New Cooking Blog

Hi everyone,
My friend Shannon recommended this blog.
It looks really neat!
For the Love of Cooking

First Fall Baking: Zwetschgenkuchen

Hi everyone! As the record-breaking heat of Summer 2010 winds down, I finally can use my oven again. Hurray! My inaugural baking project used up a batch of plums that came from Erica's CSA share. These plums were fairly tart and not very juicy so my thoughts turned to baking. I used Grandma Marie's recipe and it came out fabulous. Not too sweet, very reminiscent of childhood. My only change was to use slices rather than whole halves because I was worried I would run out of plums. I made two cakes: one we ate right up and the other went in the freezer.

YUM!
Anyone else doing baking lately?

One Small clue

Bob's Red Mill, Steel Cut Oats

Name this Cooking Utensil - A Contest!

Greeting all and happy September! First of all let me apologize for not posting any salads for Ali's wonderful "Salad Days" project. Who knows, maybe I'll get some up by winter time.

So, what's this contest!? Last month, when I was up in the Bitterroot Valley in Montana, about to begin a service trip (I was the cook) I was presented with a gift.

What you see in the photo above is my gift. It is a cooking implement, made of wood and made by the person who gave it to me. I took it in on the trip and it works VERY well!!

The challenge is to answer one or both of these questions. There will be a separate prize for each correct answer, as well as any other prizes that I feel like giving out!

• What is it used for?
• What is it called?

All of you were notified by email today, so the contest has officially begun. Please submit your entries to me via email. Deadline for entries is MIDNIGHT on Saturday September 18th.

Good Luck & Lots of Love, Didi

Our Salad Days...

Technically our salad days are winding down - although down here things are just starting to heat up!

I've been marching through Bittman, trying salad after salad and I have a few new salads to add / review.

Review - Fennel & Orange Salad - this salad gets a big thumbs down. It was odd tasting, through not terrible, and just sort of blah. I think replacing the fennel with jicama could lead to a much more exciting salad.

I'm going to make seperate posts for my other salads - Southwester Slaw & Fallafel Salad

A New Link on the Side

I added a new link that should provide hours of procrastinating fun -
The Gallery of Regrettable Food!

I have a few contributions to make to the gallery myself!

Watermelon & Tomato salad

The last two watermelons we purchased at Winco were grown by Dan Avila & Sons of Turlock and they have been over the top delicious. I found a fun bunch of watermelon recipes in the September, 2008 issue of Saveur magazine (issue 113)

I made the watermelon & tomato salad pictured above; which is a tasty mixture of sweet, sour & spicy. Ali noted that Mark Bittman also has a recipe for this unique combination. We found it delicious.

The recipe makes a big bowl full, but it keeps well for a day in the frig.

Mix together 1/4 cup white wine or rice vinegar, 3 tsp sugar, 1 tsp kosher salt, and 1/4 tsp cayenne in a large bowl. Quarter & slice half of a small red onion & add to bowl. Let the onion soak in the mixture for at least a half hour. This softens & sweetens the onion. (Dad commented on the delicious onion in the salad.)

Remove rind & seeds from 4 lbs. of watermelon, cut into 1 inch chunks. Also cut about 1.5 lbs. of red ripe tomatoes into 1 inch chunks; add these to bowl along with 1/4 cup olive oil and 1 loosely packed cup each of shredded basil & mint leaves. Stir gently to toss. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Cool and refreshing on a HOT summer day.

Featured Website

Hi everyone,
Do you use the websites under "Inspiration." I love them...that is where we got the great red velvet recipe.

I wanted to bring a new favorite to your attention. My friend Emelia told me about it, and when your bored or hungry, this website will be your best friend: http://www.tastespotting.com/

Taste Spotting is a blog made up of featured posts from other people's food blogs. I can't really describe it, other than to say that it is epic. Happy surfing!

Also, in case it has already disappeared into the archives, go check out this gem of a web site: http://lostpastremembered.blogspot.com/. I really want to make these meat pies!!! Scroll down and check out some of her other recipes - Eaton Mess is very intriguing and I love the Dorothy L. Sayers connection!

BTW, if you have any you'd like to add, just let me know and we can add them.

Breakfast for Dinner

I never have time to cook a big breakfast on the weekends because either Andrew and I are sleeping in (we take turns). Since big Saturday morning breakfasts are one of my favorite family memories and because I love breakfast foods, I am starting a new family tradition. At least once a month we are having "Breakfast for Dinner" (another favorite family memory!)

Instead of just doing waffles or pancakes, eggs, and sausage or bacon, I am using this opportunity to make all the insanely decadent breakfast foods that I've always wanted to try, but not had the energy to make early in the morning.

Tonight we kicked things off with bacon, lemon ricotta puff pancakes, strawberry syrup, and vanilla ricotta sauce. The syrup and ricotta were both homemade. I also made tomato salad and the blood orange jicama salad (with organic Valencia oranges, since blood oranges are not currently available now). Everything was mmmmmm, mmmmm, mmmmmm!!!!
The pancakes were out of this world, and definitely on the future holiday meal menu options list.

It also felt reasonable eating such a decadent meal, since it was the main meal of the day.

Chicken Salad Craze

Note: This is an old post I finally got around to putting up. I started it months ago!

Will and I both tend toward food crazes, so sometimes meals around here might come off as a tad repetitive. Not to us! I am currently in a chicken salad craze. I have a favorite chicken salad, with grapes and walnuts, but that is for another day. Today I want to share my recipe re-creation success. Union Market (aka Union Mark-up) sells a delicious curried chicken salad that I have recently been obsessed with. I took some notes last time I bought some and successfully recreated it two nights ago. Here is a picture, although it doesn't do it justice:
Will is demonstrating how to fill a pita; Mona is wondering how she can get involved.

CURRY CHICKEN SALAD (a la Union Market)

• 2 large whole chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
• 1/4 cup or more raisins, soaked in warm water for at least an hour
• 3/4 cup shredded carrots (I buy the bagged kind b/c I don't have a food processor)
• 2 whole green onions
• 1/8 to 1/4 cup red onions (to taste)
  
• 1 stalk celery
• parsley to taste
  

Chop and combine the above in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together:

• a scant 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• a generous 1/4 cup yogurt (you can vary the ratio; the point is to have a half cup total)
• juice of 1/2 lemon
  
• 1/2 tsp sugar (I think I used brown)
• 1.5 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• a dash turmeric (to make it yellower!)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Taste the dressing for seasoning and adjust. I bet it would be great with a dash of cayenne! Gradually mix the dressing into the chicken mixture until it reaches the desired level of "dressed-ness." Great served with pitas and lettuce.

Our Family's Oldest Known Tomato Salad

When Dad & I were dating, I learned about this salad from the Italian Mama of his friend Dave. It was a salad to make on a hot summer day when the tomato plants are burdened with fruit. It tastes best when made with warm tomatoes right off the vine; tomatoes so very very ripe they can be peeled without scalding.

But that is unrealistic most of the time. So start by scalding (for just 10 seconds in boiling water) a pound or two of summer tomatoes. Cut the tomatoes into large bite-sized pieces. Add vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, a lot of crushed fresh garlic and a lot of chopped fresh basil. I'm not exact in my amounts, because it doesn’t matter. The salad is delicious freshly made or chilled. It reminds me of hot summer days, a bountiful garden and picnic dinners eaten on the grass.

Jicama and Orange Salad

We have been enjoying lunch in the back portion of our yard. It is shadier at lunch time than the patio. A sunflower grew up and provided us with a floral arrangement.

Aunt Catherine made a delicious jicama & orange salad at the annual Jed Smith camping trip. She found the recipe on line when she looked for a Mexican salad to accompany her tacos. Thanks to Catherine and Gourmet Sleuth:

http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/Recipes/Salads-242/Jicama-and-Blood-Orange-Salad-621.aspx

Even though I had no mangos or jicama I decided to make the salad. What the heck, I had everything else. I used two green apples instead of the jicama and two peaches instead of the mango called for in the recipe. I also used regular oranges, as did Catherine. It came out good, but with the jicama it was delicious. The lime, fresh hot pepper & cilantro add a zing!

I'm still working on the old counter tops. But not for long. We are hanging our IKEA cabinets, with excellent results. So far it isn't too difficult (at least for me). Dad does the hard parts, as usual. My role is as grunt & consultant.

Summer Slacker Salad

Well, well, well, the challenger has become the challenged. I have not posted a salad a week this summer, despite front loading some salads.

Here are two "salads" for quick and easy meals.

Italian Brie Pasta Salad
(Adapted from The Six O'Clock Scramble Cookbook)
1/2 lb of Brie
6 really ripe tomatoes
1 C fresh basil
Salt & Pepper
Olive Oil - optional

Cook pasta. While pasta is cooking, take off rind and break into tiny pieces. Cut up tomatoes and basil and put cheese, tomatoes and basil in a bowl. When pasta is cooked, drain it and immediately toss with the cheese and tomatoes and basil. Add salt and pepper and toss with olive oil if desired.

The real beauty of this salad is that you can do anything with it. You could use fresh mozzarella or other cheeses and mix in all kinds of different veggies or even fruit with the brie (strawberry, arugula, brie and tangerines?!?!)

Chicken Cesear Salad Wraps
(Adapted from somewhere...this salad entered my life somehow about a month after Isla was born. I'm not sure where it is from, but it is a great emergency meal and a wonderful no-brainer new mommy meal.)

Tortillas
Chicken Breasts
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Sweet Bell Pepper
Italian or Caesar Dressing
Parmesan Cheese

Cook a chicken breast - if frozen, boil it and then slice it (and saute in olive oil and Italian seasoning if you have time), if thawed, bake or saute in olive oil and Italian seasoning.
Heat a tortilla and spread with dressing.
Sprinkle with cheese
Slice tomatoes, lettuce, peppers and chicken into long strips
Place on tortilla, wrap and eat!!!
(Dip in extra dressing as needed.)

Urban Composting

Now for something related to food disposal...

I am so excited by my recent foray into NYC composting. We live in an apartment. We don't have a yard. I thought we couldn't compost...until I discovered that many community gardens in the city accept kitchen scraps for composting. To my delight, the garden a block from our place is one of those gardens. After I learned this, I started saving compostables in a plastic container in the fridge. And then another....and another... To my amazement, the two of us produced FOUR large containers of compost in a single week!
Astonishing, I know, but that is the result of one week around here. And we ate out several times! The garden was open today, so somewhat nervously, I headed over to do the actual drop-off. I was greeted with this encouraging sign:
The garden was also very lovely. I found the compost bins toward the back. It was simple as it could be! Open the latched screen on the bin:
Then cover the food scraps with a layer of leaves from this handy container:
Nifty! I am so glad I discovered that urban composting is not only possible, it is easy! I plan to buy a larger tub for the fridge to collect food scraps so I can take them over once a week and don't have to use up all the plastic containers. One bonus of the fridge storage method is that the scraps don't get stinky. Also, I just put the containers on the counter while making dinner and had a handy place to toss scraps right at my finger tips. Rachael Ray would be so proud!

Like Potatos and Salt?!?

I do!
So I'm planning to make this...

Jammin'

I haven't been making salads lately because until yesterday it was cool and even rainy. Also because I've been making Jam!!!
I started with my favorite - plum jam. Other than scorching the bottom of the pan (thus making it into "Carmel Plum Jam") it went well. I've never canned solo and it was intense.
Next was tomato jam. Andrew was standing by, but this came off without a hitch. It is has a unique taste and may be coming to a Christmas stocking near you...you better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout...
I made Serrano jelly next using the Red Plaid's recipe for jalapeno jelly. It came out tasty but not spicy enough for my taste. It was fun to try liquid pectin. I also planned to distribute these during the holiday season, but my second batch tastes odd. I used more serranos, but I think the real culprit is using apple cider vinegar instead of white vinegar. It is more vinegary and less tasty. I also 1 1/2 the recipe and didn't have a big enough pot. Now I am trying to figure out how to get blackened char off the burner. At least the jelly didn't burn!
Next came Apricot Conserves. I made them today too. I got the recipe from Jeffery Steingarten's book, It must have been something I ate. The day after reading his story about the conserves, I came across a bounty of perfectly ripe apricots for 79 cents a lb. at a local produce store. This was a great experience because the recipe doesn't call for pectin. Let me just say that the result was extraordinary and delicious. I don't like apricots, but I love apricot jam. The conserves were the very best of the best apricot jam I've ever had. Imagine a mix of jam like hunks, whole softened halves and golden liquid apricot syrup.
This is definitely Christmas gift worthy, but we only have 5 jars - probably won't last a month! Tonight after yoga, I went back to the store to get some more apricots, but there wasn't an apricot in the place! Was it just a mirage...
Next up - more tomato jam...and if I can get my hands on some apricots, more conserve!

Cold-Brewed Coffee

Yay for summer! Summer means hot weather and an even hotter kitchen. We get direct morning sun and every use of the stove top just amps up the heat even more. This hasn't stopped me from making my morning coffee, of course! This time of year calls for iced coffee, which is, frankly, a pain in the butt to make. I feel silly boiling the water to make the coffee only to cool it down again with ice cubes. But now, all that has changed. I want to share with you the easiest and most delicious way to make iced coffee EVER: cold brewing.

Here is the recipe I used.

And here is my recap of how it went down around here:
First I did a single batch. I just mixed 1.5 cups of tap water with 1/3 cup ground coffee in a large mason jar, screwed on the lid, and let it sit on the counter overnight (at least 12 hours.) The next day, I put a regular melitta drip cone over another container and slowly poured the coffee brew into that. Most of the grounds just stayed at the bottom of the mason jar. I then rinsed out the mason jar and used it to store my coffee concentrate. To make delicious iced coffee, just pour some of the concentrate over ice and add water and/or milk to taste. I found that it did not need any water, just some milk. This made about one very large or two coffee cup sized iced coffees which I consumed with glee. Yesterday I made a larger batch and am storing the remainder in the fridge.

So why is this the best way? So many reasons!
1. The coffee is damn delicious. Seriously. Apparently the cold brewing prevents much of the bitterness that is released when coffee is heated. Thus the coffee is very strong and smooth without being bitter. It is almost sweet! You can get seriously buzzed on this stuff because it is easy to drink a lot and forget how strong it is!
2. It is way easier than dealing with heating up and then cooling down coffee and if you make a big batch, you only have to do it every three or four days. Right now there is enough concentrate for at least two more days in the fridge.
3. No heating up the kitchen with boiling water!
4. On that note, it is also the greenest option. You don't have to waste the energy of heating something just to cool it. In addition, since you can make several days worth at once, it also cuts down on coffee filter use. If you have a fine mesh reusable filter you could use that and be even greener.

So, you ask, are there any cons? I can think of only one: you don't get that nice morning coffee aroma. Well worth the trade-off in my mind! Give it a try and tell me what you think.

Crazy Tomato Sorbet

So, the tomato plants are getting bigger and its time to use those tomatoes in the freezer from last summer. A few weeks ago I thawed a bag full to use in a ragu. The recipe said puree the tomatoes, so I used my new stick blender. However they were only partially thawed, so I got a tomato snow cone affair. Don said it was a sorbet. The tomatoes were so fresh tasting & sweet, I thought - Why not do this on purpose. Here is what I started with.About 2 cups frozen skinless tomato chunks (some are the variety, "Lemon Boy" hence they are yellow), fresh basil, garlic, a lemon, salt & pepper. I let the tomatoes thaw to the point where I could separate some of the tomato hunks from one another; yet they were still quite icy. I've done this in the microwave on defrost for a minute or two.

Chop a few leaves of basil and one garlic clove. In a bowl, combine semi-frozen tomatoes, basil, garlic, a tablespoon of lemon juice and 1/4 tsp each salt & pepper. Blend with stick blender for 30 seconds, till no tomato pieces are visible. Here is the result:
Stir in additional salt, pepper, or lemon juice to taste. Eat right away or keep in freezer for only about 15 minutes.

Note: Freezing the contents of 1 or 2 cans of ready-cut tomatoes would be another way to make this yummy salad.

Beets without the Mess

This is a salad I love to eat & make. Golden beets are the classy cousins of those delicious, messy red beets that stain everything they touch. So if you want the taste of beets without the mess; look for golden beets. Luckily they are at our farmer's market, as are lovely new potatoes this time of year.
This recipe is modified from one I found in Sunset a few years ago (Thank you Roxanne Chan).

In the winter I usually roast the vegetables for a richer taste. I actually first made this salad when I high-graded the potatoes & golden beets from a hug leftover batch of roasted veggies.

Golden Beet & Potato Salad
4 or 5 golden beets (each about egg size)
5 or 6 small new potatoes
Cook beets & potatoes separately in boiling water, till tender. Slip skins from beets.
Cut vegetables into bite sized pieces.
Make dressing by mixing together:
2 T plain yogurt
2 T Mayo (homemade is yummy)
1 T rice vinegar
2 T finely chopped red onion
2 T finely chopped parsley
1 T prepared horse-radish
2 cloves garlic, minced or smashed in a press
Salt & pepper to taste
Stir into veggies, serve warm or cold. The horse-radish is not overwhelming. The tastes are perfect together. Enjoy!

It is Suddenly Salad Time

As you may know, Chico has been having a very cool wet spring and I have continued to do cool weather cooking. However this past week we finally had summer weather. Suddenly sweating over a hot stove and eating hot entrees just wasn't much fun. So I needed to change gears, dust off the barbecue and start thinking about hearty salads for the main dish. Thank you Ali for the challenge. It will be fun to share & learn about other people's salad ideas.
I don't use recipes for a lot of the salads I fix. So here are some tips anyone can use to make a cool summertime salad/meal.
1. Buff out a tossed green salad by adding: feta or other cheese cubes, chopped barbecued chicken, cold cooked sausage, cooked beans or favas, nuts, toasted squash or sunflower seeds, hard-cooked egg, cooked beets, red onion slices, chopped snow peas, left-over marinated string beans, lots of avocado, mushrooms, bell pepper, radishes, sprinklings of fresh basil or oregano or cilantro.
2. Turn leftover pasta, lentils, beans, rice or any cooked grain into a salad by adding some of the above mentioned goodies plus dressing. Instead of dressing just add spices, lemon juice or vinegar, a bit of mustard, perhaps a bit of sugar, garlic, salt & pepper. The delicious Quinoa salad, Ali posted below, is a formal example of this salad idea. (Didi made it yesterday - yum!)

Two More Salads

I have a new favorite blog...it was just a cooking blog that I heard about through Stacy's sister, but then she combined it with her personal blog, so among great recipes, I get to read about decorating her place, her sweet little boy and her adventures in San Diego.

Also, based on the blog name, I think her name is Elizabeth Bryant, which is Lola's pornstar name...destiny, right!?!

Anyways, her cooking style is very similar to my own and we've been eating her recipes a lot lately.

Here are two yummy salad recipes:

Salad #1
Chicken Tarragon Salad
This is very mild and light. I used coconut yogurt instead of sour cream and cut the amount mayo and sour cream in half. I served it on toasted sourdough bread the first meal and in filo bowls the second meal. I wouldn't recommend the filo bowls too much work for very little pay off (I did make baklava too, and that was good and well worth the effort.)

Andrew and I had a horrible tarragon experience once and have avoided it like the plague since, but we used fresh tarragon and it was good.

Salad #2
Quinoa Salad with Black Beans and Corn
This is SO good and SO easy! I've never used quinoa, but we loved this. I recommend starting with her basic recipe, because it is so simple and good, but once you've made it, the recipe has lots of potential for experimentation. We added lime juice and I think there is really no limit to the add-ins you can use.
We used the roasted frozen corn from Trader Joes, for extra roasty taste!

Blue Cheese BBQ Salad

This was invented in a "What are we going to eat tonight? I really don't want to cook rice" mood.

It is easy peasy and very good.
In Andrew's and my opinion, the ONLY BBQ sauce to use is Sweet Baby Rays, but to each his own...actually no, this just won't be as good if you don't use SBR's - "The Sauce is the Boss!"

Ingredients - prepare the ingredients for a big green salad with all the fixin's - beefy tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, shredded carrots, jicama, beets, what ever you like...

Rub a flank steak with a combination of kosher salt, pepper, crushed garlic and lemon juice and let sit while heating the grill/broiler. (This is a tasty rub for any cut of beef!)
Grill/broil a flank steak to level of preferred doneness.
After resting for a few minutes, slice long thin slices.

Combine favorite blue cheese dressing and Sweet Baby Rays

Layer lettuce, veggies, beef, croutons, and dressing and sprinkle more blue cheese if you like.
Enjoy!

We use homemade garlic sourdough croutons:
Cube sourdough bread
Toss with olive oil, kosher salt, and crushed garlic and bake until lightly crunchy.

If you want to kick it up a notch, sautee some red onions in a little balsamic and brown sugar, via Bittman, and add those too.

Summer of Salad Challenge!

Ok, the posts have been few and far between, but now it is summer - footloose and fancy freedom time!
I'm going to try to post one salad a week - we are eating lots of salad meals around here right now - and I challenge you to do the same.

To make it easy, feel free to link to other people's salads and review.

What I want to make now...

http://www.danlepard.com/recipes/2010/04/2474/tamarind-coffee-cupcakes-with-fudge-frosting/

"Chicken & Rice" for Dinner

I decided to use recipes from the blog when meal planning last week.
I made a frittata, potato soup, Ecuadorian lettuce salad, and winter squash. Now that the week is done I can report that all the recipes were a success.
EVERYTHING came out fantastic! The soup was just as good as I remember it and made enough for 3 nights, the frittata was as fast as promised and very tasty, and the winter squash was stunningly delicious!
It was fun to try cooking from our own family recipe book. Isla was able to eat everything and loved it all too!

Mayonnaise Magic!

I found this video on YouTube from a cook who goes by "foodwishes." He is a wish come true indeed! He has a mayo method that will blow your mind. Click here for the original video.

But wait! I tried it at home! And now I am attempting to show you the video.

Did that work? Did you see that? It was totally cool and totally easy.

Here are a few notes:
This is a pretty tangy mayo. If your tastes run less tangy, use a bit less of the lemon juice and vinegar and maybe add a tad more sugar. Also, as I mention in the video, even with 1/2 cup olive oil, the taste comes through. I actually really like it, but if your olive oil is strong, you could use less. As I also mentioned, it is very thick, but that is kind of neat as well. I imagine, though, that you could start with a cup to a cup and a quarter of oil and then just add more if it isn't thick enough. If anyone tries that, let me know. Finally, I think I was overly timid. I could have started moving the blender and letting it run for longer bursts much sooner in the process, believe it or not! Very neat trick.

Magic Mayonnaise Recipe (courtesy of "foodwishes"):
Add to container:

• 2 egg yolks
• juice of one half a lemon (approx. 1 Tbsp.)
• 1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar (I just used white and it was fine)
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. mustard (he suggests Dijon, I used Gulden's--whatever floats your boat!)

Then pour right in:

• any combination of oils totaling 1.5 cups

Let everything settle for a minute, so the oil and yolks are totally separated. Then place the mixer straight into the container so the blade cup is resting against the bottom. Begin mixing in short pulses. I almost instantly began to see lava lamp-esque blobs and pillars of mayo rise up from the bottom. When you build up a bottom layer, begin to blend continuously and slowly rock and lift the blender up through the remaining oil to combine. Yum!

Maple Chocolate Walnut Scones

I'm really tempted to call these something like, "Hot Diggitty Dog Off the Hook Out of Control Wonder Scones" but I'm afraid I'm a bit of a Diana Berry when it comes to creative names, and even that kooky name doesn't do these justice.
These were inspired by a recipe I read on Bakerella for Pioneer Woman's cinnamon rolls. The scone recipe was inspired by the Red Plaid Wunder Cook Book.
Dough:
2 C AP Flour
2 T Sugar
2 t Baking Powder
1/4 t Baking Soda
1/3 C Butter or Pressed Palm Oil
1 Egg
1/2 C buttermilk or sour milk/coconut milk (1/2 C milk plus large splash of lemon juice)

Filling:
Toasted chopped walnuts
Chocolate Chips / Chopped Chocolate Bar

Glaze: ()
1/4 C? Maple Syrup (I suppose for a stronger flavor you could add a bit of mapeline)
A few T Hot Strong Coffee
Powdered Sugar
Tiny bit of vanilla

Preheat Oven to 400
Combine dry ingredients well and cut in butter / shortening until crumbly
Beat egg and add butter / sour milk
Stir in wet ingredients until just combined.
Turn out dough on floured surface and knead 12 times.
Divide in equal halves and roll or pat each into 8 inch circles.
Place one circle on the parchment & sprinkle with walnuts and chocolate
Cover with 2nd round of dough and seal edges by pressing gently together
Cut into 12 scones with a floured dough scraper. It is not necessary to seal the sides of each slice
Push pieces apart about 1/2 an inch or less
Bake approximately 15 minute or until golden in 400 Farenheit on a light aluminum pan with parchment paper.

While dough is baking heat maple syrup (1/4 C?) in a sauce pan. Add a few tablespoons of hot very strong coffee and stir in powdered sugar. Add each of these ingredients as needed while heating to create a thin glaze. Simmer down until glaze will harden when cooled. (Don't you love home made recipes - Where's Julia's cookbookery when you need it?)

When the scones are done place them on a plate, brush glaze on each scone and pour the remaining glaze over the scones (the scones will absorb the glaze on the bottom creating a slightly crunchy crazy yummy deliciousness).

Dunk in coffee!

Brunch With an Ecuadorian Flavor

My friend Jennifer wanted to see the

Galapagos photos, so I invited her over

for an Ecuadorian brunch. I feel really

good about how it all turned out!

Menu:

scrambled eggs

strawberries

fried tiny red bananas

potato patties

steamed puddings (quimbolitos)

Santa Fe flamingo cocktail

cafe' con leche

The steamed puddings (quimbolitos) are not

something we actually had in Ecuador.

I found them on the Ecuadorian recipe

website and was intrigued. I've made them

twice now and this time, with some slight

modifications, they turned out much better.

Still in the parchment

Ready to eat

Here is the recipe that I slightly

adapted from the website:

Steamed Puddings (Quimbolitos)

4 Tbs. butter

6 Tbs. sugar

2 eggs, well beaten

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup corn starch

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup raisins

2 Tbs. cognac or light rum

Soften the butter to room temperature.

Cream together the butter and sugar

until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add

the eggs mixed with the milk. Sift together

the flour, cornstarch, and baking powder,

and stir into the batter mixture. Stir in the

cheese, raisins, and cognac or rum.

Cut either kitchen parchment or aluminum

foil (though you will want to grease the foil

because the batter will stick) into 8x8-inch

squares. Drop a scant 1/4 cup of the

mixture into the center of each, and fold

up into an envelope. (Parchment paper

worked great, but I did find that a staple

or two held the envelope closed.) Arrange

in a steamer and cook over boiling water

for 45 minutes. Servehot, with or without

cream. (They are yummy plain, but

honey-yogurt was good too.)

In Ecuador the Quimbolitos are cooked in

achira leaves, the leaf of the taro plant,

perhaps better know as dasheen or yautia.

however, nothing seems to be lost by

cooking them in parchment.

Santa Fe Flamingo

This is a guesstimation of the Welcome

drink we had in the Galapagos, on our first

night aboard The Daphne.

Here's my recipe:

Place all ingredients in blender and "liquify"

- 3 or 4 "golfball sized" chunks of cantaloupe

- 3 or 4 ice cubes

- 1 1/2 oz. light rum

- 1/2 oz. grenadine

- 1 tsp. sugar (if melon isn't very ripe)

Potato Patties

In Ecuador we had potatoes at

nearly every meal, including breakfast.

However, I have no recollection of eating

what we would call hash browns or country

fried potatoes.

I do remember having for breakfast

what seemed to be browned patties made

from seasoned (and/or jazzed up with

veggies) mashed potatoes. Or there would

be a whole casserole pan of something

similiar.

Didi's Equator Style Breakfast Potatoes

-yellow-skinned potatoes, peeled & sliced

(1 medium per serving)

-butter & milk as needed

-mild red pepper, finely chopped

-purple onion, finely chopped

(apx 1 Tbs. of each per serving)

-salt & pepper to taste

-dash of hot sauce

Boil the potatoes until they are cooked.

Mash well and add a wee bit of butter and

milk to moisten. Saute' the pepper and

onion. Add the cooked vegetables to the

potatoes along with a dash of hot sauce,

also salt & pepper to taste.

Shape the potatoes onto patties that are

about 3 inches in diameter and no more than

an inch thick. Brown on each side in just a

tiny bit of oil or butter. Serve hot. *Needless

to say the addition of cheese would not hurt!

Fried Red (Baby) Bananas

In Ecuador the banana is right up there with

the potato in its ability to appear at every meal!

If you haven't see the latest Saveur Magazine, it

has a great article on banana varieties.

http://www.saveur.com/article/Techniques/5-Banana-Varieties

Last week at the Co-op I found some tiny

bananas that the produce guy (I love produce

guys!) said were from Ecuador! According to

the Saveur article and some other web exploring

I've done, these little bananas are either called

"Baby" or "Red."

This photo shows a bunch of the bananas

that are not yet ripe. The ones I cooked had

no more green showing, and were maroon and

black in color, and looked pretty beat up. They

were very sweet when cut in half long-ways and fried.

FYI - Here is a size comparison between the tiny

bananas and a fairly small plantain.

Okay team, that's enough from me!

This blogging can become as big a time-suck

as computer solitaire (though probably with a

bit more redeeming value.) May is just around

the corner -- ENJOY the warmer weather and

of course the GOOD FOOD! XXOO