Archive for the ‘Food’ Category

an afternoon Tea Party

Saturday, July 18th, 2009

there’s something about Tea Theme Party that is very appealing to me.  the kind of get together that encompasses the semblance of calmness, teaparty comfort, light-mood and tradition.  tea party as reminiscent of Victorian era  can set the mood of women to put-on some  unassuming gesture of being a lady.

i grew up surrounded with girl stuffs being the only lass of five brood.  my mother took pleasure in pampering me with dolls, stuffed toys, cookware toys, sanrio knickknacks and dresses… this is how i started my relationship with girly things! … and i still do!… no wonder i find it comforting to watch the movies that inspired by Jane Austen’s novel.   it depicts women in a feminine yet highly principled way, stimulating discussion either in group or between lady friends were always accompanied with a cup of freshly brewed tea and tiny pastries… oh! lovely.

what  draws me to Tea Party? … well… the hat, the dress, the china wares and of course the fine sandwiches and pastries often serve with tea.  i wouldn’t mind to have a ravishing  petite sandwiches made of pumpernickel or wheat bread, a sumptuous slice of pound cake or strawberry shortcake, an inviting scones and tarts or  a delectable blueberry and banana walnut muffin…  the inviting presentation of these bite-size sandwiches and pastries in a stack-up trays and colorful china teaware that is set in the garden, patio or simply in the comfort of your living room… that is what i call a simple yet grand comfort.

tea and the tiny bits of delicacies are the best companion of conversation, the tradition that passed vastly from Chinese as early as 2737 BC to  Japanese then Europe in 1652 then in America in 1690… presently, Tea Party is widely used as a simple way of entertaining guests at home,  hotels and some restaurants.

i recommend for you to experience the Tea Room of Huntington Botanical Garden located in San Marino, California.  it’s a very awesome place and the room is in the amidst of the luscious garden.

i hope one day i could host a tea party for my dear friends or i hope to receive an invite for this theme… i will gladly attend and enjoy my cup of tea!

scrambled or sunny side up… will be right up!

Friday, April 17th, 2009

easy-recipes-with-eggs_001For all the  moms and “wifeys”, thinking of  what food to cook can be a tormenting job especially when you exhaust all the recipes you know and when the occasional laziness sets in.  Eggs!… a saver in the kitchen.  Sunny side up, well done in the middle with rice or toasted bread is already a meal for me.  The thing is, for moms and wives,   considering our partner’s & kid’s belly is significant in preparing the meal.

For those times that we just feel spending less time cooking,  egg recipes are best to consider.  Here are some of the recipes that wont let you down coming from my favorite chefs like Ina Garten, Rachel Ray & Tyler Florence.

quiche

Recipe 1

Quiche  from Eatingwell.com-30mins

  • 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 8 ounces turkey breakfast sausage , removed from casing and  crumbled into small pieces
  • 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
  • 1/4 cup sliced scallions
  • 1/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 5 eggs
  • 3 egg whites
  • 1 cup 1% milk
Directions:

Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 325°F. Coat a nonstick muffin tin generously with cooking spray (see Tip).

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool. Add oil to the pan. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to the bowl with the sausage. Let cool for 5 minutes. Stir in scallions, cheese and pepper.

Whisk eggs, egg whites and milk in a medium bowl. Divide the egg mixture evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle a heaping tablespoon of the sausage mixture into each cup.

Bake until the tops are just beginning to brown, 25 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Place a rack on top of the pan, flip it over and turn the quiches out onto the rack. Turn upright and let cool completely.A good-quality nonstick muffin tin works best for this recipe. If you don’t have one, line a regular muffin tin with foil baking cups.

Recipe 2

Eggs Benedict by Rachel Ray- 20mins.

  • 4 English muffins
  • 8 eggs
  • 16 ounces smoked Idaho trout or salmon
  • Hollandaise Sauce, recipe follows
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves or dill, for garnish
  • Paprika, for garnish

Directions:

Split the English muffins in half and then toast or grill them; set them aside. Fill a large shallow pan with 2 to 3 inches of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and gently break the eggs into the boiling water. Cook the eggs until the yolks are set to the desired doneness, about 3 minutes. Remove the eggs from the heat. Heat the smoked trout in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 30 seconds or until heated through. Arrange the toasted English muffins on plates and top with the trout. Using a slotted spoon, place 1 poached egg on top of each English muffin. Spoon warm Hollandaise Sauce over the eggs and sprinkle with parsley and a dash of paprika to garnish. Serve immediately.

Hollandaise Sauce: 1 pound butter

1 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon hot sauce

6 egg yolks

Melt the butter over medium heat in a heavy saucepan. While butter is melting, whisk together white wine, lemon juice, and hot sauce in a large metal bowl. Whisk in the egg yolks. Place the bowl over a skillet of simmering water and continue whisking over medium heat until a custard consistency develops. Slowly whisk in the melted butter. Continue whisking until the sauce is rich and smooth.

Recipe 3omelet

Omelet by Ina Garten- 35 mins

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 pound good thick-cut bacon
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 cup medium-diced Yukon gold potato
  • 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
  • 1 tablespoon minced jalapeno pepper
  • 5 extra-large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons milk or cream
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts
  • 4 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, diced, plus extra grated cheese, for garnish
Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut the bacon crosswise in 1-inch slices. Cook the bacon in an 8-inch ovenproof saute pan over medium-low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned. Drain the bacon on paper towels and discard the fat from the pan. Add the butter to the pan, and then add the potato and yellow onion. Cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the onion starts to brown and the potato is tender but firm. Add the jalapeno pepper and cook for 30 seconds.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper together with a fork. Stir in the scallions and diced Cheddar. When the potato is cooked, add the bacon to the pan and pour over the egg mixture. Place the pan in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until the omelet puffs and the eggs are almost cooked in the center. Sprinkle with a handful of grated Cheddar and bake for another minute. Serve hot directly from the pan.

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Arabica Coffee, Cookie & Me with… “The View”

Monday, April 13th, 2009

coffee, cookie & meThe bold, invigorating, rich and smooth smell of arabica coffee… nothing beats that. This is the thing that my husband and I have the intertwined passion when morning comes.  The smell that soars around the house when the coffee is brewing  is just  a natural lift in my senses.

My thing about coffee started since college days. Not for stress-relieving nor a take in for keeping me awake … I just simply love the smell and taste.  The crisp & clean smell is simply enticing.  On those days though, the robusta coffee is the most common in the market.  I used to be contented with the taste of the latter but when I started taking arabica, I just know the difference.  My palate is satiable with arabica coffee since then.

The difference…is  absolutely big!

Robusta Coffee

quite high in acidity making it a bit sour, high content of caffeine, less flavor, commonly used for instant coffee.

Arabica Coffee

rich, bold, smooth, does not have a sweet nor sour taste, less caffeine

The differences are greatly due to geographic origin although ample & distinguishable,  none are categorized as inferior nor superior.   In fact, the coffee that we pay so much in Starbucks, Coffee Bean, Gloria Jean and other local Coffee shops are using robusta unless they specifically indicate it.  Since they make lattes and they mix coffee with other fancy flavors, the difference is barely noticeable. Some coffee houses specifically indicate the specie of the coffee like Columbian or Kona bean which originate from Columbia and Hawaii respectively. These countries are known producers of arabica coffee.

Brewing my own coffee with molasses cookie of Dancing Deer are one of the best things to slack on and of course perfecting the morning is having my coffee and cookie while watching my favorite show “The View”.  Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar just complete my so called woman’s morning rituals.

So for you- wife, husband, mom or dad,  next time you go in your favorite grocery store… try looking for arabica coffee and … Enjoy!