A Weekly Serving - 2/19/2011

What a busy week it's been but overall, well worth it! Before I type away with some personal musings...

Here's what I cooked up in the kitchen this past week...

Stuffed Scallops

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers

Apple Lattice Pie

Maple Gingersnap Ice Cream

Here are the recipe collections I've posted this past week...

20 Recipes for a Big Italian Supper

My weekly musings on Family, Food and Fun...

Family -  Some big news - we moved back to the city! After a few months of commuting to and from  the burbs into the city, we finally had enough and decided to move back. It was our plan for awhile but we took our time looking for a place to call home, especially with our little one in tow. We were fortunate enough to find a place near the restaurant and it's a very family friendly neighborhood. Our original plan was to move at the end of the month but since my husband got a new job that started sooner than later, all our moving plans had to get bumped up so it wouldn't coincide with his work schedule.

Overall it was a very smooth move, thanks to my parents who watched Joel while we worked on moving and settling in. We got everything done in a few days and for the most part, we've settled. We still have a few things back in the suburbs that we have yet to pick up but all our important personal belongings are now home with us. I will say that I'm tired of moving and hopefully we won't move for a few more years. At least we've agreed that the suburban life (at least that far north of Chicago) isn't for us and we thrive when we're closer to the city.

Aside from our move, Joel is doing wonderfully. He had his 9 month appointment this past week and is right on target! Since he was born a month in advance, our pediatrician is gauging his growth and development one month behind to cut him some slack. So despite being 9 months, he's exactly where he needs to be (if not more advanced) as an 8 month old. Here's his latest pic...

Food/Restaurant News - This past week, we played in the kitchen with some Filipino Tacos. They're simply Filipino inspired meat fillings served up in corn tortillas and complimenting sauces/salsas. I thought they came out great and I hope we can add them to our menu at some point. It's a great way to take a well known concept and put a Filipino twist on it!

Yesterday we had a Filipino Cuisine Tasting event at Whole Foods. It was a great turnout with a full house and it was wonderful seeing familiar and new faces. I set up the event to help promote the restaurant and grocery store while the kitchen is being renovated. I must admit that it's been a few months since I hosted an event because most of my time has been focused on the restaurant. However since we're waiting on the renovations to be finished, I've gotten quite a few requests to do more of my events. I had a great time doing it and most likely will teach some culinary classes, host a few neighborhood food tours and just have fun doing events again. Being back in the city will certainly make it easier! In fact, I got booked to do a few culinary events for some private groups and even got some catering orders for the next few weeks.


Fun - We started out the week with Valentine's Day, which really is just a 'Hallmark Holiday' for us. We did celebrate with a nice dinner out and the day after, we went to a special food and wine tasting at Bin36, a great restaurant and wine bar downtown. It was great to have a night to ourselves... we need more date nights every now and then!

Hope you all enjoy your weekend and have a great week ahead!

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"Take My Son" Severe Autism, Disrupted Families, and Difficult Choices

"When police officers finished binding her son Colin's hands and feet, they turned to Teresa Abernethy and asked what she wanted them to do with him. .... Teresa knew the answer but was surprised to hear herself say it: Take my son."

Parents with severely autistic children, usually sons, with self injurious behavior and aggressive responses toward those who care for them should read the Arizona Republic article Phoenix family makes painful choice due to son's autism by John Faherty. It portrays honestly the heart wrenching realities faced by the Abernethy family which could no longer endure the violence and disruption visited upon their family by the severely autistic son they  loved.

"As he grew older, Colin's outbursts were becoming more common and more violent. And they were usually directed at his mother. "He was such an imposing figure," Teresa, 42, said. When Colin was at school, there was respite for Teresa, but it was temporary. "The bus delivered him to the front door every day. He would come home, and I would be petrified."Some days he would run into the home, drop his book bag and start hitting her.

"Living with Colin was like living with an abusive spouse," Teresa said. "You never knew what was going to set him off." Colin's doctor, Dr. Kevin Berger, told her it was common for someone like Colin to lash out at the person he is most comfortable with. Teresa wore long-sleeved shirts to hide her bruises and bite marks, but she knew Colin's behavior was beginning to damage her entire family, something she and her husband had vowed would never happen."

The Arizona Republic and reporter John Faherty deserve high marks  for breaking through the usual mainstream media obsessions with a few exceptional and high functioning autistic persons and portraying honestly the heart wrenching realities that severe autism can impose on a family and their loved one who suffers from it. The Abernethy family deserve applause for their courage in talking honestly about the son and brother they love so dearly.  To the Arizona Republic and to the Abernethy family this father of a severely autistic, soon to be 15 years old,  son says thank you. 

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Maple Gingersnap Ice Cream

Peanut butter & jelly. Ham & cheese. Milk & cookies. There are just some foods that go well together, it's just natural. Another one to add to the list is pie & ice cream. For me, pie just isn't right unless it's accompanied with a scoop of ice cream. Since I recently made an Apple Lattice Pie, I wanted a great ice cream to compliment the flavors and with that, I made a Maple Gingersnap Ice Cream. It was a heavenly pair and a flavor I'm going to add to my list of favorites! Maple ice cream is studded with chunks of gingersnap cookies, making this a good ice cream on it's own or with a slice a of pie ( I vote pie!)...

Making homemade ice cream doesn't just happen during the summer months. There are plenty of seasonal flavors that can encourage to make a batch year round. This particular flavor may sound perfect for the fall but it's also great during the dead of winter. Using a maple ice cream base, I just added gingersnap cookies to it as it churned before it hit the freezer. What you'll notice is that although the cookies were crisp when they were added, as it mingles with the ice cream, it softens and almost becomes slightly cake-like. It's a wonderful texture that makes this ice cream seem so indulgent!

Maple Gingersnap Ice Cream

recipe adapted from Ben & Jerry's

1 large egg
4 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons maple syrup, preferably grade B
1/2 cup broken gingersnap cookies


Whisk egg until light and frothy. Add sugar, a little at a time and whisk to dissolve. Add heavy cream, milk, and maple syrup. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours.

Freeze mixture in ice cream maker until almost firm, then fold in the broken gingersnap cookies, making sure you have some big and medium pieces swirled in. Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and freeze for flavors to meld.

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Where do Severely Autistic Adults Go After Education Ends?

In Where do Autistic Adults Go After Special Education Ends? CDFoakley continues a series of courageously honest videos about the realities faced by persons with severe autism disorders and their families. This is a question asked by many parents of severely autistic children. The uncertainty  is a reality we must face.

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Apple Lattice Pie

Most people would associate apple pie with the fall months or maybe even during Independence Day... but for me, it's great any time of year! I've been playing with pie recipes lately since it's a dessert I think needs some recognition. Since apples are available all year round, I decided to make this Apple Lattice Pie. This was a delicious pie that had a nice flaky crust and perfectly seasoned apples. If you're craving a densely filled apple pie that's far from runny and packed with flavor, this is a recipe for you...

What caught my eye in this recipe was the use of cider vinegar, cream cheese and cake flour for the pie crust. These ingredients aren't exactly what comes to mind when I'm making traditional pie crusts so I just had to try this recipe out. Surprisingly, the use of cake flour made the crust light, the cream cheese kept the crust firm and the cider vinegar was a nice play on the apples and apple cider that was used to make the filling.

As for the filling, it called for mace (which is the outer web-like shell of a nutmeg that's been ground to a powder form). I don't use this ingredient often but it certainly adds a unique flavor... almost like nutmeg but with more depth. If you don't want to go out of your way to use mace, feel free to use freshly grated nutmeg instead. I tried both variations and both came out delicious!

Apple Lattice Pie
recipe from Food & Wine

Crust:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1/3 cup cake flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 ounces cream cheese, chilled
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon ice water
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon cider vinegar

Filling:
4 pounds large apples (about 8)—peeled, cored and cut into eighths
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
3/4 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of ground mace
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter
1/2 cup apple cider

For the crust:
In a large bowl, stir the all-purpose flour with the cake flour, sugar and salt. Add the cream cheese and use your fingertips to break up the cheese into the mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until pea-size clumps form.

In a small bowl, mix the ice water with the yolk and cider vinegar. Gradually add the ice water mixture, stirring with a fork. Turn the pastry out onto a lightly floured surface and press it into a 10–inch log. Starting at the far end of the log, use the heel of your hand to quickly smear the pastry away from you, a little bit at a time. Use a pastry scraper to gather up the pastry and repeat the smearing process one more time. Gather the pastry together. Cut off one–third of the pastry and pat each piece into a disk. Wrap each disk in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days.

For the filling:
In a large bowl, toss the apples with the lemon juice and zest, 3/4 cup sugar, cinnamon, salt and mace. In 2 large skillets, melt the butter. Add the apples and any accumulated juices and spread them in each skillet in a single layer. Cook the apples over moderate heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned in spots. Add 1/4 cup of the apple cider to each skillet, cover and cook, shaking the pans occasionally, until the apples are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove the lids and let the apples cool. If the juices are not thick and syrupy, simmer uncovered for 2 to 3 minutes longer. Let cool completely.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the large pastry disk to a 12-inch round. Ease the pastry into a 9-inch glass pie plate. Trim the overhang to 1/2 inch and refrigerate. Roll out the smaller pastry disk to a rough 12-by-8-inch rectangle; trim the edges. Using a pastry or pizza cutter and a ruler as a guide, cut eight 12-by-1-inch strips. Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Weave the strips into a lattice on the baking sheet and brush the lattice with water. Sprinkle with sugar and freeze just until firm, about 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375°. Fill the pie shell with the cooled apples and their juices and flatten them slightly with a spatula. Brush the rim of the pie shell with water and slide the lattice on top. Press the edges together to seal. Trim any overhanging lattice. Fold the rim over onto itself and crimp decoratively. Bake the pie for about 1 hour, until the crust is golden all over and the filling is bubbling. Cover the rim with strips of foil if they become too brown. Transfer the pie to a rack and let cool completely.

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Γεροντική Ανοια

Γεροντική άνοια

Τα δωμάτιο μύριζε κλεισούρα και ολίγη από κατρουλίλα. Φυσικά πράγματα για την κυρά Ζωή 82 Μάιων κυρίως επί κλίνης τα τελευταία τέσσερα.
Όσο κλειστός άνθρωπος ήταν στα νιάτα της, την είχε βάλει να πιεί το αμίλητο νερό ο σατράπης της ζωής της ο μπάρμπα Σώζος, σχωρεμένος από ετών, τόση λογοδιάρροια την είχε πασπαλίσει η ζωή της Ζωής με τη διανοητική σύγχυση αυτής της ηλικίας. Το δωμάτιο της λουζόταν με άπλετο φως, έβλεπε σε ένα μεγάλο σπάνιο ακάλυπτο της τσιμεντούπολής μας με μπαλκόνι με γλάστρες και θέα σε μια παλιά χρεωκοπημένη οικοδομή. Από το απέναντι μπαλκόνι του τρίτου ένα γλυκόλαλο καναρίνι συναγωνιζότανε λες τις ανθρώπινες φωνές με απίθανες συγχορδίες.
--Τη προσέχουμε, να και το αερόστρωμα γιατρέ αλλά το δέρμα να σε δυό σημεία πήρε να ανοίξει και μας ανησυχεί, πρόλαβε η κόρη της.
Χαιρέτησα την κυρά Ζωή με χειραψία, της πέταξα κάτι αδιάφορα ζεστό προσέχοντας την ενυδάτωση στη γλώσσα και τον μεγάλο ακανόνιστο σφυγμό σε ένα αδύναμο χέρι με οιδήματα στάσεων, δείγματα κακής κυκλοφορίας όταν η κυρά Ζωή με αποστόμωσε.
---Ξέρεις ποια είμαι εγώ ,η Ντόρα Μπακογιάννη!
Ναι το πελώριο στόμα της γριάς μέσα από τις ζάρες έκανε κάτι από το γνώριμο στυλιζαρισμένο σε όλα τα σπίτια από την τηλεόραση χαμόγελο. «Ήρθα να σας σώσω»
--Δεν αμφιβάλλω ψέλλισα αμήχανα, κάνοντας νόημα στην εγγονή παραδίπλα για μια σακούλα σκουπιδιών και ανοίγοντας το βαλιτσάκι με το σετ των μικροεπεμβάσεων. Έστρωσα ήδη το απορροφητικό υπόστρωμα γυρνώντας το κουρασμένο γεροντικό κορμί προς το μέρος της, είδα μια ραχιαία και μια ιερολαγόνιο κατάκλιση όπου ακουμπούσε το λεπτό δέρμα στα οστά, ρυπαρά έλκη που απαιτούσαν το χειρουργικό καθαρισμό. Άνοιγμα 3 επί 8 και 4 επί 6 σκέφτηκα.
---Μην με πονέσεις γιατρέ θα σε διορίσω, ακούστηκε σαν γλυκιά απειλή.
--- Αν πονάτε να μου το λέτε, θέλω να ξέρω και αν αναπνέει με ευκολία ένευσα προς το μέρος της κόρης που βοηθούσε βαστάζοντας τρυφερά.
----Μου ετοίμασες μωρέ σκύλα το λόγο μου στη Βουλή επί του ασφαλιστικού, πρέπει να κόψω κόλους, πάρε μου τον Χατζηνικολάου πρέπει να βγω στο κεντρικό δελτίο απόψε ζωντανά, ο Σαμαράς ανεβαίνει επικίνδυνα δεν θα τον αφήσω εγώ να κλείσει την ψαλίδα….
Πρόσεξα την οθόνη της τηλεόρασης ψηλά στο τοίχο τώρα κλειστή, και παρατήρησα. Καλά η γιαγιά πόσες ώρες βλέπει τηλεόραση;;
---Μέγα και στον ύπνο της γιατρέ πετάχτηκε η επιμελής Αλβανίδα που βοηθούσε την επιμέλεια της γιαγιάς ,το σπίτι είχε τον τρόπο του και μια Άννα βοηθείας και συμπαραστάσεως.
---Να φανταστείτε γιατρέ ότι νομίζει ότι ο Χατζηνικολάου είναι ακόμα στο Μέγα, αλλά να την πιάνουμε πολλές φορές να μιλάει με την οθόνη, τόχει κουσούρι, τους τα ψέλνει η γιαγιά ιδίως πριν το φαγητό μετά ναρκώνεται.
---Τόχω ξαναδεί ψέλλισα, τουλάχιστον κοιμάται καλά;; Είχα τελειώσει με την αντισηψία, είχα βγάλει τα ψαλίδια και έκοβα ράκη, ήδη οι υγιείς ιστοί μάτωναν… Η εγγονή δεν άντεξε το θέαμα και έφυγε σε άλλο δωμάτιο.
---Συφοριασμένε 20 % θα πάρω στις εκλογές, έσκουξε η γριά, θα του σπάσω τα αρχίδια.
---Μήπως σας πόνεσα; Την πρόλαβα και με γρήγορες κινήσεις μετά την αιμόσταση που μου στέρησε την εγγόνα θεατή, πέρασα στο Γκραντ φινάλε μου. Επουλωτική αλοιφή από Γαλλία. Μη νομίσετε ότι είναι γαλλική, ο καθηγητής χημείας της Θεσσαλονίκης την ανακάλυψε αλλά εδώ δεν βρήκε θεού πρόσωπο . Την φέρνει ο ΕΟΦ εισαγωγή παρέα με τα εμβόλια. Είναι η καλύτερη, φτιάχνει ινοβλάστες ταχύτατα και αποτελεσματικά. Της δώσαμε υγιή καθαρό χειρουργικά περιβάλλον και τώρα θα την αφήσουμε 3 μέρες να δράσει, δείτε τις αλλαγές γιατί θα τις κάνετε μόνη σας, εγώ ότι χρειαστεί τηλεφωνικά. Άρχισα το πασάλειμμα με ένα αποστειρωμένο γλωσσοπίεστρο το ενδιαφέρον κόρης και οικιακής νοσηλεύτριας είχαν κορυφωθεί σε αυτή τη φάση του καθαρισμού. Έπρεπε να μου κλέψουν σε λίγα λεπτά τη δική μου 20ετή πείρα επί του θέματος.
----Στέλλα ,η γριά φώναξε την εγγόνα, θα σε διορίσω εισαγγελέα. Γύρισε όσο μπορούσε βασταζόμενη να κουνηθεί. Εσύ Μαριάννα φρόντισε το εμπόρευμα στα λιμάνι ,είναι σε 4 κοντέινερ.
Γύρισα το βλέμμα αμήχανα στην Αλβανίδα με έβγαλε από το μπέρδεμα η κόρη της κυρά Ζωής.
--Μαριάννα δεν λέει τη δική μας από το Φιέρι , λέει την άλλη του συχωρεμένου, τη γνωστή, που τη βλέπει κάθε βράδυ στις αγαθοεργίες του Μέγα. Νομίζει ότι έχει λιμάνι στη Νότια Κρήτη και κάνει λαθρεμπορία, ότι κάνουν όλοι γιατρέ…
---Η κυρά Ζωή θυμάται πολλά από το παρελθόν ρώτησα ποντάροντας στην ιστοριογνωσία μου, ο αδαής. Έκλεινα ήδη το τραύμα και το γεροντικό κουφάρι φαινόταν ενυδατωμένο και ανακουφισμένο. Έβαλα τα τελευταία τσιρότα. Προσέξατε με τι τρόπο κάλυψα πάνω από την επουλωτική αλοιφή;;
Οι γυναίκες ήταν όλο προσοχή στη ματιά αλλά οι παρεμβάσεις της γεροντικής παράνοιας μας ξεστράτιζαν αλλού στο παρελθόν.
---Θυμάται πως χάθηκε ο παππούς της το 1922 στο βομβαρδισμό της Καλλίπολης από φίλια πυρά στα ευζωνικά επίλεκτα τάγματα υπηρετούσε, πετάχτηκε η κόρη της. Τα μελετούσε και της τα περιέγραφε ο πατέρας της γιατί αυτή ήταν αγέννητη τότε
---Ποιος θυμάται σήμερα το διχασμό του 1917, θαρρείς που οι μισοί έλληνες πάντα κυνηγούν και εξορίζουν τους άλλους μισούς. Ώστε η κυρά Ζωή έμεινε κολλημένη σε καλή στιγμή τότενες που είχαμε και δεν είχαμε την βασιλεύουσα Πόλη, παρέα με τα γαλλικά στράτα, έκανα την απαιτούμενη επίδειξη γνώσεων.
---Στη Κρητική λεβεντιά οφείλετε την λευτεριά και τον Βενιζέλο, έσκουξε η γριά σαν να τάχει τετρακόσια.
----Τον μοναδικό πραγματικά Ευρωπαίο πολιτικό με απέραντη εθνική συνείδηση αντέτεινα, αλλά αμέσως τάχα μετανιώσει. Αυτό το διπλανό πάρκο δεν το πάλεψε ο Φώτης ο Κουβαλάς, είπα να αλλάξω κουβέντα ενώ η γριά ίσιωνε από την ώρα που κείτονταν στο πλάι για να δουλέψω.
----Φοβάμαι ότι θα με δολοφονήσουν γιατρέ μου λέει με συνωμοτικό ύφος η γριά, ήμουν έτοιμη να τον πάρω και αυτόν στο κόμμα και τώρα που δυναμώνω έχω αρχίσει και φοβάμαι.
----Μην φοβάσαι τίποτα γιαγιά είσαι σε καλά χέρια, έπρεπε να κόψω αμέσως αυτή την ηλίθια κουβέντα με τις αναλαμπές μνήμης, η γιαγιά ταραζόταν και δεν τόθελα. Πάμε μέρα να σας δώσω γραπτές συνταγές και επεξηγήσεις, επέσπευσα την έξοδο από το δωμάτιο.
Όταν γύρισα σε μισή ώρα να την χαιρετήσω , η κυρά Ζωή κοιμόταν μακάρια σε ένα σαρδόνιο χαμόγελο. Η γραμματέας της Ντόρας ,συγνώμη μπερδεύτηκα η κόρη της γιαγιάς με ξεπροβόδησε με τα τυπικά στη πόρτα.
Διόνυσος
6-1-2011

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Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers

I'm sure I've mentioned my love of appetizers before. They're just more fun to eat and so many to choose from. Just as Thanksgiving is to side dishes and desserts, the Superbowl is to appetizers and finger foods. So even though our beloved Chicago Bears didn't make it to the final game, I was quite content with the spread of appetizers I served up. One appetizer that got my family talking were these Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers. We've all heard how bacon supposedly makes everything better... but these poppers are solid proof. Jalapeno peppers are sliced in half, filled with cream cheese and cheddar cheese and wrapped in bacon before getting baked. If you thought those frozen boxes of the prepared stuff at the store were good, these will change your mind...

You certainly don't have to wait until the next Superbowl (go Bears!) to make these Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers. They're a great addition to a Mexican inspired menu, any gameday gathering or just for a different appetizer to serve up from the norm. They're easy to make and if I could provide a tip, it would be to wear gloves when handling jalapenos to avoid the painful "jalapeno eyes." You know what I'm talking about... the burning sensation you feel when rubbing your eyes after handling hot peppers like jalapenos, scotch bonnets, etc. Normally I don't use gloves when I'm working with a jalapeno or two, but for this recipe that uses 12-15 jalapenos, I'm not taking any chances!

You can prepare these in advance and chill covered with plastic wrap before baking. Another alternative is to cook them on the grill, which will impart a nice smoky flavor. I also found that thick cut bacon works best to really balance the flavor.

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers

recipe from Food.com

12 -15 fresh jalapeno peppers
1 8oz package cream cheese
1 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 (16 ounce) package thick cut bacon cut in half


Cut stems off of peppers and cut them all in half longways. Remove seeds from peppers.

Fill each pepper with cream cheese and sprinkle cheddar cheese on top.

Wrap 1/2 slice of bacon around each pepper half.

Place on baking sheets and place in 450 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until bacon is fully cooked. Remove and serve warm.

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