Pots and Pins

Moon Over My Hammy...

I'm going for totality here...yesterday I posted my recipe for  Eclipse Cookies, today I'm sharing with you my version of Denny's infamous Moon Over My Hammy breakfast sandwich, which is what every one of you should be eating come Monday morning!  Tomorrow just to make sure I'm in the totality zone, I'll be sharing with you a recipe for one of the all-time great chocolate cakes - ever - The Blackout Cake.  Now if that doesn't get me a totality badge I don't know what will!  Your Eclipse party will be out-of-this-world-great if you serve your guests this breakfast sandwich - of course our eclipse celebration will take place in the morning, about 10:20 am Seattle time, so that's why I'll be serving breakfast but really, who doesn't like breakfast for lunch or even dinner?!?

If you are a Denny's Aficianado, then you will note that I am not using sour-dough bread like they do.  We're not sour-dough people, and since this breakfast sandwich is substantial, it needed a more substantial bread - I opted for a whole grain bread but you do whatever makes your moon shine.  Not to be confused with moonshine - that's a whole 'nuther thing!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deli ham, Cheddar and Swiss cheese, eggs and one vine-ripe tomato, if you've got it (thanks to my neighbor Jana who brought me her only red tomato!!!)  The tomato is not on Denny's sandwich...should be, are you listening Denny's?

You'll need two frying pans - one to cook the eggs (Denny's serves up scrambled eggs but the mister likes his over-easy...and they are more moon-like that way!) and one to brown the deli-ham - cook them both in butter...the eclipse is a once-in-a-lifetime-event so why not?!?

Here's another thing we do differently than Denny's - we put a nice little dollop of mayo and Dijon mustard on one slice of the bread...so just to clarify, we don't use the same bread, we add tomato slices and mayo and Dijon and we don't cook our eggs the same way...really, it's hardly anything like Denny's!

Moon Over My Hammy - Adapted from Denny's Restaurant

2 slices whole grain bread

2 eggs

deli ham, about 6 thin slices

1 slice Swiss cheese

1 slice Cheddar cheese

1 vine-ripe tomato, sliced thin

butter for bread and for cooking eggs and ham, about 1/4 cup

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard

In one frying pan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter.  Crack the eggs into pan and cook the way you want, scrambled, over-easy, sunny-side-up, salt and pepper to taste.  When done turn off heat and set aside.  In another frying pan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter and add deli ham slices.  Fry until lightly browned.  Top the slices of ham with the Swiss cheese and Cheddar cheese slices, allow to melt, remove from pan.  While eggs and ham are cooking, toast bread.  Remove bread from toaster and butter one side of each slice.  Spread mayonnaise and Dijon over one slice of bread.  Top the mayo-Dijon with two slices of tomato, salt and pepper to taste.  When eggs are done, remove to buttered side of one slice of bread, top with ham and cheese slices.  Put mayo-Dijon slice on top and enjoy! 

Makes 1 sandwich.  Serve this up with a side of O'Brien Hashbrowns and your caveman will be able to find his way to the table even in the dark!

 

Welsh Rarebit...

No rabbits were used/harmed in the making of this delicious, toasty-cheese snack.   Rarebit is pronounced like a Northern Southerner would say rabbit and the word rarebit is often substituted for rabbit.  It's all a bit confusing when you consider this is not a meat dish, it's nothing more than a cheese sauce but a very delectable one at that!  Speaking of confusing...the mister asked me to be sure to let him know how much I earned this past year.  Beginning January 1st the mister is consumed with the state of our taxes.  He likes to think about them, talk about them but until April 15th he doesn't actually do anything about them - other than stew.  He's mastered Tax stewing, if only that were edible and deductible!  So when he asked me about my earnings, I wasn't sure how to respond, because while I do work for the mister, he doesn't pay me...well that's not entirely true, as I have confessed before, I have the same deal Donald Trump made with Ivana years ago; I get paid $1 a year and all the dresses I want.  You might think that's a pretty sweet deal but a buck just doesn't go as far as it used to and I don't wear dresses!  I asked the mister what JOB he thought I was working to provide earnings and he said, "You know, you're always off doing crap, taking dinner places, don't you get paid for that?"  Once again, I had to explain to the mister what a VOLUNTEER is...not a Tennessee Volunteer, a team with a losing streak, but a person who offers to help out and in return is paid with a smile.   How could he not know that??  I tell you, he is bucking for a Marital Section 8!  He mumbled something about having all kinds of deductions that he would now not be able to use because I was a volunteer - thankfully his knuckles didn't scratch the hardwood as he scurried off.  And people think I'm the dumb one.  Sheesh!

Okay, let's get to the making of this very simple yet sophisticated cheese toast.  (I was certain I had posted this recipe before, because I make this several times during the winter months, but I couldn't find hide nor hare of it!)  

 

Welsh Rarebit is a thick cheese sauce, like a Bechamel Sauce, and it's made with cheese, of course, and beer and spices.  It's spread quite thickly over crusty,  toasted bread and then placed under the broiler until it's bubbly hot...I'm telling you straight, it's dang good!  If you put an egg on top (which of course I wouldn't because I don't eat eggs) then it's called a Buck Rabbit or a Golden Buck and if you serve it with tomato soup it's called a Blushing Bunny!  You can read all about Welsh Rarebit on Wikipedia  - this traditional British dish has a very long and complicated history!

I've made just a few teensy-weensy changes to Mark Bittman's recipe - I use non-alcoholic beer because the beer flavor is not as intense (think beer-cheese soup like they serve in MinneSNOWta and Wisconsin, and you'll have an idea of why this is so loved!)  The darker the beer the stronger the flavor, so if you use a dark ale, like Bittman suggests, it will blow your taste bud's minds!

 

Welsh Rarebit also makes a great appetizer - just cut each toast into small pieces and serve.  Your guests will not be able to stop eating them so make a double batch.  You can see in the picture that I didn't stir the rarebit until it was completely smooth - I made an executive decision, one I don't regret, and decided to leave some larger pieces of cheese.  I recommend you do the same.

 

 

 

Welsh Rarebit -  Adapted From Mark Bittman, The New York Times

1 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon mustard powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste

3/4 cup beer, or ale (or use near beer, like I do, it provides the beer flavor without the alcohol, an ale or dark beer will have a more pronounced flavor)

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, or to taste

1 pound Cheddar cheese (or other good semi-hard cheese, like Comte or Gruyere or a mixture of cheeses), grated

salt and pepper to taste

4 to 8 lightly toasted pieces of bread (use a good bread, French bread sliced thick works great)

Put butter in a saucepan over medium heat and, as it melts, stir in flour.  Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and very fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes.  Stir in mustard and cayenne, then whisk in beer and Worcestershire sauce.  When mixture is uniform, turn heat to low and stir in cheese, again stirring until smooth.  Remove from heat and pour into a board contain (like a rimmed plate) to set.  At this point you can refrigerate for up to two days.  After mixture has set and cooled to room temperature, spread thickly on toast and put under broiler until bubbly and edges of toast are crisp.  Serve immediately.  Serves 4 to 8, as a side/snack, depending on how many pieces and how big the bread is sliced.  Served with a nice green salad or soup and this makes a great dinner!

 

 

 

Irish Sliders...

We had a major wind storm yesterday which left 250,000 people without power, including me and the mister.  Everyone on our street has a generator.  Big generators.   The neighbors next door even have their outside lights hooked up to theirs, as if to say, Yeah, we've got power suckers!!  The minute the place goes dark we hear the loud humming the generators make, as they thumb their neener-neener-neeners in our direction!  The last time we had an outage the mister, the Marine, who has always said he don't need no stinkin' generator, decided he would buy one.  But did he?  No, he did not.  So last night, as we sat in the dark and listened to the generators humming like an approaching army... as pinecones and branches pelted our abode...I bit my tongue, and said nothing.  I propped myself in front of the fire to warm my feet, which felt like blocks of ice even with two pairs of socks.  Wrapped in quilts with mittens on my hands and a hat on my head, I said nothing.  I might have wimpered and shivered but not one word about a generator crossed my blue lips.  It didn't take long for the temperature to drop inside the house, especially when we were opening and closing the door to let our sweet little pup outside and in.  The air was cold, the furniture was cold, we were cold!  But still, not one word about a generator.  We crawled into bed, pulled up the covers, turned off the lanterns and the mister said, "It's so cold...I'll go tomorrow to buy a generator."  And then, like a volcano erupted with no way to stop, I found my voice.  Really???  You've tired of trying to freeze me to death?  You don't like my blue lips?  Something about icicles hanging from my nose that disagrees with you?  Now that YOU'RE sufficiently frozen you're going to buy the generator you said you were going to buy the last time we turned into Arctic penguins! You'd better!  I'm too old for this!  I'm not kidding!  Blah, blah, blah...I ranted until hypothermia set in.  During the night the power came on...and so did all of our lights.  Neither one of us got up - we slept with the lights on...pretending we had a silent generator.

 

 

 

 

Irish Sliders will please everyone.  These have been kid and adult tested and approved so these should be on your St. Patrick's Day menu!  I was thinking Irish when I made these so of course I used Potato Rolls...store bought, keep it simple.  Potato rolls are really soft and slightly sweet and this time of year they seem to always be available in our local bakery.  If you can't find Potato rolls, any good dinner roll will work.  This recipe uses 3 different kinds of mustard; regular Yellow mustard, Dijon and Sweet and Spicy Brown Mustard...which make one delicious sauce and one tangy glaze (not to fear, they are super simple to make).

 

 

 

Shaved corned beef and shredded cabbage are added to the mix.  The cabbage isn't cooked so it offers just the right amount of crunch.  Everything is topped with with Swiss cheese, then a  tangy mustard glaze is drizzled on top!  Corned beef, cabbage and Potato (rolls)...it's the perfect Irish meal!

This makes a dozen sandwiches/sliders, unless you eat a roll the minute you take them out of the package, then you'll only get 11- I couldn't help myself!  They bake in the oven for 30 minutes - the cheese melts, the slider is warmed through - you won't need a dinner bell, the aroma will call them all to the table!

Irish Sliders - Pots and Pins

1 package (12 count) Potato rolls

1/2 lb. thinly sliced or shaved corned beef

8 slices thinly sliced Swiss cheese

2 cups shredded cabbage

1 tablespoon butter, for greasing baking dish

Mustard Sauce

2 teaspoons yellow mustard

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 Tablespoons sour cream

Mustard Glaze

1 tablespoon brown mustard (I used Woeber's Sandwich Pal Sweet and Spicy Mustard, which I buy in a specialty store but you could use any brown mustard you find at your local grocery store)

1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish.  Split potato rolls in half and place bottom halves in baking dish. 

Make mustard sauce:  In a small bowl combine yellow mustard, Dijon mustard and sour cream and stir until smooth and well blended.  Slather mustard sauce over rolls in pan.  Top the rolls with the corned beef, spreading evenly over every roll.  Top corned beef with shredded cabbage.  Place Swiss cheese on top of cabbage, over-lapping cheese slices to fit them all on. 

Make mustard glaze:  In small bowl combine brown mustard and balsamic vinegar and whisk together until smooth.  Drizzle mustard glaze over cheese.  Put tops on sandwiches.  Cover baking dish with aluminum foil.  Bake in 350 Degree oven for 30minutes, until cheese melts and sliders are heated through.  Serve warm.  (But just as good cold!)  Makes 12 sliders.

For more of my favorite Irish recipes, click here.

Or scroll down and on the left, under categories, click on St. Patrick's Day...you'll find everything you need to make for a fantastic Irish celebration - whether you're Irish or not!

Loaded Egg Salad...

The mister got a speeding ticket in January - he was stopped for going 36 mph in a 30 zone.  Luckily I was in the car with him and was able to keep him from saying anything antagonistic to the cop. He smiled and was pleasant and took his ticket without so much as one foul word.  Miracle right there!  I tell you this because it was, in my opinion, out of character for the mister to be so agreeable over a piddly 6 mph especially since he was going downhill!  So the mister modeled ticket behavior for me - which should have come in handy last week when I was pulled over for going 39 mph in a 25 zone. I was driving downhill on a very steep slope and I would like to state, for the record, right here, because the copper who pulled me over wasn't the least bit interested in my defense...it was all GRAVITY!!!  I do not have a lead foot - I've never had a speeding ticket in my life and when I told that to the copper he said, "Not until today!" and then he laughed. Irritating.  I wish I could say when I was pulled over that I acted with perfect deportment, like the mister did, but looking back I might have uttered the word entrapment (he claimed he was parked on the side of the road and I just blew right by him...) and I might have inquired about him having better things to do like catching actual criminals (to which he said, "I just did, you broke the law Ma'am."  Yes, he Ma'amed me.  Irritating.)  I also pointed out that it was not my fault that car manufacturers put the heaviest part of the car in the front, thereby making it practically impossible for any car not to be basically PULLED down a hill.  He said, "Good one," and laughed again.  Irritating.  I bit my tongue and held back on the donut comment as he handed me my ticket, told me to slow it down, turned and walked away.  Then I saw the amount...$154 and I couldn't help myself, "Are you kidding me?!?!?  Juan Valdez gets a raise, coffee prices soar and that justifies you giving me a ticket for $154?!?!?!"  The cop walked slowly back to my window and said, "Did you say something?"  I just smiled, and like the guilty speeding coward that I am, I told him to have a nice day.  Irritating.

If you are sharp as a tack then you will remember that I do not eat eggs -  not scrambled, fried, over-easy, hard-boiled or soft and I do not eat egg salad - yuck.  The mister loves egg salad and since egg season/Easter is almost here, I thought I would share my egg salad recipe with you - it's a great way to use up all of those left-over Easter eggs.  

This egg salad is loaded with so many wonderful flavors that the eggy taste is almost lost - which is the only reason I would eat this egg salad (if it were the last bit of edible food on Earth.)  I can tell you the mister and the boy and my egg-salad-loving neighbors down the street LOVE this...so while I can't personally attest to it's wonderfulness - others can.  My egg-phobia should not keep you from making and eating this - it's got everything you'll love - bacon, cheese, tomatoes, celery and the surprise of green olives stuffed with pimiento!  It's crunchy and creamy and that's why this is reportedly so good!

Loaded Egg Salad - Pots and Pins

12 bacon slices

8 large hard-boiled eggs, peeled, coarsely chopped

1/3 cup finely chopped celery

¼ cup chopped pimiento-stuffed green olives

1 medium tomato, finely chopped

¼ cup grated cheddar cheese

1/4 to 1/2 cup mayonnaise (depending on how creamy you like your egg salad)

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

12 slices white sandwich bread, toasted and buttered (butter is optional)

12 red leaf lettuce leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

Saute bacon in heavy large skillet over medium heat until brown and crisp, remove to paper toweling to drain/cool.  Combine chopped eggs, celery, olives and tomato in bowl.  Mix in mayonnaise (start with 1/4 cup and add more if desired) and mustard.  Season with salt and pepper.  Crumble bacon and add to egg mixture.  Gently fold in cheese.  Place buttered toast slices on work surface.  Divide egg salad among 6 toast slices.  Place lettuce leaves atop egg salad on each.  Cover with remaining toast slices.  Cut sandwiches diagonally in half.  Makes 6 sandwiches.

The Seahawks Super Bowl Sandwich...PPB Grilled Cheese...

By now you've all heard the Seattle Seahawks are in the Super Bowl...can't recall who they are playing, but really, what does it matter?  The Hawks made it, after years of being losers, they've reached the Holy Grail of the NFL.  God bless their concussed-helmet-wearing-ranting-at-Erin-Andrews-shocking-football-tipping-winning-hearts!  They've been to the Super Bowl once before - and again, can't recall who they played (and lost to), but what was important then and now is the food, am I right or am I right?  Who will remember the first half?  The half-time show?  The second half?  The winner?  Well, nobody around here unless the Hawks actually win...but we will remember the food...and today I'm going to give you the BEST GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH EVER...or thereabouts.  It's not just cheese.  It's beyond cheese.  Steady yourself, it's a mouthful in more ways than one...Pistachio, Pimento and Bacon Grilled Cheese Sandwich...excuse me while I grab a napkin, just typing that made me drool. 

 

 

 

Truly.  I do not lie about food.  This one is worth every dang on the Ol' Meter...five to be exact because this is dang, dang, dang, dang, dang good.  After you eat one, and the fat lady sings, you'll thank me.  Pistachios for the crunch, pimento for color and zip, a dash of cayenne for circulation (hey, you'll be sitting in front of the TV all afternoon so I'm watching out for your arteries!) cheese, of course, so the cayenne will have something to push through the arteries and bacon...bacon, bacon, bacon.  Cue the choir - BACON!

 

 

Festive looking, no?  When I made these for the mister for the play-off game, he took a bite and said, "Yep, these will work!"  My heart actually skipped a beat...not one growl, grimace or otherwise rude remark...it was like watching the Life Cereal commercial...he likes it, he really likes it!  Once the sandwiches are grilled, you won't be able to keep your hands off - so make more than you think you'll need because IF they are not all scarfed up on game day, they are great the day after!  All this week I'm going to give you game-day food - I want you to be prepared, even if you aren't a Seahawks fan, in which case I can't add you to my will.  I want you to have the best game-day food there is - and these sandwiches are the first things you need on your Super Bowl menu! 

 

 

Now - on the count of three...let's all say it together...one, two, three...GO HAWKS!  Beat whoever!  Hit a homerun!  Dunk that ball!  FORE!  Spike it!  And the Goalie SCORES!!!  Woot!  Woot!  I can talk football smack like none other!

Pistachio Pimento and Bacon Grilled Cheese Sandwich - Pots and Pins

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 jar (4 oz.) diced pimento, drained

1/2 cup shelled pistachios, chopped

1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

5 strips bacon, cooked crisp, crumbled

1/2 cup finely shredded mild cheddar cheese

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

6 slices bread

1/2 stick butter, divided

In a large bowl combine all ingredients, except for the bread and butter.  Mix well.  Divide the mixture between three slices of bread (it will be quite thick).  Place remaining 3 pieces of bread on top.  In a large skillet over medium heat, melt half of the butter.  Place the 3 sandwiches in the skillet and cook, with lid on, until the bottoms are evenly golden brown.  Remove sandwiches from the pan (or lift them up one at a time) and add the remaining butter to the skillet.  Return sandwiches to the pan, grilled side up, and cook, with lid on, until bottoms are golden brown and cheese is melted, about 3 minutes on each side.  Remove to cutting board.  Use a serrated knife to cut into quarters.  Makes 12 mini-sandwiches, serves 6 as appetizers, 3 as main.

 

 

Hungarian Cabbage Strudel...

This is good - really, really good!  I felt the need to say that first thing before you clicked away, I know what the word cabbage does to some people!  But...this is the one cabbage recipe that will convert you into a cabbage lover.  I hear your doubts - you're probably thinking the odds of you eating cabbage, let alone liking it are as about as good as winning the lottery...true...but as my daddy always says, "You can't win if you don't enter" and you won't fall in love with this strudel until you take your first bite.   

 

 

 

 

Last week I made Hungarian Cabbage Strudel...I had just finished reading Nora Ephron's I Feel Bad About My Neck, which I highly recommend, and this is what Nora Ephron (screenwriter, director, author and most important, foodie) wrote about this recipe:  "It has a buttery, flaky, crispy strudel crust made of phyllo...with a moist filling of sauteed cabbage that's simultaneously sweet, savory, and completely unexpected, like all good things."  I couldn't agree more!

 

 

 

 

It's a simple recipe and truthfully I didn't expect to like it as much as I did.  Cabbage is roasted, in butter, with only salt and pepper for seasoning, then it's rolled up into 10 sheets of phyllo...butter on every sheet and then more on top...buttah...and then it's baked until it's golden...truly a delight for the senses.  Nora (I'm now on a first name basis with her and even though she passed away last year, I feel since we have the love of this strudel in common she would insist on me calling her Nora) loved this strudel and was devastated when the shop that sold it closed it's door.  She tried for years to find a recipe that would taste as good as the one she bought in Mrs. Herbst's Deli and she never did.  Years went by and one day a friend told her that Cabbage Strudel, just like Mrs. Herbst's made, was being sold at Andre's Bakery in Manhattan on Second Avenue and Eighty-fifth Street...and this is what she had to say when she tasted her beloved strudel at Andre's:  "Tasting it again was like being able to turn back the clock, like having the consequences of a mistake erased; it was better than getting a blouse back that the dry cleaners had lost, or a cell phone returned that had been left in a taxi, it was a validation of never-giving-up and of hope-springing-eternal; it was many things, it was all things, it was nothing at all; but mostly, it was cabbage strudel."

Cabbage and buttered pastry...what could be more simple and taste so good?  Nothing.  It's everything Nora said it would be and then some.  But wait...there's more!  I not only made this strudel last week, I made it again last night and this time I decided to add in a few more veggies...not that it needed it, but I wanted to see if maybe I could get the mister and the boy to eat it if I called it Vegetable Strudel (I took the Cabbage Strudel to my book club meeting and there wasn't one crumb left to bring home but even so, I'm not sure the mister would have eaten it - he's a cabbage hater) so I added in some chopped carrot, potato, mushroom, onion and roasted it all with the cabbage.  It was heavenly...heavenly I tell you!  And the mister ate it and loved it! So I will give you both versions, they both excellent and would be great served with a cup of soup...file this one in Comfort Foods, that's what they are!  

Hungarian Cabbage Strudel - Adapted From Food.Com via Andre Heimann via Mrs. Herbsts

8 oz. butter (2 sticks)

1 lb. cabbage, cored and shredded, about 1/2 head

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

10 sheets phyllo dough, defrosted

Aluminum foil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, enough to pull up and over cabbage to completely seal.  Spread shredded cabbage over foil.  Cut up 1 stick of butter into small pieces and sprinkle over cabbage.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cover with foil, wrapping up and over and crimping the edges to seal.  Roast in oven for 45 to 50 minutes, occasionally lifting foil and mixing cabbage, then resealing. 

Remove from heat, uncover and allow to cool to room temperature.  Turn oven to 400 degrees.  Melt remaining stick of butter in microwave.  Place a sheet of parchment paper on a rimmed baking sheet and top with 1 sheet of phyllo dough.  Brush sheet of phyllo with melted butter, up and down, spreading evenly. Top with another sheet of phyllo and brush again with butter.  Repeat until all 10 sheets are buttered and stacked. 

Arrange cabbage on dough, starting at the long end, roll phyllo, with the help of the parchment paper to get started, enclosing cabbage, without the paper, until it is all rolled up.  Turn so the seam is down on top of the parchment.  Brush top with butter and bake in oven for 35 minutes.  Serve hot, warm or at room temperature. 

Vegetable Strudel Variation:  Follow recipe above, but to the cabbage add:

10 crimini mushrooms, sliced

1 russet potato, peeled and diced

3 carrots, peeled and diced

1/2 onion, finely sliced

I liked this so much - the potato adds a creaminess and the carrots bring a nice sweetness to the party...try this one - it's perfect on a cold January day!  And don't be scared off if you've never used phyllo dough before...it comes frozen, you just let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator, unwrap and it's ready to go!  

Nora Ephron was a fascinating woman - for all the things she accomplished and those she didn't (she didn't win an Oscar!  She was nominated three times, for Sleepless in Seattle, When Harry Met Sally and Silkwood).  I wrote about her here after learning of her passing (you have to scroll down past the recipe) and I loved reading her words.  Along with I Feel Bad About My Neck I also just read I Remember Nothing...another great, quick and hysterically funny read - treat yourself and read them soon!

 

Sun-Dried Tomato Dip/Spread and Pizza Puffs...

If you walked into my house this morning and we played, "Guess What The Mister Ate Last Night!" you would have no trouble coming up with the answer...there's always a trail...among other things you would find pieces of pretzels on the carpet, peanuts on the bathroom floor (where Caesar-Beezer-The-Wonder-Dog regurgitated them), pasta sauce on the stairs and an empty yogurt container on his nightstand.  The mister drags his pretzel-carrying-knuckles up the stairs and down the hall, leaving crumbs like Little Red Riding Hood, without the cloak.  Caesar-Beezer-The-Wonder-Dog and the mister are in cahoots...they have an arrangement...the mister slops stuff all over the place and Caesar cleans it up...and even though Caesar is eager to help out, wagging his tail and following closely at the mister's heels, at some point even he gets sick of cleaning up after the mister - so he vomits.  I don't think pretzels, peanuts and pasta are veterinary approved food items for dogs, so no wonder!  And when poor little Caesar-Beezer-The-Wonder-Dog gets sick, shouldn't the mister take care of it?!?  Shouldn't the mister honor his cahooter and their arrangement and clean up the mess??  One would think so.

 

 

 

One would be wrong.  I'm sure you have wondered why it is I sometimes sound so crabby...why I'm always harping on the mister about the things he does, after all, he IS a man and given that handicap I should cut him some slack...well, let me tell you why...when the alarm went off at 6:30 am, and I staggered out of bed, hobbled into the bathroom and stepped into a pile of dog vomit, with pieces of dog ingested peanuts squished up between my toes, well, all charity, mercy and grace poured out of me faster than a death-eater can suck souls!  But wait, I hear you say, how is that the mister's fault?!?  Because when I let out a shriek, the mister, still in bed, mumbled, "Did you step in Caesar's vomit?"  He knew and yet he didn't clean it up.  Now do you see?  Now do you get it?!?  Is there any way I can get a valium lick installed in my house?!?!

Okay, put everything I just told you out of your head...because we need to get down to bizness...this is serious stuff here - Sun-Dried Tomato Dip, served with pita chips, is a sure-fire crowd pleaser...and it can be served warm from the oven or cold - it's delicious either way.  But wait!  There's more!  This dip can also be a spread...on crusty bread for a mind-blasting (so much better than mind-blowing) bruschetta...spread on ciabatta rolls, a run-of-the-mill Italian sandwich is taken to new and more delicious heights and this simple little THREE ingredient spread can turn refrigerated crescent rolls and/or puff pastry into amazing pizza puffs!

 

 

 

 

My BFF Chris of Nibble Me This, master of all things grilled, and the roller-derby, whipped up some Pizza Puffs a few weeks ago and after I read his post I couldn't wait to make some for our Monday night football feast...since I had Sun-Dried Tomato Dip on hand, I adapted Chris' recipe and used it...and, in my humble opinion, I scored!  These were dang good...perfect for tail-gating in the parking lot or on the sofa!

 

Sun-Dried Tomato Dip/Spread - Pots and Pins (Pizza Puffs inspired by Nibble Me This)

2 cups small-curd cottage cheese

1 jar (8 oz.) sun-dried tomatoes, drained

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Put cottage cheese, drained sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan cheese into food processor or blender and process until smooth.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Spoon into 8x8-inch baking dish (or something about that size) and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Serve with pita or tortilla chips hot from the oven or can be served cold.  Refrigerate any leftovers.  Makes 2 1/2 cups. 

To make Pizza Puffs:  For some of the Pizza Puffs I added in some cooked, smoked sausage, totally up to you if you want to add that or not - you could also add pepperoni or any other pizza toppings you like.  Check out Chris' post for some great ideas.  Unroll refrigerated crescent rolls, separate into 8 pieces, spread each piece with about 1 tablespoon of Sun-Dried Tomato Dip, roll up and place on lightly greased baking sheet.  If using frozen puff pastry, allow to thaw, according to package directions.  Cut one sheet of puff pastry into 9 squares, spread about 1 tablespoon of Sun-Dried Tomato Dip onto each square, fold over on the diagonal, seal edges by crimping with a fork.  Brush tops of crescent rolls and/or puff pastry with an egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water and 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasonings).  Bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve warm.  

 

Tickabox...

This is a clean-up post...lots of odds and ends that had no place to go so they ended up here...sit back and relax...it's going to be a bumpy ride!

 

The The Rootbeer Store in Redmond, WA has over 100 different kinds of rootbeer - we brought home about a dozen to try...some we liked, some we didn't...for example, I loved the Jamaican Gingerbeer but my dad, pictured above, thought it tasted like medicine and he didn't appreciate the slow-burn afterwards!  He liked the one called "Duh" and I thought that tasted like swill!  We enjoyed tasting them all...while we nibbled on Radish Sandwiches...I'm still on the radish kick!  Anyway, if you live near Redmond you really should pop in, it's a great place and along with rootbeer they have a great assortment of cream sodas!  I think there is a Lynnwood location, too.

 

 

 

 

We need to talk about the radish sandwich for just a minute...after I posted about French Radishes, I heard from several readers who said they either grew up eating radish sandwiches or they eat them now!  What a thought!  I told my parents about this and they said it was very common place "back in the day" - especially for poor people!  Well, I'm going to go on record and say, even if I'm living under a bridge, I shall not enjoy or be more thankful for a radish sandwich than I do/am today!  They have become my new happy hour staple...and I can't believe I had never had one before last week!  I make them with pita bread, slathered in butter with a bit of mayo...sliced radishes seasoned with salt, pepper and fresh parsley.  Simple and so good.  Truly.  Rich or poor...this one's a keeper!

 

One day, when my brain was barely operating, I agreed to be the camp cook for one day...one day for 230 girls...one day that has involved many days of shopping and cooking ahead of time!!  I had NO IDEA what was involved in cooking for 230 people!  It's mind-boggling! 

40 lbs. of fresh green beans

11 (six lbs. each) bags of chicken tenders from Costco - that's 66 lbs. of chicken! which is now marinating in a lovely teriyaki sauce,in the "coffin-cooler"

240 potato rolls and 8 lbs. of butter

10 watermelon, 9 jars of fresh mango slices and 25 lbs. of grapes

50 lbs. of rice...I cooked 25 lbs. myself and then, reeling from starch fumes, I called in some reinforcements to help!  Thank you dear friends!!!   All of this is just for ONE night...I'm told a huge trailer was used to transport the food for the entire week up to camp!  And here's the amazing thing...the girls pay just $90 each for four days at camp and that includes 3 meals a day and snacks plus everything they make and do while there!!  Today is the big day/night...I'll be going to girls camp to cook/serve/slave...then I'll be looking for some serious blessings to come my way starting tomorrow!  Oh...I made the camp flag, too...their theme this year is "Survivor" - which I hope to be when all is said and done.

Ciao! Mi chiamo Nan.  Io sono de Utah, ma abito a Seattle.  Mi piace faray il dolci i cucinare.  Oggi e' il diciotto Luglio 2012.  Il mio compleano e' il Decembre.

That's what I've learned so far in my Italian language class!  Si!  I'm taking Italian!!!  It's very fun but not one bit easy!  I've discovered I have a 5-minute attention span...and I don't know how to study and I have no memory!  But I'm really liking my class and with any luck at all I'll be able to learn enough Italian to purchase fresh veggies and fish at a Tuscan market...next summer...when we go to Italy for FOUR weeks to LIVE!  Well, that's the plan...I haven't told the mister yet...waiting for just the right moment...like when we win the lottery...what?  It could happen!

 

 

The National Pork Board and Nibble Me This had a contest and yours truly won!  Just look at my loot!  An 11-piece grilling utensils set, 2 grill baskets, flexible shish-kabob wire (so cool!) a Kingsford bottle opener/key chain, and a Kingsford hat...which I will proudly wear every morning at o'dark-thirty as I'm trying to walk off the damage from the night before...but wait, there's more!  They sent me ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS worth of PORK COUPONS!!!  I'm going to have to have a PORK PARTY!!!  I surely can't eat $100 of pork by myself...well I could but I'm half pork already and I don't want to start snorting!  (I'll be sharing some of those pork coupons with all ya'll very soon!)  Thanks Pork Board and Nibble Me This - I'll be scouring your websites for just the right recipes!  (If you haven't read Nibble Me This before, get yourself on over there...I can't start my day with dropping in and drooling over everything Chris makes!)

Okay, that's it - time to rotate the chicken, fluff the rice, cool the melons, turn the beans and hit the dusty trail...I've got to get my camp on!

Cuban Ham and Tostone Hoagies...

Over the years I have learned, through trial and error, how to live somewhat peacefully with the mister.  I've learned that if I need help with something I hadn't planned for or told the mister about in advance,  that I need to have a pacifier on hand ready to go...like poking an ill-tempered, hungry/injured grizzly bear and then throwing it a piece of meat - that sort of thing.  Surely you're familiar with that?!?  This is how I poked the bear...he was working in his cave and I was in our bedroom changing the sheets on the bed.  If you have a king-size bed then you know it takes several trips from one side to the other to put on clean sheets...several.  So, in order to make it a bit easier I called for the mister to come and help me...not something he had scheduled on his daily calendar but given his cave is next to our bedroom...ten paces away...I didn't see the harm.  Oh sure, I expected some bellowing...anyone who pokes a bear will get a growl or two...but then there was a desk slap and some stomping...all grizzlies have to posture to ward off any threats...finally, when the mister entered the room complaining that I had interrupted him at a crucial moment (he was sharpening his pencil) I threw him a pacifier by telling him we would go see The Avengers (as we're the only people in the country who had not seen it) and it worked - it was like watching the Hulk change back into Dr. Banner (what?  too many metaphors?)  I thanked the mister for his help and that should have been it...but he had one last growl to get out:  "Now leave me alone, I've got work to do!  It's not like what you do which doesn't require any brains!"  Yep, that's what he said...dug himself a nice little grave.  Did you know it's possible to short-sheet a king-size bed and make-up only one side?  It was quite effective. 

 

 

 

 

Plantains or Tostones are the ugly-step-sister of the beloved banana. Bananas are thought of as dessert next to the plantain, because bananas can be eaten raw, but plantains need to be cooked. I love plantains, to me they taste like a cross between a banana and a sweet potato...you can steam or boil them, but I like them fried...and that's how they were prepared for this Hoagie...sliced, fried, and smashed.  

This recipe came about after I had a nice chat with Abby who works in the meat department of our local Safeway.  Abby is from Cuba and one day while I was looking for ham to make a run-of-the-mill ham and cheese sandwich, we started talking...one thing led to another and the next thing you know, I'm dashing around the store getting the ingredients I needed to make this Cuban sandwich!  I wish Safeway would give Abby her own kitchen in the store...she could teach classes and give cooking tips and Safeway would make tons of money and we would all be ten pounds heavier!  Thanks for the inspiration Abby, this sandwich is fabulous!!!  Adding tostones to a run-of-the-mill ham and cheese sandwich transforms it into something special...it's adds a meatiness with it's sweet texture and has just the right amount of "chew."  This makes a great sandwich for any game-day lunch...or picnic...or as a bury-the-hatchett-truce-sandwich after a much needed apology!

Ham and Tostone Hoagies...Pots and Pins and Abby at Safeway

4 Hoagie buns

8 slices Provolone cheese

1 large tomato, slices

1 bunch cilantro, stems removed, roughly chopped

1 small shallot, thinly sliced

1 large plantain, peeled and cut into 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick slices

1 1/2 lbs. deli ham

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 clove garlic, minced

3 teaspoons hot mustard

2 teaspoons of vegetable oil

salt and pepper to taste

In a small bowl combine mayonnaise, garlic and mustard; stir and let sit for 10 minutes.  Spread each half of Hoagie bun with mayonnaise mixture.  On one side of Hoagie bun put two slices of cheese, tomato slices and slices of shallot.  Divide deli ham equally onto each bun; put a handful of cilantro on top of ham and season with salt and pepper. 

In a small frying pan, heat 2 teaspoons of oil until hot.  Carefully place plantain slices into pan and fry for about 4 minutes, or until lightly browned and crisp, season with salt and pepper, then turn and repeat on the other side.  Remove from pan and drain on paper toweling for just a few seconds.  Move plantains to a cutting board and with a mallet, or the bottom of a ban, slightly smash them, just so they're a bit thinner.  Put pieces of plantain on top of cilantro and top with Hoagie bun.  Serves 4.

Carrot and Ginger Sandwiches...and Slaw...

The mister likes to feed Caesar Beezer The Wonder Dog from the table (so do I but I am much  more discreet about it) and as he was giving Caesar yet another piece of fried fish, I told the mister that it wasn't good for the dog - it was too spicy, plus it was fried, and to please stop. Well!  The mister spun around in his chair, reminding me that I need to find an exorcist, and in a somewhat vile voice spewed, "If the food you feed me is too spicy for the dog then it's too spicy for me!  From now on if Caesar can't eat it then neither can I!"  I do not lie.  Let me point out the obvious...the mister wants to eat dog food.  I calmly stood up, walked to the cupboard, grabbed a pretty bowl, filled it with kibble, walked to the table, and with the speed of an eagle plucking it's fish from the water, switched out the mister's plate with the bowl full of kibble.  He was not amused.  But Caesar and I had ourselves a good laugh.

 

 

 

Last week, Gathering Fabric Quilt Shop held a Valentine Tea for it's customers...of which I was happily one.  I picked up a little sandwich and was just blown away by the flavor!  Carrot and ginger...bright, crunchy, fresh, with just enough zip to turn a finger sandwich into a gourmet event.  The lady who made the sandwiches said the recipe came from the Empress Hotel in Victoria, BC...from their High Tea menu.  I could hardly wait to get home and make more!  I found the recipe on-line, whipped up a batch and loved every bite...but for the second batch (!) I made a few changes...and in honor of the Empress, (fab hotel, fab city) I decided to eat my tea sandwiches at my afternoon pity party, but these sandwiches snapped me right out of myself and I had a right-regular tea party instead!

After finishing off the sandwiches (I did have some help from the boy) I could not stop thinking about the carrot-ginger mixture...and what a great slaw it would make...so back to the kitchen I flew.  After a bit of testing and tasting, I hit the perfect chord of sweetness to spice, cabbage to carrot.

 

 

 

This is possibly one of the best things I've ever made.  I love the crisp flavor, the subtle taste of the ginger, the crunch of the cabbage and carrots and the creaminess of the dressing...which made me instantly think how great the slaw would be on fish tacos or a shredded pork sandwich...yes, on, not next to!  Actually, the possibilities are endless!  But I went with fish tacos.  And adding the slaw TO the tacos was the best idea I'd had since putting a bowl of kibble in front of the mister.  Speaking of whom..since carrot-ginger slaw was not appropriate for Caesar Beezer The Wonder Dog, it was not appropriate for the mister...it was just too flavorful and too good...he was going to get the bland left-overs in the fridge.  But the mister walked in just as I was putting the slaw away and he grabbed a fork and took a bite...I waited for his histrionics, but to my surprise he said, "Wow, this is excellent!  Really good!  Why haven't you made this before?!"  Now do you see why I need an exorcist?!?!  From one minute to the next I never know who I'm going to "get!"

The Empress recipe called for "sweet ginger paste."  I couldn't find it anywhere, so I ended up purchasing Chopped Ginger, which comes in a jar, and is very paste-like - it worked perfectly.  You could also use fresh ginger, just grate/chop it really, really fine.  Both recipes are below - both are worth making and eating on a cold February day.

Carrot and Ginger Sandwiches - Adapted From The Empress Hotel, Victoria, BC

2 to 3 carrots, grated (about 1 cup)

2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 teaspoon sweet ginger paste, if you can find it, or finely chopped ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

4 tablespoons Mozzarella cheese, shredded

4 slices whole grain bread

In a medium bowlm whisk softened cream cheese until smooth.  Whisk in mayonnaise.  Add carrots,  ginger, salt and pepper and mix well.  Divide mixture in half, spreading half on one slice of bread and half on the other.  Top mixture on both slices of bread with shredded Mozzarella cheese.  Place remaining slices on top.  Carefully cut the crusts from each sandwich, which is optional, but if you're having these for tea it's mandatory!  Cut the sandwiches in half diagonally and then in half again, or cut them into strips, or you could get crazy and use cute cookie cutters!  Makes 2 whole sandwiches or 8 finger sandwiches.

Carrot and Ginger Slaw - Pots and Pins - Inspired by The Empress Hotel

1/2 head green cabbage, shredded

4 carrots, peeled and grated

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

3 tablespoons cream cheese, softened

3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 to 2 teaspoons ginger, chopped super fine

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

In a large bowl combine cabbage and carrots.  In a small bowl whisk softened cream cheese until smooth; whisk in mayonnaise until smooth.  Whisk in rice wine vinegar, vegetable oil, ginger, salt and pepper.  Toss to coat.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30  minutes to allow flavors to meld.  Serves 6.  Excellent on fish, fish tacos, pork sandwiches, or as a side.