When life gives you salmon, make salmon cakes! That’s what I did recently with some leftover grilled salmon from the previous night’s dinner. Heck, I’d even cook salmon for the sole purpose of making these delicious, savory cakes. I’m getting hungry just thinking about them!

I used plain bread crumbs instead of the cornflakes, and added a dash of cayenne pepper to both the cakes and sauce. I fried the patties in olive oil in two batches so the pan wasn’t too crowded, and kept the first batch on a cookie sheet in a warm (not hot) oven. The patties could even be made smaller and served as an appetizer.

The horseradish-spiked mayonnaise is an excellent compliment to the salmon cakes. If using dried thyme in the mayonnaise, mix it together and refrigerate it for at least an hour. This will give the dried herb time to soften up.

Salmon Cakes with Lemon-Herb Mayonnaise
-recipe from epicurious.com

If you don’t have fresh salmon, canned salmon is a perfectly fine stand-in. Makes 6 salmon cakes.

2 cups loosely packed crumbled cooked salmon
1/2 cup cornflake crumbs
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
1 large egg

3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
2 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter

Combine first 7 ingredients in medium bowl and stir gently to blend. Season with salt and pepper. Mix in egg. Shape salmon mixture into 6 patties, about 3/4 inch thick. Arrange on plate.

Combine 3/4 cup mayonnaise, lemon juice, horseradish and 2 1/2 teaspoons thyme in small bowl. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. (Salmon cakes and sauce can be prepared 1 day ahead. Wrap separately and refrigerate.)

Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-low heat. Add salmon cakes and sauté until brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to platter. Serve with sauce.

Tags: fish, lemon-herb mayonnaise, salmon cakes

One of my absolute favorite summer dishes is Andalusian Gazpacho, a Spanish tomato-based soup. To me, it tastes like summer in a bowl. You must, however, start with good farm stand or homegrown tomatoes. Period. Don’t even think about making this gazpacho if you can’t use excellent tomatoes. 

I pretty much follow the recipe except for substituting red bell pepper for the green pepper. Also, I don’t add any water to the soup because I don’t want to dilute any of the flavor, and I don’t bother to use the sieve to strain out the little bits of tomato and pepper skin (though you should strain the soup if you want it perfectly smooth). Most gazpachos are served cold, but I like this one best at room-temperature right after it’s made. It’s a perfect way to showcase those delicious, garden-fresh tomatoes!

Andalusian Gazpacho
-recipe from Fine Cooking Magazine

Straining this soup makes it absolutely smooth; if you’d rather not strain it, purée it more coarsely so the soup is chunky and tiny fibers aren’t an issue. This recipe was adapted from Carmen Perujo, a home cook from Seville, who says that gazpacho used to be served as the penultimate course of the midday meal, “just before the fruit, which was always our dessert.” Nowadays, it’s often served as an appetizer.

Serves four. Yields 4 cups.

2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 large green bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped (to yield 2 cups)
1-1/2 lb. very red, ripe tomatoes (about 4 large), cut into large pieces
3-inch-long piece of baguette, sliced and dried overnight or until hard
1/2 cup good-quality extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbs. sherry vinegar or red-wine vinegar; more to taste
2 tsp. coarse salt; more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper (optional)
1 cup peeled, diced cucumber, for garnish
1 cup diced onion, for garnish (optional)

Put the garlic, green pepper, tomatoes, bread, olive oil, vinegar, and salt in a food processor. Pulse until the ingredients begin to purée (if the bread is hard, it may bounce about and take a while to break down); continue processing until the mixture is as fine a purée as possible, 3 to 5 min.

Pass the soup through a large fine sieve set over a large bowl, pressing until only solids remain in the sieve; discard the solids. Stir in 1/4 to 1/2 cup ­water, or enough to give the soup the consistency of a thin milkshake. If you want a thicker soup, add less water, or none at all. Add more salt or vinegar to taste. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled (or serve it ­immediately with a few ice cubes in each bowl).

Ladle the gazpacho into chilled bowls or cups. Grind fresh pepper on top, if you want, and pass bowls of diced cucumber and onion, if using, so ­people can garnish their own.

I’m linked to:
Harvest Party at It’s a Blog Party

Tags: Andalusian Gazpacho, Quick Cooking, Soup/Stew, tomato

Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach, Oregon

So what do you do when you live in Oregon, it’s summertime and you’ve got relatives visiting? You head to the beach. I’m embarrassed to say that I don’t take advantage of this often enough, considering we only live an hour or so from the coast. I really have no good excuses. Even the fact that I’ve got a busy life (but who doesn’t?) sounds lame when you take into account that the driving time between my home and a scenic masterpiece  is about the length of a Top Chef show. So right now I pledge to take more outings to the beach with my family. Period. Life’s just too short not to.

The Oregon coast is a totally different experience than, say, a beach in Southern California. Sure, people surf and play in the water here but it’s cold water and the weather at the beach usually isn’t hot. But on those rare occassions when it is warm and sunny, it’s amazing!  

Dead jellyfish

Our day trip started off with blue sky and very few clouds early in the afternoon then turned to cloudy skies shortly thereafter. The kids didn’t mind, though; they were quite content building sandcastles and looking at the dead jellyfish that had strangely drifted ashore (I’ve never seen dead jellyfish before). Anyway, after several hours of sandcastle building and dead jellyfish gazing, it was time to make a few stops in town before starting the return trip home.

Saltwater taffy from Bruce's Candy Kitchen

Although I’ve never been a huge fan of saltwater taffy, how could I not take my kids to the candy store before leaving the quaint beach community of Cannon Beach? Besides, I’m all about supporting local business. The saltwater taffy that I bought at Bruce’s Candy Kitchen was probably the best I’ve ever had. It was soft, chewy and sweet (not stale and rock hard like other taffies I’ve sampled in the past). I didn’t try all of Bruce’s taffy flavors, just some of the fruity ones: blueberry, marionberry, watermelon, orange, green apple. I enjoyed each of the flavors. Bruce’s even has an open kitchen so you can watch the candy makers pulling the taffy. The candy store was filled with all kinds of sweet treats and knick knacks but I stuck to the saltwater taffy and a few old-fashioned candy trinkets for the munchkins.

Cherry turnover from Cannon Beach Bakery

Next was a stop at the Cannon Beach Bakery for a loaf of Haystack Bread, a French-like loaf of bread shaped somewhat like Cannon Beach’s famous Haystack Rock. The kids also wanted another treat so we got a cupcake and a cherry turnover. Normally I don’t let my kids go hog wild on sugar but it was a special day…we were at the beach! Child #1 thoroughly enjoyed his cherry turnover and was patient enough to let me take a picture of it. However, Child #2 inhaled his cupcake before I could even get my camera out of the bag.  Oh well, he liked the cupcake and that’s all that matters. 

Smoked fish from Ecola Seafoods

The last thing I had to do before leaving town was to stop at Ecola Seafoods for some smoked fish and a bowl of clam chowder. The cold case was filled with all kinds of fresh and smoked seafoods but I decided to buy my favorites: smoked Albacore tuna and smoked salmon.  In the photo, the big hunk of fish on the left is not a chunk of driftwood but actually a delicious piece of smoked Albacore tuna. Smoked tuna is a little drier than smoked salmon but every bit as delicious.

Our ride home was uneventful and we made it home safely shortly after Husband got home from work. The kids are already asking when we can go to the beach again, and I’m already daydreaming about my next tasting of saltwater taffy and smoked fish (not together, though). It looks like we may have a free day in a few weeks….

Tags: Bruce's Candy Kitchen, Cannon Beach, Cannon Beach Bakery, Ecola Seafoods, Oregon coast, saltwater taffy, smoked albacore tuna, smoked salmon

Imagine crossing lemon cupcakes with cheesecake. What do you get? Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Cream. That’s right…dense lemon-flavored cupcakes with a surprise dollop of lemon cream cheese filling baked into the middle. It’s like 2 for the price of 1.

I chose these cupcakes for two reasons: the Birthday Teen loves lemony treats and the recipe made a small batch (I was able to get 6 cupcakes out of the recipe instead of 4). The Birthday Teen quickly inhaled two of them, which is always a good sign. The cupcakes took a few minutes longer to get golden brown around the edges (could be my old oven’s fault). To make the cupcakes look a bit more festive, I made a quick lemon juice and powdered sugar glaze and slathered a little on top of each cupcake. I then sprinkled the cupcake tops with yellow decorating sugar. Skipping the glaze and dusting with powdered sugar would also be a nice touch.

For other cupcake & muffin recipes, check out Cupcake Tuesday.

Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Cream
- recipe from epicurious.com

Yield: Makes 4

3/4 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 large eggs
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cream cheese (about 2 ounces), softened 

Preheat oven to 350° F. and line four 1/2-cup muffin tins with paper liners.

Into a bowl sift together flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk in 2 teaspoons zest. In another bowl with a fork blend butter, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon juice until smooth. With a wooden spoon beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until smooth. Stir butter mixture into flour mixture until batter is combined well.

In a small bowl with a fork stir together cream cheese and remaining 1/2 teaspoon zest, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1 teaspoon juice until lemon cream is smooth.

Spoon 3 level tablespoons batter and about 1 tablespoon lemon cream into each paper liner. Spoon remaining batter over lemon cream, smoothing tops. Bake cupcakes in middle of oven 20 minutes, or until golden brown, and transfer to a rack to cool. Makes 4 cupcakes.

Tags: Baking, cream cheese, Dessert, lemon cream, lemon cupcakes

Here’s an updated version of the bellini, a cocktail that originated in Italy that consists of sparkling wine and white peach purée. This recipe features mango nectar (or juice) instead of peach purée. It’s beautiful, festive and delicious! This cocktail would be a perfect beginning to a brunch or an al fresco (outdoors) dinner party. For an extra ”pop” of color, garnish each champagne flute with 3 whole raspberries.

As a side note, my pretty French Country flutes are made by Mikasa. If you don’t already have champagne flutes, you should buy a few. They don’t take up much space and they make a celebration that much more special!

Mango Bellini
-makes 1 drink.

1 part mango juice
2 parts chilled Champagne or sparkling wine
3 whole raspberries

Fill a champagne flute one-third full with mango nectar. Top with sparkling wine, leaving a little room for the raspberries, and stir gently. Place raspberries in champagne flute. Enjoy!

Tags: Champagne, cocktail, mango bellini, sparkling wine

In Oregon, blackberry brambles grow like weeds. They’re everywhere…sprouting up in fields, bare lots, backyards, and alongside rural or not-so-rural roads. Except for the impending scratches and pricks from the thorny vines, I love picking blackberries! I love the sweet smell emanating from the warm berry bushes on a hot summer’s day, and I love how a perfectly ripe berry burst with juice when eaten. Ahhh, it’s blackberry heaven!

The other day I stopped along a country road to pick a few berries (at least that was the plan) but ended up with a bucket of them because I just couldn’t stop myself. How could I let these precious ripe berries go to waste? I couldn’t, so I kept on picking them. Once I got home, I spread the perfect berries out on a cookie sheet, covered them with a damp towel and placed them in the refrigerator, fully intending to make a cake or a pie the next day.

Well, my schedule got busy and two days passed before I had a chance to do anything with them. Since my kids had been asking for pancakes, I decided to make syrup out of the berries. And let me tell you, it’s delicious! The only thing I did differently from the recipe was to add a teaspoon or two of fresh lemon juice to the syrup while it reduced just to cut the sweetness a bit (they were very sweet berries). I didn’t do the hot-water processing for the syrup (under the instructions for canning) but I did boil the jars to sterilize them like the recipe instructs. Syrup done this way will keep for 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Fresh Berry Syrup
-recipe from Fine Cooking Magazine 

This master recipe works well with a variety of summer berries. The thickness of the syrup will depend on the berries you use: Some are juicier, resulting in a thinner syrup, while others, like blueberries, have more pectin, yielding a thicker syrup. If you prefer to skip the canning process, you can store the covered jars in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks; to extend the shelf life, follow the canning instructions below. Yields 1 to 2 cups.

3 cups fresh berries (such as blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, or blackberries), washed and trimmed as needed and halved if large
1-2 cups granulated sugar

Bring water to boil in a large pot fitted with a rack. Carefully, put 2 empty half-pint (8 fl. oz.) Mason jars and their lids and screw-on bands in the water and boil for 10 minutes to sterilize them. Remove the jars, lids, and bands with tongs and set on paper towels to drain.

In a medium heavy-duty saucepan, crush the berries with a potato masher. Add 1/4 cup water (if using strawberries, add 1/2 cup water). Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer until the berries are very soft and juicy, about 5 minutes.

Set a fine sieve over a bowl. Pour the berry pulp into the sieve and allow the juice to drip through. Gently press the pulp with a rubber spatula to extract as much juice as possible, but don’t press so hard that you force the pulp through.

Clean the saucepan. Measure the juice and then pour it into the saucepan. For every 1/4 cup juice, add 1/4 cup sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the syrup is viscous but still runny, about 1 minute. Skim the foam with a spoon and pour the syrup into the sterilized jars. If you’re not canning the syrup, put the jars on a wire rack and let cool to room temperature. Screw the lids and bands on and refrigerate the syrup for up to 2 weeks. If the syrup thickens during storage, stir to loosen it before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

To can the syrup:
Bring water to a boil in a large pot fitted with a rack insert. Carefully put 4 empty half-cup (4 fl. oz) Mason jars (use 8 if you’re doubling the recipe) or 2 empty half-pint (8 fl. oz.) Mason jars (use 4 if you’re doubling the recipe) and their metal screw-on bands in the water and reduce the heat to a simmer; simmer until ready to use. Heat the lids in very hot water for 5 minutes to soften the flange. (Don’t boil the lids when canning, as it might damage them and compromise the seal later.)

Remove the jars and rims with tongs, emptying the water from the jars. Pour the syrup into the jars, leaving about 1/4 inch of headroom. Wipe the rims clean of any spilled syrup and affix the metal lids onto the jars with the screw bands. Turn the bands only fingertip tight; don’t close them as tight as you can, or you may compromise the seal.

Put the jars in the pot fitted with the rack insert and add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat, and boil briskly for 10 minutes.

Transfer the jars to a rack. Allow them to cool for 12 to 24 hours. You should hear a popping sound as the vacuum seals the lid to the jar. When the syrup is completely cool, check the seals by pressing on the lids. The lids should be taut and pulled down toward the inside of the jar. If a lid bounces when you press on it, the seal is imperfect, and you will have to repeat the canning process with a new lid, or simply refrigerate the syrup and use within two weeks. You can also remove the bands and try to pick up the jars by holding onto the rim of the lids. If the lids are tight, your seal is good.

Keep the bands in place when transporting the jars, but you do not need to store them with the bands on. Store in a cool, dark place for up to a year. Once a jar is opened, refrigerate the syrup for up to 2 weeks.

Make ahead tips:
Syrup that’s not hot-water processed will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Variations:
- Lemon Blueberry Syrup: Use blueberries and add 1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest to the syrup while still hot.
- Raspberry Mint Syrup: Use raspberries and crush three sprigs fresh mint with the berries.
- Blackberry Thyme Syrup: Use blackberries and crush three sprigs fresh thyme with the berries.
- Strawberry Balsamic Syrup: Use strawberries. While they syrup’s still hot, add 3/4 tsp. balsamic vinegar per 1/2 cup of syrup.

Serving suggestions:
Berry syrups are terrific on pancakes and ice cream or stirred into plain yogurt, rice pudding, and oatmeal. Or try brushing them over baked ham or a pork roast to create a sweet, fruity glaze. And for a delicious homemade soda, add one part syrup to two parts chilled seltzer water.

Tags: blackberry syrup

The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten is filled with wonderful recipes and beautiful photographs. Garten, who used to own the East Hampton specialty food store The Barefoot Contessa, shares catering secrets and time-saving tips for making uncomplicated but delicious recipes at home.

A few of my favorite recipes include: Fresh Corn Salad, Szechuan Noodles, Perfect Roast Chicken, Outrageous Brownies, and Coconut Cupcakes, but there are many, many others. Recipes that I’m looking forward to trying are: Lobster Potpie, Indonesian Ginger Chicken, Caramelized Butternut Squash, Maple Oatmeal Scones, and Chocolate Buttercream Cake. The cookbook is broken down into the following chapters: Appetizers, Soups, Salads, Dinner, Vegetables, Desserts, Breakfast. 256 pages, published in 1999.

Tags: cookbook review, From My Bookshelf, Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

This is a perfect summery side dish: crisp-tender green beans tossed with a light, lemony vinaigrette. It’s simple, tasty and very easy to make. 

Even though the vinaigrette is delicious as is, I added a small amount of Dijon mustard for a little added pizazz. To make sure that each green bean was evenly coated with the dressing, I tossed the green beans first with the vinaigrette before piling them on the plate and drizzling with more vinaigrette. I substituted thinly sliced red onions for the shallot, and finished with a sprinkle of kosher salt and some freshly ground pepper. Yumm!

Green Beans Vinaigrette
-recipe from marthastewart.com

On their own, lettuce, radicchio, green beans, or corn might be a tad ho-hum. But toss them with Lemon Vinaigrette, and you’ve got four stellar sides to sample. Keep a jar of the dressing in the fridge, and let it upgrade all sorts of veggies.

Makes 6 servings.

Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds green beans, stem ends trimmed
1 shallot, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced
1/4 cup Lemon Vinaigrette (recipe below)

Fill a medium bowl with ice water; set aside. Set a steamer basket in a large saucepan with a lid. Fill with enough salted water to come just below basket; bring to a boil. Place green beans in basket, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover pan; steam until tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer beans to ice water to stop cooking; drain and pat dry with paper towels.

Place on a serving platter. Top with shallot, and drizzle with vinaigrette; season with salt and pepper. 

Lemon Vinaigrette
Try using this lemon vinaigrette to upgrade all sorts of veggies. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)
1/4 cup white-wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 cup olive oil

In a medium bowl or jar, combine lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, coarse salt, and ground pepper. Whisk, or cover and shake, until salt and sugar have dissolved. Add oil; whisk or shake until thoroughly combined. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.

Tags: green beans, lemon vinaigrette, Quick Cooking, Side Dish

When grilling or barbecuing, always use tongs or a spatula to turn meats. Using a fork pierces the flesh and allows juices to escape, which will cause the meat to lose flavor and may cause the fire to flare up.
-from Secrets From A Caterer’s Kitchen by Nicole Aloni

Tags: barbecue tools, bbq, Grilling, Handy Hints

I love this spicy, southwestern-inspired sandwich!  The toasted onion rolls are a creative foundation for the sandwich, while the chipotle mayonnaise adds heat and tons of flavor. I slathered a little chipotle mayo on the cut side of each bun half and used only 2 slices of cheese per sandwich, one on the bottom bun and one on the top bun. I had one sandwich leftover that I refrigerated and ate cold the next day…it was just as delicious as the hot version (just without the crunchy texture). I used my electric panini press to grill the sandwiches, but the recipe has instructions on how to cook them in a frying pan, too. Serve with a big salad or cut veggies.

Roast Beef and Two-Chile Grilled Cheese on Onion Rolls
-recipe from Sunset Magazine, July 2009

We love how spicy this sandwich is, but if you prefer less heat, cut back on the chipotle mayo and the green chiles.

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon minced canned chipotle chiles (about 4 small chiles)
4 onion rolls
About 2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 pound pepper jack cheese, thinly sliced
1/2 pound thinly sliced rare roast beef
4 canned mild green chiles, seeded, split, and dried with paper towels

Stir together mayonnaise and chipotles and set aside.

Preheat a panini press* to 350° (medium heat). Brush the outsides of rolls with oil. Split rolls. Spread bottom halves with 1 1/2 tsp. chipotle mayo each, then top each with 2 slices cheese; 2 or 3 slices roast beef; 1 chile, opened up flat; and 2 more slices cheese.

Spread top halves of rolls with 1 1/2 tsp. chipotle mayo each and place on tops of sandwiches. Grill sandwiches 2 at a time until crisp and bubbling, 3 to 4 minutes. Repeat with remaining 2 sandwiches. Let sandwiches cool slightly, then slice with a serrated knife and serve.

*If you don’t have a panini press, use two pans to achieve the same effect: Cook your sandwiches in a frying pan or cast iron skillet and weight them with a heated cast iron skillet.

Tags: chipotle mayonnaise, green chiles, onion rolls, panini, pepperjack cheese, roast beef, sandwich