Today is the beginning of lent. If you’ve been following the blog for awhile, you know I challenge myself each lent to try something new in the food arena. Meghan has been my partner in crime in these challenges every year. Prior to my blogging days, we did high-fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated oils, and all things ‘white’ (sugar, white flour, etc.)

Since documenting our adventures, we’ve had others join in.

Two years ago, Amanda joined us for sugar-free lent.

Last year, Willa and our friend, Jon, joined us for vegan lent.

So, what’s on tap for this year?

Gluten-Free!

This is a hot topic right now. I have no doubt you’ve read about it or have a friend that has gone gluten-free. I have friends that have gone gluten-free for a variety of reasons; as a diet, because they have a slight gluten-intolerance and some who have been diagnosed with Celiac disease.

Restaurants have started adding gluten-free options to their menu and the gluten-free sections at grocery stores continues to grow.

Although there has been a so much public education on being gluten-free, I’m still really nervous. I love gluten! I know I’ll be able to get through 6 1/2 weeks without some of my gluten favorites (bread, wheat pasta, couscous), but I’m concerned about the things I don’t realize have gluten in them (like the vinegar used in sushi rice!).

This will definitely be a learning experience and I’m glad I’m not doing it alone. Both Meghan and Anne are joining me! Anne has been following a Paleo diet so she’s already used to a lack of gluten. Meghan and I are in for a bigger change.

We’ll be doing weekly updates on what we’re learning and how we’re adjusting. We’re also open to anyone that wants to join us!

For those of you in the know, what are items you were surprised had gluten in them?

Are you giving up anything for lent?

In searching for a gourmet popcorn to serve at Gourmet Dinner Club: Oscars, I was torn between one that involved curry and one that involved lime. I wanted the corn to have enough flavor to be noticed but not so crazy that it scared people off. The lime won. In the end, I adapted a version by Heidi Swanson, who I adore. The original recipe called for more heat and some tequila, but I opted to tone it down a bit and pass on the booze since my main dish was boozy enough.

The popcorn was a hit. It had kick from the red pepper flakes and tang from the lime. It had everyone asking, “what is in this?” and then reaching back into the bowl for another handful.

The lime was not available for the photo. It felt terrible for missing it.

Chile Lime Popcorn

Makes about 4 quarts

adapted from 101 Cookbooks

Note: I absolutely love using coconut oil to make popcorn. It has a high smoke point and it adds a delicious flavor that in this case, pairs well with the lime.

You’ll need:

3 Tbsp Coconut oil (canola oil or butter would also work)

3/4 cup popcorn kernels

1/4 c. butter, melted (I was a generous in my measuring)

2 teaspoons lime juice

zest of one lime

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon cumin

Preheat oven to 300.

To make the popcorn:

Melt 3 Tbsp coconut oil in a deep heavy pot. Throw in a few popcorn kernels and heat on medium-high heat. Once a kernel pops, add the rest of the popcorn, put a lid on top and shake the pot to coat the kernels. Continue to shake as it pops to prevent scorching. Once the popping slows down to every 5 seconds or so, remove from heat. Transfer to a paper bag.

For the coating:

Combine all of the coating ingredients and whisk well. Poor over popcorn in the bag, close it up and shake well. Spread out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for about 5 minutes. You don’t want to bake out all of the moisture but you want to give it a chance to adhere to the kernels. It’ll still be nice and buttery. Napkins will be required.

I cannot wait to make this again on Oscar night!

What is your favorite way to eat popcorn? Are you a traditionalist or do you enjoy different seasonings?

I’m still recovering from last night’s Gourmet Dinner Club. Another epic night of awesome food.

As the host, I picked a theme that is not only timely, but one of my favorite events. The Oscars. All dishes had to be inspired by an Oscar-nominated film from any year. I’m so glad we did this the week before the actual night of the Oscars (2/26), because now you can have your own Oscar dinner party during the Oscars!

This was such a fun theme that everyone interpreted a bit differently. All of the food was excellent. So excellent, I was still in a comatose state this morning. The food was good enough that I’ll be sharing a few different recipes over the next couple of weeks.

To start, I had gourmet popcorn out for noshing as folks arrived. Although, not inspired by a specific movie, one must have popcorn at the movies! I went the route of chili-lime and man was it tasty. Buttery spicy goodness. Recipe coming your way soon. In addition, there were drinks of proseco, red wine and an Old Fashioned for Liza.

Liza brought our main appetizer which were southern Deviled Eggs. These eggs were inspired by the movie The Help. Liza told us about her experience seeing The Help in the theatre while in labor. Granted, it was early labor, but still! Rock star woman that Liza. And the eggs were great! They were distinctly southern with pickle relish mixed into the filling. This is not a typical ingredient in the mid-western deviled eggs I’ve grown up with.

Next up was Lee’s French Onion Soup inspired by Midnight in Paris. Lee loosely followed this recipe, but went the extra step of making her own beef stock. I’ve always wanted to make this soup but I find it intimidating. I think going forward, I’ll just have Lee come over and make it for me. I found it to be perfectly oniony, beefy and cheesy.

Along side the soup were the meatballs. Amanda took an Indian twist and created a spicy lamb meatball in a spicy tomato sauce which was inspired by Slumdog Millionaire. Seasoned with serrano peppers, fennel, and cumin, these were flavorful and spicy balls! I found it necessary to have a bit of baguette to tame the heat.

I tackled the main course. I researched a ton of Oscar-nominated films for inspiration and I kept coming back to those that took place in France; Midnight in Paris, Moulin Rouge and of course Julie and Julia. Spending time in Paris this summer was also leading me to create something that screams “France!”. I opted to make a classic French dish that I haven’t made before. I went with the beef bourguignon. It was not the vegan version either. It turned out better than I could have imagined! Beef, bacon, brandy, wine and fire make for a delicious dish. I combined a few different versions (Julia’s and Ina’s) and put my own twist into it. I will do a separate post with the recipe. Even this “mostly vegan” gal really loved the dish.

You can tell this is Brette’s bowl since the carrots have been picked out.

At this point, I was wishing I had worn elastic waist pants. We all put our rally hats on and plunged into dessert.

Kari put together a chocolate orange fondue inspired by the movie, Chocolat, and made popovers as one of the dipables which was inspired by Mary Poppins.  How fun is that? I personally find anything dipped in chocolate to be exceptional and this evening confirmed my belief.

Added to the dessert course was Mike’s lemon-yogurt cake. It was a very loose interpretation of this recipe. He made it in the style of the Bundt cake as he was inspired by My Big Fat Greek Wedding. I personally loved his reenactment of the scene in the movie where the Greek woman is trying to explain the Bundt cake and can’t say the word Bundt. Anyone else remember that? If not, call Mike and he can act it out.

I really liked the cake and found that dipping it in chocolate really made the flavors pop….or something like that.

I loved this theme. We spent time talking about our favorite movies throughout our lives. I also put together a playlist of music from the soundtracks of movies. This would have been an even better idea if I started more than 5 minutes before guests arrived. Because of that, we listened to quite a few songs from the Forrest Gump soundtrack.

It’s not to late to start planning for your Oscar Party next weekend. I highly recommend this theme.

Do you have a favorite Oscar flick? What would you bring to this dinner party?

Celery is under-appreciated.

Sure, it is a fantastic vehicle for peanut butter, hummus, and salsa. Yes, it is a key ingredient in the Holy Trinity.

But, how often do you feature celery and really take the time to appreciate it’s wonderful complexities? It is also inexpensive. Win-win.

A few years ago, I made this soup for a retreat and everyone loved it. Now, I’d like to share it with you. Trust me, you will add this to your regular soup rotation. Celery has a peppery-bite that plays off curry powder in the most splendid of ways.

Curried celery soup

Serves 4 to 6

1 Tablespoon olive oil, butter, or ghee

1 onion, chopped

1 1/2 pounds celery, chopped

1 Tablespoon medium or hot curry powder of your choice

8 ounces potatoes, washed and chopped

4 cups vegetable broth

salt to taste

celery leaves, for garnish

Heat the oil, butter, or ghee in a Dutch oven or large soup pot. Add the onion and celery and saute for about 10 minutes or until the vegetables have softened and started to brown.

Add the curry powder and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more.

Add the potatoes and stock and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.

Puree in a blender or food processor until smooth. Season to taste.

Serve dusted with celery leaves. This goes very well with a thick slice of hearty, buttered bread.

Buen provecho!

This review is so long overdue…I blame it on adjusting from one little person to two.

Anyway – The Hubs and I dined at Victor’s 1959 Café.  Have you been?  Well you should!
We hit it up for an anniversary celebration.  And after experiencing it, we were embarrassed to think we have lived in this neighborhood for eight years and this was our first time tasting this Cuban wonder.

Atmosphere is great – super kitschy and fun.  Highly recommend reservations though as it is small and was packed.

We started with drinks. It was our anniversary after all!  We both had mojitos – yummy!
With drinks we had the Cubano Mix which includes two empanadas, two ham croquetas and two tostones.  Delish!  The croquetas were our fav!

For the entrees – I had the Picadillo A La Cubana.  It is ground beef with green olives, peppers and onions and raisins!  Now I am not typically a raisin fan but this dish was awesome.  Seriously it had a great amount of spice and I loved the creole sauce too.  They serve it with fried sweet plantains.  Let’s be honest, I have never met a plantain I didn’t like.

The Hubs had Lechon Asado which is pulled pork that has been roasted in lime juice and garlic for hours and served with yucca frita.  He was equally as happy with his selection.

We ended the evening with several desserts.  Again it was our anniversary!
I love all things coconut.  And I was just done being pregnant when I was craving it all.of.the.time.
So naturally I ordered the Pina Colada Cake and it was AMAZING.  Layers of coconut cake, coconut custard and pineapple.  Seriously soooo good.
The Hubs order the Mojito Sorbet and a Red Espresso.  First the sorbet was refreshingly tart and crisp.  He also had a Red Espresso.  Have you heard of such a thing?  According to their menu it is “the world’s first tea espresso.”  It is made from 100% Rooibos and has no caffeine.  It was so different tasting.  We both sipped it several times and had trouble explaining it.  I recommend giving it a go.

All in all it was a fantastic experience.  I have also heard they do a killer brunch on the weekends.
I promise we will go back again. Wanna come?

My mother is the queen of cookies. There is always a bag of cookies in her freezer. One must be prepared if a child or grandchild is going to stop by or when an impromptu neighborhood gathering congregates in your living room. One must have cookies.Friends of mine going back to grade school remember my mom for her cookies. She is still baking up a storm and although she has her tried and true recipes, she also likes get a little crazy and try a new one now and again.

Because she loves cookies and believes they are the answer to all of life’s woes, I’ve decided to start a new series called “from my mother’s kitchen” where I will share her favorites. If she knew how to blog, or how to use a computer for that matter, I’m sure she’d do it herself. Instead, I will channel my best Barbara.

A few year’s ago I gave her the book Martha Stewart’s Cookies. Mom has found some new favorites from this book, this chocolate cookie being one of them. I’m pretty sure she gets asked for the recipe every time she makes them. They are chewy with a little crisp, carry just the right amount of chocolate, and are killer with a cup of coffee. They also happpen to freeze beautifully if you’d like to throw a bag in the freezer. You never know when you’ll need them.

Brette has titled this photo "cookies in captivity".

Oatmeal. I have professed my love, posted my favorite oat recipe to date, and continued to eat you for the majority of my breakfasts.

And, although, I’ve been drinking my share of breakfasts, oats will always have my heart. This is a version I typically indulge in on a weekend morning. I’m more likely to cook my oats on the stovetop on a Saturday or Sunday.  It really doesn’t take that much time, but I always feel rushed during the week. Whisking oats on the stovetop brings me peace on the weekend. It’s special. What can I say? It’s the little things.

This is a version of oats I really enjoy. Chocolate and banana are a favorite combination of mine. I feels indulgent and special. Who doesn’t like chocolate for breakfast? If you’re really feeling crazy, add some peanut butter for the ultimate treat.

Chocolate Banana Oatmeal

Yield: 1 hearty bowl

Note: I found I didn’t need additional sweetener as my banana was pretty ripe. If you desire a sweeter dish, add your sweetener of choice. I enjoyed a sprinkle of coconut on top of mine. Nuts, nut butter, etc., would be a great topping.

1/2 C. rolled oats

1 C. water

pinch of salt

1 tsp. vanilla

1 Tbsp. cocoa powder

1 very ripe banana, thinly sliced

Splash or more of milk (I used almond, but use whatever you normally would)

Honey, Maple syrup, or Agave (optional)

Shredded Coconut (optional)

Combine oats, water, salt, vanilla, and cocoa powder in small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add banana, and whisk briskly so that banana is smooth throughout oatmeal. Add milk as needed for desired consistency. Continue whisking until oats are done (the entire cooking time is about 10 minutes). Add sweetener  and coconut, if desired.

Do you have a favorite version of oatmeal?

With two picky eaters at home who repeatedly refuse vegetables, I often have to take matters into my own hands. I don’t like hiding veggies in food items regularly because I want my son and husband to be offered a variety on a regular basis, but sometimes it’s the only option.

My latest go-to item is a great little muffin I found ironically in the cookbook  Dave received from my sister for Christmas, “The Athlete’s Palate Cookbook” by Yishane Lee and the editors of Runner’s World. Plus, the forward is by Mark Bittman, so that adds a little street-cred. I know my sister was hoping it might inspire Dave to cook…I’m still waiting for this to happen.  What makes the Zucchini Muffin recipe so wonderful is that it includes shredded carrots and dried fruit.  Oh, and it’s totally dairy free. I incorporated a trick from a friend and substituted Chinese 5-Spice for the cloves and nutmeg and still added the extra cinnamon.

Don’t mind the bandaid(s). Per usual, I managed to grate off a portion of my middle finger and then cut my thumb on an apple slicer when cleaning up. I swear… or should I say, I swore?

Recipe makes 24 muffins:

2 cups unbleached or all-purpose flour

¾ cup granulated sugar

¾ cup light brown sugar (I used dark)

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp nutmeg

1 1/4 cup vegetable oil (you could go easy on this I think)

3 eggs

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 Cups shredded zucchini (2 medium)

1 Cup shredded carrot (1 large)

1 Cup coarsely shopped walnuts (I didn’t use nuts in this batch and they were still great)

1 Cup mixed dried fruit (I used currants and cranberries)

Oven temp is 325F

Combine the dry stuff, mix the wet stuff, throw it all together and then add in the veggies, fruit, and nuts. Fill muffin cups with ¼ cup scoop. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the muffins spring back when touched. Cool on a rack for a 10 minutes or more, then remove and cool some more.

To start I have an apology. I’m embarrassed about the quality of my photos in my last few posts but my camera and computer are fighting which results in me having tons of great (well good) photos on my camera unable to transfer them to my computer. That said, I can’t not share this recipe with you just because my technology is moody. Trust me, you won’t care what they look like after your first bite.

I LOVE when Tommy is in charge of figuring out what we will eat for the week. He is typically more thoughtful than I with these types of decisions (read patient) and does some awesome due diligence scouring our cookbooks. He came across this recipe in one of our staple go to’s – Moosewood Restaurant Cooking for Health. If you don’t own it yet you should. I bought a copy for my girls on the East Coast within a week of cooking out of mine.

*random side note… for x-mas this year T-dogg literally bought me every single book in the Moosewood Collective collection. All twelve.  Can’t make that stuff up.

I digress. He happened upon this gem and they have become a staple in our house. MAJOR BONUS-they are vegan AND gluten-free. woot.

Chickpea Crepes – adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Cooking for Health by the Moosewood Collective

Yields 5-6 crepes; time 40 minutes

Cheers!

As I was making some super awesome scones last night, I started composing at least 3 different blog posts for today. Started is the key word. Just as I would get going on one, I’d start thinking about another and then would start thinking about item #48 on my to-do list. My brain was completely scattered. I could not focus for the life of me. Here’s what’s currently rolling (or in some cases, not rolling) around in my scattered brain:

• When I went to put the super awesome scones in the oven, I was greeted by a squash that I had roasted….on Sunday. Yep. I roasted a squash on Sunday, let it cool in the oven as my kitchen was full from other projects, and then forgot it existed for three whole days. 3 days! I don’t think I’ll be eating that squash.
• I’m hosting the next gathering of the Gourmet Dinner Club. The theme is Oscars. All dishes must be inspired by an Oscar nominated film. I’m making a main dish, but don’t know what movie it will be inspired by or a clue what it will be. What would you make?
• Both Brette and I love the Oscars and for years have made it our quest to see all movies nominated in the top 8 categories. This year, we’re not feeling it. We’re going to stick to seeing the ones nominated that we are actually interested in seeing. There are always some that we dread seeing and then don’t enjoy them. What’s the point of that? How about you…are you excited about the Oscars?
• Actually, we already saw one we just didn’t like…or understand. Tree of Life. Anyone see it? Can you explain the meaning to me please?
• I get to eat at Pizzeria Lola this weekend with Anne and our husbands. Did you know Anne and I were each others Maids of Honor? We always make it a point to celebrate our anniversarys. It guarantees we go on a double date at least twice a  year. In addition to what I’m sure will be yummy pizza, we’ll be seeing “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”. I can. not. wait.
• We will likely have a huge SuperBowl party this weekend. And by huge, I mean the two of us. I plan on making this soup and something else. Possibly something a bit more SuperBowl-y.
• Tonight, my husband asked if I was making enough tofu for him to add to his soup, which also happened to be vegan. This is not a scenario I would have ever imagined happening in my life.
• I went to my swim class Tuesday morning and loved it. I didn’t feel like I was going to die. Major improvement and an awesome feeling. I’m already looking forward to a trip to the pool this weekend.
• Also, I look sweet in a swim cap.