On the Sunny Side of a Desert Island & Lemon-Lime Squares

It’s one of those questions that pops up from time to time. In college, it was asked late at night. Fed up with studying, we’d close our books and mull over a beer and a bowl of popcorn. Today it might get asked over dessert and coffee towards the end of a dinner party. Then and now, it almost always guarantees that no one’s going to bed anytime soon.

Stranded on a desert island, who would you want to have with you? I’m sure that many people would go for one of the hunky carpenters on the do-it-yourself channel. Or a brainy scientist for a flashback to the professor and Gilligan’s Island. Sure I’d be happy to have one or both along but I’d also bring my mom. She would make a great companion on a desert island. Besides with Mothers’ Day on Sunday, I wouldn’t want to spend the day without her.

“Your mother?” You ask incredulously. “Really, your mother?” You ask again. Not wishing to seem rude, you pause, change gear and politely ask, “Does your mom have some kind of special, super hero power?” Well, sort of. My mother’s special power is her undeniable, indefatigable exuberance for life. She won’t go all MacGyver on you but she is the ultimate optimist.

Mom has Alzheimer’s and requires 24×7 care. Last summer, we were forced to realize that it was past time for her to move into assisted living. Our dad was in the hospital, so my sister and I made the arrangements and helped her move. After getting Mom settled in, Brenda and I paused in the parking lot to share a tearful hug. Just because something is inevitable doesn’t mean it won’t make you feel very sad. It somehow made it worse that Mom has always been the one to cheer us up and reassure us that everything would be alright. We hugged again.

If you have ever met my mother, it will not surprise you to learn that Mom has indeed found ways to let us and everyone around her know that everything’s going to be alright. True, her memory has failed her. Language sometimes fails her as well. But her smile never does. Her good heart never does. Her optimism never fails her.

My mother is one of those people who walks on the sunny side of the street. And, whether you want to or not, she’ll gently take your hand and bring you along with her.

So yes, I would bring my mother to that desert island. She doesn’t carry a Swiss Army knife or duct tape. She won’t find a dozen coconuts and some driftwood and turn them into a sturdy, seaworthy raft. Don’t look to Mom’s help when it’s time to build a hut or catch a fish. Or even cook that fish.

Instead, she’ll smile her beautiful smile and tell you that you are the best. Mom knows that she doesn’t need to build anything or catch anything. She has complete and utter confidence in you and your ability to do it.

So watch out, her optimism is infectious. Before you know it, you will be climbing up trees for coconuts and starting fires with two sticks. Plus she’ll have you laughing and singing songs you haven’t thought of in years. Yes, I would want Mom with me. She’d make sure I stayed on the sunny side of the island.

Happy Mothers’ Day Mom and a big hug, kiss and thank you!

Bon appétit!

Lemon-Lime Squares
Mom loves lemons and limes and these tart squares are among her favorites. They’ll make a great dessert after a casual Mothers’ Day lunch. Enjoy!
Makes 24 squares

Shortbread Base
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter, cut in small pieces

Lemon-Lime Topping
4 large eggs
3/4 cup 50/50 mix of freshly squeezed lemon and lime juices
1 1/2 cups sugar
Pinch salt
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Confectioners’ sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 9×13-inch baking pan.

Make the shortbread base: Put the flour, brown sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and continue to pulse until the dough begins to come together in small lumps. Put the shortbread dough in the prepared baking pan and press evenly into the pan.

Bake the shortbread at 350 degrees in the middle of the oven until golden, about 20 minutes.

Prepare the topping while the shortbread is baking: Put the eggs, citrus juices, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process until well combined. Add the zest and flour and process again until well combined.

Remove the shortbread from the oven and pour the lemon mixture over the hot shortbread. Reduce the temperature to 300 degrees and return the pan to the oven. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the topping has set.

Cool completely in the pan and cut into squares. Sift confectioners’ sugar over the squares before serving.

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One Year Ago – Tarte à l’Oignon (Onion Tart)
Two Years Ago – Honeyed Apricots with Creamy Yogurt
Three Years Ago – Black & White Brownies
Four Years Ago – Rhubarb MuffinsOr Click Here! for a complete list of and links to all the recipes on this blog!

What’s your mother’s special super power? Feel free to share. Let’s get a conversation going.

Want more? I’ve got links to lots more to read, see & cook as well as a day in the life photoblog! In addition, I hope that you will take a minute to learn about my philanthropic project Eat Well-Do Good. © Susan W. Nye, 2013

April Vacation & Peanut-y Chocolate Chip Cookies

What to do during April vacation? It certainly is a dilemma. Okay, maybe it’s only a dilemma if you’re stuck in the chilly, gray north. A vacation is hardly a vacation when cloudy days and muddy yards make outside play uninviting at best. And a disaster waiting to happen to your carpets at worse. If you’re one of the lucky ones, problem solved – you’re soaking up the sun on a beach somewhere.

For those without the time, inclination or budget for a family trip to Disney World or the Bahamas, April vacation can be a challenge. Reminding the kids of the wonderful week of skiing, sledding and snowball fights you shared in February will not solve your current and very pressing problem. Like generations of children before them, they are battling a severe case of the April Vacation Boredom Blues. That’s Boredom with a capital B stuck-in-the-house Blues.

So what do you do with a house full of bored kids for a week? Well, you could send them to Nana and Grandpa. How many times have your parents or in-laws told you how much they miss their grandchildren? They’ll be delighted to entertain them … at least for a day or two.

Whether you are a parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle, if you’ve got kids at home this vacation week, here are a few ideas to keep everyone busy and happy.

Hit the road. When the going gets rough, the tough take a field trip. Kindle your kids’ interest in science with a trip to the planetarium or aquarium. Awaken the budding artist with a museum visit. If your children have an interest in history, take them to an antique house or village or the historical society. And don’t forget a visit to the library.

When in doubt, choose a place which interests you. By sharing your love of music, art, history or science, you may find a kindred spirit.

Laugh ‘til you cry or be inspired. Check the newspaper, web or video store for movies. Whether you take in the latest comedy or a classic bio-pic, a great movie will lift you out of the ho-hum and humdrum of another rainy afternoon. An ice cream afterwards is not a bad way to finish the adventure.

Do a good deed. And another. Simple acts of kindness work wonders on everybody’s disposition on a dreary day. When we stayed with my grandparents, my sister Brenda and I frequently ran errands for Nana. She always shared her morning newspaper with the lady up the street. Off we went after breakfast to deliver the paper. Sometimes Nana added a pint of berries, a cup of chowder or a piece of pie. After delivering the paper and pie, we took at least a few minutes to chat with Nana’s friend. And then a few minutes more to play with Brownie, her cocker spaniel.

There are many things your children can do to help others. From baking cookies for the neighbors to spending a morning sorting cans at a food bank, you needn’t look far to find a deed in need of doing. The experience will be even better if you do it together.

Suddenly a dull and boring week is anything but. Enjoy the vacation with your children or grandchildren and bon appétit!

Peanut-y Chocolate Chip Cookies
My mother moved into the local nursing home last summer. About once a month I do a baking demonstration and tasting for her and her pals. These cookies were given a big thumbs up by one and all! Enjoy!

Makes about 5 dozen cookies

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips (try the minis)
1 cup chopped peanuts

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Put the flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl and whisk to combine.

Put the butter and sugars in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the vanilla and beat to combine. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until smooth.

Gradually add the dry ingredients and beat until just combined.

Stir in the chocolate chips and peanuts.

Using a mini ice cream scoop or 2 spoons, drop the batter onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Be sure to enjoy at least one while it is still warm.

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One Year Ago – Thai Curried Shrimp and Green Beans
Two Years Ago – Asparagus Risotto
Three Years Ago – Fennel & Feta Salad
Four Years Ago – Dandelion Salad with Grilled Steak, Potatoes & Asparagus
Or Click Here! for a complete list of and links to all the recipes on this blog!

What’s your favorite way to spend a rainy, gray or otherwise miserable day? Let’s get a conversation going.

Want more? I’ve got links to lots more to read, see & cook as well as a day in the life photoblog! In addition, I hope that you will take a minute to learn about my philanthropic project Eat Well-Do Good. © Susan W. Nye, 2013

It’s Maple Sugaring Season & Maple Mousse with Apple Compote

With daylight savings time knocking me off balance last week and the first day of spring on Wednesday, the calendar is insisting that spring has sprung. Between you and me, I’d hardly call the mountainous snow banks in my driveway spring-like. But as long as I can still eke out a few more days of skiing, I relish the longer, warmer days.

In spite of climbing daytime temperatures, the nights are still pretty darn cold. This change in the weather heralds not just the tail end of winter but sugaring season. Take a long walk through the country and you may spot a few metal buckets hanging from maple trees. Or more likely you’ll see a strange tangle of plastic tubing running from tree to tree.

Farmers across New England are collecting sap from their sugar maples. Depending on the weather, maple syrup production can begin as early as February and can continue through to April. Freezing nights and warm days are needed to get the sap flowing. To draw the sap, taps or spouts are inserted into the trees. Historically, buckets were then hung on the taps to collect the sap. Today most syrup producers use plastic tubing instead of buckets. While less picturesque, this innovation saves the back breaking work of gathering and emptying bucket after bucket of sap. The tubing deposits the sap directly into large metal tanks.

After collecting the sap, it goes to the sugar house for sugaring-off. Sugaring-off is the simple, but long and tedious process of boiling the sap until the sugars concentrate into sweet syrup. Since sap runs during the day, traditionally sugaring-off has been done at night. It takes lots and lots of boiling and evaporation to transform the watery sap into the golden syrup we enjoy on our pancakes. One gallon of pure maple syrup starts out as roughly forty gallons of sap. Long past midnight and into the wee hours of the morning, sap boils and slowly turns to gold.

Not surprisingly, all that boiling produces lots and lots of steam. Unless you want to turn your house into a sauna; don’t try to make syrup inside. It’s best to do your sugaring-off in a well-ventilated sugar house. Drive through rural New England and you will see large sheds in many backyards. If the shed has a stovepipe, it may do more than store lawnmowers and snow blowers. Chances are good, it’s a sugar house.

But what if your shed has no chimney and is packed with old bicycles, lawn furniture, flotsam and jetsam? You can still join in the fun with a trip to a sugarhouse. Maple Weekend is this Saturday and Sunday, March 23rd and 24th. Across New Hampshire farmers will be opening their doors and welcoming visitors. It’s a great opportunity to meet some of the people who bring a little sweetness to your mornings. You can see firsthand how maple syrup is made and enjoy a taste of New Hampshire gold. For a list of participating sugarhouses and more information visit The New Hampshire Maple Producers website.

Enjoy the sweet taste of spring in New Hampshire and bon appétit!

Maple Mousse with Apple Compote
Not just for breakfast, maple syrup is great for dessert! Enjoy.
Serves 6

1 teaspoon gelatin
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup cider
1-2 tablespoons dark rum
4 eggs yolks
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces
1/3 cup cold sour cream
1 cup very cold heavy cream
Apple Compote (recipes follows)
About 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Prepare an ice bath in a large, shallow bowl and set aside.

Place 2 tablespoons water in a cup, sprinkle with the gelatin and let stand for 10 minutes to soften.

Whisk the maple syrup, cider, yolks and salt together in a small, heavy saucepan. Set over low heat and, stirring constantly, cook until the custard reaches 165 degrees on a candy thermometer.

Remove the pan from heat. Add the butter, 1 piece at a time, whisking until incorporated. Pass through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Add the gelatin mixture to the maple custard and whisk to combine. Set the bowl in an ice bath, and whisking frequently, cool to room temperature. Cover and chill the custard in the refrigerator for about 1 hour.

Stir the sour cream into the maple custard. Whip the heavy cream until medium-stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the custard.

Divide the mousse among 6 dessert glasses or bowls, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours. Serve with a dollop of Apple Compote and a sprinkle of toasted walnuts.

Apple Compote
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 pound Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1 cup apple cider
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon dark rum
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Pinch salt
1/4 cup raisins or craisins

Melt the butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apples and sauté until golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer the apples to a bowl and reserve.

In the same skillet, combine the apple cider, maple syrup, rum, cinnamon ,cloves and salt and bring to a boil. Continue to boil until reduced by about half, about 10 minutes.

Add the raisins and return the apples to the skillet. Bring to simmer, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 3-5 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

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One Year Ago – Moroccan Chicken with Preserved Lemons
Two Years Ago – Grilled Strip Steak with Gorgonzola Sauce
Three Years Ago – Linguine with Sundried Tomato Pesto & Roasted Eggplant
Four Years Ago – Fettuccine with Classic Bolognese Sauce Or Click Here! for a complete list of and links to all the recipes on this blog!

What your favorite Maple Syrup recipe? Let’s get a conversation going.

Want more? I’ve got links to lots more to read, see & cook as well as a day in the life photoblog! In addition, I hope that you will take a minute to learn about my philanthropic project Eat Well-Do Good. © Susan W. Nye, 2013

Romantic Gestures & White Chocolate Mousse with Raspberry Coulis & Fresh Raspberries

Are you planning one of those big romantic gestures for Valentine’s Day? They seem to be quite the rage on YouTube and the morning news programs. You know what I’m talking about. Love declared and marriage proposed with brass bands, enough dancers to rival a Super Bowl half-time show, sky-writing, balloons and really big signs. Then there are the more intimate gestures. The kind that don’t make the morning news. Quiet but still grand, a rose petal path leads to a flower-filled, candle-lit bedroom. Romantic music floats in the background, champagne chills in an elegant ice bucket and plump strawberries fill a silver bowl. Or maybe that’s just in the movies?!? I hope not.

But what if you are too shy to declare your love before a cast of thousands or worried that all those candles will set the house on fire. Or at the very least trigger the smoke alarm and ruin the mood. Not to worry. Instead of big, lavish declarations of devotion, think about practicing small romantic gestures on February 14th and every day of the year. Here are a few suggestions:

Hug and hold hands. If asked to name a romantic couple, I would wager that few people would mention their grandparents. But well into their seventies and eighties, my mother’s parents were like young lovebirds. When I picture them together my grandfather’s arm is either gently wrapped around my grandmother’s shoulders or waist or they’re holding hands. Activities which encourage handholding or snuggling are always a good bet for kindling romance. Try a walk on a windswept beach, ice skating or cuddling in front of the fire.

Give flowers. When I lived in Switzerland I was on airplanes almost every week. From time to time my boyfriend surprised me at the airport. I was delighted to find him waiting in the arrivals hall with a single red rose. He did it once or twice a month and it was always a lovely surprise.

Keep those cards and letters coming. Charlie Brown agonized over sending a Valentine to the little red-haired girl. Don’t agonize, don’t hesitate; send a card. It can be sweet, funny or sentimental; even sappy. On Valentine’s or any day, tuck a card or note in your sweetheart’s briefcase or lunchbox. Heck, when life gets crazy busy, a sweet note on a Post-It will do.

Dance. It doesn’t matter if you have two left feet. It’s not a competition and there are no judges. Learn to tango or take ballroom dance classes. If it all sounds too complicated, or too public, just sway to your favorite music in your living room or under the stars. After all, dancing is just hugging with music.

Find the time. Is your life too busy to spend an evening alone together? Try lunch in a special restaurant or enjoy a picnic in the park, by the lake or in a sunny meadow. Any time of year is a great time for a picnic, even winter. Hike or cross country ski to a beautiful, sunny spot. Share a loaf of crusty bread, a little cheese and fruit and a bottle of wine in the sunshine. A decadent chocolate truffle is the perfect, crowning touch for your romantic picnic. Not the outdoorsy type, bring it all inside and enjoy your feast in front of a roaring fire.

Have a wonderful celebration with your Valentine and,

Bon appétit!

White Chocolate Mousse with Raspberry Coulis & Fresh Raspberries
Want a sweet finish to your romantic dinner for two! Enjoy!
Serves 4-6

7-8 ounces good quality white chocolate, chopped
3 egg yolks
1-2 tablespoons honey
Grated zest and juice of 1 orange
Pinch salt
Pinch nutmeg
Pinch cloves
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 ounces mascarpone cheese
1 cup very cold heavy cream
Raspberry Coulis (recipe follows)
Fresh raspberries for garnish

Prepare an ice bath in a large, shallow bowl and set aside.

Put the chocolate in a large, microwave safe bowl and cook on high in the microwave for 30 seconds. Continue to zap the chocolate at 10 second intervals until it starts to melt. Set aside.

Whisk the yolks, honey, orange juice, spices and salt together in a small, heavy saucepan until light and frothy. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the custard registers 170 degrees on a candy thermometer.

Remove the pan from the heat and pour the custard through a mesh sieve into the bowl with the warm chocolate. Let the custard sit for a few minutes to melt the chocolate and whisk until smooth. Add the Grand Marnier, vanilla and orange zest and whisk to combine.

Set the bowl of custard in the ice bath and stir frequently until completely cooled.

Beat the mascarpone in a large bowl with an electric mixer, slowly add the cream and continue beating until stiff peaks form.

Gently fold the whipped cream into the cooled custard, cover and chill for several hours.

To serve: drizzle Raspberry Coulis onto individual plates, add dollops of mousse and garnish with fresh raspberries.

Raspberry Coulis
Make about 1 cup

12 ounces fresh or frozen raspberries
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Juice of 1 orange
2 tablespoons sugar or to taste
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier

If using frozen raspberries, thaw the berries.

Put the citrus juices, sugar and Grand Marnier in a blender and process to combine. Let sit for several minutes until the sugar dissolves. Add the berries and process until smooth.

Strain the coulis through a fine-mesh sieve and discard the seeds. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

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One Year Ago – Mixed Greens with Roasted Beets & Lentils
Two Years Ago – Chicken Niçoise
Three Years Ago – Greek Pizza
Four Years Ago – Triple Threat Brownies

Or Click Here! for a complete list of and links to all the recipes on this blog!

How will you celebrate Valentine’s Day? Let’s get a conversation going.

Want more? I’ve got links to lots more to read, see & cook as well as a day in the life photoblog! In addition, I hope that you will take a minute to learn about my philanthropic project Eat Well-Do Good. © Susan W. Nye, 2013

Gastro-Anthropology & Pumpkin Cheesecake

I love Thanksgiving. Having grown up in Massachusetts, the holiday has special meaning. Every year, from kindergarten on, our teachers gave us special Pilgrim projects. It started with construction paper pilgrim hats and headdresses. Later we studied New World agriculture. My lasting take away was that dead fish were used as fertilizer. Of course we read the famous Longfellow poem about Priscilla Mullins’ romantic entanglements with Miles Standish and John Alden. There must have been more but those are the highlights. Party hats, dead fish and a love triangle.

Except for the big family dinner. My mom always made a big deal about Thanksgiving. For two or three days, she (who never really liked to cook) cooked up a storm. Mom stuck with tradition. Generation after generation, decade after decade, no one but no one had ever dared mess with the menu. There was turkey with gravy and bread stuffing, oyster dressing, butternut squash, turnip, creamed onions and mashed potatoes followed by pies, apple and pumpkin.

And then I moved to Switzerland. The Swiss do not celebrate Thanksgiving and, to add insult to injury, they frequently confuse it with Halloween. Even half a world away, I could not ignore this day of thanks. I decided to invite a dozen or so friends and colleagues for dinner. But not just any dinner, I promised them an authentic, New England Thanksgiving feast.

About a week before the party, I sat down with paper, pencil and the Fanny Farmer Cookbook. As I worked on my shopping list, it hit me. For my first big dinner party in my newly adopted country, I was going to serve a brown, alright make that brown and beige, dinner. Even dessert, apple pie, was brown. Then again, there would be cranberry sauce. So change that. This newbie expatriate (and newbie cook) was going to serve a brown dinner with jam.

But I had promised authentic and, so, I plunged ahead.

A poultry farm in Arkansas shipped frozen turkeys to Switzerland. I had never cooked a turkey but there were directions on the shrink-wrap. (As well as a warning to remove the gizzards.) My mother’s old standby, Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix, was nowhere to be found but fabulous artisanal bread was everywhere. The nearest butternut squash was an ocean away but Cinderella had left a slew of pumpkins. The market had of plenty of potatoes, onions and my favorite Granny Smith apples.

I could do this.

The party was all set for Saturday night. On Thursday (Thanksgiving Day), I left work early and shopped ‘til I dropped. Friday evening, fortified with a glass of wine and Fanny Farmer, I chopped and stirred until well past midnight. The next morning I was up at dawn for more chopping and stirring plus peeling and mashing, stuffing, trussing and basting.

Finally, with the turkey just about done, the doorbell rang. I greeted my guests nervously and explained that our authentic feast would be … in a word … monochromatic. Thankfully, my friends were polite, even curious. Not a disparaging word was heard. Indeed everyone seemed ready to embrace the experience and asked lots of questions. To this day I am convinced they saw the evening as an anthropological adventure.

Sitting down to dinner, we shared joyful toasts of thanks. Before long, the magic kicked in and dinner was less about brown food and more about good conversation, laughter and friendship.

I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving. Bon appétit!

Pumpkin Cheesecake
Although brown, this rich and creamy cheesecake was not served at my first Thanksgiving party. I added it to the menu in the late nineties and it became an instant favorite. Enjoy!
Serves 12-16

30-40 (enough for 2 cups finely ground crumbs) gingersnap cookies
2 tablespoons brown sugar
5 tablespoons butter, melted
2 pounds cream cheese at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups pumpkin purée
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon cognac or pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cloves
Garnish: whipped cream

Set a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Break the gingersnaps into pieces, put in a food processor and process until finely ground. Add the brown sugar and pulse to combine.

Put the cookie crumbs and butter in 10-inch springform pan and mix with a fork until well combined. Firmly press the crumbs into the bottom and about 1/2-inch up the sides of the pan. Tightly wrap the bottom and sides of the pan in two large sheets of heavy duty aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool the pan on a rack. Do not remove the foil.

Meanwhile, put the cream cheese, sugar and spices in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until smooth. Add the pumpkin, cream and cognac and beat until well combined.

Pour the pumpkin mixture into the springform pan and carefully place it in a large roasting pan. Add enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the springform pan.

Bake at 350 degrees until the cheesecake is golden, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Carefully lift the cheesecake from the roasting pan and remove the foil. Cool the cheesecake in the springform pan to room temperarture on a rack. Still in the springform pan, cover and refrigerate overnight.

Using a thin knife, carefully cut around sides of the pan to loosen the cheesecake. Release the springform sides, cut the cheesecake into thin wedges and serve with a small dollop of whipped cream.

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One Year Ago – Rustic Apple Croustade
Two Years Ago – Cranberry Sauce
Three Years Ago – Decadent Cheesy Potatoes
Four Years Ago – Broccoli Puree

Or Click Here! for a complete list of and links to all the recipes on this blog!

How will you spend Election Night? I’d love to hear from you! Let’s get a conversation going.

Want more? I’ve got links to lots more to read, see & cook as well as a day in the life photoblog! In addition, I hope that you will take a minute to learn about my philanthropic project Eat Well-Do Good. © Susan W. Nye, 2012

Ride the Wind & Blueberry Soup with Mascarpone Cream

The evenings are already a little cooler. The sun rises a little later and sets a little earlier. Our too short summer is coming to an end. Before it’s gone, celebrate the last warm breezes with Ride the Wind Day.

Yes, I know. There seems to be a day for everything. But who wouldn’t want to celebrate Wiggle Your Toes Day, S’mores Day and Tell a Joke Day? I can’t find a Love a Writer Day (of course, I checked) but there should be.

Anyway, back to Ride the Wind Day. Conceived to celebrate human-powered flight, I figure just about any flight will do. There are lots of ways to make the day special. You can …

• Take off in a jumbo jet to some romantic or exotic place,
• Whirl over your favorite city in a helicopter,
• If you’re brave, try a go at parachuting or maybe wing walking,
• Soar high above the hills in a hang glider or
• Sip champagne while gently floating above the late summer fields in a hot air balloon.

It’ll feel like flying if you …

• Race down a huge hill at top speed on your bicycle,
• Skim across the lake on a single ski, jumping up and over the wake,
• Ride the zip lines at Mount Sunapee,
• Fly over the rails on a roller coaster or
• Feel the wind in your hair as you cruise down the highway in a sporty convertible.

Then again, with the waning summer sun, there is no better time to enjoy a flight of fancy. Now is a good time to …

• Fly kites with your favorite kids on a sunny beach,
• Chase butterflies or fireflies, or both,
• Break through the trees and touch the sky on the top of Mount Kearsarge. On a clear day you can see forever,
• Visit a school yard and ride the swings to heaven and back,
• Throw out your arms and spin like a top until you get that dizzy, floating feeling,
• Climb high into a tree and watch the world go by from your hidden perch,
• Take a deep breath and leap off the rock at Blueberry Island,
• Buy an enormous bouquet of bright red helium balloons and share them with friends, family and strangers,
• Play some of your favorite music and let your spirit soar. Vivaldi, Miles Davis and Donna Summer works for me, how about you? Or, finally,
• Find a sunny meadow and just sit and dream as you watch the clouds drift by.

Enjoy the final days of summer and bon appétit!

Blueberry Soup with Mascarpone Cream
Celebrate Ride the Wind Day on August 23rd with a sweet and fruity dessert soup. A fluffy white cloud of Mascarpone Cream floats atop the deep blue soup. Enjoy!
Serves 6

About 1 1/2 pounds frozen blueberries *
1/2 cup sugar
1-inch piece ginger, chopped
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch cloves
Grated zest of 1 orange, divided
Grated zest of 1 lime, divided
Juice of 2-3 oranges
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier (optional)
Mascarpone Cream (recipe follows)
About 1 pint or more fresh blueberries, chilled

Combine the frozen blueberries, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, half of the zest and all of the orange juice in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool for about 10 minutes

Transfer the blueberries to a blender and process until smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, pressing on the solids to release as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids. Stir the Grand Marnier and remaining zest into the soup, cover and chill until very cold.

To serve: divide the soup into individual bowls or goblets, add fresh blueberries and a dollop of Mascarpone Cream.

* You can use fresh blueberries for the soup base but frozen berries work best because they release lots of juice. If you decide to use fresh blueberries, you may need to add a few more berries and extra orange juice.

Mascarpone Cream
4 ounces mascarpone
1 cup very cold heavy cream
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Grated zest of 1 orange
Juice of 1/2 orange
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch nutmeg

Put the mascarpone, brown sugar, orange juice and zest, vanilla and nutmeg in a bowl and beat until smooth using an electric mixer on medium-low speed.

Slowly add the heavy cream and gradually increase the mixer speed to high and whip until soft peaks form.

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One Year Ago – Grilled Corn, Black Bean & Avocado Salsa
Two Years Ago – Crostini with Goat Cheese
Three Years Ago – Corn & Chicken Chowder
Four Years Ago – Joe Nye’s Perfect Lobster Or Click Here! for a complete list of and links to all the recipes on this blog!

How will you ride the wind on August 23rd? I’d love to hear from you! Let’s get a conversation going.

Want more? I’ve got links to lots more to read, see & cook as well as a day in the life photoblog! In addition, I hope that you will take a minute to learn about my philanthropic project Eat Well-Do Good. © Susan W. Nye, 2012

Fun Chippies & Blackberry Chocolate Chip Frozen Yogurt

Every family has its own mini subculture. At least mine does or did. Throughout my childhood we shared a few habits and traditions that helped knit our family together. Traditions like:
• Presents on Christmas Day, not Eve. I think my sister, brother and I were a little envious of the kids who opened their presents on Christmas Eve.
• We always stayed on the beach until the very last possible moment on Labor Day, before heading back to the ‘burbs. We were never envious of the kids who left a few days early to shoe shop and buy notebooks.
• Chips with lobster – I was shocked the first time I had lobster at someone else’s house. They served potato salad and not chips. It seemed positively barbarian.
The list goes on and on. We still follow a lot of these little habits but not all.

There are jokes and stories that no gets but us. No matter how hilarious we find them and ourselves, no one else seems to. And finally, there is the language thing. Yes we speak English but we have a few special words to describe this or that. For example:
• We never had leftovers; we had Slusser’s Delight and breadandwithit. Although, there was never any bread.
• After a long, busy day, we were known to have a sinking spell. When that happened, we didn’t put on our jammies, we got into our nonni-nunus and relaxed in front of the television.
• And our favorite ice cream was filled with fun chippies<.em>.

We discovered fun chippies soon after we began spending our summers on Pleasant Lake. Mass market and chain restaurant ice creams paled in comparison to the homemade delights at the Grey House. There was no gum, no Arabic, no stabilizers or fillers. We’d grown up on Howard Johnson’s ice cream. Heck, my grandmother went to school with the original Howard. His chocolate chip and mint chocolate chip ice creams were filled with miniscule specks of chocolate. They had nowhere near the charm of the Grey House’s fun chippies.

At the time, they were a novelty, a far cry from Howard’s specks and the big, fat flakes of imitation chocolate in cheap, supermarket ice cream. For all our fascination, fun chippies were nothing more than the mini morsels that Nestlé now sells in supermarkets from coast to coast. And nothing less than real chocolate. The Grey House threw them into a bunch of different ice creams – vanilla, black raspberry, mint, coffee and chocolate. Not just yummy, we thought they were adorable.

We thought our nickname was terribly clever. I’m not sure who in the family coined it, probably my sister Brenda. To this day, we don’t understand why it never became a part of the local language along with frappes and jimmies. Alas, fun chippies never appeared on the Grey House menu. Or on any other menu for that matter.

My mother was always watching her waistline and had to be cajoled into taking us out for ice cream. However, Dad took personal pride in New England’s claim as the Ice Cream Eating Champions of the World. On hot summer nights he would shout out to anyone who would listen, “Who wants fun chippies?” Feet pounded and doors slammed and in a matter of seconds kids and dogs were packed into the back seat of the station wagon and ready to go. Fun chippies were the perfect way to end an already perfect day in paradise.

The Grey House and its ice cream window closed years ago, but you can still find old-fashion, homemade ice cream stands scattered across New England. Why not visit one real soon!?!

Bon appétit!

Blackberry Yogurt Ice Cream with Fun Chippies
Want to get the good old fashion taste of a New England ice cream stand, try making your own. Enjoy!
Makes about 1 quart

1 quart nonfat plain yogurt
1 pound fresh blackberries
1 cup half & half
1/2 – 3/4 cup (to taste) brown sugar or honey
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoons Framboise* (optional)
1/2 cup (or to taste) mini chocolate chips

Put the yogurt in a colander or sieve lined with a clean dishtowel or coffee filter and drain for several hours or overnight. You should end up with about 2 cups of yogurt cheese.

Put the blackberries in a blender with about 1/2 cup half & half and process until smooth. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds.

Put the yogurt, brown sugar, salt, vanilla, Framboise and remaining half & half in a in a bowl and whisk to combine. Slowly add the blackberry-cream and whisk until smooth. Chill for at least an hour. The mix should be very cold.

Transfer the mix to an ice cream machine and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. In the final few minutes, slowly pour in the chocolate chips and continue to process until the chocolate chips are well integrated into the ice cream. Transfer the ice cream to a plastic container and freeze for up to one month.

If the ice cream comes out of the freezer rock hard, put it in the refrigerator for 30-45 minutes. It will soften a little and be easier to scoop.

* Framboise is a French raspberry liqueur.

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One Year Ago – Brown Sugar Yogurt Gelato
Two Years Ago – Red Pepper Dip
Three Years Ago – Grilled Chicken, Shallots & New Potatoes
Four Years Ago – Barbecue Chicken Or Click Here! for a complete list of and links to all the recipes on this blog!

How do you keep cool when temperatures soar? I’d love to hear from you! Let’s get a conversation going.

Want more? I’ve got links to lots more to read, see & cook as well as a day in the life photoblog! In addition, I hope that you will take a minute to learn about my philanthropic project Eat Well-Do Good. © Susan W. Nye, 2012

Heat Wave & Chocolate-Chocolate Sorbet

Last week we had our first heat wave of the summer. You know what they say, “It’s not the heat it’s the humidity.” Well they’re wrong. It’s BOTH. It’s the HEAT and the HUMIDITY. After our incredibly mild winter, I hope this early heat wave is not a premonition for a hot hot summer to come.

For now, I’ll stay positive and just assume we’ll have no more than our usual share of dog days. But just in case, I’ve put together a few tips on how to survive a heat wave. Let’s hope we don’t need them too soon or too often!

1. Follow Nana’s advice. Leave the windows open at night and put fans all over the house to get the air circulating. In the morning, close the windows and pull the curtains to keep the cool air in and hot air out.

2. Get one of those big, beautiful fans. The kind you see geishas gently fluttering in the movies. If it’s too hot to leave the house in search of a fan, fold a piece of paper accordion style, staple one end and flap away.

3. Stand in front of the open refrigerator or better yet the freezer until a voice in your head (I’m betting it’s your mother’s) shouts for you to SHUT THAT DOOR.

4. Eat and drink cool. That means lots of ice water. And then some more. Be sure to eat plenty of ice cream, gelato and sorbet. Heck, munch on frozen peas it you must.

5. Hang out in the freezer section of the supermarket. If the manager gets suspicious and throws you out or you get tired of standing around, take a trip to the library. If your town library is not air-conditioned try the book store. Of course you could go to the movies but that would only kill a couple of hours. Besides there are always lots of nice people in libraries and book stores and they have comfy chairs.

6. Find a tree and a breeze. Park yourself under the tree and don’t move except to sip a frosty drink. Daydream of igloos and Eskimo pies. Snooze often.

7. Go to the beach and float in the water for hours and hours. If you don’t live near a lake or a pond or the ocean, find a pool or run through a sprinkler. If all else fails fill the bathtub with cool water. Floaties and fins as well as a rubber ducky or two are optional.

8. Move to the basement. Hot air rises so the basement is usually nice and cool. Even if it is a little damp and musty.

9. Buy an air-conditioner, at least for your bedroom. Yes, I know we always say it never gets all that hot in New Hampshire. But we lie. It does get all that hot, if only for a few days, two, maybe three times every summer. And please take note; wrestle the air-conditioner into the window before the mercury climbs to ninety-five, not after.

10. When all else fails, book a flight to Antarctica. Leave your flip-flops at home.

Stay cool, have a wonderful summer and bon appétit!

(p.s. … and remember … if you start to feel faint or ill, call for help!)

Chocolate-Chocolate Sorbet

A cool treat for chocoholics. Enjoy!
Makes about 1 quart

1 cup sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup freshly brewed espresso
2 cups hot water
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1 tablespoon Irish whiskey, coffee liqueur or rum (optional)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3-4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet
chocolate, finely chopped

Put the sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Whisk in the hot espresso and whisk until smooth. Slowly whisk in the hot water and continue whisking until the cocoa powder and sugar dissolves and the mixture is smooth.

Add the Irish whiskey and vanilla. Cool to room temperature and then store in the refrigerator until very cold.

Freeze the sorbet in an ice cream freezer according to the manufacturer’s directions, adding the chopped chocolate in the last 1-2 minutes.

Transfer the sorbet to a plastic container and freeze for 1-2 hours or until firm enough to scoop.

The sorbet will keep in the freezer for up to one month. If it comes out of the freezer rock hard, put it in the refrigerator for 30-45 minutes. It will soften a little and be easier to scoop.

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One Year Ago – Caesar Salad with Parmesan Croutons
Two Years Ago – The Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich in the History of my Kitchen
Three Years Ago – Asian Slaw Or Click Here! for a complete list of and links to all the recipes on this blog!

How do you stay cool during a heat wave? I’d love to hear from you! Let’s get a conversation going.

Want more? I’ve got links to lots more to read, see & cook as well as a day in the life photoblog! In addition, I hope that you will take a minute to learn about my philanthropic project Eat Well-Do Good. © Susan W. Nye, 2012

Rainy Day Project – Making Cupcakes

Next week is vacation week  in New Hampshire. After a week of warm sunshine, rain is in the forecast. Soooooooooooooo – what to do with kids or grandkids? There’s the museum and the planetarium. The mall if you are desperate.

Or you can have some fun in the kitchen. Cupcakes are just the thing!

I was down in Manchester earlier this week to tape a cupcake segment with Sean McDonald on ABC Affiliate/WMUR. The segment airs Saturday morning (4/21/12). Check out the clip on YouTube for tips and tricks.

Why not whip up a batch of cupcakes with your kids? Whether you make my favorite, Carrot Cupcakes or go for Chocolate, Chocolate Chip,Coconut or Lemon, your kids can help you mix and measure.

When you are ready to fill the muffin tins, an ice cream scoop works great. You can make regular cupcakes or minis or a mix of the two.

Now the fun begins! When the cupcakes are cool, frost and decorate them. I like cream cheese frosting and have a few variations to try. A piping bag makes quick and easy work of frosting and is lots of fun. Next, let the children go to town decorating the cupcakes with dried fruits, nuts or candies.

Cream Cheese Frosting
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) softened butter
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4-6 cups confectioners’ sugar

Put the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and beat until well combined.

Slowly add the confectioners’ sugar and mix until well blended. Increase mixer speed and continue mixing for 2 to 3 minutes, until the frosting is light and fluffy.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
7 ounces milk or dark chocolate, chopped
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon espresso powder
4-6 cups confectioners’ sugar

Put the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Zap the chocolate in the microwave on 50% power for 1 minute. Check and continue to microwave in 10-15 second intervals until the chocolate is almost melted. Let the chocolate sit for a few minutes to melt completely. Whisk until smooth.

Put the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add the chocolate, vanilla extra and espresso powder and beat until well combined.

Slowly add the confectioners’ sugar and mix until well blended. Increase mixer speed and continue mixing for 2 to 3 minutes, until the frosting is light and fluffy.

Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4-6 cups confectioners’ sugar

Put the cream cheese and peanut butter in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and beat until well combined.

Slowly add the confectioners’ sugar and mix until well blended. Increase mixer speed and continue mixing for 2 to 3 minutes, until the frosting is light and fluffy.

Have a wonderful time with your kids! Bon appétit!

Want more? Click Here! for a complete list of and links to all the recipes on this blog!

Will you be cooking with kids this week? I’d love to hear from you! Let’s get a conversation going. To make a comment, just click on Comments below. I’d be delighted to add you to the growing list of blog subscribers. To subscribe: just scroll back up, fill in your email address and click on the Sign Me Up button.

And if you’ve got a minute … many thanks for taking a look at my philanthropic project Eat Well-Do Good. Why not join me at the next Eat Well-Do Good dinner?

© Susan W. Nye, 2012

Our Wellesley Season & Bananas Foster

I lived near San Francisco for a couple of years and found the weather a bit disconcerting. As far as I could tell, there were no seasons. Every day was like a sunny day in May, not too hot and with no humidity to speak off. (My curly locks were remarkably well behaved.) My friend Julie is a California native. She insists that it takes a little time to adjust to her home State’s subtle seasonal changes. I admit I never gave it a chance. As soon as I could, I fled the west coast and headed home to New England. There is nothing subtle about New England’s seasons. (My curly locks agree and frequently misbehave).

We are now in what my mother used to call Our Wellesley Season. That’s what she called April and May when we were kids. It sounds a little fancy like we had one of those big rambling cottages in the country and an elegant mansion in the suburbs. In reality we had a little brown house in the New Hampshire woods and a nice but hardly Trump-like home in the suburbs of Boston.

Massachusetts was where we went to school and worked. New Hampshire was where we played. We spent as much time as we possibly could there. The end of the school year bell was still ringing when our station wagon hit the road and headed north to Pleasant Lake. When school started again in September we barely made it back for homeroom the first day. Throughout the fall and winter, all of our weekends and vacations were spent enjoying New Hampshire’s hills.

But here’s our guilty confession. As much as we all loved it, every spring we deserted the Granite State. Forget for better or worse. Fickle flatlanders, we kept our distance when April showers and melting snow turned the hills and fields into a muddy mess and the lake was cold and gray. It’s easy to love New Hampshire when it’s bright green, brilliant red and gold or sparkling white with snow. Even this year, when winter was remarkably short and mild, it’s clear why we stayed away. Spring is very slow in coming. Except for a few brave clumps of bright purple crocuses, everywhere you look, it’s a drab gray or brown.

That’s not to say that Boston’s suburbs were clear and sunny. April showers were commonplace but, unlike New Hampshire, April snowstorms were few and far between. I remember more than a few boring, rainy Saturday afternoons. However, there was a movie theatre in town, the television got more than one fuzzy station and the ice cream parlor was open year-round. Suburban roads were paved and our driveway was not lost in a sea of mud. Long before the snow banks melted in front of our little brown house in the woods, our garden in Wellesley was filled with cheery daffodils and tulips. Furthermore, marauding deer did not plow through those blooms like a pack of starving tourists at an all-you-can-eat Atlantic City buffet.

Now that I live in New Hampshire year-round, I have no Wellesley to escape to during Wellesley Season. (I did spend a few hours in Manchester yesterday but I don’t think that counts.) Truth be told, I don’t miss suburbia. However, a trip to the big city (any big city will do but preferably someplace warm) or a tropical island might be nice right about now!

Bon appétit!

Bananas Foster

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If someplace warm isn’t in your travel plans this spring, a traditional New Orleans dessert will cheer you up after one too many gray days. Enjoy!
Serves 4
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4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 bananas, peeled and cut on the diagonal in 1/2-inch slices
1/4 cup dark rum
Vanilla ice cream
Chopped pecans, toasted

Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over low heat. Add the brown sugar, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and stir until the sugar dissolves. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Add the bananas and cook for 2-3 minutes, carefully spooning the sauce over the bananas.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the rum. Ignite the rum, return the pan to the heat and continue cooking, swirling the sauce, until flame dies out and the sauce is syrupy, 1-3 minutes.

To serve: scoop vanilla cream into individual dessert bowls. Gently spoon the warm bananas and sauce over and around the ice cream, garnish with toasted pecans and serve immediately.

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One Year Ago – Tapenade
Two Year Ago – Lavender Infused White Chocolate Crème
Three Years Ago – Lemon Tart
Or Click Here! for a complete list of and links to all the recipes on this blog!

What do you do in early spring? Flee south or grin (or not) and bear it? I’d love to hear from you! Let’s get a conversation going. To make a comment, just click on Comments below. I’d be delighted to add you to the growing list of blog subscribers. To subscribe: just scroll back up, fill in your email address and click on the Sign Me Up button. You’ll get an email asking you to confirm your subscription … confirm and you will automatically receive a new story and recipe every week.

Want more? Click here for lots more to read, see & cook! In addition, I hope that you will take a minute to learn about my philanthropic project Eat Well-Do Good. © Susan W. Nye, 2012