Cooking School Recipes…so fast and easy!

Do you like simple, short shopping list, and good eating? 

Dill Dip

1 16oz bottle of drained dill pickles

8 oz. cream cheese

1/4 c. of juice from pickles

Put in food processer until well blended…garnish with a pickle and open the chips!

Summer Salad

Cut up pugiluise bread (could not find so I used dense sourdough) and fry in olive oil until crispy golden.  Cut up cucumber and tomatoes to bite size.  Sprinkle  herb and garlic feta cheese..toss together.  Use dressing of your choice.  Asian Sesame is a good one to try. 

Short Public Annoucement:         

I was Number ONE in our Remax office for the month of May!  At least this month, George is not the Number ONE salesman in this house.

WOW…Chocolate Hot Fudge Sauce…Cheese Cake Next

“Hot Fudge Sauce” Post had over 100 viewers yesterday…Now I guess I know what my friends like best.  One of my friends is making it this weekend with “Snickers Ice Cream”.   So more recipes…coming soon.

 My Cheese Cake recipe is not just any cheese cake recipe.  It came from one of my roommates at O.S.U. and soon became a favorite.  This cheese cake and my 2 season OSU football tickets is why George ask me to marry him many years ago…at least that is what he tells everyone. 

40 oz. Cream Cheese

1 3/4 cup of sugar

3 T. Flour

1/4 c. heavy cream

5 eggs

2 egg yolks

1/2 t. vanilla

1 T. grated orange rind

 Garnish with fruit…cherries are George’s favorite.   Chocolate is good too.

Going to the Gallery Hop tomorrow night…first dinner.  The Burgundy Room, Happy Greek, or Rigsby’s Kitchen.  Also want to check out Bungalow, looked like a great little shop to cruise.   I let you know how the dinner was next week…notice I do like to talk about food…

Sunday is National Open House Day…Check out the properties that will be open in The Columbus Dispatch, online or in your paper on your front porch…still enjoy spreading out the Sunday paper and drinking coffee.  I will be hosting an Open House at 7504 Blue Holly Drive, Lewis Center, 43035.  Great property within walking distance (1 block) to Olentangy Elementary School.  Lower level is totally finished with a large laundry room with counters and lots of storage…a real laundry room…you could even use an ironing board and iron, sewing machine…room for it all.   As Martha would say, it is a good thing.   MLS# 2110157886

Hot Fudge Sauce…The BEST!

This is an old recipe for hot fudge sauce that I have had for years…My Dad used to love this recipe and he was a connoisseur of ice cream and toppings…was in the Dairy Business for years…Schmitt’s Dairy in Waverly, Ohio.  I have had the recipe on my mind since eating the Homemade Ice Cream last Monday at the Sunbury Flea Market.  When growing up, making homemade ice cream at the dairy or my grandparents farm was a favorite activity.  We used real cream that helped to make any flavor the best.  Then my Aunt Sally would make an angel food cake to go with the ice cream.  Those were the days!  We have an ice cream freezer and make ice cream but it is never as good as what we made years ago.

Hot Fudge Sauce

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

3/4 c. cocoa

1/4 c. flour

1/2 t. salt

1 can (13 oz) of evaporated milk

1 c. water

2 T. butter

2 t. vanilla

Combine sugar, brown sugar, cocoa, flour and salt.  Add 1 can of evaporated milk, 1 c. water, and butter.  Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until boiling.  Cook 5 minutes longer.  Cool a little and then add vanilla. 

One of the best parts about this recipe is that you can store any left over sauce in refrigerator and warm up in the microwave.    Enjoy!

George’s Mint Julep Recipe

Clean enough mint sprigs to decorate each glass and you will need aobut 10-12 extra to “muddle in the syrup”. 

Simple Syrup:  A day or two ahead, combine 1 part water to 2 parts sugar. 5 lb. bag of sugar and half as much water.  Boil for 5 minutes, pour into pitcher and refrigerate.  When cool, crush extra mint leaves and stir into syrup or “muddle”.  Strain or spoon out leaves before using.

1 part syrup to 2 1/2 parts Bourbon.  Pour over crushed ice and garnish with mint.  You can order official Derby Glasses from Churchill Downs to send home as party favors. 

Take time to enjoy…4:00 PM the first Sat. in May.  I will be ready…having a more than fantastic Spring…5 closings in May!  I would have never guessed…thank you for all the referrals from former clients.  I work for great people.

Iron Skillet $12.99

TJ MAX  I purchased the perfect size iron skillet yesterday for the Fontina Cheese recipe…$12.99    Two handles…perfect to serve in too and will keep the cheese warm.  Guess what I am serving this weekend?  Hope it is warm enough for a little Fontina and wine on the deck…Golfers are out already, why not? 

Rookery, third tee.

New Recipe from California…Thank you Don.

Fontina Cheese

It is always a treat to be invited to Andi’s friends, Don and Carlene Smith, for dinner.  Each time, I come home with a recipe that I use over and over.   I think  Don enjoys cooking as much as George…and is very talented. 

Baked Fontina

1  1/2 lbs. of Italian Fontina  1″ diced   (rind removed)

1/4 c. olive oil

6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 T. minced fresh thyme leaves

1 tsp. minced fresh rosemary leaves

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

1 loaf of crusty, French baquette, sliced and slightly toasted

• Preheat broiler and postion rack 5″ from heat
• Distribute cubes of cheese evenly in a 12″ cast iron skillet
• Drizzle olive oil on top of cheese
• Combine garlic, thyme, and rosemary…sprinkle over cheese
• Sprinkle salt and pepper
• Place under broiler for 6 minutes. 

Dip bread in cheese and ENJOY!  So creamy and tasty…what a way to start a meal.

Cooking School Recipe for 3/16/11

Cooking School is a great reason to gather friends to try a new recipe,  catch up on conversation, and enjoy wine.

Most important “ingredients for our group”:  include different ages 24-61, carefree attitudes, willingness to try new dishes, and a true love for a few glasses of wine.

This month’s recipe:

Roasted Red Onion and Squash Pasta

• 2 medium red onions, cut into 6 wedges each, layers separated
• 1 meduim butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh sage leaves
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• coarse salt and pepper
• 1/2 pound of ridged pasta, such as rigatoni
• 1/2 cup grated fontina cheese

Preheat oven to 450.  On a rimmed baking sheet, toss onions, squash and sage with oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Arrange in a single layer and roast until tender, about 25 minutes, rotating sheet and tossing vegetables halfway through.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions.  Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water; drain pasta and return to pot.  Add vegetables and cheese and toss to combine, adding enough pasta water to creat a think sauce that coats pasta.

George and I tried this…really good and easy…I think this time I will add some pine nuts and George is suggesting some hot sausage.  Looking for suggestions for other possible ingredients:  What would you add?

Hoping to bring back some new recipes/ideas from Napa visit in a few weeks.

                                          Bon Appetit

The Award Goes to Cajun Pasta

 

Cooking School started when my former, O.S.U. roommate, (we have been friends for over 37+ years) started traveling to Columbus to her hairdresser.  Her husband couldn’t understand why she couldn’t find a hairdresser in Cleveland, had to visit several restaurants, and shopping was  part of the trip too .  This full service trip was getting expensive.  We decided that the best way to solve this problem…not really a problem… was to cook at home.  So invited a good friend that likes to cook and my niece who is interested in new recipes.  Cooking School began.  The following is the BEST, Award Winning recipe to date:

Cajun Pasta  (5 ingredients!)

1 lb. fettuccine, 2 lbs. shrimp deveined and shelled, 4 Tbsp. of Luzianne Cajun seasoning, 1 cup of olive oil, 1/2 cup of wine.  

Boil fettuccine until barely tender.  In a non-stick skillet, heat olive oil and shrimp.  Cook until half done.  Add seasoning and wine.  Drain fettuccine and add to skillet, cook until pasta is hot and shrimp done.

(Chicken can be substituted for the shrimp)

Meeting times are determined by the length and color of my friend’s hair.  Each member must take their turn in being the teacher.  A more than ample supply of wine is available.  Because there are several generations present ( our newest member is 23) we have lively discussions, learn new terms,  definitions, and life skills in general.   Wardrobe and style consultations and updates are free.

Roasted Berries and Ice Cream

Got this recipe from a good friend of my daughter.  Carleen and Don Smith have given my daughter a standing invitation to their house once a week.  If Andi makes it, they are happy and if she can’t they understand.  I think I need some friends like them. 

When I am in California, they invite me too…and the meals are always wonderful, great wine that they make, and the most beautiful yard.

Roasted Berries

1 pint of fresh strawberries

2 half pints of each: fresh raspberries , fresh blueberries, fresh blackberries

1/4 cup of sugar

Vanilla bean, split and seed removed  (not essential, I have left out and the fruit was still very good)

Preheat oven to 450.  Place berries on a sheet pan and toss with sugar and vanilla beans.  Roast in oven for 20 minutes. 

Serve warm over vanilla ice cream.  

Of course I used Grater’s Ice Cream made in Cincinnati, Ohio…also saw Jenni’s ice cream in our grocery…$15.00 plus for a quart.. Jenni’s is wonderful ice cream made right here in Columbus, Ohio…..I am not sure it is $15.00 wonderful but it is good.

     Sooooo good.  Enjoy!