Lake Reading....Highly Recommended

If you want to have a well documented opinion on what is going on in the Middle East today, you better be prepared to have all the facts on hand.  This part of the world, unfortunately, is not covered well in any of the history courses we took in school.  It's about time we made room for it.

I have found most books I've tried to read on the Arab world to be extremely in depth and boring and I had yet to find one that kept my interest until I picked this book up at the local library.  Published in 2009 The Arabs by Eugene Rogan covers the Middle East and North Africa from the end of the Ottoman Empire until present.  Unlike other books on the history of the ME, I found this to be a highly readable and interesting book, although I have to confess to skipping a few pages here and there.  Remember those professors we had in college that were so great that they made anything seem interesting? Well Rogan is one of them.  He is on the faculty of Oxford University as well as a Director of the Middle East Centre. 

The next book is a fun one albeit an older one.  Published in 1992, Baghdad Without a Map by Tony Horowitz is an anecdotal and often humorous travelogue through the Arab world crammed with stories and observations that tell more about the Arab world than any history book. After you finish, you'll wonder what took these countries so long to revolt.

Horowitz has written four other books including the New York Times bestseller Confederates in the Attic and Blue Latitudes.  He has been a foreign correspondent for the Wall Street Journal and has been a staff reporter for the New Yorker.  In 1995 he received the Pulitzer Prize for journalism.   He is married to novelist Geraldine Brooks.  Fabulous book, go read it!

Image: Getty

Chocolate Espresso Pots de Creme

I'm not quite ready to start posting Spring dessert recipes yet as the strawberries I bought last week from Florida looked beautiful but had no taste whatsoever. I ended up making fresh strawberry jam for it would have broken my heart to just throw them away.

Winter has been long and tough all over the country and I wonder what the Spring crop will bring. Usually here in Georgia by this time we would be enjoying days in the high 60's low 70's but we have been lucky to get up to 50 degrees on some days. For the time being, I guess we will have to sacrifice ourselves and stick to chocolate.

If you enjoy chocolate pots de creme you will adore these. The espresso only enhances the flavor of the chocolate. Adapt the amount of espresso depending on how much coffee flavor you want to come through. I add  Bustelo, the brand I use to make Cuban coffee.

Yield: Makes 8 servings

Ingredients


6 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), finely chopped
1 1/3 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup whole milk
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons instant-espresso powder*
6 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons sugar

Special equipment: 8 (4- to 5-oz) ramekins or pot de crème cups
Garnish: bittersweet chocolate curls


Directions


Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 300°F.

Put chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring cream, milk, espresso powder (to taste), and a pinch of salt just to a boil in a small heavy saucepan, stirring until espresso powder is dissolved, then pour over chocolate, whisking until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.

Whisk together yolks, sugar, and a pinch of salt in another bowl, then add warm chocolate mixture in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a 1-quart glass measure and cool completely, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.

Line bottom of a baking pan (large enough to hold ramekins) with a folded kitchen towel and arrange ramekins on towel. Poke several holes in a large sheet of foil with a skewer. Divide custard among ramekins, then bake custards in a hot water bath , pan covered tightly with foil, until custards are set around edges but still slightly wobbly in centers, 30 to 35 minutes

Transfer ramekins to a rack to cool completely, uncovered, about 1 hour. (Custards will set as they cool.) Chill, covered, until cold, at least 3 hours.

Pots de crème can chill up to 2 days.



Adapted from Gourmet Magazine
Photo same

Meatloaf With Sweet And Sour Glaze

Now, I think my meatloaf is the best meatloaf around, not because I say so, simply because it is.  It is a variation of one I had from the owner of the ski house we shared in Vermont almost 40 years ago.  It angers my mother that I think this recipe is better than hers, but frankly I think it is.  Go check it out.  From the start I will tell you that I think the reason is the bacon on top.

This Martha Stewart recipe caught my eye and I decided to try it, just to see.  It's good, different and worth a try.

Not your average blue-plate special, this recipe brings three ground meats together with a sweet-and-sour glaze to form a tender and moist mealtime favorite.

Ingredients

Serves 6 to 8

3 thick slices white bread, torn into large pieces

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped (I used 1 tsp celery salt)

1 medium carrot, chopped

1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley

12 ounces ground beef chuck (90 percent lean)

12 ounces ground pork

12 ounces ground veal

1 large egg

3/4 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons light-brown sugar

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pulse bread in a food processor until finely ground. (You should have about 2 1/2 cups breadcrumbs.) Transfer to a medium bowl.

2.Pulse garlic, onion, celery, carrot, and parsley in food processor until finely chopped. Add to breadcrumbs. Add meats, egg, 1/4 cup ketchup, the mustard, Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; mix together using your hands. Transfer mixture to a 5-by-9-inch loaf pan.

3.Stir together remaining 1/2 cup ketchup and the brown sugar until smooth; brush onto meat. Set pan on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reaches 160 degrees, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Let cool slightly.

From Martha Stewart Living, April 2010

Crunchy Chocolate Treats

When we have weekend guests at the lake, it's nice to have a big glass jar of these for snacking while watching a movie or playing cards.   They are also great to bring along in plastic containers on picnics and boat rides.  

To make squares instead of clusters, use a wet spatula and evenly spread mixture into a buttered 9-by-13-inch baking pan.  Let set before cutting with a serrated knife. I find that a small ice cream scooper works the best.


Ingredients

Makes 2 dozen

4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

1 bag (10 ounces) mini marshmallows

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

6 cups rice cereal

3/4 cup peanut-butter chips


Directions


1.In a large, deep saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces, over low heat, about 4 minutes. Add 1 bag (10 ounces) mini marshmallows; cook, stirring, until melted, 6 to 8 minutes.

2.Add 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped; cook, stirring, until melted, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Quickly fold in 6 cups rice cereal and 3/4 cup peanut-butter chips until evenly distributed.

3.Coat a 1/4-cup dry measuring cup with nonstick cooking spray; scoop mixture onto waxed paper, forming clusters. Let set, about 10 minutes. Store in an airtight container for up to several days.

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Read more at Marthastewart.com: Crunchy Chocolate Treats - Martha Stewart Recipes

Spring is Springing!

Last Sunday around the lake



Barbecued Oven Braised Brisket

Brisket is a large flat cut that comes from the chest of a steer, just below the chuck.  Its a tough fatty piece that when cured in a brine is called corned beef.  Because it is impossible to overcook, brisket is a favorite of home cooks, particularly for Sunday family dinners.

What is know as the first cut, thin cut or flat cut is leaner than the less expensive second cut aka the point cut.  This is what is preferred for this recipe because its more flavorful, and succulent.

This is a fantastic recipe to be enjoyed with family or friends on a Sunday afternoon or evening.  A perfect meal also for St. Patricks Day.  You won't be disappointed!. 

Ingredients

1.4 lbs beef brisket, preferably second cut
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp black pepper
2 TB vegetable oil
1 large onion halved lengthwise and thinly sliced.
1 cup beef stock
1 cut tomato sauce or tomato juice
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 TB Worcestershire sauce
parchment paper

Directions


Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Pat brisket dry and rub salt and pepper all over it.

In a hot skillet add brisket and brown on each side.

Place brisket in 13 in x 9 in baking dish.

Add onion to skillet and stir frequently until browned, 7 to 8 minutes.

Add beef stock, bring to a boil and deglace pan scraping bits for 1 minute.  Stir in remaining ingredients  and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.

Pour sauce over brisket ,cover with sheet of parchment paper and cover tightly with foil.  Braise in the oven , turning meat once, until fork tender, 3 to 3 1/2 hours.

Transfer to a cutting board, let rest for 20 minutes and slice across the grain.  Spoon sauce over it before serving.

The brisket is best if made the day before and up to 4 days before.  Reheat in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour.

A Twitter Meetup... By @lucywestie

@snowywestie is one of my best friends on Twitter, but I had never met him in dog until this Saturday when both our moms got the brilliant idea of getting us groomed together. 

Now, who in their right mind would arrange a Westie meetup at the groomer's while we poor doggies are going through our worst nightmare, a bath and a haircut! Only The Spy and Lindaraxa, our respective moms, would think of such a horrific idea!  Frankly I'm thinking of filing a serious complaint with Mom Control...for inhumane treatment to a beloved pet!

I usually get groomed by my mom or my human sister and can usually con them into letting me take a nap while the ordeal is going on,  but this time I had no such luck.  The lady who owns the Westie salon is an experienced groomer who has been breeding and showing Westies for a long time.  I suppose she's nice for a human but, unfortunately, she knows all our tricks. She also told mom I was "a little heavy around the hips" which means mom is not falling for my cute face anymore and feeding me under the table.  She used to be such a sucker for my antics but  now she is determined to ignore me.  I heard the word diet being thrown around.  What is diet?

At least she didn't trade me in for a new model, something I was afraid she would do once she saw all the cute Westie pups that hang out at the groomer's house.  She kept looking at this little male Westie and making cute faces at him but in the end she left only with me.  Phew!  That would have been the crowning glory, a bath and a new Westie brother to boot...as if I didn't have enough to worry about!

Here are some pictures of poor Snowy and me during our Day of Rage.  I have promised to invite him to the lake soon to forget and make up for the unpleasant experience.  I hope he is still talking to me.  I'm not talking to Mom.

You Snowy?...you Lucy?

I really need to see your id,  Lucy...

Just double checking

This should be fun....

Okay, mom, time to go!

Don't leave, the best is yet to come!

Snowy won the coin toss, phew! Maybe I can sneak out without anyone noticing...

Want to see my best get out of jail trick?

Westie Wave!

Boring...we've seen better con artists!

Mom, I'm feeling faint...really

Oh jeeeze, not the paws!

You're pulling my hair!

Hang in there Luce, it'll be over before you know it!

Meanwhile, Norwich terrier gets a new family!

Meet the parents!

My worst nightmare...a new brother!

...while I'm going through hell!

I need two aspirin and a nap!

Since last Saturday I have been sleeping and thinking of nothing but revenge.  I learned a valuable lesson which almost cost me my life...moms are definitely not to be trusted!

Yours truly
Lucy Westie

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