Cooking with Lenore Nolan-Ryan!

Beautiful and Delicious Sightings in Alaska

2011-07-03T01:06:00.000-04:00

Stormy weather can't keep a chef out of the galley for long. Not even 10 foot seas and gale force winds. Apple crumble seemed the only way to keep everyone smiling. Sweet and cinnamony with crumbly oats and butter holding it all in. Just days before we were happy with sun shining faces and bright blue ice eyes. The glacier was the star of the show, but none the less were the spouting whales and a grizzly bear and her four cubs. I need a bigger camera! Missing you all, but loving cooking for guests on the beautiful MV Jamal as we breathtakingly cruise this still unknown frontier in Southeast Alaska.

A whale says goodbye until next time

2011-06-23T03:13:00.000-04:00

It's unusual that we would only have 2 guests on board. It's unusual that after only 2 days we would be making our way up Tracy Arm to the glacier. 49 degrees outside and 325 degrees inside our oven filled with rows of Snickerdoodle Cookies as we travel to see the shaves of calving blue ice. Spent an uneventful night at NoName, a small cove just outside the arm. Then waiting until the tides allow a vessel that draws 10 feet to embark on a such a treacherous journey, we pull up the 70 feet of anchor chain. Before we make our way up the 2½ hour run we eat breakfast, check the engines, charge our camera batteries and grab our warmest sweaters. About an hour into our foray we come upon the waterfall. Our journey is never complete without hearing its roar and feeling and breathing the gentle mist from its raging force. Our faces and spirits feel ageless and refreshed from natures spa.

The closer we get to the glacier the more testiments of it's magnitude float by. Clear, blue and dirty bergs in all colors, shapes and sizes. Pieces of a grand puzzle never to be designed together again. We can only imagine. Intensly you are sure you are but a mere speck floating among them. You see yourself proportionately.

Up Up and Away!

2011-05-22T23:14:00.000-04:00

Ahhhhhhhh the cool summer ... in Alaska. Best of all worlds. Florida in the Winter and Alaska in the Summer. Cooking for 2-8 in 360 degrees of visual excitement and calmness. Smiling at the world through the a glass enclosed salon aboard the MV Jamal. My island of the galley suspended in a world like Alice in Wonderland, Lenore in Alaska is a place both emotionally, spiritually and physically that grounds me on the sea of life. The way I think it should be.

and of course there is always the food, of that I will always share my best of dishes with love and more of the same all summer long ...............

French Mousseline Salmon

Time Flies and so do I!!

2011-01-31T08:19:00.000-05:00

The last day of January and I am still reeling, I guess I have not stopped, from the holiday season. Now that is a GOOD thing, no its a GREAT thing! Newly remodeled cooking school is about to be revealed and then you must all join me in one of the premier, I say without hesitation, cooking schools in South Florida! Until then, here is a little recipe to tantalize the taste buds ... see, you thought I'd forgotten, no, I still love you with as much spice as this dish has to offer!

CHICKEN FRA DIAVLO

1 lb. Rigatoni pasta, cooked al dente and tossed with olive oil

Sauce:

3 T. olive oli

½ c. chopped yellow onion

½ c. shredded carrots

1 28 oz. can tomatoes

2 T. tomato paste

2 T. dry garlic chips

1 T. dried crushed chilis (or more to taste)

Saute the onions and carrots in the olive oil for 2 minutes until soft. Add in the garlic , chilis and tomato paste. Season with salt and pepper. Add in the tomatoes. Cook until vegetables are soft and flavors are married. Taste and adjust heat. Set aside. Taste for sweetness and heat. Adjust with balsamic vinegar, sugar, chilis.

Meat:

2 T. olive oil

1/12 lbs. ground chicken or turkey

2 chopped shallots

Kosher salt and cracked black pepper

1 c. red wine

2 T. each chopped fresh oregano and basil

Saute the chopped shallots in the olive oil for 1 minute. Add in the ground chicken and continue cooking until browned. Add in the red wine and deglaze the pan, scraping up the bits in the bottom. Continue cooking until wine is reduced by half. Add in the tomato sauce. Mix together until warmed. Add in the warm pasta and toss together. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with dollop of topping on each plate.

Cream Topping

¾ c. ricotta cheese

2 T. heavy cream

¼ c. shredded parmesan

2 T. chopped basil

Mix together Enjoy!

CORZO TASTING ... POMEGRANATE SHORT RIBS

2010-10-25T20:44:00.001-04:00

Corzo Tequila ... yes, and a food pairing. This trickle, bubble, swirl and simmer sauce is enhanced with pomegranate sauce, reduced with veal stock, cinnamon and vanilla. Ladled generously over, under and through braised short ribs.

POMEGRANATE SHORT RIBS

15 pieces bone-in short ribs (about 6 pounds)
Kosher salt
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 inch pieces ginger cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 carrots, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 cup Anejo Corzo Tequila
1 cups tomato paste
3 cups hearty red wine
2 cups beef both
2 cups pomegranate molasses
3 inch piece of ginger, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 bunch fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 cup veal stock

Season each short rib generously with salt. Coat a pot large enough to accommodate all the meat and vegetables. Add to the pan the olive oil and bring to a high heat. Add the vegetables to the pan and brown very well, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Do not overcrowd pan. Cook in batches, if necessary. Remove vegetables and set aside and brown short ribs in same manner.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

When the short ribs are very brown on all sides, add the vegetables, tequila, stock, wine, tomato paste, ginger, herbs and 1 cup pomegranate molasses. Reduce the mixture by half.

Cover the pan and place in the preheated oven for 3 hours. Turn the ribs over halfway through the cooking time. Remove the lid during the last 20 minutes of cooking to let things get nice and brown and to let the sauce reduce. When done the meat should be very tender but not falling apart. Remove from oven and cool overnight in the refirgerator. To serve, remove fat from top of pan, remove short ribs and set aside. Strain the liquid and return to the heat. Add 1 cup pomegranate molasses and 1 cup veal stock and reduce liquid by half. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Enjoy!

Rob Casey ... the man with the Corzo ... the most interesting man in the world!

My favorite fall cocktail .. Corzo Anejo, sipped and shaken not stirred. Club soda with lime back.

FAVORITE COOK BOOK, CHEF and FRIEND, RENEE BEHNKE and MEMORABLE RECIPES

2010-10-02T18:06:00.000-04:00

If you love food, good friends, everyday memorable occasions then you will love this cookbook and my friend, Renee Behnke. I am delighted to know Renee. She has cooked for me, I have been entertained by her in her gorgeous gardened home, we have cooked together on board the MV Jamal, she has hired me to cook for her cooks program at Sur La Table and most of all we have shared life, love and laughter over a glass of wine or two for about 16 years. Renee is as passionate about food as I am and it is to our benefit that she shares with us her passion, with this book, her delicious book, Memorable Recipes. As she says on the cover "to share with family and friends" ...


Renee and I cooking at Craig's beautiful home on Henry Island, San Juan Islands

A delicious read!

Renee and I share the same casual attention to detail style of cooking. Good, fresh and local ingredients are always best, prepared simply and shared with those we love. Even when we are meeting people for the first time our love comes through and creates an aroma and sensuality at the table.


Simply Salted and Peppered Campari Tomatoes sitting in a pool of Olive Oil and ready for the stuffing!

Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes

6 medium vine ripened tomatoes (or 10 Campari, vine ripened tomatoes)

Salt

6 ounces herb goat cheese

4 ounces mascarpone

1/3 cup whole milk

1 tablespoon each minced fresh chives and thyme (or basil and chives)

1 clove minced garlic

Cut the top off the tomato, reserving the top. Using a melon baller or spoon remove the seeds and flesh from the inside. Lightly salt the interior of each tomato and drain on paper towel for 15 minutes.

Mix together the goat cheese, mascarpone, milk, herbs and garlic.Spoon the mixture into the tomatoes and top each with its lid. Set in shallow bowl and bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes. I drizzle about a 1/4 cup of good olive oil over the tomatoes before baking and pour that oil over the tomatoes when i devour them on a salad, atop pasta, with a simple grilled meat entree or just sopping it all up with a delicious artisan loaf of bread. Enjoy!!

You just want to take a big bite!

I have taken a few liberties with some of these recipes and I am sure Renee would want you to do the same. Cooking is having fun with the ingredients at hand and sharing memories with those close to your heart and at your table. So find a copy of this book at your nearest book store. You will be so happy you did. Ok, one more thing do not miss the Peanut Butter Cream Pie ... as my friends know me when I say, and it is sooo true, that the PBCP is FD!!!

Thank you Renee for sharing. I can't wait to share the stove with you again! xo

LAST SUMMER WEEKEND 2010 HENRY ISLAND, WA

2010-09-20T19:13:00.000-04:00

Thanks girlfriends for inviting me to play! Lovely Amanda and Ga, and beautiful Rita!

Loving the time spent with Ga and Jim Hanna and best friends at the end of summer soiree on board the MV Jamal. I love being invited to cook for them and spend my time enjoying all their company. Visiting Craig Tall at his lovely home on Henry Island in the San Juan Islands is something I will look forward to again, starting now! First, his hospitality is extraordinary and the fact that he gives me carte blanche in his state of the art kitchen ... well heaven comes in many shapes and sizes, his cupboards, pantry and wine cellar runneth over. We were invited for dinner and invited to cook. Second the home is beautifully appointed,warm, comfortable and inviting and next, his caretaker David Miller. I was instantly attracted to a smiling, bright and gleaming face. I could tell he liked himself, confident and engaging, and I could tell he liked me. I enjoyed all the time we spent together cooking and smiling.

and now ... the food ... but first take a peek through the living area into the kitchen ... on stage

Five Spiced Pork with Asian Noodles, Roasted Tomatoes and Carrot Slaw

Grilled Rack of Lamb Balsamic, Mint and Oregano

French Green Beans, Ripe Peaches and Tomatoes, Basil and Cassis Vinaigrette with a brick of Cowgirl Creamery Goat Cheese crumbled all over the top.

Home and Cooking with More Avocados!!

2010-09-17T11:19:00.000-04:00


Avocados are right a home in your fruit basket!


A beautiful bed of your favorite greens, For me it can be whatever is freshest in the market. I chose a mixture of baby greens, beet greens and fresh crisp peppery watercress


Layered on top of the surprise bed of greens and avocado is vine ripened Campari tomatoes, fresh sliced peaches and nectarines, shredded carrot, cucumber and feta cheese all drizzled with a delicious honey dijon vinaigrette.

Whatever your pleasure, whatever the occasion, whatever your fun, mixing fruit with avocados in a beautiful healthy salad is a way to say I love you. And what better way than to start today, everything is right in your fruit basket. No recipe, just components of what you have, any greens will do, whatever your pleasure, be it feta, goat, brie or blue cheese. Make your own dressing, your favorite store bought is great or even a drizzle of good olive oil and a squeeze of citrus can be lovely. You have it all right at your fingertips and now it is time to enjoy your pleasure !

Bellingham Bay Washington Sept. 2010 Last Days, Last Hoorah!

2010-09-13T19:37:00.000-04:00

Looking out over the breakwater in Bellingham Bay, Washington. As I sit and wait for the sun to set, minute by minute, reflecting on my summer at sea, a warm blush of peace and happiness trickle down my every inch of being.

Watching the fishing boats from the distance, like dots in the horizon, then larger and larger the mass of black become, obviously, 2 ton, diesel, fishing vessels coming in from the days catch. Glamorous no, but in these pictures they become romantic silhouettes.

Bill, the captain, has made his way in the dark. As he passes our boat he waves with a big thumbs up. About and hour later, after docking his boat, tying his lines and securing his ship, he pays his crew ... another day. I see him walking down the dock, he finds me sitting on the aft deck. He never comes empty handed. He greets me with a hug and a kiss and a beautiful Sockeye salmon. We visit over conversation and a cocktail, he is anxious to get home after many days at sea. Come to think of it so am I.

DILL SALMON WITH GREEK SALAD

1 c. chopped seedless cucumber
2 c. chopped plum tomatoes
1/2 c. sliced red onion

1 crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus a drizzle
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh dill
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mix the first 4 ingredients together. In a separate bowl mix the next 6 ingredients together. Taste for seasoning.

1 side skinless salmon fillet (approx. 3 lbs)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
1 c. pearl onions

8 Campari tomatoes

2 T. dry dill

On a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil lay the salmon. Toss the tomatoes, onions, olive oil, salt and pepper together. Pour over the salmon and bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees.

Serve with the Greek Salad. Enjoy!

AVOCADOS Healthy! Delicious! Nutritious! Back to School Snack!

2010-09-07T19:44:00.000-04:00


Avocados are at home in any fruit and vegetable basket. Chop it, dice it, slice it, mound it on an English muffin or drizzle it with your favorite olive oil, vinegar or even ranch dressing (yum)

Now don't those look yummy?

Fruit Salad with Avocado? You bet!!!

Peaches, Apples, Tangerines, Clementines and Nectarines ... don't forget the Avocado!

Eating Avocados puts Good Health right in the palm of your hand!

AVOCADO HONEY PUDDING

1 ripe Haas avocado
2 T. dried cranberries, cherries, blueberries or any chopped dried fruit
4 T. honey
pinch Kosher salt

Split the avocado in two even sections. Remove the seed. Hold the half avocado in your hand and with a small spoon slice and mash the avocado in the shell. When the avocado is mashed add the salt, honey and cranberries. Stir together and taste. Adjust with more honey, salt or dried fruit. Enjoy!

TOASTY PB-Avocado

1 thin sandwich round, English muffin, favorite whole grain bread or roll
2 T. peanut butter, almond, cashew or favorite nut butter
2 T. mashed ripe Mexican Haas avocado
pinch of Kosher salt
2 T. Demerara or brown sugar
2 T. coarse chopped pecans or favorite nut
* Can substitute honey for sugar

Toast the sandwich round (not split). Spread the peanut butter over the top. Spread the mashed avocado and Kosher salt on top of the peanut butter. Sprinkle the sugar on top of the avocado. Sprinkle the nuts over the top. Enjoy!

Crispy Toasted Thin Sandwich Rounds with Creamy Nut Butter and Smashed Ripe Avocado, Demerara Sugar and Toasted Nuts! HEAVEN ON A PLATE!!!

Avocados are not just for Guacamole anymore!

CHEFS LOG SAN JUAN ISLANDS, WA. ROCHE HARBOR, AUGUST 25 2010

2010-08-30T20:00:00.000-04:00


Beautiful Roche Harbor, San Juan Islands, walking into the gardens. The next few pictures are an invitation to walk with me on terra firma. The photographs are as breathtaking and magnificent as Mother Nature can be. I know it is not food, but it does immerse me into its, color, light, texture and smells. Walk and sit with me as I fall in love all over again.

All my love, hopes and dreams ....

CHEFS LOG SAN JUAN ISLANDS WA DATE AUGUST 20 2010

2010-08-25T12:13:00.000-04:00


A full load of Dungeness Crab, only the males, six inches or more. Babies and females thrown back to the waters off Sucia Island in the San Juans. Lunch and Dinner look promising!


Fresh caught and cooked within the hour. We sit down to a lovely lunch with condiments, warm buttery baguette and a big mixed green salad. and don't forget a lovely crisp and cold white wine to wash it all down.

Leftovers get picked and chilled for a bountiful dinner. One for the pot and a nibble or two for the chef. I love cracking crab! Crack Cook and Smile!

Mis en place of fresh basil, ripe heirloom tomatoes, sweet bell peppers and garlic with lashings of great olive oil. A quick saute and within minutes dinner fit for a King A grand crab and pasta feast. It doesn't get any better!

Pasta! Pasta! Pasta! Crab! Crab! Crab! Delicious and rich with flavor!

Voila'!

CRAB SPAGHETTI

1-2 lb. crabmeat (Dungeness, Alaskan King or Maryland)
½ -1 lb. thin spaghetti

1 c. extra virgin olive oil
6 baby sweet bell peppers, sliced thin
Heavy pinch crushed red chili flakes if desired
3 c. chopped ripe tomatoes
Big handful chopped basil and Italian parsley
2 shallots chopped
½ c. sliced garlic
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper

Cook pasta in well salted water to al dente. While pasta is cooking heat in a large skillet and add in the cup of extra virgin olive oil. Over medium heat sauté the chilies, bell peppers, shallots and garlic until soft. Add the tomatoes and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the crab. When the crab is warmed through add the hot pasta and a ¼ cup of the pasta water. Mix together. Toss in the basil and parsley. Taste and season with salt and pepper. If you like more heat season with the crushed red chilies.
Enjoy!

CHEFS LOG ALASKA DATE AUGUST 15 2010

2010-08-24T01:04:00.000-04:00

Fresh caught British Columbia Sockeye Salmon Filet seasoned with lots of Kosher Salt, Fresh Cracked Black Pepper, Tarragon and Herbs de Provence, drizzled and puddled with great ExtraVirgin Olive Oil and baked with Campari Tomatoes and Pearl Onions. Now, preheat the oven to 425 degrees and slip it in for 25-30 minutes. Take out of the oven and let rest 10 minutes. Enjoy the aroma.. As you plate, make sure you give everyone a tomato, pearl onions and scoop up all that goodness in the olive oil for every serving. Don't leave a drop of olive oil in the baking pan as you will want it for the drippings on that good toasty baguette. Enjoy it all with a crisp glass of Sauvignon Blanc or earthy Pinot Noir.

A new charter begins. A family from Germany. Dad taking his 3 adult children to a place where he grew up, British Columbia, Canada. As you view the photos you will know why. We call this “Eighth Wonder of the World”. Beautiful, magnificent, breathtaking and grounding. To be here is to be centered. Its just the feeling you get. Ahhhh, I am blessed.


Merlin, Abbygayle, Thomas and Champagne (like the bubbly)

Fresh Shiitake and Baby Bella Mushrooms served with the Salmon. The secret to delicious flavorful mushrooms is a medium to high heat saute, quick, move them around, lots of room in the pan (do not overcrowd the pan or the mushrooms become mushy), good olive oil, splash of sherry vinegar, liberal sprinkling of Kosher Salt and Crack Pepper, Fresh Chopped Tarragon and finish with a Nugget of Unsalted Butter. Swirl and Serve.


Fresh Berries. Raspberries, Strawberries, Blackberries and Blueberries, a perfect dessert to a rich in flavor dinner, but you need something to set the your palate and make it ready for the burst of sweet and tart juices. I suggest serving it with a lemony frozen gelatto ... rich, creamy sweet and tart. Chocolate Espresso is a nice finish too! And come to think of it ... we all enjoyed a syrupy cool sip of Limoncello.

I am nearing the end of my journey, my summer on the MV Jamal. Catering to wonderful families and friends that inspire me and my cooking to new heights. I am rejuvinated, excited and anxious to return to home. My family, my friends and my clients … I promise delicious food, beautiful presentations and … I have to leave something as a surprise ... teehee ...

ENJOYING SUMMER TOMATOES (even in Alaska)

2010-08-19T01:42:00.000-04:00


I know you are all enjoying ripe, Heirloom, Roma, Beefsteak and Queen Tomatoes. A big slice, salted, peppered with a drizzle of EVOO is absolutely my favorite, but when you want to serve those ripe, juicy, red and gold fruits as a major side dish or yet, a main course here is a recipe I know you will love, Tomatoes Provencal.

TOMATOES PROVENCAL

6 large Roma or favorite ripe tomatoes, cut in half, seeds removed
2 ounces Mascarpone cheese
2 ounces goat cheese
2 ounces Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt and black pepper
Extra Virgin Olive oil for drizzling
Drain tomatoes upside down while making gremolata. Mix the cheeses together.

Turn the tomatoes right side up. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Divide the cheese evenly into the tomatoes. Pack in the gremolata on top. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Place in oiled baking dish and bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees.

Gremolata:
1 cup crushed garlic croutons, small and coarse, not fine
¼ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
1/4 each cup chopped basil and parsley
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons chopped fresh garlic
1/2 -3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
Mix the first 6 ingredients together. Pour in ½ cup of the olive oil to form a paste. To test mixture, hold the some of the mixture in the palm of your hand. Squeeze and open your hand. If mixture holds together in your palm it is perfect. If it falls apart, add more of the extra virgin olive oil. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Enjoy!

Even summer in Alaska can be delicious. I always seek out and find the Farmers Market in all of our ports. I remembered Billy in Ketchikan, I met him two years ago and his bright smile and blue eyes seduced me to his stall. He farms in the summer, land of the midnight sun. His table is full and colorful and stuffed with seasonal fruits and vegetables. His artfully arranged baskets, big garden sunflowers and hand written cardboard box signs reminds me that this is a mom and pop, brother and sister summer business. A sweet half hour is spent reminiscing about our last visit and tales of the long winter and no fish. I bought as much as I could carry and then came back the next day with a gift of brownies. Sweets for the sweet.

CHEFS LOG ALASKA DATE AUGUST 8 2010

2010-08-18T21:23:00.001-04:00

Our right of passage. Today we leave Ketchikan, Alaska, just us girls. Feather, our fond name for Jim, Jennifer's father, has passed the baton of this 170 ton, 76 ft,, 24 ft. beamed, ocean going, Hatteras hulled, MV Jamal. The Inside Passage is sometimes just not that, inside. We are set to cross open ocean to reach Campbell River in four days via Dixon Entrance, Milbank Sound and the Queen Charlottes. This season marks our 20th and it is with bittersweet smiles that we go without him on the bridge. He knows this vessel like no other and has made this crossing a hundred times. He eats, sleeps and breathes every nook and cranny of every nicely tucked away hidden spot. He knows where to lay her anchor when seas or darkness rise or fall and fog forbids travel. His daughter, my friend, my Captain Jennifer, First Mate Jeannette, Crew Kathy and myself are taking the MV Jamal, this right of passage, like we have been given the delivery of the Compass Rose. I myself, have made this voyage a dozen times, always with Feather. I am honored to have been handed his life, his best friend, that he has shared with me for 20 years, to bring her safely home.

We had some apricots, white wine, peaches, butter,brown sugar, cinnamon and leftover homemade biscotti. No recipe no measurements, just good ingredients put into a baking dish and baked at in a 350 degree oven until the fruit was soft and the butter, white wine and sugar made a syrupy sauce underneath a crispy sweet crust.

Dawn came at 4:45 with the generator calling us to wake. Wake up you sleepy head. Beautiful colors of blue and soft pinks drew our destination to the horizon. Once outside of our lovely anchorage rolling swells and fishing fleets with outstretched nets keep us all awake and all eyes wide. Wrist bands are applied, saltine crackers and candied ginger also take there place in the wheelhouse. Our stabelizers keep the big swells to a soft, sleepy, rolling motion that caresses you to close your eyes and dream of romantic ports. Captain wants some chicken tenders extra crispy. I turn the oven on.

Fog, fog, fog, and we can't see a damn thing. All eight, lovely lady hands and seductive eyes are on deck with field glasses pointed port, starboard, bow and stern. Horn blowing every two minutes with the manual finger on a wheelhouse blast for 4-6 seconds. Less than a quarter mile visibility leaves us with only radar and AIS, Automated Identification System, boats show up on a Navtec screen with name, rank, length and distance from us. Radar, necessary but, fashioned at best, a blinking light on a screen, sometimes slow to respond. If it is moving, it is a vessel, if not, probably a rock. Sometimes pods of whales can show up. We are all seasoned travelers and while the weather casts a serious note there is always fun to poke and laughter with the yayas.

Prince Rupert is our border crossing. We dock and wait for the patrol to give us the welcome wave to a foreign land. Welcome to Canada! We declare the berries, fruits, wine and tobacco, and take our few minute meeting, one on one.

Questions answered we are on our way.To a nice little anchorage that greets us after our 12.5 hour day. Napping, charting, sunning, we are ready to settle in and dance in the salon and sing with Jeanettes guitar. AHHHH and dinner Salmon with Herbs De Provence, Lamb Chops, Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes and Arugula Salad and don't forget dessert, what ever is leftover from the crumble that has been inching smaller to its last portion.We retire to our staterooms for a little read and sweet dreams...

Fog and more fog with less visibility is our wake up call, that and the purring of the generator at 4:30 hrs., which dangles a strong espresso at the other end. Grenville Channel will take up a good part of the day with 4-5 hours navigating through that currentous channel. Fog hanging low and caressing the upward tree lined granite slopes that resemble women's voluptuous bodies, intertwined and wrapped around each other. I see them as you would see shapes and stories in the clouds. I greet them every time, but no camera can capture their exquisite familiar beauty. For my eyes only?

Sun sun sun and little caps of white by the time the clock strikes 9. Fog is gone and morning has broken. Captain napping and the girls press on, spotting each other at the helm.

Temperatures rise to 80 degrees and well, we are, all girls. On with the sunscreen and off with our clothes. Naked charter begins. This mental picture is for those only whose imaginations can paint our lovely reflections amidst blue skies and even bluer waters. Sorry, no digital please.

We say goodnight to our engines at 2100 hours (8pm) as we move farther south the days get shorter. We are enjoying our time together especially now that sunshine is an everyday greeting. Soon we will be in Campbell River and get ready for our next guests. Wish it were you!

CHEFS LOG ALASKA DATE AUGUST 5 2010

2010-08-16T18:42:00.000-04:00

This charter is coming to its final days, and I am never running short of ideas of what to cook. I never plan menus, only the first meal of every charter and that you know is Roast Chicken. Who doesn't like roast chicken? I just buy what looks best at the market and go from there. My guests are my inspiration. sweet, spicy, comfort, elegant, sophisticated, rich, buttery, light, healthy, French, Latin, Asian or down home Americana. I can create something for everyone. Just cook and smile.
Saying goodbye is always bitter sweet.

Last night spent in a new found harbor, it is so beautiful, Loring Cove.
Girls take a skiff ride to see the rapids. Girls just wanna have fun!!

Finally into Ketchikan, first city of Alaska. We are docked at Bar Harbor with no electricity and with our blue fenders hung port side, broadside across the breakwater entrance like a target that needs to be missed. 70 degrees and blue sunny skies, a heat wave in Alaska. Shop keepers fans are blowing and water drops are beading on their lips and brows as they declare “I moved to a cool tempered climate with lots of rain for a reason.” Feels good to me, so we take our books and tall cool drinks and sit on the aft deck. Shuffle plays the Itunes. We listen, shuffle, dance and sashay to Jeanettes mystical chanting, Eric Clapton, BB King and nodding to the beat of enticing voices I have never heard before. I have a few days in port with nothing to do and all day to do it! See ya!!

Ketchikan, aft deck looking at fishing boats in the harbor

Looking west at sunset out of the harbor

Loving my Life and Loving You! It just doesn't get any better!
Ohhhh and a recipe to enjoy on a lovely deck, by the water, whether alone or with somebody!

Coco Pineapple Pzazz…    2 oz. white rum
                  2 oz. pineapple juice
                                    1 oz. Coco Lopez
                                    1 oz. Cointreau liquor
                                    Pineapple wedge
Fill cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Add rum, pineapple juice, Coco Lopez and Cointreau. Cover and shake for 30 seconds. Strain into chilled martini glass. Garnish with pineapple wedge.Sip and enjoy.

CHEFS LOG ALASKA DATE JULY 30 2010

2010-08-02T17:50:00.000-04:00

Pillsbury Perfection Skillet Baked Morning Biscuits seemed just the way to greet everyone with smile and a brown sugar and honey drizzle glaze (gaze). The California peaches and plums tossed their juices together in a big glass bowl while eggs rose to the occasion with crisp bacon and mushrooms named fritatta. My guests love the big breakfasts I am preparing and as I watch them wolf down the full plate and guzzle glasses of fresh squeezed orange juice, I know I am where I should be. Whether in a galley, in Alaska, thousands of miles away from the ones I hold dearest, or in my own designer kitchen on Lake Lenore, I am always home where the pots are boiling over with love from my pantry!.

A high pressure morning brought rays of sunlight streaming through a brilliant blue sky. Next, Wrangell! One of the sweetest little towns in Southeast. Captain, First Mate and I took the skiff after docking at the new marina and went into town about a mile away. We gratefully stopped to pay homage to the Totem House where protective, more than a hundred year old totem poles stand erect over looking Wrangle Bay. Wrangle seemed a ghost town by late afternoon, but we always stop and shop at the Eagersman Everything store, contributing to the economy of a community that knows us by name. Guests are off to view the petroglyphs at low tide. Markings of a time long ago when only natives walked the shores. Holding on to history as I blog, text, double click and send.

Meyers Chuck, could be my favorite place in Southeast. A community that has a history for more than 70 years. Halibut Bill, Jig Man and Little Lori …. a little place with a big heart.
It has been couple of years since I have stepped on Terra Firma here at MC and as we make the turn to see if there is space at the dock, my mouth drops in shock. Dock is full and 4 other boats are anchored in the harbour. We used to be the only ones here. The world can change, so can I, but not MC. My baby blues squint to keep the new construction out. I close my eyes and turn away to keep from bringing reality to life. Memories best kept in the windmills of my mind. But, don't get me wrong, to those of you who have never been here, there is no other world more charming and enchanting.


Doll porpoise running with the wake

Meyers Chuck ... FOR SALE ...Lenore's Cook Camp and Catering! Relocate!

We sit well in the water and everyone know us by name, bow and stern. On to make dinner after our little skiff excursion. Enjoy this amazing recipe. It may be too warm in our air-conditioned Florida climate ... if so, I am planning on sharing this recipe at one of my upcoming fish classes. Enjoy it today or put it on the back burner for another cooler day.

PECAN CRUSTED HALIBUT WITH MAPLE SWEET POTATOES
6 6 oz. pieces halibut fillet
3 c. small chopped raw pecans
1/3 c. favorite pancake mix
3 egg whites beaten
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
6 small sweet potatoes or yams
3 T. unsalted butter
Pinch nutmeg
¼ + c. maple syrup
lemons
Wrap sweet potatoes individually into tented foil. Place on sheet pan and bake in 400 degree oven until soft. Let cool slightly. Remove from foil and tear off the skin. Smash and season with butter, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Season halibut fillet with salt and pepper. Mix the nuts and pancake mix.
Place beaten in egg whites in shallow bowl. Dredge the halibut pieces in the egg and then the nut mixture. Set aside.
In a nonstick pan melt together 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon butter over low heat. Place the halibut into the pan, top side first. Cook each side for 3 minutes. Nuts will be toasty and golden in color. Place fish on parchment lined sheet pan and bake in 350 oven for 12-15 minutes or until fish is cooked through. Dollop mashed sweet potatoes on plate, top with halibut, drizzle with maple syrup and a generous squeeze of lemon. Enjoy!!

Until we meet again ... dinner was divine and the Baked Peaches Amaretto made for a lovely ending ...

CHEFS LOG ALASKA DATE JULY 28 2010

2010-08-01T18:50:00.000-04:00

We say goodbye to Sawyer Glacier and its entrance waterfall for the last time this season. On our way to Cape Fanshaw we weave our way through a water skiers dream seas, just like glass, giving us the advantage to spot whales on the horizon. As we near the 5 Brothers Islands, where we have been lucky enough more than once to see humpbacks spouting and bubble feeding. Ah ha, they are doing just that. Not a pod or in a grouping. We can hardly see them under the water. They are lazy rogue whales, singularly, slowly moving in their play and feeding ground.

It's lunch time and everyone is eager to be called to the table. The dining room is right in the main salon with panoramic views so whale spouting, eagle soaring or porpoise jumping with the wake will not be missed. I understand that a hearty breakfast of wild mushroom frittata, turkey sausages and cherry scones with lashings of butter and drizzled with homemade cherry syrup give way to a lighter soup & salad lunch. Keeping guests balanced is my way of keeping them smiling. I profess there are no "fat, calories or cholesterol on board" ... with a wink and a smile. They laugh as they take the last bite and push themselves away from the table. Moseying over a few steps to the galley and circling for the last cookie or two on the sheet pan ... and by the way "what is for dinner?"

MY SISTER APRIL"S BROCOLLI and BLUE CHEESE and APPLE SLAW
Baby April, as I so fondly call her, is a wonderful cook and that is only topped by the amazing ways she can decorate a room and tablescape. I adore her!
2 pkgs. (12 oz each) broccoli slaw
1 pkg. (10 oz.) julienne carrots
1 bunch green onion diagonal sliced
1 c. chopped fresh parsley
1 c. chopped fresh dill
1 c. dried cranberries
1 Red Delicious apple sliced thin
1 Granny Smith apple sliced thin
1½ c. crumbled blue cheese
1 small jar of lite blue cheese dressing (your choice)
2 heads of Bibb lettuce or Romaine lettuce
1 c. toasted pecan or any favorite nut
Mix together the broccoli slaw, carrots, green onion, fresh herbs, cranberries and apples. Add crumbled blue cheese. Toss with dressing just before serving.
Place leaves of lettuce on plates. Mound salad in center and sprinkle with nuts.
If you prefer to use another dressing rather than blue cheese, try a raspberry vinaigrette and any favorite cheese of your choice. Enjoy!

Cape Fanshaw proves to be too exposed with the threat of northerlles coming through the coast guard radio weather report. We decide to cast our fate and move on to a place that our friends often drop their anchor. A beautiful spot it is and no wonder whale whisperer, Captain John of the MV Discovery secures his hook in this beautiful anchorage. Our guests are anxious to kayak, explore the area on the shoreline and by skiff.tion

Dropping our crab pots we hoped for some Dungeness, but we were all a bit taken back when an extra large star fish attached itself to the pot and ate up all the bait. Everyone looked to me as if to say "you don't have a recipe for star fish do you?"

CHEFS LOG ALASKA DATE JULY 27 2010

2010-08-01T15:10:00.002-04:00

VERY VERY BERRY CRUMBLE
On the morning navigating our way to the glacier I made this very berry delicious crumble to entice our guests to the early rise. Who can resist waking up to the aroma of the rich. ripe sweetness of berries and sugar? I placed it on the breakfast bar with whipped cream and vanilla yogurt and to make this morning even more special I offered them a steaming hot cup of cafe au chocolate. Voila' the day begins with a smile.

6 cups favorite berry selection (raspberry, blackberry, blueberry)

1/4 c. dried cherries
1 t. grated lemon zest
1 t. grated orange zest
1 c. granulated sugar
2 T. corn starch
1 t. ground cinnamon
pinch salt
TOPPING
1½ c. all purpose-flour
1 c. light brown sugar, firmly packed
½ t. kosher salt
¾ c. old-fashioned oatmeal
½ c. sliced almonds
½ lb [2 sticks] cold unsalted butter, diced
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the berries in a large bowl and add the zests, sugar, corn starch and cinnamon. Pour into a glass pie baking dish. For the topping, combine the flour, sugar, salt, almonds, oatmeal, and butter in a bowl. Using your hands crumble the butter through the ingredients into big chunks. Sprinkle evenly over the berries, covering the berries completely. Place the baking dish on a sheet pan covered with foil and bake for 50 min. to 1 hour, until the top is brown and the berries are bubbly and dripping over the side. Serve warm with ice cream. Enjoy!!

Our wonderful all girl crew, Jeannette, Jennifer and Lenore, always having fun!

Another foray up the arm to South Sawyer Glacier was mystical and enchanting with low slung clouds whipped and folded with heavy fog. Tide was low so we were able to hug the right fork snug to one side. Granite rock formations higher than the eye could transit seemed in arms reach. Then as we turned the corner, to see for the first time, or has it been my 20th or 30th, Sawyer Glacier with arms out stretched, an open door, a clear path. Icebergs parted the seas to get us closer than we had been in years. Quiet is not the word to express the stillness. Grateful shivers and blessings of goose bumps … why me? How lucky I am!

"Every day begins with a smile and continues the same path with grace and with ease. Embracing life in Mother Natures breast of purity is so easy when the world is no bigger than the next bend or way point. Summers spent on the MV Jamal has been my life for the last 19 years. It has been an adventure. Spending time on the waters has a way of grounding me. It is an ending and a beginning. I love opening my heart and sharing my life. Please join me, there is room for all of you."

CHEFS LOG ALASKA DATE JULY 25 2010

2010-07-31T12:38:00.000-04:00

“Pirate Day” is one not to be taken lightly on the MV Jamal … arrgh! Guests get in the spirit masked and masqueraded with scarves, bangles, eye patches, captain hooks and funny looks. We have a blast pretending to be the "ner do wells" of the Alaskan Caribbean and assure our captives supper for a gold coin or two. It amazes me how when given the opportunity the child comes out in all of us. Remembering that what happens on the Jamal … stays on the Jamal! Arrgh … and sometimes that growl is hard to loose the next day when the costumes come off!

Now in port in Juneau provisioning and cleaning the boat to sparkle as we get ready for our next guests. I love stopping here in Juneau Alaska. We are nestled in among the big ships, but our bow is brilliant and our ship draws 10. (10 feet below the waterline is a very sea worthy vessel) We have the respect of the harbour master, other captains and crews that share the IVF (Intermediate Vessel Float) and because we are such a capable all girl crew they have to find excuses to come around as frequently as they do to see if they can lend a hand, or two, or three. The dock is just alongside Taku Fisheries and my friend, Gary, who I have been saying hello to for 15 years, still manages the thousands of fish, halibut and salmon, that is processed through here and shipped all over the world. Fishing boats pull up to the dock and a giant hose snakes its way through the icey cold hulls, hopefully stuffed with todays money catch. Sometimes you win and sometimes you loose. The small window of time is monitored very closely by Fish and Game and sometimes that opening can be as short as 12-15 hours. It is a hard life so with every bite I am remembering the effort it takes from sea to land to table.

CAPTAIN JENNIFER'S HALIBUT DIP

... our lovely Captain Jennifer is a wonderful cook and loves to hang out in the galley. She made up this halibut dip years ago when she first found ginger to be one of her palate passions, along with halibut, salmon and all her snacks that she eats off her shoulder. (no calories there) and no halibut is safe. Shhh ...she actually doesn't know about the big fillet I have hiding in the refrigerator right now.

2 c. cooked halibut

1/2 c. mayonnaise

1/2 c. sour cream

1/4 c. ginger puree

1/4 c. lemon juice

zest of 1 lemon

1 c. shredded Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper

Lots of dry dill

Mix all the ingredients together. Taste and adjust seasonings. Place in buttered gratin dish. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. I like the top crisp and the insides creamy. Serve with crackers or baguette. Enjoy!

Our captain Jennifer, brilliant and sea savvy and with the support of her all girl crew is the best in Southeast Alaska! Join us for an unparalleled experience!

CHEFS LOG ALASKA DATE JULY 21 2010

2010-07-30T18:15:00.000-04:00

The day was long, well over 12 hours running, to put us in position for the warm springs that Baranoff Island that will be greeting us with the tomorrow. As we slinked our way through welcoming whale sightings, doll porpoise playing hide and seek with our bow spray, with bantering guests and crew smiling our day came to a close at Eagle Cove. Rightfully named. Tall timber pine trees with white bald eagles adorning like Christmas ornaments. What in heavens name can draw them all to this nest? Mother natures secrets.

Another day begins with fresh ground and brewed French Roast coffee, and Apple Butter French Toast with Almond Butter and warm Apple Cider Syrup. We are just finishing the last lip licking bite and imagining our cold bodies from head to toe doing the same, dipping and swirling in the hot springs. As we turn the corner to starboard we see the giant, steaming, rolling waterfall at Baranoff. We push ourselves away from the table and loosen our belts, today is going to be an exciting ride.

APPLE BUTTER FRENCH TOAST

8 large croissants, torn into 4-6 pieces each
1 16 oz. container Egg Beaters
1 c. cream
1 c, buttermilk
1/2 c. apple butter
1/2 c. dried apples
1/4 c. dried cherries
1/2 c. brown sugar
pinch salt
Topping:
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. pecans
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. apple butter
Apple Syrup:
2 c. unfiltered apple cider
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. apple butter
2 tablespoons butter

Almond Butter
Vanilla Yogurt

Place torn croissants into a bowl. Mix egg beaters with the next seven ingredients. Pour the egg mixture into the croissants. I usually squeeze the mixture with my fingers to incorporate the eggs with the croissants. Pour the french toast batter into a buttered 3qt. shallow baking dish. Mix topping together and scatter on top of batter mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until french toast is baked golden brown and puffed. While french toast is baking make apple syrup. In a saucepan reduce syrup mixture by half. Swirl in the butter. Serve with vanilla yogurt and almond butter on the side.
Enjoy!

Heading out to witness salmon fisherman working their purse seining catch. They have only 13 hours to make a haul that fills their boats and bank accounts. Imagine as I am crossing my fingers for their good fortune and thinking of the hard work enjoyed with every bite. The dance of the catch that dances on our pallets. You have to see it to believe it. Skiffy jamming full throttle to keep the propeller out of the nets coil, while the big boat pushes full throttle in the opposite direction to cinch the purse closed. Then with an up, up and away the purse is pulled on deck by young strong arms and hopeful dollar sign green eyes. Hundreds of salmon or only a few can lift your tired spirits with cash flow endorphins or wash your dreams away.

With love ...

CHEFS LOG ALASKA DATE JULY 17 2010

2010-07-23T14:18:00.000-04:00

Morning broke to the welcome mat being rolled out like a green carpet for the dept of Agriculture … 2 Forest rangers, cinnamon swizzle coffee cake, proscuitto stada, fresh fruit & berries and a wealth of information. All satisfyingly digested with listening ears and hungry stomachs. Last question of the morning … “what, given the years you have been out here in Alaska, is its future?” John, the slender 8 year veteran ranger and his female ranger partner said “well … people more than anything have definitely had the most significant impact on its future … now that will make you think. Whats for lunch?

As you can imagine I am in my element galley or kitchen, even 5000 miles away from those I hold dear. It is raining hard and fast today with temperatures in the mid 50's ... ahhh ... to be nestled in to some hot and humid climate sashaying around in skimpy T's and barefoot in the sand. I miss you all ... but a "chefs gotta do what a chefs gotta do" and that means cooking my way into the hearts of millions even if it is thousands of miles away.

Light Love Laughter and Delicious Lenore

CHEFS LOG ALASKA DATE JULY 15 2010

2010-07-22T21:25:00.000-04:00

Up at just before dawn, although it is still light from the day before, we are excited to embark on a journey that will last the entire day. On to Tracy Arm and Sawyer Glacier. I have been up and down the passage at least 20-30 times, North and South arm, choosing one over the other depending upon where the pack ice is less dangerous. Big chips of glacier ice from boat size to boulder to pebble. As you get closer to the calving glacier the water can become slush. You may be able to steer yourself safely in, but upon returning the wake paved way you created can close. Beware, our hull is only 5 inches of fiberglass, draw ten feet below the water and some of those chips of ice you are motoring around have another 90% below the water line. Like weaving a thread through a needle, Happily I proclaim, we made it safely in and as we navigated our way safely out, we netted baby chips of glacier ice to whirl inside the blender for cocktails on the fan tail, as we celebrate our day with frozen Glacier Margaritas made with million year old ice and twenty year old tequila!

2010-07-22T13:35:00.004-04:00

CHEF'S LOG ALASKA DATE JULY 14 2010

Not 1 hour out of Juneau, with winds hitting 45 mph gusts and 4 ft seas breaking, opposing wind and current, we were greeted in Stephens Passage by a pod of humpback whales.

Capt Jennifer spotted the misty fountains on the horizon, one then another. By the time we called out “Whales on the port” we could not only see one, but several. Then the magic of nature enveloped as in amazement we behold the 2 babies reported in earlier sightings. Playfully, fins and tails started breaking the water line as we approached, closer, never heading them off and never motoring nearer than 50 feet. We cannot stop them from turning towards us though. And that is just what they did, all 15 of them, with babies nursing on mamas sides. We motored down and in that same instance the seas calmed and allowed us to experience the wonders of nature. A National Geographic afternoon.

For the first day of every charter guests are greeted with the delicious aroma wafting from the galley and sit down to a yummy roasted chicken dinner. the comforting and home spun food welcomes them on board. With a sigh of relief and tummies full they retire and dream of their high seas adventure. Ahhhh, wonderful and the chef can cook!

LEMON HERB ROASTED CHICKEN

1 (3 to 4 pound) free-range chicken
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon, halved
1 head garlic, halved
2 T. herbs de Provence
1/4 bunch each fresh rosemary, thyme, and parsley
1/2 cup olive oil
1 lb baby carrots
1 lb baby onions
2 lbs small red new potatoes
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Season the chicken and the cavity with herbs de Provence, ¼ cup olive oil, salt and pepper, and then stuff the lemon, garlic, and fresh herbs inside. Place the chicken, breast-side up, in a roasting pan. Tie the legs of the chicken together with kitchen twine to help hold its shape. Toss the potatoes, carrots and onions in the remaining olive oil and season with salt and pepper and scatter the vegetables and oil around the chicken. Roast the chicken and vegetables for 30 minutes at 400 degrees. Turn down oven temperature to 350 and continue cooking for another 40-60 minutes. Rotate the pan every 20 minutes or so to insure a golden crispy skin. The chicken is done when an instant-read thermometer says 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (the legs of the chicken should wiggle easily from the sockets too.) Remove the chicken from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes, so the juices settle back into the meat before carving. Carve the chicken by removing the back bone first and then disjointing the breasts, legs and thighs. Place on a serving platter and squeeze the lemon and garlic over the meat. Drizzle with any remaining pan juices Scatter the roasted vegetables and enjoy!

Off to Alaska!

2010-07-13T01:22:00.013-04:00

I take the high road to a new adventure every summer on board the MV Jamal. Only a few things I can count on and year after year ... that brown and black bears and perhaps some cubs will be looming on the shoreline, eagles skydiving like seagulls and nesting in the rocks, humpback whales bubble feeding and spouting on the horizon, doll porpoise playing hide and seek with our wake, glaciers calving and moose bucking playfully on the rocky shore ... ahh ... the life of a chef ... and all I have to do is cook salmon, halibut, black sea bass, Dungenes and King crab and make glacier ice margaritas ... and smile.

Let’s back up, I haven’t even landed yet.

Let’s go back to a few weeks ago when I was enjoying the red carpet treatment with limos, handsome bodyguards, papparazzi, Paula Deen and cream cheese. The experience, as my friend Mike says is “ShowBiz”. It was a dawn to midnight, whirlwind experience comforted each night by a big white bed in my hotel suite at the Mansion, caressed and bathed in a bubbled tub in the middle of the room, buttered on both sides by the double plated delicious crispy fried cuisine at Lady and Sons and Brother Bubbas, my heart strings trussed by the friendships made with the other finalists, the fingerlickin’ good love and support, in Savannah, that my sister April, nephew Christopher and friends provided and the I will never be spoiled by the generous lashings of well wishes from everyone at home. Experiences are good, but you, with heart and souls invested in me are the icing on the cake! Thank you from the bottom to the top of my heart.

Weather forecasts report 59 degrees, partly cloudy in Alaska, so I am glad I brought my winter gear with me again this year. You never know though, temperatures have reached as high as 85 at this time of year, and sunscreen and a bathing suit were the robes of the day. You know, like a good girl scout I am prepared for either.

I wish y’all (still carrying a few leftovers from my hospitable few days) a summer filled with cool appetizers, lots of liquid libations, lip licking chocolate desserts, afternoon sun showers, full mooned nights, beach blanket weekends, belly laughs and pitter patters of the heart. Think cool thoughts, wear a little less clothing and sashay, don’t run through this summer, its better than you think and you will want to savor the memories!.

I will be blogging, sending pictures and recipes to keep you all entertained. By land or by sea I am at your service. Kerrisha, Tina, Jacqui and Jay will be cooking all those menus we have created for your parties and events. Deliciousness prevails whether I am hands on or virtually nurturing all the preparations with them for you. TLC across the miles, from coast to coast, from sea to shinning sea.

Now, I cannot leave you without sharing a cool appetizer for a hot day. Not so much cooking, but assembling delicious, seasonal fresh ingredients, artfully arranged and divinely devoured by you!

Cook and smile, cook and smile ... by jove I think I’ve got it!!

ICED CUCUMBER SOUP “MARTINI”

5 cups of English cucumber (the ones in the plastic sleeve) peeled, seeded
and chopped
3 T. chopped fresh mint
2 T. chopped fresh dill
2 c. buttermilk
1 c. vegetable stock
1/2 c. lemon vodka (or add more stock)
3/4 c. plain whole milk organic yogurt
2 T. lime juice
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
Fresh mint sprigs

Puree cucumber in food processor or blender. Add in the buttermilk, yogurt and stock. Add the lemon vodka. Blend in the mint, dill, salt, pepper and lime juice pulsing to incorporate. Taste and adjust seasonings. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Ladle into “martini” glasses and garnish with pickled cucumber salad and fresh mint sprig.

Lemon Vodka Pickled Cucumber Salad
1 English cucumber sliced paper thin
½ c. tiny minced red onion
¼ c. “lemon vodka”, or substitute rice vinegar
1 t. white sugar
Mix together and marinate for one hour

Enjoy!

Sweet Feet

2010-07-11T09:47:00.003-04:00

Barefoot summer and sandals have a way of showing me that my feet and toes need some attention. Somehow, without me even knowing it they have become a sore point and that’s not just because I am standing on them all day! How could they have been so neglected? Close-toed shoes have a way of hiding the obvious … with summer all ablaze and sand between my toes, it’s time to succumb to my weakness... a pedicure.

Start by taking care of your self with a “delicious” fruit bath that turns those calluses into supple feet, as soft as a baby’s. At the same time this recipe provides you with vitamins, calcium and nutrients. It’s an hour spent that nourishes your body, inside and out, and your soul. It’s just another way of saying “Yes” to me.

Now, wiggle your toes and let your pretty self smile. Embrace yourself from head to toe!

SWEET FEET “FOOT BATH and TASTY TREAT”

1 c. frozen pineapple pulp
1 c. frozen papaya pulp
1 c. frozen mango pulp
1 c. frozen passion fruit pulp
Buy Goya brand or other frozen pulp found in the freezer section
of your local supermarket
1 c. honey
4 c. organic vanilla yogurt

In a blender process all of the ingredients together. Reserve two cups to be eaten and divide the rest evenly into two plastic bags. Wash your feet with your favorite soap. Slip each foot into each bag and tie the bags around your ankles with a twistie tie. “Squish” (that’s a technical term) your toes into the fruit. Squish, squish, squish ... Enjoy the next hour relaxing while you are eating your healthy sweet treat. Then, remove your feet from each bag and toss the bags away. Rinse your feet with cool water and massage your soft toes and heels and arches with your favorite moisturizer. The nutrients of the fruit and yogurt deliver enzymes into your feet that hydrate your skin while providing nutrient and calcium absorption in your body. And It is a delicious hour too … enjoy!

Hot Grill ... Cool Appetizer!

2010-07-10T08:06:00.003-04:00

Friends coming over for an evening grill? If you'd like some company under the stars and over the coals serve them something light and refreshing.
Coming up with this recipe was easy. I was responding to a need, of which, I believe delicious food and beautiful presentations can be a sure cure. Well, that, belly laughs and sometimes a martini can also be the best medicine! With this recipe you've got it all!
Cucumbers counteract toxins and lift depression: cleanses the blood, influences the heart, pancreas and spleen. You can even apply cucumbers to summer sunburn and feel its cooling relief. So, please enjoy. Serve your guests a shaken and stirred, blended delicious cold soup, splashed with vodka and ladled into a martini glass to get this party started.

ICED CUCUMBER SOUP “MARTINI”

5 cups of English cucumber (the ones in the plastic sleeve) peeled, seeded
and chopped
3 T. chopped fresh mint
2 T. chopped fresh dill
2 c. buttermilk
1 c. chicken or vegetable stock
½ c. lemon vodka (optional) or add more stock
½ c. plain whole milk organic yogurt
2 T. lime juice
½ t. salt
¼ t. cracked black pepper
Fresh mint sprigs

Puree cucumber in food processor or blender. Add in the buttermilk, yogurt and stock. Blend in the mint, dill, salt, pepper and lime juice pulsing to incorporate. Taste and adjust seasonings. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Ladle into “martini” glasses and garnish with pickled cucumber salad and fresh mint sprig.

Lemon Vodka Pickled Cucumber Salad
1 English cucumber sliced paper thin
½ c. tiny minced red onion
¼ c. “lemon vodka”, or substitute rice vinegar
1 t. white sugar
Mix together and marinate for 1 hour. Enjoy!

Cook More ...Eat Less! Eat Healthier! Nutrition for the Soul , Body and Spirit!

2010-01-07T23:01:00.002-05:00

Friends and clients ask me all the time how they can eat healthier, loose a pound or two, cook for themselves and not dread the Mon-Fri mealtime. It's not hard I tell them, but sometimes what is difficult is changing your thought about it. So lets just start there...affirm you are going to embrace this lifestyle change with good intention. Nothing is written in stone, make it fit your tastes, needs and desires.
You've got to love it. That is the main ingredient.

Cook more, eat less! Nutrition for the soul.

Let's think about it — when you eat in restaurants or order from your favorite take-out restaurant, you almost always eat more calories, fat and sodium. Portions are significantly larger and it is impossible to know exactly what is in that Vegetable Pad Thai you are eating, after all, congratulate yourself you did order the vegetables; plus, you’re paying a premium and you do want your money’s worth. It is funny how we can all justify not taking care of ourselves. One way to begin saying YES! to me is to start planning your dinners in advance. Create a grocery list. Shop on the weekend and take a couple of hours to prep some foods that will make it easier to stick with your plan. . You will have so much already prepared and waiting for you, you will be excited to come home and create a healthy meal. It does get easier with practice. Keep it simple. Menu ideas and recipes should be quick and easy and fit into your lifestyle.
Here are some ideas, guidelines to be modified with whatever works for you.
Your shopping list should have 4-6 fresh vegetables 3 proteins, 2 lettuces, 4-6 fruits, 2 dairy, 3 grains and some dairy and a few extras.
Example:
Staples: Garlic, Onions, Olive Oil, Vinegar, Kosher or Sea Salt and Fresh Cracked Pepper, Lemons
Vegetables: brocollini, carrots, artichokes, cauliflower, cucumber, bell peppers
Proteins: Whole free range chicken, ground turkey, salmon fillet
Lettuce: Romaine, Baby Spinach
Fruits: Tomatoes, Melon, Grapes, Apples, Clementines, Pears
Dairy: Non Fat Yogurt, 1 kind of cheese (after all we are human)
Grains: Brown Rice, Quinoa, Lentils
Extras: Raw Nuts (I always keep mine in a glass jar on the counter), 85% cocoa chocolate squares (again, I am human)
Prep Day: Cook the artichokes, drain and refrigerate, Blanche half the brocollini, carrots and cauliflower. Wrap in towel and place in container in refrigerator. Place raw vegetables in refrigerator. Cut cucumber rounds and bell pepper sticks and place on a paper towel in a dish and refrigerate. (absorbs the moisture that makes vegetables rot)
You can reheat blanched veges in the microwave or eat them cold, season either with a drizzle of olive oil or your favorite salad dressing.
Wash grapes, cut into clusters and refrigerate wrapped in a kitchen towel. Wash and dry clementines, apples, pears and tomatoes and place them in a bowl on the counter ready to eat. Cut the melon into portion size sections and refrigerate.
Roast the chicken, cut into portions. Prepare turkey burgers, wrap in saran and refrigerate. Make a turkey meatloaf, cook, cool, wrap and refrigerate. Place the salmon fillet in a baking dish, season with olive oil, salt and pepper, refrigerate and it is ready for baking or broiling.
Cook brown rice and lentils, place in covered dish and refrigerate. Eat hot or cold with olive oil or your favorite dressing.
So, now what haven't I used? Well the lettuces are there to be a side salad or a main course salad mixed with some protein or vegetables. And you can always saute or microwave the fresh spinach with a little garlic and olive oil. The roasted bones of the chicken can be thrown into a pot with water for a quick stock and then voila a soup with the rice, lentils and or the leftover chicken and raw vegetables.
Somehow I think you get the picture. A few hours of prep on any day you choose can take the drudgery of weeknight mealtime. You may be so on top of your game that you invite a neighbor to join you.
Effortlessly with grace and with ease. You don't have to do it all the first week..We are looking for progress not perfection. Do what feels right for you. Baby steps makes big progress!
ps...and I think you know what to do with your square of chocolate...enjoy!

She Cooks! Nutrition for the Mind

2010-01-05T14:36:00.002-05:00

Believe it or not I do not think of myself as one who really sets goals and monitors their outcome, Hmmmm...as I read that I don't know if I can be that honest...It just doesn't sound like the me I think of myself as...you know goal oriented...I guess what I mostly have is thoughts...good thoughts, I do monitor those, like about this blog..i believe and can visualize Bob Proctor reading this blog and then of course making the recipe I have chosen to support it..you see I admire Bob, he is my mentor, like NH was to Bob. I want to work with him like my objective here is to.... Food and spirituality, how do I bridge that. I guess by just as my friend Kwaku said last night ...”don't ever forget about it.”

Today is the first day of a personal, spiritual and physical cleanse. Fruits and vegetables, sans protein. A vitaminly rich 4 oz. Of something good for you 4 x per day...oh and a few nuts tossed in with careless abandon. As I am reading this a few ozs of yogurt would go nicely. I wonder if I will garnish my cupfuls.

And exercise. Ok I know. We all do.

A few timely steps up and down on my heart rate accelerator. Starting off slow always works. I feel determined, I always do the night prior. I smell the artichokes, nearly done. Food is done, people are finished. Artichokes are my favorite food on the planet. Having some as a last summer (meant supper) kind of event...before d-day… didn't think of it that way until now.

Yum

I have been, my whole cooking life, waiting for a state of the art kitchen to call my own, that is relative too you know, state of the art.

The house I bought some 18mos ago was going to be the one....opening that front door, no kitchen in sight just a bare space where logically it would have been, you could see a few wires protruding from the wall. I could see me there, cooking, just cooking, that is all I ever really want to do. Well, seasons and reasons why it did not happen overnight, even though my decorator (sister) her beau (my honeydew too) kept assuring me that it was time and money keeping my vision from being realized. All I wanted to do was cook. So when it was finally 85% finished and I could cook, why was I not Cooking? days later …and still was not cooking...why? But you don't understand, I go into to unrehearsed kitchens all the time and find no problem foraging around turning this and that on till something works...but not in my kitchen. I had to look at it, charm it, zen it, decorate it, stand back and wait for the right moment. Breathe into it. There is something I knew would tell me and move me to the right moment. It was time, I was shopping for produce and came upon the most beautiful, green, luscious, prickly pile of artichokes, two reached up and spoke (poked) to me to take them home. Say no more. They sat overnight in my sea blue glass bowl waiting...of course, to plunge head first into salted water from my boiling All-Clad pot. Artichokes, that was what I was waiting for. They had to be the first thing I would cook in my new kitchen, it all just seemed right. My favorite thing to eat would be my first thing to cook. Simmered artichokes, plain and outstanding.
…listening from my bedroom I could here the simmer and smell the earthiness.
At the moment, and I had to be precise, I took the artichokes out of the green tinted water they were perfectly tender. Cut them in half this time, never have done that... Some things just seem so right. For the first time cooking them was more satisfying than the shredding of each baby leaf through my teeth and the devouring the soft succulent heart. Be still mine.

ARTICHOKES STUFFED WITH CHEESE SOUFFLE...I know it not part of my program, but this recipe is part of my life, rich and full

• 4 T. softened butter
• 6 T. flour
• 2 c. hot milk
• ½ t. paprika
• Pinch nutmeg
• 1 t. salt
• ¼ t. white pepper
• 4 egg yolks
• 6 egg whites
• 1½ c. coarsely grated Swiss cheese(the best you can buy)
• ¾ c. finely grated Imported Parmesan + some to sprinkle on the top
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Trim and prepare 6 artichokes and cook in boiling salted water until hearts are tender. Drain upside down. Remove choke and clean out the hairs around the heart.
In a large saucepan, melt 3 T. butter over medium high heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the butter and flour foam and froth. Remove the pan from the heat and beat in the hot milk, then simmer over medium heat and stir slowly until thick, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the seasonings, then the egg yolks, 1 by 1. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Whip the egg whites to stiff, shining peaks, then whisk 1/4 of them into the sauce to lighten it. Delicately fold the remaining egg whites into the sauce, alternating with the grated Swiss cheese and Parmesan cheese.
Cut pieces of foil large enough to surround the artichokes. Brush the foil pieces with olive oil and wrap around the artichokes. Turn the souffle mixture and fill to the top into the prepared artichokes, dust with paprika. Bake until the souffle has puffed 1 or 2-inches.and the top is slightly browned about 25 to 30 minutes. Serve immediately.
Enjoy!

Ripe for the Pickin', Rich in Vitamins, Color and Flavor....and here in our own back yard!

2009-12-08T08:03:00.004-05:00

Mother Nature provides us with a bountiful produce season, and this perfect season is the reason to travel down the road to nutritional well-being.

With such a bounty of fresh, fabulous Florida fruits and vibrant
vitamin laden veggies, good heart health is yours for the pickin’!

You say tomato, I say tomatoe, you show me your navel and I’ll show you mine! Tomato because it is a Lycopene food , full of antioxidants,
and, Oranges high in Vitamin C ! Si, Si!

I’d love to share this recipe with you as it illustrates a perfect marriage
Of these two fruits, yes , tomato is a fruit, ..and also incorporates such body beneficial powerhouses such as garlic, basil (referred to as the Royal Herb by ancient Greeks), chili flakes and extra virgin olive oil.
This dish (or “bowl” I should say!)is enjoyed equally well hot or cold, is so delicious and is so naturally nutritious it will certainly have you asking for “more please!”

Enjoy!

ROASTED TOMATO, ORANGE AND BASIL SOUP

3 lbs. ripe plum tomato, cut in half lengthwise
2 navel oranges, peeled, seeded and cut into quarters
¼ c. plus 3 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ T. kosher salt
2 t. fresh ground black pepper
2 c. chopped sweet yellow onions
28 oz. can tomatoes and their juice
¼ c. chopped garlic
¼ c. brown sugar
¼ t. crushed red chili flakes
2 cups basil leaves, packed
2 c. water or more

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss the tomatoes, orange, salt, pepper and ¼ c. olive oil together and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes. In a stock pot sauté the onions, garlic, the remaining olive oil, butter, brown sugar and red chili flakes until soft and translucent. Add the canned tomatoes, basil, water, oven roasted oranges and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Simmer for 30 minutes. Let rest 20 minutes and pass the mixture through a food mill fitted with the coarsest blade or pulse on/off in a food processor or blender. Taste and adjust seasonings. Soup can be served hot or cold, and garnished with more basil, yogurt, sour cream or crème fraiche.
Delicious served over your favorite fish, chicken or grains.
Enjoy!

Dancing with the Wind, Frost and a Delicious Salad

2009-12-06T21:42:00.004-05:00

A wonderful big/baby greens and winter fruit salad with a creamy aged cheese and toasty nuts are what I crave when the first Florida frost touches me and my nose gets cold. Frost? I guess that was last night and I admit I am exaggerating....but I will say anything for this salad. Frost like hurricane winds came in on Biscayne Bay last night as the Versace 2010 Spring and Summertime was unveiled. Bitter sweet and bitter cold. It was then, as I was watching 6ft + models, long and lanky, dance the walk in 6 inch platform boots with 2 inch toe risers with tiers of hair and fabrics balancing gingerly to and fro that I realized I was doing the same. They were playing odds with the wind just as I was creating that same said salad with red Bella Rosa baby lettuces too playing odds with the wind. Only those artfully arranged nuts and fruit dancing to keep those delicate ruffled lettuces from flying off their plated platforms. As it turns out artfully un-arranged can be just as delicious!

WINTER WILD GREENS SALAD WITH MAPLE VINAIGRETTE

5 oz. package organic Wild Greens
2 ripe pears
Juice of 1 lemon
1 c. sliced Fuyu persimmon (ripe, but firm to touch)
1 c. walnuts or pecans
1 c. crumbled blue cheese (Roquefort, Gorgonzola, and Maytag Blue)
¼ c. pomegranate seeds
Fresh cracked black pepper

Toast the walnuts until golden brown in a 350 degree oven, in the middle rack for 5-8 minutes. You will smell the oil of the nuts being released. Cool and set aside. Check the greens for crispness and freshness. Cut the pears into even slices and toss into lemon juice. Make the vinaigrette and set aside. Toss the Fuyu persimmons with 2 tablespoons of the dressing.

To assemble. Ladle 2 tablespoons of the dressing on each of the plates. Dry the pears and place them on the center of the plate. Mound the persimmons on top of the pears. Toss the greens lightly with the dressing just enough to create a shine. Mound the greens on top. Crumbl the blue cheese and nuts around the salad, and finish ladling the dressing on the plate if needed. Dust each salad with fresh cracked black pepper and pomegranate seeds

Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette

1 t. Dijon mustard
¼ c. balsamic vinegar
1 t. fresh chopped thyme
¼ c. maple syrup
1 minced shallot
¾ c. extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
Mix together the first five ingredients. Whisk in the oil until loosely emulsified. Taste and adjust. Season with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

Divine, Delicious and Devoured...just like YOU!

2009-12-05T14:28:00.003-05:00

Nutritionally Divine, Delicious and Devoured...that's what I meant to say

We certainly cannot change our age, our gender or our heredity, but it’s never too late to reduce the risk factors. To reduce risk factors we must find a program of alternative therapies. For me any alternative therapy has to be Delicious and Divine! I don’t want to sacrifice flavor or fun!
Number one is Nutrition! We know that a diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables boosts our immune system and reduces the risk of heart disease. Plant foods are high in antioxidant nutrients like Vitamin C, Vitamin E, beta-carotene and selenium. So, the more plant foods the better we are with every bite!
Take a journey with me to the Mediterranean and create a diet that is based less in saturated fats, like red meat and dairy, and more in poly unsaturated fats like olive oil, fruits and vegetables. Give those green leafy vegetables, legumes, fish and poultry center stage.The more you eat the more you WIN!

Enjoy this spread in summer, winter, fall and spring! A memorable dip served with chips, divine served alongside a piece of grilled fish or chicken, delicious dolloped on top of a mound of leafy greens or devoured in an endive boat or on your favorite cracker!

ROASTED EGGPLANT SPREAD

1 medium eggplant
1 pt. grape tomatoes
2 red bell peppers
1 large sweet yellow onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
½ c. cooked garbanzo beans
6 T. good olive oil
2 T. tomato paste
1 ½ tsp. Kosher salt
½ t. fresh cracked black pepper
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
Handful of fresh basil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the vegetables into 1 inch cubes. Toss them in a large bowl with olive oil, garlic, kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Spread them on a baking sheet. Roast them for 30-45 minutes or until the vegetables are lightly browned and soft, tossing once during cooking. Cool slightly.
Place the vegetables into a food processor, add the tomato paste and garbanzo beans. Pulse on/off until desired texture. Add the lemon zest, juice and basil and pulse again.Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Enjoy!

Silken Salmon...delicious, so enticing and plays a great foil...

2009-12-03T22:16:00.004-05:00

Soft and silky is the best way to describe this dish. The salmon takes on the most incredible flavor that is held in the texture. (think about that)And the crunchy vegetable slaw plays a great foil. We need that in our Zen. A little playfulness on our palate. That is what I have to offer.

Approaching day 4 of Wendy's Sisterhood Cleanse I am sensing she wants something to dance on her palate. Something like this. My friend wanted to try and stay vegetarian, but I am sensing a nice boost of Omega 3's may be in order. Hence my inspiration.

SILKEN SALMON WITH ASIAN SLAW

Marinade:
½ c. rice wine vinegar
½ c. lime juice
¼ c. each toasted sesame oil and olive oil
Marinate for 12 hours
2 lbs. salmon filet, boned and skinned

Heat a non stick pan to medium high and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Pan sear and brown for 2-3minutes on each. Finish cooking at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes, depending on thickness and desired doneness. Do not overcook.

Slaw:
4 c. julienne Napa or Savoy cabbage
½ c. shredded carrots
½ c. julienne yellow and red bell peppers
½ c. diagonal cut green onions
½ c. julienne snow peas
2 medium oranges, zested, peeled, sliced and slices quartered
¼ c. chopped fresh cilantro

Dressing:
1/4 c. rice vinegar
3 T. sesame oil
3 T. mirin
3 T. soy sauce
3 T. lime juice
2 T. honey
1 T. black sesame seeds
2 t. chopped garlic
3 T. chopped cilantro
2 t. chopped garlic
½ t. Sambal or to taste
2 T. fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
Put first 10 ingredients into a bowl. Taste and add sambal, a little at a time. Adjust with more of this and more of that.

Combine cabbage, carrots, green onions, bell peppers, snow peas, orange zest and sliced and cilantro in a bowl. Set aside and mix with the dressing 15 minutes before serving. Serve with Silken Salmon.

Enjoy!

Warm and Delicious...and a little nutty...just like you

2009-12-03T10:53:00.001-05:00

CHUNKY BUTTERNUT PUMPKIN & CHICKPEA SOUP

1 Butternut Squash peeled and diced, about 4-5 cups, reserving seeds
1 t. cumin seeds
1 t. crushed red chilis
Olive oil
2 Celery stalks, trimmed, finely chopped
3 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ c. rough chopped parsley
1 28 oz. can tomatoes
2 small Red onions, finely chopped
2 Qt. Chicken or Vegetable Stock
2 15 oz. cans Chickpeas, drained
2 t. each Fennel Seeds, Sesame Seeds and Poppy Seeds
2/3 C. sliced almonds
Zest of 2 Lemons
3 T. Fresh Mint, leaves chopped
3 T. Fresh Italain parsley leaves
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Put the butternut squash, cumin and dried chili on a baking tray. Drizzle with oil, mix together and roast in 350 degree oven for 25 minutes or until cooked through. Heat a large saucepan over medium-low heat and pour in a splash of olive oil. Add the celery, garlic, parsley and 2/3 of the onion. Cook gently with a lid on until softened. Drop in the butternut squash and sweat for 5 minutes, then pour in the stock and tomato juices. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the chickpeas and simmer for 15 minutes more.

Toast the reserved pumpkin seeds with the fennel seeds, sesame, poppy seeds and almonds in the oven on a baking tray for 3-4 minutes until nicely colored all over. Mix lemon zest, parsley leaves and mint. Add remaining onion to herb mixture. Season soup well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Puree half in a blender until thick, but still with chunky bits. Add half pureed mixture back into saucepan. Keep warm. Ladle soup into bowls. Stir once then sprinkle with toasted seeds and nuts followed by zesty herb, onion mixture. Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Enjoy!

Saying Yes! to Me!

2009-12-01T21:51:00.002-05:00

Day 2 with Wendy...cleansing mind body and soul

Barefoot summer and sandals have a way of leaving my feet and toes like they need some attention. Somehow, without me even knowing it they have become a sore point and that’s not just because I am standing on them all day! How could they have been so neglected? Close-toed shoes have a way of suggesting the obvious…it’s time to succumb to my weakness... a pedicure. Start by taking care of your self with a “delicious” fruit bath that turns those calluses into supple feet, as soft as a baby’s. At the same time this recipe provides you with vitamins, calcium and nutrients. It’s an hour spent that nourishes your body and your soul. It’s just another way of saying “Yes” to me. and let your pretty self smile and embrace yourself from head to toe!

SWEET FEET “FOOT BATH and TASTY TREAT”
1 c. frozen mango pulp
1 c. frozen pineapple pulp
1 c. frozen passion fruit pulp
Buy Goya brand or other frozen pulp found in the freezer section
1 c. orange blossom honey
4 c. organic vanilla yogurt

In a blender process all of the ingredients together. Reserve two cups to be eaten and divide the rest evenly into two plastic bags. Wash your feet with your favorite soap. Slip each foot into each bag and tie the bags around your ankles with a twistie tie. “Squish”(that’s a technical term) your toes into the fruit. Squish, squish... Enjoy the next hour relaxing while eating your healthy sweet treat. Then, remove your feet from each bag and toss the bags away. Rinse your feet with cool water and massage your soft toes and heels and arches with your favorite moisturizer. The nutrients of the fruit and yogurt deliver enzymes into your feet that hydrate your skin while providing nutrient and calcium absorption in your body. And It is a delicious hour to …Enjoy!

Friends Helping Friends ..Nourishing Consciousness

2009-12-01T09:45:00.006-05:00

Wendy's book launch "Your Life Your Destiny" is Dec 11th.

Please join us for our 11 Days of Consciousness

11 day cleanse: 11 days of “Conscious eating”
11 days of eating pure and healthy
11 days of yoga
11 days of prayer and mediation designed to go hand in hand with this program.

When I am feeling a bit on the plump side I know I need to stock my refrigerator with ready made foods that will fill my slender waistline. "Thoughts become things, so choose the good ones". Less is more! Flavor is a big part of satisfaction for me. I need something that is going to dance on my palate and before I eat it, it has to visually excite me. So with those things in mind I share this calcium rich vegetable salad.

FIESTA VEGETABLE SALAD WITH TAHINI CITRUS DRESSING

½ cup each or select a few, chopped, sliced, grated or diced (your favorites)
Yellow /Green Squash
Cucumber/ Tomato/ Broccoli
Celery/ Green Onion/ Green / Yellow Beans/ Cauliflower/ Carrot /Artichoke

Parsley & Herbs /Variety Sprouts/ Bell Peppers
Dandelion, Watercress or other Leafy Greens

Prepare 2 cups cooked Brown Rice that has been soaked for 4 hours before cooking.
2 cups cooked Garbanzo Beans

Mix together all the above ingredients and add to salad some or all of the following:
½ c. each Toasted Sunflower Seeds, Toasted Almonds
½ c. each Toasted Pumpkin Seeds, Dried Fruits

Make tahini dressing. Can be kept in refrigerator for a few days. Keep dressing and salad separate. Mix the amount of salad and dressing as you are ready to enjoy.

Tahini Citrus Dressing (can keep refrigerated for 4-6 days)
Combine ingredients in blender and process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings.
½ c. tahini (sesame paste found in Whole Foods Market)
2 T. fresh peeled ginger
½ c. water
½ c. citrus juice, lime, lemon and orange
2 cloves garlic ½ t. cumin
3 green onions ¼ c. parsley
Sea salt to taste
2 T. agave nectar

Enjoy!

Still laughing ...a Thanksgiving to remember...or not

2009-11-29T09:38:00.002-05:00

still laughing....30 turkeys smothered and stuffed with lashings of buttery love and 30 families happy and content. Job well done. Well, baby sister April and I ...we brined, we marinated, we pampered our pretty plump breasts and drumsticks. heehee. I turned on the new grill to medium and laid them skin side them down all in a row. A sigh of accomplishment, sizzle, sizzle they are all put to bed. My nephew offered a foot massage and if anyone knows me that is my weakness. As I lay on the chaise, not a care in the world ..out of the corner of my eye I see my sister jump back as she is lifting the grill lid and around her bobbing, blonde ponytail is billowing black smoke. (I can leap tall buildings when the need be). All I can see are mounds of flaming, too salty, too sugary, too charred, too funny! We sit down together and fill ourselves with belly laughs and side dishes. I promise turkey sandwiches today (I have a bird cooked to perfection in my walk in,...how did I know?). I know my passion is food, and I know why. Food is about creating memories and being grateful for the family and friends that are seated at the the table and for those we have tucked away in our hearts cupboard. Mom was not with us this year, but I am sure she had her hand, her laughter and her heart in all our blessings.

My Mario Mémoire

2006-01-25T12:44:00.000-05:00

He handed me his baggy pants…you could say that I’ve been in situations like this before, but never did it have these implications..and all I could think of was what could I dish up for him tonight. Never been much of a groupie, not even for the Beatles, but I am in love, with food, and his food sings to me! I stirred up a slurry of mouthwatering ideas before it hit me, Black Cherry, Ginger & Red Wine Sauce married with a gorgeous Leg of Lamb. I will use the red wine from his vineyard in Italy. This would easily be a close runner up to the magnificent roast chicken I had prepared for him the night before. It has been a ritual for me to prepare a crispy candied lemon roast chicken and vegetables, served family style on an oversized white porcelain platter for the first meal of every charter. A welcoming, recognizable, succulent bird with crispy skin and sweet lemon accents was all I needed to put the Batali’s at ease.

Aahh, I imagined him bathing those garlic studded slices of lamb through that rich red sauce, one bite after the other, licking his lips. My dreams came true as I served him up a second portion.

I liked his flirtatious style and how better to seduce him than with my favorite food, prickly yet tantalizing, artichokes. I hand carried them from Florida. As I have always said “if you get me on a deserted island just let there be artichokes.” I’ll serve them my favorite way stuffed with cheese soufflé. It becomes obvious to me that on this charter there is just not enough time dedicated to the pleasure of eating all those recipes that my full refrigerator and the overflowing pantry of my mind has to offer. But today, Red Pepper Bisque, creamy, rich and red is the talk of the day and the promise of this recipe to be sent by e-mail completes another satisfied lunch.

A special request and four little helping hands from Leo and Beno, the Batalis 7 and 10 year old chefs in waiting, brought a magic carpet breakfast of ethereal blueberry pancakes that floated from the cook top to our plates. Slathered high with fresh sliced strawberries and whipped cream the boys made sure to start their day with dessert. After breakfast it was time to check the crab pots. Ten, fat Dungeness crab could not resist the enticing snare of last nights leftover Brugal feast. And Mario, I hoped, could not resist the fresh catch that would bait him into a prominent spot in my kitchen. We planned at day bathing in the warm waters of Baranoff Hot Springs. More days like this and I knew I could have my way with him. I could taste him cooking in my galley! Ahh, the thought of cooking side by side with an iron chef. Slicing, dicing and singing my way in the galley to a new rendition of “Fly me to the moon and let me cook among the stars,” left me starstruck.

After sunset we sat at the dining room table for what seemed like hours surrounded by lemon wedges, cocktail and mustard sauces, crusty Italian bread, cold white wine and an ever shrinking ruby mountain of Dungeness crab bodies and claws. It is our ritual on board the MV Jamal to bless the crab before cooking them. We turn them over to stun them, kaboom!, clean them and then toss them into boiling sea salted water. Cleaning them first insures only edibles in the pot. As we toss our shells thankfully “back to the sea” we loosen our belts and make way for a delicious, ooey, gooey chocolate dessert that will paves our way to sweet dreams.

We woke up feeling full, but as I tell our guests there are no fat, calories or cholesterol on board. A nod, a grin and a “Ya sure” smile came across the breakfast bar with eager looks as to what’s next. I love a captive audience! There was definitely excitement in the air. All of Mario’s plans and inspiration for the trip, was about to unfold. Today we would celebrate Susi, his lovely wife, her birthday and some of her favorite things.

This evening the festivities began with a cocktail designed in Susi’s honor. We coined it the “Tini Susi”. In an iced shaker add 2 parts Peach Vodka, because she is a pearl of a girl, and sweet as a peach, next a generous one part of Grand Marnier because she is, and a splash of Pommegranet Juice because she is good for you too! Add a garnish of Candied Orange peel and we all toasted “To know her is to love her!” To show his affection Mario ordered an all you can eat avalanche of Giant Alaskan King Crab and for dessert, there is only way to satisfy her sweet tooth … Chocolate Baked Alaska.

“Any crab leftover, Mario cried before he went to bed,” will be mine, for tomorrow I will make pasta with spices and olive oil. He smiled, said goodnight and licked his lips.

The day Mario took a turn in the galley took first place on my palates registrar. I took his instruction and mise en place (a French term referring to having all the ingredients necessary for a dish to be prepared) my way through habeneros, tomatoes, garlic and crusty breadcrumbs to the most delicious crab spaghetti dish that I have ever tasted. I have never seen anyone use as much extra virgin olive oil for as he called it “a quick pasta.”. Two ounces, four ounces, eight then twelve, the bottle was gone, in went the peppers, garlic, tomatoes, basil, parsley, the spaghetti, and then the reason for it all, a marriage of King and Dungeness tossed together in the pan and then up in the air. Finished with a handful of crunchy breadcrumbs, it was love at first bite. And for dessert, sweet perfection again danced on our palates, this time we kissed the night with a Nectarine Poached in White Wine, Bay Leaf and Vanilla Bean snuggled in a cloud of Grand Marnier Sabayon.

As is his ritual when he really likes something, Mario began the next day with a breakfast antipasto of cold crab pasta, leftover from the night before. I love a chef that loves his own jokes and his own food, but for the rest of us, Mario’s eldest son Beno scrambled eggs, browned sausage and insisted on warm leftover fruit crumble. Soon after breakfast I heard snorts and grunts coming from the red haired, pony tailed bear laying port side down on the couch. I can only imagine his snoring to be like the Beatles singing off key…only more endearing, and I am sure more snuggly than your typical star of iron chef and food network fame.

Catching a freezer full definitely put an iron clad, clincher as to what would take center stage on tonight’s dinner table. Perfectly grilled, big white flakes of simple sweetness. Fresh caught Halibut by no other name! With so much halibut on board it did not surprise me when Mario claimed his rights to prepare a delicious addition to lunch. Citrus crusted bread crumbs stuffed the halibut in crispy spirals, and then baked in a good bath of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil). This became my second favorite dish of the trip.

On our way to Tracy Arm Glacier, it dawned on me that I’d better hurry and run intereference with anyone eating the leftovers of Mario’s crab pasta. This dish that he so humbly and effortlessly tossed together would be worthy of a luncheon frittata. Coach Goat Cheese, fresh herbs and eggs would marry well with leftover spaghetti, Dungeness and King Crab, and, to think of it, so do I. As a side dish, Artichoke Stuffed with Cheese Souffle makes for a mouthwatering plate. For this noontime extravaganza it’s the Coach Goat Cheese that brings it all together and the Crab, be it Dungeness or King takes a back seat to the creamy richness of that white gold.

Our mantra “When in Alaska eat seafood”, is happily put on the back burner when tonight a slab of pork, roasted for a king, and we all agree he (Mario) is, fits the bill with a big juicy glass of Mario’s vineyards red wine.

Citrus Halibut with lime, orange and lemon was succulent and fragrant baked in foil packets, but the double chocolate brownie sundae slathered with strawberries and laced with orange liquor was gobbled up at record speed. In Alaska there is a certain breathtaking moment of everyday that puts a smile, a wish and a new hope to tuck away and take back to civilization. For everyone on board it was a toss up as to what made time stand still, perhaps it was the calving of the sheets of ice at Glacier Bay or perhaps it was the glacier ice margheritas, whales or bears. We agreed to disagree and made another batch of iced blue Petron’s.

Reluctantly we made our way to terra firma. Taking a deep breath and trying to hold on to those moments when our days were filled with blowing humpback whales, all the crab we could eat, dancing shoreline bears, clouds of orange sabayon, bald eagles sailing in the sky and seemingly miles to go before we were to ever reach our next dessert or destination.
Life is bitter sweet, and we knew no matter how much fun we were having it must come to an end because our eyes are bigger than our stomachs and those baggy pants he handed me, if we kept on this path for much longer, would end up fitting like a glove. So we all say our goodbyes and move on to the next port, the next morsel, just as delicious, just as satisfying, just as sweet.

Magic Carpet Ride

2005-06-30T14:43:00.000-04:00

“The art of entertaining is knowing who to call”

My friend, Michael Holland did just that… and when two creative people come together and start planning and event, literally the sky’s the limit! We created an evening that consisted of multiple layers. Upon arrival, each guest embarked on a magic carpet ride, full of flavor, savoure, surprises and fulfillment. I can assure you delicious food, stunning presentations and top flight, gracious, smiling service. It is my passion and my privilege to ensure each and every one of my clients feels like a million dollars!

Here’s a special link to a web page created by Michael.

http://www.nichemastery.com/2005StarParty.html

Chutney Raddichio

2004-07-06T10:28:00.000-04:00

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

2004-06-21T16:07:00.000-04:00

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

2004-06-02T18:55:00.000-04:00

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

2004-04-24T02:17:00.000-04:00

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

2004-04-20T00:41:00.000-04:00

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

2004-04-09T11:37:00.000-04:00

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

2004-04-07T16:06:00.000-04:00

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!