Ribs for the Holidays! My daughters have always loved the ribs we make; however, it does take some time and preparation. CLICK on the picture to see what is involved.
Today is really the start of baking season as folks start putting together what they want to serve their friends and families for Halloween, then comes the truly universal American Holiday of Thanksgiving and finallyDecember and for us that means Christmas.
As the father of adult children, when we all get together, it calls for something special. Memories of family foods and fun from times gone by for starters. Food is a way of keeping family close and traditions alive. My daughter Kristin, for example, is fixing some ‘seafood lasagna’ this weekend… it takes a lot of preparation… but it is an impressive dish!
Have you traveled to a place that they said had good marinara sauce only to be disappointed?? Well come to San Luis Obispo and be transported! CLICK on the picture to be transported to paradice!
I first experienced Cafe Roma in San Luis Obispo well over 20 years ago… and it keeps getting better and better! Laura and I enjoyed our lunch today and the experience was extraordinary! Everything was wonderful… but the dessert was simple yet elegant. Cafe Roma’s bread pudding topped with a wonderful scoop of ice cream and what seemed like a caramel rum sauce. yummmmmmmm
If you have the opportunity to come to San Luis Obispo, stop and smell the roses at Cafe Roma… you will be very happy you did.
Quando le mie figlie a venire casa questo Natale, ceneremo tutti al ristorante “Cafe Roma”!
from the House Of Balsamic CLICK on the picture to travel to the House Of Balsamic
I am sure you are aware that not all balsamic vinegars or olive oils are created equally. There are reasons for the difference… and often times the expense.
For me, I am a bit old fashioned and I enjoy Balsamic vinegar and olive oil as a sauce for dipping bread, in particular , sour dough. I won’t bore you with the retelling of the differences , so here is a site that provides a brief overview. CLICK HERE
If you are interested in buying some rather nice products, click on the picture above. They do make interesting gifts as well.
All of my families super secret recipes appear here … sometimes. It looks like Kristin has something very yummy in mind! Here’s what she wrote today …. Bon Appetite!
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After talking to some of the fine folks at the C-Ville farmer’s market, I found the general consensus in favor of butternut squash pie as opposed to pumpkin pie! Being a fan of butternut squash, I decided to try it out – and it’s yummy! Here’s the recipe I used if you want to branch out. I also used a basic pie pastry recipe that I’ll post later, but I’ll share the secret of the homemade ice cream, too 😀
Butternut Squash Pie
Pie Pastry
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3 slightly beaten eggs
2/3 cup cream
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
~14 oz of baked and pureed butternut squash
To prep my squash, I like to peel it, remove the seeds, chop it up into chunks, and let it sizzle in a buttered skillet until it’s soft, but you can bake it as well. Once it’s soft, throw it in your food processor or your blender until you have a nice paste. I find it easiest to combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and set them aside, then combine all the wet ingredients and slowly add the dry to the wet, mixing as you go. Once you have a creamy mix, pour it into the pie pastry and bake at 375 for 25-35 minutes, or until you stick a fork in and it comes out clean.
Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
Two vanilla beans
2 1/2 cups whole milk
1 cup milk
1 cup cream
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
You can make this one or two ways – it’s easy if you have an ice cream maker, but you can always freeze a metal bowl, throw everything in, and let it sit in the freezer overnight, too. To start, combine the milk and cream in a saucepan. Split the vanilla beans in half lengthwise, and scrape out the “seeds.” Stir the “seeds” and bean pod into the milk as you bring it to a boil over medium heat. Then reduce, simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Good time to catch up on your favorite book (I am nose-deep in “The Girl Who Played With Fire” right now). Then toss the vanilla pod, mix all the rest of your ingredients until smooth in a bowl, and chill them for about 2 hours. Then either pour into your ice cream maker or into the metal bowl and solidify. Trust me, it’s yummy 🙂 And you do not want the nutritional information. This is NOT light ice cream, fro-yo, or gelato. This is the real stuff.
Hungry during a diet? That’s normal… but why do I always find interesting things to explore when I am dieting?? CLICK on picture for something fun!
I have always found dieting a bit challenging, after all it doesn’t seem at all a very natural thing to do. However, I am sure the evolutionary psychologists might tell me that periods of feast and famine were very nature in the human experience and that I am only duplicating the experience of my ancestors. However, knowing why I do something doesn’t make it any easier.
Obiously the tempting Concord Grapes dangling over 12 feet of picnic tables and patios is only a slight irritation, but finding recipes new bagels designed to hold several times the goodies that a regular one might hold doesn’t make it any easier! CLICK on the picture above to see what I mean.
With Thanksgiving not all that long away, I am ready for something extravagant… maybe, another yummy Ostro-Turgoosen ducken bird!
