Cannoli,quick style!

A quick dessert for this evening!

I had a package of the mini-chips......decided to cap them off with chocolate.

Adding a touch of fresh whipping cream and mint from the mint pot outside! Never stick mint in the ground....it takes off and keeps growing everywhere!



This is such a simple and delicious recipe! It is so light!

2 cups of ricotta cheese
3/4 C. of powdered sugar
1 t. of cinnamon
1/4 c. of whipping cream
1/4 c. of mini-chocolate chips
zest of 1 lemon, lightly scraped
1t. vanilla

Combine the cheese, sugar and cinnamon. Add the vanilla. Mix well, add vanilla and zest of lemon. Sprinkle in the chocolate chips. Gently combine.

In a separate bowl, beat the whipping cream until it hold soft peaks. It's not very much to beat, so it doesn't take long. Scrape and gently fold the whipping cream into cheese mixture. Pipe the cheese mixture into the tubes, which I purchased from the grocery store. Sprinkle additional chips on both ends of cannoli. Chill for three hours. I can only imagine how freshly made ones would have tasted. I will try that next time,when I have more time and have the molds!

Bananaleines from any Banana Bread Recipe!

My version of Madeleines~ a gift for one of my husbands friends who just had a knee operation.

I thought I did a rather fairly nice job decorating and packing these little scrumptious goodies into a basket,which by the way,was filled with beefsteak tomatoes when I received it from my dear friend, Leslie. My other dear friend, my husband, a Marine, was taking these to another Marine friend, the one that just had the knee operation, and just told me, "I can't deliver these like Little Red Riding Hood to another Marine.....what would he think as he saw me carrying this little darling basket into his house?? I looked at him directly and told him what I thought......."deliver the goods! Leave the basket in the car and have his wife get them".... "Yes, Mam".....we both had a good chuckle... found out later, wife was not at home!!!
I received a wonderful thank you from this great Marine. He did not comment about the foo-foo-ness of the basket, I did not expect any comments about that, but he certainly enjoyed his muffins!
I suppose its just a girl thing!

I baked these according to one of my favorite banana bread recipes. I am sure we all have a favorite! Just another way to bake it! 

Have a great weekend!

Seared Scallops with Steamed potatoes

Saint - Jacques Aux Pommes Vapeur

When I walk into my office and glance over at the cookbooks lined up on the bookcase, I do feel guilty at times for neglecting to read these works of art. It is so easy to go on line today and search for a recipe....but there is just something so gratifying about opening a book, flipping the pages and searching for just the right recipe for a future meal.Yesterday was one of those days. I had some extra time and I also had all of the ingredients at my fingertips. ( It really ticks me off when I find something delicious to make and  I don't have all the ingredients. I try so hard not to make unnecessary runs to the grocery store.) So, I grabbed The French Market written by JoAnne Harris & Fran Warde and trotted off to the kitchen to whip up and re-created this rustic regional specialty. Using ones imagination,  there could be many variations to this recipe.

Serves 6

1 1/2 pd of small boiling potatoes. You can use white or red skinned.

7 oz. of thick bacon. I used half the package.Tear into thick strips after it has cooked.

1 T. of white vinegar.

A bunch of fresh tarragon, leaves chopped. I sprinkled a tad of dried tarragon for finishing touch.

3 T. olive oil.

Sea salt, to taste.

Freshly ground pepper, to taste.

18 medium sea scallops. I used 5 really large ones.

3 T. of unsalted butter.

Steam the potatoes until tender. Meanwhile, heat 1T. of the oil in a large skillet over medium high-heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, about 6 minutes. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain. When the potatoes are tender, cool until easy to handle and slice them into thick rounds. Mix the sliced potatoes, bacon, the remaining 2 T. of oil,vinegar and tarragon (reserve a bit for the garnish in a bowl) and season with salt and pepper.

Rinse the scallops and pat dry on paper towels. Heat the butter in a very large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the scallops and cook until golden, about 1 minute on each side. Divide the warm salad among 6 dinner plates. Top each with three scallops, sprinkle with reserved tarragon. Serve immediately. 

La Cuisine Paris

My sister and I had a very quick trip to Paris recently and managed to squeeze in a class making souffles. In this photo, I am getting the Souffle aux Epinards  ready for the oven. There were 10 American students attending. The class lasted just under three hours and we were also served lunch during this time. Our lunch included both souffles that we prepared and also a very delicate fresh Salade folle et Vinaigrette. Oh, and plenty of wine and fresh bread!

Just finished preparing the Bechamel Sauce for the spinach souffle.

Here you can see the spinach puree. It was heated in butter and sauteed until it just wilted then processed into a smooth puree.

Nothing more beautiful and perfect than an egg ~

Souffle aux Epinards directly from the oven.

Souffle au Grand Marnier, steaming hot!

The location of the school is directly along the river on Quai de l'Hotel de ville.

Certainly worth the time if you have a few extra hours on your next visit to Paris.

Scenes from our last tour in Tuscan Territory!

We visit

We drink

We explore

We pick

We shop

We taste more

We walk

We watch

We marvel at color

We learn

We share

We drive on white roads

We smell

We visit

We believe traveling is more than just getting on and off tour buses, being lead around by following flags in crowded cities~we strive to experience the real sights, hear the local sounds and savor what comes from the rich landscape. We partner with local citizens, born and raised in Tuscany, who engage all our senses at once that make our trips so memorable. 

We photograph

We lend a hand

We visit locals

We step down into the cellars~the experiences we share, live on....

A great find on my bike ride!

What is all of this~why didn't I drive my car today?

Hummm~I know I can get the sprouts and cauliflower in my saddle bags or can I?

Turnips on the top!

The bag lady~now what do I do with this stuff!

The front seat of the truck was completely filled with mustard greens.

This is why I always travel with empty saddle bags!

Lemon Souffles from Southern Living

Recipe for Lemon Souffles

I love it when a recipe really works! Many times have I tried something new and it was a complete disaster. Not this time. One thing I changed in this recipe was the lemon curd. I had some in my pantry that I picked up from the grocery store and thought this might save me some time, seeing this was a last minute dessert I sprung on hubby. It worked out perfectly! Just remember to save some if you intend to pour a little on top when serving.

2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1/8 tsp.salt
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
2 Tbsp. of powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat your greased 5 ramekins with the sugar. Shake out the extra. Place the empty ramekins on a sheet pan of some sort.
Whisk together the flour and salt along with the pre-purchased lemon curd.
Beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks are formed. Fold 1/4 of the egg whites into curd mixture using a large rubber spatula; fold in the remaining egg whites just until lended. Fold carefully as to not flatten out your egg whites. Pour gently into the ramekins, filling all the way to the top. Run a ridge around the top with thumb,wiping clean the edges.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes and then reduce the heat to 350 degrees for 4 more minutes or until the souffles rise and are set. The center will be a tad shaky. You'll need to serve immediately and sprinkle with the powdered sugar. How easy can this be......and it was so delicious! Thank you, Southern Living. The entire recipe is on page 106 of this months issue.