Ina's Little Tomato Tarts

No doubt you’ve all seen this recipe in Ina Garten’s latest cookbook. Hope I am not repeating something you have already tried, but in my humble opinion, she is the best of the Food Network chefs and her latest cookbook showcases some lovely new recipe ideas. I just happen to like her style- her food- her ideas. She’s fun to watch, has a nifty sense of humor and often puts a new twist on her old recipes, although I don’t see her repeat things too often. One to drool over example: her sticky buns ( a previous post) - which she used to make the old fashioned way with yeast- Ina now uses puff pastry and I’m here to tell you these are FABULOUS and EASY. And FATTENING. Oh my.

Sticky buns aside, (although just writing about them makes me want to make some) I had some company for lunch recently and thought her little Tomato Tart recipe would be the perfect answer- I could get them all ready to go, stick them in the refrigerator and pop them into the oven when we were ready to eat. Don’t you get tired of salads all the time? With a little fruit on the side, this tart wraps things up in a clever, delicious and fun luncheon package.

Have you noticed that Ina is using a lot of puff pastry dough lately? And I read recently on somebody’s blog NOT to buy Pepperidge Farm puff pastry but to go to Whole Foods and get Dufour Classic Puff Pastry. Never dreamed I would actually find it, but there it was, in the freezer area. I really didn’t think it would make a big difference, but it was fabulous- as good as if you made it from scratch. I think for special occasions I will use it but for everyday and family cooking I will use the Pepperidge Farm puff pastry; nothing really wrong with it.

I am not a huge fan of onions for lunch, even caramelized, so I substituted shallots- which I think are milder and work just as well in this recipe and cook faster too. I bet you’re sick of my talking about Ina’s recipes, but when I find one I use a lot and it receives raves from everyone, I really want to make sure you give it a try.

Tomato Goat Cheese Tarts
(Adapted from Ina Garten)

Ingredients:
1 package (17.3 ounces/2 sheets) puff pastry, defrosted
Good olive oil
2-3 cups thinly sliced shallots
3 large garlic cloves, cut into thin slivers
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons dry white wine
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, plus 2 ounces shaved with a vegetable peeler
4 ounces garlic-and-herb goat cheese (recommended: Montrachet)
1 large tomato, cut into 4 (1/4-inch-thick) slices
3 tablespoons julienned basil leaves

Method:
Unfold a sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and roll it lightly to an 11 by 11-inch square. Using a 6-inch wide saucer or other round object as a guide, cut 2 circles from the sheet of puff pastry, discarding the scraps. Repeat with the second pastry sheet to make 4 circles in all. Place the pastry circles on 2 sheet pans lined with parchment paper and refrigerate until ready to use.
Preheat the oven to 425°.
Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil and add the shallots and garlic. Saute, stirring frequently, until the shallots are limp and there is almost no moisture remaining in the skillet. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, the wine, and thyme and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, until the shallots are lightly browned. Set aside.
Using a sharp paring knife, score a 1/4-inch-wide border around each pastry circle. Prick the pastry inside the score lines with the tines of a fork and sprinkle a tablespoon of grated Parmesan on each round, staying inside the scored border.
Place 1/4 of the shallot mixture on each circle, again staying within the scored edge. Crumble 1 ounce of goat cheese on top of the shallots. Place a slice of tomato in the center of each tart. Brush the tomato lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with basil, salt, and pepper. Finally, scatter 4 or 5 shards of Parmesan on each tart. (I was overly generous here.)

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. The bottom sheet pan may need an extra few minutes in the oven. Serve hot or warm.

FDA: E-Cigarettes Contain Toxins

Federal health officials said Wednesday they have found cancer-causing ingredients in electronic cigarettes, despite manufacturers' claims the products are safer than tobacco cigarettes. (July 22)

Daily Dose of Energy

Every day I raise my energy level with a great workout, a blend of fresh antioxidant fruits and positive thoughts. Well, at least I try! If time doesn’t allow for a great workout, I go for a shorter power walk.

Setting aside ten to fifteen minutes at night to relax my mind and meditate completes the cycle, and energizes my ability to maintain positive thoughts.

As role models for our kids, we have the duty to teach them self-motivation and the importance of taking good care of themselves.

Wikipedia defines self-motivation as the ability to “find a reason and the necessary strength to do something, without the need of being influenced to do so by another person. Working in a careful and consistent manner without giving up.” This precisely defines great personality traits that I want my kids to develop.

As busy parents, we often put ourselves at the bottom of our priority lists. Taking good care of ourselves is a great exercise but requires some discipline! Cultivating our health and mind can only bring positive results for the whole family. Definitely a win-win!

Passport to Havana

After being in windowless conference rooms at my company's annual editorial meetings all day Monday, a festive business dinner out at Victor's Cafe lifted the spirits.

Mojito! Mix together white rum or vodka, sugar, lime, sparkling water, ice, and mint, and get deliciousness. Did you known this drink's birthplace is Cuba?

Black bean soup, $9. Very tasty, but an entire bowl is too filling. I took half of this home.

The waiter said he'd surprise me when I told him I was vegan, and he pleasantly did. I love sweet fried plantains. Black beans were served with the entrees, so I could have skipped the soup.

Mango sorbet, $7, from il laboratorio del gelato. So creamy. Some of the best I've had in a while. Other flavor choices were lemon or strawberry. But expensive, I know! Veganize their tempting dessert offering, flan.

Normally I like to include all the prices for full disclosure, but since this was a business dinner, I didn't see the check, so I'm unsure about the cost of the mojito and the entree. This restaurant was lively and the food delicious, but it's definitely pricey.

We loved Lucy, but we also loved Ricky! Desi Arnaz...signing the Cuban classic, Babalu.


Who was Cuban Pete, the subject of another famous Desi song? Actually of Puerto Rican origin, he was mambo genius Pedro Aguilar, who once danced at the Palladium. The legendary nightclub shuttered in 1998, was demolished, and is now a New York University residence hall. A collective boo from the crowd when historical sites are destroyed.


Visit Victor's Cafe, 236 W. 52nd., New York City. Or make a similar meal at home and request the "Music of Cuba: 1909-1951" cd and "The Mambo Kings" DVD from the library and have Cuba night at your casa.

Solar system: Longest Eclipse Of The Century

Across Asia, millions of people watched the longest eclipse of the century, which lasted up to 6 minutes and 39 seconds. The next eclipse this long won't come until 2132. Terry McCarthy reports.

Apple sales and profits top analysts’ estimates

SAN FRANCISCO - Apple Inc. reported 3rd-quarter sales and profit that exceeded analysts’ estimates after wooing customers with a faster iPhone and less-expensive Macintosh notebook computers.

Profit rose to $1.23 billion, or $1.35 a share, from $1.07 billion, or $1.19, a year ago, Apple said yesterday. Sales gained 12% to $8.34 billion in the quarter ended June 27. Analysts on average predicted profit of $1.17 and sales of $8.21 billion, according to a Bloomberg survey.

Apple added the faster iPhone 3GS, cut the price of its older iPhone 3G to $99, and updated its MacBook notebooks to entice shoppers. The Mac and iPhone account for more than half of Apple’s sales. Chief executive Steve Jobs returned from medical leave last month and is trying to spur sales growth.

“Their business continues to hold up really well in this tough economy,’’ said Shaw Wu, an analyst at Kaufman Bros. in San Francisco.

Apple, which usually gives forecasts that miss analysts’ estimates, said sales in the back-to-school quarter will be $8.7 billion to $8.9 billion. Profit will be $1.18 to $1.23 a share. Analysts predict sales in the 4th quarter, which ends in September, of $9.03 billion and profit of $1.29 a share.

Apple, based in Cupertino, Calif., advanced $4.96 to $156.47 in extended trading after closing at $151.51.

source:http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2009/07/22/apple_profits_top_analysts_estimates/

Living the Good Life on My Own Terms

Part of living the good life to me is about financial empowerment. We are trained by marketers to believe we are 'treating ourselves' if we spend a high sum of money on an article of clothing or shoes, or even a haircut.

I once thought like that too. I've thankfully evolved to a point where I'd rather 'treat myself' to a sense of financial security, which includes saving to invest in a home and for children I hope to have one day, and having a sense of contentment of paying my bills in full without having to panic about what day exactly is payday.

Living with less has proven satisfying. It's fun and creative to find ways I can extend pieces in my closet throughout the year, such as wearing a long-sleeved shirt in the fall under a cute top I might wear in the summer. I am no longer impressed by women in my office who wear a different outfit almost every day of the month, and envy the women who can reinvent one dress into several different looks.

"We don't have to have more in order to be more," wisely observes Debra Ollivier in Entre Nous: A Woman's Guide to Finding Her Inner French Girl. Well-put!

Moreover, she tells us the French girl "does not confuse commerce with culture and the narrative in her life does not come from what she buys or sees on TV." We are inundated with images of a high-priced version of the vegan good life on many eco-sites hawking various products. But aren't $200 vegan shoes, $500 vegan coats, and $150 bamboo dresses a bit out of touch in a recession? This is just inaccessible to the masses. And how eco-friendly are some of these fabrics being touted anyway? There's some debate about how green bamboo fabric is.

What's wrong with using something you already own, even if it's non-vegan? I did donate some non-vegan items in my wardrobe when I first made the switch to veganism, but still have a few things I still use. And why not? If someone called me on it, I'd tell them the truth. I abhor waste, both environmental and financial, and will make more informed decisions next time. My life is not a glossy ad campaign.

I once spent $55 on haircuts at a local salon. I now spend $15 at Supercuts (skipping the shampoo and styling to save money). Goodbye $500-a-year gym membership. I now walk on the sidewalk or local high school track and use my pilates mat and lightweights, all for free. Thrift store shopping is now my primary source when I do shop for something, but even more frugal: clothing swaps.

Even the head of my company is a swapper! They have such a large extended family, that the kids exchange clothes, and he's barely had to buy anything. As Rachael Ray would say, "how cool is that!?"

I, along with two budget-savvy, waste-hating friends and co-workers held another clothing swap. We offered treats from budget-friendly Trader Joe's, including strawberry lemonade, olive hummus with pita crackers, and maple cookies. Thank you, reception desk flowers!

Among other items, I donated my adorable vintage-inspired pink Betsy Johnson dress, which no longer fits (darn you, soy ice cream!) It found a very grateful new owner.

Lace-trimmed, stylish H&M top: $0. Purple cotton Limited shirt, perfect for the office: $0. The satisfaction of acquiring clothes for no money, giving my unwanted items a second life, and using things already-produced instead of buying high priced 'eco-fashion': priceless. No bill will arrive in 2-4 weeks, either.

No it wasn't all vegan, but many of these items, sitting in people's closets unused, got a new home, including a very pricey Coach bag.

Most of the leftovers went to the This-N-That Thrift Shop, on 309 Broadway, Hillsdale, NJ. This shop donates to various charities, and we chose to have our items marked to benefit Shelter Our Sisters, an organization that services victims of domestic abuse.

The shop is holding a bag sale in late August (fill an entire brown shopping bag for just $8). When it's time to switch seasons, they'll donate what is unsold to a church in Paterson. Those unemployed (far too many in this economy) can go in a get an outfit for free with proof of unemployment. I believe shops like this, that provide such a wonderful service to the community, should be in every town.

Fashionistas everywhere are going green, and saving green, by swapping clothes, shoes and bags. Take a look...

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