Back in the Game...

Its been one long year of reflection, growth and of course cooking and writing. Most of the cooking for 2017 was a balance of between eating healthy and cooking for my Man. A challenging balance to say the least...one day fried chicken the next day salad...lol. However challenging, the year of cooking was filled with joy, memories and a very happy Man after each meal.
 

I've risen from my euphoric incubation and started cooking and writing again. First up, the Christmas Eve cake. A long standing favorite ... Lemon Cake, but this year instead of the heavy sugary frosting of butter and  powered sugar I found a light delicious alternative made of whip cream and cream cheese.

Now, you might think that the combination of whip cream and cream cheese would be heavy on the tongue, palette and stomach for that matter...but somehow in the magical world of culinary science, the whip cream cuts the heaviness of the cream cheese and surprisingly very little sugar is used and instead of a dense, rich, sweet cake frosting a light, fluffy, melt in your mouth goodness engulfs your tastes buds.

Okay, so you're saying, "...okay, enough already! What's the recipe..?!?!". Glad to oblige. I found the recipe at Allrecipes coupled with the video. Super easy and bonus budget friendly. The frosting recipe can be found here: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/19108/whipped-cream-cream-cheese-frosting/
 

Next up was the annual making of the Galette. I made two, of which both received rave reviews. I ventured in a different direction for both...well, in a way.  I continued with my classic Julia Child/Jacque Pepin Galette basic recipe, but instead of sweet apples, like Pink Lady or Macintosh, I went ultra classic with the Granny Smith apples. Shocker! I haven't used Granny Smith in ages wanting to introduce more "flavor" into the recipe by using alternative selection of apples. 

Gotta admit there is something about the taste of the classic tart, crisp Granny Smith apple that blends so well with a buttery flaky crust of a Galette. From now on ... classic Granny is the way to go for me.

The second dessert was the traditional family pie turned into a Galette...the Mincemeat pie 

(Sorry, no picture). My Mother, Grandmother and Great Grandmother all made, baked and ate Mincemeat pie and I'm no exception. This year however was a game of "see who can find Mincemeat first".

Thank goodness I started my hunt early. After 5 grocery stores and wandering down countless aisles scouring up and down baked goods to canned stuff the game of "find the Mincemeat" was off to a very sad start. No one had a single jar in stock. One very nice person said, "...we have freeze dried...", she said sheepishly. Before, I responded I cringed at the thought and took the small package in my hands examining it for all it's flaws. The condensed version of already dried fruit left me speechless...and I'm rarely speechless. I politely handed the package of freeze dried fruit concoction back to the sales clerk and said, "I just can't" and bolted from the store like it was on fire.

 

I ran home determined to make the Mincemeat myself. The recipe is simple, but wholly cow...that's a whole lotta dried fruit!!! Not the most budget friendly filling, unless you buy it premade. I forged onward to the great search guru in the sky...Google.

 
Thank goodness for the supreme being named Google. A mere search on the web with the words "near me" revealed only specialty stores or places where "old folks" shop had Mincemeat. Well alrighty then. I called the local Piedmont Market and inquired if they actually had in their possession a jar of the precious mixture. Gratefully, they did ... "... several jars...", she said. I flew as fast as my little Kia would take me and bought a single jar. Why not more? I didn't want to deprive another person if they too had been on the great Mincemeat adventure as well.

Onward. The Mincemeat Galette was the easiest and flavorful pie full of raisins, apricots, ginger...just to name a few coupled with the most important ingredient..RUM. With a side of ice cream its a warming and filling dessert, just what the season requires after a meal of roast beef, lamb or turkey with all the trimmings. I highly recommend this fruit pie alternative.

 

Last up, Mothers NYE cake aka Mommies' Birthday Cake which actually turned out to be a homage to the Mincemeat Galette minus the "Where's the Mincemeat" game. First of all, I have a confession. Yep,...I used boxed cake mix. When it comes to my Mom's cake I don't take chances and by now I'm exhausted and baking a cake from scratch wasn't my idea of fun. But, the idea for the cake was brilliant. Sacrilege, you might say, but it's a life and time saver. I used white cake mix and added a  teaspoon of vanilla extract in the batter before it's baked. I used the same whip cream-cream cheese frosting, but a confetti of dried fruit on top made of dates, candied ginger, apricots, cranberries. Oh, and the surprise was a thin layer of fig jam spread on each layer of cake. It added a savory sweetness to the cake without being overpowering.

Before the fruit is placed around the top of the cake I sprinkled a random layer of candied sprinkles. If you look close you can see them. Subtle, but just the extra something to add to the festive occasion. With all that going on ... was the cake any good? All I can say is ... Its gone. I even ate a slice and was very sorry I didn't take a second slice to go. Fun alternative and very New Years Eve looking.

I'm back my friends and exploring our love of the culinary arts on a new level...more to come on a monthly basis. Even might explore healthy options to post. The important thing to remember whatever the option ... cooking with love makes any recipe taste better.

Au bientot, Lady E!   

Summer garden fresh salsa

  

The countdown to the end of Summer has officially reached ... zero. But, Summer doesn't have to end in the kitchen with the bountiful goodness at your nearest Farmer's Market and your imagination.

Mine, imagination that is,  hit into high gear this past weekend with some ripe tomatoes and recently purchased items at the Farmer's Market and spontaneous "Taco Sunday" purchases for dinner with my Man. So, don't throw away those ripe tomatoes ... bring them to life in a salsa.

My secret ingredient is not just any ole tomato. I'm into the Summer tomato favorite the Early Girl. Never had one? At the peak of the season they have a crisp outer skin and tender flesh and when cut, sprinkled with salt and nothing else burst in your mouth and taste sweet and juicy.



Ingredients:
5 Early Girl tomatoes
1 Roasted jalapeño
1 Small bell pepper
3 Small garlic cloves
Handful of cilantro
1/2 Red onion
1/2 Fresh lime juice
1 tbsp. Pica de Gallo seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste.

Not much prep work involved for this accent to any meal, expect for the roasted jalapeño. Roast the pepper in the oven, on the grill, in a cast iron skillet... any way ya wanna. Allow the peel of the pepper to blister and char, typically about 5-8 minutes being sure to turn the pepper on all sides. Let the pepper cool. No need to remove skin or seeds.

Chopping. Not much just enough to help the processor along. Big chunks are just fine. Chop and dump is my motto. Pulse the ingredients a couple of times, then squeeze a half a line, salt pepper and pica de gallo. Whirl two pulses... and taste for additional seasoning. Keeping in mind once chilled the flavors meld and bloom. You can always add salt, but never take it away.

Serve with chips. On top of roasted chicken. Drizzled over room temperature cream cheese and chips... or just by the spoonful. The flavor is slightly sweet from the tomatoes, red onions and red bell pepper with a hint of spice.

The hot days of Summer have come to and end .... at least outside, but in the kitchen keep it sizzling with cool, crisp, sweet salsa from garden ingredients. Remember, cooking with love makes any recipe taste better.

Lady E

Leftover herbs ... no problem

Hello, Lady E Cooks fans! Sorry, I've been absent for a while, but it's been a couple of challenging months at work... and well life. As of today, I have several monthly articles that will post until 2016.            

The first being.... what do you do with all those left over herbs? Toss 'em? Make another dish? I've got a simple idea that will make use of the herbs and last a while with a no fuss no mess method. Herbed butter. Now, I know this isn't a new idea, but if you've never tried it ... take a moment and bring a stick of butter to room temperature. Why you might ask? Well, simply put it's easier to work with and allows the herbs to fully incorporate. First, mince, not chop, your herbs finely. Next in a bowl plop your room temperature butter into a bowl and place the herbs on top. Now, with a fork or plastic spatula blend the two together until smooth. I use was paper next and pour the mixture onto the wax paper. You can use plastic wrap, but I like wax paper to keep odors out. Flatten the mixture and roll in to a tube shape. Twist the ends and your done and done. Simple? Yes. Now, what do you do with it? I use it on fish, pasta, hamburgers patties at the end of cooking or a touch of elegance on a perfectly cooked steak. Whatever you choose it takes the old adage "Waist not, want not" to a flavorful level. Another trick, not shown here, use empty olive oil bottles to create your own dressings. You'll need either fresh or dried herbs a funnel and some sort of vinegar. Fresher taste and the bottle ... is recyclable.

 

Try new (or old)  methods to take your food accents to another level and most of all remember cooking with love makes any recipe taste better. 

Begin with butter ... and a lot of love

When you're busy, starving or just don't want to go out to dinner... try going back to basics with a simple and classic white sauce known as béchamel. My Mother used to make this sauce and place sliced leftover roasted chicken on toasted bread and pour the white sauce on top. Served with a salad or roasted carrots. Tonight I deviated the recipe and used fat free milk. Gasp! I know, I know, but I've got to cut down on some of the fat somewhere.

What is a béchamel? Is a simple sauce of milk, butter and flour. In a sauce pan melt butter and slowly add flour. Stir until combined and the taste of raw flour is cooked away. Pour in slowly room temperature milk and stir constantly until combined with a wooden spoon or a wire whisk. If the milk is at room temperature the mixture combines easily and prevents lumps. Sprinkle with salt, freshly cracked black pepper. But, wait you don't have to stop there. I added garlic powder, dried basil and a few red pepper flakes, just to spice things up. I also sautéd thinly sliced onions in butter and olive oil and added them. A classic béchamel sauce has simply salt, freshly ground or cracked pepper...either white or black with freshly ground nutmeg. NUTMEG? Oddly, enough the warmth of the nutmeg combined with butter, flour and milk is delicious! For my final touch I added fresh broccoli florets. The florets will cook while the sauce simmers and thickens. Broccoli florets? Yep, cut a section of the broccoli flower off. Then cut a smaller section and cut each stem gently into to smaller pieces. Ta-da...you've got florets. Sometimes I cut the florets fresh from the Farmers Market and freeze them, use them as a snack or toss them into a salad.

 

Allow the mixture to simmer until thick. Add shredded roasted chicken and spoon over pasta. Simple, huh? And a small serving is very filling.

A béchamel sauce is easy, creamy and versatile and can be used to make a MEAN wild mushroom lasagna. There is something that I like about the mixture of béchamel with pasta. It's a divine match.

So, if you are having a busy evening and no ideas for a meal or just want to walk on the wild side and create something new.

Cooking with love makes any recipe taste better.... even when going back to the basics with butter.

Living it and loving it!

August 22, 2011 was the first day a post was entered on blogspot for Lady E Cooks. Three years later I never imagined the impact the blog would have on me, my team and the readers. Three years later I can honestly say the journey has been well worth it.

Like most stories journeys don't spontaneously happen with the click of a mouse, a mobile phone camera or the tap, tap, tapping of a keyboard. My journey began years ago, at age 10, lying on the family room floor being mesmerized by the culinary genius of Julia Child, Jacques Pepin and even The Galloping Gourmet.

I have to pay props to my Mother and Father. They noticed their baby girl was transfixed by PBS and cooking shows and stepped into action by immersing me in all things food. My Grandmother was even shipped in to teach me the Copeland Family recipes for gumbo, corn fritters, and lemon cake …even her holiday fruit cake. I was a sponge. Shortly after I started creating my own recipes, testing recipes and forcing my family to eat whatever I prepared. My most famous recipes I created Garlic and Scallion mashed potatoes and Lousiana Sweet Time Potatoes (In honor of my Grandmother). The best day was when I prepared a meal for my parents. The china and silver were placed elegantly on the marble table. The crystal glasses were spaced just as my Mother had taught me. And the napkins folded with care. The dish, I will never forget, was my very first Cheese Soufflé. Science, imagination and creativity came to life in each spoonful.

You’d think the journey would have continued. However, life happens, distractions take place, foundations are shattered and sometimes even a child’s self-esteem waivers during adolescence. So the twist and turns of life take you down roads, like College, marriage, divorce, graduating from Law School, touring the famous Le Cordon Bleu in San Francisco, relationships that end and a multitude of job layoffs. After the fourth layoff in three years, I yearned for an opportunity to shift into a new direction with confidence, happiness and inspiration.

The journey led me right back to where it began … laying on a family room floor absorbing knowledge and finding joy in my escape called food. Imagination, inspiration and creativity…my old friends. Along withJulia and Jacques who were waiting for me with rerun TV series and antique books found at flea markets and bookstore. Hand in hand, they brought me from a depth of doubt and frustration, while Julia posthumously breathed a new version of life into a grown woman. Coupled with a driving force, once denied and now accepted/acknowledged. My love for the written word.

Three years, a new team member (my Niece Mahlet Copeland) countless readers around the world and the US, 100+ articles, with 5.452 views and hours of tasting, testing, reading and writing has landed me in the middle of joy. With a dash of inspiration from new friends like Giada De Laurentis and Ina Gratin. The road ahead will include completing my French lessons, parle en francais, video clips, more adventures in Northern California and a vision for five year anniversary article in France.
Here’s to food and writing … always remembering cooking with love, makes any recipe taste better. ...and similar to cooking, sometimes finding your true joy has to marinade, stew, grow, bake or boil over to manifest in your life.

Special acknowledgement to my team members, Seraphina Uludong who is my rock and Jeanette Robinson for bringing your talents to the team. To my lovely Niece Mahlet Copeland...welcome to the team and hopefully whatever I've learned over the years from your Great Grand Mother to her child (Grandpapa) you will absorb the culianry arts like I did.. You are my video Guru! Love you all! Most of all ... THANK YOU to the readers both on Facebook and the blog. you're the reason I continue on the journey.

XO

Lady E

California Strawberries ... mouthful of summer sunshine!

                                                                                                                                                                         Strawberries and childhood memories go hand in hand for me. And my first memory of wild strawberries growing was moving into our new home and walking the garden with my Dad. There are many scents in this world that are beautiful, but the intoxicating floral scent of ripe strawberries basking in the summer sun is one I'll never forget.

"... Go ahead, taste it..". My Daddy would say with a inviting grin on his face. Trust him I did. After all he was a Doctor. If I fell out with a sickness he was always there to cure it.  

One bite of a ripe juicy strawberry makes you forget about your juice stained hands and focus solely on the sweet and mildly tart flavor.

Fast forward several years, My Father has moved on to his next journey and yet... the memory of us walking side by side and the juicy taste of strawberries lives on. Long gone are the rows of berries in our yard. However, my Niece discovered rows and rows of varietals a the Farmers Market this weekend.

Albion, Rosas and Sweet Anne's oh-my! One taste after another of each varietal just to make sure I was going to buy just the right selection of all organic ripe plump berries to take home. First taste, the Albion. This variety is the most common you'll find in the stores. Firm outer skin, with pits and a red jeweled inside or white/orange inner core. Size ranges from small to extra large which are used mostly chocolate dipped strawberries. Meaty berry inside and very chewable. Hands down my favorite.

Second, the Rosas. Smaller in size, very juicy and skin is less firm. Tender and moist to the touch and burst in your mouth once bitten. However, in the case of this taste test they aren't as flavorful as the Albion or Sweet Anne. But, really juicy.

Lastly, the Sweet Anne. In one word, the Sweet Anne is fruity. Its as if a strawberry was crossed with an orange and lemon and created a berry that is juicy, sweet and tart ... and would be great for canning, whip cream with nuts, on top of a white cake, muffins...I could go on and on.

Strawberries are a great add to a shake/smoothie. I freeze mine and toss in one or two for color and flavor.

Today I decided to experiment with berries and an apricot bar. I sliced two berries and placed them at the bottom of a ramekin. Then placed the apricot oatmeal bar in the middle of the berries. Topped the bar with vanilla ice cream and a large strawberry on top.

Now, the downside... I placed the ramekin in the freezer to chill. Unfortunately I left them in too long.  Nothing happened with the precious strawberry or the ice cream, but it made the apricot bar too hard to spoon out.

Second, if you attempt this, keep the ramekin in the freezer until ready to use. Then place the berries and bar in ramekin. Let stand at room temperature until ready to spoon on ice cream and serve.

Eat immediately.... Like I really needed to tell you that. A spoon full of berries, chewy bar and ice cream. Yep.... nailed it!

Oh, last tip for berries. When the core of the berry is ripe red instead of a bitter white pit it means two things.

One, they grew in the sun. Two, that particular strawberries is ripe, juicy and tastes like candy.

Enjoy them while the 90 days of summer beam on them.

Remember cooking with love makes any recipe taste better ... even if its simply placing a ripe strawberry in a chilled glass of champagne. Cheers!

I was HUNGRY!

Hungry? If you've got some staples in the fridge then your about 20 minutes away from a healthy delicious meal.

 

Many moons ago one of my regular chores,  as a child,  was to clean the refrigerator with my Father as supervisor and companion. Not the most glamour of jobs, but my Father always made the chore fun and exciting. Primarily because he believed that the creative culinary imagination could run wild and manifest some amazing dishes from things already in the icebox.

 

First step... take everything out and decide what goes and what stays... or in plain English what can be eaten or what has gone bad. Toss out the bad and use your imagination with the rest. We'd make sauces, craft an interesting rice dish or expand the a regular potato dish into a flavorful potato mash up.

 

The tradition continues in my kitchen. I recently purchased fresh salmon and decided to use new seasoning from Oakland Spice Shop. The fragrance from Poivre a la mode Citrus Pepper begged to be sprinkled on the salmon with a drizzle of fresh lemon juice. The combination of hand mixed black pepper, lemon zest, coriander, amchur, Aleppo Chile, thyme, minced green onions and turmeric complimented the salmon perfectly. There are many ways to cook the salmon. In the oven, steamed in a foil or parchment paper wrap or if you're hungry, as in my case, I place it skin side down in a cast iron skillet, on med-low temp, with a 1/2 cup of white table wine. Put the lid on it and forget it ... at least for 5 minutes. The fish will be tender, flaky and zesty.

 

The farm fresh corn cut from the stalk was tossed gently with olive oil, salt and pepper in a sauce pan until tender. The best dish is the fresh spinach. In a sauté an put two tablespoons of olive oil and whole garlic cloves. Allow the garlic to cook gently in the pan for 1to 2 minutes only and try not to burn the garlic ... it can go from fragrant to bad very quickly so keep an eye on it. Once the garlic has perfumed the oil remove it and toss it away. It's done its job for this quick dish. Immediately place hands full of fresh spinach. This will go quickly as well. Stir with a wooden spoon and before you know it the hot olive oil has cooked the tender leaves and it's ready to eat

 

Plate and voilà! It's dinner. Where the starch? Bread? Potato? Not this time. I saved the starch for desert with an ice cream sandwich. Light and refreshing dish on a hot summer day.

 

As always cooking with love, makes any recipe taste better... and even quickies are a good thing. LOL.

 

Ground turkey woos? Here's a helpful hint.

Ground turkey doesn't make the culinary cut in your house? Taste to bland? Can't tell if the meat is cooked or not?

Me, too! I love the taste of ground turkey with mushrooms, onions, cheese...you name it. Stuffed inside pita bread, on top of pizza and especially freshly made turkey tacos with celery, cilantro and sour cream with a squeeze of lime. But ground turkey meat, whether dark or white, meat doesn't cook like ground beef.

So this is a simple suggestion to make cooked ground turkey that is full of flavor, seasoned to YOUR taste and fully cooked.

First get your pan ready. Caste iron works, but in the case I used a non stick killet. Use 2 to 3 tablespoons of good olive oil and let heat on medium low. Next, two garlic cloves peeled and slightly cracked and place in the warm oil. The garlic will infuse the olive oil. Heat the garlic in the pan for only one minute, two at tops. Try not let them burn.... the oil will turn bitter.

Back to the ground turkey. Flatten the ground turkey into a large disc. Season liberally on one side of salt, pepper, garlic or onion salt. I used freshly ground oregano, too. Place the turkey patty seasoning side down in the hot skilet. Let cook until the meat is moveable with a pair of tongs or spatula. Then, flip to the other side. Remove after 5 - 8 minutes and let rest on a cutting board. 

Allow the meat to cool and then chop or dice into soup, taco shells, or slice for sandwiches. 

Easy way to cook, season and flavor an other wise bland meat.

Let me know your thoughts....

Remember cooking with love makes any recipe taste better.

Lady E

Let Crostata season begin!

How can I turn down a special request? Rarely will I turn down a genuine request, especially when in the end I know the final result will bring a smile to someone's face and bring joy to their day.

This was such a request. One Apple Crostata hand delivered just the way the Birthday Girl likes. Flaky crust gently folded over seasoned apples with only the best ingredients to heighten the tastes and flavor.

Apples are peeled, cut and cored into wedge slices and tossed with cinnamon, brown sugar, Baker's sugar, vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest and marinated in the fridge for 30 minutes. Next make the crust ...see prior Crostata posts or Giada De Laurentis's recipe. Chill crust in refrigerator for one hour.

Take the marinated apples out of the fridge and squeeze the juice of 1/2 a lemon. I used Meyers lemon... tangy, but slightly sweet to help bring out the natural flavor of the apples. Pour the mixture in to a saucepan and a tablespoon of butter. Let butter melt and then add the apples. Simmer on low with the lid on to steam the apples for 2-3 minutes. Don't overcook the apples, you just want to make them slightly tender. Let the apples cool before you add them to the crust. Don't want to melt that cooled butter.

Take the crust out of the fridge and roll out and place the cooled apples in circular motion in the center of the rolled crust. Any juice at the bottom of the pan? Don't be tempted to drizzle the juice on top of the apples before baking... it will just make the crust soggy while baking.  Once the apples are in place, fold the edges over the apples and as seen below Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown and crust is hollow to the touch about 40 minutes.

After the Crostata has cooked and while still hot place a dab of butter on the exposed hot apples. No is the time to take that reserved juice and drizzle gently (only on the apples) and watch them sizzle and glisten.

Wait for 10 minutes before you cut the pie. Or in my case before I deliver a piece of heaven to the Birthday Girl.

Cooking with love always makes any recipe taste better... and in this case also makes people smile. Happy Birthday Nakita!

March 2014 Food Challange.

Looking for ideas for a Lady E Cooks - California Culinarian food challenge for March 2014. Roasted chicken, done. Pasta dishes, done. Soups, done. Gumbo, done. Crostata, done.

What would you like to see me cook, post on Lady E's FB page and a written article about you and your culinary choice on the blog seen around the world?

Winner gets a delivered dish to their home in March 2014.
Post your one dish ideas on Lady E Cooks FB page. Selection by Lady E ...the most creative idea will win using local ingredients a must.  (see https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lady-E-Cooks-California-Culinarian/141908175914752 )

Contest limited to Northern California residents. Entries end March 1, 2014.

Remember, cooking with love always any dish tastes better.
Lady E

Back by popular demand...At least that's what my Godson says!

This was a previous Lady E Cook"s recipe posted in 2012. It's one of my Godsons (Bryan Watson)  favorite recipes and he will eat them all day long. So in honor of him and Crab Season, I'm reposting the recipe. I hope you enjoy making these tasty bites as well as eating them.

Make the recipe your own or follow the details below. And, dont forget to write comments...love to hear from the people who read, cook and write about food.

My Godson's favorite Lady E Cook's culinary creation... And he won't share these little bites with anyone.

In fact, if he had his way...I'd make these every month and hand deliver them to him hot out of the oven.

The Crab Potato Poppers are little bites and a bit labor intensive for a snack or appetizer. But, if you are a crab lover you won't be dissapointed. The poppers are made with fresh crab meat stuffed in Yukon gold potatoes and a little suprise inside.

 The recipe is located on the blog in an earlier post. ... Enjoy the pixs.

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Holiday Brownie Bites

Holiday Brownie Bites. Good anytime of the year.



 

During the Holidays making deserts can be daunting coupled with preparing the turkey, ham, roast and multiple side dishes. So, this might be a great alternative to satisfying your sweet tooth or highlighting the evening desserts with one single bite. Easy to make, minimal clean up and tons of fun to make with friends, family and kids.

 

First, you can either make the brownie bites with a at home or store bought recipe in small cupcake pans. Or, in this case go to either Lucy's or Trader Joe's and in the bakery area they will have small bites of brownies already made and very tasty.

 

Toppings are simple, too! Go to the local grocery store isle, fancy food store or kitchen cabinet and select toppings you'd like to taste. Samples below comprised of (from left to right):

Coconut

Pure chocolate

Sprinkles with single marshmallows

Coconut and dark chocolate

Chocolate sprinkles

Chocolate sprinkles and pure chocolate

Sprinkles

Maxi marshmallows

Coconut and marshmallows

Fan favorite ... Roasted pecans

 

Not seen:

Peanut butter cream cheese frosting the roasted peanuts.

 

Now, for the ganache! Simple too! I suggest this is where you splurge and treat you and your guest to a tasty treat. Find the best, not necessarily the most expensive, chocolate that YOU find tasty.

Trust your own taste buds, most likely if you LOVE it, your guest will like it too.

 

In my case I used Ghirardelli chocolate chips in semi-sweet and milk chocolate. Melt 3/4 of a packet with two tablespoons of heavy whipping cream over a double boiler. Melt the chocolate slowly using either a wooden spoon or a plastic spatula. Be patient, this part can be tricky. Chocolate is very temperamental. Rushing chocolate, stirring to quickly or having the water too hot or touching the base of the bowl and turn chocolate chips into a hardened hot mess or burnt chocolate. Which if this does occur... toss it out and start over. Nope, you can't recover chocolate once its gone into the troubled dark side.

 

Once the chocolate has completely melted, take the mixture off the double boiler and mix in one tablespoon of room temperature unsalted butter. Fold in the butter and watch the mixture change into a glossy gorgeous brown melted deliciousness. Go ahead, lick the spoon! I did!

 

Final step is to take a brownie bite and spread a teaspoon (or more) on the tops of the brownie with a butter knife, off set small spatula or just go gansta and use a spoon.  Leave the topping blank (pure chocolate #2 on board) or top with coconut, pecans, or a mixture of your favorite topping.

 

Looking forward to making these in different colors for Valentines, Easter, Black and White Ball, Independence day, Halloween... the possibilities are endless random of colors and imagination.

 

Remember, cooking with love makes everything taste better!

Celebrating our youth and food...

I have a confession. Catering is NOT one of my favorite things to do as a Culinarian. Nope...sorry to say. it's not. But, my friends have learned...the way to convence me cater for them, is to ask me a question. The question is ..." If you had to create a menu for an event ...(fill in the blank) what would you prepare, serve or suggest?"

My creative juices start flowing and visions of food flood my brain. Next thing I know, I'm thinking food before I sleep, while I sleep, talking in my sleep about food and finally preparing a menu for the "friend".

 This special event was for the youth of Jack and Jill and the installation of the new Members. Oh, how I remember those days...as if they were yesterday. Collaborating with fellow teens and being guided my talented and driven parents for our unified (and solo) success.

Cheers to the Teens! May you always prosper, grow and bring value to our community and lives.



Tablescape designed by Gisele Bonds of Positive Images 2013

  

Next thing I know...I'm designing a menu, food plan and then a budget.

Roasted Shrimp with Orzo Salad (Recipe by Ina Graten/Barefoot Contessa)



Homemade Pulled Pork Sandwiches, and Red Cabbage Cilantro Slaw





Homemade Mango Soda....fizzy and naturally delincious



Cooking with love, makes everything taste better!

XO,

Lady E