Egg Day-The Brunch Project

Daring Croissants

2011-09-27T21:52:00.002-04:00

The Daring Bakers' Challenge this month was croissant ala Julia Child.

Yippy, yeah!

I was excited to get all up in making laminated dough. That's what they call layering butter with flour dough. There's puff pastry which isn't yeasted and danish which is and has eggs and is a little sweeter, then there's croissant. It's kind of the Mac Daddy. Do people say that anymore? There are few more obscure laminated pastries out there too like Kouign-Amann which is sugary and caramely. It's on my list to make at some point soon.

This was my first attempt.

Croissant trial No. 1
Delightful!

I thought I'd give it one more go. My boss was full of stories about pain au chocolat and days as a college student in France. I just thought it would be an opportunity to make a good impression.

As I work in kitchens I made the dough at home and baked it off during my break.

Aren't I lucky to be working with ovens just outside my office door? I think so.

Pain au chocolat. Croissant dough cut rectanular wrapped around dark chocolate

One might say my colleagues are the lucky ones. I shared the croissant buttery goodness with them. I think that's what you might call influence.

"Hello, would you like a warm croissant?"
"Why? It's a hobby, this Bakers' Challenge thing. Don't want them all to myself."
"Oh, I'll just shut up while you enjoy...."

Before proofing

Baked and lovely

I really should have taken pictures of people eating them.

Really, I'm not so much self congratulatory as I am genuinely surprised at all the fuss. The peoples were really very happy while they ate them.

As for the challenge piece, I used to make them professionally twenty some years ago-dear lord-I was but a pup. And please know they aren't hard to do so much as it takes planning. A few minutes over the course of 12 hours or so depending on how much you want to wait.

Here is a video of Julia Child making them if you are so inclined. I love her.

With Plum Preserves on Melamine
Extra pretty

Frankly, I'm not the biggest fan of fresh plums. But there are these hard little Italian pruning plums one only finds this time of year. I love them. Well, not fresh but cooked. I grew up baking them into a flat cake, done on a jelly roll pan, ala Gisela, my German step mother. Well, I bought some for a cake which I made and share, but alas too many, so I cooked the remaining down into preserves.

(I've since gone and bought 4 more quarts and have made a literal gallon of plum preserves.)

I served them up to to colleagues as well, on melamine, the institutional serving wear of choice.

Candy Licious

2011-08-27T16:27:00.000-04:00

For years I've wanted to participate in the Daring Baker's Challenge. It's a fancy pants baking group that montly post a challenge and then participants do their take on the it and blog about it. The blogs come out on the 27th. Hence today I'm blogging.

I'm so excited.

What I like about it is that I learn something that I otherwise might never have reason to know and I get my baking juju on.

The challenge for August was to temper chocolate. One had to mold chocolate or enrobe something and make a different candy.

Candied Mint

My first attempt was candied mint. I eggwashed and covered the mint leaves with superfine sugar. After that dried I coated it with tempered (seeded method) bittersweet chocolate. They were knock your socks off in flavor. The crunch from the sugar contrasted with the melty chocolate in your mouth.

Green Tea Coconut Truffle

I then made a green tea ganache and rolled that in toasted coconut. It made a lovely little candy.

Lilac jelly from the spring.

Lastly, I really wanted to make a molded candy. What you have is a peppered white chocolate filled with lilac jelly.

White Chocolate Black Pepper Lilac Candies

My process could have been better finessed, but the flavor was rocking.

There's plenty for me learn about candy making, but all in all, I'm pretty proud of how this challenge worked.

I'll be back in September!

Bacon Eclair

2011-08-27T15:56:00.000-04:00

Maple Bacon Eclair- Winner!

Today is going to busy on the blog. Feast or famine, eh?

I need to celebrate that I won for a second year in a row at the Bacon Camp Throw Down, here in Columbus.

It's a cooking contest where the ingredient of choice is bacon and there are categories, sweet, savory, homemade and fake bacon. There wasn't a fake bacon entry this year. But the sweet category tends to get petty heavy with competition. Well, I took the prize; a nifty bag of bacon theme swag.

What did I do?

Pate a chou with rendered minced bacon. That was filled with a maple pastry cream (not pudding) topped with milk chocolate bacon ganache and then a sprinkle of crunchy turbinado bacon crunch. It took a fair amount of trail and error to get this just right. I'd go all Cook's Illustrated on you. Why the bacon needed rendered. How tasters liked the maple better than vanilla or elderflower filling. How bittersweet and semi-sweet chocolate overpowered the bacon flavor, so milk chocolate was the go to flavor. And the topping...it took 4 tries to get what I wanted.

Minis for the attendees. They were so cute!

But I get bragging rights. And yeah, I'll talk you through it if you really want to make them yourself. Hit me up.

I have to blog about my first Daring Bakers' Challenge candy making endeavors shortly too. That's been keeping me occupied this month too.

Cooking? Not so much...

2011-06-03T09:33:00.000-04:00

Egg Day happened in April, but not in May because it would have fallen on Memorial Day.

Sadly, I've not been cooking much. I've been busy though. I suppose I did make Lilac Jelly again this year which turned out lovely.

I am now part of a group called Life(dot)Next, and there's incredible community building there. I also brought the movie, May I Be Frank to Columbus a second time this spring. Lastly, my Deaf and Blind kids are graduating so this time of the year is busy.

I think the biggest challenge to me getting into the kitchen is just some fair amount of stress about finding a new job. Mind you I'm in kitchens for work. That piece of my job I love! But it's not enough. The problems I solve are the same problems I've dealt with for decades. I want some new challenges. It makes a girl sad to think about leaving. Actually, I've only just recently wrapped my head around the fact that I really MUST leave. Not that it seems like a good idea or something I should investigate. There's been some relief in that, so I think the muddy cloud is lifting.

So there, the blog isn't dead or dying. Community and cooking are still key for me. Should be fun to see it unfold.

Halla!

Green! I've Been Making Green Sweets!

2011-03-05T20:36:00.000-05:00

Pandan Cake with Coconut Frosting

I work with a very young woman whose people are from Thailand and Laos. She's a cook in one of my kitchens so I've been teaching her how to do that while she's sharing her some of her family's recipes with me.

It is so fun.

Anyway along with durian (YIKES) she has had me try pandan. I've fallen in love with the crazy green color and the subtle flavor. It's delightful. I have some leaves frozen, waiting to be beaten into paste.

I also make cakes, or desserts actually, for all my staffs' birthdays. I came across an pandan cake mix at an import grocery. Yeah! I know! The directions weren't in English, but the numbers and pictures were enough for me to figure it out. She had a lovely birthday with a delicious crazy green cake.

Green Tea Fudge

Green Tea Fudge

Then there was the recipe I came across for Green Tea Fudge at Not Quite Nigella. It needed Matcha-powdered green tea. It was amazing! I put that out by the coffee pot at work with a little sign because really, who's going to eat green fudge without being told it's tea? It was a hit!

Green Tea Roll

Since I had the Matcha in the house I made a Green Tea Rolled Cake for a dinner party last week.

A basic sponge filled with stabilized whipped cream and a strong green tea syrup to moisten the cake. Again, it was great. I loved how elegant it looked and my guests gobbled it up.

Here are all the pictures. I've been having fun, but I've not had time to blog about it.

Do you ever get on a jag? You know an ingredient or a technique you riff on? If so what? I've had meatball and peanut butter phases. How about you?

Girl Scout Thin Mint Stuffed Cookie

2011-03-05T20:00:00.000-05:00

I'm the mom who isn't the troop leader but who likes to participate, particularly when there's a call to cook something.

You see the daughter's troop is going to be doing the famous Girl Scout cookie sale outside a store tomorrow. There was a request to use cookies as ingredients so we can sample them to the folks coming by and hand out recipes. We are such over achievers where my daughter goes to school.

So I volunteered like I always do.

I also sit in the front of the class and actively interact with leaders at seminars. I'm that person. I'm okay with it. What I came up with were 4 recipes- A cookie, a pie, a salad (if you can call pudding a salad) and a soup.

The pie is peanut butter pie with Tagalongs mixed in and sprinkled on top-nothing crazy.

The salad is pudding, cool whip, canned oranges and crushed pineapple. Add Samoas for Tropical Samoa Salad.

The soup is pureed honeydew. Add whole blueberries and crumble Thank You Berry Much Cookies on top. I know a little weird and simple, super duper simple.

But the Thin Mint Stuffed Cookie? That was my brain child. A simple vanilla cookie dough that is slightly leavened wrapped around a thin mint. Taste? Awesome!

2.5 cup butter
2 cup sugar
3 eggs
.25 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla (use mint flavor for a more minty cookie)
8 cups flour
4 T. baking powder
1 tsp salt

2 package Thin Mints

Sugar for sanding.

Cream the butter and sugar. Add 2 eggs, mix. Add milk and vanilla. In a separate bowl combine dry ingredients. Mix them into the butter. Will be a very dry dough.

For each cookie form two balls. One using 1 tablespoon of dough, the other using .5 tablespoon of dough. Flatten both. on the bigger round place the Thin Mint cookie upside down. Put the littler round on the bottom. Squish the dough around the Thin Mint evenly.

Scramble the remaining egg for egg wash. Brush each cookie, top with sanding sugar. Bake at 325 for 24 minutes.

So what kind of volunteer things do you do? Anything where you get to be creative? Let me know.

Oatmeal Cookie Goodness

2011-01-21T21:50:00.000-05:00

They were wrapped for transport before
I thought to snap a shot.

If you work for me or with me there's a pretty solid chance I'm going to bake you some kind of deliciousness for your birthday.

I'll let you pick what you'd like and I'll happily do my best to comply. I was asked for oatmeal cookies, or anything old fashioned, just to avoid chocolate. I know! Craziness. Who doesn't like chocolate? But your wish is my command or so it is when it comes to birthday treats.

I did what I do, which is I get on the internet and look up 3 or 6 recipes and see what works for me.

I made these jumbo cookies, from Cook's Illustrated, which you'd think would be perfect because it's Cook's Illustrated and they just weren't. I think they were as advertised, but they weren't what I was looking for. Too puffy, too domed.

You see once upon a time I baked at a bakery.

I did other things at that shop too, because they had pizza and subs and vegetarian soups (a bit of an identity crisis if you ask me-but it continues to work for the joint). At said joint I created THE best oatmeal raisin cookie. But for the life of me I couldn't find a similar one on the internet.

You may ask how can a girl know which recipe is which especially after 11 years away from the ovens?

There was a unique technique for these cookies that I'd never seen in other recipes. You mix the baking soda with water then mix it to the creamed butter and sugar. Well, hours on the computer looking and getting distracted I had an epiphany.

Wait for it.....

I looked in a cookbook on my shelf and BOOM there it was. I've gotten rid of many cookbooks over the years but this one is great. It's The Wooden Spoon Dessert Book by Marilyn M. Moore. I will have it in my home forever. I took her recipes as written below and made it my own back in the day and again this week for Andrew.

OLD FASHIONED OATMEAL COOKIES

1 c. shortening
1 tsp. vanilla
.75 c. granulated sugar
.75 c. brown sugar
.75 tsp. salt
.75 tsp. cinnamon
2 eggs
1 baking soda, dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
1.5 c. flour
3 c. rolled oats (old fashioned, not instant)
1 t. sea salt

Cream shortening with vanilla and sugars. Add salt, cinnamon and eggs. Blend well. Add baking soda which has been mixed with water. Add flour. Combine well. Add oats until mixed.

Scoop onto cookie sheets. Flatten with the bottom of cup and sprinkle with salt.
Bake @350 for 9-13 minutes until the edges are light brown.

If you want raisins add 1 cup with the oats.

These are perfectly chewy in the middle and crunchy on the edges. They have cracked tops and are pretty as can be.

What recipe have you been with obsessed with recreating or finding from your past?

Holidays are a coming

2010-12-11T18:48:00.000-05:00

I've been remiss in all areas of my life from laundry to blog posting. Please forgive me.

I am getting crafty for the holidays. I have scads of sugar and cocoa and milk powder stock piled in the house to make the delicious things I'm sharing with my loved ones this year.

How about you? My biggest struggle isn't what to make, but what not to make. There is beauty in editing and also some stress relief. I was going to do Pate de Fruit but gave it up when I realized the apircot ingredients were going to be too dear. Looks like I'll be making salted caramels instead. There are other things on my list but fear of people finding out is keeping me from going on about them here.

Pictures will follow after the gifting happens.

XO and all that other warm stuff.

Bacon Camp Throwdown!

2010-09-08T07:54:00.000-04:00

SWEET POTATO BACON CHILI CRUNCH CUPCAKE

I'm a girl who likes to cook.

It's what I do when I'm sad to make me happy. It's what I do when I'm happy to share the joy. Sadly, I'm a girl who is more prolific a cook than I am an eater. Don't misunderstand, I eat plenty, but there are only so many meals in a day.

So I do things to get my cooking on. Like compete, as I did this past Saturday at the Bacon Camp Throwdown by Wild Goose Creative.

And I win.

I got the Best Dessert Bacon! There are no blue ribbons but I did get a nifty bag of swag and bragging rights.

I made Sweet Potato Bacon Chili Crunch Cup Cakes. The recipe is below. It's not as hard as it is complicated. Go to town, make it, love it, change it up, make it better!

I was comparing the process of the Throwdown challenge to the old timey cooking competitions at the county fair. It's a 21st century way to get together with my community. I learned of the Throwdown through the internet, connected with the organizers through e-mail, then took it away from the computer into the kitchen. I went to the venue at the North Market where I met some genuinely great people. Here I'm back on line spreading the word through my blog-and others like Columbus Foodie. This is what Chris Brogan talks about all the time. The tools of our time used to conect humans.

YIPPY. It's a win, literally, on so many levels.

Me and the Kiddo!

I got to bake. Win.
I got to meet fantastic people. Win.
I got a cool bag of bacon gear. Win.
I got you reading my stuff and connecting with me here.

Super Win.

As promised:

Sweet Potato Bacon Chili Crunch Cup Cake

Cake
3 cups sweet potatoes, about 3 potatoes baked in foil until soft, peeled
1 cup white sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
½ cup butter
½ cup bacon drippings
4 eggs
¾ cup orange juice
3 ½ cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 ½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. allspice
Bit of nutmeg, ground fresh
¾ cups cooked bacon* (maybe a 1 ½ pounds)
Zest of 1 orange

Topping: 1/2 cup light brown sugar

2 Tbls chili powder
30 saltines or 7 skinny Italian bread sticks
7 strips of bacon or so

Icing

1 pound cream cheese
1 cup butter
7 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Zest of one orange
Juice from two oranges or about 1/3 cup of orange juice

*puree raw bacon in food processor. Cook in skillet until very crispy. Drain and squeeze excess fat, reserve bacon fat for recipe. Pulverize the bacon again, once cooked.
Cake:
Preheat oven 350 degrees.
Cream sugars with butter and bacon fat. Mix well. Add eggs and orange juice. Add sweet potatoes. In a separate container combine the flour with soda, salt and spices. Add to butter mixture. Add bacon and orange zest. Beat a good 5 minutes to keep them from peaking when you bake. Mix only until combined if you want a muffin top. Bake 18-24 minutes, check for doneness.

Crunch Topping:
In a little bowl combine light brown sugar and chili powder. Cover a cookie sheet with foil, then place a cooling rack upon it. On that lay out the saltines side by side. On the saltines lay the bacon. Completely cover the bacon with the sugar chili mixture and bake 30 minutes or until the bacon is super crispy. OR if using skinny bread sticks carefully wrap bacon around the sticks, roll the bacon covered sticks in sugar chili mixture and bake. Make more than 7 because they are yummy. When cool pulverize in food processor. Add chili flakes to make it hotter.

Icing:
Soften cream cheese in mixer. Add butter, combine. Add sugar, zest and orange juice.

Ice cupcakes, and coat generously with crunch topping.
For regular sweet potato cupcakes add butter in place of bacon fat and omit the bacon.

Martha Stewart's Birthday

2010-08-04T14:08:00.000-04:00

PHOTO BY: ME. Flourless Chocolate Cake

Yesterday Ms. Martha Stewart turned 69 years old.

I'm a fan as are many of my friends. I personally love that she has single handed told us 2nd generation feminists that loving your home and caring for your people is a valid use of your time. I think her phenomenal success is due to the fact that we were starved to hear it was okay, and also because we all needed to be taught how. Our brave mothers were out of the house, working because they had to and/or because they wanted to, but with that came a significant loss of the home arts.

We children were not taught.

Some of us had grandmothers or like me I had my German immigrant step-mother, who taught me some things, but many of my peers wanted "good things" but were at a loss on how to achieve them.

Then came Martha.

She made it all better. She teaches, demonstrates, shares and encourages us to the best we can with our abilities. While there are times items are terribly complicated, the overall message is, "time spent on cooking, decorating, organizing, and caring for people you love is well spent, here are some suggestions to get you started."

So we celebrated. We each brought foods made from Martha's many recipes, crafts for the kiddies, and a beautiful well appointed, cozy home, that of our hostess, Elisabeth Warner. She owns Pluck. The birthday party was her brain child.

Be Epic, no really go and try. You can do it.

2010-06-09T11:27:00.000-04:00

PHOTO BY: yummy-porky

I wrote a bit ago about being Epic in what you do on my business blog. I kind of forgot along the way.

Well, enter chance.

Or Chance, like a person's name. Who would name a child Chance? Wouldn't it stink if your brother's name was Victor? What were the parents thinking? "Chance, we figured we'd give you lower odds at success, you might turn out badly and we can say we thought so all along. Victor on the other hand will be accomplished!"

I digress.

The chance of which I speak has to do with a pop up ad I caught that led me to Food Network's Next Star application process for next year. I'm going to submit my video application in a few weeks. Go me. I'm shooting for EPIC. I've always thought I could entertain people and the GF recently told me I need to quit running from my true love, food. There's a whole bunch more to that, but let's say she's right.

I LOVE FOOD. I love the history and the science. I love the sociological aspects of it and the anthropological stuff of why we like we do. Lastly, I know what do with it to make it yummy.

I figure, I'm a lunch lady food nerd with a bit of kitchen skill. I could make for some interesting watching. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Oh, and next EggDay is June 27th. I'll be video taping there too as part of my entry. Hope you can make it.

Souffle, etc.

2010-04-20T14:45:00.000-04:00

PHOTO BY: clairity

"This EGG DAY was one of the best!" declared David.

I have to agree. All the guests were exceedingly charming and the food was exceptional. I am blessed to have so many good humored people in my world. Many of them can cook up a storm too.

I really do need to take photos of the food and the people or get Mania to do it for me. She's an aspiring photographer who happened with her camera. I need to bug her for some shots, see if I can pepper this post with them. The photo above is from Create Commons on Flickr but it looked like the one I made.

But let me tell you about the soufflé.

I had opportunity a few weeks back to be at a home store where I saw a soufflé dish. I thought I should buy that and make soufflé for Egg Day. I mean soufflé equals eggs and a new dish is always a good idea. But I'd never made one before.

So I read The Madame's Souffle Recipe which is as delightful as it is frightening.

It was originally published in the 1920's and it’s pages and pages long. I delighted in the phrasing and talking about making soufflés to amuse oneself, which truly speaks to me. And I got some important tips, like testing the center. I didn't much need to have a partner work with me to beat the egg whites because I have a stand mixer, but the thought was fun.

Then I read this recipe from Alton Brown for cheese soufflé, which is the one I followed, but I added gruyere cheese to the cheddar.

Aside from having too much batter to fit my pan, (I made 4 mini soufflés in little wide-mouth canning jars with the excess) it was perfect. The flavor, the rise, the color...I was so proud.

Egg Day goers said it tasted pretty good too. That's high praise indeed.

So what are your experiences, good or bad, about cooking an item for the first time for company? Fool hearty or fun?

Lilac Jelly

2010-04-14T21:22:00.001-04:00

I did it and it's beautiful.

I say that like I'm surprised but I'm not. I'm delighted beyond words though.

Pretty flowers make pretty jelly. It's mostly sugar tasting, but there is a subtle floral taste, which is lovely.

I made lilac jelly and I can't be more pleased. I now need to develop a recipe or two which uses it. I'm thinking a lilac chicken breast with butter and shallots, maybe over polenta. Scroll down. I added that too.

I hear the lids on the jelly jars popping down as I type. I'm freaking giddy.

Here's the recipe for Lilac Jelly

2 cup lilac blossoms, I used dark purple lilacs
2 cups boiling water
the juice of 1 lemon, about .25 cup
4 cups sugar
1 3oz packet of liquid pectin
Pick the blossoms off the stems, removing as much green as you can. Settle in, this is what takes time. Cover it with 2 cups of boiling water, in a non reactive container. Cover and let sit 24 hours. Strain blossoms. Prepare 4.5 cups worth of canning jars.
Add lemon juice and sugar Bring to a boil. Add pectin and boil again for one minute. Skim foam. Pour into prepared jars. Clean the rim, seal them and follow canning instructions, which is basically simmer the jars covered in water 10 minutes.

Jelly!

This hasn't been tried with lilac jelly, but I've done it a million times with current jelly and I bet it will work beautifully.

4 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
salt and pepper to taste
1 T. olive oil

3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup lilac jelly
cracked black pepper
2 T. butter

Preheat oven to 350. In a oven safe skillet heat olive oil. Salt and pepper the chicken. Sear on both sides. Move to oven. Bake 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and set chicken aside. Using the skillet, add garlic and shallots. Cook until fragrant. Add wine. Reduce by half. Add jelly and pepper, stir until smooth. Add butter. Add chicken back to the skillet to coat. Serve with some fantastic tangy/creamy starch like blue cheese polenta.

When was last time you inspired by something beautiful? What did you do?

April's Egg Day

2010-04-11T07:07:00.000-04:00

PHOTO BY: farlane

On the 18 we will meet again at my house to eat eggs, drink coffee and make general merriment in a low key friendly conversational way.

This past month has brought lots of changes with the weather getting warmer the daffodils are doing their thing and the trees are greening.

There's something quite beautiful about that. Also it's time for lilac jelly. I'll post pics of the process. In the dreary cold months I came across a recipe for lilac jelly and thought wow, that could be impossibly delicious. Or it could be an allergy attach in a jar. The only way to find out is to make it and see.

I have two lilacs in my backyard and they will give up their little florets for my jelly and pectin endeavors. I'll have the jelly and biscuits to sample on Sunday.

So with that I give you invitation to please come if you can. Bring your sunny disposition and a dish to share.

March Egg Day Approaches

2010-03-15T08:33:00.000-04:00

PHOTO BY Nina Mathews
Sunday will be Egg Day.

It's going just like I thought it would. Most months I get excited the week before hand thinking about what I'll make and making sure to put the invite out on Facebook. I spend a bit of time tidying the house the days before. Zoe is excited to have the company in the house.

All in all I'm thrilled with how Egg Day the brunch project is going. It’s been many months now.

What I'm going to continue doing is making 4 or so dishes, inviting folks the week before and vacuuming in the morning.

What I need to alter is probably ask people to bring specific things. Last time there was too much half and half and no orange juice. A simple request would even things out.

What I need to stop doing all together is counting people and putting artificial expectations on the quantity of people who show up. Even if it's only three folks, that's reason to be celebrate.

The happiness brunch is bringing happiness. Joy.

How to Make Soup

2010-01-09T11:19:00.001-05:00

PHOTO BY: basheertome

A friend asked me for some pointers on soup making. I had a thorough conversation with other colleagues about the subject too earlier in the week.

It occurred to me to write a post about it. And put it here on the EGG DAY blog, my place to talk about my love of food.

I shall try to be as concise as possible. Hehehe...that's almost impossible when it comes to talking soup.

I think of the world of soup divided in two sections: non creamy and creamy soups. There are more but right now lets keep it there.

Non Creamy soups are dried bean soups, tomato based soups and broth based. OMG, I feel the need to create a visual. I might need to do that before this is done. Bean soups that start with dried beans are different than canned beans because there's the soaking/cooking piece that happens first and you don't start with a dry pot and a sautee.

Creamy soups start with a dry pot-but they end differently, with milk or cream and probably a roux.

However much of the middle stuff is the same.

Okay, first you steal a chicken. What?! No that's how my immigrant father starts telling his recipe for Hungarian Chicken Paprikash.

What you nearly almost always must have is onions and garlic, broth or stock and your main ingredient. Like chicken or cauliflower or kale or mushrooms or whatever.

What you would do well to have on hand is celery and carrots, maybe peppers, wine and herbs that compliment your main ingredient.

Nice additions are carbohydrates, like barley, itty bitty pasta, diced white or sweet potatoes, rice.

Technique:

In the fat of your choice sautee the onions. Once they get translucent add garlic. Let that cook a minute. Add your main ingredient, sautee that a few minutes then add your broth. Season for taste and let it cook a good hour or two.

Okay, so you have the carrots and celery. Add that after the garlic. Let it cook until it's soft, then add a splash of wine. Cook that down (boil it off) then add your main ingredient, the broth, seasoning etc, and let it cook. Done.

So you have a carb you want to add? This you do in the last 60 minutes of your cooking time. Be careful not to add too much because this stuff explodes. Really for a good size pot of soup you really only need a third of a cup of barley or pasta. The potatoes won't explode so think about how potatoey you want your final soup to be and add accordingly. Their cooking time depends on how big or little you cut them. I know basic common sense, but I thought I'd say it.

You can drop canned beans or tomatoes into your soup any time after the broth goes in.

DRIED BEAN SOUP

Google that. All beans are a little different. There are ways to cook them quicker than others. Legumes, like lentils and split peas are great bean soups to make quickly. Rinse them and bring them to a boil. Drop all the goodies you want into them after they've started to boil. Add a ton of salt and season heavily because the starchy stuff needs more herb and spice than a delicate broth. Again, onions and garlic are the basic musts to have but the others- celery, carrots, canned tomatoes and bits of meat are great too.

CREAMED SOUPS

Like the basic soup above you've done it. All your veggies are soft and your soup is looking a little grey or brown or green AND you want to use up the bit of half and half before it goes bad. Add your dairy at the very end. It can be milk, cream, half and half, condensed non fat milk in the can; they are all good. Bring the pot back up to temperature to just under a simmer.

Now you'll make the roux: In a little pot melt some butter or margarine -hush, margarine works and if it's what's in the house that's what you use. Use about 4 tablespoons for an average pot of soup. Add 4 tablespoons of white flour to the butter. This is not the time to go whole wheaty. Make a paste and add it to you soup. Cook until you don't taste the raw flour flavor. If you are adding cheese, now is the time; after the roux is cooked.

TOMATO SOUPS

Generally add tomato products in place of some of the broth. If you are making a straight up cream of tomato soup, start with onions and garlic, add cans of diced tomatoes, puree and bit of broth and seasoning. Let it cook an hour or so for the flavors to mingle. Add cream and roux and cook a bit more. Get it? Easy Peasy.

CONSIDERATIONS

Use common sense when combining things. I personally think broccoli tomato soup sounds hideous.

Use other things like leeks in place of onions, shallots in place of garlic. Make your stock (stock has bones, broth is meat-no bones). Puree your soup before you thicken it. Blanch bits of your veggies to add after pureeing the pot; asparagus tips and tiny diced potatoes come to mind. Garnish with sour cream, chives, grated cheese, diced hard cooked egg or croûtons.

Golly and we didn't even go to: Try traditional ethnic flavors from South American, Indian, Asian, Russian...there are so many variations on the theme and really it's as simple as cook some veggies in broth.

Don't you just LOVE soup?!

And mind you I didn't hit upon stews, chilis and chicken noodle...those are different enough that they'll have to be a different post.

Okay it's your turn. Spill the beans: What's your favorite soup or soup flavor combinations? If you're an EGG DAY goer, would you be down for a separate Soup Party? You know a pot luck where you bring your best pot of soup and a bunch of containers to take home other people's left overs?

Hit me up in the comment section. I'd love to hear from you.

Save the Date: January 24th

2010-01-03T19:51:00.001-05:00

Egg Day is returning for 2010.

PHOTO BY: Vivianna Love

It seems like FOREVER since you've been 'round the house eating eggs and sharing delightful conversation.

Please come on the 24th with a dish in hand and your sunny disposition.

The longest days of year are behind us. I know the coldest ones are ahead. Many people are hunkering down with calls to stay indoors until the temperatures hit the 60's again. I hope in three weeks time they are bored with their four walls and they will bundle up to come over.

The coffee will be hot, promise.

XO
Juli

Francophilia and Eggs

2009-12-02T10:29:00.002-05:00

PHOTO BY foxspain

It’s not just about eggs. It’s about enjoying life and the people who fill it.

I’m kind of sad that the next EggDay isn’t to happen until January 24th, but these things can’t be helped. We just accept that is how it is.

And notice the sunninesses happening everywhere else.

Eggs are on my mind because I had a delicious treat today. Yesterday I was talking to a co-worker about my fantastic cousin in Cincinnati, Kate who raises urban chickens. They aren’t hip and happenin’ chicks with Alexander McQueen boots, but chickens raised in the city. Well the coworker, Joyce raises chickens too. She’s less urban than Kate, but she’s got eggs.

Joyce brought me eggs to work today.

A simple gift, but wholly generous. She thought of me and brought me a dozen of the most gorgeous brown eggs. I’ve eaten two already. (Perk of being a lunch lady, I have a kick ass gas range 15 feet from my office door, and industrial tools to cook with.) Being thought of is so nice.

And it doesn’t end with the eggs.

I was given perfume. I big ol’ giant box of perfume samples, each one different and tasked with sampling every one of them. This is no hardship, I assure you. Thank you Ms. Kim.

I smell particularly delightful at the moment, Cartier.

I’m also listening to music of France in the 1950’s. God love the internet and www.live365.com. I’m having a Francophile moment and flashbacks to childhood hours spent watching Gidget and Audrey Hepburn movies on rainy afternoons.

All this during my work a day week.

And if that’s not enough to be happy about I don’t know what is.

Recipe for 22 Pumpkin Pies

2009-11-17T16:26:00.001-05:00

PHOTO BY: Dennis.Vu Using Flickr-Creative Commons Agreement

If you know anything about me, you know me and food go way back.

I'm a lunch lady.

I was a restaurant chief-ie before that.

I'm going to continue to be a lunch lady for the foreseeable future. Go me. It's the economy, stupid. Or really, it's the stupid economy. I recently got my MBA. I'm kind of sort of looking for a new job, but in the interim I'm going to continue to be the best damn lunch lady there ever was.

So I give you PUMPKIN PIE for 176 people.
Double the recipe for a crowd.

Preheat the oven 325. It's convection-we're in an institutional kitchen, or 350 if you're at home and you just have a plain old regular oven. (If you're at home there will be a two pie recipe to follow.)

22 frozen pie shells
40 eggs
3-#10 cans pumpkin
8 cups granulated sugar
7 cups brown sugar
6 T. cinnamon
3 T. ginger
1.5 T. cloves
20-12 oz. cans evaporated milk

Lay out your pie shells on parchment lined bun pans.
In a giant ass mixer mix all the rest of everything together.

Pour the mixture into the pie pans, bake for about 40 minutes. It will take closer to an hour if you're at home with that conventional oven discussed above.

Serve with all the other Thanksgiving fixin's to the happy kids who come through your lunch line. You don't know what they might not be getting at home, this might be their only pie.

Aerosol cans of whip cream are optional, you decide if they can handle the responsibility.

For Home
2 pie shells
1 28 oz can pumpkin
8 eggs
1.5 c. sugar
1.25 c. brown sugar
1 T. cinnamon
.5 T. ginger
1 tsp. cloves
3-12 oz. cans evaporated milk

I’ve made this pie at my school for the last 10 years.

I’ll continue to make so long as they’ll have me. It makes me happier than about nearly anything else I do in November.

What work related Thanksgiving traditions do you all do?

Home Made Marshmallows and All that is Good In the Universe

2009-11-15T17:27:00.002-05:00

November Egg Day has come and gone.

This one was fantastic. I don't know just how many people came in and out through the doors but there were at least 14 new faces who hadn't made it before.

There were many delicious things to eat and interesting conversations. The people come from all over my life, old friends, co-workers, social groups, family and neighbors. I'm feeling particularly blessed.

But on to the food: Well not all the food, but the marshmallows. I've been talking about making them for months. I finally got to it. Shall I proceed?

Marshmallows are confections, soft little pieces of creamy melt in your mouth sticky candy.

1 cup water, divided

3 ¼ oz. envelopes gelatin

1 cup corn syrup

2 cups granulated sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups powdered sugar

In a bowl that fits a stand mixer sprinkle the gelatin over ½ cup of water. Let sit 10 minutes while you cook the sugar.

In a pot bring to a boil the other half cup of water, corn syrup, sugar, salt. Stir to dissolve, wash down the sides of the pot with brush dipped in water or cover with a lid and let boil 2 minutes, (the steam will collect on the sides and wash down the sugar. Attach a candy thermometer. Bring to soft ball stage-240 degrees. About 10 minutes.

With the ball attachment on and the mixer on low add the sugar slowly to the gelatin, by pouring it down the side of the bowl. Turn the mixer to high. Whip 10 minutes.

It will become all white and marshmallowy looking, like fluff or ice-cream topping.

Add the vanilla and whip 30 more seconds.
Prepare a 9x13 inch pan by spraying with oil, a layer of parchment paper, then sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Pour the marshmallow into the pan. Spread with wet off set spatula or wet fingers. Top with more powder sugar. Cover and let cure 12 hours.

Turn out onto powdered sugar covered surface, cut with pizza cutter and roll in more powdered sugar so that all cut surfaces are covered. These babies are sticky and the sugar makes them manageable.

Why marshmallows?

They are my go to comfort food. I will poke them with a fork and toast them over the stove and eat four in row when something is a miss in my life. I use that as an indicator I'm troubled. What do you do when you are troubled? Do you eat? Do you exercise? Do you lay face down on your bed and throw a fit?

Do share.

Choosing Kisses

2009-10-27T23:11:00.002-04:00

PHOTO BY: platinumblondelife

A friend asked me today if now that I’ve tuned into happiness if I am more apt at noticing other people being unhappy.

The quick answer is, “yes.”

I want to say that I equate snarky with unhappy though.

You know you get a hit when you are snarky, like look how hip or smart or witty I am but it’s at the expense of someone or something. And if you are talking to someone who sees things similarly you’re golden. Well, if you want to show them how hip and clever you are. They’ll give you props. You’ll get your hit. And it feels so good.

But at the end of the day or week or goodness, lifetime you’ve got to be feeling pretty crappy. I mean if you devote so much energy to putting things down you can’t see the good around you. You can’t probably see the good within you either.

It’s a painful cycle.

I was trying to pinpoint when I stopped, -well for the most part- I do fall into the cynicism well every once in a while and it was when I met someone who is wholly good. She pauses before she says something mean. She ponders her words and nearly apologizes after they come out. You know she deliberates over their impact and while she doesn’t always choose the higher path, she chooses.

And choosing is what makes it fantastic.

And by the way, she showed my by example, not by berating me, not that we’d expect anything less. Right?

I see it like mindlessly eating chocolate kisses or mini peanut butter cups; it’s not going to kill you to do it every now and again. But daily, it’s going to show. And even better is not eating them mindlessly but choosing to eat one or two or three and knowing full well why and what you might need to do to mitigate the negative impact.

So do you choose?

More about Change

2009-10-22T19:05:00.001-04:00

PHOTO BY:IK's world trip

I've said I want to make change,

not like four quarters for a dollar kind of change, but real make your life better change.

And there's change brewing in these here hills. I need get all my writing, all my blogs, I do believe this is number 4 or 5, and kind of put them together in the master blog of all Juli-ness. There will be ample editing. There'd be nothing more embarrassing than to have my 9th grade diary out for the world to see and my first blog feels a little 9th grade diary-ish. But you know I'm moving forward. There’s probably a gem or two in the mess to harvest.

I'm moving forward with Actuate,
Business Strategies. And while lots of my junk on the blogs isn't business related, I feel it can give a flavor of who I am and what I might offer a client. Anyway, chances are this will be redirected to that or that will be redirected to here. It so would help if I had a neighbor or pal to help, but whatever, I'll get it done.

I'm good at getting things done.

Someone once said, everything can happen, given a long enough time line. I like to believe that's true.

I’m trying to think of headers like “advice”, “flavor”, “instructions” I’ve been preachy. Really I just want to have “hire me”. Somehow I think I need to give people a wee bit more though.

What would you want from a coach?

Someone yelling at you to drop it like a drill sergeant? Hand holding? Cheerleader? Actually how about someone who earnestly listens to what you are doing and hears you talk about where you want to be, then she gives you some guidance or clarity which maps the path? Yeah, I want to be that kind too.

Foodie Foolishness

2009-10-18T16:30:00.003-04:00

PHOTO BY: decentjoyce

I want to write about egg-citing eggs, or egg-straordinary joy, but I'll keep that to myself.

The people were fantastic today,

the conversation joyful and the food down right delicious. There is a competitive air to some of the dishes, where one might think that's not okay for EGG DAY, but somehow it fits. Dave's puff pastry egg filled scrumptiousness vied with Mary's French toast bake and my sweet and sour lychee meatballs (finish them in the oven, then add to the sweet and sour sauce) stood up next to them for popularity. Lest you think everything is rich, while most of it is, there is always a nod to fruit and today was no exception. There were yogurt smoothies, and fruit tea drinks, and just a big ol' bowl of berries.

Some may say that we should only eat locally,

but really, in October raspberries are not local, and I rather have them than not. Is that bad? Am I spoilt? Do I add it to my carbon foot print? Perhaps the fact that I recycle is like buying a carbon off-set. I'm not completely oblivious to my personal impact on the planet, but I am not plagued with anxiety like some.

So I think EGG DAY the blog is going to transition into a foodie blog.

You know, all my blogs are something about food. My life is about food. I've decided to quit running from it and embrace my love and history with the stuff. I could start yet another blog, but frankly, all the cooking and baking and playing in the kitchen I do relates back to EGG DAY so why bother with a new one?

So my readers, both of you, here we go. I expect I'll be posting more and linking more, because that's what a girl ought to do.

If I get really adventurous, I’ll even post pictures of foodie foolishness. Wouldn't that be charming.

October 18th.

2009-10-08T12:28:00.004-04:00

PHOTO BY: JuncTionS

I'm thinking EGG DAY in October is going to be the best one yet.

No, I don't know what I'm making,

but people I love will be there. New people I've recently met will be there, and folks traveling big distances will be there.

How fortunate am I? My world is full of people who like eggs and conversation.

If I could poach eggs (cook them, not steal them) and make them heart shaped for you I would. You know the idea was to make people happy by sharing a bit of upbeat time together, but frankly I'm the one who is happier. I'm down right tickled.

Again, what a lucky duck am I.

Please come if you can.

To save you the trouble of reading more than one post, bring a coffee mug that you can either leave with me for upcoming events, or take home with you. I'm trying to be environmentally friendly and nixing disposable serving wear where ever possible.

Aside from that bring something to edible to share and your sunny disposition. The coffee will be hot and the atmosphere friendly.

Bubble Tea

2009-09-29T14:15:00.004-04:00

Photo by: Scardy_Kat

EGG DAY

There's been three of them so far. And I'm excited for the fourth, October 18th.

It's a nice culmination of my desire to cook, to make connections for myself and my people, and to open up my little house.

There's a real joy that comes from that day. I like the people crowded together. I like the conversations that go everywhere and I even like the awkward side stepping some of the guests must do.

Liz has a theory that we must engage with those that we disagree with or we just get caught up in a, "yeah, me too" mentality and no growth can come from solely talking to like minds. I suppose that would be like the preacher speaking to the choir. They are already in church; where's the conversion?

Again, the discours at EGG DAY is to be civil and it has been. And the sarcasm and anger needs to be restrained, which has been done in fantastic measure. I'm looking forward to see what happens next. So come one, come all.

Bubble Tea, Broccoli Quiche and of course the Sage Loaded Sausage Gravy and biscuits were served in September.

XO!

Coffee in a Cup?

2009-09-24T19:05:00.003-04:00

Egg Day is pretty awesome.

Who knew it would be as easy asking people to come out and play.

Now of course I'm asking for more. You see we serve on real plates and I just bought a bunch cheap-o but washable silverwear. Now I want to get rid of the disposable cups.

Got a Mug? Will you donate it to the cause?

Hope so.

Hope to see you there next time too.

October 18th.

Pencil It In. 9-20-09

2009-09-06T09:51:00.006-04:00

PHOTO BY: tanakawho

I love having this "Egg Day" happening. It's turning out to be great fun. The next one is September 20th, then October 18th.

I kind of knew from a marketing class that if you name a concept and define it with a fewer rather than more words it can be catchy.

I've invited people to Egg Day, of course.

I say, "Well I have this brunch once a month. It's a community building thing. It's a place to come and have some food and leave bad attitudes outside. I call it 'Egg Day' because well I had to name it something. Human's like names." We do.

One neighbor was said, "'Egg Day' is on the calendar."

Others have said, "'Egg Day' was so much fun."

"When's the next 'Egg Day'?"

That's so much better than, "Juli's happiness community building monthly brunch." It fits better in the little square on the wall calendar and it easier to type into the Black Berry.

Go marketing class.

I've learned a few other things from those classes too, which I share in conversation as people chat about their businesses. Like name your customer who represents your demographic.

Really if you know Margaret is the woman who'd just gobble up your product, develop her in your mind, where does she work, what does she do in her spare time and how old is she...etc. And no rarely is there only one demographic, but it's a starting place.

So with "Egg Day" who is my customer? They are Kristy and Ben. Committed to each other, maybe married, both employed and with a kid or thinking about having one. They are a little to the left politically and savvy enough to talk with anyone. They are pushing 40, recycle, and spend more than they should on food.

And no, I don't really think of Egg Day as something that needs marketing, but it's an exercise and exercise is good for you, right?

Now I'm blurring this blog with the other. The Lunchlady to MBA one. That's the one where I talk about the change I'm continuing to process. Becoming a business maven is part of that change that stands in front of me.

Juli Carvi, Business Maven. That could be a funny business card title.

And dear people, I am trying to think of a business name for my coaching stuff. Have any ideas? Let me know.

Duet Egg Day

2009-08-24T22:38:00.005-04:00

PHOTO BY: Stevendepolo

The second EGG DAY has come and gone it was as fantastic as the first one. There were similar faces and different ones too. The food was switched up a bit this time. I was channelling 1962. In part because I've been getting caught up on Mad Men, I recently saw Julie and Julia and Gena and I were snorting out loud as we looked through the horrendous pictures in the Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook that was printed that same year.

I made the Mandarin Duet Jell-O Salad. which is an orange jell-0/sherbet ring filled with ambrosia salad. Memories were relived and some were actually created with that cherry topped dessert.

It was fabulous.

I had printed off happiness and happiness related quotes to generate conversation which it did. I thought I'd ask people to share "egg" idioms too. As I am a lover of idioms and people do enjoy a little verbal gaming as a way to engage. But that will wait until next time.

Oh and there will be a next time. September 20th actually. So if you're in the mood consider checking it out. I promise a full belly and maybe a giggle or two.

Sincerity vs Cynicism

2009-07-31T09:10:00.006-04:00

PHOTO BY:Wrote

Sincerity is a interesting personality trait. I am torn between my cynical self and my desire to be earnest. I think this post belongs on Egg Day The Blog because it is a very sincere place. I really do want to manifest happiness and joy via eggs and community building and yet I roll my own eyes as I type that sentence.

Cases and Points:

I like fashion.

I clearly see the futility in the industry. Earnestly I also see it as wearable art or representation of self to a high level but also, it's a huge waste of potential time and talent when people are going hungry and wars are waging.

I heart the hell out of drug store cosmetics.

Again what's the point of painting ones face when there is mayhem and destruction consuming our world. Couldn't a girl better put her efforts elsewhere? I also see the primal human experience to paint ones body. We've been doing it since we realized mud mixed with berries makes a pretty burnt sienna color which contrasts or compliments nicely with any pigment. Really, I see blue eyeshadow as an extension of that endeavor.

I do let my daughter play in momma's make up bag but why does she gravitate to the blue eye shadow? I suppose you may ask why it's there in the bag to begin with. I call it a failed experiment.

I sincerely think everyone has a place in this world.

The masses exist for a reason, but don't push against me in a crowd or I will stab you with my dagger eyes. You will feel my wrath. Dude, I confuse myself.

My friends have come to expect a certain level of snark from me and yet I recoil to think that is who I've become. Good to see that they are embracing my positive turn toward sincerity. Or perhaps they are snickering in the corner behind my back, wondering how long it will last. That's okay too. One day there will be too many mojitos and "make over day". I have blue eye shadow and a camera.

A Few Hours = Many Days Payoff

2009-07-28T12:54:00.009-04:00

PHOTO BY: kikisdad

So many wonderful people traveled to participate in Egg Day.

I am genuinely grateful that people shared their time with me.

Jill came from Portland, well not for Egg Day, but she happened to be in town and we took the opportunity to catch up. Lee came up from Cincinnati, Yellow Springs was represented and my brother traveled over an hour to be there. I was touched by everyone generosity with their time and effort to attend.

And then yesterday morning a wonderful thing happened at work. Dave, a co-worker who came to Egg Day, made a point to come to my office in part to thank me for the nice time, which is lovely, also to praise my friend's child's behavior.

He noted that the child who is 10 did very well being patient with my 7 year old. Also that she was generally pleasant and interesting. High praise indeed for any 10 year old. I in turn, passed the nice words to my friend Liz, the child's mother, along with thanking her for sharing part of her day with me.

At the same time Kim sent me an email gushing all manner of kindness but particularly said something sweet about Gena. Of course I had to share with Gena the kind sentiments because what good is a compliment that goes unshared? Considering Gena is on the hunt for new employment she was particularly delighted to know she was able to make such a good first impression. Also, who doesn't like to hear nice things about themselves?

Anyway, there was just a whole host of cascading joy from Egg Day.

Even today, two days later, I'm basking in the glow of positive juju that was intentionally created Sunday.

Really good things across the board. I'm very much looking forward to Egg Day in August. It's the 23rd, so mark your calendar now. I'll be making sausage gravy and biscuits again. If you can't make it, we'll see you September.

Egg Day-What It's About

2009-07-18T12:35:00.030-04:00

PHOTO BY:housefosims

I love eggs.

I love to cook them and eat them and I love to be social while cooking them and eating them. I love them so much I could pay a restaurant to let me make omelets at a breakfast buffet. But that would be stupid because who pays to work, but then I thought about these to things and my love of eggs: One is the Happiness Project and the other is This I Believe from NPR, on which someone said they have a Friday Afternoon Cake happening every week at their house.

Wouldn't that be lovely?

The Happiness Project, the abbreviated version, is to mindfully go about creating happiness in your world and you'll get more happy. "More happy" is used there as a noun and an adjective. I'm all about making some happy.

The piece on NPR was about happiness and community building. I like that too. I believe that we are in a time of massive community building or organizing outside of historic norms, like not at work or church or civic organizations. We can do it now for no or little money. We've got the internet to connect us and back yards to meet in. I'm not one to work for mega corporations, I'm not one to affiliate with organized religion, I hardly have it in me to keep up with professional groups.

But I do love people. I love the exchange of stories and the sharing of ideas.

I also love to cook, and bake, and eat, and feed people. Do you see where this is going?

My people are a diverse hodge podge of folks. From people I cycle with, to old friends I once worked with, to people I've met along the way. If you are reading this and we have yet to meet, but you want to come to egg day, you will probably become my people.

Nice to meet you.

So here are the parameters, of course there are parameters because how will you know what to do if I don't share? You are not mind readers. Well if you are I like a good parlor trick so do perform when you come but otherwise here they are. Not many but important to know none- the less.

The last Sunday of the month, (July 26th) from 11ish to 1ish I'll be home and there will be food served. The weekends might hop to the second to the last weekend of the month, depending because there will be eggs the weekend I have the kiddo (August 23rd). But I'll post here and in email a week ahead of time so you can check to be sure.

You need to bring whomever you'd like and something breakfast-y. It could be a dozen raw eggs, a casserole, a sleeve of bagels, a pound of bacon, muffins, juice, coffee, fruit, prune danish, whatever. Nothing will be snubbed. The only thing is that you know your ingredients so the allergy people can be aware of what's inside.

You need to leave your grouchy, grumbling, pissy, caustic, mean spirited stuff at home.

I suppose that's important because I've bolded it and put space around it.

We all enjoy a dash of cynicism and sarcasm but if you get all ugly you'll be clucked at by me. There will be other cluckers in the group too, to be sure. This isn't the time for crotchity attitudes. Again, I'm no hippy tree huggy girl, (no offense if you are, you know I love you). We won't be holding hands and singing, but but this is about making some joy.

You can certainly bring your sleepy, hungover self to the game, we'll prop you up in the corner and give you strong coffee and eggs.

And I know my address isn't posted here, because I'm not one to invite trouble. If you don't know where I live, and I've been in the same house for 14 years, drop a line in the comment section and I'll reply.

Hope to see you here.