Georgia Peach Martini

I recently had the most perfect Georgia Peach Martini at a very nice neighborhood bar in Yakima, Washington. This is my attempt to recreate the recipe.

The best way to enjoy this is in the company of two beautiful woman. But  I think it's still pretty darn good even if you are by yourself.


This ones for Cheryl



Start by filling a martini glass with crushed ice.

Then in a cocktail mixer add:

1 oz good quality peach vodka
1 oz peach schnaps
1 oz sweet and sour mix or high quality lemon aid. ( I try to skip the bottled sweet and sour mix as often as possible. But if its all you have, then a purchased sweet and sour sauce will work.)

Add a scoop of ice to the cocktail shaker, cap tightly. Shake vigorously to combine. Empty the martini glass of ice and pour in the the vodka mixture.

Garnish with a maraschino cherry!

Enjoy

Thrift Store Spice Rack

I love shopping at thrift store. I can find such great items. As a personal chef, its a great inexpensive way to purchase dishes and bowls and other essentials that I can use for work. Then, if something should get broken or lost... I only have a few dollars invested in it. I have hundreds of plates and bowls. Odds and ends of every type. From serving pieces to bar glasses and equipment. Ice shavers/crushers to antique ice buckets and tea pots.

 Last week I noticed this spice rack at a local store. it was way up on the top shelf, nearly hidden. It was empty except for a few traces of stuck on spices. I had to elbow a little old lady out of my way to get it first. Something I am not to proud of. But I know it wont be the last time I go head to head with a little gray haired old lady for something special my eye catches at a thrift store.

When I got it home I know it needed a good cleaning before I could reuse it. I didn't want to damage the labels, they are have the charm. So I used a thin to funnel to fill each bottle with a soap/bleach solution. I let them sit out on the counter over night before emptying them and rinsing them each very well. I then used my Shark Steamer, to finish the sanitizing process.  With a damp cloth towel and a very gentle hand  I cleaned each topper and bottle label.  Then I refilled each bottle with brand new, organic spices.

It's completely impractical. I have dozens of bottles of herbs and spices and 9 little bottles isn't even a good start at keeping them handy. But I found a great little place on the limited counter space my tiny kitchen has and now its on display.

Something that someone else tossed out. I saw and recognized the potential in and with just a little bit of work, not it sparkles like new.

I love thrift stores!

Welcome to Happy Hour!

Welcome to my first Happy Hour Friday!

For something special to celebrate why not make a Mazatlan Punch!

Start by mixing together: 1 ounce of vodka
                                        1 ounce of orange juice
                                        2 ounces of cranberry juice
                                        2 ounces of lemon lime soda
                                        and 1/2 ounce of grenadine
                    Pour over cracked ice, float another 1/2 ounce of grenadine on top and garnish to suit your
                    tastes.  This has the flavor of a fruit punch with a nice gentle kick. But be careful, they go
                    down way to easy.

Chickpea Stew

January 24th, 2011

So this new year has been about trying new things. Experimenting.  Stepping outside my comfort zone. One of the big things I wanted to work on this year was developing healthier recipes. I am trying to stay away from canned, or processed items as much as possible and if by necessity I need to use a canned or processed item I am trying to find the best quality I able to.  Spend more in time and money to find a cleaner, more natural product. One of the other promises I made to myself was that I would try and find more meat free options for my diet.  Learn to embrace a diet with more fruits and vegetables and not so dependent on red meat. So I have been experimenting with tofu, lentils, beans and legumes and one of my favorite legumes is the humble chickpea.                

  I love  chickpeas. Wether you  pureed and make them  into hummus, or roughly grind and make them into falafel.  I love marinating them in good italian salad dressing and then eating them as snacks.  Or I will use them in soups and stews or  I will toss them onto a green salad. I eat quite a share of chickpeas in a year. I cant even remember where I had my first one. Most likely I took a spoonful or two  from  some salad bar where I felt safe to try them without having to buy a whole can. But once I did try my first one, I was hooked.


For this recipe, I started by soaking dried organic chickpeas overnight in water. Then the next morning I  pureed  fresh ripe tomatoes, garlic and just a touch of onion in the food processor. Once I had a fine, even puree I added them to a skillet with just a table spoon of olive oil. I "fried" that mixture at a slow heat, stirring often until the tomato mixture has condensed into a dark rich, thick paste. Then in a 6 quart dutch over I sautéed diced onions, carrots, celery and garlic until they were soft and fragrant. I added a good table spoon of a high quality, salt free curry powder and stirred it into the veggies. Letting the essential oils in the curry powder bloom in the warm oil. Then I added the friend tomato mixture to the pan and stirred in in. Reducing the heat, I let the paste blend with the curry. Finally I tossed in the presoaked chickpeas, bay leaves, and some crushed red pepper flake and a can of diced, tomatoes (no salt added). I added homemade vegetable broth to cover the beans and then I brought the whole mixture to a simmer before I sealed the pot and put it into a 300 degree oven. I let it slow simmer for about 2 hours. I checked the mixture often and added just enough water to ensure the beans wouldn't burn.  I knew I wanted a thick stew and not a thin broth. While the stew was cooking I cut in half a zucchini and a yellow squash, brushed them with olive oil and grilled them. I wanted to add them at the last few minutes of cooking. The grilling would give another level of flavor to the stew. and the enhance the visual appearance. When the chickpeas were finally just about done, I pulled the Dutch oven out of the oven and put it back on stove. I pulled the lid off and simmered the stew slowly until the broth had reduced to the right consistency. About 15 minutes from being done, I added more diced carrot, and celery and the grilled zucchini and squash. Just to warm them through and coat them with the broth.

I served the stew with warm pieces of Pita bread for dunking. It was absolutely wonderful. I have to admit that I had some left over links of andouille sausage and after a bowl of the vegetarian stew, I warmed some slices of the andouille and added it to the stew. It was even better. But with or without the meat, this is a satisfying meal.

The hardest part of this recipe, or working with a creating lower sodium recipes is learning how to adapt to the fact that for me, the recipes taste dull. Less bright and flavorful. Its hard to send out recipes that taste so plain. Its hard adapting to creating and sending meals that I think don't taste right. I have had to pull out little batches and salt them to my taste so that I can be sure that they are seasoned well enough otherwise. But its nice to know that I or my clients can then adjust them to what suits their needs. And its so comforting to know I and they are eating better.  From scratch cooking takes so much more energy and effort, but the results speak for themselves.

My mother, once while browsing a Mexican restaurant menu saw "chicken tortilla soup" listed as as an appetizer. She mentioned it to me and when she did so she has such a puzzled look on her face. I asked if she wanted to try a bowl and she looked at me and said, "how do you keep the tortillas from becoming soggy?" It took me awhile to make her understand the tortillas were just a topping, "like a crouton, mom.." I explained. She passed up the chance for the soup, but I always remember that conversation when I make this recipe.


There is nothing more comforting that a warm bowl of soup of a cold winters day. Nothing that is so warm, and satisfying. This is one of those wonderful recipes that you fall back to time and time again.
  It starts by pureeing fresh tomatoes, onions, chiles and a canned chipotle chile until they are smooth and well blended. The you fry the puree in a bit of oil until nearly all the liquid has evaporated and all that remains in a thick, dark paste. You add the mass to good home made chicken stock. (I poach my chicken breasts in homemade chicken stock and then strain for clarity before I shred the chicken and put it back into the stock with the sauteed tomato/onion mixture.) Its rare that  I can find fresh epazote, but if I can I add a few sprigs to the pot while it simmers. If I cant find fresh epazote then I add several fresh cilantro stems instead. But I take them out before serving.  Occasionally I will add a pinch of dried Mexican oregano to boost the flavor. But there is little else this soup needs to really show case the fresh, deep rich flavors.

On the side Is serve tortilla chips, diced avocado, cilantro, and any other  number of toppings. One of my personal favorites is fresh corn kernels.  Its truly a work of art. This is easily one of the best chicken tortilla soups I have ever had, and by far one of the best soups in general.