The Month of Love

If love, that blessed nomad, is your guest, treat him well-Pelagia

One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.–Virginia Woolf

It’s February.

The month of Love.

Sure, sure. Hallmark has generated a lot of February’s buzz. But the month holds a lot of allure on its own.  It’s the month of my wedding anniversary. 38 years. Gotta love that.  We’ll probably celebrate eating out. And if you love football, February is your month for friends and food. Did you know we Americans are expected to eat more than 1.25 billion chicken wings on Super bowl weekend? 

Lovin’ that. 
Hey, what do you think they do with all those necks? 
And of course, there’s Valentine’s Day.

A day that just wouldn’t be the same without that scrumptious food we love. Chocolate.

Estimates are that we Americans will buy around 58 million pounds of chocolate during the days leading up to February 14^th.  I’ll be carting home a few pounds. 

Love and eating go hand in hand. In honor of February, I'd like to share a couple of recipes that I think you’ll love.  They come courtesy of a dear friend of ours who recently graced our plates and palates with these fine foods.

Katie's Grilled Brie Sandwiches 

A distinction of this sandwich is the Granny Smith Apple which brings a crisp, tart and juicy element. The fig butter has such a distinctive fruit flavor; full and wonderful.  And what’s not to like about the savory mild and slightly sweet Brie?

Make these like you would a regular grilled cheese sandwich. Butter the outside of the bread.  Butter the inside with the fig butter.   Layer the sliced brie cheese on the bread.  Then layer the thinly sliced Granny Smith Apples.  Close the sandwich and grill. 

Ingredients

Sourdough Bread

Brie Cheese

Butter

Fig Butter

Granny Smith Green Apples

Katie’s Snowflake Chocolate Chip Cookies 

These are some of the best chocolate chip cookies I have had. Ever. Try them and tell me what you think.  The sprinkled sea salt is a touch that takes this traditional cookie to a new class.  Plus the dough lends itself to many variations, like using peanut butter chips, instead.  

Enjoy

Sift the dry ingredients together. Set aside.

Cream butter and sugars together

Add and mix in eggs and vanilla

Stir in the chocolate chips

Plastic wrap dough and place into freezer for a short while to chill before baking.  Or place in refrigerator overnight.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees.

Make your dough balls about the size of ping pong balls on steroids.

Sprinkle the tops with sea salt.

Bake until golden brown. About 20 minutes.

Eat happy

Ingredients

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons Cake flour

1 2/3 cups Bread flour

1 1/2 teaspoon Baking powder

1 1/4 teaspoon Baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

¾ Cup butter

1 1/4 cups brown sugar

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract (Madagascar)

2 large eggs

1 pound chocolate chips

Sea salt for garnish

February reminds me of December; lots of good cheer packed into one month. 

Seriously, shouldn't we spread the love?  Wouldn't it be cool to blend the best elements of December and February throughout the year?

I like the idea.

Once upon a time according to legend, this guy named Valentine refused a Roman Emperor’s edict and was thrown into the slammer. Refusing an emperor never ends well.  While behind bars, Valentine met the jailer’s daughter who proceeded to visit him regularly. Probably brought in chicken wings and baked cookies while they talked about whatever. Soon sparks flew and love was in the air. 

Cupid had shot his arrow. 

The evening before his execution, Valentine wrote his love a note that would forever change her life and ours. 

He signed his beloved’s note, "From your Valentine."

Gotta love it

Tailgating in Your Living Room

I own a Tailgate.
You know; that door thing that’s hinged at the bottom and sits at the back of a Pickup Truck. My tailgate sits in the garage. However, there’s no Truck attached to it. It’s just a tailgate. That’s ironic, don’t cha think?

The State of California Gross Polluter Law took the truck, but the Tailgate I kept. “Why” you might ask; do I have a tailgate sitting in my garage with no truck? I don’t know exactly. Maybe it’s because intense memories form attachments.
Maybe it’s because that tailgate holds adrenaline charged memories of my teaching four teenage daughters to drive a stick shift. And when it was still attached to a Nissan Pickup, my wife and I made memories and used that tailgate for a picnic or two in the country. In America we call that “Tailgating”.

In our American culture Tailgates have almost become iconic. They represent a type of game day, supersized outdoor picnic that usually revolves around sporting games; particularly American Football. Dishes consist heavily of grilled meats and treats that will cause traffic jams in your arteries. Hardcore Tailgaters have been known to bring their entire living rooms, including their Lazy Boy recliners to stadium parking lots. Interestingly, this American ritual in it’s many forms is about bonding. Tailgating events actually form social connections with friends, family and fellow football loving people. It’s the perfect union of food, fun and fellowship. As we say in California, it’s our chance to hang out; our chance to chill with one another.

This year we will have our annual Super Bowl party. Of the 20 or so people who will be here, more than half couldn’t care less about the game. And of those of us that do, none of our teams even made the playoffs. The Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49er’s, San Diego Chargers and the Dallas Cowboys are all watching the game at home like us. Here’s irony; this year’s Super Bowl is in Dallas at the Cowboy Stadium. So then, why get together?Because it’s a chance to show the love. Tailgate parties are about building your neighborhood of friends. It’s about making connections and celebrating old and new relationships.

So we are tailgating in our living room. Party on people!

Who cares if you understand that silly game? Text, Facebook & shout at a few people and throw a Tailgate party right there in your living room this year. The Super Bowl is as good an excuse as you will ever find. It really doesn’t matter if you like football or not. It’s all about building your neighborhood of friends.

So if you need a little inspiration, or something special to spice up your living room party décor; you can always borrow my Tailgate. It’s right out there in my garage.But remember, it doesn’t come with a truck.

Now go Explore!

Following are some of our very own recipes that we have for our Tailgating in our Living Room Parties:

Brown Sugar Daddies Recipe

Bacon and sugar? What’s not to love? That’s a couple that didn’t need Match.com to discover their compatibility. Here’s my version of it.

• Take 1 pound sliced bacon

• And 1 cup brown sugar

 • And 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Combine the brown sugar and the Dijon mustard in a large plastic zip-top bag. Add your bacon. Then toss with attitude!
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place a cooling rack on the lined baking sheet. Put bacon on the rack and take the remaining mix from the plastic zip lock bag and press it onto the bacon. Roast those Brown Sugar Daddies in oven for 25 minutes. Let drain. And keep a rolled newspaper nearby. You may have to fend off early nibblers.

Nana’s Nachos Recipe
This is a real crowd favorite; especially our crowd. Great nachos are about great ingredients. We serve it Nachos Bar style. We often serve seasoned ground beef, but these nachos are so great, no meat is required.
• Tortilla chips - extra thick
• Pinto beans. You can always buy canned refried beans, but you haven’t eaten beans like those that are made fresh. Nana makes them. We eat them. Consider trying to make them yourself. They are easy and they will make your Nachos unforgettable. Email me if you want the recipe.
• Que Bueno! Nacho Cheese Sauce. This natural cheddar cheese sauce is thick and creamy. And it’s spiced just enough with pieces of jalapeno peppers and green chilies to make your taste buds dance the salsa.
• Side garnishes that you can include are sliced pickled jalapeno peppers, chopped Cilantro, sour cream, diced tomatoes, salsa and guacamole

Okay, enjoy!
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