Treats from the Tipsy Turtle

 So every now and again I try different recipes for homemade cranberry sauce. I haven't found "the" one yet and I think the main reason I cook it is because I like it when the berries pop. Don't judge. Today's cast. I zested the orange and put it aside. I used the reamer to break down the orange a bit and then squeezed out all that juice! The cranberries (except for 1/2 cup) were put into the pot along with water, brown sugar and the orange juice. I brought it to a boil then reduced it to a simmer and stirred frequently. The popping begins! After a while all the cranberries had popped but I kept stirring to get rid of some of the liquid. Once it was nice and thick, I removed the pot from the heat and added the zest, the reserved berries and the vanilla extract. Once it cooled, it was nice and thick and I don't think reserving the 1/2 cup of cranberries for additional texture were necessary. There were enough berry pieces to keep the sauce chunky. The recipe mo...

I had a bit of an epiphany last week--I always thought I cooked and baked to reduce my stress. Turns out that when I am feeling especially overwhelmed, cooking can feel like just one more thing I have to do. Let's just say that last week was rather takeout heavy. Then today I stopped by the Hallmark store at Windward Mall today and instantly felt happy/sad; I always buy the annual ornaments from there and there was a time when Aiden and I went to Windward Mall at least once a week to play in the kids' area and grab lunch at the food court. Now the play area is shut down and there was a mechanical Santa behind plexiglass for families to pose in front of. There was a long line, too...I guess my point is, no matter how crazy this year has been, people are hanging onto any semblance of normal and since I think I am luckier than many, I should, too. So, back into the fray. Here's today's cast! I can't remember the last time I ate a saltine cracker! The recipe called for ...

My NOLA-inspired rolls got rather dense overnight and toasting them seemed the best way to use them for anything else. Bruschetta, it is! I went for a pretty standard bruschetta--tomatoes, basil and garlic. Here's today's cast. I really like using Roma tomatoes for salads or other dishes where the dish is going to rest in the fridge before serving. These Romas were a bit big so I used less than the 8 the recipe called for. I also decided to remove the seeds to further prevent the soggies. I stacked the basil leaves. Then rolled them into a tight cigar shape. Thin slices with a sharp knife and a beautiful chiffonade. The tomatoes and basil together are so beautiful. Chopped garlic and shredded Parmesan cheese was tossed in and I was tempted to just eat it as is. But, seeing as this is a "balsamic" bruschetta, it felt silly to stop before it was balsamified. A good balsamic was mixed with olive oil, black pepper and kosher salt. Everything got tossed together and sat in...

So next week a couple of friends will be coming over for a socially distanced dinner in the carport. It still seems so weird having to think of the logistics involved for a simple visit; we have to be outside but it has to be sheltered, there is a sink immediately inside the lower door for hand washing and if anyone needs to use the facilities, we have the most direct route planned. There was a time when it was all about the food and trying to find a date that worked for everyone! I am grateful for the opportunity to see them and I wanted a meal that was simple enough to eat outside while managing to be special as well. I decided to do red beans and rice along with fried shrimp or roast beef po' boys.   With po' boys, so much of it's specialness comes from the bread; baguettes are wonderful but their interiors often have a bit of a chew that will make the sandwich fall apart. I am looking for a lightly crisp crust with a soft interior that can hold up to wet ingredients. I ...