Andouille and Red Wine Soup

We've all had those small moments in our lives when we are so proud of ourselves that we can't help but jump up and down and give ourselves a high five. And when these priceless moments happen to us, all we really want to do is share that joy, that pride, that excitement with someone...anyone who will listen.

My moment came last Thursday evening when I decided that I wanted soup for dinner. I didn't have any sort of plan or recipe, I just knew I wanted soup.

So......

When I found one, lonely, red potato, I decided to put him out of his misery and chop him up in little pieces and saute' him in a puddle of olive oil. Then I chopped up 4 stalks of celery, smashed 4 cloves of garlic, and threw them in the puddle as well. I placed a lid on top and let them mingle.

When I opened my fridge again, I noticed a big ol' Granny Smith apple staring me in the face. My first thought was..."Nobody puts apples in soup....that's weird." But before I knew it, I was cutting the apple and adding her to the pot as well. "Weird is good." I thought to myself.

"What do I do for protein? I could use beans, but I don't like beans....unless they're the green, string bean variety." And then I remembered that I had just purchased Cajun Style Andouille Smoked Sausage links, so beans were out and meat was in. Protein....CHECK!

Drinking red wine while cooking is always recommended, and since I already had a bottle in my hand........OOPS......a half a cup of it fell into the pot. I didn't want to use the whole bottle in the soup, so I poured in some beef broth.

I added some thyme for additional flavor, some diced tomatoes for color, and in a moment of mature, grown-up behavior I opened a can of White Northern beans and allowed a few fifty beans to drop into the soup. It felt good and bad all at the same time. It was hard to do, but I've got to learn to like beans....I've GOT TO!

When I couldn't find or think of anything else to add to my "souped up" soup, I placed the lid on top, turned the heat to low, and walked away for a couple of hours.

Tick...tock...tick...tock...

I returned to the kitchen at 8:53 PM wearing a proud smile on my face as the delightful aroma tickled my nose. I had a good feeling about this! I removed the lid, stirred the pot, grabbed a ladle, scooped it up, filled my bowl, found a spoon, loaded it up, took a whiff, took a taste, and....

Shazam!

MY moment.

.....that tiny little moment of accomplishment, of a job WELL done, of beautiful magic performed.

It. Was. Amazing! And even though no one was there to high-five me, I did a little dance, sang a little song, and laughed to myself over my apparent brilliantness. (Yes, it's a word)


Now, as we all know, most soups taste better the second day, but what I'll tell you about this little number is that on the night of it's conception, there were so many flavors bouncing around on the palate that it was like happy food fireworks. I could taste the wine, I could taste the apple, I could taste the Andouille, and I could even taste the beans - the wine-soaked beans, that is. Turns out, I kind of like drunken beans. Who knew?

The next morning, I decided to relive the experience of the night before and heat up the soup for breakfast. Only now, the soup had a different flavor. It was still very good, but as with most soups, all the flavors merged into one and the "wild party" from the evening before had simmered, the pandemonium had subsided, and even though I was enjoying the same flavors, somewhere in the magic of the overnight hours, they had become one brand new flavor.

I recommend eating the soup the night you make it and eating it again the next day and have yourself two different parties....you won't be disappointed!

(Thanks for letting me share this moment with you!)


Andouille and Red Wine Soup

6 Ounces Cajun Style Andouille Smoked Sausage
Olive Oil
One Medium Red Potato, finely chopped
4 Stalk Celery, finely chopped
4 Large Garlic Cloves, smashed
One Granny Smith Apple, finely chopped
14 Ounces Diced Tomatoes
7.5 Ounces White Northern Beans
One Teaspoon Thyme
1/2 Cup Red Wine ( not dry )
2 Cups Beef Broth

In a good size skillet or pot, saute' potato, celery, garlic, and apple. Add thyme, sausage, tomatoes, and red wine. Cook for a little while longer. Then add broth and beans. Let simmer on stovetop for at least 2 hours.

Shazam!

Savory Chicken Soup

Who doesn't think of soup when it's 3 degrees outside?

In my world, traditional chicken soup means carrots, celery, noodles, and of course, chicken. But I didn't want Grandma's chicken soup. (Love ya, Grandma.. ;) I wanted something unique, pasta-free, and pleasantly piquant.

I stumbled upon this recipe and liked it, but it called for fresh ginger root, a touch of turmeric, and bean thread noodles. I had none of these in my kitchen, it was 3 degrees outside, and I wasn't leaving my house, so a little bit of improvisation was now on the menu.

I also noticed that the recipe failed to mention zucchini - clearly an oversight - zucchini goes in everything....duh-uh!

So, as my onions and garlic were bathing, blending, and softening, I peeked into my rack of tantalizing spices and chose some personal favorites.....garam masala, smoked paprika, and powdered ginger. I didn't measure anything....I just sprinkled each flavor until I stopped. How's that for precise?!

I added the zucchini and all the other good stuff and then mixed it in with the chicken and broth and let everyone get to know each other.

When I returned an hour later, I poured myself a bowl, dropped a little cloud of Greek yogurt on top, and indulged in the goodness.

Side Note: When I eat my minestrone soup that has a little kick to it, I like to add a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt. It gently diffuses some of the heat and adds another dimension of flavor.

When I had it for lunch the next day, the flavor was much more complex and the heat index had risen a twinkle or two. Even though I feel that I have already achieved perfection with this little medley, next time I'll probably sprinkle even more of the garam, paprika, and ginger and BAM...kick it up a notch!

Savory Chicken Soup

1/2 Medium Onion, chopped
2 Cloves of Garlic, crushed
1-2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Sprinkle or two of Ginger Powder
Sprinkle or two of Garam Masala
Sprinkle or two of Smoked Paprika
10-12 Twists of the Black Pepper grinder
One Tablespoon of Soy Sauce
One Quart of Chicken Broth
8-10 Ounces of Cooked Chicken Pieces
One Medium Zucchini, petitely chopped

Drizzle some olive oil in a hot skillet. Add the onion and garlic and saute' until softened. Add chopped zucchini, soy sauce, ginger, garam masala, paprika, and black pepper. Saute' a few minutes more. In a separate pan pour in chicken broth and chicken. Add skillet ingredients to the broth and chicken and let simmer on stove for at least an hour.

As with most soups, this tastes best on the second day.

It's a Chocolate Tasting!!!

How does that picture grab you? The official winner of our Chocolate Tasting Party....Mr. Lake Champlain, Dark Chocolate, Rum Caramel. Can't you just taste it?!? It was the third chocolate to touch our lips and it was love at first bite. I knew from the reaction of the ladies that we already had our winner.


The chocolate was 54% cocoa - so not super sweet, and the rum caramel was delicate but utterly divine. The best part was when you took a bite and the caramel filling spilled into your mouth while thin whispers of luscious lava drizzled down your chin.....ahhhh..... let's say it all together now.... "whispers of luscious lava drizzling down your chin...." (insert happy face)

Are you there with me in that happy place?

Okay...before I lose you for good here, let's back up for a second to the actual beginning of the party, where Teri made her grand entrance holding not bottles of wine, but a pot of chicken bathing in a savory Mole' sauce.

What's Mole'?

Mole' is a Mexican sauce that may contain up to twenty ingredients, including chili peppers and chocolate, which works to tame the heat of the chili peppers. It is not a chocolate sauce per se' as it is just one of the many ingredients and does not dominate.

For us, it was a wonderful way to stabilize our blood sugar with some protein - chicken style - and integrate the chocolate as well. The sauce was hearty, earthy, spicy, deep, complex, robust, and savory. Oh, and did I mention PHENOMENAL, because it was?! Carrie licked her plate clean and asked for seconds....need I say more?!

This sauce would be a wonderful way to serve leftover turkey after Thanksgiving. Had I posted this right after the party actually happened (early November) you could have used it in 2010, but alas I did not, so 2011 it is!

Once the "meal" portion of our party was complete, the chocolate tasting began. Let me just say that through my many hours of research on this subject, the three "rules" of throwing a chocolate tasting party that surfaced time and time again were:

1. Only taste 6 chocolates at a party.
2. Only serve water with the chocolates.
3. Serve bland bread as your palate cleanser.

I respectfully chose to break all three of these rules and I'll tell you why.

1. If six is great then twelve is perfect.
2. We drink wine at these parties, people!
3. Bland bread is for Lenten season and we hadn't even celebrated Thanksgiving yet, so Easter was clearly a long way away. THIS was a party......about FOOD...so I was serving food.


Also, you may notice that many of the chocolates were wrapped in artfully designed paper, which inspired me to remove each of the covers and paste them to a chocolate colored stock paper and have them laminated as place mats. Brilliant, eh? Came up with THAT idea 14 hours before the party.......crazzzzzzzzy, but super cool!


Ok...Ok....Ok.....Let's talk chocolate!


Speaking of creative wrapping, check out Theo's Spicy Chili Dark Chocolate. Jen and I chose this one mostly because it's cover was "coooool" and the idea of chocolate and chili together just sounded like a party. This little delicacy was fun because upon first bite, you notice a hint of orange flavor and you smile. And then, ever so slowly there's this warmth that arises seemingly out of nowhere. You're not even sure if it's real.....maybe it's all in your head, but as it quickly intensifies there's no denying there's a fire blazing in your mouth, rising from the "ashes" of the creamy chocolate. Once the wonderfully wicked flame dies down, your smile returns...."yum....that was FUN... can we do it again?"

So, if you like a little face flush with your chocolate, Theo's got the bar for you.


The next chocolate was chosen because of it's blissful blue, oceanic vibe and our affection towards blueberries. We found the chocolate to be smooth and tasty and the perpetual stumble into blueberry fields most pleasing to our palates. Most everyone was a fan of Mr. Endangered Species. Of course, it must be noted that he was the first chocolate tasted and as with most of our parties, first "bites" are frequently met with great enthusiasm and high praise, mostly due to the sheer excitement of just being at the party, so......

This next guy made the menu because amidst all the long, arduous hours of research I did for this party, the idea of chocolate dipped bacon surfaced quite often and earned rave reviews across the board. I seriously considered making it "from scratch" until Vosges here told me I didn't have to....it was already done.


Mo's Dark Bacon Bar is the perfect chocolate for your next party - a perfect conversation piece!
Teri was not a fan. She likes her chocolate and her bacon but rejects the merging of the two, and we respect her opinion. The rest of us found it very interesting. It took the idea of chocolate covered pretzels or peanuts to a whole new level. It's chocolate covered salt, people and those two things do go together. Chocolate + Salt + Fat = Flavor. If you do the math, you'll see...it all adds up!

I thought it was delicious and fascinating! Check it out at your local World Market.

You see the tiny bits of bacon in there?

Then there's Lindt. Lindt's Intense Orange lived up to it's name. I like intense, so when I bit into this bar of Lindt Excellence and got rocked in the mouth by an explosion of orange flavor, I was not prepared, but I was pleased. I'm not sure he's a chocolate you would overindulge in, but he's a wonderful pick-me-up of chocolate citrus flavor that just may soothe that sweet-tooth craving IF you're one of those people who can eat your single serving size of chocolate and walk away satisfied. I believe I speak for Jen when I say that we have never understood or mastered that theory of single serving satisfaction.


Lindt's 85% Cocoa Chocolate is no joke.....IT IS 85% cocoa, and in our humble opinion, should only be consumed when melted down and fused with sugar. WOW! Speaking of that though....I did use this chocolate bar to make tiny flourless chocolate cakes that were so divine it wouldn't surprise me if they served them in heaven.....probably even for breakfast. Pictures and recipes are for another day..........waaaaait for it!

TCHO was a little pricey and we all agreed he wasn't quite worth his flavor in gold. The description on the inside flap boasted a citrus and sour cream experience and it was there, but oh-so mild. It didn't rock any of our boats and it's $7.00 price tag pretty much sank it. However, it did remind me of a chocolate dip I made once that consisted of sour cream, cocoa, and honey. It was a sinfully smooth, mousse-like dip that balanced the depth of the cocoa and the twang of the sour cream masterfully.....it was good. This bar reminded me of that dip.....and that dip was cheaper to make.

Chocolove was a disappointment as well, but for different reasons. Cherries & Almond in Dark Chocolate....sounds wonderful, doesn't it?

The question of the moment was, "Where's the cherries....where's the flavor?" This was a chocolate bar with no personality. Forgettable and regrettable.


Look Mr. Chocolove, we don't eat chocolate for our health - as much as we want to believe it is good for us on some level - we eat chocolate, despite it's sugar and despite it's calories because we love, love, love the flavor on our tongues, the smell under our noses, the joy in our hearts, and the bliss in our souls. We consume chocolate purely for the heavenly taste of it, so when you sell us your "Choco-LOVE" you waste our time, our calories, and precious moments of our lives we'll never get back......moments that could have been spent with better chocolate.

Shame on you, Chocolove.

I threw in some Milk Chocolate from Newman's Own and the World Market brand and all the ladies turned up their noses at them. Well that may be girls, but sometimes you need to taste them all side by side - ugly next to pretty..rich next to poor...dirty next to clean - simply to remind yourself how good good can be.

I also brought two white chocolates to the table, much to the ladies chagrin. "White chocolate is NOT chocolate!" they all protested. I made them taste it anyway - see paragraph above. Turns out Michelle and Anne discovered that they sort of liked it. I presented them with Lindt's version of white chocolate and Green and Black's version. Hands down, Green and Black was the favorite. Lindt's was intensely sweet and crushingly sugary, but the Green and Black had a nice, clean, vanilla flavor that came from Madagascar vanilla beans. I really liked the Green and Black, myself.

So, my greatest concern/challenge with throwing this party was striking a balance between tasting twelve different chocolates and not having anyone leave my house feeling sick, guilty, or overindulged. I needed a plan......

Research showed that Gruyere cheese is a wonderful compliment to chocolate, so I bought me a slab of that and then Jen found the perfect missing piece to the puzzle....goat cheese with a cocoa rind, otherwise known as Carr Valley Cocoa Cardona. How cool is that?! It was $23 a pound, but we weren't buying a whole pound, so it really wasn't $23 at all. ;)


Both cheeses were amazing, delicious, and worth every single penny. I served them alongside my interpretation of "bland bread"....gluten-free crackers and water crackers.

Carr Valley Cocoa Cardona
worth every penny...

I didn't stop with cheese and crackers. There was that balance thing that needed to be achieved, remember? We needed more palate cleansers, so I served Asian pears, celery, Granny Smith apples, and toasted pecans and toasted walnuts.


You guessed it...they picked it all clean!

I even served up some frozen applesauce at the halfway mark. (A childhood favorite of mine)

And then there was wine. Carrie brought her personal favorite...Ecco Domani, and we toasted to chocolate and friends with the Gnarly Head.

Another successful and fabulous party if I do say so myself. I wish you all could have been there, but we encourage you to have a little chocolate tasting of your own.....now that you know how to do it. Oh, and it was Patty's birthday too! Not a bad way to spend your BIG day, eh?

Explore the wonderful and magical world of chocolate!!

Food Tasting Field Trip!!!

For our Christmas party we decided to take a field trip to the Market District for wine tasting and food exploration. Upon her arrival, Teri presented each of us with these most fabulous Christmas tree glasses, which we wore throughout the store and brought Christmas cheer to all that were near.

If I were to estimate, I would say that we probably pasted at least 32 smiles on everyday faces that night. Had it been a busier night at the Market, I believe the numbers would have been much higher. Of course, there are always a few faces that belong to grumpy souls and cracking a smile on one of those usually requires alcohol or ice cream, not funky, festive glasses, but you do what you can, right?

After some wine, eating, and discussion over future Food Tasting ideas, we decided to venture out and about.

Carrie and Anne entertained themselves with this teeny tiny pear....lol..

Meanwhile, Jen was getting giddy over finding her favorite Pinot Noir that up until now, she had to have shipped to Ohio. NOW, she's got herself a local dealer for her prized wine.....King Estate.

Oh yeah, and THIS was the entrance Teri made when she entered the wine section. I had my camera ready, because I knew there would be a show when she arrived...and I was right!

And, as Teri would say, "THIS is what Joy looks like!" Teri's joy comes from giving and all of our joy comes from receiving what Teri gives us....lol!

Jen and I would like to take this time to thank "Miss Joy" for her fabulous glasses b/c we have gotten mucho fun from them. We have worn them to family Christmas parties, kid's Christmas parties, friend's Christmas parties. I have greeted many patients over the week with the glasses and they were a HUGE hit! Just three more days to spread the joy and fun with dorky eye-ware..ho ho ho!

Who knew a dollar item from Target could bring such joy to so many people?!

May your Christmases be Merry and Bright and may the New Year be filled with lots of great food and fabulous fun!

Meeeeeeerry Christmas Everyone!!!

Jen and Sheri

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes

 

I have to tell you that Sheri and I kind of made an agreement that we wouldn't make any more sweets for Party in the Pantry for awhile.  I mean, we like to eat healthy foods...REALLY!!!!  I SWEAR!!

The problem is, we also really like to make tasty treats.  So while I'm in total agreement that I should be cooking lots of scrumptious vegetable dishes, I couldn't help but make these when I saw the recipe in an old Redbook my mom had laying around, and they did not disappoint!!   Besides, we all need a treat now and then, right?  RIGHT?!?!

So although I am breaking the pact, I implore you to try these.  They are moist.  They are chocolately.  They are peanut buttery.  They are easy to make, and use everyday items. But most importantly, they are just plain yuuuuummy!!

**Note:  The recipe doesn't call for it, but I added a few chocolate chips to the batter because, well...just because, ok?  And I highly recommend doing it!

Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

1 1/4 c. flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 c. light brown sugar

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

1 tsp. vanilla 

1/2 c. smooth peanut butter

2 large eggs

1/2 c. whole milk

peanut butter chips or diced peanut butter cups for garnishing

Preheat your oven to 350 and line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.  In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.  In another bowl, beat the brown sugar, butter, and vanilla until creamy.  Add the peanut butter and beat until completely blended.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Lastly, add the milk.  Now slowly add the flour mixture and beat until well combined, but be careful not to overmix!

Fill each muffin cup with 1/4 c. of the batter and bake 20-25 minutes, or until the cupcakes spring back when touched lightly.  Let cool for at least 10 minutes before icing.  

Chocolate Frosting

12 oz. semisweet chocolate chips

1 1/3 c. heavy cream

In a saucepan over low heat, stir the chocolate chips and cream until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.  Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and refrigerate 1 hour, or until chilled throughout, but not too firm.  Beat the mixture until creamy, about 3 minutes.  Spread over cupcakes and garnish with peanut butter chips or broken peanut butter cups.  YUMMY!

Pesto, Pears, and Cinnamon Tasting!

Pestos, Pears, and Cinnamon.....Oh my!

The fabulous Teri offered to host this month's tasting party and she chose Pesto, but she also really wanted to do pears with cheese and wine. Could she do both? That was her question to me. My answer? "Absosmurfley!"

Then she was in Colorado and while visiting a spice shop, noticed there were several different types of cinnamon - who knew? "Can we dip some of the pears in different flavors of cinnamon?" was her question to me. "Ummmm.....YES!"

So on a beautiful fall day we all showed up at Teri's house for a Pesto, Pear, and Cinnamon Tasting Party.

Good News...Bad News

Good News: These Pestos were amazing! The flavors were spectacular, vibrant, and fresh.
Bad News: At this time, the Marvini brand of pestos are only available in Canada. How sad is that?! Why should the Canadians have all the fun? Marvini's been around since 1850 and they still haven't made their way south....What's the hold-up?!!!

Anyway....Teri had the brilliant idea of carefully layering some phyllo dough, "icing" it with the pesto and topping it with freshly sliced yellow tomatoes. She baked it in the oven until the phyllo was nice and crispy and then served them to us one delicious bite at a time. Of course, we also had permission to eat the pesto right out of the container too!

The pesto we crowned king was the Pesto Rosso, which placed first and second in most everyone's hearts. We were dying to know what was in this fabulous garden delight, so Teri read the ingredients right from the container.

Pesto Rosso
Sundried tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, cashews, parmesan cheese, romano cheese, fresh purple basil, fresh garlic, flaxseed oil, canola oil, spices, sea salt, lemon juice.

Pesto Bombay
Fresh herbs (cilantro, parsley), cashew, feta cheese, fresh garlic, jalapeno spices, flaxseed oil, canola oil, sea salt, lemon juice concentrate

Jen had a thing for the Bombay pesto....

Pesto Mediterranea
Red bell peppers, kalamata olives, sundried tomatoes, cashews, feta cheese, fresh garlic, fresh herbs, flaxseed oil, canola oil, lemon juice concentrate

Patty and Teri were ga-ga over the Mediterranea....

Pesto Traditionale
Fresh herbs (basil, parsley), cashews, parmesan cheese, romano cheese, fresh garlic, pine nuts, flaxseed oil, canola oil, sea salt, lemon juice concentrate

Carrie had a crush on Mr. Traditional with an E.....

Pesto Thai
Fresh herbs (basil, parsley), cashews, fresh ginger, fresh garlic, peanuts, spices, flaxseed oil, canola oil, sea salt, coconut, lemon juice concentrate

Anne liked the spicy Thai...as did I! ( I really loved the Rosso though...)

We also tasted a Pesto Provenzale and a Pesto Azteca.

All of the pestos tasted amazing really. The flavors completely came alive once the pesto touched your tongue. We ooed and ahhed and moaned and groaned like happy, hungry taste-testers.

We liked all the Pestos, but some simply stole our hearts more than others, with everyone choosing different favorites - it's what keeps it interesting! Even though we can't know the exact recipe of these gems, we now have the ingredient list that inspired each concoction, so we are free to experiment at home....and so are you! And until Canada decides to share with us Americans, experimenting is all we can do!

SEE?! Jen gets giddy just thinking about all the experimenting!

As fabulous as the pestos were, it's time to move on to the pears and cheese.
I'm sorry there are no pictures of pears and cheese.....I was too busy eating them to take photos. You know how it is - when you're taking the picture, you're missing the moment. I was caught up in the moment - SUE ME!

Okay, picture THIS:

A perfect slice of Bosc pear, a generous chunk of aged white cheddar cheese, and a gulp of red wine ALL in your mouth at one time having the ultimate flavor-frenzy party! It was even better than it sounds!

We then indulged in another slice of the Bosc, but this time we paired him with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and that too was a party worth attending. More wine please! The aged white cheddar was our favorite partner for the Bosc and lucky us....it can be found at our local Giant Eagle - Black Diamond brand - check it out for yourself.

Then we switched to the Bartlett pear and partnered him with a Fontina cheese and a swanky Merlot....purrrrr...fection!

When Teri appeared from the kitchen with St. Andre - the next cheese to stand with the Bartlett - we were all very excited to see him again. He was one of our favorites from our first cheese tasting and here he was, the Bartlett's newest friend. Teri decided to pop the cork on some champagne and we toasted our old friend.

Turns out, we liked the Fontina with the Bartlett better than we did St. Andre. They simply complimented each other better. We were more than happy to spread the St. Andre on some bread though...ahhhhh.

But wait.....this party's not over! There is cinnamon to taste yet! Pictured below is the Vietnamese Saigon Cinnamon that Teri so generously gave each of us to take home as ONE of our parting gifts. Turns out, it was nearly everyone's favorite....except Carrie...she can be sooo difficult. ;)

Speaking of Carrie, see how happy she is to be tasting four separate varieties of cinnamon?

After we all made little piles of each cinnamon on our plates, we started dragging our slices of pear through the separated spices. Right away everyone was calling out their favorites. Vietnamese Saigon seemed to be Anne and Teri's favorite, while Carrie fell hard for the Ceylon "True". Jen gave props to the Indonesian Cassia, while the Chinese Cassia walked away with the bronze.

So, I have a confession. Remember the "Friends" episode where Rachel gets a baby ultrasound done and Ross is so excited when he sees the baby on the monitor and Rachel acts excited too? Then she finally fesses up that she can't make out the baby, so Ross outlines the baby with his finger and says, "See?!" Rachel looks again and then proclaims, "Oh, I see, I see!" Ross looks at her and questions, "Really?" Rachel breaks down and cries, "Nooooooo!'

THAT is how I felt while everyone was drooling and gushing over the different flavors of cinnamon. I LOVE CINNAMON. It is easily one of my favorite flavors - right up there with lemon and vanilla - and ever since Teri mentioned the idea of adding cinnamon to the tasting, I was stoked!!!

So, here I am with four different cinnamons at a Food Tasting and I can't tell one from the other. Seriously! I kept tasting and I kept quiet until I had to fess up and admit I could barely distinguish one from the other, if at all! BUT, that is why I love these tastings! You never know what's going to happen and there are never any right or wrong reactions to anything!

Did I mention there was wine at the party?

Did I mention there was lots of wine at the party?

If you hang with us long enough you will see a pattern develop. Even though there is wine at every party, Teri's house is seriously stocked with wine and it's only one of the reasons we love her! At this party, not only did we have many bottles of wine to compliment each "course", we had red wine glasses and white wine glasses and champagne glasses....it was divine!

Oh, and then there were the gifts. Teri not only gave us Cinnamon and leftover pesto to take home, but she also gave us this Sugared Pear Soap. Get it? "Pear?"

And Patty took it upon herself to pick apples from a woman's orchard ( with her permission, of course ) because the woman was not collecting them and they were going to waste. She thoughtfully picked a bag for each of us!

And Jen showed up with a laundry basket of gourds! Her and Barry thought they were planting wonderful zucchinis, but look what popped up! Everyone was excited to pick and choose from all the many fun shapes and sizes.

This party went on for hours because we had so much fun. As always, we ate just enough to tease our palates and satisfy our hunger...nothing less and nothing more. Gluttony is not our friend and he is never invited to our parties.

Next month we will be tasting many, many different types of Chocolate AND it is Patty's birthday, so the partying continues.........

Sugar Snap Pea & Mushroom Salad

Let me just say I LOVE THIS SALAD!!!!
This recipe makes a lot (it serves 12!), which is a good thing, because you're going to need it! Light and refreshing, especially on a hot day, this salad is always a hit at any get-together. Crisp sugar snap peas, tasty mushrooms, and fresh herbs marinated in olive oil and vinegar?

Yes, please!

It goes together in a snap, and then just marinates until you're ready to go. How easy is that?

And let's face it, folks...everyone can always use another veggie dish! How many cookouts, potlucks, and family get-togethers have you been to where the food table is overwhelmed by sweets? I know I've seen more than my share. Give this a try, I know you'll like it!

Sugar Snap Pea & Mushroom Salad

3/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
6 tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. coarse salt
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
9 oz. button mushrooms, sliced
8 c. sugar snap peas (1 lb.)
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme

Begin by marinating the mushrooms: whisk the olive oil, vinegar, and salt & pepper together in a medium sized bowl. Add the mushrooms, toss to coat, and marinate for at least 45 minutes or up to overnight, stirring occasionally.

Cook the snap peas: fill a large bowl with ice water and set aside. Bring a large saucepan of water and 1 tbsp salt to a boil. Add snap peas and cook for 2 minutes. Drain peas and immediately submerge in the ice water. Let sit until chilled, approximately 2 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

Drain the mushrooms and discard all but 1 tbsp. of the marinade. Toss the mushrooms, snap peas, reserved marinade and thyme and serve immediately.

Caramelized Onion Dip

For all you onion lovers out there, make sure your shoelaces are tied up tight because I'm about to knock your socks off!

This dip isn't exactly Monet in a bowl, but onions weren't born to be pretty - they're planted and grown, chopped and sauteed, for the sole purpose of making the whole world smile!

Do onions make YOU smile?

Caramelized onions are so wonderfully piquant that they alone contribute to the rich flavor of this dip. The Greek yogurt, sour cream, that pinch of cayenne and splash of lemon do play wonderful supporting roles with this spread, but they couldn't pull this off without the onions!


Dip Dip...Hooray!!

Side note: I would be more than happy to testify that this dip smeared on a hamburger fresh off the grill is a truly stellar idea!



Caramelized Onion Dip

One Tablespoon Olive Oil
2 Large Onions
(any kind you want; yellow, white, or red)
Coarse Salt
3 Tablespoons Water
1-1/2 Cups Greek Yogurt
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
1/4 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook onions with 2 teaspoons salt, stirring often, until caramelized, 35 to 40 minutes.

Add water; cook, scraping any brown bits from bottom to deglaze skillet. Transfer onions with brown bits to a medium bowl; let cool for 30 minutes.

Stir in yogurt, sour cream, lemon juice, and cayenne into onions. Sprinkle with cayenne. Refrigerate.

Serve with pita chips, pretzels, rice chips, vegetables............hambuuuuuurgers(?)

Apple Tasting

Here's a re-post of last year's Apple Tasting for those of you joining the party a little late! There's not much time left for apple picking this year, so check out what apples WE loved best and then taste-test your own!


SO!

If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, what would twelve apples do?

We were about to find out at our seventh Food Tasting Party because we found ourselves 12 different kinds of apples and we bought them all to taste test! BUT, before we started tasting individual apples, we decided we should most definitely have dessert first. Can you think of a better way to start a party than sitting down to a beautiful, luscious, mouth-watering dessert? No? Well then, we're sorry you missed this party!

Check out the fabulously warm cinnamon bread topped with apple ice cream, buttery caramel sauce, and Honeycrisp Apple bites that was served as an introduction AND tribute to the all-time favorite fruit - the Apple.

In case you're wondering....it was DEE. VINE!

And the recipe will come in time - after we do a little creative tweaking.....


So! As the ladies licked their plates clean and poured themselves a fresh glass of white wine, we started cutting into Apple number one - the Golden Delicious. As the Big D. was passed around, many were surprised by the great flavor of this yellow delight, because many of us had childhood memories of it being a little on the mushy side with a much milder flavor. We were pleasantly surprised by the first apple of the day, so we were off to a great start!

But then there was the Ginger Gold apple and he didn't really impress anyone, so we won't even waste time talking about him - too many apples, too little time, so we're moving on....

What's the phrase, "Beauty that's only skin deep."? Sadly, that would apply to our most widely grown apple in the world, the Red Delicious - no genetic relation to the Golden Delicious by the way. Miss Red Delicious was hands down, the prettiest of all the apples at the party, with her shiny, crimson exterior, but it only took one bite of this beauty queen to realize that she's just another pretty apple - not sweet, not juicy, not tart, not refreshing - just blah. Sadly, just as we all remembered her to be.

But then, there was the McIntosh Apple. I can personally say that the moment this apple touched my lips, memories of growing up amidst a small apple orchard and our family making gallons and gallons and gallons of apple cider came rushing back. It tasted just like cider. It had a refreshingly tart tint to it, which we all enjoyed as it brought a nostalgic smile to our faces, but in the end, it's tartness was too much punch to make the coveted top three.

The Red Cortland, a relative of the McIntosh, was a pleasant apple also, but once again, it's flavor was not enticing enough to sneak into the top three.

A relative of the Red Delicious, but oh so more pleasing to the palate was the Fuji, which was discovered in Japan in the 1930's. Fuji is always a good idea for your one-apple-a-day and we all enjoyed the flavor from Japan, but only Carrie actually gave it top three honors.

And then there's the most seemingly popular apple, the Gala, which when quizzed, nearly everyone admitted that Gala was the one apple they purchased most on a week to week basis. This hybrid of the Golden D. developed in New Zealand in the 1930's is simply a great apple. Unfortunately, the one we were serving at this party was a little soft and mealy, which is completely uncharacteristic of the Gala, so even though this single apple failed to shine at this particular moment, we all agreed that in our hearts, we knew that as a 'breed' of apple, the Gala was still one of the best.

But then, for the surprise sleeper of the party, an American apple developed in the 1940's - a cross between the Golden D. and Jonathan apple - came the Jonagold. This apple surprised everyone and the consensus was, "Now, that tastes like an apple." and Patty said she could actually taste the Waldorf Salad with each bite she took. This might be the apple you've been overlooking for all these years that's just begging for a taste test. Being that it made the top three of the majority of our apple eaters, we think it's worth a taste.

The baby of the group, the Honeycrisp apple took top three honors for nearly all of us. It was only just introduced in the 90's, but has become wildly popular in that short time simply because it is a fabulous apple. It's crisp, firm, sweet, clean, little tart, and it's most widely known for it's pear-drop flavor. This is a real winner of an apple!

The Braeburn out of New Zealand had a nice solid flavor, but I do believe it struggled to follow in Mr. Honeycrisp's footsteps. Karen, however, found the mild nature of the Braeburn to be more appealing than the ever-popular Honeycrisp. In fact, she awarded the Braeburn top three honors and snubbed the Honeycrisp altogether. Karen also found a new favorite apple of the day for herself in the Golden Delicious. It really impressed her - so much so that she placed it in her top three beside the Braeburn and Pink Lady, which we'll introduce shortly.

And who can forget the apple discovered by chance in the middle of Australia in the mid 19th century by a Grandma named Marie Smith? That's right, we're talking about the tart and sassy Granny Smith Apple. Only Jen and I chose this apple to be part of our top three, but in our hearts, it's a winner all the way. I think when it comes to the Granny, you either love her or you don't.

Speaking of Granny Smith, there is no apple better suited to be draped in caramel for the beloved sweet delight of a Caramel Apple than the Granny. We proved this theory by taste testing it. We melted some caramel with a sprinkle of cinnamon and covered two different apples with it. We then dipped the caramel apple in melted Callebaut white chocolate and sprinkled it with toasted chopped pecans. One apple used was the Granny, seen below, and the other was the hugely popular Honeycrisp apple.

Hands down, without a doubt, and no question about it, the Granny Smith apple stole the show. The tartness of Miss Smith paired with the melt-in-your-mouth caramel and the creamy rich high quality white chocolate was a home-run. The mildness of the Honeycrisp got lost in the caramel, but more tragic than that, the rich caramel flavor was muted by the lack of contrast.

Lesson learned? Granny Smith apples are the only apple that should be wearing caramel. It is what they were born to do!

And let's not forget the Pink Lady apple that's tangy and sweet, very refreshing, and a little crunchy too. She is the proud daughter of the Golden D. and Lady Williams and she took top honors amongst half of the apple eaters.

Since we are a cheese loving group, we also served three new cheeses to munch on between our apple bites. We found these three new cheesy finds at Whole Foods and they were as follows: Manchego, a very popular sheep's cheese in Spain, that mimicked a perfect Parmesan, but left a most desirable aftertaste of creamed butter....yum! Amadeus, an Austrian cheese, whose texture is similar to Havarti and it's taste is similar to Gouda. And "Yes" this cheese was named after the one and only Wolgang Amadeus Mozart. And last but not least, we chose a New Zealand Cheddar for it's piquant flavors and hint of cream. Yes, they were loved by all of us, and No, there wasn't a single crumb left on the plate....

Wine has been making an appearance at our last few parties, and this one was no different. The wonderful cheese lady at Whole Foods helped choose the perfect white wines to compliment our apples and cheese. They were Yard Dog, a wonderful wine out of Australia and

Gazela, a simple, delicate, but crisp white sipping porch wine. Check them out.

What's next?

Squash!!

That's right! Teri is very excited to introduce us to the wonderful and diverse world of squash, and as Carrie so eloquently put it, "We're going to go with Open Mouths and Open Minds!"

So, until then...taste-test some apples of your own and discover some new favorites, because after all, variety IS the spice of life!

Orange Chicken on the Fly

You have in your kitchen:

2 chicken breasts
a cup of orzo
a handful of toasted pecans
a beautiful zucchini from the garden
fresh cilantro
a tangy lemon
freshly shredded asiago
orange juice
chili powder

WHAT DO YOU DO?!

You create a fabulous chicken recipe on the fly, that's what you do!


Orange Chicken on the Fly

In a wok or skillet, heat coconut oil, roughly 2 tablespoons of orange juice concentrate, and a healthy tablespoon of chili powder, and then add cut-up chicken breasts.

Meanwhile, on the other burner boil enough water for a cup of orzo, then drop the orzo in to cook.

When the chicken has had a chance to start cooking, add the zucchini. You don't want the zucchini to get mushy - you want it to hold it's shape. Salt and pepper to taste.

When the orzo is al dente, transfer it to a medium-sized bowl, add a little more coconut oil, a splash or four of lemon juice, and a generous amount of chopped cilantro.

Pile the orzo onto a serving plate, followed by the chicken/zucchini combo. Decorate with toasted pecans and shredded asiago.

I think this is the prettiest way to display this fabulousness on the fly, but you could toss it all together if you like.

Serve immediately!
( Seriously! Immediately. :)

IF you do not eat this in one sitting, the next day you can add a touch of greek yogurt or sour cream and eat it cold or heated through.