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Winter Sojourn in the Napa Valley

1/29/2019

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​My husband and I love to visit the Napa Valley in January or February when it is not crowded, and the rolling hills are green and covered with yellow mustard flowers. The air is usually crisp in the morning and warm in the afternoon.
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Did you know that the Napa Valley is the only Agricultural Preserve in the United States? With an abundance of different wineries and fabulous restaurants, the valley’s cute little towns lure visitors from all over the world. I feel so lucky that I live within a two-hour drive to this gorgeous spot on earth. .
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Saint Helena
My husband is the wine expert in the family, so he gets to pick the wineries we visit. Since we belong to the Foley Johnson Wine Club, we always visit their wineries. Click here for our 2018 visit to Napa and read more about their beautiful wineries. If you go, I recommend you pick a few you really like, as there are so many beautiful and often spectacular ones. I read that there are approximately 475 wineries in the Napa Valley, 95% of which are family owned. ​
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This year, we visited the Culinary Institute of America Greystone in the Napa Valley. I have eaten there several times and have never been disappointed
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We only had a quick lunch at the cafeteria and it was delicious. All the food is prepared and served by CIA students under the direction of a CIA director. I had a wonderful Caesar salad with a moist chicken breast and my husband had a delicious small pizza that he shared with me. For dessert, the chocolate-caramel nut cookie with my espresso was divine. I bought some local products at their store. There are also tours of the Institute. The Gatehouse restaurant is part of the Institute and serves creative meals prepared by the students.
Just as my husband likes his wineries, I love to overnight at Indian Springs in Calistoga to swim in their amazing pool. The pool was built in 1910 and is completely fed by naturally hot geyser water that ranges from 92-101 degrees Fahrenheit. There are four geysers and the water comes from a 400-foot depth heated by the earth’s hot magma. I love to float in the pool for hours, especially at night or in the early morning. It’s an experience that I treasure.
The two days went by too fast, and before I knew it, I was back at home and dreaming of next year. As soon as I got home, I started to work on some new recipes. One of the recipes was from a famous chef and his new cookbook promoting a healthy diet, which was a Christmas gift from my son. I picked a recipe I thought I would like: fish marinated in miso and cooked in parchment paper with bok choy. It totally bombed—for which I take full responsibility. Once again, I realized that not every recipe works for me. In the meantime, I’ll stick with my foolproof Mediterranean recipe with fish and vegetables baked in parchment paper. Click here for the recipe.
There are some wonderful pears in the store right now, so here are a few pear recipes I have enjoyed over the years. ​
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I baked this almond pear tart last week and everybody loved it. This is a variation of the traditional French-style Pear Frangipane Tart. It is easier to make than it looks.
Click here for the recipe. ​
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This poached pears make a stunning presentation. It's a light dessert, perfect after a heavy winter meal.
​ Click here for the recipe.
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A great bundt cake, full of spices and different flavors. The recipe is from Gale Grand, a pastry chef from Illinois.  
​Click here for the recipe.
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Roasted Rhubarb and Strawberry Ice Cream

1/1/2019

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Making the base for this ice cream a day before will develop the flavors. Add more sugar if you want a sweeter ice cream.
Here is a link to the rhubarb compote.
Print Recipe
Ingredients:

2 ½ cups sliced strawberries 
1 ½ cups roasted rhubarb compote
3/4 cup of fine white sugar
a pinch of salt
​2 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest
1 cup of whipping cream
1 cup of half and half
Directions:

​Sprinkle the cleaned and sliced strawberries with 2 TBS of sugar and let them sit until the sugar dissolves. Mix the strawberries and rhubarb compote with the sugar, salt, and lemon zest in a food processor. I used a Vitamix.  Add the whipping cream and the half and half, pureeing it until the mixture is velvety smooth. Refrigerate the base for at least 4 hours or overnight. Pour the mixture into the freezer bowl of an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions.

Guten Appetit 
recipe © Sunnycovechef.com
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Strawberry Jam with Homemade Pectin

1/1/2019

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This is the first time I made strawberry jam with homemade pectin. The jam carries the fresh sweet flavor of sweet strawberries. It has the essence of the food. Nothing takes away from the flavor. It is a runny soft jam,  thickened just a little by the pectin of the green apples. This is a keeper for years to come.
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PRINT RECIPE
​Ingredients

7 1/2 pounds of strawberries ( 9 pints)
6 cups of sugar
Juice from 3 lemons ( a scant 1/2 cup) I used Meyer lemons
The juice of a small orange
2 cups of homemade pectin
Directions

Prepare 7 pint jars with lids and screws. I run the jars through the dishwasher and keep them warm, or put them in a pot with water and boil them for 10 minutes with the screws. Keep the lids in simmering water or follow the manufacture's  instructions.

Put two small plates in the freezer. Wash, clean, and quarter or half the strawberries depending on size, leaving the  small ones whole. Mash half the strawberries lightly. Add the sugar to a large (the larger the better) tall pot. Add the juices. Warm up this mixture over medium heat and partially melt the sugar stirring constantly so it want stick to the button. A wooden spoon with a long handle works great.

Add the rest of the ingredients and bring it to a boil at high heat. The mixture will bubble up, rising high ( that's were the tall pot comes in handy.) After a while the jam will boil down, forming darker, smaller bubbles.  Cook this at medium heat stirring occasionally until the mixture reaches the thickness you like. My jam cooked for about 40 minutes. Test your jam for consistency by putting a small spoonful of the jam on the small cold plate you kept in the freezer.

​Turn off the heat, and carefully ladle the jam into the prepared canning jars leaving some space at the top. I use a wide mouth funnel for this and it works great. Clean the lid with a wet, clean towel and put the lid onto the jar. Screw on the bands. Turn the jar upside down onto a clean towel. After the jars have cooled turn them over. Usually my jars are all properly sealed at this time, but if they're not I put them in a water bath until they seal. Before you store your jams check your lids for seals. Lids should not flex up and down when center is pressed and you should not be able to lift them with your finger tips.
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Apricot Jicama Shrimp Salad

1/1/2019

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I bought cooked shrimp instead of cooking raw shrimp. In this case, I don't think it makes much difference. If you omit the shrimp you have a regular salad the goes well with chicken or meat dishes.
PRINT RECIPE

Ingredients ​

1 Ib cooked shrimp 
¼ cup plus more seasoned rice vinegar 
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp  peeled and minced  ginger
1 Ib jicama, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch matchsticks 
1 long European seedless cucumber, peeled and
​cut into 1/8-inch thick matchsticks

1 Ib firm, ripe apricots cut into ¼-inch thick wedges
¼ cup chopped cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Make the dressing by whisking together the vinegar, ginger, garlic and oil. Add the shrimp, jicama, cucumber, and cilantro . Season with salt and paper. 

recipe from Gourmet magazine
by ©Sunnycovechef
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Homemade Pectin

1/1/2019

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This recipe comes from "Preserving the Taste by Edon Wycott." I found it on the cooking channel site. Emeril Lagasse used it in his strawberry recipe. Remember this has to be made at least a day ahead of time  before you make your jam.
PRINT RECIPE
Ingredients


2 pounds of underripe green apples, washed and cut into eights depending on size (not peeled or cored)

4 cups of water

This makes about 1-2  cups of pectin
Directions

In a large saucepan, over high heat, bring the apples and water to boil.

Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until  the apples are soft and  fall apart , about 20 minutes. Line a  sieve with a cheesecloth and put sieve in a large bowl  ( the drained  juice should not touch the sieve) . Let it drain for several hours or overnight.  Measure the apple juice and pour in a pot. Bring the liquid to a boil and cook until reduced by half. Refrigerate and use within 4 days or freeze for up to 6 months.

I made this recipe twice to get the amount I needed
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Apricot Jam

1/1/2019

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Boy do I love apricots! In summer, while apricots are in abundance and at their peak of flavor, it's jam making time at my house. Yes, it's a bit of work, but isn't it worth it to have this wonderful fruit all year long? What's better than waking up in the morning, buttering some whole grain toast and then slathering on a heaping spoonful of this fruit goodness. Nothing I say. Nothing is better. 
The almond pits add a delicate hint of bitter almond  flavor. I roast all the almond kernels in a preheated oven at 350˚ for 10 to 15 minutes . This makes them easier to crack them open and also destroys an enzyme that  generates poisonous prussic acid when the kernels are mixed with water. I crack my kernels with a hammer and roast the remaining pits for another 5 minutes. For this recipe I used about 8 pits and chopped them . ​
PRINT RECIPE
Ingredients

For each batch I used:

5 pounds of apricots, pitted and roughly diced
5 cups of organic coarse sugar (I buy mine at Costco )
Juice of 2 lemons
10 apricot pits, roasted for 15 minutes at 350˚ degrees, cracked open with a hammer and roasted again for 5 minutes,  Adding the chopped  pits is optional.

Canning jars and lids

Stir the diced apricots , chopped almond pits and sugar. Let the mixture stand at least two hours or overnight, stirring often.You want the sugar to be totally dissolved.

Put two small plates in the freezer to help you test the consistency of the jam.

Prepare your jars and lids. I run my jars through the dishwasher and put my screws and lids in a pot of boiling water, where I simmer them for about 10 minutes.
Directions

Bring the apricots and sugar to a boil over high heat, stirring often to prevent the apricot mass from sticking. I use a large, tall pot and a wooden spoon with a long handle, a great tool that keeps distance between your skin and the boiling jam. Skim off the foam, I use a soup ladle with a long handle. Boil the jam until it reaches the consistency you like. Test for consistency by putting some jam on the cold plate. I like my jam more like a thick sauce. The cooking time on these two patches was short, about 20 minutes, the mass had thickened with some pieces of apricot in it. The cooking time can take up to 40 minutes. I added the juice of two lemons at the end.
Ladle the jam into jars, leave some space at the top, wipe the lip of the jar clean and add the lid, screw the ring onto the jar. I turn the hot jars upside down for 20 to 30 minutes.  After that I check to make sure that they are sealed. If they are not, I put them in a water bath for 10 to 15 minutes and boil them until the tops pop. You know your jars are sealed when the lid doesn't move or pop when you press on it. To be totally safe follow the manufacturer's instructions that comes with the jars.

One batch makes about 10 cups. 



Guten Appetit !
Recipe adapted from Alice Waters
recipe©Sunnycovechef
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Homemade Chicken or Turkey Broth from Leftover Scraps

1/1/2019

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Print Recipe
Ingredients:
​

A chicken/turkey carcass or

chicken or turkey parts (legs, necks or wings) 
1-2 carrots 
2 -3 celery stalks with leaves 
1 onion (with peel)
1 leek (or clean dark leek leaves)
A handful of parsley (with stems)
A couple of dried mushrooms (or frozen mushroom stems)
several garlic cloves 
2 bay leaves 
a few pieces of ginger
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic salt
1-2 tsp pepper
Directions:
​

Put everything in a cast iron pot and cover with water. Bring it all to a boil, spooning of the scum that rises to the top. When the stock boils, turn down the heat and simmer it covered for 2-3 hours, occasionally spooning off the scum. At the end, pour the stock through a fine sieve into a large bowl, discarding the solids. If there is some fat floating around  put the bowl in the fridge and remove the fat layer when the stock is cold. I usually freeze my stock or use it within a couple of days. 
​

Guten Appetit !
recipe by©Sunnycovechef.com
​
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Plum and Blackberry-Plum Jam

1/1/2019

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I made two batches of Jam. The Plum Jam is very tart. The second batch is dense and sweet. I like making them because they are so easy to make. While they are baking you can relax, read or clean the house. In Germany,  jam is usually made with " Gelierzucker", a mix of sugar and dry pectin I assume. I made my own by mixing dry pectin and sugar together. This Jam needs to be processed in a water bath to seal correctly. Follow the manufacturer's instructions.
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Robert's beautiful plums
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My jars, screws, and lids are being sterilized
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The baked jam
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Jam on French Brie
PRINT RECIPE
Ingredients:

Recipe for Plum Jam
4 8 ounce canning jars with lids and screws
8 cups of washed, pitted, and quartered plums ( about 3 pounds) 
2 cups of sugar mixed with 3 TBS of dry pectin
1-2 cinnamon sticks


Recipe for
Plum and Blackberry Jam


Ingredients:

2 8 ounce sized canning jars with lids and screws
4 cups of plums
1 cup of washed blackberries
2 scant cups of sugar mixed with 3TBS of pectin.
Directions for both Jams:


Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Spray Pam in a large pyrex or other pan
Put the fruit on the button
Add the sugar and pectin mixture on top.
Bake for about 2 hours
During the first hour the mixture will be very juicy.
During the second hour the juice will cook down. Stir and
mash the mixture.
Fill the jam into the prepared jars, put on the lids and the screws and process in a water bath for about 10 to 15 minutes. ​
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Rhubarb Strawberry and Blackberry Jam

1/1/2019

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This is my husbands favorite jam. He uses it for his peanut butter sandwiches. It is a tart thick jam that will stay on your toast. Because of the blackberries it will have some seeds. I have made this jam with blueberries instead of blackberries and it is just as good. This is an easy and quick way to make jam. This is a tart jam with a berry flavor. ​
PRINT RECIPE
Ingredients:

This recipe will yield 6 pint sized jars with a little left over.

Prepare the jars, lids and bands.

4 cups sliced strawberries ( 1 pound)
4 cups blackberries ( 1 pound) or blueberries 
3 cups  cleaned and thinly sliced rhubarb   ( 13 ounces)
3 cups of sugar
6 TBS powered pectin
The juice of one lemon
Directions:

Mix together the rhubarb, strawberries, and the sugar. Let it sit for an hour for the fruits to render their juice and the sugar to  dissolve. Add the blackberries and mash with a potato masher. Add the lemon juice.

In a large pot bring the mixture to a rolling boil, cook for about 5 minutes. Add the pectin and continue to cook for another two minutes. Turn the heat off and ladle the jam into the clean, hot jars. Clean the rim of the jars with a clean wet towel (I use wet paper towels). Put the lid and band on jars. Turn them around until cool. When turning them over make sure that all are sealed properly.
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Strawberry Jam

1/1/2019

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This is a recipe I have used for years and it is a favorite it has a tart fruity flavor with a tang  which I believe comes from the combination of the lemon juice and the grated green apple. Last year more of the strawberries were left whole than this year and I think I like it better that way. One can manipulate the consistency of the jam by how long it is cooked. This is a no fuss recipe which is easy to make.

PRINT RECIPE
Ingredients
 
5 1/4 pound of strawberries or 6 pints

3 cups of sugar

Juice and zest of one lemon

1 large grated green apple
Directions

Wash and slice the strawberries

Macerate the strawberries and sugar for an hour and longer. The fruit should have rendered their juices

Put in a large tall pot , add the grated apple, zest and lemon juice.

Bring to a rolling boil on high heat stirring to prevent burning.

Turn to medium heat and continue to cook until the jam reaches your desired consistency. I cooked mine for about 25 minutes. 

Turn off the heat and immediately ladle the jam into prepared jars and seal according to the manufacture's instructions.

This amount yields 4 to 5 pints of jam. ​
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    WELCOME TO SUNNY COVE CHEF

    Thank you for visiting my blog.  My two passions are cooking and traveling. Traveling exposes me to a wide variety of food and experiences. I walk around cities looking for markets, restaurants, bakeries, shops, you name it, and if it is related to food you will find me there, tasting, smelling, talking to vendors, and having a great time.

    ​
    If you  have tried any of my recipes, snap a photo and tag me @sunnycovechef I'd love to see your creations!​


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