A Beautiful Sunday, "Shout Outs" & Awards

The gorgeous blue color you're looking at, is not a screen background, but the blue sky today, here in Palm Beach...and NO, it's not a "prop" set up...you are actually seeing the Goodyear Blimp. We were sitting on the beach, which by the way, was so rough and wavy, you could not even walk along the sand because the waves were like ten feet high, hitting the beach and knocking little people down i.e. my little 4 year old grandson. More photos, later.
I have a couple of "shout outs", and 15 awards to give out!
My friend Brenda, from Brenda's Canadian Kitchen has a real fun club...of course it's associated with foods, and yummy desserts. It's called Cookbook Sundays. Last Sunday, I linked to it and picked up the widget, and I really wanted to post a nice cake very befitting for the holidays from a nice dessert book of mine. I'm a little embarrassed for not keeping my promise to do this. I joined her club...not sure if it's "exclusively" hers, or somebody else started it, still trying to straighten this out, including my widget which is still "looming" on the bottom of my page, but I did set it up. Just check out her blog, and see the beautiful Rum Cake she has on for this Sunday.
Next-my new friend Kavita, from Kavita's Kitchen awarded me with another award...which I'm overwhelmed with, and I still have 30 bloggers to post, and announce from last time...but I will start with 15, from Kavita's award to pay forward. (By the way, why do we say "pay forward"?...it doesn't sound right in my dictionary, or I may be old fashioned, but I would say "passing it on"...at any rate, please visit Kavita's blog if you want to try out some beautiful traditional Indian cuisine, and yummy desserts. You will surely be glad you did!
Thank you Brenda, for not reminding me what I started out to do, and Thank you Kavita (her name means Poem)...what a lovely name for a lovely lady!

1. Kavita's Kitchen  Kavita is a recent new friend. She is on a Hershey's "baking roll" these days, and who can blame her-check out her latest. Chocolate coconut balls. Yumm!...perfect for the holidays.

2. The Sweet Tooth Chronicles-Is another new recent friend, her blog full of beautiful desserts, and more desserts, that will amaze you. You'll probably ask yourself why you havent't found her blog yet...now you will, and I know you will want to browse through and keep coming back!

3  Greg's World On Plate-Greg is a professional chef by trade-another new friend. He has been blogging for a while now, but needs to get more exposure with his fabulous travels to sea, and his beautiful creative dishes. You must visit his blog, and leave some comments. Don't know where he's been hiding, but I'm glad I found him.

4  Bright Morning Stars Foodie-Mia is a caring and loving lady, when you first open her blog, it's like you've never seen anything like it. So unique...everything with hearts, pink and purple, even the fonts too...once you've settled int, she will tantalize you with her beautiful dishes, her desserts, and step-by-step amazing photos. Check out the latest cookies she made...to "die for"

5  What's Cookin Italian Style-Claudia has a blog that is loaded with family treasured recipes that she is sharing with us. So generous and kind, Check out the beautiful apple cake recipe and photo of the cake, and her beloved grandmother. Once you visit her blog...you're hooked!

6  Welcome to Kimba's Kitchen-Kimba is such a talented young woman, she not only is a fabulous cook, but baker, and her photography just "blows you away"...you're going to "drool" over her beautiful desserts, and dishes...I promise. She is so humble, kind, and gracious, and will comment back each time.

7  Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice-Reeni is a recent new friend...I'm sure no strangers to a lot of you out there. She has more followers than "stars in the skies" on a clear Florida night, which is so often here (once the hurricane season is over) She is a Foodbuzz contestant, and has completed challenge #7. (can't think of the initials of the contest at this moment...short memory) If you need any Thanksgiving side dish recipe ideas, she has them all, along with the beautiful photos. We wish you all the best in continuing on to the next challenge, Reeni!

8  My Kitchen in the Rockies-Kirsten is a fabulous cook and baker. She will share her creations of her German heritage beautiful dessert and dishes, along with the traditional familiar dishes that we all know. Her latest is a beautiul pear and almond muffins with fall spices. Yumm...and so pretty too!

9  The Church Cook-This is a lovely lady-a recent friend, we have a lot in common...she is a profesional caterer, turned church cook/caterer, devoting her precious time to the needs of the church in her community, and cooking up fabulous meals and organizing parties and events. I too have that same thing in common with her, but the only difference was, that I cooked every Weds. evininig suppers for 3yrs for our local church(which I was not a member of)...but it was very rewarding.

10 Jane Deere-Jennifer has a "green thumb" and a beautiful garden where she grows her own vegetables, and is resourceful with them. Do visit her blog, for great recipes, and photos, as well.

11 The Tiny Bento-A must visit blog, especially if you have little children it will amaze you all the wonderful ways to pack their lunch, and make it fun, and pretty too...not to mention appetizing! No kid will turn down their lunch packed into these cut little Bentos. I must recommend this to my daughter!

12 Good Food Week -Shari is a beuatiful young lady, from Australia, she is still new to her blog, I befriended her on Foodbuzz, where most of my friends are from. She made this "killer" curried egg salad sandwhich, which I love, since I love curry powder. No more plain egg salad for me. Do visit her blog, and say "hello"!

13 The Ardent Epicure-Alisha-Magic of Spice-She has the most amazing exotic blog, her latest with the most delicious and hearty mixed bean soup, with such aromatic spices...and don't forget to check out her decadent chocolate fudge cake, just previous to that. I promise you, your chocolate cravings will be cured!

14.Me My Food and I -Michael is a recent new friend, whom I hade the pleasure of befriending through being a guest post on Chef Dennis More than a Mountfull blog. He posted his latest pasta with pesto, potato, and green beans, from "Nigella"...I am not only a potato lover, but also pasta, maybe even more!

15.Mistress-of-Spices-If you want to take a nice tour around the world...let Mistress of Spices be your guide...her latest at this chic Japanese Bistro, in Paris...oh, ...and sigh...if only I could fly there...well, maybe in my "dreams" for now!
 Please do visit her blog, and all the above wonderful friends' blogs, as well!

The white foam you see is a dangerous unpredictable body of water that came rushing out to the shore that it literally knocked you down. The temperature was so perfect at 75 degrees, and the sky a crisp bluest blue. This is your typical South Florida sunshiny day...I guess that's why they call it the "Sunshine State."

There's nothing like a grandfather's hug to his (and my) only grandson...parents in the background.

Baked Eggplant with Roasted Potatoes #3





Just when you thought I had enough potatoes...here comes more!...OK, enough of the potato "show"...or not! This dish is so classic, so easy, and the potatoes have of course, my Indian inspired spices, along with my Hungarian paprika. Simple spicy Italian dressing, right from the bottle is what I used for marinating the eggplant slices for about an hour, and just patting a thick layer of Panko crumbs on it, and bake it very nicely along with the vegetables for almost an hour, until it gets nicely brown and crispy...oh my, what a treat...tastes so rich, it's so yummy, and satisfying, if you have any leftover, the next day you can just make a sandwich with the eggplant, and eat it cold. It's that good!

Baked Eggplant with Roasted Potatoes

1 large eggplant

2-4 large baking potatoes

2 whole garlic

1 onion

1/2 cup spicy Italian dressing

or (oil, and vinegar+spices)

3Tbsp vegetable oil

cooking spray

1/2 cup plain water

a mixture of Indian inspired spices+

Hungarian hot, or sweet Paprika

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice eggplant into 1/2 inch slices.( you need it a little thick, so it can have a good bite and flavor to it.). Soak the eggplant slices in salty water for about 20 minutes. Cut potatoes into quarter wedges, and set aside in a bowl of water. Cut the onion into quarters, cut the tops of the garlic off.

In order to get the spices coating the potatoes, just put the potatoes in a large Ziploc baggie, and put the spices directly in there, give it a good shake, and it's done. Do the same thing with the eggplant and the dressing.

 Put the eggplant with the dressing in a large Ziploc baggie, let it marinade for at least 30 minutes than just dip them in Panko, or course breadcrumbs on a platter, adding more marinade as needed, because, you have to pat them on with your hands, to make sure it's adhered. Layer everything, in a single layer on an aluminum lined large baking pan, pour the oil right under the vegetables, along, with starting out with 1/4 cup of water, adding the rest after about 30 minutes. (For the garlic, drizzle extra right on top)

Spray all the veggies, and eggplant with Pam, or other cooking spray, to prevent dryness, and to assure nice even baking. Bake for about 45 minutes, adding the 1/4 cup of the reserved water, to assure even baking.

That's really how you make crispy oven baked vegetables, especially eggplant. Serves 4.

note: Hungarian Paprika source-BENDE

Truly, the best imported Hungarian Paprika, you can find. I have ordered from them for the last 10 years, they ship promptly, and surprisingly the shipping charge is very minimal. Always satisfied, with the best products, and beautifully packaged, and generous amount for a very fair price...can't get these products in a store, elsewhere, because everything is either made on their premises, or imported.

Just when you thought I had enough potatoes...here comes more! This one is Italian spices inspired. Same roasting method! OK...so maybe I'm Irish, and don't even know it. Actually, not!
Just a blend of "Heinz 57, as they say"...a nice mixture of Mediterranean, and Eastern European!...yes, that's my heritage,my dear friends.
 

Roasted Potatoes with POM

I mentioned how I love potatoes...well "lo and behold"...my sweet daughter-in-law created this beautiful combination of potatoes, which I love so much, and splashed it with POM juice. It was absolutely incredible. I myself, do not have the recipe, but all I can tell you that it had at least 1 cup of POM juice splashed on it...baked at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes. There really wasn't any magic to it, but it tasted absolutely, MAGICAL!

A POM givaway from my foodie friend, Wendy, @weekend gourmet

Before I even knew that she had this givaway, I already had this photo of the POM juice to come up with an authentic recipe. 

Thank you Wendy, and thank you POM!

...and thanks to my lovely daughter-in-law Cara, who created this recipe. As I mentioned in my previous post that we love potatoes, and I really love potatoes. There are so many ways of preparing them as a main meal, vegetarian style, or a side dish that would go with any meats. Cara and my son have been vegetarian on-and-off for a few years, but they are on again. She and I prepare a lot of delicious vegetarian dishes together, at least once or twice a week. I love POM juice too, but have not cooked with it yet, although I think it would make an excellent cocktail with vodka too, or make a nice sorbet, with the juice, and the fruit.

These are just a couple ideas...the recipe, as follows, according to the way Cara prepared it. I just adjusted the seasoning, and watched it baking to a glorious crisp and yummy finish.

Roasted Potatoes with POM

purple potatoes (about 6 small)

Yukon gold potatoes (about 4)

red skinned potatoes (about 6 small)

seasoned salt (she used sea salt mixed with pepper)

a couple sprigs of fresh rosemary peeled

3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 cup POM juice

Cut potatoes, and quarter them, put them into a large plastic sealable baggie...pour over 1/2 cup of the POM juice, the olive oil, add the seasoning, add the peel of one rosemary sprig. Shake the bag real well and place in the refrigerator, for up to an hour to overnight if you wish.

When you are ready to bake it, line a large flat baking pan with aluminum foil, and empty the potatoes from the bag, spread out evenly, and bake at 425 degrees for about 45 minutes, adding the other 1/2 cup of POM, and the second rosemary sprig, sprinkling it over the potatoes. Adjust seasoning, and let it bake to a beautiful crispy finish. Serves 6.

A Lovely Blog Award x 2...again!
I feel so honored again, for getting this special award, from two very special foodie friends. I would never have been able to be so fortunate to meet so many wonderful and talented people, had it not been  for joining Foodbuzz.
Livya, @EatGreek  has a very special and beautiful blog that I love so much, since I truly love Greek food, and prepare quite a few recipes. My son spent a summer in Greece while studying in Israel in his college years, in the mid nineties. He vowed, he would never leave the Greek Island. Now that I fixed my scanner, I do have some beautiful photos to post on my blog about Greece from my son.
If you like Greek food, and like to venture further than a Greek salad, or moussaka, please visit EatGreek  for some amazing trendy and delicious Greek food.
Jo @ Chic&Gorgeous is a lovely young lady, from Malaysia, with such amazing talents for baking the most beautiful cupcakes, which I could never do. She made these pretty pink dainty cupcakes last month, and I commented on it, immediately picking up on the October Breast Cancer Awareness month dedicating it to my younger sister. Jo brought such special joy, by agreeing for me to use it, since I did not have a plan. This went out to all the ladies that survived breast cancer, and to honor the ones that did not survive it.
Jo has a heart of gold, and is sweet and kind, Please visit her blog, and meet her...also do comment!...Let's make more friends.
Thank you for the honor, and I will pass this on to 30 friends, once more! Please let me know if you would like to nominate a friend for the Lovely Blog Award...and why?

Curried Potatoes with Vegetables

I just want to tell you that we love potatoes...I love potatoes. It's one of my food passions. Doesn't matter what kind, what shape. I love them all. Roasted, boiled, mashed, baked, fried. Yukon gold, is one of my favorites, but Idaho, sweet potatoes, and lately fingerling, or purple.

Mixed with various vegetables, really, what can be better than potatoes smothered with onions, peppers, carrots, zucchini, with a mixture of lovely Indian spices...
inspired by my friend Sabby at Food Fun Freak- check out her recipes of the wonderful different type of mouthwatering potatoes, and other delicious vegetables. I love curry, and this is a special red curry powder blended with ginger, cumin, hot Hungarian paprika, cardamom, and a small amount of organic tomato sauce blended in. If you like spicy, and you like potatoes, this is the one you would fall in love with!
Not adapted from any recipe, it's just something I concocted, remembering the Indian spices that Sabby and my other foodies friends use in their inspired dishes.

Curried Potatoes with Vegetables

2 large potatoes
2 stalks carrots
1 large onion
3 cloves garlic
2 medium zucchinis
1 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
1 bell pepper
1 teaspoon red curry powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon hot Hungarian paprika
1 teaspoon cardamom
1 teaspoon cumin
dash of red pepper flakes
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Peel and dice potatoes, (leaving them in a bowl of water, so they don't turn color)...peel, and slice carrots, diagonally, cut zucchinis and dice them, cut onion in half and chop, finely mince garlic, slice, and then dice peppers. In a large heavy skillet, (I used a large cast iron skillet)... first, start off by sauteing the onions for a few minutes in the olive oil, add minced garlic, the pepper flakes and saute until onion is clarified, and wilted.

Add the potatoes, (easier, if potatoes are pre-cooked halfway)...add the bell pepper, and zucchini, now add all the spices, including salt and pepper. Stir around real well until all the vegetables are combined...add the 1/2 cup of water, and cook for a few minutes on med. high temperature, add the tomato sauce, and cook until all the vegetables, are tender, about 30 minutes. The sauce should be nicely combined with the vegetables, not too liquidy, just about enough to coat the vegetables. You can adjust the seasoning, but it should be just the right spices...any hotter would be your choice. You can serve this just with a nice crusty bread, or even some pasta, which would be a full and hearty meal. Serves 4.

Braised Red Cabbage with Cider & Apples





I finally got around to making my foodie friend's recipe for this Braised Red Cabbage with Cider & Apples posted on her blog. She has the most amazing blog, called Angie's Recipes.Every kind of dish, weather it's comfort food, ethnic, or some fabulous dessert, you will want to stay, and explore the rest of her blog. Just when you thought you found the best recipe, there' a lot more to find....so be patient, because she has no less than about 65 comments, and more a day. But you know what?...she will respond back to you. She is totally laid back, and super nice.

Thank you Angie, like I mentioned, I even have the same lead crystal glass dish...unfortunately, I just didn't want to empty all those wonderful shells that I collected on the beach, here in Palm Beach, Florida. By the way, the glass dish was purchased at Goodwill last year, for $2.99, again, another great thrift find, and a wonderful recipe. If you want this recipe, you have to click over to Angie's blog!

Green Market, in West Palm Beach

Have you ever seen skies so blue...not a cloud in sight, crisp, clean well manicured grass, the Intracoastal water so blue too. Well, this is the famous Flagler drive route that leads to downtown and the Saturday morning Green Market...so much fun!...Photo taken by me, from the car, (driver's side, of course.)

You can see we went to the best stands, First, the smoothie stand (daughter in the green sweater, and granddaughter all bundled up in a hoodie, at 65 degrees?)...so this is a cool temperature...later temperature went up into the 70's, about 74 degrees. Oh so perfect weather. Next stop at the Cuban stand...had to put my smoothie down to snap some photos quick! I had the yummy beef empenada on the right.

A Jerry Seinfeld new film casting, here in W.Palm Beach

...a couple sitting here, trying out for the casting.

A local entertainer singing "Simon & Garfunkel" songs. Notice something odd?... he's performing his songs under the Children's Activities stand?...What's with the little kid grabbing his pants?...huh, just noticed it. "weird"!

 OK, so much for "Show and Tell"...just another Saturday morning at the West Palm Beach Green Market, which is feautured every Saturday morning, all year long, except in extreme cold, or extrem hot weather (I think.)

Now, I'm dying to hear from bloggers, about the 2nd. Annual Foodbuzz Blogger Festival, in San Francisco!

That will be exciting news, and photos...lots of stories...can't wait!

Spaghetti with Porcini Mushrooms

Now that Halloween is behind us, and taking a breather from contacting all the award participants, I can now start posting some of the dishes that I have made in the past week. You will be seeing a lot more vegetarian dishes, since my son and daughter-in-law have become vegetarians, with their on-again, off-again...OK, lets eat some meat...special occasion excuses, so now it's official once more. As for me, I make vegetarian dishes at least twice or 3 times a week and the rest of the week it's usually chicken, anyway. Once in a while beef, or pork, which is rarely. This porcini mushroom comes from Italy, in a small packet. When my daughter visits once a year, all I ask of her is to bring me Italian spices, and porcini mushrooms. All you do to reconstitute the dried mushrooms, is to put them into a small pot, fill it up with water, let it come to a boil, leave it alone to cool the water...do not use for at least one hour, or just put it into a mason jar with the liquid, which is so important, and use it within a few days, or so...all of it, or some of it. It has a nice woodsy flavor, and it is oh so rich, and oh so very expensive, if you can even buy it! The broccoli florets was an (option) which was steamed and added in there at the end.

...I forgot to include in my Halloween "show& tell" dear departed grandma Fran, and Grandpa Ronny (comment from my 4yr old granddaughter)
...OK enough of that. My recipe to follow, the way I made the porcini with the spaghetti...some of you that do not like the broccoli, just ignore it. 

Spaghetti with Porcini Mushrooms

1 small packet of dried porcini mushrooms (about 1 cup dried)

1 onion chopped

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic minced

1 cup tomato sauce

salt and pepper to taste

small amount of dried red pepper flakes

1 jalapeno seeded and sliced thin (optional)

few leaves of fresh basil

1 cup liquid from porcini mushrooms

1 cup porcini mushrooms that have been boiled and soaked in water

1 lb. dry spaghetti (save 1 cup water, from the cooked pasta)

In a medium saucepan, add water about halfway, empty the dried mushrooms and let it come to a boil. Do not boil any longer, just let the mushroom soak in the liquid, let it cool down, and save in a medium mason jar with a lid, with liquid. You should end up with about 2 cups of mushroom. Do not discard the liquid, you will need it in the cooking process.

In the meantime boil the water for the spaghetti, and cook according to directions. In a large skillet, saute onions, jalapeno and garlic till onions are nicely wilted, add the mushrooms, and the liquid from the mushrooms, the salt and pepper, and the basil. Let the liquid cook down for a few minutes, until you see it thickening. Add the tomato sauce, and let it cook until the sauce thickens You can add steamed broccoli florets to fold into the sauce at this time. (optional) Serves 4.

A Lovely Blog Award

I am so honored to have The Lovely Blog Award bestowed upon me, not once, but twice. The first one was one week ago, from Emma, at  Sunflower Days, and the second, today, from Lora,
at cake duchess. I am so excited every day to think of new things to blog about, and also checking to see what my foodie friends are blogging about
.
If it wasn't for the Foodbuzz Community, I would not have some many wonderful, and talented people from all over the world.There are so many beautiful blogs out there, and I have been fortunate to have made friends with a lot of them.
I have been so inspired by all the different cultures, and their dishes that every day is such a joy for me to be able to get into contact with all my friends.

So this is a "shout out" now to the 30 bloggers.
Thank you Emma...thank you Lora, and thanks to all of you!

I apologize for the delay...I came up with with my list, just have to link it and shout it out!


Anecdotes and Applecores-Monet
Angie's Recipes -Angie
Books, Thoughts, and a few Adventures-Patty
Brenda's Canadian Kitchen-Brenda
Cake Duchess-Lora
Cardomom Hills
Chic Gorgeous-Jo
Citrom hab. 
Culorile din Farfurie-Sara
Deba Roo Roo-Debbie
Dreams of Sugarplums-Alexandria 
Food Fun Freak-Sabby
Green Girl
La Kocinera-Koci
Liv Life too-Kim
Mari's Cakes-Mari
More than a Mountfull-Chef Dennis
My Kitchen in the Rockies-Kirsten 
Priya's easy n tasty recipes-Priya
Quay Po Cooks-Veronica
Shosh's yummy foods
Susi Kochen und Backen-Susi
Spoon-and-Chopsticks  
Tasty-Trials-Karen
Shepwell Kitchen -Anne
That skinny chick can bake-Lizzy
US Masala-Aipi
Weekend Gourmet-Wendy
What's for dinner-across Statelines-Gina
Yesim Style Kitchen-Yesim

A Halloween Weekend

Friday evening: On our way to the little preschool Halloween party at my youngest granddaughter's school. Photo snapped from inside the car, towards downtown West Palm Beach... Let me be your guide...follow me!

Carrot Cake

October is such an all time favorite month for everybody. The beautiful fall colors of the season, Halloween of course, but than there are birthdays...and not just any birthday. My granddaughter, the second oldest of my 4 grandchildren Sophia's 9th birthday. I mentioned in my "Tagged" answer that I had to learn from "Betty Crocker" to cook, and I did not mention, also, to bake, as well. At that time, a hundred years ago...(actually, in the seventies)...Betty Crocker recipes were very popular, as were Better Homes and Gardens. Seems like everybody had a cookbook from one, or the other, as I did. This recipe is really so easy, and your family will love this, especially the beautiful fall colors, even in the frosting, which is just a nice creme cheese frosting with a few drops of yellow, and red food color, to make it a pumpkin, orange color, few pieces of M&M's a fancy cake pan, or just one 9" pan, or a spring form pan, will make it fancy looking. So much nicer than a 13x9 which the recipe calls for.

Carrot Cake

adapted from Betty Crocker

1 cup light brown sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup milk (I use 1/2 evaporated milk)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

dash of salt

3 cups shredded carrots (about 5 med. carrots)

do not use pre shredded carrots-they are too thick

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom and sides of 13x9 8 inch or 9 inch round, or spring form pan, with shortening, or cooking spray. In a large bowl, beat sugar, eggs and vegetable oil with an electric hand mixer till combined for about a minute or 2. In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients, and add them slowly to the wet mixture. Add the milk and vanilla to it, and beat on low, till all combined. Fold in the shredded carrots, and pour batter into pan. Bake for 30 minutes on 350 degrees, and lower the temperature to 325 degrees. Bake for an additional 25 minutes. Check by inserting toothpick into middle of the cake, to see if it comes out clean. Cool completely, before frosting, at least 1 hour.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 package 8 oz. creme cheese softened

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 Tbsp of milk

(add about 7 drops of yellow food dye and 4 drops of red dye to the milk to make orange color)

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 cups powdered sugar

Mix all ingredients together until smooth and velvety. Frost cake, and immediately chill in freezer for about 20 minutes before decorating.