tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27182621246818571062024-03-05T06:00:43.123-08:00The Dish and the SpoonThe Spoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18049453651551199989noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718262124681857106.post-71473449006401213802011-08-09T20:24:00.001-07:002011-08-10T13:37:20.976-07:00Jasmine Tea
<br />One of my favorite ways to wind down after a long day is to drink tea. When we were in Istanbul on our Mediterranean cruise last summer my in laws picked up some spices for us from they spice market and they also picked up some dried jasmine flower blossoms.
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<br />When you add them to water they bloom and act like a tea bag and flavor the water. I enjoy watching the flower bloom as much as I enjoy drinking this rich tea.
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7QeRkD8TkcQwEODFSgBaZgUGawXLd3_N1WTkn9tYJP3luNDuGUneM_imcy1rRrShKPjrdy5SYZp-Q5KEHymHKNl_sN2jYdjhBu9YJ77hcTrjb8SsHCSWl8kF0lkToswO0Y1srQZ8pFEET/s1600/photo-16.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 197px; height: 262px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7QeRkD8TkcQwEODFSgBaZgUGawXLd3_N1WTkn9tYJP3luNDuGUneM_imcy1rRrShKPjrdy5SYZp-Q5KEHymHKNl_sN2jYdjhBu9YJ77hcTrjb8SsHCSWl8kF0lkToswO0Y1srQZ8pFEET/s200/photo-16.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639329016832588786" border="0" /></a>
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<br />The Spoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18049453651551199989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718262124681857106.post-58958944284888340852011-08-05T15:33:00.000-07:002011-08-13T13:18:00.248-07:00Anniversary<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH4mx8FvlvwH4SkqoHtvmXbD0J04nl8uniARGNjS0oQvIaHoUqxo5pbn1TjoX64x8bnl4t7JnQTLRMmgmSOv3DvHizQ0Bb00LpfYSWAmhyphenhyphent6tzUrImDaEEB9BjN9-zHvqa7eHPH6ArJ62F/s1600/photo.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 191px; height: 255px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH4mx8FvlvwH4SkqoHtvmXbD0J04nl8uniARGNjS0oQvIaHoUqxo5pbn1TjoX64x8bnl4t7JnQTLRMmgmSOv3DvHizQ0Bb00LpfYSWAmhyphenhyphent6tzUrImDaEEB9BjN9-zHvqa7eHPH6ArJ62F/s200/photo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639000684506060098" border="0" /></a>
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<br />We celebrated our anniversary this year by dining at <a href="http://www.biga.com/">Biga on the Banks</a>. Biga looks over the Riverwalk and has amazing food. The chef changes up the menu based on what local organic food is available.Brian and I had a great meal together and had free champagne to celebrate 3 amazing years of marriage. We were seated at a table for two right by the window.
<br />Here are the delectable dishes we enjoyed that evening:
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<br />Starters : <strong>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: normal;">Sarah -</span> Chicken-fried Oysters </strong>(5) squid ink linguini, Swiss chard, pancetta, whole grain mustard hollandaise
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">These oysters were so good. I mean who can't love chicken fried oysters :) They came 5 to a plate and were each placed on top of a tiny bed of squid ink noodles that were jet black. I ate one oyster and the noodles in one bite . They were many intense flavors with a slight kick </span>
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<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Brian- </span><strong>Shiner Bock Onion Rings,</strong> habanero ketchup, pickled peppers
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I of course had a few of these. They were lightly battered and you could taste the beer. The ketchup was just hot enough. They brought 8 huge onion rings and we had to take some home.</span>
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<br />Main Courses:
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Sarah- </span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Over Roasted Red Fish</span> (not listed on the online menu)
<br />The fish was cooked perfectly. It was topped with a tapenade and severed over polenta
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<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Brian- </span><strong>Achiote roasted pork tenderloin</strong>, plantains, corn saute, avocado salsa, pickled onions, cinnamon sauce
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<br />Dessert:
<br />For dessert we shared a mint chocolate chip tart with mint chocolate chip ice cream. The outside of the tart was a dark chocolate crust. The filling tasted exactly like mint chocolate chip ice cream and the texture was like the inside of a cookie. They decorated the plate with Happy Anniversary, and it was .
<br />The Spoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18049453651551199989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718262124681857106.post-10304646010507172762011-07-31T15:28:00.000-07:002011-08-09T19:51:50.710-07:00HuHotBrian and I love to go on food adventures. Last weekend we took decided to try<a href="http://www.huhot.com/"> Huhot</a> a local restaurant near our new house. Huhot is a make your own Mongolian stir fry restaurant, that is all you can eat. Their motto: "How to Pillage like the Mongolians." You are given a bowl and then you add meats,veggies and sauce from a buffet and you can back and and do this as many times as you like. Now that sounds simple enough but in fact there is a bar for each food categories.
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdA0bRqEljUoOONYi1-WToco3zSKimWPFsGYkLhrmtpP2uQaSMZz3SrKB02UWp4YWKViUzs6Vica0xR_VUOMLMR45goTwb9cNr6qHO5y8EbtDJCMIcj3aRvEGnF8gryQetYhuKSbgkcMcC/s1600/photo-5.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdA0bRqEljUoOONYi1-WToco3zSKimWPFsGYkLhrmtpP2uQaSMZz3SrKB02UWp4YWKViUzs6Vica0xR_VUOMLMR45goTwb9cNr6qHO5y8EbtDJCMIcj3aRvEGnF8gryQetYhuKSbgkcMcC/s320/photo-5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638619819359132850" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj60IFZflQbOo1ZkCkuXDshPUxX0LyaYqUNXRFZ_Dlod2LbqB1irxYWY2OcCx6uNW8X1dWskdqgied0IKMyZpz28N70my_ZU82pVgVt1NJk2le7vTmjS7RDA2LTjma4TWBL1ox6l1lYN-4I/s1600/photo-4.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj60IFZflQbOo1ZkCkuXDshPUxX0LyaYqUNXRFZ_Dlod2LbqB1irxYWY2OcCx6uNW8X1dWskdqgied0IKMyZpz28N70my_ZU82pVgVt1NJk2le7vTmjS7RDA2LTjma4TWBL1ox6l1lYN-4I/s320/photo-4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638619820085298402" border="0" /></a>
<br />Brian is show here by the meat bar. The meats are freeze-dried and sliced super thin, which allows them to cook faster and stay out safely :) Then next bar is full of veggies and then the sauce bar. They have 20 different kind of sauces. You mix them all together to create your ideal sauce . You use about 5-6 ladles of sauce.
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgis8T61t8wpSOKgJP0tcjre9mldbTSZbg1QK23JcpbRI6La06an03HgVlaoRfuAEiifT-BzX2Fn1TR5vWs3YtwPJ79FLroWWaIyKwQpbc93aLJpSssEnaFjkSlcIA8yaVFE2eFKiW7CaMR/s1600/photo-3.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgis8T61t8wpSOKgJP0tcjre9mldbTSZbg1QK23JcpbRI6La06an03HgVlaoRfuAEiifT-BzX2Fn1TR5vWs3YtwPJ79FLroWWaIyKwQpbc93aLJpSssEnaFjkSlcIA8yaVFE2eFKiW7CaMR/s320/photo-3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638619820237479490" border="0" /></a>
<br />Brian choosing his sauce thoughtfully and carefully. The grill is circular and operated by two men. One of them takes your bowl and pours it on the grill. They have a special order that place food on the grill so they can remember whose is whose. It takes about two minutes for your meal to cook. The men are constantly moving around the grill, stirring dishes with spatulas, serving up order or cleaning off the grill. They seemed to work in perfect union without talking.
<br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5nnni_ZGoVuqShl1XOcDRtcfQHu6e-AdIJI99zYS-9ee6UpqyhM4VOZ7pQGmAxq9Xpr3TVpNM1KuDOtZ_wS4BFShscOHA9og9g4r0FLWTNrsU_gB41xaO6t77DqjAo5i3q90ncIiGVdX4/s1600/photo-2.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5nnni_ZGoVuqShl1XOcDRtcfQHu6e-AdIJI99zYS-9ee6UpqyhM4VOZ7pQGmAxq9Xpr3TVpNM1KuDOtZ_wS4BFShscOHA9og9g4r0FLWTNrsU_gB41xaO6t77DqjAo5i3q90ncIiGVdX4/s320/photo-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638619825271680146" border="0" /></a></div>Now if this whole process sounds daunting to you they provide recipe cards with a list of ingredient. Not ready to fly solo my first time around I chose a recipe called Dragon Spit. I took the card up with me and followed its instructions. The card read : beef, pork, yakisoba noddles, green onion, bean sprouts, mushrooms, onions, broccoli. Then it detailed the sauce:
<br />1 ladle Not-So-Sweet &Sour<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgShJp8fsHrS8lta3phQUN-anm_mUwg4OjFuWZjju3N2wQXX3vmEALZQwEhWU3HdoSDtEfj0eXw9POFNnIg17Tz4uJfjgpE2UJQusmRT5mjYE8Z63at-MIpJYoUj7FWIOLn9ZZbcCTmDxSN/s1600/photo-1.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgShJp8fsHrS8lta3phQUN-anm_mUwg4OjFuWZjju3N2wQXX3vmEALZQwEhWU3HdoSDtEfj0eXw9POFNnIg17Tz4uJfjgpE2UJQusmRT5mjYE8Z63at-MIpJYoUj7FWIOLn9ZZbcCTmDxSN/s200/photo-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638667482700787442" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"> 2 Ladles black Thai Peanut
<br /></div> 1/2 ladle garlic oil <div style="text-align: justify;">1 ladle Samaria Teriyaki
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<br />I was very happy with my first dish. For my second dish i went with beef and calamari. I did not put enough sauce and it came out tasting like nothing. Brian on the other hand had an epic fail. He tried to go for a curry and it tasted like garbage. We put the dish to the side. The waiter came by and seeing that we clearly were not going to eat this dish asked,"Can I take this away." Brian answer with an emphatic yes. "Too much Mo's curry sauce?", the waiter asked and again Brian answered yes. What I love about Huhot is that the bowl are relatively small so if you try and fail you haven't wasted a bunch of food and you can quickly go make another bowl.
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<br />In order to not end with a bad taste in our mouths, we ordered dessert. Cheesecake Rangoons with raspberry sauce. What a fantastic experience!
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAP9-eLElWxIVmkgYWOZiIR-R3XoF0Pr6tHRsG5JD8BXGduxmaL6PbSOuWOCrEAUSwjEcO-L-hF-ZRFjooRqEBIVu0Yrk9uv-in62EtzTCdXTG3wntFbdO3Z9kk-qSmN4jHVZa9uczYZbp/s1600/Cheesecake-Rangoons.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAP9-eLElWxIVmkgYWOZiIR-R3XoF0Pr6tHRsG5JD8BXGduxmaL6PbSOuWOCrEAUSwjEcO-L-hF-ZRFjooRqEBIVu0Yrk9uv-in62EtzTCdXTG3wntFbdO3Z9kk-qSmN4jHVZa9uczYZbp/s200/Cheesecake-Rangoons.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638668459882782642" border="0" /></a>
<br />The Spoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18049453651551199989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718262124681857106.post-82385090652411246502011-07-29T19:18:00.000-07:002011-07-29T20:10:15.794-07:00Tabbouleh<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5USdXPTcXDDo-T6QoenMqMmdQyRV3NVFcg3kZ_9oXdQpjo0dtMrHoY-sdsxBi_nTPLjEWFFtfwktJpITG8ZrzHgC7TCahiNLyfFhSF_-v5VdXQffUZYYBbI_W1WfT3vBuZFi6o6sYlm6K/s1600/007.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 273px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5USdXPTcXDDo-T6QoenMqMmdQyRV3NVFcg3kZ_9oXdQpjo0dtMrHoY-sdsxBi_nTPLjEWFFtfwktJpITG8ZrzHgC7TCahiNLyfFhSF_-v5VdXQffUZYYBbI_W1WfT3vBuZFi6o6sYlm6K/s320/007.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634970317799318642" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />This post has been a long time coming. I will be filling in back logged food adventures as well as going forward so keep your eye pealed for entries all the way back to Halloween and posting in the present.<br /><br />I discovered this delightful, fresh meal back in March when we were on the South Beach Diet and were searching for healthy recipes. I love to make this dish in the summer because it requires no cooking. When is over 100 degrees, I hate making anything that requires a long cook time or use of the over. The tabbouleh recipe is from what is now one of our go to cook books; <span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mad-Hungry-Feeding-Men-Boys/dp/1579653561/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1311994941&sr=8-1">Mad Hungry</a> </span>by Lucinda Scala Quinn<br /><br />Tabbouleh is a traditional Arabic salad. It is made using bulgar wheat, parsley, mint, and olive oil.Bulgar wheat is a really hearty grain that has not been processed very much. In order to prepare it for the salad you first rinse the wheat in cold water and then soak the wheat in cold water for 20 minutes.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ5PoN0Lnfb88rVRAl4sEHq-W2udbI2NyJ7ZbCAcsLsud3d5nAvrf1Jdp5JrNNivcXzYJQuorlE6RMFxm2Iw7WFFATw-gtA1W7FUZ9dJmvn0m8nJoR4EY-dBlxPLnGLnTgxuLd6czM6Em6/s1600/001.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ5PoN0Lnfb88rVRAl4sEHq-W2udbI2NyJ7ZbCAcsLsud3d5nAvrf1Jdp5JrNNivcXzYJQuorlE6RMFxm2Iw7WFFATw-gtA1W7FUZ9dJmvn0m8nJoR4EY-dBlxPLnGLnTgxuLd6czM6Em6/s320/001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634969640664326258" border="0" /></a><br />Then you begin chopping herbs... and a lot of them. The recipe calls for two cups of curly parsley and a half cup of mint. Luckily I had gotten a <a href="http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/5839352/?catalogId=42&bnrid=3180501&cm_ven=Shopping&cm_cat=Froogle&cm_pla=Cooks_Tools&cm_ite=5839352"> rolling herb mincer </a> for Christmas and this was a great time to use it. You simply remove the herbs from their stems and then roll this multi-bladed contraption over the herb one direction and then the other and it cuts them into tiny pieces. Even with this awesome herb destroying machine it still took me 20 minutes to wash the parsley, pick off each leaf, and run the her<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span>b mincer over them. I know it would have taken me at least twice a long if I did not have my newest kitchen gadget!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0QfGiOw_1wt3Gz2a7KP56hh0O-V3HJKFlaOvoP-hWR2YCJw7wbwvurAMppAN7pn7vOtbayRBUfBXDNV0BU4lkIB0WSZaBfIrjtLujD6dVZBAQiYeYTNeOHXUqULpjZbfckzjD32YEkt3Z/s1600/002.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0QfGiOw_1wt3Gz2a7KP56hh0O-V3HJKFlaOvoP-hWR2YCJw7wbwvurAMppAN7pn7vOtbayRBUfBXDNV0BU4lkIB0WSZaBfIrjtLujD6dVZBAQiYeYTNeOHXUqULpjZbfckzjD32YEkt3Z/s320/002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634969647120793794" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Traditionally you add in tomatoes, green onions and cucumbers to the herbs and wheat. The first time I made this dish I kept the tomatoes in to see what the flavor and texture of the dish would be like, even though Brian and I are not big tomato fans. I did not want to take an ingredient out before trying it. Since the tomatoes did not blow we away or feel significant to the dish I left them out this go around and found I enjoyed the dish much better.<br /><br />You finish off the tabbouleh with a dressing made of lemon juice, olive oil and salt. We serve the tabbouleh in whole wheat pitas but it can also be served as a salad. I love the flavor of this dish. It is quiet strong with all the fresh herbs lemon juice and green onions. It make a great light dinner or healthy lunch.I highly recommend.The Spoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18049453651551199989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718262124681857106.post-36951439783464870572011-07-17T17:12:00.000-07:002011-08-09T19:51:10.107-07:00Sunday Dinner<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyvOUTeDVDeN4BTA25BaWJNLpKv7go8sIofQ37D3Ljb_UurYMjCtBfZHWHOpswTDMWZzdSTW_xPR4Iw-Cqq9xFlxqSSqzn4Yl_Kyge4XdLmFn-yb5Ct-N3E2reKnROaTZwe-ZF2i-Hw2Uq/s1600/FNK_macaroni-salad_s4x3_lg.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 280px; height: 210px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyvOUTeDVDeN4BTA25BaWJNLpKv7go8sIofQ37D3Ljb_UurYMjCtBfZHWHOpswTDMWZzdSTW_xPR4Iw-Cqq9xFlxqSSqzn4Yl_Kyge4XdLmFn-yb5Ct-N3E2reKnROaTZwe-ZF2i-Hw2Uq/s320/FNK_macaroni-salad_s4x3_lg.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631227629609257026" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_vcM0t9sB7Vl4Avnt-BhmtZeVCqeOaDiydLUSzAK6FbAEAOG_cbqbY-Va8tesP2URpAU_XFsbeNofQVi2Rhm93bktfPe2Y0UR4QtgWwUnXZWMj0dOj0z-5JLzIaAF56IvvJFjSTuwymJO/s1600/0206_msl_brownie_l.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 180px; height: 224px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_vcM0t9sB7Vl4Avnt-BhmtZeVCqeOaDiydLUSzAK6FbAEAOG_cbqbY-Va8tesP2URpAU_XFsbeNofQVi2Rhm93bktfPe2Y0UR4QtgWwUnXZWMj0dOj0z-5JLzIaAF56IvvJFjSTuwymJO/s200/0206_msl_brownie_l.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639019188517003906" border="0" /></a>
<br />I love summer. I love summer especial since we moved into our house and bought a grill. Brian has been working really long hours so for Sunday I planned a special meal for his day off: a cook out. The menu BBQ Chicken using my grandmothers BBQ sauce; homemade macaroni salad and brownies.
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<br />I went ahead and made the sides ahead of time on Saturday. While I was shopping at the store I realized I had forgotten to print off a recipe for macaroni salad. So I whipped out my i phone and I went to one of my trusted sites: Food network and found this simple <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/american-macaroni-salad-recipe/index.html">recipe.</a> I cooked the elbow macaroni and made the dressing of mayonnaise, dry mustard, sugar, cider vinegar, and sour cream. The dressing tasted very similar to the dressing I remember my mom making for her coleslaw. Then I chopped up celery, and red onion. I soaked the red onion is cold water for 5 minutes to draw out some of the bite . I left out the tomatoes. and added cut up sweet gherkin pickles to my serving. The salad has a very refreshing taste and the red onions added just the right about of kick.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnTbKLsMoNbLyvMUaQRylZNVsqcHMUUw1qrS3FtdJvK4Tv1rFqVo13A3Hv9pYiAxdA8mnkUImT3zdXCvozCe9neXmweN6XdaiR9FSdWF1qyDCgvxbHoeIa0uCVJNJxWIxExsGjSJEcBa5f/s1600/photo-1.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnTbKLsMoNbLyvMUaQRylZNVsqcHMUUw1qrS3FtdJvK4Tv1rFqVo13A3Hv9pYiAxdA8mnkUImT3zdXCvozCe9neXmweN6XdaiR9FSdWF1qyDCgvxbHoeIa0uCVJNJxWIxExsGjSJEcBa5f/s320/photo-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631227634489782690" border="0" /></a>
<br />Boddington wanting his taste of the macaroni.
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<br />For the brownies I use Martha Stewart Double Chocolate Brownies <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/350030/double-chocolate-brownies?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/brownie-and-blondie-recipes#slide_1">Recipe</a>.
<br />I melted the semi sweet chocolate, coco power and butter together in a double boiler. I had never mixed coco powered into my chocolate before but it defiantly kicked up the chocolaty taste. I added the chocolate to the dry ingredients and the eggs and the sugar. Then I poured the batter into the pan. The recipe was very specific about how the pan should be prepared.
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<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">" Line a buttered 8-inch square baking pan with foil,allowing 2 inches to hang over sides. Butter lining (excluding overhang); set pan aside." </span>
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<br />I though this was a little excessive, butter the pan then put foil in it and then butter the foil... Really? Well, the brownies came out of the pan perfectly. Who and I to argue with Martha?
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxwRWEJlZBVpFOGX1d0R__34qlsR1i4GG9d1f2amBAqF5XWnqXzJhI-lcN6mqaFSmYqi9yWhBu26Da-XXWLXKQ2UV1pFa8Zu5H2Tq_G_NZ-wDCDXab9idGYCFGjm-83bo3yNO3Gd-QzgU7/s1600/photob.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxwRWEJlZBVpFOGX1d0R__34qlsR1i4GG9d1f2amBAqF5XWnqXzJhI-lcN6mqaFSmYqi9yWhBu26Da-XXWLXKQ2UV1pFa8Zu5H2Tq_G_NZ-wDCDXab9idGYCFGjm-83bo3yNO3Gd-QzgU7/s320/photob.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631226517809075170" border="0" /></a>
<br />
<br />As Brian was heating up the grill I was getting the chicken ready. As I open up the chicken I immediately knew something was wrong. The chicken just smelled nasty. So we chucked it in the garage and went with our back up plan, burgers. We bought 18 frozen Sirloin burger patties from Costco for a time such as this. We seasoned them with some Lawry's seasoning salt and grilled them up.
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<br />The meal was great. The salad was a nice side for the burgers and the brownies were so chocolaty and delicious. I hope we continue our tradition of fabulous Sunday dinners.
<br />The Spoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18049453651551199989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718262124681857106.post-30807301839626508082010-10-30T16:49:00.000-07:002010-11-07T20:11:06.867-08:00Apple Oven Pancake<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixZtPykliKCsJt8e_NPL4k8K5G0TURm4uBFkWfJmBXSHKJdd2wOphPx_Gm4Fzu06Ts5XERkkZE6hp4qrpLSf7qZrNVNf3ICHrfb7wh22in4bXinZ9-oCYMyK8YRgAS7e_WeNv4ugWAEHUt/s1600/PA300205.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixZtPykliKCsJt8e_NPL4k8K5G0TURm4uBFkWfJmBXSHKJdd2wOphPx_Gm4Fzu06Ts5XERkkZE6hp4qrpLSf7qZrNVNf3ICHrfb7wh22in4bXinZ9-oCYMyK8YRgAS7e_WeNv4ugWAEHUt/s320/PA300205.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536588510194743154" border="0" /></a><br />For Halloween weekend I went a little baking crazy. I originally intended to make Brinner one night earlier in the week but it fell through so bright and early Saturday morning I turned to our <span style="font-style: italic;">William and Sonoma Essentials of Breakfast and Brunch </span>Cookbook for the recipe for Apple Oven Pancake.<br /><br />To begin I peeled and sliced the apples and cooked them in butter and once they are soft I added brown sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon. This is very similar to the start of an apple pie.<br /><br />I then made up the batter with 4 eggs, milk flour, vanilla and salt. This batter is similar to a pancake batter , which makes sense. I then put the baking dish in the oven for 5 minutes then took it out carefully with potholders (I have burned my hand doing this before). I melted to tablespoons of butter in the hot pan and poured in the fruit and then the batter on top of it. The oven pancake cooked up in an interesting way. The batter rose up the sides and curled over and the middle puffed up. The final product was a thick crepe /apple pie.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqOd7Akh2nu_rdulWtbAmcQRDOxaiVmPO0Hb-sk79C4rw2A7H-cOzgKbYss2y1H1CahIJv9SN3LmWvs7hEv014WwJUrlfU_W9jUSOGSPhS9yVI6BovZ-rS9v8Ox-x0QJAGBBDYuNZWhZSu/s1600/PA300202.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqOd7Akh2nu_rdulWtbAmcQRDOxaiVmPO0Hb-sk79C4rw2A7H-cOzgKbYss2y1H1CahIJv9SN3LmWvs7hEv014WwJUrlfU_W9jUSOGSPhS9yVI6BovZ-rS9v8Ox-x0QJAGBBDYuNZWhZSu/s320/PA300202.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536588504467709778" border="0" /></a>The Spoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18049453651551199989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718262124681857106.post-4525462679152903382010-10-20T22:14:00.000-07:002010-11-07T19:43:52.403-08:00Pork Wellington<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWrtjhO-lKuGOEdmTGnCDpViJlO-CSzY4PnBGXAswc3E2mgC6gIs5Ze4EASjro51APsD25qKrRqFoUx0T4SH_sVFHfHJl6Ix4T3i1YTB-KABJCvHcRjjY7GgdRrtV758KMCGwR5GyANm9e/s1600/PA200194.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWrtjhO-lKuGOEdmTGnCDpViJlO-CSzY4PnBGXAswc3E2mgC6gIs5Ze4EASjro51APsD25qKrRqFoUx0T4SH_sVFHfHJl6Ix4T3i1YTB-KABJCvHcRjjY7GgdRrtV758KMCGwR5GyANm9e/s320/PA200194.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531477312147399042" border="0" /></a><br />We recently discovered Good Eats and while watching the episode <span style="font-style: italic;">Tender is the Pork </span><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/pork-wellington-recipe/index.html">Alton Brown</a> fetchered a recipe for Pork Wellington a fun take on the original English beef dish. To gather the ingredients for this dinner I head the to two different gorcery stores. I first went to<br />Randalls and was able to get everything but dried apples and puff pastry which I surprisingly found at Whole Foods.<br /><br />Step one for pork wellington is to cut off the silver skin from the pork tenderloin. The silver skin is an extra membrane that is un-editable. With a little finagling I was able to get most of it off. I then split the tenderloin in two and rotated one of the pieces so it created a gap in the middle for the stuffing, sliced up dried apples.<br /><br />Then we prepped what we would wrap the pork in. We turned to one of our fav new cured meats prosciutto. On top of wax paper we laid out pieces of prosciutto so they were overlapping and then placed another piece of parchment over in and rolled over the slices with a rolling pin to seal them together. We placed the pork tenderloin on top the prosciutto and used the wax paper to help roll the tenderloin until it was covered with the prosciutto.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGTudT02RxIHBR2CpS_JX4iq_EVYmO-57JxoJkU-oBnRvH0E18MXaK5UUVgRyCtauztzCXiYKiqL_xt8WaDsEvwxruYMY41d8TaIXzuMfeXi6EQ1eFccfIQT6pKB1EVy6Twxe2PQnHuYMN/s1600/PA200192.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGTudT02RxIHBR2CpS_JX4iq_EVYmO-57JxoJkU-oBnRvH0E18MXaK5UUVgRyCtauztzCXiYKiqL_xt8WaDsEvwxruYMY41d8TaIXzuMfeXi6EQ1eFccfIQT6pKB1EVy6Twxe2PQnHuYMN/s320/PA200192.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531477303006559154" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMo829H0aHMX-PQU2jhBMFYiXPEIe9bt4vYvJcwZb1tVftEruPFbcKcQRJ6F_iBgDCONx_ZilxG9YekFex6hsfSRGSqXVYAvwjVOUoHSAMmUk2jy5XY2U3DkH_yYpujGhQS6fQJ8Zlncjc/s1600/PA200191.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMo829H0aHMX-PQU2jhBMFYiXPEIe9bt4vYvJcwZb1tVftEruPFbcKcQRJ6F_iBgDCONx_ZilxG9YekFex6hsfSRGSqXVYAvwjVOUoHSAMmUk2jy5XY2U3DkH_yYpujGhQS6fQJ8Zlncjc/s320/PA200191.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531477296235272834" border="0" /></a> <br />Next came the puff pastry . I removed it from the packaging and tried to start rolling it out but it was frozrn solid. So after re-reading the the recipe "1 sheet puff pastry, thawed completely." and letting come to room temperature, I was able roll it out so it would cover the loin. We placed the pork on the pastry and sealed it up. When then flipped it over placed in on another sheet of was paper on a cookie sheet and covered it with an egg wash so it would brown. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnbIRk4hTsQdYIzH7kqKU_yF0JQdkLT2gJIinoTB-fvCNvgLp0v4QrXIQ6bAdz6fnckToLYdhpVxDzOtU5sl5uL7u1D0PBGjmoGFXkCltg_1yhMdZOMp7PwFiKP9DWdpCoThyOx01oQNQY/s1600/PA200193.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnbIRk4hTsQdYIzH7kqKU_yF0JQdkLT2gJIinoTB-fvCNvgLp0v4QrXIQ6bAdz6fnckToLYdhpVxDzOtU5sl5uL7u1D0PBGjmoGFXkCltg_1yhMdZOMp7PwFiKP9DWdpCoThyOx01oQNQY/s320/PA200193.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531477304058212658" border="0" /></a><br />The finished product was beautiful. After we cooked it for 30 minutes and let is set for 10, the hardest part we were able to cut into it. The pork was cooked perfectly and had nice flavors with the apples and the yummy pastry. A perfect fall meal.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguvnqQ8swD0jlN8q_UPj28GjqXjIObP-QO9htaOarYxRzvja7RR2q9bGvdmO_ncGFU-49K3-h-JWF09ahZ4G36eqht9wKg7WCwP3BkBW3cl0ILGFnvWJYSY0t1w99gLVQyaaFkpOTyXkg9/s1600/PA200195.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguvnqQ8swD0jlN8q_UPj28GjqXjIObP-QO9htaOarYxRzvja7RR2q9bGvdmO_ncGFU-49K3-h-JWF09ahZ4G36eqht9wKg7WCwP3BkBW3cl0ILGFnvWJYSY0t1w99gLVQyaaFkpOTyXkg9/s320/PA200195.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531477312528206690" border="0" /></a>The Spoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18049453651551199989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718262124681857106.post-51421294929332258312010-10-09T21:55:00.000-07:002010-11-07T19:18:34.930-08:00Mediterranean Night !When Brian and I got back from our Meditertainisn curise we wanted to have people over and share some of the recieopes we learned in our travels and entlich (finally) in October, 3 months after our cruise we had Drew and Sarah over.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge8WXknj8Q4uWMQQ9fAR1IX0jbb1tOEDW01HZ3h1G3kL-I1BGWb3OiC234Bre8jXyxk3q3WkwyfvKfD70PR8rxP6_-uhz6SCQgXoMSktOPCwJz0LBGRGWehXAV6H1Y9fsQwEuITb4z6eOF/s1600/PA090172.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge8WXknj8Q4uWMQQ9fAR1IX0jbb1tOEDW01HZ3h1G3kL-I1BGWb3OiC234Bre8jXyxk3q3WkwyfvKfD70PR8rxP6_-uhz6SCQgXoMSktOPCwJz0LBGRGWehXAV6H1Y9fsQwEuITb4z6eOF/s320/PA090172.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531473807175620050" border="0" /></a><br />We started our preperation for the evening by heading to Central Market. We wanted to get really fresh ingredients and it is just fun for Brian and I to shop there. We picked up a turban gourd for our center piece (shown above) and also some high quality prosciutto and veal. We also had fun shopping for appetizers and all the other ingredients.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiliIWZRpxYqdkTwbng-siCI3XJ2Hvwn0DuUjg24Dnutu-kiu5XgbKcct83bM_h-yCVwQni1xtezYqgieLaEj5zVB2oYK6AbnGtOSpHBJ6W7B-2LHSRyefSJSkRWfAyK36DcZinXGnJ9kE7/s1600/PA090183.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 122px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiliIWZRpxYqdkTwbng-siCI3XJ2Hvwn0DuUjg24Dnutu-kiu5XgbKcct83bM_h-yCVwQni1xtezYqgieLaEj5zVB2oYK6AbnGtOSpHBJ6W7B-2LHSRyefSJSkRWfAyK36DcZinXGnJ9kE7/s320/PA090183.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531476373461717154" border="0" /></a><br />We started the meal with<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bread and Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar</span><br />we bought it in Greece<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dolma</span><br />which is a grape leaf wrapped around rice or other items<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tapenade </span><br />which is a mix of finely chopped vegetable usually olives and garlic that you can top on bread .<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Grilled Eggplant with Feta</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzmO6rHPxgHXe_U6whujatDJ1wys_PkLk6OYnj8B5rhFBwJNGTEng2IFfjMhyphenhyphenkGGj6exTnGEgr37r3c55XsFLa01ueZwSjz1rNO66ap8BFA9RYP7eUeiLT-uM03tgzRdp-1lc2p-bptEnO/s1600/PA090179.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzmO6rHPxgHXe_U6whujatDJ1wys_PkLk6OYnj8B5rhFBwJNGTEng2IFfjMhyphenhyphenkGGj6exTnGEgr37r3c55XsFLa01ueZwSjz1rNO66ap8BFA9RYP7eUeiLT-uM03tgzRdp-1lc2p-bptEnO/s320/PA090179.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531473821937956626" border="0" /></a><br />The recipe for the grilled eggplant came from <span style="font-style: italic;">William Sonoma Bride and Groom Entertaining</span>. We started by slicing the egg plant really thin using our mandolin and then coated the pieces with olive oil, salt and pepper. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif2zXaPDoExcXTNepDneap5oqDVCGzpGYMbjgjfnSuwowCH99ms8qco3yE36BB_GgEcS0JgrGooXEzkPtIi2JLyAOnnXCmBDKIoVOgGNgLTXK3OWfG0Ki8F7UZucttGo_ZcZKyP_EvYtAt/s1600/PA090173.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif2zXaPDoExcXTNepDneap5oqDVCGzpGYMbjgjfnSuwowCH99ms8qco3yE36BB_GgEcS0JgrGooXEzkPtIi2JLyAOnnXCmBDKIoVOgGNgLTXK3OWfG0Ki8F7UZucttGo_ZcZKyP_EvYtAt/s320/PA090173.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531473808949219474" border="0" /></a><br />Brian used our grill pan to grill the eggplants and ended up filling our apartment with smoke. We opened all the doors and windows and used a fan to usher it outside. Luckily, by the time Drew and Sarah arrived it was all clear. I then made the filling for the egg plant out of ricotta cheese, feta cheese, basil, and allspice. I carefully rolled up eat eggplant slice starting with the large end. They tasted delicious and even Brian who hates egg plant liked them.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglothfWPVITYWLDmA7DiRnWWOLuo70ga-aPSojdv-nwl3bEMgi9-SRT59nDklyy8VrRepmHQ8vMZyfTE28ATYrsaMipzqT8OjBDM3Qa6S10qEZ5MZPjFex0YUgBCoVHpGTZc_7dbf3dnkm/s1600/PA090175.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglothfWPVITYWLDmA7DiRnWWOLuo70ga-aPSojdv-nwl3bEMgi9-SRT59nDklyy8VrRepmHQ8vMZyfTE28ATYrsaMipzqT8OjBDM3Qa6S10qEZ5MZPjFex0YUgBCoVHpGTZc_7dbf3dnkm/s320/PA090175.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531473815392631170" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAThyphenhyphenbrY4ubBJmD6oAGDSC60ejBBY6DHRMOgmeOXOR4jvG7avyJ-fSh0QffjSSJbWSsHLzEPoDhcGdIkax5KffWkHwuSJEDzE_xjUWkso8joQGtcozANDHCpliy8IRwCA6XlJlaALtFtmH/s1600/PA090176.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAThyphenhyphenbrY4ubBJmD6oAGDSC60ejBBY6DHRMOgmeOXOR4jvG7avyJ-fSh0QffjSSJbWSsHLzEPoDhcGdIkax5KffWkHwuSJEDzE_xjUWkso8joQGtcozANDHCpliy8IRwCA6XlJlaALtFtmH/s320/PA090176.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531473819979920322" border="0" /></a><br />We went overboard!<br /><br />For the Main Coarse again entlich(finally) a Mario Batali recipe like you voted one. We chose Roman- Style Veal Cutlets with Sage - <span style="font-style: italic;">Saltimbocca alla Romana </span><span>from his cookbook Molto Italiano: 327 Simple Italian Recipes To Cook At Home<br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRfszmckglrmxvjpsgFvc-UrAWV1HJCxZWUNEuVcjC4oQJWLY7pFnqlffBY_gvrSc-IhVfnNCvzaCrHJolhcIVcoiRHAdRbsUwUHLxcA1cQoMNKHqEABYGw86Vqh3V03O8mW9vsuYSv1Vc/s1600/PB070237.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 301px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRfszmckglrmxvjpsgFvc-UrAWV1HJCxZWUNEuVcjC4oQJWLY7pFnqlffBY_gvrSc-IhVfnNCvzaCrHJolhcIVcoiRHAdRbsUwUHLxcA1cQoMNKHqEABYGw86Vqh3V03O8mW9vsuYSv1Vc/s320/PB070237.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537009991659719394" border="0" /></a><span>To begin we took a veal cutlet placed a sage leaf and a slice of prosciutto on top of in.Then we folded it and pounded it lightly with the meat mallet to keep it together. We then melted butter in the skittle, dredged the veal in flour and then cooked it only tow minutes on each side.<br /> </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMpJwAhvPMgEUbGoV70SZTZJIGibZ0gbB6dQVtyowx2vWlGF3OC_Lyc7CYGdBVbj80XhK3_pXbQbeZDfpRI97fi6bQavaquyq4kmkH8OJsin8v6RxxOCsbL9V2g66DYex_UdliRJSCDJ7p/s1600/PA090174.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMpJwAhvPMgEUbGoV70SZTZJIGibZ0gbB6dQVtyowx2vWlGF3OC_Lyc7CYGdBVbj80XhK3_pXbQbeZDfpRI97fi6bQavaquyq4kmkH8OJsin8v6RxxOCsbL9V2g66DYex_UdliRJSCDJ7p/s320/PA090174.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531475942783141250" border="0" /></a> To make the sauce we used white wine to deglaze the pan and added in more butter. The result was amazing but I have yet to meet a meal that did not taste amazing that included veal, prosciutto, and butter.<br /><br />We greatly enjoyed sharing our pictures and some of the new flavors we learned on the cruise with our friends.The Spoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18049453651551199989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718262124681857106.post-52507094308389580992010-09-29T21:46:00.000-07:002010-11-07T18:28:50.051-08:00Baked Macaroni and Cheese<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiauaP0l6LQI2o910PSfpFKfua37oIZDkDwrsIzgrYsUoMK_TCHcGhp-0iQ2S_j7EIr7oPfWkyXzERunzNAHvYBNmtNMvjYmcSVvQ1M2cMPECkezzaR7ZZrRGc6W4cZpI6NAVGCaRLklSeq/s1600/top10_bakedmacaroniandche_s4x3_lg.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiauaP0l6LQI2o910PSfpFKfua37oIZDkDwrsIzgrYsUoMK_TCHcGhp-0iQ2S_j7EIr7oPfWkyXzERunzNAHvYBNmtNMvjYmcSVvQ1M2cMPECkezzaR7ZZrRGc6W4cZpI6NAVGCaRLklSeq/s320/top10_bakedmacaroniandche_s4x3_lg.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531471304667641730" border="0" /></a>We were both feeling sick and looking for some comfort food that was not just chicken noodle soup. So once again I consulted by favorite foodie Alton Brown and found just what I was looking for <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/baked-macaroni-and-cheese-recipe/index.html">Baked Mac and Cheese</a><br /><br />The first step was to make a roux. Now again I tried to make a roux before when I was making Rachel Ray's Mac and Cheese and it ended badly with a bunt and runny mess. The roux starts by mixing butter and flour and not very much of each. One valuable lesson of cooking I have learned is <span style="visibility: visible;" id="search">"Mise en place, "</span>when you get all your ingredients out and measured before you start cooking. This is especially important when you are cooking something like a roux that requires constant attention. So I was ready with all my ingredients ready and by the stove and I got out my trusty Dutch oven, melted the butter and then whisked in the flour for 5 minutes. If you stop whisking the flour will burn. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc6Hbs5GxAEH5JEIdrFEF2Qr4R01uZqEgcR1WlKdhmFmtTQGLjhw8mzOSchpmFuMH5jUQjJZ2PY0mabZ3z595u6iuXFGpw2yyyU_K_Q_w9oFETqbKLq6DoR-S4nT2T-HDsgB_004fN4_0y/s1600/P9290157.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc6Hbs5GxAEH5JEIdrFEF2Qr4R01uZqEgcR1WlKdhmFmtTQGLjhw8mzOSchpmFuMH5jUQjJZ2PY0mabZ3z595u6iuXFGpw2yyyU_K_Q_w9oFETqbKLq6DoR-S4nT2T-HDsgB_004fN4_0y/s320/P9290157.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531471309352153650" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ukU2DIg5-bIOlHfA2KSIETwJNP2ZAfBlP9dKPGXtSk4LrW9xggZW-V6j9q-Dtz9GxosJq5FHQcDsMpeGV1obmcos_6eQ7CsFpe0ckgeh-E_-LSGw-vD2zuDh8jccqPYIOsvB1aQ1K04q/s1600/P9290158.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 194px; height: 145px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ukU2DIg5-bIOlHfA2KSIETwJNP2ZAfBlP9dKPGXtSk4LrW9xggZW-V6j9q-Dtz9GxosJq5FHQcDsMpeGV1obmcos_6eQ7CsFpe0ckgeh-E_-LSGw-vD2zuDh8jccqPYIOsvB1aQ1K04q/s320/P9290158.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531471316525859170" border="0" /></a><br />After the base of the roux was made I added milk, onion, bay leaf, and paprika and allowed it to simmer for 5 minutes. Then I added in an egg which at first I thought was weird but helped to bind the mac and cheese together. After the egg was added finally I stirred in the cheese and then added the cooked macaroni. I poured it into the baking dish and then added more cheese on top. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_XcuiUfWQKgkHs-58dpKLQeaqCrg_4p04EDWmD_cacZlslcrO1Maax3OU6nXyXOt5gfy5IW4PpYXEqITCDHGWmyNxcJozVZBEpjkCTphQwzuQgkzjJ1Ax_8OkOxsOLW4E8CNGWwUX1jzO/s1600/P9290161.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_XcuiUfWQKgkHs-58dpKLQeaqCrg_4p04EDWmD_cacZlslcrO1Maax3OU6nXyXOt5gfy5IW4PpYXEqITCDHGWmyNxcJozVZBEpjkCTphQwzuQgkzjJ1Ax_8OkOxsOLW4E8CNGWwUX1jzO/s320/P9290161.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531471317830221714" border="0" /></a><br />For the final step I sauted some Panko breadcrumbs in butter and then spread them on top. After baking for 30 minutes and letting it rest for 5 minutes the result was a some really really tasty comfort food.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi69SPfISe0aBJQZq6nAMJOefMcI2-9mqq3tNwuKCj4XPXbhRVDmvWogKmj7N_8JjYGYbO5e2tS83ZUtZ4o4mGj52rkH0LrSWGFmTH6JBiRAAd6H_mFKCYg-0z8xSac_J50YE3b4JiHqkB4/s1600/P9290162.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi69SPfISe0aBJQZq6nAMJOefMcI2-9mqq3tNwuKCj4XPXbhRVDmvWogKmj7N_8JjYGYbO5e2tS83ZUtZ4o4mGj52rkH0LrSWGFmTH6JBiRAAd6H_mFKCYg-0z8xSac_J50YE3b4JiHqkB4/s320/P9290162.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531471619080693874" border="0" /></a>The Spoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18049453651551199989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718262124681857106.post-13394907870057245272010-09-26T21:43:00.000-07:002010-11-06T16:46:18.996-07:00Glazed Carrots<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOyDnfkHBo8QdHvuDJOegzyXlxdpU0pmNPLXT8KCb7M-YhLUN6B4VhFKg6NwvSIg5r0Fbj5ABqa40NB5ZP9Y6fv88aImo-CeFE_9hBTCkM6vTMynbHYz5PxrAgkV82Uix2wSbDeaQ_fpG6/s1600/EA1H16_29954_s4x3_lg.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOyDnfkHBo8QdHvuDJOegzyXlxdpU0pmNPLXT8KCb7M-YhLUN6B4VhFKg6NwvSIg5r0Fbj5ABqa40NB5ZP9Y6fv88aImo-CeFE_9hBTCkM6vTMynbHYz5PxrAgkV82Uix2wSbDeaQ_fpG6/s320/EA1H16_29954_s4x3_lg.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531470614236380498" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We have really enjoyed watching <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/glazed-carrots-recipe/index.html">Good Eats</a> by Alton Brown. It is a food science show that show how to turn ordinary recipes into really well... good eats. His show on carrots showed a great way to make glazed carrots. As Brian is not a big veggie eater I am always looking for tasty way to prepare them.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKdE7-GYroIyzMdJhM660YeJaXyTXApOEyzjvXbVm3AcM3y7BB5IRN6hVyq4kblJFv4VQQdpo1AezN8DasBmMravvbztZwtmQrpT-_DaJUusD6GIOHw_Rz8R5uXjs3VwG_TH99oOdLooy8/s1600/P9260155.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKdE7-GYroIyzMdJhM660YeJaXyTXApOEyzjvXbVm3AcM3y7BB5IRN6hVyq4kblJFv4VQQdpo1AezN8DasBmMravvbztZwtmQrpT-_DaJUusD6GIOHw_Rz8R5uXjs3VwG_TH99oOdLooy8/s320/P9260155.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531469322244087058" border="0" /></a><br />The first step is to peel and cut the carrots in the even pieces so they can all cook at the same time. Then we sauteed them in butter, salt and ginger ale. The ginger ale is the base of the glaze and adds a sweet element with out being too sugary. The carrots cooked for about ten minutes and then we added chili powder and cooked in some more until the ginger ale turned to a glaze. They were so tender and sweet and we served them along side Shake and Bake chicken. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_v6xCrrDRCItP1nBS4Ef75a4ojhsGSl-88lKk0eURU0acNDe110aG5PscCk_fvtJdLLOsQL3B66WwsZ_RlPNviFf5-MxQ5Lm92rYVUzk9rDOnVaO45sT_ddWnla_gdkR9mEsxtMgjAUfv/s1600/P9260156.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_v6xCrrDRCItP1nBS4Ef75a4ojhsGSl-88lKk0eURU0acNDe110aG5PscCk_fvtJdLLOsQL3B66WwsZ_RlPNviFf5-MxQ5Lm92rYVUzk9rDOnVaO45sT_ddWnla_gdkR9mEsxtMgjAUfv/s320/P9260156.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531469327971240226" border="0" /></a>The Spoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18049453651551199989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718262124681857106.post-81302274617860470542010-09-22T21:32:00.000-07:002010-11-06T16:21:25.708-07:00Slow Cooked Korean-Style Short Rib Soup<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy2LZWgM_sxfNIYL_UPjn0lcGU2bcs-UVtt-wtbvagHIzwXK4voT6jiukuKhFbSEdoEBtlpibz3bInOiemGfLxqa9FpQYra0PQ95jf5DinR9OdOrgfQ54Og0kO66INdY0VDCpmSfrLQ_yL/s1600/slow_cooked_koreanshortribs_lg.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy2LZWgM_sxfNIYL_UPjn0lcGU2bcs-UVtt-wtbvagHIzwXK4voT6jiukuKhFbSEdoEBtlpibz3bInOiemGfLxqa9FpQYra0PQ95jf5DinR9OdOrgfQ54Og0kO66INdY0VDCpmSfrLQ_yL/s320/slow_cooked_koreanshortribs_lg.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531467233109309346" border="0" /></a><br /><br />In love with our slow cooker and how it allows us to create great meals with not a lot of prep we turned to <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/slow-cooked-korean-style-short-rib-soup-recipe2/index.html">Food Network Kitchens</a> to find a new recipe. I stumbled upon Short ribs. I have always wanted to cook short ribs but never knew how and the Korean flavors and ingreatands looked really good. First I placed the short ribs in the crock pot and then created their braising liquid; chicken broth, soy sauce, sugar, ginger, Korean red chili paste, sesame oil, garlic, and the white part of green onion. I was excited for dinner even as I made the broth because I know it would be so tasty with all of these flavors.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho4VoE1VoRcmh9MFJMnbBA_gbSRFE-r6v7GY9oonZpYCVgp3pEBrNIMa83ReODDWYtu7RtymJftFEocEf3HbQ61UZKjtIoEBUqJ0CVL-tOzFk5_DPu7V1F9eForkKHKV1EuFANVKm9fgoW/s1600/P9220150.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 284px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho4VoE1VoRcmh9MFJMnbBA_gbSRFE-r6v7GY9oonZpYCVgp3pEBrNIMa83ReODDWYtu7RtymJftFEocEf3HbQ61UZKjtIoEBUqJ0CVL-tOzFk5_DPu7V1F9eForkKHKV1EuFANVKm9fgoW/s320/P9220150.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531466987164225298" border="0" /> </a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Px-snmB99nYun-Q3r92sO3Gd7drpq_z4ss7twnFo1x6e7MLUod7aRxxXlYjR4LQjYnkJKXGOwq8s-9LyswAXUA3b4_Kfis5IBtk5ImUxxLwLr80uA-ZSG9JG67y87Y7A7GeQpZXmFCTq/s1600/P9220151.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 280px; height: 210px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Px-snmB99nYun-Q3r92sO3Gd7drpq_z4ss7twnFo1x6e7MLUod7aRxxXlYjR4LQjYnkJKXGOwq8s-9LyswAXUA3b4_Kfis5IBtk5ImUxxLwLr80uA-ZSG9JG67y87Y7A7GeQpZXmFCTq/s320/P9220151.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531466987774633506" border="0" /></a><br /><br />About 30 minutes before the ribs were done we made the rice noodles<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWBpDvVIEfwggejMpxnesi3YYPfDXJ9HfjZk1QdPrPN2PxKuZQ7Z3VDSy9qoQWSavg_UZY35_SNc9xpfe4IjpfheuXFzkbvMchNT2toGWXhHEyOCRXrtU5FGkkHqdb9jZQbfhAx-elasE9/s1600/P9220153.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWBpDvVIEfwggejMpxnesi3YYPfDXJ9HfjZk1QdPrPN2PxKuZQ7Z3VDSy9qoQWSavg_UZY35_SNc9xpfe4IjpfheuXFzkbvMchNT2toGWXhHEyOCRXrtU5FGkkHqdb9jZQbfhAx-elasE9/s320/P9220153.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531466995126938370" border="0" /></a> and prepared the garnishes which entailed grating carrots, slicing cucumbers, tearing cilantro leaves from stems, cutting the green parts of the onion and slicing limes. We served up a rib still on the bone and served it over noodels with the braising liquid and the garnishes you wanted. The ribs were so tender and the flavors were really rich.The Spoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18049453651551199989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718262124681857106.post-12339526595204354122010-09-20T21:14:00.000-07:002010-11-06T16:30:25.212-07:00Celebration Dessert<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQe_Jz_DsHkdIm88HW82oOfW_H6llVXrXd1BxCsR4959wIn0zqQA01zy_8eyw_z-MEhQP_paCnvFctwtFnGleeLYXPmO8ZuhVC0jC0kUG1n0saLOmJsNeeaR7vCKsfmnKSFb6N6rvYisoW/s1600/P9200142.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQe_Jz_DsHkdIm88HW82oOfW_H6llVXrXd1BxCsR4959wIn0zqQA01zy_8eyw_z-MEhQP_paCnvFctwtFnGleeLYXPmO8ZuhVC0jC0kUG1n0saLOmJsNeeaR7vCKsfmnKSFb6N6rvYisoW/s320/P9200142.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536581202217470626" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBR4-kup7Urce8o730ZPDRJgRWJaagFTklvzI7nJGsffSrZo0zUWLAKyucKEq0WM-f3D7YUQDK_3zdFcfMIIcKuNlejyte65PNoYnr2VcOLLAw3VjP1-tPiikMb_ZJ4U9-OuJ8T9sv-99a/s1600/P9200146.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBR4-kup7Urce8o730ZPDRJgRWJaagFTklvzI7nJGsffSrZo0zUWLAKyucKEq0WM-f3D7YUQDK_3zdFcfMIIcKuNlejyte65PNoYnr2VcOLLAw3VjP1-tPiikMb_ZJ4U9-OuJ8T9sv-99a/s320/P9200146.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536581217311941570" border="0" /></a><br />For dessert at the celebration dinner I made Coconut - Lime Cupcakes. When I first got my <a href="http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/cupcakes-cookbook/">cupcake cook book</a> as a wedding present these were the first cupcakes I made. This was pre blog. The first step in making the Coconut lime cupcakes (CLC) is to make a normal vanilla cupcake with coconut extract instead of vanilla extract and shredded coconut. Then after the cupcakes cool you core out the middle in order to create a pocket for the lime curd. I used a paring knife and cut in a circular motion. The tricks are do not great too deep of a pocket and do not cut your hand.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibrC8C8g7iI-U5yDkWha6pHyPRZ15llzB05CVBqeRo8fDssWjKfGoCbX5D-djVgXykNEvDo0iHwk7DN-CtR4PhbKOgsOQbQWL1ii7aqHszsEOn4Un3omsc7ZHEidlvSRyVGTwuNFsfwxmh/s1600/P9200134.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibrC8C8g7iI-U5yDkWha6pHyPRZ15llzB05CVBqeRo8fDssWjKfGoCbX5D-djVgXykNEvDo0iHwk7DN-CtR4PhbKOgsOQbQWL1ii7aqHszsEOn4Un3omsc7ZHEidlvSRyVGTwuNFsfwxmh/s320/P9200134.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531465404987192466" border="0" /></a><br />Cored out cupcakes half with lime curd.<br /><br />To make the lime curd requires the zest of two limes and there juice as you can see by the picture below cutting, zesting and juicing require several kitchen tool. I think whisked together the lime juice, sugar, egg yolks butter and zest over low heat. The result something delicious. I then filled the cooled cupcakes.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq8fy4eNH9mfmKj4hQqzBNLdJ7pl3-BoavXxWcFpLW7AMTql5hwGskcYmcvixrrfi2tXFnKyiASLrDKDgHtAZGiL4rgyuqeb9n2yQ_TKRYxkkpJfGc7tw58NqapjIj7i_7SUxjf-3hFOKO/s1600/P9200132.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq8fy4eNH9mfmKj4hQqzBNLdJ7pl3-BoavXxWcFpLW7AMTql5hwGskcYmcvixrrfi2tXFnKyiASLrDKDgHtAZGiL4rgyuqeb9n2yQ_TKRYxkkpJfGc7tw58NqapjIj7i_7SUxjf-3hFOKO/s320/P9200132.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531463920684237842" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikBJdwUOPZ-k4bXy4iKOKoXdvsd7KSclaA-12Ixh5HX5Gp3CXIT5m_APrKjjOgiCLcuryKH-_GnOl5au6U7gMWwML2rR0A7UOJl5NM1uD3S6wcYzLgpZq6AM4PfgHm5DnFu1io2kjmxFME/s1600/P9200133.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikBJdwUOPZ-k4bXy4iKOKoXdvsd7KSclaA-12Ixh5HX5Gp3CXIT5m_APrKjjOgiCLcuryKH-_GnOl5au6U7gMWwML2rR0A7UOJl5NM1uD3S6wcYzLgpZq6AM4PfgHm5DnFu1io2kjmxFME/s320/P9200133.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531463925711428226" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Next step making the coconut buttercream. Now as I stated I had made the cupcakes before and the first time I made them the buttercream turned about perfect. The last two times I tried to make buttercream <a href="http://thedishandthespoonsb.blogspot.com/2010/01/christmas-cupcakes.html">Christmas cupcakes</a> and <a href="http://thedishandthespoonsb.blogspot.com/2010/01/perfect-choclate-cupcake.html">Chocolate cupcakes</a> the buttercream turned out really thick and has the coistnacy of butter with a bit of vanilla floaoring. The cupcakes I have made since then I have either made a different icing or used store bought :( But today I wanted to try my hand a buttercream. This time I made sure the butter and and egg whites were at room temperature. The first step of a successful buttercream is combining the egg whites and sugar together in a bowl over a pot of hot water and stirring like crazy until the sugar is totally dissolved. I made sure not to skimp on the timing of this step and that the sugar was very warm to the touch.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglBNX_CKHbws-yVTezlR1ZNuHiBQRbgJTsScVBLwuTDJAazLYZ165VhHgBwvOwwIkNIdFfsEkZMtBKiHdmbh0SOQbOlLr-jgyM-9tK8-NsILfjxJAiZb6NCihiDg9DhzheCm3U-sKdqUXK/s1600/P9200139.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 256px; height: 193px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglBNX_CKHbws-yVTezlR1ZNuHiBQRbgJTsScVBLwuTDJAazLYZ165VhHgBwvOwwIkNIdFfsEkZMtBKiHdmbh0SOQbOlLr-jgyM-9tK8-NsILfjxJAiZb6NCihiDg9DhzheCm3U-sKdqUXK/s320/P9200139.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531465410749753602" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcyqDLRaGmTPKjuQcRemjtYMEfAHM777hu9ToEBu-tte6uItZDlBMTDWEwtDoJYz4VUhxphASl26e0aa_967uoSB7t0kL78R0SYUtYE1oHIPUlS4cIRol8xjN0L1Ftv-BFXvp6VVsDvu50/s1600/P9200140.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcyqDLRaGmTPKjuQcRemjtYMEfAHM777hu9ToEBu-tte6uItZDlBMTDWEwtDoJYz4VUhxphASl26e0aa_967uoSB7t0kL78R0SYUtYE1oHIPUlS4cIRol8xjN0L1Ftv-BFXvp6VVsDvu50/s320/P9200140.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536581196392360546" border="0" /></a><br />Then I poured the mixture into our electric mixer and stirred on high for 6 minutes. I made sure the mixture was forming stiff peaks. Then I added the butter in slowly, two pieces at a time and made sure they were well mixed in. This process took a while because you use 16 pieces. At the end of this process I had created a perfect buttercream. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin0lgzZVYrWBK-6eirslf_6W_FIGqQ1WQUSVhbSGGPRu6Ply-vExmFgCjPgPbnF2PoovFgg2n0S9DE0JQVIV0lDGWGasDClys4JXy0W39AukuTPOe7BWNaztkO3f0xcEBkBaUIZFbR13Fd/s1600/P9200137.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin0lgzZVYrWBK-6eirslf_6W_FIGqQ1WQUSVhbSGGPRu6Ply-vExmFgCjPgPbnF2PoovFgg2n0S9DE0JQVIV0lDGWGasDClys4JXy0W39AukuTPOe7BWNaztkO3f0xcEBkBaUIZFbR13Fd/s320/P9200137.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531463939810097602" border="0" /></a>Creating a buttercream is tricky and requires finesse but in the end it is well worth it and taste way better then store bought icing.<br /><br />After the icing was made i added in coconut extract and put it in a piping bag and then iced the cupcakes with swirls of icing and dusted them with coconut. Delicious.The Spoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18049453651551199989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718262124681857106.post-19672877572215107122010-09-20T21:10:00.000-07:002011-08-09T19:51:37.252-07:00Celebration DinnerAfter a very busy season on campus I had my students leaders over for dinner to celebrate all the hard work we had put in and Brian and I planned a great menu.
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<br />Pork Paillards with Sour Cream-Paprika Sauce from a previous <a href="http://thedishandthespoonsb.blogspot.com/2010/02/paillards.html">blog post</a>.
<br /><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aarti-sequeira/the-ugly-duckling-salad-recipe/index.html">Ugly Ducking Salad</a> - Aarti Party ( a new show on food network)
<br />A dessert ( See next blog post)
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<br />Brian worked on the pork while I tackled the salad
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLcNnH01Z1Bd5VORqyp7fVA_LBtlj24IaQiBGdo8fHjFUsH-YcWgNofaZ42mCKyQhEeh4_ZaniMGn_3bPjm8lIYqDI65tQ0UG7ZlyljzAgh-t4Ux_8EVScdLb1oe6ZcQRs9F3fUYKAls7G/s1600/P9200148.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLcNnH01Z1Bd5VORqyp7fVA_LBtlj24IaQiBGdo8fHjFUsH-YcWgNofaZ42mCKyQhEeh4_ZaniMGn_3bPjm8lIYqDI65tQ0UG7ZlyljzAgh-t4Ux_8EVScdLb1oe6ZcQRs9F3fUYKAls7G/s320/P9200148.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531464626451147442" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl962OMxBEk6SqaIExGOdSMRaaJ1OCDqHZbuu0THjq4wm1Pt41gKlg7K0MGWbT8B625MykRGjC-cauGMhTP0EtxN_rLU7S5uCz7iEFcuYNcLxejRwNLJvSP_quMY0TuaDh75jyaQgwp5D0/s1600/P9200149.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl962OMxBEk6SqaIExGOdSMRaaJ1OCDqHZbuu0THjq4wm1Pt41gKlg7K0MGWbT8B625MykRGjC-cauGMhTP0EtxN_rLU7S5uCz7iEFcuYNcLxejRwNLJvSP_quMY0TuaDh75jyaQgwp5D0/s320/P9200149.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531464633424794962" border="0" /></a>
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<br />The ugly duckling is called such because it contains celery root, possibly the ugliness vegetable I have ever seen. It reminds we of a Mandrake, from Harry Potter. Celery root is actual celery but grow to be the root from the the green stalks.
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmyA_6ajP-lST7HjzvPF1TgIWrHbUeLMi-olakqM1iJHWy6dxeCKGGQAK9UG6okLmEV-d-6F5yHVYQRRXbHQ3Cy2szsAowLDFVMW-gCfQgWIEVMtyJvVl6K_vL8Dn8d76VSCcSSex-LspM/s1600/P9200136.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmyA_6ajP-lST7HjzvPF1TgIWrHbUeLMi-olakqM1iJHWy6dxeCKGGQAK9UG6okLmEV-d-6F5yHVYQRRXbHQ3Cy2szsAowLDFVMW-gCfQgWIEVMtyJvVl6K_vL8Dn8d76VSCcSSex-LspM/s320/P9200136.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531464620652284642" border="0" /></a>
<br />I started the salad by making the dressing. The first step, shelling the pistachios and then toasting them. I should have bought pre-shelled pistachios because I had the shell over 30. The toasting only took a few minutes and I could tell that they were done when you started to smell very tasty.
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEdaMaf29bGdSRL73Wttz7VBVvZxTIjUKX7G_ZGS3iLLIKDS3FfktBMGA8KXB8gmqiBzLD-84fmCUa8-g6jotA-XtYOathO5f4l2-5krPXL8HyrzchX90k9eF2xIjgQrUKLhRowlovPwwq/s1600/P9200145.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEdaMaf29bGdSRL73Wttz7VBVvZxTIjUKX7G_ZGS3iLLIKDS3FfktBMGA8KXB8gmqiBzLD-84fmCUa8-g6jotA-XtYOathO5f4l2-5krPXL8HyrzchX90k9eF2xIjgQrUKLhRowlovPwwq/s320/P9200145.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531464624839522482" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguZDVziB2mAGsYmQ3sQYqTKFkm0AmzA-DLHmRLc2MJ6bAb1z1tVFvOmymO_rZzq_DPAEwARx0JbRqiRYFDmkiLQAEcO9Y4gHNljhnWlWmOqnSWf1yWNmjKpwsN5ionyj0l1F-Yz4gxoYvu/s1600/ZA0102H_ugly-duckling-salad-1_s4x3_lg.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguZDVziB2mAGsYmQ3sQYqTKFkm0AmzA-DLHmRLc2MJ6bAb1z1tVFvOmymO_rZzq_DPAEwARx0JbRqiRYFDmkiLQAEcO9Y4gHNljhnWlWmOqnSWf1yWNmjKpwsN5ionyj0l1F-Yz4gxoYvu/s320/ZA0102H_ugly-duckling-salad-1_s4x3_lg.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531468539984760770" border="0" /></a>
<br />I then placed the pistachios in a blender with garlic, lemon juice, hot sauce, oil and hot water, to help with the break down of the nuts. The result was a really really thick brown sludge, which was not very appetizing or dressing like. So I added more water and oil until the paste thinned. I then prepped the rest of the salad, spinach apples and the celery root. The spinach was prepacked and Andrea, one of my students, helped me cut the apple. Then I turned to the celery root. Celery root browns very easily when exposed to air like potatoes or apples. I peeled the celery root and then grated it. It took a long time to grate that very large celery root and eventually Joel, another student took over and finished the job. He grated at a much faster rate. Then i toasted it all together and dinner was served.The Spoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18049453651551199989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718262124681857106.post-86700214234086206382010-09-15T21:04:00.000-07:002010-10-31T19:23:30.467-07:00Pulled Pork with Root Beer SauceWell is has been a long time coming. After we got back from the cruise we took the summer off and just tried not to use the stove or oven much as it makes our place too hot. My work is really busy at the beginning of the school year so I was excited when I had the brainstorm to use the crock pot . I turned to my Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook and found Pulled Pork with Root Beer Sauce.<br /><br />In the morning I cut the fat of the pork roast and then seared in in a skillet. I was a bit tricky as I maneuvered the 3 pound roast on its side with tongs to get the complete sear. I then plopped it in the crock pot and cut up some onion and garlic and added the root beer. Then I set i to low and let it cook for 8 hours.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3PlW-PvjPkYs-bVD27eLr4vNaOW_oSWCILmDzz64Lhur-00aamISA3VzxM0ca-JpnjNMzFKDUC39Th-9deCD6qFGqyztb192zHLYnSGcS27q3vIEEVmSQCDtY50coIxlcZr09IxgIbx49/s1600/P9150130.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3PlW-PvjPkYs-bVD27eLr4vNaOW_oSWCILmDzz64Lhur-00aamISA3VzxM0ca-JpnjNMzFKDUC39Th-9deCD6qFGqyztb192zHLYnSGcS27q3vIEEVmSQCDtY50coIxlcZr09IxgIbx49/s320/P9150130.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531460789831147362" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Right before the roast was done we made a sauce with root beer and chili sauce, which looks like ketchup but has more of a kick. We let it simmer for 30 minutes until it reduced from 3 cups to 2 cups. This is always hard to gauge for me. I always think it is reduced enough and then when I pour it into a measuring cup it is usually not even close to the correct amount. This time was no exception and required that we pour the sauce from measuring cup and back into the pan at least twice.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6X0ckJNF39LX9bWzUtzs4sM7n7YD3A0ql9T8vFUqnkUzougqnmSBaWC3XyRBiXhaiKb1sF0fZoRZYz0fMf2eMfS2Lef8eGZdQuUTbb5X4U_oWYfBV_8oc1Vhu0ol1XXRVUbejrAzHSBdl/s1600/P9150131.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6X0ckJNF39LX9bWzUtzs4sM7n7YD3A0ql9T8vFUqnkUzougqnmSBaWC3XyRBiXhaiKb1sF0fZoRZYz0fMf2eMfS2Lef8eGZdQuUTbb5X4U_oWYfBV_8oc1Vhu0ol1XXRVUbejrAzHSBdl/s320/P9150131.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531460799072607826" border="0" /></a><br /><br />After the meat was finished we transferred it to a cutting board and used two forks to shred it. I was so surprised how easily it fell a part. We served it up on hamburger buns with the sauce. Yum !The Spoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18049453651551199989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718262124681857106.post-20401001564236831232010-07-14T19:44:00.000-07:002010-07-14T20:41:59.545-07:00Parmesan Chicken and Rice Casserole<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBzpHPwL_lvazxaJtjuSGElGlzmlrVF5H-z5Y6VY7HmgKO0Th_MevkGEarCICEGCObsCktKyO2qXpzJzMBuxq9ugCKplNTo1WsCC3C8lS5eEfHJ3AKFFqR2clut1ikGy1c8oW3woyp0AkJ/s1600/chicken-rice-ck-1714619-l.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBzpHPwL_lvazxaJtjuSGElGlzmlrVF5H-z5Y6VY7HmgKO0Th_MevkGEarCICEGCObsCktKyO2qXpzJzMBuxq9ugCKplNTo1WsCC3C8lS5eEfHJ3AKFFqR2clut1ikGy1c8oW3woyp0AkJ/s320/chicken-rice-ck-1714619-l.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493960206807850754" border="0" /></a><br /><br />A nice at home meal is what I had in mind when I picked Parmesan Chicken and Rice Casserole paired with Green Beans in Warm Bacon Dressing and Broiled Plum Tomatoes. It was all listed together in Cooking Light magazine. I began by preparing all the ingredents while the oven preheated to 450. I chopped a white onion and bulb onions and snapped and washed the green beans. I started the casserole by cooking onions and garlic in a skillet and then adding a bag of boil in bag rice. It is the type of rice you can cook in a pot of boiling water. It looked like whole wheat Rice Krispies. I emptied the bag into the skillet and cooked it for 30 seconds and then a splash of white wine. After the wine burned off I spooned the rice into the bottom of a casserole dish. I placed the chicken thighs on top of the rice and seasoned them with thyme and salt. then I poured a mixture of chicken broth and whipping cream over the casserole and in the oven it went.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeSjk90uX9r_Y1eWNeh7WZqDG91HOMKIFSsqPo7PONbsf-VfQzZiXhyrklK9oyug4H1OdscTt_Da37MgJZeJcbeyeS_HPszElyTroVHNhhP_4fEwj0GfgUPyas6TIffk7B8zswoRV2T8l4/s1600/P7141411.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeSjk90uX9r_Y1eWNeh7WZqDG91HOMKIFSsqPo7PONbsf-VfQzZiXhyrklK9oyug4H1OdscTt_Da37MgJZeJcbeyeS_HPszElyTroVHNhhP_4fEwj0GfgUPyas6TIffk7B8zswoRV2T8l4/s320/P7141411.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493959043803700322" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I quickly sliced the plum tomatoes and placed the on a cookie sheet and they also went into the oven to broil. I began cooking the bean in boiling water and bacon in a skillet. When the beans were done I drained them and focused on the bacon. After the bacon finished I removed it from the pan and added my sliced bulb onions to the bacon grease. I need to stir them constantly as to not burn them. In the middle of cooking the onions the timer when off for the casserole and I had to quickly open the oven and sprinkle Parmesan on the chicken. When I returned to the onions they were burnt. I added white wine vinegar to finish the warm bacon dressing and and smoke rushed at me and quickly filled the whole kitchen. I continued to stir with gusto for thirty more seconds and finally added the beans to coat them. I served them with crumbled bacon on top.<br /><br />The dinner came together very nicely and it almost did not all fit on one plate. The beans tasted great despite the overdone onion because of the bacon grease and the tomatoes turned out nicely. We will make it again and add a few changes to spice up the chicken a little bit and we will probably use white meat instead of dark.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA4BJQRm2-XrKHRlpyf9XagWj4d6mZSNJ_1acPFFCJACKN6GlsQCX_GRDFBlxRka-R3UStZtE4aH2qNY7FO2jzkhum2ojdzP_RoSdjpWbJV8s1jNjK5HX9YS2SnXlp83HwxTKB4k9cdQhT/s1600/P7141412.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA4BJQRm2-XrKHRlpyf9XagWj4d6mZSNJ_1acPFFCJACKN6GlsQCX_GRDFBlxRka-R3UStZtE4aH2qNY7FO2jzkhum2ojdzP_RoSdjpWbJV8s1jNjK5HX9YS2SnXlp83HwxTKB4k9cdQhT/s320/P7141412.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493959049583852546" border="0" /></a>The Spoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18049453651551199989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718262124681857106.post-2597658986928046702010-07-12T09:00:00.001-07:002010-07-13T19:44:55.637-07:004th of July Pie<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSnfhW1PhtoBduJxDXkz6Xzf-cVN4oacV-Qe9Sq9KOJ6LULhRM_T_59nifLz8aq-ztH5u4Ic-Q-ZHm6Wyc8XlEhdSZiK2CepED5Dggu4nIzRA9IVbVBIc4iicgDxqpu0ho4SPBxIEHFFI7/s1600/P7041394.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSnfhW1PhtoBduJxDXkz6Xzf-cVN4oacV-Qe9Sq9KOJ6LULhRM_T_59nifLz8aq-ztH5u4Ic-Q-ZHm6Wyc8XlEhdSZiK2CepED5Dggu4nIzRA9IVbVBIc4iicgDxqpu0ho4SPBxIEHFFI7/s320/P7041394.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493581832591803410" border="0" /></a><br /><br />What started as inspiration from the July issue of the Martha Stewart Living magazine ended in a beautiful creation between mom and daughter. Fourth of July has always been a fun holiday for my fmaily. Our usual tradition is to have a cook out nad then go see fire works. this year my paretns came to visti Brian and I and it was turn to host the Fourth. I planned a great menu; turkey burgers, corn on the cob, sweet potato fries, the PIE and home made vanilla ice cream.<br /><br />We made the pie in the morning. In Martha's original recipe you make six mini pies and decorate them each differently. I decided to make one pie and make it look like the American flag. She also had two filling options Raspberry-Strawberry or Blueberry- Blackberry. I decided to make both filling and use the blue filling for the stars and the red for the stripes.<br /><br /> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXi8S4KF1WYUghL1JTyer1K8zPXN-xBMKH5S5PyzskXPXsGmVzg4Z60RO5zcfp2KaTr4-lzr_f-hkf6oHuS2PnvK5z2xSFItGGKk-AxnITtMyQrmB1d8uQRycWnmyWOIcY6yOBlihurf5u/s1600/P7041389.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 263px; height: 198px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXi8S4KF1WYUghL1JTyer1K8zPXN-xBMKH5S5PyzskXPXsGmVzg4Z60RO5zcfp2KaTr4-lzr_f-hkf6oHuS2PnvK5z2xSFItGGKk-AxnITtMyQrmB1d8uQRycWnmyWOIcY6yOBlihurf5u/s320/P7041389.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493587013609334850" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTQwKUIBHOrJeNU8imSW5c7945qZvJqlRXqgd2Q2WU4BWeBLdhooNMXOP6pFwZ_3IaZS51xD_ckBxnVx-BrkT-qyMoY_bO9mnf5A4rJFZB1NAwttMrrWOPR2MBFd7c9Ad7NjB7FH-YZQ6I/s1600/P7041390.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 265px; height: 198px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTQwKUIBHOrJeNU8imSW5c7945qZvJqlRXqgd2Q2WU4BWeBLdhooNMXOP6pFwZ_3IaZS51xD_ckBxnVx-BrkT-qyMoY_bO9mnf5A4rJFZB1NAwttMrrWOPR2MBFd7c9Ad7NjB7FH-YZQ6I/s320/P7041390.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493581807492142370" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We started with a lot of berries. 1 1/2 cups of each berry. Mom washed and cut up the berries and I readied the other ingredients. We mixed the blue berries and red berries in separate bowls and added sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-BAte2lG9v7hlgytT7XlhUDYKYavUl1Td_6mYPSa4J-wEMmhpike00gptG69NOZ5zG44ofIs9hqAdIz4bTpXuu05mZsQ6SwKHEDTg5NyyaDh5JQWLlyJ_4Jly5fOOA2GPyvdKRJ47ohE/s1600/P7041387.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-BAte2lG9v7hlgytT7XlhUDYKYavUl1Td_6mYPSa4J-wEMmhpike00gptG69NOZ5zG44ofIs9hqAdIz4bTpXuu05mZsQ6SwKHEDTg5NyyaDh5JQWLlyJ_4Jly5fOOA2GPyvdKRJ47ohE/s320/P7041387.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493581784274526242" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Then it was time for the tricky part filling half the pie with each filling. We lined the pie tin with a Pillsbury roll out crust. I don't make pie crust, Martha. Then I held two spatulas in place over the middle section of the pie and mom poured in the first filling. Then I kept then in place and she poured in the second. I removed the spatulas and it worked. The blue stayed on one side and then red on the other. Now time to make the flag. I used my star cookie cutter to cut out stars for the other sheet of dough and we attached then to the outer crust and each other using an egg wash. Then Mom made strips using a pizza cutter and placed then across the pie. It looked so great. We then had to freeze the pie for an hour and then baked in for 50 minutes.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1XAtHtJLfj151DAq48QlP2tTzzcJEdOBPwcuCEd-elaxqw_Ck_4PYxkXKvdka9EpTkaN5-I-sreK1NHg_jpuc1nl-fZ1ZQ_dsaCZUK-mMVFmwfKONDLa-PQ72eQdrCqXI_Ub0oAkJLyxr/s1600/P7041391.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1XAtHtJLfj151DAq48QlP2tTzzcJEdOBPwcuCEd-elaxqw_Ck_4PYxkXKvdka9EpTkaN5-I-sreK1NHg_jpuc1nl-fZ1ZQ_dsaCZUK-mMVFmwfKONDLa-PQ72eQdrCqXI_Ub0oAkJLyxr/s320/P7041391.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493581819447764258" border="0" /></a><br /><br />After the fire works we served it up with the ice cream. I had to microwave my piece because I cannot eat cold fruit pie, but everyone else enjoyed it as is. The verdict, delicious... lots of seeds.The Spoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18049453651551199989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718262124681857106.post-87213540213594744372010-06-24T16:41:00.000-07:002010-07-11T16:03:16.975-07:00Napoli<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSLuyxgHYrV-RRCiJTlNSfBh0XEVSq3Yl5wfWDOxgdy-ITzH-uF7F7xSAeF9QSESxmgHx28rv4MRrk0IJnymnWLcutuI2pOsvqKvnSMVHQs9mtI56jPqDCenU15ezJ29_deaOLUnoic1ZF/s1600/P6241151.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSLuyxgHYrV-RRCiJTlNSfBh0XEVSq3Yl5wfWDOxgdy-ITzH-uF7F7xSAeF9QSESxmgHx28rv4MRrk0IJnymnWLcutuI2pOsvqKvnSMVHQs9mtI56jPqDCenU15ezJ29_deaOLUnoic1ZF/s320/P6241151.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492760715675177074" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We enjoyed some amazing food in Naples or as our tour guide said, Naples is in Florida this is Napoli. Napoli is know for the city that founded pizza. The story goes that the queen of Italy, Maragarit, was visiting Napoli and they created a pizza in her honor. They used mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and basil, white,red and green , the colors of the Italian flag. We asked our guide where we should get pizza and he gave us directions to a place, 15 people from our tour sat down and enjoyed some of the best pizza I have ever had. Most of the table order Margarita pizza which looked more like cheese pizza with a huge crust not like the Margarita pizza we get in the US.Here are Katie and Colin enjoying there pizza. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYzCNAi5QB8lSnB-kmE7bopJXMRIc4AupkG7Ffxw5bMdRW2lEmQhqXSPlV5WaISIgYDXsmKSdWn_-H474w45f4vn4B26oSabC2Sa4FtFpS5wC3T2ucycZiFfHY2nHfIvB6DEvHHL0tjQYA/s1600/P6241150.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYzCNAi5QB8lSnB-kmE7bopJXMRIc4AupkG7Ffxw5bMdRW2lEmQhqXSPlV5WaISIgYDXsmKSdWn_-H474w45f4vn4B26oSabC2Sa4FtFpS5wC3T2ucycZiFfHY2nHfIvB6DEvHHL0tjQYA/s320/P6241150.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492760697498438018" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We had the local special with Spinach and sausage and a white sauce instead of a tomato based sauce. The spinach had a flavor I have not used to but the pizza as a whole was wonderful. One pizza was shared between two people and it hung over the plates.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBOrYopDn2o0XLsGJLhl6cMYkVZosQxWjisx-asnqAsPzgkwlYHDavGRHXogj-cX90vSZtwJBuIFPdxbIoZtQm2Ohu_qCM6OXo-Jn4iLrPmAuchqEvDmQbOggpJSu9MIbpHBEBJWX238kI/s1600/P6241152.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBOrYopDn2o0XLsGJLhl6cMYkVZosQxWjisx-asnqAsPzgkwlYHDavGRHXogj-cX90vSZtwJBuIFPdxbIoZtQm2Ohu_qCM6OXo-Jn4iLrPmAuchqEvDmQbOggpJSu9MIbpHBEBJWX238kI/s320/P6241152.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492760703380132130" border="0" /></a><br /><br />For dessert we wanted to try another Napoleon special, sfogliatella. Our guide book had suggested that we find it. So we pointed to the word and asked our waiter if he knew where we could get some and he brought one out. It is a Phyllo dough thinly sliced in one piece and wrapped in a clam shape. The filling is ricotta cheese with orange flavoring. The restaurant was a great fine and we were happy to taste all the treats of Napoli<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiATuw_lANVyszQVg9Wjkv59aEDMKo8ZvuuA6QvqikUEjEDYI2Bv6gBoUKc_Zlw0zSJqLc5DMa4g9R1S824D4HtTXWDjKOd6G1kN-B1bCMR3PU9NWPeUMbi7IuC9sJKefW2jay4Jo2Lfe9g/s1600/P6241153.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiATuw_lANVyszQVg9Wjkv59aEDMKo8ZvuuA6QvqikUEjEDYI2Bv6gBoUKc_Zlw0zSJqLc5DMa4g9R1S824D4HtTXWDjKOd6G1kN-B1bCMR3PU9NWPeUMbi7IuC9sJKefW2jay4Jo2Lfe9g/s320/P6241153.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492760721216819586" border="0" /></a>The Spoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18049453651551199989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718262124681857106.post-85379606367208054812010-06-13T16:40:00.000-07:002010-07-11T14:03:58.482-07:00Imago<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoPmk7l-N9ClgV531cwmlCHgMyLnNnz8is-Vc9mSEWylh_FBLL8aTD1RL52QRvlJ9xsuszCMBs9L_CyhMj7A9fS2RTMWlPNXGJnYaTBWv9WGMUvBt98IY-Iws1UGURXqMWiJV5vMHjJ8Go/s1600/restaurant-imago-de-lhotel-hassler_500_109768_1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 231px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoPmk7l-N9ClgV531cwmlCHgMyLnNnz8is-Vc9mSEWylh_FBLL8aTD1RL52QRvlJ9xsuszCMBs9L_CyhMj7A9fS2RTMWlPNXGJnYaTBWv9WGMUvBt98IY-Iws1UGURXqMWiJV5vMHjJ8Go/s320/restaurant-imago-de-lhotel-hassler_500_109768_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492744844911123170" border="0" /></a>
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<br />Our first night in Rome we dined with Brain's parents, Jim and Debra, and our good friends Katie and Colin. We were celebrating the Larson's 35th wedding anniversary and our first night of our Mediterranean vacation. The restaant to host such a special occasion was Imago at the top of the Hassler Hotel that over looks the Spanish steps. The decor was very lush and red and three of the four walls of the restaurant was windows that over looked Rome. As we dined we saw many famous sites that we would see up close later in our trip. When we sat down the waiters brought the ladies tiny velvet stools to place out purses on. We chose the inspriation mael which would be five courses that the chef felt like preparing. We would have no idea what would be coming out.
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<br />The first course was a breaded sea scallop stuffed with Buffalo milk mozzarella, celery leaves and black truffle. In other word absolutely dedicate and wonderful. Second course was a beef tartar with arugula, green beans , cucumber and strawberries. What seems like an unlikely combination was actually a very light and refreshing course.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim6FvpLnfN3Uw7iwhTRyfRSzKsFxcXkeHZJqrF3IcZ3fDB_Q5fDzosBr1eqOLm4DYcEKUKj_WG5l0MSPaUV4cV5F7sti2BaHZQCtRwECletHNTfzpUgYj5ohQLzBTMMtqOPXs-lGXLzJpe/s1600/P6130011.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 283px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim6FvpLnfN3Uw7iwhTRyfRSzKsFxcXkeHZJqrF3IcZ3fDB_Q5fDzosBr1eqOLm4DYcEKUKj_WG5l0MSPaUV4cV5F7sti2BaHZQCtRwECletHNTfzpUgYj5ohQLzBTMMtqOPXs-lGXLzJpe/s320/P6130011.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492742814409917858" border="0" /> </a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnn39uNo1gDNCD8-FWdHRPwc2T3CvO3TkB2mYD6Tkbhw5jHlgRSKYD3C2ghlc4KXT4qrABIzKmvQnfd3Bnb8xPy5GGI_A7Yw9DkgvOj5xb_TLSGmlMoqJO9sYnMZpZW70dItjnbCo3bbyS/s1600/P6130024.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 285px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnn39uNo1gDNCD8-FWdHRPwc2T3CvO3TkB2mYD6Tkbhw5jHlgRSKYD3C2ghlc4KXT4qrABIzKmvQnfd3Bnb8xPy5GGI_A7Yw9DkgvOj5xb_TLSGmlMoqJO9sYnMZpZW70dItjnbCo3bbyS/s320/P6130024.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492746841238492258" border="0" /></a>
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<br />The third and forth courses were heavier and both pasta. A fantastic pasta course with roasted pear tomatoes, chickpeas and pine nuts. There was no sauce just fresh Parmesan cheese. I would have never thought to combine these items in my pasta dish. The fourth course was a ravioli with a cream spinach sauce. As listed on the menu it was " an idea of ravioli, stewed baby octopus and dried raspberries." It sounded a bit scary but was oh so tasty.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiscs2eJPPOIAiB-O29WAEABIFw1vkYTmnfwmqa4qNoqEofM8IkynYsTyD8ON7fS6FZOuVg5dP2IkrG_ehx2Hw5AE5fQJecPwHoRzRIMeb84kLgE0zKx5lowW9bCbSCw1TIhnBp4VgO-rhg/s1600/P6130025.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 272px; height: 204px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiscs2eJPPOIAiB-O29WAEABIFw1vkYTmnfwmqa4qNoqEofM8IkynYsTyD8ON7fS6FZOuVg5dP2IkrG_ehx2Hw5AE5fQJecPwHoRzRIMeb84kLgE0zKx5lowW9bCbSCw1TIhnBp4VgO-rhg/s320/P6130025.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492751081241194626" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwEq9H_iLFCIAz6EeWifFr8kjZAGlEQJ8CXoMRRHvbjDYCqkfOZti_qaoZr8pBaH9t9c6Z3VH2wOq2uN5ji9oLQxiyZPTiWEv6HW97RirDJMhCB9oZLqURT7oM49bwB1tEueGZgfWgdo-1/s1600/P6130029.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 272px; height: 204px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwEq9H_iLFCIAz6EeWifFr8kjZAGlEQJ8CXoMRRHvbjDYCqkfOZti_qaoZr8pBaH9t9c6Z3VH2wOq2uN5ji9oLQxiyZPTiWEv6HW97RirDJMhCB9oZLqURT7oM49bwB1tEueGZgfWgdo-1/s320/P6130029.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492751090858731570" border="0" /></a>
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<br />The final course was veal with asparagus. It was so fantastic.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNEhTk-XlToIWd3V3D1SV6_svD6-FSrjPdejXhior2euCmcoHd0R2TKZ5AlPfrST9n9p0MxXS6rPNybAkjCqkXy0TQA4JODda824VXKzJVKKV71Bv6P6hBk0E8Zgq_e1t9ibxAbOkSNOmW/s1600/P6130030.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNEhTk-XlToIWd3V3D1SV6_svD6-FSrjPdejXhior2euCmcoHd0R2TKZ5AlPfrST9n9p0MxXS6rPNybAkjCqkXy0TQA4JODda824VXKzJVKKV71Bv6P6hBk0E8Zgq_e1t9ibxAbOkSNOmW/s320/P6130030.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492752555620208066" border="0" /></a>
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<br />After five course of dinner it was now time for dessert :) As you can see from the pictures it was light when the meal started at 7:30pm and around 10:00pm by the time the desserts came. The first dessert was strawberry shortcake in a cup but it was all mostly liquid with cream and strawberry cream and pieces of crust and strawberries. Next came a dessert that I do not remember but it had a chocolate shell and I eat the whole thing. Finally truffles. I like how Brian's face is reflected in the glass table. Then finally, finally and then they gave the women to go boxes of truffle to take which us. What a fabulous experience.
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href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO5ZsgxSX78zHpljmSRd6x0s_dogWOUHTFyMPfrzkS9WGwVGbiFcFJvp8htNEfl-uTbGbsl8JgPNYqHNVwJGMw3VCPlmvk9JIftqI_asP_TKi0TdUG-pRzORYlhCEIqODYCpMulzDq7vQa/s1600/mld105081_0510_shrimp_card_l.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 281px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO5ZsgxSX78zHpljmSRd6x0s_dogWOUHTFyMPfrzkS9WGwVGbiFcFJvp8htNEfl-uTbGbsl8JgPNYqHNVwJGMw3VCPlmvk9JIftqI_asP_TKi0TdUG-pRzORYlhCEIqODYCpMulzDq7vQa/s320/mld105081_0510_shrimp_card_l.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492736191049930002" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5LpfMxzJqc2WxdYimmacddJHDqQFNOJ2qT3JXxrB3QDJDdLWs4t9rK2o31sAAvTuVV9gNZl0NpASqAoitWZl__kPqnSswnV_eIf-cmWXAPOIOEPp2llz6xIRAsmEQdvSMB-LAbO4uY_nw/s1600/mld105081_0510_ricecard4_l.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 281px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5LpfMxzJqc2WxdYimmacddJHDqQFNOJ2qT3JXxrB3QDJDdLWs4t9rK2o31sAAvTuVV9gNZl0NpASqAoitWZl__kPqnSswnV_eIf-cmWXAPOIOEPp2llz6xIRAsmEQdvSMB-LAbO4uY_nw/s320/mld105081_0510_ricecard4_l.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492736198179578258" border="0" /></a><br />I wanted to make one more fancy meal before I headed off to camp. In Martha Stewart Living each month she suggest a dinner. This month is was Garlic- Jalapeno Shrimp and Rice with Peas and Cilantro.<br /><br />I began my chopping my first jalapeno, very carefully and avoiding touching my eyes. It was only made slightly more difficult by Boddington who is always interested in what I can cutting and then by what I put in the trash. Needless to say i did not want my bulldog eating a jalapeno. I made the rest of the marinade for the shrimp with line juice and salt and pepper.The shrimp in marinade went into the fridge for 45 minutes.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifFvn09pLV6fRJsH15BYAE2cUFQ1X_aQJXhSMN_KKcCWSD6k65CykqO37HENTgwE-NfBTOfnGQ9bASmAHmdrBYHFnHV9BwMF9xXUr6vbiKdWSd51bPDspUPT0zbocasM9YqW69L3A_e752/s1600/P5050522.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 284px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifFvn09pLV6fRJsH15BYAE2cUFQ1X_aQJXhSMN_KKcCWSD6k65CykqO37HENTgwE-NfBTOfnGQ9bASmAHmdrBYHFnHV9BwMF9xXUr6vbiKdWSd51bPDspUPT0zbocasM9YqW69L3A_e752/s320/P5050522.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492738010934863762" border="0" /> </a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW6EXvgN3nM1iPXc_n9LedZlyRct3SKro0YYEsQeiSM1LraPHi51EDZc6tP2Iur4GmqD1jQ36JLzZH8ZmQZMxj1r4M-K3TzmP1mkuXWV3T-8ulS4hFkmpvX6kCMOUjorFIDWKwy0vHs2zP/s1600/P5050517.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 284px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW6EXvgN3nM1iPXc_n9LedZlyRct3SKro0YYEsQeiSM1LraPHi51EDZc6tP2Iur4GmqD1jQ36JLzZH8ZmQZMxj1r4M-K3TzmP1mkuXWV3T-8ulS4hFkmpvX6kCMOUjorFIDWKwy0vHs2zP/s320/P5050517.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492740431535707746" border="0" /></a><br />While the shrimp were swimming in lime juice I worked on the rice. First I cooked the onions and garlic in a sauce pan and then added spices and rice. I then added the water to cook the rice and a bundle of cilantro stems and let it simmer for 15 minutes.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi26oQOfj43oOcEao5IfdnnFqp5EqM0yTj-H-ajjwNEEFc4TgSzvaIj25d1tGMGjw-Zun97TSz1Q2WbiBYF1xJtvQNS3uOwP_Hy14KPQgPa0ymTM1p4t9qhCqEcZMVrc6K9z4mkQT8UiXsE/s1600/P5050520.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 178px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi26oQOfj43oOcEao5IfdnnFqp5EqM0yTj-H-ajjwNEEFc4TgSzvaIj25d1tGMGjw-Zun97TSz1Q2WbiBYF1xJtvQNS3uOwP_Hy14KPQgPa0ymTM1p4t9qhCqEcZMVrc6K9z4mkQT8UiXsE/s320/P5050520.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492736205604599522" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRQ4bIuF7ShWJU42DGwYZ7DyORy0t0HlCNQubBscVv-KrmNYUQE_cohMTJYg_iyaN-BA0cl4ZYrkslTMmyGY94ODQvOuRpdxdg_a0VJCK3012kHKl-wHiNz-4G2gvUdLkHqalcvy4_t3iR/s1600/P5050519.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 178px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRQ4bIuF7ShWJU42DGwYZ7DyORy0t0HlCNQubBscVv-KrmNYUQE_cohMTJYg_iyaN-BA0cl4ZYrkslTMmyGY94ODQvOuRpdxdg_a0VJCK3012kHKl-wHiNz-4G2gvUdLkHqalcvy4_t3iR/s320/P5050519.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492736214843022754" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhdt49BPkE2gqKMSCX5aama-D69_FNqz45copzfUAObKYfVqCwfwqGhpFetlnm58anf3kO7hxKxnQmbN7-lvkhx5IcXNq93YgnUbGqskO4c7fzhqA3a37cR6uKY7vNYke05cGxXFLKVo7v/s1600/P5050521.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 175px; height: 131px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhdt49BPkE2gqKMSCX5aama-D69_FNqz45copzfUAObKYfVqCwfwqGhpFetlnm58anf3kO7hxKxnQmbN7-lvkhx5IcXNq93YgnUbGqskO4c7fzhqA3a37cR6uKY7vNYke05cGxXFLKVo7v/s320/P5050521.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492736222080941890" border="0" /></a><br /><br />While the rice cooked I prepared the peas. It began with shelling :) I bough sugar snap peas and carefully cut them open length ways and then picked the peas out. I needed 3/4 of a cup of peas and these peas were very tiny. After the peas were finished I worked on picking off a 1/2 of cilantro leaves. Both of these task too the entire time the rice cooked which was longer then I expected. After the rice was done I added the peas and left the rice covered for 10 more minutes. During this time I went back to the shrimp and gave them a quick cook in olive oil.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC9DwBngxDZqMNGk9pJSCqqcvCc3yG032RIvCqeybwwwOW8fxPImRlfFZJcRDh-XOHV5nNTJu9M9Z6uud-0pm3lB9pCJPZK2_AFgKiYa4KpOmYlLGL9h_a5XcOwl90sn8YR-25lgqOn7j9/s1600/P5050523.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 248px; height: 186px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC9DwBngxDZqMNGk9pJSCqqcvCc3yG032RIvCqeybwwwOW8fxPImRlfFZJcRDh-XOHV5nNTJu9M9Z6uud-0pm3lB9pCJPZK2_AFgKiYa4KpOmYlLGL9h_a5XcOwl90sn8YR-25lgqOn7j9/s320/P5050523.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492738018986270050" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I then removed the cilantro from the rice and added the cilantro leaves. It all served up great and I will defiantly be making it again.<br /><br /> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsHHiNOZHQvttr6ohZ883IGbD10PveYznQ34tpGM66w_ghy6SH1VIoT2i5S1G60Lkzku46pgsQD_6fVotTUr4bwAW5APtIqs4E37TxBiHIA1FCBm93sLcaxRXYzA2qrWzBtAnmgg6rTWts/s1600/P5050524.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsHHiNOZHQvttr6ohZ883IGbD10PveYznQ34tpGM66w_ghy6SH1VIoT2i5S1G60Lkzku46pgsQD_6fVotTUr4bwAW5APtIqs4E37TxBiHIA1FCBm93sLcaxRXYzA2qrWzBtAnmgg6rTWts/s320/P5050524.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492738023445421282" border="0" /></a>The Spoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18049453651551199989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718262124681857106.post-44255058908707082442010-05-08T19:38:00.000-07:002010-07-11T12:04:44.692-07:00Cupcake Mania Part Two<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidFIHm6EpgGyxX7Gz5tm42cApghd12-YDp3BfJXE8f175Th69O1KQ8ws0i_XbUDsIb-JgzfNHhP-Q-N3_Wbx8NB-DI25UDLtI_jefY-wO2CpWuARkxybJHpn2B2ObFrkAFpY3mTpIlXIoB/s1600/P5020513.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidFIHm6EpgGyxX7Gz5tm42cApghd12-YDp3BfJXE8f175Th69O1KQ8ws0i_XbUDsIb-JgzfNHhP-Q-N3_Wbx8NB-DI25UDLtI_jefY-wO2CpWuARkxybJHpn2B2ObFrkAFpY3mTpIlXIoB/s320/P5020513.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492433782929374162" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwcbLGiDh53u87_FoLqM1v-aXid_eG45vdQGRCN1QARiIhgcoFuYC6nk_S2tEstDh7Oxnah6WCOai52qJvBidIcILaajUVv8dGfMdCivSvBThy4K7LTC1IjdkQSrf-hMTDOk-Iky-ar4hK/s1600/P5020507.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwcbLGiDh53u87_FoLqM1v-aXid_eG45vdQGRCN1QARiIhgcoFuYC6nk_S2tEstDh7Oxnah6WCOai52qJvBidIcILaajUVv8dGfMdCivSvBThy4K7LTC1IjdkQSrf-hMTDOk-Iky-ar4hK/s320/P5020507.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492433748070394706" border="0" /></a><br /><br />For the second baking event we got a little more daring for Elizabeth's shower. I picked to bake black and white cupcakes; chocolate cupcake with cream cheese filling. They were topped with a gooey chocolate glaze and chocolate curls. Merida worked on the chocolate cupcakes and made the cream cheese filling but before we before we could begin baking we had to get more sugar. Merida ran to her apartment and brought her sugar over and we were good to go.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4nVwhHKKBjEEG9r_eqju0iYaGqXJMrEW8fzU7N9KRo4ZfjgIS1fY2dn5arIduRHtErdFb7VoJ4NrJw3Jt35ff5JWwwhYkvUiIf0m5lia4rCOvdZQ406PDKrCYEMYquUztjVgklxvJi-Qd/s1600/P5010504.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 281px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4nVwhHKKBjEEG9r_eqju0iYaGqXJMrEW8fzU7N9KRo4ZfjgIS1fY2dn5arIduRHtErdFb7VoJ4NrJw3Jt35ff5JWwwhYkvUiIf0m5lia4rCOvdZQ406PDKrCYEMYquUztjVgklxvJi-Qd/s320/P5010504.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469465377876734578" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrD28PyZ3oVQj8QmdY3yguQgBhYRn01MiV4Y82wHV5t8_WJk0ITlvNBlDfcx_4SApezZ9WVP2tM_OsiYVh_jdYTRCwhAJLNa9eGo2Yn5XzepxqOsvlNAoN_5HCjeTiEjO4e5o9LNSyy_Zo/s1600/P5010503.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 282px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrD28PyZ3oVQj8QmdY3yguQgBhYRn01MiV4Y82wHV5t8_WJk0ITlvNBlDfcx_4SApezZ9WVP2tM_OsiYVh_jdYTRCwhAJLNa9eGo2Yn5XzepxqOsvlNAoN_5HCjeTiEjO4e5o9LNSyy_Zo/s320/P5010503.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469465364920023138" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I chose to small a bowl to make the cream cheese frost and we ended up with a bunch of cream cheese all over the wall!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtakNVsg7s7c4oIaT6UCcf8hT06siVjaU78E-0W0NHSbUUqoUo13Aga-2u7L9p7xvB1zf_ltuR24-RfKLIynND7rMyRQFXo7Vbw5eFG3saBSUtT0ZHBuIA6V6GY8aHgJM2vgspF0-ZR3bO/s1600/P5010502.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 210px; height: 157px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtakNVsg7s7c4oIaT6UCcf8hT06siVjaU78E-0W0NHSbUUqoUo13Aga-2u7L9p7xvB1zf_ltuR24-RfKLIynND7rMyRQFXo7Vbw5eFG3saBSUtT0ZHBuIA6V6GY8aHgJM2vgspF0-ZR3bO/s320/P5010502.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469465354967208818" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We used out technique of filling a plastic bag and cutting the end to fill the cupcake tins. We filled them 3/4 full and then spooned in the cream cheese filling. When they baked the cream cheese would sink down into the middle with a chocolate shell all around it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNiJTpQKjDjNGR_Kwlnkdgwml_fgMG-SwbQ-gOM11Z1NXqrKKMU5_OfyfRkf5VhkHYZyLy7IjFSirxDflGYpOVc1egix8-OmVpWxbsQAANRg46d3_XYd6OMv-L2sUaY4tyTi66CH-G2e2v/s1600/P5010505.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 287px; height: 215px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNiJTpQKjDjNGR_Kwlnkdgwml_fgMG-SwbQ-gOM11Z1NXqrKKMU5_OfyfRkf5VhkHYZyLy7IjFSirxDflGYpOVc1egix8-OmVpWxbsQAANRg46d3_XYd6OMv-L2sUaY4tyTi66CH-G2e2v/s320/P5010505.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469465391546647426" border="0" /> </a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji3JmA-PDi4vsze0AAyCxHwwAU6aj9p0s2rJ1lIddkCbdJlCWg94ihw2KsOlc-vulHo3CpUcWkLEChncPgGtgHaGqQJLPGXsNicuUBJrTddRnNUL4PxeD4g2RTXJCVnxUOUufY85anvp07/s1600/P5010506.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 289px; height: 217px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji3JmA-PDi4vsze0AAyCxHwwAU6aj9p0s2rJ1lIddkCbdJlCWg94ihw2KsOlc-vulHo3CpUcWkLEChncPgGtgHaGqQJLPGXsNicuUBJrTddRnNUL4PxeD4g2RTXJCVnxUOUufY85anvp07/s320/P5010506.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492433729159104194" border="0" /></a><br />When the cupcakes started bake the cream cheese frosting did not sink down into the middle as intended but exploded out the top and sides. When we removed the cupcake for the pan we found it difficult and the cupcakes had no top and the chocolate they had around the edge was very fragile that most of them almost broke in half. They cupcakes came out all different sizes as well. We called it quits for the days and I ran to go get ready for the baby bash.<br /><br />The next day before the shower I had the tack of finishing the cupcakes I need the make the gooey chocolate glaze and the chocolate curls. The chocolate glaze way made warming sweetened condensed milk, semisweet choclate and butter in a small saucepan. Then you stir and stir and stir. The mixture was indeed gooey as billed it had the consistency of Gak. It was very unweldly but perfect for creating a top for the cupcakes and filling in the hole the cream cheese left. After a couple of cupcakes I got pretty good at commanding the gooey glaze to the top of the cupcake.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhtAo-Gzb-VKnzMmS95hLT6fZwzmfe8ulgyZ-y3bHttKOch1inrf1UumEJvLWnitOMBkElC2iXDWlzShmzVtawbALhAyNJHqTmi2WVkVK4bNWCLW29rKXvC7yQPyfS0NgTkUJpgi1uQaAv/s1600/P5020508.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhtAo-Gzb-VKnzMmS95hLT6fZwzmfe8ulgyZ-y3bHttKOch1inrf1UumEJvLWnitOMBkElC2iXDWlzShmzVtawbALhAyNJHqTmi2WVkVK4bNWCLW29rKXvC7yQPyfS0NgTkUJpgi1uQaAv/s320/P5020508.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492433762848614946" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The chocolate curls were made by using a vegetable peeler on a frozen bar of milk chocolate turned long was. The curls were very delicate and would melt in your hand it you took too long. They made a nice finishing touch.<br /><br />The cupcake were enjoyed by all as we celebrated Elizabeth and her big day.The Spoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18049453651551199989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718262124681857106.post-56720827599536044782010-05-07T20:13:00.000-07:002010-07-10T17:18:59.865-07:00Cupcake Mania Part One!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA8JvWXW3gTcag4r5VY8dYufEnf2ieQZW98ZRJmhGTBpvUrLADWdfI2FE-3YWbmzbDvlJeVD8dZg9LfYhCgTE2WRs3keQ4uv00Y-LE5MwWbjPzZUTAPH9nCoRddj5P7yk-zlpJhQ_zcRjc/s1600/P5020512.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA8JvWXW3gTcag4r5VY8dYufEnf2ieQZW98ZRJmhGTBpvUrLADWdfI2FE-3YWbmzbDvlJeVD8dZg9LfYhCgTE2WRs3keQ4uv00Y-LE5MwWbjPzZUTAPH9nCoRddj5P7yk-zlpJhQ_zcRjc/s320/P5020512.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469466193947601026" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I am excited that I am known for my cupcakes and I think I am getting set up to have a second career and a cupcake baker. In early May there were two big event that required my culinary attention. A "baby-bash", co-ed baby shower, for our good friends Krista and Blake on Saturday and a bridal shower for my co-worker and friend Elizabeth on Sunday For the baby bash a chose to keep it simple because I would be doing a few other things for the party. I picked a simple yellow cupcake and a can of whipped icing. I decorated them with mint chocolate chip and plastic babies.<br /><br />In order to bake 48 cupcakes for both event, I enlisted the help of my fellow cupcake baker and future business partner, Merida. We baked for two and a half hours straight and finished just in time to head off the the baby bash and have the bridal shower cupcakes in good shape for the next day.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Ml6nyNsgsQkNs5AjzPD61UGFVDgP3L1I1dLQmslT99MBqzUatw_xAGuC24to6wpO8Jb5l0jhHwQHtykBfGiWcwmLdDLGPrjIKUNnM0V8ZPNYuaeOQmY9eSrpeJyn-MaeNaI5r5fau1Rw/s1600/P5010499.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Ml6nyNsgsQkNs5AjzPD61UGFVDgP3L1I1dLQmslT99MBqzUatw_xAGuC24to6wpO8Jb5l0jhHwQHtykBfGiWcwmLdDLGPrjIKUNnM0V8ZPNYuaeOQmY9eSrpeJyn-MaeNaI5r5fau1Rw/s320/P5010499.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469466185260544562" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The yellow cupcakes we fairly simple, the normal ingredients. Flour, butter, sugar, eggs,vanilla, ect. The only issue we ran up against was the butter. I usually like to leave it out for a while before I start baking. However. I had just gone to the store and the butter was stone cold hard. As we tried to mix it in it was clumping in a weird way and the cupcake batter looked soupy. We continued to mix and mix and mix. Eventually the batter turned more into a texture that I recognized and we deiced it was finally ok to turn off the miser. Then we filled a plastic bag with the batter cut the end of the bag and pipped the batter into the cupcake tins. It was suppose to make 24 cupcakes but it barely made about 20. With much work we squeezed out enough batter for 22 cupcakes.<br /><br /><br />We places pink yellow and green mint chips in order to be gender neutral and placed some creepy plastic babies in the middle with their arms reaching up at you. Krista and Blake loved them and it was a great success.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCHDxYl4F4OdD0sTMpUn8h1U_CyRGW5Fwrdk7fJH5LNfb3wSg2L5KIMBXcX9AFsPvY168qgKdU941ElIvOoxzVBizwfaNIsqTtqpIngGZyGY2C7DIgP0W-0ltXzPGO2WmbR-p6mHWpGjEs/s1600/P5020510.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCHDxYl4F4OdD0sTMpUn8h1U_CyRGW5Fwrdk7fJH5LNfb3wSg2L5KIMBXcX9AFsPvY168qgKdU941ElIvOoxzVBizwfaNIsqTtqpIngGZyGY2C7DIgP0W-0ltXzPGO2WmbR-p6mHWpGjEs/s320/P5020510.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469466204842150530" border="0" /></a>The Spoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18049453651551199989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718262124681857106.post-33246965152137643642010-05-06T16:40:00.000-07:002010-07-11T12:24:28.511-07:00Farmers CasseroleFor our last small group meals we made one of my favorite recipes from my Better Homes and Garden Cookbook 12th Edition: Farmer's Casserole. What sounds rather ordinary and might contain potatoes, green bean and some sort of farm animal is actually full of my favorite items from breakfast all rolled into one dish. Farmer's Casserole includes; hash-browns, cheese, Canadian bacon, green onions, eggs and milk.<br /><br />We double the recipe to make the casserole for 12 people and we began by laying the frozen hash-browns at the bottom of my largest and polka dotted casserole dish , then add the cheese Monterrey Jack or Cheddar or both, ham and onion. Then we pored the 8 beaten eggs and milk over the ingredients. The eggs sunk to the bottom leaving the ham and onions on the top.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYp0-Ov5Ot0o_UectXHdp7nwvHVFT3ZyCj0TXLecc6o-fgq7DekMZXvZDRfP5Hsi4hm5F_tJEAQtCfI7Oe4RqqqXuCBcuOCEWizIvMcHBnnY9kUdxEbvVySQZdik7wAD8h_hO62hRjXAGn/s1600/P4270498.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYp0-Ov5Ot0o_UectXHdp7nwvHVFT3ZyCj0TXLecc6o-fgq7DekMZXvZDRfP5Hsi4hm5F_tJEAQtCfI7Oe4RqqqXuCBcuOCEWizIvMcHBnnY9kUdxEbvVySQZdik7wAD8h_hO62hRjXAGn/s320/P4270498.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492729790586846578" border="0" /></a><br />Then we baked in for 55 minutes and the with a beach towel, trivets and pot holders we carefully loaded the very heavy and hot casserole in to the back of our car. At small group when ask what was in it, we answered and they then said "no wonder it is so good."The Spoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18049453651551199989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718262124681857106.post-17072696902076860772010-05-05T20:13:00.003-07:002010-05-09T19:14:53.427-07:00Mahimahi<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqbKE20z9_FaB0-E5vm5X7ECF6xvnTS-QkOfftx_csW-DtKjg9KUGob3avYwezQCnXmDJtUZmWC6ll0VmhkjanaD3EHchMt1zXihodpPtYT2iWNQuEqlufGGm1yisqH1p0CSS8tPzGLzRL/s1600/peppercorn-mahimahi-ck-1823319-l.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqbKE20z9_FaB0-E5vm5X7ECF6xvnTS-QkOfftx_csW-DtKjg9KUGob3avYwezQCnXmDJtUZmWC6ll0VmhkjanaD3EHchMt1zXihodpPtYT2iWNQuEqlufGGm1yisqH1p0CSS8tPzGLzRL/s320/peppercorn-mahimahi-ck-1823319-l.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469449342733176770" border="0" /></a><br /><br />A couple weeks ago I started to get more adventurous with our cooking once the dust had settled on our life. I looked thought the binder of recipes I have saved from magazine and picked on that caught my eye, Pink Peppercorn Mahimahi with Tropical Salsa from Cooking Light. With a title like that, it left us one option of where to shop, Central Market. Several ingredient were hard to find as expected and some were a surprise. The pink peppercorns were not among the usual array of spices but Brian came to the rescue and checked out the bulk items section. He found the peppercorns and we were shocked at the price. $34.00 a pound but luckily we only needed a few ounces. What was harder to find was fresh pineapple so we settled for canned. Central market did not have lime juice or coconut milk.<br /><br />I headed to H-E-B the next day to pick them up. The lime juice was easy to find in the fruit section as expected. The coconut milk was still alluding me until I called in my reinforcement, my mom. She knows were anything is in any grocery store and I usually call her once a week. She suggested checking the aisle with other Asian flavors and there it was. I returned home ready to make the dish.<br /><br />The recipe suggested making the salsa first but I opted to make the coating for the fish first and then make the salsa while the fish was cooking. We would also be paring the fish with broccoflower we picked up from the market.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6jumVPwhUfcPXOsdd_pRM6uDuvFnsofe8IEpMLS_B2W1OtkxdF5rXdVXOHKi8leIthq4n9CqCietbPjZJ5WkqVkz6MFevYTsGBkguSsmc7KcNzjs-aOPslxYPucAudIfZqlt7KnBanVAi/s1600/P4260491.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 258px; height: 201px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6jumVPwhUfcPXOsdd_pRM6uDuvFnsofe8IEpMLS_B2W1OtkxdF5rXdVXOHKi8leIthq4n9CqCietbPjZJ5WkqVkz6MFevYTsGBkguSsmc7KcNzjs-aOPslxYPucAudIfZqlt7KnBanVAi/s320/P4260491.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469449348193897170" border="0" /></a><br />First I crushed the peppercorns with a mortal and pestle and then mixed it with other ingredients for the breading; panko bread crumbs and chopped macadamia nuts, which I used our mini Cuisinart. Then I needed to mix the ingredients for the liquid that I would soak the fish in and then place it in the breading. I measured out the soy sauce and then opened the coconut milk only to find I had purchased coconut cream instead of milk. It was a solid paste. So after a few choice words, I tried diluting it with regular milk. I whisked the milk with the coconut cream and it was too solid so I added a second addition of milk and got the texture I wanted. I mixed together the soy sauce and coconut milk and then set up the breading process.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVMBScbhl-BcG_OXzc3HpcJ7DJ6Z19FmpvvX1zvAqnzswGBwPUTnf2Or3n49dx2GgMGTNCr0-YIhFbvAIyFlrtz8gnkQgJsuHIN2G5H1HI3iLuepW9h4A2QiUmwlXHNeXNPpZJFSrSe1EF/s1600/P4260492.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 264px; height: 201px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVMBScbhl-BcG_OXzc3HpcJ7DJ6Z19FmpvvX1zvAqnzswGBwPUTnf2Or3n49dx2GgMGTNCr0-YIhFbvAIyFlrtz8gnkQgJsuHIN2G5H1HI3iLuepW9h4A2QiUmwlXHNeXNPpZJFSrSe1EF/s320/P4260492.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469449362558685746" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTxm9NwTY225tWEjVRlnmiCewFVBTcZ1I2p59xKSnBk4lROMl3ZZmQTHzB0Qd8j1vsewkRBLC9P0HMdsiQB754OCCRg4wMywkwt8WxCLeFQUgthK34a5Q7FIutpFK7gND8UVORFf_8jWdn/s1600/P4260493.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 259px; height: 199px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTxm9NwTY225tWEjVRlnmiCewFVBTcZ1I2p59xKSnBk4lROMl3ZZmQTHzB0Qd8j1vsewkRBLC9P0HMdsiQB754OCCRg4wMywkwt8WxCLeFQUgthK34a5Q7FIutpFK7gND8UVORFf_8jWdn/s320/P4260493.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469449371176736722" border="0" /></a><br />I dipped one side of the fish into the liquid and then placed in the breading I then placed the fish crust side down into a pan and cooked it for three minutes which gave it a nice brown color then I cooked it in the oven for 10 minutes to finish the cooking process.<br /> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQL-Nj73BXd0O5xjcfUEWhDtF21ww4d3ehjeQ94EX-9VZ-YYd9cuyTCB9g0HJnC3wz8QoAQyXtFikUTipWmODDrmQ8g83LB5ARVfYfqPZWTeKHIKBw3KFQLu_QuHg5O3Dbm0uhCxVpqCwV/s1600/P4260496.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 270px; height: 203px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQL-Nj73BXd0O5xjcfUEWhDtF21ww4d3ehjeQ94EX-9VZ-YYd9cuyTCB9g0HJnC3wz8QoAQyXtFikUTipWmODDrmQ8g83LB5ARVfYfqPZWTeKHIKBw3KFQLu_QuHg5O3Dbm0uhCxVpqCwV/s320/P4260496.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469453397825709938" border="0" /></a><br />While they were cooking I chopped up the broccoflower and began steaming. Next I made the salsa. I only had 8 minutes to chop the pineapple , red onion, cilantro, and jalapeno. I then need to mix in the coconut, line juice and pink peppercorns. The recipe was right I should have made the salsa before I did anything else. It turns out I did well under the gun and was able to finish just as the fish was done. If I had not had a time limit I think i would have taken me 20 minutes.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkFZiKEtU-Y4vYwfqdMexlLkwYwt-gKQg7pQosdWqOMlTUkfMciVXOzbpgYcVqMvI5TaGTFlzuckDksKXf2PzxkLrZhfphMGtrMX9ZlcbazXhCw2zvRSc4E0EqDj0rIw4xVnx7xKFZlVYX/s1600/P4260495.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 259px; height: 194px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkFZiKEtU-Y4vYwfqdMexlLkwYwt-gKQg7pQosdWqOMlTUkfMciVXOzbpgYcVqMvI5TaGTFlzuckDksKXf2PzxkLrZhfphMGtrMX9ZlcbazXhCw2zvRSc4E0EqDj0rIw4xVnx7xKFZlVYX/s320/P4260495.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469453389571017970" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The dish turned out great and I got Brian's highest complement, "it is a definite make again!"<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieAC2Z_eZu7Fi55MDD7RTcvio7tgOcXpyBynxmfjT__c8AEFcsJaDapj8tk968n1RQj_QEvQ2nsS23hf3TOnJ48BkF-WZHapStv9aSygwvrrrwPIWM7xzHS52btDk0-HJvisT2FiPI_iP9/s1600/P4260497.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieAC2Z_eZu7Fi55MDD7RTcvio7tgOcXpyBynxmfjT__c8AEFcsJaDapj8tk968n1RQj_QEvQ2nsS23hf3TOnJ48BkF-WZHapStv9aSygwvrrrwPIWM7xzHS52btDk0-HJvisT2FiPI_iP9/s320/P4260497.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469453406838352850" border="0" /></a>The Spoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18049453651551199989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718262124681857106.post-50923978242794416372010-05-05T20:13:00.001-07:002010-05-08T23:49:21.128-07:00Jeffery'sBrian's parents visited a couple of weeks ago and took us out to a wonderful restaurant. They are training to be foodies as they are. We went to Jeffery's and had a great dinning experience. <a href="http://www.jeffreysofaustin.com/">http://www.jeffreysofaustin.com/</a><br /><br />Brian, Jim and I oppted for the tasting menu with an appitizer, main couse and dessert. We also added the wine paring and had a great time learning about the differnt wines from the sommelier.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLb_o_JRSJN-eVdHlWkZBDUJuuPls6Y_DsXx5POQ9lPQW6GFaiQ_vnUO3Ktaoy8XIz-THA8aFLo96uebMUO9qHhmDCiIL7l0w7DCGL0b0dZ1c6fcQah9UMZJqBHja77BplTL1_5NEpurp4/s1600/original_oysters.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 171px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLb_o_JRSJN-eVdHlWkZBDUJuuPls6Y_DsXx5POQ9lPQW6GFaiQ_vnUO3Ktaoy8XIz-THA8aFLo96uebMUO9qHhmDCiIL7l0w7DCGL0b0dZ1c6fcQah9UMZJqBHja77BplTL1_5NEpurp4/s320/original_oysters.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469143408770004658" border="0" /></a><br />Our first course were the fried oysters of two different varieties. The first fied oysters, octavia, were served in normal potatoe chips and tasted just like a baked potaoes with bacon in it. So rich and delicious. The second type of fried oyster,original, tasted much more fresh and were served on a yucca chip with pineapple pieces. The wine paring was a Cheverny. It is a French red wine and was chosen for it's light body to cut the fry and a citrus notes to mix well with the sea food.<br /><br />Crispy Oysters Split<br />“Octavia” with Bacon Royale, “Overnight” Tomato Vinaigrette<br />on house-made Sea Salt Potato Chips & “Original” on Yucca<br />Chips with Habanero-Honey Aïoli & Pineapple Pico de Gallo<br /><br />Wine: Cazin Petite Chambord Cheverny, Loire, France<br /><img src="file:///C:/Users/Sarah/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot.png" alt="" /><br />The main course options were filet mignon or scallops . Brian chose the steak and I picked the scallops. Both were wonderful and very flavor full. The steak wine paring was a typical Cabernet which was picked because of its rich body to match the big flavors of the steak. The wine for the scallops was supppse to mimic the texture of scaolpps and cittrus flavor to again match with the seafood. I don't remmebr what tyo eof win eit was but the texture of the wine was very similar to the scallop which was unique and a little weird.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW0N-7B8a_UswwjO1yj9Mg44AC0mR_r8Li3itkrFsS8wOl8J9koGiE1yygQq1_LlEkyj-iGl81PwTxUl7byf4VJhIonyMSZpFEOjlJ1scsmuQlPpbZkQG9cqRbULa7dPklEsEl7o_nxC5P/s1600/18AD49CC166a124C69VgPS53C2D2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 171px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW0N-7B8a_UswwjO1yj9Mg44AC0mR_r8Li3itkrFsS8wOl8J9koGiE1yygQq1_LlEkyj-iGl81PwTxUl7byf4VJhIonyMSZpFEOjlJ1scsmuQlPpbZkQG9cqRbULa7dPklEsEl7o_nxC5P/s320/18AD49CC166a124C69VgPS53C2D2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469144040420842386" border="0" /></a><br /><br />For dessert Brian chose the chocolate and I chose mini beignets, which is a surprise because I usually pick chocolate every time. Brian had a chocolate cake, chocolate mousse and chocolate ice cream. Rich and amazing! I enjoyed the tiny beignets and poured a cream sauce over them. They were so light and fluffy and of course delicious. Both wine pairing for the desserts were ports. The wine to match Brian's chocalte desset was rich and dark to blend well with the chocalte. Mine was a bit lighter to match the fluffy donuts. I found out I like port :)<br /><br />D e s s e r t <br />Chocolate Intemperance<br />Flourless Chocolate Cake with Valrhona<br />Dark Chocolate Mousse & Double Chocolate Ice Cream<br />Les Clos de Paulilies Rimage, Banyuls, France<br />or<br />Crescent City Beignets<br />Beignets with Malted Milk Affogato<br />Warres Otima 10yr Tawny, Portugal<br /><br />We had such a great time and look forward to learning more about food and wine.<br /><a href="http://www.jeffreysofaustin.com/"><br /></a>The Spoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18049453651551199989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718262124681857106.post-88710043457227419212010-05-05T20:07:00.001-07:002010-05-08T22:27:34.152-07:00Easter CupcakesMy mom held a fabulous Easter brunch for our family. My contribution... Cupcakes!<br /><br />We used a box mix and can icing ... gasp, but we were pressed for time. Mom and I baked the cupcakes and Amy and I iced them. Our creativity came in decorating the top of the cupcakes to look like a bird's nest then put a robin egg candy in the middle. Mom and I toasted the coconut the day before and then Brian and I assimilated the cupcakes as guest arrives. They looked fabulous. :) I could not have done it without the help of my mom, sister, and hubby.<br /><br />.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTr5IccA6gcIyC2QqZ8JZpF5mjhrwZRJwp-ZKuak6e8NNy0-KR1cdtte0VozDRYR93J0cu06LzYnhXs8XuGX1c1oaCQpBXaL9QmEJ9ANBD6FgfNkFwvCxnZZEE3NlwjkUGaw7fTVS20kZ0/s1600/P4040489.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTr5IccA6gcIyC2QqZ8JZpF5mjhrwZRJwp-ZKuak6e8NNy0-KR1cdtte0VozDRYR93J0cu06LzYnhXs8XuGX1c1oaCQpBXaL9QmEJ9ANBD6FgfNkFwvCxnZZEE3NlwjkUGaw7fTVS20kZ0/s320/P4040489.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469136157740084482" border="0" /></a>The Spoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18049453651551199989noreply@blogger.com0