I just received my 2nd check from WordPress. WHOOOOOOO HOOOOOOO!!!!!!! It’s more than it was last time, and it didn’t take nearly as long to make this money either. It may not be much, but every little bit counts. “A Jeanne in the Kitchen” is quickly approaching it’s 3rd birthday, and all of this is possible because of you. Many, many thanks to all of you.
Let’s all keep cooking together.
I just love celebrating birthday “month”. Some people only get to celebrate for a day. Me – I will celebrate it as much as possible! 🙂 I was very pleasantly surprised to find yet another birthday present outside my door this morning. It was delicious gift of gourmet olive oils and balsamic vinegar from my dear friend Andrea, out in California. Andrea and I have been friends and family since we were 12, and the good times just keep on coming, even after all these years and being separated by a few states.
Viva Oliva is a gourmet olive oil shop located in Santa Barbara, CA. We all know California is known for its great wines, but it is also known for its great olive oils as well. Where there is wine, there are olives.
Viva Oliva has been in business since 2010, and they “have been dedicated to sourcing and retailing the freshest and highest quality extra virgin olive oils, balsamic vinegars and gourmet, artisan foods. The extra virgin olive oils that [they] sell all comply with the highest quality standard in the world, known as Ultra Premium (UP). [They] source [their] oils from both the southern and northern hemispheres of the world, thereby ensuring [they] always keep the freshest products in stock.” As you can see, they have a wide variety of specialty and gourmet items.
My Viva Oliva gift pack included 2 gourmet olive oils and one gourmet balsamic vinegar. The olive oils were an Arbequena Extra Virgin Olive oil and a Tuscan Herb Olive Oil and the balsamic vinegar is made from infusions of Black Mission Figs. Don’t those all sound amazing? I can’t wait to try them, especially the Black Mission Fig Balsamic Vinegar. I already have something in mind for that too. You’ll just have to be a little patient and wait a bit. 🙂
Viva Oliva is located at 927 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. You can contact them by phone at (805) 886-4342 or on their website at http://www.vivaoliva.com or on Facebook at vivaolivasantabarbara. They will ship anything you like anywhere in the US.
Muchas Gracias mi Amiga. Te amo mucho.
Stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.
Is it a kitty carrier or a puppy carrier? Nicodemus is pretty sure this is a kitty carrier that belongs to both her and her brother Otis. But Juneau seems to think differently. Juneau seems to think this box is hers, at least for now. Don’t worry though Nicky and Otis, Juni Bug won’t be able to fit in here too much longer. Soon, it will be all yours once again.
It is always good to learn about new ideas and new techniques. It’s also always a good idea to refresh your knowledge on things you already know too. Today, I am presenting you with some more good things to know in the kitchen.
2. What actually happens when something gets freezer burn? Freezer burn happens when the H2O or water molecules seep into the surface of the food, allowing oxidation to occur. This happens when you place something in the freezer that has not been properly wrapped.
3. Did you know dark chocolate can last, when properly stored, for up to 2 years? This is because dark chocolate does not have any dairy products in it.
4. What is the difference between broiling and grilling? Broiling means the heat source is coming from above the food. When grilling, the heat source comes from beneath the food.
5. When using wood for your grill, the 3 most popular types of wood used are Apple, Oak and Hickory.
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I am always learning something new, and when I do, I love sharing it with all of you.
Stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.
We have all grown up with some form of chicken soup. It is universal. Not only is it just good comfort food, but it also seems to have magic, medicinal, healing powers as well. Because chicken soup is universal, there are many, many recipes and variations of how to make it. I make it in different ways all the time too. But there is something about a bowl of hot chicken soup that just makes you feel good all over.
For the past couple of days, we have been getting teased with a few flakes of snow here and there, and the weather has been very cold. It is winter after all, and when you live in snow country, you expect snow in the winter, although we have had a very mild winter so far. But when it’s cold outside, you want something that will really warm you up inside. There is nothing better to do that than a nice hot bowl of soup, and chicken soup seems to be one of the best remedies for that.
I like lots of stuff in my stuff, and that includes my soups as well. So I always add a lot of vegetables to whatever soups I make. This simple meal was completed by adding some warmed ciabiatta and a glass or two of a buttery chardonnay.
We had a leftover rotisserie chicken form Costco, so I cut it up and put it in the soup. Then I made some more chicken broth from the bones. I use a lot of chicken broth, so I always have some on hand, whether it is my own or from a can.
Another Bowl of Chicken Soup
2-2 1/2 lbs of cooked chicken, cubed
3-4 carrots, diced medium
1 onion, diced medium
2-3 celery stalks, diced medium
2 TBSP garlic
1-2 cups of peas
1 cup green beans, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
salt & pepper to taste
8 cups chicken broth, or more as needed
1-2 tsp thyme
1-2 tsp marjoram
4 TBSP butter and/or olive oil
4 TBSP flour
2 cups dry pasta – I used mini farfalle this time
Dice the carrots, onions, celery and add the garlic and set aside.
Cube the chicken and set aside.
Because I like my soups on the thicker side, I made a roux with equal parts fat (I used butter and olive oil) and flour, then I added the carrot and onion mixture. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, or until the onions are soft and translucent.
Add the green beans, peas, chicken, seasonings and chicken broth. Mix together well. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the pasta about 20 minutes before serving the soup and continue to cook. If you add the pasta too soon, it will turn to mush and it will also absorb the liquid.
When the pasta is completely cooked, it’s time to serve it up and enjoy. Sometimes I add cream, or add rice instead of pasta. It’s your soup. Make it how you like. As I mentioned above, I change mine around all the time. Like I always say, “play with your food”.
Stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.
Janet and Bob came over to help celebrate my birthday on Monday. Been Busy Celebrating We are all wine lovers so it was only fitting that we celebrated with wine. And wine is always better with nibblies, so I made up some quick nibbly platters for us all to enjoy.
I just made a simple cheese and cracker platter and then made a quick bruschetta as well. I didn’t know Janet and Bob were bringing gourmet olives, or I would have skipped the olives, and used the gourmet olives. next time. But I did combine some Greek olives, Kalamata olives and black olives. I also bought some chicken salad to top either our crackers or our crostini with as well.
I love a good, simple bruschetta with fresh tomatoes. It just seems to go with everything.
Simple Bruschetta
1 baguette, sliced at an angle
olive oil for brushing the bread slices
3-4 tomatoes, diced fine – any kind of tomatoes will do
1 shallot, diced fine
1 TBSP garlic
salt & pepper to taste
3-4 TBSP olive oil
1-2 TBSP fresh basil chiffonade thin
Preheat the oven to 350* F or 180* C.
Brush the olive oil on both sides of the bread and bake for about 20 minutes, then flip the bread over and continue to bake for another 20 minutes or so. You want the crostini to be crispy and golden brown.
Dice the tomatoes fine, and mix with all the rest of the ingredients. This dish is completely vegan, depending on the bread that you use, but it is most certainly a vegetarian dish. I like to eat it at room temperature, after it has set for awhile, so all the flavors really pop.
This quick and easy appetizer is great for any occasion and goes great with whatever you are serving. !Buon Appetito e Mangia!
Stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.
Sunday, we had two birthdays in the house; mine and Vinnie’s. I don’t want to tell you have many turns around the sun I have seen, though many of you already have a pretty good idea. In dog years, Vinnie is quickly catching up to me, but I don’t like to count in dog years, so in my eyes he is still and always will be, my big baby.
We went out to brunch at EAT! Food and Drink; It’s Time To EAT!Again Video #16 – Eat at EAT! Food & Drink on Sunday morning with friends Jonathan, Priscilla and Laura, and then when we came home, my friend Suzanne came over to help me celebrate as well. The celebrations continued on through yesterday as well, when Janet and Bob came over for some wine and nibblies.
It’s always a celebration when getting together with loved ones, both friends and family, but it makes birthdays even better when friends and family are they to celebrate with you.
The presents. Both Priscilla and Laura decided I needed to pamper myself, and I could not agree more. Once again, great minds and great friends are thinking alike. 🙂
From Priscilla and Jonathan.
and from Laura.
Suzanne realized I have been out of my element of WATER for far too long, and it is definitely time to get reconnected and rehydrated.
Janet and Bob were appealing more to my connection with food and gave me some gourmet olives. I can’t wait to try those. They look so yummy.
Larry knows my biggest present and the best present was Juni Bug, even though she can be quite the pill. She was an early birthday present. But he also got me some fun little things as well.
Vinnie was not forgotten either. Suzanne brought him a big bag of bully sticks. And he knew these presents on the counter were for him too and was trying to help himself to them before Juneau got to them.
Larry put a bright blue bow on Juni Bug, to match her collar. She kept it on for a good portion of the day, which was pretty surprising. She did find Vinnie’s new toys and decided to help herself anyway. Vinnie is such a good big brother and he didn’t mind sharing his new toys with her.
Mommy and her birthday babies.
Life is good. Celebrate every minute of it, just like it is your birthday. Thank you all for helping to make mine and Vinnie’s day a special one.
Juni Bug loves her mommy, and she definitely knows her mommy loves her too. When she is not being a pill and torturing her big brother or destroying the house, she follows Mommy around everywhere. She loves to follow me and help out in the kitchen too. Often times she is completely under foot and sometimes she needs a little nap and rests on her kitchen pillow or underneath the table in the in the breakfast nook.
Here she is saying “drop it, drop it, drop it. I will help clean it up, just drop it, please”.
I admit, I LOVE curries; all kinds of curries. But my favorite curries are those influenced by the Thai way of cooking. I love the lime and coconut combinations, with the hot and sweet accents. When I made my Panang style fried chicken Panang Style Fried Chicken I had some coconut milk leftover that I needed to use, so I turned it into a curried sauce. Dinner was curried shrimp that I marinated in lime juice, curry and cayenne pepper, served over curried vegetables and rice. To finish it off, I served a crisp, citrusy chardonnay on the side. I don’t really have a specific recipe here, but this is traditionally how I made a lot of Thai styled curries. Diner was delicious or Xrxy in Thai.
The first thing I did was to par cook the bacon in the oven for about 20 minutes. While the bacon was cooking, I marinated the shrimp. You don’t want to marinate the shrimp for too long because the citric acid will “cook the shrimp” and make it tough. I also par cook the bacon because the bacon and the shrimp cook at different temperatures and different times, and you don’t want to eat raw bacon. NO! I had about 24 shrimp, so I used about 1/4 cup of lime juice, about 1 TBSP curry and about 1 tsp of red pepper flakes. Play with it, and make it how you like it though. I LOVE curries, as I mentioned above, so I love a good, strong curry flavor.
I cut up all my vegetables, again using Asian vegetables like red bell peppers, jalapenos, carrots, onions, baby corn and green beans, along with some ginger and garlic.
I had about 1 1/2 cups of coconut milk left over that I combined with 2 TBSP lime juice, 2 tsp curry, 1 tsp red pepper flakes, and about 1-2 TBSP of honey.
Wrap the bacon around the shrimp. I used a medium/large shrimp, and a 1/2 piece of bacon was more than enough to cover each shrimp. Once the shrimp are wrapped with the bacon, skewer them and grill until both the bacon and the shrimp are completely cooked.
Cook the rice and make the vegetable curry sauce while the shrimp and bacon are cooking up.
Saute the vegetables in hot oil. Cook at a high temperature for about 7 minutes or until the vegetables are done, yet still have a slight crispiness to them.
Add the coconut milk mixture and some fresh basil and cilantro and combine well. Cook for an addition 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently.
When it is all ready, add the curried vegetables and sauce to the rice then add the bacon wrapped shrimp. I like to add a bit of additional sauce to the shrimp as well to give some extra flavor.
This dish is very versatile. If you don’t like bacon, or shrimp, use chicken instead. If you want to make it vegetarian or vegan, use tofu or tempe instead, though you probably would not be grilling those. You could cook those with the vegetables.
I guess I have been cooking a lot of Asian dishes lately to get ready for Chinese New Year, which will start nest week, on February 12. This year it is the year of the Ox. Those born under the sign of the Ox are known for intelligence, dependability, strength and determination.
Gung Hay Fat Choi, or Happy New Year in Chinese.
Stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.
Larry loves ribs. I am not a huge fan, but every now and then they hit the spot. Larry prefers the spare ribs, whereas if I am going to eat them, my preference is the country style ribs. I like them more meaty.
Ribs were pulled out of the freezer and it was time to cook them up. This time, it was the meatier short ribs. I have found slow cooking ribs is the best way to cook them. The longer you cook them, the more tender they become. This time I cooked them in a tomato and pepper sauce. I slow cooked them for about 6 hours and the meat literally just fell right off the bones. They were oh so good too. I served the ribs over pasta with some garlic cheese bread and a smooth red blend. YUM!
Ribs Cooked in a Tomato-Pepper Sauce
2 lbs country ribs
6 tomatoes, diced medium or 2 cans of diced tomatoes with juice
1 red bell pepper, diced medium
1 green pepper, diced medium
1-2 large jalapenos, diced fine
2 TBSP garlic
1 onion, diced medium
salt & pepper to taste
2 TBSP cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 TBSP fresh basil, chopped fine or 2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp hot pepper sauce, or to taste
1-2 tsp chocolate chili powder, optional
about 1/2-1 cup of water if using fresh tomatoes rather than canned tomatoes
Place the ribs in the slow cooker and add all the diced vegetables on top. Mix together all the seasonings and spices with the hot sauce and water if using, then pour over the vegetables.
Cover and crank up the heat and just leave it alone to cook, making sure to stir it every now and then.
If you want it to cook faster, crank up the heat to high and let it cook for about 4-5 hours. If you want it to cook slower, cook on low heat for 8-10 hours. I did a combination. I cooked it on high for about 4 hours and on low for about 2 hours. When you are ready to serve it up, serve it over a hearty pasta with your choice and a glass or two of a smooth red wine, and you are all set. This meat was so tender, it literally fell off right off the bones and just melted in our mouths.
Stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.
A Jeanne in the Kitchen 