Look who's two!

Technicolor dining is two years old  today!  This journey would not have been possible without the support, encouragement and inspiration from family, friends, and readers like you!

It's been delightful to explore and learn all things food and dining related for the past 365 days. Highlights of the journey include:

• Completing a 20 week Culinary Techniques class
• Making duck leg confit at home
• Attending the launch of Woodford Reserve's Master Bourbon Academy
• Visiting  (for a second time) with the wonderful folks at  610 Magnolia
• Visiting Chef Ouita Michel's Holly Hill Inn
• Stepping up my grilling
• Discovering the savory dishes of Local301
• Visiting the Culinary Vegetable Institute
• Testing and adopting  a dip recipe featuring beets that is fun and creative

A world of thanks to all those who I've met along the way who have shared their passion for all things food and dining related.

What's on the horizon for the next 365?

• An interview series (more details to come)
• Talking about Canadian whisky
• Exploring Persian cooking
• Testing more recipes
• Grilling and smoking
• A long overdue visit to the West Coast
• And much more!

Holly Hill Inn

I've kicked off  celebrating Technicolor dining's birthday with  a glass of tamarind juice and seafood mofongo courtesy of Cafe Puerto Rico .

I invite you to enjoy me on the next leg of the journey. 

Are you ready? Let's go!

Be well, 

Techdine girl

Technicolor dining news - February 2016

Gong Xi Fa Cai or Happy Lunar New Year !  What  better time to share the February Technicolor dining news.

This month begins with celebration of  Year of the Monkey and the pre-Mardi Gras activities followed by celebration of Valentine's Day. There's lots to celebrate!

The desire to celebrate is high locally because a blizzard passed through the area recently bringing the area to a near standstill. I'm grateful that I had access to food and heat throughout the storm.

I invite you to join me this month as I explore:

• Experimenting with a potage cultivateur recipe
• Trying out an acorn squash recipe
• Technicolor After Dark:  Canadian Whisky, Round 1
• A return to assisting in the classroom
• And much more!

The National Weather Service is forecasting is snow, so bundle up. Are you ready?

Be well,
Techdine girl

Technicolor dining news January 2016

Welcome to 2016!  I hope that your 2016 has started on a bright note. Speaking of notes, I received a note asking if Technicolor dining was closing. Not, it is not.  The loss of several family members and friends and life demands did halt blog posts at times in 2015, but the blog is not closed.  Thanks for your patience while and continuing to read the blog during.

January marks the beginning of a New Year on the Gregorian calendar. An opportunity to renew, recharge and begin with a clean slate, or should I say clean plate!

I invite you to join me in exploring:

• a surprisingly easy pork tenderloin recipe
• a dinner where Lowcountry dishes meet New Orleans
• a new cooking class series
• a savory recipe for acorn squash 
• and a few surprises along the way!

Coming soon: a Technicolor Dining Facebook follower recently asked my opinion of Canadian whiskies. I replied that I was woefully ignorant on the subject.  As a result, I've been asked include a regularly scheduled post labeled  Technicolor After Dark that will explore the wonderful world of libations.  Watch for more details.

Do you have suggestions for future topics to explore?  Share them in the comments below.

Are you ready?  Let's go!

Wishing you a healthy,joy filled 2016.


Be well,
Technicolor girl

image created by Ink+ LLC

Thought for the day

Welcome to 2016! Wishing you an abundant and prosperous year!

left: mustard greens, right: black-eyed peas

When life gives you lemons - lemon pie

I readily admit I like lemons. I use them for cooking and cleaning. So it didn't surprise me that I moved a bag of Meyer lemons without hesitation  into my shopping cart during a recent grocery store visit. Did  I mention that this was in addition to the bag of  generic lemons already in my cart?

Meyer lemon fruit is yellow and rounder than a true lemon. The skin is fragrant and thin, colored a deep yellow with a slight orange tint when ripe. Meyer lemon fruits have a sweeter, less acidic flavor than the more common Lisbon or Eureka supermarket lemon varieties. The pulp is a dark yellow and contains up to 10 seeds per fruit. The lemon bears surname of  Frank Nicholas Meyer, an employee of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) who collected a sample of the plant on a trip to China in the early 20th century.

After some deliberating about what to do with the lemons I opted for lemon pie.  This Meyer lemon pie recipe is featured on Allrecipes.com. I modified it slightly based on feedback from others who have tried the recipe. 

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups white sugar 

3 large eggs 

3 3/4 fluid ounces Meyer lemon juice 

1/4 cup butter, melted 

1 1/2 tsp cornstarch (my modification)

1 (9 inch) pastry shell, unbaked

Lemon zest (my modification)

Step 1:Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Step 2: Place sugar,  cornstarch ,eggs, and lemon juice in a  food processor; blend until smooth, about 3 minutes.

Step 3: Pour melted butter into the food processor and blend for 30 seconds more.

Step 4:Transfer lemon filling to the pastry shell.

Step 5: Sprinkle lemon zest on top of filling

Step 6:Bake in the preheated oven until filling is just set, 30 to 35 minutes. Allow pie to rest until completely set before serving, about 15 minutes more.

I added the cornstarch because a common comment was that the filling was "runny" after cooking. I added the lemon zest for a bit of color. 

Serving suggestions: whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or as is. 

What's your favorite Meyer lemon recipe? Please share below. 

Be well,

Technicolor girl