Artichokes and Lemonade

Recipe Review: Southern Living's Okra and Corn Maque Choux

2010-07-09T15:19:00.010-04:00

The heat of the summer has left me craving lighter meals, and this month's issue of Southern Living Magazine delivered some great inspirations! The "Summer's Glorious Trinity" article of recipes using tomatoes, okra, and sweet corn had us positively salivating! At first glance we were both agreed that we had to try the Okra and Corn Maque Choux. If you're not familiar with Maque Choux (pronounced mock-shoe), it originated in Louisiana and I believe it was a Cajun spin on a Native American dish.

I faithfully followed Southern Living's recipe, which isn't an easy thing for me to do, resisting the temptation to add Herbs de Provence, which I add to most everything I cook. This was such an easy dish to make and it was so tasty. Here are a few of my notes on the newest staple to our summer recipe collection:

I used Rodger Wood Polish style smoked sausage, which is made here locally in Savannah. This sausage gave a nice smoky flavor to the dish and had a nice texture. Next time I think I would use their spicy version, as Southern Living used a spicy smoked sausage when testing the recipe for the magazine.
I chopped all of the vegetables before hand, mixing them in two separate bowls per steps of cooking. That way everything was prepared and I only had to dump in the bowl of vegetables that were required at each step. The corn took the longest to prepare, so it was well worth doing in advance.
OK, I didn't completely follow their instructions. Since I wasn't using spicy sausage, I added a sprinkle of red pepper flakes with the green peppers, onion, and garlic.
I found that 6 ears of corn yielded 3 cups. Most of the ears were fairly large too.
For a vegetarian version, omit the sausage but do add a few drops of liquid smoke as the vegetables used really benefit from having that smoky flavor. You could even add tofu or mushrooms, adding them at a later stage than the sausage so that they are not over cooked.
As with most dishes, this was tastier on the second day.
We chose Jacob's Creek 2008 Riesling to have with this, which we thought turned out to be the perfect pairing.
Left overs: we made amazing wraps with the left overs and some BBQ pulled pork. Such a fantastic combination. Am thinking this was better than eating it on its own. If I made it specifically for wraps, I would leave out the sausage as the pulled pork would be enough meat. For me at least.

With a few ears of corn left, I'm looking forward to trying their Tomato and Corn Pizza!

Real Women of Philadelphia Contest Hosted By Paula Deen

2010-07-01T13:47:00.034-04:00

Last night I had the pleasure of going to the Lucas Theater to watch Paula Deen announce the winners of the Real Women of Philadelphia Contest. This contest, sponsored by Kraft, was an on-line competition hosted by Paula Deen looking for women across the country to submit their recipes, all using Philadelphia Cream Cheese. There were four groups of women last night in which Paula was announcing the winner from each group. Each winner was chosen by Ms. Deen along with an expert panel that consisted of the infamous Aunt Peggy, Robin Ross (Group Manager at Kraft's Culinary Center of Excellence), and Lori Lange (RecipeGirl.com).

The evening began with a very amusing introduction by Paula Deen talking about how she got her big break thanks to having self published a cookbook and the help of a good rain storm. I have to say, she came across as so warm and likable with a wicked sense of humor. The audience was in fits of laughter at her self-effacing and witty humor.

During the introduction, I spotted none other than Paula's Michael in the middle balcony. If you look hard you can see his trademark beard. It was so cute seeing him sitting in a prime location looking on at his beloved Paula.

The first round brought us the four finalists in the Side Dish category.

The winning dish was Mandy Heaston of Seattle with her recipe for Asparagus and Parmesan Cream Pastry.

Next up were the four Appetizer finalists.

The winner of this category was Caryn Ross of Oklahoma City with her Sassy Tailgate Sandwiches. These cute little ham & cheese sandwiches looked like a fun staple perfect for not only tailgate parties but picnics too.

At one point of the evening, much to Paula's surprised, she was joined on stage by a group of the "Real Women of Philadelphia" for an energetic performance that she jumped right into join in. Let me tell you, she might catch a lot of flak about eating a ton of butter but that lady can shake her money maker with the best of them - and did!

Round three brought us the four finalist in the Entree category.

Sheila Cutchlow of Washington, D.C. was the winner of the Entree category with her Joy Bundles and Rice. Upon being presented with a gorgeous bouquet of flowers, she was greeted on stage by her beautiful daughter. It was so moving to witness their genuine joy at winning along with their strong bond. I have to say this left me a little choked up.

Last but not least were the four Dessert finalists with their sublime submissions.
Winning with her recipe for French Apple Cake, KC Quaretti Lee of Venice, Florida took the cake in the dessert category. Being a Sarasota girl with family in Venice, I was secretly pleased to see KC take the title.

All in all it was an amazing night. The recipes looked superb and I'm sure it was a very tough deciding on a winner from each category from so many fantastic dishes. Each of the winners receives the opportunity to create a cookbook with Paula Deen along with $25,000 cash. Not bad, eh? The projected didn't end last night either. Starting in July, we can submit our recipes to be included in this cookbook! Keep an eye on this page or Paula on Facebook for upcoming information on how to submit.

I've Moved! From the Suncoast to the Hostess City of the South

2010-07-01T12:18:00.004-04:00

Hello friends, it's been a while. The past several months have been a whirlwind. So many things have been going on; some great, some not so good. The biggest thing was a welcomed relocation to my favorite area of the country. Yes my friends, I moved 400 miles north-east to live the South! Left behind is my beautiful hometown of Sarasota for the lovely historic city of Savannah, her islands, gorgeous salt marshes, and the Lowcountry. This change has also brought on a renewed desire to pick up where I left off with Artichokes and Lemonade. Yes, there will still be recipes to come, but please stick with me as I share some new discoveries in my freshly adopted home town. I hope you enjoy what you see and keep me company as I explore and get acquainted with this gorgeous area of the US. The food of this region completely inspires me, so I'm sure there will be no shortage of good things to post.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

2009-11-26T10:16:00.004-05:00

Hope you are all surrounded by family, friends, and good food!

I'm off to start the roast beef and Yorkshire puddings! (More on that later!)

Pimento Cheese: My Latest Food Obsession

2009-11-18T21:08:00.005-05:00

Pimento Cheese is an iconic food in the South. Most Southerners have idyllic childhood memories of eating Pimento Cheese Sandwiches on a hot summers day. This is one food that most people are passionate about, I've heard few negative comments about Pimento Cheese. My recent run in with the stuff at the Happy Tomato Cafe in Fernandina Beach has sparked my latest food obsession. Lucky for you, you don't have to live in the South to eat it, and it couldn't be easier to make. Ingredients:

Cheddar cheese, shredded
Mayonnaise (Dukes is THE only mayonnaise in my opinion!)
Jarred roasted peppers, chopped
Olives, chopped
Hot Sauce (Cholula rocks my world)
Fresh cracked black pepper

Mix it all together:

You have probably noticed that I don't give measurements. That is because you really don't need them. You can make this with any amount of cheese you have on hand, though you will probably want to use at least one 8 oz block to start with.

Put cheese in a mixing bowl and add a little bit of mayonnaise to bind. Stir, if it seems dry, just add a bit more.

Next I add the chopped pepper (pimento) and olives. For 8 oz cheese, I use about 1 whole pepper from a jar of roasted peppers. Adjust to your taste. This also goes for the amount of olives you use. I just use a few olives to enhance the flavor, but not overwhelm the taste of the cheese mixture.

Once the pimento and olives have been mixed in, add a few dashes of hot sauce and fresh cracked black pepper to taste. Mix well.

At this point, some like to process the mixture in a food processor to blend into a smooth mixture and create more of a uniform taste. I like to keep mine rugged. The good thing about Pimento Cheese is that there really is no right or wrong way of making it, add or omit what suits your taste buds. I've seen many recipes that call for chopped dill pickles or absolutely no extra add ins at all. In true Southern fashion, just have fun with it and enjoy!

What to do with Pimento Cheese?

Pimento Cheese is traditionally used as a sandwich spread. In fact, the Pimento Cheese sandwich is the official food of the Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta, Georgia. Served with a little chopped sweet onion and some watercress, this is a sandwich even non-sandwich lovers can't resist. You could also use it as a dip for chips, or even top a steak with it.

A new favorite of ours is to have it on a pulled pork sandwich. You'll have to excuse the quality of my photos (or lack there of), my priority was getting to the main event of delighting my taste buds:

The next night we had it on a burger. That was divine! Seriously divine. My one tip would be to put the cheese on the top of the bun, then add lettuce, tomato, pickle, etc. so that the cheese does not come in direct contact with the burger. I put the cheese directly on the burger and the heat from the meat melted the cheese, causing most to run off. Yum, can't wait to try that again!

Spicy Boiled Peanuts at the Palace Saloon ~ Fernandina Beach

2009-11-18T11:28:00.009-05:00

Centre Street on Fernandina Beach is the very well preserved main corridor of this lovely Victorian seaside Island.
One of our favorite places to visit is the Palace Saloon. The Palace Saloon proudly boasts itself as being Florida's oldest continually operating saloon, serving suds under that name since 1903.
The interior completely fits in with the Victorian exterior feel of Centre Street. The staff and local patrons are very warm and welcoming, making you feel completely at home.
My main goal for the day was to stop and buy some boiled peanuts from a roadside stand on the way home. Jane's trip wasn't going to be complete without trying the Southern staple of boiled peanuts. While I've never been a fan, it had been 20+ years since I had tried them so thought it would be fun to experience them together. On the way up we had passed a few stands, some of which advertised spicy boiled peanuts. As a lover of all foods spicy, I thought this might make a more palatable option. Our wait was over when a man entered the saloon with a basket selling none other than spicy boiled peanuts!

At first bite, Jane wasn't completely convinced. Its mainly getting over the initial sock of the texture, being softer like a bean instead of crunchy like we're used to eating peanuts. After a few bites, we were all hooked. They were amazing*. The heat level was just right: enough to compliment the peanut but not too hot. Between the four of us we happily polished off the bag.
We liked them so much that we flagged the man down that was selling them and bought some more to take home with us. If you are in the Centre Street area of Fernandina Beach, be on the lookout for this man and give his spicy boiled peanuts a try, you'll be glad you did!

* If you like hummus, chances are you will like boiled peanuts. They reminded me a bit of hummus, only in a shell. Saying that, I don't think I would like plain boiled peanuts nearly as much, the flavor of his boiling brine completely made these peanuts a success.

The Happy Tomato Cafe ~ Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island

2009-11-17T20:14:00.006-05:00

The first week of November was very exciting for me. My friend Jane (from Cakebook) came over from England to visit us for 10 days. Our friendship formed 10 years ago over our mutual love of food and we've been great friend ever since. While I haven't seen Jane in 4 years, there is rarely a day that passes that I don't speak to her in some way; e-mail, Facebook - it's amazing how you can keep in touch these days. We had been planning what to do for months and seemed to come up with a Southern food theme. We took a trip up to Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island (close to the northern boarder of Florida's east coast) and had great expectations of a lovely Southern lunch.

Noon rolled around and we were in search of somewhere to eat. While on the way to a place on 3rd Street I wanted to try, our noses were treated to the most heavenly, smokey BBQ smell. It was a good thing the place I wanted to go to was closed for the day, as it gave us no choice but to follow our noses back to the Happy Tomato Cafe...
The cafe itself is in a small wooden building with an outside deck...

... and courtyard seating...

We had a quick look at the menu and got in line as the place was quickly filling up. This place seemed to be very popular with the locals, which is always a good sign.

My Dad and James were with us and there was one item on the menu that caught all of our attention: THE WORKS. The Works is a pulled pork sandwich with pimento cheese! Yes, pimento cheese!!! This isn't the sort of thing I would eat on a daily basis, but it did sound good and we were on vacation after all. It's not everyday I get to have lunch with Jane! We were all very happy with our choice. The Works is served with a side of BBQ sauce (I highly recommend the Mustard based sauce) and dill pickles. Jane ordered a side of coleslaw, which was also very good.

Enjoy a close up glimpse...

The sandwich was so filling there is no way I could have eaten anything else. Sitting outside on a sunny day with great company was the icing on the cake. I can't wait to go back!

The Happy Tomato Courtyard Cafe & BBQ

7 S. 3rd St, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034

(904) 321-0707

Fancy a Cuppa Up Top of Java Dawg's Double Decker Coffee Shop Bus?

2009-10-23T22:40:00.005-04:00

Several weeks ago the most popular coffee vendor at the Sarasota Farmers Market turned up in a 1978 English Double Decker Bus! Java Dawg's Double Decker Coffee Shop Bus is a great place to grab your morning Cup of Joe while enjoying a bird's eye view of the market. It is a very welcomed addition to my favorite market.

Aunt Barb's Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-09-15T18:18:00.004-04:00

These cookies are a bit of a family institution. For as long as I remember, no Birthday or Christmas was complete without a batch. My Aunt Barb gave me the recipe and after about 5 years of disasters, I've finally mastered her level of yumminess. I should mention that baking isn't my fourté. I should also mention, a couple of years ago I also discovered that these cookies weren't exclusive to my Aunt Barb - the recipe was also familiar to a few of my friends. Regardless, they will always make my think of my special Aunt and the smiles of many years opening packages to find these soft cookies. I hope you enjoy.

1 & 1/2 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup shortening (yes, I know it is horrible for you - but you really must use it)
1 egg - well beaten
1 cup mashed bananas (I find that 3 come to exactly 1 cup. Also, I use a pastry cutter to mash - easiest way that I have found to mash bananas.)
1 & 3/4 cup rolled oats
1 package of chocolate bits

Sift together flour, sugar, soda, salt, and spices.

Cut in shortening.

Add egg, bananas, rolled oats, and chocolate bits.

Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 400F, about 15 minutes. (12 minutes in my oven)

Makes about 3 dozen.

Must Make Martha's Macarons!!!

2009-08-16T10:53:00.008-04:00

Photo from MarthaStewart.com

French Macarons, or Macaroons as they are more commonly referred to by English speaking people, are the most heavenly, sublime, wonderful treat on the planet. To my taste buds, at least. They are so delicate, the colors so sweet. Eating a macaron honestly feels so indulgent. Despite my recent discovery that Morton's Market now sell them, I really need to get over my intimidation and learn how to make them. As I'm notorious for losing or forgetting about recipes that I intend to make, I'm "archiving" this recipe on my blog from MarthaStewart.com. Have you made macarons? Do you have any advise to share? I would love to hear from you!

French Macaroons
The basic batter and the fillings for these delectable little desserts can be varied endlessly simply by adding different flavorings and colorings; for starters, there's chocolate, coconut, peanut, pistachio, raspberry, and vanilla bean.

Ingredients
Makes 35 macaroons.
1 cup confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup almond flour
2 large egg whites, room temperature
Pinch of cream of tartar
1/4 cup superfine sugar
3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam, for filling

MACAROON VARIATIONS
Chocolate: Substitute 3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder for 1/4 cup of the almond flour.
Coconut: Substitute 2 tablespoons desiccated unsweetened coconut for 2 tablespoons of the almond flour, and add 1/2 teaspoon rum; sprinkle with additional coconut before baking.
Peanut: Substitute an equal amount finely ground unsalted peanuts (peanut flour) for the almond flour.

Pistachio: Substitute 1/2 cup finely ground unsalted pistachios (pistachio flour) for 1/2 cup of the almond flour, and add 2 to 3 drops forest-green gel-paste food coloring.
Raspberry: Add 1 tablespoon fresh raspberry puree, strained, plus 3 to 4 drops dusty- rose gel-paste food coloring.
Vanilla Bean: Add 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped, pod reserved for another use.

SUGGESTED FILLINGS FOR MACAROONS
Chocolate: Chocolate Ganache
Coconut: 1 cup Swiss Meringue Buttercream, mixed with 1/3 cup angel-flake coconut.
Peanut: Chocolate Ganache, or store-bought dulce de leche, jam, or peanut butter.
Pistachio: 1 cup Swiss Meringue Buttercream, mixed with 1/3 cup finely chopped pistachios.
Raspberry: 3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam.

Vanilla Bean: 1 cup Pineapple Buttercream , 1 cup Swiss Meringue Buttercream, or 3/4 cup store-bought jam or preserves.

Directions
1. Pulse confectioners' sugar and almond flour in a food processor until combined. Sift mixture 2 times.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk whites with a mixer on medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar, and whisk until soft peaks form. Reduce speed to low, then add superfine sugar. Increase speed to high, and whisk until stiff peaks form, about 8 minutes. Sift flour mixture over whites, and fold until mixture is smooth and shiny.
3. Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain round tip, and pipe 3/4-inch rounds 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets, dragging pastry tip to the side of rounds rather than forming peaks. Tap bottom of each sheet on work surface to release trapped air. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake 1 sheet at a time, rotating halfway through, until macaroons are crisp and firm, about 10 minutes. After each batch, increase oven temperature to 375 degrees, heat for 5 minutes, then reduce to 325 degrees.
4. Let macaroons cool on sheets for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. (If macaroons stick, spray water underneath parchment on hot sheet. The steam will help release macaroons.)
5. Sandwich 2 same-size macaroons with 1 teaspoon jam. Serve immediately, or stack between layers of parchment, wrap in plastic, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Copyright 2009 Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Want to give as a gift? One reviewer of this recipe, AmberLee, also left a link to her blog where you can get the cutest template for labels that she designed for a bake sale. Her blog was such a fun discovery with loads of gift ideas. French Macarons would make a great gift.

Saffron Potatoes with Chorizo

2009-08-09T22:08:00.002-04:00

I first made this for Mother's Day and it has quickly become one of our favorite warm weather dishes. It makes a nice, easy weeknight dinner. It is also great on the weekends when you can't be bothered to get out of the pool and need something simple for when you finally do drag yourself out. On either occasion, I like to simply serve with salad. What you'll need:

1 lb new potatoes, baby Yukon Golds are divine if available
good pinch of saffron
4 oz Chorizo sausage
olive oil, salt, pepper

Cut potatoes into large bite sized pieces and place into pot of water with saffron. Add a pinch of salt and boil until soft, but not overcooked - about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and return to pot with a good drizzle of olive oil, adding salt and pepper to taste. Sauté until potatoes start to crisp and skins start to brown.
Next add the Chorizo in chunks that are similar in size to the potatoes. Let cook just long enough for the sausage to release its oil to coat the potatoes, about 3-5 minutes (over medium heat). At this point the Chorizo will be warmed and it is ready to serve. You could also serve this as an hors d'oeuvre by putting one piece of potato and Chorizo each on a cocktail stick.
My favorite dish to serve with these potatoes is the 1905 Salad from the Columbia Restaurant. What a great combination for a lovely summer meal.

Times Grill World Famous Burgers, Jacksonville

2009-08-09T21:19:00.002-04:00

Times Grill was founded in 1994. While they claim to be world famous, I had never heard of them, but am happy that my dad suggested that we go there. With 20 burgers on the menu, it is next to impossible to chose. The most unique to me was the Cajun Sunset®. This burger is seasoned with Creole spices and is topped with a fried egg. Thankfully I don't eat eggs, so was not tempted by this heart attack on a bun. After combing the menu over and over again, narrowing it down to about 5 burgers, James and I decided to order 2 and each have half. This proved to be a great idea as we sampled two amazing burgers. My choice was the El Camino Burger™. This burger is topped with a Chorizo con Queso sauce, salsa, and jalepeños slices. It was love at first bite. I was very happy that I followed my gut instinct and chose this spicy burger.
James chose the Buffaloaded Burger. This burger is flavored with a mild buffalo BBQ sauce, blue cheese, and topped with fried onions. I can feel my arteries clogging just thinking about it. This was also an excellent choice.

My Dad and Kathy went with their usual, the Swisshroom. As the name suggests, this is topped with Swiss cheese and mushrooms. You'll notice from this photo that you can also order sweet potato fries.

I don't think they have a bad burger on their menu, however, this was a bittersweet lunch: while we were so saddened by the fact we live 4 hours from Jacksonville and Time Grill, we were slightly relieved as this tempting place would be too hard to stay away from. It will be something to look forward to on our next trip to Jacksonville.

Benny's Steak & Seafood, Jacksonville

2009-08-09T18:12:00.003-04:00

Two weeks ago we went to visit my dad and step mom, Kathy, in Jacksonville. My favorite place to eat in Jacksonville is Benny's Steak & Seafood.Benny's is located downtown in the Jacksonville Landing on the St. John's River.

The fountain at the center of the Landing adds a fun daytime place for kids to play, giving into an adults playground at night. Surrounded by various bars and a performance stage, this is a great place for live entertainment at night. The last time I was in Jacksonville, I missed seeing Eddie Money perform by one week. For free! Can you beat seeing Eddie Money perform for free? Don't answer.

We were lucky enough to get my favorite table next to the window. By day or night, this is a great spot to take in the views of the St. John's River and downtown Jacksonville.

The Caribbean Jerk Chicken my favorite thing on the menu at Benny's. I am such a sucker for jerk chicken, and this is the best I've ever had. It is the only thing I've ever ordered at Benny's, and so far I show no signs of getting tired of it. It is amazingly seasoned with a nice touch of heat. The mango and tomato salsa compliment the jerk seasoning perfectly. Served with nicely steamed vegetables and mashed potatoes with a Chardonnay - lemon sauce, this is guaranteed to keep me quiet until my plate is clean!

While I'm always full after the chicken, I've never been able to resist sharing a dessert. James and I had a very generous slice of their Red Velvet Cake.

I can't wait to go back!

Lavender Sage

2009-08-09T12:45:00.006-04:00

A few weeks after finding Lavender Mint at the Farmers' Market, I found Lavender Sage!!! The taste is a bit stronger than traditional sage, and it really does smell of a lovely combination of lavender and sage. Every week I so look forward to what exciting things await to be discovered at My Mother's Garden. What could it be next week: Lavender Thyme???

Morton's Market Has True French Macarons!!!

2009-08-09T12:30:00.004-04:00

This was a very excited discovery for me. Ever since my first taste last October in France, I have been obsessively searching for macarons. Imported from France, these were slightly stale, but are more than adequate to fill my craving until I can next return to France. Morton's charge $1 per macaron, which isn't bad considering I was paying €1 each in France. The lemon has been the best, least stale flavor of the ones I've tried so far. Fingers crossed that they keep them in stock, or better yet, start making their own!

Rose and Herb Posy

2009-08-05T22:08:00.004-04:00

When I find myself inundated with roses and my herbs are growing faster than I can cook with, I love to make posies. Not only are the colors beautiful, but the scent is divine. Placed in a sunny window, these sweet little nosegays will fill a room with a luscious floral/herbal aroma, making it an eco-friendly air freshener. For this arrangement, I used my sweet little yellow roses, tarragon, rosemary, lavender mint, and lavender sage. Many of these herbs are also natural bug repellents, which come in handy during the muggy, bug infested summers of Florida.

Lovely Lavender Mint Pimm's

2009-07-23T22:40:00.004-04:00

I found the most fabulous thing ever at the Farmers' Market last Saturday: Lavender Mint! This is the most amazing herb, it really does smell of both lavender and mint. Excited about my new find, I had to try it in my favorite summer drink: Pimm's. This is a variation of my favorite version, using 7-Up instead of Ginger Ale.

1 part Pimm's
3 parts 7-Up, or your favorite lemon-lime soda
1 sprig of Lavender Mint
1 slice of peach
2 sliced of pear
1 spring cucumber

Muddle mint, cucumber, and Pimm's in glass. Let sit for 1/2 hour to blend flavors. Next add fruit, a few ice cubes, then 7-Up. Stir gently and enjoy!

PS: I was in the local paper this week talking about Pimm's! Not front page news, but it's a start... :-)

Culinary Creation: Amy's Basquaise Chicken

2009-07-21T21:17:00.014-04:00

Having never been to the Basque Country obviously makes me an expert in their cuisine. I have seen several recipes in the past, which have given me just the right amount of ammunition to attempt to make this on my own. To me, a little bit of French combined with a little bit of Spanish obviously equals Basquaise. And since it's my kitchen, what I say goes :-) That, and we really enjoyed this dish. Please note that this recipe is for two.* 1/2 pound fingerling potatoes
* Good pinch of saffron
* 1 chicken breast, cooked and thickly sliced
* 4 oz chorizo sausage, sliced
* 1 can Adobo Fire Roasted tomatoes
* 1 small onion
* 2 small different colored bell peppers (I used cubanellos), roughly chopped
* 1 zucchini, sliced thinly on the diagonal
* 1 yellow squash, sliced thinly on the diagonal
* 1 clove garlic, chopped
* Splash of rosé wine
* 4 sprigs of thyme
* 1 bay leaf
* Small bunch of basil
*olive oil, sea salt, pepper

Boil potatoes in water with a good pinch of saffron for around 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender but not over cooked.
Sauté the zucchini, yellow squash, onion, garlic, and peppers using a drizzle of olive oil on medium heat for 5 minutes.
Add the potatoes and chorizo and continue sautéing for another 3 minutes. Next, add the can of Fire Roasted tomatoes. Fire Roasted tomatoes add an amazing flavor to this dish. If you can't find one that is adobo seasoned, add a pinch of dried chili flakes. Regular diced tomatoes can be used, just use 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika to get the roasted, smokey flavor.
Stir in the tomatoes and cook for another 3 minutes before adding the chicken, thyme, bay leaf, and wine. You don't have to use rosé, both red or white wine are also fine to use.
Stir to evenly coat and simmer, covered, on medium low for 20-30 minutes.
Just before serving, mix in the basil. Now this is where my hunger took over. The smell was amazing and I was so eager to try it that I completed skipped taking a photo of the finished dish. I can assure you that we thoroughly enjoyed and definitely will make this again.

~ Topa! ~

How to Prepare Fresh Artichokes

2009-07-19T16:56:00.005-04:00

What better way to spend a rainy Sunday than to sit in your dry kitchen, eating fresh artichokes? That is exactly what I did today. Fresh artichokes are so easy to prepare and are such a treat.

You first start by trimming off the bottom stem, leaving about ½ inch. Next, pull off any loose leaves around the bottom. You’ll also want to snip off any thorny tops on the petals. I was pretty lucky with this one as there were only a few. One fairly important step that I forgot today is to slice off a bit of the top of the artichoke. Not too much, but just flatten the top rounded part. When ready to cook, I first rub with lemon before putting into water.
There are several ways to cook, with steaming being popular. My favorite way, however, is to put the artichoke in a large pot, add a little water, cover, and boil for 30-35 minutes.
The artichoke is ready to eat when you can easily insert a knife in the bottom.
Your choice of dip is a matter of personal preference. While herb butter or garlic mayonnaise are popular choices, I like mine best with a simple vinaigrette.
Make sure you have a bowl or plate for the discarded petals. Getting to the choke is almost like finding a hidden treasure.I'm not very graceful at this stage, but removing the hairs from the center and getting to that tender choke is well worth the effort. Even if the effort is a bit clumsy.

Recipe Review: Mireille's Summer Potato Gratin (Patricia Wells)

2009-07-19T11:53:00.009-04:00

Potato Gratin is a hugely popular dish in my house. There is something so comforting about potatoes, garlic and cream - and in my kitchen, usually the addition of blue cheese. When summer temperatures reach close to 100F, you really don’t want something as heavy as the traditional gratin. My Mother’s Garden have had some gorgeous young Yukon Gold potatoes lately, which inspired me to make a summertime alternative. After a morning of searching through many cookbooks, I chose Patricia Well’s “Mireille’s Summer Potato Gratin” from The Provence Cookbook. This recipe is dairy-free, using reduced chicken stock and bacon instead of cream and butter. If you are vegetarian, of course you can omit the bacon and use vegetable stock. This recipe is amazing. We’ve had it twice in the past two weeks and know that it will appear on our table throughout the year. Sadly, I couldn't find a link to the recipe, but will share a few of my notes. This recipe is honestly worth the cost of the book, or at least a trip down to the library. As I didn't have chicken stock, I used 1 and 1/2 cup of water with 3 chicken Oxo cubes, simmering about 10 minutes to reduce.

The recipe calls for 20 garlic cloves, which I'm sure is divine, but I grew bored of chopping after 3. I also couldn't resist adding a sprinkle of Herbes de Provence.
While the onions and bacon are simmering, I slice the potatoes and start to layer them in a baking dish. The onions, garlic, and bacon smell amazing when cooking. Florida sweet onions are in season here, which adds a subtle sweetness to this dish. I should also mention that I used sliced applewood smoked bacon as I didn't have a slab. So my bacon is not cubed.
The reduced chicken stock marries well with the sweet onions and smoky bacon.

In my over, the potatoes were tender in about an hour.

The flavor of this dish is so bold, you'll want to serve this only with a salad or vegetable. To serve this as a side dish would be a sin.

Downtown Sarasota Farmers' Market

2009-07-18T14:39:00.005-04:00

Every Saturday morning, you'll find me starting my weekend at the Farmers' Market at Main St. and Lemon Ave. This is the time I look forward to the most during the week. Stocking up on my week's produce, having (in my opinion) the best cup of coffee downtown at C'est la Vie, and being surrounded by happy people with their dogs puts a smile on my face. Here are a few images of my favorite market this year. If you are ever in the area, this Saturday market is a must!

Spring Cherry Green Tea and My Favorite Mug

2009-07-14T21:38:00.007-04:00

In honor of my friends at K&G Bookclub becoming the new host to Tea Time Tuesday, I'm sharing one of my favorite summertime Green Teas, served in one of my favorite summertime mugs.A few summers back, while in England, I spotted this sweet pink mug/bowl set with little roses, and just had to have them. This Gabriella Miller set was my prized possession from that trip. Too delicate (with a clumsy girl like me) for everyday use, they only come out for special mornings when I have time to relax with a nice cup of tea and muesli with yogurt and berries.
I am a huge fan of The Republic of Tea, and their Spring Cherry loose Green Tea is an absolute treat. It is also the perfect pairing for this delicate cup. The Spring Cherry Tea is a cherry flavored green tea with rose petals. This tea and cup were made for each other!

A Moment of Zen on Your Breakfast Plate: Buddha Belly Doughnuts

2009-07-12T22:00:00.007-04:00

There is a new breakfast contender on Main Street: Buddha Belly Doughnuts. Located across the street from the Hollywood 20 cinema, Buddha Belly serves breakfast and lunch. The coffee is good and the Bavarian cream doughnut, even better.

Supporting Local and Independent Businesses is good karma.

Creamy Pesto Chicken With Roasted Tomatoes

2009-07-12T21:34:00.005-04:00

This recipe is a good example of why I created this blog: to archive recipes that I like but will never again remember to make. I made this several weeks ago, took photos to remind myself what was in it, and then couldn't remember where the recipe came from. We really enjoyed the Creamy Pesto Chicken With Roasted Tomatoes and was so happy to stumbled upon the recipe today. I followed the recipe completely, only making for two instead of four. Also omitting the pine nuts - only because I didn't have any. Oh yeah, and also used Ricotta instead of Mascarpone. Other than that, I honestly followed to recipe - honest!

I suppose the photo below was sort of a note to self: NEVER cook raw beans EVER AGAIN!!! At the Farmer's Market a few weeks back, I was so excited to find fresh Cranberry Beans. Once home, I shelled, boiled, then sauteed in olive oil, garlic, and herbs. Once to what I thought was a good point, I added mushrooms and tomatoes, cooking until softened. Now, I think since MOST of my kitchen attempts come out very well (modestly speaking, naturally), I might - at times - get a little over confident. This was one of those occasions. Good idea, but the beans were not cooked. They were vile. If I do say so myself. Do you know how to cook fresh beans? If so, please do share. My ego is bruised and I am determined to master the art of cooking fresh beans.

It was a truly humbling experience and I have withdrawn my application from Hell's Kitchen. Kidding. Well, not really.

Garlic and Rosemary Haricot Verts

2009-07-08T22:24:00.004-04:00

Haricot Verts have to be in my top 5 favorite vegetable list. These slim French green beans are truly popular in France too. Last October, I was on a mission to actually have Haricot Verts while in France. Well, apparently the French were too. Each morning, we'd go to the boulangerie to get pastries for breakfast then stop in to the épicerie, only to find that by the early time that we would get there, that they had sold out for the day. Lucky for me, these gems have been turning up at My Mother's Garden at my local Farmer's Market. Morton's Market prepare them in my all time favorite, with garlic, rosemary, and red new potatoes. This is my attempt to recreate their recipe. Tonight I made them to go with Mireille's Summer Potato Gratin from Patricia Well's The Provence Cookbook. More on that later, yum!First I boiled for 4 to 5 minutes, testing after 4 minutes as you don't want them too soft. Drain, then rinse with cold water to stop further cooking.
Once drained, I crushed one clove of garlic, chopped one sprig of rosemary, a drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of sea salt, and a good sprinkling of fresh pepper. Sauté for 2 minutes to release the flavors of the rosemary and garlic.

You could add cooked new potatoes to this stage too. They had some gorgeous fingerling potatoes at the market too. If only i had been thinking ahead!
(Follow up a week later:) Well, it was a good excuse to get them the following weekend and make this lovely dish again!

Bon Appétit!

Easy Provençal Pork Ragoût

2009-07-06T22:44:00.009-04:00

This is one of my favorite week night treats. Pork makes a lighter summer alternative to the heavier taste of beef. You could also make a vegetarian version by substituting the pork with lentils ~ very French, or meat substitute. You will see that I'm using a jarred Italian Sausage Sauce, but the flavoring of Herbes de Provence and the use of a Rosé wine give it a Provençal twist. Using a jarred sauce is what makes this dish so forgiving: you're adding other flavors, but since the base had a head start, if you don't have the time, you don't have to simmer the sauce all day.

1 pound ground pork

1 small onion, chopped

1 rib celery, chopped

1 medium carrot, chopped

1/2 bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1 jar of Italian Sausage Pasta Sauce

1 6 oz can of tomato paste

3 oz Rosé wine

1/2 tablespoon Herbes de Provence

1 spring rosemary

3 springs of thyme

1 bay leaf

sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste

Start off by sautéing pork in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. As the pork slowly browns, chop vegetables and garlic, placing in a bowl.

Once pork is half cooked, add the garlic and vegetable mixture, stirring well.Next add the Herbes de Provence, rosemary, thyme, bay leaf, and a pinch of sea salt. Cook over medium heat until pork is cooked and vegetables have started to soften. Next add in the Sausage flavored sauce. I'm not loyal to any one brand, most likely choosing whatever is on sale, or better yet ~ buy one get one free!
Then add the can of tomato paste and wine. For this recipe, you'll need to use a proper dry Rosé, not White Zinfandel or the like which are way too sweet.Stir meat, vegetables, and sauce to mix well. Once mixed, cover and simmer. It really doesn't take long to make. If you're pressed for time, follow the instructions above for the sauce. Once the sauce is mixed, start to prepare your pasta. While the water is heating up and then the pasta is cooking, simmer the sauce on medium heat. Once your pasta is cooked, the sauce will be ready to eat. If you have a little longer, turn the heat down to medium-low and let simmer. While it simmers away, you can read a chapter or two of your book, look through a new magazine, call your mother, or do the laundry. Once you have relaxed or caught up on your chores, boil some pasta and you have a sauce that has slowly simmered, letting the flavors develop a little more.Taste before serving. I almost always have to add some more sea salt at this point. Season with freshly ground pepper.

Makes 4 generous servings.

Enjoy! x

Artichokes and Lemonade is Now on Facebook

2009-07-05T18:32:00.005-04:00

Do you like Artichokes and Lemonade? Are you on Facebook? You can now join the Fan Page or sign up to follow on NetworkedBlogs to be notified of all updates. If you sign up for the NetworkedBlogs, please confirm that I am the author. To join the fan page, just click on the highlighted word above, or when in Facebook, search "Artichokes and Lemonade". From that page you can click on any article to follow via NetworkedBlogs, or again, click on the highlighted word here (if interested). I'd love for you to join and share your comments. Is your blog on Facebook? Drop me a note so I can follow. Hope to see you there! x

Creatures in My Garden: The Birds and the Bees... er Deer

2009-07-05T18:01:00.007-04:00

On Sunday we decided to have our lunch out on the lanai. This isn't something we do very often this time a year as the temperatures are in the mid to high 90's, but the sun was shining and everything was so green outside - we just couldn't resist.

We don't use a lot of harsh chemicals in our garden, with the exception being fire ant dust, which tends to just relocate them. As a result of that, we've got a nice coexistence of lizards, bees, butterflies, dragon flies, squirrels, birds, rabbits, and various other creatures.
Recently, in the hibiscus on the west side of my lanai (just behind the parasol), right against the screen, I discovered a Mockingbird building a nest. I went to have a peak and discovered three blue eggs. I don't want to frighten off the mother bird, so am trying to stay away. It's been a harder time keeping Harry away, but for the most part he's actually been very well behaved.
Looking out over our roses, rosemary, and sea grape - we saw a first...
... a deer. It was lovely seeing it roam around. I've never seen a deer by our house and while it was sweet to see it, it was also sad as on the other side of those trees is a wall. The wood isn't very deep there, so is not the best place for a deer. Even more worrying is the fact that an alligator has been residing in the area by the water that the deer was walking. This was something I didn't care to witness. Fortunately the alligator was either sleeping, or had hopefully moved on to another lake.
We've had snakes, herons, egrets, pelicans, and roseate spoonbills, however the alligator is the only unwelcome creature we've had in our garden.

Rhubarb Conserves... A Work in Progress

2009-07-05T11:51:00.010-04:00

Last October while we were in France, I spotted Bonne Maman's Confiture de Rhubarbe in a supermarket. Not being a huge fan of all things sweet first thing in the morning, this was perfect for my taste buds. It had a lovely balance of sweet and tart. We devoured the jar in the two weeks we were there. After making Rhubarb Ice Cream a few weeks back, I've been eager to recreate this French treat. Luckily I spotted some rhubarb yesterday, so bought a pound to try my luck.
I first started by slicing 1 pound of rhubarb, covering with 3/4 cups of sugar and cooked over low heat, covered, for 5 minutes, until the water began to release from the rhubarb.

Next, cook for 20 minutes over medium heat, uncovered, stirring frequently.
As I hadn't really planned on making this, I didn't have jars on hand. Instead, once the mixture cooled, I stored in an enamel covered tin in the refrigerator over night.
As this was my first attempt, it didn't come out 100% right. While I was very pleased with the flavor, it was a little more watery than I had imagined. The consistency was perfect, so I wouldn't recommend cooking longer. As in the Bonne Maman version, I think I will use a little pectin next time to thicken. Do you have any advice or experience on using pectin? I'd love to hear your suggestions before trying!

My Favorite Sunny Day Wine: Loredona Viognier

2009-07-03T22:32:00.005-04:00

Loredona's Viognier (vee-ohn-yay) is my favorite recent find. Back in April I was shopping at Whole Foods where I spotted a display of these slim, elegant bottles of Viognier for $6.99. While they didn't look like you're average bottle of mass produced plonk, I couldn't get over the low price tag. Luckily the very helpful wine guy saw the look on my face and came over to put my concerns to rest. He said that they get it in every spring at a good price. Still not convinced, he gave me a taste. I was sold. This wine was like Summer in a glass. It had a lovely citrus, peach, and tropical fruit flavor. Completely light on your tongue. It was so well balanced and flavorful without being heavy or oaky. Needless to say, at this price it was a staple in our house. Sadly, they ran out towards the beginning of June and most likely won't have any in stock again until next Spring. This is such a shame as it truly is the perfect summer wine, at an unbelievable price for the quality. We particularly enjoyed it with Thai, pasta, and chicken dishes. Calender marked, I will be frequenting the wine section of Whole Foods next Spring awaiting it's arrival and will have to get a case... or two.

Spinach, Tomato, and Orzo Salad

2009-07-03T21:51:00.006-04:00

One of my favorite sides to get from the deli at Morton's Market is Spinach and Orzo Salad. Well, Morton's moved out of my neighborhood a year ago, and I've been Orzo free since. I had a strong craving for it the other weekend, and instead of driving to their other location, I decided to make my own. It was so easy and we loved the results, I felt silly that it had taken me so long to make myself. The guide for my salad was one I found by Rachael Ray. Hers was the closest to what I was looking for. Mine is pretty true to her recipe, with just a few slight changes. For Ms. Ray's unadulterated recipe, please click here. Below are my notes on what I changed on her recipe. Hers looked great, I was just missing the lemon and wanted to add feta so had to come up with something slightly different. Sorry you can't see the tomatoes. I used mini Cherokee Purple Tomatoes. By the time we were ready to eat I was so hungry that the photo was an afterthought.

Ingredients
* 1 bunch spinach, washed, dried, stems removed
* 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
* 1/2 box of orzo, cooked to al dente
* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* bunch of basil leaves, torn or thinly sliced
* Salt and pepper
* 2 tablespoons of prepared Greek Salad Dressing
* 4 oz Feta cheese, crumbled

Directions
Thinly slice spinach and put into the bottom of a mixing bowl, followed by the halved tomatoes.

Once pasta is cooked and drained, add on top of tomatoes and spinach to slightly wilt.

Drizzle olive oil and salad dressing over orzo and veggies and mix well.

Add basil and salt and pepper and mix again.

Add feta, stirring again to mix.

Taste your orzo to adjust seasonings and serve.

Season to taste.

Serves 4

Harry Takes a Load Off

2009-06-29T22:30:00.003-04:00

Yes, this is another gratuitous posting on Harry. I couldn't resist though. Sunday was such a hot day and I couldn't drag myself out of the pool. When I finally did get out, I came inside to notice that Harry's lunch was an hour past due. This is how I found him... He must have gotten tired of waiting and decided to make himself more comfortable, near the entrance of the kitchen I might add!

Recipe Review: Rhubarb Ice Cream

2009-06-28T17:28:00.007-04:00

This started a few weeks ago when I posted a recipe for Rhubarb and Custard Ice Cream from the Daily Mail on my Facebook page, with a comment of something to the effect of it possibly being the recipe that would make me use the ice cream maker that has been sitting in my freezer for 5+ years. My friend Terri commented that if I made that ice cream, she'd make her famous rosemary and garlic ribs that I've been dying to try. This was all the challenge I needed. As I didn't feel like converting the measurements in the recipe I had posted, I found this recipe on-line. It is apparently adapted from Williams-Sonoma Taste. This ice cream was super easy to make and was fantastic. I highly recommend it and will not wait another 5 years to use my ice cream maker again. My ice cream maker is really an attachment for my Kitchen Aid, which is super easy to use. While I stress that this recipe isn't mine, I'm strictly posting it here so my future reference, along with the instructions for using my Kitchen Aid attachment, as I'm useless at looking things up in the instructional booklet. My notes are highlighted in blue.

1 pound rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, about 3 1/2 cups
1 cup sugar
3 large egg yolks
2/3 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream

In a saucepan, combine rhubarb and 3/4 cup sugar. Cover and cook over low heat until rhubarb releases its juices, about 5 minutes.

Uncover and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until most of water evaporates and rhubarb has a soft jam like consistency, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. This was my favorite step. At the end of 20 minutes, I was left with a sweet/tart ~ perfectly balanced taste. At this point I was wishing that I had bought double the rhubarb so I could jar up half to make Rhubarb Preserves. It really had the most perfect consistency, I will most certainly be making this in the future. We had some in France and I've been craving it ever since.

Whisk egg yolks lightly. In a saucepan, combine milk and remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Bring to a boil. Gradually whisk milk mixture into yolks. Return to saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thick enough to coat back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. This was the hardest part for me. Not only did I have to separate an egg, I had to make custard. I'm not sure that the consistency was quite right, but it still worked in the end.Using a fine-meshed sieve, strain into a bowl. While I had planned on skipping this step, I realized that it is important to do so in order to remove and curdled egg from the custard.Add rhubarb mixture and cream. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or as long as overnight. I started this step the night before, so refrigerated overnight.
Per the Kitchen Aid manual, once the base was fitted and top was down and securely locked, I started the motor to the "Stir" setting. The paddle has to be rotating before you add the mixture to stop it from freezing up. It was a bit of a challenge adding the mixture with the top down, but I managed to do so using a small ladle. The directions say to mix for 20-30 minutes, until frozen. It also states that once the paddle starts to slip or make a clicking noise, that the ice cream is ready. Mine was ready after about 15-17 minutes. I think this was partially because I did chill it overnight in the bottom of my refrigerator, the coldest part. The finished product had a nice lovely soft pink color. It was so luscious and creamy. It was best the day of, the longer it is in the freezer, the more icy the texture becomes. Not that it stopped us from eating the rest later, I just let it sit out a couple of minutes to lose some of that iciness.
Serves 8

Tagged in EIGHT by Gina from Purdy Wallcovering

2009-06-28T11:46:00.004-04:00

I was happy to discover that my sadly neglected (but not forgotten) blog had been tagged in EIGHT by Gina from Purdy Wallcovering. While I've taken a short sabbatical from posting, I've still be creating in the kitchen and snapping away, but with the lore of the sun, pool, and getting reacquainted with my golf clubs have meant lead to less time at home on my computer.

8 things I am looking forward to:

Seeing Jane in October
Going to Savannah in November
Riding my green bike (once I've fixed the tires)
Going back to France
Traveling more with James
Getting a netbook so I'm more mobile
Finishing my book
Learning how to make macarons

8 things I did yesterday:

Went to the Farmers' Market
Had coffee at C'est la Vie and laughed so hard that people stared at me
Tried on clothes in a fitting room with poor lighting
Celebrated my husband's birthday
Had dinner overlooking the bay
Planted tarragon
Watched Wimbledon
Read

8 things I wish I could do:

Live in France
Sing
Travel photography for a living
Have a bigger garden
Speak French fluently
Travel more often
Bake
Make macarons

8 Shows I watch (I'm not a regular television watcher, so here are some of the shows I do like, and Podcasts/radio shows that I listen to regularly) oops, I went 9!:

The Last Restaurant Standing (the Restaurant in the UK)
Hell's Kitchen
The Tudors
So You Think You Can Dance
Doc Martin
This American Life
The Splendid Table
Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me
Car Talk

8 Favorite Fruits:

Passion Fruit
Strawberries
Blueberries
Raspberries
Apricots
Peaches
Lemons
Pink Lady Apples

8 Places I'd Like to Travel:

Menton, France
Catalina Island, CA
Jersey (the Island, not the State)
India
Africa
Argentina
Scotland
Ireland

8 Places I've Lived:

Sarasota, FL
Lakewood Ranch, FL
Thorpe Marriott, UK
Wymondham, UK
Hingham, UK
Stratford-Upon-Avon, UK
Thorpe St. Andrew, UK

8 People I've Tagged:

Ybor Cigars Plus ~ Handmade Cigars, Mojitos, and Live Music

2009-06-05T21:37:00.008-04:00

After dinner and the Flamenco show at the Original Columbia Restaurant, we decided to have a walk to show James's parents a little more of Ybor City. Famous for cigar factories, I love the fact that Ybor still has shops and bars that roll cigars. As we were walking down 7th Avenue, we caught sight of the sign for Ybor Cigars Plus. I fell in love with the looks of the place and we were drawn in by the guy rolling cigars in the window. Ybor city is full of bars, something for everybody. This really appealed to me because it had the atmosphere of what I imagine a cafe in Cuba would really have. There was a good age mix all socializing together in this darkened, relaxed cafe drinking wine, espresso, beer, while a couple of people smoked cigars. The smoke wasn't too strong but added a nice warm scent. It was fascinating to watch how quickly the guy in the window could complete a cigar. All while he had a phone perched on his shoulder. He made it look so easy. I really would like to try someday, though I think it will probably take a few tries before I can do it half as well as this pro.

I ordered an espresso since I was driving and James had a glass of wine. You can't go to Ybor and not have a vice, and as I was vice-less that night, decided to have a cigar. Now here is my confession: I enjoy cigars. Not that I have them very often, really once ever 5+ years (probably more), but I really do enjoy the taste of a good quality cigar. The staff were very friendly and recommended the Robusto Maduro to compliment the coffee and wine. We were not disappointed. It had such a lovely flavor and was such a nice relaxing way to wind down. After about half of it we were finished, I had reached my limit. They were nice enough to cut the tip and packaged it up so we could take the rest with us for another day. Ybor Cigars Plus is such a friendly, welcoming cafe and was the perfect place to end our evening. I can't wait to go back.

Ybor Cigars Plus
1725 E. 7th Ave
Ybor City, FL 33605
813.516.3731
http://www.yborcigarsplus.com/
contacts@yborcigarsplus.com

Places I Eat: Flamenco at The Columbia Restaurant ~ Ybor City

2009-06-03T22:24:00.005-04:00

While James's parents were here, we decided that it would be fun to do something that they hadn't done before. James's father has taken a keen interest in Flamenco dancing recently, they love the Columbia on St. Armands, so we decided that taking them to the original in Ybor City was a must! Established in 1905, the Hernandez Gonzmart family are now in the 4th and 5th generation to be serving fantastic Spanish/Cuban food in the original location in Ybor City.

Originally a community for Spanish, Cuban, and Italian immigrants in the 1800's, Ybor City was the area capital for cigar factories, a tradition that still lives on today. Today it has a mix of cafes, bars, nightclubs, and funky shops - but still retains a strong architectural flavor of it's ethnical past.

We started with a pitcher of Sangria de Cava, 1905 Salad, and some black bean cakes. After our first course, we were treated to a 45 minute flamenco show. The dancers were fantastic and I would highly recommend going if you are in the area. There is a charge of $6 per person for the show, but this is truly a good value for the quality of dancing.

Our main course followed the dancing. I couldn't resist having the Ropa Vieja. My lovely friend Emily, who is from Cuba, will be teaching me how to make this in the upcoming months. I can hardly wait!!!

In addition, since our visit to the flamenco show, I have started reading a book called The Return by Victoria Hislop. Set in the Spanish Civil War, it is the love story of a young Flamenco dancer and her (almost 5 years older) guitarrista. While I am only half way through this book, I would recommend it as highly as I recommend an evening at the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City.

Places I Eat: Mar Vista, Longboat Key

2009-05-31T17:09:00.007-04:00

Last Sunday James and I went out to Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant & Pub on Longboat Key. Located on the Bay in a rustic former house, Mar Vista definitely gives you a taste of "Old Florida". The outside seating area is bliss. There are tables under cover with nice flans to keep you cool, and there are also tables outside under the light strung trees, feet from the shore line.

There is usually a bit of a wait. We like to put our name in and then head to the bar. While the inside does have a nice atmosphere, we like to take our drinks outside and wait out on the dock. It was quite overcast that day, but was the perfect cool down to a hot day in our pool. I had the Passion Fruit Pina Colada.

Even a 30+ minute wait is enjoyable with the massive pelicans to watch. It is probably due to the fact that you are closer to them here than at the beach, but Mar Vista's pelicans really do seem bigger than the average pelican. Or maybe it was the rum...

... either way, we could sit out for hours taking in the view, even on a cloudy day.

In addition to arriving by car, you can also arrive to Mar Vista by boat.

We were told that there would be a 45 minute wait that night, but it felt more like 15. I had the Caribbean Chicken Sandwich ($ 8.99) which was a chicken breast marinated in tropical fruit juices, blackened, and topped with Provolone cheese on a whole wheat bun. It had just the right amount of heat and was just what I was craving.

James opted for the Mar Vista Burger ($8.99) with Cheddar, Bacon, and Blue Cheese. I'm guilty of sneaking a bite, and with their thickly sliced dill pickles, think that he made a great choice.

Things for Girls to do in Lakewood Ranch

2009-05-31T16:22:00.003-04:00

Several years ago while my friend Jane was visiting from England, we went to one of those trendy paint your own ceramic places with my mom and my friend Emily. Lucky for them I can't find the photos, but my mom and I painted mugs, Emily painted a lovely dish for her dogs, and Jane... well Jane painted just about everything she could. As a lover of Halloween, she painted a ghostly thing and to fit in with her trip to Florida, she painted a crab. Jane is coming back to visit in October, and after a recent dinner at MacAllisters Grill & Tavern, I noticed that one of these places had opened on Lakewood Ranch's Main Street. In addition to painting ceramics, you can make your own jewelry at this place. Staring at me from the window was this lovely little Garden Gnome. Could it be a sign?

Places I Eat: Sharky's on the Pier, Venice Island

2009-05-31T14:53:00.006-04:00

Sharky's on the Pier is a super fun place to eat. Located right on the beach on Venice Island, they actually do have a pier... Complete with a shop to buy sun screen and ice cream...

... and live bait...

For us, the main draw is eating out on the Tikki Deck where they serve yummy Tropical Frozen Cocktails, have a sublime view of the beach, and live music. The night we went there the deck was closed for food due to a wedding.

This was a huge disappointment due to the fact we had driven an hour specifically to eat outside on the beach. We have so many fantastic restaurants nearby that we could have stayed close to home to have good food indoors. Still, we were able to have a cocktail outside while we were waiting for our table, and since we were there had decided to stay. I had the delectable Mango Tango.

We were very happy that we did decide to stay. The inside menu had changed since we were last there, and we thought so did the quality of the food. James had fish and chips, which he was very happy with. I opted for the Coastal Chicken: chicken breast sauteed with mushrooms, spinach, sun dried tomatoes in a white wine and lemon demi-glaze. It was the best thing I've ever had at Sharky's, and I've been going there for more years than I can remember. We were too full to have any of their scrumptious looking desserts.

We finished eating just in time to walk out to the end of the pier to watch the sun set.

This turned out to be a fantastic visit to Sharky's. We will definitely be back, and not only when we have company.

Places I Eat: The Columbia Restaurant ~ St. Armands Circle, Lido Key

2009-05-31T12:19:00.008-04:00

Opening in 1959 on St. Armand's Circle, the Columbia Restaurant has been serving Sarasota the best Spanish/Cuban cuisine in a cosmopolitan Mediterranean setting in Lido Key. If you were coming to Sarasota for a few days, the Columbia Restaurant is a must!

Our favorite tipple to start with is always a pitcher of their Sangria de Cava. Cava, Spain's version of Champagne, makes a lighter more sophisticated version of the well loved Spanish drink.

You can order from their extensive Tapas or Entree menus, but I seem to stick to my favorite in the summertime: If eating inside, I always start with a cup of their Spanish Bean Soup. This soup has a ham/chicken broth base and is loaded with Garbanzo beans, diced potatoes, ham, and Chorizo sausage.Inside our out, I always have their signature "1905 Salad". This is an absolute must as a starter if ordering an entree, or a refreshing, very satisfying main dish salad. On a hot day, there is nothing better than to sit out on their patio and watch the world go by. While the Columbia are very generous to post some of their recipes on their website and have a cookbook (James - hint, hint) - nothing can duplicate the experience of actually dining at one of the Columbia's seven restaurants.

Bodegas Berberana Rioja Viña Alarde Reserva ~ A Great Summer Red

2009-05-30T15:13:00.005-04:00

Once the temperatures start soaring, I tend to put away red wine until Fall. The scorching Florida heat paired with extremely high levels of humidity completely put me off red and instead I search for chilled, fruitier, lighter wines. That was until I discovered Bodegas Berberana Rioja Viña Alarde Reserva (2006). Tempranillo isn't a grape that I often tried, but this bottle will definitely have me exploring other labels. Florida obviously has a strong Spanish/Latin history, and Sarasota certainly has no shortage of that flavor. I suppose it is only natural that a Spanish wine would suit our summer climes.

The predominant flavors were black cherry and plum, but had subtle notes of tobacco, which made it the perfect pairing for our evening...

We had half a Cuban cigar from a recent trip to Ybor City, so decided to finish is off on the lanai with an Uno marathon. The Latin Jazz and Salsa program on WMNF provided the perfect soundtrack for the evening.

What a Fantastic End to Spring and Start to Summer!

2009-05-28T20:50:00.002-04:00

We've had a rotation of company since Easter, mainly my in-laws who were over from England for 3 weeks. This explains my absence from posting due to my over indulgence of food, sun, and fun. I'm slowly getting back to the land of reality, have loads of things to post about, so watch this space...

Twelve Years Ago Today...

2009-05-03T16:23:00.003-04:00

James and I got married in Abbotts Morton, England... ... and our sweet Harry was born in Wymondham, Norfolk.

James and I have had a nice day looking back at photos from our wedding and thinking about all of the changes in our lives over the past 12 years. Now we're off to St. Armand's for dinner, and if we're lucky, will watch an amazing sunset.

We've had a revolving group of company since Easter, and while we're having a great time, I've not had much of an opportunity to post to my blog or visit those that make me smile. I've got loads of lovely food to write about, but as we still have company for another 2 weeks, probably won't get much of a chance until then. See you soon! Amy x

Spring Certainly Smells (and Looks) Sweet

2009-04-19T22:36:00.004-04:00

This time of year is absolute heaven. Not too hot, the humidity isn't too heavy, and the sunsets are stunning. Angel Trumpets, Variegated Ginger, Jasmine, Dogwood, Gardenia, and Magnolias are in bloom, once the sun sets, the scents are the strongest - giving us more of an excuse to go for an evening stroll.

Yet Another Sarasota Icon Has Disappeared

2009-04-19T22:19:00.004-04:00

For as long as I remember, we've always had a camera shop on Main Street. This shop has seen me through High School classes and various stages of photography. Now there is a a prominent spot on the corner of Main Street that is empty. The front of the shop is missing the familiar sign, but its iconic name, for the time being, still graces the alley way. Some times it is hard to embrace change.

Easter Feast #2 ~ Roasted Marinated Pork and Purple Asparagus

2009-04-19T10:07:00.005-04:00

On a recent shopping trip the the Fresh Market, we spotted this gorgeous Purple Asparagus and decided that we had to have it for Easter Dinner. I had seen purple asparagus in photos before, but had never tried it. I would be lying if I said it was easy leaving this alone until Easter day, I was absolutely giddy with anticipation of trying, and wasn't disappointed in the end.When my mom arrived, she came with this lovely Easter Basket. Now I don't care how old I am, each year I never get any less excited about having an Easter basket. This was a particularly lovely basket as the contents were more suited to my age... With the pork finishing up in the oven, my wait for the purple asparagus was coming to an end. I coated in some olive oil and sprinkled with Maldon sale, then cooked on a Medium flame for about 10 minutes. Once the pork came out of the over to rest, I turned the heat up to 400F and finished off the asparagus in the over, about another 5-10 minutes, checking frequently as I didn't want them to burn.

One thing I would like to mention, and I had a sneaking suspicion that this would happen, is that they turn green when cooking. They did retain a bit of the purple, but the majority turned a deep green.

Backing up a bit, the pork was marinated for 8 hours in a mixture of:

1 large tbsp prepared vinaigrette
2 tbsp olive oil
vegetable oil to thin (about 1/4-1/2 cup)
few good shape of Tamari sauce
3 clove garlic
Herbs de Provence
5 sprigs of Lemon Thyme
2 sprigs Rosemary
good pinch each of sale and pepper
a splash of lemonade

When ready to cook, I shook access marinade off and roasted at 325F for 35-40 minutes. What a fantastic combination...The pork was moist and flavorful. The asparagus was divine. It had a slightly sweeter taste than regular green asparagus. The smokiness of roasting it was a good compliment to the natural flavor. This would be a good introduction for someone that doesn't think they like asparagus. We also had kohlrabi remoulade and an artichoke/green olive pesto pasta salad. Not your traditional Easter feast, but most enjoyable!

Afterwards we had lovely lemon cupcakes that my mom had made, but sadly my camera had retired for the night, so I can't share them with you.

Easter Feast #1 ~ Grilled London Broil with Grilled Peppers and Mushrooms

2009-04-19T09:43:00.005-04:00

The Friday before Easter I was happy to discover a new shipment of Heirloom tomatoes at Fresh Market. This was a bit like winning the lottery for me as I was craving Purple Cherokee tomatoes. This zebra striped tomato is quite possibly the most fashionable tomato I've ever seen. My dad and Kathy were down for Easter weekend. While the guys had a nice morning playing golf, Kathy and I strolled around downtown and had a lovely lunch out (more on that to follow...) then met up for dinner. I had prepared the pasta salad earlier in the day, which turned out to be a good idea as our power went out. (Yet another sign that summer is quickly approaching, this is a common occurrence with PRE) We fired up the BBQ, put a table and some chairs outside, and enjoyed a lovely evening of dining el fresco.

The mushrooms and red peppers had been marinating for about 1/2 hour in Italian vinaigrette. Before cooking the beef, I cooked them for about 10 minutes to give them that nice roasted flavor, then returned them to a bowl to sit while the meat cooked. I cooked the beef 7 minutes per side on a medium heat, then turned off the grill and let sit another 2. After the meat rested for 5 minutes inside on a plate, I cut into thin slices as well as the veggies. Once arranged on the serving plate, I poured the resting juices of both the meat and vegetables over the entire plate. It was now ready to be served. Along with the pasta salad & kohlrabi, we had tomatoes prepared in my favorite way....
To finish up this live meal, we had the most divine berry tart from Whole Foods. Need I say more...

Garden Gnome Bird Feeder at Target

2009-04-19T08:41:00.002-04:00

Jane, you will need the entire cargo compartment!

Boniato, or Cuban Sweet Potato

2009-04-13T22:06:00.006-04:00

In my weekly quest to try something new from the Farmers' Market, I stumbled upon something I have never tried before: Boniato - or Cuban sweet potato. This is a white fleshed sweet potato. A fellow shopper had mentioned that these were quite rare and we were lucky to have found them, but upon some further research, they apparently grow year round in Florida. The week after I purchased them a colleague of my mom's had brought some in to work from her garden. They must be a next "up and coming" product on the local market.The flesh was not quite a moist as a regular sweet potato, and maybe a bit fluffier once cooked. It wasn't as sweet as a regular sweet potato, but I really liked the light flavor. I cooked them the same as you would cook a regular sweet potato. Once cooked, I mashed with a fork, drizzled with olive oil, then sprinkled with sea salt and basil.

One thing I did discover is that they start to discolor once peeled, so it is best to put into water right away.

James wasn't really impressed, but I look forward to having them again.

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T12:00:00.007-04:00

Hope you are having a lovely day enjoying the beauty of Spring. We had our first Easter feast yesterday, and are preparing for our second today. The sun is shining, the flowers are in bloom, the butterflies are fluttering, and it truly is beautiful day.

Kohlrabi Rémoulade

2009-04-05T20:10:00.008-04:00

My challenge to myself every week at the Farmers' Market is to buy a vegetable that I've either never tried or have never used before. These gorgeous kohlrabies caught my eye a few weeks ago and I just had to have them. Now, this was not my first time eating kohlrabi, but I hadn't had them since I was in about the 12th grade, so it was still new enough. While kohlrabi translates to "cabbage turnip" and is related to the cabbage, it actually tastes more like broccoli. There are different varieties ranging from green to purple.I did a search on-line and found many lovely recipes, but as it is getting hot in Florida, I wanted to come up with something cooling, so made Kohlrabi Rémoulade. Not only was it reminiscent to my trip to France a few months back, it also similar to the Celerica Rémoulade I've been making like crazy since they've been in season.

This recipe easy to make, had such a lovely flavor and was very refreshing. I hope you enjoy...

* 2 medium Kohlrabies
* 6 oz mayonnaise - Dukes or freshly made
* 6 oz Greek Yogurt
* 2 tsp Dijon mustard
* 1 good pinch of Herbes de Provence
* celery salt

~ Combine the mayonnaise, Greek Yogurt, mustard, herbes de Provence, and celery salt (to taste).

~ Peel the kohlrabi. I find it useful to cut into wedges before cleaning. You can use a potato peeler, but as there is a fibrous layer beneath the purple skin that needs to be removed, I used a knife and was able to cut them both off in one go.

~ Next - grate the kohlrabi. A large standing cheese grater works nicely. The bits that were too small to grate didn't go to waste as I just cut them into fine strips, which added a nice texture to the shredded kohlrabi.
~ There is a ton of water in the kohlrabi, so as I was shredding I would squeeze out the water and had a towel in the bowl to absorb the access liquid. You could also line a colander with a towel and allow the water to drain. It is very important to drain as much of the water as possible so that your dish is not too soggy. It seemed like such a waste of nutrients, so I used the kohlrabi water on my herb through.

~ Once completed, mix the kohlrabi and sauce in a bowl. If you find it a little too dry (depending on the size of your kohlrabi) - mix in another tablespoon or so of mayonnaise. Refrigerate over night - it will taste so much better the next day once the flavors have time to meld and penetrate the kohlrabi.
We were both completely impressed with the outcome: it was such a cool, refreshing, easy to make dish that will definitely become a staple in our Florida home. This was James' first exposure to kohlrabi, and he was really impressed.

From a nutritional standpoint, the kohlrabi is high in fiber, magnesium, potassium, thiamin, vitamin B6, and is very high in vitamin C. It is also naturally low in fat, sodium, cholesterol, and calories.

Sarasota Polo Club at Lakewood Ranch

2009-04-01T22:59:00.005-04:00

The past few weeks have been a complete blur... from the Murder Mystery Night, to the Highland Games, to various work projects that have kept me busy to our car shopping, I've not had very much time to post let alone to sit back and breath. This all changed on Sunday when I took some time out to catch a Polo match with my friend Terri, leaving the guys behind for a girlie day out.

The Sarasota Polo Club at Lakewood Ranch is located at the east end of University Parkway and has been around since 1991. Open to the public every Sunday, for $10 per person you can enjoy the most refined tailgating experience in the area. People in my town take their Polo tailgating very seriously. There are themed menus and contests, we're not talking your average football fare. Terri and I opted for a vegetarian spread of Olives, Goat Cheese, Asian Red Cabbage Salad, Tabbouleh, and Pitas. This kept us going for the first 5 chukkers of action...

... during the sixth, and last chukker, we enjoyed some lovely chilled Pimm's. We weren't toasting victory as our team lost, but it was a very nice day indeed.

Ratatouille

2009-03-26T22:02:00.006-04:00

Ratatouille is one of my favorite dishes. It is the perfect time of year to make this traditional French Provençal vegetable stew as everything is in season. For the past month, my favorite organic stall at the Farmers' Market has had Asian eggplant in their "bargain" bin along with green and red bell peppers. The Florida sweet onions are at their prime, as well as tomatoes. There are several ways of making this dish. Some cook everything separately, then layer and continue cooking, while others choose to saute everything together at once. My version is sort of an easy version of the latter. Yes, you could pre-chop everything and then begin, but I like to cut everything in a certain order as it is cooking.

* First I start by putting about 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large pot and heat over a medium flame. While heating, I roughly chop an onion and 1 clove of garlic, adding it the oil once chopped.
* Next I cut the eggplant (or aubergine depending on where you live). This then gets added to the softening onions with more olive oil to coat well. Eggplant is a very thirsty vegetable and will absorb all of the oil, so don't hold back. At this point I add a good pinch of sea salt, stir, and then continue chopping the rest of the vegetables.
* I then chop the zucchini (courgette), yellow squash, and bell peppers. Once all of the vegetables have been added, I add another drizzle of olive oil if needed, a large pinch of herbes de Provence, reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer.
* While the vegetables are simmering, I chop 1 large or 2 medium tomatoes.
* After the mixture has gently simmer about 30 minutes total, I add the chopped tomato and about 1/2 tablespoon of Harissa paste and stir. I then bring it back up to just about medium and let gently simmer for 20-30 minutes, or to desired consistency.You can serve ratatouille as a side dish or a main. One of my favorite meals is to have ratatouille over brown rice. It makes an absolutely lovely filling for crepes. I also make a pizza using the left overs - spreading over a pre-baked crust, top with Feta cheese, then bake until cheese had melted.

While I am very happy with this method as it is so easy, I've been reading a few recipes that add the tomato at the beginning. This forms more of a sauce for the vegetables to stew in. I've always added to tomato at the end as I was told many years ago that adding tomatoes too soon to a dish hinders the way the other vegetables cook. Now, I have no idea if this is true and haven't tried doing it in reverse, but if you have anything to add to that topic - I would love to hear!

Sarasota's Highland Games and Celtic Festival ~ 2009

2009-03-22T22:13:00.008-04:00

Saturday was the Scottish Heritage Society of Sarasota's Highland Games and Celtic Festival. The Sarasota British Club have had a stall the past three years where I have been serving complimentary samples of my favorite version of Pimm's Cup (recipe below).

Pimm's No.1 is a Gin based beverage that is the color of tea and has a citrus/spice flavor. It is a popular summer drink in England, famously served at Wimbledon and the Henley Regatta, giving it the reputation of being an upper class drink. Fortunately, you don't have to be in England or even a member of the upper class to enjoy Pimm's. In the US, Pimm's No. 1 can be found at most larger liquor stores. (In the SRQ area, I've found it at Norman's, ABC, the Bottle Shop on St. Armand's, and Coastal Liquors). Sprite or 7-up is traditionally used in the UK, however, I think it is much nicer with Ginger Ale. It is absolutely divine with Jamaican Ginger Beer.

It was an action packed day featuring various competitions...... including the infamous Tossing of the Caber...

... and there were three different Scottish bands parading around adding to the atmosphere. There were definitely more bag pipes than you could shake a bridie at! Mr. Jack R. from Ohio even gave us our own private performance including a lesson on how the bagpipe works. It was really fascinating to learn that melted bee's wax is used to coat the inside of the leather bag, stopping air from escaping and enabling it to fill with air for the bagpipe to play.

I'd be lying to say that the food wasn't one of my favorite things. James and I always look forward to sharing a portion of the Curry Chips. Other highlights are Fish & Chips, Deep-fried Mars Bars, Scotch Eggs, Sausage Rolls, Meat Pies, and a new discovery to us this year: Shepherds Pie in a little pastry dish.
Late in the afternoon I spotted this Bald Eagle sitting in a tree close by. It stayed there for ages. The sounds of the bagpipes and Celtic bands on the main stage must have been a welcomed change from the airplanes that are usually taking off from the airfield.

The event is wrapped up in the evening with a Ceilidh. I'm sure Emily from Thoughts and Biro Sketches would approve!

Here is my version of the summer time classic, Pimm's Cup:
* Mix together in large pitcher 1 part Pimm's No. 1 with 3 parts Ginger Ale.
* Add to each glass 1 slice of orange, 2 slices of strawberry, 1 slice of halved cucumber and 1 sprig of mint.
* Add a little ice to each glass and top up with Pimm's mixture.
* Enjoy, but be careful, consumption can cause "Creeping Paralysis". So pleasant to drink and seemingly so innocuous it catches up with you in the end! (that warning came from the father of Terry Sweeney who is the current Past President of the club and husband to Audrey, the eloquent hand model holding the Pimm's in the photo above)

My Herb Box

2009-03-16T23:09:00.004-04:00

As I can't really plant much outside, I like to keep a container of herbs on my lanai. Here is an updated photo of my herb box taken on 03/07. In my last Herb Box posting, I had planted the Nasturtiums (02/15). My dill didn't make it, so am going to purchase one to replant. They were still doing really well, as was my Cilantro that popped up from roots that I had planted last summer. This was a very unexpected and very welcome surprise. Harry's Chives were still doing well, but my Basil had run it's course, so I bought an organic Dandelion plant to add in it's place. I love Dandelion Salad, so am looking forward to seeing how this grows.

I don't seem to have much luck keeping Cilantro, so I'm enjoying it while I can. We had Tacos tonight so it was nice to go and harvest my own. Maybe I will be more successful this time around, but it seems like once the summer rains begin, my Cilantro disappears.

This photo was taken on 03/15. Just one week after the first photo in this post! My Nasturtiums are growing like mad! I can't wait to see what color they will be. The Cilantro is taking over and is really filling in the container, and my Dandelion is doing well.

It keeps getting greener and larger by the day. My gnomes are enjoying the shade... This is the best my herb garden has ever looked. I use an organic planting matter mixed with a little planting soil. To enrich the soil, I add the used leaved from my morning cup of tea. Right now I'm drinking an Earl Grey Green Tea, and it seems to be suiting my herbs. Now I don't do this every day, but about once a week. The additional left over tea gets mixed in with our coffee for my gardenia and roses. Every 6 weeks I do Jerry Baker's "Happy Herb Tonic". This is the first time I've done it religiously, and I really think I can tell a difference.

If you are interested in this post, please check back in a few weeks. I'm going to be posting updates on what I've done right and wrong. Hopefully there will be more rights than wrongs! If you have an tips, suggestions, or advice, I'd love to hear from you!!!

Ikea's Basil From Seed

2009-03-16T22:26:00.003-04:00

While I do have a fairly green thumb, I've always been intimidated by gardening from seed. For Christmas this year, my fab friend Gloria gave me a bag of goodies from Ikea. In the bag was this kit to grow basil from seed. I started it on 03/07. In the pot was a disc of potting matter that you soak for 15 minutes in 1 cup of water. It expanded to fill the pot, then you scattered the seeds on top... and wait.
I'm not known for being the most patient person, but this really started to sprout in days! One week later, on 03/15, this is what I woke up to find:
By 03/30 the bright green sprouts had started to take a yellow hue. I was also noticing fuzzy mold spores starting to appear. As the instructions weren't entirely clear, I wasn't sure how much water or sun I should be giving it. I'm not sure if there was something I was doing wrong or even how to correct it.
By 4/07, the mold was starting to take over. Sadly, this was the end of my Ikea basil plant.

A Lazy Sunday with Harry

2009-03-15T15:27:00.010-04:00

I've had a very busy past two weeks with work and the running up to the Sarasota British Club's Murder Mystery that took place on Friday night. It was a labor of love, but kept me very busy. As we were doing this for a group of 80+, I had to re-write the text from the CD so local Actor & Radio Host Cliff Roles could lead the investigation. We were also lucky enough to have Sarasota Magazine's own Mr. Chatterbox, Bob Plunket, join the cast! The rest of the cast was made up by 6 members of the club, including myself as Angeline Desguys, the murder! Everyone did a fantastic job and it was a lot of fun.

Today I decided to have a very indulgent, relaxing day, which suited Harry. We started out with a nice leisurely breakfast.
Then went outside to enjoy the sunshine. James & I did some gardening while Harry kept an eye on things.

Harry has the prime spot for sunning and watching lizards, all within reach of his beloved chives...

Harry is a true sun lover. Once the sun is no longer shining on the lanai, he moves inside to sit on our bar, where the sun shines in the late afternoon.

We'll probably head back out to have a few drinks while the sun sets and BBQ dinner. This is my favorite way to spend a Sunday.

We had a surprise later that night. I noticed a load of people outside staring in the same direction. While I realized that the sky was probably not falling, I went out to investigate. It turned out to be the Space Shuttle finally taking off from Cape Canaveral on the other coast of Florida. It was the most amazing launch I have ever seen. There was this bold plume of red and white smoking going into the sky with a very visible shuttle leading the way. We could even see the two rocket boosters separate and fall. My camera was inside at the time and I didn't want to go inside for fear off missing it. Here is the trail that was leftover 10 minutes after take off.

Culinary Creations: Carolina Pulled Pork Sandwich

2009-03-04T21:29:00.006-05:00

This first time we had this flavor combination was at the Bubble Room on Captiva Island. As I'm not a huge fan of cole slaw, I thought combining BBQ pork and cole slaw sounded absolutely vile. It appealed to James, so he ordered it, and I'm glad he did. The flavors of the cole slaw really did compliment the flavors of the BBQ pork, and I've since (sort of) become a fan of cole slaw. We've had this sandwich at various places since then, one of James's favorites coming in the form of a wrap at the Southend Brewery in Charleston.

The "Boston Butt" cut of pork works best for shredding. While the pork is coming up to room temperature, I heat my slow cooker on "low" for about 30 minutes, adding 1 small sliced onion to the bottom. Next I add the pork, lightly seasoned, adding a roughly sliced clove of garlic or two and various fresh herbs to the crevasses. If I have extra veggies like carrots or celery in my fridge, I like to add them to the bottom of the slow cooker as I use the juices at the end of cooking at a later date. Cook for 6-8 hours, until pork is easy to separate with a fork (usually about 6 hours).After I put the lid on the pork, I move on to making the cole slaw:

* 1/8 cup of white-wine vinegar

* 1/4 cup of Duke's Mayonnaise

* 1 tsp Dijon mustard

* 1 bag of Cole Slaw Blend (cabbage & carrot mix)

* celery salt to taste

Combine the wet ingredients, whisk, then pour over Cole Slaw Blend. Stir and refrigerate while to pork continues to cook.

Once the pork has finished cooking, let cool for around 1/2 hour. While the pork is cooling, I transfer the liquids from the slow cooker into a freezer safe container to be used for soup or sauces (I usually leave about 1/4 cup of the liquids in the pot). Once the pork has cooled, take two forks and start pulling ir apart, returning it to the slow cooker.At this point, you can use any type of BBQ sauce. My favorite is Sticky Fingers Mustard based sauce, but as I was out of it I used a smoky tomato BBQ sauce. Coat to your liking. I add a little more sauce as it will absorb into the pork while reheating. Once coated, put the lid back on and let heat for about 1/2 hour. If your slow cooker runs on the hot side, you might want to turn it down to the "keep warm" setting to do this.

While the pork and sauce are warming, I get the buns ready. First I fire up my broiler to the highest setting. Next I butter the buns, season with a salt free garlic blend, then broil until nicely toasted.
Once everything is ready, I slap a nice amount of pork onto the toasted bun, topping with cole slaw.Not only will your taste buds thank you, but so will your nose as it makes your house smell divine! Enjoy!!!

Product Review: DRY Soda Co: Lavender

2009-03-02T22:08:00.006-05:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I love lavender. From the plant, to the scent, to the color I can't get enough of it. I even drink lavender tea. On a recent trip to the Fresh Market, I was almost doing cartwheels at the site of the DRY Soda Co: Lavender. While I applaud their bravery of featuring lavender as a flavor, I was slightly disappointed with the results. It wasn't horrible, but for my taste buds, the lavender could have been a bit stronger. On the last bottle I had added a good squeeze of lemon. It needed just that bit of tartness to balance it out. With lemon, it was really refreshing and I would definitely buy it again. I do wish they would up the essence of lavender though. If you're going to go for something that unique, go for it!

The packaging is Brilliant. I loved the Flavor Profile, Characteristics, and Pairing Ideas that were on the side of the box. The logo was appealing and even the bubbles delighted that part of my brain that sings, "it's pretty - must have".

They really did put a lot of detail into the packaging. Even right down to the bottle top.

Fresh Market had two other flavors: Lemongrass and Rhubarb. If you have a look at DRY Soda's website, they also have other interesting flavors.

Creating a more sophisticated soda for grown ups is a fantastic idea. Kudos to them, and I can't wait to try the others!

Food Memory: The Church Inn ~ Ludlow, Shropshire, UK

2009-03-01T16:54:00.004-05:00

The last time I was in England, I went to Ludlow for the first time. Ludlow is a market town close to the border of Wales. Steeped in history, it has an amazing collection of medieval and Tudor buildings. Also a mecca for "foodies", it boasts the annual Ludlow Marches Festival of Food & Drink in September, this three day affair features the infamous 'Sausage Trail'.

After a morning of sight-seeing, we stopped at the Church Inn for lunch. It is a popular, cozy, traditional pub. When asking about the Pub's history, we were presented with a book that listed most of the Landlords from over the past seven centuries. Throughout the building's history, it also housed a blacksmith, chemist, a barber-surgeon (Sweeney Todd anyone?) amongst other things.
They had a nice selection of ales, but I opted for a nice country cider. I love going to pubs in England and trying ciders that I can't get in the supermarket. James and his father opted for fish and chips, my mother-in-law had a steak baguette, and I went for the infamous pub classic: the Ploughman's Lunch. This isn't something I usually order, but I am so glad I did. Their Ploughman's was the best I've ever seen. It had a generous amount of ham, some salad, bread, pickle, a nice hunk of Cheddar cheese and the star of the day: Shropshire Blue. Having never tried this cheese before, I was in seventh heaven. Shropshire Blue is sort of like a Stilton meets Cheshire Cheese. I love trying new things and this made the choice of pub officially a good one. It was truly a lovely day that I will never forget, and will always have the warm memory of the first time I tried this cheese.

Food Memory: Magnolias ~ Charleston, SC

2009-03-01T14:31:00.009-05:00

A couple years ago we were fortunate enough to stumble upon Magnolias restaurant in Charleston, SC. Advertised in many local paper and magazines, we had to have a look at the menu. Billed as "Uptown Down South", we had to try. (Mel27 - this place is totally you! Kate, if you haven't tried yet, you must!)

Most of the restaurants that we ate at in Charleston had their own cookbook, so we asked our server to see theirs. While we were expecting a softback, spiral bound book we were presented with an amazing hardback book, with beautiful photography, signed by Donald Brickman himself! This was a "souvenir" I could not leave without. (Photo of Magnolias Cookbook from Amazon.com)
As we had been eating glutinously for a week and it was our last day in Charleston, I opted for a lighter meal. I had a bowl of their Ham Stew to start with, followed by the Wadmalaw Field Greens with Lemon-Lingonberry Vinaigrette. Both were good. Very good. I'd even goes as far as to say amazing. I can't remember what James had to start with, but for a main he had the Bacon Wrapped Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Tasso Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Collards, and Creamed Corn. If it sounds like a lot of food, it was. And I was even happier at the sight of it that I had only ordered a salad. I'm salivating just thinking of it now. If I were told that I had one day to live, Magnolias is where I'd spend it. Eating my way through the menu. I'd probably goes as far as saying that it is my favorite restaurant in the US. From the food, to the decor, to the wine list, it is truly an elegant experience.

Back to the cookbook: I love to do themed Holiday meals, and have gone "Southern" for Thanksgiving the past two years. This proves to be a popular choice, and the Magnolias cookbook is a savior when it comes to side dishes.Their Creamed Corn and Collard Greens are a must. Both are really easy to make and the results are divine. They are now family favorites, and I've almost perfected them without using the book... almost. Last year they accompanied our Maple Roasted Turkey, Mom's Stuffing, and Potato & Rutabaga Mash.

On Sale This Week at Publix...

2009-03-01T14:11:00.001-05:00

Product Review: Patak's Coat & Cook! - Tandoori

2009-03-01T10:33:00.003-05:00

Having previously tried the Tikka version, I was looking forward to making Patak's Coat & Cook Tandoori, with a few noted changes.The last time I used the Tikka, I didn't mix the packet with anything, and spread it directly onto two chicken breasts. The results were a little too strong and salty, and the paste was a little thick. My friend Jane had suggested using yogurt to mix with and marinate. Well, I didn't have any yogurt, so relied on my favorite Duke's Mayonnaise, mixing equal parts of each. I had two extremely large chicken breasts that I cut into smaller portions, coated with the mixture and marinated for 2 hours, turning occasionally. The chicken was cooked at 325F for 20-25 minutes, and the results were lovely. The mayonnaise made a world of difference as it kept the chicken nice and moist, and the flavor was superb.

I made this for a picnic, and like to think that we had the tastiest food of the bunch. Modestly speaking, of course.

Product Review: Simply Organic Red Pepper Curry Vinaigrette

2009-03-01T10:26:00.004-05:00

On a recent day of al fresco dining, I settle for an Indian theme. Salad is always an easy picnic vegetable option, and I had this packet of Simply Organic Red Pepper Curry Vinaigrette mix lurking in my cupboard. The directions called to mix the packet with water and vinegar. Once mixed, I felt that it was lacking something, so added a little more vinegar and also good amount of olive oil, as in my opinion, no salad dressing is complete without it. With a little experimenting and the improvisations, we were really impressed with the turn out and will definitely have again.

An Indian Summer Picnic

2009-03-01T10:01:00.003-05:00

I love eating al fresco, whether it be a picnic or at a restaurant. You just can't beat sitting with family or friends having good conversation, nice food and wine, fresh air, and the sun shining on your face. Recently, I was invited to a traditional English Garden Fête at the home of the Sarasota British Club's new President, Sue Ford.

It was such a lovely day and brought back so many happy memories of our favorite English summer pastime: Summer Proms. Each summer, at venues across the country, they have a series of out door classical concerts. The themes range from Music from the Movies to the classics that feature on the Last Night of the Proms. The tradition goes that you bring your own table, chairs, plonk, and a meal fit for royalty. I could go on and on about menus from Proms past, but the most memorable for me was one June when we were celebrating James's birthday. We had been out picking raspberries earlier in the day and I made a two layered chocolate cake with chocolate icing. I had covered the top of the bottom layer in raspberries, then once the top layer was iced, dotted fresh raspberries for color. After the 20 minute downpour that usually makes a brief appearance, we had a lovely time. For Sue's Garden Fête, I wanted to create a menu that was fit for the Proms. As Indian food is so popular in the UK, we ended up with Tandoori Chicken, Curried Couscous, and Salad with a Red Pepper Curry Vinaigrette. It was sublime and took me back to an English summer.

Lovely Award

2009-03-01T09:35:00.003-05:00

Gina from Purdy Wallcovering was sweet enough to send me this fab award. Gina has a wallcovering shop in my area and posts such beautiful images on her blog. It makes me wish that I had a budget as large as my imagination so I could redecorate every time she posts something that catches my eye. Thank you Gina, this is my first "award" and I hope to meet you in person some day. Any friend of Kate's is worth knowing :-)"These blog are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight more bloggers who must choose eight more bloggers and include this cleverly written text in the body of their award."

Now as I don't "know" 8 to pass on to, here are six lovely blogs that I really enjoy. Whether it is delectable food, beautiful words and images, or witty prose, these ladies keep my coming back to read more:

All About Us

Heart & Thistle

Chocolate and Marmalade Tea

K&G Bookclub

Marmite Forever!

Thoughts and Biro Sketches

Culinary Creations: British Sausage Rolls (With a Twist)

2009-02-22T12:56:00.007-05:00

For Christmas, I tried making James his favorite British treat, the sausage roll. In England, Christmas just isn't Christmas without sausage rolls. It is a family tradition to have them with Champagne, very civilized. While I'm not a huge fan of sausage, pair it with Champagne and brown sauce, and I'm happy to partake. This is what a sausage roll is supposed to look like. Mine didn't quite turn out this way... (photo from Sainsbury's Magazine November 2006 issue) Looking to Delia Smith and Sainsbury's Magazine for guidance, this is what I came up with:
*1 lb pork sausage meet
*1 small onion, grated
*dried herbs of choice (I used a poultry blend)
*1 box Puff Pastry sheets, thawed
*1 egg to brush pastry
Mix sausage, onion (or leek), and herbs - seasoning with a little salt and pepper.
The puff pastry I chose had 2 packets. I opened one and spread it out on a cutting board.

Next I took half of the sausage mixture, placed it on the pastry, then rolled.

When I had finished, it was a little fatter than I thought it should be, but pressed on. I sliced the roll and brushed with the egg wash.

These were placed onto a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper and baked at 425F for 20-25 minutes.

As you can tell from the photo at the beginning of the post, mine didn't come out to desired size. Mine were more like coasters. But with a nice brown sauce and a glass a bubbly, we managed to work our way through them. Despite it being 85F outside, I think it did feel like Christmas Eve to James.

A few days later... this is what I did with the other packet of pastry and the remaining sausage. Thinking the "pinwheel" effect would probably be more successful, I spread the sausage mixture across 2/3 of the pastry, then rolled.

Once rolled, I brushed again with egg, sliced and baked at 400F for 15-20 minutes, or until brown.

They weren't quite the same to James, but I was much happier with the results. While they were different from what he is used to, it didn't stop him from devouring them.

All this talk of British classics makes me think of another iconic British 'roll': Cliff Roles. While I try to paint a nice picture of Sarasota and the area, Cliff is truly "in the know" of all current events. Not only a local Award Winning Actor, Cliff has a fantastic local daily radio show with the best guests on the Sun Coast. I am very excited to be assisting Cliff at next month's Murder Mystery Night for the Sarasota British Club. I thank him in advance for hosting our "Am-Dram" night, and might make this dish in his honor.

Culinary Creations: Jamaican Jerk Pork Burgers

2009-02-22T10:47:00.006-05:00

I love Jamaican Jerk anything, and as the weather is warming up again, it's time to dust off the BBQ and come up with a few new tropical recipes. I suppose this really isn't a recipe, per se, as more of how I seasoned ground pork and buns.

I started with 1 pound of ground pork, added a healthy dose of Jamaican Jerk seasoning, and made 2 burgers. Yes, we are pigs. To be fair, we did only have breakfast that day, and weren't serving anything else with the burgers. OK, back on track - and cooked on medium heat about 5-7 minutes each side.
While this burgers were cooking, I "made" a sauce for the buns. In a small bowl, I combined about 2 tablespoons of Dukes mayonnaise with 1 tablespoon of HP Curry Sauce. Make this to taste, you could add more or less of whichever to your liking. I also added a dash or two of the Jerk seasoning for a little heat.

Next I sliced the buns, buttered, and then toasted under my broiler.

Once everything was ready, I slathered the sauce on the buns, added a thick slice of sharp Cheddar cheese, dill pickles, lettuce and sliced herbed yellow tomatoes*.

These are by no means the most appetizing photos I've ever taken as I was in more "experimental" mode, but the results were fantastic. They were so full of flavor and will definitely become part of my regular "recipe box".

* In my opinion, the lower acidity of the yellow tomato complimented the spiciness of the jerk seasoning better than a red tomato. Red tomato would work, but as I was also having dill pickle slices, it was yet another reason to go with the more mellow option. After slicing, I sprinkled with sea salt, basil, rosemary, and thyme. If you wanted to add a little more heat to your burger (they had a slight kick but were by no means hot) you could also sprinkle with dried red pepper flakes or hot sauce.

Gardening: Valentine's Weekend Plantings

2009-02-19T21:47:00.008-05:00

I apologize in advance. This is by no means my most interesting post. But it is that time again, the time of year when I don my garden gloves, grab the secateurs, slap on the SPF and go at it like a mad woman. I LOVE to garden, and while I have a very small yard, I make the most of the area that I have. So again, I apologize for this post, but it is a good way of my keeping track of things I've done.

James bought a box for me last year to grow herbs in on the lania. We've had a few things come and go, but it is still very enjoyable and I like the seasonal change. As my Lemon Thyme was dropping too many leaves, we decided to transplant it outside to a container that has Rosemary. This created the opportunity to bring in something new, and I was happy to find a Nasturtium at the Farmer's Market. Not only do they remind me of my recent trip to France, I love adding them to salads and using them as a garnish. The pretty, delicate flowers have an unexpectedly peppery flavor that goes nicely with other herbs and a simple vinaigrette.
When I first brought the plant home, James asked why I paid for Dollar Weed when we had it growning for free in our lawn.Alfie and Archie are still holding court in the box. James suggested their names be changed to Charlie and Tipsy. The jury isn't in on that one yet...
The biggest surprise in my herb box this year was the arrival of Cilantro. Last summer I had bought a bunch of Cilantro that still had the roots attached from Jessica's Market. When finished, I planted the roots. It has been about six months since I planted them, and am very excited that they decided to sprout.As we were on a roll, we decided to transplant our other Rosemary outside between my roses. For whatever reason, I am not able to keep a rose alive in this spot. I'm hoping that not only will the Rosemary thrive, but that the smell might deter some of the pests that are attracted to the roses. As it was Valentine's Day, I had to give my Curry Plant a little TLC. One of the branches was partially snapped off. I didn't want to remove it as that would create a large gap, so I took a bamboo skewer to hold it back up in place. So far it seems to be working as none of the green leaves have started to turn brown. Ok, apart from the ones that are already brown in this photo. While reveling in the success of my Cilantro, I decided to try it again with some Dill roots from a recent purchase. I chopped the tops off...and divided the roots between two planters. Fingers crossed I will have Dill shoots sprouting up in no time.

The last and least exciting transplant of the weekend was a Gardenia that I've had in a pot. This is purely for my memory's (or lack there of) sake. I am hoping now that it is planted in the ground that it will start grow a little stronger. It was doing really well until recently when it turned a little yellow from the drop in temperature. As it responds well when I sprinkle it with brewed coffee grounds, I'm confident that it will be green and healthy once again in no time.

Thanks again for letting me indulge in this post. I'm sure it will be useful for me in a few months to hopefully confirm my botanical success instead of leaving more spaces that need to be filled.

Culinary Creations: Easy Beef Bourguignon Cottage Pie with Leek Topped Herbed Watercress Mash

2009-02-18T20:52:00.006-05:00

We had a lot of the Red Watercress left over from Valentine's Day. I hate to let anything go to waste, so tried to come up with an idea of how to use the remaining cress. As I had the makings for Cottage Pie, I decided to do some research. Loads of recipes came up on Google for Watercress Mash, which consisted of mashed potatoes using watercress butter. Now I'm sure this does make it taste divine, and the extra step probably does add an element of flavor, but I honestly couldn't be bothered to make a butter, so decided to add directly to my mash. While the potatoes were cooking, I finely chopped the remaining watercress.

I used my standard recipe for Easy Leek and Cheese Topped Cottage Pie, only using Coleman's of Norwich Beef Bourguignon sauce mix instead of the Shepherd's Pie mix (with only 2/3 of the required liquid) and adding the cress to the mash, using Kerrygold Garlic & Herb butter.

After baking for 15-20 minutes or until bubbling, it was ready to come out of the oven.
You want your cheese to melt and the leeks to slightly brown, but not to be too charred.

The flavors of the red wine, beef, mushrooms, carrots, mashed potatoes and leeks went so well with the peppery flavor of the watercress.

I'm a bit of a vegetable fanatic, but had spent enough time preparing this dish (even though it was easy), it was a Sunday and I wanted to relax a bit. This is where the big Green Guy came in handy. By the time I had popped the pie in the oven and cleaned my mess up, preparing another veggie dish didn't rank high on my list of priorities.

All in all, I was very pleased with this dish. The only thing I would do differently would be to add more watercress. The other recipes had called for 2 bunches. While I'm not convinced I'm make the watercress butter, I am convinced I'd use double the cress.

Culinary Creations: Three Cheese Gratin Dauphinois

2009-02-16T22:05:00.005-05:00

I'm always on the quest to come up with new potato recipes. Here is what I came up with on Valentine's Day to go with James' divine steak.
* 4 potatoes, thinly sliced, (I don't peal, but feel free to do so if you prefer)
* 1 leek, sliced
* 2 oz Blue Cheese
* 2 oz sharp Cheddar
* 2 oz grated Parmesan
* 1/2 pint of whipping cream
* 2/3 cups milk
* 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
* 2 cloves of garlic
* pinch of Allspice, salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 375F. Pour cream and milk into pan and gently simmer. Once simmering, add in potatoes, leeks,1 clove garlic (chopped), allspice, salt and pepper. Simmer on low for 10 minutes. Stir frequently. Add in cheeses, stir until mixed, then remove from heat. Cut remaining garlic clove in half, use both halves to run baking dish. Pour in mixture, spreading evenly to fill the baking dish. Bake at 375F 40-60 minutes. Feel free to cover in foil if potatoes are browning faster than they cook. The leftovers were particularly enjoyable. We had them two nights later with ratatouille, kale, and smoked pork chops. Recipe should serve 4, but as a side dish, has been more like 6 for us.

Valentine's Dinner: A New Watercress and Dauphinois Recipe

2009-02-15T23:13:00.008-05:00

James and I usually stay in for dinner on Valentine's Day. We started the tradition a few years back of cooking a joint venture meal instead of going out. It is a treat for me to have him cook, and there is no chance of bad service or noisy patrons. Well, apart from Harry.

James cooked steak - French style, and I made a Three Cheese Gratin Dauphinois. We also had a green salad with a new discovery to me: "Wild Red" Watercress. It was lovely, not quite as bitter as some of the watercress we get around here, and was a bit more peppery. We both agreed that we liked it better. With the lovely mixture of green and red, you could almost feel the goodness as you were eating it. Take that toxins and potentially cancerous cells! I did some research and discovered that this is actually a recent find. Or so the article goes. As it has just been placed on the market and only to a limited area, I feel very fortunate to have stumbled upon it. Have I mentioned that I love Sarasota's Downtown Farmer's Market???

We had a lovely meal with Madeleine Peyroux singing away in the background. James had cleared the table and we were finishing up the last of the fizz before going for a walk when an uninvited guest showed up:

Quicker than I could say "Be Mine" (alla Sweethearts Conversation Hearts), Harry was up on the table, on the trivet, like he belonged there. Now I do not condone the cat on the table while we eat, if you know Harry, some times there is no compromising.

What's Not to Love About Puppet Shows and Free Hugs?

2009-02-15T22:36:00.011-05:00

My Valentine's Day started with my favorite weekend activity: heading down bright and early to the Farmer's Market. It was a stressful week, and this is my favorite way to unwind. As my mom and I made our way to our favorite breakfast spot, C'est la Vie, we were treated to a puppet show by Dr. Nick and Leonardo Da Cat and His International Menagerie.Being serenaded by Leonardo himself on Valentine's Day was such a treat. How could you not smile being entertained by a group of Marionette puppets on a portable stage that is towed by a leopard print bike? It's people like Dr. Nick Gapeto that make me love this town, he really adds to that eclectic character of Sarasota. Giddy from the vibe of the early AM concert, we scored a table in the popular French café, where I ordered my favorite, the Savoyarde Crepe - this time choosing salad instead of potatoes. Yes, I'm not your typical breakfast fan, so salad at 8:30AM is perfectly acceptable to my palate.
After a leisurely breakfast, we hit the market, stocking up on some amazing produce. I love going to the Farmer's Market with my mom as it's a great way to buy in bulk, then split things between us.
While we were downtown, we stopped into Sur La Table as my mom was on a mission to get a heart shaped cookie cutter. As we were in line to pay, I noticed the napkin display... could this be a sign???
On the way back to the car, crossing Main St - in front of the Gator Club, we were greeted by this group of smiling faces giving free hugs for Valentine's Day!
Whether you're cynical about Valentine's Day being a holiday that was fabricated by Hallmark and Florists as a way of selling their goods, you've got to admit that it is nice to have an excuse to celebrate love and kindness. Yes, you should need your calender dictating a day for you to do so, but it doesn't hurt...

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T16:28:00.007-05:00

Nothing says "I Love You" like...

Happy Valentine's Day!!! xoxo

Easy Pumpkin, Chocolate Chip, and Ginger Cookies

2009-02-09T21:49:00.003-05:00

Last month I volunteered to host a bake sale table at a local garden fête. I'm not as good of baker as I am cook, but have a few trusty recipes that aren't too shabby. I had planned to make my infamous oatmeal, banana, chocolate chips cookies that took me a few years to master. As I work full time (and can be a bit of a procrastinator) I stopped to the get missing ingredients on my way home from work - the night before the fête. When I got home I realized that I had forgotten a few key ingredients, mainly oatmeal and bananas. I didn't feel like going back out again, so had a look around my kitchen to see what I could make. With a box of Pillsbury® Pumpkin Quickbread mix in my freezer, I settled on a variation of a recipe on the side of the box. Replacing chocolate chips for the raisins, my Pumpkin, Chocolate Chip, and Ginger Cookies turned out to be a huge hit.

Culinary Creations: Oven Roasted Pork Chops with Mushrooms, Leeks, and Garlic Tomatoes

2009-02-08T13:33:00.009-05:00

This recipe is the a prime example of why I created this blog: whenever I come up with a new recipe, and we really like it, I never remember what I did or how long I cooked it. Many a conversation in my house consist of: "It doesn't taste like it did last time" or "This isn't how I remember it at all". In addition, when I'm following a recipe from a book or magazine, I always add or change things around, and like to make notes on what I'd do differently next time. I've got an extensive collection of Sainsbury's Magazines, so remembering which issue what recipe came from can be a bit of a problem. One night after I made something we really like (which no doubtedly didn't get recorded and will never be remembered), I had the epiphany that if it were all in one place, on-line, I will never have to strain my brain/search/forget again!

This an idea that has been going around in my mind for a week: the ingredients were chosen, it was going to be something cooked on the stove, but 1/2 hour before cooking, I decided that bunging it all in the over would leave me free to do other things. This is what I came up with. Serves 4.

* 4 boneless pork chops
* Dijon mustard
* breadcrumbs
* 1 large tomato, cut into large chunks
* 1 clove of garlic, more if you want to roast whole cloves in dish
* 2 thin leeks (not links) (inside joke), thickly sliced
* 8oz Portobello mushrooms, halved
* 4 slices of smoked bacon, roughly chopped
* olive oil for drizzling
* 1/4 wine for drizzling, red or white
* salt, pepper, herbs to taste

1) Half hour before cooking, put a dollop of mustard on each chop, spread to cover, set aside. Then chop 1 clove of garlic, sprinkle over chopped tomato along with a good pinch of salt. Also set aside, both out of the refrigerator. You could use this half hour to clean and prepare the rest of your veg and any side you might serve with it. Duh, I didn't have to tell you that.
2) When half hour is up, pre-heat oven to 350F. While oven is pre-heating, place pork in a large oven safe dish. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs, any type will do, I like to season mine with Herbs de Provence and a little Parmesan cheese. Next add mushrooms, leeks, tomatoes, and bacon. Drizzle with olive oil, wine, season with salt, pepper, and herbs - to your liking.
3) Bake for 30-35 minutes, stirring the veggies after 15 minutes.
I served it with some bow-tie pasta that was tossed in a garlic and herb butter and some white beans with yellow carrots, spinach, also in a garlic butter (compliments to Mr. Green Giant). Keeping the sides simple made it a really easy dish to make, I was glad that I decided to let the oven do all the work. This was all washed down by a lovely sparkling rosé that really complimented the meal. James gave it a 9 out of 10 and said it was restaurant quality. I'm just hoping he didn't mean Denny's. He once rated something I made a 10 out of 10, now if only I could remember what that was...

Drinks I Love: Rosemary Gin and Tonic

2009-02-07T14:50:00.004-05:00

Being a huge fan of the Gin and Tonic, I like trying different variations of the classic drink. Two summers ago in Oxford, my sister-in-law and I made some delectable Rosemary G&T's. They are super easy to make and so refreshing on a hot summer day (or even on a cold day when you're dreaming of the sun). You need a glass, gin, tonic, rosemary, ice, and a muddler. Add your preferred measurement of gin to the glass, then muddle the rosemary to release the flavor. Next add ice, then fill with tonic water. ~ Enjoy!
* If you do want to garnish this, I would suggest using lemon instead of lime as I think lemon is more complimentary to rosemary. You could also use cucumber.

Bombay Sapphire is my favorite gin to use with rosemary.

My Perfect Taco

2009-02-07T00:04:00.005-05:00

I've rarely met a taco I didn't like, but for me, this recipe is the best. It doesn't involve hours of slaving over the stove, which I love to do, but life doesn't always permit so I'm happy I stumbled upon this quick and tasty recipe. This is my version of a recipe I found in Whole Foods, using their 365 Everyday Value® Southwestern Grille Seasoning. This range of seasonings disappeared for a while, but thankfully returned. I like to think that maybe it had something to do with my e-mail pleading for its return. Yes, when it comes to the tastiest tacos, I have no shame. * 1 pound ground beef
*2 tablespoons 365 Everyday Value® Southwestern Grille Seasoning
*1/2 cup of salsa

Brown beef and seasoning for 5 minutes. Add the salsa and simmer on low for another 5 minutes. I also like to add a handful of frozen corn when adding the salsa.
Serve with your favorite toppings on a hard or soft shell. For me, my taco has a layer of cheddar on the bottom, topped by warm beef to melt the cheese. Next comes fresh cilantro - no lettuce. Then comes a good dowsing of Cholula Hot Sauce. To me, this is the perfect taco.While I couldn't find a link for the exact recipe anymore, I thank Whole Foods for the great inspiration. And thanks for bringing back our favorite seasoning for tacos!!!

I've Been Tagged By Kate

2009-02-06T23:33:00.005-05:00

I've been tagged by Kate from K&G Bookclub! Kate lives in Charleston, SC and we "met" several months back through our blogs - only to recently discover that we know each other from Sarasota! It truly is a small world after all!

During the meal, conversation had been somewhat inhibited by the amount of food which required to be consumed, but now it picked up again.

Here are the rules:
1) Grab the nearest book to you.
2) Open it to page 56.
3) Find the 5th sentence.
4) Post the text of the next 2-5 sentences and these rules.
5) Pick the closest book (not your favorite, cool, or intellectual).
6) Now Tag 5 other bloggers!

I'm tagging:

Jane ~ All About Us

Gina ~ Purdy Wallcovering

Emily ~ Veganize This!

Lisa ~ Heart & Thistle

Rosie ~ Rosie Bakes a 'Peace' of Cake

Jane's Blackberry and Apple Jam

2009-02-06T22:52:00.003-05:00

I absolutely adore homemade gifts, especially when they're edible. I had a lovely surprise this Christmas when my fabulous friend Jane, from England, sent a jar of her homemade Blackberry and Apple Jam.It is absolutely sublime. The berries really retained their shape and it takes me back to summer time in England, picking wild blackberries when out for a walk.

I was so impressed that she made jam for the first time, and was so happy that I was able to have some - even if it was from 4,000 miles away.

Places I Eat: The Sandbar, Anna Maria Island

2009-02-01T13:17:00.006-05:00

After having a picnic, the Sandbar on Anna Maria Island is my second favorite place to eat on the beach. The restaurant opened in 1913, and I've been going since I was a little girl. This was the first place I was allowed to sit at a table sans parents, making me feel like such an adult. I must have been about 9 or 10 when my friend and I were allowed our own table; truth be told it was probably as much of a break from the adults to be rid of us as it was for us to be rid of them.

You can eat inside, but the main attraction is the outside seating deck and the tables that are right on the beach. James and I went one night in early November. It was freakishly cold that night, but with the outside heaters we decided to brave the cold to enjoy the sunset. The outside area has such a great relaxed atmosphere with live music. There was a wedding at their reception pavilion that night, so we were "treated" to their music instead of our own.The Sandbar have a lovely menu of tropical drinks, perfect for a hot sunny day. My favorite is the Passion Fruit Pina Colada, but I passed as it was too cold that night for a frozen drink. James stayed true to his Sandbar staple, a Bahama Mama. The Sandbar has two different menus: a Deck Menu and an Inside Menu. As I don't eat seafood, this can prove to be a bit of a challenge. They have an amazing Shrimp salad that I'm able to get with blackened or jerk chicken that is sprinkled with Gorgonzola cheese, fresh mango, and has a passion fruit dressing. Until recently, it had been added to the Deck Menu, but as it was so cold that night, I wasn't in the mood for salad. Once it gets warmer it's back to pleading with my server to have something on the Inside Menu.

We had gotten there a little early for the sunset so decided to have a starter. I had their house salad (also with mango and passion fruit dressing) and James opted for a more sensible cup of soup. We both opted for the Buffalo Burger with Swiss, Mushrooms, and Sauteed Onions as our main course. There is something about a burger on the beach that you just can't beat. It also takes be back to my childhood when it was about the only non-seafood option. The burgers there are huge, and when paired with fries, can definitely be shared by two, which is what we'll do the next time we get a burger there.

Sitting in the cold was completely worthwhile for a view like this... Another perk of eating outside before sunset is that your server takes your guess of what time you think the sun will disappear into the gulf. Whoever gets the closest guess to the actual time wins a bottle of sparkling wine. We've yet to win, but have come pretty close. Whether your looking for somewhere to unwind after a stressful weekday or to have a relaxing dinner on the weekend, The Sandbar is definitely a lovely place to be.

Sunset Picnic at the Beach

2009-01-31T19:48:00.008-05:00

One of my favorite places to eat in Sarasota is at the beach, about an hour before sunset. As a local, this is something I don't do often enough. There are so many places to dine in Sarasota, but there is something about a picnic on the beach that just can't be beat.

When we don't make our own food, we like to pop in to Morton's Gourmet Market on Osprey Avenue to pick up some of their lovely prepared foods. To complete it, you only need a couple of chairs or a blanket, a bottle of wine (keep in mind that glass is banned on the beach), and a nice spot on the beach to sit back and enjoy the view.

Sietsa Key Beach (voted Travel Channel's "America's Best Beach 2003") is the most popular in the area, but Lido Beach is closer to our house, and less crowded, making it the ideal spot for a picnic.

Culinary Creations: Blueberry Preserves with a Hint of Lavender

2009-01-29T23:08:00.005-05:00

Calling this a recipe would be a slight exaggeration. This is more of an alteration. A few years back I had the blissful Cottage Delight Wild Blueberry Preserve with a hint of Lavender, in its charming square kilner jar*. Not able to easily get it in the US, I was determined to make my own... sort of. My quick version is to take a jar of blueberry preserves, my favorite being Bonne Maman and add lavender. When I have used about a tablespoon of preserves, to give room to stir in the jar, I add about 1/2 to 3/4 tablespoon of dried organic lavender flowers. When mixed well, I left sit in the refrigerator for a week to let the flavors meld. It makes the most amazing treat to have on scones with clotted cream, toast, or in my case - with peanut butter on waffles. If you've never tried lavender in food before and are a little nervous, start with a small amount to see how you like it. You can always add more if you like the taste and want it a bit stronger.

*For the past 4 years, the kilner jar has served as the perfect container for my Maldon salt. It is my absolute, most favorite container in the kitchen.

Product Review: Geeta's Pudina Tikka Spice & Stir

2009-01-29T22:30:00.005-05:00

At long last - I have found the most amazing jarred Indian sauce. Geeta's Pudina Tikka Spice & Stir was a mild creamy tomato sauce with mint (pudina) and coriander, seasoned with paprika, cumin and cardamom.I was interested when I first saw this sauce as it had a separate container on the top with spices. First you lightly saute your meet, chicken, seafood, or vegetables - then add the dry spices. We used chicken and it was amazing. After adding the spices and cooking a few minutes longer, I added the sauce and cooked over low heat for a half hour. It has such a nice, fresh flavor due to the fact that there aren't a bunch of scientific terms in the ingredients list. You could actually identify what went in to the jar - and the spices were perfectly balanced to create an authentic Indian dish. Authentic to English standards, I should add. The best Indian food I've ever had has been in England, where it is hugely popular and Geeta's products are imported from the UK.This made an amazingly easy mid-week meal served with curried lentils, Indian Spiced Kale and Tomatoes, and a nice refreshing Hendrick's Cucumber Gin and Tonic to cool our taste buds.

As we've only seen Geeta's products at World Market, we'll have to wait until our next trip to Jacksonville to stock up.

Why Eat Bugs When You Can Drink Flowers?

2009-01-28T23:21:00.007-05:00

While living in England, elderflower cordial and presse were my most favorite non-alcoholic beverage discovery. It is the most refreshing drink on a hot day. Elderflower Cordial is a soft drink made largely from a sugar and water solution and uses the flowers of the elderflower. Presse is the pre-mixed, bottled version made with sparkling water. The most popular companies that I'm aware of that make elderflower cordial and presse are Bottle Green Company, Belvoir Fruit Farms, and Duchy Originals (set up by Charles, Prince of Wales).

My heart was filled with gladness when I spotted Belvoir Elderflower Presse in World Market for $3.99!!! This was super exciting as we had just found it at a newer local market for $6.99 (shame on them!). It got even better as when we went to pay it came up as $3 - on sale. I heart World Market!!!
I love floral flavored foods and drinks, but Elderflower has a much more subtle flavor than rose, violet, and lavender products. It's like sunshine in a bottle.
If it says it in the bottle, it must be true...

... then you look at the ingredients, and it is indeed 100% good!

You can actually make Elderflower Cordial. Here is a link to a recipe, along with a few serving suggestions: http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/516164

Gratuitous Cat Post, With Some Gardening Thrown In

2009-01-28T23:04:00.005-05:00

Here it is, it was bound to happen sooner or later: the gratuitous shot of Harry. When I'm not in the kitchen and the weather is nice, I love nothing more than to sit out by the pool, reading a book with a glass of wine, accompanied by my faithful companion. My curry plant is doing really well. I never thought I'd say this, but I'm actually looking forward to some of our humidity coming back, as when it's humid it carries the smell of the curry plant farther. James bought a huge rosemary for me in November. I'm keeping it in the lanai for the time being as we're still getting the odd burst of freezing cold weather, but once we get passed that, it will have a permanent place with my roses.

Product Review: World Market's Dal Mughlai Curry (Lentils)

2009-01-27T22:56:00.006-05:00

Whenever I'm in Jacksonville, after seeing my dad and step-mom, my next "Must See" is World Market in Orange Park. If you're not familiar with World Market, it's sort of like an old school Pier 1 with loads in international foods and a nice wine selection. Apart from getting to my dad's house, World Market is the only place in Jacksonville I really know how to get to. My dad is always sweet enough to take me there, and patient enough to spend as long as I need to take in all the good stuff. As I am a huge fan of Indian food, I was elated to discover their own brand Curried Mixed Lentils. They are under $3 a can, and are really quite tasty. Actually imported from India, I like to think I'm getting a truly authentic product.

As they are mildly spiced, I like to add a little chili flakes when heating. I also like to add some tomato, and found this the perfect use for the rest of the can that I didn't use when making the Indian Spiced Kale and Tomatoes.

They make the perfect accompaniment to any Indian meal, are vegetarian - if you are so inclined, and are really good value. Now if only they would open a Wold Market in my area! I've been e-mailing their corporate office regularly suggesting they consider our area and figure one of two things will happen: they will promptly open once the economy picks up, or are considering a restraining order for harassment. I hope its the first option, as this could seriously become a very enjoyable habit.

My Favorite Way to Start the Weekend in Sarasota: C'est la Vie Followed By The Search For Local Produce

2009-01-25T17:45:00.010-05:00

The weekend before last my mom phoned me to ask if I wanted to do one of my favorite local things: go to the Saturday Downtown Sarasota Farmers' Market! It was forecast to be a freezing cold morning, but I wasn't going to miss out. Armed with warm clothing, scarves, and jackets - we set out bright and early to get the first pick of the market. Our bravery quickly waned once we got down there are realized that the sun was being blocked by tall buildings, and that it was very windy. We decided to do what any sensible person would do: go somewhere warm for breakfast!!! There was only one option: my favorite C'est la Vie. Owned and operated by a French couple, with the majority of staff also French, this authentic cafe is perfect for any Francophile. I was torn by a few things on the menu, but since I was reminiscing about my lunch at the Châlet la Pricaz the night before, opted for the Savoyard crepe. This sublime crepe was filled with thinly sliced potatoes, ham, onions, white wine cream sauce and topped with Raclette cheese. A very generous slice of Raclette cheese, might I add. This put a very big smile on my face! With breakfast behind us and the sun starting to show, we braved our way out to the Farmer's Market. The Downtown Farmer's Market was one of the things I messed the most while living in England. Don't get me wrong, they have lovely markets in England, but they don't have that certain je nais c'est quoi as the Sarasota Market. This could be solely down to the fact that ours has perpetual sunshine. It is always such a happy, vibrant place to be. Smiling faces, dogs' tails wagging, colorful produce - it is just such a nice way to start the weekend. I must have been in the 6th or 7th grade the first time I went to the Farmer's Market. There was a vendor that used to make the most delicious sour dough baguettes. Back then in the 80's, sourdough was still sort of an exotic find in this area. We had bakeries with lovely bread, but I don't remember sourdough being as common. Anyway, I remember that it was such a treat to come down and get a loaf that was still piping hot. That was the beginning of my love affair. Today's market is over twice the size of the original, and they no longer close Main Street (thank goodness), and is home to beautiful finds like these...

Now I must confess that I am a little biased towards Worden Farm. They are a totally organic farm in Punta Gorda. Luckily for us they make the drive every Saturday so we can have a superb selection of fruits and vegetables. They are not the only organic stall at the market, but they are one of the most nicely displayed. They are always THE place to go to for French radishes. The last time I was there they had these gorgeous white beets. Unfortunately I had spent all off of the cash I had with me, but I'll keep them in mind for next time.

On the way home we stopped at Jessica's Organic Farm for some of their divine kale. Jessica's is THE place to get kale in the Sarasota area. Also completely organic, they offer a fantastic selection of produce. Tucked away in a residential neighborhood, Jessica's is an absolute gem!

This is the first time ever that I have spotted the large Maryland Gourd at the market! Actually, it was my good friend Gloria shopping for her weekly produce.

Yes, we do look slightly deranged, but it was still freezing! We Sarasotans aren't used to such extreme (cold) temperatures.

Culinary Creations: Indian Spiced Kale and Tomatoes

2009-01-25T14:55:00.007-05:00

The inspiration for this dish came from Anjum Anand's Light & Healthy Indian menu in the February 2008 edition of Sainbury's Magazine. In it, Anjum makes a spinach and tomato dish. While I am a fan of spinach, I'm an even bigger fan of kale. I hadn't planned in advance to make this, so didn't have any fresh tomatoes either. A cupboard standby of chopped tomatoes came to the rescue. In a large pan, I sauteed 1/2 can of chopped tomatoes (very well drained), with 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon of tandoori BBQ seasoning in 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil until bubbling (about 7 minutes).

I then added the kale, stirred to coat, and cooked partially covered to allow the excess water to evaporate, on medium heat, for 5 minutes. It was super easy to make and made the perfect vegetable side dish to serve with Chicken Pudina Tikka, and Dal Mughlai Curry.My attempts at making Indian food have not always been a success, but any of Anjum Anand's recipes that I've tried have been very easy to follow, and have turned out well. James and I were both stunned at the results and thought it could have been served in any good quality Indian restaurant. It is our new favorite way to have kale.

Easy Weeknight Indian Feast

2009-01-25T14:34:00.005-05:00

One of my favorite things to do is indulge in a decadent mid-week meal. While I do like to make most things from scratch, a busy work week makes it worthwhile having good quality staples on hand. When it comes to Indian food, jarred sauces can be hit or miss. We've recently lucked out by finding some superb jarred sauces, along with canned dal (lentils) - all available at World Market (which will hopefully make its way to our area). This lovely meal was made up of Geeta's Pudina Tikka, Dal Mughlai Curry, and Indian spiced kale & tomatoes, all washed down with a sublime Hendrick's Cucumber G&T. The subtle flavors of the Hendrick's G&T balanced with cucumber made it the perfect drink to balance out the spicy flavors of this meal.

Celeri Rémoulade

2009-01-25T10:14:00.011-05:00

Celeriac, or celery root, is the edible root bulb of certain varieties of celery. Popular in the Mediterranean and throughout Europe, it is starting to become a more familiar vegetable in our local markets. Any true Sarasotan knows the once importance of celery to the area's economy, and that the site of the Old Packinghouse Cafe was once exactly that: a packinghouse for the celery crops. So not only is this a new up-and-coming vegetable, it is also local product! Yet another reason to try this curious looking root vegetable. With the beautiful celery that I buy at Jessica's Organic Farm, maybe there is a chance for celery to become, once again, a thriving local crop. Now, until last summer I had only had celeriac roasted and mashed. While we were in France, I was introduced to Celeri Rémoulade . In this dish the celeriac is grated/shredded and served in sort of a coleslaw style sauce. It has long been a favorite of my husband's and it was a new favorite of mine, so I was determined to come up with a recipe so that we could enjoy this popular French dish at our home in SRQ, using local ingredients (where possible). Here is what I came up with:

* 1 large or 2 small celeriacs
* 1/2 cup mayonnaise - Dukes or freshly made
* ¼ cup crème fraîche (sour cream or Greek Yogurt will also work well)
* 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
* 1 tbsp white wine, salad, cider, or tarragon vinegar
* celery salt

Combine the mayonnaise, crème fraîche, mustard, vinegar and celery salt (to taste).

Peal and clean the celeriac. I find it useful to cut into wedges, peel with a potato peeler, then take out the dark spots with a paring knife. Once finished, rinse with water to remove any of the hairy bits that stayed behind.

Next - shred, grate, or julianne the celeriac. We started out with julianne but was difficult to cut on my Mandoline - so we decided to grate. James was very helpful in this step. As I wasn't going to blanch the celeriac, I think the large setting on my cheese grater actually worked perfectly.

Once completed, mix the celeriac into the bowl, coating well with the sauce. If you find it a little too dry (depending on the size of your celeriac) - mix in another tablespoon or so of mayonnaise. Keep in mind that as it sits, the celeriac will absorb some of the moisture - so don't worry if it seems too moist. Refrigerate over night - it will taste so much better the next day once the flavors have time to meld and penetrate the celeriac. One thing I will say is that I used an Herbes de Provence Dijon mustard, and I really do think the herbs added such a nice touch. Just a subtle hint, not too overpowering. We were both completely impressed with the outcome: it was such a cool, refreshing, easy to make dish that will definitely become a staple in our Florida home.

From a nutritional standpoint, the celeriac is high in fiber, magnesium, potassium, thiamin, vitamin B6, and vitamin C.