Entries from Postcards from the Trail tagged with 'Cooking'
Holiday Baking - Black Walnut Maple Oatmeal Cookies
Nut trees grow extremely well in the Central Valley of California. Everyone had a couple of different types in their backyard. We had a couple of English walnut trees. Every Spring they would bloom with long tassels and in...
Holiday Baking - Dark Chocolate, Pistachio & Smoked Sea Salt Cookies
Chocolate Chip Cookies are my favorites. They were one of the first recipes that I learned to bake. I was twelve years old and my sister-in-law was living with us while my brother was in Vietnam. She decided to...
Holiday Baking - Cranberry White Chocolate Pecan Cookies
Oh...my..goodness. There are so good and amazing. These drop cookies caught my eye on Pinch My Salt. I had a package of Nestle white chocolate chips that was just ready to use. The combination of cranberry and orange also...
Holiday Baking - Sugar Cookies
Holidays are the time for baking. I love to bake especially cookies. G and I have been spending the extra time I have before starting work trying new and old recipes for cookies. It is a fun project to...
Ginger Cookies
I used to be known for my cookies. At my previous job, I was a product specialist and I held weekly meetings focusing on the product I supported. We would have a roundtable discussing customer issues and updates on...
Beer Braised Chicken
Several weeks ago, Amy asked about favorite beef stew on a thread on Slow Talk. The discussion mentioned Carbonnade which is a Belgium stew made with beer, mustard and onions. It has lingered in the back of my mind...
Chocolate Hazelnut Ice Cream
I don't know how I did it. I survived Christmas without craving or eating chocolate. But I think the subtle chocolate messages being sent out for Valentine Day did it. I started craving chocolate ice cream two weeks ago....
Cannelloni with Spinach, Goat cheese and Roasted Garlic Tomato Sauce
I blame this on Ken at Living the life in Saint Aigan. A couple of weeks ago, Ken posted that he had made goat cheese cannelloni. I was so hungry after seeing his post that I wanted to make...
Roasted Strawberry Buttermilk Ice Cream
I bought a Cuisinart Ice Cream maker last year and it is the best thing in the world. I have mainly been making sorbets. I love the refreshing taste of fresh fruit. I have been making a wide variety...
Turkish Red Lentil Soup
I found a wonderful cookbook at my local library - Turquoise A Chef's Travels in Turkey by Greg and Lucy Malouf. I have thoroughly been enjoying the gorgeous photographs and the recipes all sound wonderful. I thought I would...
Broccoli Stir Fry
I'm always looking for new vegetarian dishes. I made this tonight. It is from the Feb/Mar 2010 issue of Fine Cooking. It has a great article on Flex Your Meals - dishes that can easily be made meatless. This...
Photohunt: Education
Making Mozzerella class This week's photohunt theme is Education. I started to do another post on France until I realized that I did it for the theme of School. Then I had an idea.... Last weekend I was in...
Pumpkin Muffins
Continuing with the breakfast theme - these are some awesome muffins. These have a mixture of whole and regular flour, healthy pumpkin or winter squash, a small amount of sugar along with nuts and dried fruit. Not too bad...
Breakfast Fritatta
I mentioned in earlier post that we are looking for breakfast recipes. I found some great ideas on the San Francisco Chronicle including the Buttermilk Whole Wheat Pancakes. I loved the sound of the vegetable fritatta. It would be...
Buttermilk Whole Wheat Pancakes
G has eaten the same thing for breakfast for over 10 years. I could never do it. He has no interest in cooking or learning how to cook so he is interested in eating something that is easy and...
Cassata alla Siciliana
We have a tradition of getting together with our good friends on Vashon Island and celebrating Christmas. We got together this weekend for our celebration. We have done this now for over 10 years. They are one of G's...
Winter squash and Chickpea Stew
I had one of those Costco moments a couple of months ago. I saw an 8-pack of S&W chickpeas and thought - hey that would be a great buy. Six months later and I still have 5 cans left....
Cinnamon Bread
Fall is not one of my favorite seasons but I have found that I am enjoying it more and more. There is definitely something wonderful about a crisp Fall day on the trail with sky brilliantly blue. Or the...
Tomato Puree
Well, the trays of tomatoes ripened up and I had enough home grown tomatoes to can. The Aug/Sept2010 issue of Fine Cooking had a good article on canning tomato puree . I had mostly small little Stupice variety tomatoes...
Bread and Pasta
Lots of time - that is what you have when you are unemployed. I am taking this opportunity to do more time consuming cooking. Canning has been one project. It is now cooler so I have been more interested...
Dilly Beans
Our green and yellow beans have been ripening fast. The weather is also turning cold so the beans are toughening. They are starting to plump up their seeds. The Blue Lakes are still pretty meaty but our Yellow Romanos...
Cauliflower and Caramelized Onion Tart
Cauliflower has been on sale recently. I usually always pick up a head when the price goes below $1.00. I'm always frustrated at the waste. I usually have to cut off at least a good extra half pound or...
Cracked the secret of poached eggs
I love eggs and asparagus. They are food that reminds me of Spring. One of my favorite ways to serve these together is in a salad. I first made this salad last year. Asparagus is on sale and I...
Sour Cherry Crisp
It is G's birthday this week. I asked him what he wanted me to bake him for his birthday. I totally expected him to ask for something chocolate but he asked for a fruit cobbler. I was somewhat surprised....
Sunday Slow Suppers - Lamb Tagine with Fennel and Olives
I haven't been participating in the recent Slow Travel cooking theme - Sunday Slow Suppers. They have had several interesting recipes such as Jerry's Crab and Shrimp Risotto. But this week's recipe for Goat Tagine with Fennel and Olives...
Mee Goreng
I've been craving Asian noodles after the excess of the holidays. Yesterday, I made Chow Mein which was very yummy. I had half of the noodles left over so I decided to try a new recipe. I looked over...
Buttermilk Oatmeal Pancakes
Sunday pancakes are now a habit. I am enjoying trying different types and recipes. There was an interesting recipe recently in the New York Times for Oatmeal Pancakes. It looked very good but a little too healthy using whole...
Buckwheat Pancakes
I used to use a mix for making pancakes and waffles. Most were very thin and tasteless. Okay... not completely tasteless - more like cardboard. There was one mix that I really liked was the buckwheat pancake mix from...
Banana Macadamia Pancakes
Aloha! It is almost time to travel to Hawaii. This week's pancake is a tasty flapjack favored from the islands - Banana Macadamia Pancake. I've been reading about the pancakes at Boots & Kimo's in Kailau - Banana pancakes...
Buttermilk Pancakes
It is Sunday and time for more pancakes. I wanted to make the pancakes I made several weeks ago but didn't blog about. I remembered that they had sour cream but completely forgot buttermilk was also in the recipe....
Healthy Bread
I've been subscribing to the blog of the authors of "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day". I've been making their recipe for a simple crusty bread for a while. They have a new book out - "Heathy Bread...
Ricotta Pancakes
Last weekend, I made Dutch Baby Pancakes. They were oh-so-good but I wanted to try another recipe for traditional pancakes. Some people call them hotcakes or flapjacks. I can not remember exactly what my Mother called them. I think...
Dutch Baby Pancakes
Fall has returned with a vengeance. Thursday night we had lightening and thunder along with heavy rain. Leaves have been flying horizontally across the yard in the strong winds. I just want to curl up with the heater. I...
Cranberry Apple Crisp
I was looking in the freezer the other day and noticed that I had two packages of frozen fresh cranberries. I froze them last year when we had the snow and were not able to have our friends over...
Dragonfruit
Several people commented about dragonfruit in my post on the Kuching market so I thought I'd talk a bit more about it. We've grown cactus so we were intrigued to find out that Dragonfruit is the fruit of a...
Tortillitas with Shrimp
One of my favorite food of Nice and Liguria is Socca. It is basically a crepe made of chickpea or garbanzo flour. Chez Teresa is well known vendor in Cours Saleya. I have fond memories of a warm September...
Sunday SlowSoupers #1 - Carrot Orange Ginger Soup
This week's selection is a super easy soup. It is Carrot Ginger Soup and was selected by Debrah. It has been her favorite for at least 20 years and she used to make it when she was catering for film...
Thai Red Curry
Wow! Was that spicy! I love different Thai curries. My favorite is red but I've never made it before. I was trying to figure out what to make for dinner and checked the cupboard. I found a carton of...
Sunday SlowSoupers #17 - One-of-Each Soup
I've missed several of the recent Slow Soupers. But I'm back. This week's selection was chosen by jgk. It was originally published in December of 2001 in Gourmet. It has several interesting ingredients such as banana. Curry with apple is...
Bahmi Goreng - Indonesian Fried Noodles
I checked the refrigerator after returning from my weekend in Paso Robles and immediately saw that I had half of a package of Chinese egg noodles. I dug around and noticed that I also had some snow peas. Hmmmm.....
Bihung Goreng - Fried Rice Noodles
Here is another recipe I've tried from the cookbook "The Exotic Kitchens of Malaysia" by Copeland Marks. I had some extra rice noodles left from making the Curry Mee again and I wanted to try this recipe. Goreng means...
Gong Xi Fa Cai
Happy Chinese New Year, 4707 the year of the Ox - Gong Xi Fa Cai - Gung Hei Fat Cho It is the year of the Ox. A strong beast, patient and hopefully a sign to instill confidence in...
Fish Head Curry - Kari Kepala Ikan
We have enjoyed trying different recipes for curry from "The Exotic Kitchens of Malaysia". The difference between the recipes have been very subtle. Some include lemongrass and lime leaves, others have tomato and cardamon pods, some have tamarind, others...
Sunday SlowSoupers #9 - Leek and Asparagus Soup
It is week 9 of the Sunday Slow Soupers ~ a group of Slow Travel members cooking soup and blogging together every Sunday. This week's soup is Leek and Asparagus Soup with Fried Leeks and Crushed Amaretti selected by...
Anthony Bourdain in Malaysia
I was looking out on You Tube for some videos of Malaysian cooking when I came across the No Reservations segment on Malaysia. It was pretty adventurous as expected. Let's just say I doubt if I'm going to be eating...
Fish Curry - Gulai Ikan
Another dish very popular in Malaysia is fish curry. I thought I would give it a try since I had most of the ingredients. It is a breakfast food in some cities. A more famous national dish is fish...
Curry Laksa
Last week, there was a excellent and timely article in the Food section of the New York Times on Asian chicken soups. The article highlights the curry coconut milk soups of Southeast Asia. These soups go by varying names;...
Almond Butter Cake
One of the few things I miss about not working is sharing my baking with my coworkers especially at Christmas. I would get an urge to bake and take batches of cookies and cakes to work. I would have...
Sunday SlowSoupers #5 - Pumpkin Soup with Cheddar and Parmesan
It is week 5 of the Sunday Slow Soupers ~ a group of Slow Travel members cooking soup and blogging together every Sunday. This week's selection is Pumpkin Soup with Cheddar and Parmesan selected by Slow Travel member Nancyhol....
Sunday SlowSoupers #3 - Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
It is week 3 of the Sunday Slow Soupers ~ a group soup cook-a-long on Slow Travel. This week's host is Krista from In and Out of the Garden. I love butternut squash. It has such a smooth texture...
Sugar and Spice Pumpkin Pie
I love pumpkin pie. It was one of the first things I learned to bake. My mother had an old recipe book from the 20's with a recipe that she always made. It pass down over the years and...
Goan Curried Fish Stew
I mentioned this dish last week during a chat on Slow Travel. I've made this several times. I takes a little preparation but goes together well. I've never made it exactly as it written. I've cut it in half once...
Butternut Squash Leek Filo
A couple of weeks ago, I made a mushroom leek filo for a pre-Thanksgiving get together. I had a half package of filo left. What to do? I also had a butternut squash and a big package of Gruyere...
Sunday SlowSoupers - Porcini and Chestnut Soup
We are starting new group cook-a-long on Slow Travel. Previously we baked from Dolce Italiano and made ice cream from The Perfect Scoop. This time we are making soup. Our group is called the Sunday Slow Soupers. Logo by...
Gnocchi
One of my goals has been to try to make gnocchi from scratch. We have a couple of great sources for fresh handmade gnocchi. Pasta and Company makes my favorite - light, easy to cook. Cucina Fresca also makes...
Pumpkin Ravioli with Brown Butter, Sage and Pine Nuts
Fall is starting to be one of my favorite cooking season. I love squashes, nuts, soups and roasted dinners. It is also a great time for vegetarian cooking. I forgot last week's Presto Pasta Night. This week Chef Melissa of...
Poached Pears with Marsala, Cinnamon, and Vanilla
My friend dropped off some fresh bosc pears this weekend. I wanted to try something different. I have never poached pears in wine but it sounded wonderful especially with some type of cream as an accent. I looked around Epicurious...
Mushroom Polenta
It was 34 degrees this morning. But the day was brilliantly clear and bright. The bright blue sky contrasted with the red of the Japanese maples. I'm still working my way through my pantry trying to use up the...
Braised Lentils
I've been reorganizing my pantry and trying to use up the older food. I came across some Umbrian lentils that I bought several years ago. Hmmm... what should I make. I pulled out "Everyday Greens" by Annie Somerville. I love...
Linguine with Clams in Spicy Pernod Sauce
The harvest is almost done here in the Pacific Northwest. G harvested all the tomatoes last week and has them boxed downstairs. He has devised a system to ripen the tomatoes by putting wrapping them in newspaper, storing them...
Squash, Corn and Coconut Soup
Squash, Corn and Coconut Soup Last weekend we went for a hike up at Washington Pass which crosses through the North Cascades National Park. It is one of the higher passes here in Washington State at over 5,000 ft....
Creamy Cucumber Soup
I've been saving cooking magazines for ages. I've got several boxes of old Bon Appetites, Gourmets, Fine Cooking, Sunset and others. I used to go back and re-read the older issues. But I've come to realize that everything I...
Nectarine Berry Crisp
The local stone fruits are just coming in at the local farmers markets. The berries are at the height of season. There are great selections of raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and tayberries in the markets. I have been serving sweetened...
Sunday Slow Bakers #11 - Strawberries in Chianti with Black Pepper Ricotta Cream
It is time for Sunday Slow Bakers. We are a group of bakers from Slow Travel who are baking and blogging together each Sunday. The group was organized by Krista and this is our eighth bake. Today's dessert is...
Sunday Slow Bakers #9 - Bittersweet Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies
It is time for Sunday Slow Bakers. We are a group of bakers from Slow Travel who are baking and blogging together each Sunday. The group was organized by Krista and this is our eighth bake. Today's bake is...
Sunday Slow Bakers #8 - Chocolate and Polenta Tart
It is time for Sunday Slow Bakers. We are a group of bakers from Slow Travel who are baking and blogging together each Sunday. The group was organized by Krista and this is our eighth bake. Today's bake is...
Sunday Slow Bakers #6 - Hazelnut and Grape Tart
It is time for Sunday Slow Bakers. We are a group of bakers from Slow Travel who are baking and blogging together each Sunday. The group was organized by Krista and this is our sixth bake. Today's bake is...
Sunday Slow Bakers #5 - Biscotti di Limone e Semolino
It is time for Sunday Slow Bakers. We are a group of bakers from Slow Travel who are baking and blogging together each Sunday. The group was organized by Krista and this is our fifth bake. Jerry at Jerry's...
Sunday Slow Bakers #4 - Grappa-soaked Mini Sponge Cakes
It is time for Sunday Slow Bakers. We are a group of bakers from Slow Travel who are baking and blogging together each Sunday. The group was organized by Krista and this is our fourth bake. This week's selection...
Sunday Slow Bakers #3 - Babbo Grissini
It is time for Sunday Slow Bakers. We are a group of bakers from Slow Travel who are baking and blogging together each Sunday. The group was organized by Krista and this is our third bake. This week's selectionis...
Aspargus Quiche
There is nothing that says spring like aspargus. It is season now. The best asparagus comes from the San Joaquin Delta area around Stockton. Juicy fat stalks. I picked up a bunch at Costco this weekend and I've been...
Sunday Slow Bakers #2 - Sicilian Pistashio Bars
Krista came up with a great idea for the bloggers on Slow Travel. We will pick a recipe from a cookbook and bake it some time during the week. On Sunday, we will all blog the results. Jerry came...
French Lentil Soup
I won't like to go out to lunch. I prefer to make something interesting on the weekend and eat at my desk. We have a central lunch room but I usually just microwave something and bring it back to...
Choclate Cream Pie
I was reading Anadamo's post about pie. My Pi post inspired her to try an apple pie. Yeah! Anadamo - your pie sounded great. Congrats on a successful pie from scratch. I missed making a pie on Pi Day...
Baked Fettuccine with Asparagus, Lemon and Mascarpone
Here is another good baked pasta from Fine Cooking. This one is very rich and it is a little more complicated than it seems at first. It took me four pans to prepare and bake the dish. It is...
Yellow Thai Curry
I love Thai food. It is my favorite next to Mexican. I shied away from cooking it at home for a long time. The ingredients looked too exotic and I thought it would be difficult. Fine Cooking Magazine had...
Happy New Year
Okay, I'm throwing in the towel. I've been holding off blogging for a while to entice myself to finish blogging about my vacation in France. I give up. I haven't been working on it for a while and I...
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