A Jeanne in the Kitchen

I have been finding some interesting and unusual foods lately that I thought were just to good to pass up. I just had to share them with you. Here are some of the strangest foods in the world that most of us don’t see everyday, if at all.

Blue Java Bananas

Yes, they are really blue, from the inside out. The Blue Java banana is a naturally occurring hybrid banana cultivar known for its silvery-blue unripe peel and creamy, vanilla-like flavor. Their botanical name is Musa acuminata × balbisiana (ABB Group) ‘Blue Java’. They are a hybrid from 3 different types of bananas. They are a cross between the two wild Southeast Asian banana species, Musa acuminata (yielding sweet traits) and Musa balbisiana (yielding starchy/plantain traits). Originally they were grown in Southeast Asia and Northern Australia. Today, they are also grown in Hawai’i.

Purple Honey

I love the color of this honey. This is a rare occurrence and doesn’t even happen every year. It usually appears only during hot, dry summer months or drought conditions. The colors range from lilac to deep red, almost the color of red wine. It typically tastes sweeter than standard amber honey with mild fruit, berry, or grape-like notes.

Deep Fried Tarantulas from Cambodia

Deep-fried tarantulas—known locally in Cambodia as “a-ping”—originated as a critical survival food during the brutal Khmer Rouge regime in the 1970s and evolved into a popular regional delicacy. I am a pretty adventurous eater, but I don’t know if I would be so willing to try this. But I guess if you are hungry enough you will eat anything.

Volcanic Soup or K’ala Phurka from Bolivia

At an altitude of more than 4,000 metres, mornings are freezing, and K’ala phurka is a perfect Bolivian dish to warm anyone up. The soup is served with volcanic stone, so it still bubbles while you eat it. In fact, with the red chili sauce swimming on top of the dish, it almost looks like a bubbling volcano or one of the many hot springs you can find in the area. K’ala phurka traditionally consists of cornflour, chilli and potatoes and you will usually either find beef or llama meat inside and sometimes get a serving of giant corn on the side.

Ant Salt from Southeast Asia

Visitors to some areas of the world where consuming insects is more common might be surprised to find ant salt on the menu. It can be a stand-alone side or sometimes come as part of the meal. Ant salt, however, is just what it sounds like. Crispy fried ants mixed in with salt. It is a topping for many dishes, and can be found throughout areas of Southeast Asia as well as South America. It is not a delicacy, but more of a fancy topping than an everyday food. Prepared well, you will see the bodies of the ants still intact and well blended with the salt.

There are a lot of very strange foods found around the world. I am sure there will be more posts featuring these strange and exotic foods again. If you have ever tried any of these foods, or something just as strange, please let me know about your experiences. I am always curious.

Be bold, be brave and walk on the wild side. Venture out of your comfort zone and try something new. Live life to the fullest and enjoy the ride while you can. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.

Lately, when out on my walks, things have been VERY quite. There really hasn’t been a lot to see for quite a while, but there are still things that capture my attention. Here are some of those random attention catchers. Some are good, some are bad and some are ugly.

There is always something interesting to see. And every picture has a story to tell. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.

Every year Priscilla and I make our delicious caramels together. It’s a tradition we have been continuing for many years. We will make our first batch of the season together on Saturday. But I started early, since I always make a bunch of different batches. I made my first batch yesterday, and it is a new flavor too.

This year’s new caramel flavor is peach pecan.

I had some peaches in my freezer that I needed to use, and I thought why not put them into some caramel. I haven’t cut them yet. I will do that today. After making the caramel, it always has to sit for about a day to set before cutting it. I tested it earlier this morning, and it is set well. It’s ready to cut.

I chopped up my pecans and added them to the bottom of my baking dish that I buttered, sprayed with cooking spray and lined with parchment paper, that I also sprayed with cooking spray.

The Basic Caramel Recipe

These proportions make a double batch, and fill a 9×13 baking pan.

1 lb butter

4 cups sugar

4 cups Karo dark syrup

4 cups heavy whipping cream, divided

Put everything in a LARGE pot, except only use 1/2 the cream at first. Stir constantly, in a figure 8 method, until the caramel reaches it’s first boil and reaches 235* F or 113*C.

Turn off the heat and mix in the rest of the cream. This is also the time to add the other ingredients if you are getting creative and/or adventurous.

Turn on the heat once again and bring to the second boil at 235*F, once again stirring constantly. Once you reach 235*F the second time, turn off the heat and carefully pour the caramel mixture into your prepared baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for about 24 hours before slicing it.

After lots of trials and tribulations, Priscilla and I have mastered our caramel making technique and the recipe. The basic recipe and technique are the same. Once the basics are mastered, you can play around with it however you like for all the added touches and specialty flavors.

The peach pecan caramel is my first batch of quite a few more yet to come for this season. Stay tuned and bring your sweet tooth. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great, no matter what you do. Live life to the fullest and enjoy the ride and all the adventures that come your way your while you can. ‘Til next time.

It is fall, or autumn, here in the United States. I love fall and all the beautiful fall colors. Usually our colors are spectacularly vibrant. This year, our colors haven’t been as vibrant or as plentiful as they have been in years past. We have had only a small fall this year, with very mild and warm temperatures. But nonetheless, we are still getting some very pretty fall colors. I thought I would share some of them with you.

Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.

Currants are not so popular, or even that well known here in the United States, but they are very popular all over Europe. If you are not familiar with currants, you may ask what is a currant.

There are two main species of currants – zante currants and ribes currants. Zante currants are dried small seedless grapes originally from Corinth, Greece. Their name means raisins of Corinth. There are also Ribes berries which are tart red, black, or white shrubs native to the cooler temperatures of Europe and Asia. Zante currants are very old and have been traded since ancient times. Ribes berries are very old too, and were first cultivated in European monasteries by 350 AD and grew wild across northern Europe and Asia, with written records of Russian black currant farming dating back to the 11th century. They grow wild all over the United States too, and many of the wild varieties are found in the US, but they are not cultivated much here and were Federally banned from being cultivated in 1911 because they are a natural host to the parasitic fungus known as blister rust, which was killing the white pines, the backbone of America’s timber industry. (p. 113 – The Story of Food). The Federal ban was lifted in 1966, but most states still voluntarily enforce it. In the United States, currants are also known as gooseberries, especially the white currants, and are most often the Zante varieties.

Currants were originally grown and used for medicinal purposes and for decorative and ornamental uses. They are loaded with Vitamin C and Vitamin K, and contain lots of calcium and magnesium as well. One cup of currants provides you with up to 200% of your daily Vitamin C requirements, which helps your immune system and helps fight off viruses and diseases. They boost your immune system, lower inflammation, improve blood circulation, and support heart, eye, and gut health. Black currants rank as one of the most nutrient-dense berries you can find. Currant plants are also natural pest controllers for your garden too.

There are about 150 different varieties of currents, but the most popular ones are the red, black and white ones. In Europe, currants are still used for a number of medicinal reasons, but they are primarily enjoyed in desserts, jams, jellies and juices. And in France, currants are one of the main ingredients for their famously delicious liqueur, Cassis or Creme de Cassis. Cassis is the French name for the black currants.

Now you know. Now you are current on your currants.

Have a great day and make everyday great, no matter what you do. Live life to the fullest and enjoy the ride and all the adventures along the way. ‘Til next time.

I had no idea there was a day that celebrated chefs, and that it is an international day too. But there is. And it’s today, October 20. Today is International Chef’s Day, celebrated all over the world for all those that cook for everybody everyday. Today, is the 22nd official year that chefs have been recognized and honored, though chefs have been feeding a hungry world all throughout history. Let’s hope this trend continues. 🙂

International Chef’s day was created to honor the culinary profession and to encourage chefs to pass on their skills, knowledge, and passion to the next generation. The day was established by the late Chef Dr. Bill Gallagher, who was then the president of the World Association of Chefs Societies (Worldchefs) in 2004. Dr. Gallagher created International Chefs Day to recognize the noble role of chefs as educators, mentors, and community leaders—focusing heavily on teaching children about healthy eating, nutrition, and sustainability.

This year’s theme for International Chef’s Day is “Food Explorers”. This theme was chosen to encourage people of all ages—especially children—to explore ingredients, discover where food comes from, learn how it is grown or harvested, and understand healthy eating, sustainability, and the joy of cooking. This is right up my alley. I LOVE doing this, and do it all the time. Every chef, in every corner of the world, has something to teach. By sharing your knowledge, skills, and passion for food, you can help future chefs become curious, confident Food Explorers.

So whether you are a professional chef, who has been in the industry for many years or just starting out or a “home chef” or teaching young kids the joys of cooking, hats off, or toques off, to all of you. You deserve to be recognized for all that you do.

I loved teaching kids how to cook, and still do. I just don’t know that many kids anymore. They’ve all grown up. 🙂

Me as a much younger, much thinner chef, with my Sous Chef Miguel.

And as a much older, more seasoned chef, passing down my love of cooking to the next generation, with brothers Micah, Asher and Noah.

And me today, still doing what I love – cooking for and feeding people, especially for those I love. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Do what you love and love what you do. Live life to the fullest and enjoy the ride and all the adventures that come your way. ‘Til next time.

What’s a birthday party without cake, right?! Since Janet’s birthday menu was Italian, I had to make her cake an Italian cake too. I searched through my Italian cookbooks and nothing was really jumping out at me. I finally had it narrowed down to two; either an apple or a lemon cake. I asked the birthday girl what her preference was, and she said lemon. I think I was sending out secret messages to her, because I was hoping she would choose lemon. 🙂

Italy is part of the Mediterranean region. That whole area is known for its abundance of fresh citrus fruits, such as lemons and oranges. These delicious citruses have been an integral part of the Mediterranean cooking and diet for centuries. Lemons in particular, are then unofficial symbols of Italy, and specifically Southern Italy.

Italian Cream Cake

This is another cake that takes a lot of time to make and is another labor of love, but is definitely worth all the effort.

The Sponge or Torta di Spagna

Preheat the oven top 325* F or 163*C.

Spray (2) 8 1/2-9 inch cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

7 eggs, separated

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 TBSP lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon zest

1 tsp lemon extract

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour

Combine the flour and salt together and set aside.

Separate the eggs and beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Mix the sugar with the egg yolks, then add the lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla and lemon extract.

Fold the egg yolks into the egg whites then add into the flour and fold in together until everything is thoroughly mixed together. Pour equal amounts of the batter into the prepared pans and spread evenly.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle. Allow the cake to cool, then place in the freezer for at least 3-4 hours before cutting and filling.

After the cake has completely chilled, make the Limoncello simple syrup and lemon filling.

Limoncello Simple Syrup

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup Limoncello liqueur

Bring the water and sugar to a boil, then reduce the heat and let simmer for 5 minutes. Make sure the sugar is completely dissolved, then add the Limoncello and mix in thoroughly. Let cool for a bit.

Cut the cake rounds in 1/2, making 4 rounds. Generously brush the simple syrup onto each round.

Lemon Cream Filling (Lemon Custard)

2 lemons

2 cups milk

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 tsp salt

4 large egg yolks

1 large egg

Grate the lemons with a lemon zester, making sure to not get any of the white pith. Squeeze the juice from the lemons and set aside.

Mix the eggs, sugar, and cornstarch together.

Mix the milk and the lemon zest in a saucepan and just bring to a boil.

Add a little bit of the hot milk mixture to the eggs, making sure to stir constantly while adding so the eggs don’t scramble. Once everything is thoroughly mixed together, add the whole mixture into the rest of the milk, and mix constantly over a medium-low heat until it starts to thicken. Add the lemon juice and mix in completely. Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before using.

When ready, spread the lemon custard generously over three of the four cake rounds, and layer one of top of the other. Leave the top layer clean.

Put the cake back in the refrigerator for at least an hour before finishing with the fondant.

The Fondant

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

5 TBSP milk or water – I used milk

1 TBSP lemon extract

Mix together thoroughly and pour over the top of the cake and spread all around the sides of the cake. I had extra toasted almonds from my Cassata alla Siciliana Cassata Alla Siciliana, and my cake needed something else, so I added the almonds around the sides of my cake. Then I made a little whipped cream, using my leftover Limoncello sauce, and finished my cake with that and added the rest of my lemon zest on top.

The final results ….. DELICIOSO!!!!! Everyone raved about the cake. It was so moist and filled with lemony freshness. It was a huge hit. 🙂

No matter what you do, make the most out of everyday. Life is short. Live life to the fullest. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.

Janet’s birthday was the last of my September/October birthdays, and we celebrated in style. Janet said she wanted a simple dinner; one that her grandkids Peter and Emily would enjoy too. I knew Peter liked chicken Parmigiano, so that’s what Janet picked for the menu. The rest of the dinner was simple rustic Italian that would compliment the chicken Parmigiano.

I was in the kitchen most of the day getting everything prepped and working on Janet’s cake. The cake too followed the Italian theme, and was an Italian lemon cream cake.

Larry and I also cleaned the house to get it ready for our little party. I set the table and got it looking very festive. (I accidentally broke my nice camera yesterday too, in the midst of the melay, so for now, I am limited to using cell phone pictures until we can either get it fixed or replaced).

We set the time for 5:30, but Janet and Bob came earlier since Bob was helping Larry with the sprinklers. Janet and I visited in the kitchen as I was cooking. Once everything was finished, and Janet’s son Brian and his family arrived, it was time to get the party started.

The birthday girl. The menu was chicken Parmigiano, a simple salad, garlic bread and sauteed zucchini and crookneck squash. Of course we enjoyed some Italian red wine to compliment the meal as well.

After dinner, it was time for presents, games and of course, CAKE. Even though Janet’s birthday is in October, ironically, hers was one of the first jewelry sets I finished in this busy birthday season. She likes warm earth tones, so her set is Tiger’s eye.

Janet loved her set and had me “autograph” it for her too. I recently started signing my pieces, and Janet wanted hers signed as well.

We took a little breather in between our big dinner and presents with a game of Telestrations, which is a hoot and a half. It’s similar to Pictionary. We play this game quite a bit, and we have all discovered it is much more fun when none of really know how to draw at all. The things we came up with; oh my. We laughed so hard and had a ton of fun.

After a few rounds of fun and laughter, it was time to bring out the cake (more on the cake later).

After cake, we played a few more rounds of Telestrations before everyone called it a night. Brian and his family had an hour drive back home. Dorrie and Juneau had to be part of the birthday celebrations too. They hate not being included in all the fun and festivities. After all, they are part of the family too. Even Otis and Nicky joined us after awhile.

Emily and Dorrie became fast friends. Juneau was camera shy, but she managed to get a little bit of her paw in the picture too. 🙂

It was a very fun and festive evening and Janet had a very Happy Birthday. Life is all about getting together with friends and family and enjoying all the good times together, especially over good food. Good friends, good food and good times! It doesn’t get much better than that. 🙂 We’ve been good friends with Janet and Bob for about 20 years, and counting. We decided years ago, we are more like sisters and family rather than just friends. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Celebrate all the good times as much as you can while you can. Life is short. Live life to the fullest and enjoy the ride, no matter what you do. ‘Til next time.

Since our return home from Bonaire, we have been super busy and constantly on the go. We haven’t stopped yet. I am in the middle of baking yet another birthday cake and preparing yet another birthday dinner. This time it’s for Janet. I made my cake last night. Today, I will finish the cake and then get everything ready for her dinner.

But with all that has been going on, I have also still managed to find time to make a lot of shiny bling as well. I just finished yet another pair of earrings. I put the finishing and final touches on yesterday.

The stones are Labradorite. Surprisingly, these didn’t take too long to make at all. Maybe I am getting the hang of this jewelry making thing. 🙂 The funny thing is that for the past 3 or 4 pairs of earrings, I have wanted to make this design, but the earrings always took on their own personality and came out as something completely different. In fact, even with these, I started out with another design in mind, but this is what I finished with. 🙂 I was still in the final polishing stage when I took this photo. I did clean them up quite a bit after I took this.

They look gold on this background, but I assure you they are pure sterling silver.

Here is the first rough photo I took as I was still in the designing phase.

Another rough with all the pieces soldered together before I set the stones.

Once I finish one project, I quickly move on to the next. As I said, I just finished these yesterday and I already have my next project ready to start, and have already starting the initial designing phase of it. For right now, everything I have been busy making have been gifts for others. These are too, as well as my next project, and quite a few after that. The Holiday season is quickly approaching, and I have my work cutout for me. Soon I will start making more bling for me too. After all, I do love my bling! 🙂

Now ….. I am off to finish a cake.

Life is short. Make the most out of every minute and live life to the fullest. Enjoy the ride, no matter what you do. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.

We are having another birthday celebration in my jewelry class today. It is for Buzz, one of our instructors. He and one of the other instructors requested pumpernickel bread. I have to confess, I’ve never made pumpernickel bread before and I don’t k know that much about it either. But, I made it yesterday for today’s celebration. I plated it all as a charcuterie platter too,with various meats and cheeses.

Traditional pumpernickel is a dense, dark rye bread that originated in Westphalia, Germany, in the 15th century. In 1570, baker Jurgen Havland established a traditional method in Soest, Westphalia, using only cracked rye kernels, water, and salt (with no wheat or commercial yeast). Because rye grows well in cold northern climates where wheat struggles, pumpernickel served as a vital winter survival food. Its long shelf life allowed it to stay edible for months or even years after the initial baking, leading to its adoption as a military field ration.

Traditional pumpernickel is baked in lidded pans at low temperatures (around 120 °C) for 16 to 24 hours. Needless to say, I did NOT make my bread this way. This extremely slow cooking process causes natural grain sugars to caramelize and triggers the Maillard reaction, turning the loaf dark brown and giving it a mild, sweet, chocolate- or coffee-like flavor without needing cocoa or artificial color. The American version used a combination of wheat and rye flour, commercial yeast, and flavor enhancers like molasses, cocoa powder, or coffee to mimic the dark color and soft texture. It relies on a multi-day sourdough starter and lactic acid bacteria rather than baker’s yeast. I did use my sourdough starter that Julia and I made together when she was out visiting me. Cooking with Julia

The word pumpernickel is a combination of two different German words – pumpern and nickel. Pumpern means flatulence or to break wind, and nickel is a variation of the name Nicolas, and is a German association for goblin, rascal or devil. When combined, the word pumpernickel roughly translates to mean the “farting goblin” or “devil’s fart,” a name given by locals because coarse, unprocessed rye berries were notoriously difficult to digest and caused gas.

Here is my first ever attempt at making pumpernickel bread. It did not rise as much as a traditional pumpernickel, nor is it as dark. It is NOT a black bread like it is supposed to be traditionally. Maybe next time it will come out more like it is supposed to. But it still tastes good, and that is really all that matters. 🙂

Pumpernickel Bread

My recipe said it is usually made in either rounds or loaves, so I made one of each. It also said poppy seeds are often used to top the bread, so one was topped with poppy seeds and the other was not. I used my sourdough starter, but I will give you the full recipe as it appears in my cookbook, Great Breads by Martha Rose Shulman.

The Sponge

1 TBSP dry active yeast

1 1/4 cups lukewarm water

1/2 cup lukewarm coffee

3 TBSP molasses

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 cup fresh whole wheat breadcrumbs

2 cups flour

Dissolve the yeast in the water for about 5 minutes, or until it is “creamy. Add the coffee, molasses, ginger and breadcrumbs and mix together well. Add the flour 1 cup at a time and stir by hand, about 100 times, changing the direction every now and then while scraping down the sides of the bowl. You are looking for a consistency like thick mud. Cover and let rise for about 1 hour, or until it doubles in size.

The Dough

1/4 cup canola or sunflower oil

2 1/2 cups rye flour

2 1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/4-3/4 cups white flour, or as much is needed to shape the dough

Fold the oil into the sponge.

Mix the rye and the salt, then fold in the wheat flour. Turn it out and knead on a lightly floured surface for about 10 minutes, adding as much of the white flour as needed to make the dough. When finished the dough will be very stiff and elastic, but still tacky on the surface. Shape the dough into a ball and cover and let rise for about 1 1/2 hours, or until it doubles in size once again.

When the dough has risen, punch it down and divide into two pieces equal in size. You can either shape into a long roll or log or into a ball. Place them onto a lightly greased baking pan.

Make an egg wash with 1 egg and 1/4 cup of coffee. Make 3 or 4 slashes in the top of the loaves with a serrated knife, then brush with the egg wash. You can add either poppy seeds or black sesame seeds if you like. Cover again and let rise for about 40 minutes once more.

Preheat the oven to 400* F or 205* C.

Bake for about 40-45 minutes, brushing with more of the coffee egg wash again about 1/2 way through the baking process. Bake until the bread is dark brown and is hollow when tapped on the bottom. Allow to cool before cutting.

Life is short. Make the most out of everyday, no matter what you do. Learn new things. Try new things. Get out of your comfort zone. Walk on the wild side. Live life to the fullest. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.