Update on the kitties and Cranberry Compote

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The holidays are around the corner. I have had mixed feelings this year about them. I am sorry not to be seeing my Texas friends and also missing the trip to Costa Rica with my sister! Still I am happy both my children (ok they are cats) are managing well and are still healthy.


For those of you that know us, Rusty is hanging in there. He has put on weight and gets his medications and fluids daily now. Zia is also getting fluids but not as often. She has been a bit more of a challenge since she was never much of a lap cat. We have worked things out though.

Once she figured out the reward would be food or catnip, she has resigned herself to it. Rusty’s reward is going out on the patio and sniffing the fresh catnip I am growing. They both have a new addiction beyond the catnip. It is the heating pad. It has become a bit of a competition but Rusty seems to be the winner most days.

Although I will miss my Texas friends, it is nice to know I have some very good friends in Florida now. I hope to build on those friendships and our history together as I did when I moved to Texas. Since I am a pescatarian, I am not looking forward to Turkey dinner but the trimmings are the best part anyway.

I thought today I would share with you an easy recipe that is wonderful to have on hand for the holidays but also could make a great hostess or holiday gift. Back in the days when I was the special diets cook for a health food café, I often had to come up with ideas to use any excess fruits or vegetables we had on hand. I came up with a fresh fruit compote that I served with blue corn flakes on top.

I must admit I was amazed how many people ordered it regularly for breakfast. Honestly, I don’t really remember how I made it since I used whatever we had on hand. A few years later I was given a handout of holiday recipes from The Container Store. One was for a Cranberry Compote to be spooned into a clear jar as a gift or to be served with a holiday meal.

I was a bit averse to the amount of sugar in the recipe and the amount of ingredients so I came up with my own variation, which I must admit I really like. It’s a cinch to make, tasty and very pretty.

I haven’t used it as a side for a holiday meal but I have used it in other ways. I have put some on top of lowfat cream cheese and served it with crackers. I bet it would also be good with Brie Cheese. It is also great heated as a topping for some high quality vanilla bean ice cream. You could add a touch of Grand Marnier to make it even more special. This also would taste good with pancakes, waffles or crepes.Of course, I still top it with Blue Cornflakes when I have them and eat them for breakfast. 

I am going to give you both recipes, mine and the original.

Sheila’s Healthy Holiday Cranberry Compote

1 Medium Orange

12 oz package of fresh cranberries

1 ¼ cups all fruit orange marmalade

1 cup of golden raisins

1/2 tsp salt (or just a pinch if you are worried about sodium!)

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

16 oz can of pineapple chunks in juice (drained) or an equal amount of fresh pineapple chunks which I prefer

Grate one teaspoon of orange peel and squeeze ¼ cup of fresh orange juice.

In a 3qt saucepan over high heat, heat the orange juice, orange peel, cranberries and the next 5 ingredients (marmalade through cinnamon)

Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until cranberries pop and mixture thickens slightly. Add pineapple and heat through. Prepare at least an hour before serving to allow flavors to meld.

May be served warm or cold.



Cranberry Compote from Container Store

1 medium orange

12oz package cranberries

1 ¼ cup sugar

1 cup golden raisins

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

16 oz can sliced cling peaches, drained

16 oz can sliced pears, drained

16 oz can sliced apricot halves,drained

Grate 1 teaspoon of orange peel and squeeze ¼ cup fresh juice. In 3-qt saucepan over high heat, heat orange juice, orange peel, cranberries and next five ingredients (sugar through cinnamon). Boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 minutes or until cranberries pop and the mixture thickens slightly.

Add peaches, pears and apricot halves. Heat thoroughly. Compote mixture may be served warm or cold. Should be prepared at least an hour before serving and may be made days in advance.

Makes about 4 cups

May be stored in the refrigerator up to 4 weeks

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When things don’t go as planned, charity and a healthy fast food alternative

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Have you ever had a day where you thought you must have gotten up on the wrong side of the bed? Well today was that day for me. I was up late last night but in spite of that I woke up early this morning. I was actually quite pleased about it because I had a lot to do before I headed over to West Palm Beach this afternoon. I had offered to volunteer for the United Cerebral Palsy, 21st Annual Great Chefs Tasting Party charity event.

I thought I was one step ahead of things but that wasn’t the way it worked out. The dress for the event was Palm Beach Business Casual so I pulled out a pair of slacks and went about finding a top to go with it. The first top I found was perfect. Well it would have been until I noticed it had some spots on it. After a futile attempt to take them out, I went hunting for another choice. Ah, the silk sweater set. That was always a great choice. I pulled that out ….spots again. What’s with these spots? Where are they coming from anyway? I haven’t worn either of these tops since they were at the cleaners. Did they do that or just fail to clean them properly? Top number 3 was ready to go, ironed and I put it together with a linen blouse. I was ready.

Off to the gym, now a little late. I figured I could still get a good ½ hour of spin in and an arms workout. I arrived at the gym and found a class in process in the spin room. No problem. I could do arms first then spin. I headed for the locker room and before I could make my way out, the electricity went off. Have you ever been in a locker room with no lights? It’s “very” dark. I managed to find my way out and did most of my arm workout in the semi-dark (they turned some lights on with a generator).

Actually it was kind of nice for a change to work out in a silent gym with soft lighting. People usually talk more to each other when there has been an event, so I tried to strike up a conversation with the guy working out next to me. That was probably a bad idea. He spoke very broken English and although he tried 3 times, I didn’t have a clue what his response was. Finally I just smiled, shook my head and made a bee line for the spin bikes. The electricity went on and off about 5 times during my workout. Of course along with the lights, the air also is off. I lost a pound or two of water weight on the spin bike!

I arrived home, showered, grabbed a quick lunch then dressed for the event only to realize top number 3 had a spot on it too and in a very prominent place, ahhhh! Luckily I was able to fix it and running late now, headed to West Palm Beach. When I was about a quarter of the way there, my gas light came on. I was now running out of gas. No problem I had just passed a station less than a mile behind me. I wouldn’t be that much later. I made an illegal U-turn (don’t tell anyone) and headed to it. Go figure. It was closed, under some kind of construction. I did manage to find a station a half mile of so after that.

The UCP event was very nice. I and another girl sold the raffle tickets and did pretty well raising money for them. I bought some tickets myself, hoping to win the Premier Wine tasting for ten in your home, but someone trumped me on that one!

It was a long day and although there was some great food at the event, when you are working you don’t eat much. I was hungry when I headed home. Most people I know wouldn’t have thought twice about stopping at a fast food joint, but I am not a fast food joint girl. Since I don’t eat meat, it further limits my choices. I decided to come up with something at home (yes, you can exist on this planet without ever eating at a fast food restaurant! It’s a choice.)

I fell back on one of my favorite home “fast food” dinner. I filled a saucepan with 2 cups of water and brought that to a boil. Then I threw in some vegetables. This time I chose some carrots that I grated and fresh baby spinach. I will give you the recipe sometime later, but I had previously made a bunch of vegetarian pot stickers with tofu and had frozen them. I took a few out of the freezer and threw them in the water (you could used store bought dumplings. I know you can get them at Whole Foods, Central Market or Trader Joes) and let them cook a bit. I had gotten some Kikkoman Instant Miso Soup with Tofu at World Market (http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=kikkoman+miso+soup&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=1104165341&ref=pd_sl_18k8zzw9ru_b), so I took 2 packets out, turned down the heat (Miso shouldn’t be boiled) and added the contents to the pan. After heating a few minutes and opening up a package of Nut Thins…Voila, dinner!!!

Ok maybe that doesn’t seem like enough food for you. Steam up some edamame. Munch on them while you heat up the soup. That should do it.

So that’s my recipe for the day…Sheila’s easy Instant Tofu Mushroom Soup with Vegetables ( a long story for a short recipe!). I have also tried the Red Miso instant soup. It is good, but I prefer the White Miso and Tofu. I have also used Chinese cabbage in place of the Spinach and I prefer it. It is more authentic and has some crunch to it. In a pinch, I have also used Romaine strips.

I like the Pot stickers because I get a little bit of protein from the Tofu in them. With the ginger in the dumplings you add additional flavor to the soup. Alternately you could use Soba (Buckwheat) noodles. I have also thrown in some chunks of fresh salmon and cooked till done, then added the soup mix. That is very good and you get those important Omega 3's.

There are many variations, so use your imagination but don’t make it too complicated or you won’t be able to compete with the fast food joints!

One last thing, and I know I have said this before, but it is especially important now. The non-profits have been hit pretty hard by the down turn in the economy. If you can help out, please do, whether in donations or volunteering your time. Either way, it is very rewarding to know that you may have helped some people that may not be as healthy or well off as you are. It may also help you appreciate your health and the things you have you may take for granted.

Have a healthy, happy and joyous week and be grateful for the gifts you have been given.

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Fru Fru Drinks

I was never much of a hard liquor drinker. The taste is too strong for me and I am a lightweight when it comes to alcohol in general. Still I do like to have a drink sometimes. My interest in alcohol is similar to my interest in food. I like to try different flavors.

When I was a teenager one of my favorite uses for alcohol was putting Green Crème De Menthe over Lemon Ice Cream that had lemon candies in it (They don’t make ice cream like that anymore!). Being ultra mature for my age, I was able to impress people with my green tongue!

While in college in Florida and then when we lived at the beach, I switched to Pina Coladas, the tropical drink! I often wonder how many calories I took in drinking those Pina Coladas.

You might get the idea that I like sweet drinks. I do. Back when I travelled more, I collected liqueurs from the different places I visited. I bought Pear William in Switzerland and Calvados in France Jamaica makes a number of good liquors. I bought Rumona Rum liqueur in Jamaica, Tia Maria which was originally made with Blue Mountain Coffee beans and another liqueur, Pimento. Pimento was actually an Allspice liqueur and fun to add to eggnog during the holidays. ( Note:Pimento is not available in the States. I read a note from a NY Bartender about a substitute he came up with. If you take white rum and steep allspice berries in it, then add simple syrup and strain when the flavor is strong enough, you will approximate the product).

In the Virgin Islands I bought a locally made liqueur. The label says it is “The Best Christmas” GuavaBerry Liqueur around the world. It also says, “Taste it. You’ll love it. It makes you frisky,happy and loving”. Needless to say, I save it for special occasions!! It does make me happy, frisky and loving !

From Hawaii, I brought back Keoki Kona Coffee liqueur. Eventually my friends jumped on the band wagon too. Mr. Capers brought me some Herradura Tequila from Mexico, Paula brought me some Rum Raisin and Curacao Liqueur from Curacao and an old boyfriend brought me some rum from South America that was so strong I couldn’t drink it. I gave it to a friend when I moved. Another liqueur I collected while here in the states was made by the makers of Grand Marnier. It is called La Grande Passion. It is no longer available. I bought the stores last 3 bottles before it was off the shelves. It is a nice, delicate liqueur, similar to Grand Marnier but better, I think.

It was years before I developed a taste for wine and many more before I could appreciate Red Wine. During my country dancing years in Texas my drink of choice was a tequila sunrise without the sunrise (no grenadine). That wasn’t quite as sweet as my earlier choices and I knew how much was too much and when to stop. I did drink Margaritas but the combination of sweet with the lime gave me a headache. The OJ worked better.

Today, outside of my enjoyment of Margaritas and Mojitos, I am generally a Fru Fru drink lover. I like the pretty drinks that they make, Chocolate Martinis with the glass decorated with Chocolate Sauce, Key Lime Martinis rimmed with Graham Cracker and Coconut Lime Martinis rimmed with Toasted Coconut As mentioned earlier, Roy’sTropical Martini was my summer drink this year.

I sound like a lush, but really I am not. Most of the liqueurs I collected 20 years ago are still on my shelf. I take them out during parties and on occasion. This weekend I tried a new drink recipe that I found in Health Magazine (I guess it has to be good for me, right?). The original drink is from the Tides Hotel on South Beach. If you ever get to South Beach, check out the Tides. It is a gorgeous, first class hotel and I hear they have a great Sunday Brunch.

The drink is called Tides Royale. Not only is it really good, but it is really pretty too. Amazingly, I had all the liquors that are called for in this drink and the pineapple juice too. I would like to share the recipe and some other warm and cold weather favorites with you.

One cautionary note, if you are out drinking, make sure you have a designated driver (that isnt drinking with you!!). If you don't have one, don't drink and drive. Also, if you are on the wagon....stay on it. Drinking isn't right for everyone and drinking should be done responsibly. If you are over the age of 65 be very careful with alcohol. In 2005 nearly 16,000 older adults died from falls.

Tides Royale

2 oz coconut rum
1 oz Midori
3 oz pineapple juice
1 tablespoon Chambord
Edible flower for garnish (optional)

Combine rum,Midori and pineapple juice in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into 2 chilled glasses. Add ½ tablespoon of Chambord to each glass. It will sink to the bottom. Garnish if desired.
2 servings

Hot Apple Pie
This reminds me of sitting by the fire on a winter day with someone very special.

• 2 oz Tuaca
• Hot apple cider
• whipped cream
• cinnamon stick for garnish

Preparation:
1. Pour the Tuaca in an Irish coffee glass
2. Fill with hot apple cider.
3. Top with whipped cream.
4. Garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Peppermint Patty

1 ½ oz Godiva Chocolate Liqueur
½ oz Peppermint Schnapps or Rumple Minz

Stir over ice in a rocks glass.
For a hot drink you can make a Hot Peppermint Patty by putting this in a Irish coffee glass without the ice then adding hot chocolate

Frankfurt Froth
This is a very strong, more manly drink!!
4 servings

At Restaurant Eugene, Greg Best makes a version of this drink with custard sauce and a small- batch bourbon he has infused with warm spices. Just before serving, he grates a roasted peanut over the top, which gives your nose a delightful surprise. Warmed ice cream makes a fine substitute.

1 pint Haagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream
6 ounces spice-infused bourbon
4 peanuts (optional)

Heat the ice cream in a small saucepan until very warm to the touch. Pour into a stainless steel bowl and whisk until it turns frothy.

Divide the bourbon among four warmed mugs. Top with frothed cream. Grate the peanuts over the top using a micro plane zester.

To infuse bourbon: Open a 750 milliliter bottle and add 3 whole cloves, 1 cinnamon stick and 1/2 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns. Close and wait 2 1/2 weeks for the flavors to infuse.

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SWEET INDULGENCES

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I admit it, I love sweet things. Over the years this has presented a challenge for a health oriented and weight controlling person. The American Diabetes Association gave me a lift many years ago when their research concluded that sugar could be included in a Diabetics diet. Then came the low carb diet guru’s and the idea of sweets in a healthy weight controlling diet went down the tubes. I must admit, I found that disappointing!

I am not an extremist when it comes to cooking and eating. For the most part I am a pescetarian, but I usually eat a piece of meat once a year to make sure I am not a purist. I have an aversion to rigidity and extremism when it comes to food, exercise or life in general. I am happy there are people out there with passionate beliefs, but personally I think life is too short to live in a box.

I have two sweet indulgences to share with you. One is on the healthy end of the spectrum, Frozen Yogurt with Honey Rum Glazed Bananas and Grape Nuts. The other is a true indulgence with a surprising ingredient, Ancho Chile Fudge Pie.

At one low point in my life, I gained a lot of weight for a girl that was normally slim. My normal weight was in the 110-112 range but my weight shot up (ok it didn’t shoot up, I ate my way up to it!) to 123 lbs (I am 5'4"). That may not seem like a lot to many of you, but I come from a very slim family. In my world I was a fatty!!

I made up my mind to take care of myself, hired a personal trainer (my inspiration to later become a trainer!), put myself on a low fat (not low carb) diet and limited my portion sizes to almost an extreme. In hindsight, it wasn’t really that healthy to lose weight the way I did. Part of it was triggered by a major stressor in my life (divorce). Within one year I went from a chubby 123 without much muscle to 103 with muscle.

As life stabilized and I realized I couldn’t maintain such a rigid lifestyle, my weight came up to a more realistic number but this time with more muscle not fat, 112. I have maintained my weight in the 112-115 range for 18 years now.

You are probably asking what that has to do with frozen yogurt and pie! Well I created the frozen yogurt idea during my rigid low fat diet period. It is cold, sweet, crunchy and satisfying, a great dessert for those of us in the South that seem to live in perpetual summer.

The Ancho Pie, I hate to tell you came from the” eating my way to 123” period. Still it is excellent . I suggest you limit the Ancho Pie to a special occasion. Halloween or Thanksgiving may be good excuses to make it.

The chef's name that created the Ancho recipe was Nancy Beckham. She had opened a Southwestern restaurant named Brazos, on Lower Greenville Avenue in Dallas. It is no longer in business. I met her at a Les Dames D’Escoffier benefit. The pie is rich, deep and fudgy with a hint of spice from the chile. It is definitely worth the effort to make.

Frozen Yogurt with Honey Rum Glazed Bananas and Grape Nuts

This is quick and very easy to prepare

4 teaspoons honey
4 teaspoons dark rum
1 teaspoon butter or a lighter butter substitute that melts well
4 bananas, not overly ripe
2 tablespoons each Grape Nuts and Toasted coconut for garnish.
1 cup coconut or vanilla nonfat yogurt frozen or put into the freezer until icy cold or a store bought low fat frozen yogurt

Warm butter, honey and rum over medium low heat in a 10 inch skillet. Add the bananas and cinnamon sauté until caramelized and coated with the honey mixture.

Serve over yogurt topped with the Grape Nuts and Toasted Coconut
4 servings

Note: I used to just freeze the yogurt but the texture is a bit grainy and the yogurt may be too sweet for the carb conscious. Another option is to make your own vanilla yogurt mixing plain yogurt and honey to taste. Take a vanilla bean and split it. Scrape the seeds into the yogurt. If you are very carb conscious, look at the plain yogurt ingredient list. I have found that most of them contain added sugar. The cheaper store brands often don’t add sugar, but keep in mind, they are more sharp in flavor. Rather than freeze the yogurt until hard, I would just freeze it until it is really cold but still soft and serve the bananas over it that way.

Ancho Chile Pie

2 eggs
½ cup sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons Ancho Chile Puree (see recipe below)
1 cup butter melted and cooled
½ cup chopped walnuts (roasted in a 400 degree oven for 3-5 minutes)
½ cup chopped pecans (roasted in a 400 degree oven for 3-5 minutes)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (use a good quality brand like Ghirardelli)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 (9inch) unbaked pastry shell
Fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for garnish (remember this is an indulgence!!)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large bowl, beat eggs until foamy; add sugar and brown sugar and beat until well blended. Beat in flour and Ancho Chile Paste. Then blend in melted butter and mix until thick and smooth. Fold in roasted nuts, chocolate chips and vanilla.

Pour into pie shell; bake 1 hour or until firm and set. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream or scoop of ice cream. Makes 6-8 servings

Ancho Chile Paste:

Roast 4 to 5 large ancho chilies in a large iron skillet or on a griddle, turning frequently until the dry chilies puff slightly. Drop into a saucepan filled with boiling water, cover and remove from heat. Let steep 20 minutes. Remove chilies from water and discard stems and seeds. Blend in a food processor until smooth and thick. Use some of the soaking liquid to thin puree, if needed. Paste will keep 1 month in the refrigerator in a tightly covered jar.

Enjoy!

Exploding soup and stuffed potatoes

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I was asking my mother, “When will fall start in Florida?” It will take me some time to get used to what they call “the seasons” here. I am starting to get bored with the same temperate days. People here think it’s hot. Obviously they haven’t lived in Dallas or Phoenix!

We are supposed to have a cool front tonight. At least that is what I heard. The 60’s!! That sounds terrific. It also sounds like great running weather. Unfortunately, I just found out I have a torn meniscus and had my joint injected with cortisone. No running for at least a week! I am bummed but hopeful the injection will “fix” the problem. If not, its arthroscopy for me!

There is always a silver lining I guess. I will make soup! I love making soup. I like baking bread too, but I don’t manage that as easily.

I am not sure how I came to enjoy making soup. My mother was a great soup maker, but some of her adventures in soup making were enough to scare me away from soup for life. Remember the old pressure cookers? You know the kinds where the valve often got clogged and the steam had no way of releasing. Yes, those were my mother’s adventures in soup making. Memorable was the time she was unable to free the valve, realizing she was hitting the danger zone; she called out a warning to protect the family. If I recall it was something like “It’s going to blow!” Yes, it did explode. I think it was beef vegetable soup. It was everywhere, counters, floor and ceiling. Hot soup.

Still we all survived without a trip to the hospital burn unit. I don’t make soups in pressure cookers. Never have, probably never will.

I do love soup making though. In fact, I worked at a Health Food Café in the 90’s. My title became “The Soup Lady”. I was in charge of creating 2 Soups of the Day for the Café. I took requests too. There was a gym above the store. I met my first personal training clients by fulfilling their soup of the day requests.

So the silver lining is that if we do get cooler weather, this would be a great week for soup. Enough about soup. Let’s talk about potatoes. Baked stuffed potatoes that is.

My mother used to make potatoes stuffed with sour cream and chives. They are pretty tasty, but my favorites are Monterey Stuffed Potatoes with Salsa. The recipe came from a Food Processor cookbook that was written by Abby Mandel (Meyer). Abby was a La Varenne trained cook that trained in some of the best restaurants in Europe.

When she returned to America, she wrote articles for the Chicago Tribune Home and Garden Section and eventually became a writer for Bon Appétit Magazine.

When Food Processors were first introduced, Abby wrote a Food Processor Column for Bon Appétit. That was my first introduction to her recipes. Subsequently, Cuisinart hired her and she wrote a number of cookbooks for them. This recipe comes from one of those books, “Fast and Flavorful”.

Mandel was the former President of the Chicago Chapter of “Les Dames d’Escoffier” and served as the President of “Les Dames D’Escoffier” International for several years. Les Dames is a professional organization for women in the culinary profession. I was a supporter of the Dallas Chapter for several years. She died last year at 75. (Am I getting old when my favorite cookbook authors are dying?)

Using a Food Processor makes this recipe a synch, but even if you don’t have one, you can make this by hand easily. You will just have to do more chopping and grating. I like to make a batch and freeze them individually, taking them out for a lunch or dinner side dish.

Truth be told you can make as many or as few as you want and just use the recipe as a template, adjusting the amounts to your needs. . You can substitute low fat dairy products for the full fat versions. I do and it is just as good but lighter.

Obviously, the recipe suits my Tex-Mex cravings I hope you will try them.

Monterey Stuffed Potatoes with Salsa

6 medium Idaho potatoes (3lb total)
¾ teaspoon safflower oil
8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, chilled
1/3 cup cilantro leaves
1 medium garlic clove, peeled
1 jalapeno or Serrano pepper, halved
2 large scallions (1 ½ oz total) including green tops, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
½ cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
Salsa
Fifteen minutes before baking, place rack in cento of oven and preheat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Brush potatoes with oil and bake until tender, about 1 hour. Remove them and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Slit tops of potatoes and carefully spoon out pulp (I hold the potato with a pot holder. They are hot!), leaving shells intact; reserve pulp and shells.

Medium Shredding Disc: Use light pressure to shred half of the cheese; remove and reserve

Metal Blade: Put cilantro in work bowl. Turn on machine, drop garlic and hot pepper through feed tube and process until minced. Add scallions and remaining cheese, cut into quarters. Process until minced.

Mash potato pulp with mixer or potato masher. Add sour cream or yogurt, milk and salt and mix until smooth. Add contents of work bowl and stir to combine. Fill potato shells with mixture, mounding slightly in center and sprinkle with reserved shredded cheese.

You can make this a day ahead and store in fridge, covered airtight. Bring to room temperature, place on baking sheet and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven until heated through, about 23-25 minutes. Serve immediately with Salsa.

These can also be grilled over very hot coals. They will take about 20-23 minutes to heat through.
6 servings

Silver Palate and Lemon Herb Chicken

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I was reading a bio on Sheila Lukins who recently died from Brain Cancer. If you are a foodie, you probably know her name. She has been the food writer for Parade Magazine for 27 years. If you are not a foodie, you may not realize it, but she and partner Julie Rosso were front runners in the now popular pre-packaged, gourmet, take home meal business.

Together they opened the Silver Palate http://www.worldpantry.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ExecMacro/silver/home.d2w/ in NY in 1977 offering Gourmet Takeout to busy New Yorkers. They opened a few years before Dean and Deluca’s and long before places like Eatzie's existed. After great success, they started a line of gourmet food products that you still see on the shelves today. This included vinegars, salad dressings, mustards and sauces.

Contrary to what it may appear today, I was not always into cooking. My mother, grandmother and aunt were all excellent cooks, but as a child I had other things to do than spend time in the kitchen cooking. I was a tomboy, busy climbing trees, seeing how many blocks I could ride my bike without touching the handlebars (early balance training) and important things like that.

My first attempt at cooking was when I was 16 years old and dating Kevin, my future husband. Since I was so smitten by him, I decided I would make his favorite dessert for his birthday, Pineapple Upside Down Cake. It sounded like a great idea even though I didn’t have any experience in the kitchen.

I remember buying a box of the cake mix, then asking my brother Robert to show me how to break an egg so I could make it. I don’t remember if it turned out any good, but Kevin went AWOL for about a year (that’s another story) and never had a piece of the cake. Looking back the disappearing act may have stemmed from an intuitive desire to live past his birthday! He might have gotten salmonella from the pieces of egg shell I probably left in the cake.

In college, Kevin, who I will now refer to as “the saint” put up with my continued attempts at learning to cook. Hamburger helper was the order of the day and he managed to down a serving once he figured out that it might be more edible with lots of chopped green olives on top. The great thing about Kevin is that he always said “Thank you” after a meal, even if it was just doctored up Hamburger Helper. Of course that just fueled my desire to learn more and use him as a guinea pig for my future cooking adventures!

My point is, I learned to cook and developed an interest in cooking by the need to cook for myself (and for “the saint”). Since that time, my hobby has been reading cookbooks. I would say it is almost a sickness at this point, but I have learned a lot along the way. I have the added benefit of being the “go to” person for questions my sisters or friends have about cooking.

The Silver Palate Cookbook by Sheila Lukins and Julie Rosso has been one of my favorite cookbooks through the years. I have had my copy since the early 80’s. I was reading another blog tonight about Sheila Lukins and the author asked their readers to share their favorite recipe from the cookbook.

I realized I had not cooked many recipes from the book. A lot of the recipes are a bit too sophisticated for my everyday life and often way too rich for my taste. Cream and butter were not yet on the don’t eat list when the book was written. Still I have used the book for ideas and technique information.

Back in the 80’s I became interested in making my own flavored vinegars with ingredients from my garden. Purple basil vinegar was one of my favorites. In the Silver Palate cookbook, they use a Raspberry Vinegar. Back in those days, this wasn’t a vinegar you would find in the stores. The Silver Palate did have a Raspberry Vinegar for sale and I remember reading the ingredients list which included fresh raspberries and cinnamon. I made my own vinegar using the same ingredients and it was wonderful (and a lot easier on the budget).

So Sheila Lukins had an impact on my life and interest in cooking. Other interesting facts are that she helped develop the menu for the food served on United Airlines flights and was honored with an award of distinction by the airline. The Silver Palate Cookbook was named to the James Beard Foundation Hall of Fame and one of her other cookbooks, The USA Cookbook was nominated for a James Beard award.

In thinking about my favorite recipes from the Silver Palate Cookbook, three recipes come to mind. There is the Pasta Sauce Raphael with artichokes and a whole heck of a lot of black pepper. Three tablespoons of whole black pepper to be exact. I must admit, I never used quite that much.

The second recipe is not all that healthy unless butter comes into favor as a health food. It is the Shortbread Heart cookie recipe. Butter and sugar, Now you have the picture!

Finally, there is a recipe I no longer make but prior to my vegetarian conversion, I made it quite a few times and it was great, Chicken with Herbs and Lemon baked in foil. I varied the herbs depending on what I had fresh in the garden. Since I have been posting a lot of vegetarian recipes, I will include this recipe today (from reading about Lukins, I learned that her Chicken Marabella recipe was wildly popular. I have never tried it though).

In any case, if you have any interest in cookbooks, I would recommend you take a look at Sheila Lukins books (http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=sheila+lukins+cookbooks&tag=googhydr-20&index=stripbooks&hvadid=3400785761&ref=pd_sl_80wd6pauvu_e). My two favorite are as mentioned, The Silver Palate Cookbook and also “New Cooking Basics”.

Chicken with Lemon and Herbs

1 cup mixed chopped fresh mint, dill and parsley in about equal proportions or to taste.
2 garlic cloves peeled and minced
6 skinless boneless chicken breast (about 4 ½ lbs)
Salt and Fresh Ground Black Pepper to taste
2 lemons cut into 6 slices each
4 tablespoons (½ stick of unsalted butter) you could probably mix it half and half with Smart Balance or Olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

2. Mix the herbs and garlic in a bowl. Flatten the chicken breasts by pressing them gently against the work surface with your hands (ok I would recommend you lay the chicken on a paper plate or foil, cover with another plate or piece of foil and press so you don’t contaminate everything!)
Arrange each breast on a large piece of aluminum foil and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the herb and garlic mixture over the chicken.

3.Arrange 2 lemon slices on top of each breast. Dot with butter and seal the packets. Set on a baking sheet.

4. Set the packets on the center rack of the oven and bake until done, 30 minutes.

Transfer the packets to serving plates and allow the guests to open the packets at the table (I would check one for doneness before serving so there are no surprises when they open them!!).
This makes 6 portions

San Diego and Sandwiches

Image by San Diego Shooter via Flickr

I was in San Diego for a week, celebrating my Mother’s birthday with family. I haven’t done much cooking, but San Diego is a great “food” city. The food is fresh, often locally grown or produced and the chefs are very creative.

I always come back inspired with ideas for new twists on old favorites. Years ago I ate at a Café called Zinc in Solana Beach(http://www.zinccafe.com/cafe.htm). It is a small place with a few outdoor tables. I believe they do more catering and take out than dine in business. Still, the food was good and I got my first idea for a grilled veggie sandwich from them. I don’t think the original sandwich is on the menu today.

I bought some freshly baked Kalamata Olive Bread, Manchego Cheese which I sliced and some fresh vegetables. My favorite combo included very thin vertical slices of fresh eggplant and or zucchini which I lightly grilled, slices of heirloom tomato, avocado and red bell pepper. I like to think of it as a Ratatouille sandwich. I lightly toasted the bread on the grill, rubbed it with a cut clove of garlic, then layered the vegetables and cheese, topping with the second slice of bread. I then grilled the whole thing until the cheese melted. It was my favorite sandwich for many years.

This trip one of my sisters and I did a long beach walk, while my mother and other sister had coffee at a nice local café, The Stratford Café in Del Mar(http://www.stratfordcourtcafe.com/). It is a great place for a leisurely breakfast with Gourmet Coffees, Smoothies and simple but interesting breakfast (and lunch) fare.

After our walk we had brunch there. My sister ordered a sandwich they called the Vermonster. It consisted of smoked turkey, apple, cheddar and a cranberry mayonnaise on mixed grain bread.

I thought it was a great idea. The Cranberry mayonnaise would be easy to make using canned cranberry sauce and a good quality low fat (of course) mayonnaise. I would add some toasted chopped pecans to it (and maybe some finely chopped candied ginger). We weren’t thrilled with their Squaw bread. It had garlic and cilantro in it which was not a good mix with the cranberry. A good wheat or grain bread would be best.

For a vegetarian, the sandwich could be made with a good sharp cheddar, granny smith apple and fresh lettuce or even red onion thinly sliced. I tend to want to make fresh cranberry sauce with some grated orange zest to add to the mayonnaise, but canned would work too.

Carnivores can include the slices of turkey. It doesn’t even have to be a post Thanksgiving treat! This would be a great sandwich any time of the year!

I ordered a breakfast sandwich at The Stanford which was also good. It was a croissant sandwich with scrambled egg, yellow pepper (the best part), fresh pesto and a slice of smoked Gouda. I enjoyed it but if I were to make it myself, I would leave out the pesto and use regular Gouda rather than smoked. I would also melt the cheese. I am not big on croissants so I would probably use a sourdough roll instead.

One of my favorite summer sandwiches is very simple. I made it yesterday in fact. Lightly toasted sourdough bread (can you tell I love sourdough?), slices of a big ripe tasty tomato, avocado slices, red bell pepper slices, a few basil leaves or fresh oregano whichever I am in the mood for, chopped green or black olives, low fat mayonnaise and slices of reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese (feta is good with this too). Sometimes I may use cucumber in place of the avocado if I want to lower the fat content. If you need to add meat, a juicy slice of chicken breast would be a good choice.

Zinc has a sandwich on the menu that I haven’t tried yet but plan to this week. It includes finely sliced fennel, celery, radish, sweet peppers, tapenade, aioli, arugula, hardboiled egg and vinaigrette. I probably won’t include the celery or the vinaigrette but it sure sounds like an interesting combination.

We really were on an eating adventure for the week. There are too many places to mention but another great dinner we had was at Bertrand’s at Mr. A’s(http://www.bertrandatmisteras.com/menus/dinner.htm). It is in a building overlooking San Diego with a terrific view of the Western sunset. The food is first class as was the service. Sunset was incredible and it was fun overlooking the city. If you get to San Diego, I would highly recommend it. Our choices included a fresh Multicolor Young Beet Salad with Goat Cheese which was my favorite, Escargot, Pan Roasted Sole with Lobster Mousse, Grilled Kobe Style Wagyu Rib Eye Beef and a Black Sea Bass with Seafood Sausage combination.

I have included some pictures from the trip to entice you to visit the city sometime and enjoy the culinary diversity. Right now, I am going to take a reprieve from eating and get some exercise!!