Space in Time

Sorry, I realize it's been a very long time since my last blog, but I've been packing a house and moved across country.  Almost out of boxes and ready to get back to it.  Thanks for your patience and hoping to thrill your interests and taste buds soon.  Peace

Trying Something New

 Dragon Fruit.  Saw it and thought it would be a great thing to try.    Well, it looked harmless enough and I've had the flavor in some juices and flavored water and love it! Well here it goes.

Opening it by just slicing it in the middle seem a smart move.  After opening it, well I was a little surprised ... I don't know why, but to me it resembled a white kiwi.  The texture also like a kiwi with seeds.  However, I was disappointed with the taste ... it was very bland and slightly tasteless.  Makes me wonder what's really in those drinks I've been drinking.  Is it really the dragon fruit taste I'm addicted to?

Spring is Here!!!

So glad spring is here.  I'm ready for lighter dishes, like my Italian salad of fresh basil, mozzarella cheese, extra virgin olive oil, tomatoes, a little salt, a little black pepper. Get you a good crusty loaf of bread, and there you are, a meal for spring!   

Garlic Knots

If you love garlic and bread, well here is an awesome combination.  I had these years ago in an "authentic" Italian restaurant.  Here's the recipe ...

Garlic Knots

Makes 12 knots

You'll need 2 tablespoons minced garlic.

10	garlic cloves , minced (see note)
6	tablespoons  unsalted butter
1	teaspoon plus 3/4 cup  water , heated to 110 degrees
1 1/8	teaspoons  instant or rapid-rise yeast
2	cups  all-purpose flour
1	teaspoon  salt

1. WARM OVEN Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. When oven reaches 200 degrees, turn it off. Grease large bowl.

2. MAKE GARLIC BUTTER Cook garlic, 1 tablespoon butter, and 1 teaspoon water in small nonstick skillet over low heat, stirring occasionally, until garlic is straw colored, 8 to 10 minutes. Add remaining butter, stirring until melted. Let stand 10 minutes off heat. Strain garlic butter through fine-mesh strainer into small bowl; reserve garlic solids.

3. MAKE DOUGH Whisk remaining water, 1 tablespoon garlic butter, reserved garlic solids, and yeast in liquid measuring cup until yeast dissolves. In bowl of stand mixer fitted with dough hook, mix flour and salt until combined. With mixer on low, add water mixture in steady stream and mix until dough comes together, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium and knead until dough is smooth and comes away from sides of bowl, about 6 minutes. Turn dough onto clean work surface and knead briefly to form smooth, cohesive ball. Transfer dough to prepared bowl and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and place in turned-off oven until dough has doubled in size, 40 to 50 minutes.

4. SHAPE KNOTS Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Punch down dough on floured surface. Roll dough into 12- by 6-inch rectangle and cut into twelve 6-inch strips. With flat hands, roll each strip into 12-inch ropes. Tie ropes into knots, tucking tails. Place on prepared baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and return to turned-off oven until doubled in size, about 20 minutes.

5. BAKE Remove knots from oven and discard plastic. Heat oven to 500 degrees. Return knots to oven and bake until set, about 5 minutes. Remove knots from oven and brush with 2 tablespoons garlic butter. Rotate, return to oven, and bake until golden, about 4 minutes. Brush knots with remaining garlic butter and cool 5 minutes. Transfer to wire rack. Serve warm.

MAKE AHEAD Shaped knots can be refrigerated, covered, for 24 hours. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oven to 200 degrees and turn off. Put knots in turned-off oven until doubled in size, about 20 minutes. Proceed with step 5

Christmas 2010

Christmas dinner was a little different for us because I swayed a little ... well a lot from the usual one I traditionally have.  Our usual Christmas dinner would include a delicious bread covered leg of lamb and a delectable picture perfect ham.  This Christmas I cooked a standing rib roast (only cooked that one other time before), Yukon potatoes, oven roasted brussel sprouts with parsnips, garlic bay scallops (for my vegetarian daughter) and for the first time, Yorkshire Pudding (which isn't pudding in the sense we know it).  It was really a great dinner although I had a little trouble with my timing, but it all worked out. Check it out ...

Standing Rib Roast with Yukon Potatoes

Oven roasted brussel sprouts with parsnips

The pecans added a welcoming dimension to this simple dish

Garlic Bay Scallops

Yorkshire Pudding rising

Final product light & delicious

Christmas Eve 2010

Although I'm writing this post on New Year's Day ... I'm playing catch up.  It's been a crazy December for me.  I know there are only 24 hrs in a day, but it seems I'd been burning 28!  Well, here's what I cooked for Christmas Eve and Christmas Dinner.  Of course, it was all delicious (that's what the family and friends said).  It was a lot of work.  Let's start with Christmas Eve.  We usually have every year our "Christmas Eve Table."  I (with a little help) make every one's favorite and we eat and play games and eat and play games...."oh what fun it is to ...." I digress ... so here's the eve's delights.  As you can see below, we did have veggies...carrots and celery with Blue Cheese Dip!!!

Paula Deen's Hogs in a Sleeping Bag

The Spread

Mini Meatball Panini

Beef/Sausage Meatballs

Almond Rocha (Homemade of course)

Getting Ready for the Eats

3 Cheese Platter

Cookies, Cookies, Cookies

The mini meatball panini's are from the Mad Hungry Cooking Show.  They are phenomenal!  I usually don't like meatballs at all, but these are so good.  I mixed ground beef and hot sausage with a few other ingredients.  They were moist and very tasty!

The top cookies are made with puff pastry and filled with almond paste.  The middle ones are double ginger and the bottom are my brown butter shortbread cookies.  I usually make a "butt load" more for Christmas Eve, but like I said earlier....I was crazy busy!  No time...no time.  Okay, now let's talk about Christmas Dinner, shall we?  

Thanksgiving Eats

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  Mine was absolutely amazing.  Love family ... love cooking!!  Here is a look at what we had.  I cooked my turkey in my roaster and finished it (browned) in the oven ...



Before



After

Okay, it was yummy.  I did my own brine and it came out just suculent.  Very tasty! 



Next it was a warm potato salad with green beans.  This is "Chuck's Day Off" recipe and the first time I made it.  A great recipe so I've made it a second time.  Check out "The Cooking Channel" for the recipe.

 I also tried another new recipe.  It was Bobby Flay's macaroni and cheese.  Here it is ...



It was with four cheeses, onions and pancetta.

It was good...I probably won't make it again.  I like my recipe better (mine was creamier).  Now for the desserts. 

 This is something I came up with.  It's a pumpkin/vanilla trifle with ginger cookies.  It was very tasty, however, I think the cookies I used were too thin.  Maybe ginger snaps would be better.

The infamous chocolate walnut pie.  This is my most requested pie I make, especially during the holidays.  It's a very decadant, rich pie.  So goooooood!

Apple Caramel pie

Next Holiday is Christmas!  Working on the menu now!!