An Evening with Kathleen and Tom

We spent an absolutely delightful evening with Kathleen and Tom.  Kathleen and I worked together at Health Net; in fact she recruited me back in 2003 for my analyst position there.  So I consider her a very special person indeed.

We walked over and immediately heard the great news:  Tom had landed a new position with Discovery Credit Card Company!  Tom is one of the few experts in this country on the use of chips on credit cards.  He acquired this skill working in Belgium for many years.  While it is great to have a job that will make maximum use of his expertise, the job alas is in Chicago.  So it will be back to split living for awhile for them but they will make full use of vacations to explore Chicago and the midwest.

They are fabulous hosts and we feasted on Kathleen's Zucchini Pancakes, quinoa and vegetables, bread with soft cheese, green salad, and chocolate pots-de-creme.   They are all decorated for Christmas so indeed it was a magical evening.

Here is the recipe for Kathleen's Zucchini Pancakes:

1 pound zucchini, trimmed, coarsely grated
2 cups chopped green onions
4 eggs, beaten to blend
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup chopped fresh dill or 1 1/2 tablespoons dried dillweed
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon or 2 teaspoons dried
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 3 ounces)
2/3 cup chopped walnuts (about 3 ounces)

olive oil

Place zucchini in colander.  Sprinkle zucchini with salt and let stand 30 minutes to drain.   Squeeze zucchini between hands to remove liquid, then squeeze dry in several layers of paper towels.

Combine zucchini, chopped green onions, 4 eggs, flour, chopped dill, parsley, tarragon, salt and pepper in medium bowl.  Mix well.  Fold in crumbled feta cheese.  (Zucchini mixture can be prepared 3 hours ahead.  Cover tightly and refrigerate.  Stir to blend before continuing.)  Fold chopped walnuts into zucchini mixture.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Place baking sheet in oven.  Cover bottom of non stick skillet with olive oil.  Heat skillet over medium-high heat.  Working in batches, drop zucchini mixture into skillet by heaping tablespoons.  Fry until the pancakes are golden brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.  Transfer each batch of pancakes to baking sheet in oven to keep warm.  Serve pancakes hot.

Makes about 20 pancakes.  

Pounds of Peanut Brittle

The holidays usher in the season of peanut brittle.   Pounds of peanut brittle cooked up, broken up, and finally bagged up for family and friends.  This has been the Wulzen holiday gift for many years.  And paired with a new CD of Christmas music -- what better way to encourage a moment of resting in the pleasures of the season!

I found this peanut brittle recipe in a cookbook from the library.   It is quite simple and requires only a few ingredients

and a couple of essential aids.

Yup, don't make this recipe without a candy thermometer (unless you can figure out if a pot of boiling sugar and butter and peanuts is 280 degrees or 305 degrees).  The first year (well, really, the first batch) I did not have a thermometer and the completed peanut brittle lost the brittle and became a soft, sticky mess about an hour after I was done.  You've been warned!

And the diet coke -- what's with that?  Read carefully to discover that you will be stirring this boiling hot pot of ingredients for awhile and around about 250 degrees you will NEED a cold drink.  For you -- not the pot.

So on to the recipe.  

Old Fashioned Peanut Brittle

makes about 2 1/2 pounds

2 cups sugar

1 cup light syrup

1/2 cup water

1 cup butter

2 1/2 cups peanuts (I used lightly salted.)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

1.  Combine sugar, corn syrup, and water in a heavy 3 quart saucepan.  (It should be heavy pot!)

2.  Place over medium heat and stir until sugar dissolves.

3.  When syrup comes to a boil, blend in the butter and continue to stir frequently.  

4.  Continue cooking and stirring until the candy thermometer registers 280 degrees (soft crack).

5.  Immediately add the peanuts.

6.  Stir constantly until thermometer reaches 305 degrees (hard crack).

7.  Remove from the heat and quickly add the baking soda and vanilla.  Mix well.

8.  Immediately pour into 2 jelly roll pans and spread as close to the edges as possible.  The peanut brittle will begin to set up so try to get the spreading done quickly. 

9.  When cool, lift the brittle from the pan and break into pieces.  

10.  Store in a sealed container.

Clean up is easy.  Let everything cool down (the pot will stay warm for awhile) and then soak it in water.  Everything dissolves and you need only need to wash and dry the pot.  NO scrubbing!!

Happy Holidays!