Newly Engaged? What To Do Part One

So you got engaged over the holidays! How romantic! Congrats to you. What to do next? There are so many things to do you do not know what to do. Take a look at some of my suggestions:

1. Keep on smiling and tell everyone you know!

2. Keep a sense of humor during the planning process.

3. Set a date or maybe even two dates for your search for a venue and a church. Pick dates that are significant to you both and try to look at family availability as well. Remember both families..that is how you need to start thinking!

4. Set a budget. This is where most couples get overwhelmed. According to theweddingreport.com the average 2011 budget appears to be predicted in the $20,000 to $25,000 range with an average guest list of 135 to 150 people for the wedding alone. Will your parents contribute? Or will you finance the entire bill? This is a really comprehensive list that should include all expenses so that there are no surprises.
A. Wedding rings
B. Wedding dress and other attire, shoes and jewelry
C. Bridal party attire for groomsmen and bridesmaids and ring bearer and flower girl
D. Rehearsal dinner
E. Transportation
F. Spa appointments to include test make up and hair appointment for the bride
G. Church and Officient fees
H. Wedding planner fees if needed
I. Band or DJ fees
K. Photographer/ videographer fees
L. Florist fees
M. Venue fees
N. Catering fees
O. Bar fees
P. Cake fees
Q. All necessary taxes and tips
R. The after party costs
S. Rental fees
T. Honeymoon costs
U. Gifts for bridal party and parents
V. Brunch for the day after the wedding
W. Change of outfit for bride and groom
X. Wedding night accommodations
Y. Moving costs
Z. Gift for each other

Wow the whole alphabet. Do not let this overwhelm you. It is guide to help you know the different facets of the entire process. You need to be informed so that you can make appropriate decisions regarding one of your life’s biggest events!

Come back in a week or so and see part two. Any questions please contact me.

Romantic Wine and Cheese Pairings!

Go Wild with Chèvre and Sauvignon Blanc

Earthy, spreadable cheeses like goat cheese and Brie are a perfect match for the refreshing and zesty Sauvignon Blancs. Try pairing a lean New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with a fresh field green salad, topped with a crusty goat cheese crostini, dried cranberries, and a drizzle of honey vinaigrette. You will fall in love with this wild combination.

Semi-Hardened Cheeses with Pinot Noir

Surprise your beau with an indoor picnic this Valentine’s Day. Pair a versatile Sonoma Valley Pinot Noir with a mild and nutty pasteurized sheep’s milk (such as Abbaye de Belloc) or a mild and gooey Roucoulons (pasteurized cow’s milk) with its subtle hint of mushrooms. Arrange an array of your favorite charcuterie, complete with crusty bread, hard salami, and marinated veggies. The elegant and jammy flavors of the Pinot Noir will undoubtedly frolic with the rustic and humble flavors of any of your favorite antipastos.

Bold and the Bleu-tiful

For a bold and intense coupling of flavors, venture off to Northeast Italy, where the unique meditation wine Amarone is found. A handpicked combination of grapes is dried out on straw mats inside special drying houses before they are pressed, creating a very rich and complex wine loaded with concentrated flavors of dried raspberries, figs, chocolate, and baked mocha. This high alcohol wine (with an ABV resting just under 17%) is anything but sweet and requires only the boldest cheeses to stand up to its enormous flavor profile. Try gorgonzola, Stilton, or even a very mature Parmegiano Reggiano. Top off this simple pairing with some dark chocolate and a handful of fresh berries and you’ll be in Heaven!

On a budget? Most quality Amarones usually cost around $80, but Valpolicella Ripasso from the same region has been dubbed “Baby Amarone” and will deliver a similar experience for about $20.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Amy McMullen, Sommelier

Happy New Year to Everyone and Welcome 2015!

Holidays are all about the family, and this year was no exception for us. This year we gathered at our house. Our daughters Jenny and Beth were here, as well as our son-in law, Anh, and our grandchildren, Chloe and Liam. They all came from Hiawatha, Iowa!

The girls and I spent the whole day on Christmas Eve pampering ourselves with manicures at Ann Le’s Nail Bar, hair styling at Salon Paragon, lunch at DiMillo’s, and make-up applications at The Regency Spa. Then we all went home to change before meeting back at The Regency for a lovely dinner at 20 Milk Street. Then, back home to open all of our gifts. What a night!

On Christmas morning, we had our traditional breakfast of my French toast with warmed pure Maine maple syrup, filet mignon, asparagus with hollandaise sauce and chocolate-dipped strawberries and champagne.

For Christmas dinner this year, we had ham, scalloped potatoes and northwest blend vegetables with lovely rustic rolls. For dessert, we had buche de noel and carrot cake.

But the highlight of the week was watching Chuck and Chloe (now 13 years old) work in the kitchen together. The teacher in Chuck sure came out! He taught Chloe how to make caesar salad, chicken parmesan, and angel hair pasta. He wanted to teach her how to make pasta from scratch, but there was not enough time. Chloe served all of us, down to the pouring of the wine. Look how she holds the punt of the bottle! That’s my girl! Maybe we do have someone interested in taking over the business when we decide to retire… just not ready for that yet!

Try my french toast recipe and Chuck’s caesar salad dressing recipe. You will not be disappointed! YUMMMMMMM!

Nancy’s French Toast

NOTE: Must be prepared 24 hours in advance.

1 loaf of 2-day-old baguette

1 quart of heavy cream

4 eggs

Dash of nutmeg and cinnamon

¼ cup of confectioner’s sugar

Mix all together well, sprinkle ½ cup of confectioners sugar over the mixture, and refrigerate covered at least overnight. Deep fry until browned and crispy and serve immediately.

Chuck’s Caesar Salad Dressing

Mix together with a whisk or place into a mason jar and shake vigorously:

6 TB EVOO

1 beaten egg

4 minced garlic cloves

2 TB mayonnaise

3 TB red wine vinegar

2 TB balsamic vinegar

1 smashed anchovy

1 TB Dijon mustard

4 dashes Worcestershire sauce

Salt and pepper

Vegas for the Holidays

Wow, it’s hard to believe that it’s December. This year has just gone by too fast! These past few months, we have visited Seattle, Washington and Las Vegas. In Seattle, we went to Pike Street Market (of course) and visited every booth over a period of two days. Other than Reading Street Market in Philadelphia and Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, I think Pike Street is the best. The restaurants in Seattle are amazing and we sampled from as many as we could.

Las Vegas continues to be unbelievable. There are way too many restaurants to choose from, but this time we visited the Wynn, and one night dined in their tapas restaurant called La Cave before going to the theater to see Le Reve – The Dream. Each scrumptious little bite was perfectly paired with a flight of wine. Chuck and I shared four plates and we were very happy! Another night, we had dinner on the terrace at SW Steakhouse and were treated with a whimsical light show at the beautiful fountain. We also visited Giada de Laurentiis’s new place: Giada’s. The décor is New York chic and the staff is too! She has a great menu as well. Our favorite brunch continues to be at The Wicked Spoon. Jaleo and Comme Ca continue to be favorites, but we have still been unable to get into the elusive and exclusive “E” inside Jaleo’s. We hope to some day. 

I get so inspired as I walk these booths and talk to these vendors and visit all of these restaurants. So, today I decided to celebrate brunch a la Vegas with a recipe for my French toast for Christmas Morning and a small bite honoring La Cave’s small plates for New Year’s Eve paired with Amy’s (our sommelier) Kentucky Orchard Spritzer. YUMMMMMMMM!

Nancy’s Brunch French Toast

Serves 5 People

One loaf of day-old French or Italian bread, sliced

(Sometimes I use Challah, sometimes baguettes)

2 cartons of heavy cream

4 eggs

Dash of nutmeg and cinnamon

2 tablespoons of sugar

1 cup of confectioner’s sugar

(Optional) rum extract

Oil for frying

Mix cream, eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon, and sugar thoroughly. Arrange bread in a baking sheet and pour mixture all over the bread. Make sure it is well coated. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Bring to room temperature and fry in oil heated to a consistent 365 degrees so the bread is crispy and not soggy. Be careful not to overcrowd—only fry 2 or 3 pieces at a time. Also, be careful not to splash, as you will be frying a wet product. Take care to step back. Keep finished pieces warm in a 275-degree oven, uncovered, until all bread is fried and ready to serve. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar and serve with warm maple syrup. Yummmmmm!

Seared Sea Scallops with Nancy’s Bacon Brittle and Smoked Paprika Vinaigrette

Serves 4 People

Step One: Prepare bacon brittle.

Bacon Brittle

1 ounce butter

¾ cup sugar

¼ cup light corn syrup

¼ cup water

¼ teaspoon of baking soda

Pinch of salt

1 cup apple-smoked bacon, rendered and chopped

Method:

In a medium saucepan, cook first 4 ingredients to a light golden brown. Add baking soda and salt off of the fire, mixing constantly. Add rendered bacon and spread on sheet pan with parchment and allow to cool completely. It can be processed coarsely or to a fine powder.

Step Two: Prepare vinaigrette.

Fresh Orange Smoked Paprika Vinaigrette

1 teaspoon lightly packed, finely grated orange zest

3 tablespoons fresh orange juice

3 tablespoons sherry vinegar

1 egg yolk (leave this out if you are uncertain that you want to eat a raw yolk)

1 teaspoon Spanish sweet smoked paprika or to taste

½ teaspoon granulated sugar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 drops hot pepper sauce, such as Sriracha

Kosher salt

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

In a small bowl, whisk the orange zest with the orange juice, sherry vinegar, egg yolk, paprika, sugar, hot-pepper sauce and ¼ teaspoon salt until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Gradually whisk in the olive oil until the dressing is well blended. Season with additional salt to taste and set aside.

Step Three: Sear sea scallops on both sides in a hot pan.

Assembling the plate:

Brush vinaigrette on a plate. Place hot seared sea scallops on top of vinaigrette. Garnish with bacon brittle.

Note: you can process the brittle in a food processor to make a dust and place on the plate in a mound to make it look really professional.

Prepare Amy’s Spritzer to serve with this dish.

Amy’s Kentucky Orchard Spritzer

2 oz. Jim Beam Black Label

3/4 oz. local honey

1 oz. fresh-muddled Meyer lemon

1 oz. fresh-muddled Granny Smith apple

2 oz. Angry Orchard Hard Cider

1 sprig of fresh mint (garnish)

Muddle lemons and apple with honey inside shaker. Add ice and bourbon. Chill ingredients and strain into a Collins glass (without ice). Top with cider and garnish with a lemon wheel and a fresh sprig of mint.

What are you thankful for this year?

Turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing (or do you call it dressing?), green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole (the one with the marshmallows!), and pumpkin pie… YUMMMM my favorite Thanksgiving dinner! What’s yours?

I cannot get past it, it has to be this every year—no ham, no beef tenderloin, and Chuck doesn’t even like turkey!

I don’t know about you, but I long for this meal with family every year. It’s true of others because we cook Thanksgiving dinners for many people and this is essentially what they want!

So are we creatures of habit? I guess I am because I rise in the morning and follow the same procedures everyday… often at the same times. AND I make the same Thanksgiving meal every year with only a few tweaks on the recipes…

Every Saturday, Chuck and I go out to breakfast (time and schedule permitting), and we have been going to the same place many, many years—not because of the outstanding food because it’s not really about that (not that it isn’t great!). It’s about the “Cheers” factor. You know everyone knows your name, etc., and they do! They also know my special drink recipe created by my husband and can pretty much tell us what we are going to eat! The minute they see us walking in, they get it going. It makes me feel special.

Thanksgiving makes me feel special. My mother taught all of kids how to pitch in and make everything. Even my Dad created his own stuffing (NOT dressing)—a recipe that I know my sisters and brothers and I recreate every year.

Thanksgiving is about family and special memories and being thankful for both—and of course the dinner. Maybe football too!

And I feel special and thankful because I have a man who loves me for what and who I am, AND he gave up his career to help me pursue my dream of owning a catering business. He is the literal wind beneath my wings, and he works his butt off every day to promote our cause.

I feel special and thankful because we have great loyal customers, and with your help we have grown this business in just 15 years. We have great loyal employees that have helped us grow this business in just 15 years as well.

I feel special and thankful because of my mother, sisters and brothers, children, son-in-law, and grandchildren. And my friends.

Chuck just told me this morning that he does not need a camera… his memories are in his head!

What a great Thanksgiving, I look forward to this year… maybe I will add black garlic to the mashed potatoes! And I am thinking of making pumpkin cheesecake instead of pie… Yummmmm! Stay tuned!

Have a Happy and Thankful Thanksgiving!

What in the world do I do with all these apples?!

When it comes to fall, there are two aromas I just love: burning leaves and apples cooking. When we had our house on the market a few years ago, I actually put an apple pie in the oven prior to an open house to give the house that lovely, sugary, cinnamony aroma that everyone loves! I would like to believe that’s why our house sold!

We don’t burn leaves anymore, so I just have to succumb to the apples. I love biting into a nice crisp, cold apple. It is loaded with Vitamin C and fiber and is really good for you. Remember “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”?

But I love apples even better when they’re paired with cinnamon. A match made in heaven! Try these recipes and see if they make your mouth water. YUMMM!

Grandma’s Apple Pie

1 unbaked pie crust

9 Golden delicious apples peeled and cut into slices

Arrange apples in pie plate. Cover with 1 cup of sugar. Dot with 1½ cubes of butter.

Mix for topping and crumble over the top of the apples.

1.2 cup of flour

1 stick of butter

1/3 cup of sugar

Pre heat oven to 425 degrees and bake 15 to 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for on hour until bubbly.

Nancy’s Apple Butter

4 pounds of apples (I like to mix up the kinds of apples)

2 cups of apple cider

1 cup of brown sugar

1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

Bring to a simmer all of the above in a heavy ovenproof pot. Partially cover and cook until soft, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Mix in the following and blend in a food processor until smooth.

1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice

1½ teaspoons of cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of ground cloves

½ teaspoon of all spice

Return to the ovenproof pot and bake in a 250-degree oven, uncovered, until thick and golden in color and spreadable. Give it a stir every 30 minutes or so. This usually takes about three hours because I use a mixture of different apples. This is a wonderful spread for toast, pancakes, and waffles. Warm it up and pour over ice cream. YUM!

Nana’s Applesauce

Cook peeled quartered Jonathon Golden apples

½ cup of apple juice

Red hot candies

When soft, season to taste with sugar and add red hots to taste.

Infuse Your Dishes with Rich Flavors!

I don’t remember when margarine started to replace butter (probably because I never got on that bandwagon). What could replace sweet, creamy butter?

Oh man, you have got to try compound butter! Just mix anything you like with butter and you have something brighter and more flavorful than just butter.

The best part is you can use compound butter on anything. Yes, anything! Put it on bread for a sandwich, rolls at dinner, toast, croissants, scones or biscuits, grilled fish and meats, vegetables, and pasta. Click here to read more about compound butter and to see Nancy’s recipes for a couple of her favorites on our blog!

You can also make it savory or sweet. Really, the possibilities are never-ending and it is so simple to make. Just mix softened, unsalted butter (I like to start with an unsweetened butter so that I can control all of the seasonings—I am, after all, a control freak!) with seasonings, herbs, or fruits and vegetables and put into jars to store in the refrigerator. We as a caterer roll it into logs in plastic wrap and freeze it to later slice them into wonderful coins to place on grilled meats in order to dress them up a bit and give them more flavor.

If you are going to mix the butter with something cooked (like sautéed spinach or roasted garlic), you will need to completely cool the cooked item before adding to the softened butter.

My current favorite compound butters are a savory one of avocado, cumin, coriander seeds, and sea salt and a sweet/savory one of honey, smoked paprika, smoked sea salt, and smoked pepper. Try anything you like and see what you can do to out do yourself! YUMMMMMM!

 

Basic Compound Butter Recipe

No measurements. Just make how much you will use over a few days time. You can also freeze it for a few months.

Combine softened, whipped butter with any ingredients you prefer. You can use a mixer, food processor, a strong spoon, or even a scraper.

 

Avocado, Cumin, Coriander Seeds, and Sea Salt Compound Butter

Mix 4 ounces of unsalted butter with:

2 small ripe avocados

2 teaspoons of cumin

1 teaspoon coriander seed

1 minced garlic clove

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Juice of ½ lime

This is wonderful spread over grilled corn on the cob!

 

Honey, Smoked Paprika, Smoked Sea Salt, and Smoked Pepper Compound Butter

Mix one pound of unsalted butter with:

½ cup of honey

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

Smoked sea salt and smoked pepper to taste

Juice of ½ lemon

This is wonderful with any kind of fish—my personal fave is grilled salmon!

Delight Your Guests with Homemade Condiments!

I have to believe that when Duncan Hines first introduced their cake mixes to the world back in the day, they left out the egg and oil for a reason. I think they wanted us to be able to say that we still made it from scratch because we had to add those items! Homemade anything always tastes better than store-bought products. Try some of my recipes for Memorial Day and see for yourself!

Ketchup… we use it on everything. My brother even puts it on his eggs! Why not make it from scratch? Just in time for your Memorial Day—give them the WOW factor. Make the regular old ketchup or add mangoes to it! Just think outside the box and try it! Make regular old mustard or add raspberries to it! Have fun and experiment.

Mustard is one of the least expensive spices and it’s available in a variety of colors and forms. It can add zip to much more than just a hot dog or hamburger and is not difficult to make. You can add almost anything to mustard to make it a gourmet mustard and it makes a great gift. Just put the mustard in a great jar, box it up with some home-baked crackers, and your friends will be impressed and happy. Mustard has no fat and not many calories. The hardest part of making mustard from seeds is waiting those first few days for the flavors to mellow so you can see if it turned out as planned. If you use mustard flour you need only wait ten minutes or so.

I guarantee you that if you try these recipes you will be so proud to use your own condiments and not buy store bought again! The store bought is loaded with salt, sugar and other preservatives. The difference in taste is unbelievable and you can say you made it! And as an added bonus, you will save money, which we all need to do these days.

Easy Basic Homemade Ketchup

Yield: Makes about 2 cups

• 1 (28-oz) can whole tomatoes in purée
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tsp. of hot smoked paprika

Purée tomatoes in a blender until smooth.

Cook onion in oil in a heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until softened. Add puréed tomatoes, tomato paste, brown sugar, vinegar, and salt, and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until very thick—1 hour or more. Stir more frequently toward the end of cooking to prevent scorching.

Cool ketchup so that you can purée ketchup in two batches in blender until smooth. Chill, covered, overnight for flavors to develop.

Ketchup can be kept up to three weeks.

Easy Basic Homemade Hot Dog Mustard

2 TBS white sugar
2 TBS flour
3 TBS dry mustard
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. turmeric

2 cups apple cider vinegar

Mix all dry ingredients together then add vinegar. Boil together until thickened.

Chill, covered, overnight for flavors to develop.

Homemade Pickle Relish

2 cups finely diced cucumber

1 cup finely diced onion

1 tsp. kosher salt

¾ cup apple cider vinegar

¼ cup sugar

2 tsp. cornstarch mixed with 1 ½ tsp. water

Combine and set in strainer for at least 4 hours. Squeeze as much liquid out as you can and then bring vinegar and sugar to a boil and reduce about 5 minutes. Add in cornstarch mixture and simmer several minutes. Then cool several hours.

1 cup diced dill pickle

¼ cup homemade mustard

2 tablespoons pickle brine

2 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped

Combine all ingredients, stir and serve with hot dogs or hamburgers.

For a Great Burger

Pick up some ground chuck with a fat content of at least 20%. 25% would be even better. Lean and extra-lean meats make tough, dry burgers (this is true for turkey burgers or lamb burgers, too-look for grinds with around 25% fat). Don’t overwork the meat.

In a large bowl, pull the meat apart into small chunks, add salt or other seasonings, and toss gently with your fingers. Use wet hands to form burger patties. It also allows the meat to come together faster and prevents over-working. Make burger patties with a dimple in the center. The burger will shrink and pull as it cooks so it will even out. I keep my burgers in the fridge until I am ready to put them on the grill. I think they stay together better that way and they stay juicy.

Keep grill at a steady high heat. With a gas grill, keep the lid down while cooking; with a charcoal grill, leave the lid off. Turn only once! Constant turning will toughen and dry out meat. Cook 2 minutes per side for rare, 3 minutes for medium-rare, 4 for medium, and 5 for well done.

Time to Fire Up the Grill!

A few days ago, I filmed a segment on grilling tips with Norm Karkos from WMTW News Channel 8 here in Portland. If you are like me, you use your grill all year round. If not, maybe you’re just thinking about firing up your grill because the weather is getting nicer! Either way, I thought I would share a few tips with you.

Gas vs. Charcoal Grilling

It is a preference, really: gas is easier because you just turn a knob. It takes only 10 to 15 minutes to preheat, doesn’t require messy cleanup, and you can add mesquite chips or other wood chips to provide a little smoke!

Charcoal grilling involves stacking coals, lighting them, and preheating for at least 30 to 45 minutes. As a general rule, it takes 30 coals to grill one pound of meat. Lighter fluid gives a nasty flavor to the food. A chimney starter is easier to use. An electric starter is another way to go. When the coals are ready, they will be about 80% ash-gray during daylight. They will glow if grilling at night. Spread the coals into a single layer with long-handled tongs.

Here are the methods of grilling that I use:

Indirect Grilling, including Three-Zone Grilling

This technique turns your grill into an outdoor oven. Rake half the hot coals into a double layer at one side of the grill to make a high-heat zone. Leave a portion of the grill without any coals at all for cooking over low heat. The middle area will become your third zone, which will be a medium-heat area. On a gas grill, I turn one burner on high and leave the other burner off. I use the low-heat area to cook tougher, or larger, cuts of meat or whole chickens or turkeys (or racks of ribs, beef briskets, legs of lamb, etc.) when direct grilling would burn the exterior before the center gets hot. I sear thick steaks on the hot side and move them to this low-heat area so they cook more evenly.

Direct Grilling

This means cooking food right over the fire. There’s no better way to grill things that are relatively thin and tender: certain steaks, burgers, sliced vegetables, and fish fillets. Generally, direct grilling is done over medium-high or high heat.

When the grill is covered, heat is kept inside. The food cooks more evenly and keeps moist. When grilling without the cover, the coals are hotter, since added air adds to their burning. Maintaining the appropriate temperature is important for getting good results. The longer the food needs to cook, the lower the temperature needs to be. Do not babysit your food. Raising or lowering the lid changes temperatures quite a bit. To lower the cooking temperature, spread the coals further apart or raise the grid. To raise the cooking temperature, either lower the grid or move the coals closer together.

One quick, easy way to estimate the temperature of the coals is to cautiously hold your hand, palm-side down, above the hot coals. For a very hot temperature, you should not be able to keep your hands over the coals more than 2 seconds. Of course, if you have a gas grill, you have a temperature gauge!

My Best Steak:

You need very few grill accessories and you do not need to pay a lot of money for them! You will need:

• Tongs
• Spatula
• Foil pan
• Foil
• Meat Thermometer
• Grill Brush

Prep ahead of time. You want to enjoy your family and friends the day of the grilling. Meats and vegetables can be prepared and seasoned the day before. In fact, your meat is going to stay juicier if you salt and pepper or apply your rub the day before—the juices that come out with salting will have time to return to the meat!

Filets are very tender and usually rely on bacon to give them flavor and fat. Ribeyes have great flavor but tend to be fatty, but this is my favorite cut. The New York Strip falls somewhere in between. Look for marbling for a flavorful steak and season it the day before.

About 20 minutes before grilling, remove the steaks from the refrigerator and let sit, covered, at room temperature.

1 1/2-inch-thick boneless ribeyes (about 12 ounces each).

Heat your grill to high. Brush the pre-seasoned steaks on both sides with oil. Do not babysit your meat. Try to flip only 2 times. You want juices to stay in the meat.  Do not use a fork. Do not press meat down—juices will leave and result in a dry cut of meat. Place the steaks on the grill and cook until golden brown and slightly charred, 4 minutes.

Turn the steaks over and continue to grill 3 to 4 minutes for medium rare (an internal temperature of 130 degrees F). Do not worry—your steak will continue to cook to 135 degrees while resting. Also, while resting, the juices will return to the meat and keep it moist! Tent loosely with foil and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.

Why is medium-rare the best way to cook a steak? It’s really simple. The longer you cook a steak, the tougher and drier it gets.

The Sweet Sign of Spring… Maine Maple Sunday 2014!

Spring is coming. How do I know? Certainly not because of the weather outside—it continues to be frightful this year! I know because Maple Sunday is coming right up on the 23^rd! The sugar in maple sap only appears when warm, sunny days and below-freezing nights follow each other for days on end, as they do during Maine’s long, slow spring.

It is quite a treat to go to farms all over Maine on the fourth Sunday in March. You can experience the process and see a real sugarhouse and real kettles boiling sap over the fire.

Just a few facts to ponder from the Maine Maple Producers Association:

• The average maple tree is not tapped until it is about 40 years old. If the tree was tapped any younger, it could hurt the tree.
• An average 40-year-old tree yields about 40 quarts of sap in a season. This is just enough to make 1 quart of pure maple syrup.
• The flavor varies from year to year; sometimes the syrup is dark and rich, sometimes pale gold and delicate. It all depends on the soil and terrain, the wind and the weather—just like wine.
• Once it flows from the tree, the sap must be processed within a few hours or it will spoil, so syrup makers work round the clock once the spring run has started.

Much of the sap is still gathered the old-fashioned way: in buckets hung from trees. It is then boiled down into syrup over wood fires. Some of the larger producers have adopted modern, labor-saving technology—they gather the sap with plastic tubing strung all the way from the trees to the sugarhouse.

From holding tanks, which may hold as much as a thousand gallons, the freshly collected sap, usually about three percent sugar, is fed continuously into the evaporator. There it is kept constantly boiling, throwing off dense clouds of steam as it becomes more and more concentrated. When the syrup reaches a temperature of seven degrees above the boiling point of water, the sugar-density is just right. The finished syrup is immediately filtered to remove particles of “sugar sand.” These, though harmless, would make the syrup cloudy. Once properly clear, the finished syrup is packed in sterilized containers and sealed, ready to be distributed and enjoyed around the world.

When you get back from your trip to the farm, why not try some of my recipes to celebrate this sweet natural syrup? YUMMM!!

Nancy’s Basic Sauce—great to use with any kind of meat or fish!

Ingredients:

2 TBS Dijon mustard
2 to 3 TBS grainy mustard
1/3 cup (or to taste) pure maple syrup
2 TBS mayonnaise
1 TBS lemon juice

Method:
Heat mustards and maple syrup in a small pot. Remove from heat and cool for about 10 minutes. Add the mayonnaise and lemon juice. Pour over meat or fish and bake until done.

Another recipe to try: remember that Sriracha Sauce recipe from last month?  Just take ½ cup of maple syrup and add 2 tsp. of Sriracha (or to taste) and pour over salmon, pork, chicken, or beef and bake until done.

Maple Bacon Jam

Great over a block of cream cheese and spread onto crackers. Also, good with toast and biscuits! The possibilities are endless… Try it with sweet scallops or on a sandwich.

Spicy Super Bowl Snacks

In 2014, we were lucky to be asked to join Katie Thompson on WMTW to talk about Super Bowl Snacks! In case you missed it, here are the recipes of the yummy snacks Nancy prepared.

Buffalo Style Hot Dog with Blue Cheese Dip

Ingredients:
Hot dogs
1 cup of all purpose flour
1 tsp. granulated garlic
Salt & pepper
Pinch of baking soda
Sriracha sauce or Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
Blue cheese
Ranch dressing

Method:

Pour oil into a pot, leaving at least two inches from top. Heat to 350 degrees.

Mix flour, granulated garlic, salt, pepper and baking soda. Coat hot dogs with flour mixture and let stand for about 20 minutes to dry. Drop into oil and fry a few hot dogs at a time. Remove when nicely browned. Place into hot dog buns and squeeze sriracha or hot sauce over the hot dog. Mix ranch dressing with blue cheese to taste. Top over the hot dogs and enjoy!

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Bombs

Ingredients:
Jalapenos
Cream cheese
Bacon
Pulled Pork

Method:

Slice jalapeños in half, lengthwise and remove seeds. Pipe cream into the cavity and top with pulled pork. Put jalapeño back together. Wrap bacon around the jalapeño and bake until bacon is cooked.

Sriracha Deviled Eggs

Ingredients:
Eggs
Mayonnaise
Ground mustard
Salt & pepper
Sriracha sauce

Method:

Place eggs in pot. Cover with cold water and bring to a rolling boil. Remove from heat and over. Let sit for 14 minutes. Uncover and run cold water over the eggs to cool. Peel and cut in half lengthwise. Remove yolks carefully and mix with desired amount of mayonnaise, ground mustard, salt & pepper. Pipe yolk mixture into egg whites. Garnish with sriracha sauce.

Ginger, Garlic, Scallion and Lime Dip with Potato Chips

Ingredients:
1 cup mayonnaise
Juice of 1 fresh lime
1 cup sour cream
Dash of sesame oil
1 tbs rice vinegar
Dash of soy sauce
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 tsp. fresh grated ginger
Salt & pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped scallions

Method:

Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate for an hour. Serve with potato chips.

Reuben Crostini

Ingredients:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup thousand island dressing
8 oz. sauerkraut, rinsed and squeezed dry
16 oz. shredded Swiss cheese
Baguettes, sliced

Method:

Preheat oven to broil. Slice baguettes into rounds and brush with a little garlic oil. Toast under broiler on both sides. Mix all other ingredients well and spoon onto toasted baguette rounds. Broil until bubbly.

Read more and check out the video here: http://www.wmtw.com/great-recipes-for-your-super-bowl-party/24245196#ixzz2svxI9eAk