Well here it is the third day of the year and every food site I look at or every Facebook post from a food place is about eating in the new year of 2012. Eat smarter they say. Save money with healthy choices. Eating Organic is expensive. Eat local. (Yeah, that's a good one here in Ohio in January). We can eat well and eat right so here is Lesson 1.....Eat what you want to eat!
Today was our first trip to the grocery since December 23. We had gone 12 days without going to the grocery. We ate 2 times. One time was at Dewey's Pizza here in Dayton. (Not wanting to plug anything, but Dewey's has the best salads of ANY restaurant around and the pizza we brought home, we ate for lunch the next day). The 2nd place we ate was Frisch's. I had to have a Big Boy with extra sauce. That's it. We had gone to Frisch's after we had gone to Big Lots, because I needed Olive Oil. Yes, you heard me. Olive Oil.
Big Lots is one of my favorite places for food stuff. Love the different pastas, cookies, snacks, sauces, ethnic stuff, you name it, they got it. But a word of warning....don't fall in love with anything you buy there. You may not find it again. I go there about every 6 weeks to stroll down the aisles.
The 2nd place that you have to go to is GFS Marketplace. I buy certain things here, I get no where else. With this cold month and hearty soups on our menus, I always buy their chicken and beef base. I also use their roasted garlic puree, vegetable base for vegetarian soups, and Pesto. That's what I buy there.
Where are your favorite places to shop? Do you shop a certain place every time? Well I've shared with you 2 and if you know me, you know I love my Krogers! We spent $137 today. For $.79, I got a one pound bag of Pinto Beans. If you know my husband, than you know one pound will not be enough, so I got two pounds. I had purchased a spiral sliced ham for other holidays from Krogers and I had a ham bone left. That ham had feed us all week and I also had made a big batch of ham salad which I gave to the ex-husband and family with soup once they arrived home from driving from Florida.
As I write this, the beans are soaking in water overnight. I will cook them all day tomorrrow. We won't eat them because I have a Standing Rib Roast that I bought at scary Krogers at $6.99/lb. It's just over 5 pounds and I will cook it for my oldest son's last dinner at home before he leaves for the Navy the next day. Just wait for my blog on the leftover meals from the Roast beast!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Monday, January 2, 2012
Aunt Bonnie's Apple Stack Cake
I have heard about Aunt Bonnie's Apple Stack Cake recipe for 10 years now. It was only this past September that I actually saw one for the first time. We had gone to see the movie The Help and right there on the table in one scene, is an Apple Stack Cake. The man who has been telling me about this cake for all this time, blurts out "there is the apple stack cake" right there in the theatre. I finally saw it.
We came home from the movie starving. Fortunately, sometimes living with a chef does have its advantages. Potato Salad. Other things I really don't remember what they were, there was potato salad. I sat here at the dining table and started searching on the Internet what an Apple Stack Cake was, comparing recipes, and listening to my spouse tell me about the cake, again.
The Apple Stack Cake is the top of the lot of all cakes baked and served in Southern Appalachia. The dried apple stack cake was a favorite at mountain weddings with "in-fares" where people gathered to party. Because wedding cakes were so expensive, neighbor cooks brought layers to donate to the bride's family. The dough for the cake was rolled or pressed out into very thin layers. The family of the bride cooked, sweetened, and spiced dried apples to spread between the layers of cake. The number of layers per stack of her wedding cake often gauged the bride's popularity. Sometimes there would be up to 12 layers, but the most average was 7-8 layers. Along with weddings, the apple stack cake was served at family reunions, church suppers, and other large gatherings.
After reading all the info I could on an Apple Stack Cake, I decided that the dried apples were the most important ingredient. We were going to be traveling in Amish Country here in Ohio in the next couple of weeks. What a better place to find dried apples. So I did. I bought 3 bags at Amish grocery store in Holmes County, Ohio.
Now lets fast forward to November. It was time to make it. For the layers I used Kroger brand yellow cake mix. I did 2 boxes. Baked 4 layers and cut the layers in half. The dried apples took all day to soak and get soft enough to mash. I started with 1 stock pot and ended up with 2 stocks soaking the dried apples. I had a half gallon of apple cider in the frig and started that as my liquid. I cooked them for about 4 hours. Drained the liquid but kept it. (Great deglazing a pan with pork chops or chicken) Pureed the apples is batches in the food processor. Once all the apples were like applesauce consistency, I added 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup sugar, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and ground allspice. Let it cool. When cool, stack layers of cake with spiced, sweetened dried apples. Spread between layers and smooth around the sides. I was told Aunt Bonnie didn't frost the top, so I didn't. It really is quite simple to assemble.
The hard part is the waiting to eat it. Everything I read said it has to sit for 24 hours before you make the first cut. The longer it sits, the better it gets. This is so true. It melts in your mouth. By the 3rd day, the whole mouth feel is ecstasy.
Now I have to admit that I wrote this sometime ago. Say, November 9, 2011 when I originally started this post. So I also must admit that I haven't made one since. It was very difficult to find the correct dried apples. I will not have dried apples from China for this cake. I had even planned to make little ones for Christmas gifts and never got around to it because of the apple situation.
Well last night, the first full day of 2012, I order dried apples from amazon.com. I can't believe it. Organic dried apple slices! So I will post pics when completed.
We came home from the movie starving. Fortunately, sometimes living with a chef does have its advantages. Potato Salad. Other things I really don't remember what they were, there was potato salad. I sat here at the dining table and started searching on the Internet what an Apple Stack Cake was, comparing recipes, and listening to my spouse tell me about the cake, again.
The Apple Stack Cake is the top of the lot of all cakes baked and served in Southern Appalachia. The dried apple stack cake was a favorite at mountain weddings with "in-fares" where people gathered to party. Because wedding cakes were so expensive, neighbor cooks brought layers to donate to the bride's family. The dough for the cake was rolled or pressed out into very thin layers. The family of the bride cooked, sweetened, and spiced dried apples to spread between the layers of cake. The number of layers per stack of her wedding cake often gauged the bride's popularity. Sometimes there would be up to 12 layers, but the most average was 7-8 layers. Along with weddings, the apple stack cake was served at family reunions, church suppers, and other large gatherings.
After reading all the info I could on an Apple Stack Cake, I decided that the dried apples were the most important ingredient. We were going to be traveling in Amish Country here in Ohio in the next couple of weeks. What a better place to find dried apples. So I did. I bought 3 bags at Amish grocery store in Holmes County, Ohio.
Now lets fast forward to November. It was time to make it. For the layers I used Kroger brand yellow cake mix. I did 2 boxes. Baked 4 layers and cut the layers in half. The dried apples took all day to soak and get soft enough to mash. I started with 1 stock pot and ended up with 2 stocks soaking the dried apples. I had a half gallon of apple cider in the frig and started that as my liquid. I cooked them for about 4 hours. Drained the liquid but kept it. (Great deglazing a pan with pork chops or chicken) Pureed the apples is batches in the food processor. Once all the apples were like applesauce consistency, I added 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup sugar, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and ground allspice. Let it cool. When cool, stack layers of cake with spiced, sweetened dried apples. Spread between layers and smooth around the sides. I was told Aunt Bonnie didn't frost the top, so I didn't. It really is quite simple to assemble.
The hard part is the waiting to eat it. Everything I read said it has to sit for 24 hours before you make the first cut. The longer it sits, the better it gets. This is so true. It melts in your mouth. By the 3rd day, the whole mouth feel is ecstasy.
Now I have to admit that I wrote this sometime ago. Say, November 9, 2011 when I originally started this post. So I also must admit that I haven't made one since. It was very difficult to find the correct dried apples. I will not have dried apples from China for this cake. I had even planned to make little ones for Christmas gifts and never got around to it because of the apple situation.
Well last night, the first full day of 2012, I order dried apples from amazon.com. I can't believe it. Organic dried apple slices! So I will post pics when completed.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Monday, June 13, 2011
Our meatless Monday!
What a great day today. Tempertures were perfect. A perfect night for dining outside on the deck.
Our menu tonight was Tomato Basil Bisque and Grilled Cheese. On the grilled ciabatta bread was American and Swiss cheese, a thin slice of Vadalia Onion, and Peach Zinfandel Chutney. It was just heaven! What did you have for your meatless Monday?
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Pet Peeves and Kitchen Tip #1
It has been a month since I did my last blog and I have so much to write about.
The USDA has changed the food architecture again. Instead of a pyramid it is now a circle like a pie chart. Slices on it determine what portions to eat. The one thing that has been on my plate the last couple of nights are Ritz Crackers and Peanut Butter.
Another article I have seen in the food world is about tomatoes. Now you know they are a fruit but treated like a vegetable. I have never liked tomatoes. I eat salsa. I even have had the stewed tomatoes at the Pine Club. I am not a fan of tomatoes. Now a new book is out on tomatoes. Most of the tomatoes grown today are for the fast food industry. These GM (genetically-modified) fruits have been breed for transportation, not for eating. This is one fruit/vegetable that is best eaten right out of your garden or farmers market.
Here is another pet peeve I have lately. Eat local they say. I try to but I also live in Ohio hello? Where am I going to eat local this winter? When I was the chef at a restaurant here in Dayton which shall remain nameless, I had relationships with local farmers. After they would pack up at the market, they would always come to the back door of the restaurant and I would buy from the back of their vans. The farmer would also let me know what crop was coming, what to count on, what not to count on, etc. I would base menus, specials, or events based on what the farmers told me. This was 15 years ago. Where was all the press then on eating local? Even then people would say "oh it is so good to have a local farmer." I just find it so strange that I was on the cusp of the beginning of this movement.
Alot of people ask me what my secret is on cooking. Well in today's education system, we do not teach home economics. That is where the basics of cooking are taught. Not anymore. What are the basics that everyone should know? What tips should you know that will help in the kitchen? Feeding yourself is one of the basic needs. Driving through a fast food window satisfies the basic need but you are buying the food that kills you. So here is the begining of my tips to assist you in the kitchen.
1. Get a good, sharp knife. There are so many knives out there that it is confusing. I use a larger chef knife. The ones I buy cost around $12. I buy them from a local knife sharpener business. Find one that fits your hand. Once you have a good knife you will be able to chop alot of products that will eventually save you money. Example....buy already chopped broccoli. You pay $3.00 for florettes. You pay $.99 cents for a head of broccoli. Cut the florettes and you save the stem part for soup. You got to save money somehow, right?
One of the things I always told my students was to learn to rock the chefs knife. When you chop, you never lift the knife off the cutting board. Once you have the feel of the knife, then you are ready to become a chopping fool.
The other advise that I told students was make the product safe. That means if it is round, chop off part of the fruit or vegetable to make a flat side. Chopping something that can't roll off is not safe. Is your cutting board safe? Don't forget to lay a wet towel under the cutting board. The board will not move.
If there are any knife use questions or how to chop something, please email me at chefongreenst@gmail.com
The USDA has changed the food architecture again. Instead of a pyramid it is now a circle like a pie chart. Slices on it determine what portions to eat. The one thing that has been on my plate the last couple of nights are Ritz Crackers and Peanut Butter.
Another article I have seen in the food world is about tomatoes. Now you know they are a fruit but treated like a vegetable. I have never liked tomatoes. I eat salsa. I even have had the stewed tomatoes at the Pine Club. I am not a fan of tomatoes. Now a new book is out on tomatoes. Most of the tomatoes grown today are for the fast food industry. These GM (genetically-modified) fruits have been breed for transportation, not for eating. This is one fruit/vegetable that is best eaten right out of your garden or farmers market.
Here is another pet peeve I have lately. Eat local they say. I try to but I also live in Ohio hello? Where am I going to eat local this winter? When I was the chef at a restaurant here in Dayton which shall remain nameless, I had relationships with local farmers. After they would pack up at the market, they would always come to the back door of the restaurant and I would buy from the back of their vans. The farmer would also let me know what crop was coming, what to count on, what not to count on, etc. I would base menus, specials, or events based on what the farmers told me. This was 15 years ago. Where was all the press then on eating local? Even then people would say "oh it is so good to have a local farmer." I just find it so strange that I was on the cusp of the beginning of this movement.
Alot of people ask me what my secret is on cooking. Well in today's education system, we do not teach home economics. That is where the basics of cooking are taught. Not anymore. What are the basics that everyone should know? What tips should you know that will help in the kitchen? Feeding yourself is one of the basic needs. Driving through a fast food window satisfies the basic need but you are buying the food that kills you. So here is the begining of my tips to assist you in the kitchen.
1. Get a good, sharp knife. There are so many knives out there that it is confusing. I use a larger chef knife. The ones I buy cost around $12. I buy them from a local knife sharpener business. Find one that fits your hand. Once you have a good knife you will be able to chop alot of products that will eventually save you money. Example....buy already chopped broccoli. You pay $3.00 for florettes. You pay $.99 cents for a head of broccoli. Cut the florettes and you save the stem part for soup. You got to save money somehow, right?
One of the things I always told my students was to learn to rock the chefs knife. When you chop, you never lift the knife off the cutting board. Once you have the feel of the knife, then you are ready to become a chopping fool.
The other advise that I told students was make the product safe. That means if it is round, chop off part of the fruit or vegetable to make a flat side. Chopping something that can't roll off is not safe. Is your cutting board safe? Don't forget to lay a wet towel under the cutting board. The board will not move.
If there are any knife use questions or how to chop something, please email me at chefongreenst@gmail.com
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