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Cook Some Love For Mom This Mother's Day

Since it’s a day to thank Mom, why not make her feel extra special with a fancy dish? Whether your mother is into breakfast, lunch or dinner, you can make her something that’s worth more than a night out in even the fanciest restaurant. 

 

And who better than Martha Stewart to come up with some fun way to say I love you? If your mom likes simple, Martha’s Heart-Shaped Egg in the Hole is a charming way to make an egg with toast stand out in her memory. 

A heart-shaped cookie cutter comes in handy here; if you don’t have one, do your best with a knife. Cut a heart shape out of her favorite bread. Use herb or regular butter on both sides of the toast and cook the bread in a skillet, then crack an egg into the hole and cook the way mom loves!

 

My mom happens to love crepes and blintzes, and I tried Martha’s blueberry blintzes to see if they would be something she would like. They’re fantastic, and if your mom doesn’t like blueberries try them with blackberries or strawberries. Save some time for this recipe -- with three parts, it’s somewhat time consuming, but completely worth it. Mom will feel loved. 

Spice up Scallops with Caramel Glaze

Fresh Maine sea scallops are my favorite treat when I head north for a long weekend. There’s just something so purely New England about them, and for me, scallops from anywhere else don’t compare.

 

I used to just broil them with butter or bake with bread crumbs or Romano cheese, but then I discovered how much you can really do with scallops. From salads to pan seared, from pasta dishes to even pizza recipes, there’s so much out there that I bet you haven’t tried when it comes to scallops -- I hadn’t, until I started getting creative. 

 

Paula Deen has a great recipe for Seared Sea Scallops with Caramel Glaze. About 12 large scallops serves four, so plan accordingly. 

 

The glaze is made from vegetable oil, corn syrup, butter, water and sugar in a small saucepan and spooned on top of the scallops after they are seared. I like to serve on a bed of baby lettuce.

 

Asparagus or green beans go wonderfully with this dish, and a nice risotto. Deen recommends green beans with almonds and caramelized onions, a simple dish that complements this recipe. Olive oil, butter and sugar are sauteed with onions, then add green beans and almonds. 

 

I hope you’re planning on heading up to Maine soon for the full seafood experience. Go hungry!

Try Your Lobster Diavolo Style

I love lobster, but I have to admit I dislike buying them live and cooking them. So I hit the fish store for lobster meat as needed to make my favorite - something with pasta.

 

Emeril Lagasse’s Lobster Fra Diavolo is a great choice for an easy, classy meal. You need one pound blanched lobster meat, claws and tails, from your favorite fish market (don’t forget to buy locally), and one cup of lobster stock.

 

The rest is standard pasta dish: one pound of either fettucine or linguine, tomato sauce (homemade if you have it, a garlicky brand if you’re buying), tomato paste, onion, shallots, garlic, red pepper, parsley, and basil leaves. 

 

Use your biggest and best saute pan for this recipe.

 

If you really want the taste to be unequaled, make your own lobster stock. You need three lobster shells, removed of the claw and tail meat (if you’re like me, you can purchase them already cooked). Boil in a stockpot with oil (I use olive oil, but the recipe recommends vegetable oil). Add tomatoes, celery, onions, a carrot, thyme, fennel, garlic, and other spices of choice, then boil for about four hours.

 

The taste it will add to your dish is phenomenal -- enjoy!

 

Who needs a plain old lobster when you can have Fra Diavolo?

A Maine Event

 In honor of an upcoming long weekend in Maine, I thought I would plan some hearty New England seafood dishes to prepare while I’m in lobster country. I love to eat like the natives when I’m visiting somewhere, and the seafood from that region is close enough to the likes of Cape Cod that I really can’t tell the difference.

It’s still cold in that neck of the woods, so I thought a seafood chowder would warm the bones well enough. This recipe featured on the Food Network and submitted by a Mainer, uses clams, haddock, Maine shrimp, scallops and oysters. The beauty of this dish is the capability to mix and match your favorites if all of those don’t strike your fancy. I don’t put oysters in mine, and I also leave the bacon out. Cod is a good substitute for haddock too. 
 

This variation uses lobster, crab meat, scallops, shrimp and swordfish. 

 

You need a stockpot to brown your potatoes (the recipe calls for sweet and white, but you can use one of the other), onions and butter. Half-and-half, flour and seasonings give you the creamy base. Serve with salad and toasted bread. A genuine Maine meal! Stay warm! 

Good Luck Baked Right In - Traditional New Orleans King Cake

Since I’m a born and raised New Englander, I’m fascinated with the traditions surrounding New Orleans food, because they are so different from the ones I’m used to.

 

The King Cake especially struck my fancy. Technically, it’s a frosted cinnamon cake, sometimes with filling. But the novelty of it is delightful. The cake contains a plastic baby, and the person who finds the baby receives good luck and also brings the King Cake to the next King Cake party. Some cakes have a coin or some other trinket, but my friends always had the plastic baby, so that’s what I’m putting in mine. 

 

There’s a whole story behind the tradition, which dates back to 12th century France. Read more about it here.

Die-hard New Orleaners only have the cake leading up to Mardi Gras, but since I’m going to make one myself for a New Orleans-themed party I’m planning, I can justify making one out of season. 

The recipe is straightforward, but leave some time for the dough to rise. You might get an arm workout kneading the dough until it’s smooth, but it’s worth it. The traditional shape is an oval, but I’ve seen them shaped into a straight rope; whatever your preference. Emeril Lagasse offers another variation here. 

If you want to add a cream cheese filling, check this recipe out. Most importantly, be generous with the sugar crystals, and don’t forget to put the baby in before baking! 

Add Some Spice to Your Life - New Orleans Jambalaya

 

I love the spice of New Orleans cooking. During my visits there, I would stock up on the seasonings and flavors of the atmosphere to try to recreate it when I got home. Tony Chachere filled my cabinets, next to boxes of Zatarain’s rice. There are some great recipes on Tony Chachere’s site -- all the southern favorites. I love jambalaya, and whether you like seafood or meat, this is a must-try. 

 

Tony’s recipe is for the chicken and sausage version. I like shrimp jambalaya, especially with the huge Gulf shrimp. Mixing all three works too. 

It’s an easy meal to make, as long as you have garlic, celery, peppers and onions on hand. You can add tomato paste (3 small cans) for an added tomato base. Get Tony’s Creole seasoning for this one. It’s got just the right spices for the dish. White rice works best for this one. 

 

Brown vegetables in a 5-quart pot with butter, add your shrimp or meat and rice, cook and mix for another ten minutes, add water, then cover and simmer. 

 

It’s great with salad and French bread, the crustier the better. 

Experience the Flavors of New Orleans

 

I mentioned Monkey Bread in a post the other day, and it got me thinking about New Orleans. It was the first place I’d tried the delicious dessert -- among other culinary delights -- during my first ever Mardi Gras celebration.

 

The memories make the Monkey Bread even sweeter. 

So I thought I might plan a trip back, and when I started investigating some upcoming culinary happenings, I came across the New Orleans Wine and Food Experience, happening May 25-29.

 

This prestigious event features winemakers, chefs, and fancy foodies all in one hot spot, and I am so there. The agenda includes tons of tastings, wine dinners, and the best of this year’s trends. But the event I’m looking most forward to is the Royal Street Stroll, featuring wine, art, jazz, antiques, and a taste of the city that will leave you breathless. 

 

Seminars are also available, including Let Them Eat Cake, with a local French pastry shop providing sweets, and Think Outside the Bento Box, about a sushi and wine combination.

 

If you can hit the city for this event, do it. While you’re there, don’t even think about leaving without trying some real gumbo. If you have an authentic taste, all the better to make your own when you get back, like this Shrimp Gumbo recipe by Alton Brown from the Food Network. 

 

New Orleans is truly a jewel, and I can’t think of a better event to help you experience it. You won’t be disappointed, and you’ll definitely come home thinking of new ways to cook your food. New Orleans does that to you. 

It's Not Coffee Break Without Coffee Cake

 

There’s nothing like a coffee cake to top off coffee week, especially right before the weekend. Our featured biscotti this week is great for a quick snack, but lingering over a moist piece of sour cream banana coffee cake with a nice cup of joe and the Sunday Times is taking perfect to a new level. 

 

The Real Simple recipe uses 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 3/4 cups sugar, 1/2 cup softened butter, 3 eggs, 2 ripe bananas, 1 (8-ounce) container sour cream, 3 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder and 1 teaspoon baking soda. All ingredients you probably have on hand, so no need to head out in your pajamas.

Get your Bundt pan and electric mixer out for this one.

If sour cream and bananas aren’t your style, Paula Deen has a great Ultimate Coffee Cake made with dinner rolls, butterscotch pudding mix, pecans, butter and brown sugar -- it’s a dangerously delicious weekend treat, a bit like a southern Monkey Bread. This recipe needs to rise overnight, so plan accordingly.

 

If you’re just looking for a regular cinnamon flavored coffee cake, check out this traditional recipe, which has a low fat alternative. 

A Little Something To Go With That Coffee: Hazelnut Biscotti

No matter how good that cup of coffee is, you need an accompanying treat. Otherwise, it’s just not a coffee break. So how about that old favorite, the biscotti?

Today’s biscotti is not like the biscotti of years ago, the kind my mother would buy in a package at the grocery store. The cookies were one flavor, and unless you dunked them, they were pretty, well, blah. Now you can get any flavor imaginable, any way you like them -- almost too many choices.   

I prefer some flavor, but I also don’t want my coffee overpowered. Martha Stewart has a nice recipe for a hazelnut biscotti that’s relatively simple to make. Along with a good electric mixer, you need 1 1/2 cups shelled hazelnuts, 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 1/4 cups sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon anise seeds, 1 tablespoon grated orange zest, a taste of salt, 3 large eggs, plus 2 large egg yolks and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.  Cook hazelnuts at 350 degrees until the skins blister (about 15 minutes). When cool, remove skins. In the mixer bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, anise seeds, zest, and salt. Beat together eggs, yolks, and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients, and mix until a sticky dough is formed. Work in nuts.   Click here to see what’s next and find out how to get your biscotti looking as pretty as the ones in the coffee shop. And brew a good cup while you’re waiting for them to come out of the oven. 

Coffee Break

I’m a hopeless coffee addict. I can’t even get out of bed in the morning until I hear my grinder kick on, filling my house with the tantalizing smell of Starbucks Italian Roast or Peet’s Major Dickason’s Blend. So when my coffee grinder started to sputter and cough as it performed its daily duties, I got very nervous. I had to live on pre-ground coffee until I was able to research and purchase my next grind and brew.

If you love coffee, you have to be able to grind your own beans. I’m a firm believer. The coffee just tastes better, the smell is heaven, and you feel like you’re instantly in a coffee house. Plus, I think you can get better flavors if you buy beans. 

 

So, in honor of my new coffee pot, this week we’ll be featuring the best iced coffee drinks as we welcome the warm weather.

 

Bobby Flay has a great recipe for chocolate caramel hazelnut iced coffee. You’ll need 2 cups of hot espresso, 1/4 cup of simple syrup (sugar and water heated together), 1/4 cup melted bittersweet chocolate, 2 tablespoons caramel syrup, 1/4 cup Frangelico liqueur, ice, and whipped cream. 

Stir together the espresso, simple syrup, melted chocolate, caramel syrup and hazelnut liqueur in a heat-proof pitcher. Cover and refrigerate until chilled. Serve over ice, with whipped cream on top. Awesome for a warm summer evening, sitting with friends on the porch steps.

And it reminds me -- I need an espresso machine.