Relaxation

Some like to curl up and nap under a fluffy down comforter, others prefer spreading an oversized beach towel on the sand and reading a juicy romance novel. My sister takes a walk or bike ride...
and I COOK!

Strange as it seems, it’s like drawing or painting, sculpting or designing, only with food. This morning I awoke at 4:00 a.m. with good intentions- to finish my taxes, but the kitchen was dark, quiet and beckoning me. Does that ever happen to you? Do you get sidetracked too? Cooking is form of meditation... I longed for simmering smells, and to work with my hands. Pedro the usually squawky and distracting Parrot’s head is resting on his back- now he’s sound asleep and quiet. Chloe our 6 year old Springer Spaniel is snoring at my feet. I’ve poured myself a cup of mint tea- a morning favorite.

Now, what to make...

Tying my apron over a pair of pick checkered p.j. bottoms, I let the spirit move me. Campy food was on my mind..BBQ, Corn, Savory flavors since we burned an enormous bonfire over the weekend. I happen to have a slew of barbecued chicken thighs from a weekend dinner party, which could be good. thinking, breathing, feeling the moment I found a box of cornmeal. Boil, steam, grind, sauté, stir, cool, fluff, grill…. What came to me was a cute polenta cake, savory and salty, seasoned with paprika, chile powder, oregano and garlic and a dash of olive oil and cream. I thought about cheese, but decided against. I boiled 8 cups of water with the spices, then added 2 cups of corn meal, stirring as I added. It cooked about 5 minutes on low heat, then I spooned the polenta it into 2 dozen mini muffin tin and set it outside to chill.Next, the chicken came off the bone, and I did a quick pulse in the food processor to even out the texture of the meat. A good dose or barbecue sauce, salt and pepper and a dash of hot sauce yielded a yummy mixture. By then, the polenta cakes were cooled, so I heated olive oil in my favorite skillet to brown them off on both sides, then slipped them back into the muffin tins, sprinkled with kosher salt.
Almost there, but I needed one more ingredient…..hum…so I fried some chopped onion. By now, the house smelling divine!!
Today, I’ll bring the three ingredients to the office, and have a taste test. Pretty simple, don’t you agree?


First, I’ll heat the polenta in the muffin tins, while they are heating, I’ll warm the chicken mixture on the stove-then I’ll top each cake with chicken, a few fried onions and dollop of BBQ sauce...
I’m going to serve them right from the muffin tins!

Today’s mantra? yummmmmmmmmmmm...

Care Packages- Cooking with Love

My mom and dad are in their 80’s and they have everything they need.
“Please, no more stuff!” was the request a few holidays ago.
How true- many of us really don’t need more stuff- I can relate.

So last Christmas, I came up with a unique gift. I decided to make a care package of some of my favorite meals- and package it up and deliver it to them.Today, I’m picking up mom and dad at the airport, so rather than driving to Kalamazoo with their first care package of 2010, I’m going to have it packed in a cooler for them to take on the drive home.Even If you don’t cook, or want to supplement, go ahead and purchase some readymade meals from your favorite caterer or grocery store.
My dad has been vegetarian for 20 years, so I’m making everything veggie!
Some I’ll freeze (the lentil loaf, the lasagna, the soup) , and some is fresh for them to enjoy over the weekend.

Here’s what’s cooking in my kitchen today…

• Carrot Lentil Loaf…a blend of lentils, brown rice, onion, carrots and celery with spices and balsamic glaze
• Whole Grain Pasta Bake with tomato basil sauce and feta
• White Bean and Fennel Stew…white beans, fresh sautéed fennel, onion, fresh tomatoes, garlic
• Veggie Pizzas…topped with pineapple, mushrooms, peppers, onion, pepperoncini rings, a super good tomato sauce, mozzarella, Parmesan and lots of Kalamata olives
• Vegetarian Lasagna..simple with spinach, ricotta, good whole grain lasagna noodles and a roasted red pepper sauce
• Whipped Potatoes with scallion and ginger- just grate some ginger in with the potatoes when cooking, and sauté scallion in butter- blend together with a dash of milk
• Puree of Vegetable Soup- just cook potatoes, broccoli, beans, carrots, onions and celery- in broth with herbs and soy- puree until smooth and freeze in small containers. The perfect lunch or dinner with a salad and bread
• Cut up Veggies
• Salad
• Fresh Fruit BowL
• Banana Oat Muffins

Merry Christmas Mom and Dad!! A delivery of food to your home… Cooked with Love… by KatherineThink about giving the gift of food to those you love. They will savor it.

Things my mother did teach me

The Art of Entertaining

We always had guests in our home when I was growing up- formal dinner parties at the dining room table, family sing alongs on Christmas Eve, and relaxed picnics in the back yard by the lake. Last night, I was catering a dinner party for an ambassador and his wife, and I realized the little tips I’ve learned from my mom that are instinctive to me.
Please, mothers and fathers, teach your children by example, and continue this tradition of welcoming guests into your home.

Here are some tips my mother taught me- thanks, mom!!!

• Find out in advance (if possible) if any of your guests have dietary restrictions..shellfish allergies, for instance. Be prepared to alter your menu to accommodate any restrictions or preferences.
  
  
• Greet your guests at the door with a warm hug or hand shake…take their coat and welcome them into your home.
  
  
• Have the candles on the dining room table
  
  
• When passing appetizers, offer the guest a cocktail napkin first
  
  
• Always warm your dinner rolls- it takes 5 minutes and there’s nothing more welcoming than a delicate warm roll with sweet unsalted butter
  
  
• When there is prominent guest of honor, server him or her first... then continue counter clockwise serving first the women, then the gentlemen.
  
  
• Always clear the salt and pepper sets from the table before you offer dessert
  
  
• When serving coffee from a silver coffee/tea pot, fill it with hot water 30 minutes before serving. When it is time to fill it with coffee (of course, empty it first) it will be warm and ready.

Ready to Get Outside!

Tired, but hungry for those good endorphins,
we ventured outside the Paris hotel for fresh air, exercise and sightseeing.After the lively Paris environment, we ended up choosing the Venetian for a quiet lunch, serenaded by the Gondolier. We dined on a Carpaccio, caprese salad, lobster pasta, eggplant Parmesan, cauliflower pea soup
and LOTS of bread dunked in reduced balsamic and olive oil.
Oh my gosh- so simple, but so good.A variety of sweet desserts and coffee finished the meal. We opted for a chilled Sierra Nevada instead of wine- seemed fitting for a Wednesday afternoon.

Still searching for more, we cocktailed at the café at the Paris with a former Katherine’s legacy- Vince Dreffs, who was also attending the conference.
He manages the catering at Opryland- what a great success story!

Wednesday's dinner took us to the unrivaled Mesa Grill,
the famous restaurant of Chef Bobby Flay, where we ordered wild mushroom grits topped with a poached egg, grilled pork tenderloin with a sweet potato corn tamale, spicy collard greens, grilled chicken tacos, a bean and rice stuffed rellenos pepper
and a fresh and crunchy gala apple gorgonzola salad.

Impeccable service and profound tastes.

Breakfast the next day was a giant bagel from the hotel, with Swiss cheese, puffed baked eggs and juicy tomato slices- which I sprinkled with lots of salt and pepper. This carried me through the day…

There was not much time for sleeping, but after all, why sleep when there’s so much to do, see and EAT!
This conference tipped the scales-can’t wait until Catersource 2011!!

Tuesday Treats

Today we tasted glitter chocolates, nitro ice cream, mussel tacos, molecular mojitos, torched t-bones, Korean black garlic BBQ and butter in a chapstick tube!

Not to mention a balsamic compressed watermelon and goat cheese layer cake with toasted pistachio crust, plum vinegar reduction and micro chive…The show stoppers were live chandelier girls pouring bubbly while hanging upside down in a sparkly blue bodysuits.
Catersource Magazine covers were printed on edible paper and "glued" to cheesy herb crusted crackers with a variety of amazing sweet, spicy and fruity dips!

Not to be outdone by the savories,
the sweets table had over 20 desserts and a dual chocolate fountain (both white and dark) with peanut butter balls, fruity pebble balls, cinnamon marshmallows, Chilean strawberries, pound cake and BACON strips!

At midnight, we sauntered over to the dueling piano bar for some great live music, then we stumbled off to bed around 2am,
dreaming of coconut fried bananas Madagascar and Spicy Mango Soup...
Raspberry sorbet, lime foam with ginger macadamia crunch
and roasted pineapple confit.
I am awestruck. Absolutely blown away by so many new ideas... so much creativity mixed with culinary arts have exceeded my wildest expectations- just out of the atmosphere. If you dream it, it can happen!

Monday, Monday...

The opening session today was an outrageous display of lights and videos with a song and dance routine from well known caterer Meryl Snow and Jack Milan.

The keynote speaker was featured Top Chef contestant Carla Hall talking about her experiences, her love of food and her journey in the catering biz.Lunch was delicious and entertaining! Experts from across the world sat at each table, talking about their region, business and experiences while we dined on:

Seafood Ceviche in shot glasses, with a red curry lime marinade
Asparagus Citrus Salad with toasted almonds and manchego cheese
Filet of Beef with Horseradish Crust bathed in a red wine shallot demi glace
Ginger Scallion Potato Spring Rolls
Shittake Chipsand la piece de resistance, a macaroon tower doubling as the table centerpiece.
Not bad for a Monday lunch, don’t you agree?

The catering director for Penn State happened to be seated at my table, so there was some football conversation going back and forth. Despite his cajoling, I firmly maintained my position... GO BLUE!
After another six hours of sessions, dinner was at Serendipity 3 just outside of Caesars Palace. The decor was incredible, like a dream. Bright pinks and blues, candy themed everything, quirky waiters and delicious fare!We savored burgers n’ fries, an open faced brie and turkey sandwich on cranberry walnut bread and a super fluffy beautifully prepared omelet. We spiced up our sweet potato fries (always a fav) by requesting some mayo, into which we doused lots of hot sauce for our very own dippin’ sauce.
After dinner, we headed to the VIP room of Eve, Eva Longoria's nightclub and lounge. You can see her touch in every part of this place- from the eclectic bathroom design to the impeccible chandeliers... right down to the cocktail napkins, marked with her signature kiss.As we danced the night away to San Franciscan band, Liquid Blue, we felt like rock stars... or maybe movie stars...

Las Vegas, here we come!

Along with 5000 attendees from 25 countries,

we spent the week eating, drinking, partying…
oh yeah, and attending the Catersource conference.

We were lucky to be amongst the first speakers out of 100 chosen professionals!
We shared our thoughts on Large Tailgate Catering
(something we know a little bit about here at the Big House in Ann Arbor, Michigan)!

Our home for the week was the Paris Hotel- ooh la la!
The strangest feature was the recorded translation lesson playing continuously
in the ladies room-‘pickup lines in French’ ... a bit risqué! What did I like the best? Not being much of a gambler I loved eating my way through the streets of ‘Paris’’ from banana Nutella crepes to napoleons and espressos.
I gazed at the oversized crystal chandeliers– reminiscent of Versailles...
and the protruding Eiffel Tower complete with a restaurant at the top.

We indulged in several two for one exotic martinis on the casino floor and ran in the rain along the strip. You would not believe how many tourists were videotaping the Bellagio fountains as they synchronized to Celine Dion!

Hoping for a warm meal in our stomachs, we stumbled upon the Bellagio Cafe and a late night breakfast-for-dinner of Eggs Benedict,
greasy hash browns and really good coffee.

We are all suffering from Jet lag, but so what!

What's For Breakfast, Mom?!

It’s hard to be creative every day with meals... and I love to cook!

Breakfast on the run, lunch in a brown paper bag…
Today was a special treat and my son Brian decided biscuits with gravy
was up there on his list of favorites.
Here’s my healthy version of this hearty breakfast entree...
Brown ground turkey sausage (a little bit healthier?) and transfer it to my cuisinart for a quick pulse. Into the sausage pan went some flour then added skim milk and a dash of soy sauce. When the sauce was thick and smooth, I added back the sausage and simmered.
The biscuits- two scant tablespoons of butter, flour (I used half whole wheat half white and lots of ground flax seed), salt, baking soda and powder... pulsed in the cuisinart, then moistened with fat free plain yogurt and skim milk, spooned onto a baking sheet to bake 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Voila!!

There’s enough left over to turn today’s sausage ‘gravy’ into tomorrow’s delicious savory omelet and I’ll toast a biscuit and lather it with strawberry preserves.

Ah, tomorrow is another day!

Thinking about Spring

... and all the lighter fare to come!

So what’s cooking in my kitchen now?

Bean Soup with lots of carrots, celery, fennel and onion...
simmered for hours and served in the warm sun of our cozy family room,
a place where you can close your eyes, feel those blissful rays on your face and almost believe that it actually is green and lush outside!


I'm also cooking a super savory chicken stir fry!Sesame seeds, broccoli, green beans, carrots, soba noodles,
soy sauce, chicken broth and a good dash of hot sauce. There's something about colorful, spicy foods that make you feel downright summer-y!


And lots of fruit smoothies!Today’s breakfast was mango juice, blueberries (frozen from the Michigan blueberry season), strawberries, raspberries, banana, flax seed and yogurt.
Thick and creamy, refreshing and nurturing.


My brother Jim and sister-in-law Wendy purchased a cookbook for me during their recent trip to Barbados, called Caribbean Recipes, Old and New, by LaurelAnn Morley. Beautiful photos and recipes. Can't wait to read it from cover to cover- island food is the perfect blend of sweetness, spiciness and flavor.
Check out Borders for the newest tropical and ethnic cookbooks on the market. Spending a few hours in the kitchen, surrounded by fresh produce and exotic new flavors is sure way to catch Spring Fever.
Thanks for thinking of me dear brother and sister!)

Now that I've had my morning tropical smoothie
and went through a rejuvenating
yoga routine, I'm ready to take on the day.
No winter blues could stop me now!

The Recipe to a Bahamas Vacation

Conch, Mahi, Snapper and Kalik!

Although I’ve been enjoying my vegetarian winter,
I knew our recent Bahamas vacation might change that.
On our first day in Great Guana Cay- I succumbed to a Blackened Mahi sandwich, brushed with tartar sauce and a sqeeze of fresh lime, then piled high with paper thin sweet onion slices, tomato and lettuce, served with ‘Peas and Rice’. The pea looks like is a version of our black bean- called a pigeon pea, and the rice is dirty and delicious- simmered with peppers, onion, tomato, broth, thyme, bay leaf, garlic and Worstershire sauce. Every meal seemed to taste good with a Kalik-or two- the local brew!

Despite the swimming, snorkeling, beach walks and an occasional run around the island, I managed to eat (and drink!) my way through vacation. Plump and flavorful avocados with fresh lime and salt…spicy conch chowder at Nipper’s…an over the top rum punch from the Tiki Bar…coconut marinated conch and a cheesy smoked fish dip at Cracker P’s…each meal folded into the next.

Here’s the scene...

Damian, my world explorer (now dubbed travel agent husband- how lucky am I?) organized the trip from take off to landing, and everything in between. We traveled with two other couples, so we split the cost of an otherwise rather elaborate week in the Islands. Damian scouted around the internet to find Key Lime Cottage- a picture perfect house on the Island of Great Guana Cay, with access to the bay or ocean, from which we explored by boat, on foot or in our rented golf carts. Fresh air from sunrise to sunset is good for the soul, and when we were not island hopping, we were immersed in great conversation, an intriguing romance novel, a lazy nap in the sun…or a sunset bottle of wine on the dock. (confession: all 6 of us happen to be entrepreneurs and business owners, so I admit to some laptop activity)

Now, onto the food highlights of the islands!

- Conch..on every menu- fried, stewed, grilled or sautéed. Here is a recipe I garnered from a bartender at a local outdoor bar:

- Grilled Conch: tomato, onion, pepper, potato or plantain, conch, butter, salt and black pepper, fresh lime and orange juice. Wrap it all in foil, seal it well, and toss it on the grill for about 10 minutes.

- Hot Sauce…every restaurateur had their own version of the spicy sauce- self bottled and on the table for dousing whatever you were eating. I loved it on the Peas and Rice.

- Fish of the Day! - my favorite was a pan fried grouper I ordered our first night there, which was smothered in tomato sauce that was slightly sweet and spicy at the same time. Melt in your mouth amazing.

- Lobster Kabob- meaty chunks of lobster (what Damian calls Crayfish in South Africa), pineapple, peppers, onion and yellow squash grilled to perfection, and served with melted butter and fresh lime slices.

- Fish Reuben..Lavishly blackened snapper, plenty of Swiss cheese, the perfect layer of sauerkraut, thickly sliced bread toasted then grilled, and the sauce on the side paired with a huge pile of fries I doused with ketchup and lots of salt- washed down by several Kalik beers.

Almost every meal was eaten outside, by the water, with plenty of locals to flavor the scene. Our most memorable stop was Captain P’s, where carefree sun kissed travelers in beach wraps and t-shirts spent the afternoon eating and drinking the local fare- joined by 6 Michiganders! This is a vacation I would absolutely do again- now, back to Monday morning in Michigan- snow and bare trees- with a renewed attitude and a healthy glow from our Bahamas vacation!