Elise Feiner's FOODFANATAHOLICS™

Never Judge a Book By the Cover...

2011-12-23T17:35:00.000-05:00

One of the nicest perks about writing a food blog is that many major publishing houses contact you to ask if you would be interested in reviewing a new book that they have published and tell your readers about it. Sometimes I agree to do the review, other times if I don’t think my readers will enjoy the topic, I decline. There is never any compensation involved; I just do it for the fun of it and to keep a finger on the pulse of what’s new in the world of food.Once in a while, a request comes along that is a little out of the ordinary.

I was recently asked if I would look at a new book that was being published by Harper Collins, called More Than Words Can Say by Robert Barclay. The book is what I would categorize as a romance novel with a historical flare to it…what on earth would that have to do with a food blog. When I contacted the company, they said that there were some recipes in the book. I thought, why not?

I always do cookbooks so this will be a little different.I received my copy of the book while I was out of town and didn’t get to it for a few days. Once I picked it up, I didn’t put it down until I finished. I don’t know why it intrigued me, maybe it was all the references to Syracuse, New York, or the fact that the author was from Upstate, New York, and that I guess after living here so many years, I am now an Upstate, New Yorker myself (albeit, I’ll never give up my Brooklyn roots.)

The book takes place in the 1940’s and in the present day through a series of flashback. Chelsea Enright inherits a cottage in the Adirondacks from her grandmother Brooke. She has no interest in the cottage and tells her grandmother’s attorney that she just wants to sell it. He tells her that her grandmother left a letter for her to read before making any decisions, and so she does. After the contents of the letter are revealed to her, she goes up to the cottage to check out the contents of the instructions left in her grandmother’s letter, thus uncovering some family secrets that she had known nothing about. In the course of staying in the cottage, she meets her new neighbor and tremendous changes take place in her own life as well. I don’t want to reveal too much more without giving away the entire plot.

However, in the course of discovery, she also received a copy of a handwritten cookbook of her grandmother’s from her mother. She takes the book with her as she embarks on her journey to uncover the person that was her grandmother. Her grandmother was an accomplished artist and cook. She kept a record of her recipes, naming them after prominent people involved in World War II, which also sets the background for the flashbacks.Chelsea begins to learn about her grandmother through her journal and her cookbook and begins to use the recipes and her discoveries to forge a new life for herself.Although, there are not too many recipes in the book, those that are there are intriguing. In fact, I am going to make the MacArthuroni this week. Who could turn down a great Mac and Cheese?

This book would make a great beach read, a great book club selection, and a great idea for a fun progressive dinner.I urge my readers to get a copy of the book, share it with a few friends, and then to a progressive dinner based on a forties theme party. Dress up in clothes from the forties and bring a recipe to share from that time period – perhaps discuss a family member that you had that was involved in the war, a grandmother who had a favorite recipe from the time, We all need an excuse to party today, but with the economy being what it is, money is tight – very much like the times described in the book…become creative and make your own recipes from your past and just have some fun with this – you won’t be disappointed.

Here is a link to the book:

Amazon.com Widgets

Here are two recipes from the book that you might want to try as well:

MacArthuroni and CheeseOf all the recipes listed here, this one is the most surefire favorite.I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like a nice dish of macaroni and cheese! This recipe is especially good, because it’s made with two kinds of mushrooms and Gruyère cheese.Just be sure to not skimp on the Gruyère, and use only good quality mushrooms. During World War II, General MacArthur made his famous pronouncement, “I shall return!” Make this dish correctly, and your guests will “return” repeatedly for second (and maybe even third) helpings!

Total time: 1 hour 30 minutesServes 6–8

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Good olive oil
½ pound shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps sliced into ½-inch pieces
½ pound cremini mushrooms, stems removed and caps sliced into ½-inch pieces
3 tablespoons cream sherry
Kosher salt
1 pound pasta, such as cavatappi
3 ounces white truffle butter
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 quart whole milk, scalded
12 ounces (4 cups) Gruyère cheese, grated
8 ounces (2½ to 3 cups) extra-sharp cheddar, grated
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley leaves
1½ cups fresh white bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 375˚ F.

Heat the butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large (12-inch) sauté pan, add the mushrooms, and cook over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, until they are tender. Add the sherry and continue to sauté for a few more minutes, until the sherry is absorbed. Set aside.Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a splash of olive oil and a pinch of kosher salt. Add the pasta and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until al dente. Drain well.While the pasta cooks, melt the truffle butter in a large(4-quart) saucepan and whisk in the flour. Cook for 2 minutes over low heat, stirring constantly with a whisk. Slowly whisk in the hot milk and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the white sauce is thickened and creamy.Remove from the heat and add the Gruyère, cheddar, 1 tablespoon salt, the pepper, and the nutmeg.

Combine the pasta, sauce, and mushrooms in a large bowl and pour into a 10-by-13-by-2-inch baking dish.Place the garlic and parsley in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until they’re minced. Add the bread crumbs and pulse to combine. Sprinkle the crumbs over the pasta and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly and the crumbs are golden brown. Serve hot.

MORE THAN WORDS CAN SAY. Copyright ©2012 by Robert Newcomb. All rights reserved.

Roosevelt’s Roast

Back when rationing was in effect, it was difficult to acquire all the ingredients for this one, named after FDR. But these days, it’s a snap! The trick with this one is the proper preparation of the bourbon-and-mushroom sauce. Don’t let it simmer too long, or you’ll run the risk of burning it. But do it right, and it will be worthy of serving at the White House!

Total time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Serves 4–6

2 to 3 tablespoons grapeseed oil, for searing
¼ cup coarse sea salt
¼ cup coarse cracked black pepper
1 whole beef strip loin, trimmed with some fat remaining

Bourbon-mushroom sauce (recipe follows)

Preheat the oven to 300˚F.

Add the oil to a sauté pan. Season the meat on all sides with salt and pepper. Sear the meat on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes each side. Place the meat on a sheet tray with a rack. Roast the meat for 30 to 40 minutes. Crank the oven up to 450˚ F and roast for an additional 15 to 20 minutes until crust forms and meat is nicely colored. When done, allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. In a small bowl, reserve the drippings for the bourbon-mushroom sauce.

A+ AUTHOR INSIGHTS , EXTRAS & MORE . . .
Bourbon-Mushroom Sauce

5 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 cup cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 cup onion, finely diced
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ cup bourbon
3 cups beef stock
Salt
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add 4 tablespoons of the butter. Add the garlic, mushrooms, and onion and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until nicely browned. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer. Before serving with the beef, add the reserved juice to the mixture.

MORE THAN WORDS CAN SAY. Copyright ©2012 by Robert Newcomb. All rights reserved.

Mexican Lasagna

2011-04-06T20:02:00.000-04:00

It feel like International week in the Feiner household this week. Last night it was Chinese Food, tonight Mexican food. I purchased Eve Longoria's new cookbook, Eva's Kitchen and was thumbing through it last night and saw the recipe for Mexican Lasagna. I guess after coming back from Florida, and reminiscing about the signs for Pepe's South of the Border, put me in a Mexican food kind of mood. I made some homemade guacamole, and bingo...

Of course, I never follow a recipe as written, so I adapted it. I didn't see any sense in making it in two 8-inch pans so I made one large casserole. I didn't get a chance to talk step by step pictures tonight because my niece Danielle had night classes and I had to get dinner on the table in less than an hour.

The recipe, with my changes is below. It is so fast any easy to do. If you can brown chopped meat, your meal is done. Enjoy, I know we did...

Mexican Lasagna – adapted from a recipe by Eva Longoria

2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2½ pounds of ground beef

Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste

1 cup Chicken Broth (I used College Inn)

1 package (17.5 ounce size) 10 Flour Tortillas (I used Mission Brand Soft Taco and Burrito Size)

1 jar (24 ounces) Tostitos Chunky Salsa, mild (if you like it hotter, go for it), divided

2-3 (8 ounce) bags of Shredded Mexican Cheese

1 (8 ounce) bag Sharp White Cheddar, Shredded

2 cups Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

1 (16 ounce container) sour cream

1-2 (4.5 ounce) cans of Old El Paso Chopped Green Chiles (I used 1 can)

½ - ¾ cup Half and Half

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a disposable aluminum 4-inch deep, 13 x 9- inch roasting pan with PAM.

In a small bowl, mix the Half and Half with about 1 cup of the salsa and set aside .

Set aside about 2 cups of the shredded cheeses, I used about 1 cup of the Mexican cheese and ½ cup each of the Cheddar and Monterey Jack.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the ground beef, and break it into small pieces with a large fork or spoon. Cook until it is browned but not crispy; season with salt and pepper to taste. Drain and set aside.

Put the chicken broth into a shallow bowl (I used a disposable aluminum 2-inch deep lasagna pan. Let them sit in the chicken broth for about 5 minutes. You want them to be softened but not mushy.

Place two tortilla shells into the bottom of the roasting pan. They may overlap a little in the middle, don’t worry about this. You will only use 8 of the 10 shells for layers so you can rip the other two apart to fill in any gaps that you may see.

Spread about 3-4 tablespoons of the sour cream on top of the tortillas. Spoon about one third of the can on top of the sour cream (2/3 of the can if you are using 2 cans)

Divide the meat into thirds, and sprinkle one third of the browned meat on top of the chilies. Spoon about 1/3 of the remaining salsa over the meat. Sprinkle 1/3 of the remaining Cheddar, Mexican Cheese, and Monterey Jack on top of the salsa.

Place another two tortillas on top, and repeat the process two more times; filling in any spaces with pieces from the two extra tortillas (don’t forget to save a few extra pieces for the final layer. Place the last two tortillas on the top, fill in any spaces. Pour the Half and Half and Salsa mixture over the top.

Top with the two cups of cheese that you set aside.

Spray a large piece of aluminum foil with PAM; set aside.

Place the pan into the preheated oven and bake for about 15 minutes. The cheese should start to turn brown. Cover with foil, and continue baking another 15-30 minutes until the casserole is bubbling and beautifully golden brown. Serve hot.

I served it with homemade Guacamole and chips.

Note: If you like more cheese, use more.

This is so easy to do and would be great if you had to bring a dish to a party or buffet.

Why Order Out when You Can Easily Cook It In Your Own Kitchen - Fabulous Chinese Pepper Steak

2011-04-04T22:22:00.000-04:00

(Chinese) Pepper Steak

We have been out of town on vacation and I didn't have a chance to do much grocery shopping. When faced with what to make for dinner, I thought, let's order out. My husband loves Chinese food, so I thought okay, that's what we'll do. Then I thought, I'm tired of eating out...in fact, I even took my crock pot to our time share because I hate to eat out all the time. Why order out, when you can make the same food in a short period of time in your own kitchen. I did a fast run to the grocery store for some flank steak and some peppers, and in less than an hour had the most delicious Pepper Steak ready to be placed on the table. You can do it too, at half the cost of takeout! Give it a try. The secret is in the prep work!

I was in a little bit of a hurry so this is not in my usual format, so bear with me...but it's all here and so easy to do. The complete recipe is at the bottom of the post. I had already done some of the prep work when I started to take pictures - sorry about that :(

Here are some of the things you will need. I used a bag of Success Rice

as well, because I was lazy and in a hurry...

Peel and slice the onions into rings; set aside.

Wash and cut the peppers into rings; set aside. I added the orange pepper into the recipe

because I felt it could use another pepper. You can use any color peppers that you want to,

but I think the recipe needs 4 peppers.

Take 9 tablespoons of the soy sauce and put it into a large plastic container for the marinade. Crush 4 cloves of the garlic, and add to the soy sauce. Add 1 tablespoon of the rice wine vinegar, 3 tablespoon of sherry, and 3 tablespoons of the brown sugar, ginger, and cornstarch. Mix well. Add the meat, and stir to coat thoroughly. Let marinade about 1 hour or so.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, place the remaining 9 tablespoons of soy sauce, the remaining tablespoon of rice wine vinegar, remaining 3 tablespoons of brown sugar,

remaining 3 tablespoons of sherry, and the remaining 3 whole cloves of garlic and set aside.

In a very large sauté pan or wok, heat about 2 teaspoons of the sesame oil

I just gave it a few turns around the pan - you don't want to much or it can be overpowering

with about 2-3 tablespoons of the vegetable oil.

You don't even need to coat the whole pan - just enough to get the onions started.

Add the onions and cook until they start to soften.

Sprinkle with the teaspoon of granulated sugar,

and a little garlic salt to taste.

Continue cooking until they begin to caramelize and turn a nice rich brown.

Remove to a plate and set aside.

In the same pan, add all the peppers,

sprinkle with a little garlic salt if desired,

and sauté until they are softened and browned slightly on the exterior sides.

Remove from the heat, and set aside.

Place about half of the meat into the same pan and

stir fry quickly until they are nicely browned,

this will take about 4-5 minutes,

remove from the heat.

Continue cooking the remaining meat until it is the same way.

Remove the garlic from the soy sauce mix.

Cook your rice.

Add the rest of the meat back to the pan,

then add the peppers and onions back into the pan.

Add any of the remaining marinade mix,

and the soy sauce mixture that you set aside earlier.

Cook for a few minutes to reheat everything and stir well to get everything coated with the sauce.

The rice is almost ready. I toss it with about 2 tablespoons of

unsalted butter before serving.

Toss in the peanuts, (I add them because I

love Chicken and peanuts and thought, "Why Not?"

It was a great addition! You don't like peanuts, leave them out.

and stir once again to coat the peanuts.

Confucius say "Better than any Chinese Restaurant

Pepper Steak and you can actually see the meat."

Serve over white rice.

Yummy, I am salivating already....

By the way, don't judge the serving size by my plate, the

others heaped it all over the dish - gastric bypass has a way

of slowing you down...

Delish!

Pepper Steak (Pepper and Onion Stir Fry)

Elise Feiner

2 – 2 ½ pound flank steak – have the butcher cut it into thin strips for stir fry or cut it yourself, against the grain into small thin pieces

2 large sweet onions, peeled and cut into circles

1 green pepper, cut into rings, seeds removed

1 red pepper, cut into rings, seeds removed

1 yellow pepper, cut into rings, seeds removed

1 orange pepper, cut into rings, seeds removed

7 large cloves of garlic, divided

18 tablespoons of soy sauce, divided

2 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar, divided

6 tablespoons sherry, divided

6 tablespoons (brownulated if possible) brown sugar, divided

2-3 teaspoons ground ginger

¼ cup cornstarch

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

Garlic salt to taste

Sesame Oil – about 2 teaspoons

Vegetable oil – about 2-3 tablespoons

¼ - ½ cup dry roasted peanuts, optional

Peel and slice the onions into rings; set aside. Wash and cut the peppers into rings; set aside. I added the orange pepper into the recipe because I felt it could use another pepper. You can use any color peppers that you want to, but I think the recipe needs 4 peppers.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, place the remaining 9 tablespoons of soy sauce, remaining tablespoon of rice wine vinegar, remaining 3 tablespoons of brown sugar, remaining 3 tablespoons of sherry, and the remaining 3 whole cloves of garlic and set aside.

In a very large sauté pan or wok, heat about 2 teaspoons of the sesame oil with about 2-3 tablespoons of the vegetable oil. Add the onions and cook until they start to soften. Sprinkle with the teaspoon of granulated sugar, and a little garlic salt to taste.

Continue cooking until they begin to caramelize and turn a nice rich brown. Remove to a plate and set aside. In the same pan, add all the peppers, sprinkle with a little garlic salt if desired, and sauté until they are softened and browned slightly on the exterior sides. Remove from the heat, and set aside.

Place about half of the meat into the same pan and stir fry quickly until they are nicely browned, this will take about 4-5 minutes, remove from the heat. Continue cooking the remaining meat until it is the same way. Add the rest of the meat, then add the peppers and onions back into the pan. Remove the whole cloves of garlic from the marinade mix. Add any of the remaining marinade mix, and the soy sauce mixture that you set aside earlier. Cook for a few minutes to reheat everything, and stir well to get everything coated with the sauce. Toss in the peanuts, and stir once again to coat the peanuts. Serve over white rice.

Serves 3-4

Note: As with most of my recipes, I recommend doing all your prep work in advance. It makes it so much easy to put the dish together when everything is cut and prepped and right at your fingertips. This is a very quick meal to make once all the prep work is done.

The soy sauce is quite salty, so you may want to use just a little garlic salt, but I think the peppers and onions always need a little salt when sautéing. I put just a tiny bit of unsalted butter when preparing my rice for this dish and add nothing else to the rice so it picks up the soy sauce, and helps decrease the saltiness of the soy sauce. You can also use low sodium soy sauce if you prefer.

Arroz con Pollo

2011-03-13T21:54:00.002-04:00

Arroz con Pollo

My cousin Joanne has been sending me a ton of recipes this week, which I am supposed to be typing so future generations can enjoy some of our family favorites. Jo and I are taking the most amazing trip down aromatic memory lane. I can't wait to see her in a few weeks. Her brother Joe and I drool over Williams-Sonoma catalogs together... I need to move to Florida!

She sent me a copy of the Arroz con Pollo that her mother used to make. She got the recipe from her sister's housekeeper who was of Spanish descent. I typed the recipe but some of the proportions were missing, so I did a little research and decided to make some changes to the recipe. I will put both recipes at the bottom of this post. It was absolutely wonderful! It does take a little while to prep and cook but well worth the time...

All the cousins with our cousin Ann in Florida - she will me missed
Front row L-R: Elise, Anne, Joanne, Sophia and Rick
Back Ror L-R: David, Abby, Lauren, Carl, Joe, Marc

There is no excuse not to make this dish, - it's like coloring by number - just follow the pictures

Arroz con Pollo – Elise’s Changes

From Anne Silvestri’s sister Marie’s Spanish housekeeper

4-5 pound chicken, cut in pieces (I used a package of legs and 4 pounds of breasts with bones

Garlic salt, pepper, paprika, and cumin (sprinkle over the chicken)

4-5 slices of bacon - cut in half

2-4 tablespoons olive oil - divided

6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

1 large green pepper, finely diced

1 (8 oz can) tomato sauce

1 (14 ounce can) stewed tomatoes

1 (4 ounce) jar of pimentos, rough chopped

1 (5.75 ounce) jar green olives, drained (you can use a larger jar if you prefer) cut olives in half

3 large onions, peeled and diced

3 teaspoons Better than Bouillon Chicken, divided

1 (48 ounce can or box of chicken stock or broth plus (1 14 ounce can) divided into 5 cups, and whatever is left in the can (about 6 ounces)

½ - 1 cup white wine

2 cups white rice (I used Carolina Long Grain, you can use Arborio if you have it)

1 cup frozen baby peas

Do all your prep work ahead, wash your peppers, cut the onions, cut the bacon, cut the olives, etc. Open up all your cans, measure out all your liquids, cut, wash and dry your chicken. Place 5 cups of stock into a saucepan and midway through the preparation of the chicken bring it to a boil. Place the pieces of chicken on a large sheet of aluminum foil and season them with salt, pepper, garlic salt, and cumin to taste. Turn the pieces over and season the other side. Set a little bit of the bacon, olives, and pimentos aside for a garnish.

In a large Dutch oven (7 quart) or large stockpot, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. When the pan is hot, add the pieces of bacon, and fry until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pot, and set aside. Add the chicken (don’t crowd the pieces, cook in more than one batch if necessary) to the olive oil/bacon fat, and sauté until nicely browned about 10 minutes; turn the pieces over and brown for another 10 minutes. Remove the chicken to a dish and set aside. Repeat with any remaining chicken.

Add 1 heaping teaspoon of Better than Bouillon to the saucepan, and add the remaining 6 ounces of broth from the small can to the pot. Stir to deglaze the pan. Add the onions, peppers, garlic, and sauté until golden and soft about 15 minutes. Season with a little additional garlic, salt and black pepper. I added another tablespoon of olive oil at this point. Add the tomato sauce, tomatoes, wine, rice, pimentos, olives, peas, and bacon, and stir until well blended. Add the chicken back to the pot and pour the stock that has been brought to a boil over the chicken. Stir. Cover the pot and let simmer on a medium-low heat for about an hour and a half. Stir often, making sure to get down to the bottom of the pot so it doesn’t stick.

Cook for about 1½, tasting every 30 minutes to check to see if the rice is done. When it is not longer hard and most of the liquid is absorbed, the dish is finish. Place in a large serving platter and garnish with the pimento, olives and bacon you set aside earlier.

This is what you will need for the recipe:

You can buy a whole chicken and cut it up if you prefer, I bought a package of legs and breasts

Now, let's get all the prep work started

Peel the onions, leaving the stem end intact - this will make it easier to dice

Slice the onion down toward the stem but do not cut all the way through

Then, turn it and slice in the opposite direction

When you are finished cut the criss-crossed onion down in slices and voila,

you have a diced onion -

don't bother cutting all the way to the end, just throw it away... makes great compost!

Okay, I'll wait while you go get some tissues and wipe your eyes...

Long enough, there is no crying in cooking, let's get moving we have a lot to prep here...

Peel your garlic

Crush it with a garlic crusher, or slam it with a knife, hit it with a hammer, whatever you need to do to get it crushed is fine with me

It should look like this

Wash your green peppers, you can use red if you have them, or both, or yellow or orange, whatever color you like... I am holding two because they were small and in the refrigerator and were going to go bad if I didn't use them. This is the beauty of cooking, you can change whatever you want to. Baking is a science, cooking is an art - My quote if you decide to steal it, please!

Cut the peppers in half and remove the seeds

Slice them in thin strips

I missed a seed, see, I'm not perfect - close but not perfect...

Place then on top of one another - as many as you can comfortable handle, and dice them, and set them aside

Oh my God, I am getting old, I have wrinkles in my fingers :(

My husband (the gynecologist) says you can always tell a woman age by her hands - I am an old broad!

Open the pimentos

Drain those babies...

Place on a cutting board, give them a rough chop, and set them aside

They don't have to be perfect (like me) - just smaller (like I wish I was)

Open the olives

Drain those delicious green things, and don't eat them all before they make it to the dish

Cut them in half, I do this so you get an olive in every bite. Lazy??? Leave them whole - who cares - add two jars, whatever you want! Looks so Christmasy - too bad it's Lent and I'm Jewish - go figure...

I was however, born an Italian Catholic so I get to do whatever I want, whenever I want...

Measure out your broth (put five cups into a small saucepan and leave the rest in the little can)

and the wine too - I forgot the picture

Midway through the preparation of the chicken (about when you add the vegetable to the pot, bring this to a low boil)

Open your cans

Now aren't you glad you did all the prep work and can cook with ease

Place a large piece of aluminum foil on the counter (easy clean-up and less work for mother)

Wash (and cut, if necessary) your chickens, but don't go crazy, this is 2011 and they are pretty clean right out of the package - old habits die hard...even Purdue has a stray feather every now and then

Dry the chicken with a paper towel

Season with pepper - don't you just love my peppermill

Season the chicken with salt (just a little because everything in here is salty, olives, bouillon)

Of course, I season everything with garlic salt, so sprinkle a little of that too

Last, sprinkle on a little cumin - I must confess, not my favorite spice, but necessary for this dish - I went sparingly, but do your own thing...

Turn those babies over to the naked side and repeat again

Don't they already look delicious - and no you cannot taste the raw chicken -

Don't forget to WASH your hands, and scrub down your work area well...

We are almost done with all the prepping - one last thing left to do

Cut the bacon in half - I use center cut, use what you like

Place a large Dutch Oven (7 quart) on the stove over medium heat - what's with this picture, it's red???

Add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil

When the oil is hot, add the bacon

Fry until crisp

Remove and set aside - do not eat the whole dish (maybe just a tiny taste!)

When it cools, crumble it (yes, with your fingers)

Now would be a good time to set aside a little of everything for the garnish too

And being motivated as I seemed to be today, I had mixed up a batch of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes this morning, and it was sitting on the pizza peel rising

Add the chicken to the hot oil. Don't crowd the pieces, do in a few batches if necessary

Fry until nicely brown (about 10 minutes) - Turn and repeat with the other side

Remove and place on a platter or large dish

Do the next batch the same way

If you are using legs, they may take a little longer on each side

Can you smell the bread - it just came out of the oven - heaven warm bread and butter

At the end, you will be left with tons of brown deliciousness on the bottom of your pot - this is what will make it taste so good - I have to tell this, this is a Martha Stewart Cast Iron pot that I got (stole) on sale at Macy's, but that's another story for another day, and it's amazing. It cleans up like a dream. I know you are looking at the bottom of that pot and shaking your head, but don't worry, clean-up is a breeze!

Put in 1 teaspoon of the Better than Bouillon (I added tablespoons, but it may be too salty for some, so I am amending the recipe to teaspoons - I you like salt, have at it!)

Stir to help deglaze the pot

Add whatever is left in the little can of chicken broth about 6 ounces

Add your onions

peppers

and garlic to the pot

Stir it well

I seasoned it with a little garlic salt - what else is new?????

black pepper - I always find that peppers and onions need to have some added flavoring

and just a little drizzle of additional olive oil - maybe a tablespoon

Cook until the vegetables are soft about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally

Add in the tomato sauce

Stewed tomatoes

Wine

Make sure your soup is hot

Rice -I use a small bag of Carolina long grain, it's exactly two cups :)

Bacon

Pimentos

Olives

Peas

Give it a good stir to blend well

Add the chicken back to the pot

Add the broth that has been at a low boil

Stir again

Cover and let it cook on a low-medium simmer - stir frequently, MAKING SURE YOU GO TO THE BOTTOM OF THE POT, or the rice will stick and burn. See, I told you the pot was red - goes with absolutely nothing in my kitchen but it was on sale!

Set the timer for 45 minutes, but stir in between - go to the bottom, make sure you listen to me!

Stir

and stir some more (at about 30 minutes)

At 45 minutes

1 hour

1 hour and 20 minutes - notice how creamy the rice is

Plate and serve that with the delicious bread - Yummmmmmmm

Here is a copy of the original recipe - my cousin Joanne says her mother boiled the rice separately, and she uses orzo instead of rice. I am a one pot girl, less work and it turns out the same way (I think). I am going to try the orzo the next time, and cook it in with the chicken.

Arroz con Pollo

From Anne Silvestri’s sister Marie’s Spanish housekeeper

4-pound chicken, cut in pieces

5-6 tablespoons olive oil - divided

6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

1 jar of pimentos

1 jar green olives, drained

3 large onions, peeled and diced

Chicken bouillon or chicken stock divided

¼ - ½ cup white wine

2 cups white rice

Heat about 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large Dutch oven or frying pan. Brown the chicken. Remove the chicken. Mince the onion, and small pieces of garlic, sauté until golden. Add 2-3 Tablespoons chicken bouillon or 1 cup stock stock; cover until brown scrapings are melted. Replace chicken, add the wine and cover and cook very slowly ½ hour. In a separate saucepan dissolve 6 cubes of chicken bouillon and 5 cups of water. Bring to a boil and add 2 cups of rice – cook 20 minutes. Add green stuffed olives and sliced pimentos, cook about 10 more minutes.

Joanne uses orzo. She melts 2-3 tablespoons of butter in a pan and then toss in the orzo for a minute or two before adding the bouillon.

Arroz Con Pollo

Superbowl Sunday

2011-02-02T23:11:00.002-05:00

It seems that everywhere you look someone is writing a recipe on their blog for Superbowl Sunday. Since my husband is an avid Eagle fan, we are forbidden to mention the Superbowl in this house, as he is still in mourning and wearing his green Eagles shroud!

One of the great things about writing a blog is that as you become more well known, you start to get wonderful e-mails from publicists, publishers, and a host of other people who want to tell you about their products. Today was one of those days, and I received an e-mail that stopped me from forfeiting my game...

In spite of my poor husbands team shortcomings, I feel it only fair to put at least one recipe on the blog that is Superbowl themed, as I am not a poor sport (or a football fan for that matter.) This mornings
e-mail from Maria Coder the Public Relations and Marketing Coordinator for BnB Finder.com got me out of the penalty box, and allowed me to be able to post a recipe for all my wonderful readers.

She sent me this recipe with these two cute pictures, for a great appetizer for Superbowl Sunday. She said, "I thought this fun football field-looking (healthy) appetizer complete with teeny tiny lightweight football players could be of interest to your readers. Hope you like it!" and so I am passing it on to all of you. The recipe is from : The Barn Inn Bed & Breakfast in Millersburg, Ohio.

Corn Bread Salad

1 pkg. Jiffy corn bread mix
1 pkg. Ranch dressing mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 sweet red pepper, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 jar bacon bits

3 large tomatoes
1 can pinto beans or black beans
1 cup whole kernel sweet corn
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Mix the corn bread according to package instructions and bake in either a pan or cup cake liners. Cut into squares or crumble into a bowl. Set aside. Mix vegetables in a bowl. In a separate bowl mix mayonnaise, sour cream, and ranch dressing. In a 9" x 13" pan or serving bowl, layer half of the corn bread, half of the vegetables, and half of the cheese, half of the bacon and half of the dressing. Repeat layers. Organize salad cups into rows (photo shows seven rows and four columns but adjust your “field” to your tray size). Use a few cooked strands of spaghetti or cheese to show the scrimmage lines and cake decorations (or small toys) are positioned as football players. Pretzels or chocolate make great goal posts.

Single Corn Bread Salad

Maria was kind enough to supply one recipe, but you could use several of your favorites to achieve the same look. Let me know if you give it a try, and thanks Maria for bailing me out on this one. Make sure you clink the link above and visit Maria's site if you are a fan of Bed and Breakfasts, the amount of information on the site is amazing!

If by chance you are an Eagle fan or a Jet fan (I am a New York girl myself), there is always next year, and the year after, and the year after....

Great Idea for Hanukkah for Kids

2010-12-01T16:22:00.000-05:00

I received this the other day from Mindy Kobrin's publicist, and she told me it would be okay to share this with my readers. This is a great idea for Hanukkah, and fun to do the the kids. Enjoy, and have a very happy Hanukkah!

Here's a new spin on a traditional Hanukkah activity that the whole family can enjoy! Celebrations and entertaining expert; Mindy Kobrin, founder ofMindy’s Meals on Heels (www.mealsonheelsbymindy.com) has created an Incredible Edible Hanukkah Dreidel which will allow kids (and adults) the opportunity to play with their food!

Families can easily create these edible treats together in no time. Marshmallows form the dreidels’ bodies, chocolate kisses serve as the tips, and pretzel sticks act as the knobs (see full recipe below).

Ingredients

12 thin pretzel sticks

12 large marshmallows

8 oz dark chocolate, melted

2 oz white chocolate, melted or white frosting

12 Hershey kisses

Preparation

Dip bottom of chocolate kiss in melted semisweet chocolate

Press onto marshmallow; transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet

Repeat to make 12 dreidels. Refrigerate for 10 minutes

Cut a small slit in bottom of each marshmallow; insert 1 thin pretzel stick

Dip dreidels in chocolate, and return to baking sheet

Refrigerate until set, about 15 minutes

Fill a resealable plastic bag with melted white chocolate; cut a tiny opening in a corner, and pipe

Hebrew letters onto 3 sides of each dreidel

Refrigerate at least 5 minutes or up to 8 hours before serving

This is the kind of tie you can sink your teeth into -Happy Father's Day

2010-06-14T22:44:00.001-04:00

Father's Day is rapidly approaching and like most of us there will be at least one tie in our gifts for the adoring and wonderful father's in our lives. I know that when my Dad was alive, I got a few for him every year.

My tenth birthday with my Dad, Sam Avella

Graduation from Nursing School with my parents
Kay and Sam Avella

Sam and Kay Avella

A few days ago, I received an e-mail from a young college student named Matt who has a blog on Ties - and in honor of Father's Day, his blog was all about Tie Cakes... and he asked if I would link to his site.

I checked out his blog and it is great, so Matt - here goes...

What a fabulous idea, to accompany Dad's material ties with a succulent and sweet version - giving him something to sink his teeth into as well. This website is absolutely wonderful and so much more than just Cake Ties. It is a great information site as well - how to tie a tie, ties you can buy, tie stories, you name it - and you'll find it hear.

Matt has designed a really cute site (spoken like the woman I am, i.e. old enough to be his mother) and I think you should all check it out.

Here is the link for Tiepedia - tell Matt that I sent you, and be sure to tell all your friends too!

To all the fathers, grandfathers, great-grandfathers, fathers-in-law, Uncles, Brother, Cousins, Friends, Godfathers, etc - have the most wonderful Father's Day...

As for me I was blessed with a wonderful father, a wonderful father-in-law and a wonderful husband who is the best father to our four children...lucky me!

Then...

Now...

Love the Lime!

2010-05-27T01:19:00.006-04:00

It seems like for the past few days, everything I've made has featured limes in some shape or form. I made the Vietnamese Lettuce Rolls, and they featured lime as one of the many flavors. I few days ago, it was guacamole with lime in it. This morning when I checked my e-mails from one of the Yahoo Groups I belong to, there was a recipe for Cuba Libre Cupcakes posted, that sounded delicious! Carlos, the person who posted it, said they he found it on another website. Now, having written a blog for quite some time, I didn't want to post a recipe without given credit to the person who developed the recipe. I did a little research, and a little googling and came up with a fabulous blog site for all of you to check out. It is Rachel Rappaport's Coconut & Lime. She originated this recipe and here is the link for all of you to see her posting: Coconut & Lime Blog - Cuba Libre Cupcakes

Please make sure you check out her blog, she has an amazing array of wonderful recipes. She is also the author of The Everything Healthy Slow Cooker Cookbook. She has been named as one of the 50 best food blogs and one of a very few blogs where the recipes are her original creations.

I e-mailed her and got her permission to show a step by step guide to making the cupcakes.

Cuba Libre Cupcakes
Rachel Rappaport

Here is the step by step to making the cupcakes:

You will need the following ingredients:

For the Cupcakes

For the Frosting:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line or grease and flour 1 12 cupcake cupcake pan.

In a small saucepan,

heat butter (1/2 cup - 1 stick),

coca cola (1/2 cup)

and rum (2 tablespoons)

to boiling.

Remove from heat and allow to cool. (I put

mine into the refrigerator.)

Mix together lime juice (I used a reamer

and juiced a fresh lime - it took one half of a lime - I used the other

half to decorate the tops)

I cut the lime in half

put the juice (1 tablespoon lime juice) into a small bowl

measured and added the milk (1/4 cup)

in a small bowl or measuring cup

(as Rachel said, you may see some curdling)

and set aside.

Measure out your flour (1 cup), I use the scoop and level method

and place into a large mixing bowl

Measure the sugar (1 cup) the same way

add the sugar to the flour

Measure the Dutch cocoa (3 tablespoons dutch processed cocoa)

Baking powder (1 teaspoon),

Baking soda (1 teaspoon)

and salt (1/2 teaspoon)

Meanwhile, whisk together cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Add the cooled butter/coke mixture

and beat until well combined.

Add egg (1 egg),

beat well,

then pour in the milk.

Mix until combined.

The batter will be rather thin.

Fill each well 2/3 of the way full.

Put into the preheated oven

Bake 20 minutes

or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Remove cupcakes to wire racks as soon as possible to cool.

To make the frosting, measure out the confectioners' sugar

(1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar)

and sift (to get a smooth frosting)

measure and sift the Dutch cocoa (1 1/2 tablespoons Dutch process cocoa)

add the cream cheese, at room temperature (1/2 8 ounce package)

and the rum (1 tablespoon good Rum)

Mix well until the frosting is smooth...

Frost with Chocolate Rum Cream Cheese Frosting

when cool.

Take the remaining half of the lime and cut into thin slices

and then cut each slice into quarters...

Garnish with a wedge of lime.

Enjoy!!!!

Thank you Rachel for a fabulous recipe.

The cupcakes were so moist and delicious -

Steven wanted to eat all the frosting- Yummy!!!!!!

Be sure to visit Rachel's Blog

Coconut & Lime

Greek Pasta Salad

2010-05-24T17:50:00.001-04:00

This morning when I arrived back home from the dentist, I found two recipes on my kitchen table. One was for pizza dough and the other one was for a Greek Pasta Salad. I knew that I didn't clip them, so I wondered where they came from. My housekeeper, Carol, said she brought them in for me. She had gotten them from a friend of hers, Bob Fisher, that she used to work with years ago at BOCES. She had run into him at Walmart a few days ago, and he told her to try this recipe.

I had been running around all day and was looking for a fast side dish to make with some barbecue chicken for tonights dinner, and thought this looked easy and sounded delicious. Since everyone in my house is suddenly on a diet (the wedding is coming quickly), I thought this was great. Not too much pasta, some olive oil, lots of veggies, okay, so the cheese and salami is not quite diet like, but not as bad as my usual fettuccine alfredo!

I'm sorry I didn't have time to do a step by step on this recipe, but I was trying to get it done quickly, and it's pretty basic to do, so I am just giving you the recipe on this one. Try it, I sampled a little to check the seasonings and it was delicious!

Here is the recipe:

Greek Pasta Salad

1 box of spiral pasta (Rotelli) cooked according to the package directions

For the dressing:

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup red wine vinegar (I used red wine with garlic)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (I had garlic salt)

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (I used a little less)

3/4 teaspoon sugar

1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered

1 red bell pepper, cut into thin slices and then finely diced

2 bunches of scallions, finely chopped

1 can medium sized black olives, pitted, drained and cut in half

10 - 12 Kalamata Olives, pitted, and cut in half

3/4 cup Genoa Salami (I bought a little under 1/2 pound and had them slice it about 1/4 - inch thick) cut into cubes

3/4 cup crumbled Feta Cheese (I bought about a 6 ounce piece, and crumbled it myself so it would be fresh)

In a large bowl, mix the olive oil, vinegar, garlic powder, basil, oregano, pepper, and sugar with a whisk.

Cook the pasta in boiling, salted water according to the directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.

While the pasta is cooking, cut the tomatoes, red bell pepper, scallions, olives, and salami.

Add the cooled pasta to the dressing mix and toss. Add in all the vegetable and 3/4 of the feta cheese.

Add the remaining feta cheese on the top. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

I like to serve it in a glass bowl so you can see all the colors. This is a nice summer salad that goes together quick quickly. Enjoy!

Greek Pasta Salad

Sheila's Vietnamese Lettuce Wraps - A Delightful Dinner Treat

2010-05-24T01:16:00.001-04:00

Sheila's Fabulous Vietnamese Lettuce Wraps...

They may not be gorgeous but they sure taste delicious!

A few weeks ago, we had dinner with our dear friends Bob and Sheila Smith. In the course of eating dinner we had a great conversation about food (what else??????) and Sheila was telling me about some lettuce wraps that she makes that sounded delicious. She learned about the wraps from a friend of hers, Pauline Tran, and then she combined her recipe, with a recipe that she had at a restaurant in Rhode Island, and came up with a version that she liked. I told Sheila that I would love to learn how to make the wraps and she promised that the next time she made them, she would invite us over to learn how to make them. Tonight, she called and said she was making the wraps and did I want to learn how to make them. I of course, jumped at the chance to learn something new...

Sheila and Bob Smith

When Sheila was describing the wraps, she kept saying that every time you took a bite, a new taste would pop out and you would savor a new flavor. I wasn't quite sure what she meant, and although I wanted to learn the technique, I wasn't too sure about the ingredients and how they would combine together. I was fully prepared to learn the technique, but I really wasn't sure I was going to love this dinner. There are just nine ingredients needed to make the recipe; lettuce, rice paper wrappers (available from any Asian market), Hoisin sauce, ginger, shrimp, onions, dry roasted peanuts, limes, and toasted coconut. Now I am not a lover of shrimp, except when they are served hot and stuffed with crabmeat, ginger is another flavor that I am not crazy about either, so I was a little apprehensive - but I thought, why not let's give it a try.

Sheila invited me to go into her garden where she had actually grown the

lettuce that we would be using to make the wraps...

Here, she had planted Romaine and a red tinged Bibb variety

Back in the kitchen, Sheila washed the lettuce and we prepped the ingredients for the rolls.

The next step was to take shrimp that had been fully cooked

(peeled and deveined) and chop it into small pieces.

To make life easy, you can buy it this way at your local grocery store.

Cut each shrimp into three to four pieces

Set the shrimp aside in a bowl.

The next step is to toast your coconut. Sheila used a bag of

Angel Flake Coconut and placed it in a pan in her toaster

oven, stirring it several times do that it was evenly toasted.

Continue toasting and stirring until all the coconut is brown and crunchy.

Place the coconut into a bowl, and set aside.

The next step was to prepare the lime. Cut the lime into thin

slices, leaving the rind on, and then dice it into small cubes.

Place the pieces of lime into a small bowl.

Pour the dry roasted peanuts into a bowl, and set aside.

The next step is to prepare the ginger....

Cut the bumps away and peel the ginger; cut into thin slices, and then, dice the

ginger into very small pieces so it is not overpowering.

Place the diced ginger into a bowl and set aside.

Next, peel a medium onion and cut into a small dice.

Place the diced onion into a bowl and set aside

All your ingredients have now been prepped and it's almost time for the

fun to begin, and the rolling to start!

Place some Hoisin sauce into a small bowl

Open your Rice Paper Wrappers carefully...

This is what the wrapper will look like - it is very rigid at this point...

Place the wrapper under running water to dampen it on both sides

Make sure your counter top or work area is clean and then, place the dampened

rice paper wrapper on the counter.

Gently, rub your fingers over the wrapper to make sure it is completely dampened.

Start to add your lettuce, placing it into the middle of the circle

Add another layer...

or two....

Sprinkle a few pieces of shrimp on top of the lettuce

Sprinkle some of the lime pieces on top of shrimp

Then, sprinkle the onions on top of the lime

Sprinkle on a little ginger

Add the peanuts...

Sprinkle on the toasted coconut

Spread some of the Hoisin sauce on one side of the circle

Begin to roll the lettuce. Starting at the end opposite the

Hoisin sauce, start to roll and press down

About half-way through, turn the sides in...

and continue rolling

Roll until you get to the end, the rice paper will stick to itself...

Sheila shows off the finished product...

Figure on three to four wraps per person as a main course...

Here I am rocking and a rollin'...

I know know what Sheila means, when she said they pop as you eat them.
Each bite delivers a new taste,

one minute it's the shrimp, then, the coconut, ginger, peanuts, and the Hoison sauce.

This is a fun thing to make for a dinner party, everyone can make their own, to their

own specifications. I love the Hoison sauce, peanuts and coconut, and so I

made mine a little heavier on those things. I could not stop saying how delicious these were.

This is also great in the summer because you can have a fast dinner and not turn the oven on. It is also versatile. I think I would like to try it with a rotisserie chicken the next time as well as the shrimp. I also think that a little finely chopped mango mightalso give it a wonderful flavor!

This was so much fun...

Thanks again Bob and Sheila for a wonderful evening

and for a wonderful friendship!

Pumpkins are not just for Jack-o-Lanterns

2009-12-31T00:58:00.000-05:00

I belong to several food groups and recipe sites and everyday, I go through hundreds of e-mails and recipes, always looking for something new. This morning, I was checking through the posts on
cocinacubanaintheexile@yahoogroups.com which is a wonderful group of people that I have become friends with. They always have such great recipes as well as wonderful commentary on their Yahoo group.

On of the members posted a recipe for Pumpkin Soup and for some reason, that just sounded wonderful. One of the reasons could be, that it is freezing and quite snowy here in upstate New York. I had some cans of pumpkin puree in the pantry that was leftover from Thanksgiving, so I thought, why not???

I followed the directions as they were given except that I added a little more to the exact amounts. The recipe called for 1 large can of pumpkin, but I used 3 (14 ounce cans). I also used 1 (48 ounce) can of College Inn Chicken Broth. I also added some garlic salt when I was seasoning the soup. I am going to give you the recipe exactly as it was posted and then, I have retyped it with my changes. I'm so sorry I didn't get a chance to photograph this today, but I will definitely make it again, and try to do a step by step the next time. I just wanted to get it posted as it was quite good. I will say that the directions say season with salt and pepper, and it took a good amount of salt so it wasn't bland. I think I might even want to try to do this in a crock pot on low heat the next time.

Try this and let me know what you think. I may even try this next Thanksgiving and really rock the boat of my tradition children who always want their Traditional Thanksgiving Soup with the little meatballs.

Everyone made a face when I told them what I was making, but when they tasted it....yummmmy!
My son, who made the most faces, went back for seconds!

I would like to give credit where credit is due for the soup, but the person who posted it didn't sign the post. I don't want to post their e-mail address on the blog, so if any of you are reading this and you know their name, please let me know.

Here's the recipe (as written):

FOR THESE BRRRRR.DAYS, A GOOD PUMPKIN SOUP RECIPE

four (4) servings, 25 minutes preparation and 25 cooking time.

INGREDIENTS:

2 TABLESPOON OF BUTTER
1 TABLESPOON EXTRA VOO (SPREAD IN PAN)
2 CELERY RIBS (YOU CAN ADD THE GREEN) ALL FINELY CHOPPED
1 MEDIUM ONION- FINELY CHOPPED
SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE
1- OR 2 BAY LEAVES
6 TO 7 CUPS OF CHICKEN OR VEGETABLE STOCK
1 TEASPOON OF THYME (ADJUST DESIRE AMOUNT TO TASTE)
3 TABLESPOON OF FLOUR (ALL PURPOSE) DEPENDS OF CONSISTENT DESIRED
2 CUPS OF HEAVY CREAM (IF SEVEN CUPS OF STOCK ARE USED ADD 1/3 CUP MORE OF CREAM)
CHIVE TO TASTE (I USE 2 LARGE FRESH CHIVES)
1 (LARGE CAN) OF COOKED PUMPKIN PUREE
DASH OF FRESH NUTMEG (GRATED)
MINT FOR DECORATION

INSTRUCTIONS:

IN A MEDIUM SAUCE PAN AT MEDIUM TO HIGH HEAT. HEAT OLIVE OIL, MELTING THE BUTTER THEN ADD THE BAY LEAVES,
ONION AND CELERY, SEASONING WITH SALT AND PEPPER UNTIL TENDER.
WHISK FLOUR AND THYME TO ABOVE MIXTURE COOKING FOR A MINUTE OR TWO THEN CONTINUE TO WHISK ADDING THE STOCK.
BRINGING THE BROTH TO A SIMMER.
START ADDING TO THE STOCK THE PUMPKIN PUREE IN LARGE QUANTITY WITH A LARGE SPOON CONTINUING TO WHISK THE MIXTURE WHILE YOU ARE ADDING.
LET IT SIMMER FOR APPROXIMATELY 10 TO 12 MINUTES THEN ADD THE CREAM AND NUTMEG.
MAINTAIN AT LOW HEAT TO KEEP WARM UNTIL READY TO SERVE AND GARNISH WITH CHIVES AND A MINT LEAVE.(DO NOT FORGET TO REMOVE THE BAY LEAVES................)

I USUALLY SERVE MY SOUP WITH SLICES OF ITALIAN BREAD AND SMALL MOZZARELLA BALLS

ENJOY! - VON APETITE! - BUON APPETITO! - DISFRUTALO!

Here are my changes ( by the way, this served 6 and there was more leftover, so I would say it serves closer to 10)

Pumpkin Soup

4 Tablespoons of butter
1 Tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
2 stalks of celery with the leaves, finely chopped
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Bay leaves
1 (48 ounce) can College Inn Chicken Broth
1 Teaspoon Thyme
3 -5 Tablespoons Wondra Flour (you can use all purpose, but I love Wondra for thickening)
2 Cups of Heavy Cream
Garlic Salt to taste (I used about 2 teaspoons)
Fresh chives to taste (I didn't have any handy)
3 (15 ounce) cans Pumpkin Puree
Dash of Fresh Nutmeg
Mint for Decoration

Instructions:

I always prepare my vegetables in advance, it makes it so much easier to make your recipe. Dice your celery and onions and set them aside. Place the thyme into the flour and set aside.

In a 5-6 quart stockpot, on medium to medium high heat, heat the olive oil and butter together until the butter is melted. Add the bay leaves, celery and onion. Season with a liberal amount of salt and pepper, until tender, about 5-7 minutes.

Whisk in the flour and thyme mixture, cooking for about a minute or two; then whisk in the stock slowly until all the flour is blended in, and no lumps are visible. Bring the broth to a boil, and then lower to a simmer. Add the pumpkin puree into the broth in large spoonfuls, whisking to keep it smooth. Let it simmer for about 15 minutes.

Whisk in the heavy cream. Add the garlic salt, and once the cream is well incorporated, taste and re-season with additional salt, pepper, and garlic salt. I had to turn up the heat just a little to get the soup hot, but stir this very frequently and watch it carefully so it doesn't burn. Keep on a very low heat until ready to serve. Remove the Bay Leaves. Garnish with a few chives and a little freshly grated nutmeg.

Dinnerware Just in Time for the Holidays!

2009-12-03T22:42:00.004-05:00

Hi Everyone,

I know it's been awhile but life had gotten in the way of my blog. I hope to be back on line shortly with more recipe postings.

In the meantime, I received an e-mail for Food Service Warehouse, stating that they are running a contest that is giving away "an elegant 12 place table setting set to one lucky person just in time for the holidays. This set includes high quality dinnerware, glassware, and flatware that will look great on any holiday table."

This would be a great prize to win now that the holidays are approaching. To learn more about this contest, please visit their website Food Service Warehouse. Good luck everyone, I hope one of my readers is the lucky winner.

The New Portuguese Table

2009-08-25T22:12:00.005-04:00

The New Portuguese Table by David Leite

“Tomatoes and oregano make it Italian; wine and tarragon make it French. Sour cream makes it Russian; lemon and cinnamon make it Greek. Soy sauce makes it Chinese; garlic makes it good.” – Alice May Brock

I’d like to add an addendum to that quote and add this line, “David Leite makes Portuguese Cooking the star of the Mediterranean cuisines with his new cookbook, The New Portuguese Table.

If you aren’t already familiar with David Leite, you should be, because he is one of the forces of the food industry to be reckoned with. His website Leite’s Culinaria is perhaps one of the best food sites on the web. You can visit it and see for yourself at his website Leite's Culinaria.

He is a three times James Beard winning writer and publisher, his columns are seen in food related publications everywhere, and he is one of the nicest, (and funniest) people I have encountered on this road of culinary greatness. If anyone belongs in a “Cooking Hall of Fame”, David just earned his place with his fabulous new book.

As with most of us who grow up in the kitchens of fabulous cooks, we take their cooking skills for granted. Sometimes we rebel against our ethnicity in our quest to belong to America’s melting pot, and until we reach that magic age when our mothers, grandmothers, or in many cases, fathers and grandfathers are no longer around, and we miss the foods of our youth, do we set out to re-explore and recreate them.

This is precisely what David has done in his book. As a young book growing up in a Portuguese community in Fall River Massachusetts, he really didn’t want much to do with his Portuguese heritage. As he says so well in his book, “I sat in my parents’ closet stuffing Hostess cupcakes into my mouth, praying to be blond and blue-eyed, with a last name of Fitzgerald or Abernathy."

In my case, it was growing up in an Italian household in Brooklyn, but all of us have traveled that road at one time or another. It was the same feelings that prompted me to write my own families cooking heritage “Cooking with Love”, so that my families' future generations, when they finally awoke from their escape from who they were, could then reconnect with their roots.

David has taken this even one step further with an amazing collection of Portuguese recipes, a fabulous travel log into Portugal itself, and a amazing pictorial accompaniment to both the food and the country. Move over Sonnets from the Portuguese, there’s a new kid on the block, and he’s kicking your butt!

Included in the book are recipes not only from David’s family, but from his years of living in Portugal to research the book, he brings a collection of “new Portuguese” cuisine to the table.

He provides a detailed guide to Portugal’s food for those of you who may be lucky enough to travel to Portugal. He gives you the provinces, what to eat, and what to drink in all of them. He tells you how to stock a Portuguese pantry, the history of the recipes, the only thing he doesn’t do is come and cook in your kitchen...pity!

The photography, provided by Nuno Correia is amazing, you can smell the food right off the pages, place yourself in the countryside of the travel photos, and through David and Nuno collaboration you immerse yourself in the Portuguese culture and become a part of Portugal itself.

This is a cookbook that no kitchen should be without. Whether you are a fan of Portuguese cooking or not, there is something in this cookbook for everyone. From the Spicy Pumpkin Seeds, to the Green Olive Dip, from Sea Bass with Fennel and Orange to Roast Chicken with Potatoes, from Black Eyed Peas with Onions and Red Pepper to Cornbread, to the divine Rice Pudding Redux, there is something for everyone is this book. As David says, this is the “New” Portuguese Table. The ingredients used in this book are the ingredients found in everyone’s pantry (unless you happen to be one of my sons who have nothing in the cabinets until I come to visit.)

BUY THIS BOOK!!! BUY THIS BOOK!!! BUY THIS BOOK!!!!

(Whew, once was not enough to say it)

Contents:

Introduction: Confessions of a Late Blooming Lusophile

1. Portuguese Parsed

2. The Portuguese Pantry

3. Little Bites

4. Soups

5. Fish and Shellfish

6. Poultry

7. Meats

8. Eggs, Vegetables and Rice

9. Breads

10. Sweets and Liqueurs

11. Sundries

Acknowlegments

Sources

Index

If you love Italian Food, French Food, Spanish Food, and have never tried Portuguese food before, I think you will be most pleasantly surprised, and soon, you’ll be a fan. For me personally, this book was a trip down the culinary memory lane of my youth because many of the food were very similar to my own upbringing; the fried dough from David’s grandmother, the Baccala on Christmas Eve, my Aunt Frances’ table filled with her Portuguese dishes prepared lovingly for my Uncle Manuel (who was of Portuguese descent) while he sat smoking his cigars… Thank you David for making me remember!

As my father would say, "If you cook it with love, it will always taste delicious."

Once again, the book should come with a warning: When reading this book you may be tempted to cook everything on the pages, gain a hundred pounds and become supremely happy and sated.

I always include a recipe from the book I am reviewing and this is no exception. As always, it is difficult to make a choice, but I decided to pick the Sweet Lemon and Black Olive Wafers as my choice as I found the combination intriguing in a cookie. David says that he had this at a dinner party and forgot to get the recipe so he recreated it himself. I just found this link of David making the cookies in a video - check it out...

Sweet Lemon and Black Olive Wafers:

1½ cups all purpose flour

½ cup mild oil cured black olives, rinsed quickly if particularly salty, and coarsely chopped

¼ cup sugar, plus more for coating

¼ teaspoon baking powder

2 tablespoons grated lemon zest

1/8-teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch of Kosher salt

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 large egg, beaten

1. Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and crank of heat to 375ºF.

2. Stir together the flour, olives, sugar, baking powder, zest, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk together the oil and egg, pour the mixture into the dry ingredients, and mix with your hands until the dough no longer looks dry and holds together when squeezed, 1 to 2 minutes

3. Fill a small bowl with sugar and set nearby. Pinch off 1 rounded tablespoon (about 1 ounce) of dough, roll into a ball, and coat it with sugar. Place it in one corner of a sheet of parchment cut to it your baking sheet, place another piece of parchment on top, and using a rolling pin, roll the ball into a 3½ to 4-inch circle, a scant 1/16 inch thick. The edges will be ragged; that’s how they should be. Repeat with 5 more wafers on the same sheet. Lift off the top sheet and slip the parchment with the cookies onto the baking sheet.

4. Bake until the wafers are edged with brown and pebbles on the top, 10 to 12 minutes. Side the parchment onto a wire cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining dough. Once cooled, the wafers will keep in an airtight container for several days, but I doubt they’ll stick around that long.

It is not often that I purchase a cookbook that I actually cook from. In fact, other than Ina Garten, off hand, I can’t recall too many that I use. However, I know that I will be trying recipes from this book. The statistics say that if you shop for a cookbook and see two recipes in a book that you are tempted to try you will buy the book. This book is surely a winner, because I want to try almost everything (sorry David – I’m not a fan of Cod) but everything else is a go for me! Again, buy this book, you won’t be disappointed!

Book Title: The New Portuguese Table

Author: David Leite

Category: Ethnic Cookery

ISBN: 978-0-307-39441-5

Publisher: Clarkson N. Potter a division of Random House

Publishers Address: 1745 Broadway, New York, New York 10019

Website: http://www.randomhouse.com/crown/clarksonpotter.html

Published: 2009

Edition: First

Description: Hard Cover

Illustrations: No

Photographs: Fabulous color photography of both food and Portugal

Price: $32.50

Reviewed by: Elise Feiner - August 25, 2009

David, you did your mother, aunts, and grandmother proud. You have put Portugal back on the culinary map…congratulations

The New Portuguese Table can be ordered by scrolling down to the bottom of the blog to our Foodfanataholics Cookbook Nook, go to the sidebar on the right and click on Cookbook of the Month, clicking at the top of the blog on the sidebar, or by visiting David’s website.

Enjoying the Summer

2009-08-07T16:27:00.004-04:00

As you know, I have taken the summer off. There have been lots of wonderful things happening in my life and I have been enjoying the hiatus. I am actually enjoying cooking without having to take pictures of everything I do for a change. I have been baking and cooking. I have used my cookbook all summer long. I made a delicious Rum Cake the other day that was to die for. I actually was going to take pictures but they ate it so fast there wasn't time. You can enjoy many of the recipes on the blog and hundreds more in my cookbook, Cooking with Love.

Think about buying a copy for yourself. There are over 1000 recipes in the book. I've made it easy by putting a Paypal button on the site. Just click and order!

As for me, as you can see by the pictures below, I am out and about celebrating

my son Steven's engagement to JoAnna,

and a few days later both getting sworn into the NYS Bar Association,

my son David starting his residency in Orthopedics,

my daughter Lauren's promotion at the Wynn, my son Jeff's year as Chief Resident, my friend Fran's new granddaughter Jemma Rose Zierler,

(Me and Jemma Rose - what a cutie)

visiting family and friends,

(the Feiner girls hit Niagara Falls - Lauren, me, and Barbara)

in Baltimore with Jeff, Marc, and Aaron Epstein

The Cousins Club

(Uncle Enzo and his Harem - all the New York Mets Groupies of old)

taking the kids to visit

Lauren in Las Vegas and then on to California,

and just cruising on our boat in Old Forge.

I hope you are all having a blessed, peaceful summer...

For me, it's time to help plan a wedding!

Cookie Foodfanataholic - Then you won't want to miss this post on The Cookie Blog!

2009-06-06T04:10:00.002-04:00

I did say that I wouldn't be gone forever, but I'll probably post less frequently. Since I was missing the blog, and felt like a part of me was missing, I decided to do a post about a friend of mine, Tiffany McCauley.

We met because we are fellow food bloggers, and like all food bloggers, we like to support and expose people to the blogs that we love. Tiffany's blog is all about cookies...she is the ultimate cookie baker. If you want to know about cookies, from how to bake them to how to open your own cookie business, Tiffany is your go t0 source. In fact, Tiffany is so good at what she does that she just finished writing an eBook called “The Sweeter Side Of Life - How to start your own cookie business, avoid pitfalls and find success." The book sells for $14.95. Here is the link to purchase "The Sweeter Side of Life."

Tiffany wrote the eBook in response to the numerous questions that she was receiving from people who were asking her advice on how she started her own cookie business. She decided that rather than try to repeatedly answer the same questions, she would put her answers into a book so people could read it and keep it as a reference source.

This book covers everything from FDA regulations to marketing on a small budget, as well as giving tons of resources and contacts for many cookie business needs. She also covers how to price your cookies and how to find balance between your business and your life.

This book is a must have if you have any desire at all to open a cookie business, or if you are just a cookie foodfanataholic!

Tiffany started Ohma's Cookies in 2008. It was a small, one-woman operation that grew surprisingly quickly. In fact, it started to grow so quickly that she just couldn't handle it on her own any longer. With a young son at home, she sadly decided that her cookie business would just have to wait. She closed her kitchen indefinitely, but not being one to give up easily, she continued with her dream by writing a blog TheCookieBlog.com, and it was there where she first began to counsel others on how to start their own businesses. This arrangement has turned out to be the best of both worlds for Tiffany. She can take care of her son, and still be involved in the wonderful world of cookies. Her blog is just fabulous, please check it out.

Tiffany generously contributed one of her favorite recipes for me to share will all my readers called Agave Sweetened, Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies.

This recipe is one that will be in her upcoming eBook "Naturally Sweet Drop Cookies - Cookies Sweetened with Agave Nectar." Tiffany says, "This is the only place you'll find this recipe, other than my upcoming book... so enjoy! These cookies are a staple around my house. They are soft, chewy and full of chocolatey goodness."

A note from Tiffany: "When I bake, I bake by weight, not volume because it’s so much more exact."

Agave Sweetened, Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

240 gm Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
200 gm Grain Sweetened Chocolate Chips
2 Tbs. Cinnamon
1 tsp Baking Powder
200 gm Butter (softened)
240 gm Agave (light)
2 Eggs (room temperature)
2 tsp Vanilla

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a bowl, mix your flour, chocolate chips, cinnamon and baking powder. Stir well to properly coat the chocolate chips with the flour mixture, and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream your butter. Add agave and blend. Add eggs and vanilla, and blend again.

Using a spoon or spatula, add the flour mixture to your bowl of wet ingredients. Stir well.

Using a size 40 cookie dough scoop or two regular teaspoons, scoop or spoon your dough onto your cookie sheet. Be sure to allow enough room as these cookies will spread.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges of your cookies are just barely golden brown, and the middle looks baked through.

Makes approximately 30 cookies.

Chicken Pillows

2009-05-26T00:51:00.000-04:00

I was looking at some other food blogs recently and one of them was called Real Mom Kitchen. She had a recipe on her blog called Chicken Pillows and I had some leftover chicken, so I thought I'd try it. Of course, never being one to follow a recipe as it was written, this is my version.

If you would like to see the original post from Real Mom Kitchen click the link for
Chicken Pillows. Laura has some really wonderful recipes on her blog so be sure to check if out when you get the chance.

This was a great way to use up the leftover chicken. Sort of a cross between a chicken pot pie and a chicken croquette. I loved the sauce. I think if I make them again, I might use the regular size crescent rolls and make them a little smaller. I had enough filling left over to have done one more pillow, but the jumbo crescent rolls only come 6 to a package, so you can only get 3 instead of four pillows.

Here is my version of Laura's Chicken Pillows

2-3 cups chicken, cooked and cubed or shredded
1 (8 ounce) package of cream cheese, softened
2 -3 scallions, sliced thinly
1 (4 ounce) can chopped mushrooms
1 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
4 tablespoons butter, softened
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic salt
Dash of pepper
¼ teaspoon Mrs. Dash
¼ cup milk
1 cans of crescent rolls (I used the new Premium size)
½ cup Bread crumbs
¾ cup Panko Crumbs
¼ cup grated cheese
1 stick melted butter

Melt two tablespoons of butter in a frying pan. Add the red onions and sauté a few minutes until soft; add the scallions and mushrooms. Sauté for a few more minutes until nicely caramelized. Add in the other 2 tablespoons of butter and let it melt.

In large bowl, mix together cream cheese and the milk with a fork. Add vegetable mix, additional salt, and pepper to taste. Stir in chicken and set aside. Open crescent rolls and carefully unroll dough. Separate each tube into 4 rectangles. Seal seam in center of each rectangle. Place one heaping tablespoon on half of each rectangle. Fold over other half of roll dough and seal edges, creating a pillow. Brush the top of each pillow with melted butter and then Panko/Breadcrumb mix, butter side down. Brush the other side and dip it into Panko/Breadcrumb mix. Place on baking sheet that has been Sprayed with PAM. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with cream sauce.

Cream sauce:

1 can cream of chicken of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1/8 teaspoon seasoned salt
¼ teaspoon Mrs. Dash
1 tablespoon mayonnaise

Milk (about ½ of the empty soup can)

¼-1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
Freshly ground black Pepper

Combine ingredients in sauce pan and cook over medium heat, gently bring to a boil and lower to a simmer until heated thoroughly.

Here is what you will need for the recipe:

Laura's chicken Pillows:
2-3 cups chicken, cooked and cubed or shredded
1 (8 ounce) package of cream cheese, softened
2 -3 scallions, sliced thinly
1 (4 ounce) can chopped mushrooms
1 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
4 tablespoons butter, softened
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic salt
Dash of pepper
¼ teaspoon Mrs. Dash
¼ cup milk
1 cans of crescent rolls (I used the new Premium size)
½ cup Bread crumbs
¾ cup Panko Crumbs
¼ cup grated cheese
1 stick melted butter

Melt two tablespoons of butter in a frying pan. Add the red onions and sauté a few minutes until soft; add the scallions and mushrooms. Sauté for a few more minutes until nicely caramelized. Add in the other 2 tablespoons of butter and let it melt.

In large bowl, mix together cream cheese and the milk with a fork. Add vegetable mix, additional salt, and pepper to taste. Stir in chicken and set aside. Open crescent rolls and carefully unroll dough. Separate each tube into 4 rectangles. Seal seam in center of each rectangle. Place one heaping tablespoon on half of each rectangle. Fold over other half of roll dough and seal edges, creating a pillow. Brush the top of each pillow with melted butter and then Panko/Breadcrumb mix, butter side down. Brush the other side and dip it into Panko/Breadcrumb mix. Place on baking sheet that has been Sprayed with PAM. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with cream sauce.

Cream sauce:

1 can cream of chicken of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1/8 teaspoon seasoned salt
¼ teaspoon Mrs. Dash
1 tablespoon mayonnaise

Milk (about ½ of the empty soup can)

¼-1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
Freshly ground black Pepper

Combine ingredients in sauce pan and cook over medium heat, gently bring to a boil and lower to a simmer until heated thoroughly.

Just a Reminder

2009-05-25T15:13:00.002-04:00

I just wanted to let everyone know that I am not gone forever, just a little while to get some things done, and regroup some things on the blog. Many of you have e-mailed me and said you will miss me (awww, thank you), but I am not going away, just taking a small break...be back soon!

Elise

A Quick Note

2009-05-23T05:28:00.000-04:00

To all of my wonderful friends and followers,

I just wanted to let you know that I am taking a little vacation from blogging for awhile. I need a spring cleaning of the brain so to speak. There is a lot going on in my life right now, and I want to continue to do the blog in the same format, but unfortunately, it is consuming a lot of my time. I will continue to post periodically, but not on a daily basis for awhile. I have lots of recipes to bring you, but the format I am using now is very time consuming.

I will be attending the Fancy Food Show at the end of June and hope to bring you lots of news and new product information from there.

I didn't want any of you to wonder what happened, but I need to focus on life for a little while, things like cleaning out my closets, planning an event of two, just some day to day things I was running out of time to do.

Please check back periodically!

Not the Earl of Sandwich - but a Sandwich Contest

2009-05-22T05:18:00.004-04:00

The warm weather is on its way, and along with that comes picnic season, boating season, family day trips, and included in all those activities, is the picnic lunch. Most of us pack some type of sandwich in our picnic lunches, along with several other types of goodies. Now comes a chance for you to shine and tell the world what your favorite sandwich is.

One of my publicist friends just let me know that the Mezzetta Company, based in Napa Valley is running a contest for a fantastic sandwich recipe. The sandwich can be a cold sandwich, a hot sandwich, or a vegetarian sandwich.

The Mezzettas are offering $25,000 and a trip to Napa Valley as the grand prize - not too shabby to create a fabulous sandwich!

Entries for the contest will be accepted starting this Monday and running through Labor Day.
The Mezzettas are known for their pepper and olive products among a whole host of other goodies. You should check out their website for some great recipes at Mezzetta.

To find out the specifics of the contest, here is the direct link. Please read the rules carefully as you must include two or more of the wonderful products that Mezzetta produces in your sandwiches (specialty peppers, olives or other gourmet foods are among your choices).

Just so you have some idea of what they are looking for, here is last year's grand prize winner...

Spanish Style Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Edwina Gadsby

Recipe Category: Hot
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

8 (1/2-inch-thick) slices peasant bread or other artisan bread
3 cups shredded Manchego cheese
3 ounces thinly sliced Serrano ham or prosciutto

Smoky Paprika Roasted Pepper & Tomato Topping:

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
3 to 4 tablespoons Mezzetta Extra Virgin Olive Oil - divided
1 tablespoon Mezzetta Crushed Garlic
1 cup Mezzetta Roasted Red Pepper Strips
1 cup Mezzetta Sun-Dried Tomatoes in Olive Oil
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley or cilantro

Directions:

For Topping: Whisk together vinegar, paprika, 1 tablespoon Mezzetta Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and Mezzetta Crushed Garlic in bowl. Add Mezzetta Roasted Red Pepper Strips, Mezzetta Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and parsley (or cilantro); tossing to coat.

For Sandwiches: Sprinkle 4 slices of bread with half the cheese. Top with Smoky Paprika Roasted Pepper & Tomato Topping and ham. Apply the remaining cheese as another layer. Top with a second piece of bread and press together.

Brush sandwiches with remaining Mezzetta Extra Virgin Olive Oil and heat in a panini press or skillet until lightly browned on both sides and cheese has melted. Serve hot.

Makes 4 sandwiches

So dig out your creative chef's hat, start making those sandwiches and perhaps, this will be your year to shine!

Banana Bread

2009-05-21T05:14:00.004-04:00

My kids love Banana Bread, always have, always will. It is one of their most requested things for me to make when they come home. They always want to take some home with them. This is a really easy recipe to make. You can make it in two large loaf pans, but I always use mini loaf pans and the recipe yields about 6-7 mini loaves.

BANANA BREAD FEINER
Elise Feiner

½ cup vegetable oil (Wesson®)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
3 ripe bananas, mashed with a fork
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (6 or 12 ounce) bag miniature chocolate chips, depending on your preference
½ cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Beat oil and sugar together with a hand mixer or KitchenAid stand mixer (or whatever brand you use), until well combined. Add eggs and mashed banana pulp and beat well. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add sifted dry ingredients, milk, and vanilla. Mix well and stir in chocolate chips, and nuts if desired. Pour into mini loaf pans or a large loaf pan which has been greased and floured. Bake at 350° for about 20 to 25 minutes for the mini loaves and 60 minutes for the large loaf. Cool well. Serves 6 normal people or one to two growing Feiner Boys! Use leftover slices for French Toast.

This is what you will need for the recipe:

½ cup vegetable oil (Wesson®)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
3 ripe bananas, mashed with a fork
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (6 or 12 ounce) bag miniature chocolate chips, depending on your preference
½ cup chopped nuts (optional)

As always, let's get the prep work out of the way...

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Spray your loaf pans with PAM or other non stick spray

Your bananas should be fairly brown (this makes them sweet)

Peel the bananas

Mash the bananas with a fork

Sift together your dry ingredients
(I like to use a paper dish so I can easily
fold it to insert it into the stand mixer's bowl.)

Measure out your flour and put it in a paper plate
or whatever you want to use - add the baking soda

Baking powder

and salt

Mix until well blended - I use a spoon
After you mix it together, set it aside

Beat your eggs and set aside (I forgot to do this )

Put the oil and sugar together into a mixing bowl

Beat oil and sugar together with a hand mixer or
KitchenAid stand mixer (or whatever brand you use),
until well combined.

Add the eggs (I just added them and forgot to beat them -
Beat them slightly first)

and mashed banana pulp and beat well.

Add sifted dry ingredients,
(see how easy it is with the paper dish)

Beat well

until well blended

add the milk,

and vanilla (I always use Mexican Vanilla, there is a link
at the bottom of the blog to purchase it.)

Mix well

until all combined

and stir in chocolate chips, and nuts if desired.

Pour (I use a gravy ladle) into mini loaf pans
or a large loaf pan which has been greased.

Bake in the preheated 350° for about
20 to 25 minutes for the mini loaves and
60 minutes for the large loaf.

Test for doneness by either pressing
lightly with your finger
(cake should spring back)
or
inserting s cake tester
(I use a bamboo skewer- I always have a pack of these handy)
and making sure it comes out clean and dry

Let cool in the pans for a few minutes

Cool well on wire racks.

Serves 6 normal people or one to two growing Feiner Boys!
Use leftover slices for French Toast (but don't count on leftovers, :)
These freeze very well.