Cooking with Inspiration

Happy New Year

2011-01-02T08:19:00.000-08:00

Another holiday season has come and gone. We have our house cleaned up and simplified for winter.
This writing is not very timely, but good eating. Chanukah is noted for anything fried as we tribute the extension of the oil. Potato latkes are tradition and we delivered fresh latkes to our neighbors Christmas Day. They are time consuming, but delicious. One large russet potato makes nearly a dozen latkes. I grate them on a mandaline or can be grated in a food processor. I put them on a baking sheet in a warming oven as I continue to cook that keeps everything warm to serve.
POTATO LATKES
2 eggs 2 Tbsp flour
salt and pepper 1 small yellow onion
2 Idaho potatoes grates 1 small zucchini grated
1 small carrot grated
Put grated vegetables in large bowl, salt and allow to drain. Remove as much liquid as possible. Add other ingredients and toss all together. Form into patties and fry. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and put in a warming oven as you continue to process the batter.

Serve with sour cream and applesauce. We start with matzah soup and have a salad with the latkes. It is a nice meal.

MATZAH SOUP
4 eggs 3 Tbsp oil
1 cup matzah meal 1/3 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup finely chopped almonds salt and pepper
2 Tbsp finely chopped parsley 1/2 tsp. ginger

Blend everything and chill at least 1/2 hour. Oil your hands and form into balls. Bring 4 quarts of water or chicken stock. Boil covered for 20 minutes...don't lift lid. Drain and ad to chicken stock flavored with small dices of carrots and onions and maybe a small dice of celery.

more summer suppers -- yum

2010-09-04T07:36:00.000-07:00

This awful heat continues and I've been rather housebound, as it is too hot and dry to "garden". Time for interesting menu ideas! Dinner is a special time for Cy and me as it is our time together. We had a delightful couple stay with us this week. We had a lovely discussion about "ladies luncheons"...fun! Here's some ideas... for you Pam.

AUTUMN APPLE SALAD
20 oz. crushed pineapple undrained 2/3 cup sugar
3 oz. lemon gelatin 8 oz cream cheese
1 cup diced apples 1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 cup chopped celery 1 cup whipped topping

In a saucepan, combine pineapple and sugar; bring to a boil. Add gelatin. Stir and add cream cheese. Cool then fold in apples, nuts, celery, and whipped cream. Chill until firm.
Yields 9-12 servings

ASIAN PEAR SALAD
1 1/2 tblsp. sherry vinegar 2 tsp. whole grain mustard
1 tsp. salt 1/2 cup olive oil
2 cups thinly sliced celery 1/4 cup dill
1 unpeeled Bosc pear cut in match sticks 1/2 cup chopped nuts

Whisk together liquid ingredients. Mix in fruit, nuts, celery. Serve over a bed of greens.
Serves 6

Lite Summer suppers

2010-08-15T07:18:00.000-07:00

Summer time and the heat is just awful. Drought has taken over the garden and the weeds aren't even growing. So I've turned down the heat in the kitchen making cold soups and lite salads. Here are a few of our favorites.

TOMATO ASPIC
4 cups v-8 juice 2 tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped celery 1/4 cup chopped green onion
1 tsp. salt 1 small envelope unflavored gelatin
juice of 1/2 lemon 2 cloves finely crushed

Heat half the juice until warmed. Mix gelatin with one cup of juice and add to heated juice. Stir in other ingredients and pour into mold. Stir often until it sets. Serve over a bed of greens and top with a spoonful of sour cream. There are many versions of aspic, but this has a bold flavor because of the v-8 juice and touch of cloves. This makes enough to fill an 8+8 baking dish.

CRAB SALAD WITH PAPAYA
1/4 cup rice vinegar 3 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. water 4 tsp. fish sauce
1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 cup each chopped green and red pepper
1 1/2 tsp. minced serrano chile 2 tbsp. chopped cilantro
1/2 lb lump crabmeat 2 ripe papaya

Whisk vinegar, sugar, water, fish sauce and salt until blended and sugar is dissolved. Stir in remaining ingredients. Hollow and seed the papayas. Depending on desired presentation, place spoonfuls of crab salad into each half of papaya and plate. It is easier to eat to just serve over cubes of the fruit. Add slices of lime and enjoy.

Other ideas are tuna salad stuffed tomatoes over bed of lettuce. Chilled stuffed beets is on the menu this week. Par boil the beets, skin and hollow out center. Dice the pulp add celery, baby peas, green onions
and seasonings. Add enough mayonnaise to bind. Chill both the beets and salad until very cold. Fill beets with salad drizzle with a splash of balsamic vinegar.

Enjoy!

Our Cookbook is Now Available!

2010-07-25T08:55:00.000-07:00

Just a brief posting... For many years, our guests have asked whether they could have a copy of this dish's recipe or that... We've always tried to accommodate, and it's such a joy that they would even ask! So... with the encouragement of my husband, I've put together a collection of my creations along with a few of my thoughts about the twists in life.

Please check out my eStore page at Amazon's CreateSpace portal. Click here to see!

Vegetarian Sabbath

2010-07-11T05:54:00.000-07:00

We had a lovely visit with our son and his family. The one year old and four year old filled the inn with laughter! They were here for Friday Sabbath prayers. The trick in planning the menu was that the kids are vegetarians. We had home made matzi soup, lentil pate', artichoke cheese spread and of course challah. It was a delicious, fun sharing time.

Lentil Pate'1/2 cup small green lentils 1 cup chopped shallots
3 cups vegetable stock 1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. kosher salt 2 tbs. olive oil
3 tbs. cilantro
Simmer the lentils and shallots in the stock until lentils are soft. Drain and reserve liquid.
Puree lentils and paprika until smooth adding just enough liquid and the oil to make the pate spreadable. Mix in cilantro and transfer to a bowl. Cover and chill at least eight hours.

I molded the pate on a plate and put Risotto chips around.

Artichoke-Cheese Spread
2 (8 oz) pkgs. soft cream cheese 1 (14 oz) can artichokes
1 cup Parmesan cheese 2 pressed cloves garlic
2 tbls. olive oil 1 tbs. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. red pepper 3/4 cup roasted red bell pepper
Stir together cream cheese and chopped green onion tops. Stir together the chopped artichokes, the garlic, cheese and seasonings. I used several small bowls lined with plastic wrap to help unmold for serving. Place a layer of cream cheese on the bottom. Spread a layer of artichoke mixture on top. Then layer the red bell peppers. Repeat twice. Chill at least two hours. Lift up the plastic wrap to unmold.

I spread a cole slaw mix around the mold and passed sun dried tomato flat bread to make burritos.

retirement reception

2010-05-18T07:34:00.000-07:00

We recently hosted a retirement reception for three fellow teachers. All were eager to see the inn. I had to live up to my reputation as a chef. I think I passed as there were only crumbs left. Another friend co-hosted and made the cake. The garden was full of roses, peonies and sunshine. Here are two of the many goodies that we served.

Artichoke Nibbles
adjust depending on quantities
marinated artichoke hearts sliced 1/4 inch
narrow French baguette cut into small slices
mayonnaise and finely grated Parmesan cheese
Place a slice of artichoke on each slice of bread. Top with a dollop of mayonnaise and sprinkle on the Parmesan. Bake in a 350° oven until golden.
English Tea Bread
1 3/4 cup flour                     1 cup butter
1 cup sugar                           3 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt                          1/2 cup each dried currents, apricots and almonds
add 1/4 cup brandy or bourbon to kick it up
Cream butter and sugar until fluffy add eggs. Add flour and salt. Blend in bourbon. Using a wooden spoon blend in fruits and nuts. Grease and flour a loaf pan. Pour batter into pan and bake @ 350° for 60 to 70 minutes.

Final Four Breakfasts

2010-04-10T06:24:00.000-07:00

Hello to our Final Four guests! Here are two of the recipes you enjoyed.

French Toast Casserole
1 cup brown sugar                   1 loaf French bread cut into slices
1/2 cup butter                           5 eggs
2 tbls. corn syrup                      1 1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla                             1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Over low heat melt butter, sugar and corn syrup. Add walnuts and pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Layer bread slices over the sugar overlapping as needed. Beat eggs, milk a vanilla until well blended. Pour over bread being careful to moisten all corners. Cover with plastic wrap. Place in the frig and weight down the top over night.
The following morning, preheat oven to 350°. Remove plastic wrap and bake for nearly 30 minutes until toast is golden brown. Cut into squares and serve upside down so the carmel is on top. Drizzle with syrup and powdered sugar.

Herbed Egg-Potato Bake

This can be prepared the day before and then baked. I bake it the day of prep and a quick reheat in the morning.
32 oz frozen hash brown potatoes. Ajust quantity as needed.
1 small onion                           4 oz can mushroom pieces
6 eggs                                       3/4 cup light cream
1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese    1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
black pepper and salt                  1/2 tsp. dry mustard
fresh parsley, basil and chives
Generously grease a 2 quart baking dish. Saute hash browns and onion until brown. I add a chopped halopeno pepper for some added heat. Layer potatoes in baking dish building up the sides. Layer mushrooms on top. Beat eggs well add milk, herbs, cheese and seasonings. Pour over potatoes. Bake covered @325° for 30 minutes. Uncover and 35 more minutes.

We really like this dish and have it often for supper. Enjoy.

Passover ideas

2010-03-29T09:01:00.000-07:00

I spent the dreary February days researching all the proper rituals for passover. It is the one holiday both Jewish and Christian that requires special food. Everything is ready with the table being decked in silver, crystal and fine china. I have even made gifilte fish from scratch. As there is no levening used for the meal, these matzah rolls are the ticket.

Passover Rolls
2 cups water                  1 cup oil
3 cups matzah meal       2 + tbs. sugar
1 tsp. salt                       8 eggs
Bring oil and water to a boil. Let cool for 10 minutes. Add dry ingredients. Add beaten eggs, salt and sugar. I added some Greek oregano, but parsley or dill or any herb you like. Chill the mixture for 15 minutes. Oil your hands, shape into balls and place on a greased cooking tray. Bake @ 350° for nearly 50 minutes. This recipe makes about 2 dozen rolls.

Brisket with burgundy and orange sauce
1 package onion soup mix                  1 1/2 cups burgundy wine
1/4 cup water                                       2 tbs. flour
1 tbs. dried basil and thyme                 1/3 cup orange marmalade
1 1/2 tbs. grated orange peal               2 tsp. sugar
4 cloves minced garlic                         4 pound brisket
Mix all the ingredients together in large roasting pan. Trim fat off brisket and place in sauce. Spoon sauce over brisket before cooking and often during the cooking process. Bake in a slow 300° over for nearly four hours. Let cool and slice. return to pan and refrigerate for a day. On the day of service, heat oven to 325°. Add sliced mushrooms to sauce. Cook covered for an hour basting as needed until mushrooms are soft. This makes 8 servings and has a delightful tenderness with a sweet rich sauce.

May the prayers of Passover give you peace and a renewed faith.
Sandy

2010-03-22T05:50:00.000-07:00

We have a new tradition for a soup and salad Christmas Eve Dinner with friends. The cooking is easy and the cleanup goes quickly. We were expecting nearly 12 guests. So I chose to prepare three different types of soup. Our guests like to sample the various types and lots of fresh bread. A nice mandrin orange salad and soups on.

Tuscan Tomato Soup: serves 8
1/4cup olive oil    1/2stick butter
4 carrots diced                        4 stalks celery diced
3 onions diced                         3 quarts tomatoes chopped with juice
1/2 cup chopped parsley         Fresh basil leaves
Heat the oil and butter , cook the carrots, onions, celery until tender. Add the tomatoes and continue cooking for 20-30 minutes. Add the herbs and salt/pepper.
I serve this chunky, but can be pureed.

Italian Wedding Soup: serves 4-8
12 oz. ground lamb                   1 fennel bulb chopped
1 onion, chopped                       2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups beef broth                       2 cups water
1 tsp. dried oregano                   2 bay leaves
1/2 cup orzo pasta                     4 cups spinach
3 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano cut into wedges
Saute beef, onion, fennel and garlic until beef is browned. Drain fat. Add liquids and herbs. Salt and pepper to taste. Bring to boil then cover and simmer. Stir in orzo simmer gently for about 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and add spinach. Ladle into bowls and top with a chunk of cheese.

Crabmeat and Mushroom Bisque
6 tbls. butter                              4 tbls. chopped onion
1 scallion                                   2 tbls. parsley
1 cup sliced mushrooms            2 tbls. flour
salt, pepper, 1/4 tsp. mace         1 cup half-half
1 1/2 cups cooked crabmeat      3 tbls. dry sherry
Tabasco according to taste        4 tbls. chopped green pepper
Add onion, green pepper, scallion, parsley and mushrooms to melted butter. Saute until soft.
In another pan, heat remaining 2 tbls. butter. Stir in flour until blended. Add cream and stir until thickened. Add seasonings and add vegetables. Just before service stir in sherry.

I like several good splashed of Tabasco sauce.

Holiday inspirations

2009-12-31T12:57:00.000-08:00

Hors d'oeuvres
Let's get started! When I cater weddings or events here at the inn, I like finger type foods, bite sized. I think it is easier for guests to mingle not having to deal with forks. For the holidays I journeyed through the garden for twigs of pine and holly with the red berries. I used several sizes/heights of trays for a really nice presentation. It doesn't take a large variety just plenty depending on the number of guests. Here are three winners!

Feta phyllo cups
Baked miniature phyllo shells pitted kalamata olives, halved
1 4oz pkg. crumbled feta cheese 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
3 oz cream cheese 1/2 tsp.olive oil
1 egg 1/4 tsp. balsamic vinegar
2 tsp lemon juice 1 clove minced garlic
1 tsp. flour Dashes of cumin, ground red pepper

Cream together the first five ingredients. Fill cups just to the top. Bake @ 325° for about 15 minutes.

Mix together the oil, olives and herbs. Top cups with a touch of the mixture.

Crab salad in cucumber cups

4 cucumbers 1/4 cup mayonnaise
4 teaspoon wasabi paste 2 tbls. fresh lime juice
6 radishes small container of alfalfa sprouts
1/2 lb. jumbo lump crab meat salt and pepper

Use English cucumbers if available. Cut into 1 inch slices using a fluted cookie cutter if you choose. Either way scoop out seeds and center so there is hollow for the filling. Slice radishes in very thin strips. Combine wasabi paste, mayonnaise, lime juice,radishes, salt/pepper to taste. After the mixture is well blended gently fold in the crab so as not to break it down. Fill cucumber rounds with mixture and top with alfalfa sprouts.

I nestled in whole radishes for color. Green and red aceepts made a beautiful tray

Kick up deviled eggs

Boil eggs and let cool. Peel cut and remove yolks. For the yolk mixture, I use bottle ranch dressing, stone ground mustard, horseradish, a squeeze of wasabi paste, salt/pepper. Blend together until creamy. Fill egg whites with the mixture. Plate on serving tray. Sprinkle with cayenne pepper. I tucked in sprigs of holly berry branches for color and fun.

Next time Christmas Eve Soup and Salad!