Julie, Julia and Me

After my sister, Pam, saw the movie, "Julie and Julia", she posted the Boeuf Bourguignon recipe on Facebook. Intended as wry humor, I suggested that when we were together for Labor Day, we should make the recipe. My sister-in-law, Leslie, joined in with a "yes, let's do it!" and so we will be cooking. We do enjoy cooking together and who doesn't like an challenge.

Today I printed the ingredients list and the recipe. Oh, dear! The recipe is a whole page. Typed. Single-spaced. At the beginning it lists: Difficulty - difficult. Uhhhhh.... I said to myself, "Too late now, sister, get shopping." Off I went to the grocery store. Did you know that the butcher has "secret" meat in the back and will cut it anyway you like? Julia's recipe calls for one 6-ounce piece of chunk bacon and 3 pounds (yes, pounds) lean stewing beef, cut into 2-inch cubes. Should you tip the butcher?

After the grocery store, I headed to the wine store. I truly enjoy shopping for wine. This particular store had a European wine section. Julia's recipe suggested Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone or Burgundy. I've had Burgundy and I'm not much of a fan, so I looked for the other two. We'll need a little extra wine beyond the recipe, of course. Here's what I found:

Louis Jadot - Beaujolais-Villages - 2006

J. Vidal-Fleury - Cotes du Rhone - 2006

Everyone arrives tomorrow and the cooking begins at 1:30 p.m. We'll take pictures and let you know how it goes.

Comfort Food Season - A recipe for that last Garden Zucchini

I love comfort food! That sentence has many, many, many meanings. Your comfort food is probably different from mine. It's most certainly in the mind of the beholder. I suppose the concept can be taken too far. Having a special treat every once in a while to say "job well done", "I'm glad that's over" or "that cranberry-spice scone sounds soooo good" is ok. I sure hope so 'cause that's the conversation I had with myself yesterday before I ate the scone from Bluestem Coffee House following my test. To use food to comfort ourselves daily or fill a void may not be wise. I suppose what we select is important, too. A pound of fudge, five candy bars or whole bag of chips... probably not-so-good. Anyway, back to loving comfort food...

You may have noticed a trend in my cooking...lots of pasta, red sauce and fresh ingredients (where possible). It's because these foods are comforting to me. Strange, I know. They come warm out of the skillet or the oven (in the case of the dish below), they taste great, they're filling and they're healthy. I can't help it...knowing I'm responsible for feeding the four men in my house leads me to spend a lot of time trying to find healthy, tasty foods.


Some of my garden plants this summer were teeny, tiny compared with normal growth. My zucchini plant was one and it didn't produce any harvestable veggies until the very end of the season. After sauteing a couple and a few chilly nights, it was time for some comfort food!

Pasta Bake with Zuccini

1 16 oz. box of Ziti, Mostociolli or Penne (I only use about 3/4 a box)

1 lb. ground beef

Red Sauce (in a hurry, Newman's Own Basil and Tomato is delish)

4-6 oz. Mozzarella Cheese

1/4 cup Parmesian Cheese

A Zucchini, chopped (size based on how well your family likes zucchini, my theory is smaller is less noticeable...)

Start your pasta a-cookin'. As you can see I throw in whatever I've got.

While the pasta is cooking, brown the ground beef, pour off the grease and add your tomato sauce. Spice her up if you like. Add your zucchini for a minute or two, just to soften. The zucchini will finish cooking in the oven.

Mix the sauce together with your noodles.

Dump the whole she-bang into a casserole dish.

Shread some mozzeralla over the top and sprinkle with Parmesian. Cover with foil and pop in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until slightly bubbly and serve. Yummmmm-O.

Now that's comfort food!

The Besto Pesto

Do you have a coffee group? Having coffee with your friends involves the sharing of great wisdom, not to mention laughs. Occasionally, gifts!








At this morning's coffee, Sarah brought me this wad of fragrant Basil from her garden.









I threw in the basil I had left in my garden and the pesto making began in earnest.






Basil Pesto
2 cups basil leaves, packed down
1/3 cup pinenuts
1/4 cup parmesian cheese
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste


If the pinenuts are not chopped, place in food processor and pulse to chop. Add cheese, garlic, salt and pepper and 1/2 the basil. Pulse. Add the rest of the basil. Pour oil in with processor running until it forms a spread.

Refrigerate and use within several days or freeze and use within 3 months.

I broke out the Quisinart, which was a wedding gift from my in-laws. They've tried for years to convince me to keep it on my counter, but the only appliance that has been a fixture is my husband's coffeemaker. But y'know, they may be on to something... ideas bounced around in my head as I processed. Pizza dough may be next.

When Marjory learned that I wanted to freeze the Pesto, she suggested freezing it in an ice cube tray. Once it's frozen, pop out the cubes and place in a freezer bag. I will then have go-to Pesto for soups and sauces, or I can use several cubes with pasta. Brilliant! I have to admit to having a hard time putting that tray in the freezer after hearing the dishes the gals prepare with Pesto, but I did it. My plan is to pull some cubes out in the deep, dead, cold of winter.

I've Got a Secret...about Frozen Custard

I've got a secret, well...ok...not really, especially if you live in St. Louis! I know the location of the best frozen custard in this here small world.

Ted Drewes

Ted started his business many, many moons ago. Before a few folks discovered his luscious, rich, unforgetable treat, he operated out of a tiny building, like a little shed, during the summer and then in the winter he used his parking lot to sell Christmas trees.



When you have something truly special word travels...and travels and travels. Fast forward to today and a trip to Ted Drewes (worked into all of our St. Louis visits) greets you with this...

You know what I really love? Ted won't franchise! I bet he's been asked about a gazillion times, too! He did have some of his products in local grocery stores at one time, but mainly he sticks with his two locations - the original on Chippewa and a second on Grand Ave.

The base recipe is guarded in a vault, I imagine. The add-in list and speciality concretes are listed on a big board on the side of the building. My sister had Tirimizzou, a nod to her alma mater the University of Missouri. The kids had a variety...chocolate to snickers. As for me, I had my all time favorite: Chocolate Chip. I know what you are thinking...she traveled all that way and she had Chocolate Chip!!! You'll have to trust me on this one...it's the closest thing to nirvana that I've found. They take chocolate syrup and swirl it into the custard. The chocolate freezes ever so slightly and melts in your mouth releasing waves of chocolate goodness.

So...on your next visit to St. Louis or if you're within one, maybe two...no I'm thinkin' three hours of St. Luois, head straight to Ted Drewes on Chippewa Road. Tell them Jenny sent you. It won't actually get you anything... except maybe a strange look.

A Cow in the Backyard

Yesterday, I had coffee with my neighbor and she casually mentioned to me that she was thinking of getting a cow...maybe, two cows. These would not be pets. They would be cows for eating. The neighbor on the other side of her has wanted to do this as well and they have been toying with where to put fencing and exactly how this would all work. She visited with a knowledgeable farmer from our church, who mentioned that we (here's where we come into the picture) have some nice brome grass on our field back by her barn. Cows really like brome grass, she explained. Maybe we would be interested in a side of beef?

Ah...

Well...

Stutter, spit, choke...

You better let me think about it...


At the dinner table last night I brought up the subject.

My husband's response, "Excuse me...???"

My oldest's response, a silent, you've-completely-lost-your-mind stare.

My middleman's response, "We're going to have a cow in the backyard and then EAT it?" Earlier this summer, one of my kids said that the potatoes we had dug from the garden were gross because they were so dirty. We have become a bit removed from "the how" of our food reaching the table.

My youngest's response, "I think we need a leapord or a lion in the back pasture, not a cow."

After the idea sunk in for a while, and brains whirled about the workings and meanings of such a quest, the thought of raising our own hormone-free, pasture-feed beef seemed to take on a bit of acceptance. I just mowed that field over the weekend and coincidently kept thinking surely there's something interesting we can do with this pasture...

Homegrown Veggies = Shrimp and Feta Pasta

With tomatoes ripening in the garden, I pulled out my husband's favorite recipe, Shrimp and Feta Pasta.

Here's the cast of characters...

Mostaccoili noodles, olive oil, basil, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper, tomatoes, green onions, shrimp and feta cheese.

My favorite part comes after simmering the sauce ingredients, tossing it all together and eating it!

This is not a great food picture... When I'm not as pressed for time, I throw in some chopped tomatoes and onions at the very end to enliven the color combo. I'll just ask you to take a leap of faith and try this recipe for yourself.

A note: the green onions, tomatoes, parsley and corn were all from the garden. Can you believe that??? I'm still trying.

Shrimp and Feta Pasta

1 1/2 lbs. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
A sprinkling of lemon juice
6-8 green onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
A smattering of olive oil
3-4 ripe tomotoes, chopped (peeled if you like)
1/2 cup or so of white wine
2 teas. chopped fresh basil (1 teas. dried)
2 tblsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 teas. salt
A dash of pepper
1 cup cubed feta cheese (cubed, not crumbled, I buy a block and cut it up)
1 12 oz. package Mostoccioli or Penne Rigate noodles

Wash and pat shrimp dry and sprinkle with lemon juice.

Start the pasta cooking and cook according to directions for al dente or just tender.

Circle a pan once or twice with olive oil and saute the onions and garlic until tender...a couple of minutes. Add tomatoes, wine, basil, half of the parsley, salt and pepper. Lower heat and simmer about 15 minutes until sauce thickens slightly.

Stir in shrimp and lemon juice. *I sometimes add some reserved tomato and onion at this point for more dazzling color. Cook over medium heat until shrimp turns pink and is slightly firm, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Add cheese and sprinkle with remaining parsley. Toss shrimp mixture with noodles and serve! De-lish!

And Then It Was Gone...

Just an update on the blackberry pie. We traveled to the Lake of the Ozarks this weekend and took our pie. It survived the ride largely intact except for a little jostling that caused some leaky juices.

The first night my husband and I cut two pieces, warmed them up and slowly ate them. The pie was wonderful! Our mm-mm-mmms got a couple of the kids interested and they too, had pieces. Just over half remained and I thought, great, when my brother and his wife arrive, we can all enjoy Mom's Recipe blackberry pie after dinner.

Following our meal, I went to serve the pie and only a sliver remained! What? Huh??? The kids had almost finished off the pie sometime during the day! Kids don't really like pie! Do they? Isn't there a rule or law or something stating that kids don't like pie...unless it's chocolate or ice cream pie. hee hee My kids and my nephew definitely like blackberry pie!

We all watched as my brother enjoyed the remaining itsy-bitsy piece. I will need to go blackberry hunting today.

A Blackberry Pie to Remember

The wait is finally over!

My husband and I walked out to the blackberry patch and were greeted by dozens and dozens of ripe berries. My heart skipped a beat.

Picking blackberries just makes me smile! It's fast work of the ones you see easily, then it's time to look among the leaves.

More are almost alway hidden beneath. This year because of all the rain, we even found branches bowed over and touching the ground under the weight of the huge, succulent berries.

This variety, Chester Thornless Blackberry, from Stark Brothers Nursery, is sweet and juicy. They are the reason we have not accumulated any berries so far this summer. We keep eating them!

Fortunately, we were able to keep ahead of our eating on this excursion and collect more than enough berries for a pie.

My mother made wonderful pies. A couple of years ago, we made pies together and I wrote down the recipes as we estimated the amounts on each ingredient. As you can imagine this pie has special meaning to me.

Ensalada Caprese

We picked the first tomato yesterday, an Early Girl. She received the royal treatment, a pairing with fresh basil (also from the garden) and mozzarella with a drizzling of extra virgin olive oil.










My youngest son took a look and said "fancy food." My husband and I grinned and explained that he would NOT like it. He eyeballed the cheese for a second and took off. Whew, that was a close one.

I would have loved to have fresh mozzarella, but it's a bit of a drive to get it, so we made due with just regular... It didn't seem to matter...

Homegrown Spuds

We headed to the garden to harvest potatoes - Yukon Gold Potatoes.

"We" became my husband, Bart, as he was having so much fun digging up the potatoes. I pulled some weeds instead. Too bad you can't harvest weeds and do something fabulous with them!




What to do with freshly dug potatoes? How about a surprisingly easy Shrimp Boil that looked something like the picture above. Oh, was it good! A messy meal where you appreciate all of the flavors.


Shrimp Boil
1 lb. uncooked shrimp
1 lb. smoked sausage (I used turkey keilbasa), 3/4 inch diagonal-sliced pieces
4 or 5 ears of corn, halfed
Equivalent of one large potato per person, quartered
1 onion, halved then quartered
1 teas. garlic powder or 1 clove minced
1 teas. dried Parsley or 1 tablespoon fresh chopped

Bring water to boil in large pot. Cut potatoes into 1 inch pieces and boil until almost tender. Add shrimp, sausage, corn, onion, garlic and parsley. Cook until shrimp is fully pink (about 4 min.). Be careful to not overcook the shrimp as it will become tough.

Fortunately, we had a nice, little haul of potatoes. Hmmm...need to get thinking of some other messy, yummy meals.

Anticipating Blackberry Pie

I have a thing for blackberries and especially blackberry pies, blackberry cobblers, blackberry scones or blackberries over ice cream. If all goes well, we will have blackberry pie in two to three weeks.

The blackberry plants are loaded with berries.

We bought these plants from Stark Brothers Nursery in Louisiana, Missouri, just north of my hometown of St. Louis. We received the bare root plants in the mail and they were incredibly healthy. We planted the berry plants three years ago and, to be honest, have hardly lifted a finger since except to pick.



On our property, we also have a stately, ginormous Mulberry tree.

It's the "As-old-as-your-greatgrandma" variety. It's the overseer and wisdom-giver to a number of smaller Mulberry trees surrounding it.

I hadn't eaten mulberries before living here. They are very sweet, yet watery tasting with an impossible to remove inner stem. Could this be why you don't hear about Mulberry pie as apoused to the coveted Blackberry pie? When I make Blackberry pie, I'm my mother-in-law's favorite daughter-in-law! She too covets Blackberry pie. Let's not dwell on the fact that I am her ONLY daughter-in-law.

The countdown is on! I'm dreaming of Blackberry pie.

Father's Day Meal - Unexpected Hit

On Father's Day, the whole family piled into the car to go out to lunch and then grocery shopping. Grocery shopping? I know, strange! Anyway, on the way I was reading cookbooks...just in the mood for something new and since it was Father's Day, a new special dish for dinner seemed in order.

My new favorite cookbook is Tyler's Ultimate by Tyler Florence, because it has easy-to-make, savory recipes. Perfect for a house full of boys. I love the format - recipe on the left and mouthwatering picture on the right. A few weeks ago, I made the Spaghetti and Meatballs to the deep pleasure of my family.

I kept turning back to the page with the Crab Cakes, so I asked The Father what he thought. He said it sounded great.

Five portions of crab cakes and sauted vegetables were served up. Crab cakes are a bit out of the realm of food likes for the three boys. To my astonishment, the vote was 4 out of 5 for having this meal again. Pretty good, Tyler! Thanks.