My SECRET WEAPON

Hello All!
I've missed you all very much, as well as my sadly neglected blog. Please do not think for a minute I have lost interest in it. My absence is a result of a very long period of frustratng unemployment, which makes it difficult to go out and buy yummy foods to cook with or blog about, I've also been on the road a great deal between Syracuse and Rochester, limiting my kitchen time. So, once again, I must sincerely apologize for my lack of blogging lately, hopefully things will be looking up soon, and blogging will continue at a much more consistent pace.

Those of you who know me well have probably heard tell of a chocolate peanut butter cake that I make. I have made it for several years now for my Zachariah on his birthday and other momentous occasions. Zach named it the "Bond is Dead" Cake, because it is DELEEEEICOUS (if you've seen the most recent James Bond movie, you'll get the joke, if not, just call it Lynn's Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake, which sounds slightly less nerdy:)

I am hardly the first person to pair chocolate and peanut butter, the trail was obviously blazed waaaaay before my time, but if I do say so myself, this is a DAMN good cake. If you're a chocolate/peanut butter freak, you're gonna wanna kiss me after you taste this. I call it my secret weapon for a reason :)

Another thing I really like about this recipe is that certain portions of it are basically up to the cook. The only thing that has a real "recipe" is the frosting, the rest is really a method that I'll give you some tips for, nothing too hard and fast. To give credit where credit is due, the Peanut Butter Frosting recipe came from the Barefoot Contessa at Home cookbook.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake (aka The "Bond is Dead" Cake)

-Pick your favorite chocolate cake recipe, if you have a from scratch recipe, use that, if there is a box chocolate cake mix that you really love, use that.

-Prepare Batter as usual, end by folding chopped Reese's Peanut Butter Cups into the batter (about 2 cups is my recommendation, but adjust the amount to your taste) I use the mini PB cups, but you could use full-size ones if you want. Heck, you could use Reese's Pieces if you wanted also....

- Pour batter into cake pan(s). IMPORTANT:  The addition of Reese's PB cups to the batter will make the batter more carmelized and more prone to sticking to the pan. Save yourself a MASSIVE amount of frustration by LINING YOUR CAKE PANS WITH PARCHMENT PAPER. I cannot tell you how many times I have tried to flip this cake out of the pan, only to have it break because the carmelized PB cups had stuck to the bottom. Just trust me on this, parchment paper is your best buddy in this situation. Anyway, pour the cake batter into the pan or pans ( two 8-in rounds, one 9x15, whatever you want) and cook according to cake recipe until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

-Allow cake to cool completely, remove cake from pan(s) CAREFULLY, turn onto serving platter.

-Frost with Peanut Butter Frosting, decorate with more PB cups or Reese's Pieces.

Peanut Butter Frosting
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 5 tbsp. unsalted butter at room temperature
-3/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract
-1/4 tsp. kosher salt
-1/3 cup heavy cream

- Place the confectioner's sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer or in medium/large mixing bowl. Mix on medium low speed until creamy, scraping down sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as you go. Add the cream and mix on high until mixture is light and fluffy (if it's too wet add more confectioner's sugar, if it's too dry, add more cream)

Note: This cake tastes best chilled (and the frosting may start to get a little slippery if it's at room temperature for too long). As soon you're done frosting it, place it in the refrigerator so that it's nicely chilled when dessert time rolls around.

Love to All,

Lynn :)

New Hampshire Culinary Adventures :)

Hey All! I have just recently returned from a trip out to New Hampshire to see my Zachariah! I could go on and on about the beauty of New England, especially in the the Autumn, but for the sake of brevity I'll try and keep my amazement confined to the culinary :)

One of our favorite places in Keene, NH for a slightly upscale/celebratory but still totally relaxed lunch or dinner is Luca's Mediterranean Cafe'. As the name implies, their cuisine is largely inspired by Italy, Greece, Spain, coastal France, etc. The stucco walls, the candlelight, the soft music, and the consistently awesome service make for quite the romantice evening :) I'm sure Luca's would be great for larger group celebrations too. And, side note, they have great bathrooms! In the ladies room (which is immaculate) there are bobby and safety pins, hair spray, lotion, a brush and best of all, a little guest book people are encouraged to sign and leave their impressions of the restaurant :)

On this most recent visit, we had an appetizer of Pumpkin Ravioli with a Brown Butter Sauce and sauteed raisins and pumpkin seeds on top. Normally, I'm not a huge fan of raisins, but they TOTALLY worked here. For entrees, Zach had the Chicken Francaise, and I had the Three Cheese Ravioli with roasted tomatoes and artichoke hearts with a Lemon Arugula Pesto Sauce. For dessert, we shared NUTELLA GELATO! (*long wistful sigh*). I would love to show you the pictures of these beautiful meals, unfortunately, they are on Zach's camera, and he has yet to upload them, so, if you know Zach, get him to post them on FB and then you can see them :) Until then , here is a link to Luca's if you care to peruse :)

One of the other great culinary portions of the trip was an unplanned visit to Burdick's Restaurant in Walpole, NH. We had spent the morning picking Honey Crisp Apples at Alyson's Apple Orchard in Walpole, and Burdick's was the lunch recommendation of one of the locals. Being that Walpole is basically as "quaint New England" as it gets, I was expecting something rustic, charming, salt of the earth, you know, "New-England-ish" I was most certainly not expecting a beautiful French style Bistro/Cafe with a gourment chocolate shop attatched to it! Burdick's won massive brownie points with me when the waitress told us not only that almost everything in the store was locally sourced and organic, she could also tell us which farms the greens/meat/cheese had come from! It was even printed on the menu! The prices were totally reasonable, as were the portions. That is something we need to get the hang of here in the U.S. In a truly European style restaurant, you can go all the way from appetizer to dessert and coffee and still not feel stuffed, just pleasantly satisfied :) Luckily, I did have my camera with me this time :) Our first course was Crostini with local cheese, apples and homemade fig preserves. For the main course, Zach had the beef stew and I had the warm goat cheese salad with walnuts, honey and lemon dressing:) (*swoooooon*) Oh, and as a side note, can someone PLEASE teach me how to upload photos to my blog and have them appear within the text and NOT at the top of the page? How do I make it not do that?!?! GAH!

Lastly, after picking all those yummy apples, some pie baking was certainly in order :) We made four apple crumble pies and there were enough apples for easily eight more, but some, of course, must be eaten raw and fresh :) Enclosed please find pictures and the EASIEST apple crumble topping recipe I have ever found. I love the rich flavor that the brown sugar imparts. This topping could go on pies, crisps, crumbles, heck, mix it in with your granola, top oatmeal with it, sprinkle it on plums or figs and stick them under the broiler with a little goat cheese or creme fraiche or honey, whatever your little heart desires :)

Crumble Topping

- 1 cup brown sugar

- 1 cup all purpose flour

-1/4 cup (2 oz.) cold butter, diced

- In medium bowl, mix together sugar and flour. Mix in butter with two forks, pastry blender or stand mixer until crumbly. Sprinkle onto pie/crisp/etc, whatever you are baking.

This recipe makes enough for about one pie/crisp/yummy baked thing, and can easily be doubled, tripled, etc, to meet your needs :) And hey, I'll admit it, I snatched up a few handfuls and ate it raw.....what? *shifty eyes* It's butter and sugar, COME ON! *nom!*

Love to All :)

Lynn

PLEASE Read This Book!!!

Hey All!

I'm gonna switch it up just a bit here for this post, and instead of a recipe, I'm going to give you a book recommendation. I have just finished reading *French Women Don't Get Fat* by Mireille Guiliano, and honestly, I don't know a single person who wouldn't benefit from reading it, foodie and non-foodie alike, allow me to link you:

Here is the author's personal website: http://www.mireilleguiliano.com/

Here is a website dedicated to the book: http://frenchwomendontgetfat.com/

And here is a link if you care to purchase the book for yourself (I'd let you borrow mine, but I'm going to be referencing it too often to share, sorry folks) http://www.amazon.com/French-Women-Dont-Get-Fat/dp/0375710515/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252970219&sr=1-1

Where do I start? Firstly, although there is a great deal of weight loss advice in this book, I would absolutely NOT classify it as a diet book. As you are quick to learn, the concept of dieting is a very American ideal, one that is all but foreign to European women, especially French women. Guiliano is French, born and raised. She neither a doctor nor a nurtitionist, on the contrary, she is the CEO of Veuve Clicquot Champagne , and her credentials are those of a woman who loves life, loves food, and has, after years of living on two continents, taken a hard look at the differences between the American and European relationship to food.

In brief: America is virtually the only culture on earth that associates guilt with food. We ignore hunger signals, have lost touch with what truly satisifies us, and are driven more by a compulsive need to imbibe than actual desire for sustenance. That is not to say that this book is all "gloom and doom". In reality, it is one of the happiest books I have ever read. Her skill at describing food and other sensual pleasures of life is right up there with the food writing styles of Nigella Lawson and Mario Batali, both of whom I adore and idolize. Her message in simple, eat mindfully, enjoy all things in moderation, find sensuality and joy in all you do, never associate guilt with eating, the key to health and happiness is BALANCE. Again, I have to stress the fact that this is not a diet book, it is a book about learning to moderate your pleasures and passions, so that you own them and they do not own you.

And, of course, the book has many recipes that look absolutely LUSCIOUS!!! I can't wait to try them!!! (Reminder, this book was written by a French woman, and last time I checked, the French knew a thing or two about YUMMY). She includes suggestion for soups, snacks, main courses and desserts, as well as tips and recipes for baking your own bread and making yogurt at home.

I honestly don't know what else to say, I loved this look, loved loved loved :) I think it would be especially beneficial for women to read, but men would certainly get a lot out of it too. It is so absolutely refreshing to read a book that's about building a healthy relationship with food as opposed to a book that preaches deprivation and diet plans. I know so many women who have very unhealthy relationships with food, and in certain ways and at certain times of my life I am/have been one of those women too. Please, please read this book, I promise you, if you love life, pleasure, cooking, eating, Europe, food, writing, or just need to read something life affirming, you will not be disappointed :)

Adieu :)
Lynn

I'm Back!!!! (Pasta Salad Anyone?)

Hello Everyone!

I am SO SORRY about the long delay, you have no idea how I've been longing to write a blog post. But as you may recall from my last posting, I moved recently, and the packing, traveling, unpacking, red tape, and everything else involved with moving has kept me really too busy to cook or photograph anything blog- worthy, not to mention sit down at the computer for long periods of time. However, now I am all settled back in at my Mom's place (I'll be regrouping here until the next adventure life sends me on) and the internet connection is soooo much better here which means I won't be at the mercy of signal strength every time the fancy strikes me to write a blog post :)

As some of you may or may not know, last week was my grandparents 60th Wedding Anniversary! Whee! In addition, yesterday was also my Grandfather's 83rd birthday (yay Poppa John!) So, we had a bunch of family over yesterday for an Anniversary/Birthday/Labor Day BBQ :) The festivites abounded, and it was a ton if fun. The recipe I would like to feature in this particular post is for a Tri-Color Pasta Salad :) Can I just take a moment to say how much I love a good Pasta Salad? Something about the cold or room-temp pasta with whatever ingredients strike your fancy is just so refreshing. Personally, I like my Pasta Salads without mayo, but there are some good mayo-based pasta salads too, no question. I'm not gonna yap too much more about this recipe, as the ingredient list kinda speaks for itself, But other than being DELISH, it's mayo-free, travels well, all the ingredients can be purchased year-round in the regular grocery store, and it's PRETTY! This recipe was adapted from the Pappardelle's Palm Springs Pasta Salad:) To learn more about the RIDICULOUSLY AWESOME Pappardelle's Pasta , go here:

And now, the recipe:

Tri-Colore Pasta Salad:

-1lb Tri-Colore Pasta, any small to medium shape is fine

-1/2 cup sundried tomatoes in oil, chopped

-1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped or torn

-1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

-1/2 cup Kalamata Olives, whole or chopped (Green Greek Olives would work well too)

-Extra Virgin Olive Oil OR reserved oil from the sundried tomatoes for drizzling

-3 tablespoons vinegar (my personal choices would be red wine or apple cider, but use the one you like the best)

-Salt and Pepper to taste

-Cook pasta in boiling salted water until al-dente, drain, rinse, drain a second time (normally I'm not a fan of rinsing my pasta, I feel like you lose the good starchy-ness, but in this case, you need to stop the cooking process, other wise you get soggy pasta and no one likes that)

-Add all remaining ingredients and toss lightly. Taste, adjust seasonings until you're happy with it :)

-The salad can be served immediately at room temperature, but really, I think it's better if you let it chill out in the fridge for a few hours, and let the flavors blend :)

It won't be almost a month before my next post, I SWEAR!

Love to All!

Lynn

A Random Collection of Tasty Restaurants :)

Hey All!

Again, I must apologize for the delay between posts. The last few weeks have been a flurry of activity. My Master's Portfolio was completed, submitted, and accepted! I am now offcially done, and I have a Master's Degree in Arts for Children! Go me! *victory dance!* Also, I have been packing up to move. Due to my lease and my job coming to an end, and the fact that with the end of my degree comes the end of my financial aid cushion, I am temporarily moving home to Syracuse, NY. I need to regroup for a few months, and replenish my energy and monetary reserves. Although I will miss the friends I have made here very much, in many ways I am looking forward to going home for a little while. And since I have been living primarily in Rochester since undergrad, I am really looking forward to exploring the changes in the Syracuse local food scene while I have been away.



On that note, for those of you read my blog and live in the greater Rochester/Central or Western New York area, I decided to make a list of some of my favorite local places to eat around here. This list is by no means complete, I may annotate it in later posts, and please, if there's a Rochester-ish place you really like, and I've neglected to post it here, please feel free to add comments that include your faves:



So, quickly, off the cuff, here are some of my favorites:



The Mythos Cafe in Brockport, NY:

-Primarily Mediterranean, this place has the best dolmades, the best tzatziki, and some of the best gyro meat I've ever had. Their pasta dishes and salads are lovely too. Dessert-wise, everything is delicious, though I would personally recommend the Baklava and the Chocolate Decadence (imagine the BEST fudge you've ever had, only BETTER) (UPDATE: Sadly, this restaurant closed very suddenly in 2012, which broke my little Greek-Food obsessed heart *sniff*)



The Millhouse Restaurant in Brockport, NY

-Your basic family restaurant/upscale diner, this place has big portions, reasonable prices, it's very clean, the menu is extensive, they serve breakfast all day, and they make a KICKASS Milkshake :) They don't have a website, but their street address is 3670 Lake Road, Brockport, NY, 14420. Their phone number is (585)637-7050



Sakura Home in Pittsford, NY

-A fairly new upscale Japanese restaurant, this place has a lovely atmosphere, and the Sushi ROCKS! They have several Hibachi tables, but my personal recommendation would be to sit in the regular dining room and order a la carte. Everything on their menu is good, but I would go for any of the appetizers, the sushi, or one of their several noodle dishes. Extra Bonus, they bring hot towels to the table for your hands :)

The Cibon Cafe in Rochester, NY (Park Avenue neighborhood)
-Nestled in the massively awesome Park Avenue District, Cibon is hands-down one of the most beautiful restaurants I have ever eaten in, lots of Red, Black and Gold, with a definite European/Art Nouveau feel. There is only one dish there that I don't care for, and that is their Pasta Puttanesca (it's well-made, just not to my particular taste), but literally everything else I've ever had there is delicious. They also have an extensive wine bar and list of cafe drinks. This is perfect place to while away an evening, either for a long cozy dinner chat, or if you wanna feel all European and fancy-pantsy.

Jines Restaurant in Rochester, NY
- Also in the Park Avenue district, Jines has been around FOREVER and if you eat there just one time, you'll know why. I would call it an upscale diner kinda place, but their menu is so creative and extensive, it really defies categorization. My personal recommendation would be the Lamb and Feta Burger, but honestly, you can't go wrong. On the occasions that I have dined there, I have found the staff to be friendly and helpful, very willing to accomodate special dietary requests. They also serve breakfast all day. Classy but not fussy, Jines is definitely a winner :)

Main Street Pizzeria in Brockport, NY:
If you like thin-crust, NYC/Neapolitan-style pizza, then, in my humble opinion, Main Street Pizza is the BEST you're gonna find in Rochester. I'm not even going to tell you how much of their pizza I've had during my college years (2 slices and a soda are only $3!!) Their other stuff is great too, but I'm a pizza-girl. Just go, now, you'll thank me later. No website, but their address and phone number are 82 Main Street, Brockport, NY, 14420, (585) 637-8760.

Mona Lisa Cafe in Webster, NY:
- One word for you: GELATO!! For those of you that may not know this, Gelato is my favorite dessert of all time (tied for first place with a fountain-style chocolate ice-cream soda). Mona Lisa Cafe has some of the best Gelato EVER! (and they're pastries and panini's are lovely too) Their table space limited, but trust me, it's worth it:)

Zambistro in Medina, NY:
This place is an absolute GEM, relaxed, upscale dining, nothing stuffy. The food is delicious and artfully arranged, Chef Mike Zambito is a genius when it comes to creative use of ingredients. One of my favorite things about Zambistro is that the chef prepares tasting plates for each table, small samples of other items on the menu, no charge, just part of the experience. This is the perfect place for a celebration of any kind. It's a hike from the city, but you'll be so happy once you get there. My personal recommendations would be the lobster pasta, homemade macaroni and cheese, blackened beef tips, lobster risotto, or the cedar plank salmon. And all the desserts are phenomenal :)


Avanti's Italian Grill in Medina, NY:
Another hike from the city that is totally worth it. Being something of an Italian chef myself, I am pretty critical of Italian Restaurants, and this place passed every test with flying colors. They make all their own bread and pasta fresh every day. And it doesn't have that greasy, cover everything in tomato sauce vibe that can pervade some establishments. They have the best Chicken Parmesan I've had in the Rochester area. But I can also personally vouch for their Chicken Francese, Pollo Sorrentina, Chicken Gorgonzola, and their Chicken Marsala. Really, this is great, innovative Italian food, if it means anything to you, they have my stamp of approval. (The Avanti's Pizzeria right next door is great too)

Aladdin's Natural Eatery in Rochester, NY:
Another Mediterreanean/Middle Eastern restaurant, this has got to be one of the all-time greats! If you like your food as natural and unprocessed as possible, then you need to make a beeline for Alladin's. Their food tastes like a vacation to Greece, no joke. Thier hummus is beyond compare, as is their grilled lamb, and their Baklava is pretty darned tasty too. They have two Rochester locations, one on Monroe Avenue, the other in Schoen Place is Pittsford. The Monroe Restaurant has a lovely rooftop balcony, and the Pittsford location has outdoor canalside seating. Wholesome, fresh, exotic but comforting, I cannot say enough good things about Aladdin's. This food is delish and (almost) completely guilt free. GO!

The Old Toad in Rochester, NY
If you like the British Pub vibe, then this restaurant is for you. It is, quite literally, a British Pub. Their Fish Fry is amazing, but really, this is another place where, depending on what you're tastes are, you really can't go wrong. The Old Toad is perfect spot to visit on a rainy evening when you want to curl up with a book, or have a long, long chat with a close friend or two. The Old Toad is basically the definition of the word "Cozy". They also host trivia nights on Mondays and Jeopardy nights on Tuesdays :)


Well, that's about all I can think of off the top of my head, but I'm sure there'll be more later. Go forth my friends,explore some of these places. Eat, drink, be merry, let me know how it goes! More posting soon!

Love to All!
Lynn

Peach and Blueberry Crumble

Hey All!

I had a lovely post all written a few days ago about an awesome day of food and fun that Zach and I had last week with our friends Brande and Dan, but for reasons unclear to me it would not post and the pictures would not upload. So, I'm going to try again on a new topic, Summer Fruit Crumble!

I love Cobblers, Crumbles, Grunts, Slumps, Oven, Stovetop, whatever, fruit+dough=happiness. I like them because they are very reminiscent of pie, but they're free form, more rustic, homey, relaxed, and they showcase local ripe fruit!. In other words, they're perfect for summer.I have a totally awesome Peach Crumble recipe from my Mom that I tried out a few nights ago. However, since I also had a quart of fresh blueberries on hand, I tossed those in too....Observe the photo graphic evidence :) Here's the recipe :)

Peach and Blueberry Crumble

-3lbs or approx. 6 large ripe peaches, cut into about 1-inch chunks (I didn't peel them, but you can if you want to)

-1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

-1/4 cup sugar (if the peaches aren't quite ripe, or if you like a sweeter taste, use 1/2 cup sugar)

-1 quart fresh blueberries

-3/4 cup packed brown sugar

-2 sticks of butter

-1 1/2 cups flour (I just used regular all-purpose flour)

-1 tsp. cinnamon

-Preheat oven to 3750F

-Grease 13x9 inch pan (Corningware would work too)

-Toss peaches, blueberries, lemon juice, sugar and 1/4 cup of the brown sugar in a medium bowl

-Spread mixture evenly in the pan and dot with 2tbsp of the butter.

- For topping, mix flour, cinnamon and remaining brown sugar in separate bowl

-Cut in remaining butter using pastry blender or two forks until mixture is crumbly (medium sized crumbs) Do not use your fingers, the heat from your hands will make the butter too soft.

- Spread topping evenly over fruit

-Bake 30-35 minutes or until topping is browned and fruit is bubbly

-Served warm or cold, topped with REAL whipped cream or (my personal favorite) Vanilla Ice-Cream :)

NOTES: -This recipe will work with basically any fruit (apples, peaches, blueberries, plums, cherries, etc) you don't need to mix the fruit like I did, but it's a nice touch :) Use whatever is in season. I made this in late July, when the blueberries are at peak and the peaches are just starting :)

-The blueberries make this Crumble VERY moist, you can compensate for this by mixing a little cornstarch or tapioca into the fruit before it goes into the pan, if you like. Place the baking dish on a sheet pan to protect your oven from drips.

*nom nom nom* Enjoy!

Lynn :)

Two for the Price of One!

Hey All!

Again, I apologize for the long delay between posts, I was on vacation the week of 4th of July, and then this past week I was working on my Portfolio (I'm VERY close to finishing my Master's Degree, thank goodness) and all that kept me away from posting, but here I am! I've missed you all! And today, because you're all so awesome and patient, you're gonna get a double entry. One about a food excursion I went on whilst I was on vacation, and the other about a random kitchen adventure I embarked upon the other day:

Every year, my family goes to Lake George, NY in the Adirondack Mountains for our annual vacation. Lake George happens to be a only a short distance from the Vermont border. And, what totally cool ice-cream franchise originated in Vermont? (hint: It has to do with the pictures) That would be BEN AND JERRY'S! So, because of it's close proximity, Bolton Landing (the town where we stay) has a Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Shop! Or, as I like to call it, The Land of Goodness and Light. They sell all manner of treats there, sundaes, smoothies, milkshakes, etc, everything you'd expect to find in a scoop shop. They also have something called a Vermonster, which is their OHMYGODHUGE signature sundae that could feed an army. Although we have been going there basically since it opened, we had never gotten one, so this year, on a whim, my Mom, my boyfriend, my brother, my grandparents and I pooled our money (they cost about $40) and got one and split it between the six of us :)

This is what a Vermonster includes:

-20 scoops of ice cream (we got 4 scoops of Chocolate Therapy, 4 scoops of Cake Batter, 4 scoops of Chocolate Fudge Brownie, 4 scoops of Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl, and 4 scoops of Phish Food)

-4 ladles of hot fudge

-3 cookies

-3 brownies

- choice of 4 toppings (we did M&M's, double Oreos, and bananas)

-Whipped Cream

Everyone else in the scoop shop was watching while they prepared this Sundae for us, and a lot of people commented on it and whether or not they thought we could finish it. Watching it be made was almost as fun as eating it....almost....IT WAS DELICIOUS! Ice-cream in general (and gelato in specific) is my favorite dessert, and devouring this huge sundae with my family was an absolute delight. I have to be honest and say that we did not finsish it one sitting, that first night the six of us got through about 70% of it, and then we finished it off intermittently over the next two days. This got me to thinking, how awesome would be it to have an ice-cream party with your friends? Everyone brings some ice cream and some toppings, put it all together in a huge bowl, and dig in! Sounds like a good time to me! If you live near a Ben and Jerry's or other ice cream shop that does one of those huge novelty sundaes, round up a bunch of friends and go for it, it was absolutely worth it in my opinion :)

And, blog #2

It's been a tight few weeks money-wise for this little girl, and the other day I was perusing my cupboards trying to figure out what to make for dinner out of things I had on hand, as an extra trip to the grocery store was not gonna happen. This is what I discovered:

-1 box Whole Wheat Couscous

-garlic

-White onion

- 1/2 bag of whole almonds

-1 can Northern White Beans

-1 package fresh/frozen lamb patties

- assorted spices

-apple cider vinegar

-vegetable broth

I mixed half broth and half water and put it on the stove to boil. I chopped the onion and garlic and put it in a saute pan with a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil. When the onion and garlic had gotten some good color I put the lamb patties into the pan. When the water boiled I added the couscous to it. When the couscous had absorbed all the water I added the beans. I fluffed the couscous with a fork and added salt, pepper, ginger, cinnamon and rosemary. Next, I added the onions and garlic to the couscous and let the lamb cook a few minutes more. When the lamb was done, I broke it up into bite-sized pieces with my spatula and added it (plus the pan drippings) to the couscous. I finished the couscous by adding the almonds and a splash of apple cider vinegar. It turned out really well if I do say so myself. It had a very...Turkish/Middle Eastern Flavor, smoky, deep, slightly sweet. When it comes to needing a blank canvas and/or getting something on the table fast and for not a lot of money, couscous is your friend (much like pasta). It will support any flavor that you give it, and it stretches a long way. I apologize for not having any pictures of it, I didn't have my camera at the time, but I'll be sure and take photos for my next kitchen adventure. I didn't include measurements for this one because, really, it was total improvisation, one of those "run around the kitchen and throw things in that would probably taste good together" kind of things. So, buy some couscous, mess around with flavorings, make something up,play with your food :)

Till Next Time :)

Lynn

Just a Quickie

Hey All!
I am leaving for my annual family vacation in Lake George, NY tomorrow, and with the flurry of packing and other work that had to be done this week, I didn't get a chance to cook anything blog-worthy. Hopefully when I get back from LG I'll have some fun photos and food chat for you. For now, I would like to pass along another food blog that I have been reading recently that I absolutely adore. It is Smitten Kitchen, written by a NYC woman named Deb. I do not know her personally, but I LOVE her recipes, her style of food writing, and the photography on her site is absolutely wonderful. Her feelings about food are very similar to my own, excpet she's been blogging a lot longer and has a ton more experience than me. In short, her blog is something that I aspire to. So, if you've not yet had the pleasure check out her site, you will be sooooo glad you did!

www.smittenkitchen.com

Be Well, have a wonderful holiday, I'll talk to you in about a week or so!
Lynn

A Fine Kettle of Fish

Hey There!

This past Wednesday was my boyfriend Zach's birthday (yay!), and part of his gift was a homemade birthday dinner and dessert from your truly :) This year he requested one of his all-time favorite meals, a New-York style Fish Fry. It's interesting to note how many people seem to think of fish (fried or otherwise) as food that one would only order in a restaurant, or as take-out. This makes me sad. Fish is very easy to cook at home, and has many of the "blank-canvas" qualities of chicken, it can be as simple as salt, pepper and lemon juice, or any elaborate breading or batter you can think of. Fish also has the added advantage of cooking faster than chicken. For instance, if you are pan sauteeing fish, 2-3 minutes on each side should do it, as opposed to 6 minutes on each side for chicken.
I cannot tell you how many times I've heard "but fish is so expensive", and honestly, I don't consider that a valid excuse. Shopping for fish is like shoppingfor anything else, watch for sales, check out different markets to see who stocks what and at what kind of prices. Also, many larger farmer's markets have a fishmonger (I know for a fact that there is one at both the Rochester Public Market and the Syracuse Regional Farmer's market), and since they probably stock primarily local fish, their prices will probably be more reasonable. There are also some decent flash-frozen optons too, just peruse the fish section of your local market. Personally, I do not advocate buying farm-raised fish, for a myriad of reasons, not the least of which being that farm-raised fish have much higher levels of mercury and other toxins, but obviously, what you buy is your choice. Personally, I buy wild-caught fish whenever possible. Is fish a practical option for dinner every night of the week? Probably not, unless you can see the ocean from your house, but I definitely think that there is room in the typical grocery budget a few times a month. For example, I bought enough fish to make dinner for seven people for under $35, no lie. Dinner for seven people for under $35, that sounds pretty reasonable to me :)

So here is my recipe for Battered Fish, originally inspired by Ina Garten in her *Barefoot Contessa Family Style* Cookbook.

Battered Fish Fry

-3 1/2-4lbs fish fillets (I use haddock, but cod is great too)
-Kosher Salt
-Freshly ground black pepper
-2 cups plus four tablespoons all-purpose flour
-2 tablespoons baking powder
-2 tsp freshly grated lemon zest
-1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
-4 extra large eggs
-Vegetable Oil (I use canola oil)
-2 cups of water


-Lay fillets on cutting board or large tray, Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Cut fillets in half or into thirds depending on how big they are. Try to make the fillets as uniform in size as possible.
-In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, lemon zest, cayenne pepper, one and a half tsp. salt and and 3/4 tsp. pepper. Stir together dry ingredients with whisk.
-Whisk in water, followed by eggs.
-Pour about 1//2 inch of oil into large, deep frying pan or skillet, and heat oil to about 360 degrees. If you don't have a thermometer, try this trick: Stick the tip of a wooden spoon into the oil, if small bubbles spring up quickly around the tip of the spoon, the oil is ready.
-Dip each fillet into the batter and let the excess drip back into the bowl. Place fillet very carefully into the pan. Remember not to crowd the fillets too closely in the pan, otherwise they will steam, not fry.
-Cook the fish on each side for 2-3 minutes, until lightly browned and cooked through. Removed coked fillets to a platter, tray or plate lined with paper towels.
-Sprinkel with salt, serve hot with french fries and your favorite condiments.

NOTES:
- If, during frying, the oil begins too bubble to quickly, turn the heat down, if it is not bubbling enough, turn the heat up
- After making this fish fry a few times, the best advice I can give you about when to turn the fish is to think of the fillets like pancakes. If you slide your spatula under the fish to turn it, and the batter still feels sticky and won't yield to the spatula, the fish is not ready to be turned. If the spatula slides under the fish easily, it is ready to be turned.
-Do not be suprised if some batter falls off the fish while it's in the pan, it happens to me too and I'm in the process of figuring out how to correct it. It may because these fillets are pan-fried and not deep fried, further research is required.
-If fish isn't your thing, I see no reason why this batter wouldn't work on chicken tenders. Just make sure you've pounded them pretty thin, so that the inside will be cooked around the same time that the batter gets crispy.

And now, a bonus recipe!
Zach's Dad makes an AMAZING fish sauce, it's not quite a tartar, but has a similar taste. I don't have exact measurements for you, it's really more of a method, but try it, and I promise you'll be hooked (get it? Hooked?.........okay, moving on......)

David's Fish Sauce

-Mayonnaise (Preferably Hellmans)
-Sour Cream
-Celery
-Chives (fresh, not dried)
-Salt
-Pepper

-Mix equal parts sour cream and mayo in a medium mixing bowl
-add a few (about 4 or so) stalks of very finely chopped celery
and very finely chopped fresh chives
-add salt and pepper to taste
-Mix and chill thoroughly before serving.

Again, this sauce would taste good on chicken as well, and it would make a great all-purpose sandwich condiment.

Enjoy!
Till next time:)
Lynn

p.s. I apoligize for the lack of photos in this post, I'll remember to use my camera again next time :)

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Hello!

I apologize to my readers (*giggle* I have readers :) for the long delay between posts. Sadly, I had several family emergencies in the past few weeks, which kept me away from posting. But now, Thank God, life has returned to a more normal pace. The end of June brings the height of strawberry season. Entire flats of strawberries appear in grocery stores and farmer's markets, and recipes for jams, pies, cakes and shortcakes flood the local papers and seasonal cooking magazines. I, for one, could not be happier about this. If Strawberry Shortcake is the most popular "baked" dessert during Strawberry Season, then Strawberry Rhubarb Pie is a very close second place. Although all the women in my family make strawberry rhubarb pies, I have no distinct memory of tasting one until today, and WOW. It's like eating springtime. Enclosed is the recipe for Strawbery Rhubarb Pie that graced our table today for Father's Day. It originally came from a wonderful old cookbook called The Farm Journal's Complete Pie Cookbook and was made today by my wonderfully talented Mommy.

My mother's method for making pie crust is as follows: for a two crust pie, use 2/3 cup shortening, 2 cups of flour, and 1 tsp salt, mix together with fork or pastry cutter. Add a small amount of COLD water and continue to stir with fork until dough begins to form a ball, roll out to desired size, etc. If you have your own method, or you'd rather just buy a ready-made crust at the store, that's obviously fine too. My personal preference is to make pie-crust from scratch, because then I get to eat the pie-dough scraps, small pleasures in life and all that :)

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

-Pastry for 2-crust pie

-1 1/3 cups sugar

-1/3 cup flour

-1/2 tsp. grated orange peel

-1/8 tsp. salt

-2 cups sliced fresh strawberries

-2 cups fresh rhubarb, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (ish)

-2 tbsp. butter

-Preheat oven to 425oF

- Combine strawberries and rhubarb in mixing bowl

-Add sugar, flour, orange peel and salt to strawberry mixture, mix to combine

- Pour mixture into pastry-lined 9" pie pan and dot with butter (a deep-dish pie pan will work best here)

-Adjust top crust over filling, seal edges by pressing with the tines of a fork or by crimping/fluting the edges with your fingers. Cut vents in top crust.

-Bake at 425oF for 40-50 minutes, or until juice begins to bubble through vents and crust is golden brown

-Allow to cool, at least partially, can be eaten alone, or with whipped cream or vanilla ice-cream on top.

WARNING: This pie has a tendency to boil over. Place the pie pan on a cookie sheet when it goes in the oven, so that any drips will end up on the sheet pan, and not baked or burned onto the floor of your oven.

Okay, this is my first attempt at uploading pictures of my culinary endeavors, any and all pointers on how to improve my food photography are most welcome!

Happy Summer Solstice!

Lynn

Taco Salad Adventure

Hello Again My Friends :)

Can I just say how pleased I am that there are 12 people reading my blog? I know that in the grand scheme of things that's not very many, as there are some blogs with hundreds of followers, but since I was worried that no one would be reading it, and I'm just starting out, 12 is a BIG number, so thank you all! Today's post is about some kitchen improvisation on my part. As those of you who know me personally can attest, playing around in the kitchen and experimenting with different ingredients is one of my absolute favorite things to do. As a matter of fact, the other possible name for this blog was going to be "Kitchimprov"...but in the end I went with the current title, and I'm very happy with it :)

On the way home from the library today, I was suddenly in the mood for Mexican food, like ya do. In an effort not to totally blow all my Weight Watchers Points, I decided that instead of going out for Mexican, I would peruse what I had at home and see if anything there would satisfy my craving. On a related note, if anyone knows of a good Mexican or Tex-Mex restaurant in the greater Rochester area, toss it my way.

And so, the cupboard/fridge search began, much as it did last week when I made the soup that appeared in my first blog post. Below is the impromptu taco salad that resulted. I've given some loose measurements here, but really this is more of a method than a recipe, so don't take them too seriously, add or subtract as you like.

Impromptu Taco Salad
- 1 or 2 cups romaine lettuce
-about 1 cup black beans rinsed and drained
- 1 handful (about 1/4) cup 2% milk Taco Mix Shredded Cheese
-2 tablespoons fat free sour cream
-2 tablespoons salsa (I used mild salsa, but any salsa will work)
-2 small handfuls (about 1 serving or 12ish chips) crushed tortilla chips (I used Tostitos Scoops, but any chips would work)


-Combine lettuce, beans, and shredded cheese in large Salad bowl.
-In smaller separate bowl, mix sour cream and salsa.
-Pour salsa dressing over salad, toss to combine.
-After salad is mixed, sprinkle crushed tortilla chips over the top.

Would this win any gourmet awards? Probably not, but it was darn tasty. It was a wonderful way to get all the taco flavors without going nuts on greasy take-out. There are only two things I would do differently upon making this salad again. Firstly, I would squeeze some fresh lime juice over the salad just before tossing, becasue I think it would have added a nice brightness to the salad, and continued the Mexican theme. Sadly, I had no limes today. Second, in the original recipe I made today, I included a few jarred jalapeno slices. I probably wouldn't add them again, because they got kinda lost amid the salsa and the flavor was a little sharp and out of place. Though if you like jalapenos, go for it. I had this as a late lunch, but it would also work as a dinner salad, particularly if you added protein (beef, turkey, etc). Salads are so great to work with. The lettuce is a blank canvas for endless creative possibilities :)

Be Well :)
Lynn

P.S. I will try to start posting pictures of my creations, as soon as I figure out how one might do that 0_o

Love in Bloom

Hello All!

As we progress into June, with the *official* start of summer quickly approaching, my mind inevitably drifts to my favorite seasonal summer foods. While the list is LONG, I would definitely say that some of the first things on said list are corn and berries. I LOVE berries, I've never met a berry I didn't like. And the jump from *berries* to *dessert* is a very short one, at least in my head. So, today, in the spirit of Summer, I offer you one of my favorite simple, seasonally appropriate desserts, from the recipe files of my awesome Mommy :) This dessert is a snap to make, creamy, sweet, but not overpowering, and has one of the most beautiful names I've ever heard: Love in Bloom :)

Love in Bloom

Crust:
-12-15 graham crackers, crushed (this can be done by pulsing them in a food processor for a few seconds or by placing them in a plastic bag and crushing with a rolling pin, etc)
-1/4 cup sugar
-1/4 cup butter, melted

Filling:
- 1 3oz package cream cheese, softened
-1/2 cup 10x (confectioner's) sugar
-1/2 teaspoon vanilla
-1 cup heavy cream, whipped
-a few cups fresh berries of your choice (strawberries, rapsberries, blueberries, cherries, etc. whatever is in season and/or looks good to you. A mix of the above is also lovely)

For the Crust:
-Preheat oven to 375oF
-combine crushed graham crackers, sugar and butter
-Press mixture into 9-inch pie plate (a tart pan of similar size would work too)
- Bake at 375oF for 8 minutes, allow crust to cool before filling

Filling:
-cream sugar and cream cheese together, add vanilla
-Fold whipped cream into mixture
-pour into graham cracker crust, smooth top with spatula and top with fruit of choice.
-Refrigerate to chill thoroughly before serving

This dessert would be a lovely ending to a light summer meal, or a nice contrast to a heavier *barbeque* meal. And, I'll admit it, I have been known to eat this for breakfast if there are leftovers (don't judge me). Eat this outside on the patio or porch around sunset to achieve summer nirvana :)

Until we chat again :)
Lynn

10 Reasons to Love your Friendly Neighborhood Farmer's Market

Greetings My Friends!

If you stuck around long enough to read my second post, I sincerely thank you :) I'm thrilled that people are actually reading my blog, and I do hope that word of mouth/curiosity will eventually lead more people my way. Thank you to those of you who took the time to read/follow/comment, etc. And a HUGE thank you to the lovely and talented Brande for creating the awesome artwork that now adorns my blog title, woot!!! And, now, to the subject at hand:

On the slim but real assumption that there are people reading this blog who do not know me personally, and therefore have not heard me ramble (incessantly) on this topic, let me take a moment to mention my deep and enduring love for Farmer's Markets. Going to a Farmer's Market on a weekend morning in the warm months of the year is something that I, no joke, become palpably excited about. Growing up in the Syracuse area, I was lucky enough to have the Central New York Regional Market about ten minutes away from my house. Virtually every Saturday morning of my childhood, from April to November at least, found my mother and I at the market, visiting our favorite vendors and poking through the produce and other crafts.

I could go on and on about all the nostalgic reasons that I love the the market, because for me, the act of "going to the market" is tied very deeply to memories of childhood, family, sharing, mother/daughter bonding, etc. However, for the sake of something akin to staying on topic, I've distilled my ramblings into a Top Ten List of reasons you too should love, and regularly visit, your friendly neighborhood farmer's market. So, here ya go :)

10 Reasons to Visit a Farmer's Market: (In no particular order)

1. FRESH LOCAL PRODUCE! This one should be a no brainer, folks. Most produce that you see in the grocery store has traveled an average of 1,500 miles to get to you, and has been out of the ground for at least a few days, and in some cases, over a week. The majority of the produce you will find at a Farmer's Market has traveled less than 100 miles to get to you, and has been picked within the last 24 hours. Since I am home in Syracuse this weekend, I went to the Market this morning with my Mom. Among our purchases today were fresh baby spinach and strawberries. Both of which were grown locally in Baldwinsville, NY, a 20 minute drive from my front door. The strawberries were picked last night, and the spinach had been harvested that morning. The spinach was so fresh it still had a light film of dirt on it, and while some people may find this gross, I was pleased to see it, because it was definitely an indication of how short a period of time the spinach had been out of the ground. The strawberries, which were also pesticide free (yay!) were absolutely luscious. Strawberries will hit their peak about two weeks from now, in mid-to-late June, but even these early strawberries were ruby red, juicy, sweet with just a hint of tart, and DELICIOUS. There is absolutely no substitute for fruits and veggies grown within driving distance of your house and picked less than a day ago.

2. Fair Pricing: In virtually all of my market experiences, prices of produce in a Farmer's Market are either the same as grocery-store prices, or, more often, lower. And, in the realm of fresh food, you are getting more for your money. Your produce will be fresher, taste better, have retained more of it's nutritive qualities, it will last longer, and it is quite likely that it has not been treated with any preservatives, because it didn't have to survive a cross-country trip in a tractor trailer.

3. Exposure to different cultures. People of all ages, ethnicities and walks of life frequent farmer's markets. On any given visit, at least to the Syracuse Market, I will hear at least three other languages aside from English. Also, Farmer's Markets are wonderful places for people of different generations to bond over something familiar, good food :)

4. No Middle Man. Nine times out of ten, you are talking directly to the person who grew/cooked/baked/or otherwise crafted this item. They know their product intimately, and can tell you exactly what what went into the creation of their product. The soil it was grown in, the type of flour they prefer, how often a certain plant should be watered, etc. The vendors are eager to explain their processes, because they are proud of their product, because THEY MADE IT THEMSELVES. The vendors are by and large intelligent, friendly, ready to answer questions and always willing to strike up a conversation.

5. Keep money in your community. This should also be a no-brainer. When you buy local, you are supporting your community. You are speaking with your dollars. You are showing the "The Man", the government, the USDA, Agrbusiness, whatever you want to call it, that you feel strongly about supporting independently owned local businesses, and that efforts by agribusiness to crowd out or shut down small farms and independent growers ( because yes, this is happening, all across the U.S. at an alarming rate) are not welcome and will be met with consumer resistance. Did I just get a little political there? Ooops, sorry about that. Read *The Omnivore's Dilemma* by Michael Pollan and then you'll understand.

6. FRESH BAKED GOODS. Need I say more?

7. All kinds of artisinal crafts. Farmer's Markets, especially larger ones, often have far more than food. You can often find hand-crafted wood furniture, jewelry, clothing, homemade toiletries and beauty products, heirloom varieties of flowers, gourmet pasta, handmade toys, wines, and other household items that are one of a kind, at reasonable prices.

8. Virtually everyone there is in a good mood. Getting up early on a Saturday morning is not everyone's idea of a good time. Therefore, almost everyone you will see at a Farmer's Market is there because they WANT to be there. Everywhere I look I see people chatting with old friends or engaged in a lively conversation with a vendor. At a market, you will actually get service with a smile and be able to build a real relationship with your favorite vendors. The type of noise emanating from a busy open-air market is something I can't even attempt to desribe in print, I'm just not that gifted. Markets are happy places, just being in the atmosphere puts you in a good mood.

9. CUTE FUZZY ANIMALS. People will often bring kittens and puppies to sell at Farmer's Markets, and while this may be inconvenient for those with children in tow (Mom, can I keep him?) or those of us, who, like, me, are really just children trapped in adult's bodies, I will never turn up my nose at an opportunity to play with a kitten or puppy :)

10. A greater understanding and appreciation of your food. I don't know if I'm going to be able to explain this correctly, but I will try. Going to a grocery store has become very autopilot for many people. We get the same loaf of sandwich bread, lunch meat, breakfast cereal, whatever produce we like because stores have bascially the same thing all the time. We toss it in the cart and leave with no deep appreciation for where the food came from, beyond "it came from the store". At a market, what is available changes week to week and season to season. You become more aware of the seasonality of your food, what it took to create that food, what happened to it on it's journey to your plate. There is a connection there, one I don't sense in the confines of a
supermarket.

So,visit your local farmer's market. Most cities and towns, small and large, will have one, for at least May-October, and some have markets that take place all year round. If you live in New York State, here is a good place to start: www.nyfarmersmarket.com or, another good resource for locating farmer's markets all across the U.S. is www.localharvest.com

Vist your local market, you'll be glad you did!!

Oh! Wait! A bonus reason!

11. Better access to organic foods. Most markets will have a fair amount of organic food, and not just produce. For instance, at the Syracuse market, there are organic/free range/ pasture raised eggs, milk, yogurt, beef, chicken, honey and sausages :) And these are all at reasonable prices :)

Till Next Time!
Lynn

Here Goes Nothing!

Well Hello There Potential Readers!

My name is Lynn, and until I figure out how to set up some of the privacy functions for my Blog, we're gonna keep it to first name only for now. For some reason, I have of late become moved to start blogging. Like most who do so, I have a lot to say, on a lot of subjects, and putting all of one's thoughts somewhere is definitely therapeutic. I will probably end up writing several blogs, but in this particular blog, I will endeavor to focus mainly on all things food :)

I LOVE Food, everything about it, from growing to shopping to reading to cooking and, of course, eating. Food is Life, Food is Art, Food is Love. Am I a trained cook? No. But believe me when I say that the Kitchen is Home. I think I started this blog so that I could hopefully bring a sense of cohesion to my constant culinary rambling. I have other passions too, Theatre and Environmentalism among them, but that's another blog (or blogs). So here we will chat about Food and all that that subject entails in my world :)

So how do we begin? With a new recipe, of course!
So,
This afternoon I found myself hungry, as I am wont to do, and a cupboard/fridge search left me with a hodgepodge of ingredients and leftovers. Though I would not call myself a strict vegetarian, I'm trying to cut down on my meat consumption, and keep it to only a few servings per week (more on that later). I had vegetable broth, canellini beans, about a half loaf of Italian bread, a small onion, a bunch of escarole....and what did all this say to me? SOUP! What resulted was a lovely cross between Pasta Fagiole and Ribollita, slightly tangy, perectly suited to a late spring or early summer lunch, though I can see it being quite tasty in the fall/winter too. Although I did not necessarily mean for this to happen, this recipe is Vegan, no meat, no dairy, no animal products at all. So, this would be a good choice to serve for those who follow a Vegan diet. Also, it's CHEAP. Beans and broth are quite inexpensive, often less than $1.00, one loaf of bread, and pantry staples, that's it! You could put this whole meal together for under $10.00!

This recipe is scaled for one person, as I was only cooking for myself, however, it could easily feed two people, or be scaled to feed more. One of the reasons I love soup so much is because soup it is one of those miracle foods wherein there always seems to be enough to feed everybody :)
Give it a try, let me know your thoughts :)



Beans and Greens Soup
-2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
-1 small onion finely chopped
-One-half loaf of day old Italian or French Bread, or about 5 or 6 ounces (this recipe will work with fresh bread too, but bread that is a few days old will better absorb the liquid and add the right thickness to the soup)
-2 14oz. cans of vegetable broth
-1 can canellini beans
- a few pinches of dill (fresh or dried) to taste
- a few pinches of garlic powder, to taste
- 1 medium sized bunch of escarole, rinsed and drained, leaves separated from core.
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar


1. Pour two tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil into medium-sized soup pot over medium high heat, when oil is rippling, add chopped onion, saute onion until lightly browned. While onion is browning, cut bread into large bite-size pieces.
2. When onion is finished browning, place bread in soup pot and stir thoroughly so bread becomes coated in the oil.
3. When bread has absorbed the remaining oil, add one can of vegetable broth. Stir, lower heat to medium.
4. Tear escarole leaves into medium-sized pieces, add to to soup pot and cover, allowing the leaves to wilt into soup mixture, stirring occasionally. (don't worry if the pot looks really full, the leaves will shrink a great deal as they wilt).
5. When leaves are wilted, add remaining can of vegetable broth and canellini beans (don't rinse them before they go in the soup pot). Add salt, dill, and garlic powder, cover and simmer on medium low-heat for 10 minutes, or until desired thickness is achieved (some people like soups and stews thicker than others).
6. When desired thickness is reached take soup off heat, add apple cider vinegar, and stir. This would be lovely topped with a spinkle of Parmesan Cheese :)

Try the recipe, let me know if you like it, or better yet, let me know if you like my blog!

Till next time :)
Lynn