Last night, while I was browsing through my copy of Alice Water’s cookbook, The Art of Simple Food: Notes, Lessons, and Recipes from a Delicious Revolution,  I found that most of what she espouses, shop local, buy organic, are principles I have been practicing for years. I can still remember as a child, stopping by the New Jersey farms stands with my mom on my way home from the beach. Fresh corn, Jersey tomatoes and melons, as well as home made pies, jams and locally harvested honey beckoned my senses and whet my appetite for good food. My mother had high blood pressure and was on a low sodium, low fat diet, long before it was fashionable, hence fresh fruits and vegetables were always an important staple in our diet.

The most compelling plea of Ms. Waters, and one with which I heartily agree, is her firm belief in packing children nutritious and hearty school lunches. This is a conviction I firmly believe in and have always practiced. I know some parents believe the importance of teaching children independence by making them pack their own lunches, but I know that if I did that, my kids, in their hectic scramble to get out the door each morning, would simply not do it. Since I don’t mind, and because it is so important to me that my children remain well nourished throughout their school day, I am happy to do it. Truthfully, it’s really not that hard or time consuming. Even when I worked full time and had an hour commute, I managed to get the job done. Because I do most of the prep the night before and  have such an assembly line efficient system, I can pack 7 lunches, (including one for me and Paul) in 10 minutes.

Another motivation for doing so is to keep my kids away from the unhealthy junk food crap they could buy at school, which, thankfully,  my kids would never eat anyway. However, I can see what an enticement it can be since it is so readily available and so cheap. My stepson tells me he can buy a slice of pizza and a Coke for $2. Certainly not organic or sustainable. Why do schools sell soda in the first place? Actually, I know the answer to that question. Soda companies underwrite the school with hefty donations in exchange for putting soda vending machines in the cafeteria. Under funded schools are fearful of giving up the resources. An outrage.

Here’s what I packed in my kids lunches today: fresh berry salad, bagel chips with basil and sun dried tomato hummus, and their favorite sandwich– turkey, Havarti cheese, bacon, avocado, lettuce and kalamata olive spread, which I make from scratch. Here’s the recipe: combine 1/4 cup mayo with a clove of garlic, a handful of kalamata olives and pinch of herbs de Provence in a blender or food processor. Pulse until creamy, although a few olive chunks are fine. My kids love it.

When Paul and I weren’t sailing in Marina del Rey or biking along Venice Beach, we were savoring seafood at some of the best restaurants in town– most notably, one aptly named Killer Shrimp.

Our waitperson told us that they simmer the shrimp in a special seasoning for ten hours. We could smell it from the harbor. It’s killer. Trust me. I was so enamored of this delectable brew, that I Googled the recipe and found the “unofficial version” at Epicurious. Here it is.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons dried rosemary
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 3 ounces tomato paste
• 8 ounces clam juice
• 1 stick butter
• 1 cup white wine
• 2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 pounds peeled shrimp, with tails
• French bread for dipping.

Partially break up the rosemary, thyme, and fennel seed with fingers. Place all ingredients, except wine and shrimp, in a large pot.
Simmer for about 30 minutes and add wine. Continue to simmer for a total cooking time of no more than 2 hours. Just before serving, add raw shrimp. Simmer until shrimp is done, stirring, about 2 minutes.  Serve. Each bowl should contain a serving of shrimp and a lot of broth, which should almost completely cover the shrimp.

I found this recipe in a magazine and I just had to try it. It was so much fun to make and decadently delicious. Save this one for a weekend brunch. My family LOVED it!

Ingredients:

• 1 store bought pizza shell (I used Boboli’s thin crust.)
• 8 slices thick cut bacon, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 2 large leeks (white and light green parts only)
• 2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 4-6 eggs

Saute the bacon in a large saute pan until slightly crispy. Add the leeks and cook until tender, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Spread evenly over pizza shell and top with the grated cheese. Bake in 400º oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and use a spoon to create “nests” in the cheese. Then crack the eggs into the nests. Note: the number of eggs you use depends on the size of the pizza shell and number of diners.

Return pie to oven and bake until egg whites are set, about 5-7 minutes. Cheese mixture should be slightly toasty and gooey. Place finished pie on cutting board, slice and serve.

When I was still dating my husband, he confided in me that his all time happy fantasy is to come home from work after a hard day at the office to the wafting scents of lasagna  and chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven. Those two foods, his favorites, symbolized comfort, hearth and home.  Whenever those smell sense memories kick in he just feels good all over. He married the right woman. I love to cook, smell and savor food almost as much as I love to eat it.

This past Memorial weekend was Paul’s dad’s 91st birthday. To mark the occasion, I cooked all Friday afternoon and Saturday morning and made Pop Pop’s favorites– BBQ boneless pork ribs, corn bread, potato salad and coleslaw topped off with pineapple upside down cake. While I toiled away in the kitchen Paul came in occasionally to dip his finger in the BBQ sauce and nuzzle my neck, whispering, “The house if filled with good smells.”

If you would like to solicit a similar happy reaction from your beloved, I’m here to share with you my secret, killer, put on your bib barbecue sauce. Only slightly labor intensive, but the simmering smells will make your husband very happy.

Shwanda BBQ Sauce (Recipe can and should be doubled.) Read the rest of this entry »

Although my mother was a fabulous baker, indulging us with an abundant supply of fresh baked cookies, cakes and pastries, she absolutely hated to cook. She considered it a chore and a burden and used to lament that if she just had more time, maybe she would have not felt so pressured, especially since she was preparing meals for a family of 7. (I can relate to that.) There was also that archaic dictum that dinner had to be served at 6 o’clock and no later, which I’m sure added to my mother’s anti-cooking angst.

Feeling her pain and wanting to help out, I took over the dinner duty chores when I was about 12 or 13. My mother worked and would always call home around 3 pm to make sure I made it home from school and to assign tasks. First, set the table. Next, make the salad. Eventually I was cooking the whole meal.(I have always said that I learned to cook over the phone.)

I breaded pork chops and pounded chicken cutlets into thin slivers for Cordon Bleu. I experimented with Jello parfaits and started throwing fruit and nuts into salads long before it was chic. Why? Because I loved to eat. There isn’t a childhood photo of me where I wasn’t stuffing my face with cake. (Maybe that’s because the only time pictures were taken was at family birthday parties, but still….)

As an adult, nothing has changed. Except I too get into my cooking slumps and get bored with the same old fare. Whenever this happens, I crawl into bed with a stack of cook books (I have quite a collection) and come up with some fresh ideas to pull us all out of the doldrums. Here are some recent recipes that my family just adored. Read the rest of this entry »

Today finally feels like the first real day of summer for me. June was such hectic month with Eva’s graduation, birthday parties, the end of school and the big family reunion. Just as our house guests were departing, I too got on a plane to Florida for a week long business trip and Eva and Sophia took off for a trip with their dad to the East Coast. Now that we are all back I feel like we can settle in and relax.

The kids were still asleep at noon today  when I left the house to go get my hair done. When I returned two hours later, Paul had put all of them to work  in the yard. In his words he had “organized his work crew.” They were weeding, removing mulch and cleaning out flower beds. Surprisingly, they were fairly good natured about it. When they were finished, the yard looked great. I made them some lunch and all  five kids sat at the kitchen counter eating, talking and laughing. They were working together, cooperating and seeming to have a good time as well. They were taking pride in their home which pleased me immensely.

This put me in a nesting mood so I made some soup. Paul cleaned out the freezer last night and found a ham bone stashed inside and I hunted around in the back of the cupboard for some dried beans I knew were in there. I threw it all  in a pot of water and let it simmer all afternoon and the smells are still wafting through the house. Yum.

Later in the evening, I asked Sophia if she would like to make brownies with me and she replied, “How about we make Mud Puddle cake instead?”  Great suggestion since Mud Puddle cake is much less fattening and super easy to make. I used to make it all the time when my girls were small because you can mix all the ingredients in one pan and the kids can stir ’til their hearts are content. It’s dairy free too. For a recipe of my Muddle Puddle cake click on my Just Imaginate blog. (Scroll down the page, it’s the 5th recipe down.)

I better go check and see if it’s ready.

Joel Schwartzberg, my newfound cyber friend  is a divorced dad who is  remarried to a woman who by virtue of  her marriage to him, is now a stepmom. He has written a book The 40-Year-Old Version: Humoirs of a Divorced Dad which I plan to read and review later this week. In the meantime, check out his essay titled What Remarried Dads Owe Their Stepmom Wives that appeared this week on the Huffington Post. If you have ever thought, “Oh my god, what have I gotten myself into?” by all means, read this post. I  have to say his words of wisdom and insight came to me at a time when I needed them the most.

This is a great cold-winter-rainy-day recipe.

Ingredients:
Filling:
1 small onion (I love to use shallots too.)
Handful of mushroom, sliced
2 cups cooked chicken
1 10 oz. package of frozen mixed vegetables like peas and carrots.
2 cans (10 3/4 oz. each) of condensed cream of chicken soup.
Note:Can also use cream of mushroom and cream of celery soup.
Sometimes I use three cans if I want my casserole to be creamier.
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Biscuit topping:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. For filling, combine onion and mushrooms in large, microwave safe casserole dish. Cover; microwave on high 2 minutes or until softened, stirring halfway through cooking time. Add chicken, frozen vegetables, soup and pepper to onion mixture. Mix thoroughly and bake 10-15 minutes until bubbly around the edges. In the meantime, make the topping. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, combine egg, milk and oil. Add to dry ingredients and mix until just moistened. Remove casserole from oven. Drop tablespoons of topping evenly over chicken mixture. Bake 25-30 minutes or until topping is golden brown. Serve with cranberry sauce or apple sauce.

Everywhere I go in my house, even in my car, I can look down at any given moment and see an orthodontic rubber band. You know those little 1/4 inch bands that most kids with braces have to wear at some point? With five kids in braces, we have a lot of those things lying around. Each time I find one, I can’t help but be reminded of the cost of raising five kids. Some people get excited when they pay off their student loans or their mortgage, I danced a jig of joy when I made my last orthodontist payment. Now to pay for college, car insurance, weddings… That’s another story. The kids are starting to get jobs to help pay the way a bit, and we are all doing our part to trim expenses as much as possible. Here are some strategies I have used lately that have helped cut a chunk off of our monthly budget.

First, I only shop at Marshalls. I took the kids there when we were in New Jersey this summer and we could not believe the deals. All the girls got stylin’ gladiator sandals for under $10. Cheryl found an O’Neill bathing suit for $7 and Sophia scored an American Eagle wool pea coat for $24. I told the kids, “From now on, that is where we will shop.” No more over priced mall designer stores. After all, why pay more when you can pay less?

Secondly, I canceled the house keeper. It killed me to do it, but I just could not justify the expense anymore. Now I pay the kids a small amount of chore money to clean their rooms and bathrooms and pick up the rest of the house, which is something they should have been doing all along.  I had justified the expense in the past because I was working full time and the kids were so busy with sports and homework. Now, we set aside two Saturdays a month to give the house a thorough cleaning and the money we save can go into a vacation account or toward some  other house hold expense.

Cook from scratch. If the kids want cookies they can make them themselves. Ditto for pizza and other snacks. Here are some recipe ideas from my Just Imaginate blog.

Make gifts and cards. This holiday season I plan to make as many as possible. I am starting now so that I have plenty of time.  Here are some homemade gift ideas also from my Just Imaginate blog.

Cooking/baking and making crafts  is a wonderful way to spend time together as a family. It is entertaining. It’s relaxing and it teaches kids the value of saving money.

For those of you who were anxious to hear, Paul did finally make it home yesterday after he got stranded at a diner with no gas and no money to pay for his lunch. Thankfully, his business partner was 20 minutes behind him on the same highway and met up with him to pay for his lunch and buy him a tank of gas. Otherwise, I would have had to drive down to meet him.

He was pretty bone-weary and bedraggled when he got home. I had dinner (shrimp scampi) and wine waiting. We sat at our outdoor fireplace and relaxed. He loved the new golf shoes I got him for his birthday.

RECIPE FOR SHRIMP SCAMPI (for two)

Ingredients:

3/4 lb. large shrimp or prawns, peeled and deveined leaving tails on

3 T good olive oil

2 T dry white wine (for drinking and marinating shrimp)

kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

3/4 stick unsalted butter, softened

several gloves minced garlic

1/4 cup minced shallots

3 T  minced fresh parsley

2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 tsp. grated lemon zest

2 T fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 egg yolk

2/3 cup panko bread crumbs

lemon wedges for garnish

Place shrimp in large bowl and toss with wine, olive oil and dash of kosher salt and pepper.  In a separate bowl, mash the softened butter with the garlic, shallots, parsley, rosemary, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, lemon juice, egg yolk, panko and dash of salt and pepper.

Arrange shrimp in a single, circular layer in a round baking or gratin dish placing the tails in the center of the dish. Pour the remaining marinade over the shrimp and then spread the butter mixture evenly over the shrimp. Bake at 425 degrees for 10-12 minutes. If you like, you can place the dish under the broiler for 1 minute to brown. Be careful to watch though. Don’t want to burn it. Serve with crusty bread.