The Way To Their Heart

Remember the old adage "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach"? Is this an idea that has lost it's relevancy in the age where it's socially acceptable to hook up with even a casual acquaintance? Does today's man even care if a woman can cook? Is it important to have at least one half of a happy couple with some culinary ability?

Well I don't know the answers to any of those sociological mysteries, but I'm here to testify when it comes to the teenage eating machine, food is the gateway to their soul. Turns out things are pretty much the same with teens & food in Texas. (except they are crazy for football, that deserves a post of it's own).

If you've ever watched The Dog Whisperer, you know Cesar says the quickest way to get a dog's attention is through his nose. Same system works with a pack of teenagers.

Pack of teenagers

After being here 2 months I decided to start working my wily ways to slip a net around the fledgling group of friends of my daughters. Good stick to the ribs food, a come as you are invitation, making them feel relaxed and at home will draw them right in.There's no need to set a Martha Stewart like table. They just care about what's on the plate. Period.

For the first group meal of the season we featured slow cooked pork, pulled and simmered with home made barbecue sauce. It went over really well when piled on buns with some cole slaw topping and a wedge of watermelon.

As they eat they gab. As they gab you listen, as you unobtrusively  refill serving bowls and clean up the cooking mess. As you listen, you get to know them, what's dominating their schedule, what it's like at home for them.

Basically you collect data and store it away for use at a later date when the drama (inevitably) comes. By staying in touch on a regular basis with my daughter's friends I am able to keep my finger on the pulse of the group to know if anything is brewing that I need be on the lookout for. Plus it's fun. It's a lot of work, but it's fun.

And of course there's always some very fine strings attached. There will be a day I need help with a project at home and I will have built my network of teenage worker bees and can succinctly lure them in with something really scrumptious.

Which brings me around to how we topped the evening off. Trust me you are going to want to know how to make my beloved Aunt Hazel's Banana Pudding, a favorite & true southern dessert.

Ingredients

Vanilla pastry cream

Layering wafers, bananas & pastry cream

meringue

Aunt Hazel's Banana Pudding

The shovel of approval

Pastry Cream

3 cups whole milk

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 plus 1/8 cup of cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

3 eggs

3 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

*Heat the milk in a medium saucepan until it begins to bubble *Remove from burner *Whisk sugar, cornstarch & salt in a bowl *Add the eggs to the bowl & whisk until smooth * Gradually whisk in 1/2 of the hot milk *Pour the mixture from the bowl back into the saucepan and continue to cook, whisking * Cook over medium heat until gently boiling, boil for 1 minute * It should be thickened at this point* Turn off heat and add butter and vanilla

Meringue

4 egg whites

4 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Beat egg whites (preferably in a chilled bowl) until they form peaks* Add the rest of the ingredients and continue whipping until stiff peaks can be formed*

Hazel's Banana Pudding

Now if you're intimidated by making pastry cream you can cheat and use a vanilla pudding mix, but the pastry cream is so worth it! Layer wafers, sliced bananas, pastry cream in an 8 x 8 baking dish* Follow with another layer* Spread meringue over top, making swirls on top (or whatever creative finish you want)* Bake in a 375 degree oven for 12-15 minutes until lightly browned. Voila'

Now get busy and lure some unsuspecting prospects into your sphere of influence. And don't forget to make them put their dishes into the dishwasher because they should learn early to never take hospitality for granted.

Random Design

I really embrace things that are cleverly designed. My nice friend over at Unmitigated made this mini banner for me using my online banner design. She's offered to do one for others for a very fair price so check it out. I paired the mini banner with my mini-moo design blogging business cards. These cards really catch people's eyes when I shrewdly slip them out, I absolutely love them.These trendy little cards are only $20 for a set of 100, they come in a cool plastic box and you can have them printed on both sides at MOO.com

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The first thing my 13 year old daughter said to me when I picked her up from her friends house at 7:30 p.m. was, “you’re right mom, most people don’t eat like we do.” Wow, stop the presses, hang on one cotton picking minute.You see I’m the bomb when it comes to cooking, when I am in the mood (click on that and get up to speed). After toiling over salad dressing made from scratch, a perfect red wine reduction for a filet mignon that’s been seared on the cook top and finished in a 500 F oven, I often say, “you know most people don’t eat like this”. This is the same child who rolls her eyes whenever I utter that phrase, which is frequently.

“Please explain,” I prompt my sweet child. “Well, his mom invited us to eat Pot Roast, but I could barely chew it and the sauce was gross”. That made me curious and I asked if he or his dad seemed to like the food. She said after dinner they went downstairs to play pool and they were all laughing about how tough the meat was. Something inside me bubbled up and I sprung to the bad cook mom’s defense. I reminded my daughter that her friend’s mother worked in  the hospital all day, and it can be mighty challenging to come home tired and have to put a meal on the table.

After all, when I’m not in the mood to cook for whatever reason (meeting ran late, too much shopping, traffic) we order pizza or Chinese. If I was working 9-5 Monday through Friday I doubt I do much cooking either. But , I have to admit it was good to hear my luscious fashionista express her appreciation of my talents.

 

Because You Asked For Pumpkin Pie

There are very few recipes I have stuck with over my many years of cooking, I'm fickle that way. Most things I cook repeatedly get tweaked along the way. Actually, I'm a little loose in following a recipe at all. Many of the meals I make don't even have an official recipe, just maybe a list of ingredients.

I part with my typical way of doing things when it comes to a long time family favorite: Pumpkin Pie. Personally I like just about anything pumpkin (pumpkin muffins, pumpkin ravioli, pumpkin ice cream, etc). But when it comes to Pumpkin Pie I prefer the the straight up unadulterated version so I am still making the same pie I learned to make from my Aunt Pat way back in the day.

My mom was not the best of cooks. So during the holidays we would spend the better part of a day at my Aunt Pat's baking an ungodly number of pies, drinking tea and laughing. The air in the kitchen would be awash with flour particles and the aroma of spices and pumpkin. My favorite job was to pinch the pie crust around the top to make that nice scalloped edge. We'd end up with enough pies  for all 7 sisters in their family and close family friends.

In my opinion pumpkin pie should have a firm, custard like consistency with a golden brown sheen in a good solid traditional crust. Nothing fancy or complicated about it. The basis for this recipe is originally off of the Libby's pumpkin can with a few slight alterations.

PUMPKIN PIE

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

2 eggs

1 (15 oz) can Libby's Pure Pumpkin (not the pie mix)

1 (12 oz) can Carnation Evaporated Milk

1.  Preheat oven to 425 F

2.  Combine sugar, salt , cinnamon, ginger and cloves in a small bowl.

3.  Lightly beat eggs in a large bowl, stir in pumpkin, evaporated milk and add spices from bowl.

4.  Pour into pie shell and bake for 15 minutes. Turn oven down to 350 F and bake 45-50 minutes or until pie no longer looks loose in the center when jiggled. Insert a sharp knife in center to test, if it comes out clean it's done. Cool on a wire rack for 2 hours. Serve or refrigerate.

OK, here's my secret. I don't make pie crust anymore. I buy Pillsbury Already Pie Crust from the dairy section. I don't use frozen pie crust in the tin. Nope, I unroll the Pillsbury pie crust and form it in my own glass pie plate making the long practiced scalloped edge.

The thing about pie crust is it can be tricky. It's messy to roll out and it really takes some skill to do it well. Now you can find a basic pie crust recipe, make it, roll it out and it may be better. And it may be a sticky gooey mess. Your choice.

Here's my other, and maybe more important secret: Good freshly made whipped cream and plenty of it. This is no time to get stingy. Best part is that it is simple. First things first: throw your mixing bowl and beaters in the refrigerator and chill them for a good 15 minutes. Now we are ready whip it, just like a pastry chef.

FRESH WHIPPED CREAM

8 ounces of heavy whipping cream

2 to 3 tablespoons powdered sugar

1.  In a chilled bowl (preferable metal) whip cream on high with a mixer with chilled beaters.

2.  When the consistency is a little thicker than sour cream, sprinkle in the powdered sugar while beating, according to taste. I find when using fresh heavy cream not much sweetener is needed.

3.  Beat until it forms a peak when you pull the beater out (turn it off first).

4.  Voila, your done. Promptly refrigerate and keep chilled except when dolloping it on your pie pieces when serving. Use any leftovers in coffee.

Freshly whipped cream is easy to flavor by adding a few drops of an extract (vanilla, maple, lemon,etc). I've also used amaretto and kahlua. You just want a hint of flavor. Maple is especially good with pumpkin pie.Bon Appetit!

Perfect End of Summer Feast

This old dog has learned a few new tricks this summer. We decided to delve further into our summer roots and explore some southern classics cuisine wise. I had no choice, I told the boys who had been courting me since my arrival on their turf to bring on the harvest and prove they were serious. Yes this is the continuation of the N.C Road Trip saga.

And so they did. To my surprise I might add because sometimes these good old country boys can be all talk. Bring it they did. Good old North Carolina tomatoes, Stripy boys, green tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, okra, sweet corn. After my car was filled with boxes of produce we took advice on how to cook these delectable delights. My cousin David, who is kin to the Master of the Universe, confided to me that I needed to use just the right ratio of flour to cornmeal to perfect the fried green tomato.

I nodded my agreement and then he leaned in even further to quietly persuade me to come on up to his house where he had an extra bag of extra special southern style white cornmeal. So later that evening I did just that, I wandered up the hill to share a cup of sweet tea and some cooking secrets with this rugged war veteran, mountain man kind of cousin and I left for Michigan the next day with my supplies.

I'm ashamed to admit that I'd never eaten or made fried green tomatoes all these years. My Yankee mother had prejudiced me from such things  and as a child I would turn my nose up at these southern delights. I should have known better because although I absolutely adored my mother, she was never known for her cooking abilities. So, I guess now I am making up for lost time in preserving the southern heritage up here north of the Mason-Dixon line.

These beauties were our first attempt and I have to be honest to say that my daughter (who actually is a Pastry Chef) fried these big boys to perfection. The timing was perfect too. It was a Tuesday afternoon when we arrived home from our road trip. They had already planned a simple feast of delmonico steaks with pats of garlic butter accompanied by grill roasted asparagus, mushrooms and peppers. I suggested (quite rightly I might add) that in addition to their preparations we should include tomatoes (both the fried green variety and some ripe red sliced). And voila! The perfect end of summer feast.

There is one small problem (those sweet little bless your heart southern ladies never clue you in about) with my effort to eat my way through the south last month, in utter abandon of my common sense. I have managed to gain around 7 pounds and that is no good for my wardrobe so I'm going to have to double down on my eating and exercise disciplines cause mama don't want to have to buy the next size up!

Are You In The Mood?

We take eating pretty seriously at my house (obviously we don’t take ironing seriously at all). Pictured here is the first course of our Thanksgiving dinner (Brie cheese packages aside a salad with pecans, dried cherries and raspberry vinaigrette). I make most things from scratch. I’m pretty passionate about homemade salad dressing. I truly wish I weren’t quite so picky and that stuff out of a box or bottle tasted better to me. It would save me a lot of time. I have often been quoted that making a really good meal is going to take a time allotment of about 2 hours plus cleaning time. (This does not mean a holiday meal, that’s allotted around 3 days). Luckily I am currently a lady of leisure, house bag, stay at home whatever..... and my family has gotten pretty spoiled.

That can cause problems. The kids go to friends homes for dinner then come home and pull out our leftovers because “they didn’t like the food at so in so’s house”. Kids go off to college and have a hard time adjusting to dorm food. 2 semesters being the record for actually staying in the dorm. (I’d be lying if they didn’t say noise and sharing a bathroom was a factor also). The traveling husband has also been known to phone home complaining about his unmet needs on the road.

All you feminist readers can stop the eye rolling right now, I’m not Betty Crocker or anything lame like that. I have a Bachelors of Science degree for Pete’s sake and have enjoyed several careers. But I am half southern so I do have the unmitigated knack for throwing things together (without measuring) that will most likely result in food that is above and beyond the call of duty. Everyone around here knows that the best meals happen when I am IN THE MOOD to cook. The perceptive of the bunch realize that I can make things quite unpleasant around here when I’m pushed into cooking (or anything else for that matter) when I’m not really feeling it. I can be a real bitch in that respect.

Another little tip: NEVER ask me what is for dinner. That innocuous little question has set off fireworks on occasion. You see with the size of the crowd around here, on any given evening, someone will not be happy with my menu plan. They may foolishly voice their displeasure and next thing they know the wrath of the Mayor will come down upon their head. One of the unspoken rules of this place is if you don’t like what’s been prepared for dinner you keep your trap shut. Then you quietly make yourself an alternative without making an added mess.

Princess #5 is aptly demonstrating this method by not voicing any disgust regarding the well rounded meal pictured here. On the down low, she just whips out the ketchup bottle and dresses up her pasta the way she prefers it. No, I don’t make my own ketchup...it’s Heinz all the way. I once tried to substitue the store brand and it was a no go.

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It really shouldn’t surprise anyone that #3 Princess is a Pastry Chef by trade, currently working in the third floor kitchen of The Whitney in Detroit. It was her idea to do the “Brie cheese packages” (bite sized brie cheese wrapped in phyllo dough with a dollop of blueberry jam hiding inside) to go along side our salads for Thanksgiving dinner this year. I wisely persuaded her to do these a few days ahead of time because she is not a production worker.... she leans towards the artistic side so pastries are actually a good fit for her personality.

First we have a chocolate pyramid accompanied by 4 fresh raspberries stuffed with chocolate fudge topped with a raspberry puree. Secondly for your now salivating tongue we have carrot cake topped with whipped cream and carrot sorbet, which I would prefer in a layered cake with cream cheese icing.

Last but not least we have the last pathetic piece of our Thanksgiving pumpkin pie (one slightly squished piece was all we had left for me to take a picture of today). And while the whipped cream is not homemade this year, but the presentation is as it should be. It looks like a traditional piece of pie!