Earl Grey London Fog Latte

Earl grey london fog latte (this is so yummy)

• 1 Earl Grey tea bag
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 1/2 cup milk (milk of your choice)
• 1/4 tsp vanilla paste (or extract)
• 1–2 tsp honey, maple syrup or sweetener of choice

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Steep your tea bag in the hot water for 3-5 mins (depending on strength preference)
2. Mix together milk and vanilla and steam or froth depending on what tools you have.
3. Stir sweetener in with steeped tea and top with frothed milk.

I must add that I drink one cup of coffee in the morning, and water the remainder of the day. I am not from a family of tea drinkers, did not inherit beautiful tea cups like I have seen in blog land, but have started to enjoy a cup of tea in the afternoon since I am working remotely. Once we week, I have been making myself this Earl Grey London Fog Latte and really enjoy it. I don't typically drink sweet beverages, but this is delish. 

Duck Breast with Cumberland Sauce for Valentine's Day

A sure way to warm my Valentine's heart was to cook a meal at home, and this was my first time cooking duck breast at home. It came out so good! I had never made a Cumberland sauce either.... read on. 

I made the Cumberland Sauce first, and It is so delicious that I will serve this on various meats (venison, pork, dark turkey meat, etc.) I finally found the jar of Lingonberries in our local health food store, as they are a delicacy from Sweden. The next time I make the sauce, I'm going to use whole cranberries in the can and compare the flavor. I think it will work, and it will be more cost effective.  

Recipe makes about 1 cup

• 1 orange, zested and juiced
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 5 Tbsp. lingonberry preserves, red currant jelly can be substituted
• 5 Tbsp. Tawny or Ruby Port (can substitute Vermouth)
• 1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 1/4 tsp. mustard powder

Use a vegetable peeler or zester, remove the zest (peel) of the orange and lemon in wide strips 1 to 2 inches long, avoiding the white pith. Then slice the strips lengthwise into thin strips about 1/8  inch wide. Cut the orange and lemon in half, squeeze the juice out and reserve. Bring a small amount of water to a boil, add the sugar and the orange and lemon zest. Lower the heat and simmer the zest for about 3 minutes. Strain and reserve the zest. 

Using the same pot, add the juice of the orange and lemon, the preserves, port, ginger and mustard and stir. Bring to a simmer and cook until syrupy and thickened, about 7 to 10 minutes, then add in the reserved zest. Cool to room temperature and serve or refrigerate and serve cold. The sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for a week.

Next I cooked the duck, using the recipe from Karen Back Road Journal. I have tried several of Karen's recipes, and we've enjoyed them. The recipe serves two as a light entree or four as an appetizer, adjust the recipe accordingly.

• 2 duck breast halves about 5 – 6 oz. each
• salt and pepper to taste
• field greens of your choice, I used baby arugula and baby spinach
• Cumberland Sauce,.

Remove the duck from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature, about 20 to 30 minutes. Use a sharp knife and score the skin in a diamond pattern being careful not to cut into the flesh itself. The scoring helps render the fat and keeps the skin crisp during cooking.

Pat the duck dry with paper towels and season well with salt and pepper. Place the breasts, skin side down, in a cold sauté pan and cook over medium heat until most of the fat has rendered and the skin is crispy and brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Turn over and cook an additional 3 to 5 minutes until the internal temperature of the duck reaches 135 degrees for medium rare or cook to your liking. If you cook the duck breast to 155 degrees, it will be medium well and slightly pink. Let the duck rest about 10 minutes before carving. It can also be made the day ahead and refrigerated. Let come to room temperature and assemble just before serving. Toss mixed salad greens with a vinaigrette of olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Divide the greens among plates. Slice the duck thinly and fan a few slices out on top of the greens. Drizzle with some of the Cumberland Sauce and serve. Extra sauce can be served at the table. 

Chocolate Charlotte Cake with Caramel Filling

I came across a recipe on the King Arthur Baking Company website while searching for a sour dough bread baking crock, and was delighted. I am always looking for new cakes since I already have the Charlotte Cake Pan, I gave it a try for a Valentine's Day dessert, and we cheated and already had a piece last evening. I always wait for Joe to comment, and he gave it five stars. It has a lovely caramel filling. 

If you own this pan, you shouldn't hesitate to make this cake. It has a nice presentation, and is easy to make for a special occasion. I'm going to add a chocolate covered strawberry on the side when he have it with tonight's dinner.

My Valentine and I visited the Saranac Lake Ice Castle this year. Even with all the restrictions, the castle was delightful. 

We have a new granddaughter to spoil. Harper June was born on February 9. 

Happy Valentine's Day

xo

Deb

Chicken Riggies for the Superbowl

This is a dish that we always served when our hungry sons joined us for dinner. It is a local favorite, and I was reminded how popular it is when they offered it at a cooking presentation at the New York State Fair. There are many versions, but the main difference is some add cream to their sauce and we don't. In Central New York, this dish can be found on every Italian restaurant menu. It's a quick and easy meal, and perfect for the Superbowl.

My chicken riggies are drenched in a red tomato-based sauce with sweet and hot peppers. Others have a chunky tomato sauce, red and green peppers, mushroom, olives, cream and prosciutto. Some recipes are never revealed, but I am happy to share ours. I have shared this recipe with many, many people over the years. 

What is a Riggie?  Just read on....

Chicken Riggies

1 stick butter, melted

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

About 20 oz. of sweet sliced peppers that come in a jar (or we have used fresh green peppers chopped) 

3 slices hot cherry pepper rings (this adds a little heat to it) 

Sauté above ingredients for about 30 minutes.

Add:

1 cup Parmigiano cheese

2 lbs. boneless chicken breast, cubed

1 can chicken broth

1 can tomato sauce (15 oz)

Simmer for 20-30 more minutes.

Pour sauce over 1 1/2 boxes of cooked Rigatoni pasta. Serve with fresh Italian bread. 

Bon Appetit!

Debbie

How To Make Bow Napkins

For New Year's Eve, I set a table for two with my Vietri dishes that Joe gifted me over the years. I thought it would be fun to add a bow napkin to the place setting. 

How to make a bow napkin on YouTube

They are fun to make for different occasions. 

Birthday

Valentine's Day

Garden Party

Winter Dinner parties in the future

I don't like fussing with napkins, but these are easy peasy. 

My parents' engraved silver napkin rings for their wedding. I need to polish them :-)

Happy New Year Everyone.

Deb