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Sunday, September 29, 2013

French Press Coffee


French Press Coffee

 


I do love a good cup of coffee.  I’m the first to admit though, that first thing in the morning, I just want to chug down some quick caffeine and get my day going.  At those times, I’m not doing designer coffee; I’m not adding extra calories with cream and sugar, it’s just pure unadulterated caffeine.  I’m actually trying to cut down a bit.
I own a French Press, and it’s bright Red!  I love colorful items, and it makes my heart happy.  I recently was able to demonstrate how easy and thoughtful making coffee in a French Press can be.  It’s not difficult.  It takes a bit of time, and there is a feeling of ritual.  Slows down the mind, body, and soul, and let’s you relax and be in the moment.  I need to do more of this.
Today, most coffee’s will tell you what the proper brew temperature and time is on the package, and they do lots of testing and research, so I try to follow the package.




Simply scoop the rough ground coffee of your choice into the bottom of your French Press. 
Add the water;
Stir with a wooden spoon

 



Cover

 

Let set for about 5 minutes

 



P

Press the plunger down slowly



Pour a great cup of coffee

 


Relax.

 

That’s it.

 

I have to start doing this more often

 

Enjoy your coffee today!  Enjoy your day!

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

I am passionate about food


I am passionate about food, and I am especially passionate about your food.
 ~ Chef Terri Rees, Tuxedo Junction Catering

 

Chef Terri Rees puts the personal in personal chef. She interacts with clients to provide individualized service, whether sharing tips on equipment or ingredients, preparing an elegant dinner party, or planning hands-on fun in commercial or home kitchens. She assesses client needs – including food sensitivities and intolerances – to make every event a unique and enjoyable experience.

 
 
Her skills

Chef Terri is a graduate of Grand Rapids Community College’s prestigious Hospitality Department, and no stranger to large-scale menu planning and food preparation: as a Creative Dining Services sous chef at Davenport College, she provided 400 meals a day.

She is a classroom instructor and provides equipment and ingredient demonstrations at several locations, including Rylee’s Ace Hardware, Spartan Stores, Frederik Meijer Gardens. Those who attend her events find Chef Terri fun to be with; her joy in cooking and sharing food brings people together for a good time.

With 27 year’s experience in project management and corporate sales, Chef Terri brings excellent planning and logistical skills to event organization.

She easily accommodates food sensitivity issues in menu planning: she has extensive experience in creating gluten-free and allergen-free dishes for family and friends.

 

 

 Her Services


~ Hands-On Cooking Classes easy, challenging or any level between; customized for your group, whether in a home or a commercial kitchen.

~ Demonstration Dinner Party – Chef Terri prepares an entire meal for your guests, who can watch and learn, ask questions and sample throughout the process. (Recipes, ingredients & equipment supplied by chef; wine provided by client.

~ Team Cooking Event – Chef Terri provides Mystery Ingredient Baskets & group divides into teams, each creating original recipes within a time limit. Hilarious food fun and a great way to build team spirit for corporate groups of 10 to 20 employees.


~ And the sky’s the limit – got a new idea for food-centered fun? Talk to Chef Terri and let her plan a unique event just for you!

 

Tuxedo Junction Catering  ~  616.304.0297

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Autumn Stew


Autumn Stew

Just a quick recipe, sorry no pictures, I’ll try and get some for you. 

I had my opening night at the Culinary Classroom on Thursday Night – and I love to give my guest something to eat, in line with the curriculum for the class. 

This class was all about Sunday Dinner w/ Grandmas.

Fried chicken, pot roast, home made biscuits and crème Brulee – I know your grandma probably didn’t make crème Brulee, but I know she made pudding from scratch, not from a box!  At least mine did!

 

I made a warm and inviting Autumn Stew with pork tenderloin pieces, apples, Craisins, cider and more.  This time I served it over jasmine rice, but you could serve this over noodles, or just as it was, with a side of mashed potatoes or squash, which are at the markets right now!.  It’s a one pot meal (except for the rice) and is easy, can be done in about 30 minutes if you cut your pork, apples, and everything up fairly small.  Give it a try, I promise pictures sometime soon!

Autumn Stew

 

 4
Celery Stalks diced
3
Whole Carrots diced
1
Spanish Onion diced
2 TBS
TBS EVOO
 
Flour as needed for dredging
1
Pork Tenderloin
4
Mac or Granny Smith Apples-diced
4
Sprigs Thyme
1
Bay Leaf
 
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 ½ cups
Apple Cider
4 Cups
Chick Stock
1 Handfull
Craisins (about cup – cup ½)

 

 

Cut pork tenderloin into bite sized pieces, about 1 inch x 1 inch

Dredge pieces in seasoned flour

Heat approximately 1 TBS of EVOO in a heavy duty Dutch oven, and brown pork.  Remove from pan.  Heat remaining oil and add onion, celery and thyme and cook until tender.  Add Apples and Cider, and stir, making sure that you do not burn the bottom of the pan.  Add Craisins and pork and cook until the pork is fork tender (simmering approximately 20 minutes)

 

 

 

Friday, September 6, 2013

Michigan Tomato Harvest


I love Tomato’s!

 


Yes I do!  But, I don’t like to can them.  I know, I know this is the time of year in Michigan where canning is very popular, but I have only my husband and myself at home, and really, I can get a good canned tomato at the store. 

 

But I do love tomatoes.   Our good friend Wayne has been letting us pick fresh tomatoes.  He has maybe 10 plants, all different types.  I brought home a bunch and thought, now what am I to do?

Oven dried tomatoes!  That’s what.  It’s easy, a couple of ingredients, a little bit of time in the oven (12 – 18 hours hands off) and you have oven dried tomatoes.  Pack them in Extra Virgin Olive Oil  - and that’s that! Done!  That’s just what I did. 

 

A lot of tomatoes, and a few good jars of very intense tomato flavor, stored in the refrigerator for a few months, and I’ll be “picking” them to add to soups, stews, and pastas.

 

All you need is lots of tomatoes.  Cleaned, cored and cut into roughly the same size pieces.

 

Cookie sheets, cooling racks, I suggest parchment paper, some salt and away you go!

I should’ve start at night time and woken to the smell of lightly roasting tomatoes, but I was to eager!!!!  So at about 170 degrees, and 18 hours or so later, packed in oil. 

 



All I can say is Yum!