Author: ajeanneinthekitchen

I don’t know about you, but I love learning new things, even if they are fun, trivial facts. They just kind of brighten my day, and make me chuckle. That being said, I am going to offer you some fun food facts today. Hopefully they are new to you and bring a smile to you as well.

1. Pistachios are drupes, not drips, but drupes. 🙂 They are in the same family as cherries, peaches and olives. Pistachios are a rich source of protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals, which can help people with weight management, protect against diabetes and hypertension and improve digestion. The omega-3 fatty acids present in pistachios can help lower your blood pressure and may also reduce your risk of heart disease.

2. Caesar salad was actually invented in Tijuana, Mexico back in 1927. Hotel Caesar owner Caesar Cardini wanted to make dinner for friends, but didn’t have much at hand. Lettuce was tossed into a bowl with a dressing made from whatever he had on hand and salad history was made. This is new to me. I had always heard it was made and named after the old famous actor Caesar Romero.

3. In Spain and Mexico, avocados are called alligator pears due to their shape and bumpy, green skin, but in China and India they call them butter pears. Avocados must be picked when matured in order to ripen, which can take between 1-2 weeks.

4. You would think with names of states that both California rolls and Hawaiian pizza were American inventions. Nope. They were both created by our northern Canadian neighbors. California rolls were created by for the first time in Vancouver, British Columbia, by chef Hidekazu Tojo. As for the pizza, that was an experiment by Greek-Canadian Sam Panopoulos. According to Time Magazine, the name “Hawaiian” was given based on the brand of pineapple the chef was using at the time.

5. Bananas, pumpkins and lemons are berries, but raspberries are no. What???? Raspberries (along with strawberries and blackberries) are actually apart of the rose family. The way botanists categorise fruits means that “berries” are all developed from the ovary of a glower and have three layers – the skin, the flesh that we eat and the seeds. Sometimes you can eat the skin, sometimes you can’t. Sometimes you can eat the seeds, sometimes you can’t. I’m so confused now. What about you?

See all the fun things you can learn from “A Jeanne in the Kitchen”. I bet you didn’t know all of this before, but now you do. So if these ever come up in a game of trivial pursuit, you will have the answers. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Life is what you make it, so make it great. May 2026 be filled with happiness, good health and prosperity for all. ‘Til next time.

It is the middle of winter, and here in Colorado that can mean a lot of things. One day we will have a ton of snow. The next day, most of it will be gone. Then you can have sunshine for a few days and all the snow melts, and then BAM! More snow all over again. That also means that sometimes we see a lot of critters out and about, and sometimes we don’t.

Right now, we have a lot of our Canadian Geese around our ponds. And they are busy flapping their wings. Flapping their wings, especially when in the water, has different meanings too. They could just be bathing and keeping themselves clean, or stretching out their muscles, or communicating with the other geese around, or it could be part of a mating ritual. They all have their own reasons for flapping their wings, but the other day, they were just flapping away.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Life is what you make it. Make it great. ‘Til next time.

We love pizza. I might actually like it more than Larry does. But lately, we have been very disappointed with the pizzas we have been getting from our local pizza places. I’ve made pizza myself plenty of times, and we always like it better. But since we have been so disappointed so many times with our local pizza places, I have decided to make my own from here on out. Homemade is always better anyway. 🙂

I have played around with many different versions of pizza dough. Last night I tried a new, easier dough that I think may be the new winner.

The Dough

Pizza is one of those dishes that is a purely subjective dish. You can add whatever toppings you like and make it your own. This time I added pesto sauce, chicken, bacon and mushrooms.

4-4 1/2 cups flour

2 1/4 tsp dry active yeast

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 TBSP olive oil

1 1/2 cups water

Place 4 cups of the flour and all the other dry ingredients into the food processor, process on a low speed, then slowly add the olive oil and water. Process for about 30-40 seconds, then stop and rest for 2 minutes. Process again for an additional 30 seconds or until the dough forms into a ball. The dough ball will be sticky. Turn the dough ball onto a lightly floured surface with the remaining flour and knead it together until it is soft and pliable. Oil a large bowl with olive oil, add the dough ball and cover. Let rise for 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size.

While the dough is rising, cut and cook the bacon. Cook the bacon to almost crisp, since it will crisp up in the oven while baking. Add the mushrooms to the bacon, and cook in the bacon grease. My chicken was already cooked, since I was using my Costco rotisserie chicken. But if you are using raw chicken, definitely cook it completely before using it.

Preheat the oven to 500* F or 260*C.

Stretch out the dough to fill a large pizza round or pizza stone. Crimp the edges and make a decorative crust.

Add the sauce and completely cover the surface of the dough. Add a layer of mozzarella cheese (or your preference of cheese).

Add your toppings, then drizzle a bit more sauce on top, and cover with more cheese.

Bake for about 10-20 minutes, or until the dough is golden brown and the cheese on top is completely melted. A helpful little tip, especially if you like a crispier crust, is to spray the oven with water 3x within the first 10 minutes of baking to produce steam and allow for a better crust.

When the pizza is completely cooked, remove it from the oven and let it set for a few minutes before cutting. Enjoy !Mangia!

Have a great day and make everyday great. Life is what you make it, so make it great. May 2026 be filled with happiness, good health and prosperity for all. ‘Til next time.

Influential Women just sent me a little video, or vimeo as they call it, snippet they made. It was designed to help all of you get to know me a bit better. It’s only a minute long, but if you are interested in learning a little bit more about Jeanne from “A Jeanne in the Kitchen”, here is your chance. 🙂

Becoming a chef was a calling, not a career path. It was just something I had to do, even when at the time I started there were not many women in the industry. I did not choose it, it chose me.

Please feel free to share it with anyone who wants to learn how to cook, or how to cook better. 🙂

Cooking en papillote, or cooking something wrapped in either parchment paper or foil, is an old French way of cooking meats, fish and vegetables. Italians refer to this cooking method as al cartoccio. This current cooking technique has been around since the 17th century, though this method has really been around much longer and evolved from ancient nomadic practices of cooking food wrapped in leaves or clay, refined over time to produce a moist, aromatic dish with easy cleanup and impressive, tableside presentation. It steams the insides of the pouch in their own juices.

When cooking foods en papillote, the food is placed on parchment paper, often with herbs, vegetables, and a fat like butter, then sealed by folding and crimping the edges. The packet puffs up in the oven as steam builds, cooking the ingredients quickly.

For a change of pace, I decided to go fancy and French, and I prepared my cod and vegetables en papillote. Even though I tend not to cook a lot of fancy foods, I certainly know how, and every now and then I still do, just to stay in practice. But really, this cooking technique only looks fancy. In reality, it’s really very easy. 🙂

Cod and Vegetables En Papillote

I used cod this time, but you can use any hearty, thicker fish. You can also vary the vegetables used. This time I used zucchini, carrots, tomatoes, garlic and shallots. You can serve this fish by itself, or over rice or pasta with a light sauce, like I did.

2 large cod filets, cut into pieces about 4-5 oz each

1 carrot, sliced

1 zucchini, sliced very thin

1 shallot, sliced very thin

4-5 garlic cloves, sliced very thin

1 tomato, diced

olive oil

1/4-1/3 cup dry white wine

salt & fresh ground black pepper to taste

butter – I used my new Monet’s Garden specialty butter Bella La Crema

2-3 TBSP chopped basil, divided

Preheat the oven to 450*F or 233*C.

Get a large piece or either aluminum foil or parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Place it on a baking sheet.

Start with the fish pieces, then add the layers of vegetables, seasonings, butter and wine on top.

Add about 1/2 of the chopped basil before wrapping it up and baking. Crimp the edges tightly to keep all the liquids inside the pouch.

Bake for about 20 minutes or so. Before serving, open the pouch and release some of the steam.

You can serve it as it with your favorite side dishes, or you can can serve it over pasta or rice. I served mine over linguini with some of my leftover red curry cream sauce and then topped it with some fresh basil. To really make the meal French, I served warmed croissants on the side, topped with more of my Monet’s Garden butter from Bella La Crema, and a glass or two of a cool, crisp dry white wine on the side.

!C’est si bon! Delicieuse! The fish was so moist and tender and the delicate flavors all came together perfectly. We could really taste the deliciousness of the Monet’s Garden butter too. Those flavors really brought the fish to life.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Life is what you make it, so make it great. May 2026 be filled with happiness, good health and prosperity for all. ‘Til next time.

Last night was another night for my jewelry class. In this class we learned how to solder our bezels to the backing and how to make the decorative edging that will go around the bezel. It is a process, and we are all still learning, but I think it is coming along nicely. I can’t wait to see the finished piece. Soon. I just have to keep telling myself that. Then, we will move on to the next piece, which will be a bracelet.

I am only two weeks into my first session, and I get more and more excited about it all the time. 🙂

We still had some of our pork wraps Spicy Pork Wraps leftover and that’s what Larry wanted for dinner. I couldn’t just serve those and nothing else though. I had to make it a complete meal. So ….. I added a few things. I mixed and matched and ended up making it a mixed Asian plate. The pork wraps are Hunan Chinese. Then I added some orange chicken, also Hunan Chinese, (I cheated on these and bought them at Costco though. Usually I make my own, but I had a lot going on and was pressed for time so I improvised). But I needed something else. I made some lemon rice, which can be either Chinese or Indian. I still needed a vegetable though. I made another Indian dish, some Indian Stir-fry broccoli. The meal was complete. I had proteins, starch and vegetables. We were all set.

Indian Stir-Fry Broccoli

Broccoli isn’t normally used in a lot of Indian dishes, but it is easily adaptable to the Indian spices and flavorings. Broccoli is used a lot in many other Asian dishes though. This dish is easy-peasy and made with everyday ingredients.

1/2 onion, diced

1 medium, head of broccoli cut into florets

1 jalapeno diced, fine

1/4 red bell pepper, diced

1 TBSP garlic

1 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp ground coriander

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

salt to taste

water as needed

olive oil, butter or ghee

Get a large skillet very hot and add the oil or butter or ghee, then add the onions, peppers, garlic and spices and cook for about 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent.

Add the broccoli and stir constantly until the broccoli turns bright green.

Add a little water, cover and allow the dish to steam for a few minutes, until the broccoli is tender. When the broccoli is tender, the vegetables are done. Serve hot.

You don’t have to make your meal an Indian or Asian meal to enjoy your spiced broccoli this way. You can enjoy it with anything you like. It’s a delicious way to eat your vegetables and to get some more fiber into your diet. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Life is what you make it, so make it great. May 2026 be filled with happiness, good health and prosperity for all. ‘Til next time.

Once again, I invited the Queen over to play with me. This time we were in an Asian state of mind. I used my leftover pork from my curried pork pots Curried Pork Pots and turned it into spicy pork wraps. I made some green onion and cilantro crepes and stuffed them with the pork. I took these spicy pork wraps to the memorial we attended to honor our friend Melanie. Once again, they were a big hit and everyone loved them, along with my Nutella banana tart Nutella Banana Tart.

Green Onion & Cilantro Crepes

The trick to making great crepes is to make the batter ahead of time and refrigerate it overnight if possible, but for a minimum of at least 2 hours ahead before using.

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup water

1 cup flour

dash of salt

1/2 cup green onions, sliced thin

1/4 cup cilantro chopped

Mix everything together, cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours before using. When ready to make, get a small skillet VERY hot and spray with cooking spray. Add about 1/2 TBSP of butter AND spray before adding the batter for EACH crepe. Cook them individually. Add about 1/3 cup of batter and immediately rotate the skillet to get the batter to fill as much of the pan as you can. Try to keep it as even as possible. Cook until the batter has tiny bubbles all around and through the center, for about 1 minute, then carefully go around the edges with a spoon or a knife and flip. Continue to cook for an additional minute, or until golden brown, then remove and repeat.

Because I was making these as an appetizer, and wanted smaller portions, I cut each crepe in 1/2. Then I filled about 1-2 TBSP of filling per crepe and gently rolled them and plated them up. The filling is best when hot, but the crepes can be either hot or room temperature.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Life is what you make it, so make it great. May 2026 be filled with happiness, good health and prosperity for all. ‘Til next time.

***Did you notice something new at the bottom of my page? It is my official Influential Women badge, Influential Women indicating I have made a difference and am helping to influence men and women alike, though women in particular. Pretty cool, right?! 🙂

I feel incredibly honored. I was just interviewed by Steph Avignon at Influential Women and will be featured in their upcoming promotions, magazine and podcasts. Influential Women is a professional media and editorial platform featuring profiles, interviews, and stories that highlight women’s leadership across industries, including our official podcast and magazine. They Believe In The Power Of Women’s Voices at Influential Women. https://influentialwomen.com/

I will definitely keep you posted on when I will be featured, and all the other details, but I literally just got off the phone from my phone interview. I don’t feel like I am an influential woman, but apparently someone at Influential Women headquarters feels differently. I just do what I do and don’t really give it much thought. I’m just me. 🙂 Maybe I am actually influencing people after all. Who knew? 🙂

Last night, Larry and I attended a memorial for an old friend of ours. The reason for the gathering was indeed sad, but it was good to reconnect with our old friends from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, where we all worked for together for many years. The event was a potluck, which I have to admit, I love. I brought some of our wine that we made, a Nutella banana tart and some Asian pork wraps. Today I am going to focus on the Nutella banana tart though.

Nutella Banana Tart

Nutella and bananas is a great flavor combination. Each one highlights the other. This tart was so easy to make, yet it received rave reviews from everyone. It just goes to show things to have to be fancy to be good. 🙂 It only takes a few simple, everyday ingredients too.

I made the dough first and let it set in the refrigerator for about an hour before rolling it out and baking it. The dough was a simple pate sucre, or sugar dough, with ground hazelnuts.

The Dough

1 1/2 cups flour

6 TBSP cold butter, cubed

3/4 cup powdered sugar

dash of salt

3/4 cup ground hazelnuts

1 egg

5-6 TBSP heavy whipping cream

Grind the hazelnuts first, then add the flour, butter, salt and powdered sugar to the food processor and process until it is all blended together. Add the egg and cream and process again until it forms into a dough ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and let refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350* F or 180*C. Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. You want the dough to be no more than 1/4 inch in thickness. Roll it to the size of the pan you want to fill, then firmly press into the pan. I was using a large fluted tart pan.

Bake for about 40 minutes or until firm and lightly golden brown. Once it is baked, let it cool completely before filling.

The Filling

3-4 ripe bananas, sliced thin

1 -1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 cup Nutella hazelnut spread

roasted hazelnuts for topping

dried banana chips for topping

cocoa powder for topping, optional

Make the whipped cream first, getting it to medium stiff peaks. Remove about 1 cup and set aside. Add the Nutella to the larger portion and mix together thoroughly.

Fill the bottom of the pastry tart with the sliced bananas, making sure to cover the whole bottom.

Evenly spread the Nutella cream over the bananas. Whip the remaining whipped cream to stiff peaks, then pipe it in a decorative design then add the roasted whole hazelnuts and banana chips. Sprinkle a little cocoa powder over the piped whipped cream too if you like, to add a little extra pizzazz. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

I made enough dough to make some small tartlets for Larry and I to enjoy as well, though these weren’t nearly as fancy. I made them just for us. These weren’t meant to impress anyone else. 🙂 I made these first, and was kind of experimenting. I did not add the whipped cream to this version, but we decided it is much better with the Nutella cream rather than just the plain Nutella by itself. The Nutella cream is also much easier to work with too.

This is a simple, and simply elegant dessert. It was a definite crowd pleaser. Everyone raved about it, and you will too.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Life is what you make it so make it great. May 2026 be filled with happiness, good health and prosperity for all. ‘Til next time.