Standing Ovation! Kung Pao Chicken

Imust say that I have times when I am craving Chinese food. I get on these kicks that I have to have Chinese food NOW! The problem is, it is very hard to find decent Chinese around here, not the people, the food. The people are fine, it is the food that is the problem. Too greasy, too bland, to dry, to MSG-ish. You see my dilemma don't you? Or how about this one: too inconsistent. I will finally find a place that is very tasty then go back and have the worst meal of my life. I guess they do not follow the recipes to a tee.


My Dad is an engineer and had the pleasure of working with many nationalities, so I must say we ate well. The dinner parties were grand to say the least. And there was my Mom in all those ethnic kitchens making mental notes as she watched the ladies cook and answer her many questions. She collected some really nice recipes along the way. I have taken a liking to Kung Pao Chicken but she does not have a recipe for that one. I was on my own. Low and behold the other day I was looking through all the food galleries and came across Bobby's Kung Pao Chicken from blogchef.net and I have to say it is a really nice recipe. It was quick, tasty, juicy, and everything a Kung Pao should be. The beauty of stir-fry is that you can adjust the recipe to your own tastes. I only tweaked his recipe a little as I did add some more red pepper flakes, I like it to clear my sinuses, and increased the peanuts to 1/2 cup because I want a peanut or two in every bite. Love that crunch. He also stated that one could add some vegetables so I added some big wedges of vidalia onion. This dish served over a bed of rice wins a Standing Ovation! Thanks Bobby for filling my Kung Pao Chicken void.

Be on the lookout, your blog could be next!


PS- If you know of any good Chinese restaurants in the DC Metro area let me know so I can support my Chinese Food addiction. Oh our Dim Sum place closed too, so if you know of one give me a shout.

Rogel de Dulce de Leche

Itook the kids to one of our favorite hangouts; Lake Anne. Going there is like a trip back in time. It is a very retro 1970's village in the middle of Reston, VA. There are restaurants, an old-fashioned pharmacy with lunch counter (run by an El Salvadoran family who make the best Pupusas ever- I had the rubueltas, the kids, ice cream cones), a used book store, some thrift shops, a chocolate shop, coffee shop, and the best of all is the chlorinated fountain that children are allowed to play. When we go we usually hit the book shop first. I could spend hours in there but not this day, the kids were restless. But while I was in there I parked myself in the cookbook section. They have some treasures that's for sure. I am a sucker for old cookbooks, especially any Better Homes and Gardens cookbooks before 1960. I have a few from the 50's all on various topics: salads, kids food, quick dinners. On this day I was looking through a book on South American Cuisine that was full of so many pretty pictures, then low and behold, I saw it. This cake. I was in love. I am crazy for layered desserts. In the past I made a beautiful and delicious Mille Crêpes Cake which I posted about at attifood.com. When I saw this cake I knew that I must try it. Dulce de leche is layered between crispy cracker-like wafers then topped with Italian meringue. This cake is beautiful, very unique, and delicious.

This recipe is famous in Argentina so I had a bit of a time trying to figure a few things out. The recipe calls for 1/2 T. 96% alcohol. I did not know if that was a flavoring or an item that does something magical to the dough. The closest thing I had to that level of alcohol content was Rum 151. So I used that. After a bit of research I found a recipe that called for Sambuca. Darn, that would have been good, although my dough was very tasty indeed. All the measurements are in metric, the only thing I did translate for you is the temperatures. This recipe works well if you have a kitchen scale. If you want to be a good baker you should invest in a scale anyway. The picture in the book was a close up of the layers so I did not know how to frost the cake. I feel like I blew it in a way by frosting the sides because my research, done too late, showed cakes with the meringue only on top. Some Rogels were simply dusted with icing sugar. C'est la vie. Either way, this cake is very dressy and sophisticated. Oh, I also learned another name for dulce de leche, milk jam. Cute.


Rogel de dulce de leche
For the Dough:
200g flour
1 T. sugar
4 egg yolks
1 egg
1/2 T. 96% alcohol, I used Rum 151, can use Sambuca or Grand Marnier would be nice
25g butter, softened

One can Dulce de leche

For Italian Meringue:
4 egg whites
250g sugar
6 T. water
1 t. vanilla

Place the all the ingredients for the dough in a food processor and pulse until the blade chases a ball of dough. There may be some crumbles that remain. Remove dough from processor and form into a large ball, kneading a couple of times to incorporate all the pieces. Divide into 8 smaller balls, about 45g each. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. Now, roll out the balls into 6 inch circles that will be very thin. Poke with fork and place on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350° for 7 minutes on each side or until disk is completely dry, do not over cook. Cool on racks.

To make the meringue, place the sugar and water in a small sauce pan and heat to 248° or until a thick clear syrup has formed. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form and add the hot syrup while running the mixer on high. Add vanilla and continue beating until mixture cools, about 10 minutes. Assemble cake by gently spreading about 2 T. dulce de leche on 7 of the disks. Place a small amount of dulce de leche on your cake dish to "glue" the first disk. Stack the disks, dulce de leche side up ending with the plain disk. Pile the meringue on top of cake then work small amounts down the sides of cake sealing the disks. Decorate if desired. I simply used a single mint sprig. The cake will be 6 inches wide and 4 inches tall. The original recipe states that it feeds 4 but I say it serves 8, it is very rich.


Note- To cut this cake, take a pointed, sharp serrated knife and stab it through the center of the cake. Gently saw, holding the knife vertically toward the edge of the cake. Be sure you have cut the final layer before removing the slice.


Note- The Origami Bird was done by my son Mr. Doots. He thought it would look nice with the fancy cake that Momma made.

In Remembrance of Leanne Sasso Lusso
2/26/71 - 7/17/06
Miss you cousin.

Leftover Ice Cream Cake

As if there would be leftovers! Pah. We are an Ice Cream Cake family. When I was little, my Mom would make one big birthday cake for my brother and I as our birthdays are only three days apart. We always requested an Ice Cream Cake. So now that we have our own children she makes them one as well. In December we have five birthdays to celebrate, meaning five names piped in icing across the cake. Two of my own children are Christmas babies, 24th and 27th. I know.


So now we have this honkin' huge Ice Cream Cake box with only half a cake left taking up the freezer. What to do? What to do? Here are three possibilities, which by the way are perfect for Summertime:

1. Cut entire cake up into individual pieces, wrap in plastic wrap, and store in zip-top freezer bags, in the freezer of course. Take out what you need at least 10 minutes before serving and viola! Another party.

2. This one is hysterical. It comes from my friend Joyce, she is a very clever girl. Her son had just had his birthday party and she was sick of this cake, and its monstrous box, taking up her freezer so she dumped the rest in the blender added a little milk and wingo, popsicles. Brilliant! I just put my leftovers in a bowl, added a little milk to thin out and mashed with a fork. Spooned into cups, implanted stick, froze and enjoyed. My kids loved these pops. They said that each bite had a different flavor, some with frosting, some with cake, and ice cream throughout. Remember Dreyer's Take the Cake, same concept and way cheaper than visiting a Cold Stone Creamery. That Joyce she's a genius.

3. Sometimes the kids have a hard time eating Ice Cream Cake. It is hard to poke with a fork, it flies off the plate if they cut it with the fork, or they eat it too slowly and it gets soupy. So with leftovers, I cut into 1 inch by 2 inch pieces, skewer with a wooden skewer, refreeze until hard, wrap individually, and store in zip-top freezer bags. The kids say that this is a great way to eat this cake, plus they can eat all the icing off more easily. Kids.

Note- This is a homemade Ice Cream Cake by yours truly. These are easy to make. Bake cake, cool completely, cut in half, slice each half open, spread three of the slices with softened ice cream, stack on top of each other ending with the plain slice of cake, freeze until firm, frost, decorate, freeze again. This is the frosting I used. I baked an 8x8 inch cake and it ended up becoming a beautiful 5x9 inch loaf that was about 6 inches tall. No big rules with this one, just have a good ole time. But work quickly.

Grilled Saturn Peaches In Praline Sauce À La Mode

When I had my parents over last week, I wanted to serve a dessert that screamed Summer. It also had to be simple and delicious. Ice cream is always a simple and welcomed dessert especially when it is accompanied by a gooey sauce and some seasonal fruit. The Saturn Peaches are out in abundance and incredibly flavorful and juicy so they were the perfect choice. This Praline Sauce is my secret weapon. Is it pronounced Praw-lin. Or Pray-leen? Anyway, it will have you licking the bowl and anything else it touches. Spoon, finger, countertop...


To grill the peaches simply wash, core, slice in half, brush with oil, sprinkle with brown sugar, and grill skin side down first then flip. It only takes a minute per side. Be sure your grill is greased and your exhaust fan is on if you are doing this inside. Caramelized sugar equals smoke. Outside no worries. Here they are. Beauties ain't they. I know ain't ain't a word. It's Texas talk. Learned it from my Dad.


Praline Sauce
1 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup Buttermilk
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 tablespoons Light corn syrup
1 teaspoon Baking soda
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
1/2 cup Coarsely chopped pecans

Combine the sugars, buttermilk, butter, syrup, and baking soda in a heavy saucepan. Bring to the boiling point, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and nuts. Cool completely before serving. The sauce will thicken as it cools. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.


PS- This Thursday, July 17th is National Peach Ice Cream Day. So grab your canvas bags and hit the markets for all the makings of this recipe to celebrate in flavor.

Dig Deep

You remember this picture from Friday, don't you? It's Monday and I promised the answer to the UFO. Just a little longer, let me talk first. I got this recipe from my old roommate, Sara. I met Sara in 1990 at Deborah Heart and Lung Center in NJ. We were both going through the ICU preceptor program, she SICU and I MICU. We happened to live next door to each other in the Nursing Quarters behind the hospital as well. Those were the cutest little studio apartments. It was a greatroom which included a small kitchen with an Easy Bake oven, no lie, it was about that big, a walk-in closet, and large bathroom. Perfect for a single nurses who worked 12 hour night shifts.

Sara and I became great friends, she was even my maid of honor! When my folks moved out to California, Sara's family adopted me and I spent many Sunday afternoons at her folks' house. Sara had 7 other brothers and sisters so it was a full house with them and the grandchildren. The best though were the feasts. Her family could cook some amazing foods. And that is how I got this recipe. It is called Dig Deep.


Some of you may know it as Seven Layer Salad but Sara's family called it Dig Deep because when her mother made it, she layered it all in a huge and very deep lasagna pan. Hence the name Dig Deep because we had to dig deep if we were going to get to the lettuce. Plus it is just fun to say. Dig Deep, Dig Deep, Dig Deep.


I thought it would be interesting to layer the ingredients in individual cups, just for the wow factor of course. I loved it this way. Very pretty on a tray. The great thing about this salad is that it can be made ahead, even up to 8 hours, so that the flavors will marry. Romantic huh? Either way this salad is delicious and beautiful.






Dig Deep Salad
One head Romaine, not just the heart
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
frozen baby peas
shredded cheddar cheese
6 slices bacon, cooked crisp
3 hard boiled eggs

Dressing:
One heaping cup mayonnaise
2 t. white balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 cup sugar
pinch kosher salt

Tear lettuce into bite-sized pieces. Wash and spin very dry. In 6- 9 ounce plastic cups fill halfway up with lettuce. Press lettuce down firmly until the cup is filled halfway, don't worry it will bounce back when turned over. Now layer the following items in this order being sure that you can see the items in each layer and tamping down each layer firmly before adding the next ingredient. Also be sure that there is at least 1/2 inch head space for the dressing, so tamp hard!

1 T. red onion
2 T. peas- I did not defrost
2 T. cheddar cheese
one piece bacon crumbled
1/2 hard boiled egg chopped

For the dressing; mix the ingredients for dressing well and divide evenly over the 6 salads. Be sure to spread the dressing to the edge of each cup. Top with dried cranberries, nuts, seeds, or what ever else you think is pretty. To eat, either Dig Deep! Or turnover on to plate as shown above. Enjoy. This can also be layered in a small glass casserole dish. Serves 6.

Company Pork Tenderloin

My folks came over for dinner the other night. It is nice to have them over for dinner, they had me over for dinner many years. I wanted to make something special and I have been saving this recipe just for that purpose. Although we get together most Sunday nights with them and my brother's family, this was more formal. I actually called Mom, set the date and time, and ended the phone call with, "OK, I'll see you tomorrow night at 6:30." Yes very proper of me.


We dined on this Pork Tenderloin recipe, Crash Hot Potatoes from The Pioneer Woman, bread, and something else. Everyone loved the dinner. Mom said that this Tenderloin was her new favorite tenderloin. Have you ever had Pork Tenderloin rubbed with cumin, chili powder, and cinnamon. No? I didn't think so. How about that same rubbed tenderloin topped with spicy, garlicky brown sugar that forms a delectable crispy crust while roasting? I didn't think so either. Well now you can. Try it this weekend and wow all your family and friends.

While eating, my Dad just sat there and "moo'd." That's what my Mom calls it when Dad is eating and saying, "Mmmm, mmmm, MMMM!" I call it "mmmm'ing" but she calls it "moo'ing." The dinner was fantastic as well as the company, especially when the company does all the dishes. I'll make this meal again and probably invite those people again too.

Now look a this picture below. What on earth is that thing at the bottom of the picture. A UFO? Unidentified Food Object. Hmmm. Any guesses? Stay tuned for the answer on Monday. Ma and Dad don't let the answer slip. Or you either, Himself. It's a cliff-hanger...hanger...hanger...


Oh look more aliens. Naw, these are what the kids ate for dessert while the adults ate.....another blog mystery. These are Orange Sherbert/Vanilla Ice Cream Push Pops with a gum ball at the bottom because, by golly, that's how I got them from the ice cream man when I was a little girl. There is no ice cream man in my parts so I make these for my little ones. Oh the memories.


This is what happened to Littleness' gum ball. She is 5 and reads at the 2nd grade level and got in line twice when God was giving out curiosity. "I don't know how it got there" was her first response but then I got this out of her, "I did it on pupose (she can't say her "r's"), I wanted to see what would happen." A 15 minute spa session with blobs of peanut butter, enduring mom laughing while grabbing the camera, and a bath in the afternoon is what happened.


She's a doll though.

Standing Ovations! Carne en Palito

I have recently begun to write about recipes I have tried from other Food Blogs. I am now dubbing them Standing Ovations! You can see BRK's Recipe Index on my side bar for the Standing Ovations! I have posted in the past and have now properly tagged them as SO's! This week I am featuring some recipes from Laylita's Recipes. Layla has a beautiful blog highlighting her Ecuadorian heritage and the wonderful dishes she grew up eating. Lucky us. If you haven't been to her site, you must. I am getting quite an education in Ecuadorian cuisine and life. By making her recipes, I feel I have travelled far from my kitchen to sample some wonderful new foods. For this meal I made her Carne en Palito which was a huge hit with my entire family. They devoured these thinly sliced, tender strips of beef on a stick. The flavor was fantastic. I chose to try two of her sauces to serve with this meal. The Balsamic Chimichurri Sauce and her Salsa de Mani which is one of the best peanut sauces I have ever had. Both of these sauces went perfectly with this meal and both were so different from each other it is hard to pick which one I liked best, so I won't.


I served this meal with my Great Grandmother's style of making French Fries, very thin and very salted, I call them Potato Sticks. See my notes on French Fry making. The sauces were a great accompaniment to the Potato Sticks as well. This meal hit a big home run at our house, it was almost as good as the Grand Slam Home Run we saw the other night at the Bowie Baysox game. In that one play, they edged out the Erie Seawolves for the victory, sorry j*amy! Stay tuned for some more Standing Ovations! Your blog could be next.


Thanks Layla for your fantastic recipes! I give you a Standing Ovation!

Dulce de Leche Pie

Another good reason to keep a can of dulce de leche on hand. This recipe is from my sister-in-law, Donna. She lives way over on the other side of the country from me in Washington State. But she can still send some of the best recipes my way. She'll call me and say, "You-have-GOT-to-make-this-new-recipe-I-tried!" The fun thing is, I rarely have to write these recipes down as she is explaining them to me, they are that simple but pack a tasty punch. This pie is one of those really simple and extremely delicious and elegant recipes. Beware as this pie will feed about a hundred people as it is so rich that you will only need slivers. Just a sliv is what we say in our house, just a sliv.



Dulce de Leche Pie
one prepared Oreo crust
one can dulce de leche
2 cups heavy cream whipped with 1 t. vanilla and 2 T. powdered sugar
8 mini Heath Bars, crushed

Gently and evenly spread dulce de leche on the bottom of the pie crust. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with Heath Bars. Serves 8-10. Very rich and luscious!

Three Day Chicken

We don't know the right name for this chicken, I just know that it is good and worth the three days it takes to marinate. My cousin, Maryanne is a tremendous cook. She lives in Revere, MA on the same street as her parents and my other auntie and uncle. I have known Emmanuel Street and its people all my life. Saint Anthony's bells toll daily and the most welcome ring is at five o'clock, when the aromas of cooking waft through the streets calling all the kids home for dinner. Maryanne just got me hooked on a little Italian paper called The Boston Post-Gazette. She has me reading John Christoforo's column called Nanna and Babbononno and Vita's Recipes from the Homeland. Some of these articles remind me of the stories my family told me about my own Italian grandparents. So if you are of the Italian heritage give these a read.

The cookouts that my Auntie Josie put on were ridiculous with food. She put it all out there. Salads, all kinds of meats, appetizers, vegetables, desserts including Italian pastries, and the good bread. Maryanne and her parents, Uncle Jimmy and Auntie Mary would come down with a pan of Maryanne's famous chicken wings. These juicy wings are scrumptious and a big hit at all the cookouts.

I called her the other day to get the recipe because I remembered these wings and wanted some now! Then she told me she marinated them three days, I would have to wait. My hubby isn't a big fan of wings as it is little meat and a lot of mess to eat, so I used boneless thighs which worked out just dandy. I have to warn you that these are good but my family likes this type of dish on the sweeter side and this is a more savory chicken. Next time I make this I will have to add a little brown sugar for their tastes. I will make mine separate! This is a very tender and flavorful chicken.

Three Day Chicken
3-4 pounds wings, drumettes, or thighs, whatever your mood
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. fresh ginger, crushed
3 T. whisky, I used Jack Daniels
few pinches fresh black pepper

In a large bowl mix the marinade and add chicken. Cover and let marinate for three days, stirring once per day. When ready to cook. Preheat oven to 425°. Line a pan with sides with foil and place chicken, discarding the marinade. Bake for 18 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 170°. I am finding that a thermometer is crucial in cooking meats as it helps me avoid over cooking. Serves 6-12 depending on the cut of chicken you used.



Note- I am hooked on fried plantains ever since I have been getting the best Cuban chicken at a little place in Arlington called Caribbean Grill. They have the best of everything there. Cuban rice and beans, spinach, plantains, and fried yucca. The sauces are killer. It is cash only, so hit the ATM before visiting.

Push Pops

Everyone loves a good ice cold popsicle during these hot Summer days. In the past I have made various homemade popsicles, all from those purchased molds. And here is what I have concluded about them, the molds that is; they are a pain in the butt to wash, there is never enough of them, and they really don't work all that great, at least the ones I have had. So after reading an article on How to Make Homemade Bomb Pops by Amanda Clarke at Serious Eats, I thought I would try my hand at frozen pops again. The picture of the pointy pop in her article, reminded me of my huge supply of disposable pastry bags and I thought to myself that they could be my answer to the homemade popsicle conundrum. I have made stick pops and the pop falls off the stick or the kids eats them too slowly and they drip everywhere. But the pastry bags reminded me of a type of push pop I ate as a kid at school. The lunch lady would cut the tops off of these triangle shaped Italian Water Ices so that we could push them up while eating. What melted went to the bottom of the container and with the help of a napkin our hands would not get too cold. The pastry bags worked like a charm.


I folded the pastry bags over large plastic cups and filled them with a strawberry smoothie mixture, recipe below. These are the triangular pastry bags that still have a point, they are not open, just in case you were wondering or hoping I was that dumb! I placed the cups in the freezer over night then cut the plastic off down to the top of the pop. I wrapped the Push Pops with a napkin and gave them to the kids. No mess, although Littleness did pop hers out across the table once. But it was replaced easily with no tears.


I popped the rest in a zip-top bag to store in the freezer for future Push Pop experiences. Here is the recipe I used. You can use what ever you want for these as well. Come up with something stronger for the adults too if you want. And no stinkin' molds to wash.

Strawberry Push Pops
2 pounds strawberries, washed and hulled
sugar to taste, I used steevia
water

You may need to do this in two batches, I did. Fill a blender halfway up with strawberries. Pour water halfway up the berries. Blend until smooth, add a little sugar at a time and blend. Repeat with the rest of the strawberries. Fill pastry bags 1/3 full with the smoothie mixture. Freeze. Makes about 6-7 Push Pops.

Favorite Fish Patties

Even though everyone gives me a hard time about stinking up the house while cooking fish, they all seem to shut their traps when they bite into these over the top crispy Fish Patties. This is one of my quick, go to meals. It uses cooked fish, which I gently cook up in the microwave. How easy is that? Then mixed with a few other ingredients this dish is a snap. The baking powder is the secret. It gives this patty that extra crispness that I really like in a fish patty. I served these with tarter sauce and lemon wedges along side a big bowl of fresh pineapple and cantaloupe.

Favorite Fish Patties
1 pound wild caught, cooked fish, reserve any juice from cooking
1 egg
1/2 cup minced onion
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. seasoned salt
few pinches of fresh cracked black pepper
1 1/2 cups oil for frying

Mix the first seven ingredients together well. If the batter seems a little dry add some of the cooking juices. I usually end up adding 1/8- 1/4 cup. Form into 4-6 balls, they will be wet and sticky, add to hot oil and gently press down into a patty. Fry until each side is golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. Serve on grilled buns with tarter sauce. Serves 4.

Note- I used Wild Caught Dover Sole Filets to make this dish. I do like Trader Joe's flash frozen fish packets. They are all about the right size to make this recipe. I have tried most white fish as well as salmon for these patties.

PS- Go to Panini Happy to see Kathy the Panini Queen in action with her take on this sandwich.

A Game of Tag

Tag I'm it! Tag is fun, remember it as kids? All kinds of tag from Freeze Tag, Cartoon Tag, Tunnel Tag, or worse...Water Tag. Well this is internet tag and I didn't have to get all hot and sweaty or short of breath to play. I just checked my comments and saw that I was tagged by Big Black Dog and Take the Cannoli. At least this Big Black Dog doesn't bite and I'll take a cannoli any day. Then I hit send and tag six other folks, so much drier than Water Tag!

Here are the rules:
# Link to the person who tagged you.
# Post the rules on the blog.
# Write six random things about yourself.
# Tag six people at the end of your post.
# Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving them a comment.
# Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

Six random things about me:
1. I walked down the isle at my wedding to Amazing Grace played live on bagpipes. Sniffle.
2. I played 100 holes of golf in one day. Once.
3. I broke my tailbone while pushing out my first baby. No comment.
4. In college I switched from pre-med to nursing due to a small explosion in the Organic Chem Lab. I got an "A" in Combustion.
5. I jumped out of a 34 ft Jump Tower at Fort Bragg. More like pushed out. And I didn't count one one thousand, two one thousand...I screamed, "I'm gonna die!"
6. While at tea in a castle in Germany my thigh-high pantie hose fell down. Only one leg though.

Run Forrest, run! I tag:
Low Budget Cooking
A Southern Grace
Amelia Grazia
Technicolor Kitchen
Do What I Like
Culinary Concoctions by Peabody

Crash Hot Potatoes and Rotisserie Beef

Iwas in the mood for a nice dinner the other night. I didn't want kid food anymore as I have that regularly for lunch now that the kids are home from school. I was ready for a meat and potato dinner with a nice salad and rolls. I had purchased a four pound eye roast and cut it in half, placing the other half in the freezer for future use. I decided to rotisserie the roast but only after I rubbed it with something, but what? Then it hit me, I remembered my new Chicago Steak Seasoning from Penzeys. I was very generous with that smokey smelling spice rub. While it was cooking, the smokey scent was causing me some serious hunger pains as it reminded me of the smoked meat I used to enjoy in North Carolina. The two pound roast only took 45 minutes for medium doneness or 160 degrees. While that cooked I made The Pioneer Women's Crash Hot Potatoes. I did not use fresh herbs, even though I have them in abundance, I used Penzeys' Sunny Paris instead. It was a grand slam home run. What amazing potatoes. Creamy on the inside and crispy on the out. The Sunny Paris was absolutely perfect, what a great blend for potatoes. I served this meal with a garden salad, rolls, and fresh fruit.

I want to show you a picture of my Rotisserie in action. Can you smell it? This George Foreman toaster oven has to be one of my favorite appliances. We use it daily for toast, muffins, snacks, pie baking, small cakes, broiling, and rotisserie. I have had it for two years without any trouble. Genuflect. Spit. Spit. Salt over the left shoulder, or is it the right? Darn. I don't want to go jinxing myself, so I'll whisper. This is a great little machine. If you have been looking for an extra oven then give this one a try. Yes it is big but it does a great job. No, I don't own stock or get anything for this plug, if only.


Have a safe and happy Liberty Day! If you don't have any special plans, at least make those potatoes, really.

Thanks Pioneer Woman for the great Crash Hot Potato recipe, I give you a Standing Ovation!

100th Post!

Today is my 100th Post! Happy Post Day to me or I should say to us. I would like to thank my producer, God. My encourager, my brother Rob that dude at attifood with an attitude. My little eaters, Dryden, Deven, and Daelyn. My love and chief food critic "It's alright", Himself. My bloggy friends who encourage me through their faithful comments. And my readers, thanks for checking in daily. And to my Supper Club girlies and best friends, you are my inspiration. To my mom, who taught me what cooking and life is all about. I am loving this new hobby of mine. What a great creative outlet, too bad I didn't discover it sooner. I am learning so much about photography, food styling, lighting, writing, editing, web design and building, food trends, and everything else food related. Thanks for your loyalty and I'll keep writing.


Now for something fun, a big fat Candy Cake. I started making these a few years ago when I wanted to bring something original (and could travel well) to a family picnic all the way in Seattle. I couldn't bring potato salad, security at the airport wouldn't let me, so I came up with this cake. It is a Red Vine plastic canister, full of Red Vines of course, covered in colorfully wrapped candy. I purchased the Red Vines from Target as well as the candy assortment in a mega sized bag. It was like doing a Pinata but without stitches, head injuries, blindness, and the riotous plunge for the goods.I had the kids sort the candies then used double-sided tape to attach the candies. Once the entire container was covered and I was sure that the lid would still come off, I wrapped the entire "cake" in clear cellophane and secured it with a rainbow of curling ribbons. Very colorful and very welcomed by all the children at the picnic. There is no chocolate so nothing melted. I gave each child a clear cellophane bag with twisty tie (from Michael's) and opened the lid and let them take some Red Vines and pull some candies off the exterior. It was like doing a Pinata but without stitches, head injuries, blindness, and the riotous plunge for the goods. Some adults even picked off some candy, Himself included. I also made one of these for Himself when he turned, ahem, older. He is the king of candy so this was the perfect cake. Fun to make and eat, a pretty center piece too, give this Candy Cake a try at your next party.

Below is a picture of the "cake" with the lid off. Sorry it is blurry but the photographer was eating all the leftover candies that did not fit on the cake and had a bit of a sugar buzz. But you get the idea.

Each month I highlight a few food blogs that I have been enjoying. If you are new to my site, below are the past BOTM. Look to my side bar for the current BOTM. I am appreciating their fine recipes, beautiful photography, and wonderful stories. I hope you enjoy peaking into their kitchens as much as I.

June 2008
A Southern Grace
A Yankee in a Southern Kitchen
Big Black Dog
Laylita's Recipes
The District Domestic
The Paupered Chef

May 2008
Attifood
Art and Aioli
Dinners for a Year and Beyond
Do Better
Lucy's Kitchen Notebook
Warm Olives and Cool Cocktails

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