Summer food fun.

    Summer is so food fun! All the fresh vegetables make healthy cooking a snap. I enjoyed swimming at my sister's and brother-in-laws place while they were away and decided to raid their garden. I downed the cherry tomatoes right away, could not resist. But then stole some fresh zucchini and regular tomatoes as well. That evening I made some tempura fried zucchini and a fresh tomato salad with capers, Gorgonzola cheese and balsamic vinegar to accompany the pasta con oleo. I also grabbed some cucumbers. So for lunch the next day I decided to make tuna stuffed tomatoes with fresh fruits and vegetables. Why does summer have to end? Enjoy it while it last in the company of food.

Me at the Lincoln memorial he, he, he!

The vacation is almost over and our last outing is to Washington to visit the WWII memorial on which my cousin had included the name of my father. I was excited to see his name engraved as one of the people who gave us our freedom. Unfortunately, anyone who knows me realizes history is not one of my fortes. Jude, on the other hand, is educationally well rounded and knowledgeable, a world traveler. Why are we friends? I bring her back to reality is my reasoning. However, my first question upon arriving at the Washington mall put even our lifelong friendship over the edge. I saw this big, straight, pointy white structure in the middle of the mall and asked Jude "What is that?" Her reply, "I can't believe we are friends!"

It got better after that? I am sure everyone else but me knows that Washington DC has a lot of museums. And most of them are free. It is a beautiful place to visit and has something for everyone. For me the exhibit on FOOD through the ages called. I have been personally effected by Michelle Obama's  new food incentive on childhood obesity. I found the exhibit very enlighten and humbling, Realizing that champions of all causes keep us focused on change, which is a difficult concept for most to embrace.

b

Maria and Jude checking out the homemade bread.

Just so you can relish the finished product here is the oysters before I devoured them. They were delicious! The next day was the second adventure of the vacation sailing on the Chesapeake Bay. Maria had arranged with one of her resident professors to take a group of ladies out on his sail boat for an afternoon jaunt. The weather really cooperated with a nice wind and plenty of sunshine. To get ready for the sail we stopped at the farmers market to grab some fresh baked bread, cheese and wine for a snack. Are we having fun or what? This farmers market put our Woodstock rendition to shame, although I am quite fond of my hometown version. The vegetables and fruits were beckoning, lush and colorful. Maria stopped to chat with everyone in her college town and Jude and I were on a mission to find cheese; a chunk of cheddar horseradish the find. Our next stop was to the local health food store where I snagged some garlic and olive oil Chevre cheese spread. Yum! And we brought some white wine to sip with our treats. Then it was off to the boat and our sailor host, Dave, was preparing to set sail. This is the second time on my trip they tried to kill me.
 It started out calmly enough as we motored to the open water but then Dave hoisted the sails and the excitement began. The wind was brisk and the sun was blistering as the boat hummed along the water tipping to the side, skimming the rails. We finely all got our water legs and I decided to venture from the comfort of the cushioned seats and experience the  wind and the ocean. BIG MISTAKE! On the top of the cabin the breeze skimmed my cheeks and cooled the day. Holding on as we came about was a challenge but manageable. SO.. I decided to move forward and enjoy the full impact of sailing. Jude joined me kitchen towel hat and all. (I promised not to publish Judes' hat collection!) We spotted a group of rowing sailboats about to race and Dave had to do some damage control to get out of their way. As he tacked I rolled and could taste the water spraying on the deck. I yelled to Jude to grab me but she was holding on for dear life too. As soon as the drama began, it was over and we both rolled back into position. I realized sailing was not for amateurs and headed back to the safety of the cushioned seats.

Vacation in the company of food.

Well I don't know about you but for me one of the best parts of a vacation is enjoying the different foods of the region I visit. And so I had my heart set on some fresh oysters when I went to Maryland. My first outing was to the ocean for a bit of wave jumping. We arrived at the beach and my first glimpse was a mass of white sand with a long line of sun tents and people. Unlike our Midwest beaches, everyone had a front row seat to the ocean and the single line of human sun worshipers went on forever. As we joined the line at the crest of the sand I saw the large waves rolling into shore. Maria ran into the ocean and waves jumping with delight as they tried to sweep her back to shore. I was not so brave. Was it innate fear or was all this swirling making me dizzy. The waves crashed to the shore then rolled back out to sea leaving my frozen feet sinking in the sand. By now Jude had joined Maria and they were both frolicking in the waves. I decided to take it slow and stay close to the beach. I thought it might be better to sit in the waves as they came to shore. BIG MISTAKE! As quickly as I got to my knees a large wave crashed into my upper body and rolled me towards the beach and a truckload of sand filled my swimsuit. Struggling to stand I'm sure all the people on the shore laughingly realized I was a tourist. Jude and Maria came to see if I was OK and I, for the first time, accused them of trying to kill me.
     However, they redeemed themselves when we went for dinner and I had oysters. The oysters were local even though my hosts had told me they were only in season in the months with an R. The table side oyster shucker explained that although oysters are bigger in the months with R's they are available all year around. Sometimes they are milky, off season, but these ones were looking good. So I had to indulge!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Friends in the company of food.

     I visited my friend Jude last week in Maryland. She lives in Salisbury.  I am as clueless as it gets apparently because this is a very nice resort destination. Beaches everywhere, water everywhere, boats everywhere and lots and lots of people. And then there is me? I arrive in this Mecca of summer fun with one purpose in mind. Spending time with a dear friend and her daughter, my godchild, for a few days. Maria, my godchild, took a day off of work on Friday and stayed the weekend too, to spend it with me, I was honored. But then she and Jude tried to kill me..... Just kidding but so the vacation went.

      This was the first time I saw Jude's new nest. It was awesome; so her. In the backyard was a fire pit and Jude decided to cook our lunch here to practice open fire cooking in preparation for camping with her granddaughter Dylan. I would be the guinea pig. And so early on a Friday morning Jude stokes twigs and branches to make a fire only the former explores could truly appreciate. The temperature hovered around 90 degrees as the fire roared. I remained indoors with the air conditioning and offered to soak the corn on the cob for pit roasting. What a good friend I am. Jude also has a nice garden in her back yard and she picked some yellow and green zucchini squash, and green peppers for lunch also. I cut up some onions, potatoes, squash and green peppers sprinkled them with olive oil and wrapped them in foil for roasting. Well, if the chicken ever cooked we would have a well balanced lunch. Jude continued to add wood to the fire and the lidded cast iron roaster began to sizzle. A bit of fresh rosemary from the garden was added to the pot for flavor. Although it seemed like it took forever, Jude had started early enough that the chicken was ready just in time for lunch when Maria arrived. We threw the soaked corn on the cob on the fire first and then the vegetables last because they cook quickly. Voila, lunch was ready and quite delicious. Next off to the beach where Jude and Maria tried to kill me the first time during my trip.

Eat what you cook!

     With the current economy we need to be more vigilant than ever with our food budget. There has been such great waste of food and so many hungry people in the world that a few changes of habits could correct. The first is EAT WHAT YOU COOK. How many people say I hate leftovers. Well today I will take leftovers and make dinner tonight and lunch for tomorrow. I have leftover pork roast, cut corn, peas,  baked potato and mashed potatoes with olive oil. In the cupboard there is a can of tuna and in the fridge some fresh celery leftover from last nights bean salad. 

My first idea is a stuffed baked potato for a side with pork roast for my dinner tonight. I scoop out the filling from the leftover baked potato and combine it in a mixing bowl with the leftover mashed potatoes. I preheat the oven to 350@. Then combine the potatoes with a potato masher. They are cold because they just came out of the fridge so I warm quickly 30 seconds in the microwave to introduce the other ingredients. I have some leftover red onion so I take a thin slice and mince and add this with the leftover corn. There is grated cheese in the fridge and although any cheese would do I  love cheddar. Now I spice with pepper, sea salt and a bit of ground cayenne red pepper and mix with sour cream. Oh, a change of plans. Even though the sour cream is dated February 28th and it is only March1st there is a big circle of ugly green mold in the center of the sour cream. I use butter to meld my ingredients instead. I mash all the ingredients with a fork and spoon into my naked potato skin. I sprinkle with a bit of red pepper and place in the oven to warm and brown.

     This leaves the leftover peas. I open the can of tuna and chop a stalk of  fresh celery. I mix this with some mayonnaise,  ground pepper and celery salt then toss in some of the peas. This will make a nice lunch for tomorrow. The potato is browning nicely so I slice the pork. This is a very tender pork tenderloin that was baked with ground pepper and garlic salt. It is still very moist and is plated with the rest of the peas and microwaved to warm. There are two of us eating so I cut the large twice baked potato in half and dinner is ready. I love mint jelly with my pork and lamb and it is the perfect accompaniment to this meal.

    Totally enjoying leftovers in the company of food!

It's harder to eat healthy in the winter.

 Summer is so much fun with the garden fresh vegetables and the freshest of fruits to consume. But winter is a bit more of a culinary challenge. Healthy eating is more difficult and I am craving comfort food on these cold snowy days. There were large fresh artichokes on sale when I shopped today; and they called to me. When I got home,  I had them for dinner. This is a very simple meal and quite filling. To prepare the artichoke I peel the stem and pull off  the small bottom leaves. Then I cut a small amount of the top leaves so the water can penetrate the inside. While the artichoke is boiling in saltwater prepare a bowl with olive oil, course ground pepper and sea salt. When a fork easily penetrates the core of the artichoke it is ready for consumption. Place the artichoke in a bowl so the excess water can drain and get an extra plate for the discarded leaves. Then enjoy! Pull a tender leaf from the artichoke and dip in the olive oil scraping the bottom to get some salt and pepper too. Then with your teeth scrape the meat from the bottom of the leaf placing the rest of the leaf on the discard plate. When all the leaves are gone the best part of the artichoke is waiting hidden in a nest of soft silky fiber. Remove the silky fiber and expose the artichoke heart. This is the real meat of the artichoke and bursts with flavor. Don't forget the stem it is totally edible.

Fresh bluegills.

Fish is another healthy winter choice and I am very lucky that my son-in-law Jake is an avid fisherman. Knowing I love bluegills he packages them in water by servings of two and freezes them for me. When I am ready to prepare this delicacy I take a beautiful hand thrown ceramic bowl, by my daughter Amy, and thaw the fish slowly in lukewarm water. While they thaw I steam some fresh spinach and boil some potatoes for mashing. It is not long before the fish is thawed and ready to prepare. I turn the oven to 350@ . Lightly flour the fish and melt some butter or olive oil in a saute pan. Quickly brown the fish on one side and flip turning off the heat. One thing you never want to do with fish is over cook. Then it becomes tough, rubbery and looses all its flavor and appeal. The bluegills are ready to go in the oven to finish cooking while I mash the potatoes and prepare my plate. I add juice of a fresh lemon and some capers to the top of my fish but this is optional.

Bluegills with lemon and capers.

A healthy winter meal choice.

    
      The potatoes are ready so turn off the oven and arrange fresh spinach on the plate with some mashed potatoes. Place the hot bluegills on top of the spinach, pour yourself a nice chilled glass of  White Zinfindel or wine of choice and enjoy a wonderfully healthy winter meal in the company of food.   

Eating visually.

Flax seed jar

  Believing food is enhanced by visual presentation, having ceramic artists in the family is a plus. Doesn't a morning cup of coffee feel more comforting, soothing and appealing in a hand thrown ceramic mug fitting your grip perfectly. Every morning my breakfast meal must include some flax seed.  I delight every time I open the home to my flax seed.  This is one of my favorite ceramic pieces and for some reason makes it's healthy  contents much more appealing.
  Tonight I am making orange flavored chicken breast, baked sweet potatoes, and a zucchini melody with garlic and tomatoes for dinner. This is another one of those cast iron fry and bake dinners that I love.  Preheat the oven to 350@.

Vegetable medley

Ceramic butter dish

  Place your sweet potato in the oven to bake. I always like to start my baked potatoes in the microwave and finish in the oven so the skin is nice and crisp. Next prepare the vegetables. A lovely melody of colors always increases desirability of vegetables. Especially in the winter months when produce is not as abundant.  I slice green and yellow zucchini, tomatoes and of course fresh garlic, then set aside while I start the chicken. Lightly flour the chicken breast to hold in the juices and saute with butter in a cast iron skillet until golden brown. When browned on both sides cut a fresh orange or lemon in half and squeeze over the chicken then  place in the oven. Now my sweet potato and chicken are in the oven finishing cooking. Time to cook the vegetables. In another cast iron skillet heat some olive oil and when it is warm stir in the fresh garlic. When the garlic starts to brown arrange the zucchini around the pan bottom. Let this slightly brown and then flip the zucchini and top with the tomatoes, put the vegetables in the oven. By now your chicken and sweet potato should be ready, so turn off the oven to finish the vegetables. To plate my dinner I choose a fine china plate and arrange the food in three visual sections. I enjoy butter and sour cream on my potato and now get to enjoy another ceramic treasure, a butter dish. This holds the butter nicely at room temperature so it in no way chills my steamy hot sweet potato. I enjoy another delicious meal albeit constant visual stimulation in the company of food.

Everyone loves pizza!

Sauce with Italian herbs, dough, flour, corn meal & pan.

I am having a small gathering of family over for a pizza and game night. To begin I prepare the sauce. Season tomato puree with oregano, garlic salt, fresh ground pepper and olive oil  for the sauce or just use an Italian seasoned tomato sauce. I love any kind of fresh vegetables. Chop garlic, onions, green peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms and spinach and any other vegetable you like. The crust is simple, Wall Mart pizza dough. The only other things you will need are flour, corn meal, cutting board and rolling pin, and a cast iron skillet. Heat your oven to 400@. Let the fun begin!
     I am fortunate enough to have many sizes of seasoned cast iron skillets left over from our family restaurant. One of our specialties was deep dish pizza. I must confess, I am getting lazy after thirty seven years of making pizza dough but can not resist the aroma and sweet taste of a hand made pizza perfectly melded with my favorite ingredients. Fortunately, I discovered, after trial and error, Wall Mart pizza dough.

Melody of fresh cut vegetables.

Deep dish pizza ready for the oven.

     For my get together I decided to start with a small deep dish pizza. This takes three fourths of the pizza dough. The dough gets lightly floured and is hand kneaded to fit the shape of the bottom of the pan. I always spray my pan or oil it to ensure the dough does not stick to the sides. Then I lightly sprinkle corn meal on the bottom of the pan. When the dough is in place I cover generously with my sauce and begin layering my toppings. For this pizza I am adding just vegetables. If you like Italian sausage on a deep dish pizza this should be the first ingredient added to the sauced dough. I usually buy fresh link Italian sausage and remove the skin.  I break the raw sausage into little pieces and flatten with my fingers. Each piece is pushed into the sauced dough so it will cook with the dough. Then I layer the rest of the ingredients. There is enough vegetables here for a pan fried pizza, as well.  I finish the pizza with a generous layer of cheese and a few dollops of sauce. Into the oven it goes. This pizza takes about 30min. to cook.

Pan fried crust.

  Now I start my pan fried pizza and roll out the remaining 1/4th of the dough until it is nice and thin and fits the bottom of the pan. I take a 12" cast iron skillet spray it with olive oil and heat on stove top. I arrange all my ingredients for close reach because this pizza has to be layered quickly to avoid burning of the crust. Another hint, precook any raw product like Italian sausage and crumble for the topping. This pizza cooks much quicker than the deep dish and would not give raw products enough heat time. I love fresh garlic but this is an optional step. If you do not like that much garlic just skip this step and begin with the olive oil. When the pan is nicely heated I cover the bottom, generously, with olive oil and sprinkle fresh garlic around the whole bottom. I let the garlic lightly brown then toss in my dough.  As the dough begins to cook it will start to bubble so have a fork handy to pierce the bubbles and a spatula to flip the crust over. Cook until the bottom of the crust starts to lightly brown, turn off the heat and flip the dough. As you can see there will be some shrinkage. Generously sauce the dough and layer your toppings finishing with cheese and dollops of sauce. Keeping the pizza in the pan place it in the oven with the deep dish, which should just be starting to brown. In about ten minutes check the pizzas removing the one that is ready, usually the deep dish is removed first and the pan fried needs a few more minutes of browning. This is the perfect combination because the deep dish should be allowed to rest before cutting into pie shaped pieces.

Place the deep dish pizza in the back of the oven. It's hotter.

 When the pan fried pizza is finished you are ready to eat. For my gathering I allowed my guest to put the toppings on their own pizzas. So I had the chopped toppings arranged on the table and also a large bowl of fresh cut lettuce greens and different dressings so everyone could make a salad to accompany the pizza.You can cut the pan pizza right in the pan but I prefer to slide it onto my cutting board to slice into wedges. A nice large bottle of slightly chilled Merlot finished off the offerings. Nothing is better than a relaxing evening with family in the company of food.

Snow storm!

Today is a snow day from work and I am being the ultimate bum. It is noon and I am still in my pj's as the wind and snow swirl outside my window. I have already taken a nap and am hungry so decide to make an omelet. Amy, my daughter, has avoided the storm and is, as we speak, lounging by the pool in Florida where, she gloats, it is 80 degrees. She also has remarked how much food is in her host refrigerator. Our refrigerator, in her eyes, is always empty. Really? So how can I make an omelet? I peer into the fridge and spot some fresh vegetables left over from the pizza I made for dinner last night. Onion, green pepper, mushrooms, tomato and spinach are all in plain view. And oh yes, there is a carton of eggs and a bag of grated cheddar cheese. There is even butter in this empty fridge!

I chop some onion and green pepper and slice the mushrooms and tomato then add butter to my omelet pan. In a separate bowl I whisk three eggs and season with pepper. I add the onion and green peppers to the pan first to clarify then add the mushrooms and tomatoes and spinach. When the vegetables are warm and melded I stir in the eggs and top with grated cheddar. When the cheese begins to melt I flip the omelet to form a half moon and reduce the heat. Slowly the omelet finishes cooking. When the center of the omelet is firm to the touch it is done. Warm and cozy at my kitchen table I begin to eat. In the company of food I gaze out  my window at the gorgeous winter wonderland and wonder if Amy is eating this good in Florida?

Comfort food.

 Comfort food, isn't that what winter is all about? Oh Yeah!!! And one of my favorites is country ribs with sauerkraut, potatoes and carrots. This is a painfully simple meal to prepare but so delightful to consume with a dose of mustard on the side and butter for the perfectly boiled potatoes. Sinful!

The ingredients are simple. Fresh carrots, fresh potatoes, onions, sauerkraut and meaty country ribs.  A crock pot meal extraordinaire; filling the house with tantalizing aromas that excite the taste buds. I have the extravagance of time; so I boil my ribs first and boil my carrots until cooked second; then boil my potatoes until they are par cooked. I layer my ribs on the bottom, onions, sauerkraut with juice, a dash of course ground pepper and cooked carrots on top finishing with blanched potatoes. This way the meal is done in about an hour. But for a young working mother follow the same layering, forget the precooking and set the crock pot for the day and enjoy. The ribs on the bottom will get the best cooking heat, the onions will meld with the sauerkraut, which you can not over cook. The carrots will cook before the potatoes, which will finish at the same time as everything else. A delicious meal ready and waiting after a busy day. I enjoy mustard and horseradish as a compliment to this winter comfort meal.