efoodie

Powerful Pancakes....

  So, I had this thought the other day, after making breakfast at my sister's, that it would be really cool and oh so impressive to memorize the recipe for pancakes, and then casually whip up a batch sometime. But as thoughts often do, this one flitted away, until this morning, when it popped up again. I spent the weekend at a writer's retreat, at a friend's house in Chatham, on Cape Cod. One of the girls, who is hobbling around on a broken foot, mentioned rather wistfully that she'd just love some pancakes and bacon for breakfast. Well, since our hostess was a vegetarian, I knew the bacon was out of the question, but I rather cockily announced that I knew how to make pancakes from scratch. I rattled off the ingredients and then my friend scrunched up her eyebrows, and said, "and a cup of oil, right?"

"A cup of oil!" God, no. I don't think so. Is there oil? Is there that much oil? Shit. I couldn't remember for the life of me if the damn pancakes needed oil.

It turned out that someone  had brought coffee cake, so we were happy and got our sweet fix.

But it got me thinking again about the pancake recipe as I drove home. It was just last weekend that I visited my sister and nieces, and was quite impressed when sister who is not known for cooking, wowed me with the simplest, easiest recipe for pancakes. She makes them all the time, and after watching and learning, I can see why. They're excellent, and couldn't be easier. At any given time you probably have all the ingredients on hand, except blueberries, if you want to add those, and I always do. Nothing like a fresh blueberry pancake where the plump berries explode in the batter and turn the pancakes blue. Just delicious. 

This is ridiculously easy, and it doesn't have any oil.

Just think, next time you visit someone, you can get up early and casually wow them with this simple recipe.

No. 1 Pancakes (everything is measured by 1, super easy to remember) 2-3 servings

1 egg

1 cup milk

1 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar (we don't like them too sweet, since we're adding syrup & berries)

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 cup blueberries (or raspberries, bananas, strawberries, etc.)

Mix everything until well blended in large bowl. Drop by half cup fulls onto buttered skillet over medium heat. Cook a few minutes on each side, until well browned. Serve with additional butter, and maple syrup.

:) Pam

luscious wine find and creamy rosemary scented bean dip

 

I discovered this wine a few weeks ago, on a lazy Saturday afternoon at the Derby Shoppes in Hingham, MA. It's become a bit of a habit lately, meeting a friend for lunch, then wandering through Whole Foods and any other shops that look interesting, and finishing with a quick winetasting at the Derby Street Wine and Spirits. This is a very well run little shop. They do tastings every weekend, and it's almost always wines I've never heard of or tried. At this tasting, I fell in love with this 2002 Cabernet from Honig. At around $32/33 it's more of a special occasion wine for me. But confession here....I just opened it ten minutes ago, because it's been sitting there, taunting me for the past few weeks, and I figured, "what am I waiting for?"

It's just delicious. At the moment, it's my absolute favorite red wine. It tastes the way I always hope a red wine will when I take that first sip. Here's how they describe it, and I quite agree,

Honig Cabernet Sauvignon is deep ruby red in color with complex aromas of ripe black cherry, spicy plum, vanilla bean, and toasty oak. Full-bodied with moderate acidity and rich, supple tannins, the wine offers lush texture and flavors of blackberries, cherries, cocoa and spice. It was aged for 20 months in American oak barrels, 30% new oak. The wine is complex, structured, and beautifully balanced, with soft tannins to cellar 8-10 years. It has a lingering, velvety finish.

If I had to pick one word to sum up this wine, it's LUSH. :)

So, what to have with it? Well, all the usual suspects of course, thick steak, blue cheese, marinated and grilled lamb chops. A nice starter would be this fantastic white bean puree served with crusty bread. The restaurant we went to at the Derby Shoppes, Rustic Kitchen, serves a complimentary dish of a warm bean puree, topped with a drizzle of good olive oil. This was so good, that when I was out to dinner with friends last night, and saw an appetizer of white bean puree scented with garlic and rosemary, I imagined what I had at Rustic Kitchen, only better. What I got was just something different. Good, with a wonderful flavor, but served cold, which would be fine, except that I had such a fond memory of the warm puree at Rustic Kitchen. So, I figured, let's have the best of both worlds....

Warm White Bean Puree scented with Garlic and Fresh Rosemary

Ingredients:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

2 sprigs rosemary, leaves finely chopped

2 cups white beans (cannellini) drained

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Country bread, sliced (I  suggest Panera's Mache or baguette)

Combine the olive oil, garlic and rosemary in a medium saute pan and cook over very low heat for 5 minutes. Add the drained beans, salt and pepper and stir. After about ten minutes or so remove from heat and puree.  Add water to thin as needed. Turn into a serving bowl, drizzle a teaspoon or so of olive oil over the top.

Serve warm with sliced bread, and additional oil to taste.

Enjoy!

Pam

*Weight Watchers update....am down 6 pounds.  :)

Losing Weight eating Chicken Cordon Bleu!

  Well, I survived week one, and amazingly lost 3 and a half pounds! Like many foodies, my biggest issue with weight is portion control. If it tastes good, I want more. Now, I'm re-training myself to be satisfied with less, but making sure what I eat is delicious. When I stumbled onto this recipe, I knew it would be good before I even made it. Is it just me, or can you envision exactly how something will taste just by reading a recipe? I usually can, and love when it's even better than I imagined.

This recipe is very easy, and it also prompted me to cook up a bunch of thinly sliced chicken breasts the next day, using the Panko crumbs and a bit of thyme and rosemary for flavor. A squeeze of lemon and I'm reminded of one of my former guilty pleasures, Veal Milanese, which is breaded and pan fried in olive oil.  It also works as chicken parm when you top with tomato sauce and some lowfat cheese.

Chicken Cordon Bleu, adapted from Weight Watchers, 5 points, one serving.

Just take a 4oz boneless breast, cut or pound to 1/4 inch thick, top with 2 slices of deli ham, and a wedge of laughing cow cheese, garlic and herb or your favorite flavor(lowfat Alouette or Boursin or even goat cheese would also be good). Roll up, then lightly coat with honey mustard or dip in eggbeaters (I like the flavor that honey mustard adds) and roll in either shake and bake or panko crumbs. (I used panko and loved it. Secure with a toothpick,  spray with Pam, and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.

:) Pam

Better than Baja Fresh Shrimp Tacos

I only just recently discovered Baja Fresh Grill, and have fallen madly in love with their shrimp tacos. Mexican is my favorite though. I've been savoring guacamole way before most people in New England even knew what it was.  In high school, I was such a good customer of our local Taco Maker that they repeatedly offered me a job, which I wisely declined. I was already working at the local movie theater, and unlimited free popcorn and damaged candy was enough. I once worked at a Dairy Queen and gained ten pounds my first month from eating all my mistakes. I made a surprisingly high number of them. Same thing happened when I worked at a Blue Chip cookie store, ten pounds in one month.  Do you see a pattern here? I did learn how to make great cookies though, ten different kinds from one master batter. Once my WW life settles down, I'll have to revisit those recipes. :)

But back to Mexican. Have you ever had Taco Maker's Macho Nachos? They truly are amazing. A pile of chips topped with refried beans, lots of freshly shredded cheese and olives, then they steam it quickly so the cheese melts and everything heats and blends together. Add guacamole, sour cream, salsa, and it's pure heaven. I used to eat an entire order without batting an eye. Fortunately, there are no Taco Maker's around any more, not in this neck of the woods. But, there is Taco Bell, and loads of other more upscale Mexican restaurants, like Sam Diego's. Now as suspected, the points value for an order of nachos is just off the charts, double or even triple my daily allotment. So, how to fit Mexican into my WW world?

Baja Fresh. WW wasn't even a thought when I first discovered this chain, which is new to our area. I'm a shrimp addict anyway, so decided to try the shrimp tacos. Baja's claim to fame is all fresh ingredients, and very authentically California style Mexican, which is a bit new for New England. As I mentioned, I was hooked early, probably due to living in Phoenix my Freshman year of high school, where my Dad indulged his love for all things hot and spicy and dabbled in recreating the dishes at home. He made an amazing steak and potato burrito that was filled with a hot and spicy tomato flavored shredded beef and tender potato mixture, that he rolled in flour tortillas and baked in the oven so the outside got all hot and crispy. To this day, that's my favorite way to heat up a burrito. Even those ones they sell in the convenience stores can be upgraded considerably by a quick zap in the microwave and then a fifteen minute bake. Serve it up with salsa and sour cream on the side, and it'll do in a pinch.

I've inherited my Dad's taste for hot and spicy, and at Baja you have the option when you order of mild or hot. Hot is delicious, not too hot, but with great flavor. It's served on a soft, lightly grilled corn tortilla, topped with chopped onion, tomato and cilantro. The shrimp are small, diced and even better with a squeeze of fresh lime that is available on the side. The taco is also served with a small portion of chips, and you can get a little side of guacamole, about a quarter of a cup. This is a tasty small meal that will only set you back 9 points for everything.  If you forego the chips, you can have a second taco and count it as 8 points, plus 2 if you get the guac.

This is already a staple of my WW diet. I introduced a friend to Baja on Saturday, but she wasn't as impressed. She had the chicken though, not the shrimp, and she didn't love the soft corn tortillas. They are an acquired taste, but remind me of my first visit to California, where I first discovered Cilantro. Now, of course it's everywhere. At Baja, they have a salsa bar, like most California places I went to, with different types of salsa, jalapenos, chopped cilantro, and onions.

I've already had these twice in one week, and that wasn't enough, so I decided to try and recreate them at home. I had the corn tortillas on hand because one of my favorite breakfasts, which fits nicely into WW, is scrambled eggs with salsa in a tortilla. You just scramble the eggs, set them aside, and heat the tortilla in the pan until it's nice and soft on both sides. Add the eggs, and salsa and it's delicious, and only 6 points, or a mere 2 if you use egg beaters (the Southwestern ones are good for this).

So, I made my own shrimp tacos for lunch, and they were fabulous. Just as good, better even than Baja and less points. Baja serves each taco with two tortillas. I just use one, so for two shrimp tacos that were overflowing with sauteed shrimp, tomato, onion, cilantro, hot sauce, fresh chopped avocado and lemon, I only used 6 points.

There's two ways you can make these. The way I did it, which involves a little chopping, or you could make it even simpler, by just using a quarter cup of your favorite salsa when you saute the shrimp, then dump them in the warmed tortilla, top with avocado or guac if you like, and more salsa or chopped cilantro and onions.

Here's how I did it.

Shrimp Tacos

This makes one serving, 6 points

4 oz shrimp, about 10 small ones

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon (or tsp...depending on how spicy you like it) hot sauce

1 small tomato, chopped

1 small onion chopped

handful of cilantro, chopped fine

1/4 of an avocado chopped or 1/4 cup guacamole

2 small 6" corn tortillas

Lemon or Lime juice to taste

In skillet over medium heat, add shrimp (I used already cooked ones, if you use raw, you'll just cook a few minutes longer. Shrimp cook very quickly.) Remove tails and discard. Add 2 tablespoons water, and tablespoon hot sauce (I used Frank's red hot. Start with a tsp if you are worried about it being too spicy).  Cook for a few minutes until water evaporates, stirring and dicing the shrimp in the pan into small pieces. Add chopped tomato and onion, and squeeze the juice of half a lemon/lime in. Once the onions and tomato soften and the shrimp are firm, about 2 minutes or so, turn heat off. 

Place tortillas in another skillet over medium heat and cook for 20 seconds or so on each side, until softened. Place tortillas on a plate, top with chopped cilantro and avocado, then add shrimp mixture.

Enjoy!

:) Pam

My First Day on Weight Watchers

I signed up last night, along with two of my friends and regular eating buddies. Since our typical 'night out' these days is cooking in and drinking generous amounts of wine, I'm glad that these two are doing the diet with me. Weighing in was painful. My goal is to lose 20 pounds, which will put me back into a size 4/6, which would be a place I haven't been to in about ten years. :)

So, the diet started today. I'm on the 'flex-plan', which means that everything you eat has a point value that you track throughout the day and you have a certain amount of points per day. Once you reach your limit, you're done.  The good thing is that nothing is off-limits, as long as you factor in the points value. Okay, a few things are off-limits for awhile, like a plate of loaded nachos, which has more points than I'm allowed to have for the entire day. :(

But, I discovered a trick. Yes, I'm only one day into this diet and I'm already looking for ways to be bad. The day started off great, a banana and coffee for breakfast, scrambled eggs and a tortilla and salsa for lunch, snack of pineapple and strawberries. Then 2 o'clock hit, and I wanted substance. God only knows why, because I rarely eat fast food, but I had an overwhelming craving for a Burger King fried chicken sandwich. That's 13 points. More than half my daily total. But if I got a grilled one, it's only 9 points.

I thought about it for all of a minute before running up the road to BK and the drivethru. Got the grilled sandwich and a diet coke, came home, all excited and took a bite. Let's just say I was underwhelmed. The fried one is so much better. I'd eaten half when I had the best idea of the day, throw the other half out. That way I've only used up 5 points.  Next time I'll go for the fried one. :)

So, that's today's great diet tip. If you're craving something, have it, but only have half, or a small portion, so you satisfy the craving and still stay on track with your points.

Tonight's dinner is one of my favorites that happens to be low-fat. I make this on a piece of tin foil, just put the salmon in the middle, add the seasonings, and gather up the sides to cover it fully, like a packet. This helps it steam in its own juices and there's no mess.

     Salmon with Dijon, Honey, and Balsamic

     1 piece of salmon, 6 oz

    1 tsp dijon mustard

    1 tsp honey

    2 tsp balsamic vinegar

   1/4 of a tomato, diced

   1/4 of an onion, sliced thin

Preheat oven to about 350. Place salmon in middle of a one foot square piece of tin foil. Spread the mustard over the top of the salmon, then spread the honey evenly over the mustard. Lay the onions and tomatoes evenly over the salmon. Pour the vinegar over the top. Bring the sides of the foil up and close over the salmon. Bake for about 20 minutes.

One serving, 7 points

:) Pam

favorite appetizer, spiced beef cigars

  Happy New Year everyone!  This is an appetizer I first made last year, thanks to one of my egullet friends, Dejah. It was such a hit at Christmas that I made it again for New Year's and they loved it and are expecting it again this year.  It's a simple, different appetizer that looks impressive and tastes heavenly. The key ingredient is honey, which lends sweetness to the beef and really complements the spices, Cumin, Cinnamon, Paprika and Cayenne. It comes together quickly, but the rolling of the cigars does take a little time. You should be able to mix and bake this in about an hour to an hour and a half. You can also bake these cigars ahead of time, freeze, and then just warm up before serving.

SPICED BEEF CIGARS, based on Dejah's recipe.
   
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp. each of ground cumin and paprika
¼ tsp. each of cayenne pepper and cinnamon
1 lb. lean ground beef
2/3 cup tomato sauce
1 tsp salt
1 egg
1 tbsp honey
¾ cup dry fine breadcrumbs
phyllo pastry (if you buy a box, there are usually two bags inside, just use one, and freeze the other for later)
½ cup  melted butter

1.     Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onions and garlic. Cook a few minutes until tender.  Add spices. Cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Add beef. Cook until meat looses its raw appearance. Add tomato sauce. Simmer 5 minutes. Season to taste. Transfer to a bowl. Cool. Add beaten egg, honey,  and half of the breadcrumbs.

2.     Takie phyllo pastry out of the package and cut the stack of 12 sheets into thirds crosswise so that each strip is about 12” x 4”. Cover with a damp cloth.

3.     Work with 2 or 3 pieces of phyllo at a time. Arrange the pastry in a single layer on your work surface. Have olive oil or melted butter and a pastry brush at hand. Brush oil/butter over the phyllo and sprinkle with bread crumbs.

4.     Form about 1 tbsp. of the filling into a log about 3” long and place it the center at the bottom of the strip of phyllo. Fold edges over the filling and roll up. Arrange on a baking sheet lined with
parchment paper. Brush the top with oil/butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds (if desired, I haven't used them yet).

5.     Bake in a preheated oven 400F/200C oven for 20 minutes  until brown and crisp.

You can freeze them after step #4. When you want to serve them, put them into the preheated oven without defrosting.  Add an extra 5 to 10 minutes to the regular baking time.

You can also bake them then freeze them. To serve, reheat in  oven for 15 minutes.

DIP:   Combine plain yogurt with enough curry paste to taste. ( about 1 tbsp.)

I've never made that dip because someone is deathly allergic to curry, so I made a dip that was half sour cream, and half salsa, and it was perfect. About a half cup of each.

Enjoy!  These are amazingly good.

:) Pam

Books--The Great Blog Experiment

I'm taking a break from the food world today, for a very important cause, using blogs to generate awareness for great new authors/books. This idea is Nadia's, and I think it's a great one, a fun project I am excited to participate in. Details below,

From literary agent, Nadia Cornier's blog,
   

THE GREAT BLOG EXPERIMENT

Our Theory:
Our theory is that readers do have some power – how much, we're not
sure – but we like to think that if readers get really jazzed about
a book and "spread the word" that amazing things can happen for a
book. Since this is old news, we are also proposing that instead of
reading reviews via magazines or simply through amazon – that blogs
are the "review culture" of the future and that if you respect
someone's writing via a blog, you might also respect someone's
opinion of a book they read. What we hope to prove is that with
enough people creating buzz via their blogs (either positive or
negative – we don't care, we believe that all books will have some
of both) a book's sales will shoot up. If this proves to be true, we
will ascertain that not only should authors have blogs (in which to
share important information with readers and other writers) but that
all readers should blog about books they are currently reading –
either enjoying or otherwise – in order to promote books and the
industry as a whole. Bah on the people who say, "Nobody is reading
anymore." Bah! Bah! I say.

The Procedure:

1. I picked a book. Our "criteria" was that - first and foremost -
it wasn't connected in anyway to our agency. Our other criteria was
that it was a book that was poised as a break out novel, but didn't
quite make it -- that we could do a Q&A with the author and the
editor (perhaps even the agent involved) and that while it was a
book that I would heartily recommend (so you aren't going to waste
cash on buying it) it was a book that didn't receive a spot on the
best seller lists. Other, smaller criteria was that it had to be
published recently enough that it was available in bookstores but
long enough that it was no longer receiving "publisher" assistance
on marketing.

The book I picked was:

TEACH ME by R.A. Nelson
ISBN: 1595140840

I'll talk more (as the week goes by) about why I picked this book in
particular -- but suffice it to say that I enjoyed it. I recommend
it. I felt it got a bum wrap being compared to other,
more "sensational" books that came out at a similar time -- and
instead of being used as an example of difference - it was trounced
as being exactly like "all those bad books that parents of teenagers
should watch out for." First of all, that absolutely smacks
of "banning" books, second of all, I have NOTHING against bad
reviews. I have Nothing against saying a book was bad (you're
totally entitled to your opinion) but to do so without actually
READING the book is not only annoying but it is reckless in the
extreme. Don't ruin books for millions because of your ignorance.
And that's how I feel about that.

That said, there are so many different feelings about TEACH ME. I
think this would be a fun book to delve into. I mean, it's not the
kind of book you feel wishy-washy about. It's got a very sensitive
subject matter (about a girl who has an affair with her teacher),
it's got some good writing (which we can also argue about), and ...
well, let's just say that we'll find tons to talk about. I'm
interested in hearing YOUR opinions about this book. It'll teach me
something. No pun intended. Sort of.

2. To have an educated discussion about a book, we need to have
read the book. So -- I'm asking you to go and buy it. It's on
Amazon. It's in your local stores, so when you're doing your
Christmas shopping (and I KNOW your totally snogging the B&N on your
way) stop and pick up a copy and read it. Then come back and post a
comment here. I want LOTS of comments. I want A VIVID DISCUSSION. I
want to see FUR FLY! (heh.. sorry). Today is the 13th. If you plan
on joining in (and i hope you do) please buy it by the 20th of
December.

3. Not only a topic about what makes a book "worthy" or a "break out
novel" -- this is also an experiment to see what bloggers can do. So
I need your help. I need you to help SPREAD THE WORD. Cut & Paste
this info (or link to it) from your own blog -- post it to your
writer's groups. Spread the word and get other people involved. Link
them back here to :: www.livejournal.com/~agentobscura :: -- Once
you do, send me an email at blog[at]firebrandliterary[dot]com --
with your name & your URL and where you first heard about this
experiment.... and to thank you for helping I'll send you a cool
button for your blog that says you've participated and I'll also add
you to my list of "particpants" that I'll post at the end of the
experiment... so everyone can see their fellow particpants and can
go visit one another's sites. For anyone who receives a lot of
mentions in the "Where I first heard about this experiment" -- I'll
send you a special participant button to post on your website or
blog. Because then you'll be special ::wink::.

4. Come back here and lets rant and rave about the book.

5. I'll post more of the Q&As on break out novels (writing,
publishing and promoting them) -- as well as a Q&A about the process
THIS book went through from the author & editor.

6. I'll post the results of the experiment (how many people - we
believe - participated, how many copies sold during this time, if
there was a major spike, etc). And then we'll discuss what all this
data means.

So... I hope you get involved. I really need your help to make this
work. :) So, spread spread spread.... (the word, obviously).

Thanks for your help, in advance, I can't wait to see how this
goes!!! If it goes at all!!!

Additional thoughts from me on this,

I think this is a fantastic idea. I'm buying the book today, was curious about it anyway after hearing about it on Diana's blog, and even though this is not the slightest bit food related, I'm taking a break from my usual programming to post this today. I think it's such an important thing, and I feel very strongly that blogs, when used well, can sell books, and spread world of mouth like crazy.

If the sentiment is genuine. The blogs that sell me books....and lots of them, are the ones where the blogger says something like, "This book really moved me, or blew me away, or whatever, because...." and then there's a link to more on the book and author. This is how I've been introduced to many new authors/books, and if it sounds interesting, my next click is over to Amazon for an impulse purchase. That is how powerful blogs can be.

The blog posts that don't move me so much, the ones that just feel like generic re-posts, promos of pre-packaged interviews that are cut and pasted onto a series of blogs for a week or two when the book comes out. I just don't take these as seriously, because in most cases, they're ads. Sure, sometimes there's a nudge from the blogger, "check this book out, it's really great". But, that usually doesn't move me so much.

:) Pam

The $14.99 "Panini Press" that rocks

Yes, it's the little George Foreman grill.  The poor man's panini press, that is surprisingly, every bit as good as the fancy ones in William's Sonoma that went up by $20 this year. That's how popular the $80 Krups model was last year, so why not 'improve' it and jack the price up to $99?  I was actually planning to buy that $80 model this year, and was dismayed to discover it no longer exists.

But, then I had a bit of an epiphany one day, when the sandwich I'd ordered as a panini from my local deli, wasn't. When I got home and opened the box, I discovered that my rare roast beef, lettuce, tomato and onion, with blue cheese dressing (a truly amazing combo), was just cold and lonely on the braided Italian roll. I took a bite, and it just wasn't the same. Something had to be done, but what? Then I remembered that tucked away, collecting dust in a corner cabinet, was my George Foreman grill. Like most people, I got one when they first came out, used it for a few months, until the novelty wore off, and then put it away. I figured it was worth a shot.

Well, let's just say that my little George Foreman grill hasn't gone back in the cupboard since! It blew me away how well it worked as a panini press. It put the same marks on it, and got the same toasty crunch on the outside, and warm meltiness on the inside. I decided to put it to the true test by seeing how it would do with my favorite bread, Panera's country white. I'd cooked a small turkey breast just after Thanksgiving, so I could have leftovers for a week, and first thing I did was to slice off enough meat for a sandwich, slathered on a bit of mustard and mayonnaise, and put it all between two slices of the bread. Ten minutes later, I had the perfect, grilled panini. It was so good, that for two days, I had turkey paninis for lunch and dinner, and yes, even breakfast one day.

So, the point of all this is that you don't need to spend a hundred dollars on a fancy panini press, when old George is on sale on Amazon for a mere $14.99.  Just think of all the presents, and turkey you can buy with the money you'll save. 

:) Pam

Leftover spaghetti sauce? Throw in a chicken!

  Don't you just love it when an experiment works? And works so wonderfully that you know you'll make it again and again? I had such a success the other night with a batch of leftover spaghetti sauce. We've just started getting snow here, there's maybe two inches on the ground, and the forecast is for another 4-7 today, so I had that in mind when I stopped by my local butcher yesterday.

I stocked up on coldcuts, and good Italian bread, and then had an inspiration for how to use up my leftover sauce. I got one chicken breast, bone-in, and headed home. I almost always buy my chicken breasts bone-in now, as it's less expensive, and much better I think. I roast them breast down, usually with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper and a bit of rosemary, and they always come out super moist and flavorful, far more so than the boneless breasts.  So, after stripping off any remaining bits of fatty skin, I plopped the breast into a big shallow pan.  I stuffed the cavity with a handful of fresh basil leaves, and poured my leftover sauce around the chicken, so it came up about halfway on the sides. I then splashed in about a quarter cup of red wine, and popped the pan in the oven at 375 for about an hour, then I turned the chicken breast up and cooked for another 15 minutes, to get rid of all traces of pink. Then I flipped it back over, took it out of the oven, and let it sit for another 15 minutes before serving.

I can't even begin to tell you how wonderfully this turned out. The chicken soaked up the flavor of the sauce, which picked up the flavor of the chicken, and it was just completely delicious. I served mine with a side of buttered corn and green beans, but bet it would be wonderful over pasta.  This is so easy, and tastes like you spent a lot of time on it. I'm having the leftovers today, and expect that they'll be just as good, if not better after a night's rest.

Enjoy!

:) Pam

Cocktails and Cheesecake

I should probably clarify that this picture isn't quite what the pumpkin cheesecake will look like. The recipe I'm sharing is actually much prettier, and has a swirly caramel pattern on top, not these blobs of whatever they are. But, since I have to wait for Santa to deliver a new digital camera, I can't be too choosy about what I throw up for images. This is close enough.  :)

This dessert was by far the biggest hit at our Thanksgiving feast. My brother-in-law' s Aunt made it, and everyone was so impressed, because she doesn't love to cook the way the rest of us do, and it was so amazingly good. It's hard to decide what I like most about this dessert, it could be the creamy cheesecake that is the perfect blend of pumpkin flavor and rich, yet airy cheese filling, or it could be the crust, which is a wonderfully delicious mix of brown sugar, pecans and the key ingredient, crushed gingersnap cookies. Add a thin sour cream based topping with drizzles of caramel and it makes for one spectacular dessert. Easy to make, and looks like it came from a bakery. Here's the link to the recipe on Epicurious, this is from Bon Appetit, and you know it must be good when it has close to 200 rave reviews from people who have made it.

Now, onto cocktails. Here are two of my all-time favorites, and now that we're into holiday season, they might be fun to make at your next party. One is very common, a Cosmopolitan, and you no doubt have had it many times, maybe even made it yourself, but my little twist, that I learned from a bartender friend, raises it to a new level of flavor. It's also a bit dangerous, because you might be tempted to have more than one. :) 

The other is one that you probably haven't had, and it's ideal for people who don't think they like shots, or who prefer sweeter drinks. You can have this on the rocks, or shake it up good and pour it into shot glasses and it will have a nice foamy froth on top. I learned this one from my favorite Chinese restaurant on Cape Cod, the Tiki Port, and it's my friend Judy's favorite shot. She never had any interest in shots until she was introduced to the Pineapple Bomb, which is simply equal amounts of pineapple juice, Southern Comfort, and Amaretto. Shake it furiously so it develops a nice froth, and then pour into shot glasses or over ice.

The Perfect Cosmopolitan

1 1/4 ounces vodka (about 2 1/2 tablespoons)

1/4 ounce Rose's lime juice (about 1/2 tablespoon)

1/4 ounce triple sec or Cointreau (about 1/2 tablespoon)

1/4 ounce  simple syrup (about 1/2 tablespoon)

1/4 cup cranberry juice

1 cup ice

Mix all ingredients in a shaker with ice, strain into martini glass, and garnish with piece of lime.

Simple syrup is the key ingredient that lends a bit of sweetness and smooths the edges.

It's very easy to make, just put a cup of sugar and two cups of water in a sauce pan, bring to a boil and stir until the sugar dissolves. Pour into a jar, cover tightly and refrigerate. It can be added to any cocktail as desired.

Enjoy!

Pam