What can I cook with the ingredients in my
kitchen

This is, most than presumably, the question people have asked to any recipes blog in the history of[...]

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http://mmana.blogspot.com/2008/05/what-can-i-cook-with-ingredients-in-my.html

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Three for the 2 - 4

I've been pretty absent from the blogging scene these past few weeks... believe me, I know! I'm dealing with some health issues that for the time being are keeping me more in my bed and less in my kitchen, and even though I did make some more cookies (can you guess what kind?) I was kind of sick of posting them, even though these are my new favourites. I think. For now. And then as for cooking (as opposed to baking), I've been less and less apt to create tasty (and successful) creations when it comes to making meals. Maybe it's just me being sick, but the thought of a crunchy, juicy dill pickle or some iceberg lettuce with yellow mustard is more appetizing than any sort of meal. Sigh. Even my sweet tooth seems to have gone AWOL these days, which is a shame. Until my tastebuds (and energy levels) return though, you may not be seeing much of me. Just a heads up, I won't abandon this blog for good, I promise, especially since I have way too many bloggie events lined up that I want to take part in, and just as many recipes to share! I got a jumbo muffin tin yesterday too *jumps up and down in a happy dance* so we will be seeing what I can churn out with that!

For now, though, I have some prime May 2-4 goodness to share with you guys. Now, if you aren't Canadian, or if you don't know someone Canadian, you may be asking yourself why I'm talking about May 24th this weekend as opposed to next Saturday, and why I hyphenated it, and what the heck am I talking about a silly day for anyways?? So let me explain, courtesy of the hoity-toity Canadian Government website, with supplements from the (less hoity-toity) Wikipedia. Did I mention that I liky typing hoity-toity? Nevermind.

An amendment to the Statutes of Canada in 1952 established the celebration of Victoria Day on the Monday preceding May 25. From 1953 to 1956, the Queen's birthday was celebrated in Canada on Victoria Day, by proclamation of the Governor General, with Her Majesty's approval. In 1957, Victoria Day was permanently appointed as the Queen's birthday in Canada. In the United Kingdom, the Queen's birthday is celebrated in June.

Victoria Day is regarded as the beginning of the unofficial summer season in Canada, and is thus the weekend when many businesses, parks, etc., that operate during warm weather months, will open. This long weekend also often signifies the beginning of spring to gardeners in much of the country, as it falls around the time when they can be fairly certain frost will not return until the next autumn or winter (I personally finished my plantage shopping today, and almost everything is in the ground!). The weekend also marks the beginning of the cottage season with cottagers making their first visits to check and clean their properties (which is where, coincidentally, Andrew is this weekend).

In some parts of Canada, the holiday is colloquially known as May 2-4. This phrase has two meanings: the holiday always falls near the date of May 24, and a two-four is Canadian slang for a case of 24 bottles of beer, a common packaging of the drink in Canada (and a common purchase of those planning to celebrate the weekend).

And speaking of beer... what goes better with that frosty, delicious beverage than an ooey, gooey, decadent slice of pizza?? Ohh yes... it's the universal pairing of frat parties everywhere. I have not one, not two, but three awesome recipes that are perfect for this weekend! The first one is for a quick, easy pizza crust that incorporates a honey lager (or similar beer) for a great flavour and light texture. The second one, a gluten-free creation, has just the right amount of give to it, meaning you can fold it in half like I used to do every pizza day at school!

The Two-Fer Pizza Crust
Makes 2 crusts
1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt 12 oz beer (a honey lager like Sleeman or Niagara is beautiful in this but any kind will do)

1. Preheat oven to 425ºF. Grease two 12" pizza pans.
2. In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Pour in the beer and stir until it forms a really wet, sticky dough. Beat an extra 5-7 minutes, so that the dough develops a stretchy consistency.
4. Let the dough rest for about five minutes before using ? it will be easier to work with once it has relaxed.
5. Dump the dough out onto the prepared pans, dividing it equally between them. Sprinkle the top with flour to reduce stickiness and pat the dough into an even layer, all the way to the edges of the pan.
6. Top in whatever way you want, then bake 20 to 25 minutes, until the bottom is lightly browned and the toppings are done.

Amount Per Serving (crust only)
Calories: 179.0
Total Fat: 0.7 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 3.4 mg
Total Carbs: 35.6 g
Dietary Fiber: 3.4 g
Protein: 5.6 g

Chewy, Gluten - Free Pizza Crust
Serves 10
2 tablespoons rapid rise yeast
1 1/3 cup warm 1% milk
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/3 cup brown rice flour
1 cup tapioca flour
4 teaspoons guar gum
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons unflavoured gelatine powder
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm milk.
3. In a separate larger bowl, blend together dry ingredients.
4. Stir in yeast mixture to dry ingredient mixture.
5. Add oil and apple cider vinegar. Mix well.
6. Grease and flour the pizza pan (just like you grease and flour a cake pan).
7. Pat down dough on pan, sprinkle top of dough with flour so dough doesn't stick to your hands as you're shaping pizza.
8. Bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven and add toppings.
9. Return to oven and bake for another 20 minutes.

Amount Per Serving (Crust Only)
Calories: 136.5
Total Fat: 1.7 g
Cholesterol: 1.6 mg
Sodium: 19.7 mg
Total Carbs: 27.0 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.5 g
Protein: 3.9 g

The last recipe, a very decadent chicken and alfredo creation, is a recipe I created for Andrew a few months back after he told me about a pizza idea he had had one night - he's usually my inspiration when it comes to cooking! I've yet to test it out, but it's definitely on my list, possibly to go with a certain birthday / anniversary meal I'm planning! If you don't eat chicken, but like shrimp, they would work equally well on this. If you try it before I do, drop me a line and let me know how you fared!!

Thin - Crust Garlic Alfredo Pizza With Chicken
Serves 12
1 cup warm water
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1 ½ tbsp olive oil
2 cup bread flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
¾ tsp instant dry yeast
½ cup half-and-half cream
1 cup fat free evaporated milk
¾ cup grated, authentic Parmesan cheese
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp garlic powder
3 cloves of garlic, minced
½ tbsp oregano
½ tbsp basil
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp cold water
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, slivered
3 tbsp flour + 1 tbsp garlic powder, for dredging
1 tbsp olive oil
½ large sweet onion, sliced thinly
½ large tomato, sliced thinly
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup grated Romano cheese

1. Heat a pizza stone in an oven to 475F.
2. Combine water, sugar, salt and oil in a small bowl.
3. Separately, mix together flours and yeast.
4. Add water mixture to the dry ingredients and stir well to form an elastic dough.
5. Let rest 10 minutes.
6. Spread flour lightly on a pizza peel and roll out dough until very thin (about 3/16 inch).
7. Shift bare crust to stone and bake 5-7 minutes. Remove crust to peel.
8. Heat cream and evaporated milk to a simmer.
9. Stir in Parmesan, pepper, garlic powder, garlic, oregano and basil.
10. Stir together cornstarch and cold water, mix into sauce.
11. Remove the mixture from the heat when it begins to thicken.
12. Dredge chicken pieces in flour and garlic powder mixture, lightly pan-fry in olive oil until browned all over.
13. Remove chicken and set aside.
14. Add onion to pan and cook gently until translucent.
15. Add tomatoes in one layer and cook 3-4 minutes, until wilted looking. Remove everything to the plate with the chicken and set aside.
16. Spread a thin layer of sauce onto the base and top with onions, tomatoes, chicken and cheeses.
17. Bake for 15 minutes at 475 degrees.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 248.9
Total Fat: 7.9 g
Cholesterol: 18.5 mg
Sodium: 231.3 mg
Total Carbs: 31.4 g
Dietary Fiber: 2.0 g
Protein: 13.1 g

Read The Full Article:
http://yummysmells.blogspot.com/2008/05/three-for-2-4.html

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National Chocolate Chip Day

Ok, so I am a day late in posting this since National Chocolate Chip day was actually Thursday. Oh well, it's been a busy week and it seems the pollen has been aggravating me more than usual lately. Somehow, I finally have a bit of energy back and I wanted to make sure everyone knew about National Chocolate Chip day!

Ok, if you don't know already, I am a bit of a ... um... chocoholic. There I said it. They say the first step iis admitting you have a problem, right? Although loving chocolate is not really a problem far as I see it. So, of course, when I heard about this national holiday I couldn't let it pass by without making something in honor of it. What kind of chocoholic would I be if I didn't pay tribute?

In honor of this great holiday (don't you love made up food holidays?), I revisited the Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies and used a combination of white chocolate chips and semi-sweet chips. Of course, my family adores these cookies otherwise I wouldn't keep making them. They are the easiest cookies ever, so I don't even think twice when it's time to add to my cookie stash.

All you really need is a cold glass of milk and you've got the perfect chewy chocolate chip cookie. They stay fresh in an airtight container for up to 1 week (if they last that long), and the freeze really well.

Read The Full Article:
http://familyfriendsandfood.blogspot.com/2008/05/national-chocolate-chip-day.html

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Recipe: Banana - Rum Napoleons

I am a fan of bananas, and this Banana-Rum Napoleon is a recipe to satisfy your dessert cravings, and it is low-fat to boot! I love napoleons, they work really well in a restaurant kitchen, because they are relatively easy to assemble, if you prep before hand, and the presentation looks very elegant, and your patrons or guests will think allot of time was spent
creating it.


Thanks to ian_ransley for use of his photo.




Sweet Nothings
Low Fat
Low Calorie Desserts

This recipe is adapted from Sweet Nothings by
Jill O'Connor. It makes 10 portions.

If you aren't feeling like bananas - You can
substitute peach, nectarine, or a favorite
berry puree - and flavor
with a liqueur of your choice.

It is better to prep the pastry in
advance(up to 24hrs ahead),
to speed up the production of this dessert.
The cream filling cannot be made more than
2 hrs ahead of time if using the original recipe.

If using real cream, you must make right before serving.

For The Pastry

• 6 Sheets of phyllo dough (12 x 17 inches), thaw if frozen
• Butter flavored vegetable cooking spray.
  
• 6 TB granulated sugar

Tip: When working with phyllo dough - to thaw, allow the box of phyllo dough to rest out on a counter if the inside temp is relatively low, it will take 3-5 hrs for proper thaw. Otherwise put in the fridge 2-3 days ahead of time. Take out as many sheets as needed, then wrap the remaining in plastic wrap , tightly and use within 5 days. When you are working with phyllo dough it is best to have a tray to lay out the sheets, then keep totally covered, under a damp kitchen towel. If exposed to air, the moisture from the phyllo dough will be wicked out and it will become dry and brittle - which means non workable for you. So work quickly.

Procedure:

1. Preheat Oven to 400° F. Line a baking sheet w/ parchment paper.
2. Place the first phyllo sheet on a clean flat work surface. Spray lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with 1 tsp of the sugar. Add a new sheet onto the previous prepared layer. Repeat as instructed above, using 3 of the 6 phyllo sheets only.
   
3. Cut the layered phyllo into ten 6 x 3 inch rectangles. Place rectangles on prepped baking sheet. Bake in oven until crisp and golden - 3-5 minutes. WATCH THE BAKEOFF - thin phyllo burns very quickly, so don't get distracted while waiting for them to brown.
   
4. Remove from oven and transfer phyllo triangles to a rack to completely cool.
   
5. Repeat the above 4 steps again with the remaining 3 phyllo sheets.

{There will be scraps - the books says to discard, but as anyone in the culinary trade knows - use everything you can, so save the scraps and bake last, use as garnish for another dessert, or a smoothy etc.}


For The Cream Filling:

• 1 1/4 cups pureed banana (1 1/2 - 2 large bananas) OR Measure out your favorite substituted puree - peach, nectarine, or a favorite berry puree.
• 1 to 2 TB freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 1/2 TB Dark Jamaican Rum OR If using other fruit, the use the liqueur of your choice.
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  
• 1 1/4 cups low-fat non-dairy topping
  
• 4 medium bananas, sliced on the diagonal, 1/4 inch thick
• confectioners sugar for top of finished pastry

Procedure:

1. Place pureed fruit, lime juice, Rum or liqueur, vanilla and nondairy topping in a bowl. Fold together ingredients until thoroughly mixed.
   
2. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.

Dessert Assembly:

1. Just before serving place a phyllo rectangle onto a plate. Spoon 1/4 cup of the banana cream onto the pastry.
2. Top the cream with 8-10 banana sliced OR your substitute fruit pieces other berries.
3. Top the filling with a 2nd phyllo rectangle, sieve confectioners sugar over the top.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 until you have created 10 napoleons.

To create a decorative pattern - such as a herringbone or cross hatch : heat a metal skewer over a gas flame or use a mini blow torch, until very hot. Quickly lay the hot metal skewer on the top of your napoleon for the desired marking, repeat until you have the desired effect.


For an nice presentation - garnish plate with drizzles of fruit puree; add a bit of mint, or some citrus zest curls.

105 calories per serving; 1.5 grams of fat - 13% calories from fat.

VEGAN:

This dessert can easily be converted into a Vegan dessert: Use melted Earth's Balance in place of the cooking spray - or use soy milk to brush over the layers of phyllo (you might need to adjust baking times, so watch the pastry closely). Replace the "non-dairy topping" with silken tofu. Yum!

Full FAT:

And for those of you who cannot stand fake cream - go ahead and use the real deal, just use heavy cream in place of "nondairy topping", as heavy cream has a higher fat content which will help stabilize it a bit better than traditional whipping cream. Whip this up right before serving, as real WC will separate quickly. You may need to adjust the amount of puree also - try a little at a time.

Original recipe© Jill O'Connor.








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Of Seeds, Weeds, Concrete, and Compost

So I already owe an update on what I'm about to post since this happened nearly three weeks ago, but I can't let it go unmentioned that Eric's backyard garden has officially been planted with the first of lots of delicious things, which promise to make this summer's barbecues all the better.

I took the day off on Friday a few weeks back and headed over to help do some planting, not realizing at all that the list of things a person can plant in one afternoon is actually quite long. After maybe 3 hours, during which Eric took on the unenviable task of digging out foot-long rhizomes of Japanese Knotweed from the end of his yard, I'd planted oregano, dill, three kinds of basil, Chioggia beets, Forellenschluss lettuce, Amish snap peas, black beauty and golden zucchini squash, and swiss chard.

The bonus was seeing all the sprouts from the seeds Eric had planted a couple weeks before that; they were springing up all over the place.

Bull's blood beets

Forellenschluss lettuce

Amish snap peas

The trellis for the peas

Eric's built four raised beds this spring (one with the trellis), and I planted all the herbs in sunken containers and cinder blocks bordering his patio. Yep, this backyard is something to envy. And since I was last there, the garden's also acquired a three-stage composter and sawdust donated from a local hardware store.

The week after I planted all those seeds, we got torrential rain here in New York, which seems to have taken a toll on the zucchini seeds (it was either that or the stray cats). Luckily it's not too late to replant if need be... plus it builds character, right? If all the seeds I planted in my first attempt at vegetable gardening were successful, I'd probably just go getting big head about it.

Here's to spring and a hopeful harvest. Updates to come.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.fauren.org/fauren/2008/05/of-seeds-weeds.html

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Yogurtland

In preparation for this June’s fro-yolympics, I’ve been checking out some of the new frozen yogurt spots that have recently popped up in Manhattan. I was really excited to hear about Yogurtland’s opening - a transplate from LA, they offer Pinkberry-style plain frozen yogurt, but they are completely self-serve and have a large variety [...]

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http://gracenotesnyc.com/2008/05/16/yogurtland/

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Homemade Yogurt .... easier than you think.

Check out our how to video.

Original news source

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http://www.ismyblogburning.com/homemade-yogurt-easier-you-think

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Group Dynamics. In Kitchens & Everywhere Else In
Life.

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http://eggbeater.typepad.com/shuna/2008/05/group-dynamics.html

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Bello Sorrento, Amalfi, Positano

There is good food everywhere. That's my theory and I'm sticking with it. In some places it is[...]

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http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/jibH/~3/291941732/bello-sorrento-amalfi-p
ositano.html

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Free Dunkin Donuts coffee!!!!!

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http://www.tommyeats.com/tommyeats/2008/05/free-dunkin-don.html

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