A callous gunman who wreaked havoc upon several unsuspecting victims in 1969 could not shake the resilience of this tight-knit community, nor the legacy of the heroes who lost their lives that fateful night.

Listen to APB: Cold Case EP 5 "God Help Me I'm Shot" - The Sherrill Incident

https://rss.com/podcasts/apbcoldcase/1311791/

And for Photos, map, timeline and blog, visit us at: apbcoldcase.com

Could this podcast generate new leads?

 

APB Cold Case audio podcast is now on YouTube! Also available on all major podcast platforms or go to apbcoldcase.com. Listen now to - On the Trail of a Killer: The Murder of Megan McDonald

Our Family Table

I'm so excited about the family cookbook!  Mom and I have been talking about doing this (2nd Edition) for years.  The first family cookbook was created by my Mom in 1995. The family has grown so much since then and many of my cousins and 2nd cousins didn't have copies of that original book.  So we took many of the beloved recipes from the first addition and added to them.  We worked on the cookbook for almost a year.  We really wanted it to be a family heirloom, so we included old family stories and photos.  We had no idea what the finished product would look like, but now that it is done, we are so pleased.  I have already started working on the next one!

Here is a recipe that is in both books.  My Grandfather loved making this bread.  I remember making it with my Mom and my husband made it this past Thanksgiving.  It smells divine while baking and it tastes Heavenly!

Dilly Bread

A Hoffman favorite!

1 pkg. dry yeast

¼ cup warm water

1 cup small curd cottage cheese, heated to lukewarm

2 T sugar

1 T instant minced onion

1 T butter, melted

2 tsp dill seed

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp baking soda

1 egg slightly beaten

2 ¼ to 2 ½ cups flour

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Soften yeast in warm water.  Combine in bowl with cottage cheese and remaining ingredients except flour.

Gradually add flour until stiff dough forms.

Let rise until double about 45 minutes.

Stir down with wooden spoon and turn into loaf pan, casserole or oven proof bowl.

Bake at 350 F for 45–50 minutes or until tester comes out clean.

The Happiest Day of my Life! 12/27/13

I know that I intended this blog to be a place to share recipes, but this post is a little different as it is a recipe for the happiest day of my Life.

Ingredients:

1 amazing Groom
1 lucky Bride
1 handful of beloved family and friends

Directions:

Mix all ingredients with love and happiness.  Sprinkle with California sunshine and live Happily Ever After!

All I Wanted Me Was a Little Gluten Free Cornbread!

Mark and I have several favorite films, but one film that we watch over and over again is The Green Mile with Tom Hanks.  One of our favorite scenes is where William 'Wild Bill' Wharton (played by Sam Rockwell) after being put in solitary confinement, says "All I wanted me was a little cornbread, motherf*#@!ers! All I wanted me was a little cornbread!"

Here is a GF culinary nod to The Green Mile.

Ingredients

• 1 cup gluten-free cornmeal
• ½ cup rice flour
• ½ cup cornstarch
• 1 T baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup frozen corn
• 1 cup unsweetened Silk almond milk 
• ⅓ cup canola oil
• Egg replacer to equal 2 large eggs (prepared according to package directions)  

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Grease an 8x8-inch square glass baking dish & place in heating oven
3. In a bowl, whisk dry ingredients together.
4. Add almond milk, oil, and egg replacer and corn; stir until batter is smooth.
5. Carefully remove hot pan from oven and pour the batter into the hot pan (this ensures a crisp edge on your cornbread).
6. Return the pan to oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until cornbread is golden brown on top.
7. Serve warm on its own or drizzled with honey.

A Taste of New York

Aunt Mary's Marinade for Chicken

Mark brought this recipe from New York and we're not sure who Aunt Mary is, but this chicken is delicious!  We love you Aunt Mary!!!

1 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
2 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tsp Bell's poultry seasoning

Combine all ingredients and marinade chicken for a minimum of 3 hours.  Drain chicken and bbq until done.  It tastes like Summer!

Happy New Year French Onion Soup

Mark and I decided to start a new "New Year" tradition, French onion soup!  It is such a simple recipe with simple ingredients, but it yields such complex flavors.

Ingredients
2T olive oil
3lbs yellow onions
1 pinch of sugar
1T scant all purpose flour
3/4 cup good quality dry vermouth or dry white wine
2 tsp worcestershire sauce
7 cups beef stock
Salt & pepper
Toast rounds
Shredded gruyere cheese

Peel onions, cut off root end and slice thinly on a mandoline.  Drizzle the olive oil in the bottom of a large French oven over medium/ low heat.  Place sliced onions in the pot and sprinkle with pinch of sugar.  Saute slowly for 30-45 minutes or until carmelized.  Sprinkle the onions with flour and cook for another 2-3 minutes.  Add the dry vermouth and cook for another 5 minutes.  Add the worcestershire & beef broth and simmer for another 35 minutes to let the flavors meld.  Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Spoon soup into bowls, top with toast rounds, sprinkle with shredded gruyere and place bowls under broiler until cheese is bubbly.  Serve immediately.

Happy New Year!

Japanese Sweet Potato Potage

Japanese sweet potatoes have a dark red or purple skin and a sweet white flesh.  They are similar to American yams, but taste sweeter.  They were the Chef's featured ingredient at a Sonoma restaurant that Mark and I went to.  We tried the soup which I re-created below and we loved it so much, we went back the next night for the Japanese sweet potato ravioli.  Here in the United States they are a fleeting Fall crop, so get them while you can.

Ingredients

1 T olive oil

1 T rendered bacon fat

1 lg sweet onion, halved and thinly sliced

4 Japanese sweet potatoes peeled & chopped

4 C chicken stock

1 envelope Trader Joe's chicken soup base

1 tsp dried oregano

Maldon sea salt

Fresh ground pepper

2 T good quality sherry

Place oils in a 5 qt French Oven.  Add onions and saute until onions are soft and golden.  Add sweet potatoes, stock, soup base & oregano.  Brin to a boil and then turn down and simmer for 25 minutes or until potatoes are soft.  Cool slightly, then puree in batches in a blender.  Return to pot. Season with salt, pepper and sherry.  Serve.

The Mariner Star

I am coveting this little 5 1/2 qt beauty for my own.  I felt my heart skip a beat when I saw her.  Le Creuset is amazing cookware and it will last forever!

From the Le Creuset website:
This particular limited-edition design was inspired by the coastal town of marseille. from culture to cuisine, marseille is known for its rich heritage and compelling nautical history. the deep blue hues and artisanal quality of this round french oven reflect the simple, yet elegant lifestyle of this charming port city.

As we explored the nautical roots of marseille, we discovered the mariner star. this symbol is found on compasses used for centuries to navigate the winds that blow along the mediterranean coast. the northwest point on the star represents the mistral wind that blows through marseille. each year marseille residents gather for the fête du vent, the festival that celebrates this famous mistral wind.

Our french roots and Charleston home led us to partner with the American College of the Building Arts in Charleston, South Carolina, on the design of the first installment in this series. The mariner star has a particularly rich and storied history in both charleston and marseille—two of the world’s most cultured port cities. beloved by sailors and those who live by the sea, the mariner star can be found in architecture and home décor throughout marseille, charleston and other nautical cities.

In honor of Le Creuset's founding in 1925, only 1,925 round french ovens of this design have been produced and the mold has been destroyed.

Shredded Chicken - 2 ways

My co-worker, Jo hooked me up with a yummy slow cooker recipe for shredded chicken.  My slow cooker died a horrible death and I have yet to replace it.  So I decided to "slow" cook in my Staub 3 1/2 qt French oven.  It worked beautifully and the kitchen smelled divine.  Below are 2 recipes that I adapted and the best tip ever for shredding chicken!  Use your Kitchenaid mixer!

Shredded Chicken #1

Ingredients

2 cups chicken stock

1 T worcestershire sauce

2 T dry vermouth

2 sprigs of fresh thyme

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp onion powder

3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, brined

Cooking Instructions

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.  Mix first 6 ingredients in a French oven.  Add the brined chicken breasts and cover.  Place in hot oven and cook for 2.5 - 3 hours.  

BEST tip ever!  When chicken is done and still warm, remove breasts from liquid and place in the bowl of your Kitchenaid mixer.  Mix with paddle attachment for 10-20 seconds to shred the meat.

Meat can be cooled and frozen at this point and liquid can be used as a base for stock or a sauce.  The meat can be used for a plethora of recipes like soups and salads or add bbq sauce for pulled chicken sandwiches.

Shredded Chicken #2

Ingredients

2 jars of mexican green sauce

2 T dry vermouth

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp onion powder

2 packets undiluted Trader Joes liquid chicken boullion

3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, brined

Cooking Instructions

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.  Mix first 6 ingredients in a French oven.  Add the brined chicken breasts and cover.  Place in hot oven and cook for 2.5 - 3 hours.  This meat can be used as a filling for tacos, burritos and enchiladas or as a topping for tostadas and nachos.  

Brining: Yes or No? YES YES YES

Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc at Home Cookbook is full of many useful chef's tips that any home cook can use.  It only took one try to sell me on the technique of brining.  I no longer worry about my boneless chicken breasts turning out dry and chewy.

Chicken Brine Recipe
from Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc at Home Cookbook

5 lemons, halved
24 bay leaves
1 bunch (4 ounces) flat-leaf parsley
1 bunch (1 ounce) thyme
1/2 cup honey
1 head garlic, halved through the equator
1/4 cup black peppercorns
2 cups (10 ounces) kosher salt
2 gallons water

Combine all the ingredients in a large pot, cover, and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring to dissolve the salt. Remove from the heat and cool completely, then chill before using. The brine can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Pour the brine into a container large enough to hold the chicken pieces, add the chicken, and refrigerate for 12 hours. The chicken may be too salty if you brine the chicken for more than 12 hours.

Remove the chicken from the brine, rinse with cold water, pat dry with paper towels and let it rest at room temperature for over an hour. 

Edgar's Birthday Tamale Pie

I love my Daddy and he loves Tamale Pie, so I made this low-fat version for his birthday.

Happy Birthday Daddy!

FILLING:

1lb ground turkey

2 T olive oil

1 large yellow onion diced

3 celery stalks trimmed & diced

3 med carrots peeled & diced

1 large green pepper, diced

10 oz roasted & diced Hatch green chiles

16 oz canned green tomatoes, blended smooth

1 tsp tomato paste

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

1 T red chile powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

3 T chopped fresh cilantro

1 tsp salt

1 tsp rice vinegar

1 tsp corn starch

TOPPING:

3 cups masa

1-1.5 cups chicken stock

3 T olive oil

2 T sugar

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup frozen corn

Directions for Filling:

Brown the ground turkey, crumble and set aside.  Add olive oil to the saute pan and brown the onion, celery, carrot & green pepper.  When veggies are soft, add turkey and the remaining ingredients through the vinegar.  Sprinkle with corn starch and simmer until thickened about 3 minutes.  Cool.  Filling mixture can be made ahead and refrigerated at this point for up to 2 days.

Directions for Topping:

Mix all topping ingredients in a large bowl.  Consistency should be like a thick paste.  

Spray a 9x13 pyrex with Pam.  Place cooled filling in pan.  Spread topping over filling.

Bake in a 425 preheated oven for 30 minutes or until filling is bubbling and topping is lightly browned.

Serve with sour cream, guacamole and/ or salsa.

It's Fall and that means it's time for stew

Today was the first blustery day we've had this Fall.  It makes me want to carve some pumpkins and cook something warm and comforting like stew!  I'm pulling this recipe out of my personal archives.  I came up with this dish after Mark and I discovered Japanese sweet potatoes up in Sonoma.  These sweet potatoes have red skins and a white flesh that is sweeter than that of regular sweet potatoes.  I also used some blended Heirloom tomatoes from Balakian Farms, but any crushed or blended tomatoes will do.  I think this stew would taste even better if it was raining outside and you were curled up in front of a roaring fire.

Heirloom Tomato Beef Stew

1 1/2 lbs beef flap meat

1 - 2 T olive oil

1 large onion, diced

1  clove garlic, minced

1 T chopped orange peel, pith removed

1 cup chopped crimini mushrooms

1 16 oz jar Balakian Farms Organic Blended Heirloom Tomatoes (Cherokee Purple)

2 oz. dry vermouth

1 tsp. herbs de Provence

1 lg Japanese sweet potato, peeled and cubed                       

1 T balsamic vinegar

Maldon sea salt & fresh cracked black pepper

Pat the meat with paper towels and season with a pinch of salt.  In a large frying pan or French oven, brown the meat in olive oil until a good crust forms.  Note:  you may want to cut the meat into smaller chunks and brown them in batches if necessary.  

Place all of the browned meat back into the Dutch oven.  Top the meat with the chopped onion, garlic, orange peel, mushrooms, tomatoes and vermouth. Bring to a boil, then lower heat. Add the herbs de Provence and simmer for 2 hours or until meat is tender.  Add the sweet potatoes and cook for 15 minutes more or just until potatoes are tender.  Drizzle with balsamic vinegar, season with salt & pepper and serve.  

Thai Coconut Noodles

I made this last month when I came across a 1998 Cooking Light Magazine while cleaning out the garage.  Of course I tweaked the original version (my version below).  It turned out really yummy!  I served it with Asian marinated chicken breasts that Mark grilled on the BBQ.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups snow peas, trimmed (about 8 ounces)

1 (8-ounce) package rice sticks

1 tablespoon grape seed oil

1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger

2 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 cup light coconut milk

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Dash of ground red pepper flakes

1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

Preparation

1. Cook snow peas and rice sticks in boiling water for 3 minutes (no longer or the noodles will get mushy). Drain well and set aside.
2. Heat oils in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onions, bell pepper, ginger, and garlic, and sauté 2 minutes. Stir in coconut milk and the next 5 ingredients (milk through red pepper flakes); bring to a boil. Cover; reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes, stirring frequently. 
3. Combine and toss cooked snow peas, rice sticks, and green onion, coconut milk mixture in a large bowl, and sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Serve.

Ahoy Captain...Country Captain

On a recent weekend, Mark and I were relaxing in the backyard.  I was in need of some serious kitchen inspiration, so I perused a couple of cookbooks pulled from the recesses of a rarely used kitchen cabinet.  The weather was still warm enough to feel like the middle of summer, but the calendar adamantly stated it was Fall.  In anticipation of the cooler weather to come, I paid particular attention to recipes for comforting stews and soups laden with the vegetables of Autumn.  I came across a recipe I had not heard of before called, Country Captain.  The ingredients intrigued me, so here is my version. We both loved it!

California Country Captain

4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 C flour (I used GF Cup 4 Cup blend)
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground white pepper
salt to taste
3 T olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded & chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T Madras curry powder
3/4 C red wine
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 T poultry seasoning
1 small jar (3/4 C) Major Grey's Mango Chutney
4-6 C cooked quinoa or rice

1/4 C slivered almonds
1/4 C chopped scallions
1/4 C shredded coconut (optional)

Directions:
1) Combine flour, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, pepper & pinch of salt in a large ziplock bag.  Drop chicken breasts into flour, tap off excess and brown in a 6 qt French oven heated to med/ high with 1.5 T olive oil.
2) Brown approximately 4 minutes each side (in batches if necessary) and set aside on paper towels to drain.
3) Add remaining olive oil to pot and cook the onions, bell pepper, garlic & curry powder over medium heat until the onions and pepper become soft about 5 minutes.
4) Add the red wine and cook for about another 10 minutes.
5) Stir in crushed tomatoes and poultry seasoning.  Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
6) Stir in the chutney and chicken.  Cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes.

Serve over cooked quinoa or rice and top with almonds, scallions and coconut.

Summer Seafood Chowder

Summer is finally here and I've spent the last couple of weekends down at the beach in Newport.  I love the sound of the waves, hanging out at 32nd Street and riding bikes on the boardwalk.  Those beautiful briny breezes inspired me to make a lovely Summer Seafood Chowder.


2 T Olive oil
1 large sweet Maui onion, diced
1 large red or yellow bell pepper, diced & seeds removed
2 ears sweet white corn, shucked
1 rib celery, diced
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T Sherry (good quality) or substitute white wine
1 cup seafood stock (I use stock from Santa Monica seafood)
2 cups chicken stock

1 T chicken bouillon
1 lb haddock, cubed
1 lb arctic char, skin removed, cubed
1 lb medium shrimp, cleaned
2 T each, fresh dill, cilantro and chives, minced
1 dash hot sauce
1/2 cup heavy cream 

In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, saute the onion in 2 T of olive oil until translucent (5 minutes).  Add the bell pepper, corn, celery, mushrooms and garlic.  Stir gently and saute for 3 minutes.  Add sherry and continue cooking for 1 minute.  Add stocks and seafood and simmer for 15 minutes.  Add herbs, hot sauce and cream.
Serve Chowder in a heavy bowl with oyster crackers or some crusty french bread.  Enjoy!

What does eetlust mean?  It is a Dutch word for appetite, a nod to my Dutch ancestry.
definition:   eetlust [nm] (appetite, appetency, appetence) a feeling of craving something

Coming Soon...

The virtues of flavored vinegar

Pesto Coleslaw

and... Sweet + Salty = Bonus!

It's time to take up smoking

My brother, Randy & his 18lb yellowtail Sept. 2011

Apparently my brother has some "deep sea" skills and on a recent trip out of San Diego, he reeled in an 18 lb yellowtail and a 12 lb tuna.  I was the happy beneficiary of his catch and I decided to get serious about smoking.  I've been doing quite a bit of research since I smoked that pork shoulder (see earlier post) on my old charcoal smoker and many people actually say that an electric smoker gives better, more consistent results.  I was worried about the flavor difference, but as soon as I heard that you don't have to check temperature, wood and water every hour, I was sold!

You had me at "hello"

Besides the fact that it took me 2 hours to assemble, I love my new electric smoker!  In my defense, I didn't start the assembly process until 10:00pm after a long day at work and I may also have had a teeny little glass of wine.
   
Gettin' Schooled
I decided to make this a real learning experience by utilizing 3 different methods.
1) Jerky - winner!
2) Brined - much better than "cured", but don't brine for more than 6-8 hours
3) Cured - too dry, too salty!

Jerky was the clear winner and by far my favorite result from this initial attempt.  The recipe I found online stated that it could be made using a regular oven (which I tried, but would not suggest).  It was so much more flavorful in the smoker.  I made several changes to the original online recipe to suit my taste.  My version is below.

Island Fish Jerky

Island Fish Jerky

2 lb. fish filets (tuna worked beautifully)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1 Tbsp palm sugar (can substitute brown)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, finely minced
1 tsp Maldon sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground peppecorns

1 dash red pepper flakes

(1) Cut the fish into 1/4-inch thick strips, 1 inch wide and 3 to 6 inches long. Combine the remaining ingredients in a zip-lock bag and marinate in the refrigerator, for at least eight hours, or preferably overnight. Discard the marinade and dry the fish strips well with paper towels to remove any excess marinade.

(2) Oil the grates in your smoker. Put a cookie sheet on the bottom rack to collect any drippings. Place the fish on the rack and set the oven to 140º degrees. (If your oven won’t go this low, set the oven to its minimum temperature and crack the oven door.)  I used a mixture of apple wood chunks, whisky barrel wood chips and a small amount of hickory chips

(3) After two hours, reduce the heat to 130 degrees or open the door wider. The drying time will vary. When done, the fish jerky will be dry but not brittle, so that the pieces crack but don’t break when bent, with a dark brown glaze. Allow the jerky to cool and keep it refrigerated, in a sealed container, until you’re ready to eat it.