Bakers Love

Apologies to the Major

Dearest Major Dickason,

Every morning you are there for me waiting in my favorite mug.  I get up a little earlier than the rest of my house so that we can share a few quiet moments together.  To me you are rich, dark, and perfect, sort of the coffee equivalent to George Clooney in my book.  Comparing you to George makes what I am about to admit seem so out of character of me.  I am usually so loyal, but lately you have become a morning luxury that I thought I should replace with a cheaper version.  I know, here I have the Clooney of coffee and now I thought it would be an okay idea to replace the Clooney coffee with say a John Stamos coffee.  NOT the same, but still good right?  

I asked around for a good suggestion to replace you Major Dickason, some said Starbucks,  a few mentioned Dunkin Donuts, and one mentioned Trader Joe's French roast.  Trader Joe's seemed like the only one that seemed to have any possibility, so off to TJ's I went.  I went back and fourth as to if I could really commit to a change in morning ritual.  Was I really going to save that much money?   What else could I give up so that my Clooney coffee could still be a daily ritual?  I have given up magazines, soda, and new clothes.  How much more can I take?   I bit the bullet and made my purchase.  $5.99 for 13 ounces.  A bargin compared to your price tag lately Major.

So, when I began to brew my first pot of the TJ's blend I knew I was going down the wrong road.  The coffee was not the beautiful rich deep dark color I had grown accustomed to seeing first thing in the morning.  My second clue was that the coffee aroma that usually awakens my senses was not occurring.  Lastly, the light color in the coffee pot was disturbing.  This clearly was not a Clooney.  As I poured my first cup of this Stamos brew I knew I was driving right up the road to buy another pound of my one, my only Major. 

Major, I learned my lesson.  Don't mess with the Clooney. 

I wonder if Trader Joe's has good shampoo?

WIth all my love of good coffee,

Andrea

Oh how the mighty have fallen...

Well, not exactly.  Many moons ago while making this casserole for my then boyfriend, now husband, our roommate walked into the kitchen and saw what I was preparing for dinner.  He looked at me with all seriousness and said, "Oh how the mighty have fallen.."  I always think of that day when I find myself making something that I can't stand with ingredients that I have to drive to the next town to purchase so that I don't run into anyone that I know. 

Tater tot casserole, or what Family Circle magazine called 'Busy Woman's Casserole' in the 1970's.  This is a dish from my childhood.  Something that I know was easy and filling, and has all of the necessary ingredients for dinner.  Protein, dairy, starch, and a vegetable.  I have fond-ish memories of this dinner, what could be better when you are a kid than dinner that consisted of hamburger and tater tots?  As I grew up, and found that this particular casserole was a ghastly combination of fat and sodium, let alone fake food, I cherished the humor that was tater tot casserole.

So, how on earth did I find myself STILL making this gut bomb?  Well, that is actually easy.  Men love tater tots.  While Westley and I went on our first road trip up the coast to Oregon we stopped at a little pub that served tater tots.  While we were enjoying a beer and tots, I told Westley all about this crazy concoction that my family ate.  With all seriousness from across the table, eyes glazed over, Westley asked me if I could PLEASE make him this gem when we returned from our trip.  I sort of thought he was joking, until about a week later.  Westley worked on my motorcycle as a favor and in return I offered to make us dinner.  His request was what you would suspect, tater tot casserole.  Blech. 

These are be basic ingredients of Tater tot casserole.  Ground beef, enough to cover a casserole dish, a can each of cream of mushroom and cream of chicken soup, cheddar cheese.  I suppose you could purchase pre-grated cheese, but this was all I had on hand.  I should have tried harder.  So, you take the ground beef and press it into the casserole dish.  Open the soups and plop on top of beef, spread evenly.  Sprinkle cheddar cheese, you know, I bet if you used Velveeta you could really rock the TT Casserole.  See, I just don't have it!  Now place tater tots on top of cheese in any decorative pattern you choose. Bake at 350 for about an hour. Viola. 

Tater tot casserole.  MMMM.....if you are into that kind of thing. 

I used to tell my single girlfriends that the way to their partners heart, in more ways than one if you ask the cardiologists in the audience, is to make a tater tot casserole.  There is something about the deep fried gems, and yes, they are deep fried before they hit the freezer section, that make eyes glaze over and warm childhood memories return.  I do have nice memories of my husband loving this dish and sharing it with his friends.  Friends often host 'theme' parties in an attempt to make tater tot casserole socially acceptable.   I do find it hysterical that when it all is said and done, the one dish that will truly be memorable will be this mess.

So long old friend

When Conde Nast recently announced that Gourmet magazine was ending its remarkable run. I felt as if a good trusty friend was going to move to Mongolia, never to be seen again.  Published since 1941 Gourmet magazine was part history, part fantasy, and certainly part teacher.  I adored Gourmet, sometimes a recipe would sound so enticing that I would run out to the grocery store and eagerly begin preparing in the kitchen.  Gourmet was really my first foray into food beyond the everyday, it opened up a world of food that helped me discover favorites I may have never tried.  My favorite memory of a Gourmet recipe was a chocolate raspberry cake with a dark chocolate ganache frosting.  I thought that if I could make this cake, and make it look like the photo, I should consider going to culinary school.  Seizing the opportunity to bake this cake for a friends birthday party, I started the exciting task of making ganache, chopping chocolate to add to hot cream.  While the cake was baking, and the ganache cooling, I picked over the raspberries to find the most perfect ones for the cake top decoration.  The cake was a smash, and my sights soon set on a lifelong love of baking.  All thanks to a beautiful photo of a chocolate cake in Gourmet Magazine.

AAAAhhhhh. Finally back in the bake.

I had no intentions of neglecting Bakers Love for over a week, but sometime circumstances have other plans.  My mom, the amazing Grandma, was here for a brief visit.  The guys were excited to have her here and enjoyed all the dinners out and trips to the game store.  I was delighted just having my mom around, particularly when our little Dexter was expelled from school.  That's right.  Dex was offered an extended leave of absence from his current school.

To say that everything went bad for Dex last Friday would be an understatement.  Dex had, up until this point, been doing great at his new school.  He helped choose where he would attend school this year, and picked this junior high because of its great music program.  He has a few amazing teachers, one in particular that seems to actually 'get' my kid.  We were all so hopeful that he was finally going to taste success.  Until Friday, where every administrator at his school failed him.  Although Dexter made some poor word choices in a fit of anger, he may have never reached his boiling point had the adults in charge respected the protocol in how to handle Dexter when he needs to cool off. 

My guy is so brave.  He still wants to go to school so that he can be with other kids, he just wants to feel like he fits in.  Today he started a school that is designed for kids like him.  Bright, loving, talented kids who are just missing that little chip in their brain that helps them along socially.  He is student number 21, with only 5 other kids in his class.  Watching him walk through the hall to his first class I saw him standing straight, instead of his usual head hanging low, I watched him shake hands with a fellow student, and I saw him smile while at school.  Simple yet meaningful things give me hope that Dexter can finally feel a sense of pride when it comes to school.

So to celebrate his first day at a new school I had to bake him something special.  Dexter, who adores just about anything I bake, has one favorite that is sure to make him smile.  Chocolate Chip cookies and a giant glass of ice cold milk. 

Here's to hope!

Grandma Visit

Hey guys!

The wonderful and amazing Grandma is in town!!!  I will be back on Monday with many stories and pictures!  Come back and see me on Monday! 

Thanks for reading Bakers Love.

Pavlova Love

Today Over at A News Cafe I share my recipe for Pavlova.  I love this simple dessert that is a perfect showcase for summer fruits.  My boys call anything made with meringue 'puffy-puffy treats'.  Not sure where they got that name, but it certainly fits.

Stop over at A News Cafe and make a Pavlova, I am sure this puffy puffy treat will become a favorite!

So long Patrick Swayze

When Patrick Swayze announced that he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in early 2008 my heart sank.  You see my father died of the same horrendous disease.  I knew the path that lied ahead for him and his beautiful wife. I thought about how difficult a road that they were about to face, but listening to Patrick, like listening to my dad, I just knew HE would be the one who would beat this disease.  My dad made it about 7 1/2 months.  Patrick made it about 20 months, in a way, a lifetime.  Considering  the death nail that a diagnosis  of this particular cancer is.  I cried for Patrick when I watched his interview with Barbara Walters, knowing that as hard as he was trying, as strong as he was, he was not going to sit down with her for another interview.  You could see it in his eyes, the fear of ones life reaching its end.   I hate cancer.  I can't fathom anyone who would like it, other than the pharmaceutical companies which is another story all together.  I have watched friends succumb, parents loose beloved children, couples devastated, and  loved ones loose their battle of cancer.  It affects us all eventually, if you have not been hit by the dreaded BIG C, count your blessings. 

So, back to Mr. Swayze and his work.  I loved him in a lot of movies, but probably not the ones most people expect.  I know this is Un-American to admit, but I never quite 'got' the Dirty Dancing thing that most girls growing up in the 1980's did.  I was also not that keen on Ghost, not sure why, perhaps all the crying.  Anyway, I did love Patrick in quite a few films.  My favorite has to be The Outsiders .  The Outsiders was an important film to me in that it was adapted from one of my favorite books from my early teens.  S.E. Hinton's books, Tex, Rumble Fish, and That was Then this is Now were my Harry Potter books in Junior High.  Patrick's older protective brother Darell was part of the heart of The Outsiders.  Another favorite movie from  early in his career was Red Dawn.  Red Dawn was one of those 1980's movies that today almost seems campy.  I love that Harry Dean Statton is the wise dad, and where old cowboy star Ben Johnson takes a stand.  But I think that my all time favorite Patrick Swayze film is really a tie.  I love City of Joy, it is one of those movies where his character is grand, but different than all of the other tough guy roles that made him famous. The other movie in my tie is To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar.  I am not sure why this movie was not more popular, was it because Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the desert came out the same year and viewers had their fill of drag queens?  I am not sure, but Patrick's portrayal of Vida had so much soul and respect, you could sense his need to give her dignity.   And as Patrick Swayzes life came to a close, he continued to work and to love. All the while determined to find a cure for  what eventually brought him to the end.  Although I did not know Patrick, or any members of his family, we are all now part of a group who understand each other, those touched by cancer.

Harry Blackstone Jr., Juliet Prowse, Michael Landon,Henry Mancini, Richard Crenna, Fred Gwynne, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespe, and Frank Zappa are just a few of the celebrities who have battled pancreatic cancer.
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A Martha FLOP

I was lucky enough to be the recipient of a gigantic bounty of  apples right off the tree.  Early estimates were that I had about 100 apples, that is a lot for a little kitchen.  I made pie filling and froze it for later, apple sauce for a month, and apple muffins.  I decided to try something new and consulted the Martha Stewart Baking Handbook.  In Martha's book there was an interesting recipe for an apple cake with goat cheese frosting.  I made a little more apple sauce for this cake and was positive this was going to become a new fall favorite.  The first thing I noticed about this cake was, while it was baking, there was a lack of fabulous aroma wafting throughout my house.  I was doubly concerned because I had increased the amounts of ginger, cinnamon, and all spice since I was shooting for a real spicy cake.  When the cake was finished and cooling I took a little nibble.  Bland!  Yes BLAND!  I assumed the frosting would help, it was good but I think my cream cheese frosting would have been better.  I decided to add some walnuts, which helped a little. I know I had a flavor in my mind that I craved, I am not sure why this cake was such a disappointment to me since it looked like everything I wanted in a fall spicy cake.  Please feel free to share your favorite apple cake recipe with me, I am in hot pursuit for one with all of these apples! 

Sunday Morning special

Sunday mornings are a true treasure.  I love waking up before the kids and sitting in the big leather chair with a piping hot cup of Peet's coffee.  I breeze over our local paper, sadly it takes about 15 minutes to read, and then I linger over the New York Times.  Well, I WISH I could linger, truth is I  maybe get through the opinion section when I hear the stirring of kids.   Once everyone rises I usually make a big breakfast, most of the time getting pancakes on the griddle.   Today I needed to use some of our new bounty, about 100 apples picked off a tree in McCloud.  I decided we needed a  Dutch Baby, also called a German Pancake.  Really a  I don't know about you, but I have a difficult time putting anything into the oven called 'baby', just does not sound right.  So, I kept the old fashioned name.  Easy to make, quick to bake, and presents quite a show. 
I found a great recipe over here. 

 

Pizza Friday

Pizza on Friday always sounds so good and easy. I would love to pick up the phone at about 5:30 and call up a local pizza joint and in 45 minutes or less, have dinner on the table.  Too bad I live in an area that is surprisingly lacking in a great pizza place, so we just make our own.  Cheaper in the long run of course, and sometimes it is a sneaky way to clean out the fridge of leftovers.  I make enough pizza dough for two pies, either using both that night of freezing one for later.  Sometimes the kids get to make the pizza for us, which leads to some rather interesting um....'choices'.  I decided to play it easy with this pie, my favorite, just cheese and a sprinkling of fresh cut basil. 

SUPER DUPER EASY PIZZA CRUST

This recipe makes enough for 2 large-ish pizzas.

2 Tablespoons Yeast
2 Cups milk-warmed
1/3 cup olive oil
3 cups unbleached flour
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
4 Tablespoons flax meal
1 Tablespoon salt (sea or kosher)

Combine all ingredients into the bowl of an electric mixer.  Using dough hook, mix on low to combine all ingredients.  Increase speed and knead dough until it starts to pull away from the mixing bowl, about 3-4 minutes. 
Cover bowl with a damp kitchen towel and set aside.  Allow to rise for about 1 1/2 hours.  Then roll out your pizzas!

ENJOY!