Roger's View of the World, Love and Seafood Gumbo!
Seize the Day! Put no trust in the morrow! — Horace
Every mother deserves some special treatment on this special day! Laura wanted a very simple luncheon of artichoke, my spicy and cheesy bread sticks and a nice dessert. The only challenge for me was that our Marinara sauce takes hours and hours, so it was a pedal to the metal to get this simple meal ready! Laura loved it and that’s all that matters.
Happy Mothers’ day!
Roger Freberg
When you say that you make the best meatball in the world, be prepared to take on the world! Virtually every country can lay claim to the humble meatball! Whether it be Laplanders with their reindeer meatballs, meatballs from China or America, talking about making ‘meatballs’ always gets someone’s attention!
So, with that said, here is our humble recipe tribute to those who love meatballs!
Roger
I like to send folks what they really want. However, it becomes a bit of a challenge sending food a long way. It has to be made to travel and not spoil. Packaging can help… but the key is in the ingredients.
My Gingerbread Cookie Recipe for Kristin in Iraq:
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cup molasses
5 teaspoons spice blend*
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
2/3 – 1 cup water
1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
7 cups flour
sugar sprinkles for topping
* (BLEND: 8 parts Ginger, 4 parts Cinnamon,1 part Cardamom,1 part Allspice,1 part Cloves,1 part Nutmeg,1 part Mace,4 parts Orange zest)
Bake: 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes
Here’s to you, Kristin!
Dad
I have noticed that if ingredients in a recipe tend to be pricey — as is the case with lobster tails — chefs tend to develop presentations to feature them. However, if you take the challenge to use lobster in a more ‘supporting role’ then I think you can really bring out it’s wonderful and tasty nature and it’s real beauty.
There are a few lobster pie or lobster quiche recipes on the net and most of them are relatively bland, some with virtually nothing added to distract from the subtle taste of lobster… some recipes come with virtually no spices.
This recipe is very different and filled with spices and various herbs, vegetables and sauteed in Sherry . Of course there is nothing wrong with preparing a wonderful dessert to complement the meal… and Baklava provides just the right sweetness for the occasion!
It was a good day to celebrate.
Roger Freberg
There are many claims to gingerbread and gingerbread cake alike. Both the Romans and the Chinese were fond of a honey cake with ginger. In middle age Europe, gingerbread was viewed as a medicinal aid to digestion with curative powers. In pre-Christian Europe, gingerbread was part of the winter solstice ceremonies and continued on to help ring in Christmas. The ancient Greeks and the Egyptians were said to use it in their ceremonies.
William Shakespeare (1564-1616) has often been quoted as a fan of gingerbread:
“Had I but a penny in the world, thou shouldst have it for gingerbread”
In America, gingerbread has been a favorite from the very beginning . It is said that President George Washington’s mother served gingerbread to the Marquis de Lafayette on his visit to America in 1784.
The ingredients and preparation styles of gingerbread have always reflected the times. When stoves didn’t have ovens, gingerbread was cooked very much as you would Boston Baked Bread in a container surrounded by boiling water. The availability of spices and cost considerations also limit the recipe construction. I have even found recipes for gingerbread where the addition of ginger appears to be an afterthought and much reduced.
Fortunately, we won’t bother ourselves with trivial concerns for time, effort or expense in our recipe.
By the way, Gingerbread is one of those things you can bake the day before, reheat, top with hard sauce and it’s all to the good. I will be producing a hard sauce (tomorrow) to drip over the final creation… should be fun.
Our extravagant and delicious Recipe to follow!
Roger