Recipe Tests

I've been trying new recipes and fiddling with old ones since the year began. Today, I am revisiting my recipe for "Mexican Meatballs"; I have always made the meatballs with chopped pickled jalapenos, but today I substituted pepperoncini -- because that's what I had on hand. I also had chipotles in adobo in the freezer, so one of them went into the sauce. It's all cooking slowly now; smells good, so we will see....

The other day, I tried a quick Chicken Paella which turned out very nice, although it seemed to me to taste more like a Puerto Rican "Arroz con Pollo" that a true Paella.

Hmmm....I seem to be on a spicy kick; must be the cold and snow that have led me down that path. But I plan to try a recipe for "Orzo with Pesto and Lemon" this week. Yes, pesto, which I make in the summer and freeze so I can enjoy it in the winter. BTW, I freeze it without the Parmesan cheese because the cheese loses some of its flavor when frozen. And stirring freshly-grated cheese into the defrosted Pesto is very easy.

Shallots, mmmm good!

Right now, I'm making a simple marinated chicken breast which I'm roasting with a side of fingerling potatoes. Which got me remembering a simple recipe I used to make for Lenny: buttermilk mashed potatoes topped with fried shallots. It's pretty simple, so I won't try to offer precise measurements.

Make your favorite mashed potatoes. While they are cooking, thinly slice some shallots. Heat a neutral-tasting oil (eg, Canola) in a frying pan. Add the shallots, fry until they are crispy, then drain on paper towels. Top the mashed potatoes with the fried shallots. Enjoy.

New Year; New Recipes

Happy New Year everyone. I hope any bad times are behind you and bright days are ahead.

I am trying a new recipe for baked whole chicken tonight; I'll let you know how it comes out. I'm also making a tried-and-true recipe for Potatoes Savoyarde and another for roasted asparagus. Just in case!

This winter weather inspires me to make comfort food, either new or old recipes. How about you? What do you love to make in the winter?

Really tasty (and healthy) Carrot Soup

I made this recipe for friends recently (you know them, my tasting "victims" whom I always ask to taste new recipes the first time I make them). Well, this soup is from a very old Gourmet "Best of" volume. It is lovely. And easy. It is a small recipe, serving 2, but I think you could double or triple it without a problem.

CURRIED CARROT SCALLION SOUP

1/3 c thinly sliced white part of scallion, plus thinly sliced scallion green for garnish
1 teaspoon olive oil
pinch of mild curry powder
1-1/2 cups thinly sliced peeled carrots, plus finely grated carrot for garnish
1-1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

In a saucepan, cook the white part of the scallion in the oil over low heat, stirring, until softened.
Add the curry powder and cook, stirring, about 1 minute.
Add the sliced carrots and broth; bring to a boil, then simmer until the carrots are very tender (15-20 minutes).
Transfer mixture to a blender or food processor; puree mixture.
Return mixture to the pan, heat over moderate heat.
Ladle into two bowls, garnish with scallion green and grated carrot.

Walter's Steakhouse - A must!

Last Saturday, October 2nd, my husband and I celebrated our 32nd wedding anniversary with dinner at Walter’s Steakhouse on Union Street in Wilmington. This was not a Diva night out; this Diva was out for dinner with her hubby. It has been years since we last dined at Walters. While our previous visit was pleasant, this time our total dinning experience and the food was outstanding! We especially want to mention our waiter, Andre. We cannot remember when we had a waiter that was so professional, absolutely top notch! He was so on top of everything attentive with out hovering, did not remove the dinner dishes until we were both done eating, and did not rush us through each course. Let me share our experience.
First the décor is very warm and reminded us of a fine dinning restaurant in the early 1900; lots of wood, dark reds and greens, white tablecloths, etc. I recall the décor being similar to what it was the last time we were here but it seemed fresher.
We were seated at a nice sized table, one where you did not have to move all of the table appointments to one side to make room for your dinner plate and bread basket. You know what I am talking about …how often have you had to move that little vase of flower, salt and pepper and candle to one side of the table? Not all of the tables for two were this large but we were lucky enough to get this one.
My hubby and I ordered our before dinner drinks. Fred had a Dewars and water, and I had a Grand Mariner Martini. We made a toast for our Anniversary and within a 30 seconds., so it seemed, Andre was at our table side with two glasses of Champagne and the bus boy walked by and wished us “many more”! We did not realize Andre was near by and overheard us. Impressive! The bread for the table was warm and delicious. We ordered from the $29.95 special menu which included an appetizer, salad, an entrée and a dessert. Fred ordered the Lobster Bisque, filet and crème brulee. I ordered the scallop wrapped bacon, prime rib and bananas foster. Fred’s filet was medium and was perfect to order. I ordered prime rib medium rare, and emphasized “rare” and it also was perfect, full of flavor with little fat or waste. We gave the over all dinner an outstanding rating. The last and final touch for the evening was the coffee. When the Divas go out coffee is one of our pet peeves it is usually just ok or so so. Not a Walters. There coffee was so out standing that we had to ask what is was, and hoped that would not tell us “Maxwell House”. Well, he didn’t. It was a brand we had not heard of I believe it was Casa. It was absolutely the best and a perfect ending to a perfect meal. We are putting Walters on our list of places that we plan to frequent more often. Andre, thank you for making our special evening extra special!


http://www.walters-steakhouse.com/index2.html

Foxfire: Local and seasonal

The Divas, minus me, went to the Stone Barn recently for brunch. I didn't see mention in the review of a new restaurant which is also located there:

"Speaking of seasonal and local foods, I have just heard about the opening of a new farm to table restaurant in the area called Foxfire at the Stone Barn. Located on the lovely country estate at 550 Upland Road in Kennett Square, PA, the Stone Barn is a family-run restaurant and event setting, nestled in the rolling hills of Chester County.

Foxfire is a BYOB restaurant that serves local foods, featuring a fresh, changing menu throughout the year. Seatings are Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and reservations are required by calling 610-347-2414. For more information, visit: http://www.thestonebarn.com/foxfire.htm. "

Do any Divas, followers, other foodies have experiences of this restaurant to share?

The Stone Barn, Kennett, PA

On a beautiful Sunday morning August 29, three of the four Divas once again ventured out for brunch at The Stone Barn. It was a gorgeous day for a ride and The Stone Barn being out in the middle of horse country, made for a lovely way to start the day. One Diva, who is a city gal, got a little lost and after stopping several times to ask for directions finally found the restaurant. The Stone Barn setting is on rolling hills with beautiful landscaping … a perfect place for a wedding or special occasion. As the name states, it is in fact a stone barn which once was a horse stable, now converted into a restaurant. It is charming, with nicely appointed tables with white table clothes, beautiful views out of all of the windows and plenty of natural sunlight in the room where we were seated. There is also an interior room which was darker with a warm and cozy feel. The brunch was served buffet style and a very attractive spread of breakfast and lunch foods. The one other item which is always important to the Divas is the room’s acoustics. How wonderful it was that we could easily carry on a conversation and not notice the conversations of those around you. The Stone Barn gets an A+ in this area.
A spread of fresh fruit was welcoming, the waffles nice and light. Two of the Divas went for these and we both chose blueberry topping which was nice, not too sweet. The breakfast foods were traditional, I always try the eggs benedict and similar to any other brunch buffet, I was disappointed. You can never cut them with a knife because the muffin gets so hard on the bottom from setting in the warming tray. The place that figures out how to solve this problem will get this diner coming back often. The coffee was not to our liking; in fact none of us finished our first cup. On to the next course, the luncheon spread. The hit here was the mussels with the pineapple salsa. Both Nancy and Nanzie really enjoyed them. I, as usual always have a good appetite, and sampled just about everything, from soup to salad and some of the entrees. The other two Divas sampled just a few of items. We agreed that the free range chicken was very good, and I raved about the salmon with crab as being cooked perfectly, and was moist and succulent. However, overall we rated the food good, but not outstanding. The ambiance is outstanding and with the right company, a wonderful experience.
Visit the Stone barn's website at: http://www.thestonebarn.com/