Christmas....

Story:  Christmas and baking just go together.  My mother used to do copious amounts of baking on Christmas Eve.  Mrs. Brinkley and Kizzie used to stop by sometime before Midnight...and we'd still be up baking and decorating.  This happened as far back as I can remember.  It used to take us ages to get all Mom's animated decorations down from the attic, let alone the Christmas tree, bulbs, lights and ornaments.  We'd start early...but never early enough!  Christmas for me smells like Doll's Poundcake, Mom's Red Velvet Cake and Black Bottom Cupcakes - Pine tree is not Christmas-y!  I've certainly carried on the baking tradition...maybe one year I'll get into decorating more than just a tree!


For Christmas, I like to bake lots of different things, assemble plates and give them to friends.  This year I did Red Velvet Cake, Lemon Bars, Chocolate Chip Cookies and Brownies.  I will admit the brownies were from a box, but that was a last minute addition because SOMEONE ate some of the Choc Chip Cooks that were for friends....IRV!


Red Velvet cake is courtesy of Bakerella, as are the Lemon Bars.  The Chocolate Chip Cookies are a secret recipe of mine using raw caster sugar instead of white sugar, I swear it makes them taste better!  


http://www.bakerella.com/red-velvet-cake/


http://www.bakerella.com/lemon-bars-and-a-little-helper/


Maybe I'll think ahead for next year and get some nice Christmas plates for 2011. 


- MLM

Thanksgiving!!!!

Story:  Thanksgiving is a huge tradition in my family.  It has been since I was little and I have carried the tradition on since I've been married.  I remember the first Thanksgiving - we had a 3lb bird, blow up furniture and I used sweetened condensed milk instead of evaporated milk in the homemade macaroni and cheese!!!  Every year after that got bigger and better, as did my cooking.  


Another successful Thanksgiving is under my belt!  This year was maybe the best ever.  We had a ton of people over, and most importantly Auntie Brenda and Auntie Emma.  Not that the girls really noticed any of us adults, not with the other kids to entertain them.  


I did a lot of prep work the day before...which saved a ton of time on the day of.  However, I still was flat-out on T-Day!  I could not believe it!  I had great timing with the Turkey and subsequent sides needing to be cooked.  Everything was delicious...except the ham.  I just can't cook ham!!!  


I wish I had taken pics of the food when EVERYTHING was ready, because there was sooo much more.  Everyone brought a couple dishes and a couple bottles.  I even made punch!  Alcoholic of course :)  


Menu:
Turkey
Ham
Mashed Potatoes
Stuffing
Gravy
Green Bean Casserole
Roasted Carrots
Cole Slaw
Potato Salade
Candied Yams
Squash and Peas
Cheesy Polenta
Fresh Spinach and Walnut Salad
Rolls
Pecan Pie
Sweet Potato Pie
Pavlova with Cream and Fruit
Dumplings with Cream and Fruit
and MORE.....


Here are the pics of the food I made....


- MLM

Tamales PT 2...

Story:  I didn't make them this time.....they were being sold for a fundraiser and I luckily snatched a dozen before they were sold out.  These tamales were Ecuadorian - so they had different ingredients and were wrapped in banana leaves.  Inside these pork tamales were potatoes, corn and meat.  I made some fresh veggie & cumin rice, along with some fresh salsa.  A couple tacos on the side and it was a very filling meal.  

As I'm eating, I'm thinking how much I prefer my tamales to these ones.  So of course I hopped online and ordered some supplies!!  I got a tamale kit that comes with the masa, the husks, a steamer, chilies, a spreader and something else.  Can't wait 'til it gets here!  I'm making a big batch this time.  The spreader will make it heaps easier than when I did it with a rice spoon.  The plan is to make beef and pork tamales.  

I think I might have a small dinner party to celebrate my hard work!!

- MLM

Breakfast...

Cooking....

Finished Product :)

Story:  We love some breakfast!!  Eggs, meat and 'taters.  Pancakes, waffles and fruit.  Juice. Coffee.  What's not to love?!  Swirv got me a fantastic new griddle plate to put on the stove.  Every electric one we have had has burnt out and died.  So, I'm sold on the stove top griddle.  Perfect pancakes and bacon...delicious eggs.  Love it!  


- MLM

Beef, It's what's for dinner PT 2...

Story:  Growing up, we always had a freezer full of Beef.  Steaks, hamburger meat, roasts and MORE.  Every year Mom or Dad (someone) would go to Mt Airy Meat Locker (I'm pretty sure that's the name) and would bring home huge boxes of frozen beef goods.  It was a process brining it in from the car, stocking the freezer - as you can imagine a whole or quarter side of beef would be!  Steaks on the grill, Mom's Hamburger Corn Casserole, roast....Meat Starch Vegg.  Thank goodness I married a Beef Eater!!


- MLM

Beef, It's what's for dinner...

Story:  We are a meat -n- potatoes family.  And nothing tops a delicious rib roast packed in a pot with fresh veggies.  There is a new-ish fresh veg store here that we get really fresh produce from.  One day I decided I wanted to cook something with pumpkin, so we went to Fresh in the Desert to see what they had.  I got butternut pumpkin, blue pumpkin and orange pumpkin.  They all had specific names, and none were like any pumpkin I had ever seen in the States.  They were ALL a pain to cut up, and none of them tasted so great that they were worth all that effort.  So needless to say, I won't be rushing to put pumpkin in any dishes in the near future.  The potatoes and parsnips were great, love love love parsnips now.  And can't go wrong with carrots.  


Recipe:
1 rib roast
1 carrot
2 potatoes
2 or 3 kinds of pumpkin 
4 parsnips
Garlic
Salt -n- Pepper


Cut up all your veggies.  Rub the roast with garlic, S & P.  Cut slits in the roast and smoosh in some garlic.  Put the roast in the pan first, then surround it with the veggies.  Drizzle a little oil and water, cover and put in the oven.  Cook at 325 for about an hour....I cheat and cook the veggies for a little bit in the microwave, and found that one 'cycle' of the 'potato' setting is just right.  


Sides:
None needed, this is a One Pot Meal


- MLM

Pesto Sauce...

Story:  Where did I fall in love with Pesto sauce?  That would have to be in California.  My grandparents used to take my sister and I out to California to visit our great Aunt and cousins, and we would eat some great food.  Great sites and great food...San Fransisco comes to mind.  I was definitely too young to appreciate The Stinkin' Rose, but whenever we make our way back to San Fran, we will LIVE at that restaurant!  I think on one trip out the Cali, I ordered Pesto something or other for every meal.  Maybe not 'every' meal, but A LOT of meals!  Funny the smells that make me remember those summer trips - Herbal Essence shampoo, Pest sauce, Apple body lotion....


Recipe:

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt flakes
• 2 cups firmly-packed basil leaves
• 60g parmesan cheese, finely grated
• Dash of cream (optional)
• 
  
• Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Add pine nuts. Cook for 3 minutes. Process pine nuts, garlic and sea salt in a food processor until well combined.  Add basil and remaining oil. Process to form a coarse paste. Season with pepper. Stir in parmesan and process again.

I flattened out some chicken breasts for this Pesto recipe.  Stuffed it with bocconcini cheese, slathered some pesto sauce and rolled it up.  Baked it for about 25 minutes.  

Sides:

Garlic bread

Fresh pasta

- MLM

'Tater Skins....

Original Recipe

Story:  Another delicacy that is lost on this country, LOL.  Took a couple trial runs, but we got it.  No real story except that we love delicious appetizers and had a craving.


Recipe:
Small potatoes
Peanut oil
Bacon
Sour cream
Chives
Cheese


Place desired number of washed and pierced potatoes in a microwave dish, cook until done.  Let them cool for a bit, then slice them in half.  Heat your oil.  Pre-heat your oven to 350.  Scoop out the potato guts with a spoon, like you would ice cream.  Don't try to scoop it out in one go, you'll break the skin.  Drop the skins into your peanut oil - we use our wok because it's so easy.  Fry until golden brown.  Drain upside down on paper towels.  Season with salt -n- pepper.  While you are cooking the skins in batches, fry up that bacon.  Chop it up in your mini food processor and set aside.  Place the skins on a cookie sheet and fill 'em up!  Cheese & bacon only, at this stage.  Bake until crispy.  Top with fresh chives.  


Sides: 
Sour cream or ranch dressing  


- MLM

Heart Stoppers (which we will NEVER make again!)

Tamales...

Story:  Mexican food is another cuisine that is hard to get here.  They have Old El Paso in the stores, but no actual Mexican restaurants.  Friends have given me ingredients, recipes and ideas - and we've rolled with it.  I had made tamales once before, back in Arizona under the supervision of someone who knew what they were doing!!  It was a family recipe of hers and there were 4 of us that made up an assembly line.  Worked well.  It took me forever when I did it myself, but it was well worth it.  We put cheese in ours, which is not authentic, but Oh So Delicious.  


Recipe: 
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Beef-Tamales/Detail.aspx
I followed this recipe exact, except we made pork tamales.  Just felt like pork that day, no particular reason.  


Sides:
Spanish Rice
Sour cream
Guacamole 
Hot Sauce 


It made A LOT, so we froze half of them, uncooked.  Tasted great when we made them again, and again, and again :)


- MLM

Cheese Steaks...

Story:  We love a good Cheese Steak, and there is truly nothing like it here in The Alice.  Sure, they have steak sandwiches, but it's ain't no Cheese Steak.  Every time we go home to visit, we drive to Delaware to get a Cheese Steak...cause we are too lazy to drive to Philly.  And yes, they are just as good in Delaware as they are in Philly.  We had a hankering for a Cheese Steak and we set out to make them one night.  Went to the butcher, and they knew exactly what we wanted, so they said.  What they gave us was 'minute steaks'.  I think we gave them to the dogs.  Second trip to the butcher, I ordered 'shaved' ribeye and we hit the mark.  We sourced the right bread, got the condiments and made our subs.  Perfection!  We made them again last night, using shaved beef fillet.  Delicious!!  I do like a bit of fat though, so I prefer the ribeye.  Swirv got some Pecorino cheese and that was yum as well.  (they don't have provolone here) 


Recipe:
1 lb of shaved beef fillet or ribeye
crusty sub rolls
Pecorino cheese 
Mayo, ketchup, condiments, ect
Pickles
1 sliced onion
1 sliced green pepper
1 pint of sliced mushrooms
Salt & Pepper


Slice all the veggies and sauté them up!  Set aside.  Prepare the beef if it's not sliced already.  Get your bread ready with mayo, ect.  Fry up the beef.  Assemble your sandwich and wrap in foil.  Let the Cheese Steak sit for about 5 minutes, so the flavors can meld together.  You want your cheese to get good and melted too.  Then enjoy!


Sides:
Fries
Salt n Vinegar Chips
Potato Salad


- MLM

Yakisoba...

Story:  We lived in Japan for 3+ years and there are so many dishes we fell in love with.  Yakisoba being our all time favorite!  It's a noodle based meat dish with vegetables and a garlic brown sauce.  Great 'drunk food' on the way home from a big night out in Misawa, along with some Yakitori! (marinated chicken on a stick)  Recently we were in Melbourne and sussed out an Asian food store.  They had the noodles, the sauce and Swirv's spicy seasoning.  We stocked up and brought it all back to the Alice.  


Recipe:
4 packs of Yakisoba noodles
seasoning sachets or a bottle of sauce
1/4 head of cabbage
1 carrot
1 zucchini 
mushrooms
(or any vegetables you like)
1/2 lb of shaved ribeye beef 


Sauté vegetables until tender.  Remove from heat.  Sauté beef until lightly browned, add in some sauce.  Throw the veggies back in.  Mix well and add noodles.  Heat through and serve! 


Sides:
Fried Rice
Spring Rolls
Cheese Rolls
Gyoza 
something crunchy! 


- MLM

About the Chef.....

Seems like I am always cooking up something new, trying to replicate something old or just plain hungry.  Living outside the US, we have had to make a few changes in our diet.  Some things aren't available here or they just aren't the same!  So, this blog will be about my efforts to put some American Home-style cooking on the table!

- MLM