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Share in the real-life stories of two Betty Crocker editors. Each week, Andi and Heidi will tell you all about their personal food experiences: what they love to cook, their kitchen disasters, their biggest food challenges, and how they feed their families and friends. And they’ll help you find ways to bring creativity and inspiration to your kitchen every day.
 
 

January 2008 - Posts

  • Our vacation traveling buddies, Jim and Frankie, thought I should tell you about the lunch we enjoyed last week on the Dutch island of Bonaire. We rode our rented motor scooters inland for around 45 minutes to the small town of Rincon, which, according to my guidebook, was the first town on the island. (The reason the first inhabitants didn't settle on the coast is because of pirates who apparently didn't venture very far inland.)

    We stopped at the Rose Inn for lunch which was the only place open on a Sunday afternoon--or on any afternoon for that matter (it's a very small town). There were around four or five tables set up and a small outdoor bar. We arrived in time for the Dutch lunch buffet which consisted of a choice of Dutch brats, huge meatballs (around 4 inches in diameter) and something that looked like cabbage roll but instead was a meatloaf mixture rolled into individual logs and wrapped in bacon. The meat entrées were served with a choice of mashed potatoes--but not just plain mashed potatoes. One option was mashed potatoes with sauerkraut and the other was mashed potatoes, carrots and onions. Before tasting anything from the buffet line, we were told by the woman who seemed to be in charge (Rose, perhaps?) that we had to have the green been soup. This tasted like split pea soup to me and was delicious with bits of ham and slices of sausage added.

    Dutch Eggs

    We had breakfast at a restaurant on the waterfront the next morning. An item called Dutch Eggs was on the menu. My husband Jack ordered it and it turned out to be toast topped with Gouda cheese and ham, and three sunny-side-up eggs. I'm going to put this on my list for great breakfasts at our cabin but I'd make each serving only half the size

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  • Despite the cold temps, I haven't been watching too much TV these days, mostly because there's nothing on except reality shows and reruns.

    Having heard so many good things about LOST I decided see what all the fuss was about. I hadn't seen a single episode so I rented the first two DVDs hoping to catch up. I was immediately hooked. After renting the first six discs I discovered that all the episodes are available on abc.com. Not only are they free, but watching them online means I no longer have to venture out into the cold to rent and return the DVDs. I managed to watch all 69 episodes in 24 days (That's a little embarrassing to admit, actually. In my defense, I've been sick and it's REALLY cold--currently -16, with the wind chill).

    If you've turned on the TV at all lately, you're well aware the two-hour season premiere is tomorrow night. I hope to have a few friends over, make a couple of appetizers and watch the show. This is one recipe I plan to make, as it this one. Both are tried-and-true and no-fuss, but the main requirement is that once they're finished baking, they're done. Running to and from the kitchen during the show is not an option--I'm not going to risk missing a single moment.

    How about you? What are you watching on TV these days?

    1 comment(s)

  • I've just returned home to Minnesota from a week-long vacation on a warm (85°F everyday) and sunny island. Tonight our temperature is supposed to go down to -12°F tonight. That's a 97°F. difference!

     

    Just in case you were wondering, the highlights of my week were: eating every meal outside, renting a scooter to drive around the island and stopping for great photo opportunities everywhere, seeing wild donkeys, wild goats and giant cactus plants along the roads, snorkeling in the mangrove forest, taking lots of photos of lizards and iguanas, snorkeling at several different sites around the island, seeing flamingos all over the island, the sound of the surf, sandy beaches, great food and the beach bars.

     

    I tasted my first Caipiroska at a beach bar. The drink is a wonderful concoction of mashed fresh limes, a little sugar and some vodka in a low-ball glass filled with ice cubes. The original version, made with Brazilan rum instead of the vodka, is called a Caipirinha and is considered the national cocktail of Brazil.

     

    I found lots of versions of this drink after doing a web search. After some experimentation last night home, I came up with the one that I like the best.

    Andi's Best Caipiroska

    1/4 fresh lime, cut into little pieces

    2 teaspoons sugar

    Ice cubes or crushed ice

    2 ounces vodka

     

    In an old-fashioned glass, place lime and sugar; mash together using a wooden spoon. Fill the glass with ice cubes or crushed ice. Pour the vodka over the top. Stir to blend. Have a sip and pretend that you are sitting at the beach bar on a warm island, listening to the surf.

     

    2 comment(s)

  • I went indoor rock climbing with a group of six girls on Friday night. I only mention it because I'm super proud for not chickening out. I'd love to tell you I invited everyone back to my place afterwards and cooked up a fantastic meal, but the truth is we went to a bar and celebrated with beer and French fries.

    If scaling a 15-foot wall isn't a good reason for French fries, I don't know what is.

    Rock climbing

    Here's me at the tippy-top. My friend Amy took the photo.

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  • Last night I got together with several co-workers for a jewelry exchange. I wasn’t in the market for anything new but I did get rid of (I mean “share”) a couple of bracelets, a pin and some earrings I never wear. We all had quite a laugh over some of the items. (The 80s certainly had a distinctive style!) Mostly, it was fun to just hang out.

    Our hostess, Diane, made a bunch of pizzas with all sorts of unusual toppings like roasted pepper pesto, sun-dried tomatoes and Canadian bacon (okay, so that weren’t THAT unusual—but I’m a pepperoni-pizza person, so they were a little outside my comfort zone). Diane, being Diane, made all the pizza crusts from scratch and they were really good. She used a Wolfgang Puck recipe and you can find it here. Like anyone who cooks a lot, she deviated from the recipe a bit. Here are some tips she suggests when making the dough:

     
    • She uses a bread machine
    • To ensure the crust stays crispy, she par-bakes it before adding the toppings and baking again.
    • If she doesn’t plan to use all the crusts, she stores them in the freezer after she par-bakes them.

    Happy weekend!

     

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  • When you read this, I'll be snorkeling off the coast of the island of Bonaire--just north of Venezuela. (Once again, my thanks to Heidi for posting this for me.) It's REALLY cold in Minnesota now so I picked a good week to spend on sunny, warm island.

    Bonaire

    I always like to plan ahead when I travel--especially in regard to what restaurants I want to visit and what foods I want to sample. With that in mind, I searched for a website where I could find recipes from Bonaire and found this one.

    The recipes that sound most delicious to me are the Pastechis--little pasties filled with spicy meat, shrimp or fish. I'm also looking forward to some Island Curry, Funchi (a corn meal dish) and some Cocada (coconut candy).

    There are a couple of recipes that I may not try: Sòpi di Binja (a sort of cinnamon flavored prune and wine soup, which could be delicious) and the Sòpi di Yuwanna, or Iguana Soup. The recipe recommends that you choose a "plump" igiana from a roadside stand--they are supposed to taste like rabbit and a little like chicken. I think I'll leave that tasty treat to the natives.

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  • My niece Greta turned three on Monday and we celebrated her birthday on Sunday with a Princess Party. Both Greta and her sister Morgan were dressed in appropriate princess garb. There were princess plates, princess cups and, of course, a princess cake.

    Princess Cake

    The adults had several beverages to choose from, one being Pom-Ade, with or without vodka. As I was still not feeling 100 percent, I went with the non-alcoholic version. I'm not much of a punch fan, but this was really, really good. It's refreshing and tart and a nice reminder that despite the current bone-chilling temperature outside, spring will eventually arrive. I asked my sister for the recipe. It's from the February issue of Bon Appetit magazine.    
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  • About this time of the year, I begin to plan how I will spend my vacation days for the rest of the year. (I'm actually on vacation right now and Heidi is posting this for me. I'll tell you all about it when I return.) One of my favorite vacations was one I took to the South of France where I attended a week-long cooking class in Julia Childs' home--the one she and her husband Paul built so they could live near Julia's very best friend, Simone Beck.

    Kathie Alex runs the cooking school called, Cooking With Friends in France which is a culinary immersion program that features cooking classes, a market tour, cheese ripening cave and butcher shop tours, classes with professional chefs and lunches at Michelin two-starred restaurants. You don't have to be a good cook to take these classes--they are for amateurs too.

    For more information go here. You can contact Kathie at info@cookingwithfriends.com 

    If you are interested in going on a Truffle Hunt, she conducts one in February so contact her right away about this.

    I enjoyed the first time that I traveled to this school so much that I went a second time for all new recipes and more of the same kind of fun. If you aren't able go this year, check out her website anyway for a couple of delicious French recipes such as Roast Chicken with Garlic, Shallots and Potatoes, and Tomatoes Provençale.

     

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  •  

    I made the Pull-Apart Caramel Loaf on Sunday. The only trouble I ran into was finding the frozen cinnamon rolls. My local grocery store didn't stock them so I wound up going to a larger supermarket to get them.    

    Other than that, the recipe was a breeze to make. I followed the instructions exactly, except I could only fit five cinnamon rolls in my loaf pan instead of the six the directions called for.

        The hardest part of the whole deal was waiting an hour for the bread to rise. I am not a patient person and with the smell of cinnamon rolls wafting throughout my house was hard to ignore.

         Lastly, once the rolls were done, I had no one to share them with. Everyone I know is on a diet!

    2 comment(s)

  • I've been sick this whole week (hence my lack of a post on Monday--sorry about that) so I haven't been cooking or eating much which doesn't make for interesting blogging (sorry again). Weather forecasters are predicting extremely cold temperatures this weekend, so it would be a good time to bake, provided I can work it into my nap schedule. If I plan it right, I should only have to leave the house once, to go to the grocery store, and then I can settle into my cozy little kitchen and bake to my heart's content. Here's a recipe I plan to try. Warm bread and caramel--what's not to like?


    Pull-Apart Caramel Loaf
    Prep Time: 10 Minutes
    Start to Finish: 2 Hours 50 Minutes


    6 frozen cinnamon rolls (from 36.5-oz bag)
    1/2 cup packed brown sugar
    1/4 cup butter or margarine
    2 tablespoons light corn syrup
    2 tablespoons whipping cream



    1.   Heat oven to 175°F. Place rolls on cutting board. Let stand 10 minutes or until partially thawed.

    2.   Meanwhile, in 1-quart saucepan, heat brown sugar and butter over medium heat, stirring constantly, until butter is melted. Stir in corn syrup and whipping cream. Pour brown sugar mixture into 9x5-inch loaf pan, covering bottom completely.

    3.   Cut each cinnamon roll in half crosswise. Arrange roll halves randomly over brown sugar mixture in pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray. Place pan in oven and turn off heat. Let rise 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or until loaf has at least doubled in size and top of loaf is 1 inch from top of pan. Remove from oven.

    4.   Heat oven to 350°F. Remove plastic wrap. Bake loaf 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Place heatproof tray or serving plate upside down over pan; immediately turn tray and pan over. Let pan remain 1 minute so caramel can drizzle over loaf; remove pan. Serve warm.


    6 servings      


    High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Bake 28 to 32 minutes.

       

     

    2 comment(s)

  • On Tuesday, I told you that I'll add some coffee powder to a batch of chocolate chip cookies, the next time I stir some up. That got me to thinking about coffee – really good coffee.

     

    May I recommend ordering coffee from Grounds For Change? All of their coffee is organic and grown without chemical pesticides and fertilizers to "insure the health of the soil, forest and farmers." 

     

    I recently ordered some of their Nordic Blend which was described as, "dark and full bodied with notes of black cherry and chocolate" which is similar to the way some experts describe the flavor of fine wines. While I find it difficult to taste the cherry flavor in wine or coffee, I did really enjoy this brew. Some of my Nordic relatives may want to order a lighter-roast variety – but I always go for the darkest roast that I can find.

     

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  • We had a potluck today in the Betty Crocker Kitchens. To say there was a lot of food to choose from is an understatement. Selections included, but were not limited to: Roast turkey, cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes, pear and greens salad, seven-layer salad, pasta salad, quinoa salad, fresh fruit salad, roast beef and broccoli roll-ups, pumpkin bread, root vegetables, glazed ham balls, zesty tomato soup, feta-yogurt dip with veggies and cheese and crackers. Don’t even get me start on the dessert options. Here's just a glimpse of what my lunch was like:

     

     
    Potluck Table 1 Table decoration
    Potlcuk table 2 Potluck table 3
    2 comment(s)
  • There has been a lot of hype lately about the famous Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe—probably instigated by the Neiman Marcus department store chain since they are celebrating their 100th anniversary. I'd heard the urban myth for years that someone had to pay one million dollars for the recipe. Maybe you've heard a similar story?

    The Neiman Marcus recipe calls for coffee powder and since I love coffee and coffee-flavored desserts, I really wanted to try it. Here's a photo of my results.

     

    Chocolat chip cookies

    These cookies have a darker color than a typical chocolate chip cookie, due to the coffee powder in them. Maybe for that reason, they are baked at the very low temperature of 300°F. for 20 minutes—so that they won't overbrown. The result is an evenly dried-out cookie without the crisp sides and chewy center—the texture that most of us have come to love in a really good chocolate chip cookie.  

    Would I make them again? No! But I might try putting a little coffee power in the Toll House recipe that's on every Nestle package of semi-sweet chocolate chips. 
    2 comment(s)

  • I've just about finished reading Animal, Vegetable, Mineral by Barbara Kingsolver (my favorite author of all time) and I come to find that she won the Betty Crocker Homemaker of Tomorrow Award in 1972. How crazy is that?

    1 comment(s)
  • Have you ever heard of galumpkis? I hadn't until last weekend when we attended our nephew's Ukrainian-American wedding in Westfield, Massachusetts.  

    At the reception for 300 guests, the tables were set with many wonderful cold salads, lox, a meat pâté and a plate with little fried foods that looked like a tiny Ukrainian versions of egg rolls and egg foo yong. After we were seated, bowls of mashed potatoes with a meat gravy, braised chicken pieces and the Galumpkis were served.

     

    The Galumpkis are tiny appetizer size stuffed cabbage rolls that were filled with both ground beef and pork, rice, a little tomato paste and maybe some onions according to the bride's mother who is a caterer and prepared all of the food for this wedding. "You can make them any size", she told me. Here is a Glumpkis recipe that I found on the Foodnetwork that I can't wait to try.

     

    2 comment(s)
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