Thursday, July 9, 2009

Dear Bing

Ok. So, I enjoy cherries..those gorgeous red, perfect, taut-skinned, tart-sweet cherries.

This is the time of year, where I get to eat the beautiful bing cherries..and not in a lady-like dainty way...I think..I'll only eat a few this time..yet, I end up eating way past polite capacity as I sit on the leather club chair, my legs criss-cross applesauce style, a bowl in my lap FULL of them. My husband thinks I'm crazy. But, good cherries are only in the grocery store for a few weeks. He just doesn't get it... he doesn't appreciate fruits at their peak freshness.

Cherry Clafouti Batter
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Plus
1 pound fresh sweet cherries, pitted
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons granulated white sugar

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and place the rack in the center of the oven. Wash the cherries, remove the stems and pits.
For the Clafoutis Batter: Place all the batter ingredients in your food processor. Process for about a minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Once the batter is completely smooth, let it rest while you prepare the fruit.
In a large 9- or 10- inch heavy nonstick ovenproof skillet melt the butter over medium heat making sure the melted butter coats the bottom and sides of the pan. When the butter is bubbling, add the pitted cherries, and cook until the cherries have softened a bit and are coated with butter (2 - 3 minutes). Then sprinkle the cherries with the sugar and cook until the sugar has dissolved and turns into a syrup (1 - 2 minutes). Pour the batter over the cherries and bake for about 20 minutes or until the clafoutis is puffed, set, and golden brown around the edges. Do not open the oven door until the end of the baking time or it may collapse. Serve immediately with a dusting of confectioners sugar or softly whipped cream.
Serves 4...unless you're in my family..then it serves 2.

I just finished watching the tribute show to Billy Mays. It got me at the end! I tried not to cry, but it didn't work.
R.I.P. Billy Mays.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

The Lie

December 30, 2006 - Saturday
Mother In Law's gift to me/size issue/big lie story. Current mood: hungry
So I've been asked by a few how the "Mother In Law gift/size issue/big lie" thing went. I guess I will tell the story to everyone.
Several weeks ago, my mother in law (Ok, I'm tired of typing that out, her name is Carline), Carline, called here and I answered..she told me that she wanted to buy me street clothes (No, I don't walk the streets). She then asked "Do you wear a 14 or 16?" Oh no, hell no, she did not just ask if I wore those sizes...'What is she thinking?', I thought to myself. "Carline, I don't wear either of those sizes, I actually wear a size **" Now, this is where the big lie part comes in..I lied about my size..I guess it was just to prove to her that I DID NOT wear that size or even close to that size. Ok, so maybe my size is a little close to the size 14..but not really. Then she said to me "Oh, I'm impressed..You wear a size **?" WTF WOMAN! How dare her be impressed with my false size! Ahem...back to the story... Carline is the type of woman who, when she buys clothing items for the family, says in front of everyone on Christmas Eve or their birthday or whatever, "Go try it on! Show everyone what you got!" Basically, I was fucked..I had to figure out how in TWO WEEKS to get my ass into a size **, all while baking cookies, eating some to make sure they were fine, and sipping eggnog several times a day and never ever stepping on the treadmill.
Christmas Eve arrives...I hold off on opening my gift from Carline..prolonging the inevitable...Finally, Carline asks me in front of everyone, if I had opened my gift from her yet. "No, not yet. I was just getting ready to" I said..as I wiped sweat from my brow..I look around, nervously, seeing everyone staring at me. They must have thought since she asked that that she must have bought me something really exciting. I believe you could have heard a pin drop in the room..wait, no she has plush carpet in there, nevermind. Had she a wood floor though, you would have heard a pin drop, b/c it was so damn quiet. Anyway...Tim nudges me, I had told him how I lied to her about my size, and I saw him smirking..the ass. I slowly unwrap the gift...open the huge shirt box, and pull out a celedon velour sweat suit. I loved it! And it was stretchy! I love that woman..Thank goodness..No one said anything, they looked almost disappointed when I opened it, and then everyone went back to whatever they were doing before. She never asked me to try it on..So, late that night, after my houseguests left, I tried it on..the pants fit perfectly..the jacket was HUGE. She got a medium in the pants and a XLarge in the jacket. WTF. Oh well..
The lesson learned, kids?
Don't lie to your mother in law about your size.

Wendy's

November 29, 2007 - Thursday
Wendy’s Current mood: awake
So Wendy's reopened after like 3 years or something yesterday. Yay!
I remember back when they were open before, I loved going there because it was never crowded. I could go at 5 or 6 and I would just pull right up to the drive thru speaker and order. Arby's, McDonalds..everyone else would always be crowded with lines and people everywhere... I have always been loyal to Wendy's. Then they closed all of a sudden. Bankruptcy, I think?
So last night....Tim gets home...everyone tells me what they want from Wendy's.
I jump in the car (if I had a convertible, I totally would have jumped in without opening the car door), eagerly, excited...I can't wait to bite into my favorite chicken sandwich and then have a Frosty. Mmmmm...And I'm not really a french fry person, but I HAD to have Wendy's fries. And I don't even remember them being any good. I needed Wendy's food.
I probably smiled the entire time, driving down Church street, turning right on McMenamy, left on Mid Rivers...seeing that a zillion people were at McDonalds...rolling my eyes at the morons..Then I see that I am not able to get into the middle turn lane to make a left into Wendy's. It was backed up. I pull in after 4 minutes blocking the left lane on Mid Rivers along with 3 other cars...the drive thru line was actually wrapped AROUND the building. There must have been 30 cars waiting. And of course, no parking. People loitering in the vestibule...no available tables inside. What!?!? Now all of a sudden everyone likes Wendy's? Where were all of them when WEndy's needed their money! Huh?!?!? Ya jerks! I was there! I have always been there for Wendy's! Damnit! Now I can barely fit my car into the parking lot!
There were people ALL OVER THAT PLACE! Arby's...I think maybe one car. McDonalds..I've never seen their drive thru line so long..Wendy's..OMG It was ridiculous. It's fast food, people! HELLOOOO!!! (Btw, tatum says hellooo just like me now) They are square hamburgers! Its just a thick chocolate milkshake! Why are all of these losers here?

Our Wendy's was delicious last night though. It was well worth the 54 minute wait in line.

beans beans the magical fruit - another oldie

December 4, 2007 - Tuesday
beans beans the magical fruit Current mood: virginal
Ok. I'm not perfect. And I've never claimed to be. I make stupid mistakes...occasionally.
Last night Tim wanted red beans and rice. (I created my own recipe) It's one of Tim's favorites that I make..so I throw the dish together, place the serving bowl on the kitchen table, call everyone in to eat....We sit there...eating quietly..we're pretty much finished eating, and Tim looks over at me.
"I didn't have any beans in mine."
I look on my plate...
"I dont' have any either. Oh my gosh! I forgot the beans!"
The girls laugh..
And no, it was not just a plate of white rice..I add other ingredients also. (Ellen and Fred)
I've also done other stupid things in the kitchen..I once made a quiche and forgot to remove the paper from the bottom of the frozen crust. A couple of years ago I forgot to remove the plastic bag of giblets from our Thanksgiving turkey. I did pull it out though after it was done cooking.
I can't even imagine how fun it will be when I start culinary school..
Fred is great at photoshopping stuff..

The 'current moods' list on blogs are enough to make me want to blog every hour, just so I can use another fun one. Has anyone ever read all of them? They're great. Just like Tony the Tiger says.

An oldie..but goodie - Men and Directions

January 9, 2008 - Wednesday
men and directions Current mood: lethargic
I'm sitting here..with this ridiculously annoying and painful cough. I feel good for a while, I feel bad for a while..it's been crazy. I don't think my body knows what to do..
On to the the point of this...Tim, my ball and chain, sees that I am starting to get sick one night last week..He says "I keep seeing that Airborne commercial. I need to get some of that so I don't catch what you have" Me-"Ok. Let's go." We go to Walmart. Have I ever told you that he HATES Walmart? He watched that documentary thing on how Walmart is ruining all small businesses and has been totally against it ever since..however, I am the boss, so we head to Walmart, instead of overpriced Walgreens.
We get there...we're looking for the Airborne, Tim goes to reach for it..I stop him immediately. I grab his hand, look at him and shake my head no... He looks at me puzzled, stops reaching for the Airborne, tries to figure out what I'm looking at then..and sees. I found Equate's AirHealth. There's a store brand of it!!! WOO HOO! He refuses to get it, I tell him that it's just so much less money..He says he's putting his foot down. I tell him that he's crazy and that there is no sense in buying the exact same thing for twice the price. He rolls his eyes..grabs the Airborne..I trip him as he's speedwalking down Aisle 4..He stumbles to the ground..Ok. So that didn't happen. Anyway, he kept refusing to get the off brand. He's so against offbrands..it's ridiculous. I don't get it. I guess most of you know the Eggland's Best story. I sent him to Aldi to get eggs..yadda yadda yadda, he comes back with a Schnucks bag with Egglands Best cage-free fucking eggs. He could have spent less than a dollar...instead he spent $4. Now where was I...OH yes..
So anyway..I'll wrap this little ditty up.We leave Walmart...yadda yadda yadda... Our Walmart bag contained Equate AirHealth.. We get home and I head to bed..He comes in a few minutes later, gagging, his eyes watering...
"Tim, what's wrong?"
He stomps his foot on the floor and starts coughing.
"Are you choking?"
He says that he just took one of those AirHealth tablets..and it was awful and he knew he should have bought the Airborne and all of this is my fault. I reply, "What do you mean you just took one of those Airhealth tablets? What did you put it in?"
"What the hell are you talking about? I just ate one. I put it IN MY MOUTH"
"You chewed it?" I start smiling...
Directions for AirHealth: Drop one effervescent tablet in 4 - 6 ozs of water - let dissolve one minute and drink. Repeat every 3 - 4 hours.
Why do men not read directions?

how and why

Years ago,when I was 13, I saw the movie, Home Alone. I really liked that movie..of course, there was only one line that stood out to me and I repeated it HOURLY..until my mom told me to "knock it off" and that it was "annoying".

Linnie McAllister "No, Kevin, you're what the French call les incompetents. "

Of course, I would change the name..usually to Kristen.. (maybe that's why we barely get along?)

I told my Grandma Claudia that I NEEDED an English To French language dictionary. She bought me one that afternoon. I started learning French words..and some sentences. I went to the library and bought books about France..about their castles. But, the one thing I had to watch a couple of evenings a week and on Saturday and Sunday morning on PBS? Julia Child and the Art of French Cooking.

Now, when I got to high school..all that went through my mind was..homework, how I hated high school, and boys. France? What was that? Oh it's a place?

Skip ahead to when I was laid off from the CAD software company Iworked for..back in 2000, I picked up cooking. I bought cookbooks left and right. New from bookstores..used from Used Book Sales. My mom gave me hers and my Grandma's old cookbooks. I cooked..and cooked and cooked. I loved trying new recipes. Tim loved that I cooked. Somewhere in between baking and sauteeing, I gave birth to a 9 lb 13 oz baby, named Mackenzie and an 8 lb. 9 oz baby named Tatum.

My family members and neighbors started telling me their favorites of the things I made.. I had finally found my niche.

Thirty pounds later..I absolutely love to cook. My favorites are sweets. I love having girlfriends over and cooking for them and then sitting around watching a movie or talking.

I'd love to attend a culinary school..but I don't know how I'll do that.. maybe when Tatum goes to school full time.

I've got books and books about Paris, France. Posters..cookbooks about french cooking... I even have a mold for a croquembouche. Someday, I hope to visit France..and Spain. Which reminds me, did anyone else see that PBS show with Mario Batali and Gwyneth Paltrow travelling through Spain? I'd like to see Tom Colicchio and myself travelling through France trying out various food.. How do I reach PBS to pitch my idea?

When I saw Before Sunrise years ago..I just fell in love with the idea of going to Europe and travelling. Tim wasn't into it and just took me around the U.S., which I'm not complaining.. Ok, I am. Before Sunset made me tear up. I dont know why. I have never seen a sequel I enjoyed so much. See these 2 movies. Back to back. Thanks.

I can not tell you how excited I am about Julie and Julia coming out this summer. I thought that book was so cute. Why didn't I think to write that? Dammit.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

question and answer time

What would people be surprised to find in your kitchen? 5 different kinds of cocoa powder. I collect it. You'd be amazed how they all taste different.

Name three things you always have in your refrigerator. sticks of light margarine, orange marmalade, low-fat buttermilk

Describe the perfect snack. saltines and crunchy peanut butter

Of the places you've traveled, where did you have the best food? I don't have to go far..Main St. in St. Charles - Magpie's, the best desserts are at Cyrano's though.

What do you like to eat, even though you know you shouldn't? Mexican food at restaurants. I read somewhere that the average plate at one of them has around 2000 calories.

What's your drink of choice when you go out? Iced tea.

Where is your favorite restaurant, and what do you order there? Cyrano's - I ALWAYS order the Worlds Fair Eclaire. Always. Even if we go there for dinner. But, since I love to cook, I always make exactly what I am in the mood for.. Luckily, my family isn't picky and they eat everything.

What's the most unusual thing you've ever eaten? I haven't had the opportunity to eat anything really unusual YET.

What would you never, ever want to eat again? I usually enjoy everything I eat.

Is there a food that always reminds you of home? Chicken divan, wontons, strawberry pretzel salad.

Where was your most memorable meal? An Italian restaurant in Atlanta..The whole family including aunt, uncle, cousins....We just kept eating and eating for hours. I think there were 7 courses. It was incredible. I wish I could remember the name of the place.

Do you have a favorite comfort food? Chicken and dumplings.

What are you having for dinner tonight? White pizza and a spinach and arugala salad with a vinaigrette dressing.