Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter E

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Take a Seat at the Table: Espresso Obsession! You can be a master barista in the comfort of your own kitchen. Some essential items make all the difference in the results; a good coffee bean grinder and a reliable espresso machine, for instance. Always use quality ingredients. Begin with a premium blend of whole roasted coffee beans to grind yourself. A very fine ground is necessary in order to brew classic Italian roast espresso beverages. Drink it hot or turn it into an iced coffee version. Grazie!
ESPRESSO OBSESSION 
Ingredients:

Fresh roasted espresso beans

Purified water

Whipped cream
Instructions:

After the coffee beans are ground to a consistency of sugar, use 1/4 ounce per shot, an one ounce serving. (If it is too coarse, water will run straight through it leaving the coffee lacking a robust flavor.) Pack the grinds into the espresso handle and press down with a tamper, but not too hard. You’ll know when you see the cream-like foam finish. Make sure the water is not boiling. An espresso machine will keep the temperature at 90C degrees. Perfection. Serve immediately. 

I choose a dollop of whipped cream on top making my signature coffee drink an “Espresso Con Panna”.

No Writer’s Cramp for Me

“I don’t really have

an office or anything,

and I like to have to move

location every two hours. 

So I just kind of write

in a park, on a bench, in the library,

in a café, back to the library,

that kind of thing.”

~ Steve Toltz

Strive to Have Friends 

“True friendship multiplies the good in life

and divides its evils. 

Strive to have friends,

for life without friends

is like life on a desert island…

to find one real friend in a lifetime 

is good fortune; 

to keep him is a blessing.”

~ Baltasar Gracian

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter D

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Take a Seat at the Table: Devil’s Food Cake! Sometimes all you crave is a slice of good old-fashioned chocolate cake like your grandma used to make, before Betty Crocker introduced the world to cake mixes. It’s very simple, really. Take a walk down Memory Lane with a recipe that recaptures youthful musings.  
DEVIL’S FOOD CAKE
Ingredients:

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup cocoa

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup salad oil

1 cup boiling water

1 cup milk

2 eggs, beaten

2 teaspoons vanilla
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a bundt pan. Mix together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add salad oil and boiling water. Stir until lumps are gone. Gradually add milk; stir. Add eggs and vanilla; stir. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Invert onto serving platter. Cool before frosting or sprinkling with powdered sugar. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter C

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Take a Seat at the Table: Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup! The crockpot is essential, in my opinion. Never mind the fact that a slow-cooker turns the entire house into a well-seasoned bistro. It’s the hands-free unattended cooking with astounding results that makes it a winner in my book. Throw everything together, let it simmer, and enjoy the meal to come. Leftovers are delicious and clean-up is a snap!
CREAMY CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP
Ingredients: 

4-6 chicken fillet tenders

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/8 teaspoon lemon pepper 

1/8 teaspoon thyme

1/8 teaspoon rosemary 

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon celery seed

60-ounces chicken broth

23-ounce can of cream of chicken soup

3 stalks celery, cut-up

1/2 pound mini carrots, whole

1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup onion, chopped

3 bay leaves

2 cups home style noodles

1/2 cup butter
Instructions: 

Sauté chicken tenders in a large skillet with olive oil, lemon pepper, thyme, rosemary, garlic powder, and celery seed. Remove from heat. Pour the cream of chicken soup into the crockpot. Slowly add the chicken broth, stirring until the two are well. blended. Transfer the sautéed chicken tenders from the skillet. Add celery, carrots, mushrooms, and onions. Stir gently. Add bay leaves. Heat on high setting for four hours. Remove lid and shred the chicken for a chunky consistency. Return to soup. Add noodles and butter. Reduce heat to low and simmer two hours longer. Remove bay leaves before serving. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter B

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Take a Seat at the Table: Belgian Waffles! Call me crazy, or call me lazy, but truth be told sometimes you need to take a shortcut in preparing a meal. Just because you’re short on time doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice taste. Here’s a perfect example: Belgian Waffles made from starter pancake mix in a box. Add a few extras like pure vanilla and fresh fruit to turn an ordinary waffle into a spectacular one. Make a batch for breakfast, brunch, or dinner. Let the cheers begin!
BELGIAN WAFFLES
Ingredients:

2 cups Log Cabin All Natural Pancake Mix

4 tablespoons oil

2 eggs

1 1/3 cups milk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract 
Instructions:

Preheat waffle iron. Combine pancake mix, oil, eggs, milk, and vanilla in a blender. Blend 30 seconds until lumps are removed. Let batter rest for a few minutes. Grease waffle iron if necessary. Pour batter by scant cupfuls onto center of hot waffle iron. Bake 3-5 minutes or until steaming slows and waffle is golden brown. Carefully remove. Serving suggestions: Fresh fruit, melted butter, dark amber maple syrup, pecans, whipped cream, and a side of bacon. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter A

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Take a Seat at the Table: Artichoke Pesto Spread! No matter if you eat artichokes for their nutritional value (high in antioxidants) or if you just need a serving of veggies that taste incredible on toast, this recipe is an excellent tool to pull out in a pinch. The main ingredients are usually in the pantry or refrigerator, so everything is ready to serve in minutes. 
ARTICHOKE PESTO SPREAD
Ingredients:

1 14-ounce can marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1-2 tablespoons garlic basil pesto

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

3/4 cup mayonnaise

2 green onions, sliced

Rosemary Olive Oil Crackers
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine artichoke hearts, pesto, Parmesan cheese, and mayonnaise in a mixing bowl. Blend well. Fold in sliced green onions. Transfer to an ovenproof dish that has been sprayed with a nonstick oil. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve warm with crusty artisan bread and seasoned crackers. 

A Seat at the Table

Pull up a chair. Nothing goes better with food than a little conversation. Enjoy the company you’re in no matter what the circumstance may be. If there’s one thing I learned while traveling, it’s that people are yearning for an open mind and listening ear. A few minutes in your day, can make all the difference in someone else’s world. Join me now for “Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: A Seat at the Table.” This remarkable journey of the palate is special because it gives me a few moments with you. Thanks very much to all of my guests and followers on http://snapshotsincursive.com for the uplifting support, award nominations, and moving words of encouragement. What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? It’s as simple as reciting your A-B-Cs. One of my passions is being at home in my own country kitchen. I love to cook, and my husband loves that I do it often. Now more than ever, since I am retired, I relish the thought of creating something delicious from scratch. I adore time-honored traditions using tried-and-true recipes. Yet, I often never think twice about tweaking old favorites or modifying others to suit the inner craving of the moment. Most of the recipes serve 2-4 people, but can be altered in any direction. The leftovers are golden morsels to be eaten again later or shared with others. And I love to share. To me, seeing a smile in gratitude is thanks enough. The recipes you will find here in the next several weeks can be prepared very easily. Feel free to contact me with questions. Now take a deep breath, inhale the aromas, and join me on a tasteful journey entitled, “EATING MY WAY THROUGH THE ALPHABET: A SEAT AT THE TABLE!”

The Mystical Island of Kauai 

“You have a spiritual connection to the island”, I was told by a native. “I can feel it. I see it in your eyes. It’s what keeps you coming back.” Those words pierced my soul. Perhaps it was the grand untouchable beauty in every direction that captivated me. Or the fact that Nature reappeared with an enduring vengeance for life from what was once nothing more than molten lava. The tropical vegetation is practically surreal in its perfection. Maybe it’s the harmony between the tangible benefits of sunshine and the intangible belief in allegorical legends. For all one knows, it may be the sudden and unexpected appearance of a vibrant rainbow. Or the freedom of spirit, the passion for life, the gratitude for blessings, and the nourishment of body. Kauai is tranquility; it is passion; it is exotic; it is hopeful. But most of all, Kauai is like taking a walk with Our Heavenly Father in the Garden of Eden.