tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29074709315032147072024-03-17T23:03:57.808-04:00Le Grand FromageBrie: Le Grand Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12336500817219555030noreply@blogger.comBlogger109125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907470931503214707.post-59950636820478804812012-12-31T18:10:00.000-05:002013-03-24T18:29:27.194-04:002012<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This short post is to let readers know why 2012 is empty of recipes - it was a rough year. Many unexpected things happened, and sadly this blog is one thing that had to be set aside for the time being. I'm happy to say the blog's look has been redone and I'm ready to start sharing recipes again. This blog became part of my identity and it is a part of me I'm ready to nourish again, and hope my recipes will nourish others as well.</span>Brie: Le Grand Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12336500817219555030noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907470931503214707.post-34929431288122062802011-12-10T16:52:00.003-05:002013-03-05T10:00:04.843-05:00Virginia<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
Greetings from Virginia!</div>
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I have sincerely missed sharing recipes with you all. My move has left me in a much longer state of limbo than anticipated, as my kitchen is still sitting in boxes and will be through the Spring. I'll try and keep my update as food oriented as possible though.</div>
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As soon as summer hit, I jumped on the road and moved just south of Washington, D.C. on the Virginia side for a new job. Florida had its good moments, but I've been looking to move north for a long time now. Even though I've been here for months now, I still catch myself smiling spontaneously at the realization I'm finally someplace new. I was able to experience my first real autumn, and I'm looking forward to seeing snow this winter.</div>
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I'd have to say the most difficult part of the move was finding food to eat. The stores here are all different, and I used to shop at a co-op in Tallahassee which had everything I needed. Thus far, a grocery store named Wegman's has been holding me over pretty well. Their prices are about what I paid in Florida and their organic grocery selection is broad. My cooking is limited, but I've browsed through most everything and made a mental note of what to seek out from local, organic farms.</div>
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Which brings me to the fact I have not had raw milk or milk products since leaving Florida. I really miss my raw milk. I can tell I have less energy and my body is craving the calcium I used to supply it with regularly. In Virginia, it is illegal to sell raw milk. Instead, you have to buy into a cow share, which gives you the legal right to consume the milk since you own the cow. Local farms use the money from the cow share to feed and take care of the cow, and then distribute the milk to those people who are paying for its care. I've been using coconut milk for my coffee and eating coconut ice cream to hold me over, but it's not the same.</div>
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The closest cow share to me is in Richmond, which is over two hours south. <a href="http://www.averysbranchfarms.com/index.html">Avery's Branch Farms</a> provides not only raw milk through their cow shares, but eggs, pork, poultry, and several other delicious items. I've been speaking with Joy, who co-owns the farm with her husband Tim, and they are looking to expand further north. If you're in the area, but sure to send them an email to let them know you're interested!</div>
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I was able to make it into DC in early November for the annual <a href="http://www.metrocooking.com/index.php/dc/dc_exhibitors/participating_exhibitors/">Metro Cooking Show</a>. The expo had several organic booths set up, thankfully, so I was able to snack and find some new favorite vendors.</div>
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I like to snack on granola mixes since it's non-perishable and crunchy. I used to get in in bulk from my co-op, so I hadn't tried any up here yet. A company called <a href="http://www.michelesgranola.com/">Michele's Granola</a>, based out of Maryland, was at the expo and I was able to sample all their flavors.<br />
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I'm happy to say their Cherry Chocolate Granola is my new favorite! The guy handing out the samples was surprised I was able to pick out the secret that makes their granola the best immediately - they bake it - which means their granola is basically a giant bag of crumbled oatmeal cookies! If you haven't tried it yet, be sure to get two bags because you will eat one in a single sitting the first time before you learn how to control yourself.</div>
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Another great find was a company called <a href="http://northwoodsgourmetgirl.com/site/Northwoods_Gourmet_Girl.html">Northwoods Gourmet Girl</a>, based out of Maine. Her specialty are homemade canned goods, such as jams, jellies, ketchup, chutney, relish, and other handmade items. I sampled through everything, but decided to take home the blueberry jam, with the small intact blueberries found wild in Maine. I love how the jams have whole fruit still in them. I'll be ordering the cherry one next.</div>
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Funny story, as I was sampling the ketchups, some women took a huge spoonful of the habanero relish to sample and could not stop tearing up and coughing. Did they not realize a spoonful is basically eating at least one whole habanero? That junk is spicy! Anywho, the ketchups were a welcome break from commercialized ones I've had. These were thick and rich with home grown tomato flavor. I'll definitely be stocking up.</div>
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Of course I found the cheeses. <a href="http://everonadairy.com/id15.html">Everona Dairy</a> is a Virginia supplier of raw milk cheeses, which were phenomenal. It took me a while to make a decision, but I took home a wedge of the Vegetable Ash Piedmont. And I greedily ate the whole thing myself. With their Herbs de Provence baked chips. The well seasoned chips were very light and delicate, which melted in my mouth accompanied by the creamy, sweet sheep's milk cheese that had an extra sweetness surprisingly from the vegetable ash.</div>
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It was a perfect snack on a rainy day with a good book. Sigh, now I'm just making myself hungry.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I'll continue to be on the hunt for more local, organic foods here in Virginia. I've still got an endless list going of recipe ideas for the blog once I get my gear unpacked, too, so next year will be exciting! Have a lovely holiday season! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Le Grand Fromage is not affiliated with any company mentioned in this post. I was not asked to author a post regarding any company, nor was I compensated in any manner.</i></span></div>
Brie: Le Grand Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12336500817219555030noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907470931503214707.post-90201431223752629382011-05-31T22:59:00.001-04:002013-03-05T10:29:52.986-05:00Cookbook Review: The Encyclopedia of Sandwiches by Susan Russo<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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Scented strawberries. Their sweet smell wafting on the humid Florida breeze signals the unofficial dawn of the summer.</div>
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With summer also comes dips in the pool and burgers on the grill. My favorite burger recipe still remains the <a href="http://foodblogga.blogspot.com/2009/10/deliciousturkey-burger-recipe-with.html">Apple & Gruyere Turkey Burger with Sage Mayo</a> by Susan Russo, aka <a href="http://foodblogga.blogspot.com/">Food Blogga</a>. She was one of the very first food bloggers I ever discovered, and she was coincidentally the first food blogger to follow me on Twitter. I was dumbfounded at the time. Susan Russo following my little Twitter feed.<br />
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Although she's far beyond my capacities, it has also been exciting to see her grow as well these past few years and how many people have been introduced to her amazing recipes. She's released two cookbooks in a very short time span, and both are equally fun and helpful, which is not something I usually brag on cookbooks as being. Susan's first cookbooks, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Recipes-Every-Should-Pocket-Companions/dp/1594744742/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1306895450&sr=8-3">Recipes Every Man Should Know</a>, co-authored by Brett Cohen, is a straight-to-the-point, witty, and useful guide to beginning cooks who want to master the basics on a delicious level. And her second cookbook, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-Sandwiches-Susan-Russo/dp/1594744386/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1306895450&sr=8-1">The Encyclopedia of Sandwiches</a>, by <a href="http://www.quirkbooks.com/">Quirk Books</a>, is the most useful and salivating cookbook I have yet come across.</div>
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Although I may be a self-labeled connoisseur of food, my fiancé has but one food group: sandwiches. Her new cookbook brought tears of joy to my eyes as I flipped through its crisp pages at all the dozens of new "meals" I could make to please such a picky palate.</div>
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To bring attention to my new fortune, I chose an unusual recipe to begin: Pound Cake Sandwiches. If I had chosen a more savory route, it could have disguised itself as a "regular" and not brought forth a yearning for recipe experimentation (plus, I just like sweets and I'm usually the one doing the cooking). Once my usual <a href="http://brielegrandfromage.blogspot.com/2010/10/project-food-blog-6-georgia-farms.html">pound cake</a> was baked and the smell lingering in the air, he soon ventures forth for a bite. This time, however, he discovered me slicing, buttering, and laying each piece on the hot griddle. Confused at first over whether or not my pound cake was thoroughly cooked, I assured him it was scrumptious, but we were instead having sandwiches - pound cake sandwiches. He watched my swift work and saw how quickly they came together. I handed him his plate and we each took a huge bite to begin. For something so simple, it's an impressive and luscious dessert sandwich. It reminds me of Southern short cake, only more mature. This is the perfect dessert of the summer.</div>
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We will easily be making quick work of Susan's other recipes and finding new favorites to enjoy many times over. You'll learn not only new recipes, but enjoy her witty humor and learn a little food history along the way. I highly encourage you to not only snag one for yourself, but grab another to give as a gift since it has universal appeal. Your taste buds will thank you.<br />
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<i>Quirk Books provided a free copy of the cookbook without any obligation for review, nor was any other form of compensation received/exchanged.</i></div>
Brie: Le Grand Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12336500817219555030noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907470931503214707.post-91571187504198159932011-04-30T23:27:00.001-04:002013-03-05T10:30:45.629-05:00Food Blog Forum - Orlando & A Giveaway<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
Something told me I should go to the Food Blog Forum event in Orlando. It was the closest food blogging event that had occurred to me, and the speakers looked spectacular: Jaden of <a href="http://steamykitchen.com/">Steamy Kitchen</a>, Julie of <a href="http://www.thelittlekitchen.net/">the little kitchen</a>, Helene of <a href="http://www.tarteletteblog.com/">Tartlette</a>, Dawn of <a href="http://www.wickedgooddinner.com/">Wicked Good Dinner</a>, and Lindsey of <a href="http://www.loveandoliveoil.com/">Love and Olive Oil</a>. So many food blogging idols in one room - I had to sign up!</div>
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And I had to get sick! Not a little sick, a *lot* sick. So sick as in the girl-who-coughs-in-your-face-when-you-ask-her-a-question-and-eventually-loses-her-voice type of sick. I knew the day before I left in my little rental car that it was all going downhill, but you can't put life on hold sometimes, so off I went hoping to make the best of it. Thankfully, my mental focus on not coughing as much as possible, and a high fever, helped keep me deliriously even tempered in the face of so much greatness.</div>
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On Friday evening, everyone was thrust into a mixer at <a href="http://wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/orlando/">Whole Foods</a>, with much wine, to hopefully jump right over any stage fright on meeting complete strangers. Although a few of us have forged deep relationships online with fellow bloggers, many times it can be a different story in person. Some only recognize people by their icons or names, so matching faces to blogs was a bit of a game at first. I actually wore my brown fedora for this reason, and it paid off since many did recognize me.<br />
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I said 'hello' to Julie first since she was guarding our badges, and then dove right into the food. I was excited our first food event was with organic foods, plus I was able to steal a conversation with the management to discuss bloggers and their contribution to the organic movement. It was very high society (i.e. I nodded my head and coughed out the most intelligence sounding answers as possible under the circumstances). This is how most of my first impressions went. Le sigh.</div>
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First, Nisrine of <a href="http://www.dinnersanddreams.net/">dinners + dreams</a> introduced herself when I went hunting for the elusive Brie Cake everyone was talking about. It was three tiers of brie; delicious, but no flour involved. Nisrine and I have been talking on Twitter for some time now, so it was fabulous getting to meet her in person. She's such a sweetie!</div>
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Then the lovely Aggie from <a href="http://aggieskitchen.com/">Aggie's Kitchen</a> introduced herself, as we've spoken on Twitter as well. She's very easy to talk to and we chatted it up with Julius from <a href="http://droolius.com/">Droolius</a> (yes, it rhymes). The three of us shared stories over the delicious crème brûlée made with fire right in front of us. I had the coffee and raspberry flavored sugars caramelized over the top - it was amazingly decadent.<br />
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To my surprise Asha from <a href="http://www.forkspoonnknife.com/">Fork Spoon Knife</a> parted her way through the crowd and introduced herself. I was freaking out, people! I had no idea she was coming all the way from New York City. I have drooled over her highly impressive photography skills for quite some time now, along with her fantastic recipes. I am a big fan of hers and we quickly formed a bond. She was so kind to me, even though I was sick, and we held many great conversations throughout the evening and weekend. Hopefully I can make it up to her neck of the woods one day soon.<br />
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Alas, the first evening came to a swift end over great food and kind company. I was thankful for the early evening though, so I could make my way back to the hotel and chug down a colossal amount of hot tea and doze off.<br />
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The next morning I ordered breakfast in bed since I was moving at a sloth's pace (note to self - enjoy breakfast in bed more often) and pulled myself together to check out and head on over to the official forum, held at the hospitality college of the University of Central Florida. It was a beautiful sunny day, not yet too warm either. Too bad we didn't have "class" outside since the meeting room was a bristling sixty degrees! I did proceed to hijack the complimentary hot tea before taking my seat. I think I left some hot water behind though, so it was fine.<br />
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Being back in a classroom really brought out my nostalgia for school, but I told myself to focus and began rifling through the goodie bag instead (more on that at the end). Jaden soon officially welcomed us to the forum and opened the floor to the event's first speakers: Jeff Houck, professional food writer of <a href="http://www.tboblogs.com/index.php/life/related/C70/">The Stew</a> for The Tampa Tribune, and Heather McPherson, food blogger of <a href="http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/features_food_blog/">The Dish</a>, and food editor and restaurant reviewer for The Orlando Sentinel. They were two of my favorite speakers of the forum. Jeff was like John Goodman as a foodie - he commands the room with his humor and expertise. Heather was more soft spoken, but an expert in her field and unafraid to speak her mind.<br />
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They both provided insightful and helpful information during their on-the-spot hour, including taking questions from the crowd. Jeff and Heather spoke from a professional point of view to help those bloggers who are seeking a path to a career from their blog, instead of occasional upkeep as a hobby. In summation, the following are some of my favorite words of wisdom:<br />
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<li>Have a niche with something new and relevant for food editors to write about;</li>
<li>Email a food editor to begin building a relationship, which may lead to collaboration events to help build your resume;</li>
<li>& "Respect the sad." - Heather</li>
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Jeff & Heather work on a higher ethical level than many food bloggers, so the complication with giveaways and free products were discussed. While they are unable to participate in such events, food bloggers are approached and have more freedom to offer items to their readers; however, a food blogger will have more credibility and a more dedicated following of readers if they choose wisely. You want people coming and reading your blog for its unique content, not due to the fact you have free junk every week that dozens of other bloggers have. I could have kept listening to those two for the rest of the day, but alas their schedules remain quite packed and they had to be off.<br />
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After a short break, and more cups of hot tea to no avail as my voice slowly disappeared, it was Jaden's husband, Scott, who spoke next. Scott is a professional poker player (I'll have to take him up on a game one day) and web guru of Jaden's sites. He's also a good motivational speaker, and he shared tips on how to be successful in your passion. A tip he provided that really stuck with me was to write down your goals and routinely reevaluate them to ensure you keep moving forward. I am a big believer in "Lists". I write a list for everything, no matter how trivial. This habit has always proven useful and rewarding, and is a habit of some successful people. Hearing his emphasis on this trait was positive confirmation that I have a skill set already in place to ensure I achieve my dreams, no matter if they are personal or professional.<br />
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Scott and Jaden's personalities play well off of each other, and their humor was fun to see in action. Jaden spoke next and shared her tips on successful blogging techniques. She shared some hard questions bloggers should ask themselves and work towards maintaining your own brand or motto, such as what emotions do you want people to feel when they visit your blog? Being consistent and having useful content will go a long way for your readers, and you.<br />
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Up next was the lovely Lindsey of <a href="http://www.loveandoliveoil.com/">Love & Olive Oil</a>. As a graphic designer, she was a great speaker and chock full of great advice for organizing your blog's content. Thankfully, I'm on track with her recommendations, so that was a relief.<br />
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And right before lunch, we were able to hear from <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/prscott">Peter Scott</a> who works for a social media marketing company. His key piece of instruction was the realization that what everyone else says about your brand, IS your brand; therefore, working your craft is important to ensure your message and content is clear and translatable.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Asha, Me, Aggie, & Helene</td></tr>
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Lunch was prepared by students at the hospitality college, so we walked across the warm courtyard together, snapping photos of each other along the way. I was getting anxious since my favorite part was approaching - Helene of <a href="http://www.tarteletteblog.com/">Tartelette</a>. She was the kicker for my attendance.<br />
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Helene brought her styling kit and we were able to see her in action after her presentation. Her advice was priceless, and she is so open and welcoming to questions. She emphasized that the shooting method doesn't matter as long as your photos encourage people to want to eat the food. The worst thing that can happen, she states, is to have to erase your memory card and eat your delicious food. Continue to practice and try again another day. Genius! Her styling kit had some nifty tools in it, such as a straw to blow away crumbs from a specific area instead of risking messing up a large area of the food you're working with. She styled a salad and dip for us, to show how to work with difficult food items (salads wilt quickly and dips are often not camera friendly). Her advice will be with me a lifetime to help with not only food shots, but make me think more creatively any time I use a camera.<br />
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We headed back to our classroom to hear Dawn from <a href="http://wickedgooddinner.com/">Wicked Good Dinner</a> speak next. She is such a spitfire! Dawn is soon to graduate as a chef, too, so congrats! She shared her experiences building her brand from the ground up, and how to grow as a food writer if you aspire to write for large companies. Basically, hard work pays off.<br />
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Lastly, Jaden closed out the event with her story of building her empire. More hard work and dedication! She answered many people's questions, such as how to diversify your income as a blogger and the importance of using social media to build contacts and a community to support your blog. All excellent advice that I've taken to heart for the future.<br />
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Asha and I paired up again to go change for the after party at <a href="http://mccormickandschmicks.com/locations/orlando-florida/conroy-road.aspx">McCormick & Schmick's</a> in the Mall at Millenia. They really rolled out the red carpet treatment for us, and we even got to use the valet parking - score! M&S had a succulent display of food for us to enjoy - drinks, a sushi bar, sautéed Gulf shrimp over coconut rice cakes, kobe sliders, and Florida grouper over plantains & black beans. It was a classy atmosphere to relax with my fellow food bloggers and get to know them better. Helene and Jaden even sat down for a bit to share stories with Asha and me. Helene has talent as a storyteller from her travels which dares to rival her photography. Lindsey and her husband, Taylor, are also sweethearts and shared hilarious tales of their cats. Denise from <a href="http://www.creativekitchenadventures.blogspot.com/">Creative Kitchen</a> finally found me at the end and we were able to chat a moment, but it was not nearly long enough. It's a shame we're all so spread out across the country, otherwise it would be a riot meeting every so often.<br />
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Alas, the forum came to an end, well over its scheduled time actually. The poor folks at M&S had to gently guide us to the door since we all just stood in the middle of their floor chatting and oblivious to the time. I am quite grateful to have met so many talented food bloggers and hope to get the chance to see them again soon. If you ever have the chance to attend a Food Blog Forum event, I highly suggest you do so.<br />
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Last, but not least, those of you who have made it this far will have a chance to be rewarded! You see, all throughout the day, Jaden was giving away a load of prizes from sponsors - and good ones. Full size mixers from KitchenAid, bakeware from Le Creuset, and dozens more. I was the lucky recipient of a copy of Jaden's book, <a href="http://steamykitchen.com/steamy-kitchen-cookbook">The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook</a>. While grateful and excited to win a prize, I already own it! With Jaden's permission, I asked her to sign the cookbook for the purpose of hosting a giveaway on my blog. Once lucky reader will win a brand new copy of her signed cookbook!<br />
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Jaden's debut cookbook features simple, fast, and delicious Asian recipes that anyone can make for dinner. The cooking instructions are clear and easy to follow, along with beautiful step-by-step instructional photos for each recipe. Her comforting writing leads you not only through each recipe flawlessly, but also covers essential cooking tools and an in depth explanation of foreign ingredients you'll encounter. You can be cooking like Jaden in no time!</div>
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<b>How to Enter</b>:<br />
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To be officially entered for the chance win one cookbook, The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook, signed by Jaden Hair, leave a comment in this post sharing your favorite recipe from her food blog, <a href="http://steamykitchen.com/">Steamy Kitchen</a>. Anyone is welcome to enter, but to contact the winner to receive their prize, <u>an email account and a continental United States shipping address is required</u>. Your email and address will not be shown or shared with any other party for any reason, and will only be collected for the intent and purpose of receiving the cookbook, if so chosen.<br />
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<b>Bonus</b>:<br />
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You can receive one extra entry by subscribing to Le Grand Fromage. Remember to leave a comment to receive credit for this action. If you already subscribe to Le Grand Fromage via email, leave a comment to still receive credit!<br />
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The giveaway will end May 20, 2011 at 11:59pm EST. Any comments received after this time will not be included in the giveaway. The winner will be selected using <a href="http://www.random.org/">Random.org</a>. The winner will be selected on May 21, 2011 and will be contacted via email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond, otherwise another winner will be selected.<br />
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Good luck!<br />
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<i>Disclaimer: Le Grand Fromage and Steamy Kitchen are in no way affiliated. The cookbook was a free prize with no obligations or attachments to Le Grand Fromage. The signature by Jaden Hair is authentic and received with Mrs. Hair's full permission, including the intent to host this free giveaway.</i></div>
Brie: Le Grand Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12336500817219555030noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907470931503214707.post-22514818542276101462011-03-19T21:27:00.003-04:002011-03-19T21:35:03.657-04:00Chicken & Dumplings<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">For this month's International Incident Party by <a href="http://jeroxie.com/addiction/international-incident-nostalgia-party">Jeroxie</a> (with me as a co-host since it's my birthday month!) we're featuring dishes of nostalgia.<br />
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Abstract definitely fits with my personality, and since food is such a major part of my life, a dish immediately sprang to mind: Chicken & Dumplings.<br />
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If I could say one item from my life that has always brought with it happiness and fond memories, it is chicken & dumplings. From the time I was a child, until the present, this classic dish warms my stomach and soul every time I am able to savor a bite. It tends to appear when things are calm and peaceful, allowing me to appreciate the little things of the moment and reflect upon all the blessings I have in my life.<br />
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My siblings and I grew up on this dish, and it's one of the few I believe we have each mastered in our way. I prefer the strips of dumplings my middle sister is known for, to the common dumpling "balls" of dropping the dough into the soup. My youngest sister is known for her spice mixtures, and can turn any classic recipe into her own. And our brother is a master at eating this soup, although he can wield a spatula in his own right when he feels up to it (and he is healing from his surgery, albeit slowly).</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Although chicken & dumplings are usually served with just onion, celery, and carrots, I love vegetables and add many more of my favorites that happen to be on hand. It helps individualize the soup and create a heartiness that can stand up to the thick dumplings. The soup is more satisfying and is a lovely personal touch to experiment with your favorite vegetable sampling. Enough recipes exist for practically every cook, with differences that range from how to cook the chicken, to which seasonings should accompany the dish. Chicken & dumplings is a classic for many people, so start experimenting and create new memories with potential nostalgia for your loved ones, too.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Chicken & Dumplings</b></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/legrandfromageprintablerecipes/chicken-dumplings?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Printable Recipe</span></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u>Soup</u></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">3 lbs. farm-raised, organic, whole chicken (<a href="http://brielegrandfromage.blogspot.com/2010/11/chicken-roast-stock-gravy-mashed.html"><i>roasting instructions</i></a>) </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">16 cups filtered water</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 large onion, medium chopped</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">6 large celery stalks, medium chopped</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">6 medium carrots, peeled and medium chopped</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 large leek, medium chopped</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 medium bell peppers, medium chopped</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">10 large crimini mushrooms, medium chopped</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/4 cup raw milk </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 tbsp kosher salt</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 tbsp black pepper</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 tbsp dried thyme</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u>Dumplings</u></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 cups all-purpose flour</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 tbsp baking powder</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 tsp kosher salt</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/2 cup raw milk</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">After roasting the chicken and removing it from the oven, allow it to rest while you prepare the water. In a very large soup pot, add 16 cups water and bring it to a low boil. While the water is heating, remove as much meat from the chicken bones as possible; set aside. Add the chicken bones and skin to the water and cook for 45 min.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">During this time, prepare your vegetables and set aside in a large bowl. Once the simple stock is finished cooking, use tongs and a spider to remove all the chicken bones and skin. Then add the vegetables, as well as the raw milk through dried thyme. Cook over medium-high heat for 30 min.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Prepare your dumplings by mixing together the flour through raw milk in a medium bowl. Liberally flour your working surface and roll out the dumplings to cut into rectangles.<br />
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Add to the soup one at a time, ensuring none stick together. Lower the heat to medium and cook for 20 min. Serve with fresh parsley if desired.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">~Yields 8-10 servings.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">~Original by Brie.</div><br />
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</script>Brie: Le Grand Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12336500817219555030noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907470931503214707.post-42866080919385061432011-03-02T20:04:00.002-05:002011-03-02T20:10:53.292-05:00Moussaka<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5174/5493176026_0d20991d39_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5174/5493176026_0d20991d39_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">These past two weeks, I'm beginning to feel like myself again. My pain is starting to subside, as I'm not uber cautious of any movement I make, unlike the first two months after the <a href="http://brielegrandfromage.blogspot.com/2010/12/wonton-crusted-chicken-tenders.html">accident</a>. My desire to cook has returned, although it's still slow going. My photos are blurry when I attempt to lean down towards the stove to get a photo of the food cooking, and I do not yet have the energy to set up a more beautiful final shot. I can tell I'm out of practice, but I wasn't in a rush to perfect being a food blogger just yet anyway.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">My meals have consisted of sandwiches, raw fruits and vegetables, and hot meals from New Leaf Market mostly while I've been unable to cook. I snuck in a few meals from our new Chipotle restaurant a few times, since I had never eaten there before they opened a shop here. I've had to make do with what I could get my hands on since I'm at the mercy of people who are willing to give me a ride, whether it be to the doctor's office or grocery shopping. I've never been without a car, and Tallahassee is not set up to be a walking city - nor have I been in any condition to go perusing around on foot. It's nice, however, not having to worry about the gas crisis at the moment, but assuming I'll have a new vehicle within the next few months, the issue might be worse at that point. Maybe I can convert my new car to run off of vegetable oil, since powering a car is about the only thing that gunk is good for.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I made moussaka a few days ago, one of the first dishes I've successfully made since December with little effort. The casserole dish allowed most of the cooking to be done while I sat and waited, so not being on my feet for long was helpful. This recipe is a blend of Middle Eastern and Greek traditions, and the addition of cinnamon is what makes this dish seem exotic. I think one of my favorite aspects of this dish, besides the wonderful flavors, is the tradition of allowing it to reach room temperature before serving. I normally do this with nearly all of my foods just as a personal preference, so to see it recommended for a dish is a treat.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Moussaka a group of familiar palate tastes, just in a neater package.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Moussaka</b></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/legrandfromageprintablerecipes/moussaka?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Printable Recipe</span></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">olive oil</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 extra large russet potatoes</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 large cloves garlic, diced </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 medium onion, chopped</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 large bell pepper, chopped</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">8 large mushrooms, medium sliced </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 lb ground beef or lamb </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">15oz tomato sauce</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/2 cup parsley, chopped </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 tsp kosher salt</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 tsp pepper </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 tsp cumin</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/2 tsp cinnamon</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 cup raw milk</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 eggs</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Wash the potatoes thoroughly and dry. Use a mandoline on 1/4" setting, and slice each potato.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, add 2 tbsp olive oil and place 1/4 potato slices into the pan without overcrowding. Cook for 2 1/2 min on both sides. Remove from the pan, add more oil, and repeat until all potatoes are cooked. (<i>Slice an extra potato to cook if you know you'll be snacking on the pieces - I did!</i>)</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Add the chopped garlic through mushrooms. Cook for 5-7 min, stirring occasionally, until translucent.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Next add the ground beef or lamb and cook for 10-12 min until fully cooked.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5216/5492582383_85c8a01b01_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5216/5492582383_85c8a01b01_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Add the tomato sauce through cinnamon, stir well, and turn off the heat.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5177/5493175422_b706a2090c_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5177/5493175422_b706a2090c_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Preheat the oven to 350*F. In an ungreased 13"x9" glass pan, add half the potato slices overlapping.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Next spoon in the cooked mixture and spread evenly.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Then add the remaining potato slices, also overlapping. Finally, in a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk, then pour evenly over the casserole. Bake for 35 min. (<i>Optional: After 30 min, remove the casserole and add 1 cup shredded cheese evenly, then finish baking.</i>)</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Remove from the oven and allow the moussaka to rest before serving, traditionally to room temperature. Optional toppings of Greek yogurt and fresh herbs, if desired.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">~Yields 4-6 servings.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">~Adapted from <a href="http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000001835303">Cooking Light</a>.</div>Brie: Le Grand Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12336500817219555030noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907470931503214707.post-66593702954714614552011-02-13T18:37:00.000-05:002011-02-13T18:37:43.069-05:00New Leaf Market: Fine Wine & Gourmet Food Sampler<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5059/5443297414_3312e51dc3_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5059/5443297414_3312e51dc3_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This past Saturday, New Leaf Market hosted its first fine wine and food festival. The event was held not only showcase the variety of expertise of their chefs, but also benefit a local elementary school.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The evening began with raw appetizers. The first selection was a raw vegetable wrap.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5094/5442694519_4514f26754_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5094/5442694519_4514f26754_z.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vegetable & Cheese Bruschetta</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4150/5442692837_80d81fb7e3_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4150/5442692837_80d81fb7e3_z.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Raw Pesto on Toasted Bread</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soy-based Balsamic Vegetable Dip</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fresh Herb Couscous</td></tr>
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</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Although New Leaf Market has been the area's best co-op for over 30 years, it has recently expanded its offerings to include a gourmet deli and catering branch, as well as refine their wine selection, among other helpful modernizations.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5180/5442692683_a174532d7a_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5180/5442692683_a174532d7a_z.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Seafood Course: Alaskan Pollock with Capers & Fresh Lemon Wedges</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4122/5442695407_cfc11d41ea_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4122/5442695407_cfc11d41ea_z.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dill Crusted Salmon</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salmon Cakes - My 3rd favorite of the evening.</td></tr>
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</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This rapid expansion may have been missed, even by its most dedicated of customers. The event, only $15 (with $5 of each ticket benefiting the local school), displayed the assortment of delectable dishes available from their creative chefs, as well as offer a generous wine tasting from their expanded selections.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4145/5442693901_a798622cb8_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4145/5442693901_a798622cb8_z.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Pork Course: Marinated Pork Chops with Caramelized Onions</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4143/5443297184_1a68724f97_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4143/5443297184_1a68724f97_z.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Savory Bacon & Onion Tarts</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Southwestern Pulled Pork Shoulder - My favorite of the evening.</td></tr>
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</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The market filled up quickly as the patrons were eager to get started. As soon as the clock struck 7:00pm, the food and wine started pouring - literally.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5019/5442695629_4a76a80962_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5019/5442695629_4a76a80962_z.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicken Salad Puff - My 2nd favorite.</td></tr>
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</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The chefs were hardly able to make their way out of the kitchen before their trays of goodies were obliterated. Hands were reaching from every direction, as people were touching elbows from the mass of people in the organized chaos.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Dessert Course: Candied Orange Rinds in Orange Marmalade on Shortbread Cookies with Whipped Cream. Not Photoed: Blackberry Reduction Over Shortbread Cookies with Whipped Cream.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5020/5442694903_dbb52b7db8_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5020/5442694903_dbb52b7db8_z.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Key Lime Pie Tarts</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5219/5442696171_bdaa3d4137_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5219/5442696171_bdaa3d4137_z.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chocolate Sandwich Shortbread Cookies</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I attempted to get the best photos possible, but sometimes only three pieces were left on the trays by the time I moved the camera up to take a shot. One of the head chefs must have known what I was up to, as she snuck me back into the kitchen for a few nice shots of the trays before they brought them out. I think a few of the patrons thought I was attempting to sneak food when I came back out from the kitchen, but I pointed to my camera and they nodded in approval.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Cheese Course: Sweet Grass Dairy Soft Cheeses</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5051/5443300194_cf565a80a9_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5051/5443300194_cf565a80a9_z.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Highlight of the Event: Opening an 80 lb. wheel of Parmesan Reggiano from Italy.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5253/5442696711_616e684dd8_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5253/5442696711_616e684dd8_z.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One person holds the wheel, while the other wedges it open after slicing the rind.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5019/5442696995_5a903aac0e_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5019/5442696995_5a903aac0e_z.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Splitting it open.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4080/5443301120_c7de0c4cfa_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4080/5443301120_c7de0c4cfa_z.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Creamy perfection. The cheese had been aged since 2008.</td></tr>
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</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">If I was happy at seeing everyone enjoying the food and wine, New Leaf must have been ecstatic! I told them I needed to find an excuse the throw a party just so I could eat this much of their food again in one sitting.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5051/5442692213_9c945655b8_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5051/5442692213_9c945655b8_z.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my purchases from the event.</td></tr>
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</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I chose to purchase an Italian sparkling wine by Mondoro and a German Riesling by blüfeld, the most popular of the evening. I also found two French Chardonnays and a Merlot to enjoy the next time I host book club.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Every morsel of food and each sip of wine was absolutely delicious. I am a very lucky person to have such a sophisticated organic market in a petite Southern town. Thank you to New Leaf Market for hosting such a lovely evening!</div>Brie: Le Grand Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12336500817219555030noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907470931503214707.post-21102924967460429172011-01-24T01:06:00.001-05:002011-01-24T01:07:42.576-05:00Savory Triangles & Sweet Curd Sauce<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AgHgiLau5uc/TTzileDmF_I/AAAAAAAAAto/j2smX5cxjOo/s1600/autumn%2527s+drawing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="393" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AgHgiLau5uc/TTzileDmF_I/AAAAAAAAAto/j2smX5cxjOo/s640/autumn%2527s+drawing.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">My family. We have our quirks and inside jokes, but I love my siblings more than anything. They have always been the light in the darkness of my life.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This past week, my brother went for some tests since he had not been feeling well. We all may not like the doctor, but since our father passed away so young from heart disease, we don't mess around.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">After being admitted to the hospital and undergoing testing all day, the tests came back negative last Monday and the doctors said he was the picture of health. He kept reiterating that something was wrong and wanted more tests done. We certainly didn't want them to find anything wrong, but better safe than sorry, so he stayed overnight for observation and to prepare for more tests.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I didn't hear from anyone all day last Tuesday and I was getting really nervous. My brother was under general anesthesia for two of the tests and I was praying they would find something simple and easily fixable, if anything, to help him feel better.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Late Tuesday night, I was able to get his girlfriend on the phone and the news was regrettably not good. The doctors had diagnosed him with a very rare disorder, called Brugada's Syndrome. This disorder involves the electrical impulses that keep the heart functioning, so if the disorder ever leaves its dormancy and becomes active, it can cause sudden death. Since the disorder has no predictability, the only thing that can be done to counteract it is to implant a pacemaker and defibrillator.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I lost it.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I was trying to control myself on the phone so his girlfriend could catch me up on the past two days and how the doctors had confirmed without a doubt he had this disorder, but I didn't say much since I wasn't holding myself together well. As soon as we finished talking, I ran into the office to tell Guy, where I nearly collapsed from crying so hard. I would not have been able to organize everything to get down to my brother so quickly without Guy's strength.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">And that was just my reaction - what the junk was my brother going through?!?</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">They were going to do the surgery as soon as possible on Wednesday. I obviously couldn't sleep on Tuesday night, so I exhausted myself researching the disorder online, packing, etc. On Wednesday morning, I called the dog sitter, but she was out running errands, so we had to wait for her to come home before we could leave. She took much longer than anticipated, and the trip to my hometown is several hours away. Once I said a sad goodbye to my confused pooch, I kept myself mentally busy while Guy drove (since we are still trying to work out a replacement car from my accident last month), and we finally made it to town Wednesday afternoon.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Our mom works at the local hospital, so my brother had a large room that allowed our family to fit inside and be with him during this emotional time. He was sleeping and being checked on by a nurse when we reached the room, and everyone was pretty quiet. I had wanted us to arrive before the surgery to speak with him, but it turns out they had just brought him out of surgery. I just stood by his bed, staring at him sleeping, not knowing what to think. This discovery is not a one-time event. The battery will need to be replaced on the devices, which means more surgery within every ten years, not to mention avoiding complications during his lifetime. I have been having a hard time recovering from my accident, but my brother's disorder and surgery puts this in a whole new perspective.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">My brother is a unique person and handled this entire process better than anyone else I know could. He kept thanking the doctors and nurses, thanking my family and I for being by his side, and trying to keep us laughing as usual. My middle sister and our beaus stayed late on Wednesday night talking and keeping our brother company, which hopefully helped take his mind off the pain (with the help of medications). I couldn't bring myself to leave, so Guy and I stayed the night in the hospital. My brother was so sweet and kept asking if my back was okay in the chair I was sleeping in beside his bed, but I told him not to worry since it doesn't compare to what he's going through. It was somewhat comforting to be with him and help him during the night, to know he wasn't in that room all alone.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The doctors discharged him the next day, so we packed everything up and took off for his little apartment. We made a fort out of pillows and tried to tuck him in as best as possible, but those hospital bendy beds are much more forgiving after major surgery. Guy and I stayed one more night so we could check in on my brother the next day, since most everyone had to return to work after being out all week. We started watching Man v. Food again (we both love the show and had stayed up until 2am in the hospital watching it together), which caused him to ask for cheese fries over and over - but he was a little out of it from the pain medication. I of course couldn't say no, so we headed to the store to gather supplies. I made him some cheese fries, which he loved, but it was sadly time to return home. It was very hard to leave, but he's in good hands and we couldn't stay forever.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">My sisters and I have to be tested now for Brugada's Syndrome as well. It's usually only found in males, but since our brother has been diagnosed, we need to be checked. I'm not ready to mentally face that yet, but I will have to soon. Obviously, I turned to my kitchen for comfort, trying to feel some sense of normalcy after this week; however, I came home to most of my food being spoiled. I cleaned out the fridge and freezer, making something from anything I had left - including a strong drink.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">All the vegetables I had left were cooked with spices, then wrapped in phyllo dough and baked through. I whipped up some sweet curd sauce to counter the savory triangles in just a few minutes. The dish was comforting, quick, and simple - just the item I needed after a trying week (and I didn't even experience the difficult part). I hope you'll be able to enjoy this dish in brighter spirits. I'm grateful my brother was able to get help and he's at home recovering, I just wish he didn't have to go through any of this. My siblings and I are optimistic people, plus we have each other, so we'll keep laughing and joking together through anything in life.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Savory Triangles & Sweet Curd Sauce</b></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/legrandfromageprintablerecipes/savory-triangles-sweet-curd-sauce?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Printable Recipe</span></a><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/4 cup olive oil</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/2 large onion, diced</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 cloves garlic, minced <br />
2 cups broccoli florets</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 cups cauliflower florets</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 cups spinach<br />
1 tbsp curry<br />
2 tsp coriander<br />
1 tsp black pepper<br />
1 tsp kosher salt<br />
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phyllo dough - 8 strips, 4" wide, 3 layers deep<br />
8 oz smoked Gouda, shredded <br />
melted ghee<br />
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6 oz sour cream<br />
1/4 cup fine organic sugar<br />
1 egg yolk<br />
2 tsp fresh lemon juice<br />
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In a lipped skillet, add the olive oil over medium heat and add the onion. Cook for 5 min to allow the onions to brown. Then add the garlic, broccoli, and cauliflower and cook for 5 min.<br />
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Next add the spinach and all spices, stirring occasionally. Cook until the spinach has wilted and all ingredients are mixed well. Remove from the heat.<br />
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Preheat the oven to 400*F. Lay down a kitchen towel and cut the phyllo dough into 8 strips that are 4" wide and 3 layers deep.<br />
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Using one strip at a time, add 1/4 cup of the vegetable mixture, top with 1 oz Gouda, and wrap into triangles.<br />
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Repeat with the other strips.<br />
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On a baking sheet, brush with ghee and lay down each triangle. Then liberally brush each triangle with ghee.<br />
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Bake for 12 - 15 min until the triangles are browned.<br />
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While the triangles are baking, fill a small pot half way with water and simmer over low heat. Add a second metal bowl on top to create a double boiler, and add the sour cream and sugar. Whisk together until the sour cream has melted. Then add the egg yolk and continue whisking to prevent it from cooking, then drizzle in the lemon juice until fully combined. Remove from the heat and pour into a serving bowl.<br />
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Remove the triangles from the oven and serve warm.<br />
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~Yields 8 triangles.<br />
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~Original by Brie.</div>Brie: Le Grand Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12336500817219555030noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907470931503214707.post-37663814929688247592011-01-13T20:35:00.002-05:002011-01-17T02:44:50.097-05:00Lucy & Leo's - Cupcake Wars<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5164/5351410400_db521ecedf_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5164/5351410400_db521ecedf_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Lights.</div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Camera.</div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Cupcakes. </div></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">On Tuesday night <a href="http://www.lucyandleoscupcakery.com/">Lucy & Leo's Cupcakery</a> put Tallahassee, FL on the map! They proudly competed in Food Network's Cupcake Wars after being contacted to come out and take a chance on winning $10,000 and instant cupcake fame. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Lucy & Leo's has been a gem of Tallahassee's for several years now. The cupcakery is named after co-owners Jean & Paula's dog Leo & the pup-next-door Lucy. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Jean & Paula started selling their family recipe cupcakes from their home, and soon had to find a storefront to keep up with demand.<br />
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A quaint spot in the area of Tallahassee labeled Midtown is a perfect location to feed die-hard fans and welcome newcomers. Lucy & Leo's is well known for their consistently delectable cupcakes of moist cake and rich frosting, plus their dedication to regularly creating new winning flavors.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">They use many organic ingredients, like milk and sugars, in the cupcakes which helps keep the flavors bright and clean, instead of the often artificial synthetic flavors other bakeries use. Although you can't go wrong ordering any of their cupcakes, some of my favorites are the German Chocolate Cake Cupcake and the Grasshopper Cupcake (chocolate + mint). <span class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">During the holidays, they made an Eggnog cupcake which was pure heaven. </span></span></span>To ensure everyone can enjoy a cupcake every now and then, they also feature gluten-free, sugar-free, and vegan cupcakes every week. And, my personal favorite, Happy Hour Fridays! They feature 'happy hour' flavored cupcakes like Amaretto Sour, Margarita, and <span class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">Guiness each Friday and even stay late some days relaxing with the regulars.</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">In addition to their voluptuous cupcakes, they also create mini-cupcakes and cakeballs from their daily flavors. They love working with clients to create individual requests for weddings and other celebrations, some of which have included Monopoly and Cheshire Cat cupcakes as seen on their website. </span></span></span><span class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">If you're a <a href="http://twitter.com/LucyLeo">Twitter</a> follower of their shop, you can also discover sneak peak announcements of BOGOs and new flavors.</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content"></span></span></span><span class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">Lucy & Leo's has definitely turned me into a lover of cupcakes, something I was not before they came along.</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5161/5351373630_f6b2321ee0_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5161/5351373630_f6b2321ee0_z.jpg" /></a></div><span class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">To thank their loyal fans, Paula & Jean held a premier party Tuesday night during the airing of their show at the 5th Avenue Tap Room across from their shop in Midtown. These two ladies are still humble in their sudden leap in fame, and are as dedicated to their customers as they are Tallahassee. They're often involved in supporting Midtown's shops, as Jean is President of the Midtown Merchants Association, as well as local animal shelters since both Lucy & Leo were adopted from the <a href="http://www.lchs.info/">Leon County Humane Society</a>. They had shared their audition video for Cupcake Wars months ago, so the fans had been waiting a long time to see them on tv!</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5210/5351373068_7730727c9e_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5210/5351373068_7730727c9e_z.jpg" /></a></div><span class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">The room looked sleek and elegant, with their surprise cupcakes lighting up the room. Although we were unable to discuss what magical ingredients were hidden in each one, we were free to taste upon arrival. They had done such a beautiful job of displaying the cupcakes, I was hesitant to pick any up; however, I reminded myself who had made them and quickly snatched up all four flavors. It was at this point I knew if they had made four flavors, they had at least made it to Round 2, but I sequestered my excitement for the moment.</span></span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5003/5350760447_e25d23c0b4_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5003/5350760447_e25d23c0b4_z.jpg" /></a></div><span class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">Soon Jean & Paula took to the stage to welcome everyone and thank their fans for their support not only of their cupcakes for these past several years, but also for their excitement and believing in them to do well on Cupcake Wars.</span></span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5205/5351373910_692c38ba79_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5205/5351373910_692c38ba79_z.jpg" /></a></div><span class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">Moments later, after the cheering had died down, the speakers began playing the familiar introduction to the show and Jean was on screen! Thankfully nothing much happened in those first few minutes because you wouldn't have been able to hear them over the roar of the fans.</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">The theme of their show was 'Weddings'. Thus, their first cupcake had to include the old adage, 'Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue'. Jean & Paula had to include ingredients that fit these four criteria into one single cupcake. Their cupcake included the following: </span></span></span><span class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">Old - balsamic vinegar, New - marzipan, Borrowed - matcha powder, Blue - blueberries. This was the most complexly flavored cupcake of the evening, and my personal favorite (I went and bought two more the next day since I was modest and only had one at the party).The matcha powder I had guessed incorrectly as being wasabi due to the tang from the balsamic vinegar reduction. The cupcake was vanilla and had blueberries in it, with the green tea frosting topped by a marzipan flower which held another blueberry with the reduction. The flavors were not busy as one might expect, but melded perfectly. Although this cupcake is time consuming, I would buy it regularly for its sophisticated notes. The judges seemed to enjoy the cupcake, and only complained that the vanilla cupcake was too plain with all the available options. Thankfully not a real complaint, but I assume they must find something to spice up the show.</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">With the success of the first round, Jean & Paula made it to Round 2! This round required them to invent three more cupcakes. Whew.</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">First, a Groom's Cake Cupcake consisting of chocolate and espresso flavors with a white chocolate drizzle and chocolate covered espresso bean as garnish.</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">Second, a timeless Raspberry Chambord Cupcake and champagne frosting, garnished with a fresh raspberry and sweet raspberry sauce.</span></span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5121/5351373348_b430f89069_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5121/5351373348_b430f89069_z.jpg" /></a></div><span class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">Third, a classic Southern Hummingbird Cupcake with fruity flavors and topped with pineapple and pecans in the shape of a hummingbird.</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">I was attempting to take notes on all the components of each cupcake, but I should have reserved eating them after hearing the descriptions, not at the same time. I just kept drifting off into space mumbling to myself how delicious they all were and so impressed how these amazing cupcakes could be made on a whim.</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">The judges decided to fault these cupcakes as not being decorated enough. Lame. The flavors were outstanding and the decorations were a classic representation of such a mature theme. Although I admit to being partial, the flavors were outstanding and thankfully the judges recognized this by advancing them to Round 3!</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">In this round, Jean & Paula had to create a tablescape to hold 1,000 cupcakes. 1,000. Yikes. They decided to create a Japanese oval table, which reminded me of the sideways 8 eternity symbol, complete with dark wood branches and wispy cherry blossoms. The table was gorgeous and brought the theme into focus, since all the cupcakes looked like they belonged on that table together. Jean gave a great speech to the judges explaining their choices and everyone at the party went wild with excitement!</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">The Tap Room seemed to be buzzing with anticipation over the next few minutes until the announcement of the winner. Everyone was on their feet ready to celebrate, but, alas our beloved cupcakery took second place. While we think the judges chose wrong (they did admit to deliberating much longer than normal), Lucy & Leo's has much to be proud of. Their feature on Cupcake Wars has brought them to a new level of recognition in the cupcake world and will bring many new customers, near and far.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">I was able to steal Paula away from the party for a few minutes to answer some behind-the-scenes questions about the show. While I knew filming would have to be long, I was surprised to learn they spent at least 15 hours filming in one day in Los Angeles. They had to buy new equipment and have it shipped out to be ready for anything that might be brought as a challenge on the show, since the studio is not fully equipped for each contestant (since they assume each team will want to use items that are familiar to them and their usual kitchens). Plus, the studio was kept freezing cold and extremely bright from a plethora of lights. The physical and emotion drain of filming sounded exhausting.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">All their decisions were made on the spot. They do not have any time to sit and think about what they should make or build, so the timed portion of the show is true to real time. The assistants in the third round are local chefs, culinary students, or volunteers that want to participate in the show. And what about all those extra cupcakes? Paula said they are donated to local food shelters or community programs for hungry children, plus the crew get their pick as well.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">Although it would have been a pleasure to see Lucy & Leo's win, I'm happy to hold onto them for a bit longer locally. Their publicity has opened them up to national clientele who can always send away for delicious individualized cupcake flavors for weddings and other parties.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">Congratulations to Lucy & Leo's for their amazing display of cupcakes and talent on the Food Network! Make sure to thank them when you become a regular, too.</span></span></span></div><br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/302/1460172/restaurant/Lucy-Leos-Cupcakery-Tallahassee"><img alt="Lucy & Leo's Cupcakery on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1460172/minilogo.gif" style="border: medium none; height: 15px; width: 104px;" /></a>Brie: Le Grand Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12336500817219555030noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907470931503214707.post-64161944425459099112011-01-09T23:37:00.001-05:002011-01-09T23:38:58.527-05:00Calvin & Hobbes Snowmen Sugar Cookies - 100th Post<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I've been reading a lot of Calvin & Hobbes lately.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I own all the books. I've reread them dozens of times. And I still cry a little inside when I read the Sunday comics in the newspaper and realize my favorite characters are nowhere to be found.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">You see, I knew I had found the right doctor to fix me up after the <a href="http://brielegrandfromage.blogspot.com/2010/12/wonton-crusted-chicken-tenders.html">accident</a> when his waiting room was full of the same comic books I have at home. It ensures I get to my appointments a little early so I can pick up where I left off a few days before. It gives me something to chuckle about while they're moving my spine back into place. ::shudders::</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I pretend I was actually injured while with Calvin & Hobbes on one of their soul searching sled rides, careening down the side of a steep mountain, only to end up in a slushy of half-frozen water from a pond at the bottom. It's a much more interesting story, that's for sure.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">All those comics got me thinking and have inspired the recipe for my 100th post - Calvin & Hobbes Sugar Cookies. Err, rather their infamous snowmen. It at least looks like Calvin took over for his mom in the kitchen, so it counts.<br />
<br />
It feels great to reach the 100th Post blogging milestone. I pledged to post more on my 1 year anniversary, and I have kept my word. I'll still be posting more inventive recipes in the new year, plus continuing my dairy series. And even if my <a href="http://brielegrandfromage.blogspot.com/2010/12/crescent-cookies.html">virtual book club</a> is sparse for a little while, I'll be sharing a book once a month, too.<br />
<br />
Bill Watterson revealed that Calvin's snowmen were his [Watterson's] way of making fun of the "pretentious blowhards" of the art world. Calvin's attitude and intellect were a perfect match on mocking those who believe literally anything can be art - although Calvin still blows anyone out of the water.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5121/5341924240_f7804f512f_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5121/5341924240_f7804f512f_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This one is labeled by Calvin himself, called "Bourgeois Buffoon". Too bad his mom didn't approve his grant application. This series could have really advanced the avant-garde artworld.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5002/5341923794_de4614f927_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5002/5341923794_de4614f927_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This is a piece from Calvin's "Snowmen House of Horror" series. The others were judged too gruesome to be seen here.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5006/5341924018_6f72acc4cd_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5006/5341924018_6f72acc4cd_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Lastly, this is titled "All Knowing" since Calvin's parents proclaimed you could always tell when you got to their house after seeing his latest creation compared to the other neighborhood snowmen.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I used cream cheese to hold the snowmen together, but the marshmallows are really just for decoration. I popped them off before enjoying the sugar cookies as they were intended to be eaten (which are slightly overcooked since I couldn't hop off the couch fast enough - le sigh).</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I hope you enjoyed this goofy recipe and thank you for helping me reach my 100th post. I think this is a great way to start the new year together.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Sugar Cookies</b></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/legrandfromageprintablerecipes/sugar-cookies?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Printable Recipe</span></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 sticks butter, softened</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 cup turbinado</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 tbsp brown sugar</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 cups all-purpose flour</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/2 tsp baking powder</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/2 tsp salt</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 large egg</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 1/2 tsp vanilla</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/4 cup fine organic sugar </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Preheat the oven to 375*F and line an extra large baking sheet with parchment paper.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In a stand mixer, add the butter and sugars and mix for 3 min. Meanwhile, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together and set aside.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5202/5341311443_5e286b5196_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5202/5341311443_5e286b5196_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Once the butter and sugars are creamed together, add the egg and vanilla, mixing well. Then slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5086/5341922968_f7b367cbc0_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5086/5341922968_f7b367cbc0_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Use an ice cream scoop to measure out 12 large cookies. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5002/5341923224_42928f1908_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5002/5341923224_42928f1908_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Before placing them on the baking sheet, roll the top and sides in fine sugar. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5206/5341923562_ec2bae69f2_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5206/5341923562_ec2bae69f2_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Press down the cookies to help flatten them before setting them in the oven. Bake for 15 min.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for 10 min before transferring to a cooling rack.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Icing</b></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 cups powdered sugar</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 tbsp raw milk</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Mix the powdered sugar and milk together, adjusting the thickness to the desired consistency by either adding more powdered sugar to make it thick or more milk to make it thin.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">~Yields 12 large sugar cookies.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">~Recipe adapted from <a href="http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2010/04/22/soft-chewy-sugar-cookies/">Brown Eyed Baker</a>.</div>Brie: Le Grand Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12336500817219555030noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907470931503214707.post-30168328786903823112010-12-22T14:50:00.001-05:002010-12-22T15:01:37.895-05:00Give The Gift Of Blondies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5086/5283205067_eebd373218_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5086/5283205067_eebd373218_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Looking for a last minute Christmas gift for someone? Instead of braving the mall, just give the gift of food.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The food-in-a-jar gift idea is a universal present since everyone has to eat, plus you can add a piece of fabric and ribbon at the top to make it more festive. The dry ingredients look like little sand sculptures, and different ingredients or recipes provide a different look. I'm sharing a simple Blondies recipe since the items are most likely to be in your pantry - and I've included a <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/legrandfromageprintablerecipes/blondies?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1">printable recipe card</a>! Remember to set your print settings to landscape and you'll have four recipes printed onto one piece of card stock. Slip the recipe into a Christmas card or add a hole punch and attach it to the jar's rim with a tied ribbon.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">You'll need the following materials (available at a local hobby shop):</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 quart mason jar</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Card stock paper</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Fabric (optional)</i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Ribbon (optional)</i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Dry Ingredients (per jar, in order of bottom to top):</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 cup all-purpose flour</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 tsp baking soda</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 tsp baking powder</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 tsp kosher salt</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 cup brown sugar, packed</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/2 cup turbinado</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/3 cup butterscotch chips</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/3 cup white chocolate chips</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips <br />
1/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5203/5283802588_3c7f3a5278_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5203/5283802588_3c7f3a5278_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I found that taking a piece of paper and making a funnel prevented any of the ingredients from spilling, as a regular funnel would get clogged. You will also need to pack down the brown sugar really tight to ensure the other ingredients will fit into the jar.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This gift allows you to share a delicious recipe with others without the worry of finding time to cook and wrap a baked good.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Happy Holidays!</div>Brie: Le Grand Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12336500817219555030noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907470931503214707.post-71721558519340982762010-12-21T00:04:00.002-05:002010-12-21T00:19:47.643-05:00Wonton Crusted Chicken Tenders<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This blog is my happy place.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I am able to meet other like-minded people, share recipes and photos, and learn new things about food and life. It's a place where I escape the monotony of life and its negatives, which is why I rarely mention piddly little things I do not care to remember or bother other people with. I like to keep things positive and focus on my blessings.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">(wait for it...) BUT</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">If you've seen my comments on Twitter, you'll know life threw me a curve ball the other day and I felt like you all deserved the whole story rather than my limited comments.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Last Wednesday evening, I was coming home from the dog park with Aurora. It was a busy night with people out Christmas shopping and the roads were full of cars, but was an otherwise cool, calm evening. I had just stopped at a red light and my cellphone's calendar alarm went off. Thinking it odd, since I knew I didn't have any plans, I held down Aurora with my right arm, reached down onto the passenger floorboard with my left arm, and picked up my cellphone.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">WHAM!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Rear-ended by a Cadillac.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">WHAM!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">My car was shoved several feet into the car in front of me. Also a Cadillac.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">My now oversized-accordion-formerly-known-as-a-car didn't make it.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AgHgiLau5uc/TRAxq1NsqoI/AAAAAAAAAtY/rkMZb9ytyr0/s1600/Accident+%252810%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AgHgiLau5uc/TRAxq1NsqoI/AAAAAAAAAtY/rkMZb9ytyr0/s640/Accident+%252810%2529.JPG" width="425" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">My little Toyota Echo. My first car. My only car. I've had it since it had 6 miles on the odometer in August 2001 - 10 years. It's been with me through everything in my adult life.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I didn't think it'd go out like that.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">My right arm is what prevented Aurora from being injured, so she thankfully escaped unharmed. I was in shock since I didn't see the other car coming. I grabbed my dog, attached her leash, and made our way to the sidewalk. I had to sit down as I was out of it and also shocked that I was in immediate pain. Being sore the next day was to be expected, but as I sat there in the cold darkness feeling pain slowly spread throughout my back and up my spine, I knew something was wrong. I was thankfully not bleeding, but I couldn't keep a clear head and was trying to sit still so I could decide how bad of shape I was really in.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The gentleman that caused the accident was kind and kept checking on me (the same with the other person in the front car), but Aurora was not having it. For the entire time we waited on law enforcement to arrive, she kept vigilant to keep everyone away from me. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AgHgiLau5uc/TRAzjItTjTI/AAAAAAAAAtc/I3fGZ1AMcOM/s1600/IMG_0276.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AgHgiLau5uc/TRAzjItTjTI/AAAAAAAAAtc/I3fGZ1AMcOM/s640/IMG_0276.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My warrior.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Guy arrived soon after the accident since I called him right away, and then Aurora thought it was a party. I felt relief emotionally to have him with me so soon, but the physical pain wasn't going away.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">When law enforcement and the wrecker arrived, I declined taking an ambulance ride since I knew the wait would be long and the only thing they could probably do for me was prescribe medication; plus, if anything didn't feel right, I could always change my mind. Guy and I emptied a few necessities from my car, loaded everything into his car, and headed home. I had a panic moment soon enough when my neck and left jaw started going numb. I changed the position I was resting in to keep my spine and neck straight to prevent it from getting worse due to the swelling. Guy and Aurora kept watch over me that night and we made it through.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I waddled around the next day making necessary phone calls and setting up appointments. I was able to see a specialist right away who confirmed I had some injuries, and was scheduled for an MRI later that night for my neck and lower back. I had to rest over the weekend since it was too soon to start moving anything around. It was a long weekend, with more things becoming sore and being unable to find any position to offer relief from whatever was going on with my spine. I've never had to deal with an injury before and this foreign experience has not been pleasant.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Today I made my way back to the doctor who read me the results of the MRI. I was nervous. I was biting my lips. I was trying not to cry. I wasn't myself.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">He spoke of technical terms and my spine, which basically translates to this: two bulging discs in my mid-neck, loss of curvature in my lumbar discs, two bulging discs in my lumbar spine, and one herniated disc in my lower lumbar with a torn annulus that is touching some outer nerves, which has me very, very close to needing surgery. Due to my young age and previous great health, we're going to try everything to avoid surgery. It's still too early to begin intensive treatment, which will involve extending my spine to relieve pressure and hopefully move the spinal cord back into place. I am scared of what this means, as I've been warned I will feel worse before I feel better. I will remain optimistic and do whatever I can to heal, dealing with anything that occurs as best I can. I keep telling myself it could be worse and reminding myself of the blessings I have.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Many of you have already expressed your concern and sent me well wishes, which has really touched me. Thank you for your kindness that extends beyond these pages. I will keep you all up to date with my progress, but I also do not want to hijack my blog with this event. I do not want to come across as a complainer, plus food is far more interesting.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The only recipe I have ready to share are these crunchy chicken fingers. As Andy on The Office would say, "They're finger lickin' delicious!"</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The crushed wontons provide a thicker, heartier crunch than breadcrumbs and they do not require you to pull out a fryer. The baking keeps the wontons crunchy without chancing them getting soggy from any oil. You can add any spices you like to the coating to meld them to your liking. I actually didn't use any spices in my first batch since I ate them with my <a href="http://brielegrandfromage.blogspot.com/2010/10/german-pretzel-pizza.html">mustard</a>, which provides plenty of flavor on its own. The chicken finger recipe I'm sharing has spices added until you can whip up a batch of mustard yourself. It's worth it!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5281/5256809210_1ec625a0de_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5281/5256809210_1ec625a0de_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Wonton Crusted Chicken Tenders</b></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/legrandfromageprintablerecipes/wonton-crusted-chicken-fingers?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Printable Recipe</span></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 lb chicken breast</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 cup buttermilk</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/2 cup all-purpose flour</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 tsp kosher salt</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 tsp paprika</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 tsp turmeric</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/2 tsp curry</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 large egg, beaten</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 cup wontons, crushed</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Trim off any excess fat from the chicken breast and slice into equal strips so they will cook evenly.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5284/5256809402_7b4f5ae465_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5284/5256809402_7b4f5ae465_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In a medium bowl, add the chicken and pour in the buttermilk, tossing to ensure the chicken is well coated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5125/5256198369_d81a3bb5e0_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5125/5256198369_d81a3bb5e0_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Drain the buttermilk and add the flour through curry, mixing well. Place the egg and wontons into their own individual bowls.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5009/5256809984_4507522f84_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5009/5256809984_4507522f84_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Preheat the oven to 475*F and butter a baking sheet. Dip the chicken pieces one at a time into the egg and then into the crushed wontons before placing them on the baking sheet.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Bake for 4 min. Use an oven mitt to remove the pan and flip each piece with tongs. Place back in the oven and bake for 4 min more.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">~Yields 8 pieces.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">~Original by Brie.</div>Brie: Le Grand Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12336500817219555030noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907470931503214707.post-60224617871211401422010-12-15T23:43:00.002-05:002010-12-15T23:51:09.916-05:00Crescent Cookies<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Christmas cookie season is in DEFCON mode.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Recipes and cookies are flying all over the place.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I guess it's time to contribute my part to this madness. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5247/5256139599_b9bc4eb20c_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5247/5256139599_b9bc4eb20c_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Last year I shared my most prized recipe and tradition of <a href="http://brielegrandfromage.blogspot.com/2009/12/potato-chip-cookies.html">Potato Chip Cookies</a>. This year I'm going with another classic: Crescent Cookies.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">These cookies are known by many names and treasured by cultures around the world: Wedding Cookies, Tea Cakes, <span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">Kourambedes, M</span><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">antecados, </span>Pastelitos de Boda, <span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">and the list goes on.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5250/5256751060_90e751c747_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5250/5256751060_90e751c747_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;"></span>The ingredients may differ slightly, but the result is the same - a crisp, sweet cookie that melts in your mouth like snow on your tongue. It's heavenly.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">I actually received this recipe last year around the holidays while visiting family in Central Florida. A sweet neighbor brought over a tray of these cookies, which were some of the best I've ever taste. I gushed over their delight. To my surprise, the lovely lady flagged me down and provided me with the recipe just as we were heading out of town in the car. I was both shocked and grateful. I pulled out the recipe from my cabinet this week and thought I should continue passing along the gift.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5165/5256748988_8a3176425d_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5165/5256748988_8a3176425d_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;"></span><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">It has me thinking about legacy and history. Not everyone is taught how to cook by their grandmother from a foreign land, full of tradition. Sometimes treasures are discovered in other ways, like cookbooks or other literacy.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">You may remember I am a book club member and love reading. Not a fan of e-readers, I prefer the old school method of going down to a local book shop, thumbing through a seemingly endless selection, and buying a physical representation of someone's heart and soul. I love the smell and wonder of reading a new book. Feeling it in my hands. Learning and interpreting something new. Reading is so important, as the tradition of passing down history and knowledge is like a fountain of youth.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">I have discovered by reading other food blogs that many of my fellow recipe authors also enjoy a good book. This has led to my decision to start an online food book club. Once a month, those who would like to participate, may post a book review that contains a recipe inspired by the chosen book for that month. The inspiration can by anything related, from a recipe mentioned in the story to a period dish that represents the time frame of the characters and settings. </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">I want this experience to be enjoyable. The books and recipes will not be restrictive, so the reviews will not be limited to cookbooks, nor do the recipes have to be something ancient. I would like other food bloggers to experiment with natural ingredients to make over a recipe or try an old dish for the first time. Just real food inspired by real books.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
<span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">If enough people are interested, we may work out a system to have others pick book selections or come up with additional ideas. For now, we'll just keep it simple and see how it goes.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
The first book will be <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Consuming-Passions-Food-Obsessed-Michael-West/dp/0060984422/ref=cm_lmf_tit_6">Consuming Passions: A Food-Obsessed Life</a>. I have not read this book, but the reviews are positive for both the charming portrayal of Southern American life and recipes. The author writes about her misunderstanding of healthy fats and cooking, while sharing classic Southern American recipes. I am interested to see the reviews from other food blog authors and whether they agree or disagree with the author's thoughts of fats and cooking styles.<br />
<br />
<span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">The Food Book Club will "meet" on the 15th of each month, thus posting their book review and recipe at 3pm EST (<a href="http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html">convert to your local time here</a>). If you'd like to attend the first "meeting", just add your blog to the list below! I must be able to contact you via email to share the linking code, as this must be on all participants' blogs.</span></div><br />
<script src="http://www.linkytools.com/thumbnail_linky_include.aspx?id=59748" type="text/javascript">
</script><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Now that the big announcement is over, it's time to get to cooking.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Crescent Cookies</b></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/legrandfromageprintablerecipes/crescent-cookies?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Printable Recipe</span></a><br />
<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 sticks butter, room temperature<br />
1/4 cup turbinado<br />
1 tsp vanilla <br />
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted<br />
1/2 cup pecans, finely minced<br />
1/2 cup walnuts, finely minced<br />
1/2 cup powdered sugar <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5161/5256137985_2927bfe0a4_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5161/5256137985_2927bfe0a4_z.jpg" /></a></div><br />
First cream together the butter, turbinado, and vanilla.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5041/5256749912_0c99b665ab_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5041/5256749912_0c99b665ab_z.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Then slowly add the flour and nuts, just mixing until combined.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5162/5256137623_347c15b5e8_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5162/5256137623_347c15b5e8_z.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Spoon the dough onto plastic wrap and mold into a log. Wrap tight and refrigerator for at least 30 min.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5047/5256749510_79b7d2930b_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5047/5256749510_79b7d2930b_z.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Preheat the oven to 350*F. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and cut into 1/2" circles (<i>the dough freezes well and not all cookies need to be baked immediately</i>). Use your hands to gently mold the cookies into crescent shapes. The dough is loose and can crumble easily, so take your time with this step.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5047/5256750316_f2416ca8b1_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5047/5256750316_f2416ca8b1_z.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Bake for 12 min. (<i>I like the ridge left at the top since it holds more powdered sugar.</i>)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5206/5256138943_d1aa4b2a36_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5206/5256138943_d1aa4b2a36_z.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Allow the cookies to cool for 10 min on the sheet. Then dip into powdered sugar and enjoy. These even taste better the next day!<br />
<br />
~Yields 22 cookies.<br />
<br />
~Recipe by Warlene.</div>Brie: Le Grand Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12336500817219555030noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907470931503214707.post-11453810770547854832010-12-14T01:00:00.003-05:002010-12-14T01:17:21.173-05:00Fried Egg Over Home Fries<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Baby, it's cold outside!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Normally, Florida only experiences winds like this during a tropical storm or little hurricane. The hibernating branches have awoken from their slumber to beat heavily against the house and windows all day and night. I've discovered cracks in the window seals when the cold wind hisses through into the house and makes us all shiver. A great excuse to curl up closer in a blanket to remain warm though.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">On days like this, I miss our old fireplace to help keep warm.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Which had me thinking about a dish <a href="http://survivingtheworld.net/">Dante</a> asked about the other night: Home Fries.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5085/5256906746_750b252e16_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5085/5256906746_750b252e16_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I couldn't remember the last time I enjoyed hot and tasty Home Fries. Obviously, this calls for a remedy.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Home Fries just refers to a simple dish of potatoes that are made at home. The potatoes need to be twice baked to ensure they are not raw and do not burn. I like the boiling method because it softens the center of each piece rapidly and helps create a beautiful crust when cooked the second time without browning too much. The accompaniments to the potatoes are endless. I've added onions and mushrooms since I had some moping about in the refrigerator, which nearly makes this dish the French Lyonnaise Potatoes, but I still consider it Home Fries simply because I can. If you choose to use bell peppers, the dish would be Potatoes O'Brien, but then I start craving spirits in my coffee, and that's not the recommended way to start a weekday morning - so I'll just stick to the potatoes.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5042/5256295709_744ec5cf2a_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5042/5256295709_744ec5cf2a_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The delicious potatoes. I love adding turmeric to this dish to make the colors pop. It accents the browned potatoes and adds a delicate sweetness to balance the salty bacon. Oh, the bacon! I cook the bacon first and use the grease to cook the potatoes the second time. This adds flavor by leaps and bounds, plus the browning is better than other fats for this dish. I recommend fresh thyme to be thrown in at the end, although I forgot to pick some up at the store and had to use dried. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5169/5256905104_1fee785ebf_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5169/5256905104_1fee785ebf_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">To round out the breakfast, I added a fried egg. I prefer mine over medium, which means I cook it on both sides until the yolk is barely runny. This adds just a touch of smoothness to eat bite.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5124/5256294003_8242e8bd5e_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5124/5256294003_8242e8bd5e_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So put on that pot of coffee (I won't tell anyone if you add more than cream) and get this dish started. It's a sure way to stay warm and perk yourself up on these cold winter mornings.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Home Fries</b></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/legrandfromageprintablerecipes/home-fries?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Printable Recipe</span></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">6 slices bacon</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">4 tbsp bacon fat (or <a href="http://brielegrandfromage.blogspot.com/2010/08/organic-homemade-ghee.html">ghee</a>)</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">4 Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1/2" cubes</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/4 yellow onion, medium diced</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">8 medium crumini mushrooms, medium diced</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 tsp turmeric</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/2 tsp paprika</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5002/5256294139_38992c7488_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5002/5256294139_38992c7488_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Preheat the oven to 450*F. Using an oven pan with a lip, lay 6 slices of bacon and cook for 25 min. (<i>I like my bacon charred. If you prefer softer bacon, reduce the cooking time.</i>)</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5169/5256905618_434a2fea29_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5169/5256905618_434a2fea29_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Meanwhile, in a medium pot over medium heat, add 6 cups water and cook the potatoes at a low boil for 15 min. Drain and add to a large skillet to allow to release steam. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5049/5256294461_6e1f189b13_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5049/5256294461_6e1f189b13_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Once the bacon has finished cooking, remove from the oven and lay on a plate. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5083/5256905972_9870780537_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5083/5256905972_9870780537_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Immediately pour the hot bacon fat into the skillet with the potatoes and turn on the burner to medium heat. Leave the potatoes in place for 10 min to begin the browning process. (<i>Begin cooking the fried eggs.</i>)</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5207/5256294975_842c411ff7_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5207/5256294975_842c411ff7_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">After 10 min, stir the potatoes, add the onion and mushrooms. Allow to cook for another 7 min, without stirring. Then add the turmeric and paprika, mix to combine and allow to cook for another 3 min. Lastly, crumble in 4-6 pieces of bacon (<i>I ate 2 of the slices before they could make it into the dish.</i>)</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Fried Egg</b></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/legrandfromageprintablerecipes/fried-egg?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Printable Recipe</span></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2-4 tsp butter or olive oil</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2-4 eggs, room temperature</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2-4 oz smoked gouda, shaved</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">pinch fresh black pepper & smoked sea salt</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1-2 tsp fresh or dried thyme</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5128/5256906486_db1808d438_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5128/5256906486_db1808d438_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In a small skillet over medium-heat heat, add 1 tsp butter or oil. Then gently crack an egg over the skillet to ensure the white stays close to the yolk. To cook the egg over medium, allow to cook for 3 min on the first side. Then use a spatula to flip over and cook for 2 min. Remove from the skillet to a plate and cook the remaining eggs.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">On each serving plate, add the desired amount of home fries, then top with a fried egg. Garnish with smoked gouda, fresh pepper, smoked sea salt, and fresh thyme.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">~Yields 2-4 servings, depending on desired serving size.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">~Original by Brie.</div>Brie: Le Grand Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12336500817219555030noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907470931503214707.post-32273133131969079162010-12-05T16:39:00.001-05:002010-12-05T16:53:58.579-05:00Tupelo's Bakery & Café<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5085/5234698365_c11dfdef8e_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5085/5234698365_c11dfdef8e_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Sometimes you get lucky and discover a road that leads to your escape.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">One of those legends of a road your grandparents spoke about, taking you to Smalltown, USA. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5001/5235288546_0f6105890b_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5001/5235288546_0f6105890b_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">A place where you can sit on main street and read the local newspaper. A little café that serves fresh baked bread, homemade soups that warm your soul, and locals who may saunter by with a tip of their hat and address you by your name.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Although the hustle and bustle of city life provides excitement and opportunity, a point usually arrives in life in which you need a moment. A break.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The importance of knowing how to find one of these mythical back roads that can take you to your place of solitude is imperative when that moment arrives.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Tallahassee may not exactly fit the definition of a big city, but it also still harbors the need to get away for a while. It is uniquely the origin of discovery for little gems tucked away in the countryside of Florida's Panhandle.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It is no secret the road you need to take is Highway 90. Lined on either side by pear trees stretched as far as the eye can see, twisting upward as the road winds through the rolling hillside.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5205/5235291190_d092fe9216_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5205/5235291190_d092fe9216_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Just east is the town of Monticello.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">A town in tribute to our forefathers. Full of historical houses and a yesteryear way of life. The town, really only a few blocks wide, centers around the historical courthouse wrapped inside a round-a-bout.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5169/5234697809_db574b3552_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5169/5234697809_db574b3552_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">One café on Main Street stands out from the rest: Tupelo's Bakery & Café.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Nestled inside this sleepy town is a café vibrant with two passionate women dedicated to organic food and way of life.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://feedme.food.officelive.com/default.aspx">Tupelo's</a>, in tribute to one of the owner's dog who loved to eat anything, is owned by Kim Davis and Claire Olson. Their moto is, "Organic first. Local second.". The priority to serve their families and customers with organic food is at the heart of their eatery. The farmland in the community may be centuries old, but the practices have changed. May of the local crops have been replaced with GMO seeds, like cotton and soy. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5241/5235289014_e48b91d147_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5241/5235289014_e48b91d147_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">For this reason, the promise of organic foods comes first; however, their dedication to the local community is not in question. Their café is filled to the brim with local artwork for sale, honey used in their recipes, and even a miniature lending library for everyone to enjoy.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The full service café and bakery is an open book, and if for some reason an organic ingredient was unavailable, they will honestly answer any question you may have. In fact, on a given day, you may hear them chatting over which local organic farms to visit to pack up the kids and pick up supplies.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5088/5235288272_fa528095fc_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5088/5235288272_fa528095fc_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Plus their love goes beyond us mere mortals. Every first Friday of the month, they donate a portion of their profits to the local <a href="http://www.jchs.us/">Jefferson County Humane Society</a>. Our beloved furry companions are even welcome on the front and back patios of the café. If you call ahead for a special order, they'll have some dog friendly baked goods waiting with a refreshing drink of water.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5290/5234696237_6015f43e20_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5290/5234696237_6015f43e20_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">When you stroll up to the counter, their message is quite clear...oh, and the saying is catchy, too.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">But that soup is calling my name.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Claire greeted me with a warm smile at the counter and I promptly ordered a bowl of the Tomato Fennel Soup. I asked her for a recommendation on a sandwich choice, to which she replied the Turkey & Swiss Press; a pleasing blend of honey maple turkey, warm and gooey swiss cheese, with fresh spinach and garlic cream cheese.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">She hesitated and changed the option to their BLT; crisp, <a href="http://www.thompsonfarms.com/">Thompson Farms</a> bacon, baby green spinach, and thick cut tomatoes pair with freshly baked multigrain bread and homemade horseradish mayo. I thought that would go beautifully with the soup and went with her second choice. Plus a cool glass of sweet ice tea on this unusually warm winter day.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This modest lunch typifies an average meal a wanderer may seek on a sudden journey, or even just a craving of something homemade. A fancy meal might sound amazing, but those are rare in people's daily lives. The recipes and dishes served at Tupelo's seeks the restoration of purely made foods with love, that satisfy the body and soul.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5007/5235287768_b3d6be0977_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5007/5235287768_b3d6be0977_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Soon, my name was called and it was time to eat.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This simple basket oozed with beautiful aromas. The crispy bacon. The creamy soup. The warm, toasted bread.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">And I would like to start with the bread. It. Is. Perfect.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I've used the word 'perfect' before to portray the essence of a dish reaching towards perfection. But this multigrain bread is perfect. The crust is firm, but not harsh. The multigrains are dense and filling, but still light and airy. The flavor is rich and ancient, plus it pairs with any dish served. This bread is the peak for which all bread should strive to be.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5202/5234694911_ffe927f847_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5202/5234694911_ffe927f847_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Tomato & Fennel Soup is heavenly. The tomato is not the only flavor, which is a difference I enjoyed. The cream and fennel play an even role, which lends a balance to eat bite. Plus the finely minced fennel provides sweet anise kiss after each taste.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5121/5234695521_78e54b5d4d_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5121/5234695521_78e54b5d4d_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The soup is thick enough to coat the bread, adding a new taste to the palate. The undertones of sweetness from the bread play wonderfully with the tomato in the soup, and every bite makes you yearn for more.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I remember to pause and take a deep breath, when my nose catches the lingers of bacon in the air.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5128/5234694697_dc60e65be4_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5128/5234694697_dc60e65be4_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">On the first bite, my tongue immediately senses the hot bacon, and my body just slips into bliss. The soft bread melts into my mouth together with the warm cheese. The replacement of spinach is surprisingly pleasing, since I normally only enjoy the spice of arugula. Every piece of the sandwich is as rewarding as the first, a rare accomplishment.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I switch between the soup and my sandwich to keep my taste buds guessing, and the meal is one of my most enjoyable I've had out in a while.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5290/5235234491_d54b44900a_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5290/5235234491_d54b44900a_z.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The options for dessert are vast. The Caramel Pecan Bars. The Pecan Sticky Buns. Scones. Cranberry Bagels. Chocolate Crack Cookies. My sweet tooth was leaping for joy. Plus, Tupelo's is the only organic bakery in the area creating elegant wedding cakes or other specialty goods on request.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The only critic of the café is that they do not cater to my schedule - but then again even I cannot keep up with my schedule, so that doesn't really count. The café is open Tuesday through Saturday from 7am until 2pm. They take a break during Christmas to revamp the café's menu and even spend the month of August with their families, which customers find charming. The ability for them to be with their loved ones while nurturing the passion for their business is something this type of community can uniquely support. Plus, if you catch them on the right weekend, Kim & Claire offer cooking classes of all varieties so their homemade techniques can be passed on to others looking to create delicious eats.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5006/5234697217_bdf1d5ae09_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5006/5234697217_bdf1d5ae09_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Just remember to say thank you and sign the guest book on your way out.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">~</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><i>This review is in dedication to <a href="http://www.foodbuzz.com/project_food_blog">Project Food Blog</a>, as my potential 9th entry. Thank you again to everyone for your support. Please keep voting, as the winner is only a few weeks away from being announced. You can also review other Top 24 "eliminees" below:</i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.eatlivetravelwrite.com/">Eat.Live.Travel.Write</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://thecuisinerd.com/" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" target="_blank">The Cuisinerd</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://iamafeeder.net/" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" target="_blank">I am a Feeder</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.youfedababychili.com/" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" target="_blank">You fed a baby chili?</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://spicygreenmango.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" target="_blank">Spicy Green Mango</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://messycook.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" target="_blank">Good Food, Good Wine and a Bad Girl</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.completelydelicious.com/" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" target="_blank">Completely delicious</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.koreanamericanmommy.com/" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" target="_blank">Korean American Mommy </a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a class="broken_link" href="http://www.eatliveruncom/" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" target="_blank">Eat, Live, Run</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.thefrontburnerblog.com/" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" target="_blank">The Front Burner</a></div><br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/136/1451509/restaurant/Florida/Tupelos-Bakery-Cafe-Monticello"><img alt="Tupelo's Bakery & Cafe on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1451509/minilogo.gif" style="border: medium none; height: 15px; width: 104px;" /></a>Brie: Le Grand Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12336500817219555030noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907470931503214707.post-27705513762240183472010-12-04T03:05:00.002-05:002010-12-04T03:06:11.955-05:00North Florida Wine & Food Festival - Grand Tasting<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The last evening of the <a href="http://www.winefoodfest.com/">North Florida Wine & Food Festival</a> was quite a sight to behold. Hundreds of participants crammed into the elegant ballroom to savor dozens of wines and aperitifs from local vendors.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1196/5103165935_f87f161f98_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1196/5103165935_f87f161f98_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">One of the head chefs, Greg Fountain, at the University Club Center even showcased his food sculpting techniques to commemorate the event.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4127/5103167991_3acdb8c137_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4127/5103167991_3acdb8c137_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I was able to savor cheese from <a href="http://www.sweetgrassdairy.com/">Sweet Grass Dairy</a> before I visited their farm for the first time on the <a href="http://brielegrandfromage.blogspot.com/2010/10/new-leaf-annual-farm-tour-day-one.html">New Leaf Annual Farm Tour</a>. The richness and earthiness of their soft cheeses is still some of my favorite from the area.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1392/5103760844_ae697c18e1_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1392/5103760844_ae697c18e1_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Bacon wrapped steak was a popular item from a local restaurant, although I opted to look and not touch.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1247/5103763492_a2f87961c4_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1247/5103763492_a2f87961c4_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This tasty bite was a creation of local students, like an open faced taco salad.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4130/5103762984_e969e3c61a_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4130/5103762984_e969e3c61a_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">However, one of my favorites was this vegetable mixture in phyllo dough from <a href="http://www.dinemozaik.com/index.php">Mozaik</a>. The taste was complex, but light and airy. I went back for seconds...and thirds.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Several vendors showcased regional bayou tastes, like this Shrimp Bisque, which was my preference of the lot. The seafood flavor was mild and melded well with the creamy broth and vegetables.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">But let us not forget the star of the evening - the wines.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I sipped on many throughout the evening, but one of my favorites was this Jermann Pinot Grigio. An elegant wine that had a clear taste from its balance between the grapes and the northern Italian soil. I wish I had found it earlier in the evening so I was able to savor more than half a glass, as I discovered it just before the last bottle was poured.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">And my favorite appetizer pairing of the evening was again from the University Club Center. The double seafood cocktails and open truffle danced on my palate and warmed my soul. I was happily surprised by this trio.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1339/5103171165_cf562105be_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1339/5103171165_cf562105be_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">However, my heart truly belongs to <a href="http://www.winencheese.com/">Cluster's & Hops</a> - a local French food specialty shop and restaurant. I have been purchasing items at this shoppe for years to supply unique and uncommon ingredients when I prepare foreign recipes. The owner, Kent, and his staff have always been helpful and I highly recommend them. I was thrilled to see them featured and so happy to see he recognized me in the crowd. His ostrich medallions just melt in your mouth and had a rich, savory chutney to accompany it. Perfection.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">And he's one of the only people that can prepare duck and I enjoy it. Usually duck is too gamey for my palate, but his cooking methods make it a pleasurably savory dish to enjoy.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4129/5103764580_0e4bd8d331_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4129/5103764580_0e4bd8d331_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The top dessert in my opinion was this Guava Cheesecake by <a href="http://www.sagetallahassee.com/index.html">Sage</a>. It. Is. Breathtaking. I ate more pieces than I am willing to admit...plus I lost count. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Thus ends the four day wine and food festival in Tallahassee, FL. (Day 3 was a golf tournament, which was fun and laid back, but I doubt anyone really wants to look at photos of fancy wine bottles in the grass on a food blog.) I had an amazing time covering my first food festival, and learned a plethora of information about local vendors, wines, foods, and photography. Thank you very much to Dr. Bonn and Brianne at FSU's Dedman School of Hospitality for allowing me to attend and cover all their events. Everyone was such a pleasure to be around and made me feel welcome the entire time. I was able to experience some very talented chefs, wine conosurs, and students during the festival who really showcased the variety of talent Tallahassee has to offer. I was glad to see a great showing of organic dishes and an emphasis on locally sourced foods. If you're ever in the area, please take a moment to enjoy some of these delicious eats.</div>Brie: Le Grand Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12336500817219555030noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907470931503214707.post-54686243496430571582010-12-03T22:17:00.006-05:002010-12-04T01:37:54.949-05:00Sugar & Spice Roasted Pumpkin Seeds<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4131/5205833064_85e1154266_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4131/5205833064_85e1154266_z.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Well, my friends, the ride is over. I amazingly made it to the <a href="http://www.foodbuzz.com/project_food_blog/contestants/163">Top 24</a> of the food competition <a href="http://www.foodbuzz.com/project_food_blog">Project Food Blog</a>, but Challenge #8 of 10 was the last one for me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">My goal for the competition was to challenge myself in improving my blog and posts, which was a success. I've gained not only new readers, but friends.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I am overwhelmed with all the positive responses I have received over these past few months as people from all over supported me and cheered me on. I actually would run into people around town and discovered they not only read my blog, but were secretly voting for me as well. The belief you all had in me is very touching, and I will never forget your kindness. I am well aware I only made it as far as I did because of your support and votes. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I am sad to no longer be in the competition, but my original goal was to at least reach Round 6, which I happily exceeded. I am thankful to everyone at Foodbuzz and the judges for hosting and believing in my blog as well. This experience has been a positive one and a fantastic way to start my blog's second year.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I will be joining the other Top 24 contestants and posting my #9 challenge, You're the Critic (Restaurant Review), as a tribute to the contest and for </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">my gratitude to </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">my readers, so please check back on Sunday evening for that post. I also have an announcement on December 15th regarding the blog, so remember to visit then as well.</span><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
My 'thank you' recipe is a simple one, again using pumpkin. Just like with animals, it's important to use the whole fruit or vegetable as well.</div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Pumpkin seeds are not only delicious, but packed with nutrition. And pumpkin seeds are unique since they also have several trace minerals like iron, manganese, and zinc. The seeds, though, are also full of phytic acid, which is a major anti-nutrient that prevents the absorption of the beneficial nutrients. This negativity is mitigated simply by soaking the seeds before roasting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Roasted pumpkin seeds taste like toasted granola, which can be either savory or sweet depending on your desired toppings. I like my foods sweet, so I'm sharing a Sugar & Spice mixture; however, let your imagination run wild and top them with whatever you desire. I like having a bag on hand when I go hiking or to snack on during long car rides. Plus they have a wonderful aroma that fills the car with a homemade baked good smell. So make sure to rescue the seeds from the gooey pumpkin center and savor their goodness for yourself.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Sugar & Spice Roasted Pumpkin Seeds</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/legrandfromageprintablerecipes/sugar-spice-roasted-pumpkin-seeds?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Printable Recipe</span></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">seeds from 2 small sugar pumpkins (approximately 1 cup)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, with The Mother</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 tbsp butter</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/4 cup turbinado</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 tsp cinnamon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 tsp nutmeg</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/2 tsp clove</span><br />
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<a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4126/5200753028_4478c6ea0c_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4126/5200753028_4478c6ea0c_z.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Once you have your pumpkin seeds, the first step is to separate them from the pumpkin guts. I like to sit down in front of the TV and take my time popping them out so it doesn't feel like a chore, plus the time goes by faster.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5168/5200160081_0c321fd9ac_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5168/5200160081_0c321fd9ac_z.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I pop them between my thumb and fingers to remove nearly all the pumpkin guts. If the seeds are still dirty, rinse them off before moving on to the soaking stage.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In a medium bowl, add the pumpkin seeds and cover with filtered water and 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar. Cover with plastic wrap touching the seeds and allow to soak for 24 hours.</span><br />
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<a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5047/5205833622_a31cc09d5d_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5047/5205833622_a31cc09d5d_z.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">After the soak, towel dry the seeds and preheat your oven to 450*F.</span><br />
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<a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5247/5205235603_f351f08d5b_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5247/5205235603_f351f08d5b_z.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Place the seeds in a medium bowl and add the turbinado and spices. Toss until all seeds are well coated.</span><br />
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<a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4086/5205833372_abf813e1ae_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4086/5205833372_abf813e1ae_z.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Layer on a baking sheet and roast for 8-10 min. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before enjoying. Store in an air tight container for a few days.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">~Yields 1 cup.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">~Original by Brie.<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span>Brie: Le Grand Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12336500817219555030noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907470931503214707.post-46485272398580254542010-11-28T17:52:00.118-05:002010-11-29T11:49:12.623-05:00Project Food Blog #8 - Spiced Pumpkin Rocky Road Cake<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Voting for Round 8 of Project Food Blog is now open. Please visit <a href="http://www.foodbuzz.com/project_food_blog/challenges/8/view/1563">Foodbuzz</a> to cast your vote! Thank you for your continued support!</i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span><br />
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It's the holidays - time to get wild.<br />
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I think one of my favorite things about the holidays is breaking rules.<br />
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I get to graze the buffet of food at family and friends houses nearly nonstop for days without being bothered. I can stay up late visiting and enjoying time with family, then sleep in late and blame it on an overdose of all the delicious food.<br />
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And who said pumpkin desserts have to be orange? Instead of showing up at someone's door with the same ole pumpkin pie, I show up with a cake that has its own gravitational pull. I do enjoy breaking food rules.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5130/5215462903_4aef32a3be_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5130/5215462903_4aef32a3be_z.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Also, fresh pumpkin purée is easier than the canning gods would have you believe. Just cut, scoop, and roast. My local co-op was selling organic sugar pumpkins, or pie pumpkins, for only 99 cents a pound. I was able to make 4 cups of organic pumpkin purée for $4 and roughly 10 min of physical work. And the rest of the cake was simple as well. In fact, if you put it together in steps over a few days, it will feel like you barely did any work at all. You'll be able to show up at any holiday shindig and just smile sweetly while enjoying a piece of this delicious cake listening to people gush about all your "hard" efforts.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4130/5216122812_faa8846de5_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4130/5216122812_faa8846de5_z.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Plus, in the spirit of the holidays, I'm going to share with you the secret to cooking with pumpkin purée, fresh or canned - drain it. Pumpkins contain a lot of water, which is rarely accounted for in recipes. To ensure the dish you're making is not watery or overcooked, drain the purée in several tea towels or a bundle of paper towels (preferably some tea towels though since they can just be washed rather than thrown away). The first time you do this step, you'll realize how important it is to your recipe's success in both the consistency and taste.<br />
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Pumpkin and chocolate are quite the edible pair. I love how the fresh pumpkin is not overwhelmed by the dark chocolate; instead it brings a complimentary sweetness to the dessert. The trifecta of spices makes it feel like a pumpkin pie might be hiding in the cake somewhere, but the chocolate siren already has you transfixed into a state of bliss with her familiar song. The familiar flavors come alive in a fresh new way in this cake with each mouth watering bite. It's complete bliss at the best time of the year. Cheers.<br />
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<u>How To Roast A Pumpkin</u><br />
<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/legrandfromageprintablerecipes/how-to-roast-a-pumpkin?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Printable Recipe</span></a><br />
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Preheat the oven to 400*F.<br />
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Clean the pumpkin well. Using a large knife, cut the pumpkin in half.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4125/5216054332_749dbce410_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4125/5216054332_749dbce410_z.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Use a melon baller to scoop out the seeds (<i>save the seeds for an upcoming recipe!</i>).<br />
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Sprinkle the pumpkin flesh with a pinch of kosher salt. Use a baking sheet with a lip and place the pumpkins face down on parchment paper. Rub the skin with olive oil to help the flesh pull away more cleanly once baked. Roast in the oven for 45 min.<br />
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Allow to cool for 1 hour.<br />
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Then scoop out the roasted pumpkin. Then use a food processor to blend the pumpkin for 3 min into a smooth purée.<br />
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Store in tupperware temporarily in the refrigerator or freeze for up to 6 months.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5247/5216065280_dc3dd61e34_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5247/5216065280_dc3dd61e34_z.jpg" /></a></div><br />
To drain the pumpkin purée for use in recipes, take the needed measurement of purée and place it between several layers of tea towels or paper towels.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5083/5216065802_d2d246ba4a_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5083/5216065802_d2d246ba4a_z.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Press down gently on the purée to level it into a flat disk and ensure most of the water is drained from the purée before adding to a recipe.<br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Pumpkin Pie Marshmallows</b></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/legrandfromageprintablerecipes/pumpkin-pie-marshmallows?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Printable Recipe</span></a></div><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/2 cup filtered water</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">3/4 cup turbinado</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/2 cup raw honey</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 1/2 tbsp agar agar <u>or</u> 1 tbsp guar gum*</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">3 egg whites </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/4 tsp kosher salt </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/4 cup pumpkin purée</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 1/2 tsp cinnamon</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 tsp nutmeg</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/2 tsp clove</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 tsp vanilla </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/4 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Butter a 9x9 glass baking pan, layer parchment paper to include the sides, then butter the parchment paper. Sprinkle several tbsp of powdered sugar over the buttered paper and smooth with your hand to ensure the pan is covered. Set aside.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In a medium pot over medium-high heat, add the water, turbinado, and raw honey. Bring to a boil and, using a candy thermometer, allow the mixture to reach 235-240*F. Do not stir and do not cook for more than 8 min, or it will begin to burn.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Remove from the heat and add the agar agar. Allow the mixture to sit on the stove for 15 min.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Using a stand mixture, add the egg whites to the chilled mixing bowl and beat for 3 min on high speed. Next, slowly drizzle the stove mixture into the whipped egg whites in small batches, which will take approximately 5 min.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Keep the beater on high speed and add the pumpkin purée in small spoonfuls. Then add the spices and vanilla at the very end and only mix until combined.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Use a spatula to smooth the marshmallow into the 9x9 pan.<br />
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Using a sieve, top with several tbsp powdered sugar. Refrigerate for at least 4 hrs, but preferably overnight.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">When ready, flip the marshmallow out of the pan onto a smooth surface covered with parchment paper, topped with more powdered sugar. Use a pizza cutter to cut the marshmallow into desired pieces; or use any cookie cutter - remembering to dip it into powdered sugar between each cut to prevent the marshmallows from being sticky (::ahem::). Marshmallows can be stored in an air tight container on the counter for several days.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">~Yields 48 1" marshmallows.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">~Original by Brie.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">*Guar gum can be used to thicken the marshmallows, but will leave a distinct flavor that cannot be covered up with other ingredients.<br />
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<b>Chocolate Pumpkin Ganache</b><br />
<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/legrandfromageprintablerecipes/chocolate-pumpkin-ganache?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Printable Recipe</span></a><br />
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24 oz 60% cacao chocolate chips<br />
1 cup heavy whipping cream<br />
3 sticks butter, cut into 1 oz pieces<br />
1/2 cup pumpkin purée<br />
1 tsp cinnamon<br />
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Place the chocolate chips and heavy cream in a heat-proof bowl over a small pot of simmering water on the stove. Stir occasionally until fully melted.<br />
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Remove from the heat and, in 4 oz increments, whisk in the butter until fully incorporated.<br />
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The ganache will need to sit at room temperature for at least an hour before it will cool and be thick enough to spread onto the cake. The ganache can also be temporarily stored covered in the refrigerator, but will need to come to room temperature to be spreadable.<br />
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~Yields 6 cups ganache.<br />
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~Original by Brie.<br />
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<b>Spiced Pumpkin Chocolate Cake</b><br />
<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/legrandfromageprintablerecipes/spiced-pumpkin-chocolate-cake?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Printable Recipe</span></a><br />
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3 cups all-purpose flour<br />
1 1/3 cup cocoa<br />
4 tsp baking powder<br />
4 tsp cinnamon <br />
2 tsp nutmeg <br />
2 tsp baking soda<br />
1 tsp cloves<br />
1/2 tsp kosher salt<br />
1 cup buttermilk<br />
2 cups pumpkin purée<br />
4 tsp vanilla<br />
3 sticks butter <br />
2 cups brown sugar<br />
2 cups turbinado<br />
6 large eggs<br />
2 egg yolks<br />
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First, butter four 9" round pie pans. Cut out circular pieces of parchment paper and lay them on the bottom, buttering the top of the parchment paper once it's in the pan. Preheat the oven to 375*F.<br />
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In a large bowl, stir together the ingredients of flour through salt. Then sift the ingredients together well to ensure the dry ingredients are mixed thoroughly and does not contain lumps.<br />
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In a second bowl, stir together the buttermilk, pumpkin, and vanilla. Set both bowls aside.<br />
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In a large mixer, cream together the butter and both sugars for 1 min. Then add the eggs and egg yolks one at a time until fully combined. Then add the dry and wet ingredients into the mixer in thirds on low. Stop the mixer and scrap down the sides, then mix for a few seconds on medium speed to ensure the batter is fully incorporated.<br />
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Using a spatula, spoon the batter evenly into all pans and smooth down. Bake in the oven for 25 min. Allow to cool for 10 min, then transfer to a cooling rack to allow the cakes to reach room temperature.<br />
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Once completely cooled, use a long knife to smoothly level the top of each cake (<i>you can also use this time to slice each layer in half if you would prefer thinner layers of cake or just to show off the fact you have an eight layer cake</i>).<br />
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Use your hands to feel the top of the cake to ensure it is smooth and flat. <br />
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~Yields 4 cakes.<br />
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~Adapted from <a href="http://www.countryliving.com/recipefinder/chocolate-pumpkin-cake-clv0907">Country Living</a>.<br />
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<u>Putting the Cake Together</u><br />
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2 cups chopped walnuts<br />
1/4 cup 60% cacao chocolate chips<br />
1/2 cup Pumpkin Pie Marshmallows <br />
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Place one cake on the serving platter. Use three strips of parchment paper and place under the cake in a triangle pattern to prevent the ganache from touching the platter while icing. <br />
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Using an icing spatula, place 3/4 cup ganache onto the cake and spread until flat. Continue to top with another cake and ganache until all cakes have been placed.<br />
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Use most of the remaining icing to smooth the sides of the cake.<br />
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With the remaining icing, rewarm over a small pot of steaming water on the stove to melt the ganache. Pour over the top of the cake and allow to drip down the sides of the cake.<br />
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Then top with the walnuts, chocolate chips, and marshmallows.<br />
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~Yields 8 large slices.<br />
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~Original by Brie.</div>Brie: Le Grand Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12336500817219555030noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907470931503214707.post-90496071574042271322010-11-24T23:58:00.003-05:002010-11-25T00:36:36.808-05:00Chicken: Roast, Stock, & Gravy + Mashed Potatoes<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Last year I featured a roasted chicken and chicken stock during my <a href="http://brielegrandfromage.blogspot.com/2009/10/eat-cheap-for-week-challenge.html">Eat Cheap For A Week Challenge</a>, which also was during my pre-camera era. Since I'm responsible for bringing mashed potatoes and gravy to Thanksgiving every year, I thought this would be a great opportunity to update my recipes and share with you my easy made form scratch Thanksgiving dishes.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I think gravy made from scratch with real fat is the healthiest and most delicious. Not to be misunderstood, I do not mean 'healthy' as in low calories or the like, but as in healthy fats your body knows how to digest and use instead of storing it away in arteries or fat cells.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Since I'll be making my dishes ahead of time, I will not have any turkey fat available to make my gravy with. This is why the week before Thanksgiving, I'll roast a chicken and use both its carcass for broth and fat in my gravy; plus the chicken gets included in my meals for the week. I love being able to use the entire animal to ensure nothing goes to waste.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">My dishes have a delicious depth of flavor from the organic, naturally raised chicken, especially since I include the fat. I do not have to use other fats or large amounts of seasonings as the chicken dishes are able to shine on their own. The homemade stock is my favorite since the taste is perfection and I can use it in so many other dishes. The homemade gravy also has a ton of flavor and is wonderful to use in not only the mashed potatoes, but over the meat dishes at Thanksgiving dinner as well. Plus, this is great practice for the turkey in case you're nervous about roasting a bird for the first time.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">These recipes are simple and do all the work themselves. Plus you get all the credit for their deliciousness. Good luck with your Thanksgiving cooking!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Roasted Chicken</b></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/legrandfromageprintablerecipes/roasted-chicken?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Printable Recipe</span></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">3.25 lb organic chicken</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 lemon </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">4 tbsp butter</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">kosher salt & fresh black pepper</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Preheat the oven to 375*F. Wash the chicken thoroughly, inside and out, then allow to drain and rest for 10 min.</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0" style="color: #003399;"></a></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4149/5197479882_0baaa1f58b_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4149/5197479882_0baaa1f58b_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Place the chicken on a baking pan with a lip, breast side up, making sure the wings are tucked under, then put a lemon into the cavity.<br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5162/5197480608_c55120b865_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5162/5197480608_c55120b865_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Carefully massage 2 tbsp butter on each side of the chicken between the skin and breast meat without puncturing the skin. <span>Rub it around really well, then rub your hands all over the chicken to spread around a thin layer of butter to help brown the skin and help the seasonings stick.</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5122/5196880839_658ec8dcd0_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5122/5196880839_658ec8dcd0_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Liberally season the chicken with salt and pepper.</div></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><br />
<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0" style="color: #003399;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4112/5196881135_e20a32e518_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4112/5196881135_e20a32e518_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Cook the chicken for approximately 90 min (20 min per pound, plus 20 min). Remove from the oven and allow the chicken to rest for 30 min before carving.</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><br />
<u><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">How To Carve A Chicken</span></u></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I like to start on the outside and work my way in. First, the drumsticks.</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4132/5197481856_f61693c9eb_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4132/5197481856_f61693c9eb_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Using a sharp knife, make a cut on the top between the drumstick and the thigh until you reach the joint. </span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4144/5197482238_2160555c61_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4144/5197482238_2160555c61_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Using one hand, begin to gently lift up the drumstick while cutting horizontally into the joint.</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4131/5197482520_ac97941558_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4131/5197482520_ac97941558_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Now the drumstick should be able to be lifted up to reveal the joint (<i>my knife is just below the joint</i>). Cut between the joint to remove the drumstick completely. </span><br />
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</div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4085/5196882509_5ce123c613_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4085/5196882509_5ce123c613_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Repeat with the other drumstick.</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4106/5196882809_98f36db8f9_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4106/5196882809_98f36db8f9_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Now to remove the thigh, begin cutting between the center of the chicken and the thigh.</span><br />
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</div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4086/5196883147_ff39842616_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4086/5196883147_ff39842616_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Begin pulling the thigh away from the body of the chicken, continuing your cut until the thigh is completely removed.</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4144/5196883613_6aea2213bd_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4144/5196883613_6aea2213bd_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Repeat with the other thigh.</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Remove both chicken wings, which I only use in the stock. They are easy to chop off, then set aside.</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Now it's time to tackle the chicken breasts. </span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4129/5196884097_1461b4fea3_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4129/5196884097_1461b4fea3_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I start by cutting the breasts in half down the length of the breast bone. </span><br />
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</div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4144/5197484974_e0ce758181_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4144/5197484974_e0ce758181_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Then, begin slowly cutting the breast away from the rib cage by keeping the blade next to the bones. Take your time and make sure you're cutting from top to bottom to ensure a clean cut.</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4086/5196884963_287d626621_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4086/5196884963_287d626621_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Once the breast is cut away, slice through the skin and plate.</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5121/5197485796_f555154f38_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5121/5197485796_f555154f38_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Repeat with the other breast.</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5042/5197486108_842679deca_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5042/5197486108_842679deca_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I was able to harvest just under 3 lbs or 3 cups of chicken meat to use in recipes throughout the week (minus about 1/4 cup I shared with my dog while carving). I also removed all the skin to use in the stock.</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5202/5197480300_4551a4fc83_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5202/5197480300_4551a4fc83_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Before starting the stock, strain the chicken fat from the roasting pan into a container through 2 layers of cheesecloth and set aside. This fat will be combined with the fat made in the chicken stock, and then used as the base of the gravy.</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Chicken Stock</span></b></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/legrandfromageprintablerecipes/chicken-stock?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Printable Recipe</span></a></div></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">roasted chicken carcass</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">4 large celery, roughly chopped</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 large carrots, roughly chopped</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 onion peels, roughly chopped</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">8 cups filtered water</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 tbsp kosher salt</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 tbsp black pepper</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 tsp celery seeds</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/2 tsp coriander</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4152/5197486626_be9524a88c_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4152/5197486626_be9524a88c_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Place the leftover chicken pieces into a very large pot over medium-high heat. </span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4108/5196878615_f80f65c905_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4108/5196878615_f80f65c905_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Cover with the vegetables and spices.</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5001/5196878979_8c5befcb88_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5001/5196878979_8c5befcb88_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Then add the filtered water. Allow to boil, then lower to a simmer and let cook for 4 hrs. Strain the stock into a tupperware and place in the refrigerator overnight. </span><br />
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</div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4111/5200752638_e90a3feafb_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4111/5200752638_e90a3feafb_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In the morning, skim off the fat that has floated to the top and add to the chicken fat saved from the roasting pan. </span><br />
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</div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4153/5200159769_33ab841800_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4153/5200159769_33ab841800_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Now store the chicken stock in the refrigerator or in the freezer until needed.</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4085/5200752808_e402a8fe93_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4085/5200752808_e402a8fe93_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">You can see how homemade stock is gelatinous from the collagen that cooks out from the chicken bones. You can't get this kind of nutrient dense stock from a can. Homemade stock is full of minerals, proteins, and amino acids the body needs to thrive. This stock will rapidly return to a liquid when heated while cooking.</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Chicken Gravy</span></b></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/legrandfromageprintablerecipes/chicken-gravy?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Printable Recipe</span></a></div></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">4 tbsp chicken fat</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">4 tbsp all-purpose flour</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 cups chicken stock</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 cups raw milk</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 tsp kosher salt</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 tsp black pepper</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5041/5205853130_03076ca5d0_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5041/5205853130_03076ca5d0_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In a wide pot over medium-low heat, add the chicken fat and flour to make a roux. Whisk together for 3-5 min until a light brown and thick.</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5087/5205853364_6fb99b034d_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5087/5205853364_6fb99b034d_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Whisk in the chicken stock, then the raw milk to ensure no lumps form. Add the salt and pepper, then simmer for 20-25 min, stirring occasionally, until the gravy has thickened and coats the back of a spoon.</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">~Yields 2 cups.</span><br />
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</div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Mashed Potatoes</span></b></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/legrandfromageprintablerecipes/mashed-potatoes?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Printable Recipe</span></a></div><span style="font-size: xx-small;"></span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">5 lbs Russet potatoes</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 stick butter</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/2 cup <a href="http://brielegrandfromage.blogspot.com/2010/08/raw-milk-how-to-make-butter-buttermilk.html">buttermilk</a> </span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 tbsp kosher salt</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 tbsp black pepper</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5084/5205854046_316f1e1984_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5084/5205854046_316f1e1984_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Wash the potatoes well (<i>I leave the skin on, but you're welcome to peel them</i>).</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5130/5205255957_cbd377f00e_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5130/5205255957_cbd377f00e_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Cut into 1/2" to 1" pieces and add to a huge pot over medium-high heat. Cover with water and allow to boil for 30 min. </span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4112/5205853550_eeeea81206_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4112/5205853550_eeeea81206_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Drain the potatoes and add back to the pan. Mash the potatoes first. Then add the butter, buttermilk, and salt and pepper. Mash again until ingredients are combined. Taste to adjust seasonings if needed.</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4092/5205255133_2b0e5be025_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4092/5205255133_2b0e5be025_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Heap on a pile of mashed potatoes and top with the homemade chicken gravy. Enjoy.</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">~Yields 10-12 servings.</span></div></div></div></div></div></div>Brie: Le Grand Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12336500817219555030noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907470931503214707.post-85554622645972153612010-11-23T14:45:00.004-05:002010-11-23T20:32:10.260-05:00Seasoned Deep Fried Deviled Eggs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4084/5200769310_7b1f79b19c_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4084/5200769310_7b1f79b19c_z.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It's that time of year again!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Last year's recipe was pre-camera, so I've improved the recipe and included instructional photos. If you haven't tried these yet, I encourage you to have them on your holiday table this year. It's always a pleasure to watch people attempt to figure out what they are, finally have to ask, and, once they find out, watch their eyes grow wide and start shoving people out of the way to engorge. They're incredible.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5084/5200176505_ed50fb48ac_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5084/5200176505_ed50fb48ac_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The recipe is simple, but time consuming, so plan accordingly. I always make the deviled eggs the night before and refrigerate, then wake up early (ugh) to batter and fry them. You can use virgin coconut oil or organic peanut oil, whichever is on hand. This makes the outside crispy, but not oily at all. These always disappear quickly, even in a room full of people who normally are not deviled egg fans. You'll also have some filling left over, which makes a great sandwich for the chef - a great back-up in case you happen to run out of deep fried deviled eggs and want to sneak another taste.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Seasoned Deep Fried Deviled Eggs</b></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/legrandfromageprintablerecipes/seasoned-deep-fried-deviled-eggs?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Printable Recipe</span></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">12 eggs*</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 large celery stalk, minced </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/4 cup mayonnaise</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 tbsp Dijon mustard</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 tbsp organic dill relish</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 tsp curry</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">kosher salt and fresh black pepper to taste</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 cup all-purpose flour</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 eggs, beaten</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 cup plain breadcrumbs</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 tbsp paprika, divided </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 tsp kosher salt, divided</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 tsp fresh black pepper, divided</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">virgin coconut oil or organic peanut oil</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5247/5202549467_40f24cdd86_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5247/5202549467_40f24cdd86_z.jpg" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Several hours before preparing the eggs, place the egg carton on the counter and turn the eggs on their sides. This will center the yolk and allow the eggs to reach room temperature.</div><br />
<div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Using a large pot, fill 3/4 full of cool water and set on the stove. Gently add half the eggs and turn the burner on high and cover with a lid. After about 6 min, the water should begin to boil. Remove the pot carefully from the burner, add a healthy pinch of salt to the water, and allow to sit covered for 14 min. Repeat with the remaining eggs using fresh cool water.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5204/5202549665_c99fdea1d8_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5204/5202549665_c99fdea1d8_z.jpg" /></a>While the first batch is boiling, prepare an ice bath. In a large bowl or kitchen sink, fill 1/2 full of cold water and a few handfuls of ice cubes. Once the eggs have finished cooking, use tongs to carefully place the eggs in the ice bath. Allow all the eggs to sit in the ice bath for 30 min total.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Once cooled, begin carefully cracking and peeling the eggs. <span style="font-style: italic;">(Thankfully, the frying process will cover any divots in the egg whites, but still be careful so the whites do not contain any holes.)</span> Cut each egg in half and remove the yolk. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5288/5202549891_608c689861_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5288/5202549891_608c689861_z.jpg" /></a></div><br />
In a medium bowl, mash together the yolks, celery, mayo, mustard, dill relish, curry, and salt & pepper. Use a spoon to fill the egg whites flat and refrigerate overnight.</div><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5042/5196886871_f7f512b60d_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5042/5196886871_f7f512b60d_z.jpg" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Remove the eggs from the fridge while preparing for the frying process to allow them to come to room temperature. In three separate bowls: add the all-purpose flour, 2 tsp paprika, 1 tsp kosher salt, and 1 tsp fresh black pepper; mix the eggs together; and lastly place the breadcrumbs, 2 tsp paprika, 1 tsp kosher salt, and 1 tsp fresh black pepper in their own bowl. Have a large plate lined with paper towels ready to hold the eggs pre- and post-cooking.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4128/5200176689_3fc2db3635_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4128/5200176689_3fc2db3635_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Right before dipping the eggs, add virgin coconut oil or organic peanut oil to a pot that will cover the eggs slightly (about 2 inches deep). Turn the burner to medium-high. Dip an egg into the flour mixture, then coat well with egg, and lastly roll well in breadcrumbs. Using a spider, add four eggs at a time to the spider and carefully add to the oil. The eggs should brown after only 15 seconds. Remove the eggs with the spider and repeat until all are cooked. Sprinkle the eggs with kosher salt and allow to cool slightly before serving.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">~Yields 24 deep fried deviled eggs.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">~Original by Brie.</div><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">*Boiling at least 2 additional eggs will allow room for any that crack or do not peel well - or for snacking!</div><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0" style="color: #003399;"></a></div></div></div></div>Brie: Le Grand Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12336500817219555030noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907470931503214707.post-86264887220064289052010-11-11T22:37:00.001-05:002010-11-11T22:39:56.200-05:00Tofu Gobi<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4067/5168011717_86571b3159_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4067/5168011717_86571b3159_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Now that I'm back to cooking again, I wanted to enjoy a well seasoned dish. Indian food usually has a plethora of spices that meld into beautiful flavors, so I pulled out a simple dish to cook and enjoy.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Aloo gobi is an Indian dish that translates to curried potatoes and cauliflower, but I replaced the potatoes with tofu since that's what was in stock in my kitchen. This dish has me craving a local Indian restaurant that has an amazing lunch buffet. The trick is to go easy on the rice so you can fill up on all the delicious dishes they cook from scratch; and their naan bread is so soft, plus they add different herbs sometimes to make it pair with the dishes they serve that day.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The spices in this dish are paired together wonderfully, with a hint of smokiness. The tomatoes and tumeric added such a lovely flavor and color in the dish. I think this would taste even better if paneer was added or replaced the tofu.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Tofu Gobi</b></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/legrandfromageprintablerecipes/tofu-gobi?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Printable Recipe</span></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">14 oz extra firm tofu, drained</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 tbsp <a href="http://brielegrandfromage.blogspot.com/2010/08/organic-homemade-ghee.html">ghee</a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 small yellow onion, minced</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">4 cloves garlic, minced </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1" fresh ginger, minced</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 tsp brown mustard seeds</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 tsp curry </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 tsp tumeric</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 tsp cumin</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 cups cauliflower</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/4 cup filtered water</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 tsp kosher salt</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">15 oz can organic diced tomatoes</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/4 cup plain cultured yogurt</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/4 cup fresh cilantro</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4036/5168012047_a7cf288e04_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4036/5168012047_a7cf288e04_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Slice the tofu in half width-wise and dry between two layers of tea towels. In a large pan over medium-high heat, add the ghee and sauté the ingredients of onion through cumin for approximately 10 min until translucent.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/5168612214_86d6bf6431_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/5168612214_86d6bf6431_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Next add the remaining ingredients and allow to steam until the liquid has evaporated, approximately 10 min. Serve over coconut rice and top each portion with 1 tbsp yogurt and cilantro.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">~Yields 4 servings.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">~Adapted from <a href="http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000001973615">Cooking Light</a>.</div>Brie: Le Grand Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12336500817219555030noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907470931503214707.post-16267811638994512652010-11-10T23:19:00.003-05:002010-11-12T14:30:45.074-05:00Juicing - Day 3<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Hooray! I made it all three days without feeling hungry, and I feel fantastic. I had fun today picking out new recipes to cook the rest of this week. I'm excited about a deliciously simple Indian dish to share tomorrow.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The juices today were the best yet. Breakfast was like a chilled, spiced carrot soup and lunch was like a thin salsa. Plus I had the <a href="http://brielegrandfromage.blogspot.com/2010/11/juicing-day-2.html">Chocolate Nut Milk</a> again for dinner because it was so enjoyable last night.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It's been fun discussing what juices people enjoy, so keep the conversation going!<br />
<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4030/5165422185_6272e4bdc9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4030/5165422185_6272e4bdc9.jpg" width="213" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Oxygenator</b></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/legrandfromageprintablerecipes/oxygenator?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Printable Recipe</span></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">10 thin carrots (end cut off and washed well)</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 small beets (ends cut off and washed well)</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1" fresh ginger (washed well)</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">cayenne pepper, pinch</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">Cut all vegetables into pieces that will fit through a juicer. Juice all ingredients together and enjoy.</div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1406/5165422383_95d547c1fe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1406/5165422383_95d547c1fe.jpg" width="213" /></a> <br />
<b>V-Great</b><br />
<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/legrandfromageprintablerecipes/v-great?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Printable Recipe</span></a><br />
<br />
2 cups spinach (washed well and blanched)<br />
1 large tomato (ends cut off and washed well)<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span><br />
1/2 cup filtered water<br />
1/2 medium cucumber (end cut off and washed well)<br />
1/2 avocado<br />
1/4 yellow onion<br />
1 tbsp lemon juice <br />
salt, black pepper, and cilantro, to taste<br />
<br />
Cut all vegetables into pieces that will fit into a blender. Liquefy all ingredients together for 45 - 60 seconds and enjoy.</div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"></div></div>Brie: Le Grand Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12336500817219555030noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907470931503214707.post-5591769438117828822010-11-09T19:46:00.001-05:002010-11-09T19:51:18.223-05:00Juicing - Day 2<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It's Day 2 and I'm feeling like myself again.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">No longer in pain and my head is clear, less foggy. So happy to feel normal again, so I'm finishing off Day 3 tomorrow and will slowly return to grains over the next few weeks. In the meantime, I'll stock up on proteins, vegetables, and fruits. I've been craving stuffed vegetables, so this would be the perfect time to experiment with some dishes.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">My breakfast today, the Green Lemonade, was a bit strong like yesterday's lunch. However, the Green Apple was delicious. If you need a new juice recipe, I would recommend it. And dinner was even better with the addition of chocolate, so this recipe is a keeper as well. The substitution of raw milk for the water would make it even more divine.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1360/5162290049_d77f88c382.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1360/5162290049_d77f88c382.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Green Lemonade</b></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/legrandfromageprintablerecipes/green-lemonade?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Printable Recipe</span></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/2 head Romaine lettuce (blanched)</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">4 medium stalks celery (washed well)</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">6 kale leaves (washed well and blanched)</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 lemon (washed well)</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1" fresh ginger (washed well)</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">raw honey, to taste</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">Cut all vegetables into pieces that will fit through a juicer. Juice all ingredients together, add raw honey to taste, and enjoy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4089/5162895808_b3dd85a334.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4089/5162895808_b3dd85a334.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"></span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"></span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Green Apple </span></b></span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/legrandfromageprintablerecipes/green-apple?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Printable Recipe</span></a></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">2 cups spinach (washed well and blanched)</div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">6 kale leaves (washed well and blanched)</div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">2 green apples (washed well)</div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">1/2 cucumber (end cut off and washed well)</div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">1 lemon (washed well)</div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">1" fresh ginger (washed well)</div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">parsley, to taste</div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">Cut all vegetables into pieces that will fit through a juicer. Juice all ingredients together, add parsley to taste, and enjoy.</div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><b> </b></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><br />
<br />
<b></b></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1233/5162289629_a6df13d6d9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1233/5162289629_a6df13d6d9.jpg" width="213" /></a><b><span style="font-size: small;">Chocolate Nut Milk</span></b><br />
<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/legrandfromageprintablerecipes/chocolate-nut-milk?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Printable Recipe</span></a><br />
<br />
1/2 cup raw cashews<br />
2 cups filtered water or raw milk<br />
3 tbsp raw cacao<br />
1 tsp vanilla<br />
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil<br />
2 1/2 tsp raw honey<br />
sea salt, pinch<br />
<br />
Soak the raw cashews in 1 cup filtered water and 1/2 tsp raw apple cider vinegar for 12 hours (start in the morning). Drain the water and add the cashews to a blender. Next add all other items to the blender (ice cubes are optional to chill and thicken). Liquefy and enjoy.<br />
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<br />
</div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"></div></div>Brie: Le Grand Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12336500817219555030noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907470931503214707.post-20369084625642487182010-11-08T21:59:00.001-05:002010-11-08T22:07:35.726-05:00Juicing - Day 1<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Raise your hand if you love juice!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I love juicing foods. My fiancé bought me a juicer as a gift a few years ago and I love creating my own concoctions of vegetable and fruit drinks every so often. Sometimes food tastes so good, I can't waste time chewing.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">However, I also use juicing when I'm not feeling well - which would be today. I ate something wacky a few weeks ago (which I still cannot figure out what it could have been) and decided to drink juice for a few days to reset my digestive system. I have been eating well, but still just haven't felt like myself. The last time I drank juice, or had a juice fast, was several years ago, so this is not something I do often. I should also caveat that this is not to lose weight or do anything hokey. This is more or less to give my digestive system a break. I had great success the last time, and thus far today I'm feeling much better already.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I thought sharing some new juice drinks I discovered in case anyone else likes juicing would be fun, and maybe you can share your own juicing tips as well.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Also, I blanch my greens in hot water on the stove until they are completely wilted to rid them of any antioxidants. All the other foods are fine to eat raw, but the greens can actually be counterintuitive without blanching them.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Breakfast: 8 oz filtered water with 1/2 juiced lemon</i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i> Great Eliminator</i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Lunch: Powerade</i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Snack: 8 oz Green tea with 1/2 juiced lemon</i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Dinner: Nut Milk</i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Great Eliminator tasted like carrots and ginger, which wasn't bad, but the Powderade was a bit much for me. Too many competing flavors and the ginger was stronger than the first juice. Neither really impressed compared to my regular rotation of juices. The Nut Milk was decent, but also not impressive. It was surprisingly not sweet at all, which disappointed my wicked sweet tooth. Tomorrow brings some new juices, so hopefully they're more tasty - either way, I still feel better which is my goal.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1331/5159666037_57f51caf2e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1331/5159666037_57f51caf2e.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Great Eliminator</b></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/legrandfromageprintablerecipes/great-eliminator?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Printable Recipe</span></a><br />
<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 small beets (ends cut off & washed well)</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 medium cucumber (ends cut off & washed well)</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/2 head Romaine lettuce (blanched)</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">10 skinny carrots (ends cut off & washed well)</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1" fresh ginger (washed well)</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Cut all vegetables into pieces that will fit through a juicer. Juice all ingredients together and enjoy.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4083/5159666799_2cca5be61d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4083/5159666799_2cca5be61d.jpg" width="220" /></a><b> </b></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Powerade</b></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/legrandfromageprintablerecipes/powerade?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Printable Recipe</span></a><br />
<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">7 kale leaves (washed & blanched)</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 lemon (washed)</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 small beets (ends cut off & washed well)</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/2 medium cucumber (end cut off & washed well)</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">4 medium celery stalks (washed well)</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1" fresh ginger (washed well)</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">raw honey, to taste</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Cut all vegetables into pieces that will fit through a juicer. Juice all ingredients together, add raw honey to taste, and enjoy.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1090/5159667555_286044fca4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1090/5159667555_286044fca4.jpg" width="213" /></a><b> </b></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
<b>Nut Milk</b></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/legrandfromageprintablerecipes/nut-milk?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Printable Recipe</span></a><br />
<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/2 cup raw cashews</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 cups filtered water</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/4 tsp vanilla</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 tsp raw honey</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">sea salt, pinch</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Soak the raw cashews in 1 cup filtered water and 1/2 tsp raw apple cider vinegar for 12 hours (start in the morning). Drain the water and add the cashews to a blender. Next add all other items to the blender (ice cubes are optional to chill and thicken). Liquefy and enjoy.</div>Brie: Le Grand Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12336500817219555030noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907470931503214707.post-23089695838086051592010-11-04T22:19:00.007-04:002010-11-14T01:08:15.570-05:00Project Food Blog #7 - Grape Dumpling Purses<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1171/5148679945_9304c220fc_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1171/5148679945_9304c220fc_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This entry for <a href="http://www.foodbuzz.com/project_food_blog/contestants/163/">Project Food Blog</a> is to put one of my favorite recipes on film. I chose to demonstrate how simple the <a href="http://brielegrandfromage.blogspot.com/2010/07/cherokee-grape-dumplings.html">Cherokee Grape Dumpling</a> recipe is to make, and even personalized it for the holidays.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The intriguing aspect of Cherokee cooking is the fact most of the known recipes are post-The Trail of Tears. This recipe traditionally calls for Possum Grapes, which are found growing wild along river beds in Oklahoma - not the original tribal grounds of the Cherokee Nation, as they are historically in the North Carolina region. Many of the recipes tribes came to use and pass along today are from survival techniques in their new territories, and I respect their strength.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The original recipe has two parts: dough and a grape reduction sauce. Although using fresh grapes is best, this adaptation is to make introduction to Cherokee cooking easy and possible for anyone new to this genre. This new recipe calls for organic phyllo dough to create 'purses' for the grape dumplings, perfect for the upcoming holidays.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I hope you enjoy my first video recipe: Grape Dumpling Purses.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="375" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/16520893?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=b5d0f5" width="650"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/16520893">Le Grand Fromage, Grape Dumpling Purses - Project Food Blog</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user2200711">Kylene Gay</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This project would not have been possible without the wonderfully multi-talented Kylene of <a href="http://www.foreverbykylene.com/">Forever by Kylene</a> (long time readers will remember her from my first post <a href="http://brielegrandfromage.blogspot.com/2009/06/panini-de-chocolat-et-brie.html">Panini de Chocolat et Brie</a>). Thank you, Kylene!<br />
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We had a wonderful time making this video together, and hope you all have enjoyed it as well.<br />
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Thank you all so much for your support throughout this process. Voting for this round is Novemeber 15th - 18th, so please visit <a href="http://www.foodbuzz.com/project_food_blog/contestants/163/">my profile</a> to vote!<br />
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<b>Grape Dumpling Purses</b><br />
<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/legrandfromageprintablerecipes/grape-dumpling-purses?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Printable Recipe</span></a><br />
<br />
1 cup all-purpose flour<br />
1 1/2 tsp baking powder<br />
2 tsp turbinado<br />
1/4 tsp kosher salt<br />
1 tbsp coconut oil<br />
2 1/4 cups grape juice, divided<br />
<br />
4 layers organic phyllo dough<br />
2 tbsp melted butter<br />
2 tbsp turbinado<br />
4 pieces of 6" kitchen string<br />
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Mix dry ingredients together, then add the coconut oil. Next stir in 1/4 cup grape juice. Roll the dough out to 1/4" thick and cut into 1/2" strips.<br />
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Bring 2 cups grape juice to a low boil and add the strips, cooking for 10 - 12 min and stirring occasionally.<br />
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Lay the phyllo dough on a flat surface and coat with melted butter on one side. Then sprinkle the turbinado over the melted butter. Carefully flip the phyllo dough over so the turbinado caramelizes on the outside of the purses. Add 1/4 cup grape dumplings in four pockets on the plain side of the phyllo dough. Use a pizza cutter to cut the four individual purses. Gently gather the corners of the phyllo dough ensuring none of the grape dumplings can leak out and tie the purses loosely with the string.<br />
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Place the purses on a buttered baking sheet, transferring with a spatula to keep them intact. Bake in a 400*F oven for 10 min until the phyllo dough is brown and caramelized on the outside. Serve immediately.<br />
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~Yields 4 purses (with extra grape dumplings left over).<br />
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~Original by Brie.</div>Brie: Le Grand Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12336500817219555030noreply@blogger.com25