Tuesday, June 30, 2009



Have you ever eaten Frogmore Stew? Pretty sick name as far as I am concerned...I picture a big pot of stew with 50 pair of little frog's eyes looking up at me! The recipe is a favorite of my family, but we choose to call it Low Country Boil. After all, frogs have nothing to do with it!


If you are looking for a big dish to feed a crowd on the 4th, this might be your answer. This recipe feeds 12, but can be doubled, even tripled if you have a pot large enough! It can be adjusted to serve any number. Allow 2 tablespoons of seasoning per quart of water. If you cannot find hot smoked sausage, use another smoked sausage such as kielbasa and add crushed hot red pepper to the pot."
Ingredients:
6 quarts water
3/4 cup Old Bay Seasoning TM
2 pounds new red potatoes
2 pounds hot smoked sausage links, cut into
2 inch pieces
12 ears corn - husked, cleaned and
quartered
4 pounds large fresh shrimp, unpeeled
Directions:
1.
Bring water and Old Bay Seasoning to boil in a large stockpot.
2.
Add potatoes and cook for 15 minutes. Add sausage and cook for 5 minutes more. Add corn and cook for another 5 minutes. Stir in the shrimp and cook until shrimp are pink, about 5 minutes. Drain immediately and serve.


Traditionally, this should be served outdoors, drained then dumped out on a big table covered in several layers of paper. All you need is cocktail sauce, crusty bread and butter, and a big green salad...oh and lots of rolls of paper towels!






31


Part of the joy of being together with my family at Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia were the games and challenges that popped up spontaneously , sometimes for hours! The whiffle baseball games were a hoot to watch….kids and adults joining in. The adults had to hold a full glass of liquid in one hand while playing to “make it fair for the children” In reality, the kids could and did do some serious butt-kickin’ out there. I believe the adults choice of liquid in their glass might have had something to do with it!

I personally was a spectator for the ball games and the fishing contests, but I did participate in the game called “31”. The back of the house overlooked the beautiful lake, and the veranda ran across the entire back. The table was often the scene of marathon 31 games. From the veranda we could watch the fishing, cheering and yelling for each little fish the children caught. My wonderful nephew, Neal, is an avid fisherman from Colorado, and spent most of his time on the dock, keeping the little ones safe and their hooks baited with worms!

The games of “31” were not without drama, suspense and loads of laughter! It was a new game to me, but my friend Winnie played it as a child during their family reunions! When I first sat down at the table, everyone else knew the game; maybe I’m just slow!

Now that I am home, I want to play, so I Googled the game rules, to make sure I remembered them correctly. They are:

How to play the card game thirty one :
Thirty-one is a card game played between two and seven people but is usually best played with at least four players. The object is to obtain a hand with a point value closer to 31 than the hands of one's opponents. Using one standard 52 card deck, cards rank as follows: aces are high, counting 11, face cards count 10, and all other cards count face value. Each player gets three cards and the rest of the pack is set in the middle of the table to act as the stock for the game, and the top card of the stock is turned over to begin the discard.
After the hands in the first round are dealt out, each player receives a previously chosen number of tokens, or, most commonly, coins. Play proceeds as in Gin Rummy, with each player, starting with the player to the immediate left of the dealer and going clockwise around the table, taking the top card of either the stock or the discard and afterward discarding a card. Play continues clockwise around the table until any player knocks or obtains a blitz.
When it is one player's turn, and that player believes his or her hand is high enough to beat those of his or her opponents individually, he or she knocks on the table instead of drawing and discarding. All other players, going clockwise from the player who knocked, have one more turn to draw from the stock and discard, or they have the option of keeping all three cards in their hands (i.e. standing, staying). A round ends when the player to the right of the player who knocked has had his or her final turn. If no one knocks by the time a player exhausts the stock, the At the end of the round, each player shows his or her hand and totals it up. The player whose hand scored the lowest has lost the round, and must place one of his tokens or coins in the center of the table.
If, at any time in the round, a player attains a hand made up of an Ace, King and Ten of the same suit (a blitz), he must immediately show it, the round ends and all other players must place one token on the center of the table.When a player has lost all of his or her tokens or coins, he or she continues to play until that player loses again; at that time, he or she must leave the game. The last player to stay in the game wins all of the tokens on the table.






Friday, June 26, 2009



If you are interested in taking my class on writing your own Heirloom Cookbook, call or email ARTichokes today, enrollment closes next week! I'd love to have you in my class...and we will eat, too!
Go to artichokeskc.com or call 913-322-9481
While you are browsing their webpage, check out the painting classes and special events, it is a great place to be!






Friends, I know I’ve blogged about my trip to Sicily several times, and I have mentioned my friend, Judy Witts Francini. I want to pass this on to you, because when you take a trip organized by
Mariann Vandenberg of Travels with Taste and you meet Judy when you land in Italy, you are in store for a trip of a lifetime!
Trust me, you will have a ball! You will eat the best food! And your trip will run like clockwork with Mariann in charge!
I spoke to Mariann today, and there are very few spots open. So if you want to go to Italy, this is your opportunity! Judy will be your guide and as a resident of Tuscany and the owner/chef of her cooking school
She knows exactly where to go and how to get there.
This might be YOUR TIME!
To reach Mariann Vandenberg, email her at
mariann@travels-with-taste.com






To check out Judy's Blog, go to http://divinacucina.blogspot.com/


Enjoy! Kay

A THYME FOR EVERYTHING
PRESENTS
CHIANTI CLASSICO
CULINARY EXPERIENCE
November 1-7, 2009

Join Jet Pabst of A Thyme For Everything on a culinary excursion to Tuscany. Led by the “Diva” of Tuscany, Judy Witts Francini, this specially designed program will take you to the heart of the most famous region of Italy for an in-depth exploration of hearty fall food, wine and lively markets.

Sunday, November 1 -- Arrival day in Florence where we stay at the lovely Hotel Santa Maria Novella in the heart of the old city. In the evening we meet Judy at the hotel and walk to a nearby Trattoria for dinner.

November 2 thru 5 -- After a luscious buffet breakfast we’ll head for the bustling Central Market of Florence for a tasting and shopping tour. We will meet many of Judy’s long time friends who supply the city with some of the finest products of the region. Then it is off to Chianti to begin our exploration of the great foods of Italy and meet more of Judy’s friends…grappa makers, cheese makers, balsamic vinegar makers, wine makers, a great butcher, local artists and artisans. Our hotel for four nights is Palazzo Squarcialupi in Castellina-in-Chianti.

Friday, November 6 -- Return to Florence for a final night at the Santa Maria Novella. There will be time for shopping and museum visits before dinner at one of Florence’s finest Ristorantes.

Saturday, November 7 -- The program concludes after breakfast this morning. Consider extending your stay in Florence or with a visit to another great Italian location.

This is an ALL-INCLUSIVE package…accommodation, transportation, meals, wines, cooking classes and the fun and informative services of Judy Witts Francini. Space is limited and the price is based on 12 participants.
Now for a recipe.....this one is from Judy Francini. It is for her own blend of Italian herbs.
Recipe for Erbe Toscane:
(names to right of forward slash mark is the name in Italian)
1 cup fresh rosemary needles/Rosmarino
1/2 cup fresh sage leaves/Salvia
2 cloves fresh garlic, sliced/ Aglio
Fine Sea salt/ Sale fine

Remove the rosemary needles from the branches and the sage leaves from the stems.
Spread out the herbs on a wooden cutting board, add the garlic, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of sea salt.
Using a mezzaluna or large knife, chop in a rocking motion until the herb mixture is almost a powder.If the mixture seems too wet, add another teaspoon of salt. Spread the mixture on a wooden cutting board and let dry over night. When dry, the Tuscan herb mixture can be kept in a tightly sealed jar on your shelf; it does not need to be refrigerated.
It mixes well with olive oil to make a dipping sauce, and I personally like to heat in oil, which then becomes perfect for drizzling on my bean soup.
Many Tuscan butchers use a similar combination of herbs, to which they add fennel seeds, black pepper, and a hearty amount of garlic, thus creating a wetter consistency ideal for the inside of roast pork or as a rub on the outside of beef. Look out for the prepared roasts at the Sant’ Ambrogio and San Lorenzo markets, and you will see how the Tuscan masters season their meats.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Whew! I’m back! After two very busy weeks, my life has settled down again. Let’s see, the Art in the Vines was the 13th , Metis performed in the Battle of the Bands on the 14th, then I left for beautiful Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia to spend 8 days with 27 of my closest relatives! I loved every minute of all three events, but so glad to be without my calendar in hand every moment. I love staying busy but I like a little breathing room every now and then! The amazing thing is...I haven't cooked in 2 weeks! (other than nachos!)
Art in the Vines was a huge success.
Somerset Ridge Vineyard and Winery was the perfect spot for our art show. The artists displayed their work throughout the vines on a glorious day! It had threatened rain all morning, making the show questionable at best. Suddenly at 1:00pm, just as the show opened, so did the clouds!
The crowds were wonderful; they wandered through the vineyard with glasses of wine while seeking out their favorite paintings. They talked to the stained glass artist, they had lots of questions for the sculptor. They shopped, they partied, they had fun!
There were 15 artists present and there were 23 pieces sold! I feel our First Annual Art in the Vines was a wonderful success! Thank you to everyone who attended!




Next was the Battle of the Bands in Westport. My grandson, Alex, and the band, Metis, performed beautifully! Let me say this….it is difficult for a grandmother to watch young women fall all over her gorgeous grandson! The 4 members of the band performed for approximately 20 minutes for the enthusiastic crowd. There were 5 professional judges and when the votes were counted, the vote was 3 to 2, with Metis coming in second. It was an amazing job by a new band! And they are so cute!


Smith Mountain Lake Reunion The next morning I drove to the airport in a raging storm. I was completely wet by the time I checked in at the gate. By the time I landed in Washington D.C., I had dried off and the sun was shining. I had a quick little flight into Roanoke, then a 45 minute drive to Smith Mountain Lake in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It was beautiful! We gathered to celebrate Mike Pote's graduation from high school! What a week of celebration!
The next 7 days were full of water sports, children, teenagers, Rock Band (complete with some terrible vocals provided by my two daughters!) wine, nachos, hot tubs, wave runners, fishing and a great card game called “31”. The house was spectacular. On Wednesday, Chef Toy, the chef who fed us so well when we were all at Topsail Island, North Carolina, 2 years ago, came one day and prepared a whole roast pig with all the fixings! Back to this week..............Wednesday evening, the winery had a special event at JP’s Wine Bar, a Sangria Party! Great fun and I loved the White Sangria, made with our Traminette wine and peach schnapps. Traminette is a rich, spicy dry white wine with a floral bouquet. Made from grapes grown in our hillside vineyard. Traminette is a close relative of the German/Alsastian grape Gewurtztraminer. Wonderful with cheese, fruit and Asian dishes. Now it turns out to be a perfect wine for Sangria!

So, there you have it, a play by play accounting of my time since I last blogged. I am starting some new projects, am in the middle of a painting class at ARTichokes with Ada Koch (the class is called Wine, Dine and Paint so you can imagine how much fun it is!) and I am puppy sitting with Rudy, my “nephew/dog!

I start painting at open studios this weekend at ARTichokes. I have my plan, I am anxious, I’m ready. Maybe I will paint something to take the place of my recently sold “Lago di Como”!

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Art in the Vines was a big success! The weather cleared at 1:00pm on the button! The sunshine greeted visitors to both the art show and winery. The 15 artists participating in the 1st Annual show enjoyed their afternoon as much as the guests of the vineyard! It was fun!

Vicki Johnston with two of her paintings exhibited at the

1st Annual Art in the Vines

Somerset Ridge Vineyard and Winery


Kristin Goering, Painter,

enjoying the beautiful day in the vineyard



Winnie Davis adding her special talents to a group painting of the vineyard
Pastel artist, Marcia Streepy, at her easel

Friday, June 12, 2009

painting by Kristin Goering
Art in the Vines is HERE!

The Sun is Going to SHINE!
The Birds are Going to SING!
The Wine is Going to FLOW!
The Artists are Going to WORK!

All for your enjoyment!
Please join the festivities at the very 1st
Art in the Vines
at
Somerset Ridge Vineyard and Winery
directions at somersetridge.com
Saturday, 1 to 6pm
winery opens at 10am
please join us for a glass of wine while wandering through the vineyard where the artists will be displaying their work.

Thursday, June 11, 2009


Just wanted to let you know... Kay Tucker will be teaching a class at:

Class Name: Create an Heirloom Cookbook
Class Dates: July 9, July 16, July 23 and July 30
Time: Thursdays, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Location: 10557 Mission Rd, Leawood, KS

Visit the
class schedule on the website to reserve your spot!
www.artichokeskc.com

Speaking of Artichokes.........


My Favorite Artichoke Fritters
Artichoke Fritters

about 15 fritters

Ingredients
Vegetable oil
1 (18-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 scallions, chopped
1/4 cup milk
1 large egg, beaten
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 lemon, to squeeze over fritters
Kosher salt, to sprinkle
Lemon Cream, recipe follows, optional
Directions
Pour 3 inches of vegetable oil into a heavy bottomed pot and place over medium heat until a bread cube placed in the oil browns within 1 minute.
Coarsely chop the artichokes (or alternatively crush by hand) and put them in a large mixing bowl. Add the garlic and scallions, milk, egg, lemon zest and lemon juice. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper in a separate bowl and quickly mix the dry ingredients into the artichoke mix. Drop the fritters by the heaping tablespoonful into the hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Work in batches until all the batter is used. Keep warm in a low oven until ready to serve. Immediately before serving, squeeze a little fresh lemon juice over all and hit with a bit of kosher salt. Serve with a dollop of Lemon Cream on top, if desired.
Lemon Cream:
1 cup sour cream
1 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009


No time to Blog!
I'm working like a mad woman! Cookbooks!....Art in the Vines!....Classes!

Don't forget this Saturday, (if weather permits!)



Somerset Ridge Vineyard's 1st Annual
Art in the Vines!




Sunday, 14th

METIS performing at the Beaumont Club"s Battle of the Bands! My Grandson, Alex, is vocalist for the band METIS!









Members of Metis are from left to right.....


Miles McDonald, guitar
Alex Reynolds, vocals
John Xenos, Bass
Max Weinberg, drums


Sunday, June 14th 5:00pm!

All ages are invited to this event!






























Friday, June 5, 2009

Art in the Vines is one week from today! Please join us for a day of Art, Wine, Music and Fun in the beautiful Somerset Ridge Vineyard! The date is Saturday, June 13th, hours are 1:00 to 6:00pm. The artists are some of Kansas City's finest, the wine of Somerset Ridge is award winning, the music is by Kathryn Lorenzen. Come and enjoy the afternoon! Visit the Somerset Ridge Tasting Room, stroll through the vineyard with a glass of wine while visiting with the artists.
For directions to the vineyard and winery, please go to www.somersetridge.com




Tried and True


With the Art in the Vines only a week away and the Wyandotte ’59 cookbook due to the printer very soon, I’ve been remiss in my blogging! I thought once my new laptop arrived I’d have time to write…funny how just going upstairs to the office makes it seem like a much bigger job!
Today while I was out running errands, my mind was busy plotting and planning my next few blogs. Too bad my memory is shot, can’t remember a thing except they were great ideas! Oh well, I’ve been thinking about baking, which is nothing new for me….it is my first love in the kitchen.
I think I covered biscuits pretty well last week! This week I want to talk about pie crusts.

Grandmother Ogg’s was made with lard, Grandmother Johnston’s was made with shortening…..mine? I’m afraid more often as not, I use Jiffy Pie Crust Mix! SHAME!
But honestly….they are good! Now I must admit, when I am baking for company, yes,
I make a homemade crust. I make mine with butter!

Butter Pie Crust
1 cup unsalted butter, chilled
3 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup ice water
Combine flour and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer. Cut butter or margarine or butter and shortening into tablespoon pieces; add it to the flour and butter. Use the paddle beater to cut the butter and flour together. Alternatively, this can be done by hand with a pastry blender. With the mixer on low speed , or while stirring the mixture with a fork, pour in the cold water. When the dough starts to clump, and before it turns into a ball, stop stirring.
Lightly knead dough in the bowl until it forms a ball. Divide dough into two parts. Flatten each part into a disk, and chill for about 30 minutes before rolling.

If I am making a pastry dough for a savory tart I use the following recipe with no sugar.

Basic Tart Pastry - Savory
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
7 1/2 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter,
cut into pieces
2 1/2 tablespoons ice water

In a bowl, combine the flour and salt. Using a pastry blender or the tips of your fingers, cut the butter into the flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Using a fork, stir in the ice water just until dough comes together nicely. Form pastry into a ball and chill for 1 hour.
Roll pastry out on a lightly floured work surface into a circle slightly larger than the tart pan, place in pan and press onto bottom and edge of pan, then firmly roll the rolling pin across the top of the tart pan to trim away the excess pastry. (Or a quick and easy method is to simply omit chilling the dough first and firmly press dough evenly against the bottom and side of an ungreased tart pan with your fingertips).
Fill and bake the pastry according to directions of the recipe you are using, or if a pre-baked pastry is required, bake at 400*F (205*C) for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. (You can help prevent the pastry from becoming too puffy and bubbling by cutting out a circle of parchment or waxed paper and placing it on the tart pastry, then filling it with pastry weights, beans or rice. Remove the paper and weights a few minutes before the end of the baking time.
Makes enough pastry for one (10-inch) round tart or 6 individual tart shells.

One of my son’s favorite treats as a teenager was Fried Apple Pies. For that I used the following recipe.
Fried Pie Pastry
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup shortening
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup ice water
1 teaspoon white vinegar

Combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Combine egg and water; sprinkle lightly over flour mixture. Add vinegar and stir with a fork until dry ingredients are moistened. Shape into a ball. Wrap dough in wax paper. Chill for at least one hour. Use as directed in any fried pie .

One last crust recipe…maybe my favorite. Why? Fill it with sweetened whipped cream and fresh berries and see if you don’t love it!
Meringue Pie Crust
2 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar

In a large bowl, beat egg whites, cream of tartar and salt until soft peaks form. Add vanilla; beat in sugar until very stiff and glossy. Spread mixture into a 9-inch pie plate to form a shell. Bake at 300*F (150*C) for 50 minutes. Turn oven off without opening oven door and leave crust in for 1 hour. Cool before filling. Makes one 9-inch pie crust.

Ponte Vecchio, Florence, Italy

Ponte Vecchio, Florence, Italy
oil painting by Kay Tucker

Somerset Autumn on Wea Creek

Somerset Autumn on Wea Creek
Oil Painting by Kay Tucker, Private Collection

Floral

Floral
oil painting by Kay Tucker

Kansas Storm

Kansas Storm
oil painting by Kay Tucker, Private Collection

Watercolor Collage

Watercolor Collage

Tempo al Tempo....All in Good Time

Tempo al Tempo....All in Good Time
48"x36" sculptural painting by Kay Tucker