TWD/ Baking with Julia: Blueberry Nectarine Pie

Let me start by saying, I could have eaten the filling and forgotten about the pie.  So YUMMY!!!  OK, I cheated a little with my pie, I made mine in these cute jars.  These 2 cuties went in the oven and the other 2 went to the freezer.  You won't see the fully baked pies...they were gobbled up.

The recipe can be found in Dorie Greenspan's Baking with Julia.  If you don't have the book, buy one.  For the recipe go see That Skinny Chick Can Bake, http://thatskinnychickcanbake.blogspot.com/2012/07/blueberry-nectarine-piebaking-with-julia.html or Manchegos Kitchen, http://manchegoskitchen.typepad.com/manchegos-kitchen/2012/07/twd-baking-with-julia-summer-fruit-pie.html

To see other versions, go to http://tuesdayswithdorie.wordpress.com/2012/07/30/lyl-blueberry-nectarine-pie/

food matters project: Roasted Potato with "Grilled Swordfish" and Romesco

Perfect Summer dinner at our house is simple and grilled!  I took a little detour from the food matters project recipe this week and switched out chicken for swordfish.  Great flavor combination with the yellow Dutch potatoes, romesco sauce and lightly seasoed swordfish.  I sautéed Tuscan kale and the dinner was complete.

...and, since we're trying to keep it light this summer, we ended with a "catch-up" recipe from last week, "Sangia Blackberry" Sorbet....YUMMY!

For the recipe, click here and to check out the other versions of this recipe go to the food matters project 

FFWD: Lemon Barley Pilaf and Grilled Halibut

I'll be honest, I only use barley to thicken soup. I love barley in beef stew in the winter...YUM. Lemon Barley Pilaf, I don't know... I followed the recipe in Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table and it was a little soupier than traditional pilaf. I simmered longer and when the liquid didn't simmer away, I cranked up the heat and started stirring. The result was more risotto rather than pilaf. Not sure I'll make this recipe again. The star of this meal was the Grilled Halibut that my husband made. Halibut is not a first choice for me since halibut can go from great to gross with too much cook time. This time, The Halibut was awesome!!! My husband grilled the fish perfectly and made a sauce with grilled lemon halves then blended the juice with walnut oil and salt brined capers...so GOOD!!!!!
To see other versions of the Lemon Barley Pilaf, go to French Fridays with Dorie

TWD: Oasis Naan (catching up with Baking with Julia)

Thank you Dorie Greenspan for ending my FEAR OF YEAST and making me open my Baking with Julia cookbook after purchasing it years ago. So I have set aside all my thoughts of cutting all carbs and have decided to embrace them! Making any bread with yeast is a labor of love and a little bit of a time commitment, but the end result is a well deserved treat. The Oasis Naan is a fluffy version of pita, not quite the same naan available at many Indian restaurants. I made one batch of the Oasis Naan dough, baked off half and enjoyed the other have later in the week. Delicious! The recipe is in Dorie Greenspan's Baking with Julia. To see other versions of this recipe, go to http://tuesdayswithdorie.wordpress.com/2012/06/04/lyl-oasis-naan/

FFWD: Salmon with Basil Tapenade

Greetings from the land of SALMON! Seriously, the Northwest is so well known for salmon, but for those of us who live here...CAN GET BORING!!! I always buy the best quality salmon, if I buy it, and don't usually mess with it too much. Salt, pepper, olive oil and a tiny squeeze of lemon is all I like on a good piece of salmon. OK, this recipe is so yummy and a nice alternative for salmon. In the past I have made a salad with cold, grilled salmon and tapenade, but never actually put the tapenade in the salmon before broiling...YUMMY. The recipe is from Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table, I have the cookbook downloaded to my I-pad, very handy! To see others who tried this recipe out, go to http://www.frenchfridayswithdorie.com/?p=1099 Have fun cooking!!!

Bread...that's all you knead

It's Tuesday and I am Baking with Julia! I am pleased to announce that I am no longer afraid of yeast and I am officially a bread maker!!! I have always loved bread, but proclaimed, "Why make your own bread when there are so many wonderful bread options out there?". Well, what I was really saying was, "hell no, I am not wasting my time dealing with yeast and all that kneading" OK, bread takes time, but your are not always working on it, so plan on doing other things while you wait...yoga, read, gardening, take a walk, go to the gym, catch up on your favorite shows on demand or just lounge around. The Semolina Bread starts with a sponge, make sure you have a insta-read thermometer, takes the guessing out of the yeast and warm water process. Now you wait...when the sponge has doubled, you can add the flour. Shape. Rest. Rise. The Semolina Bread require very little kneading, so after the first rise, knead just a bit, then rise again. After the second rise, you're ready to bake. Sit back, in a few minute your home will smell delicious and you will be enjoying a perfect loaf of bread. The Semolina Bread recipe can be found in Dorie Greenspan's Baking with Julia. To see how others faired with this recipe, go to http://tuesdayswithdorie.wordpress.com/2012/07/16/lyl-semolina-bread/

FFWD: Corn Pancakes

OK, I am catching up with this recipe and making the Blueberry Mascarpone Roulade from Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table, tomorrow for our Bastille Day dinner. I loved these little corn pancakes!!! My son and I made corn pancakes and sour cream-chive sauce, to go with the pork ribs my husband took 2.5 hours to grill. Worth the wait for this dinner. We started making tiny tacos with the pancakes adding bits of pork and BBQ sauce...mmmmmmmmmm! The corn pancakes come together very quickly in the blender and fry up in no time. I'm thinking I might make these in place of latkes during the holidays. To check out other versions of this recipe, go to http://www.frenchfridayswithdorie.com/?p=1092

TWD: Pecan Sticky Buns (catching up with Julia!)

I was suppose to make these buttery beautiful Pecan Sticky Buns in time for Mother's Day, but life took over and I was just able to make them recently. OK, give yourself some time for these, because you need to make brioche dough first, then take the steps to make the pecan sticky buns. Also, there is a lot of rising time in between. Is it worth it...YES!!!

If you fear yeast, like I use to, get over it. If you don't have time, make the brioche dough one day, freeze it, then defrost it when you are ready to tackle the sticky buns. That's what I did. This recipe can be found in Dorie Greenspan's Baking with Julia. I waited 10 years before I attempted any recipes from this book...don't do that!!!

To see how others faired, go to Tuesdays with Dorie

Have fun baking!!!

Bar del Corso...so good, so don't tell anyone about it!!!

Everyone talks about the pizze, but I am here to say, "Save room for DESSERT!!!"  OK, back-up...either get there early or plan to wait a bit, it's worth it.  Tell the hostess you can sit at the bar, it's the best seat in the house.  Order a cool cocktail or something on tap, start with one of the small plates, my favorites are either the grilled octopus or the Manila clams...YUM!  There is always a Specials board, creative seasonal items that are always a winner, so pick something off that list too.  We always pick the Pizze on the Specials board, so I have no idea how the other pizze are like, delicious I am sure.

Here's the deal, don't eat so much so you'll have to skip dessert and a perfect espresso, you will never know what you're missing.  I have never been disappointed with the desserts at Bar del Corso.  The last dessert I had was the Cherry Polenta Cake...SO GOOD!!! 

Go check it out yourself, maybe I'll see you there.

FFWD : Crunchy Ginger Pickles

Well, French Fridays with Dorie took a little Asian turn. The Crunchy Ginger Pickles are good, but I don't know what to serve them with... Easy to make. I have a few left over in the fridge. Tomorrow, we will grill teriyaki chicken and serve the YUMMY pickles on the side!

TWD : Biscotti

My first ever baking biscotti. I had always heard it was easy, now I know. Thanks to Tuesdays with Dorie, I opened my Baking with Julia cookbook and finally after many years tried the Hazelnut Biscotti recipe. OK, I swapped out the Hazelnut for almonds, I just prefer almonds. YUM! For the recipe, you can borrow my cookbook or go to http://www.bakingandboys.com/2012/07/twdbaking-with-juliahazelnut-biscotti.html or http://homemadeandwholesome.wordpress.com/2012/07/03/hazelnut-biscotti-twd/ and to check out the other Doristas, go to http://tuesdayswithdorie.wordpress.com/2012/07/02/lyl-hazelnut-biscotti/ Have fun baking!!! xoxo

the food matters project: "whoops" fig, blue cheese and pecan crostini

So, I was suppose to make one of the "updated" tea sandwich recipes, but I went one page too far and made the Pear "crostini" with spiced pecans and blue cheese. I replaced the pear for fig and made both spiced and plain pecans. Oh well...this paired nicely with a cold Riesling. For the tea sandwich recipes, go to http://dinnerwithaura.com/2012/07/02/updated-tea-sandwiches-with-chilled-avocado-radish-basil-soup/ To check out other variations of the updated tea sandwiches, go to http://thefoodmattersproject.com/2012/07/02/updated-tea-sandwiches/