Day 9: The Flavors of Christmas.. Eggnog /  by George Geary

Eggnog! I purchase the liquid gold from the only dairy left in Los Angeles. At one point LA has 22 dairies with cows.. Now only one is left with the cows outside of the city limits. Today I conducted my Holiday Flower Market Tour from San Diego.. One of our stops we savored the eggnog! Its a difficult product to get outside of the LA area.. But here is the information.. Broguiere Dairy in Montebello. 323-726-0524. Its teh fourth generation French family that produces many milk products.

 

Todays recipes are eggnog cookies and eggnog cheesecake.  Enjoy!

EggNog Cookies 

EggNog Cheesecake

Day 7: The Flavors of Christmas... Butter /  by George Geary

Butter.

Yes... a flavor! I have created a Hot Butter Rum Drink and also a French Butter Cookie that is so light! Enjoy! I think you will love these recipes. 

Salt vs Unsalted butter. First I kid and say I used unsalted because I am worried about your health. Really do you know how much salt is in butter? I don't either.. So I use unsalted so I can use the amount of salt I feel is best. Also, salted butter last longer so grocery stores can keep it on the shelve longer. 

Hot Buttered Rum

French Butter Cookies. 

Day 6: The Flavors of Christmas…. Vanilla! /  by George Geary

Vanilla...

Only second in line to Chocolate.. (Notice how this entire 12 days started with Chocolate?). I have enclosed a simple custard recipe. Also, I want everyone to make their own vanilla extract. I have attached a few pages on facts of this only edible orchid plant and some stories of the vanilla regions I have been fortunate to tour and visit.

Also, if you make your own vanilla, you need the perfect bottles! I have found them and below is the link for those. And a great price! 

Tomorrows flavor is...Butter! And I just purchased 5 pounds of european butter today! 

Here is the link to the Hibiscus Holiday Show I did for SD Living: LINK

Vanilla Facts Vanilla Extract Vanilla Custards

6 beautiful bottles! You will want to start making my Limonchello (recipe on this blog).

Day 5: The Favors of Christmas… Hibiscus! & SD Living in the AM /  by George Geary

Holidays are all about the color red and green! Looking at this festive drink it just puts you into the mood!

Tuesday morning I will be doing my Holiday segment for SD Living. I know some of you are outside the area so after the broadcast I will put the show up here on the blog. 

The Favor is Hibiscus! Red Ruby Hibiscus flowers make up this Hibiscus Cranberry Margarita that the glass was rimmed with Hibiscus salts.

The second recipe is Hibiscus Pots De Creme.

 

If you do not have a BevMo close by, here is a link for the flowers.. I also will highlight a New Years Eve Drink on SD Living the 27th using the flowers.

 

Contest! Ok.. How would you like to win a bag of the salt and a jar of the flowers? The tenth person to email me at ggeary@aol.com with the correct answer. What country are the flowers from? Wins!

Tomorrows Flavor is: Vanilla!

Also, anyone needing any personalized cookbooks.. Get your order in NOW so you get them for Christmas! STORE    

Day 4: The Flavors of Christmas… Peppermint /  by George Geary

Peppermint.. The flavor alone reminds you of Christmas.. The candy cane would not be any other flavor! It has to be peppermint.. I see some are on the shelves this season are hot sauce flavored.. Not for me!

Here are two recipes for today.

Peppermint Brownies

Candy Cane MilkShake

 

Also here is a link for paper straws.. The Old Fashion feel of the paper straw will take you back to a simpler time. 

Tomorrows Flavor is...Hibiscus! 

Day 2: The Flavors of Christmas… Cinnamon /  by George Geary

Cinnamon...

Just the word makes you think... Christmas! It does me! Here you will find two recipes for cinnamon. Hard Candies that are simple to make.. Also, a drink I featured on SD Living a few weeks ago.. 

Cinnamon? What's the difference? Make sure you download the cinnamon information! 

Here are the recipes.

Apple Cinnamon Rum Punch

Old Fashion Holiday Christmas Candy

I messed up the chocolate cookie recipe yesterday.. Here is the revised version.. I forgot the 2 cups of granulated sugar. Chocolate Cookie Recipe Revised

Two Products today.. LorAnn Cinnamon Oil. You need to always use oil in candy making.. It does not disipate and with a few drops you get a rich flavor. LorAnn products are known for quality and the best for candy making!

Second Product is very important. a thermometer.. Those candy ones from Taylor were good for the time.. Now I suggest an instead read meat thermometer. It has two uses. One for meat where you place the probe into the meat and program the alarm with the exact temperature. Then the alarm goes off when it hits.. same as the boiling candy syrup.. no guessing as to what the degrees are like the old fashion kind. 

 

Day 1: Holiday Time!!! Chocolate is the Word! /  by George Geary

It's time for the Twelve Days of Holiday Sweetness! This year I am doing a few things different. 1. I am also going to be highlighting a product that I feel is the BEST to use for the recipe. 2. Every day of the twelve days are "themed". Today's theme is Chocolate! 3. I am adding a drink recipe! All drink recipes there will be two versions. Adult and Kid-Friendly! .. And we will have a few contests during the run! 

Day 1: Chocolate

Recipes:

Hot Truffle Chocolate

Chocolate Fudge Butter Cookies  (revised)  Tomorrow... Cinnamon! 

 

Half "Bun" Baking Sheets.. First the origin of the name.. A full sheet is standard for bakeries. These pans are mainly to make yeast buns and these are half the size.. thus.. Half Bun Pans! If you have been at one of my classes you will always see me use these trays for prepping and also for baking cookies. Sheets of Parchment Paper ft perfectly. They will not warp, they are affordable to order at least 6! So you can have your cookies cool completely on the cookie trays. Many cookie cookbook authors only like sheets with two sides that are flat like the sheet. Its been told that the air-flow of the oven will not be even with all four sides like these cookie trays.. I say.. Bologna! If the heat in your oven can not go over 1/2-inch then you have more problems with regulation then with baking of your cookies. 

Is English Toffee English? /  by George Geary

A question I have pondered.. Just like is French Toast French? German Chocolate Cake German? 

All kidding aside.. Last night was a wonderful Truffle and Confection Class. I posted a few "Live" pictures from the scene in San Diego and texts, tweets and emails came in for the recipe for the English Toffee.

Here is the recipe.. and if you love it.. pre-post!  RECIPE

Next week... Daily Holiday Recipes! 

 

Holiday Recipes…. Soft Ginger Cookies /  by George Geary

It's Fall... I love all of the spices and aromas that make up the fall/holiday time. Here is a spiced cooking that is very soft. I use two kinds of ginger in the recipe.

If you are looking at your spice cabinet and thinking.. I need new spices.. Then check out The Spice House out of Chicago area. They ship and its work every cent! When you open a jar of spices you will begin to notice the freshness right away.  

The Spice House

 

Secondly, I have a few spaces for my May 2014 trip to the south of France. If you are interested please email me at ggeary@aol.com

France Information

 

Here is the recipe for these great cookies: Recipe

Also, make sure you have signed up for my daily recipe for the 12 days of Christmas.. www.georgegeary.com 

Do me a favor and repost this and or send to your foodie friends.. They may just gice you my France Trip as a gift!

 

~~George 

 

 

SD Living Thanksgiving 2013 Show /  by George Geary

Today I was on SD Living... LIVE.. Yesterday I was on 140 markets of the country.. "taped" from Tampa, FL.. Funny Two coasts, Two shows in Two days.. How does he do it?  

Here are the recipes from todays show..  

Pumpkin Kahlua Pecan Pie with a Flaky Crust, Pumpkin Praline Cheesecake, Apple, Ginger Rum Punch.

Pumpkin Recipe 

Cheesecake Recipe

Apple Ginger Rum Punch Recipe 

Here is the show if you would like to view it: SHOW

I hope all of you have a great Thanksgiving! Cheers! George

 

NBCs Daytime.. Thanksgiving Show.. /  by George Geary

Monday on NBCs Daytime (from Tampa) I will be showing you how to make Thanksgving Desserts using the BeaterBlade! Here are the recipes: RECIPES 

Here is a link for the station close to you. Check it out! LINK for 140 Markets!  and Dish Network on 266.

Pumpkin Praline Cheesecake

Roasted Pecan Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins  

Chocolate Pecan Bourbon Pie /  by George Geary

The Fall...

I just returned from the Grand Asia cruise aboard the ms. Amsterdam. I started in Guam, sailed to Saipan, Kobe Japan, Shanghai China and Hong Kong. It was remarkable! But today I am in the South on a teaching tour. We made Chocolate Pecan Bourbon Pie. After I posted a picture and numerous emails later requesting the recipe I decided to post it here for you. Enjoy and make sure you make two as it will be gone in a flash!  

Chocolate Pecan Bourbon Pie

 

 

Reflection Day and SD Living Tomorrow /  by George Geary

How many times today did you look at your phone and see those numbers? Sept, 11. It gives you chills even 12 years later. I don't care where you were you were effected. Just a note to bless all that were impacted.

Thursday September 12th is National Chocolate Shake Day! I will doing my segment on San Diego CW6 on the SD Living Show.. Here is a sneak peek at the recipes. I decided to do the Chocolate Butter Cookie to go with it.

Recipes! 

 

Don't forget... You can order any of my 9 cookbooks and pans.. Also, look at my tours! France in May of 2014 has a few spots left. Tours  Books

It's All In The Mint and Giving Back. /  by George Geary

I have always volunteered. I love the feeling that it gives me.. Giving back. I don't do it for people to say.. WOW.. George did this or that.. I do it for me to say WOW.. I changed someone's life. I enjoyed it and I got so much out of it. I am telling you this to get you to give back! When I wanted to go to Culinary School (It was out of my district and mine would not give me the papers to leave my area) I decided to go to the Latch Key Program at the YWCA in Torrance and teach the kids cooking. It was a ball! I am sure a few are now chefs! While at Disney I was part of the Disney Vount"ears"... I still think of a little guy named Chris that I took to the Circus.

I really enjoy going into elementary and middle schools to talk about my food experiences and career. It is so much more then being a Chef! Today I still get to schools and have a number of ones booked for this year. If your school is interested let me know at ggeary@aol.com. I want to continue to change lives! 

Last year at the Alexandria House in Downtown Los Angeles (a home for abused women and children) I taught a hand churned Ice Cream Making Class to the teens. Last night I got out the old ice cream crank and made more... Here is a little one learning how salt melts the ice.. (That's before he put some down my back!).

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream was on the menu.. Here is the recipe. If you don't have fresh mint.. Use 1/4 teaspoon of mint extract. 

Recipe

 

It's Almost Labor Day! Glazed Lemon Cookie Time /  by George Geary

I was a little surprised to find out that a number of school districts started back a few weeks ago. We went from the second Wednesday of September to the second week of June. One week off at Easter (Oh we can't say that.. I mean Spring Break) and two weeks at Christmas (Woops... Again I can't say that I mend Winter break) And a few other holidays like Thanksgiving (Can I say that?). Lincoln's Birthday, Memorial Day, Etc... If I would have known I would have supplied you with this cookie recipe! I also use to to grind down for my lemon cheesecake... 

Enjoy! Recipe

PS: I have some of my books on my site if you are looking for them to purchase: Books

Also, we only have a few spots left for the May 2014 France Tour. Check it out: Tour