Not yet named food entry: Cranberry Ricotta Tart

I can't remember when I first made this dessert; I would say that it was over 10 years ago. I can't remember where I found the recipe; I think that I what I was watching was a long forgotten show on the Food Network. I do remember that it was an episode about cooking with cheese, and the original recipe was for making 6 individual Cranberry-Ricotta Tarts with toasted Almond Crust. I do remember going on line for the recipe with the foresight to copy and paste into a word document since I have never found it on line since. 

Folks starting to enjoy the tart

I go into more detail about the history of this dish earlier in my blog, Musing on how traditions get to be. According to that post it’s now been about 11 years since I’ve been making the Cranberry Ricotta Tart. Also, I’ve gone back to calling it a tart since a torte is a cake.

Aunt Florence's attempts to keep the tart for herself

I am sharing a Ryan family tradition that over a decade old. I hope you make it and enjoy it. As I mention in my other blog post, I don't have to come to dinner, but that's no excuse for the tart not being there.

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Cranberry Ricotta Tart

• ½ cp apple brandy, such as Calvados (or your choice of liquor - other brandies, Irish Whiskey or Bourbon are some of my favorites)
• 2/3 cp dried cranberries
• 2 cps almonds meal, lightly toasted if desired
• 6 Tbsp packed dark brown sugar
• ¼ cp (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 2 cp fresh whole milk ricotta, drained if necessary
• ½ cup white cane sugar
• 2 eggs
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F; slowly heat the brandy and pour it over the cranberries in a heatproof bowl. Let the cranberries soak for 20 minutes and then drain.

Combine the almonds, brown sugar and melted butter and mix until the butter is incorporated into the mixture. Place a 10-inch spring form pan on a baking sheet, and fill with almond mixture evenly pressing the crust firmly against the sides and bottoms. Set aside.

Combine ricotta, sugar, eggs, vanilla and flour; stir vigorously until the mixture is very creamy.

Sprinkling the cranberries

Sprinkle the cranberries into the crust and pour the cheese mixture just until it reaches the top of the crust. Bake the tarts in a preheated 325 degree oven for 45 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown.

Let cool completely before serving.

Yield: 1 (10-inch) tart

I always try to find three nice looking cranberries or pieces thereof to reserve for topping the tart in the center.  It's just my thing to do.

Finished product, artistic angle

Wish List: Fort Lauderdale

My hotel chain of choice is Starwood and I am a member of the Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) program. Earlier this year, SPG ran the SPG Getaway Free promotion.  It entailed earning one free Resort Night Award for every three eligible stays at over 1,000 hotels across all their brands from May 1 through July 31.

During that time, I stayed a total of 8 nights – split between work and leisure – at the following hotels: Aloft Houston by the Galleria; Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel; Sheraton Reston Hotel; Four Points by Sheraton San Diego; Sheraton Mission Valley San Diego and Palace Hotel, San Francisco (one of my favorites!) These six stays earned me two award nights at over 200 of Starwood's resorts; I should have squeezed a night in a Philly Starwood to get 3 nights!

Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel, beach view, image courtesy of Starwood

The West Coast and Southwest choices were out of the question since the airfare would be prohibitively high. The majority of the East Coast choices were in charming, secluded locations – ideal for a resort, but not for an urban fellow like me.  This left either Virginia or Florida as my viable options.  I was going to cash in the reward for two nights at Virginia Beach during my visit to Hampton Roads for Steve’s retirement ceremony, but he needed Bonnie and me to stay at his house to help with logistics.  So I didn't have to use my nights in Virginia.  Of the Florida locations, Miami and Fort Lauderdale seemed to be the most carfree positive.  I called the Miami resorts first and they had no availability, but the Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel could accommodate me. The only weekend that I had free was December 16-18 and there was a slot in the hotel then, so I booked. 

Then I bit the bullet to search for airfare and found a surprisingly reasonable scheduled flight to and from Fort Lauderdale for $191.40.  I snatched it up without any hesitation since it was non-stop on US Airways. I will favor the Star Alliance for my status. Resort: booked, flight: ticketed; now, I’m vacationing for a weekend in the sun the weekend before Christmas. 

Fort Lauderdale skyline, image courtesy Wikipedia

I have only been in Fort Lauderdale briefly in 2003 and it was just a brief skirting of the city.  I had lunch at a restaurant on S. Atlantic Avenue and I drove past some of the canals.  It reminded me of Venice Beach in Los Angeles.  However that’s all I really remember; don’t have a blank slate but it’s enough of a palimpsest that I can put new experiences down and they will be my only memories of the town. 

I’m must reiterate – I'm excited to be in Florida again in the beginning of the wintry season.  I was in Orlando in December 2009 and it was a treat to be in warm weather in a month that I’m usually bundled up in.  Also being at Disney probably helped keep the energy up, but there was something deviously exciting about Christmas decorations being staged in a climate of 70 degree weather – actually, like being in Abu Dhabi and Dubai in December. It’s like cheating Death, this cheating Cold. 

Stranahan House, image courtesy Stranahan House via facebook

Obviously, I will have access to the beach since I’ll be staying the Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel and I can imagine a few hours of solace in the sun and with the sand between my toes.  For energy, I can head to S. Atlantic Avenue and Las Olas Boulevard to take in the boutiques, restaurants and people-watching. For attractions, the Stranahan House, the oldest building in the city and county, comes with high marks and there’s always Hugh Taylor Birch State Park with the possibilities of biking, inline skating, kayaking, canoeing and segway tours, as well as taking a good old fashioned hike. 

The food in Fort Lauderdale sounds inviting; the dining experience has been described as casual chic.  Being so close to Miami and the Caribbean, I am confident the Cuban cuisine will be out of this world and that I will find treasures like Puertoriqueño, Jamaican and Indian restaurants. I am going to yelp to find an intimate café or an al fresco waterfront eatery where I can enjoy phenomenal dish crafted with seafood straight from the sea and local fruits and vegetables. 

Christmas lights in South Flordia, image courtesy of Fort Lauderdale Christmas Lights

I'm going to make this trip my brief respite during the hectic time that is the holiday season. From work to family, my time between now and New Year's Eve is full and devoted to others.  So a few days of R&R will be good for my soul, so I can jump into the wonderful chaos that the Holidays bring.

myPics: Flawless Fall

When I was up in Cambridge for the Penn/Harvard tailgate, I had a wonderful view of Boston and the Charles River.  I felt for the quintessential American autumnal holiday that a classic view of changing leaves in the home state of the "first" Thanksgiving would be the best way to wish my friends and readers a wonderful and loving Thanksgiving.

Let me leave you with this:
As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.
- John Fitzgerald Kennedy

...I just hate travelers: Passengers in the TSA Lines

One thing about the Philadelphia airport that sours me on traveling is going through the TSA security lines.  I have no problem with the scanning itself to make sure that we are secure for flight.  It’s both the security guards who stand at the entrance to the long queue shoot and, of course, my fellow passengers.

My first beef is with these security folks; I assume they are not an official part of the TSA due to their dress and lack of TSA accessories.  They seem to be airport-employed agents who obliviously tell you which line to get into: Expert, Casual or Family/Medical Liquids.  I’ve been cattle-shooted (or is it cattle-shot) into the Family line several times, and not because it’s empty.  Sometimes, it is the shortest line and I’m sent there to alleviate the back up.  However, it doesn’t actually speed my time through security.

What Kind of Traveler Are You? icons, images courtesy of TSA

This leads to my grievances with my fellow passengers.  Though I just mentioned being sent to the Family/Medical Liquids line, it doesn’t mean that I find those traveling with little children or have a lot of medicines to be the biggest offenders.  They just need more time and I understand that.  However, it perplexes me how many casual travelers or mislabeled experts don’t know how to go through the TSA lines.  These are the people who get under my skin.

While TSA procedures appear to change at whim, you can still prepare for the security lines.  When going through a full body scanner, you must have completely empty pockets – not a stitch of fabric or a scrap of paper.  So empty your pockets, period.  Prepare for going through a full body scanner even though you can have items in your pocket for a metal detector and it starts to make the process better.

An example of a full body scanner, image courtesy of Smarter Travel

I feel that if you can afford an airline ticket, then you can afford an internet connection.  If you have an internet connection, you have the means to google “what to and not to pack in carry on” and know ahead of time that sharp objects, some sports equipment (including baseball bats and spear guns), firearms, explosives, and flammable items are not allowed on planes.  I’ve traveled with colleagues – event planners – who have absentmindedly thrown screwdrivers, knifes and wrenches in their carry on bag.  They had to explain themselves to the TSA officials.  In most instances, they’ve lost their tools.  However, one determined person wasn’t going to let the TSA confiscate her husband’s favorite wrench that she borrowed without his knowledge.  She took her carry on back to the ticket counter and checked it.  While checking bags isn’t the goal of carry on luggage, sometimes, if I have the means to check, I do check my luggage. It does help that I’m silver on Continental (soon to be United solely).

Also if you can afford an airline ticket, I would assume that you can afford a TV and you have heard about 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot which changed traveling policy including the restriction of liquids to be carried on a plane from outside the “sterile” area.  The 3-1-1 rule limits each and every passenger to one quart-sized zip-top bag of liquid toiletries of no more than 3.4 ounces each.  You have to finish your soda, coffee or your expensive Starbucks trente iced sugar-high, caramel-packed latte-ccino, even if you only have a swallow left.  Those are the rules.  I’ve thrown out perfectly good unopened Fiji water bottles and Gatorade, as well.

A practical and comfy outfit (please note my sarcasm), image courtesy of Freakjet.com

As long as you’re not googling “what to and not to pack in carry on” and the 3-1-1 rule, don’t google “what to wear for TSA security line.” I am amazed by the outfits that I see, like the Juicy and Pink hoodies that barely cover anything, but need to be taking off for scanning, to the killer feet-tall laced-up boots that take a week to put on and off.  Men aren’t immune from wearing the wrong things; every piece of jewelry needs to be taken off your body.  While, gone are the days of dressing up for flying, people still need to dress appropriately for screening.  I try to make sure that I have slip on shoes, too, when I travel.  So skip the jewelry and keep your pockets empty. Wear a jacket that's easy to remove and put back on since that will have to go through the x-ray.  While you’re at it, make sure that your coat has ample pockets for stuffing with last minute items.  You can put your mobile phone in that pocket and run it through the x-ray machines without hassle.

As I continue my rant, everyone should learn how to pack. In addition to learning how to place items in a suitcase for the best protection of the items, everyone should learn to pack fewer items in a suitcase.  I do have a secret ire for those cute little old grandmas who stuff their luggage with lead and can’t actually move it.  I’ve hurt my back before helping these folks before.  The last time, I helped and got hurt, I quipped “What the hell do you have in there?”  She sassed me for cussing at her and then told me it was her oxygen.  I don’t know how she got it through.  No more helping little old ladies.  Yet, I ideally travel with two items; my carry on luggage and my messenger bag.  I stuff my carry on with my clothes and shoes and everything that I don’t need on the plane.  My messenger bag also holds my laptop and my toiletries (the two items that I need to remove for inspection for the TSA) and everything that I might want to access during my flight.

Storing bags in the overhead bin, image courtesy of Plane Sassy

However, getting ready for TSA screening should being before you leave your house in addition to packing right and dressing right. Before I leave my apartment, I put my keys in my messenger bag since I’m not going to need them until I return.  I also pack my loose change (if they are a bunch of quarters, if not, that can stay home), my watch, wallet (without my id) and other loose items in to my bag. I only keep my phone, my id, credit card and my boarding pass (if it’s not on my phone) in my pockets before security.  Plus, if I don’t really need my belt to hold up my pants, it’s in the bag, too. As I said before, this is the bag that holds my laptop and my toiletries, so I can get things in and out of it easily.

When it’s a good day at the Philadelphia airport, getting through airport security is a breeze.  It’s a well-oiled machine of people who know what to do and how to do it.  When it’s not, I’m cranky and I put hexes on everyone.  However, my sour mood is short lived if I have enough time to run over to Peet’s coffee on the terminal D&E connector and get a cup of joe.

A great cup of joe, image courtesy of Peet's

Thanks to Smarter Travel’s blog, Today in Travel, for the 10Tips for Sailing Through Airport Security, which reminded me of the bad TSA line behavior that I saw yesterday traveling to and from Rochester, NY.

myPics: The Garden

Well the Boston Garden...  Friday night, I worked an alumni event at the Boston Beer Works on Canal Street and I walked back to my hotel in Cambridge.  I had to pass the Boston Garden (TD Garden - they have the naming rights) en route. The large illuminated sign caught my eye.

It's bold and alluring. This was a better angle to get a clear, interesting picture than the dead-on example below.

Not yet named food entry: Vanilla Seltzer (New England)

One of my newest treats is seltzer water. Not just any seltzer water, but Polar Seltzer with Vanilla. It is an intriguing beverage that starts with strong smell of vanilla before the salty taste of carbonation hits your palate and is follow up with sweet notes that compliment the aroma.  I love it ice cold on its own and I have used it as a mixer.

I was introduced to this new flavor in seltzer during a visit to Connecticut about two years ago. My dear friend, Julie, had offered us something to drink and rattled off about 5 flavored seltzers – one of which was vanilla. I was intrigued, but cautious. She offered me a sip of hers and from the first scent of vanilla, I was hooked. Later during my visit, I hit the area Stop and Shop and purchased 6 liters of vanilla for my drive back to Philadelphia.

The difficulty of this new treat is that it is not readily available in my neck of the woods. Polar Beverages are distributed mainly in New England and Upstate New York, with additional limited available in Metro New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and in 13 other states. This limited availability means that there is no vanilla seltzer in Philadelphia. Giant, notably, carries Polar Seltzer but I have yet to see more than plain, lemon, lime and a handful of other flavors in stock.

A dramatization of my checking in with duffel bags full of seltzer, image courtesy of The Malones Down Under

Now when I travel to New England, I try to pick up more whether I’m driving or flying. Now that I have silver status on Continental, it’s less of a hardship to pack a duffle bag of vanilla seltzer to bring home. The ticketing agents and cabbies, however, are none too pleased.

Vanilla seltzer isn’t the only delight that Polar Beverages make. They also make a Diet Birch Beer which is clear and locals call white birch beer. There is also a Diet Double Fudge, which is really amazing – diet chocolate soda! This last trip to Boston, I discovered a Banana flavored seltzer, which I was pleased with. Finally, I read a tweet from @PolarSeltzer yesterday that Polar is introducing holiday favors: Eggnog, Candy Cane, Pumpkin Spice and Granny Smith Apple. I wish I had known that before I left!

Though it’s a little bit of a trek, I am proud to buy from America’s largest independent soft-drink bottler, which was founded in 1882 in Worcester, MA. (It’s like supporting Yuengling.) In 1901, the Crowley family purchased the company from its founder and Polar has been owned and operated by four generations, now. I’m excited that one of my favorites comes from an American family-owned shop and that I can support one of the things that makes America great.

Plus, vanilla seltzer rocks!

Images, except where notes, courtesy of Polar Beverages.

Wish List: Saint Pierre and Miquelon

Just over 10 miles off the coast of Newfoundland lies the last slice of Nouvelle-France, the former French colony in North America. The French jurisdiction which once spanned over 2 million square miles has been reduced to just over 90 in the form of the collectivité territoriale (territorial collectivity) of Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon. The archipelago of eight islands, located in the entrance of Fortune Bay, strongly celebrates its Basque, Breton and Norman roots as a sea fairing land.

A view of Saint-Pierre, the capital of Saint Pierre and Miquelon

The inhabitants of Saint Pierre and Miquelon are French. They have French citizenship and vote in national elections. The collectivity is represented in France’s National Assembly with both a senator and a deputy (similar in role to a US Representative). The euro is the currency. Though over 4,000 miles from the closest continental French city, Saint Pierre and Miquelon is France's oldest remaining overseas territory as well as its closest and smallest territory. In short, it is France.

The Cathedral in Saint-Pierre

The Saint-Pierrais and Miquelonnais total around 7,000, most of who were born in the collectivity but a rising number have come from continental France. The rich culture of the people helps them to live, survive and thrive in this barren land. The climate is very damp and windy making winters are harsh and long and the spring foggy and cool. However, late summer and early fall are sunny. Due to the conditions, the growing season is challenging but they do produce some vegetables, poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs and, of course, fish. The local cuisine is heavily based on seafood including lobster, snow crab, cod, mussels and many cod-based dishes, as well as some of the hearty flora like cloudberries and blueberries. Liquors based on or flavored with cloudberries and blueberries flourish.

Les Drapeaux: the flag of France (above) and the unofficial local flag featuring Cartier's ship, Grande Hermine, and cantons (top to bottom) representing the Basques, Bretons and Normans.

Getting there is pricey, but you do have your choice of flying or ferrying. There isn’t a hotel chain to be found on the archipelago, but there are clusters of houses painted in a riot of colors, nestled in which are cozy bed and breakfasts and hôtels. It’s a far-fling destination not too bothered by the urban conveniences. However, that, for me is where all the charm lies. That as the enticing fact that France is only 800 miles North East of Boston. (Or slightly under 1,100 miles from Philadelphia – France is closer to us then New Orleans!)

Images are © Marc A. Cormier – www.st-pierre-et-miquelon.com and are available through flickr. I also encourage you to become a fan of Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon on facebook. 

myPics: A Detail of Washington, DC, at Night

I spend last week in Virginia and made the trip to DC as well.  I played an evening tourist, visiting the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the National World War II Memorial. I was memorized by the grandeur of the memorial, in scope and in style.

This is a detail of the Freedom Wall is on the west side of the memorial. The wall has 4,048 gold stars, each representing 100 Americans who died in the war. In front of the wall lies the message "Here we mark the price of freedom."