I went to tea and one of the treats served was a strawberry piped with whipped cream. I thought this was an ingenious idea. Cut off stem so strawberry can stand flat and then cut an X on the other end of the strawberry and with a pastry bag pipe in the whipped cream.
President Obama and U2
Okay so for the past week it has been really cold. I know it is bad when I wear a wind proof fleece, a down coat, a hat and ear muffs! This past weekend I went to DC for inauguration and in the event needed some something warm to drink. Inspired by my Hot Chocolate from Atlanta. Here is a version for Coffee. So this is perfect for a cold winter night inside or if you are standing outside for many hours and need to warm up!
1 Cup of Coffee
1 oz. of Khaluha
1 oz. of Brandy
1 oz of Cream
Whipped Cream Options
Mix all ingredients together in a mug except whipped cream.
Then add a dollop of whipped cream if desired.
Recently, I went apple picking or should I say apple hunting there were very few apples left. But it was nice to get out of the city and I was in good company. A few weeks ago, someone brought a Carmel apple into work and it was delicious. So when I had these few precious apples I wanted to do something special with them. Carmel Apples seemed like a very good idea. I think they are fun for a few reason it reminds me of childhood, even though I only made them once as a child and there are fun variations you can do with them. Add nuts, chocolate bits, Marshmallows, raisins, cookie crumbs, what ever you like, I guess.
These were fun and simple and of course I did not have Popsicle sticks readily available.
8-10 Apples
2 Cups of Heavy Cream
1 Cup of Dark Brown Sugar
1 Cup of Sugar
4 Tablespoons of Butter
½ Cup of Light Corn Syrup
2 Teaspoons of Vanilla
In a pot mix place all the ingredients except the Vanilla and Apples. With a candy thermometer bring the mixture to 255 degrees and remove from heat. Stir for about 30 seconds and then mix in vanilla.
Place a silplat onto a cookie sheet.
Now carefully dip each apple into the Carmel. (I then place them in the freezer let harden a little and then re-dipped.
Let the apples cool and ready to eat!
I saw this recently at a restaurant, using herbs instead of flowers as a centerpiece. I really liked the idea I thought it looked really sweet in a small vase. Something to do with left over herbs from cooking.
Although, this made me also think that this could be a great hostess gift to give someone; a bouquet of fresh herbs. I know I would be excited to receive a brunch of different fresh herbs tied with a bow. And if the person is not the biggest cook what about a bouquet of Fresh mint a very useful ingredient in a lot of summer beverages.
Sometimes I am nervous and when I am making something new and I don’t feel that confident in how it will turn out. I will over compensate and make something else in addition. So when I was making my Chilled Cucumber Soup I also served a choice of Gazpacho something that I make all the time. With a heat wave going on right now in the NYC area it is the perfect thing to eat. I usually use thyme in my gazpacho but did not have any when I was making it so instead I used rosemary. With my left over rosemary I used them as skewers and put two to three shrimp on every skewer and marinated them. Perfectly simple and could easily be done with chicken. Something different for the grill this season.
As much as I don’t want to admit it, I can say and do stupid things. This past weekend I definitely had one of those moments. I had been cooking and my floors had gotten pretty dirty. My Mom always told me that if you want to get your floors really clean you have get on your hands and knees to do it. She also swears by the cleaning product, Ammonia. Well I thought I was going to be very clever and add Clorox (so my floors would be really white too!) to my Ammonia concoction with boiling water.
I did not realize this actually creates a toxic mess. Upon telling people what I had done it definitely made me feel like a giant idiot. I guess, I was one of the few people who did not get this memo, that mixing the two is not a wise thing to do. If there is anyone else out there like me, note to self not a good idea mixing Ammonia and Clorox with boiling water. Oh, yes I did not mention I had a runny nose, irritated eyes, sneezing, headache, and cough for the next 36 hours. F.Y.I. I called Poison control and they were very nice and helpful.
So Margaritas have salt around their rim. Which makes me think more drinks should be rimmed with something. Anyone who knows me, knows CHAMPAGNE is my drink of choice. It is fun, festive, and usually a symbol of a celebration. (Although, I do like to try and limit having it only on special occasions!)
Another thing I enjoy is candy. Remember Pop Rocks? Well, I think they should come back. As New Years Eve approaches here is an idea- try rimming the Champagne glass with some Pop Rocks. Just dampen the rim and dip it into a bowl of the Pop Rocks. If you are having a hard time getting it to stick use a little of light corn syrup. You could also add a little bit of strawberry puree or juice to the champagne if using Strawberry Flavored Pop Rocks.
Another idea I saw at the restaurant Continental in Philadelphia was to use grenadine and sugar to give the rim a pinky/red color.
I hope everyone has a safe and Happy New Years. I know I have decided 2008 is going to be a great year!
About ten years ago was the first time I had heard about BRINING and Brining a Turkey. As Turkey time is here maybe this is something to try if you haven’t already. Brining is submerging a piece of meat or poultry in a bath of salted water for several hours. Brining ensures the meat is not dried out and tasteless but instead juicy and tender. Timing of brining depends on the size, but for a turkey overnight or up to 24 hours. Make sure that the temperature is cool preferably in a refrigerator if too warm the diffusion process will happen faster and will not be controllable. I hope everyone has Safe Travels and a Happy Thanksgiving.
Salt Ratio
1/4 Cup of Table Salt to 4 Cups of Water
Dissolve the salt with a 1/4 of water (hot) and then add the remaining water.
Brines can also be made Aromatic by adding different flavors to enhance the the overall outcome. Brown Sugar, Garlic, Ginger, Orange Zest, Maple Syrup, Peppercorns, and Red Pepper Flakes
 
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I had mentioned I was working on a project with my pound cakes. I was making boxes for a wedding shower and thought I would cut the pound cake into the shape of R in honor of the shower recipient. I am pretty big on always trying to make things personnel. Needless to say I had tons of left over pound cake, actually three gallon zip lock bags full. I thought about making a bread pudding but that just seemed too sinful and then I was given the idea of a trifle. I have never made a trifle before but have always enjoyed eating them. Now, I will be honest my first attempt did not turn out like I would have liked so I just went back to the drawing board and found a simple solution to my problem.
I did not have an actual trifle dish so I just used a large Souffle dish I had (32 oz). I am always up for getting new products for my kitchen but I have to be honest…I just have no more space in my tiny little place and just have to think a little outside the box!
 
Berry Trifle
2 ½ Cups of Pound Cake
Lemon Cream
Cooked Berries
Lemon Cream
Lemon Curd
3 Lemons
1 Lemon Zested
2/3 Cup of Sugar
2 Egg Yolks
4 Tablespoons of Butter
Mix together Lemon Juice, Zest, Sugar, and Egg Yolks. In a saucepan over medium heat adding butter and stirring for about 7-10 minutes until mixture begins to thicken. Strain it through a sieve and let cool. This will make about 1 Cup.
Whipped Cream
½ pint of heavy cream
2 Tablespoons of Sugar
1 Teaspoon of Vanilla
In mixing bowl whip the cream, sugar and vanilla until soft peaks hold. Fold in a half a cup of Lemon Curd until well combined
Berries
Juice from 1 Lemon
3 Cups of Berries- I used Strawberries, Raspberries and Blueberries
2 Tablespoons of Sugar
In a large saucepan combine all of the ingredient and cook liquids begins to bubble about 5 to 7 minutes. Let cool completely before assembling the Trifle
On the bottom of 32 oz Dish place ½ of the pound cake so that it is completely covering the bottom. Pieces fitting tightly next to one another. Evenly spread half of the berries over the pound cake followed by half of the cream. Repeat this process one more time. Finish my topping off the top of the trifle with some fresh berries. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serves 4-6
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