Recipe Posts

Raspberry Swirl Vanilla Pound Cake

July 2, 2015

Hello everyone! This posting was supposed to be published before the 4th of July. I was going for a kind of ‘fireworks’ effect in the Poundcake. Umm…I guess it worked in one way, since my first attempt exploded and ran all over the oven, then sunk in on itself. This, upon reflection, was due to the fact that I did not read my recipe with glasses on, so left an entire cup of flour out. Note to self: This is not a good strategy. However, despite the fact that it was awful to look at, it tasted pretty good. I baked a second cake, which is why this article is behind schedule. The second attempt worked better.

While cake #1 was baking, I started writing this posting. I got a big laugh out of the first paragraph when I came back to finish writing after the second cake was done. I’ve kept it because I think that it’s important to remember that if a little voice inside your head whispers that something is amiss, it usually is. Little did I know….

“I cannot lie to you about this because I feel that we are friends. I am sweating bullets right now. Why? Well, this Raspberry Swirl idea was just an idea, and one that I had never tried. Sure, I had baked this Pound Cake for years, but the swirl thing? Not really. Not ever. What could be the harm? What could possibly go wrong? At this moment, the timer on the cake will go off in ten minutes, and then we will both know. I was going for a beautiful, bright red fireworks kind of swirl in the cake, so that is our goal. I am praying it does not turn out a big old pink mess. Or that it will overflow all over the place due to the added jelly. But then again, who cares? Any of the above can be fixed, and I do enjoy living on the edge when it comes to cooking and baking, so there you have it. We will play the cards we are dealt. Until the timer goes off and the cake is cool enough to slice, I’ll just fill you in on all the steps that got us to this point:”

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Massaged Kale Salad with Fig Vinaigrette

June 30, 2015

I want to love kale. Heck, I want to like kale, but it has been a struggle. That is until one day, while having a kale conversation while getting my hairs cut by my most excellent hairdresser, Rebecca. She mentioned a Massaged Kale Salad that she had tried and loved. Hmm. Sounded interesting. She shared the recipe and I took it from there, making a few twists and turns along the way. We begin with kale, of course. I used Lacinato Kale, straight from Neeners’ garden. You could use the curly kind of kale also, but I just find it a bit unruly. Lacinato is very well behaved.

Once the kale is washed and dried, just lay several leaves on top of each other and slice into thin little ribbons. No need to take the stem out because you are slicing them so thin it won’t matter one bit.

Once that’s done, kale goes into a colander over the sink. Find a good sized colander for this because you are going to need some elbow room to work with. Once in the colander, sprinkle with a couple of teaspoons of salt – kosher or regular – don’t care which.

Put on some tunes, roll up your sleeves, and get to work on that kale. Yes, you are massaging it – and do not stop until you have done so for 2 full minutes. Luckily for me, Dick volunteered.

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Red, White, and Blueberry Cheesecake

June 26, 2015

Happy almost 4th of July! We usually entertain a crowd for this particular holiday, and it is almost always blistering hot outside. Keeping that in mind, I went in search for a do-ahead dessert that was relatively quick, easy, and cold that could also feed a small army. And here you have it. To be fair, this is a translation of a dessert that Neeners used to make when we were kids. We have unofficially named it ‘Blueberry Surprise’ since Neeners was surprised when I mentioned it because she does not recall making it and cannot find her recipe. If memory serves, hers was made when the very first boxed cheesecake kits came out on the market. This is why she cannot find a recipe, although she blames me for stealing it. Situation: normal.

We begin with a graham cracker crust. Get those puppies into your food processor, or put them in a ziplock bag and hit them with a hammer or rolling pin until you have crumbs. Feel free to grab a few for yourself. This will not affect the final outcome of the crust. I am speaking from experience.

Add sugar and melted butter…

Mix it all up until it looks like this:

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Sugar Snap Pea, Radish and Fresh Asparagus Slaw

May 13, 2015

Since I am still deliriously happy that our Sugar Snap Peas appear to have survived whatever garden invader attempted to devour them, I thought now would be a good time to feature them in a Spring Slaw. This isn’t your everyday, run of the mill slaw recipe though. A little more color, a little more texture, and a little better looking I think. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so that determination will be up to you. This slaw features those items first on the scene come springtime – Sugar Snap Peas, Radishes, Asparagus, and Green Onion. It’s a pretty free form recipe, and just lets you follow your own instincts about how much of what to put into it, but for starters we’ll use equal amounts of everything except the Green Onion. And now, allow me to introduce you to our cast of characters:

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Boysenberry, Peach, and Raspberry Soft Serve Ice Cream

April 22, 2015

My mother has had a rough week. On Monday, she has left a message on my phone. “Hello. This is your mother speaking.” (I know – we’ve met – I recognize your voice.) “My septic tank is on tilt. I will be staying at your sister’s tonight until your brother can figure out where it is and how to fix it. Goodbye.” Later that evening, I called my sis to check in on how she and Neeners were doing. She replied, “Fine. At about 5:00 Neeners came into the kitchen and said ‘I am in need of nourishment. Where do you keep the gin?’ She was in bed by 8:00. All good.”

And after the septic dilemma, there was the Morning Glory infestation. And finally, to top it all off, she lost her glasses. In an attempt to hide them from the dog, she misplaced them and they have yet to turn up. I would say she requires some ice cream. Lucky for Neeners, so do I. I have no reason, I just want it.

I’m going to show you how to make the easiest soft serve ice cream you ever saw. Three ingredients. Five minutes. Done. Because it is so easy, we’ll fancy it up some and make three different kinds and layer them in a loaf pan. When you slice off a piece, you’ll see a rainbow. Let’s get started.

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Spring Pea Soup

March 21, 2015

Spring officially arrived around 3:45 p.m. on Friday, but who’s counting? This calls for a celebration, I’d say. And since my mother has been obsessed with Sugar Snap Peas and whether or not we need to replant them, my mind has been swirling around the topic of peas in general – Pea Soup to be precise. And so we shall do our spring happy dance with a moonwalk or two thrown in, and make ourselves some Spring Pea Soup. We won’t be satisfied with just the soup however. I have a tendency to go a little overboard when it comes to cooking, and you will discover that soon enough. Overboard we go: I’ll show you how to make a super simple Vegetable Broth, which will be the backbone of the Spring Pea Soup. Then we’ll fancy it up a little by making some Crème Fraiche to drop on top of each bowl and swirl around the top so it looks all gussied up. Since we do not live by soup alone, I’ll also show you how to make an easy, but so good your eyes will roll back in your head Parmesan Cracker. And there you have it – just the thing for a cool spring evening. Amaze your friends and family, and break out those seed catalogs!

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