A Jeanne in the Kitchen

I have been taking my walks earlier in the day, before the heat sets in.  My feathered and reptilian friends like the cooler part of the day too.  They too were out enjoying the cooler morning temperatures.

Our pelicans disappeared awhile ago, but today, there was one lone pelican swimming around and enjoying himself on the lake.

The egret thought this was his lake though, and was not to happy to find out that once again, he had to share his lake with Mr. Pelican.

One of our resident turtles lifted his head to see what all the commotion was about,

but quickly decided it was nothing to concern himself over and went back to relaxing on his log.

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

 

Last year, Sheree was the winner extrordinaire of our first annual Great Blogger’s Bake-Off. She was an instant success and fame and fortune came calling. Now, we are drawing near to yet another fantastic year and yet another Great Blogger’s Bake-Off. Will Sheree be able to retain her crown or will there be a new King or Queen crowned? We will soon know the results. If you have not submitted your recipes, there is is still time. Quickly get them in to Mel at https://crushedcaramel.wordpress.com/. Good Luck Everyone!

So much for not making a lot of sweets and treats.  I was so doing so well for awhile, and then ….. Well, I started making them again, which lead to me making more and more.  It’s a vicious cycle, I tell you.  When I made my custard for the mixed berry tart Mixing the Berries I had so much left over that I just had to make something else with it.  So of course I did.  I was going to make a Boston cream pie, which is actually a cake by the way, and I sort of did, but I also had strawberries that needed to be used, so I added them to the filling.

The Boston cream pie is a classic American dessert.  It was first created in 1856 by the Armenian-French chef, Salzian to celebrate the grand opening of The Parker House Hotel in Boston, MA.  It is believed the inspiration for this cake was from the American dessert known as the Washington pie.

The Boston cream pie is very clearly a layered cake, so why is it called a pie?  When this dessert was first created, pies and cakes were cooked in the same pans and the names of “pie” and “cake” were used interchangeably.  The Boston cream pie is a yellow butter cake filled with a custard or cream filling and topped with a chocolate glaze or a chocolate ganache.  The name Boston cream pie sounded better than Boston cream cake, and the name pie just stuck.  That is what is has been known as ever since.  Of course I added my own flair and personality, which means I can call this classic dessert anything I want.  So for me, this particular cake is now a strawberry custard cake.

 

Strawberry Custard Cake

6 TBSP soft butter

8 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 cup flour or cake flour

1 cup corn starch + 2 TBSP

2 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla

simple syrup

2 TBSP of your favorite liqueur

custard

strawberries, sliced

chocolate ganache for the topping.

 

Preheat the oven to 350* F or 180* C.

2 8-inch cake pans sprayed with cooking spray and lined with parchment paper.

 

Mix the flour, salt and cornstarch together and set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar together then add the eggs, one at a time, mixing in between each addition.  Add the vanilla.  This will be very liquidy batter.

Add the flour mixture to the eggs and either fold in with a rubber spatula or whisk it together with a whisk.  The batter will thicken up just right after adding the flour and cornstarch.

Once the batter has thickened up, pour it into the prepared caked pans, making sure to evenly divide the batter and bake for about 40 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.

Let the cakes cool completely before filling with the custard.

Before spreading the filling, make the simple syrup and brush over the tops of the cakes.  This is to help keep the cakes moist, and it also adds a hint more flavor.

To make the simple syrup, bring 1/3 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of water to a rapid boil, stirring constantly.  Then let it cool completely and add 2 TBSP of your favorite liqueur.  Mix together thoroughly.  This time, I added a little rose water and and I used Frangelico hazelnut liqueur.

Spread the custard evenly around the bottom layer of the cake.  Then add the strawberry slices.  I also added an extra layer of custard, but this is optional.  Carefully place the other cake layer on top.

The easiest way to make a chocolate ganache is to add equal amounts of chocolate, either dark or milk, and heavy whipping cream to a saucepan.  Melt the chocolate completely while stirring constantly.  You will have a nice thick and shiny glaze.

Then carefully pour the mixture over the cake, pouring it over the center of the cake.  Keep pouring it slowly until the chocolate spreads over the whole cake.  You want it to drip down around the sides of the cake.  Place the cake in the refrigerator until you are ready to enjoy it.

I used some leftover chocolate that I had bought for Easter, and I didn’t realize it had krispies in it.  Oh well.  It just gave the cake even more character and personality.  Sometimes we all need a little extra character and personality.  That’s what keeps life fun and interesting.

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

 

 

 

 

Though our day did not go as planned at all, Elizabeth and I still managed to enjoy ourselves and made the best out of the situation.  Strolling Through the Orchard – Part 1  After all, “life is like a box of chocolates.  You never know what you’re goin’ to get”, Forrest Gump.

Aside from all the beautiful flowers and artwork, the other bright spot for the day was stopping in at Bitto Bistro for some afternoon wine tastings.

The owners and staff at Bitto Bistro believe in the heritage and traditions of food and culture around the world and in supporting the craft of traditional artisan fare. As such, they are pleased to share with you some of the best the world has to offer in Artisan Cheeses and Charcuterie (cured meats, sausages and pates). Because buying local is also important to them, they source their products from area businesses, farms and dairies whenever possible.

The first W&C was opened in Estes Park in 2006, the concept was relocated to the Orchard Town Center (off I-25 and 144th Ave) in 2010. In early 2015, the company was restructured to allow for continued growth and improvements. This next chapter sees them growing into Bitto Bistro where they will expand the menu while still featuring their amazing platters! “It’s still us, just with a name that lets us grow with our own identity.”

Bitto Bistro has a seemingly infinite number of wines they offer, which is understandable since one of the owners, Barney Treadway, is President and Sommelier of the Wine Education Institute of Denver.

No matter what time the clocks say, it is ALWAYS wine-o’clock somewhere.

We did not enjoy any of the food this time because it was so close to dinner, although I was eyeing the cheese and charcuterie platter from the people sitting across from us.  It was a beautiful presentation and they looked like they were really enjoying every bite of it too.  This time, we just ordered some wine.  Elizabeth had a flight of reds to taste, whereas I just enjoyed a glass of a dry white that I told our waiter to surprise me with.  He brought me an a cool, crisp Italian white.  We were both happy with our choices.

Live, love and enjoy the wine.  Whether you are going in for just a glass or two of wine, or appetizers or a full meal, you will be very pleased you stopped in at the Bitto Bistro.   Bitto Bistro is located in The Orchard Town Center, at 14697 Delaware St #1000, Westminster, CO 80023.  You can find them online at http://www.bittobistro.com or you can call them at (303) 452-4900.

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

 

 

My friend Elizabeth and I had a girl’s day out, finished with pizza for dinner after Larry got home from golf and the remainder of the mixed berry custard tart for dessert.  Mixing the Berries  So I was not in the kitchen cooking at all.

The original plan was for Elizabeth and I to go paint, but once we got to the painting place, we found it it was closed.  So we headed over to The Orchard outdoor mall instead.  Though the flowers and murals were beautiful and very colorful, there were more stores and restaurants closed than open.  The whole scene was a very sad sight to see.  The streets were basically empty with the exception of the few hopeful shoppers.  It was like walking through a ghost town.  But as usual, we made the best of it and still managed to enjoy ourselves.

The plants and flowers.

The artwork and murals.

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

If you haven’t submitted your favorite BBQ, Picnic and Baking recipes, it’s not to late. There is still a little time left to get those recipes and pictures into Mel for our big contest. the results will be out soon! Who’s the best and top of their field for 2020? Will it be you?

We finally had a little reprieve from the scorching hot days, so I was able to take a good walk around our lakes again.  It was relatively cool and very comfortable.  It was also a pretty quiet walk.  Most of our fury and feathered friends were off doing something else, but I did run into a few old friends who were just hanging out, doing their thing.

A swallow looking over everything from up high.

A red-winged blackbird scanning over things from the trees.

A shy egret.

And a talkative egret.

A cormorant spreading his wings.

And a duck just lying low.  Can you believe this is one of the “babies”?  She’s not a baby any more.

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

When I think of roasting something, I think of something being cooked in the oven or on an open fire.  It is a hot, dry method of cooking which requires a higher temperature (400°F and above) to create a browned, flavorful “crust” on the outside of the food being cooked, and it is typically done in an open, uncovered pan. This method of cooking is used for meats, vegetables, potatoes and nuts.  But did you know you can also roast something on the stove too?  Long before ovens were common in every house hold, this is exactly what people did.  They would roast their foods on the stove in a cast iron skillet.  It is similar to pan-frying, only you use less oil and the cooking method is a dryer method.  The purpose of this is to give your foods a crispy, crusty coating on the outside while keeping the inside of the foods moist and tender.

We decided it was a fried chicken kind of night.  For side dishes, I used our leftover Brussels sprouts salad and then made some spicy skillet roasted potatoes.  It was a new recipe and I really didn’t feel like putting the oven on, so skillet roasted potatoes it was.  They were very good too, and cooked just like they were supposed to be; crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

Spicy Skillet Roasted Potatoes

1 1/2 lbs red potatoes, either cut in 1/2 or quartered

2-3 TBSP canola oil

salt & pepper to taste

1 TBSP garlic

1 jalapeno, diced fine

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp paprika

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped fine

 

Mix everything together, except the cilantro and the oil.  Get the oil very hot and then place the potatoes face down in the skillet.  Do not over crowd them and make them in batches if needed.

Let the potatoes cook for about 5-7 minutes without stirring them, then turn them so they cook evenly, and continue to cook for another 5-7 minutes, adding the garlic and jalapenos into the skillet too.  Once the potatoes are cooked, remove them from the heat and toss in the chopped cilantro.

The potatoes are now ready to enjoy with the rest of your meal.

The potatoes came out with a delicious spicy, smoky flavor that went very well with fried chicken.  I used olive oil, like the recipe said to do, but from here on out I am going to use canola oil instead.  Olive oil has a much higher smoke point and burns to easily.

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COMING SOON! The results of our 2020 BAKING and PICNIC CONTEST will soon be posted. Mel has been working hard, collecting all sorts of wonderful entries. I have to confess, I have not yet looked at the entries. I will do so this weekend, after we have them all. I too want to be surprised. I am anxiously and eagerly anticipating all the great recipes and photos you have all submitted. It’s not to late. There are still a few more days to get those entries into Mel at crushedcaramel@gmail.com. Show us what you’ve been cooking.

Salads are eaten in most parts of the world and have been a popular dish to eat since the days of the Roman Empire.  They were made with leafy vegetables that were topped with a salty, oily dressing.  The word salad comes from the Latin word sal, which means salt.  The possibilities of how to make a salad are endlessly delicious.

Some salads have everything tossed together and others are composed.  What’s the difference between a tossed salad and a composed salad you might ask?  A tossed salad is just that.  The name is pretty self explanatory.  Whereas a composed salad, or salade compose in French, is a salad made with many different ingredients that are neatly or artfully arranged side by side on the plate.

As with many dishes, the Chef’s salad originated by using up small bits of sliced meats and cheeses that were placed on top of a bed of greens and served with other vegetables and hard boiled eggs, to try to save money.  Some people say it was created at the Ritz Carlton in New York, by Chef Louis Diat in the 1940’s.  Other people say it was created by Chef Kevin Fabrizio in Dover, New Hampshire.  Either way, it is has become a very popular American salad that is enjoyed by many.

The main ingredients for a Chef’s Salad are a couple of kinds of meat, usually either ham, turkey or chicken, a couple of kinds of cheese, vegetables and a hard boiled egg all artfully arranged on a bed of greens, served with the dressing of your choice.  Those are the basics.  The particulars are up to you.

I made our salads with julienned or thinly sliced ham and turkey with tomatoes, red onions, red bell peppers and green beans.  Since I am not much of a cheese eater, especially NOT cold or bleu cheeses, I did not add cheese to my salad.  Larry, on the other hand, loves cheese, so his salad was loaded with cheese.  I put cheddar, jalapeno jack and bleu cheese on his salad.  I whipped up a tomato-basil vinaigrette to dress up our our salads to make for a delicious, healthy summer meal, served with some warmed ciabatta and a glass or two of a cool, crisp chardonnay.

 

Tomato-Basil Vinaigrette

2 tomatoes, cored and cubed

1 small shallot

1 TBSP garlic

10-15 basil leaves

salt & pepper to taste

1/3 cup Balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

 

Just put all the ingredients into the food processor and blend until it becomes a liquid.  Or chop everything fine and whisk together by hand.  It will be more of a blended dressing if you use a food processor, and a chunkier version if you mix it by hand.  Either version is fine.  It just depends on what you are looking for.  Since it is all going to be blended together anyway, go ahead and use those ugly tomatoes.  They taste the same, and no one will ever know they were the prettiest of tomatoes to start with once your dressing is made.

Once the dressing is made, arrange your salad then top with the dressing and enjoy all those cool, fresh flavors.

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