A Sweet Mother's Day Treat

One of the nicest Mother's Day gifts is a home baked cake - and luckily Duncan Hines has the perfect one  - their Perfect Size. This is an easy and fun bake!

This is the container.

All a home baker needs is one egg , a quarter of a cup water and two tablespoons of butter.

Everything is blended with a mixer for about three minutes on high speed. At the same time preheat the oven to only 300 degrees F.It comes with a sturdy  paper bowl that's peeled off  after its' been cooled off.Pour batter into bowl, bake for forty minutes and presto -

It comes with an icing bag that's blended with four tablespoons of butter (for both the cake and icing I used I Can't Believe It's Not Butter)

Then the butter 9which should have come first mixed with a tablespoon plus a teaspoon of water)

This is the cake , before icing ,put on a pretty plate,

Now afterwards with the icing.

I'm leaving it in the fridge overnight to set but tomorrow it will be a fine cake for a fine lady!

Happy Mother's Day to the Master Chef who taught me everything!

Exotic Ad Easy - Mother's Day Meals

What do you give the woman who cooks for you all year round, including major holidays. A home cooked meal - and not a can of Spaghetti-o's heated in the microwave. Give your mom something out of the ordinary. Think easy and exotic. It'll be simple yet memorable - the perfect Mother's Day gift.

Many non chefs or novice home cooks look to ordinary for a lunch or dinner. It's usually a meat loaf or pasta with prepared sauce. Yet there are many dishes from around the world that are just as simple to execute. Think the Southern French or Provencale dish pain bagnat.It's a tuna sandwich amped up with tuna in oil (always a richer taste however if it's too much then stick with  tuna in water) There's also hard boiled eggs, anchovies and sliced bell peppers. Scallions and Dijon mustard are added for more flavor. Use a rustic bread like a hollowed out ciambatta or French bread. After constructing, soak in oil  and wrap in Saran wrap for twenty four hours. This allows all the flavors to meld into all these delicious tastes of briny and mellow, sweet and salty. If you want a cooked meal then think of Indian curried chicken. This is heating boneless breasts with onion in olive oil simmering in a large skillet.  One third of a cup of curry powder is then added and then the covered dish is cooked for forty five minutes over a medium low heat. Afterwards, remove the skillet's lid and cook for an additional fifteen minutes. Just be careful because curry burns easily. Cook up some basmati rice for real authenticity or serve with warmed naan bread.

Mexican food is always fun and super easy to whip up. Forget the tacos, unless they're mom's favorite. Think fajitas with either chicken, flank steak,or grilled shrimp. Of course its' the  chili powder and cumin mix gives it zing but it's also the addition of sliced bell peppers and onions that highlight this recipe too For vegan mothers, you can sub in any kind of mushroom from button to portobello. Make sure the lady of the day also gets a margarita Try a frozen watermelon one, made with Cointreu and tequila along with two and a half cups of cubed watermelon and one and a half cups of crushed ice.If mom likes sushi, surprise her with home made tuna or California rolls. It is a bit labor intensive ,but that's mostly comes from preparing the rice. Start with the glutenous white sort and rinse in a colander or sieve until the water pouring through is clear. It's then boiling it for twenty minutes.At the same time combine rice wine vinegar, sugar , vegetable oil and salt in a saucepan. Cook until the sugar dissolved and then stir into the rice  to create  that tangy layer. If you're unsure about using raw fish, then use cubed avocado and matchstick cut carrots,cucumbers ,green bell peppers and zucchini. Serve with a sake for a nice touch. Instead of sushi you can sub in the tasty , fried tempura. The batter is feather light, consisting of only egg whites, flour and water, beaten almost like a meringue . All sorts of meats and vegetables can be dipped in and then fried in vegetable. oil.

Treat mom to a easy and exotic  meal for her special day, Don't go for the ordinary. Travel the culinary globe for the right recipe that's fun and different.

The LA Restaurant Scene Hot And Getting Hotter

For anyone visiting Los Angeles this  summer, the emphasis won;t be on the tourist sites but on the restaurant scene. The city is stealing the thunder from the New York restaurant scene with some funky and new eateries in up and coming neighborhoods. They reflect what's best about the Southern California dining scene.

Adam Nagourney wrote about the LA restaurant scene in yesterday's New York Times Food section, the Los Angeles bureau chief for the New York Times. He writes about several diverse ones that reflect the ever churning and  changing scene.  A surprising fact about the city is that none of the restuarants  are Michlin rated. It doesn't and never had the white tablecloth , good crystal vibe of Manhattan's four star gems.It's like  the people themselves - laid back.Jeans and sweat shirts are more prevalent at expensive restaurants than suits and dresses.According to Patric Kuh, the longtime restaurant critic of Los Angeles magazine claims there are few rules for dining in the city. The unlikely becomes real and great. There's a uniqueness that in restaurants that New York doesn't have. This has attracted New York restauranteurs such as Daniel Humm of Eleven Madison Park and the famed Spotted Pig owners, April Bloomfield and Ken Friedman who are already building a place near Gwen on Sunset Boulevard.

The trendier restaurants are not in the heart of the city like other cities. Here's Looking At You is right in the heart of Koreatown.It features trendy dishes such as frog legs and straticella cheese , a change of pace from the usual LA fare. Larchmont, a quiet suburban area has the new restaurant ,Kali, It showcases local ingredients such as avocados and Fiscalini, a Parmesan cheese produced in California. Many restauranteurs and chefs look for low rent places  simply because it's too expensive to own or rent space. Owners of the New York eatery , Glasserie, Sara Kramer and Sarah Hymanson first opened a falafel restaurant in a rejuvenated old food court in the old Grand Central Market in downtown Los Angeles. Their next venture is Kismet, that ' housed in a former pizzeria in the suburb of Loz Feliz. It's on the famed Hollywood Boulevard but in the quiet section.Another plus of a SoCal restaurant is the clemency of the weather. There's farmer's markets galore bursting with tomatoes and mushrooms. Some chefs even grow their veggies and herbs in their own backyards , all year round, something that can't be done in Manhattan,

Will LA ever eclipse NY with good restaurants? No, they'll be on the same par. LA will have the laid back creativity that the city won't have. Is that good? That's up to the diners .

Layers Of Perfection

Phyllo dough can be a tricky medium to work for many a home chef.  Purists will want to bake their own while those looking for a shortcut will buy it.  What makes for good flaky layers that works well with both savory and sweet dishes.

Famed chef and baker Yottam Ottolenghi posed this question on his article in today's New York Times Food section. His training in cooking school has allowed him to create the famed layers but not without flaws. Phyllo dough is simply flour ,salt and water mixed with olive oil and rolled out until it's paper thin.It's one of the world's oldest recipes and bread recipes.Chef Ottolenghi tried  with some of the best phyllo makers st one of the most celebrated baklava factories, Karakoy Gulloglu in Istanbul, Turkey The chief ,baker, Mustafa, a fifth generation baker, believes that a combination of "hard work, attention, meticulous care and love." It's more the meticulous care that creates the perfect sheets. . Do it wrong and you could wind up with holes as Chef Ottolenghi first had during his schooling. There is another way of  creating phyllo or warka as its' called in Morocco.It's similar to the way crepes are made using a red hot pan.The phyllo dough is tapped upon it until the pan is completely covered.. The chef learned the cheat way , thanks to a Moroccan home chef called Fouza. Put  a frying pan over boiling water and pour a scant amount of the  batter into the pan. The result is the perfect paper thin piece.

Another method is buying it, ready made , Chef Ottolenghi suggests getting a good brand, one that is of good quality. How can you tell? By the scrunch test. Scrunch a sheet in one hand. If it's of good quality , it'll spring apart. A bad piece will be brittle and will easily fall apart. Remember to liberally brush it with melted butter which allows the sheets to separate and rise in the oven.Work quickly when brushing them or they'll dry out. Chef Ottolenghi gives two recipes - one savory and one sweet. The savory is a feta and herb tart.It not only has the lightly tangy feta but also grated pecorino Romano cheese.mixed with such  herbs as tarragon, mint and parsley . An egg custard is made with four eggs, milk and cheese. The sweet version is  what else - baklava. except there's a twist.Chef Ottolenghi adds halloumi , the Egyptian version of mozzarella.It's mild and slightly salty - which cuts the sweetness of the rosewater drizzled on the tart. There still is the traditional filling of chopped walnuts mixed with cinnamon and nutmeg mixed together with melted butter. The baklava would make a lovely Mother's Day treat, thanks to sprinkling dried rose petals on top.

Phyllo dough can be made by any home chef. Beginners should try the warka way while more experienced can execute the traditional method. Then experiment with savory and sweet dishes.

A Special Cake For Mom

One of the best gifts is a homemade one for Mother's Day. Any mom would appreciate a tasty treat that she didn't bake. Think fun cupcakes or a daffodil cake. If she's into fruit than a great pie, or if she's fancy a plate of macarons with a ganache filling. There's a variety of sweets that can be created for mom's special day.

If you're not a pro at baking, then go for the mixes. Between the big three cake mixes, Duncan Hines, Betty Crocker and Pillsbury, you can make any kind of cake.Duncan Hines has introduced serving for one -  mug filled with either cake or bread. This is the easiest bake - just the mix and three tablespoons of water - - it just takes a minute in the microwave and voila - a perfect treat. She can have her choice of flavors from a decadent chocolate lover's cake to  banana bread. There's even one minute muffins, blueberry ,apple cinnamon and corn, in a mug too for a neat breakfast in bed. as for cakes and frosting , all three brands have not only mixes but frostings too. As for decorations Betty Crocker has these various sprinkles including Cupcake Gems that are gold and silver sugar crystals. Sprinkle these on a plain cake  to amp it up to something special.You can also have fun with the mixes too, thanks to the brands offering dozens of recipes on their sites. Try a poke cake with either pudding or Jello for a fun surprise or a skillet cake , layered with whipped cream and fresh berries.Pillsbury has a easy to bake ice cream cake recipe that just requires cake mix , ice cream and whipped cream.It's easy to assemble and decorate.

More experienced bakers can definitely whip up a scratch cake with no problems. One of the prettiest is the daffodil cake,  a marriage of angel food and yellow scratch cakes. The frosting is a mix of pineapple juice and Cool Whip which is a lovely , mild flavor to go to the cake. Of course , nothing beats the taste of a scratch marble cake. This would make a great dessert with a scoop of French vanilla or chocolate ice cream.It's also good just on it's own with an iced coffee and mom's favorite Sunday crossword. A homemade pie is always a nice gift.Supermarkets such as Stop & Shop and Acme are still selling Granny Smith and Fuji apples and these are the best for a homemade apple pie.  If you want something fancier then think a homemade lemon meringue with a slightly browned meringue crown. It's a great end to a Mother's Day barbecue. Another tropical tasting treat is a Key Lime pie, the perfect union of sweet and tart. What mother wouldn't like a plate of fresh from her oven macarons. Yoou can make them like the ones from the famed Ladueree Patisserie, with flavors such as chocolate, salted caramel and even rose water.Fill them with a rich chocolate ganache or almond buttercream for true luxury,

Nothing beats a homemade treat for mom's special day . Surprise her with home baked treat. It's a sweet way to thank her for she's baked for you.

Farm Fresh Desserts

Imagine desserts that are bursting with fresh flavor and fresh fruits of the season. It would be a different spin on classics and much loved treats. Thanks to a new cookbook , it's now easy to incorporate any harvest into tasty desserts and snacks.

Farm-to-table Desserts ( Skyhorse Publishing 2017) is an interesting cookbook written by Lei Shishak,best known for her Beach House Baking and Beach House Brunch.Ms. Shishak has written a book to cover all seasons which are delineated in her book. There are recipes for the four seasons that highlights the harvests of each particular one. right from the start she recommends heading to the local farmer's market.Her reasoning makes sense. Produce begins to lose its' nutritional value soon after its' harvested and continues to decline as time elapses. Fresh picked fruit and vegetables still have the highest amount of vitamins and minerals. She also explains why we should support our local farmers and buy from the farmers directly, giving them the full price. She also is a big believer in cooking and baking with organic fruit too. It  has no chemical pesticides and genetic modifications.
There's also a handy conversion chart for overseas home bakers too that converts tablespoons and teaspoons into grams and milliliters.

One of the best parts of the book is the recipes divided by season. For Spring home bakers can try such treats as maple creme caramel or rhubarb mint ice cream. Since late Spring is the time for cherry  and peach harvests there are the white peach and cherry crumble and apricot peach crostata. The summer and fall recipes really shine . A chilled cantaloupe soup would be the perfect end to a hot night of barbecuing, A homemade mango granita would be a great cool down during a heat wave.Every kind of berry is also featured and Ms. Shishak has a delicious recipe for a berry Pavlova, a yummy meringue filled with blackberries, blueberries and raspberries.Fresh mint decorates these elegant little bowls.Strawberry shortcake, a summer classic is turned into a roll with roasted (!) strawberries transformed into a jam, Fall brings roasted grape bruschetta and pear cake,baked with a cornucopia of  spices such as allspice cloves and cardamon, Yes, there's a baked apple recipe, and this time it has a homemade butterscotch sauce. Winter brings banana and lemon recipes like banana souffle,  and a Meyer lemon cake  both perfect for the holidays.

Farm-to-table Desserts is a must for any home baker longing to cook with fresh ingredients. It is chock full of recipes for any time of the year. They are delicious ways to enjoy organic fruit.

A Big Southern Do

Today is Derby Day  a big celebration in Kentucky where Southerners revel in the glory of the Kentucky Derby. You have to hand it to Southerners. They know how to do a party right - inspiration for us Yankee party givers. Do a do Southern style - with good food and good drink. Everyone will love it.

Biscuits, always a favorite , can make an appearance at s Southern themed party. Serve them with bacon ,pimento cheese, a favorite filling in sandwiches. Another idea is homemade tomato jam top with cheddar, sort of like an American's take on bruschetta. Tomato jam is easy to make .It's just taking whole peeled tomatoes and half a cup of sugar and cooking into a jam  boiled in a large skillet. A teaspoon of kosher salt is added to bring out the tomatoes' flavor. It's then cooked for about fifteen minutes until thick and jammy. Deviled eggs have always been a staple in almost every celebration and holiday. These are easy to make and can be decorated to look quite fancy. It's just taking the egg yolk and mayo mash and putting it into a cake icer with  small tip (Like a Wilton decorating tip - number 199). Swirl in the filling into the halved egg whites and then dust with paprika or finely minced gherkins.Okra is a big staple in Southern cooking, especially in Louisiana where it's used in gumbo. It can take on a modern twist as a popper. It's simply cutting the stalks into one half inch pieces and first soaking them in buttermilk. They then are rolled in a spicy cornmeal batter that's been spiked with cayenne and garlic powder.

Barbecue is a way of life down South and it too is always the star of many a party.May barbecues have a whole roasted pig . This may be too much and too labor intensive - after all - a pit has to be dug to accommodate the spit and coals. Ribs would be a better choice. They're easier to cook and eat.Marinate them in a spicy and tangy sauce that's laced with hot pepper sauce and sweetened with ketchup and brown sugar to create an interesting marriage of flavors.. Barbecue and fried chicken are also staples of Southernn home chefs. Again brown sugar is added to the chicken's barbecue sauce for that earthy sweetness while chopped onion and garlic gives it some zing. The recipe calls also for ketchup but tomato jam could be subbed in. A fun party food  is homemade fried chicken - what the South is all about. The best tasting ones start with a simple batter , consisting of just flour, eggs and a cup of milk. First  soak the chicken in the milk  and egg mix and then thoroughly coat with flour.Fry in lard for a truly authentic Southern taste.  A Southern do ends with peach cobbler or banana pudding.If it's fancy then bake a traditional hummingbird cake.It's a banana  - pineapple cake laden with pecans and cinnamon. It's iced with another Southern classic  - cream cheese frosting . Serve it with after dinner coffee laced with bourbon for a fantastic ending.

The South knows how to throw a party with good food. Create your own Southern do with tasty fried chicken and biscuits, or barbecue and hummingbird cake. It's what entertaining is all about.