We tried a drinking vinegar in Portland Oregon and now in Midland Michigan. Loving the Michigan Beet & Carrot mixed with sparkling water. 1 part vinegar to 4 parts sparkling water. Refreshing! Thank you Mercato di O & V, our own oil and vinegar store on Main Street in Midland!
Rugelach / Cheese HornsAunt Marie (Korzin Winiarski) was my mom’s older sister. Mom had 5 brothers and 5 sisters. She was also the middle child. I won’t analyze that. My grandmother did not make many desserts, but her daughters learned to.
Aunt Marie was a wonderful baker. At our large family gatherings she was known for these cookies we called Cheese Horns. The dough is not sweet and is made with cottage cheese. It wasn’t till recent years that I learned these were a form of Rugelach, a rolled cookie made with cream cheese or cottage cheese and filled with a variety of sugar, nuts and dried fruits or poppy seed paste, jam or chocolate. It is a Jewish Eastern European cookie which means “little twist” or “little corners”. I’ve seen much more complex recipes than this one. Mine is easy and not exceptionally sweet.
Rugelach, ready to go!Dough Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
8 ounces cottage cheese
2 cups flour
Filling Ingredients
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Cinnamon, optional
Brush on Rugelach
1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon water
Rugelach Dough
1. Preheat oven to 400 F
2. In a mixer beat butter till fluffy. Add cottage cheese and mix till combined
3. Mix in flour. Chill until ready to use
4. Prepare work space with flour or a use a floured pastry cloth
5. Divide pastry into 4 rounds
Rugelach Dough Round
Foley pastry cloth, covered rolling pin, covered with sifted flour
8. Brush entire surface with melted butter
Melted butter, brown sugar & chopped pecans
Cut into pie shaped segments
Roll Rugelach into horn shapes
Brush Rugelach with egg yolk wash
11. Bake at 400 degrees for 13 minutes or until just turning lightly browned. Cool on wire racks. Don’t let the bottoms burn.
12. Scrape off the excess flour and pecan/ brown sugar toppings from the work area before rolling the next round of dough. Flour the work surface with more flour.
12. I often double this recipe. When brushing on the egg wash make sure you start with a fresh egg and water half way through brushing the 2 batches of cookies
Voila!
Lollipops of Chorizo Filled with Goat Cheese & Quince Paste
Visiting my daughter Diana in Portland Oregon we were introduced to this fun tapas served at a Barcelona style tapas bar called Ataula, located in the Alphabet District of NW Portland. This very relaxed low key town presents the most amazing food. This one I could recreate.
For more go to Ataulapdx.com. Barcelona speaks its own language, Catalyan. The Catalyan term for these lollipops is Xupa Xup.
Lollipops stand up in a cup of dried beans
Chorizo is a Spanish sausage seasoned with paprika. Have the deli slice it as thin as they can while keeping whole rounds of meat.
Chorizo Round
Sliced Paper Thin
Quince Paste is a solid thick sweet jam used in Spanish cooking. It’s popular in Australia and New Zealand. It can also be purchased in a flat rectangular form that is easy to cut into squares or slices to serve with cheese and your other international snack foods. I’d use a jam-like jar of it for this.
Quince Paste is Ready to Use in a Jam-like Jar.
Brussels sprouts are quartered and lightly roasted. The bright red watermelon radishes are sliced thin. Also add coarsely chopped walnuts and quartered dried cranberries. Then toss with olive oil and champagne vinegar. So colorful and delish!
Jan Doty made this recipe for us this winter and Dave and I have made it several times since! The fresh tarragon provides a bright flavor. Adding the seafood at the very end allows for preparing most of the stew before guests arrive. Thank you again Jan for another outstanding recipe!
Seafood Stew
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup thinly sliced leek (about 1 large)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup dry white wine
28 ounce carton of low sodium chicken stock and/or seafood stock (Swanson’s Cooking Stock is a favorite) (if you want a thicker soup, add 1/2 the amount of stock)
3/4 pound medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined or more
3/4 pound large sea scallops, cut in half or more
1 pound cod, cut into 2 inch cubes
1 pound frozen baby clams, thawed (add liquid too)
1 pound frozen mussels, thawed (add liquid too)
2 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces
1 and 1/2 cup chopped fresh plum tomatoes
2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon
2 teaspoons grated fresh lemon rind
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or more as desired
This was beautifully prepared by one of our dinner club friends, Steve Kin, for our get together last night. It’s a Better Homes and Gardens recipe and is sweet, tart and fresh! We all loved it, except the beet-haters 🙂
Raw Beet Slaw
In a small bowl combine:
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon or orange zest
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
In a medium bowl toss together:
2 medium beets, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1 fennel bulb, trimmed, halved lengthwise, cored and cut into matchsticks
1 medium Granny Smith apple, cored and cut into matchsticks
1 cup firmly packed roughly chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
Pour the dressing over the slaw and toss. Chill up to 8 hours. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.
Almond biscotti brushed with dark chocolate and dusted with gold
Carrie Teglia was a friend to my mom. They worked together as fur finishers in downtown Chicago at all the upscale fur salons. Bermans, Evans, Bonwit Teller, I. Magnin’s. They shared much, including recipes. Carrie was from Florence, Italy. I imagine this is an authentic recipe from that region. I have adapted it by brushing one end of the baked cookie with dark chocolate and then dusting with gold.
7 large eggs
Lemony Eggs
1 and 1/2 cups vegetable oil
Pinch of salt
5 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
Dry ingredients whisked together
3 tablespoons anisette or other licorice liquor
3 tablespoons whiskey or bourbon
1/2 cup or more finely chopped blanched almonds
Finely chopped almonds
Almond biscotti batter
Poured batter with uneven edges
Even edges with bread knife
Brush with lightly beaten egg white
Baked loaves of biscotti
Straight slices cut with a serrated knife
Angled cuts for longer cookies
Toasting the Biscotti
Brush with melted chocolate and dust with gold
Cool and dry thoroughly on parchment. Store in air tight containers.
Makes about 5 dozen.
Bourbon Balls are a No Bake Cookie!
Thank you Lisa!
A Mid-Century Recipe using Karo syrup
These are a true bourbon cookie my friend Lisa Williams shared with me. My first taste of a bourbon cookie was in college at a Christmas party my choir director hosted. Shocking! Bourbon served at a Lutheran college professor’s home! They are so easy and my favorite Christmas cookie of 2014. Combine dry ingredients. Combine liquid ingredients. Mix together. Shape into balls. Roll in confectioners powdered sugar. Voila!
In a large bowl combine:
1- 12 oz. box vanilla wafers, crushed (about 3 cups)
2 cups finely chopped pecans
1 cup confections powdered sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
vanilla wafer crumbs, chopped pecans, cocoa, confectioners sugar, cocoa
In a small bowl combine:
3 tablespoons dark or light Karo corn syrup
1/2 cup bourbon
bourbon and Karo syrup
Moist mixture
Roll bourbon balls in plenty of confectioners sugar
Week 12
Quartz LG Hausys Rococo
Stone Specialists Arriving
Installation with Suction
Above the Range
Around the Window and Sink
This Kitchen is Ready for Work!
Love the Blending from Counter to Backsplash
Under Cabinet LED Lighting
Bathroom Vanity Ready for Plumbing Connection
Pendant Light with Crystals
Can’t Have Too Much Marble!
Weeks 9 & 10
The day before Thanksgiving our LG Quartz Rococo countertops were installed. Love them! Only one seam and they matched the pattern well! They really do look like marble!
I found the light fixtures online on Houzz.com….Fantastic for endless ideas and inspiration. Ended up ordering them through Amazon. Bling bling!
An Asymmetrical Shaped Island! My favorite 🙂
LG Hausys Viatera Rococo Quartz Island and Counters
Barstools in Place
Counter Height Quartz Makes a Desk/Buffet
Glass Cabinets Placed Over Quartz Counters; Distressed Table and Chairs Are In!
Modern Crystal Pendants and Chandelier Add Some Bling!
The Island is Massive!
Crystal Chandelier Surrounded by a Sheer Drum
Love This Corner
Counter Space Next to Range
Now We’re Cookin’ With Gas!
Christened With Proscuitto and Mozzarella Paninis
Now we wait a little longer for the backsplash and other finishing touches! Almost home!
nina in the kitchen 