Way up there on my "I Don't Get It" List

For years I was one of those people that didn't like cranberries.
When I was growing up, that jellied cranberry jarred monstrosity was all that I knew.
          
What in the world are you supposed to do with that stuff?
The consistency alone is enough to send me over the edge,
The "mouth feel" is a punishment.
The taste is simply not tart enough.

Having said that, it is probably still one of the best sellers during the holidays.
Amazing

 It will forever stay on my "I don't get it " list.

Years later I started tasting the "real deal" or homemade cranberry sauce, with
actual cranberries in the sauce. You could see, taste, and FEEL the cranberries,
and it turned my cranberry world around.

Not only is it the easiest recipe in the world, (my "can't cook" sons could do it in their sleep),
but it is delicious and refreshing.
With added orange zest in a cut crystal bowl, it's not only tasty, but gorgeous to look at.

The recipe I am going to give you is not meant to replace our beloved homemade cranberry
sauce, but is a wonderful addition to the holiday table.
Frankly, this would make a wonderful relish/chutney all year round!

Fresh tasting, with an exotic punch, you'll find it's great not only with turkey, but
baked ham as well.

Served instead of bread and butter pickles, it's a versatile dish, that will "WOW"
your family and guests.
(I myself am a huge fan of the "WOW" factor.)


GIFT IDEA! (Make a batch or two and spoon it into wide mouth jars tied with a pretty ribbon.)
MARTHA would be PROUD!
Kept cold in the refrigerator, this will keep indefinitely.

The year that I made this, there were "oohs and aaahs" a plenty, and as I mentioned earlier,
it was absolutely the bomb on leftover turkey sandwiches. Use it as a relish, or if you wish, eat it
straight out of the bowl!
ENJOY!



Pickled Grapes with Ginger and Chilies


(from Salsas, Sambals, Chutneys, and Chowchows)

Makes about 6 cups


1 1/2 cups white vinegar
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp. crushed coriander seeds
1 tbsp. cinnamon
7 whole cloves
1 tbsp. salt
1 piece ginger the size of your little finger, peeled and cut into dime-size slices.
3 red or green jalapenos, finely diced, with seeds (trust me, it is not too hot)
4 cups seedless red and/or green grapes. (Red is best, I think)


In a large saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugars, coriander seeds, cinnamon,
cloves and salt.

Mix well, and then bring to a boil over moderately high heat.

Remove from heat and add ginger, jalapenos and grapes.

Mix thoroughly, and allow to stand for one hour.

This is a great one to make ahead a day or two, and let the flavor meld together,
but after just one hour, it's fresh tasting, and ready to rock the table...

Again, it keeps a long time kept covered and chilled.
I like to serve it closer to room temperature.

Feedback is always appreciated if you'd care to leave a comment.
I'd especially love to hear from those that give this a whirl...
Another recipe soon....

Nicole

  

Mini-Survival Kit for the Holidays plus a sumptuous recipe

I find that we have only two ways to approach the holidays.

With RESENTMENT, because we don't get to enjoy them each on their own,
before Christmas peeks its little head out at the Department Stores, pushing us to
make gift decisions very, very early...(Hey, what happened to the real meaning of
Christmas?
These VULTURES!
Give me a break....etc.etc...)



                                                            OR


By completely EMBRACING it!  Now by that I mean, you will have to leave
behind your traditional expectations and give yourself and your family some major
breaks. Here are some holiday truths that should help...
  

If you are not a crafty-type, you are not going to magically turn into Martha Stewart or Rosie O'Donnell.. (That's why there's a Hallmark store)

If you hate to cook, you will hate it even more. If you don't have time, you will have less....
(That's why there are caterers, restaurants serving and selling holiday meals, and Whole Foods Stores etc.)

If you cannot stand shopping malls, don't go...Sure they're pretty right now, but still crazy!
(Small independent shops have better gifts anyway. Better yet, buy it all on the web... get started now)

This last tip was one that I utilized one Christmas and it was a breeze..Did it all at Barnes&Noble.com.
That's right...Never visited one store! Everyone loved their gifts...truly!

You don't have to have a big tree.
(They have really cute tabletop ones these days...Okay, I guess if you have small kids..)

One year I just put a huge Father Christmas on the dining room table, scattered some pine scented candles
about, put an 8 inch "silver" tree on a shelf,  and my boys were quite pleased!

If you have been laid off or just don't have extra money for whatever reason, try to come up with
something special that doesn't dip into your gas bill...

Now this one may be hard for some, but don't give up immediately. Open your mind...

Can you draw or paint? (an original drawing is kept forever)

Can you write a song and play it or record it? (quite special indeed)

Can you write a poem or story that will have specific meaning for the receiver?
Even a small little writing can mean a lot from a loved one.

If you have ANY artistic talent, this is the time to put it to use..

But what if you don't? (Hard to believe but...here's an idea...)

How about that beautiful little necklace of yours that your daughter has always admired?
Why wait until you're dead to hand it over?
(You can't see the smile on her face if you wait until then anyway...Think about it...)
Put it in a small velvet box with a ribbon and surprise her! (you know that you don't really wear it much anymore...)

How about some one's favorite treat that you rarely make?
My "Million Dollar Fudge" comes to mind, but I know that you and your family have their favorites...
It could be a very special loaf of bread or any much loved treat...
Whip it up when no one is around, and put it in a festive tin, or wrap it up in colorful plastic wrap with
a bow...
People eat that up...literally!

Hey, better yet, if you have kids or grandkids do the Christmas cookie thing...(Sadly, I'm not sure that
I ever did that...I'm sure that I MEANT to ...Hmmm....Well there ya go...You can produce holiday "guilt" even years later if you allow yourself!)

Note to self...Do Not Allow!

I truly feel that a lot of what we get Hyper and Disappointed in ourselves about, has EVERYTHING to
do with our own illusions of what the holidays should look and FEEL like...(reinforced by every single
item in the media...Remember...they are ALL advertisements in one form or another...They need to sell
to you...It is their business...)

These hard to manufacture illusions may come from one's own childhood experiences, magazines, or films we've seen and grown up with...(Not to mention Martha Stewart's Crafty Christmas Shows and Food Network Holiday Specials...)
Hey, I love them too, but there's an abundance of  time, money, and help that produces all of that
enchantment...

For me it is comparative with the trap that we allow ourselves to fall into when we are getting married
and having the "Big Wedding"..
We reference all of what we have seen or dreamed about, and WHEN and IF it doesn't line up as we have
perceived it, the disappointment sets in...

I dearly love movies, books, magazines, and fantasizing, but one must resist the temptation of buying into
the whole "Disneyesque" version of life...
These images will always lead to a let down, or worse, you'll tell yourself that you didn't do what you could have done to make it really "perfect"....

(A note about "Disneyesque" life...Everyone should visit Disney World at least once in their life to enjoy the
true "Disneyesque" experience. One is never too old, and I feel that the older you are, the more you appreciate it ..You certainly deserve a complete and total "too good to be true" fantasy...I say leave the kids home, and go and delight in it yourself....but then that's just me...)

VERY IMPORTANT STATEMENT:

Holiday Depression is a serious epidemic, and I feel that a lot of it stems from unrealistic expectations.


Having said all of this, if you find yourself in a position to turn your holidays into a world of homemade crafts,
glistening wreaths, glass balls, silver linings, tin soldiers, golden angels, velvet ribbons, nutmeg candles, along with a kitchen filled with apple cider simmering on the stove, cheese straws dancing on candy cane plates,
layers of smoked turkey and cheddar circling a silver platter, and champagne bubbling in crystal tulip goblets, well...
THAT'S OKAY (and we'll all be over for the party on December 17th!)

I will be posting recipes suitable and delicious for the holiday season the next few weeks.
This week I will start with a simple, yet elegant recipe from the late and great culinary master,

Craig Claiborne. God rest his culinary genius soul.




Sweet Potato Puree with Walnuts and Ginger


Serves 6 -8

6 to 8 sweet potatoes (about 3 lbs) organic is best
1/2 cup ginger preserves (look for it at gourmet groceries or order it online)
3 tablespoons dark rum
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped walnuts (preferable black walnuts)
3/4 cup whole milk


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
Put the potatoes in a baking dish and place in the oven. 
Bake 1-2 hours, depending on the size of each potato. Press with the fingers and remove each potato as it becomes soft.
When all the potatoes are cooked, let them rest 
until cool enough to handle. Split each potato in half and scoop out the flesh. 
Put the flesh through a fine mesh or a potato ricer. (you should seriously have a potato ricer as they are so cool...especially for mashed potatoes)
There should be about 3 cups. Put this into a 
saucepan. 
Combine the preserves and the rum in a small
saucepan. Bring to the boil, stirring. Add this to the potatoes. Add the butter, walnuts and milk;
heat to the boiling point, stirring.(watch and stir
faithfully, so as not to burn...)
The recipe contains no salt, so at the end, I would taste, to make sure that the black walnuts added enough salt, if not, I would not hesitate to add a 
bit to taste. 
I can SO see this mixture piped from either a 
piping bag, or a large Ziploc bag with a small 
snip on one corner (this always works...)
You could pipe this mixture decoratively around
the platter of sliced turkey, ham, or whatever
meat you were serving...
You could also just serve it as you would mashed
potatoes...
Why you could even do your best Martha Stewart impression, and pipe it into hollow orange halves! (somebody stop me!)


Delicious!

Falling Apart You Say? What Now!

Well today it's official.
I'm
falling
apart.

I guessed
this might happen
(Yes, right from the start)


Surprised you ask?
Why no,
of course not...

It's why I don't visit
the Doctor
a lot.


While I do like
 to work with them
(and God knows I do)

The truth about me
from their lips,
turns mine blue


For little can shock
a girl like me,
who avoids
Doctor visits
like the plague,
you see.


Well the pain
broke me down..
Had to visit a clinic

Which was
no small feat,
for a healthcare cynic

Come to find out,
it appears that my knee
that's failed me
for months now,
is lost
and unseen


How on earth did it vanish,
(is there a "missing knee" site?)

Might there be a way
to find it?
Or must
bone spurs
be my plight?


Yes, I'm told
a replacement
is the only way,
I can live
without pain
(at least that's what they say)


I  MUST be too
young
for such a
serious
endeavor.

(Besides, not my style...
overdone, hardly clever)


And there's no guarantee...
Why I could
actually expire!

From a pulmonary embolus
that explodes
like a tire....


Didn't even
get my breasts done
(they'd have really looked great!)

Nope,
fears that it
might kill me,
Left me with my
small boobs fate.


So for now
I've decided
I'll just
try my luck,
with shots
and pills
and all that
schmuck.


I guess
it's just inevitable
that our bodies
break down...

Oh, and
limping's just not sexy...
not in scrubs
or evening gowns..


Written with sincerity, truthfulness, and paranoia...
                        
            Nicole 10/26/10

HALLOWEEN II AND MY CREEPY POEM FOR YOU

I should SO be asleep...

Why I've chosen to cruise the Internet and catch up on my Blog, instead of getting the essential

4 hours of "I've gotta get up and go to work at 5am " sleep, is beyond any explanation.

I DO love my sleep, though at times, I feel just as Ernest Hemingway did...

"I love sleep...My life has a tendency to fall apart when I'm awake"

I hope that some of you (my loyal followers) are still out there...

Surely not ALL of you have lost interest.

(though I could hardly blame you)

As not only am I a sporadic blogger,

I'm not always in my foodie mode.

Honestly, as the writer, I strive to avoid prosaic, monotonous material ,

for fear of not only boring my reader, but myself as well.

I've not lost interest, it's just that sometimes I go through "spells"

(spells?)

Feel too involved/busy, living my highly predictable schedule of work, sleep, read, and eat.

At times I'm convinced that the

"creative genes" have vanished...

or worse yet...

that they were never there to begin with.

Introspection is certainly healthy,

but years of it can get old,

know what I mean?

Let's move on...

In Celebration of this ghostly season,

I have written a new little ditty that's just for you....

"JOURNEY BACK TO SALEM"

A lingering feeling

surrounds me tonight..

A chill in the air

for wings to take flight...

A sobering gloom

like an unexplained fear...

Just what could it be

that would

follow me here?

It looms in the darkness,

Like a lantern, it glows..

Feels so familiar,

something I know?

In my darkened abode

I'm watching a film

I've seen once before

Filled with horror

and gore

A" Serial Killer,"

a "Sicko,"

a "Clone"

The ending's predictable,

already known..

I'm drifting towards

dreamland,

to a place I remember...

I was there

a few days

just shy of November

It was Halloween week

and in Salem I found,

a place like no other

world famous, renowned

for the huge celebrations

that October brings.

And now I'll return

to discover new things

Ignoring the prickling

at the base of my neck..

down my shivering spine...

(Must get a health check)

Strange thoughts scatter

aimlessly

inside of my head

"So glad you're returning!"

a distant voice said

(the witches' necks

hung on soft swaying trees,

then burned all together

and cast out to sea)

On streets and in shops

Potions ready to sell

And magic dust lingers

with a rusty old smell

Inside their cloaks

in back rooms

of old stores

are the pouches of venom

Hidden safely in drawers

They'll lure you inside

"such delightful tricks"

and you try to resist it

(cause you figure it's shtick)

Still you find yourself

following this

black hooded creature

whose smooth tongue

reminds you of a

well rehearsed

preacher

There are SPELLS

for everything

one could desire.

though some are unpleasant,

(like lynching and fire)

Some Spells are enchanting,

and others just garish

(and those less successful

have caused folks to perish!)

This is one Holiday

you won't soon forget...

("the shivering spine..

the prickling neck")

"Come close to me...

Turn around!...

Now closer" he said...

The Potion-Filled Vials

entice you to pay

for Hexes and Vexes

that lead you astray

"It's here in my pocket

for just a small fee...

Not just smoke and mirrors!

It's MAGIC, you'll see..."

Blank stares and Whispering

Where Merriment should be...

(No sign of Pumpkins, one normally sees)

The sky starts to darken

and a loud shuffling sound...

Makes me look round the corner,

and guess what I found!

THE ZOMBIES ARE BACK!

it's the season, you know...

(these Guys really know how

to PUT ON A SHOW!)

I should have guessed it...

(that frightening sight, of

CREATURES THAT NO LONGER LIVE IN THE LIGHT)

Quick!..

Lower Your Voice,

or THEY'LL HEAR

what you said

Don't look,

and keep still,

or

they'll

know

you're

not

DEAD.....)

Nicole

Oct. 2010

An Artist in the Family

No, that would not be me...I am the woman who still draws stick figures after all of these years...(though I do feel that my stick figures have CHARACTER!)

My eldest son is very artistic, though he has never developed a keen interest in it, (music making is his obsession, as was his Mother's for the first 40 years of her life...)

My one and only sister, has always enjoyed personal creativity. It started when we were young...I wanted to go BUY something for a special occasion, and she wanted to MAKE something...

For my parent's 20th Anniversary, my sister and I gave them 20 different gifts...some bought, some made....This would have never happened had it not been for my sister, who found great joy, and still does, in creating something original....

My sister is very diverse in her creativity, having written plays, directed and acted in theater productions, teaching high school and junior high theater classes, co-owning a catering company in the past, and on and on....

For awhile now, she has been creating art in the form of what is called "Domino Art"...

Yes, that's right, like the Dominoes that people used to play with...The ones that you and I may have set up in a curvy row, and when done, tipped the first one to watch the whole row collapse, one by one...(Reminiscent of the "Rockettettes" in New York. They incorporate a falling dominoes type of dance during their Christmas show...)

My sister's art incorporates Dominoes mixed with other mediums, making some very interesting and unique pieces...

I will stop and not go on and on, as everyone has their own opinion when it comes to art.

I will simply give you the website, and let you decide for yourself...

http://www.charlottegiles.com/

I will write again soon. I am working full time at one hospital and prn at another, and very busy, but happy....I have planned a trip to Boston the week of Halloween....(Yes, I DO plan to see the "Zombie Parade" again, as once is simply not enough!)

Let Them Eat Cake with a Wee Personal Scentiment

"You must take a lover" they Said.
(I'd much rather go back to Bed)

At least in my dreams
I'm happy, it seems.

Untouched by the
post-wedded "Dread"


It's been disappointingly Clear
I'm not meant to be some one's "Dear"

But it turns out, you see,
to be JUST FINE with me!

(And the audience stands up to Cheer)



......................................................................




Well now...That was inspiring wasn't it?

You can always depend on me to add hearts and flowers
to any situation at hand....


(cut to recipe...)


And now for an old fashioned, easy, and sumptuous cake for all.

Served plain or enhanced with fruit and whipped cream, or adorned
with a scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream, you just can't lose
with the ALL AMERICAN POUND CAKE.

(I'm an "eat it plain person, myself" or MAYBE with a scoop of Blue Bell)

I was inspired to post this because it is the week of July 4th, but even
more so, because it is baked differently than other cakes.


It's quite Southern, lighter than most pound cakes, (due to the shortening),
and is a recipe that James Villas acquired from a very old Southern Lady,
who told him that the recipe had been in her family for generations.

It's unusual because unlike most cakes, it starts in a COLD OVEN!

Follow the recipe to a "T", and it will turn out beautifully every time....

(I always suggest getting an oven thermometer to make sure that your oven
is the right temperature...Mine was 25 degrees off...Always a good idea to do
if you decide to BAKE anything....)




"Cold Oven Pound Cake"


3 cups sugar

2 cups butter, softened

8 Tablespoon vegetable shortening

5 large eggs

3 cups all purpose flour

1 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon lemon juice


Grease a 10 inch tube pan with some butter, and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the sugar, butter, and shortening.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating until well blended

Alternately, add the flour and milk, and beat until the batter is smooth.

Add the two extracts and the lemon juice and mix until well blended.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, and place in the center of the oven.

Heat the oven to 325 degrees F, and bake until a cake tester or knife blade, inserted

into the center, comes out clean.

This should take about 1 1/2 hours.

Turn the cake out on a rack, and let cool completely.


10-12 servings

FOR THE LOVE OF "SMALL BITES" or "TIDBITS"

As far back as I can remember, before we knew what "Tapas" were, we, that is my friends and family, were always more enamored with appetizers, grazing on small plates, or casually noshing on small "bites"....

We preferred it to the large holiday dinners, and for many years on Christmas Eve, we looked forward to our favorite Christmas treat, which was an evening filled with different appetizers and Champagne....We always had too much food, as my Mother would always point out, but it never went uneaten as we all headed home with small bites of "this and that" to nosh on for a few days to come...

I had dinner out last night with a couple of my oldest friends...We have known each other since High School, and have what seems to be a million years of memories. We don't get to see each other as often as we would like, but when we do, there is nothing that we cannot share with each other, as though we had just seen each other.

As we perused the menu, we had so much to catch up on, that we could not be bothered with devoting much attention to what we wanted to order. The THIRD time that the waiter came by the table, he suggested the sharing of a small plate of marinated Mediterranean Olives, which was accompanied by almonds and garlic rubbed grilled toasts.....The pairing of this small bite with my lovely glass of light Chardonnay was perfection.

I have been working like a DOG for the last couple of weeks...(Why do we say working like a "DOG", when all I ever see most dogs do is sleep?)

I greatly looked forward to my few days off this week to sleep late, read, and try some new recipes or make them up....These activities always relax and please me (especially the part about sleeping late, because I am now getting up at 4AM!!! to go to work...)

Now that I AM working very steadily, I grocery shop, but don't do a lot of cooking because I am not around as much. Hence the need to buy smaller quantities of food that is good for on the go..

Now when I refer to food like this, I mean sumptuous Goat Cheese, French Feta Cheese, Marinated Greek and Green Olives, Peppers, loaves of Rosemary Seven Grain Bread, Sourdough small loaves, good Olive Oil, Garbanzo Beans and Tahini for Hummus, Greek Yogurt and English Cucumber for Tsatziki, Cans of my Favorite Tuna, Lemons, Garlic, Greens, Chicken Breasts, and all sorts of fresh Herbs....

With these fresh ingredients in the kitchen, I can whip up just about anything that I might be interested in making, or grab a quick snack so as not to have to make a "big deal" out of a meal...

This morning I wanted to take something over to my parents house for them to enjoy....Maybe something that they have never eaten and hopefully would find to be delicious...

Out of the refrigerator I grabbed log of Chevre' (natural goat cheese), a small amount of some French Feta, and a bit of Cream Cheese....I also pulled out the last of some walnuts, toasted them, and in the veggie drawer grabbed the herbs that I had on hand, some Dill, Tarragon, and Italian Parsley.....At this point I settled on a jar of "Party Olive ANTIPASTO" a product made in Greece and manufactured by the "PEPLOPONNESE" company...It contained olives, green peppers, cauliflower, carrots, and red peppers...PERFECT...(Believe it or not, this jar was found in the Grocery aisle where the olives are at my local KROGER...Really! Just gotta look for these goodies....)

I decided that a great cheese spread made with this Antipasto could be very delicious, and absolutely divine on some homemade CROSTINI....So easy....

I happened to have a loaf of small rounded Sourdough bread, as well as the end of a Rosemary Seven Grain Loaf bought at La Madeline....The Bread slices were the perfect size, but had they been too large, they could have been easily sliced in half....More about the making of the Crostini later.....For now back to the.....

"MEDITERRANEAN WING IT CHEESE SPREAD"

In your food processor, clean and throw in a handful of each and every fresh herb you have or want to use (be sure to take off any stems...)...Throw in a peeled garlic clove or two...Dash a bit of Extra Virgin Olive Oil in and process until it is finely chopped.

Add all of the cheese, room temp, and process until combined. Add about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the Antipasto along with a little marinade (but not a lot, as it is quite salty)....Grind some pepper into the processor bowl, as well as a bit of cumin, smoked paprika, and cayenne (if you have it, which you should since it is FAB in just about everything but chocolate cake....)

Turn on the processor and process until really smooth almost like a "mousse"....After this is done, add the toasted walnuts (I used about 1/4 to 1/2 cup)....Turn the processor on and off a couple of times or so, as you want the nuts to still be intact, though not large....

TASTE...

ALWAYS taste your food...What does it need? Too salty? Add a bit more cream cheese...Bland? I doubt it will be, but if so, you could add some additional marinated olives, or just regular green or Kalamata olives....(Again, these are very salty, so go easy...)

Fill a crock jar with the spread and if giving away, tie a pretty ribbon around it...(this is a great idea, and some day I will buy ribbons just for this very reason....As for now, the jar will remain naked....)

THE CROSTINI

Oven preheated to 350 degrees...

Take your largest cookie sheet and line it with parchment...Place the small sized bread, (Sourdough, French, or Italian is best), on the sheet....Cut larger sized bread in half if you wish, though I think that the smaller rounded "toasts" are the most attractive...

Sprinkle or brush each piece with Olive Oil....Bake for around 7 minutes or so, but watch carefully after 5 minutes...They don't have to be brown in color, just toasted like a large crouton....

As you pull the crostini from the oven, and while they are still warm, rub each piece with a peeled garlic clove....

Put them on a wire rack to completely cool, then store them in a large plastic ziploc until ready to serve....

I hope that you will try this Spread, as it is quite tasty, or at least gather some inspiration from the recipe, and give it a try yourself with your own choice of cheeses, herbs, and other ingredients....You could do a roasted pepper one or do one with the roasted tomatoes that you have made yourself....(i.e. see post before this one...mine were all gone!)

This is the kind of cooking that I love to do, and find to be the most creative...A bit of this, a bit of that, and who knows? You might be the creator of something amazing! I think that one of the keys is to keep you refrigerator stocked with the freshest of ingredients, the best that you can afford in terms of quality, and items that you and you family/friends like....

As Summer shows its heated little head, especially here in Texas, glasses of Chilled Wine, Lemonade, and "Small Bites" sound more and more the answer to mealtime...

I hope that you will enjoy this addition to your favorite "Tapas," or as my sister and I called them growing up, "Tidbits"....