2011 was quite the eventful year around the ol’ Flamingo Pond. Particularly the last six months! I’ve taken my particular brand of crazy, Freakin’ Flamingo, to the web, the South Miami Farmers Market,  and even teaching the occasional culinary/canning class at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, here in Miami. (Click on that last link to see what I’m teaching and find out how to sign up.)  2012 promises to be just as eventful, if not more so!

In keeping with the theme of a New Year – A New Day, I took the plunge, abandoned Blogger, and (very reluctantly) moved it all over to a self-hosted WordPress platform. Ooo. Scary. It was time for a change and part of that change was to coordinate this blog more effectively with my retail site.  Kudos to one of my best friends and original retail site designer, Lynne Cohen of Tante Leah’s Handmades.  Heather Jurczyk (better known to you as @bodaciousgirl) of He Cooks She Cooks did all the updates, cleanup, and took away the night terrors. Heather then rocked out the New & Improved Flamingo Musings, and did the move over here.  Just in time for the New Year!

Never fear – Flamingo Musings will continue to be primarily a blog about food, not just jam. And whatever else I feel like talking about at any given moment. For instance, in the coming days you’ll see several cookbook reviews (both here and at Cooks & Books & Recipes); more original recipes (some involving jam, some not), even some restaurant reviews – both local and from my travels – (from the perspective of an average person who just wants a good meal, not a persnickety reviewer).  I hope to also get back to joining in some of the blog challenges, such as Secret Recipe Club.  I miss you guys!

And to celebrate, let’s kick things off with a giveaway! No, it’s not a mixer. Geez.

No, I’m giving away Jam! Of your choice! And a cool, heavy duty, last-for-the-rest-of-your-natural-life Freakin’ Flamingo market bag! And a $15 StarSux (er, Starbucks) gift card!  That one’s actually a re-gift. What’s the matter with people that they keep giving you gift cards for places they know full well that you can’t stand? But you like Starbucks, don’t you? I know you do. So you want this.

What do you have to do? Well, for starters, you have to leave a comment here. Tell me how much you missed me. For additional entries, “like” Flamingo Musings on Facebook, “like” Freakin’ Flamingo on Facebook, and/or sign up for the Freakin’ Flamingo Newsletter (see the form? right over there in the sidebar?).  Then leave separate comments telling me that you did.

Wanna tweet?  Tweet this (maximum once per day – don’t annoy your friends!):  Check out the NEW Flamingo Musings and win Freakin’ Flamingo Jam, a Starbucks gift card & more from @RJFlamingo! http://bit.ly/xaxk17

Deadline to enter is midnight, Monday night, January 8th!  The winner will be chosen by random number generator at Random.org.

So? What do you think? Does this wallpaper make me look fat?

Update:  We have a winner!  Dena, come on down and claim your prize!  Thanks for playing, everyone!

This Cheesy Italian Bread is for The Secret Recipe Club, created by Amanda of Amanda’s Cookin’. This is how it works: Every month, you get to scour the blog of another member of the club (assigned to you by Amanda), and pick out and cook or bake any recipe from that person’s blog. And of course, it’s a Secret. Until the big reveal, that is.

This month, I was assigned Little House on the Prairie Living by Merissa, a modern homesteader and frugal living expert, who lives in South Dakota. Merissa is a veritable fount of information and tips on everything from couponing in South Dakota to making a cute dress out of a bedsheet and old tank top for, like, a buck-twenty-eight. And recipes? Oh, yeah, she’s got recipes.

Seeing as I’ve been baking quite a lot of bread, lately, I chose to try her Cheesy French Bread recipe. Merissa uses her bread machine on the “dough” cycle to get a start on her bread, a basic French-style sandwich bread, that she topped with cheddar and Parmesan. I don’t own a bread machine (anymore), and decided to adapt her recipe, using my mixer with the bread hook to mix and knead, and used my second oven (set to 120º F) as a proof box. I also took about a cup of finely shredded cheddar cheese and mixed it right into the dough. Here’s what I did, tracking Merissa’s recipe:

Cheesy French Bread (liberally adapted from Little House on the Prairie Living)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups warm water (not over 120º F)
1 Tbs. yeast
1 Tbs. sugar
4 cups flour (I used half bread flour & half unbleached AP flour)
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preparation:

You can do this completely by hand, but since my old carpal tunnel problem is attempting to rear its ugly head, I used my stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.

Put the yeast in a large bowl, add the warm water, and stir to dissolve. Add the sugar, followed by the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, and the salt. Then add the cheese. If doing this by hand, knead on a lightly floured surface for about 10 minutes, or until the dough feels smooth and silky. If using the mixer, run it on the first speed until the bowl is completely clean, and the dough is wrapped in a ball around the dough hook, with a smooth and silky texture. Form the dough into a ball.

Lightly grease a large bowl (I used a couple of spritzes of cooking spray), roll the dough ball around in it, cover with a kitchen towel, and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled (about 30-35 minutes). In the meantime, preheat your oven to 400º F.

When the dough is fully risen (stick your finger into it – if the indentation stays, your dough is fully proofed), divide it into two balls, cover, and allow to rest for about 10 minutes. Form each ball into a long loaf shape, place it on a large cookie sheet, brush with water, and slash each one a couple of times diagonally with a razor or sharp knife.

Bake for 25 – 30 minutes. To test, tap the bottom of each loaf with your fingers. If it sounds hollow, it’s done. Alternatively, insert the probe of an instant-read thermometer. If it reads over 190º F, it’s done.

Next time, I would probably add some more cheese to this. You can never have enough cheese, right?

What? Of course it goes great with jam! ->Giggle!<-

It was really fun, searching through another blogger’s recipe posts for inspiration and a different point of view. Wanna play? Join the Secret Recipe Club here.

Now follow along and see who got who – I can’t wait to see who got me and what they chose to make from my eclectic collection. Will it be a dessert? A main course? A 30-minute family meal? Let’s find out together!

This Mango Pistachio Ricotta Tart is for The Secret Recipe Club, created by Amanda of Amanda’s Cookin’. This is how it works: Every month, you get to scour the blog of another member of the club (assigned to you by Amanda), and pick out and cook or bake any recipe from that person’s blog. And of course, it’s a Secret. Until the big reveal, that is.

I can’t tell you how excited I was when I received this month’s assignment. Excited and scared witless at the same time. You see, Amanda assigned me one of the most beautiful blogs out there, and a blogger I adore, who also bakes some of the loveliest creations you can imagine: Deeba of Passionate About Baking.

She was also one of my very early Twitter friends, and talked me through my first macarons. And second, and third, and fourth, until I finally got the magical “feet”! “Deeeeeeeba! Feet! I’ve got FEET!” was the cry heard ’round the Twitterverse, and Deeba was right there with her “happy dance”, even though she lives in India. Deeba is, indeed, passionate about baking. Her gorgeous photography and stories and family updates, make you feel like you’re sitting at her kitchen table, having a cup of coffee and a chat.

I think it was kismet, in a way, that I was assigned Deeba’s blog. Just a week ago, our August mangos, an Indian variety called “Neelum”, started ripening. Of course, I had to find something on PAB that would be appropriate. First I toyed with one tart recipe that used plums. Then, just when I thought it was settled, last Monday Deeba posted a recipe for Peach Pistachio Ricotta Cheesecake Tart. I substitute mangos for peaches all the time, but would she even recognize her recipe by the time I was done with it?

Normally, I would just tell you what I did differently and point you to my assigned blog’s recipe. But, since I made some fairly major “adaptations,” I will give you the recipe as I made it.

First, I decided early on that I would not make the pate sucree – the sweet pastry dough for the crust. These days, I just don’t have the counter space to roll it out. (I have to work on that. And soon!) Instead, I did a riff on a crumb crust, including the important elements from Deeba’s recipe: the oatmeal and the pistachios. I also used part-skim, store-bought ricotta, but used heavy cream instead of her low fat cream, so I think the fat kind of balanced each other out. Then after making the conversions from metric to “American” (LOL!), I decided to cut her recipe in half (hers yielded one 12″x 4″ rectangular tart, plus two 3″ round tarts), and made one 10″ round tart. The uncooked filling was very thin and I knew it wouldn’t support the top layer of fruit, so I half-baked the filled tart, removed it from the oven, placed the reserved mango slices and chopped pistachios on top, then baked it the rest of the way.

The results: Outstanding! It’s like the lightest, creamiest cheesecake, ever. And if you’re anything like me, well, cheesecake ought to be its own food group, don’t you think? The summery flavor of the mangos, paired with the crunch of the pistachios, and against that creamy, dreamy backdrop, were just sensational. And yes, you can throw almost anything in that crust. Who has to know that it’s actually a little bit healthier with the addition of the oatmeal and pistachios? Plus, the little green flecks of pistachio in the crust make it so pretty! I might even save a slice for the husband when his mouth heals from his recent oral surgery.

And then again, I might not.

Mango Pistachio Ricotta Tart

Ingredients:

For the crust:

14 two-cracker sheets of soda crackers

1/3 cup oatmeal

1/3 cup pistachios

2 Tbs. natural cane sugar

pinch of salt

3 Tbs. butter, melted

For the filling:

2/3 cup low-fat ricotta cheese

6 Tbs. heavy cream

1 large egg (at room temperature)

2 1/2 Tbs. natural cane sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 Tbs. cornstarch

1 medium mango, peeled and sliced

Topping:

1/4 cup pistachios, coarsely chopped

1 Tbs. mango jam, melted

Preheat the oven to 350º F.

Place all of the ingredients for the crust, except the butter, into the bowl of a food processor and process until everything is finely ground and well mixed. Add the melted butter and pulse, until the mixture looks like very wet sand.

Press the crust mixture firmly into a 10″ tart pan (I used a glass one, but the metal ones with removable bottoms are just fine), evenly and up the sides. Bake for 15 minutes, remove from the oven, and set aside.

In the meantime, clean your food processor bowl and blade, and make the filling:

In the bowl of the food processor place the ricotta, cream, egg, sugar, and vanilla extract. Process until everything is smooth. Add the cornstarch and run the food processor a few more seconds.

Now, assemble the tart:

Take half of the mango slices (and pieces – you can’t fool me) and place them on the bottom of the tart crust. Save the pretty slices for the top – just use the ones that didn’t work out so well, here. No one’s going to see them.

Pour the filling over the mango pieces and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the tart from the oven, place the reserved mango slices on top, then sprinkle with the chopped pistachios. Return the tart to the oven and bake an additional 20 – 25 minutes, or until the tart is set.

Brush the melted jam over the fruit while the tart is still hot. This step will make the fruit look – and stay looking – shiny and appealing.

It was really fun, searching through another blogger’s recipe posts for inspiration and a different point of view. Wanna play? Join the Secret Recipe Club here.

Now follow along and see who got who – I can’t wait to see who got me and what they chose to make from my eclectic collection. Will it be a dessert? A main course? A 30-minute family meal? Let’s find out together!

Today’s post is for The Secret Recipe Club, created by Amanda of Amanda’s Cookin’. This is how it works: Every month, you get to scour the blog of another member of the club (assigned to you by Amanda), and pick out and cook or bake any recipe from that person’s blog. And of course, it’s a Secret. Until the big reveal, that is.

My assignment this month, was to choose a recipe from This Chick Cooks. Kate features lots of quick and easy recipes that are great for family meals and desserts, mostly using ingredients that you’re likely to already have in your pantry. The recipe choice was easy: “Mini Italian Dumplings, a/k/a Gnocchi,” adapted from Healthy Cooking magazine. Kate promises that you can have gnocchi on the table in 30 minutes. The secret? This recipe uses instant potato flakes instead of boiling and mashing fresh potatoes.

Now, my husband will tell you that I am a gnocchi freak from way back. In fact, I judge Italian restaurants on the basis of their gnocchi. So, how could I resist a quickie gnocchi? And get your minds out of the gutter, people.

This was definitely quick and easy. I omitted the dried basil called for in the recipe, but changed nothing else, and dressed the gnocchi in my own quickie pasta sauce. Hey, a quickie gnocchi calls for a quickie sauce, right?

Quickie Pasta Sauce

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
2 – 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 14 oz. cans chopped tomatoes (I used organic, but I don’t judge)
Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper

Preparation:

Heat the oil on medium-high heat in a 2 – 3 quart saucepan. Add the chopped onion and garlic and sweat until the onion is translucent. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper to your taste.

Partially cover the pot, reduce the heat to medium, and allow to simmer briskly until the liquid is reduced by about half, stirring occasionally. This generally takes about the same amount of time it takes to boil a pot of water and cook your pasta.

This is just the basics. You can saute some chopped bell pepper and/or mushrooms along with the onions and garlic, if you like. You can also add your favorite fresh or dried herbs along with the tomatoes. Whatever you have handy and feel like. Make it your own!

It was really fun, searching through another blogger’s recipe posts for inspiration and a different point of view. Wanna play? Join the Secret Recipe Club here.

Now follow along and see who got who – I can’t wait to see who got me and what they chose to make from my eclectic collection. Will it be a dessert? A main course? A 30-minute family meal? Let’s find out together!

Hi, there! Remember me? Pink? Fluffy?

It’s been a crazy last few weeks, between preparing Freakin’ Flamingo samples for the swag bags at Eat, Write, Retreat (#EWR11), making more jam (because it seems that everything’s in season right now!), and organizing (and baking for) the National Food Bloggers Bake Sale – Miami, benefiting Share Our Strength.

In the middle of all this, I also decided to join up with The Secret Recipe Club, created by Amanda of Amanda’s Cookin’. This is how it works: Every month, you get to scour the blog of another member of the club (assigned to you by Amanda), and pick out and cook or bake any recipe from that person’s blog. And of course, it’s a Secret. Until the big reveal, that is.

My secret mission, this month, was to select a recipe from Kate’s isn’t everything in the kitchen trial & error? (Great blog name, don’t you think?) So I scoured Kate’s blog, literally from the very beginning, searching for a great Bake Sale cookie. You know – chocolate chip, but not so, well, ordinary. Then, just two weeks ago, Kate posted these Hot Chocolate Cookies. Instead of using cocoa, the recipe calls for using full-sugar hot cocoa mix, which gives the cookies a milder, yet rich and chocolatey depth of flavor.

I didn’t change a thing in this recipe, believe it or not. Kate gives you the choice of which type of chips you feel like using that day, so I used all three – milk chocolate, semi-sweet, and white chocolate chips. ‘Cuz that’s just the kind of girl I am. I used a small scoop, about the size of the large end of a melon baller, and got the full 4 dozen cookies – the perfect amount I was looking for.

The texture was – in my mind – perfect. Crisp and chewy at the same time. As Kate observed in her blog post, they freeze really well, too. And look how pretty they look, all dressed up for the big Bake Sale!

It was really fun, searching through another blogger’s recipe posts for inspiration and a different point of view. Wanna play? Join the Secret Recipe Club here.

Now follow along and see who got who – I can’t wait to see who got me and what they chose to make from my eclectic collection. Will it be a dessert? A main course? A 30-minute family meal? Let’s find out, together!