Women

(male readers, please bear with me, I love you too)

Women. What is it about women?

How do they know what to do?

For weeks now I have been surrounded by the most amazing women. Both here, physically and "out there" in the wireless world.

Monday night my friend Anne hosted a birthday dinner for herself. She invited me, Wanda and Myrna, calling us her "best buds". She took us all to a beautiful upscale restaurant where we wined and dined and chatted and laughed (and yes, cried a little too).

Last night Anne, Wanda and Myrna came to my home and allowed me to cook for them. A gift.

They sat at my table and laughed and chatted and told stories about their own lives and loves and trials and tribulations and joys and sorrows. And yes, we all cried a little too. But mostly we ate.

These women have their own families. Their own husbands and children. Yet they leave them alone, to fend for themselves and feed themselves and occupy themselves to be with me. To grieve and laugh and hug and light a candle in my night.

What is it about women? How do they know? Are women born with the innate ability to nurture? Are women programmed from birth to know how to comfort?

It's not just these women. My sisters, other friends, and women throughout the world call me everyday, send me emails of encouragement and leave loving comments on this blog - all holding me up. Helping me through the day, cheering me on, sobbing with me, listening to me, supporting me with their words, their thoughts, their intentions and their prayers.

What is it about women? Thank God for women.

Company's Coming and Apple Cake

I dropped a fork today while emptying the dishwasher silverware basket.

According to kitchen lore dropping a fork means company's coming - specifically a woman. Dropping a knife means a man will visit. Dropping a spoon, a child.

This weekend I will be traveling to upstate New York for my biannual "Women's Wine Weekend. Notice there is no H in wine"

So maybe company's not coming to my home - but I will be in awesome women's company this weekend at Windswept Farms in Hector, NY.

To celebrate, I've been baking and cooking and planning a few menu items to take along.

You know how I love to use seasonal, local ingredients in my kitchen concoctions.

Here is my favorite Apple Cake. This cake is for my family, the next one I'll bake Thursday night and carry it with me for "company" this weekend.

This cake is dense, moist and full of fall flavor - like cinnamon, nutmeg and apples. Perfect for a chilly autumn day.

Autumn Apple Cake - serves 12

Filling:

1 1/2 pounds local apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch slices – about 4 to 5 medium sized.

1 lemon, juiced

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (better: a few good grinds of fresh nutmeg)

Batter:

4 large eggs

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

2 cups sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup warm water

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Putting it all together:

Grease and lightly flour a Bundt pan.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix the apples with the lemon juice, then toss in the sugar and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. Set aside while you make the batter.

Lightly whisk the eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add the oil, melted butter, sugar, vanilla and water and whisk until smooth. In a separate mixing bowl whisk together the flour, salt, cinnamon and baking powder. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the wet mixture and stir just until combined. Pour 1/4 of the batter into the pan, and then arrange a 1/3 of the apples around the top of the batter. Repeat 2 more times: apples, batter, apples, batter. Top off with the last of the batter and smooth.

Place the Bundt pan on a rimmed cookie sheet (just in case of leakage) Bake about 1 hour 15 minutes, until a sharp knife inserted in the middle of the cake comes out dry.

A Cook's Notes: I serve this with a scoop of vanilla ice cream dusted with cinnamon and a drizzle of caramel sauce. Good enough for company and easy enough for everyday.

If you are really feeling decadent and want to treat yourself, use the leftovers for French toast. Just slice thickly, dip in beaten egg and fry for 3 to 4 minutes per side. Serve with warm Maple syrup.

Bon Appetite!

Speaking of Butts - Beer Butt Chicken

Here's a great recipe for you to hand your husband, son, brother, dad, nephew, next door neighbor, boyfriend, or significant male other to make YOU for Mother's Day. It is oh so delicious and will not mess up your kitchen. 

It is also fun. It's fun because it's called Beer Butt Chicken - beer and butt being words that the male population can relate to. Now I know I'm not being politically correct when I say that, but come on. What boy from the age of 7 on doesn't like the word "butt"? And what red-blooded American Male doesn't have the concept of beer? 

It is also fun to make because it involves FIRE because you make it on the grill. Fire is dangerous and manly. What red-blooded American Male doesn't like to combine these elements in cooking? 

When the best husband in the world makes me dinner it always involves fire and danger. This is very manly. If you give the male species in your life something to do that is manly, he won't look at it as doing something lovely for you. He will think of it as doing something heroic. You are allowing him to get in touch with his inner caveman. This is good. 

Of course you are still going to have to a. buy the chicken. b. get all the other ingredients ready c. clean the grill d. make all the sides e. clean up

But it's a start, right?

Beer Butt Chicken

Preheat grill to medium high. 

1 3 to 4 lb. chicken (giblets removed, rinsed inside and out) yes, you will probably have to do this as it does not involve fire or danger

2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

1 sprig rosemary

1 sprig thyme

1 can of beer

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1/2 tablespoon fresh ground pepper

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 disposable pie tin or other tin (no holes on the bottom) trust me on this. 

Here's the fun part because the man gets to drink beer.

Open the can of beer. Take 2 big swigs of beer (you should have about 1/2 to 3/4 can of beer left). Stuff the garlic, rosemary and thyme into the beer can.

Mix the salt, pepper and paprika together. Pat the chicken all over with this mix. 

Here's the other fun part because the man gets to say "butt"

Take the opened, stuffed with garlic and herbs beer can and shove it up the butt end of the chicken. The legs and the beer can form a tripod for the chicken. Place the chicken in the tin. Place in center of hot grill. Close the lid and cook for 1 hour (or about 15 minutes per pound).

The man cook can now relax and have another beer while beating his chest proclaiming what a wonderful man he is for cooking you Mother's Day dinner. 

Meanwhile, you should: set the table, cook all the sides, round up the children, empty the dishwasher, put another load of laundry in, etc. 

When legs are really loose, juices run clear when pierced in thickest part of thigh and skin is nicely crisped, remove from grill and let rest for 15 minutes (at least). 

Here's the dangerous part because it involves knives.

Give the man a knife for carving.

Enjoy your day and give your man a hug for "making dinner"

Love to all! 

I Laughed My --- Off with These Good Cooks

I laughed my butt off this weekend. Well, not really (I wish) but I did laugh until my stomach hurt! Seriously, my stomach and rib cage is sore today. 

Women's Wine Weekend (WWW), notice there is no H in wine, was fun, fun, fun. Nine women all together, cooking, laughing, walking, drinking wine (and spirits of many flavors), and sharing stories. What could be better?

This is a picture of the WWW's, all chipping in to make dinner Saturday night. A nice ritual that women have been doing together for, well, forever. Think about it. Quilting bees, making breads in a church basement, baking cookies at Christmas. All things women get together to do. Many hands make short work is what my grandmother would have said. 

But there's more to it than that isn't there? It's really not about the task at all. That's the excuse to get together and the excuse that keeps the men at bay. :-)

It's the doing that brings us together. And the telling. And the sharing. And the caring. And, oh yeah, the laughter. 

So here's to all of you,  my fellow Good Cooks of WWW. Thank you, it was wonderful. I love you all and can't wait to see you in the Fall for our next great adventure. 

Two Days To WWW - and Tenderloin

These are the women of WWW. Women's Wine Weekend (notice there is no H in Wine).

That's me, the first on the right

It's two days until we convene and commence to, well, whatever we want.

Today I am going to buy the beef tenderloin and this is how I'm going to make it for WWW Saturday Dinner:

Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Rosemary, Chocolate and Wine Sauce

1 (2 to 5 pound) beef tenderloin
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 teaspoons olive oil
½ cup chopped shallots
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups dry red wine plus more for drinking (duh)
2 cups beef broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Tenderloin:

Take meat out of refrigerator 1 hour before roasting. Season meat with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add meat and sear until well browned on all sides.

Transfer the meat to a rack set on a baking sheet. Roast until desired doneness (140 – medium rare, 150 – medium). Take meat out of oven 6 degrees below desired temperature. Tent. Residual cooking will bring to desired temperature. Let rest AT LEAST 15 minutes before carving.

Sauce:

Heat remaining 2 teaspoons of oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, carrot and celery and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cook for 2 more minutes. Add the wine and broth and stir in tomato paste, bay leaf, rosemary and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce and simmer until reduced by half (about 30 minutes) Strain through a fine mesh strainer. Discard solids. Return sauce to pan, whisk in cocoa. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Serve on the side with the sliced tenderloin.

Tomorrow: All the sides.

4 Days to WWW

I just realized it is only 4 days until WWW - that is Women's Wine Weekend. 

Women's Wine Weekend (notice there is no H in wine) consists of me and seven fabulous women friends all congregating at Marie's (one of the Fab 7's) weekend house in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania. 

We do this twice a year - in the fall we go to Michele's farm in upstate New York. Spring finds us in Pennsylvania. 

I do look forward to these weekends. 

We, all eight of us, are from different, yet remarkably same, walks of life. There are singles, divorced, never marrieds, marrieds, childless, empty nesters, and children still at home among us. But we are the same in that we are women. And we are friends. 

WWW has all of us contributing to the welfare of the weekend. Welfare meaning food and drink. I am responsible for Saturday night dinner and you KNOW you will be seeing the recipes over the next few days. This is my menu:

Beef Tenderloin with Rosemary, red wine and chocolate sauce

Roast, crisp new potatoes with fresh herbs

Roast "sticky" carrots with honey and thyme

Fresh breads, herbed butter.

Many laughs

And of course all the wine we care to sip during the preparation, eating and clean up. Everyone pitches in and again, there is no H in wine. 

I have to get busy making my lists, shopping and preparing the best husband in the world for my departure. But I leave you with this little note about women that my dad sent me; I think it says it all as to why eight women, all different, are so alike:

One Flaw In Women 



Women have strengths that amaze men. 
They bear hardships and they carry burdens, 
but they hold happiness, love and joy. 



They smile when they want to scream. 

They sing when they want to cry.. 


They cry when they are happy 
and laugh when they are nervous. 


They fight for what they believe in. 


They stand up to injustice. 



They don't take "no" for an answer 
when they believe there is a better solution. 



They go without so their family can have. 


They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.   

They love unconditionally. 

They cry when their children excel 
and cheer when their friends get awards. 



They are happy when they hear about 
a birth or a wedding. 


Their hearts break when a friend dies. 


They grieve at the loss of a family member, 
yet they are strong when they 
think there is no strength left. 


They know that a hug and a kiss 
can heal a broken heart. 



Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors. 



They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail (or blog) you 
to show how much they care about you. 



The heart of a woman is what 
makes the world keep turning.



They bring joy, hope and love. 


They have compassion and ideas.. 


They give moral support to their 
family and friends. 


Women have vital things to say 
and everything to give. 



HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN, 
IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH. 



Don't forget your worth. More tomorrow.