Last-minute Christmas Gift

 My god daughter and I spent our afternoon doing some holiday baking for friends as well as treating ourselves. A month or so ago I came across a great set of six mini-bread tins mounted on a holder that connects them all for easy handling in and out of the oven. So we mixed up a batch of my favorite nutty pumpkin bread and poured it into the tins.

Lucky for us, we had some left over. Anna had the idea of copying something her mom does; we added chocolate chips and used the rest of the batter to make mini-muffins. After all, the cooks deserve a treat for ourselves.

Treat yourself and your family well and have a Merry Christmas!

The gingerbread tradition continues, sort of

It’s been a tradition in my family for three generations—making a gingerbread house before Christmas, enjoying its scent throughout the season then breaking it and eating it to celebrate the New Year. It was when my grandparents were living in Chicago and my mom was a baby that a neighbor taught Grandma how to create the house that we still make today.

So no, this has nothing to do with the goodness of my back yard garden or any other local food producer. This story is related to the garden of our memories and family traditions that, when we share them, unknowingly touch countless people through the years.

I was reminded of that this year when I posted updates on my Facebook page about making the gingerbread house. Friends from college, work situations and family all commented with their own memories of the gingerbread houses they’ve partaken of along with me—even so far back as in my dorm room in the 1980s! And you’re right, no one else in our residence hall had a gingerbread house in their room.

As a child I always looked forward to helping Mom decorate the house, but even more to the fun of breaking and eating it. I’ve shared that with the children of many friends over the years. My most recent and constant gingerbread house companion has been my goddaughter, Anna. This year, we also invited a younger girl who had helped break it when she was smaller (so young that she didn’t remember it).

I baked the gingerbread on Saturday so we would be prepared to build on Sunday. It was quite rainy, so I was concerned about the gingerbread hardening properly. Mom has always warned me that when the weather is too damp, the gingerbread softens. Mom’s, of course, know best.

So when I checked the gingerbread pieces on Sunday, they did feel softer than I wanted. I put them in front of the fireplace for a while hoping that would dry them out. The weather didn’t help. The rain continued to drop outside.

When Anna arrived, we chose the driest pieces and went to work. First, we made the sugar water “glue” then stood up the pieces to construct our house. We had a hard time with the front but when all four pieces of the house’s base stood steady, we put on the roof then drizzled our glue as if it were an ice storm. The house stood.

We gave it a small test, leaving the house for 30 minutes or so to go pick up Jeneimy to help us make the snow icing and decorate. When we returned, the house was still standing, Hurrah! So we cooked the icing and continued with the fun until we had our beautiful house.

That evening, I put it on a table in the living room, thinking it was a drier room than the dining room. As I sat near it, I enjoyed the rich, molasses scent, imagining the days until New Year’s as a time to relax with the family tradition by my side. How sweet.

It rained all night. It rained hard. It had been four days since we had seen the sun. Yet, when I woke in the morning, it the gingerbread house stood.

Until sometime before noon. When I walked into the room after lunch, the house had collapsed as if an earthquake had struck.

I admit, it was very damp and the one wall that caused the collapse could have simply buckled. But as I spied my cat napping on a chair I wondered if someone had been too curious when I had my back turned. I’ll never know. But what I do know is that I treasured the experience of creating the house with my two friends. And now I don’t have to wait until New Year’s Eve to eat it.

If you want to try to make your own house, find a dry day then follow this recipe.

Grandma’s Gingerbread House

Ingredients:

2 ¾ C flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/3 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ginger
2/3 C Brer Rabbit molasses
½ C brown sugar
1 egg
1/3 C butter, melted

Sift together flour, baking powder and ginger. Cream together butter, egg and brown sugar. Mix well then add molasses. Slowly mix in dry ingredients. It will be thick and take some work to get in all of the flour. Heavily grease cookies sheets with butter then grease patterns pieces. You can cut them from a graham cracker box. Start with a little over the size of a walnut. Place dough on cookie sheet and pound with heal of hand to the size and thickness desired. Make it as thin as you can without making it so thin you see through it. Put greased form on top and cut around it with a butter knife. Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees. I typically make twice as many pieces as I need in case one breaks during construction.

Choose the best looking pieces for your house. Make glue from water and sugar. Start with 1 cup sugar and a little water. Cook to medium thickness. Put some on a heavy board to stand a piece in. Put an adjoining piece next to it and use a spoon to pour the sugar glue over the joint. Sometimes it’s easiest to begin with two sides and the front. When you get to the roof, put some of the glue icing on the underside of the roof where it will sit on top of the house base. Next, use glue icing on the top seam. You’ll be continually making more glue throughout the process.

Next, make the snow-boiled icing to finish and decorate the house.

Ingredients:

1 cup granulated sugar
1 TBSP water
1 TBSP white syrup
½ tsp. vanilla
1 egg white 

Cook until soft ball then add 1 egg white and beat with mixer until you have enough to spread on board. Add ½ tsp. vanilla. You’ll have to double or triple this amount to cover and decorate a large board and drizzle some on the house to look like snow. When the snow-icing is still soft, add miniature trees and whatever other decorations you have purchased for the yard. Use jelly beans or other candy to make a walking path to the from door. Let your imagination go wild with the decorations!

School chef educates children

 A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to interview Chef Ryan Laudenschlager about cooking with whole foods for a school cafeteria. Check out the approach he takes for The Lexington School at 

http://www.kyforward.com/2012/12/school-lunchtime-anything-but-typical-at-the-lexington-school-thanks-to-chef-ryan/

A gardening writer finds gems in the soil

When the garden is put to bed but four persevering plants continue toward their production goal, I stand in awe of their insistence in fulfilling their purpose. I planted broccoli, brusel sprouts and bok choi in late August. Because of shading from the Tulip Poplar trees in the back yard, the plants grew slowly until late October when the trees dropped their leaves. I feared our early frosts would kill them. 

Until Sunday. Jim decided to till the garden so I could put the winter coat of cardboard, manure and straw on the garden in preparation for trying lasagna gardening next year.  Before he tilled them under, I wanted to check the remaining plants. The broccoli looked healthy and happy so I asked him to till around them. The weather report said we would be having a week of unseasonably warm temperatures; maybe we would still get some nice, round broccoli to enjoy.  

All four plants have small broccoli heads. The largest is presently the size of an apple. It rained last night and we’re expecting more rain today, so we’ll have at least some to harvest. Now I have an unexpected morning gardening task, to check on their progress.

Just when I thought the gardening was over, a gem delights me.

As I begin a new writing routine this week to devote more time and energy to my fiction writing, I’m also mindful of the lesson the plants teach me. Don’t give up. Maybe, like them, I just need longer than usual to grow into my potential as a fiction writer.

I also have a blooming African violet on my desk to remind me of the importance of persistence. After years of African violet failures, I finally learned to water it from the bottom. Sometimes reaching a goal requires both time and a new approach. 

Then there’s last year’s poinsettia, which is transforming from green to red. Yes, you can nurse them throughout the year and they’ll come back red. By Christmas time? I’m not sure but I’ll let you know. Maybe we’ll have a red poinsettia on our table along with fresh broccoli salad to eat as we give thanks for the lessons the garden continues to teach us.

Holiday leftovers fuel the creative cook

There’s something about the challenge of a refrigerator filled with leftovers that sends my cooking brain cells into a dance marathon. Turkey, rolls, dressing, stewed tomatoes, sweet potato casserole—what’s a cook to do?

Experiment. It’s low-pressure because you’ve already put in the time to prepare these items so forming them into something else can’t be too complicated. Once you do that, you’ll be happy you were able to eat them before you had to dump them. And the second time around, they might be even better.

Here are two quick ideas and a third recipe that worked for me.

Sandwiches—everyone has probably turned leftover turkey and ham into sandwiches. Boost the taste a few notches by making a Gruyere cheese spread (garlic, Dijon mustard, butter). Spread it on homemade bread, layer with turkey then roasted red peppers and put it on your Panini maker, brushed with olive oil on the outside, to create a warm and luscious sandwich.

Casseroles—I sometimes make “casseroles” in ramekins so we can eat our servings for one meals but not harbor more leftovers. This time around I shredded some of the turkey then mixed it with stewed tomatoes. They fill half or so of the ramekins. Next I put on a layer of sweet potato casserole then topped with dressing and a drizzle of gravy then baked 30 minutes, finishing it off for a couple of minutes under the broiler. Jim said the more the layers melded together, the better he found the taste.

Breakfast bake

I’m a French toast fan but sometimes don’t want to take the extra few minutes to prepare it first thing in the morning. I cured that problem with a prepare-the-night-before recipe that mimics French toast and turns into a light, fluffy breakfast bake. Here’s a recipe for two servings.

Fill the ramekins to ½ to 2/3 with small pieces of leftovers rolls. Add handful of your favorite fresh or frozen berries. I used raspberries from our garden. Mix ½ cup milk, 1 TBSP maple syrup, ½ tsp. cinnamon, one large egg lightly beaten and pour over bread. The bread will absorb most of it, but not all. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, get the ramekins out of the refrigerator and turn on the oven to 375. Bake for 20 minutes. In the meantime, toast a handful of your favorite nuts.

When finished, loosen with butter knife then turn on to plate. Add two small pats of butter if you like. Pour on your favorite syrup (I used our homemade strawberry syrup) and top with nuts. Enjoy!

Drying herbs makes the kitchen smell good!

As I crushed my recently dried herbs between my hands before putting into their storage jars, my husband walked into the kitchen to identify the smell. Indeed, herb perfume can be as enticing as the taste of any herb.

I’ve been growing herbs for a few years now, adding another plant or two every year. My favorites to dry are rosemary, oregano and basil. I don’t use an extraordinary amount of rosemary but love its scent. During the growing season, I have to run my hand up a stalk when I pass it in the garden. It leaves its small on my palm, a small gift of appreciation. Rosemary grows well in my garden and smells wonderful as it hangs to dry. 

The scents of other herbs tend not to be as strong as they dry, but they have their place as well. I usually run out of oregano and basil before the winter is over and the fresh plants begin to produce.  This year I made more of an effort to dry these two. I also added French tarragon, a new plant for me that did well. Fresh, the herb tastes like licorice. I didn’t bother drying my mint because I seldom use it except when it’s fresh.

My routine for harvesting herbs follows four simple steps:

1)      1) Cut the herbs before they flower.

 2) Bunch strong end of the stems of the same herb together with a rubber band. Attach a bread tie and wind it around a peg on a shelf in my dining room.  If I run out of pegs, I attach a long piece of strong or yarn to the bundle and place the end of it under something heavy that sits on the shelf, allowing the herbs to hang free. The herbs hang in the dim dining room, which is also one of our driest rooms, until they dry.

3)      3) When dry, I take down the plants and unbundle them. Using my palms, I rub the dried plants over a large bowl then break them down into smaller pieces with my fingers.

4)      4) Finally, I store in small, labeled glass jars. I have some cute octagon-shaped jars that a friend gave me a few years ago. They’re my favorites but I also save small jars I’ve emptied of other things to use. I prefer glass containers as the herbs seem to retain more freshness than if I put them in plastic.

We’ve now had a few hard frosts so the only herbs that are still alive in the garden are what I covered with dried leaves. A few more sprigs of fresh parsley to add to tonight’s chicken salad will taste good.

Incredible Food Show delivers again

Beer cheese. Barbecue sauce. Chocolate chili. Ice cream. Vegetable juice. Hot tea. Culinary seminars.The Incredible Food Show delivered samples of all of this as well as so much more on Saturday, November 27 at Heritage Hall in Lexington. It’s the second time I’ve attended and I continue to spread the news about the event to foodie friends because it was once again a marvelous taste and learning experience for me.

I want to highlight some of the area farmers, cooks and service providers who I find to be especially great sources for anyone who is concerned with good health and local food. There were also many more at show. You can find all the exhibitors listed at www.incrediblefoodshow.com.

Cheese:  I continue to look for local sources of good cheese and found a new source in Heavenly Homestead Cheese. Lindsey and Dustin Perkins brought plenty of samples from the cheese they make from their Jersey Cows in Windsor, Kentucky. Although they aren’t officially designated as an organic farm, it’s clear when talking with them that you are getting an organic product in which you don’t have to worry about hormones, steroids and antibiotics. All that, plus the cheese tastes great! For more information, go to www.heavenlyhomesteadcheese.com.

Shitake mushrooms: I first encountered the Stickney family from Irvine, Kentucky at the Mushroom Festival in Irvine this past spring. They grow their mushrooms organically on logs that come from a sustainably managed forest.  I’ve long read that Shitake’s have anti-cancer properties. For further nutritional information, you can find information at www.whfoods.com.  If you’re interested in buying mushrooms or a log on which to grow them, call Jack, Teresa or Caleb Stickney at 606-723-6856. 

Cookbooks and authors: Thanks to Joseph-Beth Booksellers, show attendees could also purchase cookbooks and meet local cookbook authors. One of those was Rona Roberts, author of Sorghum, Sweet Sorghum. Rona loves to share information about sorghum, including the fact that it has more nutritional value than sugar cane, as well as recipes. Since it’s a locally produced sweetener, I need to delve further into sorghum recipes to see what I can produce. The fall and winter seasons seem like an ideal time to do that.

Nutrition: If you wonder about the nutrition of the products available at the food show, you could ask Paula Antonini of Simply Nutrition. I originally met Paula at a professional women’s luncheon and enjoyed talking with her about food. She enjoys helping people lose weight. She’s a good source for all sorts of information about how food relates to our health and wellness and she was at the show to share some of what she does.

Celebrity Chef: Of course, a post about the show wouldn’t be complete without a few words about celebrity chef Tyler Florence and his presentation. He was as entertaining and down-to-earth on the Kentucky Proud stage as he is on television. He did his part in promoting local foods by creating a Venison Bourguignon Recipe. For that and his Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie, go to the Celebrity Chef Information page on the Incredible Food Show web site.

Are you now enticed enough to attend next year? I was definitely well-fed and picked up plenty of information from producers that I’ll follow up with. If you want to try it out for yourself, be sure to check the website next August for the dates of next year’s show.