Awards and Thanks!

With all this crazy traveling, I've fallen behind of updating a few things.  I feel like my blog (and my head) are full of cobwebs.  Now that I'm sorta kinda halfway caught up... I want to take a moment to thank my friends Nancy aka Spicie Foodie for passing along her awards to me and Shirley from Shirley's Luxury Haven for the Versatile Blogger award.

Both of these ladies are talented cooks, writers and have amazing blogs themselves.  I feel very honored to be included in your list of favorite bloggers. 

I've already listed 7 things about myself from a previous award but I'll follow the rules anyway...so here it goes.

1.  I never met a piece of chocolate that I didn't like.
2.  I have over 5000 original recipes in my computer and an entire shelf of binders full of original recipes on my book shelf which I hope to get organized and typed up some day.
3.  I have a short fuse when it comes to incompetence...which is why I stay out of Walmart!
4.  My philosophy on name brand items...you don't skimp on food or bed linens.
5.  My policy regarding my dog...I love her to pieces but she who licks her own butt...does NOT lick my face!
6.  When I want something done...I want it done YESTERDAY!
7.  I thank God for my wonderful, beautiful, accomplished daughters and I am extremely proud of them.

Here are my awards...thank you again ladies!

                                                    

    My picks for sharing:

1.  Annie at Anniebakes  ...One of my favorite baking sites.  Lovely recipes and photos.

2.Lisa at http://authenticsuburbangourmet.blogspot.com/   Her recipes are inspired and she's a wonderful writer.  Beautiful photos as well.

3.  Sarah at http://bakingserendipity.blogspot.com/ ...another talented baker and always so upbeat and enjoyable posts.

4.  Amy at http://fragrantvanillacake.blogspot.com/  another talented baker.

5.  Mo at http://recipesbymo.blogspot.com/  ..so young and so talented...both as a cook and a writer.  Thanks to Lazaro for guiding me to her blog!

6.  The Mom Chef....I will look up the URL...for some reason I thought I had her on my "follow" list but am not finding it.  I will have to rectify this right away!

I have a couple more to add later but right now...I'm beat!  So it's off to la la land.  Thanks to all my foodie friends for reading, following and or putting up with my blog!

Labor Day, Gators and Dessert Crostini

Here I am again...hung over from a car trip!  This was just an overnighter up to my in-laws' house in Fort McCoy (near Ocala).  We hadn't been up there all summer so we just went up for the night.  They live right on the perimeter of the Ocala National Forest.  It's beautiful up that way; doesn't really look like the part of Florida I'm accumstomed to.  It's very "woodsy". 

If you haven't guessed by now, I'm not really a rustic kind of gal.  My idea of roughing it is sitting out in the hot tub on the deck with a glass of wine and staring at the woods in the distance.  If I see one tree frog or googly-eyed freaky looking thing with a bunch of legs...I'm off like a prom dress!  This is one chubby chick that can haul some butt when it comes to getting away from a critter.  Remind me to tell you my story about swimming into a school of stingrays out on Sanibel Island sometime! 

Anywho...my in-law's place is 15 acres in the middle of the boonies.  Its beautiful out there but a little scary at times.  I know you thought I was going to talk about football when I mentioned Gators in the title of the post.  You were WRONG! 

There is a lovely pond at the entrance to their property that my FIL has cleaned out, installed a pump with a fountain and stocked with fish.  About a hundred and fifty feet from the right side of the house is a decorative stone wall that kind of seperates the yard from the more "wild" area.  The grade is about 5 feet lower than the yard.  Well, another 50 or so feet past the wall is a creek that is mostly just a trickle.  That is until it rains for a day or two.  Some larger body of water (of which there are so many in Florida) feeds that creek so when it fill up...up and up and up the creek comes.  It overflows it's banks and up near the front of the property, the creek pretty much merges with the pond.  The house sits far enough back and higher, beyond the rock wall.  Everytime the creek rises to meet the pond, they get a gator in the pond.

The last gator was pretty substantial, around 5 feet long.  Theres a guy up in Deland thats like some wild eyed swamp person that will come out and bait traps with raw chicken and then wait for the gator to swallow the hook.  They get one of those hoop things on a pole around it's snout then straddle it's back and very deftly and quickly wrap duct tape around it's maw.  A gator can still hurt you bad with his tail...even if you have disabled the chain-saw in his mouth.  Dangerous and dubious work if you ask me.  Takes a strange man to want to do this for a living.

Ok, well all that was important so you could get this mental picture.  My husband...carpenter shorts, muddy gym shoes, GLEN BECK T-shirt, baseball cap...standing on the bank of the pond trying to see the size of this new squatter.  It's sprinkling just hard enough to make the sloped edge of the pond muddy and slick. 

From our vantage point in the lawn chairs on the front porch, my mother-in-law and I are sitting there reading his mind...what little there is of it!  I could tell by the 10-year old stance that he was contemplating how he might catch this thing.  After about 10 minutes, he comes sauntering up the driveway and announces, "I'mma catch me a gator." 

We both start protesting simultaneously.  "You don't have a hook...you don't have any raw chicken...are you out of your mind...you are going to get killed..." etc.  His reply was simply, "I'll think of something..."  I must tell you, those are about the scariest words a man can utter when it relates to fire, electricity, heights, wild animals and cooking.  All I could think of was if our insurance covered accidents related to stupidity. 

He disappeared into the garage and came out with a huge roll of heavy duty nylon rope, layed it on the driveway, removed his muddy shoes and went in the house.  A couple of minutes later, he retured with a can of SPAM.  One more trip to the garage yields a pitch fork and a bucket of rusty fishing hooks. 

My first instinct was just to go inside and pretend that he was sane but morbid curiosity got the better of me and so...I walked a little way down the driveway until I could get a clear view of the pond.  Sure enough...the dintinct profile of a gator was gliding ominously through the mukey water.  There on the bank was the great white hunter...a block of spam studded with rusty fishing hooks dangling from a length of rope strung over a tree branch, dangling a few feet above the water.  He had used the rest of the rope to make a lasso which he was whirling over his head and repeatedly flinging out into the pond.  The pitchfork waited nearby...it's tines buried in the mud. 

I watched incredulously for about 10 minutes.  I just couldn't get my head around the concept that this man actually thought he was going to lasso an aligator.  What REALLY scared me is what he thought he was going to do if he actually caught it?  RIDE HIM..brandishing a pitchfork...until he was either thrown and eaten or until he "broke" the gator.  Oh my God...I was too horrified to remember that my new droid has a built in camcorder.  I could be RICH right now.  That video would have probably had more youtube hits than Lady Gaga! 

Fortunately, I never had to find out since he didn't manage to "rope him".  I will say that crazy song kept running through my head though..."head um up move um out...head um in...rawhide......yeeeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaawwww."  Indeed!!

We are back home now and yes, my husband has all his limbs.  It's Labor Day and I have done as little labor as possible.  I had picked up some beautiful fresh Turkish figs a couple of days ago at the market and was thinking about what to do with them.  I started to make a fig crustada but honestly...it's old news.  I just wanted something a little different.

In the end, I decided on a chocolate semolina biscotti, topped with orange scented yogurt cheese and fresh figs in caramel.  It worked beautifully.  The biscotti is not too sweet, the yogurt cheese is quite tart and the soft sweet figs and rich buttery caramel are a perfect flavor and texture combination.  I hope you enjoy the pictures and recipe. 

Fortunately, I will NOT be serving Gator tail!!

Chocolate Semolina Biscotti with Orange Yogurt Cheese and Caramel Figs

To make the yogurt cheese:  24 hours ahead of time, place 1 quart of plain organic yogurt in a cheesecloth (or unbleached coffee filter) lined colander and balance on the lip of a bowl.  Make sure the bottom of the colander is a few inches above the bottom of the bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours.  The water or whey will drip out and you'll be left with thick yogurt cheese.  I added the zest of one orange, a few drops of orange water, 1/4 cup of castor sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste to mine.  Mix and refrigerate until ready to use.

To make the Chocolate Semolina Biscotti:

• 2 3/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup semolina flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla baking powder (can sub plain)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 cage free organic eggs, large
• 1 cup organic palm sugar
• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine flour, semolina, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.  Use a whisk to mix thoroughly.

In a large bowl, beat eggs with sugar and cooled melted butter until well combined.  Beat in the extracts.  Add the flour mixture one third at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Fold in the slivered almonds.

Shape the dough into two 12 x 3 x 1 1/2" logs on an ungreased cookies sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Remove logs from sheet and cool 10 minutes on a wire rack.  Transfer to hard surface and slice crosswise into 1/2" thick slices.  Lay the slices cut side down on the baking sheet and return to oven for 12-15 minutes.  Turn cookies over and bake an additional 5 minutes until dry and crisp.  Cool on wire rack.

Prepare the Caramel Figs:

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup organic brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons organic half and half
• 5 ripe figs, sliced

Melt butter in a medium skillet.  Stir in brown sugar and honey; bring mixture to a boil.  Remove from heat and stir in half and half.  Return mixture to medium heat; lay the fig slices in the caramel.  Cook over medium heat one minute; turn fig slices carefully.  Remove from heat.  Cool caramel figs if desired but they may also be assembled while warm.

Assemble:  Spread a thick layer of orange yogurt cheese on the each biscotti.  Arrange on serving plate.  Top each with two slices of caramel figs and drizzle with extra caramel.  Garnish with orange zest.

(c)copyright Jill Anderson

The Homegrown Gourmet

The Way Things Stack Up...

Hi...remember me??  I'm the disappearing blogger.  Seriously, I absolutely cannot travel anymore for at least 3 or 4 months!  I require too much paraphenalia ( and not THAT kind of paraphenalia) to live out of a suitcase.  By the time I pack my 80 lbs of silver jewlery, 25 pair of false eyelashes with emergency stash of glue, 26 bottles of various vitamins and supplements, vitamix, electric skillet, cooler with all the foods I'm NOT allergic to, dog and dog supplies, 16 pairs of gladiator sandals (a girl never knows when she's going to have to fight some lions or be in a fashion show), 3 months worth of cooking magazines (for entertainment) and assorted cosmetics, perfumes, hand sanitzers and spf lip balm.....WHEW...there's hardly any room for my aroma therapy candles and conair sound machine!  No...I'm definately ready to stay at home for a while!

I could regale you all with tales of my travels but suffice it to say every waiter, restaraunt manager and or grocery store clerk from here to East Jesus Indiana hates my guts and there are probably post-office type WANTED posters hanging in every Cracker Barrell, Applebees, Ruby Tuesdays and I can barely even type this one without refluxing...Waffle House (don't ask...I was traveling with my mother) in the entire country warning them to be on the look out for the biggest PIA customer that ever picked up a poorly washed, slightly bent restaraunt fork or inquired after the "organic section" in a grocery store with 4 aisles.  Cretans...one and all.  Culinary barbarians.  Poster children for the gastronimically challenged!  Blechhhhhhhh....

I suppose those places are okay for some people but if you have food allergies or special dietary needs they look at you like you have 3 heads, flounce off to the kitchen to grudgingly read the micro print on a salad dressing jug...IF they bother at all.  Or (if you find youself in the twilight zone between food and engineered sustenence), turn their heads and bellow at the fry cook..."Leroy, you ain't got nuthin that ain't got no eggs in it do ya? Nope.  How 'bout that grease?  It ain't olive oil is it?  Naw.  Well then, you can't make nuthin with no vegetable in it can you?  Nevermind.  Nah...we ain't got none'a that stuff here lady.  Where you think you are...Applebees?"  I don't know where Guy Fieri finds all those amazing diners that serve duck confit tacos and pheasant breast sandwiches because they never end up on my route! I always manage to take the fork in the road that leads to food bourne illness and frequent restroom stops. 

Needless to say, by the time I got home, I was literally DYING to cook something.  Cleaning out and packing up my mother's house was kind of a trip down memory lane.  She is like a clearing house for all the family heirlooms that nobody else would bother to save.  The little scraps of paper where some old aunt scribbled down a recipe for potato candy, a napkin that has someone's "famous" jello mould recipe scrawled on it...you know, all the minutia that goes largely unnoticed in families. 

There among the heaps of photo albums, tiny shoes and locks of baby hair, lay some real treasures where recipes are concerned.  As a child, I remember being fascinated by my grandmother's Apple Stack Cake.  It was one of those weird things like fruitcake; the older it gets, the better it tastes.  I haven't seen an honest to goodness old fashioned stack cake since I was 8 or 9 years old.  Of course you know, I had to make it as soon as I got home!

Now my grandmother's recipe is delicious just the way it is but I did put my own little spin on it.  Sorry for the booze granny but I didn't drink any...just cooked with it!

This cake is easy but it does take a little time to make and really must be wrapped and chilled for 24 hours for best results.  The cake layers are thin and somewhat crisp.  It is the juice from the cooked dried apples (and a little sprinkle of Apple Jack) that moistens them up.  The cake needs some time to soak up all that love before you dig into it.

Here it...my grandmother's old fashioned Apple Stack Cake (with a little extra sump'n sump'n from me).

Old Fashioned Apple Stack Cake

You'll want to begin by making the apple filling with:

• 5 cups organic dried apples
• 1 cup unbleached cane sugar
• 1 quart apple cider
• 2 teaspoons ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Place the apples and sugar in a large sauce pan.  Cover with apple cider and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, add spices and simmer until apples are tender.  Optional: add 1/2 cup Apple Jack, Apple Brandy or Spiced Rum.  Continue cooking until apples are completely soft and can easily be mashed with a fork.  If more liquid is necessary, add more cider or water.  Your apples should be thick and not watery.  Cool and use to fill stack cake.

To make the cake:

3/4 cup organic palm shortening

3/4 cup unbleached cane sugar

2/3 cup unsulphered molasses

1 whole organic egg and 1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla paste (may sub vanilla extract)

3/4 cup buttermilk

4 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 Tablespoon aluminum free baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2/3 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  You will need to grease and flour your 9" round baking pans.  This recipe makes 5 layers so unless you have 5 pans, you'll have to do them a couple at a time.
2. In a large bowl, beat palm shortening and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the sugar about 2 Tablespoons at a time.  This process should take nothing less than 5 minutes.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Mixture should be very light and fluffy.  Slowly drizzle the molasses into the mixture while beating.  Add the egg and egg yolk, vanilla paste or extract and buttermilk.  Always beat the buttermilk in gradually so as not to "break" the mixture.
3. In a large bowl, combine flour, ginger, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Beat into the shortening mixture in 3 or 4 additions.  You may need to finish mixing by hand.  The dough will be thick, like cookie dough. 
4. Divide dough into 5 equal portions; this can be done with a 1 cup measure.  Pack the dough into the cup and mound slightly.  Press each portion of dough out into prepared baking pan and bake on center rack in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown and firm.  Cool in pans for 5 minutes and then invert onto cooling rack to remove cake layer.  Repeat until all are baked.
5. Optional: Pour some apple brandy or rum into a cup and use a pastry brush to brush onto cake layers.  Alternately, you can use more of the apple cider for brushing the cakes.  Place first layer on platter and spread with cooled, cooked apple mixture.  Top with next layer and repeat.  Continue until all layers and apple filling are used.  I also cover the sides and top lightly but you do not have to.  Wrap the cake well and refrigerate for 24 hours before cutting.

Serve with a dollop of sweetened, cinnamon spiked sour cream...yum!

(c)copyright Jill Anderson

The Homegrown Gourmet

A New Award

I am finally home from the moving fiasco with a slam-packed U-haul truck sitting in my driveway.  I broke not one but TWO nails...so I've already declared that I will do NO MORE MAN WORK!  My husband and his other woman (his friend and partner in crime Ron who sees my husband more than I do) are going to get off their butts and put this junk in the storage unit tomorrow morning and I'm not lifting a finger!! 

I just wanted to take a minute to thank Shirley from Shirley's Luxury Haven for the Versitile Blogger Award.  It's always a lovely thing to log on and find that you've been given an award.  I really appreciate it Shirley.  You have nominated some wonderful bloggers so I am in esteemed company.  I will write more later after I've gathered my wits about me from this trip.

Rainy Road Trip

Good morning everyone.  I just wanted to drop a couple of lines to say I'll be out of town for the rest of the week.  Yes..I know, I said I was done traveling but my mother's house in Jacksonville sold quite quickly and unexpectedly.  Now we must got pack it up and bring her things to Cape Coral.  You certainly can't look a gift horse in the mouth.  For anything to sell in this economy...especially for someone to call you out of the blue and offer to buy it for cash is nothing short of a miracle.  We all figured she was going to be sitting on it for quite a while.

Its raining of course!  Have you ever moved when it wasn't raining?  This is six hours away from Jacksonville so maybe it isn't up there; one can hope.  At any rate, guess who gets to drive some bouncy uhaul back down here on Thursday or Friday?  You got that right...it sure isn't Mama!  How do I ge myself into these things in the first place?

It's a good thing I'm married and not forced to take a personals ad on one of these dating sites.  It would read something like this...

I dislike drunks, don't understand how people can eat cheese that smells like feet, and I HATE moving...even if it isn't my junk.  I'm short and plump with a sassy mouth and take no crap attitude and did I mention I hate moving? I look like Carol Channing on a three day crack binge until I've had my morning coffee.  My hobbies include blogging, cooking, writing and obsessive compulsive cleaning...but most certainly do NOT include moving!  Turn ons:  a well executed souffle, Johnny Depp, anything with chocolate in it or on it, Johnny Depp and getting on someone's last good nerve.  Turn offs:  Moving, the smell of a cat in the house, moving, people who whine, moving, children putting their dirty little paws in my hair, moving, Wheel of Fortune and moving.  For the addendum of turn offs:  see the attatched pages.  For a good time; call somebody else.  For the honest to goodness truth about why you are not married yet...call me.

Trio of Vegan Crostini

Even though it's been a couple of days since my last post, I'm rarely ever not cooking!  As some of you may know, I am working on testing recipes for a new cook book and that requires a lot of fiddling around in the kitchen.  Obviously, thats the reason for all the appetizer/starter recipes lately.  I'm working on beverages as well so you'll be seeing a few of those also.

My biggest issue with most appetizers is the heavy reliance on dairy products...mostly cheese.  If you have read this blog for any length of time you are well aware that I attend Feta-haulics anonymous (Chef Dennis is right down the hall in the Squash Blossom Addiction Recovery Meeting) pretty much to no avail.  I really TRY to be a good vegan but for that evil feta...okay maybe I'm not so stalwart where Greek Yogurt is concerned either but we won't talk about that.

What I like most about crostini as a starter course is that you can put anything you want on the top and call it party time without having to rely on cheesy, high calorie, high fat spreads.  I usually buy whole grain baguettes, slice and toast them myself to save on the fat and improve on the nutrition.  Ready made (in most bakery departments) are usually from white bread and coated quite heavily with suspicious oil.  Basically, IMHO...if it isn't olive, coconut or grapeseed oil...it's probably suspicious but thats another article.

Today I have a trio of vegan crostini for your viewing and reading pleasure.  They are simple, pretty, delicious, inexpensive (except maybe for the mushroom medley) and very easy to make.  Included here is another one of my lovely "mocktails".  Now I know you're probably saying to yourself..."Gee, that would be awesome with some booze in it" and you'd probably be right.  Unfortunately, I bust out in hives within minutes of taking one sip of alcohol so mocktails it is.  Ever the party animal huh?  I'm practically certifiable when sober...'nuff said!

Lets begin with our first crostini which is the most basic of all...bruschetta.

Simple Bruchetta Crostini

The key to really great bruchetta lies in the quality of the ingredients.  I've used vine-ripened local tomatoes, fresh garlic, top shelf cold pressed extra virgin olive oil and young tender basil from my patio garden.  Take note of the bread.  It is whole grain baguette with flax seed which I've sliced, toasted and then rubbed with cut garlic while it is still hot.  The bruschetta is made simply by starting some sliced garlic out in cold oil and warming slowly till the garlic is browned.  Remove with a slotted spoon and allow oil to cool before stirring in diced tomatoes and fresh basil.  I taste, add salt as needed and chill.  What could be easier?

Next up is Cannellini and Sun-Dried Tomato Crostini

Again, it can hardly be any easier and quicker than this.  Rinse and drain a can of organic cannellini beans and toss into the food processor.  Add 1/4 cup of oil packed sun-dried tomatoes (with their oil), a couple of pieces roasted red bell pepper, salt and pepper to taste and pulse away.  Drizzle in more olive oil as needed.  Spread on crostini, top with slivers of more sun-dried tomato, toasted pignoli, a drizzle of the tomato olive oil and fresh herb of choice.  You can whip up a platter of these in mere moments to enjoy with friends.

These delicious appetizers are full of fiber, antioxidents, healthy fats and bursting with flavor.

Lastly, I have a little different crostini for you.  This one is made of polenta which is cooked in vegetable broth with some garlic, salt and pepper.  Spread into a greased mould of choice and chill.  I actually used the lid to a butter dish to make a small rectangle that sliced up into lovely bite sized pieces.

Polenta Crostini with Wild Mushroom Medley

Prepare the polenta according the ratio on the package substituting low sodium organic vegetable broth for the water and a pat of Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Spread for butter.  Add kosher salt and some fresh grated or pasted garlic.  When cooked, spread into mould and chill.  Slice polenta and lay on a greased baking sheet.  Brush tops with olive oil, bake util slightly crisped on the outside.  The polenta will still be soft in the center.  You may broil the tops if you like.

The mushroom medley is just a BIG heap of whatever wild or cultivated mushrooms you can get sauteed in olive oil with chopped scallions.  Add salt and pepper, a little dried thyme and finish off with a pat of Earth Balance.  Use to top toasted polenta crostini.

As promised, I'm throwing in a cocktail and it's a good one!  I call it a
Lime Coco-jito

You'll need to prepare some lime simple syrup which I do by adding the peel of one whole organic lime to 1 cup organic cane sugar and 1 cup water.  Heat until sugar melts and let it cool with the lime peel in it.  Discard the peel and use the syrup for drinks.

Add desired amount of syrup to the bottom of a tall cocktail glass.  Squeeze half a lime into the glass and add several pieces of mint.  You may muddle the mint a bit if you choose.  I usually drop the squeezed lime half into the bottom as well.  Fill the glass halfway with sparkling mineral water and then add ice.  Top off with a splash of organic unsweetend coconut milk and swirl with a coctail stir.  Deeee-licious!

It was about to storm like the end of the world so these came out a little dark...sorry!  Next time I make them, I'll take new pictures.

(c)copyright Jill Anderson

The Homegrown Gourmet

Guest Post

Hello everyone!  I just wanted to do a quick post to add the link for my guest post.  A couple of months ago I won the "Quickies Challenge" hosted by Denise at http://quickiesonthedinnertable.yolasite.com/ and Lazaro at Lazaro Cooks for my Avocado Fudge Brownies with Feta Cheesecake Swirl.

The prizes were a copy of Denise's beautiful cookbook; Quickies Morning Noon and Night and a guest post on Lazaro's blog.  If you don't follow Lazaro's blog already, please check it out.  He is a prolific writer, fabulous and creative cook and he features amazing guest blogs each week.  While you are there, go ahead and check out my guest post and recipe for Vegan Goetta and Scrambled Tofu.

Check it out if you have a moment!