Roast Chicken and Other Stories - Simon Hopkinson

I've been reading a book this past month by Simon Hopkinson, a man I had never heard of until picking up his cook book with additional stories and patter on kitchen wisdom and food opinions. I have had fun reading the recipes and making a few, as I poked along through the book. He's conversational in his writing style and I like that. It's rather like listening to my brother yak about food and experiences he's had in the kitchen and around the world of food. Not intimidating, full of good information and technique tips, sweetly illustrated with a few stories and a few chuckles, full of recipes that are written clearly and not too complicated. The other thing that I really like about the book's recipes is that they are all geared for four servings, which is perfect for a two-person household, a retiree budget, and a small-ish refrigerator.

Really Good Chicken Salad

When I was a kid, Saturday mornings were set aside for cleaning. My Mom would give us breakfast and then tell us that it was 'time to clean your room'. I would putter around picking up clothes and stuffing them in the laundry chute, stripping my bed, putting away toys (or shoving them under the bed), dancing around to the radio or record player, putting away toys (shoving them in the closet), running the vacuum cleaner, putting away toys (sucking them up in THE KIRBY), and waiting a decent amount of time before racing for the back yard.

Occasionally, Dad would call me back in and tell me that my room 'looked like a dog's breakfast'. Hmmm ... I always wondered what a dog's breakfast looked like. One time, Dad ushered me up to my room and opened the closet door. What should have been a neat and orderly spot was not. He calmly asked me if I ever saw what the garbage cans looked after the neighborhood beagle had been at them. Yes, I knew. Well, THAT is a dog's breakfast and this looks like a dog's breakfast too! Hmmm .... mystery solved. Work ahead. So much for Saturday morning whiffle ball with the rest of the kids in the neighborhood.

Making this Jamie Oliver salad last evening reminded me of that old expression ... but it tasted really, really good!

Green Pancakes with Lime Butter --- IHCC

These are pancakes that push the envelope a bit ... this from a Yankee who takes her pancakes seriously.

I Heart Cooking Club - Jamie Oliver's Invited to Brunch!

This week's IHCC options are wide open, as it's Pot Luck Week. While the other die-hard cooking club members may be sticking to Yotam Ottolenghi's recipes, I am still having fun with the idea of exploring the other chefs that the club has sponsored over the past couple years. Today, I decided to explore Jamie Oliver's archives on his website ...

Apricot Tart

When I was a sprout, my parents dutifully deposited me at the door to Mrs. Abrahamson's Sunday school class every Sunday morning. Mrs. Abrahamson was the picture of the soft and gentle Methodist maven. She came complete with a bag of multi-colored ribbons for awarding when we wee folk learned our Bible verses,  a Brownie camera for taking adorable pictures of us as we completed various class activities, a large box of graham crackers and two cans of apricot nectar for our Sunday school snack (kiddie communion). Golly, she was a peach! I guess I can't say she was an apricot of a gal, but she was my first exposure to apricots.

Pain Grenoblois - A Random Recipe

Baking bread is one of the most satisfying of baking ventures and it seems that Dom, our dear friend over at Belleau Kitchen, has tapped his inner baker and become a blogging bread fiend! Well, he's in good company here! In fact, when he suggested that May's Random Recipe challenge was to collect one's bread baking books and randomly choose a bread recipe to make and post, I was pretty excited! I only hoped that I would choose a bread recipe that was new and untried! Score!

This French recipe comes from Paris Boulangerie Patisserie, Linda Dannenberg's excellent book of recipes from the most famous and well-established bakeries in Paris. On opening the book to a random page, I  was greeted by a raisin and walnut bread that comes from the countryside in the southeastern region of France. This bread had me doing something I have never done before in my bread baking. It calls for making a yeast starter dough called Pâte Viennoise and letting it rise for 45 minutes. Then, another dough is made that incorporates the starter dough in during the kneading process. This white wheat flour starter combines with the second rye and wheat flour mixture to make a striated dough, rich with butter, raisins, currants, walnuts, and a bit more sugar than usual ... really a beautiful combination!

We Should Cocoa - Mango Chocolate Mousse

It couldn't get any easier than this ... a blender mousse that's healthier than the traditional version! What's not to love? I happened upon this recipe when I was searching for chocolate pudding recipes ages ago ... it has lingered on my 'favorites' bar for weeks. I found another chocolate pudding recipe for a pie that I needed to make, but this mango chocolate concoction sat patiently waiting. The chocolate cream pie has come and gone, but I still yearn for a small bowl of creamy custard goodness now and then!

Easy Sichuan Green Beans

A fast post for an easy green bean side ... beans are starting make the appearance in the produce markets. They are bright green and firm and perfect for a fast steam with an easy spicy topping ... enjoy! I made pork lo mein last evening and these beans sat alongside as a hot spicy counterpoint to all those slippery saucy noodles and pork strips. Heaven to our starving garden work-weary bodies!