Chips with Gravy or Vinegar?

Let the Olympics begin . . . with a serving of French Fries (Chips) and Vinegar. Very British and Canadian.

But what about having French Fries (Chips) with Gravy? This is another Canadian custom with French Fries.

I think I prefer the Roasted Fingerling Potatoes from Lon's at the Hermosa Inn.

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
page 100 Tastes & Treasures

Ingredients:
1 ½ pounds fingerling potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
¼ teaspoon sea salt or fine salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Toss the potatoes with the olive oil, garlic, sea salt and pepper in a bowl and spoon into a baking pan. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender.
Serves 4

Dining in Historic Firestation Linden Hills, MN

Discovering unique restaurants in new cities is always fun. We visited Mike and Alice Wachter in Minneapolis/St Paul this summer and they took us to historic Fire station #28 in Linden Hills, MN. Complete with historic displays, artifacts, and architecture, it was a mini-museum-restaurant.
The duck confit tacos came with pickled vegetables in a sweet, s-p-i-c-y mole sauce. A little too much spice for my palate but still delicious. We all sampled it and agreed.

Tastes & Treasures has a recipe from historic Four Peaks Brewery for Duck Cakes with Spicy Nopales Salsa on page 90. Great way to sample duck.

Duck Cakes with Spicy Nopales Salsa

Ingredients for Spicy Nopales Salsa:
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh nopales cactus pads
3 serrano chiles, finely chopped, or to taste
3 tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
4 green onions, white part only, chopped
Juice of 2 limes

Ingredients for Duck Cakes:
2 duck breasts, cooked and shredded
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup roasted corn kernels
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup bread crumbs
3 to 4 teaspoons canola oil

For the salsa, combine the cactus, chiles, tomatoes, cilantro, green onions and lime juice in a bowl and mix well.

For the duck cakes, combine the duck , bell pepers, cilantro corn and eggs in a bowl and mix well. Shape into 3 1/2 inch cakes and sprinkle evenly with the bread crumbs. Fry in the canola oil in a skillet over medium-high heat for 1 1/2 minutes per side. Serve over the salsa.

Note: The duck can be purchased at Asian markets.

First Course Breakfast in Wine country

Breakfast for Kay and Rex Holcombe in Temecula, California wine country starts with this fabulous teaser.

Chocolate and almond biscotti crumbles. Blueberries with Greek yogurt and Tustin melon with a few grapes (since we're in wine country). Topped off with a molasses pomegranate reduction!

Toasting Almonds

Releasing the aroma and flavor of almonds is easy to do. Using a thick skillet on low to medium heat, stir the almonds continuously to prevent burning. Remove when they are golden brown and smell wonderful.
OR add nuts to an ungreased cookie sheet and cook at 350 degrees fro about 15-20 minutes. Careful! Nuts are easy to burn.

This is also true for the pine nuts used in Exotic Greens with Strawberry Vinaigrette from The Cottage Place in Flagstaff, page 21 in Tastes & Treasures. And for the pecans used in Mixed Greens with Pears, Roquefort and Pecans with Celery Seed Vinaigrette from Camelback Inn, page 43 in Tastes & Treasures.

Pickled Beets from Leslie Christiansen

PICKLED BEETS Leslie Christiansen
Here's an easy one:
Goat Cheese Crostini with Pickled Beets. Make the Pickled Beet recipe and dice the beets into tiny cube; drain on a paper towel.
Make the crostini. Spread with fresh goat cheese. Sprinkle with the Pickled Beets. YUM.

Ingredients:
1 lb beets, roasted and sliced
1 cup cider vinegar
½ cup water
½ cup sugar
½ t pickling spice
¼ t mustard seeds
¼ t cassia chunks
¼ t cardamom
¼ t coriander
1 bay leaf
10 pepper corns
2 T dill weed

Directions:
Place all ingredients except beets in a medium sized heavy-bottom sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.
Place the beets in a heat-proof bowl. Pour the liquid in with the beets. Allow to cool, then cover and refrigerate overnight.
The next morning, strain the liquid. Add the liquid back into the beets, cover and refrigerate.

Ingredients for home-made pickling spice:
6 T mustard seed
3 T whole allspice
2 T coriander seed
6 whole cloves
1 T ground ginger
1 T red pepper flakes (optional)
3 bay leaves
3 cinnamon sticks

Directions:
Crush the cinnamon into pieces and crumble the bay leaves.
Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container.

Breakfast in Temecula Wine Country

Kay and Rex Holcombe enjoyed a leisurely trip to Temecula Wine Country. This was the second course for breakfast. Perhaps the Historical League should plan a tour here in the future.

Kay describes the meal, "Organic fresh zucchini hash browns with ricotta cheese, polenta with truffle oil. The photo shows a sample with homegrown Romaine sautéed in olive oil. Poached egg, cheese and basil pistachio in the homemade apricot marmalade with Pinot Grigio. Topped off with roasted sweet pepper and cherry tomato."

Who reads food blogs?

After taking some computer classes at the apple store (one to one) I am learning a lot about blogs. They have been very helpful at the store so now that I know what some of the "inside" pages can do, you will see a slightly different look to the blog.

Discovering the stats page was interesting. With a map of the world, we can see that over the years followers to www.tastestreasures.blogspot.com mostly come from USA(12,069). But Russia(904) is second followed by Canada (692) and Netherlands(664).

Interesting to find that this week readers are from South Korea, Pakistan, Brazil, Bangladesh and Malaysia. Wonder how Margarita Pie fits into the cultures of the world?

Healthy twist on Healthy Granola from Carolyn Mendoza

Wearing many hats, Carolyn Mendoza often organizes our events selling Tastes & Treasures cookbook, Arizona Recollections and Reflections Centennial book, Centennial aprons and hats. Pictured here is Kay Holcombe with Carolyn during the History Convention in Phoenix. Carolyn made Granola to sample during the show using low cholesterol Coconut Oil instead of butter. It was delicious. What would we do without her generosity and many talents?

Granola page 196

Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut
1 1/2 cups pistachios
1 1/2 cups pecans
1 1/2 cups slivered almonds
1 1/2 cups sunflower seeds
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup honey
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or substitute 1/2 cup coconut oil re Leslie Christiansen. Eliminates the cholesterol
1 cup finely chopped assorted dried fruit (raisins, apricots, cranberries, dates)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the oats, coconut, pistachios, pecans, almonds, sunflower seeds and cinnamon in a bowl. Combine the honey, brown sugar, molasses and butter in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until blended, stirring frequently; do not allow to boil.
Pour the honey mixture over the oats mixture and mix until coated. Spread the oats mixture on a greased baking sheet with edges. Bake for 15 minutes or until the oats are golden brown, stirring frequently. Spoon immediately into a heatproof bowl and stir in the dried fruit. Store in airtight containers or sealable plastic bags in a cool environment for up to 2 months. Freeze if storing for longer than 2 months. Makes 16 to 18 cups.
Hint - Do not let the granola sit on the hot cookie sheet.

Gala Pecan Spread from Renee Donnelly

A tireless volunteer for the cookbook, Renee chairs the wholesale distribution of Tastes & Treasures. We are so grateful for all she does for our cookbook. Here is one of her delicious recipes that is perfect for entertaining.

Gala Pecan Spread - Renee Donnelly

Ingredients:
1 8 ounce package cream cheese
2 tbsp milk
3 ounce package or jar dried beef
½ cup finely chopped green pepper
2 tbsp dehydrated onion
½ tsp garlic
¼ tsp black pepper
½ cup sour cream

Directions:
Combine and blend cheese and milk.
Stir in beef and seasonings. Mix well.
Fold in sour cream.
Spoon into 8 inch pie pan and cover with sprinkling of chopped pecans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Serve with crackers.

Culturekeepers Legacy Library

Westin Kierland Resort has a growing Culturekeepers Legacy Library. Zona Lorig realized that this is a perfect place for Arizona Recollections and Recollections as well as Tastes & Treasures cookbook and donated copies during the Culturekeepers luncheon in May. The Legacy Library serves as an archive of Arizona history and is open to guests and future learning programs hosted at the Resort.

Executive Director of AHS, Anne Woosley, was one of the honorees as this year's luncheon.

Gov. Rose Mofford's Cornish Pasties in Leslie's cooking class

Summer and pie go together. Homemade pie calls for a flaky and tender crust that holds a perfect sweet or savory filling. The delectable Cornish Pasty—a meat-filled pastry that was a favorite of former Governor Rose Mofford—will be demonstrated along with a refreshing Lemon Meringue Pie at Desert Botanical Gardens cooking class July 15, 2012. You will learn how to make its delicious and tangy lemon curd filling and the secret to a fluffy meringue that will not weep or slide off the pie.

Leslie Christiansen, League member and Culinary Instructor, will be conducting this cooking demonstration Sunday, July 15th from 1:00-3:00PM.

Members: $50 General: $62

Sign up at http://www.dbg.org/shop/courses
Click on Education classes Scroll down to July 15 2012 summer pies
or Phone 480-481-8188.

Kale Chips from Kay Holcombe

After bicycling to the Farmers Market for fresh Kale, Kay donned her League apron to create these delicious, healthy Kale Chips.

One bunch organic kale
1 tablespoon olive oil or olive oil spray
Sea salt to taste

Rinse and pat dry kale leaves.
Remove leafy part from stem and rip into chip size pieces.
If using olive oil; put all the leaves into a bag, drizzle the olive oil into the bag, add seasonings and shake.
Arrange on cookie sheet. Or, if using olive oil spray: simply arrange kale on cookie sheet, lightly spray all the chips and season with salt.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
Watch carefully that they do not burn. As soon as the edges turn brown, they are done and ready to enjoy!

Lemon Merinque Pie at Desert Botanical Gardens Cooking class

Leslie Christiansen will conduct another cooking class July 15 at Desert Botanical Gardens. This time she will present this luscious Lemon Merinque Pie. The best part of her classes is the wonderful helpful hints she has for preparation and creating healthy alternatives. Cooking is a passion for Leslie and she conveys how important a legacy it can create with families.

Sign up at http://www.dbg.org/shop/courses/summer-pies-7-15-12
or Phone 480-481-8188.

Leslie's Facebook Page
Private Cooking Classes and
Custom Culinary Parties

Tastes & Treasures cookbook has a different pie called Lemon Rub Pie recipe on page 178. We like both recipes.

Lemon Rub Pie

Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
5 eggs
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 unbaked (9-inch) pie shell

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream the sugar and butter in a bowl of a stand mixer. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the lemon juice, flour and lemon zest and mix until combined.
Spoon the lemon filling into the pie shell and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the top is brown and the filling is set. Cool on a wire rack.

Serves 8

Red White and Blue

Beautiful presentation. Who can guess the ingredients?

Neighborhood 4th of July Parade

This year's neighborhood parade was all Red, White and Blue. Complete with Pledge of Allegiance, singing of the National Anthem, hot dogs, watermelon, cookies, balloons, streamers and prizes, it was very patriotic. The Phoenix Fire Dept had 3 trucks but the most popular was the one with the cooling spray. The Historical League was a sponsor donating Tastes & Treasures cookbook and Centennial apron, and representing the AHS Museum.

Red, White and Blue Trifle

Celebrate the Fourth of July with this layered dessert. It is both beautiful and delicious -- just right for that cookout. Plus you can use your elegant trifle dish.

Summer Trifle, page 154 in Tastes & Treasures, is also delicious with the addition of blackberries and orange juice. A few more calories and it is made from scratch - well worth it.

Red, White & Blueberry Trifle

Ingredients:
One 8-oz. container Cool Whip Free (thawed)
1 sugar-free vanilla pudding snack with 60 calories or less (like the kind by Jell-O)
Half of a 13-oz. angel food cake, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 5 cups cubed)
2 cups chopped strawberries
2 cups blueberries
2 cups raspberries

Directions:
In a medium-large bowl, thoroughly fold pudding into Cool Whip.

In a large glass bowl (or trifle dish, if you've got one), evenly layer half of each ingredient: cubed angel food cake, Cool Whip mixture, strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries.

Repeat layering with remaining ingredients. Serve immediately or chill.

MAKES 8 SERVINGS
Thanks to Hungry Girl for the statistics.
Serving Size: 1/8th of trifle (about 1 cup)
Calories: 170
Fat: 1.5g
Sodium: 133mg
Carbs: 38g
Fiber: 3.5g
Sugars: 20.5g
Protein: 2g

Patriotic Stuffed Strawberries

Very impressive recipe for that very special dinner. Add a small flag and you have a perfect Fourth of July dessert.

Stuffed Strawberries


Ingredients:

1/2 tbsp. Jell-O Sugar
Free Fat Free Vanilla Instant pudding mix


1/2 tbsp. Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated) or 1/2 tbsp. sugar
1 drop vanilla extract


1/4 cup Cool Whip Free (thawed)


2 tbsp. fat-free cream cheese, room temperature

6 extra-large strawberries

2 tsp. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips



Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine pudding mix, sweetener, vanilla extract, and 1 tbsp. cold water. Stir vigorously until smooth and slightly thickened. Stir in Cool Whip and cream cheese until smooth. 

Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 10 minutes.



Slice the stem ends off the strawberries, about 1/2 inch, revealing an opening in each berry. Use a narrow spoon to remove about half of the flesh inside each berry, allowing room for filling.



Spoon pudding mixture into a bottom corner of a plastic bag; snip off the tip of that corner to create a small hole, and pipe the mixture through the hole into the strawberries.



Press chocolate chips into the exposed filling. Serve and enjoy!



MAKES 1 SERVING

Thanks to Hungry Girl for the statistics.
Entire recipe: 173 calories, 4g fat, 309mg sodium, 30g carbs, 3.5g fiber, 16.5g sugars, 5.5g protein.
Granulated white sugar in place of Splenda, this recipe is 194 calories, 35.5g carbs, and 22.5g sugars.