A FRIDGE FULL OF FOOD...

Upside Down Potato, Thyme, & Onion Tart

 One of the best, most useful, things my wonderful cook of a mother taught me as I was growing up was how to think in substitutions. I know that sounds like an odd statement but I have learned in my adulthood that not every home cook has been given the benefit of those skills.  I know many wonderful cooks who, if they want to make a recipe and don't have certain ingredients they go to the store for those specific ingredients without any thought of "Hmmm...what do I have that would work, put my pantry or fridge supples in use, and be more economical than purchasing new items?" 

It doesn't always work but in many cases, it does.  For example, in many chicken, rice, and vegetable casseroles that call for, for example, fresh asparagus, if that's not in season, then 99% of the time, either broccoli or fresh green beans will not only work, but be delicious too.  In the example of this recipe, the red potatoes would make an excellent tart but what I had on hand were Yukon yellows, and they too were delicious.  For cheeses, this recipe calls for gruyere, feta, and mozzarella, so we need something with a bit of a tangy, something creamy, and some binding.  I had asiago (tangy), feta, and provolone (binding) available, and again, they were delicious in this recipe. I wish I had had fresh thyme available, but having only dried at the time, it's a simple matter of using half what the recipe calls for since dried herbs tend to be more intensely flavored (unless they're a million years old).

The next time I make it I may have the red potatoes in the house to use and maybe the fresh thyme too...or perhaps I'll try a little tarragon or rosemary, which would also be fabulous.  I love the combination of grilled onions, potatoes, and herbs:  the dinner trifecta!

Pork Cutlets with Bourbon Butter Sauce

 After feeling under the weather for a few weeks, I knew I was feeling better last night when I spent two hours in the kitchen making some new, some practiced recipes for one of the best dinners I've made in a long time, if I do say so myself.  To top the breaded pork cutlets, I created a smoky, complimentary bourbon butter reduction sauce, and for sides:  a simple green salad, potato and onion tart, and my friend, Lisa's cheddar and feta cheese puffs.

Those couple of hours reminded me how therapeutic working in the kitchen can be, To me, the satisfaction of making a great meal is comparable to creating a work of art or writing a good story. It makes me feel like me again.

Lots of great recipes coming up this week. today, the pork cutlets, and later in the week: the potato tart, Lisa's cheese puffs, my friend Mark's bacon leg, and another great kid-friendly meal from Pinterest.

Whole Roasted Cabbage with Bacon for the Oven OR Grill

 Whole Roasted Cabbage on the grill is impressive when cooking out for friends or just as tasty when roasted in the oven inside.  It's quick and easy, can be prepped ahead with just a few ingredients from the pantry, and makes for a tasty side for any meal.

Pretty Olive & Cream Cheese Penguins All in a Row

 

Doesn't fun food make holidays and parties feel more celebratory? I think so too. Auntie Miranda made these for a family party and the little guys were the hit of the evening.  They're almost too cute to eat.  Almost.  Delicious!

The best part?  They'd be great for ANY holiday or party so we can make them all the time without having to wait for just one season or holiday!

So without a lot of chitchat, here's how to make the little fellas:

Cheesecake, Ancient Roman-style: Libum or Honey Cakes

 

Here in the Ozarks, we have an excellent local beekeeper:  Matt, who along with his family, own and run the Amish Country Store on Gretna Road in Branson (You can also mail/phone order by checking out their web site Amish Country Store, although, those of us who make the trip can tell you that there are a multitude of additional wonderful foods, ceramics, and furniture, on the shelves that make it worth your time to seek the store out in person the next time you're in Branson.) Next time you go, tell them "Glenna said Hi!"

 

Matt started beekeeping five years ago with one hive and a can-do eagerness. He's now an experienced beekeeper who maintains his hives as naturally and healthily (for the bees and for us) as possibly by eschewing the use of continuous wide spectrum antibiotics and winter feedings of commercial HFC mixes, instead using of a more bee-environmentally harmonious sugar water with lavender and peppermint mixture. His care has paid off in that he now manages fifty hives, which not only produce honey but help local farmers cross-pollinate crops.

This recipe for Libum or "honey cakes", dating back to 160 B.C. and written by Cato the Elder, Roman Statesman, is found in his book De Agri Cultura (translated: "On Farming"). Libum is the Roman version of cheesecake, used both as celebratory food and as sacrifices to the houseold spirits or gods.  It's a fun and appropriate choice to focus on honey, one of the oldest foods known to man. Revered for its antibacterial properties, it makes an excellent wound dressing and its composition from local pollens boost the immune systems of the honey-vores consuming it.

I have a couple of notes about the recipe. First: bay leaf.   I know it may sound like a funny choice since it's not usually associated with desserts in our present day culture, but don't leave it out. I was pleasantly surprised at how wonderful the bay smell while baking and what a subtle influence it was on the final taste. Not traditional to us, but a flavor I can only describe as "homey" or "cozy", and one that I think will become almost addictive to me with more use. I'll definitely be baking bread/dinner rolls on bay leaves in the future.

While these are called "cakes" the final texture is a cross between bread and cake. Not as light and fluffy as butter/sponge cake but not as chewy as bread. The ricotta gives a unique texture that is both soft and light while still warm but also denser when cooled. Not a texture we use a lot but a great experience for kids and adults alike.

Overall, this was a very fun recipe to make, eat, and think about culture and cooking from centuries ago. This would be a great Sunday School or Home School recipe to play with, easy for the kids to put together themselves and easy on the wallet, bringing kids closer to a tangible understanding of the reference to "honey cakes" in history, literature, and scripture. It will also definitely give them a better appreciation for  all the varieties of sweets we have available to us in our era!

More links to honey recipes

 Honey Curry Roasted Chicken-- OMG good! One of Gene's FAVORITE chicken recipes.

Honey, Cardamom, and Almond Rugelach -- One of my favorite cookies

Home-made Granola with Dried Fruit & Honey --Breakfast done right

Blood Orange & Lavender Muffins -- Summery goodness

Orange Olive Oil Cake with Honey -  Love this recipe! Whole food at its best.

 

Celebrating James' Birthday with Auntie Miranda's Grapefruit Cake

(Photo below: James demonstrating his "Dexter knife skills".)

 

After tweeting one night that grapefruit-flavored cake sounded "awful", as usually happens with my crazy family of foodies, the decision was made that we had to make it, bake it, and try it.  Auntie Miranda volunteered her time and James volunteered his birthday--win/win!

After reading through several recipes, Auntie used her own baking skills to create her own version based on elements from different recipes and her own experience.

Our prounouncement:   Delicious!  Just like orange, lemon, or lime, grapefruit is just a twist, so to speak, on the citrus genre.

Thanks, Auntie, for introducing us to this new dish and for sharing your recipe!

 

 

Note: Please excuse the phone pics--forgot my camera.

Broiling the Perfect Steak in Five Easy Steps

Going out to dinner for a nice steak can be just the thing after a long day, but doing the same thing at home, only in t-shirt, shorts, and no shoes, can be just the ticket as well.  Steaks are one of those things that seemed intimidating to me years ago, but it only took a little practice to gain confidence quickly.

Lots of folks are very accomplished on the grill. To be honest, I'm not so much simply because with only me and Gene in our small family, it feels like way too much work to drag out the grill for two steaks.  The answer? Broiling.

 With four simple ingredients and five simple steps, the process is painless.

Appetizers with Style: Christmas Tree Veggie Plate

My friend, Jennifer, sent me a pic of the appetizer plate she made for a Christmas work party. I LOVE this!  What a great way to turn a simple veggie tray into a festive wrok of art!

It's as straight-forward as it looks: She halved one broccoli spear, leaving about 3 inches of "trunk" and then laid in bite-sized floret bites to form the tree itself.  Next she decorated with yellow pepper slices for garland and then added cherry tomato ornaments. The final touch is a treetop star cut out of yellow pepper using a small cookie/hors d'oeuvre cutter.

Thanks for sharing, Jenn!

 

 

 

Better Than Mom's (Sorry Mom!) Lasagna

 

 

Sorry, Mom, even though you were a fabulous cook, I think in this one instance I beat you at your own game. 

I love lasagna but with only two of us it's something I only get to make when we're having company.  You just can't make a small lasagna!

So for New Year's Eve, that's what I did, although I stepped up a few of the ingredients my Mom used to use, switching out ricotta and cream cheese for the cottage cheese, and using a 50/50 mix of ground beef and country sausage for my Slow Cooker Meat Sauce. 

We were all pretty pleased, patting myself on the back. The result was rich without being overwhelming and not too wet, not to dry, perfect texture. Will be making these changes always from now on.

 

Christmas Food Gifts: Curry-Honeyed Almonds

I only have one thing to say about these:  Gene asked when I was making more.  That says it all!