Potluck, Part One

And I especially love them when there is a very good reason to have one......the "monthly potluck luncheon" thing doesn't entice me....but when I'm invited to share in a special occasion? I'm there!

Yesterday there was a very special occasion! One of my colleagues, Janet Aslett, had the good fortune (and intelligence!) to retire from the wonderful world of mortgage banking after spending 26 years providing homebuyers and homeowners with her vast knowledge. I will miss most knowing that I can always call her and get the "right" answer to my questions!

So, what did I take to the luncheon? You know that I pondered long and hard....even waited until the last minute to say what I'd be bringing. Of course, I brought the first thing I thought of....and the one thing I always know is a hit: Vidalia Onion Dip! It's in my cookbook, but this time I put a little twist on it.....cream cheese! Everything is better with cream cheese! So.....here's the recipe....

Twisted Vidalia Onion Dip

1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened (I zapped it in the microwave)1 medium Vidalia onion, diced (I used my mini-food processor)

1 cup mayonnaise (You know I didn't measure, don't you!)

1 cup grated parmesan (I like the good stuff...no Kraft!)

Mix all of this together, put into a casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees until it's warm and bubbly! Now how easy is that? I served it with toasted, sliced baguette (Harris Teeter - they slice, I drizzle with olive oil and bake at 400 degrees until browned).
Here's Jan sitting in her office....for the last time! Maybe someday I'll have a picture like that!
Here she is with a wonderful gift given to her by Kathy Reed, another colleague. Kathy and Jan worked together at Countrywide/Bank of America for over 15 years! Kathy is an integral part of our BofA family and, like Jan, she is knowledgeable, nice, helpful, nice, generous, nice......AND creative and nice! Isn't this the cutest thing! Jan's "new life" clock! I want one! Oh well.....someday.....

Here's the group enjoying the fruits of each other's labor....you cannot imagine how much food there was....and it was all fabulous! There was lumpia, fried chicken, caesar's salad, chicken and dumplings, braised pork, meatballs....and tons more! Oh, wait....there were these sweet potato biscuits with sliced Smithfield ham....you know, the salty kind! It turns out they were purchased elsewhere, so we didn't get a recipe with them. But you know one will coming, don't you!?

Here's Jan's farewell cake....

Next up....part two of the "potluck" saga! As I sit here working on this post, Dennis is at his office for a potluck for his broker's birthday! Happy Birthday, Tonya! For his potluck I made a killer sausage dip......with cream cheese, of course! Check back later for this one!

Life is Uncertain.....

....Eat dessert first. ...Ernestine Ulmer

So, as I told you before, there are absolutely (Jess!) no French cooking classes available in Paris during the week we are all there. I so wanted to take a class, then make the meal for our group on New Year's Eve! Uhhh....before we grab our champagne bottles and head for the Champs Elysses!!! So, since I couldn't find an open class, I decided to follow the lines of "Julie & Julia" and teach myself! Since I have NO idea what foods will be in season, I decided to have some options for each course and wait to see what we're going to cook once we get there and hit the markets!

So, I have been cooking, I just haven't been posting them! (Not going to say here how busy I've been...) Anyway, I'm posting a dessert first! It really is by chance. You see, Dennis has this foreclosure property he's handling for Bank of America and there's a huge pear tree in the back.....he's been watching these pears grow for weeks and weeks, all the while hoping they would ripen before the buyer closes. So, the other day he walks into the kitchen and sets down a huge painter's buck filled with pears! A bucketful of pears?? What am I to do with that? Yea, you can eat one or two, and although I don't mind canning, uhhhh....when do I have time to do that?

Then I remembered the Pear Tarte Tatin recipe! I'd been concentrating on the main course recipes, thinking the dessert, appetizer and salad recipes would be a piece of cake (no pun), but I do have to give them each a trial run or two to make sure I've got them right! I looked at several recipes all over the internet and combined several into one of my own.

Pear Tarte Tatin

5-6 pears, peeled and cut into slices (I went for a more rustic cut, but you can get pretty fancy here)

1/2 lemon, squeezed (immediately toss pear slices with lemon juice)

1/2 cup sugar

1 pie crust (I used the Pillsbury crust...usually made with puff pasty....will try that on the next trial run)

After I cut up my pears, I tossed them with the lemon juice and sugar and let them sit while I prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Next mix together in a bowl:

3 tablespoons sugar

2 1/2 tablespoons melted butter

Splash vanilla (about 1/2 teaspoon)

1/2 cup flour

1 egg


Spread this mixture in the bottom of the pie crust, which you can put into a pie plate or place on a baking sheet, with the edges rolled up to form sides. Add the pears and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 20-30 minutes, until the edges of the crust are golden brown.

Oh wait! I forgot to tell you to take out about 1/2 cup of the pears, before you put them in the pie plate, which by now should have made quite a bit of their own juices, with about 1 cup of the juices (add water, if necessary). Put them in a pot and simmer on low until the pears are soft...then mash them and continue to simmer until you have a glaze. Once the tart is cooked, spread the glaze over the top and voila (French word)!!! This tarte didn't last long around our house....evertime I came into the kitchen, the remains had a different shape and there was always a knife close by....Dennis ate it one tiny sliver at a time. We shared with a few friends and all thought it was fabulous, but I found so many different ways to make this, that I have to try a few more versions before I decide which will grace our New Years Eve table. Some are made with the crust on top and then turned over after baking...crusty crust....m-m-m-m-m-! Others are made with a caramel type glaze....more m-m-m. Keep an eye out for the next versions!!! Then you can help vote on the final version! Bon Appetit (French word)!

PS Sorry for the horrible pictures....tried a new camera...guess I should have read the instructions first! But you'll get the gist (Anglo-French word)!

A Simple Pleasure......

When Melinda and I were deciding what foods we would make on our last trip to the cabin, I suggested a salad with grilled romaine....her response? What in the world would make you think of grilling romaine? Well, I didn't think of it....have no idea which Food Network show I saw it on, but I'm pretty sure that's the first place I ever saw it. Now I think that a salad is boring if the lettuce isn't grilled!

My absolutely favorite salad has always been a Caesar's Salad....with home made Caesar's dressing only....no store bought, creamy type stuff for me! But until you've had a Caesar's salad with grilled romaine, you just haven't lived.

I grilled some romaine the other night...so simple that it seems silly to post it here, but I will anyway. (THEN I'm going to give you my recipe for Caesar dressing). First of all, don't cut the bottom part from the head of romaine. Slice the head down the middle and drizzle olive oil over it (I also make sure to rub it over all of the leaves). Then I sprinkle with salt and pepper......let sit for about 30 minutes (really softens the leaves), then throw it on the grill. Now don't leave that grill....it only takes a few minutes to get a good crisp on each side!

I do this is at the very last minute, because the warm lettuce is so delicious! Once it's grilled, place it on the salad plate, drizzle with Caesar's dressing (below) and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and croutons.....enjoy!

Now for the Caesar's dressing!

2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped or crushed (crushed is best)

3 anchovies or 1½ tablespoons anchovy paste

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoons black or white pepper

Salt to taste

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan, optional

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

It's important for me to tell you that when I make this dressing, I measure nothing! I just put the ingredients together, taste and adjust. The measurements provided here are approximate, so be prepared to "adjust"....

The first thing I do is to mix all of the ingredients except for the Parmesan and the olive oil. It's easier to combine the ingredients with the acid (lemon juice) first....then using a fork, stir the ingredients as you add the olive oil. Don't forget to taste and "adjust"! Sometimes I mix the Parmesan into the dressing AND sprinkle the remaining over the salad.

Also, because I'm on a lower carb diet, I don't add croutons. I grate LOTS of Parmesan and make Parmesan crisps. You just take about 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese and put them on a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper...form them into circles about 3 inches in diameter and bake at 350 degrees for about 5 minutes. They are delicious!

By Special Request.....

This recipe is for the special request from an old friend from high school. Enjoy, Tony!

OLD - FASHION BANANA PUDDING

3 c. milk (Update: I was actually short on milk and used evaporated milk...luscious!!!)
1 1/2 c. sugar
4 eggs, separated
2 tsp. vanilla
5 bananas, round sliced
1 pkg. vanilla wafers

Mix all ingredients together, except for the egg whites,bring to a slow boil in a double boiler. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Once thickened, smash one of the bananas up and add to the pudding. Because I like what the warm pudding does to the wafer, spread a small amount of the pudding in the bottom of a large casserole dish, then add a layer of the wafers. Spoon more pudding on top of the wafers, then add a layer of the bananas, and so on and so on.

Beat egg whites. Add teaspoon sugar, teaspoon vanilla. Beat until fluffy. Spoon on pudding. Set in oven on broil until light brown.

I can't wait for you to try this.....please come back and let me know how you liked it. When I took my first bite, it was like a transport back into time. This dessert was at every family get together, picnic, and camping trip because it traveled well.....oh, and because everyone loved it!
These days, it's rare for me to make banana pudding.....because I rarely eat dessert, which makes it all the more crazy that the previous post was a dessert AND the next post is a dessert! I've hidden the bathroom scale in the closet!
Anyway....I hope you'll try this recipe...it is sooo much better than the ones made with the instant pudding....it's what the warm pudding does to those wafers that I love! I can't wait to hear back from you! Enjoy!

Tis the Season.......

......for blueberries!!!! And the BEST recipe for blueberry pie is right here! I've been making this pie for years. What I love most about it is that fresh blueberries are mixed in with the cooked blueberries....when you take a bite, the fresh ones pop in your mouth. Fabulous! So, here's the recipe!

Fresh Blueberry Pie

3 cups blueberries

3/4 cup water

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

dash of salt

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 pie crust (9 inch) -- baked

Fresh whipped cream for topping (recipe follows) or vanilla ice cream

Bring 1 cup of blueberries and water to a boil. Boil gently for 4 minutes; add butter. Stir in sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Cook slowly, stirring, until thick and clear. Remove from heat; add lemon juice. Add the remaining 2 cups of blueberries; stir gently to combine. Pour into the baked pie shell. Serve chilled or at room temperature with a dollop of fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Fresh Whipped Cream

1/2 pt. whipping cream

3 tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Whip cream with mixer. Be careful not to overbeat or else will get too thick like butter. When it begins to thicken, add sugar and vanilla; stir. Refrigerate.

This pie is meant to be shared.....and you will be loved for it!!!!

A Long Awaited Recipe!!!

So, Evan came over the other day and there on the counter was some leftover London broil from the night before that I was getting ready to reheat for lunch. When he saw it, he reminded me that this was his favorite meal of all time that I used to make for the kids when they were younger. I guess we did eventually get tired of it and I stopped making it. But when I saw a great buy on London broil, I decided to make it for Dennis. I have to tell you that it's truly, truly awesome!

Mix together in a large zip top bag:

1 cup ketchup
1 package Good Seasons Garlic and Herb dressing mix (just the dry mix)
1 tablespoon mustard
1 small bottle Italian dressing (I buy the cheapest stuff - even used oil and vinegar one time when I didn't have any dressing)
1 cup red wine (I've used white wine, sherry and vermouth - all were good, red is best)
1 tablespoon lemon-pepper (I usually put a bit more)
Handful of diced chives (I've used green onions, too)

Mix all of this well and add your London broil top half of the mixture.....it's best to marinate overnight, but at least 2-3 hours works. Grill to your perfection - mine is rare-to medium rare....slice, drizzle with the remaining marinade, and eat!

Oh well......

I've been searching the internet for over a month trying to find a cooking class in Paris that I can take. While most plan their trips to the City of Lights to see the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, the Mona Lisa...the visions that pop into my head are trips to the market....visiting a quaint cafe' for coffee and croissants....flea markets and walks down the streets of Paris....I'm not as much interested in going inside all of these places as I am just walking down their streets.

I want to see the people....learn their culture....and then live is as closely as possible for the few days I'm there.

Well....not so good news! It looks like there isn't a cooking class available during the week between Christmas and the New Year! Not that they are full....they just take that week off! I guess I should have expected that....just didn't cross my mind!

So, now for Plan B!!! I'm going to make a trip to Barnes and Noble today to see what kind of great French Cookbooks I can find......and I'm going to pay a little bit more attention to the Barefoot Contessa......and I'm going to see if I can find some old Julia Child cookbooks.....and I'm going to teach myself!!!

More than anything, I want to prepare an authentic French dinner for everyone on New Year's eve, then take a stroll down the Champs Elysees and have champagne (the REAL stuff) to bring in the New Year right there! So, between now and then, stay tuned as I learn new French cooking techniques and try them out on fabulous dishes, all the while compiling my menu for New Year's eve. Should we have Coquilles St Jacques? Bouillabaise? Boeuf Bourguignon? Hmmm....we shall see!

Sooooo......what to do with the funds I'd set aside in my mind for the cooking class??? Easy.....by the time we arrive in Paris, the menu will be set. The only thing to decide will be what wines to pair with the dishes. Sooo.....we'll go to a wine tasting and walk out with the wines for our dinner, of course!

Now I'm excited!

By the way, if you're going to be visiting Paris and it's not between Christmas and New Year's, this is the cooking class I was looking at: CLICK HERE!