Rainy Day Activities

22 Friday Jan 2010

As Southern California is enjoying our wettest month in years, I begin to look for ways to wrap up loose ends and possibly simplify my life. This is usually a result of “cabin fever”. The rain has restricted my outdoor activities and has fostered this urge to organize and tidy up loose ends. This goal of simplifying and weeding out are always on my ‘to do’ list and the funny thing (maybe not that funny) is that no matter how much I eliminate and de-clutter there seems to always be more and more stuff!

That said, I had visited the website Taste Book http://www.tastebook.com/ , a brilliant site affiliated with Epicurious http://www.epicurious.com/ (an equally brilliant site) some months ago. I diligently uploaded recipes that I had either cut from magazines, gotten from friends, or printed off some of my favorite food websites online. I selected a cover from an incredible array of beautiful choices and ordered the first 50 pages. This left me with a credit of 50 pages more that could be ordered any time and added to my customized Taste Book. If all this sounds confusing let me explain. This website allows you to create a very professionally published-looking cookbook with all of your favorite recipes.

The pages are high quality card stock that can be wiped clean when necessary. There are tabs included for each of the categories i.e. appetizer, salads, soups, meat, chicken, dessert, etc. The cards are sent with the cover (a 3-ring binder) and voila, you have a cookbook that can be titled anything you want—Mom’s Favorite Recipes, Holiday Entertaining, Cookies, etc. WARNING: This site is seriously addicting! Especially if you are looking for something to entertain you when inclement weather has taken the region.

Anyway, back to my ‘clean up, simplify’ story…Taste Book is my weekend, Saturday, rainy-day morning project. Try it, I think you’ll have fun. Don’t worry, it’s not too complicated and the folks at Taste Book are very user friendly with their video tutorial and additional FAQ section. Stay dry!

New Year’s Eve Celebrations

07 Thursday Jan 2010

Posted by Karen B. in Food

≈ Leave a comment

Wemberly, Texas

New Years Eve used to be one of those holidays that I felt obliged to participate in. I never really thought staying up until midnight lived up to what I felt it should. Then about 6 years ago my husband and I were invited to join 3 other couples, who happen to be very good friends here in our neighborhood (our kids all went to grade school through high school together), in a ‘progressive dinner’. For those of you who have never heard the term—each couple are assigned a course of the meal and then, beginning with the appetizer course, we move from house to house as the meal progresses.

This happens to be a really compatible group with similar interests in wine and food.

This year I was assigned the appetizer. I prepared Roasted Shrimp Cocktail using Ina Garten’s (Barefoot Contessa) Back to Basics cookbook. This is easy and delicious. I also prepared Cheddar Puffs from Pioneer Woman Cook’s site.

http://the pioneer worman.com/cooking

The nice thing about the Cheddar Puffs is that you can make them well in advance and freeze them and then just place the number you plan on eating on a cookie sheet and bake.

The picture attached to his post doesn’t really have anything to do with New Year’s Eve but because of our visit to Austin at Christmas (with a side trip to Wemberly, Texas in the hill country) I thought I would post it—we were shopping in this quaint little town before our visit to the Salt Lick, a famous BBQ restaurant, in Driftwood, Texas

Commitments to Garden, Home and Party

03 Sunday Jan 2010

Posted by Karen B. in Entertaining, Food, Gardening, Misc

≈ Leave a comment

New Year

I’ve been absent from my website for some time—no excuse really except that I felt I was so busy with work, holiday planning and life I had little left to give to my site.

My husband, youngest son and I visited our oldest son and his wife in their new hometown of Austin, Texas for Christmas. If you’ve never been there I highly recommend it. For a novice foodie it’s like a visit to Disneyland for a child, or the child in all of us. There are so many unique and original places to eat, not to mention the unbelievable Central Market and Whole Foods.

Our son and daughter-in-law had mapped out an incredible list of restaurants, cafes and quick serve places for us to try, which included Torchy’s Tacos http://torchystacos.com/menu.htm Olivia’s and South Congress Cafe. I can’t begin to tell you which was my favorite since I loved them all.

I came home committed to making more of an effort to share my experiences with all aspects of GH&P with my site—I’d say “with all of you” but I’m convinced there are so many sites to visit and so little time that probably no one, other than my mom, reads my postings. Thank you mom!

So heres to New Year ‘commitments’ and the belief that it’s fun to share all things related to good food, a warm and cozy home and a relaxing garden.

Happy 2010, may it bring good things to all of us.

Menu Planning for Luncheon

28 Wednesday Oct 2009

Posted by Karen B. in Food

≈ Leave a comment

Menu planning is next on my list of things to do. My friends enjoy main course salads and I think Ina Garten’s Roasted Butternut Squash salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette, with a few additions, will work perfectly. Because I want to make this a main course salad I’ll grill some chicken tenders, cut them in bite sized pieces and add this to the salad. I marinate the chicken tenders for about 30 minutes using a packaged herb marinade that is available in most markets. This gives the chicken extra flavor and keeps the tenders, which are much smaller than a typical chicken breast, moist.

I also want to add some apples (the apples can be sliced and will keep their color if you put them in ice water with a squeeze of lemon), and substitute candied pecans instead of the recipe’s walnuts. The squash is perfect for fall and the dried cranberries make it very festive. I will serve a warm baguette (cut into individual portions) and serve it with a crock of butter.

The salad and bread are filling and I’m preparing carrot cake for dessert so I will keep the menu simple. The cake can be made the day before the lunch and the salad can be assembled the morning of. This will make things easy. I like to allow time to set up the beverage station and to put any finishing touches on the house.

I set the table Wednesday evening so I am ready for my guests.

To be continued…

Boeuf Bourguignon

30 Sunday Aug 2009

Posted by Karen B. in Entertaining, Food, Misc

≈ Leave a comment

Since seeing “Julie and Julia” Nora Ephron’s hit movie, I knew that I had to revisit Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Julia Child’s famous book, and prepare Boeuf Bourguignon. I purchased all of the ingredients and invited our son to enjoy the meal with us. I included a recipe from one of Ina Garten’s cookbooks, “Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes” as an accompaniment.

Knowing that the beef recipe was better the second day I prepared the dish on Saturday and we planned to enjoy it on Sunday. The recipe really isn’t too difficult, however the 2 1/2 pages in the book can be intimidating. For those of you who have never used Mastering the Art…, Julia’s attention to detail and precise instruction for the seasoned cook as well as the novice, is what makes the recipes so lengthy. When I prepared the recipe this go around I used the L.A. Times version which takes one little shortcut, they prepare the mushrooms and boiling onions with the beef. I took it a step further and used frozen boiling onions.

In any event, Sunday arrived and with some anticipation I set the table for the 3 of us, made the mashed potatoes and as I was plating the food my son walked up and said, “Wow, beef stew, it looks great!” Right then and there it dawned on me that that is exactly what it was, beef stew. Not that there is anything wrong with beef stew but the image is different from that of Boeuf Bourguignon—what is it about the French language that makes everything sound better? I laughed and we sat down and dined on perfectly tender beef, browned carrots and delightful mushrooms and pearl onions, cooked in a wonderful wine sauce. Follows is the recipe I used (more or less) from the Los Angeles Times. I have listed what I did in place of the more involved instructions.

Boeuf Bourguignon

Serves 6

1 (6-ounce chunk of bacon) (I used thick sliced bacon)

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

3 pounds stewing beef, cut into 2-inch cubes (I used a chuck roast)

1/2 pound mushrooms, left whole if small, sliced or quartered if large

1 carrot sliced

1 brown onion, sliced

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons flour

3 cups of full-bodied young red wine

2-3 cups beef stock

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 cloves mashed garlic

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1 bay leaf, crumbled

1 tablespoon butter

24 small white boiling onions, peeled (I used 1 bag of frozen boiling onions

Parsley for garnish.

Cut the bacon into pieces 1/4-inch thick and 1 1/2 inches long. Cook the bacon in 1 tablespoon of the oil over moderate heat in a 5-to 6 quart heavy, flameproof casserole until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove to a large bowl with a slotted spoon. Reheat the casserole until the fat is almost smoking before you cook the beef. Dry the beef with paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Cook it, a few pieces at a time, in the hot oil and bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the bacon in the bowl. In the same fat, brown the mushrooms over medium heat and set aside (if there is no fat left in the pan, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to brown the mushrooms). Add the carrot and brown onion and cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Pour out any fat. Return the beef to the casserole with the vegetables and toss with the salt and pepper. Sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly. Set the casserole uncovered in the oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and return to the oven 4 minutes more. (This browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust.) Remove the casserole and turn the oven down to 325 degrees. Stir in the wine and enough stock so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste garlic, thyme, bay leaf and the bacon. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove Cover the casserole and set in the lower third of the oven. Regulate the heat so the liquid simmers very slowly for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily. Meanwhile, heat the butter and the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet when the butter foams add the boiling onions (if you use frozen, allow them to thaw in a strainer in the sink before this step). Cook, stirring the onions, so they brown evenly, about 5 minutes. When the beef is halfway done, add the onions to the casserole to finish cooking. When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan. Wash out the casserole (if you’re serving the stew from it at the table) and return the beef, vegetables and bacon to it. Skim the fat from the sauce, if necessary, and simmer the sauce a minute or two, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons of stock. Taste carefully for seasoning. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables and mushrooms. Simmer 2 o 3 minutes basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times. Serve from the casserole or arrange on a large deep platter and serve, decorated with fresh parsley

Bon Apetite

Cooking Continued

30 Sunday Aug 2009

Posted by Karen B. in Drink, Entertaining, Food

≈ Leave a comment

Cooking School

20 Thursday Aug 2009

Posted by Karen B. in Food

≈ Leave a comment

If you have any interest in cooking what so ever, you will enjoy the Nora Ephron movie “Julie & Julia”. The new movie, for those not familiar with the title, is a story about Julia Child and Julie Powell and how their love of cooking impacted their lives. Meryl Streep plays Julia Child and Amy Adams plays Julie. Truly, you don’t even have to like cooking to love this movie. It’s fun and funny and touching all at the same time. In any event, after my husband and I saw this movie he suggested that I should make Julia’s Beef Bourguignon.

Over 30 years ago, when I was still a newly wed, I knew I wanted to improve my skills as a cook. I had, up until then, made plenty of attempts at meal preparation but many were not very tasty and some were downright failures (like the time I attempted to steam fresh green beans and the enamel pan I was cooking with stuck to the electric burner because the heat was too high). Fortunately, my husband encouraged me to take cooking lessons and reassured me that, with practice, I could get better at this. I now realize that his reasoning may have been just a little selfish since I was to do most of the meal preparation in our relationship and he probably felt cooking lessons would benefit all concerned.

I took a series of French cooking lessons which included several recipes from Julia Child’s amazing book, “Mastering the Art of French Cooking”. When attempting any of her recipes I was always delighted at how patiently she walked the reader through the many steps involved in cooking something. Beef Bourguignon was one of the first true success stories from that book and after the watching the movie I agreed to give it a try once again.

More to follow…

Independence Day Dinner

07 Tuesday Jul 2009

Posted by Karen B. in Entertaining, Food

≈ Leave a comment

I wanted to serve a meal that would be easy and fun for my 4th of July barbecue. I decided on a couple of tried but true recipes that I’ve used for many years now with great ease and success. Mexican Black Beans & Rice is a dish that can be prepared in advance, always a preference for me when entertaining, and it pairs beautifully with the Green Chili and Herb-Stuffed Chicken recipe. I urge you to use fresh ingredients, canned chilies and dried herbs will not give you the same great flavors you will enjoy if you use fresh ingredients. Fresh herbs and produce are easy to find this time of year and they are worth the visit to the market.

I’ve included the recipes, if you have any questions feel free to leave me your Comments, along with your email and I’ll respond.

Mexican Black Beans & Rice

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 cup onion, chopped

1/2 cup yellow pepper, chopped

2 cups cooked long grain rice

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried, ground coriander

1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

3/4 cup tomato, chopped

Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add onion and yellow pepper and saute until tender. Stir in cooked rice and next 3 ingredients; saute 3 minutes more. Add beans and chopped tomato, saute 3 minutes more or until heated through. May be prepared ahead at this point, place in oven proof dish and cover with foil. Reheat, covered, for 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees and serve.

Green Chili and Herb-Stuffed Chicken

Bon Appetit Magazine

2/3 cup fresh lemon juice, divided

1/4 cup fresh parsley

8 jalapeno chilies, seeded and minced

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced

2 tablespoons fresh thyme, minced

4 teaspoons salt

12 half chicken breasts, boneless (best with skin left on if possible, however I prepare this dish with skinless breasts and it is still delicious)

2/3 cup dry vermouth

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

2 teaspoons coarsely ground pepper

2 tablespoons minced garlic

Marinade for the chicken:

Mix 1/3 cup lemon juice, parsley, chilies, rosemary, thyme, garlic and 2 teaspoons salt in medium bowl. Slide fingers between chicken skin and meat to loosen slightly and form pockets. (If using skinless, place all ingredients in the baking dish, place chicken breasts in marinade and turn once half way through marinating time). Spread herb mixture in pockets under skin. Arrange chicken in single layer in large baking pan. Sprinkle with vermouth, remaining 1/3 cup of lemon juice, lemon peel, remaining 2 teaspoons of salt and pepper to taste. Turn chicken to coat. Chill overnight, turning once.

Grill chicken over medium coals until cooked through, about 10-15 minutes.

I hope you enjoy these recipes, they are two of my favorite Backyard BBQ recipes for summer.

4th of July Entertaining

05 Sunday Jul 2009

Posted by Karen B. in Entertaining, Food

≈ Leave a comment

Since 4th of July landed on a Saturday this year, we decided to host a small party of friends for the celebration. Each couple brought some part of the meal and a bottle of wine. Thankfully pot luck style has become a standard practice within my group of friends. I’m not sure if it’s my age or simply the fact that it makes entertaining so much easier, but I love it. It gives me more time to be creative with the table setting and other details. Once I knew I was going to have this party I decided I wanted some festive cloth napkins for the dinner table. It was challenging to find napkins that were suitably simple and ‘patriotic’ in appearance. So after an unsuccessful search of local stores, I decided I’d attempt to find the fabric online and make the napkins. I searched online for discount fabric sites and found Warehouse Fabrics. They have a wide variety of fabrics and the price was very reasonable. I ordered 3 yards of a crimson red cotton with white stars. The fabric was $6 a yard and it afforded me 8 napkins, not bad for $18 + tax. I hand stitched the hems, mostly because I was too lazy to get the sewing machine out. The napkins added to my table setting.

To be continued…

The Joys of Summer

18 Wednesday Jul 2007

Posted by Karen B. in Entertaining, Flowers, Food, Gardening

≈ Leave a comment

Summer has always been a double-edged sword for me. I personally find that the extreme heat and I don’t get along anymore. Maybe it’s because I try to fill each day with too many activities, which heats me up more than if I were to recline with a good book and an iced tea! One activity that is always fun in the summer months is dining al fresco. We keep the meal simple and guests will often volunteer to bring a dish, which I allow. We recently had a friend over for dinner and my husband grilled salmon on a cedar plank. I prepared a white and wild rice and mushroom pilaf, fresh dwarf asparagas. Our guest prepared individual, fresh peach, two-crusted pies. Maybe that is the one other thing I love about summer, fresh peaches.

Grilled Salmon on Cedar Plank

1-salmon filet, with skin on one side only

1 cedar plank

The juice of 1 lemon, brown sugar, capers, olive oil.

Soak the cedar plank overnight in a basin of water that completely covers the plank. Lightly oil the plank with some of the olive oil, place the salmon (skin side down) on the plank. Lightly oil the top of the salmon, cover with lemon juice and then pack the brown sugar over the top, to a thickness of about 1/2″ . Dot the sugar with capers. Cook the salmon on the grill using indirect heat with the grill top down. Check at 20 minutes for doneness. The salmon will take a little longer to cook using this method, but the results are worth the wait. The sugar dissolves and leaves a hint of sweetness—less than you might expect. Bon Appetit!

I set the table with simple white hotel linens and I cut fresh roses and hydrangea blossoms for the floral arrangement. Our patio is equipped with white tea lights that are hooked to a switch so that we can flip a switch on the patio and the lights give just the right glow for dining after dark. Somehow the stress of the heat and the day disappear when you dine outdoors!

Speaking of flowers—don’t forget to fertalize your roses throughout this blooming season. If you find rust on the leaves of your rose bushes remove them and then spread a thin layer of mulch around the base of the plant. Rust is an airbourne problem and if it lands on the ground it can find its way back to your rose bush with a breeze or the gardener’s blower.

Take time to enjoy the summer evenings and remember to slow down and cool off during the heat of the day!