Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake and Conversation

It is no secret to anyone who has lived through the teenage experience that getting your teen to open up about their day can be a little tricky. Just asking a question can sometimes be considered a serious invasion of their privacy, and usually is answered in a one to two word response that will provide you with absolutely no information at all. So before leaving on my trip I did some baking to lure my teenage daughter (17) into a conversation. It works like a charm every time. She enters the home, heads straight to the kitchen, and breathes deep. I watch the smile cross her lips, and I know I have won her over. As I pull the warm sweetness out of the oven, she begins to talk and doesn't stop until her tummy is full and I have heard about every little detail of her day. These moments are priceless, and since she is my youngest - I am pretty much making this cake at a moments notice and on demand. The recipe to getting your teenager to talk is simple and follows:
Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake
In a large mixing bowl add 2 Cups of flour, 2 tsp of baking powder, 1 1/2 cups of sugar, 1/2 cup of softened butter and mix until the stuff looks like course crumbs.
Remove 1 cup from mixer and put aside.
Add 2 eggs, 3/4 cup of milk, and 1 tsp of vanilla to mixer and mix on med. speed until smooth.
Rub an 8 x 8 pan with a little canola oil, and spread in batter (it will be thick)
Scatter 1 cup of mini (must be mini) chocolate chips on top
Scatter the rest of the crumb mixture on top of chips
Bake at 350 for 50min - to 1 hour or until center is firm to touch.
Serve warm with a cup of milk and enjoy your conversation!

Savory Dark Meat Chicken Pie

The recipe that you will find below is another one inspired by my trip to Key West when I heard Molly O'Neill tell a story about a woman who stabbed and killed her husband last Thanksgiving over the last piece of dark meat on the turkey. "Well, I mean it was dark meat. You could understand," she said. "I mean who would ever kill someone over white meat?" After the crowd recovered from the laughter, Molly and Ruth Reichl began an exchange about how dark meat is just full of flavor and how the latest trend in eating here in the United States is about eating the whole animal and not just the pretty parts. I personally think this ties in nicely with the green philosophy that is spreading across our country. For us meat eaters, the least we can do is let the animals live a little before slaughter (think free-range), and appreciate the taste of all that they have to offer. One of my favorite dishes as a child was my mother's fried chicken livers with onions, where she would add a little sherry and flour to the pan to make a rich dark gravy that was poured over my mashed potatoes. I plan to make this soon for my own family, and if successful, the recipe will be posted. But, in the meanwhile, I did decide for myself that I like dark meat better than white, and what the heck it is cheaper. I created a new version of my chicken pot-pie, which is perfect for the winter freeze that we have all been suffering through and guaranteed to cure any cold!



Grab a large saute pan and melt 1/4 cup of butter. Throw in 6 boneless and skinless chicken thighs, 4-5 chopped spring onions, 1 small yellow onion (chopped), 3-4 stalks of chopped celery, 1/2 cup of baby peas (I used frozen), 1/4 cup sweet corn (frozen again), 4 small peeled and chopped potatoes, 3 peeled and chopped carrots, and 1/2 cup of fresh dill. Brown the meat on both sides along with the veggies by turning them over a few times. Pour in 2 cups of free-range chicken stock and add 1/2 of a knox chicken boullion to pan. Cover and simmer for 30-40 min on low flame. Lift the lid and smell the yummy concoction that you have just created. Take a coffee cup and fill a little less than 1/2 way with flour. Add warm (almost hot) water and stir with a fork to make a paste without lumps. Turn up your flame until you have a full boil and pour in your paste while stirring. Just add enough to thicken to your own liking. Add some cracked pepper and sea-salt to taste. Pour into a 9 x 9 deep-dish glass pan. Top with one package of pillsbury crescent rolls. Just unroll them, place on top and press down on the edges of glass to seal your pie. Bake at 425 for 15 min. Remove and enjoy!

The Hungry Muse - Key West Literary Seminar

I just returned from a week in Key West where I attended the 29th annual Literary Seminar and I am still basking in the glow of good food, good drinks, new friends and abundant sunshine. I cannot even express properly the incredible sensations that surrounded me when I heard some of the best food writers of all time present, read and share their process and stories. Sometimes I had to remind myself that I was not at a comedy show, but rather a Literary Seminar. Besides the fact that I met and had a wonderful private conversation with The Judy Bloom, whose book was the only one that I brought along on the trip - a book on censorship called Places I Never Meant to Be, which I found to be invaluable to any writer in this day and age of political correctness...anyway I am rambling I know, but it is just so hard not to. I will share a recipe inspired by this trip when acclaimed food writer, Madhur Jaffrey, made me breakfast. Madhur is from India so be prepared for a little spice, and please note that while fresh spices are always prefered, I successfully substituted with the dry versions we convieniently find on grocery shelves.

Fried Potatoes with Curry

Peel and cut the potatoes in 1 inch chunks and place in a bowl - cover and steam in microwave for about 5 min.
Pour some oil in a hot saute pan - olive oil is a little too heavy for this recipe - I used canola. About a 1/8 cup.
Add 1 tsp dried curry (or 1/4 cup of fresh chopped curry leaves if you are lucky)
1 tsp sesame seeds
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp tumeric
1/4 tsp hot red pepper
1/2 small chopped onion and potatoes. Enjoy the smells!
Toss frequently and cover in between for about 10 to 15 min.

Meanwhile....crack 6 eggs in a large bowl. Whisk briskly and add 1/4 cup of water. Get out another pan and add some oil. Toss in the hot oil the other 1/2 of your onion (chopped)
Some chopped tomato (about 1/4 cup) and fresh cilantro.
Pour in your eggs and scramble.

The potatoes have just enough kick and the eggs are cool and refreshing by contrast. I love fresh cracked pepper and sea salt on just about everything - including this recipe, so find your own taste and sprinkle as needed.

30 Year Reunion with Fireworks & Apple Crisp

So, my 30 year high school reunion was this summer. I was thinking I would go, then I was thinking, no way I am going, and then I finally went. It is so funny how we all view ourselves in high school. I think all of us feel that maybe we didn't fit in so well, maybe no one really knew us at all, and maybe no one will even recognize us when we do show up, but thankfully, this is very far from the truth. Our reunion was perfect. We were each given a name tag with our pictures from the 1980 high school yearbook on it, and everyone recognized everybody. The night was complete with good food, music, drink and even fireworks! I am so very happy that I went. What a blessing to see everyone again, all grown up and settled in their lives. If you haven't given yourself this opportunity, and you have the chance, show up, stand tall and prepare yourself for laughter. There is simply nothing like visiting the past with those that knew you way back when. While you are thinking of all of those great high school memories, you can put together this apple crisp in a few minutes, and enjoy the wonderful smells coming from the oven. Bon Appetite ( I am taking French class :))
Apple Crisp - peel & slice 8 - 10 apples (green are better) and sprinkle with 1/4 cup of sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. In a food processor pulse 1/2 cup walnuts, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar & 3 tablespoons of butter. Butter a caserole dish and throw in apples, put sprinkle topping on top and bake @ 350 for 30 minutes.

Cooling Off w/Sparkling Peach Sangria

Well, July just whizzed by in all of it's blazing glory! The heat wave this year in Baltimore has been brutal, but with the pool, the beach and a boat, it provided a lot of fun in the sun. The key to enjoying the seasons is to embrace the gifts of each one, and in July, it is my time to move FAST. I soak up all that the summer sun has to offer (with lots of sunscreen), so that when September's cool fall air sets in, I am ready to succumb. Eating alfresco is the only way to go in the Summer. After all, is there anything better than creating a carefree meal and enjoying it in the great outdoors? These little things that we find special, are our true joys in life. For me, it is the smell of the summer air, my herb garden, the ceiling fan whirring around over the outdoor dining table on my covered porch, and watching all of the wildlife play in my backyard as I enjoy a light meal. I hope everyone appreciated July. I wish all of you the great joys of summer fun, but for those of you who may need some cooling down, this summer cocktail can do the trick. I made a large pitcher for an evening boat ride, and it sure hit the mark!
Sparkling Peach Sangria:
4 ripe peaches peeled and sliced
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup peach schnapps
2 bottles cold champagne
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves.
Pour over ice and say mmmmmmmm.

Sunny Beach Days w/ Triple Berry Crisp

This weekend was filled with sunny days at the Ocean and the laughter of some of my favorite little people - my neice and nephews ages 5 to 11. I was kept busy playing in the waves and running along the shore, and I couldn't think of a better way to spend my time. My youngest daughter came along, but opted to hang out with her friends a few blocks up (she is 17, need I say more?). After a few hours on the beach, I asked my niece if I should retrieve her older cousin so she could have another girl to play with, and it was then that I received the best compliment EVER. "Aunt Terri", she said "It doesn't matter. You're just like her and I can just play with you." Too cool. I cannot tell you how much her statement meant to me, but I will share this. One of my many goals for the second half of my life is to remember how to play. I embarked on a lot of adventures and tested my own comfort zones in order to let go of those serious tendencies that we all aquire through our trials and tribulations, and in this little girls response, I found that I had reached my goal! So, since I am very busy playing hard this summer, and I do not have a lot of time to spend in my kitchen (but love a good dessert), I have created this easy recipe for a sweet summer treat. Enjoy your summer days, and remember to PLAY!
Take 3 cups of your favorite fresh berries (I used Strawberries, Rasberries, and Blueberries), add sugar to taste (3 tblsp for mine) and place in small baking dish (2qt or less)
Put 1 cup organic flour, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 cup butter in food processor and pulse.
Place over berries. Bake at 350 for 25 min. Remove and press down top of crust so that the juice seeps through the top all over. Place back in oven for 5 min. Put it over ice cream (or a frozen whipped banana). Yummy!

KISS - Keep it Simple w/Whipped Frozen Bananas

I had the pleasure of spending the day with a very special young lady a few days ago. The wisdom of this little five year old is vast, and like many children, she says the most extraordinary things quite simply. It is endearing - to say the least. After watching her jump on a trampoline, in the hot sun, for an extremely long time, without losing any energy whatsoever, I, who was sitting in the chair under the apple tree, decided that it was just too hot and we should go back to the pool. When I explained, to this little wonder, that I was getting a little stinky in the hot sun, while just sitting there and sweating, her response was the following: "Well, just don't smell your armpits." She never stopped jumping and she didn't miss a beat. Of course, I laughed, but then I thought a little about what she said, and how profound her statement really was. How would her cavalier attitude handle the oil spill in the Gulf? I expect she would say "Well jeeze. Don't do that anymore." And when explained that we need the oil, she would probably respond, "Just use something else." It is in the wisdom of the young, before we have the chance to mold and make, that the most simplistic truths are stored, and if we all could just get back to that place that resides within us, I am quite sure that we would surprise ourselves with just how wonderful our lives, and the world as a whole, are. All of the problems, that we sometimes feel our insurmountable, would probably look more like a mole hill after all. With that said, I would like to share a lovely little treat with you that I discovered in Rehoboth Beach. It turns out that frozen bananas, when whipped, are extremely smooth and creamy, and maintain the same texture of frozen yogurt.
So, for all of those lactose intollerant, or those who may be watching calories, or those who want a truly healthy treat - treat yourself to this. Take 1 whole, very ripe, banana and freeze it. Plop it into your food processor and let it spin. You will need to scrape down the sides. When the mixture looks just like frozen yogurt you are done. I top mine with Maggie Moo (an organic chocolate syrup) and 1/2 tsp. of heated natural peanut butter (micro 30 secs.) and let me tell you - simple and yummy! Have a great simple day and enjoy Summer!