The Bee Hive

bravo! bravo!

2008-02-09T18:15:00.000-08:00

for a little taste of paris and for good dessert ideas, and really so much more, i often seek inspiration from the blog of david lebovitz...

this week i was so happy to find the an entry he wrote about something that is near and dear to me and my wandering mind. conservation.

i was relieved and yet i was also thinking "great - one more thing to add to my ever-growing no-no list!"

ok people, read for yourselves...
http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2008/02/saying_non_to_d.html#more

bravo, david lebovitz, bravo!

le..le..lemon meringue - pie oh my!

2008-01-28T08:07:00.000-08:00

remember when your grandma used to make meringue pie? mine did - usually chocolate pudding by request, but sometimes lemon...and oh my! what a treat!

this month's daring baker's challenge was a classic - lemon meringue pie, hosted by jen at the canadian baker.

many of us 20-somethings have never made meringue...i have only a few times and what a relief mine turned out swell! this sweet, marshmallowy concoction is something of a lost art. its not often you turn up a friend's house to hear that your friend is making a meringue pie!

lucky for my friend who popped over last night just as i was about to put the pie in the oven. with only my husband and i in the house, the meringue would go south before we would be able to finish it, so i was welcoming anyone that wanted to come by and try this month's challenge. my friend was elated, it turns out this nostalgic pie is her all-time favorite! (don't you love having people excited about your treats!?!)

as you can see from my pictures, i was short on a pie dish. i had just finished making the filling when my husband took over my counter space to make a sandwich. by the time i returned to the kitchen he had a very sour look on his face and insisted that i 'was going to kill him' ....turns out while mid-sandwich-artistry something fell on my pie plate and cracked it! aggghhh! my new pie plate -and i was so excited to use it!

fittingly, when life hands you lemons - you make lemon meringue pie! so, i used my limited resources and made one with a casserole lid and the other, a mini-version, in a ramekin.

despite the dish debacle, i think they were still pretty sweet.

thank you jen for bringing us back to meringue! cha cha cha!

ta-ta!
the queen bee

eat.shop austin

2008-01-17T08:40:00.000-08:00

hi ladies and gents,

this is a great resource for our fair city. the authors of the eat.shop books wrote about 18 cities nationwide and we were lucky enough to have them choose austin as a city to spotlight! this includes the best eating and shopping in town... great for out-of-towners.

i'm going to put a copy in our guest room for visitors. gone are the days of trying to think of the best places to suggest while we're at work! the job has already been done!

enjoy!

tastebook

2008-01-05T09:17:00.000-08:00

as i mentioned in my last post, i was really running low on time right before the holidays. i wanted to post about one of the best gifts i was getting ready to give to my mom for christmas.

i got my inspiration from heidi of 101 Cookbooks when she wrote about creating your own personal cookbook.

Tastebook.com allows you to do just that! so i have been collecting all of my mom's recipes that my siblings and i all remember from when we were growing up and the recipes that we now all love and use at home when we cook for our families. over the past couple years we have all called my mom looking for that special recipe that is always a hit at a party or when we are having a bad day and we want something warm and familiar. my mom's recipes hold such great memories and remind me of when things seemed so simple.

my favorite part of this experience is going through mom's old recipe box. most modern day moms and cooks alike have cookbooks, maybe a few reprints of some classics like 'the new basics' or 'joy of cooking'. it's rare to find a recipe box now that everything is done on the computers. recipe boxes are history, they bring us back to a time when lard, canned meats and pure processed sugar where standard. jell-o was a staple in every pantry. we didn't know that eating a meal made entirely out of canned goods probably wasn't as healthy as we thought.

the only thing that trumped my mom's recipe box was my grandmother's! dishes like 'little logs' where you wrap cocktail franks in bread and mustard butter, or another favorite i ran across called 'cock' (that should be enough to deter anyone!) which is made with ground beef, vermouth, redwine, salt, butter, brown sugar and rum. woweee! yuk! i can't believe people actually served such things at parties, much less in the privacy of their own homes.

if anyone out there has hilarious recipes that time has forgot...please, oh please...send them my way!

Big Ol' Log O' Yule

2007-12-21T21:33:00.000-08:00

merry holidays ya'll!

ok, i have just completed the daring baker's holiday challenge - the yule log! This month's hostesses were Ivonne @ Cream Puffs In Venice and Lis at La Mia Cucina.
this was my first daring baker's challenge and everything went according to plan, i just wish i would have allowed more time to experiment with the presentation. unfortunately, i left it to the last minute and we're getting read to head out of town on holiday, so i was a bit rushed. all in all i think it went pretty well, considering!

i've made a buche de noele once before- however, i was in culinary school under strict guidance and an unlimited budget...oh and did i mention all of our materials were provided (no trip (s) to the grocery store/restaurant supply store necessary)...never mind that i forgot to pick up some butter when i was out (in my holiday shopping trance!) and was one stick short, hence the runny buttercream...oops! i am only human and tried to compensate with overly stiff egg whites- not bad, i think!

anywhoo...thanks to the hostesses this month and to all the bloggers of the 'daring bakers' society...my neighbors greatly appreciated my involvement in this exercise as the yule log was their door prize for stopping over this evening! (it was in fact yummy - i tried a bit before they left!)....i look forward to next months challenge!

merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

amy
the bee hive

Yay! Beaujolais Day!

2007-11-12T09:41:00.000-08:00

every year the 3rd thursday of november is the day that the Beaujolais Noveau is released...and that time is upon us again!

what a great idea for a party! especially for those of us out there that maybe only realize all too late that the open bottle on the bar has already turned to vinegar. you don't have to be a serious wine expert to host this tasting and appreciate what the Beaujolais has to offer, although - even a sommelier looks forward to november to try these baby wines!

if you don't feel comfortable hosting a wine party...have a fun night out at a local wine bar, i'm sure they will be boasting this week's new import!

for those of you that haven't had the pleasure of trying these light, fun wines, go down to your local wine shop and pick up a few bottles. they are very reasonably priced and meant to drink right away. the grapes were just hand picked in september! there are several interesting facts about the Beaujolais, if you would like to read more...click here.

what's in your fridge?

2007-11-09T07:32:00.000-08:00

http://www.fridgewatcher.com/

i stumbled upon this site this morning and thought i'd share. for a foodie, i think the fridge is more snoop-worthy than a medicine cabinet any day! i am always surprised what people eat .... and somewhat relieved to see that the weird stuff that lands in my own fridge isn't all that weird!

I'm Baaaack

2007-11-07T13:53:00.000-08:00

ok, i haven't posted anything in a month. hubby and i went out of town for a wedding and after taking some rather disappointing photos while we were away, i couldn't muster up the courage to show what was to be some pretty pics of some fabulous food! However, I have been working on some material and i am really looking forward to the upcoming holidays and baking challenges!

right now i am planning my thanksgiving menu. i have taken a lot of my inspiration from bon appétit zine this month....there were so many tasty looking recipes! i have also been searching on my favorite blogs for inspiration. i can't wait to reveal what i have up my sleeve.....

for now, i will leave you with a few pics i took while we were away. on our way to lajitas for the wedding, we stopped overnight at the historic gage hotel in marathon, texas. the restaurant at the hotel is café cenizo...it was great - we totally cleaned our plates! we shared the pan roasted char with haricot vert and a wonderful cream sauce and the pan roasted scallops with prosciutto pesto cream. yummm!!!!

after dinner we headed over to the white buffalo bar....i'm pretty sure it's the only bar in the town (which is very tiny) it was great - and (after a few glasses of pinot noir) i have a crush on a big ol' white buffalo! what? like you've never kissed a buffalo?!?

sadly, that was all the good food we had in marathon. we decided to skip the hotel breakfast and venture out. there was a little bakery nearby and after perusing my options, i decided to pass on the fried pies knowing that i would have my fair share of sweets at the wedding, and get a simple piece of zucchini bread. it would have been great i'm sure if it wasn't raw. i was really hungry. oh well. bygones. i was more interested in getting on the road to lajitas anyways. it was a beautiful weekend, with an amazing wedding! i didn't take any pics of our food there.... i kept forgetting my digital camera every time i left the room. i had borrowed a friend's 35mm to take some real film shots!

i do suggest taking the trip out to good ol' west texas and stopping in big bend nat'l park if you have the time! it was a great escape.

it should be a slice of heaven

2007-09-24T06:30:00.000-07:00

let's talk about pizza. it generally falls under the category of "even if it's bad, it's still good." i beg to differ..... there is a great divide between good, proper pizza, done well and really really crap pizza. i believe life is too short to even entertain the sad pies.

have you seen mystic pizza? well, if you have you'll understand why i was so looking forward to trying their famous 'mystic pie'. the sauce was a secret only known by Leona, the momma/boss character that owned the restaurant in the movie. now, i do realize this was a movie, but the hype for this julia roberts movie in the 80's was so big, i figured the restaurant must have something to offer so many years afterward! restaurants don't survive on movie hype alone.
when my brother and now sister-in-law were getting married over 5 years ago they decided to plan the event in her hometown in connecticut. when the date neared my mom and i had two things we wanted to do while we were there - eat lobster & eat mystic pizza. we knew this would be a challenge due how busy we were going to be all weekend with manicures and up-do's but we were determined.

the night we arrived we stopped in mystic for the pizza on the way in. we ordered the 'mystic pie' - i had pretty high hopes. when it arrived i could barely let the cheese cool before i took a bite. i wish we had skipped on my silly desire to taste Leona's famed sauce and just spent the evening looking for lobster. -in the end it was not exactly the slice of heaven i was expecting. to add insult to injury, i had a tummy ache afterward that hung on like a mon chi chi from the underworld.

when it comes to food, i can hold a pretty mean grudge and i must tell you that ever since that day, i have had very low expectations of pizza parlors. i mean this was supposed to be the ultimate! and on top of the bad pies, they were out of medium t-shirts so i had to buy one 2 sizes to big. what a snowball!

now, to make this small tragedy come to a point and for me to stop being such a 'debby downer' i would like to tell you about salvation pizza. my husband i have been eyeballin' the place since it came into the neighborhood, its next door to our favorite sandwich shop . however, it's hours were a mystery to us when it first opened and it just always slipped our minds when we were deciding where to go.

then a few weeks ago, we had torn our kitchen apart to do some minor renovations and had to find something close by, open late and wasn't the one of the many stodgy college joints in our area. suddenly, my husband remembered salvation pizza. alas, our time had come.

we walked in and were instantly in love. this revived bungalow with dark and hip interior and exterior decked with globe lights and picnic tables was a feast for my eyes and soul. right up my alley! oh, please let the pies be good! please!

i was not disappointed. it was so simple, they only have pizza and drinks on the menu. nothing fussy, nothing overdone. so refreshing!

we ordered a pitcher of live oak 'liberation ale' and two pies. we each decided which topping was our all-time favorite and added it to one of the pies. one was a clam with lemon and the other was an artichoke heart, mushroom, broccoli, etc. veggie pie. both were dreamy.

if only i had walked into that mystic parlor and been met with such splendor! imagine!

i recently made pizza from heidi swanson's recipe blog 101 Cookbooks. her pizza dough named "the best pizza dough ever" stands up to its name. next time you think about ordering in - i hope you have some of this dough on hand to create your own tasty pies.

after i followed her dough recipe and let it rest overnight, i was ready to build my own. take note, i think i have the "best topping ever". you don't even need sauce, in fact you won't want it. it's so simple....

1 large red onion
sea salt
tiny pinch of turbinado sugar
high quality extra virgin olive oil or butter
splash of port beer (or any dark beer)

-thinly slice onion, put in hot skillet with either oil or butter, sprinkle the onion with a couple of pinches of sea salt. sauté until your onion starts to develop some color, sprinkle one just the tiniest bit of the sugar and lower the heat. just sit back and let it caramelize. you can stir it around a bit it makes you nervous to not constantly tend to what you're cooking. and when it starts to caramelize, deglaze the pan with a splash of beer. after the alcohol has cooked off it will get nice and dark. and voilá! that's it!

i will usually then add mushrooms, fresh romas, artichokes, basil, fresh mozzarella - whatever i have on hand or looks good at the time. then i just pop it in the oven and grind a little fresh pepper over the top and wait anxiously while it blasts to perfection. i dare you to wait until the cheese cools!

oatmeal bread

2007-09-20T15:21:00.000-07:00

nothing is better than freshly baked bread. well, there may be a few things, but when those other things are not at your disposal, please take my advice and follow the recipe below. you will thank me. swear.
when i was growing up my mom used to bake the yummiest fresh oatmeal bread. we could hardly wait until it cooled to eat it. we would watch it brown in the oven and then do our best to control our urge to slice it up with fresh butter and a smear of honey. nothing is more comforting and scrumptious than mom's oatmeal bread.
i recently visited my sister in seattle and one of her requests was that i shared my mom's recipe with her. now her children will grow up with the sweet scent of this bread baking the oven.
it does not only make a lovely toast at breakfast, it is also dreamy sliced up as the vehicle for a memorable grilled cheese.
the recipe is so uncomplicated and will be a staple in your home as soon as your taste your first bite!

Oatmeal bread

2 cups boiling water
1 cup uncooked rolled oats
½ cup molasses or honey
1 T butter
2 tsp salt
1 pkg dry yeast
½ cup lukewarm water
5 cups whole wheat flour

Pour boiling water over rolled oats. Add honey, butter, salt and mix, let stand for one hour. Soften yeast in lukewarm water (proof w/ ½ tsp. sugar). Add to oats. Gradually add flour 1 cup at a time, mix with wooden spoon. (Not metal). Cover dough and let rise in warm spot for 45 minutes to an hour. Put on flour surface, knead for 2 minutes. Divide into 2 pieces and place in medium sized greased loaf pans. Cover, let rise about 45 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes.

Rub the top with butter and/or honey. Eat.

-to make a grilled cheese that will warm your soul, slice up some port salut cheese (or any other favorite soft or semi-soft cheese, such as sharp cheddar or roquefort) and shaved apple and a few pieces of fresh thyme and grill between some thick, buttered slices of oatmeal bread. mmmmm........ you'll thank me. it's heaven.

a teaspoon of honey

2007-09-20T13:24:00.000-07:00

everyday, i wake up and put the tea kettle on and fumble around until i have managed to make first cup of coffee. same thing everyday. coffee and unsweetened soy milk, occasionally espresso and soy milk. until a few weeks back when i met a charming young fellow at the farmer's market from buena tierra farm in fredonia, texas, selling the most fragrant honey i'd ever tasted. wildflower honey. from that day forward honey has accompanied my coffee. its sweet and smooth and i don't know how i ever went a day with out it. every time i go to do a grocery shop, i try to be a good world citizen and pick some organic, free-trade variety of coffee. it's usually some south american bold, dark roast. at the top of my list so far is a really nice mexican chiapas. i am yet to settle on one favorite, so my huge, gleaming white coffee canister is still empty, waiting to be home the house blend when i finally make up my mind. maybe soon. it's hard to commit with so many choices.anyways, the honey bees....honey is miracle to me. i don't know how those bees do it and am i ever grateful! those little bees busily working away to make the sweetest most delictable treat on earth, reminding me how precious life is. in a way, i guess it reminds me of how we are all on this earth to make the world a sweeter place.bees have always been a symbol to me. they remind me of my grandmother, my mom and there is a familiarity and worldly charm about them.when my grandma passed away, my mom and i went out and bought an antique pin that had a beautiful little bee on it. i wanted my grandma to wear it when she was buried, i thought she would like it. i also picked out a tiara, we both agreed she should should go out in style. when i went to the funeral home to tell the directors that i wanted my grandma to wear the mentioned items, they actually asked me if i "wanted them back?" - "heck, no!" i said "why would i want them back?" then they just looked at me like i was crazy as i walked out the door. no one knew that we buried my grandma with the pin and tiara, it was a comfort to my mom and i that we had done something special for her - and a little funny too. ya!ya!so, here's my first post from the bee hive. i hope to post my favorite recipes and links to great products and occasionally a memory or two.