DJ Devine RL Wife of DJ Texas Tornado's blog: "Recipes"

Found in Nov 2006's issue of Everyday with Rachel Ray magazine: PEANUT BRITTLE MAKES 1 POUND PREP TIME - 5 mins COOK TIME - 20 mins (plus cooling) 1-1/2 cups sugar 1-1/2 teaspoons coarse salt 1-1/4 cups unsalted dry-roasted peanuts 1. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small, heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, salt and 3/4 cup water and place over medium-high heat. Stir briefly with a wooden spoon, then attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and bring the syrup to a boil. Continue boiling, without stirring, over medium-high heat until the mixture is light amber and the termometer registers 340 degrees for 12-15 minutes. 2. Working carefully and quickly, remove the thermometer and stir in te peanuts. Immediately, pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Using a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, spread the mixture so the peanuts are in a single, even layer. Let cool completely, about 20 minutes. Using your hands, break the peanut brittle into pieces.

Did you know???? If you go to REAL COOKS, you can answer Rachel Ray's magazine's question of the month regarding a variety of cooking issues. Sooooo, you too can be a star!! :D Kat

Does anyone have a good recipe? I have an event that I need to go to soon and I would like to take some divinity to the event, but I can't find a good recipe for this. Let me know, if you do! :D Kat (Sure wishing I could find my Grandmother's recipe.... :( )

Leave it to Rachel Ray to publish an actual recipe for Green Eggs and Ham!! LOL.... I noticed that it calls for cilantro leaves which may not suit the taste of anyone who isn't from the South; however, I think it will still have the greenish coloring from the avocados alone. :) Found in Nov 2006's issue of Everyday with Rachel Ray magazine: GREEN EGGS & HAM 8 SERVINGS PREP TIME - 15 mins COOK TIME - 1 hr 20 mins (Adapted from the Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook, $17, Random House) 1 fully cooked bone-in smoked home (6-8 pounds) 3/4 cup mint or apple jelly 3 medium tomatillos, finely chopped 3/4 cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped 3 ripe avocados, halved and pitted Juice of 2 limes 1 teaspoon salt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 8 large eggs 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the ham in a roasting pan with 1 cup water and bake until heated through, about 1 hour. Let the ham cool slightly, about 10 mins. 2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt the jelly over low heat. Remove from heat and stir in the tomatillos. Brush the ham (except for the cut side) with the jelly-tomatillo glaze, then gently pat the cilantro onto the glaze. 3. Scoop the avocado flesh into a bowl. Add lime juice and salt and mash with a fork. 4. Melt 2 tablspoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When the butter stops foaming, crack 4 eggs into the pan, cover and cook until the yolks are slighty firm (like you would do if you were to fry some eggs). Transfer the eggs to a serving platter and repeat with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and 4 eggs. 5. Scoop the guacamole onto each egg yolk. Slice the ham and serve with the eggs; serve the leftover guacamole on the side. :D

I love mushrooms...and garlic...so this is a perfect blend for me!!! "When mushrooms are cooked, they release a lot of liquid. Using high heat evaporates the juices, allowing the mushrooms to brown and develop flavor. PREP AND COOK TIME: 30 minutes. MAKES 4-6 servings 1 lb wild or cultivated mushrooms 2 tbsp olive oil 1/4 tsp salt 2 tsp minced garlic 1 tbsp chopped parsley Coarse sea salt, preferably fleur de sel 1. Trim stems off cleaned mushroom and cut caps into bite-size pieces. Very small mushrooms can be left whole. 2. Set a 10- to 12-in frying pan over high heat. When hot, add olive oil, swirl to coat bottom, and add mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt and cook over high heat, stirring, until mushrooms stop giving off liquid and start to brown. 3. Add garlic and cook, stirring 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in parsley. Serve on a platter and season with sea salt."

This is a "Safeway O Organics(TM) Promotion Winner". LISA GURA of EL MIRAGE, AZ, makes a decorative version of this hearty soup by slicing the beets into thin rounds. (Prize: Vacation, Alaska Cruise!) "PREP AND COOK TIME: 2 hrs. MAKES 10-12 servings 2 tbsp vegetable oil 1 lb boneless beef chuck or round, cut into 1-in pieces About 1-1/2 tsp salt 3 tbsp O Organics(TM) butter 1 onion 6 cloves garlic, chopped 8 cups beef brothe 2 bay leaves 4 beets (2 lbs) peeled and cut into 1/4-in dice 1 cup thinly sliced carrots 4 potatoe (2 lbs), peeled and cut into 1/2-in dice 4 cups thinly sliced green cabbage 5 tbsp lemon juice freshly ground black pepper sour cream 1. Heat oil in a large pot and brown beef in two batches, sprinkling each with 1/2 tsp salt. With a slotted spoon, transfer beef to a bowl and set aside. 2. In same pot, melt butter and add onion and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook, stirring, until onions are soft, about 3 minutes. Add half of the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add reserved beef, beef broth, bay leaves, and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil; lower heat, cover, and simmer until beef is tender, about 1 hour. 3. Add beets and cook 10 minutes; then add carrots and potatoes and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Add cabbage and remaining garlic and cook until cabbage is wilted, about 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with sour cream."

I have often wondered about this fruit. Here are some suggestions.... "You might mistake them for large misshapen apples at your farmers' market. But quinces have their own appeal. They give off a wonderful fragrance, whic is why they're often placed in drawers as a natural air freshener. It's difficult to eat them raw -- they're rock hard and very puckery, even when fully ripe -- but tender and tropical-tasting when cooked. * Poach them in sugar syrup spiced with cinnamon and cloves, to serve alongside rich meat and game dishes. * Add thin slices to your next apple pie for a rosy color. * Cook them with sugar to taste, puree, and serve with potatoe pancakes. * Make a relish: Grate raw quince, sprinkle with salt, and set aside for a few hours. Rinse under cold water, drain, and dry, then add chopped garlic, a minced hot green chile, sugar and lemon juice. Cover and chill." Do you have any other ideas/suggestions????

I absolutely love pears and never thought about mixing it in a soup, but I put grapes and fruit in my chinese cooking, so why not??? "Fennel, also called sweet anise or finocchio, is crunchy and has a lovely anisey flavor. It has three distinct parts: the stalks, the feathery fronds (which can be used as an herb), and the pale green bulbs. Comice pears are large and very sweet and juicy. Together, they make a perfect seasonal first course. Trim base and stalks from 2 fresh fennel bulbs, reserving a few leaves for garnish. Coarsely chop bulbs. In a medium pan, combine chopped fennel, 1 chopped yellow onion, 2 tbsp butter, and 2 tbsp water; cover and cook over medium-high heat until vegetables are limp, 5-7 minutes. Add 2 peeled and coarsely chopped Comice pears and 4 cups chicken broth; cover and simmer until pears are soft, about 5 minutes. Puree the mixture in a blender, in batches if necessary. Return soup to a pan to reheat. If it's too thick, add a little more broth. Season with salt and white pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with fennel fronds and freshly ground black pepper. Makes 6-8 servings." Substitution suggestions -- instead of fennels, consider leeks; instead of Comice pears, try other pears. Word of caution on white pepper -- use very sparingly, if you have never used it before. White pepper can make a soup very hot very fast if put too much into the soup. People often don't pay attention to how much they are putting in because it is white and disappears quickly!!