A lot has changed since my last post.  I am now in culinary arts school and love it.  I have enrolled at the Art Institute of Seattle - International Culinary Arts and will study to graduate with a diploma in Art of Cooking and Baking and Pastry…a dual certificate.

A friend of mine and I were chatting over a glass of wine and she simply asked me what I wanted to do.  I mentioned I loved to travel and loved to cook.  She suggested I do both.  Duh!  In my mind, a person worked as an employee at a business in a town and you bought a house to live in and eventually retired.  I had to get out of that old mold and start looking at life in a new way.  It was my light bulb moment.  Silly thinking about how simple it is to make a decision like changing careers, but it’s where I was at the time.

Flash forward a few months and I’ve investigated a few culinary schools, gone through application and been accepted, and viola!  I’m a student again!  Homework doesn’t look so bad to me now, though I don’t have near enough time to do everything on my plate…but I don’t care.  I’ll make it work.

My first classes are two online and one on ground.  This is a quarter long session so in October I’ll start with sharp knives, new friends, and a chef’s hat!    As I embark on this new direction in my life, I will blog about it and show what I’m learning in culinary school.  I was always curious so I thought I’d share my experience with anyone interested.  I hope you join me and will comment when you can.

In the fall when I have to start practicing what I’m learning, I’ll open up my newest party idea which is called, Portfolio Parties!  I need to develop a portfolio, practicing what I’m learning, so why not make that into a party?  ANY reason is a good reason for a party!  My guests will be able to taste what I’m making and hopefully give me constructive feedback on my presentation…and of course enjoy the food!

Until then, I must study!

This article came from one of my favorite sources, www.realage.com.  I love a great steak on the grill, but I’m not sure it’s worth the price!  Read on!

Hot off the Grill:  Great food that’s good for you!

Sweet corn on the cob, tomatoes from the garden, steak seared on the grill. Could there be a more perfect late summer meal? Yes, but only if you know the healthiest ways to indulge your barbecue habit. Good bet you’ve heard murmurs about grilled meat causing — yes — cancer, and you’ve either tried not to listen or guiltily thought, well, what doesn’t? But here’s the good news: There are a bunch of ways to virtually wipe out the risk. In fact, we’ve found eight of them!

The problem, by the way, is that grilling meat, chicken, and fish — especially if it’s charred or well-done — produces cancer-linked chemicals known as HCAs or HAAs. Animal fat dripping onto hot coals creates another worry: stuff called PAHs. But you don’t have to go flame-free. Just do one or more of the following, which actually tend to make grilled food taste even better.

Is it worth it? You bet: Besides eliminating the guilt, making healthful substitutions when cooking can make your RealAge 3 years younger.

1. Soak it up. Marinating meat boosts flavor and tenderness while slashing production of cancer-causing HCAs by up to 90%, especially if the marinade has an olive oil base. Make your own, or use bottled Italian dressing zinged up with extra garlic.

2. Do kabobs. Small pieces of meat cook faster and produce fewer HCAs than caveman-size slabs do. Thread your protein of choice onto a skewer with lots of veggies (cherry tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, zucchini chunks, onions) and grill until just done.

3. Add a secret ingredient. Making burgers? Mix in 1 teaspoon of wheat bran per pound of ground meat. It keeps burgers juicy, stops HCAs in their tracks, and won’t even register on the carb meter.

4. Finish it fast. Precook meat on the stove or in the oven or microwave earlier in the day, and then finish on the grill for great flavor and those tempting stripes. Precooking also means people won’t have to wait around for ages while dinner cooks.

5. Foiled again. Cover the grate with punctured aluminum foil. No flames, no drips, no HCAs — and no grill clean up, either. Frequently flipping your meat of choice also helps curtail troublemakers.

6. Get skinny. To curtail dripping, trim fat from meat. Cook chicken with the skin on, and then toss the skin. You have nothing to lose but grease, calories, and carcinogens.

7. Have a glass of tea. How about some iced tea with your baby back ribs? Tea’s supercharged antioxidants help neutralize carcinogens.

8. Grill something besides the main course. Bored with broccoli? Sick of sliced fruit? Throw them on the grill. Fruits and veggies don’t produce carcinogens, and many, from pears to pineapple, take surprisingly well to the brazier. Some ideas:

• Marinate portobello mushrooms in French dressing and grill like burgers.
• Serve flame-broiled radicchio brushed with olive oil and orange juice.
• Try these easy-to-prepare Grilled Peach Sundaes from our friends at EatingWell.

We guarantee you won’t miss the beef.

Burn More Fat with These Breakfast Foods

You can give your body a little fat-burning advantage by including items like these in your morning meal: eggs, yogurt, and whole-grain cereal.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day if you’re trying to control your appetite and lose weight, but these three items in particular have been credited with extra fat-burning and pound-dropping powers in recent studies.

How They Help

Eggs: When people on low-calorie diets ate two scrambled eggs with toast and jam for breakfast, they lost 65 percent more weight than the dieters who started their day with a bagel and cream cheese. The protein in eggs probably helps control appetite, so people eat less.

Yogurt: Calcium and other helpful compounds in yogurt may help stop fat storage and turn up fat burn. In one study, obese people on reduced-calorie diets lost 61 percent more fat overall — and even more belly fat — when they ate three 6-ounce servings of yogurt every day. This was compared with the people who had no yogurt in their diets.

Whole-Grain Cereal: Research shows that people lose more belly fat when they replace refined-grain foods with whole grains. All the appetite-controlling fiber they pick up in the process probably accounts for the slimming effect. Plus, whole grains can help control blood sugar and lower blood pressure, and they can even reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers.

Loving all things Italian, I found this recipe at Joe Barkeson’s site, www.wwrecipes.com and thought it sounded yummy!

The Italians have several desserts modeled on the English trifle. Tiramisu is one, and there’s another called zuppa inglese. Here is yet another version from Naples where fresh lemons are in abundance year-round.

Italian Lemon Delight (Delizia al Limone)

4 cups (1 L) milk
The zest and juice of 2 lemons
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup (125 ml) sugar
1/2 cup (125 ml) all-purpose flour
Juice of 2 lemons
2 Tbs (30 ml) brandy, kirsch, or rum
2 Tbs (30 ml) water
1/2 lb (225 g) lady fingers

Heat the milk and lemon zest in a pot over moderate heat just until it almost boils. Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks and sugar until light and pale yellow. Add the flour and beat until thoroughly mixed. Remove the lemon zest from the milk and discard. Add the milk slowly to the egg mixture while beating constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 10 minutes - do not boil. Remove from the heat. Combine the lemon juice, brandy, and water in a small bowl. Place half the lady fingers in the bottom of a trifle dish or glass serving bowl and brush with half the brandy mixture. Pour half the custard over them and repeat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. Serves 6 to 8.

Lemon-Curry Soup

1/2 cup (125 ml) rice
6 cups (1.5 - 2 L) beef, chicken, or vegetable stock
3 eggs
3 Tbs (45 ml) lemon juice
1/2 tsp (2 ml) curry powder
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Chopped fresh cilantro (coriander leaves) or parsley for garnish

Combine the rice and stock in a pot and bring to a boil over moderate heat. Reduce the heat and simmer covered until the rice is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. In a bowl, beat together the eggs, lemon juice, and curry powder. Add about 1/4 cup (60 ml) of the stock and stir. Add the egg mixture to the pot and simmer, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes, until the soup has thickened slightly. Do not boil. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley. Serves 4 to 6.

In the www.wwrecipes.com book, it’s hard to go wrong with Cheddar cheese.  Joe Barkson is particularly fond of the aged, sharper varieties, and this soup will benefit from using the best quality cheese available.

Spicy Cheddar Soup

2 Tbs (30 ml) butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium potato, peeled and grated
2 cups (500 ml) chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups (500 ml) milk
1 cup (250 ml) grated sharp Cheddar cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Cayenne pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a saucepan over moderate heat and saute the onion until tender but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add the grated potato, stock, and milk and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Simmer until the potato has cooked and dissolved into the mixture, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the cheese, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Stir until the cheese is melted. Serves 4 to 6.

Another favorite of mine from www.wwrecipes.com.  What could be better than cheese?  :O)

Cheese-Stuffed Mushroom Caps

1 cup (250 ml) ricotta cheese
1/4 cup (60 ml) finely chopped parsley
1/4 lb (100 g) thinly sliced prosciutto, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 Tbs (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
4 Tbs (60 ml) olive oil
18 medium-sized mushroom caps
2 oz (50 g) mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4 in (5 mm) pieces

In a mixing bowl combine the ricotta, parsley, prosciutto, salt, pepper, and the lemon juice and mix until thoroughly combined. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over high heat and fry the mushroom caps for about 2 minutes on each side, until lightly browned. Remove from the heat. Fill the mushroom caps with the ricotta mixture and top each with some of the mozzarella pieces. Arrange in a shallow baking dish and bake in the center of a 400F (200C) oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until the filling begins to bubble. Brown the tops under a hot broiler for about 30 seconds. Serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.

What a great variation on breakfast eggs!  This is from www.wwrecipes.com.  Try it out!

This Danish variation on bacon and eggs is frequently served as a breakfast or brunch dish, as well as an appetizer as we do here. It is often cooked entirely over low heat on top of the stove, but the baking method helps to prevent the bottom from burning. This dish is called “flaeskeaeggekage” in Danish, and only people experienced with the Danish language should attempt to pronounce it in order to avoid possible injury.

Danish Bacon and Egg Cake (Flaeskeaeggekage)

12 slices bacon
6 - 8 eggs
3 Tbs (45 ml) all-purpose flour
2 cups (500 ml) milk
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Chopped fresh chives for garnish (optional)

Fry the bacon in a 10-inch (25 cm) skillet until crisp. Drain on paper towels and crumble. Discard the fat in the skillet and place half the crumbled bacon in the bottom. Beat together the eggs, flour, milk, salt, and pepper, and pour into the skillet. Bake in a preheated 375F (190C) oven until set, 30 to 40 minutes. Garnish with the remaining bacon and the optional chives. Cut into wedges to serve. Serves 4 to 6.

This sounds so interesting…it’s from www.wwrecipes.com.  Give it a try on one of these cool fall days!

The name “mulligatawny” comes from the southern Indian Tamil language, and I am told it means “pepper water.” As with any recipe that has been around for more than ten minutes, this one has endless variations, including the addition of rice, eggs, shredded coconut, and cream.

Mulligatawny Soup

4 Tbs (60 ml) butter
1/4 cup (60 ml) each diced onion, carrot, and celery
1 green bell pepper (capsicum), finely chopped
1 apple, cored and diced
1 cup (250 ml) raw chicken, cut in small pieces
1/3 cup (85 ml) all-purpose flour
1 tsp (5 ml) curry powder
1/4 tsp (1 ml) ground mace
1/4 tsp (1 ml) ground cloves
5 cup (1.25 L) beef stock
1 cup (250 ml) diced tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat, and cook the onion, carrot, celery, bell pepper, apple, and chicken for 10 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Add the flour, curry powder, mace, cloves, stock and tomatoes and simmer for one hour. Strain the soup through a sieve or colander, saving the broth, and set the chicken pieces aside. Rub the vegetables through a fine sieve or food mill, or combine with some of the reserved broth in an electric blender and puree. Add the pureed vegetables and the reserved chicken to the reserved broth and return to a simmer. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serves 4 to 6.

I haven’t posted much lately because my life is crazy!  What’s new, right? We’re all crazy busy these days.  Anyway, this came across today and sounded way too yummy to pass up!  Here you go!  Somebody make it and tell me how wonderful it is!

This is from www.wwrecipes.com.  Go there.  Browse the recipes.

Everyone loves lemon meringue pie, and in Puerto Rico they take advantage of local limes to give it a tropical twist. Take this to your next pot-luck supper and when people ask, tell them you got the recipe on your last trip to San Juan.

Puerto Rican Lime Meringue Pie (Pastel de Limon)

1  9-inch (22 cm) pie crust, your favorite recipe or packaged

For the filling:
3/4 cup (180 ml) cornstarch (cornflour)
4 egg yolks (reserve the white for the meringue)
2 1/2 cups (675 ml) water
1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh lime juice
2 cups (500 ml) sugar
1 tsp (5 ml) salt
4 Tbs (60 ml) butter

For the meringue:
4 egg whites
1/4 tsp (1 ml) baking powder
1 cup (250 ml) sugar
1 Tbs (15 ml) fresh lime juice

Bake the pie crust in a preheated 350F (180C) oven for about 30 minutes, or according to the package directions, until light golden brown. Cool and set aside.

Combine the cornstarch and 1 cup (250 ml) of the water in a saucepan and whisk until combined. Add the remaining water and filling ingredients and whisk to combine. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until thick and boiling. Pour into the baked pie shell.

Beat the egg whites until stiff. Add the remaining meringue ingredients, beating until thoroughly combined. Top the pie filling with the egg white mixture, spreading it just to the edge of the pie crust. Bake in a preheated 350F (180C) oven for about 15 minutes, until light golden brown. Overcooking will cause the meringue to crack when serving. Cool and refrigerate before serving. Makes one 9-inch pie to serve 6 to 8.