Author: ajeanneinthekitchen

Sweet potatoes and yams are more or less interchangeable to me. I know they are different, but they are close enough for me that those subtle differences don’t really matter much to me. Sweet potatoes, as mentioned in their name, tend to be sweeter than yams, whereas yams tend to be more starchy and dry Yam are firmer than sweet potatoes, which are softer. But I am not alone in using these two tuber, root vegetables as the same thing. Most people, and most stores actually, call sweet potatoes “yams”. Sweet potatoes were first referred to as yams by the African slaves who had already been calling the ‘soft’ sweet potatoes ‘yams’ because they resembled the yams in Africa. Thus, ‘soft’ sweet potatoes were referred to as ‘yams’ to distinguish them from the ‘firm’ varieties.

A true yam is a starchy edible root of the Dioscorea genus, and is generally imported to America from the Caribbean. It is rough and scaly and very low in beta carotene. Over 50% of the sweet potatoes found in the United States are grown in North Carolina. Yams are grown all over the world , although 95% are still grown in West Africa.

Whether you call them “yams” or sweet potatoes, it doesn’t really matter. All I know is both are very tasty and very nutritious. I love them both. I made some sweet potato steak fries to go along with our fried chicken and Southern Succotash that were a big hit. Some Southern Succotash They were all great Southern flavors that went together very well.

Roasted Sweet Potato Steak Fries

3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into thick strips

2 TBSP olive oil

1 TBSP maple syrup

1 tsp dried ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

a little fresh ground nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375* F or 190* C.

Mix all the ingredients together then toss the sweet potato strips into the mixture, making sure to thoroughly coat the fries.

Spread the fries onto a baking dish in a single layer and roast for about 30 minutes. Add a little parsley on top when they are done, and enjoy them while they’re hot.

Stay safe and stay well Everyone, and for those of you in the current ice belt, stay warm too. LOTS and LOTS of layers. ‘Til next time.

I love it! It’s been almost two weeks since my birthday, and I am still getting birthday surprises. This time I received a wonderful box filled with gourmet salts and peppercorns from our friends Julia and Bruce.

My birthday box contained a variety of exotic peppercorns, some Maldon sea salt flakes and fleur de sel. Fleur de sel, or flowers of salt, and sea salt are both derived from seawater and are processed by hand.  Fleur de sel are the distinctive pyramid-shaped crystals that rise to the top during the evaporation process. Salt Spring Sea Salt is made with the finest hand-harvested fleur de sel crystals and infused with locally sourced ingredients. Fleur de sel  is a salt that forms as a thin, delicate crust on the surface of seawater as it evaporates. It is now used as a finishing salt to flavor and garnish food.

Maldon is a delicate salt that is less bitter than most regular salts and it too is used as a finishing touch for more delicate foods. It is used to top vegetables, butter, caramel, or grilled meat, just before serving. The Maldon salt is taken from seawater found in estuaries in Essex County, England. Fleur de Sel is usually a light gray color because of the minerals it contains, whereas Maldon is white, like table salt.

Thank you Julia and Bruce. I can’t wait to try all of these delectable salts and peppers. That was so sweet of you both.

Juneau is already 10 1/2 weeks old. She has more than doubled in size since we got her. Can you believe it? She is into EVERYTHING. She has her moments where she is very angelic (mostly when she is sleeping) and then she has her wild child moments. Here are some recent pictures of how quickly she is growing up.

Being this cute all the time is very hard work and can be very tiring too.

Succotash is as American as it comes. It was introduced to the colonials by the Native Americans and has been served at American tables ever since. The name “succotash” comes from the native word “msickquatash” which meant a pot of simmering corn with other ingredients added. The Native Americans ate it as a meal by itself, and often added dried meats as well as the “3 sisters”, which were corn, beans and pumpkin or squash. Today, succotash is usually eaten as a side dish. It is most often made with lima beans and corn and squash.

We were having fried chicken for dinner, which I most often equate with my southern roots, and I made southern side dishes to go with it. One of those side dishes was my southern succotash. I think the Native Americans would approve of this version too.

This colorful version of succotash was loaded with all kinds of good things. Of course I used corn and lima beans, but instead of squash, I added red and orange bell peppers, a jalapeno, red onions, garlic, oregano, thyme, marjoram and of course, salt & pepper.

Southern Succotash

1-2 cups corn

1-2 cups lima beans

1/4 red onion, diced fine

1/2 each red pepper and orange bell pepper, diced fine

1 jalapeno, diced fine

salt & pepper to taste

1 TBSP garlic

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried marjoram

butter and olive oil for cooking

I started off by par cooking the lima beans in boiling water, cooking them for about 5-7 minutes. Then I sauteed everything together in a combination of both olive oil and butter until the vegetables were tender but still had a little crispiness left to them.

Once everything was done, it was time to enjoy some good ol’ southern comfort food.

Stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.

I still have some ham that I am using up from the last time I cooked a big bone-in ham. I hadn’t made a pasta carbonara in quite awhile, so I decided it was time to make some for dinner.

Carbonara sauce originates from Rome, or Bologna to be more exact. A 96-year old chef named Renato Gualandi is the creator of this creamy sauce made with cream, eggs and hard cheese, such as Pecorino or Parmigiano Reggiano, or a combination of both, black pepper and basil. It is usually made with cured pork, bacon or ham. Often times it is made with peas too, but this time I added mushrooms and asparagus instead. Gualandi made his trademark dish in Italy, in 1944, using only ingredients that were available in town, mostly coming from army rations of dried foods and a little meat. Gualandi admitted he wanted to create something new, that could bring together Italian and Anglo-Saxon cuisine; with a bit of help from Slovenian culinary tradition (he said to have been inspired by a soup popular in Isdria, callled “spikrofi”), he concocted a sauce for spaghetti made of bacon, cream, processed cheese and dried egg yolk, topped with a sprinkle of freshly ground pepper. Gualandi’s velvety signature dish became an overnight sensation that is still enjoyed around the world today.

To go with our pasta carbonara, I heated up some ciabiatta and made an olive oil and balsamic vinegar dip, using some of my gourmet oil and vinegar I received as a Christmas present My Fun Christmas Loot and of course, a smooth, velvety chardonnay to complete the meal. Delicious!

Carbonara Sauce

6 oz pancetta, bacon or ham, chopped

2 cups cream

2 large egg yolks

1 1/2 cups either Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino cheese, or a combination of both

1-2 tsp black pepper

4 TBSP basil, chiffonade

I also used mushrooms and asparagus, which I cooked first in olive oil, along with the ham. I par cooked the asparagus first, then added it to the mushrooms and ham.

Once the ham, asparagus and mushrooms were cooked, I mixed the egg yolks and cream together and added it to the ham mixture.

Mix thoroughly then add the cheese and black pepper. Cook for just about 1-3 minutes, stirring constantly. You do not want to scramble the eggs. You are really only cooking the sauce long enough for the cheese to kind of melt a bit.

Add this creamy sauce over some cooked angel hair pasta and top it with the basil. I like it nice and peppery, so I added more pepper as a topping as well. This smooth, velvety sauce will literally just melt in your mouth. !Buon Appetito e Mangia!

Stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.

Normally, I do not write about my disappointments. Most of the time, I can make any recipe work. But this one …. Well, let’s just say its not my favorite. I LOVE anything with lemon and when I saw this recipe for lemon poppy seed muffins, I was really excited to try it. But when I made it, I was not all that impressed. First of all, it was not nearly lemony enough for my tastes. Though, if you prefer more subtle lemon flavors, these muffins may be just right for you. Secondly, they needed more flour. They were too soft, and almost mushy. I know, living in a higher altitude I need to make adjustments, like adding a bit more flour, reducing the oven temperature a bit and cooking it for a bit longer than the recipe calls for, but even with these adjustments, this recipe just didn’t really work out for me. Have no fear though, I am on a quest for the PERFECT lemon poppy seed muffin or cake, and I promise you I will find it or I will create it. 🙂

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 TBSP lemon juice

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup sour cream

2 TBSP poppy seeds

The Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

1 TBSP lemon juice

1 TBSP milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/8 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350* F.

Spray the muffin pan with cooking spray.

For the batter, mix all the dry ingredients together and set aside.

Then mix all the rest of the ingredients together well. Slowly add the flour mixture into with the wet ingredients and mix just long enough until everything is well incorporated. Then spoon the batter into the muffin pans, filling them completely.

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the muffins are lightly golden and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted through the center.

Allow the muffins to cool slightly before removing them form the pan.

Let the muffins cool completely before adding the glaze.

Mix all the ingredients together and drizzle over the cooled muffins, then serve them up and enjoy.

Stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.

For some reason, and I do not really know why, but whenever I have left over ham, a quiche is always in our future. Ham is very versatile and can be used in many different ways. Quiche is also very versatile and can be made with many different ingredients. But for some reason, ham and quiche just always seem to go together at our house. I think it is more Larry than me, since I love quiche with chicken and seafood too. Oh well, no matter how I make it, it always comes out very good. So I guess I will just keep on doing what I’m doing. 🙂

When I make my quiches, I make them with a lot of eggs; 8 in fact, so they are real light and fluffy, and grow to be “mile high”. (The city of Denver is the known as the Mile High City because its elevation is 5,280 feet above sea level, which is the equivalent of a mile, hence the name.) Mile High Crab Quiche You can certainly make quiche with less eggs, but I like the lighter, fluffier version much better.

There is really no specific recipe for making a quiche, because it really can be made with anything. The key ingredients, however, will always be eggs, cream or milk, cheese, and usually a crust or pastry shell of sorts as well, although, a lot of people are making them without the crusts now too. I also like to make mine in a springform cake pan for the additional support needed for the higher volume.

This time I made my quiche with ham, of course, spinach, mushrooms, garlic and shallots.

I cubed the ham, then sauteed the spinach, mushrooms, garlic and shallots with salt and pepper.

If you are making your quiche with a crust, roll out your dough to fit your pan.

Preheat the oven to 375* F or 190* C.

Spray your pan with cooking spray.

Firmly press the dough into your pan, then add a layer of cheese on the bottom of the dough. Add whatever you are using as your filling on top of the cheese. Whisk your eggs and cream or milk together, along with salt, pepper, and a dash of nutmeg, then pour it on top of your filling mixture. Once the quiche is filled, carefully place it in the hot oven and bake for about 60 minutes, or until the center is firm and the crust is golden brown. If the crust is cooking faster than the filling, cover it with aluminum foil and continue cooking until the center is firm to the touch. Once the quiche is cooked, allow it to set for about 5-10 minutes before cutting it.

Quiche is a simple, rustic dish, so I usually serve it with simple side dishes as well. This time it was left over potatoes that I “smashed”, some warm bread, and a light, citrusy chardonnay. C’est manifique!

Stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.

A traditional Italian Pomodoro sauce is made from extra virgin olive oil, onions, tomatoes, garlic, basil and other herbs and salt and pepper. It is the most classic Italian starter dish around. It is part of the Italian identity. But believe it or not, as much as we identify this dish as an Italian dish, it is really a fusion, as so many wonderful dishes are. Pasta originated in China and tomatoes were a gift presented to the Europeans from Spain via the New World.

The name Pomodoro literally means “golden apple”. The reason for the name is that first tomatoes in Italy were a little bit yellow in color, making them resemble their local apples.  Pomme, in French means apple. In Italy, tomatoes were originally called pomi d’oro or golden apple. Many sauces are made with a tomato base, including Pomodoro’s cousin, marinara sauce. What is the difference between the two sauces? They are both tomato based sauces, but a marinara sauce is usually a very thick, rich sauce, usually used with heavier, heartier food, whereas the Pomodoro sauce is very light and is not a thick sauce at all, and it is used with lighter dishes.

You all know how I get so tickled when I can recreate from my leftovers. When I made my bruschetta the other day, Wine and Nibblies I had quite a bit of my bruschetta mix leftover. I also had a bit more of another tomato based sauce I had made for something else. They were both more or less the same thing, with very similar ingredients, and were almost identical to a Pomodoro sauce. So I combined those together, added more garlic, shallots, sweet baby tomatoes and basil, along with some shrimp and angel hair pasta , and voila … Shrimp a la Pomodoro was created. I paired this up with some garlic cheese bread and a light chardonnay to make for a perfect Italian dinner.

I used leftovers for mine, but this is a recipe for a simple, traditional pomodoro sauce.

Shrimp a la Pomodoro

3 lbs tomatoes, diced

1-2 TBSP garlic

1/4 extra virgin olive oil

1-2 shallots

salt & pepper to taste

2-TBSP fresh basil, cut in chiffonade or cut into very thin strips

Saute the shallots and garlic in olive oil for about 5minutes, or until they are soft and translucent. Then add the tomatoes, basil and seasonings and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for an additional 20-30 minutes, stirring frequently.

I sauted my shrimp in one of my new olive oils from Viva Oliva !Viva Oliva! I used the Tuscan Herb olive oil for the shrimp. WOW!!! It added subtle hints of basil, oregano and thyme and the shrimp just came to life.

Once the shrimp were completely cooked, I removed them from the heat and made the rest of the sauce. I used my leftovers, and just added to what I already had, but if you were making your pomodoro sauce fresh, you would add the cooked shrimp into the sauce when it was done.

When everything is done, serve it atop some cooked angel hair pasta. Because this is a light sauce, you don’t want to use a heavy pasta. You will lose all the fresh flavors of the sauce if you do. Top it with a little extra fresh basil and Parmigiano or mozzarella if you like, and Buon Appetito! Dinner is served. !Mangia!

Stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.

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.