Simple Slow Cooker Green Beans & Chicken

My sisters and I are working on the next version of our best selling cookbook, Simple Slow Cooking. This next cookbook will feature new and super easy slow cooker recipes. Look for it in 2015. Here's a recipe that will appear in that cookbook:

Green Beans and Chicken
Note: This takes a little while to prepare everything, depending on how fast you are, but once prepped, everything goes in at the same time and you're done until you serve it. I made this in a
5 quart slow cooker.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup chicken broth or stock
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 large clove shallot, peeled and diced
4 - 5 medium potatoes (Yukon or Russet), peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper, divided (more if you like more pepper)
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, each cut into 3 or 4 large pieces
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons sweet Hungarian paprika
1 teaspoon salt
2 - 3 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into approximately 2 inch pieces

Instructions:

1. Prepare all the vegetables and chicken; set aside
2. In a 5 quart slow cooker, place chicken broth, carrot, and shallot
3. Next, layer the potato and top with half the white pepper
4. Then, place the pieces of chicken, arranged in a single layer
5. Drizzle the olive oil over the chicken and sprinkle on the paprika, salt, the remaining half of the white pepper, and thyme
6. Finally, spread the green beans over everything
7. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours

Veggie Salad

We went to a potluck party today. With about 15 people there and no pre-planning, there was a fully balanced meal with no duplicates! Amazing when this happens. We had meatballs, potato salad, taco salad, creamy orange Jell-o salad, ambrosia salad, veggie salad (recipe below), kale salad, a bowl of huge blueberries, Brie encroute with apricot preserves and almonds, cheesecake, chocolate cupcakes, donuts, no-bake cookies, and a variety of beverages. We ate, chatted, played croquet, and horseshoes, and had a great time. I love potlucks because you never know what's going to be served, and I love the creativity and traditional recipes from others.

Veggie Salad
This is a very flexible salad to make; feel free to omit vegetables you don't like for those that you do or add other veggies that you enjoy. The beets, carrots, and cabbage make for a very pleasing-looking salad, the veggies all have a nice crunch to them, and the dressing is light and refreshing and doesn't overpower the veggies. All in all, a very pretty, delicious slaw-type salad.
  Ingredients:
1 red beet, peeled and shredded
1 golden beet, peeled and shredded
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
1 large stalk celery, sliced thinly
1 tart apple, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored, and shredded
1/4 - 1/2 small head green cabbage, shredded
12 cherry tomatoes, quartered 
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup chopped cilantro or leafy parsley
1/2 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons water
 1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper

Instructions:

1. In a serving bowl, gently toss the prepared vegetables, apple, sunflower seeds, and cilantro until well-mixed
2. In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar, water, sugar, and white pepper until well-mixed
3. Add the dressing to the salad and toss gently until well-coated
4. Cover and chill at least 1 hour
5. For serving, the salad can be either chilled or at room temperature

Furry Friends' Fundraiser

Today, I participated in a fundraiser for the Sunny Sky's Animal Rescue and Shelter in Puyallup, WA. I had a vendor booth, where I sold our CB Cooks cookbooks (titles below), handcrafted wooden cutting boards and trivets made from reclaimed forest wood, and some kitty toys. For the toys, I knit some small squares and rectangles, rolled them into tubes, and put catnip on the inside. One of my cats loves them; he cuddles them, sucks on them, and drools until they're dripping wet. I also made some without catnip, but made from alpaca yarn instead. My other cat goes nuts over these - they must still carry some alpaca scent, though I don't smell it. And I made some feather kitty teasers - always a hit with my guys.

Back to the cookbooks. For those of you who don't know, my sisters and I write and publish cookbooks, geared for the home cook. We're very proud of these and have several more in the pipeline for our burgeoning publishing empire. Our daughters have been involved by creating recipes, proofreading, creating our logo, and designing our book covers. It's a family affair. Here are the cookbook titles:

Simple Slow Cooking
Ethnic Slow Cooking
Eating Out
More to Celebrate
Girls Just Wanna Have Fudge!
mm-mmm Muffins
Scandinavian Smorgasbord

For more information about our cookbooks, email me at cbcbcooks@gmail.com

Slow Cooker Chicken Barley Stew

Last Thursday was one of those crazy days, starting with water volleyball at 6:45 AM, ending with knitting with friends at an alpaca rescue ranch and fiber shop, and filled with all sorts of errands in the middle of the day. Thank goodness for slow cookers!  I decided to make Chicken Barley Stew. This recipe is extremely quick and easy to get into the cooker, fills the house with yummy smells, and tastes wonderful. On top of all that, it's a pretty healthy dish. The longest part of the prep will be the vegetables, so chop quickly - or even dice the veggies ahead of time and keep in a plastic bag in the refrigerator until you want to use it.

Slow Cooker Chicken Barley Stew
Makes 2 - 4 servings

Ingredients:
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup pearled barley
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon ground dried thyme
2 stalks celery, diced, including leafy tops
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1 small sweet onion, peeled and diced
1 tomato, seeded and diced
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
Optional Ingredients:
1 cup finely shredded cabbage
1 bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 cup green or wax beans, cut into 1/2" pieces
1 cup corn niblets, fresh, frozen, or canned
1 small rutabaga or turnip, peeled and diced
1 medium Yukon or Russet potato, peeled and diced
any other vegetable that won't turn mushy being cooked all day

Instructions:

1. Place the chicken broth, barley, and chicken breasts in a slow cooker
2. Sprinkle white pepper and thyme on top
3. Add celery, carrots, onion, tomato, garlic, and any other vegetables you'd like to use
4. Cover and cook on LOW for about 8 hours

Comfort Food

This past week, a few of us were discussing comfort food. The first thing we noticed was that  each of us could name several comfort foods without any trouble. The next thing we noticed was that each of us had different ideas of what comfort food is and came to the conclusion that comfort food is what comforts me - it's very individual. Some of us thought about food that was ethnic, such as lasagne, smothered enchiladas, or noodles in broth. Others of us described foods from our childhood and because we're different ages, those foods were also different and related to the decade we were children, such as Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, Malt-o-Meal, Spaghettio's, or Pirate's Booty.

We then got even more specific and described the comfort food our Moms made when we were sick. These resulted in "Eww," or "Really?" or "Oh, yum!" Here are some of the comfort foods we crave when we're not feeling well:

• Make a grilled cheese sandwich using white bread and American cheese. Tear grilled sandwich into pieces and place in a bowl. Pour hot cream of tomato soup over the sandwich pieces.
• Make strawberry Jell-o with a lot of bananas sliced into it; make sure to use very overripe bananas. Serve chilled with whipped cream from a can such as Reddi-Whip.
• Make chicken noodle soup with chicken, celery, carrots, and extra-wide egg noodles.
• Make sandwiches from Graham crackers with peanut butter on one side, Marshmallow Fluff on the other side, and chocolate chips in the middle.
• Break saltine crackers into large pieces and put into a bowl. Pour hot milk over the crackers and top with sugar.
• Cook some white rice and when cooked, stir in applesauce and ground cinnamon.
• Make creamy mashed potatoes and near the end of mashing them, add shredded cheese.
• Heat a bowl of your favorite ice cream in the microwave until it's completely melted.
• Peel, core, and slice tart apples. Saute them in butter, sugar, and cinnamon until very soft. Serve plain, or with vanilla ice cream, or with whipped cream.
• Warm dark chocolate pudding.
• Warm homemade cookies (especially chocolate chip, snickerdoodles, oatmeal raisin, or ginger snaps) and serve with ice cold milk.
• Yogurt with your favorite topping such as chocolate syrup, maple syrup, caramel syrup, sugared and mashed berries, etc.

Chicken, Broccoli, and Noodles

We've had a busy last few days, Randy working and me volunteering, a day trip to the Pacific Ocean to visit friends, and both of us playing water volleyball, so we wanted something good but fast for dinner tonight. Unfortunately, I didn't start anything in a Crock-Pot this morning, so it's in the kitchen making something yummy but easy. This is one of my favorite recipes for times like these - plus, it has the added benefit of being really flexible - be sure to see some suggested substitutions or options at the end of the recipe. And it makes yummy leftovers - what could be better?

Chicken, Broccoli, and Noodles
Makes about 6 servings
Leftovers reheat well

Ingredients:
3/4 cup chicken broth
12 - 16 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
12 ounce package egg noodles
2 cups broccoli florets, either fresh or frozen
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 1/2 cups milk, heated
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper, or to taste


Instructions:

1. In a frying pan, poach the pieces of chicken in chicken broth, adding more broth if necessary
2. Meanwhile, bring water to a boil in a large pot; add noodles when water boils and cook according to package directions (about 8 minutes); drain noodles; set aside keeping hot
3. In a saucepan, steam or boil the broccoli until just tender; drain and set aside
4. In a saucepan, make a Béchamel (white sauce) by melting the butter, then adding the flour; cook flour and butter for a few minutes, but don't let it brown; whisk in the hot milk and continue cooking until sauce has thickened; add white pepper and mix well
5. In a large serving dish, combine chicken, broccoli, noodles, and Béchamel and mix well

Substitutions and Options:

• You can increase or decrease the amount of chicken and/or broccoli according to what you have in your kitchen or to your tastes
• You can jazz up the chicken by adding thyme, a couple lemon slices, a little onion or garlic to the poaching liquid
• You can substitute 2 (10 1/2 ounce) cans of Cream of Chicken soup and 3/4 cup of milk for the Béchamel (but the Béchamel is really easy and tastes better!)
• To make this fancier, poach chicken breasts whole and slice into nice pieces after cooking; use broccoli spears instead of florets and arrange them next to the chicken slices on top of the cooked egg noodles; drizzle the Béchamel over all and pass the extra in a gravy boat
• To add a pop of color, dice a red bell pepper and steam with broccoli the last 2 minutes or so
• To make this richer, make the Béchamel an Alfredo sauce by adding 4 - 6 ounces grated Parmesan cheese and 4 - 8 ounces cream cheese
• You can substitute mashed potatoes, steamed rice, barley, quinoa, polenta, pasta, or spaghetti squash for the egg noodles
• You can substitute turkey breast or even boneless pork loin for the chicken; once, I even substituted a couple of sliced hard boiled eggs for the meat

Summer Salad

It's the third week of July and the farmers' markets and farm stands are rapidly filling with all sorts of fruits and vegetables. It's so easy to walk through them and get lots of ideas of wonderful things to cook. This summer salad is full of colorful, healthy, delicious fruits and vegetables, and it's flexible too. I'll suggest ingredients, but really, feel free to use whatever is available in your area and that seems yummy to you. You really can't go wrong here.

Summer Salad
Choose ingredients from vegetables and fruits; toss them lightly together; make dressing and use the minimum amount to dress the salad just before serving.

Vegetables:
dark leafy greens such as spinach, arugula, watercress, red or green leaf lettuce, torn
herbs such as basil, oregano, mint, thyme
red, green, or napa cabbage, shredded
celery, sliced thinly
carrots, shredded
red onion, shallot, or scallions, sliced thinly
bell pepper, sliced thinly
mushrooms, sliced
cucumber, seeded and sliced thinly
beets, peeled and shredded
any other vegetable that you find irresistible

Fruits:
blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, or other berries
pomegranates
mangoes, peeled and diced
apples, diced
grapes
pineapple, peeled and cut tidbit-sized
any other fruits that you enjoy

Other:
unsweetened coconut flakes
sunflower seeds or pistachio
walnuts or pecans
croutons

Dressing:
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup pomegranate juice
juice from 1/2 lime
1 tablespoon honey or agave syrup
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

Falling Off the Bone BBQ Ribs

Our grand-kids were visiting and one night we had a great summer dinner: barbecued pork ribs, corn on the cob, steamed green beans, and sliced fresh tomatoes. There are millions of recipes and techniques for barbecued ribs, but this one is my favorite because it's versatile, can be made in any season, is super easy, the meat is guaranteed to fall off the bone, and is flavorful and delicious. I use a dry rub to infuse some flavor and lay down a nice base of sweet heat. My husband likes his with just the dry rub, but I like a sweet thick barbecue sauce to finish it - maybe I like the extra mess of barbecue sauce on my chin and maybe a drip on my shirt. Luckily, this recipe can accommodate both ways even if you're cooking only one rack of ribs.

Although this is a super easy recipe and you spend little time actually doing something, it does take a few hours overall, so read through the instructions and plan accordingly. Here's the recipe for the dry rub, followed by the recipe for the ribs. Plan on putting the rub on at least 2 hours ahead of cooking the ribs; the rub can be left on for several hours if you cover the ribs with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Plan on another 3 hours for cooking the ribs.

Rib Rub
This makes a little more than one cup of rub, enough for about 3 racks of ribs. Any that you don't use can be saved for the future.

Ingredients:
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup chili powder
2 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon cayenne (ground red) pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin


Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients, mixing well so there are no brown sugar lumps and all spices are evenly distributed
2. Store any extra in an airtight container

Falling Off the Bone BBQ Ribs

Ingredients:
 1 rack of pork baby back ribs (one rack serves 3 - 4 people)
1 - 2 tablespoons olive oil (or any vegetable oil)
1/3 - 1/2 cup rib rub
optional:
your favorite barbecue sauce

Instructions:

1.  At least 5 hours before serving, prepare the ribs. You may wish to remove the silver-white membrane on the back of the ribs called "silverskin," though it's not absolutely necessary. Some say you must always remove it and others say you don't have to. I usually do; it's an easy process: simply slide the blade of a table knife under the membrane and work towards one end. Pick up the end of the membrane with a paper towel and peel off the rest. It's very easy
2. Place the rib rack(s) on a baking sheet; brush one side with olive oil and sprinkle on half of the rib rub (about 2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup). Turn ribs over and repeat on the other side
3. Cover ribs with aluminum foil and refrigerate until about 3 hours before you wish to serve them
4. Preheat oven to 300 degrees
5. Bake for 3 hours unless you are planning on basting the ribs with barbecue sauce. If using sauce, brush on sauce after 2 hours of baking and baste every 20 minutes until total baking time is about 3 hours
6. If you wish, you can remove the ribs from the oven after 2 3/4 hours and finish them on a grill

Potluck BBQ

Today, we had a potluck BBQ. We provided regular-sized hamburgers, sliders, hotdogs, brats, chips, pretzels, and a variety of beverages. And everyone else brought what they wanted to. Remember one of my very first blogs where I mentioned that you're taking a chance when people don't sign up ahead of time for what to bring, or when you don't assign a category such as salads or desserts. Well, I'm always up for taking a culinary risk, so didn't have anyone organize what to bring. And it worked perfectly with a wonderful balance and variety of foods.

In addition to the hamburgers and hot dogs, I made a big platter of tomatoes, onions, lettuce, bell peppers, and cheese and included catsup, mustard, mayonnaise, pickles, and sauerkraut. Someone brought a delicious salad made with kale, carrots, cherry tomatoes, and I don't know what else, but it was colorful and delicious. And someone else brought a cucumber salad which was gorgeous and delicious too. Then there were the dilly beans - dilled green beans - that were so good! We had a baked brie covered with apricot spread and wrapped in pastry - yummy!

For some healthy desserts, we had fresh pineapple, fresh cherries, and fresh strawberries. For more decadent foods, we had a blackberry cobbler, strawberry cheesecake, and a 5 layer chocolate cake. It was Yvonne's birthday and we had to light the candles 4 times before they stayed lit enough for her to make a wish and blow them out.

So, there were no duplications, and everything was delicious and went well together. The weather also cooperated - sunny, in the 70s with a light breeze. Our deck was partly sunny and partly shady, so everyone could sit in the sun or shade. And the company was fun and interesting, lubricated with wine, champagne, pop, and water. Perfect day after the Solstice!

Casino Buffets

Although it has been a few years since I've eaten in a casino buffet (last few times were in Las Vegas), I've eaten in a few in Minnesota and Washington in the last couple of months. Because the buffets were in casinos, one big problem for me was that you had to make your way through the smoky casino floor to get to the restaurants. And a couple were so close to the action, that they were slightly smoky inside the restaurant.

So I was pleasantly surprised at the buffet in Snoqualmie Casino in Snoqualmie, WA. When I entered the casino from the parking garage elevator, the first thing I noticed was that the smoke smell was pretty faint - not at all overwhelming. The smoking section was at the ballroom end of the casino gaming floor and the restaurants were at the opposite end. So, it was very easy to find the buffet and eat there as well as play some of the machines without getting overcome by smoke. A definite plus!

One end of the restaurant was banked with windows overlooking the mountains and valleys of the Cascades - beautiful. Chairs and tables were comfortable and not too close to each other. And the servers were attentive, refilled our beverages frequently and made sure we had whatever we needed.

The food was very good - none of us got something that we didn't like which is unusual at a buffet. The salad bar had items that were chilled and crisp, including some items not usually found - alfalfa sprouts, radishes, walnuts - and 9 salad dressings in addition to raspberry vinaigrette, balsamic vinaigrette, and oil and vinegar. Plus they offered the usual additional items such as Caesar salad, coleslaw, potator salad, cottage cheese, fruits, and soups.

For hot offerings, there was an Asian section with Mongolian stir fry, chow mein, sukiyaki, teriyaki, sweet and sour pork, broccoli beef, fried rice, steamed rice, and a few other typical items. I had the chow mein; the vegetables were still a little crispy which I like and it had a nice sauce that wasn't overpowering. There was an Italian section with lasagne, spaghetti and meatballs, breadsticks, Italian pork chops, and pizza. The pizza was pretty good - not pizzeria-style, but not bad. Oh - and a large bowl full of roasted garlic - my husband would be in Heaven!

There was a fish and seafood section with cod, halibut, salmon, crab cakes, and calamari. I'm not much of a fish eater, so I skipped this section, but my companions said they were pleased with the food. There was also a meat-and-potatoes section with roasted turkey, turkey gravy, ham, mashed potatoes, potatoes au gratin, green beans, corn on the cob, sweet potatoes, teriyaki meatballs, fresh fruit, cheese, biscuits, and dinner rolls.

For dessert, there were cookies, bars, a chocolate fountain with strawberries and marshmallows, soft serve ice cream, and a variety of cakes and pies. I had a pina colada bar and a chocolate brownie, both of which were very good. My friends had the bread pudding, a berry crumble, cookies, bars - everything was pronounced very good. But, they didn't have any carrot cake, which is a particular favorite of a couple of us - just a minor disappointment as we were so stuffed anyway.

All in all, I was pleasantly surprised at Snoqualmie Casino and would recommend the buffet. At lunch, it was only $10.95, so a very good deal for all you could - but probably shouldn't - eat.

Fantastic Raisin Bran Apple Muffins

Have you ever lost your mind and bought a commercially prepared high fiber bran muffin? I have - and I'm always sorry. They're usually way too sweet and have a greasy or oily aftertaste. And with so many chemical stabilizers and such, I think a lot of the "healthy" benefits disappear.

When I was on my retirement vacation up north Minnesota, friend Nita made some fabulous muffins made from Raisin Bran cereal - they were so delicious, not too sweet, no aftertaste, and made us feel good and virtuous eating them.

This is my version of Nita's muffins - there are a few differences, but you end up with delicious and similar results.

Raisin Bran Apple Muffins
Makes 12 regular sized muffins

Ingredients:
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup applesauce
1 cup milk
1 cup plain yogurt
1 carrot, grated
1 tart apple, peeled, cored, and finely diced
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cups Raisin Bran cereal
Optional:
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup Craisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Instructions:

1. Prepare muffin pans by greasing each cup or using paper muffin liners;  set aside
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
3. In a large bowl, beat oil and sugar together until the sugar is completely dissolved
4. Add egg, applesauce, milk, and yogurt and mix until well-combined
5. Fold in the grated carrot and diced apple
6. In a small separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and cinnamon and mix well; add this dry mixture to the wet mixture and mix well
7. Fold in the Raisin Bran cereal and mix well
8. Add in any or all of the optional ingredients
9. Bake in prepared muffin tins at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes; cool in pan for 10 minutes

If you make these muffins according to the recipe above with no optional ingredients, each muffin has 288 calories, 50 grams carbohydrates, 9 grams fat, 6 grams protein, and 3 grams fiber.

Chicken Salad and Alpacas

I spent this past Saturday with a few people for a "Forever - Whatever" party. It's a session devoted to those projects (knitting, crocheting, cross stitching, etc.) that have hung around "forever" and need to be worked on. We met at an Alpaca Ranch - the owner has more than 2 dozen alpacas, most of them are rescues. She also has a shop there, selling alpaca fleece and yarns. The alpacas had just been shorn, so they looked crazy skinny, and were enjoying the beautiful mid-70s sunny weather. She turned on a sprinkler and they played in it like little children. It made me want to run through a sprinkler too!

Anyway, it was a beautiful June afternoon in the Pacific Northwest - sunny, warm, a little breeze. I made a cold chicken salad to share with everyone. It is my World Famous Chicken Salad - so easy, so versatile, and so yummy! I always get requests to bring it for parties and potlucks. Here's the recipe:

Cindy's World Famous Chicken Salad
Ingredients:
1 or 2 chicken breasts
2/3 cup chicken broth
7 ounce box Creamette macaroni salad rings *
2 stalks celery
1 cup mayonnaise **
2/3 cup Miracle Whip salad dressing **
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
2 - 3 hard boiled eggs

*   I import my pasta rings from Minnesota; if you can't find them, substitute any
     tiny macaroni, such as tiny shells, bow ties, etc.
** I like this combination of mayonnaise and salad dressing; if you prefer, you can use all 
     mayonnaise, all salad dressing, or mix it in whatever proportions you prefer

Optional:
Chopped seedless grapes
Chopped apples
Chopped pecans or walnuts
1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
2 -3 radishes, sliced thinly
1 green, red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, seeded and diced

Instructions:

1. Poach the chicken breasts in chicken broth
2. Remove chicken skin and bones, if any and discard; shred chicken and refrigerate to cool
3. Prepare the macaroni according to directions; drain and rinse under cold water; place in large bowl and refrigerate to cool
4. Dice the celery and combine in large bowl with shredded chicken and macaroni rings
5. Fold in mayonnaise, Miracle Whip, and white pepper
6. Fold in chopped hard boiled eggs
7. Fold in any of the optional ingredients, if desired

This salad is especially good served with cantaloupe, watermelon, or red ripe tomatoes

Retirement Vacation

I'm sorry for not posting the last couple of weeks. Besides forgetting to alert you all, I packed wrongly for my trip - way too many warm clothes, anticipating cold weather. Which didn't occur. I retired 4 months ago and so was in desperate need for a vacation. Retirement is HARD! Well, okay, that's not really the story, but it did catch your attention, didn't it? I did go on a vacation and it was fabulous.

I started out with a trip on Amtrak from Tacoma to St. Paul, Minnesota. I almost always travel in a sleeping compartment, so even though my train there was 6 hours late (oil trains in North Dakota), I had a book and my knitting and I didn't care. The trip there was the beginning of my vacation. The trip began about 1:30 PM on Thursday and I got to Minnesota about 11:00 Saturday morning. Lovely and so very relaxing. I always meet interesting people on the train too - it's part of the dining car experience.

First on my agenda was a slumber party with two of my oldest friends; seriously, we've known each other since we were 5-6 years old. They are part of the Fancy Five mentioned in earlier blog posts. We had lunch at Tucci Benucchi at the Mall of America; my spaghetti bolognese was delicious. It was rich, meaty, creamy, and made with fresh basil and oregano. They finished it with thin shavings of parmesan cheese. My friends had baked spaghetti and pronounced it delicious as well, with a very thick and slightly chunky tomato sauce. We spent the afternoon and evening and into the wee hours talking and talking. We never run out of things to talk about! It was so good to spend some time with them.

The next thing was to spend some time with my sister Nancy. As we sat on her sun porch chatting, I re-bonded with her doggies. And we ate Ol' Piper Pizza. It's not the best pizza in the world, but it is good and it's traditional in our family. We've been eating Ol' Piper for decades; plus, they cut it into squares, which I contend makes the pizza taste better. We then stopped at Dairy Queen on the way to visit my niece, nephew-in-law, and my 2 great nephews. Not sure if they were more excited to see their grandma or the ice cream, but we had a lovely visit  and they are so adorable. Then it was on to another niece, nephew-in-law, and their newborn son. He is adorable and the new parents are so thrilled. He was a preemie and his birth created a compulsion in me to knit preemie and newborn baby caps. I've knit 27 so far and am still compelled. I gave him a couple and have donated the rest to our local hospital.

Nancy dropped me off at my other sister, Joyce's, house where I was FORCED to eat Ol' Piper pizza again.  Though I managed to eat several pieces, it was under protest - except I think I forgot to actually protest. I spent the night there and repacked a little for the next leg of my journey.

I was headed up north with some girlfriends from high school. I met one of them in second grade; she was also the one who introduced me to my husband on a blind date, so we all go way back. As an aside, in Minnesota, people say that they're going "up north," to "the lake," or to "the cabin." Only if someone asks specifically do Minnesotans say which city or lake they're referring to. It is an odd thing, but is typically Minnesotan.

We stayed in friend Nita's hunting lodge - a log cabin lodge. We stayed on the main floor that had a living room, dining area, kitchen, bathroom, and 2 big bedrooms. There were 6 of us, 3 beds in each bedroom, and luckily, 3 of us like freezing cold rooms and the other 3 like warm rooms to sleep in, so it worked out perfectly. During the week, we talked, shopped, talked, ate, talked, had a pontoon ride, talked, and played Dominoes (specifically, Mexican Train Chicken Foot) until the wee hours of the morning. It was a new game for most of us and we quickly got hooked. Minnesota was beautiful - sunny, 72 degrees, 40 degrees overnight, and too early for mosquitos, the state bird. Our timing was perfect. I had some excellent food with wild rice - one was a chilled salad with wild rice, craisins, apples, celery, pecans, and a light dressing. As soon as I recreate the dressing, I'll post the recipe here. I'll also post a recipe for cranberry wild rice bread which was also delicious - I had that for a roast turkey sandwich - was perfect.

After returning from up north, I stayed with sister Joyce and got to see my other niece and nephew, both home from school. So, all together, I saw ALL of my nieces, nephews, and grand nephews except for one, who lives in Oklahoma. Molly - come home!!!!! Plus, my brother John stopped by for dinner and a boat ride; it was good to get caught up with him too. And to continue my perfect timing, my sister and her husband bought a new pontoon and had it delivered the day I was there, so we all got a ride on the new boat. My brother-in-law got a humongous motor for the pontoon - Until then, I had not known that a pontoon could go 30 mph! We had a gorgeous sunset cruise.

The next day, we slept in, showered, lazed around, played with their dogs, and drank a lot of coffee on the porch overlooking the lake. Then Joyce drove me to the Amtrak station. There's a Greek restaurant there, which has gotten very good reviews, so I had dinner there. Excellent pork chops (that made the edges of my lips tingle), pita bread, rice pilaf, and excellent merlot. I got on Amtrak, tucked myself into bed, and had a very lovely ride back home. We were on time coming back, which is too bad - I wanted to extend my trip - but I was so happy to see Randy again. When I got home, my cats sniffed me and then went back to their napping.

Recipes from this trip to follow in future posts . . .

Creole-style Barley Jambalaya

In Minnesota, the hotdish reigns supreme. A hotdish includes meat, vegetables, starch, and some type of soup or similar to stick it all together. One reason the hotdish is so popular is that there are thousands of variations, and therefore it's easy to prepare with what you have on hand, and it's easy to create your own signature hotdish with all your favorite flavors and ingredients.

In the deep South, they have something similar in jambalaya - thousands of flavor and ingredient combinations are possible, so it's easy to be inventive. Many different meats may be used and even combined: chicken, beef, pork, sausages, shrimp, duck, alligator, and ham. Vegetables always include the South's Holy Trinity: red or green bell peppers, onions, and celery. Other vegetables may be added, such as mushrooms, carrots, squash, or garlic, but the Holy Trinity is a must. There are a couple of basics that are useful to remember: Creole-style jambalaya, also known as red jambalaya, has tomatoes and/or tomato sauce. Cajun-style jambalaya, also known as brown jambalaya, is made with a browned chicken stock or beef stock. Rice serves as the starch for this dish.

I decided to experiment a little with more traditional jambalayas by substituting pearled barley for rice (Is this heresy? A sacrilege? Will I be struck down by lightning with a Southern accent?) and cooked it all day in a slow cooker. I like using barley because I love the nutty flavor and the chewiness of the grain. In addition, you can cook it for a very long time in a slow cooker without it getting mushy and falling apart. For the meats, I chose chicken and smoked sausage, because that's what I had on hand. I like tomatoes, so this was a Creole-style or red jambalaya. My family loves garlic, so I used both garlic and shallots along with the onions, celery, and peppers. A few mushrooms and carrots rounded out the vegetables.

This little experiment turned out to be so easy to make, made the house smelled wonderful all day, and was bursting with hearty, spicy flavors. If your family doesn't like it very spicy, just modify some of the spices and concentrate on using paprika, bay leaves, thyme, and oregano. It will still be very flavorful, but not spicy. Be sure to use a smoked sausage or kielbasa rather than a hot or andouille sausage.

Creole-Style Barley Jambalaya
Ingredients:
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1 cup pearl barley
1 uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced
1 andouille sausage, diced
2 - 4 ounces ham, diced
2 stalks celery, diced, including leaves
1 large onion, peeled and diced
1 large green or red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 shallot, peeled and diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
8 mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can petit diced tomatoes

2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons sweet Hungarian paprika
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon cayenne (ground red) pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper


Instructions:

1. Place all ingredients in a 5 quart slow cooker; mix well
2. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or longer
3. Remove the 2 bay leaves and serve the jambalaya

Steak and Cooking Class

Last week, I attended a Taste of Home cooking class. There were about 500 people in the audience. The presentation cook prepared 10 different dishes; all recipes were in a little magazine and she shared her shortcuts and substitutions. There was a lot of energy in the room and it was a lot of fun. The magazine - and this particular series of cooking classes - are geared towards the home cook: tasty, nothing fancy, and easy to prepare. I'm interested because this is the type of cookbooks my sisters and I write; they're definitely focused on the home cook who want something easy, delicious, and nutritious.

Along with demonstrating the 10 recipes, the presenter gave some tips and shortcuts, quite a few of which I know and use regularly. But one was new to me and really intrigued me. When you're cooking or grilling a beef steak, how do you know when it's done to your liking? One way is to use a meat thermometer, which definitely works, but also pokes holes in your steak and lets out all the juices. Another way is to cut the steak in half and see what color it is. Again, it works, but the problem is that it also lets out all the precious meat juices. Her trick (and I've since learned that Rachel Ray has also used this on her TV show) is to use your fingers and touch it. First, touch your cheek - if the meat feels like that, it's still rare; touch your chin or the tip of your nose, and it's medium; touch your forehead, and if it feels firm like that, it's well done. My Mom always liked her steak cooked very well done. The joke in our family is that when her steak looked liked a charcoal briquette, it was done. most of us like is a little less done than that!

Tonight, I cooked us New York strip steaks and used the face-touching method. And it worked!
I stopped cooking the steaks just a little rarer than we like them because the meat will continue cooking as it rests. You should let it rest about 5 - 8 minutes to let all the juices settle back into the meat.

If you need a specific temperature for your steak, this would not be the correct method - it's a rough estimate at best. Use a meat thermometer if you want preciseness. But this method works just fine as an estimate and is certainly better than cutting your steak open to peek at the color.

Eggceptional Eggs

We spent an afternoon last week visiting some friends, drinking tea, and discussing all sorts of things.They have an urban farm with a good sized vegetable garden, chickens, and the most adorable baby goose I've ever seen. The goose stood about a foot high, had soft fuzzy greenish-grey down, chatted amiably with us by quacking, and liked to be picked up, held, and petted.  So sweet! When they grow up, geese can be very territorial and aggressive to trespassers, so we'll take advantage of his amiableness while he's a baby. As we were leaving, they gathered some eggs and gave us some to take home. They were beautiful. One was an off-white, one a light tan, and one was a light greenish-blue. Egg color has nothing to do with the nutritional quality or taste of the egg - the colors are almost all due to the breed of the hen.

I cooked these eggs my favorite way: scrambled. There are several different ways to scramble eggs, but mostly it comes down to what you add - if anything - to the eggs and the way you prepare them.

A "hard scramble" is what you usually get at a restaurant. These can be prepared in one of two ways; In a restaurant, the eggs are cracked and stored in a container and some of the beaten eggs are poured onto the griddle as needed. In some restaurants, usually those with fewer scrambled eggs ordered, the eggs are cracked open and beaten as needed. In both cases, a little butter might be used, but the egg mixture contains nothing but eggs. These are allowed to start setting on the griddle or in the pan, and then stirred or scrambled as they finish cooking. And, usually, these eggs are cooked hard - until they're completely set in the pan or on the griddle.

The other type of eggs are "fluffy" or "soft scrambled eggs." Crack the eggs into a bowl and add a little dairy sour cream (about 1 tablespoon per 2 eggs) and a couple of tablespoons of shredded cheese if you like. To prepare the eggs, put a little butter (about 1 teaspoon per egg) and cream or half 'n' half (about 1 tablespoon per egg) into a small frying pan. Heat this until the cream is scalding and then quickly add the beaten eggs. Stir briskly and constantly as soon as you add the eggs to the cream and cook until the eggs are softly set. Don't cook completely because they'll cook a little more after you remove from the heat; you want these eggs to be soft and fluffy.


One of my favorite things is to make fluffy scrambled eggs with cheese and also fold in some cooked vegetable as the eggs are cooking. I especially love sauteed onions and cauliflower or broccoli, but feel free to add any vegetable you like or have as leftovers. You could also add some cooked bacon or sausage or some diced ham or chicken. Feeling fancy? Sprinkle on some sliced almonds or chopped walnuts. And a touch of fresh herbs, such as parsley, thyme, basil, or oregano - it looks gorgeous and adds a pop of flavor. Be creative and adventurous!

Happy Passover and Easter

This time of the year marks the Passover and Easter. For a lot of people, even though Spring officially started March 21, Passover and Easter signify the real beginning of Spring and all the promise that holds: joy, peace, new beginnings. It's a time to dust off the cobwebs of our dormant season and plant for upcoming growth and harvest seasons. Food, family, and fellowship are important components of both Passover and Easter. And everyone has their own "must haves" for those important meals. I've listed some menu suggestions below, just in case you'd like to add to your traditions. But first, a couple little stories.

When I was growing up, wearing brand new dresses, shoes, and Easter hats to church was the big deal. And we also got to wear white gloves and socks with ruffled tops. We were really something! Church was followed by an Easter egg hunt and baskets full of chocolate bunnies, jelly beans, and Peeps. And dinner always included devilled eggs, ham, au gratin potatoes (which we kids called "all rotten potatoes"), and since we lived in Minnesota, of course there was Jell-O. Everything else changed from year to year, but we could always count on those essentials.

I think one of my favorite Easter stories happened to my baby sister, not me. They had a golden retriever named Sundance who was generally well-behaved and was a beloved member of the family. One year, my sister served one of those spiral cut hams that you bring to room temperature instead of baking. She set the table, set out the ham, and they all went to church. When they got home, they discovered that Sundance had broken into the house and devoured the entire ham. Can you imagine? A house full of dinner guests and the main course was obliterated. That dog was lucky it survived for several more years!

Easter dinners generally feature ham, lamb, or chicken. This is usually accompanied by potatoes au gratin, escalloped potatoes, parsley buttered potatoes, or creamed new potatoes. Spring vegetables are favored: asparagus, spring peas, artichokes, and green salads. Desserts are often on the lighter side: carrot cake, coconut cake, lemon meringue pie, angel food cake, and strawberry shortcake.

Passover dinners usually include beef rib roast, braised veal shoulder, or roast chicken. Matzo balls show up in soups such as chicken soup with parsley, sage, and leek matzos or matzo balls in lemongrass chicken broth. Vegetables such as herbed new potatoes, braised baby artichokes,  or potato leek matzo balls as well as mixed green salads with apples, Asian pears, and walnuts. Favorite desserts are dark chocolate torte, chocolate orange honey cake, and meringue tortes with berry sauce.

I'm sure that you and your families have your favorites, your traditions, but remember that it's fun to try something new each year. Who knows? It might become your new tradition!

Thank goodness for Crockpots!

This past week has been a busy one! Had breakfast twice with friends and lunch twice with friends. We managed to play water volleyball three times this past week. Also included were shopping, knitting with friends, and three meetings all at the same time - I chose to go to "Women Who Kill" which was presented by some Sisters in Crime members, sponsored by King County Libraries. The three presenting authors discussed character development, how much of themselves appeared in their protagonists, and did they kill off people they don't like or do they develop them as murderers. It was very enjoyable. And yesterday was lovely outside, so I spent two hours at a nursery buying and potting some plants: strawberries, sage, oregano, rosemary, thyme, chives, peppermint, chocolate mint, and catnip. And fuchsias. Great start for the summer. Next time, I'm going to get several lettuces and salad greens - they also looked great. I also spent some time doing baking experiments - I'll share those results in a future blog.

With all of that, thank goodness for Crockpots. Here are two recipes I made this week - enough for dinners and leftovers as well.

Curried Chicken
Makes 6  (1 1/2 cup) servings

Ingredients:


1 medium onion, peeled and diced
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 small carrot, diced
1 - 2 tablespoons curry powder
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon ground red (cayenne) pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup chicken broth or stock
2 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs, large pieces of fat removed and discarded
2 (10 3/4 ounce) cans cream of chicken soup OR 1 cup heavy cream


Instructions:

1. In a 5 quart Crockpot, combine onion, garlic, celery, carrot, and all spices with chicken broth; mix well
2. Add chicken and mix well to coat all pieces of chicken
3. Cook covered on LOW for 6 - 9 hours
4. Add cream of chicken soup or cream, cover, and cook another 30 minutes

Serve with steamed rice or pasta; also delicious with potatoes.

Chili
Makes 8 (1 1/2 cup) servings

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef
1 large onion, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
3 (15 ounce) can chili beans
1 (15 ounce) small kidney beans, drained
1 (4 1/2 ounce) can chopped or diced green chilies
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
1/2 teaspoon salt


Instructions:

1. In a frying pan, saute hamburger, onion, and garlic until hamburger is no longer pink. Drain well and place cooked meat, onion, and garlic in a 5 quart Crockpot
2. Add tomato sauce, beans, chilies, and spices and mix well
3. Cover and cook on LOW for 5 - 9 hours

Note: If you wish, you can use different beans or combinations of beans, such as pinto beans, great northern beans, large kidney beans, and black beans

Corn bread and a crisp green salad are excellent accompaniments. You can also serve this with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, or even a chunky salsa. Tortilla chips or corn chips make a nice crunchy addition to the meal.

If you have some leftovers, but not quite enough for the number of servings you want, cook some egg noodles, drain, and add to heated leftover chili. The egg noodles cool down the chili heat.

Time Flies

     I have noticed that I no sooner publish a blog post that it's time to write the next one. Time seems to be flying by faster and faster. I got thinking about when time didn't seem to go so fast - when I was a kid. The school years seemed to last forever and summer was luxuriously long. We had time to do so many wonderful things.
     My sister, friends, and I called ourselves The Fancy Five. We were always trying to come up with money-making schemes. We knew that we were about to hit the big time, but somehow, these schemes didn't ever quite pan out. For example, one summer day we decided to sell cookies that one of our moms had made. Sales were very slow, so we got the bright idea to give away a bottle of pop with each cookie sold. We raided the bar of my girlfriend's parents for the pop. When her folks got home from work, they were not very happy with us. I don't know if my friend got punished, but I remember being told to go home and not come back for several days.
     We knew we were finally going to make the big time when my Dad built us a car of sorts. He had gone to the dump and found an old wooden ironing board, mounted it on 4 wheels, put a box on the front to look like an engine compartment, an old bicycle seat to sit on, and a box in back for a passenger. The whole thing was steered with a rope that just pulled the wheels from left to right. And it was pedal powered - it would go as fast as we could pedal. Not content with just taking turns driving this contraption, we named it the Woody-mobile (after my Dad, Woody) and decided we would make money by using it as a taxi and giving kids rides to and from school. I don't recall anyone ever paying for a ride, but we had great fun giving each other rides.
     And then there was the time we formed a little circus; we had a parade, hoping to draw hundreds of people to watch us perform tricks on a swingset. We had exotic names, draped ourselves with scarves, and hung upside down from the trapeze. We swung as high as we could and jumped off, arms extended wide and graceful so that we'd look like we were flying. I think we managed to cajole a couple of our moms into coming, but other than that, those large crowds that would propel us to stardom never materialized.
     Undaunted, we never gave up. We temporarily reorganized The Fancy Five into a serious stitching group called the Knit Wits (we were so very clever!). Our plan was to knit these amazing afghans and blankets and sell them for hundreds of dollars.  As I recall, we each managed to make a dishcloth or two. Yet again, our ideas and chutzpah didn't quite match reality.
     What finally brought all these schemes to an end was puberty and the discovery that maybe boys weren't stupid or icky after all; our energies were directed towards attracting their attention.
And now, later in life after our biggest dreams of getting married and having kids and grand-kids have been realized, maybe it's time to resurrect The Fancy Five . . .

Lemon Olive Garlic Chicken

A good friend was visiting last week and we came up with some amazing meals. I wanted to make chicken for dinner one night and she said that she liked all kinds of chicken, but really didn't like the skin, regardless of how crispy it was. I had some boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the freezer and took those out to thaw. An hour before we wanted dinner, I started preparing the chicken. This is one of the easiest meals to make and the flavor and fragrance is wonderful. Do give it a try!

Lemon Olive Garlic Chicken
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 large lemon
4 cloves garlic
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
12 - 16 pitted kalamata olives (can substitute green olives)
1 shallot
1/3 cup white wine
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Instructions:

1. Slice the lemon in 1/4 inch wide slices; remove seeds; slice lemon into half moons; place half of the lemon slices in the bottom of a large baking dish and set aside the remaining slices
2. Slice the garlic cloves thinly; place half of them in the bottom of the baking dish and set aside the remaining garlic slices
3. Place the chicken breasts in a single layer on top of the lemon and garlic; sprinkle lightly with paprika
4. Place remaining lemon and garlic slices on the chicken along with the olives
5. Slice the shallot thinly and place on top of the chicken
6. In a small bowl, combine the wine, chicken broth, white pepper, thyme, and oregano; mix well and pour over the chicken
7. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven

I served this with baked potatoes. If you prefer, you can bake fingering or small new potatoes in with the chicken or you can use quartered Yukon potatoes. Or you could serve steamed rice, angel hair pasta, or orzo.

You can also add a couple of more chicken breasts without changing the rest of the ingredients. We had leftover chicken and ate it chilled the next day - it was delicious!

Pie Time!

I've just finished reading a culinary cozy mystery novel, Pies and Prejudice by Ellery Adams. For those of you who are not familiar with the mystery genre, a cozy is a type of mystery where the murder is not a focus of the book, solving the mystery of whodunit is the focus. And the solution is found through understanding people, sifting through gossip, and paying attention to subtle signs rather than forensics or following police procedure. This book was a fun read about a woman who returns to her hometown to open a pie shop and discovers that she has some extra talents: when she has very strong emotions and is making a pie, her emotions get transferred into the pie and are exhibited by those who eat it. Finishing this book made me want to offer a couple of my favorite pie recipes: Cherry Cream Cheese Pie and Spring Rhubarb Pie.

Cherry Cream Cheese Pie
This is my husband's favorite pie. His Mom taught me this recipe over 40 years ago; she probably got it 
from a woman's magazine or possibly from the label of one of the few ingredients. It's so easy to make, 
is foolproof, and most everyone loves it.

Ingredients:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons lemon juice
9 inch prepared graham cracker pie crust
21 ounce can cherry pie filling

Instructions:

1. Combine cream cheese, milk, and lemon juice in a mixing bowl and beat with electric mixer for several minutes, until it's light and fluffy
2. Spoon this mixture into a prepared graham cracker pie shell and smooth the top
3. Lightly spoon the cherry pie filling on top, totally covering the cheese mixture
4. Chill in refrigerator for at least 4 hours

Spring Rhubarb Pie
 I'm thinking of this particular pie because the rhubarb in my yard is just about ready to pick. It's one 
of the very earliest things to grow and it comes up every year, without fail.

Ingredients:
4 cups of rhubarb, sliced in 1/4 inch pieces
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
6 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon butter
2 9 inch pie crusts (use your favorite recipe)
topping:
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Instructions:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine rhubarb, sugar, and flour; mix thoroughly to coat rhubarb
2. In a pie dish, place the bottom crust and smooth to fit
3. Spoon the rhubarb mixture into the pie dish
4. Dot the top of the rhubarb mixture with the tablespoon of butter
5. Place the top crust on the rhubarb mixture and pinch the edges to seal
6. Cut 3 or 4 1 inch slits in the top of the crust
7. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, then turn down the oven to 350 and bake another 45 minutes
8. Remove pie from oven and brush on the tablespoon of butter and sprinkle on the 2 tablespoons of sugar; cool at least 30 minutes before serving

The Blueberries Are Coming!

It has been a fairly typical March in the Pacific Northwest: showers, occasional sunshine, and temperatures in the 50s. The daffodils and jonquils are opening their bright yellow blooms; tulips are poking their leaves out of the ground, and flowering trees are beginning to bloom. This morning, I saw that my blueberry bushes are beginning to bud and I am so excited to see my blueberries later this spring. I love blueberries just plain, or on my cereal, or in muffins, but I also like them in a chutney.

Chutney is a relish or condiment that is both sweet and spicy. It accompanies meats such as pork or chicken, and can also be served as a topping for cheese, bread, or crackers. I really like blueberry chutney on Brie, or as a topping for cream cheese or ricotta cheese on crackers or sliced French baguettes.

Chutney can be made from a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices. These include blueberries, cherries, apples, mangoes, pineapples, figs, dates, raisins, onions, tomatoes, garlic, shallots, peppers, fenugreek, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and so on. Here's my recipe for a blueberry chutney:

Blueberry Chutney
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, peeled and finely diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 lemon, both juice and zest
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Instructions:

1. In a large saucepan over low heat, cook the onion in butter until the onion is soft and translucent - about 10 - 15 minutes
2. Add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes
3. Add the blueberries, vinegar, and lemon juice; bring to a boil and then lower the heat; simmer for about 20 minutes; some of the blueberries will pop
4. Add the lemon zest, brown sugar, cornstarch, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and cayenne pepper; mix well and cook over low heat until thickened - about 10 minutes

Serve warm with meat, such as pork or chicken, or chill for at least an hour and serve with cheese, bread, crackers, etc. This chutney is delicious warm, room temperature, or chilled.

A Little of This, A Little of That

Sometimes - or I guess, often - blog posts are a lot like weekday meals: a little of this and a little of that. There are so many blog topics to choose from and sometimes each of those choices aren't quite enough for a full post. This week's blog is like that; and so I'll describe a great meal we had last night. We had beef, barley, vegetable soup - it was so rich and satisfying on a rainy night! But because my friend Bobbie built it from leftovers, I'll first need to describe the original ingredients.

Slow Cooker Braised Beef Roast
Ingredients:
2.5 pounds (approximately) roast beef (I used a sirloin tip roast)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup red wine
20 ounces beef broth
1 onion, peeled and diced into large chunks
2 stalks celery, cut in 1/2 inch chunks
2 carrots, cut in 1/2 inch chunks
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
4 potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 bay leaves

Instructions:

1. Rinse roast beef and pat dry; sprinkle with salt and pepper
2. In a large pot, heat oil; then add roast and brown on all sides
3. Add red wine and cover quickly; simmer 5 minutes
4. In a slow cooker (such as a Crockpot), heat the beef broth while browning beef
5. Add the beef and all remaining ingredients
6. Cover and cook on LOW setting for 6 - 9 hours
7. Remove bay leaves; let roast rest for 10 minutes and then slice; serve au jus with vegetables

Here's the recipe for the soup from leftovers (Note: this is soup from leftovers, so all of these measurements are approximate. Feel free to modify as you wish - it'll still be wonderful!)

Beef with Barley and Vegetables Soup
Ingredients:
leftover beef broth - about 2 - 4 cups
1 - 2 cups water
1/2 cup pearled barley
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 large onion, peeled and diced
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon olive oil
leftover roast beef - about 8 ounces or so, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 cup diced mushrooms
8 - 12 cherry tomatoes, diced
 
Instructions:

1. In a large pot, combine broth, water, barley, carrots, celery, onion, and bay leaves
2. Simmer until barley is soft - we like it a little chewy or al dente; add water as necessary
3. In a large frying pan, saute the beef, peppers, mushrooms, and tomatoes until soft; set aside
4. When the barley is cooked to your liking, add the beef, peppers, mushrooms, and tomatoes to the soup and heat through
5. Remove the bay leaves and serve

We had this soup with a cold, crisp Romaine salad and completed the meal with Trader Joe's Triple Ginger Cookies - great combination. Oh! And we had an actual terrific wine pairing with this meal: Washington state's Columbia Crest Merlot, 2011. Delicious!

Cardamom Bread - Yum!

Growing up, my sister and I loved it when we visited our Great Grandma, Kuka, because she almost always baked cardamom bread for us. It's also commonly called cardamom braid, because of its shape; in the Finnish language, it's called pulla. Whatever you call it, the luscious fragrance of cardamom and yeast baking in the oven is unbeatable. And when the bread is fresh from the oven and warm, thick slices are slathered with butter, there's nothing more homey and delicious.

Kuka did not speak English, only Finnish. I'll tell you the story of her name another day. Luckily, our  Grandma and Mom spoke both Finnish and English and so were able to bridge the gap between us. The three women would drive us kids crazy at Christmastime by talking about our gifts in Finn - which we couldn't understand.

Many years later, I was trying to show off my culinary skills to my new Mother-in-Law, who was an excellent home cook as well as a caterer. I really wanted to impress her with pulla, and I told her that it was one of my specialties. Truthfully, I had never made it by myself and though I was around when Kuka or Grandma made it, I didn't really pay attention. In addition to not making pulla before, I don't think I had ever made any yeast bread from scratch - refrigerator biscuits from the grocery store, but other than pulling them apart and baking them, I had no experience.

So I got my Grandma to give me the recipe and I bravely began. Amazingly, I did not start off by killing the yeast and managed to get the dough together fairly easily. And then the last part of the recipe said, " Divide dough into 3 and braid." And so I did. I divided the dough into three balls, made them into thick ropes, and braided them together. What I did not know, was that the recipe really should have said, "Divide into 3, and then divide each ball into 3 and braid to make 3 loaves." So instead of 3 nice loaves, I ended up with one giant loaf. I remember that my Mother-in-Law said, "Oh, my! Is it supposed to be that large?" "Oh, yes," I lied, still trying to keep the pretense that I knew exactly what I was doing. Well, the bread rose again and I still baked the monstrosity. As you can imagine, the edges were way overdone and the inside was raw. We ate the edible parts and it was delicious anyway. The best part was that I admitted to my novice baking skills and my Mother-in-Law offered to teach me. And she didn't laugh at me, but with me.

Here's the recipe - just remember that you should end up with 3 braided loaves.

Ingredients:
 1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups whole milk
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
4 large eggs
8 cups all purpose flour (you may need a little more or a little less to make the dough correctly)
1/2 cup butter, melted
glaze:
1/2 cup brewed, strong coffee, cooled
1/2 cup pearl (coarsely granulated) sugar

 Instructions:

1.  Dissolve the yeast in warm water
2. Add milk, sugar, salt, cardamom, eggs, and 2 cups of flour and beat to a smooth batter
3. Add 3 cups of flour, a little at a time, mixing well
4. Add melted butter and enough of the remaining flour until it's a stiff dough
5. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes
6. Place dough in buttered mixing bowl, turning a few times until it's all coated with butter
7. Let dough rise in a warm place, covered, for about 1 hour and it's doubled in size
8. Punch down the dough, cover, and let rise 30 minutes
9. Lightly flour a board and divide the dough into 3 even-sized balls
10. Divide each ball into 3 pieces and roll out each piece into a rectangle about 16 inches long
11. Place these 3 rectangles on a greased baking sheet and braid the 3 rectangles together; pinch both ends together and tuck the ends under the loaf
12. Repeat the process with the remaining 2 balls; you'll end up with 3 braided loaves
13. Allow to rise an additional 20 minutes
14. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees; meanwhile, glaze the 3 braided loaves with coffee and sprinkle on the pearl sugar
15. Bake at 400 degrees for about 25 - 30 minutes, until lightly browned

Minnesotan Asian Fusion

Asian ingredients and foods have been combined with, inspired by, and played the leading role with ingredients and foods from many different cuisines. Today's blog is about Minnesotan Asian Fusion cooking. Never heard of it before? Well, neither have most people, but I made such a hotdish for a potluck lunch today.
 
First, let's talk about hotdish. The famous Minnesota Hotdish is easy to make and oh, so versatile.All you need is some meat, such as hamburger, chicken, or sausage; a vegetable of some kind, such as corn, green beans, onions, or celery; some kind of starch, such as rice, noodles, or pasta; and some kind of condensed or thick soup to stick it all together. Options include French fried onion rings, shredded cheese, croutons, nuts, etc. You mix and match ingredients from each of the groups and then bake it in the oven (usually at 350 degrees for 45 - 60 minutes) and you have a great entree. Add a salad and dessert and you have a meal!

One last thing you need to know about hotdish - the hotdish is the food that's in a casserole dish. I know, I know, lots of people use the words hotdish and casserole interchangeably, but most Minnesotans will agree with me. You carry a casserole, and you eat the hotdish.

For today's potluck, I made Hamburger Chow Mein Hotdish. For this recipe, as with most other hotdishes, exact measurements are not important and you can substitute almost all ingredients to your liking. 

Ingredients:
1/2 onion
2 stalks celery
1 pound hamburger
1/2 - 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 (10 1/2 ounce) can beef with barley soup
1 (10 1/2 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons - 1/4 cup soy sauce
15 ounce can corn (or 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn), drained
1 (12 ounce) bag chow mein noodles

Instructions:

1. Finely dice 1/2 onion; set aside
2. Dice 2 stalks celery; set aside
3. In a frying pan, brown hamburger with the onion and celery; season with pepper and garlic; drain; set aside
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the soups, water, and soy sauce
5. Add corn and hamburger mixture to the soup mixture and mix well
6. Add chow mein noodles and mix well
7. Place hotdish in a baking dish or casserole dish and bake covered at 350 degrees for 45 - 60 minutes - until heated through

Pumpkin Pie From Scratch

My Mom never made pumpkin pie from scratch; well, I believe that's true because when I was growing up, she used a lot of canned and packaged foods, and so pumpkin pie was always made with canned pumpkin pie filling. Empty the can into a packaged pie crust, bake, and serve with Cool Whip.

As I got older and was occasionally cooking the new way - hippie-style (you know, substituting carob for chocolate, substituting chicory for coffee, making my own yeast bread), I still used a lot of canned fruits and vegetables. So naturally, my version of making a pumpkin pie from scratch was using canned pumpkin, not canned pumpkin pie filling. At least you added evaporated milk, eggs, and spices to the canned pumpkin before you put it in a pie shell. But it did not occur to me (yet) to buy an actual pumpkin and make the pie from that.

We moved to southeast Kansas when our daughter was little. We moved to a very small town with a single large company that had a "no spouse rule" - if one spouse worked there, the other could not. So, I found myself without a job, lots of play time with my daughter, lots of women's charity organizations, lots of ladies' lunches, and no place to shop. This was before the Internet and the Web, so some of my attention was diverted to cooking. To add a little extra challenge, the house we rented for the last six months we lived there had no stove/oven. I had quite a few electric appliances, such as slow cookers, electric skillets, electric fondue pots, hot pots, and a big Dutch oven. With some planning, I found I could cook almost anything in my stove-less kitchen. One big challenge was baking cookies - I could bake only 4 at a time, so our daughter enjoyed Oreos and Girl Scout cookies for that time period.

One day, I got the urge to try my hand at baking a pumpkin pie from scratch - no canned pumpkin. All recipes I found said "cook 6 cups pumpkin until tender . . ." but that was the extent of information I found. So I brought a nice big pumpkin home from the grocery store, cut off the top, and scooped out the seeds and pulp from the inside - and proceeded to cook those in the Dutch oven. And I cooked and stirred and stirred and cooked, but to no avail. The seeds and pulp never changed form and looked nothing like the canned pumpkin I was used to. I got out my potato masher and tried to mash it up, but that didn't work either. I got out my mixer and that didn't produce a nice smooth pumpkin puree. As a side note, I didn't cook or eat squash, so had no idea that one cooked the meat of the vegetable, not the insides. If I had pictured a cantaloupe where one eats the meat but not the seeds, I would have figured it out, but I didn't. I just kept cooking and mashing.

Luckily, my neighbor came over; she was an older woman who was an excellent cook. After she finished laughing at my disaster, she was kind enough to show me what I was doing wrong. She helped me cut up the meat of the pumpkin, cook it, and puree it and together we made a wonderful pumpkin pie - from scratch!

Today, with the Internet, the Web, and YouTube - you can see actual demonstrations of these types of things. And in the future, who knows? Maybe someone will appear holographically in your kitchen and help out. I can't wait. I could always use some instruction - and help with the dishes!

Snow with Spaghetti and Meatballs

Last week, I said that according to Punxsutawny Phil, we're due for another 6 weeks of winter. Apparently, he was right. Mother Nature blessed us with snow last night. Oregon got far more snow, shutting down I-5 near Salem and creating driving havoc in Portland. We only got 3-4 inches and though it was powdery and sparkled like diamonds, I'm glad I didn't have to go out in it. And felt bad for dinner guests who did have to drive home in the snow.

The dinner included some old friends, some new friends, and a newly engaged couple (YAY!). And what could be better than spaghetti, garlic bread, salad, chocolate cake, and bubbly wine? Hmm ... I know: meatballs! They turned out really yummy. I'm including the recipe, but usually when I cook, I add this and that as my mood strikes me, so I'm recreating the following recipe from memory. And you should feel free to add a little more of this or a little less of that while keeping the proportions of ground meats, eggs, and bread crumbs the same. That will yield the correct texture for the meatballs.

Italian Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
Makes about 48 meatballs

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 pound ground pork
2 large eggs
1/3 cup finely shredded Parmesan, Romano, or Asiago cheese (or a blend of these)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt (the cheese is salty as is the tomato sauce, so be careful)
1/2 cup fine bread crumbs
1 cup lightly packed finely chopped fresh basil

Instructions:

1. Thoroughly wash your hands - meatballs should be mixed and formed by hand
2. In a large bowl, combine the beef and pork until well-blended
3. In a small bowl, combine the eggs, cheese, pepper, and salt and mix well
4. Add the egg mixture to the meat mixture and mix well
5. Add bread crumbs and mix until well-blended
6. Add the basil and mix lightly until well-blended
7. Lightly form meatballs, about 1 - 1 1/2 inches in diameter; do not handle too firmly or they'll be dense and chewy
8. In a frying pan, heat about 2 tablespoons olive oil and then add meatballs, a few at a time, and brown on all sides
9. Drain browned meatballs on paper towels and then place in a large pan or pot with a little tomato sauce to finish cooking; simmer meatballs for about 30 minutes to complete their cooking and absorb the flavors of the sauce
10. Serve meatballs and tomato sauce with cooked pasta; pass the cheese!

Tomato Sauce
Makes enough sauce for about 2 pounds dried pasta, cooked - freezes well

Ingredients: 
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced small
1 head roasted garlic
2 (29 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes, mostly drained
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons dried oregano *
2 teaspoons dried basil *
* you may substitute several leaves of fresh oregano and/or basil
1/2 cup dry red wine
Optional: for a meat sauce, add browned and drained 1 1/2 pounds ground beef and/or Italian sausage and then serve meatballs on the side

Instructions:

1. Saute onions in olive oil over low heat until soft and translucent - about 30 minutes 
2. Add several cloves of roasted garlic that have been smashed and saute 2 minutes more
3. Add tomato sauce and diced tomatoes; blend well
4. Add sugar, red pepper, oregano, basil, and wine
5. If making a meat sauce, add the cooked and drained meats
6. Simmer for about 1 hour
7. If using fresh basil or oregano, remove before serving

Vegetables and Groundhogs

Weather seems to be capturing my attention lately, more so than usual, I think. First, I am truly sympathetic with my sisters, brother, nieces, nephews, cousins, and dear friends who live in Minnesota and have been braving wind-chills of  -54 degrees. They're rejoicing in heat waves when the daytime temperature is about 25. So I really am sympathetic, yet a bit smug. After all, who was the smart one to move to the Pacific Northwest where we rarely get such temperatures.

And weather has been part of the build up to the Super Bowl, with frigid temperatures and snow in New Jersey a possibility just a week ago. They escaped the snow and the very coldest temperatures.

In Seattle/Tacoma, we have had a relatively dry January, although it has been foggy and cloudy. We've had to scrape and defrost windshields a couple of times, but temperatures have been fairly normal for us, ranging from the mid-30s to the mid-40s. Typical winter, though a bit dry.

But today the sun came out! And it was glorious. Still chilly at 45 degrees, but with a brilliant blue sky. And so, my mind turned to planting flowers and vegetables this Spring. For flowers, I have a beautiful blue hydrangea and I'm thinking of planting a couple more. I love the flowers and the foliage and they don't require care beyond keeping weeds out and deadheading blooms. I have a large hostos that slugs love to munch on, leaving the large leaves very lacy looking; I think I need to de-slug the plant this year. I want to plant some dahlias, but the tremendous variety leaves me indecisive until it's too late. This year, I'll just make some decisions and go with it. As usual, I look forward to the blooming of daffodils, jonquils, and bluebells. We seem to have an active squirrel population which digs up bulbs and deposits them elsewhere in our yard. I never know where these flowers will bloom. I've dug up the bulbs after they're done and tried to organize them, but the same disarray happens every year.

We have strawberry, blueberry, and raspberry plants and will probably add to that collection. We love berries and it's wonderful to go outside and pick them and have them for breakfast.

As for vegetables, herbs and tomatoes are always at the top of my list. I'm also thinking of green beans, wax beans, carrots, onions, and who knows what else. Maybe Brussels sprouts. Years ago, I planted Brussels sprouts from seeds. I'd never seen them grow before, and thought they might grow in bunches like grapes, but on a single stalk like broccoli. After awhile, these spiky single stems grew to about 3 - 4 feet tall, and then they all fell over. I thought that was the last of those plants. Then I noticed little bumps along the stalks, so propped up the stalks and the bumps turned into Brussels sprouts. I was amazed! They were ready just in time for Thanksgiving and were the best thing ever. Now that I know what to expect, maybe I'll try growing them again.

While I was daydreaming and starting to create lists, I heard that Punxsutawney Phil was ceremoniously dragged out of his burrow and saw his shadow. Six more weeks of winter.

Can I wait that long to dig in the dirt and plant stuff or will I move on to other projects? Maybe this is the year that I buy all my produce from farmers' markets and farm stands, supporting the local agricultural community. What a good idea!

Brunch Party with Recipes

We play water volleyball every week and sometimes we go out for brunch with other players afterwards. Today, we hosted a brunch party for the gang. The menu included sausage, green chilies, & cheese mini quiches; broccoli almond mini quiches; breakfast meatballs; my sister Joyce's hugely popular, often requested, and outrageously delicious cheesy potatoes; sausage patties and sausage mini links; ham, turkey, cheese, croissants, and assorted rolls sandwich platter; pickles and olives; raspberry kringle from Wisconsin that my other sister Nancy sent me; pumpkin muffins; blueberry muffins; fruit; truffles; mimosas, coffee, and tea. Yum.

I've been making and serving mini quiches for years; they're easy to make and because they're bite-sized, easy to serve at parties. Sometimes I make up a batch, and then grab a few for breakfast. They can be served hot, warm, room temperature, or even chilled, so they're very versatile. About 5 years ago, I submitted the recipe to our local PBS station for one of their fund raisers. Not only were they published in their Appetizer Cookbook, I was asked to demonstrate making them on TV during their promotion. The TV station runs repeats of these cooking demonstration shows every now and then and someone will say, "I was flipping through channels and I heard your voice! And there you were, cooking on TV!" I hope you enjoy these recipes.

Broccoli Almond Mini Quiches
Makes 30 - 32

Ingredients:
2 (9") unbaked pie crusts - use your favorite recipe or buy refrigerated unbaked crusts
1 cup milk
2 large eggs
1/4 cup dairy sour cream
1 cup cooked broccoli cut into tiny florets
1/2 cup sliced almonds
vegetable oil to prepare muffin tins

Instructions:

1. Prepare muffin tins by lightly oiling each cup with vegetable oil
2. Roll out pie crusts a little thinner than for a pie
3. With a 2" diameter biscuit cutter, cut out 30 - 32 circles; press each one into a prepared muffin cup; refrigerate for at least 20 minutes to chill dough. Note: you can make these up to a day or so ahead of time - cover with plastic wrap before refrigerating
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
5. Place the broccoli in each muffin cup using all the broccoli
6. In a 2 cup measuring cup, combine 2 eggs, milk, and sour cream and whisk until well mixed
7. Carefully pour the egg mixture over the broccoli in the muffin cups
8. Sprinkle almond slices on top of each quiche
9. Bake for 30 - 40 minutes until the egg is set and the pie crust is golden brown
10. These may be served hot, warm, room temperature, or even chilled

Breakfast Meatballs
Makes 72 meatballs

Ingredients:
2 (16 ounce each) Jimmy Dean bulk sausage - 1 hot and 1 regular
1 1/2 cups Bisquick
4 cups (16 ounces) finely shredded cheese - sharp cheddar or Colby Jack
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, combine sausage, Bisquick, cheese, and garlic powder - mix well; note: wash your hands thoroughly and mix by hand - really get in there and work with the mixture and eventually, it will be well-mixed
2. Roll into small-medium balls; at this point, you can cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake
3. Heat oven to 350 degrees
4. Place balls on a wire rack over a shallow baking pan; if you prefer, bake on parchment paper in a shallow baking pan, turning once during baking; the cheese makes the balls sticky, so using a wire rack is preferred
5. Bake for about 15 minutes, turn off oven and let stand another 5 minutes
6. Serve hot, warm, or room temperature

Milk, eggs, and chicken - oh my!

My Dad grew up on a farm in the Upper Midwest. After WWII, he and my Mom married and settled into Minneapolis. I was born there and moved to the suburbs when about 6 years old - and lived there until I got married years later. So, my early years were urban and the rest of my youth was shaped by living in suburbia. I knew that milk came in glass bottles from the milkman. I knew that apples and oranges came from the green grocers. I knew that beef and chicken came in cook-able portions on cardboard or Styrofoam and was covered with plastic wrap. We visited my Dad's parents on their farm - where they had chickens, cows, beef cattle, sheep, and a large vegetable garden. But I never connected the food we ate with what they had on the farm. Except, in the late summer, I'd help Grandma pick vegetables and she'd cook them up for dinner. And oh! what dinners! Fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn on the cob, green beans, tomatoes still warm from the sun, pie, and homemade ice cream.  We kids loved the ice cream but hated having to hand crank the ice cream maker - it was hard work and we just wanted to play; threatened with the prospect of no ice cream we "cheerfully" cranked away.

One thing my Grandparents made me do was feed the chickens; I hated that, even though I had to do it infrequently. I was scared of those things: they made so much noise, would cluster around me, and would peck at my feet and legs. I mostly just threw the chicken feed at them and got out of there as fast as I could.

I remember the summer when I started paying attention to the workings of the farm. I saw a chicken lay an egg and was totally grossed out. And then I saw my Grandpa milk the cows and thereafter refused to drink milk from the pail. What were those things hanging down from the underside of a cow and why would one drink anything that came from there? My Grandma, probably a little amused by the suburban prissiness of my sister and I and probably a little aggravated too, kept a glass milk bottle in her refrigerator. Unbeknownst to us, she'd pour the fresh milk from the milk pail into the glass bottle and then when we were watching, into drinking glasses for us - and then we'd drink it. Eggs went from the barn basket into cardboard egg crates because that's where we knew eggs came from. But I gotta tell you - it wasn't until I was a teen that I figured out that the chickens I was so scared to feed were the chickens she'd kill, butcher, and fry for our delicious Sunday dinners. I almost became a vegetarian, but those  chicken dinners were so good!

Not too long ago, I spent a long weekend at a special summer camp. The weekend was a food writing workshop (hi to all my friends from that weekend; we still keep in touch with each other!); it was led by Greg Atkinson, a local chef with writing chops. We cooked and ate together, wrote, and critiqued each other all weekend. For example, for one lunch, Chef Atkinson took us on a little hike and taught us how to pick Stinging Nettles without getting stung. We brought them back to the kitchen and while Chef was preparing the kitchen, we wrote about that experience. He then showed us how to make a delicious lunch with Cream of Nettle Soup as the highlight. After watching him cook, eating it all, and cleaning the kitchen, we wrote about that and then critiqued the writing. It was a fabulous workshop.

Why I just told you this story was because this camp specializes in retreats and workshops and uses that money to partially support summer sessions for underprivileged urban kids. We were told that some of these kids, brought up on fast food and school cafeteria food, were amazed that their French fries originally came from underground and that their pickles originally grew on a vine on top of the dirt along with salad greens and tomatoes. When you're an adult, it's easy to be shocked by kids not knowing where their food comes from - but really, that was my experience too!

How about you folks? Any stories out there about where you thought food came from when you were growing up?

Poltluck

Potluck has two basic meanings - they're not the same, but they are related. The first way of thinking about potluck is to think, literally, about the luck of the pot. My Mom used to invite people over for lunch or dinner at the spur of the moment. She would always say, "you'll have to take potluck," meaning that whatever she finds to cook and serve is what the meal will be. Often, those potluck meals were leftovers and little dibs and dabs of this and that. These potluck meals were only served to relatives and very good friends - they were meant to emphasize the company and conversation, not the food.

The other and more common meaning of potluck involves a meal where people bring food to share with others. It's customary to bring enough of a dish for nearly everyone attending, but you need not plan to feed everyone full servings of your dish. This way, you don't have a lot of leftovers but people get to try a variety of foods during the meal.

Now, how to organize a potluck depends on the organizer. I've been invited to potlucks where not only was I told exactly what to bring, but was given the recipe to use. Other potlucks have involved signing up for a category of foods, such as dessert, breads, entrees, vegetables, or salads. That is a good way to organize your party because you're pretty sure to get a good variety of foods. I've also been to potlucks where we're asked to bring whatever we want. Once, I went to one of these potlucks; 12 women attended. And we ALL brought shrimp! I recall that there were about 8 chilled peel-and-eat shrimp platters, 1 shrimp dip, and 3 shrimp salads! Our hostess scrambled in her kitchen and found some assorted crackers. I had a tin of Altoids in my bag, and so that's what we had for dessert. We had lots of good shrimp, a good laugh, and a resolve to organize it just a wee bit more the next time.

This blog will involve both of these: some weeks it will be a little bit of this and a little bit of that; other weeks, it will be more organized and I'll attempt to give good variety throughout the life of this blog. And, as always, I'd LOVE it if any of you have something you want to say. After all, the very best potlucks involve everyone contributing something!

See you next Sunday.

Welcome to Cindy B's Potluck blog

This is a food-related weekly blog. Each week, I intend to write about whatever strikes my fancy - it might be what I cooked that week, a favorite restaurant or a newly found one, recipes that excite or intrigue me, gotta-have-it kitchen gadgets, newly discovered foods from farmer's markets, 
farm stands, or grocery stores, cookbooks, etc. Along the way, I'll include kitchen disasters I've created or favorite food-related memories and stories. As typical with potlucks, you never quite know what to expect. And as also typical, I invite any of you to also share your food-related items or just comment on what's been published or what you'd like to see in the blog. So, welcome - grab a favorite beverage, sit back, and enjoy the conversation. The blog will be published every week, Sunday evenings.