The luck of the Irish belongs to all of us today! 

It is not only St. Patrick’s Day but it is Sub Day on the Quirky Calendar.  What do you do when life gives you these two days? 

You stand tall, adjust your bootstraps and think creatively. 

You make Foccacia Reubens! 

Cabbage =  Lettuce

Foccacio = Sub Bun

Corned Beef = Cold Cuts

By josh, we’ve found the pot o’ gold at the end of the rainbow!

FOCCACIA REUBENS adapted from Food and Wine magazine

1/2 lb angel hair slaw mix (or lb green cabbage, thinly sliced)

2 tbsp cider vinegar

1 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp kosher salt

4 foccacia, split

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup mayonnaise

8 thick slices of gruyere cheese

1/2 lb. thinly sliced corned beef

2 tbsp butter, softened

In large bowl, toss the cabbage with the vinegar, sugar and salt.  Let stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes, tossing occasionally, to soften.

Heat a panini grill or griddle.  Arrange the foccacio on a work surface, cut sides up.  Combine the ketchup and mayonnaise in a small bowl and spread the dressing on the bottom of the foccacia.  Place a piece of gruyere on top of the dressing, the corned beef, pickled cabbage and a second slice of cheese.  Close the sandwiches and spread the outsides with butter.

Cook over moderate heat until the cheese has melted and the foccacia is crisp and golden, about 6 minutes.  Cut each sandwich in half and serve immediately.

Sometimes the Quirky Calendar can be a stretch.  Okay, so most days the QC can be a stretch.  And I have absolutely no idea why it cracks me up or why I sit and try to find ways to make it work.  My life is already full enough.  Truly it is.  Yet, here I go again.  Ides.  Days.  Latin for half division (of a month).   Not much help in the food department.  March.  Not much different than April or May.  But the Ides of March conjures up Julius Caesar which conjures up Caesar Salad.  Hmmm.   What else can be written about caesar salad?  While I love a good one,  we’ve moved on.   But a walk down memory lane with a today feel is what I offer here. 

It’s got all the elements of the ubiquitious salad:  parmesan cheese, anchovies, lemon juice, croutons and romaine.  We’re todaying it with rice paper!  

CAESAR SALAD SPRING ROLLS adapted from Fine Cooking

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 tbsp finely grated parmesan cheese

1 tsp minced anchovies

1/2 tsp lemon juice

1/2 cup crustless bread cut into very small cubes

8 rice paper wrappers

16 slices thinly sliced prosciutto

8 romaine lettuce leaves, cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch strips

Whisk together mayonnaise, parmesan cheese, anchovies and lemon juice.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Preheat oven to 350.  Toast bread cubes until firm.  

Pour some water into a large shallow dish.  Submerge 1 rice paper round in water until just beginning to soften, about 30 seconds.  (DO NOT LEAVE SUBMERGED TOO LONG)  Lay rice paper on cutting board.  Add thin layer of prosciutto to cover most of rice paper.  Place 1/8 of lettuce down center.  Tightly roll into cylinder.  Wrap in plastic and refrigerate.  Repeat with remaining rounds. 

SERVICE:  Remove plastic and slice each roll into three pieces.  Stand upright.  Top with dressing and croutons.

Linked to Magazine Mondays at Cream Puffs in Venice.

I don’t have a soft spot in my heart for baseball, Joe Dimaggio or Marilyn Monroe.

I do, however, feel a slight pull when the Quirky Calendar has a non food date and my brain leads me to something food related.  My QC has come to include announcements and not just contrived Hallmark days.   Not to take away from any professions but do we have to have Secretary’s Day, Mailman Day, Dry Cleaner Professionals day.  These hard working folks should be appreciated by their bosses each and every day of the year.  I recently celebrated National Pig Day and am anxiously awaiting National Garlic Day but in the scheme of things, will we ever convince our bosses to give us the day off so we can celebrate.   If you do, please let me know your schtick so I can give it a go!

Today is the anniversary of the death of Joe Dimaggio.  While  Joe did some great things on the field and while in his hearts of hearts, he probably loved Marilyn Monroe more than any of her other beaus, does this need to be marked on a calendar? 

Why yes, yes it does.  It gives me a chance to talk about Turkish Coffee Pudding.   Joe.  Mr. Coffee’s pitchman.   Espresso powder.  You’ve got to work with me here if you want to sample this dessert.  And believe you me, you do.

I must admit that I used instant Nescafe coffee granules and I cooked my pudding a little faster than I should have which resulted in the pudding thickening before the brown sugar had a chance to dissolve which gave it a grainy texture.  I kept saying “it has a grainy texture” as I put another spoonful into my mouth.  The combination of the brown sugar, kahlua, coffee and cardamom are dynamite together.  

TURKISH COFFEE PUDDING from Bon Appetit Magazine

2 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream, divided

3 tbsp. kahlua, divided

2 tbsp instant espresso powder plus additional for garnish

1 tsp ground cardamom plus additional for garnish

4 large egg yolks

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

Combine 1 3/4 cups cream, 2 tbsp kahlua, 2 tbsp espresso powder and 1 tsp cardamom in small saucepan.  Bring to a simmer.  Whisk yolks and brown sugar in a medium bowl.  Gradually whisk hot cream mixture into yolk mixture.  Return to pan. Stir over medium low heat until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.  Do not boil.  This should take about five minutes.  Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a measuring cup.  Divide among 6 demitasse cups.  Refrigerate until set, about 6 hours. 

Whisk remaining 1/2 cup cream in bowl until peaks form.  Whisk in remaining 1 tbsp kahlua.  Top each pudding with whipped cream.  Sprinkle with additional espresso powder and additional cardamom.

Linked to Magazine Mondays at Cream Puffs in Venice.  Thanks Ivonne!

Can you guess what I am:

1.    I come in a plastic egg and have nothing to do with Easter.

2.    I can be pushed, pulled, snapped and popped.

3.   I provide hours of fun for less than a buck.

The Quirky Calendar pulled me in again.   Today we all celebrate the invention of Silly Putty!!!

While today’s recipe can’t be snapped or popped, it can be pulled as in Pull Apart Cheesy Onion Bread.  The instructions were a tad bit confusing or maybe it is just that I don’t normally follow instructions well.  Nevertheless, I have included a few photos to help you along.

I made this bread just to fit the QC but I tell you that it was WAY better than I anticipated it to be.  I kept going back for another “pull” after I finished the photographywhich, BTW,  I know sucks.  I was in a hurry for a birthday party coming in to the store and rushed everything.  Sorry  :  (  

How many of you remember and played with Silly Putty?  How long did yours last?!?

PULL APART CHEESY ONION BREAD  from Food and Wine Magazine

1 1/2 sticks  cold butter, 1 stick cubed

1 onion, finely chopped

1 tbsp poppy seeds

salt and pepper

1 cup coarsely shredded Gruyere cheese

2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425.  Butter a 9×4 metal loaf pan.  In a large skillet, melt the 1/2 stick of uncubed butter.  Pour 2 tbsp of the butter into a small bowl and reserve.  Add the chopped onion to the skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring ocassionally until softened, about six minutes.

Stir in the poppy seeds and season with salt and pepper.   Put the mixture into the refrigerator for about five minutes to cool.  Stir in the gruyere.

Meanwhile, in a food processor, pulse the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Add the cubed butter and pulse until the butter resembles small peas.  Add the buttermilk and pulse five or six times, just until a soft dough forms.

Turn the dough onto a well floured work surface and knead a couple of times.  Pat or roll into a 2×24 inch rectangle.  Spread the onion mixture on top.  Cut the dough crosswise into 10 pieces.  Stack 9 pieces onion side up, then top with the final piece, onion side down.  Carefully lay the stack in the loaf pan and brush with the reserved butter.

Bake about 30 minutes until golden and risen.  Let the bread cool for about 15 minutes before unmolding and serving.