by Krista | May 26, 2010 | Compatriot Wednesday
CEC (cooking group) this week was a jolly affair as folks brought fixings for All-American food. The theme was chosen by our dear friend and meat-smoker extraordinaire, Cameron, who is departing for South Africa this week. A talented artist, he has been commissioned to create a piece for the lobby of a home that provides help and support to victims of the sex trade and human trafficking. If you are interested in understanding more about the need for this difficult but important work, please watch this 10-minute documentary.
We will miss him greatly, but are proud as can be of this good thing he’s doing, and can’t wait to hear all about his adventures later this summer.
Since he’ll be dining on South African fare for the next while, Cameron wanted his going away party to feature home-cooking. 🙂
I was on dish duty this week, but the others made one fabulous American dish after another!!
Deborah made her wildly popular Coconut Pineapple Sliders, the toasted rolls spread with coconut milk solids instead of mayonnaise or butter. Yum!!
Jon made deliciously chunky potato salad with all sorts of lovely spices.
Toby whipped up a wonderfully creamy coleslaw with green and red cabbage.
These are what we fondly refer to as “Don’s Hot Buns.” I do not take any responsibility for this moniker. 🙂
Don’s juicy burgers were topped with crispy bacon and slices of creamy Havarti cheese.
Jason delighted all of us by making two big pans of Blackened Louisiana Alligator Spicy Mac and Cheese. Alligator!!! I was thrilled. 🙂
Jack finished off our meal with this gorgeous fruit salad featuring strawberries, mangoes, cherries and grapes in a creamy base of whipped cream and cottage cheese.
Last, but not least was Darren’s homemade ice cream to go with berry shortcake. Alas, I forgot to get a picture. Sigh. Better luck next time! 🙂
What is the strangest food you’ve eaten recently?
This post is my contribution to Wanderfood Wednesday!
Toby’s Creamy Coleslaw
(From Epicurious)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
3/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 lb green cabbage, quartered, cored, and thinly sliced (8 cups)
3 medium carrots, shredded
Directions:
- Whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until combined well, then toss with cabbage and carrots.
- Let stand, uncovered, at room temperature, tossing occasionally, until wilted, about 30 minutes.
- Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Deborah’s Coconut Pineapple Sliders
Ingredients:
1 pound hamburger
3/4 can pineapple tidbits
1 cup shredded coconut
1-2 Tbsp coconut milk, enough to moisten
King’s Hawaiian Rolls, halved and toasted
3-4 Tbsp coconut milk solids
Directions:
- Mix hamburger, pineapple, coconut and coconut milk together. Let sit in fridge overnight.
- Form small patties with ice cream scoop and grill to desired doneness.
- Spread toasted rolls with coconut milk solids.
- Place burger between rolls and serve immediately.
Jason’s Blackened Louisiana Alligator Spicy Mac and Cheese
Alligator Ingredients:
1 lb alligator tenderloin
1 cup milk
1 tsp white vinegar
Directions for the night before:
- Place alligator in glass bowl and cover with milk and vinegar. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Alligator Rub Ingredients:
4 Tbsp paprika
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp white pepper
2 tsp salt
Directions:
- Remove alligator from marinate and pat dry with paper towels.
- Coat both sides with the rub.
- Heat up a skillet with a small amount of vegetable oil until smoking.
- Turn to medium high and blacken each side of the gator for 6 minutes.
Macaroni Ingredients:
1 lb macaroni noodles
1 ½ lb grated pepper jack cheese
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
½ cup pickled paprika, diced
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 ½ cups milk
½ cup gluten free flour blend
1 tbsp ground pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp garlic salt
1/8 of a red hot chili pepper, diced.
Cayenne pepper to taste
1-2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
Macaroni Directions:
- Cook (gluten free) macaroni noodle according to manufacturer’s instructions.
- Heat remaining ingredients except cheddar cheese over medium heat, stirring until heated through and has a nice smooth consistency.
- Mix the sauce with the noodles and stir in chopped blackened alligator.
- Fill two 9×11 Pyrex pans with the Mac and Cheese.
- Top with shredded sharp cheddar and bake at 400F for 15 minutes or until top is golden brown.
Jon’s Potato Salad
Ingredients:
Four potatoes boiled, then chopped
1 cup of mayonnaise
1 tablespoon yellow curry
Cracked pepper
Salt
1-2 tsp paprika
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
A dash of white wine vinegar
4 dill pickles, chopped
Half of a red onion, chopped fine and steamed briefly to soften.
Directions:
- Place cubed potatoes, onion, and pickles in bowl.
- In separate bowl mix mayonnaise, curry, pepper, salt, paprika, and vinegar.
- Pour dressing over potato mixture and stir until evenly coated. Let sit at least 30 minutes for flavors to meld. Serve.
by Krista | May 25, 2010 | Spring
Good morning! Before we continue on our jaunt through Bosnia, I want to stop for a moment and say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my Dad. Happy Birthday, Pa! I love you muchly and am so glad you’re my friend. 🙂
Now…back to Bosnia!
After wending our way past this idyllic lake…
…and through fairytale mountains…we emerged into a valley and began driving through beautiful little villages clustered along the riverbank.
So many things entranced me about the towns we passed: the tidy gardens being readied for spring, farmers pitching hay onto towering stacks, the abundance of balconies festooned with flowers or laundry billowing in the breeze.
Today I’m just going to feature rooftops. They were so fascinating to me! So new, mysterious and exotic. I love how architecture reflects a culture so vividly.
In celebration of these lovely rooftops (any excuse for a party, eh?!), I’m sharing my favorite borscht recipe. I love borscht in any form: hot, sour, savory, sweet. This beauty of a soup is made unique with the addition of juicy apple. Mmmm! Somehow it goes perfectly with the earthy beetroot and has the added bonus of being equally delicious hot or cold. With sunny spring days finally making an appearance, I so enjoy a chilled bowl of borscht topped with soured cream or plain yogurt sprinkled with fresh dill.
What is your favorite springtime soup?
Borscht with Apples
(Adapted from Soup)
Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
1 pound raw beetroot, peeled and chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1 large cooking apple, chopped
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp sunflower oil
9 cups stock or water
1 tsp cumin seeds
a pinch dried thyme
1 large bay leaf
fresh lemon juice
salt and ground black pepper
Garnish: sour cream, fresh dill
Directions:
- Place chopped vegetables and apple in large saucepan with butter, oil, and 3 Tbsp stock. Cover and cook gently for about 15 minutes, shaking pan occasionally.
- Stir in cumin seeds and cook for 1 minute, then add remaining stock, thyme, bay leaf, lemon juice, and seasoning to taste.
- Bring mixture to boil, then cover pan and reduce heat to gentle simmer. Cook about 30 minutes.
- Strain vegetables and reserve liquid. Process the vegetables i a food processor or blender until they are smooth and creamy.
- Return vegetables to pan, add reserved stock and reheat. Check seasoning.
- Divide into individual serving bowls. Garnish with swirls of soured cream and a frew sprigs of fresh dill.
by Krista | May 24, 2010 | Bootstrap Monday
Good morning, dear ones! How was your weekend? I hope you were able to find time for at least one thing that made you smile really big. 🙂
(Oh! Before I forget, please remember to update your blog readers and email subscriptions to https://www.ramblingtart.com/since the old links no longer work. I’d also love to connect with you on Facebook and Twitter. )
My weekend was quiet and peaceful, recovering after being dreadfully sick all week. I’m getting better each day and hope to be right as rain soon. 🙂
In the meantime, I’m focusing on happy little things, like a cozy dinner and movie night with some of my cooking group buddies, a great old book to read, and these beautiful apricots from my friends, Don and Jen.
I love these perky little chive blossoms from my Mum’s garden, and am so excited to see my own herb garden flourishing. I’ve been able to use thyme, basil and spearmint this week. 🙂
I’m ridiculously pleased with this creamy berry confection I made. My Russian friend Nat is a berry fanatic, and when she was here visiting from Thailand two summers ago, we simply had to go berry picking and came home with baskets piled high with plump raspberries and marionberries. I froze most of them, using them for various sauces and desserts, and was finally down to my last bag. I knew I had to make something special with it, something unique, and this weekend I finally made something up: Marionberry Crème Fraîche Gelatin. Isn’t the color splendid?! The flavor is lovely too, bright with strong berries mellowed by the rich Crème Fraîche. Accompanied by fresh spearmint tea, it was a splendid cool and creamy dessert for a sunny Sunday evening.
Marionberry Crème Fraîche Gelatin
Ingredients:
1 pounds marionberries fresh or frozen (thawed, if frozen)
2-3 Tbsp honey or maple syrup or agave syrup
1 tub Crème Fraîche
2 cups milk
2 packages unflavored gelatin
1 tsp vanilla
Directions:
- Place berries and honey in saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn to low and simmer, stirring often until juices are reduced and mixture resembles applesauce. Cool.
- Place one cup of milk in glass bowl, sprinkle gelatin over top and let sit until permeated with milk. Stir slightly and let sit.
- Heat remaining cup of milk until just boiling, remove from heat and pour over gelatin mixture. Stir constantly until gelatin has dissolved.
- In separate bowl combine cooled berries, Crème Fraîche and vanilla. Stir until well mixed. Add gelatin/milk and stir until well mixed.
- Pour into gelatin mold and chill for 2-3 hours until firm.
- To unmold, dip mold into bath of hot water for 2-5 seconds. Invert onto plate and keep chilled until ready to serve.
by Krista | May 21, 2010 | Fabulous Friday
Good morning, dear ones! 🙂
Over the past several months I’ve had numerous requests to share what camera I use, what photographic equipment I employ, and what editing program I utilize for the photos I post here five days a week. So – drum roll please! – today is Camera Confession Day!
Camera: Nikon Coolpix L20 – though mine is rather the worse for wear since the battery hatch no longer closes and I can’t take a photo without holding down the spring-loaded hatch with one hand while I press the button with the other. Those batteries like to fall out at the most inopportune moments!
Photographic equipment: non-existent. Unless you count my knees, which allow me to kneel in mud, grass and water, and also work beautifully as a tripod when necessary.
Photo editing program: Picasa – used to turn photos right side up and crop. Alas, that’s all I know how to do.
The End. 🙂
Moral of the story: don’t let anyone tell you you have to wait for expensive equipment or have mad skills at editing before you can capture beautiful moments.
A friend of mine tells me regularly: “Start where you are.” I love that!! We may be poor-ish (check), sick (check), and have responsibilities that overwhelm (check), but we can all do something to make our lives a bit more beautiful each day, and, if we’re lucky, share them with others so they can be cheered too.
I just finished reading “The Martha Rules” by Martha Stewart, and while I gleaned much from it, one thing in particular stood out to me. She said that at the top of her to-do list every day she writes three words: Make it beautiful. As she organizes her day she plans ways to make life more beautiful for herself, her family, friends, co-workers and customers. What a gorgeous way to live!
So, my beloved readers, I can’t send you beautiful magazines or fancy chocolates or whisk you away on fancy vacations to exotic climes, but I can share the little things that make my life beautiful each day. I hope that they might brighten your day a little too, wherever you are.
Speaking of beautiful things, here are a few that delighted me this week.
Almond Hot Chocolate on a rainy afternoon.
A blue sky reflected in a placid stream.
A very mossy tree.
Sunshine streaming through my windows onto my bedspread after a terrific rainstorm.
And, last but not least, delicious Baked Asparagus with Browned Butter and Parmesan.
What is making your day beautiful today?
I hope you have a wonderful weekend, dear ones, and I’ll see you on Monday. 🙂
Baked Asparagus with Browned Butter and Parmesan
Ingredients:
one bunch asparagus, rinsed and trimmed
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Arrange asparagus in a skillet and cover with water. Bring to boil and simmer until just tender 4-6 minutes. Remove and drain.
- Put butter in saucepan over medium heat and melt. Continue cooking until butter begins to brown, stirring constantly. Cook for 1 more minute, watching carefully so it doesn’t burn. Remove from heat.
- Arrange asparagus in casserole dish, drizzle with browned butter, dust with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with Parmesan.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes until asparagus is cooked through and Parmesan begins to toast.
by Krista | May 20, 2010 | Literary Nibbles
Today I am starting a feature that makes me grin when I think of it: Literary Nibbles.
I have been a voracious reader since I was a little girl “reading” books upside down from my perch inside a galvanized bucket. I devoured Little House on the Prairie and Narnia, was enthralled by the tales of Peter Pan, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Hans Brinker.
Although I loved the characters, their grand adventures, the amazing worlds the authors created, I was also enchanted by the food. Who could imagine Harry Potter without butter beer, Anne of Green Gables without raspberry cordial, or The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe without Turkish Delight?
So, dear readers, in the weeks, months and years to come, I hope to revisit my literary favorites once a week by making the foods that still delight my memory.
I’ll start with the one that charmed me most as a child: Turkish Delight.
Well I remember my Dad reading aloud to us the adventures of Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy. I listened raptly as he read of Edmund stumbling into snowy Narnia, where it is “always winter, but never Christmas.”
I pictured Edmund cold, wet and scared, wandering alone through that winter wonderland until he heard the swish of a sleigh and was suddenly face to face with the beautiful but terrifying White Witch.
I shivered with anticipation and fear as the White Witch assumed a false loving nature and plied him with a magical warming drink and a jeweled box full of Turkish Delight. At the time I had no idea what such a thing was, but I just knew it was amazing, heavenly, delicious beyond reckoning.
It wasn’t until I was in my teens that I tasted Turkish Delight for the first time, discovered in the gleaming glass case of a sweet shop in Calgary, Alberta. With my carefully horded money I bought a few pieces, watched as the shopkeeper wrapped them up in paper, then carefully carried them out to the car as if they were breakable and precious.
I remember my fingers covered in powdered sugar as I picked up the first one, the taste of that sugar melting on my lips and tongue as I bit into the soft gelatin, the first hints of flowery flavor hitting my tongue as the candy dissolved in my mouth. It was strange and wonderful and I felt I had discovered something exotic and magical. Though I must confess that after four pieces I was more than ready for something salty! I could not for the life of me imagine why Edmund would be entranced by “whole rooms of Turkish Delight” that he could eat “all day long.” Too many pieces of this sweet confection and I’d be sick as can be. 🙂
This week was my time to make it for myself. I researched all sorts of recipes, finally nailing it down to one that seemed as close to authentic as I was going to get. I didn’t have the traditional rosewater, so I made lavender water instead, mixed with a bit of mint, smiling to myself at the sound of Lavender Mint Turkish Delight. 🙂
It was rather time-consuming but not difficult, and if I didn’t have to make the lavender water from scratch, it wouldn’t have taken very long at all. I know real Turkish Delight is supposed to be liberally coated with powdered sugar, but I just couldn’t make myself cover over those glistening chunks of what looked like lavender ice. 🙂
It was a noble first effort, but some kinks need to be worked out. I felt the end result was too stiff and here and there were chewy bits of not quite dissolved candy, like those small lumps of Jell-O that result when it doesn’t get stirred enough. 🙂 It tasted lovely though, delicate and flowery and not too overpowering.
Next time we’ll have a proper tea with Mr. Tumnus. 🙂
Lavender Mint Turkish Delight
(Adapted from Middle Eastern Food)
Ingredients:
4 cups granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups cornstarch
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
4 1/4 cups water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons rosewater
1 cup confectioners sugar
Vegetable oil or shortening
Directions:
- In a 9 inch baking pan, grease the sides and bottom with vegetable oil or shortening. Line with wax paper and grease the wax paper.
- In a saucepan, combine lemon juice, sugar and 1 1/2 cups water on medium heat. Stir constantly until sugar dissolves. Allow mixture to boil. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer, until the mixture reaches 240 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Combine cream of tartar, 1 cup corn starch and remaining water in saucepan over medium heat. Stir until all lumps are gone and the mixture begins to boil. Stop stirring when the mixture has a glue like consistency.
- Stir in the lemon juice, water and sugar mixture. Stir constantly for about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, Allow to simmer for 1 hour, stirring frequently.
- Once the mixture has become a golden color, stir in rosewater. Pour mixture into wax paper lined pan. Spread evenly and allow to cool overnight.
- Once it has cooled overnight, sift together confectioners sugar and remaining cornstarch.
- Turn over baking pan containing Turkish delight onto clean counter or table and cut with oiled knife into one inch pieces.
- Coat with confectioners sugar mixture. Serve or store in airtight container in layers separated with wax or parchment paper.
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