rebecca's space

Fry Baby, FRY!!

Sun, 04 May 2008 01:36:04 GMT

Hey all. Yep, I got the "wild hair" again to cook up something different. It's Saturday, I finished planting my herbs (the one's Bob bitches about having to water...WAH) and don't really feel like cleaning house. I did clean up "my clutter" as Bob calls it, but my heart just isn't into major cleaning. My urge to cook is from reading too many "bon appetites" and watching too much "Food TV", oh yeah, and eating out at too many 5 star restaurants (yep, that last one was a brag)!

I'm not a fried food fan (gives me a belly ache) but I just die for fried dill pickles. More and more they're showing up on the menu of our local restaurants, so I' thought I'd give it a try. Mind you, I consider myself a good cook, but "frying" is not one of my things. (I did it once naked...need I say more?) J/K, you freaks!

My normal style of cooking forsomething I've never done before ,is to "google" as many recipes as I can find. I narrow them down and (usually) follow the recipe to the T.

My first mistake was using pre-sliced (aka hamburger dills) pickles.

Next time, for sure, I'll get big fat juicy dills (or make them myself if I can find a pickle farmer...hint, hint...pickle farmers please reply) and slice them myself (head slap for not thinking about that first...but in my own defense, this was an "experiment").

Another dissappointment was using the "flour" dredge process. Shoot, I knew it when I was dredging (I like to say dredge, almost as fun as saying thistle). Light bulb moment....what's better, lighter and crisper than "Panko" breadcrumbs? Another head slap, but too late, I already seasoned the flour dredge (hehe).

Here's my "dredging" station...hehe just had to say it again...

K, bottom line the pickles were actually quite tasty. Of course, I'll keep doing them over and over again until I think they're perfect. I brought over a plate of them to my neighbors and they loved them. I call them my "guinnea pigs" because they always sample my experiments. ...Just lucky or doomed????

Cheers all and have a great weekend. Remember, don't fry naked and pickles are our friends!!

XO's Becky

I got canned! (On Watermelon pickles, that is!)

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 05:24:17 GMT

Ok, call me an old Nebraska girl (even tho I was born and raised in California), but I just love Watermelon Rind Pickles!! My folks and their folks come from the mid-west (Nebraska) and the depression era ...when everything was used (don't even get me talking about what they did with corn cobs)...yep, including the rinds of watermelon. Most of my LA friends think this is really weird, but I find it really yummy and get a kick out of cooking something they call strange (oh yeah, and trash). I also love reviving and twiking old recipes. Oh, and just you wait, next year it will be featured in the "boutique" stores in LA (and probably Gourmet magazine.....GRRR...you guys are my witness)!

I actually did quite a bit of research to come up with this recipe. You can make them fresh, but they only last a couple weeks in the frig, so I wanted to combine the recipes to keep the freshness, but also preserve them for eating later in the season. If anyone is seriously interested, let me know and I'll tell you both ways.

K, here it is:

Becky’s Watermelon Rind Pickles

Step 1:

-12 cups watermelon rinds (cut off green rind, and most of the pink, cut into 1” x ½” pieces

-½ cup kosher salt

Disolve salt in large pot/bowl of water, add rinds and let sit overnight.

Step 2

-Rinse and drain rinds

-In large pot, boil water and add rinds, simmer for 5 minutes.

-Rinse and drain

Step 3:

Combine:

6 cups sugar

3 cups cider vinegar

2 sticks cinnamon (broken)

1 T. whole cloves

1 T. whole allspice

1 t. mustard seed

1 t. black peppercorns

Bring to boil and pour over drained rinds. Let sit overnight in refrigerator.

Step 4:

Bring rind mixture back to a boil, prepare jars and pack with ¼” headspace. Process 10 minutes in water bath.

Ok, here's some pictues:

Oh, oops, did I mention I like to get "canned" while I can? Hehe...ok, never mind...

They're a strange animal...actually quite like a really good sweet pickle. I guess they could take on any flavor you throw at them....hmmm....that gives me some ideas about other flavors to make....

Got to go, head busy planning next food fiesta.

Cheers!!

My Favorite Thistle

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 05:33:23 GMT

K, you asked for some recipes and since our local market has them on sale, 10 for $10. our diet consists of ARTICHOKES! I'm not sure why so many people are intimidated by them, but they're really quite easy and absolutely delicious. All you really need is a good knife. There's many ways to do them, but my favorite and I think the easiest and cleanest way to eat is to quarter them (Seriously, you can skip this part and steam them whole...just a little more work getting to the heart). Cut off the tough stem, the tip, then cut in half (if you want to get fancy, snip off the stem tips). I usually keep a bowl of water with the juice of one lemon nearby to dunk them in and keep them from browning. Quarter each half and use a small boning knife to cut off the hairy stuff you don't want to eat. Steam them for about 15 minutes or until a fork slides in. They can cool from there and sit til you're ready. Spray some oil (or brush with olive oil) and put on hot charcoal fire to finish them off and give them some smoke flavor)...just a few minutes. You can do this early and again, they can sit to be served at room temperature.

The secret to this recipe is really the dipping sauce. The best of the best is Seal Beach's Whalt's Wharf recipe, but I don't often have time, energy or really want to do the real thing. I'll give you my cheater recipe as well.

Walt's Sauce:

1/4 cup sesame oil

1/4 cup olive oil

3 Tablespoons honey

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons season salt (Lawry's)

2-3 oz. Worcestershire sauce

1 cup mayonnaise

That's the official recipe from Walt's. To tell the truth, I rarely make it that way. If you're really lazy, just mix mayo and a few drops of sesame oil and it's just as yummy. Tonight, I added some sesame oil and worcestershire sauce, it was too runny so I added honey. I think the olive oil in the recipe is way too much, so sometimes I just add a few drops. I promise, this is so good and you can't go wrong.

We host many friends from different countries and different parts of the USA and we are always suprised that artichokes are so unfamiliar. Oh, and did I tell you that one of my favorite words to say is "thistle"....lol...that's what they are.

C'mon everyone!! Brave-Up!! Artichokes are our friends!

My Auntie Jo

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 04:20:04 GMT

Yeah, I know, I know. I'm a smuck for not posting more often and Bob is not a good teacher. He didn't tell me there were "rules". Why does he keep saying, "be patient, little grasshopper"? Is this when I just deck him? Plus I just learned that his web cam is actually working and he may have caught me snoozing (thanks, Sanjana for at least saying I had my mouth closed, oh and thanks Bob for not taking a picture to share) Sheez. Ok, It's been a tough week because I lost my dear Auntie Jo. She's not actually my aunt by birth, but was actually responsible for my birth. Guess you'll have to read her memorial to understand. I'm not a good public speaker (unless it involves petroleum marketing or just showing off), but my family, including Bob, insisted I do it. So I'm just going to suck it up, rewrite it about a hundred times, practice in front of a mirror, and call myself proud. I guess I'll give you guys a preview of my "rough draft". Since you don't know the old gal, don't get too critical.

Ok, so's here's what I have so far. Let me know if it makes you cry, like we both did when I wrote it. I'll take pictures at her memorial. The only thing I can add is that I hope I am so loved when I die. She had a fine 82 years on earth.

AUNTIE JO’S MEMORIAL

Jo Peacock was my friend, my aunt, my “other mother” and my mentor.

She lived life on her own terms and didn’t take anything from anyone, which is one of the qualities I most loved.

I met Auntie Jo on the day I was born. Every day on my birthday she would tell the story of how I was almost born on her dining room table during a poker game. Had it not been for her nursing experience they almost didn’t make it to the hospital. For years she called me her “cardboard box baby” for the time I spend on her table as my first babysitter. I always teased her that it would have made a better story if I’d been born on a poker table.

Auntie Jo always had a big part of the Bauer girl’s life. In one way or another, she helped Mickie, Jo and Pat in their early lives in California. When they each made their way to Southern California from Nebraska without knowing a soul, she became their family. In time, she became a big part of our lives. It’s hard to imagine Easter or Thanksgiving without her.

Auntie Jo had many talents, including nursing, gardening, sewing, sales and teaching. I believe it was her greatest talent as teacher. It was, of course, she who taught Jerry and Wayne to garden, me to sell petroleum products, Jo Lampert to sew and Jason to fight fires. Above all, she taught us all that life was short, so enjoy every day as if it were your last.

There are more memories of our life with Auntie Jo than I can recall here, so I’ll just give you some highlights. She is one of the original “driving Miss Daisy” club members that was founded on one of her “Valentine” birthdays. Being the youngest member, it was my job to drive the “aunties” to meet. We’d normally just have lunch and shop. This heart pin represents our club and Auntie Jo, “Mom” Jo, Mick, Pat and Nance are its original members.

A recent highlight was taking her to see her great love, Bob Barker, at “The Price is Right” show for her 80^th birthday. Josie Donohoe became our next “Driving Miss Daisy” member when she joined us on that venture. And I’ve got to tell you, Auntie Jo always tried to give me directions in places she hadn’t been in years, and normally we’d get lost. But I’ll be darned if she didn’t know downtown LA like the back of her hand and got us right on the freeway home.

I’ll never forget Thanksgiving and poker games at her house, picking kumquats and then trying to figure out what to do with them, lunches at Mrs. Knott’s Chicken House at Knott’s Berry Farm, her annual Disneyland passes to us kids, and just always thinking she’d be there.

We will miss her always sweet disposition, her crazy ass driving, her always strong opinions, her kindness, her stubbornness, her beautiful blue Norwegian eyes, her always knock-out legs, her laugher, but mostly, her always unconditional love.

You asked for it...Moroccan recipes! (This if for you, Steph)

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 05:04:34 GMT

Hello...

Yes, I'm bad! Do I even need to apologize for not posting after all the fabulous comments I received? Don't ya know that I'm a fickle pickle, don't quite have my game on yet and, oh yeah, work over 60+ hours a week for a major oil company. That said...yeah yeah, excuses escuses...(Oh, yeah, and I'm married to Bob...another story altogether)...

Ok...here's my next topic, and this one is especially for Steph, since she's the only online peep I've ever met. Plus, I made it for her family and they're still alive and asking for more...what more could a host ask for. So, here it is in all it's glory...

Becky's Moroccan Chicken

This is my own version, and all measurements are approximate (I tried to approximate dinner for six).

6 whole chicken legs/thighs, bone in, skin or no skin (leaving the skin on does give the sauce a richer flavor).
1-2 Tablespoons ras el hanout*
1/2 - 3/4 teaspoons cinnamon
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
2-3 onions (yellow), sliced in half and cut into thick slices
Handful (1/2 -1 cup) dried apricots (sliced in half if desired)
1 preserved lemon**
Handful (1/2 - 1 cup) fried almonds***
1/4 - 1/2 cup kalamata olives (pitted and chopped) - optional but tasty

Combine spices w/olive oil and rub over chicken. Marinade several hours or overnight.

Brown chicken in olive oil in large dutch oven, remove. In same pot, toss in onions and lay chicken pieces over. Add water and/or white wine to cover onions. Cover and cook about 1 hour on low.

To serve, place chicken pieces in large shallow bowl and spoon juices over all, Sprinkle with apricots, preserved lemons, almonds and olives. Serve with crusty bread to dip in the juices (oh yeah, the best part!!)

* I get my ras el hanout from friends in Morocco (wow, yes, I'm lucky...I even got to visit the medina's there!). Think of it as a curry, not in taste, but in the fact that every "shopkeeper" has their own blend. I noticed that it's now available at Cost Plus World Market, and we tried it...it's not bad! I did, however, find this recipe if you want to make your own version (or just want to know what's in it).

Ras el hanout:

1 tsp, ground cumin

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground coriander seeds

1/2 tsp. cayenne

1/2 tsp. ground allspice

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

**I've never tried the store bought variety (if you can even find them), and I've made them both the old fashioned way (which takes weeks) and the "quick" version is just as good, I think. I keep them in a plastic container in the fridge and they last forever.

Quick preserved lemons:

Thinly slice as many lemons (any variety, I prefer thin skinned ones such as Meyer's) as you want (be sure to wash thoroughly first) and place in shallow container. Sprinkle generously (really, really salt them) with salt (I just use regular table salt, but you can use course, sea or kosher. I think the key is, the less time you have, the finer the salt) on both sides and let sit for at least one hour. The longer they sit, the better they are. To use, rinse gently under running water to remove pulp (yep, you only want the rind). Chop rinds into 1/2 inch pieces. Rinse only as many as you're going to use, save the rest in their juices/salt brine in fridge until next use.

***You can use toasted sliced, whole or slivered almonds, but I prefer these. I buy the raw whole almonds from Trader Joe's and blanch them for a few minutes in boiling water. Rinse and remove skins. Fry lighlty in a little oil (veg or olive) and cool.

I Usually serve this with couscous, spiced carrots, etc., so if anyone really wants a full menu just ask. It sounds time consuming, but it's really one of my easiest recipes (if you got the three ***'s).

OK....how many of you have I lost so far? LOL...did I forget to tell you this was a test? Heehee! For those of you who don't know me (oops, nobody does!), I'm a major diva chef wanna be. My guy, Bob (Mr. S) seems to think I'm a genius and please don't pop my bubble!! He's the one that told me to post my recipes. More to come if you like, or not.

Cheers and satute!!

IMPACT

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 05:17:14 GMT

Wow, you guys. I'm a little speechless and a little embarrassed. How awesome to hear from so many people and get such wonderful comments. So...you guys are real people and just normal joe/janes. Who'd a thought. As this is still so new to me, please be patient. I still don't quite get the etiquette part, so forgive me if I don't do the right stuff to "allow you to be my friend"....sheesh, don't get mad, but isn't this a little high school? Guess you still need to "pick your friends" (oh yeah, and you can pick your nose too, but don't wipe your friends on the couch...oh man, that's bad). And I'll really try to visit your sites as well. We're heading up to the "cabin" so will maybe tell you all about Bob and the dogs escades...at least MY version!! (and I'll take pictures to prove it)!!!

HEE HEE, Cheers ~ R

A night of the stars????

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 05:13:07 GMT

Hello all. First off, let me say that this idea of a space/blog thingy is all Bob's. I think maybe he tricked me by telling me it was the only way I could get on his blog (since he went private..???) Since we all know Bob needs a mommy really really bad, I figured it was the only way to keep tabs on him. Was I wrong???? (And by the way, for those of you who asked, yes I will tell his secrets and MY side of the story!!) .

Secondly, I was blown away at all the remarks I received on my "empty and as yet to be filled blog thingy"...yikes, you can really send flowers??? I love flowers!! I bet they were really cheap too! Heehee, thanks you all, Bob said you were a good bunch of peeps, but I'm still a little freaked that you're not real people and this is all in my imagination....or is it????

Ok, I understand that Mr. Big Mouth told you about my "Oscar" night tradition, so guess I'll tell you about it. First off, the thing is you have to have a gawd-aweful, butt-ugly dress (think bridesmaid couture). Get some girlfriends together, a few snacks and some champagne (I have a bottle of Dom but hid it cause these gals are cheap dates). Shave the legs, a little makeup (ok, leg shaving is optional), get some big hair and dig out the gawdy jewelry (did I really pay 60 bucks for those pearly things ?).

My dress is circa 1990 (did I really walk down the aisle in that thing??)....can you believe the Oscars were all about RED this year and that just happened to be my color????? Score!! Errr, I mean, I knew that. And remember what your momma always said about fashion...it DOES come back (ok, even I can't keep a straight face on that one...check out the picture...I mean REALLY, someone just shoot me if this style comes back!!). I don't know if you can see it in the pictures, but the "back" shot looks really sexy, like it's backless. Ok, the truth is I couldn't zip it up all the way!! Bob tucked in the bra straps and excess fabric and I posed to look sassy!! Shut up!! Big girls rule!! What's a couple of inches over the last decade (and where are my spanx)??? Beats the alternative.

Ok, guess I'll get into my regular gear....pink flannels with oreo's and finish my champagne. Looks like the party's over.....FOR NOW!!

Cheers and thanks for actually reading this stuff??!!

This Mr S!!!

Sun, 24 Feb 2008 21:40:37 GMT

I'm working on my wife's new space!! What do you think, so far? I THINK she has decided to keep it, even tho I misspelled her name!! lol!! But anywho, thanks for all of your comments to her!! Now, back to work!! Oh, and be ready for her Oscar Night post!! It should be a good one!! PICS!!