Use fresh herbs while they're plentiful

The herbs are nearly galloping out of their raised bed this summer so why not try a roast chicken with the Mediterranean Garlic Herb Paste (Joy, p. 589) on a rainy day. Joy called for 2 cups of mixed fresh herbs. I loaded the colander with fresh sage, flat-leaf parsley, rosemary, thyme and oregano. Into the food processor with garlic, black peppercorns, salt, red pepper flakes and a healthy glug of olive oil. A quick whir and then a rub over and under the skin of the bird, already cleaned and patted dry. The house smelled divine.

At the same time I tried a similar paste with Asian flair (Asian Ginger Spice Paste, p. 589) on a second bird. This paste called for fresh ginger, cilantro, mint, basil, white peppercorns, salt, red pepper flakes and toasted sesame oil. Fine enough. But everyone seem to prefer the more satisfying flavors of the Mediterranean rub.

Tomato soup in a cake?!

Gut reaction: tomato soup in a cake sounds revolting. But as Joy points out (Mystery Cake, p. 721), tomatoes are, after all, a fruit. Haven't we all enjoyed an applesauce cake or pumpkin loaf? Even veggies in baked goods can be all right, if masked with enough sugar and maybe chocolate chips (think zucchini bread).

I threw together this cake with nobody home, so taste buds wouldn't be prejudiced with the sight of that condensed cream of tomato soup slurping out of the can. Joy suggests baking the cake in a 9-inch square baking pan, a direction I would recommend following. I tried using a round cake pan and that lengthened the baking time and probably resulted in a denser cake. Still, this moist cake, with nuts and raisins and spices, tasted like a good spice cake, albeit one with a slightly orange tinge. And, once the cake had passed my 6-year-old lips, it was fun to reveal the mysterious ingredient. -- Debra

Chicken Cordon Bleu not so hard

Chicken cordon bleu (Joy, p. 437), a bit of thinly sliced Swiss cheese and proscuitto folded neatly inside a chicken breast, breaded and pan fried, always seemed like a fancy pants recipe. I learned tonight it's not.

Today's new skill was getting the chicken thin and supple enough to fold. Joy instructed me to place the chicken breasts between waxed paper and pound them with a mallet or rolling pin until about 3/8 inch thick. I must admit whomping away on the poultry was a very satisfying activity after a long day at work. Apparently I didn't whomp thoroughly enough because it took me 15 minutes instead of the recommended four to get the bird cooked through.

Frankly, the dish was a bit heavy for my taste. But if you need something fancy pants to impress, you can do this dish. -- Debra

Broiled Salmon and snow peas

7/18/07

I decided to try something familiar for my first meal. I had some fresh wild King Salmon and snow peas from Deb's garden. I prepared the salmon simply using the broiled fish recipe on page 404 and some fresh herbs from the back porch herb pot. Some of the same herbs went into the stir-fried snow peas on page 290-291. The zest and juice of a lemon were shared between the two dishes. The fresh salmon was so good that it really didn't need a fancy sauce.

For dessert, I used up some fresh stone fruit that was getting soft and raspberries to make what I used to call a fruit cobbler. Now, thanks to my Joy of Cooking Book, I realize that a cobbler has biscuit dough and not the dumpling dough that I usually plop on top. "The book" says that slumps are fruit cooked on the stove top with dumpling dough on top, but since I baked mine in the oven, I don't know what to call it. Not a crisp, not a cobbler, and not a slump - I am stumped.

7/19/07

Today I was planning on making banana bread. Instead of my old recipe from Grandma Winters, I used the banana bread cockaigne recipe on page 628 of the Joy Book. Now I have no idea what cockaigne means and can not find a definition in the book, but it looked like plain old banana bread so I gave it a go. Score: Grandma Winters one, Joy Book zero. Sorry, the old banana bread is moister and has more taste. Maybe I am just being sentimental. The only thing I left out of the Joy Book recipe was the lemon jest. I realized that I had used all of the fresh lemons on the salmon the previous night.

Lynn

Alexis: "Those peppers look like decorations"

Tonight I prepared Joy's pasta salad (p. 172) with shrimp, a simple dish with roasted red peppers, Italian parsley, black olives and roasted pine nuts. Again, sometimes you have to improvise with what's on hand: I used fusilli pasta instead of penne and toasted walnuts instead of pine nuts. I also threw in a handful of feta cheese that needed to be used. Mine might look a little more shrimptastic than if you strictly followed the recipe since I used half the pasta.

If you have never roasted peppers, they're sweet, savory flavor is worth the effort. Line a baking sheet with foil, add the peppers, and brush on some olive oil. Roast under the broiler until the skins begin to turn black and bubbly. The challenge for me was getting the skins off. I don't find the texture of pepper skins particularly bothersome so I've never bothered. Maybe it would have been easier if I hadn't quatered the peppers first.

My girls loved the results. Alexis, 6, said the peppers looked "fancy." "Mom, those peppers look like decorations," she told me. And 5-year-old Megan cleaned her plate.

Pork chops fast and healthy

I had some pork loin chops (Joy, p. 504) to use and two hungry children so I went with the easy choice: sauteed pork chops. I seasoned the chops simply with salt and pepper with a fresh garlic chives as garnish. Joy didn't call for it, but I coudn't help but add a dash of white wine. Perfectly acceptable. But this is one dish that can't match mom's preparation. She coats the chops in a mixture of flour, salt and pepper; browns on high heat in a little oil; then turns down the heat, adds some apple juice and covers. Apples and onions in the pan work nicely too. --Debra

First Effort

I found a red mole sauce recipe (Joy, p. 549-550)that makes 5 cups of sauce. I need to get some ingredients and then I will make it and divide it into 3 parts in the freezer. That way you, Julie and I can do a taste test comparison with our favorite place. The recipe has almonds not peanuts. We'll see. Lynn