Grandmother's Milk Money.....Mom and I started talking about her childhood again the other day. It’s funny how conversations start….one minute we were talking about how well her living room furniture has held up and the next thing I knew, we were talking about Grandmother Ogg’s milk business! It seems Grandmother had 2 cows that she milked everyday and had regular customers that Mom’s 2 brothers delivered the milk to. She kept her “milk money” hidden under the living room rug until she had enough saved to buy a new piece of furniture!
I was not a big fan of fresh milk from the farm; I much preferred pasteurized from the dairy. However, the food Grandmother made with fresh milk was outstanding! I loved the cream that rose to the top. She had a green carnival glass cream pitcher that was filled every morning with fresh cream. We had it on our oatmeal, over fresh strawberries, whipped on fresh sliced peaches. And in homemade ice cream!
When I was a child, cream meant desserts to me. Today, well to be honest, I still think of desserts, but I also think of savory sauces and creamy soft polenta. It makes me remember dinner parties and holidays of the past. Cream is good!

I apologize for not sending recipes to you as often. Summer is a busy time. So, today I will give you two of my favorites using wonderful rich heavy cream. I don’t want to hear that it is bad for you. I’m not suggesting you eat these every day….just occasionally, on special occasions. Cream should be enjoyed, should be relished!

This first recipe may look long and difficult, but your oven does all the work.

Chardonnay Poached Salmon with Dill Dijon Whipped Cream
3 cups Somerset Ridge Chardonnay
3 cups water
1 lemon, sliced
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
10 juniper berries, crushed
3 bay leaves
1 stem fresh basil
3 fronds fennel
1 (2 1/2 to 3 pound) salmon fillet, skin on
Olive oil
2 lemons, sliced for garnish
1 bunch dill, for garnish
Dill Dijon Whipped Cream, recipe follows
Special Equipment: 2 (18 1/2-inch or 10 1/2-inch) foil pans
Pastry brush
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Put the Chardonnay, water, lemon, peppercorns, juniper berries, bay leaves, basil and 2 fennel fronds into a large saucepan. Place the pan over high heat and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and let the liquid simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, discard the fennel and basil and let cool.
Put the salmon into the foil pan and top with the remaining fennel frond. Pour the poaching liquid over the salmon. Cover the pan with foil and seal it tightly. Place the pan into the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove the foil halfway through the cooking process and baste the salmon. Reseal and finish poaching. Remove the pan from the oven, remove the foil and brush the top of the salmon with the poaching liquid to remove any white bits.
When the pan is cool enough to handle place it over your sink. With a sharp knife, make a few punctures in the bottom of the pan to let the poaching liquid drain. Place the pan directly into the second pan to prevent dripping. Brush the salmon with olive oil, cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
To serve, cut the end off the foil pan and, with a spatula, slide the salmon onto a platter. Fan the lemon slices out along the top and garnish the sides with the dill. Serve with Dill Dijon whipped cream on the side.
Ingredients
Dill Dijon Whipped Cream:
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons dill, chopped
Salt and pepper
Pour the heavy cream into a large bowl and, using an electric mixer on high, beat until soft peaks form. Add the mustard and continue to beat on medium for 1 minute. Fold in the dill and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Transfer to a decorative bowl for serving.
Yield: 1 cup

This recipe is a favorite, Raspberry Pound Cake with Ambrosia Cream, using Somerset Ridge Ambrosia Dessert Wine to flavor the delicious whipped cream.

For Pound Cake:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the loaf pan
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons orange zest (from 1 medium orange)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing loaf pan
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (10-ounce) bag sweetened, frozen raspberries, thawed and drained
For Cream
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
3 tablespoons Somerset Ridge Ambrosia Dessert Wine
To make the Raspberry Pound Cake:
Set an oven rack in the lower 1/3 of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9 by 5 by3-inch loaf pan.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, orange zest, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk to combine. In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together the sugar and butter until blended, about 30 seconds. With the machine running, add the eggs 1 at a time. Add the vanilla extract. Add the dry ingredients, a small amount at a time, until just incorporated. Using a rubber spatula, fold the drained raspberries evenly into the batter.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 55 to 60 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. (Cake may deflate in the center during cooling)
To make the Ambrosia Cream:
In a large bowl, beat the cream until it holds soft peaks.
Add the vanilla extract, powdered sugar, and Ambrosia Dessert Wine. Continue to beat mixture until cream holds stiff peaks.
Transfer the pound cake to a serving platter. Slice and serve with the Ambrosia Cream.

I'm craving Santa Fe Flavors!

It has been a while since I just dealt with recipes. Today is the day. I’ve been craving some southwestern food, big time! I had some delicious, spicy tortilla soup last week at Molly’s Table in Paola. Since then, I have been thinking about all of those wonderful flavors! Since it has been so hot and muggy, I think a nice cold Avocado Gazpacho would be perfect. I got this recipe years ago when Arch and I went to Santa Fe for the first time. It is so good and refreshing!

Avocado Gazpacho Soup

1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1 large avocado, diced, plus more for garnish
1 large tomato, diced
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
1 cup diced celery
¼ cup sliced green onions
¼ cup Somerset Ridge Chardonnay
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 cups beef broth
4 cups crushed tomatoes, canned
1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
1 teaspoon salt, or to your taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to your taste
1 dash Tabasco, or to your taste
11lime, juice only

In a large glass or porcelain bowl, mix all the ingredients together. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
When serving, you may wish to serve it with a dollop of sour cream, a sprinkle of chopped cilantro and a few pieces of diced avocado.
In many restaurants now, serving a “shot” of cold soup as an appetizer is the in thing.
There isn’t much room for garnish with the shot glass, so use a tiny bit of any or all garnishes.
Serves 6 to 8 regular size servings

Do you love smoked fish? It was one of Arch’s favorites. When ever we found good smoked trout, I’d make these crepes for him. In the beginning he balked a little, they weren’t prepared the “German way”. After a few bites, he was sold.

Smoked Trout in Cornmeal Crepes with Broiled Tomato Salsa

For the crepes:
¼ cup yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoons flour, sifted
1 medium eggs
½ cup milk
1 tablespoons melted butter
1 pinch salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

In a medium bowl, place the cornmeal and the flour, blend well. Add the eggs and mix . Slowly add the milk, whisking as you go. Next, whisk in the salt and the butter.
Set batter aside for approximately 30 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare the Salsa

For the Broiled Tomato Salsa:
3 large ripe tomatoes
1 small onion, quartered
1 clove garlic
2 serrano chiles, seeded
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to broil. Place the tomatoes on a baking sheet and place under the broiler for approximately 15 minutes, until they are brownish black and the juices are beginning to caramelize.
Using a food processor, blend the tomatoes, onion, garlic, chiles and salt.
Pour the vegetable oil in a large skillet and heat over medium heat. When hot, add the salsa and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Back to the crepes….
In a seasoned crepe pan, place the 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Pour out the oil and wipe the pan with a paper towel, so there is just a light film of oil remaining.
Pour in 2 tablespoons of the batter and roll it around so that it coats the entire bottom surface of the pan.
Cook the crepe for 1 minute over low heat and then turn them over. Cook for 45 seconds and place on serving plates. Rewipe the pan with oiled paper towel and prepare next crepe, until all 4 crepes are prepared. I must admit, my first crepes never come out right, sometimes takes 2 or 3 to get into the swing of things..

For the Trout:
16 ounces boneless smoked trout, broken up into bite size pieces.

Assembly directions:
Divide the trout among the 4 crepes,, placing it in the center of each warm cornmeal crepe. Fold the crepes over and cover them with the Broiled Tomato Salsa.
Serves 4

Both chocolate and pecans are important in Southwestern cooking. I think they should be important in every country….they are meant to be together!

Santa Fe Chocolate Tart

2 cups pecan pieces
¾ cup sugar
4 tablespoons butter, melted
16 ounces semisweet chocolate
2 cups whipping cream
1 large egg yolk

In a food processor, place the pecans, sugar and butter. Pulverize the mixture, then press into a 10” tart pan with removable bottom. Bake for 10 minutes in a 375 degree oven, until golden brown.
In a double boiler, place the chocolate and melt over simmering water.
In another double broiler, place the cream and heat it until it is scalding hot.
Beat the egg yolk into the melted chocolate, then beat in the hot cream.
Pour the mixture into the tart shell.
Chill for a minimum of 2 hours before serving. Garnish with whipped cream to which you have added a dash of cinnamon with the sugar.

I could go on and on, but I don’t want to bore you. Santa Fe is such a great place to go for food, art, history, music….I need to get back there! Until then, I’ll have to have another piece of tart!

Today was the first of four classes I am teaching at ARTichokes on how to write/compile a cookbook using your family's heirloom recipes. The class is small due to vacations, but it allowed us to go on a field trip today! I didn't have a yellow school bus for transportation, but we got to our destination anyway!

Archivers at 119th and Metcalf, is my go-to store when I need really unusual, elegant or theme-related paper for my cookbooks. The papers are wonderful and the employees are extremely helpful. We looked at everything and I could see ideas cooking in my student's minds.

Next week we will start compiling our recipes and planning the design of the books! There are going to be some very special Christmas presents under the their trees!

I have added a new favorite blog of mine, hope you check it out! It is written by Maria Johnson, a beautiful young woman and artist from Colombia, South America. She lives here in Johnson County, Kansas with her husband and paints with me as a member of the "Somerset Painters". Check out her blog by going to http://artistmajo.blogspot.com/ She is so fun, I know you will love reading her blog!

Speaking of painting....

I really want to go paint Wea Creek....but I must admit, I worry about snakes! Worry may not be the right word....maybe FEAR SNAKES would be closer! I'm thinking maybe the creek will be pretty in the fall, late fall, maybe even winter when there is ice on the old creek! God, I hate snakes! But I sure do like that creek!

Went to Loch Lloyd last night to watch my beautiful granddaughter, Ali, swim in a meet against the club from Deer Creek. She took three 1st place, one 2nd place and one 3rd place! Next week her team goes up against my youngest granddaughter, Zoe's team! Thank goodness they are in different age groups!




Do you like Piquillo peppers? They are a speciality of a region in Spain known as Navarra. They are roasted over wood fires and then peeled by hand. They pack them by hand into jars. The name piquillo means "little beak" because they are small and triangular in shape, which makes them perfect for stuffing. The piquillo is not spicy or hot, but rather it has a rich sweetness. They are traditionally stuffed with blood sausage or salt cod, but I prefer to serve them with different cheese stuffings. You can serve them warmed in a skillet, or at room temperature. Here in Kansas City, some grocery stores and deli departments have them available either in the salad bar or with their selection of olives. If you haven't tried them, you should.

Grilled bacon wrapped shrimp and cheese stuffed piquillos are a great combination for quick appetizers. The shrimp can be cleaned and wrapped with the bacon and refrigerated until ready to toss on the grill. The peppers can be stuffed several hours in advance. Mix up some ice cold sangria and you have yourself a party!

Cheese-Stuffed Piquillo Peppers

I can't give you amounts for this, just buy as many peppers as you will need. I love these stuffed with Boursin cheese, available in most cheese departments. The peppers I buy are already seeded, so all I do is blot some of the liquid from the inside of each. I prefer to put the cheese in a pastry bag with a tube with a large opening. I simply pipe the boursin into the top of the peppers, arrange on a serving tray and loosely cover with plastic wrap.

GRILLED BACON WRAPPED SHRIMP
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. lemon pepper

1 tsp. granulated garlic

1 tbsp. Lea & Perrins

2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

4 tbsp. butter, melted

9 slices bacon

18 jumbo shrimp, shelled and deveined


Cut the slices of bacon in half. Partially cook the bacon over moderate heat to render some of the fat without allowing the pieces to crisp. Combine butter with spices, add shrimp, toss well to coat, let marinate at room temperature 30 to 60 minutes. Remove shrimp from the marinade, reserving the marinade. Wrap a slice of bacon around each shrimp and secure with a toothpick to hold both ends of the bacon. Place shrimp on hot grill for 4 minutes; turn and brush shrimp with reserved marinade and grill for 4 minutes longer or until shrimp are opaque throughout.



You know, of course, how I make my Sangria....!


1 bottle Somerset Ridge Buffalo Blush Wine

2 sliced fresh peaches

2 cups cleaned strawberries

1 large orange, sliced

1 lime sliced

1/2 cup Grand Marnier

1 can club soda, chilled



Prepare the fruit and place in a large clear glass pitcher. Pour the wine over the fruit and let stand in the refrigerator for several hours. Just before serving, add Grand mMrnier and the can of club soda. If you prefer a sweeter sangria, you may choose to add a can of ginger ale in place of the club soda.



Have a fun party!

Today has been a great day! Such fun to be with fellow painters at the vineyard, painting away as if we didn't have a care in the world! By noon it was getting pretty hot so we loaded up our paints and canvases and headed into Paola for lunch and a gallery tour. On the way we stopped at Wea Creek, a beautiful creek with flowing water over rocks, making for a lovely sound. We will paint it someday, I am sure of that.

Our first stop in Paola was the D'Marie Gallery owned by a warm, friendly woman, D'Marie, a transplant from New Mexico. She has taken one of the little buildings across the street from the town square and turned it into a wonderful gallery! I love seeing contemporary art in older buildings, there is something about the blending of old and new that is perfect, and D'Marie has accomplished wonders. Her current show is worth the drive to Paola! Check out her web page at http://www.dmariegallery.com/.

Our next stop was for lunch and something cold to drink! Molly's Table had been reccomended to me and it just a few steps around the corner from the gallery. Once again, a terrific job of using an old building and making it a fun place to spend an hour or so! The food was delicious! The service was great. We sat for quite awhile, soaking in the atmosphere of the quaint restaurant, the air conditioning and iced tea!

Our next stop was Casa Somerset, a Bed and Breakfast being built by my good friends, Mike and Christine Hursey. It is so close to being completed, then they will do the landscaping and it will be quite a destination! They have a vineyard, a lake and this beautiful 3 story Tuscan villa! And you should see the 2 kitchens they have put in! Unbelievable! Check their website/blog at http://www.casasomerset.com/.

All in all, the 5 of us, Ada Koch, Vicki Johnston, Audrey Benskin, Maria Johnson and I had a really good day! We will return to Paola again, there is just something about a little old town with a square in the middle! Next time we are going to try Beethoven's #9 Restaurant, right by the square. The food is German, Arch would have approved!

Now that the 4th is over, I am jumping into this week with enthusiasim. I have painting classes today with Becky Pashia and tomorrow with Ada Koch at ARTichokes.
Wednesday I am taking my granddaughter Zoe to her swim meet at Loch Lloyd where Zoe’s team will swim against my granddaughter Ali’s team. I suppose I’ll try to find a spot in the middle so I can cheer for both of my girls.
Thursday morning I return to Artichokes to teach my Heirloom Cookbook class. It is a four week class and at the conclusion of the class each class member will have a working copy of their cookbook plus an elaborate keepsake cookbook that they will design individually. It will be interesting to see how they turn out, there are some terrific painters in the class and I hope they decide to do a painting for the cover, or possibly divider pages.
Friday evening there is open painting with Kristin Goering at ARTichokes. I need to work on abstracts and there is just nothing like painting at the studio. I’ve set up an area in my basement where there are two big windows, plenty of light and room. Once I am down there, it’s great, but sometimes I just can’t get into going downstairs! I need to figure out a wall system for hanging finished paintings. Oil paint can take up to a year to dry so you can’t just stack them against the wall. I suppose as time goes by, I will work it out, and I will always have ARTichokes.

Somerset Ridge Vineyard

It is hard to believe that we are discussing harvest already, but after strolling through the vines over the holiday weekend, it is obvious the grapes are growing by leaps and bounds. This is July, which means 7 to 8 weeks from now, we will be right in the middle of harvest time. The menus have not been set yet, but I am sure they will be soon. It looks like I will be cooking one more year, and we are trying to find someone to help me now.
It has been tradition at Somerset Ridge Vineyard to have a Greek theme for our first weekend of harvest. The weather is usually still pretty warm and Greek food is so perfect under the bright sun.

Food
I’ve been frequenting some of our Farmer’s markets over the last few weeks. It is so fun to wander through all of the fresh veggies! I’ve purchased some tomatoes, but honestly, they have been mushy, very disappointing. But the rest of the vegetables I've tried have been so good. I ran across a recipe on the Food and Wine web page the other day which calls for thick asparagus. I am going to prepare this on the grill. I’m thinking about trying it on Fennel also.
Chef Nate Appleman of San Francisco swears by coating vegetables with a marinade, it creates a beautifully blistered crust when grilled.

Grilled Asparagus
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup grainy mustard
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 pound thick asparagus, trimmed

Light a grill. In a shallow dish, whisk the mayonnaise with the mustard, oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, salt and pepper. Add the asparagus and turn to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Grill the asparagus over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until the spears are tender and lightly blistered in spots, about 6 minutes. Serve the asparagus hot or at room temperature.

I’m thinking this will be a perfect side for a big thick Rib Eye Steak! Both grilled, no mess in the kitchen. Perfect! Naturally, a bottle of Flyboy Red wine from Somerset Ridge would be my choice, but you may prefer Ruby Red. Don’t forget a big chunk of cold watermelon for dessert! You just can't get it any easier than this. Yes, I know I left out carbs....but do you really need them?

Happy Fourth of July!


I hope you and your family celebrate our country's birthday in a big way this year. So much of what America is, who we are as Americans, is under attack here at home and around the world. Let the celebrations of the 4th remind each of us what America means, what we stand for. Celebrate our freedom, honor our flag and our troops. God Bless America!



Mom's Apple Pie
4 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, quartered, and cored
1 lemon, zested
1 orange, zested
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 cup sugar, plus 1 teaspoon to sprinkle on top
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
Perfect Pie Crust, recipe follows
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Cut each apple quarter in thirds crosswise and combine in a bowl with the zests, juices, 1/2 cup sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.
Roll out half the pie dough and drape it over a 9- or 10-inch pie pan to extend about 1/2-inch over the rim. Don't stretch the dough; if it's too small, just put it back on the board and re-roll it.
Fill the pie with the apple mixture. Brush the edge of the bottom pie crust with the egg wash so the top crust will adhere. Top with the second crust and trim the edges to about 1-inch over the rim. Tuck the edge of the top crust under the edge of the bottom crust and crimp the 2 together with your fingers or a fork. Brush the entire top crust with the egg wash, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar, and cut 4 or 5 slits.
Place the pie on a sheet pan and bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until the crust is browned and the juices begin to bubble out. Serve warm.
Perfect Pie Crust:
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/3 cup very cold vegetable shortening
6 to 8 tablespoons (about 1/2 cup) ice water
Dice the butter and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball. Dump out on a floured board and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Cut the dough in half. Roll each piece on a well-floured board into a circle, rolling from the center to the edge, turning and flouring the dough to make sure it doesn't stick to the board. Fold the dough in half, place in a pie pan, and unfold to fit the pan. Repeat with the top crust.
Yield: 2 (10-inch) crusts

IF YOU ALL HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT IT...THE HOT DOG WILL SURVIVE! Your response to my views on the push to abolish hot dogs in America's ball fields was amazing and I thank each of you for your support. I have read each email, enjoyed all of them. Special interest groups may not be as successful and powerful as they think they are!

It sounds like we are in for some stifling weather next week. I think shopping at one of the many farmer's markets around Kansas City to stock up on homegrown tomatoes is a good way to ensure some delicious hot weather foods.

Tomatoes are finally here, it seems like it took forever for them to show up in the markets. I usually count on them by the 4th of July. They are available in dozens of types, dozens of colors, and dozens of sizes. There will be a perfect tomato waiting for you! When you are at the market, check to see if they are selling blemished/damaged tomatoes at a reduced price. Homemade tomato sauce and salsa are wondeful made with fresh tomatoes, but why pay a premium price for tomatoes you are going to cut up and /or cook? Just remember to buy those that are very ripe.

But when you find those perfect tomatoes, don't cook them! Enjoy them just as they are. One of my favorite sandwiches is 2 slices toasted Pepperidge Farm Extra Thin Sliced White bread, buttered, then covered with mayonnaise. Slice the tomato into medium thick slices, place on toast, salt and pepper, place 2nd piece of toasted bread on top. Absolutely delicious!

My favorite salad is sliced tomatoes, sliced Vidalia onion, cubed cheddar cheese, all tossed with a homemade vinaigrette. So simple, so perfect.


Basil Vinaigrette

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

In a small bowl combine basil, mustard, seasoned salt, pepper, oil, vinegar and lemon juice. Stir just before using.

Yep, as simple as they come, and it tastes wonderful!

I am the proud owner of a Jack LaLanne Juicer. Have you ever had a Bloody mary made with fresh tomato juice? This is a great way to use those less than perfect tomatoes! All you do is wash the tomatoes, put them in the juicer and voila! Perfect tomato juice! Cleanup is not quite that easy, but the juice makes it worth it!

Oh! And fresh organic carrots! OMG! Best juice in the world! And watermelon! Heavenly, as is cantaloupe juice! In the fall, apple juice is a snap! Did I mention peach?

I love my juicer!

Thank You!

My Goodness! I struck gold with my rant about the attempt to abolish hot dogs from baseball and football stadiums! I posted my blog just before 4:00pm and by 6:00pm I was inundated with responses! My email box filled with messages from far and wide in support of my stand.
Now mind you, most of them understood this is not about hot dogs, but rather it is about special interest groups and their demands that the rest of the world bow to those demands.
But I did have one from a little guy who does not want to live in a world without hot dogs! His name was Joshua and he is 4 years old.
I also had an email from a man who wants to run for congress! Special interest group money is one of the things he would campaign against. I wish him well, we need him!

I was slightly uncomfortable when I clicked on the “post” button, sending my blog out there to be read by heaven only knows who. I had never gotten political with my blog until today; I had no idea how many people would disagree me, possibly to the point of requesting me to remove their name and email address from my blog reader list. Being a fairly new blogger, I’ve worked hard to make my blog interesting, informative and fun; I’ve stuck to food/cooking, genealogy, painting and the vineyard. It is fun to include all my favorite subjects within one posting.
It is now 10:45pm central standard time, approximately 7 hours after my posting. I have not received one complaint concerning the subject matter, my opinions or the blog in general. On the positive side, would you believe 53 emails encouraging me to stick to my guns, to continue to speak my mind!
My thanks to all of you for your support, I appreciate your messages and I will, indeed, continue to blog….I just hope they don’t get me so riled up anytime soon!

I am officially PO’d! Can you imagine a freaky health foods group demanding the exclusion of Hot Dogs from the menus at America’s ball parks! Well, it is happening. Just because some pale, washed out, meek, wimpy pathetic group of losers thinks the hot dog is bad for you, they think the American Hot Dog should be abolished! Just because these idiots are plagued by panic and guilt, they think the rest of us can’t decide what we should eat. Just because these poor excuses for "healthy Americans" have the opinion no one else in the world is as intelligent or “GREEN” as they are, they need to see to it that we can’t buy hot dogs, or regular light bulbs, or the car of our choice, or …..well, you get it. The list of “endangered” stuff is getting longer and longer! It is disgusting that the State regulated press has taken it upon thenselves to print whatever these nut-jobs have to say.
Yep…it’s true, I am hot under the collar! My blood pressure is soaring, and it isn’t because of beef, pork, coffee, eggs….it is because of IDIOTS! Therefore, I think Idiots should be against the law! They are hurting my health, they are causing me stress, they are ruining my day! Do you think I can find anyone in Washington DC to take up my cause? Hell no, I can’t pay them off! I can’t make big donations to their campaign funds! The world, or at least the United States, would be a better place if these organizations that are attempting to control our lives (the Senate, the Congress, the President and his group of flunkies and czars, and the so called "Press") spent less time controlling us and more time protecting the United States of America. I can guarantee you, America will not go down because of HOTDOGS!

To enforce my stand on the American Hot Dog….here are some 2great recipes for the 4th of July, both using hot dogs !
Just to start off with a BANG…. not only are we using hot dogs, we are battering them and DEEP FAT FRYING them!

Kay’s Corn Dogs

1/2 cup flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon shortening
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
12 skinless frankfurters
cooking oil
mustard to taste

Sift together dry ingredients. Cut in shortening. Combine milk and eggs, beating slightly. Pour into flour mixture. Stir until smooth. For dipping franks, pour batter into tall glass or spread in shallow pan. Add sticks, making a handle, or hold franks with tongs. Coat franks with batter. Drop battered-franks into hot oil, cooking until golden on all sides. Drain, serve hot with mustard.

All you special interests groups, Bite me!!

Now, just for you, straight from this month’s issue of Bon Appétit
Cheddar Dogs with Cider-Braised Leeks and Apples
Leeks and apples simmered in cider add a hint of sweetness—a nice contrast to the sharp melted cheddar. Yield: Makes 6
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter

2 cups (generous) thinly sliced leeks (white and pale green parts only)

1 apple, peeled, cored, diced

1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds

Pinch of ground allspice

Coarse kosher salt

1 1/2 cups hard apple cider or 1 1/4 cups apple cider and 1/4 cup bourbon

6 grilled hot dog buns or brioche-style oblong rolls

Dijon mustard

6 grilled all-beef Frmland Hot Dogs

2 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated (1/2 cup packed)
Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add leeks and apple. Cover; cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Mix in caraway and allspice; season with coarse salt and pepper. Add hard cider; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, uncovered, until most of liquid is cooked away, about 16 minutes.
Arrange buns or rolls on plates. Spread each with mustard, then top with grilled hot dogs. Sprinkle dogs with cheese and top with leek mixture.

I suspect that one, with butter, hot dogs, cheese and bourbon, just sent some of the wimps to the ER!

Go stock up on All American Hot Dogs, Farmland Foods makes the best! Get ready for a wonderful birthday party for America....who knows, Washington may outlaw such celebrations next! Enjoy it while you can! BUY AMERICAN HOT DOGS! The press tried to destroy the Pork Producers of America by refering to the "swine flu" over and over and over again when in reality, the influenza had nothing to do with the poor little pig! The pig had been removed from the picture years ago.

The American Press is a disgrace! Don't believe a word your hear or read until you check it out!
Okay, I feel a little less PO'd....thanks for listening to me. Enjoy a HOT DOG on the 4th!

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

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

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

31

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

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

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

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

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

If you are interested in taking my class on writing your own Heirloom Cookbook, call or email ARTichokes today, enrollment closes next week! I'd love to have you in my class...and we will eat, too!

Go to artichokeskc.com or call 913-322-9481

While you are browsing their webpage, check out the painting classes and special events, it is a great place to be!

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

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

Enjoy! Kay

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

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

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

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

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

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

This is an ALL-INCLUSIVE package…accommodation, transportation, meals, wines, cooking classes and the fun and informative services of Judy Witts Francini. Space is limited and the price is based on 12 participants.

Now for a recipe.....this one is from Judy Francini. It is for her own blend of Italian herbs.

Recipe for Erbe Toscane:
(names to right of forward slash mark is the name in Italian)
1 cup fresh rosemary needles/Rosmarino
1/2 cup fresh sage leaves/Salvia
2 cloves fresh garlic, sliced/ Aglio
Fine Sea salt/ Sale fine

Remove the rosemary needles from the branches and the sage leaves from the stems.
Spread out the herbs on a wooden cutting board, add the garlic, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of sea salt.
Using a mezzaluna or large knife, chop in a rocking motion until the herb mixture is almost a powder.If the mixture seems too wet, add another teaspoon of salt. Spread the mixture on a wooden cutting board and let dry over night. When dry, the Tuscan herb mixture can be kept in a tightly sealed jar on your shelf; it does not need to be refrigerated.

It mixes well with olive oil to make a dipping sauce, and I personally like to heat in oil, which then becomes perfect for drizzling on my bean soup.
Many Tuscan butchers use a similar combination of herbs, to which they add fennel seeds, black pepper, and a hearty amount of garlic, thus creating a wetter consistency ideal for the inside of roast pork or as a rub on the outside of beef. Look out for the prepared roasts at the Sant’ Ambrogio and San Lorenzo markets, and you will see how the Tuscan masters season their meats.

Whew! I’m back! After two very busy weeks, my life has settled down again. Let’s see, the Art in the Vines was the 13th , Metis performed in the Battle of the Bands on the 14th, then I left for beautiful Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia to spend 8 days with 27 of my closest relatives! I loved every minute of all three events, but so glad to be without my calendar in hand every moment. I love staying busy but I like a little breathing room every now and then! The amazing thing is...I haven't cooked in 2 weeks! (other than nachos!)

Art in the Vines was a huge success.

Somerset Ridge Vineyard and Winery was the perfect spot for our art show. The artists displayed their work throughout the vines on a glorious day! It had threatened rain all morning, making the show questionable at best. Suddenly at 1:00pm, just as the show opened, so did the clouds!
The crowds were wonderful; they wandered through the vineyard with glasses of wine while seeking out their favorite paintings. They talked to the stained glass artist, they had lots of questions for the sculptor. They shopped, they partied, they had fun!
There were 15 artists present and there were 23 pieces sold! I feel our First Annual Art in the Vines was a wonderful success! Thank you to everyone who attended!

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


Smith Mountain Lake Reunion The next morning I drove to the airport in a raging storm. I was completely wet by the time I checked in at the gate. By the time I landed in Washington D.C., I had dried off and the sun was shining. I had a quick little flight into Roanoke, then a 45 minute drive to Smith Mountain Lake in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It was beautiful! We gathered to celebrate Mike Pote's graduation from high school! What a week of celebration!

The next 7 days were full of water sports, children, teenagers, Rock Band (complete with some terrible vocals provided by my two daughters!) wine, nachos, hot tubs, wave runners, fishing and a great card game called “31”. The house was spectacular. On Wednesday, Chef Toy, the chef who fed us so well when we were all at Topsail Island, North Carolina, 2 years ago, came one day and prepared a whole roast pig with all the fixings! Back to this week..............Wednesday evening, the winery had a special event at JP’s Wine Bar, a Sangria Party! Great fun and I loved the White Sangria, made with our Traminette wine and peach schnapps. Traminette is a rich, spicy dry white wine with a floral bouquet. Made from grapes grown in our hillside vineyard. Traminette is a close relative of the German/Alsastian grape Gewurtztraminer. Wonderful with cheese, fruit and Asian dishes. Now it turns out to be a perfect wine for Sangria!

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

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

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

Vicki Johnston with two of her paintings exhibited at the

1st Annual Art in the Vines

Somerset Ridge Vineyard and Winery

Kristin Goering, Painter,

enjoying the beautiful day in the vineyard

Winnie Davis adding her special talents to a group painting of the vineyard

Pastel artist, Marcia Streepy, at her easel

painting by Kristin Goering

Art in the Vines is HERE!

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

All for your enjoyment!

Please join the festivities at the very 1st

Art in the Vines

at

Somerset Ridge Vineyard and Winery

directions at somersetridge.com

Saturday, 1 to 6pm

winery opens at 10am

please join us for a glass of wine while wandering through the vineyard where the artists will be displaying their work.

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

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

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

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

My Favorite Artichoke Fritters

Artichoke Fritters

about 15 fritters

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

No time to Blog!

I'm working like a mad woman! Cookbooks!....Art in the Vines!....Classes!

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

Somerset Ridge Vineyard's 1st Annual

Art in the Vines!

Sunday, 14th

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

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

Miles McDonald, guitar

Alex Reynolds, vocals

John Xenos, Bass

Max Weinberg, drums

Sunday, June 14th 5:00pm!

All ages are invited to this event!

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

Tried and True

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

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

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

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

Basic Tart Pastry - Savory
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

7 1/2 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter,

cut into pieces

2 1/2 tablespoons ice water

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

One of my son’s favorite treats as a teenager was Fried Apple Pies. For that I used the following recipe.
Fried Pie Pastry
3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup shortening

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup ice water

1 teaspoon white vinegar

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

One last crust recipe…maybe my favorite. Why? Fill it with sweetened whipped cream and fresh berries and see if you don’t love it!
Meringue Pie Crust
2 egg whites

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup sugar

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

Snoots and tails: Adventurous chefs and ethnic cuisines keep elusive bits of offal on the table - Kansas City Star

Snoots and tails: Adventurous chefs and ethnic cuisines keep elusive bits of offal on the table - Kansas City Star

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"The Nature of Perception and

The Perception of Nature"

Wednesday evening I attended a lecture by Stuart Shils, an American artist. A graduate of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia, in recent years Shils has shown his work in solo exhibitions in Philadelphia, New York, Boston, Los Angeles and San Francisco, as well as in Israel and Ireland.

The subject, the nature of perception and the perception of nature, was just what I needed. I've been learning to not only look at the subject of my paintings, but to see them! Shils re-enforced

what I have learned from both Becky Pashia and Ada Koch, and then, made my mind go a few steps further, and that is not an easy job!

Shils has a delightfully dry sense of humor that was scattered throughout his lecture, making it possible to not become so totally bogged down with technical information. He stood before the large screen pointing out how an area of light related to an area of dark, but would then toss in a humorous comment on the mental stability of the artist. He discussed many such areas in probably 30 to 40 paintings. He talked on not only light and dark, but line, shape, hard and soft edges and color relationships.

Stuart Shils provided an extremely interesting lecture at ARTichokes. It was a privilege to take part in the evening and as I've been thinking about the lecture this morning, it is exciting to realize how much I learned! I will be looking at both my subject and my painting with a different eye from this point on.

Shils has a number of paintings being shown at ARTichokes gallery. Visit the gallery soon and enjoy the soft beautiful work of Stuart Shils. ARTichokes is located in the new and beautiful area of Mission Farms at 10557 Mission Road, Leawood, KS 66206

Southern Beaten Biscuits and Boone County Country Ham

Have you ever had a Beaten Biscuit? Have you ever heard of them? I actually grew up enjoying these baked wonders, a cross between a cracker and a biscuit. In Columbia, Missouri, where I grew up, we ate them with a thin slice of Boone County Country Ham tucked inside. My Grandmother Johnston was the only one in town that still made them as far as I remember. They were such a treat and I can still remember the way the surface of the biscuit felt, the texture in my mouth, and above all, the taste.
Forget about a nice fluffy hot biscuit, the kind you slather with butter and honey. Beaten biscuits are a whole different story. Actually, the story, or history, of the Beaten Biscuit is very interesting.

Beaten biscuits originated in Virginia and traveled across the mountains to Kentucky and then north to Maryland. Chuck wagon cooks also made them, recruiting a gullible new cowhand for help. They were considered the pride of the South, and in earlier days no Southern hostess would fail to offer these at any and all times of the day. They are one of the delicious hot breads that have made Southern cooks famous. They were basically considered an upper-class status symbol dish that depended on a lot of labor. Making the beaten biscuits was the daily duty of the plantation cook.
To achieve the right texture and lightness, the dough had to be beaten hard (usually with a mallet) for at least 30 minutes. The purpose of the beating was to incorporate air into the mixture (this was a time in history before the invention of baking powder). They were a very heavy biscuit, not like our present day baking powder biscuits.

Grandmother finally found a “Biscuit Brake”, a work table with a roller that did the beating for you. It saved her a great deal of time and an amazing amount of effort!

There are recipes today, saying you can use a food processor for the mixing and beating of the dough. I’ve tried several, but somehow they fall way short of Grandmother’s biscuits! But I keep searching, keep experimenting, keep hoping. Maybe someday I can whip out a batch and teach my children and grandchildren what Beaten Biscuits and Boone County Country Ham are all about.
If you want to try one of today’s recipes for these old time Southern favorites, here is a recipe for you. And yes, there is a small amount of baking powder added to help with the modernization of a very old recipe.

Beaten Biscuits

Yield 2 dozen (serving size: 1 biscuit)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (about 11 1/4 ounces)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup vegetable shortening, chilled
1/2 cup cold 1% low-fat milk
1/3 cup ice water
Preheat oven to 400°.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a food processor; pulse 4 times. Add shortening; pulse 6 times or until well blended. Add milk and 1/3 cup ice water; process 1 1/2 minutes. (Dough should have a shiny appearance.) Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Cover and let stand 5 minutes.
Uncover dough; roll to about 1/2-inch thickness. Cut dough with a 2-inch round cutter. (Reroll scraps.) Place dough circles on a baking sheet. Pierce tops of dough circles with a fork. Bake at 400° for 18 minutes or until just barely lightly browned.

Now, for the Country Ham! They are available on line at

http://www.boonecountyham.com/contact.htm

And of course, there are always the wonderful country hams from Smithfield Hams! (see link below)

Step 1: Clean and Soak Your Ham
Aged hams, like cheese, mold in the process. If there is mold on your ham's surface, don't be alarmed. The mold is not harmful. It simply needs to be cleaned off. You will also need to soak the ham to remove excess salt.
Wash the ham in warm water.
Scrub the mold from the surface of the ham with a stiff brush.
Rinse the ham well.
Two days before you plan on serving the ham, place it in a large pan.
Cover the ham with cold water.
Let the water-covered ham stand at room temperature.
Depending on the saltiness of the ham, crystals will begin to form on the ham's surface.
If crystals begin to form, change the water every 4 to 6 hours. Let the ham soak for at least 12 hours.
If crystals do not form, change the water every 6 to 10 hours. Let the ham soak for 6 to 12 hours.
Once the ham has been scrubbed and soaked, it is ready to cook.

Step 2: Bake Your Ham

Add bay leaves and peppercorns to the boiling water. (There are several different ways to prepare a country ham. The following directions outline a method which involves boiling and oven-browning. Other preparation methods are available via downloadable PDFs at Smithfield Hams' website.
What You'll Need
Whole or half dry-cured ham
Bay leaves and peppercorns (Optional)
Cloves (if scoring)
1 large pot
Roasting pan
Aluminum foil
Meat thermometer
Sharp knife (if trimming and scoring)
Scrub and soak ham according to the directions is Step 1.
In a large pot, cover ham with water.
Add bay leaves and peppercorns to pot. (Optional)
Boil for 20 to 25 minutes per pound.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees towards the end of the boiling process.
Drain ham.
Trim, score and glaze ham if desired.
Insert meat thermometer into the ham.
Place ham in roasting pan.
Brown at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.
Remove the ham from the oven.
Do not overcook the ham. It's internal temperature should be 160 degrees F.
Let stand 15 minutes before carving.

For Southern style Ham Biscuits, slice the ham as thin as you possibly can.

Place some on a beaten biscuit and lean back, close your eyes and get ready for what dreams are made of!