Who knew Guacamole could be so easy (and tasty)?

I must confess that I've never made Guacamole before. It has always been so convenient for others to make or bring to a party that it never really crossed my mind to do it myself; however, the other day there were two nice sized Avocados staring at me in the face on the kitchen counter, perfectly ripe, not too soft, not too hard. The mood struck me to prepare one of them sliced with a drizzle of my Dijon vinaigrette, along with a couple slices of crusty French bread. Stopping short of running the knife though the peeling, I decided, since I had nothing better to do, to come up with a recipe for Guacamole, my way. And so I ventured into uncharted territory and began to gather my ingredients, creating the recipe along the way. Here's what I came up with:

2 large Avocados (firm but ripe)
3 cloves of garlic (crushed and finely chopped)
1/2 large onion (finely chopped)
1/4 cup of fresh finely chopped parsley
2 tablespoons of Pimientos
2 tablespoons of bottled sweet red chili pepper sauce
1 green onion (finely chopped)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Juice from 1/2 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut each Avocado in half, remove the pits, and carefully remove the meat from the shell with a spoon into a bowl. Set the shell halves aside.  Using a fork, mash the avocado meat and pour the lemon juice in,  stirring well so that ingredient is well incorporated. Now add the sweet chili sauce, green onion and parsley and stir. Set aside.

Using a saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Saute the chopped onion, garlic, and pimientos until onion is softened and translucent. This usually takes about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Once cooled, add sauteed mixture to the avocado and mix thoroughly. Add a couple pinches of salt and pepper and taste for correct seasoning.

With a spoon, return the avocado mixture to the shells, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about an hour. Serve 1/2 avocado per person along with chips and a spoon. You may just want to use the spoon alone. This recipe is absolutely delicious and works great as an appetizer or snack for the Sunday ball games. I think I finally made my first Guacamole - or at least my version of it.

Presentation goes a long way to making simplicity elegant

You can take simple ingredients that are easy on the wallet and transform them into an elegant dish simply by how you choose to place them on a dinner plate. Presentation plays a most important role in the appeal and impressions you will make on your guests.

Although the sense of smell is the first recognition of what may soon present itself at the dinner table, sight is the affirmation of whether or not the nose was correct in its assumption. After all, most of us get the first taste of a meal with our eyes; hence the phrase, "we eat with our eyes". The food industry spends millions each year making everything from junk food to gourmet items look appealing and enticing enough for you to go out and purchase those products. Careful attention is paid to how foods are placed, the quantity plated, and color. Our eyes gloss over the professionally edited photos and the imagination of how good the food pictured must taste. The nose is nowhere to be found.

A case in point, the dinner plate pictured above was by no means shot by a professional photographer, nor was the editing performed beyond  the average reader's capabilities; however, pay close attention to the ingredients, quantity, placement, and color. The ingredients are simple and limited to 3 or 4 including sauce. Next, you see the plate is not filled to overflowing. As far as elegance in the beholder's eyes are concerned, less is more. Notice how the food has been plated, with some items overlapping, others placed in different areas of the plate, in this example, the baby potatoes. There are no rules that say all like items have to be grouped together. Also notice  there is no overabundance of sauce, just enough to compliment the flavors of the main ingredients. Finally, color provides the final touches and accents to the dish, giving the presentation dimension.

The baby green beans are steamed for about 7 minutes and gently tossed with butter (cost approx. $0.80 per serving.

The baby Yukon Gold potatoes are lightly boiled for  20 to 25 minutes, 4 to 5 per person (cost approx. $1.00 per person @ $3.99/lb. and are about 1 inch diameter).

The meatball (top round beef, Italian sweet sausage, parsley, garlic, egg, salt, pepper, and a bit of bread crumbs (1 level teaspoon per meatball) and is sauteed in olive oil over medium high heat until browned, then pan is place in a 350 oven, baked for another 30 minutes. Each meatball is approximately 3 inches in diameter and is 3 oz. (approx. cost $1.10 per person).

The sauce is a simple sauce made from the pan drippings of the finished meatballs. Meatballs are removed from pan, then pan is deglazed with a bit of red wine and beef broth in equal portions and reduced by half, using burner setting at medium, then medium low. Once reduced, add a level teaspoon of tomato paste, salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons of butter until melted and sauce has thickened (approx. cost $0.55 per person).

The cost for a dinner of 4 comes to approximately $3.45 per person and another 30 cents for sundry items like butter and spices. At $3.75 per person, this simple dinner, well presented, not only exudes elegance, but at a bargain price and your guests won't even know.

Remember, presentation is very important here as it can make a world of difference. But isn't that true for other things in our lives, the way we wear our clothes and decorate our homes? The word here is style - at a bargain!

A most colorful salad dedicated to my Aussie friends

OK, so tomatoes are a fruit, correct? And we all know that kiwis are a fruit as well, correct? What if the two of them met each other in a most unlikely venue, say a salad? And let's say that these silly little capers decided to butt in and mix things up. Before you knew it, there was a flavor party brewing, somebody said Happy New Year, and confetti parsley came raining down on all of them.It wasn't long til they were drenched by Miss Virgin Olive Oil and and a new beau, Monsieur Balsamic. It need not be said that it would certainly be a fun time to be had by all!

Well, once you get your first mouthful of this wonderful salad recipe, your taste buds will certainly be screaming "Party Time"! The combination of flavors simply play well together with the blend of sweet from the kiwi, the mild acidity of tomatoes, and the tartness of the capers, all complimented by the sweet balsamic. A good quality olive oil simply ties everything together in a bouquet of aromas that will make you think it's summer again in the North and a reaffirmation that it really is summer in the South.

This salad works perfectly well as an appetizer, entree, or just an afternoon snack accompanied by a slice of garlic and rosemary bread and a nice flute of champagne. From Aussies to Yankees, this will surely please the palate!

A Sauerkraut like no other!

Although Sauerkraut is a very German dish, this preparation is certainly out of the norm; however, it is guaranteed to delight all guests, even those not too keen on the dish. By all means, try it before you decide. It's a wonderful preparation! This can be prepared while your pork roast is in the oven.

1 package of Sauerkraut (please, no canned stuff!)
1/4 lb. of bacon, cut in 1/2 inch slices
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoons of tomato paste
1/2 cup of vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
3 pinches of salt
2 pinches of sugar
2 tablespoons of chopped parsley

Begin by thoroughly rinsing your Sauerkraut over cold running water. In a large sauce pan, saute the bacon over medium heat until cooked. Now add the garlic and continue to cook for a couple minutes taking care not to burn the garlic.

Now, add the vegetable broth and deglaze the pan. If you find you need a bit more liquid, just add another 1/2 cup. Lower heat to medium low and stir in the tomato paste, salt, pepper, and sugar. Blend well. Once sauce begins to bubble, add the Sauerkraut and stir well until it is completely incorporated into the sauce. Set heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes. As a final touch, add the parsley and lightly toss with a fork. Serve hot alongside pork roast and mash potatoes.

German New Year's Dinner to bring luck in 2012

Braised Pork Roast in beer and sherry, Butter Mash Potatoes, Sauerkraut with bacon in a tomato garlic sauce, and Sauteed Carrots, not just your run of the mill dinner feast for the holidays; however, for the millions with German heritage, it is a meal taken seriously on the first day of the new year, assuring good luck and plenty for the coming twelve months.

If you've allowed January 1st to go unnoticed, fear not, there is always next year. Furthermore, it is never too early to start planning for your next good luck feast. We begin with our Braised Pork Roast slowly baked in its juices, beer, and sherry.

3 to 4 lb Pork Roast
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
4 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
16 oz. bottle of beer
8 oz. of dry Sherry
1/2 teaspoon of cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
3 tablespoons of fine grain mustard (German)
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1 tablespoon of cornstarch

This may seem like quite a long list of ingredients for Pork roast; however, you are also going to make the sauce that will accompany the roast. Start with a pan large enough to accommodate the roast with a lid over it. Over medium high heat, add the vegetable oil and brown your roast on all sides. Remove roast from pan and set aside.

Bring temperature down to medium and saute your onions and garlic until translucent. You may add a bit more oil if needed. Next, add the dry Sherry and deglaze the pan. Once deglazed, add the salt and pepper and stir well. Now add the beer and bring liquid to a boil. Reduce heat back to medium and continue to cook until liquid has reduced by 1/3.

With the garlic powder, sprinkle on all sides and return to the pan. Cover tightly with a lid and transfer it to a 400 preheated oven. Bake covered at 400 for about 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and bake for approximately 1 1/2  to 2 hours.

Once your pork roast is ready, remove it from the pan and set on a cutting board to rest. While meat is resting, prepare your sauce. Set pan over medium heat and add the mustard. Stir well until blended. Add a few tablespoons of hot water to the cornstarch and stir until well dissolved. Now add it to the sauce and stir. Sauce should begin to thicken. Bring sauce to a light boil and continue to cook for about 5 minutes over low heat. Remove pan from heat and add your butter. Stir well until butter has completely melted into the sauce. Your sauce is now ready.

Slice the pork roast into 1/2 inch slices and present them in a large serving platter, slices slightly overlapping. Spoon a bit of the sauce down the center of the presentation and save the rest into a bowl for table side. This roast should serve 6 to 8 dinner guests. Serve hot alongside mash potatoes, carrots, and sauerkraut. Recipes and prep directions follow below.

A Sauerkraut like no other!

Although Sauerkraut is a very German dish, this preparation is certainly out of the norm; however, it is guaranteed to delight all guests, even those not too keen on the dish. By all means, try it before you decide. It's a wonderful preparation! This can be prepared while your pork roast is in the oven.

1 package of Sauerkraut (please, no canned stuff!)
1/4 lb. of bacon, cut in 1/2 inch slices
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoons of tomato paste
1/2 cup of vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
3 pinches of salt
2 pinches of sugar
2 tablespoons of chopped parsley

Begin by thoroughly rinsing your Sauerkraut over cold running water. In a large sauce pan, saute the bacon over medium heat until cooked. Now add the garlic and continue to cook for a couple minutes taking care not to burn the garlic.

Now, add the vegetable broth and deglaze the pan. If you find you need a bit more liquid, just add another 1/2 cup. Lower heat to medium low and stir in the tomato paste, salt, pepper, and sugar. Blend well. Once sauce begins to bubble, add the Sauerkraut and stir well until it is completely incorporated into the sauce. Set heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes. As a final touch, add the parsley and lightly toss with a fork. Serve hot alongside pork roast and mash potatoes.

Simply incredible Mash Potatoes!

The first thing you will probably notice with this preparation of Mash Potatoes is, "oh my god, all that butter!" Stop and think about it tho, you're serving up to 8 people, so it really doesn't come to more than what you would put on a baked potato and you don't think twice about 2 or 3 pads of butter on that, do you? Trust the preparation, you won't regret it. You will have incredibly velvety and buttery mash potatoes without that bland and watery taste.

4 to 5 large Russet potatoes, peeled & halved
1/2 peeled medium parsnip
1 1/2 cubes of butter (12 tablespoons)
1/2 cup of heavy cream
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon of cracked pepper
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
1/4 cup of grated fresh Parmesan

In a large pot, add the potatoes and parsnip and fill with water until completely immersed. Bring to a rolling boil and cook until potatoes are tender but not mushy. A fork should pierce the potato and when lifted out of the water, the potato will fall back in after a couple of seconds. Immediately remove potatoes from the water and into a waiting bowl.

Pour water out of the pan and return it to the heat, reduced to low. Add the butter and cream and allow butter to completely melt. Add the Dijon mustard, salt and pepper and stir. Now add the egg yolk and blend it into the liquid. Don't allow the liquid to come to a boil. Remove from heat if needed. Using a knife, cut up the potatoes and parsnip in the bowl and transfer to the pan with the liquid.

Using a hand blender, beat potatoes on low for about 30 seconds, then on high. Add the Parmesan cheese and continue to beat on high for another minute or until potatoes are smooth. Taste for flavor and add a couple more pinches of salt if needed. Serve hot alongside the pork.

The carrots are easy to prepare. Simply use thin long carrots and saute over medium high heat with a bit of olive oil for about 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup of vegetable broth and 2 tablespoons of butter, salt, and pepper, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for another 4 to 5 minutes until just tender.

Braised Dijon Duck

Braised Duck is so simple to prepare that in less than two hours you can have an entree that your most discriminating guests will be glowing with amazement. The flavors you get from braising fowl are incredibly savory and rich. The meat is tender and simply falls off the bone and is so succulent. Prepare in the Dijon style and you will be hitting this out of the ball park.

As a rule, you can count on one duck (approximately 5 lbs.) to serve 4 people. Accompanied by baby French Haricots Verts and small sauteed Yukon Golds and you will have an entree that is fit for any holiday or special occasion. The following ingredients should be on your shopping list:

1 Young Duck, approx. 5 lbs., cut up (see below)
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 cup of dry white wine
2 cup of chicken stock
1/2 cup of water
1/2 teaspoon of white pepper
1/2 teaspoon of salt
Several pinches of garlic powder
2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons of butter
1 tablespoon of cornstarch

With the whole duck before you, it's time to cut it up so that you have 4 main parts, 2 breasts and 2 thigh and leg combinations. the remainder of the parts will be used to create your stock. Most packages of whole duck will come with the neck, heart, and liver. All these parts will also be used for your stock.

Begin by laying the duck breast side up on a cutting board. With a sharp knife, begin by separating each thigh from the body. Cut along the side until you reach the bone/joint connection to the chest and with your hands, push back until you see the joint. With your knife, cut between the two joints and separate the thigh. Cut away any excess skin that hangs from the thigh and leg and set aside. Repeat the process for the other thigh/leg combination. Important, do not separate the leg and thigh as you want those to remain as one piece.

Next, with your knife, cut along the breast bone that separates each breast. Cut straight through. Spread the chest open and cut through the ribs as close as you can to the back bone. You now have two breasts separated. Do NOT debone the breast, but make sure again that excess skin that hangs out is cut and set aside.

Set the 4 pieces on a cutting board and pat dry. Sprinkle a bit of garlic powder on both sides of each piece.

Gather together all the unused parts - neck, excess fat, backbone, liver, and heart. Heat a large frying pan over medium high heat. Be sure to spray it with a bit of cooking spray, but don't add any oil or butter to the pan. The duck parts will produce plenty of that. When pan is heated, add all the unused parts and saute for about 15 minutes until nicely browned on all sides. Be sure to flip the pieces every 5 minutes and to watch so that bottom of pan doesn't burn.

Once browned, remove pieces from the pan and pour the duck fat into a heat resistant bowl. Set aside. De glaze the pan with a cup of chicken stock. Add another half cup and reduce heat to low and return the pieces to the pan. Cover and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes.

Now prepare for sauteing the breasts, thighs, and legs. You probably are wondering about the wings, still attached to the breast. Well, go ahead and cut the tips off to the first joint and discard. The other two parts of the wing can stay attached to the breast. Or you can completely separate the wing from the breast and prepare along with the other parts. Gather another large frying pan and spray it with cooking spray and add a few tablespoons of the duck fat you had set aside. Heat the pan over medium high heat and add the breasts, thighs, legs, and wings skin side down to the pan. Saute until skin is golden brown, usually about 7 minutes or so, just keep an eye on it. Turn pieces over and continue to saute for another 5 to 7 minutes.

When all sides are golden brown, remove all from the pan and pour excess duck fat into a heat resistant bowl. De glaze the pan with the white wine and the remainder of the chicken stock. Add the onions and garlic, along with the white pepper. Now, remove the pieces from the OTHER pan and pour the stock into the second pan. Stir well and then add the breasts, thighs, legs, and wings back in. Turn them several times to coat all sides. Reduce heat to just above low, cover, and braise for about 90 minutes or until the meat is tender. About every 15 minutes, turn the pieces over.

When meat is ready and tender, remove them from the pan onto a waiting plate. Bring the heat back up to medium. In a glass, add the cornstarch and water together and stir until cornstarch is well diluted. Set aside. Lower temperature as soon as a slow boil returns. Now add the Dijon mustard to the pan and stir until mustard is well blended. Slowly add the cornstarch and water to the stock and stir. Watch as the stock begins to thicken. When it thickens to the point that it can coat a soup spoon, the sauce is perfect.

Remove the pan from the heat and add your butter. Stir until butter is well melted into the sauce. Now taste for proper flavor. Add some of the salt as needed. To serve, place a serving portion of the duck on a plate and spoon some of the sauce over. You may sprinkle a bit of fresh chopped parsley over the portion as a final step if you want. Be sure to serve hot with your choice of side dishes. Enjoy!!

Blueberry and White Chocolate Cheescake and a piano

Pure and simple to make, Blueberry Cheesecake is one of the tastiest cheesecakes to come out of my kitchen. This was a last minute recipe, I had no intention of making dessert on this evening; however, I had some blueberries left in the fridge, a cup of Ricotta that I didn't want to go bad, and two packages of cream cheese that was just lying around for spreading on toast or bagels. Checking the pantry, I noticed what was left over from a package of white chocolate chips. Eureka! Why not do a cheesecake? And that's how it all started.

It was cold outside and a fog was settling in over the river, slowly fading the city lights and obscuring all but the pillars of the bridges as they disappeared into the dark and still water. As I watched the city becoming obscured before me, I tickled the ivory keys of the piano, hoping the scene would provide the inspiration to compose a new song. Nope! It was cheesecake night and the song would have to wait, remembering what I found waiting for me in the kitchen.

I pulled myself away from the piano and gathered all the ingredients I needed from the fridge and pantry and proceeded to compose with food. It was late and a fleeting thought crossed my mind, "do I really want to undertake this endeavor at 11:00 at night?" I was at the point of no return, all the parts of the puzzle lay before me on the kitchen counter top ...

The 2 packages of cream cheese
The cup of Ricotta cheese
The two eggs
The 1/2 cup of heavy cream
The cup of fresh blueberries
The 2/3 cup of white chocolate chips
The 3 tablespoons of flour
The 1/3 cup of sugar
The tablespoon of vanilla extract
The package of ready made pie crust

...It would have taken me as much time to change my mind and put all the ingredients away as it would to prepare the cheesecake. And so I continued.

I preheated the oven to 450 and grabbed an 8 or 9 inch spring form pan. At this point, one inch doesn't make a hell of a lot of difference, I thought. I sprayed the sides and bottom of the pan with baker's spray; however, you probably would use some butter. Either way would work fine. Then I got into arts and crafts and cut a circle the size of the pan bottom out of a sheet of parchment paper and sprayed that as well. I laid it on the bottom of the pan. I then rolled out one sheet of the ready made pie crust and carefully set it in the pan, certain to make sure the bottom was well covered as were the sides. I then placed the pan in the oven for about 12 minutes.

While the pie crust was baking, I placed all the ingredients, except the blueberries, into a large bowl and using a hand mixer, began to blend everything together until smooth. Using a spatula, I carefully folded the blueberries into the mixture making sure they were evening mixed throughout. I set the the bowl aside and checked the oven to see the progress of my crust. It was time to remove it and allow it to cool.

I reduced the oven temperature to 350. Once the crust was cooled, which took about 15 minutes, I slowly poured the cheesecake mixture into the pie crust, making sure the bottom was evenly covered. I grabbed a sheet of foil and covered the outside bottom and sides of the pan and returned it back to the oven. It was going to bake for about 60 minutes until ready. I knew that I would need to check back at about 45 minutes to see the progress to make sure it was not burning. But everything was going to be OK.

I now had an hour to myself to do as I pleased. I returned to the piano and looking out the window, noticed the city had disappeared altogether in that thick blanket of fog. I turned my focus back to the piano and began writing my song, as the aroma of Blueberry and White Chocolate Cheesecake slowly began pervading the room.