~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I made beef bowls for dinner last night…and the night before. We had some left over steak so I thought I would experiment. Tech Hubby loves Yashinora beef bowls. Well, we don’t have anything like that here where I live, so, when you live in a restaurant challenged city, you get creative.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Honteri Sweet Seasoning, Soy Sauce, Sesame seeds, Sesame oil, Sushi Vinegar, Coconut oil, and chili flakes. Also used but may or may not be pictures, 3 cloves of garlic, 1/2 a white onion, 1 whole green pepper (both sliced thin), 1 sheet of sea weed, 1 gigantic portabella mushroom-peeled. Sticky rice.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Follow the directions on the sticky rice bag for cooking. If you live at high altitude where there is almost no moisture (like I do) add an extra cup of water. When sticky rice is done cooking, stir into it, 3 tablespoons of Sushi Vinegar. You’re going to do the other prep and cooking while the rice is cooking. This is what it looks like when it’s done cooking. Even if the bag says it’s pre-washed, still wash the rice and let it soak in cold water for 1/2 an hour.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cut your onion and bell pepper into thin slices.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Add them to a pre-heated pan with deep sides. that is coconut oil. The only time I don’t use coconut oil is when I’m making pancakes, then I use butter. If I use any other oil but coconut oil, I can actually feel my butt getting bigger. You don’t want to use too much oil because we’ll be adding the slices of steak to this and they have their own fat. Use about 2-3 tablespoons. Build your confidence. Learn how to ‘eyeball’ your measurements.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I like to wait to add my garlic until the onions and peppers have cooked down a bit to avoid burning the garlic.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
While the onions,peppers and garlic are melding, I peel and cut my portabella into thin slices. As well as the steak.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The steak slices were added in first, cooked for a few minutes, then the mushroom slices. To this I added; the soy sauce, sesame oil, Honteri, and the chili flakes. These flavors balance each other out and give the dish a sweet hot slightly salty flavor.About a table spoon each of the soy, sesame oil and Honteri a bit less of the sesame oil. Add chili flakes as to how hot you want your food.
By now the sticky rice has been done cooking as is on the ‘warm’ setting of the rice cooker waiting for me. I remove it from the rice cooker(you do not want to add vinegar to metal containers) place it into a glass bowl, add my 3 TBS of Sushi vinegar and stir it into the rice along with a tablespoon of sesame seeds. When that is all encorporated, I then crumble up a sheet of sea weed into the rice and stir it all up.Plate it and drizzle more soy sauce and sesame seeds over it all and enjoy!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Remember the Scotch eggs? Those will NOT be making an appearance on my Easter table this year, or any other year for that matter. Here is a breakfast casserole that looks pretty good. I have not tried the recipe yet but I will before the big day. I don’t like surprises when entertaining. Testing a recipe before hand can help your event run smoothly.
BRUNCH EGGS
6 slices of bacon (I used the prepackaged real bacon crumbles. It saves time)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 C chopped onions
1/2 C milk
1 C shredded cheddar cheese
6 eggs
3 English muffins split open
If you are using uncooked bacon, fry it then drain off all but on TBS of fat. Saute onion in the fat that is left in the pan. I will be using coconut oil to saute my onion. Stir in soup, milk and mustard. Heat until warm. Stir in cheese until it melts. Pour sauce into greased 9×13-inch pan. In the sauce, make six even spaced, ‘divots’ with the back of a spoon. Break an egg into each of the divots. Sprinkle crumbled bacon over everything. Bake 20 minutes at 350 or until eggs are set. Toast English muffins. Spoon sauce topped with an egg on to each muffin half and serve. Serves 6.
A nice mix of fruit would go well with this. You can either offer fresh fruit by itself, or Next week, I’ll be posting a couple of fruit recipes for a bit of variety at your Easter table.
If you do try this recipe, let me know how you liked it. I love your input!
I am selling some books from my collection on craigslist. This classic, illustrated by Tasha Tudor, and some of my cook books.
I will be posting photos (hopefully soon-next couple of days) of how to make Scotch Eggs. No, they are not eggs marinated in booze. This is my first attempt at making them. I like to try recipes out before serving them to guests. This is a great way to avoid any embarrassment should something go awry in attempting a new recipe. You wouldn’t want to serve your guests a mess now would you?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It’s time to celebrate! Dig out your good stuff. You know, the things you tuck away and save for ’special occasions’. Personally, I think we should all use those things everyday that we tuck away and never use because we are always waiting for the special occasion that never comes telling ourselves we are too busy to entertain. I imagine entire neighborhoods filled with homes whose china hutches and linen closets are packed with items that are never used. Break out your good stuff people and let’s get to work.
If, however, you do not have closets and drawers full of unused items waiting to be put into service or your drawers and cabinets are full of mismatched items, and you are reluctant about inviting people over because you don’t have enough matching dishes, you can do several things to remedy the situation. The dollar store has clear glass dishes. You can either flesh out the dishes you already have with a few extra from the dollar store by mixing them in with the others to blend them together, or, you can buy an entire new set of clear glass dishes and use them for every occasion, changing out the table decorations to match the season in which you’re entertaining. You may also mix and match your present collection of dinnerware as I have done here in this photo. The dishes are a combination of my grandmother Hagemeir’s dishes(the small roses) and dishes I found at a local thrift store (the large roses). On the side, you can see a crystal sugar bowl and creamer. Neither set of dishes has a complete cream and sugar set so I used the crystal set (from Princess House I’ve had for years) to complete the table scape. Are you on good terms with one or more of your neighbors? You may try asking her if you could borrow some of what you need from her (only if you are in very good standing with her) some things to remember about borrowing; you must return the item/s the very next day, clean and in the same or better condition in which you received them. If the item is antique and irreplaceable and you are concerned it may become damaged, do not borrow it. If the item does become damaged whether you forgot and put it into the dish washer and the paint faded, you broke it into a million pieces, or it’s stained beyond redemption, you replace it. You don’t had her the money and say, ’sorry’, you go to the store, buy a new one and profusely apologize for your clumsiness. To say thank you to your neighbor for her gracious behavior in lending you what you needed to pull off your event, invite your neighbor over for a cup of tea and something good to eat on top of the thank you note you gave to her when you returned the item. A little token (gift) of your appreciation can’t hurt either. You could send home a plate of cookies with her that you baked for the rest of her family to enjoy.
If you’re new to the area and haven’t made such close neighborly connections, open up the phone book or go on-line and look for the nearest party planner rental place. These can be life savers if you don’t want to buy extra plates, napkins or certain decorations. A quick call later, and you can either pick up, or have delivered to you, what you need to complete your table scape.
Plan out how you want your table to look ahead of time. Do a practice run. Set everything up exactly how you want it to look, then take a picture of it for two reasons;1. The day of the event you will be focused on other things. You may not remember how the table looked and with the picture, you can delegate the job of setting the table to someone else. They will know exactly how you want everything to look and you don’t have to waste valuable time showing them what to do. 2. File it away to use for another event. You’ll not only have it as a guide but you will have a keepsake of how pretty your table looked.
Remember, no matter how you choose to decorate your table, entertaining is about people. All the little extras you do make it that much more enjoyable for everyone (and hopefully yourself) but don’t focus on what you do or don’t have on the table, focus on who is sitting around it. Tomorrow, I will discuss seating arrangements. Seating arrangements can make or break a dinner party.
Please use the comments or my email to ask me any questions you may have about entertaining. I’m happy to answer them for you.
Happy sipping!
Yes, YES, it really is that close. Why not host a dinner or tea brunch next month for those outside you immediate family? Of course, you may include your family, but invite someone with no where to go. People are lonely. Reach out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Quick Tea Ring Recipe
1/4 C brown sugar
1 1/2 TBS cream
1/4 C melted butter, nuts and/or dried cherries
2 cans refrigerated biscuits (buttery the better) 12 to 16 biscuits
3 TBS melted butter
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 C sugar (I used brown. I think brown sugar tastes better in these sorts of dishes)
Mix brown sugar, cream, melted butter, nuts and cherries. Place in bottom of tube pan (bundt cake pan) I spread them out to go up the sides of the pan a bit. Now, at this point, you can either leave the biscuits whole, or cut them into quarters. I quartered them. Melt the remaining 3 TBS of butter and combine the cinnamon and 1/2 cup sugar in separate bowl. Dip biscuits in the melted butter then the sugar cinnamon mixture and layer them through out the pan on top of the nuts and cherries. Bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes. Cool slightly and invert onto serving plate. Replace any toppings that fall off. Serves 6-8.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I’ve been trying different recipes for what I like to call, ‘Super soup’. It’s all the same basic ingredients but I look for ways to make it more interesting. I think I’ve found a winner.
When I start feeling like I’m coming down with something and my throat starts to feel funny and my ears and glands start to tingle, here is what I do.
1. Drink green and/or white tea. Four to five cups a day. Really.
2. Eat dark chocolate 70% and up if you can find it or as a last ditch desperate attempt to get better, 60%. The higher the cocoa content and the lower the sugar levels the better.
3. Drink Airborne.
4. Eat my ‘Super Soup’
Super Soup recipe
2 leeks chopped into small pieces
1/2 sweet onion in thin slices
2-3 cloves garlic
1 can pre-cooked chicken (why do more work than you must?)
1 TBS of fish sauce
2 cans of low sodium chicken broth (fish sauce has sodium you will not need salt for this recipe)
1 C water
1 ‘chunk’ mung beans (these are the bean strands you buy dried in the Asian food isle. They are very hard when dry but soften up when soaked in water or our soup broth)
In skillet on medium heat, place 1-2 TBS of coconut oil and fry up the leeks and onion. Fry until soft. Add garlic cloves. I press them in my garlic press first. Add can of chicken right after you add the garlic. Allow it to simmer for a bit. Add in fish sauce. Saute’. Add chicken broth and water and simmer adding chunk of mung beans. When beans start to soften, cut them into manageable pieces with kitchen sheers.
I use my kitchen sheers for almost everything. They are a very important part of my kitchen gadget repertoire. I even use them to open mail which was a huge thorn of contention in premarital counseling until those in objection realized metal could be washed and sharpened. Hello!
When beans are soft, the soup is done. I hope all of my home remedies help those of you who need to get well soon, to get well soon! lol
All Thing Bright and Beautiful!
I had a contest this week during my cook book expose’. Who ever left a comment on any of last week’s posts, had their name put into a drawing and ATBB won! Woohoo!
Her prize?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Her choice!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
But it sure is handy in the kitchen/dining room.This is not a cook book and in some ways, it’s a bit better. The Perfect Setting, Peri Wolfman and Charles Gold, is filled with ideas on how to dress a table. Yeah baby! I have been getting more into presentation following exposure to Asian movies about cooking; Dae Jung Geum, and reading Asian cook books; Harumi’s Japanese Cooking.I don’t just want to make tasty food, I want to create a beautiful experience. Do you feel sometimes as I do, that your day can get caught up in rushing around so much so, that every beautiful moment is snatched up and stolen away by the urgent? Well, make a cuppa and put your feet up and learn a little about how to make eating more than a few gulps before you go on to the next task. Let’s make it a beautiful moment in the day.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Doesn’t the cover look like it has something good to offer inside?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This book teaches you the names of different utensils and how they are used.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have cutlery very similar to this. I don’t care for it, it is too manly for me. It is Tech Hubby’s from before we were married
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Also featured are different types of linens and full examples of place settings in different styles and colors. There are many photos of teapots inside a country kitchen, outside, ready for a breakfast of croissants and tea under the shade of a tree.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Look, even a paper Alice and her friends are enjoying the perfect setting for an enjoyable meal.
From a simple soup, to a rustic loaf of bread, from appetizers to fancy parties, this book can tell you how to make it look fabulous.
Christmas seemed to go by so fast this year.
Here is a look at my Christmas cook book collection for those of us who would like it to be Christmas all year. Or Valentine’s Day. I could live in a heart shaped world.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Recipe from the Christmas Foods book to the bottom right of the group photo.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Let’s take a closer look at this one.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is not only a cook book, but a craft book as well. You could go, buy this, decorate your house with the suggested items which all have patterns and supply lists, then cook fab foods for your family, friends and guests. Remember ribbon crafts? How cute are these little houses?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When my book sells and is then turned into a movie (complete with my walk on scene) I’ll stay home all day making ribbon house villages and baking. yeah, right.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I’m thinking about trying these today. They are cheese tarts filled with marmalade. I think though, they may taste better with some sort of apple chutney instead of marmalade but since marmalade is all I have on hand, we’ll go with it for now.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pictures and recipes taken from: The book of Christmas Food, and The Spirit of Christmas from Leisure Arts.