What do you do when unexpected guests, a limited budget and a lack time conspire to put a wrench into an otherwise beautiful summer evening?

I had the quinoa, an avocado, some olives and cheese and the chocolate sauce!

The grocery was about to close in 10 minutes!

I ran in without a plan. Went straight to the “fish area”; I needed something fancy that would cook fast and go well with the quinoa salad I had just decided to make.

I bought the salmon; Wild Norwegian Salmon which is thick and moist which for me means easy cooking and a juicy dinner.

I chopped the avocado and put together a deconstructed salad on a cute plate with some olives and feta cheese.

A handful of fresh veggies get chopped and go into the cooked quinoa with olive oil and lime juice.

I broiled the salmon with crushed garlic and some olive oil and lemon.

A quick toss of the quinoa and veggies and plate it up! 20 minutes! Quick and Fancy!

I bought a quart of coconut ice cream and blackberries and topped it off with chocolate syrup.

I was almost embarrassed by how impressed everyone was but happily took the credit!

I love these elegant desserts. Tarts remind me of the days when I lived in France and was able to eat beautiful food daily.

This is my first attempt at this recipe and my mistake was to make the crust too thick.

I should have used only half of the dough that this recipe makes.

Next time I will use half and freeze the other half for another day.

I also did not make the gelatin which tops off the fruit.

I will do so next time as I feel that it adds subtle flavor and it completes the presentation of the dessert.

This crust is delicious.

I used Martha Stewart’s Nut Crust recipe from The Martha Stewart Cookbook, Collected Recipes for Everyday 1995, Clarkson Potter/ Publishers, New York

Nut Crust

Makes two 8-10 inch tart shells or 12 2 1/2 to 3 inch tartlets

10 onces finely chopped nuts
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room tempeture
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 cups all purpose flour
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.

Butter tart pan or tartlet pans.

Put all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix until well blended, using an electric mixer or wooden spoon.

Divide the mixture and press into the prepared pans.

Chill for at least 30 minutes.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the shells are golden brown.

Let cool on racks before filling.

Vanilla Custard

Recipe Courtesy of Not Derby Pie

1/2 cup whole milk
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
3 large eggs
3 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
zest of one lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla
seeds and pulp of one vanilla bean (reserve scraped bean for another use)
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, at room temperature

In a medium saucepan, bring about 2 inches of water to a boil.

In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk together milk, sugar, eggs, egg yolks, salt, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla, and vanilla bean pulp.

Set the bowl over the saucepan and continue whisking as mixture heats up.

After about 10 minutes of stirring, the mixture will have become thick enough that the mixing spoon or whisk will leave a trail.

At this point, remove the bowl from the heat and let the curd cool slightly, about 5 minutes.

Then whisk in butter, one tab at a time, until it has melted into the curd and the mixture is smooth.

Strain the curd through a fine-mesh sieve into the tart crust; use an offset spatula to smooth the top of the curd and distribute it evenly.

Arrange the strawberries in concentric circles over the curd, starting on the outer rim and working your way inward.

If not serving immediately, cover tart lightly with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator.

Remove the outer ring of the tart pan to serve, and plate with a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream.

After fussing over a variety of rich-flavorful foods for your guests, you want to make sure you serve them in peak condition. You’ll want to keep the hot foods hot, the cold foods chilled, and everything should be presented attractively. There are several different serving pieces that every hostess should have in order to be prepared for any food oriented event.

What Do You Need?

Chafing dishes are incredibly versatile for keeping foods warm all evening. Larger chafing dishes are often oblong with a hinged lid that’s easy to open and close, but you can also find round or oval ones. A small can of fuel or an electric heat source keeps food warm for several hours.

Attractive condiment jars are another staple every hostess should have. These are usually glass or ceramic and hold generous portions of sauces, condiments or syrups so that you don’t have to put messy plastic bottles of ketchup or other condiments on your dining table. Insulated pitchers are perfect for keeping cold drinks icy or hot drinks steamy. By filling large insulated pitchers with beverages you make it easy for guests to refill their own drinks and give yourself more time to socialize.

A few gravy boats in varying sizes are also great for serving salad dressings, sundae toppings, and gravies or au jus. Look for ones with generously sized handles that make it easy for guests to pour without dripping. Investing in a few top quality service pieces from a restaurant supplies store will mean you can serve any food you like with style and keep your guests coming back for more.

Food, like people comes in all shapes and sizes, and satisfies each of us in different ways. If you have a sweet tooth, then ice cream speaks to you with its different flavors. If you love something hot off the grill, then the rich taste of authentic barbecue is probably more to your liking. If you like Italian, or Mexican or Indian food, then having this food at your disposal is likely to be a high priority.

Food has become so big that it has its own network. Food aficionados like Rachel Ray have parleyed their success in the kitchen to affiliate programs across the globe. So successful have the marketing campaigns of stars like Ray and entrepreneur Martha Stewart been, their success is now measured in audience viewership rather than quality of food.

Within the Food Network are several food shows that have taken the culinary world by storm. The Iron Chef is a television show on the Food Network that has a visiting chef battle one of the Iron Chef’s, like Bobby Flay. The two chefs square off in Kitchen Stadium, using a special ingredient to meld their food together. Competition is fierce on the Food Network’s, battle to find who the next Food Network star will be. Amateur food experts show their wares in front of esteemed food critics, being judged on appearance of food, taste and the presentation in which they describe their food.

So while food is the great provider, it has transcended from something we eat to survive, to something that is competitive and viewed by millions via the television, internet and other electronic media.

Prior to this explosion of online culinary schools, training to be a food specialist was a drawn out, away-from-home experience that sometimes took years to complete. Before the advent of these cyber-culinary institutions, food lovers moved away from home to a food city like New York City, Boston or Portland to attend the finest schools.
No longer must a food lover spend years away from home perfecting their craft. An online learning institution specializing in the creation of culinary delights can be done from the comfort of one’s own home.

New culinary programs offer the flexibility of learning online while working towards a culinary-management degree. For many already employed in the food-service industry, news of a potential culinary management degree can mean advances within the culinary, restaurant and hotel management fields in which they may already be employed.
These culinary management courses allow students to study areas of accounting, human resource management, customer service and marketing while helping the student improve their overall skill. Many of the culinary management courses get away from the cooking aspect of the food-service industry while building a resume that will improve one’s restaurant management skills.

If you love food and are looking to make a career out of your passion, committing to an online journey could be just the break you’ve been looking for. Online learning institutions that specialize in advancement towards a culinary management degree give the participant the flexibility of learning from home as they journey towards their final destination in the culinary world.

As anxiety over obesity grows, many people begin to see food as the enemy. The thought is, if only we could avoid food, we’d be thinner. But all we’ll get is hungrier.

The reality is that good food is our ally; it’s one of the best medicines we can possibly take. A diet rich in fresh fruit and vegetables keeps us healthy in a myriad of ways, such as fighting heart disease, cancer and digestive disease, and keeping blood pressure lower. Due to the fact that these foods are naturally high in fiber and low in calories, they help maintain a healthy weight. Fresh frozen fruits and vegetables are healthy too, and food dehydration (drying tomatoes, bananas or strawberries) can be a smart way to store fresh food.

Create a strategy for getting more fresh food in your diet. Prepare meals and snacks in advance when possible, making the trip to the grocery store a time for planning. Choose dark leafy vegetables that are rich in nutrients, and then add a variety of colors — red, yellow, and orange – to your grocery basket. Your dinner plate should be “colorful,” with 2/3 of it fruits and vegetables.

In a rush? Make healthy choices. Load up with vegetables at the salad bar and forgo the fries. Choose broiled chicken instead of a cheeseburger. Order a fresh fruit smoothie. Simple choices can change the way you feel. Make the choice of eating well.

I just can not say enough about Pinnacle Whipped Cream flavored vodka!

We love it around here and have turned cocktail hour into an artform!

Ke Beach Key Lime flavored Cream Liqueur has taken the original pineapple coconut recipe to a new level!

If the photos are a bit fuzzy it is only because I have to work so fast to get my shots before the cocktails dissapear!

The photo does say it best regarding amounts. This recipe makes two large drinks:

1/2 cup lite coconut milk

1/2 cup pineapple juice

1/3 cup fresh lime juice

1/3 cup Ke Beach liqueur

1/2 to 3/4 cup Pinnacle Whipped Cream Flavored Vodka

1 1/2 cups frozen pineapple chunks ( I cut and freeze my own; freshness is key!)

Just pour into the blender, mix well and enjoy!

I should have given this a bit more thought!

I do not have air conditioning and we are in the middle of an incredible heatwave here in the midwest.

The heat index was 106 degrees! yesterday.

We were celebrating a birthday and this cheesecake with strawberries and whipped cream is a favorite.

It did look great when I placed it on the table but by the time I picked up the camera it was sliding all over the place!

That was about 15 seconds!

One of the secrets to the greatness of this cheesecake is the crust.

The butter toasted pecans make the crust amazing and every time I make this the only request is that next time I make more crust!

Ingredients:

Crust

1 stick of butter

3/4 cup of pecans

1 1/2 cups graham crackers

Filling

3 8 oz. pkgs cream cheese
1 cup superfine granulated sugar
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 eggs
1/3 cup whole milk
Whipped cream prepared or homemade; we used Redi-Whip, it’s a nostalgia thing!

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Saute butter and pecans until they become aromatic and lightly toasted

Place graham crackers, sauteed pecans and butter in the food processor and mix until the texture is fine

Press into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan and bake for 10 minutes

Set aside; reset oven to 325 degrees

With an electric mixer beat cream cheese, sugar and flour together until well mixed

Add vanilla and beat until smooth

Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition

Beat until smooth

Add milk and mix until well blended

Pour the batter over the crust and bake in preheated 325 degree oven for 45-55 minutes

Fell free to garnish with your favorite fresh fruit after the cheesecake has chilled in the fridge overnight

Don’t be shy with the whipped cream!

Put love in it and Enjoy!

Not only is my BFF Anna is a great cook but she is the hostess with the mostest!

We invade her lovely home for long weekends and she manages to entertain us like royalty!

One of her specialties is this casserole, of sorts, or breakfast scramble.

She par cooks potatoes in the microwave

Chops and sautes any vegetables on hand, usually: red peppers, asparagus, leeks, and mushrooms and sets those aside

Then dice the potatoes and combine in a large skillet the cooked veggies, potatoes, some cheese then crack a few eggs on top

Turn the heat down to low and cover to allow the eggs to cook.

You’re finished!

You can also do this in the oven in a lovely casserole dish for a more elegant presentation.

Or cook the eggs seperatly and serve on top.

Either way it’s delicious!

We have making pizza down to science here.

And I must admit that this is due to the secret weapon in my kitchen; My Daughter!

She has the perfect touch when it comes to preparing the dough; which we buy at a local pizzeria, and she has the perfect touch when it comes to layering the ingredients!

She gets the dough just right. Thin but not too thin and she has a light touch with the cheese, which is key to proper cooking.

Her specialties include but are not limited to the Margarhita and pepperoni pizzas.

We were so confident with our skills that we threw these pizzas on the grill! First time ever and they were perfect!

Fresh oregano made the pepperoni especially delicious for th meat eaters but the overwhelming favorite was the Margarhita with basil fresh from the garden and fresh mozzarella.

I tried my hand at something a bit more fancy; spinach and red onion with mushroom and goat cheese topped off with a balsamic vinegar reduction.

The reduction came out perfectly, it was my first attempt! I simply poured about 1 cup of balsamic vinegar into a small frying pan and on meduim heat let it cook until it started to thicken.

My mistake was to pour it over the pizza before baking. I should have drizzled it over the pizza when it was finished cooking to keep the thick texture that I so proudly created!

Lightly blanche the spinach before layering on your pizza. It can dry and burn if you don’t.

Tr your hand with your favorite ingredients. Be patient. Cook with loved ones and Enjoy!