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Showing posts with label cheese recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cheese recipes. Show all posts

23 September 2010

Red Lobster Restaurant: Cheddar Bay Biscuits

A favorite recipe from a famous seafood restaurant chain.



From Denny: It's funny; I was just thinking about making some drop biscuits when the tasty ones from Red Lobster Restaurant came to mind. It's been years since I set foot in one of their stores but somehow the vision of fluffy hot biscuits remained uppermost in my mind, not dimmed by time. :) (This post is starting to sound like the beginnings of a food poem.)

What's also amusing is that as I was perusing the Amazon cookbook sections, looking for recipes within the book reviews, there it was: a book containing famous restaurant recipes. While Amazon didn't have the recipe, it sure didn't take but a few moments to run it down on the web.

Drop biscuits are an old Southern tradition. They are also so ridiculously easy to make because you don't have to roll them out. There are those cooks who have never mastered the light touch required for rolling out biscuits. Well, drop biscuits are the perfect answer to that dilemma. Drop biscuits are also a real crowd pleaser and can be made in no time, great when you are in a rush. The beauty of it is you still get a hot bread, all without too much effort.

Drop biscuits go well with breakfast eggs, soup at lunch, stew at night or for a snack with a little butter and jelly. If you prefer plain biscuits, just omit the garlic powder and Old Bay seasoning. For a different cheese taste, try Parmesan or Romano.


Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Servings: 12

Ingredients:

2 cups Bisquick
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning


Directions:

Heat oven to 450. Combine Bisquick, milk, and cheddar cheese. Stir together.

Spoon onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

In a small sauce pan combine butter, garlic powder and old bay seasoning. Heat until butter is melted. Spoon butter mixture over hot biscuits.


*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

*** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:

The Social Poets - news, politics
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Poems From A Spiritual Heart - poetry
The Healing Waters - health news
Dennys People Watching - people in the news
Dennys Food and Recipes
Dennys Funny Quotes - humor

16 July 2010

How To Make Your Own Pimento Cheese Spread From Southern Living Magazine

*** Want to learn how to make something you always buy prepared - but with lots of preservatives? It's so easy a Geico Caveman could do it!





From Denny: Do you ever get curious about making your own sandwich fillings like pimento cheese spread? Ever wondered just how your local grocery deli makes theirs? Get tired of navigating all those unpronounceable chemical names on the labels and want something better for your family?

Here in Louisiana we do have more than grocery store chains with big food companies making prepackaged foods. There are still those one-store Mom and Pop groceries that have been around for decades with a huge rockin' 'n' rollin' business bursting in the doors constantly.

Southern Living Magazine wrote up an easy step-by-step primer in their May issue on how to prepare your very own pimento cheese. Of course, this being Louisiana where we love our food to burst with flavor we like to add Tobasco or another brand of hot sauce to this recipe - like Louisiana Hot Sauce which is less vinegary and a bit milder. Hot sauce pairs wonderfully with any cheese dish.

When your weekend is fast-paced or you just want to opt out from a lot of cooking this is an easy recipe to whip up in large batches to keep everyone happy. All they have to do is snack on it with crackers, piled high on celery sticks or slather it on toast for a quick meal.

Note: Celery, like cucumber is a natural coolant for the body to help you in the summer heat.



Our Favorite Pimiento Cheese

From: May 2010 issue of Southern Living magazine

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup high-quality mayonnaise, such as Hellmann’s or Duke’s (Southern Living’s recipe called for 1-1/2 cups, but Karyn found that 1 cup was enough.)

1 (4-oz.) jar diced pimiento, drained

(Note from Denny: Or you can scorch until blackened your own ripe red bell peppers over an open flame, peel off the skin, and instant pimento without the jar. Easy to do when red bell peppers are overflowing in the markets during July and August.)

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. finely grated onion

1/4 tsp. ground red pepper (cayenne)

8 ozs. coarsely grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese

8 ozs. finely shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

4 to 5 dashes of Tabasco sauce


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 1 cup chopped pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through. Stirring helps to ensure even browning. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, drained pimiento, Worcestershire sauce, grated onion and ground red pepper.

Mix the grated and shredded Cheddar into the mayonnaise mixture. Southern Living’s recipe calls for hand shredding and grating the cheese, but Karyn used pre-shredded/grated cheeses. Season with Tabasco pepper sauce to taste.

4. Stir in the cooled roasted pecans and combine until blended. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.




*** Pimento cheese grilled sandwich by biskuit @ flickr


*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

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Beautiful Illustrated Quotations
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28 June 2010

Muffin Monday: Egg, Ricotta Cheese, Sun-Dried Tomato Breakfast Muffins

*** Enjoy an unusual muffin: a small baked omelet!





From Denny: The versatility of the simple egg is to be celebrated! How this photographer chose to display this egg is amusing. What's better is this recipe is basically a small baked omelet and so easy to do. It's also a good recipe for diabetics or those who avoid gluten in their diet.

Exploring all these bed and breakfast muffin recipes has been a lot of fun. Discovering new inns in different parts of the country made me think how promoting small business is a way to help the economy! Muffin Monday was born to help celebrate muffin recipes and travel across America and Canada.

This Arizona inn is a golfing resort where you can enjoy the rustic Southwest charm of architecture and setting. This is the first bed and breakfast inn I've found with a video on YouTube to give you a tour!





From the website: Relax on our red rock view patio, or step out the back gate and hit some balls at our secluded range of Sedona Golf Resort. Enjoy a glass of wine in front of your in-room fireplace, soak in your private whirlpool tub, or walk up to Cucina Rustica, possibly the finest restaurant in Sedona and Arizona. Step into the Great Room with Mexican saltillo tile floors and a wall of windows overlooking the Red Rocks and the manicured golf course, where you will enjoy breakfast outside on the flagstone courtyard next to the fountain in the warmer months, or inside the dining room during the winter. Mornings feature our two-course breakfast, which changes daily.

Come and experience the warmth of Southwestern hospitality in true Sedona style. At Adobe Hacienda Bed and Breakfast, you'll feel the rustic charm of old adobe architecture, peeled lodgepoles, 100-year-old Oaxacan doors, authentic saltillo tile and hand painted Mexican sinks.

You'll feel pampered with the finest comforts, gourmet breakfasts, elegance and amenities in each of our five guest suites. From 400-thread-count linens to thick luxurious oversized towels, even complimentary in-room drinks, movies and long-distance calling, no detail has been overlooked.






Egg Muffins

From: Adobe Hacienda Bed & Breakfast
Sedona, Arizona

Toll Free (800) 454-7191
Local (928) 284-2020
Fax (928) 284-0247

Ingredients:

8-10 eggs
Splash of Half and Half
Lots of spinach that is drained well
Sautéed onions
2 pinches of garlic garnish
2 spoons of ricotta cheese
Sun dried tomatoes
Parmesan cheese
Pinch of nutmeg

Directions:

Mix everything but the eggs together and fill muffin cups to the top with mix.
Pour whipped eggs into muffins.

Bake 30 - 40 minutes at 350 degrees F. till they rise and set.



*** More Muffin Monday Recipes to enjoy:

American Revolt: How You Can Break Big Business, Big Banks, Big Insurance, Big Oil, Big Lobbyists

Muffin Monday: Sour Cream Walnut Cinnamon Muffins

Muffin Monday: Chocolate Cheesecake Muffins

Muffin Monday: Pina Colada Muffins

Muffin Monday: Polynesian Bread or Muffins, Gluten Free Pineapple Muffin

Muffin Monday: Savory Feta, Roasted Pepper Basil Muffins From Sur La Table

Muffin Monday: Banana Praline Muffins, White Chocolate Banana Bread


*** Egg yolk photo by Pixel Addict @ flickr


*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

*** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:

The Social Poets
Dennys Global Politics
The Soul Calendar
Visual Insights
Beautiful Illustrated Quotations
Poems From A Spiritual Heart
The Healing Waters
Dennys Art Sanctuary
Romancing The Chocolate
Comfort Food From Louisiana
Unusual 2 Tasty
Dennys Blog Feeds
Dennys Funny Quotes
Ouch Outrageous Obnoxious And Odd

Muffin Monday: Chocolate Cheesecake Muffins

*** Chocolate and cheese together in one muffin. Does Life get any better?




From Denny: This muffin is a star any time of day. It has sweet goodness, chocolate awesome and the protein of cheese. Color me into the breakfast corner with this winner! :) And its versatile: For this muffin you can use ricotta cheese or small curd cottage cheese if the ricotta is not easily available.

It's been fun to explore the bed and breakfast inns behind these recipes. Each one is a surprise from the last one visited. I've been thinking about how to help the economy with blogging about these inns. Muffin Monday is quickly becoming a brain child for stimulating and growing our economy. By promoting these bed and breakfast inns, who are small businesses, we can help our economy because it keeps jobs here. Small business is the engine upon which the economy has traditionally run. Keep them strong, rejecting the big businesses whenever possible, and we can restore our healthy economy.

Just because the politicians have sold out to Big Business does not mean the regular American has to follow their wrong lead. So, next time you are traveling for business or pleasure, take a little time and find a bed and breakfast inn instead of the usual hotel. The prices are comparable, many times they are a better buy. And it certainly is a more sociable and welcoming atmosphere than the usual impersonal hotels. Try a little social consciousness along with a great recipe! :)

This innkeeper has a sense of humor and names their rooms: The Hide N Seek, The Spelling Bee, The Graduate, The Honor Roll, The Schoolmaster, The Schoolmarm, Miss Edna's, The Prose, Dick & Jane's, The Show 'n' Tell, and, of course, Teacher's Pet.





From the website: Located in the quaint village of Rocheport, Missouri, the School House Bed and Breakfast Inn provides premium accommodations in a restored historic 1914 building that served as Rocheport's public school from 1914 to 1972.

The School House Bed + Breakfast has ten distinctive guest rooms, each decorated in beautiful antiques with luxury sheets, spa-quality linens, goose down duvets and featherbeds. Light from the large schoolhouse windows, covered with plantation shutters, softens shades of pinks and yellows and dramatically deepens bold plums and greens. Each room in the bed and breakfast is accented with a few reminders of the building's simple past. First- and second-floor rooms have 13-foot ceilings with original hardwood floors, eight-foot windows and ceiling fans.

The B + B's two secluded third-floor rooms, created from the school's original attic, have gothic doors and skylights for star gazing.


School House Bed & Breakfast Inn
504 Third Street (Third & Clark Streets)
Rocheport, Missouri 65279

Phone: (573) 698-2022
email: innkeeper@schoolhousebandb.com

'Stay in Class!' at the School House Bed and Breakfast in Rocheport, Missouri.



*** Remember to support small business in your area and when you travel. Why stay at a Big Business hotel as you travel when you can stay in a more home like atmosphere of a bed and breakfast inn? The prices are comparable, the people friendlier and your stay will be memorable.


Chocolate Cheesecake Muffins

From: School House Bed & Breakfast Inn

Yield: approximately 18 muffins

Ingredients:

2 1/3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup ricotta cheese (or small curd cottage cheese)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/3 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup canola oil
Cooking Spray


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin tins with cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, chips, cocoa, baking powder and salt.

In a medium bowl mix cheese with eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Whisk in milk and vanilla until blended. Fold cheese mixture and oil into flour mixture until just blended. Spoon approximately 1 cup batter into each muffin cup.

Bake 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pans immediately and cool on a wire rack. These are delicious and moist, like cheesecake.



*** More Muffin Monday recipes:

American Revolt: How You Can Break Big Business, Big Banks, Big Insurance, Big Oil, Big Lobbyists

Muffin Monday: Egg, Ricotta Cheese, Sun-Dried Tomato Breakfast Muffins

Muffin Monday: Sour Cream Walnut Cinnamon Muffins

Muffin Monday: Pina Colada Muffins

Muffin Monday: Polynesian Bread or Muffins, Gluten Free Pineapple Muffin

Muffin Monday: Savory Feta, Roasted Pepper Basil Muffins From Sur La Table

Muffin Monday: Banana Praline Muffins, White Chocolate Banana Bread



*** Photo of Starbucks version of the chocolate cheese muffin by Kaunokainen @ flickr


*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

*** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:

The Social Poets
Dennys Global Politics
The Soul Calendar
Visual Insights
Beautiful Illustrated Quotations
Poems From A Spiritual Heart
The Healing Waters
Dennys Art Sanctuary
Romancing The Chocolate
Comfort Food From Louisiana
Unusual 2 Tasty
Dennys Blog Feeds
Dennys Funny Quotes
Ouch Outrageous Obnoxious And Odd

14 June 2010

Muffin Monday: Savory Feta, Roasted Pepper Basil Muffins From Sur La Table

*** Try the unusual: a savory muffin for breakfast, lunch or dinner.





From Denny: We all love muffins. They are that little meal, that special little treat in the late afternoon. They are divine bits of Heaven. Sometimes, I would rather enjoy a savory muffin instead of the sweet.

The American breakfast can quickly become predictable with the usual suspects of eggs, bacon and toast. Banana bread with a little softened cream cheese is wonderful in the morning with eggs. But how about something totally off the wall different?

Feta cheese is a good protein source any time of day and mixes well with so many ingredients. You could even enjoy these muffins alongside those predictable eggs and bacon. This muffin has roasted peppers which are sweet of a savory kind. They would go well too with a soup or salad for lunch. Try them with roasted chicken for a dinner too.

For this recipe make sure to use only fresh basil as opposed to the dried version as they need the fresh oils to punch up the flavor of the muffin. If you don't have any fresh basil, the author recommends substituting a tablespoon of fresh thyme or a teaspoon of dried thyme in its place. Thyme tends to be a pungent herb even when dried.



Feta, Roasted Pepper & Basil Muffins

From: Sur La Table - The Art & Soul of Baking, Andrews McMeel Publishing, October 2008


Makes: 12 muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup (3 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
½ cup (4 ounces) jarred roasted red bell pepper, patted dry and chopped into ¼-inch dice
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
1 cup (8 ounces) buttermilk
¼ cup (2 ounces) olive oil
1 large egg


Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375°F and position an oven rack in the center. Lightly coat the muffin tin with melted butter, oil, or high-heat canola-oil spray. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in the large mixing bowl. Set aside. In the medium bowl, stir together the feta cheese, roasted bell pepper, and chopped basil. Set aside.

Pour the buttermilk into the measuring cup. Add the olive oil and the egg and whisk together until well blended. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the well and stir gently with a spatula. Mix only until there are no more streaks of flour or pools of liquid and the batter looks fairly smooth. A few small lumps scattered throughout are fine—they will disappear during baking. Gently fold in the feta cheese mixture until evenly distributed in the batter.

Use the large ice cream scoop or 2 soup spoons to divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the tops feel firm and a skewer inserted into the centers comes out clean. Transfer the muffin tin to a rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Gently run a thin knife or spatula around each muffin to free it from the pan, lift out the muffins, and transfer them to a rack to finish cooling (careful, these are tender while hot). Serve warm.

When completely cool, the muffins can be stored at room temperature, wrapped in plastic or sealed in a resealable plastic bag, for 2 days. Reheat, wrapped in foil, in a 325°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until warmed through. The muffins can also be frozen for up to 1 month, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and then sealed in a resealable plastic freezer bag. Thaw, still wrapped, for 30 minutes before reheating.


*** Check out how Muffin Monday started: American Revolt: How You Can Break Big Business, Big Banks, Big Insurance, Big Oil, Big Lobbyists

Photo by mccun934 @ flickr

*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

19 March 2010

4 Star Food on a Budget: Pecan Chicken, Salad, Orzo, Sweet Cheese Tarts

From Denny: We love pecans at our house and they are quite popular in Louisiana since we grow them here. One of my favorite recipes is to finely chop pecans and use them with flour as a coating to pan fry chicken. Here Claire's idea is to combine the pecans with panko crumbs for a lighter version than with flour.

Claire Robinson is one of those folks who tired of corporate America and went out on her own. And we are all so glad she did because she is clever and fast in the kitchen! Her food is fast, elegant, eclectic and flavorful all in only 5 ingredients.

She is host to two Food Network shows: 5 Ingredient Fix and Food Network Challenge

This is a segment from the CBS The Early Show's "Chef on a Shoestring" where the challenge is to make a three course meal for four people and under $40. Claire made a four course meal! Take a look:


Recipes Featured:

Mixed Green Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
Buttermilk Pecan Chicken
Minted Squash Orzo with Feta
Mini Strawberry Mascarpone Tarts





Watch CBS News Videos Online






Food Facts from the Food Lover's Companion:


Raspberries: Considered by many the most intensely flavored member of the berry family, the raspberry is composed of many connecting drupelets surrounding a central core. There are three main varieties - black, golden and red, the latter being the most widely available. Depending on the region, red raspberries are available pretty much year-round, with the peak season from May through September. Choose brightly colored, plump berries sans hull. If the hulls are still attached, the berries were picked too early and will undoubtedly be tart. Avoid soft, shriveled or moldy berries. Store in a moisture proof container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.


Orzo: Tiny, rice shaped pasta, often used in soups.


Squash: Squash varies widely in size, shape and color. Generally, they're divided into two categories - summer squash and winter squash. Winter squash have hard, thick skins and seeds. The deep yellow to orange flesh is firmer than that of summer squash and therefore requires longer coking. Winter squash varieties include acorn, buttercup, butternut, hubbard, spaghetti and turban. Winter squash is best from early fall through the winter.


Feta: One of the world's oldest cheeses, feta has been made in Greece and other Balkan countries for centuries. Though traditionally made of sheep's or goat's milk, today large commercial producers often use cow's milk. Because it's cured and stored in brine, feta is often referred to as pickled cheese. White, crumbly and rindless, feta is usually pressed into square cakes. It has a rich, tangy flavor, contains from 45 to 60 percent milk fat and can range in texture from semisoft to semihard.





RECIPES


Greens with Fresh Raspberry Vinaigrette


INGREDIENTS:
1 cup (1/2 pint) fresh raspberries, plus more for garnish
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup pomegranate juice, plus more, if needed
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cups mixed greens, washed and dried

DIRECTIONS:

Put the raspberries, mustard and pomegranate juice into a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. With the motor running, add the olive oil in a slow steady stream, until a smooth emulsified dressing has formed. Season the dressing with salt and pepper, to taste. (If the dressing is too thick, add another tablespoon of juice.)

Place half of the dressing in the bottom of a large chilled salad bowl and top with mixed greens. Toss when ready to serve and garnish salad with additional raspberries.

Note: Leftover vinaigrette can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.





Buttermilk Pecan Chicken


INGREDIENTS:

2 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup toasted pecans
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper


DIRECTIONS:

Place each chicken breast between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and gently flatten with a meat mallet or heavy flat object to an even 1/3-inch thick.

In a shallow bowl add the chicken and the buttermilk. Cover and marinate for 1 hour in the refrigerator.

In a food processor, pulse pecans until finely ground. Transfer the pecans to a large rimmed dish and add the panko bread crumbs. Mix to combine well.

Remove marinated chicken breasts from buttermilk and shake off excess. Dip chicken in breading mixture, evenly coating both sides.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil. Add breaded breasts and shallow fry about 4 to 5 minutes on each side until golden in color. Remove from oil to and drain on paper towels. Immediately season with salt and pepper and place on a serving platter of individual dishes.

Serve it with a yummy salad for a super tasty meal. Enjoy!





Minted Squash Orzo


INGREDIENTS:

1 cup dried orzo pasta
1/4 cup garlic flavored olive oil, divided
1 large yellow squash, about 8 ounces, quartered lengthwise and sliced
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped, plus more for garnish


DIRECTIONS:

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over medium heat. Stir in the orzo and cook for 8 minutes; pasta will be slightly undercooked. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water, then drain the orzo in a colander in the sink.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the squash, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown and soften, about 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and add the cooked orzo and cooking water. Bring to a simmer and stir in 3/4 of the feta; season with salt and pepper. Cook until the water is absorbed, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and mint.

Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle the remaining feta over the top and garnish with additional chopped mint.





Mini Strawberry Mascarpone Tarts

INGREDIENTS:

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed according to package instructions
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
8 large strawberries, hulled and finely diced
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese, whipped

Special equipment: 3-inch round cookie cutter, 2 identical sheet pans


DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Have a second identical sheet pan and parchment sheet ready.

Stir the sugar and salt together and pour about half of it evenly onto a work surface. Unfold the puff pastry sheet and sprinkle the remaining sugar evenly over the top of the dough and press it a few times to adhere. With a rolling pin, roll the dough into a thickness of about 1/8 inch, turning and flipping the dough as you roll to incorporate the sugar into the dough and to keep it from sticking to the surface. With a 3-inch round cutter, cut out 12 dough rounds and transfer to the lined baking sheet; lay the other parchment sheet over the dough rounds and put the second sheet pan directly on top.

Weigh the top sheet pan down with a cast iron skillet or bricks. Transfer to the oven and bake until crisp and golden, about 25 minutes. Remove the top sheet pan and parchment and cool the crisp rounds completely on the pan.

Meanwhile, pour the balsamic vinegar into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Simmer until thick and syrupy, about 4 minutes; it should still swirl in the pan. If too thick, simply add about a teaspoon of balsamic, stir, and remove from the heat.

Put the strawberries in a small bowl and pour the hot balsamic syrup over them and stir. Let stand 5 minutes. To assemble the tarts, spread about 2 teaspoons mascarpone on each crisp dough round with a spoon or small offset spatula. Using a spoon to drain any excess liquid, place about one tablespoon of diced strawberries on the top of each tart. Any extra balsamic syrup can be drizzled over the tarts, if desired. Serve immediately.

NOTE: The sugared dough scraps can be tossed with cinnamon and baked in the 400°F oven until browned and crisps as a treat for the little ones. Leftover strawberries or balsamic syrup is delicious over ice cream!





So, how did Claire fare in the Chef on a Shoestring competition?

Raspberry Salad

raspberries $3.49
pomegranate juice $3.99
mixed greens $3.49
total $10.97

Pecan Chicken & Orzo

chicken breasts $3.49
buttermilk $1.99
pecans $2.99
panko $1.99
orzo pasta $1.25
garlic $.39
squash $2.31
feta $2.69
mint $1.29
total $18.39

Strawberry Tarts

puff pastry $1.99
strawberries $2.49
mascarpone $4.59
total $9.07

Grand total: $38.43


*** THANKS for visiting, come back often, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

14 March 2010

Warm Gooey Cheese Fondue 4 Cold Nights

From Denny: The Olympics food and recipes are still posting and this one is divine! There are three secrets to great cheese fondue.

1 - Prepare in a saucepan on the stove. Leave the official showy fondue pot for when the dish is ready to be served. You will be doing a lot of stirring as the cheese melts and it's just easier to control the heat temperature on the stove.

2 - Rub the inside of the saucepan with raw garlic to flavor the final dish. Then you pour in the wine and other ingredients.

3 - Place some cornstarch water in the saucepan after the garlic rub. What this does is prevent the cheese from separating into ugly unappetizing lumps. This simple little trick is a winner for keeping the cheese properly bound and smooth in the final product.


Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy





Pierre's fondue recipe

From:
Jean-Georges Vongerichten, chef and owner Market Restaurant: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

• 3 1/3 c Gruyere cheese, grated
• 3 1/3 c Fribourg Vacherin cheese, grated (or Comte if not available)
• 3 1/3 c dry white wine
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 3 Tbsp kirsch
• 1 pc crushed garlic
• 1 each baguette, cut into 1" cubes with crust
• 1 each Gala apple, cut into 1" cubes
• 1 1/2 c red grapes, washed
• 4 oz Bresaola, thinly sliced
• Cornichons
• Pickled onions

DIRECTIONS

Rub inside of a heatproof casserole with the garlic. Add the wine and cornstarch and heat until liquid is steaming but not boiling. Slowly add the cheese and bring just under the boiling point, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Once the mixture is completely melted and velvety in texture, mix in the kirsch and continue stirring until it comes back together. Remove from the heat, season with fresh ground pepper and nutmeg. Serve tableside on a burner. Arrange all the garnish on a plate and serve.


*** THANKS for visiting, come back often, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers - and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

09 March 2010

Unusual Outrageous New Food: Breast Milk Cheese

From Denny: When I saw this posted over at The Today Show site I have to admit it really was an Ewwwww! factor. My second thought was, "Who the hell would do something this crazy? A chef?" Turns out it isn't Hannibal Lector peddling human cheese. That's a relief. It is a chef though, by the name of Daniel Angerer of haute cuisine Klee Brasserie in New York city.

Hey, a good chef never wastes a good resource. In his case, his freezer was overflowing with his wife's breast milk by the time their daughter, Arabella, was four weeks old. “We are fortunate to have plenty of pumped mommy’s milk on hand, and we even freeze a good amount of it,” Angerer wrote on his Web site. “Our small freezer ran out of space. To throw it out would be like wasting gold.”

After talking his wife, Lori Mason, into his weird experiment, Angerer began experimenting with the breast milk. With two gallons of breast milk, some curdling and then aging for a few weeks he ended up with a cheese product very similar in taste to cow's milk cheese. OK, so now we have adjusted to this level of strange.

Up to the next level of strange and Angerer posted a recipe on his site for “My Spouse’s Mommy’s Milk Cheese.” Of course, the incredibly curious - or Momma's Boys who never grew up - started calling asking to sample the new cheese product.

Now flying high on the weird meter, Angerer was emboldened to offer an appetizer of breast-milk cheese with figs and Hungarian pepper at his restaurant, Klee Brasserie. The reactions are mixed. Some are generally positive. Read that as too polite to tell him the truth. The others are disgusted and can't get past the Ewwww! factor and are completely turned off. He never did say how the reactions divided down the gender line.

Guess who else is simply not amused? The New York City Health Department that states, "Angerer would be well-advised to stop offering his wife’s milk to the general public, even though there is no specific law on the books prohibiting it."

At this point I guess the breast milk wife is game for anything. She said the breast milk is about to dry up - so how about creating a recipe for breast milk gelato?

For the vote: Would you try breast milk cheese? To vote, go here.






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Warm Gooey Cheese Fondue 4 Cold Nights

From Denny: The Olympics food and recipes are still posting and this one is divine! There are three secrets to great cheese fondue.

1 - Prepare in a saucepan on the stove. Leave the official showy fondue pot for when the dish is ready to be served. You will be doing a lot of stirring as the cheese melts and it's just easier to control the heat temperature on the stove.

2 - Rub the inside of the saucepan with raw garlic to flavor the final dish. Then you pour in the wine and other ingredients.

3 - Place some cornstarch water in the saucepan after the garlic rub. What this does is prevent the cheese from separating into ugly unappetizing lumps. This simple little trick is a winner for keeping the cheese properly bound and smooth in the final product.


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Pierre's fondue recipe

From:
Jean-Georges Vongerichten, chef and owner Market Restaurant: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

• 3 1/3 c Gruyere cheese, grated
• 3 1/3 c Fribourg Vacherin cheese, grated (or Comte if not available)
• 3 1/3 c dry white wine
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 3 Tbsp kirsch
• 1 pc crushed garlic
• 1 each baguette, cut into 1" cubes with crust
• 1 each Gala apple, cut into 1" cubes
• 1 1/2 c red grapes, washed
• 4 oz Bresaola, thinly sliced
• Cornichons
• Pickled onions

DIRECTIONS

Rub inside of a heatproof casserole with the garlic. Add the wine and cornstarch and heat until liquid is steaming but not boiling. Slowly add the cheese and bring just under the boiling point, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Once the mixture is completely melted and velvety in texture, mix in the kirsch and continue stirring until it comes back together. Remove from the heat, season with fresh ground pepper and nutmeg. Serve tableside on a burner. Arrange all the garnish on a plate and serve.


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