EATERY IS OPEN....FRESH HAM

Baked Fresh Ham with Herbs

14-pound fresh ham, bone in (shank and leg portion of pork)

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup finely chopped celery

2 teaspoons dried thyme

2 teaspoons dry rubbed sage

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

11/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs (4 to 6 slices of bread)

1/3 cup (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted (3 ounces)

10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and drained

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Trim the fat to an even 1/8-inch thickness. Prick the ham all over and cut 11/2-inch-deep gashes evenly over top of the ham (on the side with the fat).
   This will be the “top” of the ham, where you will “stuff” the stuffing.
3. Place the garlic, onion, parsley, celery, thyme, sage, and mustard in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process to a paste, then stir together in a bowl with the breadcrumbs, melted butter, and spinach to create the stuffing. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Press the stuffing deep into the gashes; fingers work best. Place the ham fat side up on a rack in the roasting pan. Roast for 20 minutes, then turn the oven down to 325 degrees.
   Begin checking the ham after 4 hours. Roast until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees (approximately 51/2 hours total cooking time).
5. Let sit at room temperature, covered loosely with foil, for at least 30 minutes. The internal temperature should rise to 155 degrees.
6. Make the gravy while the roast is resting.

EATERY IS OPEN CHICKEN CACCIATORE

• 4 chicken thighs
• 2 chicken breast with skin and backbone, halved crosswise
• 2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour, for dredging
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 ( 28-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
• 3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions

Sprinkle the chicken pieces with 1 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour to coat lightly.

In a large heavy saute pan, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the chicken pieces to the pan and saute just until brown, about 5 minutes per side. If all the chicken does not fit in the pan, saute it in 2 batches. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. Add the bell pepper, onion and garlic to the same pan and saute over medium heat until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice, broth, and oregano. Return the chicken pieces to the pan and turn them to coat in the sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Continue simmering over medium-low heat until the chicken is just cooked through, about 30 minutes for the breast pieces, and 20 minutes for the thighs.

Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a platter. If necessary, boil the sauce until it thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Spoon off any excess fat from atop the sauce. Spoon the sauce over the chicken, then sprinkle with the basil and serve.

GLUTEN FREE,AND YUMMY TOO!

Marion Pellicano Ambrose

As a teacher, I’ve noticed the growing number of children with severe allergies. Peanut butter probably tops the list, but Gluten is becoming a contender for the title! I‘ve always loved to make treats for my students so I’ve found good gluten free mixes to make cookies and cupcakes . This way my kids with allergies don’t miss out on all the fun. Here are three top rated recipes for those with gluten allergies. Enjoy!

GLUTEN FREE EGGNOG CAKE

1 box Betty Crocker® Gluten Free yellow cake mix

2/3  cup milk

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened

1 ½  teaspoons rum extract

 1  teaspoon gluten-free vanilla

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

3 eggs

¼ cup Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy vanilla frosting

1/3 cup chopped pecans

Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease bottom only of (8- or 9-inch) round or square pan. Beat cake mix, milk, butter, extracts, nutmeg and eggs in large bowl on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pan.

Bake 33 to 41 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Run knife around inside edge of pan. Cool 30 minutes longer.

DRL'S NOMINEE FOR THE SILVER SPOON AWARD!

Marion Pellicano Ambrose



Master Chef Amy

 She can whip up three square meals, a snack and enrichment food for over 40 hungry residents each day. The food is fresh, tasty, nutritious, and fun to eat. She delivers and loves to prepare her fans’ favorite recipes! That’s why Amy is DRL’s nominee for the Silver Spoon Award, and Chef of the Century!





Each bucket contains special ingredients for each ape's diet

 Amy is the master chef at the Center for Great Apes in Wachula, Florida. The fans she feeds – Orangutans and Chimpanzees of all sizes and ages. Each one has a special formula for what nutrition is needed. A mixture of fruits, veggies, special biscuits, proteins (such as peanut butter) and special treats like pickles, frozen lemonade pops, bamboo filled with frozen juice, and much more are concocted each and every day.            



Want some of my pumpkin?





Frozen lemonade treats

  From the moment Amy arrives in the morning until she leaves in the evening, she chops, peels, dices, slices and prepares. In between, she cleans like a white tornado. Every time a delivery of Ape Chow arrives, she completely empties the pantry, sweeps and scrubs and puts the new chow bags on the bottom and the older chow on top. The cabinets too are emptied and scrubbed regularly. All the perishable ape food is stored in one of three giant refrigerators or freezers(no people food allowed!). The large walk-in holds huge bags of onions, broccoli, mangos (I know because I peeled 4 cases of them today!), and other assorted veggies. The large freezer was filled with the several large cases of individually frozen lemonade cups that will help the apes keep cool and enjoy a frosty treat tomorrow. The large slider refrigerator was where I found the giant jars of pickles the apes love so much. I made 50 treat boxes which consisted of putting some crinkled brown paper in an empty box (pasta, cereal etc.) or empty paper towel rolls, then adding a handful of sliced pickles, then adding more crinkled paper. Other treats might include nuts, dried fruits and fresh fruits.The apes love to discover the treat hidden in the wrapping. They also enjoy tearing up the crinkled paper. Grub, the chimpanzee loves to use the paper to make masks! 

Amy makes sure each ape gets exactly what he or she needs to be healthy and happy at the Center for Great Apes. She’s even written a cookbook filled with the favorite recipes of all the apes. Most of the meals and treats they enjoy are good for people too!  You can try Tango's Cucumber Melon Salad, Pongo's Vegetable Burgers,  Angel's Sweet Potato Fries or Roger's Roasted Vegetable Hummus, These recipes and more can be found in The Center For Great Apes Recipe  Book by Amy Knighton. Have trouble getting your kids to eat healthy food? Try Oopsies' Citrus Smiling Faces or Ripley's Mango Smoothie! Each recipe has a picture of the food with the Chimpanzee or Orangutan that loves it best!  I'm making Geri's Lemon-Elderberry Pineapple Upside Down Cake this week!



Frozen Bamboo Pops are a favorite!

 Whenever I work in the Feed Room (what most people would consider the ape kitchen!), I have a blast making all the specialties Amy teaches me to concoct. Today, while I made the treat boxes outside the back door, Bam Bam sat right behind me watching and making "raspberries" to get my attention. I think he wanted to help. Either that or he couldn’t wait to have one of the special hidden enrichment treats! Check out the You Tube video below. It shows a Valentine's Day Enrichment treat.  facebook.com/#!/CenterForGreatApes?sk=app_3801015922
 Later I moved into the feed room to peel the mangos. Bam Bam moved to where he could peer in the window and watch while he cooled off in the shade with a large fan blowing his beautiful red hair around. He was one happy camper! I was too because he was great company.



Watermelon, Mango, Lychee Cake

 

The Center receives huge fresh produce deliveries twice a week so all the fruit and veggies are super fresh. Everything is prepared in immaculate conditions under Amy’s watchful eye.  From HUGE Christopher to little Stryker and special little guy, Knuckles, Amy gives them what they love and what they need for optimum health. But the reason we nominate her for the silver spoon is because, in addition to all this, it’s so obvious that she truly loves these special creatures, and they love her. So, here’s to you Amy, our choice for the Silver Spoon and Chef of the Century, for your love, compassion, kindness and expertise in service to the Center for Great Apes.

Halloween Enrichment Treats

For information about The Center For Great Apes Recipe Book by Amy Knighton, contact: https://www.facebook.com/#!/CenterForGreatApes?sk=app_3801015922 

FOODHUNTER'S GUIDE:CHECK IT OUT

 Marion Pellicano Ambrose

Since I first started blogging for Delayed Reaction Lounge, I’ve had the privilege of examining many other blogs and websites. One of my favorites is The Foodhunter’s Guide. Every day I look forward to a post with pictures of amazingly yummy looking dishes like Blueberry Ricotta Cake ( http://www.staceysnacksonl​ine.com/2011/07/best-damn-​blueberry-ricotta-cake-eve​r.html  )  or Pasta Woodsman Style ( http://www.foodhuntersguide.co​m/2009/02/my-first-videopasta-​woodsman-style.html ) To fully appreciate this site, you have to know a little about the foodhunter herself!  She writes:

 

“I'm a Philadelphia transplant who grew up in a neighborhood where fresh ingredients and local markets were always a stone's throw away. Eating dinner together every night was a ritual and even though we didn't always get along, we came together over meals....”

The foodhunter graduated from Temple University with her degree in journalism and received her graduate degree from Drexel University. It seems she writes as well as she cooks! Talented lady!

I saw a post a few weeks ago. It mentioned a cake that sounded so awesome, I had to try it. The recipe wasn’t listed so I emailed the Foodhunter. Within 24 hours, she sent me the recipe and a personal note. We chatted on “message” a few times since then. She’s really a lovely person and very knowledgeable about cooking and baking! All the things she posts look so fresh and home-style! It makes me think of the grandmother everyone wishes they had! (I must point out that I have NO IDEA how old she is. As a matter of fact, I think she may be just the right age for DRL – 40 something!)

I’m including the recipe for Chocolate Almond Layer Cake with Cannoli Filling and the link to her page. I hope you will enjoy her blog as much as I do! Happy baking!

Chocolate Almond Layer Cake
2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons almond extract
1 cup boiling water

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil, almond and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin).

Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
2/3 cup Cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency.
Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. Cannoli Filling

3/4 lb ricotta cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Whip together until smooth; adding more sugar is filling is too thin.

 https://www.facebook.com/#!/foodhuntersguide

See you on the Foodhunter's Guide Page!

EATERY IS OPEN FOR MEMORIAL DAY - Patriotic Flag Cake

Marion Pellicano Ambrose

Want a super easy but star studded dessert for Memorial Day? Try this Patriotic Flag cake. There are several variations to please every dessert lover!

 

You can buy a flag shaped pan like mine, or simply use a rectangular pan. Either way, people will love your patriotic spirit!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray pan with Baker’s Secret or grease and flour.

Ingredients:

1 box vanilla cake mix

4 egg whites

1/3 cup oil

1/3 cup sour cream

1 cup water

Mix all ingredients, pour into pan a and bake for 30 – 40 minutes or until golden brown and cake springs back to touch. Cool for 20 minutes then invert on platter.

Icing:

 50 fresh blueberries, 2 pints fresh raspberries, 1 can vanilla icing, 1 cup cool whip.             

Mix canned icing and cool whip well. Frost cake and put remaining icing in a pastry tube. Place 50 blueberries on left top corner of cake (10 across , 5 down). Place raspberries to represent red stripes. In the “in between” rows, pipe white icing florettes for the white stripes. Pipe a border around the entire base of the cake. Chill before serving.
* My favorite variation: Use devil's food cake mix instead of white and replace fresh raspberries with Cherry Pie Filling!

Happy Memorial Day!

HAM STRATA IN THE EATERY

Marion Pellicano Ambrose

I recently enjoyed a casual brunch at my friend Helen’s. She served the following delectable dish and everyone begged her for the recipe. It’s a wonderful breakfast or brunch casserole, but  can serve it to spice up a BBQ or simple supper!  The secret-southwest style shredded hashbrowns! Yum!

Helen’s Cheesy Ham Strata
5     eggs
3/4   cup milk
1/2   cup chives and onion cream cheese, softened

1/2   tsp. ground mustard
1/4   tsp. salt
1/8   tsp. pepper
2  cups  refrigerated southwest style shredded hashbrowns

1  cup  shredded cheddar cheese
1/4   cup diced red bell pepper
2/3   diced cooked ham

1/2   cup progresso panko crispy bread crumbs
1/4   cup parmesean or asagio cheese (1oz) 
1     Tbsp. butter, melted

EATERY IS OPEN - Nana's Cooking

Marion Pellicano Ambrose

I received a lovely comment from someone named “Georgia Peach” asking for a recipe that would rival her grandma’s old recipe for Butter Pecan Cake. Here is a recipe that my Nana used to make. She wasn’t from Georgia, but she was Pennsylvania Dutch and believe me, no one could bake cakes like she could!

Nana’s Butter Pecan Cake

Ingredients:

2 2/3 c finely chopped pecans

1 ¼ c butter, softened and separated

2c sugar

4 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 c flour

2 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

1c milk

¼ c sour cream

Prepare 3 9inch cake pans and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix pecans with ¼ c butter in baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl. Cream remaining butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing as you go. Fold in flour, baking powder, salt, milk and sour cream. Beat until smooth. Fold in remaining pecans.

Pour into 3 prepared 9inch cake pans and bake at 350 for 25 – 30 minutes (until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool before frosting.

Frosting

1 c butter, softened

8 ½ c confectioners sugar

1 can evaporated milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add all other ingredients and beat well. Frost between layers, sides and top of cake. Garnish with some chopped or whole pecans if desired.

(Now in the interest of all women who are super busy these days, you can make a Betty Crocker brand  butter pecan cake mix  but add 1 pkg instant butterscotch pudding, ¼ c sour cream, reduce water to 1 cup and 1 c finely chopped pecans. Pour into 2 prepared 9 inch pans and bake according to package directions. Frost with 1can cream cheese frosting mixed with 1tsp maple or rum extract. Not as rich, but great in a pinch!)

I hope this does the trick for Y’all!  Enjoy!