I love Texas. I love the people, the weather (usually – especially since I have been older) and the food of this state. I have to admit though, once in awhile I miss the foods that I learned to love when I was a kid in the Philadelphia suburbs. Last time we talked about pizza – this time? The cheesesteak.

Seriously. There are hundreds of places around here that advertise the best Philly Cheesesteaks. I have eaten at almost every one of them and I can tell you that they may be Dallas Cheesesteaks but Philly Cheesesteaks they are not. The meat isn’t right, the roll isn’t right… it just… isn’t…quite… right.

Even making them myself it was so hard to get those crispy frizzled edges and I could not get the flavor right.

Last week I decided to try using a London Broil. I sliced it paper thin and added a generous amount of salt. I rubbed my cast iron griddle with a little olive oil and a clove of garlic and then I heated that thing up to red hot.

Guess what?

Perfect. Yep. Perfect.

The trick seems to be in the salt, the paper thin slices, and the hot griddle. YUM! I like provolone cheese but you can use American. Some people stoop to processed cheese spreads – please don’t. Just don’t go there.

You really need to make this on a cast iron griddle for the best result. It is the only way i was able to get it right.

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Who doesn’t like pizza?

Yeah, the silence is deafening. There is something about gooey cheese, tangy tomato sauce, and carby-bready goodenss that rocks us right down to our toes. At least, most of us.

Personally I like an East Coast style pizza with just about everything on it.  It is something that I can really get lost in – eating half the pie on the way home from the pizza place.  Almost.

I think I learned to love pizza when we lived in a suburb of Philadelphia in the 1960s. There was this place not too far from the house called Frankie and Johnny’s. Now, when I say not too far please keep in mind that I was a kid and not too far could have been anything from a mile to 50 miles. There isn’t a lot a remember about it – lots of turquoise vinyl I think?  We ate “in ” once in awhile but more often Dad would stop on his way home from work and grab a pizza. What I do remember was the aroma – pepperoni, bread,  vinegar, cigarette smoke, and a herby tomato sauce permeating the entire place. I remember that I liked to pull the topping off of the crust and then pull the crust that was left through my teeth to scrape off the doughy bits.  The cheese was stringy, hot, gooey and flavorful with a combination of fresh mozzarella and smoky provolone that still makes my mouth water when I think of it – even 45 years later.

My second favorite thing is a casserole because they are so easy, go together fast, and freeze well. The combination of the two things would be amazing, wouldn’t it?

Yeah. It is. I saw this recipe when perusing AllRecipes. I love that site for inspiration and the fact that the recipes are rated and commented on. It makes it easier to get one that you like and get ideas for tweaking.

Anyway, pizza casserole? Brilliant!

I used all the stuff I like in my pizza – pepperoni, onions, green peppers, olives, hamburger – you name it. I mixed it with cooked pasta and my favorite sauce for pizza and there it was! perfect, fast, and definitely something I will make again.

I’d think that most kids over the age of 10 could make this on their own. The trickiest part would be draining the macaroni. Give it a try and don’t be afraid to substitute your favorite pizza toppings for the ones called for in the recipe.

Here are some more recipes for pizza casseroles that I found:

Skinny Crockpot Pizza Casserole

Zucchini Pizza Casserole

Low Carb Hawaiian Pizza Casserole

image:

© 2012 Marye Audet

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So I buy them for Kyrie (Shiloh, although she has the adorable figure, does not have the penchant for cuteness. Now, if they were some combination of steampunk and goth with a little macabre thrown in? Yeah. Maybe.)

Cute aprons are not meant for you to wipe your hands on after you have been boning chicken or cleaning the silver-skin off of roast. They are meant to put on after you take off your chef’s coat and bistro apron. These aprons are the ones you wear for television appearances and promo shots. And to impress the husband’s boss with your cuteness.

Or, to mimic one of those pinups when the kids are away at grandmas.”Fresh baked cookies, honey?”

Kyrie likes the two of us to have matching aprons. Someday she will be a teenager and look at me disdainfully as I ask her if my outfit is o.k. but for now? Now she thinks I am cool and beautiful – which is why, for the moment, she is the one I ask when I want to know how I look.

Anyway. I was sort of playing around on Amazon today. O.k. I was procrastinating. I admit it. Happy?

And I saw this.

 Children’s Apron with Cupcakes Design

Which led me to

Brown & Pink Polka Dot Josephine Apron  , and I think I would really wear that…

And of course I couldn’t stop there – anyone who knows me KNOWS that I have a thing for roses… and red.

Spring Floral Red Josephine Apron

…And cupcakes…and pink…

Flirty Aprons Women’s Original Frosted Cupcake Apron

And then of course…. yes. This one.

Aprons with Attitudes Will Cook for Shoes

One of these days I really will have a cute apron collection. As soon as I can decide which one to choose first.

So… Aprons. Are you an apron aficionado or do you prefer wiping your hands on your jeans because they are dirty anyway (not that I do that)? Do you wear aprons? Are they the cute ones or the utilitarian ones? AND, most of all, do you feel cute in them?

Inquiring minds want to know. Ie: I am nosy. Let’s see what the percentages are – leave a comment and let me know.

Disclaimer:

New FCC guidelines require that I tell you that if you click on one of the links above and buy something from Amazon I will get a meager percentage.

images via Amazon

No related posts.

But Krispie Treats? Now those, THOSE are different. They are as much a part of my life now as they were in 1965. More so because now I have the freedom to make two pans and hide one for myself.

What’s not to like? Sweet, crispie, gooey, easy, fast, and cheap – they embody all that is perfect in a sweet snack food. Except one or two little things. Chocolate and booze.

Well, now you can have both. 

These chocolate and Kahlua crispie treats are addictive and rich, just as gooey as you remember but with the added luxury of chocolate and Kahlua. They go together just as quickly as the original but the result is so, so, SO good.

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As far as I can remember they came in three different flavors; banana, strawberry, and chocolate. They were basically a sort of crumbly not-quite-graham cracker cookie sandwich, with marshmallow cream in the middle and coated in a thin coating of chocolate. My personal favorite was the banana. Or the strawberry. Or the chocolate.

Since I was an only child the boxes of these childish epicurean delights were all mine.

And they were delicious. I saw some in Cracker Barrel the other day and immediately I was 11 years old, barefoot, in cut-off jeans, and reading the book of the moment while eating a Moon Pie. Right then I knew that I had to learn to make them.

I did some research and tried some things but nothing really tasted like I remember.  If the flavor was close the texture was off and if the texture was close the flavor was off. I used about 10 different recipe variations. I will link to the ones I liked best at the end of this – but I didn’t really use enough of any of them to say that they were more than an inspiration.

One of my other favorite things as a kid were Creamsicles. Orange and vanilla? Who knew? Besides Orange Julius , I mean. I decided to see if I could make Orange Creamsicle Moon Pies.

I did it. OMG. They are so good. I think the texture of the cookie is a little soft but it could be because I froze them so they would be set enough to wrap and send to Matt in Virginia and Chris and Toya in Japan. You may want to let them bake a touch longer to see if you can get them a bit crispier. I also have to admit that I used marshmallow fluff rather than making homemade marshmallow for the filling. It was 91 degrees in the kitchen, even with the air conditioner on, and humid – not a great environment for making marshmallows. Plus, knowing that some of them were destined to be in the mail for 2 weeks I was a little concerned that the homemade marshmallow would not get there in too good of a shape. So. I bought marshmallow cream at the store and I am happy to say that it worked just fine.

The coating is softer than the storebought kind but if you wanted that crisper chocolate coating you could add a tablespoon or so of melted culinary paraffin – that’s what gives that microthin hard chocolate coat in the commercial brands.

Let the cookies cool completely before you add the marshmallows or you will end up with a gooey mess. Been there, done that. Once you have the cookies sandwiched together with the filling pop them in the freezer for about 30 minutes to chill and make them easier to dip.

Microplane

I don’t know if you have a microplane or not but I can tell you that I love mine. It grates citrus very finely. If you are interested in here’s one on Amazon.

Yet Another Disclaimer

Also – according to new government FCC guidelines I have to tell you that if you click on that link and buy from amazon I will get a small percentage of the sale. If enough of you click I can buy bubblegum at the local 7-11.

Other Moon Pie Recipes

If this isn’t what you were looking for here are some other moon pie recipes to check out.

Brown Eyed Baker

TidyMom

Food Network

Confections of a Foodie Bride
Images:

© 2012 Marye Audet

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Well, a few years ago the secret was out and tri-tip hit restaurants, food programs and the best of the cooking magazines. Even so, you don’t see a lot of information about it on the Internet and find it rarely in anything but specialty cookbooks. It isn’t because it is expensive and it certainly isn’t because it is difficult to cook. I think it is because the guys in butcher shop want to keep it for themselves.

You see, tri-tip is incredibly tender but also lower in fat than a lot of other cuts. Generally the fat is nicely marbled in the meat and there is very little of that icky hard fat. You may need to trim off a little silver-skin but I rarely find more than a patch or two on tri-tip. Best of all, the meat has a rich, beefy flavor. It is seriously good stuff.

Tri-tip is a small, triangular shaped cut that is found at the bottom of the sirloin. see that small triangle that hangs down from the bottom sirloin? Yep, that’s it.

It usually runs from 1 1/2 pounds to 2 1/2 pounds and you can get it in either a roast or cut into long steaks. I prefer the steaks because you can cook them quickly (and I mean quickly!), giving the meat less of a chance to dry out. Because of the lean characteristics of this steak it will dry out pretty quickly if you over cook it. Tri-tip is best served medium rare, in my opinion. Cooked much beyond that you start losing the awesome characteristics that make it as delicious as it is.

Now, how to choose yours. The meat may be trimmed or untrimmed. I buy it untrimmed if I can find it and then trim it myself leaving a thin layer of the fat. You should look for a well marbled piece of meat with lines of fat running through it and no area of meat wider than about a half and inch that doesn’t have a line of fat through it.

I know, I know – we have been tutored to hate that fat but trust me, you want it in this meat. The fat melts through and gives it the flavor and tenderness that your guests are going to rave about.

You are going to pull the steaks out of the fridge about an hour or two before you are ready to grill. Rub the seasoning on and then let the meat come to room temperature. Take a xanax if you have to in order to get you through the trauma of fat and room temperature. It’ll be o.k. I promise. Just don’t tell Doc Oz.

A word about the rub. Tri-tip has flavor. Adding too much seasoning, marinating, or sauce is (to me) like adding sugar to a perfectly ripe melon – sure you can but why?

Grill it on high, fat side up,  until the interior temperature is 120 – 125 (rare) about 15 minutes total – turning it once with tongs. Remove from the grill and allow it to stand for 10 minutes in order for the juices to settle. During this time it will continue to cook a little giving you that tender-but-not-raw medium rare perfection.

Slice against the grain.

You will eat this again…and again…and again… I promise.

If you are having trouble finding it just ask your butcher. Some of them still use it for ground beef. I like a simple rub added with restraint to really let the flavor of the meat shine through.

Do you prefer a dry rub, marinade or other way of seasoning your grilled meats? I am curious. Comment and let me know.

Images:

© 2012 Marye Audet

Diagram via wikipedia public domain

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Even if you are having a genteel tea there is just something perfect about a vintage punch bowl brimming with a sparkly punch. This punch is surely fit for the Princess in your life and her entire entourage. Made with a sweet lavender syrup, it sparkles with gingerale and teases your tastebuds with tart lemon.  If the party is all adults you can even add some flavored vodka.

The color is a delicate light violet and may vary depending on the lavender buds that you use. If yours seems a little too pale for your taste you can very carefully add a tiny bit of purple food color – and I mean a tiny bit!

This is one of the most refreshing punches that I have come up with – and I am planning to try the lavender infusion in a lavender margarita as soon as I get a chance. I will let you know how THAT goes.

It is really important to get a good gingerale. If you are used to the insipid flavors of most commercial gingerales I’d like to introduce you to Reeds Jamaican Gingerale. It has real ginger flavor and a little bite – delicious. If you can’t get Reeds then get Vernors. As far as conventional gingerales go it is absolutely the most flavorful that I have found… And no, they didn’t pay me to say that.

Once you know how to make an infused simple syrup an entire new world of flavors and possibilities opens up for you. While this calls for an infusion of lavender you can easily substitute anything:

• Chamomile
• Rose
• Cloves
• Ginger
• Basil

Be adventurous!

The sugar syrup is perfect for brushing on the tops of baked muffins, the cut side of layer cakes, or for glazing strawberries and other fruit.

If you can’t find the ingredients locally (and DO make sure that the lavender buds you use are for culinary use) then you can usually find them on Amazon. Oh – and the quality of the lavender will make a HUGE difference in how this turns out. A pound of lavender seems expensive until you see how much it really is. If you buy a pound you will have enough for the rest of your life – I swear it is A LOT!

And.. If you don’t have a punch bowl? Check this out!

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Not only that but she increasingly requires sprinkles. On everything. We are planning an intervention.

Anyway. It was because of Shi that I thought about buttercream shots – tiny cups of Swiss buttercream with a tiny spoon and sprinkles. No cake. No crust. No cookies. Just buttercream and sprinkles. And a spoon.

They were a hit. In such a small amount it is perfectly rich and delicious – and not too much. Some of the more experienced sugar junkies among us were able to down several – but this should only be attempted by professionals.

I made three different flavors and colors. Lavender buttercream in lavender flavor, pink buttercream in raspberry, and white buttercream in an orange-vanilla-almond. I bought small, clear plastic cups and then attached Disney Princess stickers to them. The cups were probably meant for jello shots – but they worked great.  Next to the cups were tiny spoons, about the size of caviar spoons – but made from plastic.

Then I used a decorating bag and a tube to fill each cup about halfway – I would imagine it was a tablespoon or less of the buttercream. Added sprinkles and they were ready to go. I made them the night before and they were just fine on the day of the party. I’d leave them at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving to allow them to get creamy.

Do not use the more common American buttercream for this – the type made with confectioners. It will be too cloyingly sweet and coat your tongue and you will think I have lost my mind and I will get hate comments and scathingly nasty emails.

Please don’t.  The buttercream recipe I used is the Party Cake Buttercream and substituted different flavorings for the lemon.

So, for your next dainty tea, princess party or PMS sugar craving ? Try these.

Here are some plastic shot glasses and spoons -

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Well the fantasy always stopped there.

Decorating for a theme party requires imagination and a lot of it. Maybe because I am such a perfectionist I go overboard but to me everything in a theme party should go with the theme from the colors to the serving dishes. A princess party just would not be complete without a coach – and what better way to create a coach than with a boule and a dip?

This is easy and it really was a huge hit. So cute.

What you’ll need -

• Your favorite dip recipe – make sure that it is a thick dip so it doesn’t soak through the bread. There are several on Restless Chipotle that will work – I will link to them below.
• 1 Sourdough round bread boule – unsliced
• 6 slices of white bread
• 4 toothpicks
• Yarn or string
• Plastic horses

How to do it -

1. The night before you will serve the dip slice a thin layer off of the top of the boule.
2. Pull out the bread, leaving a 1 inch thick wall.
3. Save the bread for breadcrumbs or whatever.
4. Allow the boule to stand uncovered overnight – this helps the soft bread inside to get a little crusty and it won’t soak up so much dip when you fill it.
5. Shortly before serving toast 4 pieces of bread.
6. Carefully cut a large circle out of each for the wheels.
7. Toast the other 2 pieces of bread and cut out 2 small circles from each for the hubs.
8. Place the hollow boule on a platter.
9. Place a small circle on a large circle of toast and push a toothpick through the circles and attach them to the boule for wheels.
10. Place the horses at the “front” of the carriage.
11. Tie string around the horses and attach the ends to each side of the coach with toothpicks.
12. Add the dip to the hollowed out center.
13. Add parsley, chives, edible flowers or whatever you like as garnish.

That’s it. It really is that easy – and so cute.

Here are some dip recipes that are easy, delicious, and will work perfectly in this boule.

• Homemade Onion Dip
• Jalapeno Popper Dip
• BLT Dip
• Smoky Cheese Dip
• Spicy Spinach Dip
• Artichoke Spinach Dip with Smoked Provelone
• Chicken Enchilada Dip

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She IS pretty special…and not in a bless her heart sort of way.

Tea party foods aren’t so much difficult as they are fussy. The fancier and prettier they are the more tea-like they are. You can literally do peanut butter and jelly on white bread, cut it small and make it fancy and you will have an automatic tea party.

I made ham and smoked Gouda finger sandwiches using a dark rye bread. Had I left them whole or merely cut them on the diagonal they would have been lunch but since I cut them in small rectangles and wrapped a fancy ribbon around them? The sandwiches were delicate and very, very princess worthy.

Look in the scrapbooking sections of your favorite hobby and craft store for cute ribbon and coordinating stickers. Cut your sandwiches in the shape that you desire and wrap with the ribbon. Overlap it on the top and secure with a sticker.

For the best results use a variety of breads and fillings. Some excellent combinations are:

• Chicken salad on white bread
• Ham, smoked cheese, dijon mustard on rye
• Sauteed apples on cinnamon bread
• Cream cheese, pecans, and green olives on wheat bread
• Turkey, cranberry sauce, and caramelized onions Boston brown bread.

I found some awesome sandwich ideas as well -

• 50 Tea Sandwich recipes
• Fancy Finger Sandwiches
• James Beard’s Onion Sandwiches
• Crab Egg Salad
• Cucumber, Pesto and Cream Cheese Sandwiches
• Deviled Ham and Pecan Sandwiches
• Green Goddess Tea Sandwiches
• Guacamole Chicken 

Just remember the cardinal rule of tea sandwiches ‘Thou shalt always make thy sandwiches cute and delicate” and you will do just fine.

© 2012 Marye Audet

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