~~.*.~ National Macaroon Day ~.*.~~

(British Macaroon Cookie)

The first macaroons were almond meringue cookies similar to today’s amaretti, with a crisp crust and a soft interior. They were made from egg whites and almond paste (a combination of equal parts of ground blanched almonds and sugar, mixed with egg white). The name of the cookie comes from the Italian word for paste. Some culinary historians claim that that macaroons can be traced to an Italian monastery. Macaroons came to France in 1533. Whatever the origin a tasty delicacy was created. ~ Chef ~

~ Happy Memorial Day ~

~ Chef ~

~*~ Happy Memorial Day Weekend ~*~

~ Chef ~

~*~ It's Blueberry Cheesecake Day ~*~

This recipe has several stages of preparation but give it a try. Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature.
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~ CRUST - 20 Graham Crackers, 1/4 pound (1 Stick) of melted Butter, 1/4 Cup of Sugar, 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
~ FILLING - 3 (8 ounce) bars of softened Cream Cheese, 1 Cup of Sugar, 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract, 3 Large Eggs
~ TOPPING - 2 Cups of Sour Cream, 1/4 Cup of Sugar, 1 Teaspoon of Almond Extract

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* For the Crust: Preheat oven at 350°F. Make your Graham Crackers cookie crumbs by using a food processor or simply place in a plastic bag and crush using a rolling pin. Combine graham crackers, sugar, melted butter and vanilla extract in a bowl. Spread in the bottom of a 9" springform pan and up 1 1/2 inch on the side. Bake in oven for 10 minutes. Remove and place to the side.

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* For the Filling: Preheat oven at 350°F. Using an electric mixer blend cream cheese on low speed in a mixing bowl. Use spatula to scrape sides and paddle of mixer. Add in the sugar slowly, and continue to beat until creamy. Add in vanilla extract and mix until blended. Add in eggs one at a time and continue to mix at lowest speed until eggs are incorporated into the batter. Pour the mixture into your crust and use offset spatula to help scoop out the batter. Bake for 1 hour or until the top is slightly brown. DO NOT OPEN the oven door any more than necessary. When done remove from heat and let cool.

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* For the Topping: Mix sour cream, sugar and almond extract in a small bowl. Spread topping on cheesecake and return to oven for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. Place in the refrigerator and allow to set. Refrigerate for at least one day (if possible) as it gets better with a day or two of aging.

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Now for the Blueberry Topping ...

* Ingredients: 1 pint of fresh blueberries, cleaned (or if you must 16 ounces of frozen blueberries), 1/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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Preparation: Heat berries and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture starts to boil. Turn heat to low simmer. Continue to cook until sauce begins to thicken, up to 20 minutes. You can use cornstarch to help thicken, dissolved in water before adding to sauce. Set aside 1 cup of the blueberry mixture. Purée the remaining topping in a blender until it reaches your desired consistency. Mix with the reserved berry mixture. If you prefer, you can purée the entire batch, but the whole berries provide better textural.
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When you are ready to serve drizzle a little or a lot of the blueberry topping and be proud of yourself as this recipe it not for amateurs. ~ Chef ~

~ Cognac ~

What’s the difference between Cognac and brandy? All Cognac is grape brandy, a distillate of wine. However, Cognac is a brandy produced in the region surrounding the town of Cognac, in central France. It is double distilled using pot stills and then aged for at least two years. It must be made from a specific group of white grape varieties. Grape brandy can be made anywhere, from any grapes and does not require double distillation or long aging. Of course, Cognac isn't just for drinking ...
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* FILET MIGNON WITH COGNAC CREAM SAUCE *
1/2 stick unsalted butter * 1/4 c. sweet paprika * 1/4 c. olive oil * Bay leaves * 4 (2 inch) filet mignon * 3 tbsp. Cognac * 1/2 c. finely chopped onion * 1/4 c. dark beer (optional) * 1 tbsp. ketchup * 1 tsp. Worcestershire * 1/4 c. fresh minced parsley * 1/4 c. heavy cream * Salt and Pepper

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Blend butter, paprika, salt and pepper. In a skillet, heat oil with bay leaf on high heat, discard bay leaf and saute the filets for 12-15 minutes, turning. Take out and keep warm. Pour off oil and deglaze the skillet with cognac. Add butter mixture, onion and cook low until onion is cooked. Stir in beer, ketchup, Worcestershire and parsley. Bring to a boil. Stir in cream. Season with salt and pepper and serve over filet mignon with rice. Serves 4. ~ Chef ~

~ Cherries ~

~ Cherries have a very short growing season and can grow in most temperate latitudes. The peak season for cherries is in the summer. In many parts of North America, they are often the first tree fruits to ripen. ~ In the US most sweet cherries are grown in Washington, California, Oregon and northern Michigan. The Lambert variety is grown on the eastern side of Flathead Lake in northwestern Montana. Both Oregon and Michigan provide light-colored Royal Ann cherries for the maraschino cherry process. Most sour (also called tart) cherries are grown in Michigan, followed by Utah, New York, and Washington.

~ All-American Cherry Pie ...
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1-1/3 tablespoons butter (about 4 teaspoons)
14.5-ounce can of pie cherries, NOT cherry pie filling (look for Pitted Red Tart Pie Cherries in water)
Pastry for double-crust pie

~ Preheat oven to 425°F. ~ In a medium saucepan combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon and undrained cherries. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils (about 6 or 7 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in almond extract. ~ Pour mixture into a 9-inch unbaked pie shell. Dot with butter. Cover with top crust, seal edges and crimp. If a lattice crust is not used, put one or several vents in the crust. Bake at 425°F for 30 to 35 minutes until crust is brown. Yum! Yum! ~ Chef ~

~ Kiwi ~ Kiwi ~ Kiwi ~ Kiwi ~ Kiwi ~

The kiwifruit, often shortened to just "kiwi" in many parts of the world is an edible berry. The most common kiwifruit is oval and about the size of a large hen's egg. It has a fibrous, dull brown-green skin and bright green or golden flesh with rows of tiny, black, edible seeds. ~~~ Kiwifruit is a rich source of Vitamin C. Its Potassium content by weight is slightly less than that of a banana. It also contains Vitamin E and a small amount of Vitamin A. The skin is a good source of flavonoid antioxidants. The kiwifruit seed oil contains on average 62% alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid. ~~~ Raw kiwifruit is also rich in the protein-dissolving enzyme actinidin, which is commercially useful as a meat tenderizer. Actinidin also makes raw kiwifruit unsuitable for use in desserts containing milk or any other dairy products which are not going to be served within hours, because the enzyme soon begins to digest milk proteins. This applies to gelatin-based desserts as well, as the actinidin will dissolve the collagen proteins in gelatin very quickly, either liquifying the dessert, or preventing it from solidifying. Some cooks suggest cooking the fruit for a few minutes before adding it to the gelatin to overcome this effect. ~~~ Its numerous edible seeds have potential properties of a natural blood thinner. A study reported consuming two to three kiwifruit daily for 28 days significantly reduced platelet aggregation and blood triglyceride levels (similar to popular mainstream aspirin therapy), potentially reducing the risk of blood clots. So slice yourself some kiwi and enjoy its many healthful benefits.

~ Chef ~

~*~*~* Happy Mother's Day *~*~*~

~ Chef ~

~*~ Bavarian Coconut Creme Pie ~*~

¾ c. sugar
5 Tbsp. cornstarch
4 Tbsp. flour
½ tsp. salt
3 c. milk
4 egg yolks
1 ⅓ c. whipped cream
1 tbsp. instant vanilla pudding mix
¼ tsp. coconut flavouring
1 ½ c. flaked coconut, toasted

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Mix sugar, cornstarch, flour and salt together in a saucepan. Gradually add 2 cups of milk. Cook and stir until a full boil over medium heat. * In another bowl, beat together egg yolks and 1 cup of milk. * When filling has come to a boil, pour 1 cup of the hot filling into the milk/yolks mixture. Stir well and return to hot mixture in saucepan. * Cook again to a boil and boil one minute. * Remove from heat and cool completely. * Whip together cream, coconut flavouring and instant pudding until stiff. * Fold gently into cold pudding along with toasted coconut. Pour into pie shell. Enjoy!

~ Chef ~

~ How's the Garden Growing? ~

For those of us here in the South it's been too wet and too cold to have much of a garden. Some gardeners have taken their chances and already planted and are beginning to see some progress. Let me know how your garden is coming along. ~ Chef ~