I am in love...

I am SO in love with nectarines right now.

I have been getting them at a small local grocery store (organic) before they are soft and leaving them on the table for a couple days until ready to eat. Last year I couldn't find any good ones, but this year I have been really lucky.

Vietnamese Cooking Class

Tim and I took a Vietnamese Cooking Class on Saturday afternoon at Ramekins Cooking School in Sonoma. It was hands on and so much fun!
Here is what we made:

Green Papaya Salad

Sweet Potato and Shrimp Fritters (Tim and I made these)

SUMMER ROLLS

A plate of all of the finished products. Starting from top (clockwise) on lettuce leaf, Sweet Potato and Shrimp Fritter, Green Papaya Salad, Summer Rolls with Nuac Cham Dipping Sauce, freshly made Shrimp Chips, Steamed Rice, Coconut Curry Chicken and in the center there is a small piece of Salmon cooked in a Clay Pot with caramel sauce (my favorite dish).

The class was taught by Joyce Jue and I highly recommend her beautiful book called "Savoring Southeast Asia". I have had it for years and hate to admit I have not made anything from it, but I will now!

Southern Peach and Pecan Pancakes with Gingered Maple Syrup

Peach and Pecan Pancakes
To your favorite pancake recipe* add:

• 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
• 1 tsp. Vanilla extract
• 1 Peach diced
• 1 Cup chopped Pecans (I saved about 2 Tbls for sprinkling on top when done).

Your batter with be thick and chunky, that is OK. Drop batter onto heated and greased griddle and flip when edges are dry and bubbles have appeared throughout. The cooking of the pancake cooks and sweetens the peach, yummm.
*I used Bisquick Heart Smart with egg beaters and soy milk

Gingered Maple Syrup

• 1 Cup Maple syrup
• thumb size piece of fresh ginger, sliced

Put both items in a small sauce pan. If you have thick maple syrup you may add 1 Tbls water to thin it a bit. Cook on low heat uncovered while you are prepping and cooking pancakes. When pancakes are ready, remove syrup from heat, pour syrup through stainer into serving container. Top pancakes with butter and syrup and get ready for some sweet lovin in your belly.

Cool in the City

We have a fridge!
Now I can get down to business and really start testing out some recipes to put on this blog.
One of my goals is to make pies A-Z. I have my list together and will start baking as soon as I have some time. Seems like the next couple weekends are packed full of fun. For the last couple weekends I have had nothing going on and all the time in the world to bake but had a dead fridge. Well, things are turning around.
Get ready for some fun stuff on here. I am not only baking from scratch or made up recipes, I will also test out boxed items. I have no shame, am not a snob about baking and will try almost anything. I bake both regular and vegan to mix things up.
PS - Went to Emmy's Spaghetti shack last night by my house and they are no longer CASH ONLY, they take CARDS!

Blueberry Breakfast Roll

2 pints Blueberries (rinsed and dried) 1/4 Cup Flour

1/4 Cup Sugar

1/2 tsp ground Cinnamon

1/4 tsp fresh ground nutmeg

1 Tbls Lemon zest

a little bit beaten egg or 1 Tbls egg beaters

1 sheet of thawed prepared puff pastry (read instructions on package)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

On a lined jelly roll pan unfold puff pastry and set aside.

In a bowl mix blueberries, lemon zest and dry ingredients (everything but the egg), toss together so berries are coated. There may be flour and sugar on the bottom of the bowl, that is expected.

Dump the contents of the bowl into the middle of the puff pastry going the long way (horizontal) and bring one side up and over the berry mix and then cover it with the remaining side and seal together with egg. At the short ends seal with egg and pinch slightly so all of the berries are wrapped up and not able to escape.

Slice slits down the center going from top to bottom (see photo) of your newly formed log of berries and brush the top with the remaining egg to make it shine.

Pop into the oven for 45-50 minutes until golden brown and bubbling through the slits. Remove and let cool on pan for 15 minutes and then slide parchment paper with berry roll on it, onto a cooling rack. Let cool overnight or if you want to eat it, let it cool about 30 minutes longer. I like to sprinkle powdered sugar on mine for an extra little pizazz. Slice, serve and enjoy!

Welcome

Hello Friends,
I decided to have a little spot on the web to share my kitchen delights and disasters. Maybe this will movtivate me to cook at home a little more often. I bake a lot, but cooking for me seems like a chore after a full day at work. I am going to try doing it more though. Currently, my refrigerator is broken and once I am up and running again I will start cooking and sharing recipes.
Until next time...