foodiefabulous

One Summer Salad

2011-08-02T17:46:00.000-07:00

The first time I ever tasted a salad Nicoise I thought that I had won big. I mean, how can you go wrong with a salad that is chalk-full of veggies, tuna, eggs, olives, AND potatoes? After that, I decided in short order that potatoes would go in any salad I could sneak them into. In the summer one of my favorite meals is a variation of the salad featured here, along with a nice piece of grilled fish or chicken. The potatoes are partially boiled, either halved or whole, and then tossed with olive oil and kosher salt and pepper, and roasted at a high temperature like 425. This will result in a crunchy, golden brown crust that will make it difficult not to devour them before they are cool enough to toss with the vegetables and dressing. My advice is to make a few extra for this sole purpose.

The rest of this particular salad consists of one head leaf lettuce, the corn off two cobs, a handful of fresh dill, one thinly sliced Walla Walla sweet onion, and one red pepper, diced. The dressing is one part lemon juice, one part olive oil, whisked, with salt and pepper. We served ours with citrus-grilled salmon and a Cajun soup that my Dad whipped up. Delish!

Camp Breakfast

2011-07-14T22:43:00.000-07:00

I grew up camping with my Dad on sandbars along the Mississippi River. We would pack up the flat-bottomed fishing boat with our canvas tent, fishing gear, the infamous beach radio sure to grace us with our share of Don Henley hits, and of course, plenty of food, beer, and sodas that had names like Grape. I can still remember what it was like to wake up in the cool fogginess of the morning, the sun poised to rise. As the aroma of breakfast lingered in the air, I would emerge from the tent ready to eat Dad's campfire creations. His menu was always very simple: Potatoes fried with butter and onions, over-easy eggs cooked in a cast iron skillet, and bread that had been toasted on a grate over the fire and spread with perfectly salted butter. Breakfast was one of my favorite parts about camping.

To this day, I love eating breakfast when I camp. On a recent afternoon while planning a camping adventure, a friend mentioned that she wanted to have chorizo and eggs for breakfast. As she talked about making guacamole and pico de gallo, I had to to encourage myself to be flexible. It was not that her breakfast did not sound spectacular, but more that it was not the breakfast that I've always connected with as camp breakfast. As we talked I realized how sweet it was that we both seemed identify with an idyllic version of camp breakfast. It was in this moment that I knew breakfast was going to be wonderful.

As I was assembling my plate that morning, incorporating every one's contribution to the heap, I reflected on the beauty of tradition and ritual that comes with an activity such as camping. There were three of us, and all of our visions were present. We had coffee with cream, my Dad's potatoes with fried eggs, tortillas with pico, guac, and chorizo picante, and mushrooms cooked in foil with butter and fresh parsley. There are no recipes to go with this post, but I will give you a little tip on Dad's potatoes: Pre-cook and slice them before you leave and also have your onions diced and ready to go. And most importantly, enjoy.

Chickpea Salad with Yogurt Cilantro Dressing

2011-06-09T18:34:00.000-07:00

Leave it to a big brother to point out the things in life that you could improve on, and in this case it was the fact that my blog has once again gone latent. You and I have been on Foodiefabulous long enough to know that sometimes I take breaks, and this time I have been buried in a Statistics class all quarter. (I know many of you already feel my pain.) As a result, my kitchen has been utterly neglected. The other day, I was in desperate need of some quality kitchen time. I wanted to make multiple things, while singing along to my favorite songs in the comfiest cooking dress possible. Doesn't that sound nice? It was.

But before hitting the kitchen, I was enjoying an afternoon chat with my brother on the phone. When I told him of my plans, he said something like, "Maybe you could make something to put on your blog so that it wouldn't be so lonely." Ugh. Way to hit a nurturing food lover right where it hurts! So once again, Eric, this one is for you.

Last week I was perusing the May/June issue of Edible Seattle. In it, there was a Chickpea Salad recipe that included infused oil and a yogurt dressing with scallions and cilantro. Yum. I didn't have couple of the ingredients, so I modified it a touch.

I served the salad on a bed of lightly dressed spinach, with some falafel patties (of the boxed, time-friendly variety) and with a salad of blanched carrots (5 minutes), reconstituted Turkish apricots (1 minute in the same simmering water and then roughly chopped), diced shallot, and a smoked paprika dressing (aprox 3-1 oil to vinegar, dijon, smoked paprika, cumin, salt/pepper to taste.)

Chickpea Salad with Yogurt Cilantro Dressing

2 cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 tsp cumin seed

1/4 tsp fennel seed

1/4 tsp red chili flakes

1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 cup green onion, chopped

1/2 cup whole milk yogurt

Place chickpeas in a mixing bowl. Preheat oil in a saucepan to med-high heat. Add cumin seed, fennel seed, and chili flakes--cook for about 10 seconds, or until the spices are a deeper brown and fragrant. Pour the oil and spices over the chickpeas. Add lemon juice, salt, cilantro, and green onion, and stir to combine; Mix in yogurt and enjoy!:)

Roasted Portobello and Asparagus Salad with Parmesan and Balsamic Vinaigrette

2011-04-13T22:43:00.000-07:00

The transition between Winter and Spring can be a difficult time to eat imaginatively. We are tired of soups, stews, and casseroles, and yet the fresh produce is still coming from far, far away which makes it less fresh, and in turn, less appealing. A turning point happens each Spring when asparagus starts to come from the west coast instead of Latin America. It is then that we can rest easy knowing that fresh produce will continue to grow and flourish for many months to come.

I was recently back in Wisconsin visiting my family. I was going to make a traditional Greek lasagna called Pastitsio and a big green salad, but I wanted one other dish to accompany it. Feeling uninspired I looked around the brightly lit grocery store at my options. I spied the green stalks of asparagus and knew that although the beauties were indeed from Mexico, they would not be for much longer. I wanted to celebrate this exciting turn of events and so I decided to pair the Portobellos with the asparagus to signify the transition between winter and spring, with the Portobellos representing winter.

This salad is finished with a sprinkling of Parmesan and a drizzling of balsamic. I hope that it inspires you as well, as the season of fresh food approaches!

Roasted Portobello and Asparagus Salad with Parmesan and Balsamic Vinaigrette

1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed and cut in half

4 Portobello mushroom caps, cut in 1/2 inch slices

4 ounces grated Parmesan

1/3 cup olive oil

3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tsp dijon

kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

additional olive oil for brushing vegetables

Preheat oven to 425

Line a 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. The mushrooms should fit on one and the asparagus on two. Brush the vegetables with olive oil and lightly season with salt and pepper. Roast 1 tray at a time for about 15 minutes each (the mushrooms may cook faster.) Cool each tray to room temperature. Plate the asparagus in a sun-shaped pattern on a platter and top with the Portobellos. Whisk together the dressing ingredients, sprinkle with the Parmesan, and serve.

Mini Chorizo Picante Corndogs

2011-03-02T10:01:00.000-08:00

It all began when I was reading my latest cookbook selection from the library entitled In the Kitchen With a Good Appetite by Melissa Clark. In the book she actually includes a chapter on deep-frying, and while this is enough to grab my attention, the commentary that she quoted from a friend of hers on the subject of deep-frying is quite funny and true. She says, " If you go to someones house and the hostess is deep-frying, you know you're in for a good time." Amen, Melissa's friend, Amen.

I must include here that deep-frying is in my roots, but only for one food delicacy in particular: deep-fried, beer-battered cheese curds. You may be able to imagine, then, how when the Packers made it to the Superbowl, the Wisconsin contingent here in Seattle became very excited in thinking about cooking that Midwest staple. Problem was, acquiring cheese curds here in Seattle is WAY different than in Wisconsin. They are not found everywhere, and it would be quite expensive to to buy enough for a party. So, we began to brainstorm. We had the fryer, so we decided to branch out; That is precisely when I came across this recipe.

Since I work for a really great sausage maker, I was already on the right track with this recipe. That, and the batter is brilliant; You will quickly realize that it will be a great all-purpose batter to have in your back pocket. The only alteration I made to the original recipe was that I used fresh sausage instead of dried, and it worked great. Thanks, Melissa! Now go gather some friends and have a party, and remember, if you're deep-frying--you're sure to have a good time.

Mini Chorizo Picante Corndogs

Batter:
1 cup cornmeal
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 cup whole milk

8 oz (2 4 oz links) fresh sausage-or-8oz dried Spanish chorizo cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Canola oil for frying

Combine the dry ingredients for the batter and then whisk in the egg and milk. Fill a heavy pot halfway with oil and heat to 375 on a deep-fat thermometer, or alternatively use a deep fryer with a temperature gauge. If using fresh links, "pipe" out balls of sausage from one end one the link and dip in the batter. Working in batches, use a slotted spoon to lower the balls into the oil and fry for about 4-5 minutes. If you are unsure about doneness, simply cut into one to make sure the center is cooked. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain.

P.S Thank you to Allison for taking the photograph from her phone; This was our only chance to gather evidence of these little beauties.

Poached Black Cod with Roasted Leeks, Broccoli, and Mayonnaise

2010-11-22T20:13:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I read a book, and it feels like the perfect time to be reading that particular book. This was the case with the book that I just finished, Lunch in Paris: A Love Story with Recipes by Elizabeth Bard. It was not so much the story that I felt connected to, but the recipes. This is true even though the story was incredibly sweet, inspiring, and quirky in the way that life often is.

Early on in the book, the main character goes to meet her boyfriend's parents and grandparents for the very first time. In addition to the obvious stress that that situation could emulate, the main character was not a native speaker of French, the family's first language. It seems from her perspective that the initial meeting went from humbling to smooth, as they prepared lunch together in the cozy kitchen in France. The lunch that they prepared was a version of this, and it had me at hello. It took me a couple of weeks to pull it together to make this meal, but I will tell you that I dreamt of it the whole time, and have been daydreaming about it for about a week since we enjoyed this lovely feast. Be sure to share it with someone who loves food, or whom you think is pretty great.
Poached Black Cod with Roasted Leeks,
Broccoli, and Mayonnaise (serves 2 happily)
Cod ingredients
a mixture of fresh herbs: bay leaf, thyme, parsley, dill, coriander (about 5 sprigs
worth)
a few black peppercorns
sea salt
1 lb black cod, 1 inch thick
lemon wedges
Roasted Leeks and Broccoli
6 skinny leeks
1/4 lb broccoli florettes
3 tbsp olive oil
sea salt
Homemade Mayonnaise
1 egg
1 tsp dijon mustard
a squeeze of lemon juice
sea salt/cracked pepper
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Begin by prepping the leeks: Trim the roots and cut off the dark
green ends, leaving the white and the light green parts. Starting a few inches below the top, slice up
through the center, but not all the way through. Turn the leek a quarter, and repeat until you have
done this 4 times. When you are finished with all of the leeks, toss theleeks and the broccoli with the
oil and sea salt and place on a lined baking sheet. Next, make your mayo. I used an immersion
blender; it is incredibly easy and if you do not have one, it should be put immediately on your holiday
list. Place the ingredients, in the order listed, in a jar or similar cylinder-shaped container. Place the blender at the bottom of the jar and turn on, leaving in place for about 15 seconds. Then, using an up and down hand motion, run the motor for another 15-25
seconds until the mayo is a thick and cream consistency; Store in the refrigerator until needed. Begin
roasting the vegetables; They should take about 30 minutes. When there is about 15 minutes of
roasting time left, start the cod. Fill a frying pan with enough cold water to hold the fish. Add the
herbs and salt until you can taste it; Bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to simmer and add the fish; It should take about 8 minutes. Remove the fish from the pan, discarding the herbs; Serve with lemon
wedges.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2010-10-24T12:25:00.000-07:00

I am not a huge fan of leftovers. I will usually eat leftovers one time, and at most, two, if it is really really delicious. With this soup, I ate leftovers three times! That in itself, readers, is a huge testament.
And the really beautiful attribute to this soup is that it was born from leftovers. I made it one chilly night, a few nights after roasting a chicken. Can you think of a better way to embrace fall?

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 carrot, finely diced
1 small onion, finely diced
1 celery stalk, finely diced
1 tbsp butter
olive oil
4 cups organic chicken broth or 4 cups water
fresh corn off the cob, from 3 fresh cobs
1 can organic chili beans
1 can Ro*Tel tomatoes with green chilis
meat from 1/2 leftover roast chicken

sour cream and tortilla chips, for garnish (optional)

Saute the onion in the butter and olive oil for a couple of minutes and then add the celery and carrot; Saute for 3-4 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for about 30 minutes. Salt and pepper, to taste. Enjoy, multiple times.

Tomato Blue Cheese Tart

2010-10-14T16:40:00.000-07:00

I have an affinity for entertaining. Often times I plan an event to satisfy an urge to cook something that has been lingering in my head. Other times I simply feel like seeing friends; The tomato tart night was one of those nights.

Autumn was just starting to make itself known, and every time that happens I start to feel anxious about getting my tomato fix. It happened last year, too. It was mid-September when I made the tomato corn pie. Bless California for being close and providing our tomatoes for the winter, but there is something special up here in the Pacific Northwest about having access to local tomatoes for a small window of time.

This tart turned out infectiously lovely. Pair it with a big green salad and you will have a simple, yet elegant dinner. I can tell you that my friends were happy to have the invite that evening, and I think yours will too.

One final thought: Please do not let the tart dough deter you; I have had ongoing talks with friends about the ease of making pie/tart dough. Some people are into it, and some are not. So please, if you are not one of those people feel free to purchase the crust of your choice and bake on!:)

Tomato Blue Cheese Tart
Crust:
1 stick butter, cubed
1 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
4 oz ice-cold water, give or take

Combine the flour, salt, and sugar with the butter, moving the mixture between your thumbs and
fingers. Do this at an efficient pace, and work until the butter is uniformly combined; You are looking for a pea-like consistency.
Form a well and add half of the water. Using a fork, combine the flour and liquid, with as little actual
contact as possible; Add water as needed. There may be some stray flour, in which case avoid adding more water; Instead try and pat the dry dough into the moist.
Form into a disk and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Filling:
2 egg yolks
3 oz heavy cream
3 tbsp fresh herbs
1/4 # blue cheese (I used a yummy Wisconsin Gorgonzola from my local cheese shop)
1 # roma tomatoes, sliced 1/2 inch

Preheat the oven to 425. Roll out the tart crust and place into a 12 inch pan. Shingle the tomatoes
into the crust. Wisk the yolks and cream and add the herbs. Pour the custard onto the tomatoes and
crumble the cheese on top. Bake for about 30 minutes, checking at the midway point.

My Newest Pizza Crust (And Most Favorite Yet!)

2010-10-02T18:31:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to introduce this pizza crust to you for quite some time. My recipe is an adaptation of one by my current bread g-d, Jim Lahey from his book My Bread.
I have made it a few times, each time for friends. The consistent trait about this crust is that it is always good. It is everything I love in a pizza crust; The olive oil brushed pans give it a satisfying crunch, while the edges maintain the chewiness that my favorite breads always possess. Try it with a salsa base and Mexican-style Chorizo or a tomato base and Italian sausage. Or you could cash in on the last of the tomato crop and add some fresh basil.

In addition to the pizza crust excitement, I also have a new addition to my kitchen--my very own chalkboard wall! Do not be surprised from now on to see my recipes written out in chalk scroll. The options are endless with a chalkboard wall!

Method:

Pour the water into a mixing bowl and stir in the yeast; Let stand 5 minutes. Add the flour, sugar, and salt. Mix the dough in one direction for about 30 seconds until all of the ingredients are combined. If the flour is not mixing in, add 1 tbsp of water at a time until the flour is all mixed in. Cover with a tea towel and let sit for 1.5-2 hours. Flour a work surface and form the dough into a ball. Divide into two pieces and form them into balls, spacing them about 4 inches apart. Make sure the surface and the dough are well floured and cover again with the tea towel. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Brush two 13x18 inch pans with olive oil and invert the dough into the pan; Carefully stretch the dough to fit in the pan. Top as desired and bake for about 15 minutes. Note: if you use fresh sausage, there is no need to precook the sausage; Just "pipe" the sausage from the casing right onto the sauced dough.

Exceptionally Delicious Limeade

2010-09-13T18:23:00.000-07:00

I realize that we have yet to discuss beverages here on foodiefabulous. That said, I will share with you that I love coffee with a deep passion and I enjoy beer and wine on a fairly regular basis. Other than that, I am not much of a *beverage* gal, and tend to be a bit of a water-drinking purist.

So when a friend posted a recipe for a fresh Lemonade on her Facebook page a few weeks back, it was a new experience for me to feel giddiness over a beverage that was not alcohol or caffeine. It was as if I could actually taste how delicious this new drink would be, by merely allowing the thought of it to linger in my mind. I wrote down the recipe and tucked it away for safe keeping.

Last night, a very good friend who I have not seen in over two years arrived in Seattle and came to have dinner at my apartment. We were going to make steak salads with roasted beets and goat cheese, topped with a tomato balsamic salsa. As we began our dinner prep, I remembered that I had a bunch of limes in my refrigerator that needed to be used up. My mind immediately flashed to the recipe for the lemonade and I knew in that moment that we had to modify the recipe to make limeade and that it would be extraordinary.

We halved the recipe due to the amount of fresh juice we had on hand, however I am going to give you the full proportions because I would have done almost anything to have more than 1 glass.

Limeade

2 cups fresh lime juice*

3 cups sparkling water

1 cup sugar

1/4 tsp orange blossom water*

Mix in a pitcher, chill.

*The original version called for 2 cups fresh lemon juice and 1/4 tsp rose water.

Tomato and Feta Bruschetta

2010-08-30T21:31:00.000-07:00

There are a few produce items that scream summer, and for me tomatoes are at the top of the list. In the Pacific Northwest the tomato season is quite short, and we are best off growing smaller varieties of tomatoes to assure a meager crop. However, we do have farmers that come over to the Puget Sound from Eastern Washington to sell us their delicious produce, and I for one am grateful. Last weekend I paid a visit to Alvarez Farms at the Capitol Hill Farmer's market; Among my purchases were two delicious Beefsteak tomatoes. With that, I knew that I was on my way to one of my favorite summer dishes. I love me some Bruschetta!

Whenever I see photographs of bruschetta, the topping is usually quite dainty, as it should be for an appetizer. AND you should feel free to enjoy it as an appetizer, and top little crostini with a small amount of this delicious salad that could easily pass for a legal drug. OR you could do like I did, which was pile it on my toasts in a gorgeous mound and eat whatever is left over with a spoon, in a joyful fashion.

Tomato and Feta Bruschetta

1 Beefsteak tomato, diced

1/3 sweet onion, small dice

10 leaves fresh basil*

1 oz. sheep milk feta

2 tbsp olive or grape seed oil

2 tbsp Balsamic vinegar

2-3 slices of rustic bread, toasted

Combine the ingredients and pile onto the toasted bread.

*To prepare the basil, I like to stack the leaves, roll them up the long way, and use a scissors to cut, working your way down the cylinder, resulting a fine slivers of basil.

Pico De Gallo

2010-08-15T09:46:00.000-07:00

I love Mexican, Tex-Mex, and Southwestern style foods; I think that the reason is that the options for varying the ingredients are literally endless. There are meats--grilled, braised, sauteed, or roasted. There are cheeses--from crumbly to creamy. And there are veggies--you cannot go wrong when filling a tortilla or topping a salad. One of my favorite combinations is grilled meat with fresh vegetables and a drizzling of cream (sour cream, creme fraiche, or crema Mexicana) in a warm corn tortilla.

Here is a Pico De Gallo that is sure to fancy up any taco or salad. I served mine with Carne Asada, and later paired it with avocado to make a chunky guacamole.

Pico De Gallo

2 tomatoes

1/2 small sweet onion

5 radishes

1/2 cucumber

small handful chopped cilantro

juice of 1 or two limes

kosher salt

Chop all of the vegetables according to your size preference. I like to keep mine pretty chunky. Slice the limes in half and drizzle the juice onto the veggies. Season with salt, to taste.

Picnic Cobb Salad

2010-07-17T17:45:00.000-07:00

I think that we could all agree that salads are delicious and that it would be hard to decide what salad was the absolute best. That said, I would like to propose that Cobb Salad reside somewhere near the top of the list; You cannot go wrong with the main ingredients being chicken, bacon, blue cheese, avocado, egg, and tomato. You just cannot. And if you have a quality bed of greens and a good creamy dressing, you have basically got it made.

I wanted to inspire you with this salad, not only because it was awesome and you should make it; I also wanted to point out that I used the leftover chicken from the BBQ chicken salad I had made the night before. I also used tomatoes that I had marinated in a little bit of oil, vinegar, and fresh basil from my garden. The tomatoes were used in several dishes over the course of the week; It seems like a good way to keep them from aging in the refrigerator while increasing the flavor with each day.

Try it out and tell me what you think!

Picnic Cobb Salad

serves 2

4 cups salad greens

2 chicken thighs, cubed

2 eggs hard boiled*

3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 avocado, sliced

.12 lb blue cheese crumbled

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes

creamy dressing

Assemble according to the picture, or in any other way that suits your fancy.

*For hard boiled eggs, I place the eggs into a pan with cool water and bring to a boil. Promptly remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of cool water and peel after 5 minutes.

BBQ Chicken Salad with Grilled Sweet Potato, Pineapple, and a Touch of Bacon

2010-07-15T22:25:00.000-07:00

This summer I am growing my first container garden. I have three types of lettuces, Swiss chard, carrots, pickling cucumbers, and two types of tomatoes. I also have a nice variety of fresh herbs, with my absolute favorite being Italian parsley. I put parsley in anything I can, and I particularly like it in a fairly even ratio with salad greens.

Tonight's salad was inspired by a few things: a new round of fresh greens ready for the picking, a sampling of homemade bacon that was given to me by one of my favorite "food collaborators," and a desire to incorporate my favorite BBQ sauce to date: Uncle D's. For Seattle area people, this is an all-natural BBQ sauce that is made in Kent. This sauce encompasses every quality that a good BBQ sauce should have. It's quite amazing, actually.

Salads should be loosely interpreted, but I will tell you what I put in mine and what my methods were, and then you can tweak the recipe according to what you have in your home.

I began by brining 1 lb of chicken thighs.

For the brine:

64 oz water

1/2 cup salt

1/4 cup sugar

2 sprigs fresh oregano

3 cloves garlic, smashed

Heat the brine until salt and sugar dissolves. Pour over the chicken and refrigerate for 1.5-2 hours.

Remove the chicken from the brine, rinse, and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper.

Slice a sweet potato into 1/2 in slices. Cook in a pan of water until just fork tender, but be careful to not overcook them or they will far apart on the grill.

Strain into a colander and transfer to a plate.

Prepare the grill and wash 2 cups of salad greens per person. Fry 1-2 slices bacon per person in a skillet, and reserve on paper towels. Chop pineapple into small chunks.

When the grill is ready place the chicken and the sweet potatoes on the grates. Brush the potatoes with olive oil and turn over, oiling the other side. Brush the chicken with BBQ, and when it is time to turn it, baste the other side.

When both are cooked, you can assemble the salads, slicing the chicken and sweet potato to your liking. I served mine with a touch of ranch and a few slices of baguette. I ate this salad alone tonight, but honestly I wish I had eaten it in the company of others; It was definitely deserving of conversation.

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

2010-05-28T18:38:00.001-07:00

Hello, hello. Once again it's been a long time; Once again I've missed you. I'd like to dedicate this post to my big brother, Eric. He finally called me out on my dormant blog, and even though it's not a bread bowl Eric, this one is for you.

This salad is quite a winner. It pretty much had me at chickpeas, but once I discovered the secret ingredient I knew I was in love. Hidden amongst the contrast of the chickpeas and Kalamatas, are a delicious addition of chopped unsulfured apricots. The unsulfured apricots are much less sweet than apricots that are treated with sulfur and I think that they also have better textural integrity. You can buy them in the bulk section at most grocery stores, or if you live in Seattle you can buy them at the dried fruit stand in Pikes Place Market across from where they throw the fish.

This salad pares nicely with meat off the grill, or you can use it to top of bed of greens. Once, I added a touch of avocado and goat cheese for a lovely springtime lunch on the veranda.

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

1 15 oz can chickpeas

12 pitted Kalamata olives, halved lengthwise

1 carrot: peeled, sliced, and blanched in boiling water for 1.5 minutes.

10 unsulfured apricot halves, corsely chopped

1/4 cup Italian parsely, chopped

1 bunch green onions, (use all of the white and some of the green) chopped

Dressing

8 tsp olive oil

5 tsp red wine vinegar

2 tsp dijon mustard

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp Spanish paprika

freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine the salad ingredients and whisk the dressing together, toss.

Mushroom Soup With Roasted Pears and Chive Creme Fraiche

2010-03-18T20:23:00.000-07:00

I will be the first to say it: this soup is not pretty. In fact, without the creamy creme fraiche colored with lovely specks of green, I'm not sure I would give it the time of day. Lucky for you, I can vouch for this soup and I'm here to tell you that it is worth getting to know. This soup may not be pretty, but it has a fantastic personality!

It all started one day when I was out to lunch at a sweet little cafe and the soup-of-the-day was their version of this soup. The puree is both sweet and savory and has quite a few intriguing layers. The chive creme fraiche tops it off beautifully, and if you plan ahead you can have your very own creme fraiche within two days.

Mushroom Soup With Roasted Pears and Chive Creme Fraiche
4 servings

1 ripened pear
3 small carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 1 large onion, diced
1/2 lb crimini mushrooms, quartered
4 cups chicken or veg stock
olive oil
kosher salt and pepper, to taste

For the Creme Fraiche:
8 oz heavy cream, preferably organic, room temperature
1 tbsp buttermilk, room temperature
chives, chopped

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel the pear and place it in a baking dish with about 1/2 inch water in the pan. Roast the pear for 30 minutes while you start the soup.

Sautee the onions in a healthy swirl of olive oil. When they are soft, add the carrots and celery and saute for about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms. When they start to relax, add the stock and simmer on low heat. When the pear is cool enough to handle, chop it up, leaving out the core and add to the soup. Puree in a blender, Cuisinart, or with an immersion blender. Serve, topped with a dollop of chive creme fraiche.

To make the creme fraiche, shake the heavy cream and buttermilk together in a jar and set out for 1-2 days, stirring a couple of times in between. Refrigerate when it gets thick. Scoop out as much as you'll need for your soup and add chopped chives, to taste.

Goat Cheese Dumplings With Pan Sauteed Apples, Brussel Sprouts, and Walnuts

2010-03-02T21:55:00.000-08:00

I posted a similar dish way back when, but the special feature in this particular dish is the dumplings. You see, I made the dumplings over the summer. I made a big batch and then froze a couple of bags with enough for a meal to eat later on. Earlier this week I was scrounging around my kitchen, in the mood for something really tasty, and then I remembered the dumplings. Ah, the dumplings! I thought that this would be a perfect story to share with you because not only should you make these dumplings because they are delicious, but you should freeze some so that you too can have a lovely dinner one night when you least expect it.

As for the Sprouts, I sauteed them over medium-high heat in a bit of olive oil. After a minute or so, I added some chopped Granny Smith apple (my favorite!) and a handful of walnuts, lightly crushed. Add a touch of kosher salt, freshly ground pepper, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice if you have it. I added the dumplings in at the end after they had a few minutes in boiling water. Those directions are below.

Goat Cheese Dumplings

1 pkg round wonton wrappers
2 T chopped spinach leaves
2 T chopped basil leaves
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil

In a small saute pan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the shallots and garlic and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the basil and spinach and cook just until wilted. Remove from the heat. Stir in the goat cheese, season with salt and pepper and let cool. Transfer the mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch tip.

Lay 4 or 5 wonton wrappers on a work surface and keep the rest covered with a damp towel. Lightly brush the edges of the wrappers with water. Spoon or pipe a teaspoon of the goat cheese mixture onto the center of each wrapper. Fold the wrappers to form a half circle. Press out any air bubbles and press the edges to seal. Transfer the dumplings to a baking sheet lined with plastic wrap and repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling to make about 48 dumplings. Make sure to use plastic wrap in-between the layers so that the dumplings won't stick together. This is where you may want to separate out any dumplings you wish to freeze. Freeze them on a plastic lined plate or tray until solid, and then transfer to a freezer bag for later use.

To cook the dumplings, heat a large pot of water to boiling. Be sure to lightly salt the water. Cook for about 3 minutes. Drain, gently shaking off the excess water. In a skillet, add a few tbsp of olive oil and saute the dumplings for about 2 minutes.

Pea Soup with Sweet Potatoes

2010-02-11T21:22:00.000-08:00

If you eat meat, it is likely that you are in the camp that is skeptical of any pea soup that does not contain some form of deliciously salted pork. The best pea soup is usually the kind that is slow cooked with a ham hock, or was, at the very least complimented by flecks of bacon mingling in the thick green goodness. It still seems crazy to me that even after tasting this recipe on a number of occasions that it manages to be as flavorful as it is without the tiniest presence of pork. I'm telling you people, this vegetarian pea soup is GOOD. If anything, set aside your pork conscience and try it in the name of health. And then you will be hooked, and it won't matter anyway.
This soup has three lovely attributes that I do believe make it what it is. They are cumin, dill, and the addition of frozen fresh peas. The cumin is sort of the hidden flavor that keeps you guessing, since it is not a spice commonly found in this style of soup. The dill and the peas lighten it up and give it something of a Spring-like feel. I ate mine with a nice slice of homemade bread with butter, and I oohed and ahhed through the entire bowl. I hope you do the same.

Pea Soup with Sweet Potatoes
makes 4 servings

1 cup green split peas
1 tbsp olive oil+1tbsp butter
1 onion, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1/2 sweet potato or yam, cubed
4 cups water
1 tsp ground cumin
2 bay leaf
2 tsp kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 tsp dried dill

Melt the butter and olive oil in a 3 quart saucepan and saute the onions until they begin to soften. Add the celery, carrot, sweet potato, salt, cumin, and pepper and saute for another few minutes. Add the split peas, water, and bay leaf. Simmer for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add more salt and pepper if needed and add the peas and dill. Cook a few more minutes until the peas are tender. Serve in bowls with good bread. This soup ages nicely in the fridge, perfect for leftovers.

2 Pizzas: Smoked Salmon With Creme Fraiche & Black Bean With Mozzerella

2010-01-25T14:52:00.000-08:00

I love pizza for the same reasons that I love sandwiches. Good bread can stand alone, no problem. But when paired with the right combinations of flavors (and truly the options are endless) freshly baked dough can be elevated to a whole other level. These are two pizzas that I made in the last week. They are both made with this crust. Note that once again I omitted the add-ins that Amy uses in her recipe.

For the smoked salmon pizza I used 1/2 dough recipe, brushed the rolled-out dough with oil, and fully baked it. Once it was cool, I topped it with 8oz. creme fraiche, 1/4# cold smoked salmon, 2 tbsp rinsed capers, and a sprinkling of fresh Italian parsley and chives. This was one was served as an appetizer so I cut it up and plated it for my guests.
The black bean pizza was an accidental gem. Through a series of culinary mishaps and food allergy announcements, we ended up with this loveliness. I brushed the rolled-out dough with oil and par-baked it. Then I topped it with 3/4 can of refried black beans, thinly sliced Crimini mushrooms, finely diced sweet onion, quartered cherry tomatoes and freshly shredded mozzarella cheese. This pizza would be divine with a little southwest inspired salad or slaw piled on top.

Like sandwiches, pizza makes a great weekend or weeknight dinner. The dough can rise while you are doing other things and before you know it, the pizza is ready to go in the oven. Also, as we figured out with the black bean pizza, there are a lot of ingredients that are just hanging out in your pantry that would taste great on an improv pizza.

Spiced Ginger, Apple, and Pear Chutney with Dried Fruit

2010-01-06T13:41:00.000-08:00

We've been through this before. I go away for awhile, you wonder where I've been, I give my explanation, and then we hit the ground running. And so I will tell you simply: This time I was away with a broken heart. Jake and I broke up right after I finished final exams (my 1st, less serious excuse for not being here) and when it happened, my heart literally felt like it was dying. I could not clean a dish, let alone cook anything. It has been a few weeks now and I have begun taking baby steps back into my kitchen. The other day I baked two loaves of banana bread, a loaf of light whole wheat, and this Chutney.
This recipe is based loosely from one found in the book Savory Baking, by Mary Cech. The book was among NPR's Best Cookbooks of 2009 and is very well done, incredibly inspiring, and has great photographs that are sure to entice the palate. The modifications that I made in my recipe were based solely on what I had in my apartment, and I found the outcome to be quite delicious.

I had a girlfriend over to my apartment and gave her a taste test. She too loved it. And we laughed about how I always have a jar of something homemade and delicious in my refrigerator. I vowed at that moment to keep up the trend. There is a joy that is so perfectly simple in having a jam or a chutney or something pickled on hand to share with a friend or to compliment piece of bread.
Spiced Ginger, Apple, and Pear Chutney with Dried Fruit

2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 jazz apple, peeled cored, and chopped
1 red pear, peeled cored, and chopped
1/2 cup golden raisins (I used half golden and half dark)
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped (this was in place of an additional pear)
1/3 cup minced ginger
4 tbsp white wine vinegar
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp dried mustard
1 tsp curry powder

Combine all ingredients in a pot. Simmer gently over medium heat for one hour. Stir occasionally and add more water if needed. Transfer to a bowl to cool. Store in a jar or covered container in the refrigerator. Serve with toast, oatmeal, pancakes, or meat, among many other possibilities.

Branch Dip

2009-11-23T23:35:00.000-08:00

You would not guess this from reading my blog the past few months, but I promise that I have been eating vegetables. Like many people, I have an affinity for foods that have a good amount of fat and carbohydrates in them, like cheese and bread. Fortunately, my body will occasionally lay down the law and force me to crave dark greens and bright colored plants.

Speaking of vegetables, the above vegetable platter was the star of the food table at Jake's birthday party. Lucky for those vegetables that they were accompanied by Branch Dip. People could not get enough of that Branch Dip. And I do not blame them. It's quite a lovely dip flavored with fresh herbs, garlic, lemon, and onion. It has a buttermilk base, a touch of Dijon, and is thickened with buttermilk powder.

It also tastes great on a lettuce salad, and would do well as a sandwich or burger topping. It is also incredibly simple to make. Store the dressing in a jar in your refrigerator.

Branch Dressing

1/2 cup dill sprigs
1/4 cup parsley sprigs
1/4 medium shallot
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
splash of hot sauce
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup canola oil
3/4 cup buttermilk
6 tbsp buttermilk powder

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth. Refrigerate the dressing for at least 1 hour so that it gets a chance to thicken. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Apple Pie

2009-11-04T17:00:00.000-08:00

We are in the midst of the time of year when people start to think about pie. After all, we are approaching Thanksgiving and nothing screams Thanksgiving Dessert! more than pie. For those that pass on the pumpkin, apple and pecan are always good contenders. It is not a secret that people are afraid of pie dough (you know who you are). Thing is, I completely understand because I've been there.

Prior to baking school I was skeptical of the folks who tried to explain pie. For example, how was I really supposed to know when my butter and flour would feel like peas?
It's all good people. Making pie is fun, and even if you mess up, it does not really matter. More than likely your crust will still taste better than store bought.

I've been playing around with different crusts for awhile now, and I like this one the best so far. It is both sturdy and flaky at the same time. In the past I have leaned towards flakier dough, but with that style of dough it is hard to make it look pretty on top and for me that is a favorite part of baking my own pie.

If you already make pie, feel free to add this recipe to your repertoire. If you have not made pie, but want to try, just do it. You will be happy you took the leap. And last but not least, if you don't make pie and never will, it should be noted that we pie makers always need you around to eat our delicious creations, so grab a seat and enjoy;)

Double Pie Crust

1 1/4 cups A.P flour
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
2 1/2 sticks butter, chilled
8 tbsp ice water + extra

Pulse the flour, salt and sugar in the food processor. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is transformed into lots of tiny uniform balls (remember the peas?) You can also do this part by hand, but I think that the the processor does a nice job getting the mixture to a uniform consistency.

Form a well in the flour and pour 8 tablespoons ice water into the well. With a fork, gently combine the liquid with the flour, adding up to 4 tablespoons more ice water (2 at a time) if it will not come together. The dough will seem shaggy, but have no fear. As long as there is no dough that is completely dry, you are doing fine. Divide dough into two pieces, wrap separately in plastic, and refrigerator at least 1 hour or up to 2 days before rolling.

Apple Pie Filling

3 1/2 lb Granny Smith apples, cored, peeled, and sliced or cut into chunks (your preference.)
Juice of 1/2 lemon (or juice of 1 small lemon)
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt

Mix together the ingredients.

Preheat oven to 425.

Roll 1st piece of dough on lightly floured work surface to 12-inch disk. Transfer dough to pie plate by folding dough in quarters, then placing dough point in center of pie plate and unfolding. Gently pat dough into the edges of the pie plate using both hands as a guide.

Pour fruit mixture, including juices, into chilled pie shell and mound slightly in center.

Roll out the second piece of dough to 12-inch disk and place over filling. Trim the top and bottom edges to 1/2 inch beyond the edge of the pan. Tuck this rim of dough underneath itself so that folded edge is flush with the edge of the pan. Flute edging or press with fork tines to seal. Cut four slits on dough top. If pie dough is very soft, place in freezer for 10 minutes.

Place pie on baking sheet and bake until top crust is golden, about 25 minutes. Rotate pie and reduce oven temperature to 375 and continue baking until juices bubble and crust is deep golden brown, about 30-35 minutes longer, depending on your oven.

Transfer pie to a cooling rack and let sit at room temperature at least 4 hours.

Banana Pankcakes

2009-10-21T17:33:00.000-07:00

For some time now, a girlfriend of mine and I have been having an ongoing conversation about pancakes. You might think this is strange, but if you're food nerds like us, you will just place it in the same category as dissecting the newest issue of Bon Appetit, or brainstorming what to make for dinner based on the whimsy of food cravings. And if you're not a food nerd, you'll thank us, because it is through these stimulating discussions that delicious revelations in cooking happen, and you are the lucky souls that get to benefit.

The big question has been: how to create a pancake that has the sour properties of buttermilk that is fluffy, yet substantial. We know that the sour can be created by a number of different ways, from using a sourdough starter, to varying amounts of buttermilk or yogurt. But we were unsure as to how to achieve the texture we were craving.

Last Sunday I wanted to make banana pancakes, so I was perusing through my cookbooks for a recipe. I did not find the recipe that I was hoping for, but I did find the key to our long lasting dilemma. While flipping through Jamie Oliver's "Happy Days" I stumbled upon what I thought was a standard pancake recipe. What I quickly discovered was that Jamie had 'it' figured out. He separated his yolks from his whites, whipping the whites to stiff peaks, and folding them in at the end. Ah Ha! Of course! This is a technique that I have used a billion times, but it never occurred to me to use it on pancakes!

And so they were.
Since I wanted the pancakes to be banana, I modified Jamie's recipe by adding two pureed bananas to the batter and it worked out beautifully. I also souped-up his version by making my own rich buttermilk from half n half and lemon juice.

The Best Banana Pancakes
Serves 3-4

3 large eggs
1 cup a.p flour
1 heaping tsp baking powder
1/2 cup half in half
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 bananas, pureed
salt t/t

Separate the eggs. Crack the whites into a mixing bowl, and place the yolk into a different medium sized bowl. Combine the half-n-half with the lemon juice and mix with the yolks. Stir in the flour and baking powder. Add a pinch or two of salt and the banana puree. Whip the whites to stiff peaks and fold into the batter. Lightly grease a skillet over med heat. Pour 2 or 3 scoops of batter in, wait for most of each cake to be bubbly, and flip. Re-grease the pan periodically, and turn up or down the heat, as needed. You can keep the cakes in a 1oo degree oven as they finish.
Serve with your favorite jam or maple syrup. (and plenty of coffee, and perhaps some bacon, too.)

Semolina Sesame Rolls

2009-10-19T22:42:00.000-07:00

The academic quarter is now well on its way, and although I seem to be keeping up with the flow of things, I still feel as though I could use a bit more time in my days. I'm sure that most everyone can relate. After all, when schedules get busy, there are always noticeable elements in life that seem to be lacking, and for me a big one is time in the kitchen. I got spoiled over the summer, as I always had extra time to bask in my favorite room, whipping up whatever fit my fancy. One thing that I have noticed however, is that I have time to bake bread. I tend to stay close to home and get a chunk of studying done on Sundays, so baking bread on Sundays works well. It feels quite fitting as autumn rolls in slowly, yet steadily. The best part is that when I find time to cook, it is usually a one-pot sort of deal. A big pot filled with fall bounty, in the form of a soup or a stew, the things that are best paired with homemade bread.

I made these rolls for a potluck dinner that I attended last night. My girlfriend told me that she wanted to make pulled pork for the affair. I remembered that I have limited time to cook and lots of time to bake, so I offered to bring the rolls to pair with the main entree.

These rolls take about 6 1/2 hours from start to finish, so begin in the late morning in order to have rolls for dinner.

Semolina Sesame Rolls
adapted from Bread Alone, by Daniel Leader
makes 16 rolls

Poolish

1 cup water, luke warm
1 1/2 tsp dry yeast
1 cup white bread flour

Whisk these ingredients together about 100 times. Scrape the sides of the bowl and cover with a clean damp towel or plastic wrap for 1.5 hours.

Final Dough

1 cup water
2 tsp dry yeast
2 tsp sugar
2 cups semolina flour
4 tsp kosher salt
3 cups white bread flour

Mix the water, yeast, and Poolish in the mixer on the lowest speed. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix on speed 1. Add water by the tablespoon, if needed, for the machine to pick up all of the flour. When the dough is well combined, soft and sturdy, turn the mixer to speed 2. Mix for 10 minutes longer. Remove dough from bowl, form into a ball and place into a lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat. Cover, and let sit for 1.5 hours.

Remove from the bowl using a bowl scraper, deflating the dough. Once again, form into a ball and return to the bowl, newly lightly oiled. Cover and let sit for 1 hour.

Using a bowl scraper, remove the dough from the bowl and turn onto a lightly floured surface. Using a scale (or eyeball the best you can--remember that you are aiming to have 16 pieces) cut 16 pieces to 2 1/2 oz. each.

Take a piece of dough. Little bit little, work your way around and pinch a pieces of the dough from the edge and bring them to the center, creating a tighter ball of dough. Once you have that, turn the ball over, cup it with your hand, and roll your hand in a circular motion, helping to make the dough ball even tighter. Place each dough ball of a corn meal or semolina covered board.

Preheat the oven, and if you have one, place the baking stone inside the oven to preheat. Cover the rolls, and proof for 45 minutes.

Brush each roll with egg white and sprinkle with seeds. Carefully transport the rolls onto the stone (or onto a parchment lined pan.) Using a squirt bottle, spritz the inside the oven. Shut the door, and repeat after 3 minutes. This will help to create a nice crust. Bake for 15-20 minutes longer, or until golden brown.

Place onto a cooling rack and enjoy!

Light Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

2009-10-06T22:29:00.000-07:00

I cannot tell you how many times I have thought to myself that I'd like to start baking my own sandwich bread. These thoughts generally occur, but are not limited to the times that I am strolling up and down grocery store isles experiencing an inner an struggle over which bread I should buy. You see, I love sandwiches. And yet it kills me to buy bread for such an occasion. The bread that I like to buy is full of flavor, somewhat local if I can help it, and usually around $5/loaf. Then, if I do not manage to get through the bread, I can never bring myself to put it in the freezer. It seems odd to me to preserve something that has already had a significant shelf life. Another point that seems worth mentioning is that I have a baking degree. I, of all people, should not be buying other people's commercially produced sandwich bread.

There you have it. So what took me so long? That's a very good question. I guess that even though I knew how easy would be, it didn't occur to me just how easy it would be.

Well it was...and in fact the hands-on time is probably around 15 minutes.

Finally, let's talk taste. This recipe will produce a slightly dense loaf, accompanied by subtle traces of sweet and nutty . It's everything you need it to be, really.

Light Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

2 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp dry yeast
2 T olive oil
1 1/4 cup room temp water

Mix the ingredients on low speed until combined, adding more water if necessary to pick up all of the flour. Mix the dough on medium speed for about 6 minutes, until it looks full and lively. Place the dough in an oil coated bowl, turning to coat. Proof for 1.5 hr. and then turn it out onto floured surface, patting it into a rectangle. Beginning at one end, roll the dough up into a cylinder and place into an oiled bread pan. Cover and proof for another 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350 and bake for 30 minutes. rotate 1/2 turn and bake for an additional 15 minutes. The internal temp should be 190.
Cool for 2 hours. Slice and place into a bread bag. Use within two days or freeze for toast or grilled sandwiches.

Shrimp Scampi

2009-09-28T22:38:00.000-07:00

It is officially fall and I can honestly say that I feel pretty good about it. I felt a little bit of hesitance when the cozy season was approaching, but only because I also love summer, and had such at great one at that. I began my summer with a list of things that I wanted to do or accomplish and even with my solid procrastination techniques I managed to check most of the items off of the list. I had a rummage sale, clearing most of the clutter out of my apartment, along with a bunch of furniture that I no longer needed. I swam, camped, canned, read, baked, and cooked. The summer was filled with fun things to do, and I did not waste a minute. When I did, it was for something relaxing off the list, of course.

Aside from my summer to-do list, I also have an ongoing list that consists of things that I want to accomplish at any given point. These are things that are just waiting to happen, no pressure. One item on the list was to have dinner with a particular friend. You'd think that dinner with a friend would not have to go on a long term life-list, but in this case it did. We both had very good intentions, but could not make it happen. Finally, in the spirit of the summer, it did.

It was a lovely late summer dinner. We had Greek omelet, roasted potatoes with a warm mustard vinaigrette, mixed green salad, crusty bread, and shrimp scampi. Everything was great, but the scampi stole the show. They were beautiful and plump, basking in lemony buttery goodness. What more could you ask for, really? We enjoyed ourselves so much that night that an encore dinner immediately went onto the ongoing life-list.

And so it is fall...which just so happens to be my favorite time of the year to cook. Fueled by the energy of summer, forced by the crisp cool air to slow down a bit, and inspired by all of the autumn bounty ready to be transformed into something comforting and delicious.

Bon Appetit!

Shrimp Scampi
adapted, barely from Food and Wine

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 T Italian parsley
1 1/2 t finely grated lemon zest
2 t freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 t chopped thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 extra large, scampi style shrimp—shelled and deveined, tails left on
1 tablespoon thinly sliced basil leaves

Preheat the oven to 450. Combine the butter, garlic, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. In an oven safe skillet, arrange the shrimp in a circular pattern. Dot the shrimp with the flavored butter and roast for about 10 minutes, until the shrimp are pink and the butter is bubbling. Scatter the basil over the top, and serve.

Roasted Tomato and Portobello Mushroom Lasagna

2009-09-28T21:16:00.000-07:00

I wish that I could have had witnesses while cooking tonight, because all of my senses were engaged and this dish came together quite magically. It all started last week when I was gifted a ton of 'begging to be used' local Yakima tomatoes. I immediately thought of the saying, 'when life hands you lemons...' except with my tomatoes I settled on oven roasted. And so, 12 hours and 15 pounds later I was stuffing oven dried tomatoes in jars of olive oil, in freezer bags, and in the fridge--being sure to mark the 'ready to use' check-box in my brain.
Well then today as I was leaving the Market, I was gifted these three portobello mushrooms. At first I was going to go with my current plan, which was to make some sort of pan-grilled bean taco with sauteed mushrooms and slaw. But both the day and the weather were not cooperating. I had a long day at work, I just finished a less than ideal 2.5 mile run, and it was going to rain. That's when my brain started on the Italian food track. Once it was there, roasted tomatoes were evident, as was a casserole dish.

A few final thoughts: I usually use cottage cheese because I favor the creaminess and the texture for lasagna, but feel free to sub out Ricotta if you're a die hard fan. Also, for casseroles I like to use frozen spinach because it is pre-wilted for my cooking pleasure, but again feel free to sub out fresh if you would like. Finally, for the roasted tomatoes, line a baking sheet(s) with parchment paper. Quarter the tomatoes and place them in a single layer on the baking sheets. Sprinkle with sugar, salt and pepper (more sugar than s/p.) Roast for 12 hours at about 110 degrees. Cool, and store.
Roasted Tomato and Portobello Mushroom Lasagna

1 onion, diced
olive oil
1 t fennel seeds
3 portobello caps, diced
2 cups roasted tomatoes
1 can Muir Glen pizza sauce (+1 can water)
1 16 oz tub organic cottage cheese
1 10 oz box frozen spinach, defrost under running water and squeeze out
1 egg
9 lasagna noodles

Saute the onion and garlic for a few minutes. Add the fennel seeds and the mushrooms and continue to saute. Add the roasted tomatoes, pizza sauce, and water. Simmer.

Meanwhile combine the cheese, egg, and spinach.

Place 1/2 cup sauce in the bottom of a small baking pan. Add three noodles, 1/2 cheese and 1/2 remaining sauce. Add 3 more noodles and cheese. Add 3 more noodles and the remaining sauce. Cover and bake at 375 for 60 minutes.

Tomato and Corn Pie

2009-09-17T22:19:00.000-07:00

I first read about this recipe on Smitten KItchen and I promptly placed it in my memory, filed under the 'things I will cook soon' category. Apparently, it had just been printed in the August Gourmet (which I skillfully overlooked.) The turning point was when I read about it again while catching up with Pro Bono Baker . A general rule of thumb is to pay attention to the recipes that pop up multiple times...those are the good ones and people know about it.

This recipe has several great features. First, the crust. It is biscuit-esque and wonderful. Also, because of the relatively short bake time, the tomatoes do not get an opportunity to cook much. This leaves the final product tasting fresh and seasonal. While you might be curious about the mayonnaise based sauce that gets poured over the top, I discovered that this questionable component represents its purpose magically. The beauty of this pie is that you get to savor a delectable crust that is paired with the fresh bounty of summer. It's a win-win situation, really.
Both women warned their readers about the tomatoes extracting a bunch of juice into the pie while cooking. They both suggested removing the seeds from inside. I did do this, and next time I might take the extra step and blot the tomatoes prior to layering them in the pie.

I do not want to say this too loudly for fear that it will actually come true, but summer is coming to a close. Make your tomato pie while you still can. And in a few months, you will want to make this delicious biscuit crust all over again. Except instead you will fill it with the winter vegetables that you have kept in the back of your minds, such as butternut squash and kale.

Tomato and Corn Pie
adapted from many

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3/4 cup whole milk
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 3/4 pounds beefsteak tomatoes
1 1/2 cups corn (from about 3 ears)
2 tablespoon finely chopped chives
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
7 ounces grated sharp Cheddar

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, then blend in cold butter with your fingertips until it resembles coarse meal. Add milk, stirring until mixture just forms a dough, then gather into a ball.

Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle. Whisk together mayonnaise and lemon juice.

Cut an X in bottom of each tomato and blanch in a large pot of boiling water 10 seconds. Immediately transfer with a slotted spoon to an ice bath to cool. Peel tomatoes, then slice crosswise 1/4 inch thick and remove seeds and extra juices.

Divide dough in half and roll out one piece on a well-floured counter into a 12-inch round. Fold the round gently in quarters, lift it into a 9-inch pie plate and gently unfold and center. Pat the dough in with your fingers trim any overhang.

Arrange half of tomatoes in crust, overlapping, and sprinkle with half of corn, 1 TBSP chives, 1 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp pepper and one cup of grated cheese. Repeat layering with remaining tomatoes, corn, chives, salt, and pepper. Pour lemon mayonnaise over filling and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Roll out remaining piece of dough into a 12-inch round and situate over filling, folding overhang under edge of bottom crust and pinching edge to seal. Cut 4 steam vents in top crust. Bake pie until crust is golden and filling is bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes, then cool on a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Burger Buns

2009-09-14T20:39:00.000-07:00

Last week I set out to make sirloin burgers and I wanted to be sure that I had a good bun to pair them with. I have been trying to find ways to lower my overall food budget and baking more bread at home, especially for special-occasion bread, has been a way to do that.

I did not have a recipe for burger buns on hand, so I decided to do a quick search on the internet. I wanted to make a dough that would retard for the day in the refrigerator and then pull it out a few hours before dinner to proof and bake.

After reading some sample recipes, I decided that I would piecemeal a couple together and see what my results would be. As it turned out, I made some respectable buns. They had a stiffer texture like a kaiser, but the olive oil added a more laminated, challah-dough quality. Also, because they are able to hang out in the refrigerator for the day, they can be made in the morning and finished in time for dinner.

Burger Buns

1 cup warm lukewarm water
2.5 t yeast
1/3 cup olive oil
2 t salt
4 cups flour

Combine the water in yeast in bowl of stand mixer. Let sit for a few minutes and then add the rest of the ingredients. Mix on low to incorporate all of the ingredients, adding water by the TBSP, if needed. Mix on 2nd speed for about 3 minutes. Form into a boule and place in an oiled bowl. Cover and place in the refrigerator for about 8 hours.

Set the bowl out at room temperature for about an hour. Roll the dough out into a rectangle on a floured surface. Starting with the long edge, roll the dough up like you would a cinnamon roll. Divide the dough into eight equal pieces and place each piece, flat side down, onto a parchment covered baking sheet. Be sure to tuck any loose ends under the buns, ensuring that each is rolled snugly. Proof for 1-2 hours or until the dough spring back when poked. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake at 375 for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Tomato Jam

2009-09-11T09:20:00.000-07:00

Last Spring I vowed to myself to do a lot of preserving this season. Because I am highly aware of my well developed procrastination techniques, I also came up with a plan to make sure that I followed through with my plan. I decided that I would can the preserves and give them as holiday gifts. This tomato jam recipe is the first of a trio. I also plan to pickle onions (Red Torpedo and Walla Walla are ripe and ready in Seattle farmers markets) because they will pair wonderfully with the tomato jam on a burger. The third contender is still up in the air, but I am planning on either peach or apple jam. You will be the first to know.

I made this jam for the first time back in pastry school, and paired it with Semolina Sourdough bread. The flavors in the jam are all so intensely delicious that when you eat it, you're never quite sure what the best part about it is. I personally love the plump golden raisins that are scattered about.
The prep is not difficult, but the jam does take a few hours to come together. The lingering smells are the payoff, and of course the final product. It might even feel a little bit like the holidays in your house for a day, and I do believe that a little impromptu festivity is always a good thing.
Tomato Jam
makes 8 pint jars

12# 12oz. tomatoes (cored and peeled) quartered* -or-2 gallons whole canned tomatoes
4 onions, slivered
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cup golden raisins
1 cup white wine vinegar
1.5 cup brown sugar
4 cinnamon sticks
10 allspice berries

Sautee onions in oil until translucent. Add the rest of the ingredients (use 1 large pot, or split the ingredients into two pots.) Simmer until thick, 2-3 hours. Transfer to sterilized glass jars and store in refrigerator for up to two weeks, or use a hot-water canning bath for 15 minutes for long-term storage.

* to remove the skins from the whole tomatoes, place a few at a time in a pot of simmering water for about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl of cold water and peel the skins with ease.

Campfire Beef Stew

2009-08-23T21:18:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I went on my (hate to say it) *first* camping trip of the season. It was only for one night, so it was a short trip. But I will say that leaving town and getting in nature for a bit of time was exactly was my inner doctor ordered.

This trip also marked my first experience cooking in a cast iron dutch oven over an open fire. It was one of those things that felt nostalgic even though I had no history to link the experience to. Perhaps it was simply my love for slow food and knowing that I was utilizing an ancient cooking method that brought on the nostalgia.

My friend and I have been daydreaming about making beef stew over a fire for quite some time, so it was exciting to actually make it happen. And honestly (I know I say this a lot and that you may not believe me) but it was *not that hard.*

The main thing is to have a nice bed of coals to place the oven on. After that, you need to use a shovel to shift the fire around a bit. You'll also want to have a thick cloth to cover your hand while stirring the pot and for taking the oven on and off the heat. Be sure to prep all of your meat and vegetables in advance and also have extra wine, water, and/or broth handy to thin out your stew in case it gets too thick, too soon. We used a combination of wine and water when this happened. We forgot to bring flour with us, so in a moment of quick thinking we used chunks of white bread. The bread did not provide the creaminess of flour, but it worked for the thickness. In the dark, you may not even be able to tell the difference.

And finally, know that if you make this stew that you will be planning your next outing with your cast iron oven. It is this sole experience that is going to assure me at least one more camping trip before the end of the season, and I do also believe this to be the new source of my nostalgia.
Campfire Beef Stew
serves 4 hearty eaters

2.5 lb beef chuck roast, cut into large chunks (I bought Painted Hills all natural beef from Don and Joe's in Pike Place)
4 strips bacon, diced (a scissors works well here)
1 large sweet onion, diced
1 lb carrots, cut into chunks
1 lb baby potatoes, whole (or you can use larger potatoes and half or quarter them)
8 oz. Crimini mushrooms, halved
1 qt. beef broth
2 bay leaves
5 (or so) glugs of red wine
5 slices of hearty sandwich bread.
s/p to taste

Begin by placing the oven on a bed of hot coals. Add the diced bacon and when it begins to crisp and has rendered a substantial pool of fat, add the onions and mushrooms. Next add the chunks of beef. When the beef is brown, add the bread and thoroughly stir. Add the glugs of wine, the broth, carrots, potatoes, and bay leaves. Cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender (about 45 minutes-1 hour). Stir occasionally and adjust the heat (and oven) as needed.

Roasted Tomato and Black Bean Soup

2009-08-19T20:27:00.000-07:00

It has been a truly amazing Seattle summer. Now, as we rear the end of August it seems that things are becoming a bit for unpredictable weather wise. Just last week, after a days of record breaking heat, Seattle experienced a cold front complete with temperatures in the 60's and dark skies that were appropriately accompanied by rain. But I will say that there is a positive spin on dark weather for us get in-the-kitchen-and-create-something-delicious types. Getting weird cold patches in the midst of heat waves is when I like to *secretly*whip up a batch of comfort food just before Mother Nature calls and tells us that it is time to get back to the land of BBQ and cold salads.

On the night that I made this delightful Roasted Tomato and Black Bean Soup I took a hot shower instead of a cold one. I wore pajamas, curled up on my new red sofa, and watched old episodes of Kate and Alley on Netflix. It felt like "the life."

Here's one for those unpredictable days ahead. It celebrates the bounty of summer and comforts just like fall.

Roasted Tomato and Black Bean Soup
serves 2

4 beefsteak tomatoes, quartered
1 sweet onion, sliced
4 garlic cloves smashed
1 T freshly ground pepper
2 T salt
1 t dried oregano
olive oil for drizzling
1 can black beans

Preheat oven to 350. Lay tomatoes on a foil lined baking sheet, along with the onion and garlic. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and oregano. Turn to coat.
Roast for about 45 minutes. Place entire contents of foil (including the blackened parts) to a food processor. Process until blended completely. Pour into a pot with one can of black beans and two cans of water. Simmer for about 30 minutes. Ladle into bowls and serve with bread (I spread mine with Port Salute cheese.)

Goat Cheese Custard and Plum Tart

2009-08-11T07:51:00.000-07:00

This recipe was inspired by my desire to make a dessert out of all of the delicious plums that are in season now, and from the book American Cheeses by Clark Wolf.

Mr. Wolf introduces this tart by saying, "I just love a woman with a tart crust..." Which made me think, "I just love a man who loves a woman with a tart crust..." There is in fact something really special about baking, and I feel fortunate to have found this passion in my life. And so, Mr. Wolf I will say to you "I just love being a woman who has a tart crust."

The tart is perfect for a warm summer evening. The crust is very shortbread-esque with its only components being flour, sugar, and butter. And the filling is reminiscent of a cheesecake, but more velvety. You can play with the fruit. Berries would be a great substitute, but the plums were substantially sweet and were a nice compliment to the creamy filling.

The best part about this tart is that you could make it with your eyes shut. It would be perfect for an impromptu dessert.
Goat Cheese Custard and Plum Tart
adapted from American Cheeses by Clark Wolf
makes 1 11 inch tart

Tart Crust
1 1/4 cups a.p flour
1/4 cu sugar
10 T unsalted butter

Filling
8 oz goat cheese
8 oz sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
zest of 2 lemons
2 large eggs
4 T flour

4 plums, halved and sliced

Combine tart crust ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until a soft ball begins to form on the blade. Remove the dough and press into the tart pan. Prick the dough with a fork and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile preheat oven to 350. Bake tart crust for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool. Leave oven on.

Combine filling ingredients in the food processor. Pour into the cooled tart shell and arrange plum slices. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the filling is set. Cool at room temperature and then refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Chickpea and Bean Salad With Parmesan and Egg

2009-08-04T16:36:00.000-07:00

I am not sure if I have professed my love of beans to you here, and if I have not or even if I have one or twice, let me tell you that I really really really love beans. They are so incredibly versatile and an equally excellent source of vitamins and minerals.

This recipe is a spin-off of another recipe that I found on Orangette. It's ridiculously tasty and super easy to make. I made it at Jake's apartment during last week's heat wave. For the whole of the week I dined on "cold food" and this salad sat perfectly alongside the other selections of the week, some of which included gazpacho, a cold Mexican platter with a spicy rustic slaw, refried beans and chips with salsa, and cut up fruit and cheese with crackers. This salad was my favorite of the cold food, and for that reason alone you should make it for dinner tonight.

The egg is a lovely addition, and I served each salad with two, since it was a main course salad, but feel free to cut the eggs by half, or to serve it with a nice hunk of bread.
Chickpea Salad with Parmesan and Egg

1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 lb green beans, ends trimmed
4 eggs, hard cooked and peeled
2 T fresh lemon juice
3 T olive oil
A pinch of salt
Freshly ground pepper
¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Fill a bowl with ice water, set aside. Blanch the green beans in a pot of boiling water for about 3 minutes. Plunge them into the ice water until completely cool, and strain them in a colander.

Combine the green beans with the chickpeas. Whisk together the lemon juice and olive oil and pour onto the beans. Season with salt and pepper and toss the salad. Gently fold in the Parmesan cheese. Dice the eggs and place atop of the salads. Grind a bit of pepper onto the egg and eat with joy!

(Really Incredible) BBQ Ribs

2009-07-10T19:18:00.000-07:00

It was one of those nights when you pat yourself on the back for a job well done, or in my case jump for joy and cheer out loud, commending the brilliance of a recipe and my ability to pull of a pretty impressive meal. As we were planning for our 4th of July BBQ, Jake suggested that we eat ribs, but we decided to postpone the idea since we had other meat that we needed to prepare. I immediately made a note to self to be on alert for a good rib recipe. A few days later, I was lying on the beach on the beach reading the August issue of Bon Appetit and I laid eyes on "The" rib recipe that would turn out to be the spectacular recipe that I had been hoping for.
I love working with recipes that take a long period of time, but which incorporate several simple yet gratifying steps. I find that when I plan slow food, in the end I am more intentional with my food and the outcome is significantly more satisfying than when I eat out or throw together my meals on a whim. Because I also have a love for fresh tasting salads, the two end up pairing quite nicely together. Accompanying the ribs we had smashed grilled baby red potatoes with rosemary and sea salt, yellow corn on cob, and a fresh baked boule of bread.

BBQ Ribs
adapted from Bon Appetit
recipe courtesy of the Saloon Steakhouse (Chicago, Ill.)

Mix the dry rub, set aside

2 t jerk blend seasoning
2 t smoked paprika
2 t mesquite seasoning
2 t course kosher salt

Mix the marinade, rub the ribs with s/p and place them in a large roasting pan. Pour marinade over ribs. If you do not have a pan large enough (I tucked one end of ribs under the other) you can use zip-lock bags for the marination process.

4 lb baby back pork ribs
1 1/2 purchased bbq sauce
1 cup o.j
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup honey
2 T Worcestershire sauce
2 T mesquite seasoning
1 T Lawrey's seasoned salt

Marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 350. Place the ribs on a platter. Pour marinade into a saucepan. Take 1/2 cups of marinade and pour back into roasting pan, along with 2 cups of water. Rub ribs with 1 t of dry rub. Cover with foil and roast for 1 3/4 hours. Cool ribs for 30 minutes. Boil marinade in saucepan until reduced to 2 cups, about 6 minutes. Prepare BBQ to med-high heat. Cut ribs to smaller pieces (see pic) and brush with BBQ sauce. Grill, turning occasionally and brushing with more sauce. Transfer ribs to platter and sprinkle with some more dry rub. Serve ribs with remaining sauce and dry rub.

Homemade English Muffins

2009-06-27T22:15:00.000-07:00

It feels like forever since I have posted, and I want you to know that I had no intention of being gone this long. It just happened. I was finishing up with school for the quarter, and when it was all said and done a month had flown by. Now I am back and I believe that this is going to be a fantastic food-filled summer.

During my break I made some pretty great things, one being these homemade English Muffins. I believe that I worked on these in lieu of a 6 paged paper...when the stakes are highest my procrastination level also increases. I believe there is an algebraic equation for that somewhere...

Since English muffins are so incredibly satisfying even out of a package, you can imagine how it must feel to bite into a warm, crispy, chewy, buttery English Muffin that has been baked right on your kitchen stove. Heaven forbid add a couple of poached eggs, smoky ham, and some warm creamy hollandaise sauce...might just put you over the edge of insanity.
Like most things bread, these beauties were incredibly easy, but they take a lot of hands-off time to make. After I fed myself and my neighbors, I froze some to see how they would defrost, and as it turns out, they freeze perfectly.
This recipe is written in grams, however if you do not have a kitchen scale check out this website that will help you to convert the numbers to ounces.

English Muffins

Ingredients:
375g warm water (not hot)
8g fresh yeast
8g shortening or lard
12g milk solids
500g flour
8g sugar
8g salt
cornmeal for dusting

Combine the water, yeast, sugar, and milk solids and let the mixture sit for 4 minutes. Then add the flour and salt. Mix the dough in a kitchen Aid with a dough hook on med. speed for 15-20 min. Add flour as needed--the dough will come together but it will be soft and fairly sticky. The long mix here will help to create the characteristically course texture of the Muffin.

Shape into a boule and place into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and let the dough proof for 1-2 hours. Portion the dough into 2 oz. pieces. Roll and shape. Let rest, then flatten with your hands and place on a cornmeal coated baking sheets for 30-40 minutes.

Bake in a dry pan or griddle on low-med heat. They should take about 8-10 minutes per side. You can finish them in the oven if needed, though I did not need to.

As always let me know how it goes!

Cheers, and have a great 4th everyone!

Pretty Perfect Banana Bread

2009-05-26T23:31:00.000-07:00

Honestly I amazed myself with this bread. As usual when it comes to me and banana bread, the plan was premeditated. As soon as I have bananas that cross over to the other side of granola and yogurt, I wait patiently until they are good and aged. Though, the bananas for this batch were less ripe than I like. In a perfect world I like to see some visible fermentation happening before I begin baking.

Funny, this recipe was inspired by one found on Smitten Kitchen entitled Elise’s Friend Heidi’s Friend Mrs. Hockmeyer’s Banana Bread, As Jacked Up by Deb. The recipe had originated from Simply Recipes, was modified by many, and has gone through yet another transformation. I liked Deb's base recipe because it had less butter and sugar than I've seen in other recipes. In the end I used her base, but omitted the spices and subbed in toasted nuts, seeds, stone ground whole wheat flour and a touch of coffee and molasses.
It was fun to bake something that could be mixed by hand with a bowl and wooden spoon.
Pretty Perfect Banana Bread

Ingredients:
3 to 4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup melted salted butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 T brewed coffee
1 T molasses
1 t baking soda
1 1/2 cups toasted walnuts, chopped
1 1/2 cup stone ground whole wheat flour
pinch salt
1 nice handful toasted and salted sunflower seeds

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. With a wooden spoon, mix the butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, vanilla, and molasses. Sprinkle baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Fold in flour, coffee, and toasted nuts. Pour mixture into a buttered 4×8 inch loaf pan and sprinkle the top with sunflower seeds. Bake for 50 minutes to one hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and cool on a rack.

Garlic and Sage Brined Pork Chops

2009-05-08T18:33:00.000-07:00

On the matter of preparing large cuts of meat, I am sold on the brining method. It infuses flavor into the whole of the meat, vs. simply seasoning the surface. This method is superior to marinating, and in fact if you're going to take the time to marinate, I would suggest brining instead. Because of the high concentration of salt, brining makes cooked meat moister by hydrating the cells of its muscle tissue before cooking.

I have used a variation of this sage and garlic pork brine before, but this was the first time that I followed the recipe almost exactly. I will tell you with full certainty that this pork is among the best I've ever tasted. I acquired the recipe from my much loved Charcuterie book by Michael Ruhlman Brian Polcyn.

Begin by combining the ingredients for the brine into a pot.

Brine Ingredients:
2 quarts water
1/2 cup kosher salt
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
4 packed T fresh sage leaves
1 T juniper berries, crushed with the side of a knife
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 T freshly ground pepper

Bring the ingredients to a simmer, stirring to ensure that the salt and sugar dissolve. Remove from heat and cool down in the refrigerator. Place a 3-4 pound pork loin into the chilled brine for about 6 hours.

Remove the pork from the brine and place the meat on a cutting board. Cut the loin into 12 ounce chops and pat dry.
At this point you can either let the chops rest for about an hour, OR you can do what I did. Prior to the rest, I lathered one side of each chop with a delicious layer of BBQ sauce. I am madly in love with an all-natural variety made right here in Seattle called Uncle D's. It is rich, bold, smoky, spicy, sweet, and everything else you would want a BBQ sauce to be.
Meanwhile, light your charcoal grill. When the coals are ready (burning hot with no apparent flames) place the chops on the grill, sauce side down. Ideally you only flip them twice, however this technique is one that I strive for. If you need to flip more in order to cook them thoroughly, no worries. They will take approximately 10 minutes per side. Once you flip the chops, cover with the lid with the vents open.

The only last thing I have to say is to be weary. These chops will more than likely make your best-of list. And if they do, I would love to hear about it!

Crockpot Chicken Verde

2009-05-04T20:30:00.000-07:00

This deliciously slow cooked chicken verde helped to feed me last week. It is no secret to anyone who knows me that I love to talk about food. When my sister first saw my blog she said, "So let me get this straight. Your blog is only about food?" I went on to explain to her that there would be endless things to cover on foodiefabulous, aka recipes. I usually write about the delicious things that I created recently, but I think that it is also important to address other food stuffs. For instance, I cannot tell you how often someone shares with me that they feel as though they have no time to cook. I go through phases when I am not cooking as much and it is not a good feeling, and last week was a perfect example.

I decided to take action. One morning early in the week I placed four ingredients in my trusty mini crockpot, and 10 hours later as I stepped into my apartment I was seduced by the aroma. Along with a few other ingredients, I made tacos for a couple of days worth of meals. I found variety by using different combinations of toppings and a few days later I finished the chicken by making some basic enchiladas.

It's funny how many people own a crockpot and how few actually use it. I try to dust mine off every once in awhile. When times are busy, treat yourself to a slow cooked meal. Honestly, I think it may be the best medicine.

Crockpot Chicken

2 chicken breasts (or feel free to use thighs) cut into chunks
1/4 diced onion
3 garlic cloves, smashed
4 ounces jarred verde salsa (splurge on good quality salsa if you can. Try a roasted tomatillo one...)

Cook on low for about 10 hours. Shred with a fork and you're good to go.

My favorite accompaniments:

*Corn tortillas. Heat 1-by-1 in a dry pan on high. 15-30 seconds a side
*shredded cheese
*yogurt or sour cream
*avocado
*smoky bbq sauce
*vinegar based slaw or raw shredded cabbage
*corn salsa
*pico de gallo

Mini Chicken Burgers

2009-04-24T18:53:00.000-07:00

I know that I have told you all before, but please allow me to tell you again: I love anything that resembles a sandwich. I will admit it, whenever someone tells me that they cannot-or-will not eat bread, I feel a little bit sorry for them inside. After all, there are not a lot of things that can top bread filled with delicious ingredients.

These mini chicken patties were no exception. Paired with grilled pita, homemade hummus, local made yogurt, lettuce, tomato, onion, and cucumber, they were pretty much fantastic. The next day I ate the leftovers on a ciabatta roll with mayo, really great BBQ sauce, and avocado. So, go crazy. It is Springtime after all!

Mini Chicken Burgers
makes 4 servings

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)
4 green onions (whites and half the green) roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 t fresh lemon juice
3/4 t smoked paprika
1 t cumin
2 t kosher salt
freshly ground pepper

Combine ingredients and let marinate for 30 minutes and meanwhile light the BBQ. When 30 minutes have passed, place in the chicken in the food processor and pulse about 8 times. Be sure not to over pulse. You want the meat to be chunky, not pasty. Shape into 16 patties. Use an oil brush to lightly oil the grill grates and then grill burgers about 5 minutes per side.
If you like, grill pita or bread to go along with.

Porchetta Tacos

2009-04-09T23:51:00.000-07:00

The best part about these tacos is that they are filled with leftover porchetta, an Italian style preparation of pork. I was introduced to porchetta when I lived near the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. There is a large population of Italians living up there and porchetta is so common that it might be served for afternoon football games or offered up in a crock pot at the local tavern as a food offering for patrons.

When a friend came to Seattle for a visit last weekend, he was gracious enough to haul a frozen porchetta roast on the airplane with him all because he knew of my love for this incredible meat. I cooked it in a crock pot all day Sunday and a few sandwiches later I was on my final serving. I was craving corn tortillas, and so naturally the idea for pork tacos danced around in my head. Since my porchetta already came seasoned, I did a little bit of research to find a suitable recipe for you to try making your own porchetta roast. This recipe from the Zuni Cafe looks good. Pork roast is not only delicious, but it is versatile and long lasting. Plan several meals around your roast and dinner will be a breeze.

For these tacos I used corn tortillas dry heated 1-by-1 in a pan, jarred tomato and verde salsas, freshly grated jack cheese, diced onion, and shredded green cabbage.

Cabbage and Brussel Sprout Salad

2009-03-20T18:50:00.000-07:00

All I have to do is say the word SALAD and my sister will get pale and imagine a big bowl of lettuce. This also means that EVERY time I describe one of the new amazing salads that I've made, I am obligated to include a blurb about how a salad can be so many things other than a big bowl of lettuce. My sister adores brussel sprouts, and even so I had to include my standard form-explanation of salads before she went into extreme panic mode. Did you get that she dislikes lettuce with a strong passion? It's true.

I, on the other hand love salad. I think that it comes from my adoration of what I like to call flavor combinations. Comparing and contrasting textures and flavors really excite me and what better place to experience this than in a salad.

People tend to engage in love/hate relationships with brussel sprouts. I have a theory that people that love brussel sprouts never ate them growing up. I didn't eat a brussel sprout until my mid twenties. I fell immediately in love, and when my Mom came to visit from Wisconsin I prepared them for her. She said that there was a reason why we never ate them growing up. I figure I get to love them because my Mother hates them. Good deal for me!

This is a great salad. I have decided that I prefer it at room temperature, but it can also be savored warm or cold. We paired it with corned beef on St. Patrick's Day, along with smashed potatoes, corned beef gravy, and house made apricot mustard.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb brussel sprouts
1/4 head green cabbage, thinly sliced
1/4 red onion, sliced thinly
1 cup walnuts. toasted
olive oil
2 T balsamic vinegar
salt/pepper to taste

Method:
Pour a heavy swirl olive oil in a pan. Sautee red onions and cabbage to al dente and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside in a mixing bowl.

Repeat with brussel sprouts, but be sure to allow the Sprouts to brown a bit in the pan. Combine the Sprouts with the cabbage/onion mixture.

Add the walnuts and vinegar. For a lighter taste, substitute lemon or white wine vinegar for the balsamic.

Tranfer to a serving bowl and enjoy!

Makes 4-6 side servings

Parmesan Rosemary Biscuits

2009-03-12T17:19:00.000-07:00

You may or may not know this about me, but I have an ongoing secret love affair with biscuits. I think they may be a top contender in the category of comfort food. Like most things good, they get progressively better as I bake them. I've played with different ingredients. I've used butter, shortening, buttermilk, and heavy cream. I've used different herbs and cheeses. I've decided that hands down, butter is the most important ingredient. You cannot match the delicious qualities of butter with any other fat, and honestly why would you want to?

These lovelies were made on a whim and I knew right away that I'd share them with you. They were enjoyed as an afternoon snack by a crew of hungry folks, but I think they would be great for brunch with a plate of fluffy scrambled eggs and coffee.

Parmesan Rosemary Biscuits

Ingredients
3.5 cups low protein flour
1 T baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 T salt
2 T fresh rosemary, chopped
8 oz Parmesan cheese
1 3/4 sticks cold butter (or 14 T), cut into small cubes
about 2 cups buttermilk

Method

Preheat your oven to 450. In a mixing bowl combine your flour, salt, baking soda/powder, rosemary, and Parmesan cheese. Add the butter, and using your thumb and fingers, press the butter together with the flour until you have formed a bowl of tiny peas, as they say. Make a well in the center and begin with 1.5 cups buttermilk. Using a fork bring the flour together with the buttermilk. When it seems sufficiently combined, roll the dough onto a floured surface and knead it lightly. Roll it to the desired thickness, and using a 2.5-3 inch cutter, cut biscuits one-by-one and place closely together on a baking sheet covered with parchment. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Makes 8 hearty 3-inch biscuits.

Beer Battered Fish Sandwiches

2009-03-02T09:11:00.000-08:00

I have been searching for a go-to cookbook for quite some time. I wanted a book that would be filled with a variety of recipes that complimented my own style, and that I could also use day-to-day. Funny how most things that we long for are actually sitting right beside us. I recently discovered a cookbook that has been able to deliver either recipes or inspiration for my everyday needs. This cookbook is exactly what I have been hoping for. It's called West Coast Cooking by Greg Atkinson. I acquired a copy from the Seattle Public Library and about 5 recipes later I ordered a copy from a seller on Amazon. One of my favorite parts about West Coast Cooking is that before each recipe Chef Greg provides a story that connects the cook to the dish that they are about to prepare.

I wanted to eat the Beer Battered Halibut Sandwiches from the moment I laid eyes on the recipe, and so Jake and I made a date to prepare them. I will say that they were all we had hoped for. We served ours with Brioche Buns from Macrina, red leaf lettuce, homemade tarter sauce, and a cucumber salad with red onions and a sweet vinaigrette dressing. The original recipe calls for halibut fillets, and unfortunately we were only able to find halibut steaks, so we substituted cod. I am excited to try it with Halibut next time.

Beer Battered Fish Sandwiches
adapted from West Coast Cooking
serves 3

For the Fish:
Canola oil, for frying
1 lb. halibut fillet (or cod)
1 t kosher salt
1/4 t freshly ground pepper

For the Beer Batter:
1 egg
6 oz. bottled beer or ale, we used Fat Tire
1 cup white flour
3/4 t baking powder
1/2 t kosher salt

Method:
Cut the fish to sandwich size pieces and season with salt and pepper. Make the batter by combining the dry ingredients in one bowl and in another, smaller bowl beat the egg and stir in the beer. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk out any lumps.

Heat the oil in a skillet to 375. You can test the oil with a drop of batter--when it floats directly to the surface and sizzles--it is ready to fry. Dip the fish into the batter and fry two pieces at a time, about 7 minutes each. If need be, place the fish that is ready on a plate lined with paper towels.

Assembly is up to your personal taste, but be sure to use quality accompaniments. These sandwiches are sure to please if paired with good bread, sauce, and toppings.

Salmon and Shrimp Linguine

2009-02-18T23:06:00.000-08:00

This dish was a consolation prize for my incredibly understanding boyfriend. You see, a few days ago I had a mild breakdown at Whole Foods. I'm sure that some of you can relate--it was the end of a long weekend. My body was hungry, but my brain felt incapable of registering even one idea of what to have for dinner. He kept offering up suggestions, and I shot them down one by one.

The one thing that he really wanted to eat for dinner that night was seafood pasta. But like everything else he suggested that day, I wasn't going there. All I really wanted was take out, and in the end that was exactly what we ended up eating.

A couple of days later I was feeling more inspired and I decided to invite him over for dinner. I had no plan set and as I brainstormed ideas the seafood pasta came to mind. I immediately felt moved to redeem myself from that day at Whole Foods.

Feeling ravenously hungry at the grocery store, another scenario I am sure you can relate to, I grabbed a bunch of items and hurried home to begin cooking our feast. I think that it turned out quite tasty and I can never argue with another fast and delicious recipe to add to my repertoire.

And he loved it, too.

Salmon and Shrimp Linguine
makes 4 servings

Ingredients
1 lb salmon, skin removed and cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 lb cocktail shrimp
8oz linguine
1 zucchini, quartered and sliced
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb crimini mushrooms
olive oil
1 T butter
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt/pepper t/t

Method
Cook linguine according to package directions. When drained, place noodles in a pot. In a separate pan saute the onions. Add in the garlic, zucchini, and mushrooms. When vegetables are cooked al dente (tender-crisp) add them to the linguine pot. Place a swirl of olive oil and the butter to the pan and saute the salmon and shrimp to your liking. Season with salt and pepper and squeeze the lemon juice over the seafood. Add to the linguine pot and toss all of the ingredients together. Serve with some grated cheese and a leafy salad.

Pastries for Superbowl

2009-02-09T21:26:00.000-08:00

It fits, right? Pastries for Superbowl? People back in Wisconsin might officially think that I fell off my rocker, as they say. After all, traditional football fare contains a hefty dose of cheese and not of the Parmesan variety. And if there IS pastry involved it better come from a Pillsbury tube. I will say that my pastries battled for the spotlight, and I do believe they came in for a close second. You see, someone brought a hotel pan filled with scrumptious chicken wings. It didn't matter what my pastries were filled with, as they were destined for second once those wings walked through the door.

Usually I make some sort of cheesy/meaty goodness for the big day. However this year I had a sleeve of filo dough that I needed to use, so I decided to make spanikopita. And when I had leftover filling, it seemed the perfect opportunity to try out a new pie crust formula that had recently been given to me. So this is how pastries for Superbowl came to be.

Neither of the pastries present a difficult task, however I would be sure to prepare them over a couple of days, in stages. That way they truly will feel effortless, with the exception with a bit of the rolling.

First make the filling. I had a good amount leftover, so I will halve my recipe and that should be just about right.

Spanikopita Filling ingredients:
1 box frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed out
1 egg
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 oz Parmesan, grated
salt/pepper to taste
olive oil

Saute the onion in a swirl of olive oil over medium heat until translucent. Add the garlic and saute for 2 minutes longer. Remove the pan from heat and add the egg, s/p to taste, and the Parmesan cheese. Cover and chill until needed.

Spanikopita triangles:
spinach filling
1 sleeve filo dough
olive oil, about 8 oz.
pastry brush
cool damp cloth
large rolling surface
cooking sheers

Pour the olive oil into a dish with your pastry brush and be sure to have more readily available in case you run out. Remove the filo dough from the package and start with about 3 sheets. Cover the rest with the damp cloth until needed. Working the long way, gently cut the sheets into 3 even sections and form into a stack. On your rolling surface, take one strip and brush with olive oil. Repeat 2 more times. On the bottom of the strip place a small amount (about 1 T) of filling and roll once to form a triangle. Once you have the first roll, proceed rolling upward until there is no more filo left to roll. Brush the top with olive oil and make sure the pastry is sealed up good. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment and proceed to the next pastry.

Pie Dough Ingredients:
10.5 oz flour
1 t salt
2 sticks, cold and unsalted, butter cut into cubes
1/2 to 1 cup heavy cream

In a bowl of a food processor pulse the flour, salt, and butter until the flour has a course crumb with some larger pieces present. (You can also do this in a large bowl with your fingers working the flour and the butter together.) Transfer to a large bowl and form a well. Starting with 1/2 cup of heavy cream, use a fork to help you bring the flour and cream together. Your goal is to have no more crumbs left. However, you don't want the dough to be wetter than that state, so add in cream as needed by a Tablespoon or so. When you have achieved a desired consistency, form the dough into a disk and refrigerate for an hour or overnight.

Spinach Pastries:
Spinach filling
Pie dough
egg wash (1 egg mixed with a tiny amount of water)
2.75 in. biscuit cutter (or you can use a glass or a mug that is about this size)

To make the pastries, cut the disk of dough in half with a chefs knife or bench scraper and flour your work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to about a 1/4 inch thick. Using a biscuit cutter, cut rounds from your dough. You can repeat once using the scrap dough, but after that discard the rest. Fill each round with about 1 T of spinach filling. Brush the edge with egg wash and seal in half. Using your thumb and forefinger make a sculpted edge. Brush with egg wash and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat with the second half of dough.

Baking Instructions:

Refrigerate the pastries for at least a half hour before baking. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Both can be wrapped up and frozen for later use, and there is no need to defrost before baking.

Roasted Corn and Tomato Salad/Salsa

2009-02-01T20:43:00.000-08:00

I am engaging in a love-hate relationship with Trader Joe's. But mostly I love it. Most recently I love it for its bags of frozen roasted corn. While picking up a few items at Frank's Quality Produce in Pikes Place Market, I was offered an opportunity to purchace a container of organic yellow cherry tomatoes for $2. Hungry for anything reminiscent of summer bounty, I hopped on board at the offer. He had me at hello, this salesman.

When the time came to prepare the tomatoes for consumption, there was no contest. They had to be paired with the roasted corn to complete a salad that would be served for taco night. You see, no taco night is complete in my world without an accompanying dish that can moonlight as a salad-salsa duo.
The salad turned out famously, with each flavor involved having a place in the spotlight. I was grateful for Frank's, for Trader Joe's, and for a chance to remember summer, if only for one January evening.

Roasted Corn and Tomato Salad/Salsa

Ingredients
1 basket cherry tomatoes, halved
4 oz. previously frozen roasted corn
1 small sweet onion, diced
1 T cilantro, chopped fine
2 T olive oil
3 T white wine vinegar
salt, to taste

Method
Combine the tomatoes, corn, and onion in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the cilantro with the olive oil. When combined, wisk in the vinegar. Toss the dressing with the salad and salt, to taste.

And as always, enjoy!

Buttermilk Pancakes

2009-01-21T22:32:00.000-08:00

I can still taste them. It's been over a week and the sweet and sour taste of buttermilk pancakes with bananas and real maple syrup still lingers in my memory, as if I could chew a bite right now.

There are certain things that must be made in the wintertime, and pancakes are at the top of my list. Also I must add that buttermilk is one of my new favorite ingredients as a pairing for things-flour. It's like they were made for each other, buttermilk and flour.

And on this particular morning, nothing seemed more perfect than some succulent buttermilk pancakes topped with what I like to think of as the forbidden fruit...after all no one is growing bananas around these parts.

These are heavy, but not in a cake-like way so they won't sit in your stomach for what feels like eternity. They are heavy in a way that feels perfectly comfortable in January. Make up a batch and see exactly what I mean.

Buttermilk Pancakes Topped With Bananas
(for two)

1 cups flour
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1 1/2 T sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 T unsalted butter, melted, plus some for griddle
1-2 bananas
real maple syrup (if you don't have this you can make a substitute using sugar and water)

Method

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, and 4 tablespoons butter; whisk to combine. Batter should have small to medium lumps.

Butter your pan and heat to medium high, about 375.

Using a small ladle or a 1/2 measuring cup, pour pancake batter into pan with about a 2 inch space inbetween. When pancakes have bubbles on top and are slightly dry around edges, about 2 1/2 minutes, flip over. Cook until golden on bottom, about 1 minute.

Repeat with remaining batter, keeping finished pancakes in a warm oven.

Top with fruit and syrup and enjoy with a cup of coffee or hot tea.

Moussaka

2009-01-04T17:50:00.000-08:00

One of the first things that I ever cooked for my boyfriend was moussaka and if my memory serves me correct, he declared it as one of the most delicious things that he had ever tasted. I, in turn declared his compliment one of the best I had ever received. And so upon his return from the Midwest for the holidays I decided to make him moussaka. It seemed like the perfect way to celebrate.

Since I made the moussaka on improv and since each time it turned out a bit different, I will provide you with a loose recipe. Trust your intuition to make it the way you want, and I am sure that it will turn out great. Perhaps it will be the best thing someone has ever tasted!

P.S. Moussaka is a classic 3 layer Greek casserole traditionally made with ground lamb, fragrantly spiced tomato sauce, eggplant, and a top layer of bechamel sauce. I have found myself really loving tomato sauce that is seasoned with cinnamon, nutmeg, and bay leaf which is probably why I also love this dish so much!

Ingredients:
2 eggplants
1 lb. ground beef or lamb
about 1 t cinnamon
about 1 t nutmeg
1 bay leaf
1 onion, diced
2 oz. Parmesan cheese
1/2 can tomato paste
I can tomato sauce
a few glugs of red wine
2 large red potatoes, sliced 1/2 in. thick
olive oil
coarse salt
pepper

bechamel:
5 T flour
4 T unsalted butter
2 cups hot whole milk
coarse salt
pepper
nutmeg
3 egg yolks, beaten
2 oz. Parmesan cheese

Method:
1.) Slice eggplants, sprinkle liberally with salt and let sweat for 30 minutes
2.) Rinse well, drain, and pat dry.
3.) Brush slices lightly on both sides with olive oil and place under the broiler on a cookie sheet until lightly browned. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
4.) Saute the onion with olive oil. Add ground meat, tomato sauce, spices, bay, and wine. Simmer for about 30 minutes to meld flavors. Adjust the seasonings as necessary.
5.) Make bechamel: In a saucepan melt the butter on low heat. Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until well incorporated. Add the milk, stirring constantly with a whisk, and continue stirring until the sauce begins to thicken. Remove from the heat and stir in salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir in the egg yolks and return to the heat, whisking until well blended. Remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan.

Assemble and Bake:
1.) Brush a 9x13 pan with olive oil.
2.) Lay down the potato slices in a single layer
3.) Layer in the eggplant slices
4.) Spread the meat mixture
5.) Sprinkle the Parmesan
6.) Spread the bechamel
7.) Bake for about 45 minutes at 350.

I served mine with roasted carrots and baguette slices because I had them on hand, but a nice big salad is always a lovely accompaniment. Enjoy! And be merry!

Beef Jerky

2008-12-21T00:37:00.000-08:00

I got the brilliant idea from my man. He wanted to make beef jerky and I said 'Let's do it!' I had made it once before in school, but I had set the oven temperature too high and as a result my jerky ended up resembling very crisp bacon. Though the mistake actually ended up worked out quite well for the BLTs that I made later that day, but that is a whole other story.

I talked to a lot of people and searched in books and online for the best jerky advice, and I felt a bit frustrated because it seemed that everyone had something different to say. In the end, we decided to combine selected information with cooking instinct and simply see what happens.
We began with 5# of Eye of the Round which was cut to 1/8 in. by the butcher. I created a marinade based on reading many sample recipes:

Jerky Marinade

5# thinly sliced beef
2 cups soy sauce
1 cup brown sugar
2 T ketchup
2 T steak sauce
6 cloves garlic. pressed
3 inch piece fresh ginger, grated

We marinated our jerky for 12 hours, turning the meat a few times to make sure it was properly coated.

A friend lent me her electric smoker, but it had only a cord with no thermostat attachment. This meant that we would have had no way to control how hot the smoker would get. The key to good beef jerky is that it is dried (not cooked) at an optimal temperature. The optimal temperatures that I read ranged from 90-150 degrees. I tested my oven and the lowest that it would go was 120 with the door ajar, and I decided that was probably a good median temperature considering the suggested temperature settings.

We decided to give the jerky a light smoke without turning on the heat. We smoked the marinated meat for about 30 minutes with apple wood chips and then transferred it to the oven on the warm setting with the door ajar. We also placed a meat thermometer on the inside of the oven so that we could monitor the heat during the drying process. The jerky took only about 4 hours to complete. In the end, I was very impressed at the consistent texture on all of the meat no matter where it was located in the oven. Most importantly though, it tasted awesome.

Shower Food

2008-12-10T21:35:00.000-08:00

I spent much of last weekend preparing food for a girlfriend's baby shower that took place on Sunday afternoon. I have to say that this was by far the best baby shower that I have ever been to because the energy felt perfect.

There were three of us on the planning committee and I was immediately designated food coordinator, a role in which I of course embraced. We wanted the theme to be "baby food, " meaning small bites and the menu came to me almost immediately. I prepared mini spinach and cheese quiches, tea sandwiches, and lemon meringue tartlets.

I was going to be making the tartlets in a mini muffin tin, which made me feel a bit nervous only because I had never used that method before. I thought, "I'm going to see what Martha has to say about this..." and when I searched for the information on her website, almost immediately a page opened that said, "fit rounds into a 24-cup nonstick mini muffin tin." I could not believe my eyes. Not only was Martha going to rid my anxiety about baking tartlets in muffin tins, but her website INCLUDED A VIDEO outlining the steps to ensure that my quiches would turn out perfectly.

And Martha was right. They were quite perfect.
For the tea sandwiches, I bought the tiny bread that you can buy in the deli near the meat and cheese counter. I used half sourdough and the other half pumpernickel. For the filling I used QFC's smoked gruyere and feta dip and cucumbers sliced in a crinkle cut with a mandolin.
Oh yes, and the lemon cream. With Meringue. Toasted in the oven. Yum. I must advise you to make this luscious filling immediately.

Lemon Cream
adapted from Pierre Herme

1 cup sugar
zest of 3 lemons
4 large eggs
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice from 5 lemons
2 sticks plus 5 tablespoons or 10-1/2 oz butter, cut into chunks

Combine the sugar, zest, juice, and eggs in a bowl that can be used as a bain marie. Whip over a pot of boiling water for up to 10 minutes, or until the temperature measures 170 dgerees F. Strain the cream into the bowl of a food processor and cool to 140 degrees F. Emulsify the butter 5 cubes at a time and when the butter is all in the cream blend for an additional three minutes. Pour into a prepared crust or use it to top biscuits or crepes. This cream will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to three weeks.

**I want to thank Allison for taking such amazing shots of my food! I appreciate it lady!

P.S

2008-12-05T07:52:00.000-08:00

It's true. I have been in serious denial. My camera died again. Luckily a very good friend is going to lend me hers for awhile until I can buy another. But I will tell you that it broke my heart not to share my Thanksgiving contributions with you. I made dinner rolls from Artisan Bread Baking Across America, Roasted Squash Salad with Pomegranate Molasses, and Duck Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms. None of my contributions are visible in the picture (that, by the way, the very same friend was sweet enough to send.)

Also, while we were feasting in Portland I was able to check out Ken's Artisan Bakery and Pearl Bakery. I didn't try the sweet treats at either, but I did sample the bread at both (in the way of a sandwich at Pearl and as a soup accompaniment at Ken's) and can I just say Oh my g-d!? There is a reason that these two places are on the artisan bread map. Run, run, run to Portland and go eat bread!

I have a few things up my sleeve for the very near future as I will be creating the food for my girlfriend's baby shower on Sunday. So hopefully I will be up and running by then. Keep your fingers crossed know that it is my wish that we will be in touch soon. Cheers!

Is it a Mixing Bowl or a Soup Pot?

2008-12-02T22:34:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again when cooking and baking is in full swing. It seems that even those folks who do not tend to gravitate towards the kitchen are finding themselves right there exactly.

Take my boss. She's a pastry chef by day and orders her dinner most nights from one of the restaurants that she has in her mental rotation. I'm not sure that her kitchen gets much of a workout at all. On the night before Thanksgiving, I gave her a call to see how her Tirimisu was coming. I figured that all would be good, since I know that she makes amazing desserts. As we were chatting she shared with me that she had to use her soup pot as a mixing bowl since she didn't have one. We laughed and I told her that sometimes when I bake bread at home that I have to use a wicker basket in place of a banneton for proofing. I also use the bottom of a glass to mash potatoes.

I got to thinking: We have all of these fancy kitchen gadgets available, but what things in the kitchen are actually multi-purpose? Thoughts anyone?

Pickles and Parties

2008-11-21T22:41:00.000-08:00

I bought some beets from the Ballard Farmer's Market awhile back and when I had not prepared them in a timely manner I decided to make pickles. This is a great way to enjoy my farm fresh beets for an extended period of time, and I find comfort in knowing that I have some delicious food that in I can pull out in the case of an impromptu gathering. After all, that's the whole idea, right? Pickling=Preservation.
Speaking of impromptu gatherings, I hosted a small shin-dig last weekend. Featured on the food table was some duck prosciutto that I made over the summer and some of the bread and butter pickles that I preserved recently. The actual cheese plate had been my grandmothers and I hauled it back with me on the plane from Wisconsin last June. Among the cheeses we enjoyed were a Sally Jackson goat cheese, Beecher's Flagship, a French Camembert, and the Rogue River Smoky Blue. Also on the menu, vegetarian empanadas and a brie en croute wheel with roasted cranberries. It turned out to be a fantastic time, with new and old friends and a great way to ring in the holiday season. I'm feeling particularily festive this year, and I plan to translate that energy into some great cooking adventures. I can't wait!

Garlicky Spread

2008-11-10T21:14:00.000-08:00

Like most things food, it came to me in a vision. It was a combination of feeling inspired lately by anchovies and reminiscing about standing in line at Salumi and watching as my sandwich was being made. They always put that garlicky olive oil spread on the roll before filling it with meatballs or porchetta. I love that moment when I've made something that turns out exactly how I imagined it, and on the day that I created my own garlicky spread that is exactly how it went.

When it was finished I brushed it onto a warm ciabatta roll with some slow roasted pork that sat overnight in a brine and was rubbed down with toasted fennel seeds and sage before it went into the oven. I do believe that this little concoction of mine could be used on a variety of breads or sandwiches, as a marinade, or as a base for a dressing or a sauce.

Garlicky Spread

1 cup oil
10 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 small bunch sage leaves, chopped
2 T butter
1 anchovy
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt t/t

Heat the oil in a saucepan on medium heat . Add the garlic, but make sure the pan is not hot enough to brown it and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the sage and cook for another minute. Add the butter and the anchovy. Let another minute pass. Place contents into a food processor and emulsify for a minute. Add lemon juice and salt t/t.

Beef Stew

2008-11-07T20:27:00.000-08:00

Every year around Halloween, I vow that the next Halloween will be different. I will get into the groove, conjure up an amazing get-up, and hit the streets with my new found Halloween spirit. And then the big day arrives and I don't feel that disappointed that I once again did not follow through with my new-year's Halloween resolution.
This year was especially different because I had a very special Mister to share my traditionally anticlimactic holiday with, and when it was all said and done Halloween 2008 felt exactly the way I have always wanted Halloween to feel, except in a way that I never knew existed before.
We indulged ourselves in Norwegian bread that I made earlier in the day, butter that was made by a classmate and stew that had slow cooked in the oven for hours.
J carved our pumpkin while I sat cozily on the couch reading my latest cookbooks from the library. One that is a must read is Home Baking: The Artful Mix of Flour and Tradition Around the World by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid.

The stew was my first and I must say that it turned out fantastically. I would highly recommend the stew/cookbook combo.

The Best Halloween Stew

1.5 lb stew meat, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
salt
ground black pepper
2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium-large onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, rough chopped
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup red wine
2 cups broth (I used veggie broth, but you could also use chicken or beef)
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
8 small carrots, cut in half or quartered depending on size
1 sweet potato, cut in chunks
2 Yukon Gold potatoes, cut in chunks
1 cup (6 ounces) frozen peas, thawed

Preheat oven to 300. Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat in a large soup pot and add meat to pan in two batches. Brown meat, about 5 minutes per batch, adding an additional 1 tablespoon oil if necessary. Transfer meat to a platter. Add onions to pot and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add garlic; continue to cook for about 30 seconds longer. Stir in flour and cook until lightly colored, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in wine, scraping up any browned bits that may have stuck to pan. Add the broth, bay leaves, and thyme and bring to simmer. Add meat and return to a simmer. Cover and place in oven for about two hours. Turn the oven up to 375 and add the potatoes, carrots, and sweet potato to the pot. Return to the oven for approximately another hour, perhaps a bit longer. In the final 15 minutes stir in the peas. Let cool for a few minutes before digging in, as the vegetables hold a lot of heat. And of course enjoy with bread and butter, preferably home made.

Proof...

2008-10-26T16:28:00.000-07:00

Sometimes when I have not posted in awhile it is simply due to the fact that I have taken a bit of a hiatus from the kitchen and really have not been creative at all, which feels incredibly unfortunate, by the way. Luckily for you and for me that has not been the case as of late. I have been incredibly busy in a multitude of kitchens. I began my Independent Study at school a couple of weeks ago. This means that I have written myself (a loose) curriculum and every Thursday morning I go to school and make a pre-ferment and on Fridays I bring it all together.

Yesterday I decided that I love baking rolls. They are incredibly satisfying on their own, or with bit a bit of butter or cheese, or filled with sauces and toppings. On this week's menu was a semolina roll filled with house made Kielbasa braised in Scotch ale, garlic, and onions, roasted tomato aioli, and topped with a fennel roasted red pepper relish with capers and red wine vinegar. I was a bit unsure of the flavor combination at first, but in the end I do believe that I came up with a winner.
Last weekend I made tomato soup and braised kale with an egg on top.
The photograph of this pizza is a bit blurry, much like my state of mind when it was taken. A good girlfriend was in town and we decided to drink wine BEFORE dinner. Luckily I had the components all ready. All I had to do was roast some tomatoes with olive oil, garlic, and oregano. Blend. Roll out the dough and top. I even had some pesto in the freezer...
I am in love with my pizza peel that I bought at the Lifelong AIDS alliance thrift store. If you want to find a gem, go there.
Ah yes, more biscuits. Except these are made with rendered pork fat. Yum. And homemade breakfast sausage. To the left are dill scallion biscuits with Parmesan cheese. Have I convinced you to make biscuits yet???

Biscuits

2008-10-14T14:35:00.000-07:00

I have a lot to say about biscuits.

First of all I grew up hating them. But do you want to know why? Because almost every weekend my step father would make a huge breakfast, and as part of the meal he would joyously pop open a container of refrigerator biscuits. My whole family loved them, but all I wanted was toast. Why couldn't we just eat toast?

As an adult, I discovered biscuit sandwiches. Occasionally I will stumble upon a brunch spot that makes homemade biscuits and I talk the waitstaff into building me an egg and cheese biscuit sandwich. Pair that with a dark cup of coffee sweetened with cream, and I do believe you might have discovered the best brunch ever.

Last weekend I woke up craving my own biscuits, straight up with a little bit of honey. And so I whipped some up, and seriously biscuits are EASY. I need to convert my step father immediately. These were inspired by a recipe I found on the blog Homesick Texan.

Make them and enjoy them.

Biscuits

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick of butter, cold, and cut into cubes
3/4 cup of buttermilk (or make your own with 3/4 cup milk + 1 T lemon juice)

Method:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Mix all the dry ingredients together.
Mix the butter in with your fingers until pea sized pieces have formed. (I used my kitchen aid with the paddle attachment.)
Add the liquid, mixing only until ingredients have come together.
Place the dough on a floured surface, and roll the dough into a ball and then roll it out with a rolling pin and fold it in half. Do this 3 times.
Roll out the dough until it’s 1/4 of an inch thick, and then fold it in half.
Using a chefs knife cut out your biscuits from folded dough.
Place on a baking sheet with parchment close together so that they rise up not out.
Bake for 15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.

Drizzle with honey, top with egg, or eat them solo.

Food From the Farm

2008-09-29T22:39:00.000-07:00

All week there have been traces of last weekend's visit to Fall City Farms. The bowl of freshly picked apples filled my entire apartment with a delightfully intoxicating scent that made me feel as though I were still standing in the middle of a huge orchard. Then there were the Anaheims on the meatball pizza, and the garlic that I chopped up and slipped into last night's potatoes. Or the squash and pumpkin with their beautiful shades of orange that I cannot wait to dream up the perfect recipes for.

On Friday morning I awoke with a plan to peel, chop, season, and bake the 5# of apples that we acquired from the farm. I could not wait one more second. Below you'll see them adorning Sunday morning French toast made with Macrina's Whole Wheat Cider loaf.
What you don't get to see is the wonderful apple pie that was made later on...let's just say that it got spoken for real quick....

The moral of the story is that all you need are a few gems that are sourced from a place that feels good. You may not be able to buy all of your food at the Farmer's Market or directly from a local farm, but any effort is good effort. And the payoff is delicious!

Slow Food: Meatball Pizza

2008-09-24T07:42:00.000-07:00

I love slow food...in fact, who doesn't...it encompasses flavor and love. There are so many layers of flavor in food that come out when you cook it slowly.

I day dreamed about these meatball pizzas last Friday afternoon while I was at work enduring a particularly grueling day of baking. I was tired and hungry and I knew that I had a pound of organic hamburger in my fridge that needed to be used. After work my cute man friend enticed me with a few cold Deschutes Obsidian Porters and I said, "let's make meatballs."

These meatballs are great. It's funny how cooking with pure instinct is sometimes the best way to go. You can have a basic idea and build on it depending on what's in your fridge, which is precisely what I did. I will try and give you the best possible rendition.

The actual pizza is a whole other story, which makes sense since it was cooked four days after the meatballs simmered on my stove on a lazy Friday night.

I love Amy's Breads. Of all of my bread books, hers is my favorite. I learned about her while in school and many students used the chef's tattered copy to recreate her humble magnificence.
Her pizza crust is really easy and tasty and provides that very crunch that I love.
I omitted the add-ins since I wanted my toppings to shine, but I've enjoyed the crust both ways so you can decide which you might prefer.

So without further ado, the recipes...

Meatballs
(Note: had I had some available I would have used 1/2 ground pork 1/2 ground beef in this recipe)

1 lb. ground hamburger
1/2 red onion
8 cloves garlic, roasted
1/2 cup soft cubed bread (I used Macrina's Vollkorn)
a few heavy pinches kosher salt
course ground pepper
2 sprigs ea. thyme, rosemary
1 T Italian seasoning
1 egg
olive oil for pan frying

Mix together and roll into 1 1/2 inch balls and flatten slightly. Heat oil in a skillet and cook on each side for about 3 minutes. You'll probably do this in two batches. Drain on a plate with paper towels.

Marinara
1 can whole plum tomatoes
1/2 cup red wine
2 swirls olive oil
4 cloves garlic

Simmer ingredients for about an hour and a half. Add water as needed. (I like to have a tea kettle on the stove for easily accessible hot water.)

Put meatballs in marinara and use or store in refrigerator for later use.

Amy's Pizza Crust
(This recipe makes 4 10 in crusts. If you want to freeze some, Amy suggests reserving a portion before the rise, wrap in foil, place in a sealed storage bag, and freeze for up to 6 months.)

1 2/3 cup very warm water (105-115 degrees)
1 T active dry yeast
4 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup course cornmeal
1 T olive oil
1 T + 2 tsp course kosher salt
(add-ins that I omitted)
1 T minced garlic
2 1/2 t dried oregano
1 t cayenne pepper

(Amy directs to mix this dough by hand, but I am going to tell you how I mixed it in my Kitchenaid.)

Mix all ingredients with a dough hook on 1st speed. Add water 1 T at a time if flour is not getting picked up. Mix for about 5 minutes on 2nd speed. Form into a loose Boole and place in an oiled bowl until doubled, for about 1 hour.

Let oven preheat with pizza stone at 450 for 30 minutes. With floured hands divide dough into desired size, reshape into loose Boole and let rest for 10 minutes. Starting in the center on the dough begin flattening to 1/4 inch. Transfer onto a peel coated in flour or cornmeal and top with marinara, meatballs and whatever toppings you desire. I used red pepper, Anaheim pepper, small fresh mozzarella balls, shallots, and pitted kalamata olives.

Using peel, shimmy pizza onto the stone and bake for about 12 minutes, give or take a couple.

I hope that you'll try and enjoy this recipe. And if you do, let me know how it goes!

Macrina's Lemon-Sour Cherry Bundt Cake

2008-09-22T21:41:00.000-07:00

In this month's Bon Appetit there is an article highlighting those chosen by the magazine as the best chefs, tastemakers, and food artisans of 2008. Among the chosen was pastry chef Gina DePalma of NYC's Babbo. Upon reading the article, I became inspired as she described a well made bundt cake as "sublime." I thought, "I love her." In all of my foodie dreams, I am most inspired by foods with a humble spirit, and to me the bundt cake is the perfect representation of that very thing. And so, I got to baking a bundt cake.

The chosen one was from Leslie Mackie's Macrina Bakery and Cafe Cookbook: Favorite Breads, Pasteries, Sweets, and Savories.

This cake is light, sweet, and delicious. Perfect for brunch or for a snack, or in my case for sharing with neighbors.

Lemon-Sour Cherry Coffee Cake

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups sugar
3 T lemon zest
8 oz unsalted butter, at room temp
5 eggs
1 cup yogurt
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
1 T baking powder
1 1/2 cups dried tart cherries

Method:
* Preheat oven to 325 and oil 12 cup bundt pan
*Place dried cherries in a medium sized bowl and cover with hot water.
*Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt--set aside.
*Combine butter, zest, and sugar in a stand mixer.
*Add eggs, one at a time and scrape your bowl in between each addition.
*Combine yogurt and lemon juice and add 1/3 to the butter mixture.
*Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, scrape your bowl, and repeat.
*Squeeze the water out of the cherries and fold into the batter.
*Gently pour batter into prepared bundt pan and bake on the center rack of the oven for about an hour and 10 minutes.
*Invert the bundt onto a plate and enjoy the beauty and the flavor of this fabulous cake.

Pickles

2008-09-08T17:02:00.000-07:00

It felt very Midwest. The sign at the farmer's market said, "It's time for pickling!" I was relieved to see the sign since pickles for pickling was my mission that day. The folks running the stand seemed excited and relieved (it did not appear that many other people were on a pickling mission that day) when I bought 10 pounds.
The picking process is easy and fun, and really inspiring when you realize that not only did people used to preserve their food to survive, but the food you preserve will last for a long time.

Brats for Breakfast

2008-09-08T16:27:00.000-07:00

I mean...not really. But I did have several moments that morning when I felt like my Dad. He used to wake up in the wee hours of the morning and eat things like pork-n-kraut for breakfast. Yes, it's true. To his credit this was back in his bachelor days...I think that since he's been with his lady for the last number of years, he's diverted back to more traditional breakfasts like eggs and toast.
Nevertheless, over the weekend I woke up before work to prepare our brats for the grill later on that evening. My Dad would be proud...and probably feeling somewhat nostalgic and inspired.

Carina's Brats

Ingredients:
4 brats
1/2 sweet onion, sliced lenghwise
pad of butter
swirl of olive oil
12 oz. beer (any old beer, really)
kraut
mustard

Method:
*Warm the olive oil and butter in the pan and saute onions
*Add the bratwursts and turn occasionally, allow to brown on a side or two
*Add beer and let it reduce.
*Add kraut to warm
*When ready to grill, pull brats from the marinade.
*Use onions and kraut as toppings.
*Top with delicious mustard and enjoy!

Chicken Taco Salads

2008-09-03T21:48:00.000-07:00

I love autumn for many reasons, but one of the best is that eating is so much fun around Harvest time. The Farmer's markets are lush with produce, and if you're like me you buy too much food and then have to scramble to eat it all in time. Thankfully this is just another reason on a whole list of reasons to make a big dinner salad. And last night that is exactly what we decided to do.

My dinner companion had chicken in his fridge and so I packed up my produce: spinach, romaine, and red cabbage for the base and cherry tomatoes, corn off the cob, red onion, zucchini, and avocado.

Rinse and coat the chicken in 1/2 cup flour and a 1/2 packet of taco seasoning (or you could make your own using a blend of salt, cumin, garlic, and chili powder.) Sear it in a pan coated with canola oil. Squirt the chicken with fresh lime and toss some diced onion in the pan along with some water or broth (about 1/4-1/2 cup.) Turn the heat to low and gently shred the chicken. Place the chicken atop the prepared salad plates and serve with sour cream, salsa, and tortilla chips. Enjoy the fresh flavors and imagine the possibilities for your next harvest dinner.

Bundt from Hiroki

2008-09-02T19:53:00.000-07:00

I was at Victrola on a recent evening and in the pastry case sat a lone bundt cake. I casually asked the barista about the cake and she assured me that I should try a piece for myself. As it turns out my barista was right, because in one bite I was sold.

In a later conversation with one of my favorite food people I was relaying the story of my bundt cake encounter. She quickly exclaimed, "oh! anything from Hiroki is amazing."

There you have it...

And so tonight at Victrola I relive my bundt cake experience, and once again I was sold in a bite.

A Brunch P.S

2008-08-12T21:10:00.000-07:00

Doesn't this photograph make you want to eat brunch right now?

Thank you, Allison for gifting pics for the last couple of posts....

Folks, my new memory card reader will be here this week. I am VERY excited.

Rustic Peach Compote

2008-08-11T12:42:00.000-07:00

I love brunch. I guess that it has to do with all of the great things surrounding it...delicious food, friends or community enjoying a meal together, coffee, a full day ahead...it's a great meal.

On Sunday Allison hosted a small brunch for a few friends in honor of her newly renovated bathroom and her upgraded George Foreman, complete with a waffle grill! As my contribution I told her that I would bring a waffle topping. I immediately thought of a simple apple filling that we used to make in school...apples, lemon, and a touch of sugar. And then I remembered that it is not quite apple season yet in Washington....all of the apples at QFC right now are from Chile, Argentina, and New Zealand. Changing gears, I opted for California peaches and came up with a delicious Rustic Peach Compote that works beautifully with waffles and a touch of maple syrup....a new reason to love brunch.

Rustic Peach Compote

Ingredients:
4 peaches
a small handful (or about 1/8 cup) brown sugar
juice of 1 lemon
2 dashes cinnamon
1 dash cardamom
olive oil

Method:
`Cut the peaches into chunks.
`Since you are going to cook the peaches in progression, start by sauteing half of the peaches in olive oil.
`Add another half of the peaches and brown sugar, simmer.
`Add the remaining peaches, lemon juice and spices.
`Simmer to desired consistency.

Fed From the Land

2008-08-04T20:45:00.000-07:00

Seriously. I know that you probably think that I left for the land o' meat and was never coming back. Honestly, I was getting a little bit worried myself. It's just that when you're around huge hunks of meat for hours at a time it can be really overwhelming. That, and the fact that I lost my USB cord somewhere between Wisconsin and Seattle has made writing about anything other than meat quite challenging.

You might be wondering how I came in contact with the gorgeous food above. And if you are also wondering if I had the incredible pleasure of consuming that beautiful plate of food, the answer is yes....And may I just say that it did in fact rock my world?

Two friends were married this weekend on a farm near Trout Lake WA. The food was catered by a local company that creates amazing menus using locally grown food. We had cedar grilled salmon, leafy green salad with goat cheese, Caprese salad, antipasto (I LOVE eggplant!) artisan bread and butter, and a penne pasta with tomatoes. I felt like I had to pinch myself as I ate, as this was one of the best catered meals that I have ever experienced. That and the fact that I was surrounded by lush green grass, blue skies, a warm golden sun, and a lovely newly wed couple, the day couldn't have been more perfect.

Well, except singing and dancing the night away with some of my my favorite people...

And the little blackberry tartlets...

Perfect.

Charcuterie Independant Study III: Molasses Ham

2008-07-28T14:33:00.000-07:00

The 25lb. molasses ham went in the smoker today for 1 of 2 9-hour smoke sessions. It marinated in a salt brine under 24 lb. of weight for 17 days. Starting tomorrow (7/31) it will hang for 7 weeks!

Charcuterie Independent Study II: Ducks and Mustard

2008-07-18T09:15:00.000-07:00

In my culinary adventures I have never cut up a bird, but that all changed this week when I had the mission of fabricating 4 ducks. The task at hand was the successful removal of the breasts for duck prosciutto and all of the leg and thigh meat for duck sausage. I managed, but may I just say that I was praying that no chefs would walk by to observe my work. Luckily in Independent Study there is low risk of that happening, or at least it is understood that I am self taught and throwing myself to the birds, so to speak.

The sausage turned out lovely. Filled with red wine, fresh sage, steamed garlic, and dried cherries, how could you go wrong? The prosciutto is hanging for 1 week.

I also made 3 mustards: course ground yellow with white wine wine, apricots, and shallots, course ground yellow with house made beer, and course ground brown with red wine with roasted peppers and toasted cumin. They all tasted delightful in their own unique way and super easy to make!

The Molasses ham is working on its 12 day brine and will go through a 24 hour smoke on Wednesday. My partner in crime at school took some pictures of this beauty and I will post them as soon as they are in my possession. I am still having camera issues, which is sad because I would love for you to see pictures of this amazing experience. Stay patient my friends, as I have your best interests at heart. Have a good weekend. Cheers!

Charcuterie Independent Study I: Tuscan Salami

2008-07-09T16:44:00.000-07:00

I began my independent charcuterie study this week. It's been a really cool experience so far...today I mixed, stuffed, and hung my Tuscan salami. It's filled with pork, red vino, toasted anise seed and fennel, minced garlic, and cracked pepper.

Tomorrow I will hang the salami in the fridge for 4 -6 weeks and then it will be good to go!

Wisco Part II

2008-07-08T16:00:00.000-07:00

Ah, back roads Wisconsin. I love you! This photo was taken from the car window on the way to Carr Valley Cheese in La Valle, WI. Curds at Carr Valley...these curds SQUEAK!
Stop 2: Cedar Grove in Plain, WI.
Yummy cheese plate at my brother's graduation party, featuring cheeses from Carr Valley and Cedar Grove.

Wisco Part I

2008-07-08T14:42:00.000-07:00

Hello again...it's been too long! It looks like blogger is going to make me talk about my trip in two pieces for the sake of size. So here it goes...

I love this sign...it was discovered in a cute little shop in Cedarburg, WI. This town had the best little shops and restaurants...quaint and casual just like a little town should be. A mushroom and chorizo quesadillia from Cempazuchi's in Milwaukee, WI. I heart this place.
Day three in Wisconsin: dinner at Katie and Andy's: White bean and balsamic puree atop grilled French bread, Pine nut and caper chicken, grilled romaine, and Caprese salad...a community effort, delicious results.
My sister's 22nd birthday dinner. You may have heard me praise the book From Tapas to Mezze: Small Plates From the Mediterranean. This Greek Omelet is filled with sauteed leeks, zucchini, mint, dill, and feta cheese.
A variation inspired by the dinner at Katie's house: Caprese salad with white beans on a bed of grilled romaine.

I Heart Wisconsin

2008-06-21T07:22:00.000-07:00

I couldn't take it anymore...I miss Foodiefabulous! It is my last day in Wisconsin, a true bittersweetness. When I get back I will have lots of pictures for you. I've been drinking great regional Micros like New Glaris's Fat Squirrel (a wonderful beer from one of my favorite breweries.) I've visited local cheese production facilities--Carr Valley and Cedar Grove, both in the heart of the coulee region--so beautiful! Yesterday I spent the day in the kitchen with my Aunt and Grandmother, creating an abundance of summer salads for my little brother's graduation party. It was such a gift to be part of their stories and banter that holds strong from the years that they have been part of each other's lives.

This is a photograph of the World's Largest 6-Pack, the centerpiece for my hometown, La Crosse WI. Originally constructed in 1969, these six tanks hold 688,200 barrels of beer - enough to fill 7,340,796 cans. People in Wisconsin are serious about their beer...
For those of you in Seattle, have a great Solstice weekend. For everyone else, Prost!

Talk to you soon...

Last Days

2008-06-09T23:47:00.000-07:00

The last day of production in the bakeshop is always very zoo-esque. It is our goal to use up everything, so if you have product left over it's your goal to figure out a way to utilize it. What you see below is Last Day project #2: Day-old Ciabatta crostini topped with A.) Morbier cheese and grapes roasted with olive oil, rosemary, thyme, lemon zest, and sea salt & B.) Left over tomato chutney. Project # 1 (sorry, no picture) was a Croque Madam tart: Pate Sucre filled with a mustard bechamel and topped with Tasso Ham and Strawberry sauce. It was quite interesting to say the least. All of my colleagues voted against the strawberry sauce, but when I had one of my chefs taste it he exclaimed "it's like ketchup!" How can you argue with that? I couldn't.

Final Project

2008-06-09T23:36:00.000-07:00

I am almost finished with school! Can you believe it? I cannot...These, my dear readers are photographs of my final project. My chefs loved, loved, loved everything...they said that I nailed my flavors. Honestly, I couldn't ask for a better compliment.

Chef of the Day Menu

Tasso and Morbier Croissant
Filled with house-smoked ham and cheese

Walnut Cake
With orange and vanilla scented mascarpone Bavarian mousse, finished with sprayed milk chocolate and candied walnuts

Altamura Semolina Sourdough Bread
With slow cooked tomato chutney

Mini Goat Cheesecakes
Pistachio topping, strawberry gastrique, rhubarb tuile and an apple, rhubarb, and ginger beer jam

Grape Tart
Pate Sucre filled with Lemon Cream, topped with grape slices a Gewurztraminer wine glaze

Milk Chocolate Candies
Filled with creamy coconut caramel

Volunteering at Seattle Tilth

2008-06-02T20:30:00.000-07:00

Although I hope to go back in the summer or fall, today was my last day volunteering in the Children's Garden at Seattle Tilth.

I have to say that Seattle Tilth is quite a lovely organization. My first encounter with them was when I went to buy my second round o' worms after I killed my first batch. They were really informative and passionate on that visit and it was then that I first inquired about volunteering in the Garden.

Then I went to their 30th Anniversary Event where Anna Lappe spoke about our food systems and the potential and eminent effects of transporting our food all across the globe and the mass production of food, among other daunting subjects.

I began volunteering in the Children's Garden at Seattle Tilth in April and it has been an incredible experience. Even more than before, I feel confident that we need to educate children and families about their food, how it is grown and produced, and exactly how we acquire it.

In the Garden, we taught the children how to "be" in the space, how to pick plants that are ready to be eaten, how to plant and water seed so that they will grow. We sampled different types of plants and we learned about how insects and other creatures that live in gardens can help or hurt our efforts. Each week I would see an increased confidence on the faces of these small children. Their expressions and their mannerisms became bigger....they were getting it! And they liked it!

I think that we can all learn a thing or two from the youngsters about life. The children inspire me and help me to realize that there is hope....after all they are the ones with the open minds just waiting to learn something new.

Foodiefab Tips for the Farmer's Market

2008-06-02T00:39:00.002-07:00

It's true. I like taking pictures of the pretty flowers that I buy at the Farmer's Market. In fact, fresh flowers are a primary motivator in getting me to the market each week.

Unlike most weeks, however these flowers were the ONLY thing that I bought at the market today and that my friends, left me feeling unsettled. All I could do was vow that next week I would come prepared with my list as I normally do.

It is a common occurrence that I hear feedback from folks about how shopping at the outdoor market can be overwhelming. If you're used to doing one big trip at a local grocery store, or not cooking much at all, changing habits can feel like a daunting task. But having the opportunity to buy fresh and local produce directly from a farmer is truly a gift we should give to ourselves and to our bodies.

So, here are some tips to get you started.

~Plan for a manageable number of meals that you want to prepare throughout the week. If you need help, you can look through cookbooks, magazines, or on the internet for inspiration. In Seattle you can go to the Farmer's Market Website to find out what will be ripe and ready for the week. Remember that any recipe can be tweaked to fit the season. If you're a newbie to cooking, start with one meal. It's better to start small...

~ Make a separate farmer's market and grocery store list. That way whatever you are unable to find at the market you can buy at the store on your next stop.

~Bring a tote bag and keep cash in your pocket so that it's easily accessible.

~Ask questions! There are a lot of products at the market that you may not be able to identify. The farmers will able to give you tips for recipes and cooking techniques.

Finally, have fun and don't forget your flowers...

Cheers.

Pepperone

2008-05-25T22:54:00.000-07:00

Otherwise known as pepperoni. I think this may be my best sausage to date.

Ricotta

2008-05-25T22:46:00.001-07:00

This is Kelsey's Ricotta. But it is an amazing recipe if you're in the market to make your own...

Homemade Ricotta

Ingredients:

1/2 cup lemon juice
1 gallon milk
1 qt buttermilk

Method:

Bring ingredients to 185 degrees.
Strain into cheesecloth
Voila!

Tis the Season of Fresh Food!

2008-05-19T21:58:00.000-07:00

Does anyone else out there have trouble eating their greens even if you really like them? It's crazy. I like greens and I really like eating healthy, but it's almost as if I have to be in the habit of eating them all of the time. If I'm not in the habit and then I slip, it's really hard for me to get back on track. Can you tell I recently battled with this issue? It's true. I fell off of the greens wagon for a moment. These are the greens that got me back on track: Spinach and Pea Vines from Full Circle Farms. Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum. I didn't just eat these greens, by the way. I also ate two corn tortillas filled with pinto beans and Mt Townsend cheese. Yum. I went to a BBQ on Friday and this is what I brought: Priscuitto wrapped asparagus brushed with olive oil, sea salt, and pepper.
I made this pizza for friends over the weekend. (Sorry for that pesky stripe!) It was made with home cooked pizza dough, slow cooked marinara, basil, tomatoes, and mozzarella. The sauce really makes it and it's super easy.

Ingredients:
1 can whole Italian Plum tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, smashed

Method:
Place all of the ingredients on low heat. Cook the sauce for 2-3 hours or until it achieves a chunky paste-like consistency. That's it, that's all folks.

Croissants

2008-05-12T23:35:00.000-07:00

I made croissants at home this weekend. I made two kinds, and I think that my neighbors were super excited because each time a batch got done, I would knock on their doors like a little elf and delivery hot buttery goodness. They are happy to be my taste testers and I am equally grateful to have them around. People often ask me how I manage to be around so much pastry and not eat it all, but it is really not hard for me. I just don't. It is that simple. However, if you put me in front of a cheese plate, now that's a different story. We all have our favorite foods, and we must. Having the ability to enjoy a diverse selection of food is truly a gift.Getting back to the croissants, here they are resting on a plate after a long three days. Two are filled with roasted tomatoes and feta cheese and the others are filled with cinnamon and sugar, golden raisins, pine nuts, and pecans.

Note: Before you proceed, I want to warn you that the recipe may appear to be intense. It sort of is, but it is also fun and these croissants will rock your world. If there is anyone in your life that you need on your good side, these croissants may just do the trick. So take it step by step and have a great time.

Prepare Croissant Pre-Ferment

240g flour
144g milk
3g yeast

Pour milk into the mixer and add the yeast and flour. Mix until incorporated, about 1 minute.

Place in a bowl that is at least double the size of the dough, cover with Saran, and let sit at room temperature for 24 hours.

Mix the Croissant Final Dough

560g white flour
150g water
150g milk
75g sugar
16g salt
25g yeast
22g butter
385g preferment

385g butter for roll-in

Whatever filling inspires you (Sweet or savory will taste equally well with these.)

Place the water, milk, yeast, butter, and preferment in a mixing bowl and stir with a dough hook for about 1 minute.

Add the flour, sugar, salt, and flour and mix for about 4 more minutes. The dough should look smooth and have a little body, but not too developed.

Remove the dough from the mixer and roll into a loose boule, score an x into the skin of the dough, and place in a flowered bowl and cover with a plastic bag for 1 hour.

Meanwhile whip the butter for the butter block in a 20qt mixer. When soft, roll it out to the size of half of a half sheet pan.

Place the butter and the dough into the refrigerator for about an hour or until the are both equally cold.

Take out the dough and roll it double the size of the butter.

Place the butter on the right side of the long side of the dough and fold the left side over to form a book shape.

Then turn the “pages” of the book to face you as if all of the pages were looking at your waist.

Roll the dough out to about 36 inches.

Fold the right side to the left and the left side to the right. Mark the dough and/or parchment with a dot or a dash, commemorating how many turns we’ve accomplished.

Place on a sheet tray and cover with saran for about 30 minutes or until it is cold.

Roll out again the same way with the book pages facing your waist. Cover and place back in the fridge overnight. (Or you can wait until the dough is cold again and make your final turn today, but then you should definitely bake the croissants off this day as well.)

Remove the dough from the fridge and roll out one more time and fold it like a book.

Roll the dough out to about a 1/4 inch.

Cut the dough down the center and use your chef’s nice to cut triangles from each half of the dough. The weight should be about 2 ¾ oz each.

Place the triangles in piles of 4-5 and if they seem to be warming up quickly, place them in the refrigerator to slow down the fermentation process.

Place the filling in the center and stretch out the longest point. Tuck the other two points down towards the filling and begin to roll up the croissant, holding the long point with one hand, making sure that you get at least three turns on each pastry. As you finish, place the croissants spaced out on the baking sheet with parchment paper, leaving bout three inches in between. When they are all done being rolled, let the croissants proof at room temperature for about 1 hour. You will see them grow in size and you want them to be warm, not cold when they are ready. Brush them with an egg wash (1 egg+1 yolk beaten well) and bake at about 400 degrees F.

Happy Mother's Day (and Broadway Farmers Market, Too)

2008-05-11T17:35:00.001-07:00

After having a lovely brunch at Table 219 (the new El Greco) Allison and I walked across the street to the opening day of the Broadway Farmer's Market. I was a happy camper despite the gloomy skies and I noticed that there was an overall energetic vibe in the air. Perhaps there were lots of happy Moms in the crowd today. I was excited to see so many vendors for opening season this year. There were tons of fresh greens, vegetable and fruit starters, tomatoes, mushrooms, cheese, flowers, honey, pasta, grass fed beef, pork, and eggs. There were Alpacas and fresh pastries, too:) The lady in pink cracked me up. (I am focusing on whether to buy nettles or pea vines) She was buying nettles for her first time and the folks from Full Circle were explaining how you have to blanch the nettles for a minute in boiling water in order to deactivate the stingers. But there was a problem: the lady did not want to cook her nettles! She wanted to use them for pesto! Luckily, one of the women had just used raw nettles for mousse and she said that if you grind them enough you can kill the stingers...personally I am a skeptic. Have you ever been stung by a nettle? Can you imagine being stung like that in your mouth?! I'm being dramatic, I know. And I also know that someday I will cook raw nettles...just not today. Needless to say, the lady in the pink jacket was happy. I hope that her nettle pesto turns out marvelous!
My Grocery Bag:
1 Lacinato Kale starter
1 bag pea vines
5 pink tulips
1 bag braising greens
1 bunch salad onions
1/2 lb pinto beans

A Weekend of Slow Food

2008-05-05T21:49:00.000-07:00

This is a bread concept that I had a vision for last quarter while I was on my dough rotation. The thought of making a sweet Kugelhoff pained me and I personally love pairing salty foods with sweet dough, and so it was born...green olive and oregano Kugelhoff. The Poolish sour starter provided additional depth to an already amazing bread.These beautiful pork chops were made using a brining recipe that I found in the Charcuterie bible. They marinated in the brine for two days. Off the grill I sliced the meat and put it on 7 grain bread with aioli and brown German mustard. I wished for fresh watercress, but it was Sunday afternoon and I was not as prepared as I would have liked.
With just a small amount of forethought in cooking it is possible to take a great dish and make it better by marinating, brining, or using a starter for breads. It's as easy as pie, my friends. You can take my word for it.

The Charm

2008-05-03T00:01:00.000-07:00

They turned out quite lovely, really. I will use the design similar to the tart on the left, though I do think the right tart is sweet ...if you get a full look from the top it resembles a vegetable platter with all of the random shapes and colors.

Topping off the tarts is a

Signs of Spring

2008-04-29T07:43:00.000-07:00

Having left my window ajar last night, I woke up this morning feeling intoxicated by that signature scent of Spring that creeps on in and visits every morning until fall rolls around. To me that smell signifies that we can breathe easy because we really made it through one more winter. Congratulations to my Northwest friends....we have reached the light at the end of the tunnel. In other Spring news, I bought these herbs yesterday at Whole Foods. They are flat leaf parsley, cilantro, and oregano. I can't wait to get them planted this week. I am really excited for the oregano...having grown up never knowing fresh oregano sometimes I feel as though I've "really made it" when I get to enjoy it's light freshness.

Capitol Hill folks mark your calendar for May 11, opening day for the Broadway Farmers market.

I can't wait!

Grape Tarts, Take Two

2008-04-28T09:04:00.000-07:00

I know that there's a reason that they say "three times the charm...." they had to be talking about my grape tarts. These, my friends are attempt 2. The first tarts (not to be viewed here) were very sad looking and I will chalk up their unfortunate appearance to bad recipe selection. Sometimes visions must be tweaked in order to come to life, as in the case of Grape Tarts 2.
These have a lovely lemon cream on the bottom and halves of grapes (it's true...these are gigantic grapes, so even the halves are humongous) on the top.

This week I will be trying a few things, but I vision a border of halved grapes and slices of shingled grapes in the center with a

"And The Beat Goes On..."

2008-04-16T23:42:00.001-07:00

This, my friends is a sausage stuffer. As a last hoorah I wanted to have one more go at sausage making before my C.O.D quarter starts to get really intense. This time I chose an emulsified sausage called Weisswurst. Here is the Weisswurst freshly stuffed, just before getting poached in onions and beer. I asked two 3rd quarter pastry students to bake fresh buns to house the wurst, and it sounds like they are going to do a "pigs in a blanket style bun," encasing the sausage within the bun and then baking it.
I am making my own creme fraiche for my sausage stuffed mushroom tarts...
Tasso Ham...7 day brine, 1 day with a honey and spice rub, 3 hours in the smoker, 1 hour in the oven. This will go in my pre-fermented croissants with Morbier cheese...a winning combo, really.
There has been a lot going on in bakeshop this week. I will add the Tasso Ham and Creme Fraiche recipes in the next couple of days...if I take too long and you are in a need to know state, as always, please let me know and I will get those right off to you. G'night all!

Bread...check!

2008-04-11T17:42:00.001-07:00

Altamura Semolina Sourdough it is! I went into the bakeshop this morning and the dough was ready for the oven. I sprinkled it with cornmeal and scored it with sun rays and off to the oven it went for 40 minutes.Out of the oven it had a perfectly crunchy crust and a soft and sour spongy center, just as I had hoped.
Here's my finished preserved tomato chutney....it was a lot of work to only yield two quarts! Luckily it's super yummy and will make the perfect accompaniment to the Altamura bread.

Maiden Voyage

2008-04-10T15:31:00.000-07:00

I love my new kitchen aid. We went out on a hot date last night. We didn't actually go anywhere, but we did bake a walnut cake which was a wonderfully executed C.O.D test run and listened to my newest kitchen soundtrack, Gillian Welch's Soul Journey.

The cake isn't dressed yet, but you will get to see it really soon, I promise. If I have learned nothing else in pastry school, it's that these precious gems that we get to enjoy in life always take more time that we think. Isn't that the truth?!

Chef of the Day: Rotation 1: Bread

2008-04-10T14:57:00.001-07:00

I wish I could say that the obnoxious stripe on the photo below was supposed to be there as an artsy addition....it's not. However, if you would so kindly look past that crazy stripe you'll see the tomato chutney that I slow cooked today that will accompany my C.O.D bread.

The bread in that same photo is Kelsey's Vermont Sourdough. One of our chef's announced it today as "perfect," a recognition that is hard to come by in the bakeshop as you might imagine.

I can't believe that I am in my final quarter of school. You might be wondering what C.O.D or Chef of the Day refers to. It is actually the name of our quarter and also the acronym for our final project. On Thursday, June 5 I will be graded on my final project, or my C.O.D. It will consist of a bread, breakfast pastry, cake, tart, plated dessert, and chocolate candy. Today is clearly not my day for photography, as I took a lovely picture of a full basket of bread that I finished earlier that mysteriously never made it to my camera. Below you will see a photo of the Pugilese bread (a half loaf that I brought home after tasting) that is a soft Italian loaf accompanied by a nice and simple crust. This is a great bread for dipping.
Tomorrow I will can my tomato chutney in order to preserve it until June. I will also bake off my Altamura sourdough, which is an Italian semolina bread. I really liked the Pugilese, but I am keeping my fingers crossed for the Altamura, as it's my first choice.

You can keep your fingers crossed, too:)

2008-04-03T23:14:00.001-07:00

Ah, back to school.

I had visions of grand spring break foodie adventures, but in reality I needed to take my vacation from school for what it was...a break.

In the meantime, I acquired my replacement kitchen aid with a meat grinder attachment, new great bread books and my favorite gem, Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing by Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn.

I am in my final quarter at school and I am getting ready to embark on a big final project known as the C.O.D, or Chef of the Day. I look forward to baking breads at home and continuing my love for sausage and cured meats.

Thank you for your patience in my absence and I hope that you'll continue to come along with me on my many new foodie adventures. Cheers!

A New Discovery In Pikes Place

2008-03-28T00:48:00.001-07:00

These beautiful tulips are not the discovery, but a great addition....

Today I met Anne down in the market. After a coffee and a bite at La Panier, we scouted out a store that I have been wanting to check out for some time. It's called the Souk and it's a lovely little shop that sells Mediterranean food stuffs. They have various legumes and spices in bulk and other great specialty items. The owner was really sweet and encouraged us to browse around the shop to learn about the various products and we could utilize them in our cooking. If you haven't already, check this place out...it's always fun to have a new stop in the market:)

As a Society What Do We Want to Know About Our Food?

2008-03-26T12:59:00.001-07:00

I was in the grocery store the other day and I had two experiences there that I want to share here with you here.

A woman walked up to the butcher holding 2 packages of lamb stew meat. She asked the butcher if the meat that she was holding was lamb shoulder. He said, no and then pointed to where she could find it. Then she said, well what if I don't want meat with a bone in it? The woman was making a Moroccan dish and the butcher told her that she could modify the recipe using the diced stew meat if she wanted.

I couldn't help myself. I had to tell the butcher how appalled I was that we live in a society where people are so disconnected from their food that they actually don't want to be reminded that their meat comes from an animal.

Then the butcher asked me what I was looking for. I said that I did not quite know, but that I only buy certain meat. I like to buy natural, if not organic and at QFC the selection is average for a grocery store in Seattle. Then the butcher proceeded to educate me on how much bigger the cuts of the domestic meats are compared to the smaller natural cuts. I was astounded and responded that it's because of the hormones that the meat he was referring to was bigger. I think that the butcher and I realized at the same time that we were not on the same team and we quickly parted.

My big question is, how did we let our food systems get this bad?

At home I am trying to make small changes. I buy organic milk and eggs. With fruits and vegetables I buy around 50% organic and 50% conventional. But what about going out to eat? You can try to do the right thing at home, but in a restaurant you have no idea where your food is coming from. After all, in less than a year cloned meat will be out there and there is no law that says that cloned meat can be labeled. After all, if it's labeled as cloned then it might be construed as negative.

There are so many questions, so many angles. All we can do is decide for ourselves what's best and go with it. Also we can have conversations with friends and family about how we approach food and eating. After all, most great things come from a few people sitting around talking about what's important.

Soup For A Rainy Night

2008-03-19T22:38:00.000-07:00

Susie and I were trying to decide whether to go to our favorite Pho place, or to make soup at my apartment. We decided that we would see where we got parking and leave it up to fate. Well it seems that tonight we were destined to dine sitting comfortably on my living room floor, happily sipping vegetable broth with rich flavors of garlic and ginger, accompanied by udon, tofu, kale and bok choy, mushrooms and onions.

It was lovely, really.

Cous Cous with Beans and Vegetables

2008-03-18T22:30:00.000-07:00

Tonight Natalie and I went on a run, and afterwards she came over to my apartment for dinner.

This was a really easy weeknight dish, especially perfect for a post-run meal.

Ingredients:

1.25 cups water
.75 cups couscous
2 tsp olive oil + extra drizzle
1.5 tsp Better Than Bouillon
1 bunch kale
.5 red pepper
.5 green pepper
1 can kidney beans, rinsed
.5 red onion
1 tsp cumin
juice of 1 lemon

Method:

Bring the water, bouillon, and 2 tsp olive oil to a boil.

Add kale and couscous. Cover and remove from heat for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat extra oil in a pan and add onions and peppers. Sautee over high heat for just a couple of minutes and then add them to the couscous mixture.

After 5 minutes add the beans, cumin and lemon to the couscous, and combine ingredients.

This is a great dish--so great in fact that Natalie had a moment where she wished to name it "Carina." No wonder why I enjoy cooking for her so much....

A Twist on Croque-Monsieur

2008-03-17T20:02:00.001-07:00

They are cute, aren't they?

The idea came to me as I was planning my dough rotation and finally on the last day, my vision came to light.

My chef and I agreed that next time we would poach the eggs first, ice bath them, dry them, place them in the finished puff pastry and finally warm them in the oven for a few minutes. This would allow the eggs to cook more evenly, for the puff to be less brown, and to avoid getting cooked egg along side the pastry.

The components: Italian puff pastry, tarragon bechamel sauce, tasso ham, and egg.

Oh, and besides being cute they were also delicious...

Eat the Sky: Seattle Tilth's 30th Anniversary

2008-03-13T22:12:00.001-07:00

This was awesome.

It is an incredibly profound concept for me to grasp the idea that we as Americans could be so disconnected from our food source that many people are consciously unaware of how our unsustainable food practices could have such a negative affect on the world that we live in.

Bottom line: buy your food as close to home as possible & support your neighbors first.

I got to thinking about last year's farm retreat to Quillisascut and how one morning after breakfast we talked about the word Enough.

Often times we are unaware that we have enough. Wouldn't it be lovely if people recognized when they did in fact have all that they needed each day to sustain and to be happy?

Finished Sausage

2008-03-11T20:41:00.001-07:00

Isn't it beautiful?!

Great Food Week

2008-03-07T16:51:00.001-08:00

Last night I had a few folks over to a potluck and the contributions were excellent. We had a cheese plate with a lovely array, oven braised balsamic onions, and a green olive and fresh herb Kugelhoff that I baked at school. There was a haricot vert salad with raddichio, butter lettuce, candied walnuts, and red wine vinaigrette. The guacamole was amazing, as was the roasted chicken with peppers. We had cornmeal casserole with cheese and tiny pork meatballs. And of course lots of wine.... I hung the sausage that I smoked on Thursday. It will hang for five days and next week I will make Spanish style pizzas. Not shown is the Tasso ham...I sliced it in delicate slices and paired it with Morbier cheese and then rolled it inside of a croissant dough made with a pre-ferment.
Being around and creating delicious food is so incredibly satisfying....cheers to a great weekend!