Cooking from the heart

An incredibly sweet man and the husband of one of my dearest friends recently passed. But before he left this earth, he gave me the most amazing gift. He showed me what it means to cook not just for the fun and pleasure of cooking and eating, but to cook from the heart.

During a recent visit while he was still feeling well enough for company, the three of us sat and talked about everything from the weather and politics, Rockies baseball, and of course.....food. Although Lee had not had much of an appetite during the last several days and  had eaten very little, talking about food was something he still enjoyed. Somehow we got on the subject of fried chicken. Not just fried chicken, but all of the side dishes that go with a proper fried chicken dinner; biscuits with butter and honey, corn, mashed potatoes, gravy, and apple pie.  This calorie loaded, artery clogging American classic was one of his favorite meals. His smile grew as we chatted about each course, remembering a meal that had brought him great pleasure in years past.

I asked him if he thought he could eat it I would love to make him a fried chicken dinner. "YOU BET!" was his reply. We decided on an evening three days away and I began planning a fried chicken dinner that I hoped would be something he would really enjoy.

On my way home that night I called the Bossy Chef and filled him in. Of course he was on board instantly, but due to his busy work week he wasn't going to be able to help with the actual cooking. I was on my own. However, he researched fried chicken recipes from his arsenal of cookbooks helping me choose one that would be great.

Now, I've been making fried chicken just about all my life, and I've tried more recipes than you can shake a drumstick at. The one thing I can say with absolute certainty, is that if you are not frying food regularly you'll loose your touch.  I've tried to abide a healthier lifestyle for the past twenty years give or take, so I rarely fry foods these days.  But years ago while married to Cowboy Bob, I fried dinner at least 3-4 nights a week.  I was good at frying. Chicken fried steak, pork chops, chicken, vegetables, even home made donuts. Cowboy Bob loved fried food so that's what I cooked.

 It takes practice and skill to keep the temperature of the oil just right so the food browns evenly and cooks through. With chicken, this can be a challenge. If the oil is too hot, the outside will brown and darken before the meat is fully cooked. If the oil is not hot enough, the outside will be greasy, not crispy. Tricky stuff. You can follow a recipe to the letter but if you don't have a practiced touch with the oil you'll be disappointed with the results. That said, I threw myself into dinner preparations not just a little anxious about how my chicken would turn out.

I wanted everything to be special. I bought Boulder Natural chickens, I riced Yukon Gold potatoes with heavy cream and Irish butter for the mashers and made the chicken gravy from stock and a roux.  I used pastry flour for the biscuits (makes them extra light), and I made an apple pie that would make your grandmother weep. It took me three days and I had the most wonderful time.

I packed it all up and headed to their home to put it together for what I hoped would be a great dinner.

Bossy Chef, Barbara; Lee's beautiful wife, and I got everything ready. We laid dinner out on pretty trays, grabbed a lovely bottle of wine, and took everything upstairs so we could all eat together.

If I'd had any doubts as to whether Lee would be able to enjoy the food, they vanished quickly. He sat upright in his bed and proceeded to devour everything on his plate. Barbara said the she had not seen him eat like that in weeks. Too full for dessert? Not a chance. He gave me a huge smile and two very enthusiastice thumbs up for hot apple pie with burnt sugar ice cream. Dinner was a success!

That night I learned what it means to cook from the heart.  To cook for love, and why we love to cook. It was the last meal that he was able to enjoy, and it was an honor and a privilege to share it with him, his loving wife, and my wonderful husband. I will remember that dinner for many years to come. Not because of the food, but because the food brought joy and pleasure to someone who needed it. Lee doesn't know it, but he gave me a life lesson in love and a gift beyond measure. I will forever be grateful to him.

So, are you curious about how my fried chicken turned out? I have to tell the truth, the pieces that were cooked were damn good!! But because I'm out of practice, my oil was too hot and the larger pieces browned before they were done. (Yuk) Thankfully, I was the only one who had picked out one of the under done pieces that night. The remaining chicken (I had fried two whole birds) could be reheated in the oven, and finish cooking before offering to friends and family who would stop by over the next few days. Was everything cooked perfectly? Not even close. Was it a perfect meal? Yes, and so much more.


The fried chicken recipe I tried was wonderful. I've made it available for you in a printable pdf, click on the link below. Home made fried chicken is off the charts incredibly delcious, no relation to the heavily breaded, chemically pumped, industrial mystery meat found in those large paper buckets. It takes a little planning, patience and a willingness to destroy your kitchen but it is so worth it. The next time you want to show someone that you love them, make them a proper fried chicken dinner. You'll earn a special place in their heart for ever.

Copy and paste the link below for a printable pdf of Michael Ruhlman's Buttermilk Fried Chicken.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/dyol1f83y868az7/Rosemary-brined%20Buttermilk%20Fried%20Chicken.pdf?dl=0

Your referrals are the best compliment I can receive. Thank you for reading our blog and please keep me in mind should you or your friends and family ever need the services of a professional Realtor.

Becky Goldsmith

 Broker, GRI, CNE

Becky@beckygoldsmith.com

720-979-3184

Sharlotka

 FALL

Yowza, where did the summer go? We had such a mild summer this year compared to the last few years that were unbearably hot for weeks on end. This year summer in Colorado was warm, beautiful and oh so lovely, and now fall is here with old man winter fast approaching.
But I will strive to practice the be present philosophy of yoga. Rather than allow my mind to dwell on thoughts of the coming snow, ice and sub-zero temperatures, I will instead try to be in the moment of each and every glorious day the fall season has to offer.
Gone for now are the juicy peaches from the Western Slope, the addictive sweet corn from Olathe, Colorado, sun ripened tomatoes, and lazy summer evenings under warm, starry skies.  These fleeting pleasures are now replaced by one of  the many delicious gifts that comes with fall, apples. Apples, in their vast array of flavors and varieties become the versatile fruit that help ease our sense of loss for a summer now past.
Colorado is not typically thought of as an apple producing state as is New York or Washington, so it may come as a surprise to many that Colorado's climate is actually ideal for growing apples.
Apple trees need a combination of hot and cold weather to produce fruit, making them a natural for our state. Most apple trees like to have a minimum of 600 hours below 40 degrees during the winter to encourage them to set fruit. Then they need at least five or six hours of full sun a day once they've blossomed.
Apple trees also blossom later than some other types of fruit trees making them more likely to avoid an April killing frost. Add to that fact is that many types of apple trees are hardy to about 8,000 feet or growing zone 4 therefore most Coloradans have the perfect prescription for a bountiful apple harvest. There are several varieties that do very well, but some should be avoided as their maturity date is later and you risk loosing your crop to an early freeze. The varieties that do well in Colorado are: Red and Yellow Delicious, Mackintosh, Gala, Honey-Crisp, Cortland, Granny Smith, and Jonathan to name a few.
There are plenty of orchards in Colorado where you can pick your own apples and even press your own cider. A few top spots are YaYa Farm and Orchard, 6419 Ute Highway in Longmont. Camelot Farms, 15911 Black Bridge Road, Paonia. Happy Apple Farm, 1190 1st Street, Penrose. Delicious Orchards, 39126 Highway 133, Hotchkiss. And Apple Valley Orchard,448 K Street,
Penrose.

You'll find more than just apples at most orchards, most have country stores selling everything from fresh pressed cider to pies, berries and other seasonal treats.

So what to do with all these apples?  How about a yummy Apple Sharlotka? Apple Sharla what??  Shar-lot-ka, it's a Russian apple cake, quick, easy and delicious. Top a slice with vanilla ice cream and you have yourself a seriously delicious dessert. A girl friend gave me a sack of fresh picked apples and I made a Sharlotka this last Sunday. It was a hit, even Bossy liked it. Below is a link to the recipe from Chef Matt Danko from Cleveland's Trentina Restaurant as published in this months issue of Food and Wine.

Copy and paste the link below to your browser for a printable PDF recipe for Apple Sharlotka

https://db.tt/vtShPXG4

Thank you for reading, we hope you enjoy the changing seasons as much as we do along with all of the wonderful comfort foods that come with the cooler temperatures!

And I hope you keep me in mind when you're ready to think about selling your home or buying a new one. It would be a privilege to be your Realtor of Choice.

Happy Eating!

Becky Goldsmith

Real Estate
720-979-3184
Becky@beckygoldsmith.com

Incredible, Edible, Spain!

Glorious.

The food, the wine, the people, the city. I left my heart in Barcelona. Many of you know that Bossy and I recently returned from a trip to Barcelona, Spain. We posted pictures of our meals and excursions on Facebook, and from the comments we received it must have seemed as though all we ate was pork, pork, and more pork. Indeed, that swine would be the legendary Jamon de Iberico, and we made it our mission to indulge in this extraordinary meat each and every day.  Iberico is one of the most famous Spanish delicacies and is as rare as it is expensive due to the lengthy and costly production process. I will write more about the pata negra in a later blog.

We dined on and devoured all of the deliciousness that Barcelona has to offer, and folks, that is a considerable amount of deliciousness!

Spain has become the destination for foodies from around globe. Many maintain  that Spain has surpassed France as the undisputed leader in culinary excellence. You'll get no argument from me. From the culinary genius of the Adria` brothers, whose food challenge the senses, to the convivial tapas bars tucked into crowded spaces off the beaten path; food, wine, beer, friends, family, and the exquisite simplicity that make up the finest pleasures in life are the rule in this most charming city; not the exception.

Barcelona is a thriving, vibrant, multi layered city that considers itself independent from the rest of Spain. It is the capital city of the autonomous community of Catalonia and the second largest city in the country. Catalan is the official language not Spanish, and signs of the economic and political struggles that plague the rest of the country seem not to exist here. A new King? Meh, who cares.

 Trendy restaurants and bars are full, expensive hotels are booked and the wildly popular architect Antoni Gaudi tourist sites typically have long waiting lines. It's a young, cosmopolitan city with a respected University, adventurous galleries, numerous museums and cutting edge stores.  Barcelona is a transport hub with the Port of Barcelona being one of Europe's principle seaports and busiest European passenger port. That said, we ate as much seafood as was humanly possible but never had enough.

There is so much to share about our nine incredible days in Barcelona it's difficult to know where to begin. But I'll start by sharing two of our favorite dishes that we have reproduced here at home with great success. Both of these are perfect for summer and ridiculously easy to prepare. Simplicity truly is best, and no place proves this concept more deliciously than Spain.

At most every meal through out the city you'll be offered Catalan tomato bread. It varies slightly in execution from one restaurant to the next but the basic concept is the same. Crusty sliced bread, grilled or toasted, rubbed with garlic, then rubbed with a fresh tomato that has been cut in half, then sprinkled with sea salt and drizzled with olive oil. So simple yet so delicious. With summer tomatoes coming into season you have to give this a try. It's important to note, use really good crusty bread (Denver Bread makes an amazing boule), vine ripe tomatoes, and a high quality olive oil. Don't be stingy with the olive oil, it makes all the difference! This is great on it's own or you can top with cured meats, anchovies, cheese or olives.

The second dish I would like to share with you is a roasted vegetable salad called Escalivada. Vegetables are plentiful, gorgeous and a huge part of the Spanish diet. Escalivada is a roasted vegetable salad, traditionally the vegetables were roasted over coals which gives them a slightly smokey flavor, but now most restaurants roast the vegetables in a hot oven. The salad is served at room temperature allowing for maximum flavor. Roasted red peppers, eggplant, onions and tomatoes, doesn't sound very exciting but when done right it's incredible.

Copy and paste the link below in your browser for a downloadable PDF recipe for Escalivada

https://db.tt/7r60H8Fr

Thank you for taking the time to read our blog, Bossy and I hope you'll try these simple pleasures that we found so delicious while in Spain. There is more to come!!

And if I can ever be of service to your or your friends and family I hope you will keep me in mind should a Real Estate question or need arise. 

Real Estate

Becky Goldsmith

GRI, CRS, CNE

720-979-3184

Becky@beckygoldsmith.com

Crack Biscuits

Crack biscuits. That's what bossy chef calls them. They're so darn good they're as addictive as crack cocaine.

I've tried hundreds of biscuit recipes, always looking for a lighter, more flaky and flavorful version like the ones my grandmother used to make. My grandmother Johnnie Reagan, was the ultimate biscuit maker. She and my grandfather John, lived on a 1200 acre farm in rural New Mexico, not far from the Texas panhandle. As both their names were a version of 'John' my grandfather renamed my grandmother 'Bill' so no one would be confused as to who was who.

 When my brother and sister and I were young we had the good fortune to spend several summers on the farm. We learned to ride horses, take care of chickens, milk a cow, slop the hogs, and many other daily chores that keep a farm running. We also gained about 5-10 pounds each during those New Mexico summers. It wasn't for lack of activity, because we were running around like wild Indians from sun up to sun down. A 1200 acre farm is a great place for kids to run amok.

Our summer weight gain occurred because of Grandma Bills' abundant and delicious southern cooking. Breakfast was a hearty meal, usually bacon or ham, (from hogs raised on their farm), eggs, (from their chickens of course), and either pancakes or biscuits, usually biscuits because they were fast and easy. We drank milk at each meal which came from their dairy cows. Grandmother would skim the fresh milk, and make butter with the cream. Some of the cream she would set aside and allow it to sour, she called it 'clabbered' milk. That's what she used in her biscuits. Most biscuit recipes today call for buttermilk,  you can't buy clabbered milk that I know of and unless you have a dairy cow you can't make it at home because all of our heavy cream is pasturized.

 She made biscuits so often, never using a recipe, just by the sight and feel of the dough. Once when I was about 10, I asked her to teach me how to make them. I really wanted to learn, as I loved being in the kitchen even back then. But she was all business, cooking was just one more chore on a very long list that had to be done each day. She quickly became frustrated with my ineptitude and shooed me away, afraid that I had ruined the dough because it looked too dry. I'm pretty sure she fixed it though, and the biscuits turned out fine, but she wasn't about to have me waste a whole batch of biscuit dough just so I could play. She had raised three daughters during the great depression and wastefulness of any kind was never tolerated.

Grandma Bill set the bar pretty high when it came to biscuits, and as I mentioned earlier I've tried many recipes. Some with excellent results and some were dismal failures. I've learned a few basic techniques that apply for making a good biscuit with any recipe. In no particular order:
1. Your butter or lard has to be very cold. And it doesn't hurt if your flour and other ingredients are cold too.
2. The dough should be JUST dry enough to handle, a little sticky is good
3. Do not over work the dough, the more gentle you are the more tender your biscuits will be.
4. For proper southern biscuits purists use soft red winter wheat flour, low in protein and gluten – traditionally White Lily brand or Southern Biscuit brand. These can be found and ordered on the internet. I've used them and they do make great biscuits.


Bill, aka Grandma Johnnie  has been gone for quite some time now, but the memory of those incredible meals on the farm will never fade. And since I never learned how she made her biscuits my quest to find a biscuit that equals hers continues. The recipe I'm sharing with you today comes pretty darn close. Click on the link below for a printable pdf copy of 'Crack Biscuits' from Max and Eli Sussman from their book 'This is a Cookbook Recipes for Real Life'. (Jack added the 'Crack' because they're that good!)

Sussman Buttermilk Biscuits

Thanks so much for reading our blog, we hope you try these tasty little buttery orbs of deliciousness soon, I"m sure you'll enjoy them as much as we do.

Remember I am always here for your Real Estate questions and needs. Financing has changed dramatically since the first of the year, if you would like information as to what a buyer's qualifications and requirements are today don't hesitate to contact me as the lending climate has become one of the great challenges in our industry today.

Uniquely Different.....Simply Better!!

Becky Goldsmith

720-979-3184

Becky@beckygoldsmith.com

Thank you Thanksgiving!

Ready, set, here we go again; our nations most celebrated eat-fest is a mere two weeks away. Two weeks?? Shit I'm behind schedule. Holy preparation. Research, plan, shop, prep, cook, eat, eat, and eat some more. Football, friends, family, we gather to gobble till we wobble. All in honor of Bossy's and my favorite holiday......

 THANKSGIVING

Last year I wrote about the different kinds of turkeys and the various methods to prepare and cook the mighty bird. This year it's all about my favorite part of the meal; the side dishes. Everybody fusses over old Tom, he's the center of attention and the show stopper when presented at the table. I'm here to tell you, turkey is fine and dandy but gimme second helpings of those sides loaded with butter, cream, and cheese every time. Diet busters? You betcha. Cardiac coagulators? Absolutely. A Thanksgiving without them? Not a chance. 

Growing up,  I remember cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes, candied yams with marshmallows, green beans baked with Campbell's mushroom soup with crispy fried onion rings on top, cranberry sauce from a can (gross), Parker House rolls and pumpkin pie for dessert. I may have mentioned previously that my mother (may she rest in peace), was known west of the Mississippi as one of the worst cooks to terrorize a kitchen. However, she tackled Thanksgiving a time or two and although she wouldn't have won any awards she did a pretty decent job and we ate it, even more surprising we liked it. 

Over the years traditional side dishes have been tweaked, remixed, elevated, and greatly improved upon. I'll share with you some of our favorite Thanksgiving sides and maybe you'll be inspired to try something new this year. Recipes are provided at the end of this blog.

Sweet potatoes:
 Bossy and I traded in the candied yams with marshmallows several years ago for Tyler Florence's sweet potatoes with roasted bananas, honey and toasted pecans. It's become a Thanksgiving favorite and one of the most talked about dishes every year.

Cranberries:

Canned cranberries? Come on! An outstanding cranberry relish or chutney is not only delicious but super cinchy to make. There's no excuse to serve that crap from a can unless you're pissed off at your family.

Mashers:
For the mashed potatoes, we keep those pretty basic. Yukon Gold potatoes peeled then boiled in heavily salted water, riced, (makes them super fluffy and smooth) and seasoned with Kosher salt, cream and a high quality butter. Thanksgiving is where you can justify paying up for really good butter and using it in everything.

Stuffing:
This is a fun one. We try something new every year just because there are so many great sounding recipes. We'll use a basic recipe as guide then play around with it, adding favorite ingredients that go well together. Only once was I not happy with the results, but with a little extra gravy it too was delicious!

Veggies:

Your pick. The proverbial green bean casserole is great but there are so many stellar options when it comes to vegetables. We like to serve a variety of roasted vegetables, tossed with olive oil, Kosher salt and fresh herbs. It's a healthy counter balance to all of the other rich dishes. Lessens the guilt just a wee bit.

Bread:

I'm making Parker House rolls a la Bobby Flay this year. The recipe has a slew of 5 star reviews and looks really easy to make. Soft, buttery rolls hot out of the oven, doesn't get any better.

Dessert:
Ok, if you're still with me, this is where we're going to have some fun. Yep, we'll have pumpkin pie of course. If someone doesn't volunteer to bring one, I'll pick it up from Costco. I've said it before, Costco makes a great tasting pie at a price that can't be beat.

 But I'm also going to make a surprise dessert that is sure to create a bit of a buzz. While on vacation in Portland, OR. a few years ago, Bossy and I were fortunate enough to dine at Le Pigeon. A tiny bistro with communal tables and  a 1-2 hour wait being the norm. The appetizers, entree, wine and of course the company were outstanding. But all that paled in comparison to the rich, fluffy, cornbread, bacon, and maple ice cream dessert that ended our meal. At the time the flavor combinations sounded absurd, and it took more than a little coaxing from our server for us to give it a try,  but thank goodness we listened to him. The dessert is one of those rare "I'll never forget this as long as I live" foods. I was not able to find the recipe for a long time, but it's available now and I'm going to serve it this year. Maple ice cream, bacon, and sweet cornbread?  The ultimate in fall flavors! If this doesn't work for your Thanksgiving menu this year please save the recipe and give it a try soon, I promise you will be glad you did.

Bossy and I want to wish all of you a Thanksgiving filled with gratitude, peace, loving friends and family and of course great food!

Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful holiday.

Becky & Bossy 

Real Estate

Becky Goldsmith

Residential Real Estate Specialist

720-979-3184

Becky@beckygoldsmith.com

Copy and paste the link below to your browser for a downloadable PDF version of recipes

https://db.tt/iDW1L8IT