The Oscars and a Hazeltini

And the Oscar goes to.....none of the above!  Growing up we always anticipated the Oscar presentation.  Being from Southern California, it was a big deal.  Not so for me, anymore...  While I do like to watch a good movie with a great story, it seems the movies of today lack originality or at least an inspirational story.   Is it me, or is there too much violence, blood and guts?  What ever happened to the kind of picture that had a lasting effect on you as you left the movie theater?

The first "grownup" movie I was privileged to see was Around the World in 80 Days.  That was in 1957, I was five, and I'm sure my parents couldn't find a babysitter back then.  The year I was born, An American in Paris won.  When I was 10, West Side Story was all the rage.  My older sister bought the soundtrack and that is all I heard for the next couple of months.  Yes, I can sing all the words to all those songs!  Then the Sound of Music hit the theaters!  I can sing those tunes, also!

Flash forward to the 70's.  Interesting times!  The blockbusters of that era were, Godfather, Godfather II, French Connection, One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, Rocky and my favorite, "The Sting".  The movies of the 80's included Out of Africa, Platoon and Rain Man!  Into the 90's we saw some record breaking movies, such as, Schindler's List, Forrest Gump and of course, Titanic.

After the Y2K farce, the epic Lord of the Rings swept the awards.  As the years blended into the next a political theme permeated most new movies.  In my opinion, the blockbusters are all but gone.  Out of all the nominees this year, I have only seen Inception and Social Network.  (Sorry, I'm not a part of the Academy.) I enjoyed them both.  I believe the founder of Facebook was brilliant and whoever wrote the script for Inception has a "Beautiful Mind".  How does one have such imagination to come up with these stories!

In all fairness,  I do like movies, but would rather dive into and get lost in a gook book.  Tonight,  I won't be reading and I'll probably be the only person on the planet not watching the Oscar's.  For me, it's AMAZING RACE time!  Oh yes, and hazeltini time!  So, I will mix a little hazelnut Kahlua with ice and vanilla vodka.  Sounds good to me!    Enjoy the Oscars and let me know how they turn out...

Some of my "all time favorites" include:

Dancing with Wolves
A River Runs Through It
Shawshank Redemption
Dr Zhivago
Life is Beautiful

Watch those, you won't be disappointed!

Stuffed Baked Apples

As I'm  writing this blog we are receiving some much needed moisture in the form of snow.  Last count, another 1 1/2 ft.  It's falling at the rate of 1 inch  every 15 minutes!  I can't think of a better dessert for the circumstances.  Bakes apples are so comforting, almost up there with bread pudding.  Yum!

This recipe was adapted and revised from "Eat more, weigh less" book.  That's a fact, if you follow it.  So, it can't be all that bad, right?

Ingredients:

2 apples (I used Granny Smith, a bit tart, but good.)
1/4 cup raisins
2 T brown sugar
1 T candied ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp honey
1/8 c amaretto
1 cup water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Core and peel 1 inch from the top of the apple.  Place in a baking dish. (9 x 9)  Combine the raisins, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, honey and amaretto.  Spoon mixture into center of apples.  Pour about a cup of water in the baking dish and place in the oven.  As it bakes, baste with the water.  It will become syrupy towards the end.  If it evaporates, add more water and keep basting.  Cook for 40-60 minutes.  Serve warm or cold with ice cream.  I used frozen vanilla yogurt.  I'm always looking for ways to squeeze the fat out of recipes but keep the flavor!

Split Pea Soup for Grownups

I really don't know what possessed me to create this kind of soup.  I guess I'm still grasping for those tried and true French recipes.  In all honesty, I do not like to eat my peas.  They are my least favorite vegetable next to lima beans!

Growing up, fresh veggies were not readily available so people usually reverted to canned products.  Yuk, canned peas.  Next came those frozen bags of peas.  Not too bad, especially if they were smothered in that white sauce, if you know what I mean.

I remember many times my parents would put that bowl of dreaded peas in front of us at the dinner table.  Of course, we couldn't leave until they were gone!  My sister and I thought we were so smart when we would sneak a mouthful of peas into our napkins, lower them below the table to our eagerly waiting German Shepherd/wolf mix, Laddie.  Laddie loved peas!  What a brainstorm!  What a great way to dispose of  eat our tasteless peas!  To our chagrin, my parents were not as dumb as we thought and after they realized what we were up to, we'd be dished up some more.  Then they threatened to save them for breakfast if not gobbled up.  That never happened; they'd forget  fix us a nice breakfast and send us on our way.  But, to this day I cringe at the sight of peas and lima beans on my plate!

However, split pea soup is another story.  Even though I didn't like it as a child, I have developed a taste for it now.  Beans are so easy to incorporate into meals, especially soups.  When it's Winter outside soup comes to the rescue.

Ingredients:

1/2 Hickory smoked ham shank, rinsed  (Find one, it's worth it.)
1/2 c onions, chopped
1 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, chopped
1 rib of celery, chopped
5 cups water
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
1 c dried split peas
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 potato, peeled and chopped small
pepper

Using a large pot, saute onions in the oil until soft.  Add garlic, carrots, celery, peas, water, ham shank, bay leaf, basil and thyme.  Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to simmer for about 2 hours or longer.  During the second hour, add the potatoes and broth with a little pepper.  (No salt is needed due to the saltiness of the shank.)  You'll love this soup!

And the Winner of the Giveaway Contest is........

Congratulations, my friend from Greece, Katerina!    Katerina is a fellow blogger who regularly visits.  Even though she is a wife, mother and busy working gal, she continually comes up with such great mouthwatering recipes.   The one that "hooked" me was her baklava.  You can visit her blog site "Culinary Flavors" by using the link on the right.  Katerina, please send me your address so I can ship your prize! (I tried your email but it didn't go through!)

Thanks to all who participated.  It was fun to read your comments. The prize was a collection of my favorite spices....Lavender, Herbs de Provence and Fennel Seed.  I can't wait to see how Katerina blends these in with her lovely recipes!

Tomorrow I'll be featuring a tasty thick Split Pea soup, just in time for the next wave of snow.  (We're expecting another 2 feet, I've heard!   Warm soup and snowy days go together well.   Stay tuned..

Last Day for the Giveaway and French Roasted Chicken

This is the last post for my first giveaway.  Thanks to all who've sent me comments.  I've enjoyed hearing from you.

 I wanted to continue to showcase by ancestors with this creation.  Even though I am of French descent it would seem this chicken recipe with roasted fennel, mushrooms and garlic would be appropriate.  However, after leaving the homeland of France, my ancestors arrived near Quebec, settled along the St Lawrence River and later (probably mid 1700's) migrated into the tip of Maine.  During these hard times and after much research I found they cooked with pork instead of chicken.  They used the chicken primarily for the eggs.  They also made ployes, which is a type of pancake made from buckwheat flour.  I'm continuing to track down more authentic recipes from those times.  Any help out there?

Until then, I'll "pretend" this was a special occasion type meal prepared in Madawaska (where my people were from).

Ingredients:

4 chicken thighs
1/2 - 1 fennel bulb, cut up into chunks
1/3 onion, chunks
1 apple, peeled and sliced
4-5 mushroom caps
1/2 can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
4-5 garlic cloves
1 T fennel seed
salt and pepper to taste
2 T olive oil

To assemble, simply place all ingredients in a roasting pan.  Drizzle with the olive oil, dot with a small amount of butter (optional) and bake at 375 degrees for approximately 45 minutes.  Baste every 15 minutes while cooking.  Serves 4.

This recipe can easily be doubled to serve to  your guests or larger family.  Very nice flavors!  Enjoy and don't forget to enter the giveaway!!

Ginger Pear Cobbler Crisp

We are in the middle of a snow storm here in the Reno foothills.  I'm not complaining because we need the water to survive around here.  Part of me wants to go play in it, snap pictures of the beauty, but the other part of me wants to snuggle up by the fire or turn on the oven and bake something sweet, warm, and delicious!  I compromised this time.  After playing and snapping, I decide it's a great day to stay indoors and cook.

The last big snow storm we had I made this ginger pear cobbler crisp.  So, here's one for the snowy weekend.

Ingredients:

2 large ripe pears, peeled and sliced
1 T sugar
2/3 c oats
1 tsp cinnamon
2 T crystallized ginger pieces
3/4 c flour
1/2 c sugar
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 c milk
dash of cinnamon on top

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease a 9 x 9 glass baking pan.  In a bowl mix the pears, sugar, oats, cinnamon and ginger.  Pour into the pan.  Then mix the remaining ingredients and place over the pears.  Stir only slightly.  Add a few drops of butter and a dash of cinnamon.  Bake for 40 minutes or so.  This is better as it gets cold in the refrigerator, but hard to resist when it comes out of the oven.  The warmth of the ginger makes it a perfect and simple snack cake.

Remember, the giveaway contest!!   Only one more post until the drawing!  Don't miss out on a nice prize!  Just become a follower of my blog and submit a comment or email so you can be a contestant!  Looking forward to hearing from you!

Cacio e Pepe - February Pasta of the Month

I would like to say I sampled this delicious primo piatto while sitting in a sidewalk trattoria in Rome, but the truth is I viewed the creating of this dish on a food/travel segment a while ago.  I can truthfully say, however, I have noticed this selection on many a menu at Italian restaurants.   I never ordered it because it was void of ingredients.  It was cheese and pepper on pasta!    I had to satisfy my own curiosity and accepted the challenge to serve it at my table.

However, it is hardly a challenge or a chore to whip up this wonderfully flavorful pasta.  The secret is out.  This is almost sinfully simple.

Ingredients:

Pasta (I used spaghetti, enough for 2 servings)
reserved pasta water, about 1 1/2 cups
2 T butter
1 T fresh grated pepper
1 3/4 c good quality Pecorino Romano cheese, grated

Bring water to a boil for the pasta.  When it is almost done (before al dente), take out the reserved pasta water, drain pasta and have a large saucepan (heated) ready to mix this dish.  Put the hot pasta water, butter and pepper in the large saucepan, add the drained pasta, and mix thoroughly.  Quickly remove from heat, add the cheese and gently stir the cheese to coat the pasta.  Serve and garnish with more cheese and pepper if you wish.   Wasn't that simple?  You'll love each cheesy spicy bite!

Don't forget to enter the giveaway contest!  See the two previous posts for information...

Happy Valentine's Day and a Giveaway Contest!

Wow, it's been over 37 years since I met my Valentine, my love, best friend and husband!  Each of those  years  has been a joy.  I'm sure if I took off my rose colored glasses I could find some "rough patches", but the fact is we never chose to dwell on the challenges of our relationship.  We worked on it and still do.   That's one of the keys to a happy marriage.  Realize that you are two separate people, usually with two very different upbringings,  coming together and creating a united front to the world and its problems.  Don't let those problems become yours!  Remember, you're on the same side, the same team. With that said, I'll climb down  from my soapbox and get into the kitchen.

Happy Valentine's Day to all!   For this special day we traditionally put together a menu of our favorite foods.  Most years it was either scampi or a pasta dish  followed by a luscious dessert.  Why should this year be any different?  Last night we celebrated with filet mignon, (It was actually a gift and not my first choice.) roasted fingerling potatoes, fresh garden salad with my famous wasabi ginger dressing,  followed by a butterscotch schnapps bundt cake drizzled with a caramel sauce.  Yum, yum!

Butterscotch schnapps bundt cake without caramel sauce

I'll be posting the recipe for the bundt cake on a later post, but I wanted to mention the "giveaway contest".  I'm celebrating the "success" of  my blog and decided to have a contest.  The guidelines are on the previous post.  Please join in and let me know what your favorite food might be.  Comment, if you can.  If not, just email me using the link below. (the little box with the M in it)

A Giveaway Celebration

Amaretto Cake - Recipe receiving the most hits!

One of my favorite movies is "Field of Dreams".  Not because Kevin Costner is the leading character, although, I must admit, he is easy on the eyes!  I love it because of the story and the famous quote, "If you build it, they will come". 

When putting this blog together I originally  had the idea that it would be a place where I could go to voice my opinions, thoughts and such.  I did not realize at the time it would have a life of its own.  But, the quote above was a resonant voice inside of me and spurred me on.   I will build Wendy's Favorite Place and people will read it.

 I occasionally ramble on about different subjects but I usually bring it around to my loves of food and travel.  My hopes are to keep my blog fresh, interesting, and  sometimes controversial.   But, I do have an ever evolving  "plan".  

 My "baby blog" was conceived last year in February, while playing around on the internet.  I revisited it a few months later in May.  Only two entries that month.  Wow, I was really accelerating towards my goals!  Again, after a few months and several events or incidents later, my thoughts, the need to vent  and my fingers came back here in mid July. 

 Consistency began in July.  Since then, my "baby" has  received over 5000 hits from all over the world!  This, in my opinion, is reason to celebrate!   More importantly, I've had the pleasure to be inspired by my old friends, family and my new friends.  Thanks to all!

 Thus, my first, but not last Giveaway!  All you need to do to be in the running is:

1.  Be a "follower" and do step #2.
2.  If you already are officially a follower, please make a comment to this post or the next 4 posts (I will monitor them.)

Your names will be put in a "hat" or bowl and a winner will be chosen.  Hint:  The prize is something everyone can use!  Good luck and hoping to hear from you!

I appreciate the encouraging words and value your friendship!  "To infinity and beyond". - Toy Story?

Vietnamese Noodle Soup

To continue with the weekly soup theme I made a Vietnamese noodle soup.  A few weeks ago we went to a local restaurant and ordered this.  My first impression was,  "This is it?  And they get paid for this?"  I knew there was  room for improvement on this recipe.  The broth was average and the chicken was "pressed like" slabs mixed in with some rice stick noodles.   This was a candidate for "recipe redo" if I ever saw it.   I know I'm sounding judgemental but don't you want a nice presentation and an equally great tasting meal when you go out?  I do!

So, the game was on to try my hand at the Vietnamese noodle soup.  I roasted an organic chicken a day or two before and only served the thighs, drumsticks and wings.  The leftover shredded white meat from the breast would go nicely in the broth for the soup.  With the chicken out of the way, the soup went together rather quickly.

I adapted an online basic recipe and omitted the fish sauce.  This version is practically sodium free.  Did you know that fish sauce used in most Asian recipes is over 1300 mg of sodium per serving?  Yikes...  If you care about your blood pressure steer clear from this stuff.

Ingredients:

About 7 cups of fat-free, sodium reduced chicken broth
1/4 c shallots, sliced
2 1/2 T minced ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp black pepper
1-2 segments of rice sticks, uncooked
2 c shredded chicken
2 T sliced green onions
1 c bean sprouts
2 T fresh sliced basil
lime wedges for taste
2 T fresh mint, sliced
2 T cilantro, thinly sliced
Jalapeno pepper slices, about 2 depending on degree of hotness you like.
 Thai chili sauce

Condiments of choice

Combine the first 5 ingredients and bring to a boil, reduce and simmer for about 15 minutes.  Add the chicken and cook for 5 more minutes.  Cook the rice sticks or noodles in boiling water, drain and divide into 4 bowls (serves 4).  Ladle the chicken and broth over the noodles and add all the condiments on the side.

Leek, Lentil and Love Soup

There's nothing more comforting than soup on a chilly Winter day.  Except for ice cream any day of the year!

This Valentine's day week I wanted to showcase a few recipes for soup.  This leek, lentil soup screams French.  I got the idea from a book called "French Women don't get fat".  Hmm, maybe I don't have enough French blood in me for that to apply!  But, the title caught my eye and it does have some interesting gimmicks (or truths) about warding off those pounds.

One is to incorporate leeks into your diet.  Evidently, leeks are a mild diuretic, quite low in calories and very nutrient rich.  That's good enough for me!  I'm convinced.  I wasn't quite ready for an all leek soup (just yet), so I added them to a simple lentil based soup.  The result was fantastic and incredibly easy.

So, where is the love?  As I was preparing this soup my son popped in to visit which is always a pleasant surprise.  And the love of my life came home from work a few minutes later.  We could all sit down once again for a family dinner, something we regularly made a point to do as my son was growing up.  It doesn't really matter what you serve as you break bread together.  The important  thing is to nourish your body and nurture your soul.   Warm soup and a wonderful family to share it with is a great combination!

Ingredients:
3 4-5 inch pieces of leeks (the white part, cleaned and chopped)
1 T olive oil
2 c reduced sodium/organic chicken broth
1 c water
1 c lentils
1 tsp herbs de Provence
2 T tomato sauce or chopped tomatoes (optional)

Saute the leeks in oil until soft, add the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil and reduce the heat to simmer for about 40 minutes.  I added toasted rounds of french bread on the bottom of each  bowl and ladled  the soup over them.  This adds a more rustic twist to the soup.  Garnish with cheese and additional bread.  Lovely!  Serves 4

"Super" Gorgonzola Sliders

Hooray!  Football season is coming to a close.  As predicted the Packers won, for all the wrong reasons which were explained in a previous post.  Okay, I did sneak some peeks as the game was playing out, mostly to catch a glimpse of the commercials and halftime performance.  While the performance may have produced a spectacularly choreographed light show my overall opinion was lackluster.  Was it just me or did anyone else feel this way?  I guess I'm getting old or I would like to think I have better taste in music.  Enough said.

The highlight was the performance in the kitchen!  I produced some last minute Superbowl sliders with a touch of Gorgonzola.  I didn't write the measurements down (Remember, I don't usually measure ingredients when I create.)   I can give "guidelines" on this one so you can replicate or at least come close!  My only regret was not adding a little roasted red pepper for more flavor but they were good as they were.

Ingredients:  For 2 servings, 5-6 sliders

About 1/4 lb ground beef (You could make these from a ground vegan "meat product", too.)
1 T green onions, chopped
1 handful of chopped fresh spinach
1/4 c Gorgonzola or blue cheese

Mix all the ingredients and form into small burgers.  Cook in a skillet or grill pan, turn once and continue cooking until done.  Serve on a bed of lettuce or make into mini burgers with buns if you wish.

Pizza - Packer or Steeler - Which Slice Wins

Tomorrow is kickoff day.  Have you decided what to bring to the party?  Or maybe you're hosting the party and you need more ideas.  Well, I'm here to help you.

These appetizers allow you to be a part of the celebration.  You can free up some time by making these ahead.  You won't feel like you're "banished" to the kitchen or being punished.

The first idea is for the people who are always watching their weight.  The ones who will only graze.   No guilt with these appetizers.  All you need is a head of cauliflower, cookie sheet or roasting pan, some olive oil, salt and pepper.  Set the oven to 400 degrees.  Cut the cauliflower into flowerets or bite size chunks, layer on the pan with salt and pepper, a drizzle of olive oil and roast for about 35 minutes turning halfway through the process.

Meanwhile I adapted this honey mustard dipping sauce from the book, French Women Don't Get Fat.  Interesting book!

Dip Ingredients:
1/2 c mayonnaise
1/4 c Dijon type mustard
1 T honey
salt and pepper

Mix these in a bowl, cover and refrigerate for the game.  Serve with your cauliflower or any other vegetable you may want to roast.  Note:  You may want to double the recipe for a group or to use later on sliders or sandwiches.  Great flavor!

Roasted cauliflower with honey mustard dipping sauce

Now the other item I made yesterday for my tester (hubby) was an old standby.  You cannot lose making pizza.  Doesn't everyone love pizza?   This one is for the culinary challenged audience because I used a store bought crust (Boboli).  I have to say these dough disks are great especially if you're a working woman.  I have made my own crust and enjoy working with the dough and love the aroma of pizza dough baking in the oven but for this, boboli.

You'll probably have guests or friends rooting for their team and more than likely it won't be the same one.  For my pizza I went with a split personality effect.  One side I brushed with olive oil, the other with tomato sauce.  The packer side was garnished with  garlic, caramelized onions, green spinach (green colored jerseys), fresh chopped basil and topped with goat cheese.  Thus the French influence of the upper Wisconsin area.

Green or black condiments

The steeler side of the pizza was more traditional  with garlic, onion, black olives (black colored jerseys) and topped with mozzarella.  You could even add football shaped pepperoni pieces, but I'm not too fond of meat on my pizza!  Sorry!

And the winner, in my opinion, was the Packer pizza side.  The caramelized onion and goat cheese managed to push it over the goal.  Enjoy and try these ideas.  You won't be sorry.

Superbowl Appetizers

Why not slices of frittata?

Or "working woman wings"?

Bruschetta is a great choice and crowd pleaser!

Sometimes what you're looking for appears in your own backyard.  As I struggle with my decision to come up with some new and exciting appetizers for those parties, I realize I have an arsenal in my past posts.  One little click of the mouse on "appetizers" displays some recipes you can use to have a creative start for your football parties.

That doesn't let me off the hook though, I understand.  Tonight,  I'll be experimenting once again to create either some quesadilla finger food or perhaps a crab wonton cup appetizer. 

So, I'll be back tomorrow with the results, recipe and verdict on what to serve your guests or family for "game of the year".   Enjoy your day!

Mini Calzones - Don't Try This at Home!

"Flops are a part of life's menu, and I've never been a girl to miss out on any of the courses."  Rosalind Russell

Try and try again is one of my mottoes.  This recipe will need some revisions but I wanted to post it  to give you inspiration and to applaud those cooks out there that consistently are able to create a dish and make it look gorgeous.    Frankly, I don't think they exist.  I just know that if I had quit after my first flop I would not be the cook I am today.  Just like anything else, practice makes perfect (or edible).

These mini calzones were definitely an experiment.  I love calzones but have never tried to make them.  There's always a first time for everything!  I won't post the actual recipe but give you the ingredients for the filling.  That was the good part!  I regretfully used a store bought pizza dough that comes in a roll like cookies, if you know what I mean.  I recommend either making your own or purchase dough from your favorite pizzeria or Italian restaurant.  So, with that said, here is the filling.

Ingredients:

3 Italian sausages (removed from casing and crumbled)
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/4 c onion, chopped
1 tsp garlic powder, or fresh
1 tsp Italian seasoning
2 T fresh basil, chopped
1 c marinara, use your favorite
1 c loosely packed spinach
1 c grated mozzarella cheese

The filling

Brown the meat first and then add all the ingredients except for the cheese.  I rolled out my pizza dough and wanted to make mini (finger food size) calzones.  I recommend making them larger since it is easier to fill and fold over,  etc.  A good size of each dough piece might be a 4-5 inch square. 

Place a tablespoon of the sausage mixture in the lower corner, add the same amount of cheese and fold into a triangle shape.  Crimp the edges and place on a baking sheet.  I baked mine for about 30-35 minutes at 375 degrees.  Next time I will increase the temp to 400.  There will be a next time because they really weren't as bad as I make it sound.  Hey, it's finger food!  As my husband so graciously remarked,  "If you put these on a platter in front of a bunch of guys watching the game, they would be devoured!".

The moral of this experiment is something we've always told our son when he seems so hard on himself.  These are words we try to live up to, also.   There will always be people better off than you and worst off than you, always  strive to be the best YOU that you can be!

Maybe I need to go to that Italian cooking school in Italy after all!