So long 2012, it's been fun!

Wow, once again Christmas is right around the corner. Last year Joel and I were living in Oklahoma and spending time with our families. This year we're far away from the hub bub of our nieces and nephew and other extended family and we're flying solo in the very cold city of Chicago.We're coming up on our one year anniversary in the Windy City, my how time flies!

If you have some folks coming over and you want a quick and easy appetizer to satisfy your guests until the main course is ready, then Smoked Salmon Cheese Dip should fit the bill. Even if you're not having people over, cut the recipe in half and have yourself a delicious treat. I love smoked salmon so much, its hard not to eat it right out of the package but try and contain yourself. One thing I learned from living in Seattle is to appreciate a good piece of salmon. I miss how affordable salmon used to be, there is certainly a mark up from the West Coast to the Midwest!

No matter how you're spending your holidays, with a house full of noise and people or a quiet day with that one person you cherish, I hope it's a good one. Thanks for reading!!

Smoked Salmon Cheese Dip
Serves 12 to 16

8 oz smoked salmon, roughly chopped
1 8 oz pkg Neufchatel cheese
1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
2 TB lemon juice
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3 green onions, roughly chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley

Add all ingredients, except parsley, into a food processor and pulse until combined and smooth. Transfer to a bowl, cover and chill until ready to serve. Just before serving sprinkle parsley over the salmon dip. Serve with crackers, flatbread, or pita chips.

Over Easy the Easy Way

 

Some of my favorite childhood memories are having breakfast with my father at a chic French restaurant in Tulsa (chic to a 6 year old anyway). Although I would stare endlessly at the pastry display I always devoured the crispy french baguette served with over easy eggs my father would order. With a simple pat of butter and salt and pepper a meal was transformed into something extraordinary. I've been chasing that restaurants eggs for a long time now and I think I've finally found them, or at least something worthy.

My previous method of poaching eggs, which used to be my favorite, consisted of simmering water and vinegar in a shallow pan and breaking an egg over it carefully until it was cooked thoroughly in all the right places. The vinegar keeps the egg from separating but it leaves a distinct but mild vinegar flavor in the final dish. By making soft boiled eggs you can do away with the vinegar and its even easier because you don't have to worry if the whites of your eggs are done, just follow the rules and you'll have perfect hard boiled eggs every time. 

This method comes from Cook's Illustrated. They took 4 pages to talk about soft boiled eggs, I've narrowed it down to three paragraphs so, you're welcome.

Soft Boiled Eggs

Bring 1/2 inch of water to a boil. Add as many eggs as you wish to eat. Cover with a lid and cook for 6 minutes 30 seconds (set a timer.) Remove from heat and run eggs under cold water until cool enough to handle. Peel the eggs or crack the egg along it's equator and eat out of its shell. Eat it alone or with butter, baguette and a bed of arugula or any other number of ways. Sprinkle with salt & pepper, and enjoy.

Neighborly Love

I've spent the last week of my time back in my hometown in Oklahoma. I've discovered I'm more of a big city girl but one of things I miss most about this place are the sunsets. I've never seen a sunset more resplendent than those in my mother's backyard. I like that the air smells fresher and that despite my love for the city, I always feel like I'm coming home when I enter my mother's house.

I got to do a lot of cooking and baking while helping my mom recover from knee surgery and that was fine by me. I made a big pot of chili, chicken pot pie, fajitas, and I even got to bake a cake for my mom's neighbor because that's what people do here, return a favor by baking something. The simple graciousness of baking something for someone else to eat doesn't seem to be as popular as it once was, but I hope this is a tradition that never completely fades away. I'm thankful that my mom is someone who keeps it alive.

Mom wanted me to make a pumpkin-pecan coffee cake from her recipe journal she keeps on hand. Meaning she cuts out recipes and pastes them onto a notebook, so I'm not sure exactly where this recipe originates from. I like this cake because most likely you've already got the ingredients for it on hand and it's great for dessert or with coffee in the morning. I think that's why it's called a coffee cake...
The only thing my mom lacked was pumpkin pie spice, but she had exactly what we needed anyway. If you find yourself lacking pumpkin pie spice in your cupboard just substitute 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves. Your batter will be thick after mixing so spoon it carefully over your oatmeal-pecan topping. Careful not to over bake. This cake is perfect with a dollop of whip cream on top. Your neighbor will love it.

 

Pumpkin-Pecan Coffee Cake
One 9-inch round cake

1 teaspoon butter
1/4 cup regular oats
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons chopped pecans
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Melt 1 teaspoon butter in bottom of 9-inch round cake pan. Combine oats, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, and pecans. Sprinkle oat mixture over bottom of the pan and set aside.
3. Beat 3 tablespoons butter, granulated sugar, and 1/4 cup brown sugar at medium speed of a mixer until mixture is blended (about 4 minutes). Add the eggs and beat well. Lightly spoon the flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, pumpkin-pie spice, and baking soda. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture alternately with the pumpkin and buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
4. Spoon batter evenly over oat mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes, and invert cake onto a serving plate. Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream.

I'm back!

Yes, I took a long hiatus from writing, cooking and picture taking, though it was unintentional. Getting back on the wagon has reminded me how much fun I have writing this blog, despite all the things I let get in the way. There are a lot of things I like about having a food blog, the good things like sharing recipes, finding creative and fun new foods to try, and the ultimate reward, getting to eat it up after the camera is put away. But there are hard things about it too, keeping a positive attitude toward it all, whose reading this anyway? Are these recipes people would like to try? Why can't I take a good picture after all this practice? So yes, I suffer from low self esteem and a lack of motivation that seems to plague me at all the wrong times.

A few months ago during the summer months I shared my feelings of joy and contentment at the simple things in life, so I think it's only fair to show the other side, the darker side that everyone goes through but few people like to talk about. It's easy to talk to people and participate fully in life when everything seems to be going your way. We all know and hate the people in social media whose posts seem to amp up how wonderful their life is while the rest of us scowl at the computer and mumble under our breath about our own sad hand we were dealt. I don't have a choice but to get back in the game, sitting on the bench can't be an option (for long anyway). So here I go again... just in time for the most important day in food of the year.


It's Thanksgiving week and if you haven't planned what you're making yet you'd better get started. Because I have to work Thanksgiving day and can't be with family, I'll be making a few hors d'oeuvres and side dishes to take to a friends home who is graciously hosting us misfits without family in town. I thought that with all the heavy dishes that seem to permeate the holidays I could offer a lighter, slightly healthier option to bring to the table this season. It makes a great presentation and can easily be made ahead and perhaps the most important thing, it tastes great. I mean really really great. It's a perfect snack to keep your belly satisfied before you gobble up your turkey and stuffing.

The best thing about this appetizer is that it only has 3 ingredients! Holiday Red Seedless Grapes hail from Central California and are available in October and November. These large grapes are incredibly sweet and I find that since they are bigger than your average purple grape they are perfect for this appetizer. I don't use goat cheese very often but every time I eat it I wonder why I don't incorporate it into more dishes. Goat cheese is lower in fat, calories and cholesterol compared to cow's milk, it's also easier to digest for those who are sensitive to lactose. It also has more calcium than cream cheese and even though it's lower in calories, it still has a wonderful creamy texture and rich flavor. I ground my pistachios by putting them in a wax paper bag and banged it with a rolling pin but you can also pulse them in a food processor quickly and easily or even use a mortar and pestle.

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!

Goat Cheese & Pistachio Covered Grapes

4oz creamy goat cheese
25 Holiday Red Seedless Grapes
1/2 cup crushed pistachios

After washing and drying your grapes simply cover them in goat cheese and roll them in the ground pistachios. Place toothpicks nearby so guests can easily devour these. And they will.

 

Fall Comforts

October seems to have taken me by surprise, I thought it had just arrived but already two full weeks have passed. I think the combination of a wedding anniversary and a small job promotion have kept me preoccupied lately. But never too preoccupied to eat of course..

With all the beautiful gourds abounding on every corner I'm finding it hard to stay away from traditional fall dishes like potato leek soup, chicken pot pies, and pumpkin bread. So creamy pumpkin pasta sauce is right up my alley these days.

Fresh pasta is hard to beat and the taste is incomparable up against dried versions. You could even get pumpkin stuffed tortellini like I did and really amp up the pumpkin flavor but a traditional cheese stuffing is perfect too. If you only have dry on hand then penne makes a great substitution. By cooking the rosemary in the oil first you'll infuse the rest of the dish with a subtle rosemary flavor and don't discard them either, they make a great garnish.

By using half and half instead of milk it will give you a richer sauce but using a low fat milk works well too and cuts out a lot of calories. This is a simple weeknight dinner that takes no time at all to come together and will satisfy those autumn comfort cravings.

Creamy Pumpkin Pasta Sauce
4 servings

12 oz fresh tortellini or ravioli 
2 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs fresh rosemary, chopped
1 med shallot, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 can pumpkin puree
1/2 cup milk or half-and-half
1/3 grated Parmesan
1 Tbs white wine vinegar
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add pasta and cook according to directions (if using fresh pasta cooking time will be shorter). Reserve 2 cups pasta water.

2. Heat oil in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add rosemary and fry until it begins to brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove rosemary with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel, set aside. With the hot oil add minced shallot and garlic to saucepan and heat through until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add pumpkin puree, milk, Parmesan, vinegar, red pepper flakes, and 1 cup pasta water. Reduce heat to medium low and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until sauce is thickened. Add more pasta water if needed to reach desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Drain the pasta, add to saucepan and stir well to coat. Spoon onto individual plates and top with fried rosemary, grated Parmesan, and red pepper flakes if desired.

A Simple Equation

For whatever reason the hubby and I hardly ever go out to eat. I guess a combination of money and my love of cooking keeps our stove warm. Today we decided to venture out and check out a well known Chicago institution, Ann Sather. I first noticed her name when taking Nico out for a walk when we first moved into the Lakeview neighborhood. She had a park named after her and it wasn't until I saw a restaurant and cafe bearing her name that I really began to wonder who she was. Turns out she was a sweet lady who bought a Swedish restaurant over sixty years ago and dedicated herself to providing delicious, made from scratch, diner fare for a very reasonable price. We gasped when our waitress sat down two enormous cinnamon rolls in front of us after we placed our order, turns out it comes with the meal! These beauties were served warm with just the right amount of icing, not too much so as to be overwhelming. Needless to say we left stuffed and completely satisfied and I'm happy that I finally know what Ann Sather is all about. We'll definitely be back.

You'd think after gorging myself on cinnamon rolls I couldn't possibly want any more baked goods but I've been dying to make a recipe that combines all my favorite things of the season.

Pumpkins! + Beer! + Bread! =
Pumpkin Beer Bread!!!

It's just as glorious as you can imagine.. the best part is you get to drink the remainder of the Imperial Pumking Ale. This beer from Southern Tier is by far one of the best seasonal ales you can find. The pumpkin pie spices of cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice that are present in this beer go hand in hand with our pumpkin bread.

This recipe is easy peasy. Consider using 1 1/2 cups of white flour and 1/2 cup of wheat flour to enhance the flavor and create a density that is nice in a quick bread of this caliber. If you choose to add walnuts to your bread, and I highly recommend it, toast them in the oven at 300 degrees for about 10 minutes, or until fragrant. The toasted walnuts will add a nice crunch and depth of flavor to the final result. I also used freshly grated nutmeg which I've convinced myself tastes completely different from nutmeg purchased already ground. It's more aromatic and rounds out dishes nicely with a subtle flavor that's lacking in the commercially ground spice.

Wherever you are I hope you're enjoying the autumn weather. If you're not this will certainly help you get in the mood. Bon Appetit!

Pumking Beer Bread
Yields One 9 inch loaf
 
2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar, tightly packed
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of allspice
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 eggs, beaten lightly
1 cup pumpkin ale
1 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped (optional)


1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray the bottom of loaf pan; set aside.

2. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice together in a large bowl; set aside.

3. Mix melted butter, pumpkin puree, eggs and pumpkin ale together in a medium bowl. Lightly fold pumpkin mixture into dry ingredients with a rubber spatula until just combined. Add walnuts and fold into batter. Scrape batter into prepared loaf pan; bake until loaf is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about an hour. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Pretty in Pink

Now that you've brought out your autumn decorations from the attic it's time to put on a pot of your favorite chili and bake some corn muffins and officially ring in the fall season this Saturday. I've finally caught the autumn bug after resisting it for a few weeks, but now I'm embracing it wholeheartedly. The pumpkin harvest beer from Blue Moon I'm sipping is also helping me to get over the long summer days. But shorter days also mean I'm spending more time indoors, much of it wasted watching hulu, but my web surfing took me to this you tube video of South Korean music sensation, PSY (short for psycho, how can it NOT be good?) Now that you've had your pop culture injection for the day we can move on. (Joel points out this video has over 200 million hits, so I'm not exactly being revelatory here. It's still awesome so watch it again).

My mother-in-law is an amazing cook and if possible, and even better hostess. Martha Stewart could learn a thing or two from Bev. From her immaculately decorated home to her decade old sourdough starter, there's nothing Bev knows better than entertaining well. When we come to visit her in El Reno, Oklahoma she always knows what her son wants to eat and she can't go wrong with her homemade chili. What separates Bev's chili from the rest of the pack is her delicious pink onions that top the steaming chili and add texture and flavor to jazz up even the best bowl of beans.

I finally asked Beverly for this recipe and she happily wrote it down for me twice. The first time I stuck the note in my pocket and then washed them the very next day. She graciously mailed me a fresh copy after I realized my error and finally, Pink Onions! She got this recipe from Vegetarian Cooking and it couldn't be easier to make. You'll have plenty of time to whip them up while your beans are simmering away. You can use your favorite kind of vinegar or whatever you have on hand. Apple cider, white wine, or red wine will all work with the same yummy result. Substituting a white or yellow onion is also an option but then you can't call them pink onions anymore. If you have leftovers, and you probably will, try using them on sandwiches, scrambled in eggs, in stir-fries, or anything else you can envision.


Pink Onions

2 cups water
1 1/2 tablespoons-1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar, divided
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
salt to taste

In a large saucepan over high heat bring water and 1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar to a boil. Add onion and return to a boil and cook uncovered over medium heat 2-3 minutes. Drain onion and let cool. In a bowl stir together onion, 1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar, oil, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and salt. Serve at room temperature or cover and chill until ready to serve.