Breakfast buffet for work

My husband asked me if I could bake something for a breakfast buffet for work.  His big boss is in from out of town and he leaves the day of the breakfast.  I decided to make one of my hubby's favorite things:  Bacon-Tomato Cups.  He loves these things!  Every time that there is an event (of any kind) and he requests them.  I do not always give in, but this time I did as it is for the big boss.

I got the recipe for the cups from a popular website.  It is called www.allrecipes.com.  And it is one of my go to websites when I need a recipe for certain ingredients.  The first step was to go to the grocery for all the ingredients. And, luckily, one of the ingredients was on sale!  Don't you just love it when that happens?  And, although, I follow the recipe (mostly), I know that I often have more filling and not enough crescent rolls, so today I bought double.  I get home and start the cups.  Fry the bacon & onion, chop the tomato, grate the cheese and miss all together with mayo, dried basil and some garlic (my addition).  I fill cups and bake for about 15 minutes.  They come out gorgeous, of course :)

For the first time ever, I used exactly the requested amount of rolls, so now I have two extra rolls and no plans to use them.  I look through one of my recipe books and I stumble upon one that is perfect.  I have all the ingredients which is always a good thing, and it is perfect for a breakfast buffet.  I decided to make a Chocolate Crescent Twist.  So easy to make and it looks quite impressive when cooked!

Until next time!

"Undone"

I finished reading "Undone" by Rachel Caine.  It is the first book in her Outcast Season series.  It is a spin-off from her Weather Wardens series.  I have not read the Wardens series and it is not necessary to read it for this novel.  However, it would be a value-add to read them as there are some references and characters to the Weather series.  It was not confusing, but it was not a rich experience.  I felt that something was missing.  But, then again that is just me.  I hate starting a series in the middle and not realize it.

The story is about a Djinn that gets thrown to earth for disobeying an edict from her "boss".  This becomes a classic duck out of water tale with a mystery and suspenseful story tossed in.  Murder and mayhem when the hero's past comes back to haunt him.  The heroine is caustic and impatient with her limitations and the hero is a former gang member trying to do good.

It is definitely a good start to a new series, but take my advice and read the "Weather Wardens" series first.  It will be a richer experience for you.  Check out the author's website for more information on all her series:  www.rachelcaine.com

Until next time!

Restaurant review

I have decided to deviate just a little bit from my standard format, but not by much.  My mother treated me to lunch and we went to a restaurant that I have never been to before.  The restaurant is called "Café Bistro de la Gare".  Here is the website:  www.cafedelagare.ca. Please note that the website is only in French.

I had the cream of vegetable soup and the steak & red pepper panini with fries.  The soup was creamy and flavorful, the portion was just perfect for lunch.  The panini was quite good.  They did not overdue the roasted red pepper which is very easy to do and often ruins a sandwich.  This one had a good balance of red pepper and thinly sliced steak.  The fries were thin cut and crispy.  The meal was reasonably priced as it included the soup, main dish, tea (or coffee) and dessert.

The atmosphere was really nice.  The restaurant has some nooks and crannies for the guests, providing privacy and keeping the noise level down.  Granted, I was there for lunch, so it was not crowded.  My favorite part of the decor was the shelves that they used as room dividers.  It was filled with books.  English, French, fiction, textbooks, hardcovers, soft covers, old ones and recent ones.  It was visually appealing and a great way to create ambiance.  I loved that idea!

Until next time!

"The Lost Symbol"

So, I just finished reading the "The Lost Symbol" by Dan Brown.  It has been in my "to read" pile for almost two years.  Now, I know why I waited.

Despite the constant action, various perspectives and cliffhangers (almost one per chapter) it actually reads like a university lecture.  Ooh, the mysterious Freemasons!  How wise, wonderful and super-intelligent they were.  Yes, "were", there are no new Masons that have done anything stupendous in the last hundred years (that we are told about) to take the place of George Washington, Sir Francis Bacon, and Sir Isaac Newton.

The final messages of the book are pure "Hallmark" or "Disney" movie.  The messages are as follows:  The power is within you.  We all have the capacity to be more than the sum of our parts.

The book is well-written, the dialogue well-played, the characters are as fleshed out as they can be.  The ancient mystery that he goes on and on about, was no great revelation.  The book is formulaic.  Basically, if you have read any of the other Robert Langdon books, you have read them all.

Until next time!

Planning a dinner party my way

On the spur of the moment, we decide to have a couple of people over on Saturday night.  It was a very casual affair, so nothing intense had to be created.  In an attempt to empty out my freezer (something I try to do 2 or 3 times a year), I decided to use the frozen, store-bought cannelloni that I had bought on sale.

In planning a menu, I always start with the main meal.  And, from there, I springboard with the side dishes and then the appetizers.  I like to have different flavors in my dishes.  I do not like to repeat flavors and textures between the appetizer and the side dishes.  Call me kooky, but I like my guests to be able to cleanse their palettes between dishes.  I do not like to be inundated with the same flavors, I like to be surprised with varying tastes.  I believe that when the tastes are similar, then the entire experience will be bland.  There is nothing worse than a bland meal.

As an appetizer, I had decided on escargot brioche, but my guest wanted to bring an appetizer.  A little rule that I follow:  if someone offers to bring something, let them!  It takes away a little pressure from you as you have one less thing to worry about and prepare.  She brought a creamy bread dip, which is her signature dip.  It is the one she always makes to bring to people dinners.

The main course, was of course the cheese cannelloni and garlic bread.  I wanted something refreshing as a side.  I made a bean and feta salad.  It was low-fat and high in fiber.  Quite refreshing and tart in contrast to the cheesy pasta and the creamy appetizer.

And lastly, came dessert.  As I love to bake, this is my thing.  My time to shine, my raison d'etre.   I had some gingersnaps cookies (that were given to me) that I wanted to get rid of :)  I found a recipe online for a Pear Crisp that used gingersnaps in the crust.  It was surprisingly rich, and slightly spicy.  The balance of spicy and sweet was a nice contrast for the main course.

It is all about balance when you plan a dinner.  You need to have elements of cream, spicy, sweet and tart.  You can never go wrong when you vary your tastes.  It keeps it interesting and flavorful.

Until next time!

Re-Organization

In July, I got a beautiful Le Creuset dutch oven.  I have not used it as yet, but I will.  I am waiting for the perfect recipe to initiate it.  Not just any recipe will do, it has to be something spectacular.  In the meantime, it has been sitting on my counter taking up space and collecting a little bit of dust.

So, today, I finally re-organized my pots and pans cupboard.  It took me about 2 hours.  The hard part was deciding where to put everything.  It had been in the same space for the last 6 years (since we moved into the house).

Step 1 - Empty the entire cupboard. (Easy)
Step 2 - Vacuum and wipe it down. (Easy)
Step 3 - Put everything back. (Hard)

I did it though as evidenced by the pic above.  I wish I thought to do a "Before Pic."  I decided to put the baking things to one side and the cooking things to another.  By stacking the baking sheets and muffin tins on their sides, I saved a lot of room, as well as stacking rarely used items on top of each other.  Surprisingly, I only got rid of one thing, a cookie cutter sheet which I have never ever used.  I prefer using individual cookie cutters.

Now, I actually have room for another pot or pan (Le Creuset, maybe?) My cupboard is more organized and I am ready to bake again.  I have not done any this week, because I still have some cookies and brownies left.  The good news is that the brownies are still not dry.  The trick is to cut as you go and pre-cut everything.  It keeps it from drying out.

Until next time!

Baking all week

I have been baking for most of the week.  Baking seems to be the only thing that gives me some peace and tranquility from my recent stress.  It helps me to relax and concentrate on something else.  On Thursday, I made a triple-berry crisp, only because I had no more eggs and I could use frozen berries that I had in my freezer.  It was good, but not my favorite thing.  I had to make a couple of substitutions as I did not have any lemons or blueberries (I have an intolerance to them).  I used orange peel instead and threw in some dried cranberries.  The cranberry flavor simply overrode the strawberry and raspberry flavors.

On Friday, I made Lite Oatmeal cookies, as I had bought some eggs that morning.  They were very good and easy to make.

And yesterday, I needed to bake and I made brownies at the request of my husband.  I have had 3 so far today :(  They are moist, and very chocolatey.  The edges are my favorite.  My fear is that they will dry out before we eat them all.

In the next few days, I will be baking some more, as I am trying to not spend my day reading books.  It is very hard!  I have been craving a specific dessert that I have not had in many, many years.  I wonder if it is as good as my memory tells me or if it was all in my head?

I will leave you with this question:  What baked good have you been craving but not had in a while?