Cinnamon Loaf French Toast

Is that the most beautiful bread?  Well maybe you could better enjoy it's beauty if the picture was taken with a fancy new camera that I might get for Christmas.  Think we are going to do it.  I need to improve my pictures to make my blog real.

Ok - crazy week ahead!  I hope to blog the crazy as it goes on, bear with me.  We have a kids Christmas party (cookies!), an Argentine Tango Wedding Reception (that I am the wedding coordinator for) and a Cookie Exchange (more cookies!).  Oh and today is my birthday!  Happy Birthday to me.  The wedding is clearly the big event of the week.  A close family friend was married in Spain last month, she is holding a reception in Cambridge this Saturday for 100 people.  I have been her wedding coordinator, organized the whole thing and this week is go time.  There will be a big blog post covering the whole event.

While finishing up the wedding cake order, I saw this loaf of bread waiting to be wrapped up on the counter at the bakery.  This was too good to pass up.  We ate half the loaf just sliced up, then I had to stop the slicing because I got the fabulous idea of making French Toast with what was left.  I love French Toast. I think it is the first thing I ever cooked.  I was quite the French Toast pro as a kid, every weekend I would whip up a batch with the grocery store white bread a few eggs and milk.  Such a simple  recipe and oh so good.  This beautiful braided cinnamon bread made perfect French Toast, no need to add cinnamon.  I used vanilla soy milk this time for my little "dairy" boy, didn't have a problem at all with it.  I also cooked his slices in the soy butter, came out crispy and perfect.

Cinnamon Loaf French Toast 

INGREDIENTS
8 slices of cinnamon bread
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk or soy milk
butter for the grill
powdered sugar for dusting
Maple syrup

Beat the eggs and milk in a shallow dish.  Soak the bread slices in the milk/egg batter, both sides, while the skillet gets hot over medium/high heat.  Melt a big pat of butter on the skillet.  Drop a sopping slice of bread on the skillet.  Cook a few minutes until golden brown.  Flip.  When perfect on both sides, drop the French Toast on a plate and top with Maple syrup.  Dust with powdered sugar.  Perfection!

Jack O'Lantern Fun

I finally found a good use for all the excess CSA veggies.  Radishes are great in pumpkin carving and we finally found a good use for kale.  I saw the butternut squash ghosts in Martha Stewart's Halloween Magazine and loved them.  Got so many great compliments on the squash from trick or treating parents.  We had a fabulous Halloween and the whole family had a blast decorating the pumpkins.  Here are the highlights:

There is a hole in here!  We had to do some creative carving to cover the bad spots where the dang squirrels ate my pumpkin.  This big pumpkin has been sitting in the yard all month and the squirrels went to town on it.

We didn't even hollow out the little one, just stuck stuff all over him.  The pineapple top was my husband's idea.  Found use for all those darn white radish - buck teeth!  I also have a lot of old jalapeños from my salsa canning event, they made great noses and eyes. 

The oldest boy made this one all by himself.  What an artist we have on our hands.

You know as much as I really don't want to like Martha Stewart (not really sure why I want to hate her, it just seems like I should), but the lady really does come up with cool stuff (or her people do, whatever).  Loved these squash ghosts.  They look great at night.  

Fun with pumpkin guts and the aftermath.  We didn't even bother with newspaper, just swept and mopped it all up after.  

We lit the big guy's pipe and used some kale to make the little patch mustache to cover the squirrel damage.

BOO!

Steamers - Clams or Mussels

Cooking For Fun - Steamers

We spent all of last week on Cape Cod, that is why there has been a shortage in blog posts.  Great week!  We have been spending the same week each August on the Cape for a few years now, in Falmouth the last 3 years.  My brother-in-law from Seattle and his girl friend joined us again this year.  Fabulous week with family, sunshine everyday and sandy tired little boys every night!  One night we had a seafood extravaganza!  OK so we just cooked seafood.  Grilled shrimp and scallops with an appetizer of steamed clams.  I often steam mussels, but guess I never actually steamed clams.  Same process, same great results, but we got some yucky broth from the clams.  They were bought on a whim so I didn't have a chance to properly soak and clean them, maybe you can have nice broth from cleaner clams, we didn't.

I write my blog as a way to share my cooking adventures, but I in no way feel I have the expertise to give hard facts and tips, however I did discover what I guess I already knew was my cooking strength.  No fear.  I just don't care, I'll try anything and if it works great, if not, who cares maybe I learned something.  I realized this as I started making steamers on the Cape.  My friends said she would never make steamers, they are too intimating. I can see how steamers could be a bit daunting, but they are actually soooo easy.  I watched my uncles do it once then just started making them all the time.  I will try to make anything once.  If it works, I will maybe make it again.  That is the strength I bring to cooking and hopefully the entertaining value I can bring to a blog.  Here is a basic and super easy process for making steamers.  Really, have no fear, they are about the simplest thing you can make and turns out it will also impress your friends!


Steamers
Source:  Various cookbooks - this is a pretty simple recipe

 l3-4 lbs of fresh live clams or mussels (the rule is 1lb per person for an appetizer)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot diced
2 cloves crushed garlic


1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup water
Big handful of fresh parsley diced maybe 1/2 cup or so

Cleaning:  Place in a large pot and let sit in slowly running cold water for 1/2 hour.

Once your steamers are clean, drain in a colander and set aside as you prepare the pot.  In large pot over medium heat, heat the olive oil then add shallot and garlic.  Cook just until the onions are slightly soft, just a few minutes.  Add wine, water, parsley then set all the clams/mussels on top.  Place lid on pot and turn up the heat.  Steam, shaking the pot with the lid on frequently, every minute or two.  Steam like this for 8-10 minute or until your steamers are all open.  Transfer the steamers with a slotted spoon to a large bowl.  If the broth is pretty and clean  you might pour it over the steamers or serve in small bowls for dipping.  Can also provide bowls of melted butter.  Everything is better with butter!

Classic Pico de Gallo & Guacomole

Cooking 4 Fun - Pico de Gallo & Guacamole

This is not a contest entry, just a standard in my life worth sharing. A classic pico de gallo and the simplest guacamole. All the best summer has to offers in a bowl. I make big batches of both and just eat it with tortilla chips. Love this stuff!

Pico de Gallo

Ingredients
3 Big Fresh Tomatoes
2 Fresh Tomotillos
Big Bunch Fresh Cilantro chopped maybe 1/2 cup, really as much as you want, I like lots of cilantro!
1 Medium Onion Chopped
1 Jalepeno seeds removed and chopped small
Juice from 1/2 a Lemon
Splash of Olive Oil
Salt to taste

Chop all ingredients small and mix well. The qualities can be changed to meet your taste or based on what is super fresh and available. One of those recipes where simpler is better!

Guacamole

Ingredients
2-3 large ripe avocados
1 clove minced garlic - maybe 1/2 clove if it is big
Big dash Kosher salt
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
1 small tomato - Roma is best, chopped small

Mash avocado in a bowl with a fork. Add garlic, salt, lemon juice and mash till smooth and well mixed. Stir in chopped tomato. Enjoy! Simple is best.

A heaping bunch of fresh ingredients.

Bowl of Guac. Bowl of Pico. Where are the chips!?!

Uncle Joe's Empanadas

Cooking For Fun Recipe - Uncle Joe's Empanadas

"The Uncles", my Uncle Bernie and his husband Uncle Joe, live a charmed life. They have spent the last two winters in Argentina Tango dancing. Nice life if you can get it and it seems they can. The routine in Buenos Aries is to Tango all night then eat empanadas at 2 am on your way home from dancing. The uncles have brought this tradition home. Since their return from Argentina this year, every family gathering has included making empanadas. We made them in Houston with left over BBQ, then we made them at Lake Winnipesaukee with my CSA veggies and fruit. The very process of making empanadas pulls family together. There is plenty of room for creativity, use for everything in the fridge and you can assembly line the process allowing everyone to get involved. Here is a very rough recipe for the wide variety of empanadas that Uncle Joe has been cooking up lately.

Uncle Joe's Empanadas
Ingredients
Preheat oven to 375

Vegetables:

• Frozen Premade Empanada Dough Discs - a couple brands, Goya of course, but there is another one that is better, don't have the name.
• Frozen chopped spinach or other green such as kale or collar greens, if using fresh cook down and drain first
• Chopped Onion
• Fresh Minced Garlic
• Diced Red Bell Peppers or your favorite variety of pepper
• Diced Carrotts
• Chopped Parsely,

Saute all of the above in olive oil with fresh oregano, salt, pepper and your favorite spices. Saute till veggies are soft. You can stop here and just make veggie empanadas or keep going and add some meat.

• Other ingredients you might add; sun dried tomatoes, olives with pimento chopped, red pepper flakes, capers & coriander
  

Meat

• Italian sausage with ground beef
  
• Ground pork
• Chicken
• Golden raisins are a great addition to meat filled empanadas
• Add any cheese you love. Cheddar, Asiago, Mozzarella or what ever you have on hand.

Brown meat then mix with the sauteed vegetables. Drain vegetables and meats well before filling dough. Place a few tablespoons of filling in empanada disc, top with cheese if desired. Fold over and seal with a fork or fingers. Brush with egg yolk then bake. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Fruit Empanada
Mix your favorite fruits with powdered sugar and fill dough discs. We have put a spoonful of jam or marmalade with fruit. Mixing apples and pear with berries is good, it helps soak up the runny berries. Fruit empanadas are bit more delicate, they tend to leak but still cook up delicious every time!

Preparations for brisket empanadas. Used green olives, brisket, carrots, spinach and onions.


Uncle Joe with a skillet full of veggies. He bought that ridiculous hat at Fiesta, the crazy international super market in Houston. Love Fiesta!


Joe is artist even with a skillet. I think he might have put pickles in this one. We had a lot left over from a catered BBQ.


Filling up the disc.


Sealing up the disc.


Production line. Making pretty pockets!


Fresh from the oven. Golden brown or as Joe calls it the "Golden Sunset".


These are fruit empanadas. You can see the dark berries through the crust. They leak a bit but are still full of juicy fruit and jam.


Irresistible to all! Really, the kids have loved every variation we have made. There is nothing handier with a large crowd then a big batch of empanadas. We make them for lunch one day then they are snacks anytime of day for the rest of the weekend. Love them!

Raspberry Tarts

Just for Fun - Raspberry Tarts

A sweet old Italian man lives on the corner; he has basically adopted my cat and my boys. Minnie, the cat, actually spends more time with him than at our house. I am trying to convince her to bring her dead birds trophies to him, not me. This week Tony, the neighbor, brought me two big bowls of fresh raspberries that he picked out of some friend's garden. He gave me one bowl on Sunday and a big bag today. They are so fresh and mushy that I had to do something with them quick or they would be no good. My friend dropped her kids off with me for a few hours today, so we made pies. The current Martha Stewart Magazine cover has cute little berry tarts with stars and stripes lattice crusts. The picture was our inspiration, but with a 5 and 8 year old we did not quite pull of Martha quality. I like to think our pies are better for their creativity and taste just as good!

Raspberry Tarts
Source: the basic recipe found in most cook books, magazines and websites for any berry pie.

Ingredients
4 rolls of prepared pie dough
4 cups fresh raspberries
1 cup sugar
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
1/4 cup tapioca
1 egg
a few teaspoons of sugar to top it

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix berries, sugar, lemon juice and tapioca in a big bowl. Line the bottom of a small pan with one pie dough. I used disposable small fudge pans so I could give them away,you could just make one pie in a standard pie pan. Trim pie crust to fit pan. Fill pans with berries evenly. Roll out, on flat drt work surface, two additional pie crusts. Use pastry tools and cookie cutters to make fun shapes to create lattice work pie crust. Place pieces on top to create a lattice or fun design. Brush top pie crust with an egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 10 minutes at 425 degrees then drop heat to 350 degrees and bake another 30 minute or until crust is brown and berries are bubbly. Cool and serve with whipped cream. Delicious!


This is the first bowl Tony gave me. He gave me more today fresh off the berry bushes.



Mixed the berries with sugar, lemon juice and tapioca. Save a few pretty ones for the top of the tarts.



Berries in the pie crust. Abigale is topping it with the firm berries.



The Martha magazine covered with our crust work. Embarrassing - I don't own pastry tools or even any good cookie cutters. We used Play Dough tools. Washed them and they totally worked! Had a nice star fish tool to make stars with.



Ready for the oven, egg washed and sprinkled, with a heavy little hand, with sugar.



Still bubbling as they come out of the oven! One went home with Declan and Abigail, my little helpers. The other was cut in half and sent to Tony, our raspberry fairy.

Wonton Madness!!!

Not a contest entry - this is just something for fun.

Successful coupon and warehouse shopping is a science. It can save you tons of cash if you don't fall into the trap of buying more than you can use or things you don't use. I bought too much of something I don't use: wonton and eggroll wrappers. Saved a dollar, but now I feel the pressure to use all these wrappers before they expire on 2/14. I have been frying everything in the house, here are a few new ones.

Peanut butter and banana - excellent!!! My son loved this!



Oatmeal. Yea, I fried Oatmeal.



Add a slice of apple to the oatmeal.... just like a fried pie!


I still have half a package of wonton wrappers. Think I'll fry up some stuff for Valentine's Day. I will post any exciting finds. Wonton madness expires on Sunday.