A Jeanne in the Kitchen

Larry and I love calamari. I don’t cook it too often, though we eat it on the rare occasions we do go out to eat. That being said, I did make some the other day, to go with my Greek stuffed tomatoes. I kept it all in a Greek theme and made my calamari in the Greek style too. Even though we will not be traveling to Greece until May 2027, I am already getting a head start on my Greek cooking. 🙂

Calamari has been a staple in the Greek diet for 1000’s of years; ever since the Bronze age during the Mycenaean period. The word “calamari” actually comes from Italian, while the root of the word traces back to ancient Greek (kalamos, meaning reed or pen). Because squid is abundant in the Mediterranean Sea, eating squid is a long-standing tradition across many coastal cultures, including Greece, Italy, Spain, and Turkey.  Ancient cooks prepared squid by roasting or boiling it, seasoning the meat with local olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, and cumin. In the 4th century BC, the Sicilian-Greek poet Archestratus wrote about squid and octopus as fine delicacies worthy of celebration. In Greece, calamari is rarely eaten on its own. It is served with a variety of other dishes, in the meze style. Eating calamari among friends is considered to be a sign of good hospitality. Sharing a plate of fried or grilled squid remains a cultural gesture of community, celebration, and connection to the Mediterranean sea.

Greek Calamari

The only real difference between Greek styled calamari and “regular” fried calamari is the addition of a little dried oregano in the flour mixture. This recipe is super easy-peasy and delicious.

As I was doing my research for this recipe, I discovered a little trick that I never knew before. Soak the calamari rings in milk or buttermilk for about 30 minutes or so before coating it and frying it. It will take some of the “fishiness” out and will help to keep the calamari tender. Though, if you do not over cook them, them will be tender anyway. Mine came out very tender.

1 1/2-2 lbs calamari rings

1/2 cup flour

salt & pepper to taste

1 tsp dried oregano

Mix everything together well and add the calamari. Toss well and thoroughly coat the calamari rings.

Then fry in hot oil. You can either pan fry them, like the traditional Greek way, or if you have a deep fryer, you can deep fry them for a couple of minutes. I deep fried them in my fryer for about 3 minutes per batch. I cooked them in small batches.

I made a lemon aioli to dip the calamari in too.

Simple Lemon Aioli

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1-2 tsp garlic

1 tsp capers

1 TBSP lemon juice

1-2 tsp lemon olive oil, optional

1-2 tsp lemon vinegar, optional

Mix everything together well and serve.

When it all came together, it was so Greek to me. 🙂

Life is short. Make the most out of everyday. Live life to the fullest and enjoy the ride. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.

The other day in my jewelry class, somehow we got on the subject of sourdough bread. I mentioned I have a sourdough starter in my refrigerator, and one of my instructors immediately asked if I knew how to make sourdough bread. Then a request for fresh sourdough bread came. Of course I had to oblige.

I have quite a few cookbooks for bread alone, so as you can imagine I have a lot of different recipes. I am doing my best to make as many of all my different recipes, from as many of my cookbooks as possible. The recipe I chose for this bread was for soft sourdough baguettes.

Soft Sourdough Baguettes

2 1/4 tsp dry active yeast

1 3/4 cups lukewarm water

1/4 cup sourdough starter

2 TBSP olive or canola oil + more to oil the bowl

2 TBSP sugar

2 tsp salt

4 1/2 cups flour, or more as needed

Cornstartch Wash

1/2 cup water

1 1/2 tsp cornstarch

2 TBSP melted butter

Dissolve the yeast in the water then add the starter, sugar, oil, salt and 3 cups of flour. Mix together thoroughly and add more flour as needed to make a soft dough.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 30 times, or until you get a round dough ball. Lightly oil a large bowl and place the dough in the bowl and cover. Let rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours, or until it doubles in size.

Preheat the oven to 400*F or 205*C. Punch the dough down and cut it into 1/2. Form each 1/2 into a 12×18 rectangle and roll into a log, from the long side. Pinch each end to seal. Place seal side down onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise again for 30 minutes, or until it doubles again.

Make the cornstarch wash by mixing the water and the cornstarch together and cook until it begins to thicken.

Cut 4 slashes into the top of each loaf and brush with the cornstarch wash.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes, then brush with the cornstarch wash once again and continue to bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the bread is golden brown. Brush with the melted butter immediately after removing from the oven, then allow to cool before slicing. DELICIOUS!!!!!

I took the bread to my next class, along with some soft butter, and it received rave review and disappeared quickly. 🙂

Bread is the food of life, and I personally could easily live on bread and butter alone. 🙂 Life is short. Make the most out of everyday and live life to the fullest. Enjoy the ride, and ALL the breads you can. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.

The combination of sausage and shrimp cooked together in a Portuguese meal is a long standing tradition that has been used since the Medieval times. The Portuguese sausages, known as either enchidos, or chourico, or linguica, began as a way to preserve meats by using salt, garlic and smoke before refrigeration existed. Unlike fresh sausages (like Italian sausage) or Spanish chorizo (which is often dry-cured and harder), Portuguese sausages are typically smoked in smokehouses, giving them a rich, distinctively smoky flavor and a fully cooked state ready for slicing, frying, or flaming tableside (chouriço assado). The Portuguese Jews used chicken and bread in their “sausages” instead of pork. They hung these pork-free sausages in their smokehouses to trick authorities during the Inquisition into thinking they ate pork. Alheira is one type of these “fake” sausages and uses poultry or game mixed with bread for texture. Farinheira is another type that uses a base of flour, spices, and pork fat. Seafood of all kinds is also iconic in Portuguese cooking, since most of the country is on the coast. By the 12th century, Lisbon’s food culture combined Christian ingredients like pork and shellfish with Moorish and Mediterranean flavors, making the foods of Portugal what they are today, and loved by all.

I LOVE Portugal and everything Portuguese. And the food is AMAZING. Ever since our trip to Portugal in March, I have been making Portuguese meals here at home too. This time I made some Portuguese sausage & shrimp, though I have been making versions of this with either shrimp or scallops for a long time, never knowing they were Portuguese in origin. 🙂

Portuguese Sausage & Shrimp

This time I used kielbasa, which is more like Portuguese chourico, because that is what I had on hand at the time. This dish, like so many other Portuguese dishes brings the earth to the sea.

1 lb large shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed

1/3-1/2 lb sausage, sliced

1 red onion, sliced very thin

1 TBSP garlic

1 tsp red pepper flakes

salt & pepper to taste

2-3 tomatoes, diced

2 cups dry white wine

1 TBSP mixed fresh herbs like thyme and oregano

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1/3 cup sliced olives

olive oil

cooked pasta

Get a large skillet very hot then add the shrimp sausage. Cook until mostly cooked.

Add the onions, garlic, mushrooms and red pepper flakes and seasonings. Continue to cook for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the wine, tomatoes, herbs and olives. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook, for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve over cooked pasta of your choice, with some warmed bread and wine of your choice on the side. !Deliciosa! This is definitely a dish of the people, bringing the earth to the sea.

Life is short. Make the most out of everyday and live life to the fullest. Enjoy the ride. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.

WHOOOOO HOOOOOO!!!!! I just finished the last set of bling for all my September/October birthdays! I finished it yesterday.

This set is jade with fresh water pearls.

Making this set was FULL of frustrations and trials and tribulations. First, before I even started working on the set, I thought I lost it after showing it to my instructors. I searched through my tool bags TWICE, and reached out to everyone in class to see if they had found the stones, before finding them. They were tucked deep inside one of the pockets of one of my tool bags. I was very relieved when I found my stones. I was able to start the creative processes.

Once I made the bezels, I was feeling pretty proud of myself, since I was ahead of schedule and things were coming along nicely. But my pride got in the way of my progress, and I lost one whole bezel. To this day, I still haven’t found it. I looked everywhere for it, to no avail. I was ready to set the stone in it too when I lost it. I ended up having to remake it.

Then, because the stones were diamond shaped, with sharp points, that presented another set of challenges. I had to really work at it to get the silver formed around the points. One of our senior instructors told me numerous times “points suck”. I am not going to argue that fact. He’s right. But if done right, they look very nice.

After the bezels were made, I made my holes for the jump rings to attach the pearls and the earrings. But once I added my ropes, I didn’t leave enough room for the jump rings. So, once again, I had to go back to the drawing board and come up with a new plan. I was NOT going to remake those bezels again!

But through blood, sweat and plenty of tears, determination and perseverance, and A LOT of help, they are now complete and ready to go. All that is left is to do is one minor thing that I need a special machine for, and I can’t do that until Tuesday. I am going to use a laser to seal the jump rings. Then they will be put in the mail and off to my niece for her birthday, that was yesterday. Are they perfect? Definitely NOT. But they are definitely unique and full of their own personality. They were made with love though, and that is the important thing. 🙂 Now …. On to the next project and new set of challenges. My friend Andrea asked me what inspires me. I told her the stones themselves speak to me and tell me what they want.

Today’s moral of the story is to never give up; no matter how difficult or challenging things may be. If it is worthwhile, it is worth the effort. Through hard work, perseverance and sheer determination, anything is possible. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.

After our train ride Leaf Peeping In Leadville, we decided to have lunch in Leadville too. We chose the iconic Silver Dollar Saloon.

The Silver Dollar Saloon has been around since 1879, 147 years, and is still going strong today. If walls could talk, these walls would have so many stories to tell, and each one would blow your mind. It is a living relic from the days of the wild, wild west. Doc Holliday was a permanent fixture in this bar for the last six years of his life and his old piano is still in the back corner of the bar. Molly Brown and her husband used to frequent the Silver Dollar Saloon too, as did many other historical persons of interest from the days of the wild, wild west. It is still wild today as well, just in a different way; or is it? 🙂

The Silver Dollar Saloon is legendary in many ways, and it was packed to the gills. People were being told there was a long wait to be seated. Larry and I were lucky, and were seated pretty quickly. We sat at a high top table in the bar. Almost everything in the restaurant is the original from when it first opened.

Doc Holliday’s piano is in the back right corner, on the stage.

As I was taking pictures, Kevin, the Manager and Bobbi, our bartender/server wanted to be recognized as well. They are definitely part of this living legend and deserve to get their names in the books of history too.

The food was deliciously rustic and wild, just as you would expect with such a wild restaurant. 🙂 I have been craving a burger now for quite some time, so a burger just hit the spot for me. But it wasn’t any ordinary burger. No, no! It was a big Yak burger. I don’t think I had ever eaten yak before, but it was definitely delicious. I can add it to my list of exotic foods, which is ever growing. Another wild, exotic item I was considering was the rabbit and rattlesnake sausage sandwich. I have eaten both before too, and both are also very tasty. But the yak burger won out; this time.

Larry ordered a lamb French dip sandwich, which was also very good. Because the restaurant was so packed and busy, the food took awhile to get to us. We were perfectly fine waiting. We took in all the scenery and stories as we were waiting. But Bobbi thought we had been waiting too long, and brought over a fresh Caprese salad for us to enjoy as well. I know the tomatoes were super fresh, because I saw them in little containers in the back while I was walking around. We had the last of them too. Someone else saw our salad and wanted to order one, but I think we got one of the last ones available for the day.

If you are adventurous, and/or a history buff, especially for the days of the wild, wild west, you DEFINITELY need to go check out the Silver Dollar Saloon when you visit Leadville. Both the town and the restaurant will have stories to tell that will knock your socks off, AND they are all true too. Some things, you just can’t make up. 🙂

Life is short. Sometimes you just have to walk on the wild side and live “dangerously” every now and then. Get those juices flowing and enjoy the wild, ride. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.

Today, Larry and I celebrate our 23rd wedding anniversary. Yesterday we drove up to Leadville, about 2 hours away, and took the Leadville train through the mountains. The train ride was about 2 1/2hours. It was a perfect day, and a perfect day for leaf peeping. The fall colors of the Aspens were on full display. They were gorgeous, and definitely did not disappoint.

Of course I took a lot of pictures of our fabulous mountains and their beautiful fall colors. But when we got home, it had already been a long day, since we left our house before 7:00 AM and did not get home until about 5:00 PM. I still had to edit all the pictures, and I just didn’t feel up to it when we got home. Besides, I had other things I needed to do as well. But, I got up early this morning, and got them all edited, so I can now share them with you.

Larry and I sat in one of the open air cars of the train so we could fully appreciate all the gorgeous scenery. It was a bit chilly, but we were dressed for it, so the temperature wasn’t bad at all. It was actually very pleasant, with a hint of crispness in the air. Fall is absolutely my favorite season.

I think we live in a very beautiful state, though every place has its own, unique beauty and charm.

I apologize for “just a quick note” yesterday, but I hope it was worth the wait. 🙂

Life is short. Live life to the fullest and enjoy the ride. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.

We had a very busy, full day today, so no real post today, but I will get back into the swing of things tomorrow. I promise I will tell you all about our latest adventures. 🙂

I started off making a butter chicken, but as with many things, it kind of evolved into it’s own creation. Whatever you want to call it, we called it delicious. 🙂

This dish of spiced chicken in a creamy tomato sauce gained its popularity in the early days of newly independent India. The original dish of Indian butter chicken, or murgh makhani, kind of evolved in the same way as my own dish. It evolved in a way to extend the life of the tandoori chicken using whatever was on hand at the time.

Butter chicken was created in 1947,in a restaurant in Delhi. It created its own unique personality and a traditional food was born. The dish came about as a practical solution to prevent food waste. Leftover tandoori chicken pieces would dry out and harden if left sitting out. Chefs revived the dry meat by tossing it into a mild, rich gravy made from fresh tomatoes, butter, cream, and basic spices. Traditionally, the dish would begin with tandoori chicken: bone-in meat coated in cumin, coriander, turmeric, chili and garam masala, partially cooked in a tandoor (a hot clay oven) before later being flash-cooked in the tandoor a second time. Meat has been cooked in tandoor-style ovens in northwest India since around 2600-1900 BCE, according to archaeological finds, but butter chicken only evolved in the first half of the 20th century. The dish came about in response to discerning restaurant customers who wouldn’t countenance eating day-old tandoori chicken that was past its succulent best. As a solution, leftover pieces were dunked in the simplest of curries, whipped up quickly to disguise their dryness. The sauce was originally made with crushed fresh tomatoes and minimal spicing, including garam masala — a warming blend that would likely have included coriander, cumin and bay leaves — and a touch of chili. Freshly churned butter was added to finish.

Indian/Butter Chicken

My Indian/Butter chicken is more like the original version than the popular version found today. I used a lot of fresh vegetables, and of course quite a few of my fresh tomatoes from Janet & Bob’s garden A Box of Tomatoes. Some people like to use canned tomatoes and/or tomato paste, and that is certainly OK. But when I have fresh garden tomatoes, I will ALWAYS choose fresh over canned.

2 lbs chicken breasts, cut into strips

1 onion, sliced very thin

2 carrots, sliced

1 green pepper, cut into thin strips

4-5 mushrooms, sliced

2 cups tomatoes, diced

1 TBSP garlic

1 TBSP ginger

1 jalapeno, diced fine

1 red chili pepper, diced fine

salt & pepper to taste

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste

1 tsp fennel

1-2 tsp thyme

1 tsp coriander

1-2 tsp garam masala

1-2 TBSP honey ginger vinegar, optional

1-2 TBSP honey

olive oil or canola oil for cooking

1 cup yogurt

3-4 TBSP butter

Mix the yogurt, honey, honey ginger vinegar and herbs and spices together for the sauce and set aside.

Get a large skillet or pot very hot. Add the oil, and then the chicken and cook until lightly browned on all sides. Then remove and keep warm.

Add the heartier vegetables to the oil and cook for about 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently.

Re-add the cooked chicken and the tomatoes and mix together thoroughly.

Add the yogurt sauce and incorporate well into the chicken and vegetables.

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for about 10 minutes, or until the sauce starts to thicken a bit, stirring frequently. Add the butter and incorporateintothe sauce.

Once everything was cooked, I served it over a combination of rice and peas with some warmed naan bread on the side. I added some green onions and sweet 100 tomatoes on top and I served it with a chilled white wine on the side. The wine was one of our own, but it didn’t have a label, so I am not really sure what it was, though I think it was a chardonnay. Of course I did what I do best. I started with an idea and used it as a guide, then added my own personality to make it my own creation. 🙂

Life is short. Live life to the fullest and experiment with all kinds of things along the way. Enjoy the ride and enjoy the creative processes as you go. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.

Bob and Janet’s garden was very prolific again this year. And once again I was gifted with a big box of fresh tomatoes and peppers. YUMMY!

Bob told me to use them quickly because some of the tomatoes were very ripe. I gave some away, have used most of them already, in various different recipes and dishes. There is NOTHING better than fresh veggies from the garden.

One of the dishes I made with my fresh veggie bounty was goulash Bavarian Goulash. I made it with some tri-tip steak and served it with mashed potatoes. We love goulash but we haven’t had it in a while. Janet actually inspired me, reminding me that it’s been a while since I last made some. I used quite a few of the tomatoes and a couple of the green peppers for this dish. Now that the weather is finally starting to cool down, it is getting to be time for heavier, heartier meals too.

Life is short, yet is full of all kinds of gifts. Appreciate them all and live life to the fullest. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.

We exchanged one of our timeshare weeks when we stayed at the DIVI, but we had to find a new place to stay for our last night on the island. We also only had our truck until about 4:30 PM that day too. After turning in our tuck and finding new digs for the night, we also had to find a place to eat that was within walking distance of where we were staying. We went to The Dock, just a short walk away from our new hotel.

We stayed at a cute little hotel close to the airport, since we had yet another o’dark hundred flight to go home. The hotel looked like little Dutch houses. We stayed in the golden building.

This was our little patio and view.

The Dock was only about a 1/2 mile walk from here, on the other side of the canals, in the Ocean Breeze Apartment complex. HMMMMM! I wonder why they named it The Dock? 🙂 🙂 🙂

We ordered some bread and dips as a starter. I could have easily made a meal on this alone. It was delicious. It came with an artichoke dip, a spicy aioli (though not really spicy for us) and marinated olives.

Larry ordered the tuna for his entree.

I went with shrimp pasta with garlic chili oil

Both were delicious and made for a very nice way to end our trip.

This concludes my Bonaire series. Next stop ….. HOME. I hope you enjoyed my Bonairian travels and adventures. Life is an adventure and life is also short. Have as many adventures as you can along the journey and enjoy the ride. Live life to the fullest. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.