Last night, I made the Blueberry Almond Bars on page 142 of WWCAH. They make up quickly and easily, even for those of us who had no almonds in the pantry (do I sense a recurring theme here?) and used ground hazelnuts instead. I used frozen berries and they worked just fine. Mind you, I have a client who grows what must be the best spray free blueberries in the world so that adds to the quality of the experience. The bars are quite soft when just cooled but they firm up nicely overnight.
These are very a great variation on the old blueberry bar theme. There is almond extract added to the blueberry filling and this is a great flavour addition. It elevates the bars from pedestrian to special.
My only criticism of this recipe is that I think there is far too much sugar in the filling. The recipe calls for 3/4 cup. I think i/4 or possibly less would be just fine. Otherwise, this is a quick, tasty recipe and if you have blueberries in the freezer, you could whip this up quickly for an unexpected baking emergency.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
MANGO CHUTNEY
Tonight's kitchen mess making project was the Mango Chutney from WWC, page 92. I love this chutney and have made it many times. The handwritten notes beside my recipe are as follows:
"This makes the whole house smell wonderful when its cooking. Seems a bit acerbic at first but once the flavours blend, its delicious."
This truly is a winner in the chutney department. I always substitute dried cranberries for raisins because I like them better and I also like the visual of the bits of red in the orangey coloured chutney. I once bought a bag of frozen mango chunks at the recommendation of a friend (no one on this Blog, thank goodness) and really didn't like them for just out of hand eating but they worked fine in this recipe. I use fresh mango but wanted to add that as I think the frozen chunks come on sale at a good price and they really are just fine for this. The chutney tastes great when freshly made but even better after it has had time to think for a day or two.
I like to add a good wodge of this stuff to curry as I like the contrast of hot and heat with cool and sweet. I think it would be very good if you whirled this into a smooth paste in the blender and then spread it thinly on top of crackers and topped that with thinly sliced aged cheddar or better yet, if you can find it, Stilton, and downed the whole mess with a very cold glass of crisp white wine. Nummy!
"This makes the whole house smell wonderful when its cooking. Seems a bit acerbic at first but once the flavours blend, its delicious."
This truly is a winner in the chutney department. I always substitute dried cranberries for raisins because I like them better and I also like the visual of the bits of red in the orangey coloured chutney. I once bought a bag of frozen mango chunks at the recommendation of a friend (no one on this Blog, thank goodness) and really didn't like them for just out of hand eating but they worked fine in this recipe. I use fresh mango but wanted to add that as I think the frozen chunks come on sale at a good price and they really are just fine for this. The chutney tastes great when freshly made but even better after it has had time to think for a day or two.
I like to add a good wodge of this stuff to curry as I like the contrast of hot and heat with cool and sweet. I think it would be very good if you whirled this into a smooth paste in the blender and then spread it thinly on top of crackers and topped that with thinly sliced aged cheddar or better yet, if you can find it, Stilton, and downed the whole mess with a very cold glass of crisp white wine. Nummy!
Monday, January 18, 2010
Cranberry Tree
Ok, I know it is on it's side. Timber,
so I was playing around at Christmas when I did
some baking and liked my artsy little tree.
so I was playing around at Christmas when I did
some baking and liked my artsy little tree.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
WHITEWATER BROWNIES
What's a girl to do when she's jonesing chocolate? Whitewater brownies, of course. This is my first go at these, found on page 113 of the original Whitewater Cooks book.
They are quite good. The crunch referred to in the recipe refers to the crunchy top, not anything on the inside. I checked them at 20 minutes and they seemed too gooey so I let them stay in the oven another five minutes as per the recipe directions which was, I reckon, about 3 minutes too long. Even so, they are quite moist and not bad without icing. Yes, Barbara....I did say without icing.
As per usual, I was missing something when I made these which was the sour cream. I used plain yogurt instead and they seem none the worse for it.
These are quite quick to put together as are most brownies. They tend to be more on the fudgey than the cakey side.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP
On this evening's dinner menu is the Chicken Tortilla Soup from WWCAH, page 66. Well, I have actually made what my mother refers to as my bastardized version. Of course, I didn't have all the ingredients when I began making this but I have never let such an insignificant detail get in the way of culinary adventure. I did have on hand cilantro, canned tomatoes, limes and an avocado at its most buttery, sensuous peak of perfect ripeness so tallyho!
One of the missing ingredients was the masa harina. I do not have this in my kitchen and am unlikely to dash out and buy some. So, I took a bit of cornmeal which I did have on hand and spun it about in the food processor. This did absolutely nothing so I whirred it around in one of my trusty coffee grinders (which as never seen coffee in its entire life and never will!) and it was turned into a lovely fine flour. If you don't have either cornmeal or masa harina, I think the soup would be just fine without.
I didn't have Montery Jack on hand (another thing which will never, ever find its way into my kitchen...tasteless pap!) but so what?
And, no tortillas either. But, what I always do have in my freezer is President's Choice Naan which rubbed with a bit of olive oil, salted lightly, cut into cubes and baked makes excellent soup or salad croutons.
You can see why my mother accuses me of bastardizing recipes. Oh well. One must use what one has one hand, especially for things that are just simply not essential to the whole exercise. Well, I guess tortillas are central to tortilla soup but whatever!
The recipe says to whir the tomato mixture in either a food processor or blender. I tried the food processor first and then went to the blender to get a smooth texture. The food processor would be fine if you wanted the soup not as smooth.
Also, I left out the water.
Both Gary and I really liked this soup. It has a very bold flavour, not too bold for kids but very tasty. It tastes okay without the lime juice but once the juice is added, it goes from okay to great. So, if you don't have limes, don't make it.
The soup seems somewhat insubstantial but once we added the avocado and croutons just as we were about to eat it, it became something quite lovely. We each had a soup bowl full and it was enough for us for dinner. (Well, that followed by a piece of ginger pound cake was enough but I digress.) I don't think this would serve 8 as the recipe says unless you add the water but I think that would dilute it too much.
That's my first review. Thanks for letting me join your clog, Barbara and Tracy.
One of the missing ingredients was the masa harina. I do not have this in my kitchen and am unlikely to dash out and buy some. So, I took a bit of cornmeal which I did have on hand and spun it about in the food processor. This did absolutely nothing so I whirred it around in one of my trusty coffee grinders (which as never seen coffee in its entire life and never will!) and it was turned into a lovely fine flour. If you don't have either cornmeal or masa harina, I think the soup would be just fine without.
I didn't have Montery Jack on hand (another thing which will never, ever find its way into my kitchen...tasteless pap!) but so what?
And, no tortillas either. But, what I always do have in my freezer is President's Choice Naan which rubbed with a bit of olive oil, salted lightly, cut into cubes and baked makes excellent soup or salad croutons.
You can see why my mother accuses me of bastardizing recipes. Oh well. One must use what one has one hand, especially for things that are just simply not essential to the whole exercise. Well, I guess tortillas are central to tortilla soup but whatever!
The recipe says to whir the tomato mixture in either a food processor or blender. I tried the food processor first and then went to the blender to get a smooth texture. The food processor would be fine if you wanted the soup not as smooth.
Also, I left out the water.
Both Gary and I really liked this soup. It has a very bold flavour, not too bold for kids but very tasty. It tastes okay without the lime juice but once the juice is added, it goes from okay to great. So, if you don't have limes, don't make it.
The soup seems somewhat insubstantial but once we added the avocado and croutons just as we were about to eat it, it became something quite lovely. We each had a soup bowl full and it was enough for us for dinner. (Well, that followed by a piece of ginger pound cake was enough but I digress.) I don't think this would serve 8 as the recipe says unless you add the water but I think that would dilute it too much.
That's my first review. Thanks for letting me join your clog, Barbara and Tracy.
HOW TO POST PICTURES
Start a new post.
Click on the picture icon on the new post screen when it comes up. That's the third icon in from your right side. Browse your photos, click and in they go.
You can choose which side of the page to put them on. I usually start by adding all my pictures and then type text and move the pictures around (click and drag) to where I want them.
Click on the picture icon on the new post screen when it comes up. That's the third icon in from your right side. Browse your photos, click and in they go.
You can choose which side of the page to put them on. I usually start by adding all my pictures and then type text and move the pictures around (click and drag) to where I want them.
Invited to Blog
So I think I have created a team blog for us.
You can post, edit, etc.
Let me know if you check in.
You can post, edit, etc.
Let me know if you check in.
Starting a blog
So I am new to this blogging stuff,
Would like to post pictures, have to figure that out.
Now the important thing is how to include my team players
Tracy and Allison.
Would like to post pictures, have to figure that out.
Now the important thing is how to include my team players
Tracy and Allison.
So I have started making recipes from Whitewater cooks, Whitewater cooks at home and
the Reebar cookbook, Have to check spelling on that cookbook name.
My latest venture was the Black Bean Vegetarian Chili dish from the first
Whitewater cooks.
It serves 12 hungry skiers, which I do not have at my home,so
I downsized the recipe a bit and modified.Yes,I can Hear Allison;s
Mom's comment about how I ruined it. (nice language here)
I have to say I was scared by the quarter cup of chili powder it called for
I added my jalapeno, (not for long) and my chiptole in adobe sauce plus all
the basil ,etc. I then discovered I was out of chili powder, LOL
Got all the exotic spices at Granville island and do not have
the staples at home. I used some dried chili flakes , just a sprinkle
Well it tasted great, a bit spicy for my mild crew.
Addition of sour cream is a standard for Bob and the girls to cool things
down. Can;t complain,as they eat it and go for seconds.
Now I need to tell you my history of my chili powder fear, it has a
basis in real cooking experience.
I made my Mom;s chili when I was newly married, mixed up the measurement
and maybe used cayenne pepper by mistake, Well the huge stock pot of chili
that would have lasted us weeks( was going to be frozen) had to buried in the black yard by the big old tree. I worried it would injury the tree.
Now having said that I love Thai curry and have eaten some Indian curry from
friends plus some spicy dishes from Allison. So i am wiling to experience new tastes.
So the question is do you think that chili would have been really hot if made like the recipe.
the Reebar cookbook, Have to check spelling on that cookbook name.
My latest venture was the Black Bean Vegetarian Chili dish from the first
Whitewater cooks.
It serves 12 hungry skiers, which I do not have at my home,so
I downsized the recipe a bit and modified.Yes,I can Hear Allison;s
Mom's comment about how I ruined it. (nice language here)
I have to say I was scared by the quarter cup of chili powder it called for
I added my jalapeno, (not for long) and my chiptole in adobe sauce plus all
the basil ,etc. I then discovered I was out of chili powder, LOL
Got all the exotic spices at Granville island and do not have
the staples at home. I used some dried chili flakes , just a sprinkle
Well it tasted great, a bit spicy for my mild crew.
Addition of sour cream is a standard for Bob and the girls to cool things
down. Can;t complain,as they eat it and go for seconds.
Now I need to tell you my history of my chili powder fear, it has a
basis in real cooking experience.
I made my Mom;s chili when I was newly married, mixed up the measurement
and maybe used cayenne pepper by mistake, Well the huge stock pot of chili
that would have lasted us weeks( was going to be frozen) had to buried in the black yard by the big old tree. I worried it would injury the tree.
Now having said that I love Thai curry and have eaten some Indian curry from
friends plus some spicy dishes from Allison. So i am wiling to experience new tastes.
So the question is do you think that chili would have been really hot if made like the recipe.
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