Pork and Andouille Bean Soup
Cold night. Hot soup.
Okay... It's been pretty much a food-fest all day, starting with an early breakfast. Some days you just have to go with the flow...
Dinner tonight was all about spice - from the heat of the D'Artagnan Andouille Sausage to the heat of the Guamanian hot peppers (ground Boonie Peppers) Marie's nephew Jay sent us a few weeks ago.
The Boonie Peppers are a local favorite - and a local cottage industry. These are grown and ground by just about everyone. Ours arrived in a baby food jar with a handmade label. Most excellent.
Bean Soup
- 2 boneless pork chops
- 2 links andouille
- 4 shallots
- 1 cup red wine
- 2 cans black beans
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1/2 tsp Hot Pepper
- Fresh oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
Cube the pork, dice the andouille, and chop the shallots. Brown in a bit of oil until pork is cooked thgrough.
Add wine and reduce a bit. Add beans, tomatoes, and spices.
Simmer until heated through and flavors meld.
Enjoy.
And enjoy, we did! It was juuuuuust spicy enough to be interesting, with lots of flavors and textures going on.
My kind of cold-weather eating!
Christmas Fruit Cake Update
The fruit cakes have been down in the basement for a month, now... nice and cool, soaking up all that nice brandy... Today, they got yet, another bath...
I didn't make the Apricot Macadamina Nut Fruit Cakes this year. I have a feeling we're going to be cutting back just a bit on our Christmas baking. It's gotten a bit out of control. I'm definitely making the Pfeffernusse, though. YUM!
Actually, we'll probably make as many varieties, just not as many of each. Gino is coming down to help out, again, too.
C'mon, December!
Kiva - Loans That Change Lives
Kiva and Food. Well... in the grand scheme of things, they go together. Kiva is an organization that facilitates loans to individuals to make them self-sufficient, raise them out of poverty, and let them feed themselves.
Victor got involved with Kiva quite awhile ago, and has about $200.00 in loans. He has been paid back every penny he has loaned out, and takes the paid-back loan and reloans it to others. It is a great system!
Their website states:
Kiva is the world's first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend directly to unique entrepreneurs in the developing world.
The people you see on Kiva's site are real individuals in need of funding - not marketing material. When you browse entrepreneurs' profiles on the site, choose someone to lend to, and then make a loan, you are helping a real person make great strides towards economic independence and improve life for themselves, their family, and their community. Throughout the course of the loan (usually 6-12 months), you can receive email journal updates and track repayments. Then, when you get your loan money back, you can relend to someone else in need.
For as little as $25.00 you can help someone change their life. Not give them a handout. Not change their life for them, but allow them to help themselves.
What a concept, huh?!?
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Toast.
It's one of the major food groups. I love toasted bread in any way, shape, or form. And when you included butter and melted cheese... well... gastronomic heaven.
We had a hearty breakfast early this morning. The whole daylight savings time change had us up much earlier than we should have been for a Sunday. And by 1:30pm, I was thinking I'm now ready to eat more. (Like I really need an excuse...)
Looking for quick and easy because I'm thinking hearty for dinner, Grilled Cheese Sandwich just magically appeared. Slices of sourdough french and cotswold cheese made for a reasonably traditional sandwich.
Sated for another few hours...
Sunday Morning Breakfast
Sunday Breakfast... just thinking about it brings me back to those early childhood days when my father - when he wasn't at the Firehouse - would cook these huge breakfasts for all of us. Pop was a pretty good cook and in no time at all would create mountains of French Toast or Fried Ham with Sourdough Toast. Gastronomic heaven.
He may not be around to cook for me anymore, but I'm following in his foot steps. Today was a mountain of pancakes.
While I usually have pancake mix in the cupboard, it seems I didn't this morning... Of course, that didn't stop me. I've been making pancakes from scratch for years...
A bit of bacon on the side, Lingonberry jam and maple syrup, fresh-brewed coffee...
Pop would have been proud.
Breaded Cod and Carrot Cake
I love Saturday! Victor almost always cooks dinner on Saturday - and he's a great cook! My stomach just smiles at the thought of someone else toiling away in the kitchen... those wonderful scents wafting throughout the house... Yes - I love Saturday!
It was especially appreciated because I've been working on a couple of websites - plus updating this one - and it was great to be in the office knowing that a great dinner was being prepared... And those scents really were wafting my way!
Tonight, dinner was simple, but decidedly good. Panko breaded cod filets, homemade tartar sauce, peas and rice.
The tartar sauce is what made it. Well... that, and the fact that the fish was perfectly crunchy on the outside, and perfectly moist on the inside. Yep, it was damn good.
And then... Carrot Cake... Cream Cheese Frosting...
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups shredded carrots (about 4 medium)
- 1 1/2 cups oil (neutral oil like grapeseed - not olive)
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup coconut (optional)
Heat oven to 350°. Grease and flour 2 9" cake pans.
In a large bowl, blend all ingredients (except nuts, etc) on low speed until moistened. Beat 3 minutes on high speed. Stir in nuts, raisins, and coconutr, if using.
Pour into pans and bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Cook cake 10 minutes before removing from pans.
Cool completely before frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 tbsp butter, soft
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Blend until smooth.
Spread on tops of cakes. Put one on top of the other. Frosting sides is optional.
Life is good...