Entries categorized as ‘Recipe Ideas’
Jim asked for a different breakfast today, something I’ve only tried a couple of times in my life and have not been successful at execution.
He wanted pancakes. That’s fine. We need to use up the last of our Grade A dark amber maple syrup we picked up in VT and transported to TX then here. I put my game face on and made the most of it, but used a mix.
In the past, when I was a kid my dad would make us pancakes for Sunday breakfast. I didn’t know if I didn’t like them for their sweetness (give me a savory frittata or omelet any day) or now I figure that it’s because I didn’t like the two strips of bacon or sausages to get syrup on them. Also, we weren’t using pure maple syrup.
So, dad started making me one “crepe” but he didn’t thin the batter. He just took one big pancake, spread strawberry jam on it, rolled it up and put a bit of powdered sugar on top and I was brought back to the Adirondacks and the German musicians in the hills and my first real crepe.
To the present, on Friday I received my weekly order from a local organic producer who brings milk (in glass bottles), juices, breads, applewood smoked bacon and maple sausage. I usually cook up the pound of maple sausage one day then refrigerate the rest to quickly microwave for a couple of days. I cooked it up this morning.
Then I used some of the fat from the maple sausage to make pancakes. I waited until the bubbles burst to flip them and they were gorgeous, tasty thick cakes only made better by the sausages and pure Vermont maple syrup. I intend to change up breakfast a bit, keep things fresh. Thanks, Dad. Cheers! Dee
Categories: Editorial · Recipe Ideas
I wanted to experiment with flavors from a recipe I tried once, perhaps 15 years ago, and the quesadilla memories I have from a Texas restaurant from the past few years.
It was not a resounding success. It tasted good but presentation must be modified. The flavor profile is roasted chicken, shredded with caramelized red onions (our house smelled of onion for two days), refried beans and goat cheese.
The problems include that I softened flour tortillas in a dry skillet, making them soft, not crisp, and that I layered them too high so it made an unwieldy tortilla. I’ll try again and give you more specific information on tortillas/amounts.
We need smaller “cakes,” and crispier tortillas. Update forthcoming. Cheers, Dee
Categories: Editorial · Recipe Ideas
Tagged: Mexican torta?
About 15 years ago I tried to create a play on a Mexican Torta. Please don’t tell Rick Bayless about this. He’s my inspiration on many things Mexican. This is in no way traditional Mexican fare, and was a failure of presentation but a good way to go on taste.
Today we were taking a vacation from our vacation so I got up and took the dog out at seven and Jim slept until nearly noon. He needed it, as we really pushed this week. I decided to make something simple, easy.
I bought flour tortillas (hey, we’re in a corporate place, do you expect me to get a tortilla press)? I even got salsa. I put two chicken breasts in the oven but only shredded one. Caramelized two large red onions, thinly sliced, and grilled six tortillas. I placed a layer of vegetarian refried beans on five layers, then onions, shredded chicken, crumbled goat cheese and a bit of salsa and built the “cake.”
There’s a reason wedding cakes have tiers. It’s so one layer doesn’t fall on another. It would’ve been better if they had warmed more thoroughly, also if I made two tortas, each with three tortillas, the top one brushed with butter or oil to crisp and make for a nice presentation.
I also had avocados on hand but didn’t use them. Instead I served a slice with lime wedges and a bit of sour cream. When I get it right I’ll hand off the recipe to you. I needed more melting cheese in it, it’s a project now.
Hope you’re having a good weekend. We like being home again but sitting in the shade by the pool in 75 degree weather has its benefits. Plus my hair and skin benefited from being in higher humidity and at 138 feet above sea level we had good air as well.
Congratulations to our Olympic athletes, it’s a joy to watch them compete. Cheers! Dee
Categories: Editorial · Recipe Ideas
Tagged: Mexican torta?, Olympics, SoCal
Jim’s off to his monthly software afficionado meeting and I don’t expect him back ’til late tonight. I got sushi-to-go for lunch and will make dinner here soon. It’s one of my favorite casual meals made by my mother many years ago. For each person I take a large pita, cut it in half and separate the inside without breaking the exterior. Freshness is the key to be able to separate the inside to fill it. If you have smaller pitas make two per person.
Cook 1-2 slices of bacon per half, grate cheese of choice, add cooked bacon and cheese to pita and place in oven on sheet pan until cheese is melted and pita is crusty. Enjoy!
Yes, I miss Jim and really should have gotten fish tonight because he’s allergic to it and I love it. But we’re getting by, as all I had to get today was pita and my lunch. Cheers! Dee
Categories: Editorial · Recipe Ideas
Tagged: Mom's pita pockets
January 15, 2010 · 1 Comment
The PIB’s are back. This is our first year living up here on the mountain during Sundance. PIB, in localese, means Person In Black. We couldn’t find a parking space downtown Park City and the festival hasn’t even started yet, so ended up coming home to a local fish restaurant with a neighbor who flew in to get ready for Sundance people to come in. As I believe I’ve mentioned, the window for “locals” to get tix was first week of November. Who knew?
Apparently roads and restaurants will be packed until end of the month and the only way to see a film is to camp out in the cold and hope that someone sells you a ticket on the street before the film begins. Not for me. I’d rather be invited.
Our neighbor is a musician and documentary film maker. Very interesting folks we meet up here. Sometimes because we have dogs, sometimes a burst pipe. Anyway, he took me to see another property and while it doesn’t work for us (doesn’t give me an office or the ability to get our “stuff” out of storage) it’s fascinating to see other neighborhoods and homes as we may have to look sooner rather than later. We love this place and it’s ideal except we need a two-car garage and more storage space. And our stuff!
I have to have a working kitchen, whenever we’re anywhere longer than a week. At my age the nomadic lifestyle should be packed in a bag in the attic, but instead we have high ceilings! I don’t mind it usually, but for five years we’ve had a dog, so it’s going to be more difficult as time goes on. Going out to eat 3X per day is more than I can take. If my father complained about our talking about food at family gatherings, having to get everyone together and go to a restaurant B, L, and D is insurmountable. Give me a flat where I can make eggs or a bowl of cereal with fruit and a glass of juice. Let my husband go to lunch with the guys from work while I have a grilled cheese sandwich I made at home. And in Scotland I’ll make my own burgers, not the hockey pucks they serve in restaurants, but I will go out for mussels and fresh salmon!
We are very lucky to have our place overlooking the nature preserve as we’ve seen elk and coyotes and watched the Greater Sandhill cranes rear a young colt. They’ll be back in March and it would be a joy to see them again. No, I don’t have a high-tech camera with huge telephoto lens but I’ll try my best to get you some wildlife shots this year.
It’s time for pot roast and stew. I’m going to make chicken fajitas tonight (was last night until we neighbors decided to go out) then Mom’s simple pot roast if I can find the right meat. It’s also a good time for my Beef Carbonnade, with beef, onions, bacon and beer. Can I find egg noodles up here? Nothing says warmth and coziness than hot beef stew in front of a fireplace. Cheers! Dee
Categories: Editorial · Recipe Ideas · Utah
Tagged: burgers, corporate kitchens, Sundance, wildlife viewing
I picked up a couple of recipes from one of my butchers yesterday. I’ll try them and pass them on (with his permission) if they work for me. I always love a great stew recipe and haven’t anything but a basic rub recipe that’s in my brain. I can’t even find the smoked paprika recipe I made six months ago and have been using all this time!
No cookbooks. I’m starting to buy a couple of magazines from local newsstands but I’ve also bought Eric Ripert’s “On The Line” which has very small print. I’m 2/3 of the way through “Save the Deli” by David Sax. I enjoy the way he writes but end up craving a hot pastrami sandwich on rye with brown spicy mustard, a latke, and a bowl of matzo ball soup, and I can’t get them. And the only place he lists out here in this, can I say godforsaken, place is glatt kosher in someone’s living room. We’re in serious Mormon territory, but not so serious up here on the mountain. This may involve a visit to the gorgeous new Temple. Architecture, pastrami, get my drift. Hey, we need a serious deli up here!!!
Last night I made great burgers with 85/15 grass fed beef, melted Vermont sharp cheddar and arugula. Plus quartered cluster tomatoes and a few organic fries. This morning I smell onion in the frig. It’s sitting next to a red pepper that doesn’t have much more life in it. Plus grated cheese from last night. I’m thinking Dee’s version of a Denver Omelet/Frittata this morning before tackling the DMV and bathroom cleaning! You have a great day! Cheers, Dee
Categories: Editorial · Recipe Ideas · Utah
We thought we had everything in our winter arsenal but were missing one thing. Ski pants. I can don a pair quickly in the morning to take Zoe out instead of long johns and jeans, and Jim can take her out on a snowy weekend afternoon or evening. Now all he needs are good ankle-high boots and gaiters for deep snow. So the ski pants will go on easily because right now my head, hands, feet and core are warm but my legs freeze in low temperatures. These should help.
Tonight was sauteed boneless pork loin with roasted carrots and mashed potatoes with garlic. The carrots suffered a bit from being in the oven too long because Jim didn’t come back with the dog in a timely manner. The pork was ever so slightly undercooked. I cooked Jim’s more so it was better but I only took a bite and put mine in the frig for further cooking. Timing is everything.
We haven’t had the worst of it yet. We’ve had barely anything and are gearing up for blizzards with high winds and snow. What do we do when the power goes out overnight and we have no heat and the pipes may burst? We spent a couple of years getting together the perfect hurricane kit. Now that’s in storage half a country away and it looks as if we’ll have to start again. We’re now members of REI so will get a discount on camp meals. We do have a gas grill outdoors for food and a gas fireplace and stove. We’ve seen our next door neighbor’s place flood itself and the neighbor on the other side so know what burst pipes can do, like split a commode in half.
This is new plowed/groomed territory for both of us but I intend to keep on cooking, and hope you will as well. Cheers! Dee
Categories: Editorial · Recipe Ideas · Utah
Tagged: hot pants, kitchen timing, pork, potatoes, roast carrots, ski pants
Last night my love arrived home bearing two TX license plates, sans Texas star, but they do say The Lone Star State. We sold the car in another state so TX advises us to keep the plates. I’ve never been one for posting license plates on our living room walls, or five-pointed stars to remind one that one grew up in or lived in TX for a time.
So, the plates mean that the Honda has gone to a good home and that we’re settling in to a cold weather existence with two AWD vehicles equipped with the best snow tires available. Jim got his rubber floor mats for the Volvo today and ordered me some because he didn’t have mats on the car he got two weeks ago. I have the expensive carpet mats and the driver’s side is filthy from mud and guck.
That’s where the cheating comes in. I’ve two pair of boots now, that I hate to wear except to walk the dog. But on a nice, sunny day when everything is melting I wear open clogs and end up in an icy, mushy parking lot that was not cleared out overnight. I end up with wet feet and a wet, dirty car. We’ll take care of the car next week when the mats are shampooed and real, sturdy rubber mats are installed throughout. It’s the translation to another climate and world that is a bit unsettling.
I grew up in cold weather and snow, and Jim promised I’d never have to shovel snow again. Well, here we are and maintaining the decks is no problem for me. Just a few shovels full. The rest is taken care of by the HOA. It’s drying shoes and boots and the dog and mud and salt. We were told a mud room was a must out here, they were right.
The cold weather begs other issues and aside from roasting (I’ve a decent roasting pan here and an excellent one in storage) I’m looking to find out about dutch ovens, particularly Le Creuset and what sizes I’d need for the two of us and for entertaining. I’m thinking perhaps a 2 qt for risotto or side dishes or mac and cheese just for us. Perhaps 4.5 qt for guests? I have to go look at them. I’d like to be able to roast a fillet or whole bird in the larger one or make a nice stew. I do not want oval because my burners are round and unless it’s big enough (too big for us) to go on two burners, it’s an affectation.
Warm food for cold climates. With the cars, boots, dutch ovens and altitude, this year has truly brought us to a new place. I’d say about now that we’re surviving the change, not yet thriving. But we’re living in someone else’s home with all their things so only Jim and I and the dog are familiar. Jim even has all new non-banker clothing so sometimes I don’t recognize him! Funny that the safe car he bought looks like it belongs to a banker! For all of you living in cold weather and warm, cheers! Dee
Categories: Editorial · Recipe Ideas · Utah
Tagged: boots, cars, dutch ovens and altitude, enameled cast iron
Jim got home from work at a reasonable hour New Year’s Eve (before 8:00 even) and we had a quiet evening. Today, a friend came over so they could both go cross-country skiing for the first time. I went lunch with them and “made” dinner but did not join them on their adventure. Sorry to say, I didn’t get a photo either.
Their second time out before dinner, Jim brought his mining light and even had the temerity to take the dog. Needless to say, the hipless wonder is sleeping soundly tonight. Upon returning home he fired up the grill…
Dinner was a Whole Foods extravaganza. I made boursin with whole grain crackers (bought, not made) and made pita chips for the weekend. I got cheddar burgers from the butcher, rolls, made guacamole and sliced tomatoes and heated Yukon Gold fries. And since Jim really wanted pie last night, I got a cherry pie. Normally I’d cook myself and prep for dinner and guests but he only gave me an hour’s notice so I made do.
Tomorrow we plan to turn in the friend’s skis and boots and poles (they rented first time) and re-rent Jim’s and get me started. Many years ago my parents bought us all XC skis and boots for Christmas and what a beautiful place we had to use them. Here they try to sell permits to tour a private golf course. Two feet from our deck is a groomed trail that goes for miles, and is free, so that’s what we plan to do tomorrow. We also have a trail map, which would help if we got more than a mile from the house!
I’ll make soup and sandwiches for dinner as we’re off to an early movie with friends. Let’s hope Jim can walk in the morning after over two hours of a new sport! Omelets for breakfast? We’ll see. Black Forest ham and Havarti. Perhaps Rosti. Or just cereal and peach yogurt. Life is a series of choices, and meals are but one.
Wishing you luck and love and all good tidings in the new year. Cheers, Dee
Categories: Editorial · Recipe Ideas · Utah
Tagged: burgers, new years, SC skiing
December 27, 2009 · 1 Comment
Years ago my mother used to make this baked sandwich, and I couldn’t wait for it to come out of the oven with all the crispy melted cheese. I used two extra-large pita bread rounds and cut each in half, filled them with grated extra sharp cheddar (Cabot) and two slices cooked applewood sliced bacon per half and baked on sheet pans at 350 for about ten minutes. Unable to find my first NYTimes matzoh ball recipe I cheated and got the box. After cooking the matzoh balls I added them to boxed organic chicken stock with a few slices of roasted carrots from Christmas dinner. Jim loved the soup and sandwich combination.
A tiny bit of matzoh meal is all it takes to make dinner for at least four diners! Jim had seconds, I’ll have to send a box or two to his mother in TX. I had the honor of bringing her to her first deli. Folks from rural areas there don’t know about hot pastrami or latkes but they do know their brisket, except it’s smoked. Jim’s uncle crafted his own smoker and babysits his briskets for 13 hours!
As for the soup, it’s Jewish penicillin! Who am I to talk, raised Catholic with a Christian husband. I just know from being filled with smoked meat as a child, by relatives in Montreal it was a natural progression to the Jewish deli and its delicacies.
Now I need to know what to do with the rest of the lamb. I’d like to do a shepherd’s pie but Jim has had enough bad restaurant versions in the UK to turn off that one. If I can find ramekins today I’ll try a pot pie with veloute, carrots, fresh green beans, chopped lamb, perhaps a potato or two and frozen puff pastry as a crust. It’s a shame to waste four ribs of a rack of lamb. Before I do this, he may have me put on snowshoes or skis so if I do not return to this blog, I fell down a mountain and crashed.
Two days from now, call 911, Val The Vet for Zoe, cook and maid service for Jim. Given that as a possibility, we may try snowshoes or go bowling. Yes, bowling might work. The last time we went was years ago. There was an expert practicing on a lane alone right next to us. I hit a possible spare that needed a 7-10 split to make. Dumb beginners’ luck I hit it. The expert congratulated me and made my day.
Yes, let’s stick to ground-based activities. First comes taking Zoe out and making breakfast, perhaps cheese omelets and maple sausage. Hot biscuits. It looks cold out there this morning and we’re using the shades for warmth but I can feel the cold coming in through the glass wall of windows out to the nature preserve. Wishing you a happy holiday weekend! Cheers, Dee
Categories: Editorial · Recipe Ideas
Tagged: bowling, deli, fun stuff, matzoh balls, smoked meat, soup & sandwich
