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By Helen S. Fletcher, on September 22nd, 2011%
 Ok, here comes another individual recipe. Since the children are gone and it’s just the two of us, large casseroles are out of the question – hence, individual casseroles. If you are cooking for more than two, just double or triple this recipe and make it in one casserole, using tortillas to cover the bottom, spread with one third of the filling and continue so you have three layers of filling and four of tortillas, starting and ending with tortillas. If you are using individual casseroles and the tortillas won’t fit, trim them with scissors to fit. This recipe came about as a result of my daughter-in-law’s love for the tart made with this filling. But the crust was a non-starter so I redesigned it for an easier entree.
The imitation crab, often referred to as surimi or sealegs is usually made of Alaskan Pollack also referred to as Walleye Pollock, Snow Cod or Whiting and comes from the Bering Sea near Alaska. It can also be found along the coast of central California and the Sea of Japan. Pollack has a very mild flavor which accepts the crab flavoring agents. I found it interesting that once I made this with real crab and it just wasn’t as good, so back to surimi it was! Continue reading Southwestern Seafood Lasagna with Jicama Slaw
By Helen S. Fletcher, on September 19th, 2011%
This recipe came about as a result of my daughter-in-law’s love for the tart made with this filling. But the crust was a non-starter so I redesigned it for an easy and quick dip. Regular tortilla chips can be used but these cumin enhanced corn tortilla chips take just a few minutes and add a lot.
The . . . → Read More: Southwestern Seafood Dip and Chips
By Helen S. Fletcher, on September 15th, 2011%
 This recipe comes via one of the Lettuce Entertain You restaurants in Chicago. It was years and years ago and which restaurant I can’t honestly remember. What I do remember is this incredible stew.
It was late in the day and my husband and I were weary from walking around doing research. By the time we got to the restaurant, we were both tired and conversation seemed like an effort. After we looked at the menu and ordered, I remember thinking it might have been better to just go back to the hotel and go to sleep. I couldn’t have been more wrong! When the stew arrived, everything in me perked up. It was visually beautiful, smelled amazing and I could hardly wait for it to cool a bit so I could dive in. While I waited, I started on the rosemary bread that accompanied it. Rosemary can be a very assertive herb but the bread contained just enough green specks to make it appealing. When the stew cooled a bit and I was able to start eating, I couldn’t believe the vibrancy of the vegetables. No small, indistinguishable pieces here but large pieces of recognizable vegetables still retaining much of their crispness. The dish seemed put together with color as well as taste in mind finished off with cannellini beans and large cheese ravioli. After the veggies are cut and ready to go, it is only a matter of minutes of cooking to bring it all together.
I quickly pulled out the little notebook I carry everywhere for just for such an occasion. I listed all of the ingredients and came home to recreate it. I changed the ravioli to tortellini because I thought it easier to eat and added just a bit of vinegar to sharpen the taste. Other than that, I can only thank the restaurant for an amazingly tasty and easy to make vegetable stew perfect all year around.
In the summer 2 cups of cut up really ripe tomatoes can be used in place of the canned tomatoes used in the winter months if desired. All of the measurements are guidelines. A little more or less of one or the other will not alter the taste.
I have no idea if they serve this in Tuscany, but I am sure they would love it if they did. Continue reading Tuscan Vegetable Stew
By Helen S. Fletcher, on September 8th, 2011%
 Some months ago I was asked to make a wedding cake for a friends daughter’s wedding. After closing my bakery in 2009, I don’t have the capacity to do wedding cakes out of my house.
But it bothered me that I couldn’t do this wedding, so after a while, I thought CUPCAKES! I didn’t want cupcake holders or row upon row of cupcakes on a table. I wanted a wedding cake! So here’s what I came up with. We took square styrofoam rounds in 8, 12, 16, and 20 inch sizes 4 inches tall. These were coverd in white satin and hot glued together making sure the edges were evenly spaced so the cupcakes would sit on them. They could also be covered with fondant if you wished.
I went online to find good looking paper cups for the cupcakes in the colors of the wedding which included pink. These added color and continuity to the cake just as the decoration on a wedding cake would.
I chose 5 different flavors from the many we made at my shop. There was a chocolate with vanilla buttercream, yellow cake with spirited chocolate buttercream, coconut, chocolate with peanut butter buttercream and a lemon with a lemon filling and lemon buttercream. I tinted the coconut buttercream pink and rolled the buttercream in flaked coconut to provide color and texture. The lemon was sprinkled with sugar crystals and the peanut butter were sprinkled with real chocolate sprinkles. Two brands are Decoratifs by Guittard Chocolate or Vermicilli by Cocao Barry. These are well worth seeking out as they are so superior to the cocoa version in both looks and flavor that most stores sell. (When I first opened my shop 25 years ago, it took me forever to find these. I had seen them, but couldn’t track them down. Finally, when I switched my chocolate to Guittard, I found these – and used them for over 20 years!) These simple decorations added to the look of the cupcakes but kept the overall look of the cake unified. However, any flavors of cupcakes will do.
I also made a 6 inch cake topper so the bride and groom had a cake for the traditional first piece of cake photo. I finished the topper with flowers and placed it on the top of the cake. Continue reading Cupcake Wedding Cake
By Helen S. Fletcher, on September 6th, 2011%
One of America’s favorite vegetables is really a fruit and didn’t become popular here until the 1900’s. It is actually a member of the nightshade family which includes potatoes and eggplant. To complicate things even more in 1893 the government gave tomatoes the classification of vegetable for trade purposes. But whatever you call it, the varieties . . . → Read More: Tomato Talk
By Helen S. Fletcher, on September 1st, 2011%
In case my regular readers haven’t noticed, my very favorite herb is basil. This year, I planted four huge containers with basil that are now so large, I have no idea what to do with it all. Pesto balls are overtaking the freezer, I have used tons of it everywhere in cooking, I’ve used it in . . . → Read More: Basil Oil
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Welcome to The Ardent Cook!
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Ok, here comes another individual recipe. Since the children are gone and it’s just the two of us, large casseroles are out of the question – hence, individual casseroles. If you are cooking for more than two, just double or triple this recipe and make it in one casserole, using tortillas to cover the bottom, spread with one third of the filling and continue so you have three layers of filling and four of tortillas, starting and ending with tortillas. If you are using individual casseroles and the tortillas won’t fit, trim them with scissors to fit. This recipe came about as a result of my daughter-in-law’s love for the tart made with this filling. But the crust was a non-starter so I redesigned it for an easier entree.
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