Happy Anniversary and Happy Cooking!!!

Six years of wedded bliss are celebrated today with a feast....

We are having a small appetizer of homemade Salsa Fresca (NUMBER 3) while sipping on 2009 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau. (It is not Chilean, but it is delicious - it was first introduced to us by my "second set" of parents - Halina and Bill - as a hostess gift for Thanksgiving - we are enjoying it very much!) The Salsa Fresca is from a fabulous cookbook from our dear friends, "The Foodies from Lakeway!"

The recipe:

Salsa Fresca
"Salsas" The Santa Fe School of Cooking Series:
4 to 5 plum tomoatoes, diced
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
2 Serrano chiles, finely chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic (optional)
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice or cider vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)
Salt to taste
Pinch of sugar (optional)

1. Mix the tomatoes, onion, chiles, garlic, and cilantro in a bowl and mix well.
2. Ad the lime juice or cider vinegar, olive oil, salt, and sugar to taste. Let the mixture sit for 20 minutes to meld the flavors.


YUMMY is all I can say! The city of Santa Fe is to die for and so are the recipes! I used some of the tomatoes we had from Costco. For the Serrano chiles, I de-seeded one of the chiles (tender Texas taste buds! HA!) and we used the garlic, olive oil and sugar. I chose lime juice. The chopping takes time, but it is well worth a try! Have fun with my NUMBER 3!!!!!


The main course - Rosemary Smoked Lamb Chops over a bed of four cheese risotto and a side of green beans! Mmmmmm... I can hardly wait! Dessert is an Amaretto Cake (NUMBER 4). Remember last week I posted about going to an Italian dinner at our friend Sara and Ron's... well, this is what I brought and I made two cakes, one for last night and one for tonight.

My NUMBER 4 is a spin-off on a family recipe.... I used a family Pound Cake recipe and put an Amaretto twist!

Here is the recipe:

Amaretto Cake

1 1/2 Cup of Butter
6 Eggs
3 Cups Flour
2 1/2 Cups White Sugar
3 Teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 cup milk
1 shot of Amaretto

1. Grease and flour your bunt pan.
2. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt - set aside
3. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
4. Add eggs, one by one, mixing each one well.
5. Add vanilla, almond, and Amaretto.
6. Mix in flour and milk, alternating.
7. Mix on low speed until smooth.
8. Pour batter into bunt pan (Remember to only fill 3/4 of the pan)

Place bunt pan in a cold oven and then bake on 350 for 50 minutes. (You can check the cake with a toothpick - it is ready when the tooth pick comes out clean)

NOTE: I have halved this recipe and it works well. p.s. for the full recipe - you need a big bunt pan or two medium ones!

Amaretto Icing:

1/2 cup melted butter
2 tablespoons of Amaretto
1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon of almond extract
3 cups of confectioners sugar

Combine and mix well on medium speed.

Spread icing.

NOTE: You can also melt the icing on the stove and drizzle cake with a fork.

Well, it is back to cooking - my lamb shops are ready for the grill!!!!!!!!!!!! I will let you know how they turn out.....

Happy Anniversary to us!

Bye for now! and "Bon Appetit!"