National Chocolate Day! ...is Not Today.

You missed it. I almost missed it, but then I forgot to tell you about it. Whatever, I'm sure you're already into the bag of Snickers that are supposed to go to the kids. Up here on the Lake we will have no Trick-or-Treaters-you can bank on it. Back in San Diego we only had kids a few times, but that meant we could pile our own kids in the car and head to popular tract-house neighborhoods and let them run wild.

But back to National Chocolate Day. It was Thursday. No one sent me a card, so I had a mini-celebration all by myself. I made chocolate covered cranberries to see if they would be a nice addition to the holidays- oh, and they are! Tart and chocolate- my tongue went a little crazy when I tossed them in my mouth.

After I cleaned up the chocolate pan-with my fingers- I was reading my hoity-toity, New York Magazine and read about a drink from Italy called- il bicerin- which I did not taste when I was there...but that's another story. I did find a recipe on The Google, which I then tweaked just a little. It has chocolate and espresso mixed together with my secret ingredient added and, oh my- its Multi bene!

So if you don't want anymore Snickers or Smarty’s and you want to be a grown-up tomorrow night, toss some cranberries into some melted chocolate and fire up the espresso machine. And don’t answer the door.

Bicerin- Adapted from David Lebovitz
Two servings
It’s important to use a clear glass; you need to be able to see all three or four layers.
To make a bicerin, warm one cup whole milk in a medium-sized saucepan with 3 ounces (90 gr) of chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate. Whisk the mixture until it begins to boil, then let it boil for 1 minute, whisking constantly
Afterward, remove it from the heat and set aside. Make a shot of  espresso.
Fill the bottom third of a clear, heat-proof glass with the warm chocolate mixture. Pour in some coffee or espresso. (If you want to help it create a definite layer, pour it over the back of a spoon, into the glass.) Add a small dash or so of Baileys Irish Cream. (Tweak!)
Top with a nice swirl of sweetened, freshly-whipped cream.

Cooking with ADD

It might be the new moon this month, or the fact that I scored a new writing gig, or perhaps because I have adult ADD and don't enjoy Ritalin milkshakes- but this week I have  been going in a million different directions.
Which, if you have ADD, you know it's what we live for- woo-hoo!

But let's get to the food- (Hint- if you cook and you have ADD, it's helpful to carry around a timer so you don't burn the kitchen down.)

The view outside my kitchen window is of the north Cascade Mountains here in Washington, and the snow has started to cover the peaks. It's G-D inspiring, and comfort food is on the mind. Along with a bunch of other stuff...

Anyway, I was going to post the recipe of my Autumn Chicken Pot Pie*, but then, ADD came-a-calling- and I read my friend's blog- J & C's blog- http://candjdinearounddc.blogspot.com/2010/10/teds-bulletinread-all-bout-it.html that they were given yummy, apple butter Pop Tarts to make up for a so-so dinner, and I thought, "You know, I need to clean my car, and write that chapter and wash...oh hey, I want to make Apple Butter Pop Tarts!"

And so I did. Because I have about 10 quarts of apple butter I made over the weekend, and because I didn't want to clean out the car.

Apple Butter Pop Tarts

makes 9 tarts

For the Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
1 large egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 large egg (for brushing the dough)

For the Filling:
1 cup of quality apple butter- preferable home made.

Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons milk

To prepare the Crust:
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar and salt.  Add the cold butter and break it up in the flour mixture using your fingers, a pastry cutter or a food processor.  There may seem like there’s a ton of butter in your flour.  There is.   Work it in until only pea sized lumps remain in your mixture.  The mixture should also hold together when squeezed into a ball.
In a small bowl, beat the egg with the milk.  Add the mixture all at once to the dry ingredients and stir to make sure that moisture is introduced to all of the flour mixture.  Lightly dust a clean counter with flour and knead the dough on the floured counter for a few turns until it really starts to come together.  Divide the dough in two, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

On a well floured work surface, press dough into a 3×5-inch rectangle, roll the dough out to about 1/8-inch thickness.  The dough should be slightly larger than 9×12-inches.  Trim dough with a pizza cutter, creating a rectangle that is 9-inches tall and 12-inches long.  Using the pizza cutter, cut each side into thirds, creating 9 squares.  Place dough squares in the fridge while you roll out the second piece of dough in the same way.
Brush one set of 9 squares with beaten egg.  This will act as the glue for the top layer of dough.  Spoon about one tablespoon of apple butter into the center of each brushed dough square.  Top with a piece of dough and use a floured fork to crimp the sides closed.  Use the tines of the fork to create vent holes in each tart.
Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.  Let tarts rest in the fridge for 30 minutes while the oven preheats.
Remove tarts from the fridge and place in the oven to bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown on top.
While the tarts bake, whisk together ingredients for the glaze and set aside.
Let baked tarts rest on a cooling rack to cool completely before glazing.
*Chick Pot Pie recipe next. If I remember.

How Many Carrots Am I Holding Up?

I was going to show you a cool video I took of myself with my new apple peeler, but I can't figure out how to download it.

And I took it with my phone, which I have to drive nine miles down the road to get any service. So screw it.
Since it's almost Halloween, I'm going to scare you straight with this post. It's a terrifying photo montage, but it could very well be your future. You can deny it all you want, but eventually, this will be your life.  I am going to show you what will happen to you if you don't eat your carrots. I hate carrots. But I love carrot soup. But I don't make it enough to see small print or the hairs  growing on my chin. Or the food in my teeth in any mirror that doesn't magnify 10x. Go figure.

So anyway, you need to eat your carrots, or at least my wonderful soup so you won't end up like the husband and I. Blind as effing bats.
  
The good news? We can hardly see each other after 30 years. Might be a good thing.


Good To See Ya Carrot Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 onions, peeled and chopped
• 6 cups chicken broth
  
• 2 pounds carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
• 1 cup whipping cream
• Salt and peppa
• sour cream

Directions

In a 6-quart pan, over medium high heat, add butter and onions and cook, stirring often, until onions are limp. Add broth, carrots, and ginger. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until carrots are tender when pierced.
Remove from heat and transfer to a blender. Don't fill the blender more than half way, do it in batches if you have to. Cover the blender and then hold a kitchen towel over the top of the blender so it doesn't explode. Be careful when blending hot liquids as the mixture can spurt out of the blender. Pulse the blender to start it and then puree until smooth. Return to the pan and add cream, stir over high heat until hot. For a smoother flavor bring soup to a boil, add salt and pepper, to taste.
Ladle into bowls, spoon some sour cream on top and dig in. Put on your damn glasses if you really want to see what you've created.

Adios the Dishes

My head hurts this morning- self-induced. We had unexpected dinner guests last night. Very casual and impromptu- and very fun.

 Last night anyway.

This morning- not so fun.

I have apple butter cooking on the stove and will get to writing about that later. Maybe after a nap. Definitely after the husband gets tired of wading through the dirty dishes and cleans the kitchen. I love it when he earns his keep.

The Grapes of Ralph*

My Darling husband came in the house a few days ago with 5lbs of grapes...which I suppose he picked off the grape tree or bush or, whatever. Oh wait a minute-- he informed me that he picked them off the grape vine in our yard. 

Who knew?

“Now what?” I asked. “Do the grapes magically turn into Cabernet?” We watched and waited and they did not. They did, however, start attracting fruit flies.

Today when he asked me if I wanted to go out on the lake- AGAIN- I looked around for an excuse and spotted the grapes. Great excuse! Or was it…..?

So after he had left, I threw the grapes in the blender. I figured if that contraption could blend a banana daiquiri it could smoosh grapes. And it did.

Then I cooked the grapes until they got nice and hot and started to pop.

Then I put them through a crazy-looking jelly strainer- there’s got to be a better way- and added sugar and made myself some grape jelly!

The kitchen is sticky. I am sticky, but can’t I wait to buy some old fashioned white bread and pull out the peanut butter. Suck it Smuckers!

*Apologies to Ralph Steadman.

We should all do what, in the long run, gives us joy, even if it is only picking grapes or sorting the laundry.
E. B. White

 

I don't drink coffee...

I drink hot chocolate- or chocolat chaud almost every day. ( Mainly because there is no Jack-in-the-Box nearby, but I digress.)

 My whole family drinks coffee- the daughter to the point of sheer exhaustion, the son is a bit of a  connoisseur and the husband drinks his with Baileys now that he is retired.
I have an espresso in the afternoon-but only one- and not every day.

I do however, love my hot chocolate.


I learned to love it in France, really. First made correctly by Aude Verdier, the owner of l'Évêché  in the Cité Médiévale in Vaison La Romaine and I sat drinking it overlooking the French countryside.


It was love at first sip.

I must be French, I mean, as a child I always loved my Nestlé’s Quick- that's French, right? 

Mais sérieusement-hot chocolate- made from scratch- is my favorite beverage- next to wine of course.


Being from California, I also drink Mexican Hot Chocolate when I have the energy to pull out the blender and smash the chocolate to bits. (The Pannikin in Leucadia makes the best Mexican Hot Chocolate.)

Contrary to popular belief, most versions of French hot chocolate are made with milk rather than cream, and get their richness from lots of top-quality chocolate. A cup of chocolat chaud is deeply-flavorful, but not over-the-top rich…so there’s no need to feel guilty indulging in a nice, warm cup whenever you feel the need.

A steaming cup of hot chocolate with buttered toast is surely one of the most heart warming, body warming, and taste-satisfying combination's known to man.

--James Beard

French Hot Chocolate
Four ‘French-sized’ Servings
2 cups (1/2l) whole milk
5 ounces (130 g) bittersweet chocolate, (with at least 70% cacao solids), finely chopped
2 sugar cubes
1. Heat the milk in a medium-sized saucepan.
2. Once the milk is warm, whisk in the chocolate, stirring until melted and steaming hot. For a thick hot chocolate, cook at a very low boil for about 3 minutes, whisking frequently. (Be careful and keep an eye on the mixture, as it may boil up a bit during the first moments.)
3. Taste, and add sugar if desired.
Serve warm in small demitasse or coffee cups.
Note: This hot chocolate improves if made ahead and allowed to sit for a few hours. Reheat before serving---if you can wait that long.

It's a Hard Row to Hoe to Good Karma

Lots to do today.

Had to drive 20 miles to town to do some shopping at the Ace Hardware- where I discussed football with Jim and bought some more pepper/bear spray for the husband's hiking adventures. Then it was off to the Radio Shack where Kevin answered my questions and fixed my cell phone- for free. Yep, then I wandered over to the gas station where the guy who also works in the gourmet cheese shop pumps gas, and he sold me a few lotto tickets to boot. (I never used to say, "to boot." I do now.")

Damn, I love small town living!

When I moved to Chelan, WA from San Diego last year, I had never heard of it, but guess what? It has the third deepest lake in the country- the COUNTRY! And it's one of the cleanest lakes around.



We only have 2500 people but...wait for it.... we have 21 wineries. And counting. That's like... one winery for every 1000 people. And it's crush season. Fruit flies, the smell of fermenting grapes, tourists for the most part- gone- and lots of fun activities.



We actually have one winery where you can drive down a dirt road and over the railroad track ---or you can arrive by boat--- where John Little and family will pour you some tasty Rio Vista wines, their grapes grown along the banks of the mighty Columbia.

You can bring a picnic and sit under giant weeping willow trees and toss sticks to the family dogs. (Seriously though, the dogs will not stop playing catch, so be aware before you throw.)

We have other top-of-the-line wineries such as Hard Row to Hoe, Tssilian Winery, Karma and Lake Chelan Winery and many of them have great food to go with the fantastic wine.

 Tssilian Cellars has an authentic Italian restaurant,( the chef is from SF. His dad was a baker from Italy. Sooo Italian) and they serve Chicken Marsala, along with a large, garlicky, eclectic menu.

Karma- one of my  favorite wineries in the area- and it has a fancy French cave-- dishes up a Caprice Salad that goes perfect with their chewy, creamy Chardonnay. I love it!

Lake Chelan Winery cooks up barbecue baby back ribs grilled up over grape vines and the husband actually produced some of the wine last year...that's right- he worked his ass off for your drinking pleasure. You're welcome!

Things happen for a reason. I had to sell my home in California last year and move to a place like Chelan to find work and happiness. Woe is me, woe is me.
Cheers!

I Love You June Cleaver!

Yesterday couldn't have been more like a day back in 1955.

I spent all day, and I mean ALL DAY in the kitchen. The husband watched college football all day..and yes, I mean ALL DAY!

But that was fine by me. Although the sun was shining and the sky was a ridiculously gorgeous color of blue, it was pretty cold. It seems that autumn is rushing us into winter- so cooking and football seemed pretty apropos for the day.

I jumped out of bed in the morning, put on an apron, filled up the crock-pot for dinner, brought out the canning equipment and channeled my inner June Cleaver. Not sure if June ever made salsa for the Beaver, but what the hell, she probably always wanted to spice up the show just a little.

The view out of my kitchen window is of the Cascade Mountains, so I felt the need for a little heat.

HA! 20 pounds of tomatoes from a farmer in Wenatchee, 7 hours later turned into 12 quart jars of CaliWa Salsa and 10 quarts of Gone Fruity Salsa. ( Ahem, I've written for advertising, can you tell?)

The kitchen was thrashed, my hands were stained red and the husband was afraid to enter, but I was happy. Another day living in the boondocks and I haven't gone crazy...or have I?

   

" Se me olvidó mi cuaderno en la biblioteca." Candice Reed

Just One Jar of CaliWA Salsa

1 diced jalapeño pepper or 1 teaspoon crushed dried red pepper seeds

1 chopped brown onion 2 Tablespoons diced assorted mild peppers  3 Tablespoons of fresh pepper

6 ripe tomatoes- any kind you want
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic,
24 Tablespoons diced, fresh cilantro

1 chopped brown onion
2 Tablespoons diced assorted mild peppers
3 Tablespoons of fresh pepper
1 diced jalapeño pepper or 1 teaspoon crushed dried red pepper seeds
3 oz or 1/2 can (half of a 6 oz) of tomato paste - if you like a richer thicker flavor and texture
Optional: 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin (Cumin makes the husband's throat close up so I don't use it...I don't think I used it!)

1 pinch salt
3 oz or 1/2 can (half of a 6 oz) of tomato paste - if you like a richer thicker flavor and texture 4 Tablespoons 5% apple cider vinegar  (or 4 Tablespoons of lemon juice) Optional: 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin (Cumin makes the husband's throat close up so I don't use it...I don't think I used it!)


Cut everything up and toss together in a bowl. (If you notice, I cook mine but that's because I am canning it and stocking up for winter. Like a squirrel. Or a bear.)

If you like wetter salsa, toss it in a blender for a second or two.

For Gone Fruity Salsa, add half a fresh pineapple or 1 large can of pineapple chunks. Add peaches and or mandarin oranges. One Tablespoon of fresh ginger and one green onion. Chill, enjoy and serve up with a margarita- Salute Mrs. Cleaver!

What Did YOU Do Today?

I woke up early to write for $$. Then I walked 4 miles along the lake checking out the fall colors until I saw the Lady of the Lake cruise up lake.

I returned home, packed a picnic lunch of salmon salad sandwiches (for the husband) and a steak sandwich for me, and went floating on Lake Chelan on Sacre Bleu.

When the Lady came back down lake, we finished up the last of the wine and food and came on home.

Currently sipping a (tiny) martini while simmering some home made chowder and warming up some bread I baked this morning. It's an early night. So goodnight.








"Without bread, without wine, love is nothing." - French proverb

Spaghetti, meh. Not that Sexy….or is it?

Last night I was busy catching up with work, emails and housecleaning, so I asked the husband if he wanted some spaghetti.

“Eh, sure,” he replied.

Seriously, don’t get too excited about it I thought. But that’s fine. I’ll make the spaghetti for like the 2000^th time; he’ll eat a huge plate and go on with his life as if nothing special has happened. It’s okay that he doesn’t remember that it’s what brought us together. A loooong marriage and two wonderful children. Yep, spaghetti sauce is to blame. Well, a yummy tomato sauce anyway.

I was 17…he was not. I had a date with someone else that night, but when I met him I called and faked…something dire to date #1. I grabbed my sauce- actually my mom had made the sauce- and drove to the soon-to-be-my boyfriend’s apartment. I knocked on the door, smiled sweetly and held out the jar. 30-plus years later and he’s still with me. Last night there was some silly baseball game on TV and he ate a huge plate with old-school garlic toast- just a little burned around the edges- and probably never thought about that night. But I did.

Here’s my recipe for tomato sauce. I’m not Italian, but I guess it doesn't matter: this sauce goes perfect with spaghetti, lasagna or Eggplant Parmigiana. Ahh, la dolce vita!

“No mean woman can cook well, for it calls for a light head, a generous spirit and a large heart.” Paul Gauguin 

Sauce from the Heart

½ C olive oil

2 cups of chopped onions

4 pounds ripe tomatoes- any kind will do.

6 oz tomato paste *

2 Tbs fresh basil

½ Tsp fresh oregano

1 Tsp Kosher salt

1 Tbs fresh ground pepper

4 cups of water

6 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

½ cup chopped parsley

Heat oil in large deep pot and add onions. Cook over low heat for about 30 minutes. Add tomatoes, paste, herbs and spices. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the water and cook slowly, uncovered for 4 hours. Stir in garlic and simmer for 10 minutes. Cool and refrigerate or freeze.

Add ground beef, sausage or shellfish along with mushrooms or anything else in your fridge that you need to get rid of when serving. Have fun with it and give your honey a kiss from me!

 

* This is the BEST!

Book Club: Our Motto- "Wine a Bit- You'll Feel Better."

Last week was our book club meeting and we were the lucky hosts!
Our friends Craig, Carolee, Pam and Pete flew from San Diego to our lake house in Washington state on Lake Chelan, AKA Reed's Last Resort, and spent four days drinking wine, eating, laughing, tasting wine and oh yes, discussing books.

The book club I belonged to back in 2002 (I'm making the year up- as if I remember!) we were all women who shared a passion for books, never agreed on politics, gossiped about marriages and divorces and ended up not speaking to a few gals who continued to piss us off. But I digress. The one thing we all enjoyed was entertaining and cooking. We would read a book and pick recipes from the setting of the story. We overspent on entertaining and drank a lot, but it usually kept us from arguing. But not always.

Anyway, back to me.

This past week I cooked for the six of us. Nothing too fancy- by order of the husband who is cheap and thinks I go overboard- as if.

To prepare I made home made apple sauce and apple butter. I brought out the peaches I had canned and the strawberry-rhubarb jam. I served all this in the morning with yogurt and fresh picked blueberries.

One morning I made my own refried beans and Machaca con Huevos, a recipe from my former San Diego B&B, The Reed Ranchero. Another morning I put out my Banana Fosters Bread and the sweetest cantaloupe you've ever tasted! We stood around the kitchen- counter eating and planning our day. Oh, we had a couple of Bloody Mary's in our hands, but that makes everything so much more fun!

  Dinner was simple, peel and eat shrimp (I bought the shrimp at Pike's Place Market-yummy!) with a spicy chilpolte sauce and an even hotter chili wine. BBQ steaks and fresh salmon (Pikes Place again- don't ya love Washington!) Fresh asparagus, salad and garlic risotto. (OK, maybe not that simple.) Dessert really was simple: coffee ice cream and biscotti.


This was just a sample of the menu. I made Dagwood sandwiches with roasted turkey and roast beef on thick whole-grain bread in our van while we drove across the border into Okanagan, BC, Canada for wine tasting (10 wineries in 2 days, not bad for old people.) and another dinner and more breakfast dishes, but that's all for another day.

" I come from a family where gravy is considered a beverage." Erma Bombeck. 

Reed Ranchero Machaca Con Huevos- serves 12

(Cook at least one day ahead. Can be cooked and frozen until you need it.)

1 5lb brisket or rump roast.

2 cans of  Ro-Tel diced tomatoes with chilis

3 Onions

Garlic clove

2 large cans of beer

Olive oil

Garlic salt, pepper, kosher salt, any kind of Mexican spices you want.

Braise the beef in olive oil in a Dutch oven or other large pan with a lid. After both sides are brown add all the other stuff. Cover and cook on low for 8 or so hours, pretty much until it falls apart.

Shred the beef and add to 8-10 eggs that have been scrambled with  half cup of half and half, salt and pepper. Serve with beans, salsa and tortillas and if you wish, Bloody Mary's.

Next up: Preparing and canning California Chica Mexican Salsa.