My Friend Says She Is Such A Lousy Cook She Can't Even Boil Toast

Well, this blog is for my friend, and you as well, if you want to learn how to perfectly produce a hard boiled egg. No more dark, yellow yolks and torn apart egg whites! Also, great for the perfect Curried Egg Salad Tea Sandwich...aren't the simple things in life sorta nice?

How To Hard Boil Eggs:
1. Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with water. Add a pinch of salt.
2. Bring to a boil and boil for a couple of minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Cover with a lid and let sit for 12 minutes.
4. Drain and place eggs in a bowl of ice water to cool down.
5. Eggs are ready to perfectly peel in about two minutes.  Enjoy!

Cooking With Legends...Piece of Cake

Master Chef with Chef Gordon Ramsay is my favorite show! Each week I tune in to see all sorts of excitement going on at the MC kitchen in LA. I usually attempt to recreate what the contestants are asked to do. The show, in its second season, started with 1000 contestants and is now down to the final eight. These contestants are sometimes praised and often totally humiliated by Chef Ramsay and his two men hit squad (Graham Elliot and Joe Bastianich) as they are judged on simple techniques such as poaching an egg, making Hollandaise sauce, cooking a lobster and so on and so on, all within a time limit. Pressure cooker for sure...but, I love the show because Chef Ramsay has helped me to think about these basic, yet detailed, cooking procedures. I'm honing my culinary skills (with the additional help of Julia Child) and looking forward to maybe being humbled by Chef Ramsay some day. As Julia says,

The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you've got to have a what-the-hell attitude.

Making the perfect omelet with Julia...

Peace and Tranquility for Dining Baby Boomers

Last night me and #3 had our weekly date night at the Crazy Hibachi in North Little Rock and I must say it was fun, delicious, and slightly annoying. I'm referring to all the screaming and yelling children who were also enjoying themselves at our grill and the other stations as well. Now, I love little kids and all, but there is a time and place for everything...am I the only baby boomer around who loves the idea of banning younger children from certain restaurants??

I do acknowledge that totally prohibiting the little screamers from certain establishments could cause added problems for the restaurant owner, so I suggest that management attempt to please us dictatorial baby boomers in a more passive/aggressive manner with these three simple ideas...

1. Cut the kid's menu which gives a huge discount to these thoughtless parents. The kids don't eat much anyway and parents seem to be abusing this price reduction by taking adult size servings home for the little angels to eat later...sure.
2. Have a designated SPECIAL area for these kind of patrons...an interactive kiddie/parent corner, preferably somewhere completely out of sight and hearing range of other responsible diners. Parents and kids could all pitch in together and tidy the area as food is thrown all over the tables, chairs, and floors. Those parents appalled at this kind of social networking and confinement (with other like patrons) might choose to pay a sitter the next time they go out and keep everyone happy.
3. As a last resort to coax these heedless parents to come to their senses, management should cut a deal with the local Chuck E Cheese's and hand out coupons with a subliminal vengeance. After all, kids would certainly enjoy a more kid friendly atmosphere than going out to the fuddyduddy places their parents are dragging them to.

Well, just some food for thought...what's your opinion on this hot topic concerning dining out with brats?? Also, please leave a suggestion in the comment section below as to where my date night should be next week. If we choose to eat at your selection, you will receive a gift certificate at that establishment! Maybe we could hook up and dine together...just leave the kids at home. Deadline for comments is August 2, 2011 at 3 pm CST.

The Big Fish at Chang's

Went to Chang's Thai & Asian Cuisine on Hwy 107 in Sherwood the other night and had this wonderful big fish. It was loaded with vegetables, sauces, and just the right amount of heated spice we had asked for. I don't even know the name of the dish...just told the server we wanted the big fish because I had watched a couple devour this entré on a previous visit...and this is what we got...

It was a teeny tiny tad too little for me and #3 as we shared it, however we did have the Egg Drop Soup to make our meal complete. We will certainly order two big fishes the next visit.

And this is all that was left...

Chang Thai & Asian     Cuisine on Urbanspoon  

Blueberry Season Brings Buttermilk Blueberry Scones

The Natural State boasts such a variety of growing seasons and fresh berries are always exciting treats to await! This year we got the best blueberries at our favorite roadside stand, Holland Bottom Farm in Cabot. And, because I always have buttermilk in the fridge (always ready to make cornbread), I made some scrumptious Buttermilk Blueberry Scones. They were delicious warm right out of the oven with lots of butter slathered all over. You can also eat them at room temperature, store airtight for up to three days, or freeze for a later date. You're gonna love this recipe...

How to make Buttermilk Blueberry Scones:
Yields: 10-12 scones
Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter
1 egg
2/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup fresh blueberries(frozen will do in a pinch)

Directions:
1. In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
2. Cut butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. In a separate bowl combine the egg, buttermilk, and vanilla.
4. Add the blueberries to the dry mixture and coat them.
5.Create a well in the center of mixture and add buttermilk mixture all at once to the well.
6.Combine just until moistened. Pour onto a slightly floured flat surface.
7. Spray hands with cooking spray and pat the dough out to about 1/2 inch thickness.
8. Cut into shapes and place on a parchment lined baking dish.
9. Brush the tops with extra buttermilk and sprinkle with more sugar.
10. Bake in preheated oven at 400 degrees F for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.

First Friday Lunch @ Our House

On Friday June 3, 2011 we are doing community service @OurHouseShelter. Mike and I will shop, cook, and serve for about 30-50 people at Our House. We do this not only because we have a passion for cooking, eating, and socializing, but because we are striving to help the homeless in our community. We will be preparing and serving the following to the residents of Our House:

• Salmon Croquettes with Homemade Dilled Tartar Sauce & Lemon Wedges
• Mashed Potatoes with Fresh Herbed Butter
• Corn, Tomato, & Pepper Trio
• Southern Skillet Cornbread
• Carrot Cake Cup Cakes with Creamy Cream Cheese Frosting garnished with Fresh Mint Leaves
• Freshly made Iced Tea with Lemon Wedges & Fresh Mint Leaves

If you are interested in helping with First Friday Lunch @ Our House, please contact me or there are plenty of other ways to get involved...check out the Our House website today!