Tuesday, September 29

CONTEST - Cut Resistant Glove

The holidays are coming and many of us will be cooking for family and friends. Sometimes we'll be rushing around the kitchen trying to multi-task and while we might be grating our carrots or potatoes we accidentally grate our fingers. However, some of us are just plain clumsy in the kitchen.

If I've described you then you're in luck. Microplane has come out with a new product on the market that might just be for you and I'll be giving away one of these finger saving gloves to one lucky person. To find out more read below!



It's the Microplane® Cut Resistant Glove that allows for safer food preparation with its uniquely constructed, machine washable, light weight and comfortable design. Made from man-made fibers, the "one size fits most" glove molds quickly to fit either hand.

They recommend that you use this glove for all your food preparation requiring sharp tools. Keep in mind that you still have to avoid the sharp edges just like you would if you weren't wearing it. The benefit comes in the case of accidental contact with a sharp edge. It may still damage the glove, just not your hand.

The Microplane Cut Resistant Glove sells for $24.95.

So no need to panic that the holidays are coming for fear your hands will take a beating. Check out The Microplane Resistant Glove today and feel free to get that manicure before your guests arrive.

If you'd like to win one of these gloves please share with me your worst kitchen disaster and tell me why you should be the proud winner of The Microplane Cut Resistant Glove. Besides winning you'll have one just in time for the holidays! So what are you waiting for?
Contest ends Monday, October 19th, 2009.

Wednesday, September 23

Roasting Red Peppers



I love Roasted Red Peppers. They're great in sauces, pasta, salads, on sandwiches, in dips and honestly in just about anything.

Recently I taught a class of about 20 people. We made a Stuffed Chicken Breast with a Roasted Red Pepper Coulis. The chicken had roasted peppers in it along with the sauce of course. There were other items on our menu but the Roasted Red Peppers intrigued my students the most.

Of all the adult students in my class, not one of them had ever made Roasted Red Peppers. They all purchase them. When I shared with them how easy it was they couldn't believe it. For what it cost to buy a jar of them you can make your own for a fraction of the cost and it tastes even better plus it's fun.

So I'd like to share with you how I like to make them.

First of all I can tell you that you can hold them over the flame on your stove or on the BBQ pit. However, since I'm always juggling many different tasks in my kitchen at the same time I find the easiest way is to use my oven. Here's how I do it:


How to roast a red pepper

• Wash peppers and dry off
• Cut top off and clean out insides
• Cut pepper in half
• Rub outside of skin with olive oil
• Place skin side up on foil line cookie sheet in upper section of your oven with setting turned to broil
• Broil until the skins have turned completely black
• Take out of oven and place in a zip lock or brown paper bag and leave for approx. 10 minutes to cool and sweat
• Remove from bag and you will be able to easily peel the skin off the peppers
• Slice or use as desired

Note: These can be stored for weeks in a jar in your refrigerator.

If you'd like to learn how to make the Stuffed Chicken Breast with the Roasted Red Pepper Coulis please contact me to set up a date.

vkb2@hotmail.com

Monday, September 21

Kids and Hunger

















I'm sure many of you remember the article I sent out from Share Our Strength's, Great American Bake Sale. Well today I received an email from them with a video of teachers from the Bronx and other areas of New York sharing what they see in their classrooms.

Many of you have children that are still young. I wanted to share this video with you. Please pass it along so that others can see the hunger that exists in our own country.

Click here to view the video

Friday, September 18

Chocolate Avalanche Birthday Cake



Yesterday was my husbands birthday so I decided to make him my Chocolate Avalanche Cake. Although the photo may not look so appetizing it's quite scrumptuous.

It's a chocolate 3 layer cake with a whippped cream filling laced with fresh strawberries and covered with a rich chocolate fudge topping.

The fudge is drizzled over the top of the cake so that it just runs down the sides covering the top completely but leaving open spaces on the sides to view the interior.

I got the idea of making this cake from a place called The Bubble Rooom that we use to go to on Captiva Island, Florida when our kids were younger. They have incredible mile high desserts. The food is just ok but the desserts are to die for.

It took me years to come up with a recipe that matched the cake that we loved best. We have all been very happy with the results. My family agrees it's a dead ringer for the Bubble Room version.

Tuesday, September 15

Pesto




I'm not sure what it is but I have a thing for Pesto. I absolutely love it. I love it on crostini, in sandwiches, on salmon, in pasta and even just off the spoon. My son loves spreading it on his wraps then adding the meat. There are infinite things to put it in and on. What's your favorite way?

During the holidays I make a gorgonzola and brie torte that is laced with pesto in between the layers. The flavor is deadly, not to mention a heart attack waiting to happen.

For those of you that enjoy pesto as well but have never attempted to make it here is the recipe that I use. It's very simple and delicious!

Don't forget to share with me your favorite way to eat pesto.

Pesto
(makes 2 1/2 cups)

2 cups Basil leaves (rinsed and patted dry)
3 tablespoons Pine Nuts
1 clove Garlic
pinch of Sea Salt
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 1/4 cups extra-virgin Olive Oil

In a food processor, place pine nuts, basil, garlic and sea salt and process to a paste. Add the cheese and drizzle in the olive oil. Store in a jar. Can top with a bit of oil.

Note: I like it best when it's had a couple hours for the flavors to meld in the refrigerator.

Saturday, September 12

National Waffle Week

Well apparently National Waffle Week was this past week or it's this week. I've read several different articles and one says it's from the 6th -12th and another says it's the week of September 12th. In any case we could even make today National Waffle Day if we wanted because it just doesn't matter. What does matter is that when we decide to dive into a wonderful fluffy waffle it should taste incredible. Whether you smother it in maple syrup or fresh fruit or even chocolate we want to make those calories count. So in honor of the week or the day, I found a recipe for Chocolate Waffle Brownies. My guess is you don't even have to be a kid to love this one. Of course since I'm a chocoholic this one appealed to me.




This recipe embellishes the chocolate waffles with a pink fondant glaze and sugar-glazed strawberries. If you don’t want to glaze the strawberries, you can serve them plain if they’re ripe and sweet. Otherwise, roll them in sugar or marinate them in a sugar-water solution prior to serving, to sweeten them up.

Makes 5 to 6 waffles, depending on your waffle maker.



Waffles

Ingredients

3 ounces (3 squares) melted, unsweetened chocolate
1⁄2 cup butter, melted
3 eggs
½ teaspoon salt
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
½ to ¾ cup chopped walnuts or pecans, optional
¾ cup milk
Confectioner’s sugar, optional
Preparation

Place chocolate and butter in small saucepan.
Melt over low heat. Set aside to cool.

In separate bowl, beat eggs and salt until light in color. Add sugar and vanilla. Beat by hand to combine, then fold in the cooled chocolate mixture.

Stir in flour and nuts. Slowly add enough milk to make a thick batter. Preheat the waffle maker.

Use 1/3 cup of batter(check your waffle maker directions as this may vary on model). Spoon waffle batter onto preheated waffle grid. Close lid and bake until signal indicates waffle is done. Remove and serve.
Waffles will store well for several days if wrapped in plastic.


Jacques Pépin’s Fast Pink Fondant and Glazed Strawberries


Ingredients

2 tablespoons warm tap water from
1 tablespoon corn syrup
3 to 4 drops red food coloring (optional)
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
Preparation

Mix warm water, corn syrup and food coloring. Put the confectioner’s sugar in bowl and add water-corn syrup mixture.

Stir with whisk until well-mixed, then beat with whisk for 20 to 30 seconds, until very smooth. Depending on the moisture in the sugar, you may need slightly more water, until fondant is loose enough to be drizzled or spread. Or, if fondant is too thin, add a little sugar.

Break waffles into individual servings and arrange on a wire rack; drizzle fondant on each waffle. This can be done ahead so the fondant dries slightly and remains shiny. The fondant should be used within an hour or so of preparation. Otherwise, cover it with plastic wrap so it doesn’t harden.


Glazed Strawberries


For glazing, use ripe strawberries, preferably with stems so you can hold them easily as you dip them into the hot, liquid sugar. Be sure the berries are dry so they do not splatter, and proceed with caution.


If berries are ripe and sugar is used right away, while it is hot and thin, the shell of sugar crusted around the berries will be thin. The hot sugar will partially cook the ripe berries. Within 15 to 20 minutes, the berries will release some juice, which will begin to melt the shell of sugar; so the glazing cannot be done more than 1 hour before serving.

The riper the berries, the faster the moisture is released. The right time to serve the berries is when the sugar shell is partially melted, so that it is thin and close to breaking open. The berries will be warm, juicy, and a bit soft inside. If hard, partially ripe berries are used, the sugar remains thick and the berries are dry and hard.

Ingredients

1 ½ cup sugar
½ cup cool water
6 to 8 drops lemon juice
12 very large, ripe strawberries with stems

Preparation

Oil a tray very lightly. If the strawberries are not clean, wash them gently and dry them thoroughly.

To glaze the berries: Put sugar and cool water in a small saucepan, preferably unlined copper, and stir just enough to wet the sugar and create a syrup. Then cook over medium to high heat until a candy thermometer registers between 310°F and 320°F degrees. This will take approximately 15 minutes after the mixture comes to a boil.

An unlined copper pan tends to prevent sugar from crystallizing. If unavailable, add 6 to 8 drops of lemon juice to the syrup when it is almost cooked to prevent crystallization.

Put the pan containing the boiling hot sugar syrup on a pot holder and tip it to the side to dip strawberries, one at a time, into the hot syrup, making sure that each berry is completely submerged so that it is coated all around.
Set the coated berries on the oiled tray. The sugar will harden around them. Set aside until serving time.

To assemble, adorn the fondant-covered brownie waffles with glazed berries and serve immediately.


Of course I think I'd prefer just some fresh strawberries or fruit on top with a sprinkle of powdered sugar. Whatever topping you desire, go for it. There are no rules when it comes to eating waffles.


Enjoy!

Wednesday, September 9

Kitchen Grease Fire

A friend of mine that I went to college with sent me an email last night. His neighbors near his lake house were frying chicken and had a grease fire. They unfortunately didn't know the right way to put it out and are both in intensive care right now with serious burns. He attached this video that I thought I would pass along to all of you. It shows the proper way to put out a grease fire. Please pass this along to all those you care about. It could save someones life.


Monday, September 7

And the Winner Is....



I want to thank everyone for participating in my contest. Carolyn's Kitchen has so many adorable aprons that it's hard to choose just one. However, each of you that entered the contest all shared which apron you wanted and why. Some of you even entered more than once. So this morning I took all the names and wrote them on their own small square sheet of paper. I put them in a bag and had my husband draw the winning name.

The winner of one of Carolyn's Kitchen aprons is Kelly Locker. Kelly won the apron that she selected for her sister who is getting married, the Red Rock 'N Roll apron. Congratulations Kelly!

I never realized I would feel so bad for those of you whose names weren't drawn. However, the good thing is you can still go online to Carolyn's Kitchen and order an apron for yourself or as a gift for someone. They truely are adorable.

Thank you again and I hope your Labor Day holiday has been a great one!

Saturday, September 5

Cute little class




I've had quite a few classes that I've been doing lately, most of them adult classes and a few children's. So when a family friend called to tell me that her grandkids were coming in town and would I mind doing a cooking class for them and their friends in her home, I said absolutely. Of course, then she told me there would be 6 children, four of them were 4 years old and two were 6 years old.

Typically I don't do classes for children under the age of 7 mainly because of their motors skills and attention span. However, I decided it would be fun and somewhat challenging.

So we decided I would teach them how to make homemade pizza and frozen smores. The kids had such a great time and they were so intent in mixing and kneading the dough. Then of course they made various shapes with their piece of dough before covering it with sauce and cheese. The smores were just as big a hit and all the children including the parents had a great time.

I couldn't begin to tell you how adorable they each were so I posted the photo above with them wearing chefs hats that I made for each of them. The one with the red chefs hat was the head chef. I'm sure you'll agree they are precious!

It was a fun afternoon that I just had to share.

Thursday, September 3

Ramen Noodle Cole Slaw




Years ago I was invited to a school luncheon at someones home. Among the food that was served was this cole slaw that I just couldn't get enough of. For the life of me I couldn't figure out just what was in it so I asked the hostess if she would share the recipe with me. Much to my surprise the main ingredient in it was Ramen Noodles from the Ramen Noodle packages.

I know that might sound odd or maybe even disgusting to you but since that luncheon I have made it many times for various occasions and each time there's not a bite left in the bowl. It's just that good.

So if you're trying to come up with a salad to serve at your Labor Day BBQ this weekend try this, I'm sure everyone will love it.

Ramen Noodle Cole Slaw

1 package coleslaw mix
1/2-1 cup roasted & salted sunflower seeds
1/2-1 cup toasted almond slivers
2 pkgs. Ramen Chicken Noodles (crushed)
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced

Dressing - whisk all ingredients below together

1/2 cup oil (not olive) I use canola
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cider vinegar
2 pkgs. Ramen Chicken Seasoning

Keep dressing and dry ingredients separate until ready to serve. This makes quite a lot!

Note: There are many varieties of the Ramen Noodles. Feel free to use and try each one with the coleslaw. If you use the Asian noodles you can substitute the oil with sesame and the vinegar with rice wine vinegar.

Also don't be shy about switching out the nuts for others, like cashews or pine nuts, etc. Be creative. Start with the version above and then play with others next time. I think you'll find this will become one of your favorites.

Wednesday, September 2

In The News



The St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote an article about me in the Food Section of the paper today. To view the article click here:

Also DON'T FORGET there are just 5 days left for the contest to win one of Carolyn's Kitchen aprons. To enter, check out my blog for August 24th, 2009 or go to "Labels" and search "Carolyn's Kitchen" and follow the instructions.

Remember to post your comment and add your name as a follower.