Valentine's Day: The Chocoholic's Holiday

I hope everyone had a sweet Valentine's Day! Mine was lovely and lazy after a frustrating day yesterday. The roommate and I decided to take ourselves to Montreal, as is so often our way. We had grand plans of hitting the IKEA west of the city, followed by an Oscar-worthy movie, a wonderful dinner somewhere, and maybe even some Krispy Kremes for dessert. However, you know what they say about the best-laid plans...

I'm sad to report that the whole day was pretty much a BUST! We got a late start, and foolishly chose to go through the big (Champlain) border, where the long lines and slow pace of the border attendants made us even later. When finally got to IKEA, we had to park far, far away, and walk to the entrance in the terrible, arctic winds. I was already a little sick to my stomach for some reason, so an hour and a half among the overwhelming crowds and the screeching children only exacerbated my nausea. Plus, I only ended up with about ten bucks worth of pointless doo-dads that I had to wait in line for 25 minutes to pay for! And I didn't even get to have Swedish meatballs at the cafe located about halfway through the trek through the humungous store because my tummy was still out of sorts. But I did buy a big bag of the frozen meatballs, two packets of sauce mix, and lingonberry jam to make at home, along with a box of rosti (potato fritters). We had this Swedish feast for lunch today, and despite the fact that it was insta-food from a furniture manufacturer, it was darn good! I have also become addicted to these little cookies that they call Kex biscuits, which are like a wheatier version of McDonaldland cookies, one of my perennial favorites.

After our IKEA ordeal, we didn't feel like fighting our way back into the city to the AMC Forum where all the Oscar contenders were playing. So we decided instead to go to the suburban cineplex that was right near the IKEA to see Wolfman. Despite a stellar cast that included Emily Blunt (LOVE her!) and Sir Anthony Hopkins, the film was laughably awful, and our fellow moviegoers were incredibly rude and noisy. Our next bad decision was to have dinner at the overpriced, lackluster Chinese buffet in the same shopping center, replete with more insufferable crowds and screaming children. Lastly, we spent an hour driving around, trying to find a Krispy Kreme before giving up and beginning the (now longer since we moved) drive home. It seems our Montreal outing was foiled at every turn yesterday. Then again, the worst day in Montreal is often better than the best day in little old Plattsburgh. And it all became kind of comical at some point. Nevetheless, I decided to stay home, watch the Olympics, and bake cookies or something relaxing today in hopes of recuperating from the Montreal debacle!

My Valentine's Day started in the best possible way, with my awakening obscenely late, having acquired NINE full hours of sleep, which I so desperately needed before the work week starts anew! Cyd got up early and tended to the dogs and the wood stove, and even waited for the firewood delivery while I snoozed the day away. When I finally got my lazy butt up, I was greeted to the following Valentine's "basket" from my incredibly sweet and generous friend. It included a pretty card, not one but TWO volumes of the "Glee" soundtrack (I am obsessed with that show!), the blu-ray of Julie and Julia, a delicious new perfume called "In Bloom" from Reese Witherspoon (yes, Reese Witherspoon!), and one giant Reese's peanut butter heart--a Reese theme, if you will. I was just tickled to death with all my surprises. THANK YOU, Cyd! :-D

My plan for my Sunday was to make belated Valentine's cookies for my co-workers. I even bought some new cookie cutters and a rolling pin, but I just couldn't seem to find the drive. But I did manage to make an incredible dessert to accompany tonight's dinner (i.e. steak and caesar salad made with local, organic greens), something decadently chocolatey in honor of Valentine's Day. I spied the recipe for Chocolate Soufflé Cupcakes with White Chocolate Mint Cream on Smitten Kitchen, and it is truly fantastic, and not very difficult, either. Plus, the cakes are flourless, so they are great for the gluten-free crowd and/or for Jewish folks at Passover. And they are just delectable--ethereal little clouds with a deep chocolate resonance. And the minty cream on top? Oh man, I just want to BATHE in it! And I am not even a big fan of white chocolate, but it makes a silky, lustrous topping that marries perfectly with the mint flavor. Just be sure to buy REAL white chocolate with cocoa butter and not those vile "white chips" or vanilla bark. (Tip: Baker's now produces white chocolate baking squares.) Much of my kitchen is still in boxes (yes, still--don't judge me--which is also why I had to buy another rolling pin), and I couldn't find my peppermint extract. But I did unearth a bottle of Starbuck's peppermint syrup, so I added maybe a teaspoon and a half of that instead, and it made the cupcakes taste like a peppermint mocha! DELISH! Make these for your sweetie and/or your favorite chocoholic immediately!

Chocolate Soufflé Cupcakes with White Chocolate Mint Cream
(Source: Smitten Kitchen)
Makes 9 cupcakes (I got 11, so I made half again as much of the mint cream)

Chocolate Soufflé Cupcakes:
6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped (I used some wonderfully dark Merckens chocolate chips that I found at our local co-op)
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
heaping 1/4 teaspoon espresso or instant coffee powder
3 large eggs, separated
6 tablespoons sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

White Chocolate Mint Cream:
2 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped
3 ounces heavy whipping cream
1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract

Place the white chocolate in a small bowl. Bring the cream to a simmer, pour it over the chocolate and let it sit for a minute to melt the chocolate. Whisk well. Add the peppermint extract and whisk again. Lay a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the cream. Chill until very cold, about two hours.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 9 standard-size (3-ounce) muffin cups with paper liners. Stir chocolate, butter and espresso powder together in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until mostly melted, then remove from the heat and whisk until it is fully melted and smooth. Cool to lukewarm, stirring occasionally.

Using electric mixer (a hand mixer, rather than a stand mixer, actually works best here because the volumes are so small) beat egg yolks and 3 tablespoons sugar in medium bowl until mixture is very thick and pale, about 2 minutes. Briefly beat lukewarm chocolate mixture, then vanilla extract, into yolk mixture. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in another medium bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 3 tablespoons sugar and all of the salt, beating until medium-firm peaks form. Fold whites into chocolate mixture in 3 additions. Divide batter among prepared cups, filling each three-fourths of the way.

Bake cakes until tops are puffed and dry to the touch (some may crack, embrace it) and a tester inserted into the centers comes out with some moist crumbs attached, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cool in pan on a cooling rack, where the cupcakes will almost immediately start to fall. It will be all the better to put your mint cream on them.

Beat mint white chocolate cream with electric beaters until soft peaks form. Remove cupcakes from pan, arrange on a platter. Fill each sunken top with a healthy dollop of white chocolate mint cream. Top with shaved dark chocolate, if you’re feeling fancy.

WHO DAT??

Everyone who knows me knows that I hate sports in general and loathe football in particular. However, as I have said many times, I do LOVE a Superbowl PARTY! I enjoy the commercials, the half-time show, the company, and of course, the good eats. The game? Meh. However, this year, I made a special exception and actually watched the game and rooted for New Orleans. Not only was it the Saints' first time at the big show, it did my heart good to see that team represent a city that has had to pull itself up out of some of the worst misery that this country has ever seen. And it was extra-fun to cheer them on from my friends' comfy den, as Tom and June are New Orleans natives. (I am still recovering for the ear-shattering shrieks that came out of June when the Saints got that last interception and touchdown, and it became clear that they would be the Superbowl winners. OUCH! Tee hee.)

In true Lousiana fashion, there was some delicious food at the party...and WAY too much of it! To bring the Cajun/Creole flair, June made jambalaya, and someone else brought red beans and rice and smoked sausage. Of course, no Superbowl party would be compelte without the ubiquitous hot wings, and various snack platters of veggies and dip, crackers and cheese, etc. Then for dessert, there were decadent World Peace cookies with white chocolate chips, some terribly cute sugar cookies cut and decorated to look like footballs (of course, these came from the clever and creative Padula Family!), and the piece de resistance, an authentic fleur-de-lis king cake that one of June's friends had sent from New Orleans!

As for my own contributions, I made a zippy Creole slaw from some of the veggies that I just bought from a winter CSA (more about that another time), and a GINORMOUS muffaletta sandwich on the most adorable marbled football loaf that I happened upon at Price Chopper! For those of you unfamiliar with the muffaletta (and you have my deepest sympathies if that's you!), it is the most delicious of all sandwiches, made on a big, round loaf of Italian bread. The traditional fillings are mortadella, capicola, and Genoa Salami, both mozzarella and provolone cheeses, all dressed with a generous amount of olive salad. Yes, yes, it's enough to make a cardiologist cry, but MAN, is it GOOD!

The definitive muffaletta, they say, is to be found at Central Grocery in the French Quarter, though the best one I've had to date is at the Camellia Cafe in Slidell. Still, to honor tradition, I was guided by a recipe that was reported to have come from "someone who used to work with someone" whose grandfather created the now famous Central Grocery muffaletta. That provenance doesn't sound too trustworthy, but I played around with the olive salad a bit, anyway, tweaking it to my liking. So this may not be 100% authentic, but it sure was yummy!

Super-Saints Muffaletta
(Source: adapted from Cookery N'Orleans Style)

olive salad (my version):

1 sweet onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 of a 16 oz. jar pepperoncini, drained and tops cut off each pepper
1 16 oz. jar green salad olives (stuffed with pimento), drained
2 16 oz. cans black olives, drained
2 medium carrots, peeled and finely shredded
1 teaspoon celery seed
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar, optional
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons white vinegar

In the bowl of a food processor, add the onion, garlic cloves, and pepperoncini. Pulse until it's still a very rough chop, then add the olives and pulse again until everything is finely chopped. Dump the mixture into another bowl and stir in the shredded carrots, the spices, sugar (if using), olive oil and vinegar. Cover and refrigerate for 12-24 hours before making the muffaletta.

For each large sandwich (to serve two hungry people), you will need:

a round loaf of Italian bread
1/4 pound mortadella, thinly sliced
1/4 pound capicola (hot ham), thinly sliced
1/4 pound Genoa salami, thinly sliced
1/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
1/4 pound provolone cheese, sliced
1 cup olive salad

Split a muffuletta loaf or a loaf of Italian bread horizontally. Spread each half with equal parts of the olive salad. layer meats and cheeses evenly on bottom half and cover (carefully!) with top half of bread. Cut in quarters. Enjoy!

Creole Cole Slaw
(Source: adapted from Zatarain's)

6 cups coleslaw mix*
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Creole mustard
2 tablespoons white vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
few dashes of tabasco sauce
1 tablespoon Creole seasoning

*I used mainly Napa cabbage with a few carrots, a couple of stalks of celery, one green pepper, and one jalapeno shredded into the mix, along with three or four sliced scallions.

I salted the shredded vegetables with a couple of good pinches of kosher salt, then let it drain in a colander for a few hours before dressing the salad and letting it all chill and absorb flavor overnight. Salting the coleslaw ahead of time is supposed to leech out a lot of the water that ultimately makes the dressing runny, but mine ended up runny anyway! So next time, I might try chilling the veggies and the dressing separately, then combining them just before serving the slaw.

GEAUX SAINTS! :-D

HAPPY BLOGDAY TO ME!

WOW! How time does fly! It has been four years since I started this little blog during a spate of cabin fever late in the winter of 2006. I remember, the propane monitor in the living room was on the fritz...or perhaps we couldn't afford to run it at a level that actually kept us warm. So myself, my roommate, three dogs, and four cats were all holed up in the back bedroom, the only room that was sufficiently warmed by a faithful old fuel oil furnace. Actually, during a couple of dreadful winters, we moved into that room by January and didn't fully emerge until March or April! And when we did, we still had to rely on a system of strategically-placed space heaters, layered clothing, and sleeping bags draped over us just to stay alive! That is just one of many reasons why I feel so blessed to own my own home now where there is a kerosene monitor (old, but still doing her job well) and a large wood stove that can really crank out the heat. Ok, ok...I must admit that I managed to freeze the kitchen pipes within the first three days of living here (oops), but for the first time in nine years, we are cozy and WARM! PTL!!

Right at the moment, we may have global warming to thank, as it is weirdly, unseasonably warm. Two days ago, we actually had a spring-like flood watch (though spring doesn't truly come to us until April)! Even my friend, June, who is from New Orleans and is always cold admits that "51 degrees is spooky in January" in the North Country. Indeed, it's quite odd to start spring semester and look out my classroom window to see Lake Champlain...unfrozen! But we all know that winter is not yet done with us, and there will be plenty more cold before it's all over. So to keep us toasty on the inside, I offer a couple of hearty soup recipes for your approval.

The first one was a collaborative effort between my roomie and myself. While she was living in frigid Minnesota for more than a year, Cyd claims to have mastered the art of ham and navy bean soup. So I told her she needed to make some for me, but of course, I couldn't help meddling, as is my way. But in this case, too many cooks did NOT spoil the broth, but made an even tastier version!


Cyd's (and Gina's) Bean and Bacon Soup

1 lb. dried navy beans
8 cups vegetable stock
2 ham hocks
1 lb. bacon (I used something I found called "jowl bacon"), cut up
2 medium onions, chopped
4 large stalks celery, diced
4 medium cloves garlic, minced
4 large carrots, sliced
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon sugar, optional (to balance the acidity)
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
pinch of cayenne

Place the beans, vegetable broth, and ham hocks in a stock pot. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for about an hour. In the meantime, brown the bacon pieces, onion and celery in a skillet over medium heat. When the bacon is crisp and the onion and celery are soft and translucent, add the minced garlic and cook for another minute or two. Set aside.

When the beans have boiled for an hour, add the bacon, onion, celery and garlic mixture, the carrots, the canned tomatoes with their juice, the sugar (if using) and all of the herbs and spices. Continue to simmer until the beans are tender, probably about an hour. Remove ham hocks and bay leaves, then taste and correct seasoning before serving.

The second soup comes by way of my favorite Montreal bloggers at An Endless Banquet. I was drawn to this recipe because I'm not really fond of clams. This chowder calls for haddock or cod, and I used both, along with some bay scallops. (If I had had shrimp, I would have thrown half a pound of those in there, too!) Delicious stuff, and stick-to-your-ribs hearty! You might as well make a double batch, and then you'll have a homemade hot lunch all week long.

Seafood Chowder
(Source: adapted from An Endless Banquet)
Serves 4

1 lb. haddock or cod fillets (or both!)
1/2 pound bay scallops
1 bay leaf
1/4 lb. bacon ends, or bacon, or salt pork
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 small leek, white part only, thoroughly rinsed, cleaned, and finely chopped
2-3 medium potatoes, cut into chunks
1 tablespoon parsley, minced (I used 2 tablespoons dried)
2-3 sprigs thyme, leaves only, minced (I used about a teaspoon of dried)
1 1/2 cups milk (I used half-n-half)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning, optional

Bring three cups of lightly salted water to a boil (I used a box of seafood stock for additional flavor). Add the fish and scallops and the bay leaf, lower the heat, and simmer gently for 7-8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the fish to a plate or cutting board, but keep the broth warm on a back burner.

Fry the bacon in a skillet it has rendered its fat and has begun to crisp. (I took my bacon all the way to crispy, then fished it out, cooled and crumbled it, and used it to garnish the chowder.) Add the onion and the leek and sauté until the onion begins to turn translucent and the leek has become tender. Add the onion/leek mixture and the chopped potatoes to the fish broth. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 12-15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the broth has thickened slightly.

Meanwhile, gently flake the fish fillets. When the potatoes are ready, turn the heat down to the lowest setting, add the fish, the parsley, the thyme, and the milk (or half-n-half) to the broth, and let the chowder steep for 5-10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning. (Mine didn't have enough zip to suit me, so I added half a tablespoon of Old Bay Seasoning, and that did the trick!)

Serve each bowl of chowder topped with crackers that have been broken into chunks, or with oyster crackers.

And I would completely remiss if I forgot to give a shout-out to my little buddy who shares the same birthday as my blog. This happy, tousled fellow is my PBGV, Grady. He is a champion show dog (in two countries!), but more importantly, he's just a sweet lug of a lapdog, and SIX years old today!

Best Christmas Present---Best Neighbor!

I recognize that it is nearly one month AFTER Christmas, but I have to tell you about a belated Christmas/housewarming surprise. I have shared many, many times about what a WONDERFUL next-door neighbor we had for nine years living in Sciota. In fact, it was the one thing that truly gave me pause about moving--what would I ever do without Ken? He is just a gem of a human being, however, he is next to impossible to buy presents for! He is a man of very simple means who also has no patience. So he doesn't need much, but if he wants something, he buys it for himself right away. It's very frustrating for me, as I want to be able to get him something that would give him some sense of how much I appreciate him! So mostly, I just bake him homemade treats and take him out to dinner and a movie once in awhile, which he seems to enjoy more than the lame presents I choose for him semi-annually.

A couple of weeks after Christmas and the big move, Cyd and I finally managed to get together with Ken to go see a movie ("It's Complicated"--LOVE Meryl and Alec!) and grab some dinner (Mangia's). When we were done eating, Ken said that he needed to pull around to load something into my car. What in the world, I thought? I asked if it was alive, and then told him that I had quite enough pets at present, thank you very much! He said, no, it wasn't alive, but it was HEAVY! When I got out to the parking lot and unlocked the back door, Ken began hauling a ginormous box out of his car and into mine. Friends, that saintly man had bought me this:


Is it not the most GORGEOUS thing you've ever seen? I have no idea what put it into his head to get me a new Kitchen Aid mixer, but I was over the moon! I bought my old one probably 15 years ago, a no-frills classic white refurb from a kitchen outlet outside of Boise. Don't get me wrong--that thing was a faithful workhorse, and besides having to replace a knob on it, gave me no trouble at all, even with heavy use. However, I always wanted to upgrade to a more powerful model--one where the bowl lifts up and down so that I could knead bread dough in it without having to hold the bowl in place and keep the speed low so that it wouldn't fly off the base! Plus, since the move into the new house, I haven't been able to locate the attachments to my old mixer, and I had been jonesin' to get back to some real baking! So it really was the PERFECT gift, but WAY too generous! I tried to protest, but Ken wouldn't hear of it. So I told him that he doesn't owe me a birthday or Christmas present for at least another three years after this! Ha!

I couldn't wait to get started using my new black beauty. The first thing I whipped up was a Toll House pie, always a crowd pleaser. I followed the recipe that everyone uses, except that I like to toast the nuts and add a teaspoon of vanilla.

Secondly, after seeing "It's Complicated" and the decadent double fudge cake that Meryl Streep's character made, Cyd, Ken and I were all craving some truly awesome chocolate cake. I did a Google search for double fudge cake, and found something on BakeSpace called a Double Chocolate Whammy Cake with Fudge Icing. That sounded like just the ticket, though I decided to make the recipe into 24 cupcakes so that I could easily transport Ken's share up to him in Sciota. (My timing was impeccable, too, as the poor fellow was having knee surgery and would be on crutches for awhile. So I took him a large pan of spicy chicken enchiladas and the cupcakes to keep him fed for a few days!)

Though the recipe begins with a boxed devil's food cake mix, it was very good. However, the frosting was a NIGHTMARE! The fact that it called for the use of a candy thermometer should have been my first clue. I was game to try, though. I am not afraid of candy making. But when I brought it up to the soft ball stage and then cooled it back down as directed, it became as hard as a rock! I had no choice but to melt it back down and smooth it out with some heavy cream (like a ganache). But then it didn't set up enough to suit me. So I decided to try and whip it in the mixer. It did fluff up, and made a surprisingly light and delicious topping for the cupcakes, but they had to be kept in the fridge to keep the frosting from melting. Next time, I would frost the cupcakes with something like Martha's recipe for "Mrs. Milman's Chocolate Frosting," which is basically just a thick ganache.

Double Chocolate Whammy Cake with Fudge Icing
(Source: BakeSpace)

1 package of any good Devil's Food Cake Mix
1 cup dairy sour cream
1 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup minus 1 tablespoon whole milk
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, grated
2 cups granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup Sour Cream (or Whole Milk)

Preheat oven to 350°. Trace around bottom edge of two 9 inch cake pans on sheets of parchment paper. Cut out circles, and place one in bottom of each pan.

Beat the Devil's Food cake mix together with the water, sour cream, oil, and eggs with a mixer for at least 2 minutes. Add the miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips, and stir in by hand. Pour equal amounts of batter into the pans lined with parchment paper.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes at 350° (or adjust for specific cake mix directions if needed). Let cakes cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then loosen around edge of cakes, invert them onto buttered parchment paper and let them cool thoroughly.

Bring the milk to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate, sugar and salt. Bring again to a boil and cook covered 2 to 3 minutes at a full boil. Uncover, reduce the heat and cook without stirring to soft-ball stage or about 234°F (112°C) by a candy thermometer.

Cool the icing to 110°F (43°C). (Placing the hot pan in a larger pan of cold or ice water for awhile will speed this process). Add 4 tablespoons of Butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla and beat the icing until it begins to loose its sheen. Beat in up to 1 cup of sour cream until the fudge icing is spreadable.

Ice the top of the first cake layer and then put second cake layer on top. Ice the second layer's top and then the sides of the cake.

If you don't mind "death from chocolate", decorate the top with Semi Sweet Chocolate Curls. You might want to drink lots of milk or enjoy some ice cream to "cut through" the incredible richness of this Chocolate Double Whammy Cake.

Last but not least, I had to test the new mixer's bread-making abilities. And I was overjoyed to find that it worked like a dream! I made three loaves of Sherry Yard's sweet potato bread (one to eat right away, one to stick in the freezer, and one to take over to introduce myself to my new neighbors across the road--sorry, Ken!). I have already posted that recipe, but I will show you some new pictures just for shiggles.

Beautiful, huh? And all thanks to my amazing (former) neighbor, Ken! I will miss living next door to such wonderful friend!

P.S. I have come to the realization that my beloved roommate, Cyd, will read this at some point and may be hurt that I didn't publicly acknowledge HER fabulous Christmas gifts. Since I just bought a new 50-inch plasma t.v. as a housewarming gift to myself, she made it PERFECT with the addition of a new Blu-Ray player and some wonderful 3-D movies like Up! and Coraline. So THANKS to Cyd as well! I have terrific friends! :-)

First Christmas in the new house...such as it was.

MERRRRRRRRRY CHRISTMAS, everybody! Yeah, yeah, I know. I am weeks behind in that salutation. But I am still trying to catch up from the month that fell into the black hole! I don't even have too much to share recipe-wise, as the new kitchen was not unpacked (having just completed the move on 12/23). But I thought you might get a kick out of seeing the fabulous Christmas Eve dinner that we somehow managed to pull off--the first real meal prepared in the new house! Of course, it was served on paper plates, but it was still delicious! TA-DAH!

I don't know what your feelings are about the hallowed holiday protein alternatives, but many years ago, Cyd and I decided that our choice would be the roast beast. It always seems like we're just finishing up the Thanksgiving turkey leftovers by the time Christmas rolls around, as I always end up buying a huge bird, and there's just the two of us to eat it (maybe three, if I shared with neighbor Ken). And then ham says Easter to me, so that's right out. Thus, roast beef seems the best option.

Moreover, I had a great student this past semester who did her informative speech on English food (she was born there), and some of her Power Point images gave me a real hankering for a proper Yorkshire pudding! This time, I tried a recipe from my boyfriend, Tyler Florence (who I am pleased to see has NOT crossed over to the dark side and become disturbingly emaciated like my husband, Alton Brown!). It turned out puffy and golden and delicious--like Tyler himself, and just like the giant popover that it is. Tradition dictates that you eat the Yorkshire pudding with gravy, but I didn't make any this time (couldn't begin to locate a whisk). Besides, I like to tear off hunks and just eat it like bread with my meal. Another way to do it is to make individual puddings, which I probably would have done had I been able to find a muffin tin!

Yorkshire Pudding
(Source: Tyler Florence, via Food Network)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup pan drippings from roast prime rib of beef

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Sift together the flour and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, beat together the eggs and milk until light and foamy. Stir in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Pour the drippings into a 9-inch pie pan, cast iron skillet, or square baking dish. Put the pan in oven and get the drippings smoking hot. Carefully take the pan out of the oven and pour in the batter. Put the pan back in oven and cook until puffed and dry, 15 to 20 minutes.

In addition to the roast and the Yorkshire pudding, we had an amazing number of side dishes for people with very limited kitchen resources. First, I cooked some fresh green beans with bacon--simple, but always satisfying. Also, I roasted some sweet potato chunks with brown sugar and maple syrup. And then, not pictured on my plate above (because I hate them), were mashed rutabagas (which Cyd loves). Lastly, for dessert, I am covered with shame to admit that I BOUGHT something from the freezer section of the grocery store. Please don't judge me, as I couldn't even find the attachments to my mixer at that time! However, I must confess that the pie I bought was EXCELLENT! Mad props to Marie Callender for the thaw-and-serve Chocolate Satin Pie! It had an Oreo-type crust, a filling that's a hybrid between French silk and chocolate cream, and a Cool Whip-like topping with a few big chocolate shavings on top. For a cheater pie, it was darn good, and so help me, I'd buy one again in a pinch!













So that was our first Christmas feast in the new house. As for Christmas Day proper, we took the ferry over to Vermont to visit with my sweet cousin, Mandi, and her new bride, Ashley, and Ashley's lovely parents. As you may recall, they had their commitment ceremony at Epcot last June, but they came to Vermont to make it legal with a civil union. Of course, they also came for some snowy winter fun, and I thought it was precious that the young lovebirds invited Ashley's parents to join them on the trip.

In any case, we met for brunch at the Inn at Essex Junction, and it was just beautiful--both the venue and the buffet! Normally, there is a separate restaurant and a tavern, but they had it set up so that cold dishes were on the restaurant side, and hot dishes were in the tavern. I believe that the food is prepared by chefs-in-training at the New England Culinary Institute, so everything was tasty and tasteful. Here is a picture I snapped of some of the cold offerings, including dressed baby greens, a marinated bean salad, smoked salmon with capers and chopped egg and cornichons, an assortment of cold cuts and cheeses, a terrifically flaky croissant, and even two kinds of housemade charcuterie. Yum!

After we stuffed ourselves at the inn and had a nice visit with the cute couple and my cousin's in-laws, we decided to follow the time-honored tradition of the Christmas Day matinee...and it wasn't even my idea! (Ashley and her folks are my kind of people--frequent moviegoers, and teachers and dog lovers to boot!) We saw "Up in the Air," which was very good, though not what I expected. The trailers made it seem like a typical mainstream rom-com, but it was darker and quirkier. I liked it a lot, and it was the perfect jumpstart to my annual Winter Break Golden Globes Fest!

Though I know I'm ridiculously late in my well wishes, I hope you, too, had a joyful holiday celebrated in whatever manner you like best, surrounded with loving family and friends.

Moving messes with Christmas tradition...

Had I been in my right mind, I would have considered that my big move and the annual Padula Christmas Cookie Exchange would converge on December 21, and I would have baked and frozen this year's cookies ahead of time. But as you can imagine, I was more than a bit scatty during that period and failed to plan (and yes, planned to fail). As it happened, when the party was upon us, I had access to two kitchens, but neither were fully functioning. So initially, I concluded that I wouldn't attend the cookie exchange this year. But I really couldn't bear that thought, and my friend and hostess, Janice, wouldn't hear of it. She said I should come anyway, but my pride wouldn't allow me to attend...cookieless. Therefore, I confess that I cheated and decided to make some sort of no-bake cookie, hoping that my friends would forgive me under the circumstances. And when they tasted the simple, but simply DELECTABLE treats that I made, I feel confident that there would be no hard feelings.

Awhile back, I was perusing one of my favorite blogs, Smitten Kitchen, and busy new mom, Deb, made a quick and easy treat that put a new twist on an old favorite: Rice Krispie Treats with Browned Butter and Sea Salt. GENIUS! Why didn't someone think of this before? By simply browning the butter to a nutty, caramel color and swapping slightly tangy sea salt for regular salt...well, it makes ALL the difference in the world! Oh, they don't look any different, but the flavor is improved exponentially. And for those of us who love that sweet-salty combo, these treats are like CRACK! I made six batches in rapid succession, flash-chilling them in the open-air blast chiller that is my front porch, cut and individually wrapped them, then bagged them up in winter-themed Ziploc baggies. TA-DAH! Ready for the cookie party with limited cooking facilities! You have to try these...

Salted Brown Butter Crispy Treats
(Source: Smitten Kitchen)
Makes 16 2-inch squares or 32 1- x 2-inch small bars

4 ounces (1/4 pound or 1 stick) unsalted butter, plus extra for the pan
1 10-ounce bag marshmallows
heaping 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal (about half a 12-ounce box)

Butter (or coat with non-stick spray) an 8-inch square cake pan with 2-inch sides.

In a large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. It will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. Stir frequently, scraping up any bits from the bottom as you do. Don’t take your eyes off the pot as while you may be impatient for it to start browning; the period between the time the butter begins to take on color and the point where it burns is often less than a minute.

As soon as the butter takes on a nutty color, turn the heat off and stir in the marshmallows. The residual heat from the melted butter should be enough to melt them, but if it is not, turn it back on low until the marshmallows are smooth.

Remove the pot from the stove and stir in the salt and cereal together. Quickly spread into prepared pan. I liked to use a piece of waxed or parchment paper that I’ve sprayed with oil to press it firmly and evenly into the edges and corners, though a silicon spatula works almost as well. (Gina's Note: Slightly dampen your hands,then just press with your fingertips.Works like a charm!)

Let cool then cut into squares.



Of course, I would be remiss if I did not pay homage to the delicious grub that we had at the luncheon. With hosts named Padula, you have to KNOW that we got some fantastic Italian fare! We started with a lovely green salad with dried fruits and nuts mixed in, then there were two kinds of stromboli--ham and pepperoni--and also chicken parmesan with angel hair pasta and marinara. SO YUMMY!

And naturally, Janice's daughter and co-hostess, Dominica, baked up a storm for the affair, and shared an entire platter of beautiful and DELICIOUS Christmas cookies with us for dessert, as befitting the occasion. They were all so good, but two of the cookies really stood out to me, both coming from the Better Homes and Gardens Ultimate Cookie Book. And both were types of shortbread, which should come as no surprise to those who know me or my blog, as shortbreads are my very favorite kind of cookie. The first was a maraschino cherry shortbread cookie that was very tasty (even without a dip in white chocolate as directed in the original recipe) and SO pretty with the flecks of red throughout...perfect for holiday gift-giving! The other cookie was my absolute FAVORITE edible item of the entire event, Chocolate-Pistachio Trees. In fact, they were SO good, I am thinking about making the same recipe in heart shapes for my friends and co-workers at Valentine's Day (note to self). Actually, come to think of it, the cherry shortbread--with its red and pink hues--would also be perfect for valentines if made into heart shapes (second note to self). And if any local friends and/or co-workers are reading this, please do try to act surprised come February. ;-)

White-Chocolate Cherry Shortbread
(Source and Photo Credit: Better Homes and Gardens)

1/2 cup maraschino cherries, drained and finely chopped
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup cold butter
12 ounces white chocolate baking squares with cocoa butter, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 drops red food coloring (optional)
2 teaspoons shortening
White nonpareils and/or red edible glitter (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spread cherries on paper towels to drain well.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in drained cherries and 4 ounces (2/3 cup) of the chopped chocolate. Stir in almond extract and, if desired, food coloring. Knead mixture until it forms a smooth ball.
3. Shape dough into 3/4-inch balls. Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Using the bottom of a drinking glass dipped in sugar, flatten balls to 1-1/2-inch rounds.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until centers are set. Cool for 1 minute on cookie sheet. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool.
5. In a small saucepan, combine remaining 8 ounces white chocolate and the shortening. Cook and stir over low heat until melted. Dip half of each cookie into chocolate, allowing excess to drip off. If desired, roll dipped edge in nonpareils and/or edible glitter. Place cookies on waxed paper until chocolate is set. Makes about 60.
6. To Store: Layer cookies between waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Chocolate-Pistachio Trees
(Source and Photo Credit: Better Homes and Gardens)

1 cup butter
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg, beaten
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup finely chopped pistachio nuts
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
1 tablespoon shortening
1/2 cup ground pistachio nuts

1. In a medium saucepan, combine butter and brown sugar; heat and stir over low heat until butter is melted. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in vanilla. Cool mixture for 15 minutes. Stir in egg, flour, and cocoa powder until mixture is combined. Stir in the 3/4 cup pistachio nuts. Divide dough in half. Cover and chill about 30 minutes or until dough is easy to handle.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough, half at a time, to a 1/4-inch thickness. Using a tree-shape cookie cutter, cut out cookies. Place cookies 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Bake in preheated oven about 9 minutes or until edges are firm. Transfer to a wire rack; cool.
4. In a heavy small saucepan, combine chocolate pieces and shortening; heat and stir over low heat until chocolate melts. Remove from heat. Dip one-third of each cookie into chocolate mixture; roll edges of cookie in ground pistachio nuts.

Makes about 48 cookies.

To Store: Layer cookies between waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

2010: A Return to Blogging

HAPPY NEW YEAR (albeit a bit belated)!

Friends, I realize that I have hit a new low. I have been absent from this blog for over a month, and that is just disgraceful. To put it simply, December 2009 was the month that wasn't. You see, the movers came to take away most of the stuff from the old rental and haul it to the new house on Dec. 14, so the big push to be ready for that momentous day was nightmarish, to say the very least. I remember watching Paula Deen's "Chefography" show ages ago, and in it, she and her sons talked about a time in their life when they were all working around the clock at some cafeteria that Paula was managing. And it was such a difficult time that they still don't talk about it to this day. That's kind of how I feel about this move; it was physically and emotionally traumatizing.

Of course I am excited to be moving into the first house that I own, but I was in that rental house for nine and a half years--longer than I have ever lived anywhere--so there was an unbelievable amount of stuff to pack and purge. And with me working two jobs (the movers actually came the first day of finals week at Clinton!), it was practically impossible to accomplish much on the homefront right at the end of the semester, in the thick of all the madness. All honor and glory and praise MUST go to my AMAZING roommate, Cyd. There really are not enough words to describe the amount of work she did to get us ready for the move or how incredibly thankful I am for her Herculean efforts. So I will just say, from the bottom of my heart, GOD BLESS HER! And the other person that we could not have done it without is my (now former....sniff!) next-door neighbor, Ken, who spent the better part of December running up and down the stairs, hauling crap down from the overstuffed attic. BLESS HIM, TOO!

Though the movers transferred about 80% of our possessions on 12/14, it was somehow worse to finish the last of it, especially as we had to move the rest ourselves. (Appropriate shout-outs here to my sweet friends and co-workers who helped to subsidize the cost of the professional movers, and also to my faithful friends, Vicky and Tom, for the use of their pickup trucks to complete the move.) Then, of course, there was the neverending hauling of trash and finally, all the cleaning. But somehow, we managed to vacate the old place on December 23...Christmas Eve Eve! (December 2009 was also the Christmas that wasn't. Boo hiss.) It almost killed us, but we did it. Thank heavens I have most of January to try to recuperate and maybe start unpacking...but I'm making no promises on that account. I might just live out of boxes until the spring thaw! (By then, my back and my spirit may have healed somewhat.) But one thing I will definitely commit to is a return to food blogging. Granted, I can barely find anything in the new kitchen, but I have some catching up to do before I start sharing new cooking adventures anyway...

I will begin with a recipe that I had originally intended to make for holiday gifts for co-workers and friends (in addition to the cranberry salsa and apple chutney), but didn't manage to pull it off. It was a cranberry loaf with a spicy twist that I read about on Anna's Cookie Madness blog--and that she highly recommended--called Texas Cranberry Jalapeno Bread. I thought I might make mini-loaves for the people at work, but instead, I ended up making two large loaves to take to a couple of Christmas parties that I was invited to.

It sounds a little strange, I know, but I really liked the peppery kick to a traditional cranberry orange loaf. The only thing I didn't like about the recipe was the half teaspoon of cumin that it calls for. In my opinion, it really overpowered the other flavors. I was thinking that one might substitute cinnamon, but I really think I will admit the spice altogether the next time I make it, so that I can taste the cranberries, the orange, and the zing of both the black pepper and the pepper jelly. That was another great thing about this recipe--it allowed me to use up a half jar of homemade pepper jelly that I found while cleaning out the fridge. (Note: I followed a version of the recipe from Recipezaar that included four tablespoons of pepper jelly, while Anna's version called for two tablespoons of pepper jelly and two tablespoons of salsa, which I thought sounded a little odd and potentially overpowering as well.) In any case, I think that this bread is perfect for the holidays and also to warm you up during the chill of winter!

Texas Cranberry Jalapeno Bread
(Source: Recipezaar)

4 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin (I will omit this next time!)
1 cup chopped pecans
1 bag cranberries, coarsely chopped
3 beaten eggs
3/4 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
3-4 tablespoons jalapeno jelly (I used my homemade apricot pepper jelly)
1/2 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients and the cranberries. In a medium bowl, mix eggs, juice, vanilla, jelly, and butter.

Make a well in center of dry ingredients. Fold wet ingredients into dry and mix gently until ingredients are just combined.

Pour into 2 well-greased loaf pans. Bake 50-60 minutes. Cool in the pans for about ten minutes before turning out and cooling completely on a wire rack.

Makes 2 large loaves.

Cookies....for ME!

After all that canning on behalf of others, I needed a little treat for myself! ;-) Of course, I didn't want it to be anything too involved, and ideally, it would help me continue to use up some ingredients that I already had on hand (=less crap I have to move to the new house). Luckily, I came across a recipe on one of my favorite blogs that sounded perfect!

It's one of those "kitchen sink" cookie recipes that I was able to add lots of little bits of things that were hanging around on the counter, like one of the myriad half-used jars of peanut butter that I discovered while cleaning out the pantry! Also, the original recipe called for Cheerios, but I LOATHE them, so I used the remainder of a box of Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds (my FAVE!). Moreover, I omitted the raisins and peanut butter chips--again, hate them both--and swapped out out chocolate chips instead (just personal preference). And I increased the salt level a bit, as I'm crazy for that sweet-salty thang. Finally, I ran across a little bag of sliced blanched almonds plucked out of the kitchen chaos and threw those in, too, for good measure. The resulting cookies were very flavorful and both crispy and toothsome/chewy at the same time. This recipe is easy and delicious--probably not fancy enough for your holiday cookie platter, but workaday wonderful!


Double Oat and Peanut Butter Cookies
(Source: adapted from Culinary in the Desert/Country)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt (I would increase this to 3/4 teaspoon)
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 cup water
3 cups Cheerios cereal (I used Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds)
1/2 cup golden raisins*
1/2 cup peanut butter chips*

*I omitted both the raisins and peanut butter chips for one cup of bittersweet chocolate chips. I also added about a half cup of sliced blanched almonds to the mix.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, oats, baking soda and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and peanut butter until smooth. Add granulated and brown sugar, beating until creamy. Mix in egg, vanilla and water. Add dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Fold in cereal, raisins and peanut butter chips (or chocolate chips and almonds, if using).

Scoop dough using a 1/4 cup measure and drop onto parchment lined baking sheets, spacing them about 3 inches apart. Lightly dampen the palm of your hand and gently flatten the dough.

Place cookies into the oven and bake until the edges are lightly golden, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cookies cool for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 24 large cookies.

The elves get busy (so to speak)...

Ah, the long Thanksgiving weekend! I should, of course, be packing (I've already postponed my move by two weeks as it is), but dread and procrastination on that front have inspired me to get started on some holiday gifts for co-workers. And nothing pleases me more than preserving in the winter. Thus, I have three recipes to share from my Thanksgiving canning FRENZY!

My first gift in a jar is in honor of my very dear friend, John. I have already shared the story of visiting his family many years ago in rural Missouri and raiding his Grandma Blesi's larder for homemade dill pickles (the event which launched my canning career). But when I was in the pantry grabbing big old jars of dills, Johnny was grabbing smaller jars of something he remembered very fondly from his childhood called "pear honey." It has no actual honey in it, but is a surprising mix of pears and canned pineapple that's cooked down to a tawny, honey-like consistency (hence the name) that, to hear John tell of it, goes perfectly on a hot biscuit. I didn't have Grandma Blesi's recipe (note to self: call John's mom), but I used one from Paula Deen that seemed very traditional. Naturally, I had to zhoozh it up a bit by adding a vanilla bean (definitely not traditional, but vanilla is so YUMMY with both pears and pineapple), and it turned out beautifully. I only made a half batch, and it yielded nine jars--plenty to send a bunch to John and still have some leftover for local gift-giving.

Pear Honey with Vanilla Beans
(Source: adapted from Paula Deen)

3 lbs. (about nine cups) peeled, cored, and chopped pears
1 8 oz. can (about one cup) crushed pineapple with syrup
5 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 vanilla bean, split

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Cook until pears are tender and mixture thickens, 30-45 minutes. Process jars in a hot water bath, 10 minutes for half-pints and 15 minutes for pints.

Yield: 9 half-pints

That took care of John's Christmas present, but I still needed little gifts for my co-workers. Since cranberries were on sale for Thanksgiving, I wanted to try something called Spicy Cranberry Salsa, which was the perfect holiday red color, and would make a wonderful condiment on a turkey sandwich, or served over a brick of cream cheese with crackers or tortilla chips, or as a zippy substitute for traditional cranberry sauce on a holiday table. Delish!

Spicy Cranberry Salsa
(Source: National Center for Home Food Preservation)

6 cups chopped red onion
4 finely chopped large Serrano peppers*
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups cider vinegar (5%)
1 tablespoon canning salt
1 1/3 cups sugar
6 tablespoons clover honey
12 cups (2 3/4 pounds) rinsed, fresh whole cranberries

*Caution: Wear plastic or rubber gloves and do not touch your face while handling or cutting hot peppers. If you do not wear gloves, wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before touching your face or eyes.

1. Wash and rinse 6 pint (or 12 half-pint) canning jars; keep hot until ready to use. Prepare lids according to manufacturer's directions.
2. Combine all ingredients except cranberries in a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat slightly and boil gently for 5 minutes.
3. Add cranberries, reduce heat slightly and simmer mixture for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching.
4. Fill the hot mixture into clean, hot pint jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Leave saucepot over low heat while filling jars. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed. Wipe rims of jars and apply two-piece metal canning lids.
5. Process in a boiling water canner for ten minutes (half-pints or pints). Let cool, undisturbed, 12-24 hours and check for seals.

Yield: About 6 pint jars (I made half-pints for gift-giving)

Lastly, as I had recently been to Everett Orchards and procured a half peck of GINORMOUS Cortlands, I decided to give friends and co-workers a choice between the cranberry salsa or an apple chutney that I read about on my favorite Harvest Forum from Annie of the legendary Annie's Salsa fame. It turned out lovely, and I believe it would be a perfect pairing with anything porcine--pork roast or pork chops in particular. Yum!

Apple Chutney
(Source: GardenWeb's Harvest Forum)

8 cups cored, peeled and chopped apples
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 extra-large sweet red pepper, chopped (or 2 medium)
1 lb. golden raisins
1 lb. black raisins (I used red flame raisins instead)
2 jalapenos, chopped
2 tablespoons mustard seeds
4 cups apple cider vinegar
2 medium onions, chopped
4 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 teaspoons canning salt
2 teaspoons allspice (I reduced this to one teaspoon)
2 teaspoons cinnamon (I reduced this to one teaspoon)
2 teaspoons ground cloves (I reduced this to 1/2 teaspoon)
*I added 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Combine all in a large kettle and bring slowly to a boil, stirring often to keep from sticking. Simmer until thick (30-45 minutes?). Pour into hot jars, adjust lids and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Yield: 12 to 14 half-pints

HAPPY THANKSGIVING 2009!

I have so much to be grateful for this year. The two main things are my new (to me) house, and the fact that my long-lost roommate, Cyd, has returned after spending over a year working near Minneapolis. YAY! I am so happy to have my friend back, that instead of foregoing Thanksgiving in favor of more packing, which was the original plan, I broke down and cooked a traditional feast. We've just finished gorging ourselves on the turkey and trimmings, and while my prodigal roommate watches her football, I thought I'd get a Thanksgiving blog post in.

I did much of the preparation yesterday. I started by brining the turkey in the Alton Brown fashion, or something close to it. I dissolved a pound and half each of kosher salt and brown sugar in three quarts of hot water, which I let cool for about a half hour, maybe a little longer. I poured this into a big Igloo chest cooler, then I threw in four bay leaves, a bunch of fresh thyme and a couple of big sprigs of sage leaves, both from my herb garden (thank you, global warming!), a sprinkle of black peppercorns and red pepper flakes, and a dozen garlic cloves. Next, I added a seven pound bag of ice and my 15.5 pound turkey. I left this on the porch overnight, brining it a total of about 20 hours, though that was probably overkill. Then today, I lubed up the skin with olive oil and seasoned it with salt, pepper and granulated garlic, roasted it at 450 for about a half hour, then another 2 1/2 to 3 hours at 350. It was perfect--moist, flavorful, and not too salty.

Also yesterday, I made a classic sausage, onion, celery and sage bread stuffing that just needed to be baked off today. I did one thing differently than I usually do--I added a can of cream of celery soup to the mixture, as I recently saw Paula Deen do. It made for a very soft, bread pudding consistency, which is how Cyd prefers it, and it added another layer of flavor. Also, in Cyd's honor, we made real mashed potatoes (I am fine with just stuffing myself). And to kick them up a bit, I added 4 oz. of soft cream cheese, and I browned the butter before adding it (thanks to Elise at Simply Recipes for that fabulous tip!). I also prefer to use evaporated milk in my mashed potatoes, because I like that slightly nutty, cooked flavor, which complemented the brown butter.

The last thing I did yesterday was to make what may now become my de facto pumpkin pie. The recipe came from Anna at Cookie Madness, and it's called Marbled Cream Cheese Pumpkin Pie. (Of course, I'm not a skilled marbler, so my pie ended up with globby cheesecake polka dots inside...oh well!) In any case, for those of you who can't decide between pumpkin pie and pumpkin cheesecake, this is the solution! Cyd prefers a traditional pumpkin pie, but she loved this. And I liked it better than regular pumpkin pie. I enjoyed the lighter texture and the milder flavor, though some people might want to use a heavier hand with the spices. Then again, the only real change I made was, instead of using pecan shortbread cookies for the crust, I used ginger snaps and chopped walnuts. This was a stroke of genius, if I do say so myself, and the ginger snaps bring up the spice level, of course. Just delicious! The only possible downside to this pie may be that you HAVE to make it in advance, as it requires a minimum of four hours of chill time. Or maybe that's a plus because it's a make-ahead item, so that takes some pressure off of cooking so much on the actual Day of Thanks.

All I had to do today was to roast the turkey, bake off the stuffing, reheat the potatoes, and make some ROCKING gravy from the pan drippings deglazed with a half cup of red wine, maybe half or three-quarters cup flour whisked in, and lots of lots of homemade turkey stock. The stock I made by browning the turkey neck, gizzards and heart in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil along with two stalks of celery and two carrots, both cut into chunks, one onion thickly sliced, two sprigs of fresh sage, a handful of peppercorns, two tablespoons of "Better Than Bouillion" (one chicken and one vegetable), and eight cups of water. I brought it to a boil, and then left it on the warm burner the whole time the turkey was roasting. Lastly, Cyd roasted up some brussels sprouts with bacon, and we baked some dinner rolls from La Brea Bakery that my friend, June, turned me onto. You can find them in your grocery's freezer section, and they are really awesome.

I hope all of you had a savory and satisfying day of gratefulness with your friends and family today!

Marbled Cream Cheese Pumpkin Pie
(Source: Cookie Madness)

Crust:
16 pecan sandies cookies, crushed to make 1 1/2 cups crumbs (I used ginger snaps plus about a half cup of hoped walnuts)
3 tablespoons flour (I omitted this)
3 tablespoons melted butter (I needed 6 T)

Filling:
11 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (I doubled this)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or 1/4 each ginger, nutmeg, cloves)
3 large eggs
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
1 tablespoon milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix together all crust ingredients and press firmly into bottom and sides of an ungreased 9 inch pie plate. Bake for 12 minutes

Beat cream cheese and sugar with electric mixer until smooth; Beat in the vanilla, then add flour and stir or beat on low speed until mixed. Set aside 1/2 cup of the cream cheese mixture, then add all remaining filling ingredients except milk. Beat on medium speed, scraping bowl often, until smooth. Pour into crust*.

Mix the reserved 1/2 cup cream cheese mixture and the milk. Spoon over pumpkin mixture. Cut through cream cheese and pumpkin mixtures to make a marbled pattern.

Cover edges of foil loosely with a strip of foil to prevent the crust from over-browning and bake on center rack for 35 to 40 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean, removing foil for last 15 minutes of baking. Cool to room temperature. Cover loosely and refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving. Store in refrigerator.

*Though I used a deep dish pie plate, I had more filling than would fit in the crust, especially with the cream cheese swirl still to be added. So I saved the extra cup or so of filling, crushed up another four ginger snaps, mixed them with a couple of teaspoons of melted butter, and baked one miniature pie for my next-door neighbor. Cute!

The swine flu has no dominion over homemade soup!

When the world's best tuna casserole was gone, I needed something else to comfort me and help me fight the H1N1 plague, and what would fill the bill better than a big pot of hearty, homemade soup? In my neverending quest to use up existing ingredients, I decided to make cream of tomato soup, as my wonderfully generous friend, Rosanne, sent me an entire CASE of the most amazing San Marzanos in puree from one of her favorite small, family-run companies called Sciabica, who are more famously known for their incredible olive oils.

The recipe I used had a lot of different veggies in it--more of a cream of V-8, if you will. It was terrific with a grilled ham and cheese sammie on the side, and as with most soups, it was even better over the next few days for lunch at work. If you or someone you know is feeling unwell or just needs a warm-up from the inside out, you should make this soup!


Classic Creamy Tomato Soup
(Source: adapted from The Culinary Review)

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced (I used a red onion)
2 celery stalks, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 large roasted peppers (from a jar), diced
4 large garlic cloves, minced (I used eight!)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
pinch of hot red pepper flakes
1 small can tomato paste
1 28 oz. whole San Marzano tomatoes in puree
4 cups water + 1 tablespoon chicken soup base
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (I prefer a thick, aged one)
1/2 cup half-and-half (I probably used 1 cup)
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Sweat the onion, celery, carrots and peppers in the oil and butter. After about 10 minutes, add the garlic, thyme, bay leaves, pepper flakes and tomato paste. Continue to saute for one or two minutes, and then add the tomatoes and the water and soup base (or four cups stock/broth).

Bring to a simmer, and let cook for about 15-20 minutes. Remove the bay leaves, and blend the soup well (I use a stick blender), then stir in the sugar, balsamic vinegar and half-and-half. Salt and pepper to taste.

I need comfort.

This semester has been ROUGH! Of course, there has been all the exciting but stressful house stuff to deal with, but everything has been so much more overwhelming and exhausting because it seems like I have been sick since the beginning of school. My traditional fall allergies began early this year (in August) and by September, had morphed into an ugly chest cold that took me until mid-October to completely overcome. Then I was well for three weeks at most before the dastardly swine flu struck me down!

I had been telling my students all along that my twenty year college reunion was coming up in early November, and if any of them gave me the H1N1 virus that was running rampant, I would KILL them (if the flu didn't)! A couple of days before I left town, I had a bad headache and a bit of a runny nose, but I didn't think much of it. In fact, I naively believed I had manage to outrun the swine flu up until I boarded the plane for the reunion. The first part of my flight was fine, but when I connected from Detroit to Salt Lake City, it hit me out of nowhere! I became horribly congested, I had terrible chills, body aches, nausea, and I was very dizzy. It was the longest flight of my life, and managing to get off the plane, to baggage claim, to the car rental counter, and finally to the farthest corner of the earth where the car was parked, was enough to make me burst into frantic tears once I got behind the wheel. I don't know how I did it, but I drove from the airport to the closest area west of downtown where there are many modest hotels. I checked into one of them, took a hot shower because I was still so cold, collapsed into bed, and called my SLC friends from my cell phone to tell them that I might be dying and could, therefore, not meet them at the brew pub that night. WAAA!

I slept from 8pm to about 5am, then I got up and drove to the nearest fast food joint for a ginormous orange juice. I came back and slept for a few more hours, and when I got up again, I felt a little more human, so I decided to drive to Nampa, ID as planned to attend my reunion. The fun of seeing old friends and reliving college memories (that along with LOTS and LOTS of drugs!) sustained me through the next couple of days. After the reunion, I drove back to Salt Lake, and continued to rally long enough to attend the premiere of my best friend's Kurt's play (he wrote it!) and to celebrate with some of my dearest friends afterward. I got about two hours of sleep that night, and hopped an early plane back to New York the next morning. I went right back to work the following day, and of course, had to play catch up all week from the time I was away. And even the weekend held no respite, as the dreaded packing awaited me at home. BOO HISS!

Exhausted and still very ill, I was in desperate need of some TLC. And the form that it was to take would turn out to be....wait for it....TUNA CASSEROLE! I know, I know! But don't be hatin', as this was definitely NOT yo mama's tuna noodle casserole! This was damn near elegant, and so incredibly tasty. It completely hit the spot, and I am convinced that it sped the healing. So if you have also been plagued with the flu, this is your panacea, friends.

Of course, I am still playing my little game where I challenge myself to make interesting dishes with ingredients that I already have on hand (so that I have to move less stuff!). Thus, the inspiration for this casserole came from the following items that I found in the pantry and freezer: two cans of imported tuna in olive oil, one can each of cream of mushroom/celery/chicken soup, a bag of Reame's egg noodles, a half bag of panko, and the remains of a box of pretzel crackers.


I started with a couple of tablespoons of both butter and olive oil and sauteed two or three stalks of chopped celery, a large onion, and a pound of fresh mushrooms. Then I added a tablespoon of minced garlic and deglazed the pan with half a cup of white wine. My seasonings of choice were salt and pepper (to taste), a teaspoon each of paprika and thyme, a tablespoon of Old Bay, and a good pinch of cayenne. To this, I added the two cans of tuna (drained), the admittedly low-rent cream o' soups, and probably a cup and a half of half-and-half (up to a pint) until the sauce was the desired consistency.

While that simmered, I cooked a package of Reame's frozen egg noodles (this is the key ingredient, mind you!) in boiling vegetable stock for about 35-40 minutes, then added the drained noodles to the other mixture. Once combined, I dumped it all into a large casserole dish, topped it with a a couple of cups of panko and crumbled pretzel crackers mixed with half a stick of melted butter and a pinch of salt, and baked it at 400 for 10-15 minutes until the top was crispy. Seriously...it was DEE-licious and soul-satisfying! The only thing it may have been missing was some frozen peas tossed in just before baking. Oh well...next time (that I make this casserole, I mean---please Lord, no more respiratory ailments this season!).

My apologies to the pork chop...

Friends, I have a confession to make. I have never been a big fan of the pork chop. Oh, I adore most all other porcine applications, but the pork chop has never been good to me. Or more to the point, I have never been good to IT. I cannot manage to cook a pork chop that isn't raw or bone dry or burned, or somehow all of the above! But I think I've finally had a breakthrough.

In my ongoing quest to use up things from the freezer before my big move, I happened upon a large pork roast. I remember the original purchase was a buy-one-get-one deal, and I also remember the first roast being extremely lean and therefore quite dry, despite cooking it low and slow in the crock pot. So this time, I decided to cut the roast into one-inch pork chops and try frying them.

After cutting the chops, I coated them in a generous amount of my favorite BBQ rub, then dusted them with plain flour. I whisked two whole eggs with a tablespoon or two of milk and dunked the chops in. Finally, I coated them liberally with Japanese panko, a half a bag of which I also encountered in my freezer explorations. I fried the chops three or four at a time in a couple of inches of canola oil until GB&D, and I kept them warm in a 200-degree oven as I cooked successive batches.


I served them with garlic mashed potatoes and a simple salad, and MAN, were they good! They were tender and juicy and flavorful, and the panko made them ridiculously crispy. Finally, I have done right by the humble pork chop!

*My good friend and fellow foodie, Chris, insists that the best way to prepare pork chops that are not dry is with a brine...specifically, a beer brine. He has forwarded me his favorite recipe. I will try it and report back. I think he's onto something!