Chicken with Shaved Cantaloupe

This is a bit of a spin on a Bon Appetit recipe from the latest issue. Their recipe was for pork cutlets with a cantaloupe salad. The pork became chicken, the julienned salad became shaved ribbons of cantaloupe, the sliced pepper became sambal oelek... red onion instead of green... You know... just how I always follow a recipe.

I love recipes. I read cook books like other people read novels. I've just never been convinced they are sacrosanct in a non-commercial setting. I get that in a restaurant setting things need to be consistent. I remember a hundred years ago when I worked at The Red Chimney in San Francisco, the owner, Ed Taylor, was in the kitchen every night at 5 to 5 tasting the Bearnaise Sauce - and if it wasn't exact, it was thrown out and redone until it was. When I worked in health care, it was paramount that recipes were followed exactly so everyone knew exactly what the patients were - or weren't consuming.

But at home? Pffffft! It's whatever goes.

This was fun because the chicken marinated in shredded cantaloupe before it was grilled - something I shall be doing, again.

Chicken and Cantaloupe

  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1/2 cup grated cantaloupe
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • drizzle of olive oil
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Mix together and place in baggie with chicken. Let marinate about an hour, give or take. Grill over fairly hot heat until cooked.

Meanwhile, make the cantaloupe topping.

  • 1/2 cantaloupe thinly sliced - use a mandoline, if you have one
  • 1/2 red onion, very thinly sliced
  • 1 heaping teaspoon sambal oelek
  • chopped parsley
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 scant teaspoon fish sauce
  • pepper
  • chopped salted peanuts

Mix the cantaloupe slices with the onion, sambal oelek, parsley, lemon juice, pepper, and fish sauce. Place atop the cooked chicken and finish with chopped peanuts.

This one is a definite keeper. I can see a few different variations on this theme. Cantaloupe really is refreshing and it's the perfect fit with a summer meal.

Maybe next year we'll grow some cantaloupe out in the south 40!

 

 


Blueberries and Cauliflower

I'm still working on cauliflower from the garden. It's pretty amazing how many different ways one can prepare the same vegetable. I have to admit my cauliflower repertoire was pretty slim - steamed, roasted, au gratin - the basics. I've had to get a bit more creative with plants in the back yard. Not that I'm complaining. Far from it, in fact. I'm loving every head of lettuce, cauliflower, beet, squash, you name it that's coming up. But it does take a rethinking of things. For me, that's a good thing. As much as I like to cook, I can get into ruts really easy. Stopping and thinking once in a while is a good thing.

Tonight was all about using up another half a head of cauliflower in a way that Nonna would eat it. That means mushy - my least favorite way to eat any vegetable. I hit upon a fritter of sorts. Cook it, mash it, bread it, fry it. How could it be wrong?

Well - it couldn't be. This was good. Really good. And really simple. I used a fairly good sized half-head of cauliflower for this. Figure out what you have and adjust as necessary.

Cauliflower Fritters

  • 1/2 head cauliflower, cut into florettes
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 cup grated cheese
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • salt & pepper, to taste
  • Bread crumbs

Boil cauliflower until over-cooked. Drain well and mash. Stir in 1/2 cup flour and 1 cup grated or shredded cheese. Use your imagination - any cheese or combination will work. Add 2 eggs, salt and pepper, and mix well.

Place bread crumbs in a bowl. Using a small scoop, drop scoops of cauliflower mixture into bread crumbs, flatten slightly, cover completely, and place on a sheet pan.

Fry in neutral oil until brown and crispy.

They were really good - and Nonna ate two of them!

Next up was a mixed grill with a blueberry fig sauce. This months Saveur magazine had a recipe for BBQ Chicken with a Blueberry Sauce. I had blueberries and figs, along with chicken, pork, and andouille sausage. A dinner was born...

Blueberry Fig Sauce

  • 11 oz fresh blueberries
  • 6 fresh figs
  • 2 cups apple cider vinegar
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 tsp chili flakes
  • pinch cinnamon
  • 1 bay leaf

Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Mash the fruit a bit, stir well, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover, and let cook about an hour, stirring now and again.

Remove from heat and use an immersion blender (easier than a real blender) to make it as smooth as possible. Strain through a fine mesh strainer, return to pan, and let simmer, again, until reduced by about a third.

From there it can be refrigerated until you want to use it.

Brush on your meat of choice towards the end of cooking, and have some available to really douse the meat after it comes off the grill.

Once you taste the sauce, you'll find lots of uses for it - from topping ice cream to making salad dressings.

'Tis the season for fresh fruits and vegetables, but come winter, this would work with frozen, really easily.

 


Dixie Chicks, Chocolate, and What If...

Last summer we learned that The Dixie Chicks were going to be touring - and they had a show planned for Hershey. Tickets wouldn't go on sale until November, so we set a reminder and bought them the first day we could. We printed them out and put them away.

Fast-forward seven months. Friday was the show.

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All I can say is The Dixie Chicks are back with a vengeance! What a fantastic show!

Neither of us had ever been to The Sweetest Place on Earth™  so we arrived early to check out the town. First off, if you've never been to Hershey, Pennsylvania, be prepared for chocolate.

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It's a company town. Chocolate Avenue, Cocoa Way, Hershey-this, and Hershey-that. Street lights downtown are shaped like Hershey Kisses. Hershey dominates. And all roads lead to Hersheypark. One word.

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Not really knowing where to start, we went logical - Hershey's Chocolate World. It's a faux-factory tour and a dozen ways to get you to part with your money. My complaint is you don't actually get to see that real chocolate being made. We toured a Hershey factory in California when we lived there, but that plant is now closed and the chocolates are now being made in Mexico - thank you, NAFTA. This was a very Disney-esque ride done with props and a lot of video.

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It was fun - it just wasn't seeing real chocolate being made - which really is kinda cool.

Not wanting to spend exorbitant amounts of money on Hershey-Logo'd clothes or other really dumb items, we left Chocolate World and headed up the the Hotel Hershey.

When I first started looking at where to stay, the Hotel Hershey was the first place I looked. And, at $456.00/night, I started looking elsewhere, right away. After seeing the hotel, I may have been a bit hasty. The place ain't half-bad. This is the back of the hotel. Pools, fountains, and huge expanses of green lawn abound.

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The hotel was staffed. And I mean staffed. There were people everywhere to do anything for you - with smiles on their faces. We walked into a couple of the gift shops and walked out with a couple of trinkets and bottles of Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar and Chocolate Raspberry Vinegar. We tasted it in the shop - both are ridiculously good!

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Besides the obvious topping on ice cream, there are a few ideas floating around in my mind... Stay tuned...

We headed back to our hotel for a bit of freshening up before the concert. This is the hotel next door to us - and, yes, they were open and renting rooms.

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A little rustoleum, a little paint ...

But I digress... It was off to Hersheypark Stadium for the concert!

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The place is pretty big - Paul McCartney's going to be playing there in July - but not arena huge. And we had good seats - 18 rows back, center stage.

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The concert was scheduled for 7pm. At 6:45pm, a few raindrops fell. At 6:50pm, the skies opened and a deluge fell from the shy. They cleared the seats and had us all under the stands.

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It poured for an hour. Everyone was soaked - and after a few minutes, in ridiculously good moods. We finally were able to get back to our seats and at 9pm the concert began.

They opened with The Long Way Around and went right into Lubbock or Leave It, and  then Truth #2.

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The backdrop videos were stunning.

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They did a Prince cover - Nothing Compares 2 U - and the crowd went wild.

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Song after song after song, the audience was on its feet. I'm glad we paid for seats - we never once sat in them.

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And they got political. They had to have shot a ton of red, white, and blue confetti into the crowd. Caricatures of all the presidential contenders danced across the screen. It was a sight to behold. Goodbye Earl had a picture of Trump with devil horns. Great stuff.

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My favorite song, though, was the first of their encores - I'm Not Ready to Make Nice. This has been my favorite song of theirs since the country music world vilified them for their comments about Dubya.

And while it's pretty hard to top this, their last song of the night was a dedication to the 49 victims in Orlando, played in front of a huge rainbow heart. A cover of Ben Harper's Better Way. Very moving. The crowd roared its approval. And it was an interesting crowd. All age groups, lots of folks who didn't look all that liberal on the surface - and everyone cheering the political stuff. The adage of don't judge a book by its cover was continually going through my mind.

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One of the best concerts I have seen in the modern era. It had everything. I am so glad we were there! We got back to the hotel at midnight, totally wired! It was a great night - pouring rain delay, and all. I'm still singing I'm Not Ready to Make Nice!

Saturday morning arrived without a cloud in the sky. After a leisurely breakfast , we decided it was time to see Hersheypark.

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We arrived just before the 10am opening and joined the queue. It went pretty quickly and in no time we were in the park and having fun.

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We took a merry-go-round ride, replaying a day in Santa Cruz where we almost got arrested for throwing taffy from the alpine cars. No taffy, this time, and no police greeted us at the end of the ride.

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But we did have fun.

 

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It was hot. This fair-skinned little boy slathered on the sun screen, but after 4 hours, it was time to say goodbye. I just can't do the direct sun/water park stuff stuff, anymore. But there is a lot to do if you can take the heat and don't mind standing in lines for indeterminate amounts of time with no shade.

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Back to the hotel for a regroup and we were off to an outlet mall. We need nothing. Could find nothing. Outlet Malls really are a ripoff. There was nothing that I couldn't buy online for less - from Jockey underwear to FoodSaver bags. We figured if the new stuff wasn't going to get us, maybe some old stuff would - we headed to an antique mall.

Antique malls are my kind of shopping. With no preconcieved ideas of what you're looking for, things just happen to catch your eye. And the first thing to catch my eye was some original Desert Rose china.

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My grandmother had some of this when I was a kid and I thought it would be fun to have. This is the real stuff made in California - not the faux-stuff now made in China. 4 dinner plates, 4 salad/dessert plates.

We found another Santa for the collection, a tulip bowl to hold bathroom stuff... and passed on a ceramic chandelier made in Italy. It almost - almost - came home with us.

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It would have been hell to keep clean.

The surprise of the trip, though was the restaurant where we had dinner Saturday night. The place is called What If... and it's in the basement of the Howard Johnson Inn where we stayed!

From an unpretentious motel lobby, one walks down a flight of steps into another world! I was really surprised. We had heard great things about the place and reviews online said not to let the outside looks sway you and to take a chance. We did. And my stomach was happy we did!

Victor started off with a Screaming OJ Martini. Vodka, prosecco, fresh orange juice, and peach schnapps. A dangerous drink, for sure.

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Appetizers were Fried Calamari with Thai and Marinara Sauces and the Black Bean Margarita. It had black beans, guacamole, salsa, and sour cream. It was really good. the calamari was perfectly fried and the sauces were excellent.

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We both had salads with Blueberry Pomegranate Vinaigrette. Excellent, although I think I would have made the vinaigrette a bit more tart. Personal preference. It was excellent the way it was.

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Then it was time for the main courses. Victor went for the Lobster Ravoli - Lobster-stuffed Ravioli with a Mimosa Sauce and Parmesan. Rich without being overpowering.

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I went for the Veal Frangelico - Veal Cutlets with Mango, Hazelnuts, Walnuts, and a Frangelico Sauce. This had a lot of textures and flavors going on - including a smokiness that I think came from the breading on the veal. Not a bad choice!

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We were stuffed. But that didn't stop us from getting the Dessert Sampler! Turtle Brownies, Chocolate Decadence Cake with Raspberry Coulis, Titamisu, Chocolate Mousse, and an Oreo Cream Pie.

Ridiculously Good! Our server, Jenny, was charming, knowledgeable, and just fun, good people.

If you're ever in Hershey - don't judge a book by it's cover...

What If...
845 East Chocolate Avenue
Hershey, PA 17033

 

 

 

 

 


Chocolate Ganache Cheesecake

 

I made my favorite "Worlds Greatest Strawberry Cheesecake" except I didn't use the strawberries...

World's Greatest Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache

The Crust:

  • 3/4 cups walnuts, coarsely ground
  • 3/4 cup chocolate cookie crumbs
  • 1 3 oz Valrhona chocolate bar
  • 3 1/2 tbsp butter, melted

The Filling:

  • 4 pkgs cream cheese, room temperature
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup whipping cream

The Topping:

  • 16 oz sour cream
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

The Ganache:

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 12 oz bittersweet chocolate
  • 1 tbsp vanilla

Putting it together: Preheat oven to 350º.  Mix crust ingredients and press evenly into bottom of 10″ springform pan.  Set aside.

Cream the cheese until light and fluffy.  Mix in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add sugar, vanilla, and whipping cream, mixing until smooth and light. Pour into pan and bake 60 – 70 minutes. Remove from oven and cool about 15 minutes.  Keep oven on.

Mix topping ingredients and spread onto top of cheesecake to within about 1/2 inch from edge.  Return to oven and bake about 7 more minutes.  Cool completely, cover, and refrigerate at least 24 hours (2-3 days is best.)

On day you’re going to serve, make ganache.  Heat cream.  Remove from heat and stir in grated chocolate.  Stir until smooth.  Add vanilla.

Remove cake from pan.  Spread ganache over cake.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

It really was a stellar day.  And while we did eat a lot, at least it was spread out over 5 hours.

Our next feast with them is tentatively scheduled for July at their house to celebrate my and Linda's birthdays.

I can't wait.

They feed us the same way.


Canning Cauliflower

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We have achieved cauliflower. Several heads of cauliflower. Victor called me out to the garden this morning and said he hoped I had something planned for dinner tonight using it.

A single head of cauliflower can last a bit of time with us - easily two meals. Nonna will only eat it if it's been cooked to mush, so more often than not it's just the two of us digging in, and looking at six gorgeous heads, I knew I had to get creative. I thought of just doing a simple pickled cauliflower and then remembered the book I just got - Preserving Italy by Domenica Marchetti.  I went to the index, saw Cauliflower, and started reading...

The Pickled Cauliflower with Lemon sounded promising and I could do it in a hot water bath and not have to pressure can. Plus, I had all the ingredients without having to leave the house - a very important consideration around here.

You'll have to buy Domenica's book to get her recipe - this is my interpretation...

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Pickled Cauliflower with Lemon

  • 3 heads cauliflower
  • 1 qt white vinegar
  • 1 bottle white wine
  • 1 cup water
  • lemon strips from 2 lemons
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp canning salt (or kosher salt)
  • 1 tbsp whole peppercorns
  • olive oil
  • 6 mason jars with lids

Wash cauliflower and trim to small florettes - they need to be able to snugly fit in your mason jars.

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Bring everything except the cauliflower and olive oil to a boil in a medium-sized pot. Blanche the cauliflower florettes in the boiling brine about 1 minute. Take out the cauliflower and keep the brine on a low boil.

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Pack the cauliflower into the sterilized jars. Pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil into each jar. Pour the hot brine into the jars leaving 1/2" headroom. Use a chopstick to stir and release any air bubbles.

Screw on the lids and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

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The recipe states the cauliflower should cure for about a week. I will probably be opening a jar tomorrow, though, as patience is not one of my better qualities.

I really liked using the vinegar/wine combination instead of the more traditional vinegar and water. It was definitely not as pungent when cooking the brine so I'm hoping for a more mellow pickling experience.

Tomorrow...

 

 

 


Peach Pancakes

Victor is in Chicago for work, which leaves me, Blanche, and Nonna fending for ourselves.

Once upon a time, when Victor took off for work trips, I would subsist on chili dogs while doing a surprise project around the house. That kinda changed when we moved Nonna in with us. I actually have to prepare reasonably healthy meals at prescribed times for her, so making noise whenever and standing by the stove eating cold chili out of the pot isn't quite in the plan, anymore.

Times do change...

I still have a couple of pounds of peaches so I thought a couple would be a good start for breakfast. My first thought was to cut them up into yogurt - and I actually grabbed the yogurt out of the 'fridge - when something clicked in the brain and peach pancakes became an immediate obsession.

The yogurt went back into the 'fridge and I grabbed a mixing bowl.

I added some corn meal to the pancake mix just because, added an egg, and eyeballed the milk. Chopped up two nice, ripe peaches, and stirred them in. Into the skillet and onto the plate.

Breakfast was a success. Not nearly as healthy as my yogurt, but it put a smile on my face. Not a bad thing.

And maybe a chili dog for lunch... I'm sure there's an emergency can of Hormel down in the basement...

 


Seafood, Salads, and Stuff

I'm still cooking. I just haven't been writing about it, lately. It seems as if something is always taking precedence over the blog.

Much of it has to do with the fact that I'm not a great typist. I didn't take tying in school because only the [insert stereotypical sexuality slur here] took typing and I just wasn't ready to be lumped into that category way back then. Times change, and I wish I had been brave enough to take that class - it would make all of this easier! Then there are the pictures. I don't style the food for the blog - obviously! I just grab my trusty Nikon CoolPix and snap a couple of photos before setting things on the table. They don't always come out, ya know?!?

And then there's the "I really just threw things together from what was in the kitchen..." There is no recipe. It's just what I did at that place in time. Those are the dishes Victor calls "Stuff." When I'm just throwing things together pretty much knowing it will never be replicated - it's stuff. Like last night.

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Diced chicken breast, carrots, onions, celery, mushrooms, and a bit of garlic, sauteed. A splash of white wine and a bit of heavy cream. Topped with mashed sweet potatoes and baked at 350°F for 30 minutes.

Quick, easy, quite tasty - and we probably won't see this exact dish ever again. It was what I had on hand at that moment in time - and the weather was a bit cool for this time of year, to boot.

We had catfish a few nights ago.

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And a really good rice

Bacon Rice Pilaf

  • 4 slices bacon
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 2 ribs celery, chopped
  • 1/2 bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 cup uncooked rice
  • 1 can diced tomatoes
  • Splash Tabasco
  • Salt & Pepper, to taste

Fry bacon until crisp; crumble and set aside. Sauté onions, celery, and green pepper in the bacon grease until tender.

Add rice, tomatoes, crumbled bacon, and seasonings. Cook on top of the stove for 10 minutes. Pour into a buttered baking dish; cover tightly and bake at 350°F about 1 hour, or until rice is tender.

The catfish was simply floured, dipped in egg, and then cornmeal - and fried. Really simple.

And the salad was just a salad...

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The fun thing about it, though, was the lettuce and broccoli came out of our garden! I'm still in awe that we're actually growing real food in our own yard! Other than peppers and tomatoes, this is a new experience for me. I'm loving it!

So, here's to more fun meals and more writing - maybe my typing skills will improve with practice.

And definitely more pictures of the garden!