Friday Homework: The 100 List

CakeSpy created the list you see, which is a convenient way for me to waste a bit of time on this Friday lunch hour. Here are your instructions:

Copy this list into your site, including these instructions:

Bold or Colour all of the sweets you've eaten.
Cross out any you'd never eat.
Consider anything that is not bold or crossed out your "To Do" List for the future.
Optional: Comment on any items you particularly love or hate!

1. Red Velvet Cake
2. Princess Torte
3. Whoopie Pie
4. Apple Pie either topped or baked with sharp cheddar
5. Beignet
6. Baklava (hated it; I don't like desserts rich with honey or overly sweet)
7. Black and white cookie
8. Seven Layer Bar (also known as the Magic Bar or Hello Dolly bars)
9. Fried Fruit pie (sometimes called hand pies)
10. Kringle
11. Just-fried (still hot) doughnut
12. Scone with clotted cream
13. Betty, Grunt, Slump, Buckle or Pandowdy
14. Halvah
15. Macarons
16. Banana pudding with nilla wafers
17. Bubble tea (with tapioca "pearls")
18. Dixie Cup
19. Rice Krispie treats
20. Alfajores
21. Blondies
22. Croquembouche
23. Girl Scout cookies
24. Moon cake (Just the description alone, makes me shudder).
25. Candy Apple
26. Baked Alaska
27. Brooklyn Egg Cream
28. Nanaimo bar
29. Baba au rhum
30. King Cake
31. Sachertorte
32. Pavlova
33. Tres Leches Cake
34. Trifle
35. Shoofly Pie
36. Key Lime Pie
37. Panna Cotta (Mmmm. I confess I love the Trader Joe's frozen version, also).
38. New York Cheesecake
39. Napoleon / mille-fueille
40. Russian Tea Cake / Mexican Wedding Cake Cookies
41. Anzac biscuits
42. Pizzelle
43. Kolache
44. Buckeyes
45. Malasadas (My family lives in Hawai'i where hot malasadas are popular)
46. Moon Pie (Meh).
47. Dutch baby (links to my recipe)
48. Boston Cream Pie (Meh).
49. Homemade chocolate chip cookies (Seriously? Has anyone not tasted or made this?)
50. Pralines (Mmm, the speciality of the house at El Cholo restaurant in Los Angeles. They bring you several with your dinner check. Screw the mints. Restaurants should always bring you pralines).
51. Gooey butter cake (I've been meaning to try one of these. I think I'll make one with pumpkin).
52. Rusks
53. Daifuku
54. Green tea cake or cookies (I'm one of those who thinks everything "green tea" flavored is overrated. Blech.)
55. Cupcakes from a cupcake shop (Seriously? Has anyone not tasted or made this?)
56. Crème brûlée (One of my favorite desserts, but I've never made it).
57. Some sort of deep fried State Fair food (Actually no. I've never even had a funnel cake).
58. Yellow cake with chocolate frosting (Most Sunday nights, growing up).
59. Jelly Roll (One of my first assignments in high school Home Economics).
60. Pop Tarts (Much ado about nothing).
61. Charlotte Russe
62. An "upside down" dessert
63. Hummingbird Cake
64. Jell-O from a mold
65. Black forest cake
66. Mock Apple Pie (Ritz Cracker Pie)
67. Kulfi
68. Linzer torte
69. Churro (Eaten at Disneyland and from the freezer aisle, would like to try to make these).
70. Stollen
71. Angel Food Cake (Meh)
72. Mincemeat pie (Just say NO to anything with that many raisins).
73. Concha
74. Opera Cake
75. Sfogliatelle (Ooooooh, that looks so goooood!)
76. Pain au chocolat
77. A piece of Gingerbread House (No. Just NO.)
78. Cassata
79. Cannoli
80. Rainbow cookies
81. Religieuse
82. Petits fours
83. Chocolate Souffle
84. Bienenstich (Bee Sting Cake)
85. Rugelach
86. Hamenstashen
87. Homemade marshmallows (SO not worth the effort).
88. Rigo Janci
89. Pie or cake made with candy bar flavors (Snickers pie, Reeses pie, etc)
90. Divinity
91. Coke or Cola cake
92. Gateau Basque
93. S'mores (My mother was my troop leader. We made these in Scouts).
94. Figgy Pudding
95. Bananas foster or other flaming dessert
96. Joe Froggers
97. Sables (Links to my chocolate sables, a Nigella recipe, probably the best cookie I've ever made, and since I'm not a chocolate fiend, that's saying something)
98. Millionaire's Shortbread
99. Animal crackers
100. Basbousa

Roasted Butternut Squash with Crispy Sage and Italian Sausage

I was inspired by Dragon's incredibly easy dish of Roasted Butternut Squash with a Sage and Balsamic Glaze, and had all the ingredients on hand. Always a nice moment when you know you can get up, go to your kitchen, and recreate someone's recipe. I wanted to add a bit of protein and make it a full meal, rather than a side dish, and after oven roasting a piece of Italian Sausage, and dicing it onto the dish, I had it. Delicious! Thank you Dragon.

Heirloom Current Tomatoes

It's California -- mid November -- cold and rainy one day, warm and sunny the next. You never know if you should wear that turtleneck sweater (I did) and carry an umbrella, or a pair of capri's and sandals. It's an odd time, but it also means my heirloom current tomatoes are still growing strong in my community garden plot. These tiny beautiful tomatoes are as sweet as candy.

My Sister's Coleslaw

I've had non-stop family members visiting me, since late September, and you'd think, with all those people, restaurants, and meals being cooked and served, I'd have a ton of blog posts, but it's actually been the exact opposite. Too busy yakking, laughing, running errands, moving suitcases from one area to another, and pooping out at the end of every day.

I did manage to capture a close up of my sister's cole slaw recipe. She said when she brings this to any potluck or luncheon, the bowl is scraped clean. It's good -- not knock your socks off good, but good -- and better than your typical coleslaw, that's certain.

Weezie's Cole Slaw

1 bag of coleslaw with dressing packet*
1 bunch of diced green onions
1 handful of pecans
1 handful of dried cranberries
1 thinly shaved apple

*I had a bag of shredded cabbage, but no dressing package. I made my own coleslaw dressing.

Toss all together, dump in a bowl, and serve.

Wordless Wednesday: Portrait of Hope, Change, Relief, Joy, and Pride. My silent prayer: Keep him safe.

http://www.wordlesswednesday.com/

Blog Blossoms

There is a simple, fun tool which creates a blooming graph of the html code in your website or blog, color coding various components, tags, and links, and rendered as a gently unfolding blossom which is rather hypnotic to watch. Shown above is a graphic of my blog. Shown below is a graphic for Tastespotting.

How about yours? Comment with your blossom links!

And just what do the colored spheres mean?

Blue: links (the A tag)

Red: for tables (TABLE, TR and TD tags)

Green: for the DIV tag

Violet: for images (the IMG tag)

Yellow: for forms (FORM, INPUT, TEXTAREA, SELECT and OPTION tags)

Orange: for linebreaks and blockquotes (BR, P, and BLOCKQUOTE tags)

Black: the HTML tag, the root node

Gray: all other tags

Barefoot Bloggers: Vegetable Pot Pie

Twice a month on the Second and Fourth Thursdays, my online blogging friends the Barefoot Bloggers challenge each other with recipes chosed from the recipes of Ina Garten, formerly of the Barefoot Contessa. This week it's Vegetable Pot Pie. Regrettably, I had to use one of my "passes" for the first time since I joined, and skip making this recipe. I have out of town guests and it isn't the time to be cooking and experimenting, photographing, blogging and such (although I'm sure a lovely pot pie would be much enjoyed). Instead, I'm inviting all of you to scroll through the blog roll for the BB'ers, and smack your lips at a bunch of lovely pies.

The Bread Box

I love bread in all forms. The saying "Don't fill up on bread" was coined with me in mind. "Bread is the staff of life" has personal meaning to me. I usually answer "bread" when memed with the question "What one food would you never want to be without?"

I purchase and have more on hand than I'll ever possibly use or eat in a week. I live alone, and have a boyfriend who doesn't eat much bread. It's one of his faults. As a result, my freezer is always jammed pack with a variety of bakery products and flavored butters.

I compound by the problem by wanting to bake rolls and breads on my days off, because it's pure comfort, relaxing, and tasty. I end up with bags of rolls after I eat the first few hot out of the oven, so I developed my "personal bread basket" out of necessity.

Most of my bread ends up in the freezer and it can be irritating to pry off a few frozen pieces of bread and toast it in order to use it right away, or to over-nuke a roll to serve with dinner or pack a bento lunch.

Plus, I'm fickle in my taste. What do I want today? Brioche? Rye? Wheat? Corn? Hmm. Decisions, decisions.

Enter the Food Container. I starting using this plastic vegetable and fruit container which is intended to keep your produce fresher for a longer period of time in your refrigerator (and they do work). I keep a few rolls and a few slices of each variety of bread on hand in my Bread Box, and keep that in my fridge (I realize bread should be stored at room temperature, but I simply can't use it up quickly enough to prevent staleness or mold). The remainder of each variety stays in the freezer until it's time to remove a few slices to replenish the bread box.

This week's selections are (top to bottom, left to right) Brioche, Raisin, Slider buns, Rye, Sesame Knots. Each day I can select whatever suits my fancy from my bread box. It's a simple idea, really, but it's those simple ideas that often make us the happiest.

This makes me happy.

(Pssst. I have two more and I do the same thing with sliced deli meats in one and cheeses in the other.)

Wordless Wednesday: Pretzel Croissant and Egg

http://www.wordlesswednesday.com/

Canyon Ranch Spa Cuisine: Appetite for Health

Canyon Ranch Spa's Chef Scott Uehlein is consistently recognized for his creativity and expertise in the development and preparation of healthy cuisine. Under Chef Scott's direction, Canyon Ranch has received top honors from Travel + Leisure (Top Spa for Food in the U.S.), and rated Best Spa with excellence in the food category by Gourmet and Conde Nast Traveler magazines.

Now, Chef Scott is presenting a series of 10 short, fun, instructional videos in his Appetite for Health series. After the jump, a video guide, and, links to popular text version recipes from Canyon Ranch spa.

Text Recipes:

Canyon Ranch Cocktail
Cantaloupe Orange Tofu Smoothie
Holiday Eggnog
Strawberry Daiquiri
Breakfast Bread Pudding
Lime Coffee Cake
Cold Pea Salad
Cashew Chicken Salad with Baked Wontons
Kale Soup
Mulligatawny Soup
Sweet Potato Soup
Five Onion Bisque
Spanish Onion Soup
White Bean Soup with Pesto
Fish Tacos
Roasted Lemon Chicken
Blackberry Orange Cobbler

Recipe Videos: Appetite For Health

Click Now to watch Chef Scott in a series of short, fun 5 minute videos which bring you fast and fun tips on incorporating the spa and wellness lifestyle into your daily routine. Whether you want to whip up a fast pomegranate cooler, strawberry salad, or just get a few tips for staying hydrated, Chef Scott will show you how.

Episode Guide:

Episode 1: Water Water Everywhere
Learn with Chef Scott about the importance of staying hydrated, then watch as he creates refreshing Watermelon and Pomegranate Coolers that will help you recover from those tough summer workouts.

Episode 2: All About The Organics
Chef Scott clarifies the meaning of "organic," then makes an organic Strawberry Chicken Panzanella Salad. After this episode, you'll know how organics can help change your diet to a healthier and cleaner eating plan!

Episode 3: Less Is More?
Chef Scott visits an exercise physiologist and learns how to exercise for maximum gain. Then he demonstrates making Pasta with Grilled Artichoke, Leeks, and Chicken -- a dish that's sure satisfy your post work-out cravings.

Episode 4: Fishy Business
What's the lowdown on fish? Chef Scott explores the importance of fish in your diet and which fish choices are best. Then he teaches you to make delicious Cod and Kalamata Olives.

Episode 5: 40 Winks
Having trouble sleeping? Wake up tired every morning? Learn with Chef Scott how diet and eating patterns can affect sleep. Then he demonstrates a delicious, low-fat recipe for everyone's favorite nighttime snack -- cookies and milk!

Episode 6: Pain In My Neck
Chef Scott wakes up with an excruciating pain in his neck that distracts him from his daily routine. He visits a neuromuscular therapist, who teaches him how to properly stretch his neck, and talks to him about the importance of sleeping right, sitting right, and walking right. Watch as Chef Scott prepares a healthy alternative to one of the most popular comfort foods, meatloaf.

Episode 7: Shopping Spree
Chef Scott returns home to find his kids gorging on junk food. He decides to take a family field trip to the grocery store to teach them about healthy food choices. In addition, he shows you how to make Chicken Scaloppini with Arugula Salad -- a dish the entire family is sure to enjoy.

Episode 8: The McSalmonator
Chef Scott learns about the differences among farm-raised salmon, organic farmed salmon and wild salmon, then prepares an exciting Salmon with Cucumber Lemongrass Salsa that's easy to replicate at home.

Episode 9: Feelin' Blue
All about blueberries! Chef Scott explores the tremendous health benefits of blueberries and shows you how to make savory Salmon with Blueberry Mango Salsa.

Episode 10: A Little R&R
Chef Scott realizes he is stressed-out when he absentmindedly bakes dozens of cookies with carrot chips instead of chocolate chips. Learn about ways to manage stress -- from massage to calming breathing techniques. Then watch as Chef Scott prepares easy-to-make Fruit and Nut Bars.

Beef, Egg and Onion Sandwich

This was one of my father's favorite sandwiches, when he was alive. I remember my mother made this sandwich for him for lunch, or occasionally as a brunch sandwich, in place of breakfast. It's one of those nostalgic recipes you just grow up with, and you don't really know where it came from. My mother always used Armor Chipped Beef, the same product she'd use to make Creamed Chipped Beef on Toast (my all time favorite dinner as a child), and would occasionally soak it water first to reduce the salt level. Other times not, just snipped a bit into the egg and then peppered.

For my version, above, I used a dried cured Italian beef called Breseola, which is significantly less salty. It has a different, more complex flavor. I hate to say it ... Iliked my Mom's simple version better.

CHIPPED BEEF, ONION AND EGG SANDWICH

1 shallot
2 slices of dried beef or Breseola
2 eggs
Butter
Salt and Pepper
Toast

Saute the shallot in butter until soft, but not browned. Add 2 slices of dried beef which you have snipped into small strips with scissors. Sautee until soft. Quickly add 2 well beaten eggs, and gently toss until the eggs are done and the onion and beef are incorporated. Serve on buttered toast, as a sandwich.

Barefoot Bloggers: Butternut Squash Risotto

I had mixed feelings about this month's selections for the Barefoot Bloggers. The first of two selections is Ina Garten's Butternut Squash Risotto as chosen by Rachel of Rachel Likes to Cook, from the Barefoot Contessa Family Style cookbook.

Oh, I was quite certain the risotto would be delicious, and I love, love, love squash. It's hearty fare, perfect for Autumn, but it's still rather warm here in Northern California, I've been working my butt off at the office, I'm cranky and tired, and I admit it ... the few times I've had risotto, I truly never understood what all the fuss was about. A fancier rice pilaf! I knew, however, I wasn't having it served under ideal conditions. The first time I had it, it was from a mix. From Target, no less. The second time I had it, it was from Whole Foods' hot dinner case, and it was hard and dry. The third time I had it, it was "to go" from a nice restaurant. It's not the kind of thing that travels well and it was just thick, heavy rice pudding when we got it home.

Honestly though, the primary reason for my reticence was simply that I've never made risotto from scratch and the thought of it intimidated me. Still, that's what these blogging groups are all about, creating dishes out of our comfort zone, with the ideas from and support of my fellow bloggers.

Having now completed the task, and I made it as close to the recipe as I possibly could, with no shortcuts other than scaling it down by half for me (with guaranteed leftovers), I can say the following:

Yes, it was a bit time consuming.
Yes, it was a bit rich and fattening.
Yes, it was worth it.
Yes, it was easier than I thought.
Yes, I will make it again. For sure.
Yes, it was Fan. Flipping. Tastic.

Rachel, I bow in your general direction, congratulate you on your guts, and blame you for the carb-fat I'm going to be gaining this coming winter.

On with the picture show, my friends.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH RISOTTO, ADAPTED FOR ONE PERSON


Assembling everything in advance (a rarety for me, but I can't afford to screw this up -- I already got the wrong kind of pancetta, so I added a bit of crumbled bacon I had on hand to make up for it). Left to right, parmesan cheese, butter, bacon, rice, shallots, saffron, and pancetta (it's actually a close cousin, but we're calling it pancetta for simplicity's sake)


Roast the diced cubes of fresh butternut squash in olive oil, salt, and pepper, until tender.

Note: I wish I had not added the salt and pepper at the various stages called for. Pancetta, butter, bacon, parmesan cheese -- these are all salty items and I should have waited until the recipe was done, and salted to taste. It was a bit heavy on the salt, but still delicious.


Simmer my homemade chicken stock, which is probably the most profound change in my cooking to occur this year -- I made a pot of fresh stock from a rotisserie chicken, froze it in baggies, and finally understood why all chefs tell you to make your own stock. BECAUSE YOU NEED TO. YOU REALLY, REALLY NEED TO. I can say that barring a crisis requiring canned goods, I'll never go back to store-bought stock.


Simmer the pancetta, shallots and bacon in the butter, until soft, but not browned.


Add the rice and stir to coat the rice in the melted butter.


Add a splash of white wine now, and simmer the rice in the buttery wine.


Add the saffron threads and more salt and pepper. See note above -- I wouldn't add the salt and pepper next time. Trader Joe's, I curse you for having such a crappy spice selection, but, for those few spices you DO have, I thank you for making them so affordable.


Adding the ladle of chicken broth. Ladle, ladle, ladle. Stir, stir, stir. Look at all those pretty ingredients. Rice, shallots, saffron ... coming together nicely.


After lading broth and cooking in installments with continual stirring, it thickened up nicely, was velvety, and, ready to take the cubed, cooked squash, parmesan cheese, both added off the heat. Look how messy my pot is. My stove was worse.


Hello, you beautiful, fattening, sexy beast. You don't come here often, do you?



About this challenge: The Barefoot Bloggers join forces and cook or bake recipes by Barefoot Contessa Ina Garten each month, chosen in order by members, and present them for discussion on two Thursdays each month. Hungry? Please join us at the table!

Blackberry Crostata with a dab of cream

Happy Monday, ya'll. It's cooling down up here in Northern California (we even had the slightest little rain shower this weekend, which was so pleasant), and my desire to hunker in and bake and roast is returning.

The urge to stock up on pumpkins, cake flour, nuts, fruits, spices and everything you need for a Fall Baking Frenzy is strong, but I remain committed to cleaning, organizing and using up the contents of my TWO (yes, 2) freezers: One in my fridge, and one stand-alone chest freezer.

This weekend I found a box of Trader Joe's unbaked pie crusts in my chest freezer, from last season, and the remnants of a bag of frozen raspberries. In my fridge I had a container of fresh blackberries going wonky, and voila -- all three ingredients called for a free form crostata.

The cons -- I didn't like and won't purchase the pie crust again. I know a pre-purchased pie crust isn't ideal and will never beat a scratch pie crust, but I know myself. I will not make and roll out pie dough for just one person. I'll do all sorts of specials things for myself (important for the solo diner, I believe), but scratch pastry has never been one of them. Even Pillsbury makes a better pre-purchased pie crust dough than this, which had no flake to it at all, and was akin to a giant biscuit.

The pros -- the dessert itself was simple, fast, and I think, with some decent dough on hand, I'd make a rustic crostata over a traditional pie every time. I like the rough, free-form nature of it, and the thin end-result delivered an excellent fruit-to-crust ratio (you'd think with as much as I love crust and demand a 50/50 ratio to fruit, I'd make my own, and yet ... )

Of interest, I had a bunch of those little packets of True Lemon and True Lime (pure powdered citrus in a single-serving small packet) which the manufacturer sent to me to sample in relation to a healthy cuisine food project I was working for, and I've been trying to use them up. Typically I use them in my morning fruit smoothies. The pure and intense citrus flavor adds that missing ingredient -- a tart puckery zing -- which always separates a home smoothie from a Jamba Juice smoothie. But I digress.

So I had the packets of True Lemon and decided, what the heck, I'm already mixing flour and sugar to toss with the berries, and it calls for lemon juice as well, so I made a flour mixture of a few teaspoons of sugar, a few teaspoons of flour, and one packet of True Lemon powder. Tossed it all, added the berries, and baked. The fruit mixture was excellent. Tart, sweet, tangy, no artificial flavor at all. I'd do that again, definitely.

In fact, since True Lemon and True Lime are pure (or so they promise me), I'm thinking it would be very simple to have a small container of citrus sugar available for baking and rimming glasses. I'm not advocating not having fresh lemons and limes on hand at all times -- actually I do. I love the zest. But an always-available lime or lemon sugar rim on a cocktail? Laws yes.

Finally, the cream. I really love heavy cream and whipped cream, and I prefer it unsweetened. Just the smooth texture and creamy taste is all one needs -- skip the sugar the next time you whip cream and see if you agree. I didn't even bother to whip the cream, for this crostata. I just drizzled a teaspoon of real cream over the berries and it was perfect that way.

TWO BERRY CROSTATA

1 layer of your favorite pie crust -- purchased or homemade
2 teaspoons of flour
2 teaspoons of sugar (I used vanilla sugar)
1 packet of True Lemon or 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
1 cup of blackberries
1 cup of raspberries
Turbinado Sugar
Orange Juice or Egg Wash

Spread pie crust over a skillet, baking pan, or pie dish (I used a cast iron griddle). Mix flour, sugar and 1 packet of True Lemon in a dish. If using lemon juice, do not add at this point -- reserve. Sprinkle a bit of the flour-sugar-citrus mixture over the center of the uncooked pie crust, and brush it slightly to evenly cover the crust, leaving a wide margin all around. Toss the berries with the remaining flour-sugar-citrus mixture to coat evenly. Pile the berries in the center of the pie crust, smoothing out slightly to leave a several inch margin all around. If using real lemon juice, sprinkle it over the berries at this point. Fold up the crust over the fruit, leaving the center exposed, but pleating the dough to form a barrier. Brush the crust with orange juice or egg wash (I used orange juice), and sprinkle with turbinado or coarse sugar. Bake until well browned and bubbly, at a temp and for a duration suitable for your own oven. Slice, serve with a teaspoon or heavy cream on each slice.

Shrimp and Crab Casserole

Shrimp and Crab Casserole.

I tried to make a quarter out of 15 cents. I recently purchased, and didn't like, a container of Costco shrimp salad. It wasn't terrible. It just lacked flavor, and they used such large shrimp that it wasn't a dainty enough salad for my taste. I didn't want to throw it out, so I doctored it up as a shrimp and crab casserole which was better than the shrimp salad it started life as, but, not good enough to make again.

I remember reading a blog post, quite some time ago, and I wish I'd bookmarked it so I could give her credit. She was expressing her confusion over the comment "I made a batch of pancakes that were terrible, I can't wait until I eat them all and they are gone, so I can try something else." Her argument was, that when you break down the cost of the ingredients of a batch of basic pancakes, you're talking about $3 at most -- why suffer for days eating something you don't like -- not to mention consume the calories from something you don't like? Arn't you worth more than $3.00?

Sure, sure, I am as mindful about waste as you are, but she did make a good point (better than I'm able to recall, here). If you don't want to eat it, don't. Take it into work, donate it to a neighbor, feed the dog. But don't make something out of sub-par ingredients and expect something extraordinary -- it's a rare and happy event when it works.

Another old adage comes to mind -- don't cook with a wine you wouldn't drink. I ignored that advice and although this casserole was adequate and was a hot meal, I didn't really love it, and it goes down the disposal. Now, I've thrown away much more than just the shrimp salad. Silly!

LAME CASSEROLE

Shrimp Salad
Canned Crabmeat
Almonds
Shallot
Siracha Sauce
Cooked Rice
Half and Half
Cheese
Topped with cracker crumbs

Bake until bubbly. Eat without succor. Toss the rest.

Barefoot Bloggers: Mushroom Soup with Cream

I was looking forward to making this month's Barefoot Bloggers selection. It's Ina Garten's Cream of Mushroom Soup, selected by Chelle of Brown Eyed Baker.

I'm a big fan of most anything with mushrooms -- except thick, cloying, canned cream of mushroom soup. I confess I've used a can or two in my time, to thicken a post-Thanksgiving Turkey and Stuffing Casserole, but to eat as a soup? Pass.

This was my first time actually making mushroom soup, and at a glance, I knew I'd scale back on the diary (copious amounts of heavy cream and half and half) for the obvious reason -- to reduce the fat -- and for another reason. My boyfriend loves anything with mushrooms, but nothing creamy or fatty. He's forever lamenting how few restaurants make a broth based mushroom soup.

I am a well-known soup alchemist -- I add dibs and dabs of lots of things until it's just right (the result of which is that I seldom duplicate a pot of soup). Still, I followed the recipe fairly closely, with the following exceptions:

In Step One, making the mushroom broth, I used half water, and half homemade chicken stock. I just felt it needed more flavor than plain water and mushrooms. Once the veggies (mushroom cap stems, carrots, and shallots) were fully cooked, I did strain the broth, but I pureed the veggies with the broth in blender cup, until it was a thick applesauce consistency, and very golden in color from the carrots. This went back into the soup.

In Step Two, sauteing the mushrooms with butter, flour, white wine and leeks -- I was out of leeks and used shallots.

In Step Three, simmering the soup and adding the dairy, I thickened with the pureed vegetables as described above, and added probably 1/3 cup of heavy cream, at best. Nothing more was needed, and it was still very rich, buttery, and creamy. I used the thyme, but skipped the parsley.

Finally, as far as seasonings, mushrooms are just notorious for soaking up spices and needing extra seasoning and salt. I kept salting and peppering this soup but didn't hit that "note" it needed until I switched to liberal shakes of my house-made Schezwan Pepper Salt. That was the ticket!

This was a very delicious soup!

About this challenge: The Barefoot Bloggers join forces and cook or bake recipes by Barefoot Contessa Ina Garten each month, chosen in order by members, and present them for discussion on two Thursdays each month. Hungry? Please join us at the table!

Taste of Home Bonanza!

Earlier this summer, a "Taste of Home" swap was set up by Megan at Megan's Cooking, and I was paired with the best partner, Leslie of Mit, Mitter, Mittany (I don't know what that means... I keep forgetting to ask) of North Carolina.

The idea was to swap foods from our home towns or regions that the other may not have access to. The deadline to swap was wayyyy back in July, and when I say I had the best partner, I mean it. I think we were on the same schedule all summer. She was gone, then I was gone, then we gave ourselves an extension, and finally this past week, we swapped our packages.

I was SO delighted because due to the passage of the summer and a hectic schedule, I'd forgotten some of the things I mentioned to her, that "spoke of Southern Soul Food" to me. For that reason, some of my goodies were just a complete surprise, and most appreciated.

At the top of that list is White Lily Flour from soft winter wheat. SCORE!!! I recall reading a Gourmet magazine a few months back and the topic was biscuits. How to make them. How not to make them. The fact that White Lily Flour makes the only "true Southern biscuit." Almost a "don't bother if you don't have this flour" kind of throw-down. I even considered ordering the flour via mail order, but should I be that crazy? I do love a good bread, biscuit, waffle, and pancake ... and then life took over, I bought a hundred new cookbooks, and forgot about the flour.

And then the heavens opened -- Mit sent me the flour. There was much rejoicing in the household.

Not only did I receive the flour, I received ...

A copy of Culinary Kudzu, with a handwritten inscription from the author, Keetha DePriest Reed.

A jar of Kudzu blossom jam.

A tin of Old Bay Seasoning (I've actually never had any of this classic spice! Terrific!)

A bag of cornmeal -- water ground style (very important to Southerners)

A bag of cornmeal -- buttermilk style (ditto above)

A bag of Sweet Heat Pecans.

My friends, very soon you will have blog posts of the following ...

A cake made with White Lily flour and cornstarch, from my Southern Baking cookbook;

Biscuits, and then, some more biscuits. With butter. On the biscuits. With Kudzu Jam.

Cornbread (I want to try a yeast raised cornbread now)

Cornmeal Sweet Heat Pecan Waffles. With butter. and Kudzu Jam.

More biscuits.

More butter.

More jam.

And biscuits. With butter.

Thanks, Mit!

Can someone explain this?

Why is there such an idiotic obsession with being "first" in a comment field on any blog?

First! Yay!

First! Whoo hooo!

I'm talking news or "waste the day filler" blogs and such -- not necessarily food blogs where honestly, I've never seen this problem crop up. Who gives a flying donut about First Comments? Is life so meaningless for these people that typing "FIRST! WooT!" on a post asking whether we are shocked that Clay Aiken is homosexual, is cause for celebration? Invariably these people say nothing else. Have they nothing to contribute to society?

I read a "blog rule" on another site which made me nod in approval:

"On many sites, such as [omitted], it is a tradition for the first commenter on a new thread to post a message of 'First' or similar. That tradition is not followed on [omitted]. Posting a 'First' message here is likely to get your comment hidden (see Rating Comments below) and/or yelled at."

Good! By the way, the humor of anyone typing "FIRST" on this post wouldn't escape me, so I beat you to it. Stay tuned ... tonight is Cream of Mushroom Soup for the Barefoot Bloggers Group!

In Flight Snacks Available for Purchase

I put my mother on a plane today, after a lovely layover of a few days during her journey from her home in Hawaii, to see her sister in Baltimore, Maryland.

She's flying United for the entire trip, and for the first time in her many decades of flying, she's learned that everything is now alacarte -- from luggage to peanuts. She paid for every piece of luggage checked ($25.00 per bag), and, her ticket prominently stated "in flight snack available for purchase." The in flight snack typically consists of a miserable turkey sandwich, bag of chips, and commercial granola bar or cookie, and roughtly costs betwen $5.00 and $7.50 depending on which airline you're on -- some of the better United flights do offer a boxed kit with a bit more substantial and varied fare, including applesauce cups and more.

I've followed Biggie's blog for years, and recall her packing delightful bentos for her family to take on flights. She has some terrific tips for packing your own carry-on food. Even so, I hadn't thought of packing a bento for my mother, until she remarked how sweet and handy it had been, for the first leg of her flight from Hawaii to California, that my younger brother packed her a lunch bag. It was if the child was sending the parent off on a school bus, and as he took her to her plane, gave her a bag with cheese, crackers, and a steak sandwich.

For my mother's flight today, I said a silent thank you to my brother for packing her a lunch and reminding me that even though I can't send her on her way with a juice box or even a bottle of water, I CAN send her with a nice packed lunch that meets airline standards.

She wasn't in the mood for much protein -- but said she'd enjoy some sweet and savorable nibbles. Pity I didn't have time for a photograph, but in my mother's plastic disposable bento box, which I tied close with a nice raffia string, I packed:

2 slices of dark brown bread and butter
(chewy, dense squaw bread thickly buttered with unsalted butter and cut into strips)
Extra Sharp White Cheddar Cheese (sliced into small strips)
Sesame Seed Crackers
Salted, cured olives (2 cracked green olives and 2 kalamata olives)
A handful of walnut halves
A baby Fuji apple (cored and sliced, and sprayed with lemon juice)
A condiment packet of peanut butter
A bar of dark chocolate

I tried to assemble an interesting array -- a bit of cheese, olives, and crackers, a bit of bread of butter, a bit of fruit and nuts, and a piece of good, dark chocolate for dessert. I hope she enjoys it. Safe travels, Mom.

How are you packing for travel these days? Buying on board, buying at the gate, or packing snacks?

(Photo by USAToday)

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Barefoot Bloggers: Grown Up Mac and Cheese

I thought to myself, today, that it's a good thing I belong to Barefoot Bloggers because were it not for the twice monthly challenge I've signed up to be a part of, I might not have blogged much at all this summer.

I've really been "off my feed" lately as the farmers would say. I've been so tired, for weeks, and have just had craptastic summer. I won't bore anyone with details, because who among us hasn't been worn to the bone at some point, with the stress of career, relationships, domestic projects, art projects, family pressures, dying relatives, blog responsibilities, and such?

Instead of sexual fantasies, I write my resume in my head daily, and pretend to give my boss notice of my imminent departure. It's much more satisfying. I can't say more than that or I'd be typing all night and you'd be saying "What a whiner."

In addition to just being too stressed to cook and bake and snap photos, I've been on a "Use It Up" kick for a few months, to try and curb my addiction to bringing home tasty groceries too frequently. Seriously, my pantry would make a genuinely hungry person on a limited income weep with joy. That's embarrassing to me.

You'd think, with all the stress going on and the kick of clearing out my pantry, that I would have loads of dishes to photograph and upload. Not so. The battery in my camera wasn't charged, and for about 3-4 weeks, I was too tired to find it and plug it in.

So ... this month's Barefoot Blogger recipes are upon us, and Heather Randomosity and the Girl chose Ina Garten's "Grown Up Mac and Cheese" which sounded both really comforting, and, really sophisticated. I had most of the necessary ingredients, and it didn't seem like a chore at all. Maybe this was just the kick in the ass I needed: pasta with Gruyere, bleu cheese and bacon in it? That's medicine right there, folks.

Ahhh, but, I had some frozen macaroni and cheese I wanted to use up -- shoot. I don't necessarily want to buy and make the same dish I swore I'd use up out of my freezer this week. I know, I know ... make your own, it's better, etc etc etc. But sometimes a single, working girl needs a bright orange box, a microwave, and a too-long cooking time to assure a blackened crusty top. Doesn't she?

Enter stage right ... Hacking Ina Garten's Mac and Cheese. Not to be confused with Semi Homemade Ina Garten. PLEASE. Please don't compare me to that color-coordinated creature -- I'd never make a Kwanzaa Cake with corn nuts (brilliantly described by one blogger as an edible hate crime). Ever.

Ina's recipe is basically a roux to which she adds three kinds of cheese (cheddar, Gruyere and bleu), pasta, bacon, and then tops with bread crumbs. Well, my frozen entree took care of the cheddar, most of the pasta, and the roux. All I needed to do was build on it with the remaining cheeses, a bit more pasta, and the toppings.

My solution to blend what I already had on hand, with Ina's recipe with unique flavors, resulted in the best tasting macaroni and cheese I've ever had to date. I say "to date" because surely I'll make this recipe again, this time from scratch, when I don't have freezer staples to use up.

GROWN UP MAC AND CHEESE, KATE'S WAY

1 box of frozen Macaroni and Cheese
1 box of "cheap stuff" Macaroni and Cheese in the blue box

4 oz of Gruyere, shredded

2 oz of Gorgonzola Soft Spreadable Cheese or Dip
1 oz of half and half

2 slices bacon

2 slices prosciutto

Nutmeg, Salt and Pepper
1 handful of breadcrumbs

Soften the frozen mac and cheese until it can be removed from its container and stirred, cold, into a casserole dish. Open a box of cheap-stuff pantry-stable macaroni and cheese, and discard the sauce packet. Boil that pasta in salted water. Stir into the defrosted mac and cheese, to both increase the pasta, and, vary the types of pasta (some a bit soft, some a bit firm).

Shred 4 oz of Gruyere cheese, and stir into the pasta. Scoop out 2 oz (half of the container) of a soft, spreadable Gorgonzola or Bleu Cheese dip (I used Connoisseur brand Gorgonzola Spread, which is very pungent) and add to pasta, stirring to melt the soft cheeses. Stir in a bit of half and half as needed, to remain creamy -- I didn't need much at all. Season with salt, pepper and freshly grated nutmeg (I skimp on a lot, but not on spices).

Meanwhile, in a pan, brown 2 slices of bacon, and 2 slices of prosciutto until crisp. When cool enough to handle, snip into small pieces, adding most to the pasta, and reserving some for garnish.

Meanwhile, in a bullet blender cup, add approximately 1 handful or cup of croutons, toasted bread or crumbs, with basil or other herbs, to make bread crumbs. I happened to have seasoned cornbread stuffing, and I added fresh basil and and pulsed that into breadcrumbs. I wouldn't do that again because it was too "fake tasting." Plain breadcrumbs would have sufficed.

When the pasta, bacon and prosciutto and cheeses are thoroughly stirred and blended, top with the crumbs, and bake for 40 minutes until bubbling. Top with reserved bacon and serve.

About this challenge: The Barefoot Bloggers join forces and cook or bake recipes by Barefoot Contessa Ina Garten each month, chosen in order by members, and present them for discussion on two Thursdays each month. Our Next Challenge: Ina's Smoked Salmon Spread. Hungry? Please join us at the table!