Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

We have just returned from a quick vacation in Key West. But one of my blogging buddies, Dave of My Year on the Grill, along with his wife Jackie, are having an extended six month vacation in the Virgin Islands. Jackie works for The Government and she has pulled this unfortunate duty, so Dave being a dutiful husband has moved his grill from snowy Kansas and has set up shop in paradise.

Dave is also a weekly contributer to another blog, Our Krazy Kitchen and Min and the girls wanted to throw a beachwarming party for Dave and Jackie. We were all invited to bring something to the party and my contribution is this wonderful Conch Chowder. Surely Dave can get conchs in the Virgin Islands so I hope he will try this recipe. Enjoy your virtual party Dave!

The above picture is the carriage house. Our apartment is located in the lower rooms with the double patio doors.

This is the pool area right outside of our door. Even though the pool was heated, it was too cold to take a dip.

The grounds were lush with vegetation and I did manage to find a ray of sun to sit by the pool in the above lounge chairs.

The Hollinsed House is located in the historic section of Key West and just blocks from the famous Duval Street and Mallory Square where sunset is celebrated each evening.

Crowds of people are drawn to the square next to the sea by street perfomers like this unicyclist, juggling fellow.

As the crowd watched, a four-masted schooner passed by in the harbor.

Cruise ships anchor here and this one almost blocked the nightly spectacle of the sunset.

No trip to Key West would be complete without a visit to The Hemingway House. Ernest Hemingway settled in Key West in the late 1920’s. He was drawn to the area by the abundant fishing possibilties.

The house reflects a Spanish Colonial style. The walls were constructed from coral rocks found in the area. Ceiling to floor windows were used as doors to access the patio and upper porches.

The first room I headed to was the kitchen. It is small but bright. The appliances and counters were raised to accomodate Hemingway’s tall frame.

A picture of Hemingway in the dining room shows him as he appeared when he and his wife Pauline bought the house. He was a young thiry year old.

Hemingway loved cats and there are still forty or more cats roaming the grounds descended from the original six-toed cat. This cat has found a comfortable spot on the buffet in the dining room.

Here are two more cats resting comfortably in Hemingway’s king size bed. The headboard is an old Spanish gate.

This is a view of one of the upper porches with it’s exterior shutters.

Hemingway’s office was located in a carriage building behind the main house. He wrote “To Have and Have Not” and “For Whom the Bell Tolls” in this room.

Cats are not the only creatures to have freedom to wander in Key West. Chickens and roosters are on every street corner; talk about free range chickens!

One of Ernest Hemingway’s favorite hangouts was Sloppy Joe’s Bar. This is not the original location, but it has become the place that everyone associates with Hemingway.

We could not go without sampling the original sloppy joe. It was delicious. I will see if I can get the recipe. But in the meantime, here is a recipe for Conch Chowder for Dave and any of you who want to participate in his Beachwarming Party. Enjoy your stay in The Virgin Islands Dave!

CONCH CHOWDER

1/4 cup diced bacon

1 garlic clove

1/2 thyme sprig

2 celery stalks, sliced finely

1/4 cup tomato paste

salt and pepper to taste

2 finely chopped onions

1 teaspoon paprika

2 medium green pepper, diced

2 potatoes, diced

1 pound conch meat

1 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes

1 cup water to thin broth

In a Dutch oven, fry bacon until golden brown. Drain. Add peppers, celery, onions, thyme, and garlic. Cook until soft. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, water, conch, and potatoes. Bring to a boil. Add enough more water to cover mixture. Simmer for 25 minutes. Return bacon to pot. Make sure there is always sufficient water in pot. Serves 4 -6.

We had the conch chowder with a plate of conch fritters.

Printable recipe

This is not what I am supposed to be making this week for Barefoot Blogger Thursday. Sometimes circumstances get in the way when you belong to a foodie group. I mentioned last week that we had joined Weight Watchers. We have our first weigh-in this afternoon. I have lost two pounds. Not great but at least I am going in the right direction. What I was supposed to make was Ina Garten’s Shrimp Bisque. I have made it before and it is delicious; full of succulent shrimp and half-and-half and butter. Right now I can’t afford the calories. The recipe was chosen by Jennifer of Our Blessed Home. You have to go over to her blog on Thursday or after to get the details of Ina’s soup.

The soup I did make made me feel so healthy. It is full of good for you vegetables like spinach, red peppers, carrots and celery. It tasted wonderful. In this past week I have tried to slow down and actually savor what I am eating. I have appreciated every mouthful. Another benefit of this attempt at losing weight is the fact that I have been walking two miles a day. Our dog Daisy is benefiting from these long walks too. She trots along at my pace and comes home panting and drooling. So do I. I am becoming very familiar with our neighborhood and I hope to increase the distance I walk. Give this soup a try. It is perfect for a light lunch.

KIELBASA AND BLACK BEAN SOUP (From Weight Watchers in Twenty Minutes)

1 tsp canola oil
1/2 pound low-fat turkey kielbasa, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 carrots, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

Heat the oil in a large nonstick pot or nonstick Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the kielbasa and cook, stirring, until lightly broned, about 3 minutes.

Add all the remaining ingredients except the spinach; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add the spinach and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes longer.

3 Points. 6 Servings

Printable recipe

This is a very refreshing salad. It takes advantage of oranges in season and celery and radishes that add crunch. We went to our first weight watchers meeting today. I hate being so predictable, but yes, we too are on a diet. Isn’t everyone at this time of year? This is the first time I have officially joined Weight Watchers. In the past I felt it was enough to get the cookbooks and do it on my own. But there is something to be gained by the personal support that is offered at the meetings. Also, our good friends and neighbors have joined too and we are planning on getting together at each others’ houses twice a week to share the meals. I still plan on cooking great food. The advantage of Weight Watchers is that you can eat most of your favorite foods but in controlled portions. I am looking forward to the challenge.

The recipe for this salad was in the Best of Weight Watchers Magazine cookbook that I checked out of the library. Now if David can just get over his nightly need for chocolate crunch bars and I can curb my appetite for rich braised dishes, we may have a chance to lose a few pounds. We are giving it a month.

RADISH-ORANGE SALAD

3 small navel oranges
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 Tbls olive oil
1/2 tsp ground coriander
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced radishes
6 medium celery stalks, thinly sliced

1. Cut off the peel and white pith from each orange. Cut the oranges into 1-inch thick slices.

2. Combine the lime juice, oil, coriander, and pepper in a small bowl.

3. Combine the orange slices, the radishes, and celery in a bowl. Drizzle the dressing over oranges and vegetables, and toss gently to coat.

Six servings. Points: 1

Printable recipe

Happy New Year everyone. We started New Year’s Day in the traditional way that we have followed for the last ten years. We have a group of friends who spend New Year’s Eve and Day together. We are a motorcycle gang. Don’t laugh. We are tougher than we look. We’ve ridden the Canadian Rockies and the Beartooth Pass, the Million Dollar Highway and the Grand Tetons. The guys have been to Sturgis. What more credentials would you need? We are also good cooks and our gatherings always include fabulous food.

The New Year’s Day menu has always been a traditional Southern spread and each of us has a specialty. Pork has to be on the menu. Pigs forage forward with their noses so eating pork represents moving forward in the new year. For years I have been making my Fall-Apart Tender Slow Roast Pork. The recipe came from Shirley Corriher. We also have collard greens and blackeyed peas which represent wealth and good luck. Barbara is the collard greens queen, but she couldn’t be with us this year so, shhh, don’t tell anyone but we fixed Glory brand canned seasoned collard greens. Jackie makes the black eyed peas and Rosa’s cornbread which is rich with butter and absolutely decadent. Rosa was David’s secretary for many years and a talented Southern cook. We always have a potato casserole and Cynthia made a rich and luscious Gouda and Asiago scalloped potato with a panko crumb crust. Karen makes wonderful coleslaw and a refreshing Pea salad. Our dessert this year was compliments of the Cheesecake Factory.

Since I am always taking pictures of food, everyone got into the act this year. This obsession is catching.

Here are few of our favorite recipes.

Somehow stuffed mushrooms sounds like how I am feeling about now; totally stuffed. But these sausage stuffed mushrooms are totally worth the extra calories. This is the second Barefoot Blogger recipe of the month and it was chosen by Michelle of Welcome to the Club. She chose wisely because appetizers are always welcome at this time of year. The Barefoot Bloggers are a group of food bloggers who love Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa, and as a group post about her recipes twice a month. Each member takes a turn choosing what recipe we will blog about. Feel free to join us. It is a lot of fun.

The sausage stuffed mushrooms would be great for any party you may be giving or attending. I actually made the stuffing ahead of time which cut down considerably on last minute time in the kitchen. The only problem I encountered was that I ended up with twice as much stuffing as I had mushrooms. The recipe calls for extra-large white mushrooms and I guess mine were too small. But for an appetizer, I don’t think you would want them any bigger as they would be too hard to eat while standing and juggling a drink and a napkin. I made a quiche with the leftover sausage mixture and it was very good. This was another fabulous recipe from The Barefoot Contessa.

SAUSAGE-STUFFED MUSHROOMS

Serves:6 to 8 servings

Ingredients
16 extra-large white mushrooms
5 tablespoons good olive oil, divided
2 1/2 tablespoons Marsala wine or medium sherry
3/4 pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from the casings
6 scallions, white and green parts, minced
2 garlic cloves minced
2/3 cup panko crumbs
5 ounces mascarpone cheese, preferably from Italy
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Remove the stems from the mushrooms and chop them finely. Set aside. Place the mushroom caps in a shallow bowl and toss with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and Marsala. Set aside.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage, crumbling it with the back of a wooden spoon. Cook the sausage for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until it’s completely browned. Add the chopped mushroom stems and cook for 3 more minutes. Stir in the scallions and garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the panko crumbs, stirring to combine evenly with all the other ingredients. Finally, swirl in the mascarpone and continue cooking until the mascarpone has melted and made the sausage mixture creamy. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan, parsley, and season with salt and pepper, to taste, Cool slightly.

Fill each mushroom generously with the sausage mixture. Arrange the mushrooms in a baking dish large enough to hold all the mushrooms in a snug single layer. Bake until the stuffing for 50 minutes, until the stuffing is browned and crusty.

Printable recipe