in appreciation...

Diana, Princess of Wales Hybrid Tea Rose

This is the first bloom on my newly planted Princess Di rosebush, here elegant buds swirl into large, ivory-colored blooms with a soft pink blush and sweet, tea-rose scent. Meant to be a clear reflection of the Princess' warmth and radiance. A tall and stately plant, the pink blush becomes more pronounced as days go by.

This Rose for a Cause is one of the most popular roses by Jackson & Perkins, continuing the Princess' legacy of giving: 10% of net sales goes to The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund. They have donated over $682,172 to The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund in support of humanitarian causes.

I want to express my appreciation to fellow bloggers who recognized Taste With The Eyes this month.

Thank you to Carol of Paris Breakfasts for including a photograph from my Afternoon Tea on her adorable "Tiny Teapots" post. 

And to Simona of Briciole for caring to know "six random things" about me...and for teaching me Italian words I can use in the kitchen.

To Amy of Familia Bencomo for the i-love-you-this-much Award, you are so kind.

To Cynthia of Tastes Like Home for the YUMMY BLOG AWARD, much appreciated, means so much to me coming from you!

Giz and Psychgrad from Equal Opportunity Kitchen the E for Excellent Award, I am grateful for this honor!

For me, half of the fun of this food blog is the cooking, photographing, posting and sharing my adventures with food and hearing what you think of them, the other half is reading and enjoying and celebrating your blogs and your successes in the kitchen and beyond. 

Finally, I want to thank every reader for stopping by, and Anonymous (you know who you are, even if I don't), and the readers who may not post a comment, nor have a blog, you are all sincerely appreciated. Thank you.

Now let's eat!

Caramelized Apples in Puff Pastry Shell

Caramelized Apples Flambéd with Cognac, 

 In a Puff Pastry Shell with Crème Fraîche

This is a great dessert especially for those of us who are not advanced bakers.

Pepperidge Farm even tells us which side of the pastry is up. haha

Bake the Puff Pastry shells at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes.

Use a fork to remove the T O P.

Melt butter and brown sugar, cook the apples until soft. 
Add a pinch of salt.

This is also a great dessert for those of us who like to light our food on fire.

Add Cognac (or Calvados) to the pan to flambé. 

For tips on flambéing, go here. 

 Ladle the warm apples and sauce into the shell and finish with a dollop of crème fraîche.

Six Ingredients, Fancy Dessert:

• apples
  
• brown sugar
  
• butter
  
• puff pastry shells
  
• cognac or calvados
  
• crème fraîche
  

Spaghetti, Roasted Eggplant Cream Sauce

I vacillated over posting this recipe. It is not elegant. But I keep craving it. It is smokey, eggplanty, creamy, lemony, tangy, garlicky, unique...

Peter of Kalofagas and Marie of Proud Italian Cook this month both posted some awesome eggplant recipes. Fresh eggplant. Ooh eggplant, yes!

And you may recall I have a wonderful Croatian butcher, he carries some interesting side products, one of them is Roasted Eggplant in a jar from Bulgaria. On a recent visit to the butcher shop, a jar came home with me.

I heated a generous amount of olive oil in a sauce pan, added lots of shaved garlic and red pepper flakes and cooked until fragrant. Then add the drained-and-chopped roasted eggplant.

Finished the sauce with a hearty scoop of creme fraiche, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, lots of chopped parsley, salt and pepper then tossed it with spaghetti. (Topping it with Parmesan cheese would be a good idea, too).

OK, there it is. It might be even better with fresh roasted eggplant. That is why I hesitated with this post. But then I thought, no, this eggplant-in-a-jar recipe really is that good.

Aubergine Lovers: I would love to hear what you think...

Memorial Day

New to my garden this year, with petals the color of a warm Texas sunset, is the Laura Bush Floribunda Rose. Generous clusters of dusky orange buds burst open into ruffled, cinnamon-orange blooms with yellow centers.

Jackson & Perkins Nursery representatives worked closely with Mrs. Bush to designate this beautiful rose the Laura Bush Rose. The rose is launched as part of the First Ladies Rose Series and it joins roses named for First Ladies: The apricot colored Nancy Reagan, the coral-pink-and-ivory Barbara Bush and the recently debuted, coral and orange Lady Bird Johnson.

I would like to take a moment to commemorate the U.S. men and women who have died in military service and to wish everyone a Happy Memorial Day weekend.

Heart Healthy Salmon & Scallop, Two Ways

Grilled Salmon and Scallop, Lemon Orange Basil Sauce

Steamed Asparagus

Brown Rice, Dill Tofu Sauce

Steamed Salmon & Scallop 

Roasted Red Pepper Eggplant Coulis

Brown Rice, Asparagus Spears with Dijon Shallot Vinaigrette

In addition to Wild Salmon, Cannellini Bean Basil Broth here are two more Heart Healthy dishes.

The first photograph may look rich, however the sauce on the fish is fresh lemon and orange juices whisked with some extra virgin olive oil and fresh chiffonade of basil. The creamy brown rice sauce is made from tofu blended with fresh dill, Bragg Liquid Aminos, tamari, and spices. This is a delicious savory sauce - great on rice, vegetables, chicken or fish. I'm happy to provide a detailed recipe upon request.

In the second photo the fish is cooked in a Bamboo Steamer Basket, served with a coulis made from roasted red pepper, eggplant, chile and spices. The cholesterol lowering brown rice molded in the center is topped with the folate-rich asparagus spears that were dipped in the dijon vinaigrette. 

If you are imbibing red wine for your heart, try pairing a fruity Pinot Noir with the steamed dish and perhaps a Zinfandel with the grilled one.

Heart Health Benefits of Scallops:

Scallops are good source of a very important nutrient for cardiovascular health, vitamin B12, and of omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium and potassium.

Heart Health Benefits of Soy Protein:

Tofu is a very good source of soy protein. Research on soy protein in recent years has shown that regular intake of soy protein can help to lower total cholesterol levels. From The World's Healthiest Foods website.

To Your Health!

Wild Salmon, Cannellini Bean Basil Broth

Heart Healthy Wild Salmon, Cannellini Bean Basil Broth

I having been preparing and photographing some heart healthy dishes. This one is a flavorful low-fat/low-sodium chicken broth with cannellini beans, minced garlic sautéed in extra virgin olive oil, with rough chopped fresh basil. This earthy soup is topped with crispy-skin fresh wild salmon rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

Health Benefits of Cannellini Beans

These beans are low-fat, high in fiber and provide a high quality of magnesium, fiber, iron and folate. They help cut cholesterol. The beans fiber binds to fat to help flush it from the body. It's also loaded with folate which helps lower levels of homocysteine, which clogs arteries. From Today's Women & Health.

I am submitting this photo to the CLICK theme-based monthly food photography event for this month, which features any and all kinds of beans 'n lentils.

Artichoke & Cambozola Quiche

If Camembert and Gorgonzola are among your faves you will love this Cheese Marriage Made in Heaven.

Cambozola is a German triple cream cow's milk cheese reminiscent of French Camembert inoculated with the same blue mold used to make Italian Gorgonzola.

For the Quiche: The pie crust is pressed into the Le Creuset pan. Most of the rind is removed from the cheese and it is roughly sliced.

Frozen artichoke hearts are cooked, drained, cooled, and seasoned with sea salt and fresh ground pepper.

Place artichokes atop the cheese. Add the custard. Go here for my basic quiche custard recipe. Bake at 350 for about an hour maybe 1 and 1/4 hour.

The cheese melts thoughout the quiche, so the flavor is in every bite just like the Brie, Toasted Almond & Herb Quiche.

Didn't get enough of that delicious Cambozola? Try a green salad, tossed with walnuts, baby heirloom tomatoes, and roasted walnut vinaigrette with warm Cambozola on toasted multi-grain baguette.

Afternoon Tea

I attended an absolutely lovely event co-hosted by the 7th Grade Girls and Mothers to honor the graduating 8th Grade Girls at Rolling Hills Country Day School in Palos Verdes, California.

This annual event, which has been taking place for decades, is held at the home of one of our families at Country Day School. This time it was at a beautiful home on the bluff overlooking the Pacific.

The 7th grade girls passed tea sandwiches, little cakes and tarts, and served tea and punch to all the attendees.

In addition, the 7th Grade Girls performed a delightful song for the 8th Graders by Rascal Flatts called "My Wish."

My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,

Your dreams stay big, your worries stay small,

You never need to carry more than you can hold,

And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,

I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,

Yeah, this, is my wish.

Please, have a listen to this uplifting song while you read the remainder of the post...

The girls were darling, as always, and as the 7th grade girls did the serving, the 8th grade girls performed the role of gracious hostesses practicing their conversation skills with the adults. As you can imagine, I also have some adorable photos of the girls which I look forward to sharing with their parents.

Mini Scones were served with Devonshire Cream and Lemon Curd.

Early on, it was a little overcast with the temperature in the mid 60's. The sun came out towards the end of the event. The view was breathtaking.

I am sending this photograph "Centerpiece Overlooking the Pacific at Afternoon Tea" to Sandi at Whistlestop Cafe Cooking for her Centerpiece of the Month (COTM) event, an event which I have been meaning to participate in for forever. 

And apropos of my Afternoon Tea post, today is the 100th anniversary of Mother's Day. Originally Mother's Day was marked by the wearing of a single white carnation. Mom may get a big bouquet now, but the sentiment remains the same.

Happy Mother's Day!

 

P.S. I love you, Ma.

May 14: Carol at Paris Breakfasts has linked Afternoon Tea in her "Tiny Teapots" post. If you haven't already, please visit Carol and check out her fabulous watercolor paintings (of which I have 5 hanging in my home).

Fried Oyster Taco, Ají Amarillo Crema

Panko crusted Hama Hama Oysters from the Hood Canal in Washington State, quickly fried in canola oil served on a handmade corn tortilla with napa cabbage, sliced serrano chile, cilantro, ají amarillo crema, and a squeeze of lime. 

One of life's small pleasures is a fresh homemade tortilla. Buy tortilla masa from the refrigerated section. Knead the masa until it is soft and pliable, then form a ball. Place the masa ball between plastic wrap on the tortilla press, then firmly close the press. Lay dough on a hot heavy skillet for about 30 seconds per side.

For a change from the now ubiquitous chipotle cream sauce try making a sauce with chiles from Peru. Ají amarillo is one of my favorites, it is a lovely yellow color, quite hot but with a slightly fruity extraordinary flavor. You can buy ají amarillo paste in a jar (middle right). Mix the paste with Crema Mexicana or sour cream. I find it in the Peruvian section at my local supermercado.

¡Feliz  Cinco De Mayo!

Sea Cucumber & Sea Urchin

Sea Cucumber
Sea Urchin

I am the proud recipient of some fresh echinoderms from a surfer/diver friend of mine. They come from around the islands off the coast of Southern California. They make wonderful photography subjects, don't you think?

I adore uni, so I am tempted to eat the sea urchin roe with a squeeze of lemon juice, maybe with sushi rice and nori, just like at the sushi bar.

But this euphemistically named sea cucumber is a whole 'nother animal. It is kinda scary, even for me, and I am anything but squeamish with food. After looking at recipes on the internet in brown sauce and braised with mushrooms, I think the unfortunate fate of this creature will be the same as Psychgrad's lemon cake.

And as if to add insult to injury I found this on line: Sea cucumbers are sausage shaped, and their skin is covered with warty bumps. When threatened, cucumbers can contract their muscles and shoot out water from their body making them thicker and harder. For this, they are considered an aphrodisiac. Yikes.

Bánh Flan Take Out

You may recall a post back in January about Cha Gio or Vietnamese Spring Rolls at the darling little Nam's Red Door Restaurant?


Well this time, we took the food, including dessert, to go.



Caramel custard became part of Vietnamese cuisine through the French colonization of Vietnam. The Vietnamese way is to steam the custard as opposed to the French method of cooking in a bain-marie. Delicious, very light with a silky texture.


Take Out Container: Isn't this a clever recycling use of soda cans?

Ăn nào! Bon appétit !

With its high calcium content, I am submitting this Flan to Food Blogga's Beautiful Bones Event for Osteoporosis Awareness. Thanks Susan!

The FDA states that calcium intake is critical, but calcium alone can't build bones. Vitamin D is needed to help the body absorb calcium. The skin produces vitamin D in sunlight. In addition to attention to diet, exercise is important in treatment and prevention of osteoporosis as well.


For your consideration: 

Take a nice walk in a moderate amount of sunshine, then enjoy tasty calcuim rich Bánh Flan from your favorite Vietnamese restaurant.