"Hot as Haiti" - a drink

It seems that alcoholic beverages of all varieties are very much in Vogue again. And with variety like we've never seen. Everything from alcoholic smoothies, to the be-all, end-all Martini. My friend Linda T's daughter Kris introduced me to this drink on Christmas Day, 2006, at her mother's home in Carlsbad. We were en route to our daughter's home in Poway to celebrate Christmas Day and dinner, and stopped for a brief visit. Kris was bartender for the day, and was offering two mixed drinks: one made with Pimm's, or this one, a rum-based drink with fruit juices. I opted for the latter, and have enjoyed this cocoction numerous times in the ensuing months. As long as you have the ingredients on hand - tangerines, limes, ginger ale, and mint, you're in business. Normally I'm out of tangerines and limes, maybe even ginger ale, so I need to plan ahead. Currently we're out of tangerine season here, so I've used orange juice, and particularly like the color when I've used blood oranges. I've used sugar-free ginger ale and added Splenda to sweeten the drink, with no appreciable change in flavor. It's the fruit juices and mint that travel through, and the rum is subtle, as long as you don't overdo it.

Kris got this from a little cookbook of drinks, Highballs High Heels - a Girl's Guide to the Art of Cocktails (currently out of print). This is very refreshing drink and will make a really nice break in a warm, almost hot, sunny Southern California afternoon. The picture was taken in Linda's kitchen a few weeks ago when I spent a very fun weekend with her in Carlsbad. She remembered that I had enjoyed the drink and provided the ingredients, so we both had one. What fun! Thanks, Linda. Thanks, Kris.

Hot as Haiti

Source: Linda T's daughter Kris

Author: Highballs High Heels - a Girl's Guide to the Art of Cocktails

2 pieces lime, seeded, 1-inch wedge
2 pieces tangerine, seeded 1-inch wedge
1 tablespoon sugar
6 whole ice cubes, or 6-8 cubes crushed
1 oz. dark rum
3 oz. ginger ale, chilled

Place the lime wedges, tangerine wedges, and sugar in bottom of an 8 ounce double old fashion glass or a thick, heavy bottom glass. Muddle the mixture until juice is extracted and the sugar dissolves. Add enough ice to fill the glass. Pour in the rum, and top with ginger ale to serve.
Per Serving: 257 Calories; 1g Fat (2.3% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 53g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 14mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 Fruit; 1 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

To print just the recipe, click the title at the top.

Tex-Mex Jicama Salad

A week or two ago I mentioned Hugh Carpenter, a very talented chef, author and restaurant consultant. I think his name cropped up in the Los Angeles Times Food Section one year (this was back in the mid-80's) because he was consulting with several new restaurants, helping them develop their menus and specifically the food. Back then he was really into Asian food, but was one of the early advocates of fusion - Asian fusion - Pan-Asian, or Pan-Californian. We zipped up to L.A. on several occasions to try the food in these restaurant establishments and were very interested in the food combinations and layers of flavor. He lives up in wine country, but must spend some time in L.A. So when Carpenter began teaching at the Bristol Farms facility in South Pasadena, I drove up there to take some classes. I was impressed. He's a very engaging, entertaining guy, high energy and skinny as a rail. Still is. He must not eat a lot of the food he prepares, or else he's one of those kind of guys who has a very natural high metabolism. His wife, Teri Sandison, was there with him, and we learned that she helped in the kitchen, but her angle was pottery. More than one of the Carpenter cookbooks contains nothing but his wife's plates, platters, bowls, etc. and she's listed as a co-author.

This recipe was from one of the classes, although it could have been from a more recent one rather than years ago. I'm not sure, nor do I know which of his cookbooks this is from. I've made it several times, and it seemed very appropriate today since we're going to an afternoon barbecue with a group of friends. All I do know is that it's tasty. I happen to love watercress. It has a peppery tang that dances on my tongue. It's a little difficult to find these days . . . I don't know why, but it is. The salad is different (because of the jicama, the watercress, and the abundance of pecans), crunchy (also because of the jicama), and the dressing is a cloud of flavor with every bite (unique because of fresh lime juice and honey). But you just gotta use the walnut or pecan oil. Under no circumstances should you substitute olive oil or even vegetable oil. Actually I don't think I've ever seen pecan oil, but walnut oil isn't too hard to find these days. Just remember to keep the oil in the refrigerator - it doesn't have a long shelf life at room temp. Give yourself ample time for all the chopping and mincing. I think it takes about an hour from start to finish, but it's good to chill everything before actually serving, so if possible, allow an extra hour for that.

Tex Mex Jicama Salad
Recipe: Hugh Carpenter, cookbook author
Serving Size : 4

1 pound jicama
2 cups watercress
1 whole red bell pepper
1 cup pecan halves
1/4 cup lime juice -- freshly squeezed
3 tablespoons walnut oil -- or pecan oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon hot chili sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 whole garlic clove -- minced
2 tablespoons cilantro -- chopped

1. Advance Preparation: Preheat oven to 325°. Using a knife, trim off the jicama skin - hold the jicama on it's edge and slice away pieces of skin. This is much easier than using a potato peeler. Cut the jicama in small julienne pieces. You want about 4 cups total. Place in a plastic bag and refrigerate. Wash the watercress, discard any tough ends, and refrigerate. Char the red pepper over a gas flame or under the broiler. Just cook until the skin is charred on all sides. Transfer to a plastic bag, seal and set aside for 10 minutes. Then rub away any skin, stem it and cut into matchstick sized pieces. Refrigerate.
2. Place nuts on a baking sheet and toast for about 15 minutes. In a small bowl combine the lime juice, oil, honey, chile sauce, cumin, salt, garlic and cilantro. Refrigerate. All of the above can be done up to 8 hours in advance.
3. To serve: In a large bowl combine the jicama, watercress, red pepper, and nuts. Stir the dressing and pour over the jicama, then toss until evenly coated. Transfer to a salad platter or on individual plates.
Serving Ideas : Good with grilled meat. Since I have trouble finding watercress I have used arugula and it was just great.
NOTES : The dressing is sensational, and could also be drizzled on grilled salmon or halibut. Since jicama has very little taste, it's the dressing you DO taste. Give yourself plenty of time to julienne the jicama and red bell pepper. If you don't have Asian chile sauce, use some kind of hot sauce to give it a kick.
Per Serving: 361 Calories; 29g Fat (67.5% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 27g Carbohydrate; 8g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 281mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 5 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.
Click on the title at the top to print just the recipe.

This ISN'T your typical tomato soup

Ramekins, the cooking school Cherrie and I visited last Saturday and Sunday is in Sonoma. It's been in existence for a long time, and first came to my attention because Joanne Weir, one of my all-time favorite cooking instructors, mentioned that she occasionally demonstrated there. Also, Tarla Fallgatter, a local Orange County teacher, also taught there in years past. Over the years I've looked at Ramekins' website and watched who was visiting there to teach, when, etc. One trip to wine country I even dropped by the school and peeked in to see what it was like, and was fortunate to be able to see some of the guest rooms (it's a B&B also). That's when I decided that someday I'd go for a class and an overnight.

The cooking school is housed in a lovely building about 3 blocks from the main square in downtown Sonoma, just next door to The General's Daughter, a fabulous restaurant we visited one night last week. Unlike some cooking schools which are side rooms of cookware stores (often cramped), this one was set up to be a cooking demo and participation kitchen. Actually the building also has a very large banquet room (and accompanying commercial kitchen) to seat about 100+ people, and they do large parties, weddings, etc. there. A lovely patio adds to the charm of the place. In the picture, the banquet room is on the left, the kitchen school on the right, the B&B rooms upstairs (which are just lovely) and the delightful patio under those leafy trees.

The cooking school kitchen has ample room for seating or prep tables. Most of Ramekins' classes are participation style (you are given an overview of the class, then everyone digs in and prepares a part of the meal). We chopped, minced, sautéed, pureed, tossed, etc. whatever our assignment was, then went to tables outside (both days were just beautiful weather, ideal for sitting out under their big shady trees) and the staff served us the meal we'd all fixed.

So, on Saturday, the class was French Bistro favorites. We had the soup (below), a country paté, mussels in broth, steak with Béarnaise sauce, pommes Anna and chocolate soufflés. I doubt I'll make any of the other dishes, but the tomato soup was outstanding. One point the teacher, Lisa Lavagetto (the cooking school manager), told us was the importance of using only San Marzano canned tomatoes. You may already know about these, but I didn't, and having tasted them right out of the can today, I can definitely say they're
far sweeter and more tasty than any canned tomato I've ever met before. They're not at your neighborhood chain grocery - you'll need to find an upscale grocery or an Italian deli. The 28 ounce cans I bought were $3.69 each, but well worth the expense. The soup isn't hard to make, at all. You just have to have the ingredients at the ready - onions, carrots, celery, tomato paste, the San Marzano tomatoes, some fresh herbs, chicken broth. Oh, and some heavy cream. This isn't exactly low calorie or low fat, but a cup of heavy cream for 8 people is only 2 tablespoons per person. That's not bad! And this soup will definitely be a staple in my repertoire from now on. I doubled the recipe so I'll have some to freeze.

Cream of Tomato Soup
Recipe :Lisa Lavagetto, cooking school manager at Ramekins, Sonoma, California

Servings: 8
4 tablespoons butter
2 pieces thick-sliced bacon -- diced
1/2 large onion -- peeled, diced
1 stick celery -- diced
1 medium carrot - - peeled & diced

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
8 tablespoons tomato paste
6 cups chicken broth -- or vegetable broth
15 ounces chopped tomatoes -- San Marzano brand, with juice
2 sprigs rosemary -- fresh
5 sprigs thyme -- fresh
1 whole bay leaf kosher salt & freshly ground pepper
1 cup heavy cream
3 cups croutons -- homemade, not packaged

1. In a large, heavy bottomed pot melt the better. Add bacon, onion, carrot and celery. Sauté until lightly browned. Mix in the flour, forming a roux, then cook until the mixture resembles a fine sandy texture. Do not burn. Remove from heat and add the tomato paste. Return the pan to the heat and gradually add the 6 cups broth and bring to a boil, stirring constantly to break up any tomato paste chunks.
2. Combine the fresh herbs and bay leaf into a bouquet garni (tie up with a string) and add to the soup. Add tomatoes with juice and season lightly. Simmer for 40-45 minutes, occasionally skimming off any fat that might arise to the top.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the croutons (chunks of white bread drizzled with olive oil and butter, then baked or drizzle olive oil and butter in a frying pan and brown them).
4. Remove the herbs (bouquet garni) from the soup and discard. Use a stick blender (or food processor or blender) and liquidize the soup until smooth. Or, if you prefer to have a bit of texture, just blend the ingredients part way, then return to the pot and add the cream. Adjust the consistency - if the soup is a little too thick, add a bit more broth or cream. If you prefer a very smooth soup you can strain through a conical strainer at this point. Adjust the seasonings again, then ladle into bowls, top with some hot croutons and serve.

Serving Ideas : The original recipe called for using puff pastry, cut into squares and rolled out thin, then draped over an ovenproof bowl filled with the soup, then baked at 425° for 10-15 minutes until toasty crisp. We in the class felt that the pastry was very hard to cut - how do you do that with only a spoon, but awkward for sure even with a knife or fork when it's perched on top of a bowl. So we all decided that making croutons with butter and olive oil would be a better choice.
NOTES : A serving will be about 1 1/2 cups or less. The instructor highly recommended Swanson's Natural Goodness chicken broth, but it's too high in sodium for me, so I used Health Valley. The instructor also mentioned that carrots help round out the flavor of tomatoes - she uses them often in any dish that uses a lot of tomatoes.

Per Serving : 302 Calories; 21g Fat (60.2% calories from fat); 9g Protein; 22g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 59mg Cholesterol; 911mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 4 Fat.

To print the recipe only, click on the title at the top.

Roasted Banana Ice Cream and Low Fat to Boot

This isn't my recipe. It's from a new book on the horizon called The Perfect Scoop, by David Lebovitz. So, how'd I find out about it? From reading food blogs, of course (The Traveler's Lunchbox, to be exact)! Early in my blog reading, I heard about David Lebovitz and soon subscribed to his very entertaining blog.

David is an American in Paris (can you hear Gershwin's music trilling?), although he worked for 13 years at Chez Panisse in Berkeley. I talked a bit about the dinner we had last week at that restaurant, and I recall one of the waiters mentioning the favorite dessert there is whatever cobbler is on the menu. Interestingly, David Lebovitz just wrote up a blog posting about a new rendition of cobbler using polenta, click here, and he talks about his stint at Chez Panisse. And totally off the subject of food - I sent out (to a bunch of my friends) a link to his blog after reading his "take" on Europeans, the French, the Italians, and the Americans on the subject of B.O. It's also about the very American expression we hear everywhere, "Oh my God." His write up is LOL (that's cyberspeak for laugh out loud) funny. If you're interested, click here. If you read it, read the comments at the bottom - they're almost as funny as his blog posting.

How do you segue from body odor to ice cream. With difficulty, I think. But trudge on, I say. I tried this recipe from reading the blog, and once the book came out I ordered it for myself on Amazon for $16.47 (hardback). The book is chock full of very unusual combinations. Here's a sampling of ice creams, sorbets or granitas in the book: Sweet Potato Ice Cream with Maple-Glazed Pecans, Roquefort-Honey Ice Cream, Oatmeal Raisin Ice Cream, Malted Milk Ice Cream (one of his favorites, he says), Chocolate-Coconut Sorbet or Black Currant Tea Ice Cream. He also includes some cookie or bar recipes that he calls "vessels" for serving ice cream. And he adds in a few toppings like glazed or candied nuts or fruits.
After falling in love with Banana Gelato at Gelato Vero in San Diego (see previous post about this) I was certain I'd like this rendition. You roast the ripe bananas in the oven with brown sugar and butter, then scrape out every last bit from the pan, and mix with the milk base, chill, and freeze. The brown sugar comes through, and it has a very full, rounded flavor of the bananas. It disappeared in no time, although I did serve it to guests, so there wasn't much left after that. The best part is it's low in calories and fat - yes, really, just 4 g of fat per serving -see nutrition info just below the recipe.

Roasted Banana Ice Cream
Recipe By: David Lebovitz, The Perfect Scoop
Servings: 6
3 medium bananas -- ripe, peeled
1/3 cup brown sugar -- 70 grams
1 tablespoon butter -- cut into small pieces
1 1/2 cups whole milk -- (375ml)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice -- freshly-squeezed
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Slice the bananas into 1/2-inch pieces and toss them with the brown sugar and butter in a 2-quart baking dish. Bake for 40 minutes, stirring just once during baking, until the bananas are browned and cooked through. Scrape the bananas and the thick syrup in the dish into a blender or food processor (or a large bowl, if you're using an immersion blender). Add the milk, granulated sugar, vanilla, lemon juice and salt, and puree until smooth. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions (or freeze in a covered container, blending every couple of hours with an immersion blender until it becomes solid).
2. If the chilled mixture is too thick to pour into your machine, whisking will thin it out.

NOTES : This doesn't have a custard base, which means putting it together is a snap. The other benefit is that it doesn't actually contain any cream. Just that little bit of butter and some milk - that's all. But you'd never know it since it tastes as rich and creamy as any super-premium ice cream out there. But don't take my word for it - go make some yourself!

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 156 Calories; 4g Fat (23.2% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 29g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 13mg Cholesterol; 142mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1/2 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.
Click on the title at the top for a copy of just the recipe.

Dinner at Cindy's Back Street Kitchen

Years ago I began following the cooking of Cindy Pawlcyn. She cropped up on the Napa Valley radar when she opened Mustards, in the early 1980's. She is an innovative chef, but rounds out her food with all the trappings of comfort food. As I believe I mentioned earlier, this was where I first tasted roasted garlic. Since it was very difficult, then, to even get into Mustards, one always had to wait for a table, even with a reservation. While waiting, what more obvious a thing to do than have a glass of the ubiquitous white wine of the decade (chardonnay, of course, because just about everybody was drinking the varietal at that time), and as you became more and more hungry watching and smelling the trays of food whisked from kitchen to tables, you might order a little something to slake your raging appetite. I remember asking the barman what we should have. He grinned and said, "the roasted garlic, of course." I'm sure I must have made a face: even though I love garlic, I knew nothing about roasting it and about how the flavor changes so dramatically. To utter smoothness, to cream.

So anyway, that began my enjoyment of Cindy Pawlcyn's food. And discovering how terrifically easy it is to make roasted garlic. Years have gone by, and I did enjoy many a dinner at Mustards, although now it's been some years. But when I began planning this trip, my friend Darlene raved about Pawlcyn's newer place, Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen. The name is thus because the restaurant sits in a cute and funky little house on the next street over from the main drag through St. Helena. The town itself is small. There's really just the one road that wends through the town, Highway 29. Tra Vigne is at the southern end of town, and Cindy's place is about in the middle of town. A month ahead it was difficult getting a reservation here, but I was successful only with an early hour. Our waitress was funny as a stitch. She told us about the specials of the day and went non-linear about the soup. She just insisted we
HAD to try it - a Tomatillo, Poblano and Asiago Soup. She said the wait staff was in love with it. So, what could we possibly do? We each ordered it. Oh - my - gosh! I cannot begin to tell you. I wanted another bowl. I did my best to get information about what was in it, other than the obvious. She didn't think there was cream, although she said it was thickened with masa. (To me, it looked like there was some cream.) So, today I did a search on the internet, and lo and behold I found a recipe from the chef at Stephan Pyle's restaurant in Dallas. I've never been there, but have certainly heard a lot about Stephan Pyles over the years. I haven't tried this yet, but I will. I can promise you I will because Cherrie and I went nuts over this soup. I'll let you know whether it compares with Cindy's. When I make it I'll try it without the flour, but with masa, and I'll taste it before adding any cream.

Cherrie ordered one solitary oyster with spinach, shallots and a melting cheese. I ordered the stuffed zucchini blossoms (with Jack, cheddar and Asiago, with a dollop of guacamole) lightly sauteéd. We also ordered a delicious grilled chicken dish, Chicken Pollo Loco (we shared one order) that was moist and tender.
It was stuffed with Jack cheese and California chiles and spinach, maybe flash fried with shallots and extra virgin olive oil.

Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen is a winner. The food was outstanding. The wait staff was very fun. The atmosphere very enjoyable. Where I was sitting I looked out a window - isn't this cute?

Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen, 1327 Railroad Avenue, St. Helena, California

Where do I begin? The trip to wine country . . .

Did we have fun? YES
Did we eat a lot of good food? YES YES YES
Did we shop 'til we dropped? Oh my, YES
Did we stay in some great places? YES
Would you go back? YES, most definitely
And lastly, is it good to be home? Well, yes it is.

It's really, REALLY fun going on a road trip with a girlfriend. You can stop at any store you see out of the corner of your eye. You can stop for a latté whenever you feel like it. You can lounge in the B&B over cups of coffee, at leisure in the mornings. And, you can taste wine if you feel like it, or not. With our husbands along on such a trip we decided we'd really have required two cars. The guys in an SUV with a storage tow trailer for all the cases of wine they would have purchased. Us in the luxury car so we could sight see and shop. The boys would have been hyperventilating about reaching as many wineries as possible in a day, and Cherrie and I would have wanted to stop and linger over a book store, a coffee store, or the myriad of wonderful kitchenware, housewares stores which abound in northern California. And I must put a disclaimer in here: probably our husbands would both be willing to travel our way. Maybe for a day. Or two. But not for 7 days.

Most likely I'll write a couple of posts about some of the places we went on this trip. But for now I'll say that our favorite meal was at Ravenous in Healdsburg. Worst meal was at Cyrus in Healdsburg (that was the much-hyped, very expensive restaurant that requires a credit card to make a reservation and charges $100 if you don't show up). Best place we stayed? Probably the B&B at Ramekins (the cooking school) in Sonoma. Although we really enjoyed the Victorian style Camellia Inn in Healdsburg too (we had a really cute room with separate bedrooms at a very reasonable price). It was about 2 blocks from the square in Healdsburg, so it was easy walking in every direction. We also stayed at the Marriott in Napa (okay), and a nice, but non-descript hotel in Emeryville.

When we left last Monday we zipped through Los Angeles. What? How's that possible, you ask? Because it was 7:30 am on a HOLIDAY. Otherwise it would have taken hours to slog through traffic. That was a real blessing, as only Southern Californians know with the gridlock traffic that exists in nearly every direction. We live in Orange County (near Disneyland), so we have to get through O.C. and then the huge metropolis of L.A. to head north. Anyway, we made the drive to Berkeley in record time, then had dinner at Chez Panisse. The restaurant has two floors - the lower floor is their set menu section. We opted for the more casual upstairs one with a varied menu. Cherrie had never been, so she was all eyes watching the chefs nearby as they prepared food. It was quite dark where we were sitting, and my photos just didn't turn out. I think it's kind of bizarre to see people taking pictures of their plates of food, so I try to be as unobtrusive as possible. And never use flash. So sometimes they just don't turn out. Particularly I enjoyed the fresh fruit tart - it looked like a piece of pizza, but it was a very nice, thin tart shell with fresh fruit and dried cherries and a blob of vanilla bean ice cream.

The next day we did the tour of the Scharffen Berger chocolate factory in Berkeley, which was very interesting. I'll write up a separate post about that. Following the tour we set out for parts north. Arrived in Healdsburg just past lunchtime, so enjoyed a light meal at the Oakville Grocery right on the square. Shopped. And shopped.

Our dinner that night was at Cyrus. After all I'd read about the place, maybe we were expecting too much. It's a lovely restaurant. Elegant, but in a Tuscan villa kind of way. Nice linens, very pleasant wait staff seeing to our every need. As nice as all that is, though, it's the food you go for, especially since this may exceed some people's entire Christmas budget in one meal. We opted not to partake of the caviar service, although we did try the sparkling wine. I didn't keep track of everything we drank, but I didn't care for the sparkler - I think it was a Roederer French champagne.

We ordered their 3-course meal ($68), the smallest set course you can order. A la carte is also available, but it really is a better deal to do the set courses, and it's the same menu either way. We also opted for the 3-course wine pairings ($42, I believe). That was a big mistake. I do drink white wine, but I usually prefer red, and I was not thrilled at all with their choices. Cherrie wasn't either. One of her courses was an Asian kind of small plate and they served it with a sake. Chilled. The waiter professed it to be an extraordinary wine. She didn't like it at all, and she likes sake. I disliked my wine pairings so much I left most of it in the glasses. The food was okay. Rather fussy kind of plates - froths, drizzles, herb sprigs with tall things here and there. They also do much with deconstructed plates, which is fine, but that's probably why they're so expensive because of the extra time required in the kitchen. So, I'd take a pass on Cyrus, unfortunately.

I will tell you, though, about our best meal:
Ravenous Café 420 Center Street, Healdsburg Phone: (707) 431-1302.
American bistro. Menu changes twice weekly. Lunch Wednesday- Sunday, 11:30am-2:30pm. Dinner Wednesday-Sunday, 5pm-9pm, Friday-Saturday until 9:30pm.

Several people in Healdsburg had told us about Ravenous, so we went there for lunch the next day. We're SO glad we did, as it did turn out to be the most memorable. We sat outside - it was warm in the sun, cool in the shade, but pleasant. A slight breeze. A nice iced tea kind of day. And we both ordered their BLT sandwich. Not something I order very often. But oh, my, was this ever delicious. They made their own soft ciabatta roll. Maybe they even made their own mayo. What made it great was the perfect proportions - soft bread, mayo, bacon, tomato, avocado and greens. You know, sometimes when you eat a sandwich there's too much bread, or there's too much mayo, or not enough tomato or the bread is too firm. Seems like it's always something. Not so in this case. And we also had a nice crunchy slaw with a ginger dressing. It wasn't Asian. But it wasn't your typical cole slaw, either. Very good, though. Here's a picture of our sandwich and slaw. It may not look that special, but it surely was.

We ended up talking with an older gentleman sitting at a nearby table, especially after he and his wife devoured a dessert that looked so fabulous - a strudel with apples, dried cherries and apricots. It was tall and airy with an exquisite puff pastry with gelato. Cherrie and I shared one. A wonderful treat. The meal, the setting. Perfect. Highly recommended.

Gone fishin' - not

I'll be back in a week. My laptop will accompany me, but don't know whether I'll be able to get online and post anything. My friend Cherrie and I are taking a little trip to do some shopping, maybe try a few wines, attend some cooking classes at Ramekins in Sonoma, and enjoy some good food. Here are some of the other places we're going to visit:

Dinner: Chez Panisse, Berkeley (Alice Waters' restaurant - she was the earliest restaurateur to proclaim the virtues of fresh and organic lettuces and vegetables - we're eating in the café, not the more elegant restaurant.)

Dinner: Cyrus, Healdsburg (One of the top restaurants in the Healdsburg area - you have to pre-pay $100 for dinner here, not refundable if you change your mind. Geez! They will give you "store credit" though. It had better be worth it!)

Lunch: The Girl & the Fig, on the square in Sonoma (Dave and I have eaten here before, thought it was wonderful. The chef has her own personal line of fig products like fig vinegar, fig conserve, etc. Obviously, she's in love with figs! What I remember most about it last time was the great mojito I had. I know, I know, this is wine country, but I was tired of tasting wine from morning til night.)

Dinner: The General's Daughter, Sonoma (another landmark near the square in Sonoma. Highly recommended by one of the cooking instructors/classes I frequent.)

Dinner: Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen, St. Helena (Cindy Palcywn, of Mustards Grill fame, has been on my radar screen for over 20 years. First tried baked garlic at her restaurant back in the early 80's. My friend Linda gave me the Mustards' cookbook. This is a more recently opened restaurant, casual, highly recommended by my friend Darlene.)

Oh, almost forgot, we're also going to the Scharffen Berger Chocolate Factory in Berkeley. We have an appointment for a tour there, which should be oodles of fun. I'm a fan of good chocolate and use Scharffenberger's in baking, always, providing I have it on hand. The Scharffenberger family used to be into wines, mostly sparkling wine, which was one of my favorites of the champagne-style. I was quite disappointed when they sold the business. But then they decided to focus on producing the finest, European-style chocolates. It took them a couple of years to learn all about it and purchase the equipment, etc., but they've since had great success and acclaim.

Cheerio!

Sausage Pinwheels

In years gone by, I used to entertain on the fly a lot more than I do now. So I always needed recipes that were quick. My problem is that quick doesn't always mean good or tasty to me. Or at least back in those years I didn't have many quick recipes that were also exceptional. One of my other problems is that when I prepare a dinner for friends, at the back of my mind I'm always wanting to wow them. I've learned that's just not possible with every part of a meal, but I still try. So, this recipe was a regular for me because I could make it ahead and it "lived" in the freezer until I needed some tasty hot appetizer for guests. Originally I made this just around holiday time, but it's really just fine any time of year. I might not make it in the heat of summer just because I prefer cold foods then.

And when I tell you this is easy, I really mean easy. Bisquick dough is hardly difficult - it rolls out easily (really). But as you'll read in the recipe itself, you simply must use a fatty sausage. No Jimmy Dean or butcher ground lean stuff. You want the grocery store tube (I used to buy Farmer John, I think, because that was what my local market carried). High fat. It's necessary to give the biscuit dough the tender flakiness. I tell you this because I've made the mistake of buying leaner sausage, and it absolutely doesn't look right. Doesn't taste good, either. So trust me on this. The other caveat is that you simply must allow the sausage to warm to room temperature - about an hour - before you start spreading it. You can separate the sausage into smaller bits and it will take less time. So, you spread out the sausage on the Bisquick dough and sprinkle it with a tad of cayenne. A tiny tad, actually. Roll up the rolls, reshape them gently, seal the edge, cut them into smaller sections if desired, wrap in waxed paper, then in foil and freeze. The small sections allow you to use only a small amount for a few people, if that's what you need. Otherwise you will be making a lot of them.

Here's a picture of them in the frozen state. When you're ready to prepare them, you must leave them out at room temperature for at least 15 minutes, maybe 20, in order to cut them. If you don't the dough will crack off, which you don't want, of course. As long as you warmed up the sausage ahead of time, this doesn't take more than 15 minutes to prepare, start to finish. You can trust me on that, too.

Hot Sausage Pinwheels
Recipe By :I've been making these for so long I don't remember where the recipe came from!
Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:30

1 pound pork sausage -- NOT lean
1 dash cayenne
2 cups Bisquick® baking mix
2 tablespoons margarine -- softened
Milk

1. Important: allow sausage to warm to room temperature, then blend in cayenne. Mix Bisquick with butter, then add milk according to the "biscuit" directions on the box. On a floured surface, roll dough to a rectangle measuring 12" x 18". With your fingers, spread sausage on the dough, leaving a dough edge around it. Starting from one of the short sides, roll dough like a jelly roll. Seal edge with water and press lightly to seal well. Press doughy ends in a little and seal as best you can.
2. Wrap the rolls in waxed paper, then in foil, seal well, and place on a flat surface in the freezer. Once frozen place in a plastic bag to seal.
3. Preheat oven to 375°. Remove about 10 minutes before you need to slice them. Slice in 1/3 inch slices and place on baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

NOTES : I think I could make these in my sleep. These are really tasty and if your crowd is hungry they'll disappear in a flash. In years gone by I used to keep one or more of these rolls in the freezer at all times, just in case I might need them. It is necessary to use good-old fatty sausage for this dish in order to make the crust tender. Brands like Jimmy Dean are too meaty.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 255 Calories; 20g Fat (70.3% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 26mg Cholesterol; 508mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 3 1/2 Fat.
To print just the recipe, click on the title of this post.

Tomato Knife

Here's something I use often in my kitchen. It's a 6-inch tomato knife. A very razor-sharp serrated edged knife with a sleeve to store it in, that is specifically made for slicing tomatoes. Does it work? Absolutely - you can get almost paper thin slices with little effort. Is it worth buying a knife just for tomatoes, you ask? I think so. And just in case you didn't catch it a couple of sentences ago. . . Is it sharp? Yes, indeed. I cut myself with it soon after getting it, so now am very, very careful when I use it. Why is it different than any other serrated blade? I wish I could tell you; I can't, but it works and that's why I am recommending it. I believe I ordered mine from a catalog (don't remember which one, but it wasn't Williams-Sonoma or Sur la Table) about 2-3 years ago. It's made by PureKomachi (Japan) and is available at several on-line retailers. Here's the Amazon link where it's $14.98. It appears they no longer make this knife with the hard plastic sleeve, although they've changed the tip to include small points to remove the core. That sounds like a good improvement, although my less pointed tip suffices for removing small cores.

Avocado Butter - an oxymoron?

Avocado tastes butter-like already. Butter is butter. Why would you put a butter-like food with more of the same? Well, because is just tastes so good. It gives the avocado a different texture when it's slicked with butter. It wasn't my idea, although I've been making this long enough that I could easily begin to think it was. But no, it was Sunset Magazine's idea, probably 30 years ago. The upside: taste, ease of preparation, it's freezable (unlike guacamole), and it quickly defrosts. It keeps for a few days, although with some discoloration. The downside: well, the fat, I suppose, although remember that avocado part is a good fat. But you don't need much to smear on a cracker to get that velvety avocado taste. It has some of the classic components of guacamole (lemon juice, and garlic salt). But this time you mix the ingredients with a little gelatin and half and half or milk or cream, and chill it for an hour or so before serving. The gelatin solidifies it enough and makes it spread a lot easier. It might be fine without it, however. I've never tried it, trusting Sunset that they knew what they were doing.

If you have a few extra avocados and don't have plans to use them before they'd go bad, think about this butter, and put it in a couple of small crocks in the freezer for some night when you need a nice appetizer and don't have time to fix one.

Avocado Butter
Recipe By :Sunset Magazine Serving Size : 12 -16
Preparation Time 15 minutes

1 medium avocado
8 ounces butter
1/2 envelope gelatin
2 tablespoons boiling water
2 tablespoons lemon juice -- fresh
garlic salt -- to taste
2 tablespoons half and half

1. Peel and mash the avocado, add softened butter and beat until thoroughly blended. Soften gelatin in cream and stir in boiling water until gelatin is dissolved. Add to avocado with lemon juice and garlic salt. Turn into small loaf pan or dish; spread smoothly. Cover and chill thoroughly. May also be frozen for a few months with no loss of flavor (seal it well, however).
2. Leave butter out at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving. Serve with plain crackers.
Serving Ideas : Best served with simple crackers - even saltines are good. The flavor is delicate, so don't overwhelm the butter with a very flavorful crackers.

NOTES : It helps if you have an avocado tree, but even if you don't, this makes a wonderful appetizer, that's very different. It freezes well, believe it or not, and doesn't take all that long to defrost. Spread it into small ramekins, cover with plastic wrap (completely covering the butter mixture) and pop in the freezer.
Per Serving based on serving 12: 170 Calories; 18g Fat (93.2% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 2g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 42mg Cholesterol; 161mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 3 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
To print just the recipe, click the title at the top.

Obsessive, compulsive cookbooks - ever heard of this disorder?

I can hardly say enough good things about this book. I either heard or read an interview with the author, who was the White House main chef for 8 years - 4 years with the Clintons and 4 years with the Bushes. In the interview, he was very well spoken, and extremely entertaining, and I knew I needed - had to have - coveted - this book. Amazon loves me because this kind of thing happens to me often. Here's the link on Amazon for The White House Chef, by Walter Scheib. Prior, he'd been the chef at the Greenbrier, that exquisite country hotel in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, which gave him lots of credentials to fill the chef shoes at the White House. He already knew how to serve private parties of 8 and dinners for 1000. That place has always been on my want-to-go list, but it's pricey. Very pricey.

So, now we go to last night. Since my dear hubby is sailing on the East Coast with our friends Jerry & Judy (I get seasick, so I don't do small boats in the ocean; I rarely do big boats in the ocean), I made a vegetable dinner for myself and started reading. I kept reading. Did the dishes. Kept reading. Made myself some ginger-gensing tea and kept reading. Yes! This morning I made breakfast and started reading again. But then I got anxious to share this with you. So I haven't finished it yet. I need to put flags in the book on interesting recipes to try.

Maybe this book wouldn't appeal to just everyone. I enjoy reading about the behind-the-scenes stories of chefs. And what more interesting than at the White House, I ask? I have read Bourdain (eh, not so thrilled with his tyrannical nature), and recently read Heat, by Bill Buford (I liked this one a lot - it was almost a page turner). Then I saw an interview with Julia Child's nephew, regarding the book about his aunt's early years in France, My Life in France. I just loved that book. So much so that I bought one of her cookbooks because of it. (See, I told you I have a problem.)

So having gotten the White House Chef, here are my comments. It isn't gossipy in the least. He's very ethical and respectful of his position, and it didn't go to his head, either. He honors the friendships with the First Families to not tell tales. But he does tell interesting stories - like the cooking lessons he gave Chelsea, teaching her to cook before she went off to Stanford, for instance. The most engrossing were the details of his job interviews and the luncheon for 10 people that was his interview with Hillary. Apparently he clinched the deal with lamb, which Hillary loves, but he didn't know that little fact! Sadly, one small story - he arrived his first day of work with 25 knives, in his knife case, all personally monogrammed, and within two months all but two of them had disappeared. Amazingly hard to believe. Reading about the White House kitchen was also interesting, about the table settings, the flowers, the protocol issues, the food allergy issues for big dinners. All fascinating to me.

His recipes are do-able. They're not pretentious or all that complicated. They're not 30-minute meals, however. For the book he adjusted the recipes for the home cook, which is helpful. Hillary Clinton had a plan - she wanted him to showcase American homegrown products, and he celebrates them throughout the book. I like that. What better place than at the White House with State Dinners and hundreds of fancy events, to highlight America's bountiful harvests.

I expect I'll try some of the recipes soon. And I'll post them when I do. The book is at least half stories and the remainder recipes, some photographs, and facts about the White House and staff. So if you have someone who loves reading these kinds of things (maybe you?), I highly recommend this book. Would make a lovely Christmas or birthday present too. It's $16.47 at Amazon. But if you order several books the shipping is free. See how my logic goes?*

*My secret is that I keep a wish list on Amazon, so when I have enough there to qualify for free shipping, my wish list books can easily be dropped into my shopping cart. Yippee.

Cranberry Noels - what? This is May isn't it?

Are all cookies seasonal in your book? Certainly I have a few cookie recipes that I don't make year around . . . like gingerbread men . . . or sugar cookies decorated with red and green. But otherwise, cookies are calendar universal. I had a bag of dried cranberries that needed to be used, and I remembered this recipe that's become a personal favorite since 2000 when my friend Darlene brought them to a Christmas cookie exchange.

If you haven't ever been to a cookie exchange, you should try it. These days, every woman's magazine blasts ideas for how to streamline our shopping, wrapping, decorating, cooking and entertaining during the holidays. Happily I've hostessed cookie exchanges for years. I had my first one in about 1971. And I've had them many times since - not every year, but every few. I love to have a variety of cookies to serve friends and family during the holidays, so what's easier than inviting a group of baking friends to share everyone's goodies. I can remember many times trying to figure out the math - okay, 11 people coming, everyone's bringing 5 dozen, how many of each cookie do we take? Got it. Oh, one gal didn't come at the last minute? Oops, change the number. Oh, another gal only got 50 out of her batch? Uhm, what do I change the number to now? Eventually we just took a bunch and if there were still lots of cookies, we'd make another turn around the cookie table adding a few more to our stashes.

I didn't intend this to be a lesson in cookie exchanges, but one thing I've learned is that each different cookie needs to go into its own plastic bag and sealed. Otherwise, someone's double mint cookies will infect all the other cookies in your container with mint. And all the bags go directly into the freezer after the exchange.

These Cranberry Noel cookies were the hit of the cookie exchange that year. Hands down. (Thank you, Darlene.) They came from Martha Stewart, but at the time they were the #1 winner of a Christmas cookie contest Martha had on her website. For this posting I did look it up and finally found it on one of Martha's forums here. I know they were originally part of a cookie contest because I wrote it into my recipe in 2000. She subsequently published it in a Christmas special issue, apparently. These are super simple - you mix up the batter, roll into two logs, roll the logs in shredded coconut, chill, slice and bake. And once they're cooled they go into Ziploc freezer bags and back into the freezer.

So, just because these contain dried cranberries, pecans and coconut, that doesn't mean you can't have them in May! I had one yesterday in the mid-afternoon with my cup of Earl Grey tea. Delicious.

Cranberry Noels
Recipe: Winner of MarthaStewart.com's online Cookie Contest, 2000
Serving: 48 Preparation Time 15 minutes

1 cup unsalted butter -- room temp
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract -- or rum (I always use vanilla)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup dried cranberries (sometimes I chop them a little)
1/2 cup pecans -- chopped
3/4 cup shredded coconut meat -- unsweetened

1. In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about two minutes. Add milk, vanilla, and salt. Beat until just combined. Gradually add flour, cranberries and pecans. Mix on low speed until fully combined.
2. Divide dough in half and shape each half into 8-inch logs, about two inches in diameter. Roll logs in coconut, pressing firmly to coat the outside of the logs, but without misshaping the logs. Wrap logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about two hours.
3. Heat oven to 375°. Using a sharp knife, cut logs into 1/4 inch thick slices. Transfer to an ungreased cookie sheet, placing about 1 - 1.5 inches apart. Bake until the edges are just golden brown, about 12 minutes. Transfer cookies to a rack to cool.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 78 Calories; 5g Fat (57.8% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 10mg Cholesterol; 23mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

To print just the recipe, click on the title of this posting.

A Nice Sunday Pork Roast . . on Friday

Deciding what to serve guests? For me, making decisions about a company meal usually starts out with the decision about the entrée. So, is it beef, fish, chicken, pork or lamb? I'll flip through my big personal cookbook (two large 3-ring binders containing all 405 of my recipes, divided up by categories), and start making a list of the options. I may pull out those recipes (each is in a plastic sleeve) before I decide. Here's what I do:

• make a list of a couple of the meat dishes that sound good to me. Then I'll think about what should go with it;
• vegetables (depends on the season, maybe two vegies and no carb), add to the list;
• another side/carb (does this dinner need a carb, would my guests prefer not to have a carb, is it too many calories already? think about the color on the plate since we like to have some variety); add to the list;
• a salad (green type? or another? special additions like pecans or walnuts, a new dressing? an old favorite?), add to the list;
• dessert (look over the menu so far, think about my timetable, what I can manage with all the other dishes, does it need to be lower calorie? a splurge? chocolate or no?); add to the list;
• and lastly appetizers (do I need to make something homemade? can I make do with chips and salsa? if we're not having carbs with the dinner, maybe hummus would be fine with crackers and vegies?).

So, for this particular dinner I wanted a pork roast using a recipe I've had for some years, after taking a class with Tarla Fallgatter, a local cooking instructor. But, I wanted a simple, but JUICY pork roast. The last few times I've baked a pork roast I've been disappointed and had concluded it was the pork, not the cook (moi, how could it be moi?). I was convinced it's this new, leaner pork, the other white meat, that was just too lean, with not enough fat in the grain to provide any juiciness. So I consulted my local independent butcher. He told me that the pork I bought at Costco was probably the same pork I bought from him, or at least they were from the same or similar pork producers in Iowa as Costco uses (okay, no help there.) But, he did tell me that if I wanted a bit more marbling of fat, I should buy a roast from the rib end (more toward the country ribs part). He just happened to have one (oh good). BUT, he told me, the most important thing I should remember was to not overcook the meat (uh oh, maybe I am the culprit after all?). I asked him (always good to get a second opinion) at what temperature I should remove the pork. He didn't know (hmm, not good, a butcher doesn't know this?). Okay, back to my recipe, which said 145°.

So, once I'd decided on having pork, chosen the recipe (below) I rounded out the meal with the zucchini gratin (my posting on Saturday), a nice green salad, chips and salsa, and I made some strawberry mascarpone ice cream from over at Culinary Concoctions by Peabody. It was a very nice meal with a couple of bottles of red wine. We were all very mellow by 10:00 pm.

As for the pork, I was careful to use my meat thermometer. But, I found out
that the part of the sensor that reveals the oven temperature isn't working, so think I'll have to buy a new one - I dropped it a month or so ago and bent the connector that goes into the little digital box - most likely that's the problem. I'm glad it wasn't the interior meat temp that wasn't working! I removed the roast at exactly 145°, let it sit for about 10 minutes while I prepped the rest of the meal. The pork was perfectly cooked. And JUICY! I have no qualms about spending the money to buy a new meat thermometer. It convinced me once again what an invaluable instrument it is in the kitchen!

The apricot compote is a bit different than some. The addition of a whole vanilla bean - well not the bean itself, but the contents - makes it unusual. Whole vanilla beans have such a fragrance - a perfume, if you will - that could easily

overpower. You carefully slit the bean open, to butterfly it (it's a little like microsurgery - attacking this tiny, narrow little thing - do use a small knife with a very thin and sharp point) and scrape the miniature grains out of the bean. You'll get about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon total. And you can see the grains in the finished sauce - you may want to tell your guests so they don't think it's sand!

Roast Pork Loin with Apricot Compote
Recipe By: A cooking class with Tarla Fallgatter
Serving Size : 10 Preparation Time 35 minutes

COMPOTE:
1 1/2 cups white wine -- sweeter variety, if available
1 1/2 cups apple cider
2 whole cinnamon sticks
1 whole vanilla bean -- split & scraped
2 tablespoons sugar
12 ounces dried apricot halves -- chopped

ROAST PORK:
4 1/2 pounds pork loin -- chine bone removed
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons oil

1. Compote: In a medium pan combine wine, cider, cinnamon, sugar and vanilla bean scrapings. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and add apricots. Simmer for 20 minutes or until a syrup consistency is achieved. If the syrup has not reduced sufficiently, remove apricots and boil the syrup until it reaches the desired consistency. Remove from heat and set aside or keep warm to serve. Can be made one day ahead.
2. Pork: Preheat oven to 350°. Season meat with salt & pepper. In a large pan heat oil over medium high heat and brown pork on all sides. Place on a rack in a roasting pan and bake for about 30 minutes, turn meat over, then bake an additional 30 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 145°. Remove pork from oven, cover loosely with foil for 10-15 minutes, then cut into portions, and spoon hot compote over meat.
Start to Finish Time: 1 hour
NOTES : It may be preferable to use two pork tenderloins for this recipe. If so, bake them for about 20 minutes total. You can, if necessary, use vanilla extract in place of the vanilla bean, but the flavor will be significantly reduced. It really is worth the time and trouble to buy the whole bean.
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 332 Calories; 9g Fat (26.6% calories from fat); 27g Protein; 30g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 64mg Cholesterol; 379mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 3 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Fruit; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

Making a Proper Pot of Tea

I've been under-the-weather this weekend. I think it's a flu bug? Not sure, but food doesn't thrill me. I've had juice, but am just going to go make myself a pot of tea. So thought I'd tell a little story about my tea and teapots. Growing up, probably like most of you, the only time I drank tea was when I was sick and my mother would brew Lipton's with a teabag and some milk and honey. Then once I was able to eat a little something my mother would lovingly make me some milk toast - a piece of toast, buttered and sprinkled very lightly with sugar, placed in a wide shallow bowl and topped with about 1 cup of hot milk.

Until I became an adult - even a middle-aged adult, I'd never had anything except Lipton's. Then in 1981 we met the English couple Jimmy & Pam - the couple I talked about a couple of weeks ago on this blog - Pamela, the professional chef, and Jimmy, the retired RAF Wing Commander. When we met them, that momentous evening at the local pub in Ilminster, they insisted we had to come and stay with them for a couple of days. Now when was it you met someone and they invited you to come stay in their home? We were overwhelmed. We actually had plans to drive down into Devon for a couple of days, but agreed we'd come back through Somerset and stay for two nights.

So, a couple of days later, we arrived at their home at about 4 pm. It was cold, drizzly Fall weather, so when we took our suitcases inside, Pamela said come into the kitchen, where we sat down with them to have a spot of tea. We had some wonderful thick sliced wheat bread with peanut butter and tea. It was the tea that sort-of exploded in my mouth - wow, I thought, this is absolutely delicious. It was nothing whatsoever like Lipton's. And even though I'd been to England before, I'd always drunk coffee, even though it wasn't the national drink!

When Pamela showed us the guest room upstairs, she pointed out the tea tray that was sitting on the window sill, including a little, unique pitcher of milk (sealed with plastic wrap) on the tray. They lived in a very old house with thick walls, and the milk stayed very cold. If we woke up in the night, she said, we could brew some tea. I must say, it probably had never occurred to me to brew myself some tea in the middle of the night. But the next morning when we awoke, we did make a pot of tea right there in our bedroom. Most Britons buy electric kettles, like this, or this, to brew hot water. Nowadays you can buy them here in the U.S., but for many years the only place I ever saw them was in the British Isles. They range in price from $11 for plastic, to upwards of $100 for stainless steel, cordless models. And no, I don't have one.
I was enchanted with the little cream pitcher (pictured here), which I bought on a subsequent trip to England because I just think it's so darned CUTE!

The next day they took us on a whirlwind drive around Somerset, including Lyme Regis, and a British military air museum in a nearby village. But that visit set the stage for many more with them. We always stay two nights. One night Pamela cooked dinner and the other night we took them out. But it was on the second trip to Britain that I was, again, in love with Pamela's tea. So the first morning there she decided to give me a "tea lesson." She made her own blend - she explained about the differences between standard black teas, and the smokey teas that lend a real depth of flavor. She would never, ever, use a tea bag. (There is also green tea, but I don't like green tea, so I won't give you any info about that.) My recollection is that she mixed 2/3 regular teas (two different kinds) and the other third a smokey tea. After we returned from that trip Pamela mailed us a package of different English teas, which I used to make my own blend.

But, she then proceeded to show me exactly how to make a PROPER pot of tea, and ever since that day, I've not wavered from this technique. Here's what you need:

A teapot

A tea cozy (it's a cover for the teapot)

Tea leaves (loose only)

A strainer, or tea ball to put inside the pot

A small pitcher of milk, warmed

Sugar, if desired

For me, part of the fun of making tea is the presentation, so I have my favorite tea tray (which I couldn't find this morning) given to me by my friend Darlene 24 years ago. Because I often bring the tea tray upstairs to my office, when I do have tea, it needs to be easy to handle. While the water is boiling I put everything I need onto the tea tray - the strainer, a pretty tea spoon, the pitcher of warmed milk, and my sugar bowl. You'll notice that on my tea tray this morning I put my bright red sugar bowl - I collect those little sugar bags from our travels. I never take more than one or two at a place, but I still have a large collection of sugars from different places in the world, and in languages I don't begin to understand, either. Pamela gave me that idea, and I thought it was a very fun one, so adopted it.

Making a Proper Pot of Tea

1. Bring the pot of water to a boil.

2. Pour about 1 cup of very hot water into the teapot, swirl it around, then pour it out. This is an important step to warm the teapot before you pour the real hot water into the pot. You want to start with a hot pot. Alternately, you can use the hottest tap water and allow the teapot to sit while the water is boiling, then pour it out.

3. Drop the tea leaves into the pot and pour the hot water over it. Put the lid on, then place on the tray with the tea cozy on top. If you don't have a tea cozy, cover the teapot with a kitchen towel to keep the heat in.

4. Allow the tea to stew for a maximum of 5 minutes.

5. Pour out into mugs, through a strainer, then add milk or sugar. In Britain, you don't use both - you either use milk OR sugar. But sometimes I do anyway. It depends on the type of tea I'm drinking. My favorite sweetener is honey, but usually I add Splenda.

Because of Pamela's influence in my life with all-things-tea, I've acquired a number of teapots over the years. The red one is certainly the most colorful, but it makes about 6 cups. The one on the tea tray is probably my favorite because it makes just the right amount for me to have 2 cups of tea. I also have a very fancy, small teapot that belonged
to my grandmother. I love it for its beauty, but it doesn't keep the tea very hot, so it's relegated to the cupboard, I'm afraid.

A very special one, though, is Pamela's teapot, the one she gave me when she and Jimmy were downsizing their big, old house and moving to one of the Cotswolds towns. She asked me if there was anything I'd like to have, and I requested a teapot. She chose this one, and I brought it home with me as a carry-on. Very carefully. It also makes a big pot of tea, though, so I don't use it very often. And although I have a collection of fancy china tea cups, I never use them for myself because tea just doesn't stay hot in them. I prefer mugs, always.

I'm including one other pot here - it's actually a coffeepot - I bought it at a lovely tea shop in the Cotswolds one year. It's Staffordshire china, and a press pot. I did use it regularly for several years after I bought it, and was very cautious because it's quite fragile. Mostly I
make espresso (a latte, actually) now, and Dave makes a pot of coffee for himself in our big Cuisinart grind and brew machine.

So, to finish the story, I've become a connoisseur of tea, even though I don't make it often - but for some years when I was working I'd wake up in the middle of the night and couldn't sleep (now I know it was the Claritin-D keeping me awake), I'd get up, make myself a pot of tea and quietly watch tv or turn on my computer and play mindless solitaire games. One year, I think it was 2000, Cherrie and I took a 10-day "Tea Tour" to England. She and I both like Earl Grey - and 12 of us, all ladies, journeyed to Britain. We had afternoon tea 5 times in 10 days. By the 5th time we'd all had enough of the afternoon tea, but it was sure fun.

So, go ahead, why don't you make yourself some tea too.

Ina's Zucchini Gratin

For me, serving a variety of vegetables is the spice of life. I can always sauté zucchini with a little onion and garlic and call that the vegie side for a dinner. But other times I really like finding new and different ways to make vegetables. Hence this recipe. Some people don't like Ina Garten. I don't really understand why, because every dish I've tried of hers has turned out very well. Agreed, the woman has made millions with her TV Food Network show, and her cookbooks, but I have concluded that she is a great cook. My friend Linda gave me Ina's book Barefoot in Paris. This recipe comes from that book, and I've made this about 5 times in recent months.

What I really like about the dish - other than the fabulous taste - is that you only dirty up two pans to make it. Even though you may think a gratin might be complicated, you make it in a large sauté pan and pour it into a baking dish, so this absolutely is NOT complex or difficult. I guarantee it. So, here are the stages:

1. You can do the slicing by hand, but this is what I do. First I dug out my Oxo mandoline. I may only use this every two weeks, but when I do I fall in love with it all over again. It makes slicing so incredibly easy.

2. I sliced up the onion and got that cooking in my large sauté pan. Meanwhile, I sliced up all the beautiful farmstand zucchini I bought a few hours before. It took me about 5 minutes total to slice everything. Then I added that to the pan and cooked it for a short time.

3. Then I add the flour, salt, pepper, freshly grated nutmeg to the pan, then the hot milk and in a jiffy you have the thickened dish ready to go. You pour the whole thing into a large baking dish.

4. Do you know Panko? I'd heard of it, but never bothered to buy it. I said - gee, it's just bread crumbs, right? That was until a few years ago when a cooking instructor served it on a

chicken dish, and I was amazed at how good it was. It's not that the Panko crumbs have a lot of taste. They don't, because they're simply a bread product, a Japanese bread product to be specific, chopped up very fine. But, it stays crispy throughout the cooking, so there is something they do differently to make it act like that. That's what's so unique about Panko, and I use it regularly now. Trader Joe's carries it under their own label (see package picture below); otherwise most major grocery stores also have it, usually in the Asian food section. So you mix the Panko with grated Gruyere or Parmesan (I have always used the latter), sprinkle it on top, bake and you're done.

The casserole will sit for awhile waiting to be baked, or you can refrigerate it earlier in the day too. It's a very forgiving recipe in all respects. Less zucchini? No problem. Not much cheese? No problem. Only have fat-free milk? No problem. You have yellow squash instead? No problem. You get the drift.

Our friends, Bud & Cherrie (my cohort in crime at many cooking classes) came for dinner last night, and the amount I made should have served at least 6 people. Hmmm. Guess what? We four slicked it up clean. You need to try this recipe; you'll be very glad you did.

Zucchini Gratin
Recipe By Barefoot in Paris by Ina Garten
Servings : 8 Preparation Time :0:35

6 tablespoons butter
1 pound yellow onions -- cut in half, then sliced
2 pounds zucchini -- sliced 1/4" thick
1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg -- freshly ground
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk -- hot
3/4 cup bread crumbs -- or Panko crumbs
3/4 cup Gruyere cheese -- or Parmesan, grated
1 tablespoon butter

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Melt butter in a very large (12 inch) sauté pan and cook the onions over low heat for about 20 minutes, or until tender, but not browned. Add the zucchini and cook, covered, for 10 minutes, or until tender. Add the salt, pepper and nutmeg and cook uncovered for 5 more minutes. Stir in the flour until you no longer see any dry bits of flour, then add the hot milk and cook over low heat for a few minutes until it makes a sauce. Pour the mixture into an 8x10 baking dish.
3. Combine the bread crumbs or panko and cheese together in a small bowl, then sprinkle on top of the zucchini mixture. Dot the 1 tablespoon of butter cut into very small bits and bake for 20 minutes, or until bubbly and browned.
Serving Ideas : This could be a main dish for a vegetarian meal. You could also add a little bit of goat cheese to the mixture before baking.
NOTES : Ina Garten's recipe calls for 2 tsp. of Kosher salt, but I tested it first using less, and thought it was fine, so have reduced the recipe by 1/2 teaspoon. Taste it before you decide for yourself. I also use Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese if I don't have Gruyere on hand. This can be made ahead and refrigerated, then reheated later. The baking time is very forgiving - if the dish is sharing the oven at 350°, it will be just fine, just bake a little longer. I much prefer using Panko crumbs as they stay nice and crunchy throughout the baking time.
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 232 Calories; 15g Fat (57.3% calories from fat); 7g Protein; 18g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 42mg Cholesterol; 596mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 2 1/2 Fat.
To print just the recipe only, click on the title at the top. You must have Adobe Acrobat reader loaded in order to print.