Mom and Margaritas

Mar 9, 2011 by Sara

My mom had a signature drink, the Margarita.

It’s simple, refreshing and perfect any time of year but particularly on a hot and humid New York evening.  And it can get you totally lit.

Mom opted for the no-frills José Cuervo mix from the supermarket with lots of kosher salt, on the rocks, and Sauza tequila.  When her final cancer diagnosis came down, she was often heard saying: “Denial and a Margarita!”

That was how she coped… with a sense of humor and a little tequila. We even put it as a slogan on our Race For the Cure t-shirts one year.

While my current favorite cocktail is a vodka martini (straight up with extra olives), when it’s hot in the summertime, when I’m hoping for warm weather, or when I’m just missing my Mom – there’s nothing more satisfying than the perfect margarita.

There are lots of recipes out there and I’ve even recently tried a little taste test… you know, just to be sure. But I still come back to the Real Margarita recipe by Ina Garten, a.k.a. The Barefoot Contessa. It’s simply the best. Profiled in her cookbook: Barefoot Contessa Parties!

If you haven’t made these Margaritas then you are missing out. Here’s the recipe:

So this year, like every year, I will be raising a frosty, salted glass poured from a pitcher, yes that’s right, a PITCHER, of Real Margaritas and saying a toast to my Mom.

Miss you Mom. Denial and Margaritas!

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Oscar Party Treat: Caramel Chocolate Popcorn

Feb 26, 2011 by Sara

 

Something so yummy shouldn’t be as easy as this to make.

There’s a fantastic dessert shop in downtown Truckee that makes the world’s best fudge and candied apples. Sweets is a local and tourist hot spot. My favorite is actually what they label as their “3rd best seller,” the MarbleCorn.  Made with buttered and lightly salted popcorn, drizzled with caramel and then Belgian chocolate, it’s a dream come true.  We always stop and get a bag of this stuff for our ride home.  This last time I started thinking how great of a dessert this would be for an Oscar party!

So here’s how I’m making it:

Ingredients

• microwave popcorn (I recommend Newman’s Own natural brand)
• 6 oz. of belgian milk chocolate (any melting chocolate will do, I get the Pounder Plus for $4.55 at Trader Joe’s)
• 1  14 oz. bag of Kraft caramels**
• 1 tablespoon of water

** Do not use caramel sauce – it will not harden.

Directions:

1. Pop your popcorn.
2. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil.
3. Spread popcorn in a single layer on your lined cookie sheet.
4. Unwrap caramels from cellophane wrappers and place in a deep microwave safe bowl.
5. Microwave on high or medium-high for 2 minutes. Watch closely and be VERY careful, use over mitts, caramel will be VERY HOT when melted!
6. Using a spoon, carefully drizzle melted caramel over the popcorn. Make long ribbons of caramel and let it set until hardened. You can also put it in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
   
7. When caramel has set, chop your chocolate.
8. Place chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and heat on high until melted, stirring at 1 minute intervals.
9. Drizzle chocolate over caramel and let set in the refrigerator for 10 minutes or at room temperature.
10. Cut into strips and ENJOY!

 

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Roast Beef Sunday and How Mariah Carey Stole My Cat

Feb 17, 2011 by Sara

This is a picture of a cat but don’t worry, this is NOT a recipe for cat. Just a quick side story to go along with this family recipe.

Sundays were reserved for family dinners at my house, typically with a roast of some kind.  One Sunday, I went with my Mom to the store and there was a man outside with a box labeled, “Free Kittens.”  Inside the box there was only one scrawny calico kitten left – the runt of the litter. So I begged. I pleaded. I did my best whine and dance routine… And of course we left with the cat.

‘Sunday’ as she was aptly named, became our first official family pet (to be followed by Muffin the golden retriever, a giant tank of tropical fish, and Papillion a short-lived parrot, who has no relation to the name of this blog).  She was a typical cat, aloof yet cuddly and I adored her. But sadly, after my parents’ divorce and our subsequent move from a comfy 4-BR home to a small duplex, Sunday decided to run away.  So much for loyalty in cats.

Two months later we discovered that Sunday had high-tailed it to the nearby country club grounds and moved into Tommy Mottola’s mansion. Smart cat.  Mottola was CEO of Sony Music at the time and was in the middle of getting a divorce so he could be with his girlfriend, pop-star Mariah Carey, whom he had discovered in 1988.

The plot thickens.

Now you may wonder how we knew Sunday ended up living in a golf course mansion with a high powered music executive… Well, it so happened that my Mom was a real estate broker and one day went to show Mottola’s house when she spotted our cat snoozing on his couch.

My Mom proceeded to thank him for feeding and housing our lost cat and told him she would bring Sunday home with her. To that, he emphatically replied: No!  Mottola then told my Mom that his kids had already bonded with the cat and there was no way she could leave with it.  To be sure she didn’t try to come back, he BANNED her from showing the property again!

We never got our cat back and to this day this makes me mad. I do take comfort in the fact that Sunday lived out the last of her nine lives in the lap of luxury despite being ‘cat-napped’.

So that’s the story of how Mariah Carey stole my cat. Well… ok… she was at least guilty by association.

Now here’s the family recipe for a roast that we did have on some Sundays:

Perfect Prime Rib from Cook's Illustrated 1995

Perfect Prime Rib

(serves 6 to 8 )

1 3-rib standing rib roast (7 lbs), first cut, aged, set at room temperature for 3 hours, and tied

Salt and ground black pepper

1. Adjust oven rack to low position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Heat large roasting pan over burner at medium-high heat. Place roast in hot pan and cook on all sides until nicely browned and about 1/2 cup fat has rendered, 6 to 8 minutes.
2. Remove roast from pan. Set wire rack in pan, then set roast on rack. Generously season with salt and pepper.
3. Place roast in oven and roast until meat registers 130 degrees (for med. rare), about 3 1/2 hours (or about 30 minutes per pound). Let stand 20 minutes (or longer) before serving.

From Cook’s Illustrated 1995.

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i ♥ cake

Feb 4, 2011 by Sara

Want to make a show-stopper for your Valentine’s Day celebration? Why not try this gorgeous cake? Here’s the tutorial from i am baker.

Wow!

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Snow Muffins

Feb 3, 2011 by Sara

For all of you dealing with tons and tons snow right now, here’s a fantastic family recipe I want to share with you.  When I was little, growing up in the snowy tundra, my Mom would have us make these amazing ‘snow muffins‘.  There’s something so cool about cooking with snow!! You have to try it!

I have to say, I love the fact that this recipe is on its original faded paper with my Mom’s handwriting about how these are ‘neat’ ‘nice + high + fluffy’.  I don’t know the original source of this recipe, sorry. It’s been in my Mom’s recipe box forever! The last time we made these together was in 1992 when a huge blizzard socked New York and we were unable to leave on a planned trip.  Love this recipe and hope you will too!

Snow Muffins

Just before you need it, collect 1 1/2 cups fresh, loosely packed snow.

• 3 tbsp butter
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup milk
• 3/4 cup currants or raisins

Grease 12 medium-size muffin cups. Preheat the oven to 375F.

Measure the butter and melt it over low heat in a small pan.

Mix together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the melted butter and milk. Don’t worry if the mixture is lumpy. Quickly mix in the snow and currants or raisins, stirring only to blend. Spoon into muffin cups. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until light brown.

Enjoy!

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