Recipes serves 4

1/2 Cup cider vinegar

3 Tbsp brown sugar

1 teas sea salt

Fresh ground pepper

1 teas garam masala [coriander, cumin, cardamon and cinnamon]

3 Tbsp olive oil

3 – 4  medium size garden cucumbers

Combined vinegar, spices and sugar

Slowly add olive oil while whisking to make dressing

Slice cucumbers into 1/4inch

Add fresh sprigs of tarragon

Drizzle dressing over cucumbers

Toss gently, refrigerate for 30 minutes

Dressing
1/4 Cup lemon juice
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp ground mustard
2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
6 – 8 Tbsp olive oil
Sea salt and ground pepper to taste

Salad
2 Cups of diced chicken
1 Cup of diced strawberries
1/2 Cup Gorgonzola cheese
1 Cup diced celery
1 Cup toasted walnuts halves, chopped once

Mix lemon juice, garlic, mustard sea salt and pepper.
Add olive oil slowly to blend into a dressing.
Toss salad ingredients together
Coat salad with dressing.
Serve on leaf lettuce.

Coconut Cake

3 Cups of cake flour

1/2 tsp seasalt

1 Cup unsalted butter [2 sticks], room temperature

2 1/2 Cups sugar

5 Large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp coconut extract

1 Cup unsweetened coconut milk

2 Cups sweet flaked coconut

Mascarpone Frosting

4 Tbsp soften butter

3/4 Cup mascarpone cheese

1 tsp lemon zest, finely grated

1/4 tsp ground clove

2 2/3 Cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter bundt pan then dust with flour.

Blend cake flour and salt together in medium bowl.

Beat butter adding sugar slowly until well blended.

Add eggs one at a time. Add extracts.

Beat into butter batter flour/salt mixture in two additions alternating with coconut milk.

Fold in coconut flakes and transfer to bundt pan smoothing top.

Bake for 70 minutes checking the center for doneness, cook additonal 5 minutes if needed.

Cool for 10 minutes. Remove cake from pan onto rack.

Cool completely.

Prepare frosting by beating butter and mascarpone cheese. Add lemon zest and ground clove.

Add powdered sugar until smooth.

Frost cake and add 1/2 cup of remaining coconut flakes on frosted cake.

There are many good ‘cheap’ wines in the Market these days and not just from Napa Valley or across the Big Pond. Washington State, South America, NZ and Aussie wines are all appealing to these tough economic times with whites, reds, rose and sparkling varieties … and at a good price.

Here’s a great idea from “this guy I know” to educate yourself and your friends. Have a wine tasting happy hour. Invite a group of 6-8 friends, preselect the wine to compare… you could try a domestic or imported Riesling; I hear the Pacific Rim has some really great Riesling blends [domestic and imported grapes]. Everyone bring a different bottle or vineyard say for $10. But make sure there aren’t any doubles; as the host you can track this by asking your guests.

It doesn’t have to be fancy at all. Set up some bottled water, small clear plastic cups, Block of cheese, maybe some crackers. Open each bottle and pour 2 ozs per guest for each wine… do two runs, only taking 1 oz each time. After you try all the wines, talk about them, the taste, mouthfeel, aroma… take notes or not. But in the end you only spent 10 bucks trying 8 different wines. Then pick a new host and different wine for the next time.  Hopefully you will come away with new wines and good times with good friends.

Then head out to dinner… because the people who work in restaurants also need to make some cash during this economic ‘down turn’.

To stimulate a little dialogue… tell me about your favorite wine for $10 or even $15.

Lets get educated about wine!

3 Cups of romaine salad
8 Medium marinated mushrooms
12 Fresh strawberries, cut into quarters
2 Tbsp chunky blue cheese
2 Tbsp chopped pecans
1/2 tsp kosher salt
dash ground pepper

Combine above ingredients and dress with desired amount of raspberry vinaigrette blue cheese dressing
Serve with honey butter on fresh French bread

Note: honey butter can be made by mixing 1 Tbsp honey and 2 Tbsp creamy butter

Recipe Makes 4 servings

2 tsp unflavored gelatin
1 Cup heavy cream
1/2 Cup dark brown sugar
2 Cups plain yogurt
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla bean
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamon
1/2 Cup water
1/2 Cup strawberries
1/2 Cup raspberries
2 Tbsp brown sugar

Stir together gelatin and 1/4 cup of heavy cream in saucepan and let stand 1 minute to soften.
Bring to a simmer over moderate heat, stirring until gelatin is dissolved.
Add remaining 3/4 cup cream with brown sugar, vanilla bean, spices and return to a simmer, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
Whisk together yogurt and salt until smooth.
Pour in cream mixture and whisk until combined well.
Pour 8oz mixture into 4 large ramekins, chill covered, until firm, at least 8 hours.
To unmold, run a thin sharp knife along edge of each ramekin to loosen, then dip in a small bowl of very warm water a few seconds.
Invert a plate over each ramekin and then invert panna cotta onto plates, gently lifting off ramekins.

Add strawberries, raspberries, brown sugar and water in sauce pan over medium heat and cook the make syrupy reduction.
Cool and serve on top of panna cotta.
Garnish with fresh raspberries.

Nutritional facts per serving (daily value): Calories 436kcal; Protein 7g (14%); Total Fat 26g (41%)(Sat. 16g (82%)); Chol. 98mg (33%); Carb. 46g (15%); Fiber 2g (8%); Sugars 41g; Calcium 231mg (23%); Iron 1mg (6%)

1 Cup flour
3/4 Tsp salt
1 Cup whole milk
2 large eggs
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place enough olive oil to cover the bottom of each 6 muffin inserts of muffin pan;   place in oven.
Blend flour and salt in small bowl.
Heat milk small saute pan over medium heat until very warm.
Whisk eggs in separate bowl and gradually add to warm milk.
Add flour into milk egg mixture just to blend.

Remove hot muffin pans from oven.
Spoon 1/3 cup batter into each of 6 muffin cups.
Bake until puffed and deep brown, about 38 minutes. Remove popovers from pan. Stick each popover with the tip of a sharp knife to release any hot air.

Nutritional facts per serving [daily value]: Calories 125Kcal; Protein 6g [11%]; Total Fat 3g [5%][Sat. 1g]; Chol. 75mg [25%]; Carb. 18g [6%]; Fiber 1g [2%]; Sugars 2g; Calcium 58mg [6%]; Iron 1mg [7%].

Tartrazine or FD&C Yellow 5 is an approved synthetic organic dye found in many food products as a food coloring; it is lemon in color and water soluble. Some common products containing tartrazine are soft drinks, carbonated drinks, ice cream, ice pops, jam, jelly, gelatins, mustard, yogurt and noodles.

In the late 1970s a number of documented cases were determined to be a reaction to tartrazine manifesting in asthma attacks. This led to the US government changing the food labeling laws to list all dyes on food labels.