Musings of a Messy Mind

“The name “shortcake” is derived from an old English cooking definition of short which referred to something made crisp with the addition of fat. Shortcake is a crisp, crumbly cake made from butter which is how it got its name.” Yesterday the farmers market was giving away strawberries. Two huge boxes were one dollar each. The berries were very ripe and just beautiful. Strawberry season is always a big deal in this part of Florida. Florida is the second-largest strawberry producing state following California. Strawberry season runs, generally from December until April. Depending upon the weather, it will often last through May as it has this year. Now Strawberries from California will begin arriving. When I returned home, I showed them to the Greek bread and told him that I was going to make strawberry shortcake. I asked him if he knew what shortcake was and if they had it in England. He replied that he had never heard of shortcake and did not remember ever eating strawberry...

Today’s Adventures in Food… I’ve spent a few days researching pear Gorgonzola combo recipes. I was enthralled by the idea of the marriage of pungent Gorgonzola cheese and ripe juicy sweet Bosch pear. I already had every ingredient I wanted except for the pear.  I started with a small piece of pizza dough from the dough I had earlier made in the bread machine. I made a caramelized brandied onion. I had a little bit of shredded mozzarella cheese, Gorgonzola crumbles, walnuts, and tons of fresh Rosemary. I sent John to the produce stand for a pear. This is absolutely the best thing I’ve ever made and tasted. The complexity of flavors, colors, and textures is epic.

Commencing last week, phase 1 restrictions were expanded a bit. Restaurants were allowed to open for more than take-out food. They were allowed to Seat at 25 percent occupancy if a safe distance of 6 feet was in-place. The outdoor seating was also allowed at the same spacing. Our beaches have reopened with controlled parking. The rules for being at the beaches loosened up and people were allowed in small Family groups. People are allowed in the water and again distancing was expected. Also hair salons and barbershops as well as nail salons were allowed to reopen with many safeguards in place. Retail stores were allowed to reopen with certain restrictions With regard to space and numbers. On Wednesday I suggested to John that it would be nice to take a ride along our beautiful beaches just to see the Gulf of Mexico again. Our local beach and the nearest beach is on beautiful Anna Maria Island. We cruised along the beach and every parking spot was full. We can drive all the way along t...

Puff Pastry Chicken Pot Pie INGREDIENTS: 1 package (17.3 ounces) frozen puff pastry,  thawed 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces (I used rotisserie    chicken, both white meat and dark) 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme 1 teaspoon minced fresh sage or 1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (I use Wondra Flour for sauces) 2 cups chicken broth 1 cup heavy cream 3 carrots, peeled and cut into slices 2 smallish potatoes, cut into small cubes (I left the skins on mine) COOKING DIRECTIONS: Filling: Sauté onions, carrots, potatoes  in butter and olive oil until onions are translucent. Add garlic, sauté 2 minutes longer. Season with the herbs, salt and pepper. (I use my cast iron skillet. It can go from stovetop right to oven). A...

It’s just another COVID-19 Saturday. We are now very accustomed to what is the new normal. Nothing in our lives has particularly changed. The Great Brit and I have had discussions about how to proceed now that things are opening up here in Florida.  This past Monday restaurants, many retail stores and even the big shopping malls have opened up. I have read that not all stores within all malls have opened yet. Beginning Monday, hair salons and nail salons can also reopen. The Brit and I have mutually agreed that there is absolutely no need for us to rush to a restaurant to have a meal. Restaurants are only allowed to have 25% occupancy and diners must be seated according to  distancing guidelines. The other thing is we have probably close to $800 worth of frozen meat stashed between two freezers. Even though we cook every day, we have barely made a dent in it. Our goal is to use up this food in a timely manner. We have not used take-out services from any restaurant ...

Here’s a little yummy sunshine all baked up in a cake pan. This recipe is from my sister-in-law, Janet, who lives in Oxfordshire, UK. She made it one year for my birthday. It is rich, moist and scrumptious. Take my word on this one.  WHOLE ORANGE CAKE 1 fresh orange (I use a big sweet naval orange) 140 g caster sugar (US put 3/4C white sugar into processor or blender and make fine) 3 large eggs 85 g self-raising flour (US) 2/3 C self-rising flour 100g ground almonds  (US 1/2 cup ground almonds blender or processor) 50g  butter, melted (US 1/4C butter, melted Put the orange in a pan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for one hour. Remove the orange and let cool. Preheat the oven to 180 C gas/4/fan oven 160 C (350 F degrees for US).   butter and line the base of a 20 CM/8 inch round, deep cake tin. Roughly chop the cooked orange discarding the seeds. Process in food processor or blender ...