Lemony Zest :: Kim Lewandowski

Archive for February, 2009

I’ve never seen Brussels sprouts displayed like this before. This was in the Farm Fresh Market in Ghent a few days ago.

Check it out – they grow on a big stalk, like bananas. I wonder what the entire plant looks like? Must Google…

Well, here ya go – info on how to grow them, along with a photo of the complete plant. We bought seeds to start these this year, so we’ll see how it goes.

Brussels sprouts are one of those things that bow to the magic of roasting. A little olive oil, some salt and pepper, maybe a bit of herb, 400 degrees in the oven and some time, and you have some really good eats.

Dan wants to try starting a lot of our spring garden plants from seed this year, so we went to the Norfolk County Feed & Seed store yesterday and got a variety of things to start with. He already planted peas in the garden, and we have everything we need to get seeds going in the sunroom. We’ll see how it goes

On Wednesday, my weekly dinner group headed to the No Frill Bar & Grill on Colley Avenue for dinner. They’re having their annual February special – for each appetizer and dessert sold during the month, they donate $1 to the Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters, a very good cause.

So we go and pretend the appetizers are tapas – buy several and share Then share a dessert. It was good and filling, with lots left over. We had:

• Artichoke/cheese dip with pita bread
• Nachos with chicken – it was huge! Must have been 5 lbs. of food there!
• Bowl of beef and bean chili – they counted this as an appetizer
• For dessert, we feasted on the Chocolate Amaretto Sin Pie – essentially, a big truffle with a cookie crust and whipped cream – sinful indeed

So if you’re local, stop by the No Frill Grill and have a few for the children

Josi Schroder, the setter (on the right) for the Churchland High School volleyball team in 2006-07, was an exchange student from Germany living with us that year. She had a great time with the team, and they loved having her, with her years of experience. Cool

And another week whizzes by! I think it must be the cold we had last week – I was in no mood to do anything but come home from work, make and eat dinner, and curl up on the couch wrapped in a blanket. I need a laptop.

Anyway, today, it’s 69 degrees already in southeastern Virginia, so I have a lot more energy to do more than just conserve heat on the couch. So here’s my contribution to Thursday Night Smackdown: The Valentine’s Day Cliche Edition – Chocolate Fondue.

I need to practice taking pix more, dang it. Too many of these came out blurry.

Dan and I typically don’t celebrate (St.) Valentine’s Day – I mean, I’m not Catholic and I love Dan every day, not just one day a year. But I guess I’m feeling lovey-dovey this year since we will celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary in June. Awwwwww!!!

I don’t know why I don’t make fondue more often – it seems like such a pain, but it’s really easy once you get going. No more difficult than anything else I make regularly. Dan brought home this book for me some years ago – “The Book of Fondues,” by Lorna Rhodes. I’ve made a few recipes from it, but we definitely need to get into it more.

Dan actually made the fondue (see why it’s so easy?), but I told him how, so that counts, right? It was really good. We ate it with strawberries and bananas; other good dippers would be brownies, pound cake, and other fruits like pineapple. Definitely give it a try.

Mocha Chocolate Fondue

8 oz. semisweet chocolate (we used 4 oz. semisweet and 4 oz. dark chocolate chips)
1 tbsp. instant coffee granules (we don’t drink instant, so we left this out)
2/3 cup whipping cream
3 tbsp. Tia Maria (we used Kahlua to get that coffee flavor)

Break up chocolate (or use chips) and place in fondue pot. Add coffee granules, if using, and whipping cream, and heat slowly until melted, stirring constantly. Stir in liqueur and beat until smooth. Place over burner at the table and serve. Makes 6 servings.

It’s shaped like a heart! Awwwww!!!