AM, It's not my favorite actually, it was a free sample tossed into my order..but why let quality go to waste?! LOL
Lucky you that you can actually shop and touch! I just have to online order..wahaaaaaaaaa
I have about 3 favs from them that I use alot!!!

Lastnights dinner was Bowties and sausage in cream sauce (actually 1/2n1/2 and chicken stock). Yummm

Tonights dinner is a new crock pot recipe I came across..and is PANTRY/fridge friendly...

Ann, it's great to see your name and pictures gracing this thread once again.

The same goes for you mon ami, Mme. M. Although I still miss your pictures - but you already knew that because I've been endlessly pestering you here and on the GB forums.
Sharon, beautiful picture montage.

Robin, I also love watching chef John's videos. I haven't yet tried any of his recipes, but I enjoy his sense of humor.

Hey Maggie, I know you're mad busy, and as much as I love to natter on about babies, I'll just add that I'm thinking about you, and hope all is well.

I haven't been around here much, but I've been cooking, a little. I made my first BLT sandwich (thanks to Annie's sandwich intro). Btw, I triple-decked it with homemade Buttermilk Bread, and added a few slices of Jarlsberg.

And if you think I'm just a shameless food renegade ... well then, I'd have to say you've been paying attention.

In all honestly, I'd have to say this sandwich would've been just fine without the cheese. Also, Jim's BIL gave me a bunch of fresh tomatoes, so, thanks to him, I was able to capture one last taste of Summer. Pure Bliss.

Speaking of the last surviving tastes of Summer, I used up some of my peaches and made Dutch Pancake with Caramelized Peaches for breakfast.

Other gustatory delights, Cuban Black Beans and Rice with Mojo Marinated Pork, also had Cashew Chicken.
I baked the now famous No-Knead Bread. This was originally created by the "Sullivan Street Bakery." And has been highly pimped by the food blogging community. So much so, that I felt compelled to try it. I had to see for myself if such a simple and basic technique would yield a type of bread as easy and as good tasting as everyone claimed. And the answer to both, my culinary friends, is: Yep.

Its crust is superbly crunchy, and its moist interior is full of holes to keep soft, melty butter from dripping all over your nice, clean clothes. The NKB resembles a Ciabatta, minus all the blood, sweat and tears.
I'm particularly excited about this, because Sam (the anti Julia Childs) actually showed interest in making this bread.
I'm crying tears of joy as I type.

Sol

Saturday I made my meatballs in mushroom sauce recipe with previously-made meatballs:

Meatballs in Mushroom Sauce:

20 Cooked meatballs - use whatever recipe you normally use.
One small container button, porcini or crimini mushrooms, washed and sliced (about 20 'shrooms).
One 14-15 oz can stewed tomatoes.
1/4 cup heavy cream.
1 shallot, minced. (I didn't have fresh this time so I subbed dried).
2 cloves garlic, minced.
2 T brandy or sherry.
2 T butter
2 T olive oil
Optional - 1 tsp beef soupbase or bouillon of your choice. I used Penzey's beef soupbase.
Herbes de Provence - you can substitute any general herb mixture such as Italian seasoning.
Salt and Pepper

In a 2-3QT sauce pan, heat the butter and olive oil. Add the sliced mushrooms, salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, over medium heat until fragrant - about 8-10 minutes.
Add the garlic and shallots and stir. Cook 2 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and herbs and stir to mix.
Add the brandy and cream, stir to mix.
At this point, taste and adjust seasonings and salt to suit your tastes.
Add the cooked meatballs and gently stir to cover the meatballs.
Cover the pot and let simmer on low heat for 20-30 minutes.
------------------------------------------------

And yesterday after ping pong lessons, we went to my girlfriend's house and brought our instructor along. I made my Szechwan pepper steak, which was a hit. I made more than the recipe below to accommodate everyone. But the version below tastes better. I had too much meat crowded into the wok this time and it steamed a lot and made too much juice, which I had to ladle out.

Ingredients:

2 lb Beef tenderloin sliced 1/4" thick
4 T Ginger, minced or grated with Microplane
3 T Soy sauce
3 T Hoisin sauce
2 T Chinese cooking wine or Mirin
2 T cooking oil
1/4 cup water
1 tsp Cornstarch
1 T Szechuan pepper, ground
3 cups Green bell pepper, cut into 1/8 inch strips
1 cup Medium onion, sliced
1/4 cup sliced scallions
1/2 cup Celery, chopped
2 Cloves garlic, minced

1. Mix ginger, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, wine, szechuan pepper and garlic. Pour over beef and mix well.
2. Marinate for 3 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.
3. Heat wok or frying pan. Add oil and beef, stir fry until lightly browned.
4. Mix cornstarch in water. Add to beef and stir to mix.
5. Cover pan and cook over medium heat 5 minutes.
6. Uncover pan, turn heat to high.
7. Add peppers, onion, scallions and celery, stir fry 2 minutes.

Serve with short-grain white rice. Serves 4.

I have been out of the loop for a few days so will try to catch up later. I have peeked a few times and will say, there are some mighty fine looking meals going on!

I tried a new recipe, to me, today; mahogany beef stew. It has hoisin sauce, tomatoes and cabernet sauvignon; looks like chocolate in the photo but isn't! We really liked it, so will be making it again. I was so excited to find wax beans at the farmers market, even if they were bigger than I prefer. I like them really thin, where you can hardly see the seeds. Very seldom see any around here.

While Trevor was napping I baked a batch of Mixine cookies. I always do two loaves of bread on Monday for Trevor's parents and grandparents.

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That looks delicious, Marigene. What are mixine cookies?? And what kind of bread is it? It looks wonderful!
Sol, I would like to try that NO Knead Bread...where would I find the recipe??

Sol, so glad you finally tried a BLT. Triple decker BLTs are the best. The cashew chicken and no knead bread look fabulous. We are in a rainy cycle and I was thinking of trying the no knead bread tomorrow.

Gina, your Meatballs in Mushroom Sauce sounds wonderful, copied and pasted!

Marigene, you've done it again. Your mahogany beef stew sounds fabulous, if it's not too much trouble could you post the recipe?

After the weekend of grilled burgers and fried foods ie: The Burger Cook-off, we were both ready for a light dinner.

I got home late and DH made a big salad for himself and an cheese omlette for me. I sliced up some crusty French bread and put it under the broiler with garlic butter and then topped each piece with some Bruschetta from TJs. It was a delicious dinner and really hit the spot.

I am ready to settle down with a latte, Monday night football and later on making my Habanero Gold Jelly. I have a feeling the Habanero is going to be a surprise, I altered the recipe a bit. ;)

Michelle

Kathleen, that is supposed to be Maxine cookie, not Mixine! The bread is just plain old white!
Maxine Cookies

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup butter, softened
1 egg
teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup Rice Krispies
1 cup quick-cooking oatmeal, uncooked
½ cup coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degr4es. In a large bowl mix sugars, oil, egg and butter until evenly blended. Stir in baking soda, salt and flour. Mix well. Add vanilla, Rice Krispies, coconut and oats. Stir again, until dough is even. Drop by teaspoonful on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes, or until edges are golden. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.***
***I got 7 dozen out of a batch.

Michelle....., here is the recipe for the stew.

MAHOGANY BEEF STEW WITH RED WINE AND HOISIN SAUCE
Hoisin adds complexity to the flavor of the sauce. You can save some time and some tears by chopping the onions in the processor in two batches.
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed, cut into 2 1/2-inch pieces
3 1/2 cups chopped onions
2 cups Cabernet Sauvignon
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes with Italian herbs, undrained
1/2 cup hoisin sauce*
2 bay leaves
1 pound slender carrots, peeled, cut diagonally into 1-inch lengths
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large pot over high heat. Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper. Add meat to pot; sauté until brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Push meat to sides of pot. Reduce heat to medium; add 2 tablespoons oil to pot. Add onions; sauté until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Mix meat into onions. Add 1 cup wine, tomatoes with juices, hoisin sauce, and bay leaves. Bring to boil.
Reduce heat to low, cover pot and simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add carrots and 1 cup wine. Cover; simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover, increase heat to high; boil until sauce is slightly thickened, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes longer. Reduce heat to medium, add cornstarch mixture and simmer until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Season stew with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated. Bring to simmer before serving, stirring occasionally.) Transfer stew to large bowl. Sprinkle with parsley; serve.
* Available at Asian markets and in the Asian foods section of some supermarkets.

Makes 6 servings.
Bon Appétit
Entertaining Made Easy
February 2002

Sol, so glad to hear your lost your BLT virginity, and boy, did you do it up right!

Gina, I am going to try your meatball recipe, too! Meatballs, cream sauce, mushrooms....what's not to like there?

Had a busy weekend. Tim decided we need to sheetrock the basement, so Saturday we hung the drywall and yesterday I began taping. Whew! Big job! On top of that I did some bread baking. Made two Blueberry Cream Cheese Braids (sorry, forgot to take pics), and a stuffed focaccia.

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Mozarella and fresh basil tucked inside and added black olives and red onions on top.

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It's my first focaccia, I am practicing for an Italian themed girls night out at my friend Vicki's house in a couple of weeks. I tiold her I'd make focaccia and Bellinis.

Dinner last night was Chicken Enchiladas, but instead of rolling them up, I stacked them in individual casseroles. MMMMM

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Tonight I made a RR recipe, Meatball and Broken Spaghetti Tomato Soup. It went together very quickly and was good, very filling served with a slice of that focaccia! I took a pic, and could have sworn I downloaded it, but it's not in my picturetrail file. Oh well.

Got home tonight and found a package in my mailbox. Michelle was kind enough to send me some coarse sugar for dusting pastries.

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Last weekend we were discussing sugar and the fact that I can't find the coarse stuff here, so she offered to send me some. She also sent a cute card and some orange flavored dried cranberris! Yum! I snacked on them while making the soup! Thanks Michelle!

Linda

Dinner tonight was easy peasy..

Pintos and Sausage..and pan heated fresh corn.

Tonight I tried a new recipe I found on foodnetwork.com. It was tasty and relatively fast, and I will add it to my regulars:

Butter Chicken (Variation of Chicken Tikka Masala)

Recipe courtesy Carla Fitzgerald Williams, Rotisserie Chickens to the Rescue!, Hyperion Books, 2003 and foodnetwork.com.

Spice Blend:
1 tablespoon garam masala seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Sauce:
3 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 teaspoons jarred minced garlic
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice
1 skinless rotisserie chicken, boned out and pulled into 1 1/2 by 1/2-inch chunks
1 (10-ounce) box frozen peas, placed in a colander and run under hot water to thaw
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

To make the spice blend: Stir the ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.

To make the sauce: Melt the butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the pieces just begin to turn gold, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste and spice blend, and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly to prevent burning. The spices will be fragrant. Add the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes and stir will. Add the chicken pieces, spoon the sauce over the top and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to low and cook, uncovered, until the chicken is warmed through and the sauce is flavorful, about 10 minutes. Stir frequently. Remove the chicken to a serving dish and cover to keep warm.

Shake any excess water from the peas. Add the peas and cream to the sauce in the pan, stir well and heat through. Do not boil. Spoon the sauce over the chicken. Serve with rice and warmed pita bread.

Variation: If you prefer shreds of chicken to whole pieces, remove the skin from the chicken and pull the meat into large chunks by hand. Add to the pan along with the garlic, tomato paste and spice blend. Cook for 3 minutes and then add the tomato sauce and continue with the recipe. Serve over basmati rice.

Serves 4
--------------------------------------------
Gina's notes:
My Garam Masala was running low, so I added a tsp of hot curry powder.

I didn't bother to remove the chicken to a serving dish. I finished it all in the same pot. The sauce looked a little dry after I added the chicken - maybe my Costco rotisserie chicken was too big! Anyway I remedied that by adding a couple ladles-full of homemade chicken broth before simmering the chicken.

I used fresh garlic and canned peas.

I added salt (needed) and some black pepper.

This recipe got good reviews on foodnetwork.com and I will make it again also.

I served it with jasmine rice cooked in chicken broth, to which I added a handful of yellow split peas, slivered almonds and mint leaves (I had frozen), salt and pepper. (To participate in the POOPing challenge!)

Kathleen, I will link below the No-Knead Bread recipe I was going to use. It is quite long but not difficult at all. You can google "no knead bread" and you will find quite a bit of info. In fact it is like a cult in a way...The Anti-Knead Society! LOL!

Michelle

Here is a link that might be useful: No-Knead Bread

Sol, Sam was interested in baking bread? OMG, could she talk to Ashley? Now I want a BLT, though....

Of course, I also want Ann T's tourtiere, anyone's mashed potatoes, some of Nancy's pear bread, those scones of Michelle's, and I want to go live with SharonCB! (grin)

AM, I'll pass on the meatballs with raisins and pineapple, thanks anyway. Gina's meatballs sound a lot better, LOL.

Robinkate, your nectarine jam was excellent, and I'm thinking maybe a batch of your tomato marmalade tonight....

Dinner last night was eggs and toast, I've been canning salsa. Again.

Annie

Linda, that looks great! And what a nice surprise from Michelle, so SWEET!
Michelle, thank you for the recipe and the warning! I do shy away from too many ingredients!!
Marigene, thanks for the recipes!
Annie, I take it you don't like raisins, or at leat in your meatballs! When I did catering and took orders for Irish Soda Bread,( one night after work, had to do 45 of them! Kitchen looked like it had snowed in there, flour flying!) I would always have a few who wanted it w/o raisins! I know ISB from the old days in Ireland didn't have them, but I think ISB w/o raisins is like a day w/o sunshine!
Linda, you must be young! Sheetrocking the basement and baking in one day, wow!

I keep forgeting to comment on Marilyn's Maple Syrup bonanza in VT. WOW...what a find and so cheap too. I can not find Grade "B" Maple Syrup to save my soul around here. Isn't it amazing how far we travel for the stuff we need and when we finally get it, it like the end of a treasure hunt.

Marigene, thanks for the recipe, I think Joe would really like the Mahogany Beef w/Hoisin sauce.

Linda, I've never made stuffed focaccia before, although I made focaccia for years and I can eat an entire pan by myself. Did you drizzle EVOO and Kosher Salt on the top, it does not look like it. Love the black olives and red onions, it looks like abstract art! And it was my pleasure to send you the sugar.

I made my Habanero Gold Jelly on Sunday, let it sit in the frig for 24 hrs and canned it up last night. I was a bit short on dried apricots so added some dried cherries and it came out a bit pinker then the usualy Habanero Gold. Gorgeous color though and I think I shall rename mine Pink Popper Jelly.

Michelle

Linda...I've never seen a stuffed foccacia either....recipe please? Sounds as if it would be the great 'other' for a meal of grilled something.

Tonight I'm going out and Dick is getting some of the pan grilled cervalatta (which has it's own thread here). I tasted it and it certainly IS meaty flavored, meaning it has a strong meat taste rather than just a sausage taste. I know that sounds strange but it's the best I can describe. He's got some fat green beans that I thought might be tough but as I bought them from the farmer this am, they are oh so sweet AND tender. Whole wheat fusilli with pistachio pesto - both POOPed items, and what I'd say about that pesto is...fagetaboudit. But two items out of the pantry. Yeah!!

Michelle...that is some great looking Pink Popper. Nice twist on a great recipe. Maureen

kathleen, I like raisins just fine, but not in meatballs. They seem more like they should be in cookies or sweets than in meatballs. The pineapple was the finishing touch, LOL.

Maureen, that's a great buy on the maple syrup, BTW.

Annie

Here you go, Maureen. It was so easy to make, and you could fill it with just about anything, I would think! I had a piece for breakfast this morning!

Focaccia Farcita
(Filled Italian Hearth Bread)
source: Bread, by Eric Treuille and Ursula Ferrigno

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Ingredients
2 tsp dry yeast
1-1/4 c water
3-1/4 c bread flour
1-1/2 tsp salt
3 T olive oil

Filling & topping
1/2 c crumbled gorgonzola
7 oz mozarella, sliced (I used all mozz, not fond of gorgonzola)
1 handful fresh basil leaves
1/2 tsp coarse salt
2T fresh rosemary leaves (I used olives & onions)
4 T olive oil

Sprinkle yeast into 1 cup of the water and let stand 5 minutes, stir to dissolve. Mix flour and salt in large bowl. Make a well in center and pour in dissolved yeast and the oil.

Mix in the flour. Stir in the remaining water to form a soft, sticky dough. Add more water, 1 T at a time if needed.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth, silky and elastic, about 10 minutes

Put the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with a clean dish towel. Let rise until double in size, about 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Punch down and divide into two pieces. **Chafe for 5 minutes, then let rest for 10 minutes

To make the filling: Roll out each piece of dough to a 9-1/2 inch round. Place one round on an oiled baking sheet. Arrange the cheeses and basil over the top, then seal in the filling using the second round.

Cover the dough loosely with a towel, proof until doubled in size, about 30 minutes

Use your fingertips to gently press into the surface of the dough to form "dimples" about 1/2 inch deep. Sprinkle with coarse salt, rosemary leaves and 1 T olive oil

Bake in 400F oven for 30-45 minutes until golden. Drizzle immediately with remaining olive oil. Serve warm

**Chafing: Form the dough into a ball by cupping your hands gently around it. Apply downward pressure to the sides while simultaneously rotating the d ough continuously in a clockwise motion. Continue until the dough is formed into an even round shape. Allow the dough to rest 5 minutes and then proceed to the shaping step

Linda

Dishesdone, Kellan is 10.

Michelle, Pink Popper, I love it!

Dinner tonight is a bit hodgepodge..but..it all contains pork...

Pork Hoisin Noodles and a small spare rib rack.
(Those were what was available in the fridge.) LOL

Linda, that sounds great! I'd like to try that..
Tonight we had butternut squash soup, roast chicken,mashed potaotes, carrots and cole slaw.

Pure decadence, that's what WFD is!! I haven't been around much this summer-haven't cooked much either. But 'tis the season.

Nancy-you pear bread with Maple Cream has me lusting for some!

Marigene, the Mahogany Beef Stew goes in the "to try" file.

Gina-same goes for your "Butter Chicken".

Kathleen Li-that Butternut Squash Soup is on the list after our upcoming heat wave here in S.E. Michigan.

I'm POOFing and POOPing-we're leaving town for 6 months. I have alot of chicken breasts in the freezer, so I made one of my all time CF favorites-Joe's (gardenguru?) Pollo Alla Siciliana. It is sooooo delish-especially when using fresh tomatoes with basil and parsley from the garden.

Any word from Maggie yet?

Claire

Haven't heard anything from Maggie since this past Thursday before she left to deliver, she's probably still in the hospital.

Boy, Sol, when you go all the way, you mean it :) How'd you hold out for so long? My lousy eater, Jodie, could eat a couple BLT's no problem!

Pink Popper Jelly, LOL! Looks great, Michelle!

Your Pollo alla Siciliana looks so good, Claire, I'm going to have to try it!

Kathleen, we had roast chicken, too, with fingerlings and purple and yellow carrots. The roasted carrots were so good, I never had those before, I hope that Farmer's Market has them again.

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For dessert, I made Jain's recipe for Cinnamon ice cream and mixed in some oatmeal cookies and some fudge sauce to try to duplicate Ben and Jerry's Oatmeal Fudge Chunk. My homemade version was delicious. Needed more time in the freezer but who could wait?
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Oh so many great looking meals and other food....yum....chicken, meatballs and habanera jelly.
Sol your meals and pics are wonderful, as are everyones! Aren't BLT's delicious! I'm so far behind in posting here and we're moving ahead at such a fast pace so I'll just go ahead with what we've been doing here. Oh but I have to say a big THANK YOU to Lou for sending me a sample of Old Bay seasoning! It has a spicy fragrance, a little like a curry powder. Thank you Lou! I used it on our salmon dinner.
It was lovely....I was cautious and didn't use too much but will use more next time.

Michelle my chili con carne is one of the fastest meals I make and yet it tastes just as we like it. I don't make the beans from scratch and I gave up trying to find and mix my own spices after a German girlfriend put me on to a ready-made seasoning from Maggi.
It has the right mix of flavours and just enough heat to tingle the tastebuds. Here's how I do it:

For 4 - 6 servings

1 - 15 oz tin kidney beans
1 - 15 oz tin baked brown beans in sauce
2 - 15 oz tins whole tomatoes in their juice (I snip them up with kitchen scissors while still in the tin)
2 cups fresh mushrooms sliced
1 medium onion - sliced into semi-circles
2 cloves garlic - smashed
1 lb ground steak (or 1/2 ground lean pork/ 1/2 ground steak)
2 envelopes Maggi Fix chili con carne seasoning*
chopped flatleaf parsley

* I buy this imported from Germany. Don't know if it's available in N.America.
It's great.....no fiddling to get the right taste with your own spices as it's always just the way we like it.
I don't use their recipe on the back of the envelope though, but do add water as directed.

Put tinned ingredients in large pot. Cook meat in frying pan with garlic and onion until nearly done, then add mushrooms and brown. Add water and Maggi Fix, stir and bring to boil, simmer 5 minutes. Add meat mixture to big pot and heat through.
Add chopped parsley. Ready in 15 - 20 minutes.

Latest meals: Hamburger fiesta at home; Sunday out for omelette dinner; Monday.. baked salmon with Old Bay seasoning, lime juice, onion & oil, salad and thyme-roasted squash & potatoes. Tuesday I was busy out of the house all morning so no time to cook...so we had restaurant fare again..I had a small pepper steak with vegetables, Wolf had a sauerbraten with red cabbage.
Today I'm doing liver and onion for dinner.

I started Stott Pilates on exercise machines on Monday....interesting and not difficult....pushing and pulling with arms and feet to gently strengthen muscles. Despite the formidable looking apparatus....it was comfortable so I'm going ahead for twice weekly sessions with two other people...we all have our own "beds"...and the instructress is right there helping. It's in the sports centre that's a 7 minutes walk from our house. I took pics while walking there as well as around our area: The volcano Teide with one of those unusual clouds that are supposed to signal a change of weather; bougainvilla and plumeria alba on a wall; some passion fruit (maracuya or parchita) hanging over a roof; looking over the town, the bathing pools and the black volcanic sand beach as seen from the lookout.
while walking. Weather is still sunny, warm and humid. {{gwi:1560021}}

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Well, it's not exactly dinner - but here's what I whipped up for breakfast this morning. I've been on a quest to make the perfect biscuit and I've finally developed the recipe to the point I like it and am done tweaking it. I also fried some ham steak to have with it:

Oh yes - here's the recipe:

PATS PERFECT BUTTERMILK BISCUITS
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup Crisco shortening
1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450° F. In medium mixing bowl, mix dry ingredients.
Using whisk, cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal with some tiny bits of shortening still visible. Add buttermilk and stir with a wooden spoon until mixture forms a soft dough.
Turn out onto floured board and toss dough to coat with flour until dough is no longer sticky. Shape biscuit dough into large balls with hands. Place biscuits onto ungreased baking sheet. Pat to flatten slightly. Bake for about 13 minutes or until biscuits are light golden brown. Serve immediately. Makes 7 huge biscuits.

Pat, I will try those! Hope cooking school is going well!

DH just dug these from down the block..clams on the half shell, couldn't be fresher! I'll pass!

I agree Kathleen..not appetizing at ALL!!!

Pat, I'll have to try your recipe, it looks very close to the one I use...amounts even..but you add buttermilk, a bit more shortening and a tad of soda (I'm assuming because of the buttermilk?)

Dinner will be take out or bake in pizza..I'd rather do take n bake, but the boys want Pizza Hut..
And I promised them Blizzards as well...

I can't have the clams, but I wish I could. They look great to me, Kathleen :)

We ordered in!

Sharon, that's a helluva burger!
Btw, I can't get over the paradisal scenery you get to experience on your way to Pilates class. I'm in awe.

"Michelle, thank you for the recipe and the warning! I do shy away from too many ingredients!!"

Kathleen, if you were referring to the No Knead Bread recipe, it only has 3 ingredients. Okay, 4 ingredients, if I hadn't excluded "water."

The reason I was drawn to this recipe was because, one blogger, whose site I frequent, actually had her adorable 4 yr. old son demonstrate each step in the process.
"Well, if a 4 yr. old can do it ... so can I!" I exclaimed.
I didn't even used a mixer - just a wooden spoon and a bowl. And spent a total of 37 seconds in the preparation. I then allowed the dough to rise overnight, in the same bowl I had mixed it in. I've been baking bread longer than I care to admit, but never anything as easy as this.

Btw, I agree about the clams. Clams, oysters (or any phlegmy substances) and I, simply don't jibe.
That said, I always appreciate a great picture, and that's a great picture.

Annie, I'm always in shock whenever Sam shows any interest toward cooking. The last time she played with my emotions, was about a year ago, when she decided to tackle brownies, from a mix ... not that there's anything wrong with that.

B.A.B.Y. S.T.E.P.S.

Linda, that's a mouthwatering shot. I made Focaccia Farcita last summer, and almost polished off the entire thing by myself. Your Focaccia looks as delicious as I know it tastes.

Michelle, I love any picture that includes Habanero Jelly. The color emanating from those jars resembles precious gems.

Pat, your biscuits look wonderful. My buttermilk biscuit recipe is similar. The only difference is I use White Lily flour, and equal amounts of cold butter and shortening. Then, I place the biscuits -almost touching- in a cast iron pan, and bake them in a 500°F oven.

Carol, we had roast chicken last night too. And this morning, after seeing your magnificient picture, I find myself craving it, all over again. Your ice cream looks yummy too.

I've had a hell of a week, which I'll have put past me by the time I'm done reading this thread - nothing keeps me down.

Dinners have been quick and predictable this week. But, I've taken the day off, so I'm off to do some baking.

Sol

Sol, I didn't make the bread yet, but it does look easy, and yours looked great! It is still very warm here, so I will wait for cooler days!
And thank you, I struggle so with my pics. Some are truly lousy! I'll chop those clams and make chowder, which I do love,or baked clams. Nothing like free , fresh, food!

We're having leftover braciole and sauce with rigatoni. The braciole has raisins in it so everyone may not like it. Unfortunately I'm sworn to secrecy on the recipe. It's an Italian thing. I can say that it's a steak roulade, seared then braised for hours in tomato sauce.

I ought to be able to make eggplant parmigiana with more of that leftover sauce a little later this week. Maybe tomorrow.

Sol..I am going to make that bread because of you:)
And name my first pies after you too:)

I love that nothing gets you down..That's the attitude Mademoiselle Sol..!
All kidding apart..You don't deserve a bad week..Hope it goes better soon.What did you bake?

When I find the letters..Sharon amazing photos..:) You really make places outstanding.I've a yearn for Tenerife since you..:)

And the hamburger fiesta:)

Kathleen ,Carol..You know how I love your dishes..meals etc:)

Michelle..Gleaming jars!

Sharon, thanks so much for your Chili recipe. I, too, start with a mix. But never have added mushrooms or baked beans...sounds so good. We are still too hot here for Chili, but as soon as the temp drops for a week or so, I'm going to make chili!

Pat, oh my...your buttermilk biscuits look amazing!!! I can't wait to try them with Chicken and Biscuits.

I made Chicken Patties the other night with a huge batch of roasted veggies. It was so good. I only stock pink horseradish so the Horseradish Aioli turned out baby pink...not very appetizing but Joe liked it. I had roasted red pepper bruschetta on mine and it was delicious. Also made some Apple Fritters and they were wonderful and HUGE. I used my 1 1/8" drill bit to core the apples, as suggested by Kframe and it worked beautifully.

Apple Fritters (Eppel Kichle)

2-3 apples
1 c. flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 TBL sugar
1 beaten egg
1 c. milk

Peel the apples and carefully remove the core without breaking the apple.

Cut the apple into round slices about 1/4" thick.

Beat egg, add the sugar, salt, then the milk alternately with the sifted flour and baking powder. You may need a bit more flour to make a thick batter.

Dip the apple rings into the batter, making sure they are well coated on both sides.

Fry the rings in deep fat until golden brown.

Drain on paper towels.

Dust with sugar and cinnamon or leave plain.

Serve warm.

Variation:

Coarsly chop apples and add to batter. Drop by tsps into deep fat and fry until golden brown.

I've been shopping a bit that last few weeks.

Not too much going on here as far as cooking/baking goes. I am so far behind with my Winter yard prep, I can't see the end yet. I pruned trees today and they all look so nice, but still more to go.

Michelle

Oops forgot to post my picture of the Spicey Chicken Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper Bruschetta.

Michelle

Hi everyone haven't been in here for awhile.Been busy.

SharonCb : I was wondering if you recieved the Old Bay Seasoning.
Glad you liked it. Great with Shrimp. That was a good and the cheapest way to ship.
I'll send you some more later.

Kathleen: You said I'll pass on the clams. Pass them right over to me.
Do you hang them in a bucket of water; for awhile, to clean themselves of sand???

Sol : Who did better on the " No Knead Bread ", you or the 4 year old ?????
Don't let Sharon kid you, she get the photo's from a travel agent.

Daria: Braciole with raisens ????? You have to go to Confession and repent.

Secret Recipe ??? Are you joking? They only been cooking them fot 1000 years.

Did you ever use Sirloin Steak, sliced about 1/4 inch thick.

I make it about 10 different ways. Even Surf and Turf.

Hope I got someone Aggravated. If not I'll try again.
LOU

Pat, I am going to try your biscuits, too! They look so light!

Kathleen, I'm with you, I'll pass on the raw clams!

Sol, I may have to squeeze in some of that no knead bread...easy is my middle name. (Um...that didn't come out right....)

Michelle, love your new treasures! Especially that red casserole in the back! Glad you liked the chicken cakes. They are on our regular meal rotation around here!

Last night I made a new recipe from last month's Cooking Light. It's not often that a meal has me going "OMG, this is fabulous!" between bites, but this really was fabulous! I was snarfing it down so fast I didn't even stop to take a photo...I had two helpings, that's not like me! I will be making this very often!!! (And remember to take tme to photograph it next time! LOL)

Beef Daube Provençal

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil
12 garlic cloves, crushed (I would coarsely chop next time)
1 (2-pound) boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 cup red wine (I used Barefoot Cellars Zinfandel)
2 cups chopped carrot
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup less-sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary (I only had dried)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme (I only had dried)
Dash of ground cloves
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 bay leaf
3 cups hot cooked medium egg noodles (about 4 cups uncooked noodles)
Chopped fresh thyme (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 300°.
Heat olive oil in a small Dutch oven over low heat. Add garlic to pan; cook for 5 minutes or until garlic is fragrant, stirring occasionally. Remove garlic with a slotted spoon; set aside.

Increase heat to medium-high. Add beef to pan. Sprinkle beef with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove beef from pan. Add wine to pan, and bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.

Add garlic, beef, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, carrot, and next 8 ingredients (through bay leaf) to pan; bring to a boil.

Cover and bake at 300° for 2 1/2 hours or until beef is tender. Discard bay leaf. Serve over noodles. Garnish with chopped fresh thyme, if desired.

Yield
6 servings (serving size: about 3/4 cup stew and 1/2 cup noodles)

Linda

Hmm, my post disappearred!
Lou, dh puts the clams in a cooler with ice and corn meal, and keeps the hose running slowly in the cooler. The cornmeal helps to clean out the clams, so goes the theory of the locals...

Back again with a picture of the colors at our fishing lake.
Thought it would go good with all the Fall cooking.
LOU

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Michelle those Spicy Chicken cakes look delicious! I also like to do chicken cakes.
Sometimes we get ground turkey & chicken mixed at one of the butchers here and that makes lovely meat patties.

Linda I will definitely try that Beef Daube as soon as the weather cools down.

Lou I do miss seeing those lovely autumn colours!

Not much cooking going on around here, although I did a some tender beef liver with caramelized onions and mushrooms a couple of days ago. Made a light gravy with pan juices and we had salad again with leftover roasted potatoes & squash. Yesterday we went to the neighbourhood Italian restaurant and both had salad and spaghetti with pesto. It made me realize just how much better my own pesto is when I make it moments before serving. The restaurant pesto was nowhere as good as mine! Still I didn't have to wash any dishes afterwards. :-)

Tigger has nothing better to do than sleep as the patio tiles are nice and warm!
We are still putting the sprinkler on the garden. The water spray makes lovely patterns with the sun behind.

Going to my second machine Pilates today at noon so will get home just in time to open a tin or package of something in order to have dinner on the table by 2:30. Then an appointment in the city later today.
But it's Friday again....have a good weekend everyone. Yipee!

I am sitting here trying to figure out where the last week went... I know I didn't get much accomplished! First of the week I made a big pot roast, so that took care of a couple of nights, then I made a seafood pasta, one night was sausage, potato pancakes, applesauce... guess that's about it. Last night was a clean out the frig night..

But I did make SharonCb's cookies...Thanks Sharon, I'm enjoying one for breakfast right now.

Linda, I'm going to make Beef Daube next time I get a pot roast yearning...that sounds mighty good.

Michelle...more dishes? (wink) Lovely...I like the colors.

SharonCb... I'll know I'm in heaven when I can have my feet massaged whenever I want. I have a friend that took a course in reflexology...I was happy to let him practice on me. I became a real believer when I had a bad headache one day...he did my feet and the headache vanished...love it!

Nancy

Pat, your biscuits look mouth-wateringly delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe. I will be making them this weekend. How's school going?

Kathleen, love clams as long as they are fried (whole belly) or steamers, not much on raw if there is a choice!

Michelle, love it when you show your shopping bounty! I like that red dish on the left, looks sort of like a flower pot. And your dinner looks so good. Brussel sprouts are one of my favorite veggies, wish Howard liked the as much as I do. Thanks for posting the apple fritter recipe, maybe if I make those Howard will eat the sprouts! LOL

Lou, beautiful fall picture. Our leaves haven't turned much at all, yet. They are no where as colorful as the ones in the northeast.

Sharon, beautiful meal, especially your salad. You have the most unbelievably good looking salads!

Nancy, the cookies look scrumtious. Howard would love them, seeing they are apple. Will have to check out the recipe.

Dinner last night was chicken with chipotle cream, calabacitas and yellow rice.

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My DH's family makes the braciole with raisins in it. I was skeptical at first, but it is SO delicious. When I make meatballs, I've taken to adding a few there, too.

Ironically, DH won't eat raisins in rice pudding or oatmeal. Gotta get the iron somehow, right?

Not much cooking here, tho I have apples in the fridge for round 2 of Apple Maple Butter. However, it is so humid our a/c units have been on all day so I'll give the apples a week's reprieve.

I shared a small jar of batch Apple Butter #1 this am with a friend and her very mild mannered retired Navy Capt husband who said ...If you give us any more make it a bigger jar! Then he blushed and realized how forward he had been. ;-) But it's nice to have someone really like it. (I can take or leave fruit butters but it seemed fun to make...and E-Z.)

Sharon, you will be the queen of FIT after the Flamenco and now the Pilates. I am taking Yoga this quarter and hope to incorporate the gym also next week. Gosh, fitness takes time!!

Here are some pics of my bread from last sunday's class. I (and !! Dick) liked the multi grain, but that takes a bit more forethought to make the pre-mix and cook a batch of brown rice. However it is soft, and that is Mr. R's main request.

Baguettes, another student's multi-grain, and our (overly salted by mistake) multigrain; we also did a pain de campagna

We have a superabundance of bread now, and the freezer is full!!

That's some good looking bread Maureen.

Sol : Who did better on the " No Knead Bread ", you or the 4 year old ?????

Luigi, I didn't stand a chance. The cute little guy actually kissed the bread after mixing it, for "good luck." So he racked up a lot of points right then and there.

Sol..I am going to make that bread because of you:)
And name my first pies after you too:)

Monique, you always manage to leave me feeling kicky. That's right. I said "kicky."

And btw, I baked Steamed Lemon Puddings and a few loaves of Butter Bread. I haven't downloaded any of the pictures yet, so I won't be able to post them until Monday. Je suis désolé, mon ami. (Mme. M., if the spelling is incorrect, please don't point it out. I'd prefer to walk away feeling impressed as he!! with myself. :-Þ

Right now, we're on our way out the door, hoping to beat the dinner crowd.
I'll be back on Monday, and I hope to see you then. Well, I'd better put a squeeze on my chat box, as I'm not just hungry, I'm this hungry.

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Enjoy your weekend!

Sol

A huge thank you to Doucanoe/Linda ... I will never have to eat another dry chicken cake/burger again :) I made these for dinner tonight. Fabulous !! I posted our Dinner on my blog, I did have to adapt according to the ingredients I had in my pantry ... but I always have Hellmans.

I ate mine plain, the food critic ate his on a bun with mayo, lettuce and tomato.

Thanks again for a great burger.

Marigene, how do you make chipolte cream? It looks good.. Is it very spicy? I don't do well with spicy...
Maureen, your breads look delicious..
Sol, love the baby with the watermelon and your little one kissing the bread!
Tonight we had Fettucine with shrimp on a bed of spinach..The shrimp were small, but they were tender and moist...

Sol, my no knead dough is rising and I will bake it tomorrow. I am looking forward to baking some bread as homemade bread has been absent from my kitchen for far too long now.

Kathleen, your clams on the half shell look so good. In FL a dozen oysters were like a $1 and delicious and I miss FL and the wonderful seafood. And your Fettucine with shrimp looks excellent. Shrimp does sound good and we've not had shimp in some time now.

Marilyn, your breads look fabulous and I'm so glad the apple butter worked out for you. Making butters is so easy and basically hands free and they taste so good. LOL funny, that you friend wanted a bigger jar. Those half pints don't last 10 minutes in my house!

Sharon, I bought apples today for the glazed apple cookies. I just can't get enough apples this year, they just taste so good to me.

Linda, the spicey chicken pattie is good, isn't it and so economical too. I got 3 patties out of 1 chicken breast and you can't get much cheaper then that. Just so you don't feel alone I have a resident food critic too.

Tonight we had Chicken Fricassee with Artichokes and Mushrooms and boy was it good. The artichokes really absorbed the Grand Mariner but they tasted just wonderful. It is a long drawn out braising recipe so I won't post unless some one wants it. Just one minor change, I eliminated the crème fraiche and subbed coffee cream. I took pictures but they were blurry, sorry.

I heard today on the radio that Thanksgiving is only 6 weeks away. Good lord, I've not really thought about it. I know we have the every year broccoli salad, candied yams and so on but I usually get some new serving dishes to change things a tad. So.....

Today I bought a big/huge/gigantic ceramic turkey for my island and a darling little serving dish.

Michelle

Those are great, Michelle. Guess you are added to the Dish a holics group, LOL.
I can't leave any fruit out. The fruit flies are horrendous this year. I have little dishes of cider vinegar and lemon dish deterg. scattered around. I have no fruit or veggies out, so I don't know where they are coming from. I scrub everything as soon as I bring it home from the farm!

Marigene - school is great! Still maintaining all A's so far....

We did sweetbreads yesterday in my Meat Fabrication class. All I can say is - how can anyone actually EAT that?

Check out my blog!

Here is a link that might be useful: A Culinary Interlude

Michelle - your plates look wonderful. Beautiful lively colors. And your spicy chicken cake and sides looked great. I'm assuming the spicy chicken cake recipe is in the burger thread, so I'll check there. I'd also love to know how you prepared the brussel sprouts (and potatos? - did I see that right).

Pat - I absolutely love sweetbreads. I've never had a preparation that wasn't delicious. But perhaps it's best that I never had to get so up close and personal with it before eating it. Seems I'm better of not thinking too much about it's origins. Maybe I won't try this one at home.

Lou - wow it's beautiful there.

Linda - thanks for the beef daube recipe. I'll have to try that.

Dinner last night was broiled salmon with yogurt citrus sauce - tasty and easy to make. The last of the fresh corn from the farmer's market. Farmer's market bread. And everyone filled up beforehand on guacamole and cheeses. We had one of my daughter's friends and her family over for the first time. It was a good simple meal that allowed me to spend most of the time with our new guests - and not in the kitchen. (Oh - and we had to order a delivery pizza for the 3 girls - including the teenage sister - none of whom eat anything but pasta, cheese and pizza.)

And we had Limoncello (frozen) as our after dinner - before dessert- drink. Tastes great, cleanses the palate - and allows for some pleasant lingering before dessert.

Lynn.

Pat, I am making your biscuits today, could not wait any longer to try them out. Congrats on the A's!!

Lynn, the roasted veggies is so easy and we eat all of it no matter how much I make.

My usual roast is brussel sprouts and radishes and maybe a potato or two. Just clean your vegetables, put them in a large bowl, drizzel with EVOO about 2-3 T. and 2-3 T. of melted butter. When I can find them I throw in Garlic Flowers too. I just season with fresh ground pepper. Put it all in an uncovered baking dish and pop it in a 400 degree oven until the veggies start darkening, the blacker the brussel sprouts are the better, about 25 minutes or so! Mind how thick you cut your veggies, I half the radishes, as the brussel sprouts cook faster then radishes, beets, etc. We love the roasted radishes, totally different taste v. fresh radishes, but they are not everyone's taste.

Michelle

Thanks, Michelle. I never thought to add butter to roasted vegetables - I've only used oil. And I usually use salt, pepper and sometimes garlic. I'll have to try without salt. I've never roasted brussel sprouts or radishes before - good idea.

I think I'm going to start a thread on this, but tonight's dinner was pasta with no-cook tomato sauce (chopped tomatoes, garlic, parsley, thyme, olive oil, s&p). It was pleasant, but I think it could have been much better (hence, I'll start a thread on it).