Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas! Jordan and I decided to stay in Reno for Christmas, rather than drive to LA, due to all the storms scheduled to come through this area. We did get a fair amount of snow over the last several days.

Sunday started off with Pannetone French toast for breakfast. I love the holidays because you see so many special items only made during this time, like Pannetone. We have a little Italian store in Reno that stocks all things Italian. I love walking through this store to see what they have-Torrone, Pannetone, Italian cookies, canned tomatoes, olive oil, and 00 flour, among other things.

After breakfast I started making a Hazelnut-Chocolate Meringue Cake to take to Gas Lamp (one of our favorite restaurants, owned by Chef Danny, who was kind enough to let me use his kitchen for my catering job). Just a thank you. I also hoped he would order this dessert from me for Christmas or New Years as a special. Usually Gas Lamp is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, but this year the restaurant stayed open for Christmas eve and will be open for New Years Eve. They are taking Tuesday and Wednesday this week. Nice. Chef Danny did put in an order with me for the meringue cake made in individual portions (as the larger cake is hard to cut unless you freeze it first, then cut it and let it warm up to room temperature before serving it. He did that without even tasting it! Lest you think this was easy, I have to admit I made this cake twice. The first time I made it with egg whites I had left over from another project. Bad idea to use old egg whites. You draw 8 inch circles on parchment paper and keep your meringue in those circles. Well, the first time, the meringue spread so much, I couldn't use them. Hence, the second cake with fresh egg whites. That cake turned out well, thank goodness!

After we delivered the cake, we stayed for a drink, then left to have dinner at Outback Steak House (Jordan's choice). Terrible wine list but the food was ok.

Monday I cooked for my personal chef client. Lots of good food on his menu list! Dijon-Maple Glazed Ham, Yams with Brown-Butter Vinaigrette, Tangy Almond Garlic String Beans, Sausage and apple stuffed Pork Loin, Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic and Cranberries, Mashed Potatoes, Stracotto (Italian Pot Roast) with Porcini Mushrooms, Roasted Cabbage with Warm Walnut Rosemary Dressing, more Mashed Potatoes,

Bacon and Blue Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast,

Petits Pois a la Francaise, more Mashed Potatoes,

Pasta with Chicken, Sun-dried Tomatoe and Pine nuts, Wild Mushroom Pasta Sauce, Ribollita (an Italian soup),

Pasta Pan-Fried with Butternut Squash, Fried Sage and Pine Nuts. Dessert was a Super-Quick Mocha Yule Log, a take-off of an icebox cake. Yum!!

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were quiet, perhaps as it should be. I made more of the Stracotto (Italian Pot Roast) for our Christmas Eve dinner. The roast is braised with dried porcini mushrooms, onions and beef stock. Once the roast is done, you take the liquid and vegetables and puree them and use them as a sauce over the beef. The sauce had so much flavor, wow! Thank you Giada (Food Network recipe)!

When we work up this morning, it was snowing, and still coming down lightly. Very pretty if you don't have anywhere to go! I did have to go out for more catfood as well as a couple other things. Jordan had cleaned off part of my car (as well as his own) but there was at least six inches of snow still on the car! I made a quick trip, then came home, just as it started snowing again. Time to just chill out (no pun intended)

Saturday, December 22, 2012

It is snowing as I write this and has been snowing all day! It is quite pretty, but I must say, I'm happy there is no where I need to be!

It is also hard to believe Christmas is almost here. The world did not end yesterday as predicted, and so life goes on.

And reflecting back on this year, I have much to be thankful for this holiday season--a home, a job, food on the table, family and friends who love me, clothes to wear and so many other things.

I have been working as a nurse quite a bit this month, driving to Carson City several times a week (about a 28 mile drive one way). My employer started reimbursing mileage for those who are filling in in Carson (they had four people go out for various reasons all at the same time!) so that helps cover the cost of gas.

On a cooking note, I am back to making meals for my biggest personal chef client (who just returned to Reno after spending three week in Hawaii).

I spent Monday, the 17th, cooking and baking. Menu offerings for this past week were

Pan-Seared Steaks for Herb Sauce, Mashed Potatoes and Honey-Glazed Carrots; Roasted Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Proscuitto and Fontina, White Rice and Green Beans with Bacon and Hazelnuts;

Shrimp with Toasted Couscous and Ginger-Orange Sauce; Roasted Pumpkin-Apple Soup;

Butter Roasted Chicken with Roasted Vegetables; Rice and Lentil Salad (I used black lentils, which ended up being a lovely contract to the white basmati rice);

Spaghetti alla Carbonara and for this week's dessert--Bourbon-Pecan Tart. Yum!









I have also been a maniac, baking holiday cookies every day. I decided to give them as gifts this year. I found gift boxes from Martha Stewart on sale at Michael's last week and ended up getting four types of packaging for just %15.00. Usually that type of packaging goes for about $10 a package so I feel very fortunate to have found them on sale!

Sitting here today and looking at all the cookie recipes I still would like to bake (I am trying a lot of new recipes), I figure I need to either stop, or figure out a way to make money doing this! Of course when you give away cookies, people love it (and that's a good thing) but I still need to think of a way to make a living doing this. Ah, yes.....Dorie Greenspan I am not, lol.

Here's my next cookie project:

Giant Ginger Cookies

Yield: twenty-five 4-inch cookies
Bake 350°F 12 mins to 14 mins per batch

Ingredients
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups shortening
2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup molasses
3/4 cup coarse sugar or granulated sugar

Directions

1. In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt; set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl beat shortening with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds to soften. Gradually add the 2 cups granulated sugar. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs and molasses. Beat in as much of the flour mixture as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour mixture.
3. Shape dough into 2-inch balls using 1/4 cup dough. Roll balls in the 3/4 cup coarse or granulated sugar. Place about 2-1/2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 12 to 14 minutes or until cookies are light brown and puffed. (Do not overbake or cookies will not be chewy.) Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool. Store in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!

Saturday, December 8, 2012

It's been a busy two weeks, working mostly in my nursing position.

I did have two catering jobs during this period. The first job was for the surgery center I mentioned earlier. The menu was New York Strip Toast with a Maidera Pan Sauce and as sides, Duchess Potatoes and Garlicky Green Beans.

Dessert was an Apple Cranberry Galette. Yummy!

The second catering job was for an office Christmas party that took place yesterday. Finger food for 25! The menu included Wild Mushroom Pizza,

Mini-Shrimp Rolls,

Mini Manchego Tarts, Gorgonzola and Pear Polenta Rounds,

Keilbasa-Apple Skewers with a Horseradish Dipping Sauce,

Chile-Lime Cashews, Spiced Roasted Chickpeas, and Caramelized Onion and Shallot Dip served with Crudites. For a sweet, I also made Tuxedo Brownie Bites. Those are mini borwnies topped with a mix of whipped cream, white chocolate and cream chees and topped with a strawberry slice. Another yum! They provided their own wine and beer. The recipes were from Bon Appetit and www.foodnetwork.com. Lots of choices for this time of year.

My Mom is doing well, although is not happy about being in rehab/nursing home. It seems it is a "no-frills" place so is a little depressing. Hopefully my sisters will be able to take her home in a week.

As I have the next three days off, I've been thinking of baking cookies. That's one of the things that make up Christmas and getting in the spirit. Not sure exactly whick ones I'll bake-so many cookies, so little time! I'll let you know which ones I bake.