Aprons

olivejuicee:

My new apron.  I love it!  Who says you can’t look cute while cooking?!

I have another my mom gave me, I’m sure that will make its debut soon :]

This apron is really cute. I’d like to see the one your mom gave you.

Your post reminded me of the time when I was in the 8th grade in a class called Home Ec, where we learned to make such delicious tidbits as tunafish salad slathered on long strips of white bread and then rolled like jelly rolls and cut into 1-inch pieces. That’s what passed for hors d’oeuvre in the late 1950s.

But we also had to make our own aprons. I loved cooking but HATED sewing. I picked out a flowery pattern and did the best I could to cut it and put it together and although it was a little lopsided, it was good enough to pass the course.

The best thing about that apron though was that I learned very quickly that covering half of me during a cooking session was not good enough. I am a very messy cook. I wipe my hands on my apron and by the time I am finished with a recipe the apron is loaded with blotches and smears. I should wear a chef’s coat. Instead I wear a full apron and I’ve learned not to wipe my hands on my sleeves. I wish I could wear a cute apron.

William Buter on Strawberries

“Doubtless God could have made a better berry, but doubtless God never did.”

— William Butler, English writer 17th century, writing about strawberries

Risotto with Baby Artichokes, Peas, Ramps, and Brie

The addition of brie is brilliant. Makes ordinary risotto richer and creamier. Can’t wait to try this

homecooksuperstar:

I had some freshly made vegetable stock on hand and didn’t want to let those delicious braised baby artichokes go to waste. Plus I was hording ramps like a crazy person, so I decided to use put them together to make a risotto.

Oh. My. Lord. It was one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. I’m not kidding and feel like an ego manic saying it because it is my recipe, but Oh. My. Lord.

Recipe, Notes, and Nutritional Information via sarahmcsimmons.com

Strawberry Shortcake

I made the strawberry shortcake for my guests last weekend and even though I bought the berries in a supermarket (no farmer’s markets near me open yet), the dessert was a winner and everyone, including the two people on Weight Watchers ate every last crumb.

Adding a little Grand Marnier is a good tip if the berries aren’t the absolute best.

I also made the biscuits a little fatter than usual – 7 circles cut out of the dough instead of the usual 8. They were moist and fluffy and took in all the lush strawberry juices and thick, almost-whipped cream. I used 6 of the biscuits for company. I ate the extra one for lunch a few hours before my friends came. My mother always told me not to experiment with recipes for company, so I thought it would be a good idea to make sure the thicker biscuit would be okay.

If you could create a dish for halloween what would it be?

wcfoodies:

Hmm…what a fun question! Outside of candies or sweets, I think it’d be fun to make a risotto with roasted pumpkin and sage and toasted, crumbled hazlenuts on top.

Ask me anything

I would make Pumpkin Soup which would warm everyone up after coming in from Trick or Treat

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Your post brought back some terrific memories for me too. I remember baking cookies with my mother. But it wasn’t chocolate chip cookies because she didn’t like them (can you imagine that!!).

My mother made butter cookies and she would give me and my brothers raw dough to play with and I must say, she must not have had a rule to wash our hands first because I remember that after we played with the yellowish dough it was completely gray and disgusting. We made it into nondescript lumps and she would bake the lumps for us and we would each eat our own. We’re all still around so I guess the dirt didn’t hurt us.

Unlike my mom, I love chocolate chip cookies. I also like oatmeal raisin cookies. In my book, Hip Kosher, there’s a recipe for a chocolate-chip-oatmeal-raisin cookie I called The Grand Finale. I always have some in my freezer because my kids would hate it if I didn’t. Here’s the recipe:

Grand Finale Cookies

1 cup all-purpose flour

1-1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter or margarine, softened

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1/4 cup orange juice

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1-1/2 cups quick cooking or rolled oats

1-1/4 cups chocolate chips

1 cup dried flaked coconut

1 cup chopped almonds

3/4 cup raisins

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Combine the butter, brown sugar, and sugar in a large bowl and beat them with an electric mixer set at medium speed for about 2 minutes or until creamy and well blended. Add the egg, orange juice, and vanilla extract and beat them in thoroughly. Stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Stir in the oats, chocolate chips, coconut, almonds, and raisins. Scoop blobs of dough about 2 inches in diameter and place on lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake for 15–18 minutes or until browned. Makes 3 dozen

chocolate chip cookies

Submitted by an Anonymous Guest

Your wonderful blog conjured up an immediate and vivid childhood picture for me.  I was sitting in the kitchen with my mother, watching her bake chocolate chip cookies. Note I say “watching” not learning how to bake. I did put the dough on the teaspoon and carefully used my pointer finger to push it on to the baking tin but the highlight was the opportunity to taste the raw dough.

 My mother made the best crispy chocolate chip cookies in the world.  To this day I rue the fact that I never showed any interest in getting her recipe.   In subsequent years my family has tried many recipes but we never hit the mark. I’m so sorry that I can’t share that recipe with your readers but I know there are many who share my memory of baking cookies with their moms.

Today I am a grandmother and I have the pleasure of baking with my grandchildren.   Although I would enjoy munching down my mom’s cookies again, I would give anything to once more share that moment of tasting the dough, breathing in the aroma of baking cookies and being with my mom.

Strawberries

Submitted by an Anonymous Guest

If you have a day mid-June, let’s go strawberry picking at Jones Farm in Shelton. You will not believe the berries! As for your strawberry shortcake recipe — I am honored to have been one of the lucky ones to try this recipe. It will become a family favorite. Last night was among the yummiest meals I have ever had. Thank you two for a terrific evening.

Strawberries Sighted by Cook for Etsy Lunch

I wish I lived closer to Brooklyn. Not just because it’s closer to my granddaughter Lila, age 4, but because I just read that the Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket has fresh, wonderful local strawberries. I can almost smell them from where I sit, in Connecticut.

Kitty Greenwald, who makes lunch once a week for the folks at Etsy.com – they call their gathering Eatsy — spotted all sorts of spring wonders at the market – sweet lettuces, green garlic, baby cukes and so forth. But she said she couldn’t resist the berries, big, small, juicy, red and ripe because “strawberries, after months of apples and pears and citrus, shone.” http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/eatsy-cook-in-residence-shares-her-strawberry-and-mozzarella-8383/

I love the dish she made, pairing sweet berries with delicate mozzarella cheese and sharp arugula leaves, a powerful combo of color and flavor, drizzled with just a bit of olive oil and Balsamic vinegar.

I bought berries today too, but mine came from a supermarket. Like Kitty, I choose the berries by color and fragrance, but I know that packaged strawberries can’t measure up as well to the kind she used for the Etsy.com lunch.

Even so, I am having dinner guests tomorrow and plan to use the berries in old fashioned Strawberry Shortcake. This dessert is always a winner and if the best berries are not available, well, a splash or two of Grand Marnier should help.

Old Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake

1 quart fresh strawberries

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar

3 tablespoons Grand Marnier

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1-1/2 teaspoons finely grated fresh lemon peel

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 large egg

1/2 cup milk, approx.

1 cup whipping cream

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Wash the berries and slice them into a bowl, sprinkle them with 2 tablespoons sugar and the Grand Marnier and set aside. In another bowl, mix the flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, salt, baking powder and lemon peel. Add the butter and work into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse meal. In a small bowl, beat the egg and milk together until well combined. Add the liquids to the flour mixture and mix until a soft dough forms, adding more milk if necessary to make a smooth dough. Roll the dough to 1/2-inch thick circle on a lightly floured surface. Cut out 8 circles with a cookie cutter. Place the circles on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 12–15 minutes or until puffed and lightly brown. Remove from the oven and let cool. Whip the cream with the remaining teaspoon sugar until the mixture stands in soft peaks, but is still pourable. Cut the biscuits in half and place each bottom half on a serving dish. Place the berries and any accumulated juices on top. Pour some of the cream on top. Top with the remaining biscuit halves. Makes 8 servings.

Politics and Strawberry Ice Cream

In case you’re interested, today is Dolley Madison’s birthday and in case you tuned out in history class or don’t remember, she was the wife of our fourth president, James Madison (who wrote the Constitution) and therefore was a First Lady.

Apparently, Dolley was a sophisticated woman and quite the hostess, fond of serving new foods to guests. She is credited with being the first person to serve ice cream for dessert at a White House dinner and she served strawberry ice cream at the Inaugural Ball in 1813.

Dolly (they dropped the “e”) Madison ice cream was popular when I was growing up and I remember they had interesting flavors too, like brickle chip. The strawberry ice cream was rich and it was loaded with chunks of fruit that I remember as icy to the teeth because the pieces were so big and fat, not little strawberry tidbits.

I haven’t seen Dolly Madison ice cream around where I live, though I know it is available somewhere. I’ll be looking for it. I’d like to try the strawberry flavor again to see if it is as good as I remember.

Fresh strawberry ice cream, especially if it is packed with lumps of fruit, doesn’t need any embellishment. No cones or whipped cream or sauce. On the other hand, toasted coconut crumbles can’t hurt. Try it:

Toasted Coconut Crumbles

1 cup packaged coconut

1/4 cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons dark rum or Grand Marnier

1 tablespoon melted butter

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, mix the coconut, brown sugar, rum and melted butter. Place the mixture in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Bake for about 8 minutes, tossing the ingredients once or twice, or until the coconut is lightly brown. Remove from the oven and let cool. Great topping for ice cream. Makes about one cup