Category: Food
Sunny with a Plate of Meatballs

Sunny with a Plate of Meatballs

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FB started out as a way to connect with my friends, especially with those that don’t live close by but it has morphed into a way to connect with people with shared interests.  Earlier in the year I stumbled across Food52’s  (awesome website, check it out) Cookbook Club.  My cynical side thought wow, what a great marketing ploy.  A cookbook club that features a different book each month where members can make any recipe from the book and post pics of it on the site.  Nice try to get me to buy yet another cookbook.  My rational side thought, I should call the hubby immediately..intervention time.  I’m about to buy a cookbook every month forever, stop me.  He could then say in a soft calm voice; have you checked the library?  Or called a friend who might have a copy? …Or a tough love line like “You can’t buy another cookbook unless you get rid of one you already have..and I get to pick which one goes.”

Nooooooo….

I was able to resist for a little while but yummy photos of recipes from this month’s selection, Melissa Clark’s Dinner: Changing the Game kept popping up on my timeline and got the best of me.  I took a look at the table of contents and wouldn’t you know it a chapter called Grind filled with recipes for MEATBALLS caught my eye.  I LOVE meatballs.  I searched for a recipe from the book to try and found Ginger Pork Meatballs with Cilantro and Fish Sauce (on blog site A Modest Feast).  Made with green onions, cilantro, fish sauce, garlic, lime and spiced with ginger and Serrano chilis these meatballs were delicious.  Resistance was futile.

Ugh, what cookbook will I have to give up?

The recipe calls for pork next time (and there will be a next time) I plan on trying a 50-50 mix of pork and ground chicken or turkey.

I used a 1 inch ice cream scoop to mold the meatballs, perfect for appetizer sized portions but a little small for a main dish.  I’d make them bigger next time.

I served the meatballs two ways as a lettuce wrap with a bit of jasmine rice and dipping sauce and on top of a bowl of bean thread noodles garnished with crispy slices of cucumbers, scallions and cilantro. NOm nom nom…

 

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Sunny with a Plate of Meatballs

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

  • 1 pound ground pork or 1/2 pound ground pork:1/2 pound ground chicken
  • 1/3 cup finely-chopped fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1/4 cup finely-chopped scallions white and green parts
  • 1 serrano chile seeded and chopped
  • 1 tablespoon finely-chopped peeled fresh ginger or ginger juice
  • 3 garlic cloves grated on a Microplane or minced
  • Finely-grated zest of 1 lime
  • 2 teaspoons freshly-squeezed lime juice
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce or tamari
  • 1 teaspoon fish sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the dipping sauce:

  • 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
  • 1 tablespoon Sriracha or other hot sauce
  • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon dark brown sugar

For serving:

  • 1 head Boston or bibb lettuce
  • 1/4 English cucumber thinly-sliced
  • 2-3 scallions white and light green parts, julienned
  • A large handful of cilantro sprigs
  • Bean thread noodles or rice noodles soaked until soft. Drain and set aside
  • Jasmine rice cooked

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, gently combine the pork, cilantro, scallions, chile, ginger, garlic, lime zest and juice, soy sauce, fish sauce, and salt.
  • Roll mixture into 1-inch balls
  • Heat the broiler. Set the rack at least 4 inches from the heat source.
  • Arrange the meatballs in a single layer, not touching, on one or two rimmed sheet pans.
  • Broil the meatballs, turning the pan halfway through, until they are golden all over and just cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.
  • Prepare the dipping sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, soy sauce, Sriracha, sesame oil, and brown sugar.
  • For lettuce wraps: Place a bit of rice or noodles in lettuce leaf. Top with 2 meatballs, cilantro, green onion shreds. fold and dip into sauce. Enjoy!
  • Or serve as a rice or noodle bowl.

NOTES

  • For consistency of size and even cooking, use a spring-loaded scoop to portion out the meatballs; I used the middle-sized scoop in this set (#50), which is 1 1/2 tablespoons. To make gluten-free, use tamari instead of soy sauce.

 

 
(Blueberry Hand Pies) Girls Just Wanna Have Pie

(Blueberry Hand Pies) Girls Just Wanna Have Pie

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I am a pie kind of gal.  It is common knowledge, I will search for pie at every opportunity-family vacations, weekend jaunts, regattas, anytime, anywhere. Yes, some serious hunting for a slice of some “damn fine pie”.  A family trip years ago in a rental car did not deter me (our Suburban died in Salt Lake City on our way to Yellowstone for a bike trip) from stopping in Logan, Utah just to eat huckleberry pie…we had to drive through Utah to get to Yellowstone anyways, why not? Then there are my crewmates who have come to realize I don’t row to row, I row to eat pie.  Luckily they like pie too.  A 4-hour detour to Underhill Vermont for pie NBD, right?

Hand Me a Pie

I have been eyeing a recipe for blueberry hand pies from King Arthur Flour for awhile and just hadn’t gotten off my duff to try it.  A little nudge was all I needed, which happened when a post on Ipso Fatto (on my FAV blog list) for that very recipe arrived in my inbox. Coupled with blueberries that have been so good lately….made it a no-brainer to finally try it.   I’m glad I did, these hand pies are SUPER DELICIOUS!  The crust is flaky and buttery with a touch of tartness from the sour cream. The filling is simple and straight forward, blueberries with a bit of lemon like Fred and Ginger, the perfect duo.

Cold Cash, I mean Dough

The dough is fairly easy to work with so I would recommend this for pie crust novices.  Use a food processor to combine the dry ingredients and the butter.  Use quick pulses to break up the butter into the flour.  When the butter is about pea size stop and proceed by hand.  Out comes my wooden bowl, in goes the butter-flour mixture.  Add the sour cream to this and using your hand or a wooden spoon, stir to incorporate the sour cream.  You will end up with a shaggy mess that does not stick together (see above photo with blueberries).  Pour this mixture onto a flat surface and using a dough scraper or hand “smoosh” the dough together until it comes together.  Form into a disc and chill.

The Pi Golden Rule (I just made that up) if the dough gets soft or sticky and difficult to work with, throw it in the fridge to CHILL.  This will save you lots of tears and frustration.  Roll dough out between parchment and transfer it to a baking sheet so it can chill again before cutting.

The extra step for this dough is folding it like an envelope and rolling it out a couple of times.  Much like the puff pastry process, this creates layers of butter in the dough and makes the crust FLAKY.  SO YUMMY.  The recipe calls for an egg wash and coarse sugar sprinkled on the pies.  Me, meh, sugar on my pie crust is not my thing so I skipped it, up to you.  Dust the pies with powdered sugar to add some sweetness.  I adore lemon and blueberry together so I kicked it up a notch by adding a teaspoon of lemon zest to the filling.  La la la….love it!

So the name of the game is don’t overwork your dough, chill it if gets too soft, work quickly.  Ta-dah! Blueberry hand pies that will blow your family and friends away.

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Let Them Eat Pie

Ingredients

PASTRY

  • 2 cups 81/2 ounces King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup 16 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup cold sour cream

FILLING

  • 2 cups blueberries fresh or frozen
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch or 1 tablespoon Instant ClearJel*
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt a large pinch
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • *For frozen berries use 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch or 1 1/2 tablespoons ClearJel.

TOPPING

  • 1 large egg beaten
  • 2 tablespoons white sparkling sugar for garnish

Instructions

  • The directions can be found here on the King Arthur Flour site.
  • Optional changes include:
  • 1/2 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest to the blueberry filling
  • Omit sparkling sugar and egg wash, dust with powdered sugar before serving.
  • I'm sure this would work with any seasonal fruit including strawberries and lime, or peaches with hint of almond extract...go for it!
Ketchup Noodles

Ketchup Noodles

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One of my favorite shows on Netflix is the Japanese production Samurai Gourmet. I LOVE this show. I’m crossing my fingers that they will produce more episodes.  It follows newly retired exec Kasumi as he rediscovers the simple pleasures of life (most of which involve food of course).  Timid by nature, he has an alter ego, a confident, bravado-filled Samurai, who appears when Kasumi is faced with an awkward situation.  Its funny, sweet, poignant and filled with FOOD PORN.

Each episode features a meal that Kasumi savors over.  My favorite episode finds him searching for a favorite dish from his youth. The first bite immediately transports him back to his childhood.  To really make you drool, there are close-ups of each dish being prepared or eaten followed by Kasumi exclaiming “oishi!” (delicious!). If you have Netflix, this is must-see TV.  If you don’t, call me.  We’ll do a marathon session and go out for ramen afterward.

So I arrived home after a particularly long commute and needed to unwind.  Not wanting to watch the news I popped on Netflix and found my favorite episode of Samurai Gourmet.  Big mistake, before the end credits ran I was ravenous. Watching Kasumi slurp up a plate of pasta had me salivating for a bowl of noodles.  I hopped up, headed to the fridge, and luckily found a tiny portion of linguine left from last night’s dinner.  I grabbed it, the butter, and the bottle of ketchup.

Yep, you read that right.  Butter and ketchup.  Did you laugh when you read that? When I was a kid my Mom would make us Ketchup noodles for an after-school snack.  It was quick and easy and held us over until dinner.  I continued the tradition with my kids and would have a plate waiting for them as they came running in from school.  Jamie, our noodle girl loved them.

You can add anything you want to this dish.  Saute some onions and minced garlic before adding the noodles to the pan.  Spice it up with a dash of chili flakes…use your imagination!  Here is a refined version from Just One Cookbook, a Japanese blog post.  See, I’m not alone, ketchup and noodles are a Japanese thing too.

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Mom's Ketchup Noodles!

Yes, you read that right, ketchup noodles, delicious
Course One dish meals
Cuisine Asian-American
Keyword butter, ketchup, noodles
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 2

Ingredients

  • 8 oz spaghettini or angel hair or linguine fini or 12 ounces Chinese Egg Noodles
  • 2-3 tbsp butter salted, unsalted whatever floats your boat
  • 2-3 tbsp ketchup or to taste
  • Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated OR To be true to my mom, you should use the pre-grated parmesan cheese in the green can by Kraft!
  • salt and pepper garlic salt is nice too, not a mom ingredient but it works

Instructions

  • Cook noodles according to directions on package, drain and reserve
  • Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. When it starts to bubble, add noodles, increase heat to medium high.
  • Toss to coat noodles with butter. Add ketchup and continue to toss to mix thoroughly while frying. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately. Pass the cheese in the little green can. Does that still exist?
  • ENJOY!!!!

Notes

If you want to go crazy, you could saute' some minced garlic in the butter before adding the noodles.  You can use garlic salt also.
A riff on ketchup noodle:  Replace the ketchup with Oyster Sauce which is just as delicious..salty, briny, buttery....hmmm yum

Hi Mui, Claire, Jorge, Jeffy
Miso Honey Ribs, To BBQ Or Bake That Is The Question

Miso Honey Ribs, To BBQ Or Bake That Is The Question

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The kids were home for about a week but we were so busy running around we never got around to our annual summer burger cook-off.  Disappointing but little did I know the chance to flex my culinary muscle would happen anyways.  Each year Saveur magazine presents awards for the Best Food Blog. While perusing the finalists I found a recipe for Honey Miso Ribs on the blog  Son of a Southern Chef. They looked mouthwateringly delicious.  Lazurus Lynch, a 23-year-old, cute as a button, southern chef, is the creator.  It is filled with energy, whimsy, and fun.  He oozes so much personality it practically slaps you in the face.  Look out Guy Fieri, this kid is the real deal and a natural for TV.

A tub of organic miso from the Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market and a 3-pack of ribs from Costco in the fridge meant I was destined to make his rib recipe. Dinner was set, and off to rowing.  I came home and 2 racks of ribs were sitting on the counter coated with a dry rub.  Hubs casually says I used a couple of racks, what do you want to do with the last rack?

WHAAT?  ARE YOU CHALLENGING ME TO A RIB COOK-OFF?

GAME ON DUDE

Laz’s recipe called for oven-baking the ribs, painting on the glaze, and then baking the ribs for an additional 30 minutes.  The glaze is comprised of Japanese miso ( a soybean paste that is salty and flavorful), ginger, garlic, soy, lime, and sesame.  I wanted a touch more acid so I increased the lime juice and rounded up the soy sauce to a tablespoon.  Baste the ribs a couple of times during the last half hour of cooking, done. Serve em’ up.  Pretty darn easy.

On the other hand, Wes’s ribs call for PAINSTAKINGLY smoking them for hours and hours and rotating them on the grill CONSTANTLY.  His BBQ sauce contains about a million ingredients and needs to be cooked on the stovetop and then brushed on his ribs about 50 times for the last 2,700 seconds of cooking (makes it sound like a long time right?).

I’m not trying to create bias or anything…

Miso Ribs above ready to eat – classic BBQ Ribs below still cooking on the grill. You be the judge.

So off we went to our friends Paul and Pam’s, ribs in hand.  After all we needed help eating 3 slabs of ribs.

In the end, in a diplomatic fashion, a tie was declared…both equally finger-licking delicious.

Wait, someone just got ribbed-off.

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Miso Honey Ribs (Son of a Southern Chef)

Delicious ribs made in the oven!
Course bbq, dinner
Cuisine American, Asian-American
Keyword bbq ribs, Miso, oven-baked, pork ribs
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • Miso Honey Ribs
  • 1 rack baby back ribs
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Marinade/Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons white miso paste
  • 2 cloves garlic grated
  • 2 teaspoons ginger grated
  • ½ cup honey mild
  • ¼ cup brown sugar golden or dark is fine
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce
  • ½ tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

Garnish

  • sliced green onions
  • white sesame seeds, roasted

Instructions

  • 1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
  • 2. Cut the ribs, dividing into two racks. Season ribs with salt and pepper on both sides. Transfer seasoned ribs to a tray lined with foil. Pour ½ cup of water into the tray and cover foil. Cook in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour.
  • 3. In a small bowl whisk together the miso, garlic, ginger, honey, brown sugar, sesame oil, soy sauce, and lime juice.
  • 4. Take ribs out of the oven and remove foil on the top. If there is a lot of liquid in the pan drain some off.
  • 5. Baste both sides of ribs with the glaze and cook for an additional 30 to 45 minutes, basting top of ribs every 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown.
  • 5. Remove from oven, slice, and serve. Garnish with sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds

Hi Mui.
Sesame Noodles (Ancient Family Secret)

Sesame Noodles (Ancient Family Secret)

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Jamie was home for the week so of course, we pulled out the party plates and hosted a happy hour at our house. Though we usually stick to finger foods, we broke out the forks and chopsticks for a delicious, perfect for hot weather dish, Sesame noodles.  A combination of soy, vinegar, sesame oil in the dressing packs a flavor punch followed by a spicy kick courtesy of chili oil.  The dish is prepped in advance and left to sit overnight for the flavors to meld.  Just before serving, give the noodles a last toss, a sprinkle of green onions and sesame seeds on top, and then watch friends gobble it up.  Really, that good.

My friend Sarah asked for the recipe for these tasty noodles to which I teasingly replied “it’s an old family recipe”.  I had her for a second until I finished with “from my dear Aunt, Martha Stewart”.  Yep, the recipe is from Martha Stewart’s Entertaining.  An iconic tome filled with delicious recipes and the ABCs on “how to host” a fabulous party. It changed the way my generation viewed “The good life”.  I was on a student’s budget when Entertaining was published so the best I could do was pour over the pages of her book and dream. An elegant Manhattan penthouse cocktail party or Hawaiian Luau in the Hampton’s were not within reach but her recipes were.  A girl can dream, and eat delicious tasty food.

We served the noodles with grilled flank steak and a cucumber salad.  A big hit!  The recipe is simple and easy.  The hard part happens way before you start making this delicious dish.

FINDING THE INGREDIENTS

The dressing calls for Chinese Black Vinegar and Dark Soy Sauce.  Whaat? Isn’t there just one soy sauce to rule them all?  Nope.  Chinese dark or black soy sauce is actually thicker and less salty than regular Chinese Soy Sauce or Kikkoman Soy Sauce.  It is fermented a little longer and contains either molasses or sugar which adds a bit of sweetness.

The other ingredient is Black Chinese Vinegar.  Chinese Black Vinegar, also known as Chiankiang Vinegar, is best described as a slightly less sweet Balsamic Vinegar.  I did painstaking intensive research (googled it) and found the best substitution (from America’s Test Kitchen) equal parts red wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar blended together.  I did my own taste test and it did seem to be pretty close in flavor, maybe a touch sweeter than black vinegar.

The Line-up

A picture is worth a whole lotta words so here are my bottles of the different sauces.  I prefer Pearl River Dark Soy, it is a little mellower and not quite as salty as Koon Chun.  For those of you in my neck of the woods, I will gladly point you in the right direction for where and which ones to buy.

I have added my own twists to this dish of course.

Decrease the amount of salt (the original seemed like a ton) and use kosher salt.

Add 1 -2 tablespoons of oyster sauce to add umami (I know what your thinking noooo, not another sauce. This is optional but everyone should have a bottle of this miracle sauce in their pantry.  Make sure it is made by the Lee Kum Kee one with the kid and mom in the boat.  Cut chili oil amount by half.  I’m a wimp.

Add blanched asparagus, sugar snap peas, snow pears, fresh corn, and-or shredded chicken for a more substantial dish.  The sky’s the limit.  Garnish with green onions and cilantro (if you like cilantro) and toasted sesame seeds.  Voila’ KILLER NOODLE SALAD ready to go!

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Old Family Secret (Sesame Noodles)

Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine Asian, Asian-American
Keyword Sesame Noodles
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 6 minutes

Ingredients

  • Make this dish the night before
  • 2 pounds chinese egg noodles
  • 1/2 cup sesame oil
  • 1/2 cup black soy sauce
  • 3 T black Chinese vinegar
  • 3 T sugar
  • 1 1/2 T salt kosher coarse
  • 2 T hot pepper oil chili oil (start with 1 T it is really spicy with 2)
  • 1/2 cup finely sliced scallions white and green part
  • Recipe can easily be halved**

Instructions

  • In a large pot of boiling water, cook the noodles 1 pound at a time. Boil 4-5 minutes, until just tender.
  • Drain, rinse well under cold running water until chilled, and drain again. Put in a large bowl.
  • Combine remaining ingredients. Reserve approximately 1/4 of the dressing. Stir the rest into cold noodles, mixing well.
  • Chill overnight.
  • Just before serving toss with reserved dressing. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and additional green onions.
  • Variations: Reduce salt to 1 T kosher, add 1-2 T oyster sauce. Add blanched asparagus or snow peas or sugar snap peas or cucumbers.
  • For a more substantial dish add shredded chicken or cooked shrimp.
Jamie’s Home, Doing the Mango Tango

Jamie’s Home, Doing the Mango Tango

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Hello friends!! Jamie here from the good ‘ol peach state. Yup, I have now moved even farther away and further south (metaphorically) from The Bay.  The deep south is definitely different than Texas.  I mean, Texas isn’t part of the south. Texas is Texas. Home of brisket, football, and deep-fried butter. Ironically, the first time I had mango lassi I was in Texas.  It was my freshman year of college, and my friends and I were doing–of course–absolutely nothing on a Tuesday night.  We heard that a club on campus was giving out free food, so we went.  Turns out, they were giving out mango lassi, and, boy, there was a lot of people there.  I soon understood why (well, other than the fact that it was free food and college kids).  It was like a mango milkshake, but even better–thicker, richer, and tastier.  Sweet with that hint of tartness from the yogurt. If you haven’t tried a mango lassi before, you need to drop everything right now and go get one.  Well, after you read this blog post, of course.

Living in Atlanta this summer has made me CRAVE ice cream.  Maybe it’s the insanely hot and humid days or maybe it’s because I have way more free time to daydream about desserts.  Whatever the reason, I’ve been dying for some ice cream. So, when I traveled home for a week for work, I broke out one of my mom’s ice cream machines. Yes, I did say “one of.” I pulled out the Cuisinart to make mango lassi frozen yogurt ice cream.  It is the CREAMIEST DREAMIEST treat of the summer. It was the easiest treat of the summer, too.  Just throw the ingredients into a blender, pour it into the ice cream maker, then pop it into the freezer.  Voila!

The recipe for Mango Lassi Ice Cream is from blogger turned cookbook author, Lisa Fain of The Homesick Texan.  I have an affinity for her .  When she  moved to New York City she started a blog about Texas life and food.  I’m like her except I am The Homesick Californian living in Texas..maybe I should start my own blog.  Just kidding Mom!

HI CLAIRE

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Mango Lassi Ice Cream (Homesick Texan)

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces frozen diced mango thawed, or 2 1/2 pounds fresh mango, peeled, pitted, and diced
  • 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
  • 8 ounces plain Greek-style yogurt, preferably full fat
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Pinch ground cardamom

Instructions

  • Place the mango, sweetened condensed milk, yogurt, lime juice, salt, and spice in a blender and then puree until creamy and smooth.
  • Freeze according to your ice-cream maker’s instructions. We have a Cuisinart Ice Cream maker. After 20 minutes of turning it was still relatively soft. I transferred the mixture to a Tupperware and threw it in the freezer. A couple days later the ice cream was still creamy.
  • Next time I made add bits of mango to the puree just to intensify the mango.
  • You can never have too much mango.
  • Another thought: I bet you could use other fruits for mangoes. Strawberries or peaches come to mind.
  • If you don't like cardamon try ginger or cinnamon in place.
  • Yield:
  • About a quart

So much fun with an ice cream machine!
52 Ways to Have Your Salad

52 Ways to Have Your Salad

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Slip out the bowl Joe, toss some new greens, Jean…just get yourself free..to make some satisfying salads.  After quite the wait I received a copy of Food 52 Mighty Salads from Blogging for Books.  I flipped through the book and with my trusty pad of post it notes tagged quite a few recipes I wanted to try.  This is a book of main dish salads, hearty and substantial enough to serve alone.  The book is organized by ingredient, leafy greens, not so leafy greens, grains, pasta and bread, meat and fish and seafood.  The photos are gorgeous and the recipes themselves are laid out well.  Tips and how to’s are interspersed throughout the book.  I am guessing different people submitted various recipes.  Some recipes have explicit directions while others, coincidentally the ones I tried, were a bit looser ie. “blend ingredients together”.  I had to think for a second with what? A food processor, blender, or would a bowl and a whisk suffice?

A closer look at the recipes narrowed down which ones I wanted to try, many were pretty involved or contained ingredients I didn’t have on hand.  I ended up with 4 recipes, Fresh Corn Cakes with Crab-Tomato Salad, Lamb Kebabs Grilled with Tomato Cucumber Salad, Half Blistered Tomato Pasta Salad and the Brioche Croutons (ok, not a salad but a bonus recipe).

Right off hand I would say none of the recipes I tried WOWED me.  With every dish a tweak would pop into my head or I would think this is not bad but it’s missing something.  The Corn Cakes were tasty, a bit heavy but had a nice crunch from the cornmeal and corn. The tomato-crab salad fell flat and needed a bigger hit of acid.  I added a squeeze of lemon trying to give it some pop.  I also would have thrown some fresh corn in with tomatoes and crab for some crunch and sweetness.  Full disclosure, I ended up hitting it with a dollop of Siracha mayo, but that’s me.

The pasta salad was a hit with the hubby but I once again thought it could use a flavor pop.  I julienned my basil and mint to distribute the herbs through the salad more evenly.  It reminded me of a de-constructed pesto.

The grilled lamb kebabs were tender and juicy from the marinade. I only had greek yogurt on hand so the marinade was thick and left the kebabs a bit pale in color.  The sauce of tahini and yogurt was flat so I added a sprinkle of Aleppo pepper, be generous with the salt.  The tomatoes and cucumbers are a classic, I would add slivered red onion for pop and a sprinkling of feta to finish next time.

Brioche toasted with honey and walnuts and sprinkled with sea salt.   Adds a nice touch to yogurt or fresh seasonal fruits-peaches or berries. My new favorite breakfast bowl, Greek yogurt, fresh berries drizzled with honey and topped with the croutons and toasted walnuts.  Stupid easy and a winner.

I don’t think I can give this book a resounding thumbs up but it is a solid book.  If I try more recipes I’ll keep you posted.

 
EmBOSSed Grahams

EmBOSSed Grahams

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I love graham crackers and recently shared the recipe to make homemade grammies.  Easy and infinitely better than the blue box of cookies that shall not be named.  Well, I got my embossed rolling pin. Check out my fancy-schmancy graham crackers.  Takes these bad boys to a whole new level.

I found embossed rolling pins on both Etsy and Amazon.  I like geometrics but there are a bazillion designs available including cartoon characters, flowers, hearts, just about anything you can imagine.

My pin is approximately 6 inches in width.  My method is to roll the dough to 1/4 inch thickness, chill for a couple of minutes and then use the embossed pin for the last roll.  Cut the dough into 6 inches strips or the approximate width of the pin.  Press firm enough to create the embossed pattern and roll just once. STAMPTASTIC!

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Strawberries and Lemon Ricotta Tarts- Smitten Kitchen

Up your graham cracker game! Homemade graham crackers topped with ricotta and strawberries, the bomb!
Course cookies, desserts
Cuisine American
Keyword graham crackers, ricotta cheese, strawberries
Prep Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

Perfect way to showcase your graham crackers. Use cracker as base, top with lemon ricotta cheese and sliced strawberries. Easy Peasy!

  • 3/4 pound strawberries thinly sliced
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 1/4 cups ricotta 10 ounces, fresh if you can find it, a full-fat store bought if you cannot
  • 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Instructions

Strawberry-Ricotta Graham Tartlets

  • Adapted — barely, as the recipe was just about perfect — from Food & Wine
  • Make toppings: In a bowl, toss the strawberries with the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar and the lemon juice. Let stand until syrupy, 20 minutes. In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta, confectioners’ sugar and lemon zest.
  • Assemble tartlets: Spread about 1 tablespoon of the ricotta mixture on each graham. Arrange the strawberries over the ricotta, drizzle with the syrup and serve.
  • The strawberries are also delicious over ice cream or yogurt.
Strawberry Trio- Shortcake, dipped in Kahlua Chocolate Sauce and Strawberry Lemon Ricotta Tarts. You can never have too many strawberry desserts!

 

Grams eating grahams! Giving them the “stamp” of approval!
Eat, Sweat, Love Atlanta Part 1

Eat, Sweat, Love Atlanta Part 1

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Jamie is working in Atlanta for the summer so we packed our bags and headed out to see her and visit yet another great city in the South. We booked an AirBnB in downtown Atlanta, 6 eagerly anticipated vacation days…that is until we glanced at Weather.com, 90 degree heat and 90 percent humidity. Ugh.  When we arrived, we walked out of the Atlanta-Hartsfield Airport and BAM! my glasses fogged up immediately and I almost walked into a pole. Saved only by Wes.

We rented a car and headed into downtown.  Sitting in traffic it feels like I never left California.  We get to town and realize it’s almost time to meet Jamie for dinner.  She has picked an Italian restaurant BoccaLupo. Wes looks at a map and says words he will later regret, “It doesn’t look very far, we could probably walk there.”

Forty five minutes later, dripping with sweat and my hundredth time whining “Are we there yet?”  we see Jamie standing in front of the restaurant, for a minute I think its a mirage.  The food was innovative, pretty and delicious as were the cocktails. Despite my complaining, the walk down Edgewood Ave was worth it.  Restaurants, quirky shops, bars are adding color and life to this street.  Chainstores are nowhere to be found…for now.  We ended up spending quite a bit of time cruising up and down Edgewood during our stay.

My pick for the Edgewood Ave. experience was a hip joint called the Staplehouse.  Definitely the hot ticket. Profits from Staplehouse go to the Giving Kitchen a charity organization started by Ryan and Jen, creators of Staplehouse, after Ryan was diagnosed with terminal cancer.  The restaurant community rallied around them and now the Giving Kitchen supports restaurant workers in need.  Staplehouse is his legacy.  Farm to table experience highlighting local growers.  Delicious, beautifully presented food in a hip, modern comfortable space.

Roasted wild mushrooms and farro

 

Duck Rilettes

We decided we needed to de-hipster ourselves so we took a trip to the donut shop! Sublime Donuts

 

Don’t let them tell you Atlanta is a sleepy southern town..it’s quite the place to visit and I would love to go back with the intention of also going to Selma, Birmingham, Huntsville..so much history.

More deliciousness….

Cacao Cafe ABSOLUTELY THE CUTEST CHOCOLATE SHOP EVER

While Wes was checking out a very cool woodworking store across the street I enjoyed some chocolates at Cacao Cafe

 

We celebrated Father’s Day with Sunday Supper at JCT. Kitchen and Bar.  Some mighty fine biscuits and eats.

I’m not done…Atlanta Part 2 more food but also what to do besides eat!