Foodie Pat https://foodiepat.com/ My Love Affair with Food, Cooking and Travel Mon, 19 Feb 2024 17:15:49 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://foodiepat.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/cropped-foodie-pat-site-id-beet-32x32.jpg Foodie Pat https://foodiepat.com/ 32 32 A Cute Card— A Handwritten Comedic Quote —A Wonderful Birthday Gift https://foodiepat.com/2024/02/a-comedic-food-quote/ https://foodiepat.com/2024/02/a-comedic-food-quote/#respond Mon, 19 Feb 2024 17:15:49 +0000 https://foodiepat.com/?p=2168 Inside this cute card is a sentence surrounded by Quotation Marks and attributed to Unknown. Whoever sent this, took some time learn about my promotion of vegetables. Here it it: ” Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a Fruit Salad.” On a day when I had to […]

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Inside this cute card is a sentence surrounded by Quotation Marks and attributed to Unknown. Whoever sent this, took some time learn about my promotion of vegetables.

Here it it:

” Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a Fruit Salad.”

On a day when I had to respond to Birthday Wishes and How Old Are You ? and needing to say I was 79, a belly laugh like this was worth 1 million dollars.

Thank you dear Sender  and Thank you Unknown.

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Glamorous Cocktail at Home for Valentine’s Day https://foodiepat.com/2024/02/glamorous-cocktail-at-home-for-valentines-day/ https://foodiepat.com/2024/02/glamorous-cocktail-at-home-for-valentines-day/#respond Wed, 14 Feb 2024 19:40:03 +0000 https://foodiepat.com/?p=2164 Happy Valentine’s Day

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Happy Valentine’s Day

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Rhubarb Surprise—A Strawberry Rhubarb Birthday Pie https://foodiepat.com/2024/02/rhubarb-surprise-a-strawberry-rhubarb-birthday-pie/ https://foodiepat.com/2024/02/rhubarb-surprise-a-strawberry-rhubarb-birthday-pie/#respond Tue, 13 Feb 2024 18:59:09 +0000 https://foodiepat.com/?p=2158 It arrived a day early.  The more I thought about it, the more I reasoned that the Strawberry Rhubarb Pie would make a delightful Birthday Breakfast.  And it did.  So if you like Strawberry Rhubarb Pie and don’t want to bake it, order it up from “Bake Me a Wish” company.  https://www.bakemeawish.com/ The other surprise […]

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It arrived a day early.  The more I thought about it, the more I reasoned that the Strawberry Rhubarb Pie would make a delightful Birthday Breakfast.  And it did.  So if you like Strawberry Rhubarb Pie and don’t want to bake it, order it up from “Bake Me a Wish” company.  https://www.bakemeawish.com/

The other surprise is Reddi -Whip is available for Lactose-Intolerant folks, fairly tasty made with coconut milk.

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Valentines Quick-Fix Dinner for 2 at Home https://foodiepat.com/2024/02/valentines-quick-fix-dinner-for-2-at-home-valentines-day-quick-fix-dinner-at-home-valentines-day-is-the-busiest-restaurant-day-of-the-year-time-to-cook-at-home/ https://foodiepat.com/2024/02/valentines-quick-fix-dinner-for-2-at-home-valentines-day-quick-fix-dinner-at-home-valentines-day-is-the-busiest-restaurant-day-of-the-year-time-to-cook-at-home/#respond Fri, 09 Feb 2024 18:36:39 +0000 https://foodiepat.com/?p=2152 Valentine’s Day Dinner is one of the biggest restaurant days of the year.  If you want to avoid the crowds and create a memorable meal for 2 at home, read on. Sheet pan suppers are all the rage, mainly because they are time efficient to make and fewer dishes to wash.  Our dinner menu suggestion […]

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Valentine’s Day Dinner is one of the biggest restaurant days of the year.  If you want to avoid the crowds and create a memorable meal for 2 at home, read on.

Sheet pan suppers are all the rage, mainly because they are time efficient to make and fewer dishes to wash.  Our dinner menu suggestion for an at-home comfortable Valentine’s Dinner is Crunchy Pesto Salmon, Smashed Bite-Sized Honey Golds and Fresh Asparagus.

Actually, the potatoes take the longest to cook, since it is necessary to par boil them about 8-10 minutes in order to smash them for crisping in the oven.
Purchased pesto is a store-bought time saver. I look in the Italian section of the grocery store for small jars whose ingredient list starts with olive oil first.  We use it on the salmon and as a condiment on the dinner plate, since it has such an affinity for potatoes and asparagus.

First, prepare a small baking sheet by covering the bottom with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Spray with olive oil spray.  Then, preheat oven to 450 degrees or 425 degrees convection.

Crunchy Pesto Salmon
2 (5-ounce) portions of salmon filet, skinless
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 heaping teaspoons basil pesto + 2 heaping tablespoons for serving
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
Olive oil spray
Cut 3 diagonal slits in each fillet, not too deep. Sprinkle each filet with 1-teaspoon of lemon juice.  Season with salt and pepper.  Spoon 1-heaping teaspoon of pesto onto each filet, making sure that some pesto gets into each slit and spread to the edges.  Let rest in refrigerator while preparing potatoes and asparagus.

Crispy “Smashed” Potatoes
10-12 small “bite-sized” honey gold potatoes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Wash potatoes and remove any imperfections with a small knife.  Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook over medium heat until fork tender, about 8-10 minutes.  Remove from water and place potatoes onto one end of the prepared baking sheet.
With a potato masher or small fork, gently press down each potato until it slightly mashes. Rotate the potato masher 90 degrees and mash again.  Brush or spray the tops of each potato with olive oil. Sprinkle each with salt and pepper.

Roasted Asparagus
10-12 medium width asparagus spears
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Rinse asparagus. Near the bottom of each spear, there is a natural bending point. Bend the spear at that point and snap off that tough end and discard. Place asparagus on the other end of the baking sheet.  Toss with ½ tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Sprinkle spears with kosher salt and pepper.

About 20 minutes before you wish to eat, remove the salmon from the refrigerator and place on the center area of the baking sheet.  Sprinkle each filet with ¼ cup of panko and press to adhere.  Spray with olive oil spray so that it roasts and becomes nicely brown and crispy.    Remove from the oven; divide and place on 2 serving  plates along with a dollop of the extra pesto.

You already have the chocolate dessert.  Next watch for the Pomegranate Margarita to begin the evening. 

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Valentine’s Dessert—Pot de Creme au Chocolat https://foodiepat.com/2024/01/valentines-dessert-pot-de-creme-au-chocolat/ https://foodiepat.com/2024/01/valentines-dessert-pot-de-creme-au-chocolat/#respond Tue, 30 Jan 2024 14:23:02 +0000 https://foodiepat.com/?p=2138 Pot de Crème au Chocolat Traditionally, French Pot de Crème is a rich baked custard. My version is actually a dark rich chocolate pudding with no eggs, no heavy cream and no baking in a tiresome water bath. To entice cooks to be more careful about dessert calories and provide a recipe that takes less […]

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Pot de Crème au Chocolat

Traditionally, French Pot de Crème is a rich baked custard. My version is actually a dark rich chocolate pudding with no eggs, no heavy cream and no baking in a tiresome water bath.
To entice cooks to be more careful about dessert calories and provide a recipe that takes less time to prepare, I have borrowed the wonderful French title for this dessert since the flavor of my Pot de Crème au Chocolat is as deep and rich as the French version. Great served warm or cold. Yes, you could top it with whipped cream and perhaps serve with a rolled cookie.

No sense in making only 2 servings since it’s so good you will want another one to eat the next day.

Makes 4 generous servings.

½ cup +2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 ¾ tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ¾ cup reduced fat or skim milk

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped with a serrated-edged bread knife or 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips
( I used Ghirardelli 60 % Cocoa Bittersweet Chocolate Chips)
½ tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt

Whisk sugar, cornstarch and cocoa powder in a 2-quart saucepan. Pour in milk and combine with a wire whisk. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Turn heat to low and stir until thick, about 2 minutes more.

Remove pan from heat and stir in the chocolate, butter, vanilla and salt. Whisk to combine. Pour into serving dishes.

Serve warm or refrigerate covered until ready to eat.

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Time to elevate underrated Celery https://foodiepat.com/2024/01/time-to-elevate-underrated-celery-it-can-be-a-gourmet-club-ingredient/ https://foodiepat.com/2024/01/time-to-elevate-underrated-celery-it-can-be-a-gourmet-club-ingredient/#respond Mon, 29 Jan 2024 13:06:14 +0000 https://foodiepat.com/?p=2135 Try this No-Cream Celery Bisque for lunch or a dinner starter. No Cream Celery Bisque Celery Bisque offers a sublime pale green color, a deliciously creamy texture and slight celery flavor making for a special lunch or cozy first course soup. Insisting on a Yukon gold potato  (or a bulk yellow potato or “bite-sized honey […]

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Try this No-Cream Celery Bisque for lunch or a dinner starter.

No Cream Celery Bisque

Celery Bisque offers a sublime pale green color, a deliciously creamy texture and slight celery flavor making for a special lunch or cozy first course soup.

Insisting on a Yukon gold potato  (or a bulk yellow potato or “bite-sized honey golds”) makes a difference to the smoothness of the soup. Note: Chervil can be ordered online at Penzey’s or Walmart.com. Chervil is sometimes called French parsley.

Makes 5 ½-6  cups.
3 tablespoons butter
4 cups celery (mix of light green and dark green stalks and ¼ cup light green leaves), cut into 1-2” pieces (about 1 bunch)
1½-2 cups leeks, thoroughly washed (light green and white parts), cut into slices then into half moon pieces (about 1 large leek)
¾ teaspoon dried French chervil, pinched
Scant ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional 
1 (about 6-ounces) Yukon gold potato, peeled and diced (no need to peel the bite-sized potatoes)
4 cups chicken broth (from Better than Bouillon)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
10 turns of freshly ground black pepper

Melt butter in a 6-quart soup pot over medium high heat.  Stir in celery and leeks.  Cover and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes.  Sprinkle in chervil and cayenne.  Sauté another minute.

Add potato and broth.  Let come to a slight boil.  Turn heat to low and cook covered about 20-30 minutes on low heat, or until vegetables are tender. 

Blenderize.   Taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper if needed.  Serve warm with celery leaves garnish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Peppedew Peppers from South Africa to Amazon (the shipping company) https://foodiepat.com/2023/12/peppedew-peppers-from-south-africa-to-amazon-the-shipping-company/ https://foodiepat.com/2023/12/peppedew-peppers-from-south-africa-to-amazon-the-shipping-company/#respond Wed, 13 Dec 2023 19:29:07 +0000 https://foodiepat.com/?p=2128 Curious about a new item a few years ago in the grocery store “Olive Bar”, I did some research. Peppadew is a trademarked name for small sweet piquant whole red pickled peppers, grown in the Limpopo province of the South African Bush.  Discovered by businessman and farmer, Johan Steenkamp in 1997, these peppers are processed […]

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Curious about a new item a few years ago in the grocery store “Olive Bar”, I did some research.

Peppadew is a trademarked name for small sweet piquant whole red pickled peppers, grown in the Limpopo province of the South African Bush.  Discovered by businessman and farmer, Johan Steenkamp in 1997, these peppers are processed according to a patented process to remove the very hot seeds, then pickled in a sugary/vinegary liquid.

They have a sweet flavor and a hot finish that does not last long.  Perfect for stuffing

Stuffing these colorful peppers with fresh tiny mozzarella balls that have been soaked in pesto, makes for an appealing presentation and a tasty appetizer.  They have a slight hot finish which dissipates quickly.

Find them in supermarket deli bars, in jars in the pickle aisle or, of course, on Amazon. (The jars weigh 14 ounces and contain about 32 peppers.)

Stuffed Peppedew Pepper Pick-ups

Makes 12 (easily doubled or tripled).

12 peppadews, drained

12 small fresh mozzarella balls, “ciliegine”

2 tablespoons jarred pesto

12 small fresh basil leaves chopped

Place peppadews on several layers of paper towel and drain well. Remove any seeds from inside any pepper bottom.

Cut a small slit in each side of the pepper so that the mozzarella ball will slide in easier.   Using a very small spoon, pick up a “pestoed” mozzarella ball and stuff into the pepper.   Have patience.

When all the peppers are filled, place on serving plate  that has been lined with shredded lettuce or spinach (so they won’t roll). Sprinkle with chopped basil and serve beside a small container of wooden picks.   If not serving right away,  cover and refrigerate until needed.

Peppedew Pepper “cups” on Amazon

 

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Thanksgiving for Two https://foodiepat.com/2023/11/thanksgiving-for-two/ https://foodiepat.com/2023/11/thanksgiving-for-two/#respond Thu, 23 Nov 2023 18:13:15 +0000 https://foodiepat.com/?p=2125 Unusual Thanksgiving since we have both been under the weather.  Lots of food just for the 2 of us.  Happy for the left overs.  Have not eaten yet so the turkey and brussels sprouts are new recipes, as well as the Tarte Tatin.  We shall see.

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Unusual Thanksgiving since we have both been under the weather.  Lots of food just for the 2 of us.  Happy for the left overs.  Have not eaten yet so the turkey and brussels sprouts are new recipes, as well as the Tarte Tatin.  We shall see.

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Boston Food Delights Discovered https://foodiepat.com/2023/07/boston-food-delights-discovered-when-hiding-from-a-rain-storm/ https://foodiepat.com/2023/07/boston-food-delights-discovered-when-hiding-from-a-rain-storm/#respond Sat, 22 Jul 2023 21:25:54 +0000 https://foodiepat.com/?p=2109      Caught in a huge downpour without an umbrella near the Harvard campus, we ran into a storefront that turned out to be quite a surprise. Taiyaki NYC Dough Club was a dessert taste adventure.  Think about your favorite waffle cone, then rethink it.  Fish cones filled with soft serve ice cream were served […]

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     Caught in a huge downpour without an umbrella near the Harvard campus, we ran into a storefront that turned out to be quite a surprise. Taiyaki NYC Dough Club was a dessert taste adventure.  Think about your favorite waffle cone, then rethink it.  Fish cones filled with soft serve ice cream were served here.   Also for those lactose intolerant and gluten intolerant, they offer Mochi Donuts.  I tried the Tiramisu flavor in the photo. http://taiyakinyc.com

P.S. Fish Cones can also be filled with Red Bean Paste. YUM.

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Homegrown Mango https://foodiepat.com/2023/07/homegrown-mango-from-florida/ https://foodiepat.com/2023/07/homegrown-mango-from-florida/#respond Tue, 04 Jul 2023 16:16:25 +0000 https://foodiepat.com/?p=2100 Florida fresh homegrown mango, just picked from the tree, is absolutely delicious. No comparison with commodity mangoes sold in supermarkets. It’s wonderful to have a friend with a Mango Tree in her front yard here on West Coast of Florida and is generous in sharing. The Mango Cutter takes a bit of learning.  Simply cut […]

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Florida Mango, Simply Cubed

Mango Tree

Mango Cutter

Florida fresh homegrown mango, just picked from the tree, is absolutely delicious. No comparison with commodity mangoes sold in supermarkets. It’s wonderful to have a friend with a Mango Tree in her front yard here on West Coast of Florida and is generous in sharing.

The Mango Cutter takes a bit of learning.  Simply cut off one end so that it stands flat, then allgn the cutter as shown in the video, thanks to Sur La Table. https://youtu.be/CF-tENYVEB8  Does not work on overly ripe mangoes.  Actually in the Caribbean, Mango seeds are prized to be slurpped clean of the fruit and juice. 

The Mango tree full of fruit almost looks like a decorated Christmas tree—nature’s own odd-shaped bulbs.

More than Mango Salsa for topping grilled fish, I have more to discover with my remaining Mangoes. 

 

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