 Big Guy has really enjoyed his garden this summer. While a much of it is experimental, meaning we are new to urban farming, we really raised the experiment with our potatoes.
I have written about our love affair of the show, Beechgrove, which is a gardening show from Scotland. One of their segments focused on growing potatoes in bags. With our limited space, we were up to trying. I am happy to say the yield was outstanding. I will be on the lookout for potato recipes as I do not want these beauties to go to waste!
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 I have written about my love of St. Louis, but it always saddens me to hear people denigrate our cool city. Why do we have to beat ourselves up when we have so much to offer the world? Enter my new heroes Jeff and Randy Vines who are the owners of STL Style. They boldly state on their website that “They just don’t build cities this cool anymore, and we consider it our civic duty to provide an outlet for authentic, original products that reflect the true character of the city we love most – imperfections and all.” I love their products and their staff are so positive about St. Louis you will leave the store with a smile on your face. Check them out online or at their store on Cherokee Street, buy a T-Shirt, and wear your St. Louis pride! It is time to be positive again and this is one step in the right direction.   Big Guy loves his breakfast food. We made bacon the other day but had six slices leftover. Instead of our Alexa Show giving us a suggestion… creepy right? Big Guy got creative and did his version of a breakfast casserole. Or quiche depending on your need to be fancy! He started by lining our small Staub casserole with tater tots from the freezer. After baking them to a lovely crispness then added a mixture of eggs, chopped bacon and Provel cheese. The finished dish was golden brown and so delicious. It was a total meal in one slice of casserole. Lucky me that I am not the only chef in the Carondelet Kitchen!    It has been a baby-palooza this spring with three magical little girls coming into our life. We went to visit the newest babe born to our dear friends and bonus family. While the baby napped, my bonus sister asked if I would help make an ice cream pie for Father’s Day. Um, yes!
The “Easy Peasy Ice Cream Pie” was simple to put together and will add extra fun and festivity for a special occasion. I asked if I could share the recipe for this version of the pie with the editorial note that you can use any ice cream or cookie that is your favorite for your celebration. Butter Pecan Ice Cream Pie
Add the Pecan Sandies and melted butter to a blender or food processor. Hold back about ten cookies for the topping. Pulse the cookies until they blend well with the butter. Place the mixture on the bottom of your foil pan. The ice cream needs to be soft but not thawed. Add the ice cream to a Kitchen Aid or blender. You will need to do one container at a time. Once you see a creamy consistency, pour the ice cream over your cookie bottom. You will want to push the ice cream over the cookie mix filling in the corners with a spatula. The last step is adding the remaining cookies and pecans as a topping. You can pulse them in your blender or place them in a bag and use your roller to break the cookies and pecans into smaller pieces. Sprinkle them top, cover the pan and place it in the freezer. Tip: Make this pie one day ahead of time to make sure the ice cream has refrozen making it easier to serve.  Big Guy is a lover of sandwiches, so we are always on the lookout for an outstanding sandwich shops. St. Louis has excellent examples but one of our favorites is Blues City Deli. On a recent visit, we were pleased to see patrons inside and outside of the deli, but with a short line. We have had to wait in the past, but it is never long, and the staff are friendly. On our recent visit, we ordered the Benton Park and the 7th Street Sicilian. We were not disappointed and cannot wait to return for another outstanding meal. Or, as our friends challenged us, to try everything on the menu one meal at a time. Well done all!
 I started working on my White Mountain Puzzle entitled Happy Hour. As I reviewed each panel, it called to mind Thirsty Thursdays with my parents. As my parents got older, it was our weekly get together to have dinner and drinks.
Big Guy and I used to think we created the phrase, but we understand people look to this day to start easing into the weekend. In fact, I was surprised to read there is now a day celebrated on the first Thursday of July to honor all the bar tenders in the world. Mark your calendar for July 7th and raise a glass in honor of your favorite bar tender. While no longer with us, my parents believed in the sanctity of the daily observance. Here is to Happy Hour and the memories created with our family and friends!  I have written about making croutons in the past with stale bread. The other day, I realized I did it again. I bought bagels with the grand idea I wanted them for breakfast.
Big Guy and I ate two out of the package, then watched the bag sit on the counter for days. By the time I got my head wrapped around that, a week had passed, it was too late to freeze them. I would not have thought to make croutons out of bagels, but I had nothing to lose other than a little olive oil, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and time. They turned out to be delicious and Big Guy has been in and out of the kitchen eating them like a snack. I guess I will not have to worry about rushing to make a salad anytime soon!  Music is especially important in our little bungalow. In fact, we usually have it on all the time ranging from classical to jazz. It seems each time someone stops by, they comment on our music selection.
As you can surmise, the quarantine was difficult for us since we not only love to hear music in our home, but we love to hear live music throughout the metro area. As we slowly venture out, we have been enjoying live music again at both indoor and outdoor venues. On a recent visit to Jazz St. Louis, we not only got to hear a favorite group, The Manhattan Transfer, but we were delighted to see hummus on the menu. It was the perfect treat for the evening. We had a wonderful time, so it seemed appropriate to relive the evening by getting out my recipe for red pepper hummus. You bet we are opening a bottle of wine now with The Manhattan Transfer playing in the background. Perfect!
After two years of my cooking and carryout, Big Guy and I are excited to be out again trying the great food in St. Louis. We are determined to get out of our past rut and try new restaurants so first on the list was Lorenzo's Trattoria which specializes in Northern Italian Cuisine. They opened their doors in 1999 and boy are we late to the party!
The reception staff greeted us with warmth and professionalism. As the host took us to our table, we were delighted to see an old friend who used to work at Brazie’s, which just told us the rest of the evening was going to be terrific. We started off with Arancini and a nice bottle of Chianti Classico. While Big Guy and I tend to order different things, we both opted for the Angel Hair pasta with grilled Italian sausage. The dish was the perfect balance of a spicy tomato basil sauce and expertly grilled sausage with just the right amount of parmesan cheese. We had enough leftovers that we are looking forward to a repeat meal in the Carondelet Kitchen. Lucky us! Now if only Doodle could learn to do the dishes!  I am not running a restaurant in my Carondelet Kitchen, but I do share a similar value of using open stock dishes so I can easily replace a broken piece without buying a new set. It was fine for a while, but I found myself longing to add color to my white dinnerware. Cue Fiesta Tableware!
I am sure you have noticed this tableware as you walk through a store since it tends to be bright vibrant colors. The incredible part is the long history it has for still being an American made product that started in the 1840s. I am excited by my new colors which fit perfectly with my existing tableware. Who knew I could have fun with my dishes as well as my cooking! |
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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