 I saved a simple tomato sauce recipe that used San Marzano tomatoes with the idea I would make it in the middle of winter with my last bag of frozen tomatoes. I am not sure what happened to that plan, but I finally became determined to cook this recipe as Big Guy planted his new San Marzano’s in the Carondelet Garden. There is nothing like the prospect of getting new tomatoes to motivate you to clean out the old ones in the freezer!
The recipe came from @foodand wine with the promise the recipe is “heartwarming, incredibly easy to prepare, and truly versatile.” The easy part was true. I used one pan to cook the blanched, peeled, and cored tomatoes with a medium onion cut in half so I could easily remove it from the sauce at the end of the seventy-minute cooking time. The final two ingredients were five tablespoons of butter and salt. I stirred the sauce throughout the cooking process and made sure I pressed any remaining tomatoes to smooth out the sauce. I admit my only error was not having enough tomatoes, so I ended up with too little sauce to dress my pasta. I broke down and opened a jar of my canned marinara sauce to top up the pan, but it was still a successful meal.
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 I know I sound like a dinosaur when I admit to getting two newspapers a day along with weekly news sources. In today’s world, I am calmer when I can read my news digested and presented without the “drama” of the moment. The other bonus is finding outstanding recipe ideas like the One-Pot Tortellini with Prosciutto and Peas from our friends @nytimes. It was so easy, and I really cooked everything in one pot. Other than chopping the shallot, I did not have to pull out another thing. I started by cooking the prosciutto until crisp. I removed the prosciutto, so it did not overcook, but used the fat to cook the shallots. Once the shallots softened, it was a matter of adding the rest of the ingredients into the pan which included the peas, cheese tortellini, chicken broth, heavy cream, nutmeg, and zest and juice of half a lemon. I covered the pot but stirred frequently watching in amazement as the tortellini cooked in the sauce. I added the prosciutto back to the ingredients and served up a delicious pasta in less than thirty minutes. Perfect!   I overheard Big Guy saying our new pup has a box full of toys but prefers to play with boxes and used plastic flowerpots. I realize this sounds just like a human baby too! The other day, with five toys on the floor, Big Guy noticed I had tucked Mr. Lobster in the pocket of my apron. He found it humorous especially knowing I would never cook a real lobster in my kitchen. I explained that I put it there so Bonny would not start squeaking it since it was INCREDIBLY early in the morning. Thanks to @madelineaubree for finding this treasure as it is her favorite toy. I better buy more food related toys so I can begin Bonny’s training to be my sous chef! HA!   Yes, we did it again! Big Guy and I talked at length about getting another pup, but as my FIL used to say, “there is never a perfect time, and if you wait, you will never do it.”
So, we adopted our “beloved beautiful baby” and have not regretted a moment. In fact, I am working on being present since this is the first time I have been able to really watch my puppy grow without being distracted by work obligations. I know I will sound like a dog “mom” when I say she is smart and has already mastered our back steps. She is even helping around the house by picking up flowerpots in the garden and supervising my cooking in the kitchen. Big Guy is claiming her as his garden dog, but I am hopeful she will love to be in the kitchen too!  Oh, the shame of it all! Big Guy and I have passed by @hodaksstl and consistently commented we should stop by for lunch or dinner. We finally stopped and we were instantly sorry it took us so long to experience their outstanding food. Now, before my IG friends call me out, my FIL used to go there every Friday for lunch with his co-workers. I am confident the afternoons spent there were fun affairs with copious amounts of food and beer consumption. As new converts, I promise we will return soon to this friendly and welcoming restaurant. The food was outstanding with the price of the food unbelievably reasonable. I have leftovers so you know I will be dreaming up at least two alternate recipes to reuse my chicken!  Big Guy’s family has a history of serving deviled eggs for Easter. It was certainly foreign to me as my family dyed the carton of eggs and hid them around the house.
I have come to learn to appreciate and like deviled eggs as I tend to make them at Big Guy’s request. I checked out and was amused when I read the “his” and “hers” version of deviled eggs from @trishayearwood. Ms. Yearwood likes sweet pickle relish in her eggs whereas Garth Brooks adds a tablespoon of softened butter. After a head-to-head challenge, Big Guy and I are on Team Trisha. The only “improvement” to this recipe is a small piece of candied bacon on top. Yum!  I am working to rotate my favorite desserts during the holiday season. Since I knew my apple pie fan was not coming home for Easter, I opted to make my Kentucky Bourbon Butter Cake. I was sure it would become a classic with the family, especially when I saw large slices being passed along the table. One family member took such a large piece, we teased him that the serving size was for two…one for him and the rest for the family. Good times and a great laugh with a request to make another one for Christmas. I can deal with that request along with a special order from @vickinorthrop!
 Is there anything more Southern than pralines packed with pecans? I am sure there will be a thousand responses of other Southern desserts that should be in the top ten list, but pralines are my Kryptonite.
Like @auntieannespretzels, I would get off the plane in Atlanta and follow the smell of the cooking pralines @savcandy. I turned into the kid in the candy store and bought too many for my return trip home every time. Now that I am off the road, I have turned to Julia Reed and her recipe for pralines. How can you go wrong with six ingredients? The mix of dark brown sugar, sugar, evaporated mild, pecans, butter, and vanilla, was saved thanks to the quick action of my Big Guy when the battery died in my candy thermometer! WHEW!  I have been revisiting my old recipes. While Big Guy was still working, he loved to have quinoa loaded with vegetables for his lunch. He was always busy looking after his students in the library and something light and quick was the perfect snack to keep him fueled for the day.
The recipe originally appeared in the @aarp magazine as a favorite of past President Clinton. Politics aside, it was a simple recipe of quinoa, cucumber, tomato, red and green onion, cilantro, jalapeño, olive oil, and lemon juice. Big Guy is NOT a fan of cucumber, so I subbed in roasted red pepper which turned out to be the perfect substitution. While he no longer eats on the run, I still like to pull this recipe out as a healthy side dish with chicken or steak. It is the perfect lead into summer!  I love to shop @macys especially when I get star money and additional discounts. I had told Big Guy that I have too many kitchen appliances, but like his plants, we can always make room for one more, right? We decided to use our bounty of discounts to purchase a @cuisinart dehydrator. I have never used one, but the idea of having lemons and oranges handy to add to my tea sounded like a fun experiment. Once I opened the box, I realized I could use this baby for herbs and proteins as well. It opened my mind to so many possibilities! I started with my lemons and oranges to break it in. Granted, I only did one tray, but the surprise was the time it took to truly get the slices in the perfect state. I know the experienced folks out there will chuckle, but it took eight hours. It was a good thing I had writing and gardening to keep me busy while this appliance did its work!
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AuthorJust a super cool old couple who love to cook and eat and drink in their Carondelet Kitchen in South Saint Louis, Missouri! Archives
September 2024
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