food Friday

Charles and Camilla are bickering just a bit these days – I guess the strain of planning the wedding is getting to everyone. There are just so many avenues for making social gaffes. Did you know that Kate ate some pâté de foie gras a few weeks ago, when Charles has strictly forbidden it from Palace menus? Heavens to Betsy!  (Charles has privately confided to me that he misses the good old days when the Palace would serve Veal Cordon Bleu and Veal Scallopini, but he must be firm in his stance…) Camilla is quite sure that we have done Chicken Cordon Bleu for Food Friday before, but Charles ...

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March 25, 2011It's Food Friday!The theme of this week's Food52 competition was foods which you set aflame - on purpose. I am not a fancy cook. I have never cooked Bananas Foster en Flambé, and I still don't know what it is at the Greek restaurant which causes such a flutter and commotion and flames. I have on many occasions burnt the food I was trying to prepare in a loving fashion for my family. They can probably roll their eyes and enumerate notable examples, but that is another story. For many years I did not prepare Hash Browns. Instead I served Hash Blacks. Danny will remember them ...

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February 25, 2011It's Food Friday!This is one of our reliable crowd pleasers, the recipe for which we no longer have to scour through the cookbooks - Bruschetta. We have to step out tonight and thought this would be a tasty little contribution to the mix. Camilla is desperate to get out and socialize. (She still hasn't gotten over Kat...e's pony tail in public yesterday.) And Champagne Charlie is always ready for a party!This is very tricky-woo - so pay attention.Cut a day old baguette into slicesToast the slices under the broilerAllow slices to coolRub each slice with a chunk ...

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Mid-winter Chili 1½ pounds ground beef 1 tablespoon olive oil1 medium onion, chopped1 medium green pepper, chopped1 clove garlic1 36-ounce can crushed tomatoes3 tablespoons chili powder1 clove garlic1 tablespoon paprika1 to 2 or 3 teaspoons of cayenne – depending on your thrill factorSalt and pepper to tasteGrated sharp cheddar cheese for toppingBrown meat in a large pot. Drain and set aside. Sauté onions, peppers and garlic in olive oil in the same pot. Return meat to pot. Add tomato sauce, chili powder, paprika and cayenne. Cook on medium heat for approximately 1½ hours. Now this ...

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January 28, 2011It's Food Friday!Here is a recipe for home made fortune cookies. No matter where we get Chinese food the fortune cookies always seem stale. I would hate to bring stale cookies to the Year of the Rabbit festivities. I have also included some pithy quotations that you can print and include in your batch of yummy fresh cookies. Charles and Camilla had so much fun helping me choose!3 egg whites¾ cup white sugar½ cup butter, melted and cooled¼ teaspoon vanilla extract¼ teaspoon almond extract1 cup all-purpose flour2 tablespoons waterPreheat the oven to 375°F. Line cookie ...

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Best Beloved’s Black Bean and Corn Salsa 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed 3 ears cooked corn, corn sliced off the cobs 2 large, fragrant tomatoes, chopped 2 bunches green onions, chopped Cilantro leaves, for garnish In a large bowl, mix together black beans, corn, diced tomatoes, tomatoes and green onion stalks. Garnish with desired amount of cilantro leaves. Chill in the refrigerator at least 8 hours, or overnight, before serving. Serve with chips, or as a relish for any grilled meat. Yumsters. Charles was enjoying the salsa more than he was talking with Camilla the ...

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Buttercream Cupcake Icing1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened4 cups powdered sugar1/2 teaspoon salt1/3 cup cream1 teaspoon vanilla extractCream the butter, add the sugar, salt, cream, and vanilla and mix until smooth and creamy. Add a drop or two of food coloring to achieve a delightful pink. Sprinkles are always a good idea.I do not have a homemade cupcake recipe, because I am a hopeless baker. Pillsbury seems to work best for me. I used to worry about this until I listened to a Sporkful podcast. They explained that cupcakes are merely vehicles for conveying the icing to your mouth! ...

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