Cashew Cream Tartlet

Reneé has been busy, chatting face-to-face with her fellow bloggers at the Eat, Write, Retreat conference in Washington, so I, the real Flamingo of Flamingo Musings, am giving her a break. (Well, that, and they won’t let animals onto the conference floor, so I have to stay in the room and do something to amuse myself.)

The people at Elizabeth’s Gone Raw (1341 L St. NW, Washington DC) graciously allowed me to accompany my mistress to a tasting of “raw cuisine.” (Thankfully, they’re pro- rather than anti-avian.) I must admit, I was skeptical; it’s completely vegan, and so there’s no shrimp (and in my business, you need to eat a lot of shrimp to keep up the proper pinkness). I was, however, pleasantly surprised. We feasted on a buffet of vegan delicacies. We began with “mocktails” made from lime juice, agave, ginger and soda water, accompanied by kale chips dusted with spices, swiftly followed by a red pepper hummus, sushi using shredded jicama in place of rice and sunflower sprouts in place of fish, an olive tapenade served on “crackers” made of nut flour, as well as a divine shaved fennel and cashew cream tartlet. There was even dessert (which made my feathers flutter in anticipation!). Chocolate caramel nut squares vied with a blueberry “cheese” cake, and finally, a most interesting apple-celery sorbet, which was the brainchild of chef-author Michael Natkin.

Our host, Elizabeth Petty, owner of Elizabeth‘s, informed us that “raw” means never heating anything past 115°F in order to preserve the natural enzymes in the food. It’s a very healthy approach for people (if not for flamingos, i.e. no shrimp – even if I do generally eat them raw), but it has a few drawbacks. For one thing, my understanding is that some foods are actually more nutritious when cooked— like tomatoes. For another, it seems almost impossible to make a sturdy cracker without real heat; after several attempts to shovel tapenade onto one of the crackers and having the edible platform disintegrate in my beak, I had to rely on the kindness of one of the assembled humans to spoon some of the tapenade onto a nut-flour based “cracker” so I could eat it. My mistress found the textures of the numerous dishes tended to blend together, and she wasn’t entirely happy with the great reliance on ground nuts as a substitute for starch as well as dairy products in the cuisine.

Of course, everything is a matter of definition. Perhaps not everything has to avoid being hotter than 115°. We had a great many dessert items with chocolate, and cocoa beans, if I’m not mistaken, must be roasted at 250° or higher to make chocolate.

Aside from my “no shrimp” objection, there seems to be a considerable amount of labor involved in the making of “raw” cuisine. Ms. Petty revealed that the fare for her Friday night tasting menu (which we were sampling) takes the entire week previous to prepare. That time investment may be the price to pay for putting out interesting “raw” cuisine, but I think I’ll stick with my shrimp.

 * I can not tell a lie. Today, the part of the Flamingo was played by my husband, Mike, a darned good writer, who for the first time, asked if he could write a guest post for Flamingo Musings. Who could say no to that face?

Photo used by permission of Kathy Blake of The Experimental Gourmand. Thanks, Kathy!

Two years ago, while participating in the Can Jam, I created a recipe for pickling spring onions and green garlic in balsamic vinegar and red wine that was so versatile, I used it as part of an antipasto plate, on cheese sandwiches, and even used the pickling liquid as a dressing for salads and caprese picks.  That recipe was even chosen to be included in Sarah B. Hood’s book, We Sure Can!

I thought that something similar would work for this beautiful baby eggplant, so I gave it a try.  And yes, it was worth it! The eggplant became tender and smooth – almost unctuous – contrasting in texture with the still firm onion, and the sweet/tart balsamic brine works beautifully as a dressing, alone or mixed with melted butter and/or olive oil.

One of my serving suggestions in class:  Melt 2 Tbs butter, add 2 Tbs olive oil, then add a one pint jar of this pickle, including the liquid.  Heat gently for just a couple of minutes and toss with hot pasta, long or short, of your choice. Instant supper! If you use short pasta, toss the hot pasta with olive oil and this pickle, and you can also serve it as a cold pasta salad – refreshing on a hot summer day. The possibilities go on and this recipe is easily doubled if your eggplant crop starts getting out of control, this summer.

Melanzana Balsamica
(Balsamic Eggplant)
(Makes about 3 pints)

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ lbs  baby eggplant
• 1 large red spring onion
• 3 large cloves garlic
• 1 cup red wine (preferably Italian)
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp canning salt (or 1 ½ tsp kosher salt)
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
• ¾ cup balsamic vinegar (5% acidity or higher)

Preparation:

Fill the canning pot with water and bring to a boil.  Place 3 pint canning jars and their lids into the pot and sterilize for 10 minutes.  While this is happening:

Wash and dry the eggplant, cut off the stem caps, and slice lengthwise into quarters.  If using a less-tender-skinned variety of eggplant, you may wish to peel it first.  Peel the onion, cut off the ends, cut in half lengthwise and cut into thick slices, also lengthwise.  Peel garlic cloves and smash with the broad part of the knife blade.

Put the vegetables into a medium non-reactive pot, add the wine, water, and salt, and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat to medium-high, and allow to cook for 5 minutes.

Add the balsamic vinegar and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Canning:

Divide the hot vegetables equally between the 3 hot jars, pressing down firmly.  Add the hot liquid to each jar. Release trapped air bubbles with a chopstick or any thin, non-metallic tool (such as a plastic knife), allowing the liquid to fill the space.  Leave ½” headroom at the top of each jar, removing any excess liquid with a spoon.

Clean the jar rims well with a wet paper towel, place lids on the jars, screw on the rings finger-tight, and return to the canning pot. Bring back to a rolling boil and process for 10 minutes.  Turn off the heat and allow the jars to remain in the water for an additional 5 minutes before removing them to a covered surface to cool. Listen for the ping!

Allow to meld for a minimum 1 ½ – 2 weeks before using.  Of course, it gets better with age.

Amy found the original recipe here, where it was originally posted in 2009.  And since Amy posted it in 2010, I thought it was time to share it with you, with my own tweaks. As Mimi said in her post that she couldn’t recall where she’d found the recipe originally, I’m going to post my version of it here, in full.  If anyone recognizes it as theirs, please feel free to pipe up!

Actually, my only quibble with the original recipe is that it specifies “medium potatoes”. Potatoes come in a number of varieties and sizes, and I frankly don’t know what a “medium” potato is. No, I don’t think I’m being dense, because, while a “medium onion” is a more forgiving measurement in, say, a sauce or a soup or a stew, when the size of the potato (or avocado, etc.) could significantly affect the texture when combined with the other ingredients, I do feel it necessary sometimes to get more specific.

I’m also not that wild about the method of boiling potatoes unpeeled, then peeling them hot. Which is heresy, I think, to the purist. I think it’s messy and uncomfortable, and just annoys me.  So, I peeled my potatoes and boiled them whole.  The recipe also didn’t indicate what kind of potatoes to use.  Gnocchi traditionally calls for a more mealy potato, such as a Russet, but I was out of those, and used reds.  The reds yielded a very silky end product, but if you like a more substantial gnocchi, definitely go with the Russets.

Passover Gnocchi  (makes approximately 120-130 pieces)

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ lbs of potatoes (russets, reds, or golds)
• 2/3 cup matzo cake meal
• 1 cup potato starch
• 2 egg
• 2 tsp salt
• ¼ – ½ tsp. pepper
• 2 Tbs olive oil

Preparation:

Peel the potatoes and boil them whole in salted water until fork-tender, about 20-30 minutes. Start poking them with a fork at around 20 minutes, to check.

Drain the potatoes and, keeping them in their cooking pot, shake them over a low flame till they are very dry, just a minute or two.  Mash well with a potato masher, while still hot.

Turn the potatoes out onto the counter or a large cutting board (or even a very large mixing bowl), add the dry ingredients, and make a well in the center.  Add the eggs, salt, pepper, and olive oil to the well.

Start mixing from the inside, out, drawing more of the potato, cake meal, and potato starch in and then mixing and kneading with your hands, until you have a smooth, silky dough. Don’t add any additional meal or starch – it will take a few minutes, but it will come together.  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator, cut the dough into 4 or more pieces, and on a flat surface well dusted with potato starch, roll each piece out into a snake about 3/4 of an inch thick.  If you have small counter space for the purpose, feel free to just tear off pieces of dough that you’re more comfortable with.  Using a fork, cut the rope into pieces about 1/2 inch long, and roll them along the tines of the fork to kind of round them off and imprint them with those lovely grooves.  I got a little better at it, than I did the last time.   The process moves pretty quickly, after you get past the first few.

Drop the gnocchi into the boiling water, in batches, if necessary. When they rise to the top, allow them to cook for an additional one minute. I mean it: One minute, only. Do not overcook!  Scoop them out with a slotted spoon or spider, and if not dressing right away, toss with a few drops of olive oil, to prevent sticking.

Please note that, in the end, I doubled this recipe from the original. Who knew? I was weighing potatoes and perfected it by feel. Half of this fed the two of us, but we didn’t have anything else for supper, except small green salads.  Be assured, that you can wrap any remaining dough in plastic wrap and drop it into a freezer bag and freeze the remainder for future use.

I like a pink sauce on my gnocchi, so I made a batch of my Quickie Pasta Sauce and added 1/4 cup of cream at the end.  I like the sauce kind of chunky, but you can hit it with a stick blender at the end, if you prefer yours smooth.  You can also garnish with some shaved Parmesan, which I didn’t do here.

Verdict? This was some of the best gnocchi ever. Really. Even the husband said that, not only is this the best gnocchi I’ve ever made, he thinks I should make it this way all the time, not just at Passover!  So, if you’re jonesing for some pasta right about now, make this. You’ll feel guilty – I promise!

It’s a national tragedy.  And a travesty.  Nearly 17 million children in the United States are hungry every single day.  That’s 637,779 children in Florida, alone.  And it’s not like the resources aren’t out there, but they’re the missing the mark.  That’s where Share Our Strength and the No Kid Hungry Campaign come in.  And you can help.

On April 28, 2012, food bloggers all over the United States are joining together to conduct Food Blogger Bake Sales to raise money to help connect these kids with the food they need to grow and thrive.  As part of the National Food Bloggers Bake Sale, we are proud to announce the Third Annual Miami Food Bloggers Bake Sale, which will happen at the South Miami Farmers Market (my home away from home), 6130 Sunset Drive (in front of South Miami City Hall).

This year’s Bake Sale will be bigger and better than ever, with some of the best known bloggers in town baking their little hearts out, and some of the finest local restaurants and food entrepreneurs donating gift cards and gift baskets for an insane raffle – for YOU – and to end child hunger, once and for all.  Here are some of the highlights:

• Whisk Gourmet Food & Catering in South Miami has donated a gift card for our raffle. Brendan Connor of Whisk won the Judge’s Favorite Award for his crispy shallot, bacon and Swiss burger at the 2012 South Beach Wine & Food Festival Burger Bash!
• The fabulous Town Kitchen & Bar restaurant in South Miami has donated a gift card for our raffle!
• Harry’s Pizzeria in the Design District has also donated a very generous gift card for our raffle! Harry’s is the latest brainchild of James Beard Award-winning Chef Michael Schwartz of Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink fame.
• WokStar Eleanor Hoh has donated a gift certificate for 2 people to attend one of her awesome wok cooking classes (valued at $130) for the raffle! Learn Eleanor’s no-recipes, no-measuring method to put a delicious and healthy meal on the table in minutes.
• Dunkin’ Donuts of South Florida (8099 S. Dixie Hwy) is providing us with the best ever coffee to sell, plus a gift card redeemable at that location! We definitely run on Dunkin’!
• Lester’s Cafe and Wine Bar in the Wynwood Arts/Design District has donated a gift card for our raffle! Lester’s multi-function cafe is the host of the monthly Wynwood Supper Club, as well as the Motown Brunch every last Saturday of the month!
• CRAVE Restaurant Coral Gables in Merrick Park has donated a generous gift card!
• Delicious and unusual Freakin’ Flamingo local micro-batch jams are being donated for sale, plus a gift basket of Freakin’ Flamingo jams & gift items will be raffled! Freakin’ Flamingo was featured in the Fall 2011 issue of Edible South Florida Magazine‘s holiday gift guide.

If you can’t join us – and why wouldn’t you? -  please consider making a donation.  To learn more about the 2012 Miami Food Blogger Bake Sale or to make a donation, please click here.  To paraphrase the Whitney Houston song: I believe that children are our future. Feed them well and let them lead the way.

Okay, now!

My first inspiration for this decadent Chocolate Orange Mousse Torte, was a ready-made macaroon pie crust made by one of the kosher food companies for Passover, that I spotted in a kosher butcher/grocery store several weeks ago, when I went on an expedition with my mother.  Genius.  The kind of thing you see on the shelf and say to yourself: Why didn’t I think of that?  I make macaroons (you can find them here and here)!  Then I thought: What would I fill it with?

My second inspiration was this article and “Genius Recipe” on the Food52 blog for a chocolate mousse that you can make in 5 minutes with just two ingredients: chocolate and water.  No, really. I made it several times, and it really does work!  And the answer to: What would I fill it with?   Check it out:

Chocolate Orange Mousse Torte

For the crust:

• 2 large egg whites
• 1/2 cup almond meal or ground blanched almonds
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut (if using sweetened coconut, cut the sugar to 2 Tbs.)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 Tbs. cocoa powder (optional, if you want a chocolate crust)
• A bit of vegetable oil or cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large glass or metal bowl, whisk or beat the egg whites until frothy.  We’re not making meringue, just loosening up the egg whites to be able to incorporate the other ingredients smoothly.  Stir in the dry ingredients until well-mixed.  Lightly oil or coat an 8 1/2″ – 9″ pie plate or torte pan, and *very important!* – line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper! Do not skip this step.  Then press in the crust mixture firmly.  Bake for 18-20 minutes and allow to cool.

 For the filling:

• 8 oz. bittersweet chocolate (I used parve (non-dairy), kosher for Passover bittersweet baking chocolate)
•     (If using a “good quality” bittersweet chocolate, such Ghirardelli or Scharffen Berger, you may want to add a couple of tablespoons of sugar during the melting process. Taste your chocolate first!)
• Juice of one orange (should come to about 4 oz. or 1/2 cup)
• 2 oz. or 1/4 cup water (juice + water should equal no more than 3/4 cup or 6 oz)
• Finely grated zest of the same orange (about 1-1/2 – 2 Tbs.)
• Large bowl filled with ice and water

Pour the juice and water into a small saucepan and add the chocolate.  Heat on medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the liquid and chocolate blend together into a smooth, homogeneous sauce.  Stir in the orange zest.

Pour the hot chocolate orange sauce into a clean bowl, then carefully place the bowl into the ice bath and start whisking. I’m not much of a hand-whisker, so I used my stick blender with the whisk attachment, on the lowest setting.  I’ve also used my hand mixer on low speed, as seen below. When using small kitchen electrics for the process, be prepared for a bit of a mess, so try to use a bowl that’s relatively deep.   The whisking action incorporates bubbles into the chocolate and the cooling action of the ice bath combine to create the light, smooth mousse.  Keep whisking until the sauce thickens to a soft, almost pudding-like consistency. It will happen in just a few minutes. I promise.

Pour the mousse into the prepared macaroon torte or pie shell, garnish if desired (I used several tablespoons of toasted, slivered almonds), and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight, until firm.

The combination of chocolate and orange is a classic that, I confess, is one of my favorites.  The mousse is both rich and light, the orange infusing a fresh, yet almost decadent, counterpoint to the chocolate, and works with the macaroon crust like a good marriage.  A perfect end to any festive meal, and easier to make than it looks!

Happy Holidays, all!

Top o’ the mornin’ to ye!  St. Patrick’s Day is here again, one of the favorite holidays around the ol’ Flamingo Pond.  The husband is half-Irish, and back when we got married, we made a deal:  I would get all the Jewish holidays and he would get St. Patrick’s Day and Christmas.  I took this to be a pretty fair compromise, since the only holidays he wanted were the ones involving good food, good drink, and prezzies!  And we like to start the morning with a slab of old-fashioned Irish Brown Bread.  This is not the sweet bread with raisins or some such, that you might find in stores, today.  Real Soda Bread is just that – bread. Slice it up for sandwiches, chunk it up to sop up soup or gravy, toast it up & slather with good butter, a piece of cheese, maybe some jam.

We don’t dye anything green around here, no sir!  From the beginning, we’ve only made traditional Irish recipes, prepared as closely as possible to the traditional ways.

One of the really lovely things about this bread is that it’s pretty quick to make. Just mix up the dough – either by hand or mixer with a dough hook – form it up and bake.  No resting time, no rising time.  You can have this on the table, all warm, crusty, and ready to eat in about an hour!  And I’ll bet you have the ingredients ready to go, right now.  So, let’s do it:

Irish Brown Bread

Ingredients:

• 3 cups stone ground whole wheat flour
• 3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 3 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 Tbs. sugar, honey, or molasses (optional)
• 2 1/2 cups soured milk *

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425° F.

In a large bowl (or your mixer bowl), combine the flours, salt, and baking soda. Mix well.  Add the sweetener (if using),  and add the milk, a little at a time, mixing well.  The dough should be firm and still just a bit sticky.

Divide the dough into two pieces, form into firm balls, and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or pan liner.  Flatten each ball slightly with your hand, to about 2-3 inches thick.  Slash an X across the top of each loaf (to let the fairies out, of course!).

Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the loaves sound hollow when the bottoms are rapped with your knuckle, or an instant-read thermometer inserted through the side indicates at least 192° F.

* Yes, I actually let milk go naturally sour for this. Don’t go freaking out. No, it’s not going to hurt you.  After all, that’s how basic farmers cheeses historically got their starts, and the natural acids work with the baking soda to get the dough rising.  And it’s a great way to use up milk that’s “gone off” on you.  If you don’t have any soured milk on hand, just measure out your milk and add either a teaspoon of lemon juice or a teaspoon of white vinegar, mix it well and let it sit till it reaches room temperature.

Don’t save this just for St. Patrick’s Day, either! This is a tasty, healthy bread that’s great all year long, especially if you just noticed that you’ve run out of bread for sandwiches or snacks.

More St. Patrick’s Day food ideas:

• Mashed Potato Biscuits (Irish Potato Cakes)
• Shepherd’s Pie for St. Patrick’s Day
• Chicken in (Non-Dairy) Tarragon Cream Sauce
• Colcannon (Mashed Potato with Cabbage and Leeks)

]]> http://flamingomusings.com/2012/03/irish-brown-bread-whole-wheat-soda-bread.html/feed 2 http://flamingomusings.com/2012/02/buckwheat-pecan-waffles.html http://flamingomusings.com/2012/02/buckwheat-pecan-waffles.html#comments Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:56:07 +0000 RJ Flamingo http://flamingomusings.com/?p=1856

Eating healthier and dropping a few pounds is on the table (you’ll excuse the expression), once again.  This time, it’s my turn by doctor’s decree. I’m following my own advice – not going off the deep end, not going into deprivation mode, but rather, transforming some favorites into equally delicious alternatives.  Let’s face it.  If you have to work that hard, you’re not going to stick with it, right?

Oh, don’t panic. It’s not like I’m going to stop posting cheesecake, you know?

But for some reason, every winter I seem to go on a pancake kick (see here and here).  Must be the cooler weather, making me want something a bit more soul-satisfying than a bowl of cottage cheese. Well, we bought a cheap waffle iron on sale, recently, and once I figured out how it works, I started playing with waffle batter recipes.  This one’s a winner!

Buckwheat Pecan Waffles

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup buckwheat flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp table salt
• 2 tsp granulated sweetener (I used xylitol, but Truvía, or sugar are great, too)
• 1 1/2 cups milk (regular, 2%, buttermilk, or soy milk all work just fine)
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Coarsely chopped pecans

Preparation:

In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients, including the sweetener.  In another bowl (or large measuring cup), whisk together all of the wet ingredients.  Add the wet mixture to the dry, and mix together until smooth.  If the batter seems too thick, add a little more milk.  Allow the batter to rest for 30 minutes.

Heat up your waffle iron (give it a shot of cooking spray, if needed), sprinkle your desired quantity of chopped pecans directly onto the cooking grid (anywhere from 1 tsp to 1 Tbs – your choice), ladle in just enough batter to cover the grids, close the cover, and bake until browned and crispy.

Serve with your choice of butter (I like Smart Balance Light) and/or syrup or jam and/or fresh fruit. Pictured here, is Freakin’ Flamingo Sugar-Free Strawberry Vanilla Jam.  Of course.

Notes:

The pecans are actually totally optional.  You don’t have to use them – these waffles are extremely delicious without them, too. But they add such a wonderful texture, and the flavor is just so complimentary with the buckwheat, that I strongly recommend that you use them – unless you have some kind of nut allergy.

I’m not giving you an estimated yield of waffles this time, because everyone’s waffle maker is different.  Mine yields five waffles that measure 6 1/2″ across.  Yours may have a smaller, shallower cooking area(s).

I’m also not giving you estimated cooking times.  My el-cheapo waffle maker beeps, thinking it’s finished, at 1 minute.  Which is ridiculous.  I’ve worked out the cooking time for mine, to be 4 minutes.  Yours might be faster or slower, so check.

I have tested all of the variations in the ingredients list, so make any of those substitutions with confidence.  And no, I’ve received no compensation from any of the brands I mention.  I happen to like them, we use them, and I keep them in my pantry and fridge.  Except for the jam, of course. I do get compensation from that, because, well, I sell it. And it’s delicious. And the sugar-free ones don’t taste sugar-free or have that weird artificial sweetener aftertaste. End of plug.

Light, fluffy, crispy, and satisfying on every level. That’s a diet I can stick with. How about you?

I’ve said it so many times, I’m surprised y’all can’t read my mind at this point: Winter is the best reason to live in South Florida. Putting the exclamation point on that, is Strawberry Season. For the next couple of months, we will be awash in the sweetest, juiciest strawberries ever. And the prices are starting to come down as the crops increase. Just in time for Valentines Day.  They even look like little hearts, don’t they?

Tonight I’m teaching a strawberry jam class at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. I’m not just teaching these fine folks how to make a basic strawberry jam – oh, no! I’m showing them different things you can do with it, too. Now, for those of you not inclined to make your own, of course, you can buy it. In which case I would highly recommend one of Freakin’ Flamingo‘s excellent strawberry varieties, such as Strawberry Daiquiri or even Strawberry Joe. Oh, what? I shouldn’t get a plug in here? Please.

Anyway, one of the items on the menu tonight is Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes.  How many different ways can I adulterate adapt Abby Dodge’s delightful base recipe from Desserts 4 Today? Well, so far, I’ve done it 3 or 4 times. And I’ll do it again!  Abby doesn’t seem to mind.

Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes
(makes 6 mini cheesecakes) (Recipe adapted from Desserts 4 Today by Abigail Johnson Dodge)

 Ingredients:

1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened at room temperature
3 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg
4 Tbs. strawberry jam

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 300º F.

In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric hand-mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and beat until incorporated. Make sure you scrape down the sides of the bowl between each step.

Add the vanilla and the egg, beat thoroughly. Add the strawberry jam and mix completely.

Take a regular-sized muffin tin and place foil liners into 6 of the cups, then spray lightly with no-stick cooking spray. Alternatively, you can use reusable silicone cupcake liners without the cooking spray.

Bake for 15-18 minutes. The centers should barely jiggle when you nudge the pan. Set the muffin tin on a rack to cool completely, and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours.

Unmold onto serving dishes and garnish with a fresh strawberry and/or additional jam and/or whipped cream, as desired.

These uncomplicated little cheesecakes are light and creamy, and portioned to be the perfect ending to that special, romantic Valentines Day dinner. Or anytime you want a sweet bite at the end of a meal.

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!

But that doesn’t mean that I’ve forgotten about our fave holiday of the year, around here, and I haven’t forgotten that you need to give those kids of yours (young and old) a special supper before they hit the Trick or Treat trail!

Slime Soup! This falls into both categories: Trick and Treat. I mean, c’mon – what kid doesn’t want to eat slime on All Hallow’s Eve? The color’s a wonderful, bilious green, the texture is smooth and silky, and best of all – and you don’t have to tell them this part – it’s actually healthy.

Slime Soup (Quick Broccoli Vichyssoise)

Ingredients:

4 cups (1 quart) vegetable broth (I used my store brand’s organic version)
2 potatoes (about 1 to 1 1/2 lbs russets or golds)
1 16 oz. package frozen broccoli
1 cup unflavored soy milk or regular milk (1% is fine)
salt & pepper

Preparation:

Pour the vegetable broth into a 4 or 5 quart sauce pot.

Peel the potatoes, cut into roughly half-inch pieces, and add to the pot. Cover, bring to a boil, and cook for about 5 minutes.

Add the broccoli to the pot, cover, and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and allow to cook for another 10 minutes.

Add the milk to the pot, whip out your handy dandy hand blender, and puree until completely smooth. (You can carefully do this in a regular blender and then return the soup to the pot). Stir, and warm through.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with pita chips, crackers, or a nice crusty bread.

I love this soup for a number of reasons. For one thing, it’s quick – you can make this in 30 minutes or less. It’s super-healthy and perfect for Meatless Monday or anytime you want to trick the kids or your significant other to eat some veggies. It’s equally delicious hot or cold. So, if it’s chilly where you are, it makes a nice warmer-upper. If it’s 87 billion degrees outside, like it is here, it’s refreshing and nourishing at the same time. So, you can even make this in the summertime for a healthy light supper as a turn on vichyssoise!

Slime Soup would be great served cool at a party, too. Just pour it into a cauldron (okay, fine – a punch bowl would work, too), and let folks pour themselves a cup.

Happy Halloween, everyone! Bwahahahahahahahaha!

Me, that is. Or I should say, Freakin’ Flamingo!

You know I’m making some wild and sexy jams with a South Florida / Caribbean twist down here, right? I’m playing with Florida’s seasonal best and sometimes bringing in the flavors of other parts of the country – but always with our own local flavor. And now, everyone else knows, too!

Check out the new Fall issue of our favorite publication on the local food scene, edible South Florida magazine!

Freakin’ Flamingo jam is featured in their story on brunch from your CSA box and recommended as a stocking stuffer in their edible essentials Holiday Gift Guide, too!

Want some? Order online at www.FreakinFlamingo.com (and don’t forget our Oxford Falls Boutique for some awesome salsas, vegan gluten-free worcestershire sauce, and tasty dressings and sauces!) or come see me at the South Miami Farmers Market, most Saturdays from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm!

Remember: The selection changes all the time, so stop by often and create your own memorable meals and gifts with a Flamingo flare!