The Garden Cat Cottage

Saturday, January 30, 2010

A Funny Thing Happened....

A Funny thing happened at the Grocery store today....

I met "Rosie O'Donnell".

She is in town with her girlfriend Beth ( my friend Jimmy's Niece) who lives on the West End . She will be here for Mardi Gras.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

KATHY'S Venetian CARNIVALE CHICHETTE MENU

Italian Fish Soup

Ingredients
16 ounces fresh or frozen haddock, bass, sole, or other fish fillets
10 ounces fresh or frozen peeled and deveined shrimp
6 cups Seafood stock
2 cans whole tomatoes,

1 cup thinly sliced fennel bulb
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup dry white wine or water
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon dried italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
Dash bottled hot pepper sauce
1/4 cup tomato sauce
8 slices Italian bread, toasted
Directions
1. Thaw the fish fillets and shrimp, if frozen. Rinse fish and shrimp; pat dry with paper towels. Cut the fish into 1-inch pieces; halve shrimp lengthwise. Chill.
2. In a large saucepan combine the 6 cups of stock, the tomatoes, fennel, celery, wine or water, onion, , italian seasonng, lemon peel, garlic, bay leaves, and hot pepper sauce. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until vegetables are nearly tender. Stir in tomato paste.
3. Add fish pieces and shrimp to saucepan. Bring mixture just to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 5 minutes more or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork and shrimp turn pink. Discard bay leaves.
4. To serve, ladle into soup bowls. Place a slice of Italian bread on each serving. Serve immediately. Makes 8 servings.

Kale and White Bean Soup With Spicy Sausage

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup diced onion

1 cup diced red bell pepper

1 cup diced celery

1/2 cup diced carrot

8 to 12 ounces Italian sausage, diced or thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch kale, chopped, about 8 to 10 cups chopped

1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can (15 ounces) white beans,

such as Great Northern, drained and rinsed

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Dash Tabasco or similar hot pepper sauce, optional

Preparation:

In a large skillet heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions, bell pepper, celery, carrots and sausage. Sauté, stirring, until onion is just tender. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add kale and garlic; cover and continue cooking for 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients; cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Taste and adjust salt, as needed.
Serves 8.

Toasted Ravioli

Purchased ravioli, breaded and sauteed in olive oil and served with a savory tomato and red pepper sauce.

Ingredients:

2 eggs

Splash of milk or half-and-half

Salt and pepper

1 1/2 cups Italian bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
12 large fresh spinach and cheese ravioli, about 3/4 pound
5 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Pinch red pepper flakes
2 roasted red peppers, drained
1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes

Directions:

Beat eggs with a splash of milk seasoned with salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Combine bread crumbs with cheese and parsley in a second dish. Coat the ravioli in egg, then bread crumbs. Heat 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat in a skillet and toast the ravioli until deep golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. In a small sauce pot heat the remaining extra-virgin olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes over medium-low heat. Grind the roasted peppers in the food processor and add to garlic after it has sauteed for a couple of minutes. Stir in tomatoes and season the sauce with salt and pepper. When ready to serve, transfer sauce to a small bowl. Surround the sauce with toasted ravioli for dipping and serve.

Number of Servings: 4

Personal Polenta Pizza Cups

Packaged corn bread mix forms the base for these mini-polenta pizzas--just top with plenty of cheese and your favorite toppings.

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 8 1/2 ounce pkg cornbread mix
1 large egg

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Topping:
Assortment of diced pepperoni, ham mushrooms, bell peppers and other vegetables
3/4 cup prepared tomato based pasta sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
1 8 ounce package (2 cups) Italian shredded cheese blend

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line muffin tin with 12 liners; set aside. In medium bowl, mix cornbread mix, egg, milk and Parmesan cheese together. Divide mixture evenly among 12 muffin tins. Sprinkle ingredients such as pepperoni or veggies over crust to your liking. Top sausage with 1 tablespoon of pasta sauce and a dollop of cheese; repeat in remaining tins. Bake for 20 minutes or until crust is firm and cheese is bubbly and golden on top.

number of Servings: 6

EGGPLANT CINDERELLA
serve the eggplant on toasted bread rubbed with garlic, as an hors d’oeuvre, or over greens, for a first-course salad. Dress them up by sprinkling crumbled goat cheese or chopped sun-dried tomatoes over the top right before serving.
Yield:
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:
1 large eggplant, cut into 1/8-inch thick slices

2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup plus 8 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons chopped garlic

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

8 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Sprinkle the eggplant slices with º teaspoon of the salt and then place them in a colander to drain for 20 minutes. Pat them with a paper towel until thoroughly dry.2. Line the bottom of two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Brush the eggplant slices lightly on both sides with 1/3 cup of the olive oil and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.3. In a small glass baking dish, place 1/3 of the eggplant slices, sprinkle with some of the salt, pepper, garlic, basil, mint, olive oil and vinegar, and repeat the process until all the eggplant is used. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight to ripen.

Chichette Ideas

Fried sage leaves and anchovies

calamari

frito misto ( mixed fried seafood) calmari, squid, cuttlefish, smelts anchovies, shrimp etc

meatballs with marinara and alfredo for dipping sauces

toasted ravioli with dipping sauces

pizzas made on pita ( basil, cheese, mushroom)

brushchetta

mozzarela tomato basil on bread

tomato basil soup

bean and kale soup

marinated mushrooms

marinated olives

antipasto platter

goat cheese stuffed tomatoes

proscuitto and melon

Nick Stellinos Eggplant Cinderella

KATHY'S Venetian CARNIVALE BELLINI RECIPES

Bellini

The Bellini is a peachy version of the Champagne Cocktail and makes a great brunch cocktail. The story behind the drink is that is was created in the 1930's or 40's at Harry's Bar in Venice, Italy by bartender Giuseppe Cipriani and was named after a favorite painter, Giovanni Bellini. Originally, the Bellini was intended to use sparkling Italian wine and is still made that way in Italy, elsewhere it is often made with Champagne. Also, try the mocktail version, the Baby Bellini.
Ingredients:
2 oz peach juice or peach puree
4 oz Champagne
Preparation:
Pour the peach juice or peach puree into a Champagne flute.
Slowly add the Champagne.

Improvised Bellini

1 1/2 oz of Peach Schnapps

in a champagne flute,

filled with Champagne.

this seeminly harmless "foo-foo"

drink actually packs quite a whollop!

It is very sweet and goes down very easily,

it is tasty, cool, and smells great."

Rossini

2 oz strawberry puree or nectar

40z chilled champagne

in a champagne flute

Frozen Bellini and Rosetti

1 120z can peach or strawberry nectar

12 oz or more champagne

squeeze of lemon juice

ice

*blend*

*garnish with peach slice and mint sprig

or a sugar dipped strawberry and mint sprig

KATHY'S MARDI GRAS MENU

ITALIAN STYLE SEAFOOD GUMBO

1lb okra

2 tbsp. butter

1 lg. onion, diced

1 bell pepper diced

15 oz can tomatoes, whole or diced

1 bay leaf, whole

2 tbsp. chopped parsley

1/4 tsp. chopped thyme

1/8 tsp. cayenne

6 garlic clove, minced

6 crabs split in half, with pinchers

1 lb. shrimp, shelled, deveined

1 lb fish fillets, cut into bite-size pieces

(any type of fish)

8 c. beer or seafood stock or white wine

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp file

4 c. boiled white rice

Slice okra into 1/2 inch pieces,

melt butter in kettle, Saute onion,

bell pepper and garlic.

Add okra, tomatoes with juice.

Next, add spices and seafood,

simmer slowly 10 minutes, stirring often.

Add water and salt, simmer, covered for 1 hour.
Uncover and simmer until consistency of thick soup,

place rice in bowls and top with gumbo.

*Serve with Hot Italian Bread

Crab Cakes
Ingredients -
1 pound lump Crab Meat

1 Large Egg

2 tablespoons Real Mayonnaise

1/2 cup soft, Panko Bread Crumbs

1 tablespoon minced Parsley

1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

1/2 onion diced

1/4 C red pepper diced

1/4 c. water chestnuts minced

Dash of Freshly Ground Pepper

Dash of tabasco or siracha

Oil, for pan-frying

Preparation:
1. Combine crab, egg, mayo, crumbs, parsley,onion ,

red peper and water chestnuts

Worcestershire sauce, tabasco & pepper.

2. Mix to combine and refrigerate 4 hours.

3. Form into balls using a 1/3-cup measure.

4. Gently fry until golden.

5. Transfer to a 350-degree oven for

5 minutes to finish cooking.

*Serve with Wasabi and Mayo Sauce

1/4 c mayo & 1 tsp wasabi mixed

Crawfish Cornbread Recipe

Ingredients
1 lb crawfish, cleaned
2 eggs
1 box jiffy cornbread mix
1/2 cup celery
1/c cup bell pepper
1/2 cup onion
1 can cream style corn
1 cup shredded cheddar cheeseDirections
Preheat oven to 375* Spray 8x8 pan with cooking spray
In medium mixing bowl combine all ingredients, mixing well.
Pour into pan and bake about 35 minutes.

Banana- Bread Pudding Recipe
Ingredients
4 eggs, lightly beaten

1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk or
caramel/butterscotch sauce

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 cups cubed banana bread

1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained

1 cup chopped walnuts

2 cup bananas -sliced
(that have been dipped in pineapple juice to prevent turning)

Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

Directions

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, vanilla Stir in the bread cubes, pineapple, walnuts .Place in a greased baking pan. Bake at 350° for 1 hours. bake 15-30 minutes longer or until and a knife inserted near the center of bread pudding comes out clean. To serve, scoop bread pudding into dessert dishes. top with bananas, caramel sauce and whipped cream/vanilla ice cream.
Yield: 6-8 servings

KATHY'S FAVORITE MARDI GRAS BLOODY MARY'S

I like the idea of Mardi Gras more so than the actuality of it. The Colors Purple, Gold and Green, the decorations, the beautiful masks. Collectible beads and deblooms. At my old house all the floats had to pass by on the way back to the float barn. So I got to see all the floats with out crowds and the annoying High School Bands that I can't stand. It was like the cliff's notes of the parade. I enjoy decorating and making festive dishes, and celebrating Mardi Gras in a more sedate way.

The Bloody Caesar
The Bloody Caesar is sometimes referred to simply as a Caesar and is a slight variation of the Bloody Mary. The Caesar is a popular drink in Canada and replaces the tomato juice of the Mary with clamato juice (clam and tomato juice) for a twist. While clamato makes this a drink one that not everyone will like, but for those who do it makes a great brunch cocktail and another that should help alleviate hangover pains.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz vodka
4 oz clamato juice
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
dash of Tabasco sauce
celery salt
lime wedge
pepper to taste
celery salt
celery stalk for garnish or a stem of basil
Preparation:
Rim a highball glass with the juice from the lime wedge and a combination of celery salt and salt.
Add the vodka and clamato juice.
Season with pepper, Worcestershire and Tabasco sauces to taste.
Stir well.
Garnish with a celery stick or a stem of basil

In Honor of Captain Goody

Kathy's Bloody Mariner
1/4 cup TABASCO® brand

Mildly Seasoned or Extra Spicy Bloody Mary Mix
1/4 cup vodka
1/4 cup clam juice
Ice
1 Boiled Shrimp

Pinch of Sea Salt
Combine TABASCO® Bloody Mary Mix,

vodka, and clam juice and pour over ice

in a tall glass; stir well and garnish with a Boiled shrimp.
Makes 1 serving.

Dill Bloody Marys Recipe
2 Servings
Prep/Total Time: 10 min.
Ingredients
1-1/2 cups Clamato juice, chilled
2 tablespoons dill pickle juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/4 cup vodka, optional
Ice cubes
2 celery ribs
2 Tabasco flavored Slim Jim's
2 dill pickle spears
2 pitted ripe olives
Directions
In a small pitcher, combine the first six ingredients.

The Alpine's Cajun Bloody

Mary12 oz Absolut Peppar (this is about 1 1/2 oz per 8 oz glass)

2 bottles Zing Zang Bloody Mary mix

1 bottle of Tabasco or Mr. T's hot sauce

1 dash prepared horseradish (I use quite a bit because I like em spicy)

1/4 tsp black pepper

Creole seasoning for rim of glass

Mix all ingredients together in 1 gallon container. Wet rim of glass with lime. Dip rim of glass in Creole seasoning. Garnish glass with green bean, olives, a pickle spear or a pickled okra
***I am not much of a drinker but while in New Orleans I wanted to try a few of the local specialities. This was absolutely fantastic!

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

MARDI GRAS GALVESTON 2010

THE ORIGIN OF MARDI GRAS

The date of Mardi Gras depends on the date of Easter. The celebration takes place at the end of a long carnival season beginning on the "Twelfth Night," and is celebrated in many Roman Catholic communities around the world-most notably in New Orleans and in Rio de Janeiro.Mardi Gras is a French term meaning "Fat Tuesday." The term arose from the custom of parading a fat ox through the streets on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent.Revelers eat, drink, carouse and make merry during Mardi Gras, attempting to satiate the desires of the flesh prior to the abstinence observed during the Lenten season. Although Mardi Gras is a Christian tradition, its origins lie in the ancient Roman custom of merrymaking before a period of fasting.

HISTORY OF MARDI GRAS IN GALVESTON

Galveston's first recorded Mardi Gras celebration, in 1867, included a masked ball at Turner Hall (Sealy at 21st St.) and a theatrical performance from Shakespeare's "King Henry IV" featuring Alvan Reed (a justice of the peace weighing in at 350 pounds!) as Falstaff.The first year that Mardi Gras was celebrated on a grand scale in Galveston was 1871 with the emergence of two rival Mardi Gras societies, or "Krewes" called the Knights of Momus (known only by the initials "K.O.M.") and the Knights of Myth, both of which devised night parades, masked balls, exquisite costumes and elaborate invitations. The Knights of Momus, led by some prominent Galvestonians, decorated horse-drawn wagons for a torch lit night parade. Boasting such themes as "The Crusades," "Peter the Great," and "Ancient France," the procession through downtown Galveston culminated at Turner Hall with a presentation of tableaux and a grand gala.Not to be outdone, the Knights of Myth also sponsored a spectacular parade, which, according to a newspaper account, "suddenly sprang out of the bowels of the earth with torch lights, cars and horses." This parade featured "Pocahontas," "Scalawag's Enemies," and "Bismark's Grand Band," and ended at Casino Hall with similar themes and a gala.In the years that followed, the parades and balls grew more elaborate, glittering with pomp and splendor and attracting attention throughout the state. So grand were plans for the 1872 celebration that newspaper reports declared that this Mardi Gras "promised to eclipse anything ever attempted on Texas soil." The newly constructed Tremont Opera House, decorated with hundreds of caged canaries "trilling their gladsome voices," provided a luxurious venue for the staging of tableaux (based on "The Pleasures of the Imagination") and the evening ball.By 1873, visitors from around the state were attending the festivities. Among them were Governor E.J. Davis and a party of state officials and legislators who rode in the Mardi Gras parade that year. Dubbed "The Eras of Chivalry," the parade boasted brilliantly decorated floats fashioned after campaigns and characters from the 6th through the 15th centuries.By 1880, the street parades proved too extravagant and expensive to continue. However, Mardi Gras masked balls continued to flourish through the end of the century. In 1910, the carnival parades were revived by an organization called the "Kotton Karnival Kids," a group charged with staging parades for both Mardi Gras and the Galveston Cotton Carnival. This group gave its first dance on February 24, 1914, an historic date marked by Galveston's first snowfall in 19 years.The 1917 masked ball took on added glamour with the first official appearance of King Frivolous and his court, who arrived by "royal yacht," paraded through the streets, and was presented by the mayor with the keys to the city. Characters in that year's parade were taken from the "comic sheets."In 1918, due to the outbreak of World War I, the coronation was canceled and the celebration of Mardi Gras confined to a single day, but the festivities and the coronation of King Frivolous resumed the following year.Until 1928, the Kotton Karnival Kids-who eventually changed their name to Mystic Merry Makers-continued to sponsor Mardi Gras parades and balls. Themes in those years included "Dante's Inferno," "Song and Story," "The Passing Show," and "Events of the Year." The expense of producing the parades and celebrations forced the group to discontinue their sponsorship in 1929, but the Galveston Booster Club saved the day on short notice and continued to sponsor Mardi Gras events until merging with the Galveston Chamber of Commerce in 1937-at which point Mardi Gras came under the Chamber's authority.Brilliant and lavish carnivals were celebrated through February 1941, when shortages of men, material and a full commitment to the defeat of the Axis powers by the citizenry of Galveston caused the demise of Mardi Gras on the Island. For nearly 40 years, the annual celebrations were of a private nature, including those hosted by the Maceo family, the Galveston Artillery Club, the Treasure Ball Association and Holy Rosary Catholic Church.

A TRADITION REVIVED

In 1985, native Galvestonian George P. Mitchell and his wife, Cynthia, launched the revival of a citywide Mardi Gras celebration. The Mitchells had long dreamed of restoring the Island's splendid tradition, and the grand opening of their elegant Tremont House hotel in the historic Strand District provided the spark to do so.The first year's spectacular revival featured a mile-long Grand Night Parade saluting "The Age of Mythology." Nine dazzling floats created by renowned New Orleans float-builder Blaine Kern and hundreds of musicians in marching bands were led by famed jazz clarinetist Pete Fountain through The Strand to the delight of 75,000 cheering spectators. A gala ball, the first Galveston Artwalk and musical performances rounded out a week of festivities.That same year the 1871 Knights of Momus were revived by several Galvestonians and continues today.

MARDI GRAS! GALVESTON TODAY

Since 1985, Mardi Gras! Galveston, as the event is now known, has grown dramatically in size and scope. Now expanding over two weekends, the event is coordinated by the City of Galveston in conjunction with 20 participating Krewes. Mardi Gras! Galveston is celebrated with an entertainment district, parades, masked balls, art exhibits, and sporting events.Galveston has also revived the tradition of celebrating a different theme each year. Mardi Gras! Galveston now annually attracts as many as 250,000 revelers throughout the island, which provide a significant boost to the island's midwinter economy.

Mardi Gras! Galveston 2010 will be celebrated

February 5 thru Fat Tuesday, February 16th