Salad dressing is another recipe in the works around the Carondelet Kitchen. It seems with the current harvest of produce from the Carondelet Garden, I must return to making salad dressing.
In the past, as a novice in the kitchen, I used to cheat by mixing Italian dressing with strawberry jam. It was certainly delicious, but it lacked the flavors that come with using olive oil, red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, and a fresh jam. My decision was easy due to the fact I had all the ingredients in my pantry. The bonus was a recent visit to see @larder_cupboard for my resupply of jams so I was ready to start shaking a new mix of dressing. It was fantastic which makes me wonder why I do not do this all year round? Silly goose!
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 Big Guy and I are always on the lookout for new recipes whether it is in a magazine, online, or even with a delivery. Our recent package of wine included a recipe to complement the Rosé of Pinot Noir we received from Sean Minor Wines.
The recipe highlighted lemons in a cheesy cream sauce called Pasta Al Limone. The opening paragraph noted the recipe was “perfect for creating a special meal without spending hours in the kitchen.” I never mind spending time in my kitchen, but I do appreciate a fast and spectacular easy meal for days I am busy living my best life. Once again, Sean Minor delivers a home run. The pasta was easy to make, in under twenty minutes, and it was the perfect meal with our Rosé of Pinot Noir! Well done!  We are grateful for those who gave their life while serving on this Memorial Day. And we’re thinking of those who have lost someone they love. We salute our heroes on this Memorial Day.
 The warm weather is here, and pool season is just around the corner. As I was thinking about my favorite summer drinks, I knew I had to make a Manasota Sunset. It is my version of a drink I used to get when visiting my parents in Florida. I have fond memories of drinking this boat drink on the beach, plus it is a great reminder of my parents.
I drink is simple to make in that it is four ingredients. The only difficult ingredient is finding mango sorbet, which seems to have disappeared from the frozen section of my store. As I am ever one to adjustments to my recipes, I found mango fruit bars which not only gives me my mango, but the stick becomes a stirrer for my drink. The rest is orange juice, tequila, and grenadine which makes the sunset come to life in my glass. Now I just need a beach!  Big Guy and I have been working so long in our garden we have to remind ourselves it is only May. What a wacky, but wonderful Spring season!
While our vegetables are growing in our garden under Big Guy’s vigilance, I was thrilled to see fresh fruit at @thfarmersmarket. The strawberries traveled from Mount Vernon, Illinois and were stunningly red and delicious. I will be finding all kinds of things to use them for in the coming days. Ice cream? Cake? I cannot wait to go back to the market for more in the coming weeks so I can keep enjoying this time of year!  I do love this time of year because I start letting go of my winter eating habits with an eye toward more fruit and vegetable filled meals. Do not worry, this is not a new thing, just a usual adjustment this time of year. What is new is my Nutribullet blender for the sole purpose of making smoothies. I have not gone crazy but wanted a new way to enjoy my fruit and yogurt. I get bored quickly with my breakfast food and it is too easy to grab a sweet treat instead of a healthy start to the day. It was fun going through the frozen food aisle to pick up frozen fruit to get me started until the bounty of summer starts to fill my shelves. I started with the usual banana, strawberry, and blueberry mix which was delicious. I cannot wait to start mixing and matching my fruits into new combinations which I know will keep the boredom monster away!   Where have you been all my life? These were the exact words Big Guy shouted upon trying a Kentucky Butter Cake. I tried not to take offense, but he could not stop gushing about this cake. He recently found the recipe in Southern Living Magazine, and we were both primed and ready to bake up this wonder of cakes. I will warn you it takes three sticks of butter so it may not be for everyone, but as Prue Leith would say, “it is certainly worth the calories! We, of course, really went over the top by adding the absolutely incredible lemon curd from @larder_cupboard along with fresh strawberries! Heaven on earth!
  Do you ever wish you could be creative and shake up a familiar recipe? I know I give it a try from time to time, but I am not always successful. It is exciting when I trip upon someone doing something new.
Big Guy and I stopped by the @tgfarmersmarket for breakfast and shopping with our dear friend and her adorable baby. Being first thing in the morning, we headed straight to the food area and saw our friends @graffitigrubstl. We first had their breakfast @macklindmarket and were blown away by the quality and flavors in the food. Decision made! As we approached the food truck, I knew Big Guy would go for the chicken and biscuit sandwich. I, on the other hand, was drawn to the biscuits and gravy especially seeing on the menu that the sausage was andouille. I watched them put my order together and caught them taking a picture of my plate. I commented that if the food is picture worthy, it will be fantastic. It was and here is my picture to prove it.  Big Guy and I love @seanminorwines. We are always impressed with the quality of the wine which we have shared with many friends.
We recently decided to join their wine club so we could enjoy the added benefit of learning more about them and their wine. It also gave us access to ordering the wines directly if, sadly, our local vendor was sold out. Our bad! We have been blown away not only with the frequent comments they share back with us on Instagram, but with their actions upon becoming members of their club. We received a lovely handwritten card expressing their gratitude for supporting them, but it also included a welcome gift and personal note expressing their appreciation that we share information about their products @carondeletkitchen. The best part is the note said our first shipment was on the way. It arrived within two days of the card. Wow! I truly believe all organizations could learn a great lesson from Sean Minor on kindness, gratitude, and outstanding customer service. Bravo!  When I first moved to Saint Louis, I was confused by the changing street names within blocks on the same road and the various names of the neighborhoods in the city of Saint Louis. Do not get me started on having to use north, south, east, and west in my directions!
Upon meeting Big Guy, I had another learning curve. My first barbeque with his family and I encountered my first pork steak. I know I had a weird look on my face as I was given the entire history of this tradition, but I was game especially since I was still new in my relationship with Big Guy and his family. The years passed, and we decided it was time to revisit this long-ago family meal. We bought two lovely pork steaks with the goal of cooking them “low and slow” to tenderize the meat. In the end, the meal was satisfying, but as the saying goes, we could not go home again. I am sure our doctor will be thrilled we have gotten this bit of nostalgia out of our system! |
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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