Author: ajeanneinthekitchen

Because of our warm fall so far, all of our birds, animals and plants have been going crazy, and their normal routines and migration patterns have all been thrown for a loop. That’s OK by me though. It means I get to enjoy them a bit longer. 🙂

Usually by now, our Herons are long gone. But not this year. This year, I still have a few that have decided to stay for as long as they can before moving on to wherever it is they go after leaving us. You will never hear a complaint from me when it comes to seeing my beautiful Herons for a longer period of time.

I can only speak for myself, but I will enjoy all of nature’s gifts for as long as I can, anytime, all the time. 🙂

Larry is out of town, visiting his mom in Hays, KS. Janet and Bob invited me to go try a new Indian restaurant with them. Of course I said yes. It was a fun evening with good friends, who are really family and we got to try a new restaurant in the process. It was a win/win for all, except Larry, who missed out. We tried a place called Janakpour Indian Restaurant, in Westminster.

Bob started us off by ordering a delicious Argentine Malbec. Then we ordered some vegetable samosas. Those were scrumptious! They came with a mint sauce and a tamarind sauce.

Then we did what we always do, and each of ordered something that we all shared. We ordered butter chicken, chicken vindaloo, and spiced cauliflower and potatoes, as well as an order of na’an bread.

The owner, Paban Thakur, served us, and was very friendly and helpful, and explained all the dishes to us. The food was fantastic, with large portions too. Even though we only took little bits of everything, a lot of little bits adds up to a lot, and by the end of the meal, we were all stuffed.

When we first arrived, there was only one other family there, but they gave us the 4 thumbs up review. Rightly so, too. Buy the time we left, the restaurant had filled up, and almost every table was seated.

Everything was amazing! We are already planning another trip in the near future, and this time, we might even bring Larry too. 🙂

Janakpur is a definite do-over for us, and I highly recommend to you as well, when in the Westminster, CO area. Janakpur is located at 9660 Wadsworth Parkway, Westminster, CO 80021. You can just drop in, like we did, or order on line, at http://www.janakpuindianrestaurant.com or jaakpur395@gmail.com. You can also call too at either (303) 466-6171 or (720) 270-9218. No matter how you decide to enjoy this dining experience, I promise you it will be deliciously fantastic. Enjoy!

Believe it or not, I am still seeing turtles. Maybe it is because we have had such a warm fall so far. I am not seeing many, and I am only seeing my smaller Red-Eared Sliders, and not my Snapping Turtles, but they are still coming out for a little extra Vitamin D. Usually by this time of year, the turtles are in deep hibernation and won’t be back out again until spring. But they are still out, enjoying the sunshine a little bit longer. I too am enjoying the sunshine for as long as I can. I don’t blame them one bit. 🙂

Soak up the rays and enjoy the sunshine. 🙂

Steak is a favorite all over the Untied States and in many other parts of the world as well. It is certainly a favorite in our house too. But what is the best way to cook a steak? What is the best temperature and level of doneness to enjoy it? Well, those are questions we will never have definitive answers for. The level of doneness is a very personal decision, and varies for everyone. And where you live also plays a role in determining how to cook a steak.

That being said, however, most steak masters and chefs will say a beautiful medium-rare is the best way to enjoy a good steak. If you were to ask a professional chef how they would want their steak to be cooked, nine times out of ten they would tell you medium-rare is the way to go. Medium rare steaks are red only in the very middle of the steak. The rest should be various shades of pink, with the outer edges browned. Cooking a steak medium-rare lets the natural beef flavor come out without being too cooked. The result is a steak that’s tender, juicy, and full of rich flavor. When you cook a steak to medium-rare the internal temperature is hot enough to allow excess moisture to escape through vapor or steam, keeping your steak juicy and flavorful. Medium or well-done steak not only exceeds the just right zone of protein balance, but it also causes moisture to evaporate from your meat, making the meat tough and dry.

My dad was an Aussie, and most Aussies, or at least when he was growing up, liked their steaks well done. To me, that is like eating shoe leather. YUCK! I, on the other hand, like it nice and rare; not quite still mooing, but close. Based on the above chart, a perfect steak for me is somewhere between 2-3. For Larry, it is more between 3-4. My friend Leslie prefers her steaks au bleu, or number 1 on the chart. But regardless of the temperature you like your steak, the best way to eat it and enjoy it is to eat it one bite at a time. 🙂

Here are some different cuts of beef and where they come from. Different cuts of beef also determine how to cook the meat. Different cuts lend themselves to different cooking methods, cooking times and temperatures.

Where’s the beef? Now you know. If you a steak eater, and have questions, hopefully this has helped a little.

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

The other day, while walking at Metzger Farm, I saw my ever watchful Red-Tailed Hawk before I saw my deer. Nature Walks – Oh Deer! I would have left very happy indeed just by seeing my hawk, perched up high in the tree, surveying the area. I was VERY happy indeed with the shots I got too. But my day just kept getting better and better. 🙂

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

We’ve been eating a lot of steak and chicken lately, so it was time for some pork. We had a delicious pork loin that I cooked Tuscan style, with garlic and rosemary.

Tuscan Style Pork Loin with Garlic & Rosemary

Brine the pork first for about 2 hours in the refrigerator before cooking. The brine helps keep the pork juicy and tender, while adding additional flavor as well.

The Brine

4 lbs pork loin

2 1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup coarse salt

10 cloves whole garlic

4-5 sprigs fresh rosemary

1 TBSP olive oil

1 cup dry white wine

pepper to taste

Combine everything together, except the wine, and mix well, then pour over the pork. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Garlic Rosemary Paste

8 cloves garlic

2 sprigs fresh rosemary removed from the stems

1 TBSP olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

Place everything in the food processor and blend until it becomes a thick paste.

Preheat the oven to 325* F or 163* C.

Pat the pork dry with a paper towel.

Get a large skillet very hot and add butter and olive oil. Brown the pork, fat side down, for about 8 minutes, or until well browned. Add 1 cup dry white wine to the skillet, bring to a boil and scrape the skillet.

Slice the pork down the middle and generously spread the garlic rosemary paste on both sides of the pork loin.

Place the pork in a baking dish sprayed with cooking spray, with the browned side down. Add more of the garlic rosemary paste on top.

Pour the wine mixture into the baking dish and on top of the pork. Roast for about 65-80 minutes, coating with the juices about every 20 minutes. Add water if needed. You want the internal temperature of the pork to be at least 140* F or 60*C before serving.

Once the roast is done, remove it from the heat and let it rest for about 15 minutes before slicing. Top it with some of the cooking juice.

I served it alongside creamy mashed potatoes, a blend of roasted fall vegetables, my Italian torta Torta di Testo di Prosciutti e Formaggio and the same dry white wine I used for the sauce. Delicious! It was a perfect fall dinner.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ’til next time.

I am so blessed and lucky to live where I do. Even in the “burbs”, we are surrounded by nature and all kinds of wildlife. I am always excited when I see the wildlife. But yesterday, OMG!!!! That excitement was elevated by a factor of about 10+.

I always hope to see deer, or elk, or maybe even a moose, when we are up in the mountains, but I NEVER expected to see deer a mile away from my house. And not just one deer, but two. WHOOOOO HOOOOOO!!!

I was walking along the trail at Metzger Farm, when I saw two very large ears way off in the distance. I thought my eyes were deceiving me, so I zoomed in as much as I could with my camera. I couldn’t believe it. I saw not one, but two white tailed mule deer. I apologize for the graininess and mediocre quality of the pictures, but the deer were at least 150-200 yards away. At least I got them though.

Life is great. It is always full of surprises. You just never know what to expect. Make the most out of every chance you get.

It is that time of year once again. Time to make my caramels once more. Priscilla and I will be continuing our tradition of making our caramels together, but I wanted to try something new as well.

I created a new caramel flavor. Mocha Caramel. I haven’t cut it yet, but I have tasted it. OH YEAH! I like it – A LOT!

Making caramels can be tricky. You have to get each boil to a certain temperature in order for the caramel to set just right. Here in Colorado, that temperature varies depending on the weather. You have to use a candy thermometer, and the temperature, for both boils, needs to be somewhere between 235-240*F. If the temperature isn’t high enough, the caramel won’t set. If it is too high, it will not be soft caramel, but will be more like a hard toffee instead, which is still good, just not what I am striving for when making caramels.

I thought I was at the right temperature when I made it the other day, but when I tried to cut my caramel, it was way too soft and didn’t set. So I scraped the whole batch back into the pot and boiled it again, this time getting the temperature a little higher than I did the other day. After pouring it into the prepared pan, you have to let it set for at least 1 day before cutting it. I felt it today, and stuck a knife in it earlier, and I think it will be fine to cut today.

Jeanne’s Caramel

My basic recipe has only four ingredients; sugar, butter, Karo dark syrup, and heavy whipping cream. I always make a double batch since I make it for Christmas gifts.

4 sticks of butter

4 cups sugar

4 cups Karo dark syrup

4 cups heavy whipping cream, divided

Prepare a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray and butter rubbed all over.

Combine everything together in a large, heavy pot, using only 1/2 the cream. Bring to a boil of at least 235*F, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Add the rest of the cream at this point, and bring to a boil once again, getting the temperature to somewhere between 235-240*F once more, again stirring constantly.

Once the second boil is complete, carefully pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Cover with wax paper and let set overnight before cutting.

For my mocha caramel, the basic recipe is the same, but I added 8-10 oz of chocolate and 2 TBSP of espresso powder to the mix, along with the second addition of cream after the first boil.

Oh it just melts in your mouth, literally. This is my first batch of mocha caramel, but it definitely is now on the permanent list, with our plain caramel and our chocolate pecan caramel, another creation of mine. 🙂

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

Yesterday, when out walking I came across a big spider creeping on the sidewalk, into the grass. Spiders do not bother me, so I got as close as I could without scaring it away and took a few pictures. I thought a spooky spider was just perfect for the Halloween season. 🙂

I know it’s a bit early, but have a Spooktacular Halloween. 🙂

I love bread and I love to make bread too. I can easily make bread a meal all by itself, and have done so on many occasions. But usually I don’t eat just bread alone, not any more at least, since we all know, man cannot survive on bread alone. I usually serve bread on the side. We eat it most nights. And I love having fresh baked, warm bread with soup too.

When I made my creamy pumpkin and turkey soup, Creamy Pumpkin and Turkey Soup I was also making some Italian bread with prosciutto and Swiss cheese, also known as torta di testo di prosciutti e formaggio. It is even stated in the recipe notes how this delicious bread goes very well with soup. It’s like they knew I would serve it with soup. 🙂 Had I read the directions before making it though, I would have known I needed to start the bread making process much earlier than I did in order to have it it with our first round of soup. We enjoyed it the next day and then again while enjoying our soup leftovers.

Torta di Testo di Proscuitti e Formaggio

This bread takes about 5-6 hours to make from start to finish. It is a labor of love, but definitely worth every minute put into it. It is not difficult to make, it is just time consuming.

2 1/4 tsp dry active yeast

1/3 cup +2 TBSP warm water

3 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

pinch of nutmeg

1/2 cup softened butter

4 eggs, beaten

5 oz prosciutto, chopped

5 oz Swiss or Emmental cheese, diced

olive oil

Mix the yeast and water together and let dissolve.

Mix the flour, salt and butter together until it resembles coarse sand.

Add the cheese and prosciutto to the flour mixture and mix well.

Mix the eggs with the yeast mixture. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, then add the eggs and yeast and work in to the flour, from the inside out, until it is all mixed together and you have a soft, sticky dough.

Knead on a lightly floured surface for about 10 minutes, or until the dough is silky and elastic. Then put the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover and let rise for about 2 hours.

Punch the dough and let rest for an additional 10 minutes, then shape it into a round loaf. Lightly oil a baking pan and place the dough on the oiled pan to let proof for another hour. I used chili olive oil, for just a little extra pizzazz, but olive oil is perfectly fine.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350*F or 180*C. Then bake for 1 1/2 hours or until golden brown. Allow it to cool before slicing.

This bread is delicious no matter what, but I think it is best when served warm or hot, smeared with butter. 🙂

Whenever I make a meal of soup and bread, I always think of my picture that hangs in my kitchen. It hung in my kitchen all while growing up and now it proudly hangs in my own kitchen too. In fact, it will always hang in my kitchen, no matter where my kitchen happens to be. I just love this picture.

Sorry for the glare. It is what it is.

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