Greens and Black Eyed Peas - Italian Style

Soup's On!

When I moved to Tallahassee I was told that "the further north you go in Florida, the further south you are" and it's true.  This isn't what I thought about when I thought of Florida, but when it's hot here, it's hot.  

There are a couple of cool, sometimes even cold months.  It got down to 41 degrees last night and I was so happy.  I could wear my warm pajamas and put my lightweight down comforter back on my bed, and even wear my fleece bathrobe in the early morning!  I love it.  Plus, I could make soup.

Anyone who really knows me knows I make soup.  Usually a hearty soup served with a delicious bread.  That's what I did last night.  And I tried something new.  I combined what I learned here about collard greens and black eyed peas with an Italian twist, adding lentils, lots of roasted garlic and some Parmigiano-Reggiano,  

I modeled this recipe after the simple escarole and beans recipe I always cook in the beginning of the autumn, just as the weather turns.  But I found out that these really aren't the same thing, so I had to make changes.  And, I decide to turn it into a soup, which ended up being delicious!

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Beyond Beef Meatloaf - After 37 Years of Being a Pescatarian, This Made Me Happy

It looks like meatloaf.  It smells like meatloaf.  It tastes like meatloaf.
After 37 years of being a pescatarian, I am now able to eat meatloaf!

True, it's not meat and it's not perfect.  But in this meatloaf it was terrific.  I made it (more or less) like my mom did with her meatloaf and although she was by no means a good cook, her meatloaf wasn't bad.  And this Beyond Beef meatloaf isn't just 'not bad', it is good!

There are more and more plant based meats on the market now, but I used Beyond Beef because that is the brand that is carried at Whole Foods and that's where I shop.  

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Hot Buttered Rum for a Cold Winter Night

Hot Buttered Rum isn’t a drink we hear about too often.  But on a cold winter night it can warm you even more than a hot chocolate. As sub-zero weather, that is supposed to be the coldest in at least 10 years, hits the mid-west and New York City is freezing, go home, put on some warm pajamas and cuddle up with a Hot Buttered Rum.`

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Banana Cake with Walnuts, Raisins and Spiced Rum

I prefer to make this cake a day ahead of time to allow the moisture and taste from the glaze to seep through the cake.

I have 4 super ripe bananas in the kitchen, you can smell banana when you enter the room.  I would usually have one of 2 reactions:  toss them or make banana bread.  I almost decided on the latter.  However, I already know the Queen of Banana Bread is Lia Donato, and since I don’t like being a runner up, I had to go for something different.  Banana Cake! Yep, Banana Cake with Spiced Rum! Yep, Banana Cake with Spiced Rum, Walnuts and Raisins!  Yep, that’s it.  A Banana Cake with Spiced Rum, Walnuts and Raisins.  What could be bad?

I used a Bundt pan, but it can be made in a 9” x 2” round cake pan.  I have lots of fancy Bundt pans, but I decided to use a regular round one for this since it is New Year and it should be a continuing circle.  Plus, when a round Bundt pan is used, the glaze not only is poured on the top and sides, but also in the middle. Yum

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Banana Cake with Walnuts, Raisins and Spiced Rum