Garlic Sugar Snap Peas

April 19: National Garlic Day

We rarely get to rendezvous for a romantic lunch date. But we were able to meet up one day at P.F. Chang’s and order their appetizing garlic sugar snap peas from the menu. As a side dish, they were good with our meal; as a side effect, they were bad for our breath (we could ward off colleagues and vampires for the rest of the work day)!

Lovers can prepare garlic sugar snap peas easily in their own kitchen for an intimate dinner at a reduced restaurant rate. No gesture is quite romantic as presenting a loved one with a long-stemmed red rose “stinking rose” recipe such as this. And to show appreciation for a home-cooked meal, don’t forget to kiss the cook! XOXO on National Garlic Day!

Recipe

(Adapted from Yum-Recipes)

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh sugar snap peas
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• dash of pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions

Slice off the tips and remove the stringy spines from the sugar snap pea pods. Saute them in a preheated wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for no longer than 3 minutes. The peas should retain some crispness to them and have a few dark brown spots from the oil. Remove from heat. Stir in the minced garlic quickly only for a few seconds until well combined. Serve immediately. Yield: 3-4 small servings.

Notes

• Search our blog for posts about other garlic-infused recipes.

Peach Cobbler

April 13: National Peach Cobbler Day

At a conference programming meeting that Islander attended in Atlanta, Georgia, some years ago, a welcome dessert was provided to participants during breaktime. Peach cobbler was served to showcase the state’s famous fruit. Although it may not look as elegant as other desserts (the top resembles a cobblestone street, hence the name), it tastes simply sweet, pairs well with plain vanilla ice cream and is very easy to make. Prepare peach cobbler for a down-home style dessert and for commemorating National Peach Cobbler Day.

Recipe

(Adapted from Georgia Peach Festival)

Ingredients

• 2 cups (1 pound) of fresh-frozen, unsweetened sliced peaches
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup self-rising flour
• 1 cup milk
• ½ cup (1 stick) butter
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teasoon nutmeg

Directions

Thaw and drain the peaches. In a mixing bowl, combine the sugar, flour and milk and whisk until smooth.

Stir in the cinnamon and nutmeg. Melt the butter and coat the bottom and sides of a medium casserole dish.  Make sure that the butter is hot and sizzling when pouring the batter over it.

Arrange peach slices on top of the batter. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until the top is golden brown. The batter will rise over the peaches to create a cobbled and lumpy appearance. Remove from the oven. Serve warm or à la mode (optional).

Notes

• Learn a little bit of the history of fruit cobblers at the What’s Cooking America website.
• May 17 is National Cherry Cobbler Day.

HI Macs

(Chocolate Macarons with Whiskey-

White Chocolate Ganache Filling)

April 11: HI Cookery Blog Anniversary

When we launched our blog on April 11, 2010, we wanted to feature a recipe that represented us as Highlander and Islander (HI) for HI Cookery. Last year, our HI Pizza incorporated ingredients, such as Canadian bacon and pineapple, to honor our heritage. This year, for our blog’s first anniversary, we made macarons! Our HI Macs are a special combination of dark (Islander) and white (Highlander) chocolate. Besides the obvious skin color symbolism of our intermarriage, we made our macaron shells with organic Hawaiian vanilla and mixed the filling with Canadian whiskey. As chocoholics, we felt that these macarons befitted a recipe post to celebrate HI Cookery’s first blog-o-versary!

Recipe

(Adapted from Macaroons)

For the chocolate macaron shells (Italian meringue method)

• 1 cup almond flour/meal (we used non-blanched ground almonds to enhance the chocolate color)
• 1 cup powdered sugar (we used C&H brand)
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder (we used Nestle Toll House brand)
• 3 egg whites (fresh, unpasteurized and aged overnight at room temperature)
• 1 cup sugar, granulated white (we used C&H brand)
• ½ cup water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (we used Hawaiian Vanilla Company brand)

Directions

Sift the almond flour/meal with the powdered sugar. Stir in the chocolate powder until well combined. Grind in a food processor in batches to remove any lumps (optional).

Whip the egg whites until peaks form. Mix in the vanilla. Make a simple syrup to stabilize the egg whites by boiling the sugar and water together until it reaches a temperature of 245 degrees F on a candy thermometer (or until it reaches a soft ball stage). Pour into the egg whites and whip again until stiff and glossy.

Fold in the almond flour/meal-sugar-chocolate powder mixture until the consistency “flows like magma.” Pipe one-inch discs on a parchment paper on top of an insulated baking sheet. Let the discs air dry to develop a thin skin for at least 30 minutes.

Bake in a preheated oven at 300 degrees F for about 15-20 minutes. Watch the “feet” develop, but be careful not to burn the macarons. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Peel off the macarons from the parchment paper. Sort by size and match pairs. Make the filling.

For the whiskey-white chocolate ganache filling

• 4 squares (4 ounces) white chocolate (we used Baker’s brand)
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon Canadian whiskey

Directions

Melt the white chocolate. Heat the whipping cream and add to the melted chocolate. Stir until smooth. Add the whiskey and mix well. Let cool to thicken but not harden.

Whip the ganache to a spreadable consistency. Fill a pastry bag with a large round tip. Pipe in the filling and sandwich the macarons together. Refrigerate to set.

For the chocolate drizzle decoration

• 2 squares (2 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate (we used Baker’s brand)

Directions

Place the macarons on a wire rack atop another pan lined with foil to catch the chocolate drippings. Melt the chocolate. Fill a plastic zip-top or pastry bag with the melted chocolate. Cut a smll hole in  the corner of the zip-top bag or use a small round tip for the pastry bag. Drizzle the melted chocolate in a back and forth motion. Refrigerate the macarons to set the chocolate drizzles. Bring to room temperature to serve.

Notes           

• HI Macs are also our entry into the MacAttack #18 challenge for “Decadently Chocolate Macarons.” See our MacAttack page for “maca-rights” and our Food Flops page for “maca-wrongs.” Visit the MacTweets blog, hosted by Jamie S. and Deeba R., to see more decadently chocolate macarons made by talented food bloggers.
• Cooking with chocolate is always a challenge for Islander. With her hot flashes and a hot Texas climate, it is a surprise that our HI Macs did not melt and become a mess this month!
• We used our new Silpat silicone baking mat as well as parchment paper to bake our batches of macarons. The “feet” were frillier and the macs baked higher with the Silpat (adjust the baking time about five minutes longer) than on the parchment paper.
• Thanks to Lisa L. for the ground almonds and the Big Island vanilla.