New Zealand Shortbread Lemon Meringue Pie - a Short Story

I will admit to being quite homesick over this Thanksgiving holiday. Not the least of which is really because I miss cooking with my sister most of all. She is like my best friend and has really been there for me during some super harsh times of my life. I actually feel this way about each member of my family and all of my sisters have been there for me, but there is something special about cooking during great times of duress. Especially when you feel like you might die from heartbreak. 

At that time in my life, it felt like the only thing that could keep me from losing my mind, especially during those horrible years where it was clear my marriage was not only an unhealthy one, but in many ways, a very dangerous one, was my cooking. It was over Thanksgiving, in 2012, just after coming home from a business trip in China that the seriousness of the matter not only came to be a glaring and inescapable reality for me, but also became a deep and painful awareness for my family, who had no idea of the nightmare I had been living. And hiding.

It's a difficult thing to shine a light on, but what I've come to realize about being in an abusive relationship is that it is an insipid place of hiding and denial and one that isn't easy to come to terms with for the person enduring something so maniacal and downright wrong. It takes a long time to be brave enough to admit it to yourself, let alone to someone who loves you as much as your friends or family do. But in the end, if it can come to light, change can occur and that is what I found myself most thankful for this year. The light. The love. The change. 

As I settle into a new life here in New Zealand with someone new that I love, I've become keenly aware of the huge challenges we faced together as we try to put the painful parts of our lives, the ones we had devoted ourselves to before we met, behind us. This new beginning, while completely invigorating and refreshing, hasn't been without it's challenges which we both well anticipated. But its also been incredibly endearing and touching at the same time. It has allowed us both a complete break from what we've known even together and is providing a very intentional, fundamental brick by brick building up of the life we intend to have together. Solid. Safe. Even in the face of such change and exciting uncertainty.

For one, we've both left a lot behind... and in so doing, we still bring a lot with us on the journey. And what we bring with us has a lot to do with the ones we love and the ones we are doing this for. So of course, Thanksgiving, which is often a greater time of reflection for Americans than even the ensuing religious holidays that follow, bring with it some nostalgia of times past. Loves lost. And loves left behind. And love... found. Love that can thrive and grow.

So sorting through that and trying to find some familiar ground after being adrift in our personal seas of change, which of course, is a transcontinental change of significant magnitude in and of itself, posed a few challenges over our first holiday away from our families. Aside from being away from them, we also had the practical matter of how we would deal with Thanksgiving itself. I mean, it's an American holiday that islanders and surely, an island full of native inhabitants as well as British colonists, can't truly dig into... lol! It's almost perverse to talk about it so lovingly here as to most non-Americans it is a bit of an oxymoron itself. But, Americans don't think of it really in a historical sort of way... It's our own holiday that has come to represent exactly what we were nostalgic for this year. Time with and about the ones you love and the gratitude for the life you have.

So on a practical note, how does one do an American holiday in a country that thinks you are mad for celebrating such a thing in the first place? Well, first you educate them on what the holiday really means. Next, you accept the fact that while you may be able to work from home and enjoy football, oddly enough, you surely won't readily find turkeys. At least not here in New Zealand. Which is not so terrible honestly because if it ain't my brother in law's turkey, then really I could care less. In my mind, his smoked and Southern deep fried turkey is THE ONLY turkey anyone could ever truly love or miss.

Rock Lobsters. Lamb. Giant Green Lipped New Zealand Mussels. Tomahawk steaks. BEAUTIFUL hams... the bounty of the harvest. Aha! That is what a Thanksgiving table is actually all about, right? And that is what a Kiwi table actually looks like if you celebrate what is locally available here. And this, I could really embrace and get behind. We also have a lot of the same produce and more because here in the South Pacific, it is actually slowly drifting from the cooler Spring weather into the full blown warmth of Summer.

One of the bounties of New Zealand is also lemons and citrus of all kinds. And I won't lie, this has had my attention since we first landed, being that it's one of my greatest loves in the garden and the kitchen. 

At this time of year, I always have an abundance of lemons as my sister would send me boxes of her beautiful lemons which ripen every year just in time for Thanksgiving. I also grew them in Florida but hadn't lived there long enough to get a large crop like hers.  But boy oh boy was I tickled to death to discover that not only do they grow so well here, but they almost grow wild. Nearly every yard has a lemon tree just loaded with lemons. So many lemons no one knows what to do with! But, I do...

So when discussing what kind of Thanksgiving feast we would have and knowing we'd have to replace some old favorites with some new ones, I asked my partner what would he like special on our holiday. He was quiet and a little bit sad having just talked so lovingly about his mother's oyster dressing that I knew he was feeling it much like I was. But then he looked at me and smiled, "Lemon meringue pie! Do you think you could manage that?" Could I manage that?! I was almost giddy. I mean, if I can't manage that surrounded by all these lemons and being that I've made so many with my sisters over the years, then I just don't deserve to wear the family apron, quite frankly.

So my next challenge is that while we are ambitious in the kitchen no matter what day of the week it is, our biggest challenge has been how to cook like a chef in what is the equivalent of a college dorm kitchen. We move into our new home away from home later this week, but until then, we still have to make do with the limited kitchen situation, regardless of the bounty we have at hand. 

We have a mini fridge, a combo cooktop/toaster oven, a microwave and just enough kitchenware to make a meal possible. Possible, I said... not necessarily easy. lol! But that has been part of the fun for us. We are both quite competitive in the kitchen anyway so while I know he was asking me sincerely to make something he enjoyed, I think he was also keenly aware of my constraints. Really, he was issuing a kitchen challenge. Irresistible; of course, he knew it.

Having pulled a groin muscle hauling groceries up the mountain a couple of days before he was understandably willing but unable to assist in the foraging. Ever willing to cook, even if a bit limpy, I knew I'd have help. But the "hunting and gathering" aspect this year was most definitely in my hands and I had my work cut out for me. But I was determined... knowing he was feeling as homesick for the familiar family festivities as I was.

I had my backpack, my rain coat (just in case!), my credit card and my grocery lists and more than an hour to get to the butcher. He closes at 2pm, but I had plenty of time and well, let's face it, no one was going to fight me for the best stuff on a random day no one was celebrating but us. 

I also had about a dozen lemon trees lining my neighbors' properties along the street the entire way to the village. Plenty of lemons, check. Now, for the crust... Having time to think about it on the way into town, I became suspicious that there would not be a graham cracker to be had in the village and that proved to be 100% true. So what to do instead? Well, what any Brit would do. Puff pastry or shortbread. And both you can find in abundance no matter where you go, grocery store, dairy, butcher shop. I had my plan. So having half my list already sorted, off I traipse down the mountain.

For the crust:

• Bunch of shortbread cookies, I don't know how many really but I usually use 2 packages of graham crackers so I just estimated and used a bunch of cookies (250-350 g?) because of course those you can buy in bulk in a myriad of brands and variations. Crushed with a potato masher (don't laugh it worked!)
• 2 tbsp butter, 4 tbs coconut oil, melted
• 1 tbsp sugar

So after a serious hike to the village and back with my goodies, which probably weighed about 40 lbs or so since I bought everything we needed for dinner, dessert and of course, bevvies, I was a bit miffed at myself when I realized I was seriously low on butter. I had managed to pack a half gallon of cider, a 6 pack of Belgian beer, a beautiful butterflied grass fed lamb roast, 2 massive Tomahawk ribeye steaks (our butcher is amazing!), a half of a small heirloom pumpkin, 3 ears of gorgeous locally grown sweet corn, a lb or so of silver French shallots, sweetened condensed milk and a quart of Lowenpick vanilla bean ice cream. Oh, and of course, some scavenged lemons as many as I could reach and stuff in the already loaded down backpack of goodness I had carried up the mountainside. Fennel, rosemary, sage, mint and wild onions also grow wild here so I grab handfuls of each and carefully stuff them in the front pocket.

All of this was in my backpack and after an almost 2 mile hike up the mountain to the very top where we are staying, I was most certainly ready and deserving of a beer. Buns of steel, here I come, no joke. Oh well. Even though I didn't have enough butter, I knew I could use coconut oil as a butter substitute and let's face it, shortbread is mostly butter anyway so I figured all would be well.

I didn't have a pie tin. And the antique stores I wanted to pop into to see about getting one were both closed. Ok, whatever, I'd have to use my teflon skillet as a pie tin. My crafty sous chef had already removed the plastic handle from it just in case I didn't have any luck in the village. For one, it wouldn't fit in the toaster oven with the handle on, for another the handle would melt and for yet another, I didn't have anything else so it would have to do. And this turned out to be quite ingenius really. So much easier to remove a pie from a teflon pan, it turns out. It made me wonder why that isn't a thing.... I will rig one once we are in the new place because it worked so well. Well worth the effort.

Next, I needed to figure out how to make the crumbs. I knew this wouldn't be too hard. Normally I just use my food processor, but since that is still floating out at sea waiting for the port to be repaired from the massive earthquake we had last week, I had to come up with another way. Smash in a bag, ok, but I don't have a plethora of plastic bags these days and I don't mind that at all. One thing I did have at hand was this crazy, but clever potato masher that looked like it was bent out of shape. Turns out, the Brits and Kiwis are onto something here because it is bent so you can mash potatoes inside a pot easier. Check; yes, will be investing in one of these clever things as well going forward. I broke the cookies up and used this crazy masher to make the most perfect pie crust crumbs ever.

Mix the crumbs, melted butter and/or coconut oil with the sugar until well combined. 

Press the crumbs into a teflon skillet with the handle removed. Go on, you know you want to... lol! Dump the crumb mixture into the pan and using the bottom of a smooth espresso cup or glass, gently distribute it out on the bottom of the pan. Press crumbs gently on the bottom first, moving out towards the sides of the pan, not pressing too hard but just enough to hold its form. You don't want it to be hard as a brick baking up or it will be difficult to cut (speaking from experience, mind you). It will naturally start to work up the sides of the pan so I press the sides gently almost all the way up but not so aggressively that it crumbles back into itself. It doesn't have to be even or perfect and in fact, I like the way it looks if it's not all the way up the sides and slightly irregular. It's prettier, to me, on the plate that way.

Lemon Filling:

• 3 egg yolks, separating yolks and whites, reserving the whites for meringue
• 2 tsp (10 mL) grated lemon rind 
• 1 can (300 mL or 14 oz) regular sweetened condensed milk 
• ½ cup (125 mL) fresh squeezed lemon juice 

Time to get crafty again...

I didn't have a hand mixer or a set of beaters. But... I had a magic bullet that I ordered from Chinese Amazon. lol! Sadly, it's too expensive to get shit sent here from the US unless you have someone send it as a gift. You really do get raked by customs in New Zealand, no getting around it. But, AliExpress, whom I've shopped with successfully for years, has been a bit of a life saver. I have always called them "Chinese Amazon" because they have just about anything and because China is actually closer than the US, it will arrive here much quicker too. Also, shipping to New Zealand is free and they are very clever about how to deal with customs. I won't say anything more except that I love them. lol! And so, that's how I was able to replace my American Bullet Pro with a 220v version that I can actually use here in New Zealand without having to use a power converter. Yes, that's a real thing, people. American 110v appliances just won't work here and you can't just get an adapter. I am extremely knowledgeable on the topic so if you ever have questions, send me a note. lol!

Back to the filling. I didn't have a blender or a mixer or anything so I decided to put my filling ingredients into my Bullet and see how that worked out. Brilliant. lol! It was really brilliant and I was so impressed with myself for thinking of it! Worked like a charm. Fast, easy and really whipped it up better and faster than I could have done in a stand mixer or bowl.

In a bullet blender, put egg yolks, lemon juice, and evaporated milk and secure the blade. Blend to combine. Took all of 30 seconds. Pour into your pressed pie crust and gently distribute evenly all the way to the edge of the pie crust. Don't worry if it looks like it isn't enough. It is. 

Onto the meringue...

Meringue Topping:

• ¼ tsp (1 mL) cream of tartar 
• ¼ cup (50 mL) sugar 
• 3 egg whites you saved from before

Using a new clean blender cup, add reserved egg whites, cream of tartar and sugar. Do the same thing. Blend away.

Nope... sadly, that didn't work. Had to hand beat it for 2 hours by hand. lol No joke, this part sucked but having succeeded in everything else and knowing that in culinary school, you have to do this successfully anyway to graduate, I thought let's just do it the old fashioned way. FREAKING SUCKED ASS but I was not about to give up on it at this stage of the crazy make-do game I was playing. I will never do that ever again even though it turned out so beautifully. It was hilarious and a bonding moment because we watched Midnight Diner:Tokyo Stories on Netflix and beat the shit out of these egg whites, passing the bowl back and forth for, I kid you not, two freaking hours. Maybe more. I don't know. Just kept passing the bowl between us because we'd both get tired. I stopped, googled it to make sure that yes, you really can make meringue's the old fashioned way and it wasn't just a myth. Turns out it's true, but they don't tell you IT TAKES TWO HOURS, 2 PEOPLE and all the arm strength you have. And all the beer will be gone when you are done. lol!

Here's one thing that was awesome about this crazy effort... we didn't overbeat the whites! This is kinda important... For years, I've made this and I think in my overzealous attempt to make stiff peaks, I've made granite peaks. lol! In other words, I've overbeat the whites from stiff peaks, where the whites stand on their own and hold their shape, to being statuesque... overdry, essentially and with too much air. It loses the glossy shine and goes a bit dull white. You may or may not know what I mean, but if you've ever done this, you will understand. So moral of the story, just don't overdo it and leave them more on the marshmallow fluff side of the fence instead of the foamy bubble bath side, if that makes sense. Soft peaks works wonderfully well actually.

Spoon the meringue over the top of the lemon filling and using the back of your spoon, lightly touch and lift the back of your spoon on the top of the meringue to make little "peaks" for decoration. You certainly don't have to do this part of the masterpiece, but we like it so we do it.

Bake the freaking pie already:

Bake in a preheated oven at 325°F (160°C) oven for 25 minutes or until tops are slightly caramelizing and turning brown. Some people don't like a golden meringue top and if that's you, that's cool. Just take it out a few minutes earlier. I actually like it like that.

Some notes about this... I didn't bake the filling first, just did what I normally do and bake it with the meringue on top. But what was kinda cool is that the meringue turned out lovely and no weeping! So the cream of tartar is an absolute must. I think this is what I've left out if I didn't have it on hand in years past thinking the whites don't need a stabilizer, but they absolutely do. Also this was hand whipped but I'm not going to do that ever again. lol! 

The eggs here in New Zealand are extraordinary and the filling was far more set even before putting it into the oven so it was no surprise that this was probably the best filling yet. It didn't need corn starch, powder sugar nothing as I've also used for years. Just egg yolks, condensed milk, lemon juice and zest. I did that part in the bullet and it was awesome.

The shortbread cookies, I crushed with a potato masher added all the butter I had which was about 2-3 tbs and I did the same amount of coconut oil. This was a brilliant crust, no lie. Will probably never do it differently from now on because I think the lemon meringue goes so much nicer with a shortbread than graham crackers now that I've had it that way out of necessity. I'd love to do smaller versions for individual pies. The crust was just awesome. The lemon filling perfect and even the meringue was probably the best I've done simply because I did it correctly with the cream of tartar and because it was hand made. It wasn't over-whipped and I think that is pretty important.

So while this is probably one of the shortest, easiest and quickest recipes you could ever make and I've written a novel about it, part of the beauty of this Thanksgiving endeavor was appreciating what I have. What I have. Not what I had. Not what I will have. What I want. But what I have. And what I have, here in the most beautiful place on earth with no goddang turkeys is a most extraordinary and truly special experience that has allowed me so much peace and an opportunity for real healing. And above all, an appreciation for the ones who really love me and the ones I love in return.

Happy Thanksgiving!! I am so very grateful for so very much.

Pita Pita Bobita Bananafanafofita Fi Fie Momita... Pita!

I've been meaning to write a post about pitas for years... and it seems like now is the perfect time for a couple of reasons. Since our move to New Zealand, we've been cooking with local ingredients that seem plentiful and in season. 

Even though we've only been here 3 weeks, we've cooked nearly from the beginning for a number of reasons, not the least of which being that eating out here is quite expensive and well, nothing against the Brits but to us, they don't exactly have the most adventurous palettes on the planet. Sure, they love Indian food and they do think they invented curry, but it isn't the curry we love and it isn't always authentic. It's well, British. Think Madras curry powder and you're in the neighborhood. 

Having said that, they are lovely people and the true Kiwis we have met have hooked us up with the real food of New Zealand, locally grown, proudly raised and supreme to almost any other we've come across in any country. You simply won't find better produce, almost all organically or "naturally" grown. It has a brighter color and very literally mesmerizes you. It's texture is crisper, fresher and now that we've moved into the area in which we will live for a few years, we see it literally growing on the mountainsides, wild, uninterrupted. Produce, gone wild! It's a beautiful thing and I can't help but giggle on my way home from work, grabbing wild rosemary, thyme, fennel, radish pods, carrot tops, you name it. I play a little game on the way home from work trying to pay attention and find at least one wild edible as I meander along the beach winding towards home.

The village we live in has a great butcher and being our second Saturday, we had coffee at the local cafe which is adorable and then planned the rest of our day. We missed our window of opportunity last Saturday having missed the butcher by minutes so we made a point to get there in time this weekend.

First thing that caught our eyes: lamb kafta kabobs.  New Zealanders are mad for their lamb! Thank god because we love lamb and the lamb we have had here so far is quite extraordinary and readily available. Earlier this week, I made a lamb neck "osso buco" that was to die for. I will post that recipe as well. Having enjoyed it so much, we quickly decide that lamb kabobs or sticks, as they call them here, was on the menu for tonight. Very very Moroccan. 

Inspired, I decide to make the pitas myself. Sure, I could buy pitas, but why? They are so easy to make yourself and listen, if I can make them in a 2 bedroom B&B apartment with a kitchenette and no real appliances save a measuring cup and chopsticks, so can you! Trust me, once you make them fresh, you will be hard pressed to buy store bought again. Best thing is that you can keep the dough in an airtight fridge for about a week, making what you need when you need or make them all at once, freeze them and reheating them as you need them. See what works best for you, but do give it a whirl.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tbsp yeast
• 1 1/2 c warm water
• 3 1/2 c flour
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp olive or coconut oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix water, oil, sugar, yeast, and 1 cup of flour with a wooden spoon (or chopstick lol) until combined and smooth. Let the sponge proof and bubble for about 15 minutes, then add the salt and remaining flour, one cup at a time to incorporate.
2. Using clean hands, knead the dough on a stable surface for 5 minutes until it becomes smooth and very elastic, adding only very small amounts of extra flour if dough is extremely sticky. Alternatively, knead dough at low speed in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment until dough is very elastic and smooth, about 8 minutes.
3. Lightly oil a clean mixing bowl and place the dough inside, turning the ball of dough over to coat. Cover bowl with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled. Really depends on how warm your kitchen is so keep an eye...
4. Meanwhile, place a baking stone on the top oven rack and preheat oven to 500°F. Line a plate with a large, clean kitchen towel and set aside.
5. Punch down the dough, transfer to a lightly floured work surface, and cut into 12 even pieces. Form each dough piece into an even ball. Cover with a damp towel and let rest for 10 minutes.
6. Roll each piece of dough into a 7-inch circle, no more than 1/4 inch thick, taking care not to tear dough and keeping the thickness even all around. Place dough disks on a lightly floured surface, cover with a damp towel, and let proof until slightly puffy, about 20 minutes.
7. Working with as many pitas as will fit on the stone or baking sheet at once, pick up each pita and place onto the stone top side down. Immediately close the oven door and bake until pitas have puffed and are slightly golden around the edges, about 3 minutes. Be careful not to over-bake. Place baked pitas onto towel-lined plate and wrap with the overhanging towel. Repeat with any remaining pitas.
8. Heat a cast iron skillet on high heat until smoking. Working with one pita at a time, briefly heat each side until charred in a few spots, about 30 seconds. Return pita to towel and cover. Repeat with remaining pitas and serve immediately. 

Now, you can experiment and skip the baking and just bake the pitas directly on a hot flat cast iron skillet or tortilla pan. But it needs to be hot enough and sometimes that means a bit of smoke in the kitchen. If you are well ventilated and can open a window, try it this way as it saves a step. If not, be patient and use the oven method.

While we've absolutely embraced the little 2 bdr we've rented for the time being, we really can't wait to get back to a real kitchen. But it's been fun to make do and enjoy cooking in a totally new place with the simplest of tools and ingredients. Now that we've settled into the area though and are finalizing our new house this week, we know that we'll have it all worked out for the holiday season. And not a moment too soon!

Hasta La Vista Lobster and Shrimp Bisque

Packing up a household for an extended trip abroad is quite an undertaking. I mean, for a food-crazed, gastro-collector like me, I am finding that the hardest belongings to really part with are not from my closet or (gasp!) even my garden, but hallow the humble shelves of my beloved pantry.

But knowing this now for quite some many months, we have started to work on all the refrigerator and freezer jewels. Whittled down to most of my bulk and specialty seasonings, dry pastas and legumes, we found ourselves wanting to indulge for a few days more on the abundant seafood we have available locally here in Southern Florida.  

Fresh out of the shell lobster meat and a great bargain on some pink Argentinian shrimp caught our attention and inspired us to make this lovely, luscious seafood bisque during our last week prior to heading down unda'.

Ingredients:

• 2 1-pound live lobsters or 1 lb lobster meat
• 4 tablespoons olive oil or butter or ghee
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 tsp mustard powder
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2 cup brandy
• 1/2 cup dry Sherry
• 4 cups fish stock or bottled clam juice
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1/4 c tomato paste or ketchup

Homemade Fish Stock:

For the fish stock, use something good and pre-made if you can get it and if you happen to have access to some fish scraps and a pressure cooker, even better.  I tried this after seeing it on a Beat Bobby Flay showdown, I think and thought it was brilliant. I think they were doing a beef or chicken stock from scratch, but I figured why not do it with the fish scraps I knew I'd have from the shrimp and Riggin's garlic crabs we took home last night. You won't necessarily have this but you get the idea. It can be shrimp shells, mollusk shells, fish bones or heads, etc. I also tossed in a fish bullion to deep the flavors and it was so freaking fantastic, I kid you not.

• Shrimp shells from 1 lb of large cleaned, deveined and peeled shrimp (reserve shrimp)
• Legs from 2 garlic crabs
• 2 celery sticks 
• 8 whole black peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves
• Stalk fresh tarragon 
• Half onion
• Garlic diced
• 1 Chinese fish bullion 

This can be done in a pressure cooker in about 30 min. Add water to cover. If using your pressure cooker, bring it to pressure and set the timer for 25 minutes. Turn off the heat and once the pressure has released, strain the broth in a fine mesh strainer to remove shells and any onion bits from the stock. Trust me, this step is worth it as it makes the most marvelous texture once the cream is added. The most flavorful fish stock I've ever had.

Live Lobster Preparation:

If you have access to live lobsters, this is always a good idea if you are willing to do the deed yourself. We do get live lobsters and because of this, we also get readily available fresh uncooked, shelled lobster meat. Don't hate. It's awesome. If you have the inclination to cook the lobster though, here's how you do it.

Bring large pot of water to boil. Add lobsters head first and boil until cooked through, about 8 minutes. Using tongs, transfer lobsters to large bowl. Reserve 2 cups cooking liquid. Cool lobsters.
Working over large bowl to catch juices, cut off lobster tails and claws. Crack tail and claw shells and remove lobster meat. Coarsely chop lobster meat; cover and chill. Coarsely chop lobster shells and bodies; transfer to medium bowl. Reserve juices from lobster in large bowl.

Bisque:
Heat butter, garlic and onion in heavy large pot over medium low heat. You don't want the butter to burn and just want the onion to start to turn translucent but not brown.  Add the cleaned, deveined and peeled shrimp. Add the lobster meat, brandy, sherry and fish stock. Simmer on low for about 12-15 minutes, seasoning with sea salt.

Just prior to serving, add the heavy cream to taste. I use roughly the same amount of cream to fish stock.

Garnish:

I like to garnish this soup with fresh chives but I happen to have fresh homegrown shallots that were just as delicious.

You can also bacon-fry the shallots or crisp fry pork bellies. But it is such a delicious soup you really don't need to dress it with much. Serve with oyster crackers or toasted baguettes.

All Kinds of Jacked Up Smoked Tuna Fish Salad

Ridiculous.  I mean, maybe others have thought of this before but tuna steaks smoked on the grill will make the most ridiculously good tuna salad you have ever eaten. That is of course, if you like a gentle smoke flavor that doesn't overpower the tuna and of course, you like tuna!

We are a sushi obsessed house. When you are trying to feed 3 teenage boys, sushi is almost the last thing in the world you want them to love... Live and learn. lol! And I am only half joking because anyone who loves sushi knows that it can be expensive. Take 3 boys into consideration and it can be downright ghastly when the check comes.  But Tsunami's children and I have gotten closer because of it.  Who knew that a way to a teenage boy's heart is through his sushi lovin' tummy? Um... I had a hunch.

But of course, they didn't know it. They didn't even know they liked sushi! But boy, once they got the sushi bug, they got it bad. I mean real bad... and every time you ask them what they'd like to have for dinner, even before we ask, the first topic is can we go have sushi? And if the answer is not always yes, then the next question is... Can we make it at home then?

So naturally, being a total pushover in the kitchen, I almost always say yes. Actually it is something our youngest and I like to do together and while it can be time consuming, we've almost gotten it down to an art. He makes me so proud and he does it so precisely, down to the tools he likes to use, how he sets up his workspace ahead of time and the methodical way he goes about his new art. He even likes to go shopping with me to pick out the ingredients.

So inspired (borderline obsessed), it tickles my heart to encourage him. He likes to ask me if I think that an American boy could be a famous sushi chef. And in my heart of hearts, I think he could be one of the best! Of course, I tell him so all the time.

Let's face it, even if he never pursues it as a young adult, he will never forget how to do it and some quirky, beautiful, funny little girl will fall in love someday with a beautiful, sweetheart of a boy that can make sushi. Aw...

But smoked tuna, you say? I know, sounds a little messed up, but what better way to use the leftover tuna steaks after a sushi extravaganza? We do a great deal of smoking and grilling to begin with and we also eat quite an enormous amount of canned tuna fish, go figure. And one night, Tsunami asked me how weird it would be to smoke the tuna steaks when we were smoking the massive pork belly we had prepped the weekend before. And I said, "Seriously weird, hon.... Let's do it!"

And that is how we came up with smoked tuna fish salad.  Here's what you need:

• 1 lb, give or take, fresh or thawed frozen tuna steaks
• Lemon pepper salt
• Black pepper
• Hickory wood chips (for the smoker, duh? :)

We lightly season the tuna steaks with lemon pepper salt and ground black pepper. If you don't have lemon pepper salt, regular salt and pepper will do just fine but Tsunami did it this way and it was so freaking good.

Now, we don't just fire up the Egg for a couple of tuna steaks... But we will definitely smoke just about anything we can find when we do have the Egg fired up for smoking and grilling.  It may sound funny, but some days Tsunami will literally have something in the oven, on the stove and both grills going, no lie!

This past weekend, we had a 14 lb pork belly cured and ready to go for our family get together and while we were at it, we threw on the tuna steaks, a healthy harvest of jalapeños from the garden, a few ripe Georgia peaches and a few Anjou pears. Yep, pears. Have to say, smoked pears are one of our favorites and every time we do them, they are devoured in a heart beat.

We put the tuna steaks on the grill, way off and above direct heat, usually on the rack above the pork belly or whatever scrumptious goodness we have going down below. Same with fruit or veggies, which we will often put in little tin foil packets just to make it easier to move and remove from the grill when they're ready.

We let the tuna steaks smoke for about 45 minutes to an hour and our usual temperature for the grill is right at 190 degrees F. The sweet spot.

And while I won't bore you with the details of how to make tuna salad, suffice it to say that the smoked tuna is flaky, moist and delicious all on it's own.  It breaks up easily and the rest is just a matter of preference. Everyone has their own favorite way of making tuna salad, whether it is the way your mama made it for you when you were a kid or the grown-up version you have adapted over the years.

I will tell you that our favorite way is much like a traditional tuna salad, but I will go to the trouble of making homemade mayo as well.  Here are a few of our "new" favorite additions:

• Walnuts
• Apples
• Red Onion
• Red Celery
• Craisins or dried cranberries
• Diced Jalapeños or fresh chiles
• Red globe seedless grapes, halved
• Black olives, sliced

Seriously, my mouth just watered... didn't yours? We don't necessarily do all of those at once, but I don't see any reason why you couldn't.

Bananas for Banana Bread

We have an abundance of bananas here in Florida. One of my favorite fresh produce stands, Rorabeck's, offers their ripe produce by the bucket from $1-3 and of course, it tends to revolve around what is in season and available for the week.

We are lucky to get ripe bananas year round so the banana buckets, if you know where they keep them are filled with 5-6 lbs of ripe bananas for an unbelievable price of $1. And it isn't just the Dole or Chiquita cavendish bananas, but also the apple and mini bananas that grow so readily in our tropical climate. Some of them are bruised, but not at all badly so I've been picking up 2 or 3 buckets at a time for our breakfast smoothies.

For breakfast smoothies, you can't beat it. We peel the bananas and throw them all into a ziplock freezer bag and freeze them for the kids' breakfast shakes. It's easy to take out what you need and freezing them is an easy way to make the most of an excess of this versatile fruit. And rather than water down the fruit with ice in the smoothie, the frozen banana performs the same role but adds a flavor profile that goes with almost any other fruit or veggie we have on hand. Its such a great way to get fresh fruits and veggies in their diet while actually making it feel decadent creating a texture like ice cream.

Another great way to use these abundant bananas is to make, of course, banana bread. I mean who can resist warm-right-from-the-oven banana bread?

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe bananas (2 3/4 c mashed bananas) 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 c all purpose flour
• 3/4 c brown sugar
• 1/2 c butter or coco oil
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

For 4 small or "mini' loaf pans, I double the recipe above and it is perfect. Fill almost to the top of the loaf pan. No need to grease or flour the loaf pan as there is ample fat to help it come out easily, especially if using loaf pans with non stick coating.

Bake:
Bake at 350 F degrees for 60-65 minutes. I check it around 55 minutes for the mini loaf pans.

Variations:

• Walnuts and White Raisins
• Nutella
• Double Dutch Chocolate
• Dried Cherries

Don't like bananas? Use applesauce in place of the bananas. But with so many beautiful varieties of bananas available at the moment and the ridiculously low prices I have to pay for ever-so-slightly blemished fruit, I just can't help but get inspired to experiment.  

Might as well make banana bread while I can because it won't be long before we are completely packed up and off on our adventure overseas. I can't wait to see what will be seasonally available and abundant in the South Pacific!

Fennel Red Onion Cole Slaw

This cole slaw recipe is a real winner. So much so that I almost didn't post it... A secret weapon, the perfect foil for any kind of BBQ affair.

Here's what you need:

• 1 large fennel bulb, sliced thin on a mandoline
• 1 large head of green or red cabbage, sliced thin on a mandoline
• 1 large red onion, sliced thin on a mandolin
• 1 large apple or pear, sliced thin on a mandolin (optional, but I love this addition)

Dressing:

• 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• 2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon or citrus (lime, tangerine was awesome!)
• 2 tbsp sugar
• dash of salt, dash of black pepper
• 2 tbsp of chopped fresh fronds of the fennel
• 1/2 tsp of garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp of dried mustard

Prep:
In a very large bowl, make the dressing using all the ingredients listed above. Whisk well.

Dump all of the veggies in the large bowl and with your clean, washed hands, mix the slaw thoroughly. You can use some large utensils but I gave up and found that I got better coverage and could feel the dressing coat the ingredients if I used my hands.

This was so freaking delicious. I have a massive "patch" of fennel in my garden and much to my delight, it continues to put up fennel "pups" or babies next to the main parent bulb. I carefully cut back the largest bulb and leave the baby bulbs to mature. And on the process goes.

I really didn't know you could continue your fennel crop by harvesting this way so that's been quite a cool discovery. And I always save the fennel fronds for soup by chopping and freezing them if I don't have a need for the fresh green parts. It's a very light, lovely fennel flavor that behaves like an herb and marries beautifully with potatoes and pasta. I use it in potato or pasta salads and in soups.

We had a ton of the slaw to start, but funny enough, it's almost gone.  We paired it with our beautiful smoked brisket and let me tell you, it is a money maker!!

We've made sliders with the brisket all week and it just doesn't get old. I even eat huge bowls of this slaw, it's that good. Super balanced sweet/sour foil to the fatty, juicy brisket but you can serve it on your favorite pulled pork, bbq chicken or beef sandwiches.

Monkey Bread - For All Your Favorite Monkeys

Oh my gosh, is this ever an easy evening snack or quick dinner party starter or a great breakfast treat for crazy monkeys.

I think that I'll make this savory version for our next family movie night which we like to do when it's cool enough to have the outdoor fireplace going.

We roast marshmallows, little smokies and Tsunami will set up the flatscreen tv so we can watch the movie outside by the pool, sit by the fire and have snacks right in the garden. Quite lovely and festive.

I got this idea after having traditional monkey bread with my girlfriend and her little girl. Something we love and have made together before. But because we wanted a quick fix, we decided to cut the whole process short and use biscuits in a can instead of making the monkey bread dough from scratch.

No time for that with a 6 year old! Instant gratification is more important and so, we made it together the night before and put plastic wrap on top in the fridge so we would have it the next morning. She liked rolling the dough balls and we worked on the sugared mixture.

Quick Fix Monkey Bread:

• biscuits, cut in half or quarters, rolled into balls
• buttered or oiled bundt pan

Traditional Sweet Flavors:

• 1 stick of butter
• 1/4 c sugar
• 1/4 c brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla

Savory American Flavors:

• Bacon, crispy and crumbled
• Wisconsin Sharp Cheddar (or Vermont)
• Chives or Green Onions, (optional garnish)
• Melted butter

Savory Italian Flavors:

• Sopressata chopped
• Parmesan cheese
• green olives chopped
• Parsley chopped (optional garnish)
• olive oil

Savory Mexican Flavors:

• Chorizo, fresh or cured
• Quesadilla cheese
• Red onions, diced
• Cilantro, chopped (optional garnish)
• olive oil

For the sweet monkey bread:
Melt the butter, sugars, vanilla and cinnamon in a saucepan on the stove over medium heat, mixing thoroughly before hand but not stirring while it heats up. This prevents sugar crystalizing and allows the mixture to caramelize and thicken. Once the sugar has melted and dissolved, turn off the heat.

Dump all dough balls into the warmed sugar mixture and then dump the whole pan of sugared dough into the buttered or greased bundt pan.

Optionally, you can also add raisins soaked in Brandy or Cognac, which I love, but since we were making these for the youngster, we opted to leave this out and just do plain.

While we were baking these, which we baked for about 30 minutes on 350 F, our hungry munchkin asked if we could make some icing. Of course! So the pretty little princess helped and that's what we did.

Icing:

• 1 cup of powdered sugar
• 1 tsp of vanilla
• 2 tbsp of milk or enough to make the consistency you desire
• 1 princess to stir until it's perfect

For the savory monkey bread:
Put dough balls and all savory ingredients into a bowl and gently fold to mix everything thoroughly. Dump the whole mess into a bundt pan and drizzle with your favorite olive oil or melted butter.

Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

To serve any version, turn out onto a serving dish and serve immediately.

Salsas - For Salsa Suckas Like Us Who Love Salsa

Yep, suckas for salsa. That's what we are. Suckas for anything hot n spicy and ready for dipping.

My sister and I were challenging each other one day for things we could make in our magic bullets besides healthy shakes. lol! Typical.

She had an awesome idea to use hers for whipped cream! How clever is she?? I loved that idea and we have since made it that way many times for desserts and waffles for the kids. (Seriously! a cup of heavy cream, a tsp of sugar and off ya go!)

But my all time favorites are for blending up my sous vide Hollandaise and Bearnaise sauces and yes, of course, my absolute favorite of them all. Drum roll, please... Fresh Mexican Tomato Salsa!

The kids in our family have grown up eating fresh Mexican salsa and spicy food since they first started eating table food. All of them have grown up making salsas in a blender since they were 6 or 7 years old. But wanting to test the multi-functionality of my new Magic Bullet that I got for Christmas, I decided that a run at making fresh salsa was in order.

Oh heck yea! Talk about super fast and easy! My bullet came with two storage lids with drink spouts making cleanup and refrigerator storage a breeze. Very convenient if you just want just a dollop or two on a quesadilla or want to pour just a little bit into a condiment bowl. Put the drink lid on, wash the blade and you're done!

I like my fresh salsa more like a hot sauce and less chunky than a Pace-style, which most Americans are familiar with but as I have mentioned before, most of these store bought tomato based sauces are cooked. I prefer fresh tomatoes when I have them. In a pinch and in the winter sometimes, though, I have been known to substitute canned tomatoes when I don't have any fresh tomatoes at hand.

I almost always have these ingredients on hand. Because it is so fast and easy to make, I never run out of fresh salsa. It's my all time favorite condiment and shares permanent residency in my fridge along with mustard, mayo, pickles and ketchup.

Go-To Magic Bullet/Blender Salsa:

• Small can of La Costena Jalapenos in Escabeche (that just means carrots and onions, people! Delicious!) about 2-3 jalapenos per batch of salsa
• 2 beefsteak tomatoes cut into quarters
• Half a large white, red or yellow onion
• Fresh cilantro, if you like it
• Salt, to taste

Prep:
This isn't fancy. Everything in the pool. Blend until smooth or well combined to your liking. Salt it after it is blended so you don't overdo it. That's it. Serve it with chips, quesadillas, eggs, anything you like.

My secret ingredient has always been the canned pickled jalapenos. I love the flavor they impart and there was a time when fresh jalapenos were not readily available year round. That's changed quite a bit as most grocery stores carry them now year round and as you probably know, I grow them and live in Florida where they are at every grocery store and farmer's market.

Even so, I still prefer to use the canned version when making salsa as they provide the acidic component I like and I also adore the pickled carrots. You can buy the smallest can, but I buy a large can and store the unused jalapenos in the fridge for the next batch. I like it that much...

I use 2-3 of the canned jalapenos and throw in some of the onions and carrots. This gives enough acid but if I need more, I either add more jalapenos or a little of the pickling juice. Salsa is really all about the flavors you love so everything you add is to your tastes.

If you opt for fresh jalapenos. add the juice of fresh lime to your salsa to balance out the flavors. Mexican salsa doesn't usually have garlic but of course, if you want it, add it. I love garlic, but for authentic salsa, I go without.

If you like real heat, you can substitute just about any fresh chili in your salsa. Habaneros, Carolina Reapers, Scorpions, Serranos, Tabascos, whatever.  I love love love hot chilis, and so I will use whatever I have on hand to kick up the heat.

Honey Smoked Chipotle Salsa:

• Smoked Roasted Red Jalapenos (or sub canned Chipotles)
• One red onion, quartered
• 2-3 cloves of roasted garlic
• Honey
• Salt, to taste

This one is a real winner and can be very addictive. We do enough grilling at my house that cooking up a batch of smoked roasted red jalapenos is no big thing. But, red jalapenos are not always in season, so when they are, this is a special version I love to make. And by the way, if you did not know, that's all a can of chipotle is! A smoked and roasted red jalapeno in adobo (tomato-based) sauce! It's freaking delicious if you've never tried it because you didn't know what it was...

Prep:
I load up fresh red jalapenos, garlic and the quartered onion in a large piece of tin foil and place these on the smoker when we are smoking meat. Since we smoke meat far from any flames, there is usually enough room to place the jalapenos on a rack just below the smoking meat.

This allows the chilis to smoke and the meat drippings to drip on the peppers which add an even deeper flavor. If you don't like meat, that's ok, too. Just smoke these over a low heat with  your other veggies or fruit. (And yes, smoked fruit like pears is amazing!!)

Let the jalapenos smoke enough to char a little but not so long that they get crispy and dry out. You still want the flesh to be meaty. When in doubt, an hour may do, so use that as a gage.

Put everything in a blender, removing only the stems. Drizzle a little honey, about a tablespoon is enough. If the blender is struggling, add a couple of tablespoons of water to loosen it enough to blend. A small food processor will also work nicely.

We serve this with smoked meat and on sandwiches. It is so delicious, it never lasts long and will keep nicely in the fridge for a couple of weeks if stored in an airtight jar or container with a lid.

Salsa Verde (Tomatillo Green Salsa):

• 1 lb of fresh tomatillos, outter husks removed and halved or quartered
• 1 large yellow or white onion, quartered
• 4-6 cloves of garlic peeled
• 4-6 fresh jalapenos, halved and stems removed. Use more or less to your heat level
• Bacon grease or pork lard, if you have it
• Fresh cilantro
• Half an onion, diced

Prep:
This is another super easy salsa with the distinction that this one is cooked.

Start with a couple of tablespoons of bacon grease or pork fat over medium to low heat and render that down. Next, add your onions, garlic, jalapenos and tomatillos.

You don't need to fuss with the cooking. I simply cover the pot with a lid and let it steam and cook down for about 20 minute to a half hour. If the pot seems too hot on medium, turn it down to simmer until the tomatillos are tender and collapse when you press with the back of a spoon or utensil.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Put everything in a blender and pulse until all ingredients are well blended and smooth. I also have a stone mortal and pestle, so sometimes, I will use this to blend the ingredients.

At this point, I love to add fresh chopped salsa and diced onions, but again, that is a taste preference and textural element I love.

** There are two ways to do this. The first, on the stove, as I just described. The second, which I prefer, is to put all ingredients on a sheet pan and roast in the oven or on the grill. This gives the vegetables a char and an added flavor that I truly love. It's also easier.

If roasting, put on 375 F checking every 15 minutes. It's ok to have them blacken quite a bit. If I will be in the kitchen, I will use the broiler but you must keep an eye on it! It goes very fast under the broiler. Same is true on the grill or smoker.

Either way, the flavor of green salsa is quite different, but lovely and you will have to experiment to see which method of cooking it you prefer.

*** Another lovely variation: add fresh avocado to the finished ingredients and blend or pulse until smooth and incorporated. They make this version in Texas where I'm from and I really love this special version of green salsa.

Braised Cabbage with Beer, Red Onion and Pork Belly

Nothing feels more like comfort food to me than braised cabbage.

I grew up with cabbage as a child and my mother, my grandmother braised it in bacon drippings and beef or chicken stock, which is one of my favorite ways of preparing it.

So simple, my puppy could make it:

• Cabbage wedges
• Sliced Red or Yellow Onions
• Bacon, Pork Belly or smoked hamhocks
• 1 bottle of your favorite beer or apple cider
• Salt, pepper to taste

No need to slice and dice... just cut big wedges of cabbage, slice some onions if you feel up to it and toss in either ham hocks, slices of pork belly or diced bacon. Drench the rest with some of your favorite beer and you are good to go.

Don't have beer on hand? How about some apple cider? No apple cider, try chicken stock or beef stock. We had a root beer but preferring a less sweet version, we opted for the half drunk bottles of Pilsners leftover from the night before. So what if it's flat? By the way, a root beer would be the perfect foil if we had a red cabbage but since we have the most monstrous head of green cabbage I've ever seen, we opted for a lighter liquid and chose to use the leftover beer we had on hand.

Bake:
Bake at 350 F for about 45 minutes to an hour, adding more liquid at the half hour mark if it looks like it is cooking out too quickly. I use a large Creuset, uncovered, to bake this dish or one of my large stainless stockpots if doing it on the stove.

If baking, just pop it in the oven, set the time for 30 minutes just to check on it and keep baking for the full 45 minutes to an hour if you prefer your cabbage more or less tender. The flavors really develop the longer it braises so keep an eye on it so the liquid doesn't cook out and it begins to burn instead of caramelizing.

If braising it stove top, you can cover it and simmer on low for the first 30 minutes and uncover it the rest of the way to reduce down if you like more of the caramelized flavors like I do.  To me though, baking is the easiest way and if I bake it, I can usually get in my evening swim while it braises away!

Franklin-Style Brisket To Die For

Oh. Ma. Gah. Discussed this with my little bro who lives in Austin, Texas and he agreed that Franklin BBQ brisket is everything they say it is. More.

We've been on a grilling binge lately and I can't cry about it because boy, we've had some good eats up in this joint! You wouldn't know it, but we don't really feed an army... Just a few teenagers. But we don't really need any excuse to cook and we do the same thing whether they are here or not.

Our first Franklin-style brisket was just to die for... And I've never really done brisket. I considered doing a brisket for St. Patty's day but we instead opted for a corned beef pre-brined brisket that are readily available and pretty cheap to get during the season. Still... I did the research just in case we wanted to try it one day. I have no issues with curing a brisket for ten days...

Brisket on the brain. And then I saw an episode of Andrew Zimmern doing a spot on Franklin BBQ and we instantly set our sights on brisket once again.  Lucky for us, briskets were on sale just after Easter so we got a smoking deal on a large 8 lb brisket.

Couldn't wait. And surprise, surprise... it is as easy to make as prime rib! Go figure. All that matters really, with brisket is this:

1. Right cut. That means the "packer" cut. Just ask your butcher.
2. Simple and light seasoning. Equal parts salt, pepper. I used about a quarter cup of each and while I thought it was perfect, Tsunami said less is more next time. Mental note made.... I still thought it was delicious and only 2 days later, swear this is almost gone. But, he's a bit of a perfectionist so keep that in mind. You need to follow your palate preferences, for sure.
3. Post oak for smoking. Not too much smoke, just a little to flavor the meat but not overpower.
4. Far, far away from direct heat. NO flames. Ever.
5. Low and slow heat. 190-200 degrees for 8-10 hours was what we did and of course, I thought it was brilliant. Franklin uses this as a guide: 1 1/2 hours per pound of meat. 

That means that we were pretty much right on the money and I know this because he recommended that the internal temperature of the meat be at 190-200 F degrees when it is done. And guess what? We nailed it. Tsunami likes it rare so that explains his overly critical take on our meat doneness, but again, his prerogative.  He admits, regardless of his nitpicking, that it turned out extraordinarily delicious for our first brisket.

We did ours on the Egg. Got the chunk coals hot, put one soaked chunk of wood on for smoking and used the stacking grates to get the brisket as far from the meat as possible. 

Remember the ribs from our prime rib post? Well, just after Easter, not only do they have brisket on sale but a ridiculous sale on meaty beef ribs from taking them off the rib roasts! We picked up about 6 packages for a song. We placed a grate of seasoned, rubbed ribs on the grate below the brisket and placed the brisket all the way on top, fat side down. Whoa. Mighty mighty brisket fat basted ribs rocked my world!

If you do what we did, just mind the ribs. They didn't take as long to cook of course, but still, at 190 F, took about 5-6 hours and they were perfect. Divine, even.

Also, a clean, well circulating smoker is key. Our smoker was squeaky clean and it allowed us to keep a perfect temperature for almost 10 hours without any fussing. Granted, we still fussed... not quite trusting the Egg as we should, but now we know the secret. A clean grill and plenty of time.

Don't plan on housework or a movie. We did work in the yard and garden, played with the puppy in the pool, got some sun. It was an awesome grilling weekend and boy, were we well rewarded.  Can't wait to do it again!

Zestify! - Zesty Goat Cheese Stuffed Campari Tomatoes

Love these zesty little tomato bombs. I've made this for years and they have been an easy go-to starter for many holiday gatherings, special occasion get togethers and evening dinner parties with friends.

This was one of the appetizers we served on Easter Sunday although, tucked away in a bottom corner of the fridge, they were forgotten until we went to clean up! Oh well, not as if they will go to waste as it was hard enough to keep them from being devoured before our guests arrived.

The kids love tomatoes and of course, they also love the pink Argentinian shrimp that goes on sale around holiday time here in Florida.

Even though we cooked up about 2 of the 4 lbs of these beautiful pink shrimp for a shrimp platter before dinner, it was definitely not enough.

We should have cooked all 4 lbs because we had just set out the shrimp and cheese platter when in the blink of an eye, literally, the dining room got very quiet and the next minute, where once there was an entire tray of perfectly poached pink shrimp, one lonely little shrimp remained...

I mean... hello, shrimp ghost nation?? I got quite a giggle out of it, so thoroughly impressed with the stealthy quiet threat that comes with 3 starving teenage boys who normally, are about as quiet as a heard of buffalo. And I laugh because, well, they are always starving and I have no idea where they put it or how they could quietly coordinate such a thorough shrimp attack.

Tsunami, on the other hand, was thoroughly unimpressed, more annoyed than I've ever seen him and imposed an instantaneous lock down on everything until the rest of our company arrived. I could see them trying very hard to contain their mischievous grins, knowing full well that they just destroyed that plate in about 3 minutes flat. Sulking, the youngest starts to make some excuses like, "Well, Dad, we're STARVING..." And so I scoot in with some bread and butter just out of the oven. Better to sacrifice something willingly than to wait for another stealth Easter table attack.

And that is likely how these little lovelies got left behind and forgotten in the shuffle. Almost as soon as the shrimp were gone, the doorbell rings and Easter Dinner is officially on.

Super duper easy to make ahead. I prep the goat cheese filling and wait until the day of to finish the stuffed tomatoes, which ironically, was exactly what I was doing when the shrimp left the building...

This is really an herbed cheese filling and the ingredients I use are for guidance only. As always, use whatever herbs and seasonings you prefer. But the lemon zest is so bright and refreshing, you should try it that way at least once.

Here's what you need:

• 8 oz of goat cheese
• 1 lb of Campari or large cherry tomatoes
• Fresh chives
• Zest of one lemon
• 1/2 tsp of garlic powder
• 1 tbsp of Rustic Tuscan Italian seasoning from Costco
• Thinly sliced red onion or parsley, for garnish, optional (we love red onion so it's a must)

1. Make the cheese filling by letting the goat cheese come to room temperature in a mixing bowl. You will refrigerate it later but it makes mixing the other ingredients a tad easier.
2. Add about 1/4 c of chopped chives, the zest of one lemon, garlic powder, Italian seasoning and mix thoroughly.
3. Cover the cheese mixture with saran wrap or a silicone bowl cover and refrigerate until you are ready to stuff the tomatoes.
4. Prep the tomatoes by gently slicing off the tops or slicing them in half. Scoop out the seeds using a small teaspoon and reserve for another use. (I make a marinara/pizza sauce or a tomato vinaigrette with the innards.) 
5. Using two small spoons, I gently stuff the hollowed out tomatoes with a spoonful of cheese filling, using one spoon to help push the cheese off the other spoon into the tomatoes.
6. Garnish with chives and red onions or parsley or whatever you like.

As I mentioned, we forgot them in all of the goofy shrimp chaos so I know they will keep for a day or so if you cover them with plastic wrap and keep refrigerated. You can also make a day ahead if you like, but I like to prep the cheese and stuff them on serving day. Either way, they will keep a couple of days before the tomatoes begin to get a bit soft.

Rib-a-licious Prime Rib

This is quite possibly, the easiest way to make an elegant beef dinner, in my opinion.  It really will be the star of your holiday or special occasion dinner party, as it was this past Easter at our table.

Truth be told, I've made this before on the Egg and that was the way we intended to cook it this year, as it is so divine. But given that our Easter Sunday this year was overcast and we were expecting severe thunderstorms, I opted for a simpler cooking method. Erring to the side of caution, we decided to do this in the oven at the last minute. Absolutely the right call, as it turned out.

So with Easter dinner saved by my last minute change in cooking plans, we ended up having a perfectly cooked prime rib that suited everyone at our table. For those that like medium cooked beef, there were the end cuts and the medium-rare to rare cuts were further in and closer to the center.

Here's how I did it this time:
10 lb prime rib roast, rib in (about 4 large ribs), unpackaged and patted dry
large roasting pan

You can have your butcher remove the ribs or do it yourself. It's pretty easy to do as you literally just cut very close to the bone, meat side, as much or as little as you want.

This makes serving easier and also, the ribs cook at a different temperature than the rib cap. You can leave them on, but it's definitely a trick to employ if you want to ensure a perfectly cooked prime rib. And, this way, the ribs will cook at the same time as the roast.

I cooked the ribs too and used them as a "rack" to roast the meat on and they were so dang good. However, if you want to save these for another meal, go ahead and rub them too and then freeze or refrigerate for later, if you prefer.

I also trim some of the fat side and remove the silver skin, because silver skin does not break down and is not good eats... The fat, however, is luscious so leave enough to aid in the basting of the meat as it will melt and break down and add such wonderful flavor to the meat. No need to remove it all.

Rub:

• 6 large cloves of grated or finely minced garlic
• zest of 2 large washed lemons
• 5 sprigs of fresh rosemary leaves, finely diced
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1-2 tbsp sea salt
• 1-2 tbsp fresh cracked black pepper

Prep:
Now, it's pretty easy if you have a small food processor. Just put all of your ingredients in and pulse until combined.  But it doesn't take that much time to do it by hand either. I use a fine lemon zester to zest the entire lemon and then grate the garlic on the same microplane grater. If you have a garlic crusher, that will work and so will mincing it finely with a knife.

Use the above recommendations but it essentially works out to be equal parts of all ingredients above, except for the salt and pepper. The mixture will be more like a loose paste, which is great for coating the meat.

Rub the entire surface of the meat, including the ribs, with the rub and place the whole thing in the roasting pan. I place the roast on top of the removed ribs to lift the roast off the bottom of the pan and it turned out nicely. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Roasting:
On roasting day, remove from the fridge a couple of hours before you cook to let the meat come to room temperature. It makes for a more even, predictable baking time.

Preheat the oven to 250 F degrees.

For medium rare, you want the internal temperature to be around 130 degrees so have a meat thermometer handy. Cooking time is roughly 15-20 minutes per pound. I cooked ours, which was 10 lb, for 2.5 hours on 250 and the last 10 minutes or so, I turned on the broiler to get a good color.

Again, keep an eye on the internal temp. Once it starts to get around 120, it will go very fast and if you want a perfect medium rare, take it out at about 125 as it will continue to cook and warm up to 135.  Ours got to 140 even out of the oven and it was still perfectly rare at the very center but I wouldn't let it stay in the oven unless you enjoy medium well prime rib. I mean, what's the point of that? Prime rib should be served medium rare to rare as it is such a beautiful and tender cut of meat, getting no exercise, it will never be tough.

Serving:
The pan juices are lovely to make a gravy or serve as is. Loaded with flavor, it won't require much even if you do want to make a sauce so it is highly unlikely that you will need to further season the sauce.

We removed the roast and ribs to rest before serving and we added sautéed baby portabella mushrooms, which we did ahead of time, back to the roasting pan.

You can add a bit of heavy cream if you like a creamier style of mushroom gravy but we just added a couple of pats of butter and served it like that. It was so delicious!

I guess we did something right because everyone devoured the meal with not a single bite of rib or roast left behind... Too bad, because I sure had my heart set on prime rib subs. Alas, I will have to buy a bigger roast next time!

All Rise! - Perfect Italian Bread Every Time

I know I have written quite a few posts about bread in general, but lately, we've been on an Italian bread kick here in my house. Why? Well because the boys love my Italian bread. We have it on Italian "Extravaganza" night and because I always make 2 giant loaves at a time, we usually have it for subs, as well. 

When we have the kids, everything is an "extravaganza"! That is because we usually do a whole theme and Italian night is no different. We don't just have lasagna, for instance. We will also have Italian salad or baked ziti or stuffed shells or giant meatballs, you name it.

Italian bread, I find, is the key when you have American kids who have grown up with soft white American bread. It's soft enough for their palate but with a nice chew and texture that can satisfy most adult palates at the same time. Probably why it never lasts long in the house and when we have guests over, as we did for Easter Sunday, everyone wants to take home some bread with their leftovers. 

Can't say as I blame them. 

So for all the Sunday dinners, holiday dinners and bread lovers out there, I've written a special post about Italian bread just for you. 

One of the secrets to my version and for the techno-geeks like myself who need to know the "why" of things, the key is the fat that gets added to the dough. If you prefer a more crispy, crunchy crust as in the French baguette style of bread, then omit the fat altogether. However, this is what will give your bread a couple more days of staying power, without going completely brick hard and stale within 24 hours.

No matter how many hungry critters you have in your house, a few extra storage days can make the difference and that's why we prefer the Italian version if we know we won't eat both loaves in one sitting.

My recipe below calls for 3 tbsp of fat and over the last several months I have used whatever fat I happen to have on hand. We go through copious amounts of bacon around here and I always save the drippings, as I do the chicken fat from making chicken soup, which adds such a lovely texture and flavor, that it has become my fat of choice over butter. If I don't have either or want a straight forward flavor, I will also use coconut oil, which again, is a staple in our house. Experiment. Either way, it makes for a lovely baguette.

Oh, and one other tip: I use a two-loaf baguette pan with a silpat. It isn't entirely necessary, but I don't like the bumps on the bread when the dough rests on the holed baguette pan. The bread won't stick, but I prefer the texture of "unholy" bread. lol!

The silpat fits perfectly on top of the baguette pan, draping over each channel nicely and ensures a no-stick situation. Just easy cleanup, too and it makes for a nice tender bottom crust too.

Italian Bread:

• 6 1/2 c flour
• 3 cups warm water, 1 1/2 tbsp of yeast
• 1 1/2 tbsp salt
• 3 tbsp of garlic butter, margarine, lard or bacon grease
• 3 tbsp sugar

1. In a stand mixer, put flour and salt into the bowl. Using the dough hook attachment, mix the two for a minute or so on the lowest speed.
2. Add your fat to the flour mixture and mix on lowest speed for another minute or two. Room temperature or cold, no matter. I've used both and if you bloom the yeast in warm water, it doesn't change the speed of the initial rise.
3. In a bowl or large 4 cup measuring cup, I bloom the yeast with the water and sugar. All that means is add the yeast to the warm water and it begins to activate the yeast immediately. It will start to dissolve and feed on the sugar and begin to bubble a little bit. A good sign your yeast is healthy and your bread will rise perfectly. 
4. While the mixer is still on the lowest speed, slowly pour in your yeast mixture until all of the water is incorporated. Don't worry about kneading for too long. You really just need to get everything incorporated and the dough will begin to clean the sides of the bowl as well as cling to the hook. This is perfect. 
5. Turn off the mixer and put the dough into a large 6 qt rising container or cover with a heavy dish towel and check on it after about a half hour to an hour. In a warmer kitchen this goes fast! That's why I use a proofing or rising container because I can easily see when the dough has risen and doubled in size. That's what you want.

**What I have found over the years, is that if you have cold ingredients or room temperature water, it takes longer for the yeast to activate. What does that mean for you? Well, it means it could take an hour for your first rise or it could take 3 hours, depending on the ambient temperature of your kitchen. Why fuss with that? Instead, if you start with warm water (not hot or boiling!) and add your sugar and yeast to the water, you can almost always have a very quick, very predictable rise. And as we all know, when entertaining guests or feeding hungry kids, timing is everything!

Shape and Rise again:

1. Divide the dough in half. I actually weigh it but you can eyeball it. Doesn't have to be perfect. At this point your dough will be so relaxed, it will be fairly easy to shape, if not a bit unwieldy. Don't fret, just hold one end and stretch it so it looks like a roll of sorts. You can stretch it and tuck it once on the baguette pan, if you have one. If not, just put it on a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat, no worries.
2. Once you've shaped two loaves (or one giant loaf), let it rest and rise again. This time, definitely keep any eye on it because the yeast is active and it will likely rise quickly unless your kitchen is on the cool side.
3. Optionally, cut slits either down the middle of each loaf for vents or diagonally across the loaf. I don't find this to be entirely necessary but it does give a nice place to put butter or garlic butter once it comes out of the oven. Again, optional. Do whatever appeals to you.

Bake:

Preheat your oven to 425 F during the second rise if your rise is moving along nicely. 

Bake for about 15-20 minutes, checking it just to make sure it doesn't get too brown. If it seems to be browning too quickly, lay a piece of tin foil or parchment over the top of the pan at about the 15 minute mark if you don't want your bread too brown.

Notes for friends and family (yes, that's you, too!): ***Oh my gosh, for me, this is one of the best behaving doughs. First of all I used the organic flour I mill myself so its fresh. But I also have on hand organic white flour from Hodgson Mill in 2 lb bags that I get delivered from Amazon, just in case I'm short on time. Fresh flour always makes a difference.

It takes one unopened 2 lb bag plus 1 c from a new bag to make this dough. This little tidbit is more for myself and Tsunami as we refer back to this blog all the time for our favorite recipes. :)

I also bloom the yeast in warm water, as I mentioned. This has made such a difference in a predictable rise time. Won’t do it differently from now on. 

My notes from the first time I made it and I apologize for the enthusiastic language, in advance...

"Holy shit. Don't change a thing! Perfect italian bread!!!!"

And that's because it was so fabulous, the boys ate the whole thing in one sitting and I noticed that someone had taken a few slices before it even made it to the table!

Hope you like it as much as we do!

You're The One That I Want - John and Olivia's Baked Chile Rellenos

Crazy freaking couple of years...  I'm starting to believe that my life is more of a Modern Love Food Diary, but maybe it has always been that way.

I've been married an awfully long time and this new chapter of being un-married again is fraught with exciting and terrifying twists and turns. Sometimes I cry for sentimental reasons. I have, at times, missed our early life together, memories stuffed into the nooks and crannies of this blog. Reminders of the past; nostalgia.

Sometimes, I can't remember what he looks like, what his voice sounds like. Even the good memories, slowly fading...

Other times I have to giggle outright because what may seem like the worst thing in the world that could ever happen to you, turns out to be a beautiful, amazing blessing in disguise. As in save your life kind of blessing in disguise... I mean what the Hello Kitty happened? Could it be any more intriguing, confusing, mystifying, utterly terrifying, butterflies-in-your-tummy kind of ride? Don't really think so.

Between going through a divorce I thought, at first, I never wanted and navigating life as a single woman in unchartered waters, on my own, far from anything or anyone familiar... it has been quite a wild roller coaster ride. Just me, myself and everyone, everything, new.  Totally scary, but kinda exhilarating once the sheer terror wears off, which admittedly has taken quite a bit of time for me.

But it's true what they say... When one door closes, another door opens wide.

And then suddenly, when you least expect it and when the timing seems insane but yet, wildly appropriate, you randomly meet someone kind, genuine... a Tsunami of Goodness, he would later call himself boastfully. I still smile when he says it because it couldn't be more true.

Sharing this rollercoaster ride with a man I am now certain is Richard Pryor and Joan River's lovechild, the past year and a half has been anything but boring. And my new friendship has been anything but typical. It's been so fun, it's stupid. And being that we've both been displaced from everything we have known and loved before... it has been like learning to walk all over again. Oddly comforting when nothing feels familiar or comfortable. A feeling of safety and security that is more real than anything I've had in a good long while. And that thing... I never thought I'd ever feel again...

Laughter. Nothing cures a broken heart like laughter. And a lot of time. And a good looking hunk of a Green Beret that cooks like an Iron Chef!

Let's face it, a man that cooks for you, makes you laugh till you pee your pants and treats you like his dreams have also been answered, will almost certainly seal the deal. Hard to cry when you are trying not to pee yourself laughing...

I've been trying to write down all of the madness because it is so comical. I keep a journal of all the hilarious things he says because he really is a riot and the first time he opened his mouth, I was hooked; trying not to laugh but not able to contain myself.  Something you might see in a movie.

He gets out the scrabble board while I finish making dinner and randomly tells me I'm his Olivia Newton John. I secretly gush with pride and smile to myself... I mean, who doesn't want to be John Travolta's Olivia Newton John??!

So Modern Love is covered, let's get on with the Food Diary part..

After a super mellow night (for us) at the Tacos al Carbon food trucks, we decide to make chile rellenos because the back food truck is the only one that makes the rellenos. As usual, we are too late. Once they are done, they are done; we missed the boat that night. Unthwarted, I head over to the Mexican grocery store across the street and pick up everything I need to make it for dinner the next night.

Prepping the Chiles:
4-5 poblano peppers, roasted and skinned, seeds removed.

I roast the peppers for 10 minutes on a nonstick cookie sheet with a silpat. After 10 minutes under my broiler, I flip the peppers over and roast on the other side for another 10 minutes. The idea is to literally blister and blacken the skin of the poblano peppers. Don't fret, you won't burn them and this is part of the process of a good chile relleno.

The poblano skins are tough and don't digest well so you blister the peppers in an effort to easily remove the skins much like you would to blanch tomatoes or peaches when trying to remove the skins of fruits and vegetables. You probably could poach them in water, but traditionally, they are roasted which imparts a nicer flavor.

Once the peppers have blacked on each side, I remove them from the oven and place the peppers in a paper bag, closing the bag to let the peppers cool and steam a bit. This makes the blistered skin just slide off once they are cool enough to touch. Once the peppers cool, gently run your fingers along the skins and they should easily slip off. Just be gentle with them because the rellenos will hold stuffing so you want them to remain as intact as possible.

Once the skins have been removed, I tug at the stem to remove the stems and this will create an opening in which I can slide my finger along the length of the pepper to remove the remaining seeds. You should have a nice pepper "sheet" at this point which will allow you to stuff the pepper with whatever stuffing you choose and roll it up to create a little chile bundle.

Stuffing:
This stuffing was pretty darn good but you can use whatever you like to stuff the chiles. Traditionally, it's cheese or meat and cheese.

I used what I had on hand, as usual but I love going to the Mexican grocery store so I picked up some Mexican cheese and other chiles to make salsa, guacamole and enchilada sauce for meals later in the week.  The Mexican grocery store where I live has exceptional produce and the best selection of chiles so I stock up while I'm at it, just for fun. It always freaks the Mexicans out to see the white girl with her haul of hot peppers. But I actually know what to do with them and I have a wild Florida boy who likes hot stuff too; maybe even more than I do.

This time, I used this for stuffing the peppers:

Roasted chicken breast shredded
~ 1 c of cotija cheese
~ 1 c of grated Monterrey Jack (or Oaxaca or Quesadilla cheese if you have it)
1 cup of salsa, tamale or enchilada sauce

I had some roasted chicken leftovers from earlier in the week, fresh cotija cheese which you can find at any Mexican grocery store and often times at your regular grocery store depending on where you live. Either way it isn't a must but since I have access to it, I usually get it. Cotija is a crumbling fresh cheese very mild in flavor but it is traditional so I get it when I can.  It is great on salads, too so I usually get enough to have on a pepita (sunflower seed) salad later on in the week.

Butter a casserole dish and ladle about a cup of salsa or enchilada sauce on the bottom of your casserole dish.  Once the peppers are seeded, gently stuff the peppers with whatever mixture you use and gently close the pepper around the stuffing. It's almost like a little burrito. Lay the stuffed pepper in your casserole dish, seam-side up and prepare the batter below in a blender to make it easy to pour over the pepper bundles.

Batter:
1/3 c flour
1/3 c milk
1/2 tsp baking powder
4 eggs

I put everything for the batter into a blender and blend to incorporate all ingredients thoroughly. Pour the batter over the peppers, just to the edge of the peppers and sprinkle more grated cheese over the top.

Bake:
Bake at 425 F in a buttered baking dish or mini loaf pan if doing individuals for 25 minutes or until brown and bubbly. Take out of the oven and cool for about ten minutes before serving.

I also have a recipe for traditional, fried chile rellenos and will post that one later. I make both but baking them is so much easier to clean up than frying them, so I usually prefer that method although I do love both ways.

Serve:
I usually serve this with a little shredded lettuce, grated cheese, guacamole and sour cream on the side. Of course, we always have salsa or a sauce of some kind.

A word about salsas:
My go to salsa is super quick and easy, as is most Mexican sauces so I will make a point to post those recipes as well since I have quite a few good ones to share. But if you love ready made salsa, I ain't mad at ya, but do try your hand at making it fresh because it really is a very different flavor profile. Most all pre-made salsas, whether jar or canned varieties, are cooked. And while I am no salsa snob, I have grown more fond of fresh salsa having grown up with it made fresh as a child. It's just a personal preference.