Over the River and Through the Woods

Yep, it's almost that time and it is really sneaking up on me! It seems like just yesterday when the kids were headed back to school and we were enjoying the fine tomatoes of summer. Of course we did just have Halloween, so it shouldn't be a surprise but when you start hearing Christmas songs being used in commercials you start to realize that either time flies, or retailers start earlier every year.

Well, it's a fact that Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away, sooner if you're headed out of town and many of us are, then you don't want to show up empty-handed and if you're having people to your house, then you need to be prepared. It seems that I find myself saying, "Mom always said, 'don't show up empty-handed' because it's rude". I'm really not sure if she said that or not, but that's where I remember learning that habit and I know she never did. So how wonderful would it to be to show up at your host's door bearing house warming gifts, wonderful homemade bread or pies or even a little basket of goodies? Sure you don't have time to be baking pie or bread before you leave as you're packing and piling kids in the car and dropping off pets at the boarder. You're busy scrawling notes for the dog or house-sitter, picking up the kids' assignments from school and trying to remember all the last minute things like turning down the thermostat and watering the plants.

It's okay, nobody has to know how busy you are and you can still be the hero. We have homemade holiday pies, fresh baked bread and oodles of holiday cooking and baking necessities. If you're headed out of town, be sure to call Culina to pre-order a nice pecan pie to take to mom's. Or swing by and pick up some authentic European crusty, artisan bread.

If you you'd rather not take perishables, something I love to take to people is a bottle of really good olive oil or balsamic vinegar. It's kind of a splurge to buy something other than the jug o' olive oil from your local warehouse club and it's nice to have a high quality olive oil for bread, fresh salad dressing, or to drizzle on finished dishes. If you really want to make an impression, we can put together a basket with several items in it. Make the basket something they can actually use again by choosing a mixing bowl, a colander or a champagne bucket.

Even something as simple as a cookie cutter with a mixing spoon or spatula is just a nice way to say: "We're happy to be here". If there is the perfect cookie cutter out there, we have it on our wall o' cookie cutters.

So what about you, right? This is definitely the time to stock up on holiday supplies like basters, timers, thermometers, scales, meat injectors, roasting pans and racks and a slew of measuring cups in all shapes and sizes. If you're planning on doing your own baking, we have multi-tiered cooling racks, baking sheets and pans, spatulas and a huge array of specialty baking ingredients.

If there are any left (because I've eaten my share of entire bags), treat yourself to some "Jordan" almonds that Kathleen brought back from France. They are so much better than anything you've ever had here and incredibly addictive. Like I said, I have eaten entire bags. Maybe I shouldn't admit that...There will be a bag on the nightstand when my mom comes to visit along with a deep dish Emile Henry pie pan in pink which also benefits breast cancer research. She loves to bake and with the fluted edges she won't have to work so hard crimping her scratch crust.

Wonder if Mom will stick to her mantra and show up with a little goodie for me?I won't give her a hard time if she doesn't, after all, she is my mom and she's earned it, right?

Greetings from Paris!

My dear friends, I had intended to write daily but my job has me hopping and obligations to long time friends here take precedence - friendships are important. It is nearly 4:00 am (I am a chronic insomniac while I am here) and it is time for sleep but I wanted to knock this out before I keep my date with a pillow. Enough about that. I am happy to report that I am coming home with wonderful goodies for the holidays.

First let me preface the following with this; if going to France, do yourself a favor and learn a little French. Even a little goes a long way. Over the past few years I have fostered friendships with the proprietors of my favorite little kitchen haunts and suppliers and it has paid off.

I have not had much of a chance to eat great food, except for my quick jaunt to G. Detout and my fav kitchen stores, I have been confined to the room eating hotel food. I did have an interesting mushroom sauce and some of the best olives...mmmmm. The mushroom sauce had a hint of chocolate (not sweet chocolate) which really enhanced the woodsy taste of the mushrooms. I loved it! Let me tell you about these incredible olives! A combination of green and black olives soaked in cinnamon sticks, corriander seed, parsley, lemon, olive oil and a little salt. Definitely a holiday treat to try. I have asked for the recipe so I hope I get it before I leave. Follow - up: No dice on the recipe - oh well, another opportunity to put my own twist on a dish.

Well readers, my eyes are slamming shut and unless I want to use toothpicks with olive juice on them to pry them open, I had better let them close for the night. Forgive the typos and run on sentences.

See you all real soon
Kathleen

Mashed Potatoes and "Fried", Chicken, Baby!

Yes, that's right, I said fried chicken and mashed potatoes. Okay, maybe not really fried, you noticed the quotation marks, right? That's because it is possible to make crunchy chicken that is not horrible for you. Sure there is no juice oozing out of it (which is actually grease), but it can be tasty and moist and satisfy that craving. Start with boneless, skinless breasts ( I haven't tried it with anything but, so I don't know if other cuts will work). Macerate it by pounding it so that it's not uneven, but not completely flat. Then marinate it in low-fat buttermilk for as long as is convenient for you. All day would be great, so get it going in the morning before work or right when you get home, then get your potatoes boiling. The longer it marinates, the juicier it will be, but it doesn't have to be a two day affair. The acidity in the buttermilk helps break down the meat a little bit while "moisturizing" it. Okay, I'm no chemist and I didn't go to cooking school, so feel free to criticize my science, but I know lotion and that's the only description I could think of. We all know that chicken can dry out super fast, so soaking it in buttermilk does miraculous things to it. Then, instead of cornmeal or corn flakes or those canned bread crumbs, used panko which is so much crunchier and lighter and just better. You can pick those up at Culina.

A really hot oven is another key. Set conventional bake on 400 and convection on 375. Take your breasts out of the buttermilk mixture and after you've seasoned the crumbs with paprika, salt and pepper (and optionally some Victoria Taylor's Toasted Onion Herb and Tuscan Seasonings), dredge the chicken in the panko making sure they are coated fully. Spray them with a little olive oil and place them on an olive oil sprayed, Reynold's release foil-lined heavy baking sheet, the jelly roll kind. Bake them until they're nice and golden and some of the crumbs are browning to the point of almost burning. Next time I will time it, but it seemed to take 30-40 minutes. I made an extra breast, so when I thought they were close, I pulled one out and cut into it to make sure it was cooked through.

With the potatoes, I cooked them until the water was almost gone and then drained it off, but SAVE the water. It gets nice and starchy and works great for wetting the potatoes down when you reheat them. You can also add a bit of that water back to make them smooth if you're trying to cut down on butter and cream. You just want to cover the potatoes about an inch over them and boil them on high. I used homegrown potatoes, so it was a mixture of Yukon, German Butterball and some Desiree. Instead of cream, you can use half and half, a little of the low-fat buttermilk and real, unsalted butter. Hey, you've gotta do the good stuff, just not in huge quantities. I also use a bit of olive oil spread by Fleischmann's, but you can use straight olive oil in place of all of that if you'd like. Throw in some of the herb seasonings used in the chicken or anything you like. Tarragon is great in potatoes as is Rosemary, but not both together. Roasted garlic, greek seasoning, but Jane's Crazy Mixed-Up Salt is my standby. Don't forget the pepper and I like to use a little grated parmesan in there.

Saute or steam up some really green veggies and there's your not so sinful meal, but it will feel like you've just indulged. Now there's room for some light vanilla ice cream with BR Kohn Chocolate Cabernet Sauce! Oh, and don't forget the vino.

Remembering Marie Dorsey

I had a very late night. Some of you are witness to it by the time stamp on the "Cook for the Cure" newsletter deposited in your e-mail box this morning. I could not sleep due to the sad news I received yesterday about our dear friend Marie Dorsey. Marie was the owner of a thriving cookie business 'TwoSugars.biz" and was also our favorite cookie decorating instructor. We loved her so much that we brought her to Lynchburg from Montana twice last year and we were scheduled to do it again this year. Two weeks ago Marie and I spoke on the telephone for over an hour. Visiting with her was like talking to an old friend of many years. I just met her last year. Marie possessed a genuine warmth and caring of others. I trusted her and loved her as a friend.

Please visit our page "In Memoriam" for Marie. Marie and her husband shared a strong love for each other - her death is a deep loss for him. If you wish to send a card, her address is:

C/O Marie Dorsey Family

P.O. Box 414 Gallatin Gateway, MT 59730

When I took this photo of Marie she commented that she didn't mind because she almost always walked around with flour on her face as it was a trademark that she was doing what she loved. Marie left a 6 figure salary in a corporation to become TwoSugars.biz and never regretted a second of it. She told me that she wanted to "live happy". When Marie was here last February she worked under the stress of her mother in the hospital. Her mother passed soon after Marie returned - we were all devastated for her.

Marie's artistry in cookie decorating was unparalleled and her following expanded the nation. When she was scheduled to teach at our store, we had students call us from Maryland, Tennessee, North Carolina and even from her neighboring state of Wyoming asking for a seat in her class. It seems she did not teach very many places so when someone had an opportunity to get in front of her, they seized it.

The favorite cookie design of Marie's are the winter penguins .

Try as we may, we could not find penguin cookie cutters big enough for her first class with us last October. We managed to locate them this year and we were geared up for some darling cookie penguin designs from our students. Marie was a true artist with royal icing and luster dust and the cookies were the best tasting sugar cookies that I had ever eaten. That sentiment was

shared by many. As a testament, her cookies sold out within a week of arrival every time.

Many people had called to sign up for the October cookie and cake decorating workshops. For those who would like to have it. I have posted Marie's sugar cookie recipe on my website

http://www.culinainc.com/Desserts.html

Below are her sugar cookie icing recipes:

Royal Icing For cookie base
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. almond extract
1 tbsp. meringue powder
3 – 4 tbsp. water - add as needed – thick enough to hold it’s shape when piped
Mix together with a hand whisk

Royal Icing
For decorating cookies

2 cups powdered sugar
5 tbsp. meringue powder
1/3 cup water

Add all ingredients together in mixer and mix until firm.

TIP
Be patient mixing to get a firm consistency can take 15 minutes.

Stirring up a Yummy Meal

Okay, so I hate to boast, but I haven't found any risotto in town to make me really, really happy. I did tonight! Risotto is one of those comfort meals that can take lots of different proteins, but it is a great showcase for shellfish and veggies like mushrooms. It's mouth-pleasing texture reminds me of great meals in Italian restaurants. No memories of and Italian grandmother's kitchen, but it definitely brings me joy that feels like a long-lost memory of warm, rustic kitchens in rolling hills dotted with wild growing basil, thyme and rosemary.

Not to get all Shirley Maclaine on you, but it feels so familiar and I actually find making it to be very therapeutic. Eating it is almost as good. I've heard people complain about how long it takes, how much work it is and that it's tricky to get it just right, but I find it pretty easy. You just have to plan and be attentive. You can't say, clean your shrimp while you're in the middle of cooking it. Or decide you need to run outside for some fresh thyme after you've added the rice.

So, mis en place comes in handy when making risotto. In other words: get your stuff together people!! Get it all together before you start cooking. Your shrimp aren't going to spoil in 30 or 40 minutes.

My favorite risottos have peas or asparagus, mushrooms and shrimp or lobster. Tonight I wanted some seared scallops and I waffled between scallops and shrimp on a bed of polenta

and wilted greens or risotto. The risotto won, but after picking up some "dry" scallops (more on that) and shrimp at Blue Marlin, how would that work with risotto? So, what I did was sear the scallops separately in a stainless pan and then added them to the risotto when I plated it.

Make sure you add your greens and shrimp toward the end so the greens (spinach, arugula) stay green and just wilt and the shrimp don't overcook. Make sure you get your scallop pan hot, THEN add oil and a pat of butter and set your scallops in the pan, but don't overcrowd the pan. If your scallops are wet, they won't sear and get that beautiful restaurant-quality crust on them. Wet scallops are treated with a phosphate solution that keeps them moist after they are harvested. This also adds weight to them because they retain water and more importantly, it

keeps them from browning. The liquid just keeps seeping out in the pan which prevents the stick and the reaction between the protein and the hot lubricant in the pan. You can squeeze them in paper towels until you use a whole roll, but it won't make them sear. Recently, a contestant on

Top Chef got sent home because her scallops were lame and boring. She worried about not getting a brown crust on them and the judges zapped her for it. Her problem might have been technique and not phosphates, but if you start with dry scallops, it's hard not to get it right with the technique I described. Don't use a non-stick pan, either. This is not the time for non-stick healthy methods, this is the time for hot butter on a decadent scallop.

Okay, okay, so how was it? Divine. This is where the boasting comes in. I might have used a bit too much garlic and I probably could have used the second pack of mushroom medley and I forgot a squeeze of lemon to brighten it up, but it was still pretty good.

For reference, I used Tyler Florence's mushroom and pea risotto recipe from his book, "Real

Kitchen". There are many foolproof recipes in that book. As anyone who knows me can guess, I didn't follow the recipe exactly, but since it had been a while since I made risotto, I needed a guide.

You can use Arborio rice and of course, it's available at Culina. Tonight I used some carnoroli that an Italian chef in Grand Cayman gave me. He waxed poetic about its virtues and honestly, I'm not sure of the difference between that and Arborio, but he said it was difficult to get, etc. etc., so I used it. His risotto was a bit rich for me and maybe truffle-heavy.

Also, make sure you use a good dry wine. Not the one that's been in the

fridge for a couple of weeks, or the magnum of Woodbridge that you have collecting dust in the pantry for the next time Uncle Joe and his tipsy wife stop by, but a decent one that you would sip while cooking. A Pinot Grigio is a great option.

Well, happy cooking and Buon appetito!

Nesting

Is it strange that I'd rather hang out in the kitchen cooking and trying new recipes than be outside having a last hoorah with summer? The beginning of September brought some unusually cool couple of days and today as the clouds hang steadfast, I am trying to figure out what to do with some late summer peaches I picked up in Ukrop's in Richmond and trying a turkey burger recipe. Ukrop's is a Richmond grocery store and institution known for their prepared foods, their friendly staff who carries your groceries to your car (even when you feel you shouldn't let this guy who is old enough to be your great grandfather carry anything, much less walk) and their stubborn hold on the old Virginia Blue Laws. They have their "own" beef and their "own" peaches. I never knew what that meant exactly, but I remember standing over the kitchen sink in my Fan District apartment, eating a Ukrop's peach with juice running down my arm. That's when I started referring to especially juicy fruits as kitchen sink fruit.

Anyone who knows me knows that baking is not my thing. I do it a lot, but my forte is extemporaneous, improv stuff, the influence of acting classes from college probably and where I feel the most comfortable. It's always a challenge for folks in my classes because I don't look at the recipe and sometimes fail to follow it exactly. Frustration abounds when engineers, physicians and accountants ask me, "how much of that did you put in there?" I usually pause and look at them quizically more often because I don't even remember what I just did, let alone the amount: "Uh, a dash? A couple of shakes? Maybe a tad or a smidgen? How about a scant?"

The point people, is that it really doesn't matter because everyone is different and everyone puts priority or value on ingredients, accuracy and results. All you have to do is read the reviews of recipes on epicurious or listen to the comments of people leaving a restaurant. What I mean is, one person's idea of "too much" cilantro is another's idea of an ingredient that cannot be left out of, say salsa.

When I was visiting my Dad in Virginia Beach, we went into one of my favorite little wine/gourmet/lunch shops and I got all worked up for curry chicken salad. I LOVE curry chicken salad and make a pretty mean one myself. The first time I had it was at Strawberry St. Cafe in Richmond and I couldn't get enough of it. So here I am, all excited about it salivating, practically ripping the wrapping paper off the sandwich. Oh. Huhn. Hmm. Doesn't look right. The color of the stuff was off: not yellow enough, in fact, just barely yellow. It was wet. Really wet. Too much mayonnaise. And no crunch, no variety in texture and the chicken was all wrong. It was chunks, not shredded. What a disappointment. I like a lot of curry and I put grapes and cashews and mango and celery in mine and I boil the chicken in chicken broth and then shred it, which makes it easier to eat for one, and also complements the shapes of the other stuff in it. SO, some people might like less curry and more mayonnaise and would be fine with it. Some might not even know the difference if it's all they've known. We see this all the time with regional dishes like Brunswick Stew or Chicken and Dumplings. So, my thing is always add a scant amount (of what the recipe calls for) and you can always add more, but you can't take away. No matter how much sugar, apple juice or whatever you add to chili, if it's too much hot pepper, it's too much hot pepper and that's that. My husband likes stuff spicy, and I like it a little less spicy. I love lots of garlic and some people have a hard time with it, it makes their heartburn flare or whatever. I'm making salsa verde, using a recipe and I decided to put a little more garlic in it. I might even add some cumin, who knows?

That's the beauty of cooking compared to baking. Unless you're making a trifle or using a mix, there's not a lot of room for fudging (pun intended) when baking.

The good news for all of you folks that want to know EXACTLY how much, is that there are some guidelines with dash, smidgen and pinch. Unfortunately though, I don't follow those measurements either!

The breakdown: a dash is about an 1/8th of a tsp.; a pinch is smaller, about 1/16th of a tsp.; a smidgen is less scientific, but about 1/32tsp. and a scant means "no more than", so less of the measurement (cup, tsp., whatever) would be preferable over one bit more than what the measurement is.

Okay, so I'm marinating peaches in some white ginger simple syrup and am trying to figure out how to bake them into something spectacular. I'd like to incorporate some of that flax flour I never use into it. Or whole wheat flour or maybe I should just use Bisquick and call it a cobbler and be done with it. There's always vanilla ice cream... I could make my own. I think I'll just focus on the turkey burger and put the peaches in my yogurt tomorrow.

Here's my curry chicken recipe, just in case you're salivating for it now.

• 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 lb skinless boneless chicken breast
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise (use light optionally)
• 1/3 cup plain yogurt
• 5 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 medium red onion, chopped (1 cup)
• 1 firm-ripe mango (3/4 pound), peeled, pitted, and chopped
• 1 cup red seedless grapes (5 ounces), halved
• 1/2 cup salted roasted cashews, coarsely chopped

Bring 4 cups water to a simmer with chicken broth in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan. Add chicken and simmer, uncovered, 6 minutes. Remove pan from heat and cover, then let stand until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and cool 10 minutes. Chop into 1/2-inch pieces.

While chicken is cooling, whisk together mayonnaise, yogurt, curry, lime juice, honey, ginger, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add chicken, onion, mango, grapes, and cashews and stir gently to combine.

Hunker Down and Cook!

Can you feel it? The cool evening and morning air gives us a little poke to remind us that autumn’s yearly ball is soon to follow with vibrant leaves swaying and twirling on their way to rest. The trees will be bare, and in my neighborhood, the ducklings will arrive in the cove (I look forward to their arrival every year). It also means that the seasons for gathering are upon us.

Passionate cooks can easily parallel themselves to a lead actor in a play. The audiences are the guests surrounding our kitchen island as we prepare, or those sitting around the table dishing up the acts (the courses) on their plate. From the opening act to the final curtain, there is nothing more satisfying to a passionate cook than to watch the faces of their guests as they finish one dish after another. I love to watch their expressions when something is exceptionally delicious. Maybe their eyes will close or they will let the fork linger a little longer than usual to hold the food in their mouths – validation for a job well done.

For a kitchen store this is really our favorite time of year because our store is bustling. Everyone else feels the change and they want something impressive and new to hang on their pot rack, or that gadget that peels a transparent layer from their potatoes. Every season creates a sense of beginning which is why people come in looking for new recipes, cooking advice or just to hang out and talk about food. People may be willing to invest in a copper sauté because their recipe specifically requires a pan that “stops cooking when removed from heat” and copper is absolutely the best! We love to get into that level of detail with people. I remember last year a woman was planning a dinner party (her first one) and was in a panic because she had no idea what to do. I had the time so we sat at the little green table in the cookbook section and perused entertainment and appetizer books. I helped her select items that were easy to make but made an impressive display. Our chef showed her how to make tomato roses to dress the plates and provided her with advice on ensuring that her game hens came out crisp and moist. She has been a devoted customer since.

This will be our second holiday season at Culina (God willing) and I for one am looking forward to it because it is this time when people hunker down and cook and we feel the most valuable. People look through our windows and believe we sell cookware but the value we really offer is in our collective culinary experience and knowledge. That my friends comes free of charge.

One Night in Bangkok

Well, not quite, but the food took us there. Thursday night's class, Rim of Fire, was a lot of fun and thanks to everyone who came and helped cook. Shaking Beef is still a big hit and the Ginger Passionfruit Pineapple Sparklers didn't last very long. (Recipe to follow) That class put me in an Asian food kinda mood, so last night was sushi night with King Crab legs and tuna from Blue Marlin. Tonight I'm testing out a new Victoria seasoning, the 7 Seed Crust on a piece of swordfish and revisiting a favorite from my beach roots: softshell crabs. Trying to think of a healthier way to make them, the fishmonger reminded me that "they love to be fried". I'm not sure they love it, but we sure do! So buttermilk and panko? Any suggestions? And then in the Swiss Diamond pan so they won't require much oil. Deep frying is just too messy and greasy at home; leave that to the restaurants!

It's raining today and a perfect opportunity to hang out in the kitchen and do something with all of these tomatoes. Seems like a sauce makin' day, so I'm going to break out the slow cooker and get that sauce going. The weather has really helped the basil, so that's going in there along with oregano, thyme, onions, garlic (of course), mushrooms and green peppers from the garden. A food mill is a great way to get those tomatoes out of their skins and leave all the pulpy goodness behind. Only a few San Marzanos are going to make it into this sauce. A lot of them ended up on the ground after all of the storms, but nobody will complain about having heirlooms in there! Then eight hours in the cooker on low and it should be perfect for tomorrow.

Thanks to all of you who joined the blog and for your continued support. It's really a pleasure to serve the community and share our love and passion for food. Carla, a contestant from D.C. on Top Chef said it best: "Food is Love" and I couldn't agree more. There's nothing better than making something you love and sharing it with people you love and watching them fall in love with it too. It's the most pleasurable form of paying it forward.

The tomatoes are really starting to fizzle out, but that will leave room for the new veggies. I'm excited about the asparagus and looking forward to actually having them in the Spring.

In the meantime, salsa will be the next item that will benefit from the garden. I'll save a few tomatoes and peppers for the salsa class next week along with all of this beautiful slow bolt cilantro. Salsa Verde, Pico, Guacamole and Tropical Black Bean Salsa, a frequently requested item at family gatherings, will be on the slate for next Thursdays class. So come on by for some south of the border condiments. We'll be snackin' and sizzlin' and enjoying the last of the garden's high summer bounty.

Hope to see you soon.

Here's that recipe for the punch/cocktails:

Ginger Pineapple Passion Punch

For ginger syrup

1 1/2 cups water

1 cup sugar

1 cup thinly sliced unpeeled fresh ginger (1/4 lb; from two 5-inch-long pieces)

For punch

3 cups unsweetened pineapple juice, chilled

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (3 to 5 lemons)

1/4 cup fresh lime juice (4 to 6 limes)

3 cups sparkling water, chilled

4 cups ice cubes

Knipschlidt's Ginger Passionfruit Syrup (from Culina) about 2 Tablespoons or to taste

Garnish: lemon and lime slices

Special equipment: a small punch bowl or pitcher

preparation

Make ginger syrup:
Bring water, sugar, and ginger to a boil in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes, then remove from heat and steep, uncovered, 15 minutes. Pour syrup through a sieve into a bowl, discarding ginger. Chill, covered, until cold, about 2 hours.

Make punch:
Stir together ginger syrup and fruit juices in a punch bowl or pitcher. Stir in sparkling water and ice.

I used champagne for this and added it as I poured it so there would be some non-alcoholic punch as well. You can also use crystalized ginger if you don't have fresh on hand. You just have to simmer it a little longer and dice it before you use it. Vodka or rum would also be good in this. I also like the idea of using one of our fruit infusing pitchers and stuffing the infuser with lime, lemon and ginger slices. It looks so pretty on the table and then folks can help themselves.

ENJOY!

Potatoes, Pisco Sours and Peru

Even though it's sweltering out there today with 90 degree temperatures and 80% humidity, Fall is in the air. It's evident in the wilting tomato vines and the dying squash vines. Farmer Jess here and unfortunately the tons of rain we have had over the past several weeks has not done the garden any favors. Baby pill bugs have infested the tomatoes, just when I thought I had such good luck this year with no tomato hornworms, the tomatoes split and the pill bugs invaded. The squash beetles were terrible this year and ravaged my golden bush zucchini plants while I was away. The late plantings of slow bolt cilantro and cucumbers are doing well as are the Benings Green Tint pattypan squash, but I am not going to hold my breath on those! Two squash does not equal a successful crop! This past winter, I did uncover a huge clump of cilantro, so I am hoping my current plants keep through the fall and maybe I will get another winter crop of it.

It's a little disheartening to come home to a garden that is 75% less lush than it was when you left (I was really pampering those squash plants!), but this is no time to dwell on harvests past, but time to plant for Fall. Here in Central Virginia, we are lucky to have extended growing seasons. This is no California or Florida, but we do have warm temperatures into the fall and late and early frost dates for winter and spring, respectively. So don't fret if you think you've missed the boat. You can still make use of that empty flower bed and plant some veggies. You can even plant some things in pots, although I would not recommend tomatoes or other tenders in pots. Some folks tell me that late planted tomatoes can be kept into the fall and winter if stored properly and I am going to experiment with that this year and get back to you to let you know how it worked. In the meantime, I will provide you with a list of fall crops.

So if you've been reading our blog for a bit, you will know that I had a bumper crop of potatoes this year and Kathleen helped me dig them a few weeks ago. After lots of reading, I figured out a way to store those spuds. Since most houses are not built with root cellars anymore and our basement is finished and not cold enough, I turned my garage fridge into a makeshift potato bin. Potatoes like it dark, the skins turn green which produces a toxic chemical, so you want to keep them out of the light. From the best I could ascertain, 45-60 degrees is ideal storage, so I turned up the temperature on my refrigerator and stored them there. For more information on potatoes, including growing them, storing them and preparing them, check out my potato class in September. It's the next in our continuing Tasteful Kitchen series, which is a series of mini-classes or workshops where I focus on one topic and we do an in depth look at a technique, a cuisine or a food. It's lots of fun and everyone learns a lot, including me!

Potatoes are also on my mind because I just returned from Peru and if you've ever been there, then you know that Peruvians love to eat and they are crazy about potatoes. Potatoes and rice or potatoes and quinoa (even better) is not unusual on one plate. These people would look at you like you're crazy if you mentioned eating like Dr. Atkins. My favorite dish I had was a causa, which is like a mold of mashed potatoes stuffed with crayfish, shrimp, crab, whatever. It reminded me of my favorite crab cakes made with mashed potatoes. Delicious! Driving through the Sacred Valley from Cuzco to Machu Picchu, it felt like Christmas because there is a constant burning wood smell in the air as the people are burning off their finished crops to prepare for potato plantings. It's late winter down there, so it's a little cool also, which adds to that Christmas feel. Chugging along on the train, we passed lots of fields with foot high potato plants, cabbage, broccoli, etc. growing already. They are headed into Spring, so this is right in line with an early crop.

In Peru, they eat good food and a lot of it. And they wash it down with a nice Pisco Sour. Pisco is a Quechuan word for "little bird" and is a liquor distilled from grapes. Similar to Grappa, it was developed by the Spanish and is distilled in conical containers, which is where it gets it's Incan name. The most popular way to drink it other than straight is in a Pisco Sour which combines lemon or lime juice, angostura bitters, simple syrup and egg whites. The egg whites are frothed and layered on the top. It's delicious. If you like margaritas or ciprihanas, you'll like these.

Our tailgating class will feature some foods from South America and will be sure to please. I loved the food so much I brought back two huge cookbooks. Hopefully I won't be getting any chiropractic bills from airline employees! It will be great to share Peruvian dishes with you folks and I know you'll be adding Pisco to your bar afterwards.

Well, the asparagus crowns are on order along with some bean seedlings and I'll be planting the fall crop to hopefully feature in upcoming classes. In the meantime, here is that list I promised you!

FALL CROPS (in the ground):

• Kale
• Swiss Chard
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Peas (short window)
• Lettuces
• Spinach
• Collards, Mustards and Turnip Greens
• Asparagus Crowns (for spring harvesting)
• Beans (short window)
• Winter Squashes like Butternut, Acorn and Spaghetti

FALL CROPS (can be potted until heavy frosts):

• Lettuces
• Hearty greens

Girlfriend Time In The Kitchen

Preparing for the Culina 1 year Anniversary event was as much fun as the event itself. My girlfriends turned out to lend a hand at making food the night before. I met Debbie, Linda, Angie, Sharon, Shelly and my sister Natalie at Isabella's just before for appetizers and drinks. Props to Isabella's for bringing fried artichoke hearts to Lynchburg. I have not had any good ones since I lived in Seattle. Henry's Off Broadway (long gone) had the best artichoke hearts ever.

Debbie and Linda were in charge of the brie blueberry scones and lemon curd muffin tops. The blueberry scones turned out the be the breakfast favorites! No one could believe that they were made with Stonewall blueberry scone mix and filled with Stonewall's wild blueberry jam. The lemon curd muffin tops were made with the Barefoot Contessa vanilla cupcake mix with a dollop of lemon curd in the middle. We just cut off the bottoms the expose the lemon curd and served them upside down like little cups. After the first drawing, there were very few to package up.

Sharon and Shelly were responsible for the mozzarella pesto puffs *recipe at the end of this blog*. Those little pesto puffs held their own against the mini tenderloin biscuits. The biscuits were made from Lollipop Tree Organic biscuit mix and the pork tenderloin seasoned with Victoria's Gourmet Kansas City Steak Rub.

My sister Natalie and Angie were in charge of cookies and the cranberry, white chocolate scones (made from Lollipop Tree Cream Scone Mix). I think Natalie fired Angie because Angie left her station and decided to supervise everyone else's stations. I think she got fired off of the blueberry station as well. For some reason she could not make the scones without smashing the blueberries. We were all roaring with laughter. My poor Chef Lance Yeatman was surrounded by women that night. I felt sorry for the poor guy. I have video but it is not suited for public viewing.

I digress.

Back to Natalie's cookies. My sister makes the best, most perfect cookies of any I have ever eaten. I watched people pick up a chocolate chip...eat it and them pick up a snicker doodle...eat it then pick up a monster cookie...eat it and then pick up three monster cookies and wrap them in napkins. She could be a millionaire with those cookies. If I could convince her to bake for me, they would become a Culina staple, like our coconut cake. Which we also served that day.

Nick Hammons is back at Culina (we love Nick). Nick and I worked late into the night Wednesday making cakes. We were so tired that we just gave up on the Red Velvet. It was a Charlie Brown Christmas Cake by the time we finished playing with it - it remained out of site but the coconut cake was devoured. I LOVE THAT CAKE.

It was so much fun giving away "to go" boxes to my customers filled with goodies. They felt like they were leaving the home of a relative they had just visited. Someone actually said that to me when I handed them their boxes of food. Awe Shucks!

After the event was over it was down to business pulling the store back together. I kicked off my shoes (if I would have had my "Life is Good" flannel PJs I would have put them on) and sat down for the first time in 12 hours. The phone rang and it was one of my customers. She called to thank me for the wonderful day. She had been there for all three drawings that day. She didn't win anything but had a blast (her words). She told me that she recognized the work we must have gone through to make all the great food and to make the event special for everyone. Wow! she was thanking me just as I was going through the invitations taken at the door, nearly in tears at the turn out of dedicated, loyal customers who came out to show their support.

It was a blessed day!

Mozzarella Pesto Puffs (so easy to make and impressively aesthetic and delicious)

Three Dufor Butter Based Puff Pastry (Culina can special order for you)
Mozzarella Pearls
Ruffled Round Biscuit Cutters
Scarpetta Pesto Sauce
Precooked Bacon, Ham or Prosciutto
Finely Chopped Tomato (we used organic tomatoes from Jessica's garden)

• Cut 1lb. bacon into small strips and fry until crispy
• Gently roll out a sheet of Dufor Puff Pastry
• Cut ruffled round discs using the 2 inch biscuit cutter
• Place a 1/8 tsp dollop of pesto in the center
• Position a mozzarella pearl in the center
• Place a small square of bacon on top of the cheese
• Place a few pieces of finely chopped tomato on top
• Place another disc on top of the filling and press edges together until sealed
• Refrigerate overnight bake and serve

The Harvest

This weekend I dug potatoes and picked beans with Jessica and I loved every dirty, sweaty minute of it. We could only work for a couple of hours because a late summer storm threatened overhead forcing us into the house. I love Jessica's kitchen - sure it is a dreamy "cooks kitchen" that anyone would die for but that is not what I love about it. I love the honesty of it. There are garden vegetables lining every window sill, earthy potatoes piled in shoe boxes, crates and recycled shopping bags, glad containers are stacked high in both refrigerators filled with beautiful fresh picked beans and of course there is the cook in the center of it all; down to earth, honest to the core, generous and kind to all who call her friend.

We piled our riches from the garden among the harvest in her kitchen. It was fun to listen to Jessica as she sorted the different kinds of potatoes and beans. She is passionate about these edible treasures and wants to share that passion with everyone who will listen. I received an education and now I am inspired to make my own garden next year. Every time I look upon my large plot of land I feel somewhat irresponsible that I am not putting it to better use. I am reminded of a comment a Russian girlfriend made when she first came to the USA. She could not believe that Americans have all this land and we use it to grow "grass!"

Once things were sorted out, Jessica made a nice lunch consisting of green beans lightly sprinkled with BR Cohn Olive Oil and sauteed in her favorite non-stick pan by "Swiss Diamond", sliced tomatoes (yellow, red, purple), and cucumber slices lightly seasoned with sea salt. Deeeelish!

It was a perfect day.

Later I mashed some of those potatoes with roasted garlic and melted brie cheese. Yum!

Too Hot or Not - Pepper Your Recipes This Season

When a dear friend of mine first moved here from Russia, she could not get over the amount of land Americans have around their homes. Moreover, she could not get over that we used that precious land to grow...GRASS! Well dear Tanya it is true that we love our grass but this year gardens have cropped up (no pun intended) on many of those pristine lawns.

One of our Culina-ettes (you can just call her Jessica) has been hosting cooking "seminars" on what to do with all of those wonderful veggies, peppers, berries and fruits this year and the classes have been receiving rave reviews. Jess picked 8 pounds of earthen rich potatoes and heirloom Tomatoes from her garden and we sold them in the store during the Annual Sidewalk Sale this weekend. There is nothing like a fresh tomato sandwich with Duke's Mayo on fresh baked bread (baked in the Zojirushi Bread Maker - of course)...mmmmm good! There was a lot of discussion with folks around tomatoes, potatoes and peppers this weekend. One customer said that he has tomatoes and peppers "Out The Wazoo" and asked if it was appropriate to say "Wazoo" - we laughed, but what else can one say when the tomatoes and peppers are taking over. He signed up for the Tomato Bounty class to find out how to give his Wazoo some relief.

Okay so the title of this blog is "Too Hot or Not" ...I'm getting to it.

Those gardens also have a plethora of peppers. We buy the seeds or starter plants, plant them in our gardens or Aerogrow indoor gardens and then what? Which are Hot and which are not and what in the world do we do with them?

This little chart lists peppers from hottest to mildest. I threw this in there for educational purposes but what you really want to know is what to do with them.

Those who took my Tamale Class earlier this year learned how to make two delicious sauces with peppers (Jalapeno and Ancho Chili). Besides salsas and sauces, adding them to your olive oils and vinegars, consider using them in your fall and winter soups.

A website I like for pepper recipes is Pepper Fools . There are thousands of recipes out on the Internet for spicy corn chowder, Thai soups, Mexican Soups and I can't post them all or link to them all but I thought I would share one of my favorites; Tortilla Soup (by the way the Spanish place that closed down on main street had the best tortilla soup I have ever eaten and I have eaten tortilla soup from California to NYC). I WANT THAT RECIPE! This one is pretty darned close.

Ingredients:
8 tablespoons Canola oil
5 10" to 12" corn tortillas
1 spanish yellow onion
6 garlic cloves
1 small bunch of cilantro
5 small carrots
2 large fresh or 14.5 oz. canned diced tomatoes
8 cups chicken stock
14 ounces of fresh corn kernels (if corn is out of season, use frozen)
3/4 - 1 1/2 Tablespoons ground cumin
1/2 - 1 Tablespoon chili powder
4 bay leaves
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
5 small chipotle peppers
2 tbsp Abodo Seasoning
Salt and Pepper to taste
Juice from 1 lime

Garnish:
Cheddar Cheese
Fresh Sliced Avocado
Fried Tortilla Strips
Sour Cream

Cooking Methods:
If using a pressure cooker, cook the chips and saute vegetables in the pot with lid off !
Remove everything and then add water and chicken to cook under pressure. If using regular stock pot, you can fry the chips in the bottom of the stock pot, saute veggies and then add chicken juice from the pan used for poaching chicken.

Preparation:
Pressure Cook chicken breast in 2 cups water (save the juice)
If poaching, do not save the juice
Dice the onion, carrots and mince the garlic.
Wash and towel try the cilantro, remove stems and chop.
Dice tomatoes on plate or other surface to save juice and have them at the ready.
Rinse the chicken under cold water and dry.

Cut up 2 of the tortillas into 1/4 inch strips and fry them in 3 tablespoons of Canola oil. You want them to be a golden brown but be careful not to burn them, they cook quickly.

Depending on the size of your pot, you may have to cook several at time.
Remove the strips from pot and transfer to some paper towels to drain. Season with a little salt.

Using the same oil, saute carrots until lightly brown (around 10 min) add in your peppers and onions and saute all veggies, if using pressure cooker, remove all veggies and oil from pot. Add water and chicken breasts and cook under pressure for 10 minutes.

After chicken has finished cooking (10 minutes in Pressure Cooker, 25 - 30 minutes poaching) remove from pot and shred (Hint: One fork to hold it down, the other to tear away shreds of meat). Return Oil and Veggies to Chicken juice in pressure cooker. If poaching, throw poached chicken water down the drain (DO NOT REUSE POACH WATER).

In large Pot -

• Add chicken broth
• Tear the remaining 3 corn tortillas into bite size pieces and add to the pot
• Add the cilantro and stir
• Add fresh diced tomatoes with their juice, cumin, chili powder, and bay leaves and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to a simmer, add the corn, Chipotle peppers (MAKE SURE YOU OPEN AND RINSE THE PEPPERS THOROUGHLY - NO SEEDS - otherwise your soup will be too Darn hot to eat) and Cayenne. Simmer for 15 - 20 minutes and remove from heat.
• Add shredded chicken, lime juice and taste for spiciness.

Garnish with fried tortillas, freshly diced avocado, grated cheddar cheese, and sour cream.
The sour cream really helped mellow out some of the spices and gave the soup a wonderful creamy appearance. This soup is a meal enjoy!

Root Beer Gelee and Vanilla Panna Cotta

Several months ago I saw a program on the Food Channel about Root beer. I have been in love with root beer since I was a kid so naturally the show captured my attention. The show took viewers through different root beer factories, performed taste tests - you know, the typical things that might be experienced on a show about root beer. Two segments on this show caught my attention, the first was an interview with a guy in texas who makes his BBQ sauce with root beer, and the second was a woman who made a gourmet root beer float.

What was the difference between an ordinary root beer float and the one on the show. The difference was that her root beer was gelatine with a vanilla panacotta topping. Served in a dessert glass, it looks simply...well, yummy. The process looked simple enough and I thought it might be a fun thing to teach in one of our cooking classes so I checked the food channel site for the recipe. I followed the recipe to the letter and it worked beautifully.

Next I tried it with grape soda, and orange soda, orange juice (orange juice did not work at all - orange juice does not like to be heated up) The grape soda was horrible (not recommended) but the root beer soda and orange soda was terrific. I also tried it with coffee - sounds gross but it really was not that bad. I poured an ounce of fresh espresso over the top of the panacotta before tasting. I could imagine it with ground chocolate covered coffee beans as a decorative topper.

I highly recommend the root beer float dessert for your summer dinner party or picnic. It tasted great and is impressive enough.

If you want to try it here is the link to the gourmet root beer float recipe. I would love to hear your opinion of this dessert.

No Shortage of Beans

Hi there, it's Farmer Jess here, and boy does my back hurt! My ear itches and I smell like sunscreen and citrus bug spray. Yep, you
guessed it: I've been in the garden for hours this week and I am feeling it all over!

This morning I pulled a tick out of the top fold of my ear. UGH! I can look forward to it itching for at least a week if the last one was any indicator. I just wonder if there are any others lurking about? "Call the exterminator! Spray the yard! Don't let the cats out! Don't go in the garden at all," my husband cries like a broken record.

Sorry, hon, but then it wouldn't be organic! The best part of growing your own, is that you know what goes in it, on it, where it comes from, who picked it and what exactly it is that you're eating! Yep, the only thing that goes in my garden is hard work, sweat, bees, birds and me. The only chemicals on my garden are on the leaves and those things include soap and water, sunshine, the occasional bird droppings and lately, Japanese Beetle procreation parties. (wink, wink).

So, revel in your gardens if you have one and make sure you butter up to me, because I love to share. Yesterday I pulled out my wings and flew around town in my favorite role: the garden fairy. Yesterday it was green beans. Seriously, Holy Green Bean Casserole, Batman! I filled three Culina colanders. They're perfect because they let the dirt and bugs fall through, are easy to clean and in the fun colors, it makes harvesting fun and you look good while doing it!

If someone could invent a baby sling for harvesting, that would be great because the overflow after I filled up my third colander went in my shirt! What a chocker when the neighbor saw me and thought I was expecting. Only thing I was expecting was to be eating beans for several days or weeks!

So don't tell my husband, but I'm heading back out there. I pulled out my broccoli plants yesterday and need to put some seeds in the ground. The first batch of cucumber seeds were unsuccessful thanks to all that early rain and I lost some squash to it, too, along with the squash beetles. I did pull my first straight-neck yellow squash yesterday and the potatoes are just about ready.

If I give you some beans or if we have some for sale at Culina, just remember to be nice to them. After all, they are special beans and wouldn't like to end up in a pot with fat or a hunk of pork and cooked all day with all the nutrients and goodness sucked out of them. Just a short bath in some boiling water or steamed or sauteed would be fine, thank you! These aren't beans meant for cafeteria food or a can, these beans were meant for a special dinner with your family, one that you can feel good about.

If I have to pull ticks off me, the least you can do is respect the vegetable!

Father's Day Grilling Event

Our staff chef Lance Yeatman weathered the soaring heat while searing meat..veggies and fruit for the interested onlookers. Culina gave away marinades and sauces from Wild Thymes and homemade Jouster sauces. The grilling event brought new customers to Culina. We're always happy to see new faces in our store.

Mmmmmmm Cake

Culina recently advertised on our website, newsletters and through our on staff town crier "Jess", that we are offering fresh baked cakes as one of our gourmet food offerings. There must be a shortage of cake in Lynchburg because in the first week, the store received an order for four coconut cakes and one pineapple upside down cake.

The three cakes we specialize in are Coconut, Chocolate Ganache and Red Velvet, all 12 layer torted cakes. The pineapple upside down was a special order for our good customer Cece. I will make this one personally for her.

Jess and I will be making cake all day on Friday before Father's Day. We can always use extra hands for grating and toasting fresh coconut, mixing ganache, separating eggs and so on.