Archive for the ‘Cuisine’ Category
Stacks | Menlo Park, California
Well my trip to the Bay Area was a good time had by all. I have some good posts in the works from my trip. I will start you off with a mouth-watering way to start your morning. Stacks in downtown Menlo Park is open for breakfast and lunch. I can honestly say this is my number one, all time favorite way to start the day. Eggs Louis, which is where crab is substituted for ham in the classic dish Eggs Benedict. Top it off with a short stack of wheat germ pancakes for dessert, and I guarantee you will not leave hungry, though most definitely happy!
Chicken Pot Pie
My Sister Julie turned me onto this recipe for Chicken Pot Pie. One of my all time favorites. It is simple and very easy.
Ingredients:
Double pack of pre-made pie crusts.
1 can of veg-all
1 can cream of potato soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
two-three pounds of chicken (breast/thighs)whatever your little heart desires!
Boil Chicken to preferred softness, cube and set aside. Mix the veg-all, cream of potato, and the cream of chicken with the boiled chicken. Place the first pie crust in the dish and dump in the mix. Cover with the remaining pie crust and pinch edges. Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes. All American!!!
Three Coins Wines
I came across this winery that would make any coin collector a little tipsy. Three Coins Wines is part of the Lawer Family of Wines. Their family heritage goes back to gold mining in Alaska, with a great story on how the wine’s name came to be. I have not had the pleasure of tasting these wines yet, as they are only available online and a handful of wine shops. These wines are produced with the same passion I see in many numismatists.
Photo: Three Coins Wines
Jean Lyons Wilson Hash
I have to give my Grandmother Jean Lyons Wilson a shout out for this recipe. It probably came from the depression and is not traditionally for Thanksgiving leftovers, but I saw that lump of leftover mashed potatoes. Upon roman excitement I brought the idea to my Master chef, who is my mother, and it was game on from there. We bought a 2.15lb London Broil, really your favorite meat will work. Cook the meat at 20 minutes per pound, until medium rare, process in a food processor with some chopped onion, and salt and pepper to taste, then lay in a dish. Cover with the mashed potatoes and bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until hot. We made this in a deep pie plate, though any dish will work just fine. So happy cooking and dig in! Ketchup is the perfect condiment!
Chicken and Dumplings
I made Chicken and Dumplings recently and needless to say there were no leftovers. This is a classic comfort meal of the Southern and Midwestern United States. I found this recipe by Sandra Lee that calls for rotisserie chicken, which I am quit fond of. The prep work was easy and the dish was a hit. The dumplings in this recipe are made from golden buttermilk biscuit dough. It was good, but I will continue my search to build the better dumpling.
Roasted Chile and Jalapeno Peppers
I came across an organic farm selling their produce at a health food store the other day. It was just before closing and they didn’t want to take this stuff home, so I was able to get way more chile and jalapeno peppers than I needed at a great price. The problem being what do you do with them? Roasting chiles and jalapeno peppers, then freezing them is a great way to keep them around for when you want to brew up a batch of Chile Verde or Roasted Jalapeno Salsa. My biggest tip would be, after roasting the peppers put them in a zip lock or throw a towel over container so they can steam a little. This is a great help when peeling them before cooking. Buen Apetito!