TWD: Pizza Rustica...YUMMY

I love my cookbook Baking with Julia by Dorie Greenspan. I didn't always...I only bought it for the pictures. To be honest, if a recipe takes up two pages, not including the picture, forget it. OK, get over it. Thanks to Tuesdays with Dorie, I no longer dismiss long recipes, especially since the inductions make it so easy and the results...YUM! Here's my Pizza Rustica. Borrow my book if you want the recipe, or go out and get your own copy...happy baking!!! The crust is a breeze, especially since my food processor did all the work. The crust is a little sweet and goes perfectly with the salty filling. My son and husband loved it!

Going to my happy place...macaron love fest!

Rainy days in the Northwest always make me yearn for happy days in San Francisco.  Why?  I don't know.  I lived in SF for many years, and I know they have their gloomy days too, but they have one thing that is lacking in my life right now...a good macaron.  If you're in the San Francisco, head down to the Ferry Building, enjoy the tastes and smells from all the vendors, but make sure to take a box of macarons from Miette back to your hotel room...mmmmm, go have one for me.

Salsa!!!

“If you swap the basic proportions in your diet—increasing unprocessed fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and whole grains—you’ll wind up losing weight and improving your overall health while also improving more difficult-to-measure situations like global warming, the environment in general, and animal welfare.” ~Mark Bittman, The Food Matters Cookbook Cinco De Mayo Weekend, perfect weekend to make SALSA!!!  I actually spent Cinco De Mayo driving 4 hours with my husband and dog, to Washington State University, then moving our son out of his fraternity...ugh, then driving back.  We later celebrated Cinco De Mayo at our favorite Sushi bar.  OK, the next day, it was all Mexican all day! So I started with the Tomatillo-Black Bean Salsa, mind you, I have no idea how to pick out tomatillos.  I just picked them randomly.  I used canned organic black beans, I had no time to deal with dried beans.  I chopped everything by hand and the salsa turned out delicious. The corn salsa was a different story... First of all, corn isn't really in season yet, so the corn I bought was a bit pitiful.  My husband grilled it, but was worried the little tiny kernels would not be ale to take the heat.   The corn salsa was ok.  I'll try it again later in the summer when corn is in season.

For the recipe got to http://bigeatstinykitchen.com/2012/05/07/a-tale-of-two-salsas-basic-salsa-and-rhubarb-salsa/
To see other interesting versions go to http://thefoodmattersproject.com/2012/05/07/five-quick-salsas-for-chips-dips-and-other-stuff/#comments

FFWD: Almond Halibut Meunière and Friands

So the recipe selection for French Friday with Dorie is Almond Flounder Meunière ... There was no Flounder at my neighborhood store.  I suppose I could have planned better, but this sometimes happens when you start planning Friday dinner after work on Friday.  OK, at $24.99 a pound for Halibut, a fish I don't really like, this better be good! So, I figured if the halibut is not edible, I'll have my lovely Friands for dinner. I have to say, it wasn't bad.  Actually, the halibut was delicious. I took Dorie's advise and served the fish with roasted fingerling potatoes, butter and chives. My husband poured Sauvignon blanc and Friday night dinner was served! The both recipes can be found in Dorie Greensoan's Around My French Table. CHECK http://www.frenchfridayswithdorie.com/ to see the other versions of this easy and delicious recipe!

FFWD: Navarin Printanier

A very French Friday meal started with Sardine Rillettes, cornichons and a baguette.  Now get my IPad and open Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table.  If you don't already have this book...GO GET IT!!! As I nibbled I finished up the Navarin Printanier, lamb stew with spring vegetables.  My least favorite ingredient to prep, but love...small white onions.  It takes a little time to peel them, but worth it! Red potatoes, carrots and turnips.   I didn't peel the carrots, turnips, or potatoes, a time-saving thing in my case.  I should also mention, I seared the lamb earlier in the day and put it in the slow cooker with broth, cloves of garlic, herbs, tomato paste and flour, then went to work.   Fast Forward 8 hours... OK, throw everything in a Dutch oven...I accidentally added a little Pinot noir...then simmer, simmer, simmer.  When the potatoes are done...YUM! To check out other versions, go to http://www.frenchfridayswithdorie.com/ Enjoy!

Food matters project: mostly whole wheat baguette

If you know me, you know I am afraid of YEAST!!!  I avoid making bread, I leave the pizza dough for my husband to make...eeeeeeek!  Well, I Ned to get over myself, seriously.  I once owned a wholesale baking company, but dodged yeast, by focussing on muffin, scones, and shortbread. Ok, so I've watched bread being made hundreds of times, but I still turned to YouTube, just in case.  I didn't have to decide on a recipe, because I knew I would be making "Mostly Whole Wheat Baguettes" from Mark Bittman's The Food Matters Cookbook, so that lessened the stress.   I have to say, the baguette wasn't the traditional baguette, dense and a bit heavier, but good. The process wasn't hard.  I used my mixer and the dough hook.  I still had to get my hands on the the dough at the end to pull it all together.  Not a lot of kneading. I think yeast and I are finally friends. For the recipe, go to http://thefauxmartha.com/ and to check out other versions of the baguette, go to http://thefoodmattersproject.com/

An Icy pick-me-up, not found at Starbucks...Vietnamese Iced Coffee!

Today I am Spring Cleaning...yuck...and getting organized after a week on vacation. I've been going, going, going since this morning. The only thing that can help me right now is an iced coffee, a Vietnamese Iced Coffee. Usually, I would go down to I Love Pho, down the hill, but today, I am going to make it myself!!! Fortunately, I made extra coffee in my French Press this morning and cooled it just for this moment. This is all you need: 1 cup cooled strong coffee 2 T sweetened condensed milk ice cubes Put everything in a shaker and SHAKE! Now pour in a tall glass and enjoy!