Adventures in Testing Recipes

Testing recipes for the cookbook is always interesting. Sometimes the simplest thing is so delicious. One to try - Sun dried Tomato Pesto Torte! You will need:

1)Block of cream cheese sliced in half lengthwise so that you retain two large rectangles about the size of the box that are not as thick~I suppose you can use the reduced fat, Sally ;) ~

2)Jar of pesto sauce, our store has Classico ~ if you are super industrious you can make it fresh~

3)Jar of sun dried tomatoes chopped (if available) in oil (which you will drain off)

4)Shredded Parmesan

Then just make layers in the rectangle shape of the cream cream starting with a layer of tomatoes (slice them up if they are whole), then cream cheese, more tomatoes, pesto, sprinkle of Parmesan, second layer of cream cheese, tomatoes, pesto, Parmesan and finish off with more pesto as you like. Then dip it or slather it on some pita chips. Very tasty and also pretty. This is Theresa's recipe but I made it for the day our committee worked at our resale shop. The manager has not stopped raving about it for 2 weeks! Nothing makes cleaning out the back room better like good snacks, some tasty beverages and tunes!

Unfortunately, one my latest tests did not go that well. I had a couple of things to make for a meeting, one being a pie. How hard could it be? After all, I made Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon to rave reviews. That'll teach me to be overly confident.

It is called an angel food pie and the first instruction was to mix cornstarch and boiling water over a double boiler, stirring constantly until thick and clear. One joy of apartment living is the highly effective smoke alarm right over the kitchen sink which is readily adjacent to the stove. BEEP BEEP BEEP I couldn't stir constantly. I had to run and open the porch door. Stir Stir Stir. BEEP BEEP BEEP Prop open the front door. BEEP. Finally.

Meanwhile the mixture has become thick if not absolutely clear. The directions say to set aside. From there you beat egg whites with sugar and vanilla. Then it says to pour the cornstarch mixture over the eggs while still hot! What? You just told me to set it aside. It isn't hot anymore! It was a gelatinous substance to being with, now it is what you might call congealed. Mmmmm. But I did it and creamed them together but I could see the clear bumps. Serious doubts.

Nothing to do at that point but pour it in the pie shell and refrigerate while I made the whipped cream for topping. I took it to the meeting last night. Grated Hershey bar on top before serving. I think that might have been the best part. I offered my disclaimer and apologized to everyone in advance. Amanda said it was like the filling had bits of fat. Yuck. Blobby cornstarch. I almost want to make it again to see if I can do it right. On the upside I also made a tasty crunchy romaine toss. It is very similar to a salad my mom and now Lala make.

Next up - CUPCAKES for Easter! Thankfully these are not tests. For the second year, I'm making The Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten's Coconut Cupcakes - to die for. Also trying Giada de Laurentiss' Raspberry Cream Cupcakes and altering a recipe in a recent Southern Lady magazine for a Pink Lemonade Cake to make it into cupcakes. Can't wait. I'll take pictures.

Signs of Spring

> Had to break out of the hospital for lunch. Amanda and I went to
> Southern Star - yum! On the way back I saw this and was thrilled to
> no end.
>

Education, subterfuge and irony

I have had a request to write about Cookbook University after I attend in May. Happy to. But one might ask why are you attending Cookbook University? Let me explain in somewhat vague terms. I am part of an organization that is producing a cookbook. The publisher and all around incredible source for how to do such a thing is Favorite Recipes Press in Nashville. We have contracted with them for this massive undertaking. FRP is also the host of Cookbook University, which I can only assume tells you everything you ever wanted to know about creating a cookbook but were afraid to ask! Hopefully several of us working on this project will be going in May.

Let me explain my reason for not telling you the organization. It isn't because we don't want publicity, that's for sure. It is actually because leadership in this organization has set up google alerts so that they will be notified when any thing is written about the organization. Theoretically, this exists so that we view all the good community news reports that come out. But from my own experience, I know that it became a topic of conversation among leadership when a supportive and enthusiastic blog posting which happened to be factually incorrect was found. And though I would never make any public negative statement about the group, I don't necessarily want the powers that be to be searching my writing. Know what I mean?

But back to FRP - (if any FRP folks have google alerts, we heart you big time - please don't rat me out). It is a small world after all. During the summers of 1996 and 1997, I spent some time selling the W.R. Case and Sons Cookbook and Historical Companion. Why? Because my Daddy was president of the company, that's why. And I still remember part of my schpiel - all the proceeds went to Big Brothers Big Sisters of McKean County and the McKean County Literacy Team. But anyway, guess who produced that cookbook? FRP. My Dad's assistant, Joette ,was the point person on getting this book together. Her contact at FRP was Bob Johnson. Guess who our contact at FRP is? You got it - but we like to call him Cookbook Bob. So now here I am 14 years later, having an even bigger part in this book and Bob totally remembered the Case book, my Dad and Joette. He actually said it was one of his favorite books to work on in his 25 year career. Score one for Bradford, PA.

I'll wrap it up for today. Now that I have introduced it, I'll be writing further about my recipe testing/tasting experiences plus the great moments and quotes from the group like, "I don't think it is necessary to thank people for eating."

Avoidance

Have you ever had the feeling or known for a fact that someone was avoiding you? Did it ever happen to be someone you hardly even know? Such is the situation I seem to be facing and it actually is most humorous to me.


First of all, there are two kinds of "young people" at our church - college students and young marrieds. I am neither. In fact, it worked out really well for me to teach 3 and 4 year old Sunday School because when I started, there was no class for me. I didn't fall into a category. Since then they have endeavored to change the name of the college class in order to encompass the few outliers. I am not fooled, that is not a class for someone 31. But anyway, I digress.


In my observation, I have noticed but one male outlier close to my age. Given the situation, you would think that maybe we could at least be friends. Here is where the avoiding comes in. I believe I have only spoken the word "hello" to this person, once, ever. And I think I smiled, once. Now there is a sweet Senior lady, who is dear to me and is most interested in seeing my future unfold before her before, as she says, she gets too old to have sense. I believe she may have dropped my name around this young man but she is very savvy and would not have made a big deal out of it. Nor would she have said anything embarrassing or inappropriate.

In recent weeks, I have made note of the whereabouts of this person. Often we're in the same room but not in close proximity. Then it so happened that I attended a meeting for folks who might be interested in going on one of our mission trips to Peru this year. Just as we're getting started, he comes in and sits in a chair directly across the aisle from me, less than two feet away. I think to myself, "hey this might be a good time to exchange pleasantries when the meeting is done." Oh no. As soon as the short meeting is over, he bolts up, goes to the front of the room, around the seats and back up the aisle towards the door in the back. He stops to talk to another man but then continues on to bounce out of the room and catch up with another guy. Ok, so forget eye contact much less pleasantries.

It may be a conversation that you had to be there for to appreciate the humor but my Mama and I got hunched over laughing about it the other night. I suggested that it seemed the only way I would ever speak to him was if a) I went way out of my way, up and down several aisles, to say hello during the "greeting time" or b) if I sort of laid in wait somewhere and jumped out with a "hey!" so that he could not get away. It was funny to us. But it only got funnier.

Sunday morning, we're sitting in our customary pew and lo and behold, who comes and sits directly behind us! Ok ok, now during the greeting we can just shake hands and say hello, very natural, no big deal. Once again, I was mistaken. There was not even time for that seat to get tepid, nevermind warm and he hopped up, went to the other side of the church and sat down with one of the deacons. It was one of those times when my Mama and I couldn't even exchange a look or we would have cracked up. We had to save it up for after lunch.

I just think it is terribly ironic. It could all be a complete coincidence but if he isn't trying to avoid me he sure it doing a good job at it. I dunno maybe I have "man trap" stenciled on my forehead. The thing is, I don't even know him. I suspect that he is waaay too goody goody for me so I'm not after him or anything! But I look forward to seeing what lengths he may go to in order to swerve out of my way!

"I'm no woman to be honked at and come a-runnin'!" ~ Maureen O'Hara

In preparation for St. Patrick's Day, we watched one of our family's top 5 favorite movies - The Quiet Man. Growing up on John Wayne movies, I have an affection for many but this is far and away my favorite. Romantic and beautiful, the film won Oscars in 1953 for Best Cinematography, Color and Best Director, John Ford. It was also nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Victor McLaglen as Squire "Red" Will Danaher), Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color, Best Sound-Recording, Best Writing, Screenplay and the big one - Best Picture.

The cast is wonderful, John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Victor McLaglen, Ward Bond (all four of whom were in several movies together and directed by John Ford) and the fantastic Barry Fitzgerald. His character, Michaleen Oge Flynn, has some of the best lines - "When I drink whiskey, I drink whiskey and when I drink water, I drink water." "Tis a bold sinful man you are. And who taught you to be playing patty fingers in the Holy water?"

The best line though comes from the Squire's flunky Feeney. As Sean drags Mary Kate (Wayne and O'Hara) up the hill towards them with a huge crowd following, he says "I, I think you're in-laws are coming to visit ya!"

The scenary stunning, the love story so sweet - if you haven't seen The Quiet Man, run and get it immediately. In no time you'll be wishing for a simpler time in Inisfree and a stop at Pat Cohan's for a pint of the porter.