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!
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 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!
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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!

Over the last few weeks, Zeus, the Magnificent, has enjoyed a field of  big yellow dandelions. I didn’t spoil his pleasure by telling him they were weeds…. bad weeds!
For some reason. walk time this week, has had Zeus turning right at the end of the driveway, instead of his usual left. We've met lots of new neighbors, the 4 legged variety. There is Maxwell, Jackson, Lily, Edgar, Fritz, Sasha, Molly…..lot’s of dogs.

By turning right, we haven’t been to the large vacant lot with the dandelions, until this evening. Zeus pranced down the street, headed for the lot. As we approached, there they were….the dandelions had gone to seed….millions of seeds! The ears perked up, the nose went up….the sniffing began. He dived into a big mound and the seeds and their white feathery mode of transportation exploded into the air! Zeus was obviously amused and amazed by the explosion because he bounded from one clump to the next, creating what looked like a severe snowstorm! There in the middle of it all, stood the Mighty Zeus, looking very much like the Easter Bunny! The seeds had covered Zeus' nose, mouth, and ears. It was adorable, and I didn’t have my camera! Again!

We bounded (actually, he, I don't "bound" well) through the dandelions, making sure we didn’t miss a one. I’m thinking I need to call the lawn service and have them bring lots of weed killer. The yards across the street are soon going to be covered with Zeus’ pretty yellow flowers. He used to be a favorite here in my neighborhood …..that may very well be a thing of the past!

I brushed him off out on the porch. It took me a while to pull the seeds from his mouth, a tedious process he did not enjoy. Now if I could just train him to blow his nose.

Art in the Vines 2012

Great news!  Somerset Ridge Vineyard and Winery will hold their annual Art in the Vines in just 2 months. You should see the list of artists that are participating this year! It is going to be a wonderful event. But the BIG NEWS is it is now a two day event! That’s right….it will be held both Saturday and Sunday!

The dates are June 9th and 10th.

In case you have never been to Somerset Ridge Vineyard and Winery, it is just 20 minutes south of Overland Park. The first vines were planted in April,1998, and today there are close to 9000 vines! Dennis and Cindy Reynolds are the owners and wine makers, and they hold a wide variety of wonderful events at the winery.

Art in the Vines 2012 is the 4th annual art show to be held in the vineyard. The artists display their work in the vines…..just imagine you and someone special spending the afternoon wandering among the vines with a glass of wine, finding just the right painting! Chatting with all of the artists and enjoying the beautiful day is just a small part of the pleasure you will experience.

So, right now, go to your calendar, turn to June and in the squares with 9 and 10 up in the corners, write ART in the VINES! I will be there with my paintings and I hope you come by and say hello!

Please have a wonderful holiday this weekend. Here is a lamb recipe that you might want to try….and it includes Somerset Ridge Vineyard’s Port!

Herb and Mustard Rack of Lamb with Ruby Port Sauce

4 racks lamb (21/2 lb)

1/4 cup olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tbsp grainy mustard

1 tbsp fresh thyme (or 1 tsp/5 mL dried)

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp dried rosemary, crushed

Sauce:

1 tbsp olive oil

2 large shallots, diced

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup Somerset Ridge Vineyard Ruby Port

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp softened butter and all-purpose flour

Salt and pepper

1. Halve racks to make 8 racks of 4 bones each. Trim excess fat, leaving thin layer over meat.

2. In measuring cup, pour oil over garlic and microwave on High until warmed through, about 30 seconds.

3. In small bowl, combine mustard, thyme, pepper and rosemary; whisk in garlic oil until smooth. Rub mixture into lamb; cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

4. On greased baking pan, place racks, bones up; cook in 425F (220C) oven until internal temperature is 145F (63C) for medium-rare or 150F (65C) for medium, 20 to 25 minutes. Let stand on cutting board for a few minutes; slice between bones and arrange on plates. Sauce: In large skillet, warm oil over medium heat; cook shallots until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in stock, port and thyme; bring to boil. Cook until reduced by half.

5. Blend butter with flour to make paste; whisk into sauce and cook until smooth and slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with lamb.

serves 6

I would probably serve them with

Creamy Havarti Grits

1 can chicken broth (1 2/3 cups)

1 cup water

4 tablespoons butter

salt and pepper

1 cup quick grits

4 ounces Havarti cheese, shredded or cut in small cubes

Bring heavy cream, chicken broth, and water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add butter, salt, and pepper. Slowly whisk in grits and reduce heat. Cook 15 to 20 minutes over low heat, stirring frequently. Stir in shredded or cubed Havarti cheese; continue to stir until well blended and cheese has melted. Serve in place of rice with shrimp, pork tenderloin medallions, lamb chops, or other meat or poultry.

Serves 4 to 6.

Enjoy!

1 cup heavy cream

So, I am sitting here, trying to relax, to remain calm.

Our KU Jayhawks are playing Kentucky for the National Championship in New Orleans. It is early  in the game and I am already very nervous! My only comment so far is....why in a city like New Orleans that has more than its share of musicians, why oh why did they choose "The Fray" to sing the National Anthem??????????  I guess I am too old to have the anthem ruined by some clown.  But then, I am the one who ranted here in my blog over Christina Aguilera's butchering of our anthem at last year's Super Bowl. I'm thinking I may never hear it performed as it should be, ever again. Sad.

Make me feel better, Jayhawks!

But on to the blog....
There is a great blog called Proud Italian Cook. I can truly say I  have never been disappointed in her posts. Today's post really excited me! I am a huge fan of Italian cooking, and their pies and tarts are always right up  my alley!
Here is today's blog,  Please visit Proud Italian Cook soon, I know you will  like it! While you ae there, check out the Lemoncello Tart!  Go to  http://prouditaliancook.blogspot.com/



From Proud Italian Cook, Monday, April 2, 2012
Italian Easter Bread
There are many forms of "Easter Breads" and every family has their own special recipe and tradition, some might be sweet and others might be savory.
In my family, Easter wouldn't be the same without my mother and aunt making their traditional "bostone" as they called it, Other names for this savory meat, cheese, and egg filled "pie' would be pizza chena, Easter pizza, pizza rustica. I have no clue why they called it bostone but it's probably because all the filling is encased within an eggy bread like dough.
This recipe is not for the faint of heart, there's eggs galore, lots of meat and wonderful cheese, it's meant to be made and eaten once a year, each slice is a meal in itself!
I was always told that the key ingredient in our Easter bread was the Tuma cheese, it binds everything together so well when melted, yet it still stays nice and chunky. In my area you can only find Tuma cheese at Easter time.
Many recipes you see on the web show a variety of meats used like salami or capicola and ham, but my mother and aunt always used straight up Italian sausage, preferably hot. Don't be afraid to use hot sausage here because the filling is so dense you'll hardly notice, it will just have a nice spiciness to it.
Where I purchase my sausage, the medium is hot and the hot is super hot, so I mixed them together and the heat was just right.
I would suggest prepping ahead of time, boiling your eggs, browning your sausage, chunking up your cheese and preparing the dough.
This recipe makes two very deep loaf pans filled to the brim, or one 9x13 deeper than normal pan, and believe me they are heavy!
I love to slice it right from the fridge and eat it cold, other family members like to warm it slightly, either way it's amazing and the smell just brings me back to my childhood!


Here's the recipe.
Julie and Eileen's Bostone
DOUGH
8 cups flour

9 eggs beaten
1T salt
1 t. black pepper
1/2 cup of vegetable shortening
water to get it to the right consistency.


Use a giant bowl and add flour, salt, pepper. Work the shortening in next, then add the 9 beaten eggs and mix until well incorporated, use water if necessary to make dough nice and smooth.


FILLING
4 lbs of browned hot Italian sausage, casings removed
2 lbs of Tuma cheese diced, if you can't find it use mozzarella
1 doz hard boiled eggs, chopped
2 cups of Pecorino romano
3 raw eggs
salt and cracked black pepper.


Just mix everything together in one big bowl.
Roll dough out to fit in pan and let it overlap slightly, then add your filling pressing down and adding more. Save enough dough to place on top, then roll the sides up to meet the top. Brush with egg yolk for a beautiful shiny gloss.

Bake at 325 for around 1 1/2 hours or until very golden and hollow sounding when you tap on top. Place the pan or pans on a baking sheet to cook.

Proud Italian Cook blog is out of Chicago. 
Thank You Proud Italian Cook!

Have a wonderful Easter!

Have you ever heard of baking eggs in the oven instead of boiling them for deviled eggs? Me either...... Hard-boiling an egg is certainly not a challenging task. When I want Deviled Eggs, I don’t want to risk the possibility of having to delay my having a plate full of wonderful, summery, golden, tangy eggs just because I tried baking rather than boiling!


The idea of baking the eggs is probably not new, but it is new to me. I ran across the method while reading one of my favorite blogs, Not Without Salt. Check out Ashley’s blog at http://notwithoutsalt.com She has several great recipes, including one for Beet Pickled deviled Eggs. They are a beautiful deep pink in color! Perfect for your Easter dinner!

Deviled eggs scream “SPRING!” after winter, even after a mild winter. I cannot imagine a family Easter dinner without Deviled Eggs. What Ashley has done to a simple hard-boiled egg in preparation for deviling is quite refreshing! Check it out.


Read more: http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2012/mar/27/ann-vogel-make-deviled-eggs-as-fiery-as-you-dare/#ixzz1qMN4r7iB


"Deviling" probably originated in the 18th century and referred to highly seasoned foods that were boiled or baked. The term might derive from the French “diable” or “à la diablé”, meaning "highly spiced." Nowadays, "deviled" usually refers to foods laced with cayenne pepper or mustard. In other words, sinfully delicious.


The perfect hard-boiled egg……


One thing that has always bugged me about hard-boiled eggs is how quickly overcooking an egg causes a green ring around the yolk. (I wonder if baking that egg would increase or decrease the likelihood of that green ring appearing?) I have used the same method for boiling eggs for years.


1st clue….don’t use fresh eggs, they will never peel neatly! Use eggs that are close to  their expiration date. At least 24 hours in advance,
lay the entire carton of eggs on its side (I balance it against the refrigerator wall). This will help center the yolk.


2nd clue….place eggs in a saucepan so all eggs are in a single layer. Cover eggs with 1 to 2” of cold water. Add 1 tablespoon of salt.


3rd clue….Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to and simmer the eggs for only 30 seconds. Remove from the heat, cover and let stand for 11 minutes.


4th clue….Immediately plunge into a large pot of ice water to cool quickly. After several minutes, lift each egg out, one at a time, and gently crack shell all over, then return to ice water. This will make peeling the eggs much easier!

So, now we have perfectly hard-boiled eggs. How you make the filling is entirely up to your taste, your traditions. Some like them with diced pickle mixed in, others think that is committing a crime! Some of the conversations I’ve heard concerning the recipe for Deviled Eggs, would amaze you. It is a “family thing”, a “regional thing” a “personal thing”. It’s like fried chicken….you know very well that everyone has “the perfect way to fry chicken”!


Here are a few of my favorites.
From one of my favorite cookbooks, Screen Doors and Sweet Tea by Martha Hall Foose.


Sold My Soul to the Devil-ed Eggs


12 large eggs, hard-boiled, peeled, and cut lengthwise
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 green onions, white and green parts, finely chopped
2 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
1 tablespoon dill pickle relish
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
Paprika for garnish


In a small bowl, mash the egg yolks with a fork until smooth. Stir in the salt, onions, butter, relish, mustard and mayonnaise. Spoon or pipe the mixture into egg-white halves. Sprinkle with paprika.


From Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa, we have a much more elegant version.


Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs


(Question....No Mustard, No Cayenne Pepper….is it truly “deviled”?)


8 extra-large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons good mayonnaise
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives, plus extra for garnish
4 ounces good smoked salmon, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 ounces salmon roe


Peel the eggs and then slice them in half lengthwise. Remove the yolks carefully. Place the yolks in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and arrange the whites on a platter in a single layer with the cut sides up and sprinkle with salt.


To the egg yolks, add the sour cream, cream cheese, mayonnaise, lemon juice, chives, salmon, salt, and pepper. Beat on medium speed until fluffy. With a small spoon, fill the egg whites with the egg yolk mixture. Cover loosely with plastic wrap (you don't want to flatten the filling) and refrigerate for 30 minutes for the flavors to blend.


When ready to serve, garnish with a dollop of salmon roe and some extra chopped chives. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.


Deviled or not, they are delicious!


So, what is my favorite deviled egg recipe? I don’t use a recipe. I think the more simple you can keep it, the more classic it is.


Kay’s Deviled Eggs


12 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and cut in half, lengthwise
Mayonnaise
Yellow mustard
Salt and Pepper
Maybe a dash of Cayenne, depending on my mood!


The consistency of the filling is key for me. I want it absolutely smooth, absolutely creamy. Some deviled eggs are too dry for me, Therefore, the amount of mayo depends on how creamy you want them. As for the mustard, once again, I taste, I add or not. Oh, and I make my filling in the food processor.
I actually can eat this filling by the spoonful….don’t look at me that way! I bet you eat raw cookie dough!

Hey Ladies! It’s SPRING! In the 80s this week! Thank Goodness!

And to make this week even more fun, Family Tree Nursery 

at 85th and Farley in Overland Park, is celebrating Spring by holding their

ART of GARDENING

this Friday afternoon from

2:00 to 7:30pm.

Several artists have been invited to hang their art among the beautiful flowers and I am so excited to be one of the painters.

They are running wonderful specials on gorgeous spring plants and are looking forward to discussing your yard and garden with you. Do you see that 20% off? For more information, go to www.familytreenursery.com

Don’t you just love Spring?!

Please come by and see me and take advantage of their sale on bedding plants. It will be a fun day!

My buddies Ada Koch and Vicki Johnston will be there with me!

The Importance of February 25th

Flyboy Tucker climbing out of his beloved F-86
after his 100th mission over Korea in 1951

February 25^th was never an important date for me, until I met  Arch Tucker. No, it wasn’t the day we were married, nor was it his birthday. It was far more spectacular than that as far as Arch was concerned! Arch woke up every February 25 with a smile on his face, from 1950 to 2006.

Typical of an old military guy, every time Arch told the story that I am about to share with you, he smiled bigger, laughed louder, and, shall we say, elaborated more. I am not saying the story was not the truth, because it was, totally. It was just that each time he told the story, the better he liked telling it. There were, shall we say, a few more "flourishes" with each telling of the tale.

Arch arranged to graduate early from Wyandotte High School in Kansas City, Kansas in 1943. Lots of young men were doing it….they were anxious to get into WWII before it ended. Arch picked up his diploma and marched straight to the recruiting office. On  January 19, 1944, Arch Tucker was a flight cadet in the Army Air Corps. He always knew he was going to fly.

The war ended before he barely got off the ground,  but fly he did!

Shortly after the war ended, the United States Air Force was established. Arch left Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas on the next train. I won’t go into all of the next few months following his induction, so we will move right on to February, 1949. Arch was about to graduated from flight school at Williams Air Force Base in Chandler, Arizona.  Always being the best pilot he could be, Arch was chosen as one of the top 6 cadets in his class to do the flyby during the ceremony. This was before he had his “wings”, graduation wasn’t over yet.

The six pilots climbed into their F80-As and took off. There they were, Moms, Dads, Wives and Sweethearts, all sitting in the stands, thrilled at the sound of the formation approaching. From the right, there they were. 6 of the very best from the Class of 49A.

The way Arch spent his graduation day

That is when it happened, things turned nasty. One of the pilots nosedived into the ground, right in front of everyone. You guessed it…..

Cadet Arch Tucker did a whoops! 

He had an airspeed problem and was too proud to admit it. They say he was conscious when they rushed to the plane; according to witnesses, he was swearing like a madman!  It took a long time to remove him from the wreckage. He was thrown through the instrument panel and into the motor. Arch didn’t remain conscious very long, so his tale of the rescue was lacking details. It was probably a good thing. Arch’s back was broken in 5 places, along with multiple other bones. He was taken to the military hospital in a coma and it was thought he would not live through the night. 

Late that night, after all of the other cadets had graduated and were headed for their first assignments, Robert L. Scott, World War II flying ace (and future author of “God is My Co-Pilot”) quietly slipped into Arch’s hospital room, and placed Arch’s new “Wings” on his broken body. Scott and all of the command officers assumed Arch would never survive the night, much less wake up to see his wings, to know that he was indeed, at long last, a PILOT!
Arch always said if they had known he was going to survive, they certainly would not have given him those wings. After all, Arch had just destroyed a multi-million dollar aircraft! Arch spent the next year and a half recovering. Luckily, the spinal column was not severed. The injury was to the bones, which he was determined to heal.  He laid in a body cast for months, most of it under the influence of heavy morphine. In early 1950, he was fitted for a back brace that made him walk  like Frankenstein, but at least he was mobile, sort of. Shortly after the size of the brace was reduced to manageable, Arch was given the duty of accompanying soldier’s bodies back from Europe. They were still finding casualties from World War II.

At last, late in 1950, Arch was released for flying! Can you imagine the queasy stomach his commanding officer had when he released another jet to Arch! But Arch had no fear, he knew he belonged in the cockpit.

So, you see, February 25^th was a day of celebration. Arch became known as the first jet pilot to survive a crash of a jet aircraft. He was a fighter pilot in the United Stares Air Force for 33 years. He flew in combat missions over Korea and Vietnam. He lived around the world, but no matter where he was, he celebrated on February 25^th!

Arch had been retired from the Air Force almost 20 years when I met him. He loved to attend reunions with the Class of 49A. There was always at least one old buddy who would be absolutely flabbergasted to discover Arch had not died that graduation day in 1949.

So, how did we celebrate? It usually involved martinis, and meat and potatoes.

Arch was the epitome of a carnivore. His abilities in the kitchen were amazing. I could cook for 100 people, no problem. But, God forbid I should have to cook for one! Arch on the other hand was a genius at cooking for just one. He had almost as many cookbooks as I did when we got married. Mine were more beautiful, elegant foods. Arch’s were of two categories….meat and foreign meat!

As he traveled around the world, he fell in love with the foods of Europe and Asia. He collected and developed recipes as he went along. What I am about to share with you is one of Arch’s recipes, developed, corrected, adjusted, etc., through the years. It is truly amazing. I know when you read it you will see the list of ingredients and think “no way”, but when you read the directions and discover it takes up to 3 weeks, you will probably say “not only no, but Hell No!” But don’t forget this recipe. Someday you are going to need to a spectacular meal for a very special occasion. Trust me, this is the one!

Arch has been gone 5 years now, I think it is time for me to share his Wild Boar with the world!

Colonel Arch Tucker’s Mock Wild Boar
1 whole fresh ham, approximately 20 pounds
     (a fresh ham is the back leg of the pig, the same cut as  used for a cured ham, only this is fresh, not cured)
2 tablespoons black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon Accent® seasoning mix
1 teaspoon allspice
1 large bay leaf, crumbled
1 teaspoon crushed caraway seeds
3 cloves garlic, mashed
4 tablespoons salt
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon orange zest
2 large onions
1 large carrot
2 ribs celery with leaves
1 cup olive oil
1 1/2 ups red wine (I naturally use Somerset Ridge Flyboy Red)
1 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup cognac
For the Archibald Sauce:
strained marinade from Wild Boar
2 cups Flyboy Red wine
2 cups beef gravy, homemade is best, but you can use jarred gravy
1 cup beef stock
1 to 2 tablespoons red currant jelly
salt to taste
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped green onions
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

Have the butcher remove the rind (skin) from the ham, leaving the layer of fat on the ham. With a small thin bladed knife, make small slits all over the ham. Combine all of the herbs,spices and orange zest. Rub all over the ham, coating well, making sure to get rub down into slits. Place ham in a large container.

Chop onion,celery and carrot. Saute in the olive oil. When veggies are soft, add the 1 cup of wine and the vinegar. Bring just to a boil. Remove from the heat, let cool to room temperature, then add the cognac.
Pour over the ham, adjusting the ham so as much of it as possible is covered by the marinade.


Let ham marinate in the refrigerator for 15 to 18 days, turning the ham in the marinade at least once a days, preferably twice a day.


To roast the meat: Remove the ham from the marinade. Do not dry off or try to clean off! Place on a rack in a large shallow roasting pan, fat side up. Roast in a 300 degree oven until meat thermometer reads 165 to 175 degrees. Remove ham from roasting pan. Let rest for at least 30 minutes before carving.


In the meantime, strain the marinade, squeezing as much liquid as possible from vegetables. In a large saucepan, combine the strained marinade, 2 cups wine, and beef gravy. Bring to a gentle boil and reduce the sauce by half over medium heat. Arch had a special wooden spoon that he marked the depth of the sauce before he reduced it. You want the sauce to be a little thicker than you want the finished sauce to be. This part of the sauce can be prepared as soon as the meat is removed from the marinade.


Heat beef stock to boiling, pour into the roasting pan to deglaze all of the caramelized meat juices from the bottom of the pan. Scrape bottom of pan well, then add contents of roasting pan to the sauce. Add currant jelly and adjust salt. Add pepper, green onions and parsley. Bring to a simmer for a few minutes to combine flavors.

Serve either a soft polenta or mashed potatoes with sliced boar along side, all topped with the sauce.

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If you are willing to help me salute Arch on the 25th, fix your favorite beverage (Arch loved a Gin Martini, dirty) and during the Happy Hour, let us lift our glasses to The Colonel!



One of My Favorite Quotes.........................

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the
same.".....Ronald Reagan

Paczki

Here we are, in the midst of Mardi Gras! I haven’t participated in this celebration since Arch passed away 5 years ago, and I won’t be celebrating this year either. But the food blogs are full of recipes, photos and menus to help you have a great time! I bet I have seen 100 recipes for King’s cake….everything is purple, yellow and green!
Not being Catholic, I didn’t observe Lent. I didn’t know all of the history and traditions of Lent. I did know pancakes were big on Shrove Tuesday, but didn’t know why, I just liked pancakes! A little research will teach you that Shrove Tuesday is also known as Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras (which is simply French for Fat Tuesday). Simple enough. Shrove Tuesday is a reminder that you are entering a season of penance, if you are Catholic.
So, if Lenten fasting means you give up rich foods as part of your penance, you need to go through the larder and use up all of the eggs, butter, etc. Therefore, the day before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, means you eat well, you eat a lot. They certainly didn’t throw away perfectly good food! Indeed not, they ate it!
Ta-Da! Fat Tuesday!
I sure hope I have that right!
So, out of all the Fat Tuesday traditional foods that I have tried, my very favorite is a Polish donut called Paczki, a rich donut usually (though not always) filled with jam (traditionally prune or raspberry). Similar to the German Bismarck or Berliner , these round rolls (pronounced "POHNCH-kee") are made with a yeast-raised egg batter. Who doesn’t love a warm, fresh from the fryer, donut? So, here is the recipe, just in time for tomorrow, Fat Tuesday. (It took me a while, but I have finally gotten to the recipe!) Enjoy! I found this recipe some time ago, I think on About.com/Eastern European Foods

Paczki

1 1/2 cups warm milk (no warmer than 110 degrees)

2 packages active dry yeast (remember to proof yeast before you begin)

1/2 cup sugar

4 ounces (1 stick) room-temperature butter

1 large room-temperature egg

3 large room-temperature egg yolks

1 tablespoon brandy or rum

1 teaspoon salt

4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour

1 gallon oil for deep frying

Granulated sugar (optional)

Confectioner's sugar (optional)

Fruit paste for filling (optional)

• Add yeast to warm milk, stir to dissolve and set aside. In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together sugar and butter until fluffy. Beat in eggs, brandy and salt until well-incorporated.

• Still using the paddle attachment, add 4 1/2 cups flour alternately with the milk-yeast mixture and beat for 5 or more minutes by machine and longer by hand until smooth. My grandmother used to beat the dough with a wooden spoon until it blistered. Dough will be very slack. If too soft, add remaining 1/2 cup flour, but no more.

• Place dough in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk, anywhere from 1 to 2 1/2 hours . Punch down and let rise again.

• Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Pat or roll to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut rounds with 3-inch biscuit cutter. Remove scraps, and re-roll and re-cut. Cover and let rounds rise until doubled in bulk, 30 minutes or longer.

• Heat oil to 350 degrees in large skillet or Dutch oven. Place pączki top-side down (the dry side) in the oil a few at a time and fry 2 to 3 minutes or until bottom is golden brown. Flip them over and fry another 1 to 2 minutes or until golden brown. Make sure the oil doesn't get too hot so the exterior doesn't brown before the interior is done. Test a cool one to make sure it's cooked through. Adjust cooking time and oil heat accordingly.

• Drain pączki on paper towels or brown paper bags, and roll in granulated sugar while still warm. Note: You can poke a hole in the side of the pączki and, using a pastry bag, squeeze in a dollop of the filling of choice. Then dust filled pączki with granulated sugar, confectioners' sugar or glaze.

• Darn the luck! Pączki don't keep well, so gobble them up the same day you make them or freeze.

• Note: Always use caution when working with hot oil, especially around children. Have a fire extinguisher designed for grease fires at the ready.

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Okay, No more blogging today. Zeus is bored.

                                                         

       

 She did it! Danica Pollard was named  Food and Wine Magazine's The People’s Best New Pastry Chef of the Central Region!

And, we helped!

I have received so many messages to pass on to Danica, I will be going to Lidia's for lunch soon to pass them on to Danica in person! Thank you for answering the call!

Your votes certainly counted!

Congratulations, Danica!

I bet Lidia is very proud  of you!

Tomorrow night is 3rd Friday in Historic Overland Park. I am praying for good weather, but of course, it will be warm and cozy inside The Tasteful Olive! I will be there from 6PM to 8:45PM, with samples of Blood Orange Brownies and my Wild Mushroom and Sage Savory Shortbread. Please  come join us. Somerset Ridge will be there with their wines!

The shops and restaurants will be open and there will be live music, wonderful art, and, as I said, Brownies! They are wonderful! The recipe is from the Tasteful Olives web page, along with many other delicious ways of using their amazing oils and vinegars. http://www.thetastefulolive.com

BLOOD ORANGE OLIVE OIL BROWNIES

Ingredients:

4 oz unsweetened chocolate

1 oz bittersweet chocolate

1 C all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

4 eggs

1 T vanilla flavoring

2 C sugar

1/2 C butter

1/2 C Tasteful Olive's Blood Orange Olive Oil

1 C walnuts, coarsely crushed

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 12 x 9 baking pan. On low heat, melt chocolate in sauce pan, stirring constantly. Set aside to cool. In separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt. Melt the butter, place in another bowl and add the olive oil, then incorporate one egg at a time into this mixture. Add in vanilla and then the chocolate. Fold in the dry ingredients and walnuts, but don't over mix the batter. Pour mixture into the pan, smoothing off the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes until brownies pull away from the side of the pan. Serves 12.

Hope to see you there!



Are you watching the 136th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show? Zeus and I are snuggled up in our recliner, watching the Hound category that includes the Daschund breed. The dog show is on tonight and tomorrow night, with tomorrow night’s show ending with the naming of “Best in Show”. JOY! The Wirehaired Daschund just won for the Hound group! I am looking forward to watching the miniature breeds, and I know Zeus is also.
The snow we received today sort of put a kink in our walking schedule today. Zeus’ tummy is so close to the ground, his Burberry coat was scooping up the snow; it was like walking a miniature snow plow! We left a rather strange looking path behind us.




My oven is on the blink, sort of, anyway. All of that electronic stuff offers so many opportunities for things to break, give out, just plain quit. I have turned the breaker off to my kitchen, then will turn it back on later tonight. You know, everything is a computer now, even my oven! Hopefully when I flip the breaker back on, the computer behind the controls will reboot itself and I will have an oven again. In the meantime, it looks like my electric soup pot will be put to work.
I have a package of French Lentils and a pound of Jasper’s wonderful sweet Italian Sausage, so I think I will make a French/Italian Lentil and Sausage Soup.


Sausage and Lentil Soup
• 1 medium onion
• ½ cup chopped celery
• 3 garlic cloves
• 8 baby carrots
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lb Italian sausage, removed from casings 
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 3 cups water
• 16 ounces lentils
• salt and pepper
• 1 dash red pepper flakes
olive oil for drizzling


Place onion, celery, garlic and carrots in food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Sauté the veggies in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Remove sausage from casings and crumble. Add sausage to vegetables and sauté until no longer pink. Rinse lentils and add to pot. Add broth, water and seasonings and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 1 hour, stirring often. If soup becomes too thick, add more broth. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. When done, drizzle with olive oil, stir and serve.

Have you voted for Danica Pollard yet? Please do! She is in 2nd place as of today, so thank you very much for voting for this delightful Pastry Chef of Lidia’s of Kansas City!


Just go to http://www.foodandwine.com/the-peoples-pastry-central and vote for Danica today! I will keep you posted on how she is doing.

Please have a wonderful Valentine's Day!

All you loyal readers,

I have

A Favor to Ask!

I am asking each of you to vote for

a wonderful local chef!

 Kansas City’s Pastry Chef of Lidia’s Italy

DANICA POLLARD

has been nominated by Food and Wine Magazine as a candidate for

The People’s Best New Pastry Chef

Voting is easy and you have until February 14th at Midnight!

1. go to www.foodandwine.com/the-peoples-pastry

2. on the map click on CENTRAL

3. Scroll down and in the voting box on the lower right side click on DANICA POLLARD

4. In the voting box, click on SUBMIT

Let’s make it a sweet victory for our favorite pastry chef on Valentine’s Day!

Thank you for supporting Lidia’s Italy Kansas City!

and, thank you for reading my blog!

Congratulations, Danica!

According to fellow blogger, Debra of www.bagnidilucca.wordpress.com, It is only 2 degrees in Rome right now. I’m thinking our 21 degrees sounds pretty balmy. However, I would jump on a plane right now for Italy, no matter what the temperature is!


With the freezing temperatures here in Kansas City, and apparently most of the planet above the equator, I am thinking the pastries of Kansas City’s own
DANICA POLLARD
would be pretty darned good right now with a nice warm cup of cappuccino, or in my case, a beautiful cup of hot tea. So, for those of you not fortunate enough to have a Lidia’s near by, here is a recipe for one of my favorite pastries.

Lemon Ricotta Tart

72 vanilla wafers (from a 12-ounce box)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter (3/4 stick) melted

2 cups ricotta cheese

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 large eggs

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest (from 2 lemons), plus 3 tablespoons lemon juice

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting (optional)

1. Preheat oven 375 degrees. In a food processor, pulse vanilla wafers until finely ground (to yield 2 cups). Add butter and pulse until crumbs are evenly moistened.
2. Transfer crumb mixture to a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press firmly into the bottom and up the sides. Place pan on a baking sheet; bake crust until lightly browned and set, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven.
3. In clean food processor, blend ricotta, cream cheese, eggs, granulated sugar, and lemon zest until smooth. Pour into hot crust in pan; bake until filling is set and browned in spots, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack. Just before serving, dust top of tart with confectioners' sugar, if desired.


Okay now, don’t forget to vote for DANICA POLLARD
by going to www.foodandwine.com/the-peoples-pastry


Thank You!