A Trick Today and A Treat Tomorrow!

halloween-at-chicos

Photographed while enjoying a Margarita at my beloved Chico’s, the lively, kid-friendly establishment that the Don and I have frequented for the last 33+ years!

Danny Herrera, of the restaurant Rancho La Gloria in Tijuana, is often heralded as the one to have invented the Margarita in 1938. His inspiration is said to have been the very particular Ziegfeld dancer Marjorie King. Declaring she was allergic to all spirits except tequila, and having nothing to do with a straight tequila shot, she demanded that Herrera concoct her something special. And ta da…the margarita was born!

So, go ahead and turn off your front porch lights, head to your nearest Mexican Cantina, and enjoy a Margarita, thanking Herrera and King with each delicious sip!

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Photographed at a darling, quirky little shop in Aberdeen, NC.

Under the Weather with Ginger Beer

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Reed’s is Hands Down my favorite. The Q Ginger in the middle is a strong ale and doesn’t deliver on flavor for me. And the Maine Root pictured on the far right is too strong with other added ingredients. I’d go for the Reed’s every time!                        ©PEGhardee

Happy Weekend! As Hurricane Matthew pummels up our Eastern Coast, I’m sending safety vibes for everyone along its path. So, while you are home listening to the rain and winds (or even if you’re not under a storm warning!), enjoy a little cocktail made with Ginger Beer. I love a  Moscow Mule in the summer; but most folks trade that in for a heavier beverage in cooler weather. Heck, don’t put away that ginger beer so fast; simply add it to bourbon and crushed ice. The flavor difference created by adding ginger beer to your bourbon is startlingly wonderful as compared to plain ale. The ginger is much stronger and quite wonderful in the “beer”. Bonus…its really soothing to the tummy…remember when your Mama used to give you ginger ale as a child when you were “under the weather”? Well, we’re under the weather (watch) this weekend, so go for the gusto! Get out your trapper keeper, ’cause here comes an over simplified educational lesson…While the Ginger Beer in the 1800’s was an alcoholic brew, today’s commercial ginger beers are classified as non-alcoholic, as the alcohol content has been reduced to less than a mere 0.5 percent. Find it in your grocery aisle with soft drinks and mixers! So do a double take and improve your outcomes for the weekend ahead. Be safe out there everyone. Nod to my son-in-law, Marc, for introducing me to ginger beer several years back! Thank you dear. Smile.

Onion and Pasta Soup

End of Summer Bummer? I don’t think so! Pep up sweet people. As we are officially in the final week of Regular Season Baseball, I give you one of my favorite soups, yummy in baseball weather, and on into the fall and winter. Then bring it out again for Spring Training next year! It’s just that and a bit more. To honor Big Papi and his retirement from the Red Sox this year (more on that coming soon!), Liam and I made this with pasta in the shape of a baseball glove. H.E.L.L.O. lunch or dinner for all Four Seasons. Grand Slam!

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Look at that sneaky pea that jumped out of the bowl and on to the plate!

Here’s what you need!

1/2 stick butter
1 Tbs olive oil
1 sweet onion, sliced
1 large leek, white part only, thinly sliced
2 cups frozen peas
4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
4 cups water
1 (or more) cups small pasta
1 t kosher salt
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
8 torn basil leaves
Lemon Sour Cream for garnish, optional
Fontina Toast for garnish, optional

And here’s how you do it:

In 4 quart Dutch oven, heat butter and olive oil over medium low heat until butter is melted.
Add sweet onion and cook 15 minutes until translucent, stirring occasionally.
Add leeks.
Cook, covered 10 minutes.
Stir in peas, chicken broth, water, pasta, and salt.
Bring to boil.
Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered 5 minutes.
Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, and basil.
Serve with Lemon Sour Cream and Fontina Toast.

Lemon Sour Cream:
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbs lemon juice
Season with salt and pepper.
Mix all together in small bowl.

Fontina Toast:
Sour dough bread, sliced
6 slices Fontina cheese
Arrange bread slices on baking sheet.
Top with cheese.
Broil 4 inches from heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until cheese is melted.

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Liam sorted the pasta, as we wanted to use only the natural color since there would already be green in the soup with the peas and basil. Sweet little sous chef!

 

Radish Appetizer with Chive Butter and Pink Salt

It’s Friday again! Get your appetizers and cocktails going. This is a simple gathering of flavors that truly packs a wallop of a touchdown. Just grab a bunch of radishes, a bundle of fresh chives, a stick of butter, and a jar of Himalayan Pink Salt. Rinse the radishes and slice a few in half. Chop chives and stir into room temperature butter, and place in small bowl. Place salt in separate small bowl. Dip radish into butter and then salt, and then smile as it slides in to your mouth, dances on your taste buds, and happily finds its way down your throat!appetizer-radishes-chive-butter-pink-salt

Now, get your backpacks out and your brains in gear for a for a little school lesson. I mean, the children are back at the books learning, so we may as well also, right? Himalayan Pink salt is one of the purest salts available for culinary and therapeutic uses. It has beautiful crystals and may simply be the purest form of salt around. It’s so lovely to see it in a bowl. The majority of the supply today comes to us from the mountains of Pakistan. Millions of years ago, there were crystallized salt beds that were covered with lava, and then with snow and ice, protecting it from modern day pollutants. Mined today in the old fashioned way, by hand, allows us to enjoy its unique purity and flavor. And a big bonus here is since the Himalayan salt is less refined and the salt crystals are larger, you are consuming less sodium per serving than regular table salt. You can thank me whenever the mood strikes you!

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I ordered this on line, but heck, they sell it at your local Walmart Neighborhood Market. Hurry, Hurry to Get Some!

 

 

Napa and Broccoli Slaw

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Our Casual Post-Game Kitchen Buffet

Aww Lawdy. We had a VERY large time at the ECU/NCSU game and associated festivities this past Saturday at Ficklen Stadium….Yep, I’m Old School; it will ALWAYS be Ficklen Stadium to me, as My Sweet Dad purchased those 50 yard line tickets when it opened in 1963, and we are still enjoying them. Oh Yea! It was a fantastic game with lots of post-game food, games, and antics…shhhh…can’t share everything! Kicking off a slaw recipe perfect for any tailgating, post game, BBQ, or fried chicken dinner. Heck, this is perfect for any ole time. Go on…make yourself special and WOW your family and/or guests!

salad-napa-broccoli

1 lb broccoli
1 cup mayonnaise*
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 t salt
1 t lemon zest
1/4 t ground red pepper
1 medium sized Napa cabbage, thinly sliced*
1/2 cup golden raisins

Cut broccoli florets into small pieces.
In large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, onions, sugar, vinegar, salt, and lemon zest.
Add cabbage, raisins, and broccoli.
Stir to coat.
Cover and chill 1 hour.

*I used Light Canola Mayo.

*May substitute 16 oz package coleslaw mixture if you are in a real rush!
Serves 6 as a light side with pulled pork entree, or 12 on sliders.

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Slaw on a Slider

Chilled Corn Soup

Happy “After Labor Day”…which means fall IS coming and this heat will finally go away! As an appetizer feature at Peggy’s Mae Lew Farm Jubilee we served this yummy soup shooter! There is pure magic in these details. The rooster reminded us that we were on a farm, albeit, one glorious farm! Go grab some fresh white corn while it’s still available and make this great soup. It’s excellent for a light lunch as well. Use it people!

Soup Chilled Corn Chowder Shooters1 Tbs olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed
2 green onions, white and tender green parts, chopped and separated
3/4 t ground coriander
3/4 t ground cumin
3/4 t chipotle chili powder
3 cups fresh corn kernels (if not available, use frozen white shoepeg corn, thawed)
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup water
1/2 t salt
1/4 cup chopped cilantro for garnish

Heat oil in skillet over medium-low heat.
Cook garlic, white parts of onion, coriander, cumin, and chili powder.
Stir until garlic and onions are tender, about 3 minutes.
Add corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 4 minutes.
Transfer mixture to blender.
Add buttermilk, water, and salt.
Purée until smooth.
Chill at least 1 hour.
Serve chilled, garnished with green parts of onion and cilantro.

Makes 6 – 8 lunch serving sized bowls.
Or 20 soup shooters.Soup Chilled Corn Chowder II

Cheese Please!

I adore cheese…and if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right. So grab a mixture of sheep, cow, and goat cheese offerings. Serve it up with fresh seasonal fruits, dried apricots and cranberries, and a ginger snap or two. Crossing borders here with Humboldt Fog, a California goat milk cheese, followed up with Port Salut which is a semi-soft French cow’s milk cheese. Also served here is Brenton’s favorite, the semi-hard Manchego, made from the milk of sheep in the La Mancha region of her beloved Spain. For this particular tray, I rounded it out with a Dutch yellow cow’s milk Gouda. Rather spectacular. This presentation was for the umpteenth* one of my Mother’s 90th (XC) Birthday Jubilee Celebrations. Appetizer Cheese Tray

  • Umpteenth literally means an indefinitely large number in succession. And that’s precisely how she celebrated this special birthday, party after party. Kudos to her…and us for the endless prepping of said parties! Self patting self on back…yep, that’s what my dear sister-in-law Su-Su and I are doing now that, after three full months, the celebrations are complete. Flowers and more yummies later! And that’s a promise, ’cause I’m gonna improve your future outcomes!

Chocolate Drizzled Chips

Call your best friend! This is your childhood favorite ridged chip, all decked out in a little black chocolate dress. This has stood the test of snacking with girlfriends, couples, and even a five year old while playing go-fish. It’s a cinch to make, although you may not want to cinch that belt afterwards; it’s the weekend, do you really care?

Snack Chocolate Potato Chips

1 bag of ridged chips (due to their sturdiness)
1 1/2 cups milk chocolate morsels
1 Tbs instant Espresso powder

(Although you should omit the espresso if you are serving your children, unless you want them bouncing off the walls all night!)

Melt the chocolate in small sauce pan over low heat, stirring often.
Add espresso powder (if using).
Place chips on serving tray.
Drizzle melted chocolate with spoon over chips.

Alternatively, dip half of a chip in the pot of melted chocolate.
Shake off excess.
Place on parchment paper to cool.

Snack Chocolate Potato Chips II

Allow chocolate to cool and harden on chips.
This may take an hour.
If you just can’t wait to dig in, simply pop the tray in the fridge for 10 minutes.

Try to stay out of this oppressive heat, and have a great weekend!

Raspberry Brut Rosé Ice Cream Float

Well, bless Pat…whoever that is! That’s what my grandmother Smith used to say back in the day to express shock and awe. So, I give you a “back in the day” treat. Warning, this is an adults only float! Tomorrow is hump-day, so add this to your evening and celebrate making it through the first half of the work week. Just keeping it fresh for you.Dessert Raspberry Rose Ice Cream Float

Here’s the what and how to:

1/2 cup raspberries, plus more for garnish
2 Tbs sugar
4 large scoops vanilla ice cream, softened a few minutes
1/4 cup raspberry liqueur
Rosé brut champagne

In blender, purée raspberries and sugar.
Pour in glass.
Rinse blender.
Add ice cream to blender.
Purée until smooth.
Place ice cream in 2 short glasses.
Pour liqueur over ice cream.
Pour raspberry purée over ice cream.
Top with champagne.
Garnish with a few fresh raspberries.
Serve with a straw.

Makes 2 floats.

Crostini, starring Ricotta!

Appetizer Bruschetta Variety

Here’s a little pick me up for a snazzy weekend appetizer…

Grab a baguette and slice it thinly.
Place slices on a baking sheet, and drizzle with olive oil, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
Bake it on both sides for 3 or so minutes in a 350° oven.
Remove and let cool.
Place slices on a serving platter and top each with a teaspoon of ricotta cheese.
Then top that with basically anything that you have on hand…
craisins and apple slices, homemade apple conserve (or store purchased jam),
sliced tomatoes, or salt pepper and citrus zest.

Straight down the hatch with crunchy and creamy goodness all the way.
I’m Happy to be Your Destination for Inspiration!
Happy Weekend Good People!