Food Network Cooking Club Challenge (May)

I had fun working on this challenge because I knew right off the bat I didn't like the name, White Chocolate Banana Loaf. It led me to believe it was a breakfast bread and I have a problem with chocolate in breakfast breads. I think at that point they go from breakfast to dessert. I bought a decorative pan to make little individual cakes. With that in mind, my presentation lends itself better to be a dessert than a breakfast food.

You'll have to go to foodtv.com, Cooking Club Challenge May, for the recipe since there is no sense in me rewriting it. I made a few slight changes. Chocolate and cinnamon aren't a good combination to my palette. I reduced to 1/4 tsp Cinnamon and added 1/4 tsp of Cardamom. The recipe is a little dry which was a common complaint among this month's bakers. To remedy, add 1 1/2 Bananas instead of 1 banana.

For the presentation, I sliced 1 cake and left the other whole. I heated 1/2 Cup 1/2 & 1/2 and turned off the heat then added about 1/3 Cup Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips for a quick chocolate sauce. I diced A Single Strawberry and snipped Fresh Mint. Once done setting up the plate, using a potato peeler, I shaved White Chocolate over the entire presentation. I got to eat this sample and it was really good.

Fluffy Scrambled Eggs

Whenever I see leftover bread from the previous night's dinner on my counter, I immediately think of scrambled eggs for breakfast. I always enjoy a slice of toasted sourdough with eggs.
Believe if or not there are many ways to screw up scrambled eggs, heat too high or too low, too much or not enough liquid, and most often too much or too little stirring while it's cooking. I recall as kid, often my Mom would say I stirred too much and the eggs were like beebees. Here is my recipe for the perfect scrambled eggs, fluffy, light, just done.

In a bowl, beat with a fork 2 Large Eggs with 1 Tbl 1/2&1/2 or Heavy Cream. Slice bread and place in the toaster. Heat empty 8" non stick pan over medium heat for a few minutes until hot. Add 1 Tbl Butter and once melted, add eggs. Begin toasting bread. As eggs are just beginning to cook around the edge, using a heat resistant rubber spatula, begin to fold gently. Continue folding gently as the eggs cook until the doneness you like. Once toast is done, spread with butter. Place eggs and toast on a plate and top with S&P to taste and fresh herbs if you like. Pictured is freshly snipped chives. Dill works well, too.

New Camera is Awesome

I ended up with another Sony, the H50, but the others didn't compare for 1 reason or another and were more expensive. This camera is 9.1 vs. 6 megapixels and has a 15x vs. 12x optical zoom. It is slightly different than my previous camera. The battery is tiny and the plug-in charger doesn't include a cord, very cool. The 4g memory stick I already own works and if you ever bought a new camera and couldn't reuse your memory, it always adds big bucks to the price.
So my first post is the Chinese Eggplant and hopefully you like the photography (and the recipe).

Oven Roasted Chinese Eggplant

Spring is ending and early baby summer vegetables are aplenty and they are the perfect size for roasting whole. You can use baby Eggplant (Black Beauty or White) , Ichabad (Japanese Eggplant) or as pictured, Chinese Eggplant.
Preheat the oven to 350. Rinse 3 Eggplants, cut down the middle and place on sheet pan, cut side up. Generously top with Olive Oil, S&P to taste, Fresh Oregano and Fresh Basil. If your herbs are clean, which mine were not, don't wash them because as you can see, they turn brown quickly once cut. None-the-less, place in the oven and roast for 45 minutes or until done.
They should be soft all the way through and lightly browned. They can be served hot or room temperature. For serving, place on a platter and pour seasoned olive oil from the pan over eggplant. Heat a 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar over medium heat and reduce slightly until it thickens. Drizzle over eggplant and top with Grated Parmesan Cheese. I ate these by scraping the eggplant from the skin although it is all edible.

Lemon Rosemary Risotto

I will have a photo the next time I make this. With fresh herbs growing now, I love to use them every chance I get!
Heat empty sauce pan over medium heat. Zest then juice 1 Lemon. Rough chop 1 Tbl Fresh Rosemary Sprigs, be sure to remove the stems. Add 2 Tbl Olive Oil to heated pan. Add 1/2 of a Diced Vidalia Onion and cook stirring for a few minutes just enough to sweat it. Do not brown. Add 1 Cup Aborio Rice. Stir Rice and Onion together for about 1 minute. Begin adding Chicken Broth, just enough to cover the rice while keeping a simmer going. If you are unable to do this, heat broth in a pan over low heat and ladle in as needed. Stir risotto often so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. After about 1 cup of broth has been added, add lemon juice. Go back to adding the broth and as it evaporates, add more until rice is cooked perfectly. It will take 2 1/2-3 cups of broth. Once rice is done, stir in rosemary and lemon zest. Serve topped with Shaved Parmesan Cheese.

May Need a New Camera

I checked on the button for my camera today, thinking it was due in and that they simply forgot to call me. I was very disappointed to find out that it could be a 12 week wait. I immedicately went online to see if I could find this foolish button and spring set up and to order it myself. I found many complaints about this very problem on the Sony DCS H2 camera. This thing just pops off at the most inconvenient time and the spring gets lost. In fact, I had many problems with the focusing mechanism of this camera in that the picture would be in focus but the lens would continue to move in and out then randomly shoot a photo unfocused at a delayed rate of speed. Alas, another common problem with this model camera. The button fix is a meer $180 to repair if you call Sony directly, just about 1/2 the price of the camera. Funny thing is, for macro photography, I never had a problem with the focus.
With a pending trip to NY in about 6 weeks and a blog that needs some new inspiration, I may hit Best Buy tomorrow to begin sorting through the models available. Naturally, I'll get just about twice the pixels of what I have and since it seems I need a new camera every few years, I won't spend more than $400, it just isn't worth it.

Teacher Gift Ideas

When it's teacher appreciation week I usually have lots of people to thank.

Here are some of my teacher gift ideas:

Put together ingredients to make something and include Madagascar Vanilla, (World Markets).

I like to give Goo Goo Bars (recipe on this site). I put together 3 small plastic bags with 1) The Sugars, 2) The Flour/Salt and Levening Agent, and 3) The Coconut/Nuts/Chocolate. I glue the printed recipe to scrap book paper and have my son write a note on the back and sign his name. I tie this to the bag and stuff with colorful tissue. Cost around $12-14.

I make homemade Wheat Pasta and include 4 oz of Homemade Pesto. I glue the printed recipe to scrap book paper and have my son write a note on the back and sign his name. I tie this to a bag and stuff with colorful tissue. This has to be refrigerated. Cost Under $5.

Homemade Granola (recipe on this site). I glue a printed recipe, for instance a Fruit and Yogurt parfait, to scrap book paper and I have my son write a note on the back and sign his name. I tie this to a bag and stuff with colorful tissue. Cost, under $5.

For a large group, I bake cookies on a stick and have my son help decorate them. I make an arrangement with the cookies in a clean clay pot using styrofoam in the bottom. Nothing says thank you more than seeing a child carrying this arrangement, proud they had a part in it. Cost under $10.

Get a small strawberry pot and fill each hole with a different fresh herb. Many times each herb can be broken in half and used to fill 2 pots. Plant flowers in the top. They'll have to water each day but will have fresh herbs all summer long. Cost around $15.








My sister has made fresh salsa packaged in nice jar (recipe on site) and included freshly baked chips from a local retaurant. The salsa needs to be refrigerated and it usually has about a 1 week shelf life. Cost $6-8 depending on the jar.

Put together the dry ingredients for pancakes (recipe is on this site).  All they need to add is Buttermilk, an Egg, and Oil.  I like to mix the flours adding either wheat or buckwheat.  I print out the recipe and attach it to scrap book paper.  My son writes a note on the back.  I place it in a handled bag along with a pint of Fancy Grade Vermont Maple Syrup which I purchase directly from Therrien's Sugar House, Brattleboro, Vermont.  You can call Kim directly, (802)257-4013.

I love consumables because it allows teachers to take a break and that's what it's all about! That says thank you!

My camera is still broken

I called the camera shop today and they have assured me the spring I need was ordered. It's due in next week! I borrowed my son's Nikon Coolpix and although it has a macro setting which I used for the crab cakes, the photographs don't compare to my Sony. So please hang in there while I wait on cooking new things I would like to post. I am already accumulating a list!

Franciscan Wine

I can sometimes find this wine for just under $15 and when it's over it's not by much. It has a terrific flavor. Deeper yellow than some chardonnays and a bit of oak plus not too dry. I like to smell my wine before I drink it and this is one of those I know will be good before I have even taken my first sip!

Fresh Crabmeat Cakes

My husband picked 18 crabs so I could make fresh crab cakes for Mother's Day. Not everyone can pick a crab properly but my husband is a pro! A few of the crabs were difficult because the seafood market had overcooked them.
In the end, they provided about a pound of the most gorgeous lump crabmeat you have ever seen or tasted and I in turn made 8 crabcakes. When you pick your own crabs, they have already been seasoned so you do less to season the crab mixture. Here, my recipe assumes you picked the crabs. Cook 1 Ear of Fresh Corn for a few minutes or until you think the kernels will just pop in your mouth. Let cool and remove corn from cobb. While cooling, make a quick Remoulade Sauce using 2 Tbl Sour Cream, 1 Tbl Ketchup, 1 1/2 tsp Stone Ground Prepared Mustard, and 2 tsp Horseradish Sauce. This is approximate and you can make yours to taste.

Don't mix until everything is in the bowl. To 1 Pound of Crab Meat, add 2 Tbl Sour Cream, the Corn, 1 tsp of either Chives or Scallions, 1 Egg Slightly Beaten, 1 tsp of either Tony Chachere's or LaDon's BBQ Shrimp seasoning, 1 tsp Stone Ground Mustard, S&P to taste. On a clean plate, sprinkle Panko Bread Crumbs.

Very gently, in a folding manner, stir the mixture with a rubber spatula. Do not break up the crab meat. I like to cook 1 and make adjustments to the seasoning after sampling it. Shhhh, don't tell anyone you are going to do this step! Preheat an empty non stick skillet over medium heat. Add 2-3 Tbl Olive Oil and continue heating. While it is getting ready, move on the the next step.
I like crab cakes that are small around but tall. Using about 2 oz of mixture, begin to form a cake in the palm of you hand. This is difficult to do because the lumps don't allow it to stick together. Just remain patient and calm or the entire thing will turn into a mess. Rotate the cake and eventually it will stay together. Quickly and gently, place in the Panko Crumbs. Rotate the cake keeping it's shape. Lift the entire cake and flip it over. Again, rotate to keep the tall shape. (Don't get crumbs on the sides, just the top and bottom.) Lift and add to skillet.

You will begin to see that the bread crumbs are browning and you can turn it over fairly easily. Remember, turn only once.

Let the second side brown and place on prepared plate. Do not get more ready than you have room for.

Serve at once garnished with a lemon wedge.

For a big party, if trying to make ahead, cooked them and warm them on a sheet pan for 10 minutes in an oven set to 325.

Camera Broke While in Russia

The day before we came home, the shutter button fell off my camera. I went to get it fixed today and was told the spring came out and although I have the button itself, am working on ordering a new spring. Will have some new posts by next week.

OK, Back Home

Back home and still jet lagged. Will try to get crackin' in the next few days.