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This is one of my favorite cookbooks--it kind of straddles the kid/grownup cookbook because although Rick Bayless cooks with his teen daughter Lanie, there's not a fruit kabob or bagel faces recipe to be found. Praise be!
My favorite pesto comes from this cookbook--it's good for kids because the cream cheese mellows out the strong basil flavor.
Bayless Family Pasta with Pesto
1/4 c. pine nuts or walnuts
3 garlic cloves
2 c. fresh basil leaves
1/4 c. lemon balm, optional
1/3 c. olive oil
1/4 c. cream cheese or fresh goat cheese
1 Tbsp. lime or lemon juice
Salt
1 lb. dried pasta
1/2 to 3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1. Scoop nuts into a small skillet. Set over medium heat. Stir until nuts release toasty aroma into kitchen, about 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let nuts cool.
2. Place peeled garlic in microwave-safe cup and barely cover with water. Microwave on high power for 1 minute. Scoop garlic out of water with spoon. Allow to cool.
3. In a food processor, combine cooled toasted nuts, basil leaves, lemon balm if desired, olive oil, cream cheese, lemon juice and 1/2 tsp. salt. Cut each garlic clove into 3 pieces and add to processor. Secure lid. Pulse 5 or 6 times, then run machine until mixture is smooth--about 1 minute. Leave pesto in food processor.
4. Boil pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water. Pour reserved pasta water into food processor and turn on to thin the pesto. Mix pesto with pasta. Sprinkle on half of the grated Parmesan. Divide onto plates and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. Serves 4 as a main course.
Lucky me, to have a Dad who keeps me supplied with fresh lemon juice from his tree.
To contact us Click
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Elise with the original from Ted's Bakery (via Foodland supermarket). Before I left for Hawaii a couple of weeks ago, I made sure I had all my important papers together. Plane tickets, check. Hotel reservation, check. List of the best places to eat on Oahu, cut out of a Sunset magazine article by my friend Trish, check and double check.
One of the must-try items on that list was the chocolate haupia pie from Ted's Bakery. We didn't make it to Ted's but did happen to see it prepackaged for sale in the grocery store, so I bought a piece to try. It was so good I knew I had to try recreating it at home.
For those who don't know, haupia is a firm coconut pudding. You make it in a pan and then cut it into squares and eat it with your fingers. It's a popular thing to have at luaus; the pie is a super easy and fun treat that would be great at a casual potluck or dinner party.
Janet's Chocolate Haupia Pie
Make a one-crust recipe of your favorite pie crust, and pre-bake it. Pour the hot haupia into it and chill until set. Add your favorite chocolate pudding (I must confess to using a box of instant Jello chocolate pudding) and pour on top of haupia, again chilling until set.
Top with whipped cream and toasted coconut.
Cut one piece for the photo, then take the rest to your parents to ensure your status as favored child.
Haupia (source)2 cups coconut milk
1-1/4 cups water
2/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup cornstarchCombine the coconut milk and water. Stir until smooth. Add the sugar and cornstarch. Cook over low heat until thickened and shiny. If the haupia is grainy, you need to keep cooking the mixture because the fat in the coconut milk has not yet melted.
If you have any chocolate pudding left over, be sure to smear some on your face to resemble a goatee and mustache.
To contact us Click
HERE
I'm sure yesterday's wordless Wednesday post needs a little further explanation. There are a lot of search queries on Google for a strange phrase "black stuff in Lobster". Apparently, people really want to know about the black stuff in Lobster. Not seen it? Take a look, you might scratch your head as well. 
There it is. black glossy ooze in the center of your crisp clean cold water lobster tail. So was this Lobster sick? Is it from the Gulf where the effects of the BP disaster are more apparent? No. Thankfully, this lobster is not sick. This lobster is not oily.
This lobster, was going to have a clutch of eggs attached to her abdomen in a few days time. That's right, this female lobster was pregnant and what you see oozing out of the tail, is uncooked Lobster roe, or Lobster Caviar...whatever you would like to call it. Some think it's gross, others think it's black gold.
I tend to side with the later of the two. Lobster Roe is difficult to come by for one reason. Female lobsters that are caught showing eggs on their abdomen are illegal to harvest. In fact, if a Lobster man pulls one up and she is berried, he must cut a notch in her fin to show that she is a breeder and should someone else catch her, they must also return her to the sea. Unfortunately, this particular lobster came from the tank we keep in the Chicago warehouse. She had no visible notch in her tail, and was not showing any berries. When I removed her tail to split and grill finish, the uncooked roe came spilling out and I realized the mistake that had been made.
Had she been left a few more days, we would have flown her back to Biddeford Maine where our warehouse is located so she could be thrown back. Unfortunately, that wasn't to be the case. Obviously, I feel a tinge of guilt, but in all honesty...this is nature, and people are too disconnected from their food sources. Besides...once the roe is cooked and brilliant red, it tastes like Maine Lobster Concentrate, and who does not love that?
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Ah yes. The grocery store. If driving there doesn't get your pet peeve ire up, then an hour of shopping will.
Janet's Top 5 Grocery Store Pet Peeves
Parking the cart. Why oh why do people stop their carts in the middle of the aisle (usually at an angle so I can't get around them) and then either just stand there for no reason at all or float off to browse the shelves?
Samples. The sample table is the bane of my grocery store existence. Especially at Costco, where people abandon their double-wide carts anywhere and stand there, waiting for those chicken nuggets to be done so they can eat half of one for free. If they were selling them for 5 cents each, I guarantee nobody would buy one.
Cutting the line. This one is courtesy of my friend Macie, who hates nothing more than when she's standing in line, a new checkstand opens up, and the people behind her rush over to get in first. A little consideration, people!
Standing too close. And speaking of standing in line, do not breathe down my neck and do not bump the back of my legs with your cart. Standing closer does not mean you will be done faster. As my daughter says, "Respect the bubble!"
Be ready. When the checker has completed your order, that is not the time to start rummaging in your purse for your store card and then start thinking about how you'd like to pay. This sounds sexist, but when choosing a line I try to pick the one with the most men in it, because they rarely have a store card and they nearly always pay in cash.
I know I said 5 things, but I just remembered one more that I really hate:
Checker and clerk social hour. I don't mind if you guys chat a little, but when you completely ignore me to have an entire conversation about what you did last night, how tired you are, or worst of all, how disgruntled you are at your job, it's completely rude.Have I covered them all? Do you have others to add?
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This is one of my favorite cookbooks--it kind of straddles the kid/grownup cookbook because although Rick Bayless cooks with his teen daughter Lanie, there's not a fruit kabob or bagel faces recipe to be found. Praise be!
My favorite pesto comes from this cookbook--it's good for kids because the cream cheese mellows out the strong basil flavor.
Bayless Family Pasta with Pesto
1/4 c. pine nuts or walnuts
3 garlic cloves
2 c. fresh basil leaves
1/4 c. lemon balm, optional
1/3 c. olive oil
1/4 c. cream cheese or fresh goat cheese
1 Tbsp. lime or lemon juice
Salt
1 lb. dried pasta
1/2 to 3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1. Scoop nuts into a small skillet. Set over medium heat. Stir until nuts release toasty aroma into kitchen, about 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let nuts cool.
2. Place peeled garlic in microwave-safe cup and barely cover with water. Microwave on high power for 1 minute. Scoop garlic out of water with spoon. Allow to cool.
3. In a food processor, combine cooled toasted nuts, basil leaves, lemon balm if desired, olive oil, cream cheese, lemon juice and 1/2 tsp. salt. Cut each garlic clove into 3 pieces and add to processor. Secure lid. Pulse 5 or 6 times, then run machine until mixture is smooth--about 1 minute. Leave pesto in food processor.
4. Boil pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water. Pour reserved pasta water into food processor and turn on to thin the pesto. Mix pesto with pasta. Sprinkle on half of the grated Parmesan. Divide onto plates and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. Serves 4 as a main course.
Lucky me, to have a Dad who keeps me supplied with fresh lemon juice from his tree.
To contact us Click
HERE
Elise with the original from Ted's Bakery (via Foodland supermarket). Before I left for Hawaii a couple of weeks ago, I made sure I had all my important papers together. Plane tickets, check. Hotel reservation, check. List of the best places to eat on Oahu, cut out of a Sunset magazine article by my friend Trish, check and double check.
One of the must-try items on that list was the chocolate haupia pie from Ted's Bakery. We didn't make it to Ted's but did happen to see it prepackaged for sale in the grocery store, so I bought a piece to try. It was so good I knew I had to try recreating it at home.
For those who don't know, haupia is a firm coconut pudding. You make it in a pan and then cut it into squares and eat it with your fingers. It's a popular thing to have at luaus; the pie is a super easy and fun treat that would be great at a casual potluck or dinner party.
Janet's Chocolate Haupia Pie
Make a one-crust recipe of your favorite pie crust, and pre-bake it. Pour the hot haupia into it and chill until set. Add your favorite chocolate pudding (I must confess to using a box of instant Jello chocolate pudding) and pour on top of haupia, again chilling until set.
Top with whipped cream and toasted coconut.
Cut one piece for the photo, then take the rest to your parents to ensure your status as favored child.
Haupia (source)2 cups coconut milk
1-1/4 cups water
2/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup cornstarchCombine the coconut milk and water. Stir until smooth. Add the sugar and cornstarch. Cook over low heat until thickened and shiny. If the haupia is grainy, you need to keep cooking the mixture because the fat in the coconut milk has not yet melted.
If you have any chocolate pudding left over, be sure to smear some on your face to resemble a goatee and mustache.
To contact us Click
HERE
Elise got a craving for Whitestone pizza the other day and once she mentioned it, I did too. This is our favorite kind of pizza: no tomato sauce, just olive oil, basil, and garlic brushed on the crust, then topped with mozzarella, parmesan, and dollops of ricotta. For the boys who are not really fans, I made regular sausage pizza and for kicks, made one more using leftover veggie burger crumbles and some chopped veggies. This last one was actually really tasty and I'll make it again.Elise's Whitestone Pizza
Use your favorite pizza dough or crust. (We made our own dough in the bread machine, and par-baked it for about 5 minutes in a 425 degree oven.) Brush on olive oil, chopped basil, and a couple of cloves of minced garlic.
Top with cheese and bake for an additional 7-10 minutes, until the cheese is melted. But you probably know how to bake pizza already.
Trio of Za: Sausage/mushroom, Whitestone, and veggie-veggie (veggie burger crumbles with roasted vegetables)
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Knowing how much I love the Little House series (I have read all nine books no less than 20 times throughout my life), my friend April told me about a book called The Wilder Life. It's written by Wendy McClure, another Laura Ingalls Wilder-obsessed fan who decides to visit all of the Laura Ingalls Wilder historical sites. Coincidentally, a couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to win this book in a giveaway sponsored by Ponderings blog. Hooray and thank you!
I finished the book realizing that I'm not really much of a fan at all, compared to some people who have spent serious portions of their own lives researching Laura's life.
The first few chapters of the book were the funniest--my two favorite parts:
"There were a host of other things from the books that [as a child] I remember I wanted to do, too, such as: - Make candy by pouring syrup in the snow.
- Make bullets by pouring lead.
- Sew a seam with tiny and perfectly straight stitches.
- Have a man's hands span my corseted waist, which at the time didn't seem creepy at all."
My family totally didn't get why this was so funny and never will. Their loss.
The other part that made me snort with laughter was when Wendy met other Little House fans but then discovered that they were actually fans of the TV show, not the books.
"More than once, a friend or acquaintance has gushed, 'you mean you're a Little House fan too?' only to discover that we have two very different sets of memories. One of us is thinking of the time Laura taught a calf to drink from a bucket. The other is thinking about the Very Special Episode when some kid named Albert got hooked on morphine."
The rest of the book was interesting and amusing, but really, you have to know a lot about this series to appreciate most of the references to specific people and incidents that the author mentions. Which I do, and which I did. If you're a fan, I recommend it. If not, skip it.
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This is one of my favorite cookbooks--it kind of straddles the kid/grownup cookbook because although Rick Bayless cooks with his teen daughter Lanie, there's not a fruit kabob or bagel faces recipe to be found. Praise be!
My favorite pesto comes from this cookbook--it's good for kids because the cream cheese mellows out the strong basil flavor.
Bayless Family Pasta with Pesto
1/4 c. pine nuts or walnuts
3 garlic cloves
2 c. fresh basil leaves
1/4 c. lemon balm, optional
1/3 c. olive oil
1/4 c. cream cheese or fresh goat cheese
1 Tbsp. lime or lemon juice
Salt
1 lb. dried pasta
1/2 to 3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1. Scoop nuts into a small skillet. Set over medium heat. Stir until nuts release toasty aroma into kitchen, about 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let nuts cool.
2. Place peeled garlic in microwave-safe cup and barely cover with water. Microwave on high power for 1 minute. Scoop garlic out of water with spoon. Allow to cool.
3. In a food processor, combine cooled toasted nuts, basil leaves, lemon balm if desired, olive oil, cream cheese, lemon juice and 1/2 tsp. salt. Cut each garlic clove into 3 pieces and add to processor. Secure lid. Pulse 5 or 6 times, then run machine until mixture is smooth--about 1 minute. Leave pesto in food processor.
4. Boil pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water. Pour reserved pasta water into food processor and turn on to thin the pesto. Mix pesto with pasta. Sprinkle on half of the grated Parmesan. Divide onto plates and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. Serves 4 as a main course.
Lucky me, to have a Dad who keeps me supplied with fresh lemon juice from his tree.
To contact us Click
HERE
Elise with the original from Ted's Bakery (via Foodland supermarket). Before I left for Hawaii a couple of weeks ago, I made sure I had all my important papers together. Plane tickets, check. Hotel reservation, check. List of the best places to eat on Oahu, cut out of a Sunset magazine article by my friend Trish, check and double check.
One of the must-try items on that list was the chocolate haupia pie from Ted's Bakery. We didn't make it to Ted's but did happen to see it prepackaged for sale in the grocery store, so I bought a piece to try. It was so good I knew I had to try recreating it at home.
For those who don't know, haupia is a firm coconut pudding. You make it in a pan and then cut it into squares and eat it with your fingers. It's a popular thing to have at luaus; the pie is a super easy and fun treat that would be great at a casual potluck or dinner party.
Janet's Chocolate Haupia Pie
Make a one-crust recipe of your favorite pie crust, and pre-bake it. Pour the hot haupia into it and chill until set. Add your favorite chocolate pudding (I must confess to using a box of instant Jello chocolate pudding) and pour on top of haupia, again chilling until set.
Top with whipped cream and toasted coconut.
Cut one piece for the photo, then take the rest to your parents to ensure your status as favored child.
Haupia (source)2 cups coconut milk
1-1/4 cups water
2/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup cornstarchCombine the coconut milk and water. Stir until smooth. Add the sugar and cornstarch. Cook over low heat until thickened and shiny. If the haupia is grainy, you need to keep cooking the mixture because the fat in the coconut milk has not yet melted.
If you have any chocolate pudding left over, be sure to smear some on your face to resemble a goatee and mustache.
