How many different recipes for Potato Salad exist out there? It is, indeed, a food that has been changed to suit individual tastes for centuries As I have said before, baking is a science, not much room to tweak the recipe. But with Potato Salad, the sky is the limit. Not only do we have individual influences, but also regional, national, and yes, international influences! Ina Garten has a fabulous French Potato Salad recipe on www.foodnetwork.com . All of my German friends have German Potato Salad recipes, each a little different. It is one of those things that “Mutter” taught them.



Did you know there is a South African Potato Salad? I must admit I have never tried it, mainly because it contains sweetened condensed milk…and honestly, that just does not appeal to me!


Back here in America, we too have many varieties of what we feel is a truly American food. Some contain yellow mustard, some Dijon. There is green onion in some, only red onion in others….some can’t be tolerated unless it has Vidalia onions! Oh, and do you put pickles in yours? Dill or sweet?


Then there is the choice of peeling the potatoes or leaving the skins on. I suspect many have moved to leaving the skins on due to the unpleasant job of peeling potatoes. Thanks to dear Jill in Topeka, Kansas, we can have our peeled potatoes without the job of peeling! Watch this video. You will be amazed! http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7375897927147969009#


Now that our potatoes are neatly peeled, it is decision time. What type of Potato Salad is your favorite? Mine? None other than…



Deviled Egg Potato Salad
8 hard cooked eggs
3 tbsp. vinegar
3 tbsp. prepared mustard
1 c. mayonnaise
1/2 c. dairy sour cream
1/2 tsp. celery salt
1 tsp. salt
6 med. potatoes, cooked & cubed (4 - 4 1/2 c.)
½ cup chopped yellow onion

Cut eggs in half; remove yolks; mash and blend with vinegar and mustard. Add mayonnaise, sour cream, celery salt and salt; mix well. Chop egg whites; combine with potatoes and onion. Fold in egg yolk mixture; chill. Makes 6 to 8 servings

I won't discuss the mayonnaise/miracle whip decision....there is no decision. I see absolutely no reason on earth for that fake mayo to even be on the grocer's shelves! Mayonnaise,the real stuff,or nothing at all!
Now that that is settled, I am not saying you should make only Mayonnaise based potato salad. There are wonderful salads without.




You know me well enough by now to know I won’t forget Italy! Here is a wonderful version from www.Bluekitchen.com.
Gorgeous salad!



Deconstructed Italian Potato Salad

Serves 2 [can be doubled or tripled or...]

For garlic-infused olive oil [makes 1/2 cup]:

1/2 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
1 large clove garlic
freshly ground black pepper

For potato salad:

4 tablespoons garlic-infused olive oil
1 large russet potato
1 cup chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped red onions
4 teaspoons capers [chopped if large]
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, divided
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste


Make garlic-infused olive oil. Peel garlic clove and bash it with the side of a knife to break it up, but not pulverize it. You want big chunks. Combine with olive oil in a jar. Grind in several generous grinds of black pepper. Seal jar and shake to combine flavors. Make at least 2 hours to up to a day or more ahead. The longer you let it sit, the more garlicky it will become. If using the same day, leave it on the counter and give it an occasional shake. If making it a day or more in advance, refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before using.


Make potato salad. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Peel and slice the potato into generous 1/4-inch slices, discarding ends. When water is rapidly boiling, salt it generously and add potato slices. Cook until they just lose that raw potato taste, but are still firm, no more than 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, gently transfer potato slices to bowl of iced water to stop the cooking. After potatoes have cooled transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.


Combine tomatoes, onions, capers and half the basil in a bowl. When you’re ready to assemble the potato salad, dress the tomato mixture with 1 tablespoon of the garlic-infused olive oil [shake the jar first to get some of the ground pepper in the mix]. Spoon 3 tablespoons of the oil into the center of a serving plate. Arrange the potato slices in a single layer in the pool of oil. Scatter the tomato mix evenly over the potato slices. Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of basil over everything and season the salad with salt and pepper. Serve.


. After you finish the salad, there will still be olive oil on the plate. If you have some crusty bread to sop it up with, you will be really, really happy.
So, if you are tired of your go-to potato salad recipe, here is your chance to be adventuresome. You have time to make some changes before that #1 Potato Salad Day…the 4th of July!

What a lovely afternoon! My dear sweet sister-in-law came over, we opened a bottle of wine and spent the next 2 hours watching Dallas! I recorded it the night it was on and we finally got around to watching it. I made some ham salad, put out some Ritz Crackers, and we had a great time! The wine at 2:00 in the afternoon had quite an affect on me, but evening plans consist of walking Zeus, the Moose before bedtime, so I think I am safe.

I am always so shocked every darned morning when I see myself in the mirror, I have way too many wrinkles! It can be depressing some days. But not today….not after I saw Larry Hagman. He has aged! Of course, he is in his 80s now!

Do you remember the season ending murder attempt in the March 21, 1980 "A House Divided" episode All summer long everyone wondered “Who Shot JR?” You don’t remember? You probably weren’t born yet! Here is Larry Hagman’s favorite scene….of course…. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhE1ev61Ofk
It was definitely what they call a Cliff Hanger!

The new Dallas is very good, full of the oil business, the cattle business, and plenty of monkey business! But, as I said, the original cast members have definitely aged…but then, so have I. As for the new cast members…young good looking men, gorgeous women. The young men cast as JR’s and Bobby’s sons are perfect for the parts. Chips off the old blocks!

So, today Dallas was enjoyed with wine. In 1980, I didn’t drink wine, but I did drink a very popular drink of that era….the Frozen Daiquiri. It was so simple, so tart, so cold!


This recipe makes six servings.
1 (12 fluid ounce) can frozen limeade concentrate
12 fluid ounces rum
1 tray ice cubes
(You can tell this is an old recipe! A TRAY of ice cubes! Today, I'd say about 21/2 to3 cups of ice.)


In a blender, combine limeade concentrate, rum and ice cubes. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve immediately.

I am very happy drinking wine with the new Dallas…..the Daiquiri is no longer a favorite of mine... Instant heartburn! Maybe that is because I’ve aged at the same rate as JR….that is painful!

As a chef, an enthusiastic baker, a maker of ice creams, and now, finally, a painter, I find it impossible to not drool over the paintings of Wayne Thiebaud. You see, Thiebaud is well known for his paintings of pies and cakes, even ice cream cones and hot dogs, all lined up in tidy rows. He spent time working in the food industry as a young man in Long Beach, California. He worked at a small café named Mile High and Red Hot, where "Mile High" was ice cream and "Red Hot" was a hot dog. In 1961, Thiebaud's food paintings—images of cakes, pies, candy, gumball machines, and deli counters painted with thick paint in bright colors, with amazing shadows—were exhibited in New York. They were a big hit! Though some scholars called Thiebaud a Pop artist (think Andy Warhol and the Campbell’s soup can) because he painted popular consumer goods, but Thiebaud said he painted them out of nostalgia; they reminded him of his boyhood and the best of America.

WayneThiebaud was born in Mesa, Arizona in 1920. Today, in his 91st year, Thiebaud is still painting. This makes me think that the paintings of food that I want to tackle, mostly to hang in my own kitchen, might not be such a crazy idea after all. I do have one question…..is it possible to paint a row of cakes before you eat them?

As much as I love cakes and pies, I really want to paint breads . Big crusty, golden brown loaves. I will cut one slice from one loaf and smother it in butter! Oh my! I just remembered my Buttery Dinner Rolls! That's it....now I am fired up!

Light the oven!

Buttery DinnerRolls
1 cup milk


1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened, plus more for sheets
2 eggs
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading and shaping (3 1/2 to 4)

1. Microwave milk, uncovered, until warm (90° to 105°), about 20 seconds at full power. Put in the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir in yeast, salt, and sugar. Let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.

2.Attach dough hook and, with mixer on low, stir in butter and 1 egg. Add flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until a stiff dough forms and pulls away from inside of bowl. Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and let sit until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours. Meanwhile, butter 2 large baking sheets and set aside.


3.Punch down dough and turn it onto a floured surface. Knead a few times, adding more flour if necessary to keep dough from sticking. Divide dough into 24 pieces. Working with 1 piece at a time (keep other pieces covered), roll into a 10-in. rope. Coil rope into a flat spiral or twist into a pretzel shape, pinching ends in place. Put shaped rolls on buttered baking sheets. Cover and let sit until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°.


4. In a small bowl, beat remaining egg with 2 tbsp. water. Brush rolls with egg wash and bake until brown, about 20 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking time to ensure even baking. Cool on wire racks. Serve warm or at room temperature.


Variations:
..Seed Rolls: After brushing rolls with egg wash in step 4, sprinkle them with 1 tbsp. poppy seeds, sesame seeds, or onion seeds.
..Cheese Rolls: Add 1 1/2 cups freshly shredded cheddar or gruyère cheese to the dough with the butter and egg in step 2. Sprinkle rolls with additional cheese before baking, if you like.
..Herb Rolls: Add 3 tbsp. minced fresh herbs-such as oregano, rosemary, thyme, or basil-to the dough with the butter and egg in step two.
 ..Saffron Rolls: Add 1/2 tsp. saffron threads to the milk in step 1.

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you have figured out that I am a firm believer that butter, sugar and salt make the world go ‘round. Each, alone, is a magical ingredient, giving the Midas touch to whatever recipe you have in mind. But when you use all three together…there can be perfection.



I do hope you realize that these three magical ingredients are in everything from Toll House Cookies to Mama’s Lasagna. I have nothing against cookies or lasagna, heaven knows I’ve made and eaten more than my share! The point is,  there are recipes out there that contain this triple crown of ingredients, which are melt in your mouth heavenly. I am on a quest to find each and every one of them.


Another bit of information you have probably learned about me is that I read dozens of food blogs, cookbooks and magazines every week. As a caterer, Iong before we had computers, I learned if I bought a $35.00 cookbook and found just one recipe that I could use in my business, it was money well spent. Today, with the internet, every recipe in the world is at your fingertips. Oh how I wish I could speak a dozen languages! That would open up millions of recipes for me. I speak what I refer to as "cookbook and menu languages". Having read so much about cooking methods, ingredients, etc, I simply know what these foreign cooking terms mean…that doesn’t mean I know how to pronounce them correctly!


So, you are wondering where I am going with this, right? Let me tell you.


This morning’s email brought a link to another food blog that I read, Cream Puffs In Venice. http://creampuffsinvenice.ca/about It is written by Ivonne who lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She comes from a large Italian family that loves to eat. I have no idea what her age is, but the way she describes learning from her two grandmothers, I had an immediate connection with her. She had one advantage….her grandmothers lived in Italy…..mine? Missouri. Not that Missouri is bad, it just isn’t Italy!


Ivonne takes beautiful photographs of her food for her blog…the kind that grab you instantly, the kind that make you drool. Sure enough, first thing this morning, there it was....

Salt-Kissed Buttermilk Cake with Strawberries adapted from 101cookbooks.com
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup cake and pastry flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
zest of 2 lemons
1 cup of berries (Ivonne used strawberries)
3 tablespoons large grain raw sugar
1 teaspoon large grain salt (Ivonne used Kosher salt)


Preheat oven to 400F degrees, racks in the middle. Grease and flour one 11-inch tart/quiche pan.


Combine the flour, baking powder, and sugar and salt in a large bowl. In a separate smaller bowl whisk together the eggs and the buttermilk, whisk in the melted butter, and the lemon zest. Pour the buttermilk mixture over the flour mixture and stir until just combined - try not to over mix. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, pushing out toward the edges. Place the berries on top of the batter, breaking them slightly with your fingers. Sprinkle with the large grain sugar and then the large grain salt. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until cake is set (or a toothpick in the center comes out clean), and a touch golden on top.


I hope you enjoy it, and Thank You, Ivonne, for passing this one on to us.

I woke up in the middle of the night thinking about Crab Cakes with Remoulade sauce and Corn on the Cob….please don’t ask me why, I haven’t a clue. But the amazing thing is, today I received an email from friend and fellow painter, Nancy, with a video link explaining how to cook “silkless” corn on the cob! I definitely want to share the video with my readers, so I figured I do an entire menu for you.



This is a great summer menu, won’t create too much heat in the kitchen.


This appetizer idea came from a blog I read regularly. It is called TasteFood and you can find it at: http://tastefoodblog.com

Avocado Bruschetta with Balsamic Syrup
Serves 1 to 2

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Sea salt
2 slices French  bread, 1/2 inch thick
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 large garlic clove, peeled, partially smashed
1 ripe but firm Hass avocado
Freshly ground black pepper


Combine balsamic vinegar, lemon juice and a pinch of sea salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until vinegar reduces by half and has a thick syrup consistency, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly.


Preheat oven broiler or grill pan. Brush bread slices on both sides with olive oil. Rub with garlic clove. Toast in oven or on pan until golden brown, turning once. Transfer to a plate.


Trim tip of avocado. Run knife vertically around center of avocado, cutting into flesh until knife meets the pit. Gently twist the avocado open and remove pit. Carefully remove the skin, keeping avocado intact. Thinly slice avocado halves crosswise. Arrange avocado slices on bread, overlapping in an accordion pattern. Brush with balsamic syrup. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes and generously season with black pepper.


Next is the salad.
I love this Cantaloupe and Prosciutto Salad

Juice of 1/2 fresh lemon
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups (about 2 oz.) loosely packed baby arugula
1/4 ripe cantaloupe, peeled and thinly sliced
8 slices (3 oz.) thinly sliced prosciutto, torn into pieces
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved
In a large bowl, gently toss lemon juice, oil, arugula, cantaloupe, prosciutto, salt, and pepper. Top with Parmesan.


Now for the Main Course….don’t you just adore Crab Cakes? I do, and have tried dozens of recipes and loved them all! I don’t think I have ever met a crab cake I didn’t adore. I have used just regular canned crab meat, but the cans of refrigerated crab from the seafood department at the grocery store are much better!

The Best Crab Cakes

1 pound crabmeat, picked free of shells
1/3 cup crushed crackers (recommended: Ritz)
3 green onions (green and white parts), finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped bell pepper
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 egg
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 Dash cayenne pepper
Flour, for dusting
1/2 cup peanut oil
Favorite dipping sauce, for serving


In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients, except for the flour and peanut oil. Shape into patties and dust with flour.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, carefully place crab cakes, in batches, in pan and fry until browned, about 4 to 5 minutes. Carefully flip crab cakes and fry on other side until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Serve warm with preferred sauce.


And, my preferred sauce is Rémoulade Sauce
Rémoulade Sauce
1/2 cup mayonnaise
5 1/2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley leaves
1/2 teaspoon capers, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 small clove garlic, coarsely chopped
Salt and pepper


Pulse all ingredients except salt and pepper in food processor until well combined but not smooth, about ten 1-second pulses. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to serving bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve (the rémoulade can be refrigerated for up to 3 days).


Finally….the Corn on the Cob! I was so glad to see this video. I’m not sure I would have tried it if it had just been a written recipe. Seeing is truly believing. Now, I just saw this today, so I haven’t tried it yet. I suspect it will taste far more “corny” and possibly a little of the husk’ s taste will be there. I love the idea of having a small pitcher, like the cream pitcher of seasoned melted butter. Let me know what you think of the procedure and the flavor.


Here is the link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnBF6bv4Oe4

For dessert, you choose your favorite. I think I’d whip up a quart of fresh peach ice cream!

Buns, Buns, and More Buns

snoozin' by Kay Tucker

crashin' by Kay Tucker

Do you want the Bare Facts?



Are you ready for the Naked Truth?

Yes? Then come to

ART in the VINES!

Saturday, June 9th, 11am to 4pm and Sunday, June 10, noon to  4pm.

Somerset Ridge Vineyard and Winery

http://www.somersetridge.com/ for directions

Speaking of Buns......

How 's that for a segway?

Yes, I have a recipe for you.

Here is a recipe from Fleischmann's Yeast. For a perfect burger, visit you butcher for the freshest ground beef available, then bake your own buns. As your burgers are cooking, slice the buns in half, butter both halves then toast either on the grill or in a skillet! Those two ingredients will assure you a perfect burger, ready for all your favorite condiments! Who doesn’t love a burger?


Hamburger Buns….Homemade is always better!
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (4 1/2 to 5 cups)
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 tablespoons instant minced onion
2 packages Fleischmann's® Active Dry or Rapid Rise Yeast
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 eggs, at room temperature
poppy or sesame seeds


1. In large bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups flour, sugar, salt, instant minced onion and undissolved yeast. Heat milk, water and butter until very warm, 120º to 130ºF. Gradually add to dry ingredients; beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally. Add 2 eggs and 1/2 cup flour. Beat at high speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. With spoon, stir in enough additional flour to make soft dough.
2. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes. Place in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 30 to 45 minutes. (With Rapid Rise Yeast, cover kneaded dough and let rest on floured surface 10 minutes. Proceed with recipe.)
3. Punch dough down. Divide into 8 equal pieces. Form into smooth balls. Place on 2 greased baking sheets. Flatten balls with hand to 4-inch rounds; cover. Place 2 large shallow pans on counter; half-fill with boiling water. Place baking sheets over pans. Let rise until doubled in size, about 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Lightly beat remaining egg; brush on buns. Sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds. Bake at 400ºF for 10 to 15 minutes or until done. Remove from baking sheets and cool on wire racks.

I have just pulled out my good old Jack LaLanne juicer.. Thank heavens, the Farmer's Markets are open again!  There is no  better or fresher juice than that you prepare yourself. Good old Jack stopped doing  jumpin' jacks long enough to produce a mighty fine juicer. I bought mine online, purchased a rebuilt one, and I couldn't love it more! 
Several summers ago, we had a family reunion in North Carolina, right on the beach. It was scheduled to coincide with the 50th anniversary of my sister and brother-in-law. There were over 40 of us and all stayed in a 4 story house, right on the beach at Topsail Island. The Atlantic was at the front of the house, a pool at the back.  We could seat 50 for dinner! There were 4 King Suites,  4 Queen Suites, 2 bunk rooms, each sleeping 6 children, and several just regular bedrooms, if I remember correctly.  It had, thank heavens, an elevator because hauling the food in for that many people was quite a job, and the kitchen was on the top floor! Great view!

We had our own chef there, Chef Toy. He was wonderful and he is the one that introduced me to Jack's juicer.  Chef Toy made wonderful juices for me each and every day.....my favorites were his Bloody Mary mix made with wonderful red ripe tomatoes and his own secret seasonings! Then there was his cantaloupe juice! Heavenly! did you know that studies have found that regularly eating cantaloupe or drinking cantaloupe juice can help to protect your body from free radicals, support a healthy immune system and, specifically, keep your lungs as healthy as possible. In addition to all of this, the high amount of potassium in cantaloupe can potentially help to relieve stress.
When making cantaloupe juice recipes, it is important to wash the fruit first before cutting into it to prevent contaminating the flesh (cantaloupe rind is considered one of the dirtiest in the produce aisle, even if it’s organic), and to use a sharp knife.

As you trim the cantaloupe, removing the skin and seeds and cutting it up for the juicer, try to leave some of the green from the rind behind. This contains chlorophyll, which can help your body to digest the other nutrients in the cantaloupe more easily.
His carrot juice was so good! He put an apple through the juicer along with the carrots. Apples are used a lot along with other fruits and veggies.

I came home after a week of being totally spoiled and knew I had to have my very own juicer.

Honestly, the first few times I used it I thought the cleanup was pretty tedious, but I became so addicted to the fresh juice that I decided cleanup was well worth  it. Now,everything goes smoothly;practice makes perfect!  
If you are interested in checking out a juicer, go to www.jacklalanne.com
Also online, you will find lots of recipes and ideas for wonderful juices and smoothies.  All of that wonderful juice whirled in the blender with a little ice and yogurt sure makes a great treat! I am the farthest thing from a health food nut, but I suggest you check into adding protein powder and flax seed to your smoothies. After all, why can't they be healthy as well as delicious.  



Beet and Apple Juice

I've tried some of  the veggie juices also. I love the tomato, of course, but I find it scary when I throw in a handful of fresh spinach or kale.....I am afraid that strange colored drink will taste bad, but it never does! For some reason, I am thinking about trying beet juice! Can you believe it?  I'll report back on that....soon. I have a little more thinking about it to do. 

photographs from Art in the Vines, 2011
Paintings by Anne Garney, Majo, and Kristin Goering

Will you be joining us at

Somerset Ridge Vineyard and Winery

for Art in the Vines 2012?

Big 2 day event!

Saturday, 6/9, 11:00AM to 4:00pm

and Sunday, 6/10, 12 Noon to 4:00pm

The Somerset Ridge Painters will be there as well as part of 25 of Kansas City's finest painters!

Join us for an afternoon in the vines, strolling among the art hanging in the the vineyard, while enjoying the wine, the food, the music...and of course, the beautiful grapevines!

go to www.somersetridge.com

for more information and directions

A 5 ingredient recipe for you!

from Gourmet Magazine, October 2001

perfect for serving with mashed potatoes!

Braised Chicken with Shallots, Garlic, and Balsamic Vinegar

Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr

Mashed potatoes are the ideal accompaniment to this dish.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

6 bacon slices (4 oz), cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide strips

1 (3 1/2-lb) chicken, cut into 8 serving pieces

1 lb shallots, thinly sliced

1 head garlic, cloves separated and peeled

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Cook bacon in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately low heat, stirring, until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain and reserve bacon fat in skillet.

While bacon is cooking, pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Brown, beginning with skin sides down, in 2 batches in bacon fat over moderately high heat, turning, about 8 minutes. Transfer chicken as browned with tongs to a plate and pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from skillet.

Add shallots to skillet and cook over moderately low heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until soft and pale golden, about 10 minutes.

Remove lid and cook shallots, stirring, until deep golden, about 10 minutes more. Add garlic and 1 cup water to skillet and boil, stirring, 1 minute.

Return chicken to skillet, turning pieces to coat, then arrange them skin sides up and gently simmer, covered, until chicken is cooked through and garlic is tender, about 30 minutes.

Transfer chicken with tongs to a serving dish. Add vinegar to sauce and boil, uncovered, mashing garlic with back of a spoon, until slightly thickened. Season sauce with salt and pepper and pour over chicken, then sprinkle with bacon.

Today is the day! The Somerset Ridge Painters will be showing their paintings in the vines at Somerset Ridge Vineyard and Winery! We have been working hard in preparing for this event. Some of us have tried something new for this show. I've moved away from Landscapes and have been painting nudes!....modest nudes, but nudes none the less! Granted, seven to ten year old boys may giggle at the  "buns" but they won't learn a darned thing from my paintings! As I  said....modest. These "studies" have been a source of frustration, pride, depression, joy. In other words, I am struggling, as usual!



I will also be showing a landscape or two, as

well  as a few animal paintings. Something for everyone!

There might be a few showers around town, but down in Miami County, Kansas, the show will go on!

Please join us!

If you can't join us this time, please mark your calendars  for June 9th and 10th. We will be holding our 4th Annual Art in the Vines with approximately 30 artists participating!

There will not only be art, but wine, music, food ...
The makings of a great day!


go  to  www.somersetridge.com for directions

Sara

Tuesday evening was such a treat! Good friend and magnificent painter, Ada Koch, arranged for a group of women to experience a wonderful Iranian/Persian dinner prepared by a young woman who has become a friend of Ada's. Her name is Sara, she is absolutely beautiful and her food was rich with flavor.

We arrived at Ada's on a glorious evening and she had the tables set up on her patio in her very French-feeling  backyard. We all met in the kitchen where we were introduced to Sara.

 Sara began our meal by preparing our appetizer, a Persian spinach and yogurt dip called Borani, explaining as she went along, including where to buy some of the Iranian ingredients.

Borani

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon butter or olive oil

1 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 1/2 cups thick plain yogurt

tiny pinch of saffron dissolved in 1 teaspoon hot water

salt and pepper

Over medium high heat saute garlic in butter until golden, do not burn. Add spinach and mix well to combine. Remove from heat and cool completely. Add the yogurt and check for salt and pepper, blending well. Refrigerate for several hours, then drizzle with the saffron/water mixture before serving with pita or crackers.

The menu for our dinner included the entree, Khoresht E Gheimeh Bademjan, an eggplant and lamb dish that was devoured with great gusto!



Kathleen, Ada, Sara and another Sara!



I have to admit, the after dinner activity was definitely a blast. Sara taught us how to dance! She provided the music and I'm pretty sure it filled Ada's neighborhood!



Pam chose Guinness as her partner!



It was so much fun and gave us the opportunity to try a cuisine that was unfamiliar to us. Ada invited us last month to experience a dinner prepared by a friend from India! Learning the herbs and spices of foreign cuisines is such fun!

We have a tendency to stick to what we know; we lose some of our desire for adventure. Food is a great way to introduce some of that adventure back into our lives. Hopefully you have an Ada to help you....if not, plan a dinner for your group of friends!  Pick a country/cuisine, choose one that you have never eaten before....be daring! That removes from your list of possibilities: Mexican, Italian, French, etc.  Study, practice, choose appropriate music, then thrill your friends! 

My group has another dinner in the works. This time it will be Colombian! 

The joys of old Gourmet magazines…..Today, I subscribe to Bon Appetit, Food and Wine, and Saveur magazines. If you add up every moment of pleasure that I have received from reading these 3 magazines, for the last 5 years, the grand total comes no where near the absolute joy I experienced from reading just one of the 1987 Gourmet magazines that were just given to me. My dear sister-in-law, Vicki, is packing up all their worldly goods and are about to downsize to a lovely home that is smaller, but Tom won’t have to mow the grass or shovel snow, and Vicki will have a wonderful painting studio space.
One of her treasures that she has decided to give up is a stack of 1987-88 Gourmet magazines, and she knew they would have an appreciative home, here with me.

As I settled into my big old chair, the stack of magazines at my feet, I reached for the oldest issue, January, 1987. With granny-glasses perched near the end of my nose, a glass of iced tea close at hand, I, with great expectation, began to absorb the beauty of the cover. A tall thin glass of Rum Punch, complete with an orange slice and a cherry balanced on the rim of the glass, with the brilliant turquoise Caribbean behind, made me wish for a week on beautiful St Barts.
I turned the pages, as if the magazine was fragile, when in fact, the paper it is printed on is heavy and rich feeling, the way beautiful magazines used to feel. I love the photographs. I devoured the travel articles on Heidelberg and skiing in Telluride. And then, with great expectations, I moved through the actual recipes.
So many  memories! Sure, they were definitely dated….but that just made them more interesting, sort of like wandering through your grandmother’s attic and marveling at the beautiful long forgotten antiques.
Those recipes that really made my heart race were begging me to enter them into my Master Cook software. Not all of them are available on www.epicurious.com for downloading directly into MC, but they have Gourmet's recipes going back to the1940s! It looks like I will have to enter them the hard way, but it will be worth my time. And besides, I will always have the magazines.
Today, there is http://live.gourmet.com ! Check it out….not the magazine, yet still fun to wander through the years of recipes, travel notes, etc.
 Of course...there is an app for that!
...............................................................................
 The Deadline is nearly upon me….it looks like I will either be standing at my easel day and night for the next 4 days, or I go with the paintings I have. My series of nudes is comprised of 2! Some series, eh? Maybe, as I once again become used to painting the human figure, I might pick up a little speed….then again….
I will add a few landscapes for this show.

Anyway, please join me and the other Somerset Ridge Painters this Saturday at Somerset Ridge Vineyard for our 1st Annual show. Cindy and Dennis have all sorts of fun things going on at the winery and in the vineyard as their part of the Miami County Farm Tour!
http://www.somersetridge.com/

Does the warm weather bring back childhood memories for you? You know the kind… each complete with sounds and aromas. Some of my best are from my days spent at the Ogg Family Farm. Three generations of my family, starting with Napoleon Bonepart Ogg, created a perfect place for me to spend some very important moments of my childhood. The aromas from the old farm house will always be with me; fresh baked biscuits, great big hams from their own smokehouse, pies cooling on the screened-in back porch. I have held that porch in my heart all these years. Not just for the pies (even though they do occupy a place my heart!) but the whole porch. The screen part came down halfway, the lower half being white clapboard. In the winter, the screen was covered on the inside with opaque plastic-like material. As the breeze pushed against the plastic, it would snap and pop, blowing inward as far as it could go. As the breeze subsided, it would ease back to rest against the wire screen and wait for the next gust.

There was a wonderful screen door leading out to the backyard. It was old, made of wood with two large sections of screen. There were no pneumatic door closers way back then….instead there was a long spring that made the door close with a whoosh and a gentle snap. I loved that door.


So, how about those pies? There they were, cooling on a oil cloth covered table there on the porch. I’d stand there and inhale the fruity aromas…..cherry, apple, peach and ahhhh…..PEAR!
Where is a fork when you need one?


Ray County Pear Pie

CRUST
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup cold vegetable shortening, in tablespoons
1/2 cup ice water
FILLING
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
8 firm Bartlett or Anjou pears-peeled, cored and sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small bits
MILK GLAZE
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted


1. MAKE THE CRUST: In a large bowl, mix the flour with the salt. Cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle on the ice water and mix lightly with a fork. Gently knead the dough until it just comes together. Cut the dough in half and flatten each piece into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
2. MAKE THE FILLING: Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cinnamon and cloves. Add the pears and toss to coat.
3. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out 1 disk of dough to an 11 1/2-inch round. Fit the dough into a 10-inch aluminum pie pan without stretching. Roll out the second disk of dough to an 11-inch round. Transfer the pear filling to the pie pan and arrange the slices so there are no gaps. Dot the pears with the butter. Cover the pie with the top crust and press all around the edge to seal. Trim any overhang and crimp the edge decoratively.
4. MAKE THE MILK GLAZE: In a bowl, mix the milk, sugar and butter and brush this glaze over the pie. With a small knife, make 5 evenly spaced slits in the top crust.
5. Bake the pie for 1 hour and 50 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling begins to bubble through the vents. Let the pie cool on a rack, about 3 hours. Serve warm or at room temperature.

The Somerset Ridge Painters
back row, left to right: 
Majo, JoAnne Carlton,
Ada Koch, Kristin Goering,
Vicki Johnston, Winnie Davis
front row, left  to right:
Audrey Benskin, Kay Tucker, Patsy Brown

 I’ll be spending some time at the vineyard with the Somerset Ridge Painters Show on May 12th and the 4th Annual Art in the Vines the weekend of June 9th and 10th. Please join us for a wonderful day!

Last night my family all gathered around my dining room table for a farewell dinner for my daughter and son-in-law, Betsy and Ben Nanson and their children, Zoe and Bing, and last, but not least, Lincoln, my furry buddy.
Tuesday morning the moving van arrives to load up everything they own and off they go to their new home in Memphis, Tennessee! Ben is an architect and has just accepted a position with a wonderful firm in Memphis. It was a fun and happy evening….no tears, just happiness for them and their new exciting life! I just keep thinking that it is only an 8 to 10 hour drive from Kansas City. I used to drive to visit them when they lived in Denver. No Sweat!
.........................................................................................................

 I am painting most of the time now, even waking up at 4 AM and jumping out of bed, anxious to get back to my easel! Part of me is greatly relieved to be excited about painting again, yet there is that other part that can’t decide if what I am paintingis good enough to hang! It is so difficult to remain positive!

There are two important events coming up; one in May, one in June. I must have MANY new paintings to show!
May 12th, the day before Mother’s Day, I will be showing my paintings along with the other 8 Somerset Ridge Painters. We will be featured at Somerset Ridge Vineyard. We will be out in the vines with our paintings! The other Painters are Ada Koch, Audrey Benskin, Vicki Johnston, Winnie Davis, Maria Johnson, JoAnne Carlton, Kristin Goering and Patsy Brown.


Please come and see us! It is a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon!

I will be returning to the vines in June for the Vineyard’s 4th Annual Art in the Vines! I can't believe we started Vines 4 years ago! There will be 25 artists participating this year, bringing Kansas City’s finest local artists together for a two day event in one of the Midwest’s most beautiful settings. For further information, go to www.somersetridge.com There you will find dates, times and driving directions. Please Join Us!
........................................................................................................

Are you getting your menu ready for a big Cinco de Mayo celebration? I am having a little gathering at my house, just to be together with

friends and to eat and drink our favorite Mexican dishes and beverages! It is a day for Tamales(!) Enchiladas (!), tons of melted cheeses and Sangria! Today, as I was going through my collection of Mexican/Southwestern recipes to come up with an interesting menu, I realized I wanted all of them! There is something about Mexican food that just plain HITS THE SPOT! All those cool crunchy vegetables, all of those hotter than hell peppers and spices, all of that warm gooey cheese…..my, oh my….I do love them!

Here is a great recipe for you to try. Hope you enjoy it. It is from one of my favorite blogs, Lisa Fain’s Homesick Texan .The wonderful photo is from her also. http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com/2010/01/queso-flameado-recipe.html


Queso Flameado
3 cups shredded asadero cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack


Queso flameado



1 poblano chile

1/2 cup Mexican chorizo



1. Heat the poblano chile under the broiler for five minutes on each side or until its blackened. Place the chile in a paper sack, close it and let the chile steam for 15 minutes. After this time, rub off the skin, remove the stem and seeds and cut into strips.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
3. Break up the chorizo and cook it in a skillet until it's done, about five minutes. Lightly grease a medium-sized cast-iron skillet or a casserole dish and add the cheese. Top with the crumbled, cooked chorizo and poblano strips and cook for 15 minutes or until bubbling.
4. Spoon out the melted queso flameado onto tortillas. Serve immediately.

I have mentioned more than once that I am the grandmother of 6 amazing people. Each one is brilliant, beautiful, talented…..all those things.

Go ahead and laugh, but trust me, they truly are among the finest in the whole world!

Take, for instance, grandchild number 3. She is about to graduate from high school. Not only is she breathtakingly beautiful and brilliant, she is adorable.  #3 is, in my humble opinion, perfect in every way.

Let me tell you a little story. About 12 or 13 years ago, she was a tiny, beautiful blond child. She asked her mother if she could give me a “too-a” of the “vin-yad”. (She had the cutest way of not pronouncing her r’s!) After some instruction from her mother, she was given permission to take me for a “wide awound the vin-yad”. This child, no bigger than a minute, climbed behind the wheel of a little motorized vehicle and asked me to slide in beside her. Off we went.

As we toured each section of the vineyard, she told me what varietal of “gwape” was planted there and how long they had been in the ground. As we approached the dam on the backside of the pond, I wondered if I would need a lifejacket, but she was calm and relaxed, both hands on the wheel. Halfway across the dam, she stopped, took the little 4 wheeler out of gear, applied the brake, and stood up. She was wearing these tiny little flip flops on her feet. She raised up on her

tiny, pudgy, pink toes, placed her hand above her brow to shade her eyes from the sun and said….. are you ready?......she said

“Mimi, the 'vin-yad' is my 'few-cha”

as her blue eyes scanned across the ever expanding rows of beautiful grape vines. While I was sitting there with tears in my eyes, trying not to sob,  she sat back down, released the brake, put it in gear. We drove on.

I will never forget that day as long as I live!



                      www.sandbergphoto.com

So, why am I telling you this story today? My little granddaughter just celebrated her 18th birthday, and is still absolutely beautiful! That is her in the photo above. I am so proud to tell you she has received a wonderful scholarship to attend the University of California at Davis. In September, she will enter the school of Viticulture and Enology…the study of growing grapes and making wine. That tiny little girl knew at the age of 5 that she would someday become a winemaker. I’m thinking, she definitely does not take after her Mimi. At 70, I'm still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. I'm a little slow. Then it dawned on me, thanks to my children , Cindy and Dennis,  Chuck and Michelle,  and Betsy and Ben, I am what I want to be....

just Mimi.

Congratulations, Holly!