Citrus Curd Tart

Two ancient limes and an equally old lemon stared at me accusingly every time I opened the refrigerator fruit drawer. After I learned that I could still safely use them, from a local cooking expert, I began to consider possible flavor combinations.

As those of us living throughout the Kansas City area endure one of the coldest, most snow-filled winters in recent memory, a tropical-tasting dessert sounded like the perfect solution. So I tracked down a lemon curd recipe (unfortunately, I have no idea where it came from, for attribution) - and decided that I could use a combination of lemon and lime instead. I then located a simple recipe for no-bake graham cracker crust, in my Better Homes & Gardens New Cook Book. Here's the result:

Citrus Curd Tart
Makes 8 servings

Curd:

3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon & lime juice
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 tablespoon grated lemon and/or lime peel

In the top of a double boiler, beat eggs and sugar together. Stir in citrus juices, butter and lemon peel. Bring water to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook/stir continuously for 15 minutes, or until thickened. Pour warm curd into another bowl and set aside.

Graham crust:

1/3 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups finely crushed graham crackers (about 18)

Melt butter and stir in sugar. Add crushed crackers, toss to mix well. Spread evenly into a 9-inch pie plate. Press onto bottom and sides to form a firm even crust. Chill about 1 hour or until firm (or, bake in a 375 degree oven for 4-5 minutes or till edge is lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack before filling.)

Pour curd into chilled (or baked/cooled) crust. Chill overnight. When ready to serve, top with lightly sweetened whipped cream,* and lemon or lime zest. 

*VOE - Although I have a big sweet tooth, the curd + crust seemed too sweet even for my tastes. The whipped cream helps tone down the sweetness a bit. Add only 3 (or 4) tablespoons of confectioners (or granulated) sugar to one cup of whipped cream. Then spoon a big dollop onto your slice and ENJOY!

Chocolate: The Exhibition in Kansas City

If chocolate is food for your soul then Chocolate: The Exhibition is a perfect way to educate yourself about this amazing food. I visited the exhibition at Kansas City, Missouri's Union Station, learned some things that I didn't already know, and heard several familiar stories.

The Field Museum of Chicago opened this exhibition at home, in 2002. It also has appeared (or will) in Indianapolis, Kansas City, Memphis,St. Paul, Los Angeles, New York City, Honolulu, Houston, Philadelphia, San Diego, San Francisco, Milwaukee, Atlanta, Cleveland, Ohio; Omaha, NE; Dearborn, MI; Gainesville, FL; Albany, NY; Raleigh, NC; Norman, OK; Anniston, AL; and Anaheim and Redding, CA.

As I handed my ticket to a fellow at the front desk, he offered me a cocoa-dusted almond from a large candy box. An image at the entrance resembled an old-fashioned chocolate candy store. Inside, rainforest sounds and Latin guitar surrounded me throughout the darkened room. I learned that tiny flies or midges pollinate cacao flowers, which grow on lower branches of the trees and that fungi on the forest floor help cacao trees absorb vital nutrients. I also learned that cacao seed pods mature at 3-5 years of tree age.

I was vaguely aware of cacao's importantance in ancient Mayan and Aztec cultures. But here I found out that the Mayan people combined fermented, dried, and roasted cacao paste with cornmeal, honey, and chile peppers to make their renowned cacao drinks, which they frequently used for religious ceremonies. I also found out that the Aztecs considered cacao a luxury drink, to be ingested only by their elite; and it was also used as money and payment to gods or rulers.

I was reminded that, although Spanish explorers did not find gold in the New World, they did find cacao (as well as corn, vanilla, chiles, tomatoes and potatoes). And I learned that the Spaniards were the only Europeans to have a cacao/chocolate beverage for 100 years, after they added sugar to it for the first time.

I learned about cacao harvest and processing and when milk was first added to chocolate. I saw elaborately decorated Mayan vessels used only for serving their beloved cacao beverage, intricately carved wooden chocolate stirrers and porcelain and silver 'chocolate cups' favored by London's aristocracy, by the early 1700s.

Half an hour later, I craved a big chunk of rich, dark chocolate. You know its a great exhibit when it stimulates your tastebuds so profoundly.

CANstruction® Combines Art & Community Service in Kansas City

When an affiliate of the American Institute of Architects, the Society of Design Administration, founded the CANstruction ® event 16 years ago, little did they know how enormous their effort would become. The idea behind the project was to create structures using cans and other food/beverage containers, which would later be donated to food-related charities.

Today, the global anti-hunger project takes place in 100+ cities across the nation - including Kansas City, Missouri. Participants in last year's local event used more than 33,000 pounds of food to create their inventive structures, which translated into almost 27,000 meals for Harvesters - The Community Food Network. 

On January 13, 2010, 16 teams of local architects, engineers, contractors and students created 'sculptures' in the lobby at Union Station, made from food items such as  mixed nuts and bottled water, seen in the 'igloo' above, built by students from the University of Kansas Interior Design program. Local event sponsors include Price Chopper, Focus Architecture, BRR Architecture and Henderson Engineers, Inc.

George Butler Associates worked on a structure whose design they had planned months earlier, which incorporated green beans, pinto beans, and yams, to name only a few 'ingredients.' 

Beside this representation of beverage bottles, Focus Architecture worked to create a tornado effect that included hundreds of cans of black eyed peas.

A preview party for the massive exhibiton takes place on Thursday evening, January 14 (tickets are $20), and the exhibit opens to the public, Jan. 15-Feb. 10. Visitors can vote for their favorite sculpture by making a donation to Harvesters. Judges will determine winners of Best Meal, Structural Ingenuity, Best Use of Labels, Jurors Favorite and Honorable Mention, and the winners will then participate in the national CANstruction® competition.

Visit CANstruction® at Union Station and cast a vote for your favorite.

Holiday Trains at Union Station - Kansas City

Each year, since 2004, up to 25 members of the Union Station Model Railroad Volunteer Society have created a wondrous world full of model trains and miniature villages in the lobby at Kansas City, Missouri’s Union Station. By the Friday after Thanksgiving this 3,000-hour project opens to the public.

Measuring 60 feet by 64 feet, with thousands of miles of track, the display changes every year. During this holiday season there are 50 trains operating simultaneously, including the largest and most famous G-scale (1/22nd actual size). Train buffs will also recognize:

                -L-scale/Lego trains (1/38th actual size)

                -O-scale trains (1/48th actual size)

                -S-scale trains (1/64th actual)

                -HO-scale (1/87th actual)

                and N-scale (1/148th actual)

Visitors may see a delicate Ferris wheel turning beside a curvy roller coaster, Santa and his team resting atop a snow-capped roof, or antique cars traveling through an Art Deco streetscape.

 

Snow sparkles between the tracks, holiday lights decorate tiny rooflines, and a brightly lit theater marquee announces the current show. In fact, well over 100 individual lights accentuate buildings, signs and signals throughout the display.

 

Children of all ages will appreciate the breathtaking and painstaking detail of this holiday masterpiece, through January 3, 2010. And there’s no charge for a trip to this lovely fantasyland, although donations are gratefully accepted. (Please note: these photos are taken from the 2008-2009 holiday display)

A Gourmet Meal With Ruth Reichl

The meal began with Onion and Fennel Bisque and Wolf Blass 2006 Eden Valley Riesling.

For the next course, we had Brussels Sprout Salad with Walnuts and Pecorino, and Stag's Leap Winery 2006 Napa Valley Chardonnay. The first main course featured Orecchiette with Rabbit Ragu and Penfolds 2005 'Bin 2' Shiraz/Mourvedre,and the second main was Braised Pork Osso Bucco with Sauerkraut and Penfolds 2004 'St. Henri' Shiraz.

By the time dessert arrived - Old Fashioned Apple and Raisin Dumplings and Penfolds 'Club' Tawny Port - I had become so engrossed in the meal and conversation that I forgot all about my camera.

Chef/Owner John McClure of Starker's Restaurant in Kansas City, Mo. had carefully selected each dish from the landmark new Gourmet TODAY cookbook in honor of special guest/past editor of Gourmet magazine, Ruth Reichl, who was gracious, warm and highly approachable. The evening's 'co-host' was renowned local independent bookstore, Rainy Day Books.

Reichl talked about the 1,000-recipe book into which she had put so much time and effort. Apparently, several conversations with her son, Nick, planted the seed. Reichl says he became an omnivore at age nine, and also enjoyed helping her in the kitchen. After Nick attended one semester of college, he moved to a dorm with a kitchen and began cooking in earnest. That's when Reichl learned that supermarkets - versus smaller New York specialty stores - had changed in recent years; Nick had no problem finding imported cheese or a wide variety of rice on grocery store shelves.

So Reichl and her team bought everything at the supermarket that 'surprised' them and began to create recipes. They also kept in mind how many people are now vegetarians. It's a far-different book from previous Gourmet cookbooks.

"This is an amazing time in American food," Reichl said. "These are all new recipes. Our mission, at Gourmet, has always been to get people back into the kitchen, which will make a huge difference in the future of [our country]." 

Brews Made in Kansas City

It isn't often that an advertisement draws my eye and camera. But this ad was a rare exception, because I have watched these companies grow up and, more importantly, I appreciate the products that both companies offer to the Kansas City area and beyond.

Danny O'Neill, founder/owner of The Roasterie, caught the coffee bug while living in Costa Rica as a high school exchange student. Today, O'Neill's Kansas City, Mo. coffee roasting company imports coffee from more than 17 countries and serves customers in every state. And he is just as passionate about his brews as he was the day he began roasting coffee in his basement, in 1993.

John McDonald, founder of Boulevard Brewing Co. also opened his first brewing operation in a Kansas City neighborhood. Just like O'Neill, international travel had inspired McDonald to create a business fueled by passion. While in Europe, McDonald became entranced by the craft of brewing beer. He then created a Bavarian-style brewing operation when he opened the company in 1989. Boulevard Brewing Co. has since grown into the largest specialty beer brewer operating in the Midwest.

Want to learn more about this great coffee and beer? Consider touring either of these facilities. Free tours take place at Boulevard Brewing Co. on Wed./Thurs., 3 p.m.; Fri., 1 & 3 p.m.; and Sat., 10, noon, 2 & 4. Learn how coffee travels from field to cup at The Roasterie during free tours on Saturdays, at 9 (large groups also may tour at 11 a.m.). Just be sure that you make a reservation at either company.

You'll never look at your favorite brews the same way again!

Saturday at Kansas City's Market

It's a sunny, 70-something early Saturday morning at Kansas City's historic City Market and the place couldn't be more packed. By afternoon, the temperature will soar into the 90s with humidity following closely behind. But now, with a cup of coffee in hand, purse full of cash, and armful of canvas bags, the hunt begins.

The City Market has had plenty of time to get it right since opening in 1857. In fact, so popular is this fresh food shopping emporium on spring and summer weekends, that it has grown into one of the Midwest's largest farmer's markets.

Purchase gargantuan homemade cinnamon rolls and crusty bread from an Amish mother and daughter. Grab a bunch of cilantro from a Thai vendor. Gather up a handful of scallions so large and plump that they would dwarf some yellow onions. Choose from tomatoes of every size and color, huge heads of bright green romaine, and zucchini the size of your forearm. Then stop by the Italian deli for prosciutto or purchase some coffee freshly ground right at the market.

As much as visitors appreciate the plethora of purchases available here, the atmosphere is what brings many people back again and again. There's a mix of every ethnicity from throughout the metropolitan area plus a pulsing, vibrant energy that infuses the market experience with excitement. A teen violinist lovingly plays her instrument for pocket change one week while a wizened saxophonist takes the same spot on another weekend. And great restaurants ring the market area, serving everything from smoky, savory barbecue to authentic Middle Eastern fare and Chinese dishes served by one of the area's best-known restaurant families.

Buying fresh food was never more fun or entertaining.

Midwest Luxury at Chateau Avalon

I had just finished lunch at a Kansas City, Kan. restaurant when I decided to visit an unusual hotel located nearby. My camera and I had a wonderful time touring the award-winning Chateau Avalon. Each room or suite has a distinctly different character, but all offer an escape from the everyday. And, with nearly two dozen themed rooms/suites, the hotel offers surroundings for every taste.

This area is part of the Roman Dynasty suite, with a 20-foot floor-to-ceiling mural, and a curtain-draped bed full of sumptuous linens located through an adjacent archway. As with every room at the Chateau Avalon, there is also a private bath. A stay in Seville means sleeping in a dark wood, four poster bed surrounded by classical Spanish art and furnishings. Visitors experience a whimsical escape when they stay in Pirate Cove, with murals of pirates and their ships, and a head- and foot-board decorated with skulls and crossbones.

Love Camelot? There's a suite for you at Chateau Avalon. Dream of living in a New York penthouse? Try it out here. Like the beach? Make a reservation for the Tahitian or the Tahitian Treehouse Suite. Enjoy fresh cider and cookies at check-in, breakfast in bed, and a complementary library of DVDs. You also can order beer and wine or a list of delectable 'evening indulgences.'

Chateau Avalon also lies within minutes of the Village West shopping, dining and entertainment district. A stay here is all about luxury, escape and romance.

Falling Water at the Westin Crown Center

The sound of rushing water grows louder as you round the bend on your way from Crown Center Shops to the lobby of the Westin Crown Center hotel, in Kansas City, Mo. Within moments the landscape matches the sound, as you find a breathtaking view of the hotel's legendary waterfall within a five-story atrium.

One of the city's most-photographed spots, this indoor waterfall and lush, terraced gardens have delighted visitors and residents since the early '70s, after the 729-room hotel opened. A large hill of natural limestone extends inside the building, providing the perfect backdrop for 60-foot-tall tumbling sheets of water; only underwater lights belie the fact that this was actually a man-made wonder. For a brief moment, city noise and activity melt away in the sight and sound of nature under glass.

But head for the lower level lobby and there's a rather surreal feeling as you step from the escalator onto multi-colored carpet, only yards away from the Westin Crown Center's signature site. As you walk towards the front desk the sound of rushing water gradually fades, conversation rises, and you return to the everyday hustle-bustle - until your next visit.

Lunch With a Side of Railroad Atmosphere

It's been years since my husband and I took our young daughters for cooked-to-order burgers and shakes with a side of railroad atmosphere, at the original Fritz's Railroad Restaurant in Kansas City, Kan. Trains have continously run near the ceiling here since 1954 and, in 1990, a second location opened at Kansas City, Mo.'s Crown Center Shops (pictured above).

We placed our order by a phone at our table as the girls put on cardboard engineer hats. Our waitress brought beverages and then the 'Skat Kat' delivered our food. From the train track overhead, a mechanical arm gently placed our order on the table and then moved on to the next booth. My chocolate shake was divine and fries got kudos too. We also heard the chili was outstanding.

Apparently, the shakes and chili still deserve outstanding marks and this place can get packed, particularly around lunchtime, and especially at Crown Center. But trains running overhead and food delivered by a mechanical arm remain two great reasons to check out Fritz's Railroad Restaurant - at either location.

If you love trains and diner food, this is a place you shouldn't miss.

Kansas City's Plaza Lights

It's been almost 30 years since I visited the Kansas City area to interview for my first job. Although I knew only one person here beforehand, I immediately liked my potential supervisor. He then took me on a tour through some of the city's best known neighborhoods, and the Spanish-style Country Club Plaza shopping district immediately captured my heart.

But I discovered the Plaza's true magic during my first holiday season as a resident. Imagine a Spanish village replete with multiple hand-carved fountains, dozens of brightly painted ceramic wall murals and red tile roofs on every building - and then line them with thousands upon thousands of twinkling holiday lights. When I took a carriage ride with a friend as lazy little snowflakes dusted the street and buildings, the Plaza truly resembled a fairyland.

Each Thanksgiving eve since my first, a local celebrity has flipped a single switch so that 100,000 lights sparkle in the darkness as the holiday season begins. Then, as Plaza visitors buy holiday gifts and lift glasses of champagne at the New Year, the lights add magic to each moment.

Kansas City Rising

Sometimes it's good to view your hometown through fresh eyes. Such was the case when I attended a national conference in my own backyard of Kansas City, Missouri. The conference drew travel writers from across the nation, many of whom had never visited the metropolitan area. Over and over again they mentioned their surprise at the vibrant new downtown entertainment venues, great dining, gorgeous art museums, lush green landscape, and welcoming people.

My greatest surprise occurred when I opened the curtains of my 27th-floor, Crown Center hotel room, to find the skyline emerging from dense early-morning fog. It was almost a visual image of Kansas City rising from the past to an exciting present and future, as a world-class tourist destination.