Caramels

First try -- super easy and one recipe makes so many little melt in your mouth caramels!

Willie Mae's Scotch House

This is delicious Fried Chicken.  Today was our first visit to the 2005 James Bread Award Winner.  I highly recommend the butter beans as a side dish -- very much like my Mother's butter beans -- vegetables cooked with meat!

Willie Mae's Scotch House
Owner: Willie Mae Seaton
240 St. Ann Street
New Orleans, LA

ginger spice filed cookies

YUM!!!

Lemon Tartlettes

I made some lemon curd treats for a special friend.

Bourbon Balls

Made my Mother's Bourbon Ball recipe today -- getting ready for Christmas.

No news Wednesday

DORIGNAC'S TWICE!
THAT IS ALL.

Toffee Dream Bars

I made up the recipe.
SWEET!

LEMON ZEST

Cookies, cookies cookies -- that is all I can think of today and candy!  I like to bake at Christmastime and the time is now.  Two doughs and banana bread down, several more to go!  I added an unplanned lemon cookie today because after I returned home from shopping, our friend and violinist, Neti, dropped off a sack of fresh picked lemons!   Thank you so much N.!  More citrus -- you know, I think you can never have too much.

mmmmmm....Po boys!

Hope you are so lucky!  Roast Beef Po boy, dressed from Radosta's -- my first time there.

Soba Noodle Soup

Quick soup: vegetable stock, soba noodles, carrots, onion, mushrooms, green onions, lemongrass, soy sauce, rice vinegar.  Garnish with lemon wedges, bean sprouts and basil.  Perfect warm supper for this cold & rainy day.

Miss Sophie Lee's Korean Egg Rolls

Please check out the December issue of Offbeat, our friend Miss Sophie Lee is cooking Korean Egg Rolls in her kitchen.  Her recipe was great!  Today, I made a special trip to the Hong Kong market on the West Bank -- I say special because this is a treat of a shopping experience if you like that sort of thing -- which I do!  There are a variety of places in and adjacent to the HK market where one can find a delightful lunch or snack.  I dined at the noodle shop, Pho Dahn.

Here's my loot from the market!  The before and after shots of the eggrolls -- el yum-O!!  Thanks for sharing Sophie!!

Baked Eggs for One

Delicious soft and warm baked eggs -- I love 'em!  I buttered the ramekin, added a couple spoonfuls of my mushroom mixture from yesterday's post, cracked 2 eggs into the pot, topped the eggs with a little soymilk and a sprinkle of herbs de provence.  Baked it in a water bath for 15 minutes at 400 degrees.  YUM!

Citrus Gifts, Party Food & Pizza

M. came home last night from his gig with delicious Satsumas!

Thank you S. for the citrus.

Tonight for supper I am testing some party food -- thank you Mark Bittman for an alternative recipe for pizza dough.  We are also having a little coconut, curry,  butternut squash soup.  Then we may step out to see The Tin Men.

I make and sell pizza dough for $4.00 each.  If you are interested, please let me know.  My friend, K.. made pizzas over the weekend with my dough -- they turned out great!

Skinny Colada

It's ok to have a festive Holiday beverage for supper, right?  It's that kind of day ... today.  My friend, K.,  recently asked me if I had tried a "Skinny Colada"?  I had not.  Props to the Hi-Ho for this beverage inspiration today.  Oh, and I fixed the sink.  Yuck!!

Skinny Colada
1 Part Coconut Vodka
2 parts Pineapple Juice
serve over ice and enjoy!

Tree Trimmed

No cooking today, trimmed the tree instead!

Tapenade

Tapenade

1 yellow bell pepper

1 red bell pepper

1 Vidalia onion, cut into rounds

1 garlic head, separated into cloves & peeled

1tsp olive oil

8 ounces feta

8 caper berries or 1 T. Capers

12 kalamata olives, pitted

12 green olives

8 anchovies

1/4 C. Each chopped fresh parsley, dill, mint & chives

Juice of one lemon

1. Preheat oven to 400•

2. Roast peppers, onion & garlic on a baking sheet--about 20 minutes

3. Preheat broiler

4. Crumble feta into mixture.... broil until bubbly

5. Combine remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Add peppers, onion & garlic. Toss well.

6.  Remove cheese from broiler and top with pepper mixture.  

Serve with Parmesan crisps.

Breakfast at Satsuma

M. and I enjoyed breakfast today at Satsuma.   I enjoyed a lump crabmeat omelette with a sweet shredded apple salad -- maybe a hint of fennel?  Quite crisp and light!  M. had the basic breakfast of scrambled eggs atop a bit of wilted spinach, beautiful hot biscuit and bacon.  The strawberries were super sweet and from Ponchatoula, LA, I overheard.  Big Kudos to the third turn of this great little neighborhood cafe -- we are glad you are here!  Become a fan of this Bywater Cafe on fbook. 
And a big happy birthday to my favorite Brother -- wish you were here!

Celery Root Remoulade

My friend Miss M. made celery root remoulade for me recently when I visited her home. Having never noticed it before, nor tasted this root, I was pleasantly surprised. She served it with a grilled beef tenderloin, mushrooms, mini-pattypan squash and a salt baked potato!  Oh yes, and there was a lot of wine!

Cranberry Sauce Thumbprints

Cookies for my sweetie(s) -- I have alot of them!
I used this recipe from a new favorite blog of mine, Not Eating out in New York.  Because I did not have vanilla extract, I used some orange zest(how much orange zest? I made a perfect ring around the center of a medium sized orange with a microplane) and a squeeze of a lime.  I also used the last of the cranberry sauce I made for Thanksgiving as the jam -- A success!  YEA!

note:  super cute "avacado opera" pot holder from my friend K. - still love it and it has held up beautifully over this past year -- Thanks again!

enchiladas

enchiladas on the fly.  I blended my red gravy, and two jarred salsas for the sauce -- and it was great!  Filled a few with chicken & cheese and a few with beans & cheese.  excitement!  Made a little cilantro-lime rice and a spinach salad with almonds.  

Oysters Mosca

I grew up hearing about Mosca's, a restaurant on the West Bank of New Orleans, from my parents.  They raved about every olive oil soaked dish, the family style presentation, the chicken cacciatore, but most of all the Oysters Mosca.  My Mother makes a great one and here is my own first attempt.