icing on the cake...

Thu, 10 May 2012 20:21:21 -0400

[whipped buttercream frosting] again, trying to always keep it simple, this frosting is fluffy, delicious and so easy - you must try to make it at least once! then i’d be surprised if you’re not hooked...

• start with very soft butter - it should be warm and almost melting, but not liquid (if you get to the liquid stage, let it rest for a while, or put it in the fridge until it firms up a little) - note: for one cake i would likely use two sticks of butter
• for every stick of butter, add one cup of confectioner’s sugar - whip together on low speed until it is creamed, then switch to high speed and whip until the color begins to be light ivory and the consistency is closer to heavy whipped cream

now’s the fun part, adding flavors...
• typically, i add one teaspoon of vanilla or almond flavoring per stick of butter (occasionally, i go half vanilla, half almond)
• cream cheese buttercream: for every stick of butter, i might add 1tsp vanilla flavoring and 1/4cup softened whipped cream cheese
• chocolate buttercream: for every stick of butter, i might add 1tsp vanilla or almond flavoring and 1tbsp finely sifted cocoa
• crunchy peanut butter: for every stick of butter, i might add 1tsp vanilla flavoring and 1/4cup softened crunchy peanut butter

now you try it, the possibilities are endless, so report back some of your creative success stories...or tell me what else you’d like for flavor options...

because it matters,
jayne
I’d love to hear what you think,
or what you’re challenged with in cooking and/or the everyday life...
please comment!

it’s a cake walk...

Wed, 9 May 2012 17:14:32 -0400

[secret to perfect cake] ok, i’ll admit, i’m not the one who ever looked forward to picking my birthday cake - in fact, if i had the choice, i usually picked anything other than cake for my birthday celebrations...

however, if i love entertaining (which i do) and if i want to please my guests (again, i do) then, i had better figure out what to do about the fact that everyone else seems to love cake (even if i don’t)

hmmm...

so, to ensure that even i’ll like the cake is to make it moist and dense (angel food cake? why bother?!) and if you know me, then you know that i always look for the easy way to accomplish what i want - so here’s my simple solution:
• in the bowl, start by mixing together one box of instant pudding and one-half the suggested amount of milk to make a ‘pudding paste’
• then simply add the ingredients of your favorite box cake and prepare it exactly the way the box instructs

there it is - simple, memorable and changeable...just like i like it! try it...you’ll like it too!

because it matters,
jayne
I’d love to hear what you think,
or what you’re challenged with in cooking and/or the everyday life...
please comment!

an early gift

Tue, 8 May 2012 21:28:17 -0400

[homemade personal coffee ‘pour-over’] problems are often the best way to push me to exercise my creative muscle - this time, it was the desire to have another cup of coffee (maybe two) and not wanting to make a whole pot in order to satisfy my craving

the thought hit me that i’d like to use a smaller version of my CHEMEX brew system (the trendy ‘pour over’ method that is becoming popular again with the resurgence of what looks like the name implies...a CHEMistryEXperiment - mine is an 8-cup capacity)

so i decided to do a little EXperiment of my own...

first, i cut the large chemex filter into four quarters and refold it into a small version of a four-point star, then i take a scrap of metal flashing from the garage (wash it, of course) and bend it into the same shape as the filter - only this time, i have snipped the center point to allow the coffee to drip through...fun, huh?

i am ridiculously excited to have a perfect solution to the dilemma of the guest who would enjoy a cup of coffee with dessert, but doesn’t want me to go through the trouble of brewing a whole pot - now, to this person i can genuinely respond, “it’s no trouble at all” as i hand them their own personal ‘pour over’ brew system and allow them a fresh cup of coffee to their individual preference...fast, easy and ‘no trouble at all’

but here’s where the early gift comes in...

so excited about my latest invention,
i text a photo to my daughter, jillian, who thinks a lot like me and who appreciates creative problem solving
(and most importantly, good coffee)

her reply,
“Brilliant. I’m so proud to call you my mom”

to that, i’d say she just took care of giving me the best mother’s day gift ever (which is coming up in five days) and i also say with all my heart, it IS the thought that counts!

because it matters,
jayne
I’d love to hear what you think,
or what you’re challenged with in entertaining and/or the everyday life...
please comment!

frozen tomato chubs

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 08:18:05 -0400

[quick cooking tip] it isn’t by accident that i am happy to cook last minute requests and ‘spur of the moment’ meals for others - i plan to be ready, i stock my pantry (and fridge) with things that are often needed for those unplanned moments - i try to keep some things always ‘on hand’ (like roasted garlic paste and basil paste) allowing me to respond well to the spontaneous cooking opportunities when they present themselves and quite simply, make life easier - some things, i make in bulk so that i can freeze leftover ingredients to store for future use - one of those items is my supply of frozen tomato chubs...

let’s say i am making thin crust pizza, i might combine tomato products (tomato sauce and/or fire roasted diced tomatoes and/or tomato paste and/or crushed tomatoes and/or any other tomato product i have on-hand in the pantry) with a generous spoonful of roasted garlic paste, a smaller spoonful of basil paste, a few heaping tablespoons of sugar, a generous sprinkle of seasoning trio and a pinch of cayenne pepper) - by the way, even when i shortcut to using a spaghetti sauce that is “ready-to-use” right out of the jar, i will likely combine diced tomatoes, etc. and still add these ingredients...

and now i have more tomato sauce than i need for the pizzas i am assembling...

so, i freeze the rest, here’s how:
use silicone muffin pans coated with spray oil (or for my latest discovery, re-use the clamshells/plastic containers for apples)
place in freezer until flash frozen
pop out the individually frozen ‘chubs’
and store in ziploc freezer bags

next time i just pull out the bag of tomato sauce chubs
and thaw however many i need in that next cooking venture -
fast, easy and convenient! YESS!!

because it matters,
jayne
I’d love to hear what you think,
or what you’re challenged with in cooking and/or the everyday life...
please comment!

the war of the cling-ons

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 19:10:27 -0400

[quick cooking tip] when cutting with a large surface blade, (e.g. French Chef Knife, etc.) prevent the cut pieces from sticking to the blade and falling back on to the uncut side by angling the knife slightly away from the uncut portion (it may still cling and ride up the blade, however they will fall onto the pile of cut vs. uncut side of the knife)
because it matters,
jayne
I’d love to hear what you think,
or what you’re challenged with in cooking and/or the everyday life...
please comment!

basil paste

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 16:14:18 -0400

[cooking tip] every fall i started making basil paste to have on-hand for cooking all winter (almost as good as fresh and handy to have when cooking) I blend basil with olive oil and store it in the refrigerator (pouring extra olive oil on the top slows the browning)

I discovered all kinds of basil varieties...

I liked the look of the basil in flower arrangements in my kitchen and on the deck
- so much so, that i began to have a lot of basil on-hand (eventually, more than
i could keep up with) so, i began to go ‘full tilt’ with the basil paste - some goes
in the fridge, some goes in the freezer...you get the point!
i like the convenience of it so much that i have started making it year-round!

in other words, even though i could just walk out to my garden and grab some fresh basil to put in the sauce i’m making at the time, (or for that matter, just reach to the arrangement of fresh cut herbs on my counter-top) i still find it so much easier to scoop a spoonful of my basil paste out of the jar even in the summer with so much fresh all around me

btw:
- i started making herb paste mixes (basil & rosemary is a favorite, great on potatoes! ...herbes de provence, a close second)
- i cut the basil off the plant once the flowers appear (cut just above the lowest remaining new leaf growth) and the plant will reproduce numerous times throughout the summer (above)
- new to growing your own fresh herbs? i recommend starting with basil because it is so versatile
- if you haven’t tried growing herbs, start simple with a plant in your kitchen window sill and see what happens...a MUST try!
because it matters,
jayne
I’d love to hear what you think,
or what you’re challenged with in cooking and/or the everyday life...
please comment!

better than movie popcorn

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 13:37:48 -0400

[chocolate toffee popcorn] for movie watching, there’s very little that beats the big screen and buttery popcorn at the movie theater, but sometimes it just isn’t working for us to go to the cinema...

once, when it was mitch and mom at home watching a DVD (two strikes against us, the movie was a rerun from our personal library of movies and the “big screen”...well, have you seen our TV?) so, i decided to attempt to make it memorable by creating a movie watching snack that met both his chocolate and my popcorn cravings - what we invented together was a four ingredient wonder!

- pop one bag of microwave popcorn (or stovetop popped equivalent if you want the extra work)
- place popcorn in large bowl and be sure to remove all unpopped kernels (we always call them ‘old maids’)
- in a sauce pan, make toffee using 1 stick butter and 1 cup sugar (stirring constantly while mixture bubbles, foams, and eventually turns caramel-ish (oops, can you say ‘ish’ in cooking?) let’s say light golden brown and gets thick
- while still hot, pour toffee over popcorn and stir mixture to spread the goodness around (but remember, this is not caramel corn, it does not need to be uniformly coated)
- next add small bag of milk chocolate chips (or dipping chocolate) and stir to coat

this can be enjoyed fresh and hot, but gets better as it cools - and the variations are endless: try adding butterscotch chips, white chocolate chips, nuts (especially pecans)...it’s all good!

because it matters,
jayne
I’d love to hear what you think,
or what you’re challenged with in cooking and/or the everyday life...
please comment!

when pasta is more than just a meal

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 12:27:16 -0400

[pasta laverne] for our Father’s Day meal yesterday, i was feeling a bit nostalgic and suggested to brad that we make a pasta dish similar to the one we had the first time we met ‘the crew’ all those years ago at the koziols’ home - he knew exactly which dish to which i was referring even though i hadn’t made it for years - amazing what food can do to enhance our memories of significant times in our lives...

i’ve never had a name for this dish, but i’m calling it ‘pasta laverne’ to represent the part of LA where the koziols lived and hosted the dinner that evening - we were being enfolded in to a group of people that would become our ministry community - a community that did life together beautifully - perhaps my favorite part was the community experience going on in the kitchen as several people were collaborating to create a meal that i would not forget - perhaps my favorite reason is that it was made in the absence of a recipe and i discovered i was among ‘kindred spirits’...

disclaimer - immediately upon agreeing that we would make this dish to celebrate brad, he was asking, “do we have cilantro?” or, “did i need him to go get some at the store?” - however, not wanting him to have to go to the store just for cilantro, i told him i would simply substitute fresh basil from my garden - now this is significant - my husband does not like to cook, yet he knows that cilantro is a major contributor to the uniqueness of this dish - so, if you make this dish, please try it with fresh cilantro - you will thank me later!

- boil pasta, the original dish used fettucini, but yesterday, the closest i had to fettucini were wide egg noodles (pictured above)
- in a separate saute pan, heat olive oil and add diced onion and chicken - here, i like to season with my seasoning trio (salt and pepper can be substituted) and red pepper flakes (could add a splash of sherry or marsala wine...yum!)
- when ready, drain the pasta and add to the saute pan
- to this, i add canned diced tomatoes, roasted garlic paste, kalamata olives (any olive can be substituted) and a splash of half ‘n half (milk or cream can also be substituted)
- lastly, add the fresh cilantro (or the runner-ups of fresh basil or italian parsley)

once again, simple, memorable and so changeable!

because it matters,
jayne
I’d love to hear what you think,
or what you’re challenged with in cooking and/or the everyday life...
please comment!