Give-Away and Cooking Demo

Please join me Sunday, April 18th at 1:30 p.m. for a Cooking Demo and Give-Away.   Held at Faraday's Kitchen Store in Lakeway, I will be preparing and serving my Beer and Beef Stew.   Additionally, I will draw the name of one lucky winner who will walk away with a Cuisinart 6.5 qt Slow Cooker.

Hope to see you there - contact me at 512-423-8122 for more information.

Incredible Fettuccine with Italian Sausage and Leeks

This is one of my new favorites and a testament as to it's yumminess - there were no leftovers.   Note to self, make more and more often.

Fettuccine with Italian Sausage and Leeks

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg fresh Fettuccine (I like Bertolli's)
• 3 T olive oil
• 1 lb. Italian Sausage
• 3 T butter
• 5 leeks, white parts only, rinsed well and thinly sliced
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 t fresh nutmeg
• 1 C chicken stock
• 8 oz mascarpone cheese
• Zest of 1 large lemon
• 1 C fresh basil, julienned into ribbons
• 1/2 C Parmesan Cheese, shaved

Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.   Meanwhile, in large frying pan, add olive oil.   Remove skins from Italian Sausage and crumble into pan.   Cooks over medium heat until cooked through, remove from pan into a bowl and hold.   Remove all but 1 T fat and add 3 T butter.   Add the leeks and saute until soft, about 5 minutes.   Add salt and pepper to taste, and fresh nutmeg.   Add stock and simmer for a few minutes.

Salt the boiling water, add the pasta and cook until tender per the package.

Remove the fry pan from heat and add the cooked Italian Sausage, the mascarpone cheese and the lemon zest, stirring well.

Drain the pasta and add it to the fry pan mixture, tossing to coat.   To plate, add pasta making sure to scoop up the Italian Sausage.   Top with the julienned basil and Parmesan and serve.   Delicious!

Steiner Ranch Bluebonnets

On a breezy and overcast day sits my youngest daughter, Emma, in the Steiner Ranch Bluebonnets. This year we have seen an abundance of the flowers due to the high rainfall. It's absolutely stunning and so fun to take pictures in!

Homemade BBQ Sauce

I wanted to re-post my BBQ sauce recipe as it not only goes well with the ribs but it goes with EVERYTHING!  Put it on chicken, pork, steak, kabobs... whatever you dream up for the grill.   I like to use it as a dipping sauce for sandwiches too.   If you double or triple the recipe, store it in little mason jars in the frig... makes for a quick but excellent hostess gift or when friends come to visit.

Homemade Sweet BBQ Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 C. packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 C. ketchup
• 1/2 C. molasses
• 1/4 C. cider vinegar
• 1/4 C. chopped yellow or sweet onion
• 3 T olive oil
• 3 T grainy mustard
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 T Worcestershire sauce
• 1 T fresh lemon juice
• 1 t liquid smoke
• 1 t cayenne
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Place all ingredients into a blender and puree until smooth.   Transfer to a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until reduced and at a desired thickness, usually about an hour.

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Fall Off the Bone Tender Babyback Ribs

These are easy, extremely tender and we usually serve them on a Sunday due to the long cooking time.   I had to negotiate with my husband to post this recipe, because he considers them to be one of HIS signature recipes (though it's my BBQ sauce recipe).   Enjoy!


BBQ Babyback Ribs with sweet BBQ sauce.

Ingredients:

• 3 pack of Babyback Ribs, rinsed and patted dry (we buy them at Costco)
• salt and pepper 

We use a charcoal grill/smoker with traditional charcoal and some added mesquite wood.   Start your grill and when the coals turn white, spread them out, add the wood.   In the mean time, rinse and pat dry the ribs and season generously with salt and pepper.   Place on the grill NOT under the coals directly, fat side down and cook for 3 1/2 hours, watching the temperature (keeping it at 250 degrees).   Turn the ribs to fat side up and baste with my delicious BBQ sauce.   Allow to cook an additional 30-45 minutes until the meat is tender and almost falls off the bone.   Remove from grill and baste again with the sauce.   To serve, cut into individual pieces and serve with a side of BBQ sauce for dipping.

Homemade Sweet BBQ Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 C packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 C ketchup
• 1/2 C molasses
• 1/4 C cider vinegar
• 1/4 C chopped yellow onion
• 3 T olive oil
• 3 T grainy mustard
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 T Worcestershire sauce
• 1 T lemon juice
• 1 t liquid smoke
• 1 t cayenne
• salt and pepper to taste

Add all ingredients to a blender and puree until smooth.   Pour into a saucepan and simmer over medium heat until reduced and at the desired thickness (usually an hour).

Commercial shoot for Mandola's Italian Market

My husband Trey and I just finished a commercial shoot for Mandola's Italian Market in Bee Caves.   It was a wonderful experience meeting Damian Mandola, the entire crew and Corder market staff.   The place was super busy, and we were table extra's, sitting behind Damian as he showcased some of the incredible menu items.   We were directed to smile and eat... toasting and chatting.   The food was of course awesome and Damian was his energetic and animated self!   We truly love to go to the Market and even head out to Trattoria Lisina and his winery  in Driftwood for special celebrations.   My recommendation is the Zinfandel... it's incredible!

Keep your eye out for us on The Food Network, major Cable Stations and News8Austin!

New twist to a tried and true dessert.

Love the Mandarin Orange Cake recipe that you find in so many cookbooks and on-line.   My Mother has been making it for years and it's been a staple at family birthday parties and celebrations.   I made it this weekend for my Brother's 48th birthday but wanted to put a twist on it... and I did.   What could offer more of a twist than Grand Marnier!   It was cool and creamy, but had depth and superb taste.  Try it and let me know what you think!   Thanks to Amanda for the use of her ultra hip animal print plate!

Grand Marnier and Mandarin Orange Cake

Ingredients:
Cake - 

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 4 eggs
• 1 stick butter
• 1 can mandarin oranges
• 1/4 C. Grand Marnier liqueur

Frosting - 

• 1 pkg instant vanilla pudding
• 1, 8 oz tub Cool Whip
• 1, 8 oz can crushed pineapple
• 1/4 C. Grand Marnier liqueur

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Butter and flour 3 cake pans.   In a mixer, combine cake mix with eggs and softened butter.   Beat until incorporated.   Drain mandarin orange juice into a measuring cup.   Remove 1/4 C of the juice (should measure 2/3 C juice total) then add 1/4 C grand marnier and add to cake mixture.   Add oranges and beat until fluffy.   Pour into cake pans and bake for 25 minutes or until done.

For frosting, mix pudding and pineapple together, add Grand Marnier.   Carefully blend in cool whip and keep in the refrigerator until ready to frost the cake.

Once cake has cooled, remove from pans.   Brush each cake with Grand Marnier, letting it soak in until super moist.   Assemble one layer at a time, frosting in between, then finishing the outer frosting.   I had to use a toothpick in the center of the cake to keep it from slipping as we drove to my brother's house for the party.   Keep in the refrigerator and reserve any left over frosting to top each slice with... Delicious!