sweet 'n savory

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I love mixing sweet and savory flavors together - like dipping sausage in maple syrup, pairing pretzels with ice cream, brown sugar in my turkey chili...the list goes on. Tagine dishes are slow cooked and combine flavors like raisin, cinnamon, cumin, vegetables, olives, etc. They are aromatic and delicious. This chicken tagine cooked all afternoon on Sunday and resulted in an easy and tasty dinner.
1 tbsp. olive oil1 zucchini, peeled and cubed
5 chicken thighs, bone-in
2 onions, chopped
4 large carrots, chopped in chunks
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into bite sized chunks
1 yellow squash, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
2 cups chicken stock
2 tbsp. tomato paste
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 1/2 tbsp. flour
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. pepper
Heat olive oil in a pan, place the chicken pieces in the pan andcook until chicken is browned but not cooked all the way through. Lightly Pam the inside of the slow cooker. Place browned chicken  inside and layer the zucchini, squash, onion, carrots,sweet potatoes, raisins and apricots over the chicken.  Whisk together the remaining ingredients,pour the broth into the crock pot.  Cookon high for 5 hours or low for 8 hours. Serve with couscous if desired. Top with fresh parsley.

fry 'em up!

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I know it's wrong - but sometimes fried foods taste sooo good. I did space out these two fried dishes - only deep fry once a week max!Giada's Italian fried pork chops are juicy and delicious. Paired with pasta and sauteed squash, zucchini, spinach and tomatoes - a light(ish) Italian dinner. Fried tomatoes made with Smokin' Joe's cornmeal batter are crispy and tasty. With a simple turkey meatloaf and salad, this is a quick weeknight meal.Meatloaf2 tablespoons butter 1 cup onion, chopped3 cloves garlic, minced1 1/4 lbs ground turkey1/2 cup breadcrumbs1 egg3/4 cup Ketchup2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce3/4 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in a skillet. Cook onion and garlic in melted butter for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place mixture in a large bowl to cool for 5 minutes. Combine turkey, bread crumbs, egg, 1/4 cup of the catsup, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper with onion mixture. Mold meatloaf in a mound-shaped loaf and place in a lightly Pammed baking dish. Spread remaining catsup on top. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 50-55 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving.Vance had a meatloaf sandwich with the leftovers and he raved about it. A meatloaf sandwich sounds kind of bizarre to me, but he loved it!

now we're cooking with gas

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This is my first week cooking on a gas range - and it is hot! Coming from the slower world of electric to a super fast gas range may take a little getting used to - here are my first few 'go rounds' with the new stove top. Cilantro, Soy 'n Honey Salmon3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 green onion
2 teaspoons EVOO
1 teaspoon grated ginger
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 center cut skin-on wild salmon fillets, about 6 ounces each
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1-2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1-2 teaspoons honey
Lime wedges 

Note - a plate should always have 3 colors on it. I should have added some tomato - it's so green!

Preheat the grill pan over medium heat; add a little EVOO to the pan. Finely chop the cilantro and green onion and mix in theoil and ginger. Season with salt and pepper. Cut 3-4 slits into the salmonfillets, going about halfway into the salmon. Evenly stuff the slits with theherb mixture. Season the fish with salt and pepper. Stir together the limejuice, soy and honey until smooth. Marinate salmon in soymixture for 1 to 2 hours. Place the salmon, skin side down, on the grill pan and cookuntil well-marked, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn salmon and cook for another 4 to 5minutes until cooked through. Top with lime wedges.
Herb & EVOO Grilled VegetablesYellow squash, white onion, cucumber & red bell pepper. Done on the grill pan with some EVOO, S&P and mixed spice blend. We had grilled vegetable wraps with hummus and spinach last night. Healthy and delicious!

French Macaroons for Valentine's Day

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Everyone always offers chocolates for Valentine's Day and don't get me wrong, I adore chocolate, but sometimes I like to think outside of the box for gifts. For example, for Christmas I thought WAY out of the box and gave Christophe a helicopter ride to the top of a mountain where he will be guided down hors piste (off slope), snowboarding through powdery snow to safety. He plans to go in a couple of weeks and now I am wishing I had just given him a box of chocolates! Anyway, if you are looking for a slightly different Valentine's idea than chocolates that does not require an avalanche detector, French macaroons are the way to go. French macaroons are often displayed in pastry shops like precious jewels in a jewelry case. Perfectly round made in every color and flavor, they almost look too pretty to eat, but when you take a bite...ooh la la, they melt in your mouth! These delicate cookies made with tender love and care, are sure to please anyone. Here is how to make them or purchase them for a Valentine's gift.

Making French Macaroons:

*this recipe comes from epicurious.com
For macaroons

• 6 oz sliced blanched almonds (not slivered; 2 cups)
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
• 3 large egg whites
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• Red or pink food coloring

For chocolate raspberry ganache

• 3 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (60 to 64% cacao), finely chopped
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
• 1/16 teaspoon raspberry extract (preferably McCormick brand

• Special equipment: parchment paper; a gallon-size sealable plastic bag (not pleated)

Make macaroons:
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Pulse almonds with 1/2 cup confectioners sugar in a food processor until very finely ground, 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a bowl. Sift in remaining cup confectioners sugar, stirring to combine.

Beat egg whites with salt in another bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until they just hold soft peaks. Add granulated sugar, a little at a time, beating, then increase speed to high and continue to beat until whites just hold stiff, glossy peaks. Add drops of food coloring to reach desired shade and mix at low speed until evenly combined. Stir almond mixture into meringue with a rubber spatula until completely incorporated. (Meringue will deflate.)

Spoon batter into bag, pressing out excess air, and snip off 1 corner of plastic bag to create a 1/4-inch opening. Twist bag firmly just above batter, then pipe peaked mounds of batter (the size of a chocolate kiss) onto lined sheets about 1 1/2 inches apart. Let cookies stand, uncovered, at room temperature until tops are no longer sticky and a light crust forms, 20 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 300°F.

Bake cookies, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until crisp and edges are just slightly darker, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely on sheets on racks, about 30 minutes.

Make ganache while macaroons bake:
Melt chocolate with cream in a metal bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water or in top of a double boiler, stirring until smooth. (Bowl should not touch water.) Remove bowl from heat, then add butter and raspberry extract, stirring until butter is melted. Let stand at room temperature until cooled completely and slightly thickened.

Assemble cookies:
Carefully peel cookies from parchment (they will be fragile). Sandwich a thin layer of ganache (about 1/2 teaspoon) between flat sides of cookies.

Purchasing French Macaroons:

• online purchasing at Saveur du Jour
  

• best known macaroon boutique in Paris with lines out the door Ladurée

picture from HERE

Pierre's Pastry Bible

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It's the first official Valentine's Day that my Papa will be retired from his career as a chef patissier-chocolatier. Even though he has been keeping himself busy by cutting down a 30 foot fig tree in my parents courtyard, I can tell he is missing making chocolates...a little. Tonight as Mama is preparing dinner and I am picking my brain about what to blog about, I realized my answer was right in front of me wearing a wool beenie, red vest and glasses. My Papa!
For years, people have asked him for recipes or if they could apprentice under him, but he "never had the time". I asked him if he could give me a simple chocolate recipe I could translate and put on my blog, but when he pulled out his recipe book, my post subject took a turn from the recipe to the recipe book. His recipe book, now bound together with tape, dates back to his apprenticeship in France from 1962-1965. The recipes are written in French, using grams and include no directions, which is why it is practically impossible for him to give out a recipe, not to mention that most of his directions are "stir until it feels right" or "heat until the right temperature". His recipe book includes sections on Petits Gâteaux, Chocolats, Petits Fours, Entremets, Pâtes and the letters of the old English script used to write on cakes. It has travelled with him from France to Switzerland to London to America and finally back to France. It has opened two restaurants, a pastry shop and a chocolate shop, always assuring the best quality. This precious recipe book of Papa's is more than a book, it's a bible, a history and a friend.

P.S. I promise to prepare, translate and post a recipe one day soon!

sweet 'n savory

To contact us Click HERE

I love mixing sweet and savory flavors together - like dipping sausage in maple syrup, pairing pretzels with ice cream, brown sugar in my turkey chili...the list goes on. Tagine dishes are slow cooked and combine flavors like raisin, cinnamon, cumin, vegetables, olives, etc. They are aromatic and delicious. This chicken tagine cooked all afternoon on Sunday and resulted in an easy and tasty dinner.
1 tbsp. olive oil1 zucchini, peeled and cubed
5 chicken thighs, bone-in
2 onions, chopped
4 large carrots, chopped in chunks
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into bite sized chunks
1 yellow squash, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
2 cups chicken stock
2 tbsp. tomato paste
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 1/2 tbsp. flour
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. pepper
Heat olive oil in a pan, place the chicken pieces in the pan andcook until chicken is browned but not cooked all the way through. Lightly Pam the inside of the slow cooker. Place browned chicken  inside and layer the zucchini, squash, onion, carrots,sweet potatoes, raisins and apricots over the chicken.  Whisk together the remaining ingredients,pour the broth into the crock pot.  Cookon high for 5 hours or low for 8 hours. Serve with couscous if desired. Top with fresh parsley.

fry 'em up!

To contact us Click HERE
I know it's wrong - but sometimes fried foods taste sooo good. I did space out these two fried dishes - only deep fry once a week max!Giada's Italian fried pork chops are juicy and delicious. Paired with pasta and sauteed squash, zucchini, spinach and tomatoes - a light(ish) Italian dinner. Fried tomatoes made with Smokin' Joe's cornmeal batter are crispy and tasty. With a simple turkey meatloaf and salad, this is a quick weeknight meal.Meatloaf2 tablespoons butter 1 cup onion, chopped3 cloves garlic, minced1 1/4 lbs ground turkey1/2 cup breadcrumbs1 egg3/4 cup Ketchup2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce3/4 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in a skillet. Cook onion and garlic in melted butter for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place mixture in a large bowl to cool for 5 minutes. Combine turkey, bread crumbs, egg, 1/4 cup of the catsup, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper with onion mixture. Mold meatloaf in a mound-shaped loaf and place in a lightly Pammed baking dish. Spread remaining catsup on top. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 50-55 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving.Vance had a meatloaf sandwich with the leftovers and he raved about it. A meatloaf sandwich sounds kind of bizarre to me, but he loved it!