Homemade Marshmallows

I started experimenting with homemade marshmallows a couple of months ago and they've been a big hit. I bring sweets into work from time to time and they are the perfect taste testers. These marshmallows are delicious on their own and even better toasted and charred under the broiler or of course roasted in front of the fire. The recipe below is from Martha Stewarts website. I've tried a couple variations and haven't found too much of a difference to make one superior than the other, but I'll keep hunting. They come together in no time and the flavor combinations are endless!! Homemade Marshmallows 3 cups sugar 1 1/4 cup light corn syrup Pinch of salt 1 1/2 cups water, divided 4 envelopes gelatin 2 teaspoons vanilla extract confectioners sugar In a medium sauce pot combine the sugar, corn syrup, salt and 3/4 cup of water. Bring this to a boil and cook without stirring for 8 minutes or until a candy thermometer reaches 238 degrees. Meanwhile add 3/4 cup of cold water to the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the gelatin. Let sit to soften about five minutes. While this is taking place spray a 9x13 dish with cooking spray. Once the sugar has reached the correct temp turn the mixer on low and pour the sugar down the side of the bowl in a slow and steady stream. Once all the syrup has been added, turn up the speed on the mixer and beat for twelve minutes. Add the vanilla extract. Once combined turn the mixer off and using a spatula sprayed with cooking spray pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Sift powdered sugar over the top and cover with Saran wrap. Let sit at room temperature for several hours or over night.Turn the marshmallows out on a clean surface and with a lightly oiled knife cut them into squares. Toss with powdered sugar and store in an airtight container. Try them homemade! They are so much better than the store bought!

French Tea Cakes - Madeleines

The first time I had these pillowy soft, slightly sweet tea cakes I was hooked. I was working in Hawaii as a Nanny and my boss had a batch on the counter. They are perfect when you're craving something on the sweet side and are the perfect compliment to a warm cup of coffee. I enjoyed a few just that way sitting on the Lanai of the second story home over looking the Pacific and watching the Humpback whales breach. Perfection!

Madeleines

3 eggs

2/3 c sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 stick of butter

1 c flour

1/4 c cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Zest of one orange

Confectioners sugar

Preheat the oven to 375

Mix the eggs, sugar, vanilla and zest together until pale yellow. Melt the butter, cool and set aside. Mix the dry ingredients and fold them into the wet in two additions. Gently fold in the butter. Spoon the batter into a greased Madeleine mold about 3/4 of the way up. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan, shell side up and dust with powdered sugar. 

Bon Appetit!

Caramelized Onion Gruyere and Potato Tart

This tart is the perfect pairing with a spring mix salad for a light dinner or as a side dish for a charred grilled steak with asparagus. It's the perfect combination of favors. Sweet deep caramel onions, creamy potatoes and gruyere held together by a divinely buttery crust. I played around with this recipe a bit because I love tarts, but am not a huge fan of quiche, unless it's filled with delicious add ins and not so eggy. That's what's perfect about this tart. Where as many recipes call for multiple eggs to hold the tart together, this one only has one, leaving a tart that is full of flavor and still holds together well. The tart would freeze beautifully for a quick weeknight meal. Enjoy! Caramelized Onion and Potato Tart Pie Crust 1 1/2 c flour 3/4 teaspoon salt 1 stick of cold butter 4 tablespoons ice water 1 teaspoon vinegar 1 egg white Tart Olive oil Butter 1 1/2 lbs. Onions, diced 3 medium Red potatoes, cubed small 1 Egg 1 egg yolk 1/2c Sour Cream 3/4 c Gruyere Cheese, shredded Rosemary and/or thyme Salt and pepper Bay leaf To make the Pie Crust Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Mix the flour and salt. Cut the butter in until it resembles wet sand. Add the vinegar. Add the water one tablespoon at a time, just until the dough holds together. Form into a flat disk and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Remove from the fridge and roll out. Fit the dough in a round tart pan. Trim the edges and prick with a fork. Brush the bottom with egg white and make for 12 minutes. For the Tart filling Oven temperature 375 Heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the onions and season with salt. This will draw out the moisture and prevent them from browning, which you do not want. Cook the onions over medium-low heat until they are golden brown. Remove from the heat and cool. While the onions are cooking, cube the potatoes and par-boil them in water seasoned with salt and bay leaf. Drain the potatoes and let cool. In a large bowl mix the sour cream, egg and all but 1/4 cup of the cheese. Add the herbs and season with salt and pepper. Fold in the onions and potatoes gently so the potatoes don't break apart. Pour into the ore-baked tart shell. Top with the remaining gruyere and bake for 25-30 minutes until the top is golden brown and bubbling. Let the tart rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

Add some flavor to that baked potato!

This is a fast and easy way to add a little flavor to your baked potatoes. You cut open that steamy potato and add lots of toppings...cheese, sour cream, and butter, but once all that is gone, the rest of the potato tends to be pretty bland. The flavor of bay leaf is a great addition to your baked potatoes!

Simply make a deep slit in your uncooked potato and tuck a bay leaf as far down as you can go.
Wrap and bake as you would normally do. Remove the bay leaf before eating. Sometimes I will bake the potato for a couple of minutes just to soften it slightly, which makes it easier to get the bay leaf in there. The fragrant aroma of the bay leaf permeates the flesh of the potato. Enjoy!

Black Pepper and Parmesan Biscotti

I must have thousands of recipes piled into binders, file folders, ripped out of magazines, and bookmarked in the small cookbook collection I feel is worth taking up space on my bookshelf. I've decided to start pulling a handful of recipes out at a time, trying them, and if they are keepers, they'll get filed in my recipe book. These biscotti are delicious. A nice peppery bite and the salty kick from the parmesan cheese. I cut the recipe in half, but you could easily make the entire recipe, and freeze the formed dough or half baked biscotti for a quick snack when unexpected guests arrive. These would be good on their own, but I'd serve them with a quick white bean dip. The creamy subtle flavor of the dip pairs perfectly!

Black Pepper and Parmesan Biscotti
from Gourmet Magazine

1 1/2 T whole black peppercorns
4 cups AP flour, plus additional for dusting board
2 t. baking powder
2 t salt
4 1/2 oz. Parmesan (2 1/4 c)
1 1/2 sticks cold UNsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
4 L eggs
1 c whole milk

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees
Pulse peppercorns in a spice grinder, or place in a Ziploc and bang out some aggression until they are coarsely ground. Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, 2 cups of cheese, and 1 T pepper in a large bowl. Blend in the butter with a pastry cutter or your finger tips until it looks like course meal. Whisk THREE of the eggs with the milk and combine with the flour, using a fork, until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and quarter the dough. Form each into a slightly flattened 12 inch long log. ~ 2 inches wide and 3/4 inches high. Transfer to ungreased baking sheets, spacing about 3 inches apart. Whisk the remaining egg and brush over the top of the logs. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and black pepper. Bake 30 minutes, rotating the baking sheet half way through. Remove from the oven, cool about 10 minutes, until easy to handle. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees. Cut the biscotti into 1/2 inch slices and arrange, cut side down, on the baking sheet. Bake, turning the biscotti over once, about 35-45 minutes. The recipe says the biscotti will keep in an airtight container at room temperature approx. 2 weeks. Serve along side this delicious white bean dip! Enjoy!

Strawberries and Fresh Whipped Cream

Strawberries and whipped cream has to be one of the most underrated desserts! So simple, fresh, light and easy to whip together. I bought some strawberries from the local grocery store last week and they are sweeter than candy. Ripe and ruby red, so delicious. I whipped some heavy cream with a bit of powdered sugar and vanilla and dolloped it on top of freshly sliced strawberries. So good!

Whipped Cream

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 T sugar

1/2 tspn. vanilla extract

Beat the heavy cream until it starts to thicken. Add the sugar followed by the vanilla and beat until soft peaks form. Do not over beat, or the cream will break and you'll get butter! Which isn't bad, but not with our berries. Dollop over fresh cut strawberries, just before serving. Indulgent!

Sofrito Revisted

In Puerto Rican cooking Sofrito is a pureed blend of peppers, onions, and garlic. It is used to season just about any dish you cook. I make enough sofrito to last me a few weeks and keep it in the refrigerator because I go through it so quickly, but it can be portioned in ice cube trays and kept in the freezer until you need it. It's a delicious base flavor for spanish rice, soups, Carne Guisado (beef stew), black beans. You name it! It comes together very quickly and saves you the hassle of dicing onions and peppers for every dish you make. Don't even think about the jarred stuff in the ethnic aisle of the grocery store. Try it, you'll love it!

Sofrito

1 large green pepper

1 aneheim chili pepper

1 bunch culantro

1 bunch cilantro

1 head of garlic (about 12 cloves)

1 large yellow onion

Olive oil

If you cannot find culantro just substitute with a bunch of cilantro, making two bunches total for this recipe.

Cut everything in pieces small enough for your food processor or blender to puree. Add just enough olive oil to keep the blender moving. Puree until smooth and store in a jar in the fridge, or freeze in smaller portions until ready to use.

Brickle! Salty, Chocolatey, Toffee! Yum!

This confection is the most sinful combination of salty and sweet! A salty crunch with the snap of the sweet golden toffee and a melt in your mouth oh so smooth chocolate layer, you'll be reaching for more... and more... and more!

Brickle is very easy to make and will keep in your fridge for quite some time. It can be made on a cookie sheet OR if you can find a square shaped "muffin" pan, you can use that for individual servings. Either works perfectly and is a matter of preference. You may use any chocolate that you prefer. The toffee is rather sweet, so I like using a semi sweet chocolate.

Brickle
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tspn. baking soda
soda crackers
1 package semi sweet, bitter sweet or milk chocolate chips

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare your baking sheet by lining with parchment. Lay a single layer of soda crackers and set aside. Combine the butter, sugar, and baking soda in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until the butter melts. The mixture will foam up. Stir constantly until the foam subsides. Pour the toffee over the crackers making sure to cover each one entirely. Bake for ten minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle chocolate evenly over all the crackers. Let the chocolate harden slightly and place in the refrigerator to set. Break apart and store in an airtight container. Sprinkle the chocolate while still warm with any assortment of toppings such as chopped nuts for an added tecture and taste!
Yum!

Flan de Queso (Cream Cheese Flan)

This is the most delicious, decadent, and simple dessert to make! Flan de Queso is a cream cheese flan which is much creamier than the traditional flan. My dad, who claims he doesn't have much of a sweet tooth will go back to the fridge several times cutting another slice and yet another! For many people it reminds them of cheesecake and is much easier to make. The custard is cooked in a bano de maria (ban marie) which seems intimidating to many people, but is simply pouring hot water into a larger dish that the custard is baked in.




Flan de Queso

1 8 oz. block cream cheese
6 eggs
1 T vanilla extract
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 12 oz. can evaporated milk
1 cup sugar

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.


Start by bringing all of your ingredients to room temperature. Pour one cup of sugar in a small saucepan and put it over low heat watching it carefully until it melts and turns golden. This can be the most tricky part of the recipe, but as long as you use a little patience and avoid turning up the heat, you should be fine. Pour the melted sugar in the bottom of a 9 inch glass pie dish and immediately swirl to coat the bottom. The sugar will harded rather quickly. Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add one egg at a time, mixing just until combined, followed by the vanilla. Add the condensed milk and lastly the evaporated. Pour the custard into the dish and cover with foil. Place the dish in a larger roasting pan with enough room for the water to make contact with the entire dish. I place the pan in the oven and then pour the water in, about half the way up. Bake about 50 minutes, although most recipes call for more than an hour of baking. Test the flan with a knife and pull out of the water bath when done, otherwise it will continue to cook.
Chill several hours, preferably overnight. When ready to serve run a knife around the edge of the flan and place a plate over the top and flip. Let the caramel drip down the sides of the flan and serve!
Que Rico!!

Garlic Germ?

A quick and simple solution can bring all your dreams of garlicky goodness back!

If you have a problem digesting garlic this could be the reason why! The center core of the garlic is known as the germ. When garlic is very fresh and young, the center germ is much more tender and less bitter than when it ages. Most people shopping in stores aren't getting garlic at its very best and the germ has begun to turn a bit green and takes on a bitter taste, which is also very difficult to digest.
To eliminate this problem simply slice the clove in half using a pairing knife and pull it away and peel it out. You can see in the photo above that the core comes out in one piece and can be pulled away! I did this when cooking for a boss of mine that complained of this very thing . . . . and it made a big difference! Try it out!

Caldo Gallego (White bean and chorizo soup!)

My family and I took a trip to Puerto Rico this past June. My father was born and raised there, and much of his family still lives there. We had an awesome time doing everything from zip lining to kayaking the bio luminescent bay! Although everyone else might have found these to be the best parts of the trip, mine was being in the kitchen with my Tia Viriginia. She is by far one of the best cooks. The night we were leaving for the airport we went to her house to say goodbye and have dinner. She made this delicious and very simple soup. The dish originated in Spain and made it's way to Puerto Rico along with all the other Spanish influence. This soup will easily become one of your Fall favorites! Que Rico!!

Caldo Gallego

1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
black pepper, to taste
1/4 tspn. oregano, dried
3-4 spanish chorizo (not fresh mexican!), cut in half moons
1 packet sazon sin achiote
1/2 8 oz. can spanish style tomato sauce
2 russet potatoes, peeled and diced into small cubes
2 cans Goya brand small white beans
1/4 uncooked white rice, rinsed well!
8 cups LOW SODIUM broth
turnip or collard greens, optional, chopped small
fresh cilantro, chopped

Start by heating a small amount of oil in a soup pot. Add diced yellow onion. Cook 3-5 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Cut the chorizo in half moons and add to the pot. Add the bay leaves, sazon, tomato sauce and the rest of the seasoning. Cook until frangrant. Add the broth and greens if you are using and bring to a boil. Once the broth has come to a boil, reduce to a simmer and add the potatoes, and the white beans. Cook about 15 minutes and then add the rice. Cook until the potatoes and beans are tender and the rice is cooked completely. Toward the last few minutes of cooking add the fresh cilantro. Do not add more than a 1/4 cup rice as it will soak up too much of the broth. Once the soup is done cooking taste for salt. I don't add any additional salt because the chorizo, sazon, and tomato already have enough.

Potato and Green Bean Salad

I am not a fan of the traditional "American Potato Salad" drowning in mayo. Just like my green salads, I love a good vinaigrette more than the a creamy dressing. This is a fresh, delicious and easy recipe that is perfect for any occasion or time of year. I added blanched green beans for color, crunch, and just because my family loves them! Give it a try, if you love a good potato salad and a delicious vinaigrette, you won't be disappointed!!

Potato and Green Bean Salad

2 lbs. red potatoes (yukon, blue, or fingerling too)
1/2 lb. green beans, stem removed and cut in 1 inch pieces
1 shallot
2 cloves garlic
scallion if desired
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1-2 T dijon mustard
salt
pepper
2 T fresh chopped parsley

Slice the potatoes into 1/2 inch rounds and put in a pot of cool water. Bring the water to a boil, adding salt, and cook until the potatoes are just tender. About three minutes before you will drain the potatoes, add the green beans. They will blanch in the potato water in that short time.

While the potatoes are cooking, saute the shallot and garlic until tender and fragrant. I don't like raw onion in my food, if you don't mind it, you can skip this and just add it raw.

Assemble your vinaigrette by mixing the dijon, salt and pepper, and vinager together. Whisk in the olive oil in a thin stream until combined. Mason jars are a great tool for this too!

Once the potatoes are cooked, drain, and immediately add to your serving bowl with the shallot and garlic, while everything is still hot, pour your vinaigrette over, sprinkle with the parsley and toss gently to coat all the vegetables. Garnish with lots of scallions! Yum!

The secret to Guacamole that will change you!

I have the secret to Guacamole that will change everything you've know about it! Promise!

Go ahead and do a search for Guacamole recipes. They call call for LIME JUICE! Well, I am here to tell you that the simple . . . . smallest little change to make is . . .

are you ready

do you know what it is?

.
..
...
....
.....
......

Replace the lime juice with lemon and I'm telling you you'll have the best Guacamole anyone has tried!

Go try it!

Who says you can't save Hollandaise!

Yum! I love Hollandaise. I've tried a bunch of recipes for it, but have to say, the first one I ever tried, from Emeril Lagasse is so far my favorite. The right balance of mustard and lemon with herbs and all that butter! So good.

Even after drenching my eggs in loads of it, I always have some extra and I'm sick of tossing it out! I store it in the fridge and the next day, when I am making a breakfast sandwich, I do this



Smear it all over the bread and once that warm ham egg and cheese hits it, BAM!, it melts and seeps all over and tastes just like Bliss!

You gotta try it!

Hollandaise adapted from Emeril Lagasse:

4 egg yolks
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon dijon
2 teaspoons finely chopped parsley
1/2 pound butter, melted and warm
Salt
Pepper
Cayenne
Fresh Chives

Set a stainless steel bowl over a pot of simmering water. Be sure the bowl is not touching the water or the eggs could scramble! Whisk the yolks, lemon juice, water, mustard, and parsley together. Whisk the mixture until pale yellow and slightly thick.Remove the bowl from the heat and whisking vigorously, add the butter, 1 teaspoon at a time, until all is incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Season with salt and pepper and chives!

TIP: Don't overmix! The mixture could separate. If this happens add an extra egg yolk OR a teaspoon of water at a time until it comes together again. It can happen to anyone and most times one of these methods will fix the problem!

Borderline gaudy? Who cares! I love it!

I did a bit of shopping today in town, which is about a 30 minute drive from where I live. It's funny how where you live really changes how you live. When I first moved to Maui,(which is sooo much smaller than Saint Petersburg, Florida) I had no problem making the 30 minute drive to town on a daily basis. It was a quick run into town. Now, almost four years later . . . it's a task. I don't do it very often and I make sure I get everything I need from Ross, Costco, The "mall", Walmart, etc.
So, today I have to go to town and decided to make my usual rounds to my favorite stores. I picked up a great bottle of Pinot Grigio and remembered I recently broke another wine glass! Ugh! I have an mis-match collection of wine glasses that I pick up here and there and my favorites have been destroyed by my clumpsy rough handling.
I strolled into Pier One Imports and found this glass. It was $8.00, which may not be much to some or even most, but for me . . . it's almost an investment seeing how it'll give me a shelf life of a few weeks before I destroy it!
It's borderline gaudy, seeing how it's covered in flowers, but I love it, I love drinking my Pinot out of it and I love the cute little butterfly!
and the base has some super cute flowers on it too!

If you haven't been to Pier One recently, you should really head over there soon to check out all their gorgeous fall items!
Stay tuned for some of my other recent Pier One Imports obessions!! Salut!

Me My Scale and I . . . check it out!

Click on over to Me My Scale and I as a great looooooong time friend of mine documents her journey on an 8 week, online, bootcamp style program. It sounds like an awesome program and I know she will see results! Her name is Jessica and she is new to the blog world! Please send her encouragement and pass on the word!
Not only is she going to document the ups and downs, she's also a great cook and will include healthy recipes she's creating in the kitchen to get her skinny on! She's already posted a yummy Chicken dish from Skinny Taste that is a Spanikopita style without all the guilt!

NEW CAMERA AND NEW IDEAS!

I got a new camera!!!! It's a Canon SD4000. You can find some information here. I love it! Ask my sister Rebecca and my long time friend Jessica how freakin crazy I drove them as I read review after review, text and called them asking questions and looking for them to make up my mind for me before I made a final decision! It was painful! My Nikon is sitting on my dining room table completely disassembled next to a can of gas duster, I thought I could save it. That was not the case. Overall I am so thankful I held out and drove everyone as crazy as I did. The Canon SD4000 has so many great reviews. Every other camera I looked at had great pros but equal cons and I just couldn't go with that!

On to some new ideas . . . . I've always had this idea of a "One Stop Shop" type of website. A couple years ago I decided I'd make that my domain name and started at www.godaddy.com to see if it was available. Of course a name like that would be taken. The website was for sale, but for mucho dinero! Very expensive. I let the name go and hadn't really thought of it much until I eventually started this blog. I've only posted recipes here and although cooking is great passion of mine, or as Nigella Lawson says, an obsession, I find myself not blogging often enough about the concoctions going on in my kitchen. I think I'll approach this blog as a "One Stop Shop" from now on and blog about anything and everything I want. I think it'll hold my borderline ADD attention span!

Stay tuned!

Obsessed with Clean House, the show that is!

I'm obsessed with the show Clean House on the style network! I tune in with my big mug of coffee and shreik at some of the houses I see! Last night I actually dreamt about it. That's a little much isn't it?

It causes me to take a look around and see if I'm a bit guilty myself! No, of course not! Well, if I took a picture of my dining room table you'd probably call Clean House and beg them to come my way. For now I'll just show you a couple of my cookbooks, magazines, recipe box, and recipe folder along with a candle I was suppose to send my sister for her birthday last week and a calender which is obviously not hung up on the wall where it belongs!

Maybe tomorrow I'll take a picture of the big box filled to the top with old issues of the most popular cooking and home magazines! I've been meaning to get to them, promise!

What's your can't live without collection?

Ivory Hut House Fire!

Please follow the link I'm providing in this post to read about their story! A great family has lost their home and we're reaching out to the blogging community to provide ANY support you can offer! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Friends of Ivory Hut

Drunken Pasta ala David Rocco . . . yum!

This dish is delcious. Period. I have been watching Cooking Channel since it aired at the end of March, most shows I don't care for, but David Rocco, La Dolce Vita is a must watch. Yes, it is a bit . . . um. . . . well, comical in the not so funny sense, but totally worth watching. Every recipe he makes puts a fire in me to jump into the kitchen and make whatever he is cookin up! Fast, easy, flavorful, Italian cooking at its raw best. A few fresh and pure ingredients, 10 minutes in the kitchen and . . . taaaaaaaaa daaaaaaaaaaaa!

The recipe is for DRUNKEN SPAGHETTI. Oh my. A bit salty, nuty, tangy, creamy, fresh, what else can I say?!?!? delicious!

This is the first time I've cooked with anchovies, I'm hooked. I can't wait to cook with them again. The anchovies smell a bit fishy when they start to heat up, please . . . don't turn away . . . their fishiness turns into salty nutiness. So divine. You would not think anchovy. In case you've been hiding somewhere and haven't heard . . . ceasar dressing is made with anchovy. Anchovy= delicioso!!! Please try them . . have I said it enough?

Okay, so here is the recipe for Drunken Spaghetti. 10 minutes total!!!! Love it!

1 lb. spaghetti

3 anchovy fillets

2 cups red wine (I had Cabernet Sauvignon so that is what I used)

1/2 cup pecorino or parmesean cheese

parsley

4 T olive oil

2 large cloves garlic

3 dried chilis or less than 1 tspn. red chili pepper flakes

black pepper

Heat a pot of water to boiling. Add salt. Add pasta and cook approximately 7-9 minutes. Just before al dente.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in skillet, add garlic, cook till fragrant, add anchovy and mix till dissolved. Add chili pepper flakes, heat till fragrant, if needed, reduce heat to low until pasta is done. Once pasta is just before al dente, use tongs to add to olive oil sauce. Coat with all ingredients. Add red wine, toss and cook until wine is thick and mostly evaporated. Turn off heat. Add parsley and cheese. Serve while hot.

I added mushrooms with the garlic because pasta alone is not enough to fill the bf's stomach. I also took thin sliced beef and seasoned it with parmesean, salt and pepper and rolled it with spinach and a thin slice of mozzarella. I browned this in a skillet, added a little wine and kept warm in oven untl pasta was ready.

Hearty, delicious and sooooo freakin easy!!! A must try!!!