Piet's Fabulous Food

2012 Christmas tree

2012-01-15T18:29:00.000-08:00

For our 2011-2012 Christmas Tree we choose a 8 1/2 foot tree. My dad said that we will be getting a smaller tree this year. He was wrong. It was so big that it even fell onto the floor, days after we had set it up. The tree fell one day when we were at school. When my brother walked in the house his mouth dropped open. One reason we think the tree fell was because the stand we had was good with trees 7 feet or under. We had to weigh down the stand with a couple of rocks from Lake Superior. We got the tree one day after school which was a fun thing to do. The tree was oddly shaped in the back so we put all of the ornaments on the front which might have put too much weight on the front. I wonder if dad will stick with the same goal for next year, of getting a smaller tree. Every year we get our Christmas Tree at a local farmers market.

2012 New Years Dinner

2012-01-12T16:40:00.000-08:00

This year for New Years my mom and dad made an excellent dinner. We chose to stay in. My dad made a wonderful lamb roast which was really good. We had leftovers from the lamb for at least a week. My mom made a wonderful Quinoa dish topped with mushrooms. I thought the Quinoa was really good. The lamb was really juicy and tender. This meat went perfectly with the Quinoa. What I did was cut the Lamb into bite size pieces and put some Quinoa on the plate then put the cut up meat on top of the Quinoa and then enjoy. She also made a spectacular salad to top off the meal. To really top off the meal for dessert we had Sonny's Spumoni ice cream which was really good. Staying in was just as good as going out to dinner. As usual, the lamb was from Clancey's, an excellent butcher that gets all of their meat or fish locally.

Pietro's Pizza

2012-01-01T09:43:00.000-08:00

During Christmas our family ordered in from Pietro's Italian Pizzeria. It was our last dinner in Grand Rapids, Michigan and it was a good dinner. We thought that after seeing a movie it was time for some good pizza. This restaurant has been around a long time. It is a family owned pizzeria. The pizza was pretty good. We ordered three pizza's. One sausage and mushroom, one bacon with garlic and peppers, and one which was a BBQ chicken with onions. "The sausage was really good," said my dad. The sausage and mushroom pizza was a deep dish instead of a traditional pizza. Not one pizza was over cooked or dried out. What was nice about our order, was that each pizza tasted so different.

A big healthy salad that my mom made really rounded out the meal.

This restaurant has every kind of Italian meal from pizzas to salads and subs and many more tasty meals. The only thing that was a little disappointing, were the bread sticks we ordered. They were very plain. Two ingredients could have changed the bread sticks from okay to very good. Some tomato sauce and some melted mozzarella cheese in the middle or on top. It was a very good last night dinner for us at least. Everybody in my family had a difficult time stopping from eating because the pizzas were so good.

The link below will bring you to the home page of Pietro's Italian Restaurant.

http://www.rcfc.com/backdoorpizzeria/menu.asp

Fabulous Hibachi Experience

2012-01-01T09:05:00.000-08:00

While visiting with my dad's family during Christmas vacation, we went to a Japanese Steakhouse. The restaurant was named Shang Hai Ichiban located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Their are 3 sections to the restaurant, each a different kind of food. Japanese, Chinese, and Sushi. We went to the Japanese part of the restaurant. It is a Hibachi style restaurant. Hibachi is when you get your personal chef and they cook your food right in front of your eyes. There is large griddle in the center of the table, and that is were the chef cooks your food. The griddle is big enough for you to make dozens of pancakes. The link below will lead you right to the home page of the Shang Hai Ichiban restaurant.

We were seated at a table which was a half square and the chef and the stove was in the middle. I think the best spot to sit was in the front of the chef because he gave out tastes and extra samplings of food. Our chef threw in a couple of pranks. The chef threw out pieces of leftover shrimp for us to catch in our mouthes. I had a very bad but funny experience trying to catch a piece of shrimp in my mouth. While trying to catch a piece of shrimp, I leaned too far back in my chair and fell right over. I didn't even get the piece of shrimp. While cooking our food, the chef really showed off his knife skills. I wonder if he had tons of safety training for that. Our meal started off with a very good bowl of soup and then our chef started cooking our dinner right in front of your eyes. I had a very fun time with my family there. Hibachi style restaurants can be found really anywhere. I would go back to that Hibachi restaurant anytime I was able.

http://www.shanghaiichiban.com/

Caramelized Pear Upside-Down Cake

2012-01-01T08:29:00.000-08:00

This is a great dessert for when pears are in season or grown locally. My mom made this cake for a dinner with some guests. If you are really hoping for a good cake that does not look like a birthday cake. Once you put the pears on the cake the top will look like a palm tree on the coast of Hawaii. This cake would go perfectly with a couple teaspoons of whipped cream. Homemade not store bought. You can find millions of recipes for whipped cream on the internet. The cake is so good that you might catch yourself eating it for breakfast. You might think that a little ice cream would also be good with this but I would choose whipped cream other ice cream for this dessert.

Softened unsalted butter for the pan

For the topping
2 medium firm-ripe Bosc pears (about 1 lb.)
1 recipe Basic Caramel
2 oz. (4 Tbs.) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

For the cake
6-3/4 oz. (1-1/2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
1-3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. table salt
1/2 cup whole milk
1-1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
4 oz. (8 Tbs.) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9x2-inch round cake pan (don't use a springform pan, as the caramel might leak out during baking). Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment and butter the top of the paper.

Make the topping

Peel, core, and cut the pears lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange the pear slices on the bottom of the pan in a circle around the edge, overlapping them slightly, with the pointed ends towards the center. If necessary, cut a little off the pointed ends to make the slices fit better. Or if the pear slices don't reach all the way to the middle, arrange a few of the shorter slices in the center to cover the bottom of the pan.

Make the Basic Caramel according to the directions. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the 4 Tbs. of butter one piece at a time, until they are completely melted. Carefully pour the hot caramel evenly over the pears (it should spread over the pears and onto the bottom of the pan).

Make the cake batter

Sift the flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, and salt into a medium bowl. Stir to combine. In a small bowl, stir together the milk and vanilla.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.Turn the mixer to medium and slowly add the brown sugar. Increase the speed to high and continue to mix until lightened in texture and color, 2 to 3 minutes total. Reduce the speed to medium and add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Reduce the speed to low and alternate adding the flour mixture and milk mixture in five additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix each addition just enough to incorporate, as overmixing will lead to a tougher cake. Scrape down the sides of the bowl one last time and mix briefly to blend well.

Bake the cake

Spoon the batter in large dollops over the pears and smooth it into an even layer with an offset spatula. Bake the cake until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan. Turn a cake plate upside down on top of the cake pan and, using pot holders, carefully invert the cake pan onto the plate.

West African Peanut Soup With Chicken

2012-01-01T08:16:00.000-08:00

My mom made this soup one night and it was amazing. This soup is a great winter dinner for the family. This soup can be eaten during the whole year. Even summer. When you take a sip of the soup you will feel so good. One thing they do not list in the recipe is bread. Bread and soups are a great combination. If you dip the bread into the soup for about 15 seconds it will be come soft. You might want to use the bread like a sponge to soak up this delicious soup. One strange ingredient that is in this soup is peanut butter. You might not think of peanut butter being a good soup ingredient but it does add an incredible flavor.

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken (about 2 thighs or breasts) cut into chunks

Pinch of cayenne

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 cups stock or water

2 sweet potatoes or yams (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into thick slices

8 plum tomatoes, cored and halved (canned are fine; drain and reserve liquid for another use)

1/2 pound collards or kale, washed and cut into wide ribbons

1/4 to 1/2 cup peanut butter, chunky or smooth.

1. Chop peanuts, or crush them with the side of a knife, or pulse them in a food processor to chop roughly.

2. Put oil in a deep skillet or medium saucepan over medium heat; a minute later, add onion, ginger and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Add chicken and continue cooking for another 3 or 4 minutes, until just coloring. Add 1/2 cup peanuts and the cayenne and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Stir in the stock and the sweet potatoes, bring to a boil, and turn heat down to medium-low so the soup bubbles gently. Stir in tomatoes and collards, then cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes.

4. Stir in 1/4 cup peanut butter. Taste, adjust seasoning (you may want to add more peanut butter at this point) and serve, garnished with remaining peanuts.

Simple Fried Rice

2011-12-14T16:54:00.000-08:00

My mom made this fried rice and it was really good. It was also homemade which sometimes makes it better than take-out. I always love making fried rice. Our family bought a wok recently. Fried Rice can be made with any vegetables, meats, and whatever you think of putting in it.

Simple Fried Rice
1 medium onion, halved from pole to pole; each half cut into 6 wedges
4 to 6 ounces meat of choice, cooked or raw, cut into bite-size pieces
4 to 6 ounces vegetable of choice, cooked or raw, cut into bite-size pieces
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 large eggs, beaten
4 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cups cooked rice
4 scallions, white and green parts, minced

1. Set a heavy-bottomed 12-inch nonstick or cast iron skillet over low heat while preparing meat, vegetable, garlic, and eggs. Marinate the meat in 1 tablespoon of soy sauce. Three to four minutes from making the fried rice, increase the heat to high and turn on the exhaust fan.

2. Put 1 tablespoon of oil and the onion in the skillet; stir-fry until the onion is still crisp but starts to turn brown, about 1 minute. Add the raw meat or vegetable; stir-fry until crisp-tender for vegetables or lightly browned for meat, about 1 minute. Add the cooked meat or vegetable; stir-fry until lightly browned, about 1 minute longer. (If both meat and vegetables are raw or cooked, stir-fry the meat first, giving it a little head start.) Stir in the garlic, then transfer the mixture to a plate; set aside.

3. Put the remaining 3 tablespoons oil in the skillet; heat until shimmering. Add the rice; stir-fry, breaking up clumps, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Add the egg; stir until scrambled, about 1 minute. Return the meat/vegetable mixture, along with the remaining 3 tablespoons of soy sauce and the scallions, to the pan and stir to combine. Serve immediately.

Thanksgiving Meal 2011

2011-11-27T06:45:00.001-08:00

This year my mom's family was in town from New Jersey to enjoy Thanksgiving with us. They arrived on Tuesday and left on Saturday. The turkey, which my dad made, was amazing. A lot of people were involved in making the Thanksgiving meal. My dad made the turkey, my mom made the corn pudding, my aunt made the roasted vegetables and salad, my brother and I made the stuffing, My cousin Nell chopped and pealed much of the produce that went into the meal, my uncle made the mashed potatoes, and my uncle made the pies with my mom. The house was full of flavors from the cooking of every dish. The turkey was so juicy. Having one bite of everything, made me feel like I was in heaven of food. The turkey was stuffed with handfuls of herbs. My dad didn't put any stuffing in the bird which made the bird incredibly good with just the herbs. In other blog posts I will post about all of the wonderful sides we had with the turkey. Everybody did something in the kitchen to make the Thanksgiving meal a great one.

The Best donuts Ever!

2011-11-05T15:36:00.000-07:00

This donut shop in Grand Marais, Minnesota is the best. They have at least 15 kinds of donuts made at once. It is located right by the water of Lake Superior. This is a small shop but it is worth stopping by there if you are traveling the North Shore in Minnesota. The donut shop is called "The Worlds Best Donuts". They have glazed donuts, dipped donuts, and along with a few more varieties. I have been there twice and I have almost fainted each time when I had my first bite of my donut. The donut shop is right by the Angry Trout Cafe in Grand Marais MN, which I mentioned in one of my other posts. The link below will get you right to the website of the Worlds Best Donut Shop.

http://www.worldsbestdonutsmn.com/

The Angry Trout Cafe

2011-11-03T16:15:00.000-07:00

This cafe is one of the best fish restaurants in Minnesota. The fish is caught right in Lake Superior which is about 25 feet away from the restaurant. There are about 4 docks that you can walk out on and see the boats that they use to catch your meal. This restaurant is in Grand Marais, Minnesota. It is about 110 miles away from Downtown Duluth. The restaurant also gets some of the fish they use to prepare the meals from The Dockside Fish Market next door. The Dockside smokes their own fish and has a little dinning area inside. We happened to try their Whitefish spread that was outstanding on a fresh baguette. The fish market gives some of the fish it catches to the Angry Trout next door. I will post both links one to the Angry Trout and one to The Dockside fish market next door.

http://www.angrytroutcafe.com/

http://www.docksidefishmarket.com/

The Scenic Cafe

2011-11-02T18:18:00.000-07:00

One of the best cafe's I have been to is the New Scenic Cafe. This Cafe is very kid friendly. It is on Lake Superior which is always a great thing. Most of the ingredients are local or organic which makes a healthy living. The Scenic Cafe has outdoor seating when it is nice enough outside with a beautiful flower garden in the outdoor seating. If you are driving up north this is a wonderful place to stop and have a bite to eat. The Scenic Cafe is 15.4 miles out of the city of Duluth, MN. The restaurant has many windows on the inside which makes a lot of natural able to luminate the restaurant on any kind of day. The walls are made out of wood, which makes you nice and relaxed inside the restaurant with a lot of artwork hanging on the walls. The link below will take you to the site of the New Scenic Cafe.

http://www.sceniccafe.com/

Best Italian Restaurant

2011-11-02T18:06:00.000-07:00

Do you wonder where the best Italian restaurant is? Well the answer to that question is Bellisio's Italian Restaurant in Duluth, Minnesota. This restaurant is right on the water of the Duluth Harbor. The good thing about this restaurant is it is kid friendly. I have been to this restaurant 2 times and the food was great there. If you live in the Minneapolis area it's about a 2 and 1/2 hours away. All of the pasta there is homemade. The sauces are homemade and many other items are as well. When you are done with your meal you might like to take a walk out on the pier and look out on the lake and see what you can find or you can go to one of the thousands of gift shops in downtown Duluth. The site below is the link right to the website of Bellsios's restaurant. People think that Bellisio's is the best italian restaurant in Minnesota. It may seem like an Olive Garden from the outside but once you walk in "Welcome To The Land of Italian Food".

http://www.grandmasrestaurants.com/bellisios/

A great way to recycle

2011-10-08T12:41:00.000-07:00

A great way to compost would be a worm composter. These tools will decrease the amount of trash you throw away each week. I even have a worm composter and it is a great thing to have in the house. The things you can get in reward from a worm composter is well fertilized soil and worm tea (worm urine). Worm composters come in many different shapes and sizes. The composter I have is nice because I can keep it in the house without worrying about worms crawling out of the bin or having an awful smell. The one bad thing about a worm composter is that you cannot put meat in it but you can put a lot of other things in the bin. This link below gives you a nice site to look at that has different bins and appliances. After a little while you will notice that their will be tons of little baby worms in your bin. You might gag a little but it is worth seeing the babies because then you know that they will be helping the army of other worms. If you do use the soil produced by the worms it will give your plants nice healthy and moist soil. With the worm tea you just pour it on the plant or soil and just wait and see what comes. The bin I have has a little spout that you push down and the worm tea comes out of. One thing with the worm tea is that you need to make sure that the little canvas sheet is in the right place on the bottom. I had that problem with mine where the canvas sheet was not covering the whole thing so the tea would just leek through. I also kept a little bucket under the tea spout so when I was ready to pour some tea on my plants it would drip into this small bucket.

Happy composting!!!

http://www.composters.com/vermiculture-worms.php

Last day at the farm

2011-08-14T12:50:00.000-07:00

Day 5 was my last day at the farm. Even though we left around 8:30 a.m I still got to do a couple of last minute activities. Even though this was my last day I still had such a fun time at the farm.
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Day 5

The Interns picked the biggest bunches of Basil.
I got to participate in putting the Basil and ice packs in the boxes and load them into the van.
Dropped off the boxes and myself at home

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When I got back home life was so different from the farm because there were not as many cars out at the farm. There was a dirt road but the traffic was not like the city. The nice thing about the farm is that there is always a small breeze in the air. The landscape was amazing. I got pretty lucky that there was only one day when it was raining outside. Even though the days went by really fast I still had a really fun time.

Next couple of days on the farm

2011-08-11T06:56:00.000-07:00

I've already posted about the first couple of days. This post will be about the next couple days on the farm. Days 3 and 4.
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Day 3

I had the chance to help harvest the Red Potatoes, Cabbage, and Onions.
Norm let me drive the tractor which he uses the most. It is an Orange, Kubato Tractor and I got to drive the John Deere as well.
I got to help the Farmers daughter groom one of the horses named Leo.
We did the Chores which included feeding the horses and the chickens.
The farmers daughter and I folded the produce boxes in the garage.
I got to help the interns plant seeds for Red Romain, Onion, and Pac Choi.
Helped Norm check out the Bee's.

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Wednesday which was my last full day was very successful. We completed the same tasks as we did every other day.
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Day 4

I got to help the farmer drag the horse arena with the tractor.
The farmers daughter and I groomed Owden then we brought him up to the arena that was dragged earlier in the day.
Chores which included feeding the horses and taking care of the chickens.
I got to participate in harvesting the Parsley.
I Cooked Dinner for everyone (I will include the recipe in this post)
At the end of the day we played some Badmitten on the front lawn.
I got to help with filling the produce boxes.

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Stuffed Green Peppers

2 Cups Cooked White Rice
10 Green Peppers(Stem cut off and cleaned out with spoon)
2 Chopped Onions
1 Big Bunch Parsley Chopped
2 Cups of Shredded Cheese for melting
10 Slices of Bacon
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Set your oven to 350 degrees.

Wash off peppers with warm water then cut the steam off the pepper and clean the seeds out with a spoon.
Chop up the onions very fine with the parsley and put the onions and parsley in a mixing bowl.
Once rice is cooked mix the onions and parsley in with it.
Cook 1 strip of bacon for each pepper. Cook bacon until it just starts to brown. Chop bacon.
Once bacon is done mix the bacon into the rice, onion, and parsley.
Fill the pepper with filling(The peppers will get full after one scoop of filling so just push the filling down the pepper with a spoon.)
Sprinkle cheese on the top of the peppers.
Line the peppers up on a baking pan and bake until peppers are a little soft and just getting brown (about 15 - 20 minutes).

First couple of days at the farm

2011-08-07T18:43:00.000-07:00

The first day that I was on the Farm, the interns were not with us. It was just Norm and me. Most of the stuff we did on my first day were maintenance tasks and chores.
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Day 1

We fixed the mower tractor attachment which was tangled with irrigation tube.
Norm let me drive the John Deer tractor/lawn mower down to the barn from the apple orchard.
I got to participate in cleaning one of the horse stall. Then we brought the bedding to the compost pile.
Norm and I walked the fields to see what might be in the next box for the CSA members.

Chores, which included feeding the chickens and checking for eggs and feeding the horses once we rounded them up.

I got to participate in bringing the house compost up to the compost pile.

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On Day 2 the interns arrived and Norm, the interns, and myself started doing more serious work on the farm.
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Day 2

I had the chance to meet the interns and have a little Monday Morning Meeting where we talked about what we would be doing this coming week.
I had the chance to harvest the cucumbers, summer squash, pan pan squash, zucchini, and raspberries.
Transplanted Romaine Lettuce.
Planted seeds for beets and carrots.
Norm let me drive the John Deer again.
The interns and I weeded the 300 foot Serrano Pepper bed.
I got to help with the chores which includeds the chickens and horses.

Trip To The Farm

2011-08-06T14:17:00.000-07:00

Recently I went down to our CSA farm for a week to do some farming. My family dropped me off on Saturday then the farmer drove me back on Thursday. Each day I woke up at 6:30 toke an hour brake for lunch and dinner and then went bake to work for a couple hour in the evening. Every day in my journal I tracked each thing I did in the day. While I was there I worked with 4 interns the farmer and myself. I was the only kid there. Most of the time meals were eaten pretty quick because we had a lot of work to do. Most of the vegetables we ate where from the farm. The farmer was helpful and taught me so much. The farm was really beautiful. There was always a little breeze which was really nice. In my next few posts I will blog about what I did each day on the farm.

First trip to the garden

2011-07-17T15:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I paid my first visit to my friends garden/urban farm. We planted some Summer Squash and it is exploding! I planted some corn and some popping corn.The corn we planted will come up in September or October. My friend planted a variety of herbs that are also growing really well. One thing that I did not know, is that we ordered and planted pickling cucumbers. Our first cucumber is almost ready to be picked. The gardening season has been a little slow with all the rain and bad weather. This year we did not plant the watermelon like we did last year. This year we expanded the garden by tilling another little strip of land right next to the patch where we planted last year. I will be visiting the garden a little more than I have been. So far I have been able to water and do some weeding. I will be going up to the CSA farm around July 29. I will certainly add posts from my time on the farm at the end of the month.

Gardening 2011

2011-06-11T14:50:00.000-07:00

Hi folks, After a long break with my blog I am planning on doing more posting now that school is over and it is summer. I will be posting more about family grill recipes now that I can grill outside. At home we have started growing some Oregano, Chives,Basil,Cat Grass,and some over yummy herbs. This summer I will also be doing some more farming at Patrick's and I will always post about each harvest. At Patrick's we are growing most of the same stuff that we did last year.

With 2011 starting I plan to do more gardening. This summer we have joined the CSA farm again and we are looking forward to a great summer. This summer I will be spending 6 to 7 days at Earth Dance Farms, helping out with the farming. While I am at the farm I will try to take some cool pictures and then when I get back I will post them.

If you do have a garden, or some pots with flowers or herbs I would water them every other day. If they are outside check them every day to see if you need to water them. Check to see if the soil is dry. If it is darker then it does not need to get watered or if it is lighter then the normal color then it should get watered.

Cocoa Brownies with Browned Butter and Walnuts

2011-03-01T15:31:00.000-08:00

On February 27, 2011 we made these Cocoa Brownies for our friends Patrick and Jessica when they came over to enjoy dinner with us. We had fun making these brownies for dessert. We topped the brownies with some homemade Banana ice cream with a homemade chocolate sauce. The brownies where one of the best kinds I have ever had. It did not take a lot of time to make this yummy brownies.

Cocoa Brownies with Browned Butter and Walnuts
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder (spooned into cup to measure, then leveled)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, chilled
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup walnut pieces

Position rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 325°F. Line 8 x 8 x 2-inch metal baking pan with foil, pressing foil firmly against pan sides and leaving 2-inch overhang. Coat foil with nonstick spray. Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking until butter stops foaming and browned bits form at bottom of pan, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; immediately add sugar, cocoa, 2 teaspoons water, vanilla, and 1⁄4 teaspoon (generous) salt. Stir to blend. Let cool 5 minutes (mixture will still be hot). Add eggs to hot mixture 1 at a time, beating vigorously to blend after each addition. When mixture looks thick and shiny, add flour and stir until blended. Beat vigorously 60 strokes. Stir in nuts. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake brownies until toothpick inserted into center comes out almost clean (with a few moist crumbs attached), about 25 minutes. Cool in pan on rack. Using foil overhang, lift brownies from pan. Cut into 4 strips. Cut each strip crosswise into 4 brownies. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

Banana-Fudge Sundaes

2011-03-01T15:15:00.000-08:00

On February 27, 2011 we had our friends, Patrick and Jessica over for dinner. With this Banana Ice Cream recipe we also made some brownies. We served the Banana Ice Cream over the Brownies with a homemade chocolate sauce (that is included in the sundae recipe) over that. My dad and Jessica said they could really taste the banana in the ice cream. I will also post the brownie recipe on my blog.

Banana-Fudge Sundaes
3 very ripe bananas, peeled, each cut crosswise into 4 pieces
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk, divided
1 cup half and half
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1 ripe banana, peeled, diced (for garnish)

Puree 3 bananas, 3/4 cup condensed milk, half and half, corn syrup, and lemon juice in processor until smooth. Transfer to ice cream maker; process according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to container. Freeze until firm, about 4 hours.

Heat 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk and 1 tablespoon water in small saucepan over medium heat; add chocolate. Stir until melted and smooth, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if sauce is very thick.

Divide ice cream among bowls. Drizzle sauce over; top with diced banana

Lasagna with Turkey Sausage Bolognese

2011-02-24T16:53:00.000-08:00

For Presidents Day my family went up to Big Birch Lake in Minnesota. We were invited by some really good friends of ours. On the last night my mom made this really yummy Lasagna with a Turkey Sausage Bolognese for the 4 adults and 4 children. Buy the next lunchtime there were no leftovers.

Lasagna with Turkey Sausage Bolognese
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
1/2 cup diced carrot
1 tablespoon fennel seeds, crushed in spice mill or in mortar with pestle
1 pound spicy Italian turkey sausages, casings removed
3 large garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 cup dry white wine
5 cups crushed tomatoes with added puree (from two 28-ounce cans)
1 cup chopped fresh basil, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
1 15-ounce container whole-milk ricotta cheese
3 cups (packed) coarsely grated whole- milk mozzarella cheese (12 ounces)
1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
16 6 1/2 x 3 1/4-inch no-boil lasagna noodles

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, carrot, and fennel seeds; sauté 5 minutes. Add sausage and garlic; sauté until sausage is cooked through, breaking into pieces, 8 to 10 minutes. Add wine; boil 1 minute. Add tomatoes, 1/2 cup basil, and oregano. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Combine ricotta, mozzarella, 1 cup Parmesan, and 1/2 cup basil in medium bowl; stir to blend. Season with pepper. DO AHEAD: Sauce and cheese mixture can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately; chill.

Place noodles in large bowl; cover with hot water. Soak until pliable, separating occasionally, about 30 minutes. Drain well.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spread 1 cup sauce over bottom of 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Cover with 4 noodles, arranging crosswise. Drop 1/4 of cheese mixture over by tablespoonfuls; spread out. Top with 1 cup sauce, then 4 noodles and 1/3 of remaining cheese mixture. Repeat 2 more times with 1 cup sauce, 4 noodles, and 1/2 of cheese mixture. Spread any remaining sauce over. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan.

Bake lasagna uncovered until heated through and puffed, about 50 minutes. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes and serve.Lasagna with Turkey Sausage Bolognese
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
1/2 cup diced carrot
1 tablespoon fennel seeds, crushed in spice mill or in mortar with pestle
1 pound spicy Italian turkey sausages, casings removed
3 large garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 cup dry white wine
5 cups crushed tomatoes with added puree (from two 28-ounce cans)
1 cup chopped fresh basil, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
1 15-ounce container whole-milk ricotta cheese
3 cups (packed) coarsely grated whole- milk mozzarella cheese (12 ounces)
1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
16 6 1/2 x 3 1/4-inch no-boil lasagna noodles

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, carrot, and fennel seeds; sauté 5 minutes. Add sausage and garlic; sauté until sausage is cooked through, breaking into pieces, 8 to 10 minutes. Add wine; boil 1 minute. Add tomatoes, 1/2 cup basil, and oregano. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Combine ricotta, mozzarella, 1 cup Parmesan, and 1/2 cup basil in medium bowl; stir to blend. Season with pepper. DO AHEAD: Sauce and cheese mixture can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately; chill.

Place noodles in large bowl; cover with hot water. Soak until pliable, separating occasionally, about 30 minutes. Drain well.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spread 1 cup sauce over bottom of 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Cover with 4 noodles, arranging crosswise. Drop 1/4 of cheese mixture over by tablespoonfuls; spread out. Top with 1 cup sauce, then 4 noodles and 1/3 of remaining cheese mixture. Repeat 2 more times with 1 cup sauce, 4 noodles, and 1/2 of cheese mixture. Spread any remaining sauce over. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan.

Bake lasagna uncovered until heated through and puffed, about 50 minutes. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes and serve.Lasagna with Turkey Sausage Bolognese
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
1/2 cup diced carrot
1 tablespoon fennel seeds, crushed in spice mill or in mortar with pestle
1 pound spicy Italian turkey sausages, casings removed
3 large garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 cup dry white wine
5 cups crushed tomatoes with added puree (from two 28-ounce cans)
1 cup chopped fresh basil, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
1 15-ounce container whole-milk ricotta cheese
3 cups (packed) coarsely grated whole- milk mozzarella cheese (12 ounces)
1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
16 6 1/2 x 3 1/4-inch no-boil lasagna noodles

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, carrot, and fennel seeds; sauté 5 minutes. Add sausage and garlic; sauté until sausage is cooked through, breaking into pieces, 8 to 10 minutes. Add wine; boil 1 minute. Add tomatoes, 1/2 cup basil, and oregano. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Combine ricotta, mozzarella, 1 cup Parmesan, and 1/2 cup basil in medium bowl; stir to blend. Season with pepper. DO AHEAD: Sauce and cheese mixture can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately; chill.

Place noodles in large bowl; cover with hot water. Soak until pliable, separating occasionally, about 30 minutes. Drain well.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spread 1 cup sauce over bottom of 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Cover with 4 noodles, arranging crosswise. Drop 1/4 of cheese mixture over by tablespoonfuls; spread out. Top with 1 cup sauce, then 4 noodles and 1/3 of remaining cheese mixture. Repeat 2 more times with 1 cup sauce, 4 noodles, and 1/2 of cheese mixture. Spread any remaining sauce over. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan.

Bake lasagna uncovered until heated through and puffed, about 50 minutes. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes and serve.

Crispy Noodle Cakes with Hoisin Chicken

2011-02-24T16:43:00.000-08:00

On February 23, 2011 my mom made this really yummy family dinner. It was hard making the noodle cakes because my mom needed a plate to help her flip them in the pan. She was patient when she was cooking the noodles so that they would get crispy.

1/4 lb. dried rice sticks (vermicelli)
1 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. Asian sesame oil
2 small boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 3/4 lb.), cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 tsp. dry sherry
Kosher salt
2 Tbs. hoisin sauce
1 Tbs. soy sauce
2 tsp. rice vinegar
3 Tbs. canola oil
3-1/2 oz. shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced (1-1/2 cups)
4 oz. baby spinach (4 lightly packed cups)
Asian chile sauce, like Sriracha (optional)

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Remove the pot from the heat, add the noodles, and soak them until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain, transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper towels, and pat dry. Toss the noodles with 1 Tbs. of the sesame oil.

Toss the chicken with the remaining 1 tsp. sesame oil, the sherry, and 1/4 tsp. salt.

In a small bowl, mix the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and vinegar.

Heat 1-1/2 Tbs. of the canola oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until softened and lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken and cook, stirring, until it just loses its raw color, about 2 minutes. Add the spinach and cook, stirring, until it wilts, about 1 minute. Add the hoisin mixture and cook, stirring, until the chicken is cooked through, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl.

Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel. Heat the remaining 1-1/2 Tbs. oil over medium heat. Divide the noodles in half and spread them in the pan, forming two oblong cakes (if they become entangled, just cut them apart with scissors). Sprinkle lightly with salt and cook until the bottoms are lightly browned and crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip, sprinkle lightly with salt, and cook until the second sides are browned and crisp, about 4 minutes more. Transfer to serving plates, top with the chicken, and serve with chile sauce, if using.

1/4 lb. dried rice sticks (vermicelli)
1 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. Asian sesame oil
2 small boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 3/4 lb.), cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 tsp. dry sherry
Kosher salt
2 Tbs. hoisin sauce
1 Tbs. soy sauce
2 tsp. rice vinegar
3 Tbs. canola oil
3-1/2 oz. shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced (1-1/2 cups)
4 oz. baby spinach (4 lightly packed cups)
Asian chile sauce, like Sriracha (optional)

Dark Chocolate Truffles

2011-02-14T14:50:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, February 13, 2011, my mom and me made some dark chocolate truffles. My brother and I gave our teachers these tasty delights for Valentine's Day. It was our first time making truffles together. The truffles turned out like truffles from the local candy shop. We surprised our dad with a box of 9 truffles. "He said, they were amazing truffles".

1 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp light corn syrup
1 tbsp butter,unsalted,soft
2 1/3 Dark chocolate,pistoles or chopped 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups Dark chocolate or dark compound coating,chopped in 1/2-inch pieces for dipping
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1. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
2. Combine the cream and corn syrup in a 2-quart saucepan and bring to a boil.
3. Remove from the heat. Add the butter and chopped chocolate or pistoles to the cream and stir until smooth and homogeneous.
4. Pour the finished ganache into the baking pan to make a thin layer and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour or more until the ganache is firm.
5. Put the ganache in a mixer bowl and mix on medium speed using a paddle attachment for 30 seconds. Or stir vigorously in a mixing bowl by hand,using a spatula.
6. Allow the ganache to rest at room temperature for 5 minutes. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
7. Using a #100 scoop or teaspoon ,scoop out balls of ganche and place on the sheet pan at room temperature.
8. When all of the ganache has been scooped,roll each portion by hand into a round ball.
9. Melt and temper the chocolate for dipping. If using compound coating,follow the heating instructions on the package.
10. Dip the ganache centers in the tempered chocolate or compound coating using on of the dipping techniques.

Makes 60 pieces

Portuguese Chicken

2011-02-09T14:54:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago my friends came over and my mom made this really amazing Portuguese Chicken dish which she served with a potato dish. My mom and her sister decided to make that same dish that weekend. When I was eating the chicken it fell off the bone because it was so tender.

Portuguese Chicken
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon plus 1/4 teaspoon Hungarian sweet paprika
1 3- to 3 1/4-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped
12 cipolline onions or 1-inch-diameter pearl onions, blanched 1 minute, peeled
2 large roasted red peppers from jar, halved, cut into 3/4-inch-wide strips
6 large garlic cloves, pressed
4 large fresh Italian parsley sprigs
4 large fresh bay leaves, bruised
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup tawny Port
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon butter, room temperature (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk 1 cup flour, 1 tablespoon paprika, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper in large bowl. Add chicken pieces to seasoned flour, 1 at a time, and turn to coat. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, skin side down, and sauté until brown, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plate; reserve skillet.

Arrange chicken in single layer in large ovenproof pot. Top with tomatoes and juice, prosciutto, onions, peppers, garlic, parsley, and bay leaves; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon paprika. Add wine and Port to reserved skillet. Bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Remove from heat. Whisk in mustard and tomato paste; pour mixture over chicken and bring to boil. Cover; transfer to oven.

Braise chicken until very tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Discard bay leaves and parsley. Using tongs, transfer chicken and toppings to platter. Return sauce in pot to simmer. If thicker sauce is desired, stir 1 tablespoon flour and butter in small bowl until smooth paste forms. Add flour paste to sauce and whisk to blend. Simmer until sauce thickens to desired consistency, whisking often. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon over chicken and serve

Homemade Pasta

2011-02-07T14:51:00.000-08:00

Over the last 2 weeks my class at school has been participating in a program named Midwest Food Connection supported by the school PTA and the Wedge Co-Op. This week we made homemade pasta dough. Then we made it into noodles, boiled them in a pan and enjoyed them. The noodles where so good that we were given the recipe to take home.

1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose or semolina flour
1 egg
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup water(or more as needed)
1 tbsp. salt (for cooking water)

1. Place flour in bowl. Make a small well in the mound.
2. Break in egg, mix briefly.
3. Mix in oil and water (exact amounts not necessary)
4. Mix first with fork, then knead dough with hands for about 2 minutes.
5. Add small amounts of flour if dough is too sticky or water if too dry.
6. When ready, dough should not stick to clean hands. Can rest for a while.
7. Form into shapes, using about a nickel size amount of dough and drop into boiling,salted water. Cook for about 4 minutes. Noodles are done when they float to the surface. Drain noodles.
8. Enjoy with your favorite topping.

Serves 2-4

Aunt Heidi's blog

2011-01-05T17:01:00.000-08:00

My mom's sister Heidi has a blog of her own about cooking. I was really inspired when I read this blog. Heidi asked me if I would link to her blog and I said: "Sure thing Heidi."

www.lifefamilyfood.com

Mint Patties

2010-12-31T14:57:00.000-08:00

For New Years Eve dinner my mom and me made a dessert that was named (Mint Patties). The recipe is from the cookbook Chocolates and Confections. It was our first attempt at making candy. Here's the recipe:

12 oz Fondant
20 mint leaves
1/8 tsp mint extract
12 oz Dark Chocolate, melted, tempered, or dark compound coating, melted

1. Combine the fondant and mint leaves in a food processor and process until the fondant is nearly a uniform green, 3 to 4 minutes
2. Put the fondant in a bowl and place over a hot water bath. Heat the fondant until it reaches 160 degrees fearenhight. Stir in the extract if you want a stronger flavor than the leaves alone provide.
3. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Warm a 2 cup glass measuring cup. Pour the fondant into the warm cup.
4. Pour the hot fondant out of the cup onto parchment paper in small disks,about one and a half inches in diameter.
5. Allow the fondant disks to set about 15 minutes.
6. Release from the parchment. If they are left uncoated, they should be stored in a airtight container.
7. If desired, coat the patties in the chocolate or compound coating.

Christmas treats and spirits

2010-12-30T15:34:00.000-08:00

Over Christmas I visited my family in Grand Rapids, Michigan. While I was there I made a few fires in my Grandparents fireplace. I also made cocktails with my uncle, and I received a chocolate and confections cookbook.

Every night I made a fire with my grandpa and on the last night I made a extra big fire to roast some marshmallows. My papa said that the marshmallow I roasted for him was the best marshmallow he had every had. The outside was finished with a lovely honey color.

Also on the last night I made a really yummy cock-tail with my Uncle Paul. The grownups said it was amazing. It was called an Elderflower Martini, made with St. Germaine Liquore.

My Aunt Jen got me a really cool cookbook named Chocolates And Confections from the Culinary Institute of America. For New Years Eve my mom and I are going to make a dessert from the book that has chocolate Fondant covered with a mint filling. This dessert is named Mint Patties. We will post the recipe and pictures after we make it.

As 2010 was coming to an end I got interested in making candy and chocolate. With this new cookbook I got this year I will be able to post more about candy making and chocolate molds.

Apple Tarte Tatin Recipe

2010-12-13T15:06:00.000-08:00

While my family was in town for Thanksgiving my uncle made a really yummy apple tarte tatin. I've been having trouble attaching the link so just go to the blog Smitten Kitchen then search for the recipe molly's apple tarte tatin. Good Luck. Hope you find it. It's worth the search!

Piet's Favorite Cookbooks

2010-12-12T07:33:00.000-08:00

I thought I would post about some cookbooks I really like which are family friendly. Here they are:

1. Ice Cream & Sorbet (Lou Seibert Pappas)Chronicle Books.
2. Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book byBen Cohen & Jerry Greenfiled with Nancy J.Steven; Workman Books
3. The Kids Cookbook - Williams Sonoma; Oxmoor House
4. The Family Kitchen by Debra Ponzek; Potter Books
5. The Best of Chef At Home by Chef Michael Smith; Whitecap Books
6. Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunch Melt-In- Your Mouth Cookies by Alice Medrich; Artisan books
7. Weber's Big Book of Grilling by McRae Purviance; Chronicle Books.
8. The Kids' Kitchen by Amanda Grant; Mitchell Beazley

Holiday party 2010

2010-12-11T15:07:00.000-08:00

Yesterday my dad hosted a holiday party for his staff from work. I thought I would post some pictures of all of the yummy food we had with my dad's friends. One of my dad's friends brought a healthy serving of pigs in a blanket - they are some mini hot dogs wrapped in dough then baked to perfection. It was one of the favorite things served at the party. My dad made a Porketta and my mom made a really yummy Squash and Mushroom Lasagna. The Porketta was so tender, it melted in your mouth. We also had many varieties of desserts. One of the desserts was called Oreoballs. Here are some pictures of some of the things we had.

Thanksgiving Dinner 2010

2010-11-29T16:47:00.000-08:00

The day of Thanksgiving my family was in town from New Jersey. My uncle Peter made some very good cocktails that I had heard about. My dad made the most amazing turkey so that all of the meat was perfectly cooked and seasoned. He also made an unbelievable stuffing - both inside the turkey and a batch that was baked in a casserole dish. Uncle Peter also made some of the best - whipped mash potatoes I have ever had. We even had a delicious chocolate and caramel pie with cinnamon ice cream, that my Uncle Peter also made. In addition, he and my mom worked together and made a fantastic apple tartin. My mom made some whip cream to go along with the pie's for dessert. My family and cousins, aunt and uncle enjoyed eating this memorable feast.

Michael Smith's Old-Fashioned Beef Stew

2010-11-14T13:33:00.000-08:00

On November 14, 2010 me and my mom made a really good beef stew from a cook book named The Best of Chef At Home, by Michael Smith. My dad got brought home this book for me and we decided to make the stew.because yesterday there was a really big snow storm. It seemed like just the right dish to make.

2 lb of stewing beef
A sprinkle or two of sea salt and freashly ground pepper
A splash of any vegetable oil
A few carrots,peeled and roughly chopped
A few stalks of celery, roughly chopped
A few potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
A few parsnips, peeled and roughly chopped
A few onions, peeled and roughly chopped
1 turnip, peeled and roughly chopped
1 28 oz can of whole tomatoes
1/2 bottle or so of hearty red wine
3 to 4 of homemade or canned beef broth
a few bay leaves
a few sprigs of fresh rosemary
1 jar of pickled baby white onions
a few handfuls of frozen peas
another sprinkle or two of salt and pepper

Preheat a large thick-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, pat the beef dry with a clean towel and then cut it into large cubes and season it with the salt and pepper. Add a splash of oil to the pot-enough to cover the bottom in a thin layer- and toss in enough meat to form a single sizzling layer. Sear the meat on every side until it's evenly browned.
Once the meat is done, discard the remaining oil but keep all the browned bits in the pan; they'll add lot's of flavour to the stew. Add half of the vegetables-reserving the other half- and all the meat back into the pot. Add the tomatoes and enough wine and beef broth to barely cover the works. Add the bay leaves and rosemary and bring the pot to a simmer.
Continue cooking until the meat is almost tender, about 1 hour, then, then add the remaining vegetables and the baby onions. Adding the vegetables in 2 batches allows the first batch to dissolve into the stew while the second remains its shape, colour and texture. Continue simmering until the meat and veggies are tender, another 30 minutes or so. When the stew is tender, add the frozen peas and cook until heated throgh. Taste it and seasonas you like with salt and pepper.

makes 6 to 8 servings

Grandma's flavorfully chicken soup

2010-10-22T07:27:00.000-07:00

When my grandma was here for a visit she made some really good chicken noodle soup. It had turnips, onions, carrots, leeks, and chicken. We made it on the Thursday of MEA weekend. My brother and I had it for lunch with a plain bagel to dip. Whenever I have her chicken noodle soup I think of the middle of winter.

Clancy's marinated lamb chops

2010-10-22T07:14:00.000-07:00

I had these really amazing marinated lamb chops. I grilled the lamb chops because my grand-parents came from Florida.The chops where marinated with oregano and lemon. I grilled them for about 3 or 4 minutes on each side. To finish it off we had some cherry pie from Kowalskis with some cookies and cream ice cream.

Fall Harvest at Earth Dance Farm

2010-10-04T16:34:00.000-07:00

On October 2,2010 me and my family went to Earth Dance Farm for the fall harvest. The fall harvest is when as many as people can come to the farm have a chance to meet the interns and the other members of the farm at the harvest. At the harvest they have chili,coffe,apple cider, hot water,and some hot chocolate. They had a fire that kept us warm. There was also horse activites in the horse coral. After we ate we went on a hay ride up to the pumpkin patch to pick some pumpkins.

At the farm it felt like it was the beginning of Fall. There was a small breeze and the corn and potatoes where dug out of the ground. When I saw the acorn squash I thought of Fall, when my mom makes squash soup for really cold days.

State Fair Fare

2010-09-06T13:54:00.000-07:00

Today I went to the Minnesota State Fair with my family. When we where there we got some really good food. Today was called the "Last Chance Day" because it was the last day of the fair. One of the really good things I shared with my dad was a boneless rib sandwich with fried onions on it. I also had some fried cheese curds the cheese in the curds was so gooey and melted. The outer fried shell had just the right amount of saltiness. I also had a Pronto Pup. That is is a corn dog but it has a healthier kind of batter on it. It's a tradition for my brother and I to get a Pronto Pup at the Fair. I also had a chocolate ice cream shake that I shared with my family. We usually end the Fair sipping one of these as we leave the Fairgrounds. The only disappointing thing we shared was some Garlic Fries. My family did not agree about how good they were. I thought they where good but all of Garlic would fell off in the little paper tray. My mom and dad tossed most of them away because they thought they were too disappointing. I am looking forward to next year at the Fair. Hopefully we taste some more good Fair food.

Earth Dance Farms

2010-08-29T14:06:00.000-07:00

My family has been participating members of a CSA farm for the last 3 years. Each summer the Farmer of Earth Dance Farms organizes a camping weekend where you can go to the the farm and camp on his property. My family went this weekend. We camped over night Saturday and left on Sunday.

The farm is full of crops and there are dogs, cats, chickens, and horses roaming around. While we were there my brother and I had so much fun feeding the chickens, and grooming and feeding the horses. We even had the chance to ride one of the horses right at sunset. He was an Icelandic Horse named Oddie.

Another highlight for me was having the opportunity to roam around the crops and see what the Farmer was about to harvest. My brother got to pick raspberries with someone we met this weekend. We also saw corn, butternut squash, pumpkins, melons, beets, herbs and tomatoes all almost ready to be harvested. I can't believe that these crops will be arriving in our boxes during the next few weeks.

Saturday night ended with the group making Hobo Dinners over the fire. We put cut up vegetables that grew on the farm and hamburger meat, along with herbs, salt, and pepper into the foil packets. Our dinner was so yummy!! The fresh corn that was harvested that day topped off the meal.

My favorite part of the weekend was when my brother and I had the opportunity to ride the tractor with the Farmer. It was so nice of him to take us out for a "spin." He even let me tumble the compost. I'll never forget being able to do this just before we left the farm.

Each week during the months of June through November, my family loves picking up our box of produce from the Earth Dance Farm delivery. We enjoy making meals with the fresh ingredients. Many of my postings this summer have been made with ingredients from the farm.

Norm and Lori thanks for such a great weekend!!!

Tagliatelle with fresh corn pesto

2010-08-25T06:07:00.000-07:00

Me and my mom have been getting so much corn, yummy corn this summer so she thought she would make a corn pesto. I thought it was so good I had to post it on my blog. This is a must before summer ends!

Tagliatelle with Fresh Corn Pesto
4 bacon slices, cut lengthwise in half, then crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
4 cups fresh corn kernels (cut from about 6 large ears)
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 1/4 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces tagliatelle or fettuccine
3/4 cup coarsely torn fresh basil leaves, divided

Cook bacon in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp and brown, stirring often. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon drippings from skillet. Add corn, garlic, 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper to drippings in skillet. Sauté over medium-high heat until corn is just tender but not brown, about 4 minutes. Transfer 1 1/2 cups corn kernels to small bowl and reserve. Scrape remaining corn mixture into processor. Add 1/2 cup Parmesan and pine nuts. With machine running, add olive oil through feed tube and blend until pesto is almost smooth. Set pesto aside.

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 1 1/2 cups pasta cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot. Add corn pesto, reserved corn kernels, and 1/2 cup basil leaves. Toss pasta mixture over medium heat until warmed through, adding reserved pasta cooking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls to thin to desired consistency, 2 to 3 minutes. Season pasta to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer pasta to large shallow bowl. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup basil leaves and reserved bacon. Serve pasta, passing additional grated Parmesan alongside.

"Mama Roth's, no wait, Uncle Will's Baby Back Ribs"

2010-08-22T06:22:00.000-07:00

My friend Kerry served these ribs at a neighborhood gathering. I thought they were amazing.

1. Get leanest looking slab of baby back ribs.
2. Line cookie sheet with foil, set oven at 375.
3. Sprinkle Stubb's original rub all over front and back of slabs, then put in oven for a couple of hours. Just watch them carefully, then brush Stubbs original sauce on front for the last 10 minutes in the oven. Take them out and brush more sauce on them.

Farming

2010-08-09T07:27:00.000-07:00

I want you guys to know that I have started a little farm in my friend's backyard. We started planting in April and now we are harvesting the crops. Yesterday was the first day of harvesting. We harvested some sweet corn, tomatoes, and a Minnesota Midget melon. Here is a picture of the produce we picked.

Aunt Heidi's fullproof Caesar Dressing

2010-07-26T17:31:00.000-07:00

My Aunt Heidi is a fabulous chef. She made some Caesar dressing for me with a salad to go with my blue cheese burger. I thought since I love Caesar salad I would post her recipe for the dressing:

2 Large crushed garlic cloves
Half a cup graded parmasean cheese
3 heaping tablespoons Mayo
1 Tsp hot sauce
1 Tsp anchovy paste
juice from half a lemon
1 Tsp Dijon Mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk in half cup olive oil

Black Raspberries

2010-07-02T07:23:00.000-07:00

I have some black Raspberry bushes growing on the side of the my house and one night my neighbors made a black Raspberry and rhoubarb pie. It was so good. My neighbors really enjoy picking them and eating them. So do I.

A kick off to summer

2010-07-02T07:14:00.000-07:00

Recently I have been making some great meals with families and friends. About a week ago I had some of my dad's friends over and we grilled some Lamb Sirloin Steaks and my mom made a Cous Cous Salad. For Fathers Day we made Pork Roulade which had some pesto in it. We bought it from Clancy's. I plain on grilling with my family in Michigan. I cannot wait to tell you all about it.

Farro, Radicchio, and Roasted Beet salad

2010-06-14T13:47:00.000-07:00

Farro, Radicchio, and Roasted Beet Salad
8 1- to 1 1/2-inch-diameter beets, tops trimmed to 1 inch
Vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups semi-pearled farro or wheat berries
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar, divided
1 garlic clove, pressed
2 cups (packed) thinly sliced quartered radicchio (from about 1 medium head)
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 4 ounces)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange beets in single layer in 8 x 8 x 2-inch baking dish. Drizzle with vegetable oil. Cover with foil and roast until beets are tender, about 45 minutes. Cool. Trim beets; peel. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.

Cook farro in large saucepan of boiling salted water until tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Drain. Transfer to large bowl. Stir 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon vinegar, and garlic into hot farro. Cool to room temperature.

Cut each beet into 6 to 8 wedges. Add beets, radicchio, onion, and parsley to farro; toss to incorporate evenly. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

Whisk 2 tablespoons olive oil and 3 tablespoons vinegar in small bowl. Drizzle over salad. Add feta cheese; toss to coat.

Test-kitchen tip:
Any type of beet (red, golden, red-and-white-striped Chioggia) would be great in this salad. To avoid stained hands, wear plastic gloves when peeling dark-colored beets.

Ingredient tip:
This recipe calls for semipearled farro, a version of the grain that doesn’t require soaking before being cooked. If you're using regular farro, be sure to plan ahead. It will need to soak overnight. Farro is available at specialty foods stores, natural foods stores, and Italian markets.

Fabulous Pesto

2010-05-31T15:37:00.000-07:00

Hi Guys-

A couple nights ago I had some really good pesto. My brother's teacher's husband made it. It was so good. It had the right amount of olive oil in it. I wonder if it will be the best pesto I have this summer. Thank you, Mark!

Broccoli Rabe, Potato and Rosemary Pizza

2010-05-31T15:26:00.000-07:00

My mom and dad really liked this pizza. It is a good meal for grownups!

Broccoli Rabe, Potato and Rosemary Pizza

By TasteFood, posted 4 months ago

Photo: Sarah Shatz

Amanda & Merrill's Notes:

This is simply one of the best white pizzas we've ever tasted. The crust is crisp and rich with olive oil, and gently perfumed throughout with garlic. The mozzarella creates an ultra creamy base in lieu of sauce. Applying incredible attention to detail throughout, TasteFood blanches the broccoli rabe before sautéing it to get rid of excess bitterness; the crushed red pepper and garlic strike just the right balance of heat and pungency. Cooking the potato slices beforehand allows them to almost melt into the rest of the pizza, and a shower of rosemary, pecorino, and finally black pepper round out the symphony of complementary flavors. - A&M

This is a variation of a white (no sauce) pizza where the classic triumvarite of potatoes, garlic and rosemary is embellished with earthy and assertive broccoli rabe. The pizza dough is a recipe I have used and tweaked from Alice Waters over the years. Feel free to use your own favorite recipe. - TasteFood

Serves 2 10" Pizzas or 4 mini-pizzas

Broccoli Rabe, Potato and Rosemary Pizza:

2 uncooked pizza crusts (recipe below)
1 large yukon gold potato, very thinly sliced
Salt
Extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound broccoli rabe, washed, ends trimmed
1 large garlic clove, minced, plus 2 garlic cloves lightly smashed but still intact
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
Rosemary sprigs for garnish

Preheat oven to 375 F.
Toss potatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Arrange potatoes in one layer on a baking tray. Bake until edges begin to turn golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Increase oven temperature to 475 F.
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add broccoli rabe and blanch 30 seconds; drain. Plunge broccoli rabe into a bowl of ice water. Cool and drain again. Lay in one layer on a kitchen towel to thoroughly dry. Cut in 2" pieces.
Heat one tablespoon olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and red pepper flakes. Sauté briefly, 30 seconds. Add broccoli rabe and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sauté one minute. Remove from heat. Taste and add more salt if necessary.
Assemble pizzas: Lightly brush pizza crusts with olive oil. Rub all over with smashed garlic cloves.
Arrange one layer mozzarella cheese over crusts. Top with one layer of potatoes and broccoli rabe. Sprinkle one tablespoon rosemary over each crust. Top with grated Pecorino cheese.
Bake on pizza stone or on tray on lowest rack in oven until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly, about 15 minutes.
Before serving, sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with fresh rosemary leaves and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

2010-05-31T15:21:00.000-07:00

I had this one night with some Garlic Bread and it was so yummy yummy yummy in my tummy. The best meatballs my mom has made!

Spaghetti and Meatballs All'American
Meatballs:
6 ounces uncured applewood-smoked bacon (about 6 slices), diced
2 large garlic cloves, peeled
2 pounds ground beef (15% fat)
2/3 cup chopped drained roasted red peppers from jar
2/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)*
2 large eggs
1/2 cup coarsely grated onion
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon minced fresh marjoram
2 teaspoons dried crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Sauce:
2 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes in juice (preferably San Marzano)
2 large garlic cloves, peeled
6 ounces uncured applewood-smoked bacon (about 6 slices), cut crosswise into thin strips
1 tablespoon (or more) extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups finely chopped onions
1 1/2 teaspoons dried crushed red pepper
2 cups dry white wine
1 tablespoon minced fresh marjoram

Pasta:
1 1/2 pounds spaghetti
2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh marjoram
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

For meatballs:
Place bacon in processor. Using on/off turns, grind to coarse paste. Transfer to large bowl. Using garlic press, squeeze in garlic. Gently mix in beef and all remaining ingredients. Let stand 15 minutes.

Line large rimmed baking sheet with plastic wrap. Using moistened hands and scant 2 tablespoonfuls for each, roll meat mixture into 11/2-inch meatballs. Arrange meatballs on sheet. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with plastic wrap; chill.

For sauce:
Puree tomatoes with juice and garlic in batches in blender until smooth.

Cook bacon in large pot over medium heat until crisp; transfer bacon to plate.

Add 1 tablespoon oil to drippings in pot and heat over medium heat. Add half of meatballs. Cook until brown on all sides, turning carefully with small metal spatula, about 9 minutes. Transfer meatballs to baking sheet. Add more oil to pot if needed and repeat with remaining meatballs.

Increase heat to medium-high. Add onions and crushed red pepper to pot.

Sauté until golden, about 6 minutes. Add wine; boil until reduced by half, stirring up browned bits, about 8 minutes. Add tomato puree and marjoram. Boil until sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Mix bacon into sauce. Add meatballs; bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until meatballs are heated through and tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper.

For pasta:
Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain; transfer to large bowl. Toss with 2 tablespoons oil and marjoram, adding more oil to moisten, if desired. Divide spaghetti among bowls. Top with meatballs and sauce. Sprinkle with cheese and serve, passing additional cheese separately.

* Available in the Asian foods section of some supermarkets and at Asian markets.

Kowalskis soup

2010-04-21T15:03:00.000-07:00

A couple days ago I bought some soup from Kowalskis. It had italian sausage in it and some fennel seeds with some tortellini in it. It was a little spicy but not to much. It was like a stew but it was a thick soup. When I ate it on my porch I had some mashed potatoes with it. It was a dark- rich color color. When I took my first bite I said oh my gosh this is so good.

Clancey's Lamb chops

2010-04-20T16:39:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago I had some grilled Lamb chops from Clancey's meat and fish deli. These chops were so soft and chewy. After my dad marinated them with garlic and thyme,What I did I put them on the grill for about 5-7 minutes on each side than I took them off. I enjoyed the chops with some grilled red pepper. I also had a nice springtime salad and with that I had some rice pilaf to finish it off.

I'm back!

2010-03-03T16:20:00.000-08:00

I'm back from a break. I've been having some really nice meals and one is a sandwich from Clancey's meat and fish market. It was the best sandwich I have had in my life. You have to go to Clancey's and ask for a corned beef sandwich and it will be ready in a flash. It had some mayo, hot peppers, thinly sliced onions, and lettuce on a crunchy baguette.

My Dad has been cooking a bit lately. He has made some really good meals. A few of his best dishes are a chicken pot pie, a porketta, and a fritatta.

My mom made a great roasted eggplant pizza the other night.

Mom's birthday dinner

2010-02-03T17:49:00.000-08:00

We made this fondue for my mom's birthday dinner. We dipped steak, cauliflower, pears, apples, and bread. It was so yummy. I would like to try dipping sausage next time along with steak.

Gruyère Fondue with Caramelized Shallots

enlarge image

yield: Makes 4 servings

The slightly sweet sautéed shallots add a twist to the classic Swiss cheese fondue. In addition to the bread, boiled red-skinned baby potatoes... more ›

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Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter
1 1/4 cups thinly sliced shallots (about 6 ounces)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 cups (or more) dry white wine

14 ounces grated Gruyere cheese (about 3 1/2 cups packed)
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
Generous pinch of ground nutmeg

1 sourdough baguette, cut into 1-inch cubes

Preparation

Melt butter in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add thinly sliced shallots and sauté 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low; sprinkle shallots with sugar, salt and pepper. Sauté until shallots are caramelized, about 15 minutes. Transfer shallots to small bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups wine to skillet; boil 1 minute.

Pour wine into heavy medium saucepan; set over medium-low heat. Toss cheese with flour in medium bowl to coat. Add half of caramelized shallots to wine; add cheese mixture by handfuls, stirring until cheese melts and is smooth before adding more. Thin with more wine if mixture is too thick. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Transfer cheese mixture to fondue pot. Set pot over candle or canned heat burner. Top fondue with remaining caramelized shallots. Serve with bread cubes.

Texas Sheet Cake - Summer Tradition

2010-01-12T16:46:00.000-08:00

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup water
3 tablespoons cocoa Mix
2 eggs
1 teaspoon soda
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup margarine
3 tablespoons cocoa
6 tablespoons mill
1 pound sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup nutmeats

Mix flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. In a pan melt margarine, water and cocoa. Bring to a boil, pour over the mixture in bowl. Beat 2 eggs well. Add soda, buttermilk and vanilla. Beat well and add to mix in bowl. Mix. Pour into greased and floured jelly roll pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. 5 minutes before cake is done - melt margarine, cocoa and milk over low heat (do not boil). Remove from heat and add powdered sugar, vanilla and nut meats. Mix well and pour over warm cake.

Nana makes this for our summer family vacations. She makes a huge tray each time and it does not take long for it to be devoured by our family. I'll have to ask her what nutmeats are!

Ice Cream Dessie

2010-01-12T16:31:00.000-08:00

20 Oreo cookies 1/c gallon peppermint stick ice cream
1/3 cup margarine

Crush cookies and add melted margarine; press into 9x13-inch pan and freeze for a short time. Spread ice cream over cookie base and return to freezer while making topping.

Topping:

2 squares unsweetened chocolate
1 tablespoon margarine

Combine and cook until thick; cool. Spread over ice cream and return to freezer.
Serve when well frozen.

This dessert is one of my favorites at Christmas. My Nana makes it for us each year. We can't wait to eat it when we visit my grandparents for the holidays. It truly melts in your mouth when you eat it.

Bishop

2010-01-01T16:13:00.000-08:00

My Uncle Paul prepared this drink for the adults. The smell of the roasted oranges filled up the house. The drink was a crowd pleaser for a cold winter's night.

Ingredients

1 navel orange
8 whole cloves
1 (750-ml) bottle Ruby Port

Preparation

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.

Stud orange with cloves and roast in a small shallow ceramic or glass baking dish until browned and soft, about 1 1/2 hours.

Carefully quarter orange, then bring orange quarters and Port just to a simmer in a 2- to 2 1/2-quart saucepan. Remove from heat and serve warm.

Christmas Treats

2010-01-01T14:17:00.000-08:00

My Christmas was so good. I went to Grand Rapids, Michigan. We had tons of ice cream and sweets. My Grandma made all of the good sweets. It was one of the best Chrisstmas's I had ever had. My Grandma made a dessert that my dad and his brother call "Ice cream dessie". The bottom layer has oreo crumbs, then there is a layer of peppermint stick ice cream, with a top layer of the most delicious chocolate fudge.

My Grandma also makes some candy cane cookies that are so good. It has some chopped peppermint, some food coloring, and a touch of sugar. My dad's brother eats them all because they are so good. He can't help himself.

Twins cities best of 2009

2010-01-01T13:34:00.000-08:00

For New Year's Eve dinner my family and I went to Bar La Grassa. In Saturday's paper, The Star Tribune awarded 2009's best Twin Cities restaurant to Bar La Grassa. My parents took us there, because me and my brother's friend is the head chef. His name is Eric Sather and we know him from Clancey's Market in Linden Hills. It was the best restaurant I have ever been to! The baby back ribs cooked by Eric were so good. They were the best ribs I have ever had. The meat just fell of the bone. . The ravioli had some Alaskan King Crab in it. It was the tastiest ravioli I have had in my life. The pork tender loin was a little spicy but not too spicy for me and my brother. For dessert we had some Izzy's ice cream. The flavor was Salted Caramel. The dining room was so nice and comfortable. We sat at a table super close to the open kitchen. I loved watching the line. I cannot wait to have my next meal at Bar La Grassa.

About the Walley strips

2009-12-31T05:55:00.000-08:00

You can use Cod, Talapia, and Walley

Milkweed Holiday Party

2009-12-19T07:32:00.000-08:00

I thought I would post about my dad's Staff holiday party. We had all of the staff over and we had tons of food and dessert and drinks. One of the entrees was roasted lamb from Clancey's, my meat market in Linden Hills Minneapolis,Minnesota. I'm including some pictures of the party. We had some apple pie with ice cream for dessert.

2009-12-19T07:11:00.000-08:00

Holiday Ham

2009-12-16T17:02:00.000-08:00

My mom and dad to a holiday party last night (12/15). They brought home some ham. It had a nice salty taste. Tasha and Sanders the host of the party always prepare great food. I would love to have this ham on a soft buttered roll. I am so happy we still have some leftovers.

Classic Apple PIe

2009-11-29T11:26:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

Crust

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup chilled solid vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 tablespoons (about) ice water

Filling

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 3/4 pounds sweet apples, such as Spartan or Golden Delicious, peeled, cored, thinly sliced (about 5 1/2 cups)
1 3/4 pounds tart apples, such as Granny Smith or Pippin, peeled, cored, thinly sliced (about 5 1/2 cups)
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon plus large pinch of ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon all purpose flour

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
1 tablespoon whole milk

Corn Pudding

2009-11-29T11:20:00.001-08:00

Ingredients

11/2 teaspoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup honey
6 ears fresh corn, husks and silk removed
6 large eggs
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
1/3 cup grated yellow onion

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 2-quart souffle dish with the butter and set aside.

Bring 3 quarts of water and the honey to a boil over high heat in a large pot. Add the corn, and cook for 3 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat. Use tongs to carefully remove the corn from the water and transfer to a medium bowl. Let rest until cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, milk, pepper, salt, nutmeg and cayenne. One at a time, hold the corn in 1 hand and stand it on end so that it is perpendicular to the cutting board.

Hold a large chef's knife in the other hand and with a downward motion, cut the kernels from the cob. Turn the cob with every cut so that you get all of the kernels. Scrape the corn cobs with the back side of your chef's knife-this will release more of the milk from the cob. Add any accumulated juices to the cut kernels. Discard the cobs.

Add the corn kernels and onions to the egg mixture, stirring well to combine. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Bake until firm in the center and golden brown on top, about 1 hour and 30 to 1 hour and 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Serve hot.

Green Beans with Bacon and Shallots

2009-11-29T11:14:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces

8 bacon slices, thinly sliced crosswise
3 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup finely chopped shallots (about 4 large)

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Preparation

Cook beans in large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain. Rinse under cold water. Drain well. Pat dry with paper towels. (Can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Wrap in paper towels; enclose in resealable plastic bag and refrigerate.)

Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Transfer to paper towels and drain. Discard all but 3 tablespoons bacon fat in skillet. Add butter to skillet and melt over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté until tender and golden, about 4 minutes. Add beans and sauté until heated through, about 6 minutes. Add bacon to skillet and toss to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl and serve.

GARLIC MASHED POTATOES WITH CHIVES

2009-11-29T11:06:00.000-08:00

INGREDIENTS

1 head of garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil

2 1/2 pounds red-skinned potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

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Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°F. Cut top 1/4 inch off head of garlic to expose tops of cloves. Place in small baking dish. Spoon oil over; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake until garlic cloves are tender, about 45 minutes. Squeeze garlic cloves from skins and mash in small bowl.

Cook potatoes in heavy large pot of boiling salted water until very tender, about 18 minutes. Drain; return to pot. Stir over low heat to allow excess water to evaporate. Add whipping cream, butter, sour cream, and roasted garlic and mash together. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in chives and serve.

Thanksgiving meal

2009-11-29T10:42:00.000-08:00

My Thanksgiving meal was one of the best meals of the year. It had tons of nice fresh food with tons of flavor. We got the Turkey & the Cranberry Sauce at Clancey's meat & fish deli.
It is in Linden Hills Minneapolis, Minnesota. They sell the best meat you could imagine. We get all of our meat at Clancey's. It is local. They have duck, fish, meat, sandwiches, prepared foods, and cheese. They even sell homemade dog bones.

On Thanksgiving Day, it took all day for my mom & dad to cook all the food. It was so much fun. My dad's parents come out from Michigan along with my cousin and his mom. She is my dad's sister. We played games with my cousin outside and inside, while my mom and dad cooked the food. The meal was amazing I will post some of my favorite the recipes.

Walley Strips

2009-11-13T15:09:00.001-08:00

Walleye Strips
This is one of the first recipes I ever prepared by myself. It is a favorite of both my brother and myself.

You need one large filet of walleye depending on how many people you have in your house.
The filet of walleye fish it needs to be really fresh out of the cooler from the store.

Follow those steps:
1. Cut the strips in strips.
2.Fill separate shallow bowls with each of the following:
- flour
- lightly beaten egg(s)
3. melt about 2 tbs. of butter in a non-stick pan
4. while the butter is melting take your first strip of fish and coat it with flour, then dip it in egg, then cover with bread crumbs. Place it in the pan to fry.
5. follow these steps until all of the strips are in the pan.
6. cook each side of the strips until the breading is golden brown (about 3-4 minutes) a side.
7. remove from and plate.

You may want to serve with a dipping sauce such as tartar. We mix ketchup and mayonnaise to make our very own delicious tartar sauce.

We also use fish filets to make very good sandwiches.

Erika's Beef Chili

2009-11-09T06:32:00.000-08:00

This chili is actually my friend Ben and Billy's mother Erika's speciality and this is the recipe she bases it on. But she does some things differently. She uses ground turkey instead of ground beef. And before she browns the meat she fries some cut up bacon in the pot (which makes it very yummy). She also adds frozen roasted corn towards the end. She served it on Halloween night and the kids and adults just loved it.

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
3 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chile peppers
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin

Directions

Coat a large saucepan with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Cook beef in pan until browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in onions, bell pepper and garlic and cook 5 minutes more.
Stir in kidney beans, pinto beans and tomatoes. Season with brown sugar, cocoa powder, chili powder and cumin. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 to 30 minutes. (To make in a slow cooker, simply transfer beef mixture to a slow cooker, stir in remaining ingredients, cover and cook on low 5 to 6 hours.)

Milk Chocolate Pudding

2009-11-02T16:13:00.000-08:00

Milk Chocolate Pudding
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 ounces fine-quality milk chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Accompaniment:
lightly sweetened whipped cream

Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder, and a pinch of salt in a 2-quart heavy saucepan, then gradually whisk in milk and cream. Bring to a boil over moderately high heat, whisking constantly, then boil, whisking, 2 minutes. (Mixture will be thick.) Remove from heat. Whisk in chocolate and vanilla until smooth.

Transfer to a bowl and chill pudding, its surface covered with wax paper (to prevent a skin from forming), until cold, at least 2 hours.

Cooks' note:
Pudding can be chilled, covered with plastic wrap after 2 hours, up to 3 days.

Basic Chocolate Ice Cream

2009-10-11T14:04:00.000-07:00

Preparation about 1 hour (active time about 5-10 minutes),Plus 25-30 minutes chilling time; optional 2 hours to ripen.
Makes ten 1/2-cup servings.

1 cup whole milk
1/2 granulated sugar
8 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate (your favorite), broken into 1/2-inch pieces.
2 cups heavy cream, well chilled.
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract.
Heat the whole milk until it is just bubbling around the edges (this maybe done on the stovetop or in the microwave). In a blender or a food processor fitted with the metal blade, pulse to process the sugar with the chocolate until the chocolate is very finely chopped. Add the hot milk, let the chocolate mixture cool completely. Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla to taste. Chill for 30 minutes or longer.

Turn the machine on and pour the chilled mixture into the freezer bowl through ingredient spout and let mix until thickened - about 25 - 30 minutes.

Piet's Famous Pasta

2009-10-11T13:08:00.000-07:00

Take one bag of any kind of noodles.
Grate a 1 1/2 cup of Mozzarella cheese.
Brown about one pound of sausage and put it on a towel for 5 minutes.
Mix one jar of tomato sauce in a baking dish with the sausage and noodles.
Then sprinkle the mozzarella on the top.
Place the baking pan in a oven that is heated to 375 degrees.
Makes 5-6 servings.

Meet Piet

2009-09-13T14:37:00.000-07:00

Hi my name is Piet. I am 9 years old and I love to cook. I spend a lot of time cooking with my mom. I love looking at cookbooks and making my own recipes. My favorite things to make are ice cream,pasta, and fish.