Valentine’s Day Dinner for my Sweetheart

This is the dessert that ended our Valentine’s dinner this evening.

Nothing too fancy, just a few of my husband’s favorites…homemade rich chocolatey brownies cut into heart shapes, sharing the plate with pure vanilla ice cream blanketed with fresh ripe macerated strawberries.

Dinner was a mixed green salad, steamed lobster tails with drawn butter, pan seared T-Bone Steak, and baked potatoes all washed down with a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Jazzed Up Peas, Lemon, and Pearl Onions

Over a month ago Southern Living Magazine contacted me for confirmation to print a recipe of mine in their February issue!

I was shocked, wondering what recipe they were interested in, and how it happened that they found it, and me! Here’s the story…

About a year ago I submitted the recipe for Jazzed Up Peas, Lemon, and Pearl Onions pictured above to the Food 52 site, an online community of cooks.

Turns out Southern Living saw it recently and liked it, and tried to find me to let me know they wanted to run it in their February issue.

I found this out one day as I was shopping for groceries and my son called with the news that Southern Living had e-mailed him that they were trying to locate me.

Apparently my son is a lot easier to locate than me! In googling Dinner At Sheila’s they found him because on the second anniversary of my blog he was kind enough to post on his personal blog the following.

Dinner at Sheila’s

August 2, 2012

A few years ago I told my Mom that I thought she’d enjoy having a blog to share her amazing cooking skills and recipes with the world. She thought I was insane, but after a few months she agreed to give it a shot.

She quickly became obsessed with it, and just celebrated the two-year anniversary of blogging at Dinner at Sheilas which is quite an accomplishment.

As somebody who’s actually had Dinner at Sheilas for his entire life, I can tell you that her cooking is every bit as delicious as it looks. If you’re remotely interested in cooking (or eating), I highly recommend that you go check it out.

And if you like what you see, go like her Facebook page – it’ll make her day.

So my son gave SL my email, and they contacted me, and I was more than thrilled to give them approval to run my recipe. And yesterday I found the Feb issue on the stands…

In it on page 16 there is a Community Cookbook Feature with the following caption…

A TASTE OF WHO AND WHAT GOT THE HIGHEST RAVES IN THE SOUTHERN LIVING TEST KITCHEN.
THIS MONTH: COLORFUL WINTER SIDES

And I am one of three lucky cooks whose recipe is featured.

Here is the link to the recipe for Jazzed Up Peas, Lemon and Pearl Onions!

Thanks to my son for being so sweet to write that post, and thanks to Southern Living for persevering!

And one more thing …I will be adding my e-mail to my blog!!!!

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Happy 100th Birthday, Julia Child!

Julia Child would have been 100 years old August 15th.

I have always been a huge fan of Julia’s. I have many of her cookbooks and never tire of reading them. Unlike Julie in the movie “Julie and Julia” I have not cooked through “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” cover to cover, but I continue to cook her recipes and refer to her techniques.

It seems fitting to dedicate this blog to her, and share some thoughts of others who marked this occasion with their remembrances of her.

In an article by Marlo Thomas, a contributor to HuffPost’s The Blog, Marlo says…

“Julia Child was a great chef, but she was also hilarious — a true original. There are a lot of chefs we admire today, but Julia was the only one who could flip a pancake, miss, have it flop onto the floor and say “Oops!” — then toss it back into the pan and carry on.”

When Marlo asked famed chef Anthony Bourdain for his thoughts he gushed…

“Julia Child was the single most important, influential and game-changing figure in the history of American gastronomy. Everything tracks back to her. And though uniquely situated to do so, she never endorsed a thing: not a pot, not a pan, not a chain of restaurants, not a spice blend, apron or boil-in-the-bag dinner. She will be remembered for what she did on this earth, which was to inspire millions to cook — and eat — better.”

Marlo goes on to say…

“From her straightforward recipes to her stove-side candor to the ease with which she floated around the kitchen, she could make even the most food-challenged among us feel like we were master chefs.”

She continues …

“although Julia never set out to change the world, educate the masses or become a best-selling author and TV star, she accomplished all that, anyway — with grace, humor and, of course, her signature sign-off: “Bon appétit!”

I’ll close this post with some words of advice for all those aspiring cooks out there. It comes from the forward of Volume One of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, which Julia co-authored with Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck.

It is advice that I wholeheartedly share…

“Our years of teaching cookery have impressed upon us the fact that all too often a debutant cook will start in enthusiastically on a new dish without ever reading the recipe first. Suddenly an ingredient, or a process, or a time sequence will turn up, and there is astonishment, frustration, and even disaster. We therefore urge you, however much you have cooked, always to read the recipe first, even if the dish is familiar to you. Visualize each step so you will know exactly what techniques,ingredients, time, and equipment are required and you will encounter no surprises. Recipe language is always a sort of short-hand in which a lot of information is packed, and you will have to read carefully if you are not to miss small but important points. Then, to build up your over-all knowledge of cooking, compare the recipe mentally to others you are familiar with, and note where one recipe or technique fits into the larger picture of theme and variations.

We have not given estimates for the time of preparation, as some people take half and hour to slice three pounds of mushrooms while others take five minutes.

Pay close attention to what you are doing while you work, for precision in small details can make the difference between passable cooking and fine food. If a recipe says, “cover casserole and regulate heat so liquid simmers very slowly,” “heat the butter until its foam begins to subside,” or “beat the hot sauce into the egg yolks by driplets,” follow it. You may be slow and clumsy at first, but with practice you will pick up speed and style.

Allow yourself plenty of time. Most dishes can be assembled, or started, or partially cooked in advance. If you are not an old campaigner, do not plan more than one long or complicated recipe for a meal or you will wear yourself out and derive no pleasure from your efforts.

If food is to be baked or boiled, be sure your oven is hot before the dish goes in. Otherwise, souffles will not rise, piecrusts will collapse, and gratineed dishes will overcook before they brown.

A pot-saver is a self-hampering cook. Use all the pans, bowls, and equipment you need, but soak them in water as soon as you are through with them. Clean up after yourself frequently to avoid confusion.

Train yourself to use your hands and fingers; they are wonderful instruments. Train yourself also to handle hot foods; this will save time. Keep your knives sharp.

Above all, have a good time.

So on this 100th anniversary of Julia Child’s birth, I’ll leave you with this wonderful quote of hers reflecting Julia’s unforgettable spirit,

“The best way to execute French cooking is to get good and loaded, then whack the hell out of a chicken. Bon appétit. “

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Artisanal Salami And More In San Luis Obispo

We spent the last week in San Luis Obispo, a lovely small town on the central coast of California. It is located midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, making it the perfect place for our sons (and their girlfriends) to meet up with us there for Father’s Day weekend.

SLO has much to offer…a Mediterranean climate well suited for its numerous vineyards…

beautiful beaches…

community gardens…

breathtaking views…

a very walkable, yet compact bustling downtown that holds a remarkable Thursday evening Farmer’s Market, every week except Thanksgiving…

There you will find lots of locally grown produce…

bouquets of fresh flowers from “The Flower Lady”

and fantastic street fare of all kinds…here’s just a sample…

Add to this music and entertainment, and you can see why all the locals ask…”Have you been to the Farmer’s Market?” It’s certainly not just any Farmer’s Market!

And finally, San Luis Obispo has an amazing number of great restaurants that run the gamut from down home BBQ to the finest of dining experiences utilizing the area’s fresh local ingredients and wines.

That brings me to the photo at the top of this blog…we ordered this salumi platter to go along with our drinks at Luna Red …it was not only delicious, but a work of art as well.

A selection of artisanal cured meats made on the premises was served on a board accompanied by a house made Dijon mustard, a carrot puree, an assortment of olives, and some pickled vegetables along with a nasturtium blossom. This was served alongside some great bread with local olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping.

What more is there to say? If you get the chance to go to San Luis Obispo you won’t be sorry.

When we arrived we were told that the early morning fog and cool temps which give way to clear blue skies and sunny temperate days at this time of year is called “June Gloom”.

However, after our week in SLO we’ve decided there is nothing gloomy about San Luis Obispo at all!

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A Reception For Jacki Sorensen

April 27, 2012 11:32 ET

President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition Announces 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients

WASHINGTON, DC—(Marketwire - Apr 27, 2012) - In honor of National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition (PCFSN) will pay tribute to the 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award winners at their annual meeting on May 1, 2012.

Presented annually since 2007, the Lifetime Achievement Award is given to individuals whose careers have greatly contributed to the advancement or promotion of physical activity, fitness, sports, and nutrition-related programs nationwide. Recipients are selected by members of PCFSN based on the span and scope of an individual’s career, the estimated number of lives they have touched, and the impact of their legacy.

2012 PCFSN Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients

Linn Goldberg, M.D. - Dr. Goldberg is Professor of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Health Promotion & Sports Medicine at Oregon Health & Science University. His groundbreaking programs for young athletes (ATLAS for boys and ATHENA for girls) utilize exercise and nutrition alternatives to prevent the use of alcohol, performance enhancing and illicit drugs.

Thomas McKenzie, Ph.D. - Dr. McKenzie is Emeritus professor in the San Diego State University School of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences. Dr. McKenzie has authored or co-authored over 170 publications and co-founded SPARK — a nationally recognized research-based public health organization dedicated to improve health through physical activity. In March 2012, he was awarded a Hall of Fame Award from the National Association for Sport and Physical Education.

Jacki Sorensen - Sorensen is the originator of Aerobic Dancing — the complete fitness program that combines health and toning benefits of jogging with the fun of dancing. Sorensen is the President and founder of Jacki’s Inc.

Charles Sterling, Ed.D. - Sterling is Chairman of Youth Initiatives at The Cooper Institute and Chairman of the FITNESSGRAM Board of Trustees. Dr. Sterling is best known professionally as the founder of the widely-used FITNESSGRAM®, a health-related testing and feedback system for youth.

Pat Summitt - Summitt is Hall of Fame University of Tennessee Head Women’s Basketball Coach Emeritus. Summitt has won more games than anyone else in NCAA college basketball history, winning eight national titles and 1,098 games at Tennessee.

When our family moved to our current home 24 years ago I immediately began looking for an exercise class to join.

I had always participated in an exercise class in Chicago even while my kids were small. At the Jewish Community Center my younger son played in his “Funtimers” preschool class, while I had my own “fun time “exercising to music in the aerobics class in the gym.

After class my son and I would head to Wendy’s across the street for lunch. It became our little ritual. I was hooked on exercise, and had always found some time to attend a class, or run with my neighbor…we even did the Chicago Marathon in 1983!

When we moved to our new home in Maryland in 1988 we were amazed to find a brand new community center several blocks away, offering all kinds of activities for our boys, basketball for my husband, and aerobic exercise for me!

And not just any exercise, but Jacki Sorensen’ s Aerobic workout, dance, and step classes.

I’m happy to say I’ve been attending our intsructor Karin Baker’s classes for all these years. A couple of weeks ago in class Karin told us that Jacki was receiving this lifetime achievement award May 1st in Washington, DC .

Later in the evening they wanted to hold a large exercise session with instructors and students coming from all over, and Jacki presiding.

There wasn’t much time to pull it together, but Karin arranged to have it at our community center, and last night there were 190 of us doing Jacki’s dance aerobics in the gym.

With the help of many other volunteers a memorable evening was pulled together and Jacki was thrilled.

I volunteered to help with the food for the reception. For my part I prepared lots of fresh fruit displays, my Mom’s Banana Sour Cream Cake ( increased the recipe by 1 and 1/2 and baked in a sheet pan) with vanilla buttercream frosting, and my Chocolate Bonbons.

Here are the photos! You didn’t think this was just going to be a post about exercise, did you?

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I apologize for being so neglectful of this blog for the last several weeks, but I do have good reason, so I hope I’m forgiven.

WE ATTENDED THE OSCARS! I’m not at liberty to disclose how this all happened (just like all the secrecy that surrounds those nominations before the winner is announced), but let’s just say we know someone…a very special someone I might add!

It truly was the experience of a lifetime, and a very unexpected one at that. Especially for such a star-struck girl as myself…

But now we’re home, and back to reality so I hope to be blogging some award-winning recipes soon.

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Happy Valentine’s Day…A Dinner For My Valentine (all his favorites)

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Meyer Lemon Curd

When cooking during the winter months, the natural order of things is to decide on a dish and shop for whatever ingredients you might need to make it. Common sense, right?

Whereas in late spring and summer when the farmer’s markets are in full force I like to buy what looks particularly great and then decide what I can create with my bounty.

But occasionally my impulsive nature wins out at this time of year when I’m in a store and suddenly come across something spectacular like the gorgeous Meyer lemons I spotted at Costco a couple weeks ago.

Now if you know Costco you know nothing comes in small amounts.

Drawn to a box of 16 fragrant, bright, unblemished Meyer lemons that I had no idea what I was going to do with, I watched almost as an out of body experience while I placed them in my cart.

Once home, I filled a bowl with them and just placed them on my counter to enjoy.

My kitchen is normally bedecked with bowls of fruit simply because I love the way it looks …art you can eat!

I may be impulsive, but I’m definitely not wasteful, so after several days I began thinking of what I might make with such a large quantity of Meyer lemons, and then it came to me…why not make Meyer Lemon Curd to give as gifts during the holidays?

If you are not familiar with the Meyer lemon it is a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange. The flavor blends the tartness of a traditional lemon with the sweetness of an orange, making it a great choice for lemon desserts of all kinds.

The fruit is rounder than a true lemon, the skin is fragrant and thin, and the color is a deep yellow with a slight orange tint when ripe.

I found a recipe online for Meyer Lemon Curd that came from the December, 1999 issue of Gourmet Magazine.

Lemon curd can be used as a filling for cakes, pies or tarts, or as a delicious spread on toast, scones or muffins.

It makes a great little gift to take to someone’s home during the holidays, which is what I plan to do with a few of the jars. And with the rest, maybe a lemon meringue tart…it’s my husband’s favorite! Here’s the recipe…

Meyer Lemon Curd (Gourmet, December 1999)

(makes about 1 and 2/3 cups) (recipe can be doubled or tripled easily)

3 to 4 Meyer lemons (about1 pound)

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

Finely grate enough zest from lemons to measure 2 teaspoons and squeeze enough juice to measure 1/2 cup.

Whisk together zest, juice, sugar, and eggs in a metal bowl and add butter. Set bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook, whisking until thickened and smooth and an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees, about 5 minutes.

Force the curd through a fine sieve set into another bowl. Serve warm or cover surface of curd with wax paper and cool completely.

*Lemon curd keeps, covered and chilled, 1 week. Can freeze up to 2 months.

*If substituting regular lemons, increase sugar to 3/4 cup.