Chutney Raddichio

Summer in Florida harvests a multitude of sins, and sinfully delicious as it may taste, the mango is, to say the least, one of them right in your own back yard. By the time the season is over you’ve had your fill and wish to not see them again for a long, long time. Like long lost relatives, you love to see them come and love to see them go. Mangos fall and find their way to restaurant menus and kitchen counters by the way of produce delivery, or my favorite, neighborhood roadside stands. If, you’re not the one bendin’ over, pickin’ up and baggin’, then four for a buck, is the way to go. You can’t beat it! My favorite, Mango Chutney, has been dancing in my kitchen with chiles, ginger, and limes for a month now, and sacheting its sweet and sour zip-locked way to the refrigerators of friends and strangers. Anyone who will adopt a bag is my friend now! This is the time of year I always think about my friend Mark Nevins. He and I were attached at the hip at my restaurant in Tacoma, Washington. As I was harmonizing to the tune of our pianist and running the wheel, (restaurant talk for organizing the distribution of plates of food from the line to the tables) you could hear me sing songs of ingredients or special orders ie; Chutney! Raddichio! Endive! Gremolata! Parsley! Basil! Mark would find the garnish, and wipe the plates and send them up to the second floor. My name, of endearment for Mark, and of family and friends, from that time on was always “Chutney Raddichio”, “Chutney” for short. Another delicious way I experience mangos is the fruit pedicure. I travel to Boca to relax into the creamy, pinkish orange mango puree massaged into my feet with a key lime loofa sponge. Pampering myself after a day of being on my feet making chutney, is my way of “just desserts.” My feet never tasted so good.

Strawberries in the Rain

Have you ever picked strawberries while dancing in the rain? This memory takes me back to Indiana where I picked my first berries, blue, black and red. Mother Nature made a growl that day as we plucked one for the bucket and one for our mouths. "Not supposed to be here" kept echoing sing song from my baby sister April. So racing against time to both that seemed a bottomless pit, we laughed and ate to our hearts content. Slurping rain and berry juice off our chins we realized that you can only get wet once, so we stayed there in the puddles of our youth till darkness and Mom beckoned us home. Today I taste those wet and wild strawberries in every shortcake I make. Strawberry fields forever.

Summer For Me

It is obvious to me that summer is here. The fact that I am turning once again to my dessert recipes. I realized for the first time that I am a summer dessert person. In the winter I love braised vegetables and cauldren pots of meats, chou croute, lamb shanks and stews, but summer finds me with delighting with the thought of nectarine crumbles, blueberry fools, strawberry shorcakes and raspberry ice creams. I stop at the farmers markets and search out "you pick" signs like they were an offering from above, and when I am out in an orchard or bending down to pick the one for the basket or the one for me I know I'm in heaven. Share with me your favorite summer recipe and lets go and find a field "ripe for the pickin'". We can cook and taste summer together.

What a Night

Oh what a night, empowering to say the least. I had the pleasure of joining several other women who are professionals in their field, on a panel of "For Women By Women," a women's health program at "Tea at Lily's" sponsored by Holy-Cross Hospital. I demonstrated a couple of recipes that were healthy and fresh, Mediterranean Couscous Salad and Roasted Eggplant Spread.

If you ever have the opportunity to go to one of these events I encourage you to do so. Visit the Holy Cross Auxiliary web site or call 954-351-7804 and request a schedule. The program last night was "Stay Fit For Life," something we are all struggling to achieve. The next program is May 27th and the topic is Osteoporosis. Mark your calendars and I will see you there! Be well, be safe, and if you can't be good, be great!

Nothing Better

There is nothing better than waking up to a sunny day and realizing that I get to do my favorite thing (cooking) with some of my favorite people for some of my favorite clients. I have taken on a weekly cooking project for a family in Boca (friends of friends) and I provide four meals for them delivered every week. I have never met them eye to eye, but when you begin cooking for someone you get to know them palate to palate. My cooking class schedule is complete and it should be hitting the press tomorro and at your door later this week. Thank you all for your patience, phone calls, sugestions and ideas. The day moves on and I'd better start playing catch-up.

Good Friday

Good Friday. Good Everyday for me in the kitchen. I have been tip-toeing around in my kitchen for the last couple of months working with someone that was not on the same page of my cookbook. We come from opposite directions on the spectrum. I am self taught and he has gone to culinary school and worked in very structured kitchens. I on the other hand, love the idea of whisking the samba to the beat of a waltz. A new sense of stength and vitality has come over me. I love what I do and do what I love and love the way I do it! It is my passion and my priviledge to cook for all of you. Happy Easter Egg Hunt to you all!

Beautiful Day

A beautiful day to complete the new cooking class schedule. Weeks have gone by where most of my thoughts and ideas about the new schedule have been formulating in my head with only a few notations on pen to paper. For me to create this masterpiece of ideas without an artists block I have to be fearless in the kitchen of my mind. There isn't anything that would not turn out exactly like I created. Sometimes I am surprised, but that just keeps me where I like to be, always smiliing. I thank everyone for their sugesstions, ideas and support. That's the icing on my cake!