tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3238495471474042112024-02-28T18:42:02.643-05:00Lindaraxalindaraxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15721286284279902181noreply@blogger.comBlogger753125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323849547147404211.post-84270099734372543972016-12-20T16:39:00.000-05:002016-12-20T19:25:59.227-05:00Merry Christmas And To All A Goodbye ...Plum Torte <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Yes, dear readers, we have come to the end of the road. After seven and a half years, this will be Lindaraxa's last post.<br />
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I have been postponing this day in the hopes that things would settle down and I could resume my regular posts. Unfortunately, that will not be the case. After my neck and back surgery over a year ago, and just as I was getting back to feeling myself again, I took a fall down the stairs and broke a bone in my foot in a pretty bad way. After six weeks in a boot and on a scooter to see if we could avoid surgery, now I find that is not the case. After surgery next week I will have to wear a hard cast for another six weeks and that will take me into Spring. Needless to say, cooking on one foot is no fun. I know, I've tried it.<br />
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Lindaraxa the blog, just like Lindaraxa our home in Havana until 1960, has been an unforgettable experience. The friends I have made all over the world will not be forgotten, for they have been a big part of an incredible journey. Please know that I will be here for any of you any time you want to get in touch. I will also tidy things up and update the recipe index, something I haven't done in a long time.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looks like we'll be here for awhile...</td></tr>
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This blog originally started as a repository for all my favorite recipes and as a culinary memoir for my children and our extended family. I will leave it up for all of you in case you want to check for recipes in the future. Besides, who knows what Spring will bring.</div>
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Enjoy your holidays. I sincerely hope and pray we all have a happier and kinder 2017, especially the people of Aleppo who have suffered long enough. What a crime that a city renowned for its historical landmarks and <a href="https://lindaraxa.blogspot.com/2016/03/east-meets-west-for-easter-aleppo.html">culinary culture</a> should experience such devastation at the hands of its own people. </div>
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The recipe below is the last one I tried and one I definitely want to keep for posterity. It is a gem and should be in everyone's repertoire. It is one of the most requested recipe in the history of the New York Times and it is published every Fall. I suggest you save it and make it next year when the black plums are in season. Sure you can substitute other fruits, like cherries, but plums are the best!</div>
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<u>The Original Plum Torte NYT</u><br />
<u>Marian Burros</u><br />
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<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
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3/4 to 1 cup of sugar*<br />
1/2 cup of unsalted butter<br />
1 cup unbleached flour, sifted<br />
1 tsp. baking powder<br />
pinch of salt<br />
2 eggs<br />
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24 halves pitted purple plums*<br />
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sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon for topping<br />
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<b>Preparation:</b><br />
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.<br />
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Cream butter with sugar. Add flour, baking powder, salt and eggs. Beat well.<br />
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Spoon batter into a springform pan of 8, 9, or 10 inches. Place plum halves skin side up on top of the batter. Sprinkle lightly with sugar and lemon juice, depending on the fruit. Sprinkle about 1 tsp. cinnamon, depending how much you like cinnamon. (I sprinkled 1/2 tsp and I love it).<br />
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Bake approximately 1 hour. Remove and cool. Refrigerate or freeze if desired.<br />
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Serve lukewarm by itself or, better yet, with fresh whipped cream.
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<i>This is an old recipe and plums were much smaller in those days. I find that 12 halves of the ones we find in the stores now is more than enough. Buy seven plums just to be on the safe side. </i><br />
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<i>Make sure the plums are ripe, but not too ripe.</i><br />
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<i>I used the full 1 cup of sugar which was the amount in the original recipe.</i><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Last photo, Andrew Scrivani NYT</span><br />
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lindaraxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15721286284279902181noreply@blogger.com45tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323849547147404211.post-27339082677586301032016-06-30T11:04:00.000-04:002016-07-04T11:29:30.138-04:00Summer Squash Casserole...An Easy Favorite For a Long Weekend<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Many of you will be getting ready for the long Fourth of July weekend and planning menus not only for the holiday but also for the meals in between. Here's a favorite casserole that is very easy to make and goes well with grilled chicken, pork chops or steak. A simple green salad and you are done!<br />
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I have been making this casserole for the last 40 years. It comes from a favorite Junior League Cookbook, <u>300 Years of Carolina Cooking</u>, published by the Junior League of Greenville in 1970. Under my name it shows I bought it in Hilton Head Island, S.C. on July 5, 1976. We spent that bicentennial weekend with two other couples on a sailboat 40 years ago! Talk about coincidences...I just realized this when I opened the front to credit the source.<br />
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Squash Casserole<br />
Serves 6<br />
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<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
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2 lbs yellow summer squash, sliced<br />
Salt and pepper to taste<br />
1 tsp. sugar<br />
1/4 stick butter<br />
1/2 package dry onion soup mix<br />
1 cup sour cream<br />
1 can diced pimentos drained (my addition)<br />
Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)<br />
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<b>Directions:</b><br />
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees.<br />
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Boil (I steam) squash until just tender and drain well. Starting with the butter so it melts on the squash, add the other ingredients and blend. Turn into a buttered casserole, sprinkle some grated parmesan cheese if using, and bake for 20 minutes in 375 degree oven until mixture begins to bubble.<br />
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Note: If you want a crispy top, just sprinkle some breadcrumbs (about 2 TB) at the end and put under the broiler until golden.<br />
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lindaraxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15721286284279902181noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323849547147404211.post-66401695238721994042016-06-20T17:52:00.001-04:002019-06-30T16:57:17.050-04:00This Summer's Best Dessert...Apricot Clafoutis <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px; white-space: pre-line;">If you only try one new recipe this summer, make it this one. If you want to be transported to a Provencal kitchen in one bite, this will take you. If you want to cheat on your diet, do it with this dessert. Just make it. Two nights after I made it, I wanted to make it again. I did, but I tested another recipe. It was a mistake.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px; white-space: pre-line;">Don't substitute anything, especially the apricots. If you want to tweak it, control yourself. You might feel some satisfaction by stamping it with your sifted powdered sugar initials just before you serve it, but it really doesn't need it.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px; white-space: pre-line;">The recipe comes from Lulu Peyraud who, with her husband Lucien, owns and operates Domaine Tempier, the premier producer of Bandol wine. Throughout the years, they have hosted a parade of food and wine luminaries including Alice Waters, Paul Bertolli and<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1999/08/04/us/richard-olney-71-a-writer-of-the-joys-of-french-cooking.html"> Richard Olney</a>, the author of many books on Provencal cooking, including<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/jun/19/classic-cookbook-lulus-provencal-table-richard-olney"> this one.</a> and recipient of The James Beard Award.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px; white-space: pre-line;">I have never been a big fan of clafoutis but this one is other- wordly. Half flan, half souffle, Madame Mere and I cleaned up the whole thing in a sitting and a half. A couple of nights later I made Julia Child's recipe just to see the difference and MM told me to throw it away and go back to the first. This from a woman who took lessons at the Cordon Bleu in Brussels and worships at the altar of Julia Child and Gourmet magazine. You don't get a better endorsement than that.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px; white-space: pre-line;">From "Lulu's Provencal Table," by Richard Olney</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px; white-space: pre-line;">Serves 6</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px; white-space: pre-line;"><b>Ingredients:</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px; white-space: pre-line;">2 TBS butter</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px; white-space: pre-line;">1 pound apricots, halved and pitted (6 or 7 depending on size)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px; white-space: pre-line;">2 oz slivered almonds</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px; white-space: pre-line;">2/3 cup sugar*</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px; white-space: pre-line;">Pinch of salt</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px; white-space: pre-line;">3 eggs</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px; white-space: pre-line;">1/2 cup flour</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px; white-space: pre-line;">1-1/4 cup milk</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px; white-space: pre-line;"><b>Directions:</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px; white-space: pre-line;">Preheat oven to 375F. Butter shallow baking dish of a size just to hold the apricots**. Arrange apricots closely, cut surface down in single layer. Fill spaces with the almonds. In a mixing bowl whisk together 1/2 cup sugar, salt, eggs. Sift in flour, whisking at the same time, then whisk in milk. Pour mixture over apricots. Sprinkle remaining sugar over surface. Dot with butter. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden crust has formed</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px; white-space: pre-line;">. Serve tepid.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px; white-space: pre-line;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-line;">If your fruit is not sweet enough, sprinkle 1/4 cup over the surface instead of "the remaining sugar".</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px; white-space: pre-line;">** I used an Emile Henry small rectangular dish (</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Small: 11 3/4" x 7" x 2 3/4" high; 3 1/4-qt. cap.)</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px; white-space: pre-line;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">All photos Lindaraxa</span></span></div>
lindaraxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15721286284279902181noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323849547147404211.post-47110865172863918552016-06-12T16:58:00.000-04:002016-06-12T17:05:00.787-04:00Hydrangeas...The Stars of Summer!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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What a year we've had!</div>
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This has been an extraordinary year for blooms. Not only for hydrangeas, but for roses, peonies, hostas and everything that comes out of the ground. Some attribute it to the mild winter we had. This past December, just before Christmas Day, we had a few days of Spring like weather when it was so warm, the daffodils started to come out. Also remember that last year we had no blooms from the hydrangeas macrophylla, aka mopheads or French hydrangeas, due to a late frost we had in Spring. My poor gardenias were decimated too, but they made a return this year with plentiful blooms.</div>
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If I have to skip a year of blooms to get this, so be it.</div>
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I started gardening "for real" when I came to this house almost four years ago. I inherited a garden "with good bones" as my friend Sandra told me. Besides, I had nothing better to do. At that time I did not even know the names of the plants I had in the garden. Some of my readers helped identify them from photos and that's how I came to know <a href="https://sandrajonas.com/">Sandra Jonas</a> who later took me to my first hydrangea garden tour in Atlanta. That was it, I was hooked. It also helped to have been guided around some of the most beautiful gardens in Atlanta by a past president of the Hydrangea Society of Atlanta. The fact that she is not only knowledgeable and a pleasure to be with is only surpassed by her generosity and enthusiasm. </div>
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The hydrangeas you will see below are all different varieties of hydrangea <i>macrophylla </i> My daughter and I have bought them at different times and at different nurseries. Some of them are in the ground and came with the original garden, but others, including the pink ones in whiskey barrels where bought and planted by my daughter and me in the last three years.</div>
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We have a highly acidic soil so if they are blue they go in the ground. With the pink varieties, if we want to keep their original color, they go in one of the six whiskey barrels we have around the property. It's as simple as that!</div>
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For me, though, this is the star of the show...Hydrangea Shooting Star, a baby just a year ago!</div>
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We have oak leaf hydrangeas also, but they are too small still to brag about! They each have one bloom, but what a bloom! The hydrangeas<i> paniculata </i>are starting to form buds. I am sure they will be spectacular too.</div>
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Enjoy the show!</div>
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Hydrangea <i>macrophylla</i> Mathilda</div>
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What a great place for a tunnel....hmm<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QtM3D4O0bmY/V13GzS2pElI/AAAAAAAAdCU/zH4gZMZgZwEI-9U2zuWDUxBnQMaZYP4aQCLcB/s1600/20160608_114420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QtM3D4O0bmY/V13GzS2pElI/AAAAAAAAdCU/zH4gZMZgZwEI-9U2zuWDUxBnQMaZYP4aQCLcB/s640/20160608_114420.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another hydrangea Mathilda</td></tr>
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I still have the front to share so stay tuned!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">All photos by Lindaraxa</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Please do not share without direct attribution and credit back to this blog.</span></div>
lindaraxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15721286284279902181noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323849547147404211.post-53666934459202150892016-05-26T11:45:00.001-04:002016-05-26T11:45:48.678-04:00Summer Weekends...Shrimp With An Avocado Mango Salsa<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>This is one of the first recipes I ever published when I started this blog seven years ago. It's still a family favorite and worth another look. The perfect lunch or dinner for a hot summer weekend!</i><br />
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<i>I have made some notes as to substitutions in case you cannot find mango. You can also grill the shrimp!</i><br />
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I love Mexican food, particularly the combination of sweet and savory in mango and avocado salsa. I saw a recipe recently that had both shrimp and scallops. My recipe just has shrimp but if you find fresh scallops at this time of the year for a reasonable price, go for it. This is great for a summer lunch by the pool or the beach, with plenty of Margaritas or cold Mexican beer.<br />
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The local Florida mangoes this year are out of this world. They are really lush and sweet. Of course there is nothing better than a fruit that has ripened in the tree. Somehow everyone in Miami seems to have a mango tree growing in their yard or have a relative or friend who has one. I have been making mango marmelade, chutney and you name it practically every day. Just swimming in them and they keep coming, so I keep digging up recipes. </div>
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As to avocados, this is not the season for Florida avocados , but the ones I have picked up at the market from California are great and in some places, on sale.<br />
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In this casual main course, the shrimp is paired with a vibrant sweet-savory salsa. Serve the shrimp and the salsa with warm corn or flour tortillas or, as an alternative, saffron rice.<br />
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6 servings<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients</span><br />
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Salsa:<br />
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1 mango, peeled, pitted, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)<br />
1 large avocado, peeled, pitted, diced<br />
1/4 cup red onion, chopped<br />
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint<br />
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice<br />
1/2 tsp. chopped green jalapeno (or to taste)<br />
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Shrimp marinade for 2 lbs of shrimp or a combination of shrimp and scallops<br />
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1/3 cup chopped red onion<br />
1/4 cup fresh lime juice<br />
1/4 cup tequila<br />
1-2 TBS chopped cilantro<br />
2 garlic cloves, pressed<br />
2 teaspoons ground cumin<br />
1/2 cup olive oil<br />
2 pounds uncooked jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined<br />
1 cup chopped scallions<br />
Lime slices<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Preparation</span><br />
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Salsa<br />
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Mix all ingredients in medium bowl. Season to taste with salt. Cover and chill. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 hours ahead. Keep chilled.<br />
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Shrimp<br />
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Whisk first 6 ingredients in small bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in 1/3 cup olive oil. Season marinade to taste with salt and pepper.<br />
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Place shrimp in large resealable plastic bag. Pour marinade into bag and seal. Turn to coat. Chill at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.<br />
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Drain shrimp, pat dry. Save 1/2 cup of marinade.<br />
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Add 3 tablespoons oil to skillet. Add shrimp and green onions; sauté until shrimp are browned on both sides, stirring often, about 3 minutes. If it needs more oil, add some. Add 1/4 cup of marinade and sautee another 1 minute on medium high. Add more marinade if necessary keeping in mind that it should be fairly absorbed by the time you remove the shrimp from the skillet. Simmer until shrimp is just opaque in center and mixture is heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to large shallow bowl. Garnish with lime slices. Serve with salsa and tortillas.<br />
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<b>Notes:</b> you can also grill the shrimp and substitute pineapple for the mango. If you do the latter, substitute cilantro for the mint.<br />
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WHAT TO DRINK<br />
Mexican beer is a natural match for this menu. I like Presidente and Corona.<br />
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*I don' t like things too hot. 1/2 tsp. of chopped jalapeno is enough for me but you can add whatever amount you can live with.<br />
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<a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/magazine/2009/06/mexican_seafood_saute_with_avocado_mango_salsa#" id="ratingAnchor_bonappetit_1000000000129888_1" title="Terrible!"></a><a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/magazine/2009/06/mexican_seafood_saute_with_avocado_mango_salsa#" id="ratingAnchor_bonappetit_1000000000129888_2" title="Don't like it"></a><a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/magazine/2009/06/mexican_seafood_saute_with_avocado_mango_salsa#" id="ratingAnchor_bonappetit_1000000000129888_3" title="Not bad"></a><a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/magazine/2009/06/mexican_seafood_saute_with_avocado_mango_salsa#" id="ratingAnchor_bonappetit_1000000000129888_4" title="I like it"></a><a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/magazine/2009/06/mexican_seafood_saute_with_avocado_mango_salsa#" id="ratingAnchor_bonappetit_1000000000129888_5" title="Great!"></a></div>
lindaraxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15721286284279902181noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323849547147404211.post-80668977943514153262016-05-22T11:22:00.000-04:002016-05-24T02:30:27.621-04:00Lemon Pasta With Artichoke Hearts, Tuna, Sundried Tomatoes And A Cream Pesto Sauce<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I know that by now you must be thinking that this has turned into a gardening blog instead of the food blog you originally subscribed to. The truth is that since I had back surgery last August, my interest in food has all but evaporated. I have lost almost 20 lbs and I am delighted to meet up with my old size 10 clothes. These days, I eat to sustain. It's all about calories folks, and eating less is a sure bet to weight loss. Don't over think it. Listen to your stomach and eat when it tells you. Just a little will keep it content. I am not hungry until mid afternoon when I have a small snack. I eat a normal dinner, including a sweet, if I feel like it, and that's it until the next day. The only exercise I do is in the garden or going up and down the stairs that separate us from Madame Mere's apartment.<br />
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Yesterday I got inspired... at Homegoods, of all places. It was a jar of sun dried tomatoes that made me want pasta. They often have wonderful artisanal pasta made in Italy and I always stock up when a new shipment comes in. The one that got my attention was the lemon linguine. I thought it would go well with the sun dried tomatoes and....tuna! I also remembered the jar of artichoke hearts in the pantry that I had noticed was getting near expiration. Voila, a new dish was born! From there it was just a matter of tweaking with herbs. Very soon I was going to be enjoying a dish and memories of the South of France.<br />
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By the time I got home I was starving and ready for an evening of creativity. My daughter had just made a Costco run and there on the counter was a jar of what would make this dish sing, basil pesto. And crunch, Parmesan Crisps! No matter she had forgotten the napkins which was the reason she had gone there in the first place!<br />
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I encourage you to make the recipe as is. Don't substitute for the Sherry with white wine. It needs the sweetness and body only Sherry can add. If you can't get lemon pasta easily, don't sweat it. Add a TB finely shredded lemon peel or chopped lemon balm.<br />
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I only used half the package of pasta and it was enough for four people. I tend to like more "goodies" and less pasta and these are the right proportions. If you make the whole package, double up on the rest of the ingredients.<br />
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This would be a great ladies lunch in Summer or Spring or a quick dinner any time of the week. Put your feet up, enjoy the garden and imagine you are in the South of France!<br />
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<u>Lemon Pasta With Artichoke Hearts, Tuna and Sun Dried Tomatoes In a Cream Pesto Sauce</u><br />
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Serves 4<br />
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<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
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2 TB butter<br />
1/4 cup olive oil<br />
2 cloves garlic, minced<br />
1 large shallot chopped<br />
1/2 cup Dry Sherry<br />
2 TB basil pesto<br />
8 oz. heavy cream<br />
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1/2 lb Lemon pasta, linguine or fettuccine, cooked al dente*<br />
1 can artichoke hearts<br />
1 can tuna, packed in oil and drained<br />
4 or 5 sliced sun dried tomatoes<br />
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Salt and pepper to taste ( I added a few flakes of Aleppo pepper)<br />
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Parmesan cheese, shredded<br />
Parmesan Whisps<br />
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Chopped basil or parsley for decoration (optional)<br />
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<b>Directions:</b><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Pre warm</span> the oven to 350 degrees.<br />
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Cook the pasta as per package directions. Leave a little al dente. Drain and save some of the cooking water.<br />
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Saute the garlic and shallot in the oil and butter until translucent.<br />
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Add the Sherry and reduce to half.<br />
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Add the basil pesto. You can use homemade or ready made. Stir<br />
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Add the cream and let it simmer for a bit until it thickens.<br />
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Add the artichoke hearts, roughly chopped, the tuna and the sliced sun dried tomatoes.<br />
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Add the cooked pasta and stir until the noodles are fully coated. If you find it is too thick (you won't) add a little of the pasta water.<br />
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Place in a casserole dish, sprinkle some shredded Parmesan cheese and top with crunched Parmesan Whisps. Cook covered for 20 minutes. Uncover and cook for another 5 or until it browns. Don't let the pasta dry up!<br />
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Add chopped parsley or basil on top before serving (optional). I was too hungry!<br />
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* you can use plain pasta but add about 1 TB finely shredded lemon peel.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">All photos Lindaraxa</span><br />
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lindaraxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15721286284279902181noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323849547147404211.post-47740863643638800702016-05-17T20:45:00.000-04:002016-05-17T20:47:19.516-04:00The Garden In May, Part II<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Welcome to the backyard, the most challenging part of the garden. It is big, it is shady as well as very sunny in parts, and it is the playpen of Madison, our Westie, and Lily the lab. It is a joint effort between my daughter and me and we <strike>argue</strike> consult constantly on what goes in and what comes out. We have learned to compromise and to pick our battles. Some of them carry over from one year to the next, but we are still friends...until the next battle.</div>
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The grass is the biggest headache in the back. We have drainage problems due to a sloping yard that guides the water down to the creek on the other side of the fence when we have big storms. We can only plant fescue in the Fall, so this year we will have to live with big empty patches. It irritates me to no end but life is not perfect. Neither is our yard.</div>
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The hostas are the stars of the year. They are on steroids! Keep in mind this is only the second week in May.</div>
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The New Dawn rose by the bird house. No tenants this year. Coco, has done a good job of keeping new parents away.<br />
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Confederate jasmine planted three years ago.<br />
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The peonies have also had a good year.</div>
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A closer look of the birdhouse.</div>
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This year's project is the path to the fence which gets very muddy when it rains. Those are flats of sedum I purchased at Lowe's. We'll see how they do. I've left the right side open so we can have access to the other side of the fence. <br />
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Madame Mere's private garden.<br />
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The climbing Japanese hydrangea with Mountain Laurel in back is by the gate that separates the front and back garden. It leads to MM's apartment from the outside.</div>
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And here's Coco, whose help in patrolling the yard and keeping it free of bunnies is indispensable in the preservation of this garden, particularly the hostas. We are lucky to have a fence and a Westie to keep the deer away.</div>
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Next up, my domain...the front yard.</div>
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lindaraxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15721286284279902181noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323849547147404211.post-78078114456191458962016-05-12T19:21:00.000-04:002016-05-12T19:22:11.622-04:00A Tour Of The Garden In May, Part I<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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All my hard work of past years has finally been rewarded this Spring. Don't get me wrong, a beautiful garden is a work in process and takes years to develop. It is not a one time thing as I've discovered, but years of trial and error, hard work and learning from your mistakes. You can get a landscaper to come in and do it all for you, but my daughter and I love to garden and we wanted our garden, like the inside of our house, to have character and to be "us". <br />
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This year, the peonies take center stage. The profusion and the colors are staggering. I don't even cut them anymore. I don't have enough vases in the house and the place already looks like a funeral home!<br />
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The photo above was taken AFTER I had already placed some in containers for arranging.</div>
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The first to come out, the biggest and, always the most reliable, is the Sarah Bernhardt peony. No wonder it has won so many prizes.<br />
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I have already cut over 20 of these for both my living room and Madame Mere's<br />
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This other is Duchesse the Nemours. There are two plants, one white with a yellow center and the other a blush pink, also with a yellow center.</div>
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Here's the light pink in a vase</div>
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There's also Festiva Maxima in white and a dark red which did not do as well and was not as profuse as the others.</div>
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The tea roses have also been fantastic, so far. I have been on top of them treating them for pests which come in every size and color here in Georgia. Let's see who wins this battle. I would put my money on the bugs, they always win. I usually give up and swear I will never have another rose in my garden again...until next year. I have finally compromised and grow only three bushes in front of MM's window. She keeps guard. Everyday. Like a hawk!</div>
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The photo above was taken in the afternoon after a brief rain shower. They never look this good as we get into the hot summer. We will see how well we do this year.</div>
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The photo on top is the New Dawn rose, a prolific climber, now in its third season.</div>
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Stay tuned for the rest of the garden...</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">All photos have been taken by and are the property of Lindaraxa. </span></div>
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lindaraxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15721286284279902181noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323849547147404211.post-14572769748254868752016-05-01T14:11:00.000-04:002016-05-01T14:12:37.437-04:00Lunch With Madame Mere...Mediterranean Tuna Salad On Roasted Red Peppers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This weekend MM and I were on our own. My daughter flew up north to visit friends and I got to take care of Mother, Madison, Lily and Coco. Just us girls, by ourselves, with Lindaraxa to feed us.<br />
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Yesterday was a race against the clock to fertilize the azaleas and fumigate the roses before the storms came in the late afternoon. It was unusually hot and humid and, by noon, after a final sweep of the garage, I was ready for bed. But there was lunch to prepare for my mother has no help during the weekend and she does look forward to her meals. Usually my daughter pitches in, but this time I was flying solo.<br />
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I am telling you all this so you can appreciate how easy this recipe was to put together. I had all the ingredients on hand, including half a big jar of Italian roasted red peppers. I placed the salad on a plate in the freezer and a French rose in a bucket full of ice while I went upstairs to take a shower. By the time we sat down it was so cold MM asked when I had made it.<br />
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What makes this salad different and Mediterranean are not only the roasted red peppers, but the addition of capers and scallions to an everyday tuna salad. It may become the standard in this house when tomatoes are not available or out of season.<br />
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This recipe feeds four, which means we get to enjoy it for lunch again today!<br />
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<u>Mediterranean Tuna Salad On Roasted Red Peppers</u><br />
Serves 4<br />
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
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1 can white tuna, oil or water packed, drained<br />
4 TB mayonnaise<br />
2 celery stalks, peeled and finely chopped<br />
4 hard boiled eggs<br />
2 TB finely sliced scallions<br />
1 to 2 TB drained capers<br />
Black pepper to taste<br />
Salt if needed<br />
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2 canned roasted red peppers, cut in half<br />
Fresh parsley, chopped<br />
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<b>Directions</b><br />
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Boil the eggs for 15 minutes and chill in an ice bath. In a bowl, mix the tuna, mayonnaise, celery, scallions and capers. Add the black pepper and one boiled egg, chopped. Taste for salt. You will find that you don't need any.<br />
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In a plate, open one red pepper half, add some tuna salad. Sprinkle with parsley on top, if using, and decorate each plate with the rest of the eggs, sliced.</div>
lindaraxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15721286284279902181noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323849547147404211.post-54400466243841173482016-04-04T19:05:00.000-04:002016-04-04T19:05:15.602-04:00Spring Has Arrived At Lindaraxa's.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It is finally here...Spring 2016! This year March seemed to last forever. Who ever thought of giving it 31 days?! Certainly not a gardener. Luckily in Georgia we get an extra month on both ends, Spring and Fall. I shouldn't complain about poor March after all.<br />
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The daffodils were a dud. We had a false "Spring" during December and some came out yelling "Are we there yet" ? Is it time? NO. and that was it for them. <br />
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I am keeping my fingers crossed that we don't have another freeze like last year in April that took care of the<a href="http://www.finegardening.com/bigleaf-hydrangea-hydrangea-macrophylla"> <i>hydrangea macrophylla</i> </a>blooms. These are the ones we are all familiar with, the mopheads also known as French hydrangeas.<br />
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30% of the color in my backyard comes from these hydrangeas so I had to improvise a lot last year with annuals. Luckily, as with investments, it pays to diversify; so I have others like<i> hydrangea paniculata,</i> that bloom on new wood.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zRrmAy_xhpo/VwB8qld0SfI/AAAAAAAAbWk/dTVrnyYmL-MpF6NyOnlcZbGZQb5dOaSZA/s1600/hydrangea%2Bpaniculata.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zRrmAy_xhpo/VwB8qld0SfI/AAAAAAAAbWk/dTVrnyYmL-MpF6NyOnlcZbGZQb5dOaSZA/s640/hydrangea%2Bpaniculata.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>hydrangea paniculata </i>Limelight</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Foxtail Fern wintered rather well in Mother's apartment. In a week, with warmer temperatures, it will be ready to go back out.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZhBlh_LKSuY/VwLvyPtMLrI/AAAAAAAAbgk/oUldZlF-DzszpEduxbzo4FjTy5sY31yLg/s1600/dogwood.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZhBlh_LKSuY/VwLvyPtMLrI/AAAAAAAAbgk/oUldZlF-DzszpEduxbzo4FjTy5sY31yLg/s640/dogwood.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I saved this dogwood from getting obliterated. All it needed was pruning and fertilizing.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O3ePQua3qCc/VwLv9LHaqLI/AAAAAAAAbgo/wz3DS53ZTncdfwbbkjWMmvj6TCkA0cXyw/s1600/fern%252C%2Bmacho.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O3ePQua3qCc/VwLv9LHaqLI/AAAAAAAAbgo/wz3DS53ZTncdfwbbkjWMmvj6TCkA0cXyw/s640/fern%252C%2Bmacho.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The only man in the house, the Macho Fern, waiting to go in his pot up front. Wait 'til you see him in a couple of months!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wEwqDCu1OOg/VwLwJdizbWI/AAAAAAAAbgs/gLrPtYablGU9fMYBqRL12Wrq579YOjvQw/s1600/lavender%2Bsenado.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wEwqDCu1OOg/VwLwJdizbWI/AAAAAAAAbgs/gLrPtYablGU9fMYBqRL12Wrq579YOjvQw/s640/lavender%2Bsenado.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lavender from the grocery store in front of a photo from our sugar mill in Cuba in the 1950's. The mill is gone but the lavender will go in the ground and live another day...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small dahlias waiting to go in a pot on our deck. I have already been warned there won't be any on the ground this year....sigh. </td></tr>
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As I type this it's cool again...a typical early April. Tomorrow is Madame Mere's 91st birthday and we shall celebrate. We already had the big feast last weekend when the whole family was here for Easter. No matter, we shall celebrate again. Each year is a gift. For her and for each and every one of us.<br />
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Stay tuned for the recipe I cooked for Madame Mere's Birthday.<br />
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lindaraxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15721286284279902181noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323849547147404211.post-21777866270039708682016-03-23T15:17:00.000-04:002017-08-16T23:22:42.457-04:00East Meets West for Easter... Aleppo Pepper Deviled Eggs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I love the global economy. The Fountain of Youth for new flavors and fragrances. Just when we were getting tired of the old and tried recipes, the doors burst open to new cuisines and methods of cooking. When tagines can be found at TJMaxx, deeply discounted, you know this is no longer something new. Now I know how the courts of Europe must have felt when they first tasted these spices and why they spent so much money sending men and ships in search of the Spice Islands.<br />
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Aleppo pepper flakes are now my new heat of choice.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aleppo pepper flakes photo from <a href="http://spicetologist.com/">Spicetologist.com</a></td></tr>
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I know what you are going to say....Oh God here we go. Now that we've gone through the salts, here come the peppers. No, I stopped at Himalayan pink salt. I still have a burlap bag of sea salt from Guarande that I brought home from France about 10 years ago, It still sits on the shelf. Too precious to use. Never got over that feeling. So it sits on the shelf waiting for "just" the right occasion while I use sea salt or Kosher salt. Julia Child used to say, salt is salt. Wrong. Not all salts are created equal, nor are peppers.<br />
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As you know I am an Ottolenghi groupie and I have noticed that a lot of his recipes call for Aleppo pepper. I have been substituting my regular old red pepper flakes, as heat is not a big thing with me. Don't get me wrong. The right amount of heat is necessary to bring up a recipe to perfection but not enough for me to have a shelf full of different peppers. That changed on my last visit to the World Market last week. I love this place...you never know what you will find. Into my basket went a tin of Aleppo pepper together with a bottle of preserved lemons. You can get all this at a Middle Eastern market but I am in Georgia, in the country, and heaven knows where that is.<br />
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I couldn't wait and had my first taste tonight...over Fettuccine Alfredo. Oh my. I have never gone this wild for heat! Mildly hot and so classy and elegant. I am a fan. If this is on leftovers I can't imagine what it will be like on an Ottolenghi recipe.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #252525; line-height: 22.4px;">The pepper is named after </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleppo" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; line-height: 22.4px; text-decoration: none;" title="Aleppo">Aleppo</a><span style="color: #252525; line-height: 22.4px;">, an ancient</span><a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_by_time_of_continuous_habitation" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; line-height: 22.4px; text-decoration: none;" title="List of cities by time of continuous habitation"> city</a> in Northern Syria<span style="color: #252525; line-height: 22.4px;"> </span><span style="color: #252525; line-height: 22.4px;"> </span><span style="color: #252525; line-height: 22.4px;">long considered one of the culinary meccas of the Mediterranean and an important part of the Silk Road. It is also grown in Southern Turkey</span>. It has a moderate heat level with some fruitiness and mild, cumin-like undertones, with a hint of a vinegar, salty taste. Use it for authentic chili flavor in any Middle Eastern or Mediterranean dish. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The blue line above is the old Spice Route. The Red the Silk Route. They both meet at Aleppo in what is now Syria.</td></tr>
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<i style="font-family: inherit;">Aleppo chili offers a nice variation from your usual crushed red peppers. It has a very robust flavor that hits you in the back of your mouth, tickles your throat and<u> dissipates quickly.</u> Try it in place of regular crushed red pepper flakes on pizzas, salads, and pasta. From <a href="http://www.thespicehouse.com/spices/crushed-aleppo-pepper">The Spice House</a></i><br />
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Like this review, what struck me was that it hit me and then poof!.. it dissipated. I did not get choked with a lot of heat that, to me, gets in the way of the food you are trying to taste. A very elegant way to awaken your taste buds. <br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="color: #191919; line-height: 23px;">One of the most popular reasons for the craze of cooking with Aleppo Pepper is due to its friendliness with other spices. It blends exceptionally well with spices like </span><a data-component="link" data-ordinal="2" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="internalLink" href="http://homecooking.about.com/od/cookingfaqs/f/faqcoriander.htm" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0099cc; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Coriande</a>r<span style="color: #191919; line-height: 23px;">,</span><a data-component="link" data-ordinal="3" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="internalLink" href="http://herbsspices.about.com/od/herbspicegallery/ig/Herb---Spice-Gallery/CuminSeeds.htm" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0099cc; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Cumin</a><span style="color: #191919; line-height: 23px;">, and even </span><a data-component="link" data-ordinal="4" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="internalLink" href="http://homecooking.about.com/od/foodstorage/a/cinnamonstorage.htm" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0099cc; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Cinnamon</a><span style="color: #191919; line-height: 23px;">. The dynamic flavors of Aleppo accentuate similar flavors in these spices to create an incomparable palette-pleaser. The flavors of an Aleppo pepper can be described as sweet and salty with fruity notes.. and if you feel for it- a touch of smokiness similar to the one found in Cumin. Normally, the saltiness found in an Aleppo is after math of the drying process in which salt is commonly used. In addition to these diverse flavors, these peppers are sun-dried and commonly used in a powder or crushed form which can present an essence of tomato flavor. from <a href="http://herbsspices.about.com/od/herbsspiceshealth/fl/Find-Out-Why-Everyone-Is-Cooking-With-Aleppo-Pepper.htm">About.com</a></span></i></span></div>
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I suggest getting acquainted with Aleppo pepper in a dish you are familiar with and one that is fairly bland so you can really experience the taste. Macaroni and Cheese is one (I usually sprinkle paprika or cayenne for a kick): Deviled Eggs are another. I have been singing the praises of this pepper to my son, who loves heat, and can't wait for him to try it this Easter Sunday.<br />
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My friend and fellow blogger Sam Hoffer of My Carolina Kitchen is as taken with Aleppo pepper flakes as I am. It is amazing how synchronized she and I are on our recipes. When she published<a href="http://mycarolinakitchen.blogspot.com/2016/03/orange-salad-with-smoky-spanish.html"> her post </a>mine was getting the final touches!<br />
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There are a million combinations for deviled eggs, from capers and tarragon, to plain old paprika and mustard. Experiment with what you like, and make them your own. In the meantime, try these. For big holiday meals such as this, I go light on hors d'oeuvres, but for Easter, there's always a tray of these around.<br />
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<b>3/30/2016</b> <b>Note:</b> You will not be able to find the authentic flakes from Aleppo due to the war in Syria. You will be able to find them from Southern Turkey or styled Mediterranean Aleppo pepper flakes. Sadly ISIS has not only destroyed antiquities but also Aleppo pepper fields as well. They are not sure when the fields will be back in production, if at all. <br />
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<u>Aleppo Pepper Deviled Eggs</u><br />
Serves 6-8<br />
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<strong>Ingredients</strong><br />
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12 large eggs <br />
1/2 cup mayonnaise <br />
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard or Durkees Famous Sauce<br />
1/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or cayenne<br />
Salt <br />
Special equipment: a pastry bag fitted with 1/2-inch star tip (optional) <br />
Garnishes: Aleppo pepper, paprika, chopped fresh chives or Parmesan cheese<br />
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<strong>Directions</strong><br />
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Cover eggs with cold water by 1 1/2 inches in a 3-quart heavy saucepan and bring to a rolling boil, partially covered. Reduce heat to low and cook eggs, covered completely, for 1 min. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 15 minutes. Transfer eggs with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking and let stand 5 minutes. <br />
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Peel eggs and halve lengthwise. Carefully remove yolks and mash in a bowl with a fork. Add mayonnaise, mustard, and Aleppo or cayenne pepper and stir with fork until smooth, then season with salt and pepper. Fill pastry bag with yolk mixture and pipe into egg whites. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and Aleppo pepper sprinkled on top.<br />
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lindaraxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15721286284279902181noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323849547147404211.post-53178262656885580472016-03-16T23:52:00.003-04:002016-03-16T23:56:22.187-04:00Celebrate St. Patricks Day With A Reuben! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>I will be celebrating St Patricks Day tomorrow with a corned beef brisket and cabbage. Don't laugh. I know you know I'm not Irish; but the reason behind this meal is to have enough corned beef to make Reuben sandwiches until I say enough! Yes, the Reuben is up there as one of my three top favorite sandwiches of all time. So much so that this is one of the first recipes I posted when I started this blog in the Spring of 2009.</i><br />
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<i>You don't have to make a corned beef brisket to have a Reuben. Go to the store, buy everything you need and make them at home. So much better...that is, unless you are in New York City. Nothing can beat the ambiance of a good New York Jewish deli. </i><br />
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The Reuben Sandwich is unquestionably one of New York's greatest contribution to the world of eating. It was named for Arnold Reuben, owner of Reuben's Restaurant and Delicatessen located at 6 East 58th Street in Manhattan. The restaurant closed its doors in the late 1960s.<br />
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Nowadays, if you are in New York City and get a yen for a Reuben, you can go to the corner deli or a nearby coffee shop and get a fairly good one. If you live in Miami, like I do, you can always cross the bridge into Miami Beach and get a fabulous one at the <a href="http://www.epicuremarket.com/">Epicure Market</a> on Alton Road. But who wants to go through all that trouble for a sandwich? I do. There are times, however, when I don't want to go through the process and seeing that I get the yen pretty often, I decided to start making them at home. It is also a treat and something different to serve to your guests for a very informal lunch by the pool. All you need to do in advance, is make sure you have a chilled stein and a cold beer as the perfect companion to the Reuben sandwich experience.<br />
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Serves 2<br />
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Butter<br />
4 slices rye bread or marbled pumpernickel and rye bread<br />
1/2 lbs. corned beef<br />
4 slices Swiss cheese<br />
Sauerkraut<br />
Thousand Island Dressing<br />
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Preheat a large skillet or griddle on medium heat. Add some butter and lay all four slices of bread. Lay a slice of the Swiss cheese on two of the bread slices, followed by half the corned beef and the sauerkraut (drained). I like to add the Thousand Island dressing on top of the sauerkraut, followed by another slice of Swiss cheese. Top with the remaining bread slices, buttered sides out. Press the grill down or place a heavy skillet over the sandwich if you are cooking on top of the stove.<br />
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Grill sandwiches until both sides are golden brown, about 3 more minutes on each side. Serve with potato chips, dill pickle and a cold beer.<br />
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<b>Thousand Island Dressing</b><br />
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2 TB mayonnaise<br />
1 TB catsup<br />
1/4 tsp chili sauce</div>
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lindaraxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15721286284279902181noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323849547147404211.post-91141471174204164852016-03-14T18:02:00.002-04:002016-03-14T18:02:39.787-04:00Monday Orchids...Cymbidium<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It's hard to capture the loveliness of this orchid in a photo taken inside the house on a rainy Sunday. I almost killed myself trying all angles atop the kitchen steps! No matter, you get the picture (no pun intended).<br />
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They were a present for Madame Mere and these particular ones came from Costco. Look for them at your local nursery and at Trader Joe's, Kroger and other stores. This is their time of year.<br />
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Cymbidium, often called boat orchids, are known for their large spikes and long lasting blooms. If you take proper care of them, the flowers will last for 8-10 weeks.<br />
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They need lots of light, no direct sun, and a moist soil . Madame Mere's apartments are the best place for them. She is the Orchid Whisperer!<br />
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For how best to care for them, follow the tips from <a href="http://chisanorchid.com/orchid_care.html">this source</a> or the one that comes with your orchid. If you live in California, you can grow them outside. Anywhere else, including Florida (it's too hot for them in Summer), stick to the pot.</div>
lindaraxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15721286284279902181noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323849547147404211.post-11545315525266204872016-02-19T00:19:00.000-05:002016-02-19T13:51:06.075-05:00An Odd Couple That Works...Tomato And Pomegranate Salad<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Pomegranates are not high on my list. It's not that I don't like them, I just don't like them enough to put them in my grocery cart. The thought of getting to the little seeds, no matter how pretty and flavorful they are, is enough to discourage me from even trying them; but that all changed last week when I noticed them in plastic boxes at both Whole Foods and my grocery store. Why not... it was Valentine's Day and I had been intrigued by a recipe I had seen a few months ago in Yotam Ottolenghi's last book <a href="http://amzn.to/1SVuDUM">Plenty More: Vibrant Vegetable Cooking from London's Ottolenghi.</a><br />
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Coincidentally, I had also been intrigued by the boxes of mixed tomatoes Costco was selling, another ingredient in the same recipe. I already had pomegranate molasses from <a href="http://lindaraxa.blogspot.com/2015/03/chicken-with-potatoes-prunes-and.html">this chicken recipe </a>so the signs were auspicious.<br />
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You have heard me say this before but I will say it again...the genius of this man knows no bounds. The things he comes up with are beyond comprehension sometimes; but it all works. You can trust him and that is one of the things that made Julia Child great...she never let you down. Plus, there is harmony in his recipes. They sing to you, its an hallelujah chorus on steroids, but enough said.<br />
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This recipe has only one problem. There is a lot of chopping to do.You have to cut all the vegetables in a 1/4 inch dice and it takes time (and you get bored). Make sure you have a very sharp knife. I diced tomatoes for awhile, then switched to red pepper, then tomatoes, red onions and watched t.v. Some of them were 3/8 inch but I hid them underneath.<br />
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You can get pomegranate molasses at Whole Foods or Amazon. You can make your own by simply reducing Pom pomegranate juice. Although it would<u> not </u>be the same, you could substitute balsamic vinegar for both the white vinegar and pomegranate molasses. Do try to get the latter, it is, after all the point of this recipe and it keeps for awhile. You will use again and it is great for basting when you start grilling this Spring.<br />
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It's been awhile since I last posted but I haven't felt up to it. I have lost 15 lbs and I am delighted. I only eat when I'm hungry and I don't think much about food but this recipe was too exciting not to post. I will be back, as MacArthur said, but only when I have something really nice and different to contribute. After almost seven years it was becoming an obligation and that defeats the purpose of this blog. Thanks to all of you who have kept on subscribing and accessing the blog. Sorry to have kept you waiting so long.<br />
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<u>Yotam Ottolenghi's Tomato And Pomegranate Salad </u><br />
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Serves 4<br />
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<b>Ingredients:</b></div>
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<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0.625rem 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0.273em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1 1/3 cups/200 g red cherry tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch/5-mm dice</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0.625rem 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0.273em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1 1/3 cups/200 g yellow cherry tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch/5-mm dice</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0.625rem 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0.273em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1 1/3 cups/200 g tiger or plum tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch/5-mm dice</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0.625rem 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0.273em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">18 ounce/500 g medium slicing tomatoes (about 5), cut into 1/4-inch/5-mm dice</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0.625rem 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0.273em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1 red pepper, cut into 1/4-inch/5-mm dice (1 cup/120 g)</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0.625rem 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0.273em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1 small red onion, finely diced (rounded 3/4 cup/120 g)</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0.625rem 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0.273em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">2 cloves garlic, crushed</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0.625rem 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0.273em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1/2 teaspoon ground allspice</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0.625rem 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0.273em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">2 teaspoons white wine vinegar</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0.625rem 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0.273em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1 1/2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0.625rem 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0.273em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1/4 cup/60 ml olive oil, plus extra to finish</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0.625rem 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0.273em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1/2 teaspoon salt</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0.625rem 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0.273em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1 large pomegranate, seeds removed (1 cup/170 g seeds)</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0.625rem 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0.273em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1 tablespoon small oregano leaves</span></li>
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<div class="instructions" font-family:="" font-style:="" font-variant:="" font-weight:="" inherit="" itemprop="recipeInstructions" line-height:="" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: utopia-std, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.75rem; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0.625rem;">
<b>Preparation:</b><br />
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Dice the tomatoes, pepper and red onion and add to a medium bowl.<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.75rem;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.75rem;">In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, allspice, vinegar, pomegranate molasses, olive oil, and a scant 1/2 teaspoon salt until well combined. Pour this over the tomato mixture and gently mix.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;">Arrange the tomato mixture and its juices on a large, flat plate. Sprinkle the pomegranate seeds and oregano over the top. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and serve.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><b>Cook's Note</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;">Although it says it serves 4, this recipe really serves 6. Make sure you don't over mix the tomatoes or they will get mushy.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">All photos Lindaraxa</span><br />
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lindaraxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15721286284279902181noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323849547147404211.post-37453771083402944392015-11-14T21:19:00.001-05:002017-11-18T18:23:20.243-05:00Thanksgiving Favorites... Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie, An All Time Favorite<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>One of Lindaraxa's most popular posts published six years ago. </i><br />
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Now that I live in the South, the DEEP South, I think it would only be appropriate to have pecan pie as my other dessert on Thanksgiving. I have been mulling whether to have pecan pie or chocolate pecan pie or chocolate <em>bourbon</em> pecan pie and the choice was made for me last night by my friend Libby Wilkie who publishes the beautiful blog An Eye for Detail. Isn't that what friends are for? Although I have to admit that the bourbon part is my contribution. Who wouldn't exchange that for vanilla extract, especially on Thanksgiving!<br />
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Pecan trees are so abundant in this part of Georgia that they are all over my son's backyard. The area where he lives used to be a pecan farm in the middle of what is now a suburb of Atlanta. Maybe I can get them to gather some for me, since, after all, the pumpkin pie filling is a product of our visit together to the pumpkin farm last month. Talking about home grown pies!<br />
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One of the most important things about this pie is toasting the pecans beforehand. Really, do go the extra mile, it makes a world of difference as far as flavor is concerned. Place whole or halved pecans on an ungreased sheet pan and toast in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes, stirring a few times until light brown and fragrant. Let cool and set aside. Don't go overboard on the pecans. Just add what it says in the recipe or you will overwhelm the pie Been there, done that.<br />
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Don't scrimp on quality when it comes to making the best chocolate pecan pie for the holidays. As important as toasted and roasted pecans are to this pie, so is the type of chocolate used. Gourmet chocolate would include such brands as; Lindt chocolate, Ghirardelli chocolate and Callebaut chocolate. Mini chocolate chips are easy to use, and shaved or finely chopped dark chocolate works well too. These two ingredients -- toasted or roasted pecans and gourmet chocolate -- will be the deciding factor between a so-so chocolate pecan pie and a knock-your-socks-off, have-to-have-some-now chocolate pecan pie! A few drops of Bourbon won't hurt either.<br />
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Servings: 8 - 10 <br />
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<strong>Ingredients</strong><br />
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1 deep dish 9 inch basic <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/basic-pie-crust">pie crust</a><br />
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3/4 cup gourmet chocolate chips or shaved dark chocolate <br />
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1 1/2 cup toasted pecans, shelled and chopped in half if desired <br />
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1/3 cup butter, melted <br />
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3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed <br />
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3/4 cup Karo light corn syrup <br />
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3 large eggs <br />
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3 TB Bourbon<br />
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<strong>Directions:</strong><br />
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Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F with rack in lowest position. Prepare pie crust ahead of time whether you are making one or buying one already made such as Mrs. Smith's. Place toasted pecans in the bottom of the unbaked pie shell (don't worry, they will rise to the top when the pie is fully baked ). Sprinkle chocolate chips or shaved chocolate over the pecans. Place the pie crust on a baking sheet to prevent drips and set aside. <br />
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Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Turn off heat. Add brown sugar, stir until dissolved and pour into a large mixing bowl. Mix well with the whisk attachment. <br />
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Add corn syrup and mix again. Scrape. <br />
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Mix in bourbon and eggs, beating to mix well, but not foamy. <br />
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Carefully pour batter over the chocolate chips and pecans, being careful not to disturb them. <br />
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Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 50 to 60 minutes or until top is slightly browned and puffed up. This will fall during cooling. Make sure you let the pie cool on a wire rack for at least 4 hours.<br />
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Chocolate Pecan Pie cuts best when it is chilled. Use a sharp knife. Let cool completely before wrapping. This pie freezes well, so make extra! <br />
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lindaraxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15721286284279902181noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323849547147404211.post-13749423231667811272015-11-13T12:56:00.000-05:002015-11-13T13:28:41.802-05:00Fond Memories of Fall, Pumpkin Spice Bread....Tracking My Jarsdale Pumpkin From Farm To Table.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>My friend Cronica Domus' <a href="http://chronicadomus.blogspot.com/2015/11/yes-you-can.html">new post </a>reminded me of this adventure when I first came to live on the lake. It also reminded me of Lucy, my Sous Chef who loved to go to the farm.</i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Are we there yet???</td></tr>
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The beautiful Jardale pumpkin which my friends at the<a href="http://mykitchenbythelake.blogspot.com/2009/10/sunday-afternoon-at-kinsey-family-farm.htm"> pumpkin farm</a> gave me a few days ago is now pumpkin pie and Pumpkin Spice Bread! I can't believe I did it but I roasted the pumpkin yesterday, strained it, drained it and froze it for a later use, just like my friend Patti Londre<a href="http://lindaraxa.blogspot.com/2009/10/guest-postthe-great-canned-pumkin.html"> recommended</a>. All in all, I got 4 Cups of pumpkin flesh, 2 1/2 for the pie and 11/2 Cups for the bread. A meaguer yield for a lot of work. I did follow their advice and mixed the pie filling before I froze it; that way I won't have much to do before I serve it on Thanksgiving.<br />
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The pumpkin bread was a cinch and a welcomed addition to my afternoon tea. By the way, it gets better and better every day that goes by.<br />
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Before it went in the oven---look at the beautiful orange color!<br />
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and the contrast with the blue- gray of the skin<br />
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After they came out of the oven<br />
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After mashing...look at the water in the bottom!<br />
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the end result just after it came out of the oven<br />
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<u>Pumpkin Spice Bread</u><br />
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<strong>Ingredients</strong><br />
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1 1/2 cups (210g) flour<br />
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1/2 teaspoon of salt<br />
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1 cup (200 g) sugar<br />
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1 teaspoon baking soda<br />
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1 cup (1/4 L) pumpkin purée*<br />
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1/2 cup (1 dL) vegetable oil<br />
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2 eggs, beaten<br />
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1/4 cup water<br />
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1/2 teaspoon nutmeg<br />
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1/2 teaspoon cinnamon<br />
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1/2 teaspoon allspice<br />
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1/2 cup (1 dL) chopped walnuts or almonds*<br />
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* To make pumpkin purée, cut a pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff, lie face down on a foil or Silpat lined baking sheet. Bake at 350°F until soft, about 45 min to an hour. Cool, scoop out the flesh. Drain on top of a colander for a couple of hours. Freeze whatever you don't use for future use.<br />
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<strong>Procedure</strong><br />
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1 Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Sift together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking soda. <br />
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2 Mix the pumpkin, oil, eggs, 1/4 cup of water, and spices together, then combine with the dry ingredients, but do not mix too thoroughly. Stir in the nuts. <br />
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3 Pour into a well-buttered 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Bake 50-60 minutes until a thin skewer poked in the very center of the loaf comes out clean. Turn out of the pan and let cool on a rack.<br />
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*This time I used almonds<br />
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Makes one loaf. Can easily double the recipe.<br />
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<a href="http://www.foodista.com/recipe/YQ5RMX2S/fresh-pumpkin-puree" title="Fresh Pumpkin Puree on Foodista"><img alt="Fresh Pumpkin Puree on Foodista" src="http://dyn.foodista.com/content/embed/logo.png?foodista_widget_76QNPHH7" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; height: 22px; width: 100px;" /></a><br />
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lindaraxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15721286284279902181noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323849547147404211.post-6767955520271155032015-11-07T22:50:00.000-05:002015-11-08T11:40:39.135-05:00I'm Back!... Carbonade A La Flamande, A Ma Façon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">If it is accompanied by French fries it's Belgian. If it says Flamande it is Flemish and involves beer ; and if it says a ma fa</span><span style="background-color: #fffbb8; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">ço</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">n, it means I can do to it anything I want.</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xTLGdBaeeyI/Vj6_hBIsy6I/AAAAAAAAaZU/p25MCzSSQLo/s1600/P1080612.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xTLGdBaeeyI/Vj6_hBIsy6I/AAAAAAAAaZU/p25MCzSSQLo/s400/P1080612.JPG" width="400" /></a><yes a="" ad="" after="" all="" and="" asked="" back.="" be.="" been="" bolted="" bones="" but="" daughter="" day="" did="" do.="" do="" end="" excited="" feel="" going="" happened="" haul="" haven="" he="" him="" how="" i="" in.="" inside="" it="" jose="" just="" kind="" know="" known="" last="" leave="" like="" long="" look="" me="" millimeter="" my="" nbsp="" nd="" ne="" neck="" new="" no="" of="" old="" one="" only="" operation.="" ow="" really="" s="" said.="" so="" span="" surgeon="" t="" tell="" terrific.="" that.="" that="" the="" this="" those="" to="" told="" up="" was="" way="" week="" what="" when="" won="" would="" you=""><br />
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<yes a="" ad="" after="" all="" and="" asked="" back.="" be.="" been="" bolted="" bones="" but="" daughter="" day="" did="" do.="" do="" end="" excited="" feel="" going="" happened="" haul="" haven="" he="" him="" how="" i="" in.="" inside="" it="" jose="" just="" kind="" know="" known="" last="" leave="" like="" long="" look="" me="" millimeter="" my="" nbsp="" nd="" ne="" neck="" new="" no="" of="" old="" one="" only="" operation.="" ow="" really="" s="" said.="" so="" span="" surgeon="" t="" tell="" terrific.="" that.="" that="" the="" this="" those="" to="" told="" up="" was="" way="" week="" what="" when="" won="" would="" you=""><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></yes></div>
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<yes a="" ad="" after="" all="" and="" asked="" back.="" be.="" been="" bolted="" bones="" but="" daughter="" day="" did="" do.="" do="" end="" excited="" feel="" going="" happened="" haul="" haven="" he="" him="" how="" i="" in.="" inside="" it="" jose="" just="" kind="" know="" known="" last="" leave="" like="" long="" look="" me="" millimeter="" my="" nbsp="" nd="" ne="" neck="" new="" no="" of="" old="" one="" only="" operation.="" ow="" really="" s="" said.="" so="" span="" surgeon="" t="" tell="" terrific.="" that.="" that="" the="" this="" those="" to="" told="" up="" was="" way="" week="" what="" when="" won="" would="" you=""><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></yes></div>
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<yes a="" ad="" after="" all="" and="" asked="" back.="" be.="" been="" bolted="" bones="" but="" daughter="" day="" did="" do.="" do="" end="" excited="" feel="" going="" happened="" haul="" haven="" he="" him="" how="" i="" in.="" inside="" it="" jose="" just="" kind="" know="" known="" last="" leave="" like="" long="" look="" me="" millimeter="" my="" nbsp="" nd="" ne="" neck="" new="" no="" of="" old="" one="" only="" operation.="" ow="" really="" s="" said.="" so="" span="" surgeon="" t="" tell="" terrific.="" that.="" that="" the="" this="" those="" to="" told="" up="" was="" way="" week="" what="" when="" won="" would="" you=""><span style="font-family: inherit;">Hi, I'm back! </span></yes></div>
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<yes a="" ad="" after="" all="" and="" asked="" back.="" be.="" been="" bolted="" bones="" but="" daughter="" day="" did="" do.="" do="" end="" excited="" feel="" going="" happened="" haul="" haven="" he="" him="" how="" i="" in.="" inside="" it="" jose="" just="" kind="" know="" known="" last="" leave="" like="" long="" look="" me="" millimeter="" my="" nbsp="" nd="" ne="" neck="" new="" no="" of="" old="" one="" only="" operation.="" ow="" really="" s="" said.="" so="" span="" surgeon="" t="" tell="" terrific.="" that.="" that="" the="" this="" those="" to="" told="" up="" was="" way="" week="" what="" when="" won="" would="" you=""><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></yes></div>
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<yes a="" ad="" after="" all="" and="" asked="" back.="" be.="" been="" bolted="" bones="" but="" daughter="" day="" did="" do.="" do="" end="" excited="" feel="" going="" happened="" haul="" haven="" he="" him="" how="" i="" in.="" inside="" it="" jose="" just="" kind="" know="" known="" last="" leave="" like="" long="" look="" me="" millimeter="" my="" nbsp="" nd="" ne="" neck="" new="" no="" of="" old="" one="" only="" operation.="" ow="" really="" s="" said.="" so="" span="" surgeon="" t="" tell="" terrific.="" that.="" that="" the="" this="" those="" to="" told="" up="" was="" way="" week="" what="" when="" won="" would="" you=""><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yes, that is truly me with a new neck. It's all bolted up but only I know that. I was hopeful of getting a new swan neck like Babe Paley and Marella but when I asked my doctor, he said he could only get me one millimeter. Nothing is for free, ever.</span></yes></div>
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<yes a="" ad="" after="" all="" and="" asked="" back.="" be.="" been="" bolted="" bones="" but="" daughter="" day="" did="" do.="" do="" end="" excited="" feel="" going="" happened="" haul="" haven="" he="" him="" how="" i="" in.="" inside="" it="" jose="" just="" kind="" know="" known="" last="" leave="" like="" long="" look="" me="" millimeter="" my="" nbsp="" nd="" ne="" neck="" new="" no="" of="" old="" one="" only="" operation.="" ow="" really="" s="" said.="" so="" span="" surgeon="" t="" tell="" terrific.="" that.="" that="" the="" this="" those="" to="" told="" up="" was="" way="" week="" what="" when="" won="" would="" you=""><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></yes></div>
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<yes a="" ad="" after="" all="" and="" asked="" back.="" be.="" been="" bolted="" bones="" but="" daughter="" day="" did="" do.="" do="" end="" excited="" feel="" going="" happened="" haul="" haven="" he="" him="" how="" i="" in.="" inside="" it="" jose="" just="" kind="" know="" known="" last="" leave="" like="" long="" look="" me="" millimeter="" my="" nbsp="" nd="" ne="" neck="" new="" no="" of="" old="" one="" only="" operation.="" ow="" really="" s="" said.="" so="" span="" surgeon="" t="" tell="" terrific.="" that.="" that="" the="" this="" those="" to="" told="" up="" was="" way="" week="" what="" when="" won="" would="" you=""><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now, it's been there, done that. While I was convalescing, I connected with friends on Facebook. It is worse than sugar or nicotine. It's so addictive I was afraid of overexposure. I'm still weaning off. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So today I did some serious cooking. As in it has a name. It was for Madame Mere to remind her of her days in Belgium. I think it worked. I added the sweet potatoes, The Belgians will probably set the gendarmes after me but that's what life is all about. Vive la difference!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Ingredients:</b></span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">2 lb. beef chuck, cut into 2″ x </span><sup style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">1</sup><span style="font-family: inherit;">⁄</span><sub style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">2</sub><span style="font-family: inherit;">″-thick slices</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.25;">Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste</span></li>
<li><sup style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">1</sup><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.25;">⁄</span><sub style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">4</sub><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.25;"> cup flour</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.25;">4 tbsp. unsalted butter</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.25;">4 slices bacon, finely chopped</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.25;">6 cloves garlic, finely chopped</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.25;">3 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced lengthwise</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.25;">1/2 cup Pomi chopped tomatoes</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.25;">2 cups Belgian-style ale, like Ommegang Abbey Ale or dark beer</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.25;">1 cup beef stock</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.25;">2 tbsp. dark brown sugar</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.25;">2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.25;">Thyme, tarragon, </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.25;">1 bay leaf\</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.25;">1 cup sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed. (optional)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.25;">1 cup frozen boiled onions</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.25;">kitchen bouquet, (2 TB.)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.25;">French fries</span></li>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Season beef with salt and pepper in a bowl; add flour and toss to coat. Heat 2 tbsp. butter in a 6-qt. <span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Dutch </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">oven</span> over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add beef; cook, turning, until browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate; set aside. Add bacon; cook until its fat renders, about 8 minutes. Add remaining butter, garlic, and onions; cook until caramelized, about 30 minutes. Add 1/2 cup chopped Pomi tomatoes, half the beer; cook, scraping bottom of pot, until slightly reduced, about 4 minutes. Return beef to pot with remaining beer, stock, sugar, vinegar, thyme, parsley, tarragon, bay leaf, and salt and pepper; boil. After 30 minuted add sweet potatoes (if using). After 1 hr. add frozen boiled onion. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, covered, until beef is tender, about 1 ½ hours. Add kitchen bouquet. cook a few minutes. Serve with french fries or bread.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">When you cook your french fries, make sure the heat of the oil is very hot before you add them. I know about the splash. It's a tough shot but it's what works best!</span></span></span></h3>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't tell her but my neck is longer...all I can say is, it hasn't been easy.</td></tr>
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lindaraxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15721286284279902181noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323849547147404211.post-71072824831575436862015-10-30T14:32:00.000-04:002015-10-30T15:45:30.760-04:00Halloween Of Times Gone By...For Adults Only<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>I am sure most of you have not seen this post as it was one of my first when I started this blog. I will be celebrating Halloween this year, not exactly in this fashion, but greeting kids at the door and later going up to a neighbor's house who also knows how to celebrate it in style. For those of you who, like me, have doorbells to answer, here's <a href="http://lindaraxa.blogspot.com/2013/11/italian-meatballs-with-marcella-hazans.html">a recipe </a>for an easy, hearty and enjoyable dinner. Some of us aren't kids anymore and we just can't survive on candy!</i><br />
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Halloween has always been, after Christmas, my most favorite holiday to entertain. In years past, I did a lot of entertaining and prided myself in setting a beautiful table. I think I thought of myself as the next Carolyne Roehm, my hero.<br />
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I don't know how I packed so much stuff in my apartment. There were plates and glasses and tablecloths and flower arrangements hidden all over the place! I had quite a large archive in my brain of where everything was. Now, as I unpack in a much larger house, I wonder how I ever did it. I don't entertain like that anymore, just don't have the stamina, or the money, for that matter. Maybe now that I live with my daughter, the artist, I will get a second wind, but for the time being, here are some of the memories:<br />
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For the pumpkin, I usually called a kid, a nephew, a niece, a neighbor, <em>anybody</em> to carve the pumpkin. Then I started to build from that. On that particular year, I was gaga over my black candles, and I was debuting my new china in orange tones I had literally carried from Gien, France. Some raffia ribbons, lots of goodies from Marshall's, some old silver, and orange and black M&Ms in little Halloween clay pots and poof! magic!<br />
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The menu was French (my idea of being quirky), and every year I invited only 8 people. Small, intimate, sit down and easy to cook for. No costumes or funny drinks! But yes, place cards, and menu cards staggered around the table. Champagne with cocktails for those who liked it and a good French wine with the main course. In those days, with the dollar almost at par with the euro, it was affordable to do so. Nowadays, it's prohibitive and a little ostentatious, if not politically incorrect!<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">HALLOWEEN 1998</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Creme de Potiron</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">(Creamy Butternut Squash Soup)</span></div>
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That year I had gone to Alsace and come back loaded with confiture d'eglantine, a jam typical and only found in Alsace.. I really can't describe or translate eglantine, nobody, for that matter, can!. It;s a small red fruit, not terribly sweet, loaded in vitamin C. The taste is very hard to descibe, the only thing I can compare it to is guava...same color, but a totally different fuit. At the hotel where we stayed, they served it with the cheese course which, in that region HAD to be Munster. <a href="http://tf1.lci.fr/infos/life-styles/0,,4079008,00-la-confiture-d-eglantine-une-tradition-alsacienne-.html">Here </a>is a clip of eglantine confiture, in French but easy to follow.</div>
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Another year, 2002, I had just come back from Normandy and Brittany so Halloween was spent "in Normandy"</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Terrine de Coquilles Saint-Jacques</span></div>
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Have fun this Halloween, and remember...<br />
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lindaraxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15721286284279902181noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323849547147404211.post-53525470971818300872015-10-05T16:03:00.001-04:002015-10-05T16:03:30.311-04:00Where There's A Will, There's A Fall Front Door<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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You didn't think that back surgery was going to keep Lindaraxa from having her Fall decorations up this year, did you? If you did, you don't know her very well....<br />
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I have gotten to really enjoy those little electric carts that they have at some stores for shoppers with disability, although I have to say that what I see mostly riding them are really overweight people. Sometimes you see two, one on each cart of course, following the other. People like my mother, who really need them, for some reason refuse to use them. I think it's their way of fighting back although once she came to live with us she tossed in the towel. As for me, if that is the only thing standing between me and my mums, I don't care. They are really a good device for getting people like me to do what they have to do.<br />
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I'm telling you this because I'm sure you are wondering how I got the mums. Between us chickens, I sneaked out of the house one afternoon when I heard Costco had them and made up some cockamamie excuse as to how they got to the front door. And part of it is true, for I am lucky to live in an area of the country where gentlemen still open doors for you and bend over backwards when you ask for a little help, I usually pick a really cute one, particularly when I'm shopping for electronic gadgets or a Christmas sweater for my son and it drives my daughter insane. Anyway, the mums got here and the new wreath was brought in by the Three Kings. Now, I have to figure out the pumpkins...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Once I can get a good samaritan to move the fern and the ivy to MM's apt. I will rearrange with a pumpkin or two</td></tr>
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Once the mums are done, I have orange pansies in the urn which, with the pumpkins, should carry us through Thanksgiving. That's as far ahead as I can think right now.</div>
lindaraxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15721286284279902181noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323849547147404211.post-80035200526113397302015-09-26T18:46:00.000-04:002015-09-28T14:04:28.586-04:00The State Dinner Menu For the President Of China<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #343434; line-height: 19.456px;"><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><i>Just a short post to share with you what I thought was a beautiful dinner at the White House last night. Once in awhile, you have to give them some credit....</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #343434; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.456px;">Last night, President and Mrs. Obama hosted President Xi Jinping of China for a State Dinner at the White House. The theme of the dinner was "Autumn Feast" and I love the colors and the material they chose for the tablecloths and napkins. Although not exactly our idea of Fall colors it was perfect for this time of the year when roses and dahlias still abound. As to the menu, how divine. All my favorites in one dinner, truffles, lobster and lamb! The wines were all American and for comments on the pairings check<a href="http://www.drvino.com/"> Dr. Vino,</a> one of the wine blogs I follow. He has written a very interesting article on the protocol followed by the White House on choosing wines for State dinners..</span><br />
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Twenty two of these 100% edible Chinese inspired petit fours were placed on each table at the end of the meal</div>
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Roses were the main theme o the centerpieces, a favorite in both China and the United States<br />
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The Clinton State china, one of the few things they left behind when they left....<br />
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<span style="color: #343434; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.16px; line-height: 19.456px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #343434; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.16px; line-height: 19.456px;"><br /></span><span style="color: #343434; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.16px; line-height: 19.456px;">FLOTUS posted this on her Instagram, a first I understand. I guess she too was very pleased.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #343434; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.16px; line-height: 19.456px;">The guests at the head table for 16:</span></span><br />
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I guess it pays to spy on the United States,,,,,and then <i>promise</i> you won't do it again,<br />
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As to the Pope...he got to meet Bo and Sunny. Given a choice, I would have taken that visit.<br />
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lindaraxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15721286284279902181noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323849547147404211.post-6653678482003522632015-09-09T13:37:00.001-04:002015-09-09T13:53:07.217-04:00A Brief Update<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I am so sorry to have been away this long. What was supposed to be a short break from cooking and gardening has now turned into six weeks due to a major operation I had about three weeks ago to fix a back and neck problem I have had for quite awhile. I was supposed to do this last year but due to Madame Mere's arrival and Lucy's passing away I had postponed it twice, only to make it worse and more complicated. The recovery is expected to last four or six weeks meaning lots of bed rest, pain medication, no driving, no lifting or bending, short walks and no chores except "simple meal preparation". That means no gardening either, something that frustrates me as Fall is my favorite time of the year to work in the garden. To say I am bored, depressed and frustrated is a major understatement. <br />
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I don't know exactly when I will be back as even pressing the computer keys is painful. Yesterday I tried to color with the grandchildren and spent the rest of the day on pain medication, so a long post is not in the cards right now. I do read your posts and appreciate your emails but forgive me for not commenting or writing back.<br />
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I miss blogging and interacting with all of you so I will try to figure something out to stay in touch. I shall return as soon as I can but I don't have my next appointment with the doctor until mid October when hopefully I will get "cleared" to do more stuff. Driving would be a nice start...and Maddy desperately needs grooming. She's beginning to look like Rod Stewart!<br />
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In any event, sooner or later I will return!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have offered to write the blog but I've been turned down</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It' so boring around here all we do is hang out...with a silly cat</td></tr>
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lindaraxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15721286284279902181noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323849547147404211.post-19791071877268754722015-07-28T11:35:00.000-04:002015-07-29T11:32:02.072-04:00The Summer Garden..Winners And Losers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The summer garden these past two years has been one of boom and bust. Very cold winters, and very hot summers just about sums it up.<br />
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I don't pretend to be a master gardener and some of you know that when I moved to this house I had to seek the help of my readers to identify most of the plants. But I have learned, the hard way. Lots of reading and trial an error and lots of dollars spent experimenting with different plants have gone into this garden. I had no experience with perennials and, what little I knew, came from weekend gardening up north in Connecticut. Most of what grows well there, including my favorite lilacs and peonies, does not do well in the South.<br />
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Ten years in Florida were spent mastering the art of container gardening on the balcony of my ocean front apartment in Key Biscayne. There the killer was the wind. With a growing season of twelve months, everything you planted grew like a weed. Orchids lasted forever and then re bloomed six months later. I had retired and this was the kind of gardening I wanted to do for the rest of my life.<br />
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And then I moved to Georgia....and here I learned that, just like investing in the stock market, it pays to diversify.<br />
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Between my daughter and me, we have just about tried every traditional perennial that grows in the South including azaleas, Confederate jasmine, gardenias, hydrangeas, crepe myrtles and camellias. . The only one I haven't been able to stick in the ground, for lack of space, is a magnolia. We have one growing in the woods next to the fence, but it won't bloom. It gets no sun and little light and I'm afraid to go near it for fear of stepping on a snake.<br />
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Surprisingly, some of these traditional perennials are the ones that have gotten hit the hardest . The azaleas and the jasmine bloomed but not as long or vibrantly as usual. No such luck with the gardenias or the hydrangea macrophylla. They got hit with a frost just as they were starting to bud and that clinched their fate. No blooms, except for this one. <br />
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No blooms either for the Moonlight Hydrangea by the garden gate. That was a killer for me, I so look forward to those flowers. The camellias bloomed later than usual, almost right into Spring. Nothing fazes the crepe myrtle. It does it's thing year in and year out in spite of the weather. It needs a good pruning this winter before it overtakes the front of the house.<br />
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What saved the summer were the hydrangea paniculata which blooms on new growth.<br />
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The one above is the limelight hydrangea . There are four in front of mother's window out back.<br />
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I have a few of the hydrangea paniculata tardiva along the fence but they are not showing any blooms.<br />
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My daughter planted caladium bulbs in a pot to add some color interest out back. They have done well in spite of the heat. They are a definite comeback next year.<br />
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The hostas have also done well. Their only enemy is the little Sous Chef who likes to play hide and seek with Lily our lab.<br />
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The winners this summer are the ferns. Now I know why they are a symbol of Southern hospitality. Nothing else thrives like them in this humidity!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boston fern by the garden gate. Moonlight hydrangea on the bottom right had no blooms this year.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Man fern almost died after the surprise frost in early Spring.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's what you call a come back!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I've never had a fern that looked this good!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kitties and ferns by the front door. How is that for Southern charm!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It will over winter in Madame Mere's apartment</td></tr>
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I just came in from watering the front garden. It's like the land that time forgot out there. Every year I promise myself that I will not buy as many plants. Every year I violate this promise and curse throughout the months of July and August when I have to go out and water.<br />
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The kitchen is closed for awhile. The last thing on my mind is food... I can't wait 'til Fall.</div>
lindaraxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15721286284279902181noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323849547147404211.post-60119119106434934182015-07-21T13:42:00.001-04:002015-07-22T20:39:21.408-04:00The Summer Garden<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I know everyone is talking about how high the temperatures have risen in their part of the world so I won't bore you with details about what is going on in my neck of the woods....but it IS HOT and HUMID, more so this year than others, or so it seems. This, after the cold winter we had, is not good for any garden, least of all one in the South.<br />
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I hibernate in the summer, just like we did in January and February when I lived up North. It's not the heat, as much as the humidity. At least in Florida we had the beach. Here the only water in sight is the lake and frankly, I don't like lakes. I'm just as finicky about what I can't see underwater as I am about what may lurk under clear water. I don't do pools either, except for a few, and I'm too old to run through the hose in the backyard, although I welcome the respite when I'm caught in the yard by the sprinklers.<br />
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I stepped outside for a few minutes yesterday to clean up the vines that strangle the gardenias and now threaten what's left of the rose bushes. Madame Mere likes to have cut flowers in her apartment, even though she can perfectly see them from the big window in her living room. I spent hours planting stuff for her to enjoy the view but, for her, it's not the same.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MM's living room and bedroom windows front and left. Mortitia's Garden is on the right </td></tr>
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Clematis, roses, hydrangeas, gardenias, gladioli, peonies and a splash of angelonia all bloom in sequence throughout the spring and summer; but she likes them inside, in a vase, so I cut a few just to make her happy. The grass in the backyard is fescue and it hates the heat; so in spite of the small fortune I pay TrueGreen, it wimps out until it cools down.<br />
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The gardenias have come back to a point. I think they know they will be replaced unless they put on a good show in early Spring. There's no point replacing them now if we get another winter like we had last year. Gardenias and the mop head hydrangeas (hydrangea macrophylla) are the most susceptible to freezing weather and frost. Neither bloomed this year.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The rose bushes on the lower right in front of MM's window hibernate in the heat and come back in September, or so we hope. </td></tr>
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Here are the dahlias coming up in Mortitia's Garden, so named six years ago after a failed experiment with wild flowers. Some of you may remember....<br />
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Coneflowers were planted and are thriving around the dahlias.<br />
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Mortitia's Garden is my daughter's garden and we are forbidden from cutting any flowers without written permission; but I bought the dahlias, so I'm exempt to a point. Now that she's away and it's too hot to go outside, MM and I are enjoying them inside.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This small dahlia has been growing in a pot on our deck. It has bloomed since June!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And this little coneflower is having a bad hair day having to wear The Cone of Shame for the next few days!</td></tr>
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I'll show you the rest of the garden next.</div>
lindaraxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15721286284279902181noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323849547147404211.post-74316441136577967162015-06-30T15:23:00.000-04:002015-06-30T15:23:01.189-04:00My "Secret" Recipe for Peach And Almond Crumble<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The local fruit this year continues to amaze me. The cantaloupes have been out of this world and, so plentiful, they are selling two for $3 at the local market. The peaches are the first I taste this year and they are also outstanding; although I have to admit these were from South Carolina and not Georgia. They were sweet and so juicy I had to eat them over the sink.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I was caught empty handed this weekend when I went to make a crumble and there was no oatmeal in the pantry. Although I don't like the taste of oatmeal on crisps or crumbles, I do like the consistency it gives the topping, so a substitute had to be found. Enter some sliced almonds AND a packet of Quaker Instant Maple And Brown Sugar Oatmeal that I keep around for emergencies when my stomach is too sick to handle anything else. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have to confess I gave this a lot of thought. Six luscious ripe peaches were not something you risk on a whim. When all was said and done, this crumble was outstanding. So much so, I will make it again exactly as I made it this time. It will be my secret recipe for peach crumble. Seriously, in order to make it a secret recipe there has to be something unusual in it. Like a pear in the pumpkin soup, right? Well here it is a packet of instant oatmeal, but make sure it is the one I used. I think it was the hint of maple sugar that gave it that "Je ne sais quoi:" taste. Whatever it was, it was gobbled up in no time...need I say more?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I had planned to share half the recipe with my sick neighbor but when I opened the fridge the next morning, this is what was left. My daughter and some friends came back after a party late that night and the crumble was history.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">..and the moral of the story. Don't hesitate to experiment in the kitchen. It might turn out to be your next "secret" recipe."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Do you have a secret recipe? I would love to hear about it!</span><br />
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<u>Peach And Almond Crumble</u><br />
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Serves 8<br />
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<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
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5 to 6 peaches (Georgia or South Carolina)</div>
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3/4 cups granulated sugar<br />
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed<br />
3/4 cups plus 2 to 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour,<br />
pinch of salt<br />
1/2 cup quick-cooking oatmeal*<br />
1 stick unsalted butter, diced<br />
3/4 cup sliced almonds<br />
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1 cup whipping cream<br />
2 tsps sugar<br />
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<b>Directions:</b><br />
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the inside of a square baking pan.<br />
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Immerse the peaches in boiling water for 30 seconds, then place them in cold water. Peel the peaches and slice them into thick wedges and place them into a large bowl together with the juice. Add 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons of flour. Toss well. Allow the mixture to sit for at least 5 minutes. If there is a lot of liquid, add 1 more tablespoon of flour. Pour the peaches into the baking dish and gently smooth the top.<br />
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Combine 3/4 cup flour, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup crushed almonds, the oatmeal, salt and the diced butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix at low speed until the butter is pea size and the mixture is crumbly.<br />
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Sprinkle evenly on top of the peaches.<br />
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Cook at 350 for 1/2 hour. Take out, sprinkle the rest of the almonds and continue cooking for another 1/2 hour. Let it rest for 1/2 hour.<br />
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<b>Note:</b><br />
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I highly recommend that you skip the ice cream and serve with freshly made whipped cream. (Add 2 tsps of sugar)<br />
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This can be made ahead and reheated at 350 for about 20 minutes. Cover with foil if the almonds begin to darken<br />
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This recipe can be doubled and cooked in a 9x13 Pyrex.
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lindaraxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15721286284279902181noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323849547147404211.post-37188329536226420852015-06-20T22:16:00.000-04:002015-06-20T22:16:37.551-04:00Poulet Roti Madame Mere...Broiled Chicken Thighs With Champagne And Tarragon <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This recipe was not intended for a post, but after Madame Mere declared it the best meal she's had since she arrived, I just had to share it with you. I am still shocked that after all the meals I have prepared for her, this would be the one to elicit the most praise from her lips. <br />
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It all started with a cup of leftover Champagne. You know how I hate to throw stuff away. I had shared a bottle with my daughter in law on the occasion of my granddaughter's first birthday on Sunday and was salivating a risotto the next day; but the thought of another rich meal so soon after that was not terribly appealing. Every recipe I looked into for this iconic dish had cream in it and that was not too enticing, I wanted something simple. I was still putting things away from the party the night before and frankly my stomach could not take another heavy meal. So I decided to go on my own and try something new. The result was an unexpected hit, especially with MM. The best part, though, was that it was simple and quick and I had all the ingredients on hand. Talk about a home run...<br />
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There are two ways you can approach this recipe. You can wait until you have leftover Champagne OR, you can plan ahead. If you can't wait, and it is an elegant and quick main course for entertaining during the week, buy a bottle of good French Champagne like Veuve Cliquot, open it an hour or two before your guests arrive, save what you need for the marinade and put the bottle back in the fridge. You can recork the bottle with a Champagne cork or, better yet, let it sit unopened. Champagne stays bubbly for quite awhile. Serve it for cocktails or with this meal. That, my friends, would be over the top!<br />
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Whilst I highly recommend you use chicken thighs in this recipe, you can also use breasts and legs or a combination of all three. Adjust the recipe accordingly, but<i> don't use skinless and boneless parts.</i> The skin helps keep the moisture in and you can always remove it after it is served on your plate.<br />
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I did not have fresh shallots, but I always keep a jar of dried ones in the pantry for emergencies like this. The one thing that must be fresh, though, is the tarragon. Don't chop it up until right before you add it to the chicken. That is when it releases it's aroma.<br />
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If you are wondering why I would use onion and garlic powder instead of the fresh ingredients, it was for aesthetic purposes only. I wanted to end up with a browned chicken with sauce, no onions or garlic around it.<br />
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As I was planning a simple meal of broiled chicken, I prepared mashed potatoes and green beans. If you want to dress it up, you can always place the chicken on top of wild rice and serve a simple vegetable like green beans or sauteed spinach, If you must serve a salad, serve it afterwards,<i> a la francaise. </i>You don't want the vinegar in the dressing to compete with the sauce.<br />
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<i>Bon appetit!</i><br />
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<u>Poulet Roti Madame Mere</u><br />
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
Serves 3 or 4<br />
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4 chicken thighs<br />
1/2 cup of Champagne (leftover will do)<br />
1 orange (the juice of) or 1/4 cup orange juice<br />
1 tsp. garlic powder<br />
1 tsp. onion powder<br />
1/2 cup coarsely chopped<i> fresh tarragon</i><br />
1/2 cup fresh or dried shallots<br />
olive oil<br />
Sea Salt<br />
Pepper<br />
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3 TB butter<br />
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<b>Directions:</b><br />
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1. Get a bottle of Champagne and enjoy it with a friend. It doesn't have to be Veuve Cliquot, my one and only. This recipe was tested with 2 day old Costco Champagne! I highly recommend it over any other cheap Champagne in the market ($20), and you know I know my wines.<br />
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2. Don't be tempted to drink the whole thing. Control yourself and save at least 1/2 cup.<br />
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3. Marinade 4 chicken thighs in 1/2 cup of Champagne, the juice of one orange or1/4 cup of orange juice, 1 tsp. each garlic and onion powder (sprinkle over the chicken) 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh tarragon leaves, 1/2 cup chopped fresh or dried shallots and olive oil. Cover and let sit for at least 1 hour.<br />
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4. Take the chicken out of the marinade, carefully pat dry and slip some of the tarragon leaves from the marinade under the chicken skin.<br />
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5. Place chicken in a long Pirex, add sea salt and pepper on top and place 1/2 TB butter on top of each thigh. the other 1 TB of butter is halved and placed in the middle. Set the oven to broil.<br />
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6. Broil <u>in the upper part (not the top)</u> of the oven for 15 minutes.<br />
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7. Remove chicken from the oven and add back the marinade<br />
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8. Reduce oven temperature to 375 and continue cooking for 30 minutes or until done. Baste a couple of times.<br />
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This was accompanied with mashed potatoes and french cut green beans for a simple week night meal.<br />
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If you are <i>en regime</i>, you can omit the butter.<br />
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lindaraxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15721286284279902181noreply@blogger.com6