Grilled Sword Fish served with Tri-Color Couscous and Parsleyed Rainbow Carrots

Life has been a bit of a tornado lately. It was so nice to sit down to a normal meal last night and have time to blog about it today! Looking at the pictures has me craving the same meal again tonight! Alas, tonight is a take-out night [heavy sigh].

The carrots I used for this meal were new to me, I'd never seen rainbow colored carrots before. I LOVE purusing the produce aisles at Whole Foods - It's like visiting an art gallery only you can touch things! The first time I walked through their cheese section my eyes welled up with tears.

These recipes are quick, easy and go together beautifully - the textures and flavors of each dish complimented each other well. If you  can't find rainbow carrots or colored couscous, just substitue regular for both  items - won't be as colorful but will still be tasty!

Grilled Sword Fish
1 large sword fish steak, halved
Bottled Italian Salad Dressing
Place fish into a resealable baggie and pour in enough Italain dressing to cover fish. Refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.

Drain fish and pat dry.  Sprinkle steaks with salt and fresh ground pepper. (I used a fresh ground Mediteranean Sea Salt and Garlic Blend with my cracked pepper)

Drizzle steaks with EVOO and place on pre-heated Panini press set to grill setting. Grill steaks for 3 minutes, then give steaks a quarter turn and grill for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Tri-Color Couscous
1 c. chicken broth
1 c. Sundried tomato-Spinach-Durum wheat Couscous Blend
2 T. butter, divided
1 T. minced shallot
1 T. chopped parsley
Healthy pinch of salt
1T. EVOO
1 ounce shelled pumpkin seeds

In small sauce pan over medium heat, melt 1 T. butter. Add minced shallots and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add broth and salt and bring to a boil. Stir in couscous, parsley and pumpkin seeds. Drizzle with olive oil and put 1 T. pat of butter on top - cover and remove from heat.

Parsleyed Rainbow Carrots
1 bunch organic rainbow carrots
1 T. butter
1 T. EVOO
1 T. chopped parsley
1 T. balsamic vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste

Wash carrots and cut tops, leaving approximately 1/2 inch of greens. Place carrots in a skillet and cover with water. Bring to a rolling boil and boil 2 minutes. Drain carrots and plunge them into an ice bath. Let cool 2 to 3 minutes. Drain carrots and return to skillet. Add 1 T. each butter and olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Sauté, stirring occasionally, over med-low heat for 4 to 6 minutes. Add 1 T. balsamic vinegar and continue to sauté for another 3 to 4 minutes. Add chopped parsley just prior to serving.

- - - - - - - -
I will be traveling over the next few weeks and am looking forward to sharing my food adventures with you while away.Ciao for Now!

FREAKY FINGERS

FREAKY FINGERS:
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
Green food color
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sliced almonds
Red gel icing
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon water


In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter until smooth and creamy. In a separate small bowl beat egg with both extracts and food color until blended, add to butter mixture, along with 1 cup sugar. Beat until combined.

In a separate bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter mixture in three batches, scraping down bowl between batches.

Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Working with one quarter of the dough at a time and keeping remainder refrigerated. Use your hands to roll a log of dough approximately 1/2 inch by 3-4 inches in diameter. Shape each log into a finger, making the center of the log wider for the knuckle. Place on a parchment covered baking sheet, about 3 inches apart. If the dough begins to get sticky, return it to the fridge for a few minutes to stiffen up.

Use the blade of a butter knife to make knuckle marks on the fingers and then the broad side of the tip of the knife to make a slight flat imprint for a nail bed.

Bake 20-25 minutes, until fingers are slightly golden. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Meanwhile, mix together 1/4 cup powdered sugar and water in a small bowl until the consistency is similar to that of a paste.

On each cooled cookie finger, place a drop of red food color gel on the nail bed. Spread a dollop of sugar-water mixture over backside of an almond slice and place atop red gel dollop on nail bed, wide end of the almond slice at the base of the bed. The red gel will ooze out of the sides of the almond. Fill in any cracks in the dough with red food color gel to resemble blood. Let dry uncovered for about 30 minutes.

Makes approximately 24-30 fingers.

A Beautiful Ham-Aspargus Quiche AND Edible Fake Vomit Cookies - Really?

Before we get into the Halloween Ghoulish Gourmet stuff, I'm going to share a wonderful quiche recipe with you. The Dijon mustard really compliments the smoked ham in this recipe - and the tanginess of the Jarlsberg partners perfectly with the creaminess of the gouda making this easy quiche extra elegant.

HAM-ASPARAGUS OMELET
3 eggs, plus one yolk
1 ½ cups fat free half-n-half
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash or two (or three, or four) of Tabasco sauce
1 bunch asparagus, woody ends removed – Set aside 8 asparagus, cut remaining into 1 inch diagonal bits
1 cup smoked ham, diced
1 shallot bulb, minced finely
3/4 cup Jarlsberg cheese, grated
3/4 cup Gouda cheese, grated
1 premade pie crust dough

Preheat oven to 375-degrees. Prepare piecrust and place into pie dish – crimp edges, refrigerate until ready to fill.

In medium bowl, whisk eggs, half-n-half, flour, Dijon, salt and Tabasco until blended thoroughly. Set aside.

Toss both cheeses together to mix thoroughly. Set aside.

In separate small bowl mix diced ham, cut asparagus, minced shallot. Spread mixture over bottom of pie crust. Sprinkle two-thirds of the cheese evenly over meat mixture. Place the 8 whole asparagus stems in a wheel design over the top of the cheese and sprinkle with remainder of the cheese. Carefully pour egg mixture over all. Place in oven and bake for 35 – 45 minutes, until center of quiche is firm. Cool slightly to set prior to serving.

Helpful Hint:  I usually check my pies/quiches approximately 20 minutes into the baking time as the crust is usually nicely browned by then. At this point I place a pie crust protector over the crust to keep it from over browning. If you do not own a pie crust protector, simply cover pie crust edges with foil strips and return to oven until dish is finished cooking.

NOW FOR THE FUN STUFF! 

EDIBLE FAKE VOMIT, REALLY?

This recipe is sooooo flexible. I encourage you to play with your food! Mix it up - make it fun!

I am giving you my "basic" vomit recipe but I cannot stress how flexible this recipe really is. Today when I made this batch, I only had 1 cup of coconut on hand - so instead, I added 1 cup puffed rice cereal and 1 cup of slightly crushed Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal to make up for the missing 2 cups of coconut needed.

The result was similar yet totally different, if that makes sense. I must say I prefer them cereal free - with coconut only they tend to spread out better, more like a vomit splat than this more formed version. Still, the overall effect still works and they taste great!


Here is my original basic recipe:

EDIBLE FAKE VOMIT
1, 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
2, 5 oz. bags sweetened, shaved coconut
1 cup sweetened, flake coconut
1 cup colored mini marshmallows
1/2 cup butterscotch chips (or peanut butter chips)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon brandy extract
2 drops Neon purple food coloring
1 drop Neon blue food coloring
2 drops Neon pink food coloring

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, use a rubber spatula to mix together sweetened condensed milk, extracts, and food coloring. You want to keep tweaking the color until you get a good pinkish hue. Add remaining ingredients and stir until combined.

Drop by heaping tablespoons onto prepared baking sheet. Don’t worry about dropping into neat mounds – you want a ‘random splatter’ look about them. Bake for 13-15 minutes (watch carefully – marshmallows can burn quickly). Remove and transfer onto wire racks to cool. The texture is meant to be chewy. These cookies will harden as they cool.

Makes approximately 1 ½ to 2 dozen depending on size of splats.

Fun Additions:
Chop up a few candy corns using a ridged blade to resemble half eaten bites. Add these to the cookies immediately after you remove them from the oven, but before they cool and set up.

* Take it to the Extreme and serve with shots of "Pepto Bismol" (Bailey's Irish Cream with Neon Pink food coloring added).

BLACK WIDOW SPIDER BITES or TURDS AND POO - Your Choice!

This is a great Halloween Party recipe. You can either make the black widow spider version seen picured here - hint; the eggplant abdomen holds quite a bit of dip so be sure to make extra legs to go around.


Or you can made "DRIED TURDS with GOOEY POO DIP" - Same recipe/instructions, omit eggplant, add sprinkle of garlic and rosemary, or basil and sundried tomato to the bread strips prior to the 'painting' step. Fun option - add a few corn kernels for texture.  Form smaller twists, being as anotomically correct as you can stomach. Bake as instructed. Serve on platter with a 'pile' of poo dip in the middle. Hilariously delicious!

Be sure to add labels to your Gross-Gourmet dishes for maximum effect!

BLACK WIDOW SPIDER BITES

1, medium eggplant
1, 16 ounce can refried black beans
1, 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
8 ounces prepared hummus, roasted red pepper flavored
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 red pepper, divided
1/4 cup dry onion soup mix
Lemon juice
green olive with pimento stuffing
1, 13 ounce tube refrigerated Pillsbury Pizza dough
1 cup, parmesan cheese, grated
Black food color (or combine red & blue food coloring to get near black)

When you purchase your eggplant, try to find one that will sit nice and flat on a serving platter, and also resembles the abdomen of a spider in shape. For this dish I use the egg plant solely as a vessel to serve the dip in. Slice the eggplant in half lengthwise. Run a paring knife around the edge of each half, approximately 1/4 inch from the skin, to carve out the flesh. You want to leave at least 1/4 inch thickness so that the shell will be firm enough to use as a bowl.

Cut an X between fresh-cut edges and scoop out each quarter section until each half resembles a bowl. Discard eggplant flesh. Rub lemon juice over the cut edges to prevent browning and place into re-sealable baggie in refrigerator until ready to use.

Meanwhile, set aside 1/3 can of the drained, rinsed black beans and put the remaining 2/3 can into a medium bowl, mix with refried beans, hummus, garlic, cumin, onion soup mix, and red pepper, and mash with potato masher. Stir in equal amounts of red and blue food colors until you get a dark black-ish hue. Gently stir in 1/3 can whole black beans. Refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight to let flavors meld together.

Put grated parmesan cheese in re-sealable baggie and add 4 to 6 drops each of red and blue food coloring. Let the air out of the bag and seal. Smoosh the cheese and food coloring around inside the baggie until thoroughly mixed and color is even. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 425-degrees F. Spray a large cookie sheet with non-stick spray.

In a very small glass bowl (plastic as it may stain) combine approximately 1 tablespoon each of red and blue food colors. Open tube of pizza dough and roll out to an approximate 16” X 8” rectangle. Using a pizza slicer, cut into fourths, lengthwise so that you have 4, 16” X 2” rectangles. Then cut each of those rectangles in half so that you end up with 8, 8” X 2” strips. Using a pastry brush, paint top side of each strip of dough with “black” food color. Carefully lift strips, one at a time, flip over and fold in half lengthwise so that the black is on the outside and the uncolored dough is on the inside. Pour grated and colored parmesan into a flat bottom bowl. Take each 8” X 1” piece of dough, one at a time, and place into grated cheese. Sprinkle cheese on top of dough as well, and press all sides so that cheese adheres. Now gently, grab each end of the cheese covered dough strip, letting the center rest in the cheese bowl so that you don’t over stretch it - twist. If there are portions of “uncolored” dough showing, don’t worry – this is not supposed to be pretty. Place twisted, coated strips on prepared baking sheet and continue process until all 8 strips are done. Once they are all on the baking sheet, shape each into a spider legs – 4 bending to the right and 4 bending to the left. Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes. Remove and let cool.

To assemble spider, first prepare eggplant abdomen. Choose which side will be the top and which will be the bottom. Cut a small sliver from the bottom of the eggplant that will be sitting on the tray, if necessary, to stabilize. Cut an hourglass shape from the top piece to resemble that of a black widow spider marking. Using the same pastry brush, rinsed of course, paint red food color on the inside rim of the cut hour glass shape.

Place bottom of ‘abdomen’ on large tray. Fill with black bean dip. Place top with hour glass cut-out over dip and arrange ‘bread legs’ around the ‘abdomen’. Garnish with olive halves for eyes. Guests can break off bits of leg to use in dip. Creepy Good Stuff!

Easy-Elegant Butternut Squash Soup

A bit of a break from the grossities of Halloween and a retreat instead to the comforts of autumn food on a rainy day.

Easy-Elegant Butternut Squash Soup:

2, butternut squash - base area should be size of small soup bowl
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons shallot, finely minced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon salt (plus salt and pepper to taste)
1, 32 ounce container butternut squash soup
1/4 cup sherry
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 cup fat free half-and-half
3 ounces pancetta, baked to crisp *(See 9-14-09 post)
4 tablespoons pomegranate seeds *(See 9-21-09 post)
4 tablespoons sour cream (or creme fraiche)

Cut 'bowls' from wide end of the squash - approximately 4 inches deep. Scoop seeds from bowl area and discard. Cut remaining squash into quarters (flesh should be approximately 1/2 cup in size each quarter). Salt and pepper cut sides of squash. Place squash, cut side down, in microwave-safe baking dish with 1/2 inch water. (Do in two batches). Microwave per oven instructions - I use the "baked potato" setting and gauge quantity by amount of squash cooking per batch. Example: For two butternut squash bowls, I microwave as two baked potatoes, etc.

Set 'bowls' aside and peel extra squash pieces. In medium-large saucepan, saute 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon butter, 2 tablespoons shallot, garlic clove and pinch of salt until softened, approximately 5 minutes. Add 2 cups cooked butternut squash flesh and using emersable blender - mix until smooth. Stir in container of soup, sherry, pumpkin pie spice, cumin, chili powder and half-and-half. Continue stirring until heated thoroughly. Ladle soup into butternut soupbowls. Top each with a dollup of sour cream (or creme fraiche), a tablespoon of crispy pancetta and a tablespoon of pomegranate seeds.

This dish is so easy, yet so elegant. Always an impressive dish whether served as a starter course or as a main dish.

I am working on a recipe for "Black Widow's Abdomen"...I promise to share soon!

BLOOD SHOT DEVILED EYES

BLOOD SHOT DEVILED EYES
6, hard cooked eggs
6 drops green food color, *optional
 drop neon purple food color, *optional
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 to 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
4 dashes (or more to taste), hot pepper sauce
Sliced green olives for pupils
Red food color
Toothpicks

Cut hard cooked eggs in half lengthwise. Put yolks in a separate bowl and set aside. Rinse off egg whites, careful to keep intact. If you wish to color the egg whites; fill a large bowl with water to cover egg whites, approximately 3 ½ to 4 inches deep. Add green and purple food coloring. (Or whatever color you choose). Place rinsed egg whites in colored water and let sit until they reach the shade you desire – check every few minutes until ready then pat dry and set aside. If you wish to leave the eggs white; pat dry and set aside until needed.

Put egg yolks into a wire mesh sieve and push through with the backside of a spoon into a medium size bowl. This will remove any lumps from the yolk mixture. Add the next seven ingredients and stir until smooth. Place yolks in a pastry bag with a star tip and put in refrigerator until ready to use. (You can also omit the pastry bag and tip, and instead, spoon yolk mixture into egg halves).

Set egg whites (colored or plain) onto serving platter, cut side up. Pour small amount of red food color onto plate. Dip the end of a toothpick into the food color and paint blood vessels onto cut side of egg whites. Remove pastry bag from fridge and fill each egg white cavity with yolk mixture (or use spoon to fill). Add olive pupils.

*Here is a picture omitting the step of pre-coloring the egg whites.

OOZING MUMMY HEAD CHEESE

Oozing Mummy Cheese Head
1, 8 ounce wheel of Brie Cheese
1 jar red hot pepper jelly
1 tube refrigerator crescent rolls
1 egg white
1 Tablespoon of water
1 pimento stuffed green olive

Unwrap brie wheel. Cut rind off of top portion of cheese only – leave remaining rind intact. With cut side on top, spread layer of red pepper jelly over brie. Spray baking dish of choice with nonstick cooking spray (can also double as serving dish).

Pop open tube of crescent rolls and on wax paper, also sprayed lightly with cooking spray, lay out refrigerated crescent rolls, keeping seams intact. Press seams together to form one large sheet. Cut into one inch wide strips for bandages. Wrap around entire brie wheel (including bottom side) to resemble mummy. Cut two slices from green olive for eyes and place with strips slightly overlapping tops and bottoms of ‘eyes’.

Stir egg white and water together, brush over top and sides of mummy head. Bake at 350-degrees F. for approximately 20 minutes or until pastry is golden and cheese has melted slightly. (Overcooking will cause pastry to burst and cheese to ooze out).

Serve with or without crackers – the outer pastry layer actually lets this dish stand alone and the gooey, oozing, reddish center is the perfect texture for mummy insides!

Next Post – Devil Egg Eyes!

Severed Finger Food

Severed Finger Food

1 package cocktail wieners
Ketchup
6, large flour tortillas
Round toothpicks

Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Cut a fingernail shape from the tip of each cocktail wiener. Discard cut out tips or reserve for another use.

Cut the tortillas into strips about 4 inches long and 3/4 inch wide.  I use a pizza cutter to get a nice straight line. To make the strips pliable, place them between two damp paper towels and microwave for approximately 10 to 30 seconds.

Roll each "finger" wiener in a tortilla strip and secure with a toothpick. Place on baking sheet and fill each nail with ketchup. This is easier to do if you use a condiment bottle with a squirt tip. Bake for approximately 8 to 10 minutes.  Remove the toothpicks before serving.

These are wonderfully creepy but also good eats - Another Halloween must have! Stay tuned for Mummy Head Cheese!

GLOWING TOXIC WASTE PUNCH

This punch is great for both children and adult parties! The eerie bluish-green glow that emits from this punch will have everyone wondering what's really in this beverage! 

GLOWING TOXIC WASTE PUNCH

You will need:
A glass punch bowl
1 package of 6, yellow or green glow sticks
Spring form cake pan
2 cans, frozen margarita mix, thawed
3 cups Sprite or Squirt soda, chilled
4 cups blue Gatorade, chilled

(*For adult parties offer choices of vodka, rum, tequila or gin, and use punch as the mixer).


Make a base for your glass punch bowl using the rim of a spring form pan. Just prior to preparing the punch, activate two glow sticks and place inside spring form pan, placing punch bowl securely on top. I placed a couple globs of sticky tack in place to keep punch bowl from sliding around on base. Cover base with dried leaves or spider webbing or a black netting.

Stir in punch ingredients – turn out the lights and watch it glow!

In this photo I had dressed up one of my yard decor scarecrows in this skeleton costume and put a name tag on him that said, "Bartender - May I lend you a hand?"  Then I placed a severed hand by the punchbowl for laughs.

Speaking of 'severed' - tomorrow we'll do Severed Finger Hors D'Oeuvres!

Let the Halloween Recipes Begin!

Halloween is just around the corner and although I don’t care for candy, I LOVE Halloween. I have a blast coming up with fun recipes and party ideas. Between now and Halloween I will share many of my past successes with you and maybe some new ones!

I will start with one of my most requested recipes:

BAT WINGS

Halloween Bat Wings
2 lbs. chicken wings, tips intact

Marinade:
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup red wine
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 T. ginger, minced
4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 to 4 tablespoons Louisiana hot sauce (you pick heat level)
1 teaspoon black food coloring*

Rinse wings and pat dry. Open wings up and press flat to resemble bat wings. Put all marinade ingredients into a heavy duty re-sealable baggie and squish to mix thoroughly. Add the wings, keeping them opened flat as much as possible, and marinate wings for at least 12 hours, turning occasionally to ensure each wing blackens thoroughly. The food color will turn the wings a greenish color, then a purplish color before they turn black.

Remove wings from marinade. Discard marinade. Lay out wings flat on the grill and cook over medium grill for approximately 20-25 minutes.
Once you get past the creepy appearance, the taste is wonderful!

*Black food color can be found in specialty stores such as cake decorating and candy stores - also carried at times in craft stores and your local grocery store.

Tomorrow I'll show you how to make a glowing, Toxic Waste Punch!

Teriyaki Chicken Turned Asian Fusion Pizza

Teriyaki Chicken

4 cups Yoshida Teriyaki Marinade
6 pieces raw chicken, bone-in, skin on (I used breasts and thighs)

Place chicken and marinade in re-sealable bag and refrigerate overnight and all day the next day.

1 1/2 to 2 hours prior to dinner remove chicken from the fridge and bring to room temp (approximately 30 minutes).

Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Drain marinade off chicken and place meat in roasting pan that has been coated with non-stick cooking spray. Bake chicken for 30 minutes.

Remove chicken from the oven and place on medium-high grill. Bake 5 minutes or until meat has seared and releases easily from the grill. Turn chicken over and bake another 5 minutes. Remove from grill and cover with foil until ready to serve.

I served the chicken with steamed broccoli and made a "faux Asian noodle" side dish using a spaghetti squash, grated carrots, chopped spring onion and a dressing of soy, sherry, sesame oil, and hot chili oil (served warm).

Re-inventing leftovers, I came up with this incredible blend for a pizza. Enjoy!
(We sure did!)

Asian-Infused Pizza
1 batch pizza dough
2 cups leftover Teriyaki chicken shredded
1/4 cup bottled Hoisin sauce
1/3 cup shredded carrot
1/3 cup julienned red onion
1/3 cup julienned green pepper (capsicum)
1 roasted pineapple (instructions below)
1/2 cup cashews, shelled and roughly chopped
2 cups Gouda cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 375-degrees. Lightly oil baking sheet or pizza pan. Sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons corn meal over oil. Shape pizza dough onto pan and lightly coat with oil. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and put toppings on in the following order:  Hoisin sauce, shredded Teriyaki chicken, shredded carrots, julienned red onion, julienned green pepper and top with 1/4 inch thick slices of pineapple, chopped cashews and lastly the Gouda cheese. Return to oven and bake for approximately 20 to 25 minutes until dough is cooked through and cheese is slightly golden. Serves 4 (Unless one of the four is my husband - he practically ate the whole pizza himself!)

Instructions for Roasting a Pineapple: Slice both top and bottom off of pineapple. Remove skin by standing the pineapple up on the counter and running your chef's knife down the sides of the fruit. Then cut the pineapple in quarters, lengthwise and remove the center core from each piece. Toss fruit in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. Bake in oiled roasting dish at 350-degrees F. for 230 minutes.  Once fruit has cooled to room temp, slice as needed for whatever dish you are using it for...don't let it sit out too long - roasted pineapple has a tendency to disappear as quickly as candy when left out!

Spinach Artichoke Dip

This is such a great dip - easy and quick to make, always a big hit and essential during football season!

Spinach Artichoke Dip:  (Serves 4)
5 ounces of fresh spinach
1, 13.75 ounce can artichoke quarters, drained and chopped
1, 5 ounce can water chestnuts, chopped
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons Parmesano Reggiano cheese, shredded
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup gouda cheese, shredded
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
Dash or two (or three if you’re brave) Louisiana Hot Sauce

Preheat oven to 375-degrees F.
Mix all ingredients (setting aside 2 tablespoons of the Parmesano Reggiano) in medium bowl to blend. Spray a 4 cup baking dish/ramekin and fill with dip mixture.  Bake until cheese is melted and dip is heated through, approximately 20 minutes. Sprinkle remaining Parmesano Reggiano over the top of the dip and continue baking for another 5 to 10 minutes until dip is bubbling and toasty brown.

Serve with bread, cracker or chip of your choice.

A Hearty Vegetable Stew

Fall is in the air, even in sunny, Southern California. Having spent the last few days at Disneyland I find my day filled with unpacking, laundry and various other chores – grocery shopping will have to wait until tomorrow. Tonight we are having a hearty vegetable stew made from pantry ingredients and a few fresh veggies that were hanging out in the veggie bin.

Hearty Vegetable Stew will vary depending on which ingredients you have on hand. Tonight I am using:

2, 14 ounce cans of diced tomatoes (Can substitute with a jar of chunky marinara sauce)
1, 16 ounce carton organic broth (vegetable, chicken or beef)
1, 15 ounce can of beans, drain and rinse (green beans, black beans, pinto beans, butter beans, etc.)
2 ½ to 3 cups fresh vegetables, cut into large dice - (Tonight I used: 1 zucchini, 1/3 red capsicum, 1/3 orange capsicum, 1/3 yellow capsicum, 1/2 sweet onion, 1 large carrot)
1/2 – 3/4 cup small size pasta noodle -(As I didn’t have any ‘smaller’ noodles I used Cappelletti noodles [a round pasta that looks like a button] – I placed the dry noodles in a re-sealable bag and gently broke the pasta into smaller pieces by lightly tapping with a meat mallet.)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste

Start with a large skillet. Add the olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add diced vegetables and cook until they begin to soften slightly. Drain beans and add to vegetables. Add approximately 1 teaspoon of salt and some fresh ground pepper. In a larger pot, pour in the diced tomatoes (un-drained), broth and Ketchup. Ketchup may seem like a strange ingredient to put into a soup but I like the way it works as a thickener and it also adds great flavor at the same time. (No – I am not one of those people who puts Ketchup on everything – I don’t even use it on my French fries – but I do like it for sauces and a few odd uses which you will discover in other recipes). Add Italian Seasoning and stir to mix. Add in the vegetable/bean mixture and stir. Taste to correct seasoning. Bring to a simmer and add pasta. Cover pot and reduce heat to low. Continue to cook over low heat for approximately 20 minutes or until vegetables are completely cooked and pasta is al dente.

I like to serve this hearty vegetable stew with a thick slab of bread and some slices of cheese. Tonight we are having Italian herbed bread and some sliced Gouda cheese on the side.

Now all we need is a fire in the fireplace! (Not for heat – but for fall ambiance)

Focaccia BLT

Yes, I am an advocate of baking from scratch as often as possible and yes, I try to avoid processed foods as a general rule of thumb – but realistically, sometimes you just need a shortcut! When I do resort to a package mix of any kind, I add my own fresh ingredients to the mix so it feels homemade. For example; if I make package brownie mix I add Kahlúa and chocolate covered espresso beans.

Today I made Focaccia bread from a box and added – well, you know those Everything Bagels? – That’s kind of what I was aiming for.

Italian-Style Focaccia Bread
1 package Focaccia bread mix (I used and Italian-style Asiago and Sweet Basil blend)
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon chopped, dried onion
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
1 tablespoon chopped, fresh rosemary (in keeping with the Italian theme)

I made the mix per package instructions, except I switched out their packet of yeast for my own Rapid Rise Yeast, and I added the above ingredients.

Also, instead of baking the loaf on a baking sheet as suggested, I put it in a small casserole as I wanted to add height to the loaf for the sandwiches I’d be making for dinner.

Mmm...Smells like Noah’s Bagels in here!

After the loaf cools on a wire rack, slice in half horizontally and drizzle each side with approximately 1 tablespoon each, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.



 
To assemble the BLT - Spread both sides of the focaccia with mayonnaise - top with crispy bacon, sliced tomatoes (salt and pepper to taste) - then pile on the lettuce - add some fresh basil leaves if you wish. Serve with a dill pickle spear and a side of salad or fruit. Tonight we had potato salad.




Bakin’ Bacon
Thick cut bacon, for two I made used 10 slices
Fresh ground pepper

Spray a rimmed baking sheet and a large baking rack with non-stick cooking spray. Place the rack over the baking sheet. Put the bacon slices on the rack - over the baking sheet. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Bake at 350-degrees F. for 12-15 minutes – remove from oven and flip bacon over – bake another 12 minutes and flip one last time – continue baking to desired crispness, approximately 3-5 minutes for thick cut bacon. Be careful not to splash bacon grease as you remove bacon from the oven.

Baking your bacon separates the bacon from the grease – less fat to ingest and you don’t have to give up the crunch! I just know that in heaven, bacon and chocolate will both be fat-free and calorie free!

I will give you my recipe for my basic potato salad in another posting. Instead let me quickly tell you my trick for the perfect hard-boiled egg every time.

In truth, the perfect hard-boiled egg is not really boiled. But I promise, if you follow these easy steps, (and you are using fresh eggs!) you will never have to worry about sticking shells or slightly raw yokes, etc. Here is how you do it:

Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs EVERYTIME
In a small sauce pan, place 4 inches of cool water and 1 tablespoon of salt. Set aside.

Meanwhile, using a small straight-pin, poke a hole in the wide-rounded end of each egg – be careful not to puncture too deeply, just pierce the shell. What this step does is allows for water to seep into the shell and help separate the membrane from the shell so that when you go to peel it, it does not stick to the egg.

Place eggs into water and place pan over high heat, cover with lid and bring to a rolling boil. As soon as the eggs come to a boil, remove it from the heat - leave the lid on. Set the for 18 to 20 minutes, depending on the number of eggs being cooked. (I usually cook 6 at a time for 18 minutes).

While the eggs are resting in the hot water, fill a bowl with 3 cups ice and cold water until approximately 5-6 inches deep. When the timer goes off, drain the eggs and then plunge them into the ice water.

Leave the eggs sit in the ice water until cool to the touch, approximately 5 minutes – this step stops the cooking process and prevents the eggs from getting a green sulfur ring around the yolk.

Another helpful hint regarding hard-boiled eggs is when you go to crack them open, always rap the larger rounded end of the egg on the counter first (it has to do with the air pocket in that end of the egg - I don't remember the exact details of why - just trust me - it helps). Then rap the pointed end on the counter, follow by rolling the sides on the counter breifly - then peel under cold water.

It Smells Like Autumn

Squash roasting in the oven, onion sizzling on the stove - soon it will be stuffed turkey and pumpkin pie scents wafting through the house. Ah, autumn.

Tonight's dinner was pork chops with a fig-heirloom tomato relish, roasted acorn squash and Brussels sprouts. The recipes are below. Please note that when I came up with this fig-relish, I orignally added pomegranate seeds - you will notice I did not list that ingredient in the recipe. It's not that the flavor didn't go well, it was the "surprise" texture - almost unsure if you were crunching bits of porkchop bones. If you want to add the pomegranate seeds to this dish, I would advise you did so by sprinkling the seeds atop the relish just prior to serving. I was very pleased with the flavor of the fig-heirloom tomato relish - very interesting blend of flavors. I hope you try it!

Pork Chops with Fig and Heirloom Tomato Relish

3 pork chops, bone-in
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 large heirloom tomato
10-12 small fresh figs
2 shallots, minced
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 c. white wine
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cumin

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Toss in heirloom tomato and figs to blanch for 30 seconds, remove to a rack to cool slightly. Peel and coarsely chop tomato and figs. Set aside.

Heat a large non-stick skillet over high heat. Sprinkle both sides of pork chops with salt and pepper. Place chops into hot skillet and sear for approximately 3-5 minutes, on each side, until nicely browned. Remove chops to a plate and set aside.

Return skillet to the burner and turn heat to medium. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Add diced shallots and cook just until translucent. Add chopped figs and tomato mixture. Stir in maple syrup, cumin, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Cook for approximately 5 minutes or until relish starts to thicken slightly, then add chops back into skillet and cook with relish for approximately 20-25 minutes longer, turning chops once halfway through.

Simply Roasted Acorn Squash
2, acorn squash
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup honey
Salt and pepper

Halve the squash and remove seeds. Cut a small sliver off the rounded edge of each half so that when set upright like a bowl, it does not wobble. Sprinkle each half with salt and pepper. Place center cut side down in a shallow baking dish with 1/2 inch of water. Microwave the same time you would two baked potatoes on Auto Cook (approximately 10 minutes-high heat). You should be able to pierce the flesh of the acorn easily with a fork but it should not be mushy.

Remove from microwave and set upright (like a bowl) on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and honey - add 1/2 tablespoon of butter to center of each half. Bake in a 350-degree oven for approximately 30 minutes, until slightly browned.

 
Basic Brussels sprouts:


Bring a pot full of salted water to a rolling boil. Wash the sprouts and peel off any shoddy looking outer leaves. Cut the very end of the stem off and – to insure even cooking – cut an “X” into the stem end of each sprout, taking care not to cut all the way through the sprout.

Put the prepped sprouts into the boiling, salted water and continue to cook, boiling, until sprouts are firm but easily pierced with a fork (approximately 8-10 minutes).

Strain, add butter, salt and pepper as desired.

Simple Pleasures

Appointments - errands – husband working late – next thing I know it is past dinnertime and I am starved - I forgot to eat lunch! There aren’t a lot of things my husband won’t eat, but I find that when I know he won’t be home for dinner, I tend to eat what I normally avoid to appease his likes and dislikes. Tonight, I’ve decided, it is too hot to cook. The Santa Ana Winds have kicked in early and it was 104-degrees F last I looked.

So – I grabbed a few slices of Italian peppered salami, sliced some fresh mozzarella, vine-ripened tomatoes and Kalamata olives, tore off a few fresh basil leaves, added cracked black pepper and olive oil and there was dinner!  Took me longer to open a bottle of wine than it did to prepare the meal!

Sometimes the simplest things in life really are the best!

Cheers!

Quick Note:  My sister-in-law, Lynn, makes a similar dish sans salami and Kalamata - and adds a drizzle of balsamic vinegar instead - Delizioso!!!

Pomegranates are here! Pomegranates are here!

I'd like to share with you a great little article I found on-line at about.com - submitted by Saad Fayed - it is the best I have found with regard to showing one how to deseed a pomegranate.

Too many people have given up on enjoying pomegranates because they don't know how to eat them. Here is a cut and paste of Saad Fayed's article:

How to De-Seed a Pomegranate:
Eating a pomegranate can be a messy task. The juice can stain your clothes and even your countertops!

The seeds of the pomegranate fruit are sweet, juicy and bursting with flavor. Sprinkled in salads, in fruit salads, over ice cream and sorbet, the seeds add an interesting addition to any dish. The seeds are tasty eaten by themselves!

Before you go biting into this delicious fruit, read this step by step, picture tutorial on how to de-seed a pomegranate. It will leave you stain free and with lots of seeds to eat!

Cut the crown end of the pomegranate and discard.

The crown can be recognized by small crown-like top.

Score the rind of the pomegranate in several places,

but be sure not to cut all the way through.

Soak the pomegranate in cold water,

upside down for 5-10 minutes

Break apart the rind of the pomegranate and remove seeds from membrane.

The seeds will sink to the bottom of the bowl.

With a sieve, remove rind and membranes from bowl.

Drain seeds with a colander.

Pat dry with cloth or paper towel.

More tips and advice provided by info from Peggy Trowbridge Filippone

Pomegranate Cooking Tips - Since pomegranate juice has an acidic, citrusy flavor, try substituting it in citrus marinades, either whole or in part, for a flavor change. Avoid using aluminum and carbon steel knives or cooking vessels with pomegranates as they can turn the juice bitter.

Concentrated, unsweetened pomegranate juice or paste is made from the reduced juice of sour pomegranate seeds. It is known in some ethnic markets as pomegranate molasses. It lends a tart flavor to dishes.

Pomegranate Equivalents and Measures -
One medium pomegranate should yield 1/2 to 3/4 cup of whole seed pips or 1/2 cup juice.

Fruits should be plump and round, heavy for their size, with a rich, fresh color and should be free of cuts and blemishes. Larger fruits promise more juice.

Pomegranates are not a fruit that will ripen once picked, so once harvested, they will not continue to develop sugar. [They are good to go as soon as you get them home].

Pomegranate Storage

Whole fruits can be stored for a month in a cool, dry area or refrigerated up to two months. The seed pips can be frozen in an airtight bag up to one year. Fresh juice should be refrigerated and used within two to three days.


* * *

My main piece of advice is to be aware that the juice of the pomegranate stains very easily. Wear plastic or rubber gloves when handling the fruit - also cover your countertop and be sure to wear an apron to protect your clothing. The juice will also stain plastic containers, so use glass or disposable plastic bags or containers.

Now that you know how to get the pomegranate seeds out without the mess, have fun trying them in some of your everyday recipes! These seeds are very unique in their flavor and texture, so they can turn an everyday dish into something fun and exotic. One of my favorite uses is to serve a hot pumpkin soup topped with a dollop of crème fraiche, some crumpled crispy-pancetta and a small handful of pomegranate seeds! Very easy - Very elegant - VERY tasty!

Sunday Night Garbage Pail Pasta

Once a week I make a “Garbage Pail Pasta” - the idea being to use up any leftovers that may be lurking in the fridge while disguising them so that I don’t recognize I am eating leftovers. Not a big fan of leftovers (unless they involve pizza, pasta or meatloaf). However, I am also not a fan of waste - Garbage Pail Pasta has become a fun solution!

This week there were no leftover meats to contend with – so I defrosted some pre-cooked hot-link sausages and made use of whatever fresh ingredients I had on hand.

Although the name "Garbage Pail Pasta" does not invoke mouth watering images - this conglomerate of ingredients often turns out to be amazingly memorable and my husband and I have come to look forward to this weekly tradition. Occasionally we’ll come across a combo of ingredients that must be recorded in my cache of recipes and tonight’s pasta is one of those rare beauties – simple, tasty and a hit on the Oo-Mm-Ah meter – which is my barometer for a culinary success.

Let me explain – you set out the meal and the response is "Oo” – which equals an impressive presentation. Then during the meal you hear “Mm’s” all around the table – which equals delicious eats. And last, but not least the “Ah’s” emitted after everyone has had their fill indicates total satisfaction was achieved. Oo’s-Mm’s and Ah’s = A perfect meal!


Today's Garbage-Pail Pasta:
1/2 red capsicum, sliced into 1" cubes
1/2 yellow capsicum, sliced into 1" cubes
1/3 large red onion, sliced into 1" cubes
1/3 cup pesto sauce
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
4, pre-cooked, hot-link sausages (approx. 16 oz.), sliced
   diagonally into ¼ inch coins
1/2 cup Parmesano Reggiano cheese, grated
16 oz. dried pasta noodle of choice, for this dish I used Penne
1/4 cup olive oil + 1 tablespoon
Salt and pepper to taste

Set Panini press to high-grill. In medium bowl toss red pepper, orange pepper, yellow pepper, and red onion with ¼ cup olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place vegetables in single layer on preheated Panini press. Cook in batches for approximately 2 minutes at a time or until caramelized and striped.

Meanwhile bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and dried pasta. Cook per package instructions until past is al dente. Strain and place in large bowl. Toss hot pasta with pesto sauce and Kalamata olives - set aside.

Once veggies are grilled add to pasta and grill sausage 'coins' until done – again, approximately 2 minutes per batch or until caramelized stripes appear.

Toss meat and vegetables in with the pasta. Add cheese and toss again until well blended.

Bon appétit!

Saturday Night BBQ

I love September evenings in Southern California when the weather begins to cool and you can BBQ without baking yourself in the process. Tonight we had barbecued chicken, fruit salad and grilled corn on the cob so sweet it didn't even need butter!

Barbecued Chicken

2 large chicken breasts, bone-in and skin on, halved
2 ½ cups of your favorite BBQ sauce, divided

Place all four pieces of chicken and 2 cups of the barbecue sauce into a gallon size zip baggy. Refrigerate overnight.

30 minutes prior to grilling, remove chicken from the marinade and pat dry. Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and bake chicken at 350-degrees F for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and brush with additional barbecue sauce, then grill for approximately 5 minutes per side until done.

Fruit Salad

1 kiwi fruit, sliced
1 mango, sliced
6-8 strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup blueberries
3 large mint leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon fig balsamic
1 tablespoon honey
Sprinkling of poppy seeds

Toss together and refrigerate for approximately one hour prior to serving. Garnish with sprig of mint leaves.

Grilled Corn on the Cob

4 ears corn, husks still attached
Salt
Raw sugar
Ivah’s House Seasoning
Olive oil
Kitchen twine

Cut any straw from the top of the corn cob. Remove one or two of the outer husks and throw away. Gently begin to peel husks down like you would peel a banana, without detaching. Once they are all peeled, tie the husks approximately 1 ½ inches from the end of the ear of corn.

Fill a large pot with hot water. Add a tablespoon or so each of salt and raw sugar. Place corn in pot, keeping husks out of the water. Bring water to a boil and immediately remove corn. Place on large sheet of foil. Drizzle with olive oil. Salt to taste and sprinkle with my house seasoning. Wrap in foil until ready to grill. Grill for approximately 2 minutes, turn cobs a quarter turn, grill another 2 minutes, and so on, until corn has lovely caramelized striping. Wrap in foil once again until ready to serve.

You Are What You Eat

To prep for food allergy tests I need to consume gluten to avoid a false negative test result.  So lucky you – I will be making and posting some of my favorite recipes that I’ve concocted over the years! Gluten or no gluten – I’ll still stick to the basics of trying to eat a rainbow everyday and using food in its most natural form as often as possible.

             

My mother used to constantly warn me - You are what you eat! - I half expected to grow up looking like a giant taco flavored Dorito. Like most children growing up, I loathed anything green (except guacamole!) However I was very fortunate - my parents had a rule that we had to eat one tablespoon of everything served for dinner - no exceptions. Once we ate a taste of everything, we were allowed to fill our plates with our favorite parts of the meal- providing we ate everything we put on our plates. Thanks to these simple rules, us girls grew to love all kinds of food.

Did someone mention guacamole? =)  When I was a young girl, there was a family in our church that owned a Mexican restaurant and that is where I had my first taste of this exotic new thing called guacamole. They would serve it in a crunchy, edible corn tortilla bowl and it was such a treat!

I recently had a reader ask my advice on guacamole and as I am about to go make some, I thought I'd post my reply and then share a picture of today's batch.

My husband and I have what we call “Tapas Time” every Saturday and Sunday around 3PM after our swim. We don’t even need a clock - our stomachs let us know it's time!

The key to a great guacamole is to use a great avocado.
I live in Southern California where avocados are abundant. My favorite is the Lamb Hass variety which is in season late June through October. It has a pebbly dark green skin that turns to nearly black when it is ripe. Look for fruit (yes, avocado is a fruit!) that is average to large, oval-shaped and heavy for its size - no mushy soft spots. The avocado should yield to gentle pressure from your thumb.

My Guacamole Recipe:  When Hass avocados are in their peak season, I am a purest! Simply peel and pit two ripe avocados, place in a bowl and add approximately 1 teaspoon of fresh lime juice (prevents the guacamole from turning brown) and a sprinkling (to taste) of coarse Kosher salt. Mash together to mix and that’s all there is to it! When you have a beautiful tasting avocado why hide the flavor behind strong seasonings? Salt and lime complement the natural creamy flavor of a good avocado.

As October nears, the flavor of the Hass begins to fade - so today I added 1/4 t. chili pepper blend from a tube.  During off-season for Hass, I add other ingredients to my guacamole such as a firm, diced Roma tomato (seeds removed), plus approximately ¼ cup finely minced Spanish onion, and if you like it hot, a tablespoon (more or less to taste) of very finely diced jalapeño pepper.

When picking avocados, Hass or not, make sure your avocado is perfectly ripened. If the avocado is over ripe the flesh will be stringy and brown. If the avocado is under ripe it will taste bitter and the texture will be hard. Avocados mature on the tree, but soften and develop to their fullest flavor after they are picked. A firm green avocado typically ripens within three to four days. If the skin is splotchy with green and black patches it will be ready for use sooner, in two to three days time.

Grilled Ahi in a Sesame-Wasabi-Honey-Boysenberry Marinade

Okay, you are probably thinking that tuna is WAY too done! But don't let your eyes deceive you. First of all, the angle of this shot only shows the top of the ahi steak, not the thickness. Secondly, the marinade I used made the ahi appear darker in color due to the juices from the boysenberry. That same juice also caramelized during grilling, which lent a beautiful richness to the overall flavor of the fish.

I was very pleased with the flavor of this marinade, which was a bit risky - after all, who thinks to combine ahi and boysenberry?

Avoiding gluten has led me into untraveled territory and finding replacements for my go-to ingredients will take some reinventing. Did you know soy sauce can have gluten? Grrr...So...I rummaged through my fridge and pantry and came up with the following combo:

Marinade for Ahi
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon prepared, Wasabi
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
1/4 cup boysenberry preservatives

Place all ingredients in a reseal-able plastic baggy, add ahi steaks, seal and refrigerate for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

These flavors were very complimentary of each other. If you don't have boysenberry preserves, blackberry preserves would work just as well.

Once you have marinated your ahi steaks, remove them from the marinade and grill them to desired doneness. I used my Panini press and grilled them for 5 minutes total. I think I would have done better grilling for 3 minutes or at least have left the ahi steak in one piece instead of cutting into 3 smaller steaks, which obviously cooked even faster.

To go with the tuna I made Basmati Rice Pilaf in my rice steamer - another appliance I wouldn't want to live without. I added 1 cup rice, 1 2/3 cups water, 2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons raw sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon minced ginger. Set the timer for 60 minutes and 10 minutes prior to finish I added 1/2 cup pre-shredded carrots, 1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion, 1/3 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper, and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley. Put the lid back on and finish steaming. Toss with butter (or olive oil) and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

My Spicy Steamed broccoli is quick, tasty and healthy. Simply place fresh broccoli in microwave safe bowl. Add a few dashes of Hot Chili Oil, cover with plastic wrap and microwave per auto-cook instructions on your specific microwave. Toss with sliced, toasted almonds and you're done!

This meal help me meet one of my largest goals which is to try and consume every color in the rainbow, every day - and I am talking about the natural color of food - NOT dyes!

Red - Orange - Yellow - Green - Blue and Purple.

Cherished Bits of Wisdom

One of my favorite things about reading - be it books, magazines, or blogs - is the knowledge that can be gleaned effortlessly from people who have shared a wealth of years and years of experience and research. 

Here are a few bits of knowledge I have collected over the years. I hope you find something new and useful - Enjoy!

4 Tablespoons = 1/4 cup

* * *

Two cups of water is equal to one pound of ice.

* * *

Polenta Portions:

Stiff polenta = 1 part polenta to 4 parts liquid

Soft polenta = 1 part polenta to 6 parts liquid

* * *

Freezing pies prior to cooking helps prevent soggy crust.

* * *

When baking strudel, add breadcrumbs to fruit to absorb the juice and

prevent sogginess.

* * *

Cookie Textures:

Chewy: Use melted butter, bread flour (high in protein), darkest brown sugar.

Thin and Crisp: Use baking soda, solid butter, and a higher ratio of white sugar to brown sugar.

Puffy and Light: Use shortening, cake flour and a higher ratio brown sugar to white sugar.

(Tip: Refrigerate dough prior to baking to help cookie puff up rather than spread out while baking).

* * *

Deep fry fresh herbs and serve as garnish with fried foods.

* * *

Use stripped rosemary stems as kabob-skewers for grilling shrimp and vegetables.

* * *

To pit olives: place olives on a sheet of plastic wrap. Cover olives with another layer of plastic wrap - then smash gently with rolling pin.

* * *

For seafood stock base: When you cook with raw shrimp, save the shells in a gallon-size zip-lock baggie in the freezer. When the bag is full, use in your favorite seafood stock recipe.

* * *

To finely grate blue cheese, freeze the cheese prior to grating.

* * *

Remove bitterness from radicchio by soaking it in ice water for approximately one hour. This not only removes any bitterness but also helps keep it crisp.

* * *

Soak sliced red onion in ice water to mellow harsh flavor when eating raw in salad or whatever.

* * *

Moist meat:

Whenever you cook any kind of meat let it rest a bit before you slice into it. Otherwise, if you slice right into it straight from the oven or grill, all the juices will run out and your meat will be dry. Instead, cover the cooked meat with foil and let sit for 10-12 minutes to let the juices redistribute themselves back into the meat.

* * *

Prevent soggy cole slaw by placing the shredded cabbage in a glass bowl and salting it with a coarse salt. Stir well so that salt is evenly distributed. (The salt will draw out any extra moisture from the cabbage). Let it set for approximately 20 minutes. Rinse well and pat dry. Make slaw per recipe instructions.

* * *

For less starchy and fluffier mashed potatoes:

Soak peeled potatoes in cold water in fridge over night. Before boiling, drain potato water and add fresh water; boil as usual. This process will remove a lot of the starchiness and give you fluffier mashed potatoes.

* * *

Perfectly Steamed Baby New Potatoes:

After boiling whole, small potatoes (red or white) with skins on, drain the potatoes in a colander, then place the colander with the potatoes over the empty pot (off the heat) and cover with a clean, dry kitchen towel. Leave the potatoes to steam for 15-20 minutes, until tender but firm. This will insure the potatoes steam evenly, all the way through to the middle.

* * *

Keep mashed potatoes warm for hours:

Make as usual then put in an oven proof bowl, cover with foil and place inside a pan with 1inch or so of water over low heat. The potatoes will stay warm without drying out.

* * *

To remove rust from a cast iron pan try soaking the pan in a 1:1 solution of vinegar and water. Others have recommended soaking the pan in Coca Cola, but I've not tried this myself.

* * *

Keep hot dogs juicy and warm for a serve-yourself-BBQ: Bring hot dogs just to a simmer on stovetop or grill. Turn heat off and leave dogs in water. Guests can serve themselves and dogs will stay warm in the meantime.

* * *

Hot Pepper Jelly makes a great glaze for grilled meats. Simply brush a dollop of jelly right on the meat just before you take it off the grill.

* * *

For a quick twist on your normal dipping sauce or finishing sauce add lemon curd or lime curd.

* * *

Fresh Herbs:

As soon as you bring them home from the market, wash them and pat them dry. Gather the stems together and tie in a bunch with kitchen twine, then place the stems in a glass of room-temp water (change daily).  You are less likely to forget you have fresh herbs when they are sitting on your countertop and they make a beautiful addition to any kitchen.

* * *
Experiment with flavored balsamic vinegars!
* * *

Final tip of the day:

Recreate that beautiful beach hair look by making your own saltwater spray using a spray bottle, warm water and a couple tablespoons of sea salt. Spritz and scrunch!
(Okay - so this wasn't about food, but it's one of my favorite tips!)