Author: ajeanneinthekitchen

Yesterday I mentioned I am planning an Irish feast. Planning An Irish Feast Most everything will be prepared on the day of, however, some things I can prepare a bit early, like the desserts. I made my first Irish dessert already; Chocolate cherry Madeline fingers.

Chocolate Madeline Florentine Fingers

These just sounded so good to me, so I had to make them. And, of course they are too. I had to sample a little. Quality control you know. 🙂

You can use any kind of good chocolate you like for these. I had some Hershey kisses that needed to be used, so they were my chocolate source.

8 oz chocolate

dash of milk

1 stick butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs, beaten

3 cups dried coconut

1 cup dried cherries, reconstituted

1 cup golden sultanas or raisins

2/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

2 tsp cherry extract, optional

If you are using dried fruit, reconstitute it in some warm water for at least about 15-30 minutes before using, then drain off the water before using. I did this for both my dried cherries and my sultanas. They needed plumping up as well.

Melt the chocolate with a dash of milk, until it is smooth and creamy. You can melt it over a double boiler, or just over a medium high flame, stirring constantly, making sure it doesn’t burn. Once the chocolate is melted, add the cherry extract if using and mix in thoroughly with the melted chocolate.

Preheat the oven to 350* F or 180*C.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. I used foil, per the recipe directions, and I found it very difficult to remove after. Next time I am going to use parchment paper instead. Hopefully I will have better results.

Evenly spread the chocolate over the foil. It may not cover the whole thing, and that’s OK. Just cover as much as you can.

Mix the butter and sugar together until creamy, then add the eggs and mix together.

Fold in the coconut and fruit. Then evenly spread it over the chocolate.

Add the chopped nuts on top. I almost always use pecans, since I am not a big walnut fan, but either will do just fine.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Allow to cool completely, then cut into strips and remove the foil from the bottom. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

These are very rich and decadent, but oh so good. Bet you can’t stop at just one. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

I don’t really need a reason to throw a party or a fiesta or a shindig. I’ll make up any excuse to give me a reason to entertain. St. Patrick’s Day is coming this week, and that is more than enough reason for me to host a get-together. I pulled out some of my Irish cookbooks (I have quite a few) and have a big Irish feast in the works.

I am not going to reveal my plans just yet. Instead, I am going to tease you a bit. You will just have to wait to see what I cook for St. Patrick’s Day. Here are a few hints though. 🙂

There will be quite a few Irish dishes coming your way soon. You’ll just have to hang tight a little longer. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well, and if you are in snow country, like I am, stay warm. ‘Til next time.

Once again, our Colorado weather is as wacky as can be. A couple of days ago, I was wearing shorts, albeit, it was a bit cool to wear shorts, but I still did. Last night, the skies opened up and we got dumped on.

It started snowing about 10:00 PM last night and this is what we woke up to this morning. So far, we already have about 8 inches of snow where we are, but one of Larry’s brothers, who only lives about an hour south of us, got about 15 inches. There is supposed to be a lot more snow coming from this storm too. It is supposed to continue snowing all day day today and into tomorrow morning.

It’s beautiful, as long as you don’t have to drive in it. Larry is working from home today. All the schools are closed and most non-essential businesses are closed today too. The dogs are loving it though. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday, even the snowy days, great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

Today, March 13, marks my 6th blogoversary for A JEANNE IN THE KITCHEN.

Happy Anniversary with WordPress.com!

You registered on WordPress.com 6 years ago.

Thanks for flying with us. Keep up the good blogging.

We still have so many more good years of blogging ahead too. So stay tuned, and don’t touch that dial. We’re just getting started. 🙂

It was cold and gray for most of the day, so I thought it was a perfect time to have the oven on and to make some focaccia. I made a delicious sun-dried tomato and basil focaccia that just hit the spot.

The recipe made a lot, so I gave some to my neighbors as well, and we still have plenty more to enjoy ourselves too.

Focaccia is ½” to 1″ thick with a light crust on the top and bottom. It’s often described as “flatbread” or “Italian flat bread,” but unlike the flat bread we’re used to, it isn’t flat at all, but thick and fluffy. Focaccia is a flat oven-baked bread that has been made in Italy for centuries. It is a traditional Italian bread with many variations. A precursor of pizza, focaccia is one of Italy’s most ancient breads. It is thought to have originated with the Etruscans. The earliest focaccia were unleavened flatbreads made from flour, water, and salt, but today, anything goes, and there are many different variations.

Sun-Dried Tomato and Basil Focaccia

This is a simple recipe that doesn’t require many ingredients. The most important ingredients to this recipe are good olive oil, time and patience.

2 tsp active dry yeast

2 cups warm water, divided

2 TBSP olive olive oil or basil olive oil + more for coating the pans and topping the focaccia

1 -1 1/2 cups sun-dried tomatoes, packed in olive oil

5 1/4 cups flour

1 TBSP dried basil

2 1/4 tsp salt

coarse salt for topping

Sprinkle the yeast over 1/4 cup of the water, mix it in, and let it set for about 10 minutes, to get frothy.

Put the sun-dried tomatoes in a food processor and chop fine.

Combine the flour, dried basil and salt together. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and mix well.

Add the rest of the water and the olive oil to the yeast mixture.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, then add the yeast mixture to the center. Gradually mix it in from the center out with a wooden spoon or spatula as much as you can.

Then turn the dough onto a work surface and knead it all together for about 8 minutes, forming into a large, soft ball.

Place the dough into a large oiled bowl and cover. Let it rise for an hour. After the dough has risen, turn it out on to the work surface again and divide the dough into 2 parts. Now this is the part that is a little weird for me. The recipe said to divide the dough into 2 UNEQUAL parts, with one being almost twice the size of the other. I think the ingredients should have been increased to make two equal portions, but what do I know. I did actually follow the recipe (for the most part) on this, as I usually do when baking. Cooking, not so much.

Oil two large, rectangular baking pans well with olive oil. Evenly spread the oil to cover the whole pan.

Add the larger dough ball to one pan, then carefully spread it out with your fingers until it fills out the pan as much as possible. Dimple the dough with your finger tips as you go.

Do the same with the smaller ball of dough. You will only fill about 1/2 the pan with this one. Cover and let the dough rise again for about 1-1 1/2 hours.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400* F or 205*C. Dimple the dough again before placing into the oven. Drizzle a little more olive oil over the top and sprinkle the coarse salt over the top. Place in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, or until it is golden brown. Spray some water in the oven 3 times within the first ten minutes of the baking process. Spraying down the oven will help create steam, which will keep the dough soft and helps to delay the crust forming process. The moist steam reinvigorates the yeast in the dough. Steam gives bread dough time to expand and the added moisture keeps the dough from drying out before it has time to rise If you don’t spray, the top will become to hard and dry out and/or crack. Focaccia is supposed to be a soft bread.

Once the focaccia is done let it cool for about 5-10 minutes before slicing it and enjoying it with another drizzle or two of olive oil. I drizzled it with the basil olive oil. !Perfecto! !Mangia!

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

There is a lot of talk amongst Chefs in the kitchen, though not so much from the staff. The staff is allowed two words, and two words only – Yes, Chef! On days when I am quiet in the kitchen, I like to share what others are saying. So here is my latest round of Chef talk. Chef talk is a universal language spoken in all kitchens, around the world. Truer words were never spoken, at least not in the culinary world.

I live by all of these “truths”, but this one is probably closest to my take on the culinary world.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

New Orleans is famous for a lot of things, and particularly for its good food. Gumbo is one of those traditional signature dishes of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana. Gumbo is a thick soup that has been made famous in the city of New Orleans, and it dates back to the early times of Louisiana, and its very diverse history. Gumbo is thickened in three ways – one is with a roux and then by the use of okra, and in many recipes, it is thickened by both means. Louisianans will often proclaim that it is “gumbo weather” when the barometer drops and the weather starts to get cooler. Gumbo is the food of the people, and of their region, or Parrish. There are endless variations of gumbo. There is never just one gumbo recipe. Before refrigeration, gumbo recipes varied according to the availability of resources within a particular region.

A roux is a mixture of equal parts flour and fat, or oil that is browned to varying degrees. Butter is not usually used to make a roux, unless it has been clarified because it burns easily, and once a roux burns, it is DONE! There is NO going back. The only thing you can do when the roux is burned is to throw it away and start all over. The darker the roux, the nuttier the flavor. A light or blond roux is usually thicker than a darker roux too. A roux can be very light or very dark.

It was gumbo weather here in Denver yesterday, so I made a big pot of gumbo filled with all kinds of good things. Of course I followed the rules and added the Louisiana Trinity of peppers, onions and celery, but I also added some jalapenos and garlic to the trinity, making it more of a quintet. And I thickened it with both a medium blond roux AND okra. It came out oh so good too. Then I served it with some cornbread topped with honey butter.

By the time of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, gumbo had become deeply ingrained in the local diet. The dish was prevalent among Cajuns, Creoles, and people of color, no matter their socioeconomic station. The word gumbo is a derivation of the African word gombo for okra, which is a vegetable that is also used as a thickening agent.

Gumbo’s varied history reflects the evolution of agricultural production and creolization, a hybridized blending of multicultural traditions, in Louisiana. Louisiana cuisine, as writer Lafcadio Hearn understood it in the late nineteenth century, is “cosmopolitan in its nature, blending the characteristics of the American, French, Spanish, Italian, West Indian, and Mexican.” While gumbo can be as varied as the cooks who prepare it, there are three essential varieties: seafood, poultry, and gombo z’herbes.  My gumbo had a little bit of everything. I had some Andouille sausage, shrimp and chicken, as well as the vegetables.

Mixed Meat Gumbo

Gumbo is one of those scrumptious dishes that has no rules, none what-so-ever, except for these rules – Here are some gumbo rules that cannot, under any circumstances, be broken. Thou Shalt Always Use a Bowl. If you use a plate, it is not gumbo it is rice and gravy! Thou Shalt Only Use a Wooden Spoon. There is only one kind of spoon that can enter a gumbo pot and that is a wooden one. Most rules I don’t follow, but there are some that I do. Of course I followed these rules. 🙂 So use whatever you have on hand, even if it is only little bits of this and little bits of that. Mix it all together and throw it all into the gumbo pot.

I had a little shrimp, a little bit of Andouille sausage and a little bit of chicken. None of it was enough on its own, but used together, it was more than enough to feed five.

Because I was using shrimp, I did not want an over powering roux or flavor. So I purposely chose to use a lighter, more blond version. I used 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of canola oil. A light roux only takes a few minutes of whisking it constantly until you get your desired thickness and/or color. A dark mahogany roux can take between 45-60 minutes.

Once my roux was almost to the point where I wanted it, I added my vegetables and cooked them with my roux. A traditional trinity uses only green bell peppers, but that is changing with the times, and more and more people are using mixed colored peppers. I like to mix them. The proportions for a trinity are 2 parts chopped yellow onion, 1 part chopped celery, and 1/3 part chopped green or mixed bell peppers.

I cooked my meats first, separately, then re-added them again later.

When the vegetables are softened and cooked, and the roux is to the color and consistency you like, add between 6-8 cups of chicken, or vegetable broth. If you like it a little thinner, add more.

Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for about 1-1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Re-add the meat towards the end of the cooking process, but make sure to give it enough time to let it heat thoroughly and cook thoroughly.

When it is ready, serve it IN A BOWL, with some cooked rice, or rice and beans, and laissez le bontemps roulez!

I GAR-UN-TEE y’all are goin’ to LOVE this.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

I found this recipe for a banana hazelnut cake a long time ago, but never had an occasion to make it, since I am trying to only make desserts when we have company over now. I finally got the chance to make it, and I am so glad I did too. It came out delicious, but then I knew it would. 🙂

Hazelnuts are known for their unique flavor, which many enthusiasts describe as nutty, creamy, and earthy with a smooth buttery flavor, and they pair very well with a lot of fruits, and they pair especially well with chocolate. As this cake is evident, hazelnuts pair very well with bananas too. 🙂

Turkey is the first world hazelnut producer and exporter. In addition, it covers approximately 70% and 82% of the world`s production and export respectively. It is distantly followed by Italy with nearly 20% in production and 15% in export. In the United States, Oregon is the most prodigious hazelnut producer and exporter.

Hazelnuts, also known as filberts, are very old nuts, dating back around 10,000 years or so. They are believed to be one of the five sacred fruits bestowed by God onto His people. Hazelnuts, and nuts in general, have a lot of religious significance and are mentioned in the Bible too. Hazelnuts, as well as most nuts, were ancient symbols of good luck and fertility which were given new Christian meanings and remain a common part of Christmas traditions around the world, even today. Physically characterized by three distinct parts, nuts were interpreted as a sign of the Holy Trinity.

Hazel has been native tree in the British Isles for 8,000 to 11,000 years. It became the predominant forest tree after the last ice age and was eventually superseded by the beech tree. As well as being an important food source, hazel trees and nuts figure significantly in the lore of Scotland, Ireland, and England.

Banana Hazelnut Cake

The Cake

Preheat the oven to 375* F or 191*C.

Spray two 8 1/2 or 9″ cake pans with cooking pray and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

2 cups flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

3 TBSP butter, softened

1 1/3 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 cup or about 2 mashed ripe bananas

1/2 cup buttermilk

3/4 cup chopped hazelnuts

1 tsp hazelnut extract, optional

1 tsp banana extract, optional

Combine all the dry ingredients together and mix well.

Mix the bananas, butter and sugar together, then add the eggs, buttermilk and extracts and mix again until well combined.

Add 1/2 the flour and 1/2 the buttermilk, mix, then repeat until it is all incorporated into the mix. Mix just until everything is blended together. Do not over mix.

Fold in the chopped hazelnuts.

Evenly divide the batter into the prepared cake pans, spreading it evenly into the pans. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean and the cakes are golden brown and set in the middle.

Allow the cakes to cool, while still in the pans, then refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours before frosting.

The Frosting

1/2 cup flour

1 cup milk

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

3 sticks or 1 1/2 cups softened butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tsp banana extract

1 tsp hazelnut extract or 2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup Nutella or hazelnut spread

1/3 cup chopped hazelnuts

whole roasted hazelnuts for topping

Combine the flour, milk and cream together in a saucepan. Whisk constantly until it begins to thicken to the consistency of pudding over a medium-high heat. Once it is the consistency you are looking for, remove from the heat and set aside.

Combine all the other ingredients together in a mixing boil and mix together, then incorporate the flour mixture. Beat together until you get stiff peaks.

Remove the cakes from the pans, and remove the parchment paper from the bottoms of the cakes. Spread a generous amount of the frosting over one cake. Add a few of the hazelnuts, then add the other cake on top and frost with the frosting, covering the sides of the cake as well.

Once the cake is completely frosted, sprinkle the sides of the cake with chopped hazelnuts with your hands. Pipe some frosting onto the top of the cake, and top with whole hazelnuts.

Refrigerate until about an hour or so before ready to enjoy with friends.

Life is short. Always make time to enjoy the sweeter things in life. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

Normally, we rarely go out to eat while we are home. But this week alone, I have more than made up for that. I have gone out to eat three times this week. That’s more than we normally eat out in six months. Two of those times have been with Janet, Bob and their exchange student Luke. First We went to Durbar’s Durbar Nepalese and Indian Food, then I went out to lunch at Mumtaz, for Middle Easter Food with my friend Janene. Mediterranean Mumtaz And yesterday, Janet and Bob invited me to a spur of the moment lunch to a fun place called Totally 80’s Pizza, located in Fort Collins, which is about an hour north of us.

The 80’s were my coming of age times. They were fun, good and mostly innocent times. Totally 80’s Pizza is a fun pizzeria that is also a museum dedicated to life in the 1980’s. Come for the pizza and food, and while you are enjoying the pizza, explore the museum. You can either relive your past, or learn about it if you are to young to remember what the 80’s were like. Janet, Bob and I knew every single thing that was showcased. It brought back very fond and happy memories for all of us. Luke, however, is only 17, and from Germany, so he didn’t know about any of this pop culture history. It was fun to see his take on all of it.

We took in all the exhibits of the museum as we were waiting for our lunch to arrive, as well as after we finished. There is SO MUCH to see. You could spend hours just looking at everything, or playing the video games.

Remember all the Rocky movies?

Or Ghostbusters, or the Nightmare series, with Freddie Kruger?

All the table tops were photos of 80’s TV shows.

Luke and Arnold, The Terminator.

Everything was behind glass and there were a lot of lights around, so not all of the pictures came out great. Plus some were high up on the walls and hard to catch with the camera. I apologize for some of the fuzzy pictures.

What teenage girl in the 80’s didn’t want the perfect Farrah Fawcett hair?

The famous ZOLTAR from BIG, with Tom Hanks.

Totally 80’s Pizza was created by Alex Morgan.  It took 10 years to track down and collect all the memorabilia in the museum.  We wanted to create a fun place where the younger generations could learn about the greatness of the 1980’s. 

The most important part of any restaurant is the food.  We make our own dough and sauce with 14 herbs and spices.  Totally 80’s Pizza features salads, chicken wings, garlic parmesan twists and ice cold beer on tap.  There are no waiters at Totally 80’s.  Come in, order at the counter, sit back and enjoy some fantastically cheesy 80’s music videos and some even cheesier pizza.

Many 1980s icons have stopped by Totally 80’s Pizza!  Corey Feldman (Goonies, Stand By Me), John Paragon (Jambi the Genie on Pee Wee’s Playhouse), Ernest Cline (Author of Ready Player One) & Robin Shelby (Slimer in Ghostbusters) and more.

After looking around we ordered two kinds of pizza and some stuffed mozzarella cheese twists to share.

​

With full and happy tummies, and a fun blast to the past, it was time to call it a day. But if you are an 80’s fan, and enjoy pizza, the next time you are in the Fort Collins, CO area, definitely stop in at Totally 80’s Pizza. It will be a fun dining experience like none other.

Totally 80’s Pizza is located at 2567 S. Shields Street unit 4C, Fort Collins, CO 80526 or you can all them at (970) 867-5309 or find them online at Totally80sPizza@Gmail.com or https://www.totally80spizza.com/ Their hours of operation are:

Tuesday – Thursday 11am – 9:00pm

​​Friday-Saturday 11am – 9:30pm

Sunday 11am-8:00 pm

​Monday Open at 4pm -8pm.

Sometimes we all need a blast to the past, especially if it is filled with fun, happy memories and happy times. It’s fun to be young at again, even if only young at heart. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

In honor of International Women’s Day, I thought it would be fitting to celebrate the ladies of the kitchen, and their pioneering spirits. For any of you who have ever worked in a professional kitchen, you know they are predominantly run by men, even today, though that is changing, thanks to these strong ladies who led the way. These ladies are ranked as the top 10 Ladies of The Kitchen, who paved the way for all other women to follow. Thank you Ladies. We owe it all to you.

Betty Crocker

Betty Crocker is known as the first lady of food. She started this reign almost 100 years ago. Betty Crocker has been a leading brand for General Mills since 1921, when the fictional character was created to present a friendly face and name to personalize the company. Known for baked goods, over 200 Betty Crocker cookbooks have been released, establishing Betty as a trusted household name. 

Stephanie Izard

In six seasons of Bravo’s popular competition television series Top Chef, there has been only one female winner. Izard is the former chef and owner of Scylla in Chicago, known for its upscale seafood. She calls seafood her specialty, telling Bravo she’s amazed the same fish can be cooked in so many different ways. She recently opened The Drunken Goat in Chicago, with a menu of shared plates influenced by Spanish and Italian flavors.

Irma Rombauer

As author of world-famous The Joy of Cooking, few women have contributed as much to the food industry. When the homemaker was widowed in the early 1930s, she took half of the money left to her and self-published 3,000 copies of her book. Publisher Bobbs Merrill produced the first edition nationwide in 1936. It is now one of the most-printed cookbooks in the nation and has sold more than 18 million copies worldwide.

Cristeta Comerford

In 2005, Laura Bush appointed Comerford White House Executive Chef, making her the first woman to hold the prestigious position. Comerford was recently reappointed by Michelle Obama because of her emphasis on healthy eating. The Filipino-American holds a B.S. in food technology from the University of the Philippines and has worked in fine dining for 26 years. Before holding the top position, she served as assistant chef to the Clinton administration.

Dione Lucas

Englishwoman Lucas was the first woman to land a television cooking show, making her one of the most influential food celebrities. She was also the very first woman to graduate from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. Lucas opened a restaurant in London and a restaurant and cooking school in New York before beginning her show, To The Queen’s Taste, on CBS in 1948. She has written that she cooked stuffed squab for Adolf Hitler, asking that it not be held against the “fine recipe.”

Cat Cora

As the first and only female Iron Chef on the prime-time competition show Iron Chef America, Cora reminds viewers that women, too, are masters of the culinary arts. The Mississippi-bred chef developed a business plan to own her own restaurant at age 15, and enrolled in The Culinary Institute of America a few years later. After several prestigious internships and positions, she landed roles on early Food Network shows Melting Pot and Kitchen Accomplished. She was dubbed Iron Chef in 2005.

Padma Lakshmi

This former model and actress took the national stage as host of Bravo’s reality food competition show, Top Chef. Lakshmi got her start in the food world by writing cookbooks, which she told ForbesWoman was the result of interest over what models ate. Her exotic Indian heritage and sizzling good looks helped her secure hosting roles on Padma’s Passport and Planet Food, while she also pursues other passions, like her namesake jewelry line that launched last year.

Martha Stewart

Brief stints as a Wall Street stockbroker and owner of a catering business gave this home chef all the skills she needed to reap über success. Her aspirational brand, with a penchant for baking and home beautification, offered viewers an escape from the everyday. Keen business skills led her to launch Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, which controls award-winning magazines, television and radio shows, bestselling books and mass-market product lines sold at K-Mart and Macy’s.

Rachel Ray

Known for her lack of culinary training and knack for inventing words (E.V.O.O., yum-o and stoup, come to mind), this unlikely icon now powers a media empire. With her girl-next-door appeal, Ray was chosen in 2001 to host a Food Network show on getting dinner on the table quickly and at a low cost. She was an instant success. A smart move to syndicated daytime talk show Rachael Ray, the launch of magazine Every Day with Rachael Ray and easy-to-follow cookbooks have propelled the folksy cook into mega-fame.

And perhaps the most famous of the female chefs, the one and only, Julia Child.

Back in the public eye after the success of recent film Julie & Julia, our love affair with the spunky cookbook author and television chef continues. Inspired by French cuisine while living in Paris, she became one of few women to graduate from the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu cooking school. She then penned her famous 800-page book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, to show Americans how to cook sophisticated fare step-by-step. Her celebrity skyrocketed as a television chef and her original 14×20 foot kitchen is on permanent exhibit at the Smithsonian.

A big thank you to all of you strong, beautiful, pioneering ladies. Without you paving the way, there would be no culinary world or aspirations of a ladies’ culinary world. All of us who have followed in your brave footsteps owe you all a world of gratitude and appreciation. Hats off, or toques off, to all of you.

Follow your dreams, ladies (and gentlemen). Don’t be afraid to be the first. Don’t be afraid to soar high and catch the stars. If you aim high enough, the stars will come to you. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.