Sherry – Page 45 – Rosemary and the Goat

Fried Deviled Eggs

What can I say? You just have to try them.

Lucy’s Fried Chicken was a nice find when were in Austin a while back. Of course we ordered fried chicken but we also ordered some fried chicken gizzards (my favorite) for appetizers and tried their deep fried deviled eggs. I loved the gizzards but the deep fried deviled eggs had to be put on my list of must tries for the blog. We all know that anything fried is good but in my life, I have never heard of a fried deviled egg. Couldn’t pass up the homemade moon pies either, but we were good, ordered one to go and cut it in fourths to share when we got home.

I get excited finding new restaurants to try when we are visiting our kids. Olivia’s and Lucy’s are both owned by Chef James Holmes. Olivia’s was his first restaurant and Lucy is his southern sister restaurant. He has two daughters named Olivia and Lucy; isn’t that sweet. Olivia’s has been named one of the top new restaurants in America by Bon Appetite and we ate there when our son Paul graduated from culinary school. Take a look at their websites; two totally different restaurants and I love both of them. I don’t know if you are like me but I want to look at the menus before I go some place and I spend a lot of time looking at different menus anyway for inspiration. I usually know where I want to eat before I get to the city I’m going to. Why don’t you take a look at their menus if you have time.

I think Lucy’s will be around for quite a while; the food’s great, the atmosphere even better and I think Olivia’s has already proven it’s self.

I wasn’t sure about the deviled eggs and have decided to try them two different ways. One, I’m taking the whole deviled egg half (like Lucy’s did) and putting in flour, egg and then flour (I guess that’s the way they did them) and the other way is breading just the whites, frying and then piping in the egg filling. See which one you like the best.

October 4, 2013 By Sherry

Salads

Crunchy Peanut Slaw

Another slaw recipe you say!

I can hear you now — “oh, no, she’s giving us another slaw recipe”. There’s just something about the cold crunchy salad (slaw) that I love with hot spicy food especially bar-b-q. For one thing you can get a lot more slaw on your plate it seems like than a salad and I always want my salad in a bowl or separate plate anyway.

After a hard day on the golf course, hub agreed to put some St. Louis style ribs on our Kamoto Joe smoker. They are the best ribs you have ever tasted. Maybe we should buy a food truck and hit the road. Now wouldn’t that be fun. Still on my list of things to do in Austin is hit up a bunch of food trucks one day and sample things until I can’t hold another bite.

I’ve been loving Kalyn’s Kitchen site. She has so many South Beach diet recipes that one would never get tired of eating the same thing. Don’t worry, I’m not turning this site into a South Beach Diet recipe blog. I love taking someone else’s recipe and adding a few things to it and come up with something new. Maybe you have something you would like to add to this slaw also to put your own spin on it.

September 29, 2013 By Sherry

Side dish

Squash Stuffed Portobella Mushrooms

Container full of good stuff.

When I went to the Urban Harvest Farmers Market a few weeks ago there were so many vendors selling all types of mushrooms and one person had the most beautiful portobello mushrooms. I only bought two because I wanted to make these vegetarian stuffed mushrooms for dinner that night. I can’t believe that word came out of my mouth — v-e-g-e-t-a-r-iannnnn; that I am not, but occasionally I do like to try and eat only vegetables for a meal.

I loved the size of these portobellos. They were not too big, not too small, but just right for a single serving side dish and if you want it as a meal, just buy larger mushrooms and make more stuffing.

There are so many ways of doing portabellas and I’ve only scratched the surface of some ways I want to prepare them. Giada on one of her shows did a grilled portobello mushroom and filled it with a tomato and mozzarella salad; kind of like a caprese salad in a mushroom cap and that sounds so good to me.A sausage and onion stuffing would be wonderful if you wanted to add some meat to your mushroom.

September 24, 2013 By Sherry

Appetizers/ ColdApp

Rosemary Goat Frico

Goat milk cheddar make these even the more wonderful.

I’m sure if you haven’t made frico you have at least eaten them. Some of our local groceries sell them but why buy something you can make in your own kitchen and put your own spin on them and of course they taste even better.

This simple little crisp is nothing more than cheese, a pinch of flour, and whatever you want to add in for a different twist. In America these are called Cheese Crisp and in Italy frico. Now you tell me which one has the most appetizing sound — Free-co or Cheese Crisp. I’m going with Frico. These little bites of cheesy bliss make the perfect simple appetizer for any meal and just think about the holidays to come and how you don’t want to over feed your guests on appetizers before the big meal. Put a few of these out with glasses of wine or cocktails and they will be happy until you ring the dinner bell.

We were out on the lake last weekend with friends and my husband had smoked a brisket for dinner on the lake. My friend, Peggy, made cheddar frico which we gobbled up while floating on our noodles in the lake. These lacy crisp took my mine off the fact that I had been watching “gator weekend” on sci-fi all day and was anticipating an attach from dino-gator or some other creature like the giant python that I saw fight the dino-gator. Her container of Frico were gone in a flash by 6 noodle floating friends with a glass of wine in one hand and a Frico in the other.

I still had some goat milk cheddar and a little chunk of parmesan and with a snip of rosemary from my garden and a few grinds of black pepper these were a snap to throw together. Now let’s see how long they last in my house. Guess I better go take my hub one before I eat them all.

September 19, 2013 By Sherry

Entree/ Pasta

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Browned Butter Sage Sauce

Another use for the sweet potato.

I like to use my best Italian accent when I try (key word is try) to say Gnocchi. I may even look a little Italian when the word comes out of my mouth. What can I say, I’m a natural. Ha.

A couple of years ago I belonged to a group of cooks or “foodies” called The Darling Kitchen and each month the group is given a challenge of something to make and they make it and within the month the post their pictures for everyone to see. This is my first challenge since having the new “joints” put in.

Gnocchi are potato dumplings made with potatoes and boiled until light and fluffy and served with some type of sauce. Making gnocchi takes practice and patience and I hope some of you have tried my gnocchi recipe back in May. I use to be afraid to try and make different things and finally realized that what’s the worst that that could go wrong — throw it out and start over maybe. (I’m still afraid to try petti fours at least the ones I want to make and maybe I’ll get up nerve some day.)

I’ve made gnocchi several times and just back in May I posted my gnocchi with chicken and gorgonzola sauce. Looking around online I saw several recipes that looked interesting. I first decided on sweet Potato gnocchi then changed my mine again and again. I came across a recipe for sweet potato gnocchi that is fried and decided to try that along with the a more traditional style using sweet potatoes but I’m using the browned butter sage sauce on both. Either of these gnocchi would make a savory side dish with any pork dish and some grilled or fried fish would be a good bet too.

September 14, 2013 By Sherry

Appetizers/ HotApp

Fried Squash Blossoms

My first attempt but not my last!

Aren’t they beautiful. I may have to plant some squash just so I get some blossoms to fry.

These flowers don’t go in a vase. This past weekend a friend, Kathy and I finally got together for a trip to Houston’s Urban Harvest Farmers Market. We haven’t seen each other for a while but stay in touch through texting. I should be better and try to actually pick up a phone and call than typing into the phone things that sometimes don’t make a bit of sense. I’ve even gotten worst and use the voice activated texting, which believe me, does not come out right sometimes and I’m sure my text leave friends thinking “what in the world is she saying.” We both worked at Williams Sonoma for about six years and shared our love of food while working together so we are never at a loss for something to talk about.

Who doesn’t like farmer’s markets especially when you find a vegetable or product you have not tried before. On this trip it seems like everyone had squash blossoms and they were so beautiful and they were screaming from their cute little ruffled lips to jump into my bag. We also saw some beautiful potato greens (leaves) that a lady told me could be cooked or put into salads. They were very interesting and will be on my list the next time there. I also bought some portabella mushrooms which I used the tiny squash on the end of the squash blossoms as the filling for the Squash Stuffed Mushrooms.

A few graffiti eggplant and some organic ground beef also jumped into my basket while there and I’m sure I can come up with some yummy to do with those also.

So, after a day of looking over freshly grown produce and other products the farmers were selling, lunch was at Tiny Boxwood in Houston. I have never been there and I loved the little place and a bonus was there’s a nursery right next door. As Mr. Rogers use to say, “It was a beautiful day in the neighborhood.”

September 9, 2013 By Sherry

Entree/ Poultry

Jamaican Jerk Kabobs

Fits into any diet.

No one likes dieting and it’s a “four letter” word as far as I’m concerned. I’m sure there are things we can all do to improve our diets. Leaving off sugar and breads would be a start for me. I’ve learned from baking things for the blog that I don’t have to eat them (or at least the whole thing) because I can simply take them someplace to share with others.

I found this recipe while looking for South Beach diet recipes and soon realized that it could fit into any diet plan for dieters or non-dieters. If you are wanting to trim a few calories then prepare this recipe with a nice salad and maybe some grilled asparagus and your done. If you want to splurge a little on the calories then make a aromatic pilaf or even lemon rice and lay the kabobs across the top. Either way the favors of this are so intense and Caribbean I think while you are eating this you will find yourself taken away to some wonderful beach, sitting at some outdoor cafe and enjoying the breeze and the sound of the waves hitting the shore.

September 4, 2013 By Sherry

Entree/ Fish/Seafood

Tuscan Halibut

From the cold waters of Alaska – delicious halibut. <*))))>< ° <*))))><

While my sister and I were having some R&R in Fish Creek, WI a few weeks ago (that sounds funny because all I have is R&R) my husband went fishing in Alaska with a friend. They flew in float planes out to several river fishing camps near King Salmon, AK for King and Silver Salmon and then went off shore for Halibut and Silvers at Seward, AK.; My first question was “did you see any bears”? I was so afraid the bears were going to take the fish away from them. I figured the guys could fight off the bears (maybe) but by all means save the fish by whatever means it took. Luckily no bears but plenty of bear tracks and they saw lots of moose and bald eagles. They did have bear dogs on their boats that would jump off when they hit shore to scare off any bears prowling around for “fresh catch of the day” and to protect the camp.

My husband had to promise that he would take me on his next fishing trip to Alaska. I don’t want to go off shore fishing though (I hear sounds of the Jaws theme playing in my head) but I would love fishing in the rivers and streams.

Although they didn’t set any records, they packed a bunch of big boxes of frozen filets for the airplane back home and we ended up with three shelves of our deep freeze full of king salmon, silver salmon and halibut. When I went searching for halibut recipes I came upon an Alaskan fish company’s site (Coal Point Seafood Company) and my first thought, who better to tell me how to cook halibut than from an Alaskan fisherman.

See pictures below of the Old Man and the Sea.

August 30, 2013 By Sherry

Egg Dishes/ Morning Foods

Green Eggs and Ham

Try them! Try them! (I say)

A couple of months ago I had dinner at the Salty Sow in Austin. On their menu they have several things that are “jarred” (served in jelly jars). There was a chicken liver mousse, a fresh salmon rillette and green eggs and ham. I never saw what the green eggs and ham looked like but this is my take on Dr. Seuss’s green eggs and ham.

So……. i’m thinking ……..

Do you like
green eggs and ham!
I do not like them,
Sam-I-am.
I do not like green eggs and ham.

You do not like them.
So you say.
Try them! Try them
And you may.
Try them and you may, I say.

Sam!
If you will let me be,
I will try them.
You will see.

Say!
I like green eggs and ham!
I do! I like them, Sam-I-am!
I would eat them in a boat.
And I would eat them with a goat

I will eat them in the rain.
And in the dark. And on a train.
And in a car. And in a tree.
They are so good, so good, you see!

So I will eat them in a box.
And I will eat them with a fox.
And I will eat them in a house.
And I will eat them with a mouse.
And I will eat them here and there.
Say! I will eat them ANYWHERE!

I do so like
green eggs and ham!
Thank you!
Thank you,
Sam-I-am!

–from Dr. Seuss’s Green Eggs and Ham

So, I hope you will try my version of green eggs and ham and then say ” I do so like green eggs and ham”. Thank you! Thank You!

August 25, 2013 By Sherry

Cookies/Bars/ Dessert

Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Cookies

Cherries for the pickin and perfect for these cookies.

A few weeks ago while my husband was off fishing in Alaska, my sister and I decided to get away to beautiful Door County, Wisconsin. It was a wonderful week with temperatures in the low 70’s and we stayed in the little town of Fish Creek, which was one of our favorite harbor towns we visited.

Before I get to the cookies I have to give you a few details about the trip. I can’t say I was always the adventurous twin, that would for sure be Terry. So, we decided that we were going to try the segway tour. We didn’t want to do the orchard tour on the segways because we thought that might be a little boring just going up and down cherry orchard rows. In hindsight we should have rethought that decision. We chose the Peninsula State Park tour and were along for the ride with a family of five. The first hour we were really doing pretty goods. The state park has quite a few hills that bikers come roaring down at 40-50 mph. We got the hang of going down hill but going uphill was a whole another thing. If you don’t lean far enough to the front then you kind of just stop and at that point your thinking you are going to fall and when you step off, the thing starts spinning. Between the two of us we fell 5 times. Funny thing is we had identical cuts on our right calves in exactly the same location. Go figure. Don’t know if we would do this again or not (maybe on flat ground). I would have to have my mind examined first. I think my new knees survived but I still have a little bit of a sore shoulder.

We had some wonderful meals while there and one of our favorites was at Alexander’s on our last night. One night we went to a theatre out in the woods — Penisula Players and saw “George In The Park”. A beautiful setting where you can take your wine and dinner and eat out on tables overlooking the lake before the play starts in a 7 million dollar indoor facility.

We bought so many sourvenigns and could not come home without some dried cherries, chocolate covered dried cherries and some of their wine (not cherry). We also bought back about 4 kinds of cheeses and we have eaten most of what I brought back.

August 20, 2013 By Sherry

Entree/ Pasta

Szechwan Noodles with Baby Vegetables

A very colorful dish.

After a movie one morning (Yes, I do go to morning movies, and it was a horror movie so I have to go by myself because none of my friends like that type of movie.) I stopped in my favorite little market, Hubble and Hudson, which is right across the street from the theatre.

I came out toting some tiny French green beans, tiny patty pan yellow squash and some baby zucchini and carrots. I already had a package of noodles that looked interesting that I picked up at Trader Joe’s, so I knew I had the makings for dinner one night. And hiding away in my pantry was a jar of Szechwan peppercorns that I needed to use.

Isn’t it nice to have recipes that you can throw together in a moments notice and not feel like you are spending hours in the kitchen preparing food that is eaten in less than 15 minutes?

The flavor from the Szechwan peppercorn comes from the husk around the seed and is know for taming down the other hot/spicy flavors of a dish. The seed itself has no flavor. I love getting out my mortar and pestle to crush the little things.

MY FIRST GIVEAWAY! OK, it isn’t a Kitchen Aid mixer like the Pioneer Woman gives away or a designer purse like other giveaways. I want to see how a giveaway would work for this blog. This giveaway is for a bottle of Smucker’s Key Lime Plate Scrapers that I used in the White Chocolate Key Lime Pie. WINNER drawn August 25th — Donna. Congrats.

August 15, 2013 By Sherry

Entree/ Poultry/ Salads

Hot Tuscan Chicken Salad

Not your ordinarily Church Lady hot chicken salad.

Not that there is ANYTHING wrong with church lady chicken salad. Everyone loves it and will continue to eat and enjoy it.

When I think of “church lady” I always think of Dana Carvey when he played Church Lady on SNL. He was histerical. There are so many recipes out there that I have labeled “church lady” or “church potluck” and they are wonderful and are always the recipes that people want to know who brought it and how can they get the recipe.

Can we every have too many salad recipes? I love salads whether the are leafy green salads, marinated vegetable salads, egg salad, tuna salad, layered salad and I don’t think you could go wrong with about any salad you would set before me.

I’m sure everyone has had their share of hot chicken salad and who doesn’t love the crushed potato chip topping.

I really wanted to try a different version of the favorite recipe that’s been around for years and while searching I came upon recipe after recipe that had the cream of chicken or mushroom soup added to the dish and either topped with the potato chip topping or crushed corn flakes.

August 10, 2013 By Sherry

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