Joy in the Journey

Sunday is the day I share a little of my soul. I call it the Bread of Life section. Enjoy. 

Those how follow me here regularly know that we recently had a deep and personal loss with the death of my dear friend and father in law (we called him Mr. Putt Putt).  It has been an interesting couple of weeks as we've been trying to get "back to normal"...only beginning to realize that normal has changed forever.  I miss dad a lot.   In spite of that sadness, we've been surrounding with the love and support of family and dear friends.  I read this article and gained a lot of spiritual strength.  It was a reminder to me that I am not alone on my journey and when I'm dealing with trials that my God and Friend grieves with me. 

I received 3 messages this week that have helped me tremendously.

Message number 1:
"Heavenly Father’s interest in you does not depend on how rich or beautiful or healthy or smart you are. He sees you not as the world sees you; He sees who you really are. He looks on your heart. And He loves you because you are His child... seek Him earnestly, and you will find Him. I promise you, you are not alone."1

I've taken some time to look around me and see the people I love most. They have held me up. 

Love continues. Love is the universal language and the most powerful language in the world.  I've seen it overcome emotional, spiritual, and physical walls!

Message number 2:

"The love of Christ is not a pretend love. It is not a greeting-card love. It is not the kind of love that is praised in popular music and movies. This love brings about real change of character. It can penetrate hatred and dissolve envy. It can heal resentment and quench the fires of bitterness. It can work miracles... when your primary thoughts and behaviors are focused on serving God and others—when you truly desire to bless and lift up those around you—then the power of the pure love of Christ can work in your heart and life."2

The third message: “Be of good cheer.”

My darling Tara showed up at my house with my favorite flowers this week.  It was a tender mercy moment. They are my favorite flower...ever...in the history of ever. I first fell in love  with these flowers as a child. They are just pure sunshine to my heart.   Every long road trip I go on, I can see them along the side of the road here in Arizona and they always remind me to find joy in the journey.  So,thank you Tara. Seriously. Thank you!

"With this in mind, I invite you to walk confidently and joyfully. Yes, the road has bumps and detours and even some hazards. But don’t focus on them. Look for the happiness your Father in Heaven has prepared for you in every step of your journey. Happiness is the destination, but it’s also the path. “Peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come” is what He promises."3


There it is.  Have a wonderful new week my darlings...and look for joy in the journey.

Always My Very Best,

Your Friend Tess.

Homemade "Thin Mint" Cookies and Chocolate Dipping in the ETT

Today I visited Evil Tara and had some much needed girlie time in the Evil Think Tank-o-glory dipping chocolate for the holidays. I talked about the secrets for good chocolate dipping this week Here.  Tara had a heap of these dipped cookies to do. I am a friend. I'll dip chocolate out of the goodness of my heart. Bwhahaha! Well...I may have had other motivations. Case in point. These...

 I adore Tara's thin mint cookies. Even more, I love how simple they are to make! It's just six drops of LorAnn Peppermint Oil to a half pound of melted  dark chocolate...

 Oh...and a few sleeves of Ritz crackers. 

 I kid you not when I say they are pure genius! The light salt and the crisp and the chocolate...I get so excited I almost pop!

We also dipped a hundred of these...

 I know that Oreo makes chocolate covered Oreos now in  nice packages, but there's nothing like putting really nice chocolate on a chocolate cookie and drizzling it with more chocolate. You know...for artistic purposes. Purely artistic purposes.

Our friend Kayola was there and said I needed to do "like a red tree" on them. So...this one's for Kayola! Thanks for the how did you say?  "The Bass Ackward" way of doing the trees! Hillllllllarious my friend! Grin. 

Raspberry Clusters. Prepare to be dazzled! Insert Chef Tess and her lame cool-self making cheesy Jazz hands!   Last but not least on the list of Evil amazing...the chocolate dipped Freeze Dried Raspberry. Just a few in a little good quality chocolate.

 They come out in these little clusters that look like peanut clusters. However, this is big, they taste like a piece of heaven. The fruit is tart and the chocolate sweet. It's perfection. I loved that the fruit just stayed crispy like a raspberry rice-crisp{ almost}.  Picture me just rolling my eyes back in my head and passing out when I say, "A-freakin-mazing". If you want my humble (yet accurate) opinion...everyone should make them. 

There you go.

Another trip to the Evil Think Tank...totally worth it. Yes. I am going jogging in the morning! Xoxo!

We're having a great Giveaway this week too. So pop over and see what you could win! 

Always My Very Best,

Your Friend Chef Tess

Pinch me please...

It's hard to take a picture in the dark at a movie theater and center everything...but...it had to be done. I really need to work on my picture centering skills. I can't fold fitted sheets either. How in the snicker doodle are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?! Random thought. Sorry.

This is me with Evil TARA. My dear friend who I met in culinary school. Last November when Tara told me I should write a blog I answered, "a blog? What's a blog?". Just recently we went to see Julie and Julia together. I couldn't figure out why I related so much to both of them and it kind of bothered me. Am I insane? Schizophrenic? Don't answer that. Please. I finally figured it out. I am a chef who loves everyone no matter where they are in their learning. I love teaching people how to cook. I'm not Julia...she had years of experience more than me. Time will help that, but I can see so much of myself in her. I may never be as famous, but I will always love people. I, for obvious reasons, related to Julie in that I have a food blog. I can't relate to the constant use of the "F" word on my blog though. This is a family friendly place. Eeeek. Like Julie, I also may have one of the saddest little kitchens in my tiny condo. So there it is. I'm through smacking my forehead. So...now I can rest. Or can I? Pretty sure my work has just started in food...

Oh my heart! This Thursday (yes...the day after tomorrow), I will be on Fox 10 here in Phoenix at 9:45 doing a segment on homemade salad dressing. After our amazing salad week, I think that it's fitting. Okay. Now I can go to sleep...in 3 days. In the meantime, tell all your friends. I'll tell mine. It will be a great tutorial on how to really maximize your food dollar! We all need that!

Julia...and Tara.

I have to admit I love Tara. I do. We went to culinary school together 14 years ago. In all my life there isn't one other person who really gets me and food the way she does. We're so similar and different. Sick down to earth foodies who love gourmet, and yet took this bag of crap into the movie. Oh my gosh...don't tell them we snuck it in...please. Especially since we saw Julie and Julia. It just seems wrong on so many disturbing levels that we took...dots. But we did. All the non-healthy sugar loaded junk that I say not to eat. There it is in my snazzy polk-a-dot hand bag ready to watch a cooking icon who basically brought French cooking to American homes and made it accessible. Even the American grade Lindt really doesn't count as gourmet, right? Sorry... On so many sick and wrong levels.

We didn't eat it all. In fact, 3 boxes made it home. So...you know. Don't think I just fell off the culinary planet forever or lost sight of my Weight Watchers goals. Oh dear...I Just lost all the food snobs, didn't I? All the ones who think that, "if you really are a chef...you would never condone this crap." I can't say much. I have to be honest. It was this or the can of spaghettios I ate cold from the can with a spoon for lunch. There. Thank the good Lord for friends like Tara who despite culinary school with me, still can eat a Jr. Mint and think (like Kramer)..."they're soooo refreshing". I won't ever claim perfection. Only perfect imperfection...and be glad for friends who appreciate that.

I will also still be infinitely thankful for Julia. She did change the world of food as she set out to do. I'm so glad she did. On that note, I did bawl the whole way home after the movie wondering why I do what I do. Relating to her on so many good levels and seeing her struggles. At one point, as she sees defeat and just wonders what all her work was for (was it just to have something to do)...I felt 100% like I was there. Will my work matter? Oh I hope so. I hope it reaches many, many, many people who need it. Maybe, just maybe...it will reach some who need a non-food snob to be the chef. I'm sure that would be okay.

Chou Rouge... (Red Cabbage to Americans)

I have, once again, graced the blog with a "foreign food". I don't mean Alien. That purple mass of spice and perfectly balanced flavor is indeed out of this world, but it didn't fly here. Look at it, it would have burned up in the atmosphere...an left charred little purple bits of confetti falling from the ski. Talk about a red dawn. No, this is actually a recipe from my "Adventures in French Cooking" book by Myriam Guidroz. I tweaked it. A lot. Once again this is getting to be a habit. Original recipe called for an apple, bacon, and lard. I cut the bacon and lard--very non-French thing to do I know. I also substituted a firm pear for the apple. That wasn't because I was being fancy...I was just out of apples. Total lack of planning will get me somewhere someday. Oh my...that last phrase was deeeeep.

We actually had this for dinner the night of the Evil Think Tank with Tara (Tara's Toasted Pound Cake with Almond Cream Sauce) ...oh look at me listing dessert first. That was purely subconscious, but now making me snort a little. Y'all really need to hear me giggle at least once. It's a totally professional and proper way to teach. Really. The main course (see, I can stay on topic...sometimes) was Solar Cooked Fire and Rain Barley Pilaf and some killer Shallot Herb Roasted Pork with Lemon Cream Sauce a... . It was a nice meal. Good company. Evil Think Tank. Tara loved the cabbage and asked me to blog it for sure. True to my oath...which I take none too seriously...

Chou Rouge (My Braised Red Cabbage with Pears)

1/2 head red cabbage, sliced thin

1 pear, very firm , peeled and chopped

1/2 white onion, sliced thin

4 slices of cooked bacon (instead, I used a few drops of liquid smoke to cut out the fat--and it is also a good vegetarian substitute for that smokey flavor)

1/4 cup cranberry juice (or dry red wine if you cook with wine)

1 tsp minced fresh garlic

salt and pepper

pinch of thyme

bay leaf

dash of ground clove

1T sugar (or 2 Splenda packets. Do what you need to do.)

2 tsp minced fresh thyme (reserved for the last 3 minutes of cooking)
1 tsp olive oil, for cooking.

Chop up the cabbage and onion and all that...

In a large heavy bottomed (oh please help me not to talk about my heavy bottom...) pan. See, I said pan. It must have a lid that fits it tightly as well. Get that lid out. Saute the onion in the olive oil until soft then add all remaining ingredients except for the cranberry juice (or wine).

Cover an cook over a very low temperature. At first the cabbage will render quite a bit of juice. Don't add water. When it cooks down enough and seems to be getting dry, add the juice or wine. Because this is so low fat...you may need to add a little more water to keep it from sticking if it seems to get that way. Don't go crazy though. It's not the red sea...red cabbage. Different.

This recipe calls for fresh thyme. I squealed to find (well not out loud...I try to contain myself in public as a general rule) this thyme on sale. It's the simple blessings really, and I did take a minute to thank the Lord. It's been a long time since I had fresh thyme.

Keep stirring the cabbage once in a while. The original recipe said cook for 2 hours. Um...I don't want to sound crazy here, but I do like to have a little more texture to my cabbage. If you want to do it the true French way...continue to cook and stir for 2 hours. This is where I think this is a great recipe for a crock pot or Solar Oven . Just left uncovered in the solar oven without stirring would give a very similar effect.

I didn't cook for 2 hours. Sorry. It was more like 40 minutes give or take. I was cooking the Pork at the same time so I wasn't really keeping exact track. Taste and season with salt and pepper, and if necessary the sugar (little honey would work if you don't want refined sugars...hi Angela-Nature-mama). Honestly...the cookbook said not to refrigerate the cabbage for 24 hours. I don't agree with that. I think it would be unsafe. Personally I'd rather ere on the side of my kids not throwing up...especially red cabbage. Why did I say that? Who will want to make cabbage now? Sorry folks. I should be a lot more serious...but that would be so boring! Please come back. I promise no more yucky stuff.

That being said, please make the cabbage anyway. It is delicious!

Weight Watchers...eat the whole pan for only 5 points (It makes 6 cups)...or have one cup for one point. It's a good deal.

There you go.

Tara's Toasted Pound Cake with Almond Cream Sauce

I had to go to the Evil Think Tank today. Why?! Why do I give into the wicked beguiling of my friend Tara . We met at culinary school 14 years ago. For those just joining us in the Evil Think Tank, just know that Chef Tess and Chef Tara are both evil dessert girls. I admit it. This may, in all real logic, explain why I like her so much. Okay...I like her for more than the desserts...but a rousing cake fest never hurt my opinion of her. Though her total lack of respect for raisins still has me baffled. So forward to the tank...get your battle gear on people.
This whole adventure was in fact sponsored by Tara. She teaches classes and this was the dessert last night...which rolled over to tonight when we could get together for girl time. Thank you Tara for rocking my dessert world.

I apologize in advance to my diabetic sister. This post isn't low carb.

Tara made the pound cake. It's her mom's recipe and I bow to her. It was dense and thick and completely perfect. Yes, I did blow all my Weight Watchers points for the week on this dessert. I think I'm going jogging in the morning.

Tara's Mom’s Pound Cake
1 c butter at room temperature
2 c sugar
3 eggs at room temperature
1 c buttermilk
1 t vanilla or almond extract
3 c flour
½ t salt
1 t baking powder
½ t baking soda

Get out extra butter to coat the pan sugar to coat the pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter a 10 inch bundt or 10 inch tube pan and then coat with sugar. Sift the flour, baking powder, and baking soda together and set aside. Cream the butter and sugar together. Add in eggs one at a time and blend. Add buttermilk and blend. The batter may look curdled at this point but will smooth out. Gradually add in the flour mixture – about in thirds. Batter will be somewhat thick. Spread batter into prepared pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes and invert onto a cooling rack.

Once it was baked and sliced, it got toasted. Don't mock it dude. Oh my goodness. That slang word just slipped out. "Dude". Sorry. Where was I? Oh yea, don't mock the grilling. It was magic. The way it caramelized the sugars of the cake along with the creamy sauce gave it this sugary crust that made me want to cry. Utter joy. Especially after weeks of dieting. Honestly.
Look at the almond cream sauce:

I don't know why I didn't get that recipe. I wanted to put my head in there and suck it up like Tara's dog. I know most are in awe at my self restraint right now.

Uhhh...somebody stop me.

The simple addition of fresh strawberries almost killed me.

There you go. Another successful visit to the think tank. It was evil, but please do come again!

Hot Cocoa Cream Pie

Are there really words to go with that picture of chocolate cream pi?. There ought to be about 3 minutes of uninterrupted silence to really pay homage to such a pie.

I can't wait that long. Sorry. Lisa, the same one who sent the picture of the bread ( Lisa's Bread! )...asked me a while back about this chocolate pie. I make it out of dry hot cocoa mix that we get at our church's cannery. It can also be made with chocolate milk, but I love how rich and evil-creamy it tastes made from the dry milk powder...and I'm really picky. In Arizona, we can use hot cocoa about 3 weeks out of the year, so what do I do with all the rest of my mix?...I put it in my pie hole. I thought it was high time to post the actual blog entry so Lisa would stop calling me! Do you blame her?!

Hot Cocoa Cream Pie

2 9 inch prepared pie crusts (Here's my Pie crust recipe.)

Filling:
2 cups cannery hot cocoa mix (you can use any hot cocoa mix you want...measured 2 cups non sugar free)...sugar free, use enough to make 6 cups of cocoa...cool?
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
6 cups water
1 tsp double strength vanilla
1 tsp micro plane grated orange zest
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (of your choice...oh dear...peanut butter chips would be good huh?)

Directions: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a pie pan with pastry dough or use the frozen ones, I don't care. I'm not eating your pie...wait that came out wrong. I didn't mean I wouldn't eat your pie if you used frozen ones. I would eat any pie any day of the week. Please refrain from any words of wisdom about my dairy-air.

Prick a couple holes in the crust with a fork all over to help it bake up really crispy. I don't even tolerate soggy pie crust. Yikes. Ask me how I keep it crispy with cream filling.

Ask me. I mean it...don't forget to ask me.

Bake it for 12-14 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and set aside. Turn down your oven to "warm".

Now...for the filling.
Combine the cocoa mix and the flour in a 3 quart sauce pan. Turn the stove on to medium heat. With a whisk, slowly add the water 2 cups at a time being sure to whisk vigorously. When it's combined add the butter to melt while the mixture thickens. If you're smart, you'll find a little cutie to whisk for you so you can take pictures for your blog. Look out for band-aids...


I sense a young Evil Genius in training. Yes. Yes I do think this grin says it all. Welcome to the Evil Think Tank. This is my son Face (that may not be the name we gave him in the hospital, but it is the one that has stuck to my food blog).

This cooked filling will need to be stirred constantly so it doesn't scorch (15-20 minutes). My son didn't mind. I'm really a good mom and stood there the whole time. It did start to bubble pretty well near the end so I took him off the counter. Just so nobody calls CPS. Now, be sure to remove the pan from the burner completely. Add the vanilla, orange zest and nutmeg. The filling needs to cool a bit. So...let's look at that crust.

Thank you for remembering to ask how I keep my crust from getting soggy. It's chocolate. I've said it before and I'll say it again...chocolate could cause world peace. I may be confused as to how to spell peace. Is it Piece of pie or peace of pie? I do know the answer. I'm sure my High School English teacher would be proud. Will the rest of you at least try to look impressed?!

This will impress anyone...right?

Divide the chocolate chips between the two pie crusts. Put those pie crusts back into the warm oven for 2-3 minutes and then spread out the chocolate like this...

I know it's painful to watch:

That chocolate barrier will act like a fat brown parka and keep the moisture from getting that flaky crust all mushy and nasty. Oh I do love a crispy crust. Did I mention that already? So, let it cool about 15 minutes. I wish I had chocolate galoshes to go with that semi-sweet parka. I would have worn it to the prom. Whoa. I think I just figured out why I never got asked to prom!

I think I also may have been pretty intimidating to the boys with a my bow staff skills. Not to mention my wicked chocolate shaving skills... (this picture is going on Tara's kitchen wall..next to the shadow box of cocoa beans).

Pour the slightly cooled filling into the pie crusts. Chill in the fridge about 30 minutes. Top with shaved chocolate.

I happen to adore it with coconut.

Here's what it looks like cooled and sliced. Very rich. Very evil. Try not to eat the whole thing in one sitting.

There you go.

Homemade Tapioca pudding with honey, lavender, orange and vanilla

I don't know if anyone else likes tapioca pudding. I'm a pushover for a good home made batch of the stuff. When I am still a walking sick person (okay now no more mental capacity jokes), I love tapioca. When I'm in bed, I want it most of all. Warm. With raisins. Apparently my fellow culinary school friend Tara , who I usually have totally culinary harmony with (indeed one I was sure was my twin on all things food) has found reason to doubt the valid use of raisins in anything ingested by man (or beast). Her exact phrase, that made giggle was, "Raisins are of the Devil".

So I made some without. I have yet to know if Tara even likes tapioca, but given my recent total disappointment on the raisin issue, I will leave the open question to the food blog...and not feel total rejection if for some insane reason, tapioca is "of the Devil". It does however go without saying that there is no accounting for taste. What I adore, others may abhor. I don't care. I'm posting a recipe for tapioca. Ronit will eat it. Lehavah oo-la-la ... It's gluten free.
It turns out I own an original Betty Crocker cookbook. Whoever guessed my mother in law would get me that for Christmas...and a recipe stand to put it on. It has a place of honor in my kitchen...next to all the ingredients for tapioca...including the raisins...TARA.

You will need...

6 cups milk

2 eggs

1/2 cup instant tapioca (or 2 more T depending on how thick you like it)

2/3 cup honey

2T cream cheese (if you are me...it's optional but I love it!)

a scratch or two of fresh grated nutmeg

dash of cinnamon (about 1/2 tsp)

1/2 tsp orange zest

3/4 tsp crushed culinary lavender (optional)

1 tsp double strength vanilla or almond extract

Combine the milk, tapioca, honey,

nutmeg...(fresh grated is amazing...you will never go back to the jar, but if you have the jar it works)....

cinnamon...(I use the good stuff from The Pampered Chef)...

Two eggs...

Out of the shells...and I crack them in a little bowl so I don't get any shells in the pudding. Yes, I know I am weird. Just so YOU know I'm weird for all the right reasons... like cool pictures of eggs in a green bowl. See. Not so crazy now am I? Don't answer that. Really. Don't.

Put the eggs in there with all the other stuff...

Whisk it up and let it sit for 5 minutes. This helps the tapioca absorb the liquid.
I'm going to frame this picture and put it over my stove.

Wait, maybe I'll frame this one:

While the tapioca is soaking up the love...add some culinary lavender. If you don't have it this is what it looks like. I promise the tapioca won't taste like soap. It just helps me relax and adds a nice subtle floral hint. Mmmm. Lavender.

You can crush it up with your hands. I also add some orange zest. Just a little. About 1/2 tsp.

Then I take a nifty picture so the folks at home can see.

Now after 5 minutes of soaking, whisk the pudding constantly over medium heat until it comes to a rolling boil. I do mean stand there and hold the whisk for 5 minutes or so and stir. I don't want anyone writing and telling me that they burned the pudding. If you stand there and stir, it won't burn. If you walk away...I am not responsible. Nope.

Once it boils, remove it from the heat. Really, take it off the stove. Don't just turn off the heat. Put it on a hot pad. Add the vanilla. Then the final perfect touch...

Plop in some cream cheese. Not much, just a nibblet. Yes, nibblet is a word.

See how pretty it is peeking out of the pudding? If only I could get it to wear one of those funky pink swimming caps and synchronize swim. Then my life would be complete.

Okay,now this is where I wax 1955. Seriously, you can just put the pudding in a bowl in the fridge, but I like to put it in these crisp clean mason jars delicately sprinkled with plump Devil-raisins. Evil little nuggets. Oh how I love them! If you don't want to use raisins, I left one without. So now Tara can come visit without feeling jilted. You could use dried blueberries, cherries, cranberries, pears, apricots...(get the idea, dried fruit right?). For Tara...yes, you could use chocolate chips.

I used a funnel so boiling hot tapioca didn't cascade all over my lovely jars and end up in sad pools of inedible pudding on my floor. That would be a great human tragedy. Right up there with not liking raisins.

Oh yes. If you can mathematically and physically get any closer to the edge of a jar without spilling pudding, I would like to see it.

Let them cool 20 minutes or so and then cover with a lid and put in the fridge. There you go.

I'm now going back to bed. Wake me when your pudding is ready. Except Tara. Unless she brings me raisins.