Sweet Mary

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie II

OK, this is the last strawberry post for a while.  As you can tell, I was super busy last weekend with all of those freshly picked strawberries.  Before the weekend was over, I had 12 jars of jam, three containers of frozen strawberries, shortcakes, and a strawberry rhubarb pie.  I am now on sugar/butter detox after eating so many desserts in such a short time frame!

I certainly do look forward to my annual strawberry rhubarb pie, though.  You can read about the pie I made last year around this time HERE.  That pie was a beauty with it's lovely lattice top.  It had a different kind of sweet taste due to the use of brown sugar in the filling.  I liked it very much; however, this is the recipe I adore more than any other I have tried.  If you can get perfect strawberries and perfect rhubarb, this pie is absolutely incredible and will garner over-the-top reactions from even the most critical pie enthusiast.  The combination of cornstarch and quick-cooking tapioca ensure that the filling will set up amazingly well.  And, quite frankly, the fruit will speak for itself.  There is nothing like the combination of strawberries and rhubarb for a powerfully evocative sweet-tart taste that you will look forward to all year long, as I do.

Now, I'm not going to lie.  I had some complications last Sunday when I went to make my pie dough.  We had a wave of humidity that descended upon East Providence in one nasty swoop.  And, of course, my third floor apartment sucked in the humidity of the whole house and it made it damn near impossible to roll my dough because the butter was melting faster than I could work.  Mind you, I thought I was going to beat any potential heat because it was only 9:30 a.m.  But, what can you do?   Weather (especially heat and humidity) can really affect baking.  I was determined to make this pie, so I made some more dough and downsized to a smaller pie pan so I wouldn't have to stretch the dough any further than necessary.  Then, I threw every ingredient and piece of equipment into my freezer for a spell to keep things cold at least for a few minutes.  The only other problem I encountered was crimping the edges.  The dough and butter were just too soft for any shape to form properly.  So, this pie came out a tad ugly and misshapen around the edges by my standards; however, it did not affect the taste at all. 

 

I brought this pie to work to eat after lunch with my team and, unfortunately, forgot my camera.  Therefore, I didn't catch an image of a nice slice.  Oh well.  You can just imagine the vibrancy of the strawberry and rhubarb melded together in a nice flaky buttery crust.  I snagged the last piece, which didn't last very long after I returned home.  Man, was that pie delicious!

For the Pie Crust recipe, click HERE.  This is the one I always used.  So, it's tried and true.  Don't forget to double the recipe because you need a double crust.  This recipe is from my 2003 Williams & Sonoma Pie and Tart book (which has never let me down).

For the Filling

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons quick cooking tapioca

pinch of salt

3 cups strawberries, hulled and halved

3 cups rhubarb, trimmed and sliced 1/2 inch thick

1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces

After rolling out the bottom pie crust and laying it into a pie dish, make sure you remember to brush the bottom with a little whisked egg. This cooks a bit while baking and prevents a soggy bottom crust.  Store the pie crust in the fridge while you get the filling ready, especially if it is hot.

In a small bowl, stir the sugar, cornstarch, tapioca, and salt together.  Place the strawberries and rhubarb in a large bowl.  Sprinkle with the sugar mixture and toss to distribute evenly.  Immediately transfer to the dough-lined pan.  Dot with butter.

Roll the top crust out.  Lay over fruit.  Do this by rolling half of the dough around your rolling pin.  Lift it up off your work surface and position it over the pie.  Unfold.  Trim the edge neatly.  Leave 1 inch of over hang.  Then, fold the edge of the top round under the bottom round.  Crimp edges to seal.  Brush the top of the crust with water.  Sprinkle sugar over the top crust.  Then, cut your vents however you wish.  You can also make vents by using small cookie cutters when rolling the dough out.  Just be careful when you lay the dough over the fruit, as it will stretch a bit and you want to keep your cut out shapes in tact.  

Put the finished pie into the fridge for 20-30 minutes until it firms up.  Place an oven rack in the bottom third of your oven.  Preheat to 350 F.  Place the pie on a baking sheet lined with foil (in case it bubbles over). Bake the pie until the crust is golden and the filling is thick and bubbling, about 50-60 minutes.  Cool completely on a rack so the pie will set up.  Serve at room temperature or rewarm.

New Apron

I recently sent out an email to a bunch of friends I met in grad school at the School for International Training (now called the SIT Graduate Institute) to see what they were up to because I'd been out of touch for a while (especially since I left my career in international education).  After I sent the email, I realized that it was ten years ago that I left California to move to Brattleboro, Vermont to take on graduate school. Wow.  Ten  years. That was a crazy intense year filled with a lot of hard work, much soul searching, and a bunch of really incredible people whom I will never forget.  

Over the course of three weeks, I heard from almost all of them.  The emails were filled with really wonderful news of marriages, adventures, babies, relocations, career switches, etc.  I was really excited to catch up even if only for a brief moment and, of course, wish them all only the best.

One friend, Diane from Florida, is now retired and turning a hobby into a business.  She embroiders and makes really wonderful aprons (and other things).  When I heard this, Diane and I started going back and forth about it.  She sent photos and I ordered one.  And, let me tell you, I love my new apron.  I've been wearing only the boring industrial white aprons from culinary school since last year.  I had one other apron, a funky retro thing from the 1970's I got in a thrift store years ago with yellow, orange, and brown flowers all over it.  I liked it, but it was one of those aprons that was only waist high and now I like the full bodied aprons.   Anyway, I gave that to my sister last year and resigned myself to plain white aprons.

Here is a photo of the woman chef on my apron.  And, there are a few other photos below to give you an idea of what they look like.  My intention was to model one for you all, but it's pretty hard taking a full photo of myself!  What am I going to do, I live alone?!  Anyway, this apron is great.  It has pockets for tools and is absolutely stain resistant.  I also think they'd make great gifts.  Each apron can be personalized.  And, they come in Featherlite (4.5 oz) and cotton/twill (7.5 oz).  The Featherlites are coated in Teflon for super stain resistance and come in onyx black, French merlot, Arctic white, Nantucket navy, sandalwood, American Red, deep forest green, and glacier blue.  They have three pockets with an outside pen pocket (how handy!) and adjustable neck straps.  What more could you need in an apron?

And, you know what, if you want one, all you have to do is write to Diane at the following email address (stitchembroidery@embarqmail.com).  Her business is called Stitch-IT Embroidery and she does all kinds of embroidery and monogramming.   She is a wonderful person who I will always remember fondly from that crazy year in Brattleboro.  Not only was she an excellent student and business/professional woman, she was a great friend.   I remember one particularly tough week when I broke up with my boyfriend of over a year and, then, my grandmother died.  I went to one last class before hitting the road to go to her funeral and it was Diane that said, "You look like you need a hug."  Oh yeah, did I need a hug!  And, although she barely knew me, she gave me a hug.  So, if there is anything I can do to support her and help her get some orders, you know I am going to do it.

And, if you feel like sharing photos of your favorite aprons, please do over the next week or two.   I know some of you collect all kinds of aprons.  I'll post a little round-up if anyone partakes.  And, I certainly hope you do.  Maybe by then, I can get a photo of me in the apron!

 

Strawberry Shortcakes

Last weekend, I also made some Strawberry Shortcakes with my fresh picked berries.  And, I will confess that after all that jam making, strawberry hulling, and shortcake baking, I didn't feel much like cooking dinner. So, dessert served as my dinner.  I rarely (if ever) do that, as I like to eat healthy and get my veggies in, you know.  But, what a lovely guilty pleasure it was!

The shortcake recipe is from Martha Stewart, although this isn't the recipe I normally use.  I couldn't find my standard shortcake recipe, so went with this one last minute.  I liked this recipe; however, not as much as others I have tried.  The thing to remember with shortcakes (which are essentially buttery biscuits) is to not over mix or over work the dough or they won't rise up all nice and pretty.  I felt like I didn't get enough height with this recipe despite the fact that I barely handled them at all.   They still tasted very delicious with all the berries and whipped cream, though.  I added some Tahitian vanilla and lime juice to my berries for a different taste this year.  This really worked well.

Berry Mixture

To serve four:

6 cups strawberries, hulled and halved

1/2 teaspoon Tahitian vanilla

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

1/4 cup sugar

Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl.  Store in fridge for about an hour before serving.  

Shortcakes

Makes four large shortcakes or 6-7 smaller cakes.

2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into smaller pieces

1 large egg

1 1/2 cups heavy cream, plus three tablespoons

1 large egg yolk

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

Heat oven to 375 F.  In a large bowl, combine 1/4 cup sugar, flour, and baking powder.  Ct in butter usiing a fork until the mix resembles course meal. 

Whisk together egg and 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream.  Slowly add dry mixture.  Mix with a fork just until the dough comes together.  Do not overmix.  Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and pat into a 6-inch square that is 1-inch thick.  Cut four rounds using a 2 1/2 inch cookie cutter.  Place on parchment lined baking sheet.  

Whisk together the yolk and 1 tablespoon cream.  Brush onto the tops of the shortcakes.  Bake until golden brown, 25-30 minutes.  Cool on wire racks for about 15 minutes.

Then, make some whipped cream.  I didn't add any sugar or anything to my cream.  I just whipped up a bit by hand.  To assemble the shortcakes, slice one in half while warm.  Add berries and liquid to bottom half of shortcake.  Then, add the top of the shortcake and add large dollups of whipped cream.

Strawberry Preserves

  I am a huge fan of homemade jams and preserves.  I always make at least one batch each summer, especially if I do some berry picking.  Making jams and preserves is actually a really easy process; however, there are some very important things to know so you can avoid spoilage and bacteria growth.  My suggestion would be to find a trusted resource to use as a reference.  I use the book Blue Ribbon Preserves by Linda J. Amendt (2001). Amendt is a woman who has won over six hundred awards in fair competitions and holds all kinds of top honors in the "preserved foods" field.  She is very impressive.

When it comes to learning how to can, her information is solid.  She has a great chapter on canning basics that is a must read for all canners.  Now, this time, I did not use one of her recipes; however, I have in the past and they were wonderful.  I honestly would not make jam or preserves without thoroughly reading through a reliable (preferably published) resource.  I am going to site Amendt below because all of my knowledge really came from her book and she deserves her props.  I also want to keep this post concise and readable; therefore it is not exhaustive or a replacement for more detailed information.

Regarding equipment, the canning essentials are as follows (not including what you will need to just make the jam):  water bath canner, wide-mouth funnel, ladle, jars and lids, tongs/jar grabber, candy thermometer.  Click here to view canning equipment.  

To prevent spoilage and bacteria growth, follow reliable recipe instructions carefully.  In addition, make sure you prepare your jars correctly.  I always wash them in hot soapy water and then put them in hot (not boiling) water in the water bath pot (which has a rack on the bottom).  I make sure there is at least an inch of water above the jars, bring the water to a boil, and leave them in for 10 minutes.  Then, you turn the heat off and leave them in the hot water till you are ready to use them.  You should fill them right away after taking them out of the hot water.  Handle them carefully to avoid any kind of contamination.  I use tongs or a jar grabber (which is better).  You should also prep your lids.  To do this, bring water to a simmer (not a boil) in a pot. Drop the lids in and turn the heat to low.  Keep them in the pot till ready to use.  The lids have a sealant around the rim that must be softened to work.  When the lids are placed on a jar, the sealant will adhere to the rim and form a vacuum that forms a tight seal (Amendt, p. 33).  

Today, I went with the first jam recipe I used when I started making jam about seven years ago.  It is from All Recipes.  This recipe has three simple ingredients:  fruit, sugar, and lemon juice.  It differs from other recipes in that it does not use any pectin.  I really like just a natural fruit spread and this recipe achieves just that.  It's not that I don't like pectin recipes, it's just that I prefer this consistency to that of the more jelled pectin versions.  It spreads very nicely and I make sure to leave some bigger pieces of fruit in the mix when I am cooking it up.  In one batch, I used lemon juice and, in the second batch, I switched to lime and increased the amount by a few tablespoons.  I really liked the way the lime version turned out because it has a different zing.  That's the lime version on my breakfast short cake in the photo, which was delicious.

Before starting, make sure you prepare your canning area with all necessary equipment and ingredients. You do have to stir the mixture a bunch so it won't boil over and, a bit of caution here, the jam will be very very hot.  It is so easy to get burned when working with high temperatures.  Keep some clean towels on hand, too, because making jam can get a little messy.

2 pounds fresh hulled strawberries

4 cups sugar

1/4 cup lemon juice

*This recipe is not intended for high altitudes.

*Use a candy thermometer for temperature readings.

First, place 2-3 small plates in the freezer.  These will help you test the jelling later.

In a big bowl, crush the berries in batches until you have 4 cups of mashed berries.  In a heavy bottomed saucepan, mix the berries, sugar, and lemon juice together.  Stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Turn heat up to high and bring to a rolling boil.  Boil and stir often.  Skim off foam.  Bring the mix to 220 F. At this point, test for jelling.  To do this, drop a teaspoon of the jam mixture on one of the plates you put in the freezer. Put it back in the freezer for one minute.  Take it back out and run your finger through the jam. If it doesn't run back together (i.e. you can make a line with your finger), it's ready to be canned.  If not, keep the jam mixture boiling and test again in another 5-10 minutes.

Let the jam sit for five minutes.  According to the Amendt book, this will prevent the fruit from floating to the top.  Transfer jam to hot sterile jars and leave 1/4-1/2 inch headspace.  Use a ladle and a funnel to avoid messes.  Then, you must seal the jars with the lids.  Put on the screw rings.  This recipe does not call for water bath processing unless the jars are unsealed.  I follow the Amendt book and process all half pint jars at 200 F for 10 minutes (15 minutes for pint jars).  At this point, all jars should be sealed.  If you press your finger down in the middle of the lid, it should not pop back up.  If it does, the jar isn't sealed.  If it's not sealed, you can put the jar in the fridge and use it or you can reprocess the jar to seal the lid properly.  I also check them a few hours and even a day later to make sure they are all sealed and sanitary.

Store your jars of jam in a cool, dry, and dark place that is between 40 and 75 degrees.  Also, when you go to use the jam, check for signs of spoilage before you eat it.  It is always better to be safe than sorry. 

Strawberry Season in Rhode Island

 

I have been knee deep in strawberries since I returned home from an excursion to Schartner's Farm in Exeter, RI yesterday.  I got up in the early a.m. to head on down and do my strawberry picking.  I've been calling around to different pick your own farms all week to see who might have the sweetest ripest berries and a field that was not already picked over.  I took my chances on Schartner's because they were just opening their fields to the public.  They don't have a website; however are located right off Route 2 and if you act fast, you might be able to get some before they're gone!

When I arrived at 8 a.m., the farm had already been open since 7 and there were quite a few people working a flagged off section.  I joined them and was quickly frustrated with how hard it was to find ripe juicy berries.   I didn't mind, though, because I knew I'd be making some jam or preserves and wanted a batch that was not too ripe.  But, then, about 15 minutes later, one of the workers strolled on down to where all the pickers were picking and opened a new section.  Now, this section was more what I had in mind.  Big red ripe berries.  They were delicious.

  

I ended up picking over 12 pounds!  Once you get started, it's hard to stop.  That's a lot of berries for one person to handle, let me tell you.  As soon as I got home, I put a bunch in a big bowl and gave them to my neighbors.  They were very excited and commented on how wonderful they smelled.  That is one thing I love about berry picking.  As soon as you get home, that sweet aroma fills your kitchen.  It most definitely brings me back to my childhood.  It seemed that as soon as school let out, strawberry picking down on Robinson Lane was one of our first family activities.  We would pick a ton and be eating fresh berries for days.  My Mom also froze a bunch so we could have them year long.  

As an adult, I did some berry picking in Maryland when I lived there.  There was a great farm outside of Baltimore in Westminster called Baugher's.  I loved that place.  You get taken down to the fields in a big flatbed tractor with all the families and kids which is a lot of fun.  And, they hold really nice autumn events during apple picking season and have a from scratch bakery and cafe down the road.  You can pick all kinds of things there...strawberries, blackberries, cherries, etc.  It was fantastic.  

Anyway, that's when I started making homemade jam and there's the segue into the next post, which I'll put up later today or tomorrow.  Anyway, if I were you, I'd get out there and get yourself some berries!  There is truly no comparison to the ones we see in the supermarkets, which, most of the time, aren't even near ripe. By picking your own, you also get to support a local farmer which makes it even more worthwhile.  Here is a link for the pick your own farms in Rhode Island.

Blackberry Crumb Bars

Yes, I know.  Another cookie recipe.  Seriously, I couldn't help it.  I check the Martha Stewart Cookie of the Day Recipe once a week or so and marvel at the wide variety of cookies they come up with.  Someone out there has my ideal job...conjuring up and testing all those cookie recipes!  Anyway, here is the direct link to the recipe. I happened to have a bunch of really nice blackberries and, so, when I saw the recipe, I jumped on it and added them to the Chocolate Wows for bocce night.

Now, I wouldn't necessarily call these cookies, as they are more like bite sized coffee cakes; however, they really do taste like little fruit crumbles and were super moist, buttery, and hard to resist.  

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and 1 stick at room temperature

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup confectioner's sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

10 ounces of blackberries

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Butter an 8 inch square baking pan.  Line bottom with parchment and leave an over hang over two sides (you can also do this with aluminum foil).  Butter and flour the paper.  Tap out the excess.

Make the topping:  In a bowl, whisk melted butter, brown sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt with a fork till moist crumbs form.  Put in fridge till you use it.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.  Set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat room temperature butter, confectioner's sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition.  Reduce speed to low.  Mix in flour.  Spread batter evenly in pan. Sprinkle with blackberries and then the topping.

Bake until golden and until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 40-45 minutes.  Cool completely in the pan.  Then, lift the cake out onto a work surface and cut into 16 squares.  

Chocolate Wows

With lots of rich chocolate and pecans, you may echo the sentiment that's in the name of these cookies from Good Housekeeping's Favorite Recipes book on Cookies (2004).  I love this book because it is filled with classic cookie recipes, many of which serve as a great foundation for playing with flavors and ingredients.  I've never made the Wows before, but I just noticed that this recipe is very similar to the Chocolate Cherry Cookies I made in March of 2007 (also from the same book).  I'd give you a link; however, I've made so many cookies that the older recipes no longer show up in the Cookie category.  I think it might be time to create some sort of recipe index!

Anyway, the cookies are excellent and I'm sure the bocce crowd will love them.

1/3 cup flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 stick unsalted butter

2 large eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups chopped pecans

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 F.  Grease two large cookie sheets.  In a small bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.

In a heavy 2 quart saucepan, melt chocolate and butter over low heat.  Stir often and until smooth.  Set aside and cool completely.

In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar on medium until light and lemon colored.  Scrap bowl often.  This should take about 2 minutes.  Add chocolate mixture, flour mixture, and vanilla.  Beat until just blended. Increase speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes.  With a wooden spoon, stir in chocolate chips and pecans.

Put dough in fridge for about 25 minutes or so.  It will be easier to work with.  Drop batter by rounded teaspoons onto baking sheets 2 inches apart.  Use a small metal spatula or the back of a spoon to spread batter into 2 inch rounds.  Bake for about 14 minutes until the tops are shiny but cracked.  Rotate cookies sheets between upper and lower racks halfway through.  Cool 10 minutes on cookie sheets.  Transfer to a rack to cool.

Old Oven

Well, I certainly lucked out and had the most beautiful weather ever while up North.  Mid 70s.  Clear blue skies.  It was really really wonderful and relaxing.  The pace was super slow and reminiscent of lazier summers when I didn't have to work full-time or had larger chunks of time off.  I won't bore you with all the details about killer lobster rolls, an amazing chocolate chip cookie, lovely paintings, drives through hidden coves, and a sail on the Penobscot Bay; however, I'd really love to return and explore more.  The landscapes, light, and colors were calming, meditative, and a remedy for living full force in the grind.  

I do want to mention the motel I stayed in, the Birchwood.  There was a really nice couple who have owne the motel for the past five years.  I truly appreciate people who are giving a business like this one a go. I often dream of such things myself!  They fixed up one of those old strip motels (which I absolutely adore) and are constantly making improvements.  The grounds were lovely and the rooms immaculate; consequently, I was very satisfied with the small cottage I rented. Now, I won't lie, it would have been nice to be right on the water instead of the on the other side of Route 1; however, most of the places that are seaside are very expensive (at least by my standards) and many still don't have ocean views.   The Birchwood has excellent rates and, again, it is well kept and the owners super friendly.  And, I did have an ocean view from the porch of a cottage.  I also found that the other people who stayed there were equally friendly.  So, I was very happy.

Anyway, I am in the process of baking some chocolate cookies for the last night of Bocce this week...so expect a baking post soon.  In the meantime, check out this amazing old oven that was in the Andrew Wyeth house, which is part of the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockport.  Imagine baking in one of those puppies.

Oven

Well, the heat wave is thankfully over.  When you register 94 degrees in your apartment, you know you're in for a rough ride.  I spent the brunt of the week testing various cooling methods up here.  This translates to calls to the landlord, moving air conditioners, sweating profusely, feeling super frustrated, and blowing fuses. It still felt like being in an oven.  Not very fun; however, I did enjoy hanging out with my Portuguese neighbors on their patio under the grape vines when I just couldn't stand it anymore.  And, mind you, I do have one room that did cool down...my bedroom.  I think I'll be living out of that one room whenever it gets super hot.

Anyway, I am taking the weekend off from everything and hitting the road before the gas prices rise anymore. Mid-coast Maine is my destination.  I am armed with good music, car snacks, a guide book, and a very loose plan. And, I have a nice little cottage awaiting me with a lovely ocean view.  What could be better?

Kweller Kabobs

Welcome to my new category!  It is hot and humid here in the Northeast.  It seems we went from cool rainy weather reminiscent of the Pacific Northwest directly to hot and humid in the blink of an eye.  On days like this, it's tough to even think about cooking in a third floor kitchen.  So, I don't.  Even though I have to trudge down two flights of hot sweltery stairs to the yard where I parked my mid-size Webber grill, it is most definitely a grilling day.

Today's recipe: Kweller Kabobs.  Sweet and spicy grilled fruit kabobs named after young rocker, Ben Kweller.  I see him as a soulful guy with a sharp sense of what makes a good indie pop/rock song... timeless catchy riffs that get under your skin and heart aching one-liners that make you want to fall in love and be young again etc.  I came across Kweller at the Ram's Head Tavern in Annapolis, MD about nine years ago when he opened for both Ben Lee and Evan Dando.  His energy was infectious and there is no other way to put it, the kid rocked (and he was a kid...about 18 or so). And, for what it's worth, he blew Ben Lee and Evan Dando out of the water.  I was impressed and quite taken with him.

When his album Sha Sha was released in 2002, my ex-husband brought it home for me.  From that moment on, it was a house and road-trip favorite.  We never did have a song, but I'd venture to say that Sha Sha was "our album."  So,  you can imagine that when the ex and I spilt up, I couldn't listen to Sha Sha for a good long while.  I epitomized a woman going through a gnarley divorce at that moment in time; consequently, I almost threw the darn CD right out.  But, instead, I kept it till I was ready to reclaim it (which was quite the metaphor for other things I wanted to reclaim, too).  I will admit that the first few run throughs were filled with lots of snotty-nosed weeping, but pretty soon, it was just me and Sha Sha, as if that was all it had ever been.  And, for those that know me, you know how I like my highly addictive indie pop.  This album is truly one of the best of the last decade.

Kweller has released two more albums since then, On My Way (2004) and Ben Kweller (2006).  I liked On My Way very much.  Not as much as Sha Sha, but still.  And, several months ago I finally added his 06 release to my collection.  I'm about a year and half behind the curve here, I know.  But, considering I was working and going to school seven days a week for the past year and a half, I'm cutting myself some slack. I really really like the Ben Kweller album.  So much that it's still heavy in rotation.  

  

Lately, I have been very much into the song Penny on a Train Track.  Not only is the video he made for it absolutely inspirational and precious (it's his grandmother jazzercising to the song...view it here, if you want), the song is a great reminder to just get out there and live.  Right now, it's mid-life crisis mania here for me and a few of my friends who are simply wondering "is this all there is?" So, I'll take any reminder I can get! The irony is that most of us are smart, creative, intelligent, adventurous people who have crammed more living into our near 40 years than most.   All I know is that I am going to keep riding along on my own path, continue going all kinds of places "I don't know," and ignore all those conventions that make you think you want to be like everyone else.   Oh...and you're never too old to listen to good music. In fact, I think rocking out on a regular basis helps ward off lots of gray hairs and what an acquaintance of mine used to call "old fartitis."  

Yes, I know.  So much going on in my brain.  So many directions.  What are you going to do? Except kick off what I hope turns out to be a rockin' category on Sweet Mary and make something sweet sweet sweet.  A bit silly or quirky, maybe.  But, the beauty about getting older is that you (hopefully) know yourself pretty well and don't give a flyin' monkeys arse what anyone thinks.  I've been enjoying that notion lately, I have.

So, why spicy and sweet fruit kabobs?  Well, upon checking out the site Cooking with Rockstars, I watched an interview with Ben Kweller during which he talks about his cooking skills and interests.  He's got a thing for Latin American flavors and grilling it seems.  So, on this hellishly hot and humid day, I got motivated to grill some Peruvian spiced chicken, veggies, and, for dessert, fruit kabobs (or, Kweller Kabobs, if you will) for myself.  All of it was super tasty and made the heat a bit more bearable.  There are two sauces/glazes within the recipe.  One is sweet, the other spicy.  Give them a shot, if you want. They are certainly easy to change or improve.  Give Kweller a listen, if you want.  You won't be disappointed.   My comments follow the recipe.  

Kweller Kabobs

Fruit of your choice, cut into chunks for skewers

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup of lime juice (or more if you want more zing)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon rum

pinch of cayenne

1/2 teaspoon Adobo chile sauce/hot sauce (or more if you want a bigger kick)

1 teaspoon tequila

some mint leaves

some cilantro leaves

Soak bamboo skewers in water for about an hour or so so they don't burn.

Cut fruit into chunks.  Pineapple, peaches, plums, and strawberries work well.  Load onto skewers however you want.

Put brown sugar and butter in a small pan over medium heat.  Melt butter.  Stir.

Take off heat.  Stir in lime juice.  

Divide the sauce into two separate bowls.

In one bowl, add the vanilla, cinnamon, and rum.  Stir to combine.

In the other bowl, add the cayenne, chile sauce, and tequila.  Stir to combine.

Set aside.

Over medium or medium high heat coals, place the fruit skewers.  Direct or indirect heat will work.  It will obviously take a bit longer over indirect.  You can also use an indoor grill pan over medium heat.   

I brushed the sauces over the fruit while they were grilling.  It took 1-2 minutes per side.  If you go too long, the fruit will get too soft and start breaking down.  

To serve, drizzle the extra sauce over the fruit.  

Add some mint to the skewers with the vanilla flavored sauce.

Add some cilantro to the skewers with the chile flavored sauce.

Serve warm.  Ice cream would go well.

Comments:  All in all, they were very good.  However, I thought grilled melon was kind of gross.  I won't lie!  I couldn't get good plums or strawberries, which is what I wanted.  The kiwi, pineapple, and peaches I used were fantastic with both sauces.  I preferred the spicy sauce and would have even liked it a bit stronger.  The cilantro made it super refreshing. The vanilla-cinnamon was very good, but just more traditional and even a bit wintery to me.  

Note:  Not all Rockstar recipe posts will be this long.  I promise.

And, finally, the lovely dinner that preceded the fruity kabobs.  Just because.