Happy Blogiversary to me!!! Rarely do I pursue things for long periods of time…consecutively. I do something, then I stop, then I do it again, then I begin something new…you get the idea. It is not that I leave things incomplete, but I will find a stopping point and then go in another direction. My longest recorded continuous successes are people related – being a daughter, a brother a friend, being hitched to Big D over ten years and being mommy to Little B for over five years. Other stuff, like jobs and hobbies are more in the realm of come-and-go. I think I can definitely say that this blog is getting some longevity – a few days ago I started my fourth year, so I have passed my third blogiversary! When I started three years ago it was intended to be a place to put recipes so I could get to them easily. My cookbooks did not always make the cut when we moved and consolidated, so my creations would sometimes be lost. Tracking it on a blog let me combine the availability I wanted, my desire to do some writing and my continued joy in taking pictures. It has become more than just a place to record my food journey, but that of my little family as well. It is a place where others can come and experience it with us. The blog has given me the opportunity to share stories of my childhood, my family, friends and our geographic journeys. The name of it came from the fact that I cook in whatever kitchen I come across. If the kitchen is not mine the owners so far have generously shared their space with me. Thanks goes out to them and to you for checking in on occasion!
I celebrated the end of the first year with cheese stuffed jalapeno halves. Yum! The second year I did it with low carb cinnamon rolls. Double yum! This year I am taking a different slant, with a New Orleans theme. I am taking a more savory slant this year with some tapenade. It is very easy and very flavorful. If you ever have a bunch of partially full jars of olives, like we often do, it is a great way to use them.
This is not the first time I have mentioned my family’s love for New Orleans. The New Orleans connection is the lovely sandwiches that first introduced me to tapenade when I was a kid. Muffuletta sandwiches are about as common in New Orleans as po’boy sandwiches and gumbo. They originated in the Central Grocery right there on Decatur Street in the French Quarter. When I first had one I could not get enough of the olive ‘salad’ in the sandwich. Between the olives and the meats and cheeses it was a very satisfying meal. To do a version of the sandwich that fits our eating habits I made up some one minute buns in the microwave, whipped up a batch of tapenade in the food processor and opened up a few packages of deli meats and cheeses. The picture to the left does not do it justice, but there is a thick layer of tapenade on the bread that is practically the same color. A blob of the tapenade sits next to it as proof! The tapenade leftovers will not go to waste – I have used it as a dip, a stuffing for chicken, pork and mushrooms. It has an addictive saltiness that, believe it or not, sates my salty snacking craving I used to appease by eating chips. Just a straight spoonful can do the trick! Please make a batch and toast me with a cracker or sandwich full!
Three Year Tapenade
2 cups mixed black and green olives, pitted
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup small capers
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
1 tsp dried basil leaves
1 tsp dried parsley leaves
1 anchovy fillet (optional)
Place all ingredients except the olive oil into a food processor. Slowly add the olive oil in a stream while the mixture is blending on low speed, until mixture is an evenly sized paste. Serve as condiment for sandwiches, or with crackers as a dip. Store refrigerated in an air tight container.
To make a Muffuletta Sandwich: the traditional sandwich layers Italian meats (mortadella, salami, ham) and cheeses (mozzarella, provolone) in an alternating pattern, so there is a thick pile of it in the sandwich. The traditional bread is a large round focaccia-type loaf about 10″ in diameter, which can actually make about four sandwiches. On one side of your bread (or low carb individual muffins in our case) spread a thick layer of the tapenade. Layer your meats and cheeses until there is a healthy pile. Add the other half of the bread. Cut into portions and eat!
