Posted by: Kimby | May 21, 2012

In The Middle Of Things (Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches)

It’s not unusual to find me in the middle of things; I’ve been that way my entire life.  But as time marches on, some things become more important than others.

Recently, I began feeling the pull of my multi-faceted interests — a battle between the “want-to’s” and the “have-to’s” – and frankly, the have-to’s were winning.  Time to regroup.

After some serious soul searching (and budget crunching), my heart decided I needed to be HOME to make the best use of my God-given talents.  The Man Of Few Words agreed, I gave notice at work, and the transition began.  And guess what?

I’m still in the middle of things!

(Somehow I suspect I always will be, but the want-to’s and have-to’s are only a month or so away from marching together — from home, sweet home.  Hooray!)

The occasion called for something capricious to celebrate dreams in the making… homemade ice cream!  The only problem was… we don’t have an ice cream maker.

Not one to be daunted by minor details, I set out to make Isabelle At Home‘s luscious ricotta ice cream.  (Thanks, Isabelle!)  Technical difficulties aside, I plunked the mixture into a Ziploc-bag, threw it in the freezer, and smooshed it by hand every 30 minutes until it was “ice cream-y” consistency. (Bear in mind, I left out the chocolate chips… between smooshing I made cookies.) :)

Although the resulting “ice cream” tasted wonderful, it was a tad unscoop-able (due to the lack of churning.)  I pondered the dilemma with a cookie in hand.  Hmmm…

Why not make ice cream sandwiches?!

After softening the ice cream a bit, I spooned it onto sheets of plastic wrap, rolled them into tidy rolls (ala the compound butter maneuver), and threw them back in the freezer.  Then the process began…

Slice… slide… SAMMICH!

There are some merits to being in the middle of things.

Enjoying sweet victory,

~ Kim

P.S.  FYI, my blog was recently accepted for WordPress’s WordAds program (another reason to celebrate!) and it’s been interesting to see what comes up in the middle of here and my comment section.  (Some of them are quite entertaining… have a look.)

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Posted in Desserts, Sweet Treats | Tags: , , , , ,

Posted by: Kimby | May 15, 2012

The Royal Treatment (Crab Louis)

Have you ever had a song stuck in your head that replayed over and over?  For some reason, Herman’s Hermits invaded my gray matter recently and decided to take up residence.  I think it’s my brain’s way of dealing with madness from the outside world — you can’t think of much else when you’ve got Herman and the boys wailing, “I’m Henry the VIII, I am, Henry the VIII, I am, I am…”

(For a refresher in English monarchs, click here.)

Maybe it’s a good thing.  Between verses, I thought of another king, this time from France – Louis the XVIth.  (For a refresher in French monarchs, click here.)

For a refesher in Roman numerals, click here. :)

Crab Louis

Dungeness crab meat, steamed, chilled & picked over to remove any trace of shell

Lettuce, chopped (I used Romaine, although iceberg lettuce is traditional)

Hard cooked eggs, quartered

Tomatoes, quartered

Lemon wedges

(Optional:  cucumbers, asparagus, olives)

For the dressing:

According to some sources, this salad may be served with Green Goddess dressing.  (Second verse, same as the first…)  But for the real deal, click here.  (It’s a “Grandma recipe” — thank you, Wives With Knives!)

To assemble:

Place bed of lettuce on a plate.  (The fancier, the better.)

Spoon a generous serving of crab meat atop lettuce.

Garnish with hard-cooked eggs, tomatoes, lemon wedges, and any other optional goodies you may require.

Serve with dressing on the side.  (‘Tis better to dip than to drench.)

Whatever ancestry you hail from, this salad is truly refreshing.  I had it for Mother’s Day.  Long live the king.

Or Queen. :)

Enjoying the royal treatment,

~ Kim

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Posted by: Kimby | May 11, 2012

Sometimes You Just Gotta Have A Sammich (Chicken, Cheddar, and Avocado on a Bagel)

 Howdy do.  This is going to be a quick little post because I’ve been yearning to spend an entire day with you.  (YOU, not the sandwich!)

 
 

Or… as we call them at our house, a “sammich.”

The occasion called for a spontaneous throw-together.  A whole wheat bagel.  Leftover roast chicken.  Sliced avocado.  Wisconsin cheddar.  A sprinkle of S & P.  And maybe a smidge of Green Goddess Dressing… :)

There ya have it.

Enjoying a day to catch up (and a sammich!),

~ Kim

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Posted by: Kimby | May 9, 2012

Comfort Food II

Sometimes life throws you curve balls, and after all of the scrambling around is done, the only thing you can do is sit down with a plate of comfort food and savor every bite.  (Or at least that’s what I do!)

After some recent family health concerns (serious enough to make an unplanned trip to Minnesota), I was left with a feeling of wanting to connect with the familiar once I got back to Oklahoma.  Since I grew up in the land of yah sure, you betcha, eh? :), it only seemed right to tap into my “hotdish” heritage.

Also known as a casserole, a covered dish, or the perfunctory “dish to pass,” hotdish is comforting food indeed.  Nary a potluck dinner or church supper goes by without someone exclaiming, “I MUST have your recipe!”  (Some cooks even come armed with recipe cards!)  In a way, blogging is a bit like that, exchanging recipes “electronically” — and maybe that’s why I love it so.  It’s comforting to share good food!

No matter what you call “hotdish,” there are three requirements: 1) It must be hearty; 2) flavorful; and 3) big enough to feed a small army.  (That’s where the sharing part comes in, too.)

Considering my repertoire of church cookbooks (and shared recipes), I could keep you supplied in hotdish for many years to come, but I decided to concoct one of my own.  Let’s see… hmmmm… what are my favorite things?

Italian sausage.  Sauteed mushrooms.  Roasted red peppers.  Olives (lots of ‘em.)  Mozzarella “pearls.”  Onions, green and regular.  Pasta with some “tooth” to it.

Am I forgetting anything… (besides the pasta in the above-captioned photo)…? :)

(For those of you new to my blog – I tell a “second story” when you hover your mouse over the photos…)

Melded together with a tomato sauce of your choosing and a liberal dose of Mozzarella on top, you’ve pretty much got it covered… literally!

“My Favorite Things” Hotdish

7 to 8 oz. of your favorite pasta — farfelle, shells, rigatoni, etc. (I use penne rigate, which is described as having a sharp, diagonal cut on the end, similar to a quill pen) :)

1 Tbsp. sea salt, or to taste

1 lb. Italian sausage, hot or mild (I used Lovera’s Hot Italian Sausage from Krebs, Oklahoma — you can order it on-line, woohoo!)

Butter/olive oil/bacon grease (or a combination thereof…)

8 oz. whole mushrooms, quartered

1 sweet yellow onion, diced

4 to 5 green onions (including tops), sliced

2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced

2 roasted red peppers (I used Mazzetta’s Roasted Bell Peppers, a gift from my Mom, xo), drained & diced

1/2 jar Mazzetta Napa Valley Bistro Blend Olives, drained

8 oz. Mozzarella cheese “pearls” (or cubed Mozzarella cheese)

1 jar of spaghetti sauce (I used Paul Newman’s “Sockarooni” Sauce)

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Grated Mozzarella cheese for the top – as much or as little as you desire

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.

Bring water to boil in a large kettle.  Add salt and pasta; cook until al dente.  Drain, but do not rinse.

Meanwhile, remove casings from sausage.  Heat butter/olive oil/bacon grease (whatever combo tickles ya) in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add sausage and stir occasionally to break into “bite-sized” chunks, until browned and cooked through.  Remove sausage to paper-towel-lined plate; reserve drippings in skillet.

Add the mushrooms and sweet yellow onions to skillet; saute over medium-high heat until golden.  Add green onions, garlic, and red peppers; heat through, taking care not to fricassee the garlic. (!!!)  Mix in drained olives, sausage, and pasta.

In the same skillet (or a large casserole dish or Dutch oven), combine the above with Sockarooni Sauce (or your own) and Mozzarella pearls or cubes; stir to coat.  Mix in the Paremesan cheese ’til blended.

Put everything in an oven-worthy vessel (if you haven’t already); cover and bake for 30 to 40 minutes.  Remove cover.  Sprinkle the hotdish/casserole/whatever with grated Mozzarella cheese; heat until melted, about 10 to 15 minutes, depending on how “browned” you like it.  Serve with warm bread and a salad.

Enjoying the comfort of sharing,

~ Kim

What’s your favorite “hotdish?”

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Posted in Cooking, Entrees, Pasta | Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by: Kimby | May 3, 2012

Go, Green!

Something about this time of year makes me crave Green Goddess Dressing.

The mere thought of it evokes images of Mother Nature, the vernal equinox, and Aphrodite – although she wasn’t green.

I was so enthralled with the idea of making a batch, I completely forgot to put it in the blender!  (It still tasted wonderful – although not quite as green.)

Green Goddess Dressing

(Adapted from the recipe on a bottle of Reese Tarragon Sprig Wine Vinegar)

1/2 c. mayonnaise (regular or low-fat)

1/2 c. sour cream (regular or low-fat)

1/2 c. chopped fresh parsley

1-1/2 Tbsp. tarragon, chopped

3 green onion tops, minced

1 tsp. dried chervil

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. Kosher salt (or to taste)

1 to 1-1/2 Tbsp. tarragon vinegar

1 to 2 Tbsp. water (use less for a “dip-like” consistency; more for “dressing”)

Combine ingredients in a small bowl; mix well.  Cover and refrigerate until chilled.

Serve on a bed of butter lettuce (which is not as calorie-laden as the name implies!) or use as a dip with fresh vegetables.

Homemade croutons optional.  (Not!) :)

For traditional Green Goddess Dressing, whirl everything in a blender or food processor until smooth.

Enjoying all things green,

~ Kim

(Yes, Gumby, that includes you.)

31 Comments

Posted in Life On The Lake, Salads | Tags: , , , , , , ,

Posted by: Kimby | April 25, 2012

Bye, Bye, Miss American Fry

I’ve always loved potatoes – baked, mashed, creamed, boiled, roasted, you name it — but the ones that make me swoon are fried potatoes.

My fondness for sauteed spuds hails back to my roots, when my folks would take us “up north” fishing.  I can still picture Mom cooking Dad’s early morning catch (generally walleye) in a cast iron skillet, adjacent to a larger skillet filled with sliced potatoes sizzling in butter.  Their aroma would waft through the open screen door to mingle with pine, birch, and lake-scented air and beckon me to blaze a trail to the table, where all of the above was served on a Melmac plate with a side of toast.

Breakfast doesn’t get much finer than that.

During “the trucking years” I looked forward to breakfast more than any other meal — particularly breakfast potatoes.  After a day or night of shifting gears across America, I’d search for a good ol’ fashioned truck stop — not one of those huge, hundred-acre mega-plexes, but a “Mom & Pop” joint — neat and tidy, with a little wear and tear around the edges, and a cook who looked like they’d put in a few miles, too.

After perusing the ”breakfast section” of the menu, I’d order any combo that came with American Fries (sometimes hailed as “home fries”) and anticipate that mound of crisp-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside, hand-peeled, hand-cut spuds, pan-fried to a golden brown.  Depending on which region I was in (and which cook was slinging hash), the spuds would hint of butter, bacon grease, or lard – but, they were never greasy — and they typically sported diced onion or peppers.   Potato perfection.

Then came the convenience food revolution and a noticeable decline in ”American fries” – often replaced by mechanically cut, frozen cubes dunked in a deep fryer.   Not the same!  I could almost hear Don McClean crooning, “Bye… bye… Miss American Fry…”

Thankfully, I ran across a recipe in the “good ol’ days” that never fails to deliver the taste and texture I’ve been missing.  Although billed as a ‘salad’ (Warm Irish Potato Salad http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/taste/11445761.html), these spuds are entirely suitable for breakfast, and worthy of their title.
 

American Fries (adapted from ‘The Local’ linked above)

4 c. red potatoes, diced

8 slices bacon, diced

1/2 c. malt vinegar

4 green onions, sliced

4 Tbsp. fresh parsley, minced

Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste

Cook potatoes in boiling water until almost tender; drain.  Rinse with cold water; place in a sieve to drain thoroughly.

In the meantime, fry the bacon in a large skillet until crisp; remove to paper toweling to drain.  Reserve drippings in skillet.

Heat bacon drippings over high heat; add potatoes.  Reduce heat to medium-high; cook and turn with a spatula until potatoes are browned evenly.  Add malt vinegar; stir gently until vinegar is evaporated.  Remove pan from heat.  Add green onions, parlsey, and bacon.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

As I said, breakfast doesn’t get much finer than that.

Enjoying spud nostalgia,

~ Kim

What kind of potatoes do you like?

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Posted in Breakfast, Cooking, Vegetables | Tags: , , , , ,

Posted by: Kimby | April 21, 2012

A Sweet and Smoky Salad

Wash one bunch of red butter lettuce leaves and fluff them out on a plate.  (Yes, I’m aware that “fluff them out” isn’t a cooking term.)

Layer with caramelized pears, smoked Provolone cheese, and smoked almonds.

Add a glass of Chardonnay.

And a fork.

Sweet and Smoky Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

Red butter lettuce leaves, torn

Caramelized pears (recipe to follow)

Smoked almonds (however many you like)

Smoked Provolone cheese, julienned

Citrus Vinaigrette (recipe to follow)

Begin by making the caramelized pears.

Caramelized Pears

1 to 2 D’Anjou pears, peeled, cored, and sliced

1-1/2 Tbsp. butter

1 Tbsp. brown sugar

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add pears and sprinkle with brown sugar.  Stir to coat.  Reduce heat to medium; cook for 4 to 6 minutes, until pears are coated but retain their shape.  Set pears aside on a plate to cool.

Meanwhile, julienne smoked Provolone cheese, assemble lettuce leaves on a plate, and prepare this vinaigrette dressing.  (Thank you, Chef Rohini!)

Citrus Vinaigrette (from Food Served With Love And Calories)

3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp. freshly-squeezed orange juice

2 tsp. freshly-squeezed lemon juice

1 tsp. honey

1/2 tsp. mustard seeds

Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste

Whisk vinaigrette ingredients together until cohesive; set aside.

Once pears have cooled, layer them over the lettuce with julienned cheese and smoked almonds.  Drizzle vinaigrette over the top and prepare for mouth happiness.

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Enjoying salad days,

~ Kim

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Posted in Cooking, Salad | Tags: , , , , ,

Posted by: Kimby | April 19, 2012

Another Side of Me

Hello…

I was working on something for my writing group and this was the most expedient way to get it to them.

Hope you don’t mind coming along for the ride. :)

Welcome to another side of me…

 Soliloquy

 

In the Springtime of my Youth,

Life was bright with promise.

Pastel with anticipation.

Rife with possibilities.

Then came Summer and the neon of Now.

Live and love.

Laugh and learn.

(The glare of the moment often outweighed the consequences.)

Enter the muted tones of

Maturity.

Subtle.  Serene.

Softer shades of beautiful.

However…

now that I’m facing the black and white of Eternity,

I have no regrets!

Only light, and music.

But at the present moment…

the softness of sepia

suits me.

.   .   .

Enjoying every breath,

~ Kim

Where are you in the journey?

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