Pink House

Creamy Asparagus Soup

Just in case you're longing for spring, here's a way to rush it a bit...

I picked up some big bags of asparagus at Costco last week and knew I needed to use them before they spoiled. Watching the snow fall outside (AGAIN!) made me think about green places and sunshine and warmth. And so.....viola! Asparagus Soup!

A quick recipe search using Google found this one on Simply Recipes but it says that it was adapted from a recipe in Gourmet magazine. I made a few changes of my own as well. Yum! It was totally satisfying. Not too much fat but full of flavor.

Creamy Asparagus Soup

3 lbs. asparagus  (chop in 1 1/2" pieces and save a few tops for garnish)
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 T butter
5 cups of chicken broth
fresh or dried thyme
1/3 cup cream
fresh squeezed juice from 1 lemon
salt & pepper to taste

Easy: Cut asparagus into pieces. Cook onion in butter in heavy pot over medium heat, stirring, until softened. Add asparagus pieces and cook stirring, 5 more minutes. Add 5 cups broth, thyme, salt and pepper, and simmer covered until asparagus is very tender, about 20 minutes.

While soup simmers, cook reserved asparagus tips in boiling salted water until just tender then drain.

Turn off heat. Puree soup with hand-held blender, retaining some of the texture as desired. Slowly stir in cream. Add squeezed lemon juice and stir. Sample and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Garnish with asparagus tips. Store leftovers in frig. Will keep for several days.

Party Menu - Pacific Northwest theme

What I made:

• Crab Cakes with two sauces
• cheese & crackers
• smoked salmon w/ capers, cream cheese, & shaved red onion
• fresh veggies
• Pimento Cheese Melts (made with Tillamook Extra Sharp Reserve Cheddar)
• 3-Berry Tart
• Cream Cheese Hazelnut Brownies
• Homemade lasagna for the meat lovers

What other people brought: so many yummy appetizers that we filled two tables and the kitchen island too.

My friend Cheryl came over on Friday afternoon and we made the lasagnas (and saved in the frig for baking just before party) and two desserts. K and I had already done all the shopping. Then K and I worked all day Saturday - I mixed up the crab cake mix and formed them into little patties and saved them in the frig on baking sheets. Cheryl and her husband showed up two hours early to help set up the tables, arrange serving dishes. We cooked the crab cakes just before people came. At 7 they started pouring in - each one armed with a fabulous appetizer to share, and by 7:30 the house was absolutely packed. I could barely inch my way through the kitchen to pull stuff out of the oven. Music, talking, laughing, sipping, eating ----for the next four hours it was chaotic but fun.

The two lasagnas - pre-baked. I made a mix of Italian Sausage & beef in two layers, and sandwiched between was a layer of sauteed onions and mushrooms with fresh spinach. Lots of mozzarella, provolone, and shredded parmesan cheese. As it was we really didn't need these - but the guys are always looking about for a bit of meat it seems. Besides - they make great leftovers!

The dining room which held the "wine tour" - complete with a map and little signs that I had made. We have one friend who owns a wine shop in Walla Walla and another who is a distributor and they both sent us boxes of some special samples.  I arranged the flowers myself which I thought were kind of cool. We moved the chairs out when the party began.

The hazelnut cream cheese brownies that were on a tiered serving dish with fresh raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries on the top. Sorry the photo is so poor. I had intended to take good photos - but once people starting come, I was much too busy to worry about taking photos. Sadly, I didn't get any photos of people at all!



The crab cakes ready to bake. I tried "roasting" them on my new convection oven - which actually uses three elements to cook - the bottom, the top (broiler) and the back. They browned slightly but not as much as I would have liked. I was trying to avoid frying them and smelling up the house - but ultimately that's the way they look and taste the best.



After cooking: Miniature Crab Cakes with Tomato Ginger Jam

The Tomato Ginger Jam was made from scratch and was really tasty! I'm saving some in a container in the frig to continue to use. You can look up the recipe on www.epicurious.com

Pimento Cheese Melts

This is my version of the Scott Peacock's (Atlanta chef) recipe for Pimento Cheese. I mix it up and add smoked paprika with a bit of minced green onions. Then you spoon it onto thinly sliced baguette and broil for a few minutes. Delish!

I set up food in four rooms - the kitchen had the hot items, and I placed other appetizers in the living room, the family room, and the dining room. We prepared for so many hours - and yet, when the time arrives it seems like there is still more to do. I'm glad that this year I said that "appetizers to share would be appreciated" on the invites, because it did help a lot and it was really fun to sample what others brought. I always aim to have my food prepared and set up ahead of time - but there's always some last-minute stuff to do and once people start arriving, I just can't think anymore. Thank goodness for a couple of friends who were really helping a lot. And one couple stayed until midnight washing dishes while we cleaned up the food. We owe them (their party is next month!)

I wish I would have taken more photos - but some didn't turn out - too blurry and after awhile I just forgot about the food and the camera and had fun talking to our friends. Another year done!

Sometimes spontaneous is best

I will post about the party very soon when I upload the photos. It turned out great - lots of noisy fun talking to people.

But in the meantime......Friday evening turned out to be almost more fun. You know those times when you don't really plan on anything special...and it ends up being a really great evening? We headed to Carter's with one other couple Friday evening and I was tired and kind of feeling ho-hum. But we walked in and there were some friends of our's who smiled , waved and called out to us. It's nice to be WANTED. And then two more couples joined us...and next thing you know we've mixed and sipped and yapped on and on...and best of all, LAUGHED. Then we all decided to walk down the street and have mexican food together. All 10 of us. So, a couple more hours of fun, food, and friendship ensued. And just when you think your life at 50 might be over, you're surprised by good times.

Planning a Party Menu

How do you figure out what to serve at your party? I always have a vague idea in my mind of a theme, and then about two weeks before some ideas start to come around...as I'm driving down the street, walking on the treadmill, thumbing through a magazine, or waiting to order in a restaurant. My subconscious spends time mulling over ideas while my body and partial brain goes on about its business as usual. About a week before the event then, I put pen to paper and start writing down the idea.

Then comes the time-consuming part - but yet its my favorite part - the flipping through pages of my miles-high stack of cooking magazines, and through about 1/2 of my cookbook collection. I stick in stickee markers here and there, thinking "that could work", or "I like that recipe but would I be able to make it ahead?" Then I'll wake up one morning and realize, "Holy Smokes! It's two days before the big party! I've got to get to the grocery store and get cooking!" And that's where I am today.......

K and I are hosting our annual (since empty-nested anyway) party. Every year we choose a theme/region to focus on and set it up like a "tour" of the area. The food we select to serve is meant to compliment the drinks. Last year we had a Central Coast (California) theme - it was really fun. This year I decided on Pacific Northwest theme..since it was my old stomping ground as well as where K and I met in college, and where we spent the first five years of our married life. I designed and sent out the invites about 3 weeks ago - invited 25 couples.

So obviously, the theme brings about the Pacific Northwest bounty of fresh produce and fresh seafood. I'm thinking seafood (mostly shellfish and salmon), apples, pears, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, and hazelnuts. We have wines from Walla Walla (where our friend owns a shop), the Willamette Valley, and Columbia Valley. A nice variety of reds and whites. We'll have some sparkling waters and coffees too. As of now the menu consists of crab cakes, smoked salmon, grilled shrimp, cheeses with crostini, a green salad w/ berries & nuts, and a few desserts using berries and chocolate with hazelnuts. I'm also making some small lasagnas (party-sized pieces) for those guests who don't eat seafood (who in my opinion are crazy nutty people!)

Anywho's - I'll be busy working on this all day Friday and Saturday. A friend is coming over to cook with me today. I'll try to remember to breathe and stop now and then to take some photos which I'll post here.

Chase McBride featured article in Central Coast Newspaper!

Yeah, yeah, yeah! Chase had a great write-up with photo in the SLO New Times this week! Nice write up. Read the copy-&-paste here or click on the link to read the real deal!

Link to Chase McBride news article "Homegrown Hero"

You can also download a copy of his new EP album on iTunes (search Chase McBride) or Amazon under Mp3 downloads (search Chase McBride). The hard copy albums are all in Cali right now but we hope to have a stack to distribute in Montana soon.

Also here is a link to his music website

Homegrown hero

Cal Poly's Chase McBride is making his own career in his own way

BY GLEN STARKEY

PRIDE IN MCBRIDE Cal Poly’s Chase McBride delivers a wower on his first EP, From the Mountains to the Sea. He plays Poly’s U.U. Plaza on Feb. 12, returning to Downtown Brew on March 6 PHOTO BY COLLIN KRINER

What do you do when you’re a talented singer-songwriter who’s too busy with college to fully pursue your rock star dreams? If you’re a blond kid from Montana with a knack for writing breezy folk numbers, you start playing parties and opening gigs for established bands, and then you head into the studio to cut an EP, which you call From the Mountains to the Sea, and then you release it to the public this Thursday, Feb. 12 with a free show during Cal Poly’s University Union Hour (11 a.m. to noon).

As a kid, now-20-year-old Chase McBride found his first inspiration in the music of James Taylor, and his first instruments were drums he manufactured from coffee cans and tape. When his older brother received a guitar for Christmas, McBride found himself working out chords on it whenever he could wrest it away from its rightful owner.

Since coming to Cal Poly a couple of years ago to study graphic design, McBride has been writing madly, and now he’s ready to debut his first recording to the world. The new five-song collection is filled with jangly, hook-laden folk pop numbers in the vein of Jack Johnson, delivered by a casual, barefooted performer.

If you miss the Poly show, look for him again next month when he’ll hit the Downtown Brew stage on Friday, March 6 for a fundraising concert for Special Olympics.

Learn more about McBride on myspace.com/chasemcbride or at chasemcbride.com.

Beef Stroganoff

What recipe do you use for beef stroganoff? I only make beef stroganoff a couple of times a year and always in the winter. For years I've been making the Betty Crocker version - from my aging red-covered and food-stained pages. It's been pretty good. But I was going through my Silver Palette Cookbook (Rosso & Lukins)and noticed their version. So I thought I'd give it a try, and my sister-in-law was here to give it a try as well as K.

In this version, you actually make the sauce first, and simmer it in a saucepan while you then start in on sauting the mushrooms, and then add in the pearl onions. Then you transfer those to a bowl to wait, while you slice the meat into thin slices and brown those in the same pan. Finally you combine the meat, vegetables, and sauce into one pan and simmer for about five minutes.

This was tasty, but I didn't think it worth the extra steps and time needed to complete the lengthy recipe. I had to vary the recipe a bit because I didn't have Creme Fraiche (substituted light sour cream) and demiglace (substituted strong beef broth), and had to use dried parsley instead of fresh Italian parsley. I always make buttered, parsleyed wide egg noodles to go with beef stroganoff and did that again. There were a few things about this recipe that I like - LOVED the pearl onions (I used a bag of whole frozen ones) because of their taste and bit of crunch. I also like the zip that the Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce added. I put in SMOKED PAPRIKA instead of plain paprika and I think that help intensify the flavors a bit. Not sure that I would make this recipe again even though it was good. I was in the kitchen chopping, stirring, and cooking for about 1 1/2 hours to pull this off and created quite a mess. Still - beef stroganoff is pretty satisfying comfort food in the dead of winter. And I'll try another recipe if someone sends me one.

Barely Breathing

Just popping in quickly to say that I barely survived the week. I never did anything "fun" or creative and only made it to the gym twice. Bummed. I had too much to do and today went by in a blur too. I was a special guest of my old Bday Club today and while it was fun, it took all afternoon. Tomorrow (Saturday + Valentine's Day) I have to catch up on homework, finishing two assignments, reading, and post on discussion board, and hope to make it to the gym for treadmill and weights. Next week I have to plan my menu, shop, cook, and ready the house for our annual big party that we host. Invited 25 couples. Yi, yi, yi. So..we also took Rocco to the kennel today so that he could play with other dogs while we were busy over the weekend. Feeling guilty about that as well.

Happy Valentine's everyone. K took me out to a nice dinner Friday to celebrate early since he has a gig tonight. We stopped by City Vineyard last night and were shocked (dumbfounded even!)to learn that the wine bar part closed. Really disappointed as were the employees.

Rocco's resting while I'm busy

I've got a long To Do List for the week - keeping up with homework for my UCLA class (reading and two papers to write in one week!), preparing for appointments with students, getting my office re-organized with some new book shelves and file cabinets, cleaning out and moving stuff from the studio to guest bedroom, two midweek evening events with friends, besides the regular cooking, cleaning, going to the gym etc.  Rocco will probably spend quite a bit of time this week cuddled up with his blanket feeling sorry for himself.

Chicken Pesto Pasta w/ roasted tomatoes & zucchini

I threw this together for dinner the other night and was surprised by how tasty it was. K said "That was good, you'd better make that again," and I thought...yeah, how did I make that? So it's helping to write some of the happy cooking accidents down here.

Chicken Pesto Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes and Zucchini

Chicken Breasts - Marinate, grill, and slice
Penne Pasta - cooked
Zucchini, sliced & grape tomatoes - sprinkle with olive oil and roast on baking sheet for 15 minutes.
Prepared Pesto Sauce thinned with chicken broth
Shredded Parmesan Cheese
Toasted Pine Nuts
Salt & Pepper to taste

That's it! Of course, I always think that marinating chicken breasts (I do in large plastic bags with olive oil, soy sauce, minced garlic and some kind of herb or other seasoning =about 1 or 2 hours) and then grilling them on the outdoor gas grill gives them much more flavor and improves any recipes they're added to. The nice thing about this kind of dish is that you can work on different parts of it at the same time. And then they just all come together. It was surprising how the simple roasting of the vegetables first really enlivened the whole dish.

It feels a bit like juggling in the kitchen - but here's the order that worked for me:
Earlier I marinated the chicken. Put the pasta water on to boil. Start up the grill to heat. Turn on the oven to preheat at 400. Put the chicken on to grill. Put the pasta in (10 minute al dente). Chop up the vegetables and sprinkled with a little olive oil and sea salt on baking sheet. Turn chicken breasts over. Stir pasta boiling. Put veggies into roast. Remove chicken from grill - rest for 5 mintues before slicing in 1/2 inches cross-grain slices. Drain pasta and return to pot. Stir in pesto with a bit of chicken broth until pasta is lightly coated and pesto is warmed. Transfer to serving dish. Top with sliced chicken. Top with roasted veggies. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with shredded parmesan and toasted pine nuts. Yum! And leftovers the next day are just as good!

When Photography becomes Art

I've always loved Farmer's Markets. I mean if it's a good Farmer's Market. There's just something about the fresh air, simplicity of wooden crates of just-picked vegetables and hand-lettered signs stating "Heirloom Tomatoes" that excites me. Add some fresh berries and some homemade booth with about 28 varieties of unwaxed apples. I just love it. Add some local guy strumming a guitar and someone serving up indian tacos out of the back of their camper, and white buckets of cut garden flowers - dahlias especially. It's the epitome of small business. Love, love, love. 

When I was growing up in Portland there was a great "Saturday Market" that I would go to sometimes on Saturday mornings. It included lots of crafts and artwork. Not as fond of that type. Some of the best Farmer's Markets I've seen have been in California. Of course they can grow things year-round there. Two years ago, K and I discovered one in Aptos (near Santa Cruz) that was absolutely heavenly - all organic and the most beautiful produce and flowers that you've ever seen. Bluegrass group playing. Someone selling fresh-brewed coffee. San Luis Obispo has a great one too. It's YEAR-ROUND on Thursday evenings and is very popular. They close up main street and it runs for several blocks - fresh produce, homemade candies and preserves, breads, and musicians too. They even have large fire pits where guys are barbequing tri-tip steak to sell in sandwiches.

Last fall K and I and Sean, our oldest son were vacationing in Paso Robles wine country and had driven over to see the Hearst Castle at San Simeon. We were driving back and went through Cambria and I spotted a Farmer's Market set up. "STOP!", I hollered and K had to find a place to park. It was the middle of the afternoon. We wandered through and lucky for me, Sean had his camera along (photography is a hobby of his as well as he's been selling it on istockphoto.com for years). I asked him to take some macro photos of the colorful produce for me. He obliged and later sent the digital files to me.

.I decided to order enlargements and then found simple black frames at a discount store. I love square frames and even though the photos weren't square (they were 8" x 10") I decided that I could "crop" the photos with matts. So I ordered some white matts to fit the frames, and asked the framer to cut the matt openings 7" by 7". It worked! I really like how they look and grouped them along a colorless wall in our family room/kitchen. I really enjoy them and how they remind me of good times at the Farmer's Market. A visual perk for someone who misses having her own garden.