Trendy or not

When I was a caterer we had to be on the cutting edge of food trends. We wouldn't dare serve anything that was "out". I remember when I first started my company quiche was all the rage and then suddenly, poof! - gone! No one would dare mention its name for a very long time.


Food presentation was always a priority as well.  We went from arranging each pea pod and each tiny veggie on a dinner plate so that the entree became a work of art (try that for 100 plates!)to food balanced on itself so that it looked like taking the first bite would tumble the whole thing into a heap!  In trendy restaurants today you get the whole gamut.  Form vs. Function...

I have always loved comfort foods and was so delighted when regional American foods came in - the ultimate comfort foods - because they were less pretentious and more like the foods I grew up on in my hometown of Los Angeles.  At my house we ate pot roast, meatloaf, baked chicken, spaghetti (not called pasta then!) and other pretty basic dishes.  I loved every bite.  My mom, who was a gourmet and who appreciated foods from all over the world, cooked simple, well-balanced meals. 

My recipes range from soup to nuts - some simple, some down-home and some from recipes that focus on the unusual and international. If you have a taste for something you want to share, you are so welcome to share.

Today I would like to share one of my favorites:

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

One butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2" pieces, about 5-6 Cups
One Qt. Chicken broth or stock
2 - 4 Tb butter, unsalted
2 shallots, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 or 2 star anise, ground (careful:  less is more)
Ground ginger to taste
Salt to taste

Serve with croutons or toasted squash seeds on the side.

Cook shallots and garlic with a tiny bit of anise in the  butter in a heavy sauce pan over medium heat, stirring, until shallots are softened.  Add cubed squash and salt and saute until squash softens, about 6 or so minutes.  Add broth and simmer, covered, until squash is very tender,  about 20 - 25 minutes.

Puree soup in blender working in small batches with the hot liquid, until smooth.  Be careful - hot!  Put into a fresh pot to keep warm, taste and re-season.  Serve with toasted squash seeds or croutons.

Ah, Autumn, at last!

Welcome to Kay's Food Talk! As a retired Los Angeles caterer and dedicated foodie, I admit to having an obsession with food. I have, after years of research and development, figured out the cure... FEED IT!! In order to feed it, I must cook and part of cooking is the exchange of recipes so this blog is about eating, cooking, recipes, and sharing.

My former catering & event company, Memorable Occasions, served the greater L.A. area for 20 years and though we tried to be seasonal in our menus, we found over the span of years that L.A. really has no seasons, that's why people flock there! So, I moved to Prescott to live in Everybody's Hometown and to enjoy our four lovely seasons.

The change of season could be any season - I love them all - but I love the fall in Prescott most of all and cannot wait to bring out all of my cold weather recipes. Some of the recipes that are dancing through my head are Butternut Squash Soup, Mac 'n Cheese, Scotch Broth (loaded with meat & barley), Pork with Peaches, Slow Cooked Texas Brisket, Chicken Stewed with Piquillo Peppers, Meatloaf (my mother's), Death by Chocolate Cake, and later on, gobs of treats for the Holidays including Mom's Cranberry Nut Bread. Yum!

Potlucks are a wonderful way to get together and celebrate for no reason but just to enjoy each others company. So we will start here with my Pistachio Nut Dessert. This is an easy, very delicious recipe, great for a potluck and the change of seasons. Your friends will be thrilled - I promise! Oh, and it comes across as muy elegante. 0(^;^)0

Pistachio Nut Torte

Crust:
2 C flour
4 T sugar
2 sticks butter
1 C chopped walnuts or pecans
Mix together then press into a 9X13” pan (or a spring form pan).
Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes until golden brown. Let cool thoroughly. (This can sit out overnight).

First Layer:
Cream Cheese: 8 oz.
Sugar: 2/3 C
Cool Whip: 1/2 of a large or about 6 oz (be generous!)
Blend and spread onto cooled crust.

Middle Layer:
Instant Pistachio Pudding Mix: 2 small packages (UNcooked)
Whole Milk: 2 1/2 C
Mix together until it becomes very thick.
Pour onto first layer and spread.
Refrigerate and let set.

Top Layer:
Spread the other 1/2 of the Cool Whip (or 6 more oz) thickly on top. Chill.

Enjoy!

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You can reach me at cookkatt@gmail.com. I welcome your comments.


Kay Luckett is the former owner of Memorable Occasions, a catering and event coordinating company in Los Angeles, CA. She has 20 years experience in this biz plus a few years teaching her class, The Art of Catering, at various Community Colleges. Her biggest thrill was catering for Julia Child in 1991 before she escaped from L.A.