Sponsorships Closing

Frykitty tells us that official sponsorship is closing at 9PM Pacific/Midnight Eastern tonight. You'll receive your reminder notice in the next day or two with a link to the National Kidney Foundation's donation page. Instructions will be in the reminder note.

Current standing is $1730.00!

If you would still like to sponsor after the offical close, you can still do so. Simply go to the NKF's donation page, and send a screenshot of your confirmation page to blogathon (at) missy-ga (dot) info. Don't forget - if you donate $50 or more, you'll get a .PDF of the whole blog, in publication order, so you can find the recipe you want quickly!

Thanks again to everyone who helped keep us awake and make Blogathon a roaring success.

See you next year!

--Moozie out.

Good morning, Sunshine!

Hey, look at that! We've come full circle. I did this for what, again now?

Oh yeah. The NKF.

The National Kidney Foundation provides education and outreach services for kidney patients, their families, living donors and transplantees. They also raise funds to help sponsor studies to search for cures to chronic kidney diseases.

It's an important mission - 1 in 9 Americans suffers from a chronic kidney disorder. Half of those people don't even know they're sick, and most - like David did - will only find out accidentally. The National Kidney Foundation works to raise awareness of kidney disorders and encourages the public to talk with their doctors about kidney disorders so they may be caught and treated early, before irreversible damage is done.

Together, Dear Sponsors, we raised a grand total of $1671.90 for the NKF, to help them continue the search for better treatment alternatives, new research paths...and David's cure.

Each of you have my profound gratitude - for your pledges, for your commentary, for your belief that I would make it to the end of this thing. From the bottom of my very tired heart, I thank you.

I won't speak for David...but I'll bet he thanks you, too.



Big shout out to my Monitor, Kathy, and the rest of Team bSpies! You kicked ass! Thank you so much!

Moozie's Kitchen is now closed. Last one out, please shut off the lights and lock the door.

Good morning and good night, y'all.

More Administrivia

We're almost done here. The stove is off, the deep fryer well cooled, the coffee pot is set up, but not for me. The floor is swept and the sink scrubbed out, and now all that's left are a few odds and ends.

Sponsorships will be open for AT LEAST the next 48 hours, so if you haven't sponsored yet but want to, you still have time.

Sponsors who pledged $50 or more will receive a copy of the entire blog in .PDF format on Friday. No, not earlier, I'm sleeping Sunday and then there's this work thing I have to do.

Someone's In The Kitchen With Moozie will remain up indefinitely. At some point in the next week or so, I will turn comments off to fend off spam. If you have a question about sponsorship or recipes posted here, and this is after comments have been turned off, you can send me an e-mail at blogathon (at) missy-ga (dot) info

Eggs Benedict

4 egg yolks
3 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 pinch ground white pepper
1/8 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon water
1 cup butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 eggs
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
8 strips Canadian-style bacon
4 English muffins, split
2 tablespoons butter, softened

To Make Hollandaise: Fill the bottom of a double boiler part-way with water. Make sure that water does not touch the top pan. Bring water to a gentle simmer. In the top of the double boiler, whisk together egg yolks, lemon juice, white pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and 1 tablespoon water.

Add the melted butter to egg yolk mixture 1 or 2 tablespoons at a time while whisking yolks constantly. If hollandaise begins to get too thick, add a teaspoon or two of hot water. Continue whisking until all butter is incorporated. Whisk in salt, then remove from heat. Place a lid on pan to keep sauce warm.

Preheat oven on broiler setting. To Poach Eggs: Fill a large saucepan with 3 inches of water. Bring water to a gentle simmer, then add vinegar. Carefully break eggs into simmering water, and allow to cook for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Yolks should still be soft in center. Remove eggs from water with a slotted spoon and set on a warm plate

While eggs are poaching, brown the bacon in a medium skillet over medium-high heat and toast the English muffins on a baking sheet under the broiler.

Spread toasted muffins with softened butter, and top each one with a slice of bacon, followed by one poached egg. Place 2 muffins on each plate and drizzle with hollandaise sauce. Sprinkle with chopped chives and serve immediately.

Creme Brulee French Toast

The sun is up, it's time for breakfast! I have completely lost track of the number of Socials I've prepared this for, after snatching it from Epicurious in '99 or so.



1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons corn syrup
6 (1 inch thick) slices French bread
5 eggs
1 1/2 cups half-and-half cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon brandy-based orange liqueur (Grand Marnier)
1/4 teaspoon salt


Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Mix in brown sugar and corn syrup, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Pour into a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Remove crusts from bread, and arrange in the baking dish in a single layer. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, half and half, vanilla extract, orange brandy, and salt. Pour over the bread. Cover, and chill at least 8 hours, or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the dish from the refrigerator, and bring to room temperature.


Bake uncovered 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until puffed and lightly browned.

Chocolate!

I still want sushi, but it never hurts to look at chocolate!



Is it my birthday yet?






Chocolate crepes!



Puppy pretending to be chocolate.

Sushi!

Is it very weird of me to be hungry for sushi at 6:30AM? I just feel like that would make my tummy happier. Well, that and some sleep...

Look what I found...



Elegant sushi.



Sushi pretending to be fast food.




Cupcakes pretending to be sushi.



Chocolate pretending to be sushi.

Picture time...

I think we've reached the picture portion of Blogathon 2006.

It's not that I've run out of recipes...I've got books and binders and recipe boxes and the whole Internet for all of that! - it's just...well, I've been up for way too long.

I'm feeling punchy and my stomach is unhappy and it's just so damned hard to be coherent at this hour. There may be another recipe or two before we close this out and finally go to bed, but it's getting hard to spell and I'd rather not expose anyone to what might appear to be the deranged witterings of a drunken monkey with Internet access.

Hrm.

Maybe I should go have a banana and think about this a little more.

Schwarzwälderkirschtorte

Years ago, when I lived in Germany, my host mothers used to make this dessert. I've prepared several variations of it myself over the years, including as a cheesecake, but I think I still like the traditional Schwarzwälderkirschtorte the best.



1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup kirschwasser
1/2 cup butter
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon strong brewed coffee
2 (14 ounce) cans pitted Bing cherries, drained

2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon kirschwasser
1 (1 ounce) square semisweet chocolate


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottoms of two 8 inch round pans with parchment paper circles. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and 1 teaspoon salt. Set aside.

Cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Beat in flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk, until combined. Pour into 2 round 8 inch pans.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Cool completely. Remove paper from the cakes. Cut each layer in half, horizontally, making 4 layers total. Sprinkle layers with the 1/2 cup kirshwasser.

In a medium bowl, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add confectioners sugar, pinch of salt, and coffee; beat until smooth. If the consistency is too thick, add a couple teaspoons of cherry juice or milk. Spread first layer of cake with 1/3 of the filling. Top with 1/3 of the cherries. Repeat with the remaining layers.

In a separate bowl, whip the cream to stiff peaks. Beat in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 1 tablespoon kirshwasser. Frost top and sides of cake. Sprinkle with chocolate curls made by using a potato peeler on semisweet baking chocolate.

Dude, you are SO fired.

We seem to have lost a sous.

Gadabout kids, sleeping on the job...

Andalusian Gazpacho

Over Memorial Day weekend, David and I spent a lot of time out in Kenn's neighborhood, looking for places to have a snack. He has to eat a lot more often than he used to, which is great overall, since he always ate sparingly before, but is also disconcerting, because...well, he ate so sparingly before!

We've always taken a certain pleasure in sharing meals together, though, and were deighted to find a little cafe called Bittersweet. In addition to pastries and coffee, Bittersweet served light lunches, and the day we were there, Gazpacho was on the menu. This one gets pretty close to theirs.

1/2 pound tomatoes (about 2 or 3 medium)
1 cup onions, chopped
1 medium cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 medium bell pepper, seeds removed
5 ounces pimiento
14-ounce can tomato juice
1 clove garlic
2 tsp olive oil
2 or 3 slices of bread, cubed
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp tabasco sauce
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbsp chives, chopped



In an electric blender or food processor, combine half each of the tomatoes, onions, cucumber, bell pepper, and pimiento with enough of the tomato juice to facilitate blending.

Blend covered at high speed for at least 30 seconds to thoroughly purée the raw vegetables.In a large mixing bowl, combine the puréed vegetables with the remaining tomato juice and chill for at least 2 hours. You may also elect to chill the serving bowls at this time.

Meanwhile, rub the interior of a skillet with the clove of garlic, and add the olive oil. In the skillet, sauté the bread cubes over medium heat until golden brown. Set aside until serving time.

Chop the remaining tomatoes, onions, cucumber, bell pepper, and pimiento, and combine in a small mixing bowl while adding the red wine vinegar, Tobasco sauce, salt, and pepper.

Thoroughly combine all ingredients and marinate at room temperature until serving time; or refrigerate if you won't be serving the gazpacho within an hour.

To serve, place equal portions of the gazpacho in the chilled soup bowls. Add about 2 tablespoons of the marinated vegetable mixture to the center of each serving. Sprinkle with the chopped chives, and garnish with a few of the toasted bread cubes.

Spinach and Ricotta Gnocchi

I made this at New Year's for some folks who weren't able to eat the main course, and it went over very well. It ended up being way more popular than I had anticipated!

4 slices white bread
1/2 cup milk
1 pound frozen spinach, thawed, with the water squeezed out
8 ounces ricotta cheese
2 eggs
2 ounces grated Parmesan
1/4 cup flour

Garlic Butter Sauce:

3 1/2 ounces butter
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
3 tbs chopped fresh basil
1 ripe tomato, diced

Remove the crusts from the bread and soak in the milk in a shallow dish for ten minutes. Squeeze out excess milk from the bread. Place the bread, spinach, ricotta, eggs and Parmesan in a bowl. Mix well, cover, refrigerate for an hour.

Fold flour in well. Dust your hands with flour and roll heaping teaspoons of the mixture into dumplings. Drop them gently into boiling, salted water in small batches, and cook for about 2 minutes or until the gnocchi float.

For the sauce, combine all ingredients and cook over medium heat until the butter is a nut brown color.

Daikon and Carrot Salad

8 inch piece of daikon
2 large carrots
1 tsp salt
3 tbs caster sugar
4 1/2 tbs rice vinegar
1 tbs sesame seeds

Cut the daikon into 3 pieces. Peel the skin off. Peel the carrots, then cut them into 2 inch pieces. Slice both vegetable lengthwise, then crosswise to make thin matchsticks. Alternatively, you can use a grater or a mandoline

Place the vegetables in a bowl. Sprinkle with salt, mix well with your hands, and leave for 30 minutes. Drain the vegetables well, squeezing excess water gently out with your hands.

Mix the sugar and rice vinegar together in a bowl, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Add the vegetables, stir well, and refrigerate overnight, stirring at least twice prior to serving.

I must confess...

I would leave my family behind in a heartbeat to wander around and eat all over the world with Anthony Bourdain.

This is not to say that I would abandon my beloved geeky Alton for the Bad Boy of Food...but I'd definitely step out on him for a while. And really, who wouldn't?

I love this guy, hard drinking, cigarette smoking, utter vulgarity and all. I love that he not only can use the word "fuck" on every third page of his cookbook and get away with it, he can use the introduction of every recipe to take the piss out of some snotty Thomas Keller wannabe who has either forgotten or who has chosen to pretend otherwise that cooking professionally is a hard, dirty, exhausting thing, and your pretty little CIA cert. doesn't mean all that much if you're not willing to get your hands (and likely every other part of you) dirty to get the job done.

Tony Bourdain is the cook's cook. He doesn't shiny it up and make the restaurant life sound exciting and glamourous. I'm a ten year veteran of That Life, so I appreciate his no-bullshit, no band, no glitter approach.

These are the things I'm noticing, flipping through recipes to share with y'all at 3AM.

By Request: Two Berry Cobbler

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1 1/2 cups halved strawberries
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup milk


Melt butter in a shallow 8-inch square baking dish in a 350F oven

Combine blueberries and strawberries in a bowl; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar, lemon rind, and, if desired, cardamom. Toss to coat.

Stir together remaining 1 cup sugar, walnuts, flour, and baking powder. Add milk, stirring until blended. Pour into baking dish; spoon berry mixture with juice into center of batter. (Do not stir.) Bake at 350F for 40 to 45 minutes.

Sesame Beef with Bamboo Shoots

I miss going to the Saigon Bistro. I believe I shall kick and scream on Monday until I get to go. When I get there, I'm probbaly going to have this.

3 tbs oil
12 oz. thinly sliced beef sirloin
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 spring onions, cut into 1 inch lengths
8 oz. bamboo shoots, thinly sliced
1 tbs fish sauce
1 tbs oyster sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons sesame seeds, dry roasted

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a wok or skillet over high heat. Stir fry the beef until it changes color. Remove beef from pan, set aside. Heat the remaining oil in the pan, stir fry the garlic, spring onions and bamboo shoots for 2 -3 minutes. Add the fish sauce, oyster sauce, salt and pepper, then return the beef to the pan. Stir fry for another 3 minutes or so, until beef is cooked and tender. Serve with steamed rice.

The best thing about this dish? It's super quick - just 20 minutes from prep to table!

Mocha Java Milkshake

I need...caffeine...and sugar.

Time to fish out the blender!

2 cups cold milk
1 cup cold strong coffee
4 - 5 scoops vanilla ice cream (hey, didn't we make that at the beginning of the Blogathon?)
4 tbs Hershey's Special Dark syrup

Blend on high until smooth. If you like it thicker, add ice cream until it suits you.

Just for giggles, top with whipped cream and chocolate jimmies.


It occurs to me that if I actually MAKE this thing, someone is going to have to come over and scrape me off the ceiling so I can keep my posting schedule!

It's1AM. Do you know where your cookies are?

Raw Chrusciki



Into the hot oil bath...



Out to drain...



All dressed up with powdered sugar.

I cannot BELIEVE we're still cooking at 1AM!

Chrusciki

Colleague Andy Czernek sent along a recipe for Chrusciki earlier this week - Polish bow tie cookies.

Alex and I have decided that these would be our last Real Time Cooking dish of the Blogathon. At some point, we do need to get the kitchen at least half-assed recovered!

Andy nabbed the recipe from Martha Stewart (who knows whose sweet Busia that tired old hag stole it from!), I cut it in half, because no WAY are we eating 7 dozen cookies any time soon:

1/2 tbs unsalted butter
1 large egg
3 large egg yolks
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pure orange extract
1/2 tsp pure lemon extract
1/2 pure vanilla extract
1/2 distilled white vinegar
1/2 tablespoon rum
1 1/2 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp grated orange zest
1 1/2 to 2 cups all-purpose flour
Pure vegetable shortening, for deep-frying
Sifted confectioners' sugar, for sprinkling

Melt butter, and combine with eggs, egg yolks, granulated sugar, salt, extracts, vinegar, rum, and sour cream in a large, heavy mixer. Using the paddle attachment, beat on medium-high until lemon colored. Add citrus zests. Gradually add enough flour to produce a fairly stiff dough. Turn out onto a floured board, and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, adding flour if necessary, until dough blisters, becomes elastic, and can be handled easily. Cut dough in half, and wrap one half with plastic wrap; reserve at room temperature.

Roll half of dough very, very thin, and cut into strips about 4 inches long and 1 1/4 inches wide. Cut the ends on a diagonal. Slit each piece in the center, and pull one end through the slit. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and cover with a towel to keep moist. Repeat with other half of dough.

Heat shortening in a cast-iron frying pan to 375F, and fry the dough strips, a few at a time until lightly browned, about 1 minute, turning once with a long fork or tongs.

Drain chrusciki on brown paper bags; transfer to a cooling rack, and sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar.

The dough is still being kneaded.

Photos to follow!

Moozie's Kitchen...

...is trashed, y'all. Like, a bomb hit it. A tornado wandered through (and stopped at the fridge on its way by).



Alex is commencing with the cleanup...but we do have one more treat in the works.



Yeah, we know. It's midnight, and sane people don't cook at midnight. But we never claimed to be sane - least of all Alex.

Even Jack is having a midnight snack and going to bed...



...and Bailey has decided that now is as good a time as any for a nap.



...but we still have more.

Stick around.

Hey Laura?

How's this for a cake?

Over in the Blogathon forum, HellKitten, who is blogging for the Canadian Cancer Society, posted a super cool cake recipe. Go on over and say hello!

This is apparently her great-grandmother's recipe, and does it ever sound tasty!

I absolutely MUST make this cake this week!

Maple-Brown Sugar Cake

Brown Sugar Cake:
1/2 cup marg. or mazola oil
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp vanilla or Mapeline (mapeline is best)
4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk

Cream butter and sugar together. Add egg. Sift in flour.
Add baking powder and salt alternating with milk.
Bake at 325 for 40 minutes.

Icing for Brown sugar cake:

1 cup icing sugar
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp milk
a few drops of Mapleine

No, I'd never heard of Mapleine either, but I went looking for it and found it here

Dear gods, I want cake now. Because I haven't been eating all day. Not at all.

By Request: Peanut Butter...Pie!

Paula Deen's Peanut Butter Pie makes me so very happy!








1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 graham cracker crust, store-bought or premade

Whip cream with 1/4 cup sugar. Mix all other ingredients until smooth and fold in whipped cream until well blended. Pour mixture into a graham cracker crust and chill for several hours before serving.



It's rich, but not over the top, and tastes fandamntabulous with a little Hershey's Special Dark syrup drizzled over it.

By Request: Salsa

Two for Tiffani, both nabbed from a Mexican themed online gift shop I stumbled on while working:

Two Tomato Salsa

2 cup diced unpeeled plum tomato
1 cup unpeeled green tomato
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper.
1/4 cup chopped purple onion.
1 tbs finely chop jalapeno pepper
1 tbs finely chop fresh cilantro
1 clove minced garlic
1/4 tsp salt.
1/8 tsp coarsely ground pepper.
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp olive oil.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Stir well.



Mango Salsa

1 large mango, peeled and cubed (small cubes)
1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced
1 1/2 tbs fresh basil, finely chopped
1 1/2 tbs red wine vinegar
3 tsp lime juice
1/2 tsp sugar
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped (skip this if peppers aren't your thing.

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix well.
Let stand at room temperature half hour before serving or refrigerate up to 24 hours. Use it quickly, this does not keep well and will go over fast.



(Note to Monitors: This entry was deleted and reposted due to technical difficulties.)

Smile and say CHEESE!

Tecumseh, MI, that little place up North I visit every week, is the home of one of my favorite food shops ever - The Boulevard Market on East Chicago Boulevard at the corner of Evans Street.

Owned and operated by Erika and John Aylward, with frequent appearances by daughters Gina, Julia and Jamie, the Boulevard is another one of those lovely, rare places where when you walk in the door, you're family.

You can't beat the place for fun. I love that I can walk in, snuggle a handsome man and a beautiful woman, then ask "What's new?", and end up well fed. Erika and John know their cheeses, and the shop is crammed to bursting with things to complement their cheeses - fine wines, interesting beers (Mocha Java Stout!), cheese knives, chocolates, good bread, sausages, fancy crackers - even a wide array of sea salts and spices. And walking in on Truck Day?

"Hey Maggie! Look at this cool new cheese we just got! Wanna try it?"

These people have parted me from so much money with that one sentence. They know my tastes and are always introducing me to new yummies and re-introducing me to old favorites. Samples? Sure. Try before you buy, and you don't even have to ask.

These are a few of the cheeses I've grown to love:

P'tit Basque - French (Pyrenees) - Sheep's milk. The texture of this handmade cheese is very firm, with a rich, extremely nutty flavor. It slices extremely well, and would be a wonderful complement to a thick, fat burger. It's also just heavenly on its own.

Idiazabal - Spanish - Sheep's milk. Hard, dry, but not crumbly. Rich, full body with a hint of smokiness. The texture is similar to Parmesan, but more velvety.

Murcia Al Vino (Al Vino Drunken Goat) - Spanish - Goat's milk. Semi-firm. This cheese is soaked in Burgundy wine during the ripening process, lending it a faintly pink tint closest to the rind. When served cold, the wine is sharply noticeable, but as the cheese comes to room temperature, the texture becomes more buttery and the sharp bite of the wine is replaced by a smooth, mellow hint of it. Wonderful alone, but even better with a whole wheat cracker.

Manchego - Spanish (La Mancha) - Raw sheep's milk. Hard. In spite of Manchego's hardness, the texture is smooth, not at all grainy. It tastes faintly of salted walnuts, and has a strong, salty afterbite.

Cantal fermier -- French - Raw cow's milk. Semi-hard, creamy, with a buttery taste and texture. This stuff just melts on the tongue.

Humboldt Fog -- American (McKinleyville, California) - Goat's milk and culinary ash. This cheese comes in tiny little wheels of a pound each, and is a modern cheese. It's only been around for about 6 years. The texture immediately under the (edible) rind is a bit soft, like cream-cheese, giving way to a firmer texture inside. Like Morbier, there is a line of culinary ash in the center, giving the mildly sharp cheese a slightly smoky finish.

Reblochon -- French - Raw cow's milk. Semi-soft, golden yellow and smelling faintly of freshly baked bread, this cheese has a smooth texture and a sweet, nutty flavor.

These are just some of the cheeses I've grown to love in the past year and a half, and I'm always looking forward to the newest additions.

BOOOOOOOOZE!

My back hurts after cooking for the better part of 12 hours, and I could really use a bit of booze.

Booze, alas, makes me verrrrrry relaxed, and that's probably not the best thing for me to be for at least another 12 hours.

In the meantime, I'm dreaming of Mojitos:

3 oz light rum (Bacardi Silver is nice)
Juice of 1 lime (Fresh lime, please!)
2 tsp sugar
3 sprigs of fresh mint
1 sprig of fresh Stevia (a sweet herb)
Soda water

Toss the mint, stevia, and sugar into a mixing glass with a splash of the soda water. Gently muddle them until the sugar is dissolved and you can smell the mint. Make sure the mint is well bruised.

Add the lime juice and the rum, shake well with ice, strain and serve over cracked ice. Garnish with mint and lime.

Or you could do it the way Stina and I do: muddle a handful of mint and some sugar in the bottom of a pitcher. Wedge up some limes, squeeze them into the pitcher, then toss the limes in. Throw in a handful of cracked ice, pour in about 1/2 a pitcher of rum and 1/4 pitcher of soda water. Stir well. Sit in the back yard and drink until the pitcher is gone.

Repeat as needed! (It's 87 degrees in Toledo at 9:30PM. I expect we'd need to repeat it a lot!)

There is much to be said for a late supper...

A starter of Garlic Soup...
A salad of Red Oak leaf lettuce and Pineapple tomatoes from my garden...
Grilled chicken breasts with an AMAZING Gingered Mango-Habanero Sauce...
Sauteed zucchini from my garden...
Arancini...

A glass of Cherry wine...

Vanilla ice cream topped with still slightly warm Cherry Wine sauce...

No pictures...the camera batteries are recharging, as are my own.

We're halfway home.

Alex and I still have one more cooking trick up our sleeves, but we need to rest our feet and backs for a little while. Stick around...we still have plenty of recipes and food talk, and recipe requests are still welcome.

Thanks once again to my fabulous sponsors, and don't forget that if you pledge $50 or more, you'll get a copy of all of the recipes in .PDF format on Friday.

Grilled Chicken Breasts in Gingered Mango-Habanero Sauce

I know it seems kind of late to be having supper, but the fact of the matter is that we've been eating all day. We've gt lots going on, and we'll have plenty of leftovers for grazing tomorrow ('cause we are going to be WAY too tired to cook!).

This is going to be the last of the Real Time Cooking dishes, with the possible exception of something sweet a little later tonight.

I've had some chicken breasts marinating in the Gingered Mango-Habanero Sauce for a while now. I expect they've picked up a nice bit of the flavor, now it's time to grill them.



I've got the grill on medium heat - gas, alas, as charcoal is just way too impractical for a blogging event!

Grill these about 4 minutes per side.

Time for supper, see you in a few!

Stuffed Rice Balls, Roman Style

I've been making these a lot lately. I got the original recipe from Mario Batali's Molto Italiano cookbook. In the meantime, I've messed with it (like that's any surprise), and have made several variations of them.

In some Tapas places, these are called Arancini.

Heat your deep fryer to 375F.


1/2 cup dried mushrooms, reconstituted and finely chopped
5 tbs olive oil (I used Zoe for this one, but I'm also fond of Bio Sitia)
5 tbs butter
1 large Vidalia onion, chopped finely
4 ounces crumbled bacon (or if you want to get fancy, prosciutto)
2 cups arborrio rice
2 large eggs
1/2 cup parsely, chopped
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan (or a hard cheese of your choice. I used a well aged Leerdammer today)
1 pound Caciotta al Tartufo, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (this is a Tuscan truffled cheese. You can use mozzarella or provolone - smoked is nice!)


1 canister bread crumbs

In a heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the olive oil and butter over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the arborrio, stir to coat, then add 4 cups of hot water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and cook until all the liquid is absorbed.

Turn the rice into a large bowl, allow to cool for about 10 minutes, then add the parsely, mushrooms, cheese and eggs.

Make egg shaped balls of the rice, tucking a cube of cheese inside and closing the rice over the cheese. Roll in bread crumbs, round out...



...and deep fry til browned.

Garlic Soup

Everyone yells for this soup every time I host a Social. It's been adapted from a recipe Kenn and I found on Epicurious 6 or 7 years ago - the photo on the left is two large heads of garlic, roasted.

2 heads of garlic, separated but not peeled
4 tbs olive oil

1/4 stick butter
1 large Vidalia onion, choarsely chopped
4 tbs chopped fresh thyme
1 head of garlic, peeled and smashed
1 quart chicken stock or broth
1 bottle crisp white wine (I like Pentamere's Celebration White)
1 pint whipping cream

finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces)
lemon wedges

Preheat oven to 350F. Place unpeeled garlic cloves in small glass baking dish. Add olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Cover and bake until garlic is golden brown and tender, about 45 minutes. Cool. Squeeze garlic between fingertips to release cloves. Transfer cloves to small bowl.

Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and thyme and cook until onions are soft and translucent. Add roasted garlic and raw garlic cloves and cook 3 minutes.




Add chicken stock; cover and simmer until garlic is very tender, about 20 minutes. Working in batches, purée soup in blender or food processor until smooth. Return soup to pan, add cream and wine and bring to simmer. Simmer gently for about 20 minutes.



To serve, grate Parmesan cheese (or Piave Vecchio) into the bottom of the bowl. Ladle soup over, then squeeze a lemon wedge over the top. Awesome with crusty bread, a nice white wine and a salad, or a terrific starter course.

Time to start supper...

Remember that Gingered Mango-Habanero Sauce we made this morning?

It's time to put that to use.

Upstairs, in a glass dish, are chicken breasts marinating in half of that sauce and a bit of salt.

Where's the rest of this entry?

Alex and I are busy cooking it. It's coming...but good food takes time...

Let's talk about wine...

Just over a year ago, Mark and I accidentally discovered the most amazing little winery while taking a weekend away from the kids for our wedding anniversary.

Located in Tecumseh, MI, Pentamere Winery has become a "must stop" destination for us. Most Thursdays will find us heading North to T-ville, to have lunch in the British tea room, stock up on handcrafted cheeses and other gourmet goodies (more about Erika's later!) and wandering in to Pentamere's tasting room to fill the wine rack again. I fell in love with their Garnet, and find their refreshing Celebration White to be one of the most versatile wines extant. Drink it? Yup. Cook with it? Yup yup! Their wines always have a place on my table.

The gang at Pentamere has become more than just people we buy wine from. Dan, Maria, Ed, Annie, Nathan, Pete, Brandon and Daniel have become our friends. We get great pleasure just from visiting, chatting a bit, and hearing about what's coming up. We've had the good fortune to arrive on bottling day twice now, and both times have been offered a glass of wine right from the vat. When the new Garnet was getting ready for release, Ed took us downstairs and pulled a coupld of glasses right from the vat to see if we liked it. (We did. It's different from last year's Garnet, but oh so very lovely.) We were thrilled to be asked to pour for them at the recent Ella Sharp Festival in Jackson, MI - how can you say no to people who welcome you warmly and treat you like family?

As with all of my friends, I like to cook for them or with things they've produced. I recently started playing with dessert sauces made from Pentamere's wines, inspired by a mosey through Mario Batali's Molto Italiano. I took a pint of my first batch up - Chambourcin with cloves - and it was met with great approval.

So today, I'm doing another one...don't cringe, Ed...

Pentamere's amazing off-dry Cherry wine is currently sold out. Yet somehow, I've still got a bottle in my wine rack. I could hang on to it until the next Cherry is released in two months...but remember that lovely Vanilla Ice Cream we made this morning?

It's crying. It wants to be covered in Cherry Wine Sauce.

2 cups Cherry wine (obviously, I prefer Pentamere's. But any slightly dry Cherry will do.)
2 cups sugar
2 tsps cinnamon

Combine ingredients in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the head to low. Simmer uncovered until reduced by a third. If you like your sauces a little thicker, simmer a little longer, until it reaches the desired thickness.

Cool, then refrigerate at least an hour. Serve over ice cream. Or pie. Or eat it with a spoon!

Behold, there is FUDGE! AND - A Challenge!

Well, there is is. Fast fudge! I flavored it with Amarula, which we affectionately refer to as Elephant Juice.

What else did I do while I was gone? I started prep for the next round of cooking - my sous chefs will be home soon! What's on deck? Stick around and find out!

It's been suggested by someone who REALLY doesn't want to sift through the blog for the recipes when it's all over that I offer the whole shebang at the end of the Blogathon as a .PDF file - stupid easy to search, and easy to print out and drag around your kitchen (or anybody else's).

OK. I can do that.

If you pledge $50 or more to the National Kidney Foundation through this blog, I will e-mail you a .PDF of the entire blog on Friday.

If you've already pledged with some other amount, pledge the difference!

Come on. You know you want that file. And I want the NKF to fund the study that cures my best friend. Everybody wins!

I need chocolate...

So I'm going to go upstairs and make this while I start the next round of cooking. I got this recipe from my friend Julsy some years ago - Five Minute Magical Microwave Fudge:

1 pound chocolate chips (I like Ghirardelli's Double Chocolate Chips)
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk!)
4 tbs butter
2 tbs peppermint extract (or rum or Kahlua or whatever flavoring gets you going)

Combine all ingredients in a 9 x 9 glass baking dish. Stir well, then microwave on high for about 5 minutes. Stir well about halfway through the cooking process - chocolate chips do not lose their shape when they get melty unless you stir them up.

Allow to cool to room temperature, then stash it in the fridge for a couple hours before cutting.

Voila, Julsy's Five Minute Magical Microwave Fudge!

Make Me Some PIE!

Summer in Moozie's Kitchen means pie. All kinds of pie. Mostly because Mr. Moozie won't eat cake, but also because pie is just made for summer.

I'm very fond of Strawberry-Rhubarb pie:

Preheat the oven to 425F

3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour, sifted
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 lb fresh rhubarb, washed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 1/2 pints strawberries, washed and halved
2 tbs butter
pie crust (below)
Milk or cream
Sugar

for pie crust:

1 1/2 cups flour, sifted
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
4 tbs cold water


Sift flour and salt into a bowl, then cut in shortening until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle cold water over mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing gently with a fork just until pastry forms a ball and leaves the sides of bowl clean. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate until ready to use.

Mix sugar, flour, cinnamon, and cloves in a bowl. Add strawberries and rhubarb, toss well, and let stand for 15 minutes. Toss again.

Get the pastry out! Divide the dough in half, rolling one half out to a circle large enough to fit a 10-inch deep dish pie plate. Roll the rest out to a 10-inch square on a lightly floured surface. Cut in 1/2-inch strips with a pastry wheel or knife. Weave strips into a lattice. Cover filling. Turn ends under just enough so that strips touch sides of baking dish. Brush lattice top with milk or cream; sprinkle with sugar.

Bake at 425F for about 40 minutes, or until bubbly.

I'm just here for the food...

It feels so good to just sit down for a little bit!

Let's talk about Alton Brown, the geekiest geek of all food geeks. If you don't adore Alton, what is WRONG with you? Seriously, are you broken?

My favorite thing about Alton is that he doesn't try to make cooking out to be this mysterious art that you have to train for half a zillion year or more to master. He explains the science behind the food in terms everyone can understand, and totally demystifies the act of feeding yourself well.

Sure, the great like Thomas Keller and Charlie Trotter have trained for years, but they wouldn't have started training to begin with if they didn't already feel a deep and visceral connection with food and already have a good understanding of it. You can cook well too, if you just relax and have fun with it.

Alton caused a bit of a kerfuffle a few days ago in some communities, when he appeared in Guideposts magazine. Personally, I thought his article was terrific. It made me happy to see that my food idol was brought up pretty much the way the Monsters are being brought up when it comes to food - keep an open mind and a curious palate, and you'll find some really great things to eat.

The bit that caused the drama also happens to be my favorite part of the article:

I told you this has also been a spiritual journey for me. I’m always talking about the physics of cooking, but I’m also into the metaphysics of it. A good meal should offer both physical and spiritual nourishment. That’s why I believe the Last Supper is at the heart of Christianity, perhaps its central moment. When Christ broke bread with his disciples and reminded them to do it in remembrance of him, he was showing them the way to both earthly and heavenly sustenance. The simplest moment can be the most profound. Christ unites with his disciples through food that is both sacred and real.

In the end, all journeys are spiritual. So go off the main road. Be givers of hospitality and gracious takers of it too. Accept the serendipitous moments of life because, when all is said and done, you may find out that they were not serendipitous at all. And know that faith is as real as bread broken among friends. What you believe will take you far on your journey. If you search carefully, you will find good food all along the way.

I'm not Christian, but I can still totally get down with the idea of food being a spiritual experience - not in that pretentious, snotty, "foodier than thou" way that so many people have become so fond of lately, but in that deeply satisfying, "It's making people happy" way.

It's why I happily cook for my family and friends. It's why I'm busting out the kitchen-fu and sharing recipes and blithering about food and Alton and cooking in general.

Food can do more than soothe your guests' hunger. Lovingly prepared and cheerfully served, good food can make your guests feel warm and welcome. You can feed their souls without feeding them religion - all you have to do is prepare your meals with love, care and a happy heart.

There isn't much more that's as satisfying to me than watching my friends melt into food induced bliss. Cooking has many rewards...but that's the one I love the most.

Administrivia

Let's get some questions and such out of the way!

I've been asked, both in comments and by phone, if I'm really cooking this stuff.

The answer is "Almost everything so far!"

Except for the Thai dish, we've cooked everything. Obviously, we're not going to be able to keep up this breakneck (and break-ass - I slipped on a wayward dishtowel and down I went!) pace for the entire 24 hours, but we figured that we had to eat, we might as well cook things that we like instead of eating junk food, and share the fun with all of you!

Are you having fun?

We are!

I want to remind my sponsors that if you would like a recipe, please leave a comment and tell me what you'd like. I'll be handling requests throughout the night, once we're finished with most of the day's cooking.

Got a cooking question? Go ahead and ask!

Let's go dig around in the recipe box until the Monsters get home, shall we?

What? You want the baklava?



When it's cool, we'll cut it into diamond shaped pieces and pour the rosewater syrup over. Mmmm!

Rosewater Syrup

You have to have rosewater syrup for your baklava!

1 1/2 cups rosewater
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 tbs honey
4 tbs orange juice
1 tsp cinnamon

Combine in a heavy bottomed sauce pan, bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, stirring frequently, until thickened to desired consistency.

Cool, pour over baklava.

And try very hard not to finish the whole pan at once.

The baklava is still in the oven, but there will be a photo when it's done.

Baklava

Who has dessert after lunch? I do! And today, I'm making baklava.

It's simple, just time consuming. Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise.

Preheat the oven to 375F.

You need:

1 package phyllo dough
2 sticks BUTTER, softened (don't you DARE profane this with margarine!)
1 pound nuts, finely ground (today, I'm using walnuts and pecans.)
2 cups sugar
4 tbs cinnamon
1 tbs cloves
12 ounces (1 small bear) honey

Combine the nuts, sugar, cinnamon and cloves in a bowl and set aside. Reserve 5 sheets of phyllo, keeping well wrapped.

Generously butter a 9x13 glass baking dish. Place a sheet of phyllo into the dish and butter it. Repeat until you have 5 sheets down.




Cover with 1/4 inch of the nut mixture, then drizzle generously with honey.



Repeat - 5 sheets of buttered phyllo, followed by nuts and honey, until you're out of nuts. Lay your last 5 phyllo sheets on top, buttering each one. Be certain to butter the top sheet well.

Bake at 375F for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 and bake for another 25 - 35 minutes. You'll have to keep a close eye on it - when it's golden and puffy and the house smells of cinnamon and cloves, it's done.

What? Syrup? Yep, next post. First, I have to finish putting that pan of baklava together.

PSA: A Word About Why

The Monsters have left me to fend for myself for a little while, as Ernie has a guitar lesson on the other side of town. So we'll pause for a Public Service Announcement, then I'll go make dessert, and then we can talk about just recipes and food for a while, before resuming the cooking frenzy.

See that guy in the picture? Yeah, that guy, the one with the sunny smile?

That's David. He is my very best friend, and he's a little sick. Well...actually, he's a lot sick. He was diagnosed with Alport's Syndrome a few years ago, and is now waiting for the go-ahead for a kidney transplant.

At the moment, transplants are the only thing available to "cure" Alport's patients. There is hope, though.

Our friend Jeff talks today about some pretty amazing research looking at using bone marrow derived stem cells to treat - and maybe even cure - Alport's.

Donations to the National Kidney Foundation are what funds studies like that one - studies that, if enough time and money and patience and thought are thrown at them - may find David's cure sooner, rather than later.

I can't even remember what life was like without this guy. He makes me crazy sometimes (payback, I'm sure, for I know I do it to him, too), but I love him dearly and would do some pretty unspeakable things if it meant he would be well again.

If you haven't already, please hit the sponsor link and toss a couple bucks to the National Kidney Foundation, so they can continue to provide funding for studies like the one Jeff talks about today and outreach programs for patients with kidney diseases.

We can all make a difference.

Ma Brazeau's Kibbee

I weaseled this recipe out of my mother in-law about 15 years ago - I don't remember if I did all the whining before or after Mark and I got married, but both events happened pretty near each other.

I love this dish. I've made it for family, I've made it for friends, and I've made it just for the hell of it. My friend Mike christened this "Lamburgers" a few years back. The name stuck, and I giggle whenever I make this.

You need:

2 pounds ground lamb
2 cups dry bulghur wheat, washed until the water runs clear
1/2 cup dried mint
1/2 large onion, grated
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. allspice
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper


Soak the wheat in 2 cups of warm water until softened (about 10 minutes).

In the meatime, combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Drain the wheat and add to the bowl, mixing well again.

Some people like to taste it right about here and decide whether to add a bit more pepper or a bit more salt. If you're sure of your lamb purveyor, go ahead. I buy mine vacuum sealed and frozen from Kroger, and have never had any trouble.

Heat your deep fryer to 375 degrees.

Pat the kibbee out into patties, about and inch and a half across and 1/2 and inch thick.



Deep fry for about 3 minutes, turn, and fry for another minute or so. Drain on a paper towel, and serve with the previous 2 recipes!

Hummous b Tahini

Our next Mediterranean treat comes at Ernie's request. The kid could live on this stuff!

1 can chick peas (garbanzo beans), drained (you can try to be a badass and soak and boil dried ones, but I really don't recommend it)
2 cups tahini (sesame paste)
1 large or 2 small cloves of garlic
juice of two fresh lemons
sumac to garnish

Toss the garlic into the food processor and pulse until well minced. Add the chickpeas and lemon juice, then process til crumbly.



Add the tahini and process til smooth. Depending on the tahini, it may be rather thick, so if you're having trouble getting it to smooth out, thin it with a little water or more lemon juice if you like your hummous tart.

Garnish with sumac, serve with pita.

Taboule!

This is a lovely, simple salad that's great for hot, hot days.

1 bunch fresh parsely, washed and chopped (cheat! Use the food processor!)
1 bunch fresh mint, washed and chopped
1 cup soaked bulgher wheat, drained and squeezed out
1/2 large onion, chopped
3 small tomatoes, chopped
juice of two fresh lemons
1/2 cup olive oil (I prefer Zoe)

Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl, stir well, serve with pita bread as a standalone dish, or on the side with the next two recipes!



The tomatoes, mint and parsely all came from my garden. I love growing my own lunch.

By Request: Tofu and Vegetable Thai Curry

For Luna!

1/2 pound firm tofu, cut into bite sized chunks
3 tbs dark soy sauce
1 tbs sesame oil
1 tsp chili sauce
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, grated finely
1 head broccoli, cut into small pieces
1/2 head cauliflower, cut into small pieces
2 tbs vegetable oil
1 onion, slices thinly
1 2/3 cups coconut milk
2/3 cup water
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup green beans, halved
1 1/2 cups button mushrooms, halved
shredded scallions to garnish
boiled jasmine rice or rice noodles, to serve

For the curry paste:

2 fresh red or green chiles, seeded and chopped
1 lemongrass stalk, chopped
1 inch piece fresh galangal, chopped
2 kaffir lime leaves
2 tsp ground coriander
a few fresh cilantro sprigs
3 tsp water

Star by placing the tofu chunks into a large, oven proof glass dish, in a single layer.

Mix together the soy, sesame oil, chili sauce and grated ginger, then pour over the tofu. Toss to coat, cover, and refrigerate at least 2 hours, turning the tofu occasionally.

Make the chili paste. Place the chili paste ingredients - except for the water - in the food processor and pulse until well chopped. Add the water, and process til smooth.

Preheat your oven to 375F (190C). Get the tofu out.

Heat a large pan. Add the vegetable oil, then add the onions and cook over low heat until soft, about 8 minutes or so. Stir in the curry paste and coconut milk, add the water, and bring to a boil.

Stir in the red pepper, green beans, broccoli and cauliflower. Transfer to a large casserole dish and place on the lowest rack of the oven. Stir the tofu and marinade, then place that dish on the highest rack of the oven.

Cook for 30 mnutes, then remove the tofu and add it to the dish of vegetables. Reduce the heat to 350F (180C) and cook for another 15 minutes, or until veggies are tender.

Garnish with scallions and serve with rice or noodles.

Adapted from the Cook's Encyclopedia of Thai Cooking

Lunch Rush

Can you believe it's getting to be around lunchtime? I can't!

We're going with a Mediterranean theme for lunch here in Moozie's Kitchen today - stick around for some low fat, high yum dishes after the next entry!

The next entry is a recipe request from Sponsor and fellow Blogathoner, Luna! Luna is blogging for the Institute for 21st Century Relationships, and has asked me for an Asian inspired vegetarian dish.

I've got just the thing.

Just a reminder for all of my sponsors: if there's a recipe you want, it's yours. Just ask. If I don't have it, I can find it for you!

If you haven't sponsored me for the National Kidney Foundation, but want a recipe, it's not too late! Hop on up to the "Sponsor this blog!" link, pledge any amount to the National Kidney Foundation (even a dollar helps!), then ask for a recipe.

Hey, I'll be here all night, it's not like I won't have time.

Off to start cooking again, back soon.

Gingered Mango-Habanero Sauce

Kitarra, Mistress of the Kitchens over at Cooking Debauchery very kindly consented to allow me to swipe this amazing recipe from her after it caught my attention and threatened to cause a drool flood.

Yeah, I know, it's REALLY early in the day to be doing a cooking sauce...but this needs to be made way ahead to let the lovely flavors blend. Stick around...this sauce will feature in tonight's supper.


4 large mangoes or 6 smaller ones
1 ripe habanero pepper
½ cup lemon or lime juice
a 3 inch piece of ginger, grated
¼ - ¾ cups of raw sugar
1-2 cups water or apple juice

(I know, the dish in the picture looks like it's missing something. I'm only making half a batch.)


Remove the stem from the habanero and toss into the food processor whole. (Or, if you're pepper-phobic or are only making half a batch, halve it, get rid of the seeds, and proceed.)

Peel the mango and remove the flesh from the pit. Add to the food processor with the habanero and process until the mango is completely smooth.

(Wait, what? PEEL the damned thing? I always used to mangle mangoes, then I found this nifty tutorial. I loves me the Internetz.)



Pour the mixture into a medium sized saucepan and set on low heat. Add all of the lime juice and ginger. Add a quarter of the cup of sugar and 1 cup of water or juice. Mix until the mixture is loose.



Bring to a boil and continue to cook on low heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has reduced and thickened again. About a half hour to forty-five minutes. Taste and adjust the sugar. The sauce should be pleasantly sweet but not cloying. If a thinner sauce is desired, add some of the remaining water or juice.

Allow to cool and refrigerate over night.

(See the recipe and its glorious accompanying article here Gingered Mango-Habanero Sauce)

My Kroger was out of raw sugar, so I just nabbed fine golden cane sugar, which is just as lovely. I also subbed a Hungarian pepper for the Habanero - same problem, Kroger didn't have 'em.

We'll leave this happy sauce in the refrigerator for the rest of the day, until we pull it out at 5PM to get supper started.

What's for supper? You'll find out around 6PM!

Your love is better than ice cream...

...but not much else is better than ice cream!

What? It's too early for ice cream? Well, no, not really. It takes a little time to do ice cream right, and we're going to need this a little later in the day.

It's a busy, busy morning in the House of Moozie - lots to prepare for dishes later in the day, so there will be a couple more Real Time Recipes before lunch time.

I got my ice cream recipe from the mother of a (now former) friend. He turned out to be a real piece of work, but his Mom was a real peach, and I think of her fondly every time I make this stuff.

Get out your mixer!



4 large eggs
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 quart whipping cream
1 quart half and half
4 1/2 teaspoons vanilla or 1 ounce vanilla powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Beat the eggs and sugar together until the mixture turns pale yellow. Add whipping cream, salt and vanilla, mix until smooth and the sugar is dissolved.



Pour the mixture into the freezer chamber of your ice cream maker, add the half and half. Insert your churning paddle, seal the container, and pack it in the freezer bucket with ice and salt according to manufacturer's directions. Allow to churn for at least an hour, or until thick and creamy.



Scrape the ice cream into a large, sealable container, and place in the freezer to harden - at least 2 hours.

You can make substitutions, but they're going to change the ice cream substantially:

For whipping cream, use half and half
For half and half, use milk

If you're lactose intolerant, you can substitute both of these with soy milk or Lactaid, but the texture gets funny.

If you'd prefer not to use fresh eggs, substitute Egg Beaters.

Meet Moozie's Staff

...or...Goldilocks and the Two Dorks.

Meet my Sous Chefs for today!

Alexander is 14, thinks he's goth (but he's really a poser), is a gifted cellist and a general pain in my ass. He's also developing into quite a cook in his own right - I'm not worried about leaving Alex in charge for a little while, because he can follow a recipe with ease and has even branched out into some kitchen improvisation.

Ernest is 10, a budding classical guitarist, video game freak, and terror of the neighborhood - it's always the quiet ones you have to watch out for! Though he still has some difficulties seeing over the stove, Ernie still enjoys puttering in the kitchen. He is currently annoyed with his knife work, but has otherwise mastered prep work with ease.

Naturally, both Monsters enjoy eating, which is the primary reason they were let into the kitchen at a young age. I gave up kicking them out of the kitchen fairly quickly, allowing Alex to prepare his first dish (scrambled eggs) at the age of 3.

Today, they're going to help AND apparently monkey around.

It's all peaches and cream, baby...

Time to fill the crepes!

I bought some gorgeous huge peaches up at Ciolino's Market the other day, and I figured they'd be perfect filling for crepes.

Stick a mixing bowl and your beaters into the freezer before you get started.

You'll need:

Peaches (enough for everyone at your table, figure one per person)
1 cup heavy cream
1 tbs cornstarch
2 tbs powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla

Start by peeling a couple peaches. Since the Monsters eat like vacuums, we're going with four. They're much easier to peel if you pop them into some boiling water until they float, then plunge them into ice water immediately after. The skins will slide right off.

Got 'em peeled? Awesome. Slice half of them. The other half, cut up and toss into the food processor with 1/4 cup of the cream and the cornstarch. Puree until smooth, then pour into a heavy bottomed saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently until moderately thickened. Turn off the heat, add the sliced peaches.

Now get your bowl and beaters out of the freezer.

Pour the remaining 3/4 cup cream into the bowl and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add the powdered sugar, then the vanilla. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.

Fill your crepes with the peaches, top with the cream. Happy breakfasting!

Technical Difficulties

If you're following along on the LiveJournal feed, you may see some duplicate posts, and out of order.

I had the Blogger time settings wrong, so I had to delete and re-post.

My apologies for bombing your flist!

Basic Crepes

When I went to college, one of the first things I bought for myself was a cookbook. I had already been cooking for quite some time, thanks to the tutelage of my great-grandmother, but everyone really does need a decent cookbook to start out with.

I bought a paperback copy of the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, 886 pages of cooking goodness, easy to drag from my dorm room to the kitchen.

One of my favorite things to make from this book is Basic Crepes. They're a little time consuming, since you can only cook them one at a time, but then you can fill them with yumminess when you're all done, or as you go if you're terribly impatient.

For basic crepes:

1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
2 eggs
1 tbs. vegetable oil (if you're making savory crepes, you can use olive oil!)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine the ingredients in a bowl, beating with a hand mixer until smooth.

Heat a lightly greased 6 inch skillet until a drop of water dances and quickly evaporates. Lift from heat, spoon in about 2 tbs. of the batter, tilt the skillet to cover the bottom, return to the heat and brown it on one side only.



Turn them out onto a paper towel when browned. You should get 18 or 20 crepes out of this, fewer if you use a larger skillet and more batter. Don't go smaller than a 6 inch skillet, though - teeny crepes are much harder to fill.



What's that? What am I filling them with? I told you already - peaches and cream. But to find out how, you'll have to wait for the next post. That part isn't done yet.

Welcome to my Kitchen

Good morning!

Before we really get going here today, let me say thank you to all of my awesome sponsors! I'm grateful to every one of you for stepping up to support a terrific cause!

So...it's morning. Generally, mornings around here are pretty simple - coffee, toast, the usual handful of vitamins and medications (it's hell getting old), sometimes porridge or quick waffles...

But then there are weekends.

This is a pretty Big Deal of a weekend, wouldn't you say? I'm going to start it with crepes, peaches and cream. But that's in the next entry.

I've got some terrific recipes to share with you over the next 24 hours, along with some real-time cooking, some food porn and, if you like, answering your cooking questions.

Stick around. Call all your friends and tell them to come on by. Cook along if you've a mind to, and tell me how it's working out for you. And thanks for reading. I hope you have as much fun reading as I plan to have writing.

Welcome to Moozie's Kitchen. Napkins are in the pantry, forks are in the sideboard, and hot plates are in the dishwasher. The coffee is on, the juice is chilled, and we're looking forward to your company.

Pull up a chair.

And don't give scraps to the dog.

Blogathon 2006 is a go, scheduled for Saturday, July 29th, beginning at 9AM Eastern, and continuing on for 24 hours.

Signups for participants and sponsors begin on July 1st, 2006. Click to sponsor this blog and help support the NKF!

As with last year, I'll be participating to raise funds for the National Kidney Foundation.

Why the NKF? Well...there's this guy...he's my best friend in the entire universe. And he's pretty sick with Alport's Syndrome, an inherited kidney disorder that has no cure. He'll need a transplant in the next couple years.

I'm really relieved to have more planning time this year. Last year, we had just three weeks, and it was rough. I ended up researching on the fly. This year...the theme will be cooking, and there will be recipes and silliness. And pictures of food. And maybe a video or two of Alex and me cooking a few dishes.

ALL of my sponsors may request a recipe during the Blogathon, and if you sponsor me for $5 or more, you'll get a link in the nifty sidebar!

Mark your calendars so you can read along and keep me awake through 24 hours of writing on July 29th.