RETURN TO IRELAND, JUDITH MCLOUGHLIN, COLCANNON

Cover of A Return to Ireland cookbook It’s a travelogue, a history book, a memoir of sorts. But most of all Judith McLoughlin’s A Return to Ireland, A culinary journey from America to Ireland, is a cookbook filled with great recipes and alluring photos.

Judith’s first book, The Shamrock and Peach,

fulfilled her dream of telling “the Scots-Irish immigrant story through the language of really good food.” Her new book continues the adventure and “dives into the culture of Ireland expressed through some amazing food.”

Food is the essences of A Return to Ireland. Food is the joy. Food is the medium that Judith uses to convey her love of the Celtic lands and people who inhabit them. But food isn’t all that is special about this 256-page book. Personal stories fill each chapter. Interesting information accompanies each recipe. And gorgeous photography, taken by Judith’s high-school-sweetheart husband, Gary McLoughlin, spark the appetite and stimulate wanderlust.

Judith and Gary moved to the United States in 1996. The couple landed in Boston and eventually moved to Atlanta for Gary’s work. Judith started catering and teaching about Irish cooking. Before long, she earned the reputation of the unofficial ambassador/cheerleader of all things Irish.

She says that growing up on a farm in the County Armagh in Northern Ireland gave her great appreciate for fresh Irish ingredients and Scot-Irish cooking handed down from generation to generation.

Today Judith fuses Irish cooking with that of the deep South, and not only writes cookbooks, but also caters, teaches cooking classes and leads fun food tours to Ireland—sometimes adding Scotland to the itinerary.

Judith McLoughlin with a group on a food tour.

Judith with a food-tour group.

Because all of the recipes in A Return to Ireland look so appealing, I couldn’t choose one to print for you. Top contenders were the Southern-influenced Soft Sweet Potato Biscuits with Country Ham Spread; and the purely Irish, Aged Gaelic Steaks with an Irish Whiskey Cream Sauce; and the updated classic fusion dish, White Chocolate Buttermilk Waffle Berry Pudding. Undecided, I left it up to Judith. She chose Colcannon Potatoes, one of the national dishes spotlighting her chapter on “Legendary Ireland Dishes.”Glad she did. Colcannon is remarkably easy and inexpensive to make and goes with all sorts of entrees—Irish or not. Here straight from the pages of her book

COLCANNON POTATOES

A dish of Colcannon Potatoes

A recipe for Colcannon Potatoes from A Return to Ireland.

A recipe for Colcannon Potatoes from Judith McLoughlin's cookbook A Return to Ireland

For more about Judith McLoughlin click HERE.

To buy A Return to Ireland, see ShamrockandPeach.com

or click HERE to visit Amazon.com (where I might get a commission.)

To know more about Irish Whiskey, click HERE.

For sleeping around Ireland in great style, click HERE.

And to top off the whole shebang, click HERE.

CARAMEL CORN, POPCORN, ELLA & OLLIE

Jane Helms’ recipe for caramel corn could be the best recipe for popcorn on the planet. But I’m jumping ahead. Before we get to the recipe, let me tell you about her son Matt Helms and his new popping hot business venture.

Matt Helms

Matt says that he loves family, farming, business, agriculture and marketing—passions that he ties together in one crackerjack product—popcorn.

He grew up on a 2200-acre farm located in Southwest Illinois that has been in his family since 1852. With farming in his heart, Matt studied plant sciences at the University of Illinois and earn an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis. For the past 22 years he has worked in different capacities for various companies, mostly related to some form of agriculture. But it’s Matt’s sideline blockbuster business that fascinates Sweet Leisure.

Along with his wife, Michelle, and daughter, Lily Ella, Matt decided to create a product and start a business that people relate to fun and nice experiences.

The farm was there. The trio needed a crop beloved by the multitudes. Popcorn was it.

Popcorn differs from other corn grown to feed people and livestock. And different types of popcorn serve different functions. To find the best, 13-year-old Lily Ella conducted family taste tests, coming up with an heirloom favorite. Matt contacted popcorn breeders for seed. And the Helmses planted the first two acres of their popcorn in 2017.

With the first harvest, the business burst into being, heated up and expanded greatly.

Harvesting popcorn

They named the company for daughter Lily Ella and Matt’s grandfather Ollie. Michelle designed the packaging and helped develop a line of popcorn products (seasonings, equipment, oils).

Two jars of Ella and Ollie popcorn with a bottle of seasoning salt and a bottle of oil.

Today, the Helms devote 100 acres of the farm to popcorn and Ollie & Ellie popcorn kernels are popping up in St. Louis gourmet popcorn stores, movie theatres, kettle corn stands, specialty shops and grocery stores. One can also order Ella &Ollie popcorn and assorted related items online.

Matt said that he loves a good handful of popcorn with a touch of seasoning salt,

Ella & Ollie popcorn popped with seasoning salt

but that his mom’s caramel corn remains his favorite dressed-up version, which brings us to the best recipe ever! Jane’s caramel corn makes a great gift—that is if you can bear to share. Please forgive the phrase stealing, but when it comes to Jane’s caramel corn confection, the whole is better than the sum of its buttery sugary parts; it makes hungry where it most satisfies; and too much is never enough!

JANE HELMS’ CARAMEL CORN

Caramel corn in a glass jar. Yield: About 5 cups caramel corn.

5 quarts freshly popped Ella & Ollie popcorn

½ pound butter

2 packed cups light brown sugar

½ cup white corn syrup

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

Put popped corn in a large roasting pan and set aside. Preheat oven to 250°F.

Melt butter in a large saucepan. Stir in sugar and corn syrup and bring to a boil over medium/high heat, stirring constantly. Stir and boil for 1 minute, then continue to boil syrup gently for 4 minutes without stirring. (The syrup gets really hot; be careful.)

Remove pan from heat and stir in salt, vanilla and baking soda (the syrup will foam). Pour the hot syrup over the popped corn and stir to coat kernels with syrup.

Set roasting pan in preheated oven and bake 40 minutes, stirring about every 10 minutes.

Spread popcorn on wax paper and cool before packaging.

A container of caramel corn and ribbons preparing to give as a gift.

For more information, click HERE.

To order online, click HERE.

For more wonderful recipes to give as gifts, click HERE.

¶ Posted 16 December 2022 † Susan Manlin Katzman § CANDY § CHRISTMAS § CONDIMENTS § DESSERTS § GIFT GIVING § GLUTEN FREE § HOLIDAYS § PRODUCTS § RECIPES § SNACKS ‡ Comments Off ° Tagged: caramel corn, corn, Ella & Ollie, Matt Helms, popcorn

THE SLEIGH SHED and HOLIDAY COCKTAIL RECIPES

It’s as if Santa, on a pre-Christmas reconnaissance, took a rest stop at Union Station in St. Louis, wandered into The Train Shed and decided to stay. The popular restaurant renamed “The Sleigh Shed” for the holiday season, brims with spirit. Lights twinkle. Ornaments shine.

A collage showing four scenes of decor delights at The Sleigh Shed

The staff radiates good will towards man and woman and kids and each other.

A collage showing smiling staff at The Sleigh Shed in Union Station.

Everything feels merry and bright, especially after one or two of the specialty cocktails the pop-up bar designed for yuletide indulging.

The Sleigh Shed comes gift-wrapped in good tidings.

The restaurant/bar opens at 11 a.m. for lunch and dinner, closing at 9 p.m. on Sunday through Thursdays and 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

The menu lists a wide array of family favorites. (The Stuffed Tots bring joy to the world.)

Union station offers a winter wonderland of attractions including a magical ride on the St. Louis Wheel.

But it’s The Sleigh Shed’s cocktails that so capture the spirt of the holidays. Here is just a sampling of delights that prove ‘Tis the season to be jolly.”

SANTA’S RED-EYE FIX

The luscious Santa's Red-Eye Fix served at The Sleigh Shed You might leave cookies and milk for Santa on Christmas Eve, but we are quite sure he would much prefer the ingredients popped into this Sleigh Shed cocktail.

Yield: 1 serving.

1 ounce chilled espresso

1-1/2 ounces 1220 Vodka

¾ ounce Vanille de Madagascar (vanilla liqueur)

½ ounce simple syrup

½ ounce heavy cream

Whipped cream

Crumbled chocolate chip cookies

Red and green sprinkles.

Put espresso, vodka, vanilla liqueur, syrup and cream in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake shaker vigorously for 10 seconds.

Strain into a frosted martini glass.

Top with whipped cream, cookie crumbles and sprinkles

RESTING GRINCH FACE

The Resting Grinch Face bright green cocktail You can tell why the Grinch steals Christmas cocktail excitement with this Sleigh Shed special.

Yield: 1 serving.

6 mint leaves

½ ounce toasted coconut syrup

2-1/4 ounces Cachaça

½ ounce lime juice

¼ ounce Ruby Red Grapefruit Cordial

2 drops green food color

Club soda

Sprig of fresh mint

Powdered sugar

Put mint leaves and syrup in a cocktail shaker and muddle lightly. Add Cachaça, lime juice, grapefruit cordial and food color. Add ice to shaker and lightly shake. Double strain into a highball glass over fresh ice. Add club soda to top. Garnish with mint sprig. Sprinkle sugar over top. Add green straw.

SLEIGH ALL DAY

A Sleigh All Day cocktail garnished with cranberries and lime wheel. Comfort and joy comes with this Sleigh Shed treat.

Yield: 1 serving.

1-1/2 ounces Cava de Oro Blanco Tequila

¾ ounce Bruzco Mezcal

½ ounce Suau Orange Brandy

¾ ounce pineapple gum syrup

¾ ounce lime juice

5 drops Cocktail Punk Peach Bitters

Cranberries

Lime wheel

Put tequila, mezcal, brandy, syrup, juice and bitters in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake vigorously for 15 seconds. Strain and pour over ice in a double old-fashioned glass. Garnish with cranberries and lime wheel.

HOCOCOA

A holly decorated mug filled with hot cocoa and garnished with toasted marshmallows and a peppermint stick. Here’s a bit of naughty fun for adults that transforms, when you leave out the booze, into something super nice for the kiddies.

Yield: 1 serving.

4 ounces hot chocolate

1 ounce Dora Double Chocolate Liqueur

1 ounce Peppermint Bark Cream Liqueur

Toasted mini marshmallows

Peppermint stick

Pour hot chocolate into a mug. Add the liqueurs and stir gently. Top with marshmallows and add a peppermint stick.

To help ensure a happy holiday season DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE—but keep in mind that if you do overindulge you could check into the historic St. Louis Union Station Hotel without even leaving the Union Station complex.

Click HERE for more information on the Train Shed/Sleigh Shed.

Click HERE For more information on Union Station’s hotel and attractions.

¶ Posted 16 November 2022 † Susan Manlin Katzman § APPETIZERS § BARS § BEVERAGES § CHRISTMAS § COCKTAILS § DRINKS § HEADS UP TO HAPPY HOUR § HOLIDAYS § MISSOURI § RECIPES § ST. LOUIS § Uncategorized ‡ Comments Off ° Tagged: cocktail recipes, Holiday cocktails, Pop-Up cocktail bar, St. Louis, St. Louis Wheel, The Sleigh Shed, Union Station

CHOCOLATE COFFEE CHILI, ST. LOUIS COFFEE, DEBORAH REINHARDT

Cover of book St. Louis Coffee Get excited! November 7 marks the release of Deborah Reinhardt’s book: St. Louis Coffee: A Stimulating History. Deborah brews up interesting and informative food, drink and history related books, with her new coffee book preceded by Delectable Destinations: A Chocolate Lover’s Guide to Missouri (so fine) and A Culinary History of Missouri: Foodways & Iconic Dishes of the Show-Me State, a book she co-authored with Suzanne Corbett.

Books by Deborah Reinhardt

St. Louis Coffee highlights the history of coffee in a town that was at onetime noted as “the largest inland distributor of coffee in the United States,” and profiles about 20 current roasters in the St. Louis area. Deborah said that St. Louis brought many innovations to the coffee industry and that coffee men were just as important as beer barons in shaping the nature of the city. Unlike beer, the history of coffee remained somewhat hidden, that is before Deborah dusted off the background and put a spotlight on the history.

Deborah perked an interest in the St. Louis coffee industry after reading about an exhibit at the Missouri History Museum. “Wow, I didn’t know that!” she kept thinking as she learned a new fact linking the city to coffee. Figuring that others might not know about the city’s coffee connection, and stimulated by the exhibit, she developed a robust interest in research that bloomed into her book.

Deborah Reinhardt

Dorothy Reinhardt

A St. Louis native, Deborah lived with her grandparents and parents when growing up. Her grandmother always kept a pot of coffee in the kitchen available to visitors. Deborah called it “hospitality coffee,” and says that she associates coffee with lovely memories of family and friends.

In addition to writing books, the former travel editor blogs at ThreeWomenintheKitchen.com, a site filled with terrific comfort-food recipes, cooking tips and family stories. The three Reinhardt women in the blog’s title are Deborah, her mom, Kathy, and grandma, Dorothy.

St. Louis Coffee, published by The History Press, sells for $23.99 and can be purchased, along with Deborah’s other books, on her blog, through her publishers, at local bookstores and on Amazon.

When asked for a favorite recipe, Deborah double dipped her passions and sent the following savory chili recipe that she flavors with both chocolate and coffee. She says that her recipe is “an evolving thing, especially with the chocolate, “I add some, taste, repeat until it’s at the level I like.”

CHOCOLATE/COFFEE CHILI

Yield: 6 servings. A bowl of Chocolate/Coffee Chili

1 pound ground beef (I prefer 85/15)

1 medium orange bell pepper, chopped

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 (15.5-ounce) can Brooks Chili beans (I prefer mild)

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 cup brewed black coffee

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate (chips or chopped)

Put beef in a heavy saucepan or Dutch Oven and cook, stirring often, until the meal loses its red color. Add the onion and bell pepper. Sauté, stirring often, until the beef almost starts to brown and onions are translucent. Add beans, tomatoes, coffee, salt, chili powder, garlic, and cinnamon. Continue to sauté, stirring often, until mixture starts to bubble. Turn heat down to low, stir in chocolate and simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and correct seasoning before serving.

To buy Deborah’s books through her publishers: click HERE for St. Louis Coffee: A Stimulating History, and HERE for Delectable Destinations, A Chocolate Lover’s Guide to Missouri.

For more information about A Culinary History of Missouri: Foodways & Iconic Dishes of the Show-Me State, click HERE.

To see Sweet Leisure’s recommendations for the best places in the world to drink coffee, click HERE.

A collage for the St. Louis arch, a cup of coffee and fall leaves.

¶ Posted 02 November 2022 † Susan Manlin Katzman § BEANS § BOOKS § CHOCOLATE § COFFEE § MISSOURI § RECIPES § ST. LOUIS ‡ Comments Off ° Tagged: A Culinary History of Missouri, chili, CHOCOLATE, COFFEE, Deborah Reinhardt, Delectable Destinations, St. Louis, St. Louis Coffee, Three Women in the Kitchen

D’Arcy’s Pint, Springfield, IL, Horseshoe

A hamburger pony served at D'Arcy's Pint The horseshoe, an open-faced sandwich of thick toast topped with hamburger or ham heaped with French fries and drenched in cheese sauce, was born in Springfield, Illinois, in 1928. Through the years, the sandwich evolved—but not much. Although the enormous horseshoe produced a half-size offspring called a “pony,” and cooks added variations to base ingredients, today the crave-worthy construction remains the same and the sandwich is still a stay-at-home specialty not sprinting far from city limits.

Many Springfield restaurants serves shoes, but judging by popularity, D’Arcy’s Pint is the place to find the best of the best.

View of D'Arcy's Pint from outside front door.

Outside D’Arcy’s Pint

Inside D’Arcy’s Pint

Hallie Pierceall opened D’Arcy’s Pint in 1998 and moved to today’s location at 661 Stanford Avenue in 2005. She runs the congenial Irish-style pub with the help of her brother T. J. Pierceall.

Hallie Pierceall

T.J. Pierceall

Their dad lives in nearby New Berlin and supplies the restaurant with fresh vegetables from his farm. Ninety percent of the extensive menu items are housemade and all are delicious. This winning combination of family, fresh and fabulous draws more that 1000 guests per day, with more than half of the crowd ordering a horse or pony shoe.

D’Arcy’s menu lists not only ham and hamburger for the sandwich base, but also corned beef, pot roast, Italian sausage, vegetables, Buffalo chicken…well the list goes on.

D’Arcy’s cheese sauce

And although D’Arcy’s shoes include thick portions of juicy succulent meat and crinkly crispy fries, it’s the creamy, rich, smooth-as-silk cheese sauce that sends D’Arcy’s sandwiches to unbridled heights.

Amy Beadle of the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau sent the recipe for the original Springfield Horseshoe Sandwich below.

Hallie says that D’Arcy’s cheese sauce differs from the Welsh Rarebit-like sauce in the original recipe. Her secret is to replace the Cheddar or Colby cheese with white American cheese, to adjust the seasonings for a more mellow taste and to leave out the beer. D’Arcy’s sells cheese sauce to go, but only in store.

Whether indulging in a horseshoe at D’Arcy’s Pint, or springing to the kitchen to make your own, Amy offers two tips for enjoying this Springfield specialty: Save up your appetite and wear very stretchy/comfy pants.

THE ORIGINAL SPRINGFIELD HORSESHOE

A hamburger pony served at D'Arcy's Pint (Recipe supplied by the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau.)

Yield: One horseshoe; 4 servings.

2 egg yolks

½ cup beer

2 tablespoons butter

3 cups grated sharp Old English Cheddar or Colby Longhorn cheese

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

¼ teaspoon dry mustard

½ teaspoon salt

1 dash cayenne pepper

2 thick slices Texas toast

Just grilled hamburger patties or ham steak

A heap of hot French fries

To make the cheese sauce: beat the egg yolks with beer and set aside. Put butter and cheese in the top of a double boiler over boiling water, and heat, stirring in one direction with a wooden spoon to melt cheese. Stir in the seasonings. Stirring constantly, add the yolks and beer a little at time. Keep the mixture piping hot as you stir, but don’t let it bubble.

To make the sandwich. Put toast on a preheated platter. Top with meat and then the fries. Pour cheese sauce over everything. Serve while sandwich is hot.

For more information about D’Arcy’s Pint, click HERE.

For more information about the Horseshoe, click HERE.

And for more information about Springfield, Illinois, click HERE.

¶ Posted 13 September 2022 † Susan Manlin Katzman § CHEESE § ILLINOIS § RECIPES § RESTAURANTS § SANDWICHES § SPRINGFIELD § TRAVEL ‡ Comments Off ° Tagged: D'Arcy's Pint, Hallie Pierceall, Horseshoe sandwich, IL, Pony sandwich, Springfield, T.J. Pierceall

Ta-eem Grill, Hummus Fava Beans

Entrance to Ta-eem Grill Let’s see. Shawarma or falafel? Kabobs or schnitzel? Humus or baba ganoush? Hard choice as Ta-eem Grill fills its menu with a seductive list of delicious Glatt Kosher Mediterranean fare.

Yoel and Sylvie Kraizberger, Israeli natives, opened Ta-eem in 2011, fashioning the restaurant after one they ran in Israel. Today, the Los Angeles restaurant has become a staple with the Jewish community and draws lovers of Israeli dishes from far beyond its Fairfax neighborhood.

The Kraizberger family (mom and dad, son and daughter) run the place, energetically greeting friends, filling orders and overseeing the grilling that take place at a station just inside the entrance.

Yoel and Sylvie Kraizberger

Customers order and pay at a counter and then find a seat or just hover around if waiting for carryout.

The restaurant sports a well-worn ambience. A smoky scent of grilled onions, garlic and seared meats greets one at the door. Personal photos line one wall. Scruffy wood tables with mismatched chairs provide seating for about 100. A few tables sit outdoors—on the Melrose sidewalk.

Inside Ta-eem

Ta-eem has a few tables on the Melrose sidewalk.

Outside Ta-eem

Carryout or dine-in, people come for the food and it shines. Food writer Sylvio Martins claims Ta-eem’s falafel is one of the best in LA. (See “The Best Flafel In LA.”) Food reviewer Brian Cox likes the Shawarma (See 6 Excellent Shawarma Spots in LA.”). I happen to crave the pargiot, a mound of marinated chicken thigh slivers grilled with onions and garlic.

Ta-eem’s falafel on pita and parrot plate with Israeli salad, rice and baba ganoush.

Everyone loves picking and choosing favorites from the feast of side dishes that accompany most orders.

An assortment of side dishes that come with Ta-eem's entrees.

And Sylvie Kraizberger says that she favors the Hummus Fava Beans, a dish that she makes for the restaurant—like this:

TA-EEM HUMMUS FAVA BEANS (FUL)

Ta-eem's Hummus Fava Beans (Ful) with hardboiled egg garnish.

Yield: 2 to 4 servings.

1 can (15 ounces) garbanzo beans

4 to 5 garlic cloves, divided

2 tablespoon tahini

About 2 tablespoons lemon juice, divided

Salt

1 can (15 ounces) fava beans, rinsed

Olive oil

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 to 2 hard-boiled eggs, cut into wedges

Chopped parsley

Make hummus: Put garbanzo beans in a medium saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to a boil over medium heat, gently boil beans for about 20 minutes. Drain beans, rinse in cold water and set aside until completely cooled.

Put cooled garbanzo beans, 2 or 3 minced garlic cloves, tahini, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and about 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor, blender or grinder. Process mixture, adding cold water as necessary to make a smooth, creamy paste. Correct seasoning, adding more lemon juice and/or salt as desired. Set hummus aside.

Cook fava beans: Put a thin coat of olive oil in a medium-size skillet. Set over medium heat. Add 2 minced garlic cloves and cook, stirring often, until garlic is fragrant, but not browned, about 1 minute. Add fava beans, 3 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, cumin and paprika. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are cooked through and flavorful, about 20 minutes. Taste and correct seasoning.

When ready to serve: Spoon hummus into the center of a large bowl. Make an indentation in center of hummus, spreading mixture in a circle covering bottom of bowl and extending a little up the sides. Add fava beans to indentation in center of hummus. Drizzle olive oil over top of all and sprinkle generously with parsley. Garnish with a hard-boiled egg.

Ta-eem Grill, Inc./7422 Melrose Ave/Los Angeles

For more information click HERE.

¶ Posted 22 July 2022 † Susan Manlin Katzman § APPETIZERS § BEANS § CALIFORNIA § ENTREES § IMMIGRANT CHEFS § ISRAEL § LOS ANGELES § RECIPES § RESTAURANTS § SIDE DISHES § VEGETABLES ‡ Comments Off ° Tagged: falafel, fava beans, hummus, Israeli foods, kosher restaurant, Los Angeles, Ta-eem Grill

8 Perfect Places to Drink Coffee

To say I love coffee, understates. I adore, crave, treasure coffee. The only thing better than drinking a perfect cup of coffee, is drinking a perfect cup of coffee in an amazing setting.

Here are 8 sensational places where I find ultimate coffee-drinking joy.

INVERLOCHY CASTLE HOTEL

FORT WILLIAMS, SCOTLAND

This baronial mansion turned hotel in 1969 earned the praise of Queen Victoria who said, “I never saw a lovelier or more romantic spot.”

The accolades keep flowing as Inverlochy continues to win top awards for both its hotel and restaurant. A day at Inverlochy that begins with wake-up, room-service coffee consumed in a luxuriously plush bed, and then, more coffee to accompany a full Scottish breakfast served in a lovely sunshine-filled dining room just could be my ultimate coffee-drinking experience.

Click HERE for more about Inverlochy Castle Hotel and for the restaurant’s delectable shortbread recipe.

A plush bed at Inverlochy Castle Hotel with coffee on a side table.

A full Scottish breakfast as served at Inverlochy Castle Hotel

FRENCH COUNTRY WATERWAYS HORIZON II

UPPER LOIRE, FRANCE

Nothing beats traveling divinely, dreamingly, deliciously on a French hotel barge, especially on the Horizon II, a barge that floats with the grace of a swan, through the man-made canals of the Upper Loire. Everything about the Horizon II charms. I adored breakfast at the dining table, but lounging on the deck, sipping a cup of coffee while floating through the backyard waterways of France could just be my ultimate coffee-drinking experience.

Click HERE for more about a Horizon II cruise.

The Horizon II Floats Through French backyard waterways.

TONGABEZI LODGE

ZAMBIA

This luxury lodge near Victoria Falls in Zambia sports guest houses with only three walls. The fourth wall is open air where the bedroom and patio overlook the Zambezi River. Without telephones or alarm clocks, the lodge sends a valet with coffee, biscuits and a breakfast menu to rouse guests from sleep. Lounging on the patio as the sun rises, watching monkeys frolic in the trees and hippos bathe in the Zambezi River while drinking strong and fragrant morning coffee, could just be my ultimate coffee-drinking experience.

Click HERE for more about Tongabezi Lodge and unique recipes for sweet potato jam and Zambian beans.

A valet brings wake-up coffee to enjoy on the deck of a room at Tongabezi Lodge

CAFÉ DE FLORE and/or CAFÉ DEUX MAGOT

PARIS, FRANCE

Café de Flore, named for the Roman goddess of flowers and fertility, opened sometime in the 1880s. Its rival, Les Deux Magot, named for “two stocky figurines from the Far East,” is equally historic. The cafes sit across from each other in Saint-Germain-des-Pres, in Paris’ 6^tharrondissement. Through the years, both cafes collected a long roster of famous guests, including high-profile writers, philosophers, intellectuals, actors and celebrities. Sitting at one of these historic cafés, squeezed into a table facing the street, sipping un café and watching Paris walk by, could just be my ultimate coffee-drinking experience.

Sitting at Cafe de Flores in Paris

SUNSET AT THE PALMS

NEGRIL, JAMAICA

Palms and ferns, bamboo, orchids and jasmine, plus a jungle worth of other lush vegetation surround the 43 stilted treehouses at Jamaica’s Sunset at the Palms resort. While walking paths yield a garden of earthly delights, lounging on the deck of a treehouse room, overlooking gorgeous greenery while listening to woodpeckers add drumbeats to songbird serenades, just could be my ultimate coffee-drinking experience.

Click HERE for more about Sunset at the Palms resort and a terrific Jamaican chicken recipe.

Lush greens surround a treehouse at Sunset at the Palms

CANYON OF THE ANCIENTS GUEST RANCH

Near MESA VERDE and CORTEZ, COLORADO

A rooster crows a wake-up call. I brew a cup of coffee in my rented stone cottage and take it out to a lounge chair placed in front of the pasture. The rising sun revels flawless blue sky. The brilliantly fresh and cool air wears the scent of drying dew on growing grass. Mooing cows and clucking free-range chickens play the soundtrack. Enjoying coffee in the incredibly peace of this working ranch/farm could just be my ultimate coffee-drinking experience.

Click HERE for more information about Canyon of the Ancients Guest Ranch and a wonderful lamb stew recipe.

The front door of a cottage at Canyon of the Ancients Guest Ranch

JADE MOUNTAIN RESORT

SAINT LUCIA

I don’t want to make anybody jealous, so am going to list a few drawbacks to my room at Jade Mountain in Saint Lucia. The room at this luxurious mountain-top resort only has three walls. The infinity pool, where the fourth wall should be, doesn’t stretch forever into the Caribbean—it’s an illusion. The mountainous Pitons that dominate view never change; I waste a lot of time just staring at them. And although drinking butler-brought morning coffee at the ledge of the infinity pool overlooking the Caribbean and the awesome Pitons may be my ultimate coffee-drinking experience, the coffee eventually disappears from the cup before I am ready to move on. Just saying, nothing to arouse jealousy here.

Click HERE for more information about Jade Mountain and for an extravagant chocolate ice cream sundae recipe.

Sitting at the ledge of the infinity pool at Jade Mountain overlooking the Caribbean

LAKE MEADE

NEVADA/ARIZONA

Untold glory awaits families and/or friends who rent a Forever Resorts houseboat and steer it through the Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Nevada and Arizona. Swimming, fishing, cooking and just hanging out fill the days, but it’s the early morning that brings me supreme pleasure. While my companions sleep, I make a cup of coffee and wander away from the boat to find a secluded spot among the rock formations that line the shore. Alone with Mother Nature and her exotic desert creatures–lizards, burrowing owls, cacti, boulders–sipping strong and flavorful coffee while I wait for the family to wake could just be my ultimate coffee-drinking experience.

Click HERE for more about the houseboating experience and for an outstanding egg strata recipe.

A collage of docked Forever houseboat and drinking coffee on a boulder.

¶ Posted 16 June 2022 † Susan Manlin Katzman § ACCOMMODATIONS § AFRICA § ARIZONA § BARGING § BEACH § BEVERAGES § CANALS § CANYON OF THE ANCIENTS NATIONAL MONUMENT § CARIBBEAN § COFFEE § COLORADO § CORTEZ § CRUISING § DRINKS § FRANCE § HIGHLANDS § HOUSEBOATING § ISLANDS § JAMAICA § LAKE MEAD § MESA VERDE § NATIONAL PARKS § NEVADA § PARIS § RECIPES § RESORTS § SAINT LUCIA § SCOTLAND § ZAMBIA ‡ Comments Off ° Tagged: Arizona, Cafe de Flores, Cafes, Canyon of the Ancients Guest Ranch, COFFEE, Colorado, French Country Waterways, Horizon II, Inverlochy Castle Hotel, Jade Mountain, Jamaica, Lake Meade, Les Deux Magots, Negril, Nevada, Paris, Saint Lucia, Sunset at the Palms, Tongabezi, Zambia

Third Wheel Brewing and Brewmaster Abbey Spencer

Abbey Spencer holding a beer inside Third Wheel Brewing “I love the sensory,” says Abbey Spencer, “It’s my passion.” No doubt, Abbey’s dedicated attention to aroma, flavor, mouthfeel, appearance, and color accounts for the high-quality beer she produces for Third Wheel Brewing, a brew pub that opened in 2017 in St. Peters, MO.

Abbey became fascinated with beer after moving to St. Louis (from Chicago) in 2008 to be with her fiancé (now husband), Benn Overkamp. Abbey and Benn liked beer. And not just drinking it. Shortly after the move, the pair enrolled in a free beer school held at a local restaurant and started making beer at home from kits.

One thing led to another and Abbey produced so much home brew that she had to throw multiple parties for family and friend to consume the excess.

in her Pink Boots Her interests in beer became layered. She worked at a craft beer retail shop as well as at local beer bar. She co-founded The OG St. Louis Women’s Craft Beer Collective, a non-profit dedicated to “educating and involving St. Louis-area women in the craft beer movement.” She entered beer competitions—and won. She joined the Pink Boots Society, a non-profit which “assists, inspires, and encourages women beer (and other fermented-alcoholic-beverage) professionals through education.” Abbey and her beer obsession thrived. Her reputation grew.

In 2016, one of the attendees of Abbey’s home-brew parties, and a former owner of a brewpub frequented by Abbey and Benn, asked her to brew beer for a brewery that he was opening with a handful of partners. Reluctant at first, Abbey eventually accepted, becoming not only the brewmaster of Third Wheel Brewing, but also one of the partners.

Collage showing inside and out of Third Wheel Brewing

Timeline on chalk board showing when Abbey joined Third Wheel Brewing

At Third Wheel Brewing, Abbey produces, she says, “unique takes on classic styles and classic takes on unique styles.”

Brewing tanks at Third Wheel Brewing

The tap menu rocks with year-round staples, seasonal specialties, and special releases. From pilsners to “crazy big” stouts, there is a style of beer to please every customer. In addition to beer on tap, Third Wheel Brewing bottles and cans beer—and is branching out to sell in additional markets.

Collage of different types beer at Third Wheel Brewing

Beer, of course, takes central stage, but patrons can back up their brew with food from The Window, an independently owned kitchen inside the brewery.

A look into The Window kitchen at Third Wheel Brewing

The Window’s menu includes many dishes designed to match beer and/or even contain beer, with specialties such as The Boozy Brownie, made with Abbey’s Goomah milk stout, a top seller. (Recipe follows.)

Third Wheel Brewing not only weathered the covid years, but also thrived, continuing to offer stunning beer, good food and a range of beer-centric games, educational programming, and musical events. And Abbey continues to blossom, not only producing outstanding new products, but also taking on new endeavors. She recently became an adjunct instructor in Saint Louis University’s Brewing Science and Operations program. True to form and passion, Abbey teaches about beer sensory evaluation.

THE BOOZY BROWNIE (aka GOOMAH BROWNIES)

The Goomah Brownie topped with Ice cream and chocolate sauce

(Recipe supplied by The Window at Third Wheel Brewing)

Yield: 6 brownies.

Shortening to grease baking pan

6 ounces dark chocolate chips A can and a glass of Goomah Milk Stout

1/3 cup Goomah Stout (or any good chocolate or milk stout)

½ cup butter, melted

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup brown sugar

3 large eggs

¾ cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon hop salt (or sea salt)

Ice cream

Chocolate sauce

Grease an 8 X 8-inch baking pan and set aside. Preheat oven to 350°F

Put chocolate and stout in a double boiler and heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate melts. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugars together until well blended. Stir in eggs. Then stir in chocolate/stout mixture. Add flour, cocoa powder and salt and beat just until ingredients are combined. Pour batter into prepared pan. Set in preheated 350°F oven and bake until top is slightly firm and batter no longer juggles when pan is lightly shaken, about 28 minutes.

Cool before serving.

Serve topped with ice cream and drizzled with chocolate sauce.

For more about Third Wheel Brewing, click HERE.

Floor mat from Third Wheel Brewing

¶ Posted 18 April 2022 † Susan Manlin Katzman § BARS § BEER § BEVERAGES § DESSERTS § DRINKS § FAVORITE RECIPES/FAMOUS PEOPLE § HEADS UP TO HAPPY HOUR § MISSOURI § PRODUCTS § RECIPES § RESTAURANTS § SAINT PETERS ‡ Comments Off ° Tagged: Abbey Spencer, beer, brewing, brownie, Goomah, Goomah Brownies, Pink Boots Society, stout, The Boozy Brownie, Third Wheel Brewing

Beef Stew Recipe/Food Writer Daniel Neman

Dan Neman
Photo by Chris Lee of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch

He’s a food writer for sure, but he’s also a movie-loving, food comic with a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor that has a bit of a bite. Just think of this sentence that Daniel Neman wrote on January 8, 2014, introducing himself as the new food writer at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “Can’t help it, can’t get over it, can’t do anything about it.” Dan was referring to both being a Cincinnati Reds fan and disliking meatloaf. He also claims a distaste for Provel cheese—something untenable to native St. Louisans—but that’s another story.

Raised in Cincinnati where he honed his taste on childhood favorite foods that included beets (go figure) and Cincinnati Chili, a home-town concoction made with ground beef, tomato paste, and seasonings that usually include cinnamon, cloves and sometimes chocolate. This chili is spooned over pasta and topped with chopped raw onions, beans and mounds of shredded cheese.

A big plate of Cincinnati Chili

Dan studied at The University of Chicago and then worked as a movie critic for The Richmond Times-Dispatch. He developed an interest in food when he met his wife, a news editor, who turned him on to herself and her cooking. The pair bonded over the stove.

After movie critics faded out of the newspaper industry, Dan took up food writing, eventually becoming food editor of The Toledo Blade before moving on to The St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

As the majordomo food writer for the Post, Dan writes features, develops recipes and stars in Prep School videos, showing viewers step by step recipes for dishes ranging from soup (asparagus) to nuts (candied walnuts).

Dan Neman frying fish for upcoming story. Photographed by Hillary Levin of the St. Louis Post Dispatch.

When asked what food shows and contemporary food writers he admires, Dan replied that he gets a kick out of The Great British Bake Off and likes Steven Raichlen, author of The Barbecue Bible; Helen Fletcher, author of Craving Cookies; and Clotilde Dusoulier,author of Tasting Paris.

Collage of Dan's favorite books.

When asked if he ever came to like Provel, Dan replied that he, “sure enjoys the Cincinnati Bengals.”

And when asked if he has a favorite recipe to share with Sweet Leisure, Dan said he likes to make beef stew for the weekly free meal distributed at his wife’s church. As homeless people with problematic teeth often attend, he developed the recipe from a chuck pot roast, cutting the meat into small pieces that are easy to eat.

Thank you, Dan Neman, St. Louis is lucky to have you—even if you don’t like Provel—tsk, tsk!

BEEF STEW A LA DAN

Yield: 6 servings.

2½-3 pounds chuck roast Beef Stew a la Dan

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ onion, chopped

1 large clove garlic, crushed

1 cup dry red wine

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, tomato purée, chopped tomatoes or diced tomatoes, with juice

Juice from 1 large orange

3 whole cloves

1 cinnamon stick or ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¾ cup frozen peas

Cooked egg noodles, for serving

Trim meat of large deposits of fat, and cut meat into 1½-inch cubes. Liberally season with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium high heat and sear meat in batches until brown on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add onion and sauté until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add wine and stir to dissolve any brown bits that may be on the bottom of the pan. Cook until wine is reduced by half. Stir in tomatoes, orange juice, cloves and cinnamon. Return meat to pot and stir so that all sides of meat are coated.
Bring to a low simmer, cover and cook until meat is very tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Stir in peas and cook for an additional 3 minutes.

Serve over hot egg noodles.

PS: If you order one of the outstanding books above from the Amazon link provided, Sweet Leisure may receive a teeny tiny commission.

¶ Posted 18 March 2022 † Susan Manlin Katzman § CINCINNATI § ENTREES § FAVORITE RECIPES/FAMOUS PEOPLE § MISSOURI § OHIO § PASTA § RECIPES § ST. LOUIS ‡ Comments Off ° Tagged: beef stew, Cincinnati Chili, Dan Neman, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Noodles, Spaetzle, Dumplings and Chicken

Betty Manlin

I started reading my mother’s diaries. This is not as intrusive as it sounds as mom (Betty Manlin) wrote them when she was well into her eighties for her kids to read as desired. When packing her home after she died, I put the diaries in a storage box, only to be found many years later, during Covid lockdown.

The diaries fascinate me—not that they disclosed secrets, but because they offer mini-memories of family cooking.

Maggie Steffen (Granny)

Mom was a remarkable woman, but a wretched cook. On the other hand, her mother, Maggie Steffen, won kudos for her culinary skills.

Granny lived in rural Missouri on a small family farm. Like other original farm-to-table cooks, she grew vegetables and herbs in a kitchen garden; plucked apples and plums from her backyard orchard; kept a cow for cream and butter; and raised chickens that wandered at will, yielding colorful eggs and flavorful dinners.

I find my mom’s food memories touching, like the one of an old noodle board that she inherited from her mom and describes in her diary here:

Page two of diary

Noodle board diary continued, page 3

Page 5 of Noodle Board diary

Last page of Betty's diary about noodle board

As far as I remember, Granny used similar dough—and her noodle board—to make two kinds of noodles. The dropped version resulted in squiggly dense bites also known as spaetzle.

Spaetzle

She cut her rolled version into various sizes, with the thick, broader cuts also called dumplings.

Keep in mind that Granny didn’t use measurements, so my interpretation of ingredient amounts in the recipes below are “abouts,” to be adjusted as desired.

GRANNY’S DROP NOODLES (Also called Spaetzle)

Yield: About 6 servings.

3 cups flour

Salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

3 eggs

Water

Butter for serving

To make noodles: put flour, 3/4 teaspoon salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Break eggs into the well and then add 1 cup water. With a fork, first beat eggs and water together until blended and then start incorporating flour from the side of the egg mixture. Keep incorporating flour, adding more water, if necessary, to make a smooth, thick moist batter.

Bring a large pot of water or broth to a rapid boil.

Put a portion of the batter on a wooden board. With a sharp knife, cut a sliver from the batter and roll it along the board until it curls into a slender noodle. With the knife, push the noodle into the boiling liquid.

Repeat until all batter has been used.

Collage showing making spaetzle

Noodles are cooked when they rise to the surface of the hot liquid. (See NOTE.) Transfer hot noodles to a serving dish and toss with a generous amount of butter. Correct seasoning and serve immediately.

NOTE: If not serving immediately, transfer noodles as they are cooked to a bowl filled with cold water. To serve: drain noodles. Melt about 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet, add noodles and toss gently over medium low heat until noodles are hot. If desired, sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.

GRANNY’S CHICKEN AND SPAETZLE NOODLES

Chicken and spaetzle noodles

Yield: 6 servings.

About 4 cups chicken broth

1-1/2 cups trimmed, peeled carrots that have been cut into thick rounds

1 cup peas

3 cups cooked cubed chicken

Cooked drop noodles from recipe above

Bring broth to a rapid boil. Add carrots and boil until carrots are almost tender, about 15 minutes. Add peas, chicken, noodles, and more broth if necessary to cover all ingredients. Simmer until ingredients are hot throughout and flavors are blended, about 10 minutes.

GRANNY’S CHICKEN AND DUMPLING NOODLES

Chicken and dumplings

Yield: 6 servings.

3 eggs

1/4 cup water

1-1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

3 cups flour

5 to 6 cups chicken broth

3 cups cooked chicken, cut into large chunks

2 tablespoons butter

Beat eggs, water and salt together. Add baking powder and 1/2 cup flour and mix well. Stir in flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until mixture forms a soft dough. Spread remaining flour on a countertop. Place dough on top of flour and knead lightly for 30 seconds incorporating enough flour to make a smooth soft, but not sticky, dough. Roll dough 1/4-inch thick, turning dough over to coat evenly with flour. Cover with kitchen towel and let dry 30 minutes.

Turn dough over and dry another 30 minutes.

Put dough on board and slice into noodles with a very sharp knife. (Can layer the dough pieces and cut through several sheets at one time. Cut thick or thin, as desired.)

Spread cut noodles out on floured surface, cover with kitchen towel, and let dry another 30 minutes.

Collage of rolling and cutting noodles

Bring broth to a rolling boil in a large saucepan. Pick up handfuls of noodles and shake off excess flour. Drop noodles by handfuls into pot, stirring constantly.

Add chicken to noodles in pot and cook over medium low heat for about 15 minutes, until noodles are tender, but no longer doughy. Stir in butter.