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Happy Birthday to my Mom!

Today I would like to write about my mom.  She is the first person to introduce me into cooking.  She is the basis of my food driven existence.  My mom was born in Allen County and grew up on a farm.  Like most good farm families, the table was always full of comfort food, made from what they grew or raised.  The pantry had home canned vegetables and fruit from the garden and orchard.  The freezer was full of chicken, beef and pork.  The refrigerator always had fresh free-range eggs, a jug of ice tea and fresh turned butter.

I grew up living off the land and still appreciate the simple way of cooking with a little twist of flavor depth and complexity as my food journey has advanced.

Growing up my mom was the best cinnamon roll baker on earth.  To this day, I have a hard time eating cinnamon rolls from a bakery, they seem to have an artificial taste to them and dry in texture.  My mom could whip a batch of cinnamon rolls like no tomorrow.

Every dinner we had a meat (protein), vegetable and some sort of potato dish.  Most of the time it was just simple home-grown items on our table.  I would have to say my mom to this day still likes sweet things and if you go to her house, you can usually sniff out a cookie, brownie, a slice of pie or some sweet treat of some sort.  Each meal usually had something sweet to eat after we finished off our meal we could have dessert.  I usually loved all of mom’s meals, except liver and onions.  Yuck!  To this day just the mention of liver and onions turn my tummy.  There is not enough ketchup in the world to mask the flavor of liver, that was cooked to death and covered up with onions.  I actually was a bit sneaky; I found a shelf under our dining table right where I sat.  Somehow that liver would jump off my plate, onto my napkin and on to the shelf unseen by my mom.  To this day I have no clue how I got away with that one.  In all those 20 years of living with her, did I ever get caught disposing of the liver.  I would go back after the dishes were cleaned up and gave the liver a proper burial down the toilet.

We had chores we had to do each day and each week.  We didn’t get paid for those chores in form of money, but in a form of respect to our parents, education on how a house was to be cleaned, ran and enjoyed, let alone the food in our tummies, a roof over our heads and clothes on our backs.  If we wanted to earn extra money we had to do extra chores.

Most of the daily chores was helping make meals.  At a young age my mom had us kids bellied up to the stove, counter, sink, whatever to help out in the kitchen.  We knew at a young age how to use a knife, how to whip, stir, or mix a recipe.  We were taught how to read a recipe and how to adjust the recipe to taste even better.  At this point I think is where I learned to cook without a recipe, but cooked by seeing, by texture and by taste.  A little bit more of this or that became a part of the recipe I engraved in my mind.

My mom didn’t allow us to make the mess in the kitchen without cleaning up after ourselves.  Ask my nieces, I sure can make a mess of the kitchen, but I put a whole lot of love into the recipe.  We took turns one week I would help cook and the next week I had to help do dishes.  I suppose I probably tried to get out of doing the dishes more times than not, but I sure did enjoy working beside my mom making dinner each night.  It is funny, I don’t really remember her actually teaching us how to do it, we just worked beside her and pick up on what she was doing.  To this day I still call her for cooking advise, or could you text me grandma’s recipe for X?  Also, to this day I still can’t make her potato salad.  I have made it side by side with her, made sure I had the right brands of ingredients, and I guess I just don’t’ have the love she puts into it, because mine never taste as good as hers.

In my teenage years I remember thinking, man I wish I could go into town with my friends and hang out at the pool, go to ball park or just walk around and have fun.  Instead, I was stuck at home wrapping the meat that was just butchered (it cost less if you wrapped it yourself back in the day), tending to the garden, canning the fresh vegetables or fruits for the winter meals or making homemade bread or a yummy apple pie.  I was jealous back then, thinking all I do is work, I never get to do what my friends are doing.  Well one of mom’s favorite lines was if you friends jumped off a cliff are you going to be dumb enough to follow them?  The answer was always no, with a little bit of disappointment in my voice, knowing my mom was right. 

Mom was our 4-H leader and she made sure we learned how to lead and how to take instruction to follow, accept correction gracefully, and to do the best you can do.  We wore homemade clothes, hand me downs and things that were not in style, but what my parents could afford.  They were always clean and never had a hole.  She taught us to sew, mend, how to garden, how to can.  How lucky was I to have this background?  I think pretty darn lucky!

Mom taught me to do a job well and to accept shortcuts end up taking more time in the long run, so just do it and do right the first time.  Make time for family because you never know what tomorrow will bring and to make sure you are kind, Godly, respectful and helpful.

Thank you, mom, for all you have done for us preparing us for life!  Hope your Birthday is a good one! Happy 84^th Birthday to the best mom!

Lobster Bisque with Puff Pastry

Lobster Bisque with Puff Pastry

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 medium shallots, diced

1 medium leek, chopped

2 medium carrots, peeled and diced

1 stalk celery, diced

2 tablespoon sherry vinegar

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups seafood stock (chicken stock will work too)

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

Kosher salt, as needed

Freshly ground black pepper, as needed

A drizzle of Lobster Oil, available at The Olive Twist while supplies last

½ cup heavy cream

¼ cup dry white wine

¾ pound chopped cooked lobster meat, tail and claws

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed

1 egg, beaten

Heat a large pot over medium heat, add the olive oil and heat through. Add the shallots,

leeks, carrots, celery and sauté, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are

tender, about 6 minutes.  You can cool and process to make a smoother bisque.

Pour in the sherry, wine and continue to cook until it has almost all evaporated, about 5 minutes.

Add butter and allow to melt then stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Add the tomato, stock and the thyme, lobster oil and bring to a simmer over medium low heat, until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.  Taste and adjust the flavor.

Stir in the seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Whisk in the cream then add the lobster meat and set aside.

Heat oven to 400ºF (200ºC). 

Add to 4 (8-ounce) oval baking dishes or 1 large 12" oval baking dish. On a lightly

floured surface, roll out the puff pastry dough so that it is ¼-inch thick.

Cut two oval shapes ½ larger than the baking dishes and cut an ‘x’ in the middle of each oval

(for steam to escape). Lay the dough over the top of each baking dish so the edges hang over

the side.

Brush the puff pastry with the beaten egg. Bake until the top is golden brown and puffed up,

about 25 to 30 minutes. Serve hot.

America's Test Kitchen Mac & Cheese with a little Olive Twist

America’s Test Kitchen Stove Top Mac and Cheese, with an Olive Twist …Twist

1 ½ cups water

1 cup milk

8 ounces elbow macaroni

4 ounces American cheese, shredded (1 cup)

½ tsp. Dijon mustard

Small pinch cayenne pepper

4 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup)

⅓ cup panko bread crumbs

1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

2 tbsps. grated Parmesan cheese

Procedure

Add water and milk to a medium-sized sauced pan and boil over high heat. Stir in the macaroni then reduce the heat to medium-low. Let it cook for about 6-8 minutes or until the macaroni is soft and in that time, remember to stir frequently so that all the macaroni pieces are evenly cooked. Considering that the liquid used here is in small quantities, ensure that the elbow macaroni you use are of the same shapes and sizes.

After that, melt in the American cheese and in that you can also add the mustard and cayenne. Cheese can take some time to melt, a process you can speed up by stirring constantly for about 1 minute. It also helps in ensuring that the dish is not lumpy. Once done, turnoff the heat and stir in the cheddar cheese only enough for it to be evenly distributed, but then it should not melt. Cover this mixture and set is aside for about 5 minutes.

As it sits, you can get the topping ready. Combine panko bread crumbs, virgin oil, 1/8 tbsp. of salt and 1/8 tbsp. of pepper in a large skillet until the bread crumbs are evenly moistened.  Bring the mixture to cook over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes or until it’s evenly browned. You can also save time by having the bread crumbs pre-roasted in the oven and only adding the spices to an already browned set. Once brown, turn off the heat and add the parmesan cheese to the mixture and once combined, transfer this to a small bowl.

Stir in the macaroni sauce until it is smooth. At this point, it sometimes can be runny or too thick. Either way, you have the option of adding in milk to dilute it a bit, or adding extra cheese to get it to the desired paste. At the same time, the sauce usually tend to thicken as it cools, meaning that you can also be patient and see how it goes. With the perfect sauce at hand, season with extra salt and pepper to your perfection then transfer to a serving dish. Season this with the panko mixture and serve immediately.

The Olive Twist ….Twist

Spicy Mac & Cheese-Add 1-2 Tbsp OT Green Chile Olive Oil

Herb Mac & Cheese-Add 1-2 Tbsp OT Tuscan Herb Olive Oil

Roasted Vegetables with Horseradish Glaze

Roasted Vegetables with Horseradish Glaze

Ingredients

4 medium carrots, diced

3 parsnips, diced

Cauliflower

8 round shallots

3 fennel bulbs

Olive oil for roasting

Salt and pepper

Horseradish Glaze

3-4 tbsp freshly grated horseradish, to taste (or 2-3 tbsp from a jar)

2 tbsp lemon balsamic

4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp Garlic & Herb Blend

½ tsp sugar

Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Arrange the carrots and parsnips on a rimmed roasting tray, toss with a little oil and cook for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the shallots in half from top to bottom and peel. Remove any fronds from the fennel, reserving them to garnish, and discard the tough outer layer. Cut the fennel into wedges. Arrange the shallots and fennel in a second rimmed roasting tray, toss with a little oil and put in the oven alongside the carrots and parsnips. Cook until all the vegetables are very tender and slightly caramelized around the edges, for about 20-30 minutes.

Combine the horseradish with the lemon balsamic, Garlic & Herb Blend, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, pepper and sugar. Season. Drizzle the dressing onto the cooked vegetables and garnish with the fennel fronds, if using. Serve with a roasted pork loin, beef roast, or roasted chicken.

Highlight Product this month:

Salad Dressing Mixing Bottle with 5 different homemade salad dressing recipes.  Simple flavorful and healthy!

This is one of our favorite products to use in making a vinegarette right in your own home.  The price is right too!  $5.99 plus tax.

It is great to mix up a vinegarette and take it to work with you, use it at home, take to BBQ, or family gathering.  Best part you don't have to go looking for the recipe, it is right there everytime. 

Follow the recipes given or just use it to make up your own recipe.

It is a wonderful gift for a birthday, house warming, or for any occasion.  It is useful and makes you look like a salad dressing rock star!

Sweet Potato Rounds

3-4 medium sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2" slices

1 tablespoon butter olive oil*

dash sea salt*

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon*

Topping

4 oz goat cheese

1 tablespoon cream or half and half

1 tablespoon honey*

1/4 cup chopped candied pecans

1/4 cup chopped dried cranberries

2 tablespoons honey for drizzling

1 tablespoon cinnamon pear balsamic vinegar*

Fresh rosemary sprigs to garnish, optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°

Brush olive oil on each side of the sweet potato and sprinkle with a little salt and cinnamon sugar mixture.  Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes, flip over and continue to bake another 10-15 minutes.

In a mixing bowl combine the goat cheese, cream and honey.  Set aside.

Remove sweet potatoes from oven and allow to cool about 10 minutes.  Add a dollop of the cheese mixture on top of each sweet potato and, sprinkle with pecans and dried cranberries

Drizzle with a bit honey and balsamic vinegar. Serve immediately.

*Items available at The Olive Twist

Savory Pistachio Mushroom Cheese Cake Appetizer

For the Crust:

1/2 cup pistachios, finely chopped

1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

2 tbsp butter olive oil*

For the Filling:

2 cups mushrooms, finely chopped

1 tbsp wild mushroom and sage olive oil*

2 garlic cloves, minced

16 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sour cream

2 eggs

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1 tsp Garlic & Herb Blend*

Salt and pepper to taste*

Fresh thyme for garnish

Fig Balsamic Vinegar to drizzle*

Wild Mushroom and Sage Olive Oil to drizzle*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a bowl combine pistachios, feta, parmesan, bread crumbs and olive oil.  Press the incorporated mixture into a springform pan to form a crust.  Place in preheated oven and back about 10 minutes until golden brown.  Remove from oven and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté mushrooms and garlic until soft and moisture has evaporated, about 5-7 minutes. Allow to cool

In a separate bowl, beat softened cream cheese, sour cream, eggs, and grated Parmesan until smooth. Stir in the sautéed mushrooms and add seasonings.  Pour the mushroom mixture over the pistachio crust and bake for 30-45 minute, until cheesecake is golden brown and set.

Remove from oven and allow to cool about 10 minutes before garnishing with fresh time, drizzle of balsamic and olive oil and some sauteed mushrooms.  Serve at room temperature.  Serve with toast points or garlic crackers.

*Items available at The Olive Twist

Salami Veggie Bites

1 pkg salami thinly sliced

1 Cucumber, diced

½ cup Olives, sliced*

½ cup Cherry Tomato, cut into small wedges

3-4 Chives, chopped

4 Fresh Basil, chopped

¼ pound Feta, cubed or crumbled

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Place salami in muffin tin, place in pre-heated oven and bake for 5-8 minutes until salami holds its shape.  Remove from oven and place salami cups on a paper towel to absorb the excess grease.  Set aside and allow to cool.

In a medium bowl, placed chopped vegetables, drizzle and toss with the vinegarette then spoon into salami cups.  Serve cold or at room temperature.

Vinaigrette

¼ cup Pomegranate Quince Balsamic Vinegar*

¼ cup Madagascar Black Pepper Olive Oil*

Slowly whisk the olive oil into the balsamic and drizzle over the vegetable cups

*Items available at The Olive Twist

Baked Feta and Olives

8-ounce block feta

1 cup pitted olives, drained

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained

1/3 cup olive oil choice* (we like Tuscan Herb, Garlic, Leek, Rosemary or Herbs de Provence)

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 1/2 tablespoon Mediterranean Blend*

Himalayan salt*

fresh cracked pepper*

For serving: fresh parsley, crostinis and a drizzle of fresh olive oil.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. 

Place feta onto a small baking dish.  Add olives and sun-dried tomatoes to the baking dish around the feta.  Poor over the feta/olive block.  Bake for 18-20 minutes.  Change oven setting to broil and broil for about 1-2 minutes.  Remove from oven and garnish.

Moroccan Meatballs with Pomegranate Glaze

MEATBALLS:

1 large shallot, very finely chopped – reserve 1/3 for the sauce.

1 lb. ground lamb, beef, Pork or a combo

4–5 large garlic cloves, minced

2 eggs

1 cup chopped herbs – flat leaf parsley, mint or cilantro or a blend

1 teaspoon ground cumin*

1 teaspoon coriander, ground*

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon*

1 teaspoon salt, more to taste*

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, more to taste*

1/4 cup to 1/2 cup toasted bread crumbs

Pomegranate Glaze

1/3 of a shallot – finely chopped

1-1/2 cup pomegranate juice, (find at The Fresh Market or Trader Joes)

1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup, local*

1 teaspoon pomegranate balsamic vinegar*

pinch salt and pepper*

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice*

Garnish with fresh herbs, pomegranate seeds and parsley

Start the Pomegranate Glaze. In a small sauté stainless pan or pot (do not use cast iron) sauté shallot in a drizzle of olive oil, over medium heat for 3 minutes, or until tender. Add pomegranate juice, salt and pepper, honey/maple, balsamic, and spices. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium, then simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes, until it reduces to ½ cup. Remove from heat 

While its simmering, make the Meatballs, place ingredients in a medium bowl, using your hands, combine well, adding enough breadcrumbs to make them easy to roll into balls.

Wet hands, and roll mixture into 1 ½- 2” balls and set aside. Makes about 12-16.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Working in batches (don’t overcrowd) brown the meatballs, turning to brown on all sides. Turn the heat down to low, cover and cook through for just a couple of minutes.

Place in an oven-proof dish, pour glaze over top and keep warm until ready to serve.

Garnish with fresh herbs and pomegranate seeds.

*Items available at The Olive Twist