I often use coconuts in my cooking classes. A fresh coconut tart or coconut milk used in a curry both require the “real thing”. I’m always amazed that many of the cooks have never used a fresh coconut. I wanted to show my grand daughter how to crack one open. She knew exactly what it was….asking what we were going to do with that “big fat coconut” when she saw it on the kitchen counter.
“Lemon tree, very pretty, and the lemon flower is sweet”…the old song is ringing in my head. I guess that really dates me, huh? A Peter, Paul and Mary song from the 60’s. You can have Trini Lopez serenade you here, while you read the rest of the blog.The beauty of Priscilla and Aaron’s lemon tree is what has really stuck in my head. How glorious to have a constant supply of
Every year, about a week or so before Halloween, I drop a book, “I Want Chocolate” by Trish Deseine, on my husband’s desk. You see, his birthday is on Halloween and every year I am compelled to make him a cake of his choice out of this special book. It has become a tradition. This year he chose a flourless cake. Turns out this is one of the easiest cakes to make.
A little extra effort on your part can create a lot of extra fun for the kids.
I have some awesome cookie cutters that I use quite frequently for my kids. I cut their sandwiches, toast, or tortillas into delightful shapes. The ordinary food somehow transforms into something so much yummier when cut into a Valentine heart or a Christmas tree in the middle of the summer.
I think I bought too much garlic! Here it is in all its glory. It looks beautiful, it tastes delicious, and I cook with it everyday, including using it in classes for 6-8 people a couple times a week. You would think….but…I’m worried about it drying up before I can get through it all. I buy it every year from a small “mom and pop” operation in northern Wisconsin.
Okay… I am not a chef… I went to art school – not culinary school. Though, I guess when it comes to creativity, they are both very similar. The end result is to achieve something pleasing, whether for your tummy or your eyes, it depends on which school you are in. I do know that I always liked to cook. Note: I said like, not love, which is probably why I chose to go to art school.
I returned from a week out of town and made a tour of the garden. It had been a hot week and the window boxes and pots were in dire need of a thorough soaking. The tomatoes had started to ripen…finally, and the potato barrel was looking dreadful. Then I realized it was time to harvest! Only a couple of the plants had any green left on them, so I started pulling out the yellowed and withered plants.
Almost the middle of July and the potatoes are still growing. As you can see the plants are almost as tall as the barrel and starting to bloom. It seems potatoes don’t always bloom, and when they do, they do not always set fruit. I planted “seed potatoes”, though that is a misnomer. They were actually root cuttings, or sections of a potato tuber cut into chunks containing “eyes”. Planting the tubers guarantees that you will get the same variety: in essence, a clone.
