Orange Almond Mandelbrot...a.k.a Jewish Biscotti!

To think that I was going to skip making cookies for the holidays...when this morning, I called my daughter Lora, and said..."I want to make some biscotti...but you know, that  my kitchen is way too small, so I will come over to
your house and will make it there! Of course, she agreed, as she always does, because she likes to see me out of my "rut"...even though I live on the beach, but I get into those "holiday blues" just before the holidays, and I tell you...You got to snap out of it!!!...seriously! Life is too short...life is GOOD! It's what you make of it!

You want to feel sorry for this person...for that person...their sad situation, but when you seriously think about it, you really have to think about "yourself!"...You have "issues" just as the next person does...except, you deal with it much better than they do! They make you feel, that you have to help them, it's your responsibility!...enough said, just check out my amazing Orange Almond Mandelbrot (Jewish Biscotti) for the holidays!

Linking my Orange Almond Manderbrot to: Full Plate Thursday 12-8-11 @ Miz Helen's Country Cottage

Forgive me, for not "staging" my biscotti, with photo props, holiday decors, or anything "fancy, schmancy"...what you see, is what you get! ...but I promise you it's GOOD STUFF!...no fancy "frills"

Grandson Luca, checking his little "car programs" on Mommy's I-Pad, while Luigi is  checking out the new lawn chair!

S

 Stella watching me...while I'm studying the recipe for the Mandelbrot ...literally meaning: Almond Bread!

Orange Almond Mandelbrot
(originally adapted by, Orange Walnut Mandelbrot)
from: Rosie's Bakery, by Judy Rosenberg

2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 Tablespoons, (1/2 stick unsalted butter. at room temperature)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Grated orange zest, of 1 orange
2 large eggs
1 cup of sliced toasted almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium size bowl, mix baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Using an electric mixer, on medium-high speed, cream the butter, oil, sugar, vanilla, and orange zest together in a medium size mixing bowl, until light and fluffy. Stop the machine twice, during the process to scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Ad the eggs, one at a time on medium speed, mixing until each egg is partially incorporated, about 5 seconds. Scrape the bowl, after each addition.

Using the rubber spatula, mix in half the flour mixture by hand. Then blend with the electric mixer on low speed for several seconds. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix on low speed until the dough is smooth, about 5 seconds. Add the nuts with a few more turns. of the mixer.

Turn the dough out unto a work surface, and divide it in half. Dough will be somewhat sticky...that's why you need extra flour added unto the work surface, just as in the upper photo!

Form a strip about 3 inches wide, and 11 inches long, with both of the portions, and set it on to the baking sheet.

 Bake the dough strips at 350 degrees F. for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden, and firm to the touch!

Turn the oven down to 275 degrees F. Cut the biscotti, using a serrated knife, about half to 3/4 inch slices, slightly diagonal. Arrange the slices standing up, about 1/2 inch apart, and bake until crisp, golden... about, 20 minutes.

Turn the oven off, and leave the biscotti in for an additional 15 minutes longer. Then, remove from the oven, and let them cool on the baking sheets.

Now, you can drizzle the glaze on it, if you like!
Mix 1 cup powdered sugar, with about 2 Tbsp. of mil,, until smooth. If it's too dry, add a drop or two of more milk, if it's too thin, add more powdered sugar, until yo get the right consistency. Drizzle with fork...and  not spoon, unto the biscotti...just like Gabby does it, longways, and across, if you like.

Gabby (granddaughter) loves to do the decorating part.

After the drizzle part is done...comes the fun, decorating part, where you shake the multicolor sprinkle candy!

Store cookies in an airtight container, at room temperature, or freeze, for up to 2 weeks. Bring them to room temperature, before eating!

Makes up to, about 44 cookies!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

What was I thinking? This is the "butt" of my turkey from last year, which I actually posted on my blog last year! Now, I feel like I must have been the "butt" of the turkey jokes...yet, everyone was nice with their comments to me. No "butt" jokes! I still don't understand what was the reason behind this "turkey pose!" with yet, a scar on it's backside...what a turkey...turkey! The turkey was moist, and delicious...perfectly stuffed, and roasted to a golden bronze color! I will share with you our friends' turkey, after Thanksgiving, where we are invited for a feast!

Actually, I decided to upload the other photo of my beautiful stuffed turkey from last year...not to be rude, and just show the backside! I kind of miss, not baking a turkey for the first time, in over 30 years!

At any rate, I do have my lovely cranberry sauce with
vanilla, from last year...the more I look at those weird twigs (vanilla pods) the more I'm trying to figure out why I used it for decoration...the one pod looks like the letter U...for "unknown" perhaps, and the other pod is just uselessly leaning behind it! Just an observation from last year, but the cranberry sauce was so delicious, and just the right texture!

Cranberry Sauce with Vanilla, Maple Syrup, and Cassis


6 cups (about 1-1/2 lb.) fresh or frozen cranberries, picked over and rinsed
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup fresh orange juice (from 1 orange)
1/3 cup crème de cassis (black-currant liqueur)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 Tbs. finely grated orange zest (from 1 orange)

Half a vanilla bean, split and scraped
Put 3 cups of the cranberries and all the remaining ingredients in a 3- or 4-qt. saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries have popped and broken down and the juices look slightly syrupy, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the remaining 3 cups cranberries and cook until these have popped, 3 to 5 minutes more. Remove from the heat, discard the vanilla bean, and let cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate if not serving right away.

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I have so much to be thankful for, this year... and you, my food blogger friends and my other blogger friends, facebook, and Twitter friends, are on top of my list this year!

I have spent way too much time on my blog this year, but the rewards were worth every minute of it getting to know more people, and actually making friends on a personal level that will be remembered for a lifetime I learned a lot from other cultures, and feel that I have traveled around the world, just by reading their amazing stories, and to learn about the foods of their region. You get to learn so much just by sharing your ideas, opening your homes, and kitchens, talking about families, friends, trips, but mostly food...good food, and that is what food blog is about, making friends, laughing, crying, but mostly sharing!
I have a beautiful family; children, grandchildren... which I am blessed with and I am thankful for, every day of my life!

As for social networks... Twitter, and have just recently joined facebook...but haven't delved into it yet as much as I would love to!
Every day, I check comments, and comment back as much as I can, and/or find new blogs to comment to, and make friends...hopefully! It is so important in our foodie community to support one-another, and through Foodbuzz, I have experienced just that, by joining the Foodbuzz Blogger Festival, for the first time this year, which was the 3rd annual event.

I have not joined hardly any...actually "none" of...social networks, other than Foodbuzz! All the other ones, which I did join, I forgot my password, or even the name of the site! For instance, just recently, I signed up for YELP...which is about restaurant, and business reviews. I did upload some restaurant photos, but have not posted a review yet. Also, Taste Spotting...I forgot my password there, as well!...and there is another site...Foodieview.com! Well, I signed up for that too, but have abandoned it, and forgot all about it. There's Etsy shop, and on that one I'm still trying to figure out how to copy and paste a logo!

There's Stumbleupon where I would get all those blogs to my e-mail, to stumble it...when I'm still stumbling here on my own, trying to figure out all these social networks. I actually joined FoodieBlogroll at the same time I joined Foodbuzz, but there, I felt lost...did not know how to connect with other food bloggers. I guess Food Gawker, is the biggy of them all where you have to have impecable photos, or else it gets rejected...I heard. (did not try out for that one either.) One very good networking I did sign up for is the Very Good Recipes, where you just register, and they do all the work for you to upload your posts!

A little preview of  my Hungarian Kifli that I made today for Thanksgiving to take to our hosts' house

So, I wish you all, here in the United States, and in other parts of the world where you reside,
A Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving, and may you have a safe one as well, if you are traveling!
Hugs, to all!
Elisabeth

Salmon Burger...a Winner, and Blogaversary!

First things, first...I have so much to share with you today. !st. is the winner of my giveaway!. On Random.org, the #18 came up which is Lizzy, from That Skinny Chick Can Bake!!!
Congratulations Lizzy! Hope you will enjoy this fabulous book and I know you will find some really nice dishes in there to make. Will contact you for the mailing address.

Just would like to let you all know, that yesterday, on June 3rd, 2011 was my 1st. Blogaversary...my First Anniversary of my blog, which really started out as just a few foods, and more thrift finds.I came a long way since last year, making friends with other food blogger around the world, and locally.

I do appreciate the support and friendship from my fellow blogger friends, and follower who have supported me throughout this past year. Without your support and kindness, I would never have made it this far. It's a lonely place out there in "blogsphere" when you have no one commenting, and for that, I do have the Foodbuzz community to thank for and all the members who have befriended me. So, I just want you to know that I'm planning, and hoping to hang around here for another year longer at least...and who knows how long after that! So just bear with me, I will take you along on more of my food and life adventures.
Love to all! ...
Do check out my first post!
Also, I did want to announce that I am attempting to make my first...ever...homemade garlic rolls, filled with delicious garlic and herbs. This should have been my post, showing of my homemade delicious (hopefully)...garlic rolls, with "dry active yeast" 125 g. that comes in the cutest little canister, sent to me by my new and sweet friend, Suhaina, living in Singapore, and at this moment, on vacation to her homeland in Kerala, India.

I was so inspired by her homemade garlic rolls, that I was so determined to make it... so she sent m the yeast that she uses, all the way from Singapore. I was totally in "awe" but mostly shocked, because not very often do we find such amazing good hearted people who do not know you from "Adam" that would want to do something like this for you. Please check out Suhaina's fabulous Garlic Rolls and be sure to click on the HOME...to get you back to the current page of My Singapore Kitchen. She is such a talented cook, and baker, and she makes the most amazing breads, and rolls, as well.
Truly a blessing from this gracious and beautiful lady, who became my dear friend:DDD

Turkey Burgers with Honey Mustard Dressing
 adapted from Rachel Ray's Website

About 1/3 cup Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons honey
4 skinless salmon fillets (6 ounces each), cut into cubes
1 egg
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning (about a palmful)
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), for drizzling

In a small bowl, stir together the mustard and honey. Using a food processor, pulse the salmon to finely chop. Place in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add 2 tablespoons of the honey mustard, the chives, Old Bay and lemon zest. Form into four large burgers.

Drizzle some EVOO into a large nonstick skillet or griddle. Add the burgers and cook, turning once, over medium-high heat for 6 minutes for medium-rare, 10-12 minutes for medium-well doneness.

note: My burgers were grilled, actually rare, for extra burgers, and froze the extra burgers. When need them take out from freezer, and finish baking in a conventional oven, or for easier work in a toaster oven, for an additional 15-20 minutes, or less if you want medium doneness.
You can also make extra honey mustard to drizzle on top, and serve it over rice pilaf or on buns.
The adorable little tomato garnish is from my daughter's garden.
Enjoy!

With all the busy activities going on this past week...2 pre-kindergarten graduation, of my two little grandchildren a piano recital by Gabby, the oldest.. spending the weekend with my son, and my 2 granddaughters, I did miss commenting on quite a few blogs. I do apologize for that.

Also, I missed Brenda's delicious Salmon Burgers, @ Brenda's Canadian Kitchen ...she used Paula Deen's version...do check it out!

I'm linking my Salmon Burger to Melynda's  Cookbook Sundays @ Mom's Sunday Cafe

Cranberry Sauce, and a Stylish Blogger Award

It  is Hanukkah, and it officially started at sundown on Tuesday, and will last for 8 days. We just left Thanksgiving behind, and here comes all the holidays one, and before you know it, it's the New Year.
Well, for Hanukkah, all we do is just keep frying the nice and aromatic shredded potato latkes=pancakes. The best way to do them is to just pass it through the shute of your food processor with the shredding disk, and you'll have a big bowlful to work with, a super messy kitchen, and the aroma of fried potatoes, and onions...and before you know it, your batch of latkes are gonna be eaten up in less than 10 minutes.

Will post some photos about the latkes, my granddaughter took the photos with her camera, mine just totally went blank...no screen. Will be getting my new camera this weekend. A present to myself!



Christmas is around the corner too, but we're still in the Hanukkah celebration.

Here's the recipe which I used from Chef Ris La Costa that was featured in the Fine Cooking magazine from 2009.
The only change I made, was that I used Gran Marnier instead of  Creme de Cassis liqueur


Cranberry Sauce with Vanilla, Maple Syrup, and Cassis


6 cups (about 1-1/2 lb.) fresh or frozen cranberries, picked over and rinsed
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup fresh orange juice (from 1 orange)
1/3 cup crème de cassis (black-currant liqueur)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 Tbs. finely grated orange zest (from 1 orange)

Half a vanilla bean, split and scraped
Put 3 cups of the cranberries and all the remaining ingredients in a 3- or 4-qt. saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries have popped and broken down and the juices look slightly syrupy, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the remaining 3 cups cranberries and cook until these have popped, 3 to 5 minutes more. Remove from the heat, discard the vanilla bean, and let cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate if not serving right away.

Now, it's time to thank Wendy, from The Weekend Gourmet whom I received the wonderful
Stylish Blogger Award.
Wendy, certainly has a Stylish blog, and is truly deserving of receiving the award. She graciously passed it on to me, and 14 other great bloggers. I truly appreciate it, Wendy, you're a sweetheart!

*To accept this award, there are 4 rules:*

1. Thank the person who gave you the award: 

2. Share seven things about yourself

3. Pass the award on to bloggers you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic.

4. Contact the bloggers you picked and let them know about the award.

Here are 7 things about myself, that I'm sharing with you!

1. I excelled in art from elementary school all the way through high school, but did not pursue it afterwards.

    I majored instead in business administration with an associate degree...moved to S. Florida in the seventies.

       

2. We opened up a "turn key" " mom and pop" pizza and pasta restaurant-- I then pursued a culinary degree. 

 

4 Our 2 children, both decided to use their

  scholarship attend college in Europe...daughter in the South of France, and Italy, and son

  in Florence, Italy, and Israel.

5.I  worked for a large catering company...I had 

  quite a few clients encourage me to start my own little business, which I did.

6 I used to live a very private life during my work years, until I started to work in a beautiful country club
for the last few years.

7.I am very close to my two children, my ex husband, but mostly my daughter, and son-in-law.





1. Barbara-Cucina di Barbara 


2. Marie-   The English Kitchen

3.Carolyn- All Day I Dream About Food

4..Joanna-ChicGorgeous

5.. Gourmet Getaways

6..Luna-  Luna's recipes

7..Ping- Ping's Pickings

8. Biren.Roti n Rice

9. Nancy-Kitchen Gypsies

10. Evan-Sweets by E

11. Mia- Bright Morning Star

12.Veronica- The Enchanted Cook

13.Swathi-Zesty South Indian Kitchen
14.Monet Anecdotes and Apple Cores

15.Aipi US Masala

16.. Kavita-Kavita's Kitchen

17. Lora-Cake Duchess

18. Priya Priya's Easy and Tasty Recipes

19. Chef Dennis-More than a Mountfull
20. Jennifer-Jane Deere

21. Veronica-Quay Po Cooks

22-Lizzy-That Skinny Chick Can Bake

23.Kitchen Boffin


CONGRATULATIONS  to the Stylish Blogger Award winner...well deserved!

Unfortunately, we received bad news, last night...my son calling me sobbing, and screaming...I was at my daughter's watching my two grandchildren, while my daughter was attending a school function dinner.  She left her work and was walking to a nearby function to attend an award, and was struck by a hit-and-run driver, and left on the road, never even stopping. Another car came speeding through and she was struck again.
Sheryl was a beautiful angelic lady, only 59...she had plans to celebrate her 60th. birthday, next month, and she never made it.

I cannot begin to tell you, how important it is to appreciate your loved ones, because in a "split second" you could lose them.

What really is comforting, that they all celebrated Thanksgiving with extended family, just last week, and they kept in touch by phone, every single day.
Sometimes illness is not the one that takes a toll, to end a life...a sudden weird and freaky accident could take a person's life!


Sheryl died on the first day of a joyous celebration; Hanukkah! She will always be remembered with kindness, and love, and will always live in our hearts, forever.
May your memory be a BLESSING Sheryl...and MAY YOU REST IN PEACE!

Broiled Grouper with Mango, Papaya Salad

Broiled sea food is one of the best ways to make it, next to grilling. I just use simple mix dry spices, fresh grated lemon zest, fresh juice of 1 lemon, and also use the same on the unpeeled large shrimp. drizzle extra virgin olive oil on it, line the broiler pan with the dull side of the aluminum foil, poke a few holes with a fork right through the aluminum foil just maybe about 3 places, an broil on the very top for about 10 minutes for the grouper, and just a few minutes for the shrimp, as soon as they turn pink, it's done.

I saved the juices from the fish, and added a little white wine to it, and added juice of 1 lemon on top.No need for extra lemon on the side.

The mango, papaya, romaine, and radicchio salad is another fresh and simple, yet bursting with color and flavor. A perfect combination with fresh Florida seafood. I also added sliced fresh jalapeno peppers, scallions, and drizzle extra virgin olive oil, and a good squeeze of fresh lime juice. Couldn't get any better.