As the Holidays Near Get a copy of "My Mom's A Good Cooker :A Working Mom's Guide to Family Dinners for the Great Mom in Your Life

 

Butternut Squash Soup

I am always looking for soup recipes that do not require cream to make them tasty.Cream of tomato,Cream of broccoli,cream of asparagus;well you get the picture.I have developed a recipe for butternut squash soup that has a tang and is loved by my whole family. I believe in letting the grocer be your sous chef so I always buy the peeled and cubed butternut squash in the fruit and vegetable aisle .

Ingredients:

60 ounces peeled and cubed butternut squash
6 cups chicken stock
1 large onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic chopped
3 serrano peppers seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

In a large pot, add olive oil and heat until hot but not smoking
Add the onions and cook until soft;about 4 minutes
Add the garlic,the serrano peppers and cayenne pepper and cook for about 2 minutes
Add the squash and the chicken stock and bring to a boil
cook at a medium temperature for about 30 minutes , or until squash is very soft
Turn off heat and allow mixture to cool for about 15 minutes
When mixture is cool, use an immersion blender to make the soup smooth and creamy
Add the salt and pepper heat the soup for 10 minutes and serve with a crusty bread

You need to adjust the serrano peppers and cayenne to your family's taste .

Serves 4 to 6

Strathmore 's Food Festival :Appetite , A Gastronomic Experience

On August 2nd,I was lucky enough to attend the first food festival put on by Strathmore.It was called Appetite; A Gastronomic Experience . The event had two very famous chefs;Giada De Laurentiis on Friday night and Bizarre Foods Chef Andrew Zimmern on  Saturday Night .I did not attend their presentations. Instead , We purchased the Saturday general Admission ticket for $100 for 2 .This event was terrific. The overall themes that were repeated in tastings and lectures were the  farm to table movement and sustainability of farming and fishing so that our food sources are protected for the generations to come.

 There were food trucks and small tables in the lot between the Music Center and the Mansion with everything from corned beef sandwiches to ice cream. There were several tastings prepared by local chefs and restaurateurs like Todd Gray and his wife from Equinox and staff from Jose' Andre's Jaleo of Bethesda.There were so many events that I had to pick and chose events from several categories. My favorite event was "All things Olive: hosted by Keith Voight. He had several varieties of olive oils to taste and then the to die for Balsamic Vinegar from the Robbins Family Farm. Did you know that the Extra Virgin Olive Oils you buy in the supermarket, are for the most part  blends and not regulated? There are no specific standards for EVOO. There is now an Olive Oil Council that publishes standards and inspects olive oils to assure there are "no taste or odor defectives". Unfortunately ,participation and adoption of these standards are all voluntary. I could go on and on about what I learned, but it is safe to say that  I am now much more aware of what goes into the EVOO bottle and I have some tools to differentiate good from not so good olive oils.

There were also a variety of farms and wineries selling their products .I had an Ape Man walnut taco which were delicious. Ape Man foods is a vegan food provider and advocate. This was just one of the Pike Central Farmer's Market vendors participating in the event. he market is open each Saturday from 9 to 2PM.See there website www.CentralFarmMarkets for additional information.

This was a well thought out quality program . I hope that Strathmore VP Shelley Brown and her staff do this again next year .I learned a lot, tasted some yummy food and want to do it again!

My Dinner on Saturday With Thomas Jefferson and the Marquis de Lafayette

For my birthday, my husband and I stayed at the Williamsburg Inn in Williamsburg Virginia .As part of our stay, we attended a dinner at the Inn called Founding Father's of French Cuisine hosted by Thomas Jefferson and the Marquis de Lafayette in period costume .The dinner was prepared by Executive Chef Travis Brust and Sommelier Philippe Brainos chose the wines. It was divine! The dinner was so much fun, that I had to blog about it to my fellow foodies.

The guests were greeted by Mr. Jefferson and seated at their table .When the guests were seated ,we were invited to the veranda for champagne . The guests were chatting while overlooking the beautiful gardens when a man galloping on a horse came up to the veranda and introduced himself as the
Marquis de Lafayette. Below are our esteemed hosts and Executive Chef Brust.



 

The dinner was wonderful .I never knew that Thomas Jefferson was ambassador to France after the revolutionary war and that he and the Marquis were great friends. This led to a significant French influence on American cuisine as introduced by Jefferson on his return from France. The Amuse bouche included fresh made country pate with quince and watercress ,followed by ratatouille, coq au vin and the luscious dessert Paris Brest containing almond cream and raspberry  puree. My hats off to all the wonderful and talented people who made this event so special.

More Difficult than Iron Chef

Normally I  give a little background on a recipe and follow it up with a ingredients and preparation instructions . This time I am going to propose that the network increase the difficulty of the Iron Chef competition .My suggestion is based on my recent experience at the beach with my daughter, son-in-law and 3 grandchildren .The new Iron Chef would be have the contestants in a galley kitchen at the Holiday Inn .They would be provided with one old saw edged butchers knife , one plastic cooking spoon and no serving bowls . They would only be able to buy there ingredients at the CVS across the street. The challenge would be to come up with a dinner for 7 under these circumstances. The Chef who came up with the most edible dinner would win. Now that is a competition I would like to see !

Easy Kung Pao Chicken

I love Chinese Food, especially the spicy variety, but found making it time consuming. I have adapted this recipe to make it quick and easy without losing the flavor.

Ingredients:
1.5 pounds of chicken tenders cut into 1 inch pieces
1.5 tablespoons corn starch
3 teaspoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons chopped green onions(include the light green part)
3 cloves of garlic,minced
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes( use more or less to suit your taste)
1.5 teaspoons of powdered ginger
3 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons of reduced salt soy sauce
1/3 cup sriracha hot chili sauce
1/2 cup honey roasted peanuts.

Preparation:
Combine chicken and cornstarch in bowl and toss until chicken is coated
Heat oil in large non stick sauté pan(no wok needed)
Add chicken and stir fry for about 5 minutes over medium heat until chicken is cooked through
Remove chicken to small bowl and set aside
Return sauté pan to heat and add in green onions, garlic, red pepper, and ginger
Saute for 15 to 20  seconds
Add  this to bowl with set aside chicken
Combine vinegar and soy sauce in small bowl and stir well
Add to sauté pan with reserved chicken mixture and stir well
Add sriracha sauce and combine thoroughly
Add in peanuts
Heat thoroughly
Serve with brown rice

Serves 4