Beach Eats

Happy Hallmark Day!

2011-02-14T17:20:00.002-05:00

A Mid-Morning Interlude:

Scene: The Breakfast table, one morning last week.

Dramatis Personae: Diva and The Husband

Diva: "Just a friendly reminder, I don't give a shit about Valentine's Day."

The Husband: "I know, that's why I love you."

Diva: "I'm not kidding."

The Husband: "Neither am I."

Participants dissolve into laughter.

Fin

I'm not afraid to admit it, I'm a Valentine's Day curmudgeon. Its not that I don't celebrate love, I do. Its just that I prefer to celebrate it on a daily basis. I prefer to celebrate it in the small, quiet, ways that reveal themselves over the course of a relationship, a marriage - not necessarily on February 14th.

Call me a contrarian, you wouldn't be the first, but I've never been a fan of "Hallmark Holidays." I love my mother, but I don't wait for a Sunday in May to tell her that. I tell her every time we hang up the phone. Similarly, I adore my husband - and he knows it. Every day. He knows it because I take time to ensure he has a warm, pleasant home to return to after a long day's work and a hot, hearty meal to nourish him for tomorrow. He knows it because I'm there at the ready to offer a laugh, a hug, whatever is needed whenever its needed. I like to think I do this every day, not just on February 14th.

You'd think being a Diva I'd require some sort of grand reverence on this day: chocolates, flowers, expensive jewels. But here's the thing - I want that stuff on a random Tuesday, just because. I want chocolate every day. Period. And what I want more than that is a husband who'll go out of his way to shop for and cook dinner, braving the wilds of Fairway - although he's temperamentally unsuited to it - all on his own, because he knows I'm a bit under the weather. He did so last weekend and that's the only Valentine I need this year - any year.

Sure, I'd like the flowers on a random Tuesday ... but the cats would just eat them, then puke on my favorite rug - so there you are. My point, and there is one, is that while I don't begrudge others the opportunity to lay on the hearts and flowers today, its just not my deal.

Cupcakes aren't my deal either ... I don't know how to work the cupcake liners and decorating them is a pain in the ass ... but I baked some today. I baked them for the husband ... because he's a good egg, because he makes me laugh every day, and because I know he's going to inhale them with the reckless abandon of cruise-ship traveler at the midnight buffet.

No, there's no recipe attached. Why? Because the cupcakes came from a mix and the frosting from a jar. C'mon, there's a limit to my sentimentality. I've got to keep my card-carrying-curmudgeon status intact.

Happy Valentine's Day, darlings!

xoxoxoxo

Diva

... and you thought I was kidding about the cats ...

Thirsty Thursdays: Festive Friday Edition

2010-12-03T10:00:00.004-05:00

Yes, I do realize that its Friday today, but as we're kicking off the holiday cocktail party season, it only seems fitting to toast the weekend with a festive libation.

Last week, the Diva Family Thanksgiving celebration began with a lovely little sipper that's just perfect for any holiday gathering. I'd like to share it with you today.

This ruby red beauty features a seasonally appropriate mix of pomegranate juice and champagne (or sparkling wine), spiced with a subtle hint of ginger and mellowed with just a bit of orange juice.

Pomegranate Champagne Cocktail:

2 cups pure pomegranate juice (such as POM Wonderful)
4 tablespoons ginger syrup *
1/4 cup orange juice
1 bottle of Champagne or sparkling wine
some pomegranate seeds (arils) for garnish

In a small pitcher, combine the pomegranate juice and ginger syrup, whisking well with a small wire whisk to combine. Add the orange juice and stir to blend.

Fill a champagne flute 1/3 full with pomegranate mixture, then top with Champagne to fill. Garnish with a few pomegranate arils if desired. Serve and enjoy, repeat as necessary!

*A brief note about the ginger syrup: I used bottled ginger syrup (see above link), though you could certainly make your own simple syrup and infuse it with some fresh ginger, if you're feeling enterprising. If not, avail yourself of the bottled ginger syrup - its wonderful stuff.

Of course we did have turkey ...

and all the trimmings as well.

While the turkey was the star of the show, the pomegranate cocktail was a close second! Why it even received the Mama Diva Seal of Approval, so you know it must be good. I hope you'll try it for your next holiday brunch or cocktail party.

Cheers!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-24T16:02:00.000-05:00

I'm cooking and cleaning and generally getting my Martha on today. Busy trying to cross things off my seemingly endless to do list and really looking forward to the festive meal tomorrow.

I'll be posting a holiday round-up next week. Just popping in to wish all of you and yours a wonderful, joyous, delicious, Happy Thanksgiving! May your cups runneth over and your waistbands be forgiving!

Enjoy the holiday!

xoxoxoxoxo

Diva

Thanksgiving Recipes

2010-11-18T09:00:00.001-05:00

Here we are staring straight down the barrel of another Thanksgiving. And every year at this time, I find myself asking the same questions: "Who are these people and why must I continue to provide them with nourishment??"

I kid, I kid. These people are my family and I'm happy to provide them with nourishment. The trouble is, my people prefer to take their holiday nourishment in the exact same form every year. Not a single deviation would be welcomed. They want what they want, and the people will have their traditional foods this Thanksgiving ... as they have every other year since the dawn of creation.

Now, that wouldn't be so bad, were I not a food blogger and in need of fresh content! Hello, might we have some lovely crisp-roasted brussels sprouts instead of the green bean casserole? No. No, we can't. So what's a blogger to do?

Provide you with links to my previously posted holiday recipes. Perhaps you're a new reader and you've missed them the first time. Or maybe your people are amenable to a bit of deviation at the holidays. If so, color me jealous. In any case, consider this a "Best of Diva" Thanksgiving style. Enjoy!

Diva Family Thanksgiving Favorites:

Recipe for Make-Ahead Gravy - this one's a time saver and a life-saver.

Herbed Bread Stuffing - my take on a classic.

Turkey Tips Part One

Turkey Tips Part Two

Cranberry Port Conserve - my all-time favorite cranberry sauce.

Cranberry Sauce with Pears and Cardamom - a close second fave.

Pumpkin Cranberry Bread - a seasonal treat with all the warm spices.

Pork Stuffing - a tender recreation of my mother in law's recipe.

So, tell me about your people. Do you switch up the holiday menu? Or are you part of a traditional tribe? Curious Diva wants to know.

Bon appetite!

The Joy of Cooking: Gingersnaps

2010-11-16T09:00:00.001-05:00

Do you read cookbooks like novels? Does your staggering stack of culinary tomes make Imelda Marcos' shoe collection look like child's play? (And, by the way, I'm guilty as charged on both counts.) If so, you're not alone and I have fabulous recommendation for you, its called: Cookbook Lovers Unite. A brand new blog dedicated to celebrating the cookbook whore in all of us.

Cookbook Lovers Unite is a group of bloggers intent on treasuring the joys of the printed cookbook. Anyone can join in the fun and the rules of the group are simple. Twice a month, a theme will be posted on Cookbook Lovers Unite and bloggers are encouraged to make something from, and post about, a recipe from a book in their collection. All recipes must be from a printed cookbook, so no online recipes, word of mouth creations, or - well - you get the drift. Once you've posted, be sure to link your creation to the theme's original post via the linky widget provided. Its just that easy and just that fun. I hope to see you there!

I very much wanted to join the first group theme - Your First Love: Our First Theme - but I've missed the deadline. While I did, in fact, make a recipe from my first cookbook love, I just didn't have time to write about it ... so I'm doing it now. Consider this my way of introducing you to the Cookbook Lovers Unite project.

Cookbook wise, my first love is decidedly classic: The Joy of Cooking (1974 edition). I fell hard and fast for it while deep in the throes of a particularly violent episode of Chicken Pox. I was in my late teens - far, far too old for such an illness - and as such I was really knocked out, just spectacularly sick. Recovery was slow, scratchy, and hopelessly boring.

While doing hard time on the couch, mostly in front of the TV watching the 1984 winter Olympics, I casually picked a well-worn copy of The Joy of Cooking off my mother's cookbook shelf. Instantly charmed by the kitschy, retro illustrations, the book captured my attention far more than I expected; I read it cover to cover. And, more than that, it captured my imagination. I began to envision elegant dinner parties with chic canapes and fizzy punch. Or luscious, long-simmered stews, served bubbling hot from the oven on crisp winter nights. I began dog-earring the pages, creating my imaginary menus and longing to feel well enough to get cooking. Eventually I recovered and, if memory serves, I made my family a meal from Joy shortly thereafter.

I still have and treasure that battered old copy of Joy. Over the years, I've returned to it again and again ... for quiches, pot pies, French bread, and my all time favorite peanut butter cookie recipe. It truly is a classic and I continue to be charmed by its retro tone and whimsical presentation. I mean, c'mon, this edition contains recipes for: moose, beaver, and bear! Its a hoot!

To honor my first love, I decided to bake Gingersnaps. And, for once, I decided to simply make the recipe as directed. This was my first time using this recipe and I wanted to give it a chance before fiddling with it. Though I did add an extra 1/2 tsp. of ginger. Shush, don't tell.

Honestly, these aren't the Gingersnaps of my dreams. They're delightfully crisp, the texture is just prefect, but they're altogether too sweet for my tastes. Next time I will cut back on the sugar and increase the ginger. I intend to play around with it and report back. Stay tuned. Though if you enjoy a sweeter cookie, this baby's for you.

Lastly, as a nod to tradition, I'm presenting the recipe as written in the book. I find the distinct lack of instruction amusing. I hope you will too. Seasoned bakers will know to follow proper creaming / wet /dry ingredient technique here. (Basically, cream your wet ingredients, whisk together and beat in the dry, form the cookies and bake. ) As written this recipe provides only two steps with very little instruction. Given such brevity, its a wonder the book is 787 pages long!

Gingersnaps:

Recipe from the 1974 Edition of The Joy of Cooking

3/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup molasses
2 teaspoons white vinegar
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1. Pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees F.

2. Mix ingredients until blended. Form dough into 3/4 inch balls. Bake on a greased cookie sheet for about 12 minutes.* As the ball melts down during baking, the cookie develops the characteristic crinkled surface.

Yield: about 10 Dozen 2 inch cookies

* Unless your cookie sheets are old and forlorn, there's really no need to grease the cookie sheets. I didn't and it worked out just fine. Do immediately transfer the baked cookies from the sheet to a wire rack to cool. That is a must!

Enjoy!

Braised Red Cabbage

2010-10-27T13:15:00.002-04:00

We may be nearing the end of October, but its never too late to enjoy a German classic in celebration of Oktoberfest. I may be a bit behind the curve with this one, as the classic Bavarian festival traditionally takes place in late September, but those in the know know I like to get my wurst on from time to time.

I've never been a huge fan of sauerkraut, especially of the pre-packaged variety, so I opted to pair some lovely little bratwursts with a traditional Bavarian side: braised red cabbage. This gorgeous dish makes a fine bed, and wonderful foil, for the savory links. It has just enough acid to balance the porky goodness and just enough crunch to keep things interesting.

Braised Red Cabbage:

1 small head of red cabbage
red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large apple, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
1/3 cup of thinly sliced onion
1 1/2 cups non-fat, low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon brown sugar (or granulated sugar, agave nectar)
1 small onion, peeled and studded with 3 whole cloves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
pinch of Bavarian Seasoning, optional
small pinch of cayenne pepper, optional

1. Remove the tough outer leaves of the cabbage, cut it into quarters, and remove the core from all sections. Using a very sharp knife, slice the cabbage into thin shreds, one quarter at a time. As soon as each section is sliced, place the shreds in a large bowl and drizzle with a bit of red wine vinegar, tossing to lightly coat. This will help preserve the vibrant color. Repeat until all cabbage is sliced and tossed with vinegar.

2. Heat a large, heavy-bottomed, saucepan over medium high heat and add the olive oil. When hot, but not smoking, add the cabbage and toss with tongs to coat. Continue tossing gently until the cabbage begins to wilt a bit, about 2 to 3 minutes, then add the apples and sliced onions and saute together for 1 minute.

3. Nestle the clove studded onion into the mixture and add the remaining ingredients, seasoning to taste with the salt, pepper, Bavarian Seasoning, and cayenne pepper. Stir to combine. Allow the mixture to come to the boil, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Taste the cabbage at the 30 minute mark. Adjust seasoning if necessary, adding more of whatever you wish. I happen to prefer a bit of crunch here, so I generally don't simmer beyond 30 minutes. If you prefer a softer texture, continue simmering for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until your desired texture is achieved.

As written, this recipe will serve 4 to 6, depending on portion size.

Enjoy!

Thirsty Thursdays: Sazerac Edition

2010-10-14T12:00:00.004-04:00

It seems like a century ago, but, yes, I spent some time in New Orleans last month. It was our first time in the city and, quite frankly, I fell in love. That we would eat and drink well was a given, what surprised me was my deep affection for the city itself - or, more precisely, for the area know as The French Quarter.

Winding my way along the Quarter's sun-baked streets, seeking the shelter of its lush green balconies, I felt at home. Something about the gentile decay, the almost-but-not-quite-falling-apart-ness of the city, spoke to me. Seduced by each new and more beautiful vista, I felt the city wrapping its warmth around me like the arms of a would be lover, pulling me in for a kiss. Strange reference perhaps, but there's a subtle underlying decadence to almost everything in the French Quarter, so the metaphor seems to fit ... and I fell willingly into those arms.

And, in truth, the seduction didn't take long. It began an hour after I arrived, with my first sip of a Sazerac at The Sazerac Bar in The Roosevelt Hotel.

The Sazerac enjoys a long and much fabled history. So fabled, in fact, that it can be hard to separate fact from fiction. Fortunately, for our purposes, to do so is unnecessary. I happen to like the more popular story best, so I'll recount it briefly for you here. In this version, the Sazerac was invented by Antoine Amadie Peychaud, a New Orleans based apothecary, in 1838. Mr. Peychaud mixed a quantity of cognac with his health tonic - the substance we now know as Peychaud's bitters - and a bit of water and sugar. By 1870 or so, the drink had gained in popularity and, due to the tastes of the times, the cognac was replaced with Rye.

Somewhere along the way, a splash of absinthe was added to rinse the glass and when absinthe became illegal, it was replaced by Herbsaint, a pastis made in New Orleans. Phew! Still with me? Good. There's certainly more to this story and if you Google, you can read all your heart desires. At the end of the day, there's only one thing you need to know: this drink is enchanting.

The Sazerac Cocktail:

1 sugar cube
1 1/2 ounces of rye whiskey
1/4 ounce Herbsaint
3 dashes of Peychaud's Bitters
strip of lemon peel

Pack an old fashioned glass with ice and reserve. In a second glass, combine the cube of sugar and 3 dashes of Peychaud's Bitter. Crush the sugar cube to dissolve, using a muddling tool or a bartender's spoon. Add the rye and a few cubes of ice and stir, briefly, to chill. Reserve.

Pour out the ice from the old fashioned glass and add the Herbsaint, turn the glass to coat, then empty the rest of the Herbsaint from the glass. Strain the reserved rye and bitters mixture into the coated glass, garnish with a strip or twist of lemon. Serve and enjoy, repeat as necessary!

A brief note on the recipe: I've used The Roosevelt's formula here, but if you do decide to Google, you'll find others. Some add a drop of Angostura bitters; some council the use of simple syrup, rather than the sugar cube; and some urge absinthe rather than Herbsaint for sake of tradition. As always, do as you see fit. If it seems easier for you, go ahead and use the simple syrup. In that case, I'd use about a teaspoon.

Like New Orleans itself, there's much to be discovered here. Each sip reveals a new twist, a new layer of flavor ... and the experience only intensifies as the drink warms. Sip slowly, savor it a bit, and you'll notice the layers. The herbal, faintly licorice flavor of the Herbsaint is present, yet doesn't overwhelm. The sweetness of the rye is tempered by the aromatic bitters, and end result is something magical. Its as enchanting as a stroll through the Quarter and as seductive as the city itself. I hope you'll try it.

Cheers!

Off to BlogHer Food '10

2010-10-06T13:31:00.001-04:00

Seems I've been meeting myself coming and going lately what with all of this travel to and fro. I've had little time to cook, much less write about cooking. I hope to remedy that later this month ... but, for now, I'm off to BlogHer Food '10 in San Francisco.

I'm looking forward to catching up with old bloggy friends and meeting some new ones, and hoping to soak up some California sunshine as it been raining for days here on the East Coast.

We had a blast in New Orleans and I do, indeed, have a special NOLA themed cocktail to share with you for the return of Thirsty Thursdays ... next week. I promise. You'll want to stay tuned, because its a real treat.

In the meantime, are you going to BlogHer Food '10 this weekend? If so, shout it out in the comments so I'll know to look out for you.

Cheers and see you next week!

xoxoxo

Diva

Food and Wine's Chicken Scarpariello

2010-09-22T12:00:00.002-04:00

Hard to believe it but I'm on the road again. In fact, I'm on my way to New Orleans. I'll be back next week and in the meantime, I've made a little something to tide you over.

Earlier this year, Food & Wine magazine began arriving in our mailbox each month. Curious too, since neither the husband nor I had signed up for a subscription. I suspect it may have something to do with our Carnegie Hall series, but in any case, I've certainly been happy about it.

We've both enjoyed paging through the magazine each month, but never quite got around to cooking from it ... until last Sunday, that is. The October 2010 issue is jam-packed with recipes too tantalizing to be ignored. We set our sights on the Chicken Scarpariello, page 120, and a finer choice I cannot imagine.

Redolent with the aroma of sauteed garlic and fresh rosemary, this dish really ups the anti on the traditional with the addition of some piquant Peppadew peppers. (For those unfamiliar, Peppadew are sweet, spicy, pickled peppers that typically hail from South Africa ... although mine hailed from Zabar's.) And, of course, you can never go wrong with that lemony tang that makes a good Scarpariello so inviting. In fact, I added even more fresh lemon juice to the sauce, because I'm such a fan.

For the most part, I followed the recipe - opting for some bone-in, skinless chicken thighs rather than the boneless, and adding a couple of skinless boneless breasts for myself as well. (Not a fan of the thighs ... neither the chicken's, nor my own.) I used whole wheat pastry flour, rather than all-purpose flour to coat the chicken, and I used perhaps 1 or 2 teaspoons of butter to mount the sauce, rather than the 2 tablespoons called for in the recipe. The results? Magnificent!

This was the most succulent, tender, and flavorful chicken dish I've made in a long, long while. Its going right into the rotation, Chez Diva, and I'm looking forward to making it again. You can find the recipe here ... print it out, then run, don't walk, to your stove and make it. Its just that good.

And don't say I never gave you anything.

Bon appetite!

Vote Early and Often!

2010-09-20T14:30:00.008-04:00

The voting for Project Food Blog has officially opened and I am asking for your vote.

While tooting my own horn and begging for votes is not something that would normally appeal to me, I humbly request that you take just a few minutes to cast a vote for my entry.

We food bloggers are a dime a dozen, you can't throw a matzoh ball without hitting one of us. We're everywhere - and I am but one small voice in a sea of thousands - maybe hundreds of thousands. And we all deserve to win.

The funny thing is, I've always considered myself more of an entertainer than a food blogger. Sure, I write about food and cooking, but my strong suspicion is that most of you reading me are here for a laugh, a chuckle, that slightly irreverent comment that makes you smile. Certainly, some of you are here for the cocktails, and perhaps a few of you are here for the recipes. I hope so. But more than that, I hope I brighten your day and make you laugh.

If I have, if I do, please consider throwing a vote my way. The prize is a stunning $10,000! And, as nice as that hefty check would be, I'm not really in it for the dough. I'd simply like to feel that what I do here is of value - and, who are we kidding, I'd also like to reach a wider audience. You can help make that happen!

Rules for voting are as follows:

You must be a member of Foodbuzz in order to vote. If you're not already a member, click here to register. Its free, its simple, and there are no strings attached.

If you are already a member, please click here to vote for my entry. You will be taken to another screen and just above my masthead you'll see a box entitled "Vote for this Entry" - simply click and vote.

Each Foodbuzz member is allowed 400 votes, though you can only vote once per blog. (So you can't really vote early and often. Boo!)

While you're at it, please take a moment to vote for some of my Foodbuzz pals as well:

Mo Diva of Food Snob

Christo of Chez What?

Christina of Dinner at Christina's

Natasha of 5 Star Foodie Culinary Adventures

The Daily Spud

The Duo Dishes

Erika of In Erika's Kitchen

Steph of Steph Chows

If I've left anybody out, or you would like to be added to this list - please shout it out in the comments and I'll be happy to add you to the list. So many people have entered that I'm having a hard time keeping up and I don't want to leave anyone out!

Thanks, and good luck to all!

Project Food Blog Challenge #1: Ready, Set, Blog! ... Diva Style

2010-09-17T14:30:00.011-04:00

If you've been out and about on the web these past few weeks, you may have noticed a significant number of posts with this very same title. Indeed, Foodbuzz is hosting a contest to find The Next Food Blog Star. Its called Project Food Blog and, like everyone else and their brother, I've entered it.

For the first challenge, I'm supposed to tell the world what defines me as a food blogger and why I should be the next food blog star. Certainly, I could have gone the expected route and written an expressive essay extolling my virtues both in the kitchen and behind the keyboard ... but that's not really my style. Instead I've taken the challenge to wax poetic literally. Very literally.

I've written you a poem, Diva-style. Its my belief that the judges should get to know both the content and the writer behind the contestant - and in my case they'll need to work at it a bit. The hot links tell the story of who I am, both as a person and a blogger. To read me is to know me - the rest is just icing on the cake.

Diva the Food Blogger: Big Ass, Even Bigger Personality

I've made you laugh,

I've made you cry;

I've confessed to killing my pot pie

I can make you drool

or make you think,

I can mix you up one bad ass drink

I'm creative and fun

and not too serious;

I bake like a pro but I'm not imperious

In short and in summary,

to put it point-blank,

I'll be needing your votes to climb in the rank

I've got what it takes to advance quite far,

I believe I can be The Next Food Blog Star!

In the days and weeks to come, I'll be asking for you to vote for me. Details are yet to emerge but with nearly 2,000 entries, I'm going to need all the help I can get! (And, if need be, I'll ply you with appetizers and drinks.)

Good luck to all and enjoy the weekend. Cheers!

I'm back!

2010-09-09T08:00:00.002-04:00

A rare view of the Diva ... bundled up against the cold.

Sailing towards Sawyer Glacier, Tuesday 8/31

Back from Alaska, that is, and we had a wonderful time! We actually got in around midnight on Saturday, but we are both out of whack and way off schedule from the time changes. Basically, I'm living on Alaska time ... but doing so in New York. Ack.

I don't expect to return to regularly scheduled blogging until next week, but thought I'd share a few quick pics from the trip with you. The highlights, if you will.

Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau, Tuesday 8/31

Mendenhall Glacier

We sailed Alaska's Inside Passage on the Norwegian Star. We left Seattle on Saturday, August 28th, and stopped in: Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, and Prince Rupert, B.C. The ship also toured Sawyer Glacier, which was a highlight for me. Seeing Alaska, and its glaciers in particular, has been a major to-do item on my bucket list ... and I loved every minute of it!

View of the bridge as we depart sunny Seattle, 8/28

Skagway signpost, Wednesday 9/1

Floatplane and cruise ships in busy Juneau Harbor

This last pic really sums up the Alaskan cruise experience - a magnificent confluence of the sublime and the ridiculous ... the majesty of nature juxtaposed against the absurdly decorated cruise ships. I miss it already.

I'll be sharing more photos in the days and weeks to come. This is just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. I've got enough material for hundreds of Wordless Wednesdays to come. You've been warned.

Cheers!

I'm a Bad, Bad Diva

2010-08-30T12:00:00.002-04:00

Much like this chandelier, I'm off-kilter. Tilted. A little bit skewed.

No, I'm not tipsy, drunk or stewed. In short, I'm on vacation. And I hope to have righted myself by the time you're reading this.

Will anyone be surprised if I admit that I haven't got a ready store of posts for you while I'm gone? No? Right! I'm a bad, bad Diva ... and its not because I don't care - I do. I really do.

It's mainly because in the weeks before I travel, I go crazy. And not the fun, hey-let's-do-shots-and-pretend-we're-25 kind of crazy either. I mean flat out, someone-call-the-authorities-lock-this-Diva-up-and-throw-away-the-key crazy.

Let's just say I have issues. I have issues with leaving my nest. Maybe its because I'm a Cancer, or because I'm a natural born worry-wort, but leaving home pushes every anxious button I've got ... to the extreme. The week before departure is a blur for me; a tortured haze of tears, Advil, and massive infusions of chocolate. That's just how I roll.

The only saving grace is that once I'm actually gone, I'm fine. I know I will relax and enjoy the holiday ... so long as I survive the 72 hours beforehand.

Suffice it to say that between crying jags, and what seems like 500 pounds of laundry, I haven't exactly found the time to write. Hang in there with me and I will return, sometime after Labor Day weekend.

Until then, be good - and if you can't be good ... call me, we'll go for drinks!

Cheers!

p.s. - Sadly, no, that's not my dining room. This picture was taken by mistake, in part of the building where I work. Kind of spooky, isn't it?

Almost Ratatouille

2010-08-27T08:00:00.001-04:00

"August is the best eating month of year." So said the husband between bites of native corn and a succulent squash saute the other night. I couldn't agree more.

Farmers markets are fairly bursting with the goodness of the earth. The tomatoes are ripe and inviting, the squash more plentiful then anyone can handle, and, really, is there anything better than that first, crisp bite of tender, native corn? I think not.

To honor such bounty, and more particularly the glories of my bro's garden, I cooked up this little saute. Its almost a ratatouille, but not quite.

This zesty side dish comes together in a hurry and features a delicious mix of red onions, shallots, garlic, zucchini, yellow summer squash, red paste tomatoes and a few herbs and spices. Think of this recipe as an outline, merely a suggestion of method and mix, but feel free to jump off at any point and do your own thing. Have a few peppers lying about? Throw them into the mix. Fancy a more traditional ratatouille? Go right ahead and add some eggplant along with the squash. And don't worry your pretty little head about amounts here either - use what you've got, as long as it fresh, and the results are certain to charm.

Almost Ratatouille:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium shallot, peeled and chopped
1 medium red onion, peeled, halved and sliced
1 large clove of garlic, peeled and minced
small pinch crushed red pepper flakes
pinch of salt and some freshly ground black pepper
medium zucchini, washed and sliced
medium yellow squash, washed and sliced
2 medium to large red paste tomatoes (or any variety)
1/2 teaspoon (a couple good pinches) herbes de Provence
1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 cup of non-fat low-sodium chicken broth, plus extra if needed
2 tablespoons dry white wine
some chopped fresh basil and parsley

1. Heat the oil in a large non-reactive skillet over medium-high heat. When it just begins to shimmer, add the shallots, onions and garlic and saute for 2 minutes or so, until the onions soften a bit and become translucent but not yet browned. Add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes and a bit of salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Add the zucchini and yellow squash and continue sauteing, stirring often, until the squash picks up some color.

2. Allow the squash to brown slightly, say 4 minutes or so, then add the chopped tomatoes, a few good pinches of herbes de Provence and about 1/8 teaspoon (or more to taste) of smoked paprika. Stir. Add 1/2 cup of chicken broth and the white wine and allow the mixture to come to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes or so, allowing the flavors to meld.

3. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more of anything you wish. Just before serving, remove from heat and stir in some chopped fresh basil and parsley. Serve and enjoy!

The yield will depend on the size of your produce. In my case, I'd say it served 4, but your amounts may vary.

By all means feel free to dust the finished dish with some freshly shaved Parmesan cheese. And if you'd like a spicier dish, don't be stingy with that smoked paprika. I was going for subtle here, allowing the natural flavor of the veggies to shine through - but if you want to ramp it up a bit, I won't be mad at you.

Lastly, this dish only improves with age. A day or two in the fridge and the left-overs will be even more flavorful. Use them as a simple sauce for some freshly cooked whole wheat pasta and call it dinner.

Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesdays: Pizza Edition

2010-08-25T08:30:00.002-04:00

Bacon pizza ...

you know you want it.

Click below for more Wordless Wednesday fun:

Thank you! ... and a Question

2010-08-23T12:55:00.001-04:00

I want to thank you all for your kind comments and words of affirmation on the new blog design. I have to admit I had a moment of panic the minute I hit that button and applied the changes to my blog. I've never been much good at change, and part of me missed that riot of noxious pink the moment it was gone.

For the sake of posterity, I'm preserving a bit of "Diva Pink" in the banner - at least for now. Or until I finally get off my ass and make a real header ... but don't hold your breath for that ... unless you've got 911 on speed-dial.

I've added a recent comments link in the column at right. I think it helps to foster a sense of community and I hope it will help you to more easily visit your fellow "Beach-goers" and discover some cool new blogs in the process.

Speaking of comments, I've had a spate of spam lately ... and a most insidious form of spam it is, too. Cloaked in the guise of semi-constructive / negative comments, this new form of spammer seeks to promote whatever it is they are promoting by pretending to be a person and leaving provocative comments - in hopes that readers will click on their name and be directed to their site. If you do, you'll be directed to any number of commercial websites. Its maddening!

I've been deleting them, but its happening with greater frequency.

I'm debating moving to comment moderation mode, but I'm not wild about the idea. I'm frequently away and I think it would be frustrating for you to post a comment in good faith, yet not have it appear for a few days. In particular, I'm concerned about weekends, when I'm rarely near a computer. Which leads me to my question of the day:

How do you feel about comment moderation? Would it frustrate you to leave a comment on a Friday and not have it appear until Monday? Would that inhibit you from commenting?

Please feel free to state your honest opinion in the comments. I want you to enjoy your experience here on Beach Eats and I appreciate your input.

Meanwhile, its pouring today and I couldn't be happier about it. The skies are gray, the temp is a shocking, and most welcome, 68 degrees at present and I am loving every minute of it. Such a relief after the relentless heat we've had this summer. I'd say its a perfect day for baking, but I'm consumed with more mundane and less tasty chores today.

I hope to have one or two yummy bites for you later on in the week, but for now, its back to the chores.

Happy Monday, and thanks again!

New Look!

2010-08-20T15:36:00.007-04:00

I've been meaning to change the look of this blog for ages now. I think I'm over the pepto-bismol pink, and maybe you are too. So here we are.

I'm guessing this will be a work in progress and I fiddle and futz with it, tweaking to get the colors and the layout just right. Please be patient if the blog looks a little wonky over the next few days. It may take some time to work out the kinks.

I suppose at some point I'll get around to designing a header ... all in due time. Rome wasn't built in a day.

It seems I've somehow lost my print-fast button in the change over, so I'll be working on that as well. Stay tuned.

Meanwhile, Diva Cat Lucy and I wish you all a beautiful weekend!

Cheers!

Thirsty Thursdays: Mysterious Mezcal Cocktail Edition

2010-08-19T13:05:00.004-04:00

In search of a cocktail to launch the weekend, the husband found the formula for this drink last Friday night ... scratched out in haste on a post-it note, stuck to the front of one of my bar tending guides. Barely legible and cloaked in the mystery of my own particular brand of short hand - I obviously thought enough of it to save for later use, but didn't think to write down the name or the origin. More's the pity.

The husband promptly mixed up a batch and, honestly, we were stunned. This cocktail is so perfectly balanced, we fell instantly in love. It features an intriguing blend of mezcal, Aperol, tequila and sweet vermouth. A somewhat unlikely combination that yields the most delicious result.

At first sip, notes of tequila are present, followed by the inviting, herbal notes of the Aperol. The drink is quietly smoky on the finish, due to the mezcal, and that subtle hint of smoke is most pleasant, indeed! In fact, I'd go so far as to say this is my new favorite use for mezcal. I hope you'll try it!

The Mysterious Mezcal:

3/4 ounce of Mezcal
3/4 ounce of sweet vermouth
1 ounce Aperol
1 1/2 ounces tequila
dash of orange bitters

Pour all of the above into a cocktail shaker and fill with ice. Close the shaker and shake well, until the outside of the shake frosts. Pour the contents, ice and all, into a rocks glass - serve and enjoy, repeat as necessary!

I hope you'll try it ... and, if you do, you'll see for yourself that its an addictive little mix. You'll definitely want a second and possibly a third. Beware, though, it does pack a punch. You've been warned. ~wink~

I only wish I knew the origin of this drink. I've Googled my little fingers off and can find it anywhere. If you know the origin, please shout it out in the comments ... I'd like to give credit where credit is due.

Cheers!

Poblano Flecked Cornbread

2010-08-18T13:33:00.002-04:00

Operating on the theory that you can never be too festive, too good looking, or have too many recipes for cornbread - here's another one for your files.

What? You've never heard that saying? That's my version and I'm sticking to it. ;)

Given the extreme poblano situation here, cornbread seemed like a good idea. Plus, you can't really serve chili without cornbread, right? Right.

Pressed for time, I opted to simply chop the poblanos and throw them into the batter as is. Tasty to be sure, especially if some of the peppers have a little heat, but it also occurs to me that roasting them would be a good idea. If you have the time and inclination, I'd suggest a brief roast before chopping. And, if you're looking to gild the lily, you might also choose to throw a handful of sharp cheddar into the batter. You can never go wrong with the chili/cheese combo.

Finally, this is my standard cornbread recipe. Its moist, crumbly, and not a bit too sweet. If you have a favorite cornbread recipe, by all means use it. I offer this as but one variation on a theme ... and there's always room for interpretation.

Poblano Cornbread:

1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup flour (I used white whole wheat)
3 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large (or 4 small) fresh poblano peppers, seeded and cut into small dice
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 cup non-fat milk
1 large egg at room temperature, beaten
1/4 melted butter
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, optional

1. Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees F.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour baking powder and salt. Whisk well with a wire whisk to blend. Add the diced poblano and stir to incorporate. Reserve.

3. In another bowl, combine the maple syrup, milk and beaten egg. Whisk well to fully incorporate. Add the melted butter and whisk again until thoroughly combined. Pour this mixture over the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula until just combined. Add the shredded cheese, if using, and fold in to distribute evenly.

4. Pour the batter into a buttered, 8 x 8 inch, oven-safe glass baking dish and bake in the middle of a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until lightly browned and cooked throughout. Remove dish to a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve and enjoy!

Bon appetite!

p.s. - Stay tuned for the return of Thirsty Thursdays tomorrow. I'll have an unusual and exceptionally delicious cocktail for you. You're going to like this one, I promise.

Chicken and White Bean Chili

2010-08-16T11:29:00.001-04:00

Will this blog explode if I post one more chili recipe here? Probably. But that's a chance I'm willing to take. I've got a situation here.

My fridge seems to be breeding poblano peppers. Like tribbles. Only greener and more tasty.

I could swear Mama Diva brought down 2 or 3 poblanos when she came to visit recently. But then I blinked and there were 4. Blinked again and there were six. At last count, there were eight. Clearly, they're planning a coup. I'm not waiting around to see how this turns out. It's time for action. It's time to make chili.

Chicken and White Bean Chili:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
4 large poblano peppers, seeded and chopped
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
pinch of Kosher salt and some freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground chicken breast
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon Ancho or New Mexican chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
one 14.5 ounce can of Petite Diced Tomatoes with Jalapeno
one 15 ounce can of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup non-fat, low-sodium chicken broth, plus additional for simmering

Garnishes:

chopped red onion
chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
shredded sharp cheddar cheese
sour cream or non-fat Greek yogurt

1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skilled over medium-high heat. When it is hot but not smoking, add the onions, garlic, poblano peppers and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes to taste. Add a pinch of salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Stir and saute until the onions are translucent, but not yet browned, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the ground chicken and saute until no longer pink, about 5 to 6 minutes, stirring and using a wooden spoon to break up into bite size pieces.

3. Add the chili powders, cumin and cayenne pepper and stir well to incorporate. Saute 1 minute, then add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste and chicken broth, stirring well to blend. Add the drained white beans, stir. Allow the chili to come to the boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour - adding a bit more chicken broth as necessary to keep things moist. Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding more of anything you wish. Serve garnished with any and all of the above and enjoy!

As written this recipe will serve 5 to 6, depending on portion size.

Notes: If you do not have poblano peppers, you may substitute green bell peppers, though the chili will not be as spicy. In that case, you might choose to add a diced jalapeno to ramp up the heat if you wish.

As for the chili powders, use whatever you have on hand, or whatever blend you like. No need to be too specific, I believe in cooking with what you've got!

I also believe in serving chili with cornbread ... and I'll tell you all about that later on in the week. Stay tuned.

Bon appetite!

Quick Roasted Tomato Sauce

2010-08-11T14:50:00.003-04:00

When life, or your brother, hands you a bushel of tomatoes: make tomato sauce ... from scratch!

While slow-roasted is all the rage, sometimes there's no time for slow. Sometimes you need quick. I often need quick. Such was the case on Saturday night. Having returned from a long day at BlogHer, I was tired, I was hungry, and there were several, large, needing-to-be-used tomatoes on my kitchen counter - courtesy of my bro's magnificent garden.

I washed them, cored them, cut them in half, and popped them in the oven. The rest is history ... or, at least, the substance of today's post.

Quick Roasted Tomato Sauce:

5 large tomatoes, washed, cored and halved
drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste
2 to 3 teaspoons chopped fresh basil, or to taste
2 to 3 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley, or to taste

1. Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Arrange the tomatoes, cut side up, on a large, walled baking sheet and drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Sprinkle on a bit of Kosher salt and some freshly ground pepper and roast in the middle of a pre-heated 425 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Or until softened slightly and just beginning to color. Remove from oven and allow tomatoes to cool for 10 minutes.

3. Using a food mill set over a large bowl, puree the tomatoes two halves at a time, until all tomatoes have been pureed. Discard the seeds and skin, reserve the pureed tomatoes. Add any tomato juice from roasting pan to the puree. Reserve.

4. Heat a large, heavy-bottomed, non-reactive sauce pan over medium high heat and to it add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the minced garlic, a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, pinch of Kosher salt and a bit of freshly ground black pepper. Stir and saute for one minute, do not allow the garlic to color. Add the pureed tomatoes and the tomato paste and stir well to incorporate.

5. Add the grated Parmesan cheese, the basil, and the parsley, lower the heat and allow the sauce to simmer, uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes. Sauce will thicken a bit as it simmers, stir once in a while to prevent sticking. Prior to serving, taste and adjust the seasonings, adding more of anything you like.

6. Serve over cooked pasta with a dusting of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and some additional chopped basil and parsley for garnish. Enjoy!

Notes: The tomatoes used for this sauce were "Hungarian Hearts" ... they were enormous! Even larger than those pictured above. If your tomatoes are of lesser stature, use more. Ditto for my bro's garlic: its huge. We happen enjoy a garlic-y sauce, chez Diva, but your milage may vary, of course. Use as much or as little as you like.

The tomato paste is added to give the sauce more body. Fresh tomato sauce can be on the thin side. I find a bit of paste serves to improve the texture. The longer you cook the sauce, the thicker it will be - use your judgement. Its not rocket science.

Lastly, the more flavorful your tomatoes, the more flavorful your sauce will be. We loved the Hungarian Hearts, but if you can't find those, choose your favorite variety. Use the freshest and most delicious tomatoes you can find, their essential tomatoey-ness will only improve with time spent in a hot oven.

Bon appetite!

Things I Learned at BlogHer '10: A Re-Cap, of Sorts

2010-08-10T15:30:00.005-04:00

Last weekend, 2,500 bloggers gathered at the Hilton New York for BlogHer '10. I was one of them. As a food blogger, I knew I'd be in the minority at this general conference, so I wasn't really sure what to expect. Would the breakout sessions be useful for what I do? Would I be the only non-mommy blogger there? Would I do a better job taking photos and documenting this experience than I did at BlogHer Food?

In short: Yes, No, and No.

In general, I tend to find the conference experience somewhat overwhelming - and BlogHer '10 was no exception. So much to see, so much to do, so many people to meet; it all becomes a blur for me at some point. Hence, my continued inability to capture the experience in photos! I will, however, try to capture a bit of it in words.

Below, the highlights ...

The Top 6 Things I Learned at BlogHer '10:

Community Counts. Meeting and connecting with other bloggers continues to be the highlight of any conference experience for me. I met Lindsey who writes about interior design; and Erica who writes about modern day manners. I met women who write about writing; and women who write about their daily lives. I met still others who blog for corporations, or private industry, and, naturally, those who write about their children. I met women who tell their stories in words, and those who speak through pictures. And most of all, I met my friend Mo Diva, whom I've been meaning to meet for ages now! We had a blast together! Yay!

A Significant Number of Women Who Blog Are Named: Jen. Like this Jen, and that Jen, and even this Jenn. I enjoyed meeting them all!

Writer's Block is Writer's Block, Across the Board. It doesn't matter if you're a food blogger or a free-verse poet, writer's block sucks. Shaking out of it can be difficult, and the session on Writing Inspiration: Stoking Your Creativity offered several good and useful suggestions for doing just that. Hit up the link for the live-blog transcript of the discussion.

I Need a Better Camera ... And to Pay Attention While Taking My Pictures! And I'm working on that. I attended a really great photography session on day one, and have decided to bite the bullet and buy a DSLR and learn how to use it ... despite the fact that they terrify me. I've also learned that I need to do a better job of thinking before I snap the shot. It sounds silly when I read that back, but nevertheless, its true.

Its OK to Love Your Small Blog. Blogging is work; hard work, sometimes. The bigger the blog, the more the work. I'm a small fish in a HUGE pond and I'm OK with that. Why? Because I sat in a room with hundreds of others like me and connected to what they said. You can read about it here.

Never Underestimate the Power of Advil and a Really Comfy Pair of Flip-Flops. Dude, by the end of day one I was sore all over. Every part of me hurt. Hurt! The fact that I was laden with bags and bags of swag may have had something to do with it, or it could just be my age. I walked billions of miles in cute silver sandals on day one. Day two? Soft cushy flip-flops and Advil every 4 hours. Really. I mean it. I still haven't recovered.

Of course there's more, much more, but the hour grows late and this post grows long. I went, I saw, I learned, I connected ... and that's what conferences are all about - for me, at least. If you're reading this and you're a food blogger, I strongly suggest you make plans to attend BlogHer Food '10. I'll be there, and I can tell you from experience - its not to be missed. You might also choose to attend the Foodbuzz Blogger Festival. And, if you're lucky enough to have the time and the resources, by all means do both.

If you're reading this and you're a blogger of a different feather, make plans for BlogHer '11 in San Diego ... oh, and don't wear heels!

Cheers!

Left-over Magic: White Pizza Edition

2010-08-04T08:00:00.001-04:00

Sometimes - ok, often - my fridge is a disaster; full of left-over bits of this, and unused bits of that. If I've been cooking a lot, the shelves will be a melange of monkey dishes featuring half-cups of veggies, perhaps a solo portion of meat - the sum of which would not quite yield a full meal, much less dinner for two. I suspect I'm not alone in this.

At such times, the answer, my answer is: pizza. Pizza is the perfect vehicle for combining the stray portions of several meals ... with the added bonus that, ultimately, you feel like you're eating an entirely new meal. Sweet!

Such was the case last week, when I was itching to use the remains of that roasted zucchini and tomato dish, and the 1/2 cup or so of left-over chicken sausage and peppers. Ultimately, I decided to go with a white pizza, which turned out to be an inspired idea, indeed!

I took the easy way out and used purchased, prepared pizza dough - and to that, added a garlic-y white sauce, some seasoned low-fat ricotta cheese, the zucchini and tomatoes, the bits of sausage and peppers, and topped the whole thing off with shredded low-fat mozzarella and some Parmesan cheese. It was spectacular!

I'm not so much giving you a pizza recipe here today, as I am encouraging you to think creatively about your use of left-overs. I will, however, include a recipe for the garlic sauce and for the seasoned ricotta. The rest is up to you. You're smart, you'll figure it out.

White Garlic Sauce:

1 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, optional
2 1/2 teaspoons flour (I used white whole wheat)
1 cup of fat-free Half and Half, at room temperature
1/8 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
pinch of Kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
dash of freshly ground nutmeg

1. Heat the butter and olive oil in a small sauce pan over medium-high heat until melted. Add the minced garlic and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, if desired, and saute stirring, for one minute. Add the flour and stir well to combine with the oils, saute for one minute.

2. Add the room temperature half and half and immediately raise the heat to high, whisk well to incorporate the roux with the liquid. Bring the mixture to a full boil and let boil, while whisking constantly, for a couple of minutes until the sauce thickens and is reduced to the consistency of Alfredo sauce. The thickened sauce should coat the back of a wooden spoon. Reduce heat to low when properly thickened.

3. Add a pinch of Kosher salt, some freshly ground black pepper to taste, and a grating of fresh nutmeg if desired. Add 1/8 cup of grated Parmesan cheese and whisk to melt into the sauce. Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding more of anything you like. Remove from heat, cover the sauce pan and reserve until pizza time. (Hint, be sure to whisk the sauce again prior to use to smooth as it may thicken further as it cools.)

Seasoned Ricotta Cheese for White Pizza:

one 15 ounce container of part-skim ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl and stir well until thoroughly incorporated. Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding more of whatever you like. Reserve until ready to make the pizza, chilled in fridge if necessary.

Some rough directions for pizza assembly: spread crust with an even layer of white garlic sauce, top with dollops of seasoned ricotta cheese, using a fork to spread ricotta in an even layer. Pile on your pizza toppings (meaning use up your left-overs!) then top with a handful of shredded low-fat mozzarella and a dusting of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Bake in a pre-heated oven, according to pizza dough directions ... or your own pizza wisdom.

Of course, once you've turned the lonely bits and pieces in your fridge into a new and exciting meal, you'll sometimes - ok, often - end up with left-overs of your left-overs. Worse things could happen.

Bon appetite!

BlogHer '10 + Farm Fresh Garlic

2010-08-02T12:40:00.005-04:00

No, BlogHer and garlic have nothing to do with one another ... at least not as far as I can tell. I'm simply using this photo as an intro to my question of the day. I'll tell you all about the garlic, in due course.

So, are any of you going to BlogHer '10 this Friday and Saturday (8/6 and 8/7) in NYC this weekend?

I am! If you'll be there too, please drop me a line in the comments so I will know to look out for you! I already know that Jenn from Savor the Thyme and Mo Diva will be there ... and I'm looking forward to meeting you both! Anyone else making the trip???

Though this is the general BlogHer Conference, and not the foodie edition, I figured I'd check it out - especially as I had such a good time at BlogHer Food '09. I'm looking forward to it and hope that some of my foodie pals will be there as well. Let me know if you're planning to attend!

As for the garlic, this is just a sample of my bro's summer 2010 offerings. He's harvested hundreds upon hundreds of sweet, succulent fresh garlic from his garden, and he was gracious enough to put together a sampler for me. Above from left: German White Garlic, Bavarian Purple Garlic, and Spanish Roja Garlic. Seen at the very end of the display are some lovely shallots - also fresh from his garden.

I've been having lots of fun incorporating the different varieties into our meals ... and I hope to tell you all about it ... soon. This week is a little hectic for me. Mama and Papa Diva will be here for the day on Wednesday and I'll be at BlogHer on Friday ... so my posting may be sparse.

Hang in there and stay tuned for the garlic themed dishes to come. On the menu for tomorrow: white pizza with garlic sauce. You won't want to miss this one ... it was spectacular!

Have a happy Monday!

Quick and Easy Roasted Zucchini

2010-07-28T10:30:00.001-04:00

The Diva's taking the easy way out today. So easy, in fact, that this isn't even my recipe! (Though, naturally, I've changed it up some.) I popped into a favorite farm stand this weekend and along with the bounty of fresh veggies, the stand had little Xerox copies of family recipes to go with. Sweet!

No doubt zucchini and tomatoes are in abundance right now, so its likely that you'll already have these ingredients on hand. This is a simple summer side dish, and the possibilities for variation are limited only by your imagination. Got some yellow squash? Throw it into the mix. Not a fan of grape tomatoes? Use cherries instead or leave them out and add some onion. Feel free to vary the seasonings as well, according to your taste. Its all good and all healthy too!

Roasted zucchini has a wonderful, caramelized flavor and the grape tomatoes are greatly improved by some time in the oven. Their flavor intensifies, adding a welcome piquancy to the dish. Its as delicious as is it easy!

Roasted Zucchini and Tomatoes:

2 large zucchini, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 pint grape tomatoes, washed and left whole
extra-virgin olive oil
salt-free seasoning, such as Mrs. Dash
Herbes de Provence
Kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Lightly brush the bottom of 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish with olive oil. Place the chopped zucchini and grape tomatoes into the prepared dish and drizzle with a bit of extra-virgin olive oil. Toss to coat. Sprinkle the veggies with some salt-free seasoning, such as Mrs. Dash (any flavor you like), add a pinch of herbes de Provence, a small pinch of Kosher salt and some freshly ground black pepper to taste. Toss again to coat.

3. Bake in the middle of a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 45 minutes, stirring once about half-way through. Remove from oven and sprinkle dish with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Serve. Or, alternately, you may run the dish under the broiler for a moment or two to melt and brown the cheese before serving.

As written, this recipe will serve 6.

So what's your favorite way to serve zucchini? Hungry Diva wants to know!

Enjoy!

Flour-less Peanut Butter Cookies

2010-07-27T14:25:00.004-04:00

I first came across the notion of flour-less peanut butter cookies at book club. The year was somewhere around 2003 or 2004, and we were gathered at the home of a member, debating our next six months of selections. A few of us had brought along a dessert to share, and one of the offerings was an astoundingly rich and chewy peanut butter cookie. I knew I had to have the recipe.

Rather than write it out for me, M. rattled it off: 1 cup peanut butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon of vanilla. That's it. That's all. In a word, I was amazed. I had no idea it was possible to make cookies without flour. That's just crazy talk, right? Wrong.

M. assured me that not only would this recipe work, she'd been making it since kindergarten! It was the first recipe she ever learned and she never bothered, never needed to write it down. I didn't either. I committed it to memory ... and there its stayed in my pretty little head, lo this nearly decade or so. I always intended to make the cookies, but somehow it never happened.

Well, Monday's weather was a chilly 88 degrees, rather than 98, so it seemed like a fine time to bake. I mentally dusted off M.'s recipe and set to work. I changed it up a bit too - using natural peanut butter, rather then a commercial (read - too sweet) brand; some brown sugar in place of the white; and ... because I'm me ... I added some chocolate chips for good measure.

They may not be the best looking cookies on earth, but they sure are tasty.

Flour-less Peanut Butter Cookies:

1 cup natural peanut butter, at room temperature
3/4 brown sugar, lightly packed
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt
3/4 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips, optional

1. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Place the peanut butter into a mixing bowl and to it add the brown sugar. Stir with a fork until thoroughly combined. Crack in the egg and, again, mix with a fork until thoroughly combined. Add the vanilla extract and a small pinch of salt, then stir well with a fork until fully incorporated. The mixture will appear grainy - remain calm, all is well. Add the chocolate chips and mix in with a wooden spoon or spatula. Don't worry if the chips don't want to blend, you can mash them in when you form the cookies.

3. Scoop cookies by rounded teaspoon and roll slightly in between your palms to form, pressing in any errant chocolate chips. Place formed cookies directly onto a baking sheet, and press each down slightly. Continue until all cookies have been formed. You should have about 2 dozen.

4. Bake in the middle of a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown at the edges. Allow cookies to cool on cookie sheet for 1 to 2 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

As written, this recipe will yield 2 dozen small cookies. Recipe may be doubled.

Hint - if you choose to omit the chocolate chips, you may press the formed cookies down with the tines of a fork to create that traditional peanut butter cookie look. Also, if you prefer a sweeter cookie, by all means opt for the white sugar and use one full cup. And, if you prefer, you may also use a commercial brand of peanut butter in place of the natural stuff. Hey, its your cookie!

There are probably dozens, maybe even hundreds, of flour-less peanut butter cookie recipes floating around out there. This is my version of the classic.

Enjoy!

Chicken Meatballs with Ariosto Seasoning

2010-07-23T12:15:00.004-04:00

Its no secret that we're in the midst of an extraordinarily hot summer. Record highs have been set all over the country and here in the city, we've been living in a blast furnace; each day more hot and humid than the next. I'd say that its typical for July, except that we're on pace to have the hottest July on record. Ole.

My birthday fell smack in the middle of this unusually hot month and when dinner time rolled around, I wanted what I always want for my birthday meal ... despite the heat. I wanted meatballs.

Its long been a joke in my family that my birthday tends to be the hottest day of the year. It wasn't this year, but it was close. Regardless of the heat, I bowed to tradition; only this year, I lightened things up a bit. I chose to make chicken meatballs and I had a little help in seasoning them too.

Recently, the good folks at Ariosto seasonings reached out to me and offered me some samples of their seasoning blends. I happily accepted. Made in Milan, Italy, with Sicilian sea salt, Ariosto seasonings are one of Italy's top selling brands. They feature a delightful blend of herbs and sea salt, with no additives, MSG, or artificial ingredients. Ariosto sent me a wonderful assortment of their blends, and in this recipe I've used their: Insaporitore per Carni (seasoning for meat and chicken), Aglio e Peperoncino (a spicy blend featuring garlic and crushed red pepper flakes), and Insaporitore per Sughi al Pomodoro (seasoning for tomato sauce).

The results? Magnificent! Or, should I say, magnifico?! The sauce had a wonderfully spicy kick, due to the crushed red pepper flakes, and the meatballs were tender and perfectly seasoned. Mille grazie per tutti, Ariosto!

Spicy Tomato Sauce:

1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon Ariosto Aglio e Peperoncino seasoning
one 7g packet of Ariosto Sughi al Pomodoro seasoning
one 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoons tomato paste
one 8 oz. can of tomato sauce
1/4 cup good quality red wine
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1. Heat the oil in a large, non-reactive, sauce pan over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the minced garlic and 1 tsp. of Ariosto Aglio e Peperoncino seasoning and saute, stirring, for one minute.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot, stir well to combine, and allow the mixture to just come to the boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, while you make the meatballs. Stir once in a while, for good measure.

Chicken Meatballs:

1 pound ground chicken breast
1 teaspoon Ariosto Insaporitore per Carni seasoning
2 teaspoons salt-free grilling blend (I use Mrs. Dash Steak blend)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
some freshly ground black pepper
dash of freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup seasoned whole wheat bread crumbs

Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees F.

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix well - with clean hands, or a fork - to blend. Mix until fully incorporated. Mixture will be slightly sticky. Form the mixture into 12 even, round, meatballs and place on a large baking sheet when formed.

2. Bake meatballs in the middle of a pre-heated 425 degree oven for 15 minutes.

3. Remove from oven and transfer the meatballs to the sauce, stirring to coat. Cover the pot and allow the meatballs to simmer gently in the sauce - on very low heat - for at least 30 minutes and up to an hour, so the flavors will meld. Stir once in a while to ensure they don't stick to the bottom of the pan. Serve over cooked pasta and garnish with some chopped fresh parsley and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

As written, this recipe will serve 6.

Careful readers will note the lack of salt in both the meatballs and the sauce. Since the seasoning blends feature sea salt, I found it unnecessary to use additional salt. Do as you see fit.

Ariosto seasonings are available online and in some specialty markets across the country. I look forward to trying their potato and fish blends, as well as future experimentation with the seasoning for meat. I really enjoyed the flavor of the sauce seasoning, and found the ease of use to be a real time saver - no need to measure or dust off a long list of herbs and spices ... its all right there in that happy little packet.

A brief word of caution regarding the Aglio e Peperoncino blend ... its spicy! Personally, I like it that way, but go easy if you're heat averse.

Lastly, if you're unable to find Ariosto seasonings in your neck of the words, feel free to reach out to the charming and delightful Mr. Saverio Lo Presti - you may contact him via email: slopresti@ariosto.it - and he will respond immediately.

Buon appetito!

Interview with a Triathlete: Part Two

2010-07-22T12:00:00.007-04:00

A happy triathlete, ready to celebrate!

At this point, some of you may be wondering why a food blog is devoting three days, three posts, to a triathlon? That's a fair question. Certainly, familial pride plays a part in the answer; but the greater answer by far lies in my belief that we are collectively inspired and uplifted by witnessing another person achieve his or her goals. While most of us may not dream of crossing a Triathlon's finish line, we do dream. We set goals. Whether its shedding a few pounds, cutting down on sugar or fat, or simply trying to move away from processed foods - you all have goals of your own. I share them.

Who knows, maybe after reading this you'll be inspired to: join a gym, run an extra mile, or enter a road race of your own? I hope so. Hell, even choosing to forgo that extra helping of ice cream is a victory of sorts! It is my hope in telling Heather's story that you will be inspired to dream a little bigger, reach a little farther, and know that you can accomplish whatever you set out to do.

Completing an Olympic-length Triathlon is such a tremendous accomplishment! How did it feel to cross the finish line? What was going through your mind when you did?

I felt great, mentally and physically! I felt like I accomplished what I set out to do, from just a pure goal standpoint. Physically, I felt good; I wasn't sick or feeling bad in any way, and I was really happy about that. I spoke a little about this on Sunday, after the race, but I wanted to run this race for my mom - to embody what she lived, the way she lived, her strength, her mental toughness and determination. This race really represented what she meant to me and I wanted to honor those qualities in her by running it.

Crossing the line, I also felt really good about, and frankly overwhelmed by, the love and support my family and friends showed for me by making a point to be there for me throughout the race and along the course. You cross the finish line and have all those emotions coming at you at once - the sense of accomplishment, the love and support, the feelings for and about my mother - and you kind of cry a little bit. I teared up. Then again, I cry at "Old Timer's Day" at the stadium, so there you go!

Physically, how did you feel after the race and on the day following?

I really felt good. A little sore in my legs, they're a little tired, but I feel like I could have worked out on Tuesday - at least the upper body. Circumstances made that impossible, but I do think I'll work out tomorrow. I didn't need or take any Advil or anything, I've just been resting my legs a bit. Funny, I've definitely continued the tuna and ice cream cravings. I had both again yesterday! I slept well on Sunday night and am continuing to hydrate. Its one of the things you can really control - your hydration, and it makes a huge difference in your body's ability to perform. Hydration is critical, both for performance and recovery.

Do you think, having now achieved this remarkable goal, that you will be able to draw on this success in other areas of your life? In what way/ways will reaching this goal impact your life in general?

I think what you draw on after reaching a goal like this, is your ability to have confidence in yourself. I set a goal and I achieved it ... I can set other goals and achieve them too. What I like about sports in general, and for me in particular, is the ability to control the outcome. There's an element of control that people crave in their lives, but you can't control so many things ... and in sports, you can. I can prepare, I can research, I can control my outcome. I may not be able to control getting a date, but I can control my race performance! And I feel like that experience is completely transferable to my career as well.

I'm happy in my career and, having done this now, I feel like I can set in place a plan to better manage my career so I'm controlling it, not having it control me. Its not a knock on where I am now at all, but I've reached a point where I want to be the master of that ship ... and I feel like completing the tri gives me the ability to do that. Its kind of like that saying about New York - if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere - accomplishing a major goal gives you that same mental toughness, and you can draw on it at any time. I know now that I can take on a lot of mental and physical stress.

Do you think you'll run the 2011 Nautica New York City Triathlon? And do you have any advice for those who are just starting out and want to attempt a tri?

I would definitely do it again. I think I'll put my name in for the lottery - they've changed the way they're doing it next year. But in some ways it depends on where I am in my life at that time. If I do it again next year, I will set more specific goals for each leg, time-wise. The way these races work, is that you commit to doing it in November, but your training doesn't really start until April, so its hard to say where I'll be in my life at that time next year. It will depend on that. Its a huge time commitment. I want to do it, but I won't do it if I can't do it right.

As for starting out and attempting a tri, its different for everyone. The path I took was one of building confidence through sprint (half-length) tri's. I ran the Danskin 2 years ago, and another one last year. Its a good way to start. I found the path of doing sprints helpful, but it depends on individual personality. There's no doubt that doing sprints helps, especially in terms of the transitions and knowing what to expect during a race. Though, if you're really confident, and can immerse yourself in the training, you can start with an Olympic. Its all about having the commitment, time and energy to do it ... and advance preparation.

There are so many resources out there now - even on YouTube. You can actually watch YouTube videos on how to change out of a wet suit ... and I did! My advice would be to get as much information as possible - and the Internet is a great source. You can find everything you need online. Get involved in the "tri community" if you'd like to race - most sports shops have tri clubs, and you can find them online too. Its a very inclusive and supportive community.

If you're looking for a race in your area, check active.com - they have a platform that all the national races hook into to calendar their events. Its a great resource.

You've always been athletic, do you think that gives you a leg up in racing? Or can anyone give it a shot?

I think being naturally athletic does give me a leg up, as does having played organized sports in high school and college. But I think it gives me more of a mental edge than a physical one. It gives me confidence in myself and makes me familiar with the process and what it takes. That said, I do think anyone can do a Tri, athletically inclined or not. The mental prep and the ability to follow a process are key.

I saw someone wearing a great shirt during the race. It said: "You never know if you don't Tri" ... and I believe that's true. From a physical perspective, if you train your body and eat right you can do this. (Assuming you're healthy, of course.) On the mental side, you can draw on past successes and experiences where you followed a process and ultimately achieved a goal.

Finally, what's next for you, in terms of competitive racing?

I think I'm going to do the Bronx half-marathon in August. I actually don't like running, so I feel like that's my challenge. Its 12 miles and the most I've ever done is 8. I feel like learning to run 4 more miles is do-able between now and next month. I've kind of been seduced by feeling healthy and loosing inches. I don't think I've lost weight - and that's fine, I wasn't trying to - but I've definitely lost inches. I'm in the best shape of my life ... and I like eating ice cream! You have to have balance!

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Many, many thanks to Heather for allowing us into her head and for this glimpse into what its like to train for and run a triathlon. Even though I was supporting her throughout, I learned a lot from this interview and I hope you have too.

Traditional media does a wonderful job of highlighting the lives of professional athletes. That's a given. But I often feel they miss the mark when it comes to the every day athlete. Its the stories of these every day runners and racers that inspire me most - because while the pros get paid to do what they do, people like Heather (and like many of you) train within the context of their every day lives. They go to work, have families, friends, social obligations, etc., and still find time to achieve their goals.

This series is my way of saluting my wonderful sister in law, and saluting all of you every day athletes out there. Over 3,000 people ran in the NYC Triathlon on Sunday and the great majority of them were people like Heather. Every day athletes. If that's not inspiring, I don't know what is.

Cheers!

p.s. - On the menu tomorrow: chicken meatballs. Stay tuned and come hungry!

Winners! - 2010 Nautica New York City Triathlon Edition

2010-07-21T12:05:00.003-04:00

Minutes away from the finish line.

I'll be honest, watching my sister-in-law compete in the 2010 Nautica New York City Triathlon last Sunday was one of the most thrilling events of my life. Watching someone you love achieve her goal is so inspiring and I couldn't have been more proud if I had run the race myself.

Not only did Heather finish the race - there was no doubt she would - but she did it with such style and grace, she almost made it look easy ... and she looked good doing it too! Heather, you are my hero!

Heather has graciously agreed to an interview with me so you can learn a little bit more about the race, what it felt like to run it, and how to prepare for a Tri. I hope you'll enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed putting it together. And I hope you'll be inspired by this series too. As it turns out, the interview ran a bit longer than I had anticipated so I will present it in two parts.

Part One appears today, and Part Two will appear tomorrow. Fear not, we will return to our regular Thirsty Thursdays feature next week! As promised, I will also announce the winners of the Oceana water bottle give-away today at the end of this post.

I'll start with the obvious question: Swimming the Hudson ... as gross as it sounds? How did you feel once you jumped in and how did the swim go for you?

Well, its gross, but probably not as gross as the perception. There's a perception that the river is full of eels and garbage and toxic waste - but I didn't see any of that. The most unnerving thing about the Hudson is its taste. When you swim, you can't help but get water in your mouth and the Hudson is a mix of salt and fresh water. You definitely taste the salt ... mixed with a tinge of gasoline and motor oil! Its gross! I'll be honest, it turned me off.

I felt fine when I jumped in - I mean, I like water, I like swimming and its not like your skin starts tingling as soon as you hit the river. I was really anxious about it, prior to the race, but would feel more prepared for it if I did the race again. Despite all that, the swim went well for me because its such a fast current. The current gets stronger as the day goes on. I was on the early side of the current but it was still remarkably fast. That's the trade-off with the Hudson - it tastes awful, but it moves really fast!

You finished the race with an impressive time: 3 hours, 24 minutes, which was doubly impressive given the oppressive heat of the day. How were your transition times and did you feel like the weather was a factor for you in this race? Are you happy with your results?

I am happy with my results. I've been thinking about this a lot since Sunday - the goal I set for myself was to finish the race and feel good - not to finish in a set amount of time - and I did that. So I'm definitely happy. Heat was undoubtedly a factor (temps were in the 90s on Sunday), especially towards the end of the bike and certainly towards the end of my run. I ran almost 10 minutes slower than I usually do. Normally, I run 6 miles in under an hour, but on Sunday it took 1 hour and 4 minutes.

I was happy with the transitions, especially as I look back. My first transition, from the water to the bike, was 8 minutes. Initially that seemed long - but that transition area was 400 yards away from the end of the swim; plus you have to remove your wet suit, dry yourself off, put on your shoes, etc., it takes time. My second transition, from the bike to the run, was 3 minutes. I put a transition plan together prior to the race, so I felt really well prepared.

I spent 12 weeks conditioning my body for the race - and I put the same effort into forming a "race-day game plan", especially on the Friday and Saturday before the race. Nautica offered a transition over-view on the day before the race and I took them up on that. I wanted to physically see the area and know what to expect and how to navigate it. I knew the importance of forming a transition plan from past experience with sprint tri's, so I had a great foundation for how to prepare.

You've previously competed in two sprint (half-length) triathlons, but this was your first Olympic length race. Did the race feel twice as long?

Running the Danskin Sprint Tri two years ago gave me a strong foundation in terms of what to expect, how to prepare mentally, and planning for the things you don't think about like the transition plan and how to take off your wetsuit. You actually have to practice taking off the suit - multiple times. There wasn't anything that I did on Sunday that I hadn't done before - even eating GU (an energy gel which I really don't enjoy), so I knew what to expect and that helps.

It actually didn't feel twice as long! I don't know if that's because the Hudson is so fast - that may have made a difference. The bike started to feel a little long, probably because of the heat. But as far as the run goes, it kind of flew by. There were so many people along the course of the race, cheering, that you sort of lose track of how long you've been running. Prior to the race I was training six to eight mile runs - with no one cheering for me, and believe me, that can start to feel long. Having my friends and family out on the course cheering for me at different points along the way really sped it up.

It was obvious to me that you were really well prepared for the race. Can you tell us a little bit about your training schedule? Did you use a professional training organization?

I entered into a 12 week training program for this race. In order to join, you had to be able to complete a sprint tri - which means swimming 1/2 mile, biking 13 miles and running 3 miles - you had to come into the training being physically able to do those 3 things at those distances ... and I was. I was already in shape, so I didn't train for the training program, per se, I knew I could do it. During the 12 week program, I was working out 6 to 7 days a week, building on the distances of the swim, bike, and run that whole time. At the peak of training, I was doing everything at distances in excess of the tri; swimming more than a mile, biking an average of 30 miles (and up to 50), and running 8 miles.

There may have been times when I got only 5 days of training, but towards the end, I was more focused. You start to learn how to fit it all into your day as you get further along in the training. It becomes a routine. You find ways to get it done.

I trained with JackRabbit Sports in New York City. They're an athletic store that specializes in training for marathons and triathlons.

Since I'm running a food blog here, can you tell us about your pre-race meals? What did you eat while training and on the morning of the race?

I think the nutritional aspect is something that evolved with my training - I kind of took it for granted in the beginning, but it soon became obvious to me how important it is to eat well. Initially, I didn't really pay attention - I have a certain way of eating and drinking and in the beginning I didn't change much. But when you start training 6 to 7 days a week, you have to pay attention. I was starting to feel tired and unable to keep up; then I started to realize that the way I ate would play a big role in my performance - in my ability to perform. I did a little research about energy foods and the type of carbs you need for fuel. The popular perception is that its all carbo-loading with pasta - and while its true that you need more energy from carbs, pasta is not the only way to get it. I ate a lot of fruit. I really began to crave fruits and nuts - as well as dairy and ice cream. Carbs from those sources became important for me.

I didn't eat a lot of red meat during training, which is kind of odd because I love red meat, and I'm not necessarily giving it up. But I did phase off of it - I ate a lot of chicken and tuna fish sandwiches instead. I was literally craving fruit and tuna sandwiches every day! One of my friends joked that this race was my pregnancy in that way!

Pre-race, its important to store energy on the Friday and Saturday prior, Friday is actually the most important day. I had some pasta, fruit, a light protein, a little salad. Nothing too taxing. Its important not to introduce new foods or eat anything too spicy or challenging. You need to eat foods that are familiar and easy to digest.

The morning of the race varies from person to person. Some people don't eat at all, because it makes them sick, but I know I need to eat. I have a little race day breakfast ritual - I eat peanut butter toast and a banana. I'm used to it, its my go-to breakfast.

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Stay tuned for Part Two of my interview with Heather tomorrow - when we'll discuss the elation of realizing a goal; the importance of water and how to begin working towards completing a triathlon. Trust me, its inspiring!

And now, our winners! As always, I used random.org, to select the winners of our Oceana water bottles and they are ... drum roll, please .... comments number 15 and 13. Congratulations to Steph of Steph Chows and Wilma of Wilma the Pug! I'll be reaching out to you for your mailing addresses so that Nautica can send your bottles directly. Enjoy!

HUGE congrats to Heather and many thanks to the good people at Nautica for offering the give-away.

Cheers!

Disclaimer: Wilma is actually my furry niece and her mom (my other sister-in-law) is the writer behind her words. She really was the random winner of the second bottle and I am abiding by random.org's choice. I just wanted you all to know, in the sprit of full disclosure!

Give-Away: 2010 Nautica New York City Triathlon Edition

2010-07-15T11:00:00.002-04:00

This, my friends, is New York's mighty Hudson River and, on Sunday, my beloved sister in law will be swimming in it! No, she hasn't taken leave of her senses - rather, she will be one of more than 3,000 athletes competing in the 10th Annual Nautica New York City Triathlon; the only Olympic distance triathlon in New York City. Holy cow!

On Sunday, July 18th, athletes from 18 countries and 45 states will compete in a way that, quite frankly, boggles the mind. They will brave the mighty Hudson by swimming 1.5 kilometers (.9321 miles) through its turbulent waters, then bike 40 kilometers (24.85 miles) along the Henry Hudson Parkway, and finally, they will run 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) through Central Park to complete the course.

Honestly, I can't even imagine the physical and metal fortitude it takes to enter such a race, much less complete it. I am incredibly proud of Heather, my sister in law, and much of our family will be out on the course cheering her on this Sunday. Yes, I know its Thursday and you're all thirsty ... but I'm taking the opportunity to honor Heather and all 3,000 of her fellow athletes with this post on the Tri today. I beg your indulgence ... and, oh, and you'll be rewarded for it, too!

In a happy coincidence, a representative from Nautica contacted me earlier this week to offer a lovely and appropriate give-away to celebrate the event. Knowing that I have a personal connection to the race, I jumped at the chance. Nautica has graciously offered to give-away a stainless steel water bottle (pictured above) to two of my readers. While many of us will likely not take on the challenge of an Olympic length tri ... we all have goals and face challenges ourselves. In recognition of that, and as a token of encouragement, I'd like to offer you the chance to take home an Oceana re-useable water bottle, courtesy of Nautica.

Rules of Entry:

1. Simply leave a comment on this post. You can tell us about a goal you've set for yourself, or simply (and hopefully) lend a kind word or two to cheer my sister in law on. (Go, Heather, go!)

2. The give-away will remain open until midnight on Tuesday, July 21st. Two winners will be chosen using random.org and the winners will be announced on Wednesday, July 22nd. Winners must be willing to email me their mailing information so that the bottles may be shipped directly.

Disclaimer: The prize was provided by Nautica, but Nautica is not a sponsor, administrator, or involved in any other way with this give-away. All opinions expressed in the post are my own and not those of Nautica. Entrants must be 18 years of age or older and located in the United States and or Canada only.

I am thrilled to help spread the word about this remarkable and inspiring event. Towards that end, I'd encourage you to check out the following links, especially if you find yourself in New York City this weekend:

To Volunteer for the Race:

2010 Nautica New York City Triathlon Volunteer Options

To View the Race:

2010 Nautica New York City Triathlon Spectator's Guide

If you're really brave and want to enter the lottery for a chance to compete in next year's race:

2010 Nautica New York City Triathlon Lottery

You won't see me diving into the Hudson any time soon, or ever for that matter, but you might see me out on the course cheering for Heather ... providing I wake up on time! ~wink~ If you plan to be here too, drop me a comment and let me know.

Heather has graciously agreed to an interview with me, to discuss her experience in running the Tri, and I will present that interview next week when I announce the winner on Wednesday.

My heartfelt congrats and very best wishes for luck to all who will compete this Sunday. I tip my tiara to all of you. Good luck and God bless!

Quick Chicken Tostadas + Give-away Winner

2010-07-14T08:45:00.001-04:00

I don't know about you, but when the weather is this hot and muggy, my interest in eating is limited ... and my interest in cooking is almost non-existent. It helps to have a few quick go-to summer meals that satisfy yet require little effort in terms of preparation. Today's Chicken Tostadas fit that bill in spades.

I came across this recipe several years ago in Bon Appetite. I no longer remember the month or the issue, nor do I follow a recipe, but this dish is such that the exact measurements hardly matter at all. Use what you've got, use this as a starting point, a guideline of sorts - and you'll be on your way to the dinner table in no time at all. Promise.

Quick Chicken Tostadas:

2 cooked skinless boneless chicken breasts, cubed
1/2 pint of grape tomatoes, chopped
1/3 cup red onion, chopped
juice of 1/2 fresh lime
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
2 - 3 dashes Tabasco or hot sauce, optional
pinch of salt and a dash of freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh cilantro (or parsley)
1 cup of prepared guacamole
1/2 to 2/3 cup black beans, canned, rinsed and drained
4 small corn tortillas
shredded lettuce, romaine or red leaf
prepared salsa
herbed goat cheese, crumbled

In a bowl, combine the cubed cooked chicken, chopped tomatoes and chopped red onion. Stir to combine. In another small bowl, combine the juice from 1/2 of a large fresh lime and 1 teaspoon of ground cumin, whisking well to combine. To this mixture add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, hot sauce, a pinch of salt and some freshly ground pepper, then whisk well to combine and pour over the chicken and tomato mixture. Add the chopped cilantro and stir well to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Add the black beans to the guacamole and stir well to combine. If desired, you may add a dash or two of hot sauce and some additional lime juice to the mixture. Reserve.

Toast the corn tortillas in your toaster oven or bake in a 425 degree F oven until crisp and light golden brown. Remove from oven and place each tortilla on a serving plate.

To assemble the tostadas: top each tortilla with 1/4 cup of the guacamole and bean mixture and spread in an even layer, adding more if you desire. Top the guacamole with a layer of shredded lettuce and over the lettuce spoon some of the reserved chicken and tomato mixture. Be generous, this is dinner! Spoon some salsa over the top of the tostada and dot with some crumbled herbed goat cheese to taste. Serve immediately, with additional hot sauce and some wedges of lime for garnish. Enjoy!

As written this recipe will serve 4.

I generally used grilled chicken breast, though some roast chicken would do as well. As for the tomatoes, use what you've got: grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, any kind of tomato will work! And if you're enterprising, you could certainly make your own guacamole and salsa .... but sometimes its nice to take a little help where you can get it. Either way, you'll be rewarded with an extremely tasty meal that's every bit as delicious as it is easy to prepare!

Winner Announcement: The Xagave give-away closed last night, so I will announce the winner today. I used random.org to generate a number and the winner is comment number 6! Deb said: "I'm so torn - lemon poppyseed bread, carrot pineapple cake or peanut rice crispy treats! Ah decisions, decisions and no idea what to choose!"

Good news, Deb, now you can try them all! I'll email you today for your address and the good folks at Xagave will be shipping off your package soon. Congratulations!!

I'll be hosting a different give-away tomorrow, so stay tuned, all.

Cheers!

Papa Diva Discovers the Wonders of Hummus

2010-07-12T10:40:00.002-04:00

I've got to be honest, I don't know what's going on with my family. First, Papa Diva sends me a post he's written about hummus, then - just this weekend - Mama Diva divulged that she's flirting with the idea of becoming a vegetarian. Who are these people and what have they done with my parents?!

Now, its possible that you'd have to know Papa Diva to understand how funny this hummus business is. He's an Irish meat and potatoes kind of guy ... or so it seemed. But after a recent lunch with a friend, he's been waxing poetic on the wonders of hummus. Astounding! Now, of course, some of us have been eating hummus for years - but for him, its a new taste treat and he's taken such a shine to it that he's written our post for today. Take it away, Papa Diva!

P.S. - don't forget to enter my agave nectar + cookbook give-away. Contest closes at midnight on July 13th!

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Diva Dad Goes Vegan ... for a Day

Recently, the Diva Dad attended a wooden boat show at Mystic Seaport with a longtime friend. The friend packed a lunch for himself and for the Diva Dad. The friend, Dave Niles, does not eat anything that had a face or a mother. We are talking serious vegan commitment here. Dave actually made the switch over to a fully vegan diet for health reasons and he is reporting very good results.

The Diva's very close friend, Olive, is also a vegetarian - I wonder if her name had something to do with the decision? The Diva's aunt Linda is also a recent convert. So we need to give these people some ink now and then ... it might just be a movement!

Back to the lunch - it was a hummus and pepper sandwich on a whole wheat bun. It was delicious and very easy to prepare. We are duplicating the sandwich herein. Mama Diva gathered the ingredients, made the hummus, and assembled the sandwiches.

Basic Hummus Recipe:

one 15 ounce can of chick peas, rinsed and drained
1 or 2 large cloves of garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice, seeds removed
1/3 cup tahini
extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling as garnish
ground paprika and chopped fresh parsley for garnish

In the bowl of your food processor, combine the drained chick peas, garlic cloves, salt, lemon juice and tahini paste. Process and pulse until smooth and fully incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more lemon, tahini or salt according to your liking. Serve.

If serving as a dip, place the hummus into a serving vessel and drizzle a bit of extra virgin olive oil over the top. Garnish with a dusting of ground paprika and some chopped fresh parsley.

Alternately, you may choose to prepare the Diva Dad's new favorite sandwich, as seen above. The peppers he prefers are small orange peppers. I usually associate small peppers with high heat, but this is not the case with these peppers. Preparation of them could not be more simple; no roasting, no caramelizing, no peeling. Just wash, cut open, remove seed and slice into strips. The peppers work well with the hummus, giving the sandwich much more interest.

Now I am aware that some people think any sandwich can be improved with a few slices of bacon - however we must remember that bacon had both a face and a mother. No bacon strips allowed here!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Many thanks, Papa Diva, for introducing us to this healthy lunch option! Of course it remains to be seen just how long Papa's fascination with the chick pea will last. Remember, this is the same man who recently wrote a post on grilling meat!

Naturally, I'll be submitting this post to Hey What's for Dinner Mom?'s Just Another Meatless Monday. Be sure to pop on over to Laura's place today and check out the other meatless meals on offer.

Bon appetite!

Thirsty Thursdays: June Challenge Round-up

2010-07-08T15:30:00.000-04:00

Talk about short and sweet ... I had but one entry into my Thirsty Thursdays June Jalepeno Challenge! I think the heat may be getting to all of us! Fortunately, its a spectacular entry, as you will soon see.

If you recall, The Duo Dishes chose jalapeno as the ingredient for this month's challenge. While I had hoped for broader participation, given this interesting choice, I do understand that the summer is in full swing and things can be slow in the blogging world as a result.

The good news is that our sole entry is a spectacular one. Team Noodle, from Tangled Noodle, has triumphed again - offering up the Hot Fuzz for your spicy sipping pleasure. This gorgeous cocktail boasts an interesting twist on the jalapeno theme; using some chipotle infused tequila in combination with lime juice, peach schnapps and orange juice to create a fuzzy navel inspired margarita. A winning combination if there ever was one, I'd say.

As Noodle explains in her post, the peach/chile pairing is a natural: "this luscious stone fruit and piquant chili achieve a perfect taste combination of sweet and spicy, and is already a popular pairing in salsas, barbecue sauces and jams."

Run, don't walk, right over to Tangled Noodle and check out the recipe for their Hot Fuzz cocktail - I know you'll be as anxious as I am to try it.

Given the lack of participation this month, I've decided to suspend the challenge until fall. We will resume in September and Tangled Noodle will have the honor of choosing the next ingredient or spirit.

My deepest thanks to Team Noodle for being such good sports and taking up the challenge once again. Congratulations on an inventive and delicious creation!

Cheers!

Xagave Nectar + Cookbook Give-Away

2010-07-07T10:00:00.000-04:00

I'm one day behind again - and that couldn't be helped. The temperature was 103 here yesterday and I was feeling every bit of it. As it happens, my beloved computer is in the only un-airconditioned room of my home ... so now you see why my posting has been so erratic of late. I simply can't take the heat.

Its not much better today, so I'm going to keep this short and sweet ... literally, sweet, because the good folks at Xagave Nectar have generously offered to sponsor a give-away this week!

The makers of Xagave reached out to me after my post on the blackberry bundt cake and asked if I'd like to run a give-away and, naturally, I said yes.

One lucky reader will have the chance to win a package containing one 25 ounce bottle of Xagave Premium Agave Nectar and a copy of their marvelous cookbook: "Delicious Meets Nutritious." If you're new to cooking and baking with agave nectar, this is the book for you! Its chock full of recipes for every meal of the day, nutritional information, and a handy conversion chart for replacing the sugar in any recipe with agave nectar.

To get a better idea of this marvelous cookbook's range, just take a look at the free recipes offered on Xagave's site ... Brie Stuffed Chicken, Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies, luscious Spinach and Red Pepper Dip - if those don't tempt you, I don't know what will?!

Rules of Entry are as follows:

1. To enter simply browse the free recipes section at Xagave Nectar, then come back and leave a comment here telling me which recipe you'd like to try. You must complete this task in order to be eligible for the prize.

2. To gain a second entry, follow me and leave me a comment letting me know that you do. If you are already a follower, leave a comment letting me know.

3. To gain a third entry, Tweet about this give-away - then come back and let me know you've Tweeted.

One winner will be chosen by random number generator and the contest will close at midnight on Tuesday, July 13th. The winner will be announced on Wednesday, July 14th.

The contest is open to U.S. residents only and you must be willing to email me your name and address so that Xagave may send your prize directly.

Good luck and stay cool!

Thirsty Thursdays: Red, White and Blue Sangria Edition

2010-07-01T10:25:00.001-04:00

No, I haven't dropped off the face of the earth, nor am I going to leave you thirsty this holiday weekend! In fact, I have a lovely, summery sangria to offer for your sipping pleasure.

Created on the fly by the husband, this refreshing sangria boasts a base of light, refreshing vinho verde, a hint of peachy goodness, and bright riot of summer berries to keep things feeling festive. While the recipe below is by the glass, you could certainly make this by the bottle or pitcher, but you'll need to play around with the measurements a bit.

For those unfamiliar, a brief word about the vinho verde. Literally translated "green wine", vinho verde is a Portuguese wine, from the Minho region, who's name refers to its youth rather than its color. Vinho verde is not meant to be aged, it should be consumed within a year of bottling, hence its description as a young wine. It is low in alcohol, feathery light on the tongue and slightly effervescent. The flavor is typically somewhat fruity, with notes of crisp green apple and lime.

Its light and refreshing, perfectly suited for use as an aperitif all on its own - and equally delicious when used to form this light sangria.

Red, White and Blue Sangria:

Vinho Verde
Peach Schnapps
Orange Bitters
Fresh Strawberries, hulled and halved
Fresh Blueberries

Fill a tall glass with ice and add some vinho verde, enough to fill 1/2 to 3/4 of the glass. Add 1 1/2 ounces of peach schnapps and a dash or two of orange bitters. Stir to combine. Add some fresh strawberries and blueberries to the glass and stir gently. Serve and enjoy, repeat as necessary!

As written, this recipe will serve 1.

In this case, we used some Vindigal Vinho Verde, which is quite excellent, but any brand will suffice. If you've not had a chance to try vinho verde, by all means check it out. Its the perfect summer wine - and, bonus, its generally low in price!

I expect to be back in full swing on the blog next week. We'll start things off with a yummy give-away on Tuesday, and later in the week I'll have a scrumptious fish taco on the menu, and a luscious chocolate review. Rumor has it that Papa Diva is working on a vegan post for us as well ... will wonders never cease?! Stay tuned!

So, what are you up to this weekend? Will you be grilling up a storm, relaxing poolside, or hitting the beach? Curious Diva wants to know.

Wishing a safe and Happy 4th of July to those who are celebrating!

Cheers!

Thirsty Thursdays: Aperol Edition

2010-06-24T12:00:00.001-04:00

Want to add a bit of punch to your summer cocktail repertoire? Look no further than Aperol: an Italian aperitif that was first made in Padua in 1919. Its simply gorgeous, in both color and flavor, is low in alcohol yet high in taste, and plays beautifully with a number of spirits.

Personally, I've been captivated by Aperol ever since I first spied bottles and bottles of it decoratively lining the walls of a downtown Italian bistro many months ago. I was instantly charmed by its bright, nearly day-glow, color - and the chic retro design of the bottle didn't hurt either. I ooohed and ahhhed over it just enough to actually plant a seed in the husband's mind and shortly thereafter, he brought a bottle home.

I knew enough to know that it was vaguely orange and medicinal in flavor, not dissimilar to Campari, and that it was made from a proprietary blend of bitter orange and botanicals that's been kept secret through the years. What I didn't know was what to do with it. Naturally, I googled.

My brief search turned up probably hundreds of uses for it ... and one in particular cried out to me ... mostly because I had almost all of the ingredients on hand. First developed at the Pegu Club in New York city, the Intro to Aperol cocktail is a simple yet sophisticated little sipper that hits all the right notes for me. Its refreshing, slightly astringent, and just addictive enough to make you want to take another sip ... and another, and another and another. Below, my version.

Intro to Aperol - Diva Style:

2 ounces Aperol
1 ounce gin (we use Hendrick's)
3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
1/4 ounce agave nectar
dash of Angostura Bitters
slice of lemon peel for garnish

Into a martini shaker, pour the Aperol, gin, lemon juice, agave nectar and bitters. Fill the shaker with ice, close and shake well until the outside of the shaker frosts. Pour into a rocks glass and twist a slice of lemon peel over the drink. Garnish the drink with the lemon peel. Serve and enjoy, repeat as necessary!

This recipe first appeared in the Washington Post back in November of 2009, as part of an article on classic cocktails. I gather that the original drink, as made at the Pegu Club, calls for an orange peel to be flamed over the drink. Alas, I had no oranges on hand and, to be honest, I rather like the contrast of the lemon peel I used with the already orangey Aperol.

My version also substitutes some agave nectar for simple syrup and that is a personal choice. I almost never mix with simple syrup these days, as prefer to eschew sugar where possible. For me, the agave works just as well and, frankly, I can't taste the difference. Do as you see fit.

Though generally billed as an aperitif, Aperol works just as well as a digestif. The herby botanicals, astringent orange flavor and light body, can either serve to whet your appetite or calm the storms of a too-indulgent meal, depending on your needs. It pairs beautifully with gin, vodka and works especially well with champagne or sparkling wines. Indeed, Aperol can also be enjoyed on its own - over the rocks, with a twist, or with a splash of soda perhaps. If you're of a mind, you can add a dash or two of lemon or grapefruit bitters to shake things up a bit.

My point? Mixing it up with Aperol is good fun. Which ever path you choose, you'll be rewarded with a colorful, flavorful cocktail who's festive orange glow is exactly right for summer sipping.

Cheers!

Blackberry Bundt Cake with Xagave Nectar

2010-06-23T10:40:00.001-04:00

Sometimes, when email meets regular mail, its a match made in heaven. Let me explain: this luscious, summery cake is the direct result of a recent email and a packaged delivered to my door.

Like many of you, I subscribe to TastingTable. Some weeks back, their recipe of the day was a scrumptious looking blackberry buttermilk bundt cake with an orange glaze, offered by White House pastry Chef, Bill Yosses. I filed it away for later use.

Later that week, I received a package from the good folks at Xagave Nectar. They reached out to me an offered me a sample of their agave nectar and a copy of their wonderful cookbook: "Delicious Meets Nutritious." I ran a quick search on the company, determined that their product was indeed all natural and certified USDA organic - and I, happily, accepted. Still later, I paired the two of them together and the results were magnificent!

Xagave is a premium blend of the nectar derived from both blue and white agave plants. According to their data, it has the highest concentration of calcium and inulin, and is the only product on the market with a standardized inulin content. Inulin is prebiotic fiber that has been shown to benefit both the digestive and immune systems, increase calcium absorption, and increase bone density.

I'm neither a scientist nor a nutritionist, so I can't speak to such claims ... but I am a baker and I can tell you that I really enjoyed baking with this product. Xagave has a neutral, sweet taste, a fantastic pourable texture and is easy to blend with both hot and cold ingredients. The finished cake had a moist, tender crumb, and the flavor was just sweet enough, without being cloying.

In preparing this cake, I substituted 3/4 cup of Xagave for the 1 3/4 cups of sugar called for in the recipe. I also chose to use a combination of whole wheat flour and whole wheat pastry flour, rather than white flour. This recipe is based on Chef Yosses' Blackberry Buttermilk Bundt cake, featured on TastingTable.com. Should you prefer to go the traditional route with sugar and white flour, by all means, have a go at that link.

Please note that when baking with any agave nectar, it is necessary to reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.

Blackberry Bundt Cake with Xagave Nectar:

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup Xagave nectar
4 large eggs at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup of low-fat buttermilk
2 pints fresh blackberries, rinsed and drained

For the glaze:

1/2 cup of fresh orange juice
1/4 cup Xagave nectar (or 1/2 cup confectioners sugar)
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh lemon zest

1. Pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees F. Great a 2 quart non-stick bundt pan with butter and dust with a light coating of flour, shaking out the excess.

2. In a large bowl, combine the whole wheat pastry flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Whisk well with a wire whisk to combine and reserve.

3. Cream the butter in the bowl of your electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy. Turn the mixer to low and slowly pour in the agave nectar. Beat well on high until well combined. (The mixture will have a pudding like consistency.) Beat in the eggs, one at a time until thoroughly combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the vanilla and beat until combined.

4. Turn the mixer to low and beat in the flour mixture by thirds, alternating with the buttermilk, until all of the flour and buttermilk have been added. Beat until just combined. Remove bowl from mixture and add in the fresh blackberries, folding them in by hand with a spatula to distribute evenly.

5. Pour batter into prepared bundt pan and bake in the middle of a pre-heated 325 degree oven for 50 minutes (or up to an hour) or until golden brown and a tester inserted into the middle of the cake come out clean. Remove from oven when baked and allow cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto a serving platter.

6. To form the glaze: combine the fresh orange juice, agave nectar (or confectioners sugar, if using) and lemon zest and whisk well to incorporate fully. Using a skewer or long thin knife, poke deep holes all over the cake and while the cake is still warm, slowly spoon 1/2 of the glaze all over cake, allowing it to seep in. Let the cake rest for 20 minutes, then spoon the remaining glaze over cake and allow it to set for at least 10 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Like most agave nectar products, Xagave is low on the glycemic index and is far sweeter than sugar - so you can use less and save some calories in the process. Both their site and the "Delicious Meets Nutritious" cookbook have a fantastic conversion chart that will help you substitute agave for sugar in any recipe. This is an invaluable resource!

The cookbook is filled with hundreds of recipes: everything from condiments (like sugar-free, agave sweetened ketchup!), to sauces, baked goods, main courses and even cocktails. Naturally, I was thrilled to find the cocktail section. I've been substituting agave nectar for simple syrup in all of my cocktails for some time now and the results have been magnificent.

You can order both the cookbook and the Xagave nectar from the website and I gather that it can also be found in some natural food markets across the country as well.

So, do you enjoy baking with agave nectar? Curious Diva wants to know.

Bon appetite!

Thirsty Thursdays: June Challenge - Jalapenos!

2010-06-17T12:00:00.003-04:00

As you may recall, The Duo Dishes won the May TT Challenge and they have selected jalapeno as this month's featured ingredient. A most excellent choice!

I've long been a fan of the spicy cocktail and jalapeno plays well with so many flavors and spirits. Of course, the most obvious use for jalapeno is a spicy margarita ... and I have gone that route in the drink I'm featuring today.

That said, I am going to encourage you to think outside the box, should you choose to enter this month's challenge. Jalapeno pairs well with: lemon, lime, orange (or any kind of citrus), pomegranate, mint, cilantro, tomato, cinnamon, and salt, to name but a few.

Be aware that jalapenos can vary in their intensity from pepper to pepper. Some peppers are rather mild, while others are extremely hot. Always taste your pepper to determine heat level before you mix your drink. If it is extremely hot, reduce the amount of jalapeno you are using, especially if you're going to muddle the pepper. If the pepper is extremely hot, remove the stems and seeds prior to mixing.

In terms of spirits, I'd say almost anything goes. I wouldn't hesitate to pair it with: vodka, gin, tequila, mezcal or beer. But, really, you're limited only by your imagination! As far as extracting the flavor goes, you have two choices: you can muddle the pepper, or infuse your spirit with the jalapeno. If you go the infusion route, wash, dry and slice your pepper, then add it to a quantity of your chosen spirit and allow it to sit for at least 4 hours, or overnight, depending on how hot you'd like your drink.

I've taken today's recipe from Navan's site. I liked this unusual twist on the margarita, especially for the lovely vanilla notes that the Navan brings to the party. The original recipe calls for silver (or white) tequila, but I only had gold on hand. Do as you see fit.

The Madagascar Margarita:

3 ounces tequila
1 ounce Navan
1 - 2 teaspoons agave nectar, depending on your taste
3 rings of fresh jalapeno, or less, depending on heat level
wheel of lemon or lime for garnish

Place the fresh jalapeno rings into a cocktail shaker and over them pour the tequila. Muddle the peppers, crushing slightly to extract their juice. Add the Navan and the agave nectar and fill the shaker with ice. Cover and shake well until the outside of the shaker frosts. Strain into an ice filled rocks glass and garnish with a wheel of lemon or lime and a slice of fresh jalapeno. Serve and enjoy, repeat as necessary!

To enter this month's challenge:

1. Create a cocktail using jalapeno as an ingredient and write a blog entry about it. Post your entry sometime before midnight on Friday, July 2nd, and include a link back to Beach Eats:

http://beacheats.blogspot.com

2. Send an email entitled Thirsty Thursdays June Challenge to: ttchallenge[at]gmail[dot]com

The email must include the following information:

Your name
The name of your blog
The name of your cocktail
The link to your blog entry and a photograph of your drink
Entries must be received by midnight on Friday, July 2nd

3. You can still participate, even if you don't have a blog. Simply send an email with the above information, minus the blog stuff, and I will include you in the round-up.

The round-up will be posted on Thursday, July 8th and a winner will be declared at that time.

Good luck and get mixing ... I'm looking forward to your spicy creations!

Cheers!

Almost Wordless Wednesday: Dining and Drinking in Brooklyn Edition

2010-06-16T11:30:00.002-04:00

Some scenes from our day spent dining and drinking our way through Brooklyn over Memorial Day weekend:

Chorizo and Eggs skillet from El Almacen.

El Almacen's Baja Fish Tacos.

Bacon wrapped, blue cheese stuffed dates at Traif.

Traif's Watermelon Gazpacho amuse bouche ... with a hint of bacon!

Traif's signature Bacon Doughnuts with Dulce de Leche and Coffee Ice Cream

Traif's Spritz Cocktail: a delightful mix of Aperol, Cava, and Blood Orange Juice.

Finally, I cannot recall the name or ingredients of this drink (I didn't have it, my sister in law did) but I know it had some combination of whiskey, smokey tea ... and a bacon dusted rim ... because almost everything at Traif comes with bacon!

Have a delicious day!

Diva Cooks: Astra Libris Edition

2010-06-14T11:15:00.002-04:00

So, at long last, those whole wheat biscuits - and I promise they're worth the wait.

Part of the reason for the delay, was that I wanted to do this recipe and its creator justice. Back in February, I began an new feature: Diva Cooks - a series of posts wherein I cook and write about the food of other bloggers. The series began with Tangled Noodle's incredible Honeyed Apple Turkey Pot Pie and it continues today with Food for Laughter's whole wheat biscuits.

Written by Astra Libris, Food for Laughter is one of my most favorite blogs. Astra Libris is a gifted writer with a warm, generous spirit and a heart as big as the great outdoors. Her love of family, friends and food shines through in every post and you cannot help but smile when you read her words ... and droll when you read her recipes.

She first posted her whole wheat biscuit recipe back in June of 2009 and I've been making them ever since. They have become my go-to biscuit and I am pleased to share them with you today. In this case, I used them as a vehicle for using up some of the garlic scapes, and that ingredient is optional. Feel free to leave them out. Alternately, you could choose to add some chopped scallions, and or a bit of grated cheddar ... the options are limitless.

As you'll see when you click over, Astra serves these biscuits with her lighter version of white gravy - a Southern staple that she's made-over by using turkey sausage (or soy crumbles) and 1% milk. I have yet to try her white gravy, but I'm certain its every bit as delicious as these biscuits!

Astra Libris' Whole Wheat Biscuits - Diva Style:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour (or whole wheat pastry flour)
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 large garlic scapes, minced (optional)
1 cup non-fat milk (or 1% milk)
1/4 cup melted butter

Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees F.

1. In a large bowl, combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk well with a wire whisk to combine. Add in the garlic scapes, if using and whisk again to combine. Add the milk and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined. Add the melted butter and stir again until just combined. At this point, the dough will be formed, give it a gentle knead or two, in the bowl, just to bring it together.

2. To form the biscuits: use a 1/4 cup measuring cup and scoop by 1/4 cup fulls onto a baking sheet. The dough will yield approximately 10 biscuits. Bake in the middle of a pre-heated 425 degree oven for 15 minutes, until light golden brown and cooked throughout.

Serve and enjoy!

You'll note also that Astra's original recipe gives options for a vegan version, and that it uses a bit of white flour. I've used all whole wheat based flours in this recipe, though feel free to do either. I've also reduced the amount of sugar by half and, again, that's a personal choice.

These are my absolute favorite whole wheat biscuits and I hope you'll try them! I also hope you'll stop by Food for Laughter and get to know Astra and her wonderful family. I know you'll love her as much as I do!

Bon appetite!

We Interrupt Our Regularly Scheduled Programming ...

2010-06-11T14:10:00.000-04:00

I hate to be a tease, but those whole wheat biscuits are going to have to wait until next week.

I seized an opportunity to purge my painfully groaning bookshelves and the logistics of the endeavor have taken up the better part of these last two days. A local church is having a book drive to raise money for a new roof and I jumped at the opportunity to engage in some much needed literary pruning.

As you can see, Diva cats Lucy (left) and Zelda (right) wasted no time in "helping". They were especially excited about the ball of twine I was using to tie up the books. All in all, I donated 110 books to the church; donated 30 books to the community bookshelf in my building's laundry room; and fed another 20 to the recycling bin. What you see above doesn't even begin to cover it!

Sadly, this purge, though substantial, didn't even result in one full empty shelf. 90% of the books were mine and the vast majority of them were "book club-reads". I'm seriously considering going the eBook route, though reluctantly. Its either that or a 12-step program for voracious readers.

So, I've been packing and hauling for the past two days ... and not writing. And now I'm packing again ... my suitcase, as we're heading out of town for the husband's high school reunion.

Whole wheat biscuits will appear next week, I promise.

So, do you have an eBook reader? If so, do you love it? And what brand? If not, what's holding you back? Curious and exhausted Diva wants to know!

Have a great weekend, all!

xoxoxoxo

Fun With Garlic Scapes

2010-06-10T11:30:00.001-04:00

Fear not, our regular Thirsty Thursdays feature will resume next week. I simply haven't had a chance to mix up any magic in the cocktail area this week. Sad, huh?

But I have had time to get busy with some garlic scapes. As I mentioned yesterday, I'm long, very long on garlic scapes - thanks to bro's garden. For those not in the know, garlic scapes are the flower stems that garlic plants produce before the bulbs mature. They're long, green shoots, with a pale portion near the top, from which will grown the eventual bulbs. Gardeners often harvest the young, tender shoots to encourage larger bulbs to form ... which is good news for adventurous cooks!

I added them to the couscous dish on Tuesday. I turned them into an onion/garlic dip on Wednesday. (as seen below) And I'm planning on making this white bean garlic scape dip later on in the week, thanks to the recommendation of Diva Sis in Law, K. who emailed me the recipe.

My onion/garlic dip was very much a fly-by-the-tips-of-my-tiara operation. No real recipe here, I used: one 6 ounce container of non-fat plain Greek yogurt, 1 teaspoon of bottled horseradish, 1 teaspoon of onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon of BBQ Seasoning, 3 large garlic scapes - minced, and a little dash of lemon pepper seasoning. I whisked it all up, then let it chill in the fridge for a few hours. The husband enjoyed it with chips, prior to dinner, and I enjoyed it with some strips of fresh red bell pepper. Yum!

Finally, I threw some minced scapes into this batch of outstanding whole wheat biscuits that I made late Wednesday afternoon. They were scrumptious. More on this recipe tomorrow.

Even with all of that, I haven't made a dent in my stash of scapes! I could certainly make some pesto ... but then I'd want to have it with pasta and I've been trying to cut back. So, what's a Diva to do??

Thus, I turn to you, my savy readers and ask: What would you do with a bag of fresh garlic scapes?

I need ideas ... stat!

Cheers!

Israeli Couscous with Chicken, Mushrooms, Garlic Scapes and Asparagus

2010-06-09T11:40:00.000-04:00

Will wonders never cease? I actually cooked a meal at home last night - and a tasty meal at that!

This dish is based on Bev Bennett's recipe for Couscous Pilaf with Chicken and Mushrooms that appeared recently in the New Haven Register. Mama Diva passed it on to me last weekend with her recommendation. I varied the ingredients according to what I had on hand; substituting some cooked roast chicken for the chicken breast, adding some asparagus because it seemed like a good idea, and finishing the dish with some freshly grated Parmesan, because - why not?

The somewhat whimsical addition of garlic scapes is the result of my bro's largess. He's planted an enormous quantity of garlic this year and he favored me with what seems like 5 pounds of fresh scapes! I expect they'll be making their way into just about everything I cook this week. Stay tuned.

If you're hungry and in a hurry, this is the meal for you. Its quick, nutritious, filling and altogether delightful. If you don't have any cooked chicken on hand, please consult the original recipe for instructions on using skinless, boneless chicken breasts, as the directions will vary accordingly.

Israeli Couscous with Chicken, Mushrooms, Asparagus and Garlic Scapes:

3 teaspoons olive oil
2 cups Shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1 large shallot, peeled and minced
1 large clove of garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
pinch of Kosher salt and some freshly ground black pepper
1 cup of cubed cooked chicken
1 teaspoon of butter
2/3 cup Israeli couscous
1 1/4 cups hot chicken broth
1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
3 fresh garlic scapes, minced (optional)
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus additional for sprinkling
some chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. When it begins to shimmer, add the mushrooms and cook, stirring as needed, until mushrooms are tender and just beginning to brown. Add the shallots and garlic and saute for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the curry powder and the Herbes de Provence and saute for one minute, then season with a bit of salt and pepper.

Add the cooked chicken and continue sauteing and stirring for 2 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon of butter, allow it to melt, then pour in the Israeli couscous. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, allowing the couscous to toast and brown slightly. Add the hot chicken broth and stir well to combine, scraping any browned bits up from the bottom of the pan. Add the asparagus, the garlic scapes and the leaves from 4 sprigs of fresh thyme. Stir well to combine.

Bring the mixture to the boil then immediately reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes or until couscous is tender and most of the broth has been absorbed. Before serving, add in 1/4 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and stir to melt and combine.

Serve immediately, garnished with some chopped fresh parsley and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Ms. Bennett's recipe suggests that this is a meal for two, but I believe my version yielded enough for four. Your mileage may vary, of course.

Should you wish to go the vegetarian route, you could certainly leave out the chicken and substitute some vegetable broth for the chicken broth. Either way, you'll be rewarded with a quick and altogether satisfying meal. Round it out with a nice big salad or some steamed veggies and call it dinner. I sure did!

Enjoy!

Water Torture

2010-06-08T14:54:00.000-04:00

If you're wondering what I've been up to while I've been AFB (away from blog) lately - and, really, that does keep you up at night, doesn't it? Well, I've been out and about all over town. I feel like I've had 1001 restaurant meals over the last two weeks and, though delightful, not a single one of them included a cold glass of water. Water there was, sometimes aplenty, but rarely was it chilled and never was it iced.

So I got to wondering, is this some disturbing new trend? Or merely the latest form of water torture?

It all began with a meal at Minetta Tavern on the Thursday before Memorial Day weekend - and a scrumptious meal, it was! The food was plentiful, familiar yet inventive, and right on point. (hit up that link and drool over the menu) The service was outstanding and the setting couldn't be more agreeable. The water? It was served in a "charming" vintage bottle and could best be described as tepid. Actually, the word "warm" is more to the point. We asked for ice.

That Saturday night, we dined at The Mermaid Inn, a quaint little seafood house not far from my home. The oysters were fresh and briny, the service outstanding, the setting very New England ... and the water? Served in a "charming" vintage bottle at room temperature. Le sigh.

Sunday, now the Sunday of Memorial weekend was a banner day. Some friends and family gathered for our 3rd Annual Hipster Day - a day we set aside to roam the streets of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, drinking and dining at will. Its a blast! This year, we began at El Almacen, a cozy little Argentinian restaurant with a lovely outdoor space. We had brunch - a luscious and creamy egg/chorizo skillet for the husband, huevos rancheros for the sister in law, Baja style fish tacos for the Snack Bee and myself. The food was exquisite, the service a-ok, the drinks menu intoxicating ... and the water? Served in "charming" vintage bottles at room temperature. I kid you not.

Following brunch we did a bit of shopping and made a brief stop at The Lodge for my favorite blueberry lemonade. It was every bit as good as I'd remember and, happily, there was no need for water.

Later on, our merry little group, high-tailed it to Traif - a fabulous new restaurant that bears the inviting tag-line: "celebrating pork, shellfish & globally inspired soul food." Translation ... everything here comes with bacon. Love it! And we did love it, so much so that really, Traif deserves a post of its own at some point. The food was magnificent, their cocktail menu was inventive and exciting, the service was beyond friendly and accommodating ... and the water? You know what I'm going to say, right? The saving grace here was that the water was marginally colder than room temperature and we didn't need to ask for refills.

Finally, last Tuesday night I found myself enjoying the Yankee Game from the front row of the Audi Club - and a fine game it was too. A lavish buffet was included with the price of the ticket and we certainly made the most of it. That evening, I dined on a succulent roast loin of pork, with olive oil mashed potatoes and a melange of roasted seasonal veggies. Salads, soups, several kinds of cheese, and two different kinds of "sliders" were offered as well. In addition, the buffet boasted sushi, 3 different types of stroganoff, hot dogs, snack items and a host of sugary, chocolaty desserts.

The food was hot, fresh and plentiful, the service adequate, the setting lovely ... and the water? I'm sure I don't need to tell you, but I will: served in "charming" vintage bottles at room temperature. Et tu, Yankee Stadium, et tu?

What in the world is going on here? Listen to me New York City restaurant people: if one more server approaches me with a vintage bottle of warm tap water I am going to flip my ever-lovin' tiara! You've been warned.

I don't need, or want, fancy bottled water, NYC tap is a-ok with me ... but would it kill you to throw a little ice into it?!

Cheers!

p.s. - when I finally have a night at home, I swear I'm going to cook a meal and post about it. Really, I mean it! Hang in there with me. ;)

Selecting a Grill for Outdoor Cooking: Part One

2010-06-04T11:19:00.000-04:00

Today, I'm presenting a special guest post from the handsome and talented Papa Diva - who, incidentally, is in the market for a new grill himself. He has graciously offered to share his thoughts on the various types of outdoor grills ... for those lucky enough to have outdoor space in which to grill! This post is the first in Papa Diva's Out Door Grilling Series. Enjoy!

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Papa Diva is aware that not everyone lives in NY City, some of us actually live in the provinces where cooking outside is a requirement; along with lawn mowing and mulching. I thought some thoughts selecting and using a grill might be in order as we near the official opening of the potato salad season.

First, we need a glossary of terms:

Barbecue or barbecuing: You will notice that I avoid the use of the term barbecue. That actually refers to a method of very slow cooking of inexpensive cuts of meat. Southerners wince when we Yankees refer to grilling as barbecuing.

BTU: Stands for British Thermal Unit. One BTU equals the energy required to raise the temperature of one pound of water one (1) degree Fahrenheit. Many gas fired grills are rated in BTU's/hr. It is usually best to buy a grill with the highest BTU rating your budget allows. We will tell you why that's important when we talk about grilling steaks.

Fuel: You can buy a grill that burns charcoal, charcoal briquets, natural gas or propane gas. There are also electric grills.

Natural Gas: Natural gas is a utility delivered to your home through pipes in the street. It does not burn as hot as propane. The purchased grill must be set up for burning natural gas. It requires a different nozzle than a grill specified for use with propane gas.

Propane Gas: This is the most common grill in the Northeast. Grillmiesters in the South and Southwest think we are barbarians for cooking with gas.

Charcoal: This is the stuff for real grillmiesters. Real charcoal (often called lump charcoal) provides the hottest fire of all fuels. This is very important for searing steaks and such. If you are the Diva Hubby, who likes his steaks black on the outside and red on the inside, searing is important. The Diva Hubby is actually a certified grillmiester. A temperature of at least 600 degrees Fahrenheit is needed for searing. A charcoal fire will yield a temperature from 850 to 1,000 degrees. Real charcoal also imparts a smoky flavor to the food that can't be duplicated by any other fuel.

Charcoal Briquets: Made with charcoal, some fillers and some chemicals to facilitate faster lighting. Less expensive than real charcoal. Will not add the same flavor as real charcoal. Some Southerners thing it adds a chemical flavor.

At least one company, Brinkmann, makes a duel fuel grill that has a charcoal grill on one side and a propane grill on the other.

Brinkmann also makes a model with a separate sear burner. You sear the steak on the sear burner and then move it to the regular grill surface to complete cooking. Unless you are the Diva Hubby, in which case you are through cooking when the sear is complete!

What to buy? It all depends on what you're looking for; ease of use, availability of fuel, cost, etc., are all important factors. A grill set up to burn propane gas will be the easiest to find, and the easiest to use. Once ignited, you will be cooking in ten minutes, or less. A charcoal grill will not be ready to cook on for approximately 30 minutes after lighting. Weber makes a grill that uses a small propane tank to light the charcoal (or briquets) so can begin cooking in 10 to 15 minutes with a model such as this.

Many gas grills now include a side burner, usually rated at 12,000 BTU's. The side burner is useful for boiling water for the ears of corn that go well with seared steaks.

Stay tuned for Part Two in our series, as we have not exhausted this complex subject!

So, what sort of grill do you fancy? Hungry Diva family wants to know! And, if you have any questions for Papa Diva, shout them out in the comments.

Happy Grilling!

Thirsty Thursdays: May Challenge Round-Up

2010-06-03T12:00:00.001-04:00

The Cucumburt, by The Daily Spud

Today, I'm thrilled to present the entries into May's Thirsty Thursdays Challenge. As you may recall, participants had a choice of either cucumbers or bourbon this month and the entries are spectacular! Let's get to it, shall we? I will present them in the order in which they arrived in my mailbox.

First up, we have The Cucumburt (pictured above), created by The Daily Spud. This refreshing shake "marries cucumber, yoghurt, ginger, mint and coriander along with a measure of gin and tonic." Well said and well done, Spud! I'd say that's a marriage made in heaven! What with all of those lovely herbs and the cucumber, it might even qualify as a health drink ... best to have two servings so as to reap the full benefits! ;)

The Bourbon Mago Sensation, by Lynnylu

Lynnylu, from Cafe Lynnylu, decided to go the bourbon route and has offered the Bourbon Mango Sensation for your sipping pleasure - a "fruity melange of mango, lemon and mint" inspired by the Milk and Honey Bar in New York City. The mango, mint and lemon are muddled together with superfine sugar to create the base for this gorgeous and summery drink. No doubt that mango plays beautifully with the bourbon and the mint is most welcome indeed. Yum!

Bluegrass Iced Tea, by Team Noodle

In an amusing twist, "Team Noodle", of Tangled Noodle, opted to work with bourbon for this challenge ... even though their suggestion for the month was the cucumber! How delightful! Mr. and Mrs. put their respective "noodles" together to create a cocktail sure to please them both. Their Bluegrass Iced Tea boasts a dangerously delicious combination of rosemary and mint infused bourbon, lemon, sugar and a bit of tonic for topping up. Inspired by both the classic Mint Julep and the flavor of iced tea, this is a refreshing cocktail just "perfect for sipping as you sit on the porch on a hot, humid summer night - or just imagining you're sitting on a porch on a hot, humid summer night!"

Summer Bourbon Slush, by Suzy

Suzy, from Suzy's Goodies opted to go with the bourbon as well, offering her Summer Bourbon Slush cocktail. This unique recipe combines orange juice and lemonade concentrate, pineapple juice, strong black tea and bourbon - all of which are mixed together and placed in the freezer over night to form a slush. The slushy goodness is then topped up with a bit of 7-Up before serving. What fun! I love the use of the black tea here and, as Suzy says, its "perfect for a summer afternoon!"

Bourbon Banana Colada, by Shirley of GFE

My pal Shirley (whom I met at BlogHer Food last September), from Gluten Free Easily rounds out the bourbon entries with her luscious looking Bourbon Banana Colada. This summery treat was inspired by the BBC cocktail (Bailey's Banana Colada) Shirley had while traveling through Virgin Gorda. Her version omits the Bailey's and blends up a lovely tropical mix of bourbon, dark rum, frozen banana, fresh pineapple, coconut milk, shredded coconut and ice to create a drink sure to put you in mind of warm soft sands and cool blue waters. I particularly like the use of the rum and shredded coconut ... I hope you saved me some, Shirley!

Pineapple Sage Cocktail, by The Duo Dishes

Happily, our final entry is of the cucumber variety. The Duo Dishes, who by all accounts throw one mean party, threw their hat into the ring with the Pineapple Sage Cocktail. Inspired by a drink they had during a visit to New York, this gorgeously green sipper features a mix of raspberry vodka, Midori liqueur, pineapple juice, muddled cucumber and fresh sage. Wow, its a party in a glass! Keep mixing it up like that, Duo, and you might just find me crashing your next bash!

Goodness, what a stunning, inventive and beautiful array of cocktails! I am thoroughly impressed with each and every entry ... and completely at a loss for choosing a winner. As such, I've decided to put the husband on the hot seat this month. There's no way I can choose among such dear blogging friends - so I've shown him all the entries and descriptions and asked him a simple question: "if you could have only one of these drinks right this minute, which would you choose?"

His answer: The Pineapple Sage Cocktail! While the husband was clearly impressed with all the offerings, and said he would try any one of them, the combination of sage, pineapple and cucumber won him over.

Congrats to The Duo Dishes! You now have the honor of choosing an ingredient or spirit for this month's challenge. Please announce your choice in the comments ... so we can all get mixing!

Finally, my undying thanks to all who participated this month. I truly appreciate your willingness to play along and especially your willingness to share your creativity with my readers. I'm delighted with your efforts and thank you all from the bottom of my heart. I hope you'll play along next month too. :)

Be sure to stop by and visit all of our featured bloggers for these scrumptious recipes. Tell 'em Diva sent you ... and I'm sure they'll buy the next round.

Cheers!

Happy Blog-o-versary!

2010-06-02T12:26:00.004-04:00

Look, I've baked you a virtual cake! And, really, virtual baking is the only kind I've had time for these last several days. Things have been more than a little busy, Chez Diva, of late and cooking has, sadly, not been on the agenda. That will change, but likely not until next week.

Today is my 2nd Anniversary of blogging. I began Beach Eats on June 2nd, 2008 - my, how time flies! I've enjoyed every minute of this adventure, and particularly enjoyed "meeting" all of you both in your comments here and on your own blogs as well. I'm looking forward to our 3rd year together!

Be sure to tune in tomorrow for my Thirsty Thursdays Challenge round-up ... I've got a host of bourbon and cucumber themed drinks for your sipping pleasure! And on Friday, we'll have a special guest post from Papa Diva that I know you'll enjoy.

Have a wonderful day!

xoxoxo

Diva

Thirsty Thursdays: Cucumber Edition

2010-05-27T12:00:00.003-04:00

First off, this picture doesn't do this drink justice. To be honest, it never had a fighting chance. I was hot, tired and thirsty when I made it - and anxious to take the first sip. Patience never was one of my virtues. I wonder if cucumbers are patient?

If not, they need not worry, they're blessed with a host of other virtues sure to compensate. Cucumbers are crisp, brightly green in flavor, kinda tart yet a little bit sweet, and possessed of marvelous cooling properties. It is these cooling properties that intrigue me, in so far as mixology is concerned.

For my cucumber Challenge entry, I wanted to think outside the box a little bit and reach for something, perhaps, a bit unusual: Mezcal. And, no, I'm not talking about that rot-gut stuff of wormy legend. Today's Mezcal is a premium spirit and it is distinctly sans worm. We've been having fun mixing it up with Mezcal, Chez Diva, and I'm well pleased with the results. I'll offer a more detailed explanation of the spirit in subsequent posts - but for now, the simplest way to describe it is: a smoked tequila. Leaves of the agave plant are roasted over hot rocks and mesquite, which combine to lend a pronounced smoky flavor to the spirit.

Since we happened to have a bottle of Sombra Mezcal on hand, I looked to their website for recipe options and lo and behold, there was a drink entitled: Cool as a Cucumber. Sold! While the original recipe calls for some passion fruit nectar, I was unable to find any at my local market so I've substituted some papaya juice instead. The result? A crisp, refreshing cocktail with a slightly smoky finish. Magnificent!

Cool as a Cucumber:

recipe adapted from Sombraoaxaca.com

1 1/2 ounces Sombra Mezcal
3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
1 ounce papaya or passion fruit nectar
3 cucumber slices
1 teaspoon agave nectar
1 ounce ginger beer
some ground chile powder for garnish

1. Place the lime juice, agave nectar and cucumber slices into the bottom of a cocktail shaker and muddle with a muddling tool to crush slightly the cucumber and release its juice.

2. Add the Sombra, papaya (or passion fruit) juice, and the ginger beer and fill the shaker with ice. Cover and shake well until the outside of the shaker frosts. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into an ice filled rocks glass. Garnish with a slice of cucumber and sprinkle a bit of chile powder on top. Serve and enjoy, repeat as necessary!

I used some New Mexican chile powder, but anything with a slightly spicy kick will do. This little sprinkle may seem like a frivolous garnish, but do not skip it - that slight hint of spice really adds something special to the mix.

The cucumber, agave nectar and fruit juice combine to temper the smoke of the mezcal and the finished drink is remarkably smooth and balanced. While initial notes are slightly sweet and a bit green, the final note is softly smoky and thoroughly intriguing. This is a cool, crisp drink that's just perfect for the warmer weather. In fact, its almost like a cucumber margarita. A winning combination in my book. I hope you'll try it!

There's still time to enter this month's Thirsty Thursday's Challenge. Details to be found here, entries are to be posted and emailed to me by midnight on Monday, May 31st. I hope you'll join us!

Cheers!

Eggplant Rollatini

2010-05-26T08:00:00.002-04:00

My word, there's an awful lot of chocolate going on here lately ... and I'm not even PMS, I swear it. Clearly, I need to step away from the coco bean and present something else before someone calls the authorities. On the menu today: eggplant rollatini.

Ever since 2006, I can't even think about eggplant rollatini without hearing the voice of Carmella Soprano in my head. Season six, episode five: "Mr. & Mrs. John Sacrimoni Request" ... to be exact. Carmella and Tony are at the wedding of Allegra Sacrimoni, and at one point, Carmella stands up and screams out: "Ton! The rollatine!" I about fell off the couch for laughing and immediately gave props to writer Terence Winter for the colloquial truncation of the word "rollatini". Where I'm from, and where Carmella was from, that word is pronounced "rollatine" ... and I'm not even from Jersey.

I can understand why she was so excited about it too - eggplant rollatini is a treat to be sure. The tender toothsome eggplant, the soft creamy cheese, a nice piquant tomato sauce ...what's not to like? A more luscious and inviting dish I cannot imagine! Now, I'm not going to lie, this one takes some time to prepare ... but it is well worth your effort.

Right off the bat, I'll offer a few short-cuts. If you wish, feel free to use jarred tomato sauce. I used some leftover Five Minute Marinara Sauce. Whichever you choose, you'll need 2 to 3 cups, depending on how saucy you like your rollatine. In this recipe, I've used fresh baby spinach, but feel free to use a package of frozen chopped spinach, if you're so inclined. Doing so will certainly save you some time - though, in my opinion, the flavor will suffer. Your choice. Just be sure to defrost the spinach and drain very well before use.

Bottom line - this is not rocket science and the finished dish is insanely good. So good, in fact, that you might just need to stand up and shout for joy a la Mrs. Soprano. Really. Its fabulous! I've reduced the fat and calories by baking the eggplant and using lower fat ricotta, so its healthy to boot.

Carmella, this one's for you.

Diva's Baked Eggplant Rollatine:

2 large eggplants
1 cup (or more) whole wheat bread crumbs
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
5 ounce package of fresh baby spinach
one 15 ounce container of part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup of 1% large curd cottage cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
pinch of Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
generous grating of fresh nutmeg
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 to 3 cups Marinara sauce
some shredded low-fat Mozzarella cheese for topping
additional freshly grated Parmesan cheese for topping

1. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Wash and trim the eggplants, removing both the stem and bottom ends. Slice the eggplants lengthwise into 12 even 1/4 inch slices. (Discard the first and last cutting of each as it will contain mostly peel.)

3. Coat a large cookie sheet with a thin layer of olive oil and reserve. On a large, flat plate, combine the bread crumbs and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, mix well. Dredge the sliced eggplant, one slice at a time, in bread crumbs, pressing firmly on each side to coat well. Place the coated eggplant slices onto prepared cookie sheet in a single layer and bake in the middle of a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes; turn slices over and bake for 10 to 15 minutes longer or until lightly browned and tender. Removed cooked eggplant to a wire baking rack to cool. Repeat process until all 12 slices have been coated and baked.

4. While the eggplant bakes, prepare the spinach. Wash and drain spinach, then saute briefly in a non-stick pan over medium high heat until just wilted, approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Remove cooked spinach from pan and place in a wire strainer or sieve to drain - pressing firmly with the back of a wooden spoon to extract as much water from the spinach as possible. Once drained, cool slightly then chop into small pieces and reserve.

5. In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, cottage cheese, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, pinch of salt, black pepper, dried basil, granulated garlic and freshly grated nutmeg. Stir well to blend. Add the egg and stir well to combine. Add the reserved chopped spinach and stir well to combine.

6. Pour 1/2 of the marinara sauce into the bottom of a 9" x 13" baking dish and reserve. To assemble the rolls: place once slice of baked eggplant on a plate and spread with approximately 2 heaping tablespoons of the ricotta mixture. (Use your judgement on the amount needed here.) Spread in an even layer and roll from the widest end to the narrow end to form the roll. Place the stuffed rolls, seam side down, into the reserved baking dish and continue until all the rolls have been formed. (Pictured above.)

7. Top the rolls with remaining sauce, to taste, and sprinkle some shredded mozzarella and Parmesan cheese over the rolls. Cover the dish with foil and bake in the middle of a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Remove foil from the top of dish and continue baking for an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the dish is bubbling hot. Serve immediately!

As written, this recipe will yield 12 magnificent eggplant rollatini. I hope you'll try it!

You'll note that I haven't salted and drained the eggplant. For me, that step seems unnecessary. I don't find eggplant to be bitter and it adds one more step to an already lengthy process. Your mileage may vary, of course, so do as you see fit. If you choose to salt the slices, be sure to rinse well and pat dry before proceeding with the breading.

Buon appetito!

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake

2010-05-24T11:00:00.002-04:00

You may want to file this recipe away for use later this summer, when your garden overflows with zucchini. Then again, this cake is so good, you may not want to wait.

If you're in the mood for a rich, moist, chocolaty extravaganza - this is the cake for you. And, bonus, you can count it as a vegetable! Well, not really, but you will have the added benefit of some nutritious zucchini to off-set your indulgence. I'd say that's a good deal; a very good deal, indeed!

I've adapted this recipe from The Flat Belly Diet Cookbook and I'm well pleased with the results. I've added some cinnamon and Chinese Five Spice powder to bump up the flavor, reduced the amount of oil, and altered slightly the composition of the flour. This is a quick, nutritious and wholesome splurge that's sure to satisfy even the most dedicated chocoholic.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake:

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice Powder
2 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup non-fat vanilla Greek yogurt
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini (@ one large zucchini)
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided in half

1. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees F and coat an 11'" x 8" baking pan with a light coating of butter or oil. (I did not have a pan this size, so I used a 9" x 9" glass baking pan and it worked just fine. Adjust the baking time accordingly depending on your pan size.)

2. In a mixing bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and Chinese Five Spice Powder, whisk well to combine and reserve.

3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, yogurt, oil and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Whisk in the shredded zucchini until combined, then stir in 1 1/2 cups of semisweet chocolate chips.

4. Add the reserved flour mixture, by thirds, to the zucchini mixture and stir until just combined. Pour into prepared baking pan and bake in the middle of a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on pan size, or until lightly browned and cooked throughout. The cake is finished when a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. (If you're using the 9 x 9 inch pan, the cake will need to bake for approximately 40 minutes. Less time will be needed for the 11 x 8.)

5. Remove cake from the oven and immediately sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips over the top of cake. (Pictured above.) Allow the chips to sit for a minute or two, until softened and melty. Spread the melted chips in an even layer across the top of cake to form frosting. Allow the frosted cake to cool for at least 45 minutes, prior to serving, so they frosting will set.

This cake comes together in a hurry - I'd say 15 minutes of mixing time - so its every bit as easy as making a boxed cake and its healthier to boot! Waiting for the frosting to set is the most difficult part of the operation. You'll need at least 45 minutes and even then, the chocolate will be runny. Once the cake has cooled entirely, the chocolate will firm up a bit, but will remain rich and creamy. Unused portions can be saved at room temperature or in the fridge, just be sure to cover tightly with some plastic wrap or foil.

The Greek yogurt and zucchini combine to lend the finished cake a wonderfully creamy texture and it is surprisingly moist. I like the flavor so well, I might even be inclined to skip the frosting and bake off the batter in the form of muffins next time. Stay tuned.

I'm submitting this recipe to Hey What's for Dinner Mom's Just Another Meatless Monday feature. Be sure to stop by Laura's place today and check-out the other meatless offerings!

Bon appetite!

Thirsty Thursdays: Milkshake Edition

2010-05-20T12:00:00.001-04:00

Today's offering is by no means a health drink. Consider it a splurge and a somewhat off-beat way to enjoy bourbon - one of our featured ingredients for this month's Thirsty Thursday's Challenge.

Adult milkshakes seem to be on the rise. I've come across more than a few restaurants with boozy shakes on their dessert menus of late and the options really run the gambit. While bourbon seems to be the go-to milkshake spirit - it pairs well with both vanilla and chocolate - I've also seen some made with Irish Whiskey, Irish Cream liqueur, and Cognac as well.

For this particular shake, I've used a combination of Maker's Mark Bourbon and Navan, a vanilla infused cognac. My inner fat cop forced me to use some non-fat chocolate frozen yogurt in place of ice cream, but that's a personal choice. Opt for the ice cream if you're not fat-phobic, doing so will ensure a thicker, richer shake. Frozen yogurt tends to break down in the blending, so the texture will be thinner if you go this route.

Basically, you can add the bourbon, cognac or whiskey to any shake you make, but I will include a recipe for guidance. Its best to have the ice cream soften a bit so that it will blend easily. Leave it out on the counter for 5 to 10 minutes before making the shake.

Diva's Chocolate Bourbon Shake:

1/3 cup of milk (non-fat, whole or soy milk will do)
1 cup of chocolate ice cream (or frozen yogurt)
2 oz. bourbon
1 oz. Navan
some chocolate syrup for decoration

Add the milk, ice cream, bourbon and Navan to a blender and mix well on high until blended, pulsing if necessary, for approximately 30 seconds. Sample the shake for texture, adding a bit more ice cream to thicken if desired.

Drizzle some chocolate syrup around the rim of the glass and into it pour your shake. Serve and enjoy, repeat as necessary!

As written this recipe will yield one shake.

While I always end with "repeat as necessary" ... this shake is mighty filling and one is probably all you need. Feel free to play around with both the flavor of the ice cream and the amount of bourbon as well. I happen to think an adult shake should taste like one - so in this recipe, the flavor of the bourbon will not be lost. Your mileage may vary, of course. Experiment and have fun with it!

If you don't happen to have any Navan on hand, you can leave it out and let the bourbon go solo, or replace it with 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract if you'd like a hint of vanilla. If you'd like a hint of orange, try some Grand Marnier.

Consider this my bourbon entry for May's challenge. I'm still working on the cucumber drink. Stay tuned.

I hope you'll join us with either a bourbon or cucumber themed drink for the May challenge. Details to be found here, the deadline for entry is midnight on Monday, May 31st.

So, are you a fan of adult milkshakes? If so, what's in yours? Thirsty Diva wants to know.

Cheers!

Off Topic: American Idol Rant

2010-05-19T13:33:00.001-04:00

Yes, this is off-topic and completely out of left field, but there's something I have to get off my chest. I'm so shaken by the mediocrity of American Idol's final three that I literally can't move on until I take the opportunity to vent.

When you find yourself longing for the days of a Clay Aiken v.s. Ruben Studdard finale, something has gone horribly, horribly wrong.

Fox could have chosen to air a test pattern for 60 minutes last night and I might have been more entertained; increasingly, I find myself wishing they had. Casey James, Lee Dewyze and Crystal Bowersox collectively have about as much personality and charisma as mung bean. If you mashed all three of them together, I'm not even sure they'd make one complete performer, much less one of interest.

On the bright side, Casey James is H.O.T. - hot; and a talented guitarist as well. Give him an amp, put a band behind him, and he'll be alright ... because he's hot. He's nominally capable off some kind of watered down, bluesy vibe, but rather than showcase this, last night judges Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi saddled him with the incredibly limp (and really kind of creepy) "Daugthers" by John Mayer. If my life goes on as planned, I will never again have to hear this song, much less any other by John Mayer. Merciful Jesus, this is my prayer to you.

On the dark side, we have Lee Dewyze - this year's version of the "obligatory pale imitation of a rocker." If you've been watching, lo these many years, you've seen this character before ... and you've seen it played better by Bo Bice, David Cook, and even (heaven help me) Chris Daughtry. Lee is so utterly lacking in both self-confidence and stage presence that he hasn't even managed to convince himself that he's a musician, much less the me.

Now, don't get me wrong, I like the sound of his voice - when its on key - and I love his back story. He seems like a genuinely nice guy and I'll be happy for him if he wins. He'll probably sound great on radio too, once the studio has a chance to clean up his pitch problems. My issue with Lee is lack of personality and passion ... that and the fact that Simon forced him to sing "Hallelujah" last night and he complied.

If anyone knows the "secret chord" that would "please the Lord" such that we would never again hear this song on this show - call me. Please. Collect, if you must.

And, finally, on the darkest side of all, we have Crystal Bowersox. She makes me saddest of all. In the same way that I wanted last year's Idol to be a slightly raunchy, sexual-shape-shifter with black nail polish and more eyeliner than Ellen DeGeneres (have you noticed her make-up lately?!) - I want this year's Idol to be a dreadlocked, single mother with giant tattoos and all the fashion sense of a bag lady. But the Idol Machine doesn't want what I want. It never does.

One look at Lee's ridiculously OTT blaze of glory lighting and the Gospel throngs behind him as he butchered "Hallelujah" told me all I need to know about who the Idol Machine wants as its victor. (A production so offensive, that were I not made comatose from boredom, I might have picked up the phone and voted 470,000 times for Casey out of spite alone.)

Sure, Crystal is not the most original performer by a long shot. Adam secured that spot last year and we all know how that turned out. I've seen dozens of Crystals busking for change in the subway ... and, no, I've never bought their cd's and I'm not likely to buy hers either. But I like her. I like the sound of her voice and I like that she doesn't fit the typical American Idol contestant mold. And, up until two weeks ago, I liked her performances too. But, clearly, this show has sucked the very life out of her. She's a shadow of her former self and that makes me sad.

As American Idol limps towards the finale, sputtering and wheezing as if in the throes of death - and no, I don't just mean Lee's vocals - I find myself becoming increasingly perplexed and furious. Where is the fun? Where is the joy? Instead of looking forward to next week's finale, I find myself dreading it. I'm not even sure I care who wins - and that's a first for me.

I'm not afraid to admit I like the show. Its cheesy and stupid and not at all in line with the music I typically favor, but up until now its always been fun. This year its just sad and boring. I haven't voted once and I haven't downloaded a single tune. Another first for me.

Show? Meet Mr. Shark. You might have noticed him while you were soaring over his head 13 weeks ago.

Apologies to all who don't watch the show and stay tuned for Thirsty Thursdays tomorrow. Heaven knows I need a drink after last night!

Cheers!

Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Shake

2010-05-17T12:45:00.001-04:00

How's about a little something healthy today? Something rich and chocolaty and satisfying ... without any guilt!

This month, 5 Star Foodie Culinary Adventures' Make-Over Challenge is all about smoothies and shakes. Yum, I'm in! Natasha has asked us to submit a recipe for a smoothie or shake with a twist. Eligible entries include: malts, floats, shakes, smoothies, frappes, and more. Basically, any kind of chilled, blended drink will qualify and you are limited only by your imagination.

Entries are due by Sunday, June, 6th and the round-up will be posted Monday, June 7th. Oh, and there's a fabulous prize too - a HealthMaster Blender. How exciting! Pop on over to 5 Star's place and read the rules if you'd like to enter.

For my first entry, I've made a protein-rich shake that's sure to sure to satisfy. I've replaced the ice cream with a combination of silken tofu and Greek yogurt, and gilded the lily by flavoring it with my favorite combination ... chocolate and peanut butter. What could be better?!

Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Shake:

2/3 cup plain, unsweetened, soy milk
2 oz. lite silken tofu
3 oz. plain, non-fat Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons natural peanut butter*
2 or 3 teaspoons agave nectar, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 or 2 ice cubes, cracked
dash of ground cinnamon, optional

Combine all ingredients in blender and mix/blend on high until thick and creamy. Pour into a glass and serve.

* In this case, I used some agave sweetened peanut butter made by Earth Balance. If you're unable to find agave peanut butter, opt for the natural, unsweetened stuff, so as to keep the sugar in check.

This is a luscious, creamy shake that's just perfect for breakfast, a mid-afternoon snack, or dessert. It has all of the flavor of a traditional ice cream shake, minus the guilt, plus a healthy protein punch that will keep you full and happy. I'd say that's a winning equation ... and it looks like Diva Cat Lucy thinks so too!

Stay tuned for a possible second shake later in the week - I just might be offering an adult version for Thirsty Thursdays.

And speaking of adult beverages ... the Manhattan Cocktail Classic Gala was amazing! I had a blast ... though sadly there are no pictures to prove it. The space, while dramatically lit, was rather dark and my camera just doesn't cut it in low light. Suffice it to say, a good time was had by all and I'm already looking forward to next year's event! Hit up this link if you'd like some visuals. (I'm not in any of the photos, but you'll get a sense of the night.)

So, what's your favorite kind of shake? Hungry Diva wants to know.

Bon appetite!

Happy Weekend!

2010-05-14T12:00:00.001-04:00

This week has definitely been a bit crazy ... and it looks like things might get a whole lot crazier tonight ... in a good way!

If anyone's looking for me, I'll be at the Manhattan Cocktail Classic's Kick-Off Gala tonight at the New York Public Library. Woohoo! The City's premiere mixologists will be on hand working their magic and it appears that there will be food pairings as well.

The event is sold out, but if you've got a ticket and will be there ... keep and eye out for me or drop me an email so we can meet-up. Hint, I'll be the one wearing black. ~wink~

Even if you're not going to the Gala, hit up that link for a list of other festive, informative, and boozy events. The Manhattan Cocktail Classic runs from May 14 - 18th, with events in multiple locations.

Have a beautiful weekend everyone and I hope to be back to business as usual with the posting and commenting next week.

Cheers!

p.s. - If you're wondering about that drink in the picture, its my Lavender Lemon Martini and it is magical!

Thirsty Thursdays: May Challenge

2010-05-13T11:00:00.002-04:00

If you read last week's post, then you already know the ingredients for this month's Thirsty Thursdays Challenge ... Bourbon and Cucumbers. The good news is that I'm not requiring you to pair them together!

Since we have two ingredients, you are free to choose either bourbon or cucumbers. If you're really daring and want to take a risk - go ahead and pair them. Who knows, maybe you'll create a new mixological sensation and become wildly famous. Maybe bourbon and cukes are a match made in heaven ... only time will tell.

So, a brief little primer on bourbon before we get to the rules.

Bourbon is an American whiskey distilled from fermented mash that's primarily (51% or higher) made of corn. Like most whiskeys, its aged in charred barrels to achieve its distinct brown color and to add to its flavor. In fact, in order to be classified as bourbon, the distilled spirit must be aged for a minimum of two years in new oak barrels that have been charred specifically for aging. Bourbon cannot be aged in used barrels; however, once the barrel has been used, it may be re-used to age scotch and or other spirits.

While bourbon can be made anywhere, the majority of American bourbon is made in the state of Kentucky. Popular brands include: Wild Turkey, Maker's Mark, Four Roses and Jim Beam, to name but a few.

Flavor descriptives often associated with bourbon are: sweet, smokey, vanilla, caramel, toffee, leather, molasses, maple, oak, brown sugar, apricot and almond. That list can go on and on, depending on the sensitivity of one's palate and the particular brand, of course.

Bourbon pairs well with: orange, lemon, vermouth, bitters, mint, peaches, butterscotch, grapefruit, ginger, grenadine, apricot, cherries, rosemary, honey, bacon, pineapple and maple.

And, so as not to leave our friend the cucumber out, let's take a moment to talk about pairing him up as well. In terms of spirits, I'd mix cucumber with almost anything clear ... vodka, gin, sake or shocou, etc., though you're by no means limited to that short list. Use your imagination!

Cucumber pairs well with: mint, cilantro, citrus, tomatoes, dill, parsley, chile peppers, pineapple, yogurt, lemons, limes and thyme, to name but a few.

So what are you waiting for ... get out your shakers and get mixing. The rules of the May Challenge are as follows:

1. Create a cocktail using either bourbon as the base or cucumber as an ingredient and write a blog entry about it. Post your entry sometime before midnight on Monday, May 31st. Previous blog posts in which you've used either bourbon or cucumbers in a cocktail recipe will be accepted.

2. Blog about your Thirsty Thursday Challenge Cocktail, including photos, and include a link back to Beach Eats: http://beacheats.blogspot.com

3. Send an email entitled "Thirsty Thursdays May Challenge" to: ttchallenge[at]gmail[dot]com

The email must include the following information:

Your name
The name of your blog
The name of your cocktail
The link to your blog entry and a photograph of your drink
Entries must be received by midnight on Monday, May 31st

You can still participate even if you don't have a blog. Simply send an email with the above information, minus the blog stuff, and I'll include you in the round-up

The round-up will be posted on Thursday, June 3rd and a winner will be declared at that time. Said winner will have the privilege of choosing next month's spirit or ingredient. Good luck!

Special thanks to Tangled Noodle for choosing the cucumbers and to Suzy for choosing the bourbon. I can't wait to get mixing ... look for a new cocktail recipe next week!

Cheers!

Spicy Sweet Potato and Tomato Soup from The South Beach Diet Super Quick Cookbook

2010-05-10T12:56:00.002-04:00

First off, I want to wish a heartfelt, yet belated, Happy Mother's Day to all you beautiful moms out there! And especially to Mama Diva ... the greatest mom a girl could have! Love you the *most* Mama Diva! I hope you all had a spectacular day.

Talk about timing - no sooner did I post my Pitch Policy, when a copy of The South Beach Diet Super Quick Cookbook showed up in my mailbox for review. And I couldn't be happier about it!

The South Beach Diet Super Quick Cookbook, due to be released from Rodale Books on May 11, 2010, is the most interesting South Beach Diet cookbook to date. They have not only expanded their section of Phase 1 & 2 recipes, they've branched out to include some really fabulous ingredients as well. I was delighted to note the use of chickpea flour, flaxmeal and agave nectar, as well as a much expanded meatless meals section in this new offering. The book also includes a wide variety of ethnic meals, such as: Thai Vegetable Stew, African Red Bean Stew, and Coconut Shrimp Curry. All of which combine to make this not simply a "diet cookbook" but a cookbook that foodies can love as well!

A brief word about the diet before we move on. For those unfamiliar, the South Beach Diet is not a no-carb diet. While it is true that carbs are limited during the initial two week period (Phase 1), the intent of the diet is not to eliminate carbs but rather to encourage the choice of healthy, whole grain and high fiber carbs over simple sugars. And, honestly, you can skip the first phase and move right to Phase 2, if you like. Phase 2 allows for whole grains, whole grain breads and pastas, sweet potatoes, and more. In fact, I'm willing to bet that many of you are already eating the South Beach way without even realizing it.

Preceding the recipes, the book offers tips on budget conscious shopping, stocking your pantry, maximizing use of your freezer, as well as suggestions for: Meals for Two, Grab and Go Breakfasts and Lunches, and even Post Work-out Snacking. Its not only a cookbook, its a wonderful resource, dedicated to my favorite topic - eating well with an eye toward health.

Today, I'm featuring my take on The South Beach Diet Super Quick Cookbook's Spiced Sweet Potato and Tomato soup. I have adapted this recipe from the book, changing both the method of preparation and the ingredients to suit my tastes.

Spicy Sweet Potato and Tomato Soup ... Diva's Way:

1 1/4 pounds of sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, peeled and minced
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into small dice
small pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, optional
pinch of Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon Ras el Hanout
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
one 14.5 ounce can of petite diced tomatoes with jalapeno
1 3/4 cup low-sodium vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
1/4 cup of grated aged Gruyere cheese
2 tablespoons non-fat milk
some chopped fresh parsley or cilantro for garnish
some freshly popped popcorn for garnish

1. Using a vegetable steamer, steam the sweet potatoes until fork tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from steamer and reserve.

2. In a soup or stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and, when hot, add the shallots, carrots, a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes and a pinch of Kosher salt, and saute briefly, until the shallots are translucent, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the ground coriander, the cumin, the Ras el Hanout, and the cinnamon and saute, stirring to blend, for one minute.

3. Add the entire can of diced tomatoes with jalapeno and stir to blend for one minute. Return the steamed sweet potatoes to the pot and add the vegetable (or chicken) broth, stirring to blend. Raise the heat to high and bring the soup to the boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

4. Remove the soup from the heat and, using an immersion blend, puree the soup until thick, creamy and smooth. (Alternately, you could use a blender or a food processor to puree the soup.) Return the soup to medium heat and add the shredded Gruyere cheese and 2 tablespoons of non-fat milk, stirring well, until the cheese has melted and is fully incorporated. Should the soup prove to thick for your liking, you may add a bit more broth to thin to desired consistency.

5. Serve immediately, garnished with some chopped fresh parsley or cilantro and some freshly popped popcorn to make it festive! Enjoy!

As written, this recipe will yield 4 (1 1/2 cup) servings.

The original recipe calls for the inclusion of "light spreadable cheese", rather than Gruyere ... but I just couldn't bring myself to add a processed cheese product to this lovely, wholesome soup. I've opted for the sharp Gruyere and a bit of skim milk here, but I'm certain you could leave the cheese and milk out altogether and still enjoy the marvelous flavor of this soup. The cheese does add a certain creaminess though, which is absolutely lovely. Do as you see fit.

This is a hearty, healthy, warmly spiced meal-in-a-bowl that is sure to satisfy and comfort dieters and non-dieters alike. I like so much I'll probably double the batch next time and freeze half for a quick reheat when needed.

I've also switched out the garnish, due to necessity ... the original calls for toasted pumpkin seeds, which would be fantastic ... but I didn't have any on hand. I've long enjoyed a bit of popcorn as a garnish for tomato soup, so I've resurrected that penchant here. Again, the choice is yours.

I'll be submitting this recipe to both Hey What's for Dinner Mom?'s Just Another Meatless Monday feature and Kahakai Kitchen's Souper Sundays feature.

Lastly, although I received my copy of The South Beach Diet Super Quick Cookbook for review, it is a book I would have purchased myself, just based on the index alone. I recommend it to dieters and non-dieters alike and I can't wait to explore it further. Its absolutely ... Divalicious!

Bon appetite!

Thirsty Thursdays: April Challenge Round-up

2010-05-06T12:00:00.001-04:00

Clearly, its going to take more than one month to get my idea of a cocktail challenge off the ground. I only had two bloggers willing to take me up on my Gin challenge. Its ok, though, I'm not deterred. I'm in this for the long haul. And I'm especially not deterred because their entries were so fabulous!

First up, we have Tangled Noodle's Calama-Ginger Sipper - an intriguing mix of ginger infused simple syrup, calamansi juice and gin, plus a bit of tonic for topping up. (Pictured above.) For those unfamiliar with it, calamansi is a citrus fruit, native to the Philippines. Noodle describes it as a bit more tart than a lime but sweeter than a lemon ... and I am dearly hoping to find some calamansi fruit or juice in my neck of the woods so I can try this drink!

As you'll see in her post, Tangled Noodle had a bit of help in the mixology department from her husband, Mr. Noodle. I can't tell you much this thrills me, because I know that I've found kindred spirits in the Noodle household. I love the mix of citrus, ginger and gin here and I have no doubt this is one special sipper. Thank you both, Noodles, I can't wait to try this!

Next up we have a spicy take on a classic ... and its absolutely calling my name. Suzy, from Suzy's Goodies, took up the challenge and ran with it ... all the way to the Mile High State - she was in Colorado when she sipped this little beauty for the first time. This is Suzy's take on a dirty martini and its called the Mile High Martini.

Right off the bat, I love a Dirty Martini and I really love this one because its spicy. This inventive take on a classic features Bombay Sapphire Gin, dry vermouth, and the juice from some spicy marinated olives. The marinade included garlic and plenty of crushed red pepper flakes. You can see a few of the flakes floating gently atop the drink and, my, don't they look inviting? I know I want to take a sip ... ok, a lot of sips!

I'm eternally grateful to both Tangled Noodle and Suzy for taking up my challenge in such fine fashion. I tip my tiara to both of you for your truly Divalicious creations!

Now, I know I said I'd choose a winner when I first explained the challenge. Though with only two entries, that hardly seems fair. And frankly, I'm delighted with both entries. Accordingly, I'm declaring you both winners! You may each choose a spirit or ingredient for May's Thirsty Thursday's Challenge and our entrants - should we be able to drum some up - will have the option of choosing either.

Please state your choice of spirit or ingredient in the comments and I promise I'll do a better job of promoting the challenge next month so we'll have more participants.

As a bit of incentive, I'm going to close with the wise words of Tangled Noodle, in hopes that this will encourage the rest of you to get out your martini shakers and get mixing. In a recent email to me, Noodle said:

"I do wish people would realize the joys of the home cocktail! Why drop a fortune at a bar when you can pour those funds into great quality spirits and have such fun concocting new drinks to boot?"

I couldn't have said it better myself!

Guidelines for the May challenge will be announced as soon as the spirits are chosen. And, in the meantime, please stop by both Suzy's Goodies and Tangled Noodle and show their drinks some love. You can find the recipes for these enchanting cocktails via the links above.

Cheers!

Diva's Pitch Policy

2010-05-04T08:00:00.003-04:00

Owing to a recent spate of email (read a ton) from a number of unusually persistent (read impatient) individuals, I have finally buckled down and written that Pitch Policy I've been meaning to draft for the last year and a half.

With deepest apologies to my regular audience, I beg your indulgence while we get this bit of necessary business out of the way today. Rest assured, we'll be back to recipes later in the week.

The idea for a Pitch Policy first came to me from a post on my pal Charmian Christie's blog, Christie's Corner. Her pitch policy is witty, funny, and comprehensive all at once and I thank her for putting the idea into my head ... what now seems like ages ago. I've borrowed heavily from her format ... so, again, thanks Charmian - I couldn't have done this without you!

Let me preface my own policy with the statement that I honestly do welcome invitations of all sorts from: PR agencies, publicists, publishing houses, Chefs, restaurateurs, local businesses and product manufactures, etc. This policy is in no way intended to discourage your reaching out to me; rather, my intent is to clarify both the types of offers I will and will not accept, and the manner and method by which I will respond to your invitation.

Diva's Pitch Policy:

With a name like The Diva on a Diet, you can well imagine that my email box runneth over with offers of all sorts of diet related products ... and it does, in spades. While I may indeed, at times, be "on a diet", I have firm set of rules about that which I will and will not write.

I am open to reviewing, writing about and highlighting:

Whole, fresh, real foods
Organically made products and food items
A very limited range of convenience products, such as canned broth, canned bean, canned tomatoes and the like
Healthy meals, healthy recipes, healthy snacks whose primary ingredients fall into the above categories
Diet and lifestyle tips, so long as they offer a well balanced approach
Books which offer nourishing recipes, made primarily from whole fresh real foods
Books which encourage a healthy, balanced approach to weight-loss and weight-management
A wide variety of cookbooks, so long as they contain recipes that encourage the use of fresh foods rather than prepackaged food stuffs
Other books which suit my tastes
Beauty products, so long as they are trusted brands
Alcoholic beverages which suit my tastes
Products, brands, gadgets and kitchen equipment etc., which I already know, use and trust
New products, brands, services and items which I deem to be of value and those which fall within the scope of my mission

My work on Beach Eats is intended to encourage readers to cook for themselves and to embrace a balanced approach to weight-management issues, where desired. Because of my commitment to cooking well, mostly from scratch ...

I will not write about:

Diet pills, diet supplements, get-thin-quick supplements or any kind of supposed miracle weight-loss scheme
Diet plans that involve prepackaged or pre-made foods
Food products which contain a frighteningly long list of sugary substances and chemicals
Books, websites, studies or weight-loss "guru" personalities that endorse radical or extreme measures of any kind. Again, no pills or supplements, including "natural" supplements, no weight-loss surgeries, no fad diets, no "meal replacement" diets, etc.
Quick-fix, miracle-cure beauty products
Companies, brands, products and services which do not fit within the scope of my mission, as decided by ... me

In summary and with relatively few exceptions: if I wouldn't buy it and or use it myself, I won't be endorsing it.

Diva's Mission: Eating well with an eye towards health. No gimmicks, schemes, pills, potions or magical machinations; just good cooking ... mostly from scratch.

Disclosure Policy:

I will state clearly that I have been given a book, product or item for review when and if that is the case. I have a full disclosure policy in this regard. Unless otherwise specified, it is safe to assume that if I'm writing about a book, product or item, I have bought it myself and I am writing about it because it is something I recommend.

As a general proposition, I frequently highlight brands and products that I use and enjoy. I do so without prompting. Unless otherwise stated, these recommendations are offered simply because I enjoy these products. In all cases, where a specific product has been given to me, that fact will be clearly disclosed.

I will not accept offers of money for writing about or recommending any product, service, item or restaurant.

I do accept samples and abide by the above disclosure statements in every case of such.

With the exception of an occasional guest post from a member of the Diva Family, I write this blog myself. If I agree to review your book, product, service or item, I will give my honest opinion. Period.

If I have a personal relationship with any author, publisher, manufacturer or agent, I will disclose that in my post.

Response Policy:

I like you PR people, I really like you! And I will respond to you ... eventually. My email box is somewhat out of control and it does take time for me to separate the wheat from the chaff, so to speak. I try to set aside one day a week to respond to offers, though life being what it is, the week sometimes gets away from me. I beg your patience. If your offer falls within the above categories of that which I will consider - I will get back to you.

If, however, you're offering me some wacky pill that makes one's mouth taste like sour lemons in order to discourage one from eating (no, I am not making this up!), odds are I will not get back to you. I simply cannot respond to each and every offer and those which are decidedly outside my policy will likely go unanswered. Sorry.

If after all of this, you would still like to reach out to me - and I sincerely hope you do - you may reach me at the following address: divaonadiet[at]gmail[dot]com.

It is my pleasure to review, recommend and highlight that which falls within the scope of my mission and I look forward to working with you!

Finally, I reserve the right to edit, amend, review, revisit and revamp any portion or portions of this policy at any time.

The End.

Grilled Chile Lime Chicken

2010-05-03T11:45:00.002-04:00

It may not look like much in the pan, but it was super tasty on the plate!

This quick and versatile recipe comes from the Knack Make it East Mexican Cooking cookbook and it couldn't be more perfect for the hot, summery weather of late.

While the original recipe calls for the inclusion of a whole, fresh jalapeno pepper, it turns out I didn't have any on hand, so I opted for some bottled chile sauce and a some green chile Tobasco sauce instead. I don't think it suffered one bit. The recipe also calls for dried chiles, which I did use, though I'm certain you could substitute 2 or 3 canned chipotle chiles and some of the adobo sauce, if that should be to your liking.

The same holds true for the citrus component ... out of limes? Opt for some fresh orange juice instead. This is a quick-fix meal with a taste that is sure to please. Experiment with the composition of chiles and have fun with it! There's room for broad interpretation here.

Grilled Chile Lime Chicken:

recipe adapted from Knack Make it Easy Mexican Cooking

3 large dried chiles, such as ancho or guajillo (I used both)
2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
juice of two whole limes
1/4 cup of bottled chile sauce (I used "medium")
2 teaspoons Green Chile Tobasco sauce
pinch of Kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
some wedges of lime and some chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

1. Remove the stems and seeds from the dried chiles and place the chiles into a small bowl. Boil some water and pour over the chiles, just to cover. Allow the chiles to rest in the hot water for 30 minutes, so they will rehydrate.

2. Remove the chiles from water and reserve the liquid. Place chiles into a small food processor or blender. Add the garlic, the lime juice, the bottled chile sauce, the Tobasco, a pinch of salt and some freshly ground black pepper, then pulse and process until the mixture is pureed, scraping down the sides as necessary. Add two to three tablespoon of the reserved chile liquid to thin the mixture.

3. Pour the puree into a glass baking dish or pie dish large enough to hold the chicken breasts in one layer. Add the chicken to the chile puree and turn to coat well on both sides. Pierce each piece of chicken with the tines of a fork several times all over to allow the marinade to penetrate. Cover the dish and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.

4. Heat your grill or grill pan to medium-high heat and brush the grill with some oil. Remove the chicken from marinade, allow some of the access to drip off, and grill the chicken on both sides until cooked throughout, turning the chicken two or three times while grilling to ensure even browning. Chicken is fully cooked when the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees and the juices run clear. Remove the chicken from grill when cooked and garnish with some chopped fresh cilantro and a wedge of lime. Serve and enjoy!

A brief word about the Knack cookbook - its filled with more than 100 recipes for simple, traditional Mexican fare ... everything from basic salsas to refreshing Margaritas and more! I was not asked to review this book, nor is this a review, but I was sent this book my friend who works for the house which published it. While the structure of the book may take a bit of getting used to, the instructions for each recipe are spread out over two pages, the techniques are sound and the range of recipes is thorough.

If you'd like to go the original route, replace the bottled chile sauce and Tobasco with one whole jalapeno, seeds and stems removed. No doubt the resulting puree will be spicier, but I'm sure it will be equally delicious. I plan to make it that way next time.

And, will wonders never cease, this is certainly a South Beach-friendly recipe! I predict a concomitant rise in diet-friendly recipes here on the blog as temperatures continue to rise!

Bon appetite!

Chocolate Chunk Pecan Cookies

2010-04-30T11:00:00.002-04:00

What happens when its nearly May and you have a leftover chocolate Easter bunny hanging around? Why you hack him up and make cookies out of him, of course!

Chocolate Chunk Pecan Cookies:

1 and 2/3 cups flour (I used white whole wheat)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup melted butter (slightly less than 1 1/2 sticks)
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
7 ounces of milk or dark chocolate, cut into large chunks
3/4 cup pecans, roughly chopped
Fleur de Sel, for sprinkling, if desired

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees F.

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking soda and whisk well with a wire whisk to combine. Set aside.

2. Pour the melted butter into the bowl of your electric mixer and add the brown sugars, beat well until thoroughly combined. Add the egg and beat on high until combined. Add the vanilla extract and continue to beat until incorporated.

3. Add the reserved flour mixture, by thirds, beating until just combined. Add the chocolate chunks and the chopped pecans and mix until thoroughly incorporated.

4. Using a small soup spoon, form mixture into 1 1/2 inch round balls, packing in the chocolate chunks where necessary, and place on an cookie sheet, roughly an inch or two apart. If desired, sprinkle the top of each cookie with a bit of Fleur de Sel and bake in the middle of a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 12 - 14 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cook.

As written this recipe will yield approximately 32 to 34 cookies.

Because I'm a salt freak, and because I generally find commercial milk chocolate too sweet, I opted to include the sprinkle of salt. My sacrificial Easter bunny was make of milk chocolate and I like the way the little crunch of salt offsets the sweet chocolate.

If you don't happen to have an extra bunny lying around, any form of chocolate chunk will do. I used a mix of light and dark brown sugar in these cookies, but either will do just fine. And, as always, I opted for my beloved King Arthur White Whole Wheat flour. While the resulting cookies don't exactly qualify as a health-food, I see no reason not to use a whole wheat product in place of all-puprose flour where possible. Your mileage may vary, of course.

If you've never worked with a cookie dough made with melted butter, I think you're going to be pleasantly surprised. The dough is velvety smooth and the finished cookies have a nice, almost faintly butterscotch flavor. They're wonderful.

Bon appetite!

p.s. - I'm submitting this recipe to Dinner at Christina's fun Friday Firsts Feature. Be sure to stop by Christina's place and check out all of the delicious "firsts" this week!

Thirsty Thursdays: Scholastic Edition

2010-04-29T12:00:00.003-04:00

Earlier this week, the husband and I took part in a wonderful class at the Astor Center. It was an evening devoted to learning about botanical spirits, conducted by master mixologists James Moreland and Jonathan Pogash. And the best part? It was a hands-on experience. We had the opportunity to not only taste a variety of botanicals, but to mix up our own cocktails with them as well. Sweet!

Without getting too technical here, botanicals are any plant or plant parts that are valued for their medicinal properties. A short list includes but is not limited to: juniper berries, cinnamon, chamomile, nutmeg, grains of paradise, anise, licorice, black pepper, etc. Perhaps the most well known botanical spirit is gin.

Botanical oils are used in the distillation of gin to build bridges back to the juniper berries which are the most predominant flavor component of gin. The botanical oils added to premium gins (such as Hendricks, Bombay Sapphire and G'Vine) bounce up and down on the tongue and hit the palate in different locations, giving the gin "stretch" - or a longer, more complex finish. Which is why I must and still insist that gin is far more interesting than vodka!

The following spirits also fall into the botanical category: amaro, vermouth, absinthe, Cherry Heering, and all forms of bitters. In the picture above, you can see my tasting flight, composed of G'Vine Gin, Luxardo Amaro, Luxardo Bitters, Carpano Antica Formula (a white vermouth) and Lucid Absinthe. Each was more delicious than the next, though I particularly enjoyed the Luxardo Amaro, the Caprano Antica vermouth, and the Lucid Absinthe.

After enjoying the presentation and the tastings, we got down to some serious mixing - beginning with a recipe for a classic "sour". Sour cocktails first appeared on the scene sometime back in 1862, and they are among the easiest cocktails to craft. A sour is the perfect way to enjoy almost any spirit because its so beautifully balanced. Feel free to substitute whiskey or vodka for the gin in the following recipe, if you so desire.

Classic Gin Sour:

3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
3/4 ounce simple syrup
1 1/2 ounce of gin

Pour the lemon juice, simple syrup and gin into a martini shaker and fill it with ice. Close shaker and shake well until the outside of the shaker frosts. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a lemon peel. Serve and enjoy, repeat as necessary!

You'll note that the shot above shows half of a sour ... because I was so enthralled with this delightful little sipper, I was halfway through before I remembered to take a picture! This drink was made with Bombay Sapphire and it was exquisite.

Following the sour, we shook things up a bit by muddling a variety of fruits and herbs that were placed around our stations for use. In this case, I used some watermelon and fresh mint, while the husband grabbed some watermelon and fresh basil. Both were equally delightful! It may look like something of a mess in the glass, but it was getting late and by this time we were on our third drink! The presentation may have suffered, but I assure you, the drink was magnificent.

Recipe for a Basic Muddled Drink:

3 wedges of fresh lemon or lime
2 chunks of fresh watermelon
10 fresh mint leaves (or 3 to 4 large basil leaves)
3/4 ounce simple syrup
2 ounces gin

Place the lemon or lime wedges, watermelon and mint (or basil) into the bottom of a martini shaker and muddle with a muddling tool, pressing up and down 4 to 5 times to extract the lemon juice and crush the watermelon and mint. Add the gin and fill the rest of the shaker with ice. Cover and shake briefly to combine, then pour into a tall glass. Serve and enjoy, repeat as necessary!

Here again, you may substitute vodka for the gin ... though I wouldn't! The fruit may be varied as well. I know that some members of the class used mango, rather than watermelon, and I'm sure that you could use a variety of fresh berries in season too. Experiment and have fun with this recipe!

I can't say enough good things about the Astor Center. The facility is magnificent, the atmosphere relaxed and comfortable, and James and Jonathan were outstanding instructors. There was no shortage of booze on hand, and each station was also provided with tumblers of water and a basket of fresh bread and cheese on which to nibble during the festivities. Plus, each participant was given a lovely little boozy swag bag to take away. Bonus! The Astor Center offers a wide variety of both food and spirits workshops and I recommend them highly if you are in the New York City area. I know I'll be back for another class and soon.

In other news, its come to my attention that there's another food blog offering a Thirsty Thursdays feature out there: Cafe Lynnylu ... so you can party hop. Be sure to stop by and see what Lynnylu is mixing up today and tell her Diva sent you!

I've got pages and pages of notes from the class on botanicals that I'll be sharing with you in the weeks to come. For now, why not give yourself a treat and mix up one of these yummy little sippers? Its Thursday and I know you're thirsty.

Cheers!

Key Lime Pie Recipe

2010-04-26T11:30:00.003-04:00

We dined en familia, with the husband's family, at the home of my brother and sister in law on Saturday night and I made the dessert. A lovely Key Lime Pie, to be exact.

Key Lime Pie might just be my favorite kind of pie to make. Its easy, incredibly delicious, and the bright, tart flavor seems just right for early spring.

One of the nicest things about making this pie, is that the filling only requires four ingredients: egg yolks, lime zest, sweetened condensed milk and key lime juice. Of course, its the lime juice that really counts. Key limes are smaller and more tart than regular (Persian) limes and they are technically in season from May to September. If you are unable to find key limes in your market, you can always default to bottled key lime juice, as I've done here.

Key lime juice is generally available in specialty markets and in some grocery stores. In this case, I used Nellie & Joe's, which I found at Zabar's.

Key Lime Pie:

3 large egg yolks
zest from 2 large limes, finely grated (you can use regular limes)
one 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup key lime juice
9 inch graham cracker crust

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees F.

1. Pour the egg yolks and lime zest into the bowl of your standing electric mixer and, with the wire whisk attachment, beat them on high speed until the yolks are pale in color and very fluffy, about 5 full minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

2. With the mixer still running, add the entire can of sweetened condensed milk in a slow steady stream and continue beating, on high, for 3 to 4 minutes until the mixture becomes thick and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

3. Lower the mixer speed to medium-low and add the key lime juice in a slow steady stream and mix until its just incorporated. Do not over mix.

4. Using a rubber spatula to get every drop, pour the mixture into the graham cracker crust, place the filled pie on a cookie sheet, and bake in the middle of a pre-heated 350 degree F oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until the custard has set. (I baked mine for 20 minutes.) Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack, then refrigerate. Keep pie refrigerated until serving, so it will stay firm. Serve each slice with a dollop of whipped cream.

As written this recipe will yield one amazing pie!

And, just so we're clear, yes, that is a store bought graham cracker crust. So sue me, I don't enjoy making crusts. If you enjoy making crusts, by all means, opt for home made!

There are dozens and dozens of recipes for key lime pie in the world, each with the same combination of ingredients, though the amount of lime juice tends to vary. I like a tart pie, so I opt for more key lime juice. If you're unable to find either key limes or the bottled juice, you can substitute regular lime juice, though the flavor of the finished pie will be less tart.

I like to make the pie they day before I want to serve it, so the flavors will have a chance to develop as the pie rests in the fridge.

So, what's your favorite kind of pie to make? Hungry Diva wants to know.

Bon appetite!

Thirsty Thursdays: Earth Day Edition

2010-04-22T14:10:00.002-04:00

I'm fond of saying that everyone is thirsty on Thursdays ... but what if we were truly thirsty? What if we were the kind of thirsty that results from having no access to clean water?

Did you know that:

Less than 2% of the earth's water supply is fresh.
Only 1% of the earth's water supply is available for drinking. 2% is frozen.
88% of deaths in the world result from illnesses borne of unsafe drinking water and inadequate water available for hygiene. 18% of all under the age of 5 deaths result from these same conditions, resulting in more 4,000 child age deaths (world wide) per day for lack of clean, fresh water.
The average American uses 140 - 170 gallons of water per day.
A leaky faucet can waste up to 100 gallons of water per day.
If you were to leave the faucet running while brushing your teeth, approximately 5 gallons of water would be wasted down the drain.
A dishwasher uses 9 - 12 gallons of water, while washing dishes by hand can use up to 20 gallons.
Every day in the United States we drink about 110 million gallons of water.

We are blessed to have the clean, available water we have in this country. Public water suppliers process 38 billion gallons of water a day for domestic and public use in this country and we are lucky to have every drop. While we may take a ready supply of clean water from the tap for granted, many in the world are not so fortunate.

Rather than posting a cocktail recipe today, I thought I would honor Earth Day by providing some simple ideas for water conservation.

Fix any and all leaky faucets.
Run your dishwasher and washing machine only when they are full.
Store drinking water in the refrigerator rather than letting the tap run if you'd like a cool glass of water.
Re-use any left-over clean water for watering plants, or cleaning chores, rather than pouring it down the drain.
Do not use a hose to clean your sidewalk or driveway. Letting the hose run can waste hundreds of gallons of water. Instead, use a broom to sweep sidewalks and driveways.
Do not let the water run when you are shaving or brushing your teeth.
Water lawns and gardens during the early morning or late evening hours of the day, when the water is less likely to evaporate from the heat of the sun.
Take short showers rather than baths. A full bathtub requires an average of 36 gallons of water. Shorten your shower by a minute or two and you can save up to 150 gallons per month.
Replace large shower heads with water-efficient models.
Avoid buying and using recreational toys that require a constant flow of water.
Use a commercial car wash that recycles water.
Use water saving aerators on all of your faucets.

Obviously, this list is just the tip of the iceberg ... so to speak. There are hundreds of things, hundreds of little things, we can all do every day to conserve water.

Lastly, a few facts about bottled water:

$35 billion: the amount of money spent on bottled water in the most developed countries in the world.
1.5 million: Barrels of crude oil used for making plastic water bottles, globally. This is enough oil to fuel 100,000 American cars for a year.
2.7 tons: the amount of plastic used to bottle water, 86% of which becomes garbage and litter.

For the love of Mother Earth, buy yourself a re-useable water bottle, made of recycled materials, and use it. I know I can do better on this front ... how about you?

I suspect this information will not be new to most readers. I offer it as a simple reminder of how fortunate we are, and as a gentle invitation for each of us to do our part. While the tips offered may seem minor, they all add up and every drop counts. Be good and do your part, and I promise the Diva will reward you with a luscious cocktail next week.

So, how are you honoring Earth Day 2010? Feel free to add your water conservation tips and any other earth-friendly measures you've taken in the comments. Curious Diva wants to know.

Cheers and Happy Earth Day!

Statistical information for this article was complied from: The Mojave Water Agency, Planet Green, and the EPA

Epic Waffle Fail

2010-04-21T12:00:00.001-04:00

If you're thinking this is a picture of an epic waffle fail, you'd be right. I was betrayed by a new recipe last night.

While flipping through an old cookbook, Burt Wolf's "Eating Well", I came across a recipe for some oatmeal waffles. The batter seemed to have all of the necessary ingredients, and I was intrigued by the mix of whole wheat flour, cornmeal and rolled oats. But, darned if they weren't a squirrel-y bunch of waffles. They all wanted to stick ... even though I have a non-stick waffle iron.

Eventually, I got it right and we did dine upon waffles and Irish bacon for dinner last night. They were tasty, but I'm not going to offer the recipe. The batter was a bit too thick and I have a feeling it needed more fat. I'm going to play around with it before I post it here, because I do so love cornmeal in my waffles.

In the meantime, I will direct you to two other waffle recipes that recently peaked my interest. The first is Astra Libris' Perfect Whole Wheat Waffle ... these are the waffles I should have made! And the second is a delicious looking Multi-grain Waffle found on 101 Cookbooks - which boasts the addition of poppy seeds for a unique twist.

So, have you had any epic failures lately? Do tell. Hungry Diva wants to know.

Bon appetite!

Signs of Spring

2010-04-19T10:55:00.001-04:00

The wait is over. Bro's asparagus bed is in its third year of existence and, finally, we are able to harvest and enjoy the fruits of his labors!

The Diva even got in on the action and picked a few stalks herself. Now this is *my* kind of gardening ... someone else does all of the work and I reap what they sow! ;)

Honestly, it was the best asparagus I've ever had - tender, sweet, and thoroughly delicious! There is nothing like enjoying truly fresh from the garden produce. Talk about farm-to-table! Within minutes of picking the beautiful stalks, they were lightly drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with sea salt and freshly ground pepper and roasted quickly in a 425 degree oven for about 15 minutes. They emerged emerald green, beautifully caramelized on one side, and incredibly tender. Not the least bit woody or stringy, like that stuff you often find in the grocery store.

Patience is not one of my virtues, but in this case, it was worth the three year wait. HUGE props to my bro and his mad gardening skillz. I know we'll be enjoying this asparagus bed for years to come.

Sings of Spring were all around the garden this weekend. A small, perfectly formed nest was found tucked away in the grape arbor beside the edge of the garden.

A riot of red and white tulips have raised their pretty heads among the gnarled vines. And bro's garlic patch looks like its ready to take over the world. Let the harvesting begin!

Bon appetite!

Thirsty Thursdays: Green Tea Martini Edition

2010-04-15T14:51:00.001-04:00

Ok, people, its clear we need to talk about this whole gin thing. I knew I was taking a risk when I selected gin for my first Thirsty Thursdays Cocktail Challenge. I knew that many of you have expressed a preference for vodka. But here's the thing: anything you can make with vodka you can make with gin ... and it will be better!

Why? Because gin is more flavorful. Because of the botanicals with which gin is made, it is inherently more flavorful - thus your cocktails will be more flavorful. Now, don't get me wrong, I have nothing against vodka, I quite like it, in fact. But if you're serious about cocktails, and heaven knows I am, then you seriously need to start working with gin.

Thus, I propose a little experiment for those interested. Today, I'm featuring a gin based green tea martini. My suggestion for experimentation is that you make this same drink twice - once with vodka and once with gin. Then decide for yourself which one tastes better. I know what I think, but your mileage may vary, of course.

Green Tea Martini:

1 green tea bag
hot water
3 ounces of premium quality gin (I use Hendrick's)
1/2 teaspoon honey
2 to 3 drops white vermouth
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
wheel of lemon for garnish

Place tea bag into a mug and over it pour some hot water, just to cover. Let sit for 10 seconds and remove tea bag. Place gin into small glass container and to it add the tea bag. Allow the mixture to steep for five minutes, then remove tea bag and discard it. To the infused gin, add 1/2 teaspoon of honey and stir to blend.

Place 2 to 3 drops of white vermouth into a martini glass. Swirl the glass to coat with the vermouth, then dump out any excess. Reserve the glass.

Fill a martin shaker with ice and over it pour the infused gin and the lemon juice. Shake well until the outside of the shaker frosts then strain into the prepared martini glass. Garnish with a wheel of lemon. Serve and enjoy, repeat as necessary!

As written this recipe will yield one amazingly refreshing cocktail.

The flavor of the green tea pairs beautifully with gin, especially Hendrick's. The lemon and honey round the whole thing out and, together, they form one ethereal elixir. Honestly, its a magical combination. I hope you'll try it!

I have to thank Kara Newman for highlighting the flash-infusing process on her blog a while back. She posted a recipe for a Daikon Green Tea-ni that looks absolutely smashing. As soon as I read it, I knew I wanted to try it. And I will ... soon. This time, however, I opted for the honey and lemon for the simple reason that my throat's been scratchy and tea with honey and lemon is the perfect cure ... made that much better by the addition of gin, of course!

Consider this my subtle plea to step away from the vodka bottle and give gin a try. You might be pleasantly surprised. And, hopefully, you'll be inspired to enter my April Thirsty Thursdays Cocktail Challenge.

Cheers!

Banana Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Muffins

2010-04-14T11:05:00.000-04:00

Talk about feeling foolish ... I had every intention of entering last week's Blogger's Secret Ingredient Challenge (BSI). The secret ingredient, as chosen by Christina of Dinner at Christina's, was sour cream. Wonderful, I love sour cream. I knew right away that I wanted to bake something and I bought all of the ingredients to do so on Sunday.

I did not, however, make careful note of the challenge entry deadline. It was midnight on Sunday ... and I had planned to bake the muffins on Monday. Oops! No wonder I've never participated in BSI, I can't seem to get my act together!

And, meanwhile, I've got a bunch of bananas ripening on my counter and a tub of sour cream in the fridge. Let's get to it, shall we?

Better Late Than Never Banana Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Muffins:

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice Powder, optional
3 ripe bananas, peeled
1 cup of reduced fat sour cream
1 stick of butter, room temperature
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Pre heat your oven to 350 degrees F.

1. In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and Chinese Five Spice Powder. Whisk well with a wire whisk to combine and set aside.

2. Break the bananas into thirds and place the in the bowl of your food processor, pulse until chopped. Add 1 cup of sour cream to the bananas and process until combined and smooth. Reserve. (Alternately, you could mash bananas with a fork and whisk in the sour cream by hand.)

3. Using an standing electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat to combine. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well until light and fluffy.

4. Add the flour mixture by thirds, alternating with the banana mixture, beating only until blended, until all of the dry and wet ingredients have been added. Do not over beat. Add the mini chocolate chips and fold-in to incorporate, using a rubber spatula.

5. Grease a large muffin tin with butter and fill each cup 3/4 of the way up with batter. Bake in the middle of a pre-heated 350 degree F oven for 18 - 22 minutes, or until lightly browned and cooked throughout. Baking time will vary depending on the speed of your oven. The muffins are cooked when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes then remove to a wire rack. Serve warm.

As written, this recipe will yield 18 muffins.

While I may not have made them in time for the BSI challenge, I'm exceedingly glad I made these muffins period. They are spectacular! Moist, tender, just-sweet-enough, and full of that oh-so-luscious chocolate/banana flavor. They're so good I could smack myself!

As always, you should feel free to vary the choice of flour according to your needs. You can use 2 cups of all-purpose white flour, or any combination of the above. In addition, you may also choose to use 1/2 cup of agave nectar, in place of the sugar. If so, bake the muffins at 325 degrees F and begin checking for done-ness at 15 to 18 minutes.

The origin of these muffins is unclear. I found the recipe on a scrap of paper in my battered old recipe box and I've changed it up a bit by reducing the amount of sugar, using reduced fat sour cream and adding the spices. As far as the spices go, feel free to experiment. I love the subtle hint of warmth the Chinese Five Spice brings to the mix and cinnamon is always a must for me. Your mileage may vary, of course.

So, do you bake with sour cream? If so, what's your favorite way to include it? Hungry Diva wants to know.

Bon appetite!