Potato Salad

A classic picnic and/or BBQ side dish is potato salad and what would Memorial Day be without it on the table?! It was a low key Memorial Day for us since we had quite a busy weekend with my best friend's wedding the past couple of days. Here's a great Potato Salad I prepared that we enjoyed for lunch...

There are so many variations for potato salad - warm, cold, mayo based, vinegar based, etc. I personally like potato salads that are mayo based for that creamy texture, especially when there are hard boiled eggs tossed in. It's like a two-for-one deal with an egg and potato salad combo! I came across this recipe for potato salad from Tyler Florence. What's great about it is that not only does it use potato and egg, the 'dressing' is very flavorful with a bit of tang. From the original recipe, I added an extra egg and substituted pickle relish instead of dill pickles called for. It was certainly a delicious accompaniment to the beer braised bratwursts and caramelized onions we had for lunch!

Potato Salad

recipe adapted from Tyler Florence

2 pounds small Yukon gold potatoes
4 large eggs, hard boiled and peeled
Kosher salt
1/2 bunch sliced scallions, white and green parts
2 tablespoons drained capers
2 cups mayonnaise
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup pickle relish
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 bunch dill, chopped
1/2 lemon, juiced
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling


Put the potatoes into a big saucepan of cold salted water. Bring to a simmer and continue cooking the potatoes until a paring knife poked into them goes in without resistance, about 15-17 minutes. Drain the potatoes in a colander and let them cool.

Meanwhile, stir together the mayonnaise, mustard, pickles and their juice, onion, remaining scallions and capers, parsley, dill, and lemon juice in a bowl large enough to hold the potatoes. Roughly chop the eggs and add them into the bowl.

Stick a fork into the potatoes and lift them 1 at a time out of the colander. Break up the potatoes by hand into rough chunks, add them to the bowl and toss to coat with the dressing. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Drizzle with a little olive oil before serving.

* To make ahead/freezer meal - Prepare the potatoes in advance by cooking until cooked. Allow the potatoes to cool and wrap each potato individually in foil. Place all the foil wrapped potatoes in a large freezer bag and freeze. When ready to prepare, defrost the potatoes completely. Remove the peel with a paring knife and cube the potatoes. Place in a microwave safe bowl and heat in the microwave for 2 minutes. Allow to cool while you prepare the dressing and boil the eggs. Assemble the potato salad by tossing the potatoes with the dressing and egg, folding it all together to combine. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Drizzle with a little olive oil before serving.

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ZUCCHINI RICOTTA FETA TART

LITTLE ELVES IN THE NIGHT


Who doesn’t remember the lovely Grimm Brothers’ Christmas story about the poor shoemaker? “(He) worked very hard and was very honest: but still he could not earn enough to live upon; and at last all he had in the world was gone, save just leather enough to make one pair of shoes.” He carefully cut out the leather for one last pair of shoes and lovingly laid the pieces out on his workbench before retiring for the night. “His conscience was clear and his heart light amidst all his troubles; so he went peaceably to bed, left all his cares to Heaven, and soon fell asleep. In the morning after he had said his prayers, he sat himself down to his work; when, to his great wonder, there stood the shoes all ready made, upon the table.”

Of course, one night he decides to wait up, hoping to surprise whoever was sneaking into his workshop and making the beautiful shoes in his place. And, lo and behold, he spies 2 little elves, merry as can be, rushing into the workshop, “stitching and rapping and tapping away at such a rate, that the shoemaker was all wonder, and could not take his eyes off them.” Until, just at the break of day, the shoes finished, off they bustle as quick as lightening.


Well, I have elves. They may not be naked (the shoemaker makes little clothes to thank his elves for their help), or at least I hope they are not if they are sitting on either my kitchen chairs or livingroom sofa, and they may not whip up a gorgeous pair of shoes or even a cake for me to discover the following morning, but elves they are, silent as the night, tiptoeing into the kitchen at the stroke of midnight (or later) and helping this housewife clean out her refrigerator. Yes, they devour great quantities of food, leftovers, macarons by the dozen, bowls of pasta and slices of cold pizza, even surreptitiously making bottles of wine disappear. I am sure that they feel that they are doing me a favor, and happy mother I am knowing that no little elves are going hungry, but darn if I’m not anxious to do as the poor shoemaker and his wife and stay up all night concealed behind the curtains hoping to catch our own little elves in the act of selfless gorging that they do so kindly on my behalf.

And last night was no different. I had carefully wrapped up the last slices of the delicious Zucchini Ricotta Feta Tart and placed them in the refrigerator before I took myself off to bed. This morning I awoke and straggled into the kitchen, rubbing sleep out of my eyes, and put the water for coffee on to boil. Breakfast table laid, husband joined me and we began the breakfast dance, the ritual around the morning meal, the same foods, the same gestures, sharing the first words, the first smiles, the first laughter of the day. And that was when I noticed it: the tart pan sitting alone and empty on the countertop. Tonnerre de tonnerre! It happened again! Sapristi the elves have struck again!

"Good morning, darling, what would you like for breakfast today?"

2 young gentlemen, architecture students both, sometimes joined by a third, spending evenings sitting at desks side by side, working on projects of paper and cardboard and glue and scissors, or clicking and clacking away on their computers, images twisting and turning and floating on screen, far into the night and often into the wee hours of the morning. Like little elves, working best in the dark quiet of night away from parental prying eyes. Growing boys, needing energy to push those brains to work long hours, needing nourishment to keep their bodies going, young men singing along to the music echoing in the night feeling a hunger sneak up and rumble low in their tummies, a hunger growing, disturbing their thoughts. A sign passes between them, a look, a nod of the head, and off they go, tiptoeing silently from one end of the house to the other, past the dog (Pray that he does not wake and, anxious to join them for a midnight snack, begin to bark!) and they slip noiselessly into the kitchen. Foraging in the refrigerator, savory or sweet or even a little of both, making no noise with the cutlery or as they slide one ceramic plate off the shelf at a time, slicing the knife through a dense slice of chocolate cake or cutting off sliver after sliver of rich Zucchini Ricotta Tart, tangy with feta and cool with mint. Silent as the shadows, they eat to their hearts’ content and, tummies full, off they skip back to their little elves’ lair to finish their own important work or, if not, simply to close their books and put away their pencils and crawl off to bed.

Feeding all of the little architecture student elves of Nantes...

Now, if those little elves would only do the dishes!


Mother’s Day has once again come and gone and Son #1, whom I thought had forgotten the day, arrived in the afternoon arms filled with beautiful plants, a kitchen garden: mint and rosemary, basil and chives. Lovely, just lovely. Thank you, Clem.

I am sending this delicious tart to Ivonne of Creams Puffs in Venice for her Magazine Mondays!


ZUCCHINI RICOTTA TART with feta and mint
From June 2010 Saveurs magazine (Tarte aux Courgettes, Feta et Ricotta)

Short crust pastry for one 8- or 9-inch pie plate (recipe follows), chilled
2 medium zucchini
7 oz (200 g) ricotta (I used fresh ewe’s milk ricotta)
7 oz (200 g) feta cheese
2 large eggs
A few branches of mint (about 2 Tbs or so chopped leaves)
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper


Make the short crust pastry and wrap in plastic and place in the refrigerator to chill so it will be easier to roll out.

Before preparing the filling, roll the pastry out to fit in your buttered pie tin, press it into the tin, trim and poke all over with a fork. Place back in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

Wash and trim the zucchini. Slice into ¼-inch coins. Sauté the zucchini, one layer at a time, in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Lightly brown each batch on one side, flip the slices, salt and pepper and continue cooking for a few minutes until lightly browned on the bottom and the zucchini is tender. Continue until all of the zucchini is golden and tender. Allow to drain on paper towels.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the ricotta using a whisk or a wooden spoon until smooth. Add the eggs and continue whisking or beating until well blended and smooth. Chop the feta until small cubes and add to the bowl, beating in until part of the feta has dissolved into the mixture and is creamy and part are left in small chunks. Finely chop or scissor cut the mint in a glass. Add to the cheese mixture with salt and pepper to taste.


Remove the pie shell from the refrigerator. Line the bottom of the shell with about half or a bit less of the zucchini slices. Pour the ricotta, feta, mint mixture in the shell and spread evenly. Place the rest of the zucchini slices all over the top of the cheese mixture, slightly overlapping.

Bake in the preheated oven for 35 – 40 minutes. The filling should be slightly puffed up and firm to the touch (like a quiche) and golden around the edges. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly, allowing the tart to settle.

Serve with a mixed green salad or fresh, ripe, sweet tomatoes with a tart vinaigrette. And a glass of wine.


SHORT CRUST PASTRY perfect for savory tarts and quiches
From Mastering the Art of French Cooking (by you know who, of course)

5 oz (150 g) flour
Scant ½ tsp salt
Big pinch of sugar
4 oz (120 g) unsalted butter, cubed
4 – 4 ½ Tbs cold water

Place the flour, salt and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the cubes of butter, tossing to coat with flour so they don’t stick together. Using the tips of your fingers and thumbs, rub the butter and flour together rapidly as if pushing the butter into the flour until the mixture is crumbly and it resembles oatmeal. Do not overwork this mixture as the butter will melt and start to clump; it will be blended better later.

Add about 3 tablespoons of the cold water and blend very quickly with a fork. Add more water, as much as needed, onto the dry flour and continue to stir up from the bottom until all of the dry ingredients are moistened and the dough begins pulling together.

Scrape the dough out onto a floured work surface. With the heel of one hand, rapidly smear and push the dough onto the surface and away from you, about a tablespoon of dough at a time, smearing it onto the work surface. This will complete the blending of the butter and the flour.

Scrape the dough up and gather it into a ball. Knead gently and briefly just enough to make a smooth, homogenous ball of dough. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm enough to roll out easily.

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Το κράτος τρομοκράτης-Ισραήλ- δολοφονεί και στα διεθνή ύδατα εκτός από τη λωρίδα της Γάζας.

-Απαιτούμε από την ελληνική κυβέρνηση:
-να ενεργήσει για την άμεση απελευθέρωση όλων των αιχμαλώτων και την επιστροφή των σκαφών του Στόλου της Ελευθερίας
-να κλείσει την πρεσβεία του Ισραήλ
-να σταματήσει τις ελληνοισραηλινές ασκήσεις, να διακόψει κάθε σχέση με το κράτος-τρομοκράτη.
Καλούμε σε συγκέντρωση διαμαρτυρίας σήμερα, στις 7μμ έξω από την ισραηλινή πρεσβεία.
Για περισσότερες πληροφορίες

1. At least 10 activists killed in Israel Navy clashes onboard Gaza aid flotilla

2. FreeGaza.org

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1242, Επεσε ο Down Jones με ΅μηχανή΅

1242
ΕΥΓΕΝΙΑ ΗΛΙΟΠΟΥΛΟΥ

Το βάσανο μου έχει ένα ωραίο όνομα. Τεχνολογία Βελτίωση της καθημερινότητας με βάση τα επιτεύγματα της ηλεκτρονικής και των τηλεπικοινωνιών .

Εν συντομία OTENET OnDSL αορίστου χρόνου (Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) Ένα modem Philips router Conn-x που τοποθετήθηκε το 2007 και λειτούργησε καλά μέχρι που στο επιτελείο των υπολογιστών του σπιτιού μου προστέθηκε το netbook Packard Bell.

Ένας ωραίος και ανάλαφρος φορητός υπολογιστής. Το έκανα δώρο στον εαυτό μου μετά από πολλές έρευνες της αγοράς και συμβούλια με τους γνώστες του αντικειμένου. Για τα κείμενα που γράφω στα ταξίδια μου Ταξίδεψε μέχρι την Αυστραλία και απέδειξε ότι είναι ιδανικό για την δουλεία για την οποία προοριζόταν. Συνδέθηκα στο αεροδρόμιο του Dubai,Bangkok και Sydney και την στιγμή που ήταν τόσο άξιο έξω από την χώρα είπα να το δοκιμάσω και στο σπίτι μου. Εκεί την πάτησα.
Διευκρινίζω ότι δεν έχω φύγει από το ΟΤΕ όσο και δελεαστικές προτάσεις να έχω δεχτεί πιστεύοντας ότι πρέπει να βοηθήσω την ελληνική προσπάθεια στις τηλεπικοινωνίες(.δηλαδή όσο απέμεινε ελληνική). Άνοιξα ενημερωτικά φυλλάδια, μπήκα και στο ιντερνέτ και προσπάθησα να το συνδέσω με το ασύρματη δίκτυο .Βρέ καλέ μου ,βρέ χρυσέ μου. Τίποτα. Αυτό το μηχάνημα δεν λύγησε .Ανένδοτο και άκαρδο το Philips router Conn-x δεν άνοιξε τις γραμμές του για το μικρό μου netbook. Αφού είδα και απόειδα πήρα την απόφαση να καλέσω εξειδικευμένη βοήθεια .Δηλαδή το 1242 που λειτουργεί όλο το 24ωρο όλη την εβδομάδα.
Κυριακή πρωί.8..30 ορεξάτη ξεκίνησα .

Η πρώτη κυρία μου έδωσε κάποιες οδηγίες ,μου ευχήθηκε καλή τύχη και με άφησε στην χαρά του Θεού για να κάνω restart.Επειδή έχω ζήσει παρόμοιες καταστάσεις ρώτησα αν ο ασθενής θα ζήσει; Δηλαδή τι θα γίνει αν αποτύχει το εγχείρημα. Μου είπε με ελαφρά την καρδία να ξαναπάρω στο ίδιο αριθμό. Δοκίμασα αλλά χωρίς αποτέλεσμα.. Η πρώτη αποτυχία δεν με πτόησε και ξαναπήρα για να ζητήσω βοήθεια. Απάντησε μία άλλη κυρία ή οποία μου έδωσε ακριβώς αντίθετες οδηγίες από την πρώτη. Υπό την δική της καθοδήγηση μπήκα στα άδυτα των συνδέσεων(WAN IP,gateway, primary DNS, Secondary DNS και άλλα τόσα).Ευχαρίστησα και ξαναπροσπάθησα βέβαιη ότι δόθηκε επιτέλους λύση.

Ξαναέκανα restart.Η γραμμή έκλεισε μόνη της ,μετά από μισή ώρα οδηγίες και αναγκάστηκα να ξαναπάρω .Αυτή τη φορά έπεσα πάνω σε έναν κύριο Παρθένη .Είχα την προνοητικότητα να ζητήσω όνομα. Αυτός με έβαλε να ανοίξω και το σταθερό υπολογιστή και να παίξω κοντσέρτο για δύο υπολογιστές , ένα modem και μία τηλεφωνική γραμμή. Δώστου και σκύψε για να περάσω το καλώδιο από ένα στο άλλο και με ποιο χέρι να κρατώ και το τηλέφωνο. Τέλος πάντων τα νεύρα μου φτάσανε σμπαράλια και αύξησα λίγο τα ντεσιμπέλ. .Και αυτός ο κύριος με διαβεβαίωσε ότι όλα θα πάνε καλά και με εγκατέλειψε. Όταν ζήτησα να είναι ο πάλι ίδιος στην γραμμή όταν θα ξαναπάρω μου υποσχέθηκε ότι θα προσέξει την γραμμή. Ξαναπήρα σε λίγο και ζήτησα τον ίδιο αλλά με πληροφόρησαν ότι είναι στην άλλη αίθουσα και είναι πολύ δύσκολο να συνδεθεί. Μίλησα αυτή την φορά με άλλον κύριο. Αυτός μου υπέδειξε πώς να αλλάξω κωδικό και τύπο σύνδεσης (από WEPσε WAP).Πάνω στο άψυχο πτώμα του netbook είχανε περάσει τέσσερις σπεσιαλίστες αλλά δεν έδινε σημάδια ότι θα ζήσει .Η σύνδεση με το δίκτυο συνέχιζε να είναι αδύνατη λόγω μη σωστών παραμέτρων.
Η ώρα είχε πάει 11.30 εγώ βρισκόμουνα μπροστά σε δύο υπολογιστές με ανοικτές οθόνες και δύσκολη πρόσβαση στο ασύρματο δίκτυο. Η πέμπτη επικοινωνία που είχα με το 1242 έγινε με μία κυρία που με βοήθησε να αλλάξω πάλι κωδικό πρόσβασης και να προσθέσω στην λίστα άλλες δύο τυπικές συνδέσεις με διαφορετικούς κωδικούς και άλλο chanell. Ζαλισμένη την ρώτησα πως γίνεται να ξεκινάς την επισκευή ,έστω και τηλεφωνική , με ένα άτομο και να φτάσεις σε πέντε . Μου δήλωσε ότι δεν μπορεί να βοηθήσει άλλο και πρέπει να πάω σε ειδικό. Συντετριμμένη κοίταξα τις δύο οθόνες. Δεν θυμόμουν πλέον ούτε πως ήταν οι κωδικοί και ποια ήταν τα αρχικά στοιχεία της προσβασιμότητας .Έμεινα με μία μεγάλη απορία και απογοήτευση που μετά από 3 ώρες δεν είχα καταφέρει τίποτα. Κουρασμένη και με το κεφάλι γεμάτο τεχνικές προδιαγραφές και στοιχεία σκέφτηκα για τι κανένας εκεί σε αυτό το γραφείο δεν μπαίνει λίγο στο πετσί του πελάτη.

Πως θα αισθανόντουσαν αυτοί αν ήταν ασθενείς και την χειρουργική επέμβαση την ξεκινούσε εγώ, ως γιατρός (που ήξερα και το ιστορικό )και μετά θα ερχόταν άλλοι τέσσερις που θα κόβανε και θα έραβαν χωρίς να δώσουν λύση στο πρόβλημα; Θα ζούσε ο ασθενής;

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A Conor Breakthrough With A Little Help From Shrek

Conor made a major breakthrough today with a little help from Shrek and some careful planning by Mom and Dad.  Conor has not gone to a theater to see a movie since we took him to see Cars and left 5 minutes into that movie.  That was about 4 years ago and Conor has not wanted to go into a theater in the time since. 

In fact Conor does not generally want to go into crowded environments like malls but we noticed he had been improving lately and we were waiting for an opportunity to try our luck with another movie. Recently he has been watching an old Shrek video so we had decided to give it a go with the new Shrek movie.

We waited until SHReK The Final Chapter had been in theaters a few weeks and we went to an early showing this Sunday afternoon. Before arriving we ate Uncle Burgers at A & W, one of Conor's favorite meals,  so he had a full belly. Then we arrived just before the showing of other movie previews. We picked seats at the back corner and things could not have gone any better. Conor laughed quite a bit during the movie and smiled though out.  He enjoyed every minute. We started out with a Dad arm around him but he did not need that either after a bit.

Conor deserves full credit for the progress he has made. Mom and Did helped a bit. That's what parents do and we felt great over the result. Great? We are ecstatic. And a thank you to all those behind SHReK  The Final Chapter for a helping hand with our Buddy.  

We hope to make another try with Toy Story 3 after its been out a few weeks.

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IMFAR 2010 Autism Research Report by John Elder Robison: It Was a Wonderful, Geeky World With No Talk of Cure

John Elder Robison,  for reasons that are unclear to me,  is both an officer with Autism Speaks AND a critic  of parents who seek cures for their children's autism disorders.  Mr. Robison apparently has an Aspergers diagnosis. He is, according to a biography posted online at Red Room,  an author, very successful businessman, and ... a former rock band member.   He is not a researcher or health care professional and as far as I can tell he has absolutely no personal involvement with Autistic Disorder or those who are severely affected by their Autistic Disorder. 

The life of John Elder Robison has no resemblance to my son's with Autistic Disorder and profound developmental delays or the lives of the 75-80 per cent of persons with Autistic Disorder. and Intellectual Disability.  Like Alex Plank, Amanda Baggs, Michelle Dawson, Ari Ne'eman , and the entire corporate board of ASAN,  JE Robison is a person with very High Functioning Autism or Aspergers who purports to tell parents of severely autistic children, and the world, what they need to know about all points on the autism "spectrum".  John Elder Robison has been to IMFAR the annual mega autism research update and he is  back to tell us that all is cool, all is geeky.

IMFAR has divulged,  amongst other autism research breakthroughs that will help improve the lives of severely autistic children and their families, that having an autistic child does not increase the likelihood a couple will be divorced. Great stuff, there is  hope indeed that autistic children will live better lives with that kind of groundbreaking scientific scrutiny taking place.  Of course  if we can improve the sensitivity and communication skills of PARENTS their autistic children will live better lives. No more talk of mercury, aluminum and other ingredients injected into children, or of the toxic materials that ooze from plastic toys and jewelry,  or are inhaled from nearby smokestacks, or the ultrasound pounding of the brains of unborn children because environmental insults can not possibly cause neurological damage. And hey Andrew Wakefield was found to be unprofessional and therefore vaccines and toxic vaccine ingredients and vaccines contaminated with pig viruses should never, ever be questioned.

For Mr. Robison's part he informs us that IMFAR was a pretty cool place to be because, well, because there were lots of geeks there,  and geeks are cool. They are "endearing and appealing" and of course there is the familiar JE Robison refrain that talk of curing autism is nonsense.  You can help improve the debilitating aspects of autism disorders but you can not outright cure autism or autism(s):

 "That summary pretty much describes all these folks on a professional level. These are not nine to five workers. There lives do indeed revolve around the unraveling of their individual bit of the autism puzzle. There is no talk of "cure" here. ... Many are married to geeks, or have kids on the spectrum, or seek to marry a geek or geekette. I have seen that particular scenario play itself out time and again these past few evenings in the after hours get-togethers. ... In closing, I will offer you this essential truth derived from my careful observation of my own Cubby, Alex Plank, and other young spectrumites in attendance here: If you are a female entering this world, be forewarned that it is a one-way trip. For once you Go Geek, there is no turning back. It only takes one date with an eccentric scientist or engineer – after that, an ordinary banker or business person will never do . . ."

John Elder Robison: A World of Geeks - IMFAR 2010

What is the difference between a treatment which ameliorates and a total cure other than the extent to which the autism disorder is "ameliorated"?  John Elder Robison does not explain nor does he provide any basis for his declaration that autism disorders CAN NOT be CURED and WILL NOT be CURED.  None at all.  We, including those of us who have severely autistic children, are to take his word for it because, well because John Elder Robison is slightly autistic.  

Although Robison is a very successful businessman, a father, a former rock band member, published author and a person who does not shun the media glare he knows better than me as a father who has cared for a severely autistic, intellectually disabled son for 14 years what it truly means for my son  to be autistic.

For John Elder Robison autism is not about an inability to communicate, self injurious behavior or living your life in a residential care facility. And it is certainly not about the intellectual disability that is just coincidentally associated with 75-80 of those with Autistic Disorder.  For John Elder Robison autism is  about being a geek and not talking about finding cures for autism disorders.  

Apparently IMFAR was a great place to be geeky and no one fouled the air with talk of curing autism

Hip, Hip, Hurrah.

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Moroccan Chicken

Since moving to the suburbs, one thing I do miss is the accessibility of good Moroccan cuisine. I especially like Moroccan cuisine during the spring and summer months because of the exotic and bright flavors. With a craving for Moroccan cuisine grumbling in my stomach, I'm glad to have come across this recipe for Moroccan Chicken that highlights a wonderful combination of aromatic spices and tender, braised chicken...

Traditionally, Moroccan cuisine makes use of tagine pots, a special piece of cookware that does a great job at braising meats at a low temperature. I don't have a tagine nor is it really necessary to cook with one for good Moroccan fare. In fact, you could use a Dutch oven or even a slow cooker/crockpot, just as I have done to prepare this dish. The chicken is coated with a mix of spices before browning. Then the chicken is placed in a slow cooker/crockpot along with other ingredients and slowly braises. The result is an extremely flavorful and tender chicken dish, that's best served with couscous or even rice. I've included a tip on how to make this dish ahead of time and/or for your freezer so a good Moroccan dish is never too much effort to make!

Moroccan Chicken 

recipe adapted from Cook's Illustrated

2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground coriander
salt and ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
8 bone in, skin on chicken thighs (about 3 pounds), trimmed of excess fat
1 large onion, halved and sliced thin
2 tablespoons water
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 (2-inch) strip of lemon peel
3 tablespoons juice from 1 lemon
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or cilantro leaves


Combine paprika, cumin, ginger, coriander, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large bowl. Pat dry the chicken thighs with paper towels, then place in the bowl with the spices. Coat chicken with the spices.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add half of the chicken thighs, skin side down, and cook without moving until lightly browned. Flip chicken and continue to cook until second side of golden. Transfer browned chicken to a plate and set aside. Repeat with remaining chicken thighs. Place chicken in a slow cooker/crockpot.

Add onion and water to the same skillet and return to medium high heat. Cook, scraping the brown bits on the bottom until the onion has softened and begins to brown. Place the onions in the slow cooker/crockpot.

Add the minced garlic, bay leaves, raisins, lemon peel, olives and chicken broth to the crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or high for 2-4 hours.

To serve, add lemon juice to dish and stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with parsley or cilantro.

* To make ahead/freezer meal - Prepare chicken as directed above and allow to cool. Place cooled, cooked chicken in a gallon sized freezer bag. Prepare the onions as directed above and place in the same gallon sized freezer bag. Add the minced garlic, bay leaves, raisins, lemon peel,and olives in the freezer bag; seal and freeze. When ready to prepare, defrost completely. Place contents of freezer bag in a slow cooker/crockpot. Add the chicken broth to the slow cooker/crockpot and cover. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or high for 2-4 hours. To serve, add lemon juice to dish and stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with parsley or cilantro.

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Conor Has Company on the Trail

Last week we were visiting my family in the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia with a side trip to Black Rock for some beautiful scenery and some pictures. The trip went very well and Conor enjoyed himself.  He did miss his usual routines though including his Saturday morning trail walk with Mom and Dad. He was happy to get back on the trail this morning and we capped it off with a trip to McDonald's.  We also had some company along the way.

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Watermelon and Blueberry Margarita!

To me the Memorial Day weekend marks the official start of summer!  I know, by the calendar we are still weeks away from the official start but I have always been a summer lover and it sure is stinking hot here already.  With all of the thought about summer and the long weekend I started thinking about drinks that I could serve over the weekend and I remembered one that I had made last year but could not for the life of me find the recipe for it again.

Finally success!  It is a Bobby Flay recipe and it is a true summer time drink…beautiful juicy watermelon, ripe plump blueberries and fresh from your garden mint!  How could it get any better?  TEQUILA!!!!

Watermelon and Blueberry Margarita (recipe by Bobby Flay)

This makes enough for about 8 drinks…

Ingredients

1. 1/4 cup water
2. 1/4 cup granulated sugar
3. 8 cups diced seedless watermelon (1 pound)
4. 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
5. 1 3/4 cups blueberries
6. 3/4 cup lightly packed fresh mint leaves, plus 8 sprigs for garnish
7. 1 1/4 cups silver tequila
8. Ice

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, bring the water to a simmer with the sugar and stir over moderate heat until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute; let the sugar syrup cool.
2. In a blender, puree the watermelon until smooth. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl and strain the watermelon juice, pressing gently on the solids to extract as much juice as possible. Discard the pulp.
3. In a large pitcher, combine the sugar syrup with the lime juice, blueberries and mint leaves. Using a wooden spoon, lightly muddle the blueberries and mint. Add the watermelon juice and tequila. Refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.
4. Pour the cocktail into tall ice-filled glasses. Garnish with the mint sprigs and serve.

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Thai Beef Stir Fry

My husband always knows the right thing to say. His most recent compliment was that some of my best meals come about when I cook without a recipe (or very loosely follow one) and just improvise as I go. Last night's dinner happened to be one of those meals when I prepared this Thai Beef Stir Fry. I must say that although I did use a recipe very loosely as a guide, this was a dish that was better than what we have ordered at local Thai restaurants!...


I came across a recipe for Thai Chile Beef from Cook's Illustrated that looked really good. But the original recipe included some spicy ingredients that I knew may prove to be too spicy for our personal tastes. So in an effort to tame the heat a bit, I made some adjustments to the point that the recipe ended up completely different. The only portion of the original recipe that I maintained was for the marinade, but even that had one substitution and I used the marinade as the sauce for the dish as well. So if you enjoy Thai stir fries but prefer a mild heat, this is a recipe worth trying!

Thai Beef Stir Fry

inspired by Cook's Illustrated

Marinade & Sauce
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon Srichacha (hot Asian chili sauce, add more if desired)
1 3/4 lb flank steak, trimmed and cut into 1/4 in strips

Stir Fry
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, sliced thin
3 - 4 cloves of garlic minced or pressed
1/2 of each: red, yellow and green bell pepper, seeded and sliced in strips
1/2 cup bamboo shoots (canned, jarred or fresh)
4-5 Thai basil leaves, sliced thin (fresh Italian basil can be used)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/3 cup roughly chopped peanuts for garnish
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
Lime wedges for serving


Mix fish sauce, rice vinegar, water, brown sugar, and srichacha in a small bowl and add the beef. Toss and set aside. Allow the beef to marinate for at least 20 minutes to absorb the flavors.

Heat 2 tsp of vegetable oil in a nonstick skillet or wok over high heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute until softened.

Remove the beef from the marinade and add to the hot skillet. Reserve the marinade since it will be added to the skillet later. After the beef is cooked, reduce the heat to medium, and add 2 more teaspoons of oil to the skillet.

Add the bell peppers and cook, stirring frequently until they begin to soften, about 3 - 4 minutes. Add the bamboo shoots and cook until softened, about 1-2 minutes.

Add the reserved marinade with the lime juice to the skillet and increase the heat to medium high until the sauce is thickened. Take off the heat and stir in the Thai basil leaves.

Serve over steamed rice with chopped peanuts on top and chopped cilantro, as well as lime wedges on the side.

* To make ahead/freezer meal - Mix fish sauce, rice vinegar, water, brown sugar, and srichacha in a quart sized freezer bag and add the raw beef. Seal and freeze or chill in refrigerator. Prep stir fry vegetables and place in storage container in refrigerator. When ready to prepare, defrost completely/allow meat to come to room temperature to allow the beef to marinate and absorb the flavors. Continue to follow the directions above and finish cooking.

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Really fast Tilapia in Parchment…

Okay, I could have gotten really fancy there and told you that I made Tilapia en Papilotte, which I did but I really want you to try this and figure this title might not intimidate you and you could see how truly easy this recipe is!

I am submitting this recipe to Marye at The Restless Chipotle who is helping to change the way people think about fast food.  It DOES NOT need to come from a box to be fast food!  To see what she is trying to do and to check out all of the the wonderful entries from her last round of Real Food….. Real Quick up head to her site!

In total I think this took me about 5 minutes to pull together and that included going outside and cutting the herbs for it.

Tilapia in Parchment adapted from and inspired by Heart homecooked

4 Tilapia fillets
4 sprigs each of thyme, oregano (1 sprig of each for each pouch)
1/4 cup packed basil leaves, thinly sliced
8 slices of thinly sliced lemon, 2 for each pouch
4 tsp of butter, 1 tsp for each pouch
coarse salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 425F.
• Wash fillets and pat dry with paper towels. Season well with salt and pepper.
• Place fillets on top of cut parchment paper (ehow.com and latimes.com have excellent "en papillote" step by step instructions) and top with butter, lemon wheel and herbs. Seal the pouch and cook for 10 minutes.

***you can skip the butter if you are watching your weight.  I added about 1 tsp of olive oil to mine instead of the butter and it is a 4 Point recipe based on a 6 oz. piece of fish.

 

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Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos

When you think of pesto, does the traditional basil pesto usually come to mind at first? That's what I think of but there's a whole world of other kinds of pestos to check out! I've been experimenting with various kinds of pestos and my current favorite is this recipe for Cilantro Lime Pesto. It's definitely one to try and there's so many ways to use it, such as in these Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos...

Cilantro and lime is a flavor combo that's commonly seen together. When combined as a pesto, you can be sure the flavor is refreshing and light! The pesto is simply made with cilantro leaves, toasted sliced almonds, asiago cheese, fresh garlic, salt, olive oil and a bit of chicken broth. Just like a traditional basil pesto, this version can be frozen, used as a dip, a spread, a sauce... whatever your favorite application is for pesto!

I tossed the cilantro lime pesto with some cooked chicken, then filled flour tortillas for a twist on chicken tacos. The pesto gave the chicken a bright and light flavor perfect for the warm spring and summer months. For the tacos, feel free to use whatever garnishes or additional toppings you wish. I topped our Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos with sauteed bell peppers and onions, slices of ripe avocado,and shredded cheese.

Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos
original Joelen recipe

cooking spray for sauteeing
2-3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in bite sized pieces
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup cilantro lime pesto (recipe follows)
flour or corn tortillas
preferred taco garnishes (salsa, sour cream, cheese, etc)


Season chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder. In a skillet sprayed with cooking spray, saute chicken over medium high heat and cooked through. Toss cooked, seasoned chicken with the pesto. Fill tortillas with chicken and top with preferred garnishes.

* To make ahead/freezer meal - Cook chicken as directed as above and cool. Place chicken in freezer bag. Prepare cilantro lime pesto as directed below. Place a 1/2 cup of pesto in a small storage bag then place inside the freezer bag with the chicken. Freeze. When ready to prepare, defrost and heat chicken. Toss chicken with defrosted pesto. If desired, heat chicken and pesto together before filling tacos.

Cilantro Lime Pesto

recipe adapted from Food Network

1 cup fresh cilantro leaves (do not include stems)
2 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons sliced, toasted almonds
3 tablespoons chopped, fresh garlic
1 1/2 teaspoon lime juice
1/2 cup shredded asiago (Parmesan or Romano can be substituted too)
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup chicken broth


Using a blender, mix together the cilantro, olive oil, almonds, garlic, lime juice, asiago, salt and chicken broth on low speed for 2 minutes.

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CROQUEMBOUCHE or PIECE MONTEE

ONE WEDDING LEADS TO ANOTHER


Our wedding was small, barely a dozen attended. A simple affair, a stroll to city hall, sitting in those gilded chairs fit for royalty, the sun streaming into the large, bright hall, the festive floral murals gracing the pale golden walls made for a celebration. My soon to be husband, glowing in his joy, sitting in his black brocante zoot suit looking rather stunned in disbelief and I, sitting happily, nervously next to him in something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, a bit stunned myself at the wonder of sitting here in Bois Colombes marrying * gasp * a Frenchman. M. le Maire Adjoint walks in, seemingly as giddy as the soon-to-be-newlyweds, bringing with him an unexpected added gaiety to the party, his infectious booming laughter, and an electric buzz shoots through the room and we are off! With much less solemnity than we had expected, we are married by this rotund, funny gentleman who, in no uncertain terms, imparts his pleasure in joining a Frenchman and an American, his first American in 20 years of performing marriages. Sacrebleu!


His words washed over me like warm water and whenever he glanced in my direction, his eyes meeting mine, and he paused I simply stuttered “Oui” as if on cue. He prattled on, his words a lovely, incomprehensible jumble of French, or so I assumed, but nary a word did I understand. No matter. I knew what I was there for, I understood the gist and the huge, fatherly grin splashed across his face gave me the confidence that whatever he was having me promise must most certainly be for my own good.

After the ceremony, the exchange of rings, the fumbling kiss, the signing of the papers with shaking hands, we paraded back home in all of our married glory to a wedding brunch that we had cooked and prepared ourselves the day before. Champagne flowed amid the flowers, we ate and drank and I, in my stumbling schoolgirl French met many of his friends for the first time, giggling at their amazement and disbelief that he had actually, formally tied the official knot. And amongst the guests was one, his witness, his best friend, the one who came to the wedding decked out in red and green tartan plaid from head to toe for a laugh, carrying a baby stroller as a good joke, Olivier. Crazy, wild, funny Olivier with whom JP shares some wild and crazy stories of their adventures together. Well, this is a tale of his wedding, not our own humble affair. Our marriage was no traditional fête, no storybook Parisian wedding, no affair spread out in the dreamy pages of some American women’s magazine; no elegantly dressed guests, no top-hatted gentlemen nor women in extravagant, frothy hats, no fancy white car decked out in flowers to whisk us off to church, no sophisticated string quartet entertaining us as we nibbled on catered fare. No, not even an engagement ring nor les fiançailles, no bridal shower nor stag party, and for dessert on that most special day of our lives? Homebaked Vanilla Sponge Cake with coulis de fruits rouges and a dense, decadent Chocolate Cake with Cognac Buttercream whipped up by the bride herself in her future Mother-in-Law’s kitchen.


But Olivier’s marriage, for a rather simple, low-key affair, pulled out all the stops and whistles. We arrived, two tiny sons and my older brother in tow, the day after their small, private City Hall knot-tying ceremony. We settled into the hotel in time to change and make it to his parents’ huge, aristocratic stone pile for the pre-wedding party: lots of food, laughter and loud music as we wandered in amazement from room to room, avoiding small talk with people with whom we had very little in common. The next morning, we found our way to church for the traditional religious ceremony. Bride in a simple beige suit, groom sitting next to her, they listened to the priest for what seemed like hours, the ceremony long and solemn, much more solemn than I would have imagined for something as joyous as a marriage, and totally incomprehensible to me.

But what sticks in my mind most vividly of this entire weekend was the wedding dinner. We arrived as the sun was setting and were led into an unusual, pretty renovated mill all in dark wood and elegant lighting. Guests were milling about (sorry for the pun), admiring the romantic country setting, the beautiful surroundings, finding their way into the reception room. Gold tablecloths, glittering chandeliers, sophistication and charm as the stars lit up the sky outside and the bottles of champagne were opened, pop, pop, pop, one after the other, glasses filled and crystal clinking as the toasts to the newly married couple began. And then the food: oysters, platter upon platter of oysters, began arriving. We joined the line at the table up front and began loading down our plates with oysters and the other wonderful seafood that was carried out and placed amongst the bottles of bubbly. And we ate and we ate and we ate to our fill. And the platters of oysters and smoked fish and all of the delectable treats kept coming. And champagne, of course, to wash it all down. What seemed hours flew by and, completely sated, we simply were left wondering how late the party was to go on for and then it dawned on us. With horror did we realize, much too late, that in fact, the oyster and seafood bar was simply the appetizer. Yes, the appetizer. Just as we were pushing our seats away from the table we turned around and saw waiters carrying in the first course. Well, as polite as we were and as gauche as we were afraid of appearing, we put on our “yes, of course I know what’s going on” faces, picked up knives and forks and dug in. First course, second, third, that huge traditional French wedding feast.


Applause then rose from the crowd, tipsy on food and champagne, as they wheeled in the pièce de résistance, le chef d-oeuvre de la soirée (the evening’s masterpiece): La Pièce Montée: an elegant pyramid of perfect little choux buns, filled with pastry cream and piled up into a sumptuous creation, a delicate, graceful tower of tiny pastries dripping with cascades of golden threads of caramel, the delicate shower of sugary caramel giving this elaborate “Assembled Creation” its other name “Croquembouche” or “That which crunches in the mouth”. This traditional wedding dessert is the French version of the American multi-tiered, frosted, flowered confection topped with tiny bride and groom figurines, a classic at all formal weddings. And we were now witnessing our very first. It is up to the bride to pull apart the tiny choux and pass them one by one to her guests, her way of sharing the happiness of the day. One version of the origin of this French wedding fixture dates back to Roman times when the bride would have a large crown of bread placed on her head. The bread was then broken as a sign of future fertility, a good luck token, if you will. The guests then picked up the pieces and ate them so they could enjoy the same good luck!


The May 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Cat of Little Miss Cupcake. Cat challenged us to make a piece montée, or croquembouche, based on recipes from Peter Kump’s Baking School in Manhattan and Nick Malgieri. I absolutely adored this challenge, as I so love making both pastry cream and choux. I usually use my dear old dad’s choux recipe, but this time I followed Cat’s recipes. Mathilde, my wonderful Macaron assistant, came and spent the day with me so she could learn how to make these treasures! She came with her grandfather’s choux recipe, too! We made both chocolate and vanilla pastry cream as they are both quite simple so Mathilde could learn. She was astonished that both the choux puffs and the pastry cream, although demanding careful attention, were quick and simple to make. This is such a perfect dessert to make when you want to impress family, friends and guests! And memories of my own marriage day as well as all of the weddings, simple and fancy, that I have been to flood over me….


PIECE MONTEE
Recipe from Peter Kump's Cooking School and chef Nick Malgieri

PASTRY CREAM
Vanilla, Chocolate or Coffee

For the Vanilla Crème Patissiere (Half Batch)
1 cup (225 ml.) whole milk (I used low fat)
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
6 Tbs (100 g) sugar
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
2 Tbs (30 g.) unsalted butter (at room temperature makes it easier)
1 tsp vanilla


Dissolve cornstarch in ¼ cup of milk; whisk until smooth and there are no lumps. Combine the remaining milk with the sugar in a saucepan.Bring to a boil; remove from heat.

Beat the whole egg, then the yolks into the cornstarch mixture. Pour 1/3 of boiling milk into the egg mixture in a slow stream, whisking constantly so that the eggs do not begin to cook.


Add the rest of the hot milk to the egg mixture then return all of it back into the casserole and return to the heat.


Continue whisking (this is important – you do not want the eggs to solidify/cook) until the cream thickens and comes just to a boil. Remove from heat and beat in the butter and vanilla.


Pour cream into a heatproof pyrex or stainless steel bowl. Press plastic wrap firmly against the surface. Chill immediately and until ready to use.


For Chocolate Pastry Cream (Half Batch Recipe):
Bring ¼ cup (about 50 ml) milk to a boil in a small pan; remove from heat and stir in 3 ounces (about 80 g) finely chopped semisweet chocolate; mix until smooth. Whisk into pastry cream when you add the butter and vanilla.


For Coffee Pastry Cream (Half Batch recipe):
Dissolve 1 ½ teaspoons instant espresso powder in 1 ½ teaspoons boiling water. Whisk into pastry cream with butter and vanilla.

Pate a Choux (Yield: About 50)

¾ cup (175 ml) water
6 Tbsp. (90 g) unsalted butter
¼ tsp salt
1 Tbs sugar
1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
For Egg Wash: 1 egg and pinch of salt


Pre-heat oven to 425°F (220°C) . Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine water, butter, salt and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. As soon as it boils, remove from the heat and sift in the flour, stirring to combine completely.


Return to heat and cook, stirring constantly until the batter dries slightly and begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.


Transfer to a bowl and stir with a wooden spoon 1 minute to cool slightly.

Add 1 egg. The batter will appear loose and shiny.


As you stir, the batter will become dry looking like lightly buttered mashed potatoes.

It is at this point that you will add in the next egg. Repeat until you have incorporated all the eggs.


Scoop teaspoonfuls of batter and push off the spoon with your finger, leaving about 1 inch between the choux. Choux should be about 1 inch high about 1 inch wide.


Using a clean finger dipped in hot water, gently press down on any tips that have formed on the top of choux. You want them to retain their ball shape, but be smoothly curved on top.

Brush tops with egg wash (1 egg lightly beaten with pinch of salt).


Bake the choux in the preheated oven until well-puffed and turning lightly golden in color, about 10 minutes.

Lower the temperature to 350°F(180°C) and continue baking until well-colored and dry, about 20 minutes more. Remove to a rack. With a small sharp paring knife, slice a small slit in the bottom side of each choux to allow steam to escape or the choux may moisten. All to cool on a cooling rack.


Can be stored in a airtight box overnight.

Filling:

When you are ready to assemble your piece montée, using a plain pastry tip, pierce the bottom of each choux. Fill the choux with pastry cream using either the same tip or a star tip, and place on a paper-lined sheet. Choux can be refrigerated briefly at this point while you make your glaze. (We put equal amounts of vanilla and chocolate pastry cream side by side in the pastry bag so each choux would be filled with a marbled swirl of both flavors.


Chocolate Glaze:
8 oz (200 g) finely chopped chocolate (use the finest quality you can afford as the taste will be quite pronounced; I recommend semi-sweet)

Melt chocolate in microwave or double boiler. Stir at regular intervals to avoid burning. Use the best quality chocolate you can afford. Use immediately.

We dipped only half of the choux in the chocolate because it became matte as it dried and though delicious it gave the choux a very heavy appearance. Next time we will prepare a lighter chocolate glaze.

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