimp

now pardon me

while i lick my plate

Cabbage and Jicama Salad
(printable recipe)

adapted from The Slanted Door Restaurant

1/2 red cabbage--shredded

1/2 medium jicama--cut into matchstick size julienne

1 medium carrot--cut into matchstick size julienne

1 grapefruit--supreme

1/2 cup fresh mint--chiffonade

1/4 cup candied walnuts or pecans

Dressing

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 Tbs seasoned rice vinegar

1 Tbs cider vinegar

1 Tbs agave syrup (the recipe calls for sugar, i substituted the agave)

1 tsp minced garlic

1 thai chili minced (or 1/2 tsp chinese chili paste)

1 tsp fresh lime juice

2 tsp oil

salt and pepper

cover the shredded cabbage with salted water and let sit 30 minutes or so.  Drain and fully dry. Add to all other salad ingredients, with exception of the nuts. Stir together all ingredients for dressing and mix into the salad.  Toss in nuts and serve.  

Tonight I am serving our salad with coconut shrimp which is really simple

Coconut Shrimp
(printable recipe)

peeled and deveined shrimp

2 eggs--lightly beaten

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 cup shredded coconut

oil for frying

mix the cornstarch and coconut together in a shallow bowl.  dip each shrimp into the egg and then into the coconut mixture.  Drop in oil heated to 350.  Cook until the coconut is nicely browned.

EAT UP!