Saturday, December 31, 2011

New Years Carrot Cake




Ingredients
SHOPPING LIST


How to make it

Preheat oven to 350F/170C/Gas Mark4.
  • Coat a large loaf pan, 10x15x2 baking dish, or Bundt pan with oil or cooking spray.
  • In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the FLOUR, BAKING POWDER, BAKING SODA, SALT, CINNAMON, NUTMEG, and ALLSPICE using a wooden spoon. Set aside.
  • Mix the EGGS, SUGAR, and VANILLA in another larger bowl using a wooden spoon.
  • Stir in the OIL until the mixture is thick.
  • Gently stir in the DRY ingredients.
  • Fold in the CARROTS, WALNUTS (optional), PINEAPPLE, COCONUT, and RAISINS.
  • Pour slowly into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
  • Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until a knife inserted into the cake comes out clean.
  • Cool for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a plate or platter.
Frosting:
  • Use an electric mixer to blend the CREAM CHEESE and POWDERED SUGAR in a medium bowl.
  • Spread on the cake after it has cooled.

Friday, December 30, 2011

Kwanzaa Dinner a Time for Celebration 2011

"This year my family has so much to be thankful for, over and above. I wittiness the power of love and Guardian Angles watching over my family, keeping them from all hurt harm and danger from East Coast to West Coast. We celebrated by fasting on Christmas Day and being together as a family, giving a Christmas morning to my oldest son whom I hadn't had a Christmas with in years.

Babette Stevenson's Christmas table from 2009
Then inviting friends over to share in grilling and preparing dishes for the first day (Umoja) of Kwanzaa. Babette, Clayton, Gionna, Levelle, Libby, TaShant, and myself shared time in the kitchen, we began by washing our hands first."
Gregory Melacon's Kwanzaa Table

Kwanzaa Dinner Menu
Baby-Back Ribs
Beef Ribs Slowed Baked
Grill Chicken Breast on Skewers
Boston Baked Beans in BBQ Sauce
Mixed Collard, Mustard and Spinach Greens
Green Beans and Smoked Neck Bones
Potato Salad
Sweet Potato Pie
Hawaiian Bread

Shopping List:
  • 3 bunches. Collards, Mustard, & Spinach Greens (wash and clean the greens before adding to seasoned water)
  • 2 pounds, Green beans (snap and break beans before adding to water)
  • 3-packs Smoked Neck Bones (add neck bones to water boil until tender, use for greens and beans)
  • 1-can Boston Baked Beans (drain liquid, add BBQ sauce, bake until bubbly)
  • Kraft's Honey Bar-B-Que Sauce (add hot sauce, brown sugar, maple syrup, Ketchup lemon pepper)
  • Alpha's Potato Salad (medium red potatoes (8), (6) boiled eggs, 1 can black olives, 1/2 cup chopped celery,  1/2 cup bell peppers, garlic cloves, 1/2 cup white onions, hamburger pickles to taste, sweet pickles, sliced pimientos, sliced green olives 1/2 cup, butter pickles, add sandwich spread, and mustard for color and tartness)
  • Babette's Potato Salad, (white potatoes mashed, black olives, pickles, pimientos, boiled eggs, mayo, seasoned salt)
Grill
  • Baby Back Ribs - 4 lbs (these were marinated for four days)
  • Chicken Breast - 2-lbs (cut into strips and place onto metal skewers)
  • Slow baked beef ribs in oven with sauce

Start your own tradition during the holidays by inviting friends, family, and neighbors over to share dinner, host a potluck, there is nothing like a good old Bar-B-Que, and while the coals are still hot have the children put marshmallows on skewers and enjoy.

    Monday, December 19, 2011

    Janina Ciezadlo's Pre-holiday Dinner



    Hope all goes well for Christmas, and good things in the New Year, remembering the principals of Kwanzaa,  Janina shared a special stew, that was wonderfully served with fresh bread, wine and conversation.



    Janina invited Marianna and myself to a wonderful friday evening dinner at her studio, live/work place in Countryside Hills. We met at the Union Station Metra train to start our adventure. Her place is tucked away in a subdivision backed up against the forest preserve, making a wonderful setting from the calm of the city. We lit the fireplace, and sat around it enjoying wine and pre-dinner, and after dinner deserts. Our dinner was delightful and the stew was perfect for the chilly evening.

    Marianna Buchwald

    Stevie’s Stew shared with us by Janina:
    Sear meat and bones ( I used a pot roast) with a couple of cloves of Garlic in olive oil.
    After meet is browned add at least a cup of red wine, and after a few minutes about a pint or more of water.
    Simmer for at least an hour. After an hour or more add about 2 cups of carrots and two cups of celery
    And two cups of tomato sauce. Simmer for another hour or until carrots are cooked to the consistency you like. Before serving squeeze fresh lemon to add a tart taste, lovely.

    Pomegranate-orange relish (New York times)
    2 cups walnuts ( I did not use this much)
    2 seedless unpeeled oranges cut in chunks
    ½ light brown sugar
    ¼ tsp pepper
    2 cups of pomegranate seeds
    ¼ cup chopped mint leaves ( I used dried)

    Roast walnuts in oven

    Pulse oranges in a food processor, mix in other ingredients. Pulse
    Take out and add pomegranate seeds.
    Refrigerate.


    Janina A. Ciezadlo is an artist and critic in Chicago. She is a contributing writer for the New City, and her work has appeared in the Chicago Reader; Afterimage, The Journal of Media Arts and Cultural Criticism; Bridge; Artscope and the Chicago Art Critic's Association publications. Several of her poems and photographs have appeared in afterhours, a journal of Chicago poetry and art. She has participated in Chicago Calling and Bauhaus 9090. Her scholarly work has appeared in the Yearbook of Interdisciplinary Studies and the Proceedings of the Society for the Interdisciplinary Study of Social Imagery.
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