This egg bake is simple enough for pint-size cooks to prepare, but makes an elegant Sunday breakfast. It’s also a great way to use up leftover bread cubes after making fondue!
Ingredients (Serves 4)
3 cups day old bread, cubed
4 eggs, lightly beaten Continue reading
Perfect with brunch or afternoon tea, these little cookies offer lovely and surprising flavors. Because they are crisp (perfect for dunking), they will keep well in a sealed storage container on your counter or in the freezer. Let’s get started! Continue reading
Happy Holidays, Everyone!
King Crab Rolls just might be my very favorite special occasion food. While King Crab is expensive, it is spectacularly delicious. Alaskan King Crab is a wild caught (never farmed) product, and is sustainably harvested. I feel much better about splurging on a pricey ingredient if I know my purchase is not harming the environment.
Everything about this recipe, from the decadent seafood to the homemade rolls toasted with real butter, shouts “Special Day!” Whatever you happen to be celebrating, King Crab Rolls will make your mealtime grand!
Ingredients (makes 4 large rolls)
1 1/2 pounds shell-on King Crab legs
1/2 pound bay scallops (optional)
1 teaspoon seafood seasoning blend
1/4 cup real mayonnaise
1/4 cup finely chopped celery, including leaves
1 loaf of fresh Simple Bread
1/4 cup butter
Directions
Step 1) Drop crab legs into a large pot of boiling water seasoned with 1/2 teaspoon of seafood seasoning blend. Leave crab legs in boiling water for 3 minutes if they were fresh, or 10 minutes if they were frozen (typical).
Step 2) Drain crab legs and crack with a hand held nutcracker or clean 
pliers. Extract meat using a small fork (a fondue fork works well, if you have one). King Crab legs are spiny – hold them with a potholder to avoid hurting yourself! Be patient with this step. It may take 30 minutes or so to extract all of the meat. Your effort will be worthwhile!
Step 3) If using bay scallops, sauté them in a saucepan for 3 – 5 minutes until they are a milky white color. Drain.
Step 4) Gently combine crab meat, scallops, mayonnaise, celery, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon seafood seasoning blend. Try not to break up the crab meat. Refrigerate.
Step 5) Cut four generous, 2 inch thick slices from your loaf of Simple Bread. Then, cut through the middle of each slice from the top, stopping 1 inch from the bottom crust. Your slices should open in narrow “V” shapes, as shown above.
Step 6) Place 1/4 cup of butter on a baking pan with low sides, and melt by placing in a 350 degree oven for a few minutes. Watch carefully, and remove pan when butter is just melted!
Step 7) Place each of your four “V” shaped bread rolls down on the melted butter, then flip over so that each of the two outsides are buttered. Return pan to oven to toast your bread rolls for five minutes.
Step 8) Remove your toasted bread rolls, and carefully fill with equal quantities of your seafood mixture. Serve right away, while the rolls are warm and the seafood is cold.
Enjoy your special occasion!
“One side will make you grow taller, and the other side will make you grow shorter.”
“One side of what? The other side of what?” said Alice.
“Of the mushroom,” said the Caterpillar and then it crawled out of sight.
Happy 4th of July weekend, everyone! If you’re looking for something special to bring to a backyard celebration, look no further. Mom’s Strawberry Rhubarb Pie is awesome (like my Mom… she’s awesome, too!). Let’s get started…
Ingredients (Makes 1 pie)
For the filling:
2 1/2 cups Continue reading
Hop. Hop. Hippidy Hop. That bunny is heading our way, and wouldn’t it be nice if he arrived with a basket of homemade Easter candy? Jelly Bean Brittle is awesome for so many reasons… it’s super easy (Can you boil water? That’s about the only skill you need!), doesn’t require any expensive ingredients, and unlike peanut brittle, is completely free of common allergens. This recipe makes a great big pan (about 2 1/2 pounds’ worth) – perfect for an office or a classroom!
The only special item you will need is a candy thermometer. Now, don’t panic – a candy thermometer looks like any other thermometer, and just clips right onto your pot. All you need to do is READ it, and if you are reading this blog post, you’ve got that skill locked. Here is a link to the simple candy thermometer that I use:
Taylor Classic Line Glass Candy and Deep Fry Thermometer
It’s less than $6, and if you order it today you’ll be able to make Jelly Bean Brittle before Easter. You’re welcome. Let’s get started!
Ingredients (Makes 2 1/2 pounds)
1 pound bag of mini jelly beans
2 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter (not margarine)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda (no lumps!)
Directions
Step 1) Clip your candy thermometer to the side of a big, old pot. The tip of the thermometer should not be touching the 
bottom of the pot. Add sugar, corn syrup, water, and butter. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring frequently.
Step 2) Once the mixture begins to boil, reduce heat slightly (low-medium) and allow to continue boiling until the temperature gauge on your candy thermometer reaches the line 
labeled “Hard Crack” or 295 degrees. Be patient – this will take 20 – 30 minutes. Remember to stir occasionally.
Step 3) While your mixture boils, prepare your pan. First, cover your largest baking pan with aluminum foil; don’t forget to cover the sides. Next, grease the aluminum foil with the wrapper from a stick of butter. Then, evenly distribute jelly beans on the 
foil.
Step 4) When your boiling mixture reaches the Hard Crack stage, turn off the heat and sprinkle baking soda into the pot. STIR QUICKLY! A chemical reaction will take place, causing the boiling mixture to foam and froth. This is normal – and exciting!
Step 5) After stirring, pour mixture over jelly 
beans. Working quickly, spread mixture evenly over the entire pan.
Step 6) After about 10 minutes, your jelly bean brittle will be ready to break apart into bite size pieces. Store in an airtight container to keep nice and fresh!
PS – About that pot… just add a drop of dish soap and fill with BOILING water. It’ll come clean in seconds. 
