Watermelon Lemonade

This week's Project Pastry Queen challenge is Watermelon Lemonade, chosen by Ashley of Delish who has the recipe within her blog). With the crazy heat we've been experiencing here in Chicagoland this summer, this recipe was such a great choice! It's refreshing to say the least and the mere presentation is beautiful and colorful!...


Imagine cooling down with a nice, cold glass of classic lemonade in the middle of a lazy summer day. It's a great thought, right? Now throw in a subtle hint of lime, fresh slices of lemon, lime and orange and finally, crisp cubes of watermelon. Mmmm... it's truly summer in a glass! This is one lemonade recipe I know I'll enjoy for summers to come. Even better is giving this recipe a try and adding some spirits (such as tequila, vodka or gin) for an extra punch of fun.

Thanks to Ashley for selecting this week's PPQ baking challenge. Hopefully others who tried this recipe enjoyed it as much as we did. Please check out Ashley's blog for the detailed recipe and be sure to take a peek at fellow PPQer's to see how their recipe came out!

Updated 3/25/2012: Here is the recipe since so many folks have emailed me requesting it be posted here:

Watermelon Lemonade
Yields: 12 servings

Sugar Syrup:
2 cups water
2 cups sugar

Lemonade:
2 cups water
2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
4 cups ice cubes
2 cups diced watermelon
Mixed diced fruit of your choice (such as apples, pears or strawberries)
1 orange, sliced into rounds
1 lemon, sliced into rounds
1 lime, sliced into rounds

To make sugar syrup: Combine the water and sugar in a medium saucepan. Turn the heat to medium-high and boil for 10 minutes. If you are planning to make the lemonade immediately, place 2 cups of the sugar water in the freezer or refrigerator while you do the rest of the prep. (The recipe makes about 2 cups syrup. When stored in a tightly sealed glass jar, sugar syrup keeps indefinitely in the refrigerator).

To make the lemonade: Mix 2 cups of sugar syrup, watermelon, lemon juice, and lime juice in a big bowl or pitcher. Add the ice cubes, diced watermelon and other fruit. Add the orange, lemon, and lime rounds. Stir well and chill until icy cold.

Source: The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather

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Greek Salad

Nothing adds some life to a table like a colorful salad! There's no doubt why the summer months are wonderful to enjoy various salads. My favorite reason why I enjoy salads even more in the summer is the bountiful options of colorful vegetables to incorporate into all kinds of salads. For our Mediterranean Grill Party last weekend, this Greek Salad certainly added some beautiful colors to the table and accompanied our menu perfectly...

Greek Salad has this wonderful vinaigrette that really ties all the various vegetables in the salad together. In my mind, the vinaigrette is the key player in this dish. A mixture of extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic and salt/pepper to taste is all there is to it. If you wanted, you could also add a splash of freshly squeezed lemon juice for additional tartness. The original recipe called for tossing everything together including the feta cheese, but I prefer to serve the cheese on the side or to top the salad just before eating.

Greek Salad

recipe from Martha Stewart

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 head of romaine lettuce, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 large beefsteak tomato, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 orange bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese (8 oz)
1/2 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 large cucumber, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted


In a large bowl, whisk the oil with the vinegar and garlic; season with salt and pepper.  Add the remaining ingredients and toss.

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Lemon & Oregano Chicken Kabobs

With the tail end of summer wrapping up, we've been taking advantage of our grill to cook our dinners  lately. Our favorite these days are kabobs of all kinds - meat, veggie, fruit... whatever we can skewer is fair game! When we hosted our Mediterranean Grill Party last weekend, we had a lot of fun serving up various kinds of kabobs and these Lemon & Oregano Chicken Kabobs were quite popular. If only our guests knew how easy it was to prepare!...
 These kabobs are packed with flavor and the bright citrus notes from both lemon juice and lemon zest really make it refreshing. Garlic, white wine and oregano round out the flavors and the chicken marinates in this mixture for at least an hour. I prepared it in advance where the chicken marinated overnight, which I think allowed more flavor to be absorbed by the chicken. You could thread these with your choice of vegetables but we prefer chicken skewers on it's own with the vegetables skewered separately. Although we made these for our party, we liked these kabobs so much we made them again for dinner the other night. These are great with your favorite rice or couscous side dish but we enjoyed these with mixed greens and a simple vinaigrette.

Lemon & Oregano Chicken Kabobs

recipe adapted from Williams Sonoma

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbs. chopped fresh oregano
Grated zest of 1/2 lemon
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes

In a large bowl, combine the lemon juice, wine, oil, garlic, oregano, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Add the chicken; cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, prepare an indirect-heat fire in a covered grill. Place 8 wooden skewers in water to cover and let stand for at least 15 minutes.

When the fire is hot, drain the skewers and thread the chicken. Place on the perimeter of the grill rack directly over the fire. Grill, turning the skewers once or twice, until the chicken is browned, about 5 minutes total. Move the skewers to the center of the grill rack so they are not directly over the fire. Cover the grill, open the vents halfway, and cook, turning the skewers occasionally, until the chicken is opaque throughout and the juices run clear, 10 to 15 minutes more.

Transfer the skewers to a warmed platter or individual plates and serve with the lemon wedges.

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I No Longer Hear My Autistic Son's Voice When Autism Speaks

I  was once very impressed with Autism Speaks. My son Conor, with Autistic Disorder, severely autistic,   wore an Autism Speaks cap and my vehicle had an Autism speaks sticker near my licence plate. In the ongoing struggle by parents pushing for a cure for autism disorders Autism Speaks was a powerful voice.  It now looks, increasingly, as though Autism Speaks has become at best a professional charity seeking to placate all without any consideration given to its guiding principles and how they are impacted by some of those they embrace with open arms.   

Two of those with whom Autism Speaks engages are Jon Elder Robison and Alex Plank both of whom oppose the concept of curing autism which is, in theory, one of Autism Speaks guiding principles. Mr. Robison to his credit is generally polite, if disdainful about curing autism. Mr. Plank however hosts a forum, Wrong Planet, in which anything goes in attacking people seeking to cure autism. 

Parents seeking to help their autistic children, particularly parents of severely autistic children, should begin reconsidering their support for Autism Speaks. Alex Plank and Jon Elder Robison, two very high functioning persons with Aspergers are the new voices of Autism Speaks? The Wrong Planet hosted by Mr. Plank posts offensive remarks about parents and those seeking cures. It recently posted comments that were depraved and disrespectful concerning the passing of Dr. Ivar Lovaas who did so much to help autistic children. Following is a capture of and a link to some of the  disgusting commentary from Mr Plank's Wrong Planet on the death of Dr. Lovaas:

This father of a 14 year old son , severely affected by Autistic Disorder,  no longer hears his voice when Autism Speaks.

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LEMON RASPBERRY FLAN

HOME. I am baffled by the concept of home. Sometimes when I think of home my mind wanders to Florida, to the home I grew up in. It is still the same…the hot, dry land overgrown with sharp, wild things, steamy days and sultry nights or the deep darkness of a stormy afternoon, the rain bringing a cooling breeze while thunder growls in the distance. I step tentatively across the scorching cement in my bare feet, sand prickly between my toes, or glide across the cool tiles into the kitchen where I grab an ice cold drink or a handful of candy. The cool terrazzo floors of my childhood have been replaced with creamy tile and dark chocolate wood, but the feeling is the same from the large kitchen table, inviting us all to hunker down in family-style conviviality, to the tv room, dog under a coffee table strewn with phone books, paperbacks, notepads and pens, to my girlhood bedroom whose shelves still groan under the weight of my old doll collection, books and knick knacks and the closet is filled with secrets nestled inside boxes of Barbies, a bedroom where I can still find a comforting haven from the noise and bustle of the world.

Yet when I am there, I think of home, la maison, chez nous. Husband, sons, dog, our daily rhythm and quiet habits call, beckoning me back to France. I have always felt to be foreign here, the American in France, l’étrangère – a stranger in a strange land – yet there is something so familiar in the life I lead now, as familiar and comforting as a worn-in pair of jeans or a cuddly old sweater. I know how life feels and step into it every morning understanding how it works, where it will lead. My best friends are a heartbeat away, friends who have become sisters, all strangers in a strange land just like me, friends who I turn to, can rely on, a necessary part of my everyday life now. All of these tender, fragile things make up this home and I can’t imagine it any other way.

Home is where the heart is but my heart is torn in two, divided between my family and my memories and the friends of my youth whose laughter still echoes in my ears and my family – husband and sons, newer friends and a calmer way of life. Both homes, both families, tug at my heart and I sit and wonder: what makes home, well, home?

Heading to Florida: at the airport...

and Clément has nothing better to do with his time. Well, it keeps him off the streets.

Summer is nearing its end and the air is cooler, a hint of Autumn stirs faintly on the breeze. We were all there in Florida: mom and brother and sister and old school friends and memories, so many memories. Plus JP and Clem and Simon. JP kept his feet up, reading, relaxing. Clem worked on an architecture project for the first couple of weeks but found the time to run to the beach with JP every afternoon to swim, fish and explore. And they actually caught fish! Simon sprawled on the floor next to Buster or on the sofa next to his grandmother, catching up on his down time, his tv and nap time. He left us rather too quickly to rejoin his group, his new life, his new home in New Orleans, loving every second of it. We ate like little piggies, enjoying that good old American cuisine and snacks up until the last day. We went to the zoo, the shopping mall and the movies together, and we felt like the family we used to be when the boys were younger and we spent our vacations together. The boys grew up somewhere along the way and before we knew it we had all gone our separate ways, rarely sitting and talking, no longer enjoying family vacations or sharing a weekend. This one trip brought us together as a family once again and I feel like we’ve started over.

Clem with the catch of the day

Simon and Buster

Ah, yes! The happy couple!

At the zoo

Find the monkey...

Ah! Here he is!

Home is where the kitchen is. Home is where you make it but home is where I can cook and bake for loved ones, friends and family alike. A hot meal for JP, a birthday cake for Clem or a platter of chocolate chip cookies for Simon. Chocolate Chiffon Pie to make my mom happy or macarons for Clem’s friends. The warm kitchen, the smells of fresh bread or cinnamon and vanilla floating through the apartment and cakes spread out on the table are what make my house a home. Blanquette simmering on the stovetop or pulling pizza from the oven, I bring my family together around the dining room table and share the love.

I made this luscious Lemon Flan with Raspberries before our Florida vacation. This is the first sweet dessert I have made from Les Clafoutis de Christophe by Christophe Felder, longtime pastry chef at the renowned Hôtel Crillon in Paris. A clafoutis is a milk/cream and egg base flan type dish, thickened with a bit of flour or cornstarch, most familiar to us in its sweet form prepared with cherries. It is similar to a quiche, but without the crust, and is just as versatile. Mr. Felder’s book is filled with enticing recipes for all kinds of original clafoutis, both sweet and savory. Following his recipe for a savory clafoutis base, I created a wonderful Clafoutis of Ratte Potatoes, Asparagus and Bleu d’Auvergne, a dish smooth and delightfully creamy, the blue cheese offering the perfect touch of tang. And now I wanted to try his mouthwatering Lemon and Raspberry Clafoutis.


Why do I call it a flan? The dessert was delicious yet I found it to be thicker than a traditional clafoutis, more like a flan, so there you have it. I love most anything lemony and this flan did not disappoint. Plump, sweet, yet slightly tart raspberries were a wonderful contrast to the delicate, lemony base and the color was amazing! I am also anxious to try this again replacing the raspberries with either blackberries or blueberries. I may also try stirring in a bit less flour next time. Show a little love. Serve this to your family and bring it all home.


Thank you Clément for all of the pictures taken on your iPhone during our vacation.


Ladurée, Pierre Hermé, Lenôtre, Dalloyau, Gérard Mulot... whisper just one of these magical names to any sweet tooth in the know and you will see eyes light up, lips twitch into a smile and the word macaron will roll gently off of the tongue, escape on a sigh..… Macaron Madness, my latest article on Huffington Post Food, thinks through the mystique of the tiny French Treat.

LEMON RASPBERRY FLAN
From Les Clafoutis de Christophe by Christophe Felder (I left the measurements as is)

9 ½ - 10-inch (25-cm) round or 10 x 7 x 2-inch (26 x 18 x 5-cm) baking dish
30 g butter
50 g sugar

For the clafoutis/flan:
2 large eggs
40 g sugar
55 g flour
200 ml heavy cream
70 ml milk
50 ml strained lemon juice
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp rum or Amaretto
350 g raspberries

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Butter the baking dish then sprinkle the bottom and sides liberally with the granulated sugar.

In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar and flour. Add the milk, the lemon juice and zest and the rum or Amaretto. Finally, add the cream and whisk until blended.

Evenly distribute the fruit over the bottom of the baking dish then pour the clafoutis/flan mixture over the fruit. Bake for 35 – 40 minutes just until set in the center.

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Autism Dangers Result in Lives Lost to Autism

In Jabberwocky of the Day : Don't Speak Ill of Autism  MJ  has provided a clear and concise picture of the dangers that often accompany autism disorders.  He did so in response to a comment by Kevin Leitch, aka Kev,  at LBRB who has criticized Ginger Taylor for launching a new site called Lives Lost to Autism.  Mr. Leitch has a long history of romanticizing "autism" and criticizing anyone who views autism disorders as   ...  disorders.  I agree with MJ's critique of Kev's views as "just plain silly" in so far as they complain of unfairness to "autism" a mental disorder, not an entity or person. In describing the dangers that accompany autism disorders MJ states:

"Autism is not a good thing and has in fact directly caused many deaths.


Let me put it this way, if someone dies as a direct result of being shot would you try to claim that it was the bullet and not the person pulling the trigger that is to blame? In a similar fashion, autism robs people of abilities or facilities that they would normally be expected to have and it is this lack that can directly lead to death.


Autism can prevent children from understanding their environment and that lack of understanding can very easily be fatal. Autism can easily prevent people from being able to understand what effect their actions have on others and thus lead to their deaths. This likely happened in the case of Sky Walker - do you think he killed his mother or was it his autism that lead to her death?


I have seen many attempts to whitewash the spectrum but this one takes the cake".

I have added the bold emphasis in the above quote.  I have commented several times on this site of the time when my son Conor  left our home without me realizing he had gone. I had received a business call and was on the phone when he left. I thought I would hear him if he went out but I was wrong. When the call ended and I looked for Conor he was nowhere to be found.  I ran around our house and yard before calling 911 and being directed to a nearby convenience store. He had crossed a busy parking lot and street oblivious to the dangers of automobile traffic before a good citizen stopped and took him to the convenience store and safety.  As the adult responsible for him that day I felt intense fear and guilt that I will never, ever forget. Conor, because of his autistic disorder, does not understand and appreciate the many dangers of our everyday environment.  Autism is very, very dangerous for many autistic children.

In starting the Lives Lost to Autism site Ginger Taylor is performing a valuable service to autistic children and their families reminding us of the very dangerous realities that often accompany autism disorders.Thank you Ms Taylor. And thank you MJ for your clear statement about the realities of autism dangers. Kev, well, you have a good day Kev, And may you someday wake up and quit romanticizing autism disorders.

NOTE: Since publishing this comment I have also read, and recommend, Wade Rankin's discussion of this matter at LOST LIVES, CRIMINAL INDIFFERENCE, AND HYPOCRISY.  

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Creamy Nutella Tartlettes

Sometimes the best recipes come out of quick thinking, little time and lots of pressure. With guests coming in a matter of minutes to our Mediterranean Grill Party, I didn't have time to prepare the desserts I had in mind. So in a 'MacGuyver' moment, I came up with these Creamy Nutella Tartlettes that turned out to be a great hit at the party. Thank goodness it worked out, otherwise my dessert table would have been pretty empty!...

Initially I wanted to make some beautiful Nutella tarts but the recipe was a bit too time consuming. I had to prepare all the other dishes on our Mediterranean Grill Party menu that the desserts ended up taking a back seat. When I finally got a chance to work on the desserts, I had guests texting and calling me informing that they were minutes away. What to do?! I quickly thought of making a real simple mousse with Nutella and freshly whipped cream. Once the mousse was made (in a matter of minutes, thanks to my stand mixer) I just piped them into super convenient phyllo cups and garnished them with a whole toasted hazelnut. Voila... Sweet treats for all!

You can find the packaged phyllo cups in the frozen section of your local grocery store, where phyllo dough and prepared frozen pie crusts are sold. Otherwise, if you can't find phyllo cups in your area, you can just as easily make your own using phyllo dough sheets. Simply cut the sheets into 1-1 1/2 inch squares and push them into a greased mini muffin cup. You'll want to butter and layer several sheets of phyllo in each mini muffin well to get a nice, crispy phyllo cup. Once you fill each of the mini muffin cup wells, bake in a 400 degree oven for 3-7 minutes until lightly golden. Allow to cool completely on a baking rack before filling.

Creamy Nutella Tartlettes
original Joelen recipe

1 1/2 cups Nutella or chocolate hazelnut spread
2 cups heavy whipped cream
3 packages phyllo shells
1/2 cup whole toasted hazelnuts

Place the nutella into a large mixing bowl and set aside; Place phyllo shells onto a serving platter and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, place the cold heavy whipping cream and beat on medium high heat with the whisk attachment to stiff peaks.

Carefully fold the whipped cream into the Nutella in the large bowl until fully incorporated. Transfer this Nutella cream mixture into a pastry bag or large gallon sized plastic storage bag with a corner snipped off. Carefully pipe the Nutella cream into the phyllo shells on your prepared serving platter.

Garnish each tartlette with a whole toasted hazelnut and serve.

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