Blueberry Coconut Coffee Cake: Cake for breakfast...

For YKK, lover of freshly baked goods

Do not underestimate the power of a good piece of coffee cake. A great coffee cake will make the sun shine brighter, the birds chirp more beautifully, and put the skip back into your step - that is the power of a great coffee cake.

This coffee cake right here has won me friends and has helped me influence people. One friend, who is not a coconut fan, took a bite and said, "I LOVE the coconut in this!" Another was worried that it would be dry, and upon taking a bite said that she didn't know that coffee cake could be that moist. This one is.

Although it is delicious eaten warm, fresh from the oven, it is very good the morning after. Try baking it the night before and when you wake up, cut yourself a nice slice and drink it with your coffee. You won't regret waking up.

You only need to have the one perfect coffee cake in your repertoire to wow people, and this one will be the one. So brighten up your mornings with a slice of this baby, and it's only blue skies from here. (warning: this is an ADULT breakfast, and not one really for the kiddies, although I'll admit mine had a small chunk this morning.)

Note - there is NO MORE left in my house...in less than 24 hours it was gone. I am thinking that I will make it again with a lemon raspberry blueberry twist.

Blueberry Coconut Coffee Cake (adapted from Bon Appetit| February 1996)
Serves 12

Topping
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick) room temperature
1 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Cake
2 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, (1 stick) room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk
2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries, or frozen unthawed

For the topping, combine flour, butter, coconut, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Mix until moist and crumbly. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375. Butter and flour 13X9X2-inch baking pan. Sift 2 cups of flour, baking powder, and salt into a small bowl. Using electric mixer, beat 1/2 cup of butter in a large bowl until fluffy. Gradually add 1 cup sugar, beating until well blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating to blend after each addition. Add vanilla extract and mix again. Mix dry ingredients into the batter alternating with milk, 3 additions each.

Pour half of the batter into the bottom of the pan. spread it out evenly and sprinkle blueberries over the top. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the topping mixture on top of the blueberries. Pour and spread remaining batter on top. Sprinkle topping evenly over batter. Bake until tester inserted into center comes and clean and topping is golden brown, about 40 minutes. Cool cake. Serve warm or room temperature.

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Take this one to go...

Asian Bowtie Pasta: Going back to my roots...

For Husband, who still makes me weak in the knees

Over the past weekend, our family went to a church retreat where we had lots of fun spending time with our church family. I had decided much earlier on that I would bring some cookies (I made 120 of them) to share with the others that came to the retreat. I also made some fresh guacamole while I was there, mainly because I had some beautifully ripe avocados that would have gone to waste otherwise. While we were there, someone asked Husband, "How do you stay so thin when your wife cooks all the time?" Husband replied, "I don't really eat her cooking." Which is true but it made me feel a bit sad nonetheless. Husband works odd hours and so doesn't have much of an opportunity to eat at home. I generally try to pack him something to take to the office so that he has something home -cooked, but it often is whatever we had for dinner the night before, or some sort of quick lunch that I've made that I just put in a box so he can take it. He is always appreciative, although he may critique the food, and almost always brings home perfectly licked clean tupperware boxes.

But it always makes feel a bit guilty that I don't really cook FOR Husband's lunch specifically. Husband has a keen appreciation for good food and loves food from home. Today I decided I wanted to make something fresh for him so that he could enjoy at the office today. My desire was to make something easy, tasty and a one pot meal; I thought it would be fun to do an Asian style pasta salad, and this is what I made. It is very much my style of cooking, my favorite profile of favors, and simple enough to be thrown together.

On another note, Daughters loved it as did Husband. I got a phone call from Husband who said, "Dinner was really good today. I totally enjoyed it." I was shocked because usually I don't get a phone call proclaiming that dinner was good, but I'm guessing this one tasted yummy enough for him to pick up the phone. Now THAT makes me weak in my knees.

Asian Bowtie Pasta
Serves 6-8

1 lb farfalle (bowtie) pasta (I used the mini farfalle)

1/3 cup canola, safflower or other mild tasting oil
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

2 red, yellow or orange bell peppers, cut julienne
1 cup of scallions, diced
2-3 cups of rotisserie chicken, cut into bite sized pieces (put more chicken if you want it meatier)
3 tablespoons roasted sesame seed
Pepper to taste
3 cups washed baby spinach
1/4 cup cilantro, OPTIONAL
2 tablespoons red pepper flakes, OPTIONAL

Boil and cook pasta according to directions. Make sure to salt the cooking water. Drain pasta and set aside. Return the pasta pot back to the stove. (You don't need to wash it.) Add the canola oil, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, and rice wine vinegar. Heat over low heat until the honey is dissolved. Remove from heat and toss in the pasta. Add the bell peppers, chicken, scallions, pepper, sesame seeds, cilantro (optional) and red pepper flakes (optional). Toss well to coat all the ingredients. Before serving, toss the pasta with the spinach, to keep the vibrant green as much as possible.

This can be chilled or served warm at room temperature (which was really delicious.)

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a perfect bite of flavors

Lemon Poppy Seed Waffles: Special and delicious and more than breakfast

I love breakfast. I mean, I love breakfast foods at all times of the day. Sometimes, when I'm really tired, I'll eat a bowl of cereal for dinner with a fried egg on the side, and I don't even feel like I'm doing anything weird, simply because I just LOVE breakfast. In the middle of the night, I'll often contemplate what I can possibly make for breakfast, and this is an idea that struck me late one evening - lemon poppy seed waffles.

Why you may ask? Mostly because I am a lemon freak, and poppyseeds just seem to make things special. This particular combination is really special and totally delicious. Again, it's a simple waffle batter but you just jazz things up a bit with the addition of lemon juice, lemon zest and poppy seeds. Totally simple, yet totally different and totally yummy.

I served these for a lunch playdate, and MO, the young gentleman who had come to play with Daughter #2, gobbled it up. He seemed a bit cautious about the poppy seeds initially, but once he got going, there was no stopping him. Daughter #2, she took one bite and didn't stop to ask anyone directions to the rest of the waffles; she just plowed right through to the very end. I have to say modestly, these were light, crispy and utterly delicious with its zing of lemon and the crunchy texture of poppy seeds. I hope you take some time out to make these - for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Serve with plain maple syrup or with some berries. Either way is delicious.

Lemon Poppy Seed Waffles
Makes 3-4 waffles

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Butter and syrup, for serving

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; mix well. Add the milk, vegetable oil, egg, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, poppy seeds, and vanilla and mix well. Let the batter sit for 15 minutes.

Preheat a waffle iron. Do not use non-stick spray on the waffle iron; the oil in the batter will allow the waffle to release easily. Follow the directions on your waffle iron to cook the waffles. Serve immediately with butter and syrup.

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For the record, two quarters are not enough for me...

My waffle iron ... LOVE IT...

Asian Marinade Ribs: perils of a food blogger's daughters

For Daughters, who rarely get to eat what they want over and over

Often when someone comes over and eats at our house, they turn to Daughters and say, "You know, you're lucky your mom is such a good cook. Do you know how lucky you are to eat her food?" Generally Daughters nod their heads, but their eyes glaze over and they aren't really paying attention to the question, because I think, quite frankly, they are tired of hearing it. It is even probably more irksome to them because I sometimes hear them say, "Mom - can we just have REGULAR food?" They want familiar food, food that they've had before, and food that doesn't require mom snapping photographs of it wildly. They don't often have a choice in what I decide to cook, and that is the life of children of food bloggers. I have to say, however, it is extremely gratifying when I do make something new, and kids gobble it all up and say, "Mom - you are a GREAT CHEF!" My quest is constantly to find recipes and ideas that elicit that response from the kids.

As daughters love ribs, I thought I'd try this one out on them - based on the Mongolian Pork Chop I had a Mustards Grill. I took the marinade, streamlined the ingredients, and decided to throw it on some baby back ribs instead of a pork chop - the result was delicious, although Daughter #1 thought it too spicy for her tastes. Daughter #2 took it down and visiting friend CY gobbled up a nice hefty amount considering she's not a huge fan of cilantro in her food. I suggest serving these bad boys with a side of ginger slaw and mashed potatoes.

Asian Marinade Ribs
Marinade (adapted from Mustards Grill Cookbook)

1 cup hoisin sauce (Lee Kum Kee Vegetarian has no artificial colors and no MSG)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 scallion minced
1 tablespoon sambal oelek (ground chili sauce - at your local Asian Market - use less if you don't want it as spicy)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced ginger
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves and stems, minced
1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 racks of baby back ribs, about 6 lbs

For ease of cooking, I've found that cutting the rack of ribs into 3 smaller pieces a nice step, but it isn't necessary. It will make marinating the ribs easier, but if you have a large enough pan to hold both the ribs and the marinade, you do not need to do this.

In a large bowl, mix all of the marinade ingredients together. Mix well. Pour over the baby back ribs and using your hands (covered in a disposable plastic glove) rub well. Refrigerate and allow to marinate for at least 8 hours and up to 24.

To cook the ribs after allowing marinating, preheat oven to 300. Remove ribs from marinade and set on a foil lined pan. Save remainig marinade. Place ribs in oven and cook for 2 hours. Take leftover marinade and pour it into small pot. Cook marinade until boiling, and then cook for an additional 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

After 2 hours of cooking, raise oven temperature to 425. Brush on the cooked marinade (like a sauce) all over the rib pieces. Cook for an additional 10 minutes or until marinade is lightly caramelized. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before cutting.

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My preference in Hoisin sauce, but this one gets you a pack of TWELVE (but at a great price per individual bottle.)

Lemon Tart

For CY who loves the good things in life

There are times when I cook or bake that I have one person in mind. I focus on a single person who would LOVE what I am creating and it makes making it all the more fulfilling, because I think about how much my target person will enjoy it and it brings me satisfaction.

This tart was for all my lemon loving friends, but in particular CY, only because she LOVES lemon. She knows how to enjoy the good things in life, and I imagine the smile on her face when she digs in.

I first tasted this tart at Mustards Grill in Yountville (Napa Valley) on my Girls Getaway Weekend. Being the resourceful girl I am, I found the Mustards Grill Cookbook and decided that one of the things I HAD to make was the Lemon Tart, as it was phenomenally amazing. I did leave out the brown sugar meringue, only because I am not a fan, and fiddled with the ingredients, if only to make it simpler for me. The end result was a very delicious lemon tart, and you can see how there are almost two layers in the filling (which happens automatically....one filling, becomes two layers.) It is delicious and thoroughly worth making. The crust is the only finicky part, but not anything so atrocious that it cannot be done.

Lemon Tart (adapted from the Mustards Grill Cookbook)

Crust
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) COLD unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg (used as a wash, NOT in the crust)

Filling
6 large eggs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

To make the crust, combine the flour sugar, salt, and butter in food processor, electric mixer, or large mixer bowl. Using the blade attachment of the food processor, the paddle attachment of the electric mixer, or a pastry cutter, cut the cold butter into the flour until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. If you are using a processor, transfer the mixture to a bowl. Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons water and vanilla over the mixture and mix with a fork until the dough clumps together. Gather the dough into a ball and wrap it in plastic wrap and flatten into a 1-inch-thick disk. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes, until it is firm enough to roll out.

Have ready an 11-inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a 13 inch circle. Carefully, move the dough to line the tart pan. (You can rest it on the rolling pin and carry it over, or you can gently lift it over.) Trim the dough to leave about a 1/2 inch overhang all the way around, saving the trimmings at room temperature of later crust repair. Gently push the dough into the pan so it fits snugly, then fold the overhang toward the inside, pressing the folded dough against the sides. With thumb and forefinger, gently pinch the dough so that the sides of the tart extend about 1/4 inch above the edge of the pan, with an even thickness all the way up and around. Freeze the crust for 30 minutes, until it is hard. While crust is chilling, preheat the oven to 350.

When the crust is hard, line it with a piece of aluminum foil large enough to cover it, and fill it with beans, rice, or pie weights. (no pricking of crust.) Bake the crust for 35 minutes, then remove the weights and foil and bake for another 15 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and feels dry. Whisk egg with 1 teaspoon of water to make an egg wash and brush all over the bottom and sides of the crust. Return the crust to the oven and bake for 5 minutes more until egg is set and dry.

15 minutes before the crust is due to be completed, begin working on filling. Whisk the eggs and granulated sugar together in a bowl until smooth. Whisk in lemon juice until smooth. Whisk in cream, then strain the filling through a fine mesh sieve into a large measuring cup and stir in the lemon zest. The filling will be quite liquid.

When the crust is fully baked (after the egg step), carefully pour the filling into the crust. (It is easier to do this while the crust remains IN the oven.) Reduce the oven heat to 325 and bake the pie for 35 to 40 minutes, until the center is just set. Cool the pie on a rack, then refrigerate until cold.

Serve after it is cold with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or fresh berries.

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Corn Salad with Tomatoes, Avocado and Cilantro

For BF and her family for having us over...

I have this long standing joke with a friend of mine - she comes to my house often, but I have NEVER been to her house. When we talk, she'll talk about her house and then say, "Oh but you don't know what that is about because you've never been there." And I'll respond, "That's right. And I never will." We kept it up for a year or so, but FINALLY, one weekend, I got an offer that I could not refuse. FB said, "Come over. We'll grill some food and our kids can swim." Who turns that down? She promised to provide delicious grilled chicken and shrimp and I was to bring the Spice rubbed chicken and whatever salad I felt like making. I made the Caprese Panzanella and decided to try a new corn salad as I had some cilantro and a perfectly ripe avocado. It was a perfect side to our shrimp and chicken and was simple to throw together.

Corn Salad with Tomatoes, Avocado and Cilantro
Serves 6

1 lb of frozen corn kernels (of course you can use fresh corn)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup red onion, chopped fine
1 ripe avocado, diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

2 tablespoons lime juice (about one whole lime)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (or less if you want it less spicy)
1/2 teaspoon salt

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and corn kernels. Saute until the corn is all heated through and tender. Set aside to cool. In a large bowl add chopped onion, avocado, cherry tomatoes and cilantro. Toss together and add corn once it has cooled.

In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, olive oil, cumin, cayenne and salt. Pour over salad.

Serve at room temperature.

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White Chocolate Raspberry Tart

For Husband, God's true gift to me

My normal modus operandus around birthdays is to go all out. I love the hustle and bustle, the planning, the preparation, the everything about creating a homemade event. For every single family member, this is my method and my way of celebrating, and I treat Husband no differently. I had sent out email invitations, received responses, planned a menu, purchased a present for him and was all prepared, when he told me, "I don't want a big birthday party this year." I was stunned, floored and left gaping because I didn't know what to do. NO BIRTHDAY? WHY NOT? But Husband politely declined, expressed his wishes of spending this time with just family and I chose to honor and obey...

But not without SOME sort of celebration. I decided to make a tart I used to make over 15 years ago, when we were dating. Husband adores raspberries and raspberry sauce so I decided to help celebrate with a bit of nostalgia for the old days. The great thing about this tart is that the crust is NOT a finicky type of pastry where you have to roll it out (you simply press it into the pan) and the filling is simply melting white chocolate and pouring it over some beautiful raspberries. I am hoping the tart will hide all of the physical deterioration of the past 15 years and highlight the celebration of our years together and another year of life.

White Chocolate Raspberry Tart

Crust
1 cup walnuts, chopped fine
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 large egg, beaten slightly

Filling
3 cups fresh raspberries, picked over
12 oz white chocolate
1/2 stick butter (1/4 cup)
1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup whipped cream, garnish

In a bowl, with electric mixer, blend well walnuts, 1 stick of butter, sugar, flour, zest and egg until combined well. Press mixture into an 11 inch tart pan with removable bottom. Freeze shell 15 minutes. While shell is freezing, preheat oven 375. Bake shell in middle of oven 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool shell. Remove from side of pan and turn onto a plate.

Fill shell with 2 1/2 cups raspberries.

In a double boiler melt chocolate. Remove from heat. Whisk in cream and 1/2 stick of butter. Stir until smooth. Allow to cool slightly, about 5 minutes.

Carefully pour mixture over raspberries, smoothing the chocolate mixture over the top. Allow to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate, covered 3 hours or overnight.

Garnish with whipped cream and remaining 1/2 cup of raspberries.

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Lemon Poppyseed Muffins: Finding the silver lining

To all those who willingly listened to my refrigerator rant and raves.

Most recently, my second refrigerator, which is less than a year old, had been giving me an inordinate amount of trouble. One day my husband noticed that it wasn't so cold, and the first repairman came out and "fixed" it at the end of one week. However, quickly it became clear that it wasn't fixed as suddenly my fridge had an identity crisis and decided that he had freezer envy and decided to become a freezer. The next repair guy (a different one) came out and told me I had another problem and told me I had to wait and in the meanwhile ordered another part. While waiting for the new part, my fridge decided that he wanted to go back to his original identity and claim his life as a fridge again. Everything in my fridge started to thaw...and the story goes on and on. Basically over a period of a month, my fridge froze, unfroze, froze again; I had 4 DIFFERENT servicemen try to figure out what to do, numerous hours of phone call time to both LG and Sears demanding that SOMEONE pay for the food loss in my fridge (LG paid up $100) and numerous moments of trying to figure out how I could rescue food that was technically un-salvageable.

One key victim was a huge bag of lemons. Lemons aren't cheap anymore and I bought a huge bag to do lots of special things with it - only to have it suffer atrocities no citrus fruit should have to suffer. It was too much for me to just throw them away and so I decided to try and make something with them and fast. While the great refrigerator panic was going on, so was my commitment to EAT THROUGH MY PANTRY, which basically means no grocery shopping until my pantry is near empty. (Fresh produce and fruits are allowed.) I found in there poppy seeds and a beautiful organic WHITE whole wheat flour that I wanted to use. Lemon poppyseed muffins became my end goal, and make them I did. They are husband's favorite, and Daughters consumed many of them. I also gave some to Daughter #2's new preschool teachers on their first day of school. They can be prepped ahead of time and be made fairly easily the morning of. I also changed the technique as original laid out in the recipe, only because I don't use an electric mixer in the morning, nor do I believe in alternating wet and dry ingredients when your eyes are barely open. I added a special almond topping just for a contrast of textures and to add a nutty flavor. You can leave it out by all means.

And in the end, the silver lining in the middle of losing food, sleep, money and time during the refrigerator nonsense was these delicious muffins, which probably would NOT have been made, had I not been trying to rescue some lemons.

**Night before preparation tips
The night before, measure out the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt in a small bowl. Whisk together with a fork.

In a larger bowl, zest enough lemons to make 2 tablespoons (took me almost 3 lemons), and measure sugar. Cover. Squeeze lemon juice and cover and refrigerate.

Set out eggs, butter. Line your muffin tin with liners (or grease 20 cups.)

Lemon Poppyseed Muffins (adapted from Epicurious.com)
Makes 20

2 cups all purpose flour (I used 1 cup all purpose and 1 cup white whole wheat)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoon (packed) finely grated lemon peel
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons poppy seeds

Topping (optional)
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir dry ingredients together.

In a larger bowl, add lemon zest, sugarm and melted butter. Stir rather vigorously for at least one minute. One at a time add eggs, beating well after each egg. Pour in buttermilk and lemon juice. Mix well. Add dry ingredients and mix until JUST combined. Do not overmix. Add poppyseeds and stir gently.

Scoop out muffin mixture and equally divide amongst the pans. Quickly mix together sliced almonds and lemon juice. Sprinkle a few almonds on top of each muffin.

Bake for 22-25 minutes. Tops should bounce back when pressed. Serve warm. These taste best the day they are baked.

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More than enough to share...don't be stingy.

The trick to easy muffin scooping in the morning - a disher #16.

Caprese Panzanella Salad: Loving the farmers' market

In our area, there is a farmers' market every Wednesday and Sunday. I try and make it out to the market every Wednesday for a number of reasons - it's really a GREAT way to see exactly what is in season, and by buying in season, you often find prices better than your local grocery store. Our farmers' market also allows local growers to bring their products directly to you, minus the middle man of the supermarket. You need a some cash, some arms (there are no shopping carts here) and wide open eyes to see and catch all the wonder that is at your farmers market. It's not a daily shopping thing, but for the one day a week you go there, enjoy the bounty of our local produce and think of how you can cook what is in front of you. For those of you in California, you can find a list of the farmers' markets in our Golden State.

Right now, the bounty is in tomatoes...cherry tomatoes in a variety of colors, red, yellow, orange and shapes, round, oval, teardrop. The flavor of these ripe tomatoes cannot be beat, and on my most recent trip to the market, I couldn't resist buying 3 baskets of three different colors. Of course Daughter #2 absolutely INSISTED on the yellow (as it is her favorite color) and I was happy to bring my bounty home. I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to do with it, but the colors of it all simply attracted me and I couldn't resist.

I decided to do a panzanella salad, basically a salad with really delicious croutons, a variation of what I had done in the Greek version. I wanted to use some beautiful Italian fresh bufala mozzarella I had picked up (Costco if you can believe it), a yellow bell pepper that Daughter #2 also insisted on buying, fresh basil and crusty bread croutons. For that salty bite, I decided to add some kalamata olives (I know not Italian) The result was a delicious combination of crunch, soft subtle chewiness and delicious juicy bites. The high quality of ingredients truly elevated the dish to a new level, and Daughters and Friend BO enjoyed it heartily.

Caprese Panzanella (adapted from Ina Garten)
Serves 6

Good olive oil
1 small French bread or boule, cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)
Kosher salt

1 yellow bell pepper, large diced
12 pints cherry or grape tomatoes, halved (using different colors makes it more appetizing)
1/2 cup basil, chiffonade
1/2 pound fresh bufala mozzarella cheese, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup calamata olives, pitted

Dressing

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup good red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup good olive oil

Directions

Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan. Add the bread cubes and sprinkle with salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 5 to 10 minutes, until nicely browned. Add more olive oil as needed.

Place the yellow pepper and tomatoes in a large bowl.

For the vinaigrette, whisk together the mustard, vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper in a small bowl. While still whisking, add the olive oil and make an emulsion. Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables. Add the mozzarella, olives, basil and bread cubes and mix together lightly. Serve at room temperature.

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A beautiful bowl to share...

Curried Slaw: Going on a getaway

For RT and FB with whom I got to share the experience.

A couple of weeks ago, I had the amazing opportunity to get away and leave my family behind and go on a little tour of wine country with some old, close friends. The trip was a fabulous getaway and one that I highly recommend moms do - get away, even for a short weekend and just leave it all behind. Of course leaving wasn't easy but Son and Daughters did remarkably well and upon my return were the perfect angels I thought I had lost. It seems that they also needed a break from stressed out mommy, yelling mommy, critical mommy, and mommy who is so tired she isn't rational. I got to giggle myself silly with girlfriends, ENJOY my food (instead of wondering who was going to ask me to get up from the table to get something) and think about what new things I'd like to try at home.

The girlfriends and I had planned the trip for a while, and one target restaurant on my list was Mustards Grill, located in Yountville. I've been a fan of this restaurant from afar, and the chef/owner Cindy Pawlcyn is one of the first great female chefs of Napa Valley. The food is as they describe it, "truck stop" but it really isn't even close to that. It is comfortable, homemade, refined and almost always with something of a twist. We ordered numerous delicious things, of note the Mongolian Pork Chop and Calamari with Curried Slaw. I sat eating the curried slaw, trying to pick it apart, figuring out what was in it, and was amazed at how great it tasted along side the calamari. It was a small twist, but totally changed my view about coleslaw and I came home determined to try it.

I made it on two different occasions, with two different dressings, and in the end, preferred the dressing that I made the second time, which has the addition of a little bit of mayonnaise. I served it with some panko breaded chicken tenders, and it was the most delicious side to the rather pedestrian chicken. The slaw itself elevated my rather bland chicken and the combination was special. It would taste great as a side to any grilled meats as well, but for some reason, the curry against fried breading is amazing.

One final note about our restaurant experience. The icing on the cake was sitting at our table having friend RT say, "Don't look, but I think that's Robin Williams in the corner." Immediately FB and I whipped our heads around to see if she was correct and sat there with our mouths agape for a few moments while RT frantically hissed at us to turn back around. Robin Wiliams it was, with small intimate group of 6. Later I asked our very cool waitress what he ate, and she related to us his choices: Caesar salad, Calf livers and then the Lemon Meringue Tart. (We also decided to have the same dessert - delectable!) I'm not a big "star gazer" but this was a very cool one, sharing a delicious restaurant experience with him. Make this curried slaw, but no guarantees on Robin Willliams joining you in your dining room.

Curried Slaw

1/2 head of green cabbage, thinly sliced
1 carrot, peeled and julienne or grated
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper

In a large bowl, toss together cabbage, carrot, red onion and cilantro.

In a smaller bowl, whisk together curry powder, vinegar, salt and pepper until salt is dissolved. Whisk in mayonnaise and oil. Continue whisking until well combined.

Before serving, drizzle the curry dressing all over the cabbage mixture. Toss well until everything is well coated. Enjoy!

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Kimchee Quesadillas: Another one that got away

A part of me is annoyed and bothered that I am not slinging my Korean tacos out of the back of the truck to huge riches and rewards. KogiBBQ is making Korean tacos to a huge following and sometimes I wonder if I shouldn't be trying to do the same Bay Area version. Buy a truck and park myself outside one of Oracle, Cisco, or Intel and fling my tacos as wide as people would be willing to catch them. Alas the desire is always fleeting as the thought of doing it for public consumption is daunting and causes me to cringe and shrivel. Instead I fling my tacos at close friends and blog readers, and more than a few of them have been making them for their friends at home to rave reviews. YAY for the Korean taco! We don't need to go out clubbing at night to eat our share.

Kogi also does a version of a quesadilla. Kevin over at Closetcooking tried a Kimchee quesadilla which really intrigued me. Cheese and kimchee? Made sense...in Seoul it's possible to have kimchee chigae with a slice of cheese melted on top (similar to french onion soup in concept) and bibimbap with a piece of cheese on top, a kimchee pizza, so why not a kimchee quesadilla? I decided to take my standard fried kimchee recipe, cheddar cheese, and corn tortillas and serve with the sambal oelek sesame oil sauce I created for the Korean tacos. The result? Something really special and delicious. Daughter #2 could not keep her hands out of it and just devoured them. Guests of the evening raved about them and were encouraging me to open my own stand. In the end, all my disgruntlement about not getting rich from making tacos faded and I just enjoyed that I can feed those around me, paid in the precious currency of friendship and the pure enjoyment of food.

Kimchee Pork Quesadillas
Serves 4-6

1 1/2 cups of chopped kimchee, with the liquid
4 slices of bacon or samgyupsahl (pork belly) cut into fourths
1 cloves of garlic pressed
1 tablespoons ginger grated
1 tablespoons sesame oil or vegetable oil, more if needed (if you like sesame flavor add sesame oil, and if you find it too strong, add vegetable oil - or a mix of both)
1 tablespoon of sesame seed

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
8 tortillas (I used corn, but I think it would also taste great with flour)

Scallions for garnish

Place bacon or samgyupsahl (pork belly) in pan with garlic and ginger over medium high heat. Cook for about 5 minutes to render some of the fat. Add kimchee and the kimchee liquid into the fry pan. (The more liquid you add the spicier and saltier it will be.) Stir and cook over medium high heat, reducing liquids, and adding oil if necessary. (if it starts looking dry add a tablespoon of oil.) Dish is completed when the thicker pieces of kimchee take on a slightly translucent quality. The riper the kimchee the faster this happens.

In another fry pan over medium heat, place a tortilla. Sprinkle cheese in an even layer and top with a nice scoop of kimchee and pork. Top with additional tortilla. Cook on each side for about 3-4 minutes until golden and crispy. Place on cutting board and allow to cool for 1 minutes. Cut into quarters. Sprinkle with scallions. Serve with sambal oelek sauce.

Sambal Oelek Sauce

1/4 cup Sambal Oelek
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds.

Mix ingredients together.

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a beautiful plate of these - they don't last long

Couscous with Tomatoes, Basil, Scallions: Caring for those who care for your kids.

For CY, my favorite elementary school teacher and all the teachers out there who do it for our children. Thank you.

It's been busy at our house as Daughter #1 has started kindergarten. She has been at school since she was 20 months old so the adjustment of sending her to school wasn't difficult, but as the school year started, I wanted to be more involved at her school. I know, as a former high school teacher, that without strong parent involvement, public education has the high likelihood of failing the next generation of children. The reasons why are numerous and many and not the purpose of this post, but I will make my plea that if you can, you should definitely get involved in your child's school, however small the effort.

I've been in Daughter's kindergarten class once a week helping out since her school started back in July. (She attends a year round school.) The kindergarten day is short, but the things that Daughter's teacher deals with blow my mind. 22 kids in the classroom, all at different levels of achievement, different backgrounds, different cultures and native languages. In addition, there are numerous assessments, tests, and evaluations that need to be completed for every single child in the class. Even after only 1.5 hours of volunteering in the classroom, I'm pretty spent mentally and need a break. Daughter's teacher continues on for another couple of ours before her day is over.

I've always liked to cook and bake things for Daughters' teachers and this year is no exception. Something nice to eat at the end of the teaching day is an gift with an intangible value. It shows love, appreciation and the acknowledgment of your child's teacher's efforts on behalf of your son and daughter. I've baked for Daughter's teacher on quite a few occasions but today I wanted to bring her LUNCH, so I quickly made this couscous salad to bring to her. I topped the one I gave to the teacher with feta, so as to make it more substantial, but this is really excellent without the feta as a side to any grilled or simple protein as the balsamic adds a special flavor. It is simple, comes together very easily but is a wonderful way to show your child's teacher that you care and you want to thank him or her.

Here are a few more ideas of great and easy lunches to bring to the teachers:

Orzo Salad with Tomato, Feta, and Green Onions
Tri Colore Orzo
Curried Chicken Salad (in a sandwich or presented with some crackers)

Couscous with Tomatoes, Basil, and Scallions

Serves 4-6

2 cups boiling water
2 cups dry couscous (I use whole wheat couscous)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half (depending on the size)
1 cup chopped scallions
1/2 cup basil, chiffonade

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil

In a large bowl, pour in dry couscous, salt and olive oil. Carefully measure out two cups of boiling water and pour over couscous. Give a quick stir and find a lid to fully cover the bowl. Let sit and steam for 7 minutes.

Meanwhile chop scallions, basil and tomatoes and set aside. Whisk together balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Take off the lid of the couscous, and using a fork, fluff up the couscous. Add tomatoes, scallions and basil and drizzle balsamic vinegar and olive oil dressing. Toss well.

Serve as a side to protein, or to make it a more substantial meal on it's own, top with feta cheese.

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A bowl of something delicious - who wouldn't want that!