Cooking with Dessert Wines

When I was a chef at Milano, a Culinary Concepts of Crown Center restaurant in Kansas City, Missouri, my station was overflowing with the finest foods. During the dinner hour at Milano, I was the dessert chef. I could be found at my station, elbow deep in buttery crusts, creamy sauces, fresh fruits, crisp fragrant mint sprigs, big bowls of cinnamon enhanced whipped cream and unbelievable chocolate ravioli! I spent as much time making sure each plate that left the kitchen looked as beautiful as it tasted heavenly.
When you are working in an upscale restaurant, presentation is a major factor. Lucky for me, the customers appreciated my efforts. I was requested in the dining room often, where I was complimented and thanked for making their evening perfect. I made sure they knew that there were 8 or 9 of us in that kitchen, all working together to make sure they had that perfect evening. And downstairs from the restaurant was the prep kitchen, where another 5 or 6 cooks worked all day preparing ingredients to be brought up to our kitchen. The chef that worked the grill didn’t have to chop his own shallots or mince his own garlic, he spent his time preparing osso bucco, shrimp scampi, and grilling perfect steaks. Team work, that is what it is all about.

One of the great desserts at Milano was the Fresh Berry Gratinato. Every afternoon, after I whipped that big bowl of cream, I prepared several quarts of Zabaglione, a dessert sauce made of egg yolks, sugar and Marsala wine. Each time I received an order for the dessert, I’d fill a large shallow bowl with fresh berries, top it with a ladle full of the wonderful sauce, add a sprinkling of toasted sliced almonds and put it under the broiler until the sauce was warmed and turning a beautiful golden brown. I would quickly add a dollop of whipped cream, and one of those mint sprigs, then lightly dust the entire dessert with powdered sugar! My goodness it was good!

I didn’t use Marsala again until a year and a half ago. I was reintroduced to that unique wine when I went to Marsala, Sicily. Try to imagine a town built in 4th century BC. Sicily is full of miracles like that! The town gave its name to the wine. One of the most famous Marsala wines is produced by Florio. The hot Sicilian summers produce a strong, sweet wine and a tour of Florio gives you the opportunity to try all of their wines. I truly fell in love with them!

Zabaglione
Makes 6 servings

½ cup sugar
7 large egg yolks
1 cup sweet Marsala wine, or if I may suggest a substitute, Somerset Ridge Tawny Port!

Select a heatproof bowl that will fit snugly in the rim of a saucepan. Pour water to a depth of about 2 inches into the saucepan and bring to a very gentle simmer. Meanwhile, in the heatproof bowl, whisk together the sugar and egg yolks until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is pale yellow, thick and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Continuing to whisk, gradually add the Marsala.
Place the bowl over, not touching the simmering water in the pan, and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture is thick and frothy, and has tripled in volume, about 10 minutes.
Zabaglione is not only wonderful in the berry gratin, but delicious over chilled fresh fruit or a blushing poached pear! Try it on French Toast! Or place a slice of pound cake on a pool of zabaglione. Make the sauce, try a spoonful and I guarantee you that you will find a way to eat it! When fresh figs are in season(August here in the Missouri/Kansas area), don’t forget to try them with zabaglione! Ahhhh, there it is again…. team work.

The art community here in Kansas City is made up of many fascinating characters, evenly split between those with talent and those that admire those that have it. I have been so fortunate to meet some of Kansas City’s finest artists. They are quite a group, varied in age and background, but each a beautiful painter.
One of my most fortunate encounters came last spring as I was working hard lining up the artists for the first Art in the Vines at Somerset Ridge Vineyard. I received a phone call from a delightful young woman named Maria Johnson, asking if she could be considered for one of the spots in the art show. She sent me her web page and blog information http://www.artistmajo.blogspot.com/ and I was immediately in love with her work! You see, Maria is from Colombia, South America and paints with the colors and excitement of the Caribbean. Her canvases are vibrant, alive, and bring such pleasure!
More recently, I have gotten to know Maria through the Somerset Ridge Painters, a group of 9 women artists who paint together at the vineyard and party together, as you can see in the photo, whenever we can! She brings not only talent to the group, but youthful beauty, humor and an amazing marketing ability!
With my background in food, I have discovered Maria’s cooking is as vibrant and colorful as her paintings! She very often prepares the food she grew up with.
One evening she and her husband, Shawn, shared her special soup and a bottle of wine with me. What a great evening it was. And it sparked my interest in the food of Colombia.

There is a traditional recipe that pops up on any search for colombian food. That is a recipe for Arepa, considered a national dish of Colombia. It is a fried corn cake made with masa flour, sometimes split and filled with spicy meat, or fried with cheese mixed into the patty.
The recipe will follow.
Maria also told me about Bandeja paisa -The Paisa platter combines white rice and red beans with ground beef, plantain, chorizo, chicharron (pork rinds), arepa, avocado and a fried egg. Also, Maria feels you should add an AlkaSeltzer to that menu!
Having grown up on the Caribbean coastline, Maria and her family ate a great deal of fresh seafood, including lobster, and coconut rice is a frequent side dish. They would grill whole fish, and serve it with fried plantains, avocado and an assortment of the locally abundant fresh fruit.Our second recipe is one Maria adores. It is called Sancocho de Cola. I suppose you could call this the “national soup of Colombia.”
Just remember, when you serve Colombian food, make sure you have lots of lime and avocado and cilantro, and of course, rice.

Arepa
Colombian Corn Patties

1 cup of Pre-cooked corn flour such as Mazeca, Pan, or Masa

1 cup of warm milk

1 teaspoon of salt
1 handful of shredded Parmesan

Warm water.

1/4 cup of oil (do not use olive oil, just corn, canola etc)

In a bowl mix the corn mixture with the salt and cheese. Add the warm milk and stir with a fork. Start adding warm water as needed. You will look for a dough with the consistency to form into patties. Shape dough into balls and then flatten them to make a patties. (You can make an arepa any size you want)Heat the oil in a skillet. When the oil is hot, place patties in the pan and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown, then turn and let cook to golden brown on the 2nd side. Open a pocket in the arepa and fill with a spicy filling of shredded cooked chicken or beef heated with some salsa and taco seasoning to taste.

Sancocho de Cola
Water
4 to 6 pieces of oxtail
5 green onions
2 green plantain, peeled and quartered just before adding to the pot
2 ears of corn, cut into 2” pieces
1 teaspoon cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound yucca, peeled and cubed
3 Medium potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
1 cup peeled, seeded and cubed pumpkin
Fresh cilantro, chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:Fill a large pot with water (12-16 cups). Cook the oxtail and green onion at a low boil for about an hour or until the meat is nearly cooked.
Add plantain and cook at a low boil for 25 minutes Add corn on the cob and the cubed potato and pumpkin. Add the yuca, garlic, salt, pepper, and cumin. Simmer for 10 minutes. a heaping spoonful of chopped cilantro. Simmer for 15 more minutes. Serve with a side of white rice. Top each bowl of soup with a pinch of cilantro.

“i comer feliz!”

Foodie Movies make me happy

Did you ever see the “Taming of the Shrew” with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton? What a movie! Shakespeare’s comedy of male chauvinism and women’s lib in the 16th century has always been one of my favorites. I remember seeing “Kiss me Kate”, the musical version, at Starlight Theatre in the early 1950s. What a treat, I was 11 or 12 years old and I loved it. I also loved the fact the lead character was named Katharina , the European version of my name, Katherine.
The Franco Zeffirelli movie is a work of art. Every inch of the film is beautiful. It was filmed in Italy and depicts the life of Italians, both rich and poor, in the 1500s. There were scenes in the rain and you felt the cold damp creeping through your bones. There were scenes in Petruchio’s home in Verona which made you feel the poverty ; the dust almost made you cough!
But my favorite scenes? The food, what else? It didn’t show a great deal of food…it wasn’t huge tables of food for lavish feasts. But there was one scene when Katharina followed Petruchio from her father’s home in Veronna to his home in Padua, after their wedding. He was so obnoxious! But she followed him anyway, through the rain, through the mountains and the snow and ice. She was frozen to the bone, hungry, her wedding gown was a sodden, mud and ice caked mess. She finally arrived to find the table covered with roasted chicken, a huge beautiful copper bowl full of rich creamy polenta, fresh breads. Starving, she grabs for the food, only to watch Petruchio turn the table upside down, dumping the warm inviting dinner onto the dirt covered floor! I was so saddened by this….not for her, but for the polenta…one of God’s greatest achievements! I dream of creamy polenta….sometimes drizzled with pesto, sometimes topped with mushroom ragout…most of the time with a huge pat of creamery butter and a mound of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano. As I have said before, no wonder I am 4’ square!

I have watched “Under the Tuscan Sun” dozens of times, just to gaze upon the beautiful food she feeds the artisans who are restoring her old Italian villa. And “Moonstruck” to see the eggs in a basket…eggs fried in the center of a piece of bread!
I cried the first 6 times I watched “Babette’s Feast”, of course living on a desolate Denmark coast in the middle of winter would make anyone cry! But the food that Babette prepared for her feast was incredible.
“Like Water for Chocolate” is another great foodie movie. Set on a ranch in Mexico at the turn of the century, this beautiful food will kill you! But you will die happy.
“Woman on Top” is a magical movie about a Brazilian chef; “No Reservations” is a movie about food, wine, and has Aaron Eckhart for dessert! What more could a girl want?
I suppose if they ever made a movie about me, they would call it “Monday Night at Mimi’s” It would be a cross between a disaster movie and a psychological thriller with great cinematography and huge platters of food. There would be discussions at the dinner table that would rival those of the Walker family of the television show “Brothers and Sisters”.There would definitely be a Grilled Cheese Contest going on! You would definitely need to lower the volume.
Never fear…. It will never happen.

Timpano from " Big Night"

the photo above is from one of my favorite blogs,

Proud Italian Cook.

Go to http://prouditaliancook.blogspot.com. for their recipe....excellent!

Other movies about food? Don’t miss “Tortilla Soup” and “ Big Night” is absolutely required! You will be in your kitchen making timpano before you know what hit you.
I suppose you know what is last, …but certainly not least. The movie about the queen of the kitchen…no, not Martha Stewart! Julia Child! Don’t miss "Julie & Julia", it is an inspiration to all who dream of creating works of art in the kitchen!
Have fun!

The Somerset Ridge Painters

will be featured artists during the

First Paola Art Crawl!

Saturday, February 6th, 6:00 to 9:00pm in exciting Paola, Kansas!
In case you haven’t been to Paola lately, they are on a roll!
New businesses are moving in, old buildings are being restored!
There is a lot happening on the square,

and, it is becoming quite an art community!

Join in the fun on Saturday, February 6th
Come to

Molly’s Table
Where the Somerset Ridge Painters will be exhibiting their work.

Molly’s table is a wonderful little restaurant just off the square
at 117 S Pearl

Come and enjoy the art, some food and wine!

Come party with the artists!

speaking of Food and Wine........

try these two wonderful appetizer recipes, one sweet, one savory

Have some ricotta cheese or warm brie and crackers ready!

Figs Poached In Somerset Ridge Tawny Port

1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup Somerset Ridge Vineyard Tawny Port
4 thin slices lemon
1/2 cinnamon stick
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
8 dried plump black Mission figs, halved lengthwise

In a medium saucepan, combine the water and sugar and bring to a boil. Add the port, lemon slices, cinnamon stick and vanilla bean. Cover and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Add the figs, cover and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly and remove the lemon slices, cinnamon stick and vanilla bean from the syrup.

Cool and refrigerate.

Antipasto

8 ounces canned mushroom stems and -pieces drained and finely -chopped
1 can artichoke hearts drained and finely chopped (14 ounce)
1 jar pimiento stuffed olives drained and finely chopped (10 ounce)
1 can ripe olives drained and finely chopped (6 ounce)
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery

3/4 cup vinegar
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup instant minced onion
2 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon onion salt
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Combine first 6 ingredients mixing well then set aside.

Combine remaining ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil.

Pour dressing over vegetables then place in a large jar with a tight fitting lid.

Shake jar to stir ingredients then refrigerate overnight.

Serve spread with assorted crackers.

Today I needed comforting. Yes, it is cold and windy outside, but the real reason I needed comforting is I just lost an old friend. Today, Susan Callender Rettig died of lung cancer.
Susan had lived away from the Kansas City area for several years, but had been brought home to Hospice House several days ago. Four of us, all good friends of Susan’s since our junior high and high school days, were preparing to go tell her goodbye when the phone call came. We didn’t make it in time.
Feeling the need to be together, to talk about Susan and the old days, I called Jasper Mirabile of Jasper’s Restaurant and he and his staff were waiting for us when we arrived.
The comfort we needed was right there at our table. Sitting there on a busy weekday during lunch, we were made comfortable and given all the time we needed to be sad, to laugh, to remember. We drank Flyboy Red, my favorite wine, and eventually settled in to enjoy Jasper’s wonderful lunch.
As we ate the warm, comforting food, we decided the point had come to face facts and realize we need to make time for “us”. We need to be together, we need to be closer now than we have ever been. When we were young, we lost touch because of life…. .children, jobs…life. Now, 50 years after graduating from Wyandotte High School in Kansas City, Kansas, we need to remember “us”. My “girl friends” from high school are very important women now, important to me. I intend to keep them close from this point on.

Being me, a total “foodie”, I am sure I will be preparing dinner, or maybe lunch, for them soon. That is my therapy, feeding friends and family. Feeling the warmth and togetherness around the table is vital; the sound of laughter and small talk, hearing knives and forks against the dinnerware, smelling the aromas of the food, all add up to being together.
I am sure Susan will be there with us

It comes as no surprise to me that I immediately think of Italian food when I want to cook something comforting. Big bubbling casseroles of pasta and melted creamy cheeses with sprigs of fresh fragrant herbs tucked in here and there; maybe a spicy tomato sauce, or a rich green pesto. There must be lots of warm crusty bread and fresh creamery butter. Comfort food should never be low fat! That is a law!

One of my favorite casseroles is Chicken Tetrazinni. Apparently Chicken Tetrazinni was “invented” right here in the United States, not Italy. The year was 1910 – Tetrazinni is said to have been named for the Italian opera singer Luisa Tetrazzini (1871-1941), called “The Florentine Nightingale.” She was extremely popular in the United States and was a star of the San Francisco Opera. She also was a long-time resident of San Francisco. It was a culinary tradition to name new dishes after personalities of the day, and Chefs of the 19th century used to flatter great prima donnas like Luisa Tetrazzini, making them the inspiration and then naming dishes for them.
A few historians say that master French chef, George Auguste Escoffier, invented this dish, but the dish is not mentioned in Escoffier's cookbooks and memoirs. According to Luisa Tetrazzini's 1921 autobiography, she was unaware of this fact.
Here is my favorite recipe, tried and true. I renamed it today in honor of my friend.
Susan's Tetrazinni
9 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 pound white mushrooms, sliced
1 large onion, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 cup Somerset Ridge Vineyard Chardonnay
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk, room temperature
1 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature
1 cup chicken broth
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
12 ounces linguine
3/4 cup frozen peas (optional, but I love the additional color)
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup dried Italian-style breadcrumbs

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Spread 1 tablespoon of butter over a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish. Melt 1 tablespoon each of butter and oil in a deep large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the hot pan and cook until pale golden and just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate to cool slightly. Coarsely shred the chicken into bite-size pieces and into a large bowl.
3. Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon each of butter and oil to the same pan. Add the mushrooms and saute over medium-high heat until the liquid from the mushrooms evaporates and the mushrooms become pale golden, about 12 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, and thyme, and saute until the onion is translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until it evaporates, about 2 minutes. Transfer the mushroom mixture to the bowl with the chicken.
4. Melt 3 more tablespoons butter in the same pan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk, cream, broth, nutmeg, remaining 1 3/4 teaspoons salt, and remaining 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Increase the heat to high. Cover and bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, until the sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 10 minutes.
5. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the linguine and cook until it is tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 9 minutes. Drain. Add the linguine, sauce, peas, and parsley to the chicken mixture. Toss until the sauce coats the pasta and the mixture is well blended.
6. Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish. Stir the cheese and breadcrumbs in a small bowl to blend. Sprinkle the cheese mixture over the pasta. Dot with the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter. Bake, uncovered, until golden brown on top and the sauce bubbles, about 25 minutes.
Makes 8 servings

So when you are sad, or blue, prepare this recipe. Invite those you love and share this comforting meal with them.
Have a salad, crusty bread and butter and the rest of the bottle of chardonnay (plus one or two more in the refrigerator). Let yourself wallow in the love of this warm gooey casserole and that of your friends and family. Life will look a little brighter.

I’m excited! Two of my favorite events are scheduled and on the calendar!


Slow Food Kansas City
Presents
Pig 102
"From Snout To Tail"
Eat & Drink Local
Local Duroc Pork, Local Wine & Local Chefs
Join Slow Food Members Kay Tucker & Chef Jasper Mirabile for our 2nd annual small plate dinner & cooking class featuring Pork Belly, Jowl, Trotter, Neck Bones & more.
Our Mission: To teach the home cook how to use the whole hog from snout to tail.
Jasper will be serving Tuscan Bean Soup, Mama's Sunday Sauce & Neck Bones and

Bucatini 'Almatricina, & Porchetta.
Kay is making Guanciale, Head Cheese, Zampone and Country Pork Pate
To finish off our Pork 102 Dinner, how about an XV Olive Oil Cake W/ Caremelized Pancetta & Gelato!
Slow Food members Dennis & Cindy Reynolds will be offering their Somerset Ridge wine produced locally in Somerset, Kansas.
February 25, 2010 6:30 PM
Jasper's Ristorante 1201 W. 103rd. Street Kansas City, MO 64114
40.00 per person includes wine. Tax & gratuity extra
Sign up today, seating is limited
$5.00 from every purchase will go directly to Slow Food KC Chapter.

I am going to be making sausage, cured pork jowl, head cheese,

Zampone and pate over the next few weeks!

This event does sell out quickly, so if you are interested in trying our pork dinner, make your reservations early!
Call Jasper’s Restaurant,
816-941-6600

Next exciting event is one I consider “my baby”!
Somerset Ridge Vineyard and Winery
2nd Annual
Art in the Vines
Saturday, June 12th
11am to 6 pm
Come and see Kansas City’s finest Art, hanging in the beautiful vines of Somerset Ridge!
Enjoy a glass of the vineyard’s finest wine
while strolling through the vines,
Experiencing the art work of 30 plus artists!
It is one of the most exciting events of the summer!

Do yourself a big favor....mark your calendar now!

Do you absolutely love Mexican food? Last night I spent the evening with my granddaughter, Ali, and the rest of her family, to celebrate her birthday. Her choice of restaurant was Cactus Grill in Leawood here in Johnson County, Kansas. I've been going to Cactus Grill since it opened in the early '90s. It is always good and I love their Creamy Cilanto Chicken soup. I started making it when I was a personal chef for a doctor and his family. After tweaking the recipe, this is a favorite.

Creamy Cilantro Chicken Soup

6 1/2 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth

4 cups (packed) fresh cilantro

2 cups (packed) fresh Italian parsley

6 ounces cream cheese, cubed

1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

1 fresh marjoram sprig

1 cup shredded cooked chicken

1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds

Note: You may make your own broth with a fresh chicken, having both the broth and shredded chicken for this recipe; Or you may use a good canned broth and shred a rotisserie chicken from the deli.

Combine 2 cups broth, 2 cups cilantro, parsley, cream cheese, and almonds in blender; blend until smooth. Heat 4 1/2 cups broth in large saucepan. Whisk in herb-cheese mixture and marjoram. Simmer 25 minutes to blend flavors. Transfer 1 cup soup and remaining 2 cups cilantro to blender; puree until smooth. Add puree to soup in pan. Season with salt and pepper. Bring soup to simmer, thinning with more broth if desired. Top each bowl of soup with a 1/4 cup warm shredded chicken and a few toasted sliced almonds for garnish .

Granted, this is not just Mexican, it is actually rather worldly.

To have this as part of a Southwestern/Mexican meal, serve it as the 1st course in a dinner of more traditional Mexican food.

May I suggest

Braised Short Ribs in Pasilla Chile Pozole

1 cup flour
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground mustard seed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds beef short ribs, cleaned, excess fat removed, and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 dried pasilla chiles, seeded and stemmed
1 cup hot water
1 white onion, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
1/2 bunch celery, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, smashed
2 cups red wine
2 tomatoes, quartered
3 to 4 cups beef broth
1 (16-ounce) can white hominy or pozole, drained
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Directions
Place flour in a bowl with all ground spices. Mix well with a wooden spoon. Once well mixed, add to a shallow dish.
Dredge short ribs one by one on both sides, making sure to shake off any excess flour. In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of oil. When the oil smokes, add the short ribs. Brown short ribs for 5 minutes on each side until a golden crust starts to form. Once brown, reserve, and continue until all are brown. Set ribs aside.
While the short ribs are browning, heat a cast iron skillet. When skillet is hot, add the pasilla chiles and toast for 4 minutes until they start to smoke. Remove and submerge in 1 cup hot water. Allow to steep for 10 minutes until they become soft and pliable. Remove from water and puree in blender with 1/4 cup of the water. Set aside puree mixture.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Add onion, carrots, celery, and garlic to the dutch oven. Cook for 15 minutes until the vegetables caramelize. Deglaze pot with red wine, then add tomatoes, beef broth, hominy, and pasilla chile puree. Bring the whole mixture to a simmer. Start adding all the browned short ribs back into the pan.
Cover and cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes until short ribs barely start falling off the bone. Season with salt, pepper, cilantro, and parsley, and serve.

A simple green salad and warm flour tortillas will complete your special meal.

Back to the Studio

I am so excited! I actually started a new painting yesterday. After 6 weeks of picking up a paint brush just to lay it down again, I am thrilled I actually put some paint on a canvas! I have two paintings that I need to complete, plus several new paintings that I need to start, so it is a good thing that my heart and mind are once again back into my painting. I suppose the fact that I am once again right in the middle of planning the next Art in the Vines show at Somerset Ridge Vineyard and Winery might be jump starting my creativity. Whatever might be the catalyst, I am grateful!

I am so lonely for my friends and teachers at ARTichokes! I have found I paint better and am more prolific when I am involved with Becky Pashia, Ada Koch and Kristin Goering, the premier instructors at ARTichokes. Due to my schedule during the holidays, I have not been able to participate in their classes, but beginning February 1st....I AM BACK! I hope I am smart enough to be selfish when I schedule my time in the future....I need to paint!

Back to street foods....

When I went to Germany with my friend Inge, we arrived in Bavaria just in time to meet her relative at the pretzel cart. Yep, the pretzel cart. Not only was it a permanently placed cart and landmark, but it sold the biggest, most gorgeous pretzels you could ever find!

In Germany as in most countries, street food is regional, but the most popular and best known is the pretzel and sausage, and of course, beer. Throughout Germany you will find small structures, similar to a kiosk, for selling fast food. Each Schnell Imbis is situated near a busy location, such as a castle, a ski lift, a busy intersection, etc. There you can buy a sausage on a roll, a pretzel and even a beer. You will find a selection of sodas and candy.

German pretzels are huge, unlike the skinny pale pretzels you find here in our malls and stadiums. In Bavaria, pretzels are fat, and shiny dark golden brown with a split showing the wonderful chewey white interior. Unlike in the US, Germans eat soft pretzels with butter, not mustard or cheese sauce for dipping. The bakeries also sell pretzel rolls, which are good with liverwurst or other "Aufschnitt" (bologna) in the middle.

There are possibly thousands of recipes for pretzels available. Some use a lye solution in the preparation, some use a solution of baking soda and water, some don't use a wet solution but are instead brushed with beaten egg to produce the shiny brown crust. To prepare a truly authentic German pretzel, you must use the extremely caustic lye solution. "Why on earth would you add it to your baked goods? Apparently, the brief contact with lye sort of precooks the surface; it breaks up the gluten so it caramelizes in the oven. The pretzels are perfectly safe once they've been baked. Some other foods are treated with lye before cooking, but hominy is the only one that comes to mind. Anyway, if a pretzel is still wet from the dip, then it's still dangerous, so be careful with it." That statement is from an excellent webpage on making German pretzels. Go to http://www.cs.uml.edu/~dm/brezla/ There is a recipe on the page.

Now, for the grilled sausages. German's never grill their sausages until they pop open. When they "explode", they quickly become dry. It is very common for them to eat their sausage with out a bun....very different from the American hotdog at the baseball game. Instead of that soggy soft bun, they pair their sausage with a big delicious pretzel!

If you live in the Kansas city area as I do, you are very fortunate to be close to Werner's Specialty

Foods. http://www.wernerswurst.com/ 5736 Johnson Dr. Mission, KS 66202-3325 (913) 362-5955.

David and Judy Miller have been making excellent German sausages for years, particularly their Bratwurst. Try them, you will be happy. When the weather gets warm, particularly on a Saturday, they will be out in front of the store with their grill....no, it isn't quite a schnell imbis, but yes, German street food in Kansas! Come back Toto, life is good!

Street foods in France

The French used to think it was bad manners to grab a snack out on the street. They felt the proper place for dining was in a Paris restaurant or sidewalk cafe. How times change! Today you will see Parisians munching on sandwiches, hot dogs, pizza, pastries while strolling along the street or sitting in the sun by the Seine.
So, a hotdog isn't French enough for you? Then maybe you should stop for crêpes at a booth on the sidewalk. Many cafés and restaurants have crêpe booths from which you can buy freshly-made crêpes, plain and simple with butter and sugar, or fancier filled with chocolate and nuts, ham and cheese, apricot jam, or some other treat.
BASIC CREPES
3 eggs

1 1/2 c. flour

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

1/8 tsp. salt

1 1/2 c. skim milk
In mixing bowl, combine eggs and salt, add flour alternately with milk, beating until smooth after each addition. Add oil and beat. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Cook on upside-down crepe griddle according to manufacturer's directions, or in skillet with non-stick coating. (If using skillet, allow 2 tablespoons batter per crepe, turning skillet to coat evenly in very thin layer. Cook over medium heat until bottom is brown, turn brown other side a few seconds).
Crepes may be made in advance, wrapped in foil or plastic wrap, and stored in refrigerator for 2 or 3 days; for easier separation, a layer of waxed paper or foil may be placed between crepes. They may be kept in freezer if tightly sealed in freezer bags. When ready to use bring crepes to room temperature before separating.

What you put on these is up to you. The famous Crepe Suzette is orange flavored and flambéed. You will find those in the sidewalk cafes. On the streets, you will find them filled with Nutella, that delicious Chocolate Hazelnut spread, maybe sliced bananas with a caramel sauce. They also sell them with savory fillings like wonderful french cheeses, maybe some ham.

Sorry I am not much on Japaneese street foods, but I understand octopus, bean paste and rice cakes are big. I don't think I will be going to Japan anytime soon. I am thinking about Great Britain. I'll let you know what I find out!

As usual, photographs provided by Fotosearch.com

photos by Fotosearch.com

IS IT SPRING YET?

Okay, so it was in the 40s today, but have you seen the huge mounds of snow in my front yard? Maybe by the 4th of July I'll be able to see the street! Pulling out of my driveway is dangerous! I can't see either direction as I pull out. Come on Springtime! Lets see some daffodils, some tulips! I'd be thrilled to see a blade of grass!

I suppose I need to stick with heavier wintertime recipes, but I long to dive in to spring's lighter fare. And with spring I can start driving to Annie Cassidy's chicken Farm for her beautiful fresh eggs. I have missed them terribly!

I am also anxious to prepare Carnivale food. In Italy, the street vendors take advantage of the huge crowds in the streets, selling one of my favorite street foods,
Frittelle (Fritters) but there is absolutely no reason to wait for Carnevale. Carnevale, also known as Carnival and Mardi Gras around the world, street foods are very important. I am not a fan of funnel cakes, but from their popularity at festivals and fairs here in the United States, I must be in the minority! But if you take the Italian Frittelle and taste test it with a Funnel Cake...I think

you will be saying "Delizioso!"

I figure we should make the Frittelle to make sure we have the recipe and procedure perfected by Carnevale. So, I will give you several recipes, each one a little more elaborate.

Hope you have fun choosing your favorite!

Frittelle

1 3/4 cup rice (cheap rice is best here)
1 quart milk
The zest of one lemon
3 Tablespoons sugar (3 to 4)
A walnut-sized chunk of sweet butter
3 eggs
1 jigger Somerset Ridge Ambrosia Dessert Wine

1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Oil for frying
Confectioner's sugar

Simmer the rice in the milk until it's quite done, then stir in the sugar, lemon zest, and butter and let the mixture cool.
Separate the eggs and whip the whites to soft peaks. Stir the yolks and the rum or wine into the rice mixture, then fold in the egg whites, flour and baking powder. Drop the batter a teaspoon at a time into hot oil and fry the frittelle until they are a rich golden brown. Drain them on absorbent paper, and when they have cooled dust them with confectioner's sugar.

Frittelle con Uvetta, Fritters with raisins

3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup less 1 tablespoon raisins
3 tablespoons sweet butter
3 eggs
The zest of a lemon
Sugar
Oil for frying
Salt
Bring a half cup of water to boil with the butter and a pinch of salt. Add the flour in one fell swoop and cook the mixture, stirring constantly, for five minutes. Let it cool, then work in the raisins, eggs, and lemon zest. Fry the batter a tablespoon at a time in hot oil. Drain the frittelle on absorbent paper, dust them with sugar, and serve.

Frittelle di Seomolino, Semolina fritters

1 quart milk
1 3/4 cups + 1 tablespoon semolina
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
The grated zest of an orange
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup slivered almonds
1 flavorful apple, peeled, cored and diced
5 yolks
Flour
Sugar for dusting
Salt
Oil for frying

Bring the milk to a boil with the orange zest and the vanilla. Stir in 1/2 cup sugar and the semolina, and cook for 10 minutes over a moderate flame, stirring constantly. Stir in the raisins, almonds and apple, then remove the mixture from the fire and stir in the yolks. Let the batter cool (it will be fairly stiff), form it into 1 1/2 inch by half-inch sausages, roll them in flour, and fry them. Dust them with granulated sugar when they are cool and serve.

so now that I've talked about Italian Street Food, I suppose I should give Germany, France, Mexico, etc. an equal amount of space.....next time.

In the United States, the Pinon, better know as the pine nut, is from the Great Basin region which extends into Mexico and covers most of Nevada and over half of Utah, as well as parts of California, Idaho, Oregon and Wyoming. Pinon are also common in other parts of the world, wherever pine trees grow. Pine nuts are the edible seeds of pines (family Pinaceae, genus Pinus). About 20 species of pine produce seeds large enough to be worth harvesting; in other pines the seeds are also edible, but are too small to be of great value as a human food. In Europe, pine nuts come from the Stone Pine (Pinus pinea), which has been cultivated for its nuts for over 6,000 years, and harvested from wild trees for far longer.
Native Americans have always considered the pinon as a staple, grinding them into a paste they ate either cold or hot like a soup.
Pine nuts have been eaten in Europe and Asia since the Paleolithic period. They are frequently added to meat, fish, and vegetable dishes. In Italian they are called pinoli or pignoli[6] and are an essential component of Italian pesto sauce. The pignoli cookie, an Italian specialty confection, is made of almond flour formed into a dough similar to that of a macaroon and then topped with pine nuts. Pine nuts are also featured in the salade landaise of southwestern France. Pine nut coffee, known as piñón (Spanish for pine nut), is a speciality found in the southwest United States, especially New Mexico, and is typically a dark roast coffee having a deep, nutty flavour; roasted and lightly salted pine nuts can often be found sold on the side of the road in cities across New Mexico to be used for this purpose. The Nevada Pine Nut, or Great Basin pine nut has a sweet fruity flavor and is relished for its large size, sweet flavor and ease of peeling. Pine nuts are also used in chocolates and desserts such as baklava. It is also a widely used ingredient in Middle Eastern cuisine, reflected in a diverse range of dishes such as kibbeh, sambusek, ladies' fingers and many others.
Today, the pine nut is a much appreciated culinary ingredient. When American Southwestern cooking became recognized as an important cuisine, the pine nut was introduced to the general public in the United States. Pine nuts are considered to be fairly expensive, but the harvesting of pine seed is not an easy process. The shelf life on the pinon is very short. Keep them in your freezer!
As for me, my favorite recipe using pine nuts is Pignoli, the Italian cookie. This is the perfect way to taste the true nutty flavor of the pine nut.
· 2 lbs almond paste
· 1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
· 8 egg whites (room temperature)
· 1 lb pignoli (we are speaking Italian!) nuts
· 1 1/2 cups sugar
· 2 tablespoons honey
· 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Cream together the almond paste, sugars and honey into a smooth batter. Beat the egg whites until stiff, then gradually mix into the batter, along with the vanilla. Spread the pignoli in a dish. Drop the batter by teaspoonful into the nuts, then place onto a lightly greased cookie sheet at 1-inch apart.Bake in a preheated 350 F oven for 12-14 minutes or until golden. Remove carefully from baking sheet with a spatula while still warm. Makes about 4 dozen.

Here we are thigh high in snow but I am beginning to plan for the summer. No, I am not talking about summer vacations, traveling, etc. I am talking about events at the vineyard! It won't be long before we have bud break on the vines....well, it might be better to say "in April"...I just hope it won't "be long". Anyway, once the buds pop out, it is just a matter of time before we have a lush green vineyard once again.

That means it is just a matter of time before we once again hold our Art in the Vines! I am going to start contacting the artists soon to ask for their commitment to our 2010 art fair. We will try to schedule it for a perfect weekend in June! Stay tuned...there will be many great events at Somerset Ridge Vineyard and Winery!

As for painting....I am a loser! I have not picked up a brush since the first of December. I've walked into my studio several times, only to look around, sigh, and walk out. What could be wrong with me? So I thought maybe I should work on my creativity in the kitchen. I have 150 recipes I need to work on, prepare, design the presentation and take the photographs. I walk into the kitchen, look around, sigh and walk out! Picking up on the pattern? Oh well, there is always tomorrow! My paint brushes and oil paints are at the ready....camera batteries are charged up and ready to go....plenty of butter in the refrigerator. Yep, tomorrow is a new day.

So, you ask, how have I been spending my time? I have two projects that are near and dear to my heart. Short term project....Pig 102 with Chef Jasper Mirabile! This is where J and I take pork from a whole pig, snout to tail, and create a delicious meal. We hold the event at Jasper's Restaurant and the profit goes to the Slow Food organization. This event will be held on February 25th! So, now I am curing pork, tweaking recipes, etc. I love living on the edge!

My long term project is the Somerset Ridge Cookbook. I have been promising friends of the vineyard that there would be a cookbook....and now it is more than just an idea! Lots of work to be done, but I love it!

Now, just one thing to do.....pray for spring!

MORE DAMNED SNOW!

Yes, I do know that in today's electronic world,when you capitalize letters it means you are yelling! Believe me, I am yelling….! In one 24 hour period the snow removal teams came 3 times to shovel my driveway, sidewalk and front porch! (As you can see from the photo, they don’t clear decks. You can also see I didn’t get my deck furniture to storage!)
It has been a difficult task for the poor guys with single digit temperatures and tons of the white stuff. And I was just bitching about paying the $200 a month for the homes association fee! I think I am getting my money’s worth now!

I am truly thankful I have my blog and the cookbook to work on….I can watch just so much television. I do have several blogs that I follow and it is like having someone to visit with, hearing about their world, their weather! We food bloggers are quite a group. I don’t want to say anything about the artist bloggers….still trying to figure them out. I am pretty sure I am not a good fit with that group. They are probably appalled by my blog, combining food and painting, but what the heck, it is my blog!

No fresh tomatoes in this weather, so today I think I will put on a pot of creamy tomato basil soup and dream up a new grilled cheese combination. Nothing fights off the winter B-r-r-r-r-s like tomato soup and grilled cheese!
Oh, I said I was going to quit eating….okay, you make the soup and let me know how it turns out.

Creamy Tomato Soup with Fresh Basil Chiffonade

2 (15-ounce) cans chicken broth

1 (28-ounce) can concentrated crushed tomatoes
1 cup heavy cream
Coarse salt and black pepper
20 leaves fresh basil, cut into chiffonade, for garnish

To chiffonade the basil, stack 10 leaves, roll tightly from stem end to top of leaf. Slice into ribbons ands shake to separate. Repeat with remaining 10 basil leaves. If you aren't into perfection, simply tear a few leaves onto top of each bowl of soup. It will still taste fabulous!Perfect for soup!

Directions
Combine broth and tomatoes in a medium saucepan over moderate heat. When soup bubbles, stir in heavy cream and reduce heat to low. Season with a little salt and pepper and simmer gently 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. With an immersion blender, puree soup. Serve bowls of soup with basil chiffonade.

Now, add French Toast Cheddar Sandwiches and you can snuggle up on this cold winter's evening and feel pampered.

French Toast Cheddar Sandwiches

2 large eggs
1/3 cup milk or light cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 slices white bread
1 prepared mustard
4 cheddar cheese slices, thick slices
3 teaspoons butter

Set out a heavy skillet or cast iron griddle. Beat the eggs slightly in a pie tin or shallow bowl and add the milk or cream and salt, set aside. Spread the bread slices out on a flat working surface. Spread one side of four slices of bread lightly with the prepared mustard. Top each with a slice of cheddar cheese. Butter the remaining four slices of bread and top each cheese slice with bread, butter side down. Heat the butter in the skillet or on the griddle. Carefully dip each sandwich into the egg mixture, coating both sides. Allow the excess egg mixture to drain back into the bowl. Dip only as many sandwiches as will lie flat in the skillet or griddle. Cook over low heat until browned. Turn and brown the other sides. Repeat for the remaining sandwiches and if necessary, add more butter to the skillet or griddle to prevent sticking. Or you can place the sandwiches, after dipping, on a well greased baking sheet and brown in the oven at 450 degrees F. for 8 to 10 minutes. Serve hot.

I don’t mean to sound negative….but I have officially reached the point where I can honestly say….I am sick of winter! Fortunately, I don’t have to get out in it, don’t have to shovel snow, don’t have to walk the dog; I just have to stay in and stay warm. But the truth is, I am bored. Unfortunately, I am one of those people who eat when they are bored….I stand in the middle of the kitchen and try to figure out what I want to eat next. So far, I have resisted baking a cake and covering it with warm fudgy ganache. I have ignored my desire to whip up a batch of sugar cookies. I have fought off the urge to make a 10 pound pan of warm and cheesy lasagna. However, I lost the battle with the bag of horribly stale store bought cookies. Dipped in a cup of hot tea, they weren’t all that bad.

I figure by spring thaw, I will have an additional 50 pounds to lose. Depressing, isn’t it?

So, today, in honor of the New Year, I have given up eating and have turned my attention to the new cookbook I am working on. I am hoping that writing about food won’t make me gain weight.

For the last 6 years, both Cindy and I have promised our harvest crews and friends of the vineyard that there would be a Somerset Ridge Vineyard and Winery cookbook. We have declared we would, indeed, include all of the recipes that have been served at harvest events and gourmet dinners.

There seems to be a tradition at some vineyards to feed their harvest crews brisket, baked beans and potato salad. Boring! At Somerset Ridge, harvest event menus include dishes like French Braised Pork with Rosemary Cannellini Beans, or Wild Boar on a bed of Soft Polenta.

Our menus have always consisted of gourmet dishes, prepared with fresh locally grown foods whenever possible. The garden at Somerset Ridge provides us with fresh vegetables, all organically grown, just as our grapes are. We grow our own shallots, tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, pumpkins….all lovingly tended by Mae Reynolds.

Our meats include buffalo from a local herd. Our baked goods are full of beautiful fresh eggs from Annie, our egg lady. Our homemade Ricotta cheese is made from rich creamy goat’s milk from right down Somerset Road.

Yes, this is going to be a very special cookbook. I’ll keep you posted on our progress.

In the meantime, here is a recipe that is on the list to be considered for the cookbook. Hope you try it!

Polenta-Pecan Apple Cobbler
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup quick-cooking polenta mix or yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
8 cups cubed, cored, peeled cooking apples (8 medium)
1/2 cup dried tart red cherries
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup cold water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/3 cup half-and-half or light cream

For topping, in a small bowl stir together flour, polenta mix or cornmeal, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; set aside.

In another small bowl combine the pecans, the 2 tablespoons brown sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon; set aside.

For filling, in a large saucepan combine the apples, cherries, the 1/3 cup brown sugar, the lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Bring to boiling, stirring constantly; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 5 minutes or until fruit is almost tender, stirring occasionally. Combine cold water and cornstarch; add to saucepan. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Keep hot.

Add the 1/3 cup half-and-half or light cream to topping mixture, stirring just to moisten. Transfer filling to a 2-quart square baking dish. Using a spoon, immediately drop topping into small mounds onto filling. Sprinkle with pecan mixture.

Bake in a 375 degree F oven 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into topping comes out clean. If desired, serve with additional ice cream, half-and-half, or light cream. Makes 8 servings