For the passionate only. What do you do when a chef falls from a car?

I'm a passionate woman, lover, wife, mother, friend, and chef.  I love what I do, and I wouldn't trade any of my experiences for anything this world has to offer.   They have made me who I am today, and the have all helped me to better my perspective on life and more importantly, about LIVING WELL.  I refuse to be anything less than full throttle in my passionate adventures, and I don't intend on backing down.  

    With that being said, when you are a foodie fanatic and everyday, you are looking for or testing new recipes, plating design, or restaurants, one is bound to hit a little diversity.  When I was a teen, a common question while playing "truth and dare', or (let's be real) "Spin the bottle", was, "What's the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened?"  I never had an answer, and would rack my brain to find something that turned my cheeks red, or had made me want to run for my life.  Nothing ever came to me.  The more I think about it now as an adult, the more I realized I had never done anything I was truly passionate about or that I was willing to put myself on the line for.  

   You see, with every avenue of life whether a construction worker, lawyer, chef, minister, parent, student, or spouse, there is a certain element of risk that must be taken in order to achieve the best outcome.  Sometimes it's addressing a crowd in a controversial speech, or walking the highest scaffle to reassure a job well done, sometimes it's laying your emotions or truth on the table to grow a relationship, and at other times, it's grabbing something you've never worked with before and creating a masterpiece.  

   Being a risk taker doesn’t mean you are always putting your life on the brink of seeing eternity, I simply means that you are just willing.  Sometimes the path of risk is an emotional one, and at others, it's a time to see if you can simply laugh at yourself in times that you may have taken yourself too seriously.  There are all types of growth through risks, and you'll never know what you're truly designed for until you decide to take them.

    Now, as I have walked out my passions in life with my food adventures with all my heart, I have endured quite a number of cheek burning, heart pounding, sweat stained, and proud moments.  But the question still remains: 


What do you do when....

1) You drop an entire of platter of ziti meant for 40 on the floor

2)Walk around Kroger's cheese section with my top COMPLETLY down (due to carrying a baby while shopping).... and no, no one stopped to tell me

3)After placing 100 hand formed mini pies on the dessert bar, at a very elite dinner party, an elderly motorists runs into it crashing it to the floor

4) Catching on fire the head of cardiology @ Baylor’s, oven. (Luckily, they were having such a "good time", no one but my staff noticed

5)During the middle of a demo, realizing my zipper was down

6)Spilling my drink on one of the most highly respected chef in Dallas

7)Falling from my car walking into brunch flat on my face in the street

Well, what I do might surprise you, or shock you.  I don't wither away and hide. I don't cut off my relationships, or make excuses.  No. I own it, I use it, I learn from it, and I enjoy it.  I choose to live out my dream, and love my passion.  It may be risky, and at times it may be rough, and you may even have a couple of skinned knees or a broken heart, but it will make you love more and you will learn not only to just live, but to live well.

    

Summer in the South

Yes, the temperatures reach at least 100 for numerous weeks on end, the pools slowly feel like bath water, and the humidity seems to stick to every inch of your body, but there is something I adore about Texas summers that seem to make the heat vanish from my memory. The gardens are full with the hottest peppers around, the tomato bushes droop from the Big Boy clusters, and my basil gets as big as a Texas Mequite. As wonderful as that all sounds, it's the staring at purple stained fingers, and a bucket full of berries that burst in your mouth that is the simple pleasure of living here that makes my heart jump. I'll be honest, more are eaten when picking than seem to make it to the kitchen, but when I've managed to have some sort of self control, my excitement quickly turns to a delicious  and juicy berry bubbling up from a buttery sweet crust. Cobblers are a staple at my home so much so that many a time they are picked over cakes on birthdays, and the leftovers (if there are any) are always on the breakfast menu when the sun comes up. The smells of fruit saturate the air, and the anticipation of warm fruit bathed in cold cream makes the awaiting audience salivate. Spooned out and dolleped perfectly with a scoop of sweetened cream or fresh home-churnned ice cream is my summer staple.  No one says it better......
 "Simply perfect in every way" - Mary Poppins

Here are two of my favorites:

Black Berry Cobbler:

3c. black berries
2/3c. sugar (divided)
1 1/2c. flour
1/2tsp salt
1TBL baking powder

Berry Pickin' at it's best!

1 1/2 stick butter
1/2c whole milk or cream
3 TBL  raw cane sugar for topping

Preheat oven to 350
Butter a 9x13 baking dish.  place berries on bottom and sprinkle  1/3c sugar evenly.  In a food processor, pulse flour,  salt, baking powder, sugar, and 1 stck of butter until "peas" are formed. Add milk and pulse just until it comes together.  Spoon over berries.  Melt remaining butter and pour over the dough.  Sprinkle with cane sugar.
Bake 30-40 minutes or until lightly brown.

I prefer a mix of granny smith and fuji

Apple Cobbler With Honey Crust and Fresh Caramel Drizzle
Filling:
2 1/2 lbs apples, peeled and sliced and tossed with juice from 1/2 lemon
1/2 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
2 TBLS Flour
1TBL Vanilla
3TBL butter, melted
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Dough
1 1/2c. flour
1tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
4 TBL cold butter
1tsp cinnamon
1/4c + 1TBL. Honey

Honey adds just enough sweetness.....try to find your honey as local as possible

1/4 c. Half and Half
2TBLS heavy cream - to brush on top
Preheat oven to 375
Toss all filling ingredients together in a bowl and spread into 9x13 baking dish.  In processor, combine all dough infredients until dough comes together.  Drop by spoonfulls over apple mixture.  Brush cream on dough and bake 35 minutes. Serve with ice cream and Caramel Sauce:

Homemade Caramel Sauce

• 1 1/4c sugar
• 1/3c water
• 3/4c whipping cream 
• 1/3c butter 
• 1/2tsp vanilla 
• Combine sugar and water in a large saucepan; cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high, and boil gently, without stirring, until syrup turns a deep amber color, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush and swirling pan (about 8 minutes).  Gradually add cream (sauce will bubble). Add butter; stir gently until smooth. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla.