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May 2

NO STRESS RECIPES FOR MOTHER’S DAY

Ever since Mother’s Day was declared a holiday in 1914, its purpose has been to provide Mother with a day free from work. The main focus is to present her, as guest of honor, with a lovely dinner, a tradition which has grown over the past century. In fact, Mother’s Day has become the busiest day in the year for restaurants.

However, times have changed and most mothers now work out of the house or away from it, rather than IN it. Dinner out isn’t the special treat it used to be. Many families want to personalize Mother’s Day by taking an active role in the dinner. The idea is fine but the success of the venture depends on the kitchen experience but more importantly the attitude, of the others involved. Without proper guidance this can be a disaster and a nightmare for Mother and everyone else, not a delight.

‘Proper’ in this case means ‘responsible’ and even a kitchen novice can pull off a great dinner if they are serious about doing it, have a bit of patience and can read. I realized this several years ago when two neighborhood children heard I was ”in the cooking business” and asked if I’d help them make a nice day for their mother, while their father was deployed in the military overseas. The experience inspired No Stress Recipes for Mother’s Day, a book of adult pleasing recipes modified for easy preparation and for child-friendly participation with monitoring.

That holiday’s menu was so successful, that their father appealed to me the next year. He had been transferred and the family was moving within days. He asked me to plan a Mother’s Day menu that would give his wife a break, but wouldn’t interrupt their schedule by stopping to go out or require them to unpack any utensils. I’ve included those menus, recipes, itemized costs, detailed directions and complete explanations of all decisions for both years in the book as illustrations of the fact that lovely meals can be made even by children, for very low cost, with a little help and that a lot of equipment isn’t always necessary. See for yourself….

Year 2012

Eggs Adeline

Ham, Tomato& Lettuce On Italian Bread

Cornish Game Hens and Wild Rice

Easy Berry Cake Cake/Berries & Whipped Cream

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Year 2013

Toad in the Hole

Family Choice

Stew on the grill

Grilled pound

The other recipes in the book cover not just dinner but all three meals plus desserts, to give Mother a full day away from the kitchen. Some of the dishes include: Baked Eggs in a Cloud, Fast Fruit Crisp, Breakfast Turnovers, Greek Pita Pockets, Spaghetti Squash Primavera, Tuna and Bean Salad, Pork Loin with Apricot Glaze, Chicken in Orange Sauce, Salmon with Mustard, Chocolate No-Cook Bars, Easy Berry Angle Cake #1 and #2, Zebra Cake and many more to choose from-all simple to make and delicious to eat.

So if you want to try making a dinner for Mother at home or simply want to add some restaurant quality, simplified recipes to your repertoire and/or get the family involved in making delicious meals here’s your chance. No Stress Recipes for Mother’s Day is the guide you need. Find it on this site’s Bookshelf and Kindle. Price $3.99

Apr 12

 

Jan 17

EASILY CONTROL FOOD SPENDING

How to Control Food Bills is NOT about budget tweeking, clipping coupons, chasing sales or finding discount markets. This is a system, based on organized planning and informed shopping, which teaches how to cope with the consistently rising food costs coming in the years ahead. The estimated price hike is at least the 5%-7% annually as it has been for the last decade plus.

Translated, that means that in 10 yrs. your food expenses will be 50%-70% more. This is a significantly large chunk out of household income, making controlling spending increasingly important because without oversight your menu standards and nutritional wellbeing can suffer. And be assured, the cost of food is going to continue to go up.

The reason for this expected price hike is that over the past thirty years, the U.S. Government has ceded control of the nation’s food supply to ‘private interests’, actually international conglomerates. Whereas a government has to consider the welfare of its citizens, corporations are interested in profit. The international aspect means that the fluctuations of one nation’s economy won’t affect the overall pricing. A product can always be sold elsewhere. You may remember food prices went up in 2008. Anyone wondering how this situation came about, see below.*

To paraphrase an old saying, if you can’t beat it, find a way to deal with it. That’s what How to Control Food Bills offers, a way to manage food costs. When I first opened my personal chef service Suddenly Supper, I realized I had to be able to offer unlimited recipes, quote reasonable prices, guarantee quality, buy retail and still meet my bottom line-not easy! I needed an efficient system to reach my goals and after trial and error I devised a plan that worked for the business and for my personal needs. I call my plan The Diet for the Food Dollar and to test it, I shared it with friends who’ve had equal success for several years now. It will work for you through the years ahead.

The plan is quite easy; just 3 steps of behavioral management which experts claim can become habit in three weeks. For me it took less. With all the shopping I had to do, it proved to be a welcome time-saver. I’m including a summary of each step below. Of course the full versions are detailed, with advice, tips, incentives, and ways to personalize them to your specific needs but these ’Cliff Notes’ convey the general principles.

The book also has over 100 pages of charts, diagrams and graphs full of great information– not just pan sizes, times and temperatures with conversions, but a lot more. There’s buying information on all meats, poultry and seafood, locations of the different cuts and how to choose and use them, carving directions, descriptions of cheeses, oils and herbs a complete listing of ingredient substitutions and much, much more. These pages are a valuable kitchen tool in themselves.

It’s important today but going to be increasingly more so, to know where your food money is going and catch any ‘leaks’ or excesses. Organization is the best way to solve that problem. It’s also important, and more convenient to be an informed food shopper. Know what to buy, where to get it, how much and, here’s an often overlooked factor, when to buy an item. Stockpiling is expensive and wasteful but being able to gauge the market is a huge asset. The 3 steps of the plan, summarized below, teach how to control food expenses and deal with prices through organization and knowledge. Veterans of the plan report that it repaid its $8.99 price well before the 3-week habit-forming deadline and really works long-term for them, as it will for you. So eliminate the stress, avoid register shock and make meal planning and food shopping permanently a walk in the park….

DIET FOR THE FOOD DOLLAR BASIC STEPS

1) Be Decisive:

Don’t hesitate, press “Go” As with any diet, the first step is to set a realistic, obtainable, initial goal. Once there, you may want to continue, but start by calculating how much your food budget can be slimmed down and still remain nutritious. Whether you do this by percentage, fraction or dollars and cents doesn’t matter, just get a firm concept. I prefer to figure by month because it provides an overview. A week may represent specialized buying, whereas a month probably represents purchases from every department in the supermarket, all of which usually fall into the “Grocery Shopping” category.

Then, do as you would with any diet; decide which areas are the target ones. The quick answer is snacks and desserts, and though they may contribute, and cutting down on them could help the food budget and have great side effects; they are not the whole answer. Take a look in your pantry, cabinets and refrigerator. Examine expiration dates. What sits on the shelf? What do you most frequently have to throw out? What was bought and never used? What is duplicated? What name brands can be automatically be replaced by generics? The answers will show you the initial steps to changing your shopping habits. I had a neighbor who always complained about her “food” bills. It turned out she couldn’t resist sales on cleaning products. She could have sterilized a huge hotel with what she’d stockpiled! For me, it was a weakness for flavored seltzer water. The point is, as soon as I began to buy just what was needed, and switched to the generic brand, my register total was less, and I felt a sense of accomplishment. It encouraged me.

2) Be Determined:

Once you have a goal in mind, and an idea of how to carve the path to get there, it’s going to take resolve to turn that path into a paved highway. There will be pitfalls along the way and to help you stay on the road, some “tools” may come in handy. One is reminding yourself of the above mentioned sense of satisfaction from realizing you got everything you need and spent less than you contemplated. Another is cultivating a warning voice (my “Just say no!”) that stops you before you buy impulsively, and becomes as habitual as telling you to look both ways before crossing the street. Behaviorists say that a habit is formed in three weeks, and becomes ingrained in six months .So it isn’t that hard to do! Also, I find when I am tempted to buy something not on my list; it helps to continue my shopping. If that item is still on my mind when I’m ready to leave, I go back and look again. If I can fit it into my meal planning before its expiration date, or in the next two weeks, and its cost won’t make me feel guilty when I get home, I may buy it. If it’s a non-perishable, I make a note to find a use for it soon, and buy then. All this pondering alone is often enough to discourage the sale.

Which brings me to the best tool of all: The List. I always compile meticulous, detailed lists when planning and shopping for others, but my own approach to meal planning was whimsical. I headed for the market with the most alluring ads that week and let my senses take over. I operated on impulse, drawn to attractive produce, a special piece of meat, a new product, an ingredient I’d wanted to try. I outlined the week’s menus as I went and filled in the details with visits to other markets the following days. I over bought, under used and by the week’s end was suffering severe register shock. So I began to apply my professional approach to shopping to my personal life and started to menu plan. More on the mechanics of doing this later, but once a weekly menu is set, it’s easy to list the ingredients, simplest done by categories—meat, dairy etc.–check them against your current supplies; eliminate the ones you have and Voilà! Your list is done. The extra time it takes to compile a list is equal to the reduced time spent in the market, but don’t allow yourself to linger there. Get in –Get out!

3) Be Disciplined:

In any diet this is the hardest step to follow because it requires ongoing effort, but the best paved road won’t get you into town if you keep taking scenic detours. You are decisive and determined; all that’s needed is willpower. Above all, stick to the list! It’s hard, and takes practice, to grow virtual blinders to temptation. A big incentive is to remind yourself of why you started the diet, and how satisfying it will be to reach your goal. In addition to using the tools mentioned above, I find putting things in perspective helps. Unless it’s a special event, ask yourself if you’re going to remember what you ate on a day, or even in that week, two weeks later. (The answer to that question may turn you off menu planning altogether! It’s a big “No”.) I realized my impulsive buys to perk up a night’s meal made a bigger impression on the budget than the memory .BUT if I selected just one of those WOW buys, or maybe even two, if I could combine them, and they fit the budget, and prepared them in such a way as to create a special seeming dinner, my family appreciated it and I felt great! If living alone, it’s a way to treat yourself, or to entertain a friend.

Diversification and innovation also help, especially if the budget isn’t ‘splurge friendly’. When you feel the urge to tweak a week’s menus, explore new cuisines, or different ways to cook, using seasonings, or making sauces from ingredients you already have, or ones that you can inexpensively add that will serve you well in the future. Concentrating on a recipe stops the gaze from wandering over the market shelves too.
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I’ve heard it said that anything can be accomplished with the right plan. Well, if you want to have control over food expenses, avoid stress and eliminate register shock forever, The Diet for the Food Dollar Plan is for you! Find it here on this site’s books/products page or on Kindle.

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*The story is simple. When a very efficient exfoliant was developed during the Vietnam era, its commercial value was apparent but crops had to be created which were impervious. Prior to that time agricultural experimentation in the U.S. had been done in colleges and universities under federal grants, which made any results government property. However, private labs became involved in this project, with greater funding and developed a ‘super’ soy bean seed.

In the early ‘80s history was made when the first U.S. patent for a living organism was issued, not for the seed, but for the process which created it. After that, the process could be freely applied to other plants, corn, wheat etc. Naturally, the holder of the patent controlled the seed and consequently controlled the price of the crop.

Now this process, in some form, has been applied to the seeds of most produce plants making them GMOs. Included is fodder for our livestock which takes the axiom from above one step further. The one who controls the feed crops controls the husbandry industry and the prices on meat and dairy.

If you have any doubts about the global scope of the situation, the next time you’re in a supermarket, take note of the origins especially of the produce and seafood items, fresh, frozen and canned. You’ll understand why it can‘t or won’t be altered for many years, if ever.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oct 25

CASUAL MUSHROOM SOUPS FOR FALL

As a parent, I’m well aware of the problems of feeding a family on Trick or Treat Night. Depending on the children’s age range, dinner can take three servings, with the adults eating after the door finally closes. So the food has to fill certain requirements. It has to be tempting enough that kids will stop to eat; quickly consumed, needing few utensils, with minimal risk of spills, keep fresh for hours and be an easy clean-up.

 

After discovering casseroles dry up, stews, chunky soups and hoagies are messy, take out and pizzas get cold and soggy, I finally found a platter of sandwiches and a hearty, drinkable soup were the answer. The sandwiches can come from a Deli, as long as they’re covered and on rolls or a dense bread like rye, they’ll stay fresh. The soup should be thick enough to satisfy, yet thin enough to drink from a mug.

 

I’ve written posts on this subject with suggestions particularly Oct. 14, 2015 and Oct. 20,2016, but then it occurred to me that mushrooms, though available all year, really are fall produce. Most people like them and they make wonderful soups and easily made, hearty, satisfying recipes are welcome additions to a casual meal at any time.

 

I’ve given nine recipes below which fill the bill. The first has a ‘company’ version and the last plays both ways, but generally they’re all casual fare, to be served in mugs and re-heatable in the microwave. There are a few tips first. Unless otherwise specified, Portabellas or Baby Bellas are the mushrooms of choice. However, for creamed soups, buttons can be substituted or mixed in to keep the color light. Heavy cream, half-and-half and skim milk are the only ones to use in cooking. The fat content in other grades of milk and cream cause them to ‘break’ or curdle when heated.

 

Even if you don’t have Trick or Treaters, treat yourself to one of these wonderful soups.

 

Cream of Mushroom Soup 1:

 

Serves 6
1/3 cup butter
1lb. mushrooms –sliced
1 quart chicken or beef stock
3 Tbs. flour
2 cups heavy cream or half-and-half
Salt and pepper
½ cup sweet or dry sherry-optional
Saute mushrooms in butter until juices render. Add stock, cover and simmer 15 min. Drain mushrooms, return stock to pot, placing ½ cup in a lidded jar, add flour to jar. Puree mushrooms and return to stock. Shake jar to dissolve flour and add to soup. Bring to a simmer, stirring until thickened slightly. Add dairy and seasonings and heat through. Add sherry before serving.

 

Cream of Mushroom Soup 2:

 

Serves 6
Modifications to above ingredients:
¼ cup butter
1Tbs.flour
1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
¼ tsp. EACH paprika and caraway seed
½ lb. puff pastry dough
1 egg lightly beaten
Dill weed
Follow the above directions adding the seasonings and sherry with the dairy. Pour soup into 6 custard cups and roll out pastry cutting 6 circles to fit the cup tops and brush the cup edges with egg. Cover the cups with pastry, poke air vents in each and bake at 400 deg.for20 min. until golden. Serve garnished with dill.

 

Mushroom and Bread Soup:

 

Serves 8 –From 400 Soups by Anne Sheasby
6 Tbs. butter
2 lb. mushrooms-sliced
2 onions- chopped
3 cups skim milk
8 slices white bread
1 cup heavy cream
¼ cup chopped parsley
Salt and pepper
Saute vegetables in butter over low heat until soft but not browned. Remove from heat, add milk and bread, cover and soak 15 min. Puree, return to pot, add cream, seasonings and 3Tbs.parsley. Reheat and serve, garnished with parsley.

 

Dried Mushroom and Barley Soup:

 

Serves 6- From Soups and Stews by Barbara Grunes
¼ lb. dried mushrooms
1 quart boiling water
1 quart chicken or beef stock
¼ cup butter
2 large onions – diced
3 Tbs. flour
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2 cups cooked barley
Salt and pepper
Reconstitute mushrooms in water, strain well, reserving 1quart liquid and slice mushrooms thinly. Return to pot with liquid and stock, simmer for 1 hr. or until fluid is reduced by half. Saute onions in butter until soft, stir in flour to make a roux—smooth paste—add 1 cup of soup stock and cook until thickened and stir into soup pot. Add seasonings and barley and heat through.

 

Mushroom and Potato Soup:

 

Serves 6- From Soups and Stews by Barbara Grunes
1 lb. mushrooms- sliced
1 ½ quarts beef stock- ½ cup reserved
1 large onion –halved and thinly sliced
2 carrots-thinly sliced
4 potatoes peeled and thinly sliced
1Tbs. butter
3 Tbs. flour
1 tsp. caraway seed
Place first 5 ingredients in a pot. Bring to a boil and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 min. Stir flour into reserved stock until dissolved and add to soup with butter and caraway. Stir until thickened slightly, about 5 min. Serve hot.
NOTE: For children, soup can be pureed before flour is added.

 

Mushroom and Brie Soup:

 

Serves 6-From Rozanne Gold’s Recipes 1-2-3
2/3 cup dried mushrooms
3 cups boiling water + 2 cups
1 ½ lb. onions-thinly sliced
9 oz. Brie cheese-rind removed-in small cubes
Salt and pepper
Reconstitute mushrooms in hot water 30 min. Drain mushrooms, strain and reserve liquid. Saute onions in a non-stick skillet about 15 min. until golden and chop mushrooms. Simmer onions, soaking liquid and water for 45 min. Gradually add cheese, stirring until melted, then mushrooms to taste –you may not want them all. Add seasonings and serve just warm.

 

Mushroom and Herb Potage:

 

Serves 4-6- Modified from 400 Soups by Anne Sheasby
1lb.mushrooms- roughly chipped
1Tbs, butter
1 Tbs. oil
1 large onion or 3 small shallots-chopped
3 cups vegetable or beef stock
1 cup skim milk OR 4 cups stock
2 Tbs. sherry
2 Tbs. chopped fresh mixed herbs OR 2 Tbs. tarragon
¼ cup Greek yogurt OR sour cream
Cover and sweat onions and mushrooms in oil until softened and juices are released. Add remaining ingredients but yogurt and simmer, covered for about 10-12 min. Puree, reheat and serve with a dollop of yogurt.

 

Mushroom and Celery Soup:

 

Serves 4- Modified from 400 Soups by Anne Sheasby
4 ½ cups chopped mushrooms
4 thinly sliced celery sticks
3 garlic cloves- mashed
4 Tbs. sherry or white wine
3 cups beef stock
1 tsp. EACH Worcestershire sauce and nutmeg
Salt and pepper
Over low heat, cook the mushrooms, celery, garlic, wine and ½ cup stock about 30 min. covered, until soft. Add I cup stock and puree. Return to pot with the remaining ingredients; bring to a boil, season and serve, garnished with celery leaves.

 

 

Sep 13

FREEZING SUMMER PRODUCE-PART I

I’m a summer person. Growing up at the seashore, I became addicted to water sports as a child. More daylight hours energize me. I feel I can, and actually do accomplish more, resulting in a better night’s sleep. I enjoy being able to open a door and go out without having to grab a sweater, jacket or parka but above all I love the abundant seasonal produce. It’s always with renewed sadness that I watch it disappear each fall. I hang onto the freshness as long as possible by cooking the end-of-season yield but eventually, have to admit autumn is here and summer is over. I’m not completely defeated though. I preserve some reminders to enjoy during the cold months ahead by freezing them.

While in the process of preparing this year’s supply of simmer’s food mementos, I thought it might be fun to share my experiences and facts I’ve learned along the way with all of you. I remembered a couple of posts I’d written on the subject in Sept. 2016, looked them up and combined the essence of them both, plus new information I’ve gathered in this post. Please remember, I’m focused on late summer produce here, but the direction can apply to any similar items. For example, freezing snap pea pods and Italian beans is the same procedure as that for green beans I’ll follow this with a post on applications and recipe examples next week.

Several produce items available in late summer can be preserved to have handy during the months ahead. I’m not talking about ‘stocking up for the winter’. That’s far too time and space consuming for today’s lifestyle. This is about having enough of certain products to make a featured dish for a holiday feast, or to serve as occasional reminders of warm, sunny days during cold, snowy ones.

Still, not all of the produce so plentiful in the early fall is suitable for freezing. The best way to tell is to check the glass cases in the supermarkets. If an item isn’t there, it doesn’t commercially flash-freeze well and won’t survive the slower domestic process. This especially applies to things with high water content and soft flesh, tomatoes, plums and eggplant for example. The frozen water content forms crystals which attach to the other frozen elements in their make-up, thaw faster and drain the item of its juice and flavor, leaving a deflated, pulpy mass. These items are better canned, or for tomatoes, optionally, dehydrated, allowing the juices to remain or dry in the flesh, retaining flavor.

You’ll probably think that the best choices from the late summer crops to freeze, green beans, corn and peaches are ‘Ho-hum already done’ and you’d be right. However, I can promise you the difference in texture, flavor and appearance between commercially processed and what you do yourself, will be a happy surprise, no, make that shock.

There are a few tips to simulate the commercial flash-freezing process which help to assure a good result. The difference between treatment of the 4 items discussed here is noted at each step. Of course, they should be cleaned and prepped first; the beans trimmed, any strings removed, the corn husked and silk brushed off, the peaches washed, stems removed.

  • For corn and peaches bring a pot of water to a boil, for beans use a skillet.
    1) Immerse the beans only until they turn bright green (blanched) about10-15 sec.
    2) Dip the peaches about 10-30 sec. until the skins will peel easily
    3) Cook the corn on cob about 4 min. until just beginning to tenderize.
  • Immediately run cold water over the produce to stop the cooking
  • Spread a counter top with paper towels
    1) Lay the beans and corn cobs out, separated, to dry
    2) Using a sharp knife, peel the skin off the peaches. Do not allow to dry. Start freezing prep.
  • Cover cookie sheets with waxed paper
    1) Spread the beans out separately on the cookie sheet and freeze
    2) Brace the bottom of each corn cob in the center of a tube pan. Using a sharp knife, slice off the kernels, letting them fall into the pan. Spread them evenly over the lined sheet and freeze.
    3) Slice the peaches, about 4 per half, directly onto the lined sheet, not overlapping, and freeze.

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Freeze the produce according to your freezer’s rate, usually between 40-60 min.

To Package:

The reason for freezing the produce on cookie sheets is to capture color, freshness and taste. The reason to take pains to be sure there’s no overlapping is to avoid clumping and damage in storing, as well as to make it easy to remove a desired portion. It’s important the packaging maintain these assets.

  • Use zip lock bags or square plastic boxes with secure lids, like those used for dinner entrees.
  • Do not let the items thaw, package for storage quickly
  • Place the items in the containers individually, not overlapping
  • If layering is necessary to fill the container, separate them with accordion-like folds of waxed paper-not plastic wrap
    1) the corn is best in bags and should be spread to an even thickness
    2) The beans can be arranged in a uniform layers in bags or boxes.
    3) The peach slices should be placed individually in each layer, and dusted with a thin coating of powdered sugar before being covered with the paper for the next layer, in boxes.
  • Make room in the freezer to store these containers flat, even stacked, but never on end, allowing the contents to clump together

Cooking:

Because these items have been blanched and domestically frozen, which takes more time than the commercial flash method, they take a few minutes less time to cook. Here are some general guidelines. Individual recipes follow.

  • Normally green beans need 15 min.to steam or boil. These should be checked at about 10 min. frozen, 8 min. thawed. Take about 5 min. off roasting time too.
  • It takes about 2 ears of corn for a single serving as a side dish and that’s a lot to freeze. If you have room for this-fine, but if not use this corn to add to casseroles, salads, side combos or even salsa. Done this way it will stand up to cooking in a dish or just being tossed in a salad.*
  • The peaches quickly lose their juice when thawed and are best used directly from the freezer. Remember they have a thin coating of sugar and adjust other ingredients accordingly

*I come from a state famous for its white table corn. My Mother-in-Law was a master at freezing it. She taught me the tube pan trick and her winter dinners occasionally featured sides of buttered corn. She froze it in 1 cup bags which she considered a single portion or the amount usually required for adding to 4 portion dishes. She stored the bags in large plastic containers in the freezer. If you’re a corn lover and have access to a lot of it, plus the freezer space, this is the way to go.

Now on to specific freezing tips:

Beans:

Hand select the beans to be frozen, choosing the largest, firmest, straightest ones. This assures even freezing and makes the best presentation later. As stated above, they cook as directed for commercially frozen ones, only for a bit less time, depending on your appliances and can be used in the same ways. Always try to serve these whole; cut beans are too ordinary to be ‘special ‘.

Of course, the easiest and often most attractive way to serve green beans is simply to add toppings. Fresh herbs such as thyme, sage and rosemary are favorite toppings and mushrooms and Karmelized onions are popular add-ins too. Broiled portabellas, sliced, are wonderful, so are button caps first lightly broiled in butter with soy sauce added, then reheated, poured over the beans.

Corn:

Don’t try to freeze corn-on-the-cob. It isn’t that great commercially and even worse domestically. Make sure the ears are silk-free before you cut the kernels off because shreds of silk will mat when frozen and can ruin a dish.

As stated, the best use of the corn is as an addition to another dish, and, of course, that depends on the recipe for the dish. If it’s a cold salad or salsa, dip the bag with the corn into boiling water for about 3 min. then shock under cold. Otherwise just add to the recipe as directed. Using ‘fresh’ corn in salads is a wonderfully refreshing change in winter.

Peaches:

Keep the peaches in the boiling water only long enough to loosen the skin. The riper the peach the less time it takes. Hold the peach on a slotted spoon under cold water, until cool enough to handle; prick it with a paring knife and peel off the skin. Place the peaches on a waxed paper covered flat surface until all the fruit is peeled, then begin slicing each for freezing over the paper covered cookie sheet, making sure the slices don’t touch. Freeze, then lightly dust with powdered sugar as boxed.

When frozen, place the slices in a 4 inch square freezer box. Supermarkets sell these in 3-packs. Place the slices, without touching, in layers and separate the layers with a long strip of waxed paper woven accordion style between layers. Peaches are best used frozen and thawed in a dish’s preparation. Remember in using them that they are lightly sugared and adjust the recipe.

Frozen this way peaches consume more room than packaged in bags, so, unless you have a lot of space, they’re best reserved for accessory dishes like salsas and sauces. If you plan a dish using a quantity of them, like a pie, for a winter event, make it, then freeze it in a metal pan, and bake it frozen, just add about 15 min. to the oven time.

Don’t forget the thawed peach slices can be used by themselves scattered over ice cream, meats, in salads, mixed with winter fruits in compotes and other ways, even over cereal to brighten a dreary winter morning.

Zucchini:

At summer’s end we’re often so focused on the luscious stone fruits, peaches, plums, etc., the big, ripe tomatoes and the sweet yellow corn that we tend to take another currently plentiful produce item for granted– zucchini, which may be the most versatile ‘vegetable’ of all. (Zucchini is actually a fruit, specifically a berry.) It has an interesting history too.

Zucchini is not Italian, but like all squash, native to the Americas. It was brought to Europe centuries ago along with its cousin the yellow squash. Together they were called ‘summer squash’; a name still used for the yellow ones. The Northern Italians, especially the Milanese and Tuscans developed the green squash into the product as we now know it, as well as a golden version, and gave it its present name, which is generally universal, though in England it’s called a ‘Marrow’ and in France a ‘Courgette’. These squash returned to the U.S. in the late 19thcentury but remained relatively unnoticed until after WWW II.

Zucchini is very prolific and there’s often a surplus at the end of the season, even for back-yard gardeners. One partial solution, I’m told, is to eat the flowers before they mature. These are delicious prepared stuffed or fried in recipes readily available especially on the web, but usually there is still over abundance at this time of year.

Due to high water content, zucchini doesn’t freeze well, except by commercial flash-freezing. Whole, it deflates when thawed and slices clump. So how does one avoid wasting the extra? I’ve had some success for short periods, freezing thick slices on a cookie sheet before bagging them or freezing it in a sauced dish like ratatouille. However, one of the best ways to preserve zucchini is to accept the fact that it’s going to change texture, become limp and combine it, with other ingredients, into a ‘base’, which will keep for several months, for future dishes. Food Tips and Cooking Tricks by David Joachim has an excellent recipe for such a base and ideas on how to use it but, of course, once made, you can use it as you please.

Two other summer produce items which I prepare and set aside for winter are watermelon and mint. However, since I don’t freeze either of them, I’m not including them in my ‘Tip’ list this week. I am including them, with full directions in preparing them, in next week’s post when I discuss and list recipes examples for the presentations of these foods.

Watermelon:

Although I don’t freeze watermelon, I do pickle the rind, so I’m including it in my list of things I preserve to remind me of summer during cold winter days.

Mint:

I also preserve mint by pickling, in a sense. I make it into a ‘sauce’ or ‘dressing’ to be used as a flavoring or condiment.

Join me next week to get wonderful recipe suggestions for ways to enjoy these ‘gifts of summer’ all winter.

 

 

 

 

 

Aug 2

LILLY LIKES TO COOK—BOOK SERIES FIGHTS SUMMER BLAAS FOR KIDS 8-14 (GET THE FIRST FREE AND SEE)

Kids start anticipating summer before the buds open and zoom into activity the second the school doors close. Things change, though, along about August; programs end or become routine and a bit of boredom sets in.

One year, when my daughter was in grade school, our swim club teams’ regional meets ended in July and empty Saturdays loomed ahead. The first one, I was baking a cake and found I had an audience, four boys and two girls begging to help. During the week, I was casually asked if I’d be baking again on Saturday, and ‘my crew’ showed up as if summoned that morning. So began, always seemingly impromptu, ‘Cake Saturdays’. Flavor was never discussed but the pan options were vital, bunt, sheet, tube or layers and the choice of shape was a major topic in judging the finished product, which disappeared magically after the verdict.

The experience taught me a lot about dealing with bored children. The casual and spontaneous plan is often better than the elaborate and expensive one. A distraction works best when it involves creating or perfecting something within a short time-frame, with a welcome reward at the end. Above all avoid repetition. Even if just baking cakes, make each a bit different to keep interest alive.

I also learned these tactics fostered bonding and enhanced friendships. The action and then the memory of having worked together to create something which gave a sense of mutual satisfaction to be shared and enjoyed, was incredibly unifying and enduring. And these ploys aren’t limited to the young. They work with people of all ages anywhere, anytime, even on vacations.

The ‘Cake Saturday’ diversion for boredom was a god-send and the increased bonding a bonus outcome, but over the years, I’ve had a lot more experience cooking with children and I‘ve come to understand that cooking is a natural project for both these purposes. It only requires equipment found in most homes. The time-frame is dictated by the choice of recipe, usually only a couple hours at most. The rewards are immediate, known, eagerly anticipated and easily shared–no arguments over custody of the finished product. Plus learning some kitchen skills always comes in handy.

A few years ago, actually two years in a row, a neighbor’s children asked my help with their Mother’s Day plans. I’ve detailed the episodes in No Stress Recipes for Mother’s Day and Can I help?. Working with those children reminded me of how fun and rewarding it is to watch kids interest and confidence grow as they realize there were tasks they can do and more difficult ones they could master. Seeing their pride and pleasure at the prepared dish is priceless.

Although there’s room for assistance in most recipes, choosing one to share with a child narrows the field and depends, above all, on the age and abilities of the child in question. It should be something liked, difficult enough to be interesting, but simple enough to fit in a limited time-frame. Desserts are popular choices because they fit these requirements, but also because they’re not pivotal to a menu. If the dish is a flop, it can be remade or replaced but, most importantly, desserts can be easily shared, giving a child the opportunity to show off a bit and receive praise.

However, children aren’t long satisfied with just desserts, especially if it’s an ongoing partnership. They will want to move on to more important menu items and adult pleasing dishes, which fit the requirements don’t always leap to mind.

My motives in writing the Lilly Likes to Cook series of books were first, my desire to help those coping with kids suffering from ‘the bored blas’ due to weather, minor illnesses, or empty schedules. Second, I wanted to share what I have found to be an excellent method of getting children to bond both with each other and with adults. Third, I hoped to ease things by offering a selection of tested recipes suitable for the purpose.

I’ve put the recipes into loosely woven story lines which give the books continuity as well as illustrating possible presentations or functions for the finished dishes, so the selection of recipe can fit the situation. They also break down the preparation tasks giving detailed directions, according to age and experience, without being too obvious. The books are digital, available on Kindle and this web site for far less than a cup of coffee.(Book 1 is free onsite-Prices are slightly higher on Kindle)

Lilly is a girl of 8, living in a suburban town with her parents, sister 13 and brother 10, but she could be in a city, on a farm, anywhere. I choose age 8 because 3rd grade is a break-out time. Schools introduce changing classrooms per subject and seasonal sports with regular teams. Social organizations like Scouts and 4-H are encouraged and hobbies are explored to discover special interests or talents.

I usually include Lilly’s sister in her undertakings which widens the age appeal. Her brother, though disinterested himself, has a best friend who is, which introduces a unisex attraction, so most bases are covered. I allow Lilly to develop cooking onto a hobby for the sake of creating a series and because that’s where my experience lies but the books are sold separately and the recipes can be selected according to specific need. They’re also sold in groups of 3, for kids who show an interest or adults who may need them more often.

Lilly first becomes interested in cooking watching her mother transform a cake disaster into a different, beautiful dessert. The creativity and the appearance intrigue her and she wants to make other pretty, tasty things. Then, gradually, she learns the dishes she cooks can serve other uses than filling her spare time. The things she makes can be used for gifts, rewards, fund raisers and more and the process can be shared with others forming friendships, helping out and simply brightening someone’s day. In short, a creative activity, whether it’s a time- filler or becomes a hobby, can teach a lot of life’s lessons.

Resume of the Lilly Likes to Cook books, recipes and utensils needed:

All quantities are in easily divided or multiplied amounts, including the meatball and sauce recipes which are stated as needed for a large event.

Book 1) Making a Cake for Molly:

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Lilly’s sister helps her make a cake for her doll’s birthday but it’s a disaster. Mother transforms the flop into a dessert which becomes a family ‘company’ favorite. Molded ice cream cake–Spoons only. Free on site

Book 2) Cookies for an Uncle Overseas:

Lilly makes cookies as a treat for an uncle in the military. Chocolate-Coconut Macaroons— Spoons, can opener, brief microwaving and baking $1.99

Book 3) Lilly Makes Meringues:

Lilly helps her sister make meringues from their mother’s recipe as an assignment for geography. Spoons, beaters, baking $1.99

Book 4) The Meatball Booth:

Mother is in charge of the booth at the School Fair and needs all the help she can get to prepare the meatballs. To Lilly’s surprise friend of her brother’s offers to help. Knives, spoons, processer and baking $1.99

Book 5) The Luncheon:

Lilly’s mother is busy at work, so Lilly offers to have luncheon ready, with her sister’s help, when their grandmother arrives. Tuscan Tuna-Bean Salad–Can opener and spoons $1.99

Book 6) Dinner for Two:

Lilly’s sister wants permission to begin babysitting. The girls are thrilled when their parents agree to allow them to make dinner and stay alone for an evening. Hot Dog Potato-Vegetable Hot Pot–Spoons, optional knife, baking $1.99

Book 7) Kabobs Are Fun and Easy:

Lilly’s parents are throwing a big cook-out for visiting relatives and everyone pitches in to help prepare Shrimp and Beef Vegetable Kabobs for the grill. Knives, skewers $2.99

Book 8) Girl Scouts Get a Zebra Cake:

Lilly makes a cake ahead, as a reward for her troop members after a day working on crafts to sell at the Town Fair for Charity. Craft directions included. Cake-butter knives; Craft-scissors, pins, rulers and chalk $3.99

Book 9)* Brian’s Birthday:

Lilly helps prepare her brother’s birthday dinner for Brian and his soccer team mates. Slow cooker pulled pork heros plus a variation on the recipe in Book 1.-Spoons, forks, knife,
* To be available soon

 

Jul 5

Can I help?

YES-If you’re old enough to ask the question. One of the nicest things about cooking is its adaptability to becoming a unifying group activity. When restaurant kitchen staffs are interviewed, the word ‘family’ pops up frequently in describing their work environment. So imagine what it can do to improve bonding in an actual family.

The modified recipes in Can I help? were originally devised to ease stress for those who cook with children in the kitchen, either on a regular basis or for special occasions, to include safe work for little hands. Then the book proved to be able to do much more. It’s a good guide for the novice or the pinch-hitter, under stress to produce an adult-pleasing meal in a strange environment. Also, it can act as a training manual to learn some survival skills for anyone starting, or planning to start out on their own or illustrate ways to simplify your favorite recipes for easier access.

Any adult cooking with children around knows that a kitchen in meal-prep mode is full of sharp objects and hot surfaces. Children are naturally interested, because they love to see something being made, especially when it involves all six senses. An interested child is a curious child and trouble prone if not kept occupied, while a busy child is a safe one. There are many jobs for even young children in a kitchen; washing and drying vegetables, peeling fruit, stirring mixes, they LOVE to pound meat and chop nuts with a mallet or turn a flour sifter. Slightly older ones, with a hand protector, can use a mandolin or grater. Whether on a daily basis, or for special occasions, cooking food with a child creates a bond of sharing.

The novice and the pinch-hitter, no matter how experienced a cook, are both under pressure to produce a meal working in unfamiliar circumstances. There is often the additional stress of this action having been dictated by a specific need; a special event, like Mother’s Day, an absence or illness. These modified recipes make the task simpler, but help finding things, or ingredients is very welcome and forms special friendships.

Obviously, as a training manual, the simplified recipes in Can I help? are invaluable. They keep teens focused and prevent older newbies from feeling like they’ve been enrolled in cooking ‘kindergarten’. If nothing else, it’s an ego saver but these recipes do make the learning process easier, especially since they yield good results. It’s incentive to continue. For a teen, who has been helping in the kitchen since childhood, the recipes are like flight plans for solos. You could end up with a sous chef in the family, which is truly a welcome addition.

Actually, the family as a whole can benefit from this book and summer is a perfect time to begin the process. It’s a laid-back time of year, with the longer hours of daylight giving the evenings a relaxed feeling, lacking the intrusion of outside activities or pressure of homework. Dinner can be a little later, last a little longer and interacting with other family members given more time. Why not start a little earlier, say in the kitchen rather than at table? If everyone helps with meal preparation, it’s that much more time to spend together and the meal becomes a family accomplishment. It doesn’t have to be every night, once a week is a good start, and it can yield rewards the rest of the year too, if the family gets into the habit of pitching in. Simplified recipes can be a huge benefit in easing this process.

The recipes in Can I help? are divided into four groups, breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert. I’m including a couple of sample recipes from each group below to show how they can be both ‘company presentable’ and easy to make. With each category heading I’ll list a couple of others from that group as examples of the variety of options.

Breakfast:

Other recipes include Eggs Parmesan, Easy Home-Made Cinnamon Buns, Oven Pancake and Melon Boats

Yogurt with Bananas and Nuts:

Serves 4
3 large, ripe bananas
16 oz. Greek yogurt
4 Tbs. toasted chopped nuts, walnuts, almonds or hazelnuts
Peel the bananas and wrap separately in plastic wrap. Microwave 1 min. on high. Cool, unwrap and mash. Gently mix with the yogurt and spoon into 4 dessert dishes. Chill briefly to cool and sprinkle nuts equally over the tops as garnish.

Eggs Florentine:

Serves 4
(1) 10 oz. box frozen chopped spinach
4 eggs
1tsp. salt OR 1 envelope bouillon powder-beef or chicken
Pinch nutmeg
Grated Parmesan cheese
Thaw and drain the spinach in a sieve until it is moist but not wet. Mix in the bouillon or salt and nutmeg then divide it between 4 greased custard cups or ramekins. Top with a raw egg and sprinkle with cheese. Place cups in a pan with ½ inch water and bake at 350 deg. 15 min. or until eggs are set.

Lunch:

Some other options are Strata Burgers, Monte Cristo Sandwiches, Classic Quiche, and Gazpacho-Pasta Salad

Tuna and Bean Salad:

Serves 4
6 oz. can solid white tuna in water- drained
16 oz. can cannellini or other white beans-rinsed and drained
2 plum tomatoes diced
2 tsp. dried basil
Ground black pepper
Salt to taste
1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. powdered garlic
1 Tbs. oil
2 Tbs. Dijon or spicy mustard
Mix the last 5 ingredients well and set aside to let the flavors form a dressing. Gently toss the first 6 ingredients. then add the dressing. Allow the whole to chill for 30 min. at least to meld flavors. Serve on lettuce lined plates garnished with a sprinkle of basil.

Turkey Mousse:

Serves 4
1 ½ cups chicken or turkey stock
1 envelope Knox unflavored gelatin
1 ½ cups minced cooked chicken or turkey – Deli, canned or leftover
¼ cup mayonnaise** See options at bottom
1 small onion minced
1 stalk celery minced
½ tsp. curry powder
1tsp. celery seeds
¾ cup heavy cream whipped ** See options at bottom
Soak gelatin in a microwave safe cup with ½ cup of stock until softened and risen. Microwave for30 sec. or until dissolved. Mix in all remaining ingredients except cream and chill until beginning to set. Fold in whipped cream and spoon into a lightly oiled 1 qt. mold. Cover and chill overnight. Unmold and serve on a lettuce lined plate.
** Cream can be replaced with yogurt. Use 1 ½ cups plain Greek yogurt and increase mayonnaise to ½ cup.

Dinner:

Among the other choices are My Beef Kabobs, Chicken with Cherries, Pork (or Turkey) Loin with Apricot Glaze and Salad Nicoise. These recipes point out specific tasks for children.

Chicken with Mustard and Honey:
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Serves 4-easy to divide and/or multiply
NOTE: The seasoning ingredients are placed under the skin to help them infuse the meat. This can be done by children and they can count the cooking time.
4 large chicken thighs
4 tsp. honey
4 tsp. Dijon or grained mustard
¼ tsp. ground black pepper—optional
Garlic Powder NOT garlic salt
Mix the honey, mustard and pepper, if using. Lift the skin on the chicken and place 2 tsp. of the mixture on the meat sprinkle with garlic. Place the pieces slightly separated in a roasting pan. With ½ inch of water or broth in the bottom. Bake in a preheated 350 deg. oven for 30- 40 min. or until juices run clear when pricked with a knife point.
A pan sauce can be made by adding a bit of apple juice, cider or broth to the pan drippings to deglaze.

Double Punch Lasagna Roll-Ups:

Serves 4
Save for the actual cooking, children can do most of the work in preparing this dish.
If you need to plan ahead for an oven-ready dinner, this casserole keeps wonderfully well for 2 or 3 days in the refrigerator, and makes a good party dish, but the stuffed noodles have to be served as separate entities. Don’t randomly cut into the dish.
1 lb. ground turkey (Frozen rolls ex. Jenny-O, work well here. The finer ground seems to compact more easily for stuffing. Be sure to thaw before cooking.)
1 medium onion chopped
(1) 4oz. can mushrooms-stems and pieces – drained
2 tsp. chopped garlic
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. dried basil
¾ cup ricotta cheese
1 Tbs. oil
4 Lasagna noodles broken in half (or cut after boiling)
(2) 8oz. cans tomato sauce
7 oz. canned diced tomatoes = ½ a 14 oz. can- drained and juice reserved
2 ½ cups milk
5 Tbs. flour
5 Tbs. butter
4 oz. Monterey Jack cheese in small cubes ( peppers optional)
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
Salt to taste
Grated Parmesan cheese and paprika to garnish
Cook noodles in boiling water until very tender @ 10 min. Drain and keep in cool water so they don’t dry out. In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat and sauté onion until soft @ 3 min. Add mushrooms for 2 min. then add garlic for one minute, then turkey, separating it between the fingers as it goes into the pan, and 1 teaspoon each of the oregano and basil. Cook, stirring, to keep meat separated until it browns @ 5 min. If mixture begins to seem dry or stick to the pan, add a bit of the reserved tomato juice. Stir in ricotta and remove from heat.
Lightly coat a casserole about 9x9x3, with cooking spray. Spread tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and second teaspoons of oregano and basil, in the bottom. Lay out the noodles, and put an equal portion of the meat mixture on each. Roll the noodle around the stuffing, until the ends meet, and carefully lay each, seam side down in the prepared casserole.
In a saucepan, over high heat, melt the butter until it foams. Remove from the heat and stir in the flour to make a smooth paste. This is called a Roux. Add the milk, and stirring constantly to incorporate the roux, return the pan to the stove over medium heat. Continue stirring until sauce thickens, never allowing it to boil (lift the pan for a moment if it starts to) @ 3 min.
When it has thickened, stir in the Jack cheese until it melts, add the nutmeg and salt. White Sauce often does need salt (see Sauces and Gravies Link) Pour this sauce over the noodles, dust with grated parmesan cheese and paprika to garnish. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake until sauce bubbles and slightly browns about 30 min.

Dessert:

Here there are three recipes to show the variety. Some other choices in the book are Fruit Pizza, Chocolate No-Cook Bars, Cherry Cobbler and Chocolate Raspberry Cake

Easy Berry Angel Cake # 2


1 purchased pound cake
8 oz. tub of Whipped Topping
1pt. box of strawberries
Save several nice berries for decoration. Slice the rest and sprinkle with sugar. Allow to rest a few hours for the juice to extract itself. Just before serving, cut the cake into 3 layers. Spread first with 1/3rd of the whipped topping, spoon ½ the sliced berries over it allowing the juice to drip down the sides. Repeat with 2nd layer. Finish with 3rd layer topped with the rest of the whipped topping and the reserved decorative berries.

Dump Cake


2 cans fruit pie filling
1 box yellow cake mix
½ cup butter or margarine melted
1 tsp. ground cinnamon – optional
Spread the pie filling in the bottom of a 13 x 9 inch pan, mix with cinnamon if using. Cover with the dry cake mix and pour the butter over all. Do not stir. Bake in a preheated 350 deg. oven 30 min. until top is golden. Serve with ice cream or whipped topping.

Fruit Gelati:

Makes 1 quart
2 bananas
2 papayas
1 Orange grated to yield 1 Tbs. zest and 1 Tbs. juice reserved
1 lemon grated to yield 1 Tbs. zest and 1 Tbs. juice reserved
1lime grated to yield 1 Tbs. zest and 1 Tbs. juice reserved
½ cup sugar
1 quart milk
1 tsp. vanilla
Blend or process all ingredients until blended. Pour into a shallow pan and freeze overnight. Process again until smooth, pour into a bowl and freeze overnight again. Scoop as ice cream to serve.
Variation: Substitute 1 ripe pineapple diced and 4 peeled and diced kiwi for the other fruit.

Jun 21

STOCKING A VACATION KITCHEN -3 DAYS TO 3 MONTHS

School’s out and for many people it’s time to pack the mules and prepare to hit the trail for some relaxed away from home time. Last week I read an article in a popular cooking magazine with a list of needs to pack to stock a vacation kitchen and I kept hearing my husband’s laughter in my head. Among those named were a large, cast iron fry pan, two cookie sheets, only 5 spices, a juicer, but no measuring cup or spoons, coffee maker or pots. Moreover, several of the listed items are cumbersome, heavy and not for daily use.

Vacation kitchens are usually small. Anything not essential, hard to store and difficult to move quickly is best left at home. Anything that can be replaced by a disposable item from a local store should stay at home and anything hinting at major culinary effort should stay at home. You’re on vacation too.

However, vacationing in a destination with kitchen facilities, be it for a long weekend in a motel efficiency unit or an extended period in larger digs, is often more stressful on the person responsible for the meals than staying home. Not only must they get acquainted with the on-site equipment but making the time to shop and cook shouldn’t intrude on planned activities. Whether for 5 days or 3 months, it can be a daunting task requiring prior planning.

I learned this lesson the hard way. The first summer I was married, we rented a cottage at the seashore near my in-laws’ vacation homes. My 10 yr. old step-daughter and I were to spend July-August, with my husband joining us on weekends and for the first and last weeks. Though I grew up in a shore resort town, and had had my own city apartment, this was my first vacation rental, and my first time packing for a family. I thought I covered everything, clothes, equipment, toiletries and towels, even toilet paper but the first morning we woke up with NOTHING to eat or drink! Needless to say, we spent it introducing me to the local supermarket and other ‘survival’ important local sites.

This was where I made my second mistake, though not so glaring as the first. Stressed, ‘winging it’ without a definite plan or list, I over bought staples and made impulsive purchases. I should have paused to think more often. I had the situation under control within a week, but was still left with a surplus of products to use or lug home and this wasn’t just packaged food, but wraps, bags, paper, soaps, everything to do with a kitchen.

The next year we opted for only 1 month and I was in the midst of packing a small trunk with kitchen staples when I had another revelation. I was looking at this project through the wrong lens. I wasn’t ‘stocking up’ for an extended period; it was 1 month = 4 weeks, with a supermarket at hand in case I miscalculated. We didn’t use 4 lbs. sugar a month in winter even with possible baking. At the shore, sugar was really only for beverages. The same was true of flour; especially since only two of us were there 4 days a week. I don’t fry much, if ever and I might make a rustica or two (free form pie using 1 cup) but that was all. We only needed to take the amounts of supplies that we would normally use. So I filled quart jars from my open supplies, and put the new packages in the home pantry.

After that the other supplies fell into line. I found 6-compartment plastic spice/herb carousels in a dollar store. I filled 2 of them with my favorites and figured if I ran out, I’d buy more, but I never did. I had worried about taking care of my husband, whose involvement in kitchens began and ended with the dinner table, but then I realized that he was only ‘batching it’ a total of 12 days and of those he had regular plans for 2 days a week while I was gone. So I made him 4 lasagna and 4 chicken in cream sauce, over rice dinners, and planned to send him home with weekend leftovers. That more than covered his wellbeing because he really only needed 6 dinners. It was all a matter of seeing things in the right perspective.

I bought the smaller, lighter household items, wraps, bags, sponges and added them to the trunk, but the larger ones, detergents, a boom, pail, mop etc. I got on vacation in one stop. Also in the trunk, just so history didn’t repeat were coffee, dry creamer, tea, a box of cereal, a can of pineapple rings and 2 boxes of honey buns as well as the utensils I had learned I’d need. A full list of these follows.

The first morning that year was very different. We had breakfast! My husband went golfing while Kara and I headed to the Farmers’ Market, which she loved. We bought fruits and produce and from the adjacent dairy we got bacon, sausage, cheese plus local milk, cream, eggs, and butter. The next stop was a prominent marina restaurant with a fish market and artesian bakery. I bought fish, and crab cakes for the next night, lemons, vinaigrette, Cole slaw and a couple of loaves of bread.

By noon, a cold vegetable dish and salad were ready for dinner, the fish chilling and fruit was marinating for dessert. We had fresh BLTs for lunch, and I was ready to enjoy a free afternoon knowing I was set for days as far as meals were concerned. In fact, I don’t think I even went to the supermarket more than twice that whole month, and only food shopped once a week. So I guess I can say that long before I thought of becoming a personal chef, I had discovered from vacation rentals the advantages of planning in advance and shopping once a week. It gives you so much more time!!

None of this would have been possible without my being willing to take time before leaving for vacation, to calculate exactly what I would need and in the proper amounts, or at least in approximation, as with the flour and sugar. Each year I noted what ran out, what was in surplus, what meals were popular and what weren’t. It let me shorten the preparation time and expense, as well as eliminate stress in creating the menus.

As the years passed, so did the long rentals to be replaced by more exotic trips and short get-aways, but the rule of basic food supplies and utensils to include remains solid. Of course the prime one is in any DIY situation, plan a breakfast for the first day! It does set a tone. Nothing fancy, a jar of instant coffee, plain envelopes of tea bags and sugar packets, a jar or envelope of non-dairy creamer or dry milk, even a can of evaporated milk, dried fruit or a can of pineapple rings and a shelf-stable pastry such as honey buns will do and gets the motor running. Of course if only a short car trip is involved, a bag or container of fresh fruit is an option.

The other staple items, in quantity for a long stay or simply replacement ingredients for a short one, should be determined by individual need and use. The one I NEVER skimp on is salt. It’s the best extinguisher for a grease fire. In any rental situation, one place that may not have been totally cleaned is the oven, and who knows what a previous tenant cooked? Salt also inhibits mold and in a pinch can clean a greasy sink and drain.

Actually, I found the short stays harder than the longer ones, especially with children. Efficiency kitchens in motel or hotel units are tiny with no storage space for food or cleaning supplies. Daily marketing was a must, and there was no room to prepare for contingencies like rain. To cope, I put a box in the trunk of the car holding a pot, paper plates, hot and cold cups, plastic utensils, knives, and a plastic cutting board—the bare essentials– so I could always heat soup or boil an egg. Of course, choice of utensils is determined by the length of the stay.

For electrical appliances: Rule one is- never take anything valuable or irreplaceable. Coffee lovers can learn to accept old-fashioned percolator or for short term, instant. The only other things I found I really needed for a long stay were a hand beater and a mini-chopper. Before packing any electrical appliances, check the type of current at your destination. I always ask the rental agent what is included and if the major appliances are electric or gas.

Electrical appliances:

These choices are optional and determined by your personal cooking habits.

  • Hand beater– Don’t forget these can be used with one head or two
  • Mini chopper-.These are also great to puree small amounts for dips or toppings or to whip up baby food
  • Coffee maker– Obvious choice
  • Toaster oven-Very useful for small meals and sandwiches, but check on available counter space first
  • Small microwave- Actually an either/or with the above. Again check on space. If chosen, make oven toast, don’t pack a toaster too.
  • Blender- an option to the chopper, but the better choice if you’re into smoothies

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Note: A grill is always an asset. For longer stays, if there isn’t a grill, I bring a hibachi. If there is, I may still buy one once there, depending on the state of the grill. I’d rather start with a new hibachi than spend time cleaning a dirty grill.

Hand Held Utensils:

Several of these are handy for even the shortest of stays. The ones marked with * are easily found in dollar stores, if you don’t want to pack them.

  • Pot holders*- A necessity for any stay away from home. These are never provided in any rental kitchen and it can be hard handling hot coffee or warmed-up take-out with a bath towel.
  • Towels, both paper and dish*-A roll of paper ones can be used as napkins and are great for spills, but the micro-paper ones in 2 pack which are reusable and washable are good for dishes and can be tossed. Regular dish towels are plentiful in dollar stores.
  • Spoons-or at least 1-that stands heat.*-A few plastic ones are fine for a weekend, but metal ones, especially a regular and a slotted serving spoon are needed for longer.
  • Whisk, spatula, carving fork, tongs, salad set and other serving pieces*- Available in dollar stores and perhaps better to buy and leave favorites at home.
  • Measuring cup- A large 1 qt.one can replace a nest of small ones and double as a mixing bowl.
  • Measuring spoons*- Dollar store
  • Sieve*- Dollar store, unless you need a fine tea strainer, then bring one. Get one large enough to strain pasta, even if in 2 batches.
  • Manual can opener– Always a good companion as is an old-fashioned Church Key opener, so pack them
  • Knives– A short paring knife to be used for small jobs and for longer stays another with a blade long enough to trim meat, slice bread or fillet fish is needed. For an extended stay there should be a carving knife as well
  • Hand held knife sharpener-Because no knife is worthwhile if it can’t cut
  • Scissors-Not shears, but a pair with enough strength to do some kitchen work, yet pointed enough to be useful with mending.
  • Plastic chopping board-Protects counter tops and provides a clean surface for your food. Light and flat fits in the bottom of a suitcase.
  • Packets of plastic containers with lids*– found in supermarkets in 3paks- most can be microwaved. Often also in dollar stores.
  • Small pan with lid-able to boil a couple of eggs, make a sauce or heat a can of soup–when traveling with children a must. For longer stays,2 are needed-a 2 qt. and a saucepan
  • 2 Skillets- One large, one small, both non-stick
  • Pans for the oven*- Roasting, baking, cookie sheets are all available in disposable.
  • Corkscrew*- Obviously useful
  • Mixing bowls*- Plastic ones can be used as molds, but ceramic or glass ones are oven-proof
  • Table ‘linins’*- Dollar store available
  • Table settings*-Check what’s provided, and fill in from a dollar store.
  • Seasonings*- Dollar stores carry a surprising variety of herbs and spices
  • Cleaning supplies and wraps*- Definitely depend on a dollar store

No matter the cost or how well equipped the rental kitchen, chances are it will have none of the above items, yet all are useful in providing meals for a family. You don’t have to buy them all at once either. Wait until you need a utensil and then get it. You may be surprised at the quality too. I had 2 expensive corkscrews which broke soon after I got them. Disgusted, I bought one of the same type from The Dollar Tree. 8 years later, it’s still working.

It may seem like a long list, but remember we’re talking dollar stores here. Compared to the cost of the rental, the labor and the vacation time saved, buying them is a small investment. Many can be packed up, ready for the next year, or if you like your accommodations, you can offer to leave them. Our landlord was so pleased, he insisted we come back the next year and even arranged his rentals when we opted for just one month and all those items were there waiting for us.

For a more relaxed vacation, just follow these tips and listen to your better judgment. Above all take time to stop, evaluate and plan before you go. You’ll be glad you did!!

Aug 1

salad

Cool Meals For Hot Days

I always thought the coolest thing about learning to cook was being able to have whatever dish you want, when you want it and exactly how you like it. After all the hot weather this year, I’m realizing that the coolest thing, literally, is knowing how to make nutritious, appealing meals with as little cooking as possible!  When it’s too hot outside to fire up a grill, who wants to stand over a hot stove, or even eat  warm food?

The trick is to limit any actual cooking to tasks requiring little supervision, and combine as many of them as possible.  For example, if the week’s menu includes a chicken salad one day, a dish requiring hard-boiled eggs another and a pasta salad on a third, boil the meat and the eggs in the same pot, finish by using the hot water to cook the pasta.  Then simply refrigerate them until needed. That’s the basis of 3 meals in less than 1hr. and no further cooking needed. Even vegetables can be added with other items and kept chilled for later use, though I prefer frozen ones or to blanch fresh for, say Pasta Primavera, done in a microwave

The microwave is a great alternative to the stove for many things, especially in hot weather, but although it reheats meat well, it tends to toughen it cooked from raw. Another option, when a heat wave is forecast, is to prepare a turkey breast and/or a ham to have chilled, ready to cut for different recipes.  To see more salad recipes, check the slider on our Home Page and consult the Archives.

Whichever way you choose to greet the heat, the following dishes will make it more comfortable, even enjoyable. All need only  good artesian bread, so stop at the market bakery and load up or to insure freshness, check my recent post on breads, though it will put you in the kitchen longer.

A few tips on cooking the ingredients for these salads ahead:

  • Boil chicken with bone in. Boneless chicken meat tends to curl unattractively. Rule of thumb, a thigh per serving but 2 large split breasts can do 3 with other ingredients.
  • Boiled eggs are easier to peel fresh from the pan. Run under cold water, crack shell all over with a spoon and peel. Store refrigerated in water in a covered container. They keep for several days, so cook a batch at once.
  • Italians swear by cooking pasta in stock. When the chicken is finished, scoop it out and use the water for pasta.  Drained and drizzled with a bit of oil, pasta will keep, salad ready, for several days in the fridge.

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Shrimp Louis: Serves 4
1 ½ lb. head Romaine lettuce-torn In bite sized pieces
4 hardboiled eggs-quartered
@ 1lb. cooked shrimp with tails—allow about 6-12 per serving depending on size
Dressing
½ cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sour cream
Pinch mace or nutmeg
Ketchup
Stir the above well in a cup and add Ketchup to equal 1 cup
Toss the romaine in a bowl with 2/3 cup of dressing. Divide among plates and arrange the shrimp over the top. Drizzle with remaining dressing and decorate each plate with 1 quartered egg.

Poached Salmon with Dill Sauce: Per serving
1 Salmon fillet or steak
2 Tbs. mayonnaise
2 Tbs. sour cream
½  tsp. dried dill weed
½ cup frozen cut green beans
1 medium tomato –roughly chopped
Garlic powder, salt and pepper
1 Tbs.oil

½ tsp. dried basil

Fill a pan 1/3rd  with water, add beans. Bring to a boil add salmon and poach 5-8 min. at a simmer. Turn off heat. Remove fish, run under cold water and remove skin and bones, if needed. Place on a plate, covered with plastic wrap and chill. Drain beans and run under cold water. Mix beans with tomato, oil, basil, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste then chill. Mix mayo and sour cream with  dill and chill, serve on top of salmon with tomato-bean salad on the side.

Tuscan Bean Salad; Serves 2—For more, simply double (leftovers make good brown bags)
(1) 6 oz. can of tuna- drained-solid or chunk white preferred—oil or water optional
(1) 15 oz. can cannellini beans – or navy or Great Northern white beans – drained
2 Tbs. salad or canola oil
1Tbs. balsamic or red wine vinegar
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. lemon juice
¼ cup fresh basil leaves-chopped or 1 tsp. dried
Oregano-to taste- optional
Whisk the last 6 ingredients in a bowl. Stir in the beans and tuna. Allow to sand a few minutes for the flavors to meld, or refrigerate up to 8 hrs.

Excellent served on spinach leaves, and accompanied by tomato wedges or small whole grape tomatoes.

Tuna with Pasta – 4 Servings
½ lb. (1/2 box) tricolored corkscrew pasta
(1) 5 oz. can solid white tuna
½  cup sliced ripe olives
1 small green bell pepper julienned
2/3 cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes
4 sliced green onions
1 Tbs. capers – optional –minus heavy green tops
Lettuce or baby spinach leaves
Bottled dressing to taste-a vinaigrette, Italian, Greek  or Caesar Or make ½  the vinaigrette recipe under Pasta Primavera.

Put all the salad ingredients, except the pasta and lettuce, in a bowl and drizzle with 1 Tbs. lemon juice. Allow to marinate 5 min. Add cooked pasta and gently toss with dressing. Marinate chilled 8 hr. or overnight, tossing occasionally. Serve well chilled over lettuce or spinach leaves.

Sashimi Salad – 4 servings.
This is one of my few uses for Sashimi, or fish processed to imitate shellfish. There are several brands the most famous label is Louis Kemp.
1 lb. package of sashimi-imitation crab or lobster
1 small head iceberg lettuce, or 1 lb. Romaine
1 medium onion halved and in thin rings
2 cucumbers peeled and seeded, cut in chunks
Salt and pepper
2 Tbs. oil
Bottled Russian, Catalina or French dressing to taste – OR-
2/3 cup mayonnaise and 1/3 cup ketchup with a ½ tsp. ground mace-optionally use nutmeg
Toss the lettuce, onion, cucumber, and sashimi in a bowl with the oil. Pour over the bottled dressing to taste, or the home made Russian dressing. Serve chilled.

Garden Chef’s Salad – 4 dinner servings
6 cups iceberg or romaine lettuce torn
1 small cucumber, peeled, in thin slice
1 medium red onion in thin slices
2 medium tomatoes in large chunks
1 carrot sliced thin
6 radishes, without tops, sliced thin
1 large stalk celery -diced
1/3 cup each, cooked ham, chicken and cheese, either Swiss or cheddar, in 1 inch sliced pieces
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
¼ tsp. sugar
Salt and pepper to taste+ 1 tsp. sugar
¼ cup olive oil
1 Tbs. cider vinegar
Juice of ½ a lemon
½ tsp. garlic powder

Parmesan cheese -optional rather than including cheese in the salad.
Place all the vegetables, except the lettuce, in a bowl. Toss with oil vinegar, dried herbs, salt pepper, and sugar. Cover with lettuce and top with lemon juice and garlic powder. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator for 30 min. Toss well, then add meat and cheese to gently incorporate, and more oil if needed. Optionally garnish with grated Parmesan if using.

Bean Sprout with Beef– 4 servings
2 cups bean sprouts
1 cup pea pods or snow peas- cooked to crisp-tender and sliced on the diagonal
2 cups peeled cucumber cut into matchsticks
½ cup sliced radishes
4 green onions sliced
6 cups torn romaine lettuce leaves
8 oz. sliced roast beef or steak—leftover or Deli
Dressing:
¼ cup soy sauce
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. sesame oil
2 Tbs. rice vinegar or white vinegar
1 ½ minced pickled ginger or 1 tsp. minced candied ginger
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 Tbs. toasted sesame seeds—as garnish
In a blender or jar, thoroughly combine all the dressing ingredients. Line the plates with the lettuce, then divide the bean sprouts equally on top. Arrange the vegetables in equal amounts on top of the sprouts and drizzle the dressing  equally over them. Lay the curled beef slices on top and garnish with the sesame seeds.  .

Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad:  4 Servings
This is one of my very favorite dinner salads. Can be served in a bowl or plated individually.
1 ½  cups cooked chicken meat in bite sized pieces—leftover turkey or duck can be substituted.
6 cups romaine or iceberg lettuce
½ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup chopped walnuts-toasted is best
½ cup crumbled feta cheese—blue can also be used
@ 1/3 cup bottled raspberry and nut –walnut or pecan – dressing
Salt and pepper to taste
Place the lettuce in a bowl, or on a plate, then add, in order, the cranberries, chicken, nuts, salt and pepper, dressing and last the cheese, which doubles as a garnish. Don’t toss—present layered. Then toss.

Chicken and Fresh Fruit Salad: Serves 4
2 cups cubed meat or 4 thighs, breasts or mixed —see above for cooking tips
½  lb. seedless grapes, halved—I like red for the color or pitted cherry halves
½  cup thin celery slices
½ cup equal parts mayonnaise and sour cream
1 tsp. curry powder and 1 Tbs. chopped fresh herbs to taste. I prefer cilantro
Combine everything well. Chill and serve on a bed of lettuce. Garnish with fruit and herbs.

Both these chicken salads go well with green beans or asparagus, boiled to crisp tender, and drizzled with vinaigrette while warm, then chilled until ready to serve.

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