Pots and Pins

Biscoff Spread/Speculoos...

Feel free to consider this post a Public Service Announcement...I know something YOU need to know...so sit up and pay attention!  The information I'm about to impart will rock your world...but first, a little background:  These delicious little caramelized biscuits/cookies come from a Belgium Bakery and are famous for being served on domestic and international airline flights.  The mister and I fought over a package on our return flight from France...I let him have them and while he was stuffed into his micro-coach seat enjoying his victory, I waltzed up to the Flight Attendant and asked her if I could have another package...she gave me three!  I ate one package, containing two cookies, before returning to my seat and then hid the others to savor once I had returned home...all's fair in love, war and cookies!

And savor them I did!  That would have been the end to my Biscoff story except that last week my dear foodie friend Joni in Sacramento emailed to tell me I must RUN to the nearest World Market and buy a jar of Speculoos!  And so I did.  But once at World Market I couldn't find Speculoos anywhere!  Luckily, one of the staff knew what I was talking about and handed me a jar of Biscoff Spread. 

The spread, like the cookies, has a unique taste - not just caramel, but cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg, ginger and white pepper...it's a down-right yummy-gingerbread-y tasting spread that only has 88 calories in a tablespoon making it practically a free food!

I wasn't sure what to do with it once I got it home...my nieces and I ate it on toast, celery, crackers, English muffins, waffles and on sliced apples...all fabulous.  And Joni pointed out that this spread would be wonderful in all kinds of desserts...from fillings in cakes, cupcakes or crepes to a topping on ice cream or brownies or whatever!!  Check out the Biscoff Recipe site for some great ideas! 

If you don't have a World Market near you, you can order the spread and the cookies on line by clicking here, it comes in smooth and crunchy (the crunch is from bits of the cookies!)

Lastly, to be completely honest, forth-right and true...my name is Nan and I'm a brand-new Biscoff Addict.  Please don't send help.  And you're welcome. 

 

Better Butter, Bad Martha, Bird Boy Shirt...

Let's start with the better butter...what's that?  How could one possibly make butter better?!  All you need is a cute cookie cutter - cute butter is better butter!  This Thanksgiving you can have better butter by shaping your butter into a turkey or a leaf for your T-day feast!

 

 

 

If you have a 3-D chocolate mold of a turkey or a leaf, you can use that...but I was fresh out.  I have a 3-D bunny mold but it only comes out at Easter...anywho, cookie cutters work great and it doesn't matter if they are plastic or metal.  Line a plate/cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Using softened/room temperature butter (do not melt it!) smush it into the cutters.  Put the cookie sheet into the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes,then remove and you'll be able to plop those beautiful shapes of butter out onto a pretty plate!

That would be your bad lighting shot!  But just look at my beautiful and festive butter!  I stick of butter per cookie cutter is what I used...if your cutters are bigger you'll use more, if they're smaller, get a bigger one!

 

 

 

After making my butter I came across an idea from Martha...but alas, it was not a good thing!  Martha "likes to make these sugar turkey to decorate her buffet table..." and what buffet table would be complete without a sugar turkey?!  So I followed the instructions, using my leaf and turkey cookie cutter and smushed some of the 4 lbs of brown sugar with 3 tablespoons of water into my cutters...the directions said to let them sit for a few days to harden...it's been FIVE days and they are STILL not ready!

  When I tried to un-mold a turkey after 5 days it crumbled immediately.  So if YOU saw the cute sugar turkeys Martha has in her magazine this month and want to try them...good luck!  I'm sure one of Martha's many minions made these for her...in JULY...because it would take MONTHS for these to harden!

Thanks to She She Made for the idea for Max's Turkey Shirt this year...Max is a little stubborn about his clothes, preferring to only wear shirts with trucks, helicopters, or Mahter/McQueen on them...but he does love circles so I'm hoping those big circles for eyes will convince him to put this on!

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One year ago:  Thanksgiving "Blessings" Mix  

Two years ago:  Molasses Pork Roast

Three years ago:  Baked Sweet Potatoes With Maple Sour Cream

Four years ago:  Give Thanks Pillow

 

Max is now 3 1/2 - such a big boy!  The only thing that could make our Thanksgiving better would be to have Max at our table!  It's just not right when kids have kids and move away!!

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Crock-Pot Apple Butter...

While I was at my mom's a few weeks ago, we managed to do a bit of canning...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 We put up peaches and pickles...as you can see, some of the pickles were "colorized"...mom put green food coloring into some, the others were left au naturale!  And in between the canning we managed to spend a good bit of time with Max...we even went to his little school to see him in action - there are 4 kids in the class, all with autism, and 3 adults - two aides and a special ed teacher - it's a wonderful place for him to be.  Below is a pic of Max walking to the bus with one of the aides...I asked the girl why she would buy him such a HUGE backpack!  And she said, "I didn't buy it - YOU sent it to him!"  If I only had a brain... 

 

Max loves Mahter and anything Cars...so now you know what I spend my money on!  Okay, let's make some Crock-pot Apple Butter - it could not be easier!  Mom and I made a huge batch in her Crock-pot while I was there, and she sent me home with a suitcase of apples so I could make some for myself!

 

 

 

The hard part with making apple butter is peeling and coring the apples...after that it's a cinch!  If you have an apple corer/slicer, it will go much faster, but mine broke so I just used a paring knife.  The apples go into the Crock-pot with some spices, vinegar and juice and then the lid is put on and you walk away for about 6 or 8 hours!  Your house will smell amazing!  When the apple butter is done, use an immersion blender to puree the apples, or you can use a regular blender, pureeing in small batches so you don't get burned.  Fill sterilized jars and once cooled, you can keep them in the refrigerator or you can process them in a hot-water bath so they'll keep indefinitely - which is what I did.

 

 

 

 

My mom's Crock-pot was larger than mine and it must have cooked at a higher temperature, the apple butter we made there was done in 6 hours - it was thick and delicious.  My apple butter took 7 1/2 hours until it was thick enough to bottle - but maybe that's because I lifted the lid after 6 hours to check, and then again after 6 1/2 hours...and every time you lift the lid on a Crock-pot you need to add about 20 more minutes of cooking time!

 Crock-Pot Apple Butter - Pots and Pins

10 lbs. of apples, I used Granny Smith apples

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons cider vinegar

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon cloves

3/4 cup apple cider, or apple juice or water

Wash apples.  Peel, core and slice into 1/4-inch slices.  I put my slices into a large bowl with a 1/4 cup of water and a 1/4 cup of lemon juice so the apples wouldn't turn brown.  This isn't necessary but I took my time peeling the apples so I wanted to keep them fresh.  If you do this, be sure to drain off the water/juice and rinse apples before putting them into the Crock-Pot.

Fill Crock-pot with apples.  Add spices, vinegar, lemon juice and apple cider.  Put on lid, turn to high and let cook, undisturbed, for 6 hours.  After 6 hours remove lid and using an immersion blender, puree the apples.  If you don't have an immersion blender (get one!) transfer, in batches to a blender and puree until done.  If the apple mixture is thick enough, then you can pour it into sterilized jars.  If it not as thick as you would like, put the lid back on and allow to cook for another hour or two, checking every hour to see if it's ready.  If you are going to process the apple butter in a hot-water bath, do so for 20 minutes, then allow jars to sit on the counter top until completely cooled.  If you don't process the jars, keep in refrigerator, should last about a week.  I was able to can eight half pints of apple butter...just enough to last me through the chilly Autumn weeks ahead.

Roasted Salsa...

We had some friends over for dinner this past weekend...and you know what that means, cleaning, cooking, baking and the mister fretting over bald spots in his lawn (not so worried about the one on his head!)  You see, there are only a few things that the mister has true ownership over...his comb, his golf clubs, the old metal file cabinets in his office and the front lawn.  Everything else falls under my domain...yes, I realize it's not fair but since when is life fair?!  The mister takes pride in his possessions and his grass-growing abilities...but this year, where the grass should have been there was more moss and weeds than grass (we do live in a rain forest)...so he purchased enough chemicals to neutralize a landfill and set about destroying the weeds.  In the process he created a few dead zones where it now appears nothing will ever grow again...So back to the dinner party, everything went swimmingly, we had a great meal, the weather was perfect and as our guests were leaving, heading out the front walk, one of them said, "What's with the spots?  Are you trying make crop circles?  Trying to attract a few UFO's?"  And just like that we went from having dead zones to crop circles to UFO landing spots...the mister was not amused and started to explain what had happened, but no one listened, they were too busy laughing at the thought of him trying to communicate with something out there!

 

 

 

You won't believe the difference roasting makes!  It's fantastic!  This is my new favorite salsa - I've made it about a half dozen times in the last two weeks - it's addictive!  **You can roast your veggies in the oven (more about that in the recipe below) but this time I roasted my veggies on our grill, until the outside of the peppers were charred and the onions were nicely browned.  Once all the veggies are roasted to perfection, they are seeded, stems removed and everything (except the corn) is put into the food processor with fresh cilantro, a squeeze of lime and a drizzle of olive oil...I'm telling you, this will knock your sombrero off!

The corn is removed from the cob and added to the pureed veggies...then it's time to dig, I mean dip, in!  We are big salsa eaters...in fact, I come from a long line of salsa eaters, not to be confused with salsa dancers, however, eating this salsa will probably make you want to dance the salsa...it's that good!

Roasted Salsa - Pots and Pins

1 large while onion, sliced

1 large red pepper

1 large green pepper

1 clove elephant garlic (sweeter and more mild than regular garlic and the cloves are huge!)

4 tomatoes

2 corn on the cobs

1 Anaheim or Pasilla pepper

1 small jalapeno pepper

2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil plus more for brushing on veggies

1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste

1 teaspoon black pepper plus more to taste

1 bunch of cilantro, stems removed

juice of 1 lime

Heat grill until hot, place all veggies on grill and lightly brush with olive oil.  Place corn off to the side or on a higher rack so it is not directly over the heat, it needs to cook for about 15 minutes, rotated every 5 minutes, until it is done.  Close the grill lid and allow peppers, tomato and onion to cook for about 5 minutes, then rotate and repeat.  You want to char the veggies, blister the skin, on all sides.  The onions will brown fast, so remove them when they are done to a plate to cool.  When the peppers, chilies and tomatoes are done, remove to a plate to cool slightly. 

Set corn aside.  When veggies are cool enough to handle, remove stems, seed and roughly chop.  You can also remove some of the charred peels but I like to leave a little on as it adds flavor.  Place all veggies into bowl of food processor or blender, add cilantro, salt, pepper, 2 tablespoons olive oil (add another if you want it to be a bit creamier) and the juice of 1 lime.  Process until fairly smooth, with no large pieces.  Remove corn from cob, using a sharp knife (if you stick the cob into the hole of a Bundt pan and slice downward, the corn will fall into the pan instead of flying around the kitchen.)  Stir corn into the salsa.  Add more salt and pepper, if needed.  Salsa can be eaten immediately, although it will be warm or you can refrigerate it and eat it cold.  Makes about 3 cups.

 This is dang good, 5 dangs on the ol' meter...and really, it's healthy and good for you and practically diet food, if you don't eat too many chips! This is a very adaptable recipe, if you want more heat in your salsa, add another jalapeno, if you want less heat, just use half of the jalapeno or omit it altogether.

**To roast your veggies in the oven, remove tops, stems, seeds and slice into 1-inch slices and place on a rimmed baking sheet.  Drizzle olive oil over all.  (I did not roast the corn in the oven but cooked it in the microwave, husks left on, cooked on full power for 2 1/2 minutes, then turned over and cooked for additional 2 1/2 minutes.  Let corn sit in husks until cool enough to handle, this also helps to steam them a bit, then remove husks and set aside.) Put in 325 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours, or until the veggies are soft and starting to brown/char.  Remove and follow recipe above for seeding, chopping and putting into food processor.

***I love roasting tomatoes in the oven, they add so much flavor to salads, especially pasta salads and will keep in the refrigerator for about 3 days.  Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.   

Mustard-Apricot Ham Glaze...

With Easter coming, I wanted to try out a new glaze for the ham - something a bit different.  I love mustard on ham, but I also like sweet glazes; when I came across a recipe that combined both the sweet and the savory I knew I was on to something!  I loved how this turned out...it's got a nice little kick to it and will really make our Easter ham into something special!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mustard-Apricot Ham Glaze - Adapted from Claire Robinson, Food Network.com

1 cup apricot or fig preserves, or a combination of both 

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

1/3 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup bourbon

Mix all ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for ten minutes.  Reserve 1/4 cup of glaze to use in a "gravy" and baste ham with remaining glaze.  Baste 30 minutes before ham is due to come out of the oven.  After basting, do not cover with foil.  Read below for instructions on how to make "gravy" out of the remaining glaze. 

This is how I'll make my ham this Easter (it's how I cook my ham every year, whether I use the glaze that comes with the ham or a new one, like this one that I'll be using this year):  I purchase a bone-in ham (about a 10 lb. ham or close to it), put it into my baking dish, cut cross-hatch marks into the rind, making a diamond pattern, and pour a can of Diet 7-Up over the ham.  Cover with foil and bake for about 45 minutes to an hour.  Remove foil and brush with glaze, forcing it into the cross-hatch cuts.  Most of it will run down into the drippings and 7-Up but that's okay.  Leave the ham uncovered and bake for an additional 30 minutes.  When the ham is done, remove it from the oven, drain all of the juices into a sauce pan, stir in the remaining 1/4 cup of glaze and boil it.  After it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and let it simmer for 5 to 10 minutes to thicken up a bit.  Then pass this "gravy" along with the ham.  It's going to be good!!! 

Preserved Lemons...

The mister and I made our weekly late Saturday night run to the grocery store and as I was putting eggs, butter and yogurt into the cart I asked him if he could see where the Ricotta cheese was...he pointed down the aisle and said, "The cheese is down there."  A lady, pushing her cart by us, started to laugh and said, "I thought you said, "Jesus is over there!"  To which the mister replied, "Oh noooooo, I'm not ready to see Jesus just yet!"  It was pretty funny...the thought of the mister meeting Jesus over a carton of Ricotta - or anywhere for that matter, makes Lazarus being raised from the dead seem like a mini-miracle!

 

 

 

Why preserve lemons?  Because they are delicious in salads, they can be chopped and sliced and sprinkled on top for extra flavor or added into side dishes like rice, risotto or couscous or in chicken dishes...in anything you would normally use lemons in, see below for a few more ideas.  They taste like muted lemons without any of the sour tang - they have a clean taste, so they add a very nice undertone to whatever dish you put them in.  Adding a bit of preserved lemon to steamed veggies is going to rock your boring-veggie-eating-world!  And because this time of year lemons are cheap - two for a buck!  And because they are beautiful stuffed into jars sitting on the counter!

This COULD NOT be EASIER!!  No processing is involved and you only need TWO ingredients...lemons and salt.  The salt is the preservative...keeping the lemons fresh without their usual tartness, so they are truly edible, skins and all!  There are many recipes for Preserved Lemons on the internet, most of them call for adding spices, like a cinnamon stick, peppercorns, bay leaves, coriander seeds, etc., but I prefer to keep them simple - that way I can add just the lemon flavor to my recipes - but if you want to add spices, go ahead!

 

 

 

After scrubbing the lemons clean, they are quartered, but not cut all the way through because it's easier to salt the lemons this way, in one big piece, than many little pieces.  Keep them in a bowl so the juices accumulate in the bottom - you'll want the juice.  When packed into clean jars, more salt is added and then the lids are put on - that's it.  Except for the curing time...which is thirty days...but during those thirty days you can plan how to use them and smile every time you see them on your counter because they're so pretty!

(This above picture was taken right after the lemons were put into jars - you'll notice that there is very little juice in the jars...so the extra lemon juice has not been added yet.) 

Preserved Lemons - Adapted (quite heavily) from Edible Seattle

8 lemons plus a few more for adding juice, if needed.  (If you use Meyer lemons use 12 as they are not as big as Eureka lemons.  I used Eureka lemons because that's what my store carries...Meyer lemons are much sweeter so when they're available I'll make some with them as well.)

2 cups salt

jars and lids

Put one tablespoon of the salt into the bottom of the jar. Cut the lemons into quarter sections but don't cut all the way through.  Salt inside each lemon, rubbing salt on all sides.  Place lemons into a large bowl, squeezing just a bit to release some of the juices.  When lemons are all liberally salted, separate each lemon into four separate sections.  Place sections into jars, pressing down as you go, packing tightly.  Sprinkle a little more salt on top.  Put on lids.  Allow jars to sit on counter top for 24 hours, turning upside down occasionally to distribute the salt.  After 24 hours, if all of the lemons are not completely covered in their own juices, open jars and add lemon juice, with the extra lemons, until lemons are totally submerged.  Leave a bit of headroom in the jar and then put the lids back on.  Allow to sit, in a draft free, not in sun, room temperature place, for thirty days, turning occasionally.

To use the lemons, first rinse them and then remove the pulp (you can't really rinse all of the salt out of the pulp so if you want to use the pulp then it's best kept for stews or sauces but be sure to adjust the salt in the recipe accordingly, as they will add saltiness). Slice the rinds and use with your favorite lemon dishes or as garnishes to cakes and pies...you are going to love them!  The lemons do not need to be refrigerated while curing, but after they are cured and completely soft, store them in the refrigerator and use within six months.  Makes 8 cups.

(In the picture above the lemons have been sitting on the counter for about 18 hours, notice that the jars are now almost filled with juice - in a few more hours I'll add a little lemon juice to the jars so the lemons are completely submerged...then the waiting begins!)

P.S.  A jar of Preserved Lemons makes a wonderful gift for a cook/baker!

P.S.S.  Here are a few of my favorite recipes that will benefit from Preserved Lemons, either by adding them into the recipe or using them as a garnish on top...and this is only a fraction of my lemon recipes!!  As you can tell, we like lemon around here!

Lemon Mousse Cake

Lemon Ricotta Cake

Lemon Pound Cake

Meyer Lemon Cream Crepe Cake

Meyer Lemon and Tarragon Vinaigrette

Roasted Lemon Garlic Chicken

Carrot Soup with Ginger and Lemon

Crock-pot Lemon Chicken

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One more little tip about lemons...my dear friend Bev wrote to say you can freeze lemon slices to use in iced tea or Diet Coke!  Wash lemons and slice thinly.  Lay them flat on a cookie sheet and freeze.  Once frozen they can be put into a plastic bag and when you need a lemon slice or two just remove them and plop into your drink! 

Thanks Bev - I'm going to do this!

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One year ago:  Brown Sugar Strawberry Pie

Two years ago:  Rainbow Block Swap

Three years ago:  Family, Fajitas, Flan and Firearms...

 

Mustard Remoulade Sauce

When we lived in Rogers, Arkansas, hardly a thriving metropolis, in the Northwest corner of the state, I just about went nuts...hold your thumb and index finger one inch part...I came THAT close!  We lived in a beautiful home, and the countryside was pretty, but there were more cows than people and the cows had more teeth in their heads than the people did, too!  Not that there's anything wrong with being toothless...but it was in such sharp contrast to the other half that lived in this little community...the other half being millionaires from Wal-Mart, JB Hunt Trucking, Tyson Foods, Hudson Foods, etc., etc.,...you could throw a rock in any direction and hit a millionaire...or a greeter at Walmart...or a cow.  (Oh, don't assume we were part of the other half, we weren't, we were a part of a teensy group of people in the community that fell between the millionaires and the toothless...not rich but we had all of our teeth.)  We spent two and a half years in Arkansas before we escaped and most of the time I was deeply conflicted...the back of our house looked out into a pasture of cows...can I just tell you how hard it was to BBQ anything with those big, brown cows eyes looking back at me?!?  It got so bad that I considered moving the grill to the front porch except in Arkansas no one has a grill on their front porch...guess it's because there just isn't enough room for a grill with the washing machine, sofa and a quarter ton of miscellaneous metal.

 

  
 

 

 

Please don't think my time in Arkansas was total misery for me because it wasn't.  It was only 98% miserable...bugs, snakes, spiders, chiggers, critters, rodents, humidididity (humidity doubled) and tornadoes...so really, what was not to love?!?  (I plan to discuss all of my "issues" with Mother Nature when we meet in the great beyond.)  I did meet some wonderful people and I discovered some wonderful recipes - this is one of them. 

Yes, it's green, and it's insanely good and easy to make, too.  Some remoulade sauces are red, like the ones you'll find in the deep South where Paprika is used to give it a nice red color, looking more like the cocktail sauce we're all used to.  Here's a little history on remoulade for you...it came from France and was originally created to accompany meat dishes.  It didn't take long for remoulade to make it to this side of the pond where it became a staple on many fish dishes - almost like a spicy tartar sauce.  Which is why it's so great with fish, especially fried fish, crab cakes and my favorite, shrimp!  But it's also great on chicken and turkey, too...and sandwiches...a turkey sandwich with Mustard Remoulade becomes a gourmet sandwich worthy of a cloth napkin!  The only similarity between Mustard Remoulade and your garden variety cocktail sauce is the kick from horseradish, but that's where the similarity ends.  Mustard, green onions and parsley combine to give this sauce it's unique color and the rest of the ingredients give this sauce a depth you just can't find in a jar.  It's a party in your mouth!

Mustard Remoulade Sauce - Adapted from The Junior Auxiliary of Rogers, Arkansas

Juice from two large lemons, about 1/4 cup

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup chopped yellow onion

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1/4 cup chopped celery

2 tablespoons prepared Hot Cream Horseradish

3 tablespoons Hot Mustard

3 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard

3 tablespoons ketchup

4 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoons black pepper

 

Combine all ingredients in blender or food processor and process for 30 seconds. Use immediately or store in an airtight container.  This makes a little more than two cups and will keep in the refrigerator for a week.

House Salt...

When the mister and I got married, a friend gave us a bottle of their very own "house salt," along with a card that said, "Put a little spice into your life."  And so we did.  We used that salt on everything...salad, meats, potatoes, casseroles...and then we ran out.  Our friend had given us the recipe, on the back of the card, but it had disappeared in one of our many moves.  And so had our friend...she got caught climbing over her back fence on her way to meet her boyfriend, apparently she put more than a little spice into her life...her husband took umbridge, (along with the kids, house, car and the dogs)...they divorced and she moved away with her snogger, never to be seen or heard from again.

  

 

 

 

Through trial and error, I came up with our own house salt and we usually always have a large Mason jar of it in the pantry.  This past week I hosted a kitchen bridal shower and I gave the bride-to-be a bottle of our house salt - and told her to put a little spice into her life.  I decided to give the guests their own bottle as a favor.  I found cute little containers at Cost Plus World Market for 99 cents each, (without holes in the top - I did look for salt shakers but couldn't find any that were reasonably priced!), washed and dried them, then filled them with our special salt. 

This salt is great on meat - from steaks to chops to meatloaf - and chicken and turkey, too!  It's got just a little bit of a kick, thanks to Cayenne pepper, which you could omit if you wanted or add more of - whatever flips your pancakes!  Just think of this as a really good seasoning salt - because that's what it is - if you don't know what seasonings to add, just add this salt, you won't be sorry.

House Salt - Pots and Pins

1 container (26 oz.) salt (I use Morton's Iodized salt)

4 Tablespoons ground black pepper

4 Tablespoons Cayenne pepper

2 1/2 Tablespoons garlic powder

2 1/2 Tablespoons chili powder

1 Tablespoon onion powder

Cover your nose and mouth with a dish towel...it will prevent you from inhaling some of the pepper "dust" which will make you cough, sneeze and cry like a baby.  Trust me - you'll look like a bandito but it will be worth it!  In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix with a whisk.  Using a funnel, fill containers of your choice.  Stick a cute label on the bottles, if you're giving them as gifts; you'll get about eight salt-shaker sized containers of salt (about 1/4 cup each) or one quart-size Mason jar, with a bit left over. 

This salt makes a great gift at Christmas, too!  Or at a BBQ on the 4th of July...or the cul-de-sac Labor Day fete!  Who wouldn't want to go home after a big feast with a cute little bottle of salt that they will love using?!? 

 

Roasted Garlic...

It has come to my attention that not everyone likes garlic.  I've heard some people can't handle the taste, others hate the smell and are actually put-off by garlic breath...which makes one wonder...my perfume is a blend of Angel and Garlic, my breath is a mixture of Scope and Garlic, and my hand-cream is Burt's Bees scented with garlic.  I'm a walking garlic bulb - I can't escape it.  I love garlic.  I've yet to sit and eat garlic cloves straight from the bulb, but I know that day is coming, unless the nursing home has some sort of policy against garlic.

 

Raw garlic is about 3 times stronger than roasted garlic...so if you can't handle the truth taste of raw, then roasted is the way to go!  It's   m e l l o w  and spreadable!  A schmear of garlic on a baguette will transform it!  Roasted garlic mixed in with mashed potatoes turns ordinary into extraordinary .  You can use it instead of mayo on sandwiches or mixed into salad dressings, or just putting it in a dish, with a bit of olive oil on top, makes a perfect dip for a nice piece of rustic bread.  It's SO easy to roast - and you don't need a "garlic roaster" either - besides, those things only hold one or two bulbs and that's nothing!  I roast ten at a time; put them in a lidded jar and it keeps in the fridge for about 2 weeks.

You should wait until the garlic is cool enough to handle but I never do, I just grab a towel and squeeze, the roasted cloves pop right out.  And for those stubborn ones, just squeeze a little harder and they'll kind of ooze out or you can use a small fork/pick to remove them.  Just look at all that!  It's dang good folks - DANG GOOD!

Roasted Garlic - Adapted From The Heritage Cookbook and Every Day Food

10 heads of garlic

sea salt

1 tablespoon fresh thyme or rosemary leaves

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Using a serrated knife, slice off the top quarter of the bulb, exposing as many cloves as possible.  Arrange garlic bulbs in a cake pan, cut side up, brace them against each other to keep them flat if necessary.  Season garlic with sea salt and sprinkle with fresh herbs.  Slowly pour olive oil over each head, letting it soak into and around cloves.  Cover dish tightly with foil and roast until cloves are golden, completely soft, and begin to protrude slightly from skins, about 1 hour.  Let stand until cool enough to handle.  From the bottom up, squeeze each head to push out cloves, you can also use a small pick to remove them.  Transfer garlic and cooking oil into an air tight container.  Garlic will keep, refrigerated, up to 2 weeks.  Makes about 1 1/2 cups. 

 

"Shallots are for babies, onions are for men, garlic is for heroes."  ~ Unknown

Fried Pickles...

When the mister was wooing me (during the dark ages) he took me to a ramshackle of a place in Olive Branch, Mississippi, for lunch.  The mister said they had great food...but looking at the outside of the place I had my doubts.  Once inside, it wasn't much better but it did have a certain charm that put me at ease.  We ordered our food - the mister requested frog legs, I began to gag, he went on to say they tasted just like chicken which only made me gag more.  I ordered the daily special - fried pickles - they tasted just like pickles.  I was instantly smitten with fried pickles - I loved the crunchy cornmeal outside and the pucker-y-crisp inside - and dipped in a mixture of ketchup and mustard, well, need I say it was a slice of Heaven?

 

 

These are my pickle of choice, Claussen Whole Pickles, (in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.)  I like to decide if I want pickle chips or pickle slices - or both!  Dipped in milk, flour, egg, then fried to a golden brown...man alive!  This is down-home eatin' like nobody's bisness!!

Fried Pickles - Adapted Slightly from A Cozy Kitchen 

6 whole kosher dill pickles

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole milk

2 whole beaten eggs

2/3 cup corn meal

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Cut pickles into 1/2-inch thick slices, either the long way for slices or the short way for chips.  Place flour, milk, eggs, and cornmeal into separate shallow dishes.  Pour the vegetable oil into a skillet and heat over medium-high heat, the oil should be between 1/4 to 1/2-inches deep in the pan, depending on the size of pan you use; if not, add more oil.  When the oil is hot (test by sprinkling a little water in the oil, if it pops it's ready) start preparing the pickle chips.  Dip pickles into milk, then flour, then eggs, then cornmeal.  Carefully put dipped pickles into hot oil for about 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown.  When done, remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain. 

I like to eat my fried pickles with a mixture of equal parts ketchup and mustard.  A Cozy Kitchen suggested eating fried pickles with Sriracha mayonnaise and you'll find her recipe for that by clicking here.  Thanks Cozy Kitchen!

 

"When I buy cookies I just eat four and throw the rest away.  But first I spray them with Raid so I won't dig them out of the garbage later.  Be careful, though, because that Raid really doesn't taste that bad." ~ Janette Barber