food – Page 5 – Peaceful Reader

Weekend Cooking; Tomato Risotto

Good morning weekend foodies!

I spent Friday and Saturday morning at my mother’s farm making salsa from all her farm-fresh, huge tomatoes. This was our second annual event and we had just as much fun although Groovy Girl was not as much help or even all that cheerful as she had an allergy attack.

She loves the chickens though and actually gathered an egg moments after laying. It was warm and her smile was big. My hands were full of tomatoes though so I did not get to snap a photo. If you want to see last year’s post with recipe included click the word SALSA. It is interesting to look back at old posts-I noticed Groovy Girls hair is shoulder-length, it’s grown a lot in one year.

This year I brought home three batches of salsa. The last batch I made (mostly) on my own and did a bit of experimenting. Instead of two cups of sugar I replaced one of those cups with my stepfather’s honey. If it proves tasty next year I’m going to go out on a limb and do two cups of honey. It should still add the hint of sweetness and I won’t be dumping in two cups of white sugar. It’s a salsa revolution!

{NY Times}

In other cooking news this week I made tomato risotto after an email from my sister-in-law said that her and my brother loved this recipe from the NY Times. It just happened to be the day that the Times was hacked AND I couldn’t reach my twitter page. Because I had my heart set on risotto I found this alternative recipe on Emerill’s food network page. It was delicious and Groovy Girl ate three helpings. Emeril’s has cream in it and no basil so she didn’t have to worry about picking out “green things”. I’m not including a photo from Emeril’s page as the picture is less than thrilling. Imagine the above photo with out any green. I added a heavy dose of pepper and freshly shaved parmigiano-reggiano to the top of the adult plates.

Now I’ve made risotto before but for some reason this time I really want to know if any other rice can be substituted for arborio rice? I get that it comes from a special place in Italy but in a pinch can I use another type of rice that I have in my dry storage. Has anyone ever substituted another kind of rice for risotto? I’m curious just to know.

This post is linked to Beth Fish Read’s Weekend Cooking. Click her link to find many other food-related posts. She has an apple cake posted today that sounds wonderful. Have a wonderful Labor Day.

Beautiful Colorado

{Way to go Jen!}

Groovy Girl and I just returned today from a week long road trip to Colorado. We cheered my friend Jen on as she ran her first half marathon. She is gearing up to run the Chicago Marathon in October and she looked so calm during the race that I think she is going to be ready!

This year we did not make it any farther than Denver but had lots of fun in the city. We ate mussels at Le Central, had margaritas on a patio, and had lots of dinners together with family and friends.

Enjoy these few photos as I head to bed. Not only are road trips harder as you get older but I have to be ready to celebrate my 51st birthday tomorrow. I know breakfast in bed is coming early as I have a board retreat for a foundation I am working with from 8-12. My husband and daughter have lots of fun activities planned for the day.

{Penny’s Diner pit stop in NE}

{Jen’s daugher, G.G.’s friend}

{Double rainbow from margarita joint)

O what foodie fun!

We are now back in DC after three fun-filled days in New York.

{College Boy Relaxing at the Milburn}

Our Highlights:

The Millburn-fantastic, friendly staff especially if you get Adam on the phone. The suite we had was spacious and it was wonderful to have the kitchenette space. I could keep my water bottle cold and save the few leftovers we had. We’d go back if we wanted to be in that neighborhood again. I loved the romantic lounge, the breakfast, and the lending library. My husband picked a book for me from the shelf; Pete Hamill’s Forever.

{Groovy Girl w/ her Milk Bar Cereal Milk shake}

{Veggie Bun from Momofuko’s}

Momofuku’s flavors! I loved the veggie bun (David Chang’s) with an egg cracked on top as much as the cereal-infused shake. We hit this spot kind of late last night (8:00-Friday) for us and we walked back to the hotel with food in the bag and shakes in our hand. Guess who finished their shake first?? If you think me; you are wrong. (Groovy Girl took that honor as she sucked it bone dry before her dinner)

{Doughnut bench}

Doughnut Plant; unfriendly staff but delicious doughnuts. I loved my vanilla bean and jam but the big hit was the carrot cake cake doughnut! The cinnamon was powerful and made for an aaaamazing flavor combo.

{Favorite “Big Nick’s” Pizza}

College Boy loved all the easy places to get a slice of pizza and he sampled several “best pizza” spots around town. We had several on the fly meals from local spots like the fish and chips we ordered at 8:00 for dinner while Groovy Girl had a bowl of chicken orzo soup. It was greasy (the fish) but hit the spot.

Friday lunch we went to Lupa in Greenwich Village which College Boy had picked as the one BIG place he wanted to go. He knew about Lupa because Action Bronson worked there as the chef. I’d made a reservation and had talked to staff there before our visit but once we got there I felt much less excited. I knew it was expensive so the prices weren’t a shock but the staff and the ambiance did not provide a relaxing experience. The pace was frenetic and the space was cramped but the kids loved their pasta dishes. I had a lovely spinach salad with roasted fennel and spring peas. I wouldn’t need to go back though. Once was good.

I loved walking through Greenwich Village and as we window shopped I know I spotted Jane Lynch walking through with a beautiful brown leather backpack on her back. We also completely loved Central Park, which was the highlight when I was a teen as well. Groovy Girl and her dad rented one of the motorized sailboats at the pond. We also spent a long time hanging by the Alice in Wonderland statue. All in all it was a wonderful trip, too brief, but it was like giving the kids just a taste of the big city.

Weekend Cooking; The Accidental Vegetarian by Simon Rimmer

Breezed through our one and only bookstore in the Cedar Valley to get a gift card for Groovy Girl’s birthday sleepover this weekend I couldn’t help checking out the front shelf of sale cookbooks. I left with a gift card and Simon Rimmer’s beautiful looking book The Accidental Vegetarian (2004). Don’t those stuffed pimento peppers look delicious on the front cover? I thought so.

I glanced through it quickly before I purchased and several recipes caught my attention like the Black bean and eggplant chili, the eggplant tikka masala, and the Lemon grass risotta with lime leaf tapenade. I don’t know if I can find lime leaves but I’m going to try. Even though Simon is English the recipes are written with American measurements (thankfully) and most seem to have easy to find ingredients.

There are six recipe sections, dips and morsels, salads, small platefuls, big platefuls, side dishes, and desserts. Every few pages a lovely photo illustration is included-nice up close and big so you can really see what the food looks like. The instructions are easy to follow and numbered. I’m going to make the Pumpkin enchiladas with mole sauce when I get home. I love the idea of making my own mole sauce and that I can use a really beautiful butternut squash sitting on my counter. There are tons of eggplant recipes which I love and many ethnic-inspired dishes. The salad section bowled me over with varieties of combinations like Coronation chickpeas and potato salad or the Santa Fe Caesar salad both sound delicious.

As College Boy starts his journey this summer, leaving us for the beautiful Colorado scene, I will be happy to return to more vegetarian cooking. I won’t lose sight of our new enjoyment of local meats but his desire for more meaty meals was what pushed me in that direction in the first place. Groovy Girl is less about the meat and more about simple meals and she loves sweet potatoes!

I know I am going to love this slender soft cover cookbook-I’m so glad I threw caution to the wind and shelled out $7.00 for this one. Find Simon on Twitter @simonrim

In other cooking news my mom gave me a subscription to bon appetit and I wasn’t so sure about it at first but I’ve loved looking through the last few copies. I love that they have family friendly recipes and lots of cooking tips. Thanks mom! This one works. Monday night I am making a Radish and white bean salad for book club featured in the April edition.

{Handsome Husband}

As I type this I’m sitting in a mediocre hotel near the airport in Green Bay, WI while my husband goes for his two-mile pre-race run. Tomorrow he runs the GB Marathon and I will meet up with him at certain locations to cheer him on (make sure he is still breathing…). We’ve traveled to quite a few U.S. destinations based on marathon races. Today though we are going out to explore. We found out that Natural Ovens is not far and we loved their bread when we lived in Chicago so we are going on a tour and buying spree. It also sits close to Lake Michigan and I always love being around large bodies of water. We’ve also heard a rumor of a local brewery we plan to check out. I also would love to find a great cheese shop. Much to do, so little time…

This post is linked with Beth Fish Reads Weekend Cooking meme. Click her link to locate many other wonderful food-related posts. Happy weekend.

18th Birthday-Wow! That can't be right…

{3rd birthday with his hand-painted crown}

College Boy @ age 10
{look at that smile}

Happy Birthday little boy!

Eighteen years ago I gave birth to this amazingly beautiful baby. He was 4 lbs, 3 ozs of joy. My labor lasted less than 10 minutes. I know, crazy! Nursing came easy for both of us. Jealous yet? Well, the flip side is I spent almost a month in the hospital before he was born and a few weeks after as well. The day I was finally released from the hospital with him I ended back up in the hospital hemorrhaging and spent a few days away from him as they couldn’t readmit the him back into the maternity ward. I have high stress pregnancies because I’ve had 2 open heart surgeries and am on a blood thinner for my St. Jude’s plastic valve. Groovy Girl’s birth was just as traumatic with it’s own set of medical emergencies.

So after ALL that College Boy turned 18 today at 7:11 pm. We had an after church lunch together out on the patio in gorgeous weather! My husband grilled two good steaks that we shared with mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, and broccoli. The highlight though was this amazing chocolate cake from Averie Cooks. It was moist and super chocolatey! I believe it will be my go-to cake for all future celebrations as it was easy to put together. I didn’t admit how easy it was to the family though, making them believe it was an intense labor of love I was only willing to go through for special occasions!

{Best chocolate cake with ganache}

The cake is so incredible both my husband and I have been “evening it” out every time we pass it on the kitchen counter. I’ve had to cover it to save both of us and the cake. I followed all the directions to a T except I doubled the recipe. College Boy will want to snack on it all week long and the original was only a 9 x 9 size. I poured the doubled recipe into a 9 x 13 and it is perfect to the top with the frosting. The recipe called for yogurt and that makes the cake super moist. Oh no

In other news I finished reading Jodi Picoult’s Lone Wolf which was wonderful. I like wolves and feel like they get a nasty press. This book did a great job of explaining to me what I already felt; that wolves have an interesting social structure and instincts.

The weekend is almost over but I’m still linking this post to Beth Fish Reads Weekend Cooking meme because I love being part of that community. Click the links to get to the chocolate cake recipe-you WILL want to make it.

Weekend Cooking; Fat chocolate chip cups

This has been quite a year for my school book clubs. They’re organic matter constantly changing and shifting. Generally I’ve had two book clubs and they start out large and then dwindle to a small handful of die-hard book fans that didn’t know they were fans when they started. The whole process is amazing to me.

This year has brought new challenges as I started off bold with three groups; two girl groups and one boy group. Luckily another 5th grade teacher has been willing to help me all year with the second girl’s group. She took the stronger reading group and they’ve read a wide variety of challenging fifth grade material. They just finished The Lightning Thief. Now the gaggle of girls I lead is another story. I like have to lead them like little baby lambs to the book. They are much more concerned about drama and excuses. I’m trying to raise them up and they are all like “this is so hard” but yet they keep coming back. I’ve had a few drop out and I’ve asked a few not to come back and yet we’ve had others join up mid-year and this is why is has been a very natural and organic book club year.

This has also been the first year we’ve served snacks consistently for every meeting. Amanda, the 5th grade teacher, and I alternate bringing treats for the Wednesdays that the girls meet and I solely bring treats for the boys. It is MUCH easier to bring treats for the boys!! They about die for anything I bring for them which in turn make me excited to bring them treats. It is a dynamite cycle. The girls tend to be a bit more picky. I made them little cookie cups near Christmas that had a chocolate mint kiss in the middle and several girls threw them away after just one bite because of the mint. Geez!

This week I made these top notch treats from a recipe I found on Pinterest. I love when a pin takes you to to a blog worth reading and Averie Cooks is just such a blog. The Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups were a huge hit at book club and the children I live with were a little upset that the whole pan wasn’t staying home with them. The cool thing was it was such an easy recipe I’m going to surprise them this weekend with more. This board of Averie Cooks is dedicated to recipes she’s made and I’m especially intrigued by this post about her Top Ten Favorite Chocolate Cake recipes. I’m searching this week for an extreme chocolate dessert for College Boy as he turns 18 next Sunday, the 28th. His only requirement is that it be like chocolate heaven.
Any suggestions?

If you need a special treat this week try those chocolate cups!
This post is linked to Beth Fish Reads Weekend Cooking post-click there for more food-related links.

The Pursuit of happiness through cookies.

I recently finished listening to Bruce Feiler’s audio book, The Secrets of Happy Families and thoroughly enjoyed most of it.

Several points that stood out to me was the chore board, the family mission statement, the deep family conversations, and the variety of new ways to connect with your kids and parents. We’ve always held firm to family dinners around our kitchen table and have fascinating conversations about our days which I always believed gave my kids the idea of empathy towards each other and the world as we discuss politics and events. The family dinner is discussed in the book and Bruce agreed that it is important to gather at the table it is even more important what you talk about the table so I’ve worked harder at discussing family history. With two kids at the table I asked if the kids could think of where their grandparents had gone to school; both high school and college. I was happy that every one enjoyed the conversation which was meant to talk about how each family has had good and bad experiences and all survived better for both experiences.

One of the latter chapters talks about bonding through challenges. The example Bruce uses is through an ex-Navy person who now leads people on grueling challenges which creates a bond between participants. I, myself, am NOT up for that challenge but I came up with a small mini-challenge for my own two-Make cookies together! Didn’t you wonder how I was ever going to pull this around to real food?

Our two younger kids are 7 years apart and have very little in common, their words not mine. Groovy Girl is all dance, glitter, AG dolls, Barbies, and drama while College Boy is all slightly sullen, bossy, king-of-his world attitude and they clash like Kronos’ kids. It was just me and the kids looking for something to do together while Dad was off practicing with his bluegrass band. I casually offered the challenge to them as I handed them the recipe which came attached to a recent purchase of canola oil. While I don’t usually use recipes attached to packages this one appeared easy and kid-friendly.

I got the big mixer out for them and walked away. Groovy Girl, bless her heart, knew to get all the ingredients out first. College Boy took control of the mixer after his sister turned it to supersonic speed on her first go. They worked together quiet easily. She measured, cracked, and stirred, then handed each ingredient to him to add to the dough.

As they worked I shot a few photos on my phone and listened to them chatter about other baking experiences with me. Groovy Girl felt bad about a recent baking experience with her and I where she blasted the mixer, letting flour fly all over the kitchen and College Boy recounted a similar experience when he was younger, which made her feel better. They even smiled at each other a few times. Food is a great bridge for people of all kinds, We join with our families, sharing recipes, sharing traditions, exchanging recipes, and loving each moment. I know my children will bring cooking into their own homes, remembering the times they spent with me in the kitchen and at the table.

The cookie recipe they created together:

Brown Sugar Cookies

1/2 cup Crisco Shortening (I know-blech)

1/2 cup (unsalted) butter

1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 large (farm fresh) egg

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups (unbleached) flour (maybe even a mix of wheat and white)

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat shortening, butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla in medium bowl of with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Stir together flour, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. Add gradually to creamed mixture, beating on low speed until blended.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place two inches apart on un-greased baking sheet.

Bake 12-14 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 4 dozen.

*I wouldn’t cook them until they get golden brown unless you like your cookies crispy. I took several pans out at about 10 minutes because we prefer a softer cookie. Also to the second half of the batch we added chocolate chips as College Boy feels strongly that there is no true purpose for a cookie to exist with out chips in it. I probably won’t make it again, opting to make our regular chocolate chip recipe instead but the experience was worth it.

Enjoy Weekend Cooking at Beth Fish Reads where you will find many food-related posts.

Weekend Cooking: Easter baskets and pie!

{source}

I can remember to Easters of my past, waking up at my Grandma Bruch’s house with a huge basket next to my bed from the Easter bunny. My basket overflowed with green, shiny grass with chocolate bunnies, oval malted eggs and jelly beans of every color poking through the grass. On top looped on the sides was always something to wear for Easter servies at my grandmother’s Lutheran church. I remember a beautiful Easter bonnet, a pair of white gloves, and black patent leather Mary Janes nesting in my basket in different years.

I loved those baskets filled with simple joy and thought it certainly equaled Mary Magdalene’s thrill at seeing Jesus out of the tomb. I’ve kept this tradition going with my own children although I don’t fill their baskets with as much candy as I remember from my baskets. They do usually have an item in their basket to wear for church although as they get older it is difficult to thrill them. College boy is partial to picking his own clothes which leaves me to stock his basket with a packet of white T’s and AE boxer shorts for the last few years.

Groovy Girl, on the other hand, adores the clothes I pick for her. This year I’ve heard that the Easter bunny is bringing her a pair of {audible gasp} high heel patent leather Mary Janes. She’s 10 and I’ve never really allowed her to wear something with a heal even though she’s begged and pleaded. I think she’s going to love them! I predict she’s going to dance with them on all the way across the hardwood floors at 6:10 a.m. as we prepare to head across town for our sunrise service. She’ll probably have chocolate in her mouth as she twirls

Our Easter celebration will end with this pie because what says Springtime more than bright yellow lemons:

Aunt Betty Jean’s Lemon Pie
Sweety Pies; an uncommon collection of Womanish observations with pie by Patty Pinner

One 9-inch single Flaky Pie Crust, rolled out, fitted into a pie plate, and edge trimmed and crimped

1 cup sugar
1 T unbleached all-purpose flour
4 large eggs, beaten
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup (1/2 stick), unsalted butter, melted
1 T. grated lemon rind
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Whipped cream and thinly sliced rinds for garnish

Makes one 9-inch pie

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the pie crust and set aside. (I made the pie crust already but am not including the recipe from the book as it is a pretty standard pie crust recipe-if you really want this one request it in the comments section and I’ll see that you get it)

In a medium-size bowl, combine the sugar and the flour, then add the beaten eggs and corn syrup, mixing well. Stir in the melted butter, lemon rind, and juice. Pour the filling into the crust, place in the oven, and bake until the crust is golden, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Garnish each serving with a dollop of freshly whipped cream and a thin twist of lemon rind.

Oh, my! Pie.

This post is linked to Beth Fish Reads weekend cooking meme. Click her link to find many other food-related posts to brighten your Easter Weekend.

Weekend Cooking; Chef Love.

I’ve made several interesting recipes in the midst of our busy week. I had my heart set on re-making these amazing sweet potato black bean burritos and had even prebaked the sweet potatoes one night while I had the oven on for something else (green idea not to have to reheat the oven) and then my husband used those cooked sweet potatoes as a side for one of his meals. He makes dinner just ONE night a week of which I AM grateful for but he often uses something for his dinner that he thinks I am letting “waste away” in our fridge or cupboard, etc. He’s forgiven though because it is a joy to come home Thursday night and have dinner ready for me no matter what it is.

I easily rebought and rebaked those sweet potatoes and made the burritos the very next week. I also created the Mexican Casserole from Katie Workman’s The Mom 100 Cookbook., which was a huge hit at dinner.

My actual weekend cooking post is about this stack of cookbooks: like a great love affair I can’t live without them.

From top to bottom:

1. Deborah Madison is a queen and one of my first cooking crushes. Some people fell for Paula Deen or Rachel Ray-me it was all about Deborah. It stands to reason that my mother-in-law gave the book to me for a Christmas present about 10 years ago. The book now has a few food smudged pages showing my love. Love.

2. Giada D.L. my second crush helped me take pasta to a new level for my family. I learned to make pesto and a popping cherry tomato sauce through her tutelage. I’ve never watched her show but I’m sure it’s lovely. For me Everyday Italian will be my go-to for fun pasta.

3. Katie Workman is my latest crush. I picked her up at my Scholastic book fair and kept going back for more. Now her book The Mom 100 Cookbook is a staple for what I need. The Mexican Casserole I made this week will become a staple in my menu rotation.

4. The Grit (Athens, GA) Cookbook-okay I know this is a place not a person but if I could go work in one kitchen in the United States it would be at The Grit. Every time I open this book I find a great quote, a perfect recipe, or an idea I can use. I’ve never had the pleasure to eat there but it is on my food adventure bucket list. My mom gave me this one. (Truth: she bought it for herself and I talked her out of it.) Very crush-worthy. Anybody been there?

5. So Sweet! by Sur la Table. Again I know not a chef but just like #4 so worth the help this book gives me. My desserts leaped to new levels after I purchased this book for Groovy Girl. I’ve made many recipes from this tiny book and especially love the whoopie pie section. Yep, I’m crushing on the staff that put this little one together.

If you are looking for a new chef to follow or a new cookbook to love you would not be disappointed with any of these choices. This post is linked to Beth Fish Reads Weekend Cooking meme.

Be peaceful~

Winter Garden

Basil and Rosemary

These two beautiful plants are making my winter much more thrilling in the kitchen. Last night we had lasagna and it was fabulous just to clip a stem and add the fresh basil. I’ve used the rosemary several times over the holidays for my chicken recipes. At our local co-op I bought some delicious rosemary bread and we LOVED it! So I’m thinking I should be able to recreate that myself.

All our snow has disappeared which I hadn’t really thought about until Candace from Beth Fish Reads tweeted photos of the fresh powder they received in PA overnight. Here in Iowa we are snow-less and I am wishing for Spring. I want to be digging in the soil and planting some seeds. To be craving Spring so early is quite a downfall-it’s only mid-January and winter in the Midwest can be most brutal through February and March. Hopefully these two herb plants will help me through. I’ll have to pick a more modest goal to look forward to, like Valentine’s Day! Enjoy the snow or the sunshine where ever you are today!