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1. DO NOT BURN YOUR GARLIC!  Once you’ve burnt your garlic, you’re done, throw it away and start over.  Burnt garlic had a very unappealing bitter taste.
2. If your garlic sprouts before you use it, its ok, it just won’t be as aromatic or full of flavor.  It will just be slightly milder.
3. To get the smell of garlic off of your hands, rub your hands on something stainless steel, like your kitchen sink.
4. Fresh garlic or dried garlic is way better than that minced stuff in a jar.
5. Most importantly…Garlic is Good for You!

Greek Chicken

(video)

So above is a You Tube video with instructions on how to cook a chicken in the oven.  It is a very short, easy to follow video.  But I want you to scratch the Lawrey’s seasoning and try rubbing it with Greek Garlic blend from the Galena Garlic Company.  Rub about a tablespoon on the outside and additional teaspoon on the inside.  When rubbing the bird on the outside, lift up the skin (without tearing it) and rub under the skin too.   On the inside of the bird, cut a lemon in half and place it on the inside along with a half of and onion and about 3 large garlic cloves.   Place the bird on the cooking rack with about a cup of chicken stock on the bottom.  Cover with foil and cook as instructed in the video.   For the last 25 minutes of cooking, drizzle a little butter over the top of the chicken and keep the foil off.  This will make your chicken delicious and crispy.  Be sure to let your chicken rest for about 20- 30 minutes before cutting into it.  This will prevent it from drying out.

With the dripping that are left over, skim as much of the fat off as possible and serve on the side.  You may need to add a little more chicken stock if it is too salty.

So Ryan and I made a trip to Galena, IL a few months ago. It was our first time there, so we didn’t know what to expect. First and foremost, it was COLD! Secondly, we found the coziest inn called Le Fevre Inn to help keep us warm. It was warm and our room had a large whirlpool tub big enough for two. The fireplace in our room gave the entire vacation a romantic ambience. Le Fevre Inn is about a 5-minute drive from the downtown area, which is sprawling with little artsy shops, boutiques, inns, novelty shops, tasting rooms and restaurants. Amongst the shops, we stumbled across the Galena Garlic Company. We were just going to keep going past the shop, but it was so cold (and it smelled so good), we couldn’t resist going it. There was so much to choose from, it was almost overwhelming (in a good way). I narrowed it down to the Greek Garlic blend and the Galena Garlic blend. They are nothing short of amazing. The Greek Blend is amazing to rub on chicken and bake until crispy. All you have to do is add a little chicken stock and a dash of white wine and viola! Perfection! If you are going to make a trek to Galena, definitely check out Le Fevre Inn as well as the Galena Garlic Company. You won’t be disappointed.

2 pounds boiling potatoes, peeled and cut

1 pound leeks, washed and chopped

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 celery stalk, diced

5 cups chicken stock or broth

2 ½ cups of milk

4 tablespoons butter

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

Salt & pepper to taste

½ cup of half & half

¼ cup heavy cream

¼ cup chopped fresh chives

Melt the butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the vegetables (including potatoes), cover, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the chicken stock or broth, ½ cup of milk, the bay leaf, parsley, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until the vegetables are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Discard the bay leaf, and let the soup cool for 10 – 15 minutes before blending. Transfer to a blender or food processor in batches and process until smooth. Heat the puree in a saucepan over medium heat and stir in the remaining 2 cups of milk. Turn the heat off and stir in the heavy cream. Sprinkle with the chives once bowled.

www.JoanneDomka.com

I may not be Irish, but I can cook a mean corned beef. My method might be a little different than yours, but once I explain why I cook my corned beef the way that I do, you might just get it. It makes sense.

How many people boil their corned beef? Why? When you boil something, whatever flavor was in that meat, just seeped out into the water. Yes, that might be good to flavor your potatoes and cabbage, but really your focus is the corned beef, everything else is just a filler. So read below to find out my method, it may seem strange, but I’ve never had any complaints.

Corned Beef ala Jurczak (Yes I’m Polish)

1. Follow cooking times on the corned beef package, but add 1 hour.
2. Open up your corned beef and trim any excessive fat. Your corned beef needs some fat so don’t get too crazy.
3. Find the biggest pot with a lid that you have.
4. Take your corned beef and wrap it in aluminum foil, forming a tight seal. Repeat with a second layer.
5. Place your corned beef(s) and put it in your large pot.
6. Cover corned beef(s) with water, about 2-4 inches above the corned beef. Add 1 tablespoon of salt.
7. Put on stovetop and follow cooking instructions on corned beef package, but don’t forget to add an addition hour. Be sure to put the lid on.
8. During that last hour is when you will add the potatoes and cabbage.
9. After cooking is complete, remove the potatoes and cabbage, dump out all of the water and let corned beef rest for about 30 minutes before cutting.
10. Cut the corned beef against the grain and serve!

You will find that the cabbage and potatoes will taste like cabbage and potatoes and not corned beef water. The salty corned beef and the mellow, sweet taste of the cabbage and potatoes is a perfect contrast. Follow these simple instructions and you will have a perfect corned beef every time!

So you make a pot of coffee in the morning and you dont drink all of the coffee.  Most of us just spill it down the sink.  Well thats silly, save it for after work, or an after dinner treat.  Just put it in a container that has a lid and throw it in the fridge until you are ready to use it.  I have 2 quick treats that will impress anyone, and its all made with your coffee from this morning.

Coffee Whipped Cream

4 oz heavy whipping cream
½ tsp powder sugar (its to sweeten the whipped cream)
1-tablespoon cold coffee (add a little more as long as it stay thick)

Whip together with a whisk until thick, or if you have a hand blender use that.  You can top this on vanilla or chocolate ice cream, or on top of a shake.  The mild coffee background in the whipped cream pairs really well with anything chocolate.

Iced Coffee

8oz cold coffee
1-tablespoon sugar
1-tablespoon warm water
Milk, cream or half and half as desired

Take the sugar and water and mix together until dissolved.  You can put it in the microwave for about 15seconds to make the sugar melt faster.  Sugar melts quicker when the liquid is warm.  Next, just fill a glass with ice all the way to the top, add sugar mixture, cream and coffee and stir until blended.  You can even add a little of the coffee cream to the top.  Yummy!!!

With the above Iced Coffee recipe, you can add a little Hershey’s Syrup to it to make it a Mocha Iced Coffee.  You can also add a shot of Bailey’s Liquor.  Bailey’s has a variety of Liquor, all of which would taste great with some Iced Coffee.  This will definitely impress a coffee drinking crowd!