Grandma's Kitchen Table

Whisk Wednesdays: Blanquette de Veau à l’Ancienne

       Whisk Wednesdays rolled around again, and while I had planned to make this over the weekend, it turns out that my butcher could not get any veal shoulder until Wednesday at noon.  I thought perhaps that would be okay...that I could slip it in while doing my regular cooking gig, but things got a TAD busy and I had to do the stew in two rounds, which probably did it some good actually, to sit a bit and soak up some extra flavors, so I am actually posting this on Thursday. 

      This week's recipe is from 

Class 16, Part 2 • Blanquette de Veau à l’Ancienne (White Veal Stew with Onions and Mushrooms served over rice), on page 55-56 of the Le Cordon Bleu at Home cookbook.   

 

       Stew is pretty much stew.  You put a bunch of stuff in a pot and cook it a long time over low heat and the flavors all sort of meld together and create a comforting bowl of satisfying goodness.  The French, however, I have decided, have a special knack for layering flavors to make something taste as if it has depth, and not that it is just a bunch of flavors melded together.  You can taste the layers separately and identify all the parts, or at least a good many of them.  It's hard to describe, but it is definitely there.  Make this stew and tell me if you don't think so, too.  I think, honestly, that it may be all those pots you need to use...things cooked separately and then brought together for the FINALE...what's not to love about the FINALE?

       The only thing difficult about this recipe was for me to order the veal...not because it was all that difficult to score a veal shoulder, because it wasn't, just a few days advance notice and all, but because I have a very difficult time eating veal.  I know...I know...I have been around farm animals my entire life and learned early on that one never NAMES anything that could possibly be destined for the dinner table. 

      That said, I have no trouble eating beef, but veal to me is a little baby calf that is so darn cute and fun and cuddly and sweet and I just can't bear to do it.  My friends all make fun of me and call me a hypocrite, saying things like, "Okay, you won't eat veal, but you will eat steak...so all you are saying is that you are fine with eating something that has grown up and been around for awhile.  That it isn't the same?" 

      Yes, that is what I am saying.  It isn't the same at all!  By the time the steers, etc. are grown up, you aren't really all that fond of them anymore.  Steers do things like run you into the side of the barn, try to flip you over the feed trough, step on your feet, knock your hand into the chute sides when you try to vaccinate them causing your hand to be numb for two days, splat huge amounts of do all over you when you are moving them, etc., etc....yep, by the time they are at that stage...dinner seems a fine choice for their future. 

      So, I hope we are done with the veal things as I really really don't like making veal.  Was it tasty?  Well, yes, it was tasty...I ate two chunks of it and it tasted different than regular beef in stew, it tasted more like pork actually.  Mark declared it "Fantastic...extremely good, and much too good for the French."  (Sorry if you are French...Mark can get rather political at times.)  Matt loved it, too.  Alex was not here for dinner to try it, so I will need to make it again if he wants to try it...and shhhh...don't tell, but next time, I will substitute pork loin because I hold no sappy sentimentalism for hogs. 

      If you would like to make this recipe at your own home, just purchase the cookbook Le Cordon Bleu at Home and give it a go.  The techniques you need are shown clearly in the book, so rest assured it is all very simple if you take it one step at a time.  (Oh, yeah, and I cheated on one part because if anyone thinks I am sitting around peeling 60 tiny pearl onions, they are wrong...I just bought the ones already peeled and frozen and made do.)   

      If you would like to see how the other Whisk Wednesday members fared in the braising class, click here, and then on the Whisk Wednesdays connect to individual bloggers, or better yet, come and join us! 

      Next week's class is:   Class 16, Part 3: • Navarin d'Agneau Printanier (Braised Lamb Shoulder Stew) page 350-351.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Dimply Plum Cake

 

      Can you tell by the expressions on their faces that I was not able to say, "Wait...I need to get a photo of the cake before you put the ice cream on it and eat it," as turning my back for a moment to pick up the camera resulted in enthusiastic scooping, and digging in.  Obviously, they had felt that they had waited long enough! 

      This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe, from the cookbook Baking:  From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, is Dimply Plum Cake, can be found on page 41, and was chosen by Michelle of Bake-en. If you would like to try the recipe before buying the book, click on Michelle's site above and she will have it posted today.   

       No chocolate this week, can you believe it?  And, fruit, my favorite, can you believe it again?  And, it went together exactly as described and shown in the book with no hassles whatsoever, can you believe it again?  And, it tastes really great, can you even believe the luck we've had on this recipe this week?  Definitely a keeper as plums are always popular around here. (Aren't they cute all lined up in the pan ready for baking?)  Put this one on your list of recipes to try...very easy, very economical, and very tasty!     

      When I make this recipe again, and I will, I would change the pan I baked it in for these reasons:  First, the plums are quite mushy when the baking is completed and the moisture from them makes the cake done on the outside edges, but a little moist yet on the inside pieces.  To avoid that, I think I can bake it in a large (9 inch)loaf pan using the little Italian plums that could go two halves across in four rows in the loaf pan configuration.  That way, each piece could have an outside edge, a complete plum half, and there would be no middle pieces.  Second, I would use the same amount of batter, I think, but due to the depth of the pan, I would increase the baking time from 40 minutes to 50 or 55 minutes to make sure the extra depth was completely baked. I think that both of these things are doable...if I had time, I would have tried it this week again.  Anyway, this is nothing against Dorie's most excellent recipe, this is strictly a "Kayte thing." 

      Next week's recipe was chosen by Mari of Mevrouw Cupcake, is Creme Brulee, and can be found on page 393.   

      Click here and then click on individual bakers' blogs at the site if you would like to see more of this week's recipe and the various ways people interpreted their quest.  Or, better yet, you can click and join us!  See you there.

 

Whisk Wednesdays: Rewind: Brochet au beurre blanc (Whole Poached Pike with White Butter Sauce)

REWIND:  Today I am posting a Whisk Wednesdays rewind recipe (one I missed one of the weeks I was absent without leave) as it sounded incredibly good and I didn't want to miss the opportunity to cook a whole pike and all in my kitchen here in land-locked Carmel, Indiana. 

      You guessed it...I didn't really cook a whole pike, I used salmon, which had already passed through someone else's filet knife.  But I did make this incredibly great beurre blanc sauce for the fish from the Le Cordon Bleu recipe.  Incredibly. Good.  And easy.   All you need are shallots, wine, white wine vinegar, thyme, a bay leaf, creme fraiche, fresh lemon juice, salt, pepper, and butter.  It takes just a few minutes.  As you can see from the photo, Mark liked the sauce...a quick taste test indicated that he would prefer his piece dripping in sauce...and, oh, yeah, plopped on the asparagus as well.  A keeper of a recipe, used sparingly probably, because I am not certain even Mark can afford all these additional calories each time we have salmon.

      So, without further adieu, I give you Brochet au beurre blanc (Whole Poached Pike with White Butter Sauce), found on pages 307-308 {discussion of Beurre blanc (Emulsified butter with shallots) page 192} of Le Cordon Bleu at Home...well, minus the Whole Poached Pike thing as I used the salmon filet.  To round out the meal, I threw together a little fettuccine Alfredo (because it is so French and all...sure, right, it was actually because Mark requested it), steamed some asparagus, and lightly sauteed some fresh mushrooms.  Trust me, I dragged a tiny bit of each selection through a little beurre blanc sauce and it is downright sinful. 

      The most difficult part of French cooking is reconciling oneself to the vast amount of cooking vessels you will use for any given dinner:  a fish poaching pan, a saucepan for the court bouillon, another for the beurre blanc and then a pot and pan for the pasta, a saute pan for the mushrooms, a steaming pan for the asparagus...yep, lots of pans.  But SO worth it.  Mark raved about it...it's always nice when the husband raves about accomplishments in the kitchen.  Frankly, if he didn't, I wouldn't be doing this as I could truly get through life on salads and soups. 

      If you want to make this recipe at your own home, just purchase the cookbook Le Cordon Bleu at Home and give it a go.  The techniques you need are shown clearly in the book, so rest assured it is all very simple if you take it one step at a time. 

      If you would like to see how the other Whisk Wednesday members fared in the class, click here, or better yet, come and join us!  I have to say, you really will not be disappointed in checking out Shari's blog each Wednesday as she always includes a lot of extra information, the history of the dish, product reviews (for instance this recipe she compared seven different butters), little video clips on techniques, etc.  That's why she is our whisking guru...she is amazing in the kitchen and her photography will leave you breathless.  Go ahead...check it out!

Friday's Favorites Fare

      Since Ali arrived too late for the group photos of the swimmers on homecoming, Buddy sent over this one that was taken on Ali's camera that night at Sarah and Scott's of Matt and Ali before the dance.  No, not dating, just good friends posing for a photo together.   So, today's type print color will be in Ali's signature color of pink...she redid her room in her signature colors of black and pink and white...so nice, and so Ali! 

READING:  Knitting patterns...I know, not my usual, but I am trying to arrive at something I am capable of knitting so that I can knit mittens and scarves to go with the coat donations this year for Coats for Kids.  With our pool open, my knitting time has been drastically reduced, but I can see the writing on the wall here...and Bill will be showing up within the next several weeks to close it.  I am about to embark on new tangent of historical reading, just need to get to the library! 

LISTENING TO:   Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen...I know, don't ask.  Lately I have been in the mood for sets in threes...I am pretty sure Dante's trilogy is up for reading again this winter...I have it carefully laid aside for November beside the fireplace. 

COOKING THROUGH:  Le Cordon Bleu at Home (Le Cordon Bleu School of Cooking); Baking:  From My Home to Yours (Dorie Greenspan)

FAV NEW FIND:  Whatever I was thinking of putting here, it will not be as exciting as the wine harvest, the wine tasting room gig, the olive brining, and the new beekeeping undertakings of my friend Sara in California!  She is always undertaking the most interesting of things in life.  So, this week my favorite new find is just anything Sara is up to out there.   

FAV THING TODAY;   I think just sharing newsy bits with friends.  It's always fun to catch up and be included in different undertakings in which friends are involved.

GOING TO:   Well, 'tis football season and all...Hawks play Pitt in Pittsburgh at noon; Hoos take on the BSU Cardinals down in Hooville at 7 on Saturday night.  Tonight Guerin lost to Ritter; CHS (currently ranked first in 5A play) beat Lawrence North.  Alex has a scout camping trip up at the Dunes; Matt has a full day of choir retreat and enough choir, church, swimming, school, and social commitments to fill up the entire weekend.  I am thinking this would be a great weekend to swim, cook my entries for TWD and WhiskW as I have a very busy week out of the house coming up, luxuriate at the library for a bit, and generally just fill in some gaps around here. Definitely some movie watching in the works.  What's up over there? 

PRAYING FOR:   Teens struggling with finding their way into adulthood, please join me. 

Whisk Wednesdays: Éstouffade de Boeuf Provençale

       Whisk Wednesdays rolled around again yesterday, and while I had planned to serve the beef roast on Wednesday, our week went as such that I wasn't certain anyone was going to actually be here to partake of it, so I made and served it tonight instead. 

      This week's recipe was from Class 16: Les Braisages (Braising)

Part 1 - Éstouffade de Boeuf Provençale (Braised Beef Casserole, Provence Style) and braising.   

 

         What a hit...Mark raved and raved about it and Matt loved it.  Alex decided he wasn't having any, but I would not take that as any sort of critique at all as Alex can be rather unadventurous in the trying of new recipes realm.  (Photo on the right is one of the manly sized portions on a dinner plate, the other photo is a more chick-sized portion on a salad plate...oh, and the chick doesn't like her food touching too much, so the sauce is on the side.) 

 

      I did think it was very very good also.  Definitely a keeper.  I served it with a garden salad and some sliced perfectly ripe nectarines.  The guys thought they maybe would like some potatoes with it, or at least that was the excuse when they headed down to the Men's Den with a bag of potato chips to fill the potato "void." 

       I know why French food is so expensive.  They use expensive ingredients, the dishes take forever and a day to prepare much of the time, and you need a certain amount of know-how in the kitchen to effectuate even a smattering of a hope that yours will turn out in much hoped-for success.  I am counting this one as a success. 

      The recipe calls for fatback, 5 ounces, to be larded in the 2-1/2 pound roast and I really didn't want to do this, but I wanted to be a player, so I did it.  If you look at the photo of my plate, you can see the globules of orangish colored fat floating in the sauce...this is not something I care for, so I am not sure I would do that next time at all, or if I did, I would plan to make the roast one day, park it all in the frig for a few hours so the fat would solidify and then scrape that off and toss all that out, and reheat the whole dish to serve it.  I think most of the fat could be skimmed off most efficiently using that method.  

      There are 4 cups of red wine in this...I am not all that great on picking out wines for cooking, so I just grabbed a bottle of Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon and that really was a nice flavor with the beef.  Years ago Mark and I visited the Mondavi winery in California and I tend to reach for a Mondavi bottle as it never disappoints and is modestly priced.  The winery is spectacular...set at the foot of the mountains with beautiful rose bushes blooming all over the property...if you are in the area, go tour it, it is just romantic and wonderful and beautiful.  Oh, yeah...back to the recipe...there are also three tablespoons of cognac in the broth and while not a huge flavor, you could taste it in there and it did add a little something-something to it.  In the broth also were onions, garlic, carrots, herbs, peppercorns, and tomatoes.  Kalamata olives were added at the end, so those provided the salt flavoring.

      You need to plan ahead with this recipe as the roast needs to marinate overnight, but that was no problem.  Okay, mine actually marinated an extra night because of the scheduling around here, but believe me, this was definitely an okay thing to do...it may have added that much more flavor, I will need to let you know when I make it next and only marinate it one night.  The recipe recommended marinating it "at least 12 hours."  I think mine marinated 42 hours and it was really really great in flavor.

       If you want to make this recipe at your own home, just purchase the cookbook Le Cordon Bleu at Home and give it a go.  The techniques you need are shown clearly in the book, so rest assured it is all very simple if you take it one step at a time.   I think you will be very pleased with the results.  It was such a hit here that Mark wanted to make certain I knew he wanted me to make this again...he kept telling me over and over, "This is very very good.  I really really like this recipe a lot."  It's always nice when the partakers are so appreciative! 

       If you would like to see how the other Whisk Wednesday members fared in the braising class, click here, or better yet, come and join us!  Next week's class is: 

     Class 16, Part 2 • Blanquette de Veau à l’Ancienne (White Veal Stew with Onions and Mushrooms), on page 55-56.

Tuesday's with Dorie: Chocolate Chunkers

        This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe, from the cookbook Baking:  From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, is Chocolate Chunkers, can be found on page 70, and was chosen by Claudia of Fool for Food.  If you would like to try the recipe before buying the book, click on Claudia's site above and she will have it posted today.  

      This is the third week in a row of chocolate cookie selections, in case anyone is keeping count and has lost track.  Can people really be loving this much chocolate on a weekly basis?  I'm just asking, that's all...just asking.   

      There are, believe it or not, FIVE kinds of chocolate in this recipe.  FIVE kinds of Chocolate...this bowl weighs a ton.  There are also nuts and raisins in the mix.  It all came together quite easily and I refrigerated the dough for a couple of hours before baking the cookies. 

      I fared much better this week in getting mine to look like Dorie's in the cookbook.  One of the bloggers last week commented that I should try refrigerating the dough so that the cookies would not be so flat, so this week I did that, and the cookies did turn out nicely rounded.  Well, as nicely rounded as I was going to get because I think to get them really rounded I would have needed one of those fancy cookie scoops (which I do not have) or to roll them up a bit, and I wasn't of a mind to put my hands into chocolate and play around...nope, that would not be me.  I'm not adverse to having my hands in messy things, chocolate is just not something I care for at all.    

      Only one taste tester around this evening, so here is Matt heading down for a bit of studying with a plate of cookies in hand after delivering a much larger plateful over to Lauren and her family.  He hasn't stopped munching long enough for me to get anything other than a few pleasant "Ummmm...yums" and a thumbs-up sign, so I will take that as a good sign that the cookies are indeed worthy of a "Keeper" rating. 

     

      Next week's recipe was chosen by Michelle of Bake-en, is Dimply Plum Cake, and can be found on page 41.  Yeah, no chocolate!

      Click here and then click on individual bakers' blogs at the site if you would like to see more of this week's recipe and the various ways people interpreted their quest.  Or, better yet, you can click and join us!  See you there.

 

Happy Thoughts

      A quick giggle here from last week.  A small circle of us take turns fetching things each week for elderly shut-ins who have no family nearby and are still able to live on their own, but do not drive anymore.  This is immensely satisfying as these people are truly appreciative of anything you do for them. 

      Last Wednesday, I ran some errands, pharmacy and library, etc. for Helen and I usually take a little lunch and maybe a flower when I go.  I was cooking that day and had some extra chicken and decided to use it to make a Mexican Wrap for her as she likes to try new things usually...she says it keeps her on the cutting edge.  Cute. 

      When I arrived, she excitedly said, "Oh, is that lunch for me?  What's in there?"  I replied, "It's a Mexican Wrap, a deviled egg, some sliced plums, and a few cookies."  She looked a bit shocked and said, "Oh, I don't think I can eat that."  I thought she might be thinking the wrap was too spicy or something, so I said, "Oh, Helen, that's okay...I will run out and get you something else...what would you like?" 

      Helen:  "I don't want you to have to run out just for me, but I just don't think I could eat any rat."  She had clearly misunderstood what I said...so I said, "Helen, it's not rat...it's called a wrap (pronouncing it very clearly with the accent on the "p" part) because you wrap a tortilla around it.  It's chicken."  Helen:  "Not rat that tastes like chicken?"  Me:  "No, no...real chicken.  Chicken Chicken, no rat." 

      Helen:  "Well, I could eat that if it's chicken.  I didn't think you looked like a person who would cook a rat."  At which point, I sort of burst out laughing thinking to myself, "I wonder what a person looks like in her mind who could cook a rat and eat it.  Thankfully it seemed that I was not such a person." 

      She was delighted with the wrap once we got it all straightened out.  The lovely thing was that even when she thought I had cooked up a rat, she was trying to be very gracious and accommodating to me.  There's just not enough of that in life anymore...the elderly have much to teach us.  And, note to self:  speak slower, and more distinctly next time.

Happy Families

 

      "Happy Families are all alike...."  One of Tolstoy's most remembered lines.

       And, because Lauren was nice enough to share her homecoming photos with me, I thought I would share some really nice ones of Lauren and her happy family who live just across the way from us and are mentioned frequently here at GKT. 

      Lauren, Josh (JJ), and Matt all swim together at CSC, Lauren went to the fancy pants swim camp in Arizona with Matt and Mike this past summer, and both Lauren and JJ are Junior National Swimmers.   

      Larry, Sherry, Josh (aka JJ), Jesse, and the beautiful Lauren...a nicer family you will never meet.  (Photo 1:  Larry, Lauren, Sherry; Photo 2:  Jesse, Lauren, JJ.)

 

Happy Days: CHS Homecoming 2008: The Swimmers!

      Friday night was CHS's homecoming football game, which they won handily (Guerin being not so fortunate this week), and Saturday night was the CHS homecoming dance.    

      The CHS swimmers invited Matt, Ali, Harrison, and Daniel to go since the four of them attend other schools. (Photo at left is Cameron, Mike, Harrison, and Matt.)  The kids all went as a group, with quite a large turnout, and Sarah and Scott had dinner and a nice party at their house before the dance, so here are a few fun photos of that, compliments of Lauren and Sue V.  You are on your own with names...too many to list them all.   

First off are the Freshmen swimmers; followed by the Sophomore Swimmers, followed by the Junior Swimmers; followed by the most senior of the Senior swimmers.  (Of course, not all the swimmers went to homecoming, and some, who shall remain nameless, Ali, arrived too late for the group photos.) 

 

 

  

After the dance, Jessie's parents hosted a party at their home, and I think Matt finally arrived back home somewhere around 12:30 p.m.  He drove himself to all of it...this is just too nice to not have to drive him places and then go fetch him back again, even though the high school is only five miles away and Sarah and Jessie both live less than a mile from us.  It's particularly great not having to wait in long lines for the fetching process.  It is amazing how much time you free up when you aren't chauffering!

      And, the last photo, with no need of any accompanying words because after all, they are who they are when it comes to photo ops:  Michael, JJ, and Charles with Daniel in front.  It's always Happy Days when the four of these guys are around. 

   

Whisk Wednesdays: Soupe à l'oignon gratinée (Onion soup) and Potage Ambassadeur (Split Pea Soup with Bacon, Sorrel, and Lettuce)

      My Whisk Wednesdays group has been very patient with me these past couple of months.  First, I was a crazy person trying to juggle all those swimming gigs with my normal life here, and then I just fell off the wagon about posting.  I allow myself a certain amount of time for writing/posting each day/week and when that is gone, then I just stop trying to get it all worked into the day/week...I've been a bit distracted and my writing time has been used elsewhere, so the Whiskers have been very nice and patient with me.  But, that said, I'M BACK!  I will not try to catch up all the things that I missed, but I might filter in a few things here and there on rewind as I did photo most of it while I was making it.    

       Soups are one of my very favorite things in the food world.  I am a serious consumer of soup.  I think it stems from my childhood when I ate a lot of soup and very little else.  When the soup classes came up, I have to say, I jumped for joy.  I think I posted two of them, so I think I will post two more here today and then I will retire the soup entries, but believe me, you will want to make them all...very good. 

      I went on a soup-making marathon one weekend and made about four kinds of soup, using just half recipes for each.  Assembly line, as you can clearly see, with any number of pots containing wonderful selections. (The Total and Oatmeal are breakfast fare, forgot to remove those for the photo, oops.) That was one fine weekend.    

       Of course, my first favorite was the Soupe à l'oignon gratinée (Onion soup), on pages 48-49.  It is somewhat difficult to find a really good bowl of French Onion Soup...or maybe I am just really picky (probably more than just a rumor).  My current favorite is at Lennie's in Bloomington.  

      Our Le Cordon Bleu recipe is very good also.  It is different than most of the recipes I come across in that it does not use beef stock, but rather just white wine and water with the onions and such.   It is much more of a light tasting soup, something that would be great served before a meal that did not include beef or pork, etc....something like chicken or fish.  Definitely something I will make over and over.   

      The recipe recommended using Gruyere cheese for melting on top, and I wasn't too keen on that as while I think Gruyere melts very nicely and can't be equaled for something like a quiche, I prefer a Swiss on top of the onion soup as it melts to a much more creamy texture.  Gruyere is also somewhat nutty in flavor and I don't care for that as much with the onions...the Swiss is much nicer with that little bite of tartness to it.  When I served it the next time, we used Swiss and I will do that from now on.   

      I am including this photo of the peeled onions before slicing for this reason:  I have a solution that has always worked for me to prevent crying when slicing onions.  A doctor I know, from France, told me a long time ago that onions make you cry because of what you are smelling, not what you are seeing.  In other words, while your eyes tear up and you think that is what is making you cry, it is really the fact that you are smelling the onion and that is what releases the tears from your eyes.  He showed me a way to prevent this, and it has worked every single time for me.  Put a small dab of something with a perfume in it (soap, lotion, whatever you have at hand in the kitchen) in the small indentation directly below your nose and above your lips.  You then smell the lotion and not the onion while you are chopping.  Works every time for me...give it a try and see if it works for you also.     

      The other soup that Matt and I found most interesting and very good was the Potage Ambassadeur (Split Pea Soup with Bacon, Sorrel, and Lettuce), found on page 462. 

      It does not win a lot of enthusiasm in the looks department, but in the taste department, it is really really good.  The peas and bacon and lettuce just really go very well together.  (Confession:  I have no idea what sorrel is, nor did anyone in my vicinity in the markets here, so I just left it out.  Who knows if it would be better or worse with or without it, but it was very fine cooked without it.)  And rich.  Only a small bowl is sufficient for a portion.  Matt and I ate it all within a couple of days (again, it was only a third of the original recipe) as Mark and Alex took one look at it and said, "I'm not eating that."  And they didn't.  Not even a taste.  Their loss, believe me.   

      I can so see this soup on a cold winter night with a slice of toasted baguette, some nice cheese, a sliced apple, and a mug of hot apple cider curled up in my reading chair in front of the fireplace.  Yep, I am so there come this winter with this soup.  There are two chairs...you can come and join me if you like!  Or, if you want to make your own soup at your own home, just purchase the cookbook Le Cordon Bleu at Home and make it there.  If you would like to see how the other Whisk Wednesday members fared in the soups classes, click here, or better yet, come and join us!

     

The Happy Girl

 

     

       By request, readers have been asking about Ali..."How's Ali, What's Ali been up to?  We have had no news of Ali for awhile."  So, here is a little catch-up of The Happy Girl. 

       Before the new football stadium here in town opened for the public, there was a nice little tour and here are two fun photos, one of Ali touring and the other of Ali giving a press conference like where TD usually gives his post-game press conference.  Too cute...and I can so see Ali giving her own press conferences for something or other in the future. 

      Ali is swimming with Matt in the senior group, singing with him in the IYC choir as she made the move up this year, so we are all thrilled that Ali and Matt are back together in the same choir group again...just not the same with Ali in another group.  They will be going to Spain next summer for the eleven day singing tour.  Ali's loving school, a sophomore this year, she and Harrison took driver's ed together at the end of the summer, and last night, Ali, Harrison, and Matt (who all go to Catholic high schools) were all invited to Carmel's homecoming dance by the kids on the swim team so they went as a group, Ali looking cute in her black dress and pink headband (can see photos from homecoming post later today).  So there's your update on The Happy Girl.  She's having a great time living life...and still the sweetest thing going.  Life is just a whole lot more fun with Ali around.

Whisk Wednesdays: Salade de Sardines Crues aux Epinards

        This week's Whisk Wednesdays recipe, Class 15, Part 3, is Salade de Sardines Crues aux Epinards (Spinach Salad with Fresh Sardines) and can be found on page 197-198 (along with the discussion of Vinaigrettes on page 55) in the Le Cordon Blue at Home cookbook. 

      Epinards are not a big hit around here...actually, Epinards have never once been invited into the house, let alone for a meal or snacking.  We all like various kinds of fish, but sardines are not one of them.  I substituted, because at Whisk Wednesdays we are very practical and if one does not like the recipe, one is free to PLAY with it.  Shrimp is always popular around here, so I subbed in that.   

      This was one really great salad...really great.  I only made enough for two as Mark and I were watching the Iowa/Iowa State football game while the boys were doing their own thing and opting for leftover pizza for lunch.  I knew this would make a nice lunch for Mark and I, much preferred over the leftover pizza certainly. 

      I guessed correctly, Mark declared it "most excellent" and declared it a Keeper.    

      While probably not your standard halftime lunch for a football game, this is SO going on our Christmas Eve menu this year for the salad course.  It just looks like Christmas on a plate, dontchathink?  

      The recipe is quick, the prep all easy, the longest part is marinating the sliced mushrooms in the vinaigrette for an hour, so you need to plan ahead on that a little.  I used six fairly large shrimp, cutting them in half lengthwise after I steamed them, which enabled me to use the right halves on one plate, the left halves on the other plate so the little shrimps were all facing the same way on each plate going around the circle.  I know...compulsive...I am completely compulsive, who cares and even notices these things?  So, just in case you are also of a mind, that's how you do that.  

      The combination of lime, vinaigrette, and shrimp is light and very pleasing.  I think I really should use limes more often.  Limes definitely are not getting enough playing time around here...need to take them off the bench and bring them into the game more often.

      Next week from Le Cordon Bleu Cooks at Home is: (September 17)• Éstouffade de Boeuf Provençale (Braised Beef Casserole, Provence Style) page 139-140 {discussion of braising and stewing, page 140}.   If you would like to see how the other members met the sardine challenge, you can click here, and then click on the individual participant's blog, and then really, think about joining us! 

      Oh, and in case you were wondering:  The Iowa Hawks won against the Iowa State Cyclones, so the Cy-Hawk trophy returns to Iowa City.  It's been a win/win afternoon for me, both the salad and the Hawk victory made for one fine afternoon.

Friday's Favorites Fare

READING:  A History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage.  Okay, not exactly on the "easily identifiable by the general public" list, BUT a very nice read, quick, fun, and pleasing...maybe the sort of book that might allow you to "make it a true daily double" one day with some little known, but exceptionally fun, fact.  The book is about the important role that beverages played in advancing history.  (Just to throw a little teaser out, here are the sections inside the book:  Beer in Mesopotamia and Egypt; Wine in Greece and Rome; Spirits in the Colonial Period; Coffee in the Age of Reason; Tea and the British Empire, and Coca-Cola and the Rise of America.  You want to read it now, right?  Good, I think you will enjoy it.  Go ahead, give it a quaff.)

LISTENING TO:  The Stones...it's a rainy, dreary day here and it seems like a good day for the Stones...plan on following it up with Queen.

COOKING THROUGH:  Le Cordon Bleu at Home (Le Cordon Bleu School of Cooking); Baking:  From My Home to Yours (Dorie Greenspan)

FAV NEW FIND:   The absolutely wonderful feeling of luxury at being able to sleep in past 4:30 a.m. since Matt is now able to drive himself to the early morning swim practice, school, and afternoon swim practice.  It feels a little decadent to be doing this...particularly when I hear him up and dressing, etc., and I am ensconced in a lovely array of sheets.  BUT, I have to tell you, it feels really good not to have to drive that early morning run. 

FAV THING TODAY;  Being up at GCHS today subbing...the kids are always such fun, very respectful and nice to be around.  Today was casual dress day, a Football Friday, and I had all seniors all day.  It was a really nice day.  It's fun to get to be around girl kids as I have only boy ones here...I enjoy the giggle factor.

GOING TO:  Well, seeing how it is raining here tonight, I am thinking of renting a movie to watch and will maybe pop some popcorn to enjoy with it.  GCHS plays in Lafayette...no sense going up there in the rain and CHS plays here, but it is their homecoming, so it will be crowded, and with rain...nah.  Matt is going to the homecoming dance at CHS tomorrow with the swim club group, Sarah having a pre-dance party, I believe is what I heard. Alex is basically grounded until he is 31, maybe 32, so he will be spending some time thinking about how he would like to perhaps get in step with the program around here...teenage angst is a little more frustrating than I had ever imagined it and all.  It's football season, so the weekend will revolve around that...IU is off this week; the Hawks play in-state rival Iowa State around noon on Saturday; Colts play at Minnesota Sunday at 1:00.  Need to get some pre-winter type things done around here, etc., so not so much excitement in the weekend as there is necessity in the planning of chores for the weekend.. 

PRAYING FOR:  Tanja and Tim and all parents who are experiencing the heartbreak of miscarriage.  Please join me.  

NOTE:  Thursday's Favorites Fare has now become Friday's Favorites Fare here at GKT.  The compulsive in me likes that all the words start with the same letter.   

Tuesdays with Dorie: Chocolate Whopper Malted Drops

      This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe, from the cookbook Baking:  From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, is Chocolate Whopper Malted Drops, can be found on page 85, and was chosen by Rachel of Confessions of a Tangerine Tart. 

       Mine look nothing like the photos of Dorie's cookies in the book.  Nothing.  Well, they look chocolatey and all, but mine are flat and crispy and Dorie's were soft and chewy with some height to them. 

      Let's see...I followed the recipe exactly, I think...what can I say, I have been a tad distracted these past couple of weeks.  Or maybe chocolate cookies just might not be my thing. 

      This recipe had cocoa powder, bittersweet chocolate, chocolate malted milk balls...that's a lot of chocolate.  Not being a fan of even one kind of chocolate, I passed on the taste testing, but Mark liked them as he likes crispy cookies and chocolate, so who is to say this recipe was NOT a success after all?  I can just act like I meant them to turn out that way all along, who's to know?   

       Matt and Alex were eating them by the handfuls...literally, handfuls, as well as making ice cream sandwiches out of them...one scoop of vanilla between two chocolatey cookies.   

       As you can see by the photos...they were very happy with them.  The recipe made about 60 cookies.  Teenage boys and cookie-loving husbands being what they are, there are about a dozen left tonight.

      Photos show cookies and boys...even the ever-elusive Cool Dude agreed to have his photo on the blog this week, figuring eating an ice cream cookie sandwich would probably pass muster with any blog-reading friends of his without any threat to his cool dudeness.  (So, for those of you who are beginning to doubt we even have TWO sons, here is proof positive, I give you..Thing One and Thing Two enjoying Dorie's Chocolate Whopper Malted Drops.) 

      Even though they do not look much like the ones in the book, around here we are counting them a success and the request has been submitted that I make another batch of them as, "They're almost all gone, Mom!" 

      If you would like to try the recipe before buying the book, click on Rachel's site above and she will have it posted today. 

      Next week's recipe was chosen by Claudia of Fool for Food, is Chocolate Chunkers, and can be found on page 70.  

      Click here and then click on individual bakers' blogs at the site if you would like to see more of this week's recipe and the various ways people interpreted their quest.  Or, better yet, you can click and join us!  See you there.

One Very Happy Boy

 

    

        

     

     

       A quick post today...The Boy got his Letter Jacket.  You know, one of the most prized possessions of any high school boy...the Driver's License, The Letter Jacket, The Class Ring, culminating in the College Acceptance Letter, all parts of that high school experience.  As you can see by the look on his face, it doesn't get much better than this at this age.  He got to have both his numerals and letter as a Freshman as he made it to state in swimming last year. 

      He is One Very Happy Boy.

Thursday's Favorites Fare

READING:   Various things on Czechoslovakia during WWI.   Our friend John B. from church was born there and immigrated to the US...I am always fascinated with the memories he shares with me about his time there between the two wars, before he came to the US.  I could listen endlessly to him speak of it all.  He is kind enough to share it with me...anyway, reading about those times.

 

Photo:  Nice Juicy Strawberries, who can resist them?  Not me, that's for sure!  These were destined for slicing and serving over a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert this evening.  My favorite way to eat them, though, is just to stem and hull them and pop them into my mouth with them wearing nothing but a few drops of ice water.  Can't top a strawberry for snacking.

LISTENING TO:   Puccini

COOKING THROUGH:  Le Cordon Bleu at Home (Le Cordon Bleu School of Cooking); Baking:  From My Home to Yours (Dorie Greenspan)

FAV THING TODAY:  Matt has been driving to and from school and swim practice now on his own with the new driver's license.  He came in and said, "Well, I like this driving just fine, but Mom, I really miss you every day because it's kind of lonely just by myself with no one asking about my day and what I had for lunch and what homework I had and how all my friends are and stuff like that.  I even miss your corny music."  Big Smile!  How sweet was this?  I was waiting for the punch line, but there wasn't one.  He didn't even ask for anything.  Just a gift for me today.  I've had several gifts like that today...it's been a lovely day.

FAV NEW FIND:   Well, Mark's new car is nice...I like the color and it sits well...haven't driven it yet, but might do that this weekend after he has had it a few days.  I never like to get anything new, so I have to ease into acquisitions around here.   And...my sister Karen has a new house in CR...on a hill...she found just the one she liked and decided to go that route rather than rebuild after the flood, so hopefully I can get out there and help her get settled a bit as she gets possession October 3rd...nothing like Iowa in the fall.  The house is really cute and just the right size for her.

GOING TO:   It's football watching time!   Last week:  wins for Hoos, Hawks, CHS, but not for Guerin, although Ali and Harrison's school won that one, so that was nice as we are awfully fond of Ali and Harrison and their families.

PRAYING FOR:   Katie and Rebecca who have both been down recovering this past week, one with knee surgery, one with pneumonia, and for Meredith as she discerns her vocational dreams of becoming a nun.  Please join me. 

Tuesdays with Dorie: Chunky Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters

       Photo of the Chipsters all stacked up and waiting for the guys to return for the evening.  I thought maybe I would display them in some sort of fancy box, but in the end, figured these were, after all, just cookies, and a nice plate would suffice...will leave the fancy box for another use.  So here they are, all stacked up, easy for teenage boys to grab and run. 

      This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe, from the cookbook Baking:  From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, is Chunky Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters, can be found on page 73, and was chosen by Stefany of Proceed with Caution. 

      Okay, I know what you are thinking:  where are the chocolate chips in the Chocolate Chipsters, right?   Dorie used chocolate chips, but I used white chocolate chips, even though I know they are not real chocolate, and my only defense is that I have been playing very nicely at TWD, making all the chocolate goodies that everyone picks, so I figured I would vary it a little this week as next week's recipe is also a chocolate choice.  A non-chocolate loving girl can only be expected to play along so long without changing up the rules a bit. 

      The only other change I made was that I used regular smooth peanut butter and chopped up a handful of peanuts in the food processor to add into the mixture as I did not have any chunky-style peanut butter in the pantry.  That worked out nicely.  It especially worked out nicely as Mark does not like peanut butter cookies, which always puzzles me as he loves peanut butter and he loves cookies...what is the deal with not loving them together?  I haven't been able to figure it out in 30 years, so I am thinking that will probably remain one of the mysteries of life around here. 

      Anyway, when he saw the stack of cookies, I could, in clear (or almost clear) conscience, say, "Oh, the cookies have peanuts in them in case you think you might not want to eat them," carefully avoiding the mention of actual peanut butter.  He tried them.  He liked them.  He said, "These are very good.  I like them a lot."  Hmmmm...do I confess or not?  I said, "Well, they actually have peanut butter and peanuts in them," explaining my little sub process.  He said, "These are good.  I will eat these...they aren't too sweet like regular peanut butter cookies, and I love the oatmeal in them."  Congrats, Dorie...I never thought I would see the day. 

       I did not chill the dough as frankly I had a lot more going on today than worrying about whether or not I had to chill the cookie dough, and they turned out just fine.  I would love to say that I carefully planned not to chill the dough, to just shove them in the oven to bake at whatever time frame I managed to remember to take them out, and that the crispy cookie, rather than a soft and chewy cookie, was exactly what I had planned, but I haven't a clue how they turned out as great as they did...trust me, all by accident on the crispy part and that was the BEST part in my opinion...a thin crispy cookie is hard to resist.  Resist, however, is something that builds character, so off they go to various venues tomorrow. 

      The recipe made 75 cookies, but when my guys are all finished with them this evening, there will be considerably fewer to hand around tomorrow.  Considerably fewer.  And a whole lot less milk, too. 

      If you would like to try the recipe before buying the book, click on Stefany's site above and she will have it posted today. 

      Next week's recipe was chosen by Rachel of Confessions of a Tangerine Tart, is Chocolate Whopper Malted Drops, and can be found on page 85.  

      Click here and then click on individual bakers' blogs at the site if you would like to see more of this week's recipe and the various ways people interpreted their quest.  Or, better yet, you can click and join us!  See you there.

Happy Birthday!

      First of all, Happy 51st Birthday to my sister Karen...wow, who knew we would all get this old this fast?  I am in shock whenever I think about it...who is this person looking out of the mirror at me each morning?  Darned if I know!  She especially likes it that I am two years older than she is each birthday.  I can't remember when that started exactly, as while we were growing up she spent a great deal of time trying to convince our mother that she should have the same rules and privileges that I had each year, despite the two-year difference.  In your charity, if you have a moment and want to say a birthday prayer for her, please do so...Karen is still dealing with a great deal of aggravation and heartache in the aftermath of the flood issues in CR, IA.  She has been living in a camping trailer all summer, which she says is nice and kind of fun, but she also says, "I have a new appreciation for water pressure in the shower."  Apparently there is a lot to be desired in that aspect.

      Well, the Countdown has ended as you can see by the photo of Matt driving off by himself for his maiden drive alone...sorry to be absent from here for a bit, but I had things that needed to be done, places I needed to be, crimes to commit...you know...all the usual and then some. 

      The Boy passed his Driver's Test on Saturday, and is now a licensed driver in sole possession of a vehicle.  It doesn't get any better than this for a 16 year old boy...well, except maybe for the very nice text a certain someone sent him congratulating him on said feat.  I'm not certain, but I think that might have been the icing on the cake...not that he would ever admit that publicly, of course. 

      So, where did he go on his maiden voyage?  To the car wash to wash the car, vacuum it all out, spiff it all up...probably no surprise there if you know Matt at all.  He got to drive up to Elwood all by himself, shown here proudly displaying his license up at Grandma and Grandpa's.  His observations on it all?  "It is so strange being in the car all by myself and driving off somewhere with my own keys and everything."  "I feel like such an adult!"  "Thank you so much for letting me do all this...I have the best life!"  "Can I go get a milkshake at S & S?  You know, all by myself...just me jumpin' in the car and headed out for a milkshake just because I can?"  One Happy Boy. 

      You all have been very patient with me here...I appreciate that...and thank you for the emails of concern, etc., but really, I am fine, just busy and needing a bit of time to arrange new schedules and new commitments, etc.  I think I have it now...yes, I think I have it all compartmentalized and arranged as best I can...and most of all, I'm very happy with it all.  Very happy.  What a great way to start a month! 

      Hopefully the TWD post will be up by early tomorrow afternoon. 

Daring Bakers

      My sincere apologies for not getting my entry completed on time this month...and my first entry for this group also...not the best way to begin perhaps, but other matters of great importance to me needed to take precedence last month.   Looking forward to getting started here...and my family is hoping I will yet have time to make August's entry in the next few days.  We shall see.  The commitment for the group is that you just need to do 8 out of the 12 months, and I am thinking that will not be a problem, despite the missing entry this month.  Happy baking, everyone!