ROSE PETAL MACAROONS

INGREDIENTS:
150 g ground almonds
200 g sugar
2 egg whites
1 tsp rosewater
1 tsp scarlet food colouring
1 tbsp plain flour
20 crystallized rose petals for decoration

INSTRUCTION:
1. Cream ground almonds, caster sugar and egg whites.
2. Add flour, rosewater and colouring.
3. Allow mixture to firm in the fridge for an hour.
4. Flour work surface and hands and roll small amounts of mixture into truffle-sized balls.
5. Flatten balls into rounds and place on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper.
6. Decorate the centre of each macaroon with a crystallized rose petal.
7. Bake 10-15 minutes in a warm oven (gas mark 3/160C).
8. Allow to cool and harden for 15 minutes.

Serve with a cup of fresh leaf tea or as a sweet post-dinner canape with champagne cocktails.

From Carolyn Dunster of Simply Roses www.simplyroses.com

CUBAN GRILLED CORN ON THE COB

Corn on the cob goes south of the border with chili, cheese and a squirt of lime!

INGREDIENTS:
4 ears corn in husks, silks removed
2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon salt
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup finely grated queso blanco
1 lime, cut into quarters

INSTRUCTION:
In a large saucepan filled with salted boiling water, cook corn in husks for 8 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine chili powder, paprika and salt.
On a medium grill or in a broiler, grill corn just until char marks are visible on husks. Remove and let cool. Pull back husks and rub corn with butter and sprinkle with cheese and paprika mixture. Serve with lime wedges.
Recommended ingredient: Queso blanco cheese is available at Latin markets or online at cheesemakers.com.

Cuban Grilled Corn on the Cob with Queso Blanco and Lime
Recipe created by Rori Trovato
From the August, 2003 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine
Serves 4

KIDS DAY MENU: CUP MUFFIN

We simply love this amazing Japanese invention: NAGATANIEN MAKE YOUR OWN CUP MUFFIN IN 2 MIN.
All you have to do is to contain the mix in a microwave-able cup, add 1 egg, and mix thoroughly. Place cup in the microwave: 500W for 2 min, 600W for 1 min.
Voila! The magic muffin is ready to be served.

ps: Muffin mix is available in the majority of Japanese grocery stores in your area - $3.00.

ICE CREAM NATION

July is the national ice cream month! To celebrate, we made the easiest vanilla ice cream ever: no cooking, no hassle, as silky and as yummy!

INGREDIENTS:
1.5 cup whole milk (or reduced milk)
Dash salt
.5 cup whipping cream
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup half and half
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or almond or mint)

INSTRUCTION:
Combine milk, sugar, and salt. Stir with a wire whisk until sugar is dissolved (we use our Kitchen Aid professional mixer, control 6-8 for about 5 minutes). Stir in half and half, whipping cream and vanilla. Pour into your ice cream maker (we have the one with a Freezer Bowl, no salt and ice needed), let your machine do the rest of the job. Refrigerate further for 2 hours.
Serve with fruit or condiments.

EDIBLE BOWLS

Made of 100% veggie or fruit of choice: scallion, beet, bokchoi, carrot, canteloupe, sweet pea, raddish, and more.
You can make the easy version of these edible bowls for your kids: thinly slice veggie/ fruit, arrange in molds of choice (muffin pans, etc), bake until solid and crispy. Fill in with toppings of choice.

photo and art credit: artist Margaret Dorfman

SCALLIONED EGG SCRAMBLE

Still on the egg: scallion brings out the best of your scrambled egg.
How? Thinly slice scallion and mix them together with egg (1" per 2 eggs). Fry the seasoned egg mixture on the lightly buttered pan (medium heat). Serve!

HAPPY EGG

Last week, I spent 4 sad mornings having the worst breakfasts in my life, and let us all blame it on the corner deli's eggs and my laziness to walk six blocks to my regular egg store (due to horrible cold and advance allergy combined, thank you very much).

Call me particular, but the egg business is not as simple as I thought it would be. And it shouldn't be. I prefer my yolks in super bright yellow and beautiful shape, taste great (and make the dish, even the simplest one, very tasty), and of course contain all the nutrition needed minus the injection substances and the guilt of eating sad chicken's eggs.

If not coming straight from the farm*, I always purchase my eggs in Japanese markets (NOT Asian in general or Korean, and definitely not those Super 88 asian grocery chain-stores). I always get the one called the Golden Fertile Eggs's Large Brown Grade A, From Cage Free Vegetarian Hens, that comes in 100% reclaimed paper and funny Japanese (chicken) graphic on the cover. The small red stamp on top of each individual egg indicates that it has passed the US requirement for a grade A egg.
Definitely the egg to go for for your healthy little ones.

* Love love Ross and LeAnn's Wind Rose Farm eggs. And those are the happiest chickens I've ever spent a couple of days with.

photo credit: Tabanitha McDaniel's "Fresh Eggs"

YUMMY (TODDLER-FRIENDLY) CANDY

INGREDIENTS:
2 c. sugar
1 c. light corn syrup
1 c. water
1 tsp. oil (not flavoring)
Food coloring
Powdered sugar

INSTRUCTION:
Sprinkle cookie sheet with powdered sugar or spread a large piece of heavy aluminum foil and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Mix together sugar, syrup and water. Cook and stir occasionally until candy thermometer reaches hard crack stage. Remove from heat. Add food coloring (who does not love eye-candy candies?) and oil. Stir and pour on powdered cookie sheet. Cool. Break in small pieces (smaller pieces for your toddlers... why make your own if you couldn't create the smallest candy in the world... just for your toddler :D)

TIPS:
- Be creative with creating the color and shape: from heart to thin lines, from rainbow to color of country flags
- Add small drop(s) of natural or artificial flavoring (mint, cinnamon)
- Be aware of choking hazards, supervise your child while eating the candy

EDAMAME, MOMMY!

I consider edamame as very effective toddler table-silencer that is organic and healthy, at least, for those who love green and beans and the combination of both.
Kids can spend minutes after minutes trying to pick those little beans out from the pods. And what else could be better for parents, serene dining experience (at least for the moment) while witnessing your toddler eats his greens.

EDAMAME TIPS:
- Use edamame beans as garnish (edamame tastes good with tuna, Japanese cold noodle, broiled scallop, and more)
- Try to avoid putting too much salt on your toddler's edamame as it is not necessary.
- Food-process edamame, lightly season, turn it into green paste, and call it "Japanese Hummus". Voila, yummy dipping paste for your organic blue corn chips!

EASY MUESLI BREAKFAST

Breakfast is the most important meal in a day. Believe it or not studies indicate a child with good, fibery breakfast yawns and whines much less than the a child without breakfast or a breakfast only consists of breakfast bars.

EASY MUESLI BREAKFAST
Muesli is great. It consist fruit and grain fibers. Of course, let them swim in a bowl of fresh milk. Chunks of fresh strawberry or banana, sliced almonds, complete and beautify the bowl.
Alter muesli with other breakfast meals: eggs, yogurt, bread, veggie, fruit, and the list goes on...

note: I love A. Vogel Muesli because it contains exotic durian and Finax' Good For You (sweet papaya)

QUICK HORS'DOEUVRES

Wonderful quick kids-approved hors'doeuvres:

INGREDIENTS:
Siljan Croustades Crispy Shells or Wheat Thins
Alouette spreadable cheese (any of them, I love savory veggie or tomato basil)
Anything you have in your fridge (small-diced tomato, thinly shredded cucumber, minced cooked chicken, prosciutto) as topping
Fresh herbs (rosemary, dill, basil...)

INSTRUCTION:
Apply cheese on top of the shells or thins and top them with your topping of choice.
Garnish with fresh herbs.
For better taste, put them in oven toaster or broiler for 1 minute or until warm.
Enjoy with chunks of mouthwatering sweet canteloupe.