Okay, what do you do when you want dessert for dinner and you don’t want to bake a whole cake? You pull out your grill pan of course. (You guys must be tired of my grill pan but know that I love my grill pan) I had a nicely ripened peach, some vanilla yogurt, granola and honey. It was the making of a really good dinner. I hope you try this one.
Now go forward and make new memories
P.S . This is a good one for those watching their figure…I still don’t know what the calorie count is on this. *Shrugs shoulders*
For as long as I can remember I have been cooking for a large amount of people. My immediate family consisted of 5 people. Add in the family and friends my mother often took in to help them out in their times of need. I can still recall the first time I ever cooked anything on my own. We had family visiting from England. My Dad had decided to make pancakes for breakfast (Aunt Jemima, just add water mix) and he completely destroyed them, even though I kept telling him he was doing it wrong. Thinking he was being funny he told me, then 5, that if I thought I could do better I should. I still remember that kitchen table and how I had to pull a chair up in order to be able to mix the batter. Once the batter was done I moved my chair to the stove and proceeded to make pancakes that everyone happily ate. Everyone except my Dad who, out of pride, ate the ones he made which were burnt on the outside and doughy in the middle.
Fast forward 38 years later, I have learned how to feed larger masses. I went from cooking for hundreds to a family of three that expanded to a family of five so my cooking was always evolving. Now I am in a new place in my life. My oldest is married and moved away from home. The middle child is away at college enjoying his freshman year. The baby girl lives at home on the weekends as she uses Grandma’s as a home base for school. And I am in the middle of ending a 20 year marriage. I am appreciating how to cook for one. It is not an easy task even just trying to figure out proportions but also accepting it on an emotional level. I am not the first woman to go through this nor will I be the last.
None of these things happening around me and to my life will define me in a negative light. As with most things in my life, I am choosing to learn from it. I am using these experiences to make me a better person. I can still eat well, live life to the fullest, and enjoy this time in my life being single. It’s not a bad thing but a chance for me to re-connect with myself on so many levels. My cooking is improving and I am becoming more creative because of these changes. Cooking is actually easier for me because I don’t have to take into consideration who doesn’t like what. I just cook how and what I feel, when I feel. I get to be selfish in the kitchen and I am enjoying it.
There are so many others that are finding themselves cooking for one. It may be a recent divorcee or an empty nester, a widow or someone who chooses this life style. I want to be able to make that transition a little easier for them. The Chef In Pearls will be doing a special series just for them or rather for us. ExclusivePartyofOne, a celebration of cooking for one with me, The Chef In Pearls. I’ll showcase recipes, classes and so much more on all my social media including Periscope. So make sure to follow me on all platforms as @TheChefInPearls. Please keep an eye out for the hashtag #ExclusivePartyOfOne. You will be able to follow all of the goings by search for that hashtag. I am excited about all the things I want to share. So shake off all the negative vibes out there about cooking for yourself and where you may be in life because you’re not alone. We can and will make it through this stage of our lives better than ever.
I made this dish over a month ago . When I put the pic on social media ( i.e. Instagram, my Facebook page, food groups I participate in) I got so many hits for it. Everyone wanted to know how to prepare it. Just to make sure it wasn’t a fluke I prepared it again and posted a new pic. Same response. So in an effort to be a woman/chef of my word I created a video showing everyone how to re-create the simple yet yummy dish.
Things you’ll need to re-create dish:
Salmon Steaks
Old Bay Seasoning
Cast Iron Grill Pan
Sweet Thai Chili Sauce
Pastry Brush
Please if you re-create this salmon dish share a picture on social media with me and leave me a comment on the post. Now go forward and make new memories.
Yesterday while at a one day business intensive class I was fortunate enough to actually taste Hawaiian Punch. No, not the stuff we’re used to seeing in the supermarkets. Actual punch all the way from Hawaii. Yes. Guess what? It tasted so good to me. To be honest I could not tell you the last time I actually had the Hawaiian Punch with the guy wearing the antler hat (the mascot). The drink I had was marketed under the name of Hawaiian Sun. It wasn’t too sweet and actually tasted fruity and refreshing. It can be gotten from, you guessed it, Hawaii and along the west coast. If you’re ever on the west coast see if you can’t get some to try or maybe order some online here.
Anti-Hawaiian Punch Pic from www.Drpeppersnapplegroup.com
So what do you do when you have over 10 pounds of leftover Italian sausage? You put them to good use (Don’t ask where they came from). My son was determined to eat sausages for a week straight but his sister wanted no parts of that. I was able to create 4 meals before having to call it quits. The following are pics of the dishes (requested by the kids).
Sausage and Potato Hash
Thin Spaghetti with Toamto sauce and Italian Sausage
Close of the meal
Italian Sausage Pizza on freshly made flat bread wih a seasoned ricotta base
Scrambled Cheese Eggs with pan-fried Italian Sausage and a warm tortilla
What are some dishes you might have created using Italian Sausages?
Go buy a pound of Italian Sausages and see what you can create. Now go forward and make memories
Okay there are new things coming to The Chef In Pearls’ website. Some of you may have noticed one change already. I have added a custom aStore (Amazon Store). Yep I thought it would be great to be able to provide you a way to find the equipment and ingredients for recipes and tips I share. Yea I even plan to include clothing and make up items pretty darn soon. All you have to do is click the Store tab and it will take you to my customized store. If you check out over in the upper right side of the blog you’ll also see an ad for eShakti, one of my new favorite places to get clothing. They carry sizes 0-36, so there is something for everyone. So click on the ad to see what they may have for you.
I have also made the decision to start making videos. Yes you’ll be able to see and hear me on my own YouTube Channel, at The Chef In Pearls of course. And for some instant gratification I have joined the Periscope family. Yep, I will now be able to live stream places, events, cooking me being me or whatever you guys might be interested in. Just download the app and follow… you guessed it, The Chef In Pearls. I hope to be able to do my first live stream this evening from Centennial Park, downtown Atlanta. For those of you who tune in you’ll see one other change I have made. I won’t tell what it is you’ll have to tune in.
If you are not following me on all my social media outlets, shame on you. You can find me on Facebook, Instagram, Google+, Twitter, and now Periscope @TheChefInPearls.(I am pretty consistent with my branding) Looking forward to the new memories we’ll make on these social platforms. Don’t forget change can be a good thing.
My kids are like most kids they love pizza. What makes them slightly different from most people’s children is that, although they love a good pepperoni pizza they much rather have something a little more upscale. I decided I wanted to make pizza out of freshly made flat bread. The above picture was the ending result. Grilled Chimichurri Salmon and Shrimp Flatbread pizza.
I am going to include the links to the recipes I used to get this wonderful meal made. The first thing I did was to prepare the seafood which meant I needed to make my Chimichurri sauce. Chimichurri is an Argentine sauce used mainly with grilled meats. I used it on seafood and had pretty tasty results. I chose this particular Chimichurri Sauce because it did not use cilantro ( I am not a fan of cilantro. It’s one of those things you either love or hate . I hate it). I reserve at least a 1/2 cup of the sauce to be used later. I then seasoned the shrimp and salmon steaks with Old Bay seasoning in separate containers. I then covered them the seafood in the Chimichurri sauce and refrigerated them.
We are fans of onions so I set out to caramelize onions for an additional topping on out pizza. Making caramelized onions is pretty easy but if you need a recipe to follow here’s an easy one, The onions take on average from 30-45 minutes to cook so plan accordingly. In keeping with the time issue I proceeded to make the dough for the flat bread, it needs an hour to rise. I found this recipe on the New York Times website. I only made 2 changes:
1. I used 1/2 the amount of salt called for in the recipe.
2. I used a grill pan instead of firing up the outdoor grill.
Instead of using a tomato base for the pizzas I decided to do a ricotta cheese base. I used 1 cup of ricotta cheese and stirred in a Tablespoon of McCormick’s Montreal seasoning, 1 teaspoon of Italian Seasoning and 3 cloves of chopped garlic (you can use more or less garlic depending on your preference). Once my flat breads were made and cooled I spread them with the ricotta cheese mixture to start my pizzas off. I took the seafood out of the fridge and grilled them in my grill pan making sure not to over cook. When the salmon was cool I used my hands to break up the fish into nice flakes, I didn’t want hunks of fish but rather sexier pieces of fish. I placed the ricotta covered flat bread on a baking sheet(I was able to do 2 at a time) and continued laying the yummy goodness on top. I added shredded cheese next ( Monterey Jack and Mozzarella), then the caramelized onions followed by the seafood. I placed it in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until the cheese melted. Once It came out I drizzled some of the reserved Chimchurri Sauce on top. Viola Pizza is done.
Heating grill pan
Flatbread on hot grill pan
Rolled out flatbread dough
Nicely grilled flatbread
Ready to eat
I’m ready for my close up Mr. DeVille
All gone!
Let me know if you make this dish. I would even like to see pictures. Email me at info@TheChefInPearls.com. Now go forward and make memories.
This past Monday July 6, I turned the ripe age of 43. I know most people start dreading birthday after they hit about 35 but not me. I embrace them. I look forward to every year I am blessed to be a part of this life of mine, good and bad. As I get older I get wiser, well at least I like to think so. This year was not my usual gathering of friends and associates. This year as a true Cancerian I crawled into my shell a bit, kept it low-key. My daughter wanted to make sure it was enjoyable so she made plans for me to visit the M.A.C. counter ( yes I love me some make-up) and then we would have dinner at Makan ( a Chinese/ Korean fusion restaurant) I found out about this restaurant through Thrillist (shout outs to them). I had been determined to experience true Ramen soup when I happened upon their list of top Ramen places in Atlanta. I knew the real deal could be nothing like the instant stuff Momofuku created how many ions ago.
So where do I start I met the best make-up artist at the MAC counter, Tommy and Al. They helped me get my make-up shopping on. I learned a little ombre lip action while they were at it,too. We left there and then headed to Makan where we got a chance to take advantage of their “happy hour”. It was an excellent and cost-effective way to try things out. I tried 3 types of Ramen. Let me just warn you the Korean Spicy Ramen felt like satan had made himself comfortable in my chest. It really is spicy.I should have known just from the fact that the soup was red. I enjoyed the pork buns, the spicy wonton dumplings but my favorite for the night was the Kimchi Fried Rice. Too spicy but oh so flavorful. We left there and headed to Jeni’s for ice cream. Yummy. They had a version of an ice cream I grew up liking but isn’t made anymore, Butter Almond. Nostalgia in a styrofoam cup. And what kind of Birthday celebration would it have been without cake. Yes and I got it from my favorite bakery, Apple Butter Bakery. Since I am a chocolate loving girl I had the cake version of their tall, dark, handsome cupcake. As always I was more than pleased. Well until next year.
I made plenty of new memories. Now it’s your turn go visit one of these places and let me know what you think. Go forward and make memories.
P.S. Oh yeah my Birthday outfit was another eShakti find. I got so many compliments on it. eShakti sells customizable clothing in sizes 2-36 check them out. A gift to all for my birthday if you use the code: CASSANDRAMASON you’ll receive a special discount. Now go shop. BTW I’m still accepting gifts
I fell in love with Martinis….Apple Martinis to be exact over 10 years ago. I had long been a fan of vodka but now I had another cocktail made with vodka to add to my list. I learned that today, June 19th, was National Martini Day. A day dedicated to the celebration of Martinis. How could I not write about my love of Apple Martinis?
Okay it’ story time. I wanted to bring my love of Apple Martinis to one of my best friends. I traveled to Kissimmee, Florida to visit with my friend Alison, whom I’ve known for over 20+ years. We decided to have dinner at a local Cheesecake Factory. We had been assigned the world’s best waitress that night. She asked for our drink orders and so I had to have an Apple Martini. Our waitress looked at me and asked if I liked jolly ranchers. Who doesn’t like a good jolly rancher candy? She informed me then I must have my Apple Martini with the addition of Midori, a melon liqueur. You tell me that by adding another liqueur I can be drinking a cocktail that tastes like candy? I’ll take it. That was the beginning of all of my Apple Martinis having Midori added to them and my continued love of Apple Martinis.
Here’s a recipe for an Apple Martini with Midori.
2 oz Vodka ( I’m partial to Tito’s Handmade Vodka)
1 oz Apple Schnapps
1 oz Midori melon liqueur
1 squeeze of lime juice
Prep martini glass by chilling it either in the fridge or allowing to sit with cubes of ice. Once chilled rim glass with sugar(dip rim of glass in lime juice and then into sugar). Add Vodka, Schnapps and Midori to a shaker over and shake well. Strain into prepared glass and finish with a squeeze of lime juice and a thin slice of green apple.
Please enjoy this drink responsibly. Now go forward and make memories.
Normally on a Sunday I tend to be a little more traditional with a full cooked meal. This Sunday was a little different. I wanted to go to the farmers market which for me is therapeutic. It relaxes my mind and brings out my creativity.
Well after more than an hour in the market I realized we had passed the hour for brunch and moved into the hour of a late lunch or an early dinner. What shall we have. Sandwiches. What kind? Roast beef chimed my daughter. And now i was on the hunt for the right fresh ingredients to make the ultimate roast beef sandwich.
I started off with the roast beef of course. What type of bread shall hold all this goodness. Well the market makes a french loaf perfectly sliced for sandwiches. Done deal, It took a place in the cart. I know I wanted to make a spread. What goes best with beef than some fresh herbs, oregano and flat leaf parley. I’d incorporate into some cream cheese once we got home. What other things did I want to adorn what was to be the ultimate roast beef sandwich. I wanted heirloom tomatoes but the we out so I went with yellow tomatoes instead. caramelized onions and mushrooms made the list followed by alfalfa sprouts and green leaf lettuce. Home we headed.
I immediately started the onions and mushrooms. Then I created the spread I envisioned. I used 4 oz. of cream cheese that I softened in the microwave for a few seconds then I added 2 tablespoons each of chopped parsley and oregano, a pinch of salt and black pepper. then combined it all. I used it on one side of the sandwich. I added butter with a little oil to a pan then added the bread slice with no spread to the pan . I added cheese on top of that, then roast beef, the mushroom onion mixture, topped by two slices of the yellow tomatoes, alfalfa sprouts, lettuce and the slice of bread that had the herb spread on it. I toasted the sandwich until golden brown on both sides. Removed and cut in half. Boy did everyone enjoy it..
If you re-create this sandwich let me know. Now go forward and make new memories.
