Snowy Night Road Trip Fantasies

When the snow sifts down all day & the great big plows go by in the Cleveland streets as the landscape turns white, my thoughts turn to warm places. Looking at the weather report next week, when one day shows a high of 7 degrees, I told J, "It's too bad we're not going to be in Miami then!" Since we can't jump in the car for a road trip to go to Slidell and look for our joy as we visit Jenny & Mick, since we can't go meet Lynnie in Metairie, I decided to bring a little of Louisiana into our home tonight. I made bayou shrimp, accompanied by jasmine rice and lima beans cooked to within an inch of their lives. For dessert, we had a bananas Foster tart with scoops of Ben & Jerry's vanilla ice cream.

Bayou Shrimp

1/2 stick butter

1/4 c. water

Juice of half a lemon

2 tsp. freshly grated pepper

1 1/2 tsp. rosemary

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins is my favorite)

14 large raw shrimp

Melt the butter over medium heat. Add everything but the shrimp. Simmer until reduced to half a cup, about 3 minutes. Salt to taste. Add shrimp. Cover & cook until pink, about 4 minutes. (the cooking liquid is great over the rice)

Bananas Foster Tart

1 9" pie crust

2 sliced bananas

4 1/2 tsp. dark rum

2 tsp. orange zest

2/3 c. ch. pecans (I only had walnuts & they were good, too)

2/3 c. brown sugar (light is fine, but I like dark)

1/4 c. whipping cream

1/2 stick butter

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put pie crust in tart pan (you can use a pie plate if you don't have a tart pan) and bake 9-11 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Mix bananas with rum. Sprinkle orange zest in bottom of crust. Add bananas. Sprinkle with pecans. Mix sugar, cream and butter together and cook, stirring, on medium heat until boiling, about 3 minutes. It's important to let it come to a full boil. Then, cook another 4 minutes or so. Remove from heat & stir in vanilla. Spoon over bananas and pecans. Let cool 1/2 hour. I really do recommend fairly small pieces and definitely a scoop of ice cream with each piece.

Eating in Amish Country

The last weekend in December, I preached at a UCC in Amish country, so we stayed at the Red Maple Inn in Burton for the weekend. We popped out for dinner at Cogan's Village (Idiot) Eatery. It was plastered with all kinds of interesting posters, signs, license plates and such, like a more authentic version of what TGIF is trying to do. They advertised lousy food & bad service (or was it vice versa?) but we found that not to be true. Okay, the French onion soup kind of sucked, but J's New England clam chowder was tasty and our main courses were good. J had liver and onions for the second time in December while I chose one of the daily specials, a big dish of kielbasa, potatoes and peppers all fried up together. We were both drooping from colds and the comfort food was perfect.

In the morning, we went down to the dining room for the "delicious" and "amazing" breakfast we'd read so many comments about in the room's guest book. I was, quite frankly, disappointed in the selection and quality. It was not even on a par with the Comfort Inn where we stay when we go to Cross Lanes, WV. Comfort Inn! I don't understand why the breakfast (or the bed) got rave reviews. When I am paying as much as I did for a room with breakfast, I expect the breakfast to be higher quality than a decidedly non-luxury motel chain's continental breakfast. Ah, well, the fireplace, hors d'oeuvres hour and tub made up for it. Besides, we were in for more good food than we realized that day.

When we arrived for tea at Rosepointe Cottage, we had to wait for our table. The entire front room was dripping with bridal shower guests. It was fun to watch them having fun with one another. We waited in the cute little upstairs shop (the tea room is in an old house) and I got to leaf through some books about Emma Lea and her adventures with tea. Then, it was time for tea. There was only one other table in the back room, filled with a family of women. We guessed two sisters and the 40-something daughters of one of the sisters. One of the daughters was wearing a wonderful hat and reminded me of my dear friend Suzanne, who has delicious adventures and lives in a house worthy of feature in Martha Stewart Living. I wanted to go up to her and say, "Will you be my friend?" Another sister reminded me a good deal of Ina Garten. They were fun to observe.We were too busy enjoying our tea and hatching plots to have a monthly girl gathering to observe too closely, though. J got some kind of tangerine tea while I chose Earl Grey, my perennial favorite. We each got a cup of the amazing corn & pumpkin chowder, perfect for two sick girls like us. Then, the tea commenced with plates of scrumptious tea sandwiches. There was cucumber, ham salad, cream cheese on date bread and chicken salad in a mini croissant. I think there was another-should have taken notes! Next came a scone for each of us, served with plenty of clotted cream and jam. Finally, a plate of "tea fancies" that was not terribly appealing due to the facts that A. we were already quite full and B. they were still a smidge frozen. Tsk, tsk, tsk. No matter because the rest of the food and the whole atmosphere were so refreshingly delicious. J decided that she likes taking tea so much that she wants us to do it once a month. I have no objection whatsoever! Lady food, pretty dishes and a room overflowing with estrogen? I'm there! I've already done some research about others in our area. I definitely want to take her to Miss Molly's in Medina, where our art group had such a fun Christmas tea. I wish J had been able to attend the tea, but we can at least go back. After tea, we went driving out to Middlefield to check out the cheese factory. We picked up some dill butter cheese, some sharp cheddar spread and some colby-jack there (as well as some more maple candy for my sweet tooth-we'd already picked some up, along with a pint of syrup, at the Burton sugar cabin).

Saturday evening, we headed out for our anniversary dinner at the Welshfield Inn, which we chose due to their unpretentious menu and history. It used to be a stop on the Underground Railroad. How cool is that? It was utterly lovely outside and in, with a gracious porch and big trees in front and low dark-wood ceilings inside. Somehow, we managed to score a table right by the fire, which was so cozy and perfect. Our waitress was so on the ball, but not at all overbearing. We started with their amazing rolls, one variety savory with seeds and salt sprinkled on top, the other a handmade cinnamon roll that was tops. J ordered pan-seared scallops with asparagus and peppers in a lovely cream sauce made with chardonnay, lemon and lobster. I had a salad of mesclun with Granny Smith matchsticks, grapes, blueberries, toasted walnuts and Gorgonzola tossed with a hint of raspberry vinaigrette. Both were immensely pleasurable to eat. We both chose specials for our main courses. J had a splendid halibut dish, again with a light cream sauce, with all kinds of sprightly veggies and a side of wild rice pilaf. Mine was a plate of gorgeously braised short ribs with a red wine reduction, plated with well-made mashed potatoes and perfectly-cooked, vividly green beans. It was a shame that we had no room for dessert because I have no doubt it would have been as stellar as the dinner.

Thai Curry

Tonight, J made chicken curry with her company's Thai curry sauce, which they have reconfigured to have slightly less heat and more coconut milk. It's a winner in my book. She stir-fried some broccoli, cauliflower, carrots & sugar snaps and I made some saifun (bean thread noodles) to go with it. Good stuff on a chilly winter night!

Tea & Toast

Next time you want a little nibble with your afternoon tea, try mixing a tbsp. of honey with 1/4 tsp. of cinnamon and spreading it on buttered toast. Yum! Had it this afternoon with Earl Grey.

More Fab Fish

Tonight, it was my turn to make a great fish dinner. I adapted a recipe for potato-crusted halibut from the Lodge at Vail, served with herbed lemon mashed potatoes and a spring mix salad. The potatoes came from an old issue of Southern Living. This is my adapted version.

Potato-Crusted Halibut

4 halibut fillets, 6 oz. each (I expect snapper or mahi mahi would sub well, but if you can get halibut, you really should treat youself)

Salt & pepper

2 russet potatoes

2 tbsp. butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season fish. Peel and grate potatoes (I used the smaller side of the grater). Divide potatoes in four and place on the flat, skinless sides of the fillets. Melt the butter in an ovenproof nonstick skillet (I used my trusty Lodge) on medium-high heat. Add fish, potato side down, and cook 6-7 minutes without moving at all. Put in oven and cook another 5-7 minutes. Serve potato side up.

Herbed Lemon Mashed Potatoes

4 lg. potatoes, peeled & sliced

1 tbsp. butter

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

3/4 c. sour cream

1 tsp. lemon zest

1 tbsp. lemon juice

1 & 1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. dill

1/4 tsp. cayenne

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook and mash potatoes. Melt butter in small skillet. Cook onion & garlic until tender. Add everything to the potatoes. Spread in lightly-greased casserole and bake 15-20 minutes.

Grandma Sadie's Pie for Clyde

My granddaddy Clyde would have been 90 this January 4th and so to honor him, I wanted to make the beefsteak pie that he so often requested for his birthday dinner. My grandmom Janet had given me the recipe, having gotten it from Clyde's mother, my great-grandma Sadie. I remember Grandma Sadie from when I was very small (she died when I was only two or three years old). She was in a wheelchair, which she let my uncle Jazzbo take me for rides in, and wore a pink satin bedjacket and gave me candy corn out of the glass pear on her nightstand. That candy dish belongs to me now. Anyway, since both my grands have died now, I have decided to make that beefsteak pie every year on his birthday and have either Vietnamese or Chinese food for hers. The beefsteak pie is very easy and goes well with mashed potatoes (I had some left over from my annual New Year's White Dinner-pork chops seared, then covered in well-drained sauerkraut & simmered in a covered skillet for about an hour, mashed potatoes on the side) and corn.

Grandma Sadie's Beefsteak Pie

Double crust for a 9" pie

2 lb. boneless round steak with fat trimmed

Flour

Salt & Pepper

Water

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cube the steak and dredge it in flour (I use a gallon Ziploc). Shake off excess flour & brown, in two batches, in large skillet. Season generously. Put pie crust in pie plate. Put steak in crust. Sprinkle with 1/8-1/4 c. water. Seal crusts and vent. Bake 15 minutes at 425 degrees, then lower heat to 350 and bake another 45 minutes.

Fabulous Fish!

J made tilapia tonight that was absolutely delicious. She rubbed the fish with olive oil, then seasoned it with citrus sea salt & 5-peppercorn blend. Then, she sauteed each side for 3 minutes. While it was cooking, she squeezed half a lemon over it (be careful to pick out the seeds!). Then, she kept it warm in the oven. In the same skillet, with all the stuff left after cooking the fish, she added a cup of Chardonnay, half a small jar of capers, 14 oz. quartered artichoke hearts, 2 tomatoes (seeded & chopped). She brought it to a boil & let it simmer about 10 minutes. She then returned the fish to the pan with some broccoli florets and let it simmer 3-5 more minutes. Then, she removed the fish and cooked the broccoli a smidge longer while keeping the fish warm. Then, she put the veggies on the fish & kept it warm in the oven. Then, she added a couple tablespoons of butter to the sauce and cooked it until the butter melted. Then, she added about a tablespoon of flour, gradually, the thicken it up so it was gravy consistency. Then, she drizzled the sauce over the fish & veggies. I made Jasmine rice to go with it and we ended up drizzling that with the sauce, as well. Mmm, yum.