Tuesday of Quotes and a "Brand" New Collaboration!

Well... Today is Tuesday and it's time to share some quotes for the week! Inspired on our coming 4th of July celebrations!

A man who won't die for something is not fit to live. ~ Martin L King Jr.

And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man. ~ John F Kennedy

But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or to detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. ~ Abraham Lincoln

 And maybe you remember, maybe you don't or you never knew... but I have a friend from church (his name is Brand Schoolcraft) and he loves, LOVES cooking! so, sometimes he sends me recipes or some stories of his adventures in his kitchen and home! He is a friend of ours (my husband and I) and I really enjoy reading the things he sends. Him and his wife are wonderful people and it's just a blessing for me to get to know them better through these stories... so... here it is ... a "Brand New collaboration by Brand!"

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Herbs of Choice
By Brand Schoolcraft 

The other day, I had the blessing of staying home with the kids (no plans) and cooking brunch.  We have a small herb garden, about 10 different herbs, I brought each of the older (7, 6, 4) kids out with me separately and select any two herbs the would like me to cook into an herb garlic butter, and made "herbed garlic bread."  I did not steer any of their choices and also had some fun teaching them which was which in the garden...."what is that one?  I mint to tell you earlier, but forgot..."  Mint.  "I wish I had more thyme to teach you about this one...."  Thyme.  "The only flavor pickles come in..."  Dill (as far as they know)...etc.  You get the idea.  My wife made bread; she bakes.  I don't.  I sautéed the herbs with butter garlic and olive oil and slathered the bread slices with each of their choices.  My wife and I, sampled them all.  We let the oldest choose for the toddler twins.  The most surprising choice was Mint and Basil, which was actually not bad at all, not bad at all...Good thymes.  Yeah, I know, couldn't resist.

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 So... I hope you enjoyed today's quotes and Brand's Collaboration! ... Thank you Brand! :) ... don't forget to leave a comment if you enjoy what you read... knowing "you are there" keeps me motivated to keep sharing and to keep cooking to share more recipes! :)

Enjoy your 4th of July! and don't forget to somehow include "coffee" on one of your posts this week (even if it's not the main topic) that way you can link up with us on our Coffee Party on Friday!!!

© Paloma K.

Stuffed Olives - Finished

So... here is the last Part of Brand's post and his Stuffed Olives... Enjoy! (Read the previous posts in case you didn't see the process of elaboration of these Olives... I think it is very clear we can "play" with the ingredients we have at hand... Brand is very clear sharing what he did without much detail but just giving us an idea on how we can be creative in our kitchen... Enjoy!

© Paloma K.

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"These are fried in peanut oil, flavor is an issue for me, peanut is the best.  My old friend James taught me that trick.  I also use a small deep fryer with a basket, it is just sooooooooo much easier to fry things with the right equipment.  They are pretty inexpensive, but peanut oil is NOT.  I recapture that stuff and strain it through a sieve and cheesecloth.  It stays good for a LONG, long time.  You aren't running a burger joint, the stuff is reusable.  Unless you fry fish, then it is done for.  One use.  Trust me.  One use.  I intended to bring these for my friends to try, but, I ate them all...and I never touched the leftovers in the fridge either.   No regrets."

©  Brand

Stuffed Olives - Dredge Line

So... If you've been reading our latest posts you now know that my friend Brand is collaborating with "The Coffee Shop" and sharing his culinary skills with us... Plus, he is adding his style and if you read about his previous dish (Potato Polpettes) you know he likes to add some "suspense" to it all and he kind of divides the posts in two (or more) parts and always leaves us wanting more! Today is no exception... so... the last post was the FIRST PART of his "Stuffed Olives" dish ... and this is the continuation ... So... there you go... I'll share what he sent me. ^Paloma.

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Post by Brand begins here:

This is a dredge line.  You take something prepared to cook and then prepare it to fry!  Now these contain a good amount of garlic... Garlic Tip:  Once you have a naked garlic clove ready to chop, slice it in half length ways, make sure there is no part in the center of the garlic that is turning green, or thinking of turning green.  If you find a bit that is greenish, simply dig it out and discard.  That junk is bitter like you wouldn't believe!  Then chop the rest, because its fine.  Now, don't be confused by the order of the dishes in the picture:  Olive in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs (I like pulverizing Ritz crackers, choose your own breadcrumb...EZ prep: buy a package of breadcrumbs)

© Brand

Stuffed Olives - Part I

You're staring into your fridge at the leftovers, not thrilled.  Maybe just a cold cut sandwich... sometimes, I know I have to eat the food we already have on hand, but, I still want to cook something with some style, something to look forward to eating. BIG flavors, packs a punch.  Sausage Garlic Stuffed Fried Olives!  There are only a couple of words left in my vocabulary that would make that title sound more appealing.  Novice level prep... get pre-pitted olives, minced garlic in the tiny jar, red pepper flakes from your last pizza night, and some Jimmy Dean (or other favorite) non-linked sausage.  That cuts half the prep time.  Advanced prep... don't cut corners, an olive pitter is about 7 bucks (better taste if you pit them, and only higher quality olives get shipped with pits), get sausage from a place that makes their own, fresh garlic is cheap and well,... fresh.

Let's stuff some olives

 If you want to see how this story ends tune in for tomorrow's post where we'll display the finished product!

© Brand S.

Potato Polpettes - Finished Product

These is the finished product of the Potato Polpettes I posted about yesterday. These guys just look impressive.  Pan frying is very forgiving, in that even when something gets a little burned, it really doesn't seem to hurt the final product.  Polpettes are an italian style meatball traditionally.  This is just a potato spin on an old classic.  Surprisingly tangy, don't be afraid to use the salt in the uncooked mixture, you will need a good amount.

Delicious food doesn't have to be expensive

© Brand S.

Potato Polpettes - PART I

Well, lots of food for very little money...potatoes.  Potatoes carry their own set of problems.  Big, boring, bland...so much so, that if you have a broth or soup that is too salty, drop a potato in and it sucks up the salt! Potatoes actually make food have LESS flavor.  So, spuds require the presence of some other superstars to help them shine. 

Mixing the ingredients

Oil works wonders, strong cheeses, herbs and other root veggies all do a wonderful job of hiding the fact that potatoes are very plain.  If you are to take advantage of this nutrition packed super-food, don't think of it as a vast tasteless desert, instead think of it as a blank canvas!  Feta is a cheese that can hold its own.  Dill (my favorite secret ingredient), often paired with potato.  Lemon...Hmm?  its a Mediterranean thing.

Frying stage

If you want to see the FINISHED PRODUCT come back tomorrow.

© Brand S.

Introducing our New Collaborator: Brand!

Well... I had already announced that a new collaborator would join "The Coffee Shop", well... his name is Brand... We'll be seeing his posts with recipes and tips here and on our FB page so stay tuned so you get to know him too! I know you will like what he shares, he is funny, witty and... well... I'll let his posts speak! For now... I'll just share a picture so you start getting to know him... and you can "put a face with the name" ...

This is BRAND:

His first post will appear tomorrow.... and he will also be hosting Gevalia's Beanchat on FB this Thursday Aptil 5th at 9:00 a.m. Central Time where you can join and get to know him better!

Welcome to "The Coffee Shop" Brand.

Paloma