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KISSES

In honor of Saint Valentine,

We thought you’d like us to define

What people do when they pitch woo

And spoon and neck and bill and coo.

They pucker up their lips and press

Another’s lips in a caress.

What we’re describing is a KISS.

In other words, it’s also this:

A PECK, a BUSS, a KISSAROO,

A SMACK, a SMOOCH—to name a few.

The XXX that one bestows

On a letter with some Os.

(Don’t be confused, just check Roget

XXX means SWAK.)

A dictionary will confirm

That OSCULATE’s a kissing term.

And so is HONEY COOLER, though

It’s not in use much that we know.

To make our kiss-word list complete

We should include those people eat:

The little foil-wrapped chocolate drops

(Available in many shops),

And sweet, delicious cookie bites

Of sugar beaten with egg whites.

Before we go we’d like to say

We hope that kisses come your way,

And those that you consent to share

Are given with a bit of flair.

And just in case you don’t know how

To give your kisses extra WOW,

We’ll tell you all the steps to take

To make your kisses double great!

DOUBLE GREAT KISSES

3 egg whites, at room temperature (Be sure whites are free of all yolks; whites with even a touch of yolk will not beat well.)

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Pinch salt

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

About 24 chocolate kisses (foil wrap removed)

Preheat oven to 225°F. Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set baking sheets aside.

Put egg whites in a large bowl. Beat whites on low speed with an electric mixture until foamy. Add cream of tartar and salt. Beat on high speed until whites stand in soft peaks. Constantly beating at high speed, very slowly add sugar to whites. Continue beating until whites stand in straight peaks. Beat in vanilla.

Using 1 level tablespoon for each mound and leaving space between mounds, drop mounds of whites on paper covered baking sheet. Put a chocolate kiss in the center of each mound. With a kitchen knife, carefully bring whites up and around each chocolate kiss, completely covering chocolate with whites.

Bake in a preheated 225°F oven for 60 minutes. Then turn off heat and leave cookies in the warm oven for another 20 minutes.

Remove baking sheets from oven and set on racks to cook. When completely cool, remove kisses from paper.

Yield: about 24.

¶ Posted 08 February 2010 † susan § CANDY § COOKIES § DESSERTS § RECIPES ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged: chocolate kisses, kiss, meringue, Valentine

BACON OLD FASHIONED

So guess what J. Walter Thompson’s marketing agency thinks is up and coming for 2010? Their official trend-spotting list of 100 Things to Watch in 2010 places “Bacon Everywhere” at number 7. Bacon popular? Like duh! Could have told you that myself. So could Red Kitchen and Bar. This fashionable dining/drinking hot spot located in The Hyatt Regency St. Louis put a Bacon Old Fashioned on their drink menu when they first opened in July of 2009. I actually don’t drink bourbon, but friends who do tell me that Red’s new fangled old fashioned rocks—or maybe that was on the rocks. Regardless, “Bacon Everywhere” is not just a trend to watch. Are you kidding! Bottoms up!

RED’S BACON OLD FASHIONED

1 thin slice orange

1 maraschino cherry

1/4 ounce maple syrup

2 dashes Angostura bitters

2 ounces bacon-infused Jack Daniel’s

Ice

Splash club soda

Squeeze orange and put in an old-fashioned glass. Add cherry and maple syrup. Muddle lightly. Add bacon infused bourbon. Fill glass with ice and top with club soda.

TO INFUSE BOURBON WITH BACON

Fry 3 to 4 slices of bacon to render fat. Reserve or eat bacon (you won’t need it) and strain the bacon fat into a non-porous container. Pour a 750ml bottle of Jack Daniel’s over fat in container and set aside for 6 hours at room temperature. Refrigerate mixture for about 12 hours or until fat solidifies, then remove fat from bourbon and strain the bourbon back into the bottle.

¶ Posted 05 February 2010 † susan § DRINKS § ENTERTAINING § RESTAURANTS ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged: bacon, Hyatt Regency, Old Fashioned, Red Kitchen and Bar, trendspotting

SUPER BOWL MUSTARD

CHECKLIST FOR SUPER BOWL SUNDAY

Friends invited.
TVs set up.
Snacks bought and deli platters arranged.
Beer chilling.
Dill mustard made.

Done!

SUPER BOWL MUSTARD

(A sweet spicy mustard that adds wonderful kick to sandwiches.)

1 can (2 ounces) Colman’s dry mustard

1 cup cider vinegar

4 eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons dried dill

Mix mustard and vinegar in a glass bowl and set aide for 3 hours to overnight.

Place eggs, sugar and dill in the jar of a blender and blend on high speed for one minute. Add mustard-vinegar mixture and blend until thoroughly combined. Transfer mixture to a heavy saucepan. Set over low heat and cook, stirring constantly until mixture thickens, 5 to 10 minutes.

Cool completely and refrigerate in a covered container.

Yield: about 2-1/2 cups.

¶ Posted 01 February 2010 † susan § CONDIMENTS § ENTERTAINING § RECIPES ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged: dill, ham and cheese, mustard, sandwiches, Super Bowl

MIAMI AIRPORT FOOD

Miami International is just about the only airport in the world that I actually look forward to long layovers between planes—at least long enough to pop into La Carreta Restaurant for an overload of rich and flavorful Cuban food. Recent renovations brought this Cuban chain from the terminal outside of security to the inside. Now located across from gate 37 in terminal D, the restaurant is super accessible to transit passengers, especially those flying American.

Maybe it’s my imagination but the food isn’t quite as good since the move, still it is about the best airport food I know.

Lines (there are always lines) in front of the cafeteria steam table move quickly, but if I’m in a hurry, I cut to the chase and order a Cuban sandwich with a side of meltingly sweet plantains from the counter at the end of the room.

If time allows, and the cafeteria is serving Cuban specialties (not in the morning when ordinary American breakfast is served), I join the line and load a tray with thick chunks of roasted pork or fork tender lamb shanks or maybe the arroz con pollo (chicken with yellow rice).

The place is usually packed and a tad chaotic. Portions seem huge (if on a return trip, I fly leftovers home in easy-to-tote containers) and prices run relatively moderate. Once again, that’s La Carreta in the Mmmmmmmm-iami airport.

¶ Posted 28 January 2010 † susan § AIRPORTS § RESTAURANTS § TRAVEL ‡ Comments (1) ° Tagged: airport, airport food, Cuban food, La Carreta, Miami

LEMON CHESSS PIE

Today is National Pie Day. Schools should be out, banks should be closed and mail delivery stopped, but I’m afraid that all the attention this holiday is going to get will come from dedicated cooks baking pies. That being the case let me tell you about a knockout pie worthy of the holiday.

The recipe comes from the Smithfield Inn, a charming B & B in Smithfield, Virginia.

Everything about this historic property represents the best of genteel Southern comfort, including the graciously appointed rooms, the soft-spoken well-mannered staff and the deeply delicious Southern specialties served in the dining rooms.

As good as the food is, the undoubted jewel in the crown of the menu’s tasty treats has to be lemon chess pie.

It’s hard to imagine more butter or sugar baked into one pie, and the Inn adds to the calories by serving the pie with whipped cream. Because it is so rich, a thin sliver should suffice for a serving. Of course a second and third thin sliver would be even better. When it comes to this pie, to paraphrase Mark Twain, too much is barely enough.

SMITHFIELD INN LEMON CHESS PIE

Yield: 1 (9-inch) pie; 8 servings.

2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter

2 cups granulated sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 eggs

Zest and juice from 3 lemons

1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust (recipe follows)

Whipped cream (optional garnish)

Preheat oven to 300°F.

Cream butter and sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer. Beat in flour and salt. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Gradually beat in zest and juice.

Spoon batter into pie shell. Bake until pie’s top is golden brown and filling is set, 45 to 65 minutes. Set pie on a rack and cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic or foil and refrigerate until firm enough to cut, several hours to overnight. Serve garnished with a dollop of whipped cream if desired.

PIE CRUST

Yield: 1 (9-inch) pie shell.

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

7 tablespoons shortening

3 tablespoons ice water

Additional all-purpose flour for rolling dough

Mix flour and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Put each tablespoon shortening in a different place on top of flour. Mix lightly with fingers to form coarse crumbs. Sprinkle water over top of crumbs. Mix with a fork until dough begins to hold together. Turn dough out of bowl onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly and quickly until smooth. Form dough into a ball, flatten slightly with palm of hand, wrap in waxed paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes or until ready to use.

Roll dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin to an 11-inch circle. Carefully transfer circle to a 9-inch pie plate. Fold overlap under at edge of plate and crimp decoratively. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

¶ Posted 23 January 2010 † susan § DESSERTS § ENTERTAINING § PIES § RECIPES § RESTAURANTS § TRAVEL ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged: chess pie, lemon, National Pie Day, pie, Smithfield Inn

CANYON RANCH NOURISH COOKBOOK

So long, farewell, auf weidersehen, goodbye; I’m dumping all my bad eating habits and hooking into good health with the help of Canyon Ranch’s new cookbook, NOURISH. Aptly subtitled, ‘indulgently healthy cuisine,” this 372-page tome diffuses lasagna, moussaka, enchiladas, chicken pot pies, double chocolate brownies, key lime pie and other diet weapons of mass destruction, with recipes (over 200 of them) that favor flavor over fat, the natural over the artificial and satisfaction over sacrifice.

I’ve been a long-time fan of Scott Uehlein, Canyon Ranch’s corporate chef and author of NOURISH—so am not surprised at the high quality his newest book which, in addition to recipes, includes photos, nutritional information and helpful hints. Gotta confess, I find some of the hints as inspiring as the recipes—for example what dieter could not love the nutrition note accompanying the warm chocolate cake recipe “Nutrition Note: We are so happy to tell you again how healthy chocolate is.”

Scott Uehlein, Canyon Ranch Chef

Thank you Scott—your book is terrific and I am so happy to have it in my collection.

Nourish is a Viking Studio publication with a list price of $40. For a tasty sample of a typical recipe try this:

BEEF SHORT RIBS

Makes 4 serving

2 pounds bone-in beef short ribs or 1 pound boneless short ribs

2 cups Mongolian BBQ Sauce (recipe follows)

2 cups water

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Sear the short ribs in a large heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Place in a shallow glass baking dish with a cover.

Combine the BBQ sauce, water, and brown sugar in a medium bowl and mix well. Pour over ribs. Cover tightly and roast for 2 to 3 hours, or until tender.

Serve 2 ribs with 2 tablespoons sauce,1/2 cup mashed potatoes and 1/2 cup braised red cabbage (recipes for potatoes and cabbage are included in NOURISH)

Each serving contains: 370 calories, 35 g carbohydrate, 15 g fat, 58 mg cholesterol, 22g protein, 740 mg sodium, 4 g fiber.

Beef Short Ribs

MONGOLIAN BBQ SAUCE

Makes sixteen 2-tablespoon servings

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons low-sodium tamari sauce

2 tablespoons evaporated cane juice

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1/2 cup sake

1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons water

1/3 cup low-sodium ketchup

Pinch ground coriander

Pinch ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 cup minced leeks, white part only

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger

Combine the 1/2 cup tamari, the cane juice, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sake, and the 1/3 cup water and bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to low. Add the ketchup, coriander, ground ginger, and red pepper flakes. Simmer for a 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Combine the leeks, garlic, fresh ginger, the 2 tablespoons water, and the 2 tablespoons tamari.

Add the leek mixture to the sauce mixture and stir until combined.

Each serving contains: 35 calories, 4 g carbohydrate, trace fat, 0 mg cholesterol, trace protein, 288mg sodium, trace fiber.

¶ Posted 16 January 2010 † susan § BOOKS § DIETS § ENTREES § RECIPES § SPAS ‡ Comments (0) °

KING CAKE

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So I was going to give you a recipe for king cake—you know—that luscious coffee cake that, in Louisiana, reigns over parties, festivities and celebrations from January 6 (to honor Kings’ Day, the meeting of the three wise men with the infant Jesus) to Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday, February 16 this year).

Traditional king cakes are iced and decorated with Mardi Gras colors (green representing faith; purple, justice; and gold, power) and have a small trinket, often a plastic baby, hidden inside the baked dough. Custom dictates that the person getting the piece of the cake with the trinket must host the next king cake party. kings cake

As I said, I was going to give you a recipe, but I have something better: a bakery where you can order the cake (baby and all). Delicious Donuts & Bakery in Lake Charles, Louisiana, makes majestic king cakes with a wide variety of fillings (pecan praline and pralines-n-cream to die for) and ships the cake to addresses all over the world. My mouth is watering just typing the contact numbers: www.deliciouskingcakes.com and phone: 337-479-2-YUM.

piece of kings cake

¶ Posted 06 January 2010 † susan § DESSERTS § PRODUCTS ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged: Delicious Donuts & Bakery, kings cake, Mardi Gras

MINDFUL EATING

Here’s a New Year’s gift—an eating exercise that could: (1) change your life-long relationship with food, (2) help you lose weight and, at the same time, give you more pleasure from eating and (3) increase your awareness of ingredients making you a better cook. No need to thank me. I was introduced to mindful eating at Miraval, the test-yourself spa in Tucson, Arizona, and am just passing what I learned along to you.

Each morning, staff at Miraval would gather a group and practice mindful eating at breakfast. Once was enough for most participants to understand the potential of the exercise and those who repeated the experience became long-time converts and practitioners.

Call it what you want: meditative eating, mindful eating, eating with intention—once learned, the benefits are life-changing, but let me cut to the chase:

HOW TO SAVOR FOOD, CONTROL EATING AND UPGRADE YOUR COOKING IN 10 EASY STEPS

or more simply

THE 10 STEP PROGRAM TO MORE MINDFUL EATING

1. Set a pleasant place to eat at an uncluttered table. Turn off phones, radios, televisions and/or anything else that might cause distractions.

2. Prepare a simple meal or snack. Choose uncomplicated foods that you like and that vary in texture, taste and color. Arrange the food on a plate. Don’t over fill the plate.

3. Sit at the table and place the plate of food in front of you.

4. Close your eyes and take three long slow breaths. Think of your breathing. Then breath normally while you count to 30. Open your eyes.

5. Look at the food. Notice colors and shapes.

6. Pick up a utensil; take a small bite. Put the utensil down.

7. Chew slowly, paying attention to taste and texture of the bite. Is the bite juicy? Dry? Crunchy? Salty or sweet? Prolong the chewing to analyze all you can about the bite.

8. Become aware of your intention to swallow the food. Swallow giving the swallow full concentration. Notice tastes lingering in your mouth. Notice how your body feels. Sit still for a moment or two. Savor.

9. Continue eating in silence, putting the utensil down after every bite and noticing attributes of every bite. Take time. Chew slowly. Swallow with intention. Notice when you begin to feel satisfied. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being ravenous and 10 being Thanksgiving stuffed, notice when you reach a 4 or 5. Stop just when you are satisfied. Note where you are on the number scale—maybe a 6, no more than a 7.

10. After eating to satisfaction level, stop. Put utensil down. Put hands in lap. Sit for a few moments and reflect on the food you consumed and how it makes you feel.

¶ Posted 04 January 2010 † susan § HELPFUL HINTS § SPAS § TRAVEL ‡ Comments (1) ° Tagged: meditative eating, mindful eating, Miraval, weight control

PARTY CHEESE SPREAD

Brie and Gorgonzla How do you improve perfection? Butter does it. This is not an ad (unfortunately no dairy pays me), but rather a cook’s mantra: butter makes everything better. For example, take two of the world’s best cheeses—a soft, sweet-silky Brie and an aristocratic, richly robust Gorgonzola, add as much butter as each cheese will hold (and it will hold more if you also add cream cheese), sandwich the butter-bulging cheeses together with some fresh herbs and you have a party spread better than the sum of its parts. It’s true. See for yourself:

BRIE AND GORGONZOLA TORTE

This recipe makes enough spread for a huge crowd, but the recipe can be halved and even quartered.

8 ounces Brie cheese

32 ounces cream cheese, divided

16 ounces (unsalted) butter, divided

About 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

About 2 tablespoons chopped scallions

8 ounces Gorgonzola, Roquefort or other blue-veined cheese

Sprigs of fresh herbs for garnish

Line an 8- or 9-inch springform pan with plastic wrap (Use two long sheets of wrap so that bottom and sides of pan are covered and about 8 to 9 inches of wrap extends on all sides of pan); set pan aside. (If you are halving the recipe use an appropriate smaller pan to mold the cheese—it doesn’t have to be a springform pan—even a souffle dish will do.)

Cut outer white rind from Brie; discard rind. Cut remaining Brie into small pieces and put pieces in a large mixing bowl. Add 16 ounces cream cheese and 8 ounces butter. Beat with electric beaters until mixture is smooth and well blended. Spread mixture in bottom of prepared pan, pressing firmly so that mixture is evenly packed in pan. Sprinkle parsley and scallions over mixture; set aside.

Cut Gorgonzola into small pieces and put in mixing bowl with remaining cream cheese and remaining butter. Beat until smooth and well blended. Smooth mixture over top of herbs in pan, again pressing to insure mixture is tightly and evenly packed in pan.

Pull plastic over hang over top of mixture in pan, pressing top to smooth cheese mixture. (If necessary to completely cover cheese mixture, cover top of pan with plastic wrap or aluminum foil). Refrigerate overnight.

Before serving, remove plastic or foil from top of cheese mixture. Invert pan on a serving platter (so that gorgonzola mixture is at the base). Remove pan and all plastic wrap. Garnish torte with fresh herbs. Serve chilled, as an appetizer with cheese crackers or French bread.

Yield: One 4-pound torte.

¶ Posted 30 December 2009 † susan § ENTERTAINING § RECIPES ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged: Brie, butter, CHEESE, Gorgonzola, party

CONDIMENTS FOR CHEESE

cheese Take an assortment of fine cheeses, arrange them on a cheese board or tray and you have a great dish for a party. Dress up the tray with cheese bling-bling and it’s even better.

The following cheese condiment recipes come from The American Club in Kohler, Wisconsin. This AAA Five Diamond resort hotel is famous not only for golf, but also for its Immigrant Restaurant & Winery, which prides itself on serving the best artisanal Wisconsin cheeses found in the United States. Cheese does not stand alone at the Immigrant, but is offered with a variety of condiments, adding flavor and flair to the already wonderful.

Busy hosts and hostesses are going to love these recipes, as they are multitaskers.

Beat Fig Rum Conserve into Mascarpone for a knock-out cheese spread; stir a touch of Port Wine Sauce into a vinaigrette for a distinctive salad dressing; and top vanilla ice cream with Preserved Kumquats for a sophisticated holiday sundae. But of course, don’t forget the original concept: group the condiments together and add panache and pizzazz to any party cheese platter.

CONDIMENTS TO SERVE WITH CHEESE

Cheese Condiments

FIG RUM CONSERVE

Yield: About 3 cups.

12 ounces dried figs

About 1-1/2 cups dark spiced rum

1/4 cup granulated sugar

Water

Put figs in a 2-quart saucepan. Pour enough rum into pan to come to top of figs. Let soak until figs are softened, 1 to 2 hours. Sprinkle sugar over figs. Add enough water to cover figs by one inch. Set saucepan over medium heat and bring liquid to a gentle boil. Gently boil until figs are very tender, 30 to 45 minutes. Let mixture cool slightly then puree in a blender. Cool completely at room temperature then refrigerate in a covered container.

PORT WINE SAUCE

Yield: About 2 cups.

6 cups port wine

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Bring port to a boil in a medium saucepan set over high heat. Boil until port is reduced by half, about 30 minutes. Stir sugar into port and continue boiling until mixture is slightly syrupy and lightly coats a spoon, about 20 minutes (sauce will become more syrupy as it cools). Cool completely at room temperature then refrigerate in a covered container.

PRESERVED KUMQUATS

Yield: About 2 cups.

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

Water

1 pound (about 3-1/2 cups) kumquats

1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine sugar and 1-1/2 cups water in a medium saucepan and set over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves. Without stirring, boil mixture 3 minutes. Set aside.

Cut kumquats in half and remove all seeds. Put halves in a medium saucepan, add salt and enough water to cover generously (about 6 cups) and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil 15 minutes.

Drain kumquats and place in saucepan with sugar syrup. Cover and simmer until kumquats are translucent, about 1 hour.

Set saucepan aside, keep covered, and cool completely at room temperature. Refrigerate in a covered container.

¶ Posted 28 December 2009 † susan § CONDIMENTS § DESSERTS § ENTERTAINING § RECIPES § RESTAURANTS ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged: CHEESE, CONDIMENTS, figs, Immigrant Restaurant & Winery, kumquats, port wine, The American Club

Sweet Leisure

KISSES

DOUBLE GREAT KISSES

BACON OLD FASHIONED

RED’S BACON OLD FASHIONED

SUPER BOWL MUSTARD

SUPER BOWL MUSTARD

MIAMI AIRPORT FOOD

LEMON CHESSS PIE

SMITHFIELD INN LEMON CHESS PIE

PIE CRUST

CANYON RANCH NOURISH COOKBOOK

BEEF SHORT RIBS

MONGOLIAN BBQ SAUCE

KING CAKE

MINDFUL EATING

HOW TO SAVOR FOOD, CONTROL EATING AND UPGRADE YOUR COOKING IN 10 EASY STEPS

THE 10 STEP PROGRAM TO MORE MINDFUL EATING

PARTY CHEESE SPREAD

BRIE AND GORGONZOLA TORTE

CONDIMENTS FOR CHEESE

CONDIMENTS TO SERVE WITH CHEESE

FIG RUM CONSERVE

PORT WINE SAUCE

PRESERVED KUMQUATS

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REAL DEALS

DOUBLE GREAT KISSES

RED’S BACON OLD FASHIONED

SUPER BOWL MUSTARD

SMITHFIELD INN LEMON CHESS PIE

PIE CRUST

BEEF SHORT RIBS

MONGOLIAN BBQ SAUCE

HOW TO SAVOR FOOD, CONTROL EATING AND UPGRADE YOUR COOKING IN 10 EASY STEPS

THE 10 STEP PROGRAM TO MORE MINDFUL EATING

BRIE AND GORGONZOLA TORTE

CONDIMENTS TO SERVE WITH CHEESE

FIG RUM CONSERVE

PORT WINE SAUCE

PRESERVED KUMQUATS

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REAL DEALS