Proscuitto Pears and Bleu Cheese Drizzle!

Here's another quick appetizer recipe that everyone loves.  I did have one person say that they tasted better when they cooled, but the bleu cheese drizzle needs to be warm to not be clumpy.  I'm sure there's a happy medium somewhere in here, but you'll have to find it for yourself!

Here's the recipe.

I don't have a picture of the final product because I was busy when I served it, 

but I'm sure you could use your imagination!

Can-Do Attitude: Pear Preserves

Preserves are different that sauces, butters, or jams.  Preserves contain large pieces of fruit, and when you remove preserves from the jar, they don't retain any shape (other than that of the fruit).  A jam and a jelly will hold its own shape on a spoon, but a preserve is thinner.  The fruit is mostly translucent (after being cooked), and it's in a sweet sauce, mostly from a simple syrup, or similar concoction.

For pear preserves, you'll need 3 cups of sugar, 3 cups of water, 5 peeled/cored/sliced pears, and 1 medium seeded and thinly sliced lemon.

To start, take your water and 1 and 1/2 cups of the sugar and boil it for 2 minutes in a large pot.  Then, add your pears (I peel, then use an apple corer to core and slice) and boil them gently for 15 minutes.

Then, add the rest of your sugar and lemon, and boil until the fruit is transparent.

Then, cover and let stand for 12 to 24 hours in a cool place.  Since it's fall, I just left mine on the kitchen counter.

Fast forward to the next day...


Take out the fruit from the syrup and place into your jars.  One batch will take 5 or 6 jars.  (Here, I doubled the recipe and made 11 jars.)









Since the fruit is not cold, but room temperature, you don't have to worry too much about the glass breaking.  Always be mindful about big temperature changes since you're apt to make a bigger mess than you anticipate.

Boil the remaining juice for about 10 minutes to thicken.  Remove from heat, and skim off any foam as necessary.  Then, ladle the hot juice into the jars.  To process, add to boiling water (covering the jars by at least 1" of water) and boil for 20 minutes.  Then, remove to cool and let set.  Always wait at least a day before serving.

Brunch-tastic, part two... This one's for my mom.

My mother has tried for decades...literally, decades, to teach me how to cook.  She has always tried to include me, in one way or another, in her kitchen.  She's a natural born hostess, with an eye for a good recipe.  There are dozens, if not hundreds, of books that have lined her bookshelves throughout my entire life bringing together recipes from different sources: magazines, newspapers, churches, cookbooks (naturally), and now I would venture to guess that even one or two online articles have been printed out for her use.  She can time an elaborate meal to come forth from her two (oh yes, there must be more than one) kitchens with impeccable timing.  She has photocopied, and re-photocopied recipes again and again to cook and perfect throughout my lifetime.  We even have a shared place for our historic recipes - The Wilson Family Cookbook, compiled by my Aunt Louise many family reunions ago, and I've even created an update about four years ago.  My mom's family cook book has been taked out of it's original 1" binder and expanded into a 3" binder, with large, overflowing pockets filled with ideas and personal favorites to remember for next time.

Mine?  It has a couple extra Christmas cookie recipes and one for ice cream sandwiches. 

To be fair?  I can rock a mean cookie platter, but cooking is not for me.  I know there are many friends out there snickering under their collective breath that I sell cookware now.  I deserve it.  But, I'm out to learn one thing: how to make it easier.  My mother has been cooking for me for thirty years (31, as of tomorrow), and I know she will for many more decades to come.  However, I feel like now's my time to step up.  To show her I can do it.  To pay homage to the fact that her recipes will not go to waste.  Instead, I will learn them, and new ones, and make her a dinner some day that will make her proud.

Hopefully.

With this past weekend, I spent my second mother's day away from my mom.  It doesn't get any easier.  Especially knowing those 2000 miles aren't going to shrink any time soon, separation is difficult.  In honor of my mother this weekend, even though I knew she wouldn't be there to enjoy it, I made one of her recipes...  Mama Gliwa's French Toast Strata.  She hasn't trademarked it, yet, but real talk, she could if she wanted.  She could bring dictators to their knees for want of it's awesome-ness.  In fact...

Yep.  That's all that was left.  That dish was cleaned out like the Rapture was coming.  It was probably the top of everyone's 'must get seconds of' list, and rightfully so.  I would give you the recipe, but then I'd have to kill you, so here's one that's pretty darn close.  Thank you mom, for your recipe seeking ways, to help me impress my in-laws, and their friends, on a day when I should be sharing this with you.

Love you!

PS: the Carmalized Rosemary Pears were amazing.  I'll gladly make you that recipe the next time we are in the same state.  You'll love them!