Wish Upon A Chef

To miss something is to also miss what is supposed to be the same.

Deep thinking for a Thursday afternoon, no?

It's the appreciation of the little things that make your life your life and said life wouldn't be the same without these things. I appreciate so much about my new {again} life here in Charlotte...the constant but faint rumble of the airplanes as they pass overhead, the view of the Uptown skyline, people trying to get to some fabulous restaurant or hip club in the congested 485 traffic. Things too numerous to mention. Things that make it home. Things I missed desperately for the six years that I was away.

That's not to say that I don't miss things about my life in Arkansas. But you'd think that after being there for that many years I'd be able to list numerous things that I miss. Sadly, no. I can count the things on one hand and they can be lumped into two categories: food and pets.

I miss my sweet Savory girl and Brown Dog. I hope that they're getting treats and lots of loving every day from someone who cares. I miss the pizza from Rocky's Corner. My favorite was "The Champ" and it was the perfect pizza in my opinion. Thin crust, not too much sauce or cheese but loaded with pepperoncinis, green olives, pepperoni, ham, onions. Goodness, I'm salivating just thinking about it! I have yet to replicate that pizza in my kitchen or find a close substitute here in my new surroundings.

And finally, I miss the shrimp salad from Diane's Gourmet in Little Rock. It was nothing complicated, but the perfect blend of shrimp and mayo and very tasty indeed. I used to pick up a pint while I was in LR and munch on it while running errands for my catering business. And what a compliment! One caterer buying food from a competing caterer for the sheer pleasure and not because I was trying to steal secret recipes. Of course we sold shrimp salad but it was very different from this.

I stumbled across this recipe in Sheila Lukins' cookbook Celebrate! and have deemed it very close to the shrimp salad as I remember it from Diane's. My beloved Harris Teeter had 3 lb. bags of shrimp on sale this past week {buy 1 bag, get 2 free!!} so I have an overload in my freezer even after making this for my lunch this week. The recipe calls for leaving the shrimp whole, which I do if I plan to serve it over mesculan greens because it makes an awesome presentation, but this time I roughly chopped them so I could enjoy it on these cute little sunflower shaped crackers.

Try it and enjoy the comforts of home, where ever you are!


* Exported from MasterCook *

Sherried Shrimp Salad

Recipe By :Sheila Lukins
Serving Size : 24
Categories : Salads/Salad Dressings Seafood

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
For the shrimp:
3 cups dry white wine
1 bunch celery -- with leaves, coarsley chopped
8 sprigs fresh parsley
8 whole peppercorns
6 pounds large shrimp -- peeled and deveined
For the salad:
2 cups diced celery
4 1/2 cups mayonnaise
6 tablespoons dry sherry
salt and pepper -- to taste
1/2 cup fresh dill -- (if using dried, use about 1/4 cup)

Fill a large pot half full with water. Add the wine, celery, parsley, and peppercorns and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low. Add the shrimp, in batches, and simmer until just done, 1 to 2 minutes per batch.

Using a skimmer, remove each batch from the pot to a colander. Drain, then run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain again and pat dry. Set aside in a large bowl, adding each batch as it is cooked and cooled. When all the shrimp are cooked, discard the cooking stock.

Add the diced celery to the shrimp.

Combine the mayo, dill and the sherry in a bowl and fold this into the shrimp mixture. Season with salt and pepper.



Source:
"Celebrate!"

With the constant barrage of advertising centered around Valentine's Day, it's hard not to think about the "L" word these days. Roses, candy, and jewelry offered at inflated prices just to prove your love on February 14. For me, it's not so much about the proof of love on this single day as it is about the little things done on a day-to-day basis - consideration, compromise, thoughtfulness, the occasional PDA. If spouses, soul mates and significant others would put half as much thought into these daily gifts as money spent on the one time purchase, alot of relationships would be much better off, in my humble opinion. But what do I know? I'm obviously not one to be offering advice with two failed relationships under my belt, but I am an eternal optimist when it comes to love.

The question of who do I love is an easy one. There are the obvious people - my family, my dog, my closest friends. Then, there is love for people who are no longer in my life. That love continues to fade and become a distant memory.

And then there is love for THE ITALIAN. *Swoon*

The Italian and I met at a party nearly 10 years ago and there was something about him that captivated me immediately. It usually takes a while for me to warm up to people - it is very rare that someone impresses me from the get-go. He walked me to my car that night and planted a kiss on my lips and I swear I forgot my own name. *Swoon again* The Italian and I had a hot and steamy romance that summer, a relationship built entirely on physical attraction to one another. Eventually other people entered our lives and while the spark never fizzled between us, I ended the relationship to further another seemingly more stable one. I would cross paths again with the Italian quite by accident during this visit and with one quick flash of his pearly white smile I had to learn my name all over again. *Swoon again and again*

Today, so many years later, the Italian is in my life again. The spark, the flame, and all the fireworks are still there but this time there is much more to our relationship. It goes much deeper and has more substance. He has absolutely no qualms in saying the "L" word every time we're together but it has become a running joke between us that I haven't responded in kind as of yet. Oh, the Italian knows I love him. And I know he knows. But when the words finally do escape my lips, it's going to be him who has to pick himself up off the floor and be reminded of who he is!

Happy Valentine's Day, my love{s} and please enjoy this batch of cookies that I baked just for you. I followed some web links and eventually wound up using the cookie recipe from this website. I halved the recipe and they turned out quite nicely since they held their shape during baking as well as the transfer from the roll and cut stage to the baking sheet {where I always seem to have problems}. They weren't overly sweet on their own which is good considering I smothered and covered them in sickening sweet royal icing. Just pick up a can of Wilton Meringue Powder, follow the recipe and decorate until your heart is content :)




NO FAIL SUGAR COOKIES
recipe from Kitchen Gifts

This recipe is GREAT when using complex cookie cutters. The dough holds its' shape and won't spread during baking. Make sure you let your oven preheat for at least 1/2 hour before baking these or any other cookies.

6 cups flour
3 tsp. baking powder
2 cups butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract or desired flavoring (I used almond)
1 tsp. salt

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Add dry ingredients a little at a time to butter mixture. Mix until flour is completely incorporated and the dough comes together.

Chill for 1 to 2 hours (or see Hint below)

Roll to desired thickness and cut into desired shapes. Bake on ungreased baking sheet at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until just beginning to turn brown around the edges. This recipe can make up to 5-dozen 3” cookies.

HINT: Rolling Out Dough Without the Mess -- Rather than wait for your cookie dough to chill, take the freshly made dough and place a glob between two sheets of parchment paper.

Roll it out to the desired thickness then place the dough and paper on a cookie sheet and pop it into the refrigerator. Continue rolling out your dough between sheets of paper until you have used it all. By the time you are finished, the first batch will be completely chilled and ready to cut. Reroll leftover dough and repeat the process! An added bonus is that you are not adding any additional flour to your cookies.

and you lose some.

I wonder if Kurt Warner was saying this to himself on Monday after his team lost the Super Bowl championship to the Pittsburgh Steelers during that last 32 seconds of the game. I know I was certainly saying it to myself, seeing as how I placed a hefty bet on hunky Kurt and his team. My friend S. happens to be a Steelers fan so we placed a friendly wager on the game - loser had to bring dessert to dinner on Tuesday. Now, keep in mind that it was certainly plausible that the Cards would win the game right up until the last 32 seconds, so with about a minute or two left in the game I sent a text message to S. telling him to pick up a pint of Maggie Moo's Udderly Cream ice cream on his way to my house and don't be late because I don't like melted ice cream! Today, I come to you with a mouthful of crow. Whoever said it tasted like chicken is a big liar!

Eating crow is never any fun, but S. was a perfect gentleman and didn't gloat over his big win. He even shared his winnings with me, which made the crow much easier to swallow. When he showed up at my door on Tuesday evening, I greeted him with his favorite dessert....key lime pie.

Looking back through this blog, I can't believe that I haven't shared this recipe with you before. Lord knows I made it NUMEROUS times during my past life in the catering kitchen. It's creamy, delicious, and very tart. The kind of tart that makes my eyelids tingle when I eat it. You can cheat and make this with regular lime juice {I actually prefer it that way} but I knew S. was a key lime pie aficionado and could spot a counterfeit a mile away so I used Nellie & Joe's Key Lime Juice and I also used a bit of the left over whipped cream from this dessert for garnish. I love the addition of granola in the crust and the double layers of key lime and sweetened condensed milk make it oh so yummy!

Crow may not taste anything like chicken, but I'd bet again on a losing team just to be able to enjoy it with a slice of this pie!



Two Layer Key Lime Pie

for the crust:
3/4 cup plain granola (with no dried fruit)
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 6 whole crackers)
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 tablespoons sugar

for the first layer:
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup Key lime juice (or regular lime juice)
3 large egg yolks

for the second layer:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup Key lime juice (or regular lime juice)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
lime zest & fresh whipped cream (optional)

to make the crust:
Preheat oven to 350.
Blend granola in a food processor or blender until coarsely ground.
Transfer granola to a bowl, and mix in graham cracker crumbs, butter, and sugar.
Press crumb mixture over the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate to form a crust.
Bake until golden brown, about 8 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.

to make the first layer:
Reduce oven temperature to 300.
Whisk together condensed milk, lime juice, and egg yolks in a bowl.
Pour into pie crust.
Bake until custard is set, about 15 minutes.
Cool to room temperature.

to make the second layer:
Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese with condensed milk, lime juice, and sugar in a large bowl.
Pour over custard layer and use a spatula to smooth the top.
Cover and chill until firm, at least 4 hours.
Garnish with whipped cream and sprinkle lime zest over the top, if desired.

makes 8 servings
source: Bon Appetit RSVP section - Keylime Bistro, Captiva Island Inn

It was painful to watch the Carolina Panthers get whipped like egg whites destined for meringue during the NFL playoffs against the Arizona Cardinals a few weeks ago. As loyal as I know I should be to my home team, I was torn that night between Jake Delhomme and Kurt Warner {I mean, seriously, could there be any two hunkier NFL quarterbacks?} so it's no surprise who I was cheering for during Super Bowl XLIII.

My week started out with no firm plans on what to do for Super Bowl weekend. I knew all of the sports bars would be loaded with screaming, smoking, drinking fans so I resigned myself to staying home and watching the game on my brand new 46" flat screen Samsung TV that I just indulged myself with. But as it seems to be lately, my social schedule is subject to change at a moments notice. My friend Mary called on Friday to invite me over. Standard Super Bowl party attendance rules applied....bring food and beer. So, with a cheeseball and my drink of choice in tow, I headed to Mary's late Sunday evening.

In order to make a whole celebratory weekend out of this who the heck would pay $3 million for 30 seconds event, I invited my friend J. over for dinner on Saturday. We were introduced by my realtor and J. has been super nice to me - dinners, movies, flowers, basketball games and I felt it was high time that I returned the favor. My offering to him wasn't nearly as fancy as the steak and lobster dinner he prepared for me all by himself a few weekends ago but my theory is to start simple and then there's no place to go but up. Since the weather has been sort of chilly, I felt a pot of simmering Santa Fe soup was just the thing. I paired it with Dorie Greenspans's Savory Corn and Pepper Muffins. These muffins were a recent feature on TWD and the perfect accompaniment to the soup because the combination of chili powder, cilantro, and jalapeno perfectly mimicked the zesty flavors of the soup. Visit Ezra Pound Cake blog for the recipe and decide which camp you're in when it comes to opinions on cornbread.

And speaking of meringues, do these pillowy clouds look good enough to eat or what? I love the way meringues look just before they go into the oven. I was a little extravagant with dessert, but isn't that the way it's supposed to be? While my photo isn't as pretty as the one that Food & Wine used to showcase these Cranberry and Orange Pavlovas, my dessert was just as tasty. The recipe as written makes 12 servings, but I made extra large meringue bases so we could share one dessert.

Super food, super friends, but so sorry you won't be going to Disney World Kurt :( Maybe a bowl of soup and dessert will make you feel better?



Santa Fe Soup

2 lbs. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 (.5 oz) pkgs. Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
2 (1-1/4 oz) pkgs. taco seasoning mix
1 ( 16 oz) can black beans, undrained
1 (16 oz) can kidney beans, undrained
1 (16 oz) can pinto beans, undrained
1 (16 oz) can Rotel tomatoes, undrained
1 (16 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 (16 oz) cans white corn, undrained
2 cups water
Garnish: sour cream, shredded Cheddar cheese, sliced green onions, cilantro

Cook meat and onion together until meat is browned and then drain. Stir ranch dressing mix and taco seasoning mix into meat. Add remaining ingredients with juices from all. Add water. Simmer for 2 hours (if mixture is too thick, add additional water.) Use garnishes if desired and serve with tortilla chips.
Makes 4 quarts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cranberry and Orange Pavlova
Food & Wine, December 2008

MERINGUE:
6 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

TOPPING:
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup water
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
2 large navel oranges
1 1/2 pounds cranberries (6 cups)
2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
Mint sprigs, for garnish

Make the meringues: Preheat the oven to 250°. Arrange racks in the lower and middle thirds of the oven. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the whisk, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt at medium speed until soft peaks form. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat in the sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, until the meringue is stiff and glossy, about 6 minutes.
Using a large spoon, dollop 6 mounds of meringue onto each baking sheet; spread the mounds into 5-inch squares and make an impression in the center of each. Bake the meringues for 1 hour and 45 minutes, until the outsides are firm but the insides are still slightly soft; shift the pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking. Transfer the baking sheets to racks and let the meringues cool completely. (Alison's note: this time seemed sort of lengthy to me so I took mine out after an hour and I really think I should have taken them out after 45 minutes).

Meanwhile, make the topping: In a large saucepan, combine the granulated sugar and water. Scrape the vanilla seeds onto a small plate and add the pod to the saucepan. Using a vegetable peeler, remove 2 long strips of zest from one of the oranges and add them to the pan. Halve the orange and squeeze the juice into the saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Add the cranberries and cook over low heat just until the berries are softened but still intact, about 8 minutes. Let cool completely. Discard the vanilla bean and orange zest and refrigerate until chilled.
Finely grate the zest of the remaining orange and transfer it to a food processor. Using a sharp knife, peel the orange, removing all of the bitter white pith. Working over the food processor, cut in between the membranes to release the orange sections into the food processor. Pulse until chopped.
In a clean bowl, using clean beaters, whip the cream, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla seeds until firm. Add the chopped orange and its juice and beat just until combined.
Arrange the meringues on plates and spoon the orange whipped cream into each one. Using a slotted spoon, top with the cranberries. Drizzle with some of the juices, garnish with mint and serve right away.

Make Ahead
The cooked cranberries can be refrigerated overnight. The meringues can be made up to 8 hours ahead (on a dry day) and kept at room temperature