'Gotta Eat, Can't Cook'

Pancakes: From Simple to Exciting & All in Pictures

October 14, 2011 – 9:59 am

Hot, fluffy, caky clouds packed with chocolate chips, dried fruit and loaded with cereal and/or wheat germ - and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. To the untrained eye, the pancakes above look like plain flapjack pancakes. But the the trained eye, which you’ll soon have, those same pancakes are an open door invitation to letting yourself run flavorfully wild all in the comfort of a “rise & shine” good morning hot pan.

Of course, what you see on this page are only suggestions made with just a few easy to find added ingredients. As always with any “simple to exciting” recipe, your imagination is your only limit.

Here’s a quick picture outline of what you’ll need and what it takes to make pancakes: from simple to exciting. Please click any picture on this page for complete, easy to follow step-by-step picture book directions.

From Simple to Exciting Pancake Ingredients
(for 4 people)

Packaged Pancake Mix
1 Egg
Buttermilk or Regular Milk
Butter, Margarine or Oil (Vegetable or Canola, but NOT Olive Oil)
Favorite Cereal
Wheat Germ (or other grain, like ground flaxseed or oat bran)
Favorite Dried Fruit (I’m using dried cranberries but any dried fruit works fine)
Chocolate Chips

Equipment

10 Inch Frying Pan
Medium Sized Working Bowl
Small Microwave Oven Safe Bowl or Cup (if you’re not using oil)
Spatula
Table Knife
Whisk or Fork
Ladle or Large Spoon

Start by warming a pan over MEDIUM heat.

Melt about 1 tablespoon of butter or margarine in the microwave oven. (Use the butter/margarine wrapper tablespoon markings as a guide.)

Stir an egg, a good mound of pancake mix and buttermilk or regular milk together with a fork (easier to clean later) or whisk.

Stir until the batter is well mixed together and sticks to a fork or whisk about like this.

Add some or all of the “simple to exciting” ingredients you see here, or your let your imagination run to suit your taste - taste is what it’s all about!

Wheat germ (can be substituted with ground flaxseed, oat bran or any other grain or seed)

Cereal (I’m using a whole grain cereal mix, but any cereal will work)

Dried fruit (I’m using dried cranberries, but any dried fruit will work)

Chocolate chips (who can resist?)

Mix until the batter looks about like this.

Check the pan for the proper cooking temperature by flicking water onto the pan surface. The water should sizzle and evaporate quickly.

Add a 1/4 - 1/2 inch slab of butter or margarine to the hot pan, hold the pan handle and swirl until…

…the pan surface is evenly coated.

Make pancakes about 3-4 inches in diameter.

Cook until the tops start to bubble and the bottoms start to brown.

Flip.

Cook again until the bottoms start to brown.

Take the pancakes out of the pan and serve warm with your favorite topping.

By brucetretter | Posted in Picture Book Cooking | Tagged breakfast ideas, Bruce Tretter, chocolate chip pancakes, dried fruit, easy breakfast, kids breakfast, pancakes, Picture Book Cooking | Comments (0)

Pepper’s Catering: From Online to Personal Connections

October 11, 2011 – 10:44 am

To me, the best thing about interacting with someone online is actually meeting them face to face. A few months ago, I connected with John Lawrence on Linkedin. John and his wife Susan own Pepper’s Catering on Hudson Street just down the road from the center of Northborough, Massachusetts on the way to Marlborough. I’ve driven by their very distinct red brick building many times to and from hockey at New England Sports Center near the Solomon Pond Mall and always wondered what goes on inside.

Last week I met John, who, right at that moment was finalizing remodeling plans to allow for a more efficient flow of prepared foods in and out of the building. John gave me a brief history of the building and said it was used originally to supply power to a trolley line that ran to Worcester. After the trolley stopped running due to the flood of cars on the market in the early 1900’s, the building became an ice house.

And when ice houses lost out to electric refrigeration, the building was used for one purpose or another until John and Susan bought it about 15 years ago to start their catering business. That business grew out of popular demand from customers of their highly successful former specialty food shop in the middle of Northborough.

In their catering brochure, they say, “We create events to remember!” I’ve got to believe that’s true. Over the past 15 years, Pepper’s Catering has steadily grown in popularity while winning more than 20 awards for the fine food and personable service they provide. It’s easy to see why in person. John exudes passion and pride for the work he does, which really is a well organized labor of love. I could see and hear right away how well the people in the office and kitchen worked together as we walked through the building. I got a real charge out of the visually appetizing organic herb, spice and edible flower garden along with the beehives he showed me out back. That charge kept humming when, after I’d asked about charity involvement, he told me about the work he does teaching homeless veterans in Worcester how to cook and food shop for themselves. Great!

John, it was a real pleasure meeting you! I sure hope others take the opportunity to share that same face to face experience as well as the fantastic food and service you offer.

By brucetretter | Posted in About | Tagged Bruce Tretter, catering companies, Catering in Central Massachusetts, entertaining, fine food, John Lawrence, Pepper's Catering, personable service | Comments (0)

Pancakes: Quick, Easy & All in Pictures

October 4, 2011 – 11:47 am

Butter, batter, sizzle & pop! I love the smell and sound of pancakes cooking in the morning! And they’re so easy to make, especially if you’re using a packaged mix as a base. Just one thing about those packaged mixes: I don’t like the kind that only require water to complete. I’d much rather see what goes into my batter as shown in the ingredients picture below.

Here’s what you’ll need to make quick & easy pancakes. As always, just click any photo on this page for complete and newly formatted, easy to follow step-by-step picture book directions.

Ingredients
(for 4 people)
Packaged Pancake Mix
1 Egg
Butter Milk or Regular Milk
Butter, Margarine or Oil (Vegetable or Canola, but NOT Olive Oil)
Maple Syrup or Other Topping

Equipment

10 Inch Frying Pan
Medium Sized Working Bowl
Small Microwave Oven Safe Bowl or Cup (if you’re not using oil)
Spatula
Table Knife
Whisk or Fork
Ladle or Large Spoon

By brucetretter | Posted in Picture Book Cooking | Tagged batter, breakfast for four, breakfast ideas, Bruce Tretter, family recipes, morning food, pancakes, Picture Book Cooking, quick & easy breakfast | Comments (0)

Heirloom Tomato, Basil & Feta Cheese Salad - All in Pictures

September 20, 2011 – 10:48 am

First of all, what exactly is an heirloom tomato? Heirlooms are a variety of tomatoes that come in many shapes, sizes and colors, as shown below, that have been passed down from generation to generation to maintain their favorable flavor, texture and color characteristics. Heirlooms are most plentifully available at the end of summer, like right now, and are fantastically rich in flavor.

I got the gigantic gorgeous yellow and slightly red heirloom tomato along with the fresh basil and red onion to make the salad shown here at the local Berberian Farm Stand in Northborough, Massachusetts.

Here’s a brief description and quick photo outline showing what you’ll need and how to make the salad. For complete easy to follow step-by-step picture book directions, just click any picture on this page.

Preparation Time: 5-10 minutes

Ingredients
(for 3-4)

1-2 Heirloom Tomatoes
2-3 Garlic Cloves
1/4 Red (or any) Onion
Handful of Fresh Basil
Feta Cheese (can be substituted with Parmesan or any grated cheese)
Olive Oil
Balsamic (or any) Vinegar
Salt
Ground Black Pepper

Equipment

Cutting Board
Sharp (Chef’s) Knife
Plate

1. Rinse and shake dry 1-2 heirloom tomatoes and a handful of fresh basil.

2. Cut the tomato into slices about 1/3 inch wide.

3. Coarsely chop a handful of basil.

4. Chop 2-3 garlic cloves.

5. Cut a red (or any) onion half into thin slices about 1/8 - 1/4 inch wide.

6. Put the tomato slices on a plate so that they overlap evenly.

7. Top with an evenly spread layer of chopped garlic, sliced onion, crumbled feta (or any grated) cheese, and chopped basil.

8. Pour on a light, even coat of both balsamic (or any) vinegar and olive oil, and finish with a light shake of salt and ground black pepper to taste.

By brucetretter | Posted in Picture Book Cooking | Tagged Berberian Farm, Bruce Tretter, Heirloom tomato, Picture Book Cooking, quick & easy salad, salad ideas, summer salad, tomato salad | Comments (0)

Milk Royale: Quick, Easy, Kid-Safe-To-Make & All in Pictures

August 22, 2011 – 9:58 am

Here’s a frosty, kid-safe-to-make drink I call a “Milk Royale” based on a soda fountain drink developed in Brooklyn, New York in the late 1800’s called an “Egg Cream” that, oddly enough, is made with neither eggs nor cream. I tried the drink exactly as directed: equal parts milk and plain soda water with a good squirt of chocolate syrup and found that for a young kid’s taste - and even my own very seasoned kid’s taste - the drink was a little thin on flavor.

So, I played a bit. I added more milk to make the drink more creamy, used lemon-lime soda for more flavor and just a hint but not too much of a bubbly spritz, and topped it all off with a scoop of ice cream, which appealed much better to both kids’ tastes. Of course, the real fun with this drink is trying different ratios of milk to soda and using different soda and ice cream flavors and flavor combinations to make the drink - as the name implies - royally yours.

Here’s a picture book outline of what it takes to make a “Milk Royale” - all quickly and easily and again, most importantly, completely kid-safe to make. As always, just click any picture on this page for complete easy to follow step-by-step picture book directions.

Ingredients & Equipment

Cold Milk
Your Favorite Well Chilled Soda
Your Favorite Ice Cream (I used Moose Tracks ice cream, which is vanilla ice cream laced with chocolate strips and dotted the chocolate covered peanut butter cups, but any ice cream will work)
Chocolate (or any flavor) Syrup
Tall Glass (12-16 ounces)
Tablespoon

To start with, if you want a frosty cold glass, which I highly recommend, you can either put one in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes or you can cool one down even more quickly by filling it with ice and then adding cold tap water until the glass is mostly full. Give the ice and water a good stir with a spoon until the glass feels ice cold. Pour out the ice and water in the sink, and your frosty glass is good to go.

1. Pour a good squirt of chocolate (or any flavor) syrup into a glass.

2. Fill the glass about 2/3’s full with cold milk.

3. Stir the syrup with the milk until both are well mixed together as if you were making straight chocolate milk.

4. Fill the glass most of way full with your favorite soda, making sure to leave about an inch free at the top of the glass. Then stir the drink gently so that the soda doesn’t loose its fizz.

5. Finish by topping with an optional - but “royally satisfying” - scoop of your favorite ice cream and…

…WAH, enjoy!

By brucetretter | Posted in How To, Picture Book Cooking, Recipes | Tagged Bruce Tretter, Chocolate, Chocolate milk, Egg cream, Ice cream, kid-safe drink recipe, kids drink ideas, Picture Book Cooking, summer drink ideas | Comments (0)

Kid-Safe-To-Make Milkshake - Quick, Easy & All in Pictures

August 16, 2011 – 10:05 am

I’m on the Panhandle of Florida now where it’s been incredibly hot, steamy and stormy. The other day I took a quick sprint on the bike to the store just as the skies were gathering with thick, sickly grey-black clouds. But weather like that’s a real motivator, and I’ve got say it was a real smile and a laugh zipping out and back and just slipping in under a roof as big fat drops splatted and quickly turned into a wind whipped waterfall.

As soon as I got inside, I thought about making a milkshake - only I wanted to try to make one that’s kid-safe to make, which meant I didn’t want to have to rely on an electric blender to spin it up. That turned out to be no problem. I found that the key to making the drink work as planned was to use smaller than usual scoops of ice cream that mixed quickly and easily with milk using a sturdy fork.

The shake I made, as you’ll below, was a “black & white” milkshake made with vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup. Of course, you can make this shake with any ice cream with or without flavored syrup. And that’s at least half the fun of it - finding new flavors and flavor combinations to make the shake brand new whenever you want.

Here’s a quick picture outline showing how to make the shake. For complete easy to follow step-by-step picture book directions, just click any picture on this page.

Needed

Milk
Chocolate (or any) Syrup (optional)
Your Favorite Ice Cream
Tall Glass (12-16 ounces)
Sturdy Tablespoon (one that won’t bend while scooping ice cream)
Sturdy Fork

For an extra cold milkshake, use a tall glass that’s been frosted for at least 15 minutes in the freezer (left photo below) or cooled quickly by stirring ice cubes and cold water until the outside of the glass is well chilled (right photo).

1. Use a sturdy tablespoon to fill the glass 2/3 - 3/4 full with your favorite ice cream.

2. Fill the glass about half way with milk, and…

…add an optional shot of chocolate (or any) syrup. Using a half-full glass will allow you to stir the shake without spilling over.

3. Hold the glass securely with one hand, and use a fork to mash and stir the ice cream with the milk until…

…both are well mixed together. (Using small scoops of ice cream, even if the ice cream is rock hard, will make this very easy.)

4. Add more milk until the glass is almost full. Give the shake a quick stir.

Top with another small scoop of ice cream (optional - but highly recommended) - and…

…enjoy!

By brucetretter | Posted in How To, Picture Book Cooking, Recipes | Tagged Bruce Tretter, children's drink, cold drink, Ice cream, kid-safe milkshake, Milkshake, Picture Book Cooking, summer drink ideas | Comments (0)

Ice Cream Soda - Kid Safe to Make & All in Pictures

August 8, 2011 – 12:11 pm

Here’s a great ice cold drink that’s quick, easy & safe for kids to make. And, wow, as hot as it’s been across the country, a good cold drink is something just about everyone could use right now - if not sooner.

Traditionally, this ice cold, kid-favorite drink is made with root beer and vanilla ice cream and is therefore more commonly known as a root beer float. But the great thing about this drink is that you can make it with any kind of cola, ginger ale, lemon-lime soda or fruit soda and any flavor of ice cream. As a younger kid, I liked ginger ale and vanilla ice cream. As an older “kid”, my new favorite combination is cream soda (I check the labels to find one that’s not full of artificial flavor - that’s usually not easy) and moose tracks ice cream (vanilla ice cream packed with chocolate strips and chocolate peanut butter cups). Actually, that’s the real fun of it: playing with different sodas and ice creams and discovering new flavor combinations.

Here’s a picture book outline of what you’ll need and how to make this drink. Just click any picture on this page for a direct link to complete easy to follow step-by-step picture book directions.

Needed

Your favorite well chilled Soda
Your favorite ice cream
An ice cream scoop or a big spoon
Tablespoon
Tall glass (12-16 ounces, and preferably one that’s been frosted in the freezer for at least 15 minutes or cooled quickly by stirring with ice cubes and cold water until the outside of the glass is cold)

1. Add 1-2 scoops of your favorite ice cream to a tall glass.

2. Soda first poured over ice cream tends to fizz and bubble to a froth very quickly. So, to avoid spilling over, slowly pour your favorite well chilled soda over the ice cream until the glass about 2/3’s full.

Then, gently stir the soda and ice cream with a tablespoon. Stirring gently like this will both calm the bubbling and add ice cream flavor to the soda. Once the bubbling has settled as shown here,…

…top the glass with more soda, and, WAH, enjoy!

By brucetretter | Posted in How To, Picture Book Cooking, Recipes | Tagged Bruce Tretter, frozen drink, Ice cream, Ice cream soda, kid safe summer drink, kid-safe recipe, Picture Book Cooking, root beer float, summer drink ideas | Comments (2)

Fresh Spinach & Berry Salad From Simple to Exciting - All in Pictures

July 19, 2011 – 8:28 am

Just about a week ago, I posted a recipe for a quick & easy Spinach & Berry Salad that’s a very cool, summer-fresh blend of sweet and savory flavors. Since then, I’ve had a lot of fun zipping out on the bike to Berberian Farm the next town over in Northborough…

…to get more incredibly fresh-on-the-stem spinach exactly as you see here…

…to bring home and find ways to take that quick & easy salad from simple to exciting.

Here’s a photo outline showing how it all comes together. But first a quick word. As with any Gotta’ Eat “from simple to exciting” recipe, although the ingredients shown below work well together, please use what you see as inspiration to make your own “from simple to exciting” salad suit your particular taste. As always, you can click any picture on this page for complete easy to follow step-by-step picture book directions.

Preparation Time: 5-15 minutes depending on number and type of ingredients used

Simple Ingredients
(for 2)

1-2 Handfuls of Fresh Spinach
Handful of Fresh Blueberries
Handful of Fresh Raspberries
Favorite Salad Dressing (you can click fresh salad dressing for a quick & easy dressing
that goes great with this salad)
Feta (or your favorite) Cheese
Dried Cranberries (or your favorite dried fruit)
Ground Black Pepper

Suggested From Simple To Exciting Ingredients

Bell Pepper (Tip: Red, orange and yellow bell peppers are sweeter than green bell peppers)
Ripe Peach
Ripe Mango
Ripe Avocado
Fresh Mushrooms
Roasted Peppers
Sun Dried Tomatoes
Chopped Walnuts (or any nuts)
Sunflower (or any) Seeds
Sesame Stick (or any) Crackers
Flax Seed
Wheat Germ

Equipment

Large Working Bowl (a bowl big enough to clean the spinach)
Colander
Salad (or any) Bowl
Salad (or any) Spoons
Cutting Board
Sharp (Chef’s) Knife

1. Pinch the spinach leaves from their stems into a large working bowl. Fill the bowl mostly full with cold tap water, and give the leaves good hand scrubbing rinse to loosen any gritty soil stuck to the leaves. Let the spinach rest while you prepare the berries so that any soil in the water sinks to the bottom of the bowl.

2. Rinse a handful of blueberries and raspberries (or any berries) in a colander with cold tap water, making sure to first remove the stems from any berries you’re using, if necessary. Then use your hands to remove the spinach leaves from the bowl to put them in the colander with the berries to drip dry.

3. Hand tear the spinach leaves into bite sized pieces, put them in a salad (or any) bowl, and top them with the freshly rinsed berries.

4. Rinse and shake dry any fresh “from simple to exciting” ingredients in the sink.

5. Prepare and add your choice - or your own - “from simple to exciting” fresh of jarred ingredients cut into bite sized pieces (I’ve just shown a quick shot of what to do with a mango below. For more detailed photos, click any picture for complete picture book directions):

Ripe Avocado
Bell Pepper
Ripe Mango
Ripe Peach
Mushrooms
Sun Dried Tomatoes
Roasted Red Peppers

6. Pour on a good shot of salad dressing.

Then add crumbled feta (or any) cheese,…

…a handful of dried cranberries (or any dried fruit),…

…and your choice of all or some of the following - or your own - “from simple to exciting” dry ingredients:

Chopped Walnuts (or any nuts)
Sunflower (or any) seeds
Sesame Stick (or any) Crackers (pictured below)
Ground Flaxseed
Wheat Germ

7. Toss (mix) the salad with salad (or any) spoons until all the ingredients are evenly coated with dressing.

8. Top with freshly ground black pepper to taste and…

…serve.

By brucetretter | Posted in How To, Picture Book Cooking, Recipes | Tagged Bell pepper, berry salad, Bruce Tretter, cool salad, Feta, hot weather cooking, Picture Book Cooking, salad, Spinach, spinach salad, summer salad ideas | Comments (0)

Fresh Spinach & Berry Salad - All in Pictures

July 11, 2011 – 9:42 am

Wow! Summer produce. Fresh, crisp, cool and simple! I love simplicity - as long as it’s fully flavorful. And this fresh spinach & berry salad nails both - extremely quickly and easily.

Most importantly, no matter how you use spinach or whether it’s farm fresh or packaged with a label saying it’s been double or triple washed, make sure to give the spinach a good swishing rinse at home as mentioned and shown here. That’s the only way to clean off the fine gritty soil that tends to stick to the spinach leaves and ensure that the only crunch you get is from the ingredients you expect.

Here’s a picture book outline of what you’ll need and need to do to make this salad for 2 people. As always, for complete easy to follow step-by-step picture book directions, just click any picture on this page.

Ingredients

1-2 Handfuls of Fresh Spinach
Handful of Fresh Blueberries
Handful of Fresh Raspberries
Favorite Salad Dressing (you can click fresh salad dressing for a quick & easy dressing that goes great with this salad)
Feta (or your favorite) Cheese
Dried Cranberries (or your favorite dried fruit)
Ground Black Pepper

Equipment

Large Working Bowl (a bowl big enough to clean the spinach)
Colander
Salad (or any) Bowl
Salad (or any) Spoons

1. Pinch the spinach leaves from their stems into a large working bowl.

Fill the bowl mostly full with cold tap water, and give the leaves good hand scrubbing rinse to loosen any gritty soil stuck to the leaves. Let the spinach rest while you prepare the berries so that any soil in the water sinks to the bottom of the bowl.

3. Hand tear the spinach leaves into bite sized pieces, and top with the freshly rinsed berries.

4. Add crumbled feta (or any) cheese,…

…a handful of dried cranberries (or any dried fruit),…

…and top with a good shot of salad dressing.

5. Toss (mix) the salad with salad (or any) spoons until the spinach and berries are evenly coated with dressing.

6. Top with freshly ground black pepper to taste and serve.

By brucetretter | Posted in How To, Picture Book Cooking, Recipes | Tagged berry ideas, berry salad, Bruce Tretter, Picture Book Cooking, salad ideas, spinach salad, summer salad | Comments (0)

Boston Glass Fireworks: Feast For the Eyes From 2 Perspectives

June 30, 2011 – 10:48 am

Usually I write and shoot pictures of feasts you can eat. This time I’m writing about two feasts for the eyes, both available in Boston and each remarkably different from the other.

Last week when the rains came, we zipped into Boston to see two glass exhibits; the permanent “Glass Flowers” exhibit at Harvard’s Museum of Natural History and the “Chihuly: Through the Looking Glass” temporary exhibit on display through August 7th at the Museum of Fine Arts. If you’re in or near Boston this summer, I highly recommend both, especially if you get a chance to compare and contrast them.

The “Glass Flowers” exhibit was commissioned by Harvard to provide the school’s botany department with full-sized, enduring, realistic models of plants and some of those plants’s reproductive systems.

The collection consists of some 3000 pieces created in incredible detail by German father and son team Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka over a 40 year period from the late 1800’s to early 1900’s. Pictured below are the tools and workbench used by the Blaschkas. I find it hard to believe how crude the tools look compared to the extremely detailed, delicate and highly skilled blend of science and art work the two men created.

The pictures shown here only give you an idea of what I’m talking about. But the plant models seen in person are so accurately realistic right down to the root hairs, they look as if they’d just been brought in from the wild that day.

Tickets that include all exhibits in the museum are $9 for adults, $7 for children. For more information, click either the highlighted link or any of the above the three photos.

“Chihuly: Through the Looking Glass” is a collection of works in glass displayed from an entirely different point of view as shown here.

Dale Chihuly is a contemporary glass artist whose large glass pieces are created by teams of glass workers, primarily in his spacious studio in Seattle, Washington.

His works are abstract, wildly colorful - like fireworks frozen in a state of suspended animation - and brilliantly displayed by the MFA.

General admission tickets to the MFA, which include this entrance to this exhibit are $20 for adults, $7.50 for children ages 7-17 (children this age are free on weekends, holidays and weekdays after 3pm). Children 7 and under are free. For more information about the exhibit, click any of the above three pictures or the highlighted link at the top of this section.

By brucetretter | Posted in About | Tagged Boston ideas, Bruce Tretter, Chihuly at MFA Boston, Dale Chihuly, Glass, glass exhibits, Glass Flowers at Harvard, Harvard University, summer vacation ideas, Through the Looking-Glass, what to do in Boston | Comments (0)

Pancakes: From Simple to Exciting & All in Pictures

Pepper’s Catering: From Online to Personal Connections

Pancakes: Quick, Easy & All in Pictures

Heirloom Tomato, Basil & Feta Cheese Salad - All in Pictures

Milk Royale: Quick, Easy, Kid-Safe-To-Make & All in Pictures

Kid-Safe-To-Make Milkshake - Quick, Easy & All in Pictures

Ice Cream Soda - Kid Safe to Make & All in Pictures

Fresh Spinach & Berry Salad From Simple to Exciting - All in Pictures

Fresh Spinach & Berry Salad - All in Pictures

Boston Glass Fireworks: Feast For the Eyes From 2 Perspectives

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