The Dining Diva’s Blog

Looking for something fun to do? Go out to The Arbor Gate, 15635 FM 2920 in Tomball. They are having their annual Holiday Open House (4-7 PM) and it is a delight. If you’ve never visited The Arbor Gate, it is truly “a destination”. It is far more than a garden center – In addition to a vast selection of plants and herbs, an extremely knowledgeable staff, gorgeous garden art, they have a fantastic selection of gifts, food products, jewelry, and books. I’ll be there today to autograph cookbooks, so come on out! It is always beautiful, but they go to great lengths to make their holiday decorations look fantastic! See you there!  Also…take a look at their newly re-designed web site – www.arborgate.com !

Ok…so my good intentions about being a faithful blogger didn’t last for long. But… please bear with me; I’m trying again. I was never good at the “Dear Diary” thing either! I get very distracted by this thing called “life”. Living it keeps me pretty preoccupied, so I forget to report  on it. (And I often wonder, how many give a hoot about the wild and crazy existence of The Dining Diva!) Now, as Thanksgiving is in the rear view mirror, I wonder…where did November go? I haven’t let Thanksgiving completely go out of sight. I have a turkey roasting in the oven right now. There’s just something about having our own leftovers that is required around here! And of course, every day is a reminder that we have much for which to be thankful!

Our daughter, Kelly (aka The Golden Child) is off traveling the world. I believe she was in Mongolia on Thanksgiving Day, now en route to Moscow. My sister & hubby went to see their new grandson, Ryder (born Nov 10) in Dallas. Kevin’s siblings were all doing their own thing with their respective families. So Kevin and I were delighted to be included in Thanksgiving Day and all its trimmings by our friends, Iris & Paul. We were joined by another dear friend, Chris, and Iris’ nephew and her dad. The day was wonderful! The food and wine were fabulous, and the company was divine. These are friends who are truly family to us, and we’re so grateful to them for loving us! I was only responsible for a cherry pie and cranberry relish – woohooo!!! Talk about grateful!!!

Great Friends - Great Food

We left with big smiles and full tummies. We were offered leftovers to take home, but it didn’t seem to be anything we were interested in at that over-stuffed moment in time. Things changed on Friday – Kevin was yearning for a turkey sandwich. Fortunately, I’d anticipated this (after 24 Thanksgivings together, I know my man!!) – I had a turkey thawing in the fridge. I’ve brined this one – a first for me, but everyone I know swears it will result in the most moist, flavorful turkey ever. It is certainly looking and smelling heavenly! I will report back! I used a brining blend I saw at the grocery store – one by Spice Hunter’s. If anyone has a great recipe for a brining solution they’d like to share, I’d love to try it out! I know we’ll be ready for another turkey for Christmas! And that is just around the corner!

Oh…if you’re getting ready to begin the holiday season with lots of baking, I know the best source for pecans! Take a look at www.cueropecanhouse.com! My friends, Annette & Mary Beth, owners of the Cuero Pecan House, have the best and freshest pecans (halves & pieces) for cooking, and also carry a variety of seasoned pecans, candies, Pecan Oil, and can make and ship beautiful gift baskets. I use so many pecans in my recipes – since I’m a good ole Texas girl! I’m picking up some of the Native Pecans – I call them the Barbie Pecans! They are tiny, perfect halves, making them ideal for salad or dessert toppings.

In the spirit of this continued Thanksgiving, I’m off to check the turkey!

Not only is it hard to believe it’s November already, it is hard to believe this long season of campaigning is soon to be over! Yippee! I think I can quote most of the political ads in my sleep. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m ready to move on! This is certainly a history-making election no matter which candidates you voted for! I hope you exercised your right to vote. With the HUGE voter turnout, I’m so glad I opted to “early vote”. Though we’re tired of hearing about the election and watching it, somehow we’re still glued to the tv and statistics.

But…while the nation is watching and waiting, I’m cooking! No big surprise there! I had to cook the all-American dinner tonight –  Roast Chicken! Nothing seems more down-home! The aromas that fill the kitchen are incredible. I’ve posted my favorite recipe below- pick out a good, fat roasting hen (not a fryer), and you’ll have a delicious family dinner! If you can find the air-chilled hens they are the best! Season the exterior with JR’s Mix (a seasoning available at www.thecookingdepot.com) It’s the magic touch! And, by popular request from Kevin – Banana Pudding for dessert. Funny, how something so simple is so good and seems so “homey”!

Perfect Roast Chicken with Gravy

And Oven-Glazed Carrots

Serves 8-10

Chickens: (if you’re not having a crowd, half the recipe!)

2 Large            Red onions, peeled, and thickly and evenly sliced

3 Stalks           Celery, sliced in 2-inch pieces

2                      Roasting hens, 5-6 pounds each

                        Salt and lemon pepper (or JR’s Mix!!)

8 Sprigs           Thyme or Rosemary

2 Large            Lemons, each cut in half

2 Bulbs            Garlic, each cut in half

1 Medium        Onion, quartered

6 Tbsp             Unsalted butter, melted

Carrots:

2 lb                  Baby carrots

Gravy:

2 Cups           Chicken broth         

4 Tbsp             Flour

                        Salt and pepper to taste

            To prepare the chickens and carrots:  Preheat oven to 425°. Place onion slices and celery in a single layer in the bottom of a large open roasting pan, one that is NOT non-stick! These will act as a rack for our chickens, keeping them off the bottom of the pan. We want to encourage browning. Clean hens, removing giblets and any excess fat. Tuck wings under. Pat the outside dry with paper towels. Place the hens in the roasting pan on top of the onions and celery! Salt and pepper the cavities of each hen generously.  In each hen place half the herbs, lemons, garlic, and onion. Brush the outside of the birds with the melted butter. Sprinkle the outside with a bit more salt and lemon pepper (or use JR’s Mix – it’s a little spicy!!) Tie the legs together with cotton kitchen twine. Roast the hens uncovered for about 1 hour. Add carrots to the bottom of the roaster, stirring to coat with pan drippings. Return to the oven and roast 30-45 minutes more until the carrots are browned and tender, and the chickens are cooked through.  The internal temperature should reach about 165° and juices should run clear. Remove chickens (and any vegetables) to a platter, tent with foil, and keep warm.

            To prepare the gravy: Remove all but about 4 Tbsp of fat from the bottom of the roasting pan. Heat roasting pan over medium high heat, and stir in flour.  Using a whisk, cook and stir for about 2-3 minutes. Add chicken broth, and stir the bottom of the pan to release all the browned bits. Let simmer to thicken. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.  Serve over sliced chicken.       

Back to more watching and waiting! We’re lucky to have the privilege. God bless America!

Coche loves her beer at Oktoberfest

Fall, in my opinion, is the perfect time for travel! Most “tourists” have returned home to get the kids back in school, transportation and lodging rates seem a bit better for “off-season”, and most of all, the weather is moderate and crowds have diminished. In late September we packed our bags (in the aftermath of Ike) and began 10 days of fun in Germany, Austria, and Italy. We rendezvoused with my niece (working in London) and a friend of hers for Oktoberfest in Munich! What a blast! It is such a fun atmosphere – the Germans do know how to have a good time. We arrived around 11:00AM and were lucky enough to get a great table in the Paulaner tent. Now these tents are not “tents” as you’d imagine. They are HUGE structures! Ours held 8,450 inside and 2, 450 outside!! There are some tents even larger!! As the day wears on, more and more people squeeze in – you are truly shoulder-to- shoulder on benches at long wooden tables. They have an enormous raised bandstand in the center, and the atmosphere is lighthearted and welcoming. Music is played throughout the day and night – traditional German music with some American tunes thrown in now and again. The place gets louder and rowdier as the day goes on. The first thing you notice when you walk inside is the delcious smell of roasting chicken, pork, and sausages! YUM!! And of course, there’s the beer! Huge glass mugs, precisely filled, and served by very strong German waitresses in traditional dress. Fortunately the serve stone mugs of wine for those of us who aren’t beer drinkers! Oh, I forgot to mention ~ In the spirit of wanting to feel a real part of the event, Kevin and I went in authentic Bavarian dress. Yep, Kev was in his lederhosen and hat, and I was in my dirndl (lucky enough to find one in pink!! The internet is an amazing resource.)

Molly & Kevin

Apparently we looked the part of the typical Bavarian couple, because a group of Australians crowded up to take our picture as we posed for my niece!! What a shock they had when we started speaking english (texas-style)!! We ate, drank, and sang our way through the day and night – finally calling it quits around 8:30PM. Amy & Lauren made us proud – they partied on until about 10:30. They had very bruised and sore thumbs from hoisting the beer mugs to show when we met for breakfast the following morning. I tried to do my job of waitressing. Kevin renamed me St Molly Girl!

If you can ever work Oktoberfest into your travel plans you should. It is such a fun experience!! We’re planning to do it again next year! Pack your lederhosen and dirndls and join us!

First of all, who is this little pig? Try to follow this…because of my catering business many years ago (La Piggerie) I became a pig person, of sorts. Then, after catering and when I began teaching, I continued to use my pig logo, thus perpetuating the “pig” thing. Several years ago I saw some cute little stuffed animals (intended for small children) called Pocket Pals. I saw the pink pig, couldn’t resist, so I came home with my very own pocket pig. We began taking it on trips, taking photos of the traveling piglet, and decided to give her a more European name. We opted for the french translation, cochon du poche (Pocket Pig). Then, loving nicknames as we do, we shortened it to Coche. So…Coche appears frequently in our photos (like the mysterious garden gnome). She’s even been internationally photographed! As we get her properly positioned for the next photo op, sometimes it creates a stir, and a few passersby stop to see what we’re up to. One guy even laid down in the street to get the best shot of her!! Who knows – You might see her on youtube!!

So, in her honor, I’ve named this blog “Pig Tales”

Coche, our travel pig