A Special Treat Tonight!

Tonight Motorcycle Al is on the road......I am celebrating the moment of not having to prepare a dinner for us this evening.... Hooray! I do enjoy a break now and then. As you can see, for me it is light and sweet! It is simple and easy to prepare, but the ingredients must be of optimum quality.....Fresh cheese, tomatoes, spinach, a few slices of prosciutto and I am a happy camper. Our Florida mellons are in season now, so what better time to enjoy one-dolce mellon. All I need to complete this simple feast is a splash or two of my sisters favorite balsamic vinegar. She travels to Italy several times a year to stock up....and she is well stocked! This product comes from the Chianti region, south of Florence. It is produced by a small family in business for many years . If anyone is interested in trying a bottle, email me. I will get her to mail you a bottle.

Also, I have changed my format, thanks to Madeline.....she can be found on my side bar.

Weekend Pick-Me Upper!

A small array and combination of wonderful fresh tidbits may be all you need to celebrate this weekend........a group of close friends, a glass or bottle of your favorite chilled wine, fresh golden, crusty bread, maybe some feta cheese and plump olives.......sounds like a perfect celebration fare! A variety of goodies, so that all can enjoy in the celebration.........have a great one!

Summer Tart with Roasted Vegetables

This is a wonderful light meal that you can whip up at a moments notice-which I did-took it to a party today in hope that it would be a crowd pleaser..... I think it was! Look in the veggie drawer and pull out anything you may have that is fresh. I mention using certain vegetables in this recipe, however, use what is in season or just the vegetables that you enjoy eating. This tart is also substantial to eat on it's own-maybe a smalll green salad on the side!

SUMMER TART

Puff pastry, found in frozen food section.

4 eggs, whisked very well.

3 large Tbsp. sour cream.

1 small red onion, diced.

1 large zucchini, diced.

4-5 small red potatoes, diced.

salt and pepper, to taste.

3 tomatoes, sliced thin.

2 Tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil.

Chopped parsely,basil and oregano, sprinked on top.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare and roll out the pastry to fit a medium size removable bottom flan tin . Grease well. Wash and scrub vegetables. Gather up all the diced vegetables, place in plastic bag, add olive oil and shake in bag, coating veggies well. Season with salt and pepper. Remove veggies from bag and place on baking sheet. Bake veggies in oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. Place cooled veggies in the tart shell. Pour the eggs with the sour cream over the veggies. Now arrange the slices of tomatoes on top and sprinlke with the herbs. Bake for 35 minutes or until puffy and golden. Serves 8. Serve warm.

A cup of sweetness- Rice Pudding

This little coffee cup thought she was plain, but all it took was a bit of rice pudding to make her feel special once again............and special she was! I found this recipe tucked into a drawer in my kitchen in NZ. Wanted to share it with you-so sweet, so quick and so delicious.

Rice Pudding with Vanilla

4 cups of milk

1 cup of Arborio rice

1 cup of whipping cream

1/2 cup of sugar

ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon of vanilla

marsala syrup

1/4 cup of marsala

1/2 cup brown sugar

Combine the rice, milk, sugar and cream in saucepan and cook over high heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and add the vanilla. Simmer on low heat and stir to prevent the rice mixture from burning. This may take 35-40 minute of continued cooking or until the rice is "al dente". Sprinkle with nutmeg for serving.

For the syrup, place both ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for a few more minutes until the liquid becomes thick. Pour over pudding and sprinkle with nutmeg. Serve pudding slightly warm.....serve some fresh dates as an added treat.

Olive Picking in New Zealand

A newly emerging olive growing business is proving ideal for many growers on the the North Island of New Zealand. Centered around the area of Mangonui, the growers have recently harvested their crop . These photos were taken on a very windy day, one that we anxiously waited for -days of rain delayed the picking experience and I feared I might miss out. but all went well......My friends, Colin and Lynette Wilson, from the "Hihi Olive Estate" provided all the fun and olives from their wonderful "Tuscan" looking groves.

C 'est Fromage

Passionate cheese fans will delight in knowing that Australia Artisan Cheesemaking continues to boom. According to the Australian Cheesemakers Association, there are at least 100 different varieties of cheeses being produced and more on the rise. I had a challenge while visiting Melbourne......where would I satisfy this cheese urge of mine? Hence, the Richmond Hill Cafe & Larder, located in the Richmond Hill District. The cheese" maturing "room couples with their popular cafe, hosted by Stephanie Alexander.
Once inside this well managed cheese room, I was greeted by countless selections of local and imported cheeses coming from Spain, France, Italy, all tenderly displayed on open shelving and countertops. More than likely you will recognize a few of your favorites from the photos. If your travels steer you towards this wonderful city, Melbourne, this would be the perfect spot for lunch and to visit the cheese room, guaranteed to to have a powerful effect on your olfactory glands and taste buds! It will just be a matter of time until we have more cheese rooms opening in restaurants across the U.S. ........I can hardly wait!

Things Green-NZ

Sometimes it's not the food and recipes that get my juices flowing, but just nature itself.........green is a terrific color, wouldn't you agree?

Leek and Parsnip Mash

One meal that comes to mind quickly when I visit NZ are lamb shanks. The second day in town, I was shopping at the local butcher shop......tons of lamb shanks, fresh and unpackaged so I could pick out the exact ones I wanted. With shanks in tow, off to the grocery. Carrots looked beautiful and also a perfect match, however, there in the bounteous buffet of veggies, I found fresh, crisp parsnips-huge ones! This was just the perfect veggie to team up with the shanks.
A little off track here, for the moment...........driving around the North Island, I didn't notice as many sheep as in previous years of visiting NZ. When you come around a curve, and there are just a few zillion on the drive towards Mangonui, you just can't believe the contrast of the sheep against the brilliant green, soft hilly mounds.......it takes your breath away! The sheep are being replaced by more cattle, more vineyards and now, the olive groves. Seems like a sensible thing to do now as the pasture land is truly fertile!

Parsnip and Leek Mash

5 large parsnips

1 Tsp.salt -or to your liking

3 Tbsp. butter

4 -5 Tbsp. of thick, fresh cream

1 Cup of thinly sliced leeks

Freshly ground pepper, to your liking

Begin by peeling the parsnips just as you would carrots. Trim the ends and chop into large pieces. Trim the leeks and slice into round pieces-use just the white part. Wash the leeks carefully....

Cook the leeks and parsnips in boiling water together until tender. Drain and transfer veggies into a processor and puree.Add the butter and the cream. You may add more cream if the mixture seems too thick. Add the salt and pepper.

Place in sauce pan and reheat then serve. The mashed parsnips are a lovely contrast against the shanks and any other fresh vegetable you might want to serve.

Ginger Dates

Sometimes special things happen for a reason-I'm not one for trying to figure out why they do occur, but they do. Hence, my meeting up with a fabulous innovative New Zealand couple and proud owners of the Hihi Olive Estate.
The first night of our arrival in NZ we were invited for "snackies" and drinks at their estate. It was a" foodie love affair" right from the start........I thought I would share one of the delicious hors d'oeuvres that we were offered on this very special evening. For all my French readers, please excuse the method of serving finger foods-I know you love to serve the fork foods instead of anything eaten by hand, however, this little tid-bit is just perfect for a party: not too exotic, somewhat sophisticated and easy to prepare! This is what I love about traveling, trying new pre-dinner offerings and meeting new friends..........

Stuffed Dates

2 dozen fresh, moist dates, split lengthwise and pressed open.
1 cup of softened cream cheese.
24 thick slivers of soft crytalized ginger pieces-found in the dried fruit section of your grocery store.

Stuff the dates with the cream cheese. Gently place a piece of the ginger inside the middle of the cream filled date. That is it.........enjoy!

In Case You Are Wondering......

For the next five weeks I will be traveling throughout New Zealand and Australia focusing much of my attention on food, of course, and the multitudes of new olive estates, wine vineyards and artisan cheesemaking that have boomed in the past decade.

Check back in a few days for more of the Traveling Food Lady in New Zealand and Australia.

As soon as I figure how to load pictures on public computers I will post them!

Cheers!

Poires au Vin Rouge

Sometimes I just need a quick dessert-what's in the fruit bowl? A few slightly mushy Bosc pears. Ok, that will work! There is always a bottle of red wine around, so I think we have it made! So simple and yet so satisfying..........

Ingredients

5 ripe pears, such as Bosc

1 Bottle of Burgundy Wine-and a glass for the chef!

1/2 cup of sugar

5 whole cloves

Pour the wine, add the sugar and place the cloves in a pan deep enough to hold all the pears. Simmer the ingredients.

Add the peeled pears, including stems and simmer for thirty minutes, turning occassionally to get an even color throughout the pears. Cool in the wine mixture. Serve at room temperature. You can serve the pears with a few spoonfuls of wine mixture or drench them in a sweetened thick cream....... any way you serve them, this is a marvelous dessert.

Vouvray

Everyone is not going to have an interest in wines, however, since posting several articles about the Loire region, I am delighted to introduce an old wine in a new facility.

Located along the northern bank of the river, you will find this artistically decorated and bright new showroom with an exceptional staff . While you are visiting the property, be sure to take a tour of the caves.

Vouvray has produced some remarkabe and notable wines, one being their Chenin Blanc. Vouvray also produces a sparkling wine, one to pop into your picnic basket as you enjoy a picnic lunch along the many beautiful spots of the nearby river.

La Ratte-Potato

Over 350 different varieties of potatoes exist in France today. The next time you walk through a market, notice the different varieties. The most cherrished of these are the Rosa, the Roseval and the Ratte. You are viewing the Ratte. I love this word!
Most of us don't spend much time inquiring about potatoes, (I can appreciate that) however, I found the history of the potato in France quite interesting. The potato arrived in France from Spain around 1540. At first, it was valued as an ornamental plant and only cultivated 50 years later. Shortly thereafter, its harvesting was forbidden as it was believed that the tuber caused leprosy. What? It took many years and a famine- in 1787 -before the potato hit the bellies of the Parisians...........

Valencay

A recent post of mine gave you a view of Amboise, a small town located along the banks of the Loire River. In this region, known as the Garden Of France, you will find an abundance and variety of cheeses. One that I am particularly fond of is Valencay. This is a goat cheese recognized by its shape, similar to that of a small pyramid. The cheese has been smothered in powdered charcoal which is done primarly to encourage the blue mold to appear. It is perfectly safe to eat-I hope-have had my share of it and I'm still running around!

Way back in the 8th century, the Saracens, who were originally of Arab decent and from Spain, settled in France. As they were repelled near Poitiers, ( this is where our friend Mimi's family lineage begins, www.Frenchkitcheninamerica.blogspot.com , they left behind their possessions of goats and formulas for making the cheese. Hence, we have that wonderful cheese available today.

The cheese was originally shaped as a pyramid, however, Napoleon had a disastrous political career in Egypt. Upon his journey back through France, he stopped at the castle of Valencay. The cheese reminded him of the Egyptian pryamids. His sword came out and the top of th e cheese came off..........

French Chocolate Mousse Cake

This is a cake with a fudgy moist center and crisp fragile crust . It never fails to bake perfectly everytime. You have all the ingredients on hand, so have fun!

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter a nine inch springform pan.

Ingredients

10 ounces of bittersweet chocolate.

6 tablespoons of butter, save the other two from the stick to butter the pan.

1/2 cup of sugar

6 eggs separated, save the whites.

Place the chocolate in a bowl suitable for the microwave. Warm the chocolate until it can be stirred and mixed well. Remove, cool for a few minutes, then add the room temperature butter. Mix well. Whisk in the egg yolks.

Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl to until soft peaks form. Add the sugar, beating the egg whites until glossy.

Whisk in 1/4 of the beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixtue. This will help in the folding process when you add the rest of the egg whites.

Using a large spatula, fold in the remaining egg whites. Pour the mixture into the buttered springform pan. Smooth the top. Place in oven and bake 40-50 minutes or until the cake is set in the center. It should jiggle just a little. Touch on top , the cake should be firm. Cool completely and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Chateau Amboise

Tucked along the banks of the Loire River is the small town of Amboise, just about an hours ride on the TVG from Paris. Small streets with shops and cafes will entice you to stay for a while......a great stepping off point to visit the grand and magnificent chateauxs of the Loire Valley.

It Can't Be Long Now?

Coming back from NYC last weekend, I was detained for a short period, 8 hours, in Washington-a minor snowfall creating long delays and many short tempers........this weather will end soon, right? "Springtime' is just around the bend as we enter the month of March...right?

Well, just in case we have a few more flurries of winter floating over to visit March, I am sending my blog friends a taste of what is to come! It won't be long now..................hang in there!

New York City-More Desserts

Here is one more dessert to feast upon and to add to my list of favorites........ The New York Cheesecake. Always a rich and creamy cake, it may take months to consume if you don't share.............

This cake is one I can count on when having company and I certainly like the idea of being able to prepare it ahead of time............. it usually tastes better the next day. When cooking your cheesecake, avoid opening the oven door for the first thirty minutes , you want it to rise properly. Also, if cooling the cake in the oven, keep the door opened just a bit to prevent cracks from developing in the cake.

Crust

1 1/4 cups of flour

1/3 cup of sugar

A dash of salt

1 stick of unsalted butter,room temperature

1 egg and 1 egg white

Process dry ingredients for 10 to 15 seconds. Add the butter and process until dough developes course crumbs. Add the egg and process until dough forms a ball . Press into lightly greased springform pan. Divide the dough into thirds. Pat one third of dough over the bottom of the pan . Prick with fork and bake in a 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes until crust is light brown. Cool the crust and then apply the remaining dough to the sides. Brush sides and bottom of crust with beaten egg wash. Refrigerate the crust while making the filling.

Filling

5 eight ounce packages of cream cheese

1 1/3 cup of sugar

3 tablespoons of flour

5 eggs

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1/2 cup of heavy cream-whipping cream will work

2 egg yolks

3/4 teaspoon of lemon zest

With all the ingredients at room temperature, beat the cream cheese until smooth and gradually add the flour and sugar. Sprinkle in the lemon zest and add vanilla. Incorporate the eggs, one at a time. Add the two egg yolks. Pour in the cream and mix well.

Pour the batter into the chilled crust and bake in an oven for 15 minutes at 500 degrees. Now reduce the oven temp to 200 degrees and bake for 1 hour. Turn off the oven, prop door open and let the cake cool in oven for thirty minutes. Transfer to a rack and completely cool before unmolding. Cover and place in refrigerator until serving time. Best when chilled for 24 hours before serving.

My Weakness Revealed

I suppose all of us have one weakness that we are aware of...... and we really do not like to discuss it -not hard for anyone to see what mine is, desserts. I have such a difficult time passing any window that is displaying an assortment of tasty and elegant looking desserts. What artful displays lure me to press my nose against the window, drool a bit and then reach for the camera..........I have to take pictures of everything! What for? I must admit I do it because I'm hoping to capture the talent and creativeness of these fabulous bakers in a shot and not in my mouth............Look at it as a way to not gain weight while on vacation. That does not happen all the time......a few pounds from these wonderful delights travel home with me occassionally!

Fermier Cheese

What could be more satisfying and tastier than a light meal made with a few slices of cheese stuffed into a fresh baguette and served with a side of fresh fruit.. ....for me, this is the ultimate quick and nourishing lunch when I am on the run in France.
My last visit lead me to a local village artisanal where a very kind and patient shopkeeper sliced a wonderful piece of Comte for me. This cheese is considered the most rich and popular cheese in France. Produced in the mountains of Jura, the milk from the cows is transported to the local fruitiers which are managed by a group of villages and processed immediately for production. AOC regulations are very strict with Comte cheese and those that fail to pass an acceptable score are sold as Gruyere.

And...... a thick slice of Brie makes a wonderful lunch in the park! Oh yes, don't forget a class of champagne, apples and walnuts to accompany your lunch!

Paris Calls

A Bazaar Soup

Years ago, when my son was in grade school, every December the moms organized a Holiday Bazaar. Since it was always a heavy duty day of shopping, someone suggested that a lunch be served so shoppers could have more time to spend their money -good marketing plan here! Each parent was ask to make up a batch of this soup and send it along in a well rinsed 1/2 gallon milk carton or quart jar. Also, we were to include one cup of grated Parmesan cheese sealed in a plastic bag. When we pulled up in front of the school and unloaded the kids with the soup in hand, you would have thought the students were carrying a brand new baby-instantly the car doors flew open and the soup was snatched up by a group of moms cradling the soups and rushing them into the school kitchen. Some of the more attractive quart jars were sold and taken home for dinner. The rest were placed into huge pots and kept warm for the lunch crowd. Most of the parents were very diligent in following the recipe..........we all new what we were eating! So now, I share this recipe with you on this very chilly day here in Florida, hoping to warm your souls as well as your hearts!

Saute 3-5- minutes in a small amount of oil; 1 medium onion, chopped
3 unpeeled, sliced carrots-but I peeled mine!
3 medium sized unpeeled, cut-up potaotes

Add & saute for ten minutes or more; 1 pound sliced mushrooms
1/2 head of cabbage, sliced
2 medium sliced zucchini
3 tomatoes, cut in wedges

Add and cook until the vegetables are tender. 3-4- Tbls.butter
Salt and Pepper to taste
6 cans of Cambell's Beef Consomme'
2 soup cans of tomato juice-just use the beef can to measure


This is all there is to it-simple and very delicious-not many calories! Don't forget the cheese!

A Day in Santa Fe-Market and Dinner

A different kind of flea market, but nevertheless, a market where one could spend an entire afternoon, without leaving the USA. Something by the name of "Jackalope."....hummm. I've seen pictures on postcards of these animals and they are pretty darn frightful. Someone had a wild imagination when putting the photos together to create such a pet! Anyway, here are a few of my finds of the day. There is an amazing array of items from all over the world on display in several buildings and also outside. Oh yes, the day ended at the Santa Fe Hilton, the Pinon Grill.......for dinner! Put this on your list of places to visit sometime!