Hosted by Barbara J Nosek
& Misty the FoodieCat
CS friends, help yourself to tasty resources!
♦ CatChat – Misty previews this week’s salon ♦
♦ TIDBITS – baked taties in the slow cooker? / “confetti” in your party cake / stock v broth ♦ CS MARKETPLACE SPOTLIGHT – let’s get the picnic started {M – that basket looks heavy, let me take something out of there to make it easier for you to carry} ♦ FEATURED RECIPE – shrimp louie and louie gone wild ♦ TIP – forkless salad x 3 ♦ THE WEEK – dvds t.c. / food pen “class” t.c. / sorta foodie mystery
Misty’s History ♦ Misty’s Gallery
♦ TIDBITS ♦
Newsy, schmoozy stuff for cooks
♦ Can this really work? “Food & Wine” is I would think a totally reliable source, but their prep for baking potatoes in the slow cooker scares me a little. I guess the benefit is not having to heat up the oven, though the toaster oven would seem to be a viable alternative. Anyway if you want to check it out click this link, though I feel more comfortable sending you to one that appeared within their story for “Baked Potato Recipes.” Some really good stuff here!
♦ 
No qualms about this one from F&W. Could this birthday cake possibly be any more festive. And what make it even more fun is that its party perfect presentation remains a surprise until it’s cut. Dessert and decoration all in one! See the recipes for both cake and frosting and the full photograph here.
♦ Broth vs stock. The differences come to us from a connected string of sources, starting with msn.com, picking up the story from Reader’s Digest, who in turn quotes thekitchn.com, under the banner, “This is the real difference between stock and broth.” See what you think. {I apparently make “brock” because I always season stock – bouillon, peppercorns, fresh garlic, sometimes parsley}
♦ CS MARKETPLACE SPOTLIGHT ♦
Just watch out for Yogi
Not just for picnics in the park, but as well, outdoor concerts, fireworks celebrations, beach parties, or just toting goodies from your kitchen to your backyard. What? Pic-a-nic baskets!
And oh just wait till you see what’s available, from simple to elaborate, from inexpensive to aiyyyy! And in addition to many variations of the classic wicker hamper, there are also backpacks, shoulder bags, 
organizer baskets, and cooler bags.
Variously, you’ll find places for cutlery, plates, wine bottles, wine glasses, corkscrew, blanket, plus in some, food storage containers and auxiliary insulated compartments. Soooo many amenity combinations.
Shown here just two possibilities. Many are Prime eligible and available for next day delivery.
Here’s what you can find on Amazon ♦ These are rated 4 stars and up
Found this on RealSimple – how to pack a cooler
♦ FEATURED RECIPE ♦
Thank you Ina Garten!
{and Tasting Panel}
How about you? I’ve always found Louie sauce to be a little too sweet. There’s a good chance that’s exactly what it’s supposed to be, but it appears Ina Garten’s tastes run a lot like mine.
Her recipe {which she calls “Louis”} uses a lot of the typical ingredients, but delivers a result that’s rich and tangy. Could be the horseradish and sriracha 
{!} Our Tasting Panel gave it a big thumbs up in a dish of cold poached shrimp {Garten used it as a dipping sauce for roasted shrimp}.
But then I discovered a bonus, actually two of them. And again, how about you? I find pasta salads one of the most difficult dishes to make flavorful, not matter what other ingredients go in there. Solved! This sauce is fabulous on a mix of mac, sweet peppers, black olives, celery, really your choice.
The other app? Spread it on a bun with the other usual suspects and you can have a creditable clone of a favorite fast food burger. Haven’t tried it yet, but thinking it would be good on a regular garden salad.
Ina’s recipe ♦ It’s from this book, Garten’s “Cook Like a Pro”
♦ TIP ♦
Fun Salads. Forget the forks
Whether for a family meal and a friendly get-together, if all the other dishes are finger foods, who wants to drag out forks just to have salad. Good news – don’t have to!
The first way is actually a prep approved by our savvy Tasting Panel, and that is colorful diced veggies on French endive leaves that have been painted with dressing. I used ranch but whatever you like will do just fine.
The next is the skewer trick. Just go with whatever produce is poke-able and serve dressing on the side. 
Pickles and olives are good on there too. And some cheese cubes wouldn’t hurt either.
Our third forkless salad is served in individual cups that have dressing in the bottom. Make it pretty with a border of lettuce leaves and then some sticks – carrots, celery, bell pepper, zucchini, e.g. – then plop a radish right in the middle.
♦ A PEEK AT MY WEEK ♦
Welcome to my kitchen and living room
♦ Finally started viewing my culinary dvds from The Great Courses. Aiyyyy, why did I wait so long, these are fabulous. Gathering tips to share.
♦ Oh yeah, playing with the food color pens again. Especially since I now have a new set with not only more colors but as well thick and thin tips. What fun! Food by food I’m assembling a “class” to show you the ways we can even further gussy-up the holidays with these artsy tools. Some time next month we’re going to devote an entire Salon to this festive endeavor – thinking July 26 Salon.
♦ So, just finished reading “The Cooking School Murders,” an engaging tales, but after the interesting cooking class scene the story shifts away from the school and to the title happening – even so food does make an appearance in subsequent pages thanks to neighborly dinners, Greg’s special diet, and “Edward.”One thing in there that sent me to google was a reference to “rat cheese” – whaaaaat? So distilling what I found, it mainly defines an inexpensive cheddar. Guess cheapie stuff to put in the traps???
So far next week: Irish food, scary food {but doesn’t have to be}, coffee table cookbook, slaying the dragon, jal-what now???, ice cream in a hurry
Direct access to Amazon homepage through my personal link
Looking for something in CS? – scroll and check Misty’s previews OR enter the item in the search box OR email me at bjnosek@gmail.com
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Photo credits – cake slice {cropped}/Food & Wine site, picnic baskets & book/Amazon, all others/mine
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Cook with passion and a party spirit, whether for a crew, or for two, or just for you
throughout “The Star Wars Cookbook,” quite compact because it’s actually directed to kids with requisite alerts for adult supervision.
Since I was making bacon anyway for another dish {German potato salad!}, I tested the recipe on a few slices. It turns out with a nice rich color, as you can see here – the two middle slices are Chewie-d, the others destined for the potato salad. Though after tasting the recipe ones, realized what a great addition they would be and – into the salad they went.
Well here’s a problem I’m hoping to have, though maybe should be careful what I wish for. In case you already need to know 
pick it up at random as an ongoing treat.
banana flavor}, and spooned that atop the chocolate . . . and then smoothed the Cool Whip over that.
correctly on their 
tuna/ham/cheese/pepper creation, a “sandwichon,” actually comes from her beloved mom who, btw, used olives halves instead of flowers, and in fact the garnishes aren’t even listed in the ingredients but rather as suggestions in the directions – really, a matter of your own artistic choice.
of lemon juice. You cut, use the half or whatever, store the rest, find it in the fridge weeks, months {?} later. But . . .