Wednesday, February 6, 2013

The days here in Maui have been flying by! It is difficult to admit that on Saturday it is time to head home. But I won't dwell on that-isn't it more important to live in the moment? Life is definitely too short to do otherwise.

This is the second week of my Coursera Nutrition for Health and Wellness through the University of California0San Francisco. The instructor, Katie, added a short introduction video to the second week that said over 24,000 (!!!) people have signed on to this course, from over 100 countries around the world. On the discussion board, many people introduced themselves, and said they hoped to improve their English. It seems hard enough to learn nutrition in English, that I can't imagine trying to learn it in a foreign language! Learning new things daily is a good thing, though.

Tuesday morning we ate some of the zucchini muffins I made Monday evening (after the stuffed zucchini dinner). And of course, coffee. Starbucks. Has to be my favorite brand of coffee.

Tuesday's lunch was a Chickpea Salad. Chickpeas (canned: drained and rinsed well), diced yellow bell pepper, sliced green onions, diced tomatoes, diced celery, all tossed with a balsamic vinaigrette. Very healthy, vegan as well as good tasting. Nothing against any of the vegetarians or vegans out there, but I guess I still like a little meat in my diet. I guess you can take the girl out of Wisconsin, but you can't take Wisconsin out of the girl. Wisconsin-dairy state, lots of cows!

Tuesday afternoon we went to the Kapalua beach near the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. Not many people seem to go to this beach, other than surfers and people with dogs. It is a beautiful beach! It is often windy though as it open to trade winds blowing (which also whips up sand so on a windy day you sometimes feel like you are being sandblasted! Good for a natural dermabrasion, lol?). There were whales playing out in the water. One actually jumped out of the water while we were watching! I don't know about you, but I thought that was way cool! Whales are such magnificant creatures. taking a picture with my iPhone does not do justice to some of the sights here on Maui.


After we came back from the beach, I started dinner (early). I made Beef Bourginon (Laura Caulder's recipe, not Julia Child's). The beef needed two hours roasting in the oven in a wonderfully fragrant sauce of beef stock, red wine, onions and carrots and garlic, as well as a small bouqet garni. The end result was a darkly rich sauce with a garni of onions (alas, no small round/boiling onions were to be found in the Maui market), mushrooms and bacon (bacon makes SO many things taste absolutely divine!). And we finally had that cheesecake for dessert!

I was going to leave the cheesecake plain on top (I can be a purist when it comes to cheesecake!) but Grace Parisi put jam on top of her little cheesecakes.....I didn't have raspberry or strawberry jam but I DID have guava jelly! So I heated a little of it in the microwave then poured it on top of the cheesecake before I put it in the refrigerator to chill. It looked gorgeous with that red-orange color on top. And most importantly, the cheesecake tasted good (yeah!).

Wednesday (today) we went out to breakfast at Maui Fish & Pasta. Doesn't sound like a good place for breakfast by the name, but they serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. I may sound like a snob, but I can cook a better breakfast. And they have the worst coffee! Too bad... But, I always like going out to breakfast, so no complaining!

Lunch was leftover Ribolita soup, pear slices wrapped in serano ham, Manchego cheese and crackers. I am trying to use up the food that is left. No sense wasting food! It's been raining off and on, sprinkles really but as the sun is out again, I am heading outside to catch some rays before they go behind the clouds again! Aloha!

Monday, February 4, 2013

Today we had small showers most of the day. Some sun did peek out, but it was mostly cloudy. Still warm though! :-)

While sitting on the lanai this morning (and I have to admit, almost any morning you can find whales playing in the ocean near shore), we saw several whales out on in the water between Maui and Lanai and Molokai. A small whale was doing what is called "lobtailing". This is done to warn other whales of danger but also to "scare" fish so that they swarm in a tighter "school" to make it easier for the whales to eat (oh, my!). It was SO cool to watch the whales as they jump out of the water or "lobtail" of just blow water into the air through their blow hole.

Before starting lunch, I made a small cheesecake to serve as dessert for the next day. Cheesecake needs to chill some before serving or it just isn't quite right. I followed a recipe from Grace Parisi whose recipe was for 12 individual cheesecakes. I had Oreo cookies left over from making the Chocolate-Raspberry Truffle Tarts, so had the crust. I had cream cheese, but no fromage blanc ("white cheese", kind of fresh tasting cheese, somewhat like creamy chevre). I substituted ricotta cheese for the formage blanc and whipped it up. I did not have any cupcake papers or foil so made a small 5 inch square cheesecake. It's for dinner Tuesday night! Here is Grace Parisi's Mini Cheescakes, you'll see mine later.

Mini Black-Bottom Cheesecakes
Contributed by Grace Parisi of Food and Wine Magazine
Active: 20 MIN
Total Time: 45 MIN
Servings: Makes 12 Tarts

F&W's Grace Parisi made several versions of these brilliant little jam–topped cheesecakes, substituting fromage blanc and other tangy soft cheeses for the usual sour cream. Some versions were sweeter, others more tart; all were delicious. In these single-serving desserts from Parisi, the rich and creamy cheesecakes are baked atop a chocolate-wafer base. You don't need any special equipment to make them—just a muffin tin and foil liners.

Ingredients:
Vegetable oil spray
24 plain chocolate wafer cookies, preferably Nabisco
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup fromage blanc (6 ounces), at room temperature
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup seedless raspberry preserves, warmed

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with foil baking cups and spray the cups with vegetable oil spray. In a food processor, crush the chocolate wafer cookies. Add the butter and process until fine crumbs form. Spoon the chocolate cookie crumbs into the prepared baking cups and press with the bottom of a glass to compact. Bake for 5 minutes, or until almost set. Leave the oven on.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar at medium speed until smooth. Beat in the fromage blanc, then add the eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth.
Pour the cheesecake batter into the baking cups, filling them three-quarters full.
Bake the cheesecakes for 15 minutes, or until slightly jiggly in the center. Remove from the oven and spread 1 teaspoon of the warmed raspberry preserves on top of each cheesecake. Transfer the muffin tin to the freezer and chill the cheesecakes until set, about 15 minutes.
Remove the cheesecakes from the pan and peel off the foil baking cups. Transfer the cheesecakes to a platter and serve.

MAKE AHEAD The mini black-bottom cheesecakes can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.
NOTES Instead of Fromage Blanc Crème fraîche, goat cheese, lebneh or quark.

For lunch I was feeling industrious so made Croque-Madame, the French version of a ham and cheese sandwich (this particular version topped with an egg). Mine was a little unusual as I used whole grain artisan bread (tastes kind of nutty). You spread both sides of your bread with soft butter, then toast it in the oven. Once the bread is toasted, spread a little Dijon mustard on one side, layer sliced ham and shredded Gruyere cheese, then top with a second slice of toasted bread. While your bread is toasting, you can make your bechamel sauce (really more like a Mornay sauce as the bechamel gets flavored with Parmesan and Gruyere cheeses). Top your sandwich with some of the bechamel sauce, sprinkle a tablespoon or so of shredded gruyere and pop is back into the oven for ten minutes. While your sandwich is warming in the oven, soft fry an egg and place the egg on top of your sandwich once it comes out of the oven. The yolk should be soft enough that when broken, it will run out over your sandwich. Quite a decadent lunch, but well worth it!!

I did make it to the pool for a bit in the afternoon but showers finally drove me back to the condo. Still, no complaints. It is lovely here!

Dinner was Stuffed Zucchini with Tomato Sauce, another recipe from Ellie Kreiger. Healthy, easy to make (kind of easy-I had to core out zucchini without a melon baller but found some very long handled measuring spoons in a drawer that work well for this!). This dish looks impressive, although almost anything "stuffed" presents well.

I made Zucchini muffins to eat for breakfast the next day. I just couldn't toss out the zucchini I scraped out for the stuffed zucchini dinner! It was definitely a good use for leftover zucchini!

More to follow.....

Sunday, February 3, 2013

Another gorgeous day on Maui! And for Americans, today is also Super Bowl Sunday (San Francisco vs Baltimore).

Saturday morning I decided we needed French toast for breakfast. We had bananas and some leftover caramel sauce from my first night here. So, quick French toast, thin sliced sour dough bread dipped in a sweeten royal (3 eggs to 1 cup of cream). I sliced a banana, then topped it all with caramel sauce. French toast ala Bananas Foster!

The knife we bought my second day here broke after only 2 days. The blade came right out of the handle!! The tang (the end of the knife blade that fits into the handle) was only about 1 inch long, so I think that goes a long way to explain why it broke so quickly. Off we went to the store to see if we could replace it. We did not, however, go back to Foodland Farms where we bought the first one (great groceries, not so great utensils). We ended up, of all places, Longs Drug Store. Would you believe the drug store had a grocery section complete with fresh produce and meats as well as the usual things you find in a drug store!? It was facinating to see what they carried (ok, so I am easily amused). There was an isle that had kitchen gadgets and low and behold, they carried awesome Japanese knives! I asked for the least expensive (the knives started at $30 but at least the tangs were bolted into the handles-a good thing), so ended up with a knife about six inches long. It is one of the nicest knives I ever worked with. Very nice!

Lunch was a Layered Tomato Tuna Salad. They have such great tuna filets here, that instead of canned tuna, I used fresh tuna and did a quick saute and added the flaked tuna to the salad. A layer of chopped tomatoes, a layer of white beans (tossed with a little vinaigrette), a layer of tuna, a layer of chopped egg the garnished with chopped parsley and more vinaigrette. Quite a nice salad, really.

After lunch came the daily question of "Do I go to the beach or the pool?" it's becomes somewhat of a joke here. But alas, still one that needs answering as I do get a lot of free time. I actually laid out in the lounge chair near our lani'i! I am working on a great tan while I am here (even though it will not last long once I get back to Reno).

A little reading, then it was time to start dinner. Sauteed Pork Medallions in an Apple Cider-Mustard Sauce, mashed potatoes and green beans sauteed with garlic and lemon. Yum! Dessert was Carmelized Pineapple served over ice cream. They have the most amazing pineapples here. So much tastier than what you get on the mainland, although I was told it was hard to get a bad pineapple in Hawaii. I suppose so!

Today's lunch was Ribollita (an Italian vegetable soup) served with Shrimp and Pineapple chunks wrapped in bacon (I needed to use up both some shrimp and some of the pineapple). Who would have thought bacon, shrimp and pineapple would be such a good combination?

I decided on the pool after lunch but didn't stay long. The trade winds have really kicked up but the wind was irradic so I cut my pool time short. Outside our condo unit, are bushes of red hibiscus. The blooms only last a day or two, then they fall off, but the numbers of flowers is impressive. Sure can't find THAT in Reno! The rest of the afternoon was filled with reading, although I did tune into the Super Bowl off and on to watch the score.

Dinner tonight was Chicken Marsala served over pasta and a tomato salad-a small take on the Caprese salad sans cheese. Meals have been turning out well here and with all the experience I've gotten the last two years, meals come together pretty quickly for me. It helps that cooking still makes me happy. It never seems like a chore.

After dinner, we sat out on the lani'i, looking at the sky, listening to the waves crashing on the beach. It is quite soothing...

Friday, February 1, 2013

Happy Friday! Or I go "island" and say Aloha Friday! The days do seem to run together here on Maui. I have little responsibilities except cooking so this is pretty much a working vacation. I know the days because I have planned menus for the two weeks I am here and check everyday to make sure I have all the supplies I need to make each meal, but other than that....this seems like a real vacation compared to my other job as a nurse.

Wednesday evening we went out to dinner at the Banyon Tree restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua, just as I said. What a gorgeous view we had. And of course, Robert (think French Rrrro-ber) was our waiter. He remembered me and was very kind in welcoming me and my friends back. (And I am very lucky to also be friends with the people I cook for, as it makes it all much more fun and enjoyable for us all.) I decided on two appetizers and a salad for dinner rather than one entree. I had a goat cheese tart with a little salad (think French small portions for everything-which in my case, works very well), Sea Scallops with Candied Bacon and Steamed BBQ Pork Buns. Kind of a random dinner, but still, a way to try many things versus one entree, as I said before. We had a lovely bottle of wine along with dinner. Dessert was wonderful! Kona Coffee ice cream with Cinnamon-Sugar Churros and a Chocolate tart. The weather was clear and the sunset beautiful from the restaurant.

Thursday dawned with cloudy skies once again. Apparently the trade winds blew the storm clouds that had passed through earlier this week, back over Maui and the big island so we had rain off and on all day Thursday. We went shopping in the morning for more groceries to finish out my stay on Maui, then returned back to the condo. Lunch was Past Carbonara, always a nice pasta choice and in small portions, a very nice lunch.

For dinner I made Braised Pork Tenderloin with Wild Mushrooms, mashed potatoes and Roasted Broccoli. I must admit, the Wild Mushroom sauce was to die for and was perfect on the pork. And what vegetables are not divine tasting when roasted in the oven? Yum!! Dessert was the last of the coconut milk rice pudding.



This morning we had a few more things to buy at the grocery store so left early to pick those things up. One thing I insist on is a good sharp knife. None of the knives at the condo were sharp at all, so we had bought an inexpensive chef knife earlier in the week. Two days later the blade and tang loosened and came out of the handle! A brand new knife! So today, we went looking for another knife. All the better knives were at least $30, but it seemed worth it. I require very little in the way of "gadgets" but I do need a sharp knife! The new knife (Japanese) works very well!

I made a big breakfast using the lobster from the other night as well as one scallop. It made for very decadent eggs! The leftover mashed potatoes from the night before, turned into potato pancakes with sourdough toast rounding out the plate.

After breakfast, it was off to the old beach we used last year while staying in Kapalua. I had forgotten how hard the wind blows there as the beach is exposed to the open sea more than most of the beaches on Maui. The wind blows the fine sand around and after a while it feels like your skin is being sandblasted! Needless to say, a shower was in order upon returning home.

As we were all still full from breakfast, a quick discussion ensued regarding what to make for lunch. We opted for a lighter fare so lunch was composed of sliced Bosc pear wrapped in Serrano ham served with slices of Manchego cheese and some crackers. It hit the spot!

I spent the afternoon finishing my Nutrition course first assignment and quiz. A lot of work is involved for a course that offers no college credit, but I have learned a lot. A lot of people have introduced themselves on the class discussion board and I am surprised to see there are people from all over the globe taking the same class. It is nice to have something in common with all those people.

I took a break after finishing my classwork and my friend snapped a picture of me "working hard" while in Maui. I sent it to my family so they could see me at "work", lol.

Dinner was Pasta with Shrimp, Baby Arugula, Olives and Feta. The fresh herbs used in this recipe made such a difference to the final taste of the dish. Another success!

Before dinner I whipped up (literally) Chocolate Mousse for dessert. This picture shows how you make due with the serving pieces you have and you just make it work. Mmmmmmm, I think everything is made better with chocolate!

Chocolate Mousse from Gourmet December 2002

Ingredients
2 cups chilled heavy cream
4 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
7 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped
Garnish: lightly sweetened whipped cream


preparation

Heat 3/4 cup cream in a 1-quart heavy saucepan until hot. Whisk together yolks, sugar, and a pinch of salt in a metal bowl until combined well, then add hot cream in a slow stream, whisking until combined. Transfer mixture to saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until it registers 160°F on thermometer. Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and stir in vanilla.

Melt chocolate in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water (or in a glass bowl in a microwave at 50 percent power 3 to 5 minutes), stirring frequently. Whisk custard into chocolate until smooth, then cool.
Beat remaining 1 1/4 cups cream in a bowl with an electric mixer until it just holds stiff peaks. Whisk one fourth of cream into chocolate custard to lighten, then fold in remaining cream gently but thoroughly.

Spoon mousse into 8 (6-ounce) stemmed glasses or ramekins and chill, covered, at least 6 hours. Let stand at room temperature about 20 minutes before serving.

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

It was a dark and stormy night.....oops, wrong genre!

Well, it has been cloudy and rainy the last two days. I feel sympathy for the people who come here for only a week and part of that week it is raining. Kind of puts a crimp in your style. It rains so little in Nevada that I never mind when it rains. And of course, this is a working vacation for me.

Since it was raining, I did some baking. Chocolate chip cookies and Olive Oil Coffeecake. It is always a challenge baking when going between high altitude and sea level, but I think I am getting the hang of it. More leavening is needed at sea level than at a high altitude. Most recipes seem to be written for sea level or close to it. Just use less yeast, baking soda or baking powder when baking at high altitudes and things turn out well.

Lunch on Monday was Broccoli-Cheese Pie. Since this is a rental unit, you kind of use what's available. I found a 6 inch by 6 inch square glass pan, and that became my "pie plate". It worked out just fine.

As it was raining, we stayed indoors with occasional outings to the lanai (patio) outside the condo. There is such a beautiful view here! I am always amazed by it.

Monday dinner was Balsamic Chicken with Baby Spinach and Couscous. An easy dish from Ellie Krieger (Food Network) that appeals to everyone.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved
8 ounces baby spinach
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup low-sodium canned chopped tomatoes with juice
2 cups whole wheat couscous, cooked




Directions

Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken and cook about 4 minutes per side, or until cooked through and juices run clear. Remove the chicken and set aside. To the same pan, add the spinach and cook just until wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. Lower the heat to medium and add the balsamic vinegar and chicken broth to the pan and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any browned bits. Add the tomatoes, bring to a simmer and cook 3 to 5 minutes.

Place the couscous in a serving bowl. Top with the spinach, chicken and balsamic-tomato sauce.

Dessert on Monday was Coconut Rice Pudding made with coconut milk (you'd think it was made with actual shredded coconut, but that is optional in this recipe). I had bought coconut milk for a dish on Tuesday evening, but knew I would have a lot left over, so decided to utilize it for another purpose. Since I am only here two weeks, I am trying to build meals around similar supplies so I am not wasting much, if anything. Serve it in a special bowl (in my case a martini glass). I try to pay attention to plating of food because we eat with our eyes first, then our mouth.

Using every bit of food we bought is important to me not just because groceries are expensive enough in Hawaii. There was also a story on evening TV news that covered the amount of food Americans throw away. It is astounding the amount of food we carelessly throw away!

The weather was suppose to clear on Tuesday. Although it appeared at first the clouds were dissapating, it gradually became cloudy again and rained most of Tuesday afternoon. We took a walk during what we thought was a break in the clouds, but ended up soaked by the time we got back to the condo. Oh, well! It's only water.

Tuesday lunch was a Pan Bagnat (recipe courtesy of Laura Caulder from the Cooking Channel). It is a sandwich which starts with a French baguette filled with marinated sliced tomatoes, red onion and fresh basil leaves, sliced hard boiled egg and sliced black olives. The baguette was hollowed out then rubed with half a clove of garlic, then sprinkled with olive oil. The longer you let it sit, the better it gets as the olive oil and vinegar seep into bread. Yum!

Dinner was Papaya Rice Salad with Grilled Shrimp. The recipe (from Cooking Light magazine June 2005) calls for mango not papaya but we couldn't find any mangos! So, you improvise with something similar but more readily available. I guess one thing I learned in cooking school, was if you don't have exactly what is needed, use what is available. Although that takes some thought because you need to realize what foods will work together and taste just as good and what won't work together. We repeated the Raspberry-Chocolate Truffle tarts for dessert last night. It is nice to know that the tarts will hold up for a good number of days without losing their good flavor!

I am taking an online nutrition class through Coursera. The class started Monday, the 28th, and lasts for six weeks. And the best part? It's free!! More and more classes are being offered online for no charge and being taught by some of the best professors in any given field. You cannot get a college credit for them, but you can learn more about topics of interest to you. Their website is www.coursera.org if you'd like to check it out.

And here it is Wednesday. The clouds have almost disappeared and the sun is out. I can see why Hawaii is called "paradise". I made some French toast for breakfast this morning. There was some sliced sourdough bread that was bought before I arrived and it seemed a good thing to take advantage of (little or no waste, remember?). I mixed up a custard (1 cup of half & half, two eggs, 1/4 cup of sugar, a splash of vanilla and a pinch of salt), dunked the bread slices (I have to admit, I like thick sliced French or Italian bread for French toast but I used what I had) and cooked them on the stovetop until browned on both sides. It certainly cooks more quickly when you work with thin-sliced bread! A few raspberries for garnish, pass the maple syrup and voila! Breakfast in less than 15 minutes.

After breakfast I cooked some white beans which will be used for a lunch salad today as well as two other recipes over the course of the next week. Would you believe there were no canned cannelini beans at the market? My solution? Start from scratch with dried white beans and cook them myself (I haven't done that in a while, lol, as well-rinsed canned white beans-or garbonzo beans for that matter--work just as well). Lunch today is a Five Minute Salad (again courtesy of Ellie Krieger) with lettuce, white beans, tomatoes, and goat cheese served with a balsamic vinaigrette. Nice and light, as we are going out to dinner tonight at the Banyon Tree restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton tonight (a girl has to have at least one night off a week!). I am looking forward to that! The food is superb there!

Sunday, January 27, 2013

The weeks have flown by and here we are at the end of January, already! Saturday, the 26th, I flew to Maui from Reno to start a private chef job for two weeks. I know, tough isn't it?

My plane arrived at 2pm Saturday. My employer picked me up and off we went to Ka'anapali to stay at Ka'anapoli Shores. The condo is a corner unit and is about 20 feet from the beach. Talk about a great work place! We took a walk up the beach for exercise and to look at the different properties along the ocean front.

Saturday evening I was taken out to dinner (resting up the day of my arrival) at Merriman's Restaurant in Kapalua, right up the road from Ka'anapoli. The restaurant is right at the edge of the beach with a fabulous view of the sunset. I had Scallops with Bacon and a corn salsa and a half lobster tail. Yum! For dessert, I had masalades filled with white chocolate. These are little beignets, really, tossed with powdered sugar and delivered to your table in a little paperbag. It came with a caramel dipping sauce.

Sunday morning, the 27th, we went off to the grocery store (Foodland Farms) to shop for supplies for the rest of the week. The only problem with cooking in an unknown environment is that you never know what pots and pans there are, whether the knives are sharp or dull (dull), etc. And of course, there are the usual staples if you want to bake anything or use any spices. So a trip to the store was almost $400.00! And don't forget that often food is twice the price in Hawaii as it is on the mainland. Sticker shock at it's finest.

Lunch yesterday was Ratatouille. Nothing like a big plate of seasoned vegetables as a delicious meal.

In the afternoon I went to the beach to lay out a bit to get some color (or new wrinkles as a friend of mine told me, lol). While laying there, several of the tourists along the walk starting talking about seeing something, so I got up off the lounge chair to see what they were so excited about. About six feet off shore was a sea turtle! He was about three feet long, with fins. He looked like he was surfing the waves (which reminded me of the sea turtles in Finding Nemo). Sea turtles are a protected species, so any contact with them is forbidden. Every once in a while, he would stick his head out of the water. Amazing!

After the beach, I started in on the Sunday night dessert: Raspberry Chocolate Truffle Tart. It contains a chocolate cookie crust, chocolate ganache with one raspberry in the center. A lovely recipe courtesy of Tyler Florence.



Truffle Tarts with Raspberries

Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups fine chocolate wafer crumbs (from Oreo cookies or chocolate wafers)
6 tablespoons melted butter
1 recipe Dark Chocolate Truffles, recipe follows, whipped but not shaped into balls
6 fresh raspberries, plus extra for serving

Directions
Use a fork to mix together the chocolate wafer crumbs and butter. Spray the cups of a 6-muffin tin with a vegetable spray. Line the cups with strips of parchment or waxed paper, cut so that they are as wide as the diameter of each cup and long enough to overhang the sides (you'll need this overhang to remove the tarts). Use the bottom of a small glass to press the crumbs over the bottom and sides of the muffin cups, building the sides up to only about 1 1/2 inches. Place a raspberry in the center of each crust and with a pastry bag or small plastic bag with the corner snipped off, fill the tarts with the truffle mixture. Smooth the tops and refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.

Dark Chocolate Truffles:
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 ounces good-quality (70 percent) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup cocoa powder, for dusting

In a saucepan, bring the cream just to a simmer over low heat. Pour the cream over the chocolate in a bowl and let stand about 10 minutes to melt the chocolate. Add the vanilla and stir until smooth. Set aside to cool for 1 hour at room temperature. Then beat the chocolate at medium speed until it gets thick and light colored. Spread over the bottom of a baking dish and smooth the top. Refrigerate about 2 hours, until firm.

Pour the cocoa powder onto a deep plate or shallow bowl. Use a melon baller or small ice cream scoop to scoop out balls of chocolate; place them on the plate with the cocoa powder and roll between 2 forks to completely coat with the cocoa powder. Then use the forks to carefully transfer them to a parchment or waxed lined baking sheet.

Yield: 15 to 20 candies, depending on size

Dinner was Cumin-Crusted Grilled Tuna with Avocado Relish served with white rice. Also an easy but tasty dish from from McCormick (the spice people). After dinner we watched Downton Abbey-a PBS series. I've seen it before but have not followed up, so some things needed to be explained to me, lol. Ah, well.... After the show finished, it was dessert time. A round of approval was given the the Raspberry Chocolate Truffle Tart!

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Happy New Year! (Just a little late, lol)

I never cease to be amazed at how quickly time flies. Life often seems to just happen, which means you have to work to remember what is important in life.

We have had so many winter storms here that we spent Christmas at home rather than trying to drive to LA to spend it with my sisters and my mom. The snow is beautiful but SO cold! (I know, duh, that's obvious, but winters in Reno have been very mild.)

New Years Eve Jordan and I had dinner at Gas Lamp, one of our favorite restaurants, then headed over to the Grand Sierra to ring in the new year. Jordan is not so enthralled with Christmas, but he loves New Years. It is exciting to be with a large group of people when midnight strikes but then I'm ready to go home!

I have been cooking the last few weeks for my personal chef client who is back from Maui, which is always a pleasure. Dishes like Bruchetta with Peppers and Gorgonzola, Lamp Chops withPomegrate and Dried Fig Relish, Roasted Squash, Stuffed Chicken Divan with Sherry Dijon Sauce, Aubergine Caviar (Eggplant), Pecan Rice Pilaf, Savory Chicken Pot Pies, Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Aged Cheddar, Pancetta and Sauteed Leeks, Cavatelli Pasta with Sweet Sausage, Roasted Peppers and Raisins, Balsamic Marinated Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Grapes (truly a treat if you have never tried roasting grapes),

Filet Mignon Drizzled with a Maple Balsamic Reduction, Sweet Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Parmesan Potato Crochettes, Tuscan Roasted Chicken and Vegetables,

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Chard and White Beans, Leek and Goat Cheese tart, Panko Shrimp with Strawberry Aioli, Minestrone soup, and Cochon Butcher's Muffaletta. Desserts were Walnut Pear Sour Cream Cake and

Chocolate Cream Cake (no flour, can you believe it?!). All yummy dishes!

I have also been trying some new recipes. Last week I made a Spiced Cranberry Cake. I had wanted to make it for Christmas but made so many Christmas cookies, it didn't seem like a good idea to add to all those cookies I had made (even though most of them went to friends for Christmas gifts). I had read about this type of cake (ok, I admit I have a weakness for cozy mysteries with recipes) a few months ago so searched for a recipe for it. Dorie Greenspan had just the recipe I was looking for. And the secret of this wonderful cake? Chinese five-spice! It truly was a great cake. I will add it to my list of recipes if anyone else would like to try it.

I made a carrot cake tonight (the recipe is from Rachel Allen. She has a cooking show on the BBC and the Cooking Channel. She makes it as a loaf cake but I made a six inch double layer cake. Her cream cheese frosting is to die for, I much admit. 9 ounces of cream cheese, 1/4 cup of softened butter, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 10 ounces of confectioners sugar and the zest of one orange. YUM! It was also the first time (since culinary school) that I have baked using weight alone for all my ingredients (except liquids). It was easier than I remember and they (the pastry chef they) say it is the most accurate way to bake to get the best results.


Once I finished the cake, I started in making Key Lime Coolers (ccokies). I was shopping last week and saw Key limes for sale in a one pound bag. You don't often see Key limes in Reno, so I grabbed them while I could. I found a recipe for Key Lime Coolers while reading the coffeehouse mysteries by Cleo Coyle (Alice Alfonso who writes under that name with her husband, Mark). I have gotten a few really good recipes from her website (more cozy mysteries, lol). These cookies use the zest and the juice of Key limes, although you can substitute regular limes if you cannot find Key limes.

Key Lime Coolers

Ingredients:
Cookies:
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp Key lime zest*
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp Key lime juice

For Sugar-dusting:
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
2 tsp Key lime zest

*Note: If you can’t find Key limes, simply substitute the more common (Persian) limes for this recipe. The tart flavor will be less intense, but the cookies will still taste delicious.

Warning: Lime juice may curdle your butter so follow this recipe's directions. Do not add the lime juice to the dough until the end of the mixing process.

Directions: First preheat your oven to 325° F. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Blend in the vanilla extract, salt, and lime zest.
Add the flour and baking powder, and mix very briefly until a shaggy dough forms.
Now add your lime juice and mix until a smooth dough comes together, but do not over-mix or your cookies will be tough instead of tender.

Roll the dough into balls about one inch in diameter.

Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. cookies are done when bottoms are slightly browned. Note that cookies are fragile while warm, so handle with care.

To finish, mix 1⁄2 cup confectioners’ sugar with 2 teaspoons lime zest in a shallow bowl. While cookies are still warm, gently roll them, one at a time, in the bowl of sugar and lime zest.

After all the cookies are coated, finish by sprinkling any remaining sugar-lime mixture over the cookie tops.

Store cooled cookies in an airtight plastic container. They also freeze extremely well.

Thanks for the recipe, Cleo!