 Fall has only one drawback, and that is the daylight -- colored with amber and golden light, tinged with cool breezes and smacking of honey-ed warmth in the sun -- ebbs far too early. To compensate, I like to pack as much fun into a September Saturday as possible. And so it was, after a fresh, farm to fork lunch at Local Dish, purchasing a set of vintage plates from Art Funk and Junk -- both on Main Street in Fort, Mill SC -- I scurried over to Savannah's to find a dessert to finish the day and to perch upon the plates that reminded me of autumn's splendor. Success was mine! After finding and buying the cutest little carrot cake muffins (which were nice and small and nearly bite size, a welcome respite from the over-indulgent monster-sized confections we seem to have become used to,) I ambled happily out the screen door, and was chased after only to be given a parting gift of this amazing apple creation, pictured above; a moist Honey Apple Caramel Cake plumped with beautiful golden apples from our local North Carolina mountains, and a Caramel Glaze Topping. (Tip, when you're a food blogger, tell people. Promotion gets you more food!) I knew it would be resplendent, but I had no idea it would carry me away like the first twinges of puppy love. After warming the glaze in the microwave for 5 seconds as told, it shyly but intentionally dripped over the top of the cake and coated it in this sticky, sinful gloriously caramel blanket. Biting into it, I thought, "donut, caramel apple, fritter, and LOVE." With the warm, spongy mouth-feel of a cake donut, and the burst of sweet apple, I wondered how I had existed without this confection. Then my next thought? It's just like a first kiss. Warm, surprising, and you simply have to have MORE. Thank you, Savannah's for this morsel of monumental mmmmm-ness. I encourage you all to visit them at 124 Confederate Street in Fort Mill, SC and arrange your next event or get away, or see their exciting menu online at www.savannahsroom.com. Photos copyright Camine Pappas, 2013, all rights reserved.
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 I've done it now. I'm officially Greek. Not just by marriage, although that seems to satisfy other Greeks that we meet knowing that living with a Greek has it's own special set of milestones. However, once you have Tzatziki sauce under your fingernails, garlic embedded in your skin, ground lamb on your elbows, and lemon and mint taking over your kitchen, YOU ARE GREEK. I mean this in the BEST possible way. It is wonderful to smell all the fresh herbs and tart pungent flavors of the Greek cuisine. They're alive, colorful, and texturally so varied that it's hard to know if you should use a fork, or just replace every utensil in your silverware drawer with a giant pita. I opted for plates and napkins, but it's totally up to you! I started the adventure with a recipe from Cooking Light; so fun and easy that I'm sure I will make this again and again. (The text of the recipe is below. If you want it fresh from the web, click here.) I changed a couple things, but overall, this is pretty fool proof. (If you're a fool you have a lot of other problems but making this dish won't be one of them.) Start with FRESH ingredients. I cannot overstate how important this is for the full effect. Next, you will need lots of napkins, and a sink full of hot, soapy water to keep your hands clean in between steps. Okay, a couple of tips. When you're prepping the thyme, don't be tempted to take a shortcut and just trim and mince. It is really better if you use just the leaves and only the pliable, green stems adjacent to them. Stay AWAY from the stalks. If your herbs are fresh, it's easy to slide your fingers down the stalk, opposite of the growth angle, and just slide it until the leaves comes off. For the mint, it's easy. Fold and cut into small pieces. Be sure and WASH both herbs. And no store bought lemon juice. JUICE IT YOURSELF. (Skip this step and you'll have a war with those sitting around the table.) Also, they really DO cook in only 7 minutes plus the 3 minutes under the broiler. Don't do it any longer. They cook a bit more after you take them out. (Serve with poppy seed french bread slices, toasted under the broiler with olive oil, and fresh pepper and cracked sea salt.) Mini Greek-style Meat Loaves with Arugula Salad Kate Parham, Cooking Light MAY 2013 Ingredients MEAT LOAVES 10 ounce ground sirloin 5 ounces lean ground lamb 1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs (I used Panko and crushed them with a rolling pin until they were almost dusty) 1/3 cup grated red onion 4 teaspoons chopped fresh mint 4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme 3/8 teaspoon salt, divided 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (I used red pepper flakes. This was TASTY!) 3 garlic cloves, minced (I used 4) 1 large egg, lightly beaten Cooking spray (I did NOT spray the tins. They came out fine) YOGURT SAUCE 1/2 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt (I used Fage) 2 ounces reduced-fat feta, crumbled 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 4 cups baby arugula leaves 1 1/2 cups (1/4-inch-thick) diagonally sliced seeded peeled cucumber (I added about a cup of grape tomatoes, halved. Made it very pretty.) Preparation 1. Preheat oven to 450°. 2. Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in 1 tablespoon mint, 1 tablespoon thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt, allspice, and next 3 ingredients (through egg). Press meat mixture into 8 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450° for 7 minutes. Turn broiler to high; broil 3 minutes. 3. Combine yogurt, feta, 1 tablespoon juice, 1 teaspoon mint, and 1 teaspoon thyme in a mini food processor; pulse 10 times to combine. 4. Combine 1 tablespoon juice, oil, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a bowl; stir. Add arugula and cucumber; toss. Note: MyRecipes is working with Let's Move!, the Partnership for a Healthier America, and USDA's MyPlate to give anyone looking for healthier options access to a trove of recipes that will help them create healthy, tasty plates. For more information about creating a healthy plate, visit www.choosemyplate.gov. Photos copyright Camine Pappas, 2013 Mediterranean Meatloaf with Moroccan Date Sauce Paired with Warm Hericot Jaune & Tomato Salad - Oui!9/21/2013  I'm always amazed at how beautifully the french language is when it comes to food. It's as though the entire thing was created just so you never want to feel anything but hungry. For instance, take the humble green bean. Hericot Vert is the French term. And I'm just flippin' amore about it. Plus, it gets better. Yellow French Beans, or baby yellow beans are called haricot jaune. Whaaa? Too cool. Yes? It makes the recipe title kinda awesome,as well. I sauteed them for about 5 minutes with shallot, tomato and artichoke hearts, so they were still a bit crisp, then drizzled them with lemon juice. It was all tossed over arugula at the end and looked so pretty I almost - J'ai pleuré toute la nuit. (Cried all night long.) In any event, I paired the bean salad with a Mediterranean meat loaf spiked with coriander, ginger, raisins and red peppers and ladled a bit of Moroccan Date Sauce over the top for a trifecta of sweet, spicy flavors and lots of vibrant color. it was Trop beau pour être vrai. (Too good to be true!) Be sure and CLICK HERE to get these two EASY and fresh recipes!  When I was young, and recovering from the flu, my mom would always make me a fried egg on toast, covered with hot milk. It was the signal that I was going to live after all, and coating a healing digestive system with eggs, bread and milk meant that I would be back outside playing in no time. I remember the droplets of butter floating on top of, and the beautiful saltiness of a perfectly cooked over easy egg. As I scooped a bite, a lovely piece of milky white bread would droop off the spoon, catching a cascade of yellow yumminess and dripping it onto my chin. It was the ultimate comfort food. Since then, I have a lot of foods that are like a cocoon for the tongue. I would surmise that your definition of comfort food does is similar, and when the world overwhelms you, like a Friday afternoon that should have been a day of skidding into the weekend instead of laying rubber in ever increasing smoking circles, I REACH FOR SOMETHING FAMILIAR. If you've read any of my previous narratives, its a sure bet that I had no idea what I would make as I took off my shoes and entered the kitchen. As the word "pasta" entered my mind, I reached for macaroni, and gazed at it as though I was flipping the 'on' switch and expected it to begin talking to me. It did. It said, "cover me in tomato-y and tangy goodness; and don't forget to add the cheese." Like that was something I'd forget. Anyway, assembling the basics for a simple marinara, and grabbing a bottle of Newman's Own Fire Roasted and Garlic Pasta Sauce (I can't wait ALL day to be comforted!) I set out to coax the evening into appearing more gently than the day did, and began shutting out the world with a pan, a spoon, and a little mirapoix. By the time I was finished my kitchen was smelling like rosemary and wine, with the earthy and warm aroma of al dente pasta coating the high notes of onion and garlic. A mound of grated fresh Parmesan cheese was next to the fresh Italian parsley I had rough cut, and all of it was waiting for me like your first love and a sloppy, milk covered smile. Don't forget to say, "mmmmmm!!" Fire Roasted Cabernet Marinara and Macaroni If you haven't noticed, this is a meatless pasta. But you'll never miss the structure because the mirapoix and the cabernet lend deep, satisfying flavor. INGREDIENTS: 2 large carrots diced into small pieces 2 large celery ribs also diced into small pieces 1/2 large onion, diced into small pieces 3 T Rosemary infused olive oil (If you don't have this, add a big sprig of rosemary into the oil as it shimmers and remove after the mirapoix is softened) 1 bottle of Newman's Own Fire Roasted Tomato and Garlic Pasta Sauce (It has good tomato chunks and a balanced, fresh flavor) 1/3 to 1/2 C water 1/2 C good Cabernet Salt and Pepper 1 C of finely grated fresh Parmesan cheese 1/2 C rough chopped fresh Italian parsley Salt and Pepper 1 C elbow macaroni Chop all ingredients and have them ready. This comes together fast. Get a large pot of water near boiling, too. You will make the pasta while the sauce is simmering. Pour 2 to 3 T of the oil into a medium high preheated deep saucepan. When the oil is shimmering, add the mirapoix and saute for about 3 to 5 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add the wine and let reduce for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Then add a little pepper. Now add the can of sauce and the water, and some salt and a little more pepper. Stir, reduce to low and cover with the lid slightly askew to let a little of the steam out. Simmer on low for 25 minutes. In the meantime, when you have about 5 minutes left, add the macaroni to the boiling water and stir. Take the sauce off the heat and add a handful of cheese, about 3/4 C loose, and 1/8 C of the fresh parsley. When the pasta has cooked to al dente (about 6 minutes or so) drain and add to the sauce. Incorporate all together. Stir and let it heat up the pasta, maybe turning the burner on to VERY low for about 2 minutes. You don't want to get it bubbling again, that will ruin the parsley flavor. To plate, put a mound of pasta down and sprinkle generously with the cheese and dot with the parsley. SERVE!  I love those plastic containers at the olive bar. You know, the pint and quart round containers that make your kitchen look like you're Ina Garten. They're durable, perfectly sized and stackable, and yes, I have a lot of them. Most of the time I fill them with a melange of olives, garlic and other items for my antipasta platters. But this day the Peppadews were so pretty, and looked so demure that I grabbed BUNCHES of them. Again, this recipe is the result of scrounging. My neighbor calls it "fill in the blank-whatcha-get." She does it with Chicken, pasta or beef. I do it with, well, everything! Peppadew, Bean and Salami Salad INGREDIENTS: 6 pickled Peppadew Peppers, sliced into large chunks 1/2 C of the cuts/pieces of your favorite salami 1 can artichoke quarters, drained 1 3/4 C blanched green beans. I use the frozen ones from Trader Joes, and put them in luke warm water til thawed, then drain and pat dry 1/2 C loose, chopped cilantro 1 can northern white beans, drained and rinsed 1/3 small red onion thinly sliced Salt and Pepper Rice Wine Vinegar (About 3 T) Fine Olive Oil (About 3 T) Toss, serve and munch! REALLY good the next day as the vinegar kind of pickles everything and melds the flavors. At this point I often add more 'stuff.' Like cold corn, or shrimp. I also think you would be fine to add a small bit of fresh dill, and little sugar if you want sweetness. This is a good base for a LOT of salads that are zingy and colorful! Copyright, Camine Pappas, 2013.  There is a long standing debate that polarizes the cooking world. Do you make everything from scratch? Or do you use a few ready-made ingredients as well? And further more, do you tell anyone about your time saving efforts if you want to be taken seriously? Well, I think that depends upon who you want to take you seriously. After turning a certain "age," I stopped worrying so much about serious. Mostly because no one really thinks about you anyway. They're busy worrying about who is taking THEM seriously. And if you're designing your whole life around the opinion of others, you're probably not as happy as you could be. There, I said it. So all you serious ones, we're not really asking you to vote on this debate. Unless you agree with us, then you can come to the table and hang. After looking at this photo, you would rather have a taste, yes? Well, now that we've settled on that side-stepping logic, we can get back to the question at hand. My answer is if the result makes your guests happy, your party better, and leaves you with enough energy to take a bow at the end of the evening, then shortcuts are fine. One in particular is the use of ready-made pie crusts of which there are several choices. I prefer to be in the middle so I buy the dry kind, from a box, that you mix with cold water and roll out. It still requires a bit of skill because overworking the dough will ruin it, so doing it right gets you kudos, and this way you can still have some flour dusted on your apron to impress the ones whose opinion is quasi-important to you. It's a win-win. To the blueberries and peaches that were nested inside the glutenous blanket of salty goodness? Well, they look pretty happy to me! Check out this quick and delish (Seriously, it was good! Hahah!) Blueberry, Peach Galette. Fresh Blueberry and Southern Peach Galette 1 pint container blueberries, rinsed 2 large, ripe, sweet peaches peeled and diced into small 1/2 inch pieces Zest from one whole lemon 1T fresh lemon juice 1/2 C granulated sugar 1/2 t cinnamon 1 T Brandy or Orange Juice 1 whole package prepared pie crust mix (use all of it, even though it's for 2 crusts) flour for dusting work surface and rolling pin Coarse sugar for garnish Lots of whipped cream so everyone worships you! Preheat oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper and dust with flour. Empty the box of mix into a large bowl. Make the entire mix, roll out to large 14” circle, still keeping the dough thick. Place on cookie sheet. Mix all other ingredients and place mixture in center of dough, fold up edges, sprinkle with a little sugar and cinnamon on crust. Place in 350 degree oven for 65 minutes, until golden brown. Photo and recipe byCamine Pappas ©Copyright, Camine Pappas, 2013. All rights reserved.
 Lemon Crinkle Cookies with a Chocolate Almond Bark Chaser. I grew up in a small town with one stop light. I ate in a restaurant that was adjacent to a bus stop, which was also adjacent to the Five and Dime, which was across the alley from the volunteer fire department. Our school clothes were from a boutique run by the ladies in town who always wore 20 bracelets on each perfumed arm. And our grocery store had aisles barely 5 feet wide. It was fun to be raised around people who really knew you. You couldn't get away with anything because everyone was watching. As I recall, though, (Mom, stop reading here...) we got away with a lot. Creativity is a by product of being raised in a bubble so we had plenty of moments that crossed the line, no matter how much our parents tried to limit our experimentation. Adventures were everywhere, even though our tame dilemmas were whether to order tater tots AND a sundae, or get a fresh lime soda at the drive in. Our friends were divided into two separate clans, so to speak. The hippies and the grits. The latter named for the fact that they were all farmers and cowboys who always looked daring and brought beer to the dances. The former because the toes of our shoes were rounded and we tried to look preppie. Of course, we all secretly wished we were grits. And why not? How cool would it be to wear a cowboy hat to school? It wasn't until I was in my 40's that I tried on my first pair of real cowboy boots. Man, I had been missing out. I wore clear lip gloss, swooned over boys, slept in pink sponge curlers and wore lots of hairspray. When I graduated, I did so with a full vocal music scholarship and an abrupt departure from some of the most wonderful friends I've ever had. For instance, my best friend, Tracey made everything bearable. We spent every waking moment together. Either I was at her house, listening endlessly to our record collection and torturing her parents by playing "Rock and Roll Hoochi-Koo" over and over again, or she was with me, dreaming about being grown up, or wishing we had each others hair, lips or figures. It seemed that everything was about getting out of that small town back then. And yet, my memories of the annual county fair, the smell of the new mown hay in June, or fishing in the irrigation canal are some of the most wonderful of my life. I was chasing things, I guess. Not too different from kids today, who have everything planned out and can tell you in detail, "what they want next." Well, to make the story kind of syrupy, what I wanted next has come. But not in the order I thought it would. Never could a straight line have meandered more. But that just makes the quilt of life a little prettier. Don't you think? It gave me a depth of experience and a point of reference for the tough times and a way to keep the good times in perspective. If I were going to chase something today, it would be to learn how to hold really still and listen; listen to the knowledge of everything around me, and try and obey the vast whispering of the universe. It may seem trivial to talk about the vastness of everything in one sentence and cooking in the next, but it comforts me and it whispers to ME. I like that I can reach into my copper recipe box and pull out a handwritten 3 by 5 card filled in by my grandmother with the instructions for her date cookies written not only on the lines, but scribbled into the margins as she fit in the last of her baking admonishments. Or, work to read through the glue that obliterated the first three ingredients of a Peach Melba, cut out from a Seventeen magazine in the year Nineteen-Nevermind. It has also built a common bridge with my children who can hardly talk about their childhood without referring to some of their favorite meals through the years. And finally, after a day when nothing has gone right, I can reach for a pan and a pepper-mill and put together something pretty that tastes just right. What are you chasing? Commonly defined in the culinary world a "chaser" is usually a drink of something after the initial drink. Kind of like a way to follow up on the POW of something with a small POW to soften the fall. I like that explanation and because I strive to think of new ways to name what I'm creating I thought, "Why can't a dessert have a chaser? Something that comes after it, like RIGHT after, and makes the fall softer?" (Or more intense in my case...) And so, to signal the end of a day of wonderful food this Labor Day Monday, (of which you will be subjected to here and hereafter,) is the dessert, "Lemon Crinkle Cookies," with a Milk Chocolate Almond Chaser. Enjoy what you're chasing. I'll be busy with Chocolate and the memories I'm making right now. The cookie recipe is by Lauren Brennan from Hood River, Oregon. Click the link to see her recipe. I followed it pretty closely although I used shortening instead of butter and the cookies were very pretty and fluffy. (http://www.ldsliving.com/story/64185-food-dish-cookie-recipe-contest-winner-recipe) The chocolate is from Ben Heggy in Ohio. Go to http://www.heggys.com/ez-catalog/X324566/4 to buy it. Lemon Crinkle Cookies with a Chocolate Almond Bark Chaser Recipe courtesy ldsliving.com Makes 2-3 dozen Ingredients: ½ cups butter, softened 1 cup granulated sugar ½ teaspoons vanilla extract 1 whole egg 1 teaspoon lemon zest 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice ¼ teaspoons salt ¼ teaspoons baking powder ⅛ teaspoons baking soda 1-½ cup all-purpose flour ½ cups powdered sugar Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease light colored baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Whip in vanilla, egg, lemon zest, and juice. Scrape sides and mix again. Stir in all dry ingredients slowly until just combined, excluding the powdered sugar. Scrape sides of bowl and mix again briefly. Pour powdered sugar onto a large plate. Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball and roll in powdered sugar. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until bottoms begin to barely brown and cookies look matte {not melty or shiny}. Remove from oven and cool cookies about 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. *If using a non-stick darker baking tray, reduce baking time by about 2 minutes. |
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My name is Camine Pappas and I love to create beautiful and delicious food that anyone can make. My signature style centers around a love for combining things in a way you might not expect as I work to find a hidden combination of colors, textures and flavors from the things that are in my pantry and/or easy to obtain. Archives
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