Taking the Humbug Out of Christmas Present Giving

At one point or another we have all either been at both the receiving and gifting ends of really bad gifts. The ones that leave us questioning our senility and that of those that we love as ettiquite demands that we all smile and politely thank our loved ones for their thoughtfulness then quickly banish the offending gift to the nether regions of our closets to be silently regifted when we find ourselves in a gift rush. I have done this a few times but before any of you get all judge judy Mr. and Mrs Pott I am sure you have as well.
 My husband is a notorious bad gifter the sad thing is the man tries so hard. He will sit and stew over each and every gift trying to tie it to the person who will be recieving the present with the full expectation that we will all understand the thought that went into that gift without him actually telling anyone (most of the time no one gets it). Take our anniversary for instance. When we got married he said that he planned on our first anniversary being had on a wonderful second honeymoon trotting around the globe, well funds have been tight as with any newly married couple so we both knew that it wasnt going to happen, however my husband being my husband decided that he would still get me around the world in a manner of speaking by  buying me cookbooks.
Now understand I love cookbooks I just dont think of them as being a romantic gift especially considering that he didnt mention his reason for getting me cookbooks. So one of the cookbooks was  Japanese translated to english and actually was bought in Japan. The second was from Thailand.  By these cookbooks he had planned on at least bringing the tastes of the countries to his wife.Super sweet idea and very romantic when you understand why.
So what is a gift that won't go wrong ? Well it depends on the person and what you know about them for instance my Aunt loves Meringues and is often happy with a tin of them.
My husband, if I make him a cheesecake I am super woman for a day.
My Dad loves anything with the word Pie at the end with the exception of mincemeat.
Gifts of food or cooking supplies are rarely a gift that is frowned upon especially when they are home made. I like to make cookie batter mix with just add liquid ingredients  and cookie cutters tied to the top. Homemade hot chocolate mix is another win especially when you combine it with a cute Hot chocolate pot of mug. Fresh scones with an assortment of teas is another Win.
Just remember when making any kind of baked goods to be mindful of allergies.
I have also given my share of bad gifts, like the tin of popcorn with peanuts that seemed like a fantastic idea minus the fact of my friend swelling up like a balloon because they were allergic to nuts. So here are some holiday gift ideas for the foodie in all of us,

Hot Chocolate mix

10-2/3 cups instant nonfat powdered Whole milk or non dairy creamer (allergy)

6 oz. jar powdered nondairy creamer 

4 cups powdered suger

2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder

1 bag mini chocolate chips

1 bag mini marshmallows

2 tbls Cinnamon  (optional)

1tsp chili powder (optional)

Combine all dry ingredients in a large ziplock bag  shake until completely combined store in jar or
in a pretty plastic gift bag. Couple with a fun holiday mug or a hot cocoa pot .   

Instructions:

For one serving, stir 3 heaping tablespoons Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix into 1 cup of hot  whole milk or water  until dissolved. I recommend hot milk because lets be honest it tastes better

Add more or less according to the size of your mug!

Tang Tea

1 cup instant iced tea (you can use plain, lemon, sweetened)
2 cups Tang instant drink
1 tablespoon of allspice or pumpkin pie spice

Combine all dry ingredients in a large ziplock bag shake until completely combined store in jar or
in a pretty plastic gift bag.

Instructions :

To make a mug: Add one heaping tablespoon of the mix to a mug of boiling water. Stir to dissolve, then drink it when it’s cool enough to stand it.

Dry Cookie mix

Take your favorite cookie batter recipe and mix all the dry ingredients together then place it in a jar with the how to instructions tie a bow around the lid and voila instant christmas gift  this works with muffins and scones as well.
be sure to include a spatula or a tea towel for the effect.

So there you go a few thoughtful gifts that won't be re-gifted this holiday season  life is better with butter Merry Christmas too all I look forward to posting more goodies as we get closer to the new year !!!!
 

Expensive Dinner for December : Fillet Mignon

OK So after polling all on this blog for a term of  three weeks (thanks to all who voted) the winner for the expensive dinner for December was Fillet Mignon on a bed of arugula and though the cynic in me suspected foul play on the side of my husband (damned Carnivore) as promised last night I made the dish for a group of close friends and as we sat around savoring each delectable tender morsel I was made aware that while fillet Mignon is literally food for kings and the rich it is truly expensive.      How expensive some might ask ? Great question so here is a breakdown of the ouch factor of the dish and while I am at it the recipe.

Ingredients.                                                                                                              Cost.

2 pounds of tenderloin                                                                                            $ 48.56 
2 pounds of Arugula                                                                                               $  3.48
2 apples  cored                                                                                                        $    .75                       1 red onion                                                                                                              $    .45
1 cup balsamic vinegar                                                                                           $ 2.59
1 cup of Red Madeira                                                                                             $ 14.00  bottle
2 tbls Granulated Sugar
1 stick butter
_________________________________________________________________________________
 Dinner for 4                                                                                        Total Cost :$ 75.48 tax incl.

Pricey I know but oh so worth it (sort of) Anyway so since there was extra Balsamic reduction left over I also made my Balsamic Marinara and tossed it over Whole wheat Pasta  there were many full bellies by the end I hope you enjoy and for all of you who feel the need to splurge here is how its done.

Balsamic Reduction

 on stove heat 1 cup balsamic vinegar and 1 cup madiera over medium high heat  add 2 tbls Sugar and wisk to prevent burning until you are left with 1/2 liquid content transfer to bowl and allow to cool

Arugula salad

1. wash arugula
2. chop onions into slivers
3. in skillet melt butter over medium heat do not allow to burn
4. add in onions and a little chopped garlic
saute until tender but still slightly crisp in the center
5. add in Arugula and allow to wither but not over cook all you
 want is to soften the leaves not fully cook them
6. plate and drizzle with Balsamic reduction set asside

Fillet Mignon

Preheat oven to 375
Cook to your taste but realize this is a delicate cut and to over cook truly is a crime
and ruins the delicatness of this portion
Salt and pepper your pan add in diced apple and brown lightly over stove in a  stove to oven pan
once all sides are browned place skillet into oven and allow to cook for 10 more or so  minutes depending on taste and temp of your oven .

You will have Left over balsamic reduction and my favorite way to use it is to make Balsamic Marinara and serve with pasta which I served as a side dish. I will be posting another poll I hope you all enjoy this everything is better with butter

 

 

Veggies, Veggies and more Veggies

The other day a friend of mine who was reading my blog commented to me on the fact that not all people are meat, sweets and or high carb lovers so I thought ok this is true but whatever I cook has to meet my carnivore husbands approval that is always difficult  considering his motto on vegetables is "I love Veggies they help my food grow up big and strong" finding something he will eat is a lot like playing a culinary Russian Roulette.
So I decided that I would risk my arm being chewed off and my body being roasted and for the sake of all you Vegetarians out there I am bucking the norm in order to make at least one vegetable dish that I hope you will all enjoy.
And if you do not find anymore blogs from me then feel free to report it to the FBI that there is a Cannibal on the loose.

Ratatouille

1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
1 cup tomato puree (such as Pomi)
2 tablespoons Butter, divided
1 small eggplant (my store sells these “Italian Eggplant” that are less than half the size of regular ones; it worked perfectly)
1 smallish zucchini
1 smallish yellow squash
1 longish red bell pepper
Few sprigs fresh thyme
Salt and pepper
Few tablespoons soft goat cheese, for serving

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Pour tomato puree into bottom of an oval baking dish, approximately 10 inches across the long way. Drop the sliced garlic cloves and chopped onion into the sauce, stir in one tablespoon of the Butter and season the sauce generously with salt and pepper.
Trim the ends off the eggplant, zucchini and yellow squash. As carefully as you can, trim the ends off the red pepper and remove the core, leaving the edges intact, like a tube.
On a mandoline, adjustable-blade slicer or with a very sharp knife, cut the eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash and red pepper into very thin slices, approximately 1/16-inch thick.
Atop the tomato sauce, arrange slices of prepared vegetables concentrically from the outer edge to the inside of the baking dish, overlapping so just a smidgen of each flat surface is visible, alternating vegetables. You may have a handful leftover that do not fit.
Drizzle the remaining tablespoon Butter over the vegetables and season them generously with salt and pepper. Remove the leaves from the thyme sprigs with your fingertips, running them down the stem. Sprinkle the fresh thyme over the dish.
Cover dish with a piece of parchment paper cut to fit inside. (Tricky, I know, but the hardest thing about this.)
Bake for approximately 45 to 55 minutes, until vegetables have released their liquid and are clearly cooked, but with some structure left so they are not totally limp. They should not be brown at the edges, and you should see that the tomato sauce is bubbling up around them.
Serve with a dab of soft goat cheese on top, alone, or with some crusty French bread, atop polenta, couscous, or your choice of grain.

Madness, Meringues and Family

My family loves my Meringues and I do mean love. So when I was asking Both My husband and My Aunt what they would like to have as a treat their request was simple Meringues. I like Meringues as much as the next person but when it comes to my Aunt and my husband it is more of a deep love. When I make them I have to do one of two things either make extra and put it in a pip pet and set it aside for him otherwise he will be there at the bowl dipping his finger into the sweet gooey batter, Or two wait till he goes to work and make them in the quiet of an empty (well almost empty) House.
I chose the Latter yesterday now I usually just make plain meringues but yesterday I decided to make them a bit different than normal and mixed things up. I decided to flavor them with dried Cherries and almond extract once they were finished I took them to my Aunt who has the patience of a Saint (I am two weeks late on giving her these) and I had planned on bringing her the whole batch but after I ate one I felt compelled to eat another, and then I had to make sure that they were still good so after extensive taste testing ( I ate 6, or 10 I lost track ) I felt confident enough to take what was left to her which happened to be about 12 cookies. The problem with these is they are good and not that I care but they are also fat free depending on how far you differ from the original recipe but they are wonderfully light and look elegant on a plate

so here is the Recipe both original and tweaked version

Meringue Cookies (forgotten kisses)

Basic Recipe
6 egg whites, at room temperature
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 cup fine white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Flavorings - Vanilla, Mint , Almond, or whatever springs your fancy

 

Candy Cane bliss

1 cup chopped peppermint candies

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ginger Snapps

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

 

Cherry Almondine

1 cup chopped cherries

1 teaspoon almond flavoring

Mocha
2 teaspoons instant coffee or espresso powder
1 tablespoon cocoa powder

Vanilla Rum
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon rum or rum flavoring

Cherry Kirsch
2 tablespoons Kirschwasser

 

Heat oven to 300ºF. Beat egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar and beat until soft, bubbly peaks form. The peaks will still flop over; they're like bubble bath still. Turn the mixers to high and add the sugar a couple tablespoons at a time. As they get glossy, beat in the flavorings. The texture should be glossy and tacky, with peaks that stand straight up.

Pipe onto parchment-covered sheets. The parchment is essential; these will stick like crazy. Turn down oven to 200ºF Bake for about two hours then turn off the oven and let them cool. They should be completely dry with no chewiness inside depending on your oven you should also monitor the cookies they should not unless the color already was dark (mochas) turn brown in your oven they should remain white and chrisp. Adjust time and heat accordingly .

 

Brie , Butter and the Blissful Bite

Today as I sat looking out the window watching the leaves dance ac cross the yard in their own ballet and the trees whose now bare arms seemed to shiver showing that  the last hints of the Indian summer we have been seeing has fled. Last night I looked at my EBay account and saw that I have sold my first batch of scones so as I walked the aisles in the market to buy the ingredients for the scones I became aware of all the yummy food that is jumping out at you from everywhere. Has anyone else ever noticed when you are wanting to go grocery shopping without fail you are bombarded with wonderful treats. I found myself craving something ridiculously fattening and rich.  That said as I walked to the cheese aisle I found a package of brie and knew that I wanted to make a souffle. Brie and I have had a sort of love hate relationship. Without fail every time I cook with it I have been cursed that my recipes have flopped. However I will not be outdone by a mushy cheese so I grabbed the package with confidence, standing up straight , shoulders back and walked to the check out counter. My bravado started to fade halfway home I mean what was I thinking I couldn't do this I had to be insane. I had just spent ten dollars on a tiny wheel of cheese so I set my mind to at least attempt to make it. The results were superb and I have to say that even my Mother in law enjoyed it. Creamy and buttery and over all yummy it would go great with a cherry chutney for a bit of sweetness Bon appetit

Brie Souffle

 
Ingredients

 5 large egg whites at room temperature

 4 oz of Brie, cubed and rind removed (

 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons of water

 ¼ cup water

 dash of cream of tartar

1 cup of heavy cream

2 tbls all purpose flour

3 tbls Butter

¼ cup of white wine

 1 electric hand mixer or whisk and a hand that won’t quit

 

After preheating the oven to 350°F and generously buttering the sides of three 4″ ramekins, Or a large soufflé dish. In a double boiler with water over medium heat melt butter and stir in flour to make to rue. Add Heavy cream and brie Stir constantly until brie is completely melted. Add white wine . When the cheese is evenly melted, add the cornstarch and stir. As soon as the mixture starts to bubble, remove from heat, transfer to a plastic or glass bowl, and beat with the hand mixer on medium for 3-5 minutes or until cool. This helps maintain small fat particles evenly disbursed throughout the mixture, otherwise puddles of oil form. Once cooled, in a separate bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on high until a stiff peak forms. It’s very important the whites are at room temperature before beating. You could speed things up by putting the eggs in warm water before separating yolk from whites. Once the egg whites and cheese are evenly folded, fill the buttered ramekins. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or cold alone or with cherry chutney.

I hope you all enjoy remember Everything is better with butter .