What are you doing New Years?

Still looking for something yummy for New Years? Tired from all the Christmas Rush?
It's not to late to order a tasty treat for your party or a great hostess gift.















email to place a last minute order, it's never to late to eat great!
Alwaysgourmetpcs.com
email me at gina@alwaysgourmetpcs.com

Got Cookies!!!

Everyone loves cookies for the holidays. If you are still looking for that last minute gift for a teacher, coach, coworker, your problems are solved! How about a cookie package or gift certificate for something sweet? They are also a great idea for the potluck Christmas party you don't have time to make anything for.
Taking orders for the holiday rush, now~ email me at gina@alwaysgourmetpcs.com and put your worries behind you!

Holiday Recipe

Peppermint Kisses

3 large egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 teas peppermint extract
red gel food coloring
1 cup heavy cream
6 ozs chocolate

Preheat oven to 175.
line two baking sheets with parchment paper. fit a pastry bag with star tip.
put egg whites and sugar in heat proof bowl of electric mixer. set bowl over pan of simmering water, and stir gently until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm to touch. (2-3 mins)
transfer to electric mixer and whisk on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. mix in peppermint extract. dip toothpick in gel color and swirl through mixture.
fill pastry bag and pipe small star shapes.
bake 1 hour 40 mins and cool on rack.
heat cream in small sauce pan over medium heat, pour over chopped chocolate and gently stir. spread on bottom of meringues and cool.

Kids driving you crazy?

do you need to do some last minute Christmas shopping? has the newness of Christmas presents worn off? or do you just need something to do with your stir crazy kids? why not sign them up for a kids cooking class? cookies, cupcakes, treats. for the more serious student breakfast, dinner, there is something for everyone. make it a party, grab your kids favorite friends and sign them up together. the kids have a great time and the added bonus is some free time for you and maybe even the opportunity for your kids to cook you dinner!
classes are customized to the client, for more info email me at gina@alwaysgourmetpcs.com

Black Friday Special!!!!

Take advantage of the holiday shopping frenzy! Order a gift today for your favorite person and receive 10% off!! Don't forget school parties, christmas potlucks and your favorite teacher or coach!!!!

The Holidays are here!

Are you looking for the perfect gift for someone who is hard to buy for? The person who has everything? A special little something for that teacher or coach? Well, look no furthur, I have the answer for you.

What about a cooking class for the wife or hubby who is hard to buy for. The friend who has everything. Choose from private lessons for one or a cooking party.
How about a homemade treat for the teacher or coach who does so much. Cookie platters, cupcakes or special treats can be the perfect answer to the boring gift card or coffee mug.
Gift certificates are available too.
Call or email now and get a jump on your holiday shopping.

Penguin Fun!!

Love the fact my daughter is an original in every way! What to do when the request for birthday fun is A Penguin Party!
So here is what I did...
First, come up with a fun and fabulous idea for her birthday cake and cupcakes! I chose an Igloo cake surrounded by dancing penguins.
Second, create a winter wonderland in your back yard, complete with snowflakes and lots of stuffed penguins. I used blue tableclothes and blue balloons for water and white table clothes and white balloons for ice. Place the blue ones on the ground and cover with white circle table clothes for ice burgs. Scatter blue and white balloons all over the ground. I also placed the penguins on chairs and various places. Hang or secure snowflakes all around, I used Christmas decorations.
Third, set a formal table, that is penguin style. Tables were dressed with black table clothes and silver stars. I used a black large plate with a small white one on top and then yellow cups placed in the middle. I was lucky enough to find tuxedo napkins, but use what you can find. (black, yellow or white)
Entertainment: we had craft tables: one table allowed the girls to create necklaces or bracelets with beads and penguin charms. the second table had foam stickers and stencils in the shapes of penguins, snowflakes and igloos. Construction paper, glue and crayons and the girls created their own winter wonderlands.
We played our version of Musical Chairs called Musical Penguins. The other favorite was Pass the penguin (hot potato).
Taking her original idea we turned her birthday into an old fashioned, backyard birthday. Focusing on her and fun for all. The girls had a fabulous time playing together and enjoying each others company.

recipe fun!

Recently a friend had a recipe catastrophe...
Recipes are suppose to be fun not frustrating, my motto keep it simple and it will be delicious!!

I am posting this next recipe for her....

Vanilla Cupcakes

2 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
2 teas baking powder
1/2 teas baking soda
1/2 teas salt
1/2 cup of milk **
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
1 teas vanilla extract **
1 stick (8 Tblspns) unsalted butter, softened **
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs

1. Preheat oven to 325. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Combine milk, oil and vanilla extract in a 2 cup measuring cup or a small bowl.
3. In another bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture alternately with the milk mixture in batches, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and beating just until blended.
5. Using a spoon or ice cream scoop, which ever you prefer fill muffin cup 2/3 full. Bake until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean, 15-20 mins. Remove and cool before frosting with your favorite frosting.

** If you would like to infuse more vanilla flavor into your cupcakes, place milk in sauce pan and scrape the seeds out of one vanilla bean and place seeds and vanilla bean into milk. Bring milk to just a gentle simmer, remove from heat and cool. This will steep vanilla bean into milk. Remove been before adding to recipe.

For all of you with a love of cupcakes this is a simple, fun and classic recipe.

Enjoy....

Summer Cooking Series

Hi All! Well it's here the first class of the summer.

Sunday, June 28th at 11 am. I am doing a summer brunch. The menu will include Stuffed Foccacia, Rustic Italian bread stuffed with eggs,spinach, proscuitto and cheese. A refreshing Sweet Summer Salad of mixed greens, strawberrys, goat cheese and pecans, with a poppey seed dressing. There will also be a no fail, easy to make breakfast treat!!

To wrap everything up, will make some fabulous Bellini's and Spiked Coffee to wash everything down!! The price is $50.00 and seating is limited. Email if interested!

Spring is in the air...


With that said along comes Easter, Baptisms, 1st Communion and Confirmations. I have been busy this past month with a flurry of cupcakes and cakes. As this month is coming to a close I look forward to the summer months. Cooking with fresh seasonal vegetables and fruits. Stay tuned for Summer Cooking Classes and all the recipes posted on the blog. I will post a schedule and menu of the upcoming classes.

Herbed Pork Tenderloin

Ok.... so here's the recipe you all have been asking for....

Kim's Birthday Pork Roast

2 lb     pork tenderloin

1/4 cup olive oil

2-3 sprigs ea fresh rosemary, thyme and sage

to taste Salt & Pepper ( I use roughly a teaspoon of each)

Remove herbs from stems and chop in food processor by pulsing about 30 seconds. Add olive oil a little at a time until all combined. Add S & P and whirl one more time to mix.

Take mixture and rub all over tenderloin until completely coated. Cover and  place in refrigerator to marinate a minimum of 2 hours or overnight.

Turn broiler on in oven and place oven rack on second setting in oven...5-6 inches from top of oven. Preheat while meat is coming to room temp.

Remove tenderloin from refrigerator at least 1/2 hour to 1 hour before cooking to bring to room temp for more even cooking.

Place tenderloin on a foil coated sheet pan and place in oven for 7 mins-turn and cook for 7 more mins. Repeat until desired tenderness achieved.  Meat should be firm, but bounce back when pressed with finger... anywhere from 165-175 internal temp depending on your likeness. The meat will continue to cook for 5 mins after being removed from oven, so take this into consideration on how much pink you desire in middle. Start at lower temp for more rare and leave in oven for more med. I perfer mine with some pink in the middle...it is all a personal taste.

Rest for 10 mins covered out of oven.... slice and put on serving platter. Pour pan juices over the top. Add fresh herbs to platter if so desired.

Birthday girl surprise!!!

So what do you do when you want to show a friend how great you think she is and how much you appreciate her???

You grab your favorite gal pals....plan a special night..... and surprise the heck out of her!!!

The evening was filled with laughter, good wine, good food and amazing women. The birthday girl Kim.... girly, but creative and very clean and simple! Pink and Brown fit the table and chocolate cupcakes filled with strawberries fit the girl!!!

The menu.... Wonderful starters.... chicken and lemon grass spring rolls, brie and carmelized onion tarts...just to name a few.

The main course....roasted pork tenderloin and wonderful sides.... like sauteed green beans and tomato and basil orzo. Everyone contributed to the wonderful evening with food, wine and lots and lots of laughter. What better way to tell a friend you love her!!!!

Welcome to my Blog......

So here you are....on my new blog....please be patient as I am new to this whole blogging thing...

I would love to make this a place to show who I am...what I do..... things that interest me and places I want to go in my life. 

Who am I? 

 a wife, a mother, a friend and last but not least a Foodie!!!

What I do?

 I call myself a cook, a pastry girl, a teacher....my friends and family like to say I'm a chef... I save that title for those who I respect as a teacher and master of the arts and those I aspire to be like one day.

Things that interest me?

You name it, books, music, dance, history, travel....

I could go on for days...As I progress more with this blog....

I hope to continue to answer these questions and maybe yours

too. I am always open to helping out, in the kitchen, your home,

your kids or even just a shoulder

to vent on!!! or cry on!!! or laugh on for that matter!

Thanks for visiting and I hope you come back often, to

see what I'm up too

Where I want to go?

This is a double edged question for me.....

were I want to go spiritually and daily in my life...is to a place where I am comfortable and happy and where I can appreciate all that is good in my life.  A place where family and friends support me and I support them....with all our faults, amazing qualities and silly quirks!!

were I want to go in the physical sense... is to travel Italy and all over Europe and explore history and food...and maybe live there for a little while one day. 

Confessions of a crazed pastry girl!!!!

So what happens when someone asks you to come up with a Birthday cake for their 11 year old girl's birthday. The only directions are something girlie, something pink...and oh..they are going to see a movie for the party!!

First, you find out what movie:

Confessions of a Shopoholic

Second,  you grab your favorite gal pal...who just happens to be an amazing graphic designer (Thanks Kim) that's Kim Viernes of Zoom In Designs...you can catch her link at the bottom of the page.

So this is what we came up with...and thanks to Kim's great model work..I was able to create everything else out of frosting...bags, clothes, signs...

A scene straight out of the movie...with a name change for the birthday girl and a street sign for her age!!