Black Eyed Susan's Kitchen

GHOSTS, GHOULS AND THE IRISH

                    My husband called me today and mentioned that his offices in Ireland will be closed on Monday. I smiled while I explained to him that I was not surprised at all because modern day Halloween as we know it has its origins in Ireland. Samhain, which loosely translated means summers end was celebrated in Ireland and the carving of pumpkins into Jack o lanterns came from their tradition of carving turnips into lanterns. I am thinking that the turnips they carved were more like the rutabagas than the little purple and white turnips.

                    Halloween has always been one of those fun and infectious holidays that children and adults look forward to. Our towns have costume parades, the schools have a traditional Halloween party, and then there is the trick or treaters.
               This year, I wasn't going to decorate the house...had no plan to haul out any of the black cats, ghosts or other spooky decor.
From the scenes in these pictures, it is looking like I changed my mind.
                The fact is, our children are grown and the tradition of taking out the container full of Halloween collectibles and art work would begin around the last week of September. That is when you could see fake grave stones and zombies start to appear on the neighbors lawns.
               It occurred to me that although our children are grown our neighbors children are small and it would just be wrong to take away the excitement of the holiday from them...so I found the giant light up ghost...the one that my son's friend gave me a thumbs up for and said " nice to see you going old school". Okay, I call it vintage, but what ever it is, this holiday comes and goes in the blink of an eye and I didn't want to miss it!

              
               So it is time to rouse the little furry faced familiar in our house....I really think she thinks she is a people. 
and put out the goodies for the little ghouls, goblins, superheros and princesses who will be knocking at the door with chilling anticipation. 
Ah, there she is...now if only I could get her to take her place in the window next to the "old school" ghost. 

           Seems Mother Nature decided to do a little tricking of her own this weekend...
like the season hasn't been weird enough! The Japanese Maple trees have not only stayed green, but they haven't lost any leaves either! The only thing that turned golden is the witchhazel...yup there's trickery afoot!! Happy Halloween everyone!

            This post is being linked to Little Red House for Mosaic Monday and Smiling Sally for Blue Monday.

♥, Susan

UPSCALE RESTAURANTS AND COOKING CLASSES

                 You can learn so much from reading the latest blog posts, especially the foodie/cooking blogs. If you step out of your culinary cyber world and into the reality of a cooking class though, I believe that will enrich your abilities, not to mention your sense of taste so much more.

                 Taste and Technique Cooking School hosted a class last night taught by Executive Chef Dominick Rizzo from Pazzo Restaurant in Red Bank, NJ. The chef is a young CIA educated force of energy and electricity who talks at the speed of light and moves even faster. He also has a wicked good sense of humor and a strong use of the English language, getting his point across with colorful phrases. 

              

Seasonal Trio of Local Jersey Products
Chiffonade Arugula, Endive & Port Wine Poached Pear Salad
Homemade Garganelli Pasta with Asparagus in a Sambuca Cream Sauce
Fennel Dusted Veal Oso Buco with Charred Sabba
Roasted Butternut Squash with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
Chocolate Bread Pudding with Vanilla Bean Sauce & Fig Saba Compote

       The menu sent to me in advance was intriguing. Let me break it down for you...
The trio of local seasonal products making up the appetizer were an herbed goat cheese on crostini, a roasted cauliflower on crostini and an aromatic fig wrapped in prosciutto. Of the three, the fig, made aromatic by dropping it into a "screaming hot pan" for a minute was delicious and so was the cauliflower. The goat cheese   quietly, did not stand up to its counterparts. So I learned that a perfect and beautiful fresh fig just barely heated has a less raw fragrance to it.  It was an awakening for me.

            
The salad comprised of pears poached in port, chiffonade of endive, "heirloom tomatoes", and arugula was dressed with a raspberry vinaigrette and then drizzled with Saba. This is one of the reasons that you should take a class if you want to up the ante in your home kitchen.      I learned that Saba is delicious, added to an already dressed salad. 

              
The making of the pasta...Chef Dominick turned this portion of the class into theater art. The stretching and folding of the pasta in and out of the machine was magical. He never flinched, never lost track of what he was doing.
Then there was the cutting, rolling and texturing of the pasta. First of all, the tools of the trade were brought out to ooh and aah over. Maybe it was just me doing this, but check out the 6 wheeled pasta cutter and the board used to put the ribs in the garganelli. The things I learned about fresh pasta, how to make it, how to store it, how to cook it and how to save it were worth the price of admission.
We could have stopped here and I would have been so happy. The garganelli was sauced with asparagus cream scented with anisette and finished with asparagus puree. I am pretty sure this is what they eat in heaven. Things I learned...you can replace the Sambuca with Anisette and save yourself some money.
Then there was the fennel dusted Oso Buco which the chef had actually braised for 3 1/2 hours the night before. He demonstrated how to saute the mirepoix of carrot, celery and fennel and brown the meat before adding the wine and water and popping it in the oven. The pan on the stove next to the saute pan has diced pancetta cooking in it. Chef did not bring pumpkin seeds to add to his roasted butternut squash so he improvised and added the pancetta. This was a game changer for me. If you have been reading my blog for any length of time, you know that we have gardens that produce magic multiples of butternut squash and that I always add pumpkin seeds to the dishes I make with it. The salty, earthy flavor of the pancetta was an event for me, a palate pleasing surprise...a who knew these two foods would be so wonderful together... and this is why I like to attend these classes. 
The Oso Buco and butternut were so complimentary and the marrow from the bones a hidden treasure. The person next to me asked "Is marrow still in fashion?" and I thought to myself, "When was it not?". 

            Everyone was full...there was a lot of food! However, the chef was not finished. There was dessert...
This picture is chocolate bread pudding with a vanilla bean creme anglaise on top of a fig compote. Again, it would have been enough to make the bread pudding, but it is an educated chef who can add the creme and compote and know that it will not only be delicious but will not be gilding the lily. It was as good as it looks!

            Taste and Technique hosts many basic classes taught by local chefs, college instructors, and other culinary wizards. If you live in the area find their catalog on line and book a class...it is more fun than going out to dinner and just as delicious. 

             This post is being linked to Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday.

♥, Susan

 

 

         

                 

MIXING ANTIQUE, VINTAGE AND NEW...IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS

             I am coming to the conclusion that there is nothing that I don't like about autumn. This really is my time of the year! Last weekend there were quite a few local yard and estate sales. On Friday morning, I hit the ground running...it was so perfectly cool and just slightly cloudy outside.
I found this set of placemats and napkins in perfect condition. 8 of each for $12.00...the dry cleaner tags were still on the placemats. I am quite sure that they can be machine washed but I appreciated them all clean and perfectly pressed. Then I found these dishes...
a perfect set of 8 for $6.00. They come from Williams Sonoma and will be used for at least a month before I have to put them away. I also found some cookbooks and novels.
One of my more unique finds was this small transferware vase with decoration from the Aesthetic period. I am not sure what its purpose was with the little holes at the bottom and that one little hole going out the side. I thought maybe it was meant for a flower bulb like an Amaryllis, but I am not sure. Actually, I was thinking that it would make a lovely tooth brush holder in the bathroom we are remodeling.
The kitchen cupboards are filled with dishes that call to the season. When I found this set of amber depression glasses at a yard sale a few weeks ago I had no idea that they would go so well with the black Bennington pottery dishes that I have been collecting.

             An idea has been floating around in my head about Thanksgiving this year. Our house always hosts Thanksgiving dinner for the family and I usually set the table with the brown and white transferware dishes. They are English and over the many years we have amassed a large collection. The thing is, I have been watching the ABC news with Diane Sawyer, specifically the segments called Made In America. It occurred to me that it might be fitting to try to do Thanksgiving in an all American way. Local food, okay, that shouldn't be too hard. Dishware, well the Bennington set is made in Vermont. I could use some of the hammered aluminum serving pieces..they were all make in the USA. Our Viking stove would work as would the All Clad pots and pans, but uh oh...there would be no using the Le Creuset...they were made in France. It could be a bit of a challenge, but might be doable. What do you think? Could you prepare an all American Thanksgiving dinner? What would you have to "put away" to achieve this goal? I will be working on this idea a little more in the near future and would love to hear your input.

                 Getting back to those little things that are making life so darn peachy these days ...
the flannel sheets have gone on the beds making everything a little cozier. I am reading another Ken Follett book, Fall of Giants. Have you read any of his books? Pillars of the Earth and World Without End are two favorites. He has this way of making you fall in love with the characters and yet sometimes I find myself learning more about history in the process. Reading blogs written by friends is another one of those little things keeping me happy. Georgia Peachez is one that I won't miss along with Jen Ducan's What's New. They are two of the most creative women that I have ever known.

             Long post, I know, however I have just one more thing to share with you today. If you have been reading  my blog for any length of time, you know that I collect cookbooks. One of my favorite go-to books is the Saveur cooks Authentic Italian. You can tell it is a favorite because the book is a bit of a mess.
The Pomodoro Sauce recipe is so easy and sooo delicious. Definitely a never fail approach to eating well. The other recipe that I have used for years now is the Tiramisu. If you can find the Savoiardi cookies (crispy ladies fingers) and the mascarpone then you are more than half the way there. It is a no fail recipe and I always double up on it. I made it a few weeks ago for a holiday dinner dessert and my father loved it. You have to understand that my father owned a bakery for many years and knows his "product". It is impossible to impress him and more likely, he will take me aside to tell me that something wasn't made properly...even if it was store bought!!! Tough customer! So, when he said that he loved the Tiramisu, I thought this was something I should share. Here is the recipe...

                2 eggs separated

                1/2 cup sugar

                1/2 cup mascarpone

                1 cup strong, fresh black coffee

                12 Italian Savoiardi cookies

                 cocoa powder

1. Beat egg yolks with whisk gradually adding sugar until mixture is thick, smooth and pale yellow. Fold in mascarpone.

2. Beat egg whites until they form a stiff peak...like you would for meringue. Fold the egg whites into the egg yolk-mascarpone mixture.

3. Dip the cookies one by one in the coffee and line them neatly into your serving dish. Put a heaping spoonful of the cream mixture on top with a sprinkle of cocoa powder, then repeat for a second layer, finishing the top with another sprinkle of the cocoa powder.

           The recipe is that simple...I always double the recipe and use a ceramic lasagne style pan to layer the cookies. I like to serve it family style with a little whipped cream on the side.

This post is being linked to Tales from Bloggeritaville for Thrifty Thursday, Colorado Lady for Vintage Thingie Thursday, Miz Helen for Full Plate Thursday, and How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday. It is also being linked to Louises Months of Edible Celebrations if I got this post to her in time...if not, check out her blog...it is sooo interesting!

♥, Susan

ZOMBIE WALK 2011...A SEA OF INHUMANITY

             Every now and then it is fun to do something that you have never done before, step out of the weekly routine and have a new adventure. Today, my husband and I attended a zombie walk in Asbury Park, NJ. You have probably heard of Asbury before...it is home to The Stone Pony where Bruce Springsteen and countless other musicians got their start...and it is still a rockin' town, but today it hosted zombies...thousands of them.

             Here are some highlights from the parade. As you can see there were thousands of people on the boardwalk. All of the parade participants were zombies, but that is where the similarity ends. 
There were families marching together. Couples dressed alike and musicians like I have never seen before. There were undead drag queens, beauty queens and prom queens. There were more bloody brides than you would ever think possible...
Also marching in the parade were politicians (anything for a photo-op!)
Walking with Abe Lincoln was Sarah Palin and Chris Christie. There was a Zombified Mad Hatter and an adorable little Batman.  I spotted a handful of hippies but only one sheriff from the wild west.
Then there were the bees! Bumble Bees a plenty but only one Princess Beatrice Zombie. Princess Bea is none other than my good friend Laura Sigman. Do you see the Prince and Snow White in the background looking at Princess Bea? They know when real royalty is in the house...or on the boardwalk as it were.
There were texting zombies and picture taking zombies. Zombies from television commercials and an I Love Lucy Zombie. There was a Santa Zombie and a Rudolph as well.
They just kept coming down the boardwalk...bloodied Elizabethan groups and kids from high school. Fairy tale characters, mythological beasts and I even saw two neighbors from my street!
The beach was lovely and tranquil...a perfect backdrop to the hilarious and occasionaly ugly parade that was this years zombie walk.

            This post is being linked to Smiling Sally for Blue Monday and Little Red House for Mosaic Monday. If you look carefully by the Jetty in the picture you can see a pirate, a wench and a lady walking on the beach...Only in Asbury!!

♥, Susan

SEASONAL COMFORT FOOD IN THE KITCHEN

                    Finding a comfort food that triggers a happy memory in two people who grew up in different homes, in different states, with different ethnic backgrounds can be tricky. Early on in our marriage, I realized that my husband enjoyed a dish of stuffed cabbage that his maternal grandmother would treat him to. My mother also made a soul satisfying stuffed cabbage.
I remember asking my husbands Grandmother about her stuffed cabbage so many, many years ago. The recipe was never written down, however, I remembered that she mixed pork and beef and used tomato juice to cook them in. My mothers recipe was a little different. She used only beef, and had two secret ingredients that made a sublime sweet and sour sauce.

                As years progressed and I became more comfortable at the stove, the two recipes became melded into one. First of course I had to learn how to cook a head of cabbage so as not to rip or bruise the leaves. This was trial and error and something I triumphantly mastered. You have to cook the whole head in a large pot of water until tender and you must be patient. ( So many times I was frustrated by the leaves not being tender enough to fold properly).

                A telephone conversation with my mother left me with a dilemma. She is of the opinion that a recipe with a family secret should remain just that....a family secret. I feel that unless you own a restaurant where diners pay big money to eat your family's secret recipe there is no point. Eventually the recipe will be lost to the world and what a shame that would be. 

                My brother in law was telling us just last week about his favorite pie...it was a banana cream pie. The pie was made for special occasions by his wife's grandmother...a secret recipe. Yes, that secret recipe was taken to her grave and now my brother in law will never get to have another slice of his favorite pie...it just seems wrong to me.

                 My version of Sweet and Sour Stuffed Cabbage

                1 lb. chop meat

                1 cup cooked rice (I use left over cold rice)     

                2 eggs lightly beaten

                1 tsp each salt and pepper

                1 tsp onion powder

                1 tsp garlic powder

                1 tbsp  Worcestershire sauce

                2 tbsps ketchup

                1 cup ketchup

                1 cup tomato juice

                1 cup raisins

                1 large head of cabbage, boiled and cooled...leaves removed one by one.

          Mix the beef, rice, eggs and seasonings together. Add the worcestershire sauce and the 2 tbsps of ketchup to the mixture. The amount of meat mixture that you put into each cooked cabbage leaf is commensurate to the size of the leaf. A large outer leaf will get about 2 tablespoons of meat mixture while a smaller leaf from inside the cabbage will only get one tablespoon. Wrap the leaf of the cabbage around the meat mixture like an envelope and place seam side down in a large heavy pot. Sprinkle a handful of raisins between each layer of the rolls. Add about 1/2 cup of water to the cup of ketchup and pour over the cabbage rolls in the pot. Add the cup of tomato juice to the pot and cook covered, for about an hour and a half on medium low. I usually serve this with mashed potatoes.

                So I am curious...do you keep your family recipes secret or will you share? Will someone in your family be unhappy with you if you spill the beans?

                This post is being linked to Miz Helen's Country Cottage for Full Plate Thursday and Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday.

♥, Susan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                

BLAAK IS THE NEW BLACK...JUST SAY CHEESE

                   In the mail this week we received a wheel of cheese. Yes, usually I will buy my cheese from one of the local shops, but this was special. On the Planet Green network there is a show called the Fabulous Beekman Boys. Dr. Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell bought a house and farm in upstate New York...Sharon Springs. They have a multitude of goats, sheep, and one adorable llama named Polka Spot who has become somewhat of a mascot and a celebrity in her own right. Because we enjoy an  evening of wine and cheese every once in a while and because I was curious, I filled in the form for their waiting list just so that I could buy the cheese. They sent a lovely little email telling me that I was next and so, less than a week from purchase my cheese arrived in the mail.
Wrapped in tissue paper and tied with butchers twine, the package was country lovely. The semi hard cheese is coated in a vegetable based ash that was reminiscent of Homboldt Fog. It was tasty, however, I am giving it a little more time to harden and age. With a drizzle of honey it was great with a glass of Malbec, and I am looking forward to trying it again soon. You can  find information about Beekman 1802 products here, and about the TV show here.

             Lucky for us, the local farmers market is still opening on Sundays and that means fresh produce all week long. The colors of the season really hit me today
with the pretty red cranberries and the bright golden sunflowers. These petite red onions were so pretty...a few of them came home with us too. Between the community garden and our veggie garden in the backyard, I have come to appreciate these farms so much...the work that goes into the growing is unbelievable.

                On a completely different note, I have been visiting the Smiling Sally blog for years now. Her Blue Monday event was the first that I ever tried linking to. She has had one heck of a year and that is putting it mildly. I am so happy that she is on the mend and back at her computer...I put together a special blue mosaic to say thank you to Sally for keeping the faith.
These pictures were from some of my favorite blue moments this year.

This post is being linked to Smiling Sally for Blue Monday and Little Red House for Mosaic Monday.

♥, Susan 

THE SWANS, THE DUCKS, THE GEESE AND THE BEES

                   It was that sort of a day when no one wanted to be inside. The end of summer, middle of autumn, not even thinking about winter kind of a day.
So, we headed over to the river to have some lunch. A long time favorite restaurant on the Navesink River, and this was the view. In the water were boats, kayaks, and jet skis.
There were also ducks, a swan and geese in the river. They make the best burgers and fries at this place...but don't tell anybody...it's a neighborhood secret (she says while laughing!). No secret really, Barnacle Bills has been around since, well, before we ever moved here and that was 22 years ago. On a stunning day like today it really is a perfect spot to have a burger and a beer. It is also a perfect spot to run into neighbors and old friends! On the way home we took our time meandering through the streets 
slowly winding our way through the more posh areas on the peninsula. I love the older houses with stone retaining walls and aged landscaping. The houses that are true mansions. We live in an area where many of the houses have been knocked down to make way for what they call McMansions, and some of the streets were just similar house after similar house, but oh those homes that were built prior to the 80's, the homes with style and character. They are the houses that I ooh and aah over.
Then it was back to our comfortable little street where the houses are just big enough. The Montauk daisies are in full bloom...one of my most favorite flowers in the garden. Looks like they were also being favored by the bees, both Bumble and Honey. One last thing of beauty from the garden 
are the late season Hydrangea. They have such a vintage quality to them at this time of the year. I could just see them as a wallpaper pattern. 

          This post is being linked to Smiling Sally for Blue Monday, Little Red House for Mosaic Monday and A Southern Daydreamer of Outdoor Wednesday.

♥, Susan

FESTIVALS THAT MAKE YOU HUNGRY...AND THE NOISE THAT FOLLOWS

              October is the perfect month for carnivals, fairs and festivals. It is a little cooler outside (at least it is cooler at the Jersey Shore) and that tends to rev up ones appetite. Next weekend we have a large outdoor craft show and a sea glass festival that I am hoping to attend. I am particularly excited to see what a sea glass festival is comprised of. Many of us who have grown up on a beachy coast have some sort of a sea shell or sea glass collection. 
I wrote about mine in this post last year.

               This weekend we attended the second annual Guinness and Oyster festival in Red Bank, NJ. Since it is a hop and a skip from our house, we got there early to see what was going on.
Some of the booths weren't quite ready for company yet!! Some were raring to go...
with samples of everything including fudge...pumpkin fudge? Not so much!
True to the theme of the festival the oysters were shucked fresh right in front of our eyes and could not have been better. When it comes to oysters, The Lusty Lobster in Highlands, NJ never disappoints!
Some of the food was not really thematic to the event but delicious just the same.
The weather could not have been better with a nice thick cloud covering earlier this morning...perfect for those who can't be in the sun, like me....then giving way this afternoon to clear blue skies.

            As we were walking down the street the thunder of many, many motorcycles caught our attention.
In addition to the Guinness and Oyster Fest, there was a fund raiser that these motorcyclists were a part of....can you say gridlock? It was so much fun to look at all of the motorcycles and the riders...they wear the coolest jackets! It was a very good day to be in Red Bank and yes, I really think that October is the best month for festivals.

           Linking this post to Smiling Sally for Blue Monday and Little Red House for Mosaic Monday.

♥, Susan