Good Afternoon Everyone,

It had been quite cold here in Tampa, my birdbath was frozen solid yesterday. The only thing missing is the snow.

My Mom and I spent 3 very pleasant days visiting aunts and cousins in Miami. The weather was crisp and cool as my aunt gave us a tour of her tropical garden. We saw a variety of palms and beautiful orchids...she has several tropical fruit trees such as mango and avocado. She is the passionate one in the family for all things green. Later on in the evening she had prepared for us a Roast Pork, Congri, which is black beans and rice mixed together and Yuca con Mojo. Yuca being the white tuber root that taste so delicious with the mojo marinade. My aunt is a very criole cook and her dishes are all very delicate in taste in that she achieves the perfect balance of garlic, cilantro, cumin and all the wonderful aromatic spices she uses. She cooks from the heart...We enjoyed time with our family after the Christmas holiday and marveled at how the children had grown. Much of our time was spending reminiscing about the old days and it was spent in my cousin's remodeled kitchen which evoked warmth and togetherness.

Today is a lazy day spent by the fire watching all the different football games with friends.
The menu planned is for buffet style and an easy one to put together.

The Cheesecake recipe is via my Aunt Aimee, she had cut the recipe out of a magazine many years ago as it was quite yellowed and it was in Spanish. On my last visit to her home with my Mom and my Aunt Ara, my cousin Mari and I translated the recipe and vowed to make it after tasting it. The Buffalo Cheese Spread is a true example of the old adage, necessity is the mother of invention. This spread is sold at a gourmet wine shop in Tampa. Because I could not get there yesterday, I had to make it and rely on my sense of taste and memory. DH says it is pretty close.

New Year's Day Football Menu

Ham, Mushroom and Leek Tart
Cheese and Fruit Platter
Cold Salmon with Basil Cream Sauce
Smoked Buffalo Mozzarella with Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Garlic
Spicy Pecans
Assorted Crackers

My Famous Chili
Georgia Style Cornbread
Tia Aimee's Guava Cheesecake

I hope all my TKL friends have a wonderful New Year filled with all their dreams come true.

Happy Cooking, Gina

Ham, Mushroom and Leek Tart
8 servings

Pastry:
1 1/4 c. flour
1/8 t. salt
1/2 c. butter
3/4 t. cold water

Oven at 400. Combine flour and salt. Cut in 1/2 c. butter til crumbly. Mix in water with fork til just moistened. Form into a ball and roll out on floured surface into a 14" circle. Press onto bottom and sides of tart pan and prick with tines of fork. Bake 12-14 minutes.

2. c. sliced white mushrooms
1/2 c. sliced leeks

Melt 3 T. butter, saute mushrooms and leeks til tender and fragrant.

Mix together 1 c. whipping cream, 1 c. chopped ham, 2 beaten egg yolks, 1/2 t. salt. 1/4 t. pepper and dash of tabasco. Pour over sauteed veggies and blend well. Pour onto crust and bake 18-22 minutes.

Cheese & Fruit Stand
On a pretty glass cake stand arrange the following:

Green Grape Cluster
Red Grape Cluster
Slices of Cantalope
Sliced strawberries
Kiwi Slices
Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Swiss Cheese
Brie with Wheat Thin Crackers

(The Brie can be served on a platter by itself surrounded with lavosh crackers and Wheat Thins... heat it in the oven with red raspberry preserves and crushed walnuts pieces over it til soft, transfer to a pretty glass dish and surround with the crackers.

Cold Salmon with Basil Cream Sauce
serves 6 as an appetizer

2 lbs. salmon fillets
1 T. lemon juice
2 T. orange juice
2 T. Newman's Own Oil & Vinegar
1 t. ground coriander
1 T. chopped red pimiento
1/2 c. Monterey Pasta Co. Basil Cream Sauce
(found it at Costco)

In an oven-proof baking dish, place the fillets. Sprinkle the juices and dressing over. Sprinkle the spices on and bake at 400 for 20 minutes. Sprinkle the pimiento over and turn heat down to 250 for 5 minutes.

Let cool and put into a covered dish for next day. Serve cold on a bed of fresh spinach leaves with the Basil Cream Sauce drizzled over.

Smoked Buffalo Mozzarella with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Garlic
serves 6

1 8 oz. cream cheese, room temp.
1 buffalo mozzarella cheese ball
6 oz. Alouette Elegante Sundried Tomatoes & Garlic
1/4 t. liquid smoke
1/4 c. chopped pimientos, drained

Blend all ingred. well, Pat into a crock and cover overnite. Serve with Wheatables and crudites such as red and green bell pepper slivers, celery sticks and carrot sticks.

My Famous Chili
serves 8

2 lbs. ground sirloin
1 T. olive oil
1 large onion chopped
2 bell peppers, green and red, seeded and chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 28 oz. can peeled tomatoes
2 T. chili powder
1 t. oregano
1 t. salt
1 t. sugar
1/8 t. cayenne pepper (more if you want heat)
1 t. cumin
1 t. paprika
2 15 oz. cans kidney beans, 1 light and 1 dark with juices

garnishes: grated cheddar cheese

Brown beef, discard any fat. Set aside. In a skillet with olive oil, saute all veggies, add to beef in a pot with all other ingredients and cook on low for two hours.

I serve this with a garnish of grated cheddar cheese and corn bread squares slathered with butter! Yum!!

Georgia Style Cornbread

3/4 c. flour
1 T. baking powder
1 T. sugar
1 t. finely ground black pepper
1/2 t. salt
a sprinkle of cayennne red pepper
3/4 c. yellow cornmeal
1 cup corn kernals, drained well
3 eggs beaten til frothy
2/3 c. half and half

Preheat oven to 400. Thoroughly grease a 13x 9 baking pan and set aside. Sift the flour, baking powder, sugar, peppers, and salt into a med. bowl. Add the cornmeal and toss with a fork to blend. Add the corn, eggs and half and half, stir just to blend. Pour into prepared pan and bake til golden brown, 15 mts. Cut inot squares and serve hot and buttered.

Tia Aimee's Guava Cheesecake
serves 10-12 because it is RICH!!

2 8 oz. cream cheese, room temp.
1/4 c. sugar
1 c. guava paste (Conchita's or Bohio's)
1/2 t. vanilla
2 eggs
1 graham cracker crust pie shell

Blend cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Blend well. Add guava and blend well. Add eggs and blend well. Pour into pie crust, bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Shut oven off and Let sit in oven for 30 minutes more. Put into refrigerator over night. Next day decorate slices with mint leaves, whipped cream and a sliver of guava.