Red Door Epicure

polenta with walnuts and gorganzola

2010-11-20T09:28:00.000-08:00

Many of you have been asking me why I haven't posted for so long. Well, the truth of it is twofold...one: I am in mourning. My lovely, magical camera was stolen and I didn't want you all to know that I actually am not a very good photographer, it was all the magic camera's doing.

Two: As most of you know at this point, I have gotten myself knocked up. Though I'm luckier than most and this hasn't turned me off eating one bit, it has had the unfortunate effect of moving my bedtime up significantly to, say, 7:30 or 8pm. Well, this leaves very little time for culinary adventures to say the least.

However! I have gotten my hands on a simple little point and shoot and though it doesn't do any tricks or display brilliant colors, it will just have to do to impart to what the food that I'm describing looks like. Unfortunately, for this recipe, I wasn't able to get any photos, so you'll just have to use your imagination!

So, on that note, last week I catered a cocktail party for 60 people. Simple appetizers, but a little special, just because I like to show off. With the fantastic help of sous-chefs Thomas and Lindsey, we made crostini with goat cheese and peach thyme preserves, caprese pops, mini curried chicken pot pies, cucumber carpaccio with smoked salmon mousse, strawberries with marscapone mousse, and polenta bites with walnuts and gorganzola.

I had a hard time decided which I was going to cover in this post, but the polenta is a dish that I think is truly special (and, another favorite adjective, EASY). This is a dish that my mother made, an excellent side dish that was easily converted as a left over.

The dish can be prepared in two ways, with fresh polenta (which shares the consistency of grits or cream of wheat) or with pre-prepared polenta which will have already "solidified" (I say this because I can't think of another way to describe it...) and can be sliced. With the fresh polenta you simply want to cook your semolina (as you would oatmeal) and pour it into your casserole dish, then you sprinkle walnuts and gorganzola on top and finish in the oven. If you don't finish this dish on the first night, then the polenta will "solidify" and you can revive the dish by following the "version 2".

This is the perfect side dish to a rich Chicken Marsala or even a simple grilled steak and the simplicity of it all allows two of my favorite flavors to shine (blue cheese and walnuts).

polenta with walnuts and gorganzola

version 1
serves four with leftovers

1 cup polenta (or corn meal)
4 cups water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried thyme or rosemary (optional)

1 cup crumbled gorganzola
1 cup roughly chopped walnuts
salt and pepper for seasoning

-Bring water and salt to boil, slowly whisk in the polenta and stir constantly, cook over medium/medium-low
-Cook until it thickens and pulls away from the pan (about 15 minutes for instant polenta, 30-40 minutes for cornmeal). Stir in thyme/rosemary if using.
- Pour polenta into a casserole/oven-safe serving dish
- sprinkle cheese and walnuts evenly, season with salt and pepper.
- Broil 5-10 minutes, until walnuts are toasted and cheese starts to brown slightly.

Version 2
you will need an additional 4 Tbsp olive oil for this version

If using pre-packaged polenta:
-cut it into 1/2 inch slices
-dip the slices quickly into olive oil
- broil slices for 10 minutes, flipping once
- top each slice with walnuts and cheese
- broil for 5 minutes more.

If using leftovers of version one:
- cut remaining polenta into 1"x1" or 1"x2" pieces
- heat oil in pan, fry bottom of polenta for 10- 15 minutes on medium-low heat (be very careful, it might stick)
- broil for 5 minutes to brown the top.

bacon-wrapped figs stuffed with goat cheese

2010-10-10T08:21:00.000-07:00

When my friend Lindsey was staying with us a few weeks ago she took inspiration from my fig tree and decided she was going to make something delicious with them.

The combination of sweet fruit, potent cheese and salty bacon (or some other similarly cured meat) is one that we are seeing a lot these days, dates filled with blue cheese and wrapped in proscuitto, cantelope with proscuitto and feta, or this perfect little purse of flavor - figs, stuffed with goat cheese and wrapped in bacon.

This combo is perfect for someone like me who just doesn't love overly sweet things. Even fresh figs on their own are often too much for me, so adding goat cheese and bacon (two of my very favorite things) into the mix adds both acidity and saltiness to round out that sweet.

Beyond the intensely amazing flavor that this trio puts out is the sheer ease of assembly and the delightfully short prep and cooking time. These sweet treats can be ready in minutes and have the class and glamor of a five star event. I think you might be seeing a lot of recipes focusing on ease in the next few months as I focus on growing a little something else (= bun in the oven).

Before the last glimpses of summer are gone - get yourself some fresh figs and a nice, crisp white wine and assemble these little beauties.

RECIPE
bacon-wrapped figs stuffed with goat cheese
makes 10

5 fresh figs
5 slices bacon, cut in half
3 1/2 Tbsp goat cheese
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
pinch of salt

- cut the figs in half lengthwise
- divide the goat cheese into 10 equal portions, gently push a portion into the centers of the figs
- wrap the bacon firmly around the fig and cheese
- lay foil on a baking pan, place each fig half on the pan
- broil for about 5-7 minutes (until bacon begins to crisp)
- remove from oven, sprinkle balsamic evenly over figs
- enjoy!

lemon poppyseed cake

2010-09-22T18:19:00.000-07:00

Oh my gosh, oh my gosh is the date really the 22nd of September already?!?! What happened to August?! I'll tell you what happened, my really, really cute nephew Evan was born (at the end of July) and I just had to rush up to Seattle to see him. Now, there was cooking, there was eating, there was even Sugar & Salt's outrageously good bacon caramels, but there were no blog posts. It just wasn't meant to be.

So now, after a hiatus that was altogether too long, I'm back. Thanks to all of you who sent concerned emails regarding my health and safety, I am still of this earth and still cooking, I was just too dang busy being in love with the most wee, most perfect little man on earth.

So, to the real meat (cake!) of this post - my very own lemon poppyseed cake. When I set out to make this cake originally, I had a very difficult time finding a recipe for it, here I thought this was a common flavor combo, but alas, I pretty much had to greatly redefine an orange poppyseed cake of a completely different style.

However, this cake turned out near perfection. It is so good, especially with the tangy cream cheese frosting that goes on it, that I think it only lasted the day in this household. The lemon gives this cake a sublime freshness and I just love the way poppyseeds go crunch.

lemon cake going...

This cake is perfect for a garden party, a birthday cake or a Sunday baking project that you plan on keeping all to yourself.

lemon cake gone...

lemon poppyseed cake

serves 12

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 c poppyseeds (a little more if you like lots o' seeds like me)
1 1/4 c butter, softened
1 3/4 c sugar
1 Tbsp lemon zest
6 lg eggs, separated
1 c plain yogurt (though vanilla would probably be good too)
3 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cream of tartar

- preheat the oven to 350 degrees
- sift together the first five ingredients
- cream butter with one cup of sugar and the lemon zest in a large bowl until fluffy
- in a smaller bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sour cream and vanilla
- beat the flour mixture and the yolk mixture into the butter alternating between the two
-With a clean bowl and clean beaters, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until just starting to get foamy, then add the cream of tartar and beat until foamy
- while continuing to beat the mixture, add the remaining cup of sugar until it hold stiff peaks.
- stir about a third of the egg white mixture into the batter to lighted it, the fold in the remaining egg whites gently, but make sure they're all the way incorporated.
-pour the batter into three buttered nine-inch cake pans
- bake 40-45 minutes, until knife comes out of the center clean.

Frost with my whipped cream cheese frosting recipe

chilies stuffed with goat cheese and shrimp

2010-08-02T17:56:00.000-07:00

Every year Santa Barbara metamorphoses into a party town with a longing for the traditions of yesteryear in what is called Fiesta. Fiesta, or "Old Spanish Days" as it's also known, is a week-long excuse to drink margaritas, get dressed up in frilly and colorful flamenco-style dresses and yell "viva la fiesta!" and random and odd intervals.

The whole town jumps on board the Fiesta bandwagon, including my neighborhood grocery store which had a temporary "fiesta section" in its coolers, complete with limes, guacamole, carne asada and tequila. Why this grocery store section is temporary is completely beyond me, but hey, there you have it.

So, in the spirit of Fiesta (and also because my fridge decided to kick the bucket on me and I had to use up a lot of the included ingredients) I made stuffed chilies. And can I just say one thing? If you do nothing else for yourself this summer, make these. They are absolute heaven!

I had intended to use poblanos, which is what the recipe I was basing this whole experiment off of suggested, but then our dinner guest count doubled and my local Mexican market (two blocks away, so you'll be seeing a lot of mexican food posts) only had pasillas on hand. So I got some of those, but you know, any color bell pepper would have been delicious with this filling.

The sauce you serve this dish with is as versatile as your pepper choice. The recipe I was borrowing from made a roasted red pepper sauce, which I found to be a little lackluster and would have preferred the tangy bite of a more traditional enchilada sauce. But you probably don't even need a sauce for these as they are full of flavor and moisture already.

So, squeeze some lime over your tequila, stuff yourself some peppers and no matter where you find yourself this week, take a moment to exclaim "viva la fiesta!"

chiles stuffed with goat cheese and shrimp
serves 4

8 peppers (bells, poblano, pasilla, anaheim)
6 oz goat cheese, room temp
1 lb shrimp, cooked, peeled, deveined, and chopped
1 red bell pepper, minced
2 shallots, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup monterey jack, cheddar or feta cheese for garnish (optional)

- first, you have to scorch the peppers. This is easiest over the gas flame on your gas stove or a bbq, but in a pinch you can use your broiler, just keep a close eye on them.
- place the peppers on the flame and rotate to get them charred and blistered all over. Once they are charred place them in a bowl covered with plastic wrap (or in a ziploc bag) and sweat for about 15-20 minutes. (the peppers should be soft, but not mushy at this point).
- Remove the charred skin of the peppers gently either using your hand or a paring knife (I find hand easier) and discard. You can get a bit more of the skin off by gently wiping the peppers off with a paper towel. DO NOT rinse under water or you will lose the majority of your flavor.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine all of the remaining ingredients except for the cheese for garnish (if you accidentally throw that into your filling that's ok, it will taste yummy). Again, I find this easiest to mix with your hand, but some vigorous creaming with a spoon could do the trick.
- gently slit each pepper down one side and very gently remove the seed - but leave the stems in tact and attached. Divide your filling into eight portions and spoon a portion into each pepper.
- Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper and place the peppers on it. Sprinkle monterey jack, cheddar, feta or cotilla cheese on top.
Put the peppers into the oven until warmed through (about 20 minutes) and the cheese is melted.
- You can either serve with your favorite enchilada sauce or eat as is.

Viva La!

roasted grape and goat cheese pizza

2010-07-12T19:29:00.000-07:00

I was recently given a mountain of grapes. Out of nowhere, the grape gods opened their hearts and rained their green and red jewels upon me...so much so that we just couldn't finish them in time (before the bowl on my counter spontaneously turned into a winery)...so I had to find something else to use these little beauties for.

I do have a great love for goat cheese, in fact I would probably eat anything if the goat cheese to said "thing" ratio was high enough. But, as is commonly put into practice, goat cheese is remarkably good when paired with sweet things. Something about its creamy tang lends itself well to toning down sugars and so it was an obvious choice for a teammate in my quest to conquer the pile o' grapes.

Now, having just moved into my new favoritest place ever, I haven't exactly been baking with my usual fervor and so, no, I didn't just have a homemade pizza dough lingering around for use in this concoction. But no matter, Trader Joe's (for those of us lucky enough to have access to them) happens to carry delicious, fresh pizza dough in three (yes, THREE!) different flavors (plain, herb and whole wheat). I happen to love, love, love their whole wheat dough and thought that it would be the perfect pairing for my sweet and tart ingredients.

Now, the accessories. Grapes and goat cheese are a great start, but where's the pizazz, the color, the spice? Enter red onion, olive oil and rosemary. done.

This pizza is so simple yet completely satisfying. You can serve it as a meal perhaps with a side salad and a glass of red wine or you can make small individual ones and serve it hors d'oeuvres style (which I plan on doing at an engagement party I've been asked to help cater).

Moral of this story is put this in your repertoire of fast, easy and beautiful dishes do be done in a pinch but where there's no slacking on class.

RECIPE
roasted grape and goat cheese pizza

1 package of whole wheat pizza dough (or you can make your own)
2 cups grapes (you can use green, red or both), halved
2 oz goat cheese
2 Tbsp minced rosemary
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 sliced red onion
salt and pepper

- preheat the oven to 500 degrees
-roll out your dough into a pizza pan or cookie sheet, spread the olive oil to cover
- sprinkle grape halves and onion slices evenly over dough
- drop dabs of goat cheese evenly
-sprinkle salt, pepper and rosemary on top.
- bake in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, until the goat cheese turns golden and the crust begins to brown.

pan-roasted chicken breast with artichoke hearts and tomatoes

2010-06-26T11:41:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness, the last month has been such a whirlwind. Buying a house, selling a condo, moving out of a condo, moving into a house. Needless to say, very little cooking was going on.

But now we're in and, for the most part, the dust has settled. The kitchen resembles less a repository for cardboard boxes and more somewhere where a little culinary magic might just happen.

I was finally able to take a deep breath one evening and whip a little something up with the few ingredients I had on hand. I have this great book called 30-Minute Meals and I was able to adapt a very swift chicken dish that was fit for company.

The beauty of the pan roasted chicken is that it takes no time at all and you get some of that yummy brown stuff on the bottom of your pan to deglaze and use as in your sauce. The artichoke hearts and tomatoes add both color and flavor and make a very mediteranean meal out of pantry staples.

One detail the the books recipe called for the I substituted was bone-in chicken breasts. These do typically have much more flavor and if you can find them, they work great. I, however, usually only have the boneless kind in my freezer and so I went with those - all turned out just fine.

I served this accompanied with blanched green beans and biscuits and it was truly a delicious 30-minute meal.

pan-roasted chicken breasts with artichoke hearts and tomatoes

serves 4

4 chicken breasts (bone in or out)
olive oil - about 5 Tbsp
1 large jar artichoke hearts (10+ ounces)
1 pint cherry tomatoes
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried (or fresh) thyme
2 pinches red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste

-preheat the oven to 450 degrees
-put 1-2 Tbsp oil in the skillet and heat
-season the chicken with salt and pepper and brown on both sides (about 5 minutes total)
-transfer the chicken to the oven and bake for 15 minutes (closer to 20 if using bone-in), until the thermometer reads 160 degrees
- toss the artichokes with salt and pepper and thyme and oregano. Add more oil to the skillet and heat, then brown the artichokes, stirring occasionally (about 8 minutes), then add in tomatoes until just wilted (2 minutes)
-spread artichoke and tomato mixture over the chicken breasts
-whisk together remaining olive oil with the lemon juice, garlic and pepper flakes, drizzle over chicken when serving.
-

roasted cauliflower with almonds and raisins

2010-05-25T07:27:00.000-07:00

Where o' where have been you all ask, well let me tell you it has been a time of culinary dearth! We are moving in less than a week and the condo has been on the market for just over a week. We have made it squeaky clean, including the kitchen, in an effort to "neutralize" the place prompting Thomas to impose a "no cooking" ordinance (and, afterall, he does do most of the cleaning...).

So, needless to say, there has been very little to post coming out of my kitchen and it has been sad for me. The fridge is looking a little grim as we are trying to limit the amount of dead weight we move out of here.

sad, sad fridge...except for the chinese takeout!

However, I did have a lonely little cauliflower in the fridge, a relic from the last farm box we received before pausing it until the new house and I decided that it was high time to use it. And then an interesting thing happened - as though it was an old standby from my repertoire a recipe formulated so concretely in my head (divine inspiration?). I followed it step by step and I've got to tell you it has got to be one of my favorite new side dishes (plus I almost always have the necessary ingredients in my pantry!).

RECIPE

roasted cauliflower with almonds and raisins

serves four as a side dish

1 head of cauliflower
4 Tbsp olive oil
1-2 tsp salt
1/2 cup roasted almonds (whole or slivered)
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

- set oven to 400 degrees
- cut cauliflower into bite-sized florettes
- toss with salt and olive oil, place on baking tray
- roast for about 20 minutes (until the edges start to turn golden brown - sprinkle with almonds and raisins, return to oven for another 5 minutes (the raisins will get golden and puffy)
- remove from oven and sprinkle with cilantro

kale-stuffed chicken breast with pecan brown butter

2010-05-09T07:51:00.000-07:00

I just want to start off by saying...we bought a house! Needless, to say this is a very exciting time for us and I hope you'll forgive me for being a little more sporadic in my posting. The bestest thing about the new house is the gloriously large kitchen (possibly the largest room in the house - just as it should be), followed closely by the in-house laundry facilities. More to come as the move-in date gets closer.

the new kitchen!

Now, to the meat (or lack thereof) of today's topic - kale. I have a like/hate relationship with kale, which seems to be rare since most people are firmly positioned in either the "love kale" camp or the "kale's so gross" camp.

It's pretty much that I find it very challenging to prepare kale in a way I that makes me coming back for more. Usually the dishes that I make with kale are ok, but I would have preferred just spinach, if you know what I mean.

All this said, I'm in a bit of an ongoing pickle because kale is often featured in my weekly farm box. Each time it arrives I think, well, what am I going to make with it now, and trust me, I've tried all sorts of things. So, this week when there was kale in the box, it was the last thing to go and I decided that I just had to go for it, so I made up a stuffed chicken recipe and you know what, it was pretty dang, good! I would definitely make this one again (and again and again...)

RECIPE

chicken breasts stuffed with kale, spinach and comte cheese and a pecan brown butter
serves 4

2 chicken breasts, cut in halves (or you can just buy four chicken breast halves)
3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
2-3 cloves garlic, minced (depending on how garlicky you like things)
1 medium onion, diced
2 Tbsp smoked paprika
1 bunch of kale (remove the leaf from the stem, discard the stems), cut into ribbons
1 cup fresh spinach, cut into ribbons
3/4 Comte cheese, grated and divided four ways
3 Tbsp butter
1/2 toasted pecans, roughly chopped
salt & pepper to taste

- preheat oven to 325 degrees
- slice a deep pocket into your chicken breast halves lengthwise, making sure not to cut all the way through the breast, but deep enough so that you can open it flat on your work surface
- in a heavy skillet, over medium high heat, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil and add garlic, onion and paprika, heat for 2 min
- add kale and spinach and cook thoroughly, about 8-10 minutes, set aside to cool
- Once kale mixture has cooled enough for you to handle it, scoop a large spoonful onto the flattened breast, using your fingers, press the filling so that it covers the cavity
- sprinkle a quarter of your cheese on top of the filling
-take one side of the breast (one of the long sides) and roll it over the filling (using your fingers to keep the filling pinched in while you roll)
- using kitchen string, wrap the breast a few times, enough to hold its shape without you holding it, and tie it off
- place remaining Tbsp of olive oil into the skillet and heat on high. Add your chicken breasts and brown on each side for two minutes (until golden brown)
- place browned breasts on a baking tray and bake until cooked through, roughly 15 minutes
- meanwhile, melt the butter in a heavy skillet and cook until it gets a light brown hue (this is from the milks solids cooking and gives the butter a lovely nutty taste), add the pecans and saute briefly.
-slice the slightly-cooled breasts into discs. Arrange discs on the plate. Pour equal amounts of brown butter and pecans on each plate

red (pink) velvet cake

2010-04-28T19:16:00.000-07:00

My friend Heather turned 30+1 last Saturday and she threw herself a rockin' party. There were beers and bbq and beer cricket and a bonny time was had by all. It was not a potluck per se, but rather a skewer bar. Each guest brought an ingredient or two that would grill well when placed on a wooden stick, and it was a huge success.

My task, beyond marinating chicken and zucchini as my skewer contributions was to make the cake. When I asked Heather what her favorite cake flavor was, she proved, once again that she is a woman after my own heart. Red Velvet.

What is it exactly about this brightly-hued cake that makes people (myself included) go gaga?!?! Is it the not-so-natural redness? Is it the not-quite-vanilla, not-quite-chocolate nature of this marvel? Or is it the luscious and very requisite cream cheese frosting that is lathered atop it?

I would have to guess that it's actually these three facets combined into a perfect storm that makes this cake well, dang near perfect.

It turns out that for a time, this type of cake was not so popular. In the 70's people started getting leery of the red dye and stopped eating anything that contained it (including red M&Ms which were taken out of circulation until 1987). But luckily, the scare passed and we are able to enjoy our raunchy red foodstuffs without fear.

Now, my complaint with many a Red Velvet cake is that they don't quite have enough cocoa in them. Now I know, I know that they're only supposed to have a smidge and really only for color, but can one more tablespoon really hurt? I don't think so. I like the extra earthiness that added cocoa gives, so go for it I say. I also think that buttermilk is key in this cake, it just gives it that extra tang.

All in all my cake turned out beautifully, except for one thing...a Red Velvet cake requires a lot of red food coloring. And when I say a lot I mean about two bottles worth...something I did not plan ahead for and found myself with a decidedly pink cake. It turns out that people like pink cakes almost as much as they like red cakes, and some people even preferred knowing that there isn't quite as much red dye no. 5 in their dessert.

RECIPE
pink velvet cake with cream cheese frosting
serves 10-14

3 Tbsp cocoa powder (not dutch processed)
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 lg. eggs @ room temp
1 Tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 Tbsp red food coloring (2-3 Tbsp for RED cake)
12 Tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar

- set oven to 350 degrees and place oven rack in the middle
- grease two 9-inch pans and dust with cocoa powder
- whisk together flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl
- in another medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, vinegar, food coloring, cocoa and vanilla
- In a large bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer) beat the butter and sugar on high until fluffy (3-6 min)
- reduce speed and mix in 1/3 of the flour mixture, followed by 1/2 of the buttermilk mixture.
- repeat until both are gone
- making sure the batter is thoroughly combined, scrape the batter into both of your pans, leveling them slightly
- Bake the cakes 20-25 minutes, until a knife or toothpick comes out clean
- let the cakes cool slightly and then turn them out onto drying racks.
- cool completely before frosting.

cream cheese frosting
2 8-oz packages of cream cheese
10 Tbsp butter - completely softened (or you'll get little chunks of butter in your frosting)
3 Tbsp sour cream
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups confectioners sugar

-beat the cream cheese, butter, sour cream and vanilla together until light and fluffy
- increase beater speed and mix in sugar, beat about 5 or 6 minutes
- frost your cake

pink lady quinoa pilaf with beets and avocado - something healthy for once!

2010-04-20T21:19:00.000-07:00

After two weeks of throwing moderation out the window I figured it would be a good idea to focus on some healthy eating for a little while. I also wanted to make something quick and something that would incorporate a good amount of veggies from my weekly farm box. I immediately thought of Quinoa!

A friend of mine made a quinoa pilaf for me a few years back and it was, for all it's hippy and healthy connotations, surprisingly delicious. She added sesame oil to it and the nuttiness of the oil mixed with the grain packed a flavor that I did not expect and tickled me right pink.

I now love this little grain. Unlike other, more common grains, such as wheat or rice quinoa contains a balanced set of amino acids making it a uniquely complete protein. It is also gluten-free which is nice for the surprising number of friends I have that are allergic to it.

I looked through my farm box and found beets with their greens, spinach and avocado and with that trifecta, I went to work. Yet another great thing about quinoa is that it takes very little time to prepare, in fact the longest part of this whole dish is roasting the beets.

Although I made this for a random Tuesday night dinner, this dish is also a beautiful first course for a fancy dinner party - the purple color of the beets bleeds into the quinoa and then the fresh green of the avocado is a nice finish.

RECIPE

pink lady quinoa pilaf
serves 5 as a starter, 3 as a main

1 cup dry quinoa
2 cups water
4 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh thyme
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 beets, diced and greens set aside and loosely chopped
3 cups packed fresh spinach
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp dried avocado (3 fresh)
1 avocado, diced
3 Tbsp sesame oil
salt and pepper to taste

-preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- put the beets in mounded on a sheet of tinfoil with the sprigs of thyme and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 35-40 minutes.
- place the quinoa and water in a pot and cook over medium heat until the water is all gone. If the quinoa doesn't seem quite done then add a little more water.
- meanwhile, saute the onion and dried basil in two Tbsp of oil until translucent. Then add the garlic, spinach, beet greens and balsamic vinegar and cook for about 8-10 minutes until wilted.
- when the quinoa is ready combine the spinach mixture and the beets with the quinoa. Add the sesame oil and salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly and the quinoa will get to be a nice pink color.
- plate the pilaf and put a third of the avocado on top of each serving.

baking bananas - a good use for those black beauties

2010-04-12T09:18:00.000-07:00

The road trip continues and our most northern destination was my adopted hometown of Seattle! It has been awesome to come down from nearly two weeks of camping to my mother's house and into the throngs of foodies that surround us when we get here. We have had a whirlwind tour of eating, as happens every time we come here and there is a special kind of anxiety I experience when I realize I'm just not going to get it all in (neither time nor stomach are willing).

While here we have tasted pulled pork pizza with cotilja cheese (Flying Squirrel pizza), smoked basa fish tacos (Roy's BBQ), the Don King donut (Mighty-O Donuts), and the coup de grace, carrot cake with homemade cream cheese (Sugar & Salt)!!! But I also took advantage of my mom's massive kitchen to put our rapidly blackening bananas to good use.

There are about a gazillion banana bread recipes out there and often it comes down simply to personal preference. I am a big fan of the banana-chocolate combo so I usually put chocolate chips in. Sometimes I even like to throw in a little peanut butter but this time I kept it simple. I think that the secret to this particular banana bread recipe was the amount of butter, a whole stick of butter, so if you had any pretense that this banana bread was a "healthy" treat, well, you might want to think better of it...it's mostly fruit right?

The key is also to use bananas that are well-ripened. If you are just dying to make banana bread and your bananas are pretty new, then give them a good couple of squeezes before you peel them to get them on their way. I usually have a couple of really black bananas in the freezer though, and those make fabulous banana bread.

RECIPE

banana muffins with milk chocolate chips

makes 12
adapted from Bon Appetit

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 large bananas, mashed
1 large egg
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted (I use salted)
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 - 1 cup milk chocolate chips

- preheat oven to 350 degrees
- mix together all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl (the first four listed here)
- mix together all of the wet ingredients in a medium bowl (the next five ingredients)
- add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir to combine
- mix in the chocolate chips
- fill lined muffin cups (or silicon muffin liners on a baking sheet) about two-thirds full
- bake in the oven for about 30-35 minutes (until a tester comes out without crumbs)

on the road again...campsite cooking in utah's national parks

2010-04-07T07:24:00.000-07:00

So, it has happened...I have officially turned 30 and with it become, finally, an adult. It seems that at 30 no one can tell you what to do or where to be, though perhaps they'll still try. But you can just smile, nod and say "hey, I'm 30 and I don't want to." At least that's what I plan on doing.

snow camping in Bryce Canyon...me and the kitchen

Though I don't feel apprehensive about rounding the bend of this great scary number, I do feel a need to say goodbye to the roaring twenties with a bang. That and I love birthdays.

Lucky for me, I'm a gal with a guy who likes to make me happy and also shares my love for spontaneity and adventure. Once, so many years ago, I told him that I love surprises and to this day he never fails to get me good.

aren't we precious?

This year takes the proverbial cake though as he's planned a 16-day surprise road trip. Yep - I started out having no idea where we were going and each morning, sitting on the dash of our beloved camper van is a new card, waiting to be torn open and reveal that day's destination. It is pretty much the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me and I love it.

Now, at this point you're probably asking yourself "isn't this blog about food? Where are we going with this story??? It better be tasty." And I assure you that it is.

no explanation needed

The thing about a two week road trip is that it certainly takes me out of my kitchen, but that doesn't mean that I stop cooking. As you've all heard me say over and over again, I love a good challenge and nothing is more challenging than producing gourmet food over a campfire and a coleman stove. But we try and often, we succeed.

So, this post is going to showcase a few of the on the road meals we've made and hopefully inspire you all to get outside and Iron Chef your way to a four star meal by the fire (followed by the requisite marshmallows of course).

Day One

Vegas baby and we did no camp cooking that day but went to a seriously off the strip restaurant called Rosemary's that, as luck would have it, was having a ladies night, meaning that all of my drinks and food were half off. That sounds pretty kitchy for a restaurant of this caliber, but hey, it worked for us. And the food was pretty good too - though I've got to admit, their wine pairing was WAY off.

For breakfast the next day we hit up Jean-Phillipe's bakery and I got to try a Nutella brioche that was pretty dang divine. Plus the scenery was surreal given the Bellagio's Alice-in-Wonderland-esque garden.

Day Two

We were off to Zion National Park where we feasted on what I've heard my friends call Juicy Lucies. This is where you place cheese inside your hamburger so that it oozes out melty goodness as you bite into it. We had brought along some of our absolute favorite Happy Canyon free range, milk fed ground beef and I tell ya, it makes all of the difference. I had also whipped together a loaf of that no-knead bread everyone's talking about these days (and it is sadly, oh so easy) and used it as buns. It was an awesome way to start the trip.

all hail the juicy lucy

Day Three

Another day in Zion (reminds me of a Fugees song) and this time we went into town in search of good BBQ. We'd heard of a joint called the Bit & Spur and by the name alone we thought we were onto something good. Unfortunately, we were wrong and the name was supremely misleading. A maladroit combination of Mexican-Thai-Southwestern fusion, nothing on the menu called our names, but we stuck with it anyway.

Thomas had the ribs, the closest thing to BBQ on the menu and they were dry and sauceless, making it completely unnecessary to use the giant stack of napkins placed before him. I ordered the seemingly benign "Polenta Stack" which was drowning in a confusion of ethnicities and wasn't sure exactly what flavor it should impart. It was an amalgamation of grilled polenta, crimini mushrooms, sauteed poblano chilies, walnuts, rosemary and goat cheese. All of this was sitting atop a strangely orange running mess claiming to be smoked cheese sauce and tasting strangely like licking cardboard. Alas, not our favorite dining experience.

Day Four

Moving on to Bryce Canyon National Park, and another day of great hiking followed by some solid eating. Every time we go camping we always have what we call "ranch mac" for at least one meal. Ranch mac is essentially mac & cheese with some sprucing up. For this iteration we added broccoli, some Rincon Gold premium albacore tuna in olive oil, and grilled onions. This is like taking your mac & cheese to 11 and makes it a wee bit more nutritious as well.

ranch mac

Other potential ranch mac additions include: hot dogs (fancy sausages are even better!), garlic, oregano, spaghetti sauce, ground beef, smoked salmon, peas, fresh tomatoes and really anything you're trying to get rid of.

Day Five & Six

Arches and Canyonlands National Parks...I just want to take a moment to comment on how truly stunning our National Parks are in the US. This is my first time in Utah and I have previously shied away from visiting for the obvious reasons, but man o' man, regardless of weird religious inclinations, they have some seriously beautiful countryside.

overlooking the green river

Arches and Canyonlands are no different, they are crazy expanses of deep and sinuous canyons coupled with awe-inspiring rock arches and precariously perched boulders just waiting to tumble. We only made one meal of note while here and that was good ole' steak and potatoes. There is just something about steak and potatoes that is so satisfying, especially after a long day of hiking. There isn't much to say about this meal other than "yum".

RECIPE

jucy lucy sliders on no-knead bread

1 lb ground beef, preferable high quality grass fed (or even better, milk fed) beef - I promise you will taste the difference.
12 small dice-sized chunks of sharp cheddar (it's got to melt, so don't make them too big)
4 slices of bread, cut in half (sized for sliders), click this link for the no-knead bread recipe
1 vine-ripened tomato, sliced
4 leaves of romaine hearts (arugula would have been nice here too)
4 slices of onion
2 tsp ground sage

1 Tbsp garlic salt
1 tsp pepper
additional salt to taste

- mix together ground beef, sage, garlic salt and salt and pepper
- form ground beef into eight small patties, about two inches in diameter
- place three pieces of cheese on top of four of your patties.
- place the remaining four patties on top of the cheese and pinch the two patties together along the edge to seal
- once your campfire has some good coals, place your burgers on the grill, along with your four onion slices
- cook to your liking, about four minutes per side for rare, eight minutes per side for well.
- assemble all of the ingredients together on the bread and use your favorite condiments.

postlet - a simple suggestion for lemon curd

2010-03-29T08:55:00.000-07:00

a great number of you have asked me what my favorite way to eat and serve lemon curd is, that is other than spooning heaping mounds of it directly into my mouth, and I must say that it's in tart form.

the naked tart

The curd is sinfully good on a simple shortcrust pastry, however, I prefer it on a ginger crust just to give it that extra kick. The best part about my ginger crust is that it's two ingredients, yep, two! And so this tart is done in minutes (that is, if you already have the curd on hand).

I also like to dress the tart up a bit at the end, and you can really have a lot of fun with this (especially if you're obsessively aesthetically minded like I am). When I make these tarts in individual tart shells I like to take my brulee torch and give the tart a crisp sugar coating that goes crunch when you tap it with your fork (this is also my favorite part of eating creme brulee). On a bigger tart this doesn't work quite as well. It's still beautifully appealing, but a little messy when you cut slices into it. Blueberries or raspberries, a dusting of powdered sugar or even cocoa powder are all great substitutions here.

a crunchy brulee crust

you think we liked it?

RECIPE

lemon tart on ginger snap crust
serves 8

2 x recipe for lemon curd
2 cups ginger snaps (I really like to use Trader Joe's triple ginger cookies so try and find these if you can, but if you can't any ginger snap will do)
4 Tbsp butter, melted

- preheat the oven to 375 degrees
- butter a ten inch false bottom tart pan (or three false bottom 3-inch tart pans)
- in a food processor or blender whiz the ginger snaps for about 20 seconds
- pour in the melted butter, whiz until totally combined (about 20 more seconds)
- press the crust into the tart pan using your fingers or the back of a spoon. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until fragrant
- remove from oven and press down once more to make sure you still have you tart edges (they might have melted into the bottom crust during cooking.
- pour in the lemon curd and place in the fridge for an hour.

options:
- for the brulee top, generously sprinkle granulated sugar on top of the tart so that it is completely covered and white. Using a kitchen torch, melt the sugar until a light golden brown and so there is no more "white" sugar visible.
- otherwise, finely dust powdered sugar and/or cocoa powder, or top with fresh berries.

little bites of sunshine...

2010-03-25T17:27:00.000-07:00

my friend has the most glorious ranch in the Santa Ynez valley that has on it the most glorious free-range, milk fed cattle. But this post is not about her fabulous beef, that story is to come later, but it's about her meyer lemon tree that is so fruitful it is more yellow than green.

this is how many lemons I started with

On a recent visit to said ranch for a little Sunday afternoon horseback riding she brought out a standard grocery bag and we proceeded to fill it, I mean fill it with lemons. The lady of the house, my friend's grandmother, had planted this tree when she first bought the ranch decades ago. As it grew and produced more offspring, she perfected a secret lemonade recipe that is simply outstanding. The thought of recreating this recipe and using all of the lemons this way was truly tempting, but just not quite enough of a challenge.

So, I decided to make some long-lasting, versatile ingredients that I could make in large quantities, I mean look at all of those lemons! This way, when the apocalyse hits, I will at least be prepared with my sweet and savory lemons. However, both of these recipes could have been made in single batches with just a few lemons.

Lemon curd is a childhood favorite of mine. My mother used to make it every once in a while and we would eat it by the spoonful, maybe with blueberries, but most likely just on its own. My favorite thing to do with the curd now is to pour it into a tart shell and enjoy it by the slice. But I also like to serve it in ramikens with ginger cookies and it's even spellbinding on toast.

My desire to jaunt into the savory brought me to preserve many of my lemons in salt, a fate they will hold for the next three to six months, at which point I once heard that tasting them will be like seeing God. I don't know what seeing God is like, but it sounds pretty good to me.

this is how many lemons I had after the curd...yeah, I've got a lot of work to do...

Preserved lemons are commonly used in Moroccan cooking, but also go well when minced and sprinkled on salads. They have a beguiling flavor that is well worth the long wait it takes before they are ready.

RECIPES

lemon curd

makes about a cup

1/2 c freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp lemon zest
1/2 c sugar
6 Tbsp butter
3 eggs plus an extra egg yolk

- in a heavy saucepan, over medium heat whisk together the lemon juice, zest and sugar.
- add in the butter and cook until melted
- add the eggs slowly while whisking rapidly, this will avoid too much scalded egg
- keep stirring frequently until the first bubbles start to appear and the whisk lines don't immediately disappear.
- immediately pour the mixture through a fine meshed sieve into a small bowl
- place plastic wrap on the surface of the curve (so a skin doesn't form) and refrigerate for at least an hour
curd will keep refrigerated for a week, or you can can it and it will last indefinitely.

moroccan style preserved lemons

3-4 lemons
3 cups of kosher salt
optional: a cinnamon stick or cloves
a large, wide-mouthed jar

- place 3/4 inch salt in the bottom of your jar
- slice the lemons into four wedges lengthwise
- fit the lemon wedges into the jar as snuggly as possible, but without the slices sticking back together
- pour the rest of the salt over the lemons so that they are completely covered

- leave covered for at least a month, but they only get better with time so try to at least wait three months, or better yet 6-9 months and then maybe you too will see God...

blueberry pie and the camera's fixed!

2010-03-15T20:34:00.000-07:00

Yay! The camera's fixed! Hopefully we'll get some better pictures out of it!

The rainstorms have passed here in Santa Barbara and there is a definite hint of summer in the air. All of a sudden I yearn for bar-b-ques, the lingering smell of sun screen and sunshine late into the evening. When summer starts to peak out through the clouds I start thinking about frolicking in the fields in shorts and bare feet just like the little girl in the childhood classic "Blueberries for Sal". And, of course, that gets me to thinking about blueberry pie because, truly, there are few things that epitomize summer like fresh blueberry pie.

The best way to transfer pie dough from the surface where you've rolled it out is to fold it into fourths and unfold it in your pie dish, that way there's less risk of it ripping

Luckily for me, there are good-quality frozen blueberries that allow you to satisfy these summer urges, even in mid-March. The best thing about this particular blueberry pie is the ease with which it is prepared. It takes little time, especially if you have any prepared pie dough on hand. I also like to add a few little unusual twists to my blueberry pie.

You often see blueberries paired with lemon, but I actually prefer it with orange...I find it has a sweeter, spicier flavor. I also prefer to use brown sugar over white sugar, it's got a much rounder caramelized flavor.

Another little trick I wanted to call out here is something I learned from my mother. Whenever there was surplus dough after your pie is all assembled, you can make yourself a lovely teatime treat, that I call pinwheels. It's as simple as rolling out the excess dough and sprinkling it with brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll up the whole thing and slice it. Bake it in the oven with your pie for about 10-15 minutes.

I enjoyed this pie so much that I actually made it twice in one week. With each slice it seemed that summer just got a little bit closer.

RECIPE

simple blueberry pie

serves 10

sweet shortcrust
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup cold butter, diced
5-6 Tbsp ice water

- put the dry ingredients into the food processor and mix until blended
- add the butter pieces and pulse five or six times
- add in 4 Tbsp of ice water and pulse about 10 times, or until the dough forms a ball. If the ball doesn't form, add more ice water.
- separate the dough into two equal portions and form them into discs a chill for at least one hour, but ideally longer.
(this dough will freeze for several months)

filling
6 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
the zest and juice of one orange
3/4 - 1 cup of brown sugar (depending on how sweet you like your pie)
4-5 Tbsp of tapioca or flour starch

- mix all of the filling ingredients together
- place one pastry disc on a floured surface and sprinkle flour on top of it.
- roll the disk out until it's about 1/4 inch thick
- place the dough into the pie pan and pour in the filling
- roll out the other piece of dough and place it on top of the filling. Pinch the two piece of dough together all the way around the pan. Cut four slits in the center.
- bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes and then lower the temperature to 375 degrees for an additional 30 minutes.
- let cool 20 minutes before cutting into the pie.

the season of citrus - blood orange polenta upside down cake!

2010-03-12T11:36:00.000-08:00

When one moves to Southern California, one must get used to many things - near perfect weather, the unrealistic prevalence of blond hair and an outrageous amount of citrus for the better part of the year. At first there is a giddy sense of excitement when this abundance presents itself, but as trees bare their weight in fruit and more and more of it carpets the ground, you can really start to scratch your head and wonder what the heck else can I do with this stuff?!?!

Now, as if they heard the call, Bon Appetit included a gorgeous dessert in its latest issue that showcases citrus in a tempting and scrumptuously rustic way. You take a little polenta, a little orange and some caramel and you've got yourself a date with citrus. Not only is this cake aesthetically gorgeous, it's also a delight to eat.

I actually made this cake twice to test whether one of its steps was actually necessary - the whipping and subsequent folding in of the egg whites into the cake batter (really, if this step was not a must, I was definitely going to omit it)...well, it turns out it is definitely a good idea to include this step. The first cake, which included the whipped egg whites was light and airy - somewhat surprising given that it has a bunch of cornmeal in it. The second cake was much denser and chewier. Lesson learned.

Though I think this cake is really at its finest with the blood oranges, I did try it with lemons and blueberries in one iteration and it was still very good. I found that the key was to very thinly slice the orange or lemon slices (using a mandolin seemed to work well) so that you don't get big mouthfuls of pith.

Lastly, the Bon Appetit recipe recommends whipped creme fresh as the accompaniment for this cake, and it is very good - but a brandy whipped cream or even just vanilla yogurt was also rather nice.

RECIPE

blood orange polenta upside down cake
adapted from Bon Appetit - March, 2009

- 6 tablespoons sugar, divided, plus 3/4 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons water
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
- 3 unpeeled small to medium blood oranges
- 3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons polenta or coarse yellow cornmeal (preferably stone-ground)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, separated
- 6 tablespoons whole milk

- Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F.
- Combine 6 tablespoons sugar and 3 tablespoons water in 10-inch diameter ovenproof skillet with 2 1/2-inch-high sides.
- Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup is golden amber (not dark amber), occasionally brushing down sides of skillet with wet pastry brush and swirling skillet, about 4 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and whisk 2 tablespoons butter into caramel. Set aside.
- Cut the ends off the oranges. Using sharp knife or mandolin, cut oranges into 1/16- to 1/8-inch thick rounds. Remove and discard any seeds.
- Arrange orange slices, overlapping slightly, in concentric circles atop caramel in bottom of skillet, leaving no gaps between slices (or else cake batter will come through - see picture of finished cake).
- Beat together 3/4 cup sugar, remaining 6 tablespoons room-temperature butter, and vanilla in another medium bowl until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with milk in 2 additions, beating batter just until incorporated.
- Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in large bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold 1/3 of egg whites into batter to lighten, then fold in remaining egg whites in 2 additions.
- Drop batter by large spoonfuls atop orange slices in skillet, then spread evenly. Don't pour the batter into the pan because you will risk displacing the orange slices
- Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
- Cool cake in skillet 10 minutes. Run small knife around cake to loosen. Place platter atop skillet. Using oven mitts, hold platter and skillet firmly together and invert, allowing cake to settle onto platter.
- Rearrange any orange slices that may have become dislodged. Cool cake completely at room temperature.

Serve with:
whipped creme fraiche ( beat together 1 container of creme fraiche - about 8oz and 2 1/2 Tbsp sugar until thick)
brandied whipped cream (beat together 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream and 2 Tbsp brandy until stiff peaks form)
vanilla yogurt (don't need to do anything!)

chanterelles + flaky crust = paradise

2010-03-05T08:05:00.000-08:00

You hear people say that Santa Barbara is paradise, especially people from Santa Barbara. Now, I'm a firm believer in the fact that each person's paradise is their own, especially having grown up in the Northwest and loving everything about it (yes, even the rain).

However, when a friend came by the other day wielding a paper sack FULL of local chanterelle mushrooms, well I couldn't help but think "I guess Santa Barbara is paradise," (I mean we have 70 degree weather 362 days out of the year and chanterelles grow here - I'm sold!) and then proceeded to make a mental list of all of the deliciously decadent ways I could prepare these little pillows of goodness.

The mighty Chanterelle

Now anyone unfamiliar with the Chanterelle, you need to try them now. Even if you're not a fan of mushrooms, these are different...so different. Chanterelles are a light orange color and have flat tops and have not one, but two soul mates - cream and garlic.Yes, they can be a little expensive, but you don't need a whole lot of them to impart a ton of flavor.

I think that my favorite way to prepare chanterelles is in a cream sauce for pasta, but this time I decided to do something different. This time I decided to make a tart with them and combine them with the lovely head of cauliflower that I received in my box this week. Now the challenge of being able to whip up a tart after work on a school night is being able to make a good enough crust in a small enough amount of time. After some searching around, I've found a recipe (see below) that is super simple and is flaky and tasty after only an hour's chilling time.

Next, an important thing to note about all mushrooms is that they are like 99% water (not really, but you get the gist). That means that they either need to be sweated first or your method of cooking them either calls for the mushroom water (as in pasta sauce) or your going to cook it down sufficiently enough. For this tart I chose to pre-saute the mushroom so as to get rid of as much of the water as possible. That way I didn't end up with goopy tart.

like i said, paradise

The rest from there is just tossing the ingredients into the pan, letting the flavors infuse and popping it into a tart shell...couple that with a nice glass of Chardonnay and you've got paradise just about anywhere...

RECIPES

pate brise (shortcrust pastry)

for a 9-10 inch tart/pie

1 1/4 cups of flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cubed
5-8 Tbsp iced water
*if you want to make a sweet crust, add 1 Tbsp sugar in with the dry ingredients

- put dry ingredients into the food processor and whiz a few times
- add the cubed butter to the food processor and pulse about 5 or 6 times
- add 5 Tbsp of iced water and pulse 8-10 times, the dough should come together into a ball that is only lightly wet. If you need more water, add it in, one Tbsp at a time.
- shape the dough into a disc, handling it as little as possible, and place it in plastic wrap (I like Ziploc bags for this).
- refrigerate the dough at least one hour or up to overnight.
- to roll out the dough, place a generous amount of flour on the work surface. Place the dough disc atop the flour and then sprinkle flour on top of the dough.
- roll the dough out. Once you've got the dough rolled out an inch on all sides, add a bit more flour to the dough. This will prevent it from sticking to your rolling pin.
- now your dough is ready for use.

Chanterelle and Cauliflower Tart

serves 4-6

1/2 lb fresh chanterelle mushrooms
2 Tbsp butter
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried thyme (1 Tbsp fresh)
1 head cauliflower, cut into small bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

- preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Cut this chanterelles into 1/2 inch strips. Place them in a saute pan over medium-high heat and saute until the majority of the water has come out of them
- pour off the water and set the mushroom aside.
- place the butter in the pan and add onions. Cook until translucent and add the garlic and thyme. Saute another 2 minutes.
- return the mushrooms to the pan and add the cauliflower. Saute until the cauliflower just starts to get golden.
- add the white wine and cream. Cook down to about a 1/4 cup (or so that it pretty much just coats the mushrooms and cauliflower), this should take about 8-10 minutes.
- place your rolled out tart crust into a ten inch tart pan and place the filling in the crust.
- bake your tart for 30 to 40 minutes and remove from the oven. Let sit for 10 minutes before slicing.

the cyber art of feeding

2010-03-04T06:31:00.000-08:00

The more I do this blogging thing the more complex it gets. It started out as an idea. An idea about wanting to wax on and on about food. And now, it's bordering on an obsession - mostly fueled by the fact that there are people out there (you) who actually kinda like reading what I have to say about food.

So, now I find myself playing with borders and fonts, looking a different blog templates and getting really into taking pictures (yep, this is why it bothers me so much that my camera is still in the shop). All of this is to try and make the blog more appealing to you - so if somethin's missing, let me know!

The latest thing that a few people have asked for now is a way to receive emails when a new post goes up. When I first started the blog I had Blogspot's little gadget for showing off followers which would also allow people to sign up and follow but I found that it made the blog a little too busy - especially as more of you started following (it shows cute little pics of each follower), so I took it off.

BUT I've found a much more understated way of allowing you to get these updates and it's called Feeding. Isn't that perfect?!?! So, if you want to be cyber-fed by me, then go ahead and click on the link on the upper right hand of the blog and type in your email address.

Shockingly enough, Red Door Epicure is already up to over 20 followers! Thanks to whoever you are and I look forward to blogging with you!

Stay tuned to later in the day for chantrelle and cauliflower tart...

Makin' muffins - Takin' bad pictures...

2010-02-23T07:46:00.000-08:00

I have been on a serious English muffin kick lately. Maybe it's because I'm always looking for quick fixes as I rush out the door in the morning or because the way butter melts into each little hole in the muffin, either way I'm on batch number six this month and loving every bite. However, my camera has decided to take a mental health week (or maybe two) and so I'm stuck with the limited capabilities of my cell phone (though it does have a flash!) and I do apologize for the less then stellar photos. On that note, to the tasty stuff...

English muffins are a great bread for even a novice bread maker because they're soooooo easy. They require less time rising and proofing (they only take a few hours instead of the twelve plus hours of many other breads) and they're not baked in a super hot oven. They are actually cooked on a griddle (or in a pan if you don't have one) and then briefly finished in the over (just to make sure that the center is cooked through). These are even fun to cook with kids because they can do a lot of the work safely.

Though a stand mixer makes bread baking WAY easier, you can do it all by hand

I started out with "original" flavor (aka white flour) and they were pretty good but then I graduated to...cinnamon raisin! And that was the start of it all. These were a whole new level of good and never again would a store bought English muffin suffice. Once I had started flavoring my muffins a slough of English muffin opportunities opened up before me. Things like dried cranberries, nuts, cheese (!), herbs and even chocolate were possible flavors and I realized that I had a lot of work to do.

Though this batch was cranberry orange, the possibilities are endless...

My first dive into English muffin flavors was cranberry, orange and cinnamon. I figured if raisins and cinnamon go together well and raisins are same same but different that cranberries and cranberries go well with orange then, well, you do the math...(hint = good). I also like to pretend these are "healthy" for me by adding some white whole wheat flour (this is becoming really easy to find and it's less heavy or has less of the wheat husk, so it works well for bread).

You want to cook these while they're on the rise to make sure that you get those traditional holes

Once these are baked off and cooled - they are perfect for eating on the run, or even savoring with a hard boiled egg and some melted cheese (yes, I'm hungry as I write this). And the best thing is - you want another flavor? Only a few quick steps to get there...cheese and rosemary, here I come!

RECIPE

cranberry orange english muffins

adapted from Peter Reinhart's recipe

1 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour (all-purpose will do in a pinch)
1 1/2 cups whole wheat (preferably white whole wheat) flour
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp instant yeast (or 2 tsp active dry yeast, dissolved in warm water)
1 Tbsp shortening (butter, Crisco, margarine)
1/2 - 3/4 cup dried cranberries
1 Tbsp orange zest
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 to 1 cup warm (but not hot) milk or buttermilk

- Mix together flours, salt,cinnamon and sugar. Then add yeast and blend well (you need to add yeast last, in a second stirring, because the salt will kill the yeast).
- Add in the dried cranberries and orange zest, mix in thoroughly.
- add 3/4 cup of milk and mix until the dough forms a ball, adding the last 1/4 cup if there's remaining loose dough.
- knead the dough, either in a stand mixer or by hand (on a floured surface) until the dough is soft and pliable, but not sticky. The dough should be able to pass the windowpane test (if you pull the dough gently apart, you should be able to get it thin and elastic enough to see light through it).
- transfer the dough into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
- Let rise for 60 to 90 minutes until doubled in size.
- On a floured surface, divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and shape into rounds (typical english muffin shape).
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper (I like to use silicone baking sheets) and sprinkle corn meal generously on it. Place the dough rounds three inches apart and let proof for another 60 to 90 minutes or until they double in size again (both outward and upward).
- Heat a griddle to 350 degrees (or you can use a skillet) and also, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- lightly grease the griddle pan. Once heated, placed the dough rounds on the griddle and cook for about 5 minutes on each side (until a medium golden color). Immediately place the muffins into the oven to make sure the centers get cooked (about 8-10 minutes).
- Cook the muffins for at least 20 minutes before enjoying.

When like gives you apples...make apple fritters

2010-02-17T12:38:00.000-08:00

Through a variety of surprising means, I found myself with a massive bowl of apples on the Saturday before Super Bowl. I had no specific plans for these apples and had pretty much resigned myself to cooking all 30 of them (yes, 30) down into apple sauce to freeze for later baking endeavors. I like to do this whenever my apples start to get mushy (I will not tolerate a mushy apple!) and then I freeze it by the cup in little baggies to use in baking or to serve on top of pancakes.

A bowl of fritters - ready to go to the game...

However, on this particular Saturday I found myself in need of a dish to take to a Super Bowl party and the bowl of apples just wouldn't stop staring me down. I starting browsing through the many recipe search engines available online today and found a tempting recipe for apple fritters. These weren't your typical doughnut shop-style mountains of goo - they were simply beer-battered (this was for Super Bowl after all) slices of apples deep fried and topped with cinnamon and sugar goodness.

a hint of citrus, cinnamon and sugar give these fritters a traditional doughnut feel

To make these little slices, you need to use a type of apple that will stay together as it cooks - Granny Smith apples are a perfect example of this, whereas Macintosh apples typically just fall apart. I also think that a light-colored beer (like a blond or IPA) is best for the beer batter as the dark ales leave a slight bitterness behind - but I may be alone on this one.

Citrus beer batter (good for savory things like broccoli too!)

Lastly, another interesting thing about the fritters is that when they first came out of the oil and were still relatively hot they didn't have much flavor...perhaps the batter was just too overpowering or maybe not enough oil had dripped off. BUT, as they cooled down the apple flavor was much more pronounced and tasted delicious with its crispy, sugary envelope.

Dip, fry and eat

These went down quick and were almost gone by halftime and I would recommend them as a quick and impressive dessert - especially when served with a little vanilla bean ice cream or even vanilla yogurt.

RECIPE

(adapted from Gourmet 2001)

individual apple fritters

makes about 48 fritters

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup light beer (such as a blonde)
1/2 tsp salt
3 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp lemon zest
6 cups canola oil (this is healthier for you than most oils)
3 apples (granny smiths are the preferred sort, but any firm apple will do)
juice from 1/2 a lemon
1 cup sugar (for dusting)
2 Tbsp cinnamon (for dusting)

- Peel your apples and core them
- Cut each apple into 16 equal slices, toss with lemon juice (to keep from browning)
- In a deep, medium-sized saucepan heat the oil until it reaches 375 degrees (or you can test it with some of your batter).
- While oil is heating, whisk together flour, beer, sugar, salt and zest
- Dip the apple slices in the batter and drop (but not from too far a distance as oil will splatter you) into the oil. You should be able to fit about 6-8 slices in the pot at once. But don't overcrowd because they will cook together like siamese fritters.
- Cook for about 5 minutes on one side and flip the fritters over until they are a golden brown on both sides.
- Remove the fritters from oil and place on a piece of cardboard or a stack of paper towels for dripping (this step is really important because otherwise these little guys are really oily).
- Once the fritters have cooled enough to handle coat them with the mixture of the sugar and the cinnamon.

Breakfast of Champions

2010-02-10T07:58:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things about the weekend is breakfast. During the week there just isn't time to enjoy anything more than cereal and milk, or, if I'm lucky, a fresh fruit smoothy. So, when Saturday roles around and I can start looking forward to crispy bacon, fluffy pancakes and perfectly fried eggs I'm one happy girl.

As I've mentioned before, we get a CSA box (Community Supported Agriculture) and so I like to incorporate those veggies into all meals of the day and breakfast is not exception. This week the box included broccoli and green onions as well as strawberries so it was a tough choice between french toast with strawberries or one of my personal favorites, potato hash. The potato hash won.

Some fresh, local AND organic product from my farm box

Usually when you get a diner-made hash the potatoes are either diced or shredded, but I like mine sliced into discs. That way the potatoes have a lot of surface area with which to collect all of the flavor. Another trick I prefer for hashes is placing a fried egg on top of the hash, so that the yolk runs down into the potatoes.

Sauteing potatoes in bacon - perfection? Pretty close!

For this week's hash I was lucky enough to have a perfect storm of ingredients that made a meal worth drooling over. I had bacon, cheese, fingerling potatoes and organic, cage free eggs. Mixing in some fresh broccoli and green onion added both color and sublime flavor.

And Voila! I could eat this breakfast everyday!

This, my friends, is the way to rock a weekend!

RECIPE
Sunday Morning Hash
serves 2

2-3 fingerling potatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch slices
5 slices of bacon, cut into half inch pieces
1 cup broccoli florets, cut into small pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
2 green onions, white and very light green segments sliced
salt and pepper to taste

- Place the potato slices in a pot of boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, fry the bacon pieces until almost desired crispiness.
- Add the broccoli, potato slices and garlic and saute until the potatoes are cooked through and you start to smell the garlic.
- Serve the potato hash onto two plates, reserving some of the bacon grease that should remain at the bottom of the pan.
- Heat the bacon fat on medium high heat and crack the eggs in. Cook for one minute and flip onto the other side for another 10 seconds (you want the yolk to be runny).
- Place the eggs on top of the hash and top with shredded cheese and green onions.
- Serve immediately and enjoy the weekend!

When it's cold outside...viva Mexico!

2010-02-02T20:22:00.000-08:00

It is the middle of winter and the weather is cold, well, at least as cold as it gets in Santa Barbara, and I was feeling like something a little spicy to warm up. Chicken enchiladas fit the bill perfectly and it had the added bonus of being something that I'd never made before.

Simmering enchilada sauce - so spicy!

In everything that I make, I always try and incorporate more vegetables because once a week I get a CSA box (Community Supported Agriculture) and it's always full of organic and local produce that I need to incorporate into my culinary adventures. This week the box included spinach and cauliflower and I wanted to throw them into my fiesta fare.

Fresh spinach mixed with chicken - great twist on a standard

I decided to make the enchiladas chicken and spinach and I actually really liked the combo. It gave the dish more depth and I felt a wee bit healthier eating it too. I'm not going to include the recipe however, because I wasn't that impressed with my enchilada sauce. First of all there wasn't enough of it and second it was WAY too spicy. I think that the problem lied in my chili powder which was a bit more potent than I'd expected.

I will, however, include my mexican cauliflower recipe which was a surprising and refreshing way to use this vegetable that I eat a lot of in the wintertime. It is basically steamed or boiled cauliflower mixed with fresh pico de gallo and topped with feta. I would definitely make this again!

The onion and lime mix - made a tangy marinade for this fresh cauliflower dish

RECIPE

Braised Cauliflower and Fresh Salsa

1 onion, finely chopped
1 lime - both zest and juice
1 medium head cauliflower
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 - 1 cup water
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 Fresh tomatoes, diced
1 bunch cilantro
1/2 cup feta

- Put the onion, lime zest and lime juice into a small bowl so that the juice cooks the onion
- Cut the cauliflower into small florets
- Put the can of tomatoes into a pan with the water and heat, add the sugar and salt. When they start to simmer add the cauliflower and braise for five minutes.
- Add the onion mixture and warm through - about another five minutes (if you like your cauliflower softer you might want to pre-boil it for a few minutes before adding it to the tomatoes).
- Mix the cauliflower, fresh tomatoes, cilantro and feta in a larger serving bowl and serve.

Savoring Seattle - a brief view of a tasty trip

2010-01-17T09:01:00.000-08:00

You know, I have a great dislike for the times when things you have to do get in the way of things you want to do. The past two weeks have been full of those times - work deadlines, social responsibilities, tedious errands, that I have had little time to cook, let alone blog. It has been a pain!

Seattle sunrise with Mt. Rainier in the background

However, here I am - ready to finish part 2 of the already begun saga of the Seattle Holiday Adventure, albeit a little late and out of context...but here goes.

You've now heard about the epic (and delicious) route we took to get to Seattle, now all of the eating we did once we arrived must be accounted for, and let me tell you - there was plenty of eating going on.

We got there just in time for Christmas Eve and the Quebec side of my family has a great tradition of staying up really late - having a fancy hors d'ouvre party around 10:30 and then at midnight (when it's officially Christmas) we get to open presents. This event usually extends into the not-so-wee hours of the morning...

My contribution to the evening was to be blue cheese-stuffed dates, wrapped in bacon (recipe below). I had sampled these before, but had never made them - luckily they are super simple, especially for something that tastes so good.

Bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with blue cheese - ready for the oven.

Pitted dates come with a hole already in them, so all you need to do is find a blue cheese soft enough to coax into it. This isn't a huge limitation by any means because most blue cheeses are naturally soft(ish) so just stay away from the rather hard ones. Once these bacon-wrapped gems came out of the oven, they almost didn't make it to midnight - they were that popular!

I almost didn't get a photo of these, they went so fast!

There was also plenty of eating out while in Seattle, but one place stood out in particular. It's one of my perennial favorites when I'm in town and its name is La Medusa. It's Sicilian eatery with little pretense and lots of flavor. We went there on New Year's Eve, which also happens to be my brother's birthday. They had a prix fixe menu on this particular night with wine pairings, so naturally that's what I got.

The first course was seared scallops atop a sunchoke puree with caramelized onions and pomegranate seeds. The scallop was delicately seared and still almost translucent in the middle, an indication that it has not been overcooked and its light texture floated nicely above the puree when paired in a bite together. The onions and pomegranate added both a subtle sweetness and crunch that rounded out the dish nicely. This course was paired with NV Jeio Rose Prosecco from Italy, whose bubbles carried a lightness that matched the dish and was lovely.

The happy eaters @ La Medusa - birthday boy at the far end

The salad (or second) course was an arugula salad with satsuma orange, castelvetrano olives and a pancetta vinaigrette. The vinaigrette is what made this salad, and no, I'm not just saying that due to my obscene fondness for bacon (a close relative to pancetta). Without the salty accent, the salad would have been too common, bordering on cliche - but the warm vinaigrette definitely set it apart and made it something special, especially given how nicely the peppery arugula paired with the pancetta (pepper bacon anyone!?!?). Course two was paired with Mirth Chardonnay from Washington State which, I've got to admit, I was not a big fan of. The flavor was too heavy, lacking a crispness that would have gone nicely with the salad and had a slight hint of burnt rubber to it.

The main course was Cotechino with black lentils. I at first had to ask the waitress what Cotechino was exactly. It's a large, rustic sausage typically consisting of pork, fatback and pork rind. Cotechino is a dish traditionally served on New Year's Eve and is purported to bring prosperity to its eater. La Medusa's version was very tasty indeed and that was lucky because the bed of black lentils it rested upon was a little underwhelming on its own. Together, however, they had an earthy richness and heartiness that was a nice way to say arivaderchi! to 2009. The cotechino was paired with a Sicilian red that goes by the name Il Frappato (it's 100% frappato grapes) which brought forth a comparable earthiness to the pork.

Cotechino! (Unfortunately this is the only good picture of the food I managed)

Lastly, though the prix fixe came with poached seckle pears, I couldn't resist La Medusa's cannoli. I don't know what it is about this crispy-creamy pastries but I am just ridiculously enamoured with them and get them everywhere I go. So there!

Suffice it to say that I have never eated at La Medusa and been dissappointed, and this year was no exception. So - for those of you who don't live in Seattle, but plan on visiting - add this to your must visit list. And for those of you who do live in Seattle - what are you waiting for?!?!?

P.S. A Fast Food Favorite: Its not too often that I give in to fast food cravings, but these days it's possible to have slow/fast food. Does that make any sense? I didn't think so! What I mean is that there are lots of talented food artisans that are taking on traditional fast foods and making them into tasty (often locally-sourced) delicacies, but they're still available in high speeds and relatively low costs.

One such example is Top Pot donuts in Seattle. They are taking a tired perhaps even antiquated foodstuff and turning it into something exotic that you might actually want to waste the calories on. We got to try the chocolate raspberry (the glaze is made with real raspberries!), the mexican chocolate (with cinnamon and sugar), the classic maple bar and the oh-so-tasty raised glazed, just to name a few.

Top Pot donuts - 12 kinds o' love (some already got eaten)

These were so good we got a dozen to share, and coming from someone who was previously not a huge donut fan, that's a pretty big deal.

RECIPE

Bacon-Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Blue Cheese

Pitted Dates - as many as you want to serve (suggested: 1/2 pound)
Blue cheese (such as St. Agur) - you'll need about 1/2 tsp per date (suggested: 1/4 pound)
Bacon - half a slice per date

-Let the blue cheese soften slightly at room temp.
-Pinch off a piece of cheese and roll it into a size that can be inserted into the hole.
-Wrap the date tightly in bacon, placing it on a baking tray with the bacon's free end down.
-Broil in the oven for 7-10 minutes (or until crispy, but keep a close eye so that they don't burn) and flip (if possible - sometimes the dates don't want to cooperate!)
-Transfer to plate and serve! (watch out - these puppies come out hot~)

2010-01-05T07:08:00.000-08:00

The rainbow over the Tillamook Cheese Factory - Notice I am enjoying my milkshake...

Well, we're just back from a delicious stint in sunny, yes I said sunny, Seattle. Every time I get to go up there I get so excited because Seattle has really come into its own as of late in the realm of all things culinary. Luckily, my brother is as much a foodie as I am and plans each meal of our stay.

The tastiness did not wait for Seattle to start however, and we made sure to savor local flavors the whole way up the California, Oregon and Washington coasts. Our first stop was the town of Medocino, famed for gorgeous countryside, quaint village life and good things, including food, beer, wine and certain "medicinal" herbs.

Avenue of the Giants - California Redwood Forest

We ate dinner at the local pub, Patterson's, which, being Saturday, was packed. Rarely do you find such gourmet food as Kobe beef burgers in a local pub, but we were in Mendocino after all. We ordered the burger and a pint each of local beers and they were both scrumptious! The burger, which was cooked to our liking, was so tasty and the beer washed it down nicely.

The next morning we came back into town for breakfast and tried the Mendocino Bakery, which looked pretty underwhelming from the outside. However, once inside, our minds were changed and the pastries were delicious. I got a "breakfast pouch" which was a pouch made with pizza dough filled with scrambled eggs, pepper jack cheese and housemade sausage. This was a grand idea in my opinion and a great way to contain the staples of breakfast into a contained, easy to handle treat.

Depoe Bay Oregon - famous for savage coastlines and every flavor of taffy

On our way through Humboldt County, we saw an "Adopt-a-Highway" sign that read "Eel River Brewery, the first organic brewery." Less than five minutes later we found ourselves on barstools in front of a vast selection of hand crafted beers. Having never heard of Eel River beers before, we opted for the sampler. We got to try 8 different beers from light to dark, including an Acai Berry Wheat, that was very tasty. We ended up buying several varieties to take with us to share with folks over the holidays.

Eel River Brewing Sampler

For dinner, we ended up stopping, on a whim, in a town called Gold Beach at a steakhouse called "Spinner's Seafood and Chop House." At first we were worried that the prices were going to be a little steep and that our road-weary outfits and faces would not be accepted, but this was not the case. The hostess happily seated us and we were pleasantly surprised to find that the menu was really rather affordable.

Luckily for us, our trip coincided with the launch of crab season and so there was no way I was going to pass up on the Dungeness Crab Mac N' Cheese. We also got the lamb shoulder which was braised in red wine with mushrooms and root veggies. Both dishes were very, very good. There was so much food (each entree came with a choice of salad - and there were 5 varieties or soup) that we ended up taking half of our meals with us, to be enjoyed for dinner the following day.

We were extremely surprised when we checked out the dessert menu at the variety and appeal of the desserts. We ended up selecting a marionberry cheesecake, that was the perfect finish to this great meal.

Our last day on the road enjoyed the cherry on top of all meals on this particular road trip. Our friend Clark, owner of Full of Life Flatbread, highly recommended a place in Newport, OR aptly named Local Ocean Seafood. When we first walked into this place I was a little confused, I mean Clark LOVES good food as much as I do and this place looked like a fish and chip shack warmed over. However, I sat chastened once the food graced our table and our mouths.

I immediately asked the chef what he recommended and he came over, sat at our table and went through each item - apologizing profusely that the crab actually came in yesterday...it turns out this gentleman was the restaurant's owner and each dish he recommended hit the bull's eye.

Roasted Garlic and Crab Soup

We started out with Dungeness crab and roasted garlic soup, followed by pan roasted oysters. The crowning moment was the 2 pound whole crab, which was easily shared by the two of us. We washed this seafood feast down with two bottles of Rogue Brewing beer, one of my faves from Oregon.

Our friend, Mr. Crab, was super meaty

The remainder of the trip wasn't marked with any particularly tantilizing foods, until, that is, we reached the Tillamook Creamery. This haven of cheese and ice cream was a feast for the eyes. This, my friends is where some serious cheddar magic happens. We were able to sample several cheeses and were delighted by the ice cream selection (38 flavors) in all (the mud slide makes a phenomenal milk shake!). It seemed like the perfect way to end this first part of our culinary journey.

Where the magic happens, yes - those are giant blocks of ages cheddar!

Stay tuned as a fill you in on all of the eating we did IN seattle - it was no small feat, but somebody had to do it...

Homemade ketchup, salty chocolate bark and baby pies!

2009-12-18T10:58:00.000-08:00

The holidays are definitely upon us and I'm still loving all of the baking and crafting I'm getting to do in order to get all of the Christmas gifts ready. This week was a bit of a whirlwind as I am preparing to head out of town for almost three weeks on a camper van odyssey up the California-Oregon-Washington border to spend some well deserved time with my family.

However, I did manage to squeeze in making a few sweet treats to give away...including individual apple pies and the easiest salty pecan chocolate bark you ever did see. I also made some homemade ketchup to go on some tourtiere (Quebecer-speak for meat pie) that I had made and that turned out quite well, though I wouldn't call it a holiday gift as someone might look at you sideways if you handed them a jar of ketchup and said "Merry Christmas!"

Nothing like homemade ketchup to say Happy Holidays!

The ketchup was quite easy though, if you have a food processor or solid blender that is. All I did was roast the ingredients together (unpeeled), peel them when they were done, through them in the food processor with some vinegar and sugar and voila! See the complete recipe below.

The chocolate bark was completely inspired by my friend Jessica's cooking adventures and she made these for holiday treats. She got such great reviews on it that I decided to make some this year. This recipe is quite possibly the easiest recipe this side of making toast. Plus, the results are absolutely gorgeous! It is even easier if you buy the pecans already roasted and salted, because you take that step out of the process.

Salty Pecan Chocolate Bark - no easier gift this year...

Lastly, no, I am not obsessed with apples. I happen to have tons of them from my CSA box (Community Supported Agriculture) and since I'm going away for almost three weeks, I wanted to use a bunch of them up. I figured I'd make mini apple pies and give them to friends for a nice holiday surprise. Using a very simple crust recipe and the french style crust (place your filling in the middle and fold up the sides to provide structure, these treats were whipped up in a snap (literally between coming home from work and going out to dinner). Wrap them in a rustic cloth and tie it with a ribbon and you've got a lovely favor.

These pies made tasty and attractive gifts.

Though this may be it for holiday gift ideas (I'm not sure yet...) stay tuned for some eating, drinking and cooking adventures up north in jolly (and tasty) Seattle!

RECIPES

5 minute (plus chilling) Chocolate Bark

makes 1 large cookie sheet

12oz bittersweet chocolate, either chips or baking bars cut into 8 pieces

12oz white chocolate, either chips or baking bars cut into 8 pieces

3/4 - 1 cup pecans - if you get them pre-roasted, you won't have to do that step yourself.

1 tsp sea salt

*if you don't have roasted pecans, roast them on a cookie sheet at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes, stirring at least once. Keep an eye on these as burnt pecan don't taste good!

- preheat oven to 175 degrees

- distribute the chocolates alternatively on a parchment-lined cookie sheet so that there are pockets of brown and pockets of white (if using chips, make these pockets up with small handfulls of them).

- bake chocolate for 5-10 minutes (take it out as soon as the chips have melted)

- using a fork, swirl the chocolates together

- sprinkle pecans on top (pressing down slightly on them if you like)

- sprinkle sea salt over the entire bark

- chill in the fridge until hard (at least 4 hours)

- remove from fridge and break into pieces

Mini Apple Pies

makes 6

Crust:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp brown sugar

2 stick (16 tbsp) butter, cubed and chilled

8-10 Tbsp ice water

Filling:

6-8 apples

6 Tbsp butter

1 tsp cinnamon

1 Tbsp brown sugar

- Combine the flour, salt and sugar in a food processor.

- Add the cold butter cubes and pulse until the butter is about the size of peas.

- Add 8 Tbsp of ice water and pulse until the dough comes together (you may need to add more water) into a ball.

- divide the dough into 6 pieces and flatten into disks and chill at least one hour, but over night is good too.

- peel and slice the apples.

- in a heavy skillet, melt the butter and add the apples, sugar and cinnamon - saute until golden.

- on a floured surface, roll out the dough disks until about 1/4 inch.

-place about a cup of apple slices in the middle of each crust and fold the edges up to keep the pie contained.

- Bake the pies for 20-25 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.

- Cool for at least 60 minutes before wrapping.

Homemade Ketchup

makes 1 pint

10 large tomatoes
2 onions
4 gloves garlic
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
1-2 tsp salt (depends on taste)

(you can add oregano, basic, allspice and cayenne if you like)

Ketchup ingredients, fresh out of the oven

- place the tomatoes, onions and garlic on a baking sheet and roast at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes (remove the garlic after 15 minutes) - until the tomatoes split.
- Remove from the oven and let cool until you can handle them without burning yourself.
- peel the tomatoes, onions and garlic and process them in the food processor until saucy.
- put the sauce into a heavy medium saucepan, add sugar, salt, vinegar and desired spices.
- cook down over medium heat for about 15 minutes (this will bubble and splatter so make sure you have something to cover your pot with).
- once you have your desired consistency, you can keep the ketchup for three weeks in an airtight container or can it for later use.