We left early this morning for the drive down to Tucson to pack up Marissa and move her back to Scottsdale. Of course, I love having her home, so that is the really sweet part. But I also know how eager she is to “begin” her independent life, her career, and to have a place of to call her own. I remember that feeling of longing and yearning and wish all those wonderful things for her. But with today’s economy and job market, she is just one of thousands, probably hundreds of thousands, of young adults and college graduates in the same situation. Daily she is sending out resumes, searching on-line, reaching out to every possible connection; lucky to ever get a call, acknowledgement, or interview. So, we’ll store her furniture and other belongings that one doesn’t need when living with your family (meaning parents) in mini-storage and continue to give her all the love and support we can while she waits for her new beginning. And of course, if you are reading this and know of any positions or possible openings for a brilliant, beautiful, and bold graduate with a bonafide Journalism degree, (such as writing, editing, public relations, journalist, newspaper, magazine, etc.) who will move anywhere for an opportunity; please email or call right this very minute!

Happily, Marissa has some very generous, kind, and loving male friends in Tucson who will help us load up the U-Haul in the 100+ degree heat today. So, Alberto and Will and anyone else who is there today – these bittersweet treats are for you, as a small token of my thanks and appreciation. xoxo

No-Bake Haystack Cookies

2 cups (12 ounces) bittersweet chocolate chips, divided
1 3/4 cups butterscotch chips
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 ounces dry chow mien noodles
1 cup peanuts

1/4 cup melted white chocolate chips, if desired

Line 2 or 3 baking sheets with wax paper.

Melt 1 3/4 cups chocolate chips and all the butterscotch chips in a large microwave-safe bowl for 1 minute, stir and return to microwave 45 seconds at a time, until chips are completely melted. Stir in vanilla extract and then carefully mix in noodles and nuts until completely coated. Stir in remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips.

Drop by tablespoon onto wax paper. Put in refrigerator to set. If desired, drizzle with melted white chocolate to “fancy them up”.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator, using the same wax paper to place in-between the layers of cookies.

Makes about 3 dozen haystacks

For some unknown reason I am very much into pickling things right now. I can’t explain it. Ever since I pickled onions last weekend, everywhere I look, I wonder, “how would that be pickled?” Today, it’s figs. I had heard of a restaurant in Seattle where the chef is also big into pickling and she pickles figs, so I gave it a try. Big success – they are amazing. Chef Renee Erickson is the Pickle Queen at the Seattle restaurant Boat Street Café, check out their site to see what else she pickles and where you can purchase her products.

So far I have tried my version of pickled figs atop vanilla ice cream, alongside or poured over fresh goat cheese (the pink tinted goat cheese above is Shiraz flavored from Fossil Creek Creamery in Strawberry, AZ), and finally with rosemary grilled flank steak – all fabulous! Once you use up the figs, be sure to use the remaining fig syrup (pickling liquid) to make delicious salad dressings – just whisk in olive oil and herbs, to taste.

I have a Kadota fig tree in my yard which produces twice a year, so my friends can expect pickled figs for Christmas gifts in December! I actually prefer Black Mission figs to Kadota, so I’ve made a half and half mixture of them here. Mission figs are the type you’ll most easily find in stores right now. Dried figs may be substituted for the fresh when they are out of season.

The rosemary used to pickle the figs goes from gorgeous green to nasty black quickly, so strain it out and add fresh sprigs when you’re ready to jar them. *Additionally, I used some wonderful Queen Creek Fig Balsamic from the Queen Creek Olive Mill, You can substitute either an additional 1/4 cup of red wine or regular balsamic vinegar if you don’t have the QC variety. I’m not big into canning, so I just made a small batch (1 jar) and will use them up in the 2 or 3 weeks. But feel free to “put them up” if you have a bunch of figs and are into canning. If you want to learn more about canning, here are canning instructions and guidelines.

Pickled Figs

1 cup sugar
1 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup Queen Creek Fig Balsamic Vinegar (*see note above)
1 cup water
10 large sprigs fresh rosemary, divided
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 1/2 to 2 pounds fresh figs (Mission, Kadota, or a mix of both)

Remove the stems and cut half of the figs in half. Leave the remaining figs whole.

Combine the sugar, vinegars, water, 6 of the rosemary sprigs, and salt in a medium saucepan and simmer over medium heat from 10 minutes. Add the halved figs and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and add the whole figs and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove whole figs with slotted spoon and place all figs and the remaining fresh rosemary sprigs in a wide mouth jar.

Strain the vinegar liquid over the figs in the jar. Seal and refrigerate. Use within three weeks.

I am trying to avoid the aroma that is currently flowing from my kitchen and filling the entire house… baked sweetness. So instead I shall write about something else that may not seem so sweet at first, but truly is… compost.

Some thirteen or fourteen years ago I began composting. I would love to say that I am an avid composter, but honestly I’m more of a sporadic composter. It all began when I spotted an article in the newspaper stating that the City of Phoenix was recycling old worn out trash cans into compost bins and all you needed to do was call and they would gladly deliver one to your home … free! I was into gardening so the idea of composting appealed to me and the word “free” – of course, was all it took. The next day a city truck arrived and dropped of my new bin. What they had done was cut off the bottom of the large rubber trash can, cut large holes all around the sides of the can, and taken off the hinged lid, leaving an opening where the hinge had been – voila, a compost bin was born.

I was hooked, I immediately began saving kitchen scraps (nitrogen) and adding those, along with dry yard trimmings (carbon), to the bin. I watered my bin and turned the contents with a long handled 5-tine cultivator a couple times each week, and in no time my scraps and clippings turned into dark rich dirt – this was (and still is) pure magic to a city girl!

As I said, over the years I have been rather sporadic about composting, but I’m back on track. This summer, all the kitchen scraps from every single kids’ class were added to the bin. There were at least two large mixing bowls of egg shells, fruit peelings, vegetable trimmings, tea bags, coffee grounds, and such each day. The difficult part was keeping up on the carbon half of the equation. You see you need a balance of nitrogen (produced by kitchen scraps and wet yard trimmings- such as grass clippings) and the carbon (produced by wood ash, shredded paper, newspaper, and dry yard trimmings- such as fallen leaves). That balance should be about one-third nitrogen to two-thirds carbon. In the summer, I don’t have many dry leaves or wood ash (usually arrived at by cleaning out the fireplaces) so to get enough carbon, I will tear up newspaper and use the paper shredder on all that annoying junk mail (avoid glossy and colored circulars). When all else fails, I’ll purchase a small bag of organic compost from the hardware store or nursery and mix that in as well.

So why should you compost?  Well if you cook… and if you garden, why aren’t you composting already!?  You will divert at least 30% of your household waste away from your trash can and the landfills.  Plus compost is a natural alternative to chemical fertilizers and it helps retain moisture in the soil. It is a wonderful and natural project for you to begin with your kids… “circle of life” sort of thing. And, it’s fun and rewarding, really it is!  Here is a great website to visit if you have even the slightest bit of interest in learning more and becoming a composter too.

That is the end of my Reduce Reuse Recycle lecture for today…  now on to that aroma wafting through the house that is still trying to lure me back to the kitchen… a cooling loaf of banana bread.

You may notice that this banana bread has no butter or shortening, the Nutella fills in for that. I also prefer to use a longer bread loaf pan. The baked loaf looks prettier and produces nicer sized pieces, plus it bakes a bit more quickly.  I left the banana peels and egg shells in the pictures to remind me that this particular post is about composting, not banana bread. A hard thing to keep in mind when this bread is so moist and rich and is more like a cake than bread. That is why I decided to top it with vanilla bean ice cream. Enjoy!

Chocolate-Hazelnut Banana Bread

3 very ripe bananas
1/3 cup Nutellla (chocolate-hazelnut spread)
2 eggs
1 cup packed brown sugar
1  1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup chocolate chips, divided
2/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted, peeled, and chopped
1 tablespoon turbinado sugar (such as Sugar In The Raw)
Real Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, garnish

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease either a standard 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch or a longer 13 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan. In a large bowl mash the peeled bananas with the Nutella. Stir in the eggs until well combined, then mix in the brown sugar.

Sift in the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon. Mix until just combined and then stir in 2/3 cup of the chocolate chips and the hazelnuts.

Pour into the prepared loaf pan and sprinkle with remaining 1/3 cup chocolate chips and then sprinkle on the turbinado sugar.

Bake the standard 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch pan for 45-50 minutes or the longer 13 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan for 35 – 40 minutes, or until a toothpick that is inserted into the center comes out clean and the loaf is golden. Remove to a cooling rack and cool in the pan for 15 minutes.

Serve warm straight from the pan or remove bread from pan, place on rack, and cool for at least another 30 minutes before slicing. To serve as a dessert; slice, toast, and top with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.

Makes 1 loaf

Yesterday I mentioned the outstanding sliders that Barb, Kim, and I had at Chaparral Pines in Payson, Arizona. We split an order and I’ve been dreaming about and wanting MORE every moment since then! I dissected the menu description and, by Joe, I think I’ve got it! They are so fabulous, they must be shared – here you go! These would be a great addition for next year’s 4th of July BBQ.  BTW, you will have extra mayo and onions leftover after you make the 12 sliders – this is a good thing… a very good thing!

Ahi Sliders

Roasted Jalapeno Cilantro Aioli
2 large jalapenos
2 cloves garlic
Dash cayenne pepper
1/3 cup packed cilantro leaves
1 lime, zested and then juiced for 2 tablespoons of juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup mayonnaise

Pickled Red Onions
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 bay leaf
Dash red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 medium red onion, peeled and thinly sliced

Chile Rub
2 teaspoons ancho chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Tuna and Assembly
1 teaspoon olive oil
1  pound Ahi tuna
12 slider buns, buttered and toasted

Aioli: Heat a skillet over high heat. Add the jalapeno and garlic to the dry skillet. Cook until blackened and charred on all sides, about 10 minutes. Place in a plastic bag, seal and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Then remove the stems, most of the blackened skin, and all of the seeds and ribs from the jalapeno, and the peels from the garlic cloves. Add jalapenos and garlic to a food processor with remaining ingredients. Blend, taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Onions: Heat vinegar, sugar, bay leaf, pepper flakes, and salt in a small nonreactive heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Place onion slices in a bowl or jar and pour pickling liquid over onions, stirring occasionally to coat with liquid, and let stand at least 10 minutes (onions will brighten in color). Onions may now be kept for several weeks in the refrigerator. To use, just pull out what you need, drain and pat dry.

Chile Rub: Combine all seasonings in a small bowl.

Tuna: Heat heavy medium skillet over high heat 2 minutes. Brush both sides of tuna with olive oil; sprinkle chile rub and pat into tuna to adhere. Place in hot skillet and sear until brown outside and almost opaque in center, about 3 minutes per side.

Spoon the jalapeno-cilantro mayo on each side of toasted buns. Place a generous piece of tuna on each bottom half, finish layering with onions and top half of bun and enjoy.

Makes 12 sliders

Maybe I should explain my title choice for today’s post. So, I live in the southwest portion of the United States.  Here, we have two popular convenience stores, 7-11 and Circle K.  As previous mentioned, and actually bragged about, I am posting and scheduling my posts about 10 days to 2 weeks ahead of time. As I typed in my “scheduled” date, I noticed that today is 7-11, so whenever we (south-westerners) say “7-11″, we (or at least, I) like to follow it up with “and equal time for Circle K!”  The last thing we want to be is biased – in Arizona, of all places! Yeah, right – tell that to our state legislatures! Sorry, no politics allowed here – just recipes and a bit of occasional humor or insights! Honestly – love to all!

Arugula and Cannellini Spaghetti

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain pasta in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1 1/2 cups of the pasta water. Leave pasta in the colander; set aside and keep warm.

Return pasta pot to medium heat.  Add oil, butter, garlic, and pepper; cook 2 minutes or until garlic is fragrant and just lightly browned, stirring constantly.  Stir in tomatoes, and beans; cook 2 minutes.

Add warm pasta; cook 4 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add reserved pasta water, 1/2 cup at a time, and arugula, tossing gently to combine.

Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice and 1 cup of the Parmesan cheese.  Season with salt and pepper.

Serve immediately, sprinkling with the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.

Serves 10 to 12

The recipe for Red, White, and Blue Red Velvet Cupcakes follows,

but first…

What is your happiest or earliest memory of celebrating July 4th? Mine is standing in my maternal grandparents’ backyard, holding sparklers with our big extended family all around. That would include my grandparents, mom, dad, brothers, sister, cousins, aunts, and uncles. There could be up to 43 of us at any one time, given that my mom is the oldest of eight. We would either barbeque hot dogs and hamburgers or there would be big buckets of KFC scattered around, and always huge watermelons … and … soda! We were allowed to drink soda – at my grandparents’ house!

Grandma and Grandfather Lorts lived just off 36th Street and Camelback – and they had a pool – we did not. So it was always a treat to go to their house on weekends, as we often did during the summer. We would literally be stripping off our cloths, as we were running up the driveway, to reveal our bathing suits underneath. We’d race as fast as possible through the house and out the backdoor and make a beeline straight to the ever-growing line of cousins at the diving board. When I was really young, my mom’s 2 brothers and 2 youngest sisters were still teens and lived at home, so they were the designated life-guards. A task I’m sure they dreaded! But we adored, admired, and loved them so much; we wouldn’t have gotten that feeling from them, even if they had told us directly to our little sunburned freckled faces what huge pains to their social life we were.

So we would swim until we were literally waterlogged and our fingers and toes were shriveled and wrinkled. Then the parents would force us out of the pool; using screams and threats and then they’d insist that we eat! Even though we were probably starving from all that diving, not only off the board, but also diving for pennies at the bottom of the deep end (an always popular game since you got to keep all the pennies you retrieved), we did not want to get out to eat! Because getting out and eating meant one thing and one thing only – you could not get back in the pool for at least 1 hour (60 full minutes!) AFTER you took your last bite of food. And I am telling you, our parents (and all those aunts and uncles and grandparents) would literally set a timer for 60 minutes! Never mind that 60 minutes to a kid is about as long as 5 hours are to the average adult – that was The Rule. A rule more important and more enforceable than “No using pool as a toilet.” Why? Because if you dared to stick even your baby toe in the pool before the imposed time restriction was lifted, you would certainly and absolutely be overcome with piercing stabbing cramps and …. You Would Drown! Yup, you would die, no two ways about it. You would immediately develop unbearable stomach pain, sink to the bottom of the pool, like a stone, and be dead as a roadkill! Nothing could save you from this fate! Not your big strong 19-year-old uncle. Heck… not all the uncles in the world could save a child who had been foolish enough to enter the pool after… let’s say… 56 minutes!

To this day, I honestly don’t know if parents back in the 60′s really believed this whole “cramps” thing or if it was just the way to get themselves some much needed rest from the constant unending barrage  of ….  ”Uncle Mike, throw me up higher!” and “Uncle Harry, it’s my turn for a whale ride!” and “Aunt Bev, pleeeease throw another penny in for me!” or “”Mom, watch this! Mom? Hey Mom! MOM! WATCH ME!” …. OK, I guess I honestly do know the answer.

So, after the swimming, the eating, the full HOUR, and the swimming again, it would be dark. And Grandfather would bring out the sparklers (even sometimes when it wasn’t the 4th!) and, oh I just loved that!  Sparklers were my “Grandfather’s thing” and I loved my grandfather so very much! So that meant that I loved (and still love) sparklers!

Then we’d all go inside. Some of the families would pack up and go home because they had a long drive. But we always stayed, because we lived around Camelback and 86th Street, not all that far, and because my parents loved to play cards. They’d stick us kids in the living room to “rest” and they would play in the den or around the kitchen table, depending on how many there were.  I would try to be as quite as possible so I could listen to them laugh and fight and scream at each other and gossip and giggle and holler and laugh some more. If it was an especially intense and long game, they would put us all down to sleep in bed together in my grandparents’ and aunts’ rooms. Oh, how I loved that… because that meant that we were staying longer and even if I was actually sleeping, it was a warm, wonderful, and  happy place to be.

Now on to the cupcakes; during a teen cooking class last week, the kids whipped through the recipes so fast that I had them whip up this cupcake batter so I could post this recipe before I left town. Thank you guys for doing that for me and I hope I didn’t break any child-labor laws, since I didn’t allow them have any of the actual cupcakes. Hey, don’t judge, it’s because the cupcakes weren’t done baking before the kids were picked up by their parents! I took two pictures of the class.  The first is of all 10 of them smiling sweetly and the second is them looking longingly at the cupcakes that they will not get to eat…

Red, White, and Blue-Red Velvet Cupcakes

Cupcakes
1  3/4 cups self-rising flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1  1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon red food coloring
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk, divided
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Frosting
8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar

1 to 1  1/2 cups small fresh blueberries
3 or 4 rolls red-colored fruit roll-ups or fruit snack strips

Cupcakes: Arrange the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and cocoa and set aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then add the red food coloring and vanilla.

Mix in one third of the flour-cocoa mixture, then 1/3 cup of the buttermilk. Add another one third of the flour-cocoa mixture and another 1/3 cup buttermilk, and finally, the remaining one third of the flour-cocoa mixture.

Remove the bowl from the standing mixer and use a rubber spatula to make well in center of the batter; pour in the remaining 1/3 cup buttermilk, vinegar, and baking soda.   When bubbles form, stir batter with spatula until well combined.

Divide batter equally among the paper lined muffin cups. Bake cupcakes, switching positions of the pans halfway through baking, until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.   Cool 10 minutes; then remove from pans and transfer to rack and cool completely before icing.

Frosting: Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in medium bowl until smooth. Add in powdered sugar and beat until completely smooth and creamy.

Spread frosting on tops of cooled cupcakes.

Arrange blueberries in 3 tight rows of 3 (for stars) in the upper left quarter of each cupcake.

Cut the roll of fruit roll-ups into strips that are about 1/8-inch wide. Place 6 red fruit strips across the remainder of the cupcake surface in rows (for stripes) atop frosting. Refrigerate to allow frosting to firm.

Makes 16 to 18

Yep, it’s my 300th post. I have to confess, I never thought I’d really do it! I can’t think of one other thing in my entire life that I’ve done this consistently on a daily (or near daily) basis before… well besides brushing my teeth, I suppose.

Well, another thing I’ve done very regularly for the last seven years is to keep my hummingbird feeder full. Not as easy as it may seem. I am seriously devoted to the little devils. I snapped the photo of this sweet guy a couple days ago while he took a rest on a nail used to hang our Christmas lights. I love to watch them zip around and really appreciate their feisty attitude… so aggressive and defensive for ones so small. After taking the hummer photo, I checked on the herb garden and peach tree and when I discovered how many ripe peaches there were – I had to make a wonderful summer cobbler with them.

So today it’s dessert and backyard photo day! Pictures of my peaches and sunflowers to go along with the resting little guy above.

Peach-Blueberry Cobbler

Fruit Layer
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups coarsely chopped peeled peaches
2 cups blueberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cobbler
1 cup flour
3 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
6 tablespoons  buttermilk

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
Cinnamon sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray an 8-inch baking dish with Pam.

Fruit Layer: Combine sugar, cornstarch, zest and cinnamon in a large bowl.  Add peaches, blueberries, lemon juice, and vanilla, and toss gently.  Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish.  Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.

Cobbler: Combine flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Add buttermilk; stir just until flour mixture is moist.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead lightly 3 times. Pat dough out into about a circle about 1/4-inch thick; cut into 16 biscuits using a 1 1/2-inch biscuit cutter.

Remove dish from oven; arrange biscuits on top of hot fruit mixture.

Brush top of biscuits with 1 tablespoon melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.  Return to oven and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until biscuits are golden.

Serves 10

Bill Austin 1954 – 2010

Yesterday a friend of mine passed away after a brave battle with bladder cancer. He was not the kind of friend who I would see often, actually I only saw him in person about a dozen times. But I heard his voice 5 days a week for nearly 20 years… and man.. could he make me laugh!  Not only me, but hundreds of  thousands of people across the Valley of the Sun and throughout the state of Arizona.

Bill Austin was half of the morning radio team of “Beth & Bill” on 99.9 KEZ radio. He retired from the show in late February. Many of us knew he had been fighting cancer for some time and believed he would power through and beat it, with his humor, if nothing else. Sadly, as we all know, cancer doesn’t care how funny, kind, generous, uplifting, talented, or brilliant you are – it does not show the least amount of prejudice about who it takes.

Besides their highly rated and wildly popular morning show, the pair also hosted “Cooking with Beth & Bill” for 8 years in the 90′s on KTVK-TV. I was very privileged to appear on the weekly television show a couple of times. The first time, Beth’s two younger children, Brennan and Bridget, were also guests on the show. It was always totally unscripted, the only thing planned was my dish – handmade pasta. Just before going on air, Beth and Bill decided that we’d have a contest to see which team could roll out their pasta the quickest.  Team 1 was me and the kids and Team 2 was, of course, Beth and Bill.  Trust me when I say that they honestly tried, it was not staged, but those two could not get their pasta through the machine. The handle kept sliding out, the machine was slipping out of it’s grip on the counter, and so on.  Finally, Bill gave up and decided to just put the dough on the counter and proceeded to jump up on top of it with his own derriere and use his behind to “roll” out their dough.  It was one of the most hilarious things I’d ever seen, and if I can ever figure out how to post it on YouTube, I just might.

The second time, I brought along my youngest, Connor. Bill was adorable and so sweet with him and Connor, very shy, took a liking to Bill. He just had a way about him that drew you in.

Beth was at Bill’s side when he died.  In a written statement she said, “Bill was not just my radio partner. He was the brother I never had. A couple of days before he passed, while at the hospital, he told me, ‘I sure miss doing that little radio show.’

“I talked to him and held his hand,” she said. “He had his eyes closed and I said ‘Bill, I love you and you’re not alone. If you can hear me, squeeze by hand.’ And he did.”  Beth also shared, “This morning, in true Bill fashion, he signed off at exactly 10 o’clock.”

My deepest sympathy and condolences to Beth, Vinnie Del Rosso, Lisa Hobaica, Marty Manning, the entire KEZ family, and everyone else who knew and loved Bill Austin.

A tribute to Bill Austin, featuring the most memorable moments from his nearly two decades with Beth, will air Friday, June 4, 6-10 AM on 99.9 KEZ. Fans of Bill can add comments on www.kez999.com.

Rest in peace, dear Bill, and thank you for all the wonderful memories and laughs you have so generously given us. xoxo

*Top three pictures courtesy of KEZ999.com Photo Gallery

Graduation was wonderful! We stayed at the Marriott Starr Pass Resort in Tucson, which was beautiful. Had a celebratory dinner at J Bar after the big event, which was beyond delicious. Went back to the girls’ house for a dessert party after dinner, which was the perfect way to end the night. Then the next day, we were able to spend a relaxing morning with our graduate at the resort pool and then had a fun lunch at Frog & Firkin (a University of Arizona hang-out) before heading back to Phoenix.  All in all – a momentous and memorable weekend!  To keep with the theme of relaxation and ease, here’s an “easy-breezy” and versatile dish that can be used as an impressive appetizer or a quick dinner. To make it a meal, just toss with cooked linguini or spaghetti and add garlic bread.

Shrimp and Olive Salad

36 peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp with tails left intact
2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
36 pitted Kalamata olives
2 cups diced seeded tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven broiler to high. Line a baking dish with foil. Lay shrimp in a single layer on foil, drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with oregano. Toss to coat well.  Broil for 3 minutes on one side, remove from oven and turn over, broil other side for 2 to 3 minutes until pink and cooked through. Set aside to come to room temperature.

In a large bowl combine olives, tomatoes, parsley, remaining 1/4 olive oil, lemon zest and juice. Add shrimp and toss to blend.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Serves about 12

Proud! That is what I am today! My precious baby girl graduates from the University of Arizona today with a Journalism major and Creative Writing minor. She has been a hard-working dedicated student ever since kindergarten 17 years ago. Heck, since her “mini-threes” days in preschool! So yeah, I am a proud braggart mom, and I will not apologize for that, at least not today!

After the ceremonies, Dave and I are taking Marissa, Alberto (boyfriend), Grandpa Gene (my dad), and Connor (treasured baby brother) out to dinner to J Bar. You may recall that I posted about the amazing nachos we had there earlier this month(May 2). Well Marissa has been craving them ever since reading that post, and whatever she wants, she gets today!

After dinner, we’ll be heading back to her house where she and her four beautiful roomies (see picture below for the proof of said beauty!) are hosting a dessert party for all their families. The girls requested I make a trifle they tasted back in October that was posted here.  I changed it up a bit for the occasion. The lemon curd is now a lemon-cherry curd and there is a fabulous addition – cream cheese filling. Expect more mama boasting and pictures tomorrow!

Marissa, Kaley, Kelsey, Paige, and Petra

Marissa’s Graduation Trifle

Lemon-Cherry Curd
1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) pitted cherries
6 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar
Grated zest and juice of 2 large lemons
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Filling
8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream
Lemon Syrup
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup limoncello
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Purchased pound cake, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 cups blueberries
2 cups hulled and quartered strawberries
1 lemon, thinly sliced, slices then halved
Fresh mint, for garnish

Curd: Place cherries in the bowl of a food processor and blend into a smooth puree. Place puree in a strainer over a bowl and press on the solids until all the juices are released. You should have about 1/4 cup cherry juice. Discard the solids remaining in the strainer. Whisk the cherry juice, egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a large metal bowl. Set bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water). Stir constantly with a heat-resistant rubber spatula until thickened, about 12 minutes. Add butter pieces a few at a time, stirring until each addition is melted.  Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 30 minutes, then place a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the top of the curd and refrigerate until completely chilled.

Filling: Combine the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in a bowl with a whisk until smooth. In the bowl of a standing mixer, whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Fold the cream cheese mixture into the whipped cream until smooth.

Syrup: Combine the water, limoncello, sugar, and lemon juice in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Cool.

Assemble Trifle: Note: While layering, be sure you are able to see each layer along the sides of the bowl, all the way around. Place 1/3 of the pound cake cubes in the bottom of a trifle bowl. Drizzle with about 3 tablespoon of the syrup. Spoon 1/3 of the whipped cream mixture atop the cake and smooth to edges of bowl. Place 1/2 of the blueberries and strawberries on top. Spoon 1/2 of the lemon-cherry curd  atop the berries and smooth to the edges of bowl.  Repeat with 1/3 of the cake, syrup, and whipped cream. Repeat with remaining 1/3 of the cake, syrup, and whipped cream. Top with remaining berries and curd. Garnish with lemon slices and mint sprigs. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.  May be made 24 hours in advance.

Serves 12 – 16

Connor and I spent the entire day yesterday unpacking and finding places for all his dorm stuff.  And since I’d left all his bedroom belongings in Marissa’s room after the new carpet was installed last month, we had the added fun of putting his room back together.  Marissa’s room has wood floors and because she is still at school, it has served as the perfect “storage” space all this time. Needless to say, Connor (and I) deserved a nice relaxing meal last night. Welcome home sweet boy!

Unfortunately, I took the picture before the sauce was poured on, so you’ll have to just imagine it there…

Arizona Lamb Chops

3 tablespoons chipotle chili powder, divided
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 minced  cloves garlic or 2 frozen garlic cubes
10 1-inch-thick lamb loin chops
1/4 cup chopped shallots
2 cups dry red wine
2 cups beef stock or canned beef broth
3 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces

Combine 2 tablespoons of the chili powder, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, cilantro, oregano, cumin and garlic in a glass baking dish, add lamb chops and rub on mixture to coat.  Cover and refrigerate at least 5 hours or up to overnight.

Heat the remaining tablespoon oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté 2 minutes. Add red wine, beef stock, and remaining tablespoon chili powder. Boil until sauce is reduced to 3/4 cup, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove sauce from heat. Add butter, 1 piece at a time, whisking until melted after each addition.

Prepare barbecue to medium-high heat. Grill lamb chops to desired doneness, about 6 minutes per side for medium-rare.

Place 2 lamb chops on each of 5 plates. Spoon sauce over lamb and serve.

Serves 5

On Saturday, I was at the Downtown Phoenix Public Market conducting a class for kids at the market.  The class came about when I was contacted by a group of ASU students who are in a program planning class. Their assignment was to put on a community event, and they chose to teach kids about the importance of locally grown foods and organize a cooking class. They were so well organized and put together a great event. I want to extend a big congratulations to each of them; Kc, Megan, Britany, Daniel, Ryan, Mary and Jessi.

Plus Kc made the most adorable visual aid for her presentation, I just had to include it here!

And the kids who participated were so attentive and excited to participate. Sadly, I didn’t get all of their names committed to memory; but to all of you, including Matthew, Ava, Brenden, Leanna, and Bekah – thanks for coming and keep on cooking!

We made a roasted vegetable dish and a berry smoothie. Since we didn’t have access to an oven, I roasted a batch of the vegetables ahead of time. At the market, the kids sliced and prepared a second batch of the veggies, and I brought those home to roast and used them to create this soup. When the vegetables are pureed, the go from all their various lovely colors to a drab old brown. Not very appealing in color – but the taste – fantastic! It helped to hold back a few bits of the veggies to dice as garnish and my finished soup would have even been a little brighter if I had remembered to garnish with some cilantro, so be sure and remember for yourself!  The brioche croutons are a wonderful added flavor – and on their own, they are downright addictive.

Spicy Summer Roasted Vegetable Soup with Brioche Croutons

Roasted Vegetables
2 zucchini squash, ends trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch slices on a diagonal
2 yellow squash, ends trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch slices on a diagonal
1 medium eggplant, ends trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch rounds
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large onion, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
2 red or yellow bell peppers; trimmed, seeded, and opened flat
1 large potato, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
4 large garlic cloves, peels left on
Croutons
1/2 of a brioche loaf or challah
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Chili Paste
1/4 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon packed fresh mint leaves
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 whole serrano chiles, stems removed
1 garlic clove, peeled
1/4 cup water
Soup
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
14-ounce can diced tomatoes, with juices
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

Roasted Vegetables: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place the zucchini, yellow squash, and eggplant slices in a large bowl; add 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper, to taste and toss to coat. Lay out vegetable slices on a large rimmed baking sheet.

Place the onions, peppers, potato slices, mushrooms, and garlic cloves in the same bowl; add 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat and lay out on a second rimmed baking sheet.

Place both baking sheets in preheated oven for 18 minutes. Remove baking sheets from oven and turn over vegetables, then return to oven, switching racks. Roast another 18 minutes or until vegetables are nicely browned and caramelized. Squeeze garlic out of peels and toss all vegetables together. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Croutons: Cut off the crusts and then slice the bread about 3/4-inch thick. Cut the slices in 3/4-inch dice. You should have 3 to 4 cups of croutons.

Place the croutons on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes in the 350 degree oven, tossing once, until they’re nicely browned on all sides.

Chili Paste: Place cilantro, mint, brown sugar, cumin, salt, chiles, garlic, and water in a food processor or blend and puree. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

Soup: Remove half of one of the roasted red peppers, 3 potato slices from the roasted vegetables and dice. Set aside along with 1/4 cup of the canned tomatoes to be used as garnish for the soup.

Place half of the roasted vegetables in a blender or food processor, add 2 cups of the broth and the canned tomatoes (with their juices) and puree until smooth, pour into a large soup pot. Repeat with the remaining vegetables and broth, add to pot and heat over medium heat, stirring frequently. Stir in the chili paste and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Thin with more broth or water until it is the consistency you like.

Ladle into bowl and garnish with reserved diced vegetables, croutons, and minced cilantro.

Serves 6

This morning, I’m off to the Downtown Phoenix Public Market using the market’s fresh fruits and vegetables to teach a class for kids.  I’ve just enough time to put up this tasty twist on coleslaw before I dash out the door.  If you haven’t been to the DPP Market yet, you really need to take a break and go, check out the details HERE.  Have a happy Saturday!

Asian Coleslaw with Peanuts

3/4 cup Fage yogurt
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon Sriracha hot chili sauce
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 small head (or 1/2 of a medium) green cabbage, large outer 2 or 3 leaves removed and set aside
1 small head (or 1/2 of a medium) red cabbage, large outer 2 or 3 leaves removed and set aside
1 head Napa cabbage, large outer 3 or 4 leaves removed and set aside
3 large carrots, trimmed and peeled
1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded and julienned
1/4 cup salted cocktail peanuts

In a medium bowl, whisk together yogurt, mayonnaise, vinegar, sesame oil, chili sauce, celery seed and celery salt until well combined.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Line a large serving bowl with the reserved cabbage leaves. Cut the green and red cabbage heads in half and remove the core with a sharp knife. Shred all three cabbages with a large sharp knife and place in a large mixing bowl.  Grate the carrots with the large holes of a box grater and add to cabbage in mixing bowl along with the julienned bell pepper.  Add the dressing to the bowl and mix well.

Transfer the coleslaw to the serving bowl lined with cabbage leaves. Crush the peanuts slightly with the side of a knife and add to the top of the coleslaw at the very last minute so they do not become soggy.

Serves 12