Their bestselling memoir, Come Back , inspired readers with the story of Mia Fontaine’s harrowing drug addiction and her mother, Claire’s, desperate and ultimately successful attempts to save her. Now, a decade later, as Mia finds that adult life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, Claire realizes that she forgot to plan for life after motherhood. Determined to transform themselves and a relationship that has frayed around the edges, the pair sets off on a five-month adventure through twenty cities and twelve countries: an extraordinary, often hilarious journey that includes mishaps, mayhem, and unexpected joys, from a passport-eating elephant in Malaysia to the lavender fields of France, where they finally make peace with their tumultuous past. Wiser for what they’ve learned from women in other cultures, and from each other, they return with a deepened sense of who they are and where they want to go.

Claire and Mia shared their recipe for a tomato tart that would pair well with Sutter Home’s Gerwurztraminer  wine. This pairing is sure to be a hit at your next book club meeting!

 Provencal Tomato Tart

This Tomato Tart is a popular dish served as a first course, or with a green salad for a simple lunch. It’s delicious and sophisticated, yet takes very little time and few ingredients. Best of all, it’s very easy to improvise according to taste and what you have available in the kitchen.

Makes 2 medium tarts

Ingredients:

1 frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed (we used Pepperidge Farms, which comes with 2 rectangles of dough)

4 medium to large ripe tomatoes, or 10 Roma tomatoes

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1½ to 2 cups shredded Gruyere or Emmental cheese

Sea salt and pepper, to taste

4 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves (or tarragon, chives, marjoram, torn basil, or a mix)

18 to 20 small black oil-cured olives or Nicoise olives, pitted (less if using larger Kalamata olives, which are best if pitted and coarsely chopped)

1 small garlic clove, finely minced (optional)

½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (or Romano, Pecorino, or Asiago)

 Instructions:

1.    Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2.    Cover 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper (this will save you cleaning the pans later).

3.    Thaw the dough according to package instructions.  Cover a cutting board with one of the two parchment papers. Place 1 rectangle of dough on it, floured side down (if neither side is already floured, lightly flour the parchment). Using a rolling pin, gently roll the rectangle from the center out, so it is about an inch wider on all four sides.

4.    Fold or roll up about half an inch of the edges of all sides.

5.    Carefully transfer the parchment and dough to one of the baking sheets.

6.    Repeat with the second piece of dough.

7.    Thinly slice the tomatoes. If not using Roma tomatoes, drain the excess juice from the cutting board.

8.    Using the back of a spoon, spread 1 tablespoon of mustard on each puff pastry to the folded or rolled edge. Divide the Gruyere in half and sprinkle on top of the mustard, covering evenly.

9.    Lay the tomatoes on the tarts in rows, either flat or slightly overlapping if needed. Season with sea salt and coarse ground pepper. Sprinkle with the herbs, olives, garlic (if using), and Parmigiano.

10.    Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the edges of the crust are golden brown.

]]> http://thesecretingredientblog.com/2013/05/21/sutter-home-winerys-may-book-club-pick-and-provencal-tomato-tart-a-perfect-pairing/feed/ 0 thesecretingredientblog Have Mother, Will Travel pb HaveMotherWillTravel_RecipeCard http://thesecretingredientblog.com/2013/05/16/the-recipe-rehab-cookbook-is-here/ http://thesecretingredientblog.com/2013/05/16/the-recipe-rehab-cookbook-is-here/#comments Thu, 16 May 2013 20:57:07 +0000 The Secret Ingredient http://thesecretingredientblog.com/?p=3462 Read more]]> Take the Recipe Rehab challenge in your own kitchen, with the companion cookbook to the Emmy^®-Nominated TV Show Recipe Rehab, airing during Litton’s Weekend Adventure. Try out 80 healthy and delicious recipes, rehabbed from high-calorie family classics by your favorite chefs, including:

• Healthy Starts like Stuffed French Toast with “No-tella”, Southwestern Breakfast Frittata, and Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
• Apps and Snacks such as Bacon-Wrapped Figs, Spinach Dip, and Stuffed Mushrooms
• Carb Makeovers such as Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese, Vegetarian Spaghetti & Meatballs, and Mexican Lasagna
• “No-Junk” Foods like Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwiches, Nachos Supreme, and Big Island Burgers
• “Un-Fried” Favorites like Chicken Drumsticks and Biscuits, Fish & Chips, and General Tso’s Chicken
• Indulgent Desserts like Peach Cobbler, Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting, and Chocolate Cupcakes

 View a recipe sampler from the cookbook, including Chef Laura Vitale’s Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwiches, pictured below. For more details on the show or cookbook, visit: www.reciperehab.com/cookbook.

Available Now!

Recipe Rehab by Everyday Health, JoAnn Cianciulli, and Maureen Namkoong, M.S., R.D

Bright Green Pea Salad with Lemon and Mint
{Serves 4 to 6}
This salad is like a pea family reunion. It’s very simple, but the goat cheese makes it a bit more substantial and luxurious. The inspiration for this recipe was a request for a bright, all-green salad. You can stick with using peas, or add whatever other green vegetables you find at the market.

1⁄4 pound haricots verts, ends trimmed (green beans are fine if you can’t find haricots verts)
1⁄4 pound snap peas, halved
1⁄4 pound snow peas, halved
1⁄4 pound fresh peas, shelled
1⁄4 pound fava beans, shelled and peeled
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced on the diagonal
Juice of 1 Meyer lemon
Extra virgin olive oil
Maldon or other flaky salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 handful yellow pea shoots, optional
1 handful green pea shoots, optional
1 handful fresh mint leaves, roughly torn, optional
1⁄4 pound good-quality goat cheese, optional

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over medium-high heat and prepare a large bowl of ice water.
2. Throw the haricots verts (which take the longest to cook) into the pot of boiling water. After 30 seconds, add the snap peas and snow peas. Add the fresh peas and fava beans after another 30 seconds—these will cook fastest. (Adding the beans in intervals of 30 seconds will save you the time of boiling multiple pots of water and cooking each vegetable individually.)
3. When the beans turn bright green and tender but are still very crisp, transfer the peas and beans to the ice water to stop the cooking. When they are cold, drain and transfer to a large glass bowl; add the celery.
4. Just when you’re ready to serve the salad, add the lemon juice, some olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste and give the salad a good toss with your hands. Mix in the pea shoots and mint, if using. If using the goat cheese, gently crumble it in with your hands.
5. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.

Want more recipes that are Fresh Happy Tasty? Buy your own copy from your favorite online retailer. Get daily updates on what Jane’s cooking and tasting—like her on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.

I might try this tasty specialty from Louie and the Redhead Lady, in Mandeville, Louisiana. Their motto — “We’re not fancy, we’re family!” – sounds exactly like the kind of food I like to make when I’m at home during the week. Thanks Guy, for getting this recipe and sharing it with us all!

Fried Green Tomatoes with Shrimp and Rémoulade Sauce
Adapted from a recipe courtesy of Louie Finnan, Louie and the Redhead Lady
Serves 4

Fried tomatoes
3 cups vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 ¼ cups hot sauce, such as Louie’s All Spiced Up Sauce
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups Italian breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon dry Italian dressing mix
2 green tomatoes, sliced ¼ inch thick

Shrimp
2 tablespoons dry crab boil seasoning, such as Zatarain’s
1 onion, sliced
1 lemon, sliced
¼ cup hot sauce, such as Louie’s All Spiced Up Sauce
8 large shrimp, shells on

Rémoulade sauce
½ cup mayonnaise (preferably Blue Plate)
1 ½ tablespoons Creole mustard, such as Zatarain’s
1 scant tablespoon prepared horseradish
Juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 dashes of hot sauce, such as Louie’s All Spiced Up Sauce

Shredded lettuce, for serving
Note: You can now order Louie’s hot sauces at http://www.redheadladycollection.com.

1. For the tomatoes: Preheat the oven to 200°F and heat the oil in a deep cast-iron or other skillet to 350°F. Beat the eggs, milk, and hot sauce in a shallow dish. Put the flour into another shallow dish. In a third shallow dish, combine the breadcrumbs and dry Italian dressing mix. Dip the tomato slices in the flour, then the egg wash, and then the breadcrumb mixture. (Hint: Use one hand for the egg wash and the other for the dry flour and breadcrumbs.) Transfer to the oil and fry until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels and keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.

2. For the shrimp: Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan and add the crab boil, onion, lemon, and hot sauce. Stir and add the shrimp. Boil until the shrimp turn pink, about 3 minutes. Drain, cool, and peel.

Anne and Louie “The Godfather,” of Louie and the Redhead Lady in Mandeville, LA

3. For the rémoulade sauce: Mix together the mayonnaise, mustard, horseradish, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce in a bowl.

4. To serve: Line a plate with shredded lettuce. Add 2 slices fried green tomatoes. Top each tomato with 1 boiled shrimp. Fill a squeeze bottle with the rémoulade sauce and drizzle decoratively.

Get your own copy of Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives: The Funky Finds in Flavortown by Guy Fieri — click here to purchase from your favorite retailer online.

I can understand soufflés being imitadating to home cooks, including me, but poached eggs? Many of my pals insist they can’t make them. They invest in contraptions and gadgets, attempt to nuke them or bake them on top of corned beef hash, yet the result is always the same—an unappetizing mess.

I’m going to share my secret with all of you, courtesy of my grandmother Vera. She wasn’t much of a cook, but she nailed the poachies every time. I don’t know why or how it works (note to self, ask Harold McGee), but it has been a foolproof method for me for over thirty years:

Poached Eggs
Use a small pot that has a lid, ideally one quart, not a flat pan. Fill the pot three-quarters full of water. Add ½ to 1 teaspoon of vinegar. (The vinegar bringing the eggs back together is part of the magic, but not all.)

Set the pot over medium-high heat.

Crack one or two eggs into a bowl. Poach no more than that at a time, or you’ll have one of those unappetizing messes we talked about earlier.

When the water is boiling, add the eggs. Don’t step away! The water will begin to foam shortly. Just as the foam is about to boil over and out of the pot, turn off the heat and cover immediately. Set timer for three minutes.

At the three-minute mark, remove eggs with slotted spoon, taking extra care to gently shake off excess water.

Now that you’re on your way to mastering poached eggs, why don’t you try EGGS BENEDICTINE? It’s Egg Benedict with an Italian twist:

Eggs Benedictine
4 slices prosciutto

4 slices provolone cheese

4 slices rustic Italian bread

4 poached eggs

¾ cup prepared tomato sauce

• Preheat oven to broil.
• Place a slice of prosciutto and then a slice of cheese on each of the bread slices. Place them under broiler until they are melted and brown on edges. Remove from oven and place on warm plate.
• Poach the eggs, drain them well, and place them on top of the cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover each egg with 3 tablespoons of tomato sauce.

For more recipes and fun foodie trivia from Marcy Smothers, visit her website Food Wine and Marcy and follow her on Twitter.

Get your own copy ofthis map! Buy Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives: The Funky Finds in Flavortown by Guy Fieri — click here to purchase from your favorite retailer online.

“DVF’s Mother’s Day Gift Pick.” — In Style

Diane von Furstenberg’s personal chef, Jane Coxwell, shares 100 delicious, unpretentious, and healthy recipes from her travels around the world on the Eos yacht. With this cookbook, mom can take a culinary road trip right in her own kitchen—all with simple, fresh ingredients found in the grocery store. Read more and watch the video for Fresh Happy Tasty!

Relish

Inspire mom with the new book from Daphne Oz, cohost of ABC’s The Chew, offering recipes and tips for happy eating and stress-free entertaining.

Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from my Frontier

From one mom to another, Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond offers moms her go-to recipes that will be a hit at the family dinner table.

Art Smith’s Healthy Comfort

For the health-conscious mom, this cookbook from Oprah’s personal chef reveals 150 original, delicious, and healthy recipes.

The Fresh 20

Mom will never have to ask “What’s for dinner?” again with the cookbook that offers 20-Ingredient Meal Plans for 5 Nights a Week. Based on the popular, budget-friendly meal-planning service founded by working mother Melissa Lanz, The Fresh 20 provides weekly shopping lists that take advantage of seasonal fruits and vegetables. Visit The Fresh 20 to read more!

Weelicious

Mom and Weelicious blogger Catherine McCord teaches moms how to turn their kids into great eaters who appreciate food, while providing recipes the whole family can enjoy.

The Dahlia Bakery Cookbook

Perfect for the mom who loves baking, this cookbook offers unique and to-die-for bakery treats from popular chef Tom Douglas.

SNACKS

Celebrated blogger and food enthusiast Marcy Smothers entices with delectable recipes that will make you a better cook and a savvier shopper.

Want a bit more of Jane? Here’s another video of Jane cooking another scrumptious-looking meal (once you go through the link, click on the box on the bottom right of your screen).

Lamb and Quinoa Koftas on Soft Chickpeas with Toasted Pita Bread
{Serves 2 to 3}
It’s amazing how much flavor you can shove into one little ball. Here’s another version of a on traditional kofta. Serve this with the Haydari (Turkish dipping sauce; page 278).

lamb
1⁄4 cup uncooked quinoa
1⁄2 pound best-quality ground lamb
2 tablespoons minced red onion
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1⁄4 teaspoon ground sumac
Pinch cayenne pepper
Leaves from 1⁄3 bunch fresh cilantro, minced
Zest of 1⁄2 lemon
Maldon or other flaky salt
Freshly ground black pepper

chickpeas
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons olive oil
1⁄2 red onion, finely chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
One 15-ounce can chickpeas
Maldon or other flaky salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1⁄2 lemon
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 large pieces pita bread, cut into 1 1⁄2-inch strips
1 handful fresh cilantro

1. Cook the quinoa according to the package directions and drain. Place back over the heat and stir for a minute to remove any excess moisture. Remove from the heat and cool.

2. In a large bowl, combine the lamb, onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, sumac, cayenne, cilantro, and lemon zest; season with salt and pepper. Give it a good mix with your hands, add the quinoa, and mix again until the ingredients are evenly distributed. I taste mine here and encourage you to do the same.

3. Cover the lamb mixture in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes, or up to 6 hours, to firm up a little.

4. Meanwhile, prepare the chickpeas. Add the cumin to a dry sauté pan and toast it for a couple of minutes over low heat, stirring often, until fragrant. Add the olive oil to the pan, then the onion and garlic, and sweat them down for about 5 minutes, still over low heat (you’re not looking for them to brown). Add the chickpeas along with the liquid in the can. Season with a little salt and pepper and simmer for about 10 minutes. You want the chickpeas to be fork tender but not so soft that they don’t hold together. Give the pan a shake every now and then.

5. Remove the pan from the heat and let the chickpeas cool a bit. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and check the seasoning. (You’ll be reheating the chickpeas quickly when the koftas are cooked.)

6. Remove the lamb mixture from the fridge and form it into football shapes. I start by rolling meatballs the size of a golf ball and then I squash them a little to elongate them. Or you can make the meatballs in any shape you like.

7. When you’re ready to eat, heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Get the pan pretty hot, but not smoking hot. You want to get nice color on the lamb, but not so much heat that the outsides burn before the insides cook. Place the meatballs one by one in the pan and cook them for about 4 minutes each, until browned on the outside and cooked through in the middle. (If you want to prepare them in advance, cook them for a couple of minutes in a very hot pan to give them some color and then transfer them to a baking dish. When you’re ready to serve, finish them off in a 400°F oven for a few minutes.)

8. While the meatballs are cooking, gently warm the chickpeas over low heat.

9. Place the warmed chickpeas on a serving platter and top with the meatballs. Keep the heat going on the sauté pan that held the meatballs and use that oil to fry the pita bread strips, about 1 minute on each side. Place the pita strips on the side of the platter, top the whole thing with cilantro leaves, and serve.

Want more recipes that are Fresh Happy Tasty? Buy your own copy from your favorite online retailer. Get daily updates on what Jane’s cooking and tasting—like her on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.

Growing up in El Paso, beans were the staple of our diet. We were so poor that we were all crammed in a small house together. This slow-cooker bean recipe makes them digestible without giving you gas, so you can spend quality time with your family.

Reynolds Family Bean Recipe

2 cups dried pinto beans
1 tablespoon baking soda
Pinch of seasoned salt
1 tablespoon castor oil
Half an onion, chopped (optional)
Chili powder to taste
1 small can baby chili peppers

Soak the pinto beans overnight in water with the baking soda, seasoned salt, and castor oil. The next day, drain the beans and rinse with clear water. Cover the beans with water and put them in a slow cooker. If you like, you can add chopped white onion for flavor. I like to add some chili powder and diced baby chili peppers. It’s very simple. The baking soda and castor oil keep you from tooting your own horn.

Even though there aren’t any other recipes in Unsinkable, we still recommend this book! Buy a copy for yourself, your mom or your aunt from your favorite online retailer today. Get your daily dose of Debbie’s humor: like her on Facebook.

Without taking any of the spotlight away from these homegrown recipes, the stories behind each restaurant are another fascinating part of the book. Guy reminds us in the introductions to each recipe what makes these joints all so uniquely qualified to have a star moment on his show and in his book. One of my favorites is the 3 Sisters Café, in Indianapolis, IN. It’s the romance that gets me: the current owners, Moira and Alex, are a couple who fell in love when they worked as a waitress and a line cook in another restaurant, and decided to buy their own place.

Just to be sure you all understand that this restaurant’s food is as endearing as its back story, here’s Moira and Alex’s recipe for Blueberry Goat Cheese Pie. In the Krew Notes (another fun feature of Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives: The Funky Finds in Flavortown), Bryna “The Pirate” Levin says, “The Goat Cheese Pie recipe came about by chance when Alex went to make a blueberry cream cheese pie, and saw he was out of cream cheese but had goat cheese. He also put in finely chopped basil. Sounds like it wouldn’t work, but it’s an amazing combination. The tart goat cheese changes the dish into something wholly original and startlingly delicious.”

Uh… YUM! So: who’s making this pie for Mother’s Day supper!?

Blueberry Goat Cheese Pie
Adapted from a recipe courtesy of Alex Munroe and Moira Sommers, 3 Sisters Café
Makes 1 pie

Crust
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup (1 stick) cold margarine, cubed
1 tablespoon sugar
Pinch of salt
Cold water

Filling
½ cup soft goat cheese
½ cup heavy cream
1 large egg
½ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
5 cups fresh blueberries

Topping
1 cup sliced almonds
½ cup sugar
1⁄3 cup margarine, melted

1. For the crust: Combine the flour, margarine, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Work with your fingers gathering and crumbling until you have a crumbly mixture about the size of peas.

2. In 2-tablespoon amounts (about ½ cup total), slowly add cold water, gently incorporating by hand. As soon as the dough comes together in a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

3. For the filling: Mix together the goat cheese, heavy cream, egg, brown sugar, flour, salt, and basil in a bowl. Add the blueberries and combine; the texture will be like a thick cake batter.

4. For the topping: Mix together the almonds, sugar, and margarine in a bowl and set aside.

5. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to 1⁄8-inch thickness and place into a 10-inch pie pan. Trim and crimp the edges and prick the bottom of the crust with a fork. Par-bake the crust for 15 minutes, or until firm. Let cool slightly. Pour the filling into the crust and sprinkle the topping over the top. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until slightly bubbling and the crust is browned, rotating the pie halfway through. Let the pie cool for 30 minutes on a wire rack before serving so the filling can firm up.

Get your own copy of Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives: The Funky Finds in Flavortown by Guy Fieri — click here to purchase from your favorite retailer online.