girlichef

50 Women Game-Changers (in Food): #32 Tracey Ryder and Carole Topalian - Cheddar, Pepperoni, and Egg Quesadilla Sandwich

2012-01-27T03:00:00.049-05:00

the "Gourmet" prompt...

32. Tracey Ryder and Carole Topalian- The gorgeous, intelligent locavores of the magazine world, Ryder and Topalian’s Edible series now numbers 60 editions, from Allegheny to WOW (southeast Michigan). And, despite the handicap of being free print mags, they actually make money!

While I had previously heard of Edible Communities...even own an "edible" cookbook and browse my local edition online, I didn't know the names behind the cover. The following information comes from the Edible Communities website...

Tracey Ryder and Carole Topolian co-founded Edible Communities, Inc., the nation’s largest publishing company dedicated to the local foods movement, in 2002. The company currently publishes 70 titles across North America and is currently adding new magazines at a rate of 10 per year. The content for each publication is region-specific and focuses on the farmers, fishermen, chefs and food artisans from each area.

Ms. Ryder has worked as a journalist, marketer and graphic designer for the culinary, tourism and agriculture industries for over 25 years. She is a regular speaker at conferences and events in the culinary and publishing fields.

Earlier in her career, Topolian owned a Los Angeles-based multimedia company where she produced several award-winning advertising and promotional campaigns for major corporations. In the 1990s, she decided to leave the corporate world behind and study psychology at Pacific Graduate Institute. Her fine art photographs have been exhibited in over 70 shows throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. Today she is an active ceramicist and gardener.

So. You'd think in the spirit of edible living, I would have turned to my local edition, Edible Michiana. And I did. At first. But since it's still fairly new (only three issues released so far...okay, that sounds like a lot when I actually write it down, but...), I decided to turn to a book on my shelf that has been begging me to give it some love. Edible Brooklyn has a bunch of sticky notes sticking out this way and that. And oddly enough, this recipe...though simple...is really the one that I couldn't wait to make. And in my defense, I think the seasonal ingredients are fairly overlapping.

Other than being in a "simple" mood, I was also intrigued by the combination of ingredients in this recipe. Pepperoni...eggs...marjoram(!)...wha!? Oh, they worked like you wouldn't imagine. You might be tempted to skip the marjoram, but I don't recommend giving in to that temptation. It's those miniscule little flecks of pine-tinged green that lend so beautifully to the warm eggs and slight spice from the pepperoni. I've made these for three meals since this. I ran out of marjoram somewhere along the line...and while still good, the lack of marjoram left me wanting. There was a rip in the cohesiveness of this beautiful sandwich. Don't skip the marjoram!

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Cheddar, Pepperoni, and Egg Quesadilla Sandwich

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5-10 minutes

Keywords: entree sandwich breakfast eggs tortillas American

Ingredients (serves 1)

¼ c. grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 (6") flour tortillas
3 slices large pepperoni (sandwich slices)
2 or 3 large eggs
1 tsp. fresh marjoram
½ Tbs. butter
Tabasco sauce
sea salt or kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Heat a large cast-iron (or other heavy) griddle over medium-high. Lay one tortilla on griddle, sprinkle cheese evenly over it and cover with second tortilla. Cook until cheese is melted and it's golden on the bottom. Flip and cook until this side is light golden brown, as well. Place pepperoni slices down one side of tortilla and set aside.

Beat eggs together with fresh marjoram in a small bowl. Heat butter over medium in a nonstick (or omelet) skillet. When butter is melted and foam subsides, pour in eggs and scramble softly.

Slide eggs on top of the pepperoni. Drizzle with tabasco, salt, and pepper to taste.

Fold tortillas up like a big, fat taco and enjoy your quesadilla sandwich.

note:

A soft, yet lightly crisped shell filled with melty cheddar blankets fluffy eggs with pockets of piney marjoram and an understated layer of pepperoni for some subtle heat. Right now? I'm lovin' this way too much.

adapted slightly from Edible Brooklyn: The Cookbook

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In May '11, Gourmet posted a list of 50 Women Game-Changers (in Food) that runs the gamut from food writers to cookbook authors to television personalities to restauranteurs to chefs to food bloggers. Some are a given. Some are controversial. Speaking the names of some brings fond childhood memories. Speaking the names of others will make some readers cringe. And of course, some of our favorites were not even included. We food-lovers are a passionate bunch of people and whether we agree or disagree, every woman on this list has earned her place for a reason. Being a woman who is passionate about food (cooking, eating, talking about, writing about, photographing), when I caught wind of Mary from One Perfect Bite's idea of cooking/blogging her way through each of these 50 women...one per week...I knew I wanted to join her. Many of these women paved the way for us in culinary school, in the kitchen, in cookbooks, in food writing, and on television and I think it is a fabulous way to pay tribute to their efforts. Some of the women on the list have been tops with me for years. Some I have heard of (perhaps even seen, read, or cooked from) before. And there are even a handful that I am not familiar with at all. I excited to educate myself on each of these women game-changers and hope you look forward to reading along. We are going in order from 1 to 50.

Who is cooking along with these 50 Women Game-Changers?

Mary- One Perfect Bite, Val- More Than Burnt Toast, Joanne- Eats Well With Others, Taryn- Have Kitchen Will Feed, Susan- The Spice Garden, Heather- girlichef, Miranda- Mangoes and Chutney, Jeanette- Jeanette's Healthy Living, Kathy- Bakeaway with Me, Sue- The View from Great Island, Barbara- Moveable Feasts, Linda- There and Back Again, Nancy- Picadillo, Mireya- My Healthy Eating Habits, Veronica- My Catholic Kitchen, Annie- Lovely Things, Claudia- Journey of an Italian Cook, Alyce- More Time at the Table, Amrita- Beetle's Kitchen Escapades

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Butternut Squash Baked w/ Bay Leaves, Butter, & Brown Sugar

2012-01-26T03:00:00.003-05:00

Some may look at this and see a tempting side dish. I however, look at it and see dessert in an earthenware dish. Since butternut squash is already pretty sweet in its own rite, when it's given any sort of "sweet treatment", it seems like a satisfying way to wrap up a meal. Don't get me wrong, I love roasting squash with a dab of oil and some seasoning and eating alongside some roasted turkey, or atop a bed of winter greens, or even tucked into a hearty grain salad with fresh bursts of herbs. But when butter and brown sugar come a knockin', this dessert train's a rockin'! Let me also just throw it out there that the sweetness is tempered beautifully by the addition of a few errant bay leaves. It's funny, really. You can't imagine the impact these unassuming little leaves can make.

Oh, and p.s.- if you don't want to bother with the whole pesky peeling-a-winter-squash-thing? Don't. Once roasted, the skin turns beautifully chewy and palatable. I actually look forward to the outside bits the most.

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Butternut Squash baked w/ Bay Leaves, Butter, & Brown Sugar

by Heather Schmitt-González inspired by Tessa Kiros (Apples for Jam)

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 50-60 minutes

Keywords: roast side dessert vegetarian squash butter Christmas Thanksgiving American

Ingredients (varies)

Butternut squash
butter
brown sugar
bay leaves
sea salt
water

Instructions

Remove the seeds from the squash. Cut into slices that are ~½" thick. You can peel it if you like, but I like the chewiness that results from roasting it unpeeled.

Preheat oven to 350° F. Rub the bottom and sides of a baking dish with a bit of butter. Sprinkle a little brown sugar over that.

Lay the squash in a single layer. Sprinkle with a bit more brown sugar. Sprinkle a couple good pinches of sea salt over that. Tuck a couple of bay leaves in and around the squash. Dot with a few more small blobs of butter. Add a splash or two of water.

Slide into preheated oven and roast until squash is tender, basting occasionally. It's okay (actually it's wonderful) if you wind up with a few golden brown spots. Just take care not to let the squash get mush (unless of course, you like it that way...then roast away).

notes:

Adjust this recipe by using a bit more (or less) of each ingredient and a larger baking dish. Baking time may be a bit longer for a larger amount of squash. You can serve it as a side dish, or (my personal preferance) as dessert.

Roasted slices of butternut squash resting in a sticky syrup made from the sugar and butter reducing with awesome, grassy green undertones from the bay leaves. I think a small hit of finely grated lemon zest scattered over the top right as it comes out of the oven would add another dimension to the dish...a bit of a bright citrus finish.

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IHCC theme: POTLUCK

Cuban Bread (aka...quickest yeast bread EVER)

2012-01-25T06:44:00.003-05:00

Not only is it quick- it's REALLY GOOD! It has this beautifully thick and chewy crust with a spongy interior. I may just have to make it daily. Or at least every other day. It's just that simple and that delicious. I want to make it my everyday, go-to white bread. I was amazed that the flavors could develop like they did in such a short period of time...I think the poppy seeds added a lot to the top, but I will try using sesame seeds on a loaf next go-round to see if I can taste the difference.

Hubs and I polished off the last of the loaf for lunch yesterday by simply cutting thick slices and slathering them with frijoles con chorizo and washing it all down with a cold glass of milk. I think it's worth mentioning that as soon as I finish typing this, I'm mixing up another batch so that we have a couple more loaves to carry us through lunch today and breakfast tomorrow. I feel an obsession coming on. Thanks so much to Ilva, this month's Bread Baking Babes hostess for choosing this recipe and bringing this bread into my life.

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Cuban Bread

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Keywords: bake bread vegan flour Cuban

Ingredients (2 small loaves)

5-6 c. bread flour
2 pkgs. dry yeast (~2¼ tsp. each)
1 Tbs. salt
2 Tbs. sugar
2 c. (500 ml) hot water
sesame or poppy seeds, optional
cornmeal, for baking sheet

Instructions

Place 4 cups flour in a mixing bowl and add the yeast, salt and sugar. Stir until they are well blended. Pour in the hot water and beat with 100 strong strokes or about three minutes in a mixer.

Gradually work in the remaining flour (using fingers if necessary), ½ cup at a time until the dough takes shape and is no longer sticky.

Sprinkle the work surface with flour. Work in the flour as you knead, keeping a dusting of it between the dough and the work surface. Knead for ~8 minutes by hand or with a dough hook until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and put in a warm (26-37°C/80-100°F) place until double in bulk, ~15-25 minutes.

Punch down the dough, turn it out on the work surface, and cut into two pieces. Shape each into a round. Place on a baking sheet dusted lightly with cornmeal.

With a sharp knife or razor, slash an X on each of the loaves, mist with water, and sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds, if using.

Place the baking sheet on the middle shelf of a cold oven. Place a large pan of hot water on the shelf below, and heat the oven to 400°F (205°C). The bread will continue to rise while the oven is heating.

Bake for ~50 minutes, or until the loaves are golden and bottom crusts sound hard and hollow when thumped.

Cool on a wire rack for a bit before eating.

recipe adapted from Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads

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I am sharing this post with:
Bread Baking Buddies (hosted/chosen by Bread Baking Babe Ilva at Lucullian Delights)
Yeastspotting

Wheat Berries w/ Cherries, Berries, & Almonds

2012-01-24T06:53:00.001-05:00

Yes, I was raised to believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I couldn't walk out that door without eating. But I'm glad that was instilled in me...because it's so true. It gets your brain and your body warmed up and ready for action. I've always been a breakfast kind of girl. Sometimes it's small and light, sometimes it's more substantial. Either way, I need my breakfast. And a cup or two of coffee.

This is a good one for those days when your teeth and your bones are chattering from the bitter cold temps outside your door. It's reminiscent of rice pudding, porridge, or even a warm fruit soup. My current favorite grain, wheat berries are cooked until gloriously chewy in a bath of maple-kissed almond milk and before being complimented by juicy, antioxidant-rich berries and cherries. Topped off with nutty slivers of almonds and a smattering of poppy seeds, I find it pretty irresistible.

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Wheat Berries w/ Cherries, Berries, & Almonds

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: 5-10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes - 2 hours

Keywords: simmer breakfast vegan vegetarian grains berries

Ingredients (serves 4)

¾ c. wheat berries
2 c. almond milk
2 Tbs. maple syrup, or more to taste
sea salt
1 c. blueberries
1 c. cherries, pitted
1 c. strawberries, hulled & quartered
sliced almonds
poppy seeds

Instructions

Combine wheat berries in a medium to large pot with almond milk, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt. Milk should cover wheat berries by about an inch...if it doesn't, add a bit more or some water. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a gentle bubble.

Allow to cook, stirring from time to time, until wheat berries are tender (this can take anywhere from 25 minutes to an hour or more). Wheat berries will sweel and be tender, yet firm when done; mixture will still be a bit soupy. If you're making the grains ahead of time, you can cool them down and refrigerate at this point, gently reheating before service.

Adjust seasoning by adding more salt and/ or maple syrup, if you like. Stir in the berries and cherries. Sprinkle with as many sliced almonds and poppy seeds as you'd like.

recipe adapted from The Food Matters Cookbook by Mark Bittman

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Also, I wanted to give a heads up to all of the Mark Bittman fans out there...Sarah and Kate have started a new cook-along style group for his Food Matters Cookbook. It’s all about eating more plants and fewer animal products and processed foods — and the positive impact this has on our health and the environment. It's called the Food Matters project and it will be a weekly event (Mondays) starting February 6th. Check out the schedule of recipes so far and grab a hosting spot!

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Whole Food Wednesdays

Garlicky Chicken Soup ...inspired by Anna: Heart of a Peasant {book review}

2012-01-22T17:15:00.001-05:00

Food, history, culture, struggle, triumph....Life! I thought that the combination of all of these elements found in Anna: Heart of a Peasant made for a quick, entertaining read. I was trying to figure out how to categorize the book...and I was thinking historical fiction...when I read Rachel's account of the story listed as fictional biography. Yes, that's perfect. Davis tells the story of her grandmother through her own eyes using research, facts, stories, and memories.

If you hang out with me at all, you've probably heard me talk about how much I adore learning about food through studying a person or place's culture, history, and people...by hearing stories and spending time with people in the place they are the most comfortable- the kitchen. This story starts from the time Anna was very young and touches on the beliefs, religion, and symbolism that surrounded and embodied everyday rituals such as child birth, welcoming somebody into your home, harvest, and the evil eye. It shares Anna's sad tale of banishment after a tragic accident. One of my favorite parts of the story is when Anna meets up with and joins a band of gypsies. She learns to read tarot cards and tea leaves and experience a much-needed, more "free" way of life than strict one she has left behind. She eventually works for an old woman on a farm for years before buying her place amongst the other peasants on an ocean liner leaving Russia, bound for America. Years later...with a husband, kids, grandkids, and a home of her own, Anna has achieved the American dream...but she holds fast and strong to her upbringing and her beliefs, instilled in her when she was just a child in Byelorussia.

The author of this book, Carol Marie Davis, is the mother of one of my blogging friends, Rachel of The Crispy Cook. Though I don't know her personally, I can feel love that radiates from this project. The memories and traditions passed down through the generations in this family...canning, preserving, hands in the earth growing food, and a respect and appreciation for the gifts that they were given. This books ends with a small collection of recipes from or inspired by Anna's kitchen. I would like to try them all from the Brown Bread to the Potato and Cheese Pierogies to the Cabbage Soup...but what I wound up making was a comforting pot of Garlicky Chicken Soup. While not the exact recipe in the book, it is inspired by it and comes very close. Just as Anna used garlic and herbs to treat the ailments of her family, I try to do the same. This helped to wipe out a few colds that were brewing on the horizon.

Anna: Heart of a Peasant
author: Carol Marie Davis
publisher: Peppertree Press
soft cover: 108 pages
"foodie" elements: yes

random excerpt: Darkness had settled in when Anna awoke to the stirring sounds of violins and laughter. Women in billowing skirts, their eyes reflecting firelight, danced barefoot, leaping and whirling like a bevy of colorful butterflies. She saw a group of singers stamping their feet and clacking wooden spoons to rhythmic melodies. Half-naked children ran shrieking around the campfire, their dogs chasing them and barking. She smelled meat sizzling on the fire and heard Janos shout: "Come out, peasant girl. Come join the wedding celebration." p.37

summary/synopsis (from back cover): This is the story of the real life of an exceptional woman- Anna Anisovich Olchick. From her birth in 1886 in a small peasant village in Byelorussia, to her epic journey to America, Anna shows how determination and hard work earned her the American dream- a home of her own.

my thoughts/review: see above

about the author (from back cover): Carole Marie Davis grew up in Hastings on Hudson, New York and has taken those early memories of her family and certain times as a part of the theme for this book. Her grandmother Anna, however, is the main character of this memoir. Ms. Davis is the author of Moon Spirit- a Girl from Florida's Past and divides her time writing and drawing in Nokomis, Florida and Bennington, Vermont.
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Garlicky Chicken Soup

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 2½ - 3 hours

Keywords: soup/stew chicken garlic American winter

Ingredients (serves 6-8)

to start:

1 whole chicken (3-4 lbs.), cut into 8 parts
10 cloves garlic, peeled
2 carrots, chunked
2 stalks celery, chunked
2 onions, quartered
1 large parsnip, chunked
½ bunch parsley
few thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
palmful of whole black peppercorns
few whole cloves
water, to cover

to finish:

olive oil
1 large onion, diced small
10 cloves garlic, peeled & smashed
2 carrots, diced small
1 parsnip, diced small
2 stalks celery, diced small
small handful fresh thyme sprigs, leaves stripped
½ bunch parsley, chopped
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

starting the soup:

Place all of the vegetables and herbs in a large Dutch oven or stockpot. Lay chicken pieces over the top and cover with cold water by a couple of inches.

Bring to a boil, partially cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook at a slow bubble until chicken is very tender and falling off the bones, ~2 hours.

Transfer chicken to a deep dish and let cool until you're able to handle it. Remove skin and pick all the meat from the bones. Set meat aside. Strain and discard the solids from the broth, pushing down with wooden spoon to remove as much liquid as possible. Set broth aside for the moment.

finishing the soup:

Return pot to the stove top over medium-high heat. Add a good glug of olive oil and let it heat up. Add onions, garlic, carrots, and parsnips to pot. Let cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until you see a few golden edges. Add celery to pot and cook for another minute or so.

Return chicken and broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and throw in the thyme leaves and chopped parsley. Allow to simmer until veggies are just tender, 5-10 minutes more.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

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*While I did receive a free copy of this book to read and review, should I choose...all thoughts and opinions stated in this post are 100% my own.
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Pizza w/ Slow-Roasted Tomatoes, Roasted Garlic, Italian Sausage w/ Fennel, & Basil {food 'n flix}

2012-01-21T10:11:00.001-05:00

I hesitate to put this out there. But, since this month's chosen flick for Food 'n Flix was Eat Pray Love, I guess I'm gonna have to. So. Here goes. I'm gonna say it. Puttin' it out there. I don't like this movie...or this book. Eek! Don't hate me. I wanted to like it. I expected to like it. I mean...I'm a fan of chick flicks (and chick lit). It has all the criteria to fit snugly into the categories of movies I love to watch at least once a year as a little getaway or girl time. It has delicious food, cute guys, gorgeous settings, and a story line that I want to be great. I want to covet Liz's life for a couple of hours. But I don't. I'm sure the book put me off the movie. Which is fairly normal for me. But in a different way. Usually if I want to enjoy the movie, I can't read the book first because as you know, the movie rarely does the book justice. So, I hesitated picking up the book first. But, in true Heather form, I couldn't resist the book. I could hear it whispering to me every time I walked by it at the library. I gave in.

Much to my chagrin. I guess it's not really fair for me to say that I didn't like the entire book since I couldn't actually get through the whole thing. I really thought it tried too hard. I found it pretentious. Again, this is hard for me to write, because I don't enjoy dismissing anybody's hard work. The words just sounded so scripted...so meant for a movie. Me, Me, Me! See what I did! I find "look at me" stories hard to stomach in any medium or setting, though. So basically what I'm trying to say is that it's possible I may have enjoyed the movie (which this post is supposed to be about) had I not tried to read the book first. But since I couldn't disconnect, I'll never know. I mean, how can you not adore Julia Roberts? And I'm a sucker for the crinkles in the corner of James Franco's eyes when he smiles. And pizza in Naples? Yes, please!

There were, however a few scenes here and there that I enjoyed. I enjoyed Elizabeth's simple breakfast plate of egg, bread, asparagus, and tomato on the floor with a newspaper with the Italian sun streaming in. I enjoyed the supporting cast of characters such as Ketut, Richard, Wayan and Tutti. I have a few favorite quotes such as "God dwells within you, as you" and "Not too much God, not too much selfish...otherwise, lose balance" and "ruin is the road to transformation". I just don't find myself with a craving to watch this film again. I did watch it when it first came out on dvd, then again this month so that I could refresh my memory and write this post. To each their own, right?

As far as inspiration to head into the kitchen, I was stuck on the pizza. I'm sure you don't really need a recipe for pizza, so I won't give you one. I'll just give you the method and ingredients that inspired me that day.

non-recipe for Pizza w/ Slow-Roasted Tomatoes, Roasted Garlic, Italian Sausage with Fennel, & Basil

yield: 1 pizza

pizza dough (homemade or storebought...your choice)

olive oil

slow-roasted yellow cherry tomatoes

roasted garlic

loose Italian sausage

fennel seeds

crushed red chile flakes

mozzarella cheese

fresh basil

Cook sausage in a pan until done, adding a good amount of fennel seed and crushed red chiles toward the end of cooking. Drain fat and set aside.

Pat or roll dough out into desired shape. Drizzle with olive oil. Cover with desired amount of cheese. Scatter sausage and however many tomatoes and roasted garlic cloves as you wish. Bake in preheated over (~400° F for 12-15 minutes-ish). Scatter torn basil over top. Enjoy!

I know are going to be some people who vehemently disagree with my opinion on this (and I'm okay with that). I'd love to know your thoughts...

Eat Pray Love is the January '12 Food 'n Flix pick hosted at The Law Student's Cookbook. Posts inspired by this flick are due on the 28th of January, so you still have time to cook something up and share your thoughts on the film.

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50 Women Game-Changers (in Food): #31 Donna Hay - Banana-Buttermilk Cinnamon Breads

2012-01-20T00:00:00.078-05:00

the "Gourmet" prompt...

31. Donna Hay- Australia became the hottest food nation somewhere around 1995, and then came Hay. She’s ubiquitous Down Under with her books, eponymous magazine, and sunny TV face, but her simple, throw–it–together Pacific Rim style spread all the way Up and Over.

Okay. So. Have you tired of hearing me say so-and-so is someone I wasn't familiar with before this week? Well...if so...I apologize because I'm about to say it again. Sort of. I actually have heard the name Donna Hay before. But that was about the extent of it. I'd heard her name. So, I didn't really know what to expect when I went to pick up the couple of books our library carried of hers. I placed a hold on them online and once they had been shipped over from another branch, I stopped in to pick them up. I'm pretty friendly with the library staff (since I'm in there so often), and as I went to check them out, one girl mentioned that she couldn't put them down when she was checking them in and was bummed that they were on hold. Mmmm...good sign. I chuckled and joked that they'd be back in a few weeks at the most. I mean, by then we'd be well on to another of the "50 women", right? Right. Sort of. You see. I fell in love with these two books. And now, I don't want to take them back. I want to keep renewing them until all of my options are exhausted. Gorgeous photography + mouthwatering recipes = a sh!t ton of bookmarks. Where the heck has Donna Hay been all my life?

Australia. That's where she's been. With a career as a food writer and stylist that began at 19 and being appointed food editor of marie claire at 25, she's definitely been around. She is currently Australia's leading food editor and best-selling cookbook author. Focusing on basic ingredients that are simply prepared and photographed BEAUTIFULLY, her food, recipes, and styling have "set the benchmark for food publishing worldwide and inspired a whole new generation of cooks".* She has 18 award-winning cookbooks (2 down, 16 to lust over) that have sold over 4 million copies worldwide. She also has a line of homewares and baking kits using all natural ingredients. She's kind of like Martha Stewart. Only better. Ssshhhh...don't tell Martha I said that.

I'm not exaggerating in the least when I say that I changed my mind dozens of times about what to make to represent Donna this week. Since I couldn't wait to get in the kitchen, I went with one of my bookmarked recipes that I already had all of the ingredients hangin' out in the kitchen for. Well, almost. I didn't have any hazelnut meal (or hazelnuts), so I subbed in almond meal. Great little tea breads served warm or chilled and sliced. They are firm and substantial with the tangy flavor of buttermilk complimented by the warmth of cinnamon and comfort of banana. One recipe down...hundred to go.

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Banana-Buttermilk Cinnamon Breads

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: ~45 minutes

Keywords: bake bread vegetarian buttermilk bananas

Ingredients (2 mini loaves)

5 oz. butter
½ c. superfine sugar
1 large egg
1½ c. all-purpose flour, sifted
¾ tsp. baking powder, sifted
½ c. almond meal
⅓ c. buttermilk
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 large banana, sliced
melted butter, for brushing
raw sugar, for sprinkling

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Add flour, baking powder, almond meal, buttermilk, and cinnamon. Fold through until smooth.

Grease two mini-loaf tins (16 oz. capacity). Divide the batter evenly among the pans and smooth the top. Shingle the banana slices down the center of each loaf. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with raw sugar.

Bake for ~45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in a loaf comes out clean. Serve warm or cold.

recipe adapted from Modern Classics Book 2 by Donna Hay

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Who is cooking along with these 50 Women Game-Changers?

*source: Donna Hay online biography
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Pineapple-Ginger Elixir (with or without Rum)

2012-01-17T08:30:00.000-05:00

I'm a sucker for words like potion, tincture, balm, and elixir. In my mind I can picture myself in a long, colorful gypsy skirt, a flowy peasant blouse, and bare feet. Gathering bundles of wild flowers and herbs; carefully peeling bark from medicinal trees and digging healing roots from the earth. I see heavy glass bottles with frosty glass or cork stoppers amongst jars, tins, canisters, pots, and droppers in various sizes. My well-loved mortar and pestle sits atop an ancient butcher block with a dip worn in it from years of use. Dried lavender, yarrow, purple cone flowers hang amidst the herbs, garlic, and chiles on the wooden rafters. Gnarled roots of goldenseal, ginger, and licorice are wrapped in cloth and tucked into baskets on cool, dark shelves. I'm pretty sure I was meant to be a shaman. Or a healer in some form.

So, perhaps you can see why a recipe containing the term "elixir" drew my attention. Although I used a blender instead of a mortar and pestle to coax the sweet juice from a golden pineapple, the addition of warming ginger and cayenne reinforced the images in my head. This blend...this elixir...will warm your body from the inside out on a cold day. If you're sensitive to chile peppers, be aware of the potency (oooh, that's another great word...potency) of your cayenne. If it is nice and fresh, you'll get a fantastic burn on your upper lip for hours to come.

If the word elixir doesn't inspire you like it does me, I hope you'll try this sweet, yet spicy cooler anyway. Add a shot of rum for even more warmth...

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Pineapple-Ginger Elixir

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: 5-10 minutes

Cook Time: n/a

Keywords: blender beverage vegan vegetarian ginger pineapple

Ingredients (serves 4)

4 c. fresh pineapple cubes
2 Tbs. minced fresh ginger
½ c. water
¼ c. light coconut milk
2½ Tbs. freshly squeezed lime juice
2 Tbs. pure Maple srup
1½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
⅛ tsp. ground cardamom
⅛ tsp. ground cayenne

Instructions

Purée pineapple cubes, ginger, and water in blender until smooth. Strain through a fine-meshed strainer into bowl, pushing down on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard pulp and return liquid to blender.

Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.

Serve over ice and garnish with fresh pineapple wedges or rings, cinnamon stick, or lime wedges.

For a warming cocktail with the sweetness of pineapple, add a shot of rum to the bottom of the glass before pouring in the elixir.

slightly adapted from Vegetarian Times #391

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Bookmarked Recipes at Tinned Tomatoes (founded by Ruth's Kitchen Experiments)

Italian Sausage & Potato Frittata

2012-01-16T10:49:00.000-05:00

Everybody has a go-to meal, right? Something that you enjoy enough to turn to when you're too tired/lazy/busy to make anything else. Well, my go-to meal? Omelets. They're great because they can be different every time while staying basically the same. You can add any veggies, herbs, cheese, or meats that you have hanging around the kitchen. Throw some warm tortillas, toast, or crusty bread alongside and splash it with some Tabasco and you're good to go. Plus, they can be impressive. I mean, that's what I hear. Even though I've probably made thousands of omelets in my life between working the breakfast shift, manning an omelet station, and making a go-to meal...there are many people that consider them a luxury. If we have family crashed at our house, offering to make them an omelet in the morning always brings on the squeals. I love it.

Now given, I'm sharing a frittata today, not an omelet...there's really not that much of a difference. A frittata is basically an open-face omelet. I could just have easily made individual omelets stuffing the same ingredients inside. This is just a meal for four in all in one big shebang. Cut into wedges and plated up, it can still bring a smile to my face.

Our theme over at IHCC this week is White as Snow (white foods). While I had plenty of white ingredients packed into this beauty, it came out as a vibrant mélange of color.

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Italian Sausage and Potato Frittata

by Heather Schmitt-González adapted from Apples for Jam

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20-30 minutes

Keywords: breakfast entree eggs pork

Ingredients (serves 4)

2 small potatoes
olive oil
~¾ lb. Italian Sausage, crumbled
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
~1 c. button mushrooms, sliced
heaping ¼ c. of chopped parsley
6 eggs, beaten
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Cook potatoes in their skins until tender by any method you choose (I like to use the microwave when I'm in a hurry). When cool enough to handle, slice or cut into chunks and set aside.

Heat a couple of glugs of olive oil in a 10" skillet over medium heat. Add Italian sausage and sauté until deeply golden and cooked through. Remove to a bowl, leaving as much of the tasty grease behind as possible.

Add onion and carrot to pan and saute until soft and onions are golden, ~10 minutes.

Add another good glug of olive oil to pan along with the mushrooms. Sauté until the mushrooms have given off their water and turned golden. Season with salt and pepper and then add to the bowl with the sausage, leaving behind as much grease as possible.

Preheat broiler.

Add just a bit more oil to the pan (enough to equal a good coating) and add potatoes to pan. Saute until golden and crusty in places. Tip the bowl of goodies back into the pan along with most of the parsley and cook for a minute or two.

Reduce heat to medium-low and pour in the eggs. Stir and lift, using a wooden spoon or heat proof rubber scraper, so that the uncooked eggs can leak to the bottom (like making an omelet). Once bottom is softly set, transfer pan to broiler until frittata is just set enough so that it can be cut into wedges.

Serve warm garnished with remaining parsley, some fresh tomatoes, and some good bread.

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King Ranch Chicken Mac and Cheese

2012-01-15T09:57:00.002-05:00

A riff on King Ranch Chicken Casserole, a quintessential Texan potluck dish, this mac and cheese is just as creamy and comforting as you'd expect the casserole itself to be. As a matter of fact, I've never even made the casserole...though it's something I've "meant" to make. It's still on my list, but until then I'm happy as a pig in mud to eat another serving of this sinful dish. When I received the January issue of Southern Living in the mail, this was on the cover. It reminded me that Kim made it last month...and I wanted it.

So, I really started to wonder where King Ranch Chicken Casserole got its name...what are its roots. And the best I answer I found is: it's murky. Huh. One common thought is that it originates from the actual King Ranch in Texas. This is a charge they deny. Another theory is that it's size (think large casserole) relates to the wide open spaces of Texas. Or perhaps it comes from a Tex-Mex twist on Chicken a la King (this idea comes from Lisa, The Homesick Texan...and it's as good a guess as any). Which reminds me. I've never talked about Chicken a la King here- and I LOVE it. L.O.V.E. LOVE it. It's going on my reminder list. Yes, I have numerous lists. So many lists, in fact, that I think I should be called King Ranch List-Maker. No? Yeah, that was bad. Anyway.

I don't know its exact origins. And I'm okay with that. As long as I can eat it.

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King Ranch Chicken Macaroni and Cheese

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Keywords: entree side pasta cheese American Southwest

Ingredients (serves 6)

8 oz. cavatappi pasta
2 Tbs. butter
1 medium onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 (10 oz.) can diced tomatoes w/ green chiles
8 oz. Velveeta, cut into chunks
3 c. chopped, cooked chicken
1 (10¾ oz.) can cream of chicken soup
½ c. sour cream
1 tsp. chili powder
½ tsp. ground cumin
6 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions

Preaheat oven to 350° F. Grease an 11"x7" dish or a 10" cast-iron skillet. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and reserve.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell pepper and saute until tender, 3-5 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes w/ green chiles and Velveeta; cook, stirring constantly until Velveeta melts, 2-3 minutes. Stir in chicken, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, chili powder, and cumin along with the reserved pasta. Pour or spoon into prepared pan and sprinkle with the shredded cheese.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly.

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p.s... Yes, this contains Velveeta and condensed soup. Throw caution to the wind and make it anyway. If you like creamy, comforting mac and cheese with a hit of spice and juicy chunks of chicken, then you won't be disappointed.

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PPN #247 hosted at Cook. Craft. Enjoy.

Smoky Tomato Risotto

2012-01-14T09:31:00.002-05:00

Lately, I've been dreaming of a creamy, satisfying plate of risotto. I'm sure it has something to do with the thick blanket of snow outside, the perma-chill in my bones that I can't seem to shake, and the constant longing for a fireplace to cozy up beside. Growing up we always seemed to have a fireplace either in our home or in the home of a family member (much like that cool, wet pool I long for in the summertime). But, since we have yet to stumble upon our dream-home, I have to conjur up memories of fireplaces past. I love the hiss that a log makes as the moisture longs for escape from the flames licking its edges. And the pop of the superheated sap exploding. And that comforting crackle that can lull me into submission. I miss throwing in a pine cone or a cinnamon stick in order to catch a whiff of those scents of the season.

So, when I saw Natashya post an amazing looking Tomato Risotto that came from Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros, I immediately knew that I was making it. After pulling my much-loved copy of the book from the shelf, I resolved that while I was making it, I was entirely in the mood to shake it up a bit and add a smoky, warming twist by throwing in some smoked paprika, smoked mozzarella, and fire-roasted tomatoes. So, while I may currently be without fireplace, I do have a deep, rich, creamy, smoky heap of risotto on a plate in front of me to keep me warm.

Fantastic as a (vegetarian) main dish, I think it would also fare well as a base to shrimp, chicken, or even a fried egg.

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Smoky Tomato Risotto

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: up to 30 minutes

Cook Time: ~30 minutes

Keywords: entree side vegetarian rice tomatoes Italian

Ingredients (serves 3-4)

Quick Vegetable Broth

½ onion, peeled & halved
1 carrot, broken in chunks
½ celery stalk, broken in chunks
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 small tomato, halved
a few stalks of parsley
5 c. water
sea salt

Risotto

4 Tbs. olive oil
½ onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled
pinch of crushed red chile flakes
1 c. arborio rice
1 c. fire-roasted tomatoes, pureed (~1/2 14 oz. can)
~3 c. Quick Vegetable Broth (or vegetable stock)
1 Tbs. smoked paprika
few sprigs of fresh basil, torn
¼ c. freshly grated Parmesan
⅔ c. smoked Mozzarella, shredded or diced small

to serve

olive oil
freshly grated Parmesan
freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Quick Vegetable Broth (If you have vegetable stock, you can skip this step and just warm up your stock in a pan on the back of the stove.)

Put the veggies and herbs in a pot with the water and season with some salt. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a gentle simmer. Let cook about 30 minutes. Keep warm over lowest heat possible.

Making the Risotto

Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed pan. Saute the onion and garlic over medium-low heat for a few minutes, until they've just started to soften. Add rice and crushed red chile. Continue to cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for a few more minutes. All of the grains of rice should be coated and milky-looking.

Stir in the smoked paprika, half of the basil, and half of the tomato puree. Add in a ladle of warm stock. Continue stirring and adding in a ladle full of the broth at a time until the rice has just absorbed it...and then adding another. After ten minutes of doing this, add in the remaining tomato puree. Continue with remaining broth (up to ~3 cups). This process should take a total of about 20 minutes.

Test the rice. It should still feel somewhat firm (al dente), but also smooth and creamy. If it still feels hard, add in another ladle full of stock and cook down, stirring. When rice is al dente, turn off the heat and stir in both cheeses and the remaining basil.

Serve warm, drizzled with more olive oil and sprinkled with more Parmesan. Grate some black pepper over, if you wish. Enjoy!

note:

If you would like to remove the garlic cloves, do so just before stirring in the cheese. Personally, I leave them in...it's like a bonus if you get one on your plate!

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IHCC theme: Rice is Nice!
F.O.T.M.C.: Tomatoes
Bookmarked Recipes at Tinned Tomatoes (founded by Ruth's Kitchen Experiments)

50 Women Game-Changers (in Food): #30 Barbara Tropp - Buttercup Squash Soup w/ Cilantro, Toasted Almonds, & Fried Ginger Threads

2012-01-13T00:00:00.045-05:00

the "Gourmet" prompt...

30. Barbara Tropp- Tropp taught America that General Tso is not what Chinese food is about. Her 1982 Modern Art of Chinese Cooking is still definitive, and her San Francisco China Moon Cafe rivaled Spago for Cal–Asian cred.

Okay...it seems that I go through a few names of ladies I know and then suddenly I hit a block of ladies that are all new to me. I'm still firmly in the "new to me" block right now with Barbara Tropp. Tropp was an American chef and writer who was enamored by Chinese culture, and in turn studied it in college (including doctoral studies at Princeton). During a trip to Taiwan, she studied poetry and spent a lot of time in museums. But, the moment that I love is finding out that while there, she stayed with a "food-obsessed" family which led to her study of the intricacies of Chinese cuisine. After returning to the U.S., Tropp dropped out of Princeton to move to San Francisco in order to be closer to a Chinese community...and Chinese food markets, of course. Eventually she wrote The Modern Art of Chinese Cooking (with a commendation from James Beard) and China Moon Cookbook. She ran the China Moon Cafe from '86-'97 and lost her battle with ovarian cancer in October of 2001. She was just 53 years old. Check out this 1999 article written by Janet Fletcher for the SF Gate (San Francisco Chronicle) in which she talks to Tropp about battling through cancer with Eastern medicine before turning to chemotherapy, a few recipes, and some further insight on this fascinating lady.

Now let's talk about soup for a minute. If you followed along at all on my Tortilla Soup Quest, you probably know that I prefer a brothy soup with lots of good add-in-ables. I have a few exceptions like stews, chilis, bisques, and chowders, but when it comes to my everyday soup...it's brothy all the way. That said, the broth has got to be stellar and full of flavor. Preferably starting with a rich stock or broth and building up layer upon layer of flavor through roasting, sauteeing, sweating and then cooking everything together and blending it into a brothy puree. Which is probably the reason that I don't really go for most veggie-puree soups. I can't erase the words "baby food" from my brain when I see most soups of this type. I don't want to gom my soup to death. And I'm not saying that I've never had a tasty gom-able soup. Because I have. I just don't choose them.

So, when deciding what I wanted to make to represent Barbara Tropp, I was sort of surprised when I chose a pureed vegetable soup to fill that role. Surprised and determined. The flavors sounded so enticing that once I started fantacising about how they would taste on my tongue, I knew I had to make it work. Really the solution was simple. Thin in out to adapt it to my tastes. I cut down on the amount of squash that the original recipe intended (3 lb). I also upped....waaaaay upped....the amount of "toppings". And it worked. I achieved a massively flavorful, squashy broth with hints of cinnamon and star anise that was perfectly complimented by the toasty, nutty flavor of the almonds, the bright cilantro, and the creeping heat of the fried ginger.

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Buttercup Squash Soup w/ Cilantro, Toasted Almonds, & Fried Ginger Threads

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 2-2½ hours

Keywords: soup/stew squash ginger Chinese American

Ingredients (serves 6-8)

soup:

2 lbs. Buttercup Squash
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 onion, sliced thinly
1 carrot, sliced thinly
1 Tbs. ginger, peeled & minced
2 garlic cloves, peeled & minced
1 (1") piece of cinnamon
1 whole star anise
10 c. poultry stock (or vegetable stock)
~3 Tbs. brown sugar
sea salt
freshly ground white pepper

to finish:

1 bunch cilantro
1½ c. sliced almonds, toasted
Fried Ginger Threads

Fried Ginger Threads:

3 oz. fresh ginger
oil for frying

Instructions

soup:

Preheat oven to 400° F. Cut squash in half and remove the seeds. Place cut side down on a lined baking sheet. Bake until squash is soft and beginning to ooze around the edges, ~50-60 minutes. Let sit until cool enough to handle and then scoop the flesh from the peel. Cut into chunks and reserve.

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, ginger, garlic, cinnamon, and star anise. Stir around for a few minutes, then put the lid on the pot and reduce heat to low. Let sweat until onions and carrots are soft, ~15 minutes.

Add the reserved squash and stock to the pot and raise heat. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and let cook for 10-15 minutes. Cover pot and turn off heat. Let sit 30 minutes to allow flavors to mingle.

Remove cinnamon and star anise. Puree with an immersion blender (or in batches in a blender jar). Soup will not be thick like a "typical" vegetable-puree soup...it should resemble a broth with body. Heat up a bit if soup has cooled down. Stir in brown sugar, salt, and white pepper. Adjust to taste. Remove from heat.

To serve, divide cilantro, toasted almonds, and ginger threads among bowls (should fill them at least halfway) and then ladle the hot soup over them. Enjoy!

Fried Ginger Threads (yield: 1 c.)

Peel ginger and trim into rectangular blocks. Slice lengthwise into thin sheets. Stack the slices and cut lengthwise again into thin, julienne strips.

In a wok or deep skillet, heat oil to a depth of ~1½". When oil is hot enough to bubble when a thread of ginger is dropped in (~375° F), carefully fry the ginger (in batches if necessary) for ~10 seconds per batch. Carefully scoop the ginger out with a skimmer and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Don't let the ginger stay in the oil too long...it will get bitter.

This can be made up to two days in advance and stored at room temperature in a paper towel-lined bowl sealed with plastic wrap.

This recipe is inspired by & liberally adapted from China Moon Cookbook by Barbara Tropp.

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Who is cooking along with these 50 Women Game-Changers?

Mary- One Perfect Bite, Val- More Than Burnt Toast, Joanne- Eats Well With Others, Taryn- Have Kitchen Will Feed, Susan- The Spice Garden, Heather- girlichef, Miranda- Mangoes and Chutney, Jeanette- Jeanette's Healthy Living, Kathy- Bakeaway with Me, Sue- The View from Great Island, Barbara- Moveable Feasts, Nancy- Picadillo, Mireya- My Healthy Eating Habits, Veronica- My Catholic Kitchen, Annie- Lovely Things, Claudia- Journey of an Italian Cook

*sources: Wikipedia, SF Gate
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Slow-Roasted Yellow Cherry Tomatoes w/ Garlic & Marjoram

2012-01-10T09:03:00.003-05:00

Tomatoes in January you ask? Why yes...tomatoes in January. Not something usually associated with the Midwest in wintertime, I know. Well, unless you count the rows of jarred, canned, and dried tomatoes in many forms that line many a pantry. Like mine. I'm really not willing to go without tomatoes half of the year. Sure, I can be found breaking down and buying some Roma's from the market from time to time, as well.

But I found another great option. Locally grown greenhouse tomatoes. Oh. Yeah. Sweet and juicy and a ray of sunshine against the harsh snow-so-white-it's-blue. Just the thought brings a tug of yearning in my chest. Imagine maneuvering across a treacherous path with snow crunching under your boots...black ice waiting to send your feet sky-high...barren branches reaching out to snap your scarf and gloves. Now imagine a greenhouse radiating...glowing...with warmth. The interior is lush and green and so cozy you want to plant yourself on the overturned stacks of terra cotta pots and take a nap under the snaking vines dripping with a rainbow of fleshy tomatoes.

Well. That's what it looks like in my head, anyway. In reality, I bought them from a stand in a farmer's market from a farmer's kid who may or may not have stumbled from their cozy greenhouse refuge mere hours before they handed me my change.

I admit to popping a few of these in my mouth so that I could feel the warm juices and seeds burst...reminding me of summers past. But really, I just wanted to get home so that I could coax out the absolute sweetest and deepest and complex notes from these little gold orbs by roasting them ever-so-slowly in a low oven. And now, they are nestled snuggly in a jar offering me bites of sunshine to help me through the cold.
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Slow-Roasted Yellow Cherry Tomatoes w/ Garlic & Marjoram

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: ~2½ hours

Keywords: roast condiment snack preserving vegan vegetarian tomatoes garlic summer fall winter

Ingredients (1 scant cup)

1 pint Yellow Cherry Tomatoes, halved
8 garlic cloves, unpeeled
few springs fresh margoram
olive oil
kosher or coarse sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 225° F. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper.

Lay tomatoes on prepared tray, cut side up. Scatter garlic and marjoram on and around the tomatoes.

Drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Slide into preheated oven and bake for ~2-2½ hours or until tomatoes are shriveled, but still a bit juicy-looking.

Let cool. Eat or use immediately or pack into a jar and cover with olive oil. Store in the fridge for a couple of weeks. Also, peel the garlic cloves and pack those in the jar, if you wish.

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Slow-roasting any sort of tomato really concentrates and deepens their sweet flavor. Try this with any variety, adding more time for larger tomatoes. Also, switch up the herbs depending on the season or your personal preference.

Try eating these alongside cheese and bread/crackers or in a BLT or grilled cheese sandwich. Perhaps atop a pizza or a turkey burger in place of ketchup or tossed into a salad w/ cooked grains, fresh herbs, and tangy goat cheese.

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FOTMC: Tomatoes

Orange Buns

2012-01-09T08:30:00.000-05:00

I want to believe that I grew up eating freshly baked cinnamon rolls for breakfast. But for the life of me, I can't pull an example from anything in the depths of my memory. Hmmm. I find that strange. Because I love cinnamon rolls. I think my earliest memories of cinnamon rolls may actually be during college.

During that time (and high school for that matter) I worked in music stores. The one I worked at for the longest period of time was in the mall. What is pretty much synonymous with malls? If you've ever walked through one, you've gotten an intoxicating whiff. But in the wee hours of the morning...okay, maybe not that wee anymore, but to a college student it was wee...when you're loading the register and straightening the store and blasting the music while the gate is still down, that's when you begin to smell it. That seductive cinnamon scent snaking its way down halls so empty they echo. I always imagined that it could pick me up and carry me (all cartoony like...floating through the air while the waves of scent levitate me through my nostrils) to those gooey, warm, ridiculously fattening Cinnabons. Sigh. So big you had to eat them with a fork. It was a form of torture to work by yourself some mornings. Because you'd be trapped in the store. Unable to make a mad dash down the hallway, through center court, turn right and go down another hallway practically drooling by the time you reach the storefront. Which has the most customers of anybody in the whole place at this time.

Fast forward to the time immediately following college...and a short stint living in a hippie house in Milwaukee (...and worked at yet another music store...infinitely cooler and not in the mall) that I don't think has ever seen a cinnamon roll. You know that time frame when ~~you~~ I wind up back in your parent's home for a while. But all of my siblings are younger (as in anywhere from 7-12 years younger), so it wasn't like I was invading a quiet household or anything. Enter my first memories of cinnamon rolls at home.

Cinnamon Rolls. From a tube. You know the kind. You unravel the metallic paper and pop the cardboard open with the back of a spoon. Plus, you could get Orange Buns. Variety is the spice of life, afterall. I'm not knocking 'em. I liked them. Okay, I like them. I even made them for my own family for years. Until I discovered the glories of cooking with yeast a couple of years ago. And now I know, it doesn't get much better than homemade cinnamon rolls. Unless of course you're in the mood for Orange Buns. Subtract cinnamon (or leave it...you choose) and add a mound of bright orange zest dripping with fragrant citrus oils. Add a side of salty bacon or meaty breakfast sausage...a few slices of sharp cheese. It's the breakfast of champions.

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Orange Buns

by Heather Schmitt-González adapted from Saveur no. 144

Prep Time: overnight

Cook Time: 25-30 minutes

Keywords: bake breakfast dessert oranges

Ingredients (serves 12)

dough:

1½ c. whole milk, lukewarm
¼ oz. active dry yeast
⅓ c. sugar
1 oz. butter, melted
1 tsp. sea salt
1 egg
~4 c. all-purpose or bread flour (or a mix)

filling & icing:

8 oz. butter, at room temperature
½ c. light brown sugar, packed
⅓ c. orange zest (from ~4 oranges)
½ tsp. sea salt
3 c. confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. orange extract
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbs. freshly squeezed orange juice

Instructions

dough

Combine milk and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Let sit until foamy, ~10 minutes.

Stir in sugar, butter, salt, and egg. Add flour and mix on low speed until dough comes together. Increase speed to medium-high and let knead until smooth and elastic, ~8 minutes. If dough seems too sticky while kneading, add a bit more flour at a time until it is just tacky.

Transfer to an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Let rise until doubled in size, ~1½ hours.

filling & icing

Beat softened butter, brown sugar, and orange zest in a bowl on high speed until smooth, ~2 minutes. Add salt, confectioners' sugar, orange extract and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth, another 2 minutes or so.

Transfer ¼ c. of the filling to a bowl and stir in the orange juice. This is the icing. Transfer it to a small baggie and refrigerate until ready to use.

Cover remaining filling and reserve at room temperature until ready to use.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Using a rolling pin and your hands, roll and press dough into an 18" x 10" rectangle. Spread reserved filling evenly over dough. Lifting one of the long sides, begin tucking and rolling until you have a long "log". Trim the ends and cut into 12 rounds.

Transfer rounds, cut side up, to a greased 9" x 13" baking pan. Cover with plastic wrap. Chill 6 hours or up to overnight.

Preheat oven to 375° F. Uncover rolls and slide into oven. Bake until golden brown, ~25-30 minutes.

Snip a small corner from the baggie of icing and drizzle over rolls while still warm. Enjoy!

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Yeastspotting

Pane co' Santi {Saint's Bread}

2012-01-07T17:09:00.001-05:00

This bread is typically made around All-Saint's Day in November, but really I think it's a lovely loaf year round. I normally associate sweet or enriched breads with this "holiday", but that's not the case with this loaf. The dough itself is a cinch to work with...it's totally the fruit and nuts that make it. Bright bursts of sweetness from the yellow raisins and a triple-nutty punch that comes not just from the pecans and walnuts, but also seems to emanate from the olive oil that they were sautéed in.

Tessa Kiros shares that while many think the name of this bread refers to the day on which you can usually find it popping up, others think it's so named because it is "only fit for a saint". Another explanation...perhaps my favorite...is that the name refers to the ingredients (olive oil, walnuts, sultanas) as being saints themselves. This is equally fitting served with your morning coffee or after a meal with a glass of Vin Santo.

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Pane co' Santi (Saint's Bread)

by Heather Schmitt-González (adapted from Twelve: A Tuscan Cook Book by Tessa Kiros)

Prep Time: 2½-3 hours

Cook Time: 45-50 minutes

Keywords: bake bread nuts raisins Easter Tuscan Italian

Ingredients (2 loaves)

8.75 grams active dry yeast
310 ml (1¼ c.) lukewarm water
27 grams (2 Tbs.) superfine sugar + a pinch
~500 grams (1 lb. 2 oz.) bread flour
4 Tbs. olive oil
60 grams (½ c.) yellow raisins
62 grams (½ c.) pecans, chopped coarsely
62 grams (½ c.) walnuts, chopped coarsely
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 egg yolk
splash of milk

Instructions

Stir yeast into water and a pinch of sugar in a small bowl until it looks a bit foamy, ~10 minutes.

Mix flour and sugar together in a large bowl. Pour in liquid mixture and stir together with a wooden spoon. Once it gets too stiff to mix, turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic, ~10 minutes. Adjust by adding a touch more flour if dough is too sticky...or adding a bit more water if dough is too dry. You're looking for a texture that is slightly tacky, but not sticky at all.

Form dough into a ball and place in an oiled bowl. Cover with a film of plastic or a clean kitchen towel. Let sit until doubled in size, ~1½ hours.

In the meatime, saute the raisins and nuts in a small pan with the olive oil over low heat until they just begin to turn golden in spots. Stir in salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and flatten it slightly. Spread the raisin-nut mixture over the top and knead gently to work in to the dough. Divide in half and form into two flattened rounds or ovals.

Place them on a lined baking sheet, cover with plastic and allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until slightly risen.

Preheat oven to 350° F during last 15 minutes of rise time. Remove plastic and beat the egg yolk with a splash of milk. Brush over the loaves.

Slide into oven and bake for ~45-50 minutes, or until golden. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

note

When kneading in the raisins and nuts, I recommend pushing any raisins that are sticking out back inside the bread before baking. Otherwise, the ones that are sticking out will turn puffy and black...as in little puffs of charcoal. Not too appetizing.

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IHCC theme: Under the Tuscan Sun
Yeastspotting
Bookmarked Recipes at Tinned Tomatoes (founded by Ruth's Kitchen Experiments)

Vanilla-Almond Atole {she made, ella hace}

2012-01-06T17:00:00.058-05:00

For this edition of she made, ella hace, Leslie and I decided to make Atole. Atole is a simple soul-warming porridge that is most often thickened with masa, but can also be made from rice, oats, fermented or ash-cooked corn, pinole (sweetened, toasted cornmeal), or even amaranth. For a richer, thicker version use milk. For a thinner version use water. I usually go with half milk and half water for a great balance. Nuts, fruit & berries, and/or chocolate can also be added (check out my Atole de Chocolate aka Champurrado). Don't forget the vanilla, cinnamon, anise...or even chiles that can be added to the mix.

When I think atole, I usually think piloncillo (or even white sugar for some of the fruit versions). But atole isn't always eaten sweetened, it is also made savory by incorporating chiles, epazote (pungent herb), or fresh corn. I think it's worth mentioning that Native Americans and Aztecs also refer to toasted blue-corn meal that is ground really fine as atole, as well.

Atole is often ladled steaming into jarros to warm you up and coat your shaking bones on cold days either for breakfast, as a snack, or even after dinner as a sort of dessert. You can find street vendors doling it out year round, but it is very commonly made in homes during Dia de los Muertos and the Christmas "season" (las posadas and Dia de Reyes).

In our house, we drink it most often in the wintertime. Mi esposo's favorite versions are fresa (strawberry), guayaba (guava), and vanilla. I love champurrado (chocolate), vanilla...okay, pretty any kind. It's nice to make it with pineapple or juicy berries, as well. I've tasted atoles in other homes that is only slightly thickened, but personally, I like it so thick that you almost have to chew it! Really, it's just automatic reaction when it crosses your lips...your teeth start moving it around before swallowing. Although I'll admit, when I made during a warmer time of the year I thin it out considerably. But in the middle of a snowy day after shoveling or sledding or ice skating or just looking out the window, nothing beats a thick, steaming mug of atole.

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Vanilla-Almond Atole

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5-10 minutes

Keywords: breakfast beverage masa almonds Christmas Day of the Dead Dia de los Muertos Mexican Native American winter

Ingredients (~1 quart / 4-6 servings)

½ c. masa harina
½ c. almond meal
2 c. warm water
½ vanilla bean
2 c. whole milk
2½ oz. piloncillo
pinch sea salt

Instructions

Combine masa harina and almond meal with warm water in a blend and blend until smooth.

Pour into a medium-sized heavy-bottomed pot. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add those to the pot along with the scraped pod. Add remaining ingredients.

Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring often. Let bubble slowly for about 5 minutes or so, whisking almost constantly. Mixture will be thick. If you prefer a thinner atole, Simply whisk in some more milk or water until you achieve your desired consistency. Enjoy warm!

note:

If you don't have a vanilla bean, stir in ½ tsp. of pure vanilla extract after mixture is done cooking.

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*Be sure to head over and check out Leslie's Atole de Nuez, too!*

What happens when two American girls who are both married to Mexican guys find out that although one of them lives in the U.S. and one of them lives in Mexico, they both love eating the same food? Well, naturally they decide to get "together" the only way they can and cook up the same dishes. Or perhaps take the same ingredients and talking about them in their own voice or using them in their own way.

Leslie and I have teamed up to occasionally cook/bake/make a our own versions of the same food. We want to see how similar (or how different) they turn out. Other times we will pick an ingredient and use it however we choose...or maybe just talk about it. Good food knows no borders and we hope to share the food we love with you. It's not a competition, it's a showcase. We will post on the same day as each other and would love to hear your thoughts on what we've made and how you make it.

Join me (here at girlichef) and Leslie in her kitchen (at La Cocina de Leslie) for some delicious food.

I am also sharing this post with:

50 Women Game-Changers (in Food): #29 Betty Fussell - Navajo Fry Bread + Honey Butter

2012-01-05T17:00:00.070-05:00

the "Gourmet" prompt...

29. Betty Fussell- A shelf of her books is a snapshot of every major recent food trend—often before it happened: She’s done local, and seasonal, and in–depth biographies of single ingredients (The Story of Corn), and My Kitchen Wars is one epic food memoir.

We're diving back into our 50 women game-changers this week with number 29, Betty Fussell. Betty is another new-to-me name...which is totally insane, as she's been writing articles and books on "what it is to be an American" for the past 50 years. That's 24 years longer than I've been in this body. She began by looking at movies and theater and then moved into "our" genre. Food. And really, when I began to look at her resume, I suspect that somewhere deep down, I recognized her name.

She earned a BA from Pomona College, and MA from Radcliffe College and a PhD from Rutgers. She taught she taught literature and film at the New School for Social Research and writing at Columbia University. She quit teaching in the 1980's and began writing (hooray for us!). She's lectured everywhere from Universities to Corn Festivals...and she's still going strong! For more information on Fussell, please check out her website (which is where I garnered these tasty tidbits on her).

So, upon learning more about Fussell, I immediately assaulted Amazon and starting snatching up her books for anywhere from a penny to a couple of dollars. Raising Steaks: The Life and Times of American Beef and Crazy for Corn are sitting on my side table, as well as her memoir, My Kitchen Wars. I can't wait until I get some "extra" time to spend with Betty...for she has a magical way with words and storytelling. And how lucky is it that the only actual cookbook of hers that I ordered was I Hear America Cooking: The Cooks, Regions and Recipes of American Regional Cuisine!? Lucky because I ADORE IT! It is divided into sections. Each section explores the history, stories, traditions, food, and the cultures of a particular region of North America- complete with illustrations and photos. From Indians and Conquistadors (The Mexamerican Dessert) to Cajuns and Creoles (The Delta South) to Planters and Slaves (Southeast Dixie) to Seafarers and Settlers (The New England Coast) to Trappers and Milkers (The Great Lakes of the Midwest) to Prospectors and Asiatics (The Ecotopian Northwest)...history of food and it's origins in every introduction and recipe. You may see me cooking from this book quite often!

Honey Butter

slightly adapted from recipe source: I Hear America Cooking by Betty Fussell

yield: 1 c.

8 oz. butter, at room temperature

¼ c. strong dark honey (I used thyme honey)

2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

Whip the butter in a mixer or food processor. Beat in honey and lemon juice. Taste and adjust to the honey/lemon juice balance you prefer. Refrigerate in a covered container when not in use.

Navajo Fry Bread

slightly adapted from recipe source: I Hear America Cooking by Betty Fussell

yield: 1 dozen

2 c. all-purpose flour + more as needed

1 Tbs. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 Tbs. vegetable oil

¾ c. warm water

oil for frying

Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Stir in and oil and water with a wooden spoon. Knead lightly with you hands for a minute or so, until dough is elastic, taking care not to overwork. If dough is still incredibly sticky, add in a bit more at a time until it only feels tacky. Form into a ball and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for one hour.

Divide into 12 roughly equal balls of dough. Flatten with your hands and, on a lightly floured surface, roll them into circles that are 7"-8" in diameter. The thinner they are, the better they will puff in the oil. Pole a hole in the center with your finger. Dust tops lightly with flour.

Heat an inch and a half or so of oil in a deep skillet (to about 375° F). One at a time, slide the rounds of dough into the hot oil to puff and brown, ~1 minute or less per side. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate or tray.

Spread them while still warm with honey butter to serve...or just dust them with powdered sugar or eat them as-is.

OR...make them into puffy tacos! To make taco shells, slide the round of dough into the hot oil and let cook for a few seconds. Carefully flip with tongs and then grab one side and fold into half, holding in the oil until one half of the fold is cooked, then flipping while still holding to finish other half. Remove to paper towel-lined plate to drain and then fill with seasoned beef, venison, or buffalo and your favorite toppings!

Who is cooking along with these 50 Women Game-Changers?

Mary- One Perfect Bite, Val- More Than Burnt Toast, Joanne- Eats Well With Others, Taryn- Have Kitchen Will Feed, Susan- The Spice Garden, Heather- girlichef, Miranda- Mangoes and Chutney, Jeanette- Jeanette's Healthy Living, Kathy- Bakeaway with Me, Sue- The View from Great Island, Barbara- Moveable Feasts, Nancy- Picadillo, Mireya- My Healthy Eating Habits, Veronica- My Catholic Kitchen, Annie- Lovely Things, Claudia- Journey of an Italian Cook

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Frito Pie ...and the makings of a Chilito!

2012-01-03T11:49:00.004-05:00

The term "pie" is used loosely here. If I were to name this dish, I'd probably dub it: Frichos (Frito Nachos). The deep, earthy, bold flavors of the Southwest on a plate. Chipotle chile powder, cayenne pepper, and hot smoked paprika lend particularly spicy notes and undertones to the seasoned ground beef. Scooped up with thick, salty corn chips...with a cloud of cooling sour cream perched atop with the smattering of other tasty toppings...it's about as comfort-food as it gets.

I happened to make this a few days ago when the ground (and subsequently my outdoor table) was still wet. But now, when cautiously squinting out the window at a ten-inch wall of blinding bright snow almost causes you to shiver sympathetically with the barren trees, would be a fabulous time for another warming plateful of Frichos. I mean Frito Pie. And since corn chips disappear as quickly around here as tortilla chips, I had to find a different application for that extra picoso meat leftover in the fridge.

Now, I'm going to dare voice two words that will either cause your belly to grumble or your body to shudder. Taco Bell. Should I say it again? Taco Bell. I'm going to go ahead and admit that I like it. Hey, I grew up with it. During lunch in high school, we used to race over to TB...order...shove it down as quickly as you can (high school lunch-syndrome)...and get back before the bell rang. I don't eat it that often anymore, but about once every six months or so, I get the craving. Inevitably I order a bean burrito w/ sour cream plus one other thing. Everybody I know has a favorite. My sister's was a Chilito (Chili Cheese Burrito)...which I don't think they even make anymore. However, I called her up excitedly yesterday after I magically and unexpectedly made one at home. Using the meat that I had left from the Frichos. Basically, take a large flour tortilla. Put a line of this meat down the center. Top that with shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Microwave until hot. And roll it up into a burrito. Add sour cream, if you're like me (though that's not original to a Chilito). Taste and be amazed. I swear, it tastes JUST like it. Exactly!

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Frito Pie

by Heather Schmitt-González adapted from Saveur no.144

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Keywords: entree beef Southwest

Ingredients (serves 6)

2½ lb. ground beef
3 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
salt, to taste
2 Tbs. ground cumin
2 Tbs. chipotle chile powder
1 Tbs. dried oregano
2 Tbs. freshly ground black pepper
1¼ Tbs. garlic powder
1 Tbs. smoked paprika
1½ tsp. cayenne pepper
2 bay leaves
3 c. whole, peeled tomatoes in juice, pureed
1½ c. water

to serve:

~14 oz. Fritos (or other corn chips)
Cheddar-Jack cheese, shredded
sour cream
pickled jalapenos, sliced
scallions, sliced
cilantro

Instructions

Brown beef in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring to break up clumps, until done, ~10 minutes. Drain fat.

Heat oil in the same pan and add onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to caramelize, ~15 minutes.

Add garlic and a big pinch of salt and cook for another 5 minutes or so, still stirring. Add all of the spices to the pan and cook, stirring, for another minute or so.

Add beef back to pan along with the tomatoes and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until thick and deep red in color, ~45 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Taste and add salt, if needed.

To serve, divide chips into piles on plates. Top with a couple of scoops of the meat. Add as much sour cream and cheese to each plate as you'd like. Scatter with jalapenos, scallions, and cilantro. Enjoy!

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Dulce de Frijol {Bean Candy}

2012-01-01T12:03:00.004-05:00

As I sit next to the window thinking about a new year and a renewed outlook, I see raindrops battling the cold. The cold is wrapping itself around the falling water as it slants through the sky, turning it white. But the minute it hits the cobbled bricks, the white spreads into a shimmering sheet of water. A crow as big as a chihuahua is pecking for sustenance in the moist earth, anticipating a freeze, I imagine. The sky is bright, yet muted with fat grey clouds. Fierce winds whip through the barren trees and the wind chime with the faded yellow glass pendulums that I forgot to take down is clanging urgently. I can feel a static charge in the air, yet it's as if the world around me is stuck in limbo. Change is coming.

I don't make resolutions. I won't keep them. No matter how resolute I am. It's more like striving to be in a better place...or mind set...always looking forward. Embracing the good and holding negativity at bay. Since this is the way I hope to live daily, it's much easier to keep up throughout the year. Of course I do hope to get a bit healthier, see a new place or three, and take more time to write; I just don't want to announce it so solidly that I'll surely shrug it off in a month or two. Since that's what I do.

So, as I ease myself toes first into this new year vast with possibilities, I offer a change...a transformation, if you will...that is at the time baffling and comfortable. The bean, a humble work-horse in the kitchen becomes a rich, seductive sweet worthy of the ooohs-and-aaahs it induces. Most people's eyes grow wide with disbelief when they find out the humble origins of this cinnamon-tinged gooey sweet studded with raisins and rolled in a thin jacket of sugar. It reminds me that subtle twists and shifts in direction can lead to bright, unexpected paths. Happy 2012.

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." -Mahatma Gandhi

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Dulce de Frijol {Bean Candy}

by Heather Schmitt-González (adapted from My Sweet Mexico by Fany Gerson)

Prep Time: overnight

Cook Time: 2 hours 15 minutes

Keywords: dessert legumes cinnamon Christmas Day of the Dead Dia de los Muertos Easter candy Mexican

Ingredients (~40 pieces)

1 c. dried pinto beans , picked & rinsed
2 qts. water
1 stick canela (Mexican cinnamon)
½ tsp. sea salt
2 c. sugar
2 c. freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tsp. finely grated orange zest
¾ c. raisins

for rolling:

½ c. sugar
1 tsp. freshly ground canela

Instructions

Cover the beans with cold water by a couple of inches and soak overnight in the fridge.

Drain beans and place in a medium pot with the 2 quarts of water and the stick of canela. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a gentle simmer. Cook until beans are tender, ~60-75 minutes. Remove canela and stir in salt. Remove from heat and let cool.

Purée in a food processor or blender together with any remaining liquid (which shouldn't be more than 1 cup). If there is no liquid left after cooling, you could add a bit of extra orange juice to help it move smoothly through the food processor or blender, if needed.

Combine sugar with the orange juice and zest in a medium pot over medium-high heat and cook until slightly syrupy, ~10-15 minutes.

Add the puréed beans and continue to cook, stirring almost continuously with a wooden spoon, over medium-low heat, until there is no more liquid and you can see the bottom of the pot when you pull a wooden spoon through the mixture, 35-45 minutes. The mixture should be thick and hold together when you lift it.

Turn off heat and stir in raisins. Transfer to a bowl to let cool. I think it's easiest to work with once the mixture has been refrigerated overnight.

Combine sugar and cinnamon. Using a scant Tablespoon of the mixture, roll into gumball-size balls. Drop into sugar-cinnamon mixture and toss to coat. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

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I am sharing this post with:
MLLA 43: hosted by Claire at Chez Cayenne

Wrapping Up 2011 - Food & Favorites from the Year

2011-12-30T16:51:00.003-05:00

Well. Another year. Flown by! Isn't it funny how it can simultaneously seem like January was yesterday and forever ago? I've never done a recap of a year at girlichef before, and I thought I'd like to start doing it this year. I thought I'd start with the "most popular" posts as determined by statistics, and then move on to share some of my personal favorites from the year. Really, it was so hard to pick. I love almost everything in the moment. But the ones I've picked to share today were definitely some that still linger in the food-bank of my memory today.

So, the top 9. Oh yeah, I said 9. I'm defying all reason and throwing 10 out the door. Here goes.

Starting with the most-viewed...

#1 Bite-Sized "Poptarts" - #2 Hibiscus Popsicles w/ Mango -

#3 Amazing Date Shake - #4 Fried Green Tomatoes & Pulled Pork - #5 My Favorite Tortilla Soup (& results of my Tortilla Soup Quest) - #6 Root Beer Cupcakes - #7 Gnocchi w/ Oxtail Ragu - #8 Pad Krapow - #9 Sopa de Ajo

Now I'll move on to my favorite salads and sandwiches from 2011...

1. Warm Bread, Pancetta, & Poached Egg Salad w/ Parmesan, 2. Fruit & Grains Salad w/ Edible Flowers and Strawberry Vinaigrette,

3. Crispy Pambazo, 4. Reuben

I had a really hard time choosing just a few soups. And as you may know, the Tortilla Soup that I shared up in my "most popular posts" collage is my all-time favorite soup. These however, came very close...

1. Tomato Garlic Soup w/ Cheese Tortellini (& the Garlic Broth that goes with it), 2. Smoky Yellow Eye Bean Soup, 3. Good Neighbor Tortilla Soup, 4. Sopa de Letra (Alphabet Soup)

I realize that I don't really don't post very many whole meals. But these are four dishes that make very happy bellies when served as an Entree...

1. Lazy Girl's Cassoulet, 2. Pastitsio, 3. Layered Crespelle w/ Tomato, Prosciutto, & Cheese, 4. Bacon-Wrapped Cod w/ Rosemary & Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

Mmmm...side dishes. I've been known to eat side dishes as whole meals. Each and every one of these is case-in-point. However, a small side serving is just as pleasing. Both the mac and cheese and the scalloped potatoes happen to be my very favorite versions of each...

1. Poblano Macaroni and Cheese, 2. Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes, 3. Curried Fried Rice, 4. Roasted Vegetable Salad w/ Garlic & Rosemary

Mmmm...breakfast...my favorite meal of the day. While I have a bit of a hard time choosing favorites, because really, breakfast really depends on my mood. But I tried my hardest...

1. Midnight Skillet Breakfast, 2. Oatmeal w/ Bananas, Poppy Seeds, Cinnamon, & Toasted Almonds, 3. Sweet Potato Muffins w/ Bacon-Pecan Streusel, 4. Banana Pancakes w/ Butter Rum Banana Maple Syrup

While I could compose an ode to the glory that is freshly baked bread (haiku's about croissants are also commonplace around here), I'll share six irresistible versions with you right now. Irresistible I say!

1. Garlic Bread (hands down THE best ever), 2. Conchas, 3. Croissants, 4. Oatmeal Brown Ale Rolls, 5. 100% Sourdough Bagels, 6. Sopapillas

Whether it's happy hour or the bewitching hour, it's always the perfect time for any of these drinks! If I had to choose one cocktail to drink for the rest of my life, it would be numero uno...

1. Cherry Basil Collins, 2. Ponche Navideño, 3. Champurrado, 4. Spiced Daiquiri

I'm a sucker for many, many sweet endings but here were a few of my favorite desserts from this year...

1. Fried Nutella Ravioli, 2. Apple Cider Pie, 3. Paletas de Chocolate (Mexican Chocolate Ice Pops), 4. Lemon Bars

And a few odds and ends that didn't really fit into any category, but still deserved a spot in my favorites from this year were...

1. Queso Fresco, 2. Roasted Strawberry Vanilla Bean Jam, 3. Popcorn w/ Kale Dust (& Kale Chips), 4. Sauteed Feta w/ Piquant Relishes

To go along with these favorite food picks from 2011, I also want to mention a couple of projects that were near and dear to my heart...She Made, Ella Hace and The Homesick Texan Cookbook Spotlight & Cook-Off.

Thanks so much for hanging out with me in 2011!

I'm really looking forward to 2012...more food...more fun...more projects. You can look forward to another Cookbook Spotlight (Joy the Baker), more She Made, Ella Hace and this will also be the new home of BYOB- Bake Your Own Bread. Oh yeah, I'll be hosting MLLA- My Legume Love Affair in March so I hope to see you for that, as well. And I'll finish the second half of 50 Women Game-Changers in Food along with a lovely group of ladies.

Be safe and have a blast on New Year's Eve everbody!

Finnish Mustard & Baked Ham w/ Brown Sugar Bread Crumb Crust

2011-12-28T11:53:00.000-05:00

When I was little, I didn't like mayonnaise. It was mustard all the way. Everyday in my lunch I had a bologna and cheese sandwich with mustard and Doritos (for smooshing in the sandwich). And yes, it was by choice. I requested it. Now, as I got older, I learned to like mayonnaise and for a few years, I even abandoned mustard for the most part. I'm not sure what was happening with me then, but one day I must have decided it was time to get back to the good stuff...cuz it's mustard all the way for me again. The great thing about mustard is that there are so many varieties. And I can find an occasion for all of them. When I went to Michigan State, we had this awesome bagel place called Bagel Fragel. The days when I had class fairly close to Grand River, I'd run across the street between classes and get the same sandwich. Every time. Do you sense a trend...when I find something I like, I hold on to it tight. Anyhoo... It was an everything bagel with smoked turkey and swiss. They'd run it through the toasting oven and then slather on a healthy dose of Honeycup Mustard...which is sharp and hot and sweet underneath...and so flippin' good. I haven't forgotten that sandwich and it's been at least 15 years since the last time I had one.

So. Mustard. I saw Sue make this last week. And then I saw Kim post it the same day that I actually made it. It's like a trend...and a fabulous one...that I couldn't help but grabbing on to! I tried figuring out what made it "Finnish", but to no avail, really. Origins in Finland is my guess, but...? I love the smooth, creaminess imparted from using heavy cream. It's also slightly sweet against the hot twang of the mustard powder. I imagine it would be just as delicious if you used a mild mustard powder. I decided to double the batch so that I could make a ham with it and have extra left over for slathering on the ham when I stuck it in a sandwich, or for eating with salami or sausage, and probably most of all for using with my favorite late-night snack: pretzels dipped in mustard. Oh yeah. That's become a Wednesday night ritual for me. Watching one of my newest guilty pleasures, Revenge whilst dipping crunchy pretzels into mustard. Good stuff, baby. Good stuff.

Finnish Mustard

yield: ~2-2½ c.

⅔ c. Hot Mustard Powder

1 c. Superfine Sugar

2 tsp. Sea Salt

2 c. Heavy Cream

2 Tbs. Olive Oil

¼ c. unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar

juice of a lemon

Whisk together the mustard powder, sugar, and salt in a small bowl to combine and get rid of any lumps.

Place in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan with remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a slow, steady simmer until the color has become darker and the liquid has thickened, stirring often. This should take about 10-15 minutes.

Let it cool a bit, stirring from time to time. Pour into sterilized glass jars (shorter w/ a wider mouth makes it easier when it comes time to use it). Refrigerate.

Baked Ham with Mustard & Brown Sugar Bread Crumbs

serves: 8

6-7 lb. Smoked Ham, bone-in

½ c. Panko Bread crumbs

¼ c. brown sugar, firmly packed

~1⅓ c. Finnish Mustard

handful of whole cloves

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Place ham, "cut" side down in a roasting pan. Slather the outside with the mustard. Combine bread crumbs and brown sugar, smooshing it all together well. Coat the ham with the brown sugar-bread crumb mixture, pushing with your hands to help the mustard hold it on. Push as many cloves in as you would like, forming diamond-like patterns.

Slide into preheated oven and bake for about 1½ hours.

Turn heat up to 400° F. Bake for another 30-45 minutes, or until the outside looks golden and crusty. Let cool before slicing. Serve with more Finnish Mustard. Awesome with some tangy sourdough bread, as well.

both recipes adapted from: Falling Cloudberries by Tessa Kiros

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IHCC theme: Winter Wonderland

Posole de Camarones {Shrimp and Hominy Stew}

2011-12-27T10:08:00.002-05:00

Let me preface this by saying: I'm not complaining. Just stating a truth. Okay. Here goes. Christmas Eve dinner at my grandparents house is very, VERY white bread. Unchanging...predictable. Shrimp from the ring piled into a glass serving bowl with a smaller bowl of cocktail sauce alongside. A never-ending platter of sliced ham for filling the split Hawaiian rolls in the basket that sits next to it. Trays of our favorite Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts...all sugary-hot from the oven. Green fluffy "salad" that I still won't touch. Veggie tray with a ranchy and or dilly dip. Chips and potato salad. (Imitation) Crab dip and crackers. Plus bowls set around with mixed nuts and addictive-ranch shaken-n-coated oyster crackers. And a counter filled with sweets- cookies, bars, candies, M&M's (!?), and various other sweets. You can set your clock by it. Sure, a few different items pop into the mix from year to year...depending on what I bring. Or my mom brings. Or even my brother (if he's currently living somewhere with a decent kitchen) brings. My favorite addition is Warm Spinach-Artichoke Dip with tortilla chips for scooping or the cold-variety Spinach Dip in a hollowed-out round of bread with more bread cubes for dipping. Otherwise...you know your choices.

So really, Christmas day brings an eclectic mix at our own house. I can never decide what to have...as in, there's no set routine. I love Christmas brunch: cinnamon rolls, eggs (in some form), hunks of cheese, oranges or other fruit, leftover ham slices thrown on the comal and browned up. And bottomless mimosas. But I also love to have another meal later on in the day that can be picked on. We rarely do formal on Christmas. This year we had Carnitas con Mole with stacks of steaming tortillas along with our Ponche Navideño. And we had a big pot of Posole de Camarones...the color of which just begs to be made on Christmas. It's beautifully green broth flecked with hints of red from the chiles de arbol that accent the tangy lime sea salt.

I like our yearly changes and unexpected menus. I wonder if it's just because they foil "the expected" of the evening that proceeds it? Perhaps. Not that I want to change that tradition...I just like to shake-it-up. Hope your holidays were...and still are...joyful!

Posole de Camarones

Shrimp and Hominy Stew

adapted from: Dos Caminos' Mexican Street Food

serves: 4-6

Herbed Salsa Verde:

1 c. baby spinach leaves (or arugula)

¼ bunch flat leaf parsley

leaves from 2 sprigs marjoram

zest of 1 orange

1 anchovy fillet

1 fat garlic clove, peeled

½ tsp. ground black pepper

big pinch sea salt

¼ c. extra virgin olive oil

Lime Sea Salt (yield ½ c.):

grated zest of 4 limes

8 chiles de arbol

2 Tbs. coarse sea salt

1 Tbs. ground roasted coriander seed

Posole:

2 Tbs. olive oil, divided

1 c. chopped onion

3 garlic cloves, minced

5 c. fish stock

4 sundried tomatoes in oil, chopped

1 Tbs. finely grated lime zest

1½ lbs. uncooked shrimp, peeled & deveined

3 c. cooked hominy

additional garnish (along with lime sea salt):

cilantro, chopped

white onion, chopped

jalepeños, sliced thinly

dried Mexican oregano

Herbed Salsa Verde:

Place everything in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth, with a few chunks remaining. Set aside.

Lime Sea Salt:

Mash all of the ingredients together in a molcajete or pulse in a spice grinder until combined. Set aside.

Posole:

Heat 1 Tbs. of the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until tender, ~5 minutes. Add garlic and stir for another 30 seconds. Stir in the reserved Herbed Salsa Verde, fish stock, sundried tomatoes, and lime zest. Simmer for ~5 minutes, then remove from heat and set aside.

Heat a heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high. Add remaining oil and shrimp. Cook until shrimp is lightly browned on both sides, ~3 minutes, turning once. Add the reserved stock-salsa mixture and the hominy. Simmer until seafood is just opaque in the center, another 3 minutes or so. Season to taste with salt and pepper (remember that you'll be passing the lime sea salt as a garnish, so I'd err on the side of too little salt).

To serve:

Ladle into large, shallow bowls. Garnish with chopped cilantro, onion, and sliced jalapeños. Crumble some oregano over each bowl between your fingers. Finish with a good sprinkling of the reserved Lime Sea Salt. You could also add some thinly sliced radishes or some crispy tortilla strips.

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Christmas in Connecticut ROUNDUP {food 'n flix} + hosting spots available for 2012!

2011-12-26T11:05:00.001-05:00

I love stopping in the midst of all of the holiday madness to watch a movie. Although it doesn't necessary have to be one that fits the season, often it is. I decided that I would throw another holiday movie into the mix this year...one I hadn't seen before- Christmas in Connecticut. A fun, old-timey flick with foodie tendencies.

Although I only had two other people join me this month...I'm happy to bring you the Food 'n Flix: Christmas in Connecticut Roundup!

1. Deb from Kahakai Kitchen made a jazzed-up version of pancakes (she's a scooper, not a flipper...you'll understand if you watch this flick) that I would love to wake up to any morning...Chocolate Chip Oat Pancakes w/ Raspberry Sauce. YUM!

2. Tina from Life in the Slow Lane at Squirrel Head Manor was inspired by the late night snack of chicken drumsticks and cold chablis. One of my personal favorite food scenes in the film.

3. And I (Heather) from girlichef will round out this meal with a dessert that I thought fit right into the time-period (1940's) that this film was made. I thought Elizabeth would love to pass this Double-Vanilla Walnut Meringue w/ Vanilla-Sugared Cranberries off as her own creation at the end of her Christmas meal.

This was a fun holiday flick which has earned a permanent place in my December's of years to come! Thanks so much for joining me, ladies.
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And now a little preview of the first few months of Food 'n Flix for 2012...

HOSTING SPOTS FOR NEXT YEAR ARE OPEN!

Food 'n Flix will be kicking the year off with Eat Pray Love hosted by The Law Student's Cookbook. In February, we'll be heading over to Kahakai Kitchen to watch My Big Fat Greek Wedding and March is cooking up Last Holiday at La Cocina de Leslie. Hosting spots are open for the remainder of 2012...so if you have a movie that inspires you to get into the kitchen and want to host Food 'n Flix at your place sometime next year, leave me a comment or send me an email and we'll get it scheduled!

2011-12-25T11:37:00.000-05:00

Double-Vanilla Walnut Meringue w/ Vanilla-Sugared Cranberries {...inspired by Christmas in Connecticut}

2011-12-22T09:09:00.000-05:00

Jeff is a man who dreams (literally) about food. When stranded on a raft in the middle of the ocean, deprived of food and water...he conjures up images of lavish spreads that he has seen in Smart Housekeeping magazine. Those articles were written by food writer Elizabeth Lane. Elizabeth ... the wife and mother who lives on a farm (complete with cow) in Connecticut and cooks mouthwatering meals while taking care of the homestead. Or not. This is what her readers and even her boss believe. In reality, she's a single, working girl who writes about meals made by her "uncle" Felix at the restaurant around the corner. She'd rather wear an animal pelt than brush it.

So, you can imagine the crazy hijinks that ensue when Jeff is rescued from the raft and his nurse writes to the magazine with a special request for him to join in a traditional, family Christmas (and meal) with and cooked by Elizabeth Lane and her family. From rocking chairs, to babies, to pancakes and chicken livers, to shot-gun weddings and falling in love...this film is full of crazy twists and turns. Do you think Elizabeth can pull it off?

While I was thisclose to making pancakes ...and I even entertained the idea of chicken livers, goose, or a 5-course meal, I decided that I wanted to go with a dessert that I think Elizabeth would be proud to pass-off as her own.

It's actually something that "feels" like it would have been served in the 40's. Whether or not it really would have, I can't be sure. But the strangest thing happened to me when I took a bite. My grandma's face popped into my head. I don't know if it was the combination of walnuts, meringue, and whipped cream that reminded me of something she makes or has made at Christmases past (if so, I can't think of what it would be)...but something made me want to wrap up the plate and drive up to see my grandma and give her a slice. I've actually decided that I'm going to make another one and bring it to our family get together on Christmas Eve...just so she and grandpa can try it.

It's a taste sensation, really. Bits of strong, oily walnuts are folded inside of melt-in-your-mouth meringue and then topped with a drizzle of chocolate and a fat cloud of cool, whipped cream. To top the whole thing off, tangy cranberries that are coated in a crust of sugar adding a tart compliment to each bite. While it is fairly simple to make, the whole thing comes together with seeming decadence!

Double-Vanilla Walnut Meringue w/ Vanilla-Sugared Cranberries

from the kitchen of girlichef

yield: 8 servings

Vanilla-Sugared Cranberries (yield: 2 c.):

2 c. vanilla sugar

2 c. water

2 c. fresh cranberries

~1 c. vanilla superfine sugar

Meringue:

5 egg whites

3/4 c. vanilla superfine sugar

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 tsp. apple cider vinegar

1 c. finely chopped walnuts

To finish:

8 oz. milk chocolate

1 c. heavy cream

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Cranberries (start night before):

Combine vanilla sugar and water in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring mixture until sugar just dissolves.

Place cranberries in a medium bowl. Pour simple syrup over cranberries and stir. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or up to overnight.

Set a strainer over a bowl to catch the simple syrup (which you can reserve and use for sweetening holiday cocktails). Drain cranberries.

Place superfine sugar in a shallow dish. Add cranberries in batches and roll to coat.

Transfer cranberries to a sheet tray lined with parchment paper. I use the tines of a fork to do this. Let stand at room temperature until completely dry, 1-2 hours. (Can be stored in an airtight container in a cool place for up to a week.)

Meringue:

Preheat oven to 250° F. Cover the removable bottom of a 9½" springform pan with parchment, then clip it into place. Grease sides of the pan.

Beat egg whites in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the vanilla sugar, then add the vanilla extract and apple cider vinegar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.

Carefully fold in the walnuts.

Scoop into prepared pan and smooth out the surface. Place in oven and bake for 1½ - 1¾ hours, or until the meringue is lightly golden and coming away from the sides of the pan. Turn off the oven and prop the door open. Allow the meringue to sit inside until it is completely cool.

To finish:

Open sides of springform pan and take meringue out. Peel off parchment and transfer the meringue to a serving plate.

Place chocolate in the top of a double boiler and melt (or do this in the microwave). Drizzle warm chocolate over the top of the meringue. Let sit to cool and harden.

Whip the heavy cream and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Scoop big clouds of the cream over the top of the meringue, leaving a slight edge so that the chocolate shows.

Scatter about half of the sugared cranberries over the whipped cream. (Save the rest for snackin'.) Serve!

*The meringue portion of this recipe was adapted from the book Apples for Jam: A Colorful Cookbook by Tessa Kiros.

I am hosting Food 'n Flix: Christmas in Connecticut right here at girlichef this month. You have until tomorrow (December 23rd) to send in your inspired posts☺.

I am also sharing this post with:
IHCC theme: Holiday Goodies