Quiet Moments

Just as a parent puts their children in Time Out, I have to do the same thing for myself. Everyday there seems to be just a little more to do, another blog to visit, another response to something interesting I just read, or the creative writing for the places I post. Sometimes I must drag myself away from the keyboard and computer screen to go to Time Out.

You might be asking yourself at this very moment that if I am supposedly in Time Out, then why am I still typing? Good question. Ssh. I have dinner in the oven and am eating a small bit to tide me over. It’s almost 6 PM, but I don’t want to talk about food. I just wanted to let you know that I do police my online time and take breaks, after hours pouring over the sites, but the important thing, is that I can convey that these quiet moments are really good for me.

Keeping this missive short, I wanted you to know that as soon as I have finished my supper, I am going to make an evening of it celebrating all of my friends by visiting their witticisms and enjoying what they are doing and listening with an embracing heart. Who knows … perhaps I’ll drop in on you and your world. Remember that most of you are the reason I am here at all. Hugs all around!

Theresa’s Gently Scrambled Eggs

There’s nothing I dislike more than bad odors, overcooked food and I also give equal attention to under-cooked, or improperly cook food, like still raw chicken, for example. This morning while I was having my cup of coffee, I decided to watch a video about classical music, which Angie had so generously provided. I decided to stop the video and prepare my Gently Scrambled Eggs. Since the site I was on (FriedEggs) was making me hungry, I quickly performed an exercise I have known about, since the age of ten. I enjoyed the music and my lovely eggs.

My downstairs neighbor and fifth grade classmate, Laura Crowne, invited me over. When I arrived the lovely Madame Crowne was preparing breakfast. She was so refined, gentile, beautiful and generous a lady, I could not resist it when she invited me to join them to share their meal. She waved us close to her stove and then she entertained us girls by teaching us how to cook the perfect scrambled eggs. I already knew how to cook a scrambled egg by watching my sister fix omelets, but I soon discovered that I had it all wrong.

Madame scrambled the fresh eggs in a large mixing bowl and beat them until they were frothy. She put a large tablespoon of butter into the skillet and we could hear it start to sizzle and bubble. She demonstrated to pour the blended eggs into the heated pan, before the butter could turn any darker than a golden yellow. She said the eggs would not taste as good if the butter was allowed to cook any darker.

She picked up her wooden spoon while holding the handle of the skillet with a pot holder. She pulled the spoon from the outer edge of the pan toward the middle and kept doing this all around the pan. Pretty soon there was a light mound of yellow eggs in the center and she repeated these steps, until it was time to flip the eggs over, and she also reduced the heat to low. The wooden spoon was her tool she used it to move and prod the food and ensure it was not browning, and that there was not any of the eggs left uncooked. She turned the eggs onto the platter, and we eagerly sat down to eat. They were the finest tasting eggs I had ever put into my mouth. From that day forward I have prepared eggs just as she did all those years ago. In fact, I cannot cook eggs without thinking of the beautiful memory she gave to us.

* Click HERE to see and hear the video Angie uploaded. *

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Do You Ever Wonder?

Do you ever wonder just who thinks up things like this? Look closely and then tell me if you would consider trying this lethal hot sauce.

My middle sister has a sense of humor for the bizarre, when it comes to picking out gifts for my husband. For some reason he always enjoys her weird, yet strange choices. Hot sauce, movies, books. They seem to be on the same wave length, one I do not pretend to understand. In fact, the more strange it is, the more they are fascinated. Go figure. More like two teenagers if you ask me.

Forbidden Love Child

A few days ago I wrote about my two onions getting it on in my kitchen. Well I was going to try to pass this guy off as their love child, but then I noticed he is really a squash. After I mended his right leg with Elmer’s Glue, I decided to let him make his appearance anyway.

I sliced a piece of my chocolate raspberry torte` this morning, to eat while I worked and drank my coffee. We had to get up at the crack of dawn, because my husband was taking the automobile into CARMAX for repairs. I was so good not to have eaten any of yesterday’s dessert. I waited until after I gave him a rather large piece to take with him.

It took me two hours of very tiny bites to finish this unconventional breakfast. To describe what it tastes like, I shall go as far as saying that it is like eating the center ganache`, or the soft chocolate part of a truffle`. No lie! I could hardly eat it because it is that rich. I cannot wait to share it with my neighbors who, by the way, love it when I bring them little treats to eat. It’s good but it could be death by chocolate were we to eat it all ourselves. Ghirardelli isn’t messing about.

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Chocolate Raspberry Torte`

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This recipe is in this month’s Everyday Food, A Martha Stewart Magazine.

Since I hadn’t prepared a torte` in such a long time, I figured I would get the few ingredients I needed at the grocery store last night and prepare this as a surprise for my husband. He takes good care of me and knowing how much he loves chocolate, I got started as soon as I had my morning coffee.

It keeps overnight in the refrigerator and you do not apply the raspberries to the top, until just before you serve it. Additional serving suggestions is with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

32 chocolate wafer cookies (about 8 ounces)

2 TBSP sugar

1/2 tsp coarse salt

6 TBSP (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

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12 oz semisweet chocolate chips

1 pinch coarse salt

1 1/4 cups heavy cream

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1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries (6 ounces)

Crust:

1) Preheat oven to 350º

2) In a food processor, combine cookies, sugar and salt. Process until fine crumbs form.

3) Add butter and pulse until mixture just comes together.

4) Press crumbs into a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom.

5) Place on a baking sheet and bake until crust is dry and set, about 20 minutes.

6) Remove from oven and place on cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

Filling:

1) In a large bowl, combine the chocolate and a pinch of salt.

2) In a small saucepan, bring cream to a bare simmer over medium-high heat.

3) Immediately pour heated cream into the center of the chocolate and let stand for one minute.

4) Stirring gently, blend together until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.

5) Pour into the cooled tart shell and refrigerate until set. About 30 minutes.

To serve, remove tart from the pan and scatter the fresh raspberries on top.

Note: My tart pan was 11 inches, a whole two inches larger than what the recipe called for. So I got out my calculator and I figured out how much more of each ingredient I would need, in order to make it come out correctly. I also added 1 TBSP freshly ground dark French roast and hazelnut cream coffee beans to the chocolate, as a flavor enhancer. I used Kosher salt and raw sugar. *

I wanted to surprise my husband but he actually surprised me, because he had to leave for an appointment. Sadly, we both have to wait to eat this fabulous dessert until he comes back! He told me, “You should have said something.” To which I replied, “It wouldn’t have been a surprise.” We both laughed.

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Sharing Dinner WIth Friends

Getting together with friends is such a cherished time in this busy world because we are usually working, or as our friends are doing, raising their families and dashing from one meeting to another event. We found it had been over a year since we had sat down to enjoy a meal.

We looked forward to their arrival, cleaning up and organizing, cooking the night before and into Sunday. Joe and I even made a triple chocolate cream pie, with a secret ganache layer sandwiched in-between the crust and filling. When we brought that out we heard oohs of appreciation. The flavors paired nicely with the Zinfandel wine cooler they had brought to share. Now we have yet another way to drink this wine.

What was so cool, was that Orville got to lay down some lead guitar tracts on Joe’s new CD, while Virginia and I got to talk, catch up and watch a little bit of a DVD. We decided that now their son is in college, that we will be doing this at least once a month. We have been friends for so many years and now that there is more free time, we can enjoy more treasured times and meals together.

Breaking bread and catching up, like we used to do before we all got married. Nice.

Bill Maher Talks With Chef Alice Waters

I love my digital recording machine because it allows me to record the shows I cannot concentrate on or watch if I am either away from home, or if I am in the writing realm. Last evening I watched Friday’s, Real Time With Bill Maher Show, and was immediately drawn to the interview that Bill did with his guest,  Chef Alice Waters. I learned a lot about her and listened to the vision she adopted at the early age of nineteen, when she went to France to find out more about food. When she returned to California, it was with a deep-rooted conviction of serving up the new California fresh food diet, because she understood the reasons that this was the better way to eat. Slow Food as Bill called it. She said it was the opposite of Fast Food.

She is co-owner of Chez Panisse, in Berkely, CA. One day, in the 1990′s, she noticed an empty rundown schoolyard while walking to work at her restaurant. After making an inquiry the school superintendent welcomed her ideas to nurture, guide and teach school children about natural foods, and she has been deeply involved with the school system ever since. She has teachers intentionally immerse their students in their food projects, by introducing them to the benefits of growing, cooking and eating what they have grown. Alice Waters is also bringing the idea of fresh garden foods to many children via her book “The Edible Schoolyard” , and to everyone else with her cookbook “The Green Kitchen”.

“There is a huge obesity problem in our country and it started after WWII”, Alice tells Bill in her interview. “Things changed. They had all of these chemicals they didn’t know what to do with and so they fertilized our food with them. From there it was a downward spiral.” (I am not quoting her, this was the gist of this part of their conversation).

Here is today’s Featured Article on the cover of BlogCatalog

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Sneaky Eats

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I heard some muttering and a clanking of kitchen things. Could be Monseiur, my Chef Cat, who knows where the cans, dry food and treats are stored. He is always underfoot come mealtime and tries to will the cupboard door open when he stares directly at it. Pulling myself off the comfy sofa I walk quietly into the kitchen to see if I could catch him with his huge body half in and halfway out of the food storage. I glanced beneath the dining room table as I went and there he was sitting quietly, ears perked and head turned a little to the side, listening. Clang. There we both heard it.

My hand flipped the light switch on and nothing. No one was there. The only thing different was the position of the two large onions, that I had left on top of the stove earlier. They were now on the marble I use to roll out my dough, atop the counter. “How did they get there?” I wondered. “What was that green vegetable fluff on top of one of the vegetables, it wasn’t there before?”

I came to the conclusion that when I am not looking and failed to cook my vegetables in a timely manner, they get up to all sorts of mischief. Looks like some hanky-panky  has been going on because now my female onion is going to have a little one. I say, eat those veggies quickly before they turn out the lights in your kitchen. Before they turn into sneaky eats.

Leftover Mondays

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Monday isn’t full of the blues for me because I made the right decision yesterday to prepare two bacon vegetable quiche. Heated in the microwave for one minute was fast and before I knew it I was enjoying my efforts all over again. I would have loved to have had a glass of a deep red wine, with a full-bodied flavor, but my husband looked at me askance, because he had to leave for appointments. I didn’t have the heart to savor a glass in front of him. No drinking and then going on these highways!

As I sit here eyeing my last bite of this superb food, I listen to Barbra Streisand’s latest album and my mood is serene, and creative juices are headed my way. I already feel as though this day promises really fine things. So, while I am deciding if I will divulge my secret recipe, I will make a second round to the (see tags) neighborhoods where I write, hang out and have so many darling friends. I wish you well and check back later. I might give in to this mood and share some more culinary secrets with you.

Teesa’s Sunday Quiche

My quiche is baking away and I invite you to join me over at Half Hour Meals in Community Discussions. We’re bringing quiche and conversation. I’ll upload the finished quiche as soon as it’s plated.

Here are the photos of the baked quiche. I will say this is not a half hour meal. More like and hour and a-half hour meal.  Here are a few others and one to show my sister that the bottom crust is not soggy.

Dinner Time!

Sometimes I sit at my desk and wander through cyber space only to realize that my bladder is about to burst and my head hurts. Time to prepare this favorite pasta dish and excuse myself for a bit. In the interim please browse my archives because this month, on April 17, 2010 I am celebrating three years of being on BlogCatalog, my social network. It is filled with artists and writing guru’s and chefs and families and pets. Check it out and perhaps you might want to refer your friends or explore instead of visiting your library, for a change.

Good Nutrition

Lately I have been cataloging and watching what I eat. I am eating much smaller portions and each bite and drink is intended to be as delicious as possible. I had run out of orange juice and embarked on squeezing my own orange juice. I added the pulp back in because f the nutrients and fiber. I actually chewed and drank it.

Boiling Pot

 

Boiling Pot, originally uploaded by Theresa111.

The next time you are in your kitchen and you are ready to cook something in a hurry, remember this little tip. Never watch a pot of water and wait for it to boil. It takes twice the time. No joke.

Tip: Fill pot, cover, adjust heat and do something else in the meantime. Before you know it, the lid is slowly puffing up and your water is ready for whatever you are going to cook.

Contributing To My Community

I just posted to The BlogCatalog Blog this afternoon. You can read it here!

Photo courtesy of Jaime Oliver dot com

Thirsty For Water

Young girl with new water well, originally uploaded by operation.blessing.

See the delight on this little girl’s face?

A week ago I received my April 2010 National Geographic Magazine. The front cover: A Special Issue WATER Our Thirsty World. Later this evening I am going to look through this compilation of articles to educate myself on the shortage of this liquid we all need to survive.

I will write about what I learn over the weekend. This publication is massive.