Soooooo French!!!!

And not just in the name, but in the history of the dish! What, you say? Why Coquilles St. Jacques, of course! I really, really hope this will be one of our new year's dishes while we're in Paris.....I can't imagine scallops not being available in January! Besides, it's really a very simple dish to make!
So...here we go! The first thing that I did was to sear my scallops in a few tablespoons of olive oil (careful...scallops are horrible if you boil them in olive oil, so you only need to barely coat the pan. This is a very quick process which requires total concentration, hence the reason there isn't a picture of this stage. Most recipes I read called for simmering the scallops in wine, but I prefer my scallops with a crisp sear on them, so I did that first and set them aside in individual ramekins.(don't cook them ALL the way through....maybe 3/4 if the way. They're finished off in the oven.).
After that I added some butter and my diced shallots, along with my mushrooms....I sauteed them just to soften, then added my wine and lemon juice. Once you add the wine, lower to the heat to a steady simmer and let the wine evaporate almost completely. Then add the cream and let simmer to thicken.
Put the scallops in the baking dish, pour over the creamy mushroom sauce, top with the buttery breadcrumb, sprinkle with Gruyere cheese
and bake until they are bubbly and browned. Here's the recipe:

1 1/2 lbs. scallops
1/4 to 1/2 cup diced shallots
1 lb. mushrooms, sliced
3 tbsp. butter
1/2 lemon
1 c. dry white wine
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 c. cream
3/4 c. buttered bread crumbs
3/4 to 1 c. grated Gruyere cheese
Fresh grated parmesan cheese

Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil in heated saute' pan and sear the scallops until almost done. Set aside in individual ramekins.
Add 2 tablespoons butter into the saute' pan and cook mushrooms and shallots for 3 to 4 minutes over medium heat until golden brown. Squeeze the lemon over the mushrooms and add the wine and simmer until the wine has evaporated.
Add the cream and cook until thickened. Remove from heat and pour over the scallops.
Sprinkle with buttered crumbs. Top with Gruyere. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes until golden brown and bubbly and top with grated parmesan cheese.
It may seem like alot of steps, but this is truly an easy, easy dish to make....and quite impressive! I sure hope we can find beautiful scallops at the markets!

Presto!!! Pesto!!!

I love me some basil!!! It's my favorite herb, and every spring I sit on pins and needles waiting for the weather to get warm enough to plant mine....and every fall I dread the night that will be it's death. Sooooo.....since cooler weather is coming, I decided this morning to cut them back and make more pesto (I think I had about a tablespoon left...not enough to do much of anything!).


I used to make my pesto in my Cuisinart food processor....the one I begged for 6 Christmases ago and that I rarely use unless it's a holiday! Anyway, I found that my pesto ended up looking like spinach baby food. So, I started using my old (very) Sunbeam mini-food processor and found that it left my final product much more chunky, which I love! When I take a bite, I can individually taste the basil, the garlic, the parmesan cheese (!!!) and the pine nuts.....ohmigosh!


So let's get started....
The ingredients are simple.......basil, parmesan cheese, olive oil, garlic and pine nuts!
Since I'm using a smaller processor, I'll have to do mine in batches, which does take longer, but the end result is so worth it. Add a little of each ingredient and just blend. After they're all mixed in together, I check the final mix to make sure I have enough parmesan, garlic and pine nuts....if not, I add it all back to the processor with the ingredient(s) I need and blend again (pulse this time to make sure it doesn't get to finely chopped). Then add salt and pepper to taste and...voila.....pesto! I prefer not to use the mixture until it's had a chance to meld flavors...an hour or two. So, what do I make using my lovely pesto? I love to mix a little with more olive oil and toss with romaine lettuce, grilled chicken and (more) grated parmesan! I love just a dollop on the top of freshly made tomato soup! Add a little to mayonnaise and toss with fresh tomatoes! I use it to marinate my chicken....it's delicious as a sandwich spread....great on burgers....mixed with mashed potatoes.....in scrambled eggs (with tomato..WOW!)...and on grilled shrimp! Are you making garlic bread? Spread a little pesto over the butter and garlic...awesome! Are you going to make a homemade pizza? Spread a little over the dough before you add your sauce.....dang! You can spread it, drizzle it, toss it, stuff it and mix it....so versatile! Oh wait.....the mostest, bestest is freshly cooked pasta tossed with pesto and freshly grated parmesan cheese!!! That's it....mine has sat long enough....gotta go!!!

Tip: You may remember this tip from a previous post: "Does the paper skin on a garlic head drive you nuts! When I buy a new head of garlic, I hold it under running water and gently peel away all of the skin. It makes it so much easier to pull off a clove when you need it! And if you're making a soup or stew where you're using the whole head, you don't have to worry about garlic paper floating around in your soup!"

Potluck, Part Two

The day after my potluck, Dennis had one at his office to celebrate his broker's birthday (Happy B'Day again, Tonya!)......I could have made the same thing I made for my potluck, but because I had a tough time deciding between two dishes I love to make, I made the second one for his! Now I have absolutely no idea what it's called....I had it at a potluck somewhere, but just can't remember where. Soooo.....check this out and then help me out with a name! The winner gets a gift card to the newest restaurant in Great Bridge....Chili's!!!

The Dip

1 pound of sausage

1 8 ounce package cream cheese

1 can Rotel tomatoes (don't you just love them!)

Brown the sausage in a pan, crumble, then add the cream cheese and the tomatoes and stir to blend as they warm. Pour into a crockpot, which you need to keep on low....just to keep warm. Serve with Scoops!

That's a friend of ours, Dennis West......he's my personal taster!

Soooo....what shall we name it?!

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!