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Here are the tastingspoons players. I’m in the middle (Carolyn). Daughter Sara on the right, and daughter-in-law Karen on the left. I started the blog in 2007, as a way to share recipes with my family. I’m still doing 99% of the blogging and holding out hope that these two lovely and excellent cooks will participate. They both lead very busy lives, so we’ll see.

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BOOK READING (from Carolyn):

Music of Bees, Eileen Garvin. Absolutely charming book about a woman in midlife, lonely, who raises bees, also makes unlikely friends. Heart-warming and very interesting about beekeeping.

A Postcard from Paris, Alex Brown. Really cute story. Dual time line, 1940s and present day about renovating an old apartment in Paris, things discovered.

Time of the Child, Niall Williams. Oh such a good book. Very small village in Ireland, 1960s. A baby is left on the doorstep. The town all whispers and helps. I listened to an interview of the author, which made me like him and his books even more.

Sipsworth, Simon Van Booy. If you like animals you’ll swoon. An old woman who really wants to die finds a tiny mouse in her house and befriends it and finds a reason to live. Utterly charming book.

The Forger’s Spell, Edward Dolnick. True story. For seven years a no-account painter named Han van Meegeren managed to pass off his paintings as those of Johannes Vermeer.

If You Lived Here, You’d be Home by Now, Christopher Ingraham. Could hardly put it down – about a journalist who takes on a challenge to move to small town in Minnesota and write about it. He expects to hate it and the people and place, but he doesn’t. Absolutely wonderful true story.

The River We Remember, William Kent Kreuger. 1950s, Minnesota. A murder and the aftermath. Could hardly put it down. Kreuger has such a vivid imagination and writing style.

How the Lights Gets In, Joyce Maynard. An older woman returns to New Hampshire to help care for her brain-injured son. Siblings and family, lots of angst and resentments.

The Filling Station, Vanessa Miller. Every American should read this book. A novelized retelling of the Tulsa massacre in 1921. Absolutely riveting.

The Story She Left Behind, Patti Callahan Henry. Love this author. Based on a true story. A famous author simply vanishes, leaving her husband and daughter behind. She had invented a mystical language no one could translate. Present day, someone thinks he’s solved the riddle, contacts the family. Really interesting read.

The Girl from Berlin, Ronald Balson. Love anything about Tuscany. An elderly woman is being evicted from a villa there, with odd deed provenance. Two young folks go there to help unravel the mystery. Loved it.

The Island of the Colorblind, Oliver Sacks, M.D. Nonfiction. The dr is intrigued by a remote Pacific island where most of the inhabitants are colorblind. He also unravels a mystery on Guam of people born with a strange neurological problem. Medical mysteries unveiled. Very interesting.

The Bookbinder, Pip Williams. Post 1914 London. Two sisters work at a bookbindery. They’re told to not read the books. One does and one doesn’t. One has visions beyond her narrow world; the other does not. Eventually the one gets into Oxford. Lovely story.

The Paris Express, Emma Donoghue. 1895 on a train to Paris, a disaster happens. You’ll delve into the lives of many people who survived and died in the crash.

A Race to the Bottom of Crazy, Richard Grant. This is about Arizona. Author, wife and child move back to Arizona where they once lived. Part memoir, research, and reporting in a quest to understand what makes Arizona such a confounding and irresistible place.

The Scarlet Thread, Francine Rivers. A woman’s life turned upside down when she discovers the handcrafted quilt and journal of her ancestor Mary Kathryn McMurray, a young woman who was uprooted from her home only to endure harsh frontier conditions on the Oregon Trail.

A Place to Hide, Ronald Balson. 1939 Amsterdam, an ambassador has the ability to save the lives of many Jewish children. Heartwarming.

Homeseeking, Karissa Chen. Two young Chinese teens are deeply in love, but in China. Then their families are separated. Jump to current day and the two meet again in Los Angeles.

North River, Pete Hammill. He always writes such a good story. A doctor works diligently healing people from all walks of life. His wife and daughter left him years before. One day his 3-yr old grandson arrives on his doorstep.

A Very Typical Family, Sierra Godfrey. A very messed-up family. Three adult children are given a home in Santa Cruz, Calif, but only if the siblings meet up and live in the house together. A very untypical scenario but makes for lots of messes.

Three Days in June, Anne Tyler. The usual Anne Tyler grit. Family angst. This wasn’t one of my favorites, but it was entertaining and very short.

Saved, Benjamin Hall. Author is a veteran war reporter. Ukraine, 2022, he nearly loses his life to a Russian strike. Riveting story – he survives, barely.

Grey Wolf, Louise Penny. Another Inspector Gamache mystery in Quebec. She is such an incredible mystery writer.

All the Colors of the Dark, Chris Whitaker. A missing person mystery, a serial killer thriller, a love story, a unique twist on each. Could hardly put it down.

Orbital, Samantha Harvey. Winner of 2024 Booker Prize. I don’t usually like those, but I heard the author interviewed and she hooked me. This is not a normal book with a beginning, a story and an end. It’s several chapters of the day in the life of various astronauts at the ISS (Int’l Space Station). All fictional. She’s been praised by several real astronauts for “getting it” about space station everyday life.

The Blue Hour, Paula Hawkins. An island off Scotland. Inaccessible except when the tide is out. Weird goings on. An artist. A present day mystery too.

Iron Lake, William Kent Krueger. A judge is murdered and a boy is missing. Riveting mystery.

Tell the Wolves I’m Home, Carol Ricks Brunt. 1980s. A 14-yr old girl loses her beloved uncle. Yet a new friendship arises, someone she never knew about.

Four Treasures of the Sky, Jenny Zhang. 1880s, a young girl is kidnapped in China and brought to the United States. She survives with many hurdles in the path.

The Boy Who Fell out of the Sky, Ken Dornstein. Memoir, 1988. The author’s brother died in the PanAm flight that went down in Lockerbie, Scotland. A decade later he tries to solve “the riddle of his older brother’s life.”

Worse Care Scenario, T.J. Newman. Oh my. Interesting analysis of what could/might happen if a jet crashed into a nuclear plant. Un-put-downable.

Song of the Lark, Willa Cather. Complicated weave of a story about a young woman in about 1900, who has a gifted voice (singing) and about her journey to success, not without its ups and downs.

Crow Talk, Eileen Garvin. Charming story which takes place at a remote lake in Washington State, about a few people who inhabit it, the friendships made, but also revolving around the rescue of a baby crow.

The Story Collector, Evie Woods. Sweet story about some dark secrets from an area in Ireland, a bit magical, faerie life, but solving a mystery too.

A Sea of Unspoken Things, Adrienne Young. A woman investigates her twin brother’s mysterious death. She goes to a small town in California to figure it out, to figure HIM out.

The King’s Messenger, Susanna Kearsley. 1600s England, King James. About one of his trusted “messengers,” and his relationship with a young woman also of “the court.” Lots of intrigue.

In the Shadow of the Greenbrier, Emily Matchar. Interesting mystery in/around the area of the famous resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.

Isola, Allegra Goodman. Hard to describe, survival story on an island in the 1600s.

Save the Date, Allison Raskin. Rom-com, witty, LOL funny. Clever.

The Sirens, Emilia Hart. Numerous time-lines, Australia. Mysteries abound, nightmares, abandoned baby, weird allergies.

Red Clay, Charles Fancher. LOVED this book. Mostly post-Civil War story about the lives of slaves in Alabama during Reconstruction.

Stars in an Italian Sky, Jill Santopolo. Dual time line, 1946 and recent time. Love stories and a mystery.

Battle Mountain, C.J. Box. Another one of Box’s riveting mysteries. Love his descriptions of the land.

Something Beautiful Happened, Yvette Corporon. A memoir of sorts in Greece, tiny island of Erikousa, where the locals hid Jews during WWII. All elusive stories told by the author’s grandmother.

The Jackal’s Mistress, Chris Bohjalian. 1860s Virginia, about a woman who saves the life of a Union soldier. Really good story.

Song of the Magpie, Louise Mayberry. Really interesting story about Australia back in the days when it was mostly a penal colony. Gritty strength of a woman trying to thrive with her farm.

The Boomerang, Robert Bailey. A thriller that will have you gripping the book. About a lot of secrets surrounding the president (fictional novel, remember) and his chief of staff and about cancer. A cure. Such a good story.

Care and Feeding, Laurie Woolever. Really interesting memoir of a woman driven to succeed in the restaurant business. She worked for Mario Batali and then Anthony Bourdain. Gritty stories.

Everything is Tuberculosis, John Green. Maybe not a book for everyone. A real deep dive into the deadly tuberculosis infection, its history. I heard the author interviewed and found the book very interesting.

The Book Lovers Library, Madeline Martin. Fascinating read about Boots’ drug stores’ lending library. And the people who worked in them.

The Arrivals, Meg Mitchell Moore. LOL funny, about a middle-aged couple whose children (and their various family members) return to the family home and the chaos that ensues.

My Life as a Silent Movie, Jesse Lee Kercheval. About grief. A big move to Paris, finding herself a new life with a new set of real blood family.

Escape, Carolyn Jessop. Another memoir about a woman really in bondage in Utah, Mormon plural marriage.

 

Tasting Spoons

My blog's namesake - small, old and some very dented engraved silver plated tea spoons that belonged to my mother-in-law, and I use them to taste my food as I'm cooking.

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Posted in Travel, on August 11th, 2014.

DC11

When my granddaughter Sabrina and I visited two of the Smithsonians, I didn’t take all that many photos (except in Julia Child’s kitchen, while I’ll post about next). There are several other photos I took, but they didn’t come out very well. I made the mistake of not taking along my battery charger for my good point-and-shoot camera. Of course, even though it said it was high on battery life, it really wasn’t, so nearly all the photos are from my cell phone. And although it takes great pictures, it’s easy to move your hands with such a small thing like a cell phone.

Anyway, the above were two interesting things in the Museum of American History (Smithsonian). The bottom photo is Abraham Lincoln’s mask. As I recall reading, this is not his death mask, but he actually allowed a sculptor to make a mask of his face with whatever kind of materials they used back in those days. Lincoln wasn’t very enamored with the feel of it or the constriction on his face, but he withstood it for whatever period of time it took.

The top photo you might never guess, and I thought it was so hysterical. Have you figured it out yet? Frisbees? No. White circles? Well, yes, but they’re not just decoration. They’re a display of all the different kind of beverage container lids, to-go types, available. And yes, this display was in the Smithsonian. I wonder what some of our descendants will think of that one a couple hundred years from now – they’ll think we were a bit crazy I think. Or that the folks at the Smithsonian were.

dorothys_ruby_slippers_wizard_of_oz

These were fun. They’re Judy Garland’s shoes she wore, the Ruby Slippers, from the Wizard of Oz. Filmed in 1938, it said. Actually the signage below doesn’t contain much other information except a bit of info about the movie itself.

first_ladies_sign

And here on the right was a sign I found interesting. It says: “Changing Times, Changing First Ladies: Dolley Madison, Mary Lincoln, Edith Roosevelt, and Lady Bird Johnson are four of the first ladies who fashioned their own ways of handling the White House, families, parties and politics. Over different times and circumstances they crafted significant roles for themselves that they believed would allow them to best serve the president and the country.” I took some other pictures in the First Ladies exhibit, but all of them had glass reflections, or after looking at them I thought they weren’t really worthy of putting on the blog. I enjoyed looking at many of the china patterns designed and used by many of the first families. Most of them were relatively plain, but with ample gold decoration.

Stay tuned, as I said, in a couple of days I’ll write up Julia Child’s kitchen, also contained in the Museum of American History (Smithsonian). It’ll be mostly photos – I took a bunch.

Posted in Uncategorized, on August 7th, 2014.

tiffany_panel_NY_metropolitan

I’ve been home 6 days and seems like it’s taken me that whole time to get back into the swing of things. You know – unpacking my suitcase, doing laundry, grocery shopping (not a whole lot of cooking going on here, however), paying bills, talking to friends, going out to lunches and/or dinners, etc. My cousin Gary arrived on Tuesday and is with me until next week, so he and I have been busy as well. Last night we went to dinner at Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen in the Downtown Disney near me. It was really good food – I had a bowl of New Orleans gumbo (very good) and a Green Goddess green salad (not very Green Goddessy in my humble opinion, but it tasted fine). We were indoors – the only big negative was that the piano musician was SO loud we could barely talk. So, afterwards, we three (my cousin Gary and an old, dear friend of mine, Carole, who lives in Bel Air and was attending a convention nearby) walked on the downtown Disney street (you feel like you’re in Disneyland, actually, but you’re not) and sat at a table at Starbucks and stayed through the nightly fireworks show. Very fun. The “street” was jam-packed with adults and children. Throughout Downtown Disney there are street entertainers (musicians, magicians, artists).

Although I’m very tech savvy, I was having the darnedest time trying to transfer my trip photos from my iPhone to my kitchen computer here, where I do all my blog writing. Finally I phoned my computer guru and he told me – oh, once you set up iCloud on your home PC, which I just did this week, it will only transfer photos taken AFTER you set it up. Good grief! No wonder I couldn’t make it work. So he coached me through attaching the phone via USB and hunting for the photos on my phone’s photostream. SO, all that said, I’m now going to start writing up some posts about the trip.

The photo above is just a taste of it since I wrote up yesterday the book I just read about Tiffany glass, Clara and Mr. Tiffany: A Novel. This photo was one of the Tiffany panels at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. I stood in front of it for many minutes, up close, looking at the tiny pieces of glass, also examining some of the glass textures too, since the processes were a part of the historical aspect of the book.

So, stay tuned. There will be travel stories up sometime soon, with oodles of pictures. I also need to write up a post about my outdoor kitchen, which is now FINISHED. I’m so very happy with it. I need to take photos, and also find some decorations  (just some simple things) to put on the long, long countertop to break up the length. The barbecue is working. The fireplace works. Only thing I’m waiting for is my patio table and the bar-height table and 4 chairs to be treated and newly powder coated.

Posted in Books, Travel, on August 6th, 2014.

Product DetailsWhile I was on this recent trip, I did quite a bit of reading. Every night, trip or not, like clockwork, I read for 20-30 minutes before I fall asleep. And because I’m having a problem with my foot (did I say I have a stone bruise on my heel from wading in the river on the camping trip a few weeks ago?) I had to rest my poor heel sometimes in one museum or another. My Kindle went with me in my purse throughout the trip so I always could sit and read if I could find a place to sit. (I’m seeing my GP this week about my heel, though I’ve read there’s not a lot that can be done for stone bruises.)

I’ll be writing up several books in my left sidebar, as I always do, about my most recent good reads. There will be at least three, of which this is one. But I decided to do a post about it because it was just so interesting.

You knew, of course, that Louis Comfort Tiffany was the Tiffany glass and lamp man. Right? You knew that, of course you did!? Tiffany and Co., the jeweler that we all know, was his father’s, Charles Lewis Tiffany. You’ll learn everything you never thought you’d care to know about the making of stained glass windows and lamps if you read this book. But it’s not boring in the least.

Susan Vreeland, the author, has written several books, the most notable probably Girl in Hyacinth Blue. She also wrote Luncheon of the Boating Party. I think her newest book, this one, Clara and Mr. Tiffany: A Novel is her best one yet. Just an FYI: she has another book soon to be released called Lisette’s List: A Novel. The latter can be pre-ordered. I just did.

The setting of this Tiffany novel is the design studio and glass factory owned by Louis Comfort Tiffany. He’s middle-aged, married with daughters, wealthy (mostly from his parents) and he is somewhat of an art visionary. With little or no financial sense – he’d always had money and thought nothing of spending more, never giving a second thought to whether it would be there forever.

The heroine in the book is Clara Driscoll. She’s a no-nonsense kind of frugal woman with a big independent streak in her and a sad marital past who needs a job. She works for Tiffany, and over the course of many years, she begins to help with designs. Mr. Tiffany grants her some leniency with her ideas, and eventually she takes on the project of designing the first Tiffany lamp, with the very iconic upside-down tulip shape we all recognize. But transforming the idea on paper into a practical thing, a lamp, first a oil-burning one, later electric ones, was far from an easy task. That’s what you’ll learn in this book, about how leaded glass is made, and about the very unique ways in which glass makers can create shades, forms and textures. In that respect, I found the book especially fascinating.

The story along with it – Clara’s life – and her very slow escalation into a position of supervision within the design, window and lamp making department is also very interesting. When I began reading I assumed the book was based on complete fact. It’s not exactly. Vreeland took some liberties to make it a more interesting and riveting story. Tiffany, a kind of old-school stuffy man, made one particular strict policy in his company – he didn’t permit any married women. Period. Hard to believe, but that part’s true. Once you were discovered, you were out. Clara weaves her way in and out of a couple of relationships and a near second marriage, that makes for almost an air of mystery. It’s a charming story from beginning to end. Whether Clara Driscoll really did design the Tiffany lamp? Well, that’s up to speculation, although Vreeland read Driscoll’s letter collection in which she describes in detail how she did it, so probably it is true. And whether she actually led a mini-revolt within the company regarding the male-only glass making trade union (which tried to shut down the women-only lamp making department that was non-union), isn’t known either. She lived in a boarding house, which has its own sub-set of stories to go along with it, and also made for fun reading. All of it together makes for a good story.

So, when my granddaughter Sabrina and I were in New York last week, we went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I’ve visited it many times in the past, but Sabrina had never been and she happily went off on her own. Once I’d seen the Impressionists again (I never tire of them) and a few other oils, I went downstairs to the café for a coffee and a place to sit and rest my aching heel. As I was walking down the stairs, lo and behold, there in front of me was a 3-piece panel of Tiffany glass. Flowers and greenery, as nearly all of them are. I walked right up to it and read the tiny little card of info. Clara Driscoll’s name was not associated with that one. In fact, I believe in the Afterword of the book, Vreeland says that none of the Tiffany glass designs (windows or lamps) were specifically credited to Clara, but Vreeland’s research indicated significant hints about her contribution to the lamp-making. Driscoll never did receive the recognition she craved. Elsewhere in the NYC area there are two more museums with oodles of Tiffany glass. I wished I’d had time to visit both of them. I’d never have thought of doing so had I not read this book. Next time.

If you like Vreeland’s style of writing (I certainly do) then this book will be good reading. I certainly thought it was. You’ll come away from it with a whole new appreciation for the intricacies of creating leaded glass in whatever form you see.

Posted in Appetizers, on August 4th, 2014.

jalapeno_cheddar_crackers

Oh gosh, are these ever tasty. Think savory cookie, because that’s what they are. They’re almost like shortbread cookies, but loaded with savory seasonings and perfect for evening cocktails.

As I write this post, it’s ahead of time. I like having a few posts “in the bank,” so if I go through a dry spell of cooking, I’ve got something up my sleeve. And I’m thinking that because I’m going away on a trip (I’ll be back by the time this posts) this recipe would be a good one to have up so I can get back into the swing of cooking again. Hopefully I will have posted a travel story about the trip I’m taking with one of my granddaughters to NYC and DC. And my son Powell will be there for part of it as well. I’ll explain later.

But what I’m going to mention is that today is my birthday – the day this posts. I don’t know if I’m going to feel blue on August 4th, without my DH beside me, kidding me, laughing with me about my advancing age, or if it will be a good day. His birthday was last month and it happened (will have happened) while I’m on this trip, so I’m hoping to be exceedingly busy that day and won’t think about it too much. Sabrina and I will be in Washington, D.C. that day, doing tourist things. Like maybe the Smithsonian, or the National Gallery. We have a lot more things to do than we’ll have time for, that’s for sure.

This grieving thing is so darned unpredictable. I had a really bad day not too long ago. No good reason – I mean no specific reason, really – other than the house felt terribly empty, quiet. I called Sara, my daughter, and bless her heart, the next day she came up and visited overnight. I fixed dinner, we talked, cried a little, watched Pride and Prejudice on DVD, went to church the next morning, then had lunch at our local Mexican restaurant we like so much, along with her brother Powell and his family.

Anyway, back to these delicious crackers/cookies. They’re an Ina Garten recipe and I believe the recipe is in her most recent cookbook, Barefoot Contessa Foolproof: Recipes You Can Trust. I found it online at the Food Network because she prepared them on her show recently.

They’re incredibly easy to make – like a refrigerator cookie. The extra sharp cheese was really nice, and the spices – well, they were just perfect. The jalapeno, of course, gives these a kick – reduce the amount if you’re sensitive to spicy heat. The dough gets chilled in a log, then you slice them and bake. See, I said they’re easy!

What’s GOOD: the flavor, first and foremost. Just ever so tasty and special for guests. Don’t put anything on them or with them (other than a glass of wine or a cocktail) because you want to taste the seasonings in the cracker/cookie. This recipe is a keeper, okay?
What’s NOT: not a single thing! Keep a log of these in the freezer (or only bake half) so you’ll have something really, really special when unexpected guests drop by.

printer-friendly Cute PDF
Files: MasterCook 5+ and MasterCook 14 (click on link to open recipe in MC)

* Exported from MasterCook *

Jalapeno Cheddar Crackers

Recipe By: Ina Garten recipe, from her book Foolproof
Serving Size: 16 (about 2 crackers per person)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
14 tablespoons cold unsalted butter — (1 3/4 sticks) 1/2-inch-diced
5 ounces sharp cheddar cheese — extra-sharp, white, grated
1 tablespoon jalapeno pepper — seeded and minced
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
3 tablespoons ice water
1 large egg — beaten with 1 tablespoon milk, for egg wash
Fleur de sel or sea salt

1. Place the flour, kosher salt and baking powder in a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse to mix. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the Cheddar, jalapeno and chipotle chili powder and pulse again. With the food processor running, add the ice water all at once. Continue pulsing until the mixture begins to form a ball. Dump the dough onto a floured board and roll it into a 14-inch log. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (Or, freeze for later use.)
2. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
3. Cut the dough in 3/8-inch-thick slices. Place the crackers on the prepared sheet pan, brush with the egg wash and sprinkle with the fleur de sel. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
Per Serving: 186 Calories; 13g Fat (64.8% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 12g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 50mg Cholesterol; 182mg Sodium.

Posted in Uncategorized, on August 2nd, 2014.

I’ve just returned from a 9-day, 8 night trip to Washington, D.C. and NYC. All of it with my granddaughter Sabrina, and part of it with my son, Powell. It was a fabulous trip (and the weather was ultra-surprising in that it was cooler than usual, and less humidity than normal). I’ve returned to California where it is expected to be in the high 90’s and this morning when I got up the humidity was 86%. A/C weather.

First thing will be uploading all my photos, writing more than one post about the trip (no recipes, but I will have travel stories to tell both about touristy things we did and also some wonderful restaurants we visited). But it will take me a few days to do all that. I have a recipe that will be “up” in a couple of days, something I wrote up before my trip. So bear with me as I get re-organized and back into my routine. I was ever so glad, this morning, to make myself a latte in my most used appliance in my kitchen, my Nespresso machine. Yesterday morning we 3 got up at 4:15 am (in D.C.) in order to leave for the airport by 4:45 am (40 minutes away) and catch a 7 am flight to San Francisco, then we took the short haul to Orange County. It feels wonderful to be home. Home is where I feel the best. Sometimes the most sad too, without my dear husband. His birthday occurred while we were on the trip. I kept busy that day – Sabrina and I spent most of the day at two of the Smithsonian museums, then we had a fantastic meal out. More on that later.

Posted in Appetizers, Miscellaneous, on July 30th, 2014.

orange_fennel_mostarda

Think condiment. Think Italian chutney maybe? Here it’s a fruity spread for crackers (or, a condiment for grilled pork). By definition, a mostarda is an Italian condiment made of fruit and a mustard-flavored syrup. That’s not exactly what this is (it does contain mustard seeds, but that’s the only relationship is has with “mustard”), but I didn’t name it. Whatever you choose to call it, this stuff is off the charts delicious.

If you’ve been reading my blog in the last couple of weeks, you know that I went camping with some of my family. Maybe I kinda went glamping, because I stayed in the lodge/motel just down the road. And I use the word lodge loosely. The room contained 2 beds and a bathroom. There was no TV, no internet, no cell service, period. There was no lobby, no place for guests to sit around except on an outdoor deck – if you could tolerate the heat. The clock radio was plugged in but didn’t work. The room was dark with minimal lighting available. But, that A/C unit was used every single afternoon and night and I was ever so grateful. And the mattress was actually pretty good. What they did have was a small sort of fast-food counter with minimal eating options and a gift shop. The ice was the big seller there, along with the ice cream bars.

One of the down sides to me being down the road from the campground where the family was, was that my ice chest full of goodies had to be in the hotel room with me up on the 2nd floor (and no, no elevator). The campground had bear boxes (i.e., sturdy thick-gauge stainless steel boxes that mostly elude bears from ripping into them), but all their campsite bear boxes were chock full.  It could not stay in the car for 2 reasons: (1) it was too darned hot – the ice wouldn’t have lasted more than a few hours at the temps we had up there; and (2) they have bears, and everyone is strongly told in no uncertain terms to leave absolutely nothing in the car in the way of food. Bears can break windows and will claw trunk lids if they think they might be able to get into food. As I awkwardly carried this full and very  heavy ice chest toward the lodge, a kind gentleman took pity on me (it wasn’t the kind that rolls on wheels – big mistake on my part) and at least carried it up the one flight of stairs for me. I was extremely grateful. The lodge did provide about a gallon of ice a couple of times a day (they kept track).

The family stayed in tents and slept on cots or air mattresses – in the heat. I had A/C. I was in charge of bringing appetizers for the 3 evenings I’d be with everyone. As I planned what I’d take along on this trip (a 6-hour drive from home) I knew I wanted to make some things ahead of time. And to make it as easy on myself as I could. No, I really couldn’t toast the bread. No, there was no ideal way to heat up anything. Yes, they had camp stoves, but it was highly recommended that I choose cold appetizers to not waste precious propane. SO. I looked for new recipes to try. You’ll read about the Brussels sprout appetizer in a few days.

In order to maximize my time with the family at the campground, I drove 3/4 of the way there and stayed overnight in Tulare (too-LARE-ee) at a very nice, comfortable Hampton Inn. That was the first time in a whole lot of years I’ve stayed by myself in a hotel. It felt strange without my hubby beside me. Be proud of me – I didn’t cry. I felt like it a couple of times but I didn’t. And going into a restaurant that night to eat alone was hard. Very hard. It wasn’t an upscale restaurant – more like a diner – so I didn’t feel uncomfortable exactly. I just missed my DH, big time.

That hotel did have an elevator, so it made carrying the full ice chest to the room a bit easier. For sure, if I ever do this again, I’ll take the much larger on-wheels ice chest. The next morning I got on the road early and made it to the campground by about 11 am. My daughter-in-law, Karen, and her extended family (all there camping too) are foodies. Powell (my son, my step-son actually but I never use the phrase) is too. All the dinner items were brought in vacuum sealed packages, prepared at home. We had coq au vin one night, and Bolognese another night. Carnitas tacos with all the trimmings was on the menu the other night I was there. No desserts, other than s’mores for the 2 children, although Karen had purchased monstrous square marshmallows, which were big enough you could divide them into about 4 portions of s’mores. I didn’t have any – my only indulgence was a dark chocolate kiss (or 2 or 3) I kept chilled in my ice chest and shared with everybody mid-day. And I left them with another package of milk chocolate ones.

mostarda_and_gin_tonicHappy hour started each night about 5, so I would bring from the hotel my chilled stash of food for the evening. This mostarda was on the menu my first night because I’d stopped at a market along the way there that day and bought a still-warm baguette. Of the 4 appetizers I took, this was, by far, the standout. Here at right is my gin and tonic (I’ve taken a recent liking to them – good Bombay gin, Schweppes tonic, and a squeeze from a generous slice of lime – very refreshing in extreme heat!). Do note the uber-colorful plastic tablecloth, the super lightweight trivet I added in for color and a prop for the bread, and the picnic table laden with “stuff.” Wine is generally the beverage of choice with this family, and there was no shortage of it. I should have taken some, but brought the gin instead. A few others shared one with me, and my son Powell, and his brother-in-law Julian made it for me each night I was there.

One of my appetizers won’t grace these pages – nobody liked it much, including me. It was a spiced carrot thing (pureed) with Moroccan flavorings including preserved lemon. I thought it looked good (and had no fat in it at all) but it wasn’t.  Most of it got dumped into the toilet in my lodge room.

Now, after all that lengthy monologue, we’ll get to the mostarda, finally. Pretty much, this is like making jam. You do need to bloom the spices first in the water, vinegar and sugar, then the minced fennel is added, and lastly carefully chopped flesh of the orange. You cook it and cook it. And cook it some more if you prefer orange_fennel_mostarda_simmeringthe texture to be more like marmalade. I did, so it probably simmered on the stovetop for about 35-45 minutes or so (photo at left). I tasted it here and there. My only difficulty was that fennel bulbs and oranges are all different sizes, so the ratio of fruit/fennel to vinegar/sugar was just a touch off (too much vinegar) so I have altered the recipe just slightly. It’s far easier to add more vinegar later if it’s needed (and continue to cook it a bit more too, if you do so) than to have to add more sugar as I did. The orange zest is added at the very last. If you’d prefer, go to the original at Food52  and use Elizabeth Rex’s recipe, although her recipe just says use a small fennel bulb and an orange, so those sizes are certainly open to interpretation. Elizabeth is a line cook in Chicago. She’s a genius with this recipe. Truly. I loved it.

Most of the double batch went camping with me, but I kept back about 1/2 cup and I’m definitely going to use it – Karen and I talked about it at the camp that the mostarda would be delish with a grilled pork chop, or a pork roast. Since this mixture keeps well, and until I have a dinner guest, I’m going to keep it in the frig for doing just that.

What’s GOOD: the flavor of the orange is the most prominent, but then you get the savory part (the fennel and the mustard, fennel and coriander seeds) but overall the jam is sweet. Truly, you could eat it on toast for breakfast, but it’s far too lofty for that, I assure you. It would likely be delish piled on top of a block of cream cheese too. I wouldn’t use any kind of a flavored cracker – you want the mostarda flavors to come through, not onion, caraway or Ranch flavorings in a cracker, if you understand my meaning. Use a plain cracker or slice of a baguette. Toasted would be lovely. Altogether delicious. It keeps for awhile too.
What’s NOT: other than the time it takes to mince the fennel, chop up the oranges correctly and simmer it, nothing at all. This is a keeper-recipe for sure.

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Orange Fennel Mostarda

Recipe By: Adapted just slightly from a Food 52 recipe by Elizabeth Rex
Serving Size: 16

1 small fennel bulb — cut into a small dice (I used more)
2 whole Navel oranges
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup white wine vinegar — or more if needed
1/4 cup water

1. Place fennel, spices, sugar, vinegar, and water into a small saucepot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
2. Meanwhile, as your saucepot is heating, zest the navel orange. It should yield about 1 teaspoon, but if you get less, that is fine. Set zest aside.
3. Peel the orange as if you were supreming or segmenting it, but instead of segmenting, cut the orange into 4 pieces and remove the middle pithy part, seeds, and hard rind (if any). The membrane between the orange segments is fine. Dice what you have, which should yield about 1 cup. Add to the saucepot, which should have come up to a rapid simmer/boil about now. If the pot started boiling while you were cutting up the orange, that is fine.
4. Once the oranges are in, bring to a boil for about 5 minutes, skimming any foam that appears, then turn down to medium. Simmer until liquid is reduced to the consistency of maple syrup (nearly all of the liquid will be gone by then) and the mustard seeds have plumped up and softened, about 20-25 minutes. Set aside and cool, then stir in reserved orange zest.
5. Note: At this point, there will still be pieces of fresh orange in the mostarda. If you want a more cooked-down, marmalade-ish consistency, bring the orange to a boil with the fennel, and simmer on medium-low heat for 30 minutes. Taste to see if it needs more sugar or vinegar.
6. Serve with toasted baguette slices or a plain cracker. Don’t use a flavored cracker – you want all the mostarda flavor to shine through to your taste buds. Will keep for up to a month, refrigerated.
Per Serving: 41 Calories; trace Fat (5.3% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 8mg Sodium.

Posted in Veggies/sides, on July 26th, 2014.

risotto_mushrooms_cognac

Risotto goes really well with grilled meat, and even in the heat of summer. When you make it in the Breville risotto cooker, it’s pretty seamless and easy, and if you barbecue outside, the kitchen stays cool. If you have an outdoor plug somewhere and a way to cook it there, you could even make the risotto on your patio! Then you’d have zero heat in the kitchen!

Recently my friend Cherrie and I combined our efforts and did dinner in their backyard. Our friend Joe was here too, so the 4 of us had a lovely meal on their cool Eucalyptus-shaded back deck. Part of the plan was that I was going to teach Bud how to do boneless, skinless chicken breasts on the barbecue without cooking them to dry leather. Bud has been a master barbecuer for decades, and he was very, very skeptical, but he was willing to try. Cherrie basically doesn’t buy chicken breasts to grill because she was convinced you can’t grill them and have them moist. I showed them how!

I do have to laugh – you’ve read it here before in recent weeks – I really don’t know how to do the actual act of barbecuing. Dave always barbecued. I did tell him HOW to do it, but I’d never done it myself. I did grill a steak a few weeks ago with success, but for the last month my barbecue has been out of commission  until my outdoor kitchen countertop is completed. So I still have some lessons to learn about the heating-up and temperature controlling of the barbecue. The cooking technique, though, I know, because I  used to tell Dave how to do it. So with Bud to control the barbecue temp, I felt pretty sure we could do it.

I defrosted 2 packages of Costco’s plump boneless, skinless chicken breasts and made the same recipe I posted a week or so ago – the Cha Cha Cha Jerk Chicken. I had the spice mix already prepared (I’d made double when I did it before), so I just marinated them in the pineapple juice and orange juice mixture with the spices added. They marinated for 24 hours. I drained the breasts, patted  them dry with paper towels and Bud grilled them for a couple of minutes on each side (to get pretty grill marks) then I had him bring them back into the kitchen. He was a bit perplexed about this part. I said “trust me.” I sliced each breast into wide strips, put them back into the marinade briefly, then put them back on the platter and out to the barbecue they went. I told Bud to just grill them for about 1-2 minutes on the cut sides (where you you certainly see that on the inside the chicken wasn’t done). He wasn’t so sure, but he did as I asked, and sure enough, they were perfect. The only different thing we did was to pour the marinade into a small saucepan and simmer it until it reduced down and we served that on the side. It was pretty hot (spicy heat) so it didn’t take much on each portion. And yes, the chicken was almost dripping in juices. Cherrie couldn’t believe it. A week later they had a big 5th of July party and used boneless, skinless thighs, and Bud was so proud of himself – he used the same technique and the chicken was SO moist. A different recipe/marinade, but grilling for grill marks, back in the marinade, then cut into a couple of long strips and back on the grill for 2-3 minutes, maybe a few more for thighs and they were done. Delicious.

So, now, back to risotto. Cherrie had yet to try to adapt her Breville BRC600XL The Risotto Plus Sauteing Slow Rice Cooker and Steamer to one of her own, existing risotto recipes. There are numerous recipes in the cook-booklet that comes with the cooker, but she wanted to branch out. So I showed her how to do it. The recipe below is made (and written up) in the traditional way, but it was quite simple to adapt it. Everything was cooked in the risotto cooker. I sautéed the shallot in oil and butter, then added the rice to harden it a bit before we moved to the next steps. I added in the mushrooms and let them cook for maybe 2-3 minutes. We used a LOT more mushrooms than the original recipe called for. Then I just poured in 3-4 cups of the broth. I left a little bit out, and did end up adding more at the end, and even a bit of water to get it loose enough to suit both Cherrie and me. Cognac and cream gets added in, plus some Parm and Italian parsley.

The recipe comes from the 1987 risotto bible – Risotto: More than 100 Recipes for the Classic Rice Dish of Northern Italy. I guess it’s still in print – probably because it’s just so classic and filled with great recipes. My poor old, spine-cracked copy has seen a lot of use over the years, and this recipe is one I’ve made many times over the years. Just not recently.

What’s GOOD: I don’t think I’ve ever met a risotto I haven’t liked, unless it’s been overcooked (like they often are in mediocre restaurants who don’t understand how it’s supposed to be). This one is a winner. The cognac adds a lovely undertone, a rich flavor. The mushrooms (ample) provided some veggie with our dinner (although the photo doesn’t show many of them). Altogether wonderful recipe. This makes a beautiful company side dish.
What’s NOT: nothing except the making of it if you use the traditional stir-stir-stir method. That part’s a bit tedious. Enlist help from your family or guests. Children might not like this with the cognac – the alcohol surely cooks out – but it does add a flavor that kids might not like. If so, leave it out, but substitute more broth or water.

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Risotto with Fresh Mushrooms, Cognac, and Cream

Recipe By: Adapted from Risotto, by Barrett and Wasserman, 1987
Serving Size: 7 (side dish – and maybe would serve more than that)

MUSHROOMS:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 cups shiitake mushrooms — stems removed and sliced or coarsely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup Cognac — or brandy
1/2 cup half and half — or heavy cream
SOFFRITO:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup shallots — finely minced
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon Italian parsley — chopped fresh
BROTH:
5 cups broth — half chicken and half beef
RICE:
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice

1. MUSHROOMS: Heat the butter and oil in a skillet over moderate heat. When it starts to foam, add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 5 minutes, until the mushrooms are soft. Add salt and pepper to taste. Turn the heat to high, add the Cognac, and cook until it is reduced by half. Lower the heat, add the cream, and continue cooking until the cream has reduced slightly and thickened (about 5 minutes). Turn off the heat and set aside.
2. BROTH: Bring the broth to a steady simmer in a saucepan on the top of the stove.
3. SOFFRITO: Heat the butter and oil in a heavy 4-quart casserole over moderate heat. Add the shallot and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, until it begins to soften, being careful not to brown it.
4. RICE: Add the rice to the soffritto; using a wooden spoon, stir for 1 minute, making sure all the grains are well coated. Begin to add the simmering broth, 1/2 cup at a time. Wait until each addition is almost completely absorbed before adding the next 1/2 cup. Stir frequently to prevent sticking.
5. After approximately 18-20 minutes, when the rice is tender but still firm, add the mushrooms, Cognac, cream mixture, Parmesan, and parsley – and stir vigorously to combine with the rice. Cook until the rice still has a hint of chew to the grain. Add water if the mixture gets too firm. Serve immediately. You may add more parsley and Parm on top if you’d like.
Per Serving: 590 Calories; 11g Fat (16.2% calories from fat); 15g Protein; 111g Carbohydrate; 12g Dietary Fiber; 23mg Cholesterol; 101mg Sodium.

Posted in Desserts, on July 22nd, 2014.

anise_cake_coyote_cafe

Knowing some of you as I do, I’m venturing a guess that many most of you will look at that picture, read the word anise, and just decide nope, it’s not for you. You’d be making a big mistake. You’re going to miss out on a really wonderful taste treat. Curiously, I don’t like licorice. Period. I don’t eat the candy, nor the liqueurs made from it. Yuck. But this cake, oh yes, I love it.

Back in 2007 (a couple of months after I started writing this blog, and my photos were awful, I must tell you!) I posted this recipe. Most of you weren’t reading my blog back then. It was a baby blog, you could say, and I didn’t have all that many readers. Still today I have no idea whether people download recipes or not (I know how many people look at my blog, but downloading the pdf, or the MasterCook files, I don’t know).  This is a recipe I’ve been making for well over 20 years. And not all that often, but when I do make it, it’s always a hit. I had a group of women friends over for a potluck lunch and at the last minute (well, 9:30 for an noon lunch) I decided to whip up this cake. It took about 45 minutes of preparation, then the rest was easy (baking and cooling time).

The original recipe came from Mark Miller’s cookbook Coyote Cafe: Foods from the Great Southwest, Recipes from Coyote Café. Back in the early 80s I was quite enamored with southwestern food (still am, but Mexican food has to stand in since southwestern restaurants have basically been and gone) and on a trip to Santa Fe on a food tour, I ate at Miller’s restaurant. I was smitten. With his cookbook in hand, I have prepared some of the recipes from it, but the standout by far is this cake.

Anise Seed Tip:

When you toast anise, it absolutely mellows out the flavor. There is nothing pungent or strong about the flavor once it’s toasted/roasted. You’ll be amazed. Considering that there’s 4 tablespoons of anise in this cake!

Over the years I’ve changed it some – it’s still resembles his recipe – with eggs, butter, anise seed, sugar, vanilla, flour, etc. But I lightened it up (the texture mostly) a little bit many years ago. I reduced the amount of butter, and I separated the eggs to whip the whites to texturally lighten the cake from a heavy pound cake to just a “cake.” It’s still made in a tube pan, and baked for a little longer.

Let’s talk about anise seed a little bit. You know already that it is part of the licorice family – in some countries anise and fennel go by the same name. They certainly are similar. They’re both very aromatic. stovetop_spice_toaster_pan_mesh_lid_closed

In this recipe, the anise seeds have to be toasted. I have a cute little stovetop spice toaster thing. I bought it years ago and have no recollection where. Might have been in an Indian market, since Indian cuisine uses a lot of toasted spices. It’s about 8 inches long, and the metal pan is little more than paper thin, but that means the spices toast in a jiffy. The mesh lid clips down so when hot spices begin to dance and/or pop, they stovetop_spice_toaster_lid_opendon’t go flying.  Once the pan heats up you absolutely have to be right there at the stove gently shaking the pan – otherwise the spices would burn. It’s a miraculous little thing and when I use it I’m ever so glad I have it. But you can use any old pan – just watch it carefully so the spices don’t burn. Generally it takes 2-4 minutes to toast spices over a medium to medium high heat. As soon as they’re done, however, tip the contents out onto a plate so they don’t continue to toast. With my little toaster, I just set it onto the cold granite countertop, and move it about 3 times, shaking it as I move it and the spices stop toasting.

anise_cake_batterThe cake batter is fairly standard. But it sure looks different because of the finely ground toasted anise seed in it – it makes a lovely taupe color as you can see in the photo at right. I’d just folded in the whipped egg whites when I took that picture. The batter is relatively thick, and you do need to fold those whipped egg whites until you can’t see any streaks. Then it’s scooped into the tube pan, leveled slightly and baked. The original recipe said it baked in 50-60 minutes. Mine takes longer, from 60-80 minutes, depending on your oven. I used my instant read thermometer and baked it until I got a reading of about 200° in several places.

anise_cake_wholeIt cools in the pan for awhile (an hour), then you can remove the outer part of the tube pan. Even though the pan is greased and flour-dusted, I always run a knife around the edge (mine is old – it’s not a nonstick – I think tube pans – mostly designed for making angel food cake aren’t ever supposed to be nonstick). Once the outer rim is removed, then I run a knife underneath the cake and around the center tube and usually the cake will come out of the tube onto your outstretched hand and forearm. Then gently place it onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

I think this is best with nothing but vanilla ice cream or whipped cream – you want the anise flavor to shine through. If you add fruit or syrups or anything, it will just dampen the anise flavor.

What’s GOOD: to me, the anise flavor is just off the charts. When I served this to my group of lady friends they – to a person – raved. And I mean RAVED. The cake isn’t hard to make at all. Do use anise that’s not too old, or it won’t have good flavor. Am sure my jar is at least a year old, but it hadn’t been opened, so I knew it was good. Freeze the left overs, if you have any. It’s best eaten the day it’s made if at all possible.

What’s NOT: well, if you don’t like anise, I’m sorry! But remember, I don’t like licorice and I just adore this cake. You might be a convert to this type of anise flavor.

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Anise Pound Cake a la Coyote Cafe

Recipe By: Adapted some from Mark Miller’s cookbook, Coyote Cafe
Serving Size: 16

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
14 ounces unsalted butter — softened
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 tablespoons anise seed — roasted, ground
5 large eggs — separated
2/3 cup sour cream — (I used a mix of sour cream and Greek yogurt)

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan. Sift together flour and salt, then set aside. To toast the anise seeds, use an iron skillet, or pan with a heavy bottom, if possible. Heat the pan (dry) to medium-high. Add the seeds, and either shake or stir with a spatula until the seeds begin to brown. If they begin to smoke, the heat may be too high – be careful and don’t burn them. You want them to be just past golden brown – but not burned. This will take 2-3 minutes, maybe 4, depending on the heat level. Immediately tip the seeds out onto a big plate (to stop the toasting altogether).
2. Cream the butter with sugar, vanilla and toasted, finely ground anise seed until light, 5-7 minutes. In another bowl, whip the egg whites until they reach stiff peaks and set aside. To the caek batter add the egg yolks, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then add dry ingredients alternately with the sour cream. Scrape the bowl well and mix until blended. Then, using a spatula fold in the egg whites until mixed in and no streaks of white are visible. (This is a bit difficult because the batter is thick.)
3. Pour or scoop into prepared pan and bake for approximately 60-75 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and springs back to the touch. If using an instant read thermometer, bake until cake reaches 200°, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool on a rack for about 45 minutes, then run a knife around the outside of the pan and around the center, then remove the outer part of the tube pan. Holding onto the top of the tube, slide a knife all along bottom (between the cake and the bottom of the cake, turning the cake as you go. Unmold the cake onto your outstretched hand, then quickly, but gently, turn it back over onto the cooling rack. Can serve warm.
4. Serve in small slices with vanilla ice cream, or with fresh, sliced summer fruit (peaches, strawberries, other berries) and whipped cream. You’ll have the more predominant anise flavor if you serve it plain with ice cream or whipped cream.
Per Serving: 411 Calories; 24g Fat (52.2% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 45g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 125mg Cholesterol; 155mg Sodium.

Posted in Veggies/sides, on July 18th, 2014.

french_style_poppy_seed_noodles

We don’t seem to make egg noodles all that much anymore. Yet they are still a regular in almost every grocery store. Am I the only one who doesn’t think to use them regularly?  For whatever reason this old-old recipe of mine popped into my head when I was making the Japanese Burgers the other night. I wouldn’t have made them just for myself, but I had a dinner guest and I knew he liked pasta.

This recipe has been in my 5×8 ring binder for years – and since it was typed onto the 3-hole punched page, I knew that meant it was one of the earliest recipes I put into that book that I started creating in about 1965. I looked online and found nothing similar. My typed recipe doesn’t say where the recipe came from. And truth to tell, this dish isn’t going to make waves. You’re not going to be raving about it to all your friends. It’s just a simple, homey kind of comfort noodle dish. This type of noodle preparation appears to be German or Austrian (sometimes made with a type of potato noodle). But my typed recipe clearly indicated it’s French. Maybe from the sour cream added in.  Who knows.

noodles_ready_to_bakeOne of the nice things about this is it can be made a few hours ahead and reheated. The pasta is cooked – undercooked actually – and combined with sour cream, a bit of milk, seasonings, poppy seeds and I add green onions. It’s all mixed up, placed in a casserole dish, dotted with butter and more poppy seeds and green onions. And with a bit of lemon juice squeezed over the top if desired. It gets covered. Then it’s baked for 20-30 minutes. There’s no cheese  – but you could add it if you want. If so, I’d use Gruyere or Fontina. Not cheddar or mozzie, or even Jack cheese. No. It would need to be a little more flavorful European cheese, but not Parm. But I liked it just fine without cheese.

This dish is meant to be a subtle carb side that’s just an addition to a flavorful protein. Let your protein be the star of the show, in other words. Your kids will like the noodles – they’re relatively plain as long as they like sour cream.

What’s GOOD: its simplicity. It’s comfort food, but not ooey, gooey kind. It rounds out a dinner, or a plate alongside a flavorful protein like a burger, a steak, a pork chop, a chicken breast.

What’s NOT: this isn’t a “wow” recipe. Just simple, plain food. Tasty, easy.

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French-Style Poppy Seed Egg Noodle Dish

Recipe By: A recipe from my ancient hand-typed cookbook. Have no idea of its origin.
Serving Size: 8 small servings

8 ounces egg noodles
6 tablespoons sour cream
3 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon dried herbs — your choice (I used thyme, oregano, dried basil, sage)
2 tablespoons green onions — minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds — (save some for garnishing the top)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Cook the egg noodles in boiling, salted water but cook them fewer minutes than recommended so there is still a bite to them. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, In a large bowl combine the sour cream, milk, herbs, poppy seeds (most of them) and green onions. Pour the hot noodles over this mixture and stir well. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Pour into a greased casserole dish. Sprinkle additional poppy seeds on top, dot with butter, and drizzle with the lemon juice. Cover with lid or foil.
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Time your dinner so you can take this out of the oven and serve it immediately. Because of the airiness of the noodles (it’s not a solid mass like lasagna) they cool very quickly.
5. Make Ahead: You can prepare this up through step 3 and chill the casserole. Remove from refrigerator at least 30 minutes before baking, and check time in the oven – it may take a few more minutes to heat through and cook the noodles. I wouldn’t advise freezing this casserole as too many ice crystals would form on all the looped noodles.
Per Serving: 195 Calories; 10g Fat (46.3% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 21g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 48mg Cholesterol; 16mg Sodium.

Posted in Travel, on July 17th, 2014.

We were in Kings Canyon National Park (south of Sequoia, in central California) on the west side of the Sierra Mountains, just east of Fresno. We were at a place called Cedar Grove, about 40 miles into the park, and at the end of a very long, winding road. Campground photos are down below.

river_1

One of the days we spent 3-4 hours here (above). The water was shallow, so the 2 young boys were relatively safe. The water was cold-cold. Temps that day were about 85. Most of the time I spent sitting in a chair, in the water right at the bottom of this photo in that shady area. Because the water is so very low (drought) the flat areas have eroded away and the picnic table, bottom right, was actually IN the water – somebody moved it there because there is no flat ground for the picnic table to be. People in our group sat there at the table, off and on, between fly fishing upstream and downstream, wading out to that big rock on the right edge. I read my book mostly.

river_3

There’s another view of a different part of the river near the campground. I never did find out whether the bark beetle has arrived in this area – they can devastate an entire forest, but I didn’t understand why there were so many dead pine trees as you can see above. Bark beetles are very diligent and relentless. They don’t, hardly ever, leave any trees untouched. So perhaps the few dead trees died of something else. The above is the Kings River.

river 2

Just another view of the river. I loved the shade. It was mighty hot in the sunshine.

campsite_1

This was the campsite. Breakfast had been served. My son Powell is on the right in the navy blue shirt. His wife Karen is in the chair on the left. Her sister and her husband are in front of her. In the foreground is my son’s mother-in-law and her hubby is in the white t-shirt. The other folks at the table were friends of Karen’s sister. I do believe they were all looking left because the firepit was over there, and the 2 boys (6 and 5) were forever wanting to be too close to the fire, throwing in twigs, dead leaves and anything they could possibly find within 50 yards to add to the fire. They couldn’t wait for the fire to be lit every day (early morning and evening). What IS it about boys and fire? Must go back to caveman days.

As for me, I was staying down the road at the lodge (that’s the glamping part). All of the folks above were tent camping with either air mattresses or cots. I used to do that when I was young, but not anymore. Besides, the lodge had A/C in the room. I spent a part of each day there, taking a nap or reading and so grateful for the cool air. It was in the 90s the last day I was there. Dreadful.

stream_1

A little creek near the campground. In another few weeks it’ll be dry, I’m sure, as the drought has really affected the California mountains. Less snow than usual means less runoff.

I’m back home now – got home on Monday (I was gone for 5 days). One of my granddaughters (Taylor) arrived the same day I drove home. I paid for her to attend a 3-day seminar about how to write your college essays. She’ll be a senior this year and will be applying to nursing schools in the next couple of months. My friend Kathy’s daughter Meredith teaches this essay-writing class several times each summer. Taylor went home this morning. Taylor’s cousin Shalinn came down also, so they both attended this workshop and each wrote 3 essays over the course of the 3 days.

My outdoor kitchen and new patio furniture is nearly finished. The tables and 4 chairs to the bar-height table all went off to be newly powder coated, so won’t be able to eat outside for a long while (4 weeks, they said). The barbecue hasn’t been put back into the countertop yet and am waiting for that. Pictures eventually.

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