Top 5 Posts of 2011 ~ Happy New Year!

Thank you all for supporting us through another year of culinary adventures!  I have learned so much and continue to gain confidence and friends along the way.

Here is a quick recap of our top 5 posts of 2011.

Number 1:  David Lebovitz' Peach Ice Cream  We bought Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker over the summer, and this was the very first recipe we tried.  It has been a revelation to us how easy ice cream is to make and how infinitely superior it is to store-bought.

Number 2:  For John's birthday, I made this incredible Chocolate Coffee Cake from Baked Explorations.  As you know, I particpate in an on-line baking group called Baked Sunday Mornings.  We're baking our way through Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito's second cookbook.  It's been a great adventure & I've learned so much.  The group is still open, so if baking is your passion, consider joining us!

Number 3:  John has really perfected marinating meats in wine and creating wine reduction sauces.  Our 150th post met with rave reviews from all of you!  Red Wine Marinated Eye of Round Steaks and Smashed New Potatoes.

 Number 4:  Tangerine and Avocado Salad and Chicken B'stilla. I also belong to French Fridays With Dorie, an on-line group dedicated to cooking our way through Dorie Greenspan's latest cookbook, Around My French Table.  I was particularly thrilled with how this dish turned out, so appreciate your concurrence!  This is an incredibly diverse group of chefs dubbed "Doristas" by Trevor at Sis.Boom.[Blog!]  We have all learned so much from each other and I consider many of my fellow Doristas friends.  We share our trials & successes each Friday.  Of particular note are:  That Skinny Chick Can Bake, Bakeaway With Me, Patty's Food, The not so exciting adventures of a dabbler..., and Miss Kris Kitchen. 

  

Number 5:  Cannelloni - Giada's Recipe, My Brother's Technique!  My brother & I grew up in Naples & Rome, Italy, while our father served in the U.S. Navy.  It was an incredible privelege and has influenced our cooking endlessly.  Giada is doing for Italian cuisine what Julia Child did for French by bringing it into our American kitchens with friendly terms and ingredients we can readily find.  Our vocabularies and grocery stores contain far more Italian terms & items today than they did 20 years ago.



St. Andrew's Cloister, Genova, Italy

We are truly blessed to live in a country that provides us freedoms unknown in other parts of the world and should be ever grateful to those who devote their lives to defending them. 

Thank you all for your continued support and contributions to the success of our cooking blog!

Wishing you happiness, success, and culinary adventures in the New Year!

Chris' Provencal Garlic-Herb Cheese Spread and Parmesan Cheese Crackers

These wonderful holiday recipes come from my blogger friend, Chris.  Please take some time to visit her beautifully inspired blog.  She is so talented and her love of fresh foods and family shine through: The Cafe Sucre Farine

Like many of you, we hosted & attended family gatherings over Christmas.  We doubled these recipes and served one set to my family  with proscuitto, salami, olives, crostini, and olive-feta tapenade and wine for an evening get-together.

The other set, we enjoyed with John's family throughout the day on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  Although there were many delicious things to choose from, these were a particular favorite of everyone.  

The cheese is creamy and delicious - and I can only imagine how incredible it would taste melted into mashed or baked potatoes.

We made the crackers with Parmesan Cheese, but will absolutely try them with Cheddar Cheese, as Chris did.  I made 4 varieties - plain, sesame seed, poppy seed & mixed seeds.  The best thing about the crackers is you can make them ahead and leave them in the refrigerator until just before you're ready to roll them out & bake them which makes them the perfect thing to have on-hand for a last-minute appetizer.

Provencal Garlic-Herb Cheese Spread

Cheddar and Poppy Seed Crackers

My Birdbath

Enjoy!

Merry Christmas to All!

It's been a whirlwind month for us.  But we wanted to take a moment to wish you all the blessings of the season.


Merry Christmas!


Here are some more photos from our trip to Charleston.

Pecan Tassies

I can't remember a Christmas without Pecan Tassies while we were growing up.  They were a particular favorite of my brother.  Tender Cream Cheese pastry filled with gooey, chewy brown sugar and crunchy pecans makes a wonderful treat than can be enjoyed throughout the day.


This recipe comes from The All-New Good Housekeeping Cookbook.

Merry Christmas!

Peacock at Middleton Place

Christmas Lima Bean Soup and Beer Batter Bread

Christmas Lima Bean Soup

Lima Beans get a bad rap, but I've always liked them.  When I saw these red and cream striped Christmas Lima Beans at the Farmers' Market, I decided to try them.

Anytime you make use dried beans, you need to plan ahead.  Soak 2 Cups of dried Beans in 6 cups of water overnight.

When you're ready to make the soup, heat 1/4 Cup Olive Oil in a stockpot.

Saute:

3 ribs Celery, diced

2 Carrots, peeled and diced

1 large Onion, diced

Strain and rinse beans

Add to vegetables with 6 cups fresh water

Add: 

1 or 2 Ham Hocks

1 Tablespoon Salt

Ground Pepper to taste

3 Bay Leaves

Cover and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
About 15 minutes before serving, remove Ham Hocks from soup and cut the meat from them.
Return meat to the stockpot and discard bones and other unwanted pieces.
Remove Bay Leaves.


Print this Recipe

Beer Batter Bread

This hearty Texan bread is a great accompaniment to soups and stews.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Put a stick of butter in a loaf pan and place it in the oven for about 7 minutes until the butter is melted.

While the butter is in the oven, mix the batter.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together:

3 Cups Flour

1 Tablespoon Salt

1 Tablespoon Baking Soda

3 Tablespoons Sugar

Then stir in 1 12-ounce bottle of beer - batter will not be very smooth.

Pour half of the melted butter into a measuring cup.

Add batter to pan, then pour the remaining butter over the top.

Bake for 50 - 60 minutes until lightly browned.

Serve warm.

Print this Recipe

Enjoy!

A Charleston Christmas

Buckeyes! Baked Sunday Mornings

This week's Baked Sunday Mornings challenge is for Buckeyes - the state candy of Ohio.  These delicious treats require no baking at all.


Every year, we all gather at my mother's house to make a variety of Christmas cookies.  This was one of my selections for this year.  I have to give my brother credit for helping me roll the peanut butter balls & devising a way to dip them in chocolate without crumbling them, or leaving puncture marks.  We had fun sitting at our mom's kitchen singing Christmas songs and making cookies.  In addition to the Buckeyes, which were a particular favorite of my step-father who hails from Ohio, we made:  Spritz, Fudge, 2 kinds of Shortbread, some un-pronounceable German Almond Cookies, Chocolate-dipped Orange Biscotti, Chocolate Crinkle Cookies, and Peanut Butter Cookies with Kisses in the middle.  

A little bit of everything!

The Buckeyes gained quick favor in my family where chocolate and peanut butter are a winning combination!  They aren't hard to make, they just take time.  My brother & I made a double batch and pronounced them, "Better than Reese's."


This is the last Baked post of 2011, so I'm wishing a Merry Christmas to my fellow bakers!  May you enjoy all the blessings of the season and have an inspired New Year!

Gifts for friends!

Christmas comes to Middleton Place, Charleston, S.C.

Baked Ham, Cheesy Broccoli and Rice Casserole

Baked Ham

I bought a small, uncured  half Ham at Trader Joe's that was already spiral cut, so we just heated it in the oven.  I'd never had uncured Ham before - it's really tender and probably the best Ham I've ever had - including Honey Baked Ham which I love.

Cheesy Broccoli and Rice Casserole

John & I both remembered a similar casserole growing up that was made with Campbell's soup, but we wanted to make it from scratch. This re-newed version tastes fresh & beats the old one by a mile.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Make 1 cup of White Rice according to package directions.

Cut one head of Broccoli into small pieces and steam over medium-high heat for about 7 minutes until it turns dark green.

While the Rice & Broccoli are cooking, make the Cheese Sauce:

In a large saucepan, over medium heat, melt 1/2 cup Butter.

Whisk in 1/4 cup Flour
When Butter and Flour are combined, stir in:
2 Cups Milk
1/2 teaspoon each Salt & Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Dry Mustard
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

Continue whisking until sauce thickens - about 6 minutes.
Stir in 1 cup shredded Cheese
Turn heat off once cheese has melted.

Strain Broccoli and stir into cooked Rice, then pour Cheese Sauce in and stir until fully combined.

Spray a 9 x 13" baking pan with cooking spray, then pour Broccoli-Rice-Cheese mixture in. Smooth and top with more shredded Cheese.
Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until Cheese is melted and casserole is bubbling.

Print this recipe

Enjoy!

A Charleston Christmas Cat!

Cream of Potato and Leek Soup with Southern Corn Bread

With all the running around we've been doing to prepare for the holidays, it was nice to come in from the crisp late autumn air to make a nice, warm, comforting bowl of soup with bread fresh from the oven.  Both of these recipes come from The All New Good Housekeeping Cookbook.

Cream of Potato and Leek Soup (also Vichyssoise)

We used 1 pound of unpeeled Red Potatoes for this soup which added a little color after it was blended.  The recipe says this soup is great warm, or chilled.  I think it's so good warm that I haven't tried it chilled, but it couldn't be easier.

Southern Corn Bread

This is the first time we've made Corn Bread in our Cast Iron skillet, and it's the best we've ever made!  Our friend, Donna, told us how good it was, so we decided to try it - we're never going back to a glass baking dish!

The only change we made to this recipe was to add 2 Tablespoons of Sugar to the Flour mixture.

I softened the remaining 4 Tablespoons of Butter in the microwave for 10 seconds and stirred in 1 Tablespoon of Honey to make wonderful Honey Butter.

Enjoy!

Charleston Christmas door

Memories of Charleston

Hello, Everyone!

Mills House Hotel

We're back from our lovely vacation to Charleston, South Carolina, which is so gorgeous that we were ready to stay!  As you may know, my husband, John, grew up in New Orleans and his family often vacationed at Isle of Palms which is just outside of Charleston.  But this was my first visit, so, while John enjoyed many foods that evoked memories of family gatherings in his youth, I expanded my palate to try as many new things as I could.  

Some examples of Low Country cuisine I tried:  She Crab Soup, Hoppin' John, Shrimp & Grits, Fried Alligator, Fried Green Tomatoes, Sweet Potato Pancakes with Pecan Butter, Carolina Brisket, Sauteed Turnips and Greens, Collard Greens, Grand Marnier Pecan Pie, Fried Chicken Breast served in a huge Biscuit topped with Sausage Gravy and Cheddar Cheese (this was called a "Small Plate" on the menu!), Hushpuppies, Benne Wafers.

Horse-drawn Carriage Tour

Some of the restaurants that we particularly enjoyed are:  82 Queen, Poogan's Porch, Magnolias, Hominy Grill, Hyman's Seafood, and Eli's Table.

We started our first day on a Charleston Stroll which left right from our hotel, The Mills House.  Once we gained our bearings, we walked everywhere, only retrieving our car to drive to Middleton Place, formerly a rice plantation.  On Wednesday night, we participated in a progresive dinner party at three historic inns and were transported by a horse-drawn carriage that was magical!

St. Michael's Church

Charleston is so unusually beautiful that we took almost a thousand photos.  It was wonderful to go to a town where saying "Merry Christmas!" is not seen as an affront to anyone who may not be Christian.  There were even Christmas Trees in the airport!  

We should be back in the swing of things with our blog this week!  In the meantime, here are some photos of Charleston.

Enjoy, Y'all!

Sweetgrass Baskets and Christmas Decorations

A Sangiovese Wine Tasting Party

As members of Mosby Winery, we receive shipments of wine throughout the year.  The wines are of their choosing and many of them are exclusive.  Our November shipment included 3 bottles of Sangiovese wine - 1 each from 2006, 2007, and 2008.  We decided to have a dinner party with foods to compliment the rich, Italian flavors of the wine.  We served the wines in chronological order and everyone agreed - as did Mosby - that the 2007 vintage was the best.

Olive Tapenade Pinwheels

Thaw a sheet of Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry.
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
Unroll puff pastry sheet and spread with Olive Tapenade.
Roll from the short edge.
Slice into 1/4-inch pieces and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Bake for 20 minutes until puffed and lightly browned.
Serve warm.

Gorgonzola and Pine Nut Salad

1 head Red Leaf Lettuce, chopped
1/4 Red Onion thinly sliced and set in Ice Water for 1/2 hour to crisp
Cherry Tomatoes
1/4 cup Gorgonzola Cheese
Roasted Pine Nuts

Italian Vinaigrette made with Olive Oil and Red Wine Vinegar

Pizza Bianca

1 recipe of Wolfgang Puck's Pizza Dough rolled out into a rectangle (instead of 2 round pizzas)

Drizzle with Olive Oil

Sprinkle with Salt, Italian Herb Mix, Parmesan Cheese, and very thinly sliced onion

Bake on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.

Slice into squares and serve as you would bread.

Giada's Chicken Cacciatore

We made a double batch of Giada's Chicken Cacciatore (Hunters' Chicken).  The only change we made was to add 8 ounces of mushrooms to the sauce.  The rich tomato sauce created the perfect flavor-balance for the Sangiovese wine.


Serve with pasta - cooked according to package directions - and toss with 1 Tablespoos each Butter and Olive Oil and a bit of Salt.


Sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese and fresh Basil.

Dessert

David Lebovitz's Chocolate Ice Cream - this is the second time we've made this cooked custard ice cream and it's amazing!  It's far more like a dark chocolate mousse than any grocery-store variety chocolate ice cream.  Everyone continued to enjoy the flavor-balance of the Sangiovese wine with chocolate, too.

Assorted Christmas Cookies and Candies

My sister-in-law, Stephanie, brought a plate piled with holiday goodies.  She made Chocolate Malt Cookies, Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies, Peppermint Bark, and Peanut Brittle.

Buon Appetito!

Tiffany stained-glass window in Saint Michael's Church, Charleston, S.C.