The Perfect Day!

You know I have NOT blogged in a heck of a long time! But would you just look at that beautiful Quiche, it is quite the perfect example. Guess what? I didn't prepare it.

My son asked what I wanted for Mothers Day this year. I responded with, "Just cook me a meal, your choice. Breakfast, lunch or dinner".  He did not disappoint. He found the Quiche recipe on this site. The addition of the Apple juice was so tasty! The recipe is a keeper. He used an 'all ready' pie crust. I can't find fault.

Murphy is very interested in what is going on in the oven.


I also requested that we spend a bit of time hanging out in his apartment. Really! I didn't want to spy around, just wanted to see what he needed in his kitchen. Since I'm working at the mecca of cooking stores, I love to spend my 'hard-earned' on pots/pans or gadgets that he might need at my discount. I was also in hopes for a little trip to Jungle Jims! That is always a fun side-trip!


Before we could set off up North, my bearded baby informed me that he was also cooking dinner for me. He had Salmon crêpe on the menu. WOW, more that a mother could want!
Again, he sussed out the recipes and came up with another winner. He didn't use my  crêpe recipe, but his recipe proved fantastic results!

You can see how great he did with my DeBuyer pan! The more you use that pan, the better is gets!

He prepped the dish and we carted it up north. I had a ball in Jungle Jims and we did score some Cidre Brut while we were scouting around the market.  It brought back great memories!

 

 

I hope everyone had a great day! Lots of love to my son and his efforts!

Another comfortable dessert

There is just something about a custard based dessert to make you feel all warm and comfortable. I found a Melissa Clark recipe from the NY Times and thought I 'have to make this one'. Baked Tapioca Pudding with a Brûlée top sounded good! Looking through the pantry sent me hunting for Pearl Tapioca. I had a box of instant, I didn't think this was going to produce the same results in her photo. No luck at Walmart and Kroger, and then the 'old man' reminded me of the new bulk store in Georgetown, Mill Stone Market. They had Seed Tapioca, I seem to remember they are the same thing.

FYI, Mill Stone Market has an in-house bakery and when I walked in I was hit by fresh bread baking, delish. She also had a tray of chocolate chip cookies baking away. They feature a daily soup and sandwich. There are little tables to eat in, and one of my buddies said when she stopped in for lunch after a yoga class, all tables had filled up at noon.

If you think this recipe sounds like a winner to you, click on the recipe title link, and you too can find all the secrets to making this recipe. I did use a Bain Marie to ensure an even bake just like Melissa Clark suggested.
Always on the ready to fire up my blow torch, I did Brûlée the top with some Demerara sugar. My son deemed this dessert the Poor Man's Crème Brûlée.

Winging it.....

I seem to be cooking 'from the hip'. My own version of Britian's Ready Steady Cook! Here is how my version plays out.....a couple hours before meal time I start thinking about what I'm going to prepare. I forage the freezer, crisper drawer and pantry. Usually, a pretty good meal comes together this way.

I present to you the Pizza

A pre-made dough (yep, Trader Joe) was on my marble table ready to be shaped. I had some Eggplant that I softened in the oven with olive oil, some ricotta and a log of Goat Cheese. I decided that a 'white pizza' sounded good, so I blended the ricotta and goat cheese and spread that mixture on top.  I also had a jar of marinated artichokes. It was coming together. The dough was stubborn and needed some resting in-between stretching.


My son, the resident food critic, thought the dough was too 'wheaty'. He prefers my pizza dough. Now that is a good son. During the lunch, we did take a trip down food-memory lane.
La Crêperie Maule, where the Sarasan crepe is the star, served with a delicious cidre doux. Then, we remembered our  favorite local pizzeria, Pizza Elisa. A neighborhood place where our dog was as welcome as we were. It turned out to be one of those great meals that keeps a family close.

Salmon en Papillote

 The Salmon had thawed. It was 5:30 and I hadn't decided how to prepare the filet and what to serve with it.

Hmmmm!

The pressure was on. I told my family it was time to eat healthier & lighter. I wanted to cut back on my beloved rich cream sauces. Looking through my pantry, lots of cans, jars and sacks, our dinner was coming together! I found a jar of Trader Joe's Olive Tapenade! I also had a bag of their delicious Harvest Grains blend. A huge bag of Spinach in my crisper drawer, and a very simple dinner was in the works!

All of us in the Lexington area are very excited as the Trader Joe's is being built. More to come on opening dates and festivities!

Shot of inspiration!

There is nothing like a Cooking Class to get the inspiration juices flowing! Kinda' like that afternoon shot of Espresso.....in about 5 minutes you feel ready to tackle the rest of your work day!

Any person in the Lexington area certainly loves a class with  Phil Dunn. Watching Phil wield a pan of bubbling anything on that beautiful brick red AGA can excite a cook, or just about anybody who loves to eat. He never fails to get me planning my next meal or purchase a tool at one of his favorite local haunts! Shortcuts & tips are aplenty during each class.

The theme of this particular class was Shrimp. Yep, I still had a package of that lovely shrimp from Kroger in my freezer. And yep, they were destined for a 'Phil' recipe. I hadn't made Crepes in quite a while and his Shrimp Newburgh Crepes with a Lobster Sauce sounded like a great treat for the family. But, after a trip to Liquor Barn where Phil said we can find the Lobster Base sent me back home with Menu Plan B. The special ingredient was SOLD OUT!

I made my batter yesterday morning. The batter waited patiently in the fridge for one day! Cooking finished, now the filling will be made! I had some cooked chicken and all the fixings for a Veloute' Sauce which was enriched with some Marsala. Next, I scored some wonderful Raclette Cheese at Sams Club, 2 kinds of Crepes were going to be prepared.
Lovely organic asparagus topped with a dollop of chicken with veloute' sauce. Then a Raclette Crepe was created with sliced boiled potatoes, the Prosciutto Ham and that fantastic cheese which melts to perfection.

Plan B worked out great. Such is supper at my house!