LindySez

2010-08-18T17:38:00.000-07:00

Business Class Pods

Perhaps I should call this from San Francisco to Dulles to Madrid to Zaragoza. It was a long day, and a long night even though my hubby and I (much to the “It’s not fair” voiced by our fellow traveler and son Trevor and the “it’s cool”, from his traveling companion Evan) rode it in business class. Hey, when you earn the money, and you plan the trip, you get to ride where you ride That’s MHO. We arrive Madrid at 7:15 a.m. on June 22nd, our 19th wedding anniversary. Excited, but tired. After walking, what felt like a mile, to the Immigration Control area, more or less a place to turn in your “visitor declaration” and get an “official” cursory look at your passport, we were on our way to get our bags, get our car and drive to Zaragoza. Our plan was to drive the short 190 KM (about 118 miles, so what an hour and a half two hours?) from Madrid to Zaragoza and spend a nice afternoon relaxing and taking in some of the sites. We had booked an apartment that was close to the Basilica and old town and are chomping at the bit to get this vacation started.

Our VW Passant awaits us, I told DH I thought we might want to get a GPS nav system, but being a man, he thought it would be easy enough to navigate ourselves AND after all, he had lived in Spain AND spoke and read the language. So between my iPhone, a regular old-fashioned paper map and his manliness, we set out.

By the time we get on the road, it’s 9:00 on a Tuesday morning. This is also called “rush hour”. We are instructed by our “Avis” counter guy to take the R2 once we get out of the airport; take it straight to Zaragoza. First things first, how do we get out of the car rental lot? There are no signs to show the way to the exit. There are no arrows, lines or other instructions, and damn they park these cars close together and the space between rows is TINY… most of what America drives would not be able to drive in this lot, nor many of the streets we traveled. When traveling in older cities, you drive on older streets. Streets meant for horses, buggies and wagons. But I digress.

Actually in Eppstein Germany, but it gives you and idea.

I’m just getting out of the airport, with all three of my helpful backseat drivers giving me the “watch out for that”; “oh, be careful there”; “why are you going so slow?” when out of the corner of my eye, off to the side of the road I see R2…”Um guys” I say, “was that my exit?” Yes, yes it was. Ok…I’m in a very cheerful and forgiving mood, so no problem, I’ll just go up here and turn back towards the airport and we’ll catch it the next time though. After all, I know where it is now. Problem. Remember that thing about “rush hour”? Well, they also have these things called “Roundabouts”. It’s how you make turns and get on other routes in Spain. You don’t go up to an intersection and wait at a light and then turn left or right, you get yourself into this roundabout and then go roundabout until you find the street you need to go onto and then you get out of the roundabout. Sounds easy enough, but there are cars coming in from all those side streets too, the ones you want to get to. And they are going across the roundabout to get in position to get out. And they know what the fuck they are doing and I have no clue how this is going to work, so I sat there a few minutes, just to watch the “dance” and finally say “OK…here we go” and close my eyes (well, not really but kindof) and get into the fray and guess someone was looking out for us because no one hit us, I didn’t hit anyone, and I got out where I was supposed to. Once I made it once again to the R2, things were much more civilized.

As the boys slept (napped) in the backseat, Brian and I got to see the sights. Guess what there is between Madrid and Zaragosa? Not much. It looks like anywhere USA. Except for the big old bulls. Bull signs I mean. They don’t have anything on them, but we were told they use to be billboards for a Spanish Sherry company, the government thought the signs were too distracting so they made them take the billboards down; now just the bulls remain. Since everyone in Spain knows the back story, the sherry company is really still advertising on the highways. Only for free.

Sherry Bull Sign on the R2

We soon found out our drive from Madrid to Zaragoza, was not 190KM, it was 190 miles…or 305 KM. Oops, read that map wrong. Our plan to have breakfast in Zaragoza was dashed, perhaps a late lunch?
As we drive, we notice some gas station / tapas places along the side of the highway; so we decide to stop, get a bite to eat and an expresso. The one we choose, I don’t think it was the best one to choose. The Spanish like to smoke, and they throw their cigarettes on the floor, no need for an ashtray. At this particular stop, they didn’t seem to see a need to sweep the floor either. But hunger took precedence over our visual so we had our first, of many, Serrano ham and cheese sandwiches on a typical roll. It held us over. And wasn’t half bad either.

When we arrived in Zaragosa, we put the address of the apartment in my phone and start the process of trying to navigate city streets filled with speeding cars. As we get closer to old town, the streets narrow down, only enough room for one car in one direction, but these are two-way streets so you just stop as far over as you can get and let people go by, or if they stop, you go. We were told the apartment is close to the Basilica del Pilar and the river. Well, the river’s to my left, the Basilica is to my right, we must be near…right? But how to get there? My iPhone is having problems keeping a signal and of little help; so I turn right, then turn left and we start down this little tiny street and I’m thinking holy cow, where did I get us into, when we spy the hotel where we are to pick up the keys to the apartment. Lucked into that one. No parking. Wait, up there, just a ways ahead, there’s a space. Lucked into that. I’m glad that no one thought to video me trying to parallel park on this very narrow street with cars on both sides in a car I’m not totally familiar with (I really am a good parallel parker) but I did get the car pretty close and as I was going to let Trevor try his hand at doing a better job an angry mean old Spanish man comes and starts yelling at us in Spanish “You hurt my car” (remember, my hubby speaks the language – so he translated) and then we told the mean old man, “we didn’t touch your car”. Then the guy started yelling something fast and furious, we didn’t understand; finally a nice old Spanish man comes to calmly explain that we had parked in a handicap space. OK my bad…we’ll move the car. Did they have any suggestions as to where one might be able to park? ”Yes” angry old Spanish man says, “go 2 blocks, turn right and there is parking at the Basilica. OK…now I’m a nice forgiving person, and I’m sure something was just lost in the translation, because when I went 2 blocks, made a right and drove down the mostly pedestrian crowded street, I ended up on the Plaza del Pilar with the Basilica looming straight ahead and the customers at their tables in various restaurants eating their lunch just staring at me as I tried to figure out how to get out of the Plaza del Pilar without running anyone over. Apparently in Spain nobody even flinches when a car drives onto a plaza filled with people and restaurants. I made a K and a U and another K turn (avoiding the man in the middle of my exit way who had decided right then set up shop and sell lottery tickets) and found my way back to playing chicken with the pedestrians and finally to the underground parking lot. Whew! I’m done driving for today.

We get the keys to our apartment, and it is GREAT. Close to the Plaza, how about practically on the Plaza. The Basilica is right there. Restaurants; beer, pizza…WOW, let’s go.

Daytime view from our room

Nighttime view from our room

Trevor and Evan decide to chill for a bit at the apartment and then they are going to go off and explore. That’s cool.

I think they might have been trying to figure out what this extra toilet was for...

Brian and I decide to go get a bite to eat and a beer for him, a glass of wine for me. So we set off to the plaza to find a place. It’s like a friggin carnival. Each restaurant has someone standing outside calling to you “Here, here, a table here for you”. They all serve about the same things so we sit at a nice shady table and order a Pizza Margherita and the beer, wine and a large water. The pizza is not good. We should have known better, it is after all just a big tourist attraction. But the beer and wine go down well, and the pizza fills a void in the belly soooo….it’s all good. We are on vacation. No worries.

The local beer, it was cold, it was good.

After lunch we walk into town, it’s a cute town, filled with little shops, clothing stores and shoe shops. We catch up with the boys and decide to “buy them their first beer” at the local bar. About halfway into them we all decide that we are just too tired to stay up and walk back to the apartment for a much needed shower and nap.

Don't bother me, I'm sleeping

LindySez: Coming up – Anniversary Dinner and a sly dog…

More photos on my Facebook

TheTalel of Herr Dr. Frei

2010-08-18T17:19:00.000-07:00

Trouble in Munich

Did we eat our way through Spain, Germany and a very small part of Alsace? Yes, yes we did. We had memorably good and not so great meals. But memories they are. And while this foodie journey is NOT going in chronological order, it is going to go in some sort of order. I’m just not sure what order it will be. But come along, and I hope the tales are good.

We arrived in Munich on the 29th of June; flying in from Madrid. It’s 8:30 at night, but of course it’s still light. We get our luggage and head for our first taxi ride…on the autobahn. For those not familiar, the autobahn is the German highway’s answer to the Indy 500 but without the “only left turn”…and unless otherwise indicated, the speed limit is up to the driver. Let’s just say, if you are faint of heart, you want to be sure to stay out of the far left lane.
Our taxi driver, a nice man and apparent expert in autobahn driving took an easy cruise to our hotel, at 250 km (that’s about 155 MPH) all the while showing us sites left and right…and talking to my husband sitting shotgun. Trevor and Evan, both 17, are thinking this is really cool as does my husband, but they are not sitting on the hump in the middle of the backseat with precious little to hold onto. The Door’s song “Keep your eyes on the road and your hands upon the wheel” jumps into my head, repeatedly. But we make it safely to our hotel, the Kings Hotel First Class in downtown Munich.

The Kings Hotel First Class is a 4 star hotel. If you have never traveled in Europe, a 4 star hotel may only mean you have room for you AND your luggage being in the same room at the same time. AND it may have air conditioning. That may work. Or not. The boy’s room is fine for them, but our room is smaller…hubby off to the rescue. Upgrade to a suite. We now have two rooms, a bigger space but unfortunately unknown to us, the old air conditioning unit that doesn’t work…and it’s a record hot spell…oh well, we do have extra room.

The boys are so excited to get out and “taste” the beer gardens. They make arrangements with the hotel for bikes (free) and off they go. It is then we look outside to see what we can see, and what do we see? The porn store, the strip club, the casino…ummmm 4 stars? Well, it is a nice hotel…and entertainment is close by…another added plus??? As it turns out, there were many people riding bikes at 11:30 at night and it was actually a very safe area. Got to get my head out of American logic…

The next day, after tooling around town, we decide to go to a beer garden for dinner. I mean what else are you going to do in Munich? We decide, after many recommendations, to go to Augustiner Keller Beer Garden. I’m not expecting much, and at first they really deliver.

It is a huge place, they serve around 7,000 people a day during the season. First order of business, find a place to sit. There is the beer “garden”; literally tables set in the trees where they will bring you your steins of beer and you go to various stands to get food. No places to sit, but I really wasn’t so much into the serve yourself mode anyway, so we mosey up to the “we serve you here” part of the garden. There are many tables open, but they all have reservation signs on them (the hotel told us they didn’t take reservations but apparently they do, if you have the right number of people or a special occasion..I’m hungry, and in Germany, special enough?…)

Augustiner Keller Beer Garden

The tables are long with one butting up against the next. As I pass through a party of 4 gets up to leave…thinking it’s the “In n Out Burger” model, cruise around until you see someone leave and then snag the table, I am ready to jump in a chair and spend the $.50 to text the others I have conquered a seat. But to my dismay the waiter comes over and gives me a look…”Can we sit here?” I ask sweetly. ”How many?” he responds brusquely. Smile…”four”…he looks around and give me a nod…yes, I have been honored to sit.
I’m still not expecting much…after all, if they serve over 7,000 meals a day, then how good can the food be? And then there is this whole feeling of the “cross sale” and the “sell as much as you can” and the feeling of “move the customer, turn the table”… but we are seated…big ass beers are served, along with my tiny little Pinot Grigio, and dinner is ordered…

These are some big ass beers!

By our waiter’s suggestion Trevor and DH are getting the “everything we make and serve in Munich plate”… Evan and I are holding out for Wiener Schnitzel. The food is promptly brought…(remember…move the customer, people is money, more people is more money) and you know what? It’s good. Well done. Well prepared.

The "everything we make" plate

Schnitzel

Wiener Schnitzel Recipe

As we are prone to do, we start talking to our waiter. The pace of the dinner slows…a reserved sign goes on the tables next to us, taking up 8 places…reserved for Dr. Frei at 12:00 midnight. Our waiter, Tilo starts to talk to us about foodie things, he brings us some cheese that a friend of his makes…we have a couple of Jagger shots…I have another glass of wine, it’s a fine evening. Dessert is fresh berries and cream, Apple Strudel…good times. He’s telling us about how many people they serve and how many large steins of beers they can each carry (the best can do 12, 6 in each hand) and how it all works. I comment; “and you work late hours too, as I see you have a reservation for midnight”. He laughs and lets us in on his secret.

Reserved

He had been having a bad day and was in a bad mood. His boss had been on his ass and he wasn’t happy at all. When I asked if we could sit, his first gut jerk reaction was to say no…go away. But he didn’t and between our talks of life in the states, his sharing his life in Germany, including many hopes and dreams, he felt happy. He was glad we were there and didn’t want anyone jostling behind us with big mugs of beer or plates laden with food, so he put the “RESERVED” sign down so no one would sit there. Yes, he took out a table for 8 for us. And Dr. Frei, will it’s just his Dr. Free…as in, keep the table free. Did he get a little extra on his tip? Yes, yes he did. And a meal that was supposed to take less than an hour to serve and get us out of there, went on to about 3 hours…each and every minute a pleasure. We will all remember his as one of the best meals we had!

A fine time was had by all...

But maybe more for some than others

LindySez: Remember it’s the experience. And you always have the ability to change your experience…at any time.

A European serch for...Iced Tea

2010-08-18T17:09:00.000-07:00

I drink iced tea. It’s my beverage of choice when I’m not enjoying a fine glass of wine or a cocktail. And not flavored iced tea, no lemon, no sugar, just plain black tea served over lots of ice. Lots of ice. I don’t like warm iced tea. Then it’s not iced tea, it’s just bad tea. Iced tea, it’s the pause that refreshes.

Iced tea is not common in Europe. Not common? That’s an understatement. While Lipton has founds its way into some of the grocery stores, it’s all sweetened, lemoned and or peached. Not my cup of tea. So after many many bottles of water (we did hit Spain right after the cold spell snapped directly into unseasonable warm humid weather) I was thrilled when on Day 7 I spied a Starbucks in Madrid. Starbucks, a Tazo Black Iced Tea, Unsweetened, extra ice…I could visualize it. Oh happy days.

We enter, they have the usual suspects, Caramel Frappuccino, Iced Latte, Mocha Iced Coffee and tea. Not iced tea, just tea. So how hard can it be? I’ll just tell them how to make an iced tea. They have tea, they have ice, they have iced tea and just don’t know it yet. My husband speaks good Spanish so I set him to the task. ”Tell her” I say, “that I want a tea and a venti cup filled with ice (I know y’all speak Starbucks, but just in case you don’t, venti is the tallest cup, with tall being the smallest cup). She looks at him, puzzled. He repeats it, in a slightly different way. She again looks puzzled…”You want me to put a tea bag into a cup of ice?” she asks him in Spanish…”No” he explains, “make the tea and then pour it over the ice”. She shrugs, but goes on to get a cup with hot water, puts in the tea bag and gets the big (I mean venti) cup of ice.

While the tea brews we stand aside. There is here, as in most Starbucks, a line. About 6 people stand in line when my tea is ready. She looks over at us, a questioning look in her eyes, my husband demonstrates the move, pour the hot tea over the ice. She does. The line gasps. They start talking amongst themselves. They have never seen anything so crazy before, they are all a twitter. I walk up and take my prize. Their mouths gape as I take my first delicious sip. AWWWW…yes! Heaven.

We move on. Day 10 approaches. We are in Freiburg, Germany (Deutchland)…viewing a wonderful old church. The town of Freiburg was totally demolished in WWII, but it was generally understood that churches were to be spared, it’s one of the reasons there are so many beautiful churches to see. This particular church did suffer some damage and the results of the bullet holes caused by strafing are evident on the exterior.

The boys see the results of shell damage to the church

The interior

It’s another hot, and unseasonable humid day. We are walking when off to the left, right under the historic archway entry into the city, what should I see? McDonald’s! Another of my best places to get an iced tea, since they are still one of the few that actually does fresh brewed tea. Well, I reason, if they don’t have it on the menu, I can certainly explain once again how to make one.

Not your typical golden arches

Different McDonalds Menu

First problem, they don’t have it on the menu. Second problem, none of us speak German. OK…we can do this. So again, I order a hot tea, and a large cup of ice (eis). The young girl at the counter shrugs, and brings me my hot water, tea bag and glass of ice. Life moves on to the next person in line. I go over to a table and brew my tea; wait, I need a top for my big cup of ice so once I pour the water in I have a proper McDonald’s Iced Tea. I go back and ask the young lady for a top, she gives me one for the tea. No, I need one for the ice. Confusion on her face, but shrug, she gives me one. I complete my iced tea…good to go. But my hubby says “You should go show it to her”…so I do.

Everything you need, for a proper iced tea

I walk up to the counter and she looks at me. I open the lid with the straw in it and show her, perfectly brewed black tea poured over ice. She looks at it…surprised. ”Ja??? Just tea on ice???? ”Ja”, I say. ”I’ve never seen such a thing” she says. ”It’s on every menu at McDonald’s in America” I reply. An incredulous “NO” is the response. ”Ja Ja” I say, “and at Starbucks too.” She was stunned. I’m sure she Googled it that night while trying to prove to her boyfriend that such insanity did exist, but only in America.

LindySez: Imagine the pure joy of arriving at Dulles International Airport. Walking up to the Starbucks counter. Ordering a Venti Black Iced Tea, unsweetened, extra ice…that’ll be $2.40 is the only reply.

Recipe for a Perfect Iced Tea

4 tea bags (your choice, I like black or green, but use whatever)

2 cups water (preferably filtered or spring)

Additional Water (same as above)

Put the tea bags in a 2 cup glass measuring cup. Add 2 cups water. Place in microwave for 4 1/2 minutes. Allow to sit for 10 minutes. Remove tea bags squeezing out any excess water. Pour tea into a 1 quart container and add water to fill. Pour over a large glass filled with ice.

If you have to add a sweetener use a simple sugar. Put 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar into the 2 cup measure. Microwave for 2 minutes or until the sugar is dissolved. Add, as desired, to your tea. (This way you don’t have to stir stir stir trying to mix the sugar with the ice cold drink).

You can also muck this up with lemon.

I am Not Martha Stewart

2010-08-18T17:02:00.000-07:00

So I’m sitting, enjoying my beautiful Saturday morning. A cup of coffee and the paper. I open up the Home and Garden Section and peruse the Martha Stuart column; this one happens to be very timely, it’s about “How to keep your grill glowing”. And here’s her advice for Gas grills:

With EACH use: Preheat grill with all burners on high, 10 – 15 minutes. Scrub the hot grates briskly with a brass bristle-brush. Now, that makes sense. You do need to preheat the grill before cooking, so preheat it, then clean it, then put the oil on it, then cook. Gotcha.

Now here’s the part that made me think WTF: After grilling, close the lid and leave the burners on for 10 – 15 minutes to burn off any food, then scrub the grates again. Really? Martha, did you buy stock in American Gas? Are they a new sponsor? I don’t know about you all, but propane costs money in my world, and not just a little bit of money. I can’t afford to be running the tank when there is nothing to heat up for or cook. In LindySez’s world, you heat it up, cook, then turn it off. 10 minutes of propane is enough to cook a steak, or a least some burgers.

So here’s the LindySez version of keeping your grill glowing:

1. Do check your drip pans, and empty them of grease.
2. Do preheat your grill for 10 minutes or so before putting food on it. And once hot, scrub off any residual food.
3. After cooking, make sure you shut off the tank and the burners, immediately. Close the lid, to keep the bees and other critters out, and when your are ready to cook again, go to step #1.

Here’s my grill when I start:

Not pretty

And when I actually put food on it…

Now, that's ready for food!

LindySez: You can be fussy, you can be overly fussy, and then you can be Martha Stewart fussy.

Hash, High School and His Family

2010-06-12T15:30:00.000-07:00

My son graduated high school…YAY! I have to (hate to) admit, but there have been a few times over the course of the last couple of years that I wasn’t so sure he would make it. Not that it is entirely his fault, we moved him around a lot during the past few years and I think he figured that his social skills were more needed than his brain skills. Not that he didn’t take a fairly impressive course of acedemics during the course of his high school years; IB (that’s stands for International Baccalaureate) Bio, the year he took two math courses, Algebra 2 and Physics…that’s the year I told him he was insane. And maybe that’s what happened, because this year he took Choir, Drama, IB Film, Arthurian Legend, along with the required Government/Economics. And he passed. By the hair (hairs) on his chiny chin chin. Oh, he did fine in Choir and Drama, but the rest of his grades sucked big time. But graduate is graduate, and now he has to do what the big boys do and FIND A JOB and to continue on to college.
So up for his graduation ceremony comes my FIL and his wife. I have friends who are big time foodies and will eat anything I put in front of them, and then there are those that think that Mimi’s Cafe and Olive Garden offer good eats (no offense if you think the same, to each their own) so exotic flavors are not going to be showing up at the dinner table. The good news is, I can make a pretty big impression just by making a rotisserie chicken.
“You actually can make that at home?” my FIL asks “we always buy ours at Sam’s Club”. Yep, you can actually make that at home…
Sunday dinner is always a fairly big dinner, we called it our “red meat, red wine” dinner. So I decided to rotisserie a Prime Rib that I had bought and froze during the Christmastime Prime Rib give-away. Really, everyone has Prime Rib on sale during Christmas and New Years, it’s the meat of choice for holiday dinners. Since I go out for Christmas Eve, and went out this year for New Years Eve, I froze my treasure.
When I freeze meats, chicken, or fish, I always use my Seal-a-Meal. This handy dandy device removes all the air from the bags which allows the food to stay in the freezer for up to a year with no ill effect. The worse thing for frozen food is air; air and moisture cause freezer burn. And while food that has suffered freezer burn is still edible, it’s not very pretty and usually has lost a lot of its moisture. There of course is a cost ($$) for using this, but for me it’s more than worth it. I buy in bulk, portion it, seal-a-meal it, freeze it and when it comes time for thawing it, I throw it into a cold pot of water and it thaws quickly. They do say that you can reuse the bags, but YUCK…I don’t think so. I can’t imagine putting new chicken into an old chicken bag, no matter how fastidiously I washed it.
There may also be a psychological childhood memory that prohibits me from reusing bags. We had a neighbor, and she would recycle her zip top bags, baggies, plastic shopping bags, whatever. She always had wet bags hanging all over the kitchen. She also “recycled” grease. Not just cooking oil, like you used to fry some fries in, but grease. Like bacon grease (o.k. to save some, great on green beans, or to flavor some potatoes) but she would have a big can, with multiple kinds of grease in it. Bacon, sausage, meatloaf drippings, anything that rendered fat got put into that can. Then she would take a big old spoon of it and use it to cook. UGK…makes me want to vomit.
Our Prime Rib roast dinner was tasty. I served it along with some twice cooked potatoes (using some blue cheese as the cheesy part); and introduced them to Fava beans. They loved them, although after having them help in the double shelling process, I’m pretty sure they will never make them at home. So now, what to do with the left-over roast?
I love French Dip sandwiches. And prime rib French dip sandwiches are the best. Unfortunately, my husband “carved” the roast in such a way as to make it impossible to slice it. So it was decided Sunday morning when he asked for some Corned Beef Hash. Well, I don’t have any corned beef, but I do have some prime rib. And so it was done.

Roast Beef Hash

LindySez: Cheers to all our graduates and the future of America.

Dinner Possible X's 2

2010-06-12T15:26:00.000-07:00

Is your weather as crazy as mine? One day it’s near 80 degrees and the next day it’s cold and rainy. Makes it hard to really get into the mood, or even know which wardrobe to pull from.

I planted my garden last weekend, and it’s also confused; although admittedly the lettuces are doing great, as well as peas and Fava beans. Have you ever had Favas (and not necessarily with some liver and a nice Chianti)? If you pick them small enough you don’t need to double peel them. But I’ll write more about them in a Dare to Prepare.

This doesn't have anything to do with this particular story, just a random picture of my mother, and my granddaughter, with my son putting together her new BBQ. Everyone needs a BBQ, IMHO.

For now I have a couple of Dinner Possible ideas; quick cooking although they both require some marinating time, so plan for that. And both are intended for the outdoor grill, but if the weather doesn’t cooperate, can easily be made on the stove using a grill pan, or in the oven, using the broiler. So happy cooking!

Menu 1

Teriyaki Tuna Steaks with Grilled Pineapple

Ginger – Scented Jasmine Rice

Menu 2

Indonesian Style BBQ Pork Tenderloin

Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes

or

Ginger Carrot Risotto

(If you don’t know or are uncomfortable with risotto, check out the risotto Dare to Prepare!)

LindySez – I’m ready for warm weather…you?

Cheers

Some Herbs + Chicken Breasts + Pasta = Dinner Possible

2010-06-12T15:24:00.000-07:00

Caught between spring and winter here. Can’t wait for the summer months to come, and I know, by the end of them, I’ll once again be looking forward to some rain and cold. But for now, enough is enough. Not being satisfied with the weather…I think it’s just the nature of our beast.
So here I am, another gloomy day, wishing I could grill something on the BBQ but knowing that water and fire don’t mix. Besides, I’m really not fond of raindrops falling on my head when I cook. Still I want to keep my dinner light, but also want it to have that cold weather, rib sticking satisfaction factor. What to do? What to do?

For the light part, boneless skin-less chicken breasts are always a winner, and they have good mouth feel too. Sprinkle on some herbs and saute them…good start. Now for the rest.
What better says summer than zucchini? Mine are a few months away, so I can enjoy them intermittently from now until I’m so sick of them that I want to scream…last year I had so many and I couldn’t even give the extras away. It was punishment, I’m sure, from complaining too loudly in previous years about our dismal crop.

Another great taste of summer is basil. OK, I have the light and the summer parts, now I need the hearty. For that I decided to use penne pasta and part-skim ricotta (got to keep in that getting bikini ready mode). All done in about 20 minutes, from start to finish. Easy and tasting good. Something I think the whole family will enjoy, although for those of you with small children, it may take you slightly longer then 20 minutes if your children want to help…in whatever manner they feel is appropriate to your not paying attention to them.

Herbed Chicken Breast with Pasta, Zucchini, Ricotta and Basil

Dinner Possible

Serve this with a chardonnay if you are into the wine thing. Something with just a little malolactic fermentation. One without too much oak (I always say, if you want to taste a lot of oak, lick the barrel.) This uses the paired weight theory of pairing food and wine. Or try a French Pouilly-Fuisse; same principle. Or you might want to step into Pinot Gris or Pinot Grigio land. This keeps the dish, and the wine, in the same general region using the wine pairing philosophy of what grows where the wine grows, will go with the wine that grows there.

LindySez: Cheers! Dinner Possible – done!

Chardonnay - Affinities and Conflicts

2010-06-12T15:21:00.000-07:00

Profile: The best Chardonnay for food pairing will be a full-bodied one, that has gone through some malolactic-fermentation with good acid and fruit flavors like apple, pineapple, melon and mango. A full-bodied Chardonnay will have a buttery or honey finish. It will feel full in your mouth, almost fatty or chewy.
Some Chardonnay is put in oak barrels for long periods of time, imparting a deep wood flavor. These wines are not the best to pair with food as the wood is likely to overpower the flavor of the dish being served.
Preparation: Chardonnay goes best with simple presentations such as grilling, roasting or sauteing in butter or olive oil.

Works well with Chardonnay

Likes (Meats and Proteins)

Crab, lobster, shrimp, scallops

Salmon, sea bass, Monkfish

Chicken, Turkey

Pork, Veal, Rabbit

Dislikes

Anchovies, sole, tuna

beef

A salad of mango, papaya and avocado is very Chardonnay friendly

Likes (Vegetables,and fruits)

Avocado

corn/polenta, sweet potatoes, fennel, summer squash, spinach

green olives, mushrooms

pineapple

Dislikes

artichokes, asparagus, green beans

limes

Sometimes you feel like a nut, and this is nuts. I needed a Chardonnay!

Likes (Nuts)

Almonds, pine-nuts, pecans

Dislikes

Doesn’t really dislike any nuts, must be from California

Basil

Likes (Herbs and Spices and other flavorings)

Basil, chives, garlic

nutmeg, saffron, tarragon

butter, cream, mayonnaise

Dislikes

Cilantro, dill

cinnamon

barbeque sauce

Making cheese fondue

Likes (Cheeses)

Asiago, Jack, mozzarella

Dislikes

Blue, Camembert

LindySez: But remember, there are thousands of foods, and almost as many presentations, so I can’t mention them all. I am choosing the most common foods and flavors, if you seen one, like sweet potato, you can pretty safely bet that other foods within the same family will work with, or against that wine.

If something is not specifically mentioned in Like or Dislike; think of it as being neutral.

Cheers to happy food and wine pairing.

My Award?

2010-06-12T15:16:00.000-07:00

OK…here’s the thing. One of my very good cyber friends, although we have met in person, started a blog called Funny or Snot. Now that right there should tell you something about Poppy and how her mind works, and that kind of mind that she has is exactly why I told her that she should write a blog. She is funnier than shit and simply tells it like it is.
I’ve met Poppy a couple of times, but the first time was on a cruise that I took with her and 12 other women who all met on-line. After verifying that we were all in fact women and no one was a stalking dirty old man, we set off to the great Bahamas on a 3 day Carnival Fun Ship. Now, one thing everyone who went on this journey will tell you (I hope) is that I DO know how to have me some fun.

Lindy Dancing with the Waiters

And one thing they might tell you about Poppy is, it wasn’t the ship rocking as much as it was the 6+ welcome drinks that were bought for her by those very cute boys that made her a little ti ti that night.

Yes, one of many!

And funny enough, Poppy didn’t seem to suffer any of the ills of the sea when she was in the Casino. Yes girl, show me the money!

Now this assignment, is, I guess to disclose 7 things about yourself. Since I write mostly about food and wine; I don’t normally get the ability to show my more creative writing style…but I will attempt to tell you 7 things that you may, or may not, find interesting.
1. I do like to drink wine. It’s one of the reasons I like to cook. So I can drink wine. It’s the reason I like to entertain. So I can drink wine. I like wine (and a vodka soda or two).
2 I hate Rachel Ray. I don’t know her personally, but if I did, I think I would tell her to shut the fuck up. Why does she have to prattle on so? And that nobody, in the real world, could make what she makes in 30 minutes. And she’s so lucky that everything is exactly where she left it. That never happens in my house, I spend more time looking for things then I do using them.
3. When I’m cooking, my kitchen is in varying degrees of chaos. I do like to clean as I go, but don’t always have time. And when I have a dinner party, the food is prepared well in advance to give me plenty of time to clean before guests arrive. I’m a little anal about how my kitchen looks when people are coming over. A little? OK…a lot.
4. When my husband is on the road, cooking becomes secondary to my real life. My son and I love to have Mac n Cheese (yes, right out of the box, cause it’s the cheesiest ), smoked pork chops and some streamed green beans, this is comfort food.
5. I cook better and am more creative after I have had said glass of wine or cocktail. It’s also why #3 happens.
6. I do love that my friends, family and even some of the top chefs in town think I’m an awesome cook. But it would be nice if more of them actually invited me over for dinner. I don’t care if it’s delivery pizza, it’s all about sitting down and sharing.
7. My husband, while encouraging me to write the LindySez blog, does not read it. He’s waiting for my next blog – LindySex. That one I think he’ll read.
So now I’m supposed to pass this on to other fellow bloggers. And if I knew any I could pass it on to, I would, like a hot potato. But I don’t, so it ends here.

LindySez ~ Cheers, to all is fair in love, war and blogging. Love you Poppy!

Wok Smoked Mussels

2010-06-12T15:14:00.000-07:00

That’s right. That’s what I’m talking about. The marvelously delicious and so easy to prepare mussel.
Saturday afternoon. My honey gets a hankering for some mussels. Well, we could go to a restaurant and pay anywhere from $15 to $20 per person, and then of course we would have to get a bottle of wine to go with, so I say, I’ll just make them here at home. They really are easy. Once we decide on the preparation (Wok Smoked from a recipe I got from our friend Chef Arnold Wong of Baccars in San Francisco) we are ready to go get our ingredients. Which are pretty darn simple; mussels, a Serrano pepper, some garlic and some white wine (or you could use sake if you wanted to). Get a wok, or wide pan, and you are almost ready to go.
First we went to Whole Foods to get the mussels. I got what sounded like plenty, 2 dozen, but once we got home I thought that didn’t look like enough to make a meal. So I sent hubby to get some more; he went to another market. Now the ones we got from Whole Foods were wild, the ones we got from the other market were farm raised. Each one has to be treated just a bit different.
Farm raised mussels are raised on netting, they attach themselves to the nets to grow and are pretty much clean inside since they don’t really get down into the sandy floor bed. But the wild ones, they do get sand and grit in them. And nobody really wants to eat sand and grit. So you need to soak them for about a half an hour to allow them to expel their sand. You will find sites that tell you to soak them in cold water with cornmeal mixed in…haven’t found that to be too convenient or effective. Then there are those that tell you to soak them in fresh cold water to allow them to breath; and as they breath they release the sand and grit. Well, this sounds good in principal, but mussels live in the sea, and fresh water would kill them. And you don’t want to cook dead mussels. So do soak them, but soak them in very salty (like the sea) water, for no more than 1/2 hour. And keep the water cold, in the refrigerator works. As far as those farmed mussels, take them out of whatever plastic wrapper the idiot behind the fish counter put them in and place them in a large bowl covered with a damp (not wet, just damp) cloth. You can keep them in the refrigerator for up to a day, but it’s best if you cook them sooner, like within a few hours.
Whether you are cooking with wild, or farmed, when you are ready to cook, you need to give them a good washing. You don’t really have to “scrub” them, unless you plan on eating the shells, and the shells really aren’t very good to eat. Wash them and look for the “beard”, a fuzzy stringy thing that sticks out of the opening of the shell. This is what they attach themselves with. You could eat it if you wanted to, but they are better without it. Not all, but most will have one. To remove this, take your fingers or a pair of needle nose pliers and pull that off, toward the small hinge end of the mussel. Once again, this is to keep the mussel alive by not yanking that across the inside; which can tear the mussel and kill it. You don’t want to cook already dead mussels.
OK…the mussels are soaked, cleaned and ready to cook. Wait a second. One more small step. You want to make sure the mussel is alive before you cook it. If they are tightly closed, that’s good. Sometimes they are slightly open, breathing. Give the shell a tap, if it closes up, good to go. If if doesn’t, it’s dead, throw it away.
NOW, you are ready to cook them.

Wok Smoked Mussels

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-Q7aKhBSC8

Did I get the flame? No, I did not. And with wine, you have to really really get it the first time as the alcohol burns off quickly. I really should have used better matches; but this was kind of an impromptu production. I started getting ready to cook and told my husband “We should really film this” so we did.
We served this with a Pinot Gris and some crusty bread that we toasted and then rubbed with cloves of garlic. It was a perfect Saturday afternoon lunch.
Mussels are high in protein and low in fat. They are also very cost effective because unlike clams, their shells are very light so there is a good “shell to meat” ratio.

LindySez: I hope you flex your “mussels”.

BTW – they make a great appetizer at a dinner party, and require no silverware. You can use one side of the shell to spoon the mussel out of the other side of the shell.

Also remember, if the mussel doesn’t open once it’s cooked…it’s not good to eat. Throw it AWAY!

Cheers to Sweet Molly Malone

When the Oil doesn't matter - Chocolate Banana Muffins

2010-06-12T15:06:00.000-07:00

Even good cooks make mistakes. And sometimes it’s a good mistake and teaches you something. Like it did today.
Although I was having a super busy day, while wiping down the kitchen I spied those really really ripe bananas sitting on the counter. UGH, they were going to be over the top soon, so in the middle of everything, I decided to make some Chocolate Banana muffins; my son has a lot of friends staying over since school is over, and I thought they might enjoy those to have in the morning (who am I kidding, it’s 1:00 p.m. and I think I finally hear them moving about). So I bring up my recipe on the computer and get most of the stuff out of the pantry; flour, baking powder, you know, the pantry stuff. And the stuff out of the refrigerator; eggs and milk and start up the oven. Mixing and sifting and smashing. Now into the prepared pan; I pop them into the oven. As I’m just beginning to clean up I realize, I didn’t add the oil. That’s because the oil was already out, and I didn’t put it where the other ingredients were, it was out side of my mis en place, it was misplaced. Crap. So I grab the muffin tin out of the oven and scrape the batter out of the muffin cups and back into the bowl; all except one. I decided to see just how much difference the oil would make after all my work of scraping and reworking the batter. You know what? It made very little difference at all. Both were moist; although admittedly the ones with the oil were a little lighter, I don’t think you would really notice if you weren’t doing a side by side comparison. So I guess the bottom line is; if you want to cut back on oil and calories, omit the oil in this recipe. They are still good.

Chocolate Banana Muffins

LindySez - There’s always something to learn. It’s why I love to cook. Cheers

Stupid Silverware, or What's your Orientation?

2010-05-14T13:22:00.000-07:00

I don’t even know where I was, or what I ate. All I remember is the stupid silverware. It might be because I’m left-handed…maybe all you righties out there wouldn’t have had a problem handling this design, but gezz…don’t us lefties have enough challenges in this world without having to deal with silverware that is right hand oriented?
Now, let’s be honest. Aren’t there places where the silver just doesn’t feel right? While I hate plastic “silver”, some of it is still better than this piece of work.
I love watching Diner’s Drive In’s and Dives and one of the first things I notice is…is it ware, or is it plastic. And is it substantial plastic cutlery or the flimsy cheap, white, plastic? The kind we used at picnics (pre Costco) and to serve the birthday cake at a child’s party. Just last weekend I was in Vegas for Vegas Uncorked. At the grand tasting event, even they had real forks. I’m going to bet (and it would be one of the few bets that I bet I would win) a lot of forks got tossed with the plate, even though they had bins everywhere for putting your soiled forks. I think that a lot of people were not focused on what was in their hand, as they hurriedly went from one food venue to another. Some, I’m sure, really didn’t give a flying fuck about “costs” . After all, they did pay for the ticket. And some of them probably just didn’t pay attention. But if they had had silverware in their hand with this friggin design, they would have noticed. I might have still tossed it though, to be honest. Makes me wonder if they hire people to sort through the trash to find the “tossed” silver. What do you think?

LindySez: Come on people…straight handles can be used by lefties and righties, no matter what their orientations….

I'm Like the Demon Barber of Fleet Street

2010-04-25T16:31:00.000-07:00

I’ve been told I make a really good meatloaf. I’m told this by people, who sit at my table and announce after they have eaten their 3rd helping, that they never liked meatloaf.

Since meatloaf is one of my son’s favorite meals, I make it quiet often. It’s not only good for dinner, but makes great sandwiches. So it was inevitable that some of my husband’s business associates, coming over for an impromptu dinner while visiting our great city, would get the “meatloaf” treatment. I have to admit that most of them were pretty good actors because when told that dinner was meatloaf they never even flinched. I guess they figured they could eat the mashed potatoes and what ever veggie was being served, and maybe choke down some of that meatloaf. Like I said, they only told me the truth after their 3rd piece. So I guess it must be pretty good.

So today I played like the Demon Barber of Fleet Street as I ground up my meat for the loaf, and another 5 pounds for the freezer. Yes, I grind my own meat. Why? Well, there’s this e-coli thing for one, I know how clean my stuff is, I know I wash my hands after I go to the bathroom, I know that I wash my counters and grinder parts in hot soapy water. I know that. Plus, I buy my meat in bulk or on sale, I can control the amount of fat I have in it, so I get super lean ground beef, fresh today for $1.99 per pound. Try to get that at your local supermarket. Oh yeah, and I get to pick my meat. Not just accept whatever scrapes and pieces they have decided to grind together. OK…I have to clean up a few “spatters” but that can be avoided by putting a bit of a freeze on the meat; something I just didn’t bother with today.

There are two ways you can grind your meat. The best way is with a meat grinder. You can get one with a hand crank for not very much money (about $30 – $40) and think of the exercise benefits, it’s a good shoulder workout; or you can get an electric one for around $150.00; but I have my KitchenAid standing mixer, (and as my friend Poppy says in her blog FunnyorSnot, a KitchenAid standing mixer is something you fight for in your divorce settlement) so I just use the optional grinder attachment…it works great. If you don’t have a meat grinder, you can use your food processor, using on/off pulses until the meat is finely chopped, but that is best saved for small jobs, a pound or less. I wouldn’t try to do 5 pounds of meat like that.

The Meat Grinder and 7 Pounds Lean Ground Beef

Lindy’s Meatloaf

The Mix

Ingredients

2 pounds lean ground beef

1/2 pound lean ground pork

1 large onion, finely diced

1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped parsley (depends on how much you love parsley)

2 eggs lightly beaten

1/2 to 3/4 cup Italian style breadcrumbs (start with the 1/2 cup and work up as needed)

1/2 cup (approximately) ketchup

2 to 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

Salt and pepper, to taste

The loaf, ready to bake

Directions

Place all the ingredients into a large bowl and using your clean hands mix well. To test the flavors, take a small spoonful; form it into a meatball, and put into a microwave safe dish, microwave for 30 seconds. Taste; adjust your seasonings as needed. If the meatball falls apart add a bit more of the breadcrumbs.

Put into a 9 x 11x 2 casserole pan. Pat it together to form an oblong loaf, it should sit in the middle of the pan. Do not use a loaf pan.

Place in a 350 degree oven and cook for about 2 hours, or until cooked through. Allow to sit 10 – 15 minutes before slicing.

Dinner!

LindySez: I hope you like it!

Fancy Smancy, an Around the World Dinner Party

2010-03-29T15:44:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it seems to take longer for me to make up my mind about what to serve for a dinner party, than it actually takes to cook it. And this one started out innocently enough. We are sitting around our friends apartment, sipping some wine, eating a bit of sushi and cheese while waiting to go to dinner at Fleur d Lys; our conversation turns to Bravo network’s Top Chef competition…and in particular, the celebrity chef competition, where Hubert Keller, chef/owner of Fleur d Lys was one of the 3 finalist, along with Michael Chiarello and Rick Bayless. We were all surprised that Hubert didn’t win; we love his cooking, but as our friend Doug pointed out, Rick won with his final competition meal made up of moles. Yes, mole is good food. Right then we decide it’s high time we shared another wonderful evening together, eating, sharing good wine and fine conversation. Everyone get out their phone, check your schedule. We come up with a date…November 7. As we are leaving for dinner, Doug says, “Of course there will be mole, right?” Ummmm…yeah right. Whatever you say Doug. Lindy is on it!

And so it began. I knew I was going to do a mole, and I knew that I wanted to serve it with some small blue corn tamales. One course down, now, what to serve with? I didn’t want to make it a whole Mexican theme, so I thought, how about “Dinner Around the World?” The world is a big place so now where in the world did I want to go? And how would one country play with the next one…so to the thinking tank…cookbooks…cut out recipes…saved files…and this is what I came up with…

Dinner Around the World Menu

It looks good on paper…it sounds good in my brain and my mouth thinks it will all play nicely together. And in the end, it does. But it was a little more ambitious than I thought it would be.

The appetizers were pretty easy. I prepared the Yogurt Dipping Sauce on Wednesday, giving it a lot of time to allow the flavors to meld together. The meatballs had to wait until the day before, so I made those on Friday. My husband, the Wine Geek and part-time salsa maker, made the salsa the Saturday before with the last of our fresh garden tomatoes and chilies. I called in an order for 3 sushi rolls, I didn’t make the sushi…I have made sushi, but it’s one of those things that I’d rather buy. It’s hard to get fish in the store as fresh as they get (and they can make the rolls a lot LOT faster than I can).

Chips with Guacamole (sorry, hubby made the salsa, and just winged it, so no “recipe”…but pulse tomatoes, chilies, cilantro, salt, pepper, jalapeno, Serrano pepper, and a dash of white vinegar together in a blender and I think you got it)

Greek Meatballs with Yogurt Dipping Sauce

Plated Meatballs with Dipping Sauce

Sushi Plate

Chips, Salsa and Guacamole

The first course, Poh Taek got started about 5:00 on Saturday; I prepared the seafood and made the stock. A quick rough chop of lemongrass, ginger root, green onions, lime slices (I can never find Kaffir leaves, so I just slice limes into thin slices and use instead) simmered into some rich chicken stock.

Thinly slicing the scallops

Debearding the mussels

Taste, Taste Taste, then taste again. (Yes, I used a clean spoon each time)

Poh Taek (Thai Coconut Seafood Soup)

Then came Second… the mole course. Mole Tradicional with Blue Corn Tamales. This was fun. Really it was. Time consuming but fun. Mole isn’t that tough, but I found the tamales to be a little challenging. I guess, if you make them on a regular basis, you get to understand them and their ways…but this was only my second time…so a pro I am not. First of all, the recipes lie…all of them. You will find the truth here…in my recipe…

Mole Tradicional

Blue Corn Tamales

The Limoncillo Sorbet was a lovely pallet cleanser and the Limoncillo kept it soft and scoopable. You can make this a week or more in advance.

Intermezzo

Limoncillo Sorbet

The Main was/is a family favorite. Since I was a little girl, it has been requested for more birthdays than I can even remember. From me and my brother and sister as children, to my sons. Rouladen. A wonderful mixture of garlic, mustard, onion, pickles and bacon. My mother made it this way, it is not the traditional German way. They would make rouladen out of thinly sliced meat…not an easy thing to get in the late ’50’s and early 60’s meat counters…(our town didn’t have “butchers”, it had “supermarkets”) so Mom substituted flank steak. Personally, rouladen made traditionally looks a little like a stuffed turd, I like the spiral of yumminess that shows in the stuffed flank steak version of My Mother’s Rouladen. And I don’t think the recipe has changed, in over 50 years, at least not that I can remember. Along with the Rouladen we served Thyme Mustard Spaetzle, a traditional German dumpling/noodle and Brussels Sprouts with Walnuts. Brussels Sprouts??? Yep, and a hit. The trick with Brussels sprouts is you need to get them small, then soak them in salted ice water for about an hour, that takes the smell that so many associate with them, and the bitterness out. Delish!

My Mother’s Rouladen

Thyme Mustard Spaetzle

Brussels Sprouts with Walnuts

So on to the Finale. And back to California. Northern California. So I guess I really should have called this, around the world minus 432 miles. Apricot Almond Torte, from Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen in St Helena. Well, I’ll just say YUM…I made it on Friday, but I could have done it on Thursday. Held beautifully in an airtight container, on the counter.

Apricot Almond with Brown Butter Torte

I set the table with an international flair…I wish I had taken some pictures before it became the happy place for dinner. But I am notorious for forgetting to get out the camera and shoot a picture, I’m going to have to get better about that, because I also forgot to take a picture of anything that was served, except the appetizers and sorbet and that didn’t really film well.

So now that you have a cooking time-line…here’s is the day of the party, service time-lime…(this time I had no help, well, except for my husband, but no outside or teenage help…but it all worked out well). It was also the first time Mr. Landon got to come to dinner, and I’m sorry, but a 3 month old really doesn’t care too much about your schedule, it’s ALL about him (Doug, Erin, he was a Prince).

Guest Arrive – 6:00 (or there about, again it’s that whole schedule thing, so remember to be flexible)
First Course – 7:00

5:00 – make the guacamole and order sushi
5:30 – Bring in all the food. Pick up the Sushi (husband). Cook the meatballs. Cook the mussels. Make the soup stock.
6:00 – Set out the appetizers. Set lower oven to 350.
6:45 – Put the mole in the oven. Begin the steamer. Strain the soup stock.
7:00 – Finish soup and serve. Put the rouladen in the oven.
7:15 – Set tamales to steam
7:30 – Serve Mole and Tamales
7:45 - Serve Intermezzo
8:00 – Fry Spaetzle and Brussels sprouts
8:20 – Serve Main
9:00 - Whip cream for tart and serve dessert

Ok…I guess I need to mention one little mishap and give you a word of caution. It’s only fair, and I’m not perfect. I put the mole and the rouladen on the same shelf in the oven…side by side. When I went to check on them and pulled out the oven rack, well, I guess one side was heavier than the other and…oops…the rack came off the track…so there I am, trying to hold the rack with two heavy pots on them and keep what’s in the pots inside the pots…”Ummmm, could someone come help me? Please!”. Husband to the rescue, he grabbed a couple of hot mitts, the pots and we got it all adjusted with minimal spillage. But I do have to say, cleaning an oven that has spilled mole on it, well, it smells a lot better when it’s not cooking at 500++ degrees.

The Wines...yes, the picture is a little blurry, but we were too.

The Mess

Lindy - Just get er done!

It's so worth it though when you get to entertain good friends.

LindySez: It was all good. I had so much fun, and the company was terrific. Cheers!

Betcha Can't Eat Just One ...

2010-03-08T17:00:00.000-08:00

Homemade goodness, fresh from the oven…warm…crisp…potato chips. And they are really so easy to make. Start out with a fairly small potato, I used Yukon Gold, but I think they would work well with any waxy potato, like a red bliss or white rose (russet potatoes would have too much starch and I don’t think they would crisp up, but feel free to try them if you want)…

I cut mine thinly on a mandoline, as always, use the safety slide they provide or be VERY VERY careful, keeping your fingers well out of harms way. Mandolines love to slice fingers as well as vegetables

Mandoline

This is my OXO mandoline. I just love it, it’s very sharp. It’s also easy to change the thickness of the slices and it has two different julienne blades. It does come with a slide/finger guard, but if you work carefully and slowly, you can work without it. It runs about $58.00 at Amazon, and I think it is totally worth the price, because it’s so difficult to get the exact same size slice or cut with a knife, but with a lot of patience, it’s doable. And having your veggies all the same size ensures even cooking, nothing still raw in the middle, while something else is getting mushy.

If you don’t have a mandoline, you could use the slicer side of a box grater. It’s not as sharp and needs a little more elbow grease, but it can work.

Alternative Box Grater/Slicer

Once you have the potatoes sliced in a uniform thinness, here thin is definitely in…

Place them in a large bowl and drizzle with oil

I used Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil. This is one of the advantages of making your own (other then the warm tastiness of them); you get to choose what kind of oil to use, what kind(s) of seasonings to use and how much salt to put on. For this recipe, I used the olive oil, salt and pepper. But think of other tasty combos, like smoked paprika, or rosemary. Or some just plain good BBQ seasonings.

Ready for the oven

Bake for 10 -12 minutes at 400 degrees and voila!

Potato Chips, warm from the oven...

Need a recipe, here it is…

Homemade Potato Chips

Ingredients:

4 Yukon Gold potatoes, preferably small, well scrubbed
3 tablespoons COLAVITA Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparation:

Very thinly slice the potatoes using a mandoline, or side of a box grater (or if you have good knife skills, using a sharp knife); pat dry. Toss potato slices with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper. Place chips in a single layer on a cookie sheet (or 2 if necessary); place into a 400 degree F oven and cook 10 – 12 minutes, or until browned. (While not necessary to turn the chips, it does help to stir them if they seem to be cooking unevenly). Drain briefly on paper towels. Serves 4
Per Serving: 106 Calories (57.3% from fat); 7g Fat (1g Sat, 5g Mono, 1g Poly); 1g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 181mg Sodium. Food Exchanges: 1 1/2 Fat.

LindySez: Try them, you’ll like them.

Just for fun, I thought you might like to see my Grandmother’s mandoline. I’ve had this for more then 30 years, and I know she had it for a long time prior to that. My son, Trevor, used to love to cut things with it, especially carrots, which he then salted and ate like chips. Surprisingly, it’s still fairly sharp, but it doesn’t hold its blade position too well. When I’m 75+ years old, I hope I’m still sharp, even if I can’t hold my position too well

My Grandmother's Mandoline

Hello Dolly - How about a stuffed brownie?

2010-02-25T19:22:00.000-08:00

Today is the opening of our high school’s production of “Hello Dolly”. This was a rather ambitious undertaking by the school drama and chorus departments, with many set changes and technical choreography. I have no doubt it will be terrific, they have been working on it since before Christmas, with the past week being total hell week, well, technically it’s tech week> This is when they really put it all together, orchestra, actors, set changes, as they say, timing is everything. I helped as much as I could, painting sets, bringing food to help feed 100+ kids who were sequestered from the moment they left the classroom (about 3:30) until the end of rehearsal (about 11:00 that same night), although my little bout of pneumonia did put a bit of a damper on the amount of help I was able to offer, but I was there, in spirit. One other thing I offered was to bring something tasty for them to sell at intermission. And there, I think I delivered.
These stuffed brownies I thought of when my client sent me a bunch of chocolate bars. Perugina chocolate bars to be exact. Bittersweet, dark, milk and some lovely filled ones, dark chocolate filled with caramel, milk chocolate filled with cappuccino and milk chocolate filled with raspberry and asked that I come up with some new recipes to showcase their newest product. I know, it’s a tough job, but somebody has to do it. Bittersweet, dark chocolate? Easy. But what do you do with filled chocolates, except just eat them? Then I thought, what would happen if I put them in the middle of a brownie. And how would I do that? So here it is…

First off, get all the ingredients at the ready.

Next, break the chocolate into proper pieces.

Breaking out the KitchenAid, I beat the eggs, sugar and salt until thick.

Next I melt the chocolate with the butter and extra virgin olive oil in my very very fancy double boiler. Yes, it’s a metal mixing bowl set on top of a pot of just simmering water. Did I say olive oil? Yes, reduce your saturated fat by using at least a mixture of butter and olive oil.

I used a mini muffin pan to make these, and they turned out great. Fill the mini muffin tin about 1/3 full with the batter, then nestle a piece of filled chocolate (this is the Perugina cappuccino filled chocolate – but equally good with the caramel filled chocolate) then cover with more batter, making sure the whole candy is covered with brownie batter

Mini Muffin Pan Brownies

Now, ready to pop into the oven.

Can you say yum?

So good.

Stuffed Brownies

Ingredients

2 bars (3.5 ounces each) bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

2 ounces (1/4 cup) extra virgin olive oil

2 ounces (1/4 cup) unsalted butter

3/4 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup flour

2 bars (3.5 ounces each) chocolate bars filled with caramel or cappuccino (I used Perugina Premium Milk Chocolate with Cappuccino and Dark Chocolate with Carmel filling, available in many grocery stores or at www.colavita.com) broken into squares

Directions

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil 2 mini muffin pans (or make in batches)

In a double boiler set over simmering water, melt the bittersweet chocolate with the oil and butter, whisking until smooth.

In a mixing bowl, beat the sugar, eggs and salt with an electric mixer until thick. Stir in the vanilla and flour. Add the melted chocolate mixture and mix until well blended.

Using a small ladle (I use a gravy ladle); spoon a layer of batter into the bottom of the muffin pan, about 1/3 of the way up. Nestle a piece of the filled chocolate into the center; then cover with more batter, making sure the chocolate piece is enclosed.

Place the pans in the center of the oven and bake for about 12 minutes, or until a toothpick, when inserted comes out with just a small amount of crumb clinging to it (just make sure you don’t go straight down the center where the melted chocolate is). Allow to cool slightly then remove from the pan.

These are delicious warm, but store well in an airtight container. If you want to warm them up, wrap in a paper towel and microwave for about 15 seconds.

Per Serving (that’s 1) 153 Calories; 9g Fat (4g Sat, 3g Mono, trace Poly); 2g Protein; 16g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 34mg Cholesterol; 38mg Sodium.

LindySez - SoSousMe – If I’m going to eat dessert, I want it to be Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

Dinner Possible - on the lighter side

2010-02-10T17:05:00.000-08:00

Here is tonight’s Menu and recipes:

Turkey Cutlets with Glazed Peppers

Eggplant Parmesan – A Lighter Version

Turkey cutlets, in my opinion, are a highly under used ingredient. They are low in calories, high in flavor, quick cooking and versatile. These are simply sautéed then topped with sweet and sour glazed peppers. Eggplant is a sponge when it comes to absorbing oil when fried. This lighter version takes a little more time, because you bake the eggplant after you bread it, but it come out with all the great flavor but not all the oil. And anywhere I can cut fat and calories, I do.

Serve these with a nice fruity Merlot, or a Sangiovese.

Turkey Cutlets with Glazed Peppers

Ingredients

1 pound turkey breast cutlets

Salt and pepper

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups sweet bell peppers (use a combo of yellow, orange or red), seeded and sliced into fairly thin strips

1/3 cup homemade or reduced sodium chicken broth

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon minced thyme

Directions

Sprinkle salt and pepper over both sides of the cutlets. Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the cutlets and cook until lightly browned and cooked through. Remove from the pan and keep warm.

In a small bowl, combine the chicken broth, balsamic vinegar and brown sugar. Mix until the sugar is dissolved.

Reduce the heat to medium; add the garlic to the pan, sauté about 30 second; add the peppers and sauté 2 – 4 minutes, or until just soft and starting to brown on the edges. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper along with the thyme; add the broth and cook until the sauce is reduced by half. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve the pepper mixture over the cutlets.

Eggplant Parmesan – a Lighter Version

Ingredients

2 eggplants, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds

2 egg whites, lightly beaten

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3/4 cup grated part-skim mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup fresh basil, finely sliced (chiffonade)

1 (28-ounce) jar marinara sauce, or homemade

Directions

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Dip each eggplant slice into the flour, the egg white then into the seasoned bread crumbs. Arrange on a cookie sheet cover with a thin layer of olive oil. Lightly brush the top with olive oil. Bake 35 – 40 minutes or until the eggplant is soft.

Spread a small amount of the marinara evenly over the bottom of a baking dish. Add a layer of eggplant, spoon sauce over, sprinkle with 1/2 of the mozzarella and parmesan. Make another layer finishing with the cheese. Cover and bake for 30 minutes, uncover and continue baking for 15 minutes more, or until the cheese is browned and the casserole is hot and bubbly. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

LindySez - All this, in under an hour, and with a glass of wine, under 600 calories???? Yeah, baby, that’s what I’m talking about! Cheers

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups = YUMMY

2010-02-08T15:28:00.000-08:00

Can you taste the difference? Yes, yes you can!

This whole idea started when a friend I “talk” to over the internet made a comment she had never tasted a peanut butter cup, but had heard of them, and wanted to try them. I thought, what the heck, bought some, packed them up, and then went to the post office to mail them off to the UK. Do you know how expensive it is to mail something to the UK? Well, let me tell you, in my standard 6 x 4 x 6 inch box, it was going to be over $80.00. Yes, that’s over $80.00. So, needless to say, I wasn’t going to spend $80.00 to mail $5.00 worth of chocolate covered peanut butter. The post office does have some standard boxes, that have a specific cost, the theory is, if you can fit whatever you are mailing into this box/envelope, then we will deliver it for X amount of $$. The box I chose, was about 1 x 3 x 6, I opened up the bag of candies, and stuffed them inside as best I could, got them all in but 2 and sealed it up. The cost to mail this was still around $13.00 but still, much more reasonable than $80.00.

My friend was thrilled with her gift. And since I’m not spending that again, I thought I would figure out the best way to recreate this tasty treat so she can have some when she wants to. This is my take on the classic peanut butter cup. It is so easy to make and tastes just delicious. In doing research on making them, I found a lot of recipes had added butter and shortening, but I found that you didn’t really need it and they are certainly rich enough on their own, so why add fat or sugar when you don’t need to? Exactly, there is no reason at all. Just use the best ingredients you can.

So here they are, in their simplicity.

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

Ingredients

4 (3.5 ounce) good quality milk chocolate bars, broken into pieces

1/2 – 1 cup good quality (preferably all-natural) peanut butter, creamy, chunky or a combination*

1/4 to 1/2 cup powdered sugar*

Pinch salt

Directions

Using an electric mixer, beat the peanut butter with the powdered sugar and salt until well blended and firm.

Slowly melt the chocolate in a double boiler set over hot, not boiling water.

Lightly butter the cups of a muffin tin; spoon some chocolate into the bottom (about 1 1/2 teaspoons); using the spoon draw some of the chocolate up the side so there is a slight indentation. Place the tin into the refrigerator to set.

Take about a teaspoon of peanut butter, place in the center of the chocolate, then using your fingers flatten it into a disk (do not go all the way to the edges of the chocolate).

Reheat the chocolate then spoon over the top to cover completely, allowing the chocolate to run around the outside edge of the cup to fully enclose the peanut butter filling. Place in refrigerator to firm.

When ready to unmold, run a knife carefully around the edge of the cup and gently remove.

*LindySez Note: The amount of peanut butter you need depends on how much filling you want in each cup. Just be sure to keep the ratio the same 1/2 part sugar to 1 part peanut butter.

If you really want to make them look “authentic” then you can use paper inserts and get that crinkled edge around the outside. But they taste just fine and dandy without.

LindySez: There you go Joanne. Peanut Butter Cups when ever you want them. And for you too America.

Dare to Prepare - Risotto

2010-01-27T16:45:00.000-08:00

Do you think Risotto is hard to make? Have you only ordered it in a restaurant because you’ve heard how “time consuming” it is. Do you read a recipe, or look at it and think, “there is no way I can make this”… If you’ve never had it, Risotto is a creamy delicious rice dish made usually from Superfino Arborio rice, but it can also be made with Carnaroli or Vialone Nano rices. Basically it’s a short, fat, oval-shaped rice that has a higher starch content than most rices. You could try to use a short grain rice, and would get a semi-risotto result, but as always, it’s best to use the right ingredient to get the right results.
So why do people think it’s so mysterious and difficult. Well, first you have to get the right rice, the best one to use is Superfino (which is just the largest grain size) Arborio rice. Originally all Arborio rice was cultivated in Italy but now it is also grown in California and Texas. Anyway, not hard anymore to find Arborio rice in you supermarket, no need to go to a specialty store, or you can easily buy it on-line. A number of sites sell it including www.ColavitaStore.com. Rice problem solved.

Then there is this part of all the recipes that say to bring the stock to a simmer and keep it warm on the stove, then you add the stock just a bit at a time to get each addition to be absorbed into the rice before adding more. Well, I learned a trick from my boarders. Each year we host riders from Italy who, as a part of a professional racing team sponsored by Colavita USA and Sutter Home Winery, ride in the Amgen Tour of California. They love to cook with me, and for me and my family as a way of saying thank you. One of the things they love to make is, (want to take a guess?) yes, risotto. And guess what? They don’t heat the broth. They cook the risotto over a higher heat and add the broth, just at room temperature, straight from the box. When I make it, I do heat the broth, but I’m using homemade chicken stock, and I don’t like to leave that at room temperature. But the boxed stuff works just fine in a risotto. Also when I make it, I add half of all of the broth right at the start, and let it simmer away, stirring only occasionally. giving me time to do other stuff.

Then there’s that expensive pinch of saffron in the recipe for Risotto Milanese. Well, if you look for them, you can find deals on saffron that WON”T break the bank. And it is only a pinch. I get mine at Trader Joes, for about $2.99.

Risotto is very versatile and I make many different variations. Some, such as my Green Thai Seafood Risotto, are a meal by themselves. So LindySez, come on, break out that wide deep saute pan and let’s make some risotto.

Here’s the basic recipe to get you started:

Risotto Milanese

Ingredients

6 to 8 cups low-sodium or homemade chicken stock (preferably homemade) you may not need all of the broth

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 to 2 1/2 cups arborio rice

3/4 cup white wine

1 large pinch saffron (put this in a small bowl with about 2 tablespoons of the wine)

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Heat the broth in a small saucepan and keep warm.

In a large high sided saute pan or risotto pan, heat the oil over medium heat; add the onions and simmer until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the rice, mix well to coat; saute until the edges turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the wine, cook, stirring until evaporated. Add 2 cups of the broth (about 4 ladles full); simmer, stirring occasionally, until absorbed. Add the saffron and a pinch of salt, then start adding the liquid 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well and adding more broth only when the last addition has been absorbed. Continue to add liquid until the rice is tender (although a little firm to the tooth); about 20 – 25 minutes. Remove the risotto from the heat, stir in the butter and cheese. Taste and adjust seasonings; add a little more liquid if you like a looser risotto.

Per Serving: 355 Calories; 11g Fat (3g Sat, 6g Mono, 1g Poly); 10g Protein; 49g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 8mg Cholesterol; 825mg Sodium.

Risotto with Asparagus

OK…that’s the basic recipe. Now think about what you could add. How about some peas? Add them about the last 5 minutes of cooking. Or some Asparagus, that’s how Davide Frattini loved it. Blanch them and add them also about the last 5 minutes of cooking. During the summer months when corn is fresh and delish, I love to take it off the cob and add it to the risotto. Sear some scallops or shrimp and put it on the top and voila, dinner.

Here’s one that I love to serve with my Indonesian Pork Tenderloin

Carrot-Ginger Risotto

Ingredients

For the stock:

4 cups vegetable or low-sodium chicken broth

1 (2-inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

2 scallions, chopped, green and white parts kept separate

1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice

For the Risotto:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, or grapeseed oil

1 medium carrot, peeled and finely diced

1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger

1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest

1 cup arborio rice

1/4 cup sake, mirin (a sweet rice wine) or white wine

1 tablespoon yogurt cheese (to make yogurt cheese, take non-fat or low-fat plain yogurt and put it into a fine colander with either paper towels or a coffee filter. Set it over a container to collect the moisture and allow it to drain for 6 hours or overnight, but I have done this in as short as an hour, while not “cheese” it’s still lost a lot of liquid. Scoop the “cheese” out of the filter) or use Greek style yogurt or heavy cream

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions

Put the broth, sliced ginger, scallion greens and orange juice into a saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over medium heat; turn the heat to medium low and simmer gently for 15 minutes then turn off the heat and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve; discarding the solids. Return the broth to the pan and keep warm.

In a 3 – 4 quart wide sided pan or risotto pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Saute the whites of the scallion along with the carrot, grated ginger and orange zest, until the scallion is limp, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir until well coated; saute until it turns translucent around the edges, about 5 minutes.

Add the sake (or mirin or white wine) and cook and stir until it evaporates.

Using a ladle, add 1 cup of broth (a standard ladle holds about 1/2 cup liquid); cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has been absorbed. Add another ladle of liquid and repeat, stirring in each addition of liquid before adding the next. Once the rice is creamy and tender, add the yogurt (or cream) stir well. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper, adding a little more liquid if you like your risotto looser.

Slow-Braised Short Ribs and this Red Wine and Rosemary Risotto are a perfect pair.

Red Wine and Rosemary Risotto

Ingredients

1 quart low-sodium beef stock

1 cup water

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 cup chopped shallot (or finely chopped onion)

2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary (if the stems are tender you can chop them as well, but if woody, remove the leaves and use only them)

2 cups arborio rice

1/2 cup red wine

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon butter, to finish

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions

In a sauce pan combine the stock with 1 cup water; heat until hot – keep warm.

In a deep wide pan or risotto pan, heat the olive oil and butter together until the butter is melted; add the shallot and saute for a few minutes; add the rosemary and rice; saute until the rice is slightly translucent around the edges,, about 3 – 5 minutes. Add the wine; simmer briskly, stirring, until the wine is absorbed. Add 2 cups of the stock; simmer briskly (not a boil, just a very fast simmer), stirring occasionally until the stock has been absorbed. Add a pinch of salt along with about 1/2 cup liquid (1 standard ladle); simmer and stir until the stock has been absorbed. Continue adding liquid I/2 cup at a time, allowing each to absorb into the rice before adding more; until the rice is just tender and creamy looking (you may not have to use all the liquid). Taste the risotto, the rice should be tender but still firm. Add the butter and salt and pepper, to taste. Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese. Add a little more broth if you like your risotto looser.

Getting the idea? Good. Now here’s one that’s a meal on it’s own.

Red Curry Seafood Risotto

Ingredients

1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined (or if frozen thawed)

1/2 pound large sea scallop, cut into quarters, or bay scallops (do not cut if using bay scallops)

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil, or grapeseed oil

2 cups reduced sodium or homemade chicken broth

1 cup coconut milk (light coconut milk is fine)

1 teaspoon red curry paste (such as Thai Kitchen) or to taste

2 tablespoons brown sugar

3 tablespoons premium fish sauce

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, or grapeseed oil

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic

1 cup arborio rice

1/2 cup sweet white wine (a Gewurztraminer is perfect and also drinks nicely when you serve this)

1 cup fresh or frozen peas (if frozen, do not thaw)

1/2 cup fresh green beans, cut into 1″ pieces and blanched (blanching, if you don’t know, if throwing the veggie or whatever into boiling water and then removing it and running cold water over it to stop it from cooking anymore – it helps retain the veggies natural color) for 2 minutes

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

Directions

Reserve 4 shrimp for the top. Slice the rest into pieces about 1/4 inch thick. Saute the whole shrimps in 1 teaspoon olive oil in a small fry pan. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine the chicken broth, coconut milk, curry paste, brown sugar and fish sauce. Put over low heat and bring just to a simmer, do NOT boil. Keep warm.

In a 2 quart high sided saute pan or risotto pan, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add the ginger and garlic, saute 30 seconds. Add the rice and saute until the rice becomes toasty and slightly translucent around the edges, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and stir until the wine is absorbed. Add 2 cups of the broth and simmer, stirring occasionally until absorbed, continue adding liquid, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring after each addition until it has been absorbed; until the rice is al dente, about 20 – 25 minutes.

Add the shrimp pieces, scallop, peas and green beans. Stir and cook until seafood is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Add a little liquid if necessary to keep the rice creamy. All the liquid may not be used. Place in warm bowls, top with reserved shrimps and sprinkle with cilantro and mint. Serve immediately.

LindySez: See nothing to be afraid of. Now raise your hand if you’re going to give risotto a try. Good for you! Cheers.

Crabby Ideas

2010-01-13T16:04:00.000-08:00

Cristina asked: “Dungeness crab season is here. I don’t like to eat them whole, so I buy the meat right here off the boat in Ilwaca, never frozen. Do you have a suggestion for a gratin, in individual one portion dishes? I have a dinner coming up and thought to serve that as an appetizer. Have eaten so much of it in salads and crab roles, need a change. Thanks”

LindySez: Dungeness crab is so sweet, I love it when it’s in season. I have a couple of suggestions; these can be made with Dungeness or any nice lump meat crab. Use whatever is local to you…

I invented this one for a dinner party. While you could serve it without the caviar, I highly recommend you use it. It adds a nice depth of flavor and special occasion feel to it. This goes beautifully with a nice off dry Rose Brut Champagne or Sparkling Wine.

Smoked Salmon and Crab Cakes with Caviar

Ingredients

2 ounces smoked salmon, lightly flaked (not Norwegian style lox, but the Alaskan cold smoked kind)

6 ounces lump crab meat (I use Dungeness crab) , checked for shells*

1/2 red bell pepper, diced fine

1/2 yellow onion, diced fine

1/4 cup cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup low fat mayonnaise

2 green onions, minced

2 tablespoons dill weed, minced, or 1 teaspoon dried

2 tablespoons tarragon, minced, or 1 teaspoon dried

1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay Seafood seasoning

1 1/2 cups panko, divided

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/4 cup light sour cream, or creme fraiche

1 ounce fine quality caviar

Directions

Saute the bell pepper and onion in a small amount of neutral oil until softened (I use grapeseed oil). Allow to cool.

Cream together the cream cheese and mayonnaise in a medium to large bowl. Add minced green onion, dill weed, tarragon and Old Bay. Stir in cooled pepper/onion mixture. Gently fold in the crab meat and salmon, being careful not to break it too much.

Add about 3/4 cup of the panko, gently fold into the mixture until it just holds together; do not add too much of the panko.

Form patties with the mixture (the size will depend on if you are making these as a first course or an appetizer). Put the remaining panko in a wide bowl and coat both sides of each crab cake.

Heat a neutral oil in a large skillet over medium heat and fry each cake until browned on both sides, turning once.

To Serve: Place a dollop of sour cream and caviar on each cake.

*LindySez - The easiest way to find shells in shelled crab is to place the crab meat into a large, oversized metal bowl. As the crab hits the bowl, if there is a shell, you will hear it hit and can find it and remove it. After all the crab is in the bowl, toss the crab around a few times by shaking the bowl, this will alert you to any shells you may have missed.

Per Serving (as a first course): 155 Calories; 6g Fat; 12g Protein; 15g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 58mg Cholesterol; 323mg Sodium.

Or, if you want to stay with the gratin idea, you could certainly put this pasta dish in individual gratins. Made in advance (I love to make EVERYTHING in advance); sprinkle the top with some buttered toasted bread crumbs (I would use Panko) and they would be ready to pop in the oven to heat up and serve once your guests arrive. Or even fold the crab meat into your favorite Mac n Cheese; an ultimate comfort food. These would be great with a Chardonnay.

Gemilli with Crab in a Light Lemon Sauce

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 fennel bulb, trimmed, halved and thinly sliced laterally

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 1/2 cups light cream

1/2 cup lemon juice

2 teaspoons lemon zest (zest first, juice second)

1 pound crab meat, picked through for any lingering shells

1 pound Gemilli pasta (I like the shape, but you could use shells or bow-tie pasta), cooked according to package directions, well drained, 1/2 cup pasta water reserved

Finely chopped fennel fronds (the feathery leaves)

Directions

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add the fennel and saute until softened. Add the ricotta and cream, stir together until just melted. Stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest, crab and cooked pasta. Stir together until well combined (be gentle when stirring to keep the crab as intact as possible), adding some pasta water if the mixture seems to dry. Sprinkle with chopped fennel leaves and serve.

Baked Crab Mac n Cheese

LindySez: I hope that helps Aunt Cristina.
To all – my aunt is a marvelous cook and entertainer. Her guests are in for a lovely evening.
Cheers!

Dinner Possible - Turkey Stuffed Shells and Zucchini "Spaghetti"

2010-01-06T16:16:00.000-08:00

Are you, like the rest of the world, determined to lose weight in 2010? It’s certainly one of the #1 resolutions. Between that, more exercise, more patience, more more more and quitting smoking (thank goodness I did that one, although I did it in October, but hey, everyday is the first day of your life, so it’s never to late, or too early to quit), January 1st always is that magic time we put the pressure on ourselves to perfect us. I don’t make resolutions on the first; generally we don’t keep them and then we feel bad about failing ourselves, and as I said, EVERYDAY is a new day in the new year of your life. If I were to really pick a date, I guess I would choose my birthday, that’s really the beginning of my new year.
But no matter if you want to lose weight, or just want something easy and delicious to eat for dinner, this dinner meets that criteria. The menu, with a glass of wine is only 575 calories (subtract 100 calories for a 5 ounce glass of wine if you don’t have it, although I will )
with only 15 grams of fat (only 4g saturated).

Turkey Stuffed Jumbo Shells

Ingredients

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey (not to exceed 7% fat)

1 medium onion, chopped

1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped

2 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon dried oregano

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste

1/2 cup dry red wine

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, divided

1/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese, (optional)

18 cooked jumbo pasta shells*

1 (28-ounce) jar Marinara Sauce, or homemade (look for the basic marinara sauce on this site)

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large skillet or saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the turkey and saute, using a spoon to break it up into small pieces. Cook until the turkey looses its pink color, then add the onion and carrot. Continue to cook until the vegetables are tender, about 5 – 7 minutes.

Combine the flour, oregano, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the turkey mixture and stir to incorporate it well. Stir in the wine; cook until thickened. Simmer over low heat for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and add 1/2 of the Parmesan cheese and the ricotta cheese. Stir until blended. Let the mixture cool.

When cool enough to handle, stuff each shell with approximately 2 heaping tablespoons of the turkey mixture. Pour 1 cup of the marinara sauce into the bottom of a baking dish, spreading it evenly. Arrange the shells over the sauce; spoon the remaining sauce over the top. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, or until hot. Remove the cover and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Continue to bake 5 minutes longer.

LindySez: when cooking jumbo pasta shells, cook more then specified in the recipe to all for breakage. You want to use as whole a shell as possible.

Zucchini “Spaghetti”

Ingredients

4 medium zucchini

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed

Directions

Cut the ends from each of the zucchini. Using a mandolin, set to the smallest julienne, julienne the zucchini using long strokes until you have squash strands that resemble “spaghetti”. (Use only the outside, discard the seedy part). Heat the oil and butter in a saute pan, add the zucchini spaghetti, salt, pepper and dill weed. Quickly saute the zucchini until crisp tender (it will cook fast, in less then 5 minutes). Taste and adjust the seasonings; serve twirled onto the plate.

Variation: Omit the dill, add some thyme and grated Parmesan.

LindySez: If you don’t have a mandolin, you can julienne the squash with a good sharp knife, or you can make the dish with thinly sliced zucchini – it’ll still taste good, it just won’t present as well.

LindySez: There you go. An easy tasty dinner that I think the whole family will love. I know my family does.

Happy New Year everyone!

Baking the Bacon

2009-12-23T12:42:00.001-08:00

Do you like bacon? I do. But I hate the mess of frying it. So I decided to give baking the bacon a try. It works really well, the bacon is cooked in about the same amount of time as on the stove top, anyway from 15 minutes to 20, depending on thickness; it doesn’t make a mess (although you still have to dispose of the bacon grease. I like to strain mine and keep it in a container in the fridge, I use it to season green beans; fried potatoes, or even fried eggs). And baking it is a great technique when you need to make bacon for a large group.

Great results baking bacon

Here’s what you do. Put the bacon slices on a heavy rimmed cookie sheet. Place it into a cold oven, turn the heat on to 375 degrees F and then just watch it cook; turn it a couple of times with tongs and when it’s cooked to your liking; remove the pan and drain the bacon on paper towels. Discard the grease in the pan. If you don’t care about keeping the grease, you could line the pan with some foil and then once the grease gets cold, roll it up and just throw it away.

LindySez: Give it a try, baked not fried.

Santa Claus has come and gone...Now what's for breakfast?

2009-12-21T13:56:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning. It was years before our son beat us up in the morning. No seriously. We would wake up about 8 o’clock and he would still be snoozing; so we’d do a “pile on” to get him going. But once he was up…look out. He was all over Christmas. We would take our time, opening and sharing presents; drinking coffee, that turned into drinking a little champagne or sparkling wine and then making something for breakfast. Quiche was one of our favorites, French toast another. A rasher of bacon or some sausage; orange juice to mix with that champagne and then settle into a day of checking out and playing with our new goodies and cooking Christmas dinner. Whether you are enjoying a family tradition your already have, or are looking for a new idea for Christmas morning; here are a few of my favorites.
I made this stuffed French toast recipe up for my client to use one of their newest products; Perugina Panettone. Panettone is a traditional Italian cake, usually enjoyed during the Christmas season. It really make a delicious french toast on it’s own, but is even better when stuffed.

Stuffed Panettone French Toast

Ingredients

1 panettone traditional Italian cake

6 tablespoons mascarpone, or as needed (or desired)

6 tablespoons apricot jam, or as needed

6 eggs

2 tablespoons cream, (it’s important to use cream, not milk, or the cake will get too soggy and it will be hard to keep it together when you turn it)

Pinch salt

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, or as needed

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Powdered sugar for serving; optional

Directions

Using a sharp serrated knife, thinly slice off two of the ends of the cake (save for another use); you should now have what resembles a loaf. Slice the cake into 8 even slices, about 1/3 inch thick.

Lay on a clean work surface. spread mascarpone on one side of 4 pieces, and apricot jam on the other 4, fold together to form a “sandwich”.

In a large shallow bowl beat the eggs until well mixed; add the cream and a pinch of salt and mix until well combined.

Heat the oil and butter together in a large skilled or griddle over medium heat; when hot, dip each “sandwich” on both sides into the egg mixture; put on the hot griddle (do not dip the sandwich until ready to cook them; do in batches if necessary); cook until browned, then carefully turn and cook the other side. Serve whole, or cut in half, sprinkled with powdered sugar, if desired.

LindySez: While I think mascarpone is the best choice, you could substitute softened cream cheese if desired.

Variation: Use either orange marmalade or peach jam in place of the apricot jam.

Or how about a classic quiche? You can make the crust the day before, have all of the cheese grated, eggs and cream mixed and then just put it together and pop it in the oven. This one has bacon in it; try that or even some spinach. Defrost a box of frozen chopped spinach, still one of the best bargains in the grocery store; squeeze it dry and put it into the shell with the cheese; pour the egg mixture over and voila.

Quiche Lorraine

Ingredients
1 pie crust (store bought or homemade)

6 large eggs

2/3 cup heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

6 slices of thick bacon, fried crisp and chopped (or chop first and then crisp) drained

8 ounces gruyere, emmenthal, or other good Swiss cheese, grated (I use a 1/2 combo of gruyere and emmenthal)

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

Salt and pepper

Directions

Whether you make your own crust or not, we want to first blind bake it. (If you made your own, put it into the freezer for about 30 minutes, if you bought one, it’s probably already frozen, so leave it so.) Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line your crust with aluminum foil and pie weights or beans to keep it from puffing up; and bake in the bottom third of the oven for 15 minutes, remove from the oven and remove the foil and weights; return to the oven for another 5 minutes or until the bottom is just golden. Set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream and milk. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Decrease oven temperature to 375 degrees F.

Toss together the cheese and chopped bacon; layer into the bottom of the cooled shell. Pour the egg/cream mixture over.

Place in the oven and bake, 45 to 50 minutes or until a knife, when inserted into the center, comes out clean (if the edges become too dark, place strips of aluminum foil over the edges.

Allow to stand at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Here’s another family fav. It’s an oldie, but a goodie.

Chili Rellano Casserole

Ingredients

1 large can roasted whole green chilies (such as Ortega), drained and split open

1 pound shredded jack cheese

1 pound shredded mild cheddar cheese

6 large eggs

1 (12 – ounce) can evaporated milk, (you can use reduced fat)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Layer the chilies and the cheese in a casserole dish. Mix together the milk and eggs, beat well; pour over chilies and cheese. Bake 45 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 – 10 minutes before cutting. Serve hot or warm.

Like with the quiche, this casserole can be assembled the day before. Shred the cheese and layer it with the chilies. Mix together the eggs and milk (keep in a separate container) and in the morning; heat the oven, pour the egg/milk mixture over the cheese in the casserole dish, pop it in the oven and go back to enjoying your Christmas morning until it’s done.

And of course, let’s not forget Super Simple Scones. And in honor of the season, how about using some dried cranberries, pecans and grating in some orange zest?

Super Simple Scones

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour (King Arthur preferred)

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons sugar

1 1/4 cup HEAVY cream, plus more for brushing

About 1/2 cup dried fruit, such as dried blueberries, apricots (cut into small pieces), or dried cranberries, or other fruits of your choice

About 1/4 cup toasted nuts (I like sliced almonds, but pecans or walnuts work too) or to taste

Directions

Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking pan.

Sift together, in a medium bowl, the flour, baking powder and salt, stir in the sugar. Add the fruits and nuts. Stir with a fork to combine.

Add the cream; stir just until a dough forms.

Gather the dough into a ball; turn out onto a lightly floured counter or work surface, and fold and kneed about 6 or 7 times…then pat out into about a 10 inch round about 1/2 inch thick. Cut with a knife or pastry cutter into 8 wedges. Place them on the prepared sheet; brush the tops with cream and sprinkle with some sugar; place in the oven (rack in the middle of the oven); and bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until nice and browned.

No matter if you choose one of these, my favorites, or one of your own favorites…

LindySez - “Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good Cheers.”

When Diet Food Isn't

2009-12-18T13:18:00.000-08:00

I think it’s safe to say that most of us eat out at least a couple times a week, for either lunch or dinner. So what choices we make are very important, especially when we are thinking about losing or at least not gaining any weight. Here’s some food for thought:

“I’ll have a salad please”

What 1010 calories and 76g of fat looks like

You are being so good, having a salad for lunch. Maybe you even remembered to order the dressing on the side. But be careful; not all salads are created equal. For example: a BBQ Chicken Salad at Applebees has a whopping 1360 Calories (that’s not a typo, that’s one thousand three hundred and sixty) with 21 grams of fat. Hardly diet food. And a Chicken Caesar Salad at Chilis? 1010 calories with 76 (seventy six) grams of fat. That Cobb at Mimi’s Cafe? 1121 calories and 95g of fat. You would actually be better off, calorie wise, to go with a McDonald’s Big Mac at only 540 calories and 29g of fat, or have their cheeseburger for a mere 300 calories and 12g of fat. Add a small fry, 248 calories and 13g fat, and you’d still be under the calories and fat of that virtuous salad. Now that said, the veggies of the salad may trump the fat and especially the saturated fats of the burger…but you get the idea that you have to be careful not only of what kind of salad you order…but how your order it.

Here's 1121 Calories and 95g fat

“Dressing on the side” – should be your mantra. Yet, the other day, while having a quick lunch, I noticed that many of the people who ordered the dressing on the side proceeded to dump the entire contents of that side dressing on their salad. That simply defeats the purpose and the result is you are consuming as many, and possibly more calories and fat then if you had just ordered your salad “lightly dressed.” Tablespoon for tablespoon, salad dressing is calorie heavy. One tablespoon of Ranch Dressing has 73 calories and 7.7g of fat, Italian? 43 calories and 4.2g fat. Caesar? 78 calories with 8.5g fat. That’s on average, but the bottom line is you want to use dressings sparingly. The best method? Dip the tines of your fork into the dressing, then grab some salad on it, and eat it. You get the full flavor of the dressing and use very little.

Another place you need to be very careful is that visit to the salad bar. Lettuce is pretty much a freebie, but once you start adding those salad bar extras, that lean meal gets pretty fat. Olives, eggs, cheese, nuts, bacon, all add up pretty quickly. And any salad that is pre-made, especially those that contain mayonnaise, well, you know where those extra calories are going to end up…yep…on your hips with a side to your waist and butt.
So remember to be selective in your salad choices. If you want that Caesar for lunch, ask for it to be served with half the cheese (at minimum) and take those croutons off, o.k. you can leave a couple of them on, but get rid of the rest…and order that dressing “on the side” using the tine dipping method.

Here’s a light version of Caesar Salad you can easily make at home.

Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

LindySez: It’s the way to a slimmer, healthier you.

It's Cioppino Sunday

2009-12-18T13:14:00.000-08:00

It’s Sunday. Up, not too early (after all, we do need our beauty sleep) we plan our day. Our Sonoma County museum is currently showing an exhibit, a collection of maps, old maps, maps from the beginning of maps. Discovery maps. So we decide to go see this after an excellent breakfast of some Super Simple Scones, bacon and a beautiful Chandon Rose sparkling wine (it’s not champagne unless it comes from Champagne and that’s in France, Chandon is in Napa County in California so it’s sparkling wine.) Of course, as is typical in my house, as we are eating our breakfast we are discussing what else we might eat during the day, specifically, for dinner… “I want something seafood” says the hubby…”and to be served with a red wine, a Syrah.” “How about cioppino?” I ask. ”Sounds great” he says, “Whole Foods has some crab and I’ll make some garlic toasts to go with.” Day planned.

We go to the exhibit, very interesting how the world was viewed in the years before Columbus, and even after how much influence the church had in determining what was acceptable as a world view and what was not. Did you know that Galileo was put under house arrest by the church because he proved the universe did not revolve around earth, but that it revolved around the sun? Crazy thoughts now, but back then, not so much. And all the early maps show California as an island off the coast of America. Well, if there’s a big quake, that might not be too far off the money.

Early map with California as an island

After the exhibit we decided to get a little bite at a Thai place called Khoom Lanna, one of the few food establishments smart enough to be open in downtown Santa Rosa on a Sunday (and they wonder why there’s no business in our little downtown, um…people want to go to places where they can get something to eat…ya think?). We ordered a few appetizers, they were not only beautifully presented, they were delicious.

Good Good Goodie Bags

On to seafood shopping. As the DH said there was crab at Whole Foods, and I prefer their sustainable practices for seafood, meat and poultry, we decide to go there. They don’t have any crab. “But you had some last week”…well they say, yes they did have it last week but since our local crabbing season starts tomorrow…we didn’t order any from Oregon or Washington and that’s where we got it last week…ya know, the whole local thing. Great. OK…so new plan. We get our fresh clams, mussels, some shrimp and decide to go with Alaskan king crab leg (yeah, that’s totally local) and a lobster tail (Maine?) to replace the Dungenous crab. While less local then before, I think it’s going to be one great Cioppino.

Lindy’s Cioppino

LindySez: When working with fresh shellfish, make sure that the bags (usually plastic) are not closed, ask them to leave them open. Also, watch the person who is picking out your shellfish, don’t let them just grab them willy nilly, make sure they are checking them to make sure your bivalves are alive. Alive is when the shells, even when open, close as soon as you touch them. Dead is when they stay open . And you don’t want dead. When you get home, take the clams and mussels out of the bags and put them into a large bowl, do not put them on ice, (as the ice melts they will drown) or put them in water. I know, it seems counter intuitive, they live in water don’t they? Yes, they do, but they can’t live in tap water. So, put them into a large bowl and cover them with a damp clean towel and pop them into the refrigerator. (If you keep them like this, and the towel stays damp, you could probably keep them for a couple of days, although I like to buy and eat mine on the same day). Do not clean them until you are ready to cook them. To clean them, rinse them under cold running water, scrubing the shells and taking and beards off the mussels.

LindySez: Cheers to Cioppino Sunday.

Dinner Possible - Mexican Style Chicken

2009-12-18T13:08:00.000-08:00

Yes, I love to cook. But some days I just don’t want to spend a lot of time cooking, or going to the store, or cleaning up after. And I also don’t want to go out and spend an hour waiting for someone to bring me some mediocre food and charge me an outrageous amount of money for the privilege of eating their “fast food” that isn’t. On those days I make what I call “a pantry meal”. Using ingredients I have on hand, a little imagination and voila, I came up with this really tasty dish that was simple to prepare and on the table in about 15 minutes. Granted, my pantry might be different then your pantry, (I’ll write soon about what I think should be in a well stocked pantry); but these ingredients are easy to find, easy to prepare and won’t cost you an arm and a leg either.

I started with some chicken breasts, (which I always have on hand), a poblano and jalapeno pepper, (leftover from my dinner party preparations); a bag of frozen Trader Joes brown rice (a really handy thing to have on hand, 3 minutes in the microwave); a can of black beans and some Mexican style tomato sauce (I actually made some of this with my garden tomatoes and chilies and had it in the freezer…but a canned one will work just fine)

Mexican Style Chicken on Rice with Black Beans

Preparing the breast for plating

Mexican Style Chicken

LindySez: I hope you check it out and try it. Simply good, simply simple. And all in about 15 minutes. Cheers

Dinner Possible - Spicy Mint Chicken or...

2009-12-18T13:01:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of weeknight meal ideas. When I don’t have a lot of time or energy, I find these both easy and satisfying. And since right now I’m working on a dinner party for Saturday, well, if you’ve been reading then you know that means pre-planning and pre-cooking.

Both of these meals use the same basic ingredients, chicken, snap peas, carrots, and rice. I prefer to serve a floral and flavorful Jasmine rice with these, but you could also just use white or brown rice. Brown rice takes longer to cook; but it’s better for you because it has more fiber. One complaint I’ve always had about brown rice is its texture, it always turns out chewy…but I found that by cooking it twice, (actually if you want to get technical, you cook it once, and then steam it) it gives you get a nice soft brown rice. And it actually takes less time to cook with this method. Twice Cooked Brown Rice

Meal Idea #1 - Spicy Mint Chicken
This is a one pot, one stop stir fry. Once you do the mincing and chopping, about 15 minutes worth of time, the stir fry only takes about 6 – 8 minutes…from the time the chicken hits the pan. Start your rice when you start your prep and everything should end up done about the same time. Try this on Ginger-Scented Jasmine Rice.

LindySez: It’s good.

Meal #2 Chinese -Style Baked Chicken Thighs is a very simple recipe using chicken thighs, or you could use legs and thighs if you want. I know the kids love their chicken legs. They are simply basted and baked with some Hoisin Sauce. Hoisin sauce is basically Chinese barbecue sauce, with a sweet spicy flavor. Serve these Chinese – Style Baked Chicken Thighs with the Ginger-Scented Jasmine Rice ; take those snow peas and carrots, steam them lightly, toss with a little butter or sesame seed oil and sprinkle some sesame seeds over the top, if you have any.

Dinner Menu #1, goes really nicely with a Viognier, the tropical fruits compliment the sweet mint and slight heat from the jalapeno. Dinner Menu # 2 goes nicely with a Pinot Noir. The fruit in the Pinot works beautifully with the slightly anise flavors in the 5-Spice as well as the sweet hot of the hoisin. They both go great with some Jasmine Tea.

LindySez: Cheers to easy!

Tell the Colonel Good-bye...Simply the Best Fried Chicken

2009-12-18T12:59:00.000-08:00

The days are getting shorter and shorter, and on Sunday, we loose an hour. How is that possible, that we can loose an hour? (update…we actually gain an hour, as we fall back) Where does it go? (Hey, I figured this out too…it goes to spring forward!) This is the perfect weekend for some real comfort food!

What makes a comfort food a comfort food? Usually it’s something enjoyed from childhood, that makes it a comfort food. Or something that makes you feel all warm on the inside, that’s comfort food. A taste, a smell, a texture. I think this dinner possible menu fits the total bill.

I start with some great home fried chicken. This isn’t just any fried chicken recipe, but with years of tweaking, I think, humbly, it’s simply one of the best. It’s good hot, warm or cold. So it would be perfect to take to a tailgate party.

Serve some deliciously smooth and creamy mashed potatoes and a fresh green bean and cherry tomato salad and imagine yourself in a cozy farmhouse kitchen with a fire burning in the hearth…soul-warming comfort. That’s what that is.

There are a couple of tricks to making a really good fried chicken, but one of the most important ones is to soak the chicken in buttermilk for at least a couple of hours. This gives the meat great flavor and a slightly softer texture. The second thing is to season the meat well, don’t season the flour, put the seasonings directly on the chicken pieces. This insures that all the meat is properly seasoned. Cooking at a steady, fairly low temperature is also key. You don’t want to burn the outside and have raw chicken inside. That is just not good. And finally, draining the chicken. Do it on a wire rack set over a cookie sheet (the cookie sheet is there to catch the oil but if you don’t mind cleaning counters, you can skip it ). Setting the pieces on paper towels or brown paper bags will soften the coating. And while it will taste just fine, it won’t have the same crunch. Now granted, if you refrigerate it to eat it cold, you will still loose the crunchiness in the coating, so if that is your purpose, to eat it cold, then go ahead and use any method to drain it. Also if you try putting it in the oven to keep warm, the moisture generated will soften the crust. So it’s best, if you want it crunchy, to eat it as soon as you can after finishing it.

Simply the Best Fried Chicken

Mashed potatoes.

I love mashed potatoes. I remember the first time I went to Thanksgiving dinner at what was to be my new in-law’s house. They were setting up a big pot of water, with some milk and some butter and I asked them what they were making…”Mashed potatoes” came the reply. Potato Buds to be precise. Now I think dehydrated potatoes have their place in this world, we used them when, as a child, we would go camping for a few weeks in the high Sierras, (and practically all we ate was dehydrated food) but they do NOT belong at Thanksgiving. I didn’t say anything that year, I bit my tongue, and with enough gravy got them down in a most polite way. But the next year, I stepped up to the plate, so to speak, and said “We are having real mashed potatoes”. But my MIL hesitated, “they always turn out like glue” she said. With further investigation I found she was always trying to make her mashed potatoes out of White Rose potatoes, and that just isn’t going to work. White Rose potatoes are a waxy potato, and you need to use a starchy potato to make a good mashed potato, my preference, a russet potato. While Idaho would like to have us believe differently, russet potatoes come from all over, not just Idaho…sorry Idaho. Some people like to use red potatoes, or Yukon Gold, just make sure whichever potato you use, it’s got at least medium starch. And, it’s always best to “dry” them out a little before adding the butter and milk. Mashed potatoes should be creamy, smooth, no lumps. Whipped together with fine butter and milk or cream or half and half, or my fav, buttermilk. Well, at least that’s my comfort food.

Mashed Potatoes

And finally we finish our meal with a simple Green Bean and Cherry Tomato Salad. This uses the last of the season tomatoes (or you could dice an heirloom tomato). It’s simple and delicious.

LindySez: I’m getting ready to hunker down, make a fire in the fireplace, wrap myself in my comforter, with a good book in my hand, or a good movie on the TV and enjoy this next season…full of holidays and family.

Cheers!

Christmas Eve, New Year's Day, a Swiss Chalet? Perfect Cheese Fondue

2009-12-18T10:53:00.000-08:00

LindySez Making a Traditional Cheese Fondue

Our family enjoyed a cheese fondue every Christmas eve when I was growing up. Each year, as we stood around the fondue pot, we would comment on how “that was the best one yet”. Except for the one year when my father decided to follow a recipe that called for putting flour in it. We did NOT like that one! So when I was recently asked how to make it – that was the first thing I told them… don’t toss the cheese with flour. ALL the recipes tell you to do it and you shouldn’t, it makes the fondue grainy…and it doesn’t soak into the bread like it should…I like mine to be a homogeneous creamy gooey cheesy pot of yum.
So here are the basics of making an excellent cheese fondue, the proper way (or at least the LindySez way).

Use good cheese, I use half Emmental Swiss and gruyere, grate them up and toss them with some salt and fair amount of pepper. Let them sit out at room temp so they melt better . Cut your bread (good french bread, but not sourdough) into bite sized pieces making sure to have crust on each piece. Let those sit out for a while too so they aren’t too soft.

To each pound of cheese that you use, you are going to use 1 3/4 cups of a dry white wine, such as a Fume Blanc, a California Sauv Blanc (don’t use a New Zealand one as most are too grassy) or a Pouilly-Fume. When you are ready to make the fondue, rub the pot with a clove of garlic (we like garlic, so we leave the clove in, but you don’t need to); then place over a medium heat and add the wine. When the wine comes to a simmer, start slowly adding the cheese, sprinkling in a handful at a time, allowing each addition to melt (my dad said you always have to stir in the same direction, in a figure 8 motion, don't stir in a circle or the cheese will just turn into a big glop in the middle of a pot of wine, figure 8 is key); keep adding until you have a nice thick sauce, then add a splash of Kirsch and a pinch of nutmeg. Put over a burner to keep it bubbling, and stir often when you dip your bread.

A pound of cheese is enough for 4 people; or more if you are serving other things. And the amounts are guesstimates. I almost always grate too much cheese, so only add as much as you need to get the right consistency ; when you dip a piece of bread into the fondue, you want a nice coating of cheese and for the bread to absorb the wine. That’s what it’s all about, cheese, wine and bread. So use the best you can of each ingredient. And any left over cheese makes for a mighty good ham and cheese omelet.

LindySez – and that’s how we fondue. Now you?

Dinner Possible - Ma Po Tofu

2009-12-15T08:55:00.000-08:00

OK…I hear the groans already. ”I don’t like tofu, it’s all soft and icky”. Well, try this presentation, and I might just change your mind.
Tofu is soybean curd, a soft cheese like food that is made by curdling fresh hot soy milk with a coagulant; traditionally nigari; then it is pressed into blocks and kept either in a tub of salted water or vacuum packed. Either way, once it’s opened, you need to put any that you don’t use into a container with fresh water, change the water DAILY, and use it up within a week.
Tofu is a bland food. It simply takes in the flavors of the seasonings in the dish it is being added to.
There are 3 main types of tofu; firm tofu is dense and holds up well in stir-fry dishes, soups or even on the grill (it’s what we are using for our stir-fry). Soft tofu is a good choice for recipes that call for a blended tofu, or in an Oriental soup. Silken tofu is made with a slightly different process that makes it softer and more custard like. In Japan, silken tofu is enjoyed as is, dipped into a bit of soy sauce. Silken tofu is what is most generally put into Japanese Miso Soup.
Tofu is a rich, high quality protein. It is an excellent food source for people of all ages, from babies to the elderly. It is a total chameleon, you can make it taste any way you want it to…
In this recipe, we take firm tofu and dry it between paper towels weighed down with a plate. This takes the excess moisture out of the slices and then you can fry it and get a crisp edge. I also use Buckwheat noodles (Soba); because its a natural grain, but if you prefer, you can use some whole wheat angel hair pasta.

Ma Po Tofu

Ingredients

1 (12 – ounce) container firm tofu (you can use silken if you desire, I just buy firm tofu)

1/2 cup low-salt chicken broth

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon oyster sauce*

2 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce*

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or grapeseed oil, divided

8 ounces pork tenderloin, cut into 1 inch cubes

1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger root

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

1/3 cup sliced green onions (white and green parts)

1/2 cup edamame, thawed if frozen**

1 pound Soba noodles, cooked according to package directions, or whole wheat angel hair pasta

1 teaspoon sesame seed oil

2 green onions, sliced thinly for garnish (optional)

Directions

Slice the tofu into 1/2 inch slices and place between several layers of paper towels, put a dinner plate on top and let stand for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the plate, discard the paper towels and cut into 1/2 inch cubes.

In a small bowl whisk together the chicken broth, cornstarch, soy sauce, oyster sauce and garlic chili sauce; set aside.

In a food processor, add the pork cubes, ginger, garlic, jalapeno, and green onions. Pulse until the meat is finely chopped.

Heat a large skillet or wok over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil and heat until hot but not smoking. Add the tofu and saute, stirring frequently, until lightly browned; remove and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining oil and the pork mixture; saute, stirring frequently to break up the pieces; saute until the pork loses its pink color. Add the edamame and tofu; saute 1 minute.

Add the sauce mixture; bring to a simmer and simmer until slightly thickened.

Toss the hot cooked noodles with the sesame seed oil. Divide the pasta among four heated bowls, top with the Ma Po Tofu and garnish with green onions, if desired.

Per Serving: 627 Calories (19% from fat); 14g Fat (2g Sat, 7g Mono, 3g Poly); 37g Protein; 95g Carbohydrate; 11g Dietary Fiber; 37mg Cholesterol; 495mg Sodium.

*Oyster sauce and chili garlic sauce can be found in most supermarkets or at an Oriental Grocery Store.

**Edamame (soy beans) can be found in most supermarkets in their frozen food section. If you cannot find edamame, move. Or substitute frozen peas.

LindySez: Chopsticks are optional…

Fall - Winter Fancy Dinner Party Menu

2009-10-25T15:48:00.000-07:00

I love to entertain. And when I do, I love to serve many courses and pair a wonderful wine with each one. While it may seem like a lot, with some good planning, and a little cook ahead time, a fancy dinner party isn’t so hard to put together.

LindySez likes it good, but she also likes it easy.

I remember many times during my childhood, my Mother when making the holiday dinners would get so stressed and tired that it was hard for her to sit down and actually enjoy the meal she had created. So I like to take my time and spread the work over a number of days, doing only what has to be last minute… at the last minute. That way I can actually sit down and enjoy myself and my guests on party day.

With a little planning, and some refrigerator room, you can get this done.

So here’s my menu:

Appetizers

Fish and Chips

Hummus and Bread Sticks

Rosemary Almonds

Artisan Cured Olives

First Course

Winter White Vegetable Soup with Bleu Cheese Croutons

Sweet Pepper and Sonoma Country Chevre Tart

Served with: 2004 Verget Chablis Fourchaume

Second Course

Sea Bass Steamed in Savoy Cabbage Leaves with Caviar

Served with: 2004 Hartford Four Hearts Chardonnay – Russian River Valley

Intermezzo

Chili-Lime Sorbet

Entree

German Style Braised Short Ribs

Timbale of Idaho Potato, Carrot and Caramelized Onion

Served with: 2001 Freemark Abbey Bosche Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

Dessert

Bellwether Farms Fromage Blanc Cheesecake

Served with: Point Reyes Vineyard Lat Harvest

OK, it sounds like a mouthful, right? Oh, and it was, many a wonderful mouthfuls!

Let’s start at the beginning, the appetizers. Caviar is totally impressive and very simple to prepare, open a jar, no prep needed. Since I was using caviar in two places, I just bought a bigger tin (2 ounces) and used some of it for the appetizer and some for the fish course. I usually get mine from the refrigerator section of Bev-Mo, but most higher end grocery stores carry it. (Do not buy the stuff in cans on your grocery stores selves…it is not good...and probably one of the big reasons why people say they don’t like caviar. Good caviar does not taste fishy, it taste fresh from the sea). The Hummus and bread sticks come from Trader Joes, but you can get them in almost any store. Rosemary Almonds? Also TJ’s, but you could make them by frying some blanched almonds in some oil and adding rosemary, let them cool then put it into a zip top bag. I buy mine and keep them in the freezer, taking them out about an hour before I need to serve them, you don’t want to serve frozen nuts. (Keeping nuts in the freezer is a smart idea, as they turn rancid easily). Get your olives from your favorite grocery store olive bar (here in California they are everywhere). All of these appetizers go well with a champagne or sparkling wine. How celebrant is that?

Now to the first course: The Winter White Vegetable Soup can be made almost a week in advance. I usually make mine 3 to 4 days ahead. There is a huge advantage to cooking things in advance , for one you get to taste and correct the dish making sure it tastes exactly as you want it to; or if necessary…throw it out and start again it over. Although if you follow the recipe and don’t make too many substitutions, it should all work out o.k.

LindySez RANT: I hate it when I read a viewer comment after a recipe and they say “I didn’t like this recipe, but I didn’t have ingredient A…so I substituted D, and I didn’t have C so I put in this…then I boiled it instead of baking it“. OK…slight exaggeration. While I love to read recipes because they give me wonderful ideas, I also know that you cannot always interchange ingredients. If you are a fairly experienced cook and know something about flavors and textures, you can probably come up with a reasonable substitute. But if you don’t, well then darn it, make it like it’s written.

Immediately follow the soup with the tart. The tart topping of peppers and onions can also be made in advance, just keep it in the fridge and take it out at least an hour before you want to make them.

Party Tip: Make a menu. My friends think I post the menu to impress them and while I do want them to know what they are having, I also use it to keep track of what I’m serving. Did you ever go to a holiday meal where at the end the hostess says “Oh Darn…I forgot the ( fill in the blank)”? I know I have. So when I have a dinner party I not only have a menu, but I have a time-line and plate sketch which shows me the plate I plan to use, and how I want to lay out my food. I thank Hubert Keller for teaching me that trick. And I set my plates out, where I can see them and be reminded about what is supposed to be on them.

After the first naturally comes the second. The Sea Bass in Cabbage Leaves with Caviar is a most decadent and impressive dish. And it’s so easy. While you can make the sauce only a few hours in advance (I hold my sauce in a thermos) the fish can be wrapped in the cabbage leaves the day before. Keep, covered in a container, lined with some paper towels to them keep them dry, and refrigerate. Set these to steam while you are enjoying that Sweet Pepper Tart.

The Chili-Lime Sorbet is Dyno-mite. You can actually make this a week or more in advance. I like to serve it in a demitasse or espresso cup, with a thin slice of jalapeno on top and a slice of lime for garnish. (If making a sorbet is too much, buy something light to serve in between, like Lemon or Mango sorbet. It really helps to cleanse the pallet between courses).

Now for the main event. Keep in mind that you don’t need to make huge portions of anything. You get more courses with smaller portions. Again, all of the elements of the main course can be made in advance. The German Style Short Ribs are really better when they sit for couple of days in the refrigerator, allowing all those flavors to marry. Then, when ready, reheat. Skim any hardened fat off the top before reheating and make this a low-cal meal (um, yeah, right!). Put the meat, along with your Timbale of Potatoes in the oven as your time-line advises…and you will be on track for a great and relaxing dinner.

It’s dessert time. Slice the cheesecake you made the day before, put up some coffee, tea, or both add a little late harvest wine and take a bow. The dinner was great, your guests have gone home happy and full. Now it’s time to put on some great music and clean up. Since most of it was made days before…it’s not so bad. OK, there are a few dishes, but it was so worth it!

Here’s how I do a time-line…I work backwards from what time I want to serve the main course entree, and forward from the time guests are due to arrive. Think of your time-line as your stress free recipe for success. If you only have to look at one place for all your temperatures and cooking times, rather than having to refer to recipe after recipe, it’s just going to be that much smoother and easier to get it all on the table on time.

Guest due to arrive: 6:00

First course 7:00

5:00 Make the sauce for the fish course – hold in thermos

5:30 Bring in all the prepared food

6:00 – Set out appetizers, get out steamer (I use my rice cooker to steam the fish)

6:15 Heat oven to 375 degrees. Put toppings on tarts.

6:30 Start heating the soup, add cream – adjust seasonings

6:45 Put tarts in oven, set time for 25 minutes
Waters to table
Butter to plates
Start Steamer

7:00 Serve soup

7:20 Serve Tarts
Put fish in to steam
Lower oven heat to 325 degrees F. Put Short ribs and potatoes in the oven

7:45 Serve Fish

8:15 Serve intermezzo
Finish short ribs
Remove timbales from oven
Put dinner plates in oven to briefly warm

8:30 Serve main course
Ask guests if they want coffee or tea with dessert, if so, start coffee pot and hot water

9:00 serve dessert

Talk – laugh – have fun!

LindySez: That’s how she does it. And if you have teenage children, hire them to help with the serving and clean-up. It’s good training for them, and lets you relax all the more.

And now the Wine Geek weighs in with a word, or two, about our wine choices, why we chose what we did and what to look for as a good substitution.

2004 Verget Chablis Fourchaume

Our first course called for lean white wine and we chose an old world premier crus Chablis from the Fourchaume vineyard. Chablis is a very distinctive lean expression of Chardonnay, producing steely mineral tones and rich stone fruit flavors. Chablis typically receives little or no new oak and has been known to age. The Verget Fourchaume was a perfect pair for this first course.
If you cannot find this exact wine: Most any premier crus Chablis will give you the minerality and stone fruit flavors which paired so well with creamy soup, rich bleu cheese and the crunchy and tangy onion red pepper tart. If New World wines are more your style, look for unoaked chardonnays, sometime marketed as “naked Chardonnay” Or look for American producers of Chardonnay who use a very limited oak regime. Avoid sweeter, malolactic style chards (known for their creamy, buttery notes) which will overwhelm the flavors in this dish

2004 Hartford Four Hearts Chardonnay-Russian River Valley

With the second course, we shifted gears upward in the Chardonnay family and served the Hartford Four Hearts from the Russian River Valley. Unlike the Chablis, this wine is rounder in style and had flavors which paired nicely with the delicate sea bass and helped to highlight the creamy clam and tomato sauce. Four Hearts Chardonnay goes through 100% malolactic fermentation and is also 100% barrel fermented imparting a distinctive blend of pear, orange blossom and nectarine notes balanced with a weighty crème brulee like character and zesty acidity.
If you cannot find this exact wine look for other wines produced in Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley or ask your local wine merchant for lean restrained Chardonnay’s which go through malolactic fermentation and have a fairly aggressive oak program.

2001 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon Bosche Vineyard

With the entree, the braised short ribs, we confidently served up a traditional and well know old Napa Valley Cabernet from Freemark Abbey. As the premier “brand” in the American Wine world, Napa Valley has made it’s most distinctive mark producing world class Cabernet Sauvignon for 120+ years. The warm climate and cool nights create ripe, lush full bodied flavors of currant, cassis, and blackberry, and this worked perfectly with the meat course. Our Bosche Vineyard cabernet had succulent aromas of cherry, black raspberry syrup, and walnut meat in addition to holiday spices like clove and nutmeg. Chocolate and caramel flavors round out the wine which has a long finish.
If you cannot find this exact wine look for other Napa Valley Cabernet producers. While Cabernet from other appellations will suffice, you are want to pair this dish with a cabernet which features flavors of black fruit, and rich undertones of chocolate and dark cherry.

Point Reyes Late Harvest Viognier (NV)

For Desert we served a Point Reyes Vineyard late harvest Viognier to pair with the Bellwether Farms cheese cake. As expected tropical fruit notes from the Viognier were punctuated by apricot and honey. The wine’s character was rich and unctuous which perfectly paired with the creamy sweetness of the Bellwether fromage.
If you cannot find this exact wine: Serve any new world late harvest Viognier, or sauvignon blanc. You are looking for sweet, tropical notes and a rich honey character. If you want to get more adventurous, ask your wine merchant for an Old World Sauterne selection-there are many affordable ones under $35 dollars (such as Chateau Barsac) Or if you are in the mood to pull out the stops—then get your hands on a bottle of Chateau Yquem ($275+ for the 2007 vintage) and be prepared for an explosion of flavors that will be the perfect finish to this Fancy-Schmancy dinner party!

Cheers!
The Wine Geek

Mastering the Tasting Room, or to Spit or not to Spit

2009-10-24T15:57:00.001-07:00

Sniff…Sip…

While one of the most enjoyable aspects of visiting wine country is visiting the various wine estates and sampling their wares, it can also be one of the most intimidating experiences for the un-intiated. Being armed with knowledge coming in can be the best way to overcome any feelings of…whatever…

So here we go:

Tasting means tasting: Tasting rooms are licensed by the respective state ABC’s (Alcohol Beverage Control Boards) to offer free tastes of wine. By law, a taste should not be more than 2 oz. In general a tasting room is not licensed to sell or serve glasses of wine like a restaurant or wine bar. That said, getting to know your host can result in getting a bit more than a “taste”.
It’s okay to spit: Many wineries will provide a spit bucket. If you are going to taste a lot of wine, spitting is the best way to appreciate all wine, especially those that are several hours away from your current destination. (Alcohol tends to dull the senses when consumed….but you know that….) Of course, if you are the DD, spitting is not only recommended but required.
When a tasting fee is not a tasting fee: Some wineries charge for tasting to recoup costs and to keep out the “let’s go party for free crowd” but you can still find some wine tasting rooms that don’t charge. Most wineries will offer a menu of available wines to taste that day and perhaps a reserve menu for an additional fee. And most, but not all wineries will refund the “tasting fee” with the purchase of a bottle. If you are unsure, ask upfront.
It’s okay to hang out and shop for candles: If you don’t want to taste wine, that’s okay. In fact, if you want to bring children into the tasting room, that’s okay too…Some rooms are more kid friendly than others and will offer an apple juice and crackers/cookies to the young fry….
Your host is there to teach, for the most part: Most people who work in tasting rooms are very very knowledgeable about wine, want to socialize but aren’t particularly adept at “sales”. Therefore, you can have a wonderful educational experience and walk out the door. Don’t feel that you have to buy anything. Wine tasting is about discovery; what you like is what you should buy.
There are three primary ways to evaluate a glass of wine. Why you are evaluating that wine may fall into one of two categories: I am looking for wine I like to drink or I am blind tasting this wine to determine what it is and where it was made. As most you probably fall into the former, (finding wine to drink) I present the following steps for your evaluation pleasure. If you interested in the latter, (“blind tasting bingo”) I would suggest you contact a professional association, such as the Court of Sommeliers for their evaluation technique.
So here is the best way to evaluate a wine:

Sight

The color of a wine is the first clue to its quality. White wines should be varying shades ranging from white to yellow, red wines from deep red/purple to brown. For the most part white wines will fall between straw and yellow, and red wines will be purple, ruby or garnet. When evaluating the wine visually, look for clarity (clear or cloudy) color, concentration (low-high) and evidence of gas, (“spritz”) then swirl the glass to determine the viscosity. This is the famous exercise of finding the wines “legs.” Legs are the alcohol in the wine which falls more slowly and forms “legs” on the side of the glass. Rule of thumb, the more legs and the faster they move, the higher the alcohol content of the wine, the slower and less numerous legs indicate a lower alcohol content.

Sniff

Swirl the glass gently to produce a fairly vigorous wave circulating in the liquid. The point of this is to activate the aromatic components in the wine so when the bouquet of the wine smelled can be fully appreciated. When you taste wine, you are only able to detect four distinct flavors, sweet, sour, salty and bitter. Your nose, however, can pick up over 200 different aromas.
When sniffing, tilt the glass toward your face at a 45 degree angle, with your nose slightly below the rim of the glass, inhale gently for 3 or 4 seconds. The scents in a wine may change during the course of the sniff. Use one side of your nose and then the other. You will find that you have one nostril that is more “dominant” and picks out more of the different scents.

Sip

Take a good mouthful of the wine in order to coat all surfaces of your mouth. Roll the wine around in your mouth. The tongue has sensors in different areas that detect sweetness, saltiness, acidity and bitterness.
To maximize the flavor of the wine, take in air while it’s in your mouth. With your head in a normal position, draw in some breath- using gentle suction with the lips pursed. It’s only necessary to allow the tiniest opening – less than the width of a pencil – and to suck in immediately. Close your lips and breathe downwards through the nose.

Now…Swallow or Spit?

After tasting, you can either swallow it, or do as the pros do, and spit it out. Either way, the taste of the wine will remain.

Dinner Possible - Green Chili Chicken Tortilla Soup

2009-10-24T11:19:00.000-07:00

I have all these beautiful chilies growing right now in my garden…so I decided to make this yummy Green Chili Chicken Tortilla Soup. Whether your cold is coming from the inside (achew) or the outside (brrrr)…this soup is going to warm you up…

LindySez - SoSousMe and cheers to a great, easy soup.

Green Chili Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

Red Wine with Chicken? Yes, yes you can.

2009-10-23T17:15:00.001-07:00

So most people, having to think about dinner only have to decide what to make. LindySez is trying to make that process easier for you, but just when she thinks she has it nailed…Chicken breasts, roasted potatoes and a green salad, the DH calls and says…”I hope you are making something red wine friendly…cause I’m bringing home a 1994 and we need to see if it’s still playing.” GREAT..what do you do to make this red wine friendly?
Well, it turned out nicely…and in less then 30 minutes from start to table…the trick that turned it…onions. Well, that and a few herbs. I tossed the potatoes with some extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper and minced rosemary, threw them in the oven to roast, put Italian seasonings on the chicken breast, gave them a good saute (well, more of a fry, I wanted them good and brown) in hot olive oil, finished them in the oven and then browned a sliced onion in the pan, scraping up all the browned bits, added some chicken stock and let that boil down a bit; poured that over the chicken and voila – red wine friendly dinner. And guess what? The 1994 Chateau Montelena Napa Valley Cabernet…still played nice.
LindySez: Remember the wine pairing theory? Red wine can go with anything, it’s all in the preparation.

About Me - Who is this LindySez

2009-10-23T17:09:00.000-07:00

When I was young, I loved food. Now that I’m all grown (well, let’s just say mostly grown), I still love food. Good food. Not necessarily fussy food, or fancy food although if someone else is cooking it, fussy and fancy is fine.

When I was young, while other kids were watching cartoons and Sheriff John (green light, red light, anyone remember that?) I turned on the Galloping Gourmet and Julia Child. I often helped my Mom in the kitchen, she was a good cook, from Germany, so many of the dishes we had came from there, Sauerbraten ( a long braised beef roast that had been marinated for days in a mixture of wine, onions, garlic and herbs), Hassenpfeffer (Rabbit) and sauerkraut; stuff the neighborhood kids thought was “crazy food”, of course half of them were eating hot dogs, canned spaghetti compliments of Chef Boyardee, and cold cereal, so in comparison I guess we were eating crazy food. My parents also taught me the importance of family meals; we ate together most every night right up until the time I left home. These are traditions I still hold on to. Although my youngest is now a senior in high school and very busy, we try to sit down at least a few times a week, and Sunday night dinner is still pretty much mandatory. Sitting down and sharing a meal is the best way to keep in contact with your children, although I do caution you to keep the conversations light, and to not turn dinner into a nightly confrontation of why you didn’t do this, or why did you do that…but it is an excellent time to share your views and thoughts about the world, and listen to them as they share theirs. Key word there…LISTEN…Old joke – “Why did God give you two ears and only one mouth?”…”So you would use your ears twice as much as your mouth.“

When I was in grade school they had mandatory Home Economics for all the girls, the boys went to Wood Shop. Doesn’t work that way in today’s world, thank goodness, but back then all of us girls were supposed to learn to “take care of our families” and the guys, well, they needed those skills to “work around the house”…funny to think how much the world has changed in such a short time. I remember getting the cooking assignments; some real dandys like Chili with Beans, which was really pretty much kidney beans, in tomato sauce with some cut up chunks of beef, not much chili involved at all; but I made it all in good cheer. Until the day the teacher told us we were going to make a “Broccoli Custard Casserole” for our side dish. NONE of my favs…didn’t like broccoli then, mostly cause it was frozen and then cooked to death, and egg custard, not for me thank you very much, put them together and gag me with spoon. So I told her, “I’ll make it…but I won’t eat it.” The eating of our creations was required, so I again said “not me” and then spent the rest of the period in the principal’s office. I spent a lot more time in the principal’s office after that, but I figured I would rather sit in there than have to eat some of that incredibly inedible stuff they were presenting as food. But I did pass the course and did graduate into the big world of high school. So I thought I would skate through Home Ec…first day of school I go to my class and sit down, the teacher comes in, NO WAY, it’s the same teacher…man, I just can’t believe it…I thought I left her behind in 8th grade..I glare at her, she looks at me, and breaks into a big smile. “I’m sure” she said, “we will get along just fine Linda…in high school you get to pick your own dishes to prepare.” We did get along just fine, cook to cook and by the end of the year I was her assistant.

I married young; my first husband was not an adventurous eater even though his mother was Belgium. She mostly tried to fit in and cook American, although as time went on; she would sometimes cook something from her “home” and I did learn a few dishes and tricks. But ultimately she mostly cooked from the pages of Ladies Home Journal, Woman’s Day and the like. For my ex it was meat and potatoes…no fish - “you might get a bone.” After 17 years, life moved on. I met my current and last husband soon after.

Well, what would you expect when two foodies meet in a bar. Food and wine are a huge part of our life. We travel to experience food. We try new restaurants; new foods…if I cook it, he’ll eat it. We love to taste and drink wine. Our original commingling of wine (200 bottles) has turned into a wine cellar of over 1000; although it’s still hard to figure out what to drink with tonight’s dinner.

I’ll always remember the first time he cooked for me…he came over in a Tux with a bag; inside was Cornish game hens and wild rice. Whoo hoo, I got me a live one here. I found out later, that was the only thing he really knew how to cook, but it was an impressive start and he still looks good in a Tux.

We are very lucky; our lives have always had some sort of food element in it, either through entertaining our friends, impromptu parties or being entertained by clients. The only dark spot was when we moved to Tulsa; the fish became scarce; the meat prominent and the weight went on. Luckily that only lasted 14 months, 7 days, 4 1/2 hours before we were on a plane and headed to the city of food, San Francisco, where he was going to be the new VP of Marketing for the Convention Bureau…can we say “Hallelujah?”

As he slowly changed the image of the city – to the city with the best restaurants… from the city with the best icons, we got to eat in some of the best restaurants in the world, Dankos, Fleur de Lys, La Folie, The Ritz Carlton Dining Room, The French Laundry, Masa’s and so many more… we also got to dine with Ruth Reichel, and other editor’s and publishers of epicurean magazines…and trust me, when you are eating with publishers and editors of epicurean magazines, you get some over the top meals; you are not generally ordering “off the menu”. I also got kitchen tours, and was able to talk to the chefs, Hubert Keller of Fleur de Lys, showed me his “book” where he laid out all his plates so they would all be the same…a trick I still use for dinner parties. I got to go to Aspen with Food and Wine magazine for their 10 Best New Chefs for 4 years in a row, not only getting to meet and talk with the likes of Bobby Flay, Mario Batali (don’t try to drink Mario under the table, he’ll win), Rick Bayless, Jacques Pepin and many more, as well as the new and upcoming chefs, who either were being recognized or were in culinary school following their passion for food. OK, funny story, we were invited to an “after” party, that the newest best chefs were having after they finished serving their “signature” dish to about 1000+ people…we are so excited…we get there, they get there and they start making the snacks, I’m antsy with anticipation, what wonderful creations will we be eating…and then they come out….with frozen pizza rolls, cocktail wieners in barbecue sauce, some frozen egg rolls, and then there was the $2500.00 kilo tin of Beluga caviar. Yes, easy cocktail party food.

I absorbed information, techniques, ideas. That’s what I want to share with you. And yes, I met Julia Child. A wonderfully warm lady…with a fantastic sense of humor. As a matter of fact, with only a few exceptions I find that most all chefs are warm, caring and inviting people. That’s why they cook. That’s why I cook. To share our love.

Now I live in Sonoma County, my husband is realizing a life’s dream of working in the world of wine, selling some of the best juice in the country and I am going to continue to pursue my love of cooking. My eldest son and my granddaughter both say that the best time they have when they visit with me is to cook with me. So I hope you will enjoy it as well. To me, a knife hitting a wooden cutting board makes a delicious sound. It relaxes me. If you use a glass cutting board cause you worry about germs (we’ll get into that in a Rant and Rave) switch boards and feel the relax. I’ll share tools, tricks and of course, recipes with you…and hopefully not bore you too much with stories, but you can always skip past those and just get to the good stuff…the food.

Cheers – Lindy

aka LindySez aka SoSousMe

Under Pressure - Split Pea Soup

2009-10-23T16:41:00.000-07:00

So, it’s Scout night…I usually do something quick and easy for the boy so he can get to his meeting, and then something a little more slow and easy for the hubby and me…but all of a sudden I am reminded that this is a “Court of Honor” meeting…where all the boys are awarded the badges and recognition they get for their last 3 months work…and it’s a 6 month Court, which means the leadership roles the boys play also changes…so it’s important that we are THERE…but wait, I’ve not only not thought about how to feed all of us the same thing, but it’s my son’s birthday…so I quickly look to the pantry…it’s always a good thing to have a well stocked pantry, but more on that later..split peas…k…we all like split pea soup…onions, carrots and celery are a staple…ham hocks in the freezer…k DINNER. But I only have an hour…so…pressure cooker to the rescue.

“Pressure cookers are scary”…this comes from the tales of kitchen lore, the days when the lid BURST off of the pot, spraying hot food everywhere. “What’s that on the ceiling Mom?” “Dinner” she replies. Well, it is true, sort of. In the “olden days” before the days of litigation and safety standards; pressure cookers didn’t have the safety features they do today. Early pressure cookers only had a basic primary safety valve and if poorly maintained; the pressure could not be properly released. Modern cookers (and I say modern loosely, I bought my pressure cooker at the LA County Fair over 20 years ago) typically feature two or three independent safety valves, as well as interlocks to prevent the opening of the lid while it’s internal pressure exceeds atmospheric pressure. Proper maintenance is still important to keep the cooker working the way it’s supposed to, keeping food particles out of the valves and keeping the rubber gaskets free of dried foods to allow it to properly seal and set. So use some common sense and check the valves and gaskets before you start to cook. Another thing you want to avoid is over-filling the pot with liquid, never fill more than 2/3 to 3/4 full, check the manual on your model for details.

There are a lot of advantages to cooking in a pressure cooker. While boiling water cannot exceed 212 degrees F, when trapped inside a pressure cooker the steam under the locked lid can reach temperatures up to 250 degrees F and can be maintained at 15 pounds of pressure. Cooking at 15 pounds of pressure cuts most cooking times by 1/3…from the moment you put on the lid, until you release the pressure. You can use less water since the liquids are “trapped” AND less energy. Steaming vegetables can be done in as little as 3 minutes, potatoes, 15. And by using the steamer basket, the vegetables retain more of their nutritional values.

Releasing the pressure is important. Generally, if you are cooking something delicate or something that can easily be quickly overcooked, such as vegetables, use the “quick release” method. When the food is cooked, take the pressure cooker to the sink and run cold water over it, the pressure will be quickly relieved. For stews and heartier dishes allow the pot to sit for 10 or 15 minutes and let the pressure drop on it’s own.

I love my pressure cooker. I love it better than my crock-pot. And there’s a few reasons why…

1. It’s a great “last minute” tool. With a crock-pot you have to think of dinner in advance. Most of us have to go to work, so that means that you have to either prepare your ingredients in the morning, or have them done the night before. And if I decide I want beans with dinner, I can make them, in about 1/2 hour…no pre-soaking needed. (Just add 1 tablespoon oil for each cup of beans to the water to keep them from foaming up and yes, clogging that important valve thing).

2. Most of the time, you need to brown the meat and the vegetables before putting them in a crock-pot…just another dirty pan to clean.

3. Many crock-pot recipes overcook in the time you are at work. I’ve had a couple chicken dishes where the chicken fell so apart, that the tiny little back bones were so mixed in with the meat…well, dodging bones when I eat is not my idea of fun, or good eats.

4. I find that many times when cooking in a crock-pot, the long, slow cooking process makes everything taste kind of alike. Mucks up the flavors.

Now I don’t want you to think I don’t have, and use a crock-pot, I just like the way food tastes and the time control I have with a pressure cooker.

LindySez: Step out of your comfort zone for just a minute; look at your pressure cooker’s manual for general information and then give it a spin. Here’s a few great recipes to get you started.

Under Pressure Split Pea Soup

Pretty Darn Good Chili Verde

Beer Braised Beef with Onions

Once you do it, I think you’ll love it.

A Different Kind of Muffin Top

2009-10-23T16:25:00.000-07:00

Mornings are tough. Trying to get everyone ready and out of the house with something in their stomachs becomes a daily challenge. And then you get the “I don’t want that” or “I don’t like that” coming out of their mouths. Or simply “I don’t have time”. Well, here is a couple of ideas that are portable, grab and run. Chocolate Banana Muffins and Wheat Germ Banana Muffins. With the addition of wheat germ you up the nutritional value and add fiber. And what kid is going to object to chocolate? Well, there may be a few, but they are few and far between.

Say goodbye to the Mc Donald’s sausage biscuit, the $3.00 muffin at Starbucks and the bagel with cream cheese. Try these cheaper, and much healthier alternatives. And don’t forget about the Super Simple Scones recipe. With the addition of nuts and dried fruits, especially blueberries and almonds (both known as “Superfoods“) you add a great nutritional punch.

LindySez: SoSousMe again, I like to save money and I like to know what’s in my food.
Feel free to share your morning quick recipe ideas.

Linguine with Fresh Pesto and Tomatoes

2009-10-23T16:21:00.000-07:00

The summer garden is winding its way down. The tomatoes will soon be gone; and my basil is near the end. I know I will miss the tomatoes once they are gone, but for right now, I’m ready to be done with the tomatoes. Perhaps next year I won’t plant quite as many plants (I say that every year, and then I get all excited come spring and start buying all kinds of new varieties, plus all my favs and end up with 20 + tomato plants). And anyway, during the winter months, I do so enjoying going into my freezer and getting out a container of homemade tomato sauce or marinara. So, more than likely, I will be once again looking forward to the beginning and the end of tomato season. But for now, I’m going to enjoy the last of my crop with this great simple dish -

Linguine with Fresh Pesto and Tomatoes…

Ingredients

3 quarts water
12 ounces linguine
1/2 cup Basil Pesto (recipe follows)
2 cups seeded and diced fresh tomatoes, preferably a mix of Heirloom tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup feta cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Basil Pesto
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
3 large cloves garlic
2 2/3 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Make the Basil Pesto – Drop the pine nuts and garlic through the food chute of a food processor with the motor running; process until minced, stopping to scape the sides of the bowl as necessary. Stop the machine; add basil, cheese and lemon juice; process until finely minced. With processor on, slowly pour the oil through the chute and process until well blended.
Meanwhile; bring the water to a rolling boil. Add a large pinch of salt; cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well – reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
Combine the pesto and pasta in a large bowl; toss well. Use the reserved pasta water to thin as necessary. Add the tomatoes, basil and feta. Toss gently to coat. Adjust seasonings; serve immediately.

This dish can be made in less than 30 minutes. As you boil the water, make the pesto (if you need to buy pre-made pesto, buy the kind in the refrigerator section) and dice the tomatoes. Then once the pasta is cooked, you just toss it all together. Add a salad and it’s a great quick and easy dinner.
Remember – as long as you are making pesto anyway, you can always make extra. Put it into ice cube trays in the freezer; once frozen pop the little cubes out and put them into a zip-top bag. Anytime you need a little pesto, pop one out. Pesto is great when added to a vegetable, bean, or minestrone soup. Just gives it a little pizzaz…

LindySez – Eat fresh and seasonal foods whenever you can.

Dare to Prepare - Fennel

2009-10-23T16:10:00.000-07:00

A bulb of fennel looks very much like a “ball” of celery. Fennel is often mislabeled “sweet anise,” in the supermarket causing those who don’t like the flavor of licorice to avoid it. The confusion stems from the fact that both plants contain an essential oil of similar chemical composition and share a licorice-like flavor and aroma. The flavor of fennel, however, is sweeter and more delicate than anise and, when cooked, becomes even lighter and sweeter than in its raw state. Fennel leaves are feathery and make a nice garnish or can be chopped and used as an herb. The top stalks can be added to soups or stocks for seasoning, but are generally too tough to eat.

The first fennel grown in the United States was grown in 1824 by Thomas Jefferson when he received a packet of seeds from the American Consul in Florence. If you would like to grow fennel in your garden, be sure to choose Florence fennel for its edible bulb. Common fennel will give you edible leaves, and eventually fennel seeds, but the rest of the plant will be too tough and stringy to eat.

To Choose: Someone once told me that fennel with a round bulb is female; flat is male. Not sure if that’s true, I’ve not delved into the sex organs of fennel; but have found that the round bulbs are more tender and sweeter, so maybe that proves they are female. The bulbs should be white, with crisp bright greens – no cuts or bruises.

To Prepare: Separate the top stalks and leaves by slicing across close to the bulb. Trim the base of the bulb no more than is necessary, then quarter the bulb lengthwise. Prepare according to your recipe. If left exposed to air for too long it may discolor, so either rub the exposed parts with lemon juice or put it in cold water with a splash of vinegar.

Fennel is great raw, although the licorice flavor will be more prominent, or you can braise, roast or grill it. It is lovely with fish and plays nicely with tomatoes, oranges, lemons, apples, walnuts and dill.

LindySez: Try it. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to eat it again, I promise…

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Roasted Fennel

4 Servings

Ingredients:
2 medium fennel bulbs
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
Preparation:
Heat oven to 375 F
Trim the fennel bulbs and blanch them in boiling water for 9 to 10 minutes. Immediately plunge them into ice water to stop the cooking process. Cut lengthwise into ¼ inch slices.
Brush the roasting pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil and arrange fennel slices in a single layer. Brush the tops with the remaining oil.
Roast 15 minutes, then turn. Continue roasting another 15 minutes or until the slices can be easily pierced with a skewer and they are lightly browned.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot or at room temperature.
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Fennel – Carrot Confit

6 – 8 Servings

Ingredients:
2 medium fennel bulbs – halved, cored and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 pound carrots – peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
¼ cup olive oil – extra virgin preferred
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (use only the yellow, none of the white pith as it is bitter)
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves- minced
2 cloves garlic – minced
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
Heat oven to 275 F.
In a large baking dish, toss the fennel with the carrots, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, thyme leaves and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Spread the vegetables evenly in the pan. Cover tightly with foil and bake in oven for 2 hours. The vegetables should be very tender.
Warm a 10 to 12 inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the vegetables and their juices and cook, stirring gently until slightly browned, about 8 minutes per batch. Put in a warm serving dish and garnish with minced fennel fronds, if desired and serve.

Lindy’s party tip: The carrots and fennel can be prepared and baked up to 2 days before. Place covered in the refrigerator and then finish by frying them prior to serving.
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Chicken Thighs with Fennel, Lemon and Garlic

(Reprinted from the Chronicle San Francisco Cookbook)

Serves 4 – 6

Michael Bauer devised this one-pot dish, inspired by Richard Olney. Because of their meatiness and density, chicken thighs work much better than white meat for this recipe. Slices of lemon are cooked in a fennel – and garlic-laced broth. The lemon melts down, adding a lovely tart flavor. If it’s too puckery, add a teaspoon or so of sugar.

Ingredients:
8 – 12 chicken thighs, bones and skinned
Flour
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ cups dry white wine
12 garlic cloves, quartered
1 lemon, peeled, seeded and sliced
3 fennel bulbs, sliced
Sugar to taste (optional)
Zest of 1 lemon, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fennel tops

Preparation:
Lightly coat the chicken with flour that has been well seasoned with salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sauté until browned on all sides. Remove the chicken from the pan: set aside.
Add the wine to the pan and simmer, scraping up all the browned bits on the bottom. Add the garlic and lemon slices; let boil about 5 minutes. Add the fennel, cover and cook about 10 minutes. Stir well, and then return the chicken to the pan, placing it on the fennel. Cover and simmer 30 minutes.
Lindy’s party tip: Can be prepared to this point 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
Just before serving, taste the sauce. If it’s too tart, add a little sugar. If necessary, boil the sauce rapidly to reduce excess juices. Remove the chicken from the pan.
Combine the zest and fennel tops and stir most of the mixture into the fennel, reserving a little for garnish. Spoon the fennel onto serving plates and top with the chicken. Garnish with the remaining lemon zest – fennel top mixture

Recommended Wine Varietals: A California or Italian Pinot Gris or Pinot Grigio or a California or New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

Why they work: First of all, Pinot Gris is the same grape as Pinot Grigio. Where it is grown will tell us the wine’s style. A California or Italian Pinot Gris will be on the crisp, more acidic side of the spectrum. This works well with the lemony chicken. The same holds true for the California and New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs. The fresh high-toned acid will bring out the brightness of the dish. Sauvignon Blancs are also known for their citrus fruits – lemon, lime, and grapefruit, which again works well with the lemony chicken, and the tropical fruits – pineapple and melon will complement the sweetness of the fennel.
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Halibut with Herbs and Fennel Tomato Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients:
4 (4 – 6 ounce) halibut steaks or fillets
1 1/3 tablespoons marjoram, minced (if you don’t have marjoram, you could use oregano. Marjoram is slightly sweeter and a little milder than is oregano, so use only 1 tablespoon oregano.)
1 1/3 tablespoons thyme, minced
1 teaspoon lemon zest (be sure to only use the yellow part, no white pith)
1 teaspoon orange zest (ditto as above only using the orange part, of course)
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and sliced laterally
1 cup canned tomatoes, with juice
2 cups dry white wine
1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil, or as needed
2 tablespoons basil leaves, thinly sliced (chiffonad)
2 tablespoons parsley, preferably Italian flat leaf, minced

Preparation:
In a small bowl combine the herbs and zests. Sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper, then spread the herb mixture on one side. Set- aside.
Put 1 tablespoon oil in a saute pan; when hot, add the fennel and cook until the fennel starts to brown on the edges, about 10 minutes. Add the wine and cook until the wine is reduced by 1/2. Add the tomatoes along with their juice; use the back of a spoon to mash them slightly, simmer on medium-high heat until reduced by 1/2. Reduce heat to low; add the olives and capers; simmer until the sauce is very thick.
In another skillet, heat the remaining oil. When hot, add the fish herb side down. Cook about 3 minutes; turn. Add a little more oil to the pan if necessary; cook until the fish is just cooked; another 3 to 4 minutes. Do not overcook the fish. (This is one of the biggest mistakes people make when cooking fish is they overcook it and it gets all dry and yucky – keep the fish moist, cook only until it’s opaque. If you cook it until it “flakes easily with a fork” you’ve already overcooked it.)
Place the fennel with sauce onto a warmed plate; place the fish, herb side up on top, sprinkle with basil and parsley.

Wine Recommendation: A fruity Merlot. (What! Red wine with fish?)

Why it Works: Merlot is generally softer and silkier than a Cabernet Sauvignon. Its flavor profile is generally red fruit driven with undertones of black fruits. Its characteristic soft tannis work well smoothing out the slightly acidic tomato sauce.

Dinner Possible - Chicken Parmesan

2009-10-23T16:07:00.000-07:00

Is it time for dinner? Sometimes it’s so hard just to think about what you are going to make, and then you have to think about what to have with it. It’s no wonder so many of us, and maybe you, remember the old…meatloaf Monday, spaghetti Tuesday…etc…Well, let’s shake it up!
Here is a quick and easy preparation for dinner tonight or any weekday meal when you want to get dinner on the table in a hurry. If you’ve been paying attention…have you been paying attention?…then you will have some homemade marinara sauce already in your freezer. If you haven’t…well then…go ahead and use your favorite pre-made sauce…

Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients

4 (about 4 ounces each) boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (and can we agree not to use the stuff in the green can?)

1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning (or mix some oregano, basil and thyme together)

Freshly ground pepper

1/8 cup reduced fat mayonnaise

1 tablespoon olive oil, or as needed

8 ounces spaghetti, cooked according to package directions

3 cups marinara sauce, either homemade or your favorite prepared sauce, heated

1 cup (4 – ounces) part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

Chopped fresh parsley or basil or both, optional

Directions

Place the chicken breasts into a large zip top bag; using a meat mallet (not the pointy tenderizer side, but the flat side) or rolling pin, pound to 1/4 inch thickness.

Combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasonings and pepper in a shallow dish.

Split the mayonnaise between each breast and spread it evenly across the top with a spatula or knife. Dredge each breast, mayo side only, in the breadcrumb mixture.

Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Place the breast, breaded side down; cook until brown, about 5 minutes; turn and cook the other side until done, about 5 minutes more.

Preheat the broiler.

Place 1 cup of the cooked spaghetti in each of 4 oven-proof bowls or gratin dishes. Spoon 1/2 cup of the marinara over the spaghetti, top with a chicken breast then another 1/4 cup of sauce. Top with 1/4 cup of the mozzarella cheese.

Broil for 3 – 4 minutes, or until the cheese has melted. Garnish with the herbs, if desired.

Per Serving: 592 Calories; 15g Fat (5g Sat, 7g Mono, 3g Poly); 48g Protein; 65g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 88mg Cholesterol; 1327mg Sodium.

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Serve this with a salad lightly dressed with this low-calorie yet tasty dressing. While you might think putting chicken broth in your dressing is a little weird, it really does add a “meatiness” to the dressing and keeps the calories down. Remember, you don’t have to use all the dressing, just enough to “kiss” the greens, not drown them. Store any left-over dressing covered in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Garlic Basil Vinaigrette

Ingredients

1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

3 large cloves garlic

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

Place all the ingredients into a blender or food processor. Blend or process until smooth. Use sparingly over salad greens.

Per Serving: 27 Calories; 2g Fat (1g Mono); 1g Protein; 2g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 150mg Sodium.

LindySez - SoSousMe – Dinner in less than 30? Yeah Baby!

Cheers to Julia Child and the Bouef Bourguignon

2009-10-23T15:49:00.000-07:00

Reading the ingredients of Boeuf Bourguignon in “Mastering the Art of French Cooking“ I thought, “this sounds a lot like beef stew” and you know what…it is…but when prepared as written…it isn’t. Yes, they both use beef cubes, carrots, onions, wine, beef broth and mushrooms, but the transformation of these ingredients is so way different.
I always knew about drying off the meat before browning it, otherwise it puts off too much juice and simply boils. Also doing the meat in batches, again so it has some breathing room to allow it to brown. But here is what really makes this dish so different from Beef Stew…
1. Simmering the bacon for 10 minutes; removes some fat, but mostly some of the smokiness and salt. Big difference. I just used 6 ounces of thick sliced bacon, since I couldn’t find and didn’t have the time to order a chuck of bacon with rind. Not sure if that made a huge difference in flavor, I’m going to guess not.
2. Thinly slicing the carrot and onion; they simply melted into the rich sauce.
3. Browning the meat, then adding the salt, pepper and flour and putting it in a hot (425 degree oven) for 8 minutes, stirring once at the half-way mark (that would be 4 minutes)…really did cook the flour without burning – what a great technique.
4. Browning and braising the pearl onions and adding them at the end. This gave them a wonderful depth of flavor. BTW – you can peel the onions or even use frozen ones. If using frozen, be sure to thaw them out and pat them dry before browning them.

Richly browned and braised onions

5. Browning the mushroom pieces in butter and adding them to the sauce at the end. See above. And for those of you who know me well, yes, I did taste one.

Mushrooms

I did not, however, pour the sauce through a colander and skim the fat, as I really didn’t have much fat. I think the meats we have today are so much leaner than when the recipe was written, so no fat to skim, and one less pot to wash. Actually, if time allows, the best way to do this is to put the casserole in the refrigerator overnight (makes the flavors just that much more friendly with each other) then skim any fat off the top the next day, or even the day after that, before you reheat it. Beef Stew and Boeuf Bourguignon are both dishes that are better as “left-overs).

Boeuf Bourguignon

Beef Stew generally has potatoes in it. Boeuf Bourguignon is usually served with either boiled potatoes, buttered noodles or even steamed rice…but I chose to serve it with some of Rough Mashed Garlic Red Potatoes…it was a great choice.

Now, let me warn you. This dish is not a quick to prepare any night meal, although as I said, it can be prepared in advance and then reheated. But you need to allow yourself at least an hour, just to properly prepare and brown the meat. Then 3 hours in the oven…of course if you have a pressure cooker, you could have it cooked in 1 rather that 3 hours…
LindySez: Bon Appetit. And thank you Julia for such a delish Beef Stew in Red Wine, with Bacon, Onions and Mushrooms.
Rough Mashed Garlic Red Potatoes
Make sure you don’t peel the potatoes. The skin stays on to add flavor and color.
1 pound small red potatoes
4 cloves garlic
1 cup cream or half and half (or milk, or low fat milk if you must), or as needed
1/4 cup unsalted butter
Salt and pepper, to taste
Cook the potatoes in salted water with the garlic cloves until the potatoes are tender. Drain well and return to the pan, place the pan over low heat and shake to dry the potatoes out. When the potatoes are dry and starchy looking, add the butter and mash with a potato masher, adding cream until they are your desired consistency. Taste and add salt and pepper, stir and serve.

Wine Pairing Theory - Or how to serve red wine with fish...

2009-10-23T15:41:00.000-07:00

A quick history of pairing theory…

One of the oldest myths about food pairing is white wine with fish, red wine with meat; I say myth, because it’s the easy way out and simply isn’t true. A more modern philosophy among foodies has evolved in recent years which strives to match the styles of wines with the weight of the food that is the body of the dish or “Paired Weight Theory”. Thus light body wines go with light bodied foods, heavy body wines with heavy bodied foods. (There is also a rogue camp of foodies who believe that any dish can be made to match any wine, think steak and White Zinfandel, but we’ll save that discussion for another day, or read any book by wine consultant Tim Hanni). The key to working with the Paired Weight Theory is broadly understanding how different varietals are classified and of course having a good enough sense of the dish you’re making’s eventual “weight”

In general, most whites wines like Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Viognier should be classified on the light side of the scale, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese (Chianti in Italy) and French Beaujolais are generally medium bodied and reds like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel and Syrah, are full bodied and should be considered heavy. A key factor which plays into this classification this is the body of the wine. Body takes into consideration viscosity (including alcohol content) texture, (silkiness, chewiness, meatiness,) and saturation.
So first you must consider how the food is being prepared. Are you grilling, roasting or frying? Is your chicken being prepared with a lemon sauce or is it a full bodied Chicken Cacciatore? Each of these preparations would call for a different style of wine.
To balance the textures, compare the elements of your food with the elements of your wine. As an example, a lightly grilled halibut steak seems a good match for a nice light Chardonnay, but if you add a squeeze of lemon, the sweet fruit in the Chardonnay is going to fight with the lemon, making the wine bitter. A better pair would be a Sauvignon Blanc because of its higher acid. Conversely, putting a cream sauce over that halibut would make it a perfect Chardonnay choice.

Keep this in mind: For every bite…you don’t want the wine to fight!

Sweet foods need a sweeter wine; otherwise the palate cannot perceive the sweetness of the wine, causing it to taste bitter or tart.
Sour or acidic foods need a wine with more acidity, or the wine will seem flat and dull.
Salty foods and acid work well together, as the acid in the wine helps keep the salt in check.
Bitter and astringent foods would accentuate the bitterness of a wine, so look for wines that are full flavored and fruity.

A couple of other things to think about:

Quality – The better the wine, the better it will pair with a wider variety of foods and styles. The flaws in lesser bottles of wine will jump up and down on your palate when served with any ingredient that is not in perfect harmony with the varietal.
Winemaker Style – Is that Chardonnay overly oaked or is it more fruit forward? Pinot Noirs can run from very rich and fruity, to mushroomy, earthy and lean. It’s easier to change your foods preparation then it is to change a winemaker’s style of winemaking. But, with tasting and comparing, you can also find a winemaker’s style that you like, and that works well with the foods you like to eat.
Personal Preference - What you like is what you like. No one is going to be able to convince you, nor should they, that there is only one wine to go with any particular food.

So when you think fish and you’re mind thinks white, remember to think of the texture and weight of what you are serving. By changing herbs, spices and cooking styles, you can change a “white” wine dish into a red wine friendly dish.

LindySez - SoSousMe- I like red wine and here are my top 5 favorite red wine with fish dishes:

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1. Seared Ahi and a Cabernet Sauvignon

Let’s start with Seared Ahi. Ahi actually works more like a steak than fish. Most of the time it’s served rare (and rightly so); that makes it even more steak-like.

Simple Seared Ahi

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 fresh Ahi tuna steaks (get the best quality you can)

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Rub the tuna with the oil. Season well with salt and pepper. Heat a heavy pan over high heat; throw the tuna in the pan and sear it for just a few minutes on each side. You want the middle to be rare. (If you insist on cooking it through, just make sure you don’t overcook it).

Per Serving: 174 Calories; 4g Fat (1g Sat, 2g Mono, 1g Poly); 33g Protein; trace Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 64mg Cholesterol; 319mg Sodium.

Why it works: Cabernet’s from California will generally have higher tannins, a heavier mouth feel and will compliment the texture of the Ahi just as they would a steak. The strong presence of black fruits (think blackberry, cassis and blueberry) enhance the meat mouth feel of the Ahi and compliments the simple salt and pepper seasoning.

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2. Cioppino and Zinfandel

Cioppino is a tomato-based seafood stew that was created by Italian fishermen in San Francisco around the turn of the century. While today, Dungeness crab is considered a required ingredient, you should use whatever fish you like; and use what is fresh. No mater what seafood you use, it’s the tomato base that ties this stew to Zinfandel.

Lindy’s Cioppino

Serves 6

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 celery stalk, diced

1 medium onion, diced

1 leek, cleaned, cut in half and then thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup chopped fennel

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 bay leaf

2 cups crushed tomatoes with juice

1 cup bottled clam juice

1 cup dry white wine, (a Sauvignon Blanc works well here)

Large pinch red pepper flakes

Pinch of saffron threads

Salt and pepper, to taste

12 whole mussels or clams (or splurge and use both) cleaned

12 whole raw medium shrimp, shelled and deveined, tails left on

1/2 pound bay scallops

1 Dungeness crab, cleaned, broken into pieces and cracked or lobster cut into pieces, or other crab if you have a local favorite

1 pound snapper, halibut, cod or other white fish, cut into bite sized pieces

Minced parsley

Directions

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the oil; add the celery, onion, garlic, leek, fennel, thyme and bay leaf. Saute 5 minutes.
Add the wine and reduce by half (about 3 minutes); add the tomatoes, clam juice, saffron, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Simmer on medium-low heat for 20 minutes.
Add the mussels or clams (or both); remove them to a bowl as they open. This keeps them from overcooking. Discard any shellfish that does not open.
Add the rest of the seafood and cook until the shrimp is pink, scallops are opaque, crab is hot and the fish is cooked. Divide the shellfish between 6 heated bowls; ladle the stew over; top with parsley and serve with a good garlic bread. and a nice bottle of Zinfandel or Chianti. (In Italy many fish stews are served over a garlic crostini, you can do that too with this if you so desire).
Per Serving: 309 Calories; 12g Fat (2g Sat, 7g Mono, 2g Poly); 32g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 79mg Cholesterol; 654mg Sodium.

Why it works: Zinfandel’s flavor profile is loaded with red and black fruits and sweet and savory spice notes like cinnamon and white pepper. The tomato based Cioppino is high in acid and the slight sweetness and higher alcohol of the Zin soothe one another into a mellow flavor.
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3. Swordfish and a “Super Tuscan”

Swordfish is a dense fish with a firm texture. It can be grilled, fried, broiled or baked. Serving it with an olive tapenade makes it the perfect choice to go with a nice Super Tuscan*. Together, the texture of the fish and the savory toppings puts this dish into the heavy bodied category.

Baked Swordfish with Olive Relish

Serves 4

Ingredients

1/3 cup green olives, pitted and chopped

1/3 cup kalamata or black oil cured olives, pitted and chopped

1/4 cup roasted red pepper, chopped (you can do these yourself or you can use bottled, I use bottled)

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced

2 anchovies, drained and minced (this really gives a good flavor to the relish, so try to use them and don’t go yuck)

2 teaspoons capers, drained

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

1 large clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

4 (6-ounce) swordfish steaks

Directions

Combine the olives, peppers, parsley, anchovies, capers, vinegar and garlic in a small bowl. Stir in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, allow to sit for a while to let the flavors blend, 1 hour would be great. ( LindySez Party Tip: Make this the day before and let it sit overnight covered in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Brush the swordfish on both sides with olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Heat an oven proof skillet over medium high heat until hot; add the fish and sear on both sides until brown; then pop the pan in the oven to finish the cooking process; cook until done, about 10 minutes more.

Put the fish on a warm plate, top with the relish.

Per Serving: 338 Calories; 20g Fat (3g Sat, 9g Mono, 2g Poly); 34g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 68mg Cholesterol; 653mg Sodium.

Why it works: Think of the ingredients in this recipe independently and you have many of the most popular toppings for pizza; garlic, olives, anchovies and red pepper. If this dish included tomatoes (it does not) a Chianti or Sangiovese would be a great pairing partner. However, the red peppers are less acidic and sweeter than tomatoes; therefore, the addition of Cabernet in the Super Tuscan blend smooths out the normal acidity of Sangiovese grapes by adding some needed tannins and concentrated black fruit. The density of the swordfish matches the texture of most red meat.

*Super Tuscans burst onto the scene in Chianti in 1975 with the introduction of Tignanello (80% Sangiovese and 20% cabernet). The Piero Antinori of the legendary Antinori wine making tradition was trying to offer a new way to make Sangiovese interesting to the world again after it had faded due to dismal production and abysmal cheap wines for almost 3 decades. The result has helped to redefine Chianti and upgrade production on the Sangiovese grape. Antinori was, at first, scorned by the DOC (the controlling authority in Italy) and was forced to label Tignanello as a lowly Vin di Tavolo (table wine). Today, Tignanello and other Super tuscans carry the IGT classification (indicazione geografica tipica).
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4. Halibut and Merlot

Halibut is a mild flavored, medium textured fish. This combination works well with a Merlot, the fennel and orange zest bringing out the fruit Merlot is known for.

Halibut with Herbs and Fennel Tomato Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 (4 – 6 ounce) halibut steaks or fillets

1 1/3 tablespoons marjoram, minced

1 1/3 tablespoons thyme, minced

1 teaspoon lemon zest (yellow part only, no white pith)

1 teaspoon orange zest (ditto above, only the orange part)

1 fennel bulb, sliced

1 cup canned tomatoes, with juice

2 cups dry white wine

1/4 cup chopped kalamata olive

2 tablespoons capers, rinsed

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil, or as needed

2 tablespoons basil leaves, chiffonade

2 tablespoons minced parsley

Directions

In a small bowl, combine the herbs and the zests. Season the fish with salt and pepper, then spread the minced herbs on one side. Set-aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a saute pan. Add the fennel and saute until the fennel starts to brown on the edges, about 10 minutes. Add the wine and cook until the wine is reduced by 1/2. Add the tomatoes along with their juice; using your spoon mash them slightly. Simmer over medium high heat until reduced by 1/2. Reduce heat to medium low; add the olives and capers and simmer until the sauce is very thick.

Heat the remaining oil in a skillet; when hot, add the fish herb side down. Cook about 3 minutes; then turn. Add a little more oil, if necessary; and cook until the fish is just cooked through. Do not overcook the fish. (This is the biggest mistake people make when cooking fish, they over cook it, and then it becomes all dry and yucky. If you cook it until it “flakes easily with a fork” you’ve overcooked it. Keep it moist in the center, cooking only until it’s opaque.)

Place the fennel mixture onto a warmed plate, top with fish and sprinkle basil and parsley over.

Per Serving: 394 Calories; 15g Fat (1g Sat, 6g Mono, 2g Poly); 37g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 54mg Cholesterol; 712mg Sodium.

Why it works: Merlot is generally softer and silkier than Cabernet Sauvignon. Its flavor profile is generally red fruit driven with an undertone of black fruit. Its characteristic soft tannins work well smoothing out the slightly acidic tomato sauce.

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5. Salmon and Pinot Noir

A classic combination. Add bacon and it’s a no brainer.

Salmon with Lentils and Bacon

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 cup lentils, rinsed

1 medium onion, minced (about 3/4 cup)

1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped

4 (2-inch long) orange peel strips (orange part only, no white pith)

2 1/2 cups water

4 (6-ounce) salmon steaks or fillets ( use wild caught salmon if at all possible; it’s got better taste, better texture, it’s good for YOU and it’s good for the environment)

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup chopped chives or green onion tops (try the chives, they really are different than green onion tops)

2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon or 2 teaspoons dried

Directions

Combine the lentils, onion, carrot, orange peel and water in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer until the lentils are tender, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes. Drain, reserving 3/4 cup cooking liquid; discard the orange peel. Return the lentils to the pan; season with salt and pepper. (LindySez Party Tip: Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and chill the lentils and reserved cooking liquid separately.)

While the lentils cook fry the bacon until crisp. Remove, drain and chop into pieces. (Hint: I like to have uniform pieces of bacon in my dish, so I slice the bacon first into uniform pieces and then fry them.)

Place a frying pan over medium heat. Add a small amount of oil; heat until shimmering. Season the fish with salt and pepper and place in the frying pan. Cook until just opaque, turning once. (LindySez: Party Tip- to really impress…if using salmon steaks, cut out the center bone and separate each half. Starting at the thickest part; roll the salmon to form a circle; tie with kitchen string. After cooking, remove the string and you have a nifty little salmon circle.)

Meanwhile, add enough reserved cooking liquid to the lentils to moisten them; mix in the cream, parsley, chives and tarragon; bring to a simmer. Add the bacon. Spoon lentils onto warmed plates; top with the salmon and serve.

Per Serving: 423 Calories; 10g Fat (3g Sat, 3g Mono, 3g Poly); 49g Protein; 34g Carbohydrate; 16g Dietary Fiber; 102mg Cholesterol; 135mg Sodium.

Why it works: There is probably no more famous food and wine pair than Salmon and Pinot Noir; think of them as the Abbott and Costello of food and wine. They work on most all the levels of pairing theory: ingredients from common geography (Oregon, Washington, North Coast CA) and body weight (both medium). The typical flavor profile of Pinot Noir is combination of red fruits (cherry, cranberry and raspberry), black fruits (black cherry and plum); and a wonderful earthiness that ranges from moist earth and mushrooms (typical in red burgundies from France); to a softer more elegant style found in the Pinots from the New World (California, Oregon and Washington, as well as New Zealand).

LindySez - Now do your heart good - eat some fish, and enjoy the health properties found in it as well as in red wine!

Dinner Possible - Balsamic Blackberry Chicken Breasts Menu

2009-10-22T18:26:00.000-07:00

This dinner is simple to prepare and everyone loves the sweet and sour tastes of the blackberry balsamic glaze. And it’s low-cal too. The whole thing, with a glass of wine, (that’s a standard 5 ounce pour) comes in at less than 575 calories and only 8 grams of fat. If you’re not drinking wine, it would be about 100 calories less, but LindySez “for 100 calories, I’ll enjoy the wine.“

Blackberry Balsamic Chicken Breasts

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced

Salt and pepper

4 (about 4 ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts

3 tablespoons minced shallot, (or onion)

1/4 cup pinot noir wine, (or another red wine or if you don’t drink use chicken broth)

1/2 cup seedless blackberry jam

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Directions

Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Sprinkle the thyme leaves over the top of each breast, then season with salt and pepper.

Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the breasts, herb side down and cook, turning once, until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken and keep warm.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the shallots to the pan and saute for one minute. Add the wine (or broth) stirring to scrape up any brown bits; simmer until the wine is reduced by half. Add the jam and vinegar and simmer until the preserves melt. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. Spoon the sauce over the breasts and serve. Serves 4

Serve this with this simple but tasty orzo. Orzo is a small, rice shaped pasta. It cooks in about 10 minutes. So start the water to cook the orzo at the same time you start the chicken.

Herbed Orzo

Ingredients

1 cup orzo pasta

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon unsalted butter

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon fresh minced thyme

1/2 teaspoon fresh minced oregano

1/2 teaspoon fresh minced tarragon

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Cook the orzo according to the package directions. Drain well. Return to the pot and stir in the herbs along with salt and pepper, to taste. Serves 4

Add a healthy, tasty broccoli dish. Just remember to cook the broccoli only to crisp tender, don’t overcook it into mush.

Steamed Broccoli with Lemon Zest

Ingredients

1 pound broccoli

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

Zest from 1 lemon

Juice from 1/2 a lemon (zest first, juice second)

Salt

Pinch red pepper flakes, (optional)

Directions

Discard the lower third of the broccoli stem (compost!). Peel remaining stem and cut into 1/4 inch slices. Cut the broccoli crown into 2-inch florets. In a steamer set over boiling water (if you don’t have a steamer, a metal colander will work), cover and steam the broccoli until it is crisp tender, about 4 – 5 minutes. When done, toss it with the olive oil, lemon zest, juice, salt and red pepper flakes, if using. Serves 4

If you are drinking wine, I recommend a Merlot, Shiraz, or Pinot Noir. Their flavor profiles will will work well with the blackberry glaze as well as play nicely with the lemon zest and herbs.

LindySez: -So there you are. Dinner for tonight or any weeknight that I think the whole family will love. Cheers!

What's the Difference between White Zinfandel and Rose Wine

2009-10-22T18:19:00.000-07:00

A reader asked what the difference is between a Rose wine and the much belittled white zinfandel since Rose wines are becoming much more popular and are being produced more widely by wineries. So I asked my favorite wine geek and this is what he said:
The short answer is while both are made in much the same way; White Zinfandel is sweeter and pinker than most roses- which tend to be dry- and range in color from onion skin to deep-salmon to candy apple red.
The long answer: Rose Wines have been made in France for centuries- Wine Writer Tom Stevenson postulates in the Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia that Rose has been made for more than 2600 years. The best come from Tavel in the Rhone Valley and Bandol in Provence. Rose is made from many different old world grapes but the some of the most commonly used grapes in French Rose are Grenache, Mouvedre, Syrah and Cinsault.
White Zinfandel, which was first made in California by Bob Trinchero of Sutter Home Winery, was the result of a fortuitous accident. And, as the name clearly states, is made from Zinfandel grapes. In an effort to create a richer Zinfandel from his vineyards in Amador County, Trinchero removed 550 gallons of juice from the fermenting tank to allow a higher skin to juice ratio. The theory was that this would make the resultant Zinfandel wine “richer” (Think Kool-Aid here…the less water to powder… the richer the flavor)
But Trinchero had a problem: he now had 550 gallons of white juice on his hands and no place to put it. So he made wine and sold it in 1973 and 1974 under the name White Zinfandel; while the wine had its trademark Pink” color it was also dry. In 1975, a “stuck fermentation” (the fortuitous accident) resulted in a higher than normal amount of residual sugar being left in the wine, and the rest is history. It is estimated more than 10 million cases of White Zinfandel are sold each year. While it has been somewhat vilified by wine snobs, (Adult Soda Pop”) it should be remembered that many wine drinkers today first started with White Zin and graduated to more complex varietal wines. I personally make a habit of shaking the hand of any white zin drinker…after all that means they are not drinking beer or spirits! In addition, the creation of White Zin, helped to save many of California’s oldest Zinfandel vineyards from being re-planted.
The rest of the long answer-Rose: The best Rose’s are dry, and range in color from a very pale vin gris color to deep red. They are made in three ways.

Bleeding: Black grapes are allowed to press themselves under their own weight. The resulting juice is fermented and results in a very fresh flavored, fruity rich wine.
Pressing: Black grapes are pressed just long enough for the juice to take on the color of rose. The result is not as rich as bleeding.
Limited Maceration: Made in the same way as red wines, but the skin contact with the juice is cut short to create the appropriate color and flavor profile.

The really quick answer: White Zin is sweeter and pinker than traditional Rose, but both are refreshing, fruity, delightful and best enjoyed on a warm summer day.
LindySez: So there you are. However, I think that a nice Rose, from France, California, Oregon, Washington or wherever, goes beautifully with not only smoked meats, like ham, but is a great compliment to your Thanksgiving table. It goes with most all of the “traditional” sides and is yummy with Turkey.

"No Soup for You"

2009-10-22T17:32:00.001-07:00

“No Soup for YOU!”

Boo

When the weather turns rainy and cold, my thoughts turn to warm foods…long cooked meats, soups, stews…comfort foods. It’s pouring here today…and will be for the next few days…so I’m thinking soup for dinner.

Remember the Soup Nazi on Seinfeld? No Soup for you! But soup is good food, and a homemade or well made soup is really seriously good eats. And yet, homemade soups are becoming a thing of the past. A lot of people think of soup only at lunchtime. Open a can…pour it in the pan…add the water (or not, if it’s not concentrated)…heat and eat. But a good hearty soup and some biscuits, cornbread or a whole grain roll can make a great and satisfying meal. If you have never made soup yourself, and always depended on the Cambells and Progressos to do it for you, I think you should try it. I also think you will find it easy and satisfying to chop and put in your own fresh ingredients…all the while having full control over the amount of salt and what kind of flavors you enjoy. It is as soul-comforting as sitting in front of the fireplace with a roaring fire…watching your favorite movie or reading your favorite book…That’s the same feeling I get smelling a pot of simmering soup on the stove. And with cold and flu season here, everybody needs a good chicken soup!

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So let’s just start with a basic chicken soup. Once this is made you can add whatever you desire to it…cooked rice (leftover?) and you have a nice Chicken with Rice Soup, or cooked noodles for Chicken Noodle Soup. How about some alphabet shapes? Alphabet Soup. (How much fun was it to make words with Alphabet soup when you were a kid…kids still love it!) Add peas, beans, corn…whatever…it’s all good. And if you have a stuffy nose, or the sneezes, or coughs, it’s a proven fact that nothing makes you feel better then a good old bowl of Chicken Soup…well, a little love and care helps too…

Make a batch today…put it into plastic containers…freeze it…and it will be there for you…when you need it. Here’s to hoping you don’t.

Just the Beginnings Chicken Soup

Ingredients

1 whole chicken, cut into 2 legs, 2 thighs, 2 wings, 1 back (halved) and two breasts, as much skin removed as possible

3 carrots, peeled and cut in half

2 stalks celery, with leaves, cut in half

1 onion, quartered

1 teaspoon thyme

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups low-salt chicken broth, or homemade

8 cups water

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Place the chicken legs, thighs, wings and back into a pot or Dutch oven (set the breasts aside, we will add those later so they don’t overcook and get all dry, dark meat holds its moisture and flavor much better than does the white meat); add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to a slow simmer and cook for 1 hour, skimming any foam that rises. Add the breasts and simmer for about 15 minutes longer. Remove the chicken to a bowl and strain the broth through a fine sieve.

When cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones and cut or shred into bite sized pieces. Thinly slice the carrots, coarsely chop the celery and onions. Return all to the pan and heat. Stir in the parsley.

Now, add cooked rice, noodles, macaroni, orzo, or whatever.

Taste and adjust seasonings Serves 6

Per Serving: (without addition of starches); 344 Calories; 17g Fat (4g Sat, 8g Mono, 3g Poly); 43g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 138mg Cholesterol; 368mg Sodium.

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This beefy soup makes a great lunch or dinner. Serve it with some hearty bread. Left-overs make for great lunches. Get a large mouth thermos and fill it up with some tummy warming soup…it’s the best way to deal with a cold day.

Vegetable Beef Soup

Serves 6 – 8

Ingredients

1 pound chuck roast, cut into small pieces

1 onion, diced

3 carrots, peeled, halved and sliced

2 stalks celery, diced (use some of the leaves)

1/2 cup diced tomatoes (canned is fine)

1 quart low-salt beef broth

2 cups water

Pinch dried thyme

Pinch dried oregano

1 large potato, peeled and diced

1 cup frozen peas

Salt and pepper, to taste

Chopped fresh parsley,(optional)

Directions

In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, combine the meat, onion, celery, tomato, beef stock, water, thyme and oregano; bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, then simmer 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is very tender. Add the potatoes and peas; continue to simmer for 10 – 15 minutes or until the potato is tender. Taste and adjust seasonings. Ladle soup into warmed bowls and top with chopped parsley, if desired.

Per Serving: 475 Calories; 19g Fat (7g Sat, 8g Mono, 1g Poly); 36g Protein; 40g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 66mg Cholesterol; 450mg Sodium.

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We really like barley in soup. It holds up well over time, doesn’t get soggy, just softer. If you like your barley soft…then soak it for about 5 hours before adding it to the soup. This soup freezes very well. When I first made it, I used left-over roast from Sunday dinner. Fresh meat works just as well, but if you happen to have some left-overs, this is a great way to re-purpose it.

Beef Barley Soup

Serves 6 – 8

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 cup diced carrot

1/2 cup diced celery

1 tablespoon flour (optional) I like thicker soups and usually add flour to thicken them as they cook

1 quart low-salt beef broth

1 (14-ounce) can tomatoes, with the juice, coarsely chopped

1 cup water

1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1/2 cup frozen or fresh corn kernels

1/2 cup pearl barley

10 ounces left-over or fresh roast beef, cut into small cubes

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

In a large pot or Dutch oven, add the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery, saute until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the flour and cook for a few minutes. Stir in the beef broth, tomatoes, water, thyme, parsley, and corn. Bring to a simmer, then add the pearl barley and beef cubes, slowly simmer, covered, for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the barley is tender.

Per Serving: 339 Calories; 14g Fat (5g Sat, 7g Mono, 1g Poly), 25g Protein, 30g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber; 51mg Cholesterol; 215mg Sodium.

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I used to make this soup for Halloween every year. Put all the ingredients into the crock-pot and let it simmer away. That way I could make sure my son ate something healthy before going out to trick or treat with his buds and eat as much candy as they could cram into their mouths. After, all us parents would sit back and enjoy a bowl of soup while the kids would count, share and trade their treasures. I miss having my little one at this time of the year…he’s much too grown-up to go trick or treating, well, at least with his parents he is. Serve this with some hot cornbread dripping in some honey butter.

Fiesta Meatball Soup

Serves 6 – 8

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

1/2 pound lean ground beef

1/4 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

1 clove garlic

1/2 tablespoon finely minced jalapeno, or to taste

1 egg

Salt and pepper, to taste

For the Soup

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup frozen corn

1/2 cup seeded and chopped green bell pepper

1/2 cup seed and chopped red bell pepper

1 jalapeno, seeded and minced

1 – 2 cans small red beans, or black beans, or combo, drained and rinsed

1 can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes with juice, tomatoes coarsely chopped

1 quart chicken stock, preferably homemade, or low-sodium

2 cups water

2 cups cooked rice (white or brown)

1/2 teaspoon salt

Additional chopped cilantro, if desired

Directions

Combine the meatball ingredients in a bowl. Using your hands, mix well. Make small (about 1/2 inch) meatballs. Set-aside.

If using a crock-pot, combine all the ingredients,except the meatballs and rice. Mix well. (Keep the meatballs and rice in the refrigerator until you are ready to add them. They work best if you can take them out at least 1/2 hour before you need to add them to the soup) Cook on low heat about 8 hours or high heat about 4. If cooking on low, turn to high and drop in the meatballs. Cook about another hour, or until the meatballs are cooked through. Stir in the cooked rice and cook until heated through.

If cooking on top of the stove: In a large soup pan, combine all the ingredients except the meatballs and rice. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for about an hour; add the meatballs, cook about 15 minutes then add the rice. Cook until heated through.

Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve in warm bowls; top with chopped cilantro, if desired.

These are good with corn muffins or warmed corn or flour tortillas.

Per Serving: 221 Calories; 8g Fat (3g Sat, 3g Mono, trace Poly); 14g Protein; 26g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 48mg Cholesterol; 387mg Sodium.

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Minestrone…now that’s Italian…this recipe comes right from the Colavita USA web-site. How about having some Garlic Toast with this? And a nice Chianti…

Minestrone

Serves 4 – 6

Ingredients

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

3 stalks celery, diced (use some of the leaves)

3 carrots, peeled and diced

1/4 head green cabbage, shredded

1/4 pound green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 clove garlic, minced

3 to 4 sprigs parsley, preferably Italian, chopped

1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste*

2 cups low-salt beef broth

9 cups water

1 or 2 cans kidney or cannellini (white kidney beans) drained and rinsed

3 small zucchini, chopped

1 cup small pasta, such as elbow pasta, cooked according to package directions

Salt and pepper, to taste

6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste

*I like to use 1/2 of a can of tomato paste and 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes with their juice.

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven; add the onion, celery, carrots, cabbage, green beans, garlic and parsley. Saute over low heat until they are wilted. Add the tomato paste (and canned tomatoes if using); beef broth and water; simmer 45 minutes.

Add the beans, zucchini and pasta. Simmer until heated through and the zucchini is tender, about 5 minutes.

Ladle into warmed bowls, top with Parmesan cheese.

Per Serving: 411 Calories; 21g Fat (4g Sat, 14g Mono, 2g Poly); 16g Protein; 44g Carbohydrate; 9g Dietary Fiber; 4mg Cholesterol; 817mg Sodium.

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High Five Veggie Soup

Having been raised on mushy canned vegetable soups, my husband was less than enthusiastic when I decided to make and all veggie soup for lunch. But with one taste, I not only got a High-Five, but I also had a veggie soup convert.

High Five Veggie Soup

Serves 6 – 8

Ingredients

6 ounces fusilli pasta, or another short pasta

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 cup green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 cup chopped onion

1 small red pepper, seeded and diced

2 (14.5 – ounce) cans Italian style stewed tomatoes, chopped or lightly blended

2 cups vegetable broth

1 cup water

2 medium zucchini, sliced in half lengthwise and cut into 1/4 inch thick pieces

4 cups coarsely chopped fresh spinach

6 fresh basil leaves, chopped or torn

1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans, (white kidney beans) or red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Pinch red pepper flakes, (optional)

2 tablespoons basil flavored oil or a good fruity olive oil

2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste

Directions

In a large pot of salted water, cook the fusilli for 6 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Set-aside.

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over low heat; add the green beans, onions and bell pepper; sprinkle with salt, cover and allow them to sweat for 10 minutes, do not brown.

Add the stewed tomatoes, vegetable broth and water; bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the zucchini, spinach and basil; simmer another 10 minutes.

Add the beans, pasta and red pepper flakes, if using, along with some additional broth or water if the soup seems too thick; simmer 5 minutes more.

Taste and adjust seasonings; Ladle into warmed bowls and drizzle with the oil and give it a good sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

Per Serving: 278 Calories; 9g Fat (1g Sat, 5g Mono, 1g Poly); 9g Protein; 42g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber; 2mg Cholesterol; 725mg Sodium.

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Left-Overs Turkey Soup

Thanksgiving is almost here. And you know what that means…LEFT-OVERS…yep, turkey this, turkey that. Making a soup out of the carcass is a great idea…but there is usually more left over than just turkey. If so, throw it into the soup…left-over corn – sure, green beans…absolutely…wild rice? of course. That said, don’t put in any left-over that has been cooked with a pungent or sweet sauce…I also wouldn’t put in Brussels sprouts, due to their strong flavor, or potatoes.

Left-Overs Turkey Soup

Serves 6 – 8

Ingredients

For the Stock:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 turkey carcass, broken into as small of pieces as you can

Turkey legs and thigh bones

Turkey wings

1 onion coarsely chopped

4 sprigs parsley

2 sprigs thyme

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 teaspoon salt

1 large bay leaf

1 quart low-salt beef broth

Cold water

For the Soup:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup diced celery

1 cup diced carrot

1 cup green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces

1/3 cup chopped parsley

1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 tablespoons flour

Turkey stock

Reserved turkey meat

8 ounces cooked small pasta, such as Ditali or small elbow (or rice or noodles)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Prepare the Stock:

Heat the oil in a large stock or soup pot; add the turkey pieces and brown for about 10 minutes. Add all the remaining stock ingredients and enough cold water to cover; bring to a boil; reduce the heat to barely a simmer; simmer 3 – 4 hours.

Drain though a fine sieve lined with 3 layers of cheesecloth into a large bowl. Set the vegetables, meat and bones aside to cool. (I like to prepare the stock the day before making the soup, setting it uncovered in the refrigerator so the fat is easy to remove. If you want to skip that step, proceed with making the soup.) When the vegetables and bones are cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones, tear or cut into small pieces taking care to remove the small pieces of bone. Set-aside. Discard the vegetables and bones.

Prepare the Soup:

If making with all fresh ingredients* – In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-low heat; add the onion, celery, carrot and green beans; give them a good pinch of salt; cover and sweat** over low heat for 10 – 15 minutes – do not brown. Stir in the parsley, thyme and flour; saute a couple minutes then add the stock along with the meat and peas. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender. Add the cooked pasta; simmer until heated through; taste and adjust seasonings. Top with additional minced parsley if desired.

*LindySez - If using left-over vegetables, eliminate them from the sweating process. Add them to the soup near the end of the cooking time and allow them to heat through. ** Sweating… when the heat is low, the moisture from the vegetables come to the surface and all the flavor that is deep within comes out.

Per Serving: 305 Calories; 10g Fat (2g Sat, 6g Mono, 2g Poly); 22g Protein; 30g Carbohydrates; 3g Dietary Fiber; 40mg Cholesterol; 923mg Sodium.

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This is a wonderful and deliciously different way to serve salmon. As a lover of Pho soups, I invented this recipe after having something similar at a restaurant in San Francisco that no longer exists This serves 2 but can easily be increased. It’s also excellent when you add some shrimp, scallops and/or clams in the shell. Add any or all of them, or even in place of the salmon. If you don’t like any seafood, or have an allergy, use slices of chicken breast.

Thai-Salmon Soup

Serves 2

Ingredients

4 cups low-sodium or homemade chicken broth

2 cups water

1 stalk lemongrass, outer layer remove, thinly sliced

3 scallions, cut into 2 inch pieces

1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger root, thinly sliced

1 jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced

1 can light coconut milk

1 teaspoon red or green curry paste (such as Thai Kitchen) or to taste

2 cups fresh spinach, torn

5 basil leaves, torn

4 ounces soba noodles, cooked according to package directions (soba noodles are made of buckwheat and are a very healthy grain)

2 (3 to 4 ounce) salmon fillets, all bones removed*

1 teaspoon sesame oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Combine the chicken broth, water, lemongrass, scallion, ginger root and jalapeno pepper in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer, simmer; covered, for 30 minutes. Shut off the heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Pour though a sieve into a bowl; return the broth to the pan. Add the coconut milk and curry paste (red if you want red curry, green if you want green curry); stir until the curry paste is dissolved. Taste, add more if you want it hotter, but LindySez, watch out, it’ll sneak up on you. Stir in the spinach and basil.

Meanwhile, heat the broiler to high. Rub the salmon with the sesame oil and place under the broiler. Cook, without turning, about 3 – 5 minutes, you want the center to be slightly underdone as it will continue to cook when the broth is pour over.

In a large deep bowl, divide the soba noodles. Top with the salmon (remove the skin.) Ladle the soup over and serve with additional basil if desired.

Per Serving: 511 Calories; 16g Fat (4g Sat, 1g Mono, 1g Poly); 52g Protein; 69g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 45mg Cholesterol; 726mg Sodium.

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Soup is easy. It’s tasty…and there is no reason in the world to buy another can of soggy veggies and over-salted broth. All of these soups (well, except for the Thai Salmon Soup) keep well in the freezer and make fantastic lunches. I remember the wide mouth thermos filled with a nice hot soup for lunch when I was in school…it was great to have when everyone else was eating another PB&J or Baloney and Cheese on those cold winter days. Wide mouth thermoses are also great for left-over stew, chili or spaghetti.

LindySez: So.SousMe..I like soup on a cold day, I like soup when I have a cold… or flu…it makes me feel so much better. And I bet it will you too. Cheers!

Dinner Possible - Fusilli with Mini Meatballs

2009-10-22T17:30:00.000-07:00

I’ve been experimenting with different shapes of pasta…I find it amazing that something that has the same 3 ingredients, flour, water and salt, can feel, taste and act differently just from the way it is shaped. Spaghetti, macaroni, fusilli (corkscrew pasta), Orecchiette (little ears), Gemilli (tightly twisted “twins”) they all seem to work better with one type of preparation or sauce. In Italy almost all meals start with a “primo” course, generally a filling pasta or rissoto. Then they move onto the main course. Here, in America, the pasta dish is our main dish. So here is a fun, tasty dinner. It will take a little more than 30 minutes to get it onto the table, more like 90 minutes, but most of that is unsupervised time, so you can let it simmer away on the stove while you go do other, more important things, like playing with the kids, the dog, or your friends on Facebook. I’m sure there is a Mafia War going on that needs your attention.

In this recipe I used Fusilla Pugliese made by Dal Raccolto, a maker of hand rolled Artisan pastas native to the Molise region of Italy. You can find these pastas and order them on-line. If you don’t want to order it; go to your store (or Italian market) and substitute Cavatappi, Cavatelli, Gemilli or Orecchiette; or any pasta shape that will readily hold the sauce and is not too large so it will work well with the small meatballs.

Fusilli Pugliese with Mini Meatballs

Ingredients

For the Sauce:

1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

2 cups tomato sauce

6 ounces red wine (remember, the alcohol cooks off so it’s o.k. even for the kids, but you can substitute a non-alcohol wine such as Fre, Ariel or Vandalia, just DO NOT use anything labeled “cooking wine”)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, or 1 tablespoon dry (although to be honest, dry basil doesn’t have much flavor IMO)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Pinch red pepper flakes, (optional)

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley (like basil, dried parsley doesn’t have much flavor and fresh is always avail in the supermarket so why bother with the dried stuff?)

For the Meatballs

1/2 pound lean ground beef

1/2 pound ground pork, veal or turkey

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs, or as needed

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 pound Fusilli Pugliese pasta, or use Cavatappi, Cavatelli, Gemilli or Orecchiette (all have good nooks and crannies to hold the sauce), cooked according to package directions, and well drained

Directions

Heat the oil in a saucepan; add the onion and garlic, saute over medium heat until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the tomato paste and saute for a few minutes; add the tomato sauce, along with the wine, and herbs. Mix well, lower the heat and simmer slowly for about an hour.

Meanwhile, prepare the meatballs – combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl; using clean hands mix well adding more breadcrumbs if the mixture seems to loose (this is something kids love to do). Form small, about 3/4 inch, meatballs. After the sauce has cooked for an hour, add the meatballs and simmer for 30 minutes more.

Pour the sauce and meatballs over the pasta; toss gently to combine. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired. Serves 6 – 8

Per Serving: 526 Calories; 18g Fat (6g Sat, 8g Mono, 2g Poly); 23g Protein; 64g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 70mg Cholesterol; 1116mg Sodium.

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Serve this with a simple salad of mixed lettuces and a nice Balsamic Vinaigrette. So many people buy dressings at the store, but this low-fat, low-cal dressing dressing is so tasty and easy to make, why pay for the additional high fructose corn syrup and artificial colors?

6 – 8 cups mixed salad greens

A kitchen necessity, IMHO

LindySez

– even if you buy pre-washed lettuce, I would wash it again. You never know how well it was washed, or how it was handled after. And with all the bacteria “scares” going on out there, why take a chance? You can make short work of this with a salad spinner, or do what my Grandmother did, rinse it well in a sieve, the put it into a kitchen towel and go outside and swing it around, all the water will fly out, and it’s kind of fun too.

Balsamic Vinageriette

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon water

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon finely minced fresh thyme

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Whisk all the ingredients in a small bowl. Use sparingly over salad greens.

Per Serving: 31 Calories; 3g Fat

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Wine Recommendations: With the tomato sauce a perfect pairing would be a medium body fruity red, like a Sangiovese or Chianti.

LindySez: SoSousMe – The kids are going to love the mini-meatballs, and I think you will too!

Gobble Gobble...What's for Dinner? Turkeyballs!

2009-09-09T14:32:00.000-07:00

Why gobble gobble? Cause I make my meatballs with lean turkey breast, and trust me, in this preparation you won’t be saying “Where’s the Beef”.
As a gal always trying to keep the waistline fit and trim (failing but trying); I replaced ground meat with turkey a number of years ago as there are a lot of health benefits associated with lean ground turkey. That said, LindySez “BEWARE”, read the label. Lean ground turkey is not the same as ground breast, although you could mix them together and still be better off than you would be with beef; especially since you would need to buy beef that has some fat in it to get the same texture that you will get from these Turkey Balls. Really!

Here’s the breakdown:

Fresh Ground Turkey Breast has (per 4 ounce serving) – 120 calories with total fat of 1.5 grams; 0 saturated; 0 trans (and we all know now to avoid those bad trans fats right?)…Fresh Lean Turkey (mixture of dark and light meats) – 140 calories with 7 grams of fat; 2 of those are saturated; still no trans fats… Lean Ground Beef (that’s 97% lean) weighs in at 170 calories with 8 grams fat; 3 of those are saturated; and again no trans. So the hands down healthy choice is Ground Turkey Breast; lean ground turkey and beef showing not too much of a difference in numbers, but overall, the texture of the turkey will still come out better IMHO with this recipe.

You might also see that I never use cooking spray on my pans. That’s because the propellant they use to make that oil come out puts a film on your baking pan that becomes like cement. If you do use something like Pam, you probably notice over time you simply can’t get the pan clean; and if your hubby is like mine and likes to leave the pan in the oven after the foods been removed to give it just that extra bit of baked on goodness, well, let’s just say I was buying new pans on a regular basis. So here’s an idea if you like the convenience of the spray, get a little spray bottle, fill it with oil and voila. Otherwise, I suggest you line your baking pan with foil and then spray it…you can just toss the foil, no harm, no foul.

Here’s another little trick, if you want to taste your meatballs to check the seasonings, and you know that you shouldn’t be eating raw meat…right…we all know not to eat raw poultry especially…make a little ball with some of the meat and put it in the microwave for about 30 seconds, then eat it…I mean taste it…adjust the seasonings and if you want to, do it again. We must taste until we get it right…right?

So if you’ve been paying attention to this blog and had or have a lot of tomatoes in the garden, or rushed out to the Farmer’s market to buy some, you now have your own delicious homemade tomato sauce. If you don’t, then when you check out the recipe, use the canned tomato method, or if you insist, go ahead and use your favorite prepared pasta sauce. If you want some wine with dinner, any light red will do. Try a Chianti, Sangiovese or be adventurous and try another Italian wine, like Primitivo, Dolcetto or Barbera. Add a simple green salad, some garlic bread and let’s call it dinner!

Basic Marinara Sauce

Turkey Meatballs in Marinara Sauce

LindySez: Cheers…I hope you enjoy.

LindySez

LindySez: Coming up – Anniversary Dinner and a sly dog…

TheTalel of Herr Dr. Frei

LindySez: Remember it’s the experience. And you always have the ability to change your experience…at any time.

A European serch for...Iced Tea

LindySez: Imagine the pure joy of arriving at Dulles International Airport. Walking up to the Starbucks counter. Ordering a Venti Black Iced Tea, unsweetened, extra ice…that’ll be $2.40 is the only reply.

Recipe for a Perfect Iced Tea

I am Not Martha Stewart

LindySez: You can be fussy, you can be overly fussy, and then you can be Martha Stewart fussy.

Hash, High School and His Family

LindySez: Cheers to all our graduates and the future of America.

Dinner Possible X's 2

Menu 1

Menu 2

or

(If you don’t know or are uncomfortable with risotto, check out the risotto Dare to Prepare!)

LindySez – I’m ready for warm weather…you?

Some Herbs + Chicken Breasts + Pasta = Dinner Possible

LindySez: Cheers! Dinner Possible – done!

Chardonnay - Affinities and Conflicts

Likes (Meats and Proteins)

Crab, lobster, shrimp, scallops

Salmon, sea bass, Monkfish

Chicken, Turkey

Pork, Veal, Rabbit

Dislikes

Anchovies, sole, tuna

beef

Likes (Vegetables,and fruits)

Avocado

corn/polenta, sweet potatoes, fennel, summer squash, spinach

green olives, mushrooms

pineapple

Dislikes

artichokes, asparagus, green beans

limes

Likes (Nuts)

Almonds, pine-nuts, pecans

Dislikes

Doesn’t really dislike any nuts, must be from California

Basil

Likes (Herbs and Spices and other flavorings)

Basil, chives, garlic

nutmeg, saffron, tarragon

butter, cream, mayonnaise

Dislikes

Cilantro, dill

cinnamon

barbeque sauce

Likes (Cheeses)

Asiago, Jack, mozzarella

Dislikes

Blue, Camembert

My Award?

LindySez ~ Cheers, to all is fair in love, war and blogging. Love you Poppy!

Wok Smoked Mussels

LindySez: I hope you flex your “mussels”.

BTW – they make a great appetizer at a dinner party, and require no silverware. You can use one side of the shell to spoon the mussel out of the other side of the shell.

Also remember, if the mussel doesn’t open once it’s cooked…it’s not good to eat. Throw it AWAY!

Cheers to Sweet Molly Malone

When the Oil doesn't matter - Chocolate Banana Muffins

LindySez - There’s always something to learn. It’s why I love to cook. Cheers

Stupid Silverware, or What's your Orientation?

LindySez: Come on people…straight handles can be used by lefties and righties, no matter what their orientations….

I'm Like the Demon Barber of Fleet Street

LindySez: I hope you like it!

Fancy Smancy, an Around the World Dinner Party

The MessLindy - Just get er done!

LindySez: It was all good. I had so much fun, and the company was terrific. Cheers!

Betcha Can't Eat Just One ...

Homemade Potato Chips

LindySez: Try them, you’ll like them.

Hello Dolly - How about a stuffed brownie?

LindySez - SoSousMe – If I’m going to eat dessert, I want it to be Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

Dinner Possible - on the lighter side

LindySez - All this, in under an hour, and with a glass of wine, under 600 calories???? Yeah, baby, that’s what I’m talking about! Cheers

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups = YUMMY

LindySez: There you go Joanne. Peanut Butter Cups when ever you want them. And for you too America.

Dare to Prepare - Risotto

Crabby Ideas

The Mess

Lindy - Just get er done!

Baked Crab Mac n Cheese

LindySez: I hope that helps Aunt Cristina.
To all – my aunt is a marvelous cook and entertainer. Her guests are in for a lovely evening.
Cheers!