Archive for the ‘close to my heart(h)’ Category
Thursday, January 5th, 2012
“Love People. Cook them tasty food.” It’s Penzey’s Spices motto, and a message by which I abide so whole-heartedly, that I bought the magnet to put on my van! I have always showered friends and family with food. When Bill and I first met, I surprised him with home-made cookies, invited him to my house for cook-outs, and even made him a two-pound loaf of pate (long story). It took a few years for Bill to understand that cooking people tasty food is one of the ways I show I care. He wasn’t raised with that same connection, but since then, he has hopped on board. In this picture, Troy of co:lab, is showing his enthusiasm for the lunch I brought him and his co-workers in thanks for the great work on my website; in fact, now that I think about it, co:lab always scheduled our meetings right around lunchtime. Foodie gestures never go unappreciated. One of our friends admitted she had her 3rd, 4th, and 5th baby just so I would bring her dinner.
I believe in showering the people I know with good food to delight, nourish, and honor them. I believe that cooking with love and care makes the food taste better. I believe that the time and mood has to be just right to make a soufflé rise or a sauce come together. When the kids were young, I created the rule that there is no arguing or angst in the kitchen, and since then, I haven’t burned a single cookie or pie.
I recently catered an Open House for someone I had only met once, and in her thank you note to me, she wrote, “I think what I liked most was that although it was a business arrangement, you made me feel like a friend.”
Cooking for people I care about– friends, family, clients– it’s what I like to do.
Posted in "the biz", close to my heart(h) | 4 Comments »
Sunday, June 5th, 2011
Home-made sushi! We were all having a craving...
Jack has been craving sushi recently. When the warm weather comes, the kids always ask for something “cold” for dinner. Not wanting them to eat ice cream for dinner EVERY night, we have sushi a few times during the Summer months. Usually one of the kids is available to help me make it. Today, Natalie helped out. Perhaps you can tell by the way the plates are decorated by the fake grass? We made the sticky rice, put our favorite fillings in side, and even personalized a few with spicy sauce for me. Some had crab, some had shrimp tempura, and some were strictly veggie. ALL had avocado. YUM!
Sushi is not hard to make, and like baking bread or making your sauce, it is a great way to take your mind off the stresses of daily life, and just enjoy the process of making great food. I buy most of my ingredients (sushi rice, nori, panko bread crumbs, and toasted sesame seeds) at A Dong on New Britain Ave, but you can certainly find these items in the international section of most larger supermarkets. The “art” of sushi-making is traditionally shared between friends, where one friend shows another how to make it, and provides that friend with the equipment to continue the tradition herself. If any of you want to stop by and learn how to make sushi, just give me a head’s up on a hot Summer’s night. And if you’re lucky, I will share my spicy sauce with you.
Posted in appetizers, close to my heart(h), cool markets, recipes and meal ideas, tips | 1 Comment »
Thursday, March 10th, 2011
Our church hosted a Mardi Gras celebration on Tuesday night, and a Fat Tuesday party wouldn’t be complete without King’s Cake. King’s Cake is a yeast bread, and it is usually braided, and usually has a filling in it. I made 4 cakes altogether: 2 blueberry, 1 almond paste, and 1 pecan and brown sugar. They were all popular, but the almond paste was Bill’s and my favorite, since we love anything with almond paste, and since I bought a 7-pound can during the holiday season, I could be extravagant in its use! I braided the breads and they baked up beautifully. I was sad when I had to drizzle confectioner’s sugar on top and sprinkle the traditional bright colors on the beautiful bronze braids! The best part of a King’s Cake is the mystique of the “baby” that is hidden in each cake. I found plastic babies at the Party Warehouse and my girls helped me hide one in each of the braided cakes. Tradition holds that whoever gets the piece with the baby in it must make the cake next year. It was fun to see who found the baby, and to hear their response to having to make the cake next year! I think I better hang onto the King Cake recipe; my guess is that the baby recipients of this year will organize a mutiny when Fat Tuesday rolls around again next year…
Posted in close to my heart(h), holidays | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, November 16th, 2010
My friend Uwe has spent years perfecting the recipe and method by which he makes the most awesome pretzels. Uwe is German, and some of his research has taken place in Germany, where he tasted pretzels all over the country, while talking to bread and pretzel bakers about their ingredients and techniques. More research took place on the weekends, when he spent his free time making dough, kneading, forming, freezing, thawing, rising, and taste-testing the pretzels until he reached perfection. (And I was so happy to be part of the taste-testing crew at a most recent Octoberfest party at Uwe’s house). Uwe’s pretzels are both tasty and beautiful, and I am honored to have them be a part of my catering menu. These authentic, Bavarian pretzels are delicious on their own, and are served with both a savory butter, in the German tradition, and with mustard, in the American tradition. They are also amazing when they are stuffed with cheeses and meats! Consider having Uwe make you a batch for your next shin-dig. And then invite me over. :)
Posted in "the biz", appetizers, close to my heart(h), holidays, recipes and meal ideas | 1 Comment »
Friday, November 5th, 2010
Basil has got to be one of our most favorite Summer indulgences! I keep barrels and pots of basil and other herbs on my deck in the Summer, and pick from them from June-October, and then before the first frost comes, I pick most of what is left, and go to town! I leave enough leaves on the plants to keep them green so they continue growing, and drag the pots inside. Sitting atop a large piece of plastic in our living room, under the windows, the plants yield parsley, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and basil that I can use throughout the Winter. What I do pick before the frost dries beautifully, and becomes full of life again in stews and soups, but the basil doesn’t have time to dry because it holds a special place in our hearts in the form of pesto! Pulse the basil leaves in the Cuisenart with some pine nuts, garlic, parmesan cheese, and olive oil, and Nirvana emerges. Toss the pesto with pasta, tuck it underneath some chicken skin before baking, or put it on top of crostini for an easy appetizer! And it freezes beautifully! This year I was pleased to freeze 10 containers; according to my calculations, that means we can enjoy one batch each month before the whole process begins again in June. :)
Posted in appetizers, close to my heart(h), recipes and meal ideas, tips | 2 Comments »