Category: Food & Wine

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Carrot Cake with Amarula, Pineapple and Apricot Preserves

Amarula Carrot Cake without Icing

I am a bit compulsive about what I enjoy developing & cooking… and this certainly goes to desserts. There is a class of moisture laden desserts ( for example: pumpkin, zucchini breads and carrot cake) that require a bit of a hands on approach to ensure that all works out well… especially if you like making modifications. Adding apricot has been a nice recent addition.

Today, I was making a larger than usual batch of carrot cakes and cupcakes and was a bit generous with Amarula and eggs… but a quick test above, followed by an immediate taste test found all was well. Laura and Karen use a wonderful blend of cream cheese, butter, confectioners sugar and Amarula for the icing… wonderful!

Laura has a meeting tonight… and we’re binging these along for those who like this sort of thing…. like me!

Here’s the recipe

Roger Freberg

Obviously the cupcake above was ‘tested’ prior to the icing… but was still wonderful!   Awarded: 5 Toques!

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Eggplant Parmesan ala Rogeir

Eggplant Parmesan

There is such a history to the use of eggplant in the foods of man… primarily as a meat substitute or meal extender throughout the ages.

Whatever the humble beginnings, it makes a nice dish in many forms, particularly if breaded and deep fried.

After a good head start from Aunt Jeanne, we worked up a new and improved version… that ws wonderful.

Check out our recipe!

Roger

Yes, that is feta cheese on top … plus a whole lot more

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Cooking with Eggplant

the humble eggplant

My wife of 36 years has very few faults — and I mean that sincerely — but those she has surround what she considers ‘acceptable’ cuisine. There are two items that we tend to think of as vegetables ( Eggplant is actually a berry) that she has always found objectionable: Okra and Eggplant. I would normally enjoy dishes made with these ingredients only when I traveled on the road.  However, the challenges with many ‘vegetables’ is always in the preparation, usually needing to reduce their moisture so that they don’t make a fine dish… watery. So, I would argue that it is the preparation and not the eggplant that is the issue.

With a little encouragement from Laura’s aunt Jeanne, Laura is ready to try something … new. Most of the recipes you will find on the internet do not address the issue of ‘wateriness’ as they tend to view quickness in preparation as more important than the final product. Sorry, that’s just the way I see it.

I am deep frying slices of seasoned and battered eggplant that has first had some moisture reduction therapy (details to follow when I post the recipe) that I will layer in a casserole with various cheeses and our own Marinara Sauce… along with a few surprises… so far it all smells delicious!

Stay tuned!

Roger Freberg

Although the Arabs like to take credit for many things, including bringing the eggplant to europe in the middle ages, the eggplant originated in Asia where it has been cooked before time began; China and India are the top producers today.

Yes, you can make the recipe  Jenny Craig compliant  and portion controlled. I plan to include a nutritional panel and a portion size suggestion.

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Wine making is a journey

a label for our first batch in October 2008

Kristin is coming to visit and we plan to put together a ‘historically’ accurate version of a berry wine. In areas of northern Europe and in the early American Colonies, berry wines were made where either grape wine making was impractical or grapes were unavailable.

a basic wine making kitIn talking to a home brewer named “David” ( the husband of Laura’s cousin Pam), I thought… ‘hey, I could do this and it might be fun.’ Kristin though it would be nice to make up a batch and open it up next year to celebrate.

Thanks to some entrepreneurial folks at  Mountain Home brew  in Kirkland , Washington I picked up ingredients and all the basics to make my own wine.

Now, I have some friends who started out this way and ended up with a vineyard! I don’t think so, that is far too much work for me. However, I do feel it would be fun to dabble a bit and maybe get to the point where I have an old oak cask hidden away somewhere.

So, in following my own advice: ” to understand something fully, one must see it through from start to finish” … I am taking my first step into fermenting something wonderful.

cheers!

Roger

oh yes, I plan to produce an estimated ‘nutritional label’ and balance it’s ‘medicinal use’ with my  Jenny Craig  life.

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Save money and have fun by Learning to Cook

shredding the beef

There’s a local restaurant supply company called ‘Smart & Final’ in our area that I frequent for a few items. This isn’t unusual, many people who cook go to a lot of sources for what they need. However, I ran into a couple of Cal Poly students obviously lost in a sea of questions and doubts. They were sent to find some ‘seasonings’ for a barbecue and had no idea where to start. Oh, where to begin. After asking a few questions, it was apparent that they had been asked to get more than seasonings… but after a few suggestions on my part they were off and running.

However, it made me wonder: does anyone know how to cook anymore?  And no Melissa, you don’t put beef through a shredder to ‘shred it’… was she kidding?

Actually shredding beef is rather simple and it is necessary to make my Grandmother Mimi’s ‘Barbecued beef sandwiches’ which are legendary in our family… as is her sauce which I will never put on line. To shred beef, it must first be cooked very slowly. A crock pot serves this purpose. Some folks like to emerse the meat in stock and seasonings, others like to cook the meat slowly in it’s own juices. I prefer the former as the latter tends to overly toughen the exterior of the meat. The cooking has a remarkable side benefit, it leans out the meat by reducing ( cooking) out the fat.
The seasonings one can use in the slow cooking process are many: onions, garlic, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, tarragon, lemon peel, cilantro, thyme, oregano, ginger. I have even seen recipes that call for allspice ( called Paprika in Jamaica – confusingly enough – I am told) , lime juice, various fruits, cinnamon, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and dill. Of course, everyone says “salt and black pepper to taste.”

So what will I be making with five pounds of shredded beef? Quite a lot actually, I’ll whip up some Chimichangas and Philly Cheese steak Pirogies for starters. This can be made  Jenny Craig compliant  and portion controlled … or be that once a week extravagance.
Learn to cook, it will open a new world to you. Besides, you’ll save money and have fun too.

Roger Freberg