Elmer Fudd, Clear as Mud

I have so much to say and share and yet, AND YET, I have the hardest time sitting down to write.  Argh!  So, I’m making a list of things I’m going to blog.  This way, I can remind me and you can remind me and things will get done and shared and recorded for future generations.  A little drama helps.  So, here’s the list:

What we really eat for dinner

New Year thoughts or chosen things to be resolute about

Another fun trip into Dallas and yummy things

Houston happenings

The boy who begins his name with “D”

A few fun things picked up along the way

Garden hopes and dreams

and perhaps, What I actually accomplished last year

Let’s start with what we really eat for dinner.  From time to time friends have commented that we eat “strange stuff”.   I’m sure they  mean this as a compliment…   The recipes I’ve shared here have been very “normal” so today we’ll try something different!  How about some  Pho?  Pho is a delicious anise infused Vietnamese broth and noodle soup served with thinly sliced beef and topped with basil, jalapenos, bean sprouts, cilantro and lime wedges.  Here’s a picture of dinner last week:

Who wouldn’t want to eat this?!  It’s absotively delish and a dish my family craves.  It has started a cult following and Pho restaurants are popping up everywhere.  Even little cities like mine.  Which brings to mind, I’ll explain in a bit, why correct pronunciation of the word “Pho” is so relevant.  Years ago when we happened upon our inaugural bowl of Pho, we pronounced it Fo with a long “o”.  We were newbies.  We have since learned that it is pronounced Phu, like Elmer Fudd, without the “Elmer” part or the stuttering  “d’s”.  Is that clear as mud? 

Proper pronunciation became fascinatingly relevant when a Pho restaurant opened nearby, named Pho King Way.  Pronounced correctly, I’ll pause whilst (there’s an innocent and fun word) you sound this out…   See, this kind of talk causes the “under things” of the Grammy Awards producers to go catawampus every year and makes necessary the “5 second delay”.  And it necessitates, that I as a parent and quasi semi-pro Hamster Handler,  ensure when I mention the restaurant that an adequate amount of pause be left between the “Pho” and the “King”. 

On the drive to and from school , as we pass Pho King Way, the teens will mention perhaps a Bubble Tea  stop after school.  The name always leads to a discussion of the pause.  We’ve decided that a proper amount of pause is probably a mile or two.  Makes for long conversation.

Anywho… here is a Pho recipe I adapted for my family that suits us just fine.   I hope you’ll try it and give your friends something to talk about!

Beef Pho      (serves 4)

2 cups sliced onion

4 (1/8 inch) slices unpeeled fresh ginger

5 cups beef broth

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons fish sauce

5 star anise

3 whole cloves

1 (16 ounce) package dried, flat, rice noodles

4 (4 ounce) sirloin steaks, frozen or partially frozen

1 cup fresh bean sprouts

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1 bunch of of fresh basil leaves (12 to 15 leaves)

1 lime, cut in 4 wedges

1 jalapeno, sliced thin

1 small bunch cilantro, washed and stems removed

1.  Place steaks in freezer  so that they will be frozen or partially frozen when needed in step 3.  Freezing allows the steaks to be easily sliced very thinly.  The steaks need to be sliced very thin to allow the boiling broth to “cook” them when ladled over the steak.

2.  Combine the 2 cups onion and ginger in a heavy skillet over high heat.  Cook 4 minutes or until charred, stirring often.  Charring the onion and ginger in a dry skillet gives the broth a deep flavor.  Remove from heat.  Combine onion mixture, broth, sugar, fish sauce, star anise and the whole cloves in a large pot.  Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.  Remove onions, ginger, star anise and cloves with a slotted spoon, reserving liquid.  Set aside.

3.  While broth is simmering, boil a large pot of lightly salted water.  When it comes to a boil, remove from heat and drop in dried, flat rice noodles.  Let noodles soak for 5 to 8 minutes, depending on the brand.  The noodles should be soft but not mushy.Remove noodles from water and divide them into 4 large serving bowls.  Also, while broth is simmering, remove steaks from freezer and use a very sharp knife to cut the steaks against the grain very thinly.  Place sliced steak on top of noodles in each bowl.  (If you would like your steak more “done”, sear them quickly in a very hot skillet coated with cooking spray.)

4.  Bring broth to a boil.  Spoon boiling broth over steak and noodles in each bowl. 

5.  Top with vegetable toppings (bean sprouts through cilantro) to your liking.

  Let me know if you try it!

A little more info:

Ginger root is readily found in most super markets in the produce section.  If the piece in the store is too big for your use, simply break off the size of ginger you need at one of the small “knobs”. 

Star anise can be purchased in packages at Asian markets or in spice, bulk bins at stores like Central Market. 

Rice noodles can be found at some supermarkets in the Asian section.  It’s worth the trip to go to an Asian market to purchase them though.  Make sure to take your kids as Asian markets make  an interesting field trip.  Pick up some fresh steamed buns, standing soup spoons and chop sticks while you’re there!  Here is a brand of rice noodles I purchased at an Asian market.

You’ll notice that the ingredients are listed as flour and water.  I think they mean rice flour but some things are lost in translation.

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“Do not dismiss the dish by saying that it is just simple food.  The blessed thing is an entire civilization in itself.”      Atdulhak Sinasi

Technorati Tags: Beef Pho,rice noodles,star anise,ginger root,Pho King Way

Long time, no post…

You may be wondering what I’ve been up to.  Mostly the usual and slightly some nonsense.  And how much nonsense can ensue on one Christmas break?  Apparently, quit a bit.  Here, all wrapped up in a Fed Ex sized package is a sampling:

           

 To be continued… 

Wow, okay, I’m still here!  Lots of editing.  I’m tired and now I’m hungry.  It was looking at all those baked goods… some Stouffers mac-n-cheese would be nice, but I don’t have any of that…  not in the mood for an orange or cheese… good grief…  no more Merry Cherry Fudge…   I’ll just go to bed.  Good night!

Technorati Tags: The Night before Christmas,Lemon Bar Cookies,Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies,Pumpkin Rolls,Merry Cherry Fudge,Chocolate Chip Tollhouse Cookies

“Twas the days…” continued

Finally, the rest of the story…

 

 

  

Well, just in case and if you were wondering, that’s kind of what I did last month!

I hope your New Year is blessed!

Technorati Tags: Night Before Christmas,Clement Clarke Moore

A Cookie Tour Vol.3

Here’s what it looks like when teenagers make the Christmas cookies:

Kind of like Tokidoki.  I don’t know why Mr. Gingerbread Man is nothing but bones.  Love the Spongebob looking eyeballs.

On to one of my favorite Christmas cookies, Raspberry Almond Shortbread Thumbprints.  What a long name.  I think I’ll just call them Raspberry Thumbprints.  The combination of crisp, almond flavored shortbread hooked up with Raspberry jam is perfect to me.  There’s a reason I only make these at Christmas and that is because I want to eat a lot of them!  Part of my recipe is planning ahead for friends to give them away to so that only a respectable amount are left within “gettin’ range”.  I haven’t made them yet (made something else yummy this weekend…) but I looked up the Land O’ Lakes site for you with the recipe.  So, I also have to borrow their picture:

Pretty, aren’t they?  Click on, Raspberry Thumbprints, if you want to make some of this goodness. 

This weekend I made Ina’s Pumpkin Roulade with Ginger Butter Cream.  Another really long name!  It’s basically a jazzier version of Libby’s Pumpkin Roll found on the back of their label.  Here’s the recipe. 

It really is easy to make even if it looks fancy and difficult.  I’m going to encourage you to try it if you’re looking for a new pumpkin dessert.  Here are a few hints: 

My local grocer only had an 8 oz. container of mascarpone cheese and it’s a little pricey, so I substituted cream cheese for the other 4 oz.

I didn’t have heavy cream handy either (used it for the mashed potatoes for dinner the night before…) so I substituted regular milk.

I buy crystallized ginger at Central Market in the bulk bins.  It looks like this:

One last thing. I’ll admit I stopped to think about flipping the cake out of the pan onto the heavily powder sugar dusted towel.  All I could picture was a  Krakatau type of event.  But the flip out was happily uneventful!

I have to go!  I have just a few more things to pick up and there are only 10 more shopping days till the big day!

Happy Baking!                             

“C is for cookie, it's good enough for me; oh cookie, cookie, cookie starts with C.”                - Cookie Monster

Technorati Tags: Gingerbread Man,Raspberry Almond Shortbread Thumbprints,Pumpkin Roulade With Ginger Butter Cream,Krakatua,crystallized ginger

A Cookie Tour Vol. 2

My friend and faithful blog follower, Mary, shared one of her favorite Christmas cookies with me.

They’re called Pizzelles.  Very dainty and fancy, aren’t they?  I frosted mine with powdered sugar.  They’re so nice and light with tea.  Here’s Mary’s Cookie Tour memory:

“When I was a kid growing up in Ohio , my Mom and her sisters loved anise pizzelles. Although at the time I thought they were “okay”, as I have aged so have my taste buds. Now I really appreciate the licorice flavor and the delicate crispy texture. I think what I liked best about the pizzelles was when they appeared I knew Christmas was soon to follow. Merry Christmas 2009!”  -Mary 

I have a favorite Christmas cookie that I’ll post in the Cookie Tour Vol. 3, but first, here’s the promised everyday cookie:

Our family has a favorite “everyday” cookie.  You probably thought that by “everyday” I meant a common, ho hum cookie.  That’s not it.  I mean, a cookie you must eat everyday.  See?  There’s a difference. 

We love these cookies.  If you are sitting on the edge of your seat, I apologize in advance for what may seem anti-climatic in their name.  But, Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies are just great cookies!  With six people in the house they don’t last long.  We kind of have a rule about the cookies which is followed, I now realize, very loosely and interpreted very differently by each family member. 

It goes like this: on the first day I make the cookies, we all have some with milk.  It’s a little cookie dunking “par-tay”! 

Then, (this is the loosely followed and misinterpreted for personal gain part), I put the remainder of the cookies, by three’s, into snack bags which then get frozen. 

These little, snack “grab bags” are supposed to be (in an ideal world) packed into lunches all week.  The reality of the situation is that somebody, at some point in the day, grabs one of those bags (we eat them frozen, warmed, whatever) and then another somebody sees them eating those cookies and they grab a bag and so on and so forth until 3 days later there are no more cookies for lunches.  Then, you hear mumblings and grumblings as those who weren’t “in” on this little snatch and grab job realize, as they peek into the freezer, the current cookie state of affairs.

It’s kind of sad and I do feel bad, as the mother figure, for the grumblers but you can bet your favorite Christmas sweater that I do my best to be “in” on the “loosely followed and misinterpreted for personal gain” part. 

But, any who…  here is the recipe:

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal  Cookies

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups uncooked regular oats (Quick,1 minute cooking type)

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup pecan pieces, optional

Beat butter and sugars at medium speed with an electric mixer until light and creamy.  This takes a minute or two.  You want the sugar to be less gritty in the butter.  You’ll see the difference as the butter and sugar turn a lighter color.  Add eggs and vanilla, mixing in well.

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt.  I do this on a paper plate which makes it easy to then pour into my butter mixture.  Add flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing well.  Stir in oats.  You’ll probably have to do this by hand unless you have a super, duper mixer.  Stir in chocolate chips and (if you want) pecans.  Drop by rounded tablespoons on to ungreased baking sheets.

Bake at 350 degrees for 9 minutes or until lightly golden.  Cool slightly on baking sheets (just long enough so they don’t fall apart when you remove them) and transfer to wire racks to cool.

Makes about 5 dozen

Last of the summer flowers and the chocolate chips and oats.

Christmas time diet tip o’ the day:

“When I buy cookies, I eat just four and throw the rest away. But first I spray them with Raid so I won't dig them out of the garbage later. Be careful, though, because that Raid really doesn't taste that bad.”      -Janette Barber (comedian)

Technorati Tags: Pizzelles,Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies,Oatmeal

A Cookie Tour Vol. 1

(Sorry about the delayed blogging folks.  I started an outside, in addition to my inside, job and I think I will either lose my mind or find it.)

On to the good stuff…

 

This picture is completely unrelated but I had to share it with you!  This is Traveling Man and he lives in downtown Dallas.  He usually isn’t so “jolly” but I dressed up him and his little bird friend to get us in the Christmas spirit.  My, but it’s cold outside!

 

 

I guess winter made up its mind to make an entrance and its just in time for Christmas.  My mind naturally giddy up’s to soups, sweaters and…  cookies and milk this time of year!  I thought I might take you on a favorite cookie “tour”. 

Have you noticed the stores are full of holiday cookies?  Most of these don’t even pique my interest.  But, when I spy with my little eye a Tim Tam, in America, in a store, I’m gonna have to buy it.  My friendship with Tim Tams started “Way back when” on my visits to see my parents in Australia.  Now, I can’t say that Australia had a wealth of interesting food but they made up for that with their Tim Tam’s.  Tim Tams are rectangles of chocolate covered goodness with thin chocolate cookies and chocolate cream sandwiched in between.  The “goodness” part comes in… buckle up folks, you don’t want to read this unrestrained… when you suck  your hot chocolate (or Milo for the Aussies) through your cookie.  Wow!  The cookie gets all melty and the chocolate sweetness is wonderfully intensified.  Then, you have to eat it real quick before the gooey mess melts into your cup.  And that, my friends, is what in the land Down Under they call a “Tim Tam Slam”.

I’m sure you’ll want to try it for yourself.

Here are the mechanics: 

First, you have to find these cookies.  They’re made by Pepperidge Farm and somehow get here from Australia.  (I can’t concern myself with the “hows” of that.)  I found mine in the Holiday goodies section of Tom Thumb.  You’ll probably have to scour the store yourself to find them as both the stores I went to restock at (yes, I had to restock!) had never heard of the cookies and said they didn’t have them.  But “Oh yes indeedy” they did.  There is a caramel flavor and chocolate. 

Second, you need a hot drink.  Aussies drink a lot of Milo and tea with their “biscuits” which it seems we Americans don’t do as much.  It’s why we’re so stressed and cranky.  Milo is, is… well I really don’t know.  It tastes similar to hot chocolate to me and can be found around these parts on occasion but a good ol’ cup of hot chocolate or coffee will do. 

Third, you need to nibble off opposite corners of your cookie.  Pace yourself and don’t get carried away.  Just a nibble. 

Then, you slightly immerse one end of your nibbled cookie into your drink and suck up your cocoa through the other nibbled end.  It’s like a cookie “straw”.  There’s nothing graceful about this last step.  It’s a sacrifice you’re going to have to make. 

… and another then, you eat your cookie real quick!  It will be a blissed out, chocolaty, gooey mess. 

Listen to the angels sing.

Don’t complain to me about your thighs in January. 

Important news bulletin: Lovey just informed me that he saw a display of Tim Tam’s at Fry’s Electronics.  “Get your coat…”

  “Think what a better world it would be if we all,

  the whole world, had cookies and milk about

  three o’clock every afternoon and then lay down

  on our blankets for a nap.”

  - Robert Fulghum, 1987 at Middlebury College

 Next blog:  My favorite everyday cookie and Mary’s Pizzelles. 

Technorati Tags: Tim Tam,Tim Tam Slam,Pepperidge Farm,Milo,hot chocolate,Robert Fulghum,Aussie,Traveling Man in Dallas Texas