phractured photons

SNICKER DOODLES

2010-07-17T10:59:00.000-04:00

½ CUP MARGARINE
1 ½ CUPS SUGAR
½ CUP CRISCO OIL
2 EGGS

3 CUPS FLOUR
2 TSP. CREAM OF TARTAR
1 TSP. BAKING SODA
½ TSP. SALT

SUGAR & CINNAMON

CREAM MARGARINE AND ADD SUGAR, OIL, EGGS, MIXING AS YOU ADD EACH INGREDIENT.
ADD DRY INGREDIENTS AND MIX.
MAKE INTO SMALL BALLS AND ROLL IN CINNAMON & SUGAR.

BAKE 8 TO 10 MINUTES AT 400 DEGREES ON UNGREASED COOKIE SHEET

Apple and Corn Bread-Stuffed Pork Loin

2010-01-01T19:16:00.003-05:00

Our Christmas dinner (from Cooking Light). I add a can of pork gravy to the sauce.

The pork loin is stuffed with and baked atop apples. The apple wedges that the pork cooks over are discarded, but they contribute lots of flavor. The double-butterfly method used to flatten the pork for stuffing creates an attractive pinwheel pattern, evident when the pork is sliced.

Yield: 12 servings (serving size: about 5 ounces stuffed pork, and about 2 1/2 tablespoons sauce)
Ingredients

* Cooking spray
* 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
* 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
* 1 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided
* 1/2 cup diced peeled Granny Smith apple
* 1 1/2 cups corn bread stuffing mix (such as Pepperidge Farm)
* 1 1/3 cups apple juice or cider, divided
* 1 1/2 teaspoons dried rubbed sage, divided
* 1 large egg, lightly beaten
* 1 (4-pound) boneless center-cut pork loin roast, trimmed
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
* 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch wedges
* 2 teaspoons cornstarch
* 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450°.

Heat a nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; cover and cook 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add diced apple; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Place apple mixture in a large bowl, and cool slightly. Stir in the stuffing mix, 1/3 cup juice, 1/2 teaspoon sage, and egg; set aside.

Starting off-center, slice pork lengthwise, cutting to, but not through, other side. Open butterflied portions, laying pork flat. Turning knife blade parallel to surface of cutting board, slice larger portion of pork in half horizontally, cutting to, but not through, other side; open flat. Place plastic wrap over pork; pound to 1-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Spread stuffing over pork, leaving a 1/2-inch margin around outside edges. Roll up pork, jelly-roll fashion, starting with a long side. Secure at 2-inch intervals with twine. Combine 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon sage, and 1 teaspoon salt; rub over pork.

Arrange apple wedges in a single layer in bottom of a broiler pan coated with cooking spray; place pork on apples. Bake at 450° for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325° (do not remove the pork from oven). Bake an additional 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a thermometer registers 155°. Remove pork from pan; cover and let stand 10 minutes. Discard apple wedges.

Combine 1 cup juice, cornstarch, and broth in a small saucepan; stir with a whisk. Bring broth mixture to boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Cut pork into 1/2-inch- thick slices, and serve with sauce.

South Coast Portuguese Fish Chowder

2009-11-16T20:13:00.002-05:00

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, SO good and easy!
~~~~~~~~

Saute the following:
2 T. olive oil
2 bay leaves
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 med. onions, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1/2 t allspice

Add the following and simmer for 10 min:
2 lb diced potatoes
4 c. broth (I used chicken)

Add the following and simmer 5 more min:
2 c. canned tomatoes with juice
6 oz chopped chourico or andouille sausage (remove casing)
salt and pepper to taste

Add the following and simmer 5 min more:
2lb fish

Remove from heat and add:
10 sprigs cilantro, chopped

Let sit for 10 min and then garnish with Italian parsley.

Chicken Scaloppine with Sugar Snap Pea, Asparagus, and Lemon Salad

2009-08-21T17:47:00.001-04:00

From Cooking Light - So easy and fresh tasting.

Ingredients

* 3 cups julienne-cut trimmed sugar snap peas (about 1 pound)
* 2 cups (1-inch) slices asparagus (about 1 pound)
* 6 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
* 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* Cooking spray
* 1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
* 1/3 cup dry white wine
* 1 tablespoon butter
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
* 2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
* 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* 6 lemon wedges

Preparation

1. Steam peas and asparagus, covered, 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Rinse pea mixture with cold water; drain. Chill.

2. Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add 2 breast halves to pan; sauté 2 minutes on each side or until done. Repeat procedure twice with remaining chicken. Add broth and wine to pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in butter.

3. Combine remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, mint, oil, rind, and juice, stirring well with a whisk. Drizzle oil mixture over pea mixture; toss gently to coat. Serve pea mixture with chicken and sauce. Garnish with lemon wedges.

Oeufs en Cocotte avec Sauce au Cari

2009-08-11T21:20:00.007-04:00

I read both "My Life in France" by Julia Child and "Julie and Julia" by Julie Powell on my last plane trip. Read these books in that order--better than Iron Chef on the Food Network! Anyhow, after I flew into PWM, I ran to Borders to get these recipes and it was SOO worth it. I like adding chopped, fresh herbs to my "ouefs."

Oeufs en Cocotte

Per serving:

* 1/2 teaspoon butter
* 1 ramekin 2 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter and about 1 1/2 inches high
* 2 tablespoons whipping cream
* A pan containing 3/4 inch of simmering water
* 1 or 2 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter ramekin, saving a dot for later. Add 1 tablespoon of cream and set the ramekin in the simmering water over moderate heat. When the cream is hot, break 1 or 2 eggs. Pour in the remaining spoonful of cream over the egg and top with a dot of butter.

2. Place in middle level of preheated oven and bake for 7 to 10 minutes. The eggs are done when they are just set but still tremble slightly in the ramekins. They will set a little more when the ramekins are removed, so they should not be overcooked.

3. Season with salt and pepper and serve. The ramekins may remain in the hot water, out of the oven, for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. To prevent overcooking, remove eggs from oven when slightly underdone.

***

Sauce au Cari

You can half this for 4 servings of eggs and still have leftover. I warmed up leftover, thinly sliced steak in my remaining curry sauce.

* 1/2 cup finely minced white or yellow onions
* 4 tablespoons butter
* An 8-cup enameled saucepan
* 2 to 3 tablespoons curry powder
* 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 2 cups boiling milk
* 4 to 6 tablespoons whipping cream
* Salt and pepper
* Lemon juice
* 1 to 2 tablespoons softened butter

To use this sauce in Oeufs en Cocotte, substitute 2 tablespoons sauce for the whipping cream. Leftover sauce can be used atop chicken, vegetables, fish or lamb. (Or, as I did, put a dollop of the sauce on top of the eggs rather than substituting for the cream.)

1. Cook onions and butter on low heat for 10 minutes without allowing onions to color.

2. Stir in curry powder and cook slowly for 2 minutes. Add flour and stir over low heat for 3 minutes.

3. Off heat, blend in boiling milk. Return to heat and simmer slowly for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The stir in 4 to 6 tablespoons cream by tablespoons, until sauce has thinned to consistency you wish. Check seasoning, and add lemon juice to taste. Off heat, and just before using, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons butter and if using, parsley.

Source: "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck (Knopf, 1961)

Halibut Fish Tacos

2009-08-11T21:16:00.003-04:00

I kind of played with ingredients today so don't have exact measurements, but yummmmmmm.

Tempura Batter for halibut:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup ice cold beer
1 t Adobo seasoning
Emeril Essence
(let sit for 10 min)

Oil for frying halibut (cut into fish stick size) @ 350 degrees. After frying, lay fish on paper bag.

Salsa:
chopped jalapeno
diced fresh mango
chopped mint
juice of 1 lime
4 sliced scallions

Cole Slaw:
sour cream
mayo
rice vinegar
2 chipotle in adobo, chopped finely
slaw mix

Wrap all in warm flour tortillas

Dharma Bums

2009-07-04T13:48:00.004-04:00

I finally read this book. I found it at Goodwill while buying Mitchell's English books for next year. Great book. I had to go buy "Myths and Texts" by Snyder afterwards and dragged out my copy of "Poets on the Peaks: Gary Snyder, Philip Whalen & Jack Kerouac in the Cascades" by John Suiter.

One of the best and most popular of Kerouac's autobiographical novels, The Dharma Bums is based on experiences the writer had during the mid-1950s while living in California, after he'd become interested in Buddhism's spiritual mode of understanding. One of the book's main characters, Japhy Ryder, is based on the real poet Gary Snyder, who was a close friend and whose interest in Buddhism influenced Kerouac. This book is a must-read for any serious Kerouac fan. -- Amazon Review

Grilled Chicken Salad

2009-07-04T13:42:00.003-04:00

This is good, fast & easy - I served it on lettuce. Next time, I'd serve it on more greens as the salad is sweet. I grilled garlic naan (pita bread would work as well) to serve on the side.

Ingredients

* 1 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat Greek-style yogurt (such as Fage)
* 1 tablespoon canola oil
* 1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
* 3 garlic cloves, minced
* 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
* 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
* 4 bone-in chicken breast halves, skinned
* Cooking spray
* 1 cup seedless green grapes
* 1/2 cup chopped red onion
* 1/2 cup mango chutney
* 1/3 cup finely chopped celery
* 1/3 cup canola mayonnaise (such as Spectrum organic)
* 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preparation

1. Combine first 4 ingredients, stirring to combine. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Place yogurt mixture in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken to bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator for 2 hours, turning occasionally.

2. Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

3. Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade. Place chicken, breast side down, on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 10 minutes or until browned. Turn chicken over; grill 20 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the meaty part of breast registers 160°. Remove chicken from grill; let stand 10 minutes. Remove meat from bones; discard bones. Coarsely chop chicken and place in a medium bowl. Sprinkle chicken with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.

4. Add grapes and remaining ingredients to chicken mixture; toss gently to combine. Chill 30 minutes.

Asian Street Sandwiches

2009-07-04T13:34:00.003-04:00

MMMMMMMMMM! Guy Fieri's recipe from Family Circle, July 2009. I haven't tried his other recipes, but here they are.

* 3 tablespoons soy sauce
* 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
* 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
* 2 tablespoons garlic, crushed
* 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
* 1 teaspoon plus 2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce (such as Sriracha Thai hot sauce)
* 1 teaspoon sesame oil
* 1 pound pork roast, sliced on the bias into 12 thin pieces
* 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
* 1/4 cup mirin (Asian cooking wine)
* 1 tablespoon fresh mint, minced
* 1 medium cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced (about 1-1/4 cups)
* 1/2 cup mayonnaise
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 6 hero rolls, each 6 inches long, split
* 6 romaine lettuce leaves
* 1 cup cilantro leaves, stemmed and cleaned

Directions

1. In a medium-size bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, 1 tablespoon of the oyster sauce, the garlic, the ginger, 1 teaspoon of the chili garlic sauce and 1/2 teaspoon of the sesame oil. Add pork and toss to coat. Transfer to a resealable plastic bag, remove the air and let marinate in the refrigerator 4 to 4-1/2 hours.

2. Combine remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, the rice wine vinegar, mirin and mint; mix until sugar dissolves. Add cucumber and marinate for 10 to 15 minutes.

3. In a small bowl, blend mayonnaise with the remaining 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce and 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil. Let sit for 5 minutes.

4. In medium-size saute pan or on hot grill, cook meat to medium-rare, until it registers 145° on an instant-read thermometer, about 3 minutes. Transfer pork to a plate or platter.

5. Drizzle olive oil on rolls and brown lightly on grill or under broiler, about 2 minutes. Spread mayo onto each roll, dividing evenly. Place pork in roll, top with marinated cucumbers, lettuce and cilantro. Slice in half and serve.

Roasted Huevos Rancheros

2009-07-04T13:28:00.006-04:00

This was my breakfast yesterday --- kind of a "clean out the frig" type meal.

For the scramble:
cubed ham (cook in oil & butter before adding eggs)
6 eggs & milk or cream, scramble & season with "Slap Ya Mama"
shredded mozzarella and cheddar
roasted red peppers
chopped Kalamata olives

Serve on:
6 corn tortillas - fried crisp

Top each with a dollop of:
sour cream or Greek yogurt
fire roasted salsa

Egg Fu Yong

2009-03-08T16:20:00.001-04:00

6 eggs
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
¼ cup green onion (minced)
¼ cup bamboo shoots (minced)
4 water chestnuts (minced)
¼ cup slivered ham
1 teaspoon soy sauce
oil (for cooking)

Foo Yung Sauce -
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons vinegar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

New Year's Dumpling Delight

2008-12-24T08:58:00.007-05:00

These are a family favorite. With all of us putting them together, it doesn't take overly long and it is a fun time for family conversation. From "Cooking Light".

CHILIGARLIC
DIPPING SAUCE:
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons green onion, minced
1 hot red chile, minced

DUMPLINGS:
10 ounce ground pork
3 1/2 cups shredded Napa (Chinese) cabbage
1 1/4 cups thinly sliced leek (about 1 large)
3/4 cup minced green onion
1 cup thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps (about 3 ounces)
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon sake (rice wine) or sherry
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
40 won ton wrappers
2 large carrots, thinly sliced

Preparation
To prepare dipping sauce, combine first 7 ingredients. Cover and refrigerate. To prepare dumplings, combine pork and next 10 ingredients (pork through black pepper) in a large bowl.

Working with 1 won ton wrapper at a time (cover remaining wrappers with a damp towel to keep from drying), spoon about 2 teaspoons pork mixture into center of each wrapper. Moisten edges of wrapper with water; bring 2 opposite corners to center, pinching points to seal. Bring remaining 2 corners to center, pinching points to seal. Pinch 4 edges together to seal. Place dumplings, seam sides up, on carrot slices (cover loosely with a damp towel to keep them from drying). Arrange half of dumplings in a single layer in a bamboo or vegetable steamer. Steam dumplings, covered, for 10
minutes. Remove dumplings from steamer; place on a platter. Keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining dumplings. Serve with dipping sauce. Note: If you don't have a steamer, use a heat proof plate. Set it on top of a heatproof bowl placed in the bottom of a pot filled with 2 inches of water. Cover and steam.

The easiest bar cookies EVER!!!!

2008-12-01T14:33:00.013-05:00

These taste kind of like Almond Joy bars. I melted the butter in the glass baking pan and then sprinkled the crumbs over the top and it worked fine. No mixing bowl so one less dish to wash! This is what my version of the recipe said. Also, my recipe called for 1 cup of choc. chips not 2 c. and they were WAY sweet enough. Cut these bars into small pieces - they are rich. Vary the type of candy chips, nuts and cookie crumbs to change the taste.

Magic Bar Cookies

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted
1 (14-ounce) can EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated milk)
2 cups (12 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
1 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350°F (325°F for glass dish). In small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and butter; mix well. Press crumb mixture firmly on bottom of 13X9-inch baking pan. Pour EAGLE BRAND® evenly over crumb mixture. Layer evenly with remaining ingredients; press down firmly with fork. Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Cut into bars or diamonds. Store leftovers covered at room temperature.

Nilla Wafers Tiramisu Bowl

2008-11-14T12:31:00.003-05:00

Ingredients

* 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
* 3 cups cold milk
* 2 pkgs. 6 7/8 ounces Jello Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
* 8 ounces Cool Whip, divided
* 48 vanilla wafers
* 1/2 cup brewed coffee, cooled and divided
* 2 baking chocolate squares, grated
* 1 cup fresh raspberries

Directions

1.Beat cream cheese in large bowl with electric mixer until creamy.
2.Gradually beat in milk. Add dry pudding mixes and mix well.
3.Stir in 2 cups of the whipped topping.
4.Place 24 of the wafers in a 2 1/2 quart bowl, and drizzle with half of the coffee.
5.Top with half each of the pudding mixture and chocolate. Repeat all layers.
6.Top with remaining whipped topping and fruit.
7.Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

**To easily grate chocolate, microwave unopened squares, one at a time, on high for ten seconds. Grate with large holes of a cheese shredder.

from east to west - fall '08

2008-10-24T11:27:00.002-04:00

The fall '08 issue of from east to west: bicoastal verse (a free quarterly poetry journal) is packed full with 44 full color pages of featured poets, Patrick Carrington & Constance Pavliska, artists & photographers, Scott Davis, Constance Pavliska, Dave Wade & more, "time" poets, Brion Berkshire, Geraldine Cannon, Wendy Howe, Jim Knowles, Doug Knowlton, Ken Markee, Alice Persons, & Patricia Smith Ranzoni, and our "Best of the Net" nominations, Courtney Campbell, Laurel Dodge, Helmuth Filipowitsch, Gil Helmick, David Moreau, & Barton Smock.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin Salad

2008-10-24T11:21:00.004-04:00

I made this at one of Ronda's get togethers one year-- raspberries, pork, greens, raspberry vinaigrette & easy! yum... Nicole asked for the recipe. I'd posted it before so click here for the recipe.

Zesty Black Bean and Corn Salad

2008-10-24T11:07:00.003-04:00

LHS Potluck, Friday 10/24.

From Cooking Light:

6 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

* 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
* Cooking spray
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 2 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 4 large ears)
* 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
* 1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
* 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
* 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup halved grape tomatoes
* 1 cup diced red bell pepper
* 3/4 cup diced red onion
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
* 2 tablespoons minced seeded jalapeño pepper
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
* 1 (19-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Add corn; sauté 8 minutes or until browned. Remove from pan; cool completely.

Combine juice and next 4 ingredients (lime juice through salt), stirring with a whisk. Combine corn mixture, tomatoes, and remaining ingredients. Drizzle juice mixture over corn mixture, and toss gently to coat.

Beet-and-Lentil Salad on Cabbage Slaw

2008-07-15T11:30:00.001-04:00

From Cooking Light

Beets may seem wintry, but in fact they're likely to be freshest in summer. Look for golden beets or Chioggia beets (a variety with red and white concentric circles) to add cheery color to this salad. But red beets work fine, too.

Pickled onion:
3/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup red wine vinegar

Dressing:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/4 teaspoon prepared horseradish
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced

Salad:
2 pounds small golden, Chioggia, or red beets
1 cup dried green or brown lentils
1/4 cup finely diced carrot
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 bay leaf
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons capers
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Slaw:
7 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt
Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

To prepare pickled onion, combine onion and vinegar in a bowl. Let stand 30 minutes; drain.

To prepare dressing, combine oil and next 8 ingredients (oil through minced garlic), stirring with a whisk.

To prepare salad, leave root and 1 inch stem on beets; scrub with a brush. Place in a medium saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain; cool. Trim off beet roots; rub off skins. Cut beets into 1/2-inch cubes; place in a large bowl. Set aside. Place lentils, carrot, 2 garlic cloves, and bay leaf in a large saucepan; cover with water to 2 inches above lentils. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until tender. Drain well. Discard garlic cloves and bay leaf. Add lentil mixture, pickled onion, dressing, 1/3 cup parsley, capers, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper to beets. Set aside.

To prepare slaw, toss cabbage with red wine vinegar and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Divide slaw evenly among 4 plates; top with salad. Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 3/4 cups slaw and about 1 cup salad)

Sliders with Shallot-Dijon Relish

2008-07-06T22:03:00.001-04:00

From Cooking Light - I add cheese to the burgers.

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground sirloin
Cooking spray
3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons butter, softened
8 (1-ounce) Parker House rolls
16 dill pickle chips

1. Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

2. Combine 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, and sirloin. Divide meat mixture into 8 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/4-inch-thick patty. Lightly coat both sides of patties with cooking spray. Place patties on grill rack; grill for 3 minutes on each side or until done.

3. Combine shallots, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and butter in a small bowl, stirring well. Cut rolls in half horizontally. Spread shallot mixture evenly over cut sides of rolls. Layer 1 patty and 2 pickle chips on bottom half of each roll; top with top halves of rolls.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 slider)

Layered Tortellini Pesto Chicken Salad

2008-07-06T19:21:00.003-04:00

Cook 9 oz package of refrigerated cheese tortellini. Add a cup of peas during the last 4 minutes of cooking. Drain and rinse with cold water.

Layer:

5 cups torn romaine lettuce
1 1/2 c. matchstick carrots
2 c. cooked, cubed chicken
tortellini and peas mixture (see above)
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips

Dressing:

1/2 c. light mayo
1/2 c. basil pesto
1/4 c. buttermilk

Top with fresh, chopped parsley or basil leaves. This is also good without the chicken if you'd like a vegetarian salad.

Caribbean Shrimp Spread

2008-07-06T19:18:00.004-04:00

Mix: 1/2 t. Caribbean jerk seasoning or to taste into 8 oz whipped cream cheese.

Spread on plate and sprinkle with:

1/2 lb chopped shrimp
4 chopped green onions
2 T chopped red bell pepper
1/4 t. grated lime peel
2 T. shredded cheddar

Serve with crackers or crostini.

from east to west - summer '08

2008-06-20T21:12:00.004-04:00

In the summer '08 issue of "from east to west:bicoastal verse", enjoy featured poets Helm Filipowitsch & David Moreau, featured artists Don Schaeffer & Linda Sienkiewicz, and our "grafitti" poets and photographers James Lineberger, Jim Knowles, Pris Campbell, Jim Deuchars, Gil Helmick, Courtney Campbell, Linda Sienkiewicz, Ray Sweatman, Jacob Robinson and more.

Hot-and-Sour Beef and Rice Noodle Salad

2008-06-20T21:07:00.002-04:00

From Sunset. Better than Thai food from a restaurant...

Ingredients

1 beef flank steak (about 1 lb.)
8 ounces dried thin rice noodles
1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 cup Asian fish sauce (nuoc mam or nam pla) or soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar (2 tablespoons if using soy sauce)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 to 4 teaspoons minced fresh serrano chiles
2 quarts salad greens (5 oz.), rinsed and crisped
1 cup cherry tomatoes (8 oz.), rinsed, stemmed, and halved
1/2 cup thinly slivered red onion, rinsed
1/3 cup fresh mint leaves, rinsed
1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves, rinsed
Preparation
1. Rinse steak and pat dry. Lay on a grill 4 to 6 inches above a solid bed of hot coals or high heat on a gas grill (you can hold your hand at grill level only 2 to 3 seconds); close lid on gas grill. Cook steak, turning once, until browned on the outside but still pink in center of thickest part (cut to test), 9 to 12 minutes total. Transfer to a board and let rest at least 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, bring 2 1/2 to 3 quarts water to a boil; add noodles and stir occasionally until barely tender to bite, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water until cool, and drain again thoroughly.

3. In a small bowl, mix 1/2 cup (1/4 cup if substituting soy sauce for fish sauce) water, lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, and garlic. Add chiles to taste.

4. Thinly slice meat across the grain at a 45° angle, then cut the slices into 3- to 4-inch lengths. On each of four dinner plates, layer equal portions of salad greens, noodles, tomatoes, onion, mint, and cilantro.

5. Top salads with slices of beef. Spoon half the dressing over salads; serve remaining to add to taste.

Artichoke and Arugula Pizza with Prosciutto

2008-06-20T21:04:00.001-04:00

Cooking Light again! I LOVED this. Craig, the meat-eater, maybe thought it was a girly pizza??? The lemon and arugula on top was lovely...

Ingredients

Cooking spray
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 (13.8-ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough
2 tablespoons commercial pesto
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 (9-ounce) package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and drained
1 ounce thinly sliced prosciutto
2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups arugula leaves
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Preparation
Position oven rack to lowest setting. Preheat oven to 500°

Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray; sprinkle with cornmeal. Unroll dough onto prepared baking sheet, and pat into a 14 x 10-inch rectangle. Spread the pesto evenly over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over pesto. Place baking sheet on the bottom oven rack; bake at 500° for 5 minutes. Remove pizza from oven.

Coarsely chop artichokes. Arrange artichokes on pizza; top with sliced prosciutto. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Return pizza to the bottom oven rack; bake an additional 6 minutes or until crust is browned.

Place arugula in a bowl. Drizzle juice over arugula; toss gently. Top the pizza with arugula mixture. Cut the pizza into 4 (7 x 5-inch) rectangles; cut each rectangle diagonally into 2 wedges.

Almond Salsa Verde

2008-06-18T11:56:00.002-04:00

This recipe is from Cooking Light and goes with spiedini of chicken and zucchini (which is basically just chicken and zucchini grilled on skewers), but I think this can go on grilled vegies and rice just as well. I love the combo of salty capers and zesty lemon - very fresh!

1 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped almonds, toasted
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
3 tablespoons capers, chopped
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced

Maine Speaks

2008-04-29T17:34:00.007-04:00

My newest book purchase is a copy of Maine Speaks: An Anthology of Maine Literature, editor Jeff Fischer. This book is no longer in print, but it should be. It is a wonderful compilation of essays and poems about Maine, written by authors who have lived in Maine at some time during their lives. It is divided into 5 sections: Identity, Origins,Work, Nature, and Communities. I have decided to read it section by section, cover to cover, with a bit of skipping around thrown in for good measure .

My All-time Favorite Excerpt from Maine Speaks:

Lakes and Ponds: Some Blue Spots on the Maine Highway Map, by Kate Barnes

There's Blunder Pond and Bluffer Pond, Molasses Pond and Bean;

There's Scraggly Lake and Ragged Lake; there's Silver, Clear, and Green;

Bear Pond, Caribou, Beaver, Mink; Moose Pond and Eagle Lake.

White Horse Lake and Spider Lake; Panther Pond and Snake;

Hound and Otter, Togue and Salmon; Loon, and Swan, and Duck.

There's Hot Brook Lake and Cold Stream Pond; there's White Pond and there's Black;

Lobster Lake and Bean Pot Lake; Shin Pond for a stew;

(Toddy Pond will make you cheerful, Brandy Pond will too,)

Hay Lake, Harrow Lake, Chain of Ponds; Buttermilk and Mud;

White Oak, Cedar, Seven Tree, Elm; Mill Pond, Meadow, Flood;

Meddybemps and Pocomoonshine; Simsquish, Skitacook,

Syslodobsis, Nahinakanta; Ugh Lake and Ticook;

Indian Pond and Soldier Pond; Polly Pond and Jim;

Round Pond, Square Lake, Corner Pond; Cut Lake and Old Stream;

Endless Lake and Desolation; St. Froid in the snow;

Flying Pond and The Enchanted, its haunted stream below:-

Blue spots on the road map with their blue names printed by,

Many words for "water", many eyes that see the sky.

Soup

2008-04-14T18:50:00.002-04:00

Laurie (et al) - this is an old post, but I think you'd really like this soup cookbook (although hopefully we are moving past soup season, haha).

400 Best-Ever Soups

almond-crusted chicken tender salad

2008-04-14T18:34:00.002-04:00

I found this in an ad in a magazine, but wow, it was good and easy. Don't substitute regular breadcrumbs - the panko (in the international foods aisle at the supermarket) makes the chicken really crispy.

Whisk together for dressing:

1/4 c. Kikkoman Teriyaki sauce
1/4 c. olive oil
2 T. honey
2 T. vinegar
1 t. grated orange peel

For salad:

6 c. mixed baby salad greens
2 oranges, peeled and segmented

For chicken:

1 lb chicken breast tenders
freshly ground pepper
1 egg
1 T. Kikkoman Teriyaki sauce
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. panko bread crumbs
1/2 c. smoked almonds, finely chopped (I put them in the mini food processor)
2-3 T. vegetable oil

Pepper chicken. Whisk together egg and teriyaki. Mix almonds and panko. Coat chicken in flour, then egg mixture, then almond/panko mixture. Heat oil. Add chicken and cook 6-7 minutes, turning once. Serve chicken on salad and pass the dressing.

Within the Stone

2008-04-10T19:28:00.004-04:00

I purchased a new book titled, Within The Stone, by Bill Atkinson. It is the most beautiful book I've ever owned. If you are into rocks and minerals, you will love this book. I find myself catching my breath when gazing upon the stunning photos of specimens of polished rocks. WOW! I get transported directly into the stone, into the patterns, into the colors...This book is unreal. And, to top it all off, Mr. Atkinson commissioned seven writers to compose a total of 70 phenomenal literary pieces about the rocks they were assigned to free-associate about. There will be hours, upon hours of enjoyment given to me when cuddled up with this book (and a piece of that lemon yogurt cake). I am in awe...
Click to see the book at BillAtkinson.com. More of Bill's fantastic images can be seen HERE.

Barefoot Contessa at Home

2008-04-09T19:33:00.008-04:00

Ina Garten has created a work of art with this cookbook. Not only does it have stunning food photos, but many of the recipes are simple, yet divine.

One of my favorite recipes in this book is Lemon Yogurt Cake as I am a lemon lover from way back, and this cake satisfies my lemony taste buds as few lemon-based foods ever have.

Lemon Yogurt Cake

1-1/2 Cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 Cup vanilla lowfat yogurt

1-1/3 Cup sugar, divided

3 extra-large eggs

2 tsp. grated lemon zest (1 large lemon)

1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/2 Cup vegetable Oil

1/2 Cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from the lemon)

For the Glaze:

1 Cup confectioners' sugar

2 TBSP freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 8.5 x 4.25 x 2.5 inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into one bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it is all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 lemon juice and the remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake (while it is still in the pan) and allow it to soak in. Cool.

For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake.

Portable Kisses

2008-04-01T19:05:00.003-04:00

by Tess Gallagher

I'm thoroughly enjoying Portable Kisses - very charming and quirky.

Blurbs:

* "Ideally, a reader should finish this book, then find somebody to kiss." T.G. [The Author]
* "This is the best book of love poems since Neruda's." Bill Knott, Emerson College
* "I've always been fascinated by Tess Gallagher's poetry. In Portable Kisses, she convincingly provides condensed librettos of lovers' patterns of approach and retreat. The poems sometimes have a mythic quality, while at other times the poet all but steps aside to wink at us and to acknowledge the power of mind over matter as it intrudes itself into even the most romantic of myths. It's a book filled with beauty, energy, and surprise." Ann Beattie

Pasta Primavera

2008-04-01T18:54:00.003-04:00

I made this on Good Friday. Buy a good cheese (you aren't paying for meat!) and the fresh basil is especially important. This is a great dish to serve company.

2 cups green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise
2 cups broccoli florets
1/2 cup (1-inch) slices asparagus (about 2 ounces)
6 ounces uncooked fettuccine
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 cup fresh or frozen green peas
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
2/3 cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Cook green beans in boiling water 1 minute. Add broccoli and asparagus; cook 2 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove vegetables from pan with a slotted spoon; place in a large bowl. Return water to a boil. Add pasta; cook 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain and add to vegetable mixture.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 cup onion, and sauté for 2 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper; sauté 3 minutes or until onion begins to brown. Add peas, and sauté 1 minute. Add tomatoes; sauté 2 minutes. Combine half-and-half and cornstarch, stirring with a whisk. Reduce heat to medium. Add half-and-half mixture and salt to pan; cook 1 minute or until sauce thickens, stirring constantly. Pour sauce over pasta mixture; toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with basil and cheese. Serve immediately.

Pork Medallions with Red Currant Sauce

2008-04-01T18:46:00.004-04:00

From Cooking Light - so easy!!!! I didn't have red currant jelly at the moment so I used seedless blackberry jam (the editors say any fruit jelly can be used). And I substituted red wine vinegar & scallions for the cider vinegar and chives, haha. The smoked paprika makes it...

1/2 t dried thyme
1/2 t salt
1/4 t smoked paprika
1/4 t dried rubbed sage
1/2 t black pepper
1 (1 lb) pork tenderloin
cooking spray
1/3 c red currant jelly
3 T cider vinegar
2 T chopped chives

Cut pork loin into 1" slices. Pound to 1/2" thick. Brown in nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray about 3 min per side. Remove pork to platter. Add jelly - cook 30 sec. Remove from heat & stir in vinegar. Sprinkle pork with chives and serve with sauce.

Kettle Corn

2008-03-15T15:35:00.004-04:00

This is so simple but good - the original recipe calls for maple sugar, but I couldn't find any so I used brown sugar.

2 T canola oil
1/2 c. unpopped popcorn kernels
1/4 c. maple or brown sugar
1/2 t. salt

Heat oil. Add popcorn, sugar and salt. Cook until popping slows down, shaking pan continuously to avoid burning.

Chicken Saltimbucca - yum!

2008-03-10T16:36:00.002-04:00

Pound chicken breasts - dip in egg and then flour, salt & pepper. Brown in olive oil about 2 min per side (depending on thickness of cutlets). Put chicken on a cooking sheet with chopped garlic. Top each piece of chicken with a slice of prosciutto, basil or sage leaf, and a slice of fresh mozzarella and broil.

Saute sliced assorted mushrooms (shitaake, oyster, baby bella, etc) in marsala wine. Saute baby spinach in olive oil and garlic.

Serve chicken on a bed of spinach, topped with the mushrooms and marsala.

Movies & Music

2008-02-07T08:51:00.001-05:00

I loved the exploration of musical creativity and human interaction in the movie Once. Quirky how we never even find out the names of the male and female leads! I think I'll get the soundtrack for my ipod...

"Amazon.com
Winner of the World Audience Award at Sundance, Once starts out as a small-scale romance, like Before Sunrise, before arriving somewhere unexpected. An Irish busker (Glen Hansard, the Frames and The Commitments) meets a Czech flower seller (Markéta Irglová) while singing on the streets of Dublin. (In the credits, they're listed as Guy and Girl.) She likes what she hears and lets him know. Turns out she's a musician, too. They work on a few songs together and a friendship is forged. She lives with her widowed mother, who doesn't speak English. He lives with his widowed father, who owns a repair shop. Since he broke up with his girlfriend, the guy has been drifting, unable and unwilling to get his life in order. The girl encourages him to pursue a record deal, and the guy emerges from his funk. Then he makes a move on the girl, who rejects his advances. He's confused, but as he comes to find, there's a reason she’s keeping her distance. Though Once is filled with appealing folk-pop by Hansard and Irglová (released on CD as The Swell Season), the movie isn't a traditional musical, but rather a more optimistic Brief Encounter. Filmmaker John Carney, Hansard's former bandmate, captures the real city--in all its affluence and poverty--rather than the picture postcard version. His beautifully shot film serves as a heartfelt ballad about all the underclass Guys and Girls swept aside amidst Ireland's economic miracle. --Kathleen C. Fennessy "

What happens to the flower children?

2008-02-07T08:38:00.000-05:00

I just finished Jimi Hendrix Turns Eighty by Tim Sandlin. It takes place in an assisted living facility in the year 2022. Residents may have copped out and joined the corporate world, etc. midlife, but they are reliving the 60's now. I found the book hilarious (with scenes like getting naked and throwing pants, panties, adult diapers at the band), but a bit scary because of the vivid descriptions about what it might feel like to live without full control of your own life and body. Still - I'd recommend the book highly.

"After crafting uproarious tales about fatherhood (Social Blunders, 1995) and Washington sleaze (Honey Don't, 2003), Sandlin asks, What will the age of assisted living be like for boomers who longed for the Age of Aquarius? It's 2022, and Guy Fontaine, a widower from Oklahoma, finds himself committed to a California old-folks facility where the flamboyant residents have reverted to the pursuits of their glory days, the late 1960s. Pot smoking, group sex, a rock band called Acid Reflux, cliques formed according to where you were during the Summer of Love, and the motto "don't trust anyone under sixty" all make for a wild, sometimes grotesque milieu overseen by a bitchy director who treats the oldsters like idiot children and a staff doctor who overmedicates them. When Guy inadvertently jump-starts an insurrection, the old hippies, old hands at civil disobedience, take over the compound. Hilarious in the fine-tuned details and rapid-fire dialogue, Sandlin's antic yet precision-aimed and unfailingly entertaining novel is a mordantly witty, covertly poignant, and genuinely insightful dissection of our fear and loathing of old age. Donna Seaman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved"

Chicken and Tomatillo Soup

2007-12-03T14:58:00.000-05:00

There are no amounts on spices because I was cooking by taste and just sprinkling things in...

3 pound chicken
salt and pepper
oregano
1 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1 medium sized onion, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, coarsely sliced
2 ribs celery, coarsely sliced

Put above in a pot, cover chicken with water and poach until chicken is done. Put chicken aside to cool. Strain vegies from broth, saving both vegies and broth.

1 lb tomatillos, husked

Add above to broth and cook until tender. Strain again, reserving both broth and tomatillos. Puree tomatillos in a blender or food mill and add back to broth.

chili powder
cumin
bay leaf
Adobe seasoning to taste
hot sauce to taste
garlic
2 10 oz cans Rotel tomatoes with lime juice and cilantro
two large leeks, sliced thinly
1 c. rice

Cook until rice is done. Debone chicken and shred meat. Add to soup with reserved vegie mix (carrots, celery, onions). Heat through.

Garnishes:

sour cream
grated Monterey Jack or Queso Fresco cheese
yogurt
fried strips of corn tortillas

Pumpkin -Pecan Pie

2007-11-13T18:49:00.000-05:00

Ingredients
3 eggs
1 cup dark corn syrup
1/2 cup sugar
4 tbsp melted butter
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
1 9-inch unbaked pie shell
whipped cream

Preparation
With a hand beater beat eggs well. Beat in corn syrup, sugar, butter, pumpkin, and vanilla until well blended. Arrange pecans in bottom of pie shell. Slowly pour egg mixture over them. Bake for 1 hr or until knife inserted 1 in from edge comes out clean. Let cool completely before serving to allow filling to set.
Source- Paula Deen.

Two pies for the calories of one. I like that thought.

Paul Pines

2007-10-24T18:46:00.000-04:00

I listen to Paul Pines read poetry and excerpts from his latest novel at the Gulf of Maine Bookstore recently. I haven't read the book of poetry I bought (yet), but just finished the memoir, "My Brother's Madness". Sometimes memoirs are as much or more about those who people the author's life than the author himself. Pines does have a poetic eye and a wonderfully philosophic way of examining things (all the way down to particle physics roots), but I came away with such a strong attachment to the others in his book as well. I can't recommend this enough.

Take what pain, hope, sorrow, and madness there is in this world, pass it through the alembic of an educated sensibility and a deep, informed compassion, and you might be lucky enough to reach My Brother's Madness. Paul Pines has achieved just this: a story both profoundly personal and universal, an exploration of the trials of family, the breaking points in our psyche's powers, and yet the capacity of compassion to ride the worst of storms all the way home.

James Hollis, Ph. D., Jungian Analyst, and author of Why Good People Do Bad Things.

Cioppino

2007-10-21T19:05:00.000-04:00

I just made this for a party - it got rave reviews. Incredibly fast to make. I doubled the recipe and used 4 lbs of mahogany clams to replace the 2 lbs of mussels. Also, I used Syrah for the wine and cod for the fish.

Easy Seafood Cioppino

1 fennel bulb cut into 6 wedges
1 onion, quartered
3 garlic cloves, smashed
2 T olive oil
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 t. thyme
1/8 t. crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 c. water
1 c. Syrah or red zinfandel
8 oz. clam juice
1 lb halibut or other firm white fish
1 lb mussels

Put veggies in food processor and pulse until chopped. Heat olive oil in Dutch oven - saute vegies and spices 4 min. Add tomatoes and liquids and boil 20 min. Add fish and mussels - cook until mussels open, 4-6 min.

~From Gourmet magazine

Soup Season

2007-10-19T07:07:00.000-04:00

400 Best-ever Soups - by Anne Sheasby

I saw this book at a friend's house and just had to have my own copy. It is certainly soup season and there will be plenty here to keep me trying new things. I was amazed at the variety - all ethnicities, from cream soups to stews, seafood, meat, veggie - it is all here. This is one of the recipes I tried with this season's blackberries (very quick and yummy - my kids liked it as well). I've slightly adapted the recipe so it is faster to make.

Indian Beef and Berry Soup

1 ½ lb steak, sliced
3 T oil
1 medium onion, peeled/sliced
2-3 c beef stock
1 c blackberries or blueberries, slightly mashed
1 T honey
salt to taste

Saute the steak and onions in oil until meat is brown and onions are golden. Add the blackberries and enough beef stock to barely cover the meat. Stir in the honey and simmer the meat, covered, until it is very tender. If the berries are too tart add more honey to taste. Add salt and serve in bowls.

Starbucks®Pumpkin Scone

2007-10-01T14:37:00.000-04:00

My son made these yesterday from fresh pumpkin. They are amazing! And so is he - not bad for a 14 yo.

~

Top Secret Recipes
version of
Starbucks®Pumpkin Scone

During the holiday months you'd better get over to Starbucks bright and early if you want to get your teeth around a delicious pumpkin scone. These orange triangles of goodness are made with real pumpkin and pumpkin pie spices, and they quickly vanish out the door when fall rolls around. Each scone is generously coated with a simple plain glaze and then spiced icing is drizzled over the top for the perfect finishing touch. But good scones are more than just good flavor. To get the flaky texture we'll cut cold butter into the dry ingredients, either with a pastry knife and some elbow grease, or by pulsing away at it with a food processor, until all the butter chunks have been worked in.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups all-purpose flour
7 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
3 tablespoons half-and-half
1 large egg
6 tablespoons cold butter

PLAIN GLAZE:

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk

SPICED ICING:

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
pinch ground ginger
pinch ground cloves

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon cloves, and 1/4 teaspoon ginger in a large bowl.

3. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin, half-and-half, and egg.

4. Cut butter into cubes then add it to the dry ingredients. Use a pastry knife or a fork to combine butter with dry ingredients. Continue mixing until no
chucks of butter are visible. You can also use a food processor: Pulse butter into dry ingredients until it is the texture of cornmeal or coarse sand.

5. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients, then form the dough into a ball. Pat out dough onto a lightly floured surface and form it into a 1-inch thick
rectangle that is about 9 inches long and 3 inches wide. Use a large knife or a pizza wheel to slice the dough twice through the width, making three equal
portions. Cut those three slices diagonally so that you have 6 triangular slices of dough.

6. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes on a baking sheet that has been lightly oiled or lined with parchment paper. Scones should begin to turn light brown.

7. While scones cool, prepare plain glaze by combining ingredients in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed. Mix until smooth.

8. When scones are cool, use a brush to paint a coating of the glaze over the top of each scone.

9. As that white glaze firms up, prepare spiced icing by combining ingredients in another medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed. Drizzle this thicker icing over each scone and allow the icing to dry before serving (at least 1 hour). A squirt bottle works great for this, or you can drizzle with a whisk.

Makes 6 scones.

Current Read

2007-09-25T14:55:00.000-04:00

Well...I've just started it but it came recommended from a friend....I'm reading "Challenger Park" which is a fictional story about two astronauts who are married - one of whom is awaiting the first assignment. I'll update it as I continue to read....

I did finish reading "A Son of the Circus" by John Irving. Lots of characters, flashbacks through time, interesting story - but it did take quite a bit of time to read. Irving's better known books include A Prayer for Owne Meaney and Cider House Rules.

Asparagus & Pancetta Spaghetti Salad

2007-09-12T14:22:00.000-04:00

Salad:
1lb cooked spaghetti
2 or 3 bunches blanched asparagus
1/2 lb chopped pancetta or prosciutto
shredded parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top

Dressing:
1 cup olive oil
1/4 c. white wine or rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic
3 T grated parmesan cheese
2 T assorted chopped fresh herbs

Gregory Maguire

2007-08-31T13:13:00.000-04:00

I still haven't finished the George Sand bio, partially because I keep misplacing it (ha), partially because I tend to read nonfiction in bursts with pauses for fiction and poetry in between. The last fiction book that intruded on this bio was Lost: A Novel by Gregory Maguire. You may have read his Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West? Both of these books have made me want to read more of Maguire. The review below is of "Lost".

From Publishers Weekly
Before he broke onto the adult bestseller lists with his irreverent interpretations of the Cinderella story (Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister) and the Wizard of Oz (Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West), Maguire wrote children's books with titles like Six Haunted Hairdos, Seven Spiders Spinning and Four Stupid Cupids. His latest is a virtual literary paella of adult and children's fantasies: Jack the Ripper, A Christmas Carol, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, The Exorcist even a wafting glimpse of Dracula. The result is a deftly written, compulsively readable modern-day ghost story that easily elicits suspension of disbelief. American writer Winifred Rudge, whose mass market book about astrology has been far more successful than her fiction, is in London to research a novel linking Jack the Ripper to the house in Hampstead where her own great-great-grandfather rumored to be the model for Ebenezer Scrooge lived. But as Winifred discovers, there is no evidence that the Ripper ever visited Hampstead, let alone buried one of his victims inside the chimney of a house there, and his presence in the story is a red herring. Much more interesting is the mysterious disappearance of Winnie's cousin, John Comestor, the latest resident of the family house. Moreover, something is making an infernal racket inside the chimney, and soon there are other bizarre manifestations of some unseen force. A Dickensian assortment of neighbors (one dotty lady is called Mrs. Maddingly) variously obfuscate and hint at strange events. Maguire's prose is both jaunty and scary; he knows how to mix spooky ingredients with contemporary situations. By the time a spirit called Gervasa begins to speak through Winnie, readers will be hooked.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Current read - George Sand bio

2007-08-21T11:32:00.000-04:00

Naked in the Marketplace: The Lives of George Sand

From Publishers Weekly
For all her notorious affairs with men, Sand's passionate and unrequited attachment to her mother is the real love story of her life," writes noted literary biographer Eisler (Chopin's Funeral) in her bustling study of the great French Romantic writer's love life. Capturing the complexity of George Sand's relationship with her adored but largely absent working-class mother, Eisler analyzes the writer's various attitudes to class in light of her childhood, as she rapidly narrates Sand's remarkable transformation from rebellious young wife and mother to cross-dressing, controversial Parisian literary star. Treating Sand's autobiography with skepticism, Eisler emphasizes how Sand (1804–1876) also caused strife for others in her turbulent emotional life. Eisler authoritatively sketches the themes and philosophical preoccupations of Sand's novels in an age of revolutionary ferment, but places Sand's affairs center stage: from Alfred de Musset's "romantic passion run amok" to her political education by radical lawyer Michel de Bourges, and her long relationship with Chopin. Eisler's Sand is doomed to act out the insecurities of her childhood in an ugly, punitive relationship with her own daughter, Solange. As Eisler comments, referring to Sand by her real name, "It was Aurore, the motherless child, who was both the cause and victim of much of George's confusion and suffering." (Nov.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

LL Bean summer concert series

2007-08-21T11:04:00.000-04:00

Alan Doyle, Great Big Sea, Freeport, ME 8/11/07

The last two Saturday nights, I've enjoyed free music at LL Bean - Great Big Sea, the 11th and Brandy Carlisle and the Indigo Girls on the 18th. Brandy's part of the concert is archived here, as are others such as Robert Cray (which I missed, but will certainly listen to).

If you ever get a chance to see The Great Big Sea, do! Those boys have a sense of humor, boundless energy and sing damn good harmony. Check out their myspace for some sample songs.

Coming up - John Hiatt and Shawn Colvin, 8/25 and Bela Fleck & the Flecktones on 9/1.

Easy

2007-08-13T23:01:00.000-04:00

I didn't know all male poets had to have long curly black hair and big doe eyes, but I did enjoy the movie Easy - more for the wide-eyed, messed up but sensible lead:

The Darwin Awards

2007-08-13T22:19:00.000-04:00

The real website is here, but watch the movie which features a wannabe beat poet serial killer and the real Ferlinghetti.

Wislawa Szymborska

2007-08-03T17:09:00.000-04:00

Poems New and Collected

If you read poetry at all, read this. I've fallen in love...

"All poets, according to Wislawa Szymborska, are in a perpetual dialogue with the phrase I don't know. "Each poem," she writes in her 1996 Nobel Lecture, "marks an effort to answer this statement, but as soon as the final period hits the page, the poet begins to hesitate, starts to realize that this particular answer was pure makeshift, absolutely inadequate." As a self-portrait, at least, this is fairly accurate. From the beginning, Szymborska has indeed wrestled with the demon of epistemology. Yet even in her earliest poems, such as "Atlantis," she delivered her speculations with a human--which is to say, a gently ironic--face:

They were or they weren't.
On an island or not.
An ocean or not an ocean
Swallowed them up or it didn't.

Fifteen years later, when her 1972 collection, Could Have, appeared, Szymborska seemed to have made some major inroads into her notorious ignorance. Now she confessed to at least a shred of comprehension, stressing, however, that such knowledge has come at a terrible price: "We read the letters of the dead like helpless gods, / but gods, nonetheless, since we know the dates that follow. / We know which debts will never be repaid. / Which widows will remarry with the corpse still warm." And even in her most recent work, the poet continues to gravitate toward the admirable emptiness of, say, the clouds: "Unburdened by memory of any kind, / they float easily over the facts." Ultimately, though, the joke is on Szymborska, whose poems have grown more witty, more humane, and more tender--in other words, more knowing--with each passing year."

Charles Simic is nation's new poet laureate!

2007-08-03T11:36:00.000-04:00

Banner day for outstanding poet Charles Simic. He was named the 15th poet laureate of the United States and then won the $100,000 Wallace Stevens Award from the Academy of American Poets.

"Now I just have to break a leg. It's just too much luck,'' the 69-year-old Simic said in a telephone interview with Bloomberg. "I'm just overwhelmed by the amount of good luck, being a superstitious person.''

Luck might account for 0.999999% of the recognition he's received over the years. The Belgrade-born bard won the Pulitzer Prize (1990 for The World Doesn't End: Prose Poems) and most every other major poetry prize. Simic, who emigrated to the United States with his family in 1954, also received a $500,000 MacArthur Foundation "genius'' grant for 1984-1989.

You can read some of his work at PoemHunter. Here's what one reviewer has to say about his collection Jackstraws.

The Washington Post and New York Times have filed profiles of the poet the Times calls a "surrealist with a dark view." He succeeds Donald Hall.

~Michael Winter, USA Today

~~~~~~~~~~~

In addition to Jackstraws, mentioned above, I'd also recommend Aunt Lettuce, I Want to Peek Under Your Skirt.

Here are some audios of Simic reading.

I'm rather excited about Simic being poet laureate - the past few choices haven't been ones I read much (I know, I know - how could I not like Billy Collins, lol). He can be surreal, dark, humorous and above all, writes beyond the ordinary. And how great to choose an immigrant poet who didn't speak English until he was 15!

Errata
~Charles Simic

Where it says snow
read teeth-marks of a virgin
Where it says knife read
you passed through my bones
like a police-whistle
Where it says table read horse
Where it says horse read my migrant's bundle
Apples are to remain apples
Each time a hat appears
think of Isaac Newton
reading the Old Testament
Remove all periods
They are scars made by words
I couldn't bring myself to say
Put a finger over each sunrise
it will blind you otherwise
That damn ant is still stirring
Will there be time left to list
all errors to replace
all hands guns owls plates
all cigars ponds woods and reach
that beer-bottle my greatest mistake
the word I allowed to be written
when I should have shouted
her name

Bukowski: Born into This

2007-07-30T22:35:00.000-04:00

I just finished watching Bukowski: Born into This - excellent! A fascinating man to say the least...

Bluebird

there's a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I'm too tough for him,
I say, stay in there, I'm not going
to let anybody see
you.
there's a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I pour whiskey on him and inhale
cigarette smoke
and the whores and the bartenders
and the grocery clerks
never know that
he's
in there.

there's a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I'm too tough for him,
I say,
stay down, do you want to mess
me up?
you want to screw up the
works?
you want to blow my book sales in
Europe?
there's a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I'm too clever, I only let him out
at night sometimes
when everybody's asleep.
I say, I know that you're there,
so don't be
sad.
then I put him back,
but he's singing a little
in there, I haven't quite let him
die
and we sleep together like
that
with our
secret pact
and it's nice enough to
make a man
weep, but I don't
weep, do
you?

~Bukowski

Grilled Pork Tenderloin Salad

2007-07-30T15:33:00.000-04:00

This was my Sunday dinner. I replaced the watercress with baby spinach because my kids like that better.

2 T olive oil
1 T lime juice
2 t Dijon mustard
1/4 t salt
dash of pepper
1 sprig rosemary
1 pork tenderloin (~1 lb)
raspberry vinaigrette (see below)
2 or 3 bunches watercress torn into bite sized piece
1 cup raspberries

Mix 1st six ingredients in a plastic bag and add pork. Marinate 1 hour in the frig. Grill pork about 20 min, turning. Slice in 1/4" slices. Arrange on greens. Sprinkle raspberries over the top. Drizzle with the vinaigrette.

~

Raspberry Vinaigrette

1/4 c olive oil
2 T raspberry vinegar
1 t honey
1/2 t ground mustard
1/2 t salt

Beef Tenderloins with French Onion Sauce

2007-07-30T15:31:00.000-04:00

This is an easy dish, but incredible for a romantic dinner or company.

2 teaspoons butter or stick margarine, divided
2 cups thinly sliced onion
3 cups cremini or button mush-room caps, halved (about 1/2 pound)
2/3 cup water
1 (10 1/2-ounce) can beef consomme
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
4 (4-ounce) beef tenderloin steaks (1 inch thick)
1/2 cup dry red wine
4 (1-ounce) slices French bread (about 1 inch thick), toasted

Melt 1 teaspoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and mushrooms; sauté 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in water and consomme, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil; cover and cook 10 minutes. Remove onion mixture from pan.

Combine thyme, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Rub the thyme mixture over steaks. Melt 1 teaspoon butter in pan over medium-high heat. Add steaks; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove steaks from pan; keep warm.

Add wine to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in onion mixture; bring to a boil, and cook 1 minute. Return steaks to pan; simmer 1 minute.

Place one toast slice in each of 4 shallow serving bowls, and top each slice with steak. Spoon the onion mixture over each serving. Serve immediately.

Governmentium, discovery of new element.

2007-07-30T15:22:00.000-04:00

A major research institution has recently announced the discovery of the heaviest element yet known to science and that effects all basic life. The new element has been tentatively named "Governmentium ". Governmentium has 1 neutron, 12 assistant neutrons, 75 deputy neutrons, and 11 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312. It has properties similar to "black holes" and absorb all independent energy.

These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons. Since governmentium has no electrons, it is inert. However, it can be detected as it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. A minute amount of governmentium causes one reaction to take over 4 days to complete when it would normally take less than a second. It has the opposite effect on a reaction than that of a catalyst.

Governmentium has a normal half-life of 3 years; it does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places. In fact, Governmentium's mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganization will cause some morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes.

This characteristic of moron-promotion leads some scientists to speculate that governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a certain quantity in concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as "Critical Morass".

http://energysavingnow.com/mainsite/governmentium.shtml

Home (soon) at last, but in the meantime...

2007-07-28T11:35:00.000-04:00

T.C. Boyle books I've read (a list for Miranda)

2007-07-28T11:00:00.000-04:00

Boyle writes about never-ordinary people and their places. The first book I read was "Drop City" and that along with the ones about Kinsey and Kellogg are my favorites, but all of them are fascinating trips.

The Road to Wellville
"Set in Battle Creek, Mich., in the early years of the century, it evokes the days of C. W. Post and Will Kellogg, when fortunes were being made and lost in the national rage for the new breakfast cereals. Will's brother, John Harvey Kellogg, was an early diet devotee; to his hugely successful Battle Creek Spa came the flower of American business and society to trim their waistlines, work out and eat the kind of healthy, tasteless foods sadly recognizable to any weight watcher today. Kellogg, a showman par excellence, ran it like a small but ruthless dictatorship."

The Inner Circle
"Released in the late 1940s and early '50s, the Kinsey Reports, the compilations of a scientific study that attempted to quantify male and female sexual behavior, shocked Americans with revelations about their sexuality. Indiana University professor Alfred Kinsey's obsessive belief that the human need for sex is little different from animal instinct, and his iconoclastic research methods (including voyeurism and personal interactions), make Kinsey (called "Prok" by students and intimates) a fitting subject for Boyle's irrepressible imagination."

Drop City
"Set in the 1970s, Boyle entertains readers with the denizens of "Drop City," a counterculture California commune that welcomes anyone wanting to live off the grid, use drugs, and practice free love. Boyle sublimely captures the sociology of its rebellious members, who doubt the sincerity or beliefs of newcomers, express some insecurity about nonconformity, and chastise outsiders while remaining oblivious to their own hypocrisy. Marco, Pan, Star, and other "cats" and "chicks" live hassle-free until dissention and cries of racism mount amid increasing run-ins with the local government (a young girl is raped, installation of a sewage system is mandated, a mother lets her toddlers drink LSD-laced juice). Seeking refuge, the citizens move north, to Alaska, to reinvent their utopia, but soon learn the natural environment is more unforgiving of a lackadaisical lifestyle."

A Friend of the Earth
"During the 1980s and '90s, Ty Tierwater had exchanged a sedately acquisitive existence--"the slow-rolling glacier of my old life, my criminal life, the life I led before I became a friend of the earth"--for a fairly ambivalent position on the front lines of an ecoterrorist posse called Earth Forever! The only complication is his dual penchant for empathy and ineptitude, exacerbated by a frustration that swells with accumulating incitements. After his daughter is taken from him, and his second wife, Andrea, becomes more committed to the cause than to their marriage, Ty finds solace in blind destruction. He serves his almost predictable terms in jail; he endures the eventual death--and martyrdom--of his activist daughter, Sierra. At 75, and a quarter of the way into the dismal and decayed 21st century, he unaccountably finds himself tending an eccentric rock star's private mini-zoo of ragged animals and wryly lamenting the collapse of his race. And then Andrea resurfaces--along with his long-fallow faith in love."

Riven Rock
"In 1905, Stanley McCormick, heir to East Coast millions, is most definitely mad. Heredity and an early, horrifying glimpse of his naked sister have rendered him schizophrenic, incapable of being around women--right down to his wife, Katherine, "a newlywed who might as well have been a widow." Not even the dawn of modern psychiatry can save him. Instead, he's barred and carefully cosseted in Riven Rock, the California estate he helped design for his sister, the first of the McCormicks to crack. Will the 31-year-old patient be cured? His wife, the first female graduate of MIT, believes that he will. So, too, does his loyal head nurse, Eddie O'Kane, a preternaturally articulate, handsome Boston Irishman. Indeed, Eddie thinks himself blessed with good luck. Going to Montecito to care for Mr. McCormick will, he is convinced, enable him to take center stage in the drama of his own life."

Mushroom Tartlet

2007-07-28T06:00:00.000-04:00

Mushroom Tartlet with Port Wine Reduction

1.5 lbs of a mix variety of mushrooms
1/4 lb shallots
3 TBLS butter
2 Tbls of cognac or liquor of Liking
1/3 c chicken stock
1/3 c heavy cream
1/4 c minced flat leaf parsley
sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste

2 c port wine
1 shallot
2 tsp Dijon Mustard

2 sheets puffed pastry

Cut mushrooms into medium dice
Finely dice shallots
In 12" saute pan over medium heat, saute the shallots until tender
Add Cognac and cook over medium high heat for one minute
Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occassionally, cook for two minutes
Add broth and cream - simmer for about fifteen minutes or until liquid is reduced by half
Add salt and pepper to taste.

Port wine reduction -place all three ingredients into a small sauce pan and reduce to syrup consistency, stirring occasionally

Puff Pastry Preparation
Cut out 12 3.5 inch circles from already prepared bought dough
Dough should always be kept chilled as much as possible while working
Place 2-3 tablespoons of mushroom micture in the center of six of the dough circles
Make an egg wash with one egg beaten and one tablespoon of water
Brush over the outer edges of the dough, then plance the reamining dough circles over the top to enclose. Once the dough circles are in place crimp the edges shut.
Bake in a pre0heated oven of 400 F for 8-10 minutes on parchment paper or a silicone sheet.

Phood for the Body - Corn and Spinach Souffle

2007-07-28T05:58:00.000-04:00

Okay - the other evening I was mentioning two different recipes that I had gotten while I attended a cooking class - it was by the govenor of Pennsylvania's chef - and really thought that Terry might like them since they are vegetarian.....

#1:
Corn and Spinach Souffle

2 cups of whole kernel corn (fresh or frozen will do)
1 cup chopped fresh spinach
1/3 c fine diced red bell pepper
1/8 c fine diced shallots
4 large eggs
1 c heavy cream
1/2 c milk
3 Tbls sugar
2 Tbls flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sea salt
ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 F
Butter 8 - 4 oz ramekins (I've also done this in a small baking dish and it works just as fine)
Blend all ingredients but the red pepper, shallots, spinach and 3/4 c of the corn in a food processor until smooth.
Fold the remaining ingredients into the blended mixture
Fill the ramekins (baking pan) to right below the rim
Place in a water bath and bake for approximately 45-50 minutes or until center is set
Let cool 10 minutes then serve.

Art Quote of the Day - 7/26/07

2007-07-27T00:49:00.000-04:00

I hate flowers - I paint them because they're cheaper than models and they don't move. ~Georgia O'Keeffe

the book Terry thought Donna should read

2007-07-27T00:37:00.000-04:00

Fluke: Or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings - Christopher Moore
"In his entertaining adventure-in-whale-researching, Fluke, or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings, Nathan Quinn, a prominent marine biologist, has been conducting studies in Hawaii for years trying to unravel the secret of why humpback whales sing. During a typical day of data gathering, Nate believes his mind is failing: the subject whale has "Bite Me" scrawled across its tail. Events become even stranger as the self-proclaimed "action nerds," Nate, photographer Clay, their research assistant Amy, and Kona, a white Rasta (a Jewish kid from New Jersey), encounter sabotage to their data and equipment. They also observe increasingly bizarre whale behavior, including a phone call from the whale to their wealthy sponsor to ask that Nate bring it a hot pastrami and Swiss on rye."

And Terry, while we are talking about Moore, you should read this (the title is even funny):

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
"Joshua (a.k.a. Jesus) knows he is unique and quite alone in his calling, but what exactly does his Father want of him? Taking liberties with ancient history, Moore works up an adventure tale as Biff and Joshua seek out the three wise men so that Joshua can better understand what he is supposed to do as Messiah. Biff, a capable sinner, tags along and gives Joshua ample opportunities to know the failings and weaknesses of being truly human. With a wit similar to Douglas Adams, Moore pulls no punches: a young Biff has the hots for Joshua's mom, Mary, which doesn't amuse Josh much: "Don't let anyone ever tell you that the Prince of Peace never struck anyone." And the origin of the Easter Bunny is explained as a drunken Jesus gushes his affection for bunnies, declaring, "Henceforth and from now on, I decree that whenever something bad happens to me, there shall be bunnies around."

one of my all-time favorite books

2007-07-27T00:32:00.000-04:00

A Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L'Engle

here it is!

2007-07-27T00:14:00.000-04:00

post some stuff as long as you don't give away what happens in the new Harry Potter book.