PHOTO FRIDAY

 

I'm off to Florida for our anniversary but this head cold is making me feel so miserable. Husband asked if we should cancel the trip but I'd rather feel miserable in Florida than in Northern Indiana.
I have few recipes lined up that are waiting their turn. I've been busy tending the vegetable garden and planting flowers. This is the first spring in our new house and I love seeing all the flowers I had no idea were there. Husband worked hard on the raised bed garden and besides the asparagus that grew out of nowhere I planted two types of tomatoes, two types of sweet yellow peppers (from Bosnia), spinach, Swiss chard, onions, heirloom carrots, celery, Italian parsley, zucchini, cantaloupe, two types of green beans, cucumbers, eggplants, radishes, ornamental cabbage, lettuce and some corn. I also planted strawberries, chamomile, dill, rosemary, chives, Italian and regular basil, cilantro and stinging nettle. To existing grapevine as well as apple and pear tree I added cherry, quince, Italian plum and elderberry tree. I can't wait to harvest!

Here are few pictures from my backyard flora and fauna. See you later!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crispy Asparagus Straws with Port Fig Butter and Prosciutto

Since Valentine’s Day I’ve been planning to recreate dishes that hubby and I learned to make in a couples cooking class as part of our romantic weekend. It was such a fun experience and so different from cooking at home which usually goes like this:

Husband: “How can I help?”

Me: “Well….you could peel potatoes”

Husband peels potatoes as slow as molasses. I hoover over his shoulder already irritated by one thing or another and exhale a loud sigh.

Husband, annoyed: “What did I do now?”

I say to cut them smaller, place them in the water, to hurry up and get them done today... Now husband exhales a loud sigh. I know peeling potatoes is not a rocket science but see, I have tiny control issues.

 

With 7 other couples in the class we prepared these asparagus straws, clam soup, Cesar salad with dressing and croutons from scratch, roasted fennel and carrots, pork roast glazed with fig butter and anise. For dessert we had ice cream with pears poached in Port wine and drizzled with chocolate syrup. It was SO good! Husband was in charge of the Cesar salad and he did an exceptional job. We could keep the recipes and I was looking forward to make this menu for some other special occasion.

Unfortunately, we grabbed the wrong handouts before we left and only this asparagus recipe somehow found its way home. Oh, well…
 

Ingredients:

Makes 12

 

Port Fig Butter

4 dried Figs
2 tablespoons Port Wine
4 tablespoons unsalted Butter (room temperature)
¼ teaspoon Salt

Crispy Asparagus Straws

1 bunch of 12 Asparagus Spears, woody ends cut (use ticker spears with tight heads)
3 sheets Phyllo Dough, thawed
3 tablespoons melted Port Fig Butter
6 pieces of Prosciutto, cut in half crosswise
2 ounces Parmesan Cheese, medium grated

 

Directions:

Make the port fig butter first.

Place figs in a bowl of a food processor. Pulse just until the figs are finely chopped, about 30 seconds. Transfer the figs to a small bowl and set aside.

Heat the port in a small saucepan for about 1 minute to warm. Pour the port over the figs and let soak until absorbed, 10 to 20 minutes.

Place the butter in the bowl of the food processor. Add the figs and the salt. Pulse just until well combined with no chunks of butter remaining. Form into a log and let stand – may be refrigerated for later use or heat until very soft and almost melted to use for the phyllo sheets in the rest of the recipe.

Steam asparagus until bright green but still crisp, about 2 minutes. Cool.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit with a rack in the center. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat. Place one sheet of phyllo on a dry surface, brush lightly with port fig butter and cut into 4 rectangular pieces, approximately 5x7. Be sure to keep the remaining phyllo sheets covered to prevent drying. Note: do not cover with damp towel as advised in many recipes because the sheets are thin and delicate and will quickly turn into a mush. Cover them with foil, clear plastic wrap or dry towel. Work quickly to assemble.

Place one piece of prosciutto on the phyllo lining up the short edge. Place asparagus spear on top letting tip of asparagus extend beyond dough. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of the cheese. Roll up and secure the edge with more butter. Repeat until all spears are constructed. Place on a baking sheet and sprinkle again with more cheese. Cover tips with foil and bake until golden brown 5 to 8 minutes. Serve warm whole or cut into pieces.

This appetizer may be made in advance. After constructing straws, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 hours. Bake as instructed.

 

PRINTABLE RECIPE

PHOTO FRIDAY

Photo Friday features no recipes, just a few photos I want to share with you.
 
Double Exposure - intrigued with what they can convey.
 

Sky Surfing

 

Dance lession

 

Three generations

 

Homesick

 

New Journey

 Can't decide which one of these two I like better:

Kiss

or

Kisses

Family

Thanks for visiting and have a great weekend :)

PHOTO FRIDAY

Photo Friday features no recipes, just a few photos I want to share with you.

Backyard flora and fauna :)

 

George

 

 

 

Baylie





     

Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake (Celebrating Moms)

I am super excited for this Mother’s Day! Three generations celebrating motherhood is pretty special if you ask me. I’m still trying to wrap my head around it. To honor my mother and my daughter this day is overwhelming and I couldn’t feel more blessed. All of you daughters, mothers and grandmothers know what I’m talking about. Besides my daughter, my beautiful niece and my gorgeous second cousin-in-law (to use the proper name although she is more than a cousin to me) are also celebrating Mother's Day for the first time. Of course, I am not forgetting all the “pro” moms: my mom, aunts, cousins, sisters-in-law, a very special step-daughter, nieces and girlfriends. HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY LADIES!

 

Reflecting on my childhood and my motherhood I am more than ready to sit back and enjoy watching my daughter experience the most rewarding job on earth. It is the highest, holiest service to be assumed by mankind. Being a parent isn’t just about bearing a child, it is about bearing witness to its life.  Sure, it kills you to see them grow up, but it would kill you quicker if they didn’t.

I’ll tell you what I am most excited about this Mother’s Day. Read about it on the bottom of this page but now off to the cake.

 

I love red velvet cake but I love cheese cake even more, and when I found this cake at Recipe Girl, a combination of both, I was in heaven. Lori Lange did an amazing job and just looking at her pictures made me salivate.  I followed her recipe exactly except for the cake strips. I made my own from an old T-shirt which worked just as good and it was free. All cake strips do is cool the outside of the pan so the cake bakes evenly. What you really need is just wet material wrapped around the pan. Cut scrap material into a strip long enough to fit around the cake pan. My T-shirt was thin, so I tripled the strip. Run material under water and squeeze out so it is wet as possible but not dripping. Wrap around the pan and secure the ends with a safety pin. If you gently drop your cake pans on the counter a few times before baking, it will spread the batter evenly and get rid of air bubbles. You can see that I forgot to do that.
 

For the occasion I wanted to top the cake with something bold and beautiful. My good friend Martha Stewart taught me how to make flowers with dried pineapple. I one-upped her by coloring mine. Aren’t they pretty?

 

Ingredients:

Serves 12 moms 

For cake ingredients and directions please go here: http://www.recipegirl.com/2011/11/28/red-velvet-cheesecake-cake/print/

You can use your favorite cake or cupcakes recipe and garnish with these flowers as did Martha for her hummingbird cupcakes.

 

To make pineapple flowers:

Makes about 12
 
1 small Pineapple (less ripe)
Food coloring (optional)

 

Directions:

 

Note that making this cake is somewhat time consuming, although each step is pretty easy. It is best to make the cheesecake filling one day ahead as well as the flowers, if you decide to make them.

Preheat oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large baking sheet with silicone mat (silpat) or parchment paper. Slice off the top of the pineapple with a sharp knife. Cut off the rind. Using a small melon baller or a small measuring spoon remove and discard pineapple “eyes”. With a sharp knife (serrated knife works well), cut pineapple crosswise into very thin slices. The thinner the slices, the better they will dry. You will most likely have more than 12 slices, but that’s OK, since not all of them will be cut perfectly. Just pick your best looking ones to use. I have soaked my pineapple slices in a food coloring/water mixture for few hours to create this red color, but leaving the pineapple uncolored yields gorgeous yellow flowers. I added about 10 drops of red food color to 1 cup water.

 

Transfer slices to baking sheet. It is helpful to pat dry slices with paper towels before this step. Bake until tops look dried, about 30 minutes. The baking time really depends on your oven. It took mine about 45 minutes on 330 degrees. Make sure to keep a close eye on them to avoid burning them. Flip slices and bake until completely dried for 30-45 minutes more.

Pinch center of each pineapple slice to form a cone, and let cool in a muffin tin to form flowers. It is best to leave them sit overnight to retain the shape. I returned the muffin tin into the warm oven to help dry more and shape better.

Garnish the cake right before serving because leaving them too long in the frosting will get them moist and floppy.

When my daughter was about 18 years old she gave me this poem for Mother’s Day that still decorates my office wall. It touched my heart on a level so deep, it is indescribable.  She never had even the slightest clue of how much it meant to me, not even after a little tribute in this short story. But now that she is a mom, I know she will NOW understand the depth behind these words and she will understand the depth of my love for her, despite that she sometimes thinks I am being “mean” to her. And that is, my friends, why I'm so excited this Mother’s Day. That realization is the best gift a mother can receive even if it's never admitted!
 

It might seem that I’m repeating this too often, but trust me; I can never have enough of it.

NEVER ENOUGH

Sometimes I know the words to say
Give thanks for all you've done,
But then they fly up and away,
As quickly as they come.

How could I possibly thank you enough,
The one who makes me whole,
The one to whom I owe my life,
The forming of my soul.

The one who tucked me in at night,
The one who stopped my crying,
The one who was the expert
At picking up when I was lying.

The one who saw me off to school,
And spent sad days alone,
Yet magically produced a smile,
As soon as I came home.

The one who makes such sacrifices,
To always put me first,
Who lets me test my broken wings,
In spite of how it hurts.

Who paints the world a rainbow
When it's filled with broken dreams,
Who explains it all so clearly
When nothing's what it seems.

Are there really any words for this?
I find this question tough...
Anything I want to say,
Just doesn't seem enough.

What way is there to thank you,
For your heart, your sweat, your tears,
For ten thousand little things you've done,
For oh-so-many years.

For changing with me as I changed,
Accepting all my flaws,
Not loving 'cause you had to,
But loving "just because."

For never giving up on me,
When your wits had reached their end,
For always being proud of me,
For being my best friend.

And so come to realize,
The only way to say,
The only thank you that's enough,
Is clear in just one way.

Look at me before you,
See what I've become.
Do you see yourself in me,
The job that you have done?

All your hopes and all your dreams,
The strength that no one sees,
A transfer over many years,
Your best was passed to me.

Thank you for the gifts you give,
For everything you do,
But thank you, Mommy, most of all
For making dreams come true.

Love,
Your Daughter

 

 

PRINTABLE RECIPE

 

 

 

Sweet Sensation-Bread Soufflé

 

My baka (maternal grandmother) Mara had eight children. As one of her youngest 14 grandchildren I seldom had the benefit of getting her full attention in the way my older brother and cousins did. It was evident that she wasn’t pampered in her life. I remember her as an aged, tired widow always busy with the house chores and garden. Her house was only a few blocks away from us and we visited her frequently. Grandma Mara had the most comfortable bed in the whole wide world covered with goose down pillows and comforter and with a mattress so high off the ground that I needed help climbing in. The wood burning cast iron stove in her kitchen permanently housed a pot of simmering water for quick coffee or tea. Baka Mara was able to, within minutes, prepare such a divine supper that I believed only grandmothers were privileged to know the recipe. No one ever cooked as well as my baka. I swear, even her fried eggs tasted better than my mom’s. Looking back I realize now that those divine meals were actually really simple, inexpensive treats. She used basic ingredients always stored in her pantry in creative ways, stretching the meal and never wasting anything.  

Coffee Bean Vanilla Latte

The weather has been really pleasant in Northern Indiana for the past week but today is rainy and gloomy and cold. Spring, you are such a tease. I’d rather be outside landscaping my back yard even if only in my mind. Instead, I’m sitting on the couch lazy-ing (I know, you won’t find this word in any dictionary) my evening away by browsing through cookbooks. I’m snuggled in a blanket and can’t get warm. I turn the page 44 and see Coffee Bean Vanilla Latte. Preparation: 3 minutes; cooking: 8 minutes. I think I just found something to warm me up.

 

Ingredients:

Serves 2

3 cups Milk

1 cup Espresso or very strong coffee (if you’re Bosnian like me, this is an important staple of your life)

3 tablespoons Vanilla Sugar, plus extra to taste (substitute with regular sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)

4 ounces bittersweet Chocolate, grated

 

Directions:

In a small pan, bring milk to the boil then remove from the heat. Mix 2 cups of the boiled milk with espresso in a heatproof pitcher. Sweeten with vanilla sugar to taste.

Return the remaining boiled milk to the heat and add the 3 tablespoons vanilla sugar. Stir constantly until dissolved. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat.

Add the dark chocolate and continue to stir until all the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth and glossy.

Pour chocolate milk into the pitcher with coffee and whisk thoroughly. Serve in mugs or glasses. 

I am dipping biscotti di Prato in my latte and waiting for the spring to return.

 

 

 

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Bunny Chocolate Cake

Our tradition to eat a bunny for Easter, regardless of its shape and form, continues. For years I was serving baked rabbit and convincing my child that she was eating chicken with really big ears. Until  I told her one year that Easter got canceled because we ate the Easter bunny. I am unsure if she ever forgave me. Last Easter we had bunny bread and bunny cake pops. I need creative ideas for the next year though.

You won’t believe how much fun I had baking this cake. Thank you Betty Crocker for the recipe! It was originally intended to be served at my daughter’s baby shower. She wanted to be surprised with the theme. See, ever since she was a little girl she was my “Bunny”. Her favorite nursery song is about the bunny, so it just made sense to heave a bunny themed baby shower. Ingredients for this cake were ready and bunny decorations were bought but she declared that she likes giraffes instead. Of course, my Bunny should have what Bunny wants and Bunny got giraffes. The bunny cake was put on the back burner for almost a whole year, until this Easter. The look on everyone’s face when they saw the cake was PRICELESS! One child wanted the bunny’s tail, another foot, the candy carrot…oh my!