 Big Guy and I were out the other day looking to pick up a good loaf of bread. As we left the house, we decided to try Knead Bakehouse and Provisions on Hampton. We heard from a neighbor that the breads were perfect to compliment any meal.
We are now sad that we have not been to this establishment as the experience was top notch. We were immediately welcomed and invited in to survey the breads and sweet treats. We started talking about our planned meal for the day and the lovely young lady jumped right in and assisted us with selecting the perfect bread to compliment my onion soup. As you can surmise, we also picked up some doughnuts to add to our Sunday morning quiet time with our coffee and the New York Times. It was perfect!
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 I am a full-fledged cookie hound. I admit it is difficult to walk past the cookie aisle and not buy a sweet treat. Big Guy must hold me back at Girl Scout cookie time! I have been trying to be better about my internal cookie monster, but I am afraid I have unleashed the beast. I was looking through my cookbooks and found a pecan sandie recipe from Ina Garten. She described it as a “shortbread classic to the holidays due to their wonderful flavors from demerara sugar, vanilla, and toasted pecans.” I apologize to the little Keebler elf as I will never buy store-bought again. It was sublime and one of the best cookie recipes. You can check it out in Ina’s Foolproof cookbook.
 Do you ever walk into a business knowing immediately it is special and run by fantastic bakers? Big Guy and I limit our visits to Pint Size Bakery only because we tend to buy everything in sight which is not good for our waistlines. Then again, I am not going out of this life feeling regret for that extra bite of goodness! We were excited on our first visit to Pint Size Bakery and Coffee due to their motto of “small batch from scratch fresh daily.” It is obvious this motto serves them well as it allowed them to weather the COVID storm by making their muffins, scones, and cookies daily for their faithful customers. I am delighted to see them continuing their strong business in South City and will be back more often knowing I will be rewarded with outstanding pastries and coffee made with love.
 Big Guy is starting to see the harvest following his efforts in his Carondelet Garden. We are still dealing with our thieving squirrel, but we tend to get two for his one tomato. Thanks to our outsmarting him, we finally have ripe Black Krim tomatoes to enjoy with our fabulous bread from Federhofer’s Bakery. We made a lovely bruschetta by toasting the bread and topping it with a mix of tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, garlic, basil, balsamic, and olive oil. Big Guy picked the perfect summer wine and now this meal reminds us why we plant vegetables every year. It does not get better than picking your own produce from the back yard.   Blame it on Amazon Prime days! Big Guy and I have been hearing from our neighbor about one of her favorite kitchen gadgets…an air fryer. The price was right, and we jumped on the deal.
I am already dreaming about different recipes I can try in this baby. I am quite sure I have some “fried” vegetables hitting the mix with the recent influx of the harvest in our garden. I will have to report back on the different things I try to do with it. Of course, I will not turn down any suggestions either!  I am grateful the recent storms did not knock out our power or do any damage around the house. The only OMG moment was when I noticed our jalapeno plants laying on their side laden with fruit, but with broken branches. It was time to harvest them whether I was ready or not since I could not just throw them away.
Holy jalapenos, but we got a full bowl of them. I have already resolved to make more jalapeno jelly, but now I am on the hunt for other recipes. It is one time I am grateful to live in an age when recipe ideas can be found not only in my books, but also on food websites. It is going to be an extra SIZZLING summer!  You know it is summertime when we make wraps for lunch at the Carondelet Kitchen. There is something so simple about rolling up ham, or salami in my case, along with a dressed salad to make the perfect sized midday sandwich. We usually add chips or pretzels to round out the meal.
I am not about to forget about my love of bread, but this version is our go-to for summer as it seems lighter and more portable, especially for nights we happen to check out the music at Carondelet Park on Sunday evenings. We like to add in a bottle of wine and the entire evening is perfect surrounded by other folks enjoying a summer evening.  “Time flies when you are having fun.” I have heard that adage for years, but it really rings true at this point in my life.
I am coming up on three years since my retirement, but today is two years since Big Guy and I started the Carondelet Kitchen. Where did the time go? Asking that very question tells me that I am enjoying this project and it reminded me of the passions of my youth. I was that artistic kid who loved to sing, dance, and perform. I went to art classes with my mom, took photos with my dad, and watched both of my parents successfully run their beloved community theater. I really thought my career was going to be in the arts until I converged on a different path in my life that included insurance and making money! It also included the best retirement plan so I can go back to my original passions since I no longer worry about making money. I would say it was worth the wait as I am more productive and creative with life experience in my toolbox! I look forward to continuing my Carondelet Kitchen journey with everyone!  I know my doctor will hate that I praise the butter I use in my recipes, but it is magical. Big Guy was craving my onion soup, so I agreed to pull out my 8-quart Dutch oven and get to work.
I admit the first time I made this recipe; I made a huge error. The recipe calls for one stick of butter to three pounds of peeled onions. I pulled out my inner Julia Child and added another stick of butter since I was sure the onions would dry out in the hour and a half the recipe said to sauté them. I found myself draining off the second stick of butter and shaking my head at the waste of it all since the recipe author certainly knew how to make their own signature recipe. Fast forward to learning from my mistake, I now can revel in the wonder of caramelizing the onions to a perfect golden brown by keeping the recipe simple. Who am I to doubt this recipe generously shared by Chef Manfred Zettl who developed it for hungry shoppers at Famous-Barr. Silly me!
Big Guy and I have planted jalapeno plants in our garden from the first year we moved into our house. They are easy to grow and always produce enough of a harvest to share with the whole neighborhood! My parents were fans of pepper jelly and were giddy if they ever got a jar of it. I decided to surprise them over a decade ago with my first attempt at making pepper jelly. I would call it a success, but I did not like the idea of using pectin and food dye, so I went on the hunt for a better recipe. I found the perfect recipe which uses granny smith apples and cranberries as a substitute for the pectin. With the addition of a red pepper, I created a beautiful red jelly that provided additional sweetness, beside the sugar, to complement the heat of the jalapenos. I have posted the recipe, but a warning comes with it. As you slice into the jalapenos, make sure you have ventilated your space well or you will start to cough. Also, this is a multiple step recipe so plan to spend time in the kitchen. Despite the warning, the outcome is worth it! Here's a link to the recipe: Jalapeno pepper jelly - CARONDELET KITCHEN
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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
December 2024
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