Cinnamon Roll Season

My mother is a big fan of traditions, especially when it comes to food. One of my favorites is her propensity for making cinnamon rolls every November. Now, there's nothing wrong with making cinnamon rolls any time of year, but there is something about November, when the air is cool and crisp and kids come home from school with rosy cheeks and big appetites to find mom pulling a fresh batch of hot cinnamon rolls out of the oven. Cold autumn days and kids and cinnamon rolls go together naturally, so in my family we only make cinnamon rolls when it's perfect, when it's November.

Mom's Cinnamon Rolls:

1/4 cup warm water
1 Tbsp dry yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm milk
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 egg
1/4 cup shortening
2 1/2 cups flour
Raisins (optional)

Glaze:
butter or margarine
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
hot water

Combine the water and the yeast, then combine all ingredients. Stir well until ball forms, then knead for 5 minutes. Let rise till double. Roll dough into an oblong shape about 15 X 9 inches. Spread with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar - liberally! Add raisins if you wish. Roll up tightly, seal edges, cover and let rest for 20 minutes. Then, cut rolls in 1 inch slices, place in greased 13X9 cake pan, not touching each other, and let rise until double. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes until golden.

Frost with the glaze, then eat 'em while they're hot!

A true Carolina Shrimp Boil

For my birthday this year, my cousin came to visit. Part of showing her the true North Carolina experience, we decided a Shrimp Boil (pronounced Shrimp Boll) was in order. Mixing potatoes, corn, and sausage from Saturday's Farmers' Market and fresh from the coast shrimp from Fishmongers (and newspapers pilfered from my work recycle bin), we truly made a heavenly night of it.

To have a great shrimp boil you will need:

• Newspaper (they make clean up shockingly easy)
• Old Bay Seasoning
• Lemon (lots!)
• An instructional on deveining shrimp (optional)

And the following:

Old Bay Shrimp Boil

Ingredients

• 4 quarts water (16 cups)
• 1 can (12 ounces) beer (optional)
• 1/2 cup OLD BAY® Seasoning
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 8 medium red potatoes, quartered
• 2 large onions, cut into wedges
• 2 pounds lean smoked sausage, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 8 ears fresh corn, shucked and halved crosswise
• 4 pounds unpeeled jumbo shrimp (21 to 25 count)

Directions

1. Bring water, beer, OLD BAY Seasoning and salt to boil in 12-quart stockpot on high heat. Add potatoes and onions. Cook 8 minutes. Add smoked sausage. Cook 5 minutes. Add corn. Cook 7 minutes.

2. Stir in shrimp. Cook 4 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink.

3. Drain cooking liquid. Pour contents of pot into large serving bowl or platter. Or, mound on paper-covered table. Sprinkle with additional OLD BAY Seasoning, if desired.

Ashley's Special Cocktail Sauce

Spoon full’s of:

• Cocktail sauce
• Mayo
• Mustard
• Horseradish sauce
• Ketchup

More cocktail and horseradish than the others. But just taste it and add more of

what you want as you go along. Enjoy--and so will your guests, people raved!

If you want to be daring, feel free to add another take on the shrimp boil, by getting a little steamy.

Old Bay Steamed Shrimp

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup cider vinegar or beer (again, I did the cider vinegar)
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons OLD BAY® Seasoning
• 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined, leaving tails on
• 1 cup OLD BAY® Cocktail Sauce (or make your own).

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, mix vinegar, water and OLD BAY. Bring to boil on medium heat. Gently stir in shrimp, then cover.

2. Steam 2 to 3 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. Drain well.

3. Serve immediately or refrigerate until hungry guests arrive. Best served with punchy cocktail sauce and lively conversation.

Garlic Butter

For a delicious shrimp dip, just serve up this delight. It is incredibly easy. Microwave one stick of butter for 14-30 second (or until melted). Mix in 1/4 tsp garlic powder until dissolved. Dip away.

If you want a fancy option as well (or if you know people who don't go for old bay), you can try these:

Olive Oil Poached Shrimp

Take your shrimp and lay them in a lipped baking sheet (a jelly roll pan will work). Drizzle with olive oil and a little parsley. Bake at 250 degrees for 15 minutes. Toss shrimp at the 15 minute mark to coat one more time. Bake 10 more minutes, or until they look right.

Lemon-Basil Aioli

Prep and Cook Time: 30 minutes. Notes: If you are concerned about salmonella or bacteria in raw eggs, use 1/2 cup pasteurized whole eggs (available at some grocery stores) in place of the egg yolks. Yield: Makes 1 cup

Ingredients

• 1 cup loosely packed basil leaves
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2 egg yolks (I used egg-beaters)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon each dried mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper

Preparation

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Dunk basil leaves into the boilin

g water for 20 seconds. Drain and squeeze out as

much excess water as possible.

2. In a blender, whirl blanched basil leaves with olive and canola oils. Empty into a measuring cup or small pitcher and reserve.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks, garlic, mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

4. Whisk in a drop of the basil oil; continue adding drops of oil, whisking until mixture thickens to a mayonnaise-like consistency. Continuing to whisk, pour in remaining basil oil in a very thin stream. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

If you are an overachiever, you do all three. Dump on the newspapers and go to town. Laugh, chat, eat, dip, savor, and sit back with a full heart and belly at the end. Enjoy your true Carolina Experience.

Telling your food story

I finally got around to watching the finale of Top Chef Masters last night. Out of 24 Chefs who have been in the industry for a long time and who have James Beard Awards, Michelin Stars, and have owned restaurants for years, it was down to three. Their final challenge, to create a four course meal that told their food story.

Course 1: Their first food memory.

Course 2: The first time they cooked something, and they knew they wanted to be a chef.

Course 3: The first restaurant they opened.

Course 4: Where they are now and where they are heading.

From making gnocchi with an Italian mother, to living over a Pastry shop in France, to taking 20 years to get the perfect black mole sauce, every moment was exquisite. My mouth watered the entire time. I would have killed to be at that table taking that journey with them. I loved the true artistry and passion each chef had for food.

So, now I have a challenge for you--write a post about it, post in the comments, send me an email as a guest post--whatever, but I want to know! You do not have to answer all of them.

Course 1: Your first food memory.

Course 2: The first time you cooked something and knew you loved to cook (or ate something and knew you loved food).

Course 3: The first time you had to cook something all by yourself (whether it turned out well or not).

Course 4: What you wish you could cook if you had the chance.

This may just be a dream menu, or maybe we'll have a dining in and you bring one of the above mentioned dishes. I just love the idea of food telling a story, starting relationships, and bringing people together who are passionate about life, love, and everything around them. What will your story be?

In honor of Comic-Con

I didn't eat the best my four days in San Diego (I had a few pretzel dogs which are not as bad as you may think), but I did see a ton of people in costumes as various superheroes, minions, and monsters. So in honor of it, I would like to point you to these delightful creatures thought up by Chou.

Me & the Britster are headed for Home this week, but we should have some fun posts for you when we get back. I'm getting ready to tackle my Bloomington-Normal favorites. In the meantime. . . Do you have any good ideas? P. S. Go Ironmen!

Pseudo Guest Post: Cutouts from Childhood

My sister posted this on her blog around Easter and I liked it... so I'm posting it here... along with the recipe

Childhood memories work in such funny ways.

We went to Grandma and Grandpa Taylors house for Easter dinner. Grandma had made red finger jello for one of the dishes. Aunt Kellee was cutting easter shapes into it with cookie cutters. I saw the bunny cookie cutter. I had completely forgotten it even existed.

All these memories came back to me of those red cookie cutters. I remembered the turkey cutter quite clearly and think about it every thanksgiving when I make cookies. But I can't believe that I had forgotten about the cake and the bunny and that great flag cutter. Sugar cookies were one of the first things I learned how to make. My mom makes the best cookies and instead of frosting them we actually sugar them with colored jello so you can see the designs from the cutter on the cookie. They are so delicious.

Anyway, I got such a kick out of seeing these cookie cutters that I tried to make mom promise to leave them to me. But she wasn't committing. I'm a girl that takes matters into my own hands so I bought my own set on e-bay. Gotta love e-bay. They were easy to find as they were made by Tupperware. 

So watch for some cool flag cookies to be coming your way in July.

Sugar Cookie Recipe:

1/2 C shortening (butter)

1 C sugar

1 egg

3 C flour

3 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 C milk

Cream shortening and sugar. Add egg. Mix well. Add dry ingredients alternately with liquid. Chill 1 hour. Roll out on floured board. Cut into shapes. Place on greased cookie sheet. (Here's where you would sprinkle on the colored jello if so desired) Bake at 350' until light brown (8-10 min). 

Not Your Mother's Pasta Salad

Well, sometimes it is, but growing up it wasn't. Pasta salad growing up was macaroni, shells, or rotini mixed with egg, cheese, peas, tuna or crab, a little mayo, and seasoned to taste. Which isn't bad - especially if you add dill. Oh, and she would sometimes add onion and celery (meh--if eating it at a ward potluck, you really couldn't talk to anyone due to the lovely flavors wafting from your breath, and I'm not a huge celery fan).

Then a few years ago (I had to go back 3 journals), I had Karen's pasta salad recipe. Wow. Different flavors, less pedestrian, and perfect for bridal showers or just finishing off the perfect meal (side dished with spinach & feta infused burgers on a toasted rustic roll with garlic-feta mayo, red onion, bacon, tomato, and spring greens). I made it for my grandmother's funeral, and both of my mom's sisters kind of sneered (craisins? tortellini? broccoli? bacon?). Then they had to try it just to see. And then they had to check it a little more. It really is delicious. Tomorrow, you will see it at J&J's reception. Until then, check out the recipe, and dream.

Tortellini Pasta Salad

• 4c. Broccoli1
• 8 oz cheese tortellini (add tricolore for more color--I get the refrigerated kind)
• 1/4 c. craisins or raisins
• 1/4 - 1/2 c. finely chopped red onion
• 1/2 c. reduced fat mayo (not miracle whip--wrong flavors!)
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar
• 5 slices crumbled bacon (or more)
• 1/4 c. sunflower kernels (optional)

Cook the broccoli for about 2 minutes, set aside. Cook tortellini as indicated. Rinse with cold water after draining. Add onion, craisins, broccoli, tortellini, and toss together. In a small bowl mix mayo, sugar, and vinegar. Toss with the larger bowl to coat. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Add bacon right before you serve it, or the bacon gets soggy.

Hummus with a twist

There are many ways to make hummus (and many places to buy it), but by far my favorite is from The New Best Recipe (one of the most amazing cookbooks ever!--Love you forever Miss Thells), page 13. I'm definitely a foodie more than a gourmet (foodie=someone who loves & adores food; gourmet=someone who only cooks with certain high end foods and can be a little snobby about their food), and The New Best Recipe caters to both.

A favorite Ru Sister Dinner menu:

• Herb-encrusted, boneless pork chops
• Hummus with roasted red peppers & feta
• Pita bread (quartered or smaller and warmed in the oven)
• Orzo pasta with some kind of sauce
• Steamed veggies

I made this the first time we ever cooked for Elder Walters. An insult to the chef, some newly named foods, and a few glares later, and we had the makings of a House Legend. Most of the food in that menu is thrown together with whatever we have in the pantry, or whatever herbs I am in the mood to add to the pork chops, but the hummus is pretty upfront--why mess with perfection?

Hummus:

• 1 (15 oz) can of garbanzos or chick peas, drained and rinsed
• 1 medium garlic clove, minced or pressed through a garlic press (I use so much garlic that I keep a large jar of minced garlic in my fridge at all times - 1/2 tsp = 1 clove of garlic - most labels will tell you that).
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• 3 tablespoons juice from a large lemon
• 1/4 c. tahini (sesame butter - can be found in the international aisle, near the salad dressings, or near the peanut butter in multiple grocery stores)
• 1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 c. water

Process all of the ingredients in a food processor until smooth, about 40 seconds. Transfer the hummus to a serving bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and chill until the flavors meld, at least 30 minutes; serve cold.

Makes about 2 cups, serves around 8-10, and can be kept for up to 2 days in your fridge.

Hummus can be served with anything, but my favorite is by adding a few strips of roasted red pepper and some crumbled feta as just a light garnish. I think it adds depth to the hummus, and everything mingles together blissfully. Post your favorite hummus twist in the comments!

Who Died?

I was talking with my mom recently and she said she was making chocolate cake. The first thing that came out of

my mouth was, "Who died?"

That may seem an odd and insensitive thing to say, but my mother has developed a pattern of chocolate cake baking that only occasionally breaks free. Whenever a member of her ward passes away, she is asked/volunteers to make the chocolate cake for the lunch following the services. So here's what my hometown's so excited about:

Mom's Moist Chocolate Cake:

(also known as Texas Sheet Cake)

2 Cups sugar

1 Cup liquid shortening (may use applesauce)

2 eggs

4 Tbsp cocoa

2 Cups hot water

3 Cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 Tbsp vanilla

Grease and flour a 10x15 jelly roll pan. In large bowl mix all dry ingredients except soda and baking powder. Mix with 1 cup water. Add soda and baking powder and eggs with 1 cup water. Add vanilla. Combine with dry mixture. Add shortening. Makes a very runny batter. Bake at 350 for 23 minutes. Cool about 5 min before frosting. Frost. This can be left uncovered and still remain moist. (Bake for 35-40 min if using regular cake pan)

Dark Chocolate Frosting:

1/2 Cup margarine or butter

4 Tbsp cocoa (heaping)

4-4.5 Cups powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

milk (about 6 Tbsp)

Melt margarine in pan. Add vanilla and cocoa. Stir in half of milk and powdered sugar. Add rest of milk and more powdered sugar to make consistency you desire. Drop by spoonfuls onto warm sheet cake and let cake warm the frosting before you try to spread it. Spread frosting around carefully. May sprinkle with nuts if desired.

FHE Fun with the Sisters Ru

It is no secret that B and I have our own little FHE. Being that we are sisters, family home evening is quite easy for us, and every so often some of our transient family here joins us (we're a drop-in household, so often we'll have a few friends join our family). This past week, FHE was especially enjoyable. I had extra cream puffs left over from the Family History Dessert Night last Sunday, and all I needed was something to fill it for dinner/FHE.

Rather than have dinner ready when B got home, we made dinner together. One of our family friends makes a killer chicken salad that she brings over whenever we go home (to IL), and we set about trying to recreate it. Looking through various recipes, only one seemed easy and kind of close. Okay, we didn't quite get to Sandy's level, but it was pretty good nonetheless (Julianne also makes a mean chicken salad). I even ended up making more cream puffs so we could take it for lunches this past week. I knew we had done all right when B said, "Oh yeah" after her initial taste.

Quick and easy chicken salad:

• 2 c. shredded chicken (you can easily bake 1-2 chicken breasts and shred it or just buy canned chicken)
• 1 c. chopped celery (I'm not a huge celery fan, but I chopped it pretty fine; and it was perfect!)
• 1 c. halved grapes
• 1/4 c. toasted almonds (I didn't toast them due to the fact that I was cooking more cream puffs, and it still tasted fantastic)
• 1/2-3/4 c. mayo (depending on how dry you like it)
• salt & pepper to taste
  
  Mix everything except the mayo, salt, and pepper, then add those last three ingredients.

Food, Family, and Fish Haven

Over the course of fall 1998- summer 2002 (I didn't have a car freshman year), I spent nearly a weekend a month in Bear Lake, ID. My grandparents lived in an old pioneer house built in 1865 just two miles past the Idaho Border (thank you, Google Earth for the picture).

A family history house in more ways than one, I think it will always be more special to me for the relationships it allowed me to have with my grandparents. We had spent summers there during my childhood, but these memories were mine and no one else's. For that one weekend a month, they got an extra daughter, and I learned to see them as real people and not just doting grandparents.

Many times my memories of those weekends are of food. Grandma was very particular about when meals were served. You could get your own breakfast (though heaven help you if it wasn't before 8:30), but lunch was at noon and dinner at five--and that is when I got them on the table--not a minute later.

I was a passable cook growing up and had some training thanks to Mom and 4-H, but Mom cooked in our house; and the rest of us were sous chefs. My brother Nathan had a gift for just tossing ingredients together, but I had to train and practice. And I did it in my grandparents kitchen, last updated sometime in the 70s, with the hand crank can opener (I still covet) on the wall and the cast iron stove brought across the plains from St. Louis back in the day (It was more a warming area for foods that came out of the electric oven across the kitchen) while Grandma told stories of her years growing up, being a young newlywed, or how many boyfriends my mother had. She always sent me home to Provo with enough food for weeks.

Sundays were the usual: church and then a roast of some kind, mashed potatoes & gravy, green beans with mushroom soup (or cauliflower with cheese), home-canned fruit, stuffing, and some kind of bread (rolls, bread rings, you name it), and what you didn't eat was sent home. But Saturday, Grandma and Grandpa were my guinea pigs. Grandma's staples were meat and potatoes or something she didn't have to work on too much (frozen dinners), but I would prepare tacos, homemade pizza, enchiladas, spaghetti, etc.--stuff that seems really basic to me (now that I have become more sophisticated in my food tastes), but were often new and different for them. After dinner, we would often watch an old timey musical for Grandma (often Deanna Durbin--a star from the 1930s and 1940s, the Julia Roberts of her day) and then a fun action flick with Grandpa after Grandma went to bed.

I cooked my first Thanksgiving for them. I grieved for friends and family with them--cooking the pain away. I picked fruits and vegetables (and Grandfather made fun of my jumpy nature--he said I had a guilty conscience). We watched General Conference while I made pie or bread or fudge. We canned; we cooked; we laughed; we loved. You name it, it happened in that kitchen or the living room or the picnic tables under the boxelder trees, and food and family history tied it all together.

One of my favorite memories of my Grandfather happened on their 60th wedding anniversary. I had been perfecting my fettuccine alfredo recipe at the time, and I decided to pair it with steak (Daddy did those on the grill usually, so I had never actually cooked one on my own). The look of bliss on my Grandfather's face as he bit into that steak--his first in 10 years--will stay with me forever (especially since it was probably overcooked and not my best--I do much better now), and Grandma could not stop talking about that moment of pure pleasure.

Another favorite memory of my Grandfather happened at my Grandmother's funeral. I flew in early to help Mom and her sisters with whatever they needed. Mom, who for years had been pretty territorial in the kitchen, had come to trust me in there, and turned the food over to me while she and her sisters hammered out the details you must during that kind of time. I threw together some kind of chicken pasta the night I flew in--but Grandpa wouldn't eat. Though years had passed since I had been the long-lost, Larsen daughter, coming up every month, I was once again his surrogate child, sitting in Grandma's chair as we talked. Well, I talked--he was never a big talker--after I set a plate of pasta on his lap. Half an hour later, the plate was clean, and I filled it up again and sat down to talk some more.

When it was time for me to leave, I remember holding his hand, tears close to the surface, and looking into his eyes as hours and days rushed back--me and Grandma and Grandpa in our own little world, with dinner at noon and five; music, stories, gospel, laughter, and food tying us together always.