SNOW IS ON THE WAY!

It`s the 5th of January and it is 15 degrees in Nashville this morning! According to the weather folks, snow is on the way to Nashvegas! There was no measurable snow here last year so this is a big deal. It only takes and inch to shut this town down! A prediction of snow can cause the local schools to close before the first flake falls.We are the laughingstock of our Northern neighbors who don`t miss a beat with a foot of the white stuff! Let an inch fall here and it`s like ice capades on the roads. Most folks don`t have proper tires or chains but insist on driving anyway. Huge 4 wheel drive Hummers, off in ditches because no one told The Terminator behind the wheel that 4 wheel drive on solid ice doesn`t help much. Nashville becomes one huge demolition derby and the only people smiling are the ones who own grocery stores, liquor stores , body shops and tow trucks.
The forecast of snow sends everyone racing to the local grocery store to stock up in case they are snowbound for days, which really can happen with not much accumulation. Davidson county is huge with many back country roads that never see the sunshine in Winter and certainly are not salted or plowed.
I have been caught up in the frenzy of preparing for snow many times only to awaken to absolutely nothing! It amazes me that the weather experts here claim to be able to pinpoint the exact spot that a tornado will hit but blow a snow prediction on a regular basis. Around here when they call for 1 - 2 inches we all know that it will either be nothing at all or a blizzard so we make sure we have plenty of food and drink in house, just in case!
Last night I bought into the prediction and stocked up just in case. I have always cooked up a pot of white bean soup with smoked pork on snowy days . All of the ingredients are here waiting for the first flakes to fall. The quiet beauty of falling snow, the aroma of soup simmering , cornbread baking, and a warm chair by the fireplace...I can`t tell you how much I hope the weatherman gets it right this time!

WHITE BEAN SOUP WITH SMOKED PORK..serves 6 - 8
5 cans great northern beans, drained....puree 3 cans and set aside, keep 2 cans whole
1 large yellow onion, chopped
4 large celery ribs chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped small
2 large garlic cloves minced
3/4 lb. smoked pork minced ..I use smoked pork chops..country ham is too salty..
2 bay leaves
big 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
several grinds black pepper
10 cups rich chicken stock....I add a little chicken base if stock is not strong enough

Saute all vegetables in a little olive or vegetable oil until translucent
add bay leaves, thyme, cayenne, black pepper, saute a few min. more

add chopped pork, cook a few min more
add stock
bring to a boil , lower heat and simmer for 15 min.
add the whole and pureed beans,,stir to blend
simmer slowly for about 30 min. more to blend flavors. Stir often to prevent scorching.

Taste and correct seasoning.

Serve with hot buttered corn bread and pass the Tabasco!

FRESH TOMATO SAUCE

It`s almost the end of August in Tennessee and the end of tomato season is almost here. Lots of people planted way more tomatoes than they can possibly use! If you are lucky like me..one of these people will give you a load of tomatoes!

My friend and boss did just that. He called me out to show me what he brought for me..heavenly days it was a half a washtub filled with all kinds of wonderful tomatoes..pear, grape, roma, better boy, bradley and heaven knows what else. There were way more tomatoes that I could eat before they went bad so I told him I would make up batch of tomato sauce. I know you have been told that tomato sauce should be made from romas and I have made gallons that way but let me tell you this sauce is wonderful!

This was a seat of the pants project..I had about 15 lbs. of various tomatoes and 2 big onions from his garden .

I dropped the tomatoes in boiling water for a couple of minutes, refreshed them in cold water and slid the skins off. I cored each tomato, cut it in half and squeezed out as much jelly and seeds as possible.

I chopped up the 2 onions and sauteed them in some good olive oil, then added 6 big garlic cloves and sauteed a little longer..be sure not to brown the vegetables. To this mixture I added a 2 tsp. of red pepper flakes, a big pinch of sea salt and 2 Tbls. dried oregano and 4 bay leaves. Let all of this think while you drain and smush up the tomatoes...add the tomatoes to the onion, garlic mix and combine well. I added a big handful of spicy globe basil , stems and all..don`t worry, you will be able to pull the stems out later. Frankly, I did not think the basil would give enough flavor but it really did! If you do not have fresh basil go ahead and add a big tablespoon of dried basil.

The more surface area you have the faster the sauce will cook down so I divided it into 2 large deep , flat bottom wok type pans.

Bring sauce to gentle boil, turn heat to simmer and watch carefully. Stir sauce often and cook until reduced and thick. It takes about 45 minutes. It will burn if you don`t watch it.

Chill sauce overnight..then puree it in a food processor. Taste and correct seasoning. I got 2.25 lbs. of wonderful sauce that I will freeze in small batches to use on pasta and in rich bean soups this winter!

MY PERFECT LOW CARB DINNER FOR ONE

pan seared boneless , skinless chicken breast with smoked paprika, salt and pepper, served over sauteed baby spoon spinach, topped with fresh tomato sauce, chopped fresh basil and Parmesan cheese..light, fresh, lovely!

COOK HONEY, COOK!

4 C CAULIFLOWER

Well it`s time to pay the piper...too much fun = too much me! After a wonderful few months of fun with food I am back to my low carb diet. It`s the only thing that works for me . For some folks heaven is sugary and sweet. For me its creamy, crunchy, greasy, starchy, yeasty. In short I am a carb-a-holic. Given the choice between a big chocolate bar and a big hunk of bread with butter, bread wins every time. Ice cream or pasta..give me the pasta. Cookies or chips, I want the whole bag and then I will go for the chocolate, the ice cream and the cookies! And then there is the wine! Oh for big red wines and crispy cold White wines! All of these things are brimming with bad carbs so I am backing off for a while until there is a little less of me to go around!

I`m not going to stop cooking though. That`s the beauty of low carbing! It brings out the creativity in a good cook. I am a dedicated meat eater so there is a lot I can do. I have done this before with really great results and I did not feel to very deprived .

There is a wonderful book out there I use to help me along that I highly recommend to anyone who wants to try something a little different . It is my friend on this journey and if you need a friend to guide you and support you get yourself a copy of:

NERRIS AND INDIA`S IDIOT PROOF DIET a weight loss plan for real women. [they wanted to call it "how we went from pig to twig]
The book is published by Wellness Central and is available on Amazon.com. The book was written by two British women who have lives like the rest of us..jobs, husbands, boyfriends, children and a love of too much of everything! It is full of humor and good common sense and is really fun to read. The diet plan is the simplest I have ever read. It`s full of good recipes too. After a while it becomes really easy to come up with interesting low and no carb foods.

This is not as restrictive as Atkins. The girls took all of the best low carb plans and through trial and error came up with a plan that not only really works, it`s easy to stick with!

FOUR C CAULIFLOWER

curry, caraway cream and cheddar

pre heat oven to 350

this is a to taste recipe!

steam 1 head of cauliflower broken into florets for 12 min. in your microwave

drain the cauliflower, transfer to bowl

add 3 Tblsp heavy cream and 1 Tblsp butter

stir to blend

add a good pinch red pepper flakes, a good big teaspoon curry powder, more if you like and 1 teaspoon of caraway seeds. Add salt to taste. Transfer to a shallow baking dish and top with 1/2 cup of good sharp cheddar cheese.

Bake in 350 degree oven for about 25 min. or until hot and bubbly.

serves 4 as a side dish or 2 as main course.

I like this as a tasty almost no carb substitute for potatoes!

"COOK HONEY, COOK"

SO WHAT DOES SHE MEAN, SOUP STOCK BASE?

In my previous posted recipe for iced cucumber dill soup I call for soup stock paste style base. Here is a photo of one that is particularly good. Better Than Bouillon comes in a variety of flavors and is available at many grocery stores. Harris Teeter and Publix here in Nashville. There is a mushroom base, a beef base, a roast turkey and several other specialty bases I have not used yet. Most are organic and none contain MSG. In the restaurant business we rely on stock bases to enrich sauces and stocks . Most restaurants use Minors brand bases. If you are lucky enough to have a restaurant supply store that is open to the public you can usually find the Minors bases in 1 lb. containers. If you do not have a source, ask your favorite restaurant to order these for you! These come in many flavors..even a bacon base..it makes a fabulous "bacon jus" for that restaurant style pan seared bone in ribeye. The country ham base works wonders for a pot of beans! There are lobster, shrimp and clam bases too. You can make a 4 Star quality lobster or shrimp bisque in no time. These bases , used sparingly, work wonders for home made stocks and sauces that need a little help. Be careful until you get used to them as they have a good bit of salt. Omit the salt in your recipes when using stock bases. They are not inexpensive but when kept frozen they last indefinitely. Taste each dish at the end of cooking and then adjust seasoning!

"cook honey, cook!"

ICED CUCUMBER DILL SOUP

ICED CUCUMBER DILL SOUP

I have always been so very fond of cold soups. As a child a real treat was my mom`s creamy , cold vichyssoise. Although it`s nothing more than cold potato leek soup with chives, it is still one of the best soups around when properly prepared. I always ordered it in restaurants and was often disappointed by the soup but always thrilled with the little bowl set in a silver cup filled with ice.

I came up with this recipe for cucumber dill soup a few Summers ago for a large wedding reception . I was worried that with so many guests to serve , the soup would not be cold enough when served. A cold soup must be served really cold, just as a hot soup must be really hot. To avoid the possibility of tepid soup I froze half of the soup . Just before service a small scoop of icy soup went in the bottom of the cups with well chilled soup poured on top! The soup arrived at the perfect temperature. Now that August is here with plenty of hot weather and lots of cucumbers, try this wonderful soup as a lite lunch or appetizer before your next Summer dinner!

3 lb cucumbers, peeled and seeded

2 oz. sweet yellow onion..1/4 medium

2 cups well chilled buttermilk

1 cup heavy cream

3 tblsp chicken or vegetable paste style stock base..not bouillon cubes!

1 tblsp dried dill weed

optional..fresh dill sprigs for garnish

1/2 tsp curry powder

1/4 tsp white pepper

Puree cucumbers and onion in food processor. Transfer to bowl.

Whisk in buttermilk and 3/4 cup of heavy cream

Place remaining 1/4 cup heavy cream in food processor with chicken or vegetable base, dill weed, curry powder and white pepper . Process until smooth. Scrape all into soup using rubber spatula to get all of the mixture out of the bowl. Whisk all to blend. Do not add salt..stock base is salt enough!

Chill soup at least 6 hours or overnight in coldest part of refrigerator. Taste and correct seasoning. If you wish, freeze half of the soup. remove from freezer before serving and allow to soften slightly. Place a small amount of frozen soup in each cup. Top with more chilled soup and garnish with small amount of sour cream, whole milk yogurt or Greek style yogurt and a fresh dill sprig.

Remember that anything served very cold should be somewhat "over seasoned" as cold foods seem to "numb" the taste buds!

Yield 10.5 cups..serves 10 as lunch or 1st course or 20 appetizer soup shots

"cook honey, cook!"

Rosemary Garlic Seared Beef Tenderloin

Crazy day, the lunch I thought I had in the fridge at work had died a horrible death and I missed the daily lunch run by my co-workers. Add to that a bunch of errands after work as I get ready to go on vacation and you get one hungry person! But..I refused to go to the grocery because I am leaving! So I took my chances and found enough small treasures to cook up a little feast of leftovers between the packing chores..oh and I have to clean the house really well so my life saving house/ dog sitter Ruthie won`t think I am a pig!

I had a wonderful heirloom tomato..a Croatian red..if you can find on get it..they are wonderful! There was one broccoli crown, a couple of baby Yukon Golds a tenderloin tail and a rosemary bush outside my door..eureka!! A dinner to sooth the weary soul.

ROSEMARY SEARED BEEF

use any quick cooking cut of tender beef you have on hand..thin is best...season meat with fresh ground black pepper and salt. Heat a little very good olive oil in a heavy iron skillet with a large garlic clove, sliced thin, the leaves from a big sprig of rosemary and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Let all "think" in the oil over low heat as you roast the potatoes and cook your vegetable of choice. Do not let the garlic brown.

When the potatoes are ready, pour most of the oil and all of the Rosemary and garlic into a heat proof dish. Heat skillet until almost smoking and quickly sear the meat to rare. Remove meat to warm plate...let skillet cool slightly, add reserved oil, garlic and rosemary..when really hot pour over steak and potatoes.

serve with sliced fresh tomatoes and green veggie of choice!

allow 2 potatoes per person and at least 4 oz of beef..I think thin slices of pork tenderloin would be wonderful too!

my favorite wine of the week

FOUR VINES 2006 OLD VINE CUVEE ZINFANDEL

PASO ROBLES CA. [average $14]

lots of fruit and just the right touch of oak..and because it is screw top it is perfect for Summer picnics!

"COOK HONEY, COOK!"

FRESH TOMATO SALSA WITH AVOCADOS

I love a good fresh salsa whether it be hot or mild, fruity or tart and I love great guacamole too! What I do not like is the soupy saucy stuff in a jar found on the chip aisle that passes for salsa. There are also weird dayglo green bags of ready made guacamole that are even nastier.

The ingredients for this recipe combine the best of both dishes with ingredients that are available year round. Right now with beautiful locally grown tomatoes available it`s really easy to whip up this dish. It`s even wonderful in the winter using sweetie grape and cherry tomatoes . Once you make this the bottled heat treated salsa of your childhood just won`t do anymore!

I serve this with chips or along side grilled meats or even on shredded romaine lettuce with a garnish of sour cream as a salad.

FRESH TOMATO AVOCADO SALSA

2 lb. ripe tomatoes, hand chopped

use whatever looks good ,,mix up colors too

1/2 large sweet onion, chopped

3 large garlic cloves, minced

3 minced jalapenos, seeded

2 large green poblano peppers, seeded and minced

do not substitute green bell peppers,,,wear gloves!

1 large bunch cilantro, well rinsed and chopped fine

juice of 3 large limes

4 large ripe but still firm avocados, cubed

toss chopped tomatoes with 1 tblsp coarse salt..set drain in colander while you prepare the other ingredients

transfer tomatoes to a bowl and toss with all other ingredients except avocado

this is best if the tomato mixture is allowed to sit and mellow at room temperature for 30min to 1 hour..can be made ahead up to this point..refrigerate ..will keep1 day

just before serving add avocados and toss gently

taste and correct seasoning

served 6-8

COOK HONEY, COOK!