Three years ago, I began my musings here at The Schell Cafe. It's a little hard for me to believe actually. Granted I've taken a hiatus or two during the last thirty-six months. When I was pregnant with Littlest I didn't have a taste for anything and avoided the kitchen like the plague. Hardly conducive to writing a food blog. And, then last year there was the post-miscarriage hurt that induced the need for a distraction which ...
Archives for December 2008
Merry Christmas!
I started at least a dozen posts with wonderful recipes I intended to share over the last few days. And here it is Christmas Eve and I didn't get around to finishing them. I guess I could claim that I'm ahead for next year instead of behind for 2008?!?! Our Christmas Eve dinner (in a mere 8 7 hours) will be: Spinach Salad with Oranges, Avocados & Red Onions & Pomegranate Chipotle Dressing Osso Buco Risotto Milanese Dulce du ...
Grandma’s Oreo Peppermint Ice Cream Cake
I've never had a Christmas without this dessert. If you've been around the cafe for a while, you can figure out that this will by my 41st Christmas. That's a lot of Oreo Peppermint Ice Cream Cakes. Who knows how long my grandmother (Popa's mother) made this treat before I joined the scene?!? All I know is it wouldn't be Christmas without this sweet tradition. Mia took over the honor of making the cake when Grandma was no longer ...
Holiday Cookbook Gift Guide
Hopefully, you are way ahead of me and have finished your holiday shopping, neatly wrapped your perfect packages and tucked them all under a well lit Christmas tree. No? Good, me neither. If you are still looking for a gift for the foodie in your life, I've compiled a list of some of my favorite cookbooks to help you. 1. How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman. Winner of both the Julia Child Cookbook and the James Beard ...
Mary Had A Baby
I know, its a food blog. But I could just eat her up, this Little of mine. Littlest Middlest, as we lovingly call her around the cafe, will be playing the role of Mary today at the kindergarten Christmas pageant. I'm feasting on the joy of motherhood today! May your day be blessed too. ...
Four Seasons Chocolate Ginger Cookies
Last year, Mia took the two middle Littles and I to the Teddy Bear Christmas Tea at the Four Seasons. It was very swank and festive, but the best part about the event was scarfing savoring the Chocolate Ginger Cookies. I made quite a fuss over these cookies. In fact, I'm a tad embarrassed how I completely ignored Santa, raced past him no less, on my mission to track down the pastry chef. But, with a year to dull the memory of my over ...
Ouise’s Homemade Chicken Enchiladas
Here's a crowd pleaser from the recipe collection of one of my dear friends. She was generous enough to share her chicken enchilada recipe with me during the recipe contest. The entire family gobbled these delicious enchiladas up like we had never had Tex-Mex before. I doubled this recipe so each of my hungry clan could have two enchiladas, but Husband says I need to triple it next time. ;) Ouise's Homemade Chicken Enchiladas (Makes ...
Bouillabaisse
I fell in love with bouillabaisse the summer of 1984 when I first lived in France. I was fifteen years old, spoke maybe two words of French and clearly had no idea what (or how) to order at a quaint restaurant one day. Several of the students traveling in my summer program ordered la bouillabaisse so I played it safe and followed suite. All these years later, I feel certain that no one in our young group had any clue what would ...
Let it Snow. Let it Snow. Let it Snow.
****We interrupt a very important bouillabaisse post to bring you a weather update from central Texas.**** It snowed last night. Really, it did. I have pictures to prove it. See: Here's how the events leading up to the snow unfolded: December 9, Noon: 81 degrees, warm hot and muggy. Air-conditioning on. Kindergarten Little is forced to remove stockings at the Nutcracker due to heat. December 9, Carpool Time: Windy and much ...
Fish Stock
Fish stock is so simple to make and is a great way to use an entire fish or shrimp and keep extra or wilting produce from going to waste. This method can be used to make vegetable stock, chicken stock or any combination of flavors depending on what scraps and produce you have on hand. First, save your leftover bones and scraps - chicken, pork and meat bones, ham hocks, shrimp shells will all make flavorful stocks. Toss your leftover ...