IN MEMORY OF BREAD- A GREAT, INFORMATIVE READ

My adult daughter, a fitness expert, had been talking to me about the problems with gluten in our diet. I would smile politely and hoped she'd go on to the next subject soon. When I saw Paul Graham's book, In Memory of Wheat, I thought of her and decided to read it.

To say it was enlightening would be an understatement. Paul Graham suffered from a severe form of gluten intolerance, celiac disease. He explains in detail why the wheat our ancestors ate is not the same we have available today. He had to make radical changes in his diet to experience a return to health.

As I read the symptoms of his disease, bloated upset stomach for no apparent reason after eating certain foods, diarrhea, and other symptoms,  I saw an uncanny resemblance to my symptoms of IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome).

The author stated there is a genetic link to the disease. I remembered my daughter is glucose intolerant and  gave up bread a couple of years ago. After she did, her chronic knee pain went away.

This is an excellent read if you or someone you know has the symptoms listed.
Paul's writing style is easy and fun to read. He should be a novelist. I was given a copy of this book by Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

Creamed Chicken in Puff Pastry Cups for a Perfect Tea Party

I had a few friends over recently. I had planned to serve chicken salad sandwiches. I got up that morning and glanced out the window. My Easter lilies were in full bloom. On a whim, I scrapped sandwhich plans and decided we were having a tea party!

I headed outside and cut a hand-full of lilies. Filling a beautiful, old English teapot, long-since missing the lid, with water and a touch of sugar, I tucked the lilies in them. I grabbed a small linen square cloth, not bothering to press it and set the vase in the center.



From the 2 cups of chicken left over from last night's supper, I added 1 cup of heavy cream in a skillet and let it reduce until thickened, about 5 minutes. Added salt and pepper to taste, then turned off the heat and added 1/2 cup of frozen English peas.

 

Once my friends arrived, I baked puff pastry cups per the package directions. It took about 15 minutes in a pre-heated oven. Then, I gently cup the tops off, filled the interior with the warm creamed mixture and set the top back on, slightly askew. Because the cups are rather small, I served two for each portion.



Adding a bright, green salad made our little party complete.

 

So simple, yet, so sweet. 







 

Food with Friends--The Art of Simple Gatherings-Review

A Pretty Cookbook- But not much substance.

I really wanted to like this cookbook. The full-color photographs and art work are lovely.

The premise of the book is simple, yet special gatherings, such as an impromptu picnic or an effortless brunch. It sounds great. Easy but memorable gatherings. Right?

I'm a pretty good cook and love to entertain, so it caught my attention. A photograph for one of Leela Cyd's recipes for 'Blooming Flower Salads'  was lovely so I studied it. It calls for 1 cup of organic, untreated petals from 1 rose, 3 chrysanthemums, 3 calendula flowers, 3 cosmos flowers and 6 nasturtium flowers.

I liked the idea, but where did you find organic, untreated flower petals? I went to the web and searched for 15-20 minutes looking for a source to buy them. I'm sure there are some out there, but I couldn't find them with a quick search.

Even though the author is from California, the recipes have a distinct Middle Eastern slant, such as socca cakes with labneh and fennel, purple cauliflower hummus and sweet tahini buns.

I like Middle Eastern food, but I can't make a connect with the recipes and the texts and decorating ideas. The cookbook is a bit of a miss. I was given a copy of the book by Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

Home Cooked, A Beautiful Cookbook, But Not Functional in My Southern Kitchen

I really wanted to love Home Cooked. It's a beautiful cookbook with personal stories of the author, Anya Fernald. The premise, to use fresh ingredients to produce robust dishes, fits my cooking esthetic perfectly.

The problem is the majority of the recipes are too foreign in concept to implement in my southern kitchen. Ones such as squid and beans, simple seared beef heart, grilled pork belly with anchovies and anchovies two ways.

There are some recipes I will try. Asado potatoes looks like a fun dish using russet potatoes sliced thinly, dotted with butter, salt and pepper and cooked in a hot oven in a cast-iron skillet until crispy. A blood orange salad and a few other recipes looked delightful.

It is a pleasant cookbook just to sit down and read. It transports me to other regions and ways of life. But, as a cookbook, it won't prove very useful.

I was given a copy of this book by Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

THE EASIEST, BEST GNOCCHI EVER! Step-by-step Instructions

         

I love gnocchi!

The Italian Barrel, an authentic Italian restaurant on the corner of Chartres and Barracks in New Orleans, makes these little pillows of heaven with a parmesan Romano cream sauce.

I've tried many times to make them. They are basically potatoes and flour, right? How hard could it be?

However, after many attempts, my success ratio was bleak. Once, they were wonderful. From there, it's been a downhill slide. The last ones I made burst into tiny pieces when I put them in boiling water.

 

I recently came across a marvelous cookbook, Tasting Rome, by Katie Parla and Kristina Gill. Their recipe was foolproof and didn't take long to make. Amazing!

Here's the recipe:

1 pound dry, floury potatoes (I used russets.)
Sea salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

For a great, simple sauce

1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan


Put the potatoes in cold, salted water and bring to a boil over med-high heat until fork-tender. Cool slightly and peel with a fork and knife (peelings slide off easily). Should still be steaming when you peel.

Pass through a ricer onto a floured surface.

 

Form the riced potatoes into a pile and make a well in the center.
Add flour, nutmeg and a pinch of salt. With your hands, work from the
edges to the center incorporating the ingredients into a dough.
 

Knead the dough just until incorporated. Allow to rest at room
temp about 30 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, form a fistful of dough into a log,
roughly 3/4" in diameter.

Using a knife, cut the log crosswise into 1/2" long pieces.
Repeat with remaining dough.

Bring a large pot of water to boil and add salt. Add the gnocchi
in batches.

Cook for an additional 20 seconds after it floats to the top.



This is a simple sauce that is amazing. Warm the heavy
whipping cream in a thick skillet. Grate the parmesan over it

and stir to dissolve. Add the gnocchi and gently stir.




Put the skillet under the broiler until the sauce bubbles and
browns lightly, about 2-3 minutes.

So delicious!!!

 

The recipe is from the cookbook, Tasting Rome, by Katie Parla and Kristina Gill. It is also a beautiful book with full-color pictures, suitable for a coffee-table. The recipes are do-able, yet authentic and delicious. I have a lot of cookbooks, but this is one of my favorites.
I was given a copy of this book by Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review. After reading it, it's a must-have.

CHICKEN CONFIT

You got it right. Chicken confit--not duck.

We were having our supper club over last week and I wanted to cook something a bit different. I thought of duck confit, which I adore, with it's crispy skin and melting tender meat. But it's hard to find duck leg quarters, and I was afraid some folks might not like duck anyway.

So, I came upon the idea of using the centuries old technique of confit with chicken.

 Why not, right?

It elevates the lowly leg quarters to a meal fit for, well, your best friends!

It's a very simple recipe. Even though it takes a couple of days to make, only about an hour is active cook time.

INGREDIENTS:

4 chicken leg quarters
2-3 cups duck fat or mixture of vegetable and olive oil
6 T salt
1 shallot-minced
6 garlic cloves-smashed
6 sprigs fresh thyme
Coarsely ground black pepper


Chicken Confit has crisp skin and
luscious meatthat melts in your mouth.



In a small bowl, mix the scallions,
garlic, fresh thyme and black pepper.
 

Rub the scallot/garlic mix into the
chicken, being careful to rub it under the skin.
Fit the chicken in a single layer into a gallon-size zip-lock.
Refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, wash the leg
quarters in cool water to remove the salt mixture.
 Place the leg quarters into an oven-safe dish and pour duck fat or
a mixture of duck fat and olive oil over the legs to completely cover them.
Bake uncovered in a 225 degree oven for 3-4 hours until a toothpick easily
pierces the skin and meat.

Remove from the oven and pour the fat off. Save it to season other dishes.

Heat a heavy skillet until very hot. Sear the leg quarters, skin side down until crispy.

 

SERVE AND ENJOY!

 

 

Meet our supper club. (We don't always segregate the men.) Our guests were:

Jane and Al Fandrich,

Terri and Allen Sayre,

 Janis and Bob Ducote,

Desi and Pat Cross

 Joyce and Warren Haun.

 

Baked Turkey and Swiss Sandwich

A friend shared this recipe with me and raved about it, so I gave it a try. But, instead of giving me a regular recipe with ingredients and an instruction list, she said, "Do this, then add that, then do this, etc."

I was a bit confused, so after I plowed my way through it, I decided to give you pictures to help.

 

This truly is the best baked sandwich I’ve ever eaten-buttery and rich, with hot melting cheese.

 

 

You'll love it!




  INGREDIENT LIST

     1 doz. soft dinner or slider rolls

     2 # deli sliced (shaved) turkey

     1# deli thin-sliced Swiss cheese

     1 stick butter, melted

     2T Worcestershire

    1 onion, thinly sliced.


 

 
Cut the tops off the soft rolls.
Line the bottoms in a 9" x 13" buttered pan.





Evenly spread the shaved turkey over the roll bottoms.
Then spread the cheese over the turkey.
Replace the top of the rolls over the mixture.


             


Thinly slice onion in small bowl. Add Worcestershire.



 . 

Wrap the pan tightly in saran wrap and then foil. Place another dish on top of the first pan and press down firmly. You want to compress the sandwiches. Unfortunately, I chose a clear Pyrex dish, so it doesn't show up well in the picture.  Refrigerate at least an hour and up to overnight. Bake at  375 degrees for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly.

 

Cut into 12 sandwiches. Serve hot or warm. ENJOY!