...and the eggs

Happy Birthday, Kitty-mom!

2011-09-09T10:36:00.007-04:00

Last Saturday was a flawless day in Virginia Beach, perfect for celebrating a milestone birthday. We decided on a cocktail party with an Alice in Wonderland theme. The guests arrived wearing themed hats!!

My sister Emily made truffled deviled eggs, which were heavenly. The food was simple yet elegant, and by the end of the party, it was gone. A good indication that it was a success!! Beets on arugula with goat cheese and chopped walnuts, dates drizzled with honey and manchego cheese, figs with balsamic glaze, Parmesan cheese and fresh black pepper, Louisiana pickled shrimp, hearts of palm stuffed with bleu cheese, baby fingerling potatoes with caviar and sour cream... It was one of those spreads where one thing just looked better than the next!!

We were entertained by the fabulous Steve Organ, who sang and played his guitar throughout the event. The cake was masterfully made by Burgess Hodges!

The party was an enormous success. Fun was had by all, especially the birthday girl. I can't wait for next year...and the eggs.

Marilyn Ethel Moon

2011-06-12T09:09:00.004-04:00

Mention of the passing away of Marilyn, TLMM and JAM's mother and Savannah's grandmother, is most appropriate on a food blog. Marilyn was...shall we say...food obsessed. I can't remember a conversation with her that didn't include questions about what we ate that day or what we planned to eat later. She was the wife of a minister and she, along with the other women of her church and generation baked, baked and baked some more. Her confections had names like Ruth Burig's Mother's Ladylocks, Doris' Luscious Apricot Bars, Linda Dougherty's Holiday Fruit Squares and Rhea Myer's Seven-Layer Cookies. Her specialties included nut rolls, ginger cookies, apricot filled cookies and TLMM's favorite, Angel Food Cake. We have a thousand recipes, some of which were her mother's and were formulated to make 200 servings which (we think) were meant to feed the congregation.

When Marilyn was taken to the hospital on Friday evening, I arrived to find her resting in her room in the the cardiac intensive care unit. She promptly asked me what we all had for dinner and then told me that she wasn't hungry.

Marilyn fought a long, long battle with kidney disease, which eventually led to other serious problems. She was in the hospital so much over the past couple of years that she would ask the ambulance driver to take her to the facility with the best food. She was like the Zagat's guide to hospital fare. In case any of you reading this need to know, and I sincerely hope you never do, Marilyn recommends South Miami Hospital. The facility is "smaller" and "older" than other hospitals nearby, but the culinary fare is "superior"...and the eggs.

You Have Got to be Kidding Me!

2010-11-19T15:30:00.004-05:00

Doctor Sues Restaurant for Not Showing Him How to Eat Artichoke!

Click HERE

InStyle Cupcakes. In the Style of What?

2010-11-05T11:42:00.010-04:00

I recently purchased a Groupon from a Miami cupcake company, InStyle Cupcakes. I thought a gift of a delivery of cupcakes would be a great little pick-me-up for TLMM, especially considering they advertise red velvet cupcakes--her favorite! With her half-birthday in mind, I had an email exchange with the company a week ago, adding to the order and arranging 10:30 AM delivery.

Today was the big day. Well, folks, 10:30 AM came and went, and at 11:30 AM, TLMM called! I expected to hear one surprised, happy cupcake girl on the other end of the phone. That's not what happened. TLMM told me that she had just received a phone call from a man with a heavy accent asking for me (Jennifer) and saying that he had a cocaine delivery and was on his way. I guess you could say the surprise was pretty much ruined at that point. I just giggled and acted like I had no idea what the phone call was about.

But really. How hard could it be to follow a simple order? I did finally receive a telephone call from who I presume is the owner of the cupcake shop, asking me how they could make it up to me. I had no idea how to respond. The gift wasn't delivered...her half-birthday wasn't acknowledged the way I planned it out...and now TLMM may suspect I am a junkie. I don't know how anyone could make it up to me...and the eggs.

Happy Birthdays!!

2010-05-24T15:19:00.007-04:00

Happy Birthday to two of my favorite girls- my niece, Savannah and my sister, Jill Bari!!

This is Savannah with her cake- she turns 18 today!! Jill Bari turns 29 (again).

Savannah's beautiful cake was made by Madison Avenue Cakes in Pittsburgh, PA. Their website is www.madisonavecakes.com.

I hope you both enjoy your special days! Much love to you both and wishes for many, many more...and the eggs.

Jack Reed Moon

2010-04-20T09:19:00.005-04:00

If there ever was a man who enjoyed eating, it was Jack Reed Moon. TLMM's father Jack passed away last Friday from cancer. We enjoyed so many amazing meals together, I wouldn't know where to begin. I picked one post I especially like because as I wrote it, I was looking forward to a visit from him and Marilyn. Click here. The first time I met Jack, we shared a meal at a Japanese restaurant in Pittsburgh and he informed me that I wouldn't like France very much because the portions are very small. We laughed! He had me pegged. One of the best meals I have ever had was at their apartment - click here. One year, we celebrated his birthday at Joe's Stone Crabs- see here. Jack read ...and the eggs, and even commented now and again.

Until a couple of weeks ago, Jack was eating everything you could fit on his plate. After his move to Florida in 2008, Jack had the chance to try Cuban food- he especially liked Cuban sandwiches. He was always game to go out to a new restaurant, and it was easy for him to find something to try. He was adventurous with food and instilled that curiosity in his children. We will miss Jack for so many different reasons, I will especially miss my dining companion...and the eggs.

Fresh Ham, Cuban Style and then Carnitas Tacos!

2010-04-09T14:08:00.007-04:00

As a nice follow up to Passover rolls, I present to you one of the best pieces of pig I have ever had the pleasure to place on my palate!

It's really very simple. The day before you want to eat it (pork leg or butt), take out a small bowl. Make a paste out of 10 minced garlic cloves, 1 T salt, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon bay leaf powder and 2 T olive oil. Add some extra olive oil if the paste isn't pasty enough. Cut deep slits in the fresh ham and rub the paste all over it, forcing it into the slits. In another bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups sour orange juice, 1/2 cup sherry and 2 large onions, thinly sliced. Place the roast in a large plastic bag and pour the wet mixture in, massaging as you go. Let it sit in the refrigerator overnight or even over two nights. Turn a couple of times a day.

On the day of cooking, remove from plastic bag and put in large roasting vessel. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put in oven, uncovered. Flip after 2 hours. A 10 pound fresh ham takes 3 1/2 to 4 hours to cook.

The photo above is before we put it in the oven and the photo below is after 2 hours, when it was time to flip it.

As you let it cook, your kitchen and surrounding areas will fill up with the most incredible smell. If I could only bottle it...

Finally it's done! Our Cuban pork cooking guru, Mr. Jimenez, told us that it would be done when about 2" of that big bone was sticking out. He was right--see photo below. Remove from oven and let it sit for 20 minutes. It is easiest to slice into chunks, around the large chunks of fat. It almost cuts itself.

The pork is incredibly tender, and the herbs give the perfect amount of contrast to the porky flavors. We served this with a corn casserole and green beans. It was wonderful. Another great thing about this pork is that you can use the leftovers to make carnitas tacos, which we did. Just buy a package of corn tortillas, an onion and some avocado- it's really all you need. The tacos were addictive. We just heated a skillet with a little bit of vegetable oil and threw the leftover pork, sliced up. Let it cook for about three minutes, so that it is warmed through and slightly charred on the outside. You'll be glad you did...and the eggs.

Passover Rolls- A Taste of Childhood

2010-04-01T16:38:00.013-04:00

As a child, I got to eat these only during Passover. My mother recently sent me the recipe and I got to work making them!

1/3 cup margarine or shortening

2/3rds cup water

1 1/2 Tablespoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup matzo meal (for a finer roll, use cake meal- I did!)

3 eggs

Combine shortening, water, sugar and salt in a pan and bring to a boil. Add matzo meal or cake meal and cool slightly. Add eggs, one at a time.

Drop on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes and then turn heat down to 350 and cook for 20 minutes more. This usually cooks hollow, almost like a cream puff.

I doubled the recipe, which I highly recommend so that it makes more than 12. The result is delicious! The rolls aren't heavy - they are light and they have that taste that I remembered. Slightly sweet, slightly matza-y. It's easy to eat 3 or 4 of these suckers since they're so light. They're perfect to take to work with leftover chicken or brisket. I brought some to work and shared them with my Jewish co-workers (and one non-Jewish co-worker) and they were loved by all. The recipe has already flown around my group of friends. They freeze well- I should have made more 'cuz they're all gone now. Well there are still 5 days of Passover left, I will whip up another batch tonight. Thank you, mom, for the recipe and for helping to make me feel like I was home for the holiday...and the eggs.

People + Food - C'mon Y'all!!

2010-03-26T17:21:00.002-04:00

A couple of years ago, I had a great idea for a blog, which combines my two passions- people and food. It's a place where people share their own stories about the food that they love. Simple idea! Well, people submitted some great memories and now I would like to get it going again. Please email me a portrait-like photo of yourself and a short story about a food memory! I'd love to get some more stories on the blog. Click here for an example, or to see the blog, click the people + food link on the upper right hand corner. Email me at JenniferNaomi147@comcast.net. Thank you and I'm looking forward to sharing your stories!!

Scotch Bonnet Peppers as a Muse!

2010-03-21T17:00:00.021-04:00

Last week, my co-worker Scott gave me these scotch bonnet peppers he and his wife grow in their backyard garden. I wanted to do them justice so I started thinking...there is a large Jamaican community in Miami and I pass Jamaican markets all the time, but had never ventured into one. There was never a better time to learn to make an authentic jerk dish.

WARNING: SCOTCH BONNET PEPPERS ARE EXTREMELY HOT! HANDLE WITH CARE! I used gloves to de-seed and mince them.

Marinade:

1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup white vinegar
4 green onions (chopped)
2 garlic cloves (chopped)
2-5 scotch bonnet peppers, de-seeded and minced (The two I used give it a 3 on a heat scale of 1-10)
3 bay leaves
3 peppercorns
1 tablespoon cinnamon
3-4 allspice berries, crushed
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine oil and vinegar in a bowl. Add other ingredients and whisk until mixed up!

I used two pork tenderloins for this recipe- but you could use some thick pork chops too. Put the meat in a shallow container and pour marinade over it. Leave in refrigerator for 24 hours, turning every 5 hours or so.

The next day- you're ready to cook! Let the meat sit for 15 minutes or so at room temperature. Preheat the grill and then turn it down to medium heat. Put meat on the grill. I left it on for 30-40 minutes until the internal temperature was 160 degrees. Turn it every 15 minutes or so. Leave the grill closed and if you are using charcoal, leave the meat on indirect heat. When it's done, let it rest for 15 minutes.

At the Jamaican grocer, I bought a box of Festival. The best way to describe it is that it is a little like a hush puppy. It was as very easy to make out of the box. You add water, let it sit for 15 minutes, divide the dough and fry it. It was a great side dish because it was slightly sweet, complimenting the spice of the jerk flavors. There were many interesting ingredients at the grocer including mustard oil, rose water, strange-looking fresh vegetables and cans of things I have never cooked with before. Another item caught my eye. The only kosher balsamic glaze (it says so on the bottle). It looked out of place among all of the exotic ingredients from the islands, but there it was.

Back to the jerk pork. WOW!! The meat was tender and the flavor was complex and amazing. Yes- sure the scotch bonnets gave it a kick, but the heat did not overpower all of the other flavors. They all came together and a well-balanced jerk flavor that everyone could enjoy was the result. Enjoy it we did- we even fed Joel and Michael, the guys trimming our poinciana tree in the backyard. We ate and then ate some more. The jerk pork will now be part of my repitoire. Thank you for the peppers, Scott!

The next time you are at a farmer's market, pick one seasonal ingredient that looks great and see what you can come up with...and the eggs.

Brussels Sprouts with Leeks and Bacon

2010-01-23T08:17:00.008-05:00

Do any of you have a favorite brussels sprouts recipe? Before the holidays, I was in the waiting room of my doctor's office, reading Good Housekeeping. A recipe caught my eye- I had been looking for a way to prepare brussels sprouts ever since I ate the best sprouts I had ever tasted at my friend Phil's house for his annual holiday get together a couple of years ago. His dish included chestnuts. I asked Phil for the recipe, but he is one of those people who doesn't measure anything. When I saw this recipe in Good Housekeeping, I made a note of it! I finally got around to making it this week, and it was exactly what I was looking for- even without the chestnuts.

You can refer to the recipe in its entirety for specifics but here is the routine with my twists. The recipe calls for twice as many sprouts as I bought, so I cut the other ingredients in half, except (of course) the bacon. You can prepare the sprouts the night before by washing them and trimming the tough stem. Put it in a pan, pour 3/4 of a cup of water over them. Cover and simmer for 12 minutes or until tender. Drain well and put it a tight container and put in the refrigerator overnight.

To make the rest of the dish- cook 4 strips of bacon cut into 1/4 inch slices over medium heat until they brown and render their tasty and delicious fat. Remove with slotted spoon and reserve- but don't turn down the heat!

Place sprouts in the pan. Add 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes until browned, stirring frequently. Remove to bowl and keep warm.

Add olive oil and leeks to pan- the leeks have been sliced once lengthwise and then crosswise into 1/4 inch strips- the same as the bacon. Add salt and pepper. Cook 12-14 minutes until leek is tender and browned. Add bacon, sprouts and 1 tablespoon of cider vinegar (I had no cider vinegar so I used balsamic). Cook on medium high heat for 2 - 4 minutes, stirring frequently. The recipe calls for fresh chopped parsley at the end but I didn't have any, so I didn't use it. The end result did not suffer in the least. The sprouts were perfectly tender throughout, and the taste of the leek, bacon and touch of balsamic were just what they needed to push the flavors through the roof!

This was one of those dishes that I could eat every day. One and a half pounds of sprouts was much more than enough for two people. I think the recipe in the magazine was intended to be used as a holiday side dish, in which case you might need the 50 ounces of sprouts. In any case- we loved it. Without as much time as I used to have to cook and share recipes, I have chosen to be selective and make what I love the best. So far, so good...and the eggs.

El Santo Coyote - Revisited.

2010-01-17T07:00:00.000-05:00

Another trip to the Mexico in my own backyard.

Fresh salsa- we have had this 4 times now and it is consistently great!

This is the fajita dish I was telling you about - carnitas. Slow cooked, marinated succulent shredded pork. Slightly charred in the second heating process. Put it on a soft corn tortilla, bite, and let the flavors sink in.

Heaven. It's so juicy and full of flavor that you are forced to take your time to savor it.

This is a chile relleno platter. It looks like something has gone wrong but there was too much going on to put my finger on it, so I just took a bite. The rice is cooked perfectly. The poblano chile is all about flavor, which was there. They smothered it in some sauce with a kick, having been told about my affection for heat, but it took away from what might have been a perfect chile relleno. Don't ask me about that radish because I just don't know. The dish looked like something from a Mexican food version of Cakewrecks (if there was a Mexican food version of Cakewrecks). You win some, you lose some.

As I have heard from some friends who visited El Santo Coyote on my recommendation, the owners are anxious to hear your feedback- good or bad. It's a new restaurant and they appreciate your praise and and constructive criticism- and will bend over backwards to make you happy. Another note taken by my friends concerns the service. From what I have gathered during my visits, this is an extended family operation and mom, dad and cousins are the hostess and wait staff. It is easy to see that polish is lacking, but I have been to some much higher end restaurants with much worse service. I will return again and again for what it is and hope that, with experience, those kinks work themselves out. We need some restaurants down here, folks- there are diners with dollars to spend south of Pinecrest...and the eggs.

Easy Ambrosia Cake- Happy Birthday Me!!

2010-01-07T12:56:00.008-05:00

My niece, Savvy, happened to be visiting on my birthday, so I asked (forced) her to bake my birthday cake. To her credit, she was willing to take on a difficult cake, but I didn't have the heart to make her do that. We found a recipe to tweak a boxed cake mix and decided to give it a whirl. If you love ambrosia, this cake's for you!

1 package moist yellow cake mix (we used Duncan Hines)
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1x11 ounce can of mandarin orange segments
1x8 oz. container of frozen whipped topping, thawed
1x20 oz. can crushed pineapple with juice
1x3.5 package instant vanilla pudding mix

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 9x13 pan.

In a large bowl, break and beat eggs, add cake mix, oil and mandarin oranges with juice. Pour batter into pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool.

To make the topping, mix together the thawed whipped topping, crushed pineapple with juice and vanilla pudding mix. Let it sit in refrigerator to set for a couple of hours, then it's ready to frost!

We sliced the cake in half since we wanted a layer cake- you could also use three round pans- we didn't think of that! It came out beautifully anyway.

The taste of the cake is definitely reminiscent of ambrosia, and it's delicious. Not too sweet- not too rich- just right. Very easy to make. Exactly the recipe we were looking for!

Give it a try the next time you guilt a teenager into baking you a birthday cake, it works like a charm! Thank you, Savvy...and the eggs :)

Salsa Fresca!

2010-01-06T17:00:00.010-05:00

Whilst searching for a large outdoor planter, we happened upon a new Mexican restaurant! El Santo Coyote is South of Cutler Bay, FL. The building and grounds was formerly a shop selling Mexican crafts, and they recently added a restaurant. The salsa there merits a blog resurrection!! The food we tried also deserves raves- everything is made fresh, from the salsa made tableside to the guacamole.

This salsa was the best I have ever tasted- because I asked for the heat I wanted! Our waiter didn't just toss in extra dried red chili peppers- he went to the kitchen and got one especially spicy dried pepper and ground it into the mixture with the mortar and pestle. I highly, highly recommend the carnitas fajitas. The sangria is wonderful- no canned fruit cocktail here.

For their website, click here.
Ole... and the eggs.

Happy 70th Birthday, Mom!

2009-07-18T06:37:00.004-04:00

Here she is, in a very rare moment of relaxation. My mother is not the laid back type, she is always busy doing something, but I guess that's why she looks so good at age 70!

This week, a book I have been waiting for arrived from Amazon. It's a Ruth Reichl book entitled Not Becoming My Mother & other things she taught me along the way. To be perfectly honest, I didn't see the "and other things she taught me..." part of the title until the book arrived. Not becoming my mother has been one of the focuses of my adult life, and all the while I thought that was my bit of rebellion. Turns out that (just like Ruth's mother) I suppose that's what my mother wants. That's what parents want- for you to have it better than they did. For you to take advantage of the times and attitudes in the world in ways they were less encouraged to. For you to not become them but perhaps to become, in some way, a better them. I certainly haven't lived up to that, but I am fortunate and thankful to have the opportunity to tell her that I'm trying.

Here she is on my birthday making my cake. Mom, happy birthday, I love you and I wish I was there to make you a birthday cake...and the eggs.

Cooking School in China by Guest Blogger Linda Lou!

2009-07-03T07:49:00.001-04:00

Lou is this summer's guest blogger, and I have been living vicariously through her news and photos for over a month. This post is beautiful- hope you enjoy!! Thank you, Lou.

It’s 8pm and I am only now beginning to think about food again. I am sitting in the courtyard of the Gigging Tree Hostel, a delightful inn located about 5 km outside of Yangshuo. If you like to look at beautiful countryside from an old but comfortably renovated mud-brick farmhouse, away from the “action” of the city, then this is the place for you. Though I’ve become accustomed to the hustle and bustle of China, I confess that the aggressive and persistent souvenir hawkers in the city streets and the never-ending shouts of “bamboo, bamboo” from hopeful rafters wanting to give you a ride along the river have put me off just a bit. Don’t get me wrong, Yangshuo is wonderful. I am simply glad that we have the Giggling Tree to retreat to rather than one of the many hotels downtown.

This morning we took a cooking course at the Yangshuo Cooking School. Originally begun by an Australian woman in an old farmhouse in Chaolong Village, the school now has two branches – the original in the village and a new facility located directly on the Li river. Both morning and afternoon classes are offered in each location six days per week. We took the morning class in the Li river location, and we were not disappointed.

Class began with a trip to the local market where we looked at a nearly unending variety of vegetables, spices, and varieties of tofus. In an adjacent portion of the large space was the meat section. The meats came in many different forms including roasted, butchered, in the process of being butchered and still alive. Duck eggs, chicken eggs, quail eggs, pickled eggs, so-called 1,000 year eggs – all were there. We were warned that some of the vendors don’t appreciate having their picture taken by invasive tourists (the tofu ladies, apparently, are particularly sensitive on the matter) and that pickpockets were a possibility, so I kept my camera in the backpack in order to devote my full concentration to the tour guide and his knowledgeable discussion of the many ingredients on display.

Having toured the market we departed for the cooking school. The location is simply gorgeous. We sat down for a cup of green tea in the open courtyard sitting above the Li river. As tourist boats passed by we chatted with the other cooking students, one couple from England, one couple from Australia, one couple from San Diego and us. They were an interesting and charming group – foodies are such wonderful people! The discussion of food, travel and cooking classes in exotic locations was fascinating to listen to.

After tea we went into the classroom, where the large windows also opened onto the Li river and individual cooking stations were prepared for each of us. Our instructor, Leo, demonstrated the chopping and cooking techniques we would need for each dish. We tasted his, and then made our own under his guidance and the watchful eyes of assistants who moved with ninja-like stealth and speed to turn down one of our gas stoves before the garlic burned or to point to which ever ingredient was needed next.

The first dish we prepared was steamed chicken with mushrooms. We finely sliced chicken and seasoned it with salt, pepper, and rice wine. This was placed on a plate, to which was added sliced ginseng root, reconstituted dried Chinese mushrooms, a couple of dates and an ingredient that I have never seen called wolfberries. These are smallish pink seeds with a texture similar to raisins and a lemony taste. Finally a touch of sesame oil was drizzled on top. Each plate was placed in its own, numbered bamboo steamer (numbered so we’d each get our own dish when it came time to eat). The steamers were stacked one atop of the other over a wok with boiling water forming a small, food filled bamboo tower.

Our second dish was egg-wrapped dumplings. According to Leo, you won’t likely find this dish in a restaurant in town, but if you go to a local home in the country or a village eatery you will see them consumed in large numbers. The filling is primarily ground pork with simple salt and pepper seasoning and an unexpected ingredient – fresh mint leaves. Hot peppers are optional, and Leo had us add a small amount of oyster sauce to the dish which is not included in the printed recipe booklet we got when the class was finished. The final ingredient was a beaten egg. We used duck egg, but I’m sure that any old egg would do. When the wok was hot, oil was added to make a small pool in the bottom. A small portion of egg, perhaps a tablespoon or so, was added to the center of the hot oil. The egg immediately began to set, and a dollop of the pork mixture (around a teaspoon) was added to one side of the egg disk, flattened out a bit, and then folded over like a turnover. Leo made the process look easy, though it took a bit of practice. Once formed, the dumpling was pushed up the side of the wok, out of the oil and away from the direct heat, and the entire process repeated until the egg mixture and filling was all used (6-9 dumplings depending upon how big you make them). Though formed, the pork filling was not fully cooked, so we flipped the dumplings and moved them back to the center of the wok before adding water and covering for a few minutes. When the water evaporated it was time to eat. We took a short break to eat our dumplings before moving on to the remaining dishes.

We completed the chopping for our next two dishes, Eggplant Yangshuo Style and Stir-fried Pork with Vegetables and Oyster Sauce together before cooking. The eggplant was sliced into planks about one quarter inch thick and two inches long. These were stir-fried with garlic, ginger and sweet red pepper. When softened, a touch of salt and a teaspoon of a condiment made of bean paste and chili was added. About one table spoon of water went in next along with a bit of oyster sauce. When the water was evaporated, sliced green onion was tossed in and the dish was complete.

Thin sliced pork loin was then added to a hot wok with garlic for the next dish. When the pork changed color, carrot, sweet red pepper and the main surprise which Leo called garlic stalks were added. I’m not sure if these are actually garlic or not, because they didn’t really taste like garlic and were added more for their crunch than for their flavor. They were green, very crunchy and a bit less than ¼ inch in diameter. Leo said that anything crunchy like cucumbers could be used in their place, which would be good but would definitely change the flavor of the dish. At any rate, the garlic stalks were cut into ¾ inch pieces. We added the vegetables to the pork and cooked for 1-3 minutes based upon our preference for crunchy or soft vegetables in our stir fry. I like crunchy, so I pulled the dish off relatively quickly. Both the eggplant and the pork dishes were placed under our wok cover to keep warm.

Our final dish was one of my all-time China food favorites, simple stir-fried greens. As simple as it is delicious, this dish only requires a bit of oil added to a hot wok along with some seasonal greens (bok choi or even spinach would be fine at home) and garlic. A bit of water is added after a minute or so of stir frying. Once the vegetable is tender to your taste, yank it from the flame.

It was lunch time! And if I do say so myself, the food I ate was marvelous! The flavors were more subtle than what I have grown accustomed to during my month in Chongqing, but were every bit as interesting and delicious especially because of the ingredients that were new to me.

The beautiful surroundings, pleasant teaching staff, charming companions and toy poodle mascot were all bonuses – but the food was the real star. My only regret was not signing up for the second class, with its own unique menu, that is offered on alternating days.

Country Style Donuts, Richmond, VA

2009-06-27T11:51:00.006-04:00

Upon arriving in Richmond, we picked up our rental car and headed to the city. At one of the first intersections, we saw this donut shop and made a mental note of it. For that, the next morning we were rewarded with--hands down--the best donuts we had ever tasted. Specifically the one they call the Old Fashioned. It has an almost crisp texture on the outside and the inside is so heavenly in it's plain-ness that all you want is more!

The Old Fashioned are at the top of the box. Each morning during our visit, we went to Country Style. The first day we went, we stood in a long line, wondering if it was normally that crowded. Someone told us that they had just done a story about the shop that morning on the local news. Go figure.

The assortment is vast, and each day we bought a dozen donuts which, by the time the next morning rolled around, were somehow almost gone. They were a great treat to have on hand with relatives stopping in, pre-wedding. Everyone enjoyed them. All their varieties are very good- but for me, nothing compared to the Old Fashioned. The coffee was fantastic, by the way.

I am not responsible for this sad sight...and the eggs.

Cakewalk in Portsmouth, Virginia

2009-06-13T08:09:00.005-04:00

Portsmouth has a new cake shop in it! Burgess and Shannon recently started Cakewalk- and business is booming! Take a gander at these incredible cakes! The keyboard cake is the most amazing cake I have ever seen in person. It was made as a groom's cake for JB and Steve's wedding last weekend.

Butterfly cake!

Easter cake!

Little black dress cake!!

Check out this one, which was made for an adoption celebration.

The photos speak for themselves, don't they?? If you would like to order a cake from Cakewalk, call Burgess Hodges at (757) 735-7883 or Shannon Campbell at (757) 615-7391, and they will hook you right up...and the eggs.

JB and the Captain!

2009-06-05T10:47:00.006-04:00

We're in Richmond, Virginia for the wedding of my sister and Steve!! Their friend Teri of Celebrations Catering is doing the food for the wedding, so check back for pictures next week! Our friend Burgess has a brand new cake company out of Portsmouth, Virginia- and created an amazing groom's cake shaped like a keyboard (Steve is a musician)- so check back for a post all about the new company, complete with recent cakes they have created.

It will be a weekend to remember...and the eggs!!

Louhead's First Guest Blog From China!

2009-05-22T05:41:00.013-04:00

While some of us are enjoying our stay-cations, one of my friends is off on a great adventure. It's her second trip to China and her first guest blog post. Linda-Lou is a professor at a university in Minnesota, a singer/songwriter, a foodie, a dog lover, a seasoned traveler and, best of all, a kind soul.

Climbing Jinyun Mountain: Sichuan Cuisine with No Middle-Man

For the true foodie, no trip to China would be complete without a healthy sampling of Sichuan cooking. Known as one of the Four Great Traditions of Chinese cuisine, Sichuan (Chinese: 四川) food can perhaps be best described by four words: spicy, hot, fresh and fragrant. Complex in flavor and rich in tradition; the food is hearty and unpretentious. No dainty portions or fussy plating. The food is served family style with diners reaching in and taking what they wish with their own chopsticks. As we began our meal our wonderful guide told us of the Chinese proverb that states - “There are no short arms at the table”. The message was simple. Dig in.

And dig in we did, because we were all hungry. Who are we? We are a traveling band of students, plus one professor, from Minnesota. We have the pleasure of spending the next several weeks at Southwest University in Beibei, Chongqing China. Today we climbed to the top of Jinyun Mountain, the largest of the peaks surrounding Beibei. About half way up we dined at the Great Well (大水井). No, that is not a typographical error. The well is great here, not the wall. To be honest, I didn’t actually see the well but the water from the faucets in the outdoor sinks ran cold and clean and was very refreshing to wash hands, face and neck after our long climb on a warm, bordering on hot, day.

The Great Well Restaurant is more like a family home than a restaurant. It is nestled high in the hills, surrounded by bamboo forests, accessible only by steep paths. It is inhabited and run by a family that includes four generations; three were involved in cooking our meal (the fourth was off at school when we arrived). Whatever you call it, the Great Well epitomizes Sichuan cuisine. The food was spicy, hot, fresh and fragrant.

Let’s begin with fresh. In America most of us live our lives rather disconnected from our food. Even if we are avid cooks we likely obtain most of our food partially prepared and neatly packaged from the supermarket. Not so at the Great Well. We arrived, sat down and had a cup of tea while our guide ordered. With the food order in, a live black chicken was selected for us, brought into the kitchen and killed. It doesn’t get any fresher than that. Black chickens are more expensive than white chickens because their strong color is thought to be good for the health. The feathers and skin were definitely black in color and the meat considerably darker than the grocery store birds found in the US. Our chicken was plucked, cleaned, and singed over an open flame in a matter of minutes and the family of chefs swung into action chopping, steaming, and stir-frying in the kitchen, only occasionally slowing down to step around yours truly, who was constantly getting in the way with the camera. The family seemed amused, but not at all annoyed at my curiosity and intrusion into their kitchen.

I watched as the family sliced small, tender fresh bamboo stalks retrieved from a plastic paint bucket where they had been rinsed, spicy pickled ginger and chilies, and fresh lotus root. Corn and pumpkin, were sitting ready for cooking in bowls on the counter. Cucumbers were brought around from the back of the house, which leans into a steep hill, by the eldest generation of the family. It wasn’t until our meal was over that we walked out this way and I saw that the family garden was there. I didn’t recognize all of the crops, but I saw corn and beans and a variety of other plants. I suspect that most, if not all, of the vegetables we were served came from the garden or the surrounding forest. I didn’t see a pig, but one of the students saw a family member leaving a stall located away from the house with some pig’s feet. These did not go into our meal, but I watched the family cut thin slices of smoked pork, and julienne strips of fresh pork loin for stir frying.

With the well-oiled efficiency of those who have worked together forever, the family steamed and stir-fried our food in large woks. When the chilies went into the wok, smoke filled the room, and even the family coughed and sputtered. At this point, with the meal about to begin, I left the kitchen and rejoined the group.

Our meal began in the typical Sichuan manner, with a cold course of tofu that one adds to small dishes of spice mixes or sauces. At the Great Well we ate our tofu with red chili oil laced with small piles of red chilies, ginger and garlic. The cucumbers were added to the table. These were served fresh, salty, and heavily seasoned with garlic. Delicious.

Subsequent courses were rapidly added to the table. Our hot vegetable courses included pumpkin, which was absolutely perfect in its simplicity and as a counterpoint to the spicier dishes, and my personal favorite, green beans prepared Sichuan style, which is quick fried. I don’t know if it is the preparation or the actual beans themselves, they are a bit bigger in size and appear to be harvested at a more mature state than typical European or American green beans. Whatever the reason, the green beans here taste like nowhere else. Often they come highly seasoned with chilies and garlic, but at the Great Well they were served relatively simply, like the pumpkin, highlighting the fresh perfection of the vegetable itself. Bowls of seasoned potatoes that were boiled in a pressure cooker and then stir fried were also added to the table. These were a big hit with the Minnesota natives.

But don’t be alarmed. The Great Well did not miss the mark with the spicy criterion. This came in the meat dishes which were served next. Our chicken was featured in a dish that highlighted the areas signature ingredient, the sichuan peppercorn. These actually bear no relation to black or red peppers but are the outer pods of tiny fruits. In the US I obtain these dried and typically grind them up before adding them to a meal. Those used at the Great Well seemed fresh and were tossed in whole. In and of themselves, sichuan peppercorns aren’t really hot or pungent. They actually have a taste that, to my buds, is lemony and woodsy at the same time. If you bite directly into one, which I enjoy doing though it may be strong for some and is definitely woody in texture, it produces a tingly, numbing sensation in the mouth. It is usually paired with “hot” spices like chilies for one of the trademark tastes of Sichuan cooking. In our chicken dish, the hot spices included mass quantities of pickled ginger and chilies that I’d seen chopped up in the kitchen just minutes ago.

The pork dishes followed. The fresh pork julienne found its way into a spicy and delicious marriage with garlic and fresh chilies. The smoked pork was combined with lotus root and green peppers. At this point, again typical of a meal in China, the rice was served from a gigantic bamboo steaming basket. I’m not sure why, but rice is always served towards the end of a meal in China, perhaps so that guests don’t fill up on it before they are able to sample the many other dishes provided. We added rice to our bowls and placed bits of meat and vegetable on top to be eaten along with the staple. Finally, bowls of some version of steamed bitter greens were brought to the table. These came plain and were absolutely delicious and wonderfully cleansing to the palate. I’ve heard that bitter tastes are good for the digestion and this was good for us, as our climb up the mountain was only two-thirds of the way complete (and this was before we got lost, but that adventure is another story).

We left an hour and a half after we arrived – quite a quick pace by Chinese standards where lunchtime lasts from noon to 2:30 every day, even in university offices and laboratories. This break in the day, unacceptably long by American standards, allows one to linger over a fantastic lunch and even take a short nap when it is through. Perhaps we should add another word to our description of Sichuan cuisine to capture this ability to take time to savor and rest. How about spicy, hot, fresh, fragrant and civilized?

S&S Diner- A Miami Institution since 1938

2009-05-06T06:30:00.004-04:00

We last lunched at the S&S on "Turkey Tuesday", and THIS was the plate of turkey (all white meat by request) they served!

This was the salad that went along with it!

As you can see, you will leave full of food and full of love for this 71 year-old restaurant. Our waitress, Yolanda, has worked there for 30 years and it seemed like she was waiting with baited breath to hear what we ordered, just so she could tell us what we should have ordered instead, smiling all the while- see?

Yolanda does not suffer fools.

The S&S's famous horseshoe-shaped counter.

She let me order this, my favorite dish at the S&S- blackened chicken with salad. I like spice and this lit up my taste buds. It's just as good every time I have had it, and it's hard to order anything else.

This was the menu board last Tuesday and as you can see they had already run out of a few favorites. I wanted to try the stuffed cabbage, but I just love that blackened chicken.

Yolanda finally caved and allowed two in our party to order hamburgers since they said they were the best burgers in Miami.

Good old diner mashed potatoes- the epitome of comfort food.

Just when we thought we couldn't eat any more, we spotted these on the counter, and got some key lime cheesecake to go. Mmmmm. A tart layer of key lime stuff on top of creeaaammy cheesecake. To die for.

It wasn't my first trip to the S&S and it certainly won't be my last. Yolanda recommends the daily specials but from what I have seen, you can't go wrong with any of the dishes here. The diner's address is 1757 N.E. 2nd Avenue and it's open from 5:30 AM to 7:00 PM Monday through Friday and 6:00 AM to 2:00 PM on Saturday and Sunday. Stop by and enjoy the food, watch the people and chat with the regulars for a while, it will be an experience you won't forget...and the eggs.

It's Still Chilly enough for Chili!

2009-04-25T07:35:00.008-04:00

To enjoy the last few humidity-free days in South Florida, I decided to work on my chili recipe. A camp friend from way back, Ian, has an annual Chili Bowl, and since I can't go to Minneapolis to compete, I browsed his friends' winning recipes from previous years and picked one for the basis of my own. Bud's Batch was the perfect recipe to play with, as I can control the amount of jalepeno, chili powder, the type of meat and the bean varieties. Here is the basic recipe:

3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 large red onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic
2 red jalepeno peppers
2 green jalepeno peppers
1.5 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/3 cup chili powder
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
28 ounce can diced tomatoes
15 ounce can of black beans
15 ounce can of kidney beans
15 ounce can of chili beans

I used the ground beef but also added cubed beef tenderloin I had in the freezer. I couldn't find red jalepenos so I used green, finely diced. I omitted the seasoned salt, added corn and doubled the whole recipe so we would have a lot left over to freeze since I don't plan on making chili during the summer months. TLMM made the best cornbread recipe ever, and I mean ever- and that will be my next post!

Veggies, after all the chopping.

Place 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil into large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, peppers (including jalepeno), garlic and beef and brown until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes (all of the times in this post will be more if you double the recipe). Add the tomatoes, salt and chili powder. Wait for it to boil and then partially cover it and turn it down to a simmer, stirring once in a while. Now leave it alone at a simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Add beans and bring back to a boil. The recipe says it can be eaten now or left to simmer. I let it cook for another couple of hours.

This chili is so good because the flavors - first you taste the beef, chili powder and the beans and then the peppers start creeping in. The addition of the tenderloin added a layer of texture reminiscent of chili con carne. We garnished with grated sharp cheddar cheese, chopped onion and cooked some white rice as an afterthought. We froze what we didn't eat because no matter how good it is on day one, for some reason, chili is always better after a deep freeze. Now I feel more comfortable tweaking the recipe even more, maybe with a different type of protein to really mix things up. Before the weather gets too warm, put on a pot of chili. It will make your house smell divine and will keep in the freezer until you are ready for some more...and the eggs.

Happy 50th Birthday, JAM!

2009-04-14T06:13:00.011-04:00

My brother in law turns 50 years old today! We celebrated with him over the weekend with a pool party (what else?!) and some family favorites, including ambrosia salad, "funeral beans" (which, while they may not be pretty, are the best baked beans going) and pickled eggs and beets made by his parents.

His cousin, Cynthia, won the prize for traveling the furthest for the occasion- she drove from Panama City to bring him this hideous gift we pass back and forth every few years.

We had a fun day, I hope he did too. Now if he would just get that lamp out of my house. Happy birthday, JAM --and many, many more...and the eggs.

Finnegan's River

2009-04-13T19:04:00.017-04:00

On the Miami River, you can pull your boat right up to Finnegan's and have a meal, a drink, play pool and swim in the pool. The space is amazing- it's huge. There's outside seating as well as inside. It was hard to go just for a quick lunch, but I will be back.

First and foremost, the food. It took too long to get service which was the only major glitch in our plans. Finally, it was straightened out and we ordered drinks and meals.

One of the specials- Suzy ordered a salad with fried calamari and fish fingers. The calamari was tender and perfectly seasoned and cooked.

Another special was Finnegan's version of shrimp scampi. David loves pasta so his order wasn't a surprise. Huge shrimp! It looked fine, it's hard to mess up shrimp scampi.

Blackened dolphin sandwich- of course, Ed the Cowboys fan had to eat a dolphin for lunch! Look at that grin. He said it was very good.

I had to try a plain old burger because unlike shrimp scampi, it is easy to mess up a hamburger. It's all about the flavor of the meat, and this one was very, very tasty. Thumbs up.

If I hadn't had to return to work, I would have had a beer or two and played pool.

It was a beautiful day as we sat and ate and watched boats of all shapes and sizes float by. We saw at least two incredible yachts.

There's ample outside seating including a few gazebos with benches and swings. Remind me that this is where I want to go the next time I venture out for happy hour!!!

Every Sunday, these folks roast a whole pig and you can buy it by the plate and enjoy a dish that has real local flare.

They also have a large selection of sushi on the menu. Finnegan's internet site is here.

The food was fine- I would say above average but not spectacular. The atmosphere is spectacular. I highly recommend a trip to Finnegan's but if I were you, I'd go for lunch and take the rest of the day off to enjoy the scenery...and the eggs.

Nut Rolls!

2009-04-04T17:31:00.021-04:00

Nothing says home like the smell of hot fresh baked goods coming out of the oven (that I didn't have to bake)! TLMM's mother, Marilyn Moon ("MM"), is getting ready for Easter. That includes baking her famous nut rolls. I better hurry up and have a slice before Passover starts.

MM and TLMM's father, Jack, recently relocated to Miami from Pittsburgh. Fortunately for us, baking was almost like a competition for the women at the various congregations Jack served as a Methodist Minister for 35+ years. You should see the recipes this woman has in a fireproof lock box! They take their baking seriously, and this recipe is one of my favorites.

This recipe makes 8 nut rolls- so share them with your friends or wrap them tightly in aluminum foil and freeze them until the "churchers" as I call them come over for tea.

The day before or the morning you make the rolls, throw a bag of recipe ready walnuts into a food processor and blend until fine. You'll need these as you assemble the rolls.

9 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup sugar
4 sticks softened butter

Put the above ingredients into a large bowl and mix well by hand. Break up with fingers into small pieces. Yes, with your hands. Wash them first please.

Mix 4 eggs into mixture. Add 1 cup of canned milk (not fresh). Dissolve 1 1/3 cake of yeast into 1 cup warm water; stir until dissolved. Put in mixture.

Knead with your hands. This will be sticky so put flour on your hands and fingers. Plastic bowl is best to put it in. Cover and let it rise for 45 minutes in a warm place.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Divide dough into 3/4 pound pieces (makes about 8 pieces). Let it sit for awhile- about 10 to 15 minutes.

Knead each in hand with floured hands. Roll on floured board to 1/8 inch thick (very thin!). Keep the edges clean as you add the following ingredients on top of the dough.

Melt butter. Brush on dough generously.

Add 1/2 cup brown sugar and spread over dough.

Put 1 cup of finely chopped walnuts on that and spread over dough.

Remember the edges that you kept clean? Dip your fingers in water and spread it on the edges so it will seal. Roll the roll tightly. Wet end again if necessary to hold it together. Place edge on bottom. Put two in the pan at a time- don't bake more than two at a time or they will go together. Poke a few holes across the top with a fork to vent. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Let them sit for 15 minutes and then brush with melted butter.

These are so good, you can't have just one slice. I don't even like nuts in my food- but they are so finely chopped in this recipe, they aren't like nuts, they're more like textural candies.

Sure, they are a little work but if you can catch someone else in the holiday baking spirit, maybe they'll make them and share them with you. That's what I did! Seriously, MM was making them anyway- I just asked her if I could blog it. So happy Easter, Happy Passover, Happy Spring...and the eggs.

Brasserie Brickell Key!

2009-03-21T10:32:00.015-04:00

Just across the bridge to Brickell Key (605 Brickell Key Drive) is Brasserie Brickell Key, an Italian restaurant perfect for our recent birthday luncheon for Melanie. It is within walking distance from our office and serves very good Italian food.

The bread is fresh and warm, and is just the thing to nibble on while carefully perusing the menu.

The appetizers offered are the requisite calamari, carpaccio and mussels- they looked good as we saw them served to other tables, but we had an hour and wanted to get right down to business.

Pollo Piccata ($17.50)- Breast of chicken sauteed in a lemon butter sauce, topped with capers and a touch of white wine. The chicken was cooked and seasoned well. This dish, along with the others we had, was simple but well executed enough so that it wasn't boring.

Tortellini Portofino ($12.95)- Cheese tortellini with a delicate cream sauce, diced prosciutto, green peas, onions and parmesan. This dish was rich and the cream sauce was far from delicate, but it was satisfying nonetheless.

Cappellini Pomodoro ($12.50)- Angel hair pasta bended with fresh tomatoes, basil and garlic. Very simple, very good.

Gnocci Pink Bolognese ($13.25)- Potato dumplings in a light cream bolognese sauce and basil. Good flavor but the gnocci weren't light, airy pockets.

Linguini Carbonara ($12.95)- Italian pancetta, sauteed with sweet onions, garlic, parmesan cheese in a cream sauce. The texture and flavors were right, this dish was oh, so good.

Melanie's birthday tiramisu. Very airy, light, just sweet enough. We all enjoyed it very much.

On an earlier visit, I had tried the Scallopini Di Vitello Al Limone ($19.95), which is veal scallopini sauteed with lemon sauce, a touch of white wine, garlic and wild mushrooms. It was superb but I admit after eating at Brasserie Brickell Key, it is difficult to return to the office without longing for an afternoon siesta. The food is on the heavy side, but at the same time, is delicious. It is not easy to find good Italian food in Miami, and this is good enough for the time being, but I won't stop searching...and the eggs.

La Camaronera!!

2009-03-12T19:45:00.021-04:00

I won a bet on an Eagles game! When they beat the Giants on January 11th, I won two lunches from co-workers- one from Aldo the Jets fan and one from Ed the Cowboys fan. Aldo has lived in Miami for most of his life and knows all of the best lunch spots in the city. I feel almost guilty telling you about La Camaronera, a hole-in-the-wall in Little Havana owned by Garcia Brothers Seafood. People have lived here for their entire lives without ever knowing it was there, and it has been there since 1966. A well-kept secret? It's all seafood- the menu is short and sweet. The food is nothing short of perfection. There are no seats- walk in and order at the wrap around counter and find a spot to stand. It will be worth your while!

Camarones Fritos - Fried Shrimp. A big plate for $6.50. Couldn't be better and it's half the price of the same dish at their other restaurant on the river, Garcia's.

Arroz Con Pescado- Yellow Rice with Fish Bits. I didn't think it sounded good but tried it anyway- and it's simple, flavorful and fantastic. We shared it among the three of us and the whole plate cost $3.75!!

Pan Con Minuta- Fish Sandwich. $3.25. Just look at it- too big for the bun and it's a whole fish! Here is a shot of the sandwich and the ones on deck.

For those with big appetites, they serve combination platters- this one is fried shrimp, yellow seafood rice and tostones, which are smashed, fried green plantains. The platter is $11.00.

Additional menu items include black-eyed pea fritters, fried fish roe, grouper soup, oyster cocktail, grouper, salmon, fried lobster, and a fresh fish market!

The place is a gem. If you are ever in Miami, a stop at La Camaronera (1952 West Flagler Street) should be on your list. It has become a once a week must for me, it's not far from work and if I time it right (get there at about 1:15), the lunch rush is ebbing. Language shouldn't be a problem- there is always someone working there who speaks English well enough to answer any questions you have. Enjoy a meal at La Camaronera- just don't tell too many people...and the eggs.

Happy Purim.

2009-03-10T11:54:00.003-04:00

Me as a hamentachen and my sister as Mordechai, circa 1970, Miami, Florida.

Be nice to a hamentachen today...and the eggs.

Easy Ciabatta Out of Your Own Oven!

2009-03-07T06:06:00.025-05:00

While TLMM's cousin Bruce and his wife Christina were visiting, I learned how to make this amazing bread! When you see how easy it is, you will make it weekly.

4 1/2 cups flour (we used King Arthur's Bread Flour)
2 teaspoons salt

Mix together.

2 cups warm water
2 teaspoons yeast

Mix together.

Pour over dry mixture in mixer. Let it mix until it's just incorporated, less than a minute.

Let it sit for 10 minutes. Turn on mixer for a couple of minutes. Scrape off paddle and sides and put on for another few seconds. Dough is very sticky and wet.

Put a few tablespoons of olive oil in a bowl. Empty dough into bowl and flour your hands. Flip over once with your hands so that the oil coats the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and do not disturb for 1 hour.

After an hour, the dough has risen!

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On middle rack, preheat baking stone or upside down cookie sheets to use to slide dough and parchment paper on. Also preheat a heat-resistant or cast iron skillet on the bottom rack. You will see why in a second.

Put a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet and fold it up in the middle to keep the two loaves separated. Sprinkle a little bit of fine corn meal on the paper like so.

The dough has really risen!

The dough is very sticky so liberally flour surface and scrape dough out of bowl. Liberally flour your hands, too. Without working the dough too much with your hands, push into a rectangular shape and cut in half with a floured knife.

Flip one of the halves so that it gets floured on all sides and put onto one side of the parchment paper, again don't work it too much with your hands- the less touching the better.

Do the same with the second half.

Slide parchment paper onto pre-heated cookie sheets or baking stone.

Throw a handful of ice cubes into the cast iron or heat resistant pan underneath. This helps the crust develop to be crusty and the bread softer in the center.

Close the oven door and say abracadabra!!

Bake for 20-25 minutes until the tops are just starting to turn golden brown and the loaves sound hollow when tapped. Slide parchment paper back on cookie sheet and remove loaves from oven.

Slide parchment paper onto cooling racks. Let cool for a few minutes, and slice and spread with softened butter or dip in olive oil.

Heaven...and the eggs.

Dinner in Paradise

2009-02-28T07:41:00.022-05:00

Thanks to the folks at Driscoll's (thank you, Alicia and Kim!), I tried something completely new. It was sheer coincidence that I ended up having dinner at Paradise Farms, a 5 acre certified organic farm in Homestead, Florida. I was skeptical at best when, upon my arrival, I saw the handpainted "no cigarettes, no meat" sign at the farm entrance, but I ended up having a beautiful evening despite the fact that I was leaving my worldly comforts behind.

Paradise Farms sells their bounty only to local chefs. They grow edible flowers, vegetables and fruit using no pesticides. Upon our arrival, we were treated to an assortment wines from Schnebly's Redlands Winery. I had been to the winery before- and was looking forward to tasting the sparkling lychee wine again. It is semi-dry with a tropical perfume nose. There were a few beautiful displays laden with Driscoll's berries, and it was all I could do not to dig in, but I didn't want to ruin my dinner. Driscoll's displayed the most incredible raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and blackberries that I had seen.

Back to the farm, we were treated to a tour of the farms and grounds and an explanation of the use of the composting toilets. Here are some of the amazing fruit trees and vegetables I saw growing as I walked along the path:

Paradise Farms' Dinner in Paradise series takes place monthly. This month, in conjunction with the South Beach Food and Wine Festival, the event was also part of The New York Times Dinner Series, and was sponsored by The Food Network, Driscoll's, The New York Times, Paradise Farms and Whole Foods. What a line up! Chefs Jeremy Fox, Andrea Reusing, Michel Nischan and Michael Schwartz all produced Hors D'Oeuvres, Four Courses and Dessert. Hedy Goldsmith created cookies, candies and confections for dessert as well. Her soft pomelo gelled candy was one of the most heavenly things I have ever eaten.

First Course: Paradise "Farm to Fork" Leaves, Herbs, Flowers, Roots and Shoots with Panisse (Jeremy Fox). With Chenin Blanc 2006 Heller Estate, California (100% Certified Organic Grapes)

Second Course: Heirloom Tomato Salad with Shiso and Shallots. With Sauvignon Blanc 2007, Mason Cellars, California (100% Certified Organic Grapes)

(Photo by Ian)

Third Course (my personal favorite): Ancient Grain and Root Vegetable "Risotto", Golden Chioggia Beets, Rainbow Carrots, Purplette Onions, Micro Greens, Roasted Almonds. With Chateauneuf-du-Pape, LaBernardine 2005, Michael Chapoutler, France (Biodynamic Farming)

Fourth Course: Pan Roasted Local Tilefish, Spiny Lobster Panade, Saffron Nage, Micro Cilantro. With Pinot Noir, Estate 2006, Bouchaine Winery, California (Sustainable Farming)

Dessert: Paradise Farms Basil Infused Panna Cotta with Strawberry Consomme. With Riesling, Graacher Himmelreich Spatlese 2006, S.A. Prum, Germany (Sustainable Farming). Hedy Goldsmith's Cookies, Candies and Confections.

(Photo By Ian)

I am certain that this is the freshest food I have ever eaten, and I have to admit I could taste the love and effort along with the unique flavors of everything! I especially enjoyed the grain and root vegetable "risotto" third course, which had the advantage of being something hardy, refined and absolutely bursting with enormous flavor. With the exception of the cilantro, everything else was indeed unique and fantastic. Seeing as Driscoll's was a sponsor of the event, I was curious as to why berries weren't more prominently featured on the menu- they are so versatile and can add much to savory dishes. Nonetheless, it is hard to complain about Dinner in Paradise! It was such a lovely experience. I highly recommend the dinner series- step outside your comfort zone and step into a little piece of paradise...and the eggs.

Sharing Bubbles

2009-02-21T13:52:00.023-05:00

Some things are too good to keep to yourself. I'm coming out of blogtirement once in a while when something deliciously momentous happens. Last night was one of those times. The Perrier-Jouet BubbleQ at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival was luxurious, elegant and as fabulous as could be.

On the beach behind the Delano Hotel, the gargantuan tents held well-known chefs from around the country with their crews, cooking and serving the most original and varied barbecued items imaginable. We sampled everything from tender buffalo steaks to succulent lamb to melt-in-your-mouth beef with every degree of smoke and heat changing from chef to chef. It was a whirlwind education and I kept on learning with every new plate.

There was Al Roker and his dish.

One of the best was Peter Vauthy's beef- mmmmmm.mmmm.mmmm.

There was one chef who blew my mind with his dish for the evening. Ilan Hall, winner of Top Chef season 2, created a crispy barbecued chicken skin with pickles sandwich served on fresh, soft rye bread. On the side was a bacon-wrapped matzo ball! A small puff of matzo ball hugged by a strip of bacon? Genius. Although I have to admit that a small bite of the sandwich would have given me as much pleasure as eating most of the sandwich did, I was happy to have too much. I will dream of this sandwich for the rest of my life. I took the picture when I realized I shouldn't/couldn't eat any more of it but I needed a visual memory of the thing.

Tom Colicchio's barbecue was fine- not a standout but not bad- but his mac and cheese was heaven. The best I have tasted.

Did I mention the champagne? Riedel representatives distributed glasses and beautifully decorated bars were strategically placed throughout the event. Anytime the glass was in danger of being empty, all one had to do was waltz on over to one of the bars and in seconds, it was full again. Like magic.

We walked from table to table, sampling dishes and saying hello to the chefs- from time to time we recognized others in the crowd. We saw Gail Simmons, Top Chef judge and Special Projects Director for Food and Wine Magazine, enjoying herself sampling barbecue at Tom Colicchio's Craft tent. Some former Top Chef contestants milled about, as did a few Food Network personalities. I am sure missed a lot of people because we were too busy just having fun. TLMM saw Rocco as we walked past him, so we stopped to say hello. He made us promise to attend his food demo later in the festival, and was really very friendly. Oh okay! I admit it! I love him- I didn't tell him- but I think you can see it in my eyes. I think he might love me a little bit, too.

The night was so full of highlights, I will have to mention the low-lights for levity. The event is on sand, so wear comfortable shoes or find a secret hiding place for your shoes and remember, you are going to drink copious amounts of champagne, so hide them somewhere they'll be easy to find later. The bathroom situation was tricky because there were only two women's stalls. The event was nearly impossible for anyone in a wheelchair or with a walker to navigate. It's on sand. I am sure they'll do something to accommodate, but again, it's on sand.

It makes me uneasy to be critical of any of it, but with such a high ticket price (thank you TLMM for such a generous Christmas gift), they should work out the kinks.

There is so much more to say. I met and chatted with restaurant owners and food enthusiasts from all over the country. I met Alicia, the Convention Coordinator for Driscoll's, who was kind enough to invite me to tonight's event- Dinner in Paradise at Paradise Farms, an organic farm in Homestead, FL. I anticipate my next blog entry being about just that! So hi everyone, I'll be here from time to time so don't forget to check back. I've missed you...and the eggs.

PIG ROAST!!!

2009-01-01T07:44:00.015-05:00

WARNING: GRAPHIC PHOTOGRAPHS THROUGHOUT THIS POST.

It was a beautiful, clear December day in Rockledge, Florida, near Cocoa Beach, on the day of Heather and Jorge's pig roast! Roasting a pig is a latino tradition at Christmas and New Years. We enjoyed ours just before Christmas at the lovely home of TLMM's cousins Jackie and Glenn. Their son-in-law, Jorge, is an expert pig roaster, and the cooked pig that he made was easily the most delicious pork I have ever tasted in all of my years on this earth.

Jorge ordered the 75 pound pig from Publix, and they ordered it from Sysco. It would yield approximately 30 pounds of meat, which would feed 70 people. He started by simmering the ingredients he would use to inject into the meat. Saute a head of cleaned garlic in 3/4 a cup of olive oil. Add a few sliced onions. Let it simmer for 10 minutes and add 1/2 a bottle of Mojo Seasoning. Using a hand blender, blend the ingredients, and put the resulting sauce in an injector. Inject generously in several places into the meat of the pig.

Jorge uses a Caja China- readily available in South Florida. It is designed perfectly to transfer the heat from the charcoal which will be on top of the cooker to the inside for slow, even cooking. We had 70 pounds of charcoal but had 2 bags left. Better to have too many bags than too few.

Cover drip pan with aluminum foil.

Pig. Jorge attached it to the rack before he injected the mojo into it.

Place pig in cooker.

Secure grate.

It's a dirty job.

Jorge placed the charcoal around the perimeter of the grate to start- because the thickest meat of the pig is concentrated on the outer part of the cooker. Light charcoal.

As the charcoal heats and begins to break down, add more. Let the pig stay in the cooker undisturbed for three hours for a 70 pound pig.

After three hours, open the cooker and enlist a lovely assistant to flip the pig. Jorge's assistant that day was JAM, by brother-in-law.

Remove the charcoal grate and put it on a non flammable surface. Remove the pig and put it on a clean surface.

This is what happens when you put a grate full of hot charcoal on the grass. Homeowner might not be happy. Give him a beer or a glass of wine- it eases the loss.

Flip pig, put it back in the cooker and then cover with charcoal grate. Load up with more charcoal and this time fill the center of the grate with coals too- keep the heat coming.

An hour before you want the pig to be cooked, load up the center with coals for an extra blast of heat. This will ensure a very crispy outer skin, and worked like a charm.

Time for the unveiling.

Oh yeah, baby.

The chef!

Place the pig on a clean surface. Pull off pieces of the pig's ear and crispy skin for the onlookers. C'mon, have some. The first time that flavorful, crispy meat touches your lips, you will get over the gruesome scene. Well, at least I did.

Since you have bought a few large aluminum containers, cut the meat out of the pig and place chunks and pieces in the container. The feast begins the minute it is carried to the table. Our feast consisted of the pig, rice and red beans, salad and rolls. Glenn and Jorge made Usinger's sausage during the day- several varieties (from mild to spicy) ordered from the famous Milwaukee outfit. Glenn first parboiled them with beer and then put them on the grill. Sliced and placed on the buffet table, they were warm and wonderful and helped curb our hunger as we waited for the main event.

Hanging out with Chef Jorge and taking notes and photos was great fun. I also ended up with a chunk of the chef's treat on my plate. A piece of meat from above the rib. There are no words to describe the simple yet complex taste and soft warm texture of the meat. It was unbelievably good. It was heaven.

Since my food journey started with a bite of ham at age 11, it is only appropriate that my blog should end with this post. A flawless Florida day surrounded by family, simply wonderful food, good rum and much good cheer.

Thank you for reading- now go make your own food memories...and the eggs.

Gingerbread House Made with Love

2008-12-15T20:45:00.007-05:00

About a week ago, TLMM used a pattern from a web site called Gingerbread Lane to make the parts for a gingerbread house. This weekend, we assembled and decorated it!

Icing (mortar):

1 box confectioner's sugar

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

3 egg whites

Put in mixer and mix on high speed for seven minutes.

Yes- seven minutes and then you have very thick icing ready to be piped on to the house sections to assemble! We bought a piece of foam core at the office store to build the house on.

Put 1/2 a cup at a time in a decorating bag.

First, assemble walls, using the icing as glue inside and out.

Put on foam core and then use icing to secure. Let the walls dry for 1/2 an hour or so until the icing hardens. It has to be dry to make it stable enough to hold the roof.

Time for the roof. Let it all dry for an hour before continuing to decorate.

We used a variety of candies to decorate! Green and red M&M's, Nilla Wafers, Licorice, Gumdrops, pretzels (sticks- thin and thick), peppermints, spearmint leaves, coconut...

Icing the top of the roof covers mistakes which you will have no matter how good you are at building, it also makes the gingerbread house look snow-covered.

Building the fence!

Fence close-up. Just have fun decorating using all the candy you want! The decorating is the fun part. Building it takes time and patience, but it was all worth it. So check out the Gingerbread Lane website for the gingerbread recipes and more house designs, templates and ideas. This was challenging, even for us adults- but also a lot of fun...and the eggs.

A Beautiful Disaster- Red Devils Food Cake

2008-12-10T20:45:00.007-05:00

TLMM's mother, Marilyn, recently celebrated her 72 birthday. She requested a red devil's food cake and we were happy to oblige. It all started out so well.

2 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup shortening
3 eggs (beat to creamy)
1 ounce (1 bottle) red food coloring
3 cups sifted cake flour
1 pinch salt
4 1/2 Tablespoons cocoa
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoon vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Mix sugar, shortening and already beaten eggs.

Add food coloring.

Continue to add the food coloring until you have emptied a small bottle (1 ounce of food coloring) into batter. Sift flour, cocoa, salt. Add flour mixture and 1 1/2 cups buttermilk alternately into shortening mixture- begin w/flour and end with flour. Mix the vinegar and baking soda together and then fold it into the cake batter.

Pour into 3 greased and lightly floured cake pans. They can be 8" or 9" pans. Put into oven preheated to 350 degrees for about 25 minutes.

Cake is finished when toothpick comes out clean. Let it cool for 10 minutes and then loosen around edges with a butter knife. Flip onto cooling racks and let cake cool completely.

That was the easy part. Both the cake and the icing recipe were handed down by TLMM's grandmother who left vague instructions and who also baked without recipes, often inventing as she went.

Icing:

3 egg whites

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup water

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Bring the sugar and water to a boil until it forms a thin stream. Beat egg whites until they form stiff peaks and add the sugar and water. Add vanilla and powdered sugar. Beat until stuff.

Those are the only written instructions we have- and they seem fairly straightforward. Well, it didn't work. We aren't sure what happened but suspect that we either beat the egg whites for too long or let them sit too long as we boiled the water and sugar. We just don't know. The icing was very soft but tasted fine, so we let it cool down and iced the cake. That's when the three layers started sliding around and we lost control of our baking project.

The beautiful disaster. At this point, we figured that was the worst of it. It wasn't pretty but promised to taste great. We covered the cake and cut into it after dinner.

When we were ready for cake, we sang happy birthday (of course) and then with great anticipation, started slicing away. The cake had undergone a transformation in the hours it sat. It seemed that the cake absorbed the icing - or something- and had turned very dense. It was like a scone. The icing, once thick and slathered, had disappeared into the cake. Even after some research, we can't figure out what went wrong. The cake was different- not bad- but not the devil's food cake we meant to make. As you might guess, this didn't stop us from eating it. Marilyn loved her birthday cake anyway. You live and you learn...and the eggs.

Pumpkin Pie Recipe!

2008-12-06T20:42:00.005-05:00

TLMM finally gave me her family's secret pumpkin pie recipe and here it is!!

Pie filling:

1 cup condensed milk
1 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
3 eggs- beat first
1 small can pumpkin

Dry ingredients.

Warm the condensed milk and the regular milk in a saucepan.

Beat eggs and add dry ingredients.

Mix in pumpkin and then mix in warmed milks.

Pour in pie shell (we used pre-made). The pre-made pie shells are high quality products and make multiple pie baking so much easier.

Bake in 425 degree oven for 15 minutes and then turn the heat down to 375 degrees and bake for another 30-45 minutes until knife put in center comes out clean.

This pie is wonderful- just wait until you smell it baking. Mmmm. My favorite holiday baking smell. Make some fresh whipped cream and you have the perfect end to your holiday meal...and the eggs.

Pumpkin Pie!

2008-12-04T06:23:00.002-05:00

On Thanksgiving morning, TLMM made this gorgeous pumpkin pie! I am getting the recipe together and will post it soon. In the meantime, I downloaded the photographs, saw this one, and just had to share. Food porn at its finest...and the eggs.

Pumpkin Cookies!

2008-11-26T06:24:00.000-05:00

Bake up a batch of these, it's easy, quick and the kids love 'em! I have seen a few recipes for pumpkin cookies, but decided to use Marilyn Moon's recipe since it has been tried and tested through a few generations!

Follow the directions on her card, above, as I did! I made a simple butter frosting and frosted half of the cookies.

Sift flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Cream sugar, crisco and eggs. Add vanilla and pumpkin.

Add flour mixture a bit at a time. Mix well. You can add chocolate chips (baby or regular size) at this point if desired.

Drop spoonfuls on greased cookie sheet. We used a tablespoon amount of dough.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.

We doubled the recipe and made enough to fill a large and a small tin. Freeze what you don't plan to use within a day or two- it keeps the cookies fresh. I iced half of them with the following simple butter frosting recipe:

1/3 cup butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pound (3 1/2 cups) sifted confectioners sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons milk

Frost after cookies have cooled completely. Let the cookies sit on the counter for a few minutes until frosting hardens.

Happy Thanksgiving...and the eggs.

Toasted Spiced Pecans!

2008-11-19T07:13:00.005-05:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year... time to start planning and baking and dreaming about those foods we pour our hearts into during the holidays. This year, my holiday baking started with a trip to Robert is Here and bags of fresh pecans!

4 cups shelled pecans (do as I say, not as I do)
1 stick butter
1 tablespoon Lowery's seasoned salt
2 teaspoons Worchestershire sauce

Shell the pecans. This takes finesse. Finesse that I thought I had but found out that I don't. Hopefully you bought shelled nuts. The close-up was meant to hide the fact that most of the nuts were in pieces instead of halves.

Melt butter in a large skillet. Add salt and Worchestershire sauce. Mix. Add pecans. Stir until well coated. Spread them out on one layer in jelly roll pan. Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes, stirring after 15. Place on paper towels to dry and cool.

As you can see, these are quite easy. When you taste them (as long as you bought shelled), you realize they are deceptively easy- the people you share them with will think there is a lot more to making them than there is. These are a real crowd pleaser! If you aren't going to eat them within a couple of days, place them in an airtight container in the freezer. One holiday recipe down, many more to go- pumpkin cookie recipe coming next...and the eggs.

Jim's Steaks-the forgotten post!

2008-11-15T08:29:00.009-05:00

During a recent trip to Philadelphia, we decided to stop by Jim's Steaks, in Northeast Philadelphia, for a cheesesteak. During our last trip, we went to Chink's Steaks on Torresdale Avenue, which is in my old 'hood. I knew that Chink's Steaks would be nearly impossible to top.

The menu.

The grill!

Our steaks!

As it happened, they were good- but nowhere near as good as Chink's. If you want a Philly cheesesteak to remember, go to Chink's. It's not that these were bad, but they were bland and the grease didn't do anything for the steak like it does elsewhere. There is a happy medium in cheesesteak world where you need just enough grease but not too much- and the flavor of the steak should be predominant on the taste buds. While I have to admit that none of the sandwich went to waste, I would have to give Jim's a C- for texture and flavor.

It's not hard to make a good steak at home- I did it a while ago- see the post here. For you low carbers out there, try just the filling w/out the bread. Hey- half a cheesesteak is better than no cheesesteak at all...and the eggs.

Spinach Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing (Low Carb!)

2008-11-08T05:57:00.006-05:00

One of my favorite salad greens has always been spinach- but I needed a new recipe to put some life back into the routine. This did the trick- and it's low carb to boot. Bacon and spinach are a match made in heaven (what doesn't taste good with bacon??!)

Cook 4-6 slices of chopped up bacon over medium heat- slowly enough so that the fat renders and the bacon cooks without burning. Remove bacon to drain- leave bacon grease in pan.

Mince about a half of a large onion and saute in bacon grease for 3-4 minutes. Add one clove minced garlic and leave in for less than a minute. You want it to cook a bit but not to burn!

Add 3 tablespoons of cider vinegar and stir. Add 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of Splenda. Add a dash each of salt and pepper. Stir to dissolve Splenda and remove from heat.

You should already have a bag of baby spinach waiting in a salad bowl. Time to pour the warm dressing over the spinach and toss thoroughly. Add the pieces of bacon and some hard boiled egg slices (if desired) and give it all a good toss.

This salad was gone in minutes. Next time I will make double! It was delicious- a great balance of sweet and sour. Tasted just like the one I used to make with sugar. Even TLMM, who doesn't much like salad was loving this! So whether you are watching your carbs or not, try it, you'll like it...and the eggs.

Ben and Ashley

2008-11-04T05:18:00.012-05:00

Carillon Beach, just outside of Panama Beach, Florida, is the perfect spot for a wedding. This is especially true during this time of year since the beach community is just entering off-season and you can practically have the place to yourself. The fact that the days are warm and picture-perfect and the nights are cool is just icing on the wedding cake. Having traveled north from Miami, I can't imagine why anyone would want to go there during the heat of the summer!

The wedding events were all centered at Carillon Beach- the rehearsal dinner was held at Graffiti's on Friday night, and on Saturday night for the main event, we gathered close by at this beautiful small chapel which held 40 people. There were cocktails and hors d'ouvres just outside the chapel on a huge deck overlooking the water, and then dinner materialized- buffet style- on the other side of the chapel. Tables were set up in the chapel and on the deck as dinner and more drinks ensued. Here is a taste of what we tasted:

Being on a low carb regimen, I just had to take what I could eat when I saw it- not knowing what was down the line! Well, there was plenty down the line, and this is the plate I ended up with!

This is one of the most intimate gatherings I have ever had the pleasure to attend. Experiencing a small wedding made me realize how much the meaning of the event is enhanced by having the people who mean the most to you (and who the wedding means the most to) by your side. It was a gorgeous event in every way. Thank you and congratulations, Ben and Ashley...and the eggs.

Trip to Panama City, FL

2008-10-30T07:00:00.000-04:00

We're off for the weekend to attend a family wedding! I'll be posting again next week. Enjoy the weekend by making a bit pot of spicy chili...and the eggs.

Lips in Fort Lauderdale: We're Not in Kansas Anymore!

2008-10-25T08:44:00.018-04:00

Let's just get one thing straight, so to speak. I love me some drag queens. Always have, always will. Just to restate the obvious, I also love me some food. Combine the two and it's bliss.

Recently, we had two special guests come and stay for week- Burgess and Brittany. Fortunately, they share my love for the dramatic. It was Brittany's birthday and she was in the mood for some good, old fashioned, drag-show watching. We found the perfect place in Fort Lauderdale and settled on the Gospel Brunch. Armed with pocketfuls of one dollar bills and hearty appetites, five of us headed north.

Sunday's Gospel Brunch starts at 11:00 AM. Upon arrival, we handed the keys to the valet and stood in line. There were a lot of birthday boys and girls with the same idea. The crowd was a true cross-section of people- from grandmothers to guys who looked like Joe the Plumber, all in a tizzy of anticipation. The doors opened promptly and we were whisked into a good-sized elaborately decorated dining room, complete with huge bar. On the way to your table, pick up a mimosa or a bloody mary, both come with brunch. The bartender makes non-alcoholic bloody marys too! The menu is small but varied, check it out here. The entertainment is also the wait staff and they'll take your order just before the curtain opens.

If it's your birthday, they will bring you a tiara, like this one that Brittany is wearing. Can't you just tell she feels like a very lucky girl?

Performances ensue as the food is served, and continue throughout the meal. This was a gospel brunch, so we got downright spiritual, which was surprisingly easy for our group of mostly Jews- maybe it was the free mimosas. The girls were gorgeous, talented and campy. Just as it should be.

After the grand finale, which to my delight was one of my favorite gospel songs, Maybe God is Trying to Tell You Something from The Color Purple soundtrack and probably from something else but I heard it in that movie, the birthday boys and girls each get a piece of cake, complete with sparkler of course, and a quick pose with the entertainment.

A few minutes later, it was all over. There are two drag brunches every Sunday and the new patrons were already lining up outside as we paid our bill and headed out. This is what too many mimosas in the morning did to our birthday girl:

To say we had fun would be an understatement. The folks at Lips really know how to entertain. The food was good, but definitely not the star of the how. Lips has nightly shows- each a different theme! I can't wait to a Bitchy Bingo party on a Wednesday night. See the schedule here. We all had a grand time -- even my brother-in-law JAM -- and it was his first drag show, if you don't count the one in our next-door neighbors' backyard (which is another story altogether).

A fabulous time was had by all. The birthday girl and Burgess got a little shut-eye on the way home. We live about an hour away from Lips - which will help us...well, me (who am I kidding?!) save it for special occasions. If you want some outlandish, hilarious, unique musical entertainment in an over-the-top atmosphere, plan your trip to Lips today...and the eggs.

Tarragon Chicken Squares!

2008-10-18T12:05:00.005-04:00

My mother used to make chicken squares like this, and once, at a restaurant in Philadelphia, I ordered tarragon chicken. It tasted so good that I decided to recreate my mother's dish with the addition of a lot of tarragon.

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Cut up boneless, skinless chicken breasts into 1 1/2 inch pieces. Soak in egg. Next, prepare the bread crumbs.

Use unseasoned toasted bread crumbs. Empty a bunch into a Ziplock bag. I didn't measure- and it also depends on how much chicken you plan to make. Add a good amount of salt and fresh ground black pepper. Then add dried tarragon so that it makes up at least 1/8th of the mixture.

Use a large saucepan and add vegetable oil. Heat until water sizzles when it hits it. Add chicken. Do not overcrowd pan- instead, make a few batches. I keep the oven at 200 degrees to keep the already made batches warm while the other batches cook.

When they are golden brown, turn them over and cook them on the other side. That's all there is to it!

A great side dish for chicken tarragon is baby zucchini. Just put in a bowl and add a few tablespoons of water, cover, and steam for 5 minutes.

There you have it! You can make a dipping sauce for the chicken if you like- we like ours just like this. It's even good leftover and it's also good right out of the refrigerator. Sounds strange, but it's true! Think cold fried chicken. Enjoy...and the eggs.

Reading Terminal Market in Center City, Philadelphia!

2008-10-09T10:06:00.014-04:00

Our hotel in Philly was 2 blocks away from Reading Terminal Market- and that was no coincidence. The market is packed with the best fresh seafood markets, best butchers, bakeries and dairy products in the area. You can also eat lunch or dinner- there is Carmen's for hoagies and Delilah's for the best mac and cheese in the country (according to Oprah)! This post is heavy on photography, so I will let the photos speak for themselves.

This is the time of year for a Philadelphia trip- no humidity and sunny days. Catch an Eagles game. Eat and shop at Reading Terminal Market...catch a glimpse of the Liberty Bell...and the eggs.

Seared Sea Scallops!

2008-10-03T18:55:00.008-04:00

Since we're on the topic of seafood (coming off a Chickie's post), I recently made scallops. It took me a while to work up the courage to try to make them because I was afraid that they would be overdone or underdone or that I wouldn't be able to get them to sear nicely. All that worry was for nothing. I made up the recipe for the garnishes, but these scallops would have been just as good by themselves.

Put 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan and smush a couple of cloves of garlic and throw them in. Keep the pan on medium low for 10 minutes or so - you want the garlic to flavor the oil a bit. Remove the garlic and turn up the heat to medium high. Throw in a bag of prewashed baby spinach and stir.

After three minutes or less, the spinach is cooked down and ready. Set aside.

Pat scallops with paper towel to dry. Using dry scallops is the key to making seared scallops. Sprinkle with salt and fresh ground pepper.

Heat 2 more tablespoons of olive oil in pan and add a pat of butter. Turn to medium high. When butter sizzles but has not started to burn, add scallops. Cook for a few minutes until you can detect nice browning and flip.

Cook on other side for 3-5 more minutes. They cook quickly so you have to be sure to take them off the heat just as they become opaque; you do not want to overcook them.

This is the color you are striving for!

Place on platter and garnish as desired. I topped them with the spinach, bacon bits and leftover corn that I roasted in the oven. The flavors went together beautifully. The hardest thing about making these scallops was finding nice ones at the market, but having just discovered a Whole Foods nearby (how did I miss that!?), I don't think that finding fresh seafood will be a problem again. They were incredible and disappeared like magic. I encourage you to try cooking something new- something you have been putting off for one reason or another- it will pay off in melt-in-your mouth goodness...and the eggs.

L'Shanah Tovah

2008-09-29T18:00:00.001-04:00

Happy New Year to all of my peeps! May it be a good year for all.

Chickie's and Pete's!!

2008-09-28T08:34:00.012-04:00

Upon entering the original Chickie's and Pete's, on Robbins Avenue in Northeast Philadelphia, I was whisked a few years back in time by the fantastic aroma of crab spices. It was all I could do to contain my enthusiasm as I ordered for our table!

Crab fries, cheese on the side!

Folks- it just doesn't get any better than this. The concept is easy enough (crab seasoning on french fries), but the following that Chickie's crab fries have is legendary. So much so that Lincoln Field (where the EAGLES play) has a Chickie's and Pete's and the most popular food ordered is...you guessed it...crab fries. They're crispy, hot, crabby and the cheese to dip them in is so good- and a mystery. Nobody can figure out what it is. People have tried to duplicate it without success. It's american cheese, it's creamy and doesn't harden as it cools. It's rich and delicious, and exactly what a crab fry needs to be dipped in!

Two orders of hot shrimp (the real test since recently trying to duplicate the recipe from memory)! The shrimp were spicy and definitely loaded with italian herbs. The hot shrimp I made are close, TLMM even said she likes mine more (awww, so sweet). I noticed that the real thing has more garlic chunks and more herbs and probably no butter. The taste is like no other!

As I was savoring the hot shrimp, the lobster tails arrived. They're small and plump and (I think) cooked with paprika. Very good.

The littlenecks - fresh and perfect with a little dip in the butter.

The mussels deserve special mention because of the red sauce. It's thick, garlicky and worthy of eating by itself with a spoon. In fact, I couldn't stop myself from doing so! One person in our party is from Boston and considered seafood her own comfort food- and she said these were the best mussels she had ever tasted. I savored every bite, trying to commit all of the flavors to memory.

Chickie's and Pete's keeps their recipes a secret- and for good reason. Nobody does it like they can. We all enjoyed our dinner, especially me- finally back at Chickie's- I felt like the luckiest girl in the world...and the eggs.

Tony's Tomato Pie- There's Nothing Like It!

2008-09-24T18:36:00.006-04:00

Tony's Place, in Northeast Philadelphia, has a secret weapon that sets it apart from every other neighborhood joint. Their tomato pie! It is perfection in its simplicity.

Dough is formed into a crust.

Mozzarella is dealt like cards over the dough.

A garlicky, thick tomato sauce is spread over the crust. A drizzle of olive oil over the top and it's ready to be cooked!

The pie goes in the oven and...voila. Tomato pie. The crust is so thin that it bubbles slightly when done. A sprinkle of Italian seasoning goes on top and it's ready to eat.

I don't think that words do this pie justice. I always order a garden salad with Tony's homemade Russian dressing - it goes perfectly with the pie. After eight years in Philadelphia, and four years in Miami without a bite of tomato pie, I can honestly say that my taste buds missed this more than anything else in Philly. The crust is almost cracker-thin but each bite has enormous taste. If you find yourself in Philadelphia, stop in at Tony's and ask for Sue. For their website, click here. Sue will treat you like family- and, evidently, never forgets a face...and the eggs.

Yo! Vacation!

2008-09-11T16:00:00.000-04:00

I'll be back on September 22nd so look for a post shortly thereafter. Our plans include Atlantic City, Philadelphia, the EAGLES vs. Steelers game (watch it on national TV Sunday, Sept. 21st at 4:15 PM!!) and many restaurants, including the original Chickie's and Pete's.

E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!! Let's all sing now! Fly, Eagles, Fly..on the road to victory...and the eggs.

Prime Rib for One, or, How I Ended up Alone and Afraid in a Boarded Up House

2008-09-07T08:16:00.017-04:00

Let me tell you a little bit about how I ended up here. TLMM and JAM planned a trip to Pittsburgh for a family event for a few months, and the day before they were scheduled to leave, the path for Hurricane Ike brought him straight to our area. What to do? In order to create a scenario where, if necessary, I could evacuate with the pets as quickly as possible (which would be no small undertaking with three dogs, a bird and a JAM's cat), TLMM decided to put up the hurricane shutters before her departure. As she was outside in the front of the house shuttering profusely, the neighbors inquired to find out what all the premature shuttering was about. She explained that she was going out of town and needed to get the shutters up since I was going to be here alone. Later, as we were pulling out of the driveway, another set of neighbors approached the car to comment - and again, she told them that I would be here ALL ALONE. She was telling them this because she wanted them to be cognizant of my presence in case of emergency, which I do appreciate. One family (who shares three teeth between them) even sent me the message to just "come on over" since they have a generator. The next morning, TLMM and JAM left for their trip.

Later that afternoon, Ike's path shifted south, and remains so two days later. As time wore on, I realized that I was less concerned about Ike and growing more worried that my animal-sacrificing, Santeria observant neighbors knew I was here alone. What sounded like a great idea on Wednesday now means I am sitting in a house with no natural light, afraid that I might be the next offering to Orisha or, perhaps, simply killed for sport by one of my other gun-toting, dentally challenged neighbors. I am sure my mother knows someone who died in either of these ways. During the day, it's not so scary...but at night, my mind wanders, and I realize that I could be murdered in cold blood and not one of my cries would be heard through the thick aluminum shells covering every orifice of my home. If there ever was a scenario calling for comfort food, this was it.

I went to the good Publix and browsed the beef section, thinking I could make myself a nice rib eye steak (my favorite). Whatever I decided to make would be without a grill, which was wrapped up and put in a "safe place" so that it wouldn't be damaged or damage anything as it became a flying projectile in 135 mile an hour winds. Among the overpriced packages, I found a small 2.5 pound rib roast, which was obviously only there because someone asked that a package be split. As luck would have it, it was cheaper than the steaks and would be perfect for inside cooking! Home it went, along with some silver queen corn and lima beans.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Rub the roast with kosher salt, white pepper, sage and garlic powder. Let it sit for 30 minutes to an hour. I let this one sit for 30 minutes since it was only 2.5 pounds. It's so lovely I have to show you another shot of it!

Place in oven. Set timer for 30 minutes. This is what it looked like after 30 minutes:

Turn temperature down to 350. Cook for another 30-45 minutes until internal temperature reaches 135 degrees. A 2.5 roast took another 45 minutes after turning down the heat to 350. Done. PERFECT.

As I sat down to eat, I wasn't thinking about weather or dogs or listening for drum beating, chanting and other strange noises. It was the perfect distraction. It was nirvana on a plate. I savored each tender, juicy, flavorful bite. The limas were al dente and the corn was corny. I truly enjoyed the meal. There wasn't even much clean-up, although I did make sure not to leave any large knives drying conveniently on the kitchen counter. A few hours later as I lay in bed watching the unending local news coverage of the ever-south-moving Ike, I was finally content. I realized how fortunate I was that TLMM cared enough to work so hard to put the shutters up for me in the first place (because if she hadn't, I am convinced we would have been hit). I also found comfort in that fact that what might have been my last meal was the meal of my dreams...and the eggs.

Better Late Than Never!

2008-09-03T06:00:00.003-04:00

Click on graphic to enlarge. When GW was asked what journalists like to eat, he said "brie and cheese".

Okay, so I was a little behind on reading my calendar.

Blue Crab Boil!!

2008-08-30T13:01:00.011-04:00

This morning, TLMM and JAM set out to find scallops at our local seafood market. Imagine my surprise when they returned with at least three dozen live blue crabs!! Fortunately, I had Zatarain's, lemons and Old Bay Seasoning on hand. We carefully put the crabs in a large cooler covered in a thin layer of ice. You don't want to dump a lot of ice on live crabs because as the ice melts, they will drown. Your goal is to keep these little buggers alive until you cook them.

I didn't have a super huge stock pot to use to boil the crabs, so I used a large pot and cooked them in three batches. A dozen at a time was perfect since that is what the instructions on the Zatarain's box called for.

Simply follow the instructions on the box (I had two boxes of regular and one box of spicy). We have a burner on our propane grill, so I decided to do the boiling outside. Any part of crab cooking you can do outside is a good thing. Trust me on this!

Put 3 quarts of water, 4 tablespoons of salt, the pouch of seasoning and a quartered lemon in a large pot. Add a teaspoon of vinegar to make cleaning the crabs easier later. Bring to boil. Add crabs. Boil crabs for 6 minutes for medium-sized crabs. Turn off heat and let them sit in water for 20 minutes. Remove, cool and either eat them immediately or refrigerate until you're ready to eat!

The recipe is easy- it's the cleaning and eating where the work comes in. You can either clean them "a la Pop" (pick some crabs clean until you have a nice, tidy pile of crabmeat, then go wash your hands and then eat) or just eat them like normal people do (pick and eat all at once)! Use a small wooden mallet or a hand held nutcracker. Dip in hot melted butter. You are guaranteed fresh, delicious, sweet sweet crab meat...and the eggs.

Tobacco Road!

2008-08-28T20:25:00.009-04:00

Tobacco Road, Miami's oldest bar, has been around since 1912. Tobacco Road is still a bar, but it's also a restaurant and concert locale. We recently had lunch there and learned that they serve a mean hamburger and fries! They have a large salad and sandwich menu, which you can find on their website here. Here are just some of the burger and fries and salads our group enjoyed there.

Classic Roadburger with fried egg.

Classic Roadburger with salad!

Caesar Salad with chicken breast strips.

We also had a classic burger with jalepeno peppers and fries and Q ordered a turkey burger. They were fresh out of turkey burgers, so she opted for a regular burger on healthier bread.

The burgers were delicious- the service was slow. You have to accept this place for what it is and not expect professional, detail-oriented service staff. It's a bar that has a decent food! Don't expect more and you will not be disappointed. There is a large section outside which would be a blast to hang out in for happy hour. I would definitely go back there to hear a band, have a drink or even for a fantastic burger and crappy service...and the eggs.

An Interesting Statistic

2008-08-26T08:00:00.003-04:00

While listening to the radio on the drive to work this morning, I heard a commercial for Publix brand paper towels, which are on sale right now for $.89 a roll with a 4 roll limit. In the commercial, the voice tells us that the average American family uses one and one half rolls of paper towels per week. I consider myself fairly average- but my family of two people, three dogs and one bird is evidently anything but. We go through at least one roll of paper towels per day. That is at least seven rolls per week! Bounty. Regular or Mega-Rolls, Select-A-Size (which TLMM loathes because she never can select the size she needs)-- it makes no difference. Where did Publix get that statistic? Could we really be that abnormal, using almost 700% more rolls of paper towels than the average family? How many rolls does your family use?? I've gotta know...and the eggs.

Miami Spice: Rosa Mexicano

2008-08-24T06:30:00.020-04:00

During the annual Miami Spice event, the restaurants considered Miami's best offer three-course meals (lunch for $23, dinner for $36) featuring signature dishes by the chefs. My first Miami Spice event was lunch at Rosa Mexicano, a restaurant in Mary Brickell Village. Rosa Mexicana has eight locations throughout the U.S. with three more being added in the next year. It's upscale Mexican food a la P.F. Chang's with food that is much more memorable.

I was happy that my new co-workers asked me to join them for lunch! At Rosa, the Miami Spice menu offers three appetizers.

Guacamole en Moicajete, which is for two or more, is made tableside. It's fun to watch and while it might be a little gimmicky, it was -- hands down -- the best guacamole I have ever tasted, and I have eaten a lot of guacamole! Fortunately, I was watching it being prepared and spotted the cilantro in time to ask that it not be included in one of the orders. It was simple as could be which might be the secret to guacamole. I think it's harder to recreate this at home only because unless that's all you are making, it has to sit for at least a few minutes, which detracts from the overall flavor. I know this serving was for two but the only thing keeping me from not eating it all myself was the other food to come. Oh, and the fact that I didn't want my new friends to think I am a hog. I can't wait to go back to Rosa one evening and enjoy drinks with guacamole and chips. Chances are they make a mean margarita! Okay- this was just the first in a trio of surprisingly good appetizers.

Sopa de Tortilla - Pasilla chile soup with grilled chicken, avocado, shredded cheese, crema and crispy tortilla chips. Ask for spicy!

Flautas de Pollo - Rolled crispy chicken tacos topped with salsa pasilla de Oaxaca, salsa verde and sour cream. Very tasty!

The main dishes were Ensalada de la Calle which is Mexico City street salad with grilled chopped chicken tossed with mango, pineapple, jicama and toasted pumpkin seeds with honey-lime vinagrette. Sounds good, but no one in our party ordered it.

Salmon en Manchamanteles- Grilled organic salmon over black beans with zucchini and roasted corn mole of ancho chilies and tropical fruits. Everything was just fresh and simple. I tasted this dish, and loved it- the flavors all complimented each other and the fruit made it even better. I love fruit in savory dishes, but I never use it in cooking at home. Maybe I should start.

Enchiladas Suizas- Two soft corn tortillas filled with pulled roasted chicken, topped with a creamy tomatillo sauce and queso fresco. A few ordered this, including me, and it was amazing. The chicken was fresh and tender, the corn tortillas gave the dish the perfect flavor and the sauce was very good. The only thing I didn't like about the dish was the gratuitous cilantro on top. None of my dining companions minded it- except for Q (she who knows everything) who said she didn't like it either.

Dessert! This is the Pastel de Queso- Rich, creamy cheesecake filled with baked apple cajeta sauce. It was amazing. I think almost everyone else asked for their dessert to go, but somehow I managed to eat all of mine. The other choice for dessert was Flan- coconut flan served with toasted pineapple-vanilla sabayon. I don't think you could go wrong with either choice.

I highly recommend Rosa Mexicano for as long as the quality of food is sustained. I hope that it lasts, but my last few trips to P.F. Chang's at the Falls were highly disappointing. I think it initially went wrong with the staff (not a big surprise for a restaurant at a mall) and the lack of quality eventually trickled down to the food. I pray Rosa Mexicano will avoid that trap. I expect it will, especially if this visit was any indication.

Is it good news or bad news that Rosa is within walking distance from my new office? Will my veins soon bleed green, filled with guacamole? That remains to be seen, but for the time being, I am happy to have found this restaurant and this group of people. Co-workers who enjoy a good restaurant now and then and who were kind enough to invite me along. I don't think they minded my picture taking- if they did, they were nice enough not to say anything about it! So thank you to them. My new job seems like the perfect fit...and the eggs.

Back to Cooking- Risotto with Portabella Mushrooms and Onions

2008-08-21T07:35:00.009-04:00

Getting back to some cooking, I thought I'd try to make something I had never made before- Risotto. Sounds easy enough and while it is an interactive recipe (labor intensive with all the stirring and watching), it was fun to watch chemistry work through cooking at its best!

Chop a container of baby portabellos and one large white onion. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a heavy pot over medium-high. Add onions and mushrooms and stir until onions are softened, 3-5 minutes.

Stir in two cups of rice and a teaspoon of salt. Add three cups of broth (I used both chicken and vegetable broth) and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat so that the contents simmer until the broth is absorbed, 8-10 minutes.

Add 1/2 cup dry white wine and stir frequently until absorbed. Add additional broth in 1/2 cup increments, stirring somewhere in between frequently and constantly until absorbed. Do this until the rice is creamy but still a little firm in the center. According to the recipe, this should have taken 30-45 minutes, but it took mine longer- just over an hour to reach the perfect consistency.

After adding third 1/2 cup of broth.

Close-up of the delicious creaminess!

When the risotto has cooked, you will know it- first of all, it has tripled in volume. The rice is cooked through but has not lost its firmness. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 or more grated Parmesan cheese. Serve warm! This works for a main dish or a side dish. I just go ahead and make it a main dish- and it would make a good vegetarian main dish, too. So if you have been afraid to try risotto at home, don't be- it's easy, and all that stirring gives your arms a nice workout...and the eggs.

Shirley Valentine Weekend

2008-08-19T06:56:00.016-04:00

The worst of the weather has passed and all is well! As you must already know, we planned our recent trip to Richmond to see Muffinface in her second one woman show! We had the pleasure (thank you, Gretchen) of seeing Gretchen, Harry and Allie (Harry and Allison pictured above) during one afternoon. My dad and Kitty-mom made Richmond a stopping point on their way home from North Carolina. We went to Liberty Valance, a themed steakhouse and neighborhood staple (just don't ask me which neighborhood)!

That's Allie, showing off her special talent of trapping iced tea in a straw!

Later that evening, at Hanover Tavern, we met up with Sparki and the Dean and Phil (here's Phil sans Vicki). I guess I was more preoccupied with getting photos of the food than of all the people!

Here's Sparki and behind him is the Shirley Valentine set. He looks very excited! We were all excited to see Muffinface portray the title character. As soon as the lights came up, I saw my sister for one beat and then realized we were actually watching Shirley. We weren't watching someone play her. Of all the theater I have enjoyed starring my sister-- and there has been loads of it considering she has been doing this all of her life-- this piece was, by far, my favorite. The story is that Shirley and her husband raised their children and now live a predictable day-to-day existence. A 42-year old Shirley wonders what happened to her life and realizes (as she talks to her kitchen wall) that she has wasted her potential and hasn't exactly lived her life the way she imagined she would. She escapes to Greece on a trip with a friend and finally comes into her own. I'm the same age as Shirley and a few years ago, I took stock of my life and took steps to change things. The message in Shirley Valentine is universal, timeless and I could feel the energy in the theater as every audience member took the journey with Shirley.

After the play, we met up with my sister, Steve P., my sister's BFF, and a few others. We went to Davis and Main, another restaurant, for a few drinks. Some had dessert. We had time to sit and to catch up on things with friends we hadn't seen in a few years, and my dad and Kitty-Mom who we hadn't seen since their recent trip to Russia. You know how there are people you might not see for a couple of years or even more and 5 minutes after you see them you feel that no time has passed? That's what this night was like. It was one of those treasured times when you are physically surrounded by family (whether they are blood relatives or not). I wish we could do it all over again tomorrow.

We bid our farewells and went home to my sister's house to collapse. The next day, as we made our way to the airport and back to Florida, the weekend seemed like a blur- a dream- but we had no regrets, having fit a week of visiting (and eating) into two short days...and the eggs.

Just in case...

2008-08-18T06:15:00.002-04:00

If you don't see new posts for a couple of days, it's because we lost power. Tropical Storm Fay is not forecast to deliver a direct hit to our area (not that you could tell from the satellite graphic above), but we are in the cone. High winds are enough to pull the plug in these parts. If that happens, we'll be doing some creative cooking to save the contents of our refrigerator and freezer- it might be interesting. At one point during the 2005 season, we were without power for a week. Our neighbor pulled a grill out onto the front lawn and all of the other neighbors brought their quickly thawing meat for a candle-lit cookout. Another neighbor brought ice so we cooled down our remaining stores of beer and had a good old time. It was the bright point in an otherwise very trying, hot, traumatic week. We have since moved, but hope that if the worst should happen, we will at least spend some quality time with some folks in the 'hood...and the eggs.

Hanover Tavern and The Barksdale Theater

2008-08-16T12:36:00.015-04:00

Just outside of Richmond, Virginia, is the Hanover Tavern, which was built in 1791 and has just undergone a 15 year renovation. Upstairs is Michelle's at Hanover Tavern- see the website here. Downstairs is the Barksdale Theater. The setup is perfect for dinner and a show, which is exactly what we did while we were there. As we walked from the gravel parking lot to the building, I knew it would be a magical night! First, the dinner.

On the Summer 2008 Theater Menu, there are a choice of 7 first courses, 7 second courses and 3 desserts. I think we hit just about all of the courses with our party of 8, so let's get started! We ordered a couple of bottles of Pinot Noir to start off right.

Kitty-Mom ordered Watermelon Gazpacho. An excellent take on ordinary gazpacho, making it extraordinary. If it hadn't had cilantro in it, it would have been flawless.

She Crab Soup. One of the best I have ever tasted- mellow, creamy- just crabby enough. Hot, delicious. I wish TLMM had ordered two.

The Dean ordered Caesar Salad. Looked lovely- he said it tasted great. Fresh ingredients and zingy dressing!

I couldn't resist ordering crab dip- and look at it! It is meant to be an appetizer for one person, but it was enough for everyone at our table to have some. Very good- the roasted peppers gave it a bit of a different flavor, I want to try to make this at home.

Either Phil or Vicky ordered Fried Green Tomatoes. They enjoyed them very much- I forgot to ask for a bite!

Sparki ordered the Hanover Tomatoes with Fresh Mozzarella, which he said was very good. The balsamic reduction definitely boosted the whole dish to another level.

Finally, my dad's Fried Chesapeake Oysters. He liked them. I didn't taste them but the plate sure looks pretty! We had every first course on our table except for the House Salad.

On to the Second Courses. Crab cakes- man, oh man they looked excellent. They were served with apple and celery root remoulade, asparagus and Carolina Plantation rice with ham and chives.

Several people ordered duck, which was served with basmati rice, sauteed mustard greens and peach butter. The general consensus was that the duck was too dry - but edible. It was the only disappointing entree.

The Filet Mignon came with port-black pepper demi-glace, truffle mashed potatoes and warm local tomato salad. Several also ordered this. I loved it- the pepper sauce was subtle yet still peppery. The mashed potatoes were creamy and wonderful. I think I ate every morsel on my plate!

Pork tenderloin with charred tomato BBQ, Napa cabbage slaw Byrd's Mill Grits. Well, that's what the menu said anyway- this is clearly not cabbage slaw. It was the mustard greens that came with the duck. Sparki didn't like them, not one little bit, but he loved everything else on his plate.

Pan Seared Salmon with Silver Queen corn succotash, roasted potatoes and lemon emulsion. I didn't have a taste of this, but I wish that I did. It looked excellent and smelled even better. As much as I love red meat, I think I would order this on my next visit.

We had every entree on the menu except for Vegetarian Risotto and Chicken Pasta. By the time we finished our entrees, we didn't think we could eat another bite. But you get free dessert so we all thought we'd give it the old college try.

Coffee for everyone, and then we had at the desserts. Chocolate Pecan Pie was so scrumptious I couldn't eat just one bite like I had planned to. So good- the perfect amount of pecans, chocolate and crust. Mmmmmmm!

Creme Brulee.

Finally, the piece de resistance for the entire evening- Strawberry Shortcake. If you have never tried this dish in the South, I highly suggest you do. The biscuits were tender and flaky, the strawberries ripe as can be and the cream was fresh. The combination was out of this world.

If you are ever in the Richmond, Virginia area and get a hankerin' for dinner and a show, this picturesque rural location is not to be missed. We spoke with several folks from the D.C. area, , so the word has already spread. In addition to the quality dining in Richmond, there is an active theater community and are always several shows open. The weekend we were there, I know of at least three- Shirley Valentine (the reason for our visit), Guys and Dolls and Little Shop of Horrors!

My hunch was right and the evening did prove to be magical. After that marvelous dinner, the eight of us walked downstairs, met up with more friends and went into the theater to enjoy a couple of hours of Shirley Valentine, starring my own little baby sister, Jill Bari Steinberg, aka Muffinface. That experience, and the hours we spent visiting afterward, are the topic of my next post...stay tuned...and the eggs.

The White Dog, Richmond, Virginia

2008-08-11T19:33:00.006-04:00

A few hours after our arrival in the capital city of Richmond, Virginia, we were off to one of our favorite restaurants, The White Dog, in the Fan neighborhood. The restaurant is named for Max, a mutt who was adopted from the SPCA in 1992 by the restaurant's owner.

The first thing you might notice upon arrival is the availability of good beer on tap! They have Boddington, Stella Artois, Blue Moon and others. You might also notice the original artwork adorning the walls. They were all painted by Roslyn Pruitt, Max's mommy and local artist. You might notice all these things. Even if you don't, there is one thing that won't go unnoticed- the quality of the food!

First, a few appetizers! I had never tried this Wilted Spinach with Walnut & Brown Sugar Crusted Chevre Cheese and Bacon Vinaigrette. It is now one of my very favorite dishes anywhere! The flavors were made for each other- and the amount of each on the plate was perfectly planned.

The Bruschetta Trio- artichoke spread, hummus and sun dried tomato pesto with feta. Mmmm. Despite my unnatural love of artichokes, my favorite was the sun dried tomato with feta.

The Captain ordered the Soup of the Day, which was seafood chowder on this day. He gave it rave reviews- by the time I thought to ask for a taste, it was gone. Maybe he'll post a comment describing it.

Max's Carnivore Special for the night was lamb glazed with mustard sauce. TLMM can't pass up lamb, and she happily reported that this might have been the best lamb she had ever had.

I ordered Black Angus New York Strip with Roasted Garlic Glaze. I chose cheddar grits for the side dish- the steak was good but the cheddar grits were stellar. Grits always taste better in Virginia. Speaking of sides, the choices for the day were mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, cheddar grits, herbed orzo and collard greens.

The Captain had Grilled Flank Steak in a Mongolian Marinade. I didn't forget to ask for a taste, which was advantageous since he did go on to finish every morsel on his plate. The steak was tender, well seasoned and melt in your mouth delicious!

There were so many other entrees that sound mouth-watering. One of these I had during my last visit- "Beggar's Purse" Pasta stuffed with Cheese and Pear served with Roasted Spaghetti Squash, Toasted Pine Nuts and Spinach in a White Wine Butter Sauce. How about Pan Seared Scallops with Bacon, Artichoke Hearts, Red Onion, Tomatoes, Leeks, Spinach and Garlic in a light cream sauce over Herbed Orzo? There is Bourbon Spiked BBQ Shrimp and they also have Seafood and Vegetarian specials daily.

You might be surprised at the restaurant scene in Richmond. The food is inventive and there is always something on the menu reminiscent of true Southern cooking. Our first meal in Richmond was a winner, and would be a tough act to follow...and the eggs.

The Reviews are In and We're Off!

2008-08-08T06:33:00.007-04:00

Off to Richmond, Virginia , where my very own little sister is performing in Shirley Valentine, the timeless one-woman show written by Willy Russell. For reviews see here and here.

While in Richmond, we will make sure to fit in a few dining destinations, especially one of our favorite restaurants, The White Dog- see their website here. We'll also be trying something new to us- Michelle's, the restaurant at the historic Hanover Tavern which is also where the theatre is located.

Stop back next week for the juicy details...and the eggs.

Happy First Day of Work Girl

2008-08-06T06:45:00.004-04:00

Monday I came home after the first day of my new job to TLMM putting the finishing touches on this! It was a breaded baked center cut pork chop, asparagus quick cooked in spicy spices and noodles with garlic and butter. Mmmm. It really was the best pork chop I ever tasted! I could get used to this...and the eggs!

Pierogies with Onions

2008-08-03T05:01:00.011-04:00

If you are in or around Pittsburgh, stop by Pierogies Plus in McKees Rocks for a huge variety of homemade, old school pierogies. See how they're made here. Then click on "Walk-In Menu" to see all the varieties they offer! In the rest of the country (and for those of us who don't have time to make them ourselves) frozen pierogies will do fine. We use Mrs. T's, which are so good you can barely tell that they aren't homemade. You can cook them using many different methods, including deep frying and grilling, but we like ours sauteed in butter with onions. Any type of pierogies will work with this recipe- we used ones with potato filling.

Saute one roughly chopped large onion in 1/2 stick of salted butter over medium high heat.

Meanwhile, boil water for pierogies. Cook them for only a few minutes (not more than 5) until the dough softens- they will be cooked in the butter and onions so you don't want to cook them for the full amount of time on the package.

After onion just starts to caramelize, add drained pierogies with another 1/2 stick butter.

Continue cooking, flipping after a few minutes, so both sides of the pierogie brown.

That's it. After they become dark-ish golden brown and the onions are caramelized, they're ready. We garnish ours with a dollop of sour cream. This dish is so good for many reasons- it's delicious because the flavors all melt together and simply compliment each other. It's a fast and easy weeknight dinner. You can easily adjust the quantity to fit your family's taste.

A couple of years ago I was in Pittsburgh and went to Butya's, a neighborhood bar, to watch the Philadelphia Eagles play the New Orleans Saints. The place was packed with fans watching the Steelers play Kansas City. I noticed small appetizer portions of fried pierogies in front of many of the locals, so I figured they must go well with beer and suggested we order one. A couple of plates of pierogies later, the goodness of the dough, the potato and the crunchy onions helped ease the pain of the Eagles' impending loss. They were that good...and the eggs.

Chickpea Curry

2008-07-27T10:30:00.007-04:00

This is a great, easy main dish- you might have the ingredients in your pantry already.

1 medium sweet onion
2 chorizo sausages sliced into small chunks
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes (and their juices)
1 15.5 ounce can chickpeas
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 container vegetable stock (to add 1/4 cup at a time, let reduce and repeat)

Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add onion and let it cook until it is translucent. Add curry powder and chorizo. Cook with the onions until the onions start to caramelize. Add 1/4 cup of vegetable stock to deglaze and let simmer until stock is absorbed.

Add chickpeas and tomatoes and more stock- let it simmer until the stock is absorbed. When chick peas are soft and cooked, the dish is done. It takes different amounts of time depending on the heat- but takes between 30 and 45 minutes from start to finish. Serve with bread or over rice.

This is something different for us- and we loved it. The chorizo gave it a kick and the caramelized onion adds another layer of flavor. My brother in law, JAM, makes this dish regularly without the sausage and he more or less directed me in the kitchen. There is so much you can do with chick peas, I am definitely inspired to try new proteins and new flavors...and the eggs.

Steak Fajitas

2008-07-22T06:10:00.000-04:00

At the end of a trying weekend during which my car wouldn't start and we needed an emergency plumber (among other things) there was a silver lining. TLMM had something up her sleeve that would save the day! She made these steak fajitas on the grill using a cast iron skillet to give it that sizzle reminiscent of what you might get at a Mexican restaurant.

Slice flank steak on a slant and red pepper, green pepper and onion in 1/2" slices.

Start the grill. Put a small measure of vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet and add spices- garlic powder, garlic salt, cayenne pepper-- we looked at the ingredients on a package of fajita seasoning and improvised. She used the cayenne to cook the steak to spice it up and not have to use sauces and condiments after the fact. It also seasoned the vegetables to the perfect heat level. This worked because the three of us (JAM, TLMM and I) all like spice! Close the grill's lid and let the spices toast for about 2 minutes. When the spices are fragrant, add the steak.

Let it go for a couple of minutes and then flip and stir. When there is no pinkness left, remove and drain steak. This does not take long on a hot grill!

Add about a tablespoon more vegetable oil to the grill and add the vegetables. Close lid- listen for that sizzle!

After a couple of minutes, stir veggies- when they just start to brown, add beef back into the skillet. That's it! As soon as the beef gets hot again, it's ready to eat.

For flour tortillas, heat a tiny amount of vegetable oil in a non-stick pan. When it gets hot, put tortilla in the pan for up to a minute on each side until it's warm and toasty. Load up tortilla and add any desired condiments- we used shredded cheese, guacamole and a dab of sour cream.

I think I could eat this every night- it was so good, better than any I have had in a restaurant. It's easy to make. It's yummy. It put a good spin on the whole two days. Of course, the margaritas didn't hurt, either...and the eggs.

Banana Pudding

2008-07-18T06:00:00.000-04:00

Today I am feeling particularly joyful! I have been in the market for a new job for a few months and accepted an offer late yesterday afternoon. TLMM cooked up a celebratory dinner which included phenomenal grilled shrimp along with my favorite dinner, steak and artichokes! Complete with champagne! It was a fun night, I don't change jobs often so when I do I see it an an excuse to celebrate. Anyhoo, have you ever tried to make the banana pudding recipe on the Nilla Wafer box? I did it the other day and the result was rich and downright delicious.

3/4 cup sugar, divided
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Dash salt
3 eggs, separated
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
45 NILLA Wafers, divided
5 ripe bananas, sliced (about 3 1/2 cups), divided
Additional NILLA Wafers for garnish

Mix 1/2 cup sugar, flour and salt in top of double boiler. Blend in 3 egg yolks and milk. Cook, uncovered, over boiling water, stirring constantly for 15 to 20 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.

Reserve 10 wafers for garnish. Spread small amount of custard on bottom of 1 1/2-quart casserole; cover with a layer of wafers and a layer of sliced bananas. Pour about 1/3 of custard over bananas. Continue to layer wafers, bananas and custard to make a total of 3 layers of each, ending with custard.

Beat egg whites until soft peaks form; gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until stiff but not dry. Spoon on top of pudding, spreading evenly to cover entire surface and sealing well to edges.

Bake at 350°F in top half of oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until browned. Cool slightly or refrigerate. Garnish with additional wafers and banana slices just before serving. Makes 8 rich, custard-y servings...and the eggs.

Classic Bolognese! Mange!

2008-07-16T06:00:00.005-04:00

In the heart of NYC's Little Italy is a great little eatery, Amici II. It's a little gem in a sea of Italian food- and their bolognese is the best I have ever tasted. I wanted to recreate the taste so I turned to.....you guessed it......Cook's Illustrated. This is their Classic Bolognese Sauce.

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons minced onion
4 tablespoons minced carrot
4 tablespoons minced celery
1/2 pound each ground beef chuck, ground veal, and ground pork
2 cups whole milk
1 cup dry white wine
2 cans whole tomatoes (28 oz.) , packed in juice, chopped fine, with juice reserved

Heat butter in large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat; add onion, carrot, and celery and sautè until softened but not browned, about 6 minutes.

Add ground meat and 1 teaspoon salt; crumble meat with edge of spatula to break apart into tiny pieces. Cook, continuing to crumble meat, just until it loses its raw color but has not yet browned, about 3 minutes.

Add milk and bring to simmer; continue to simmer until milk evaporates and only clear fat remains, 30 minutes. Add wine and bring to simmer; continue to simmer until wine evaporates, 30 minutes longer.

Add tomatoes and their juice and bring to simmer; reduce heat to low so that sauce continues to simmer just barely, with an occasional bubble or two at the surface, until liquid has evaporated, about 4 hours. Adjust seasonings with extra salt to taste and serve. When draining the pasta, leave some water on the noodles- and add a couple of tablespoons of butter to the draining noodles- this, in addition to some parmesan cheese on top of the sauce, will help the sauce coat the pasta noodles.

As you can see, it's easy- just time consuming. You add liquid three times and wait for it to be absorbed each time. I think the secret to the Amici's taste I was looking for was simmering the meat in milk. This isn't kosher Italian, folks. But it is wonderful- the flavors of the tender flavor infused crumbly meat do the talking. The recipe above is doubled- if you halve it, simmer each time for 10-15 minutes instead of 30, and after the tomatoes simmer for 3 hours instead of 4. You know how pasta sauce is always better after being frozen? That's precisely why I doubled it, to have even better sauce in a couple of weeks with another box of fettucine. That is if I can wait a couple of weeks for another pranzo squisito...and the eggs.

Eastern Shore Crab Cakes!

2008-07-12T06:55:00.018-04:00

My father grew up in Baltimore and he tells us that as a child he would crab the Chesapeake by dangling his toes in the water waiting for a nibble and scooping up crabs with a net. My earliest memories of him involve crabbing off of a rickety (my mother's adjective for the spot) pier in Port Aransas, Texas, tying chicken necks to strings and sitting, waiting for that good tug on the line. If we went out with one of his friends on a canoe or small boat for a few hours, we'd come back with laundry baskets brimming with live crabs. We'd take them home and he would cook them in huge pots with beer and Old Bay seasoning. Finally, when we were all sitting around a picnic table covered in newspaper, wooden mallets and small cups of melted butter, our mouths watering, I would watch my father meticulously clean at least a dozen crabs- placing all of the cleaned meat in a small pile- before he would start to eat. OCD? Perhaps. I never emulated that strange and wonderful skill (I was far too impatient), but I did inherit his love of crabmeat. This is a not-so messy way to enjoy the goodness of crab. The recipe is from Cook's Illustrated, a periodical and a website which I strongly recommend based on its use of a test kitchen. These crabcakes are made with ingredients which enhance the flavor of the crab without adding much filler.

1 pound lump crabmeat, meticulously cleaned
4 medium scallions, green part only, minced (about 1/2 cup)
1 tablespoon fresh parsley leaves, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning (or more, to taste)
2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs or cracker crumbs
1/4 cup mayonnaise
Table salt and ground black pepper
1 large egg
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cups vegetable oil

Gently mix crabmeat, scallions, herb, Old Bay, bread crumbs, and mayonnaise in medium bowl, being careful not to break up crab lumps. Season with salt and white pepper to taste. Carefully fold in egg with rubber spatula until mixture just clings together.

2. Divide crab mixture into four or five portions and shape each into a fat, round cake, about 3 inches across and 1 1/2-inches high. Arrange on baking sheet lined with waxed paper; cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 30 minutes. (Can refrigerate up to 24 hours.)

3. Put flour on plate. Lightly dredge crab cakes. Heat oil in large, preferably nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Gently lay chilled crab cakes in skillet; pan-fry until outsides are crisp and browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Serve hot.

I made a super-easy chipotle dipping sauce. It can be spicy or mild, depending on the ratio of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce to mayo. Start by putting 1 cup of mayo in a food processor and add one chipotle pepper and one teaspoon of the adobo sauce. Blend and then taste. If it's not spicy enough, just do the same steps again until it is as hot as you want it.

Well, as it happened, that rickety little pier did collapse, and we were on it at the time. We managed to escape unharmed. It was one of those inexplicable times when your mother ends up being right. That evening, we headed home with the story of the adventure and, of course, a few dozen crab...and the eggs.

Arctic Char with Horseradish Cream, Sweet & Sour Beets, and Dandelion Greens

2008-07-09T06:00:00.005-04:00

This post comes to you from guest blogger (and childhood friend) Suzanne. How she found time to make this dinner with 15-month old twin boys and a 4 1/2 year old son is completely beyond me, but she did. The results sound delicious, and here they are. Thank you, Suzanne!!

My husband was recently appointed the Chair of his department at Oakland University. As such, he felt it would be nice for us to entertain a woman that was just hired to teach in the department and her husband when they were in town looking for housing. The woman is Japanese and her husband is Norwegian. So of course I chose to make fish and rice. I'm pretty fearless in the kitchen but one of my problem dishes happens to be rice. Even with a rice cooker, I always manage to screw it up. I was in the process of preparing the meal when I realized I was really setting myself up to be embarrassed by serving rice to a Japanese woman (not to mention fish to a Norwegian man). Fortunately the dinner turned out really well. The salad and main course were both beautiful and, all in all, the meal was quite healthy.

We started with some store bought appetizers - hummus, cheese, etc. I also made some delicious and potent martinis. I got the recipe from a restaurant called Kona Grille.

Berry Martinis (recipe makes one martini)
Mix the following and serve chilled
2 oz Three Olives brand Triple Berry Vodka
1/2 oz Triple Sec
1/4 oz Rose's Lime Juice
1/2 oz Cranberry Juice

The salad, main course, and dessert recipes all came from Bon Appetit

Arugula, Fennel and Orange Salad
1/4 cup minced shallots
3 TBS extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 TBS fresh lemon juice
2 large oranges
7 cups arugula
1 large fennel bulb, trimmed, quartered lengthwise, cored, and thinly sliced (I used a mandoline)
1 small red onion, thinly sliced (again, I used a mandoline)

Whisk the first three ingredients together to make the dressing. Season to taste with S & P.
Cut the peel and white pith from the oranges. Working over a bowl, use a small knife to cut between and release the segments.

Combine the arugula, fennel and onion in a large bowl. Toss with dressing to coat. Add orange segments and toss to combine.

Note: I added some of the juice from the oranges to the vinaigrette and adjusted the amount of oil to balance out the acid. I also added a bit of dry mustard powder. This helps the vinaigrette to emulsify and give a nice tang to it.

Note: I let the onion slices soak in ice water for several hours then patted them dry before tossing with the salad. This helps to mellow the onion flavor.

Arctic Char with Horseradish Cream, Sweet & Sour Beets, and Dandelion Greens (4 servings)

Horseradish Cream:
3 cups 1/2-inch cubes fresh peeled horseradish root (about 1 lb unpeeled root)
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

To make cream, coarsely grate horseradish; transfer to medium saucepan and add cream; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand, covered, 30 minutes. Strain cream into small sauce pan through sieve extracting as much cream as possible by pressing firmly on solids. Cream can be made 2 days ahead - cover and chill.

Beets:
8 baby red beets, tops trimmed
8 baby golden beets, tops trimmed
(baby beets were not available so I used large beets and cut them to size after cooking)
1 cup apple cider vinegar
4 TBS sugar

Cook red and golden beets in separate medium pots of salted water until tender, about 18 minutes. Drain and cool. Beets can be prepared to this point 2 days ahead - cover and chill.

Peel red beets, cut in half and place in skillet. Peel golden beets, cut in half and place in a separate skillet. Mix 1/2 cup vinegar and 2 TBS sugar into each skillet. Cook beets in each skillet over medium-high heat until liquid thickens to syrup and begins to coat beets, about 4 minutes, stirring often. Season to taste with S & P. Remove from heat.

Fish and Greens:
4 6-oz arctic char or salmon filets with skin
3 TBS vegetable oil, divided

1 large bunch dandelion greens, stems trimmed (you can use any other bitter greens such as arugula, watercress, endive or mustard greens; I used arugula to complement the salad).

Preheat oven to 350. Sprinkle fish with S & P. Heat 1 TBS oil in large, heavy ovenproof sauce pan over high heat. Add fish, skin side down and sear until skin is crisp and brown, about 3 minutes (do not turn fish over). Place skillet with fish in oven and roast until just opaque in center, about 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, warm the horseradish cream over medium heat. Heat remaining two TBS oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add greens until just wilted, about 1 minute and season with S&P.

Divide greens among 4 plates. Top with fish, skin side up. Surround fish with beets. Spoon warm cream over top and drizzle with any remaining beet juices.

Note: For a more substantial portion, I would double the amount of greens as they wilt to just about nothing once cooked. And we could all use more dark leafy greens in our diets. I wouldn't hesitate to double the beet recipe, either, as I love beets. And we could all use more beets in our diets. I served simple steamed sticky rice with the main course.

Raspberry Topped Chocolate Tartlets with Pecan Crust

2 cups pecans, toasted
6 TBS packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup whipping cream
6 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 1/2-pint containers raspberries
1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam

Preheat oven to 325. Combine pecans, sugar, and cinnamon in food processor. Blend until nuts are finely ground. Add butter and process until moist clumps form. Press dough over bottom and up sides of four 4-inch diameter tartlet pans with removable bottoms (I couldn't find them with removable bottoms so I used non-stick tartlet pans and they worked just fine; I just had to carefully extract the crust from each after the ganache filling had a chance to cool).

Bake crusts until golden brown and firm to the touch, about 30 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool completely in pans.

Bring cream to simmer in heavy saucepan. Remove from heat and add chocolate. (Use a very good quality chocolate - like Valhrona - since this is a simple dish and chocolate is the star). Stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Pour mixture into crusts, dividing equally. Chill until chocolate is set, about one hour. Cover and chill. Can be made 1 day ahead. If you use tartlets with bottoms that are not removeable, gently tap the tartlets out of the pans before the next step.

Arrange berries over top of tartlets. Stir jam in heavy saucepan over low heat until melted. Brush over raspberries. Refrigerate. Can be made up to 3 hours ahead.

Note: I used raspberries and blueberries. Strawberries would be great, too.

Note: Next time I think I'd make a different crust, perhaps combining nuts with graham crackers or shortbread. I found this crust to be a bit on the greasy side from the butter and oils released by the nuts.

I will certainly make all of these dishes again. You can do a lot of the work in advance which makes this a nice meal for entertaining.

Shirley Valentine, Barksdale Theater- Richmond, VA

2008-07-08T06:00:00.005-04:00

For any theater lover in the Richmond, Virginia vicinity, I urge to to take a trip to Barksdale's Hanover Tavern to catch Shirley Valentine. This show is extra, extra special because the star is my little sister, Jill Bari Steinberg! It is her second one-woman show, and if her first was any indication, this will be unforgettable. The show runs from July 11th - For specific information, click here. BREAK A LEG, JB!

Pickled Eggs and Beets

2008-07-06T07:04:00.006-04:00

I love pickled eggs and beets- and think of them as comfort food. We decided to whip some up for the 4th of July weekend this year. Using Marilyn and Jack's recipe, the flavors were perfect. This is a no fault recipe!

1 cup water
1 cup vinegar
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 cans or jars pickled beets
1 dozen eggs

Bring large pot of water to a boil and add eggs; boil for 12 minutes. Remove from heat. Cool and peel.

Mix other ingredients in smaller saucepan- and add the juice from the 2 jars of pickled beets but not the beets. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar is fully dissolved.

Put eggs and beets in a container that you can cover with a tight lid. Pour warm beet juice mixture over them and cover. Let them marinate from up to a few hours to a few days- they're ready to eat any time between. We found that they reached the perfect flavor after 24 hours.

These make a tasty side dish- they pack flavor and protein. Their festive color make them perfect for the red, white and blue color scheme, too. They keep for at least a few days, so you can put some out with every meal over the holidays, making your hosting job all that much easier! What could be better? Happy Independence Day...and the eggs.

Kentucky Chess Pie!

2008-07-02T06:00:00.006-04:00

Last week, my friend Nelo gave me a recipe for chess pie. Gert, the cook at the summer camp I went to growing up, used to make chess pie for special occasions. I remember its custardy, rich taste and was anxious to try my hand at making it. I have heard people talk about lemon chess pie or chocolate chess pie, but Gert's chess was plain, and absolutely delicious. The recipe I received is from Saveur, and was simple. I made two- one for Nelo and one for me.

The recipe includes instructions for making the pie crust. I didn't make the crust, I bought a pre-made pie crust I have used before. I didn't have the kind of time it takes to make the crust and make the filling, plus the pre-made crust is a great product. I am leaving out the crust ingredients and instructions here.

1 tablespoon flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
4 egg yolks plus one whole egg

Pre-made crust in 9" pan.

Heat oven to 325°. Pour water into a 4-quart saucepan to a depth of 1"; bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Whisk together sugar and salt, brown sugar, buttermilk, nutmeg, egg yolks, and egg.

Set bowl over saucepan. Add butter; cook, whisking frequently, until smooth and warm, about 5 minutes.

Remove from heat; let cool for 5 minutes. Pour mixture into chilled pie shell. Bake until center is just set, 45–50 minutes. Transfer pie to cooling rack; let cool completely before serving, about 2 hours. That's it! This pie is hard to describe, the flavor is subtle. It is almost like a pumpkin pie without the pumpkin. It's not heavy. With one bite, I was transported back to my summer camp, standing in the kitchen with Gert, trying a bite of something new...and the eggs.

Samurai - The Falls, Miami

2008-06-29T06:44:00.021-04:00

Samauri is owned by Benihana, and is located near the entrance of The Falls, an upscale shopping mall in the Pinecrest area in Miami. We have had several meals there and it's always decent food as well as entertaining. The place is chock full of couples on dates and birthday celebrators--and it's always packed. It's a large restaurant and if you don't want to wait for 2 hours for a table, get there before 7:30 PM on a weekend night. I recommend this restaurant for consistently good, uncomplicated main courses and for the cooking theatrics of seeing a chef making the food on a hibatchi right in front of your eyes. All of the entrees include a number of courses- Japanese Onion Soup, Benihana salad (iceberg lettuce with ginger dressing), shrimp appetizer, teriyaki vegetables, plain or fried rice, hot green tea and ice cream for dessert. Let's discuss.

The soup is okay, the salad is super-chilled and it is obvious that not much thought went into it. Shrimp appetizer- depending on your chef du jour, it can be fine.

The shrimp goes on the grill with butter and lemon and is served immediately. Not much can go wrong there. I might even go so far as to say it's addictive because I always want more.

Next, the vegetables. Same thing- on the grill with butter and soy sauce. A combination of zucchini and onions. The chef starts to prepare the fried rice- eggs, a pre-chopped vegetable combination (which doesn't include peas, which is why TLMM will eat at Samurai), and chicken. The fried rice is also doused with sauces and seasonings and is served right off the grill and is simply delicious.

Finally the chef starts to cook the entrees. The seafood is first, then the chicken and finally the beef. JAM ordered the calamari, which is sliced cuttlefish with asparagus and sometimes fresh tomatoes. I say sometimes because the last time he had it, it included fresh tomatoes but this time it didn't, which could be a result of the tomato-related salmonella scare.

That's JAM's calamari. TLMM ordered the Land and Sea combination, which is filet mignon and scallops. I ordered just the filet- medium rare.

The chef got the temperature right and the meat simply melted in my mouth - along with some of the vegetables and the fried rice, the food was all tasty and plentiful- which is what you would expect.

So much of your dinner experience depends on the other diners at your table, unless you have a party of eight in which case you would have your own table. The other factor which figures into the meal is the wait staff. We haven't had problems communicating or getting consistent service except for one visit.

Samurai also has a sushi menu--we usually order a roll as an appetizer. The last time we ordered a roll, something new happened. A guy rolled out a cart with examples of the sushi along with a sushi menu and asked for our order. We ordered our roll and he delivered it, along with a check for just that roll. When we have ordered sushi in the past, the cost of the roll is automatically added on to our total dinner bill. We asked the waitress to add it on to our total bill, and she said that they couldn't do that since they had already printed out the bill for the roll. When the sushi guy came back to take the money, we again asked that it get added on to the bill, and he agreed to do it. A few minutes later he came back with great flourish to let us know it had been taken care of and would be transferred to our check. Clearly there is something going on behind the scenes with the sushi side of the restaurant. We got the idea that it had to do with tipping, so we made sure that we tipped the guy who brought the roll. Whatever the problem is, it's distracting and, well, just plain silly to have to pay in a chopped up manner (pun intended)- and I suggest that the restaurant figure it out so that the diners don't have to be pestered.

The other problem we had was that since this restaurant is so popular and the lines for a table boggle the mind, they tend to try to bus your table before you finish eating. This happened to us on our last visit, and while we might not have been gobbling down our food, we weren't taking an inordinate amount of time- there is a lot of food, and we were eating at a normal pace. When you're paying nearly $200 to feed three people, being rushed just isn't necessary.

Samurai, and other Japanese-style hibachi steakhouses (originally called Teppanyaki), have been around for decades and have mastered the market of feeding hibachi-style food to the masses. It's nothing to write home about--so don't expect it to be and you won't be disappointed. Everything is fresh and simply made - it's a show and an experience. That's what makes it so popular. If you get a chef who can juggle knives and make the preparation seem magical, you've got a great evening in front of you. I must admit that I had fun, I mean, c'mon! He let me wear the hat and everything...and the eggs.