In My Kitchen – January 2014

Tags

2014, cookbook, cuisine, Edward Lee, Smitten Kitchen, Southern

In My Kitchen – January 2014

A lovely new apron made with love by my mother in law…

Three new fantastic cookbooks….

I have made many recipes from the Smitten Kitchen book already. It’s a keeper for sure.  I can’t wait to try recipes from Edward Lee book. He has such a unique view of Southern food! As for the canning book, I am afraid it has already encouraged me to expand my garden plans!

Mostly I have list after list of recipes I can’t wait to try but just don’t have the time (or space in my stomach) to make all at one time. This year I hope to make homemade bacon, stuff more sausage, and make my own cheese and crackers (I have a cheese making class scheduled for later this month).

What is in your kitchen this month? Pop over to Celia’s blog Fig Jam and Lime Cordial to see what is going on in other kitchens around the world.

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Top 10 Recipes of 2013

Tags

2013, blogging, collection, milestones, recipe, resolutions

I love the New Year because it gives us all an opportunity to reflect on the past year. This past year has been a rough one for me personally. It forced me to stretch my personal boundaries and dig deep into my well of inner strength just to make it through. But, like all things, even bad times come to and end, leaving you will lessons learned and even more courage/faith in yourself.

This year has also been one of growth for the blog as well. AnnaShortcakes had 41,965 views this year, with an average of 115 views per day. That’s over 200% more views than last year! I can’t wait to see how the blog changes and grows in 2014.

Thank you so much for reading AnnaShortcakes!

Top 10 Recipes of 2013

Rustic Manicotti

Lavender Liqueur

Rosemary Garlic Grilled Chicken

One Jar Refrigerator Dill Pickles

Thai Crab Soup

Vietnamese Shrimp Quinoa Salad

Mustard Marinated Grilled Brussels Sprouts

Spicy Crispy Chickpeas

Coconut Cranberry Chocolate Granola Bars

Limoncello-Gin Cocktail with Thyme

 

Dandelion Jelly

Tags

dandelion, foraging, gluten free, jelly, Kentucky Proud, traditional, weed

Dandelions are perhaps one of the easiest wild edibles to obtain. Even if you live in a concrete jungle, I bet you can find dandelions. With the Latin name Taraxacum officinale, the common dandelion is completely edible. The leaves can be eaten raw or cooked down as greens. The blossoms can be used to make wine and this jelly. The ground root can be used as a coffee substitute. Medicinal uses include use as a laxative and as mosquito repellent. And since they are so recognizable to so many people, there is very little chance you will pick the wrong thing…

To make the tea, go out to your back yard and pick 10 cups of blossoms. They add up fast so don’t despair. I bet if you don’t have enough in your yard, I bet your neighbors will share.

When you have them all collected, you have to remove the green parts from the yellow petals. There are two ways to do this. Pull them apart with your fingers. Use scissors to cut the yellow off the green. I prefer the scissors method.

When you have collected 4 cups of yellow petals, pour 4 cups of boiling water over the petals. Allow to sit until room temperature or overnight (the later is better). When you are ready to make your jelly, strain the tea through a coffee filter to remove the petals and any other solids(hopefully no bugs). This is your tea. You can refrigerate it a bit longer if you are not ready to make the jelly quite yet.

Dandelion Jelly

• 3 cups dandelion tea (see above)
• 4 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 box powdered pectin

Add dandelion tea, lemon juice, 1 box of pectin and sugar into large saucepan. Bring to a boil and continue boiling 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and fill jars, leaving 1/4 inch of head space. Top with your sterilized lids and rings. Tighten and allow to cool. If they do not seal, place them in the fridge. They can keep up to 2 months. The final product tastes a bit like honey…

Why You Should Visit the Local Farmer’s Market…

Tags

farmers markets, fresh, heirloom, Kentucky Proud, local, shop, vegetables

Want to buy gorgeously fresh produce that tastes better than anything you’ve ever bought at the grocery?

Want to support your local economy?

Want to eat pesticide free?

Want to know where you food actually comes from?

Shop at your local farmer’s market! Don’t know where to find a farmer’s market near you? Check out this website! In the Lexington area, check out this link.

The gorgeous bread pictured below is from the Berea Farmer’s Market. Photo credit to my friend, Beth.

Mountain Mushroom Festival 2013

Tags

festival, food, fungi, Kentucky, Kentucky Proud, morel, mushroom, wild

These are morel mushrooms.

They are a special culinary delicacy, going for as much as $50 per pound fresh. As a child, my family and I used to hunt for these special woodland gems. Each family has it’s own secret tricks. In an old apple orchard. In an elm stand, a cedar grove. My grandfather insists that you must place the mushrooms in an old paper sugar sack so they don’t sweat or break down.

The City of Irvine hosts the annual Mountain Mushroom Festival each spring. I went with my good friends, David and Kathryn, and met up with some of their friends. We walked through the booths and looked for goodies.

Gotta love the cheese dip on the chin!

We discovered the typical fair concession food, including corn dogs, cheese steak sandwiches, and lemonade. And some locally ground grits and cornmeal…. We saw some interestingly dressed people. And a llama. Emu eggs. Random junk sold as treasure.

The Mushroom Festival also featured an Agate Hunt/Gem & Mineral Show. (For those who don’t know what agates are, check out this link.) Aren’t they just lovely?

It was a wonderful little weekend trip. It was great to spend time with some awesome people celebrating an equally awesome fungi. (Recipes using morels to follow later this week).

Kathryn and I in front of a giant wooden morel.

*The first and fourth photos taken by Kathryn. The rest by me.

In My Kitchen ~ May 2013

Tags

2013, cocktail, flowers, kitchen, lavender, lemon, marshmallows, May, sea salt

May brings flowers to my yard….

May brings fantastic gifts from wonderful friends to my kitchen….

Such as spearmint marshmallows (you can buy them here)…

 

Alaskan Pure Sitka Spruce Tip Sea Salt (you can buy it here)…

May brings lemon lavender cocktails to my sunny porch….

 

May brings my birthday (27!) and another list of things to do to celebrate the next year of life…

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check out figjamandlimecordial for more In My Kitchen posts.

 

Peppered Brie

Tags

appetizer, brie, cheese, food, peppered, umami

I love brie. Who doesn’t? This brie is special. It’s rind is studded with cracked pepper. Imagine spicy creamy umami.

There are so many great uses for this brie. Besides as a delicious appetizer.

Mixed Mushroom and Brie Sliders with Balsamic Reduction

Brie, Basil, Bacon and Blue Grilled Cheese

Caramelized Onion & Mushroom Brie Grilled Cheese

In My Kitchen – March 2013

Tags

2013, food, kitchen, march, strawberries

In my kitchen…

… are two adorable little mugs from my grandmother. They were freebies from Nestle, back when companies used to entice you to buy their products with promises of neat little things (provided you collect and mail in enough UPC codes). I remember drinking weak instant coffee out of these mugs when I was little. When Grammy offered them to me, I was thrilled to get them. Now when I am homesick, I drink out of them and remember good things from my childhood.

In my kitchen…

… is Baby Lurch, the new aloe vera plant. My friend Christine has the original Lurch, who apparently is trying to take over her home. I hope Baby Lurch is an enthusiastic grower too!

In my kitchen…

… is this adorable little swizzle stick. I bought it at an antique store years ago because it was so neat. I don’t really have a use for it so it will decorate Baby Lurch’s temporary cup home.

In my kitchen…

… is a gorgeous bowl of strawberries. I couldn’t resist them. They tasted as good as they looked.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check out figjamandlimecordial for more In My Kitchen posts.

In My Kitchen – February 2013

Tags

citrus, February, Julia Child, Mardi Gras, NOLA, tangelos, truffle butter

In my kitchen…

… is an exciting used book store find – Mastering the Art of French Cooking Book 1 by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, and Simone Beck. I got it for a stunningly cheap $14.50 and just had to have it. This month I hope to read it through cover to cover. It does such a wonderful job telling the reader the practical reasons behind why we do what we do in the kitchen.

In my kitchen…

… is a little tub of black truffle butter. I have yet to find a recipe worthy of it’s awesomeness. I want the butter to be the star of the recipe. Any ideas?

In my kitchen…

… is a Minneola tangelo. This little baby is a new variety carried by my grocery and is a cross between a tangerine and a grapefruit. I just had to try one. Characterized by an easy to remove peel, this citrus is sweet with only a mild tartness. Best of all- no seeds!

Sorry this month’s In My Kitchen is so short. There are a bunch of new ideas but nothing tangible enough to photograph. Stay tuned for future awesome posts devoted to NOLA cuisine and bachelor friendly food. Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check out figjamandlimecordial for more In My Kitchen posts.

In My Kitchen – January 2013

Tags

blogging, citrus, January, kitchen, tools

2012 was a year of growth.

Growth of this blog – AnnaShortcakes reached 20,000 views and featured 253 new posts.

My cousins and I at Big Ed’s Pizza in Oak Ridge, TN.

Growth of this novice chef – I tried new things like wine tasting, smoking meat, canning Pear Vanilla Jam and Lemon Curd, gardening on my own (normally done with my extended family), and traveled to new places like Mount Vernon, Virginia and Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia.

I can’t wait to see what the New Year holds. I am adding a new monthly post called “In My Kitchen” inspired by Fig and Lime Cordial‘s Celia. I have already added a Twitter account; you can follow me at @annashortcakes.  I also plan to travel more, try new foods, and continue my search for fantastic new recipes.

In my kitchen…

… is the KitchenAid Stand Mixer Attachment Pack that includes a slicer, a grinder, and sausage stuffer attachment. A gift from my thoughtful hubby. I cannot wait to try it out. If you have meat you want fresh ground, we can go halves on the meat. I hope someone brings me a deer carcass. I am going to use the grinder to quick chop all kinds of summer vegetables to speed the canning process for my mother-in-law’s tomato soup recipe.

In my kitchen…

… is a gorgeous Pampered Chef baking stone. Thanks to my in-laws for this awesome gift. I can’t wait to bake like crazy!

In my kitchen…

… is a bowl full of real Florida grapefruit. Picked by a family friend from the tree in their yard, these grapefruits are way better than any you might buy in the store. And the uglier they are, the better they taste.

In my kitchen…

… is a bottle of Cranberry-Lime Infused Vodka ready for me to buy the limeade concentrate so we can try the crantini.

What is in your kitchen this month?