Author: ajeanneinthekitchen

I love to learning all kinds of fun new facts and trivia about everything, including finding out fun new things about the foods we eat. I also love sharing all these new fun facts with all of you too. Here are some new things you may not have known before.

1. Dark chocolate can be more than just a sweet treat

The dark chocolate we know and love is made from the roasted beans of the cacao tree and has a ton of interesting facts — many being health benefits.

According to Harvard, dark chocolate can help lower blood pressure and reduce inflammation. A study of an isolated tribe with high intakes of cocoa had lower rates of heart disease, cancer and diabetes compared to the same tribesmen who had migrated to cities.

Bonus fact: Dark chocolate that’s 70% cocoa or more actually contains more caffeine per ounce than coffee. Just don’t expect to stay up all night with the powdered hot chocolate you’d get at a supermarket. This stuff tends to be quite low in caffeine.

I love dark chocolate. I like it much better than milk chocolate. Now we can eat it and NOT feel guilty about it. It IS actually good for us. 

2. Literally eat a fruit that’s as sweet as nectar

Did you know that the word ‘nectarine’ means ‘sweet like nectar’ and this is most likely the origin of the name?

It’s believed nectarines, like peaches, originated in China over 4,000 years ago.

Nutritionally, nectarines are a high source of Vitamin C and A and are abundant in antioxidants. They aid in weight loss, help regulate blood pressure levels and overall good health. They also help improve immunity and heart health.

YUM! I love nectarines, but I have to admit, I love peaches even more, especially our fantastic Palisade peaches. 

3. Raspberries are a member of the rose family

As are cherries, apricots, plums, pears, apples, quinces, peaches, strawberries, and blackberries. Unlike roses though, these types of fruits typically have flowers with five equal petals arranged around a central core.

And, just like roses, raspberries (and blackberries) have plenty of thorns too – ouch!

YUMMY!! Blackberries and raspberries are definitely some of my favorites. 

4. Chickpeas and almonds contains almost as much protein as steak

In a recent chat with EatFirst about plant-based diets, Greg McFarlane, a director at Vegan Australia, mention that it’s a common myth that you’re not able to become strong on a vegan diet and this is a great example of busting that myth.

According to Better Health, “If you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, as long as you eat a wide variety of foods, you can usually get the protein you need.”

While eating 100g of steak could contain up to 25g of protein, the same amount of chick peas contains 21g and almonds a whopping 28g!

And if that’s an excuse to eat even more hummus, we’ll take it!

I do love both almonds and chickpeas, especially when chickpeas are turned into hummus, but I don’t know if I completely agree with this one.

5. The world’s most hated vegetable is one of the best for you

Brussels sprouts may be the most hated vegetable, but it’s among the most nutritious veggies out there.

They are packed full of vitamins and minerals, with virtually no calories, no fat, no cholesterol, and they fill you up. Better yet, they also have an anti-oxidant that has shown to be anti-inflammatory and could fight cancer.

Neither Larry nor I grew up eating Brussels sprouts, but we eat them a lot now. If cooked right, they are delicious. Now we love them.

In order to grow, we all have to keep challenging ourselves. I am always happy to help, since I love to challenge myself too. Hopefully we all learned a little something new today and had a little fun along the way.

Happy New Year everyone. May 2024 be filled with happiness, good health and prosperity for all. Stay safe and stay well. ’Til next time.

It was time for chicken again. Both Larry and Gabe (our roommate at the moment) had asked for chicken Parmigiano, however, we just had pasta and we just had something with a tomato base Shrimp Fra Diavalo, so I opted for something different. I still made chicken, but I made an Asian chicken stir-fry with asparagus and cashews served over rice with some green onion pancakes instead. Green Onion Pancakes The boys were delighted with my culinary change in plans and gobbled it all up. 

Chicken and Asparagus With Cashews

Stir-fries are always a good option to make. They are quick and easy to make and always taste good too. They are also very versatile, and anything goes. I tend to add a lot of vegetables to my stir-fries too, making them even healthier. For instance, this particular recipe only called for asparagus. I love asparagus, but I love a lot of other vegetables too, so I added some mushrooms, shallots, and red peppers as well. It made the dish deliciously colorful and healthier with the added extras.

1 1/2-2 lbs chicken breasts, cut into chunks about 1-2 inches in size

1 lb asparagus, cut into pieces about 1-1 1/2 inches in size

1/2 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1-1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms

1 shallot, sliced very thin

1 TBSP garlic

1/2 cup cashews

1 tsp crispy garlic in chili oil, optional

2 TBSP Asian fish sauce

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 TBSP oyster sauce

1-2 TBSP lime juice

cayenne pepper to taste

black pepper to taste

olive oil or vegetable oil for cooking – you know I ALWAYS use olive oil

1/2 cup basil, chiffonade

Toast the cashews for about 3-5 minutes to brown them slightly. I find the easiest way to toast them is to just cook them in a dry skillet over an open flame, but you can roast them in the oven too if you prefer, at 350*F or 180*C for about 8 minutes.

Combine the chicken broth, lime juice, oyster sauce, fish sauce, peppers, and crispy chili oil together and set aside until ready to use.

Get a large skillet or wok very hot, add the oil, then add the vegetables and cook for about 2-3 minutes, stirring often. I have both woks and skillets, but I prefer my cast iron skillet. That is my favorite cooking pan.

Add the chicken and continue to cook until the chicken is completely cooked, again, stirring often.

When the chicken is cooked, add the liquid mixture and mix together thoroughly. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Add about 1/2 of the chopped basil right at the very end of the cooking process, reserving some for a topping later.

When everything is hot, serve immediately over cooked rice or Asian noodles and top with the remaining chopped basil. If you are serving wine on the side, as I always do, a dry white wine is the best option. It will be light and will compliment the meal perfectly without overpowering the flavors of the sauce.

Happy New Year everyone. May 2024 bring good health, happiness and prosperity to all. Stay safe and stay well. ’Til next time.

Fra Diavolo means brother devil or among the devil in Italian. When used in cooking, fra diavolo means something is cooked in a spicy tomato sauce. It is made with crushed red peppers and usually with shrimp or lobster, and sometimes clams. Like with many other delicious recipes of Italian decent, this dish was most likely an Italian-American creation rather than an authentic Italian creation. The sauce is Italian, however it is the addition of the shrimp or other shellfish that makes it more plausible that it comes- from an Italian-American creation. Also, this recipe usually includes brandy and/or wine. It is similar to an Arribbiata sauce, though an Arribbiata sauce is more like a traditional marinara sauce and usually does not contain shellfish or brandy or wine. Either way, who cares. The only thing that really matters is that it is a delicious recipe that will definitely satisfy your taste buds. A fra diavolo sauce is made from fresh tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, basil, and of course, red pepper flakes.

There is quite the history of how the term fra diavolo came about. In the 1770s, there lived a young boy by the name of Michele Pezza in Naples, who at an early age survived a harsh childhood sickness that nearly killed him. As part of an old Italian tradition, Pezza and other youngsters who recovered from serious illness were dressed as monks on the second Sunday after Easter for a yearly procession in honor of the patron saint of sick children, St. Francis of Paola. 

Little Michele was apparently such a notorious handful on these solemn occasions that someone once labeled him “fra diavolo,” meaning “brother devil.” The highly combustible nickname stuck and, in an extreme example of a self-fulfilling prophecy, Michele “Fra Diavolo” Pezza went on to live a hot-tempered early life before growing up to eventually lead Italian insurgents in a revolution against French occupiers. 

Today, the memory of Pezza and his fiery disposition lives on in a name affixed to any spicy Italian sauce served with pasta. Fra diavolo is a tomato-based sauce that gets its flavor mostly from olive oil, garlic, oregano and/or basil—but what sets it apart from similar sauces is the recipe’s heavy use of chilies or red pepper flakes, which delivers the infamous heat.  Served over spaghetti or linguine, seafood is usually the main source of protein in the dish. And for the most part, lobster is the go-to crustacean for most restaurants and homespun recipes alike. Indeed, Lobster Fra Diavolo has become an exceedingly popular staple in the Italian restaurant scene, but variations like Shrimp Fra Diavolo and the clam, mussel, scallop, and calamari-laden Seafood Fra Diavolo have been known to appear on menus across many different price points. 

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

I made my own version of Shrimp Fra Diavolo last night. I followed the basics, then “Jeannefied it” to make it my own, like I always do. :) I added mushrooms and a some olives in addition to all the fresh tomatoes.

1-1 1/2 lbs large shrimp or prawns, peeled and deveined

6 TBSP olive oil

1 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste

1/4 cup brandy

1 1/2 TBSP garlic

5 large tomatoes, diced

1 tsp sugar

1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms

1 TBSP chopped or sliced olives

1 cup dry white wine

salt to taste

Sautee the shrimp in the olive oil, and when they are mostly cooked, carefully add the brandy. Let it flambe and cook off. The brandy will add flavor to the dish and will caramelize the shrimp. Once the flames have died down, and the shrimp is cooked, remove it from the heat and set aside to keep warm. 

Add the pepper flakes and garlic to the oil and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Then add the mushrooms, tomatoes, sugar and olives.

Mix everything together well, and carefully add the dry white wine. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue cooking for about 10 or so minutes, stirring occasionally. Re-add the shrimp towards the end of the cooking process and continue to cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until everything is hot.

Serve over cooked linguini and top with Parmigiano cheese if you like. I served it with some warmed ciabatta bread and an olive oil dipping sauce, though had I thought about it enough, I didn’t really need an additional sauce. We could have just dipped the bread in the diavalo sauce and it would be have been very good indeed. Because this is a light sauce, and it was with shrimp, I served it with a cool, crisp Pino Grigio on the side, the same wine I used for the sauce. !Buon Appetito!

Happy New Year everyone. May 2024 be filled with good health, happiness and prosperity for all. ’Til next time.

It’s the middle of January. The weather outside is frightful. Our highs today are 2*F or -20*C. It’s frigidly cold, it’s snowing, and very windy. Some might just say this is winter. But here in Denver, we call it Stock Show Season. 

The Denver Stock Show has been a tradition since 1906, when the Denver Livestock Exchange hosted its first “official” Western Livestock Show under a circus big top tent. The annual National Western Stock Show is in full swing, celebrating 116 years of agricultural education, entertainment, and rich western heritage. Dating back to 1906, the Stock Show is held for 16 days each January and draws upwards of 700,000 attendees from all over the country. Not only does the National Western stake its claim as Colorado’s largest western trade show, it hosts one of the world’s richest regular season professional rodeos.  Today’s events cover a wide spectrum of western culture and time-honored traditions, ranging from grooming demonstrations and horse shows to mutton busting and cattle dog competitions. This year promises to be extra special as the show’s ranchers, farmers, and agriculture experts return for the first time since the pandemic hit in 2020. 

Bringing the stocks to Denver.

Before the show started, we visited some of the stock animals, including a couple of big Clydesdale horses, some ponies, and a very large Texas longhorn steer.

Zoe and Dad Marc bought some matching hats for the occasion.

We had all been to the Stock show before, and have all seen different events, but this was the first time for all of us to see it together, and to see the Wild West Show.

We celebrated the Denver tradition and went to the Stock Show last night with Mike, Lauren, Wendy, Marc and Zoe. Larry was unable to attend because he had a hockey game. There are many different shows to watch during the 16 day duration, but we attended the Wild West Show. The Wild West Show is a historical trip back to the authentic days of the Wild West, portrayed by re-enactments of the Buffalo Bill Cody Wild West Days.

The show included All Tribe Dances from the Indian dancers, Cowboys, The National Anthem performance, a trick roper, Annie Oakley and her shooting skills, trick riders, Steppe Riders, and The Mexican Charros, to name a few. It was all fun, and the athletes are very talented, but I think my favorites were all the trick riders and the Cosack riders.

Here are some of the events of the show.

As you can see, it was a wild and fun evening. I wish I could take credit for the photos, but for some strange reason, my camera was misbehaving last night and didn’t want to work. I am blaming it on the weather. Fortunately, The professionals were there to capture the evening’s entertainment. :)

Happy New Year everyone. May 2024 bring happiness, good health and prosperity to all. For those of you trapped in this winter freeze, stay warm and stay stay safe. ’Til next time.

Leftover!. I think they just might be the most fun art medium to work with, at least for me. They are so versatile. All you need to do is put your thinking cap on and use your imagination, then watch it all play it in front of you. Who knows what you’ll get, but most of the time, they end up being pretty amazing. :)

My latest leftover venture, used up quite a few leftovers from my fridge. The “Queen” an I had so much fun making these tasty chicken and sausage meat pies. 

I used my leftover chicken from my Southwestern Chicken Pitas Southwestern Chicken Pitas and mixed it with some leftover sausage and bell peppers to make my filling for my meat pies. I also added some corn, rice, garlic and roasted Hatch chilies to the mix. 

I cooked everything all together until the peppers and corn were tender, while my rice was cooking. When everything was done, I tossed it all together for my filling.

I made my famous go-to dough and let it set in the refrigerator for about an hour before rolling it out very thin and fitting it into my muffin pans. I made two batches so I would have enough to make a topping for the pockets as well. I made these in the same way I made my Spanish meat pies awhile ago, when we had our tapas party. Spanish Meat Pies

I rolled the dough out very thin, then rolled it again before placing the dough into my muffin pans. The keys to a light, flaky dough are COLD butter, cubed and a very thin dough. When my muffin pans were filled with the dough, I added as much filling as the dough cups would hold, about 2 heaping TBSP. I rolled out more dough, again very thin, and added it to the tops of each cup. Make sure to really seal the tops to the meat pies before baking, or they will fall apart. Then with a serrated knife, I sliced a couple of slashes into the top of each pie to allow for the gases to evaporate while baking.

When you are ready to bake these meat pies, preheat the oven to 375*F or 191*C. Brush the meat pies with an egg wash then bake for about 30 or so minutes, or until they are golden brown and done. I made them a day in advance before baking them. I removed them from the fridge about 1/2 hour before baking them, and brushed them with an egg wash right before placing them in the oven. 

Once again, they were a delicious hit and went a-wining with us on our latest wining adventure to our favorite winery, InVINtions. They travel very well. I baked them right before we left, and as soon as I took them out of the oven, off we went. They were still warm when we arrived at InVINtions. 

Happy New Year everyone. May 2024 be filled with happiness, good health and prosperity for all. And for those of you caught in the middle of this BIG FREEZE, like me, please, stay inside and stay warm and stay safe. ’Til next time.

It was another steak night. As you know, we eat quite a bit of steak in our house. Larry would eat meat and potatoes every night if I would let him. So since we eat a lot of steak, I am always looking for new and creative ways to fix it. This time I chose a spicy garlic and chili marinade and then I topped it off with some spinach and mushrooms. With a few roasted potatoes, a tomato tart and a Malbec on the side, dinner was complete.

Garlic-Chili Marinade for Steak

This marinade was so easy. You can use this same marinade for chicken or pork too. It’s spicy, but not too spicy, but gives you just enough kick to get you going.

6 TBSP olive oil

1 TBSP garlic

1 jalapeno, seeded

1 TBSP chili oil

1 TBSP chipotle peppers with sauce

salt to taste

Put everything into a food processor and process for about 30 seconds or until everything is smooth. Then coat the meat and let it marinate for at least an hour before cooking.

I pan-seared my steak, but you can grill it too. We are in the middle of a very cold and windy winter storm right now, so grilling and being outside was not really a good option at this time. :)

I made spinach, mushrooms, garlic, shallots and tomatoes as both my vegetable option and as a topping for my steak. I sauteed it all in olive oil and butter with salt and pepper, then added some lemon olive oil at the very end, when I added my tomatoes.

After the steak was cooked to a nice medium rare, and the spinach was cooked, I made a little bed of spinach on my plate and added the steak to that, with an extra topping of the spinach mixture on top.

This was a perfect meal for a cold winter’s night. It was full of warmth and goodness.

Happy New Year everyone. May 2024 bring good health, happiness and prosperity to all. ’Til next time.

Travel, food and scuba diving are some of my greatest passions in life. I try my best to experience all of them as much as possible. I can’t always do them all together, though I try, but I can usually combine travel and food together. I have never been to any of these destinations 9though I have been to Melbourne, Australia many times, and Spain a couple of times), nor have I ever been to any of these restaurants, YET. Yet is the key word. There is still plenty of time. I would love to experience ALL of these exotic and unique places. 

1. Chillout Ice Lounge

WHERE: Dubai

The capital of the United Arab Emirates is one of the world’s most extravagant cities, and it’s no wonder someone had the idea to open a restaurant made entirely of ice. The Chillout Ice Lounge comprises 26,900 square feet of ice, and the average temperature there is -21°F.

When you first enter the restaurant, you are offered a warming hot chocolate to help you get used to the cold (it’s sweltering outside), then are handed a jacket, wool gloves, shoes, and socks. After acclimating to the cold in “the buffer zone,” you can enjoy food such as hot soups, chicken skewers, or red velvet cake while taking in the play between light and ice.

2. Supperclub.Tube

WHERE: London, England

Indulging in piping hot meals while riding the London Underground is usually a big no-no unless you happen to be aboard the Supperclub.tube, a decommissioned 1967 Victoria Line tube carriage at Walthamstow Pumphouse Museum. Often repurposed for video and photoshoots, on three nights a week, the carriage undergoes a remarkable transformation into one of London’s trendiest and most exclusive dining destinations.

Since 2018, passionate tube culture and gastronomy enthusiasts have taken their seats on moquette-covered benches while tucking into a sumptuous six-course Latin American menu curated by the talented Colombian head chef, Beatriz Maldonado Carreño. You’ll find several smaller tables dispersed throughout the subway car, but if you feel like making new friends, join the long group table … it is a supper club, after all.

3. Labassin Waterfall Restaurant

WHERE: Villa Escudero, Philippines

Labassin Waterfall Restaurant, just under two hours south of the capital, Manila, by car, is best visited in swimwear. If you have lunch at the extraordinary waterfall restaurant of the Villa Escudero Plantations and Resort, you will almost certainly not stay dry for long. At the foot of a man-made waterfall, you can enjoy your Kamayan-style Filipino buffet of fish, rice, barbecue chicken, and bananas in the fresh air while water splashes around your feet and the sound of the waterfall roars in your ears.

4. SEA

WHERE: Anantara Kihavah, Maldives

Placed on the ocean floor, the hexagonal SEA underwater restaurant on Kihavah Island in the Maldives serves exquisite delicacies like lobster and oysters while guests marvel at the spectacular underwater views. You don’t just eat underwater but also under observation. In front of the glass panes, rays and colorful fish of all sizes sail by, populating the surrounding coral reef.

5. Treepod Dining

WHERE: Soneva Kiri Eco Resort, Thailand

In this bird’s nest, guests sit in small bamboo bowls above the treetops of the Thai rainforest, sampling Asian delicacies while enjoying the view over the Gulf of Thailand. Treepod Dining seats up to four people in a gondola, with the personal ziplining waiter serving all manner of delicacies and wine with acrobatic skill. The house specialty is baked fish wrapped in a banana sheet. Find this unique experience at the luxury resort Soneva Kiri on the island of Koh Kood.

6. Grotta Palazzese

WHERE: Polignano a Mare, Italy

High up and carved into an Italian mountain side is this ristorante, Grotta Palazzese, in the fishing village of Polignano. The terrace, located in a natural limestone cave, was used for banquets for local nobles as early as 1700. From here, you have an unrestricted view of the Adriatic Sea. The menu changes with the seasons, but the dishes are primarily based on food from Puglia and are reinterpreted with a wide variety of flavors and spices. Thus, the menu includes freshly caught fish and seafood in keeping with the surroundings. The cave restaurant is open from May to October.

I vaguely recall Larry and I eating in some place like this is Spain, the first time we went there.

7. The Rock

WHERE: Zanzibar, Tanzania

Visitors couldn’t be closer to the turquoise sea at the Rock Restaurant. The restaurant was built on a rock that extends directly into the crystal-clear waters of the Indian Ocean. The style of the restaurant is reminiscent of the building’s past as a fisherman’s hut, but the furniture is more modern. The menu ranges from lobster to squid to all kinds of exotic fish, and all dishes are complemented with African and Mediterranean flavors. By the way, the restaurant can only be reached on foot at low tide; guests are transported by boat onto the rock at high tide.

8. El Diablo

WHERE: Lanzarote, Spain

One of the biggest attractions on the island of Lanzarote is Timanfaya National Park with Timanfaya Volcano, where you’ll find the fiery El Diablo Restaurant. What makes the restaurant so unique is its cooking method: food is prepared on a grill heated by the geothermal heat of the volcano. Just below the surface, temperatures can reach 752°F degrees. The beautiful restaurant was designed by local architect and environmentalist Cesar Manrique. While you’re waiting for your devilishly good grilled meat, you can take a tour during which the staff will show you the geyser effect, in which some water is poured into the holes that lead underground. If you’re nervous about the forces of nature, rest assured that the volcano has been gurgling peacefully since 1824.

9. Easey’s

WHERE: Melbourne, Australia

Easey’s, located atop a Melbourne building, is an unconventional American burger eatery and bar housed inside graffiti-adorned Hitachi M-Class train cars. A retro soundtrack, graffiti on the walls, and original features enhance the quirky ambiance. Their train schedule-inspired menu showcases a delectable array of options, including gourmet burgers and hot dogs, barbecue wings, milkshake-infused donuts, and incredibly cheesy mac ‘n’ cheese. The best part is that you can hop on board to savor this experience during breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Easey’s Restaurant even made it into my big Melbourne cookbook, Flavours of Urban Melbourne, that my niece and nephew gave to me quite a few years ago. 

10. El Avión 

WHERE: Quepos, Costa Rica

If a normal restaurant is too dull for you, then a trip to the jungle of Costa Rica may be worthwhile. Here, about half a mile from the Pacific Ocean, lies an American C-123 Fairchild, a military freighter. The plane has undergone a remarkable transformation, serving as the centerpiece of a multi-level bar and restaurant. El Avión is located at an altitude of 490 feet, so it offers unrivaled panoramic vistas of Manuel Antonio National Park. Enjoy casual dining with fresh fish specials, a vibrant bar scene, and sunset views from the terraces over the ocean.

11. Ali Barbour’s Cave Restaurant

WHERE: Diani Beach, Kenya

If you love history, crystal clear water, and white sandy beaches, you’ll feel like you’re in seventh heaven here. At Ali Barbour Restaurant, 22 miles south of Mombasa, you can dine in a 180,000-year-old coral grotto surrounded by fascinating stalactites. The natural cave holes open the ceiling upwards, allowing you to experience a magical dinner under the clear starry sky. The ambiance is romantic with soft candlelight and the menu is locally sourced with fresh oysters and fish. Some dishes are prepared tableside, such as a flambe of bananas and ice cream.

If you are the adventurous type, and love good food, these places just might be right up your alley. They are definitely up mine. These are all definitely places to enjoy that are on my one-day list. My only problem is there are too many things to do, and places to go but not nearly enough time, or $$$ to do them all. But I keep telling myself, one day. :)

Happy New Year everyone. May 2024 be filled with happiness, good health and prosperity for all. ’Til next time. 

This week so far has been full of adventures, both in and out of the kitchen. The big adventure out of the kitchen was my hot water heater breaking and us being without hot water for 1 day and a 1/2.  We couldn’t take showers and we had to wash dishes the old fashioned way by boiling water on the stove. While the plumbers were replacing the hot water heater, for awhile, we didn’t have any water. There were all these things I was going to do, but they all required having access to water. I couldn’t even fill my flower vases with water or wash my hands or my vegetables, meaning I couldn’t even cook. You don’t realize how much you depend on something until it is no longer there. But fortunately, that has now been resolved. We have hot water once again. WHOOOOO HOOOOOO!!!!!

You already know about my Ciabatta bread adventures Homemade Sourdough Ciabatta – Mistakes And Lessons Learned, but I have learned what changes needed to be made for next time. Maybe it was just because I was flustered from my hot water heater experience, but dinner did NOT go as planned either. Fortunately though, I know how to quickly change gears and make something completely different than what was planned in a instant. :)

I had an idea in mind on what I was going to make, but things just weren’t working out. Have no fear though, I was definitely able to turn it all around and still make something delicious. Had I not said anything, no one would have ever known. :)

I created some delicious Southwestern chicken pitas.

I had some leftover lime vinaigrette that I used as a marinade for my chicken strips. I added some cumin, chili powder, jalapeno, garlic and parsley (I accidentally bought more parsley instead of cilantro). 

I let the chicken marinate for about 45 minutes before cooking it up. It was very tender and full of flavor. 

I made a yogurt and chili spread to cover my warmed pitas, then added the cooked chicken. I topped them with chopped tomatoes, cut lettuce, red onions, sliced very thin, thinly sliced cucumbers and some avocado slices, with a little bit of roasted pepita seeds on top of finish them off. 

I also though I had some chick peas, but didn’t. I was going to make couscous as well, but for whatever reason, it just wasn’t cooperating either. We needed something else to go with dinner, so my go-to – French fries. French fries go well with anything, and they are an easy fix to any problem. Besides, who doesn’t love French fries, right?!  :)

There are days when we all have ups and downs and things just don’t work out the way we planned. It happens to all of us, even the pros. But all you can do is make the most of it, and move on. You have to be willing and able to just go with the flow, and change your plans quickly. Life happens, and sometimes it throws us for a loop. But if you’re prepared, you can always pull it off, and change directions. Maybe this just comes from way too many years in the restaurant and catering business when plans change in an instant, but it is a gift I have, and am very grateful for. You have to be able to think and act quick, and no one will ever know that things are not working according to plan. :)

Happy New Year everyone. I hope 2024 is a filled with happiness, good health and prosperity for all. ’Til next time.

Ahhh breads! One of the great loves of my life. I could eat bread, any kind of bread, all the time. All I would need is butter to go with it would be enough butter, and life would be oh so good (although, life is really pretty darn good as it is). :)

I had some sourdough starter that need to be used so I attempted to make some ciabatta with it. It was my first attempt at making ciabatta. It came out good, though not nearly as light or fluffy as I had hoped, but still good. I guess that just means I need to make some more. :)

Ciabatta bread is made with a wheat flour that is slightly less refined than the one used for standard white bread, allowing a higher percentage of water in the dough. The dough is made using a ‘pre-mix’ of water, flour and yeast, which has fermented for long time. It is a very light bread with a high liquid content which gives it is open and porous texture. An authentic ciabatta requires a very wet dough and must be handled wit a very light touch. As you can see, I must have not had the right touch, and was too strong for my own good. My ciabatta was a lot more dense that it should be. But, it still tasted very good, and that’s really all that matters. Mine was more like a typical sourdough bread than a traditional ciabatta, and I did use a sourdough starter, which I think is what made mine so different and so dense. I LOVE sourdough bread, so it was still fine with me. :)

Ciabatta is a white bread that stems from a baker in Rovigo, Veneto, Italy.  Ciabatta is an Italian bread that was first produced back in 1982 by Arnaldo Cavallari. Cavallari was a miller and baker near Venice. During this time the French baguettes were very popular and bakeries wanted to develop a product that would be able to compete with a baguette. Ciabtta was the Italian answer to the French baguettes. Ciabatta is known as the Italian slipper bread because it is said to resemble a well-worn slipper. 

Ciabatta Bread

You need a starter for this bread. I used a heavier starter than what was called for, since my starter had already been fermenting for about 1 week and I needed to use it. The proper starter is only a quick starter and uses yeast, where mine had no yeast at all. I followed the recipe exactly, but I had a different starter. Lesson learned. The starter makes the difference. I have already made the mistakes. Learn from my mistakes and move on. I have already. My only real “mistake” was that I used the wrong starter. Silly me. I thought a starter was a starter and they were all basically the same. Nope. They’re different. Trust me. :)

The Starter

1/2 tsp dry yeast

2/3 cup water

3 TBSP milk

1/4 tsp sugar or honey

1 cup flour

Sprinkle the yeast into the water and milk. Let it stand for 5 minutes then add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Add the flour to form a loose batter. Cover the dough loosely and let rise for 12 hours or overnight.

Once the starter is ready, it is time to make your bread.

The Dough

1/2 tsp yeast

1 cup water

1/2 tsp olive oil

2 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

Sprinkle the yeast on top of the flour and let it stand for 5 minutes, then add the olive oil and the starter and mix everything together well.

Add the flour and salt to form a wet, sticky dough. My first clue that my bread was going to be different should have been that my dough was firm, not wet and sticky.

Cover the dough with a towel and let rise for 3 hours or until it has tripled in size. Do not punch the bread down at all. 

Divide the dough in half. Make sure your hands and the surface are well-floured when you are working with and plumping the dough. Pull and stretch the dough to form a rectangular loaf about 12 inches long. Neaten and plump the dough by running your fingers along the sides and gently tucking the edges under the dough as you go.

Place the dough loaves on well-floured baking sheets and let proof again, uncovered for about 20 minutes, while the oven is coming to temperature. The dough will spread and rise during this proofing period.

Preheat the oven to 425*F or 220*C.

Bake the bread for about 30 minutes, or until it is golden brown and hollow when tapped at the bottom. You can spray some water into the hot oven a couple of times during the first 10 minutes of the baking if you like. The spray will create steam that will help make the bread crustier on the outside. This is optional though.

Allow the bread to cool for at least about 10 or so minutes before slicing. Then enjoy. Even though my bread did not come out the way I was hoping, it still came out very good and very tasty. I know people that will throw away their “mistakes” in the kitchen if they don’t turn out perfect. NEVER do this. Use them as a learning experience and move on. My idol, Julia Child, said “Never apologize” and “Learn to cook – try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all, have fun”. I couldn’t agree more. :)

Happy New Year everyone. May 2024 bring happiness, good health and prosperity to all. ’Til next time.

Rice pudding is a very old dessert that is loved and appreciated the world over. Rice has played a prominent role in the diet of China, India and Asian countries for millennia, and from there spread to the rest of the world. Rice spread to Europe around the 14th century. Rice is a very versatile dish that is used from everything to sweet to savory dishes. One such sweet dish is a favorite dessert loved by people everywhere, rice pudding. Nearly every culture around the world has their own version of rice pudding. In Latin American countries, rice pudding goes by arroz con leche. In many Asian countries, it is called sweet rice porridge, and it goes by many other names as well. Rice pudding can be enjoyed either hot or cold, but more so than not, it is enjoyed when it is completely cooled, and maybe even at room temperature. I made a Greek-Australian version called risogalo for our progressive dinner party. 

When we had our progressive dinner party, The Progressive Dinner, my house was the last stop. Desserts were my contribution to the event. I already told you about my pine nut and honey tart Progressive Desserts – Part #1 – Pine Nut And Honey Tart. I also offered rice pudding that I topped with a creamy caramel sauce, Greek shortbread cookies and topped it all with some pistachios.

I made my Greek shortbread cookies or kourambiethes first. They can stay in an airtight container for quite awhile and still taste very good. You can eat these delicious shortbread cookies on their own, or as part of something else, as I did for my rice pudding.

Greek Shortbread Cookies – Kourambiethes

As with many dishes, this recipe only requires a few very basic items that most of us have on hand at all times.

Preheat the oven to 325* F or about 165*C.

1 stick +5 TBSP softened butter

2 cups flour

1/3 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup toasted almond slivers

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp almond extract

1 1/2 TBSP water

Toast the almond slivers until they are golden brown. Combine everything together and mix until it resembles soft, wet sand. Spread it on a baking sheet and spread out as much as you can, with the dough being about 1/4 inch thick.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until it is lightly golden brown. Cool completely then cut into small fingers. Break these fingers into even smaller pieces when adding them to your rice pudding.

The Rice Pudding

2 cups of cooked rice

2 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 TBSP cinnamon

Whip the cream with the powdered sugar and cinnamon until it forms soft peaks. Them blend in the rice and mix thoroughly.

For my caramel sauce, I melted about 1-1 1/2 cups of my caramels Making Caramels with about 1/2 cup of cream until everything was smooth and creamy.

In a small ramekin or cup, add about 3 TBSP of rice pudding, then add about 1 TBSP of the caramel sauce on top. Add a few pieces of the kourambiethes and top with a few pistachios.

Chill in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve them, removing them from the fridge about 1/2 hour before serving. 

These delicious desserts are just sweet enough but not too sweet. They were a huge hit at our party. They will be at your house too. :)

Happy New Year everyone. I hope 2024 brings happiness, good health and prosperity to all. ’Til next time.