 Last week, I went our local butcher shop to get some fresh meat for my family and a piece of Scottish salmon for myself. I impatiently paced in front of the meat counter, waiting for someone to acknowledge my presence, for quite a while. It seemed like I was standing there alone for 30 minutes, but in reality - it was probably only several minutes that had passed. ⏱ It didn't take long for me to run out of patience and start looking around the tiny shop for someone who could help me. My search ended with the girl who was running the cash register. When I asked if she could kindly go and find the butcher for me - her answer was: "Wait, I think he's out back smoking something." 🤣 Lucky for me, she turned and walked away rather quickly to retrieve the butcher because I burst into laughter almost immediately.😂. I couldn't help but wonder what the butcher was out there smoking.🚬 I wanted to assume it was meat but then again - the butcher shop employee wasn't specific. 🥩😅  I don't buy a lot of red meat but when we want to celebrate a special occasion with beef - I always go to the butcher shop to get the freshest and most delicious meat in town. Beef tenderloin is definitely an extravagance because it can be costly. It's always made me a little nervous to cook it because it would turn into an expensive mistake if I mess it up. 😬 I knew that I needed to find a foolproof method for cooking beef before I invested in a tenderloin. Individual beef wellingtons was the answer for me. The very first time that I made this, the beef came out tender, juicy, flavorful and delicious. The flaky pastry and sautéed mushroom filling was the perfect compliment to the tender cut of meat. And it's so easy it almost Amy proof. 😅  Classic Beef Wellingtons 4 (6 ounce) beef tenderloin steaks 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 2 Tablespoons olive oil 1 3/4 cups mushrooms, sliced 1 onion, chopped 1 package frozen puff pastry 1 egg, beaten
 Bake 25-30 minutes at 425.  Use a meat thermometer to test for doneness. 135 for medium. 140 for medium well and 145 for well done.
This was far and above, the most entertaining trip to the butcher shop that I've ever made. I was giggling for the rest of the afternoon - just wondering what the butcher was "out back smoking."😅 Ciao!
2 Comments
 Is anyone else a little freaked out by the consumption of raw eggs? 🥚 I couldn't have been the only person cringing while watching Rocky Balboa down his pre-workout raw egg concoction in the infamous movie. 🫣🤢🥊 (I just dated myself, didn't I? 🤣) I'm not here to debate the safety of consuming raw eggs but you better believe that I won't be making myself a raw egg milkshake before my workout anytime soon. I don't want to give eggs a bad rap. They aren't the only things that I prefer cooked instead of raw. I like cooked fish - and not just the kind cooked with lime juice. 🍣 I prefer grilled or roasted tomatoes to fresh. 🍅 And vegetables like spinach, garlic and onions are far better sautéed than they are fresh, in my opinion.  Most of us have probably never whipped up a raw egg milkshake for ourselves but we've actually consumed raw eggs in a much sneakier - and more delicious form - tiramisu. It's true. The most authentic tiramisu is made with raw eggs. Again - not here to debate whether or not it's safe to consume raw eggs - but just the thought of it kind of wierds me out. Soooo... instead of skipping out on this delicious treat - I figured out how to cook my eggs before adding them to my tiramisu. It's easier than you might think and it's just as scrumptious as it's raw egg counterpart.  Chocolate Tiramisu 1 cup strong brewed coffee 1/4 cup instant espresso powder 1/4 cup dark rum 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 eggs 1/2 cup sugar 2 cups mascarpone cheese, chilled 1/3 cup bittersweet chocolate chips 1/3 cup heavy cream 24 dried lady fingers 4 teaspoons cocoa powder
 Cover and refrigerate 6-24 hours.
Happy Friday friends. Ciao!  Georgia - the Peach State. Before I moved to the great state of Georgia, I imagined trees covered with the sweet, fuzzy fruit lining every roadway and in the backyard of every home. 🍑 Truth is - peach trees are not all that common here. 😅 Personally, I think we should consider renaming the Peach State something more appropriate like, "The Sweet Tea State" or "Georgia - Bless Your Heart." 😂 Who wouldn't want to drive around with a "Bless Your Heart" license plate? I've gotten off track.😅 Back to the lack of peach trees in the "Peach State." When we first made our residence in this Southern oasis, I actively searched for peach orchards where we could go and pick our own fruit. Unfortunately, all of the peach orchards seemed to be located in the Southern part of the state and farther than I was willing to travel in pursuit of summer produce.
Fast forward 17 years - and a brand new u-pick peach orchard opened up right around the corner from our house. I have absolutely no idea how long it takes for a peach tree to grow to full maturity and be an abundant fruit producer but I'm thrilled that someone had the foresight to plant these trees so that I could pick my own peaches this summer.  Of course we went to the peach orchard as soon as it opened and the fresh peaches that we picked were sweet and juicy and super delicious. I made blueberry pie, blackberry crisp and an apple cobbler all within a month so I was looking for something different to do with our peaches. That is how I landed on Peach Crumble Bars. I would classify these crispy, buttery handheld treats as a peach cobbler - peach pie fusion. They are amazing!  Peach Crumb Bars Crust: 1 cup sugar 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 cup unsalted butter cold, cut into cubes 1 large egg lightly beaten Filling: ½ cup sugar 1 tablespoon cornstarch ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon 4-5 cups peaches, peeled and diced 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice Icing: 1 cup powdered sugar ¼ teaspoon almond extract 1 tablespoon milk
 Press remaining crust mixture with hands to create clumps. Scatter the crumbs over the fruit layer.  Bake 40-45 minutes at 375. Let cool completely.  Combine filling ingredients. Drizzle over bars.   Serve with ice cream. FYI - we totally had to borrow/steal some vanilla ice cream from a neighbor because we had none and couldn't bear the thought of eating these warm peach crumble bars without it. 😅🍨
Ciao!  Happy 4th of July Today is the day for Americans to recognize how fortunate we are to live in “the land of the free,” as it is sung in the Star Spangled Banner. 🇺🇸 A day to watch fireworks, gather with family and friends for a festive cookout or take advantage of the long weekend and take a trip. However you choose to celebrate, I hope that you have a wonderful day.  There are a lot of people who incorporate cookouts into their 4th of July celebrations - and I love a good cookout. I think we can all agree that the grill is magical and it just makes everything taste better. 🌭 You probably think that a cookout wouldn't be my cup of tea, because I'm not a fan of hamburgers or hot dogs. BUT - there are plenty of other grilled foods that I do enjoy at a cookout. Grilled chicken, grilled vegetables, grilled shrimp and last, but certainly not least - turkey burgers! 🍔 If you're a turkey burger fan - you need to bookmark this recipe. (You'll thank me later.) These are by far the best turkey burgers around. I dressed mine up with sautéed onions and mushrooms, a slice of Swiss cheese and some fresh avocado. It's like a salad and a burger - all in one. 😂  Turkey Burgers 1 pound ground turkey 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 egg 1 tsp sea salt 1 tsp onion powder 1 tsp liquid smoke 1/2 tsp dried Italian herb mix 1/4 tsp black pepper fresh brioche buns sliced cheese condiments and toppings
 Flip patties and grill until cooked through.  Enjoy your 4th of July and stay safe friends.
Ciao!  I bet you never knew that I was a chicken farmer.🐓 For a brief period of my childhood - my family raised chickens. And my role in our family chicken endeavor was to collect the eggs. 🥚 You're probably picturing a Little House on the Prairie scenario but that isn't quite how it went down. First of all, our house was just outside the suburbs of Cleveland... smack dab in the middle of a subdivision. Secondly, our suburban chickens were great little egg producers but they were also a little mischievous. I'm told that the name for the variety that we owned was "jungle foul" and I'd say that accurately described their demeanor.😅 These free spirited chickens had an unquenchable desire to explore the neighborhood - and they did just that. Despite my dad's best efforts to keep their wings clipped, these determined birds managed to escape their coup on a regular basis. When the coup was empty, my brother and I would gather up all of our friends from the neighborhood and traverse the subdivision - missing persons style - in an attempt to round up all of the AWOL chickens. It was not uncommon for the residents of our subdivision to see a flock of chickens running down the street, followed closely by a group of screaming kids determined to catch them.🏃🏽♀️ My parents fielded a fair number of calls from neighbors that summer to let them know that they had found chicken eggs in their yard, flower beds and mailboxes. 😬 And now you have a better understanding of my role as egg collector. 😅  Our chicken farming lasted for only a short time but during that season - we had plenty of fresh eggs and we were in the best shape of our lives. 😂 Because of that experience, I have a whole new level of respect for my Georgia friends who raise egg producing chickens in their suburban yards. I've never even seen them chasing a chicken past my house or found a random chicken egg in my garden. 😂 Raising chickens in a suburban Cleveland neighborhood in 1978 was not common practice. But raising backyard chickens in 2022 - very hip and trendy. And I'm not mad about it either because my chicken farming friends are always willing to share their fresh eggs - and I don't have to run all over the neighborhood to collect them. 😅 Fresh chicken eggs deserve to be served in the best way - like on a homemade english muffin and topped with hollandaise sauce.  Eggs Benedict 2 quarts water 2 Tablespoons vinegar 12 eggs Hollandaise Sauce 8 Tablespoons butter 3 egg yolks 1 teaspoon dijon mustard juice of 1/2 lemon 1 teaspoon salt 6 English muffins fresh chives, chopped Toppings smoked salmon Canadian bacon prosciutto bacon, cooked asparagus
 Press each half into an 8" disk onto a silpat lined baking sheet.  Spoon hollandaise sauce over egg and sprinkle with fresh chives.
Ciao! |
