Lighter and Local

A Bun in the Oven: Cinnamon-Peach Buns

2012-08-16T11:22:00.000-04:00

Oh wow. It's been over a month again.

I'm back with a painfully obvious, yet cute, yet completely cliched post.

I promise, it's happy.

There are a lot of reasons I haven't been able to keep up with my cooking, baking, writing, my therapy.

I took over a new and challenging position at the paying job, and finding balance hasn't been easy.

I was disenfranchised with food blogging in general and uninspired.

However, there was a larger reason for the lack of noise here over the past five months or so.

I'm happy to tell you all that the husband and are expecting our first child!

Baby Bingham is due December 15th 2012, the best Christmas present for which one could ask.

Now, unlike his/her mother, Little Baby Monkey (as baby is affectionately known, since we are not finding out if it's a boy or girl), hasn't loved food all that much.

I haven't been sick, but my list of food aversions has been quite long. For almost the entirety of this pregnancy, it's been a struggle to eat pretty much anything else other than cake. Fear not, I haven't been living on cake alone.

Therefore, I've been frustrated. This food-loving lady just hasn't been able to cook or bake much. The effort put in, to not enjoy it at the end, well, I couldn't take it.

Thankfully, now in Week 22, food is a ray of sunshine again.

This Saturday morning, I sit with Grateful Dead radio playing, waiting for the dough for these cinnamon-peach buns to rise, thinking about all of the things about eating and food that I cannot wait to teach my little one.

Dear Baby,

I cannot wait to teach you the love and care that goes from farm to table.
I cannot wait to share your first, juicy, June strawberry with you.
I cannot wait until you pick your first tomato out of our backyard garden with your father, who tends to it carefully and lovingly.
I cannot wait to teach you how a July blueberry is heads and tails above a shipped-in blueberry at the grocery store in January.
I cannot wait to take out the box of my grandmother's recipes with your grandmother and cook and bake through the past with you.
I cannot wait to travel with you and introduce you to foods and cuisine all over this amazing food.
I cannot wait to sit at the kitchen table with you and your daddy on a Sunday night, and share a family dinner, and talk about everything under the sun.
I cannot wait to share with you the love, toil, and reward that goes into the growing and preparing of what we eat, I want you to treasure it as much as I do.

The list goes on and on.

The husband and I are so thrilled to become parents and share this world with our child.

I'm nothing if not honest, it's as terrifying as it is thrilling.

However, I'm standing at the edge of the "long, strange trip" parenting is known to be.

I cannot wait to jump.

Cinnamon-Peach Buns
Yield: 12 large rolls
Adapted only slightly from: Cooks Illustrated

Note - this is not a quick weekend morning affair. It takes two hour-plus rises. The time you put into this recipe will be 100% worth it, I promise. After this, no commercial cinnamon bun or roll will ever seem the same. They're that good. The icing DOES use corn syrup, you could probably omit and add a touch more cream, a touch more sugar. I do not mind using it on occasion. You know me, everything in moderation. Do this with peaches (perfect right now) or blueberries, or apples, whatever, it's all wonderful.

Ingredients:

Dough:

1/2 cup milk
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees or so)
1 envelope instant yeast (make sure it's fresh)
1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounces) sugar
1 large egg, plus 2 large egg yolks
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 cups (20 ounces) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting work surfaces

Icing

8 ounces cream cheese, softened, but cool
2 tablespoons corn syrup
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 cup (4 ounces) confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch salt

Filling

3/4 cup light brown sugar
3 tablespoons ground cinnamon (use the best you have)
1/8 teaspoon salt

2 medium-sized peaches, pitted and chopped

Instructions:

Dough: Heat milk and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until combined. Remove from heat, set aside, and allow to cool a moment to 100 degrees.
Using a standing mixer with the paddle attachment and its bowl, combine water, yeast, sugar, egg, and yolks at low speed until mixed. Now add your salt, warm milk mixture, and 2 cups of the flour. Mix at medium speed until blended. This will take about a minute. Now, switch to your dough hook attachment, add the other 2 cups of flour, and knead at medium speed (adding more flour IF necessary) until the dough becomes smooth and clears the sides of the bowl. This takes about 10 minutes. Scrape your dough onto a a floured work surface, shape into a round, and place into a lightly-oiled bowl. Cover said bowl with plastic wrap, and leave in a warm, draft-free spot to rise until it doubles in bulk. This will take 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Icing: While your rise is taking place, tackle the icing. All you have to do is combing all icing ingredients together in the bowl of your stand mixer (or in a large bowl to tackle with a hand mixer) and beat until all the lumps are out and everything is well combined. Transfer to a bowl for storage in the refrigerator until you need it.
Rolling/Filling Dough: After your dough round has doubled in size, transfer it to a lightly-floured work surface. Roll it out to a 16x12-inch rectangle, with the long side facing you.
Mix together all of your filling ingredients in a bowl, and then cover your dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border all the way around.
Starting with the edge closest to you, roll your dough, pinching along the way to make sure you're getting a nice-tight roll. At the end, moisten the edge, and seal it. Dust it with a little flour and plump it into a nice cylinder.
Now, take out some dental floss (you can do this with a knife, but it gets messy), and by wrapping the floss around the center of the roll first, and then "tying" the floss around it, cut the cylinder in half. Cut each piece in half again, and then cut each segment into 3 equal pieces, all using the floss technique.
Place rolls, cut side up, in a lightly greased 13x9 baking dish, cover with plastic wrap, and return it to your warm, draft-free spot to rise again for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Finally, you're ready to bake them after this last rise. I promise it's worth it. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, remove the plastic wrap from the rolls, and place the dish on the middle rack. Bake until golden brown, about 25-to-30 minutes.
Once down, invert them onto a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Once, cooled a bit, turn them upright on a serving dish, slather with icing and serve right away!

Thankfully, I can still see past my apron. Of course, the pugs are very excited too!

Deep Thoughts with Canada Day Cake

2012-07-03T09:31:00.000-04:00

Wow. I really have let this go a while.

I could say all the normal things. I've been busy. My day job, family, dogs, house, etc, etc have all been too demanding.

While all the above are true, it's not the real reason I haven't been writing.

I'm not motivated to do so, plain and simple.

The real reason I started this a couple of years ago was to share. It wasn't to make money. It wasn't to meet new people. It wasn't to make a name for myself or anything else. It was simply to share good food, good info, and good moments.

I let that get away.

All of a sudden there was that pressure to post "X" number of times a week, to join this "group of the month", to get to this conference, to tweet non-stop, to not fall off the face of blogging earth.

In fact, all of those things probably have been keeping me away.

Believe me, I'm not saying any of the above is bad, it's just not working for me.

My passion for local food is still extremely strong. However, I'm cooking less extravagant things these days, keeping it simple, hardly worth a post from me to tell you to cook up those greens with some olive oil, garlic, and salt.

My passion for keeping my local habits is high, tempered with the moderation I always approach it with. Yes, there's frozen pizza in my freezer. Yes, often we cook that frozen pizza, and pair it with a side of local greens. There's a balance here for everyone, keep finding yours.

Don't be dissuaded by blogs, writers, critics, who turn their nose up at anything that's not local, organic, etc, etc, etc. It's not always possible to cook everything from scratch, avoid a drive-through. There will be bloggers who respond and say, "Sure it is". Hats off to them, it's not the life that most people lead or are able to lead. Many of us food types are blessed to live in areas where farm-fresh food is readily available. Others live in parts of the country where Wal-Mart (sadly) is their only choice in a location they can afford to get to.

In other words, do what you can. It's never all-or-nothing. Movements very rarely take hold if they are. Tackle little bits at a time - local berries first, then maybe greens, and work your way up to meats and grains. Slowly, your habits overall will change entirely.

I guess that last tangent was simply because of the "all-or-nothing" approach I see written about out there quite a bit turns me off. It's another reason I stopped writing quite a bit. The judgement level in the food world is high. Give people props for cooking, in general, instead of chiding them for using a mix. If someone wants to post more about cupcakes, who CARES if they're "out of vogue". Hell, cupcakes are tasty, it doesn't mater if they're "in-style".

This all leads me to our Canada Day cookout and the cake I made. I'm not a huge fan of holiday-themed post, and in this case, the holiday has even passed us by. However, this would be great for the 4th of July, or any other time you need a great summery cake. There are versions of this cake ALL OVER the internet that call for store-bought sponge/pound cake, strawberry gelatin mix, and Cool Whip. I thought about taking the easy route for a moment, and couldn't do it. I couldn't use all the artificial ingredients involved. A few years ago, I wouldn't have thought twice. However, baby steps got me to this point, and further. I'm glad I took the "from-scratch" route. It was totally worth it.

Canada Day Cake
Serves: 18
Source: Canadian Living

Honestly, this isn't just for Canada Day, this can be for any summer afternoon. It's not difficult (especially if you have a stand mixer on hand) and it's completely worth the time involved. I think next time I may add some liquor to the sponge cake, I think that might be divine!

Ingredients:

Sponge Cake:

1 1/2 cups cake flour
1/4 teaspoon table salt
5 eggs, separated
1 pinch cream of tartar
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
3/4 teaspoon grated orange rind (or zest, either works)
1/3 cup orange juice

Filling/Decoration:

8 cups strawberries
3 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions:

Sponge Cake:

Take your flour and salt, and sift them together. Return them to the sifter and put it aside.
In a large bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer (highly recommended), beat egg whites until foamy, sprinkle with your cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form.
Bit by bit - add half of your sugar, beating until stiff glossy peaks form.
In another bowl, beat egg yolks and the other half of the sugar until the mixture thickens.
Stir in the orange rind and juice into the yolk mixture.
Take the yolk mixture and gently fold into egg whites.
Sift your flour mix, a third at a time, over the egg mixture, gently folding until well combined.
Transfer the batter to an ungreased 13x9 cake pan (I liked mine with parchment to make it easier) and bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-to-25 minutes or until spongy to a light touch.
Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
If you have the time, wrap and store in fridge for 1 day, or you can use right after it has cooled. It can also be frozen for up to 2 months.

Filling/Decoration:

Hull and then slice all of the strawberries.
In a large bowl, or the bowl of a standing mixer, whip your cream, stir in icing sugar and vanilla.
Use a large serrated knife, cut your cake horizontally making two layers.
Place one layer, cut side up, on a serving tray, and spread about 1/3 of the whipped cream on top.
Spread a single layer of strawberries on top of the whipped cream.
Place the top layer or your cake, cut side down, over the berries.
Spread remaining cream over top and sides.
To decorate, spread strawberries in a thick band on either side, and create a maple leaf in the middle with the rest, or simply cover the top in strawberries in whatever kind of decoration you like!

Nanaimo Bars and "Are Food Bloggers Faking it?"

2012-05-16T12:19:00.000-04:00

There's an interesting discussion underway in the food blogging community today. Are food bloggers "faking it"? Is the surge of hundreds of thousands, actually more likely millions, of food blogs out there "dumbing down" the culinary industry?

You're reading this blog, and probably several others, so I'm going to guess you probably don't agree with either sentiment.

However, a food journalist put forth an opinion piece, "Faking It", on the IACP web site this week, that puts those ideas out there.

The premise is basically this: Major companies in the food industry are paying food bloggers to create recipes with their products, however, there are some food bloggers that do not test the recipes over and over, so therefore, the recipe/creation they put out to the world is an inferior product.

The writer also refers to many food bloggers as "hobbyists" or "stay-at-home-moms" with too much time on their hands.

Umm, do any of you actually know a stay-at-home-parent (because honestly people, there are stay-at-home-dads too, so get over your sexist stereotypes) that actually has "too much time on their hands"?

Also, isn't cooking about experimentation? It's about messing around with a recipe until it's where you want it to be? Does it have to be tested seven which ways to make it "publish-worthy" on the internet?

I don't think so.

Without food bloggers, you wouldn't have that perfect yellow cake recipe that came from someone's grandmother, instead of the dry, complex one that may have come out of the pages and test kitchens of some high-gloss food publications.

Food is NOT reserved for hoity-toity publications, that's where the culinary industry has gone wrong.

There is a place for high cuisine. I truly believe it's an art form and it's beautiful, and it should be left to the people who know how to make it happen with grace and style.

Most of the food bloggers I know or read, aren't aspiring to high-gloss covers, or high-cuisine. They're focusing on bringing good food back to the tables of whatever country they may be in. They're sharing time-tested family recipes, creations that worked in their kitchens, and information that has made cooking accessible again in their households.

Food blogging is not "dumbing down" the culinary industry. Instead, this movement is making cooking "real", "down-to-earth", and bringing people back into the fold of things like from-scratch baking, canning, and preserving.

You all know, I don't write this blog for money. I do get compensated from time to time for certain posts. This isn't my career, it's a love I have for food and sharing it with others. In the end, that's how almost all food blogs begin, with a love for cooking or baking.

Let's all celebrate that cooking and baking is making a comeback among the masses again, instead of tearing down the people that are working so hard to get it there.

Discuss amongst yourselves, while I offer up some nanaimo bars while you chat. Yes, they've been all over the internet already. No, they're not my own creation, but a mish-mash of other people's creations.

Honestly, I never even knew what they were until I first visited the man who would become my husband in Vancouver. His family had made them for years, and it was love at first bite. I now make them whenever possible. Enjoy.

Nanaimo Bars
Sources: City of Nanaimo and the Laura Secord Canadian Cookbook

Note - traditionally you add a 1/2 cup of chopped almonds or nuts to the bottom layer, I do not, feel free to add, however.

Ingredients:

Bottom Layer:

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup sugar
5 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (about one sleeve of full graham crackers)
1 cup shredded coconut

Second Layer:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons milk or cream (whatever you have is fine)
2 tablespoons vanilla custard or pudding powder (custard is traditional, but can be hard to find)
2 cups icing sugar

Third layer:

4 (1-oz) squares semi sweet chocolate
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Instructions:

Take an 8x8 square baking pan, line with parchment (or wax) paper, leaving plenty of overhang so you can lift the bars out of the pan later.

Bottom Layer:
Melt 1/2 cup butter, sugar, and cocoa in a double boiler.
Add egg and stir until mixture thickens (also making sure the egg doesn't cook either), then add vanilla extract.
Remove from heat and fold in crumbs, coconut (and nuts if using, see header above).
Press into your lined baking pan and place in fridge to cool while you make the second layer.

Second Layer:
Using a stand mixer or a hand mixer, cream together 1/2 cup of butter, your milk, pudding powder, and icing sugar until light and fluffy.
Spread over the bottom layer of the bars and place back in the fridge.

Third Layer:
Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler until melted together.
Allow to cool a touch, but when it's still liquid, pour over other layers, and then place in the fridge to chill until the top layer is hardened.

Lift parchment out of baking pan, and cut into small squares and enjoy!

Market Day

2012-05-06T18:09:00.000-04:00

The simple things make me happy. I woke up this Sunday morning, groggy, sleepy, ready to throw the covers back over my head and sleep half the day away.

I'm so happy I didn't.

Today was the opening day of the summer portion of the Newburyport Farmers' Market. It's my home market. It's the market that reminds me that when I get lazy, fall off the "local" wagon for a bit, I suffer. My creativity suffers, my heart suffers, my support for the people in the community I live in, it suffers.

That may sound extreme, I'm serious here.

I don't have to tell any of you that life is busy. I help run a busy and large newsroom in a major U.S. city. I'm familiar with crazy busy. It's what is usually going on when I'm silent on this blog. It's my passion, my career, it can also be all-consuming.

Market and farm days are what slow me down, remind me to breathe. I'm lucky, the Newburyport Farmers' Market runs all year round, however it's just every other week in the winter. Frankly, at some point, winter greens and root vegetables make you want to scream. The opening of the summer market this weekend reminds me that tantalizing offerings such as asparagus, corn, and *gasp* tomatoes are on their way. The berries will soon fill the tables, it's truly the best time of of year.

So, I believe it's the right time to begin again. This blog started its rebirth from Sundays, and a simple list of what I picked up in my travels, and what I plan to do with it. It's time to begin that again to give everyone out there ideas of how to work local food into your weekly schedules. Remember that when you plan meals more locally, it's best to shop first, and meal plan afterwards. This way, you can see what looks best, and is affordable and in-season at market, instead of filling your bag with pricey substitutes.

What I picked up Sunday, May 6th:

Potatoes, spinach from Heron Pond Farm (NH) - $7
Olive Bread from When Pigs Fly - $6
Chai (my favorite) from White Heron Tea (NH) $3

I then popped over to Tendercrop Farm in Newbury, Ma for more ($20):

Romaine Lettuce (their own)
Steak tips (their own)
English Muffins (baked on site)
Eggs (their own)

I'm lucky to also have on hand from Shady Oaks Organics an amazing variety of mushrooms from oyster varietals to shitakes.

Meal Plans:
As a disclaimer and reminder, I also will head to the traditional grocery store this week as well for ingredients not listed above.

Sunday: Grilled steak tips with sauteed mushrooms, mashed potatoes, and grilled romaine (with the Olive Bread as a side)
Monday: Spinach Quiche
Tuesday: Spaghetti and homemade fresh tomato sauce (from the freezer stash) with mushrooms tossed in.

That's about as far as I've gotten. Since there's just the two of us, the end of the week usually ends up being a mish-mash of leftovers and quick meals. I'll most likely pick up chicken from Tendercrop Farm mid-week, and some pizza-making supplies for another meal.

Shady Oaks Mushroom Risotto

2012-04-16T10:35:00.000-04:00

Nothing makes this blogger happier than good local people seeing good things happen with their amazing local businesses.

Enter Shady Oaks Organics of Newburyport.

You may have seen their name in several restaurants from Newburyport, to Portsmouth, to Boston. Chefs locally are picking up on their fresh, beautiful products and serving them up for you. Here in Newburyport, both Enzo and Ceia both use Shady Oaks mushrooms in their dishes and proudly display them on their menus. By the way, if you haven't tried either of those restaurants, get up, and go, I'm serious.

However, we're talking mushrooms today. This writer will admit she has never had a love affair with fungi. She also has never tried mushrooms as wonderful as these.

From golden oyster, to grey dove, to shitake - Shady Oaks cultivates several varieties from organic straw in their Newburyport greenhouse. These are perfect specimens, as beautiful to behold as they are to eat. The company was started by a pair of locals, Nate Seyler and Devin Stehlin, who realized the market for such a product in New England was lacking, and they could fill the void. They run the business along with Leif Johnson, traveling to farmers' markets throughout the region, and making deliveries to various local restaurants, and stores. You can find them at the Newburyport Farmers' Market, if you're in the area.

The trio just received kudos and first place at the 2012 North of Boston Business Plan Competition at the Enterprise Center at Salem State University. They're looking to expand, and bring more of local-loving folks like myself more amazing mushroom selection.

To be fair, I have to admit that Seyler is friend of myself and the husband, but the dedication that he, and his other partners bring to the local food table is nothing short of extraordinary. They have a commitment to this city and this region that gets them a gold star in my book.

The husband and I picked up several varieties of their mushrooms at the Newburyport Farmers Market last weekend. The husband would just eat them straight, I like them with a little finesse. I've never made a mushroom risotto, so I went researching for a simple, straight forward recipe that would allow the mushrooms to shine. There are many out there, and too many have ingredients such as pancetta or bacon that I felt would compete with these superior fungi. Simply Recipes came to my rescue with the simple, yet wonderfully flavorful version you will find below.

You need to know more about Shady Oaks Organics, by the way. Their story and process is fascinating. Start with this recent article in the Newburyport Daily News, try their website, and don't forget to give them a "like" over on Facebook.

Support local people doing great things, your community is stronger for it.

Shady Oaks Mushroom Risotto
Adapted from: Simply Recipes
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, cut into half-inch pieces (I used golden oyster and grey dove varieties, you want flavorful kinds, not your standard supermarket fare)
2/3 cup vermouth
5-6 cups of chicken stock (low-sodium is best)
1/3 cup of peeled, minced, shallots
1 3/4 cup arborio rice
3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Instructions:

In a medium saucepan, bring your stock JUST to a simmer. You don't want it boil.
Take a dutch oven, and melt the 3 tablespoons butter over medium high heat.
Add your mushrooms and shallots and cook for about 5 minutes,
Now, add in your rice, allow to toast for a minute or two or until the rice becomes translucent.
At this point, dump in your vermouth, bring the mixture to a boil and reduce the liquid by half. This should take about 3-4 minutes.
Now you're ready to get that risotto nice and creamy - reduce the heat to medium, then add the stock to the rice mixture a half cup at a time. All along the way, you're going to continuously stir the rice, that's what makes it creamy. You want to wait until the stock is nearly completely absorbed before adding your next batch. Continue doing this until the rice is cooked, but slightly al dente. All together this takes about 25-30 minutes.
Once you've achieved the desired consistency, stir in your parmesan cheese, the last tablespoon of butter, and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve garnished with the chives.

Whole Wheat Jam Muffins

2012-03-25T15:44:00.000-04:00

It's Sunday. Sunday is a day for strolls, and muffins.

I admit that after last weekends 5-mile jaunt, I was ready for it again. However, Mother Nature was not quite ready for me. After a week of 70+ degree temperatures in New England, March became March. It's cold, rainy, and barely hitting 50 degrees today. Therefore my "Sunday Stroll" this week included a walk to and from my mom's car, to Ten Center Street, in Newburyport, Ma., and what you see below.

I love a Bloody Mary on a Sunday.

On cold, early spring days like this one, you need a hug. A warm, hearty, toast-your-belly, type of fare that delivers on the comfort you're craving. These muffins are just that. They're substantial with the sweet surprise of jam in the middle.

This particular Sunday, they're filled with Strawberry Jam. I made it early last summer. It was my first real foray into canning. I'm telling you, on a raw March day, the taste of a June strawberry is absolutely divine. It tides me over until I'm back out strawberry picking again.

Whole Wheat Jam Muffins
Makes: 12 muffins

You can fill them with whatever kind of jam you have on hand. The whole wheat gives them a nutty flavor, which by all means, if it's not your thing, feel free to use regular old all-purpose.

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat flour (I weigh, it's 8.5 ounces)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup canola oil (I've also used olive oil in a pinch)
1/8 cup honey
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup milk
4 oz. jar of strawberry jam
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In one bowl combine whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. Whisk to combine.
In another bowl, lightly beat the two eggs, and add canola oil, honey, buttermilk and milk and whisk to combine.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until the mixture resembles a thicker batter.
Grease a muffin pan (normal sized) and fill each tin up a little less than halfway.
Grab your jam and put a dollop of it on the batter in each tin.
Divide the rest of the batter between the 12 tins, covering the jam.
Pop into your preheated oven for 10 minutes.
While they're in the oven, combine sugar and brown sugar in a little bowl and whisk to combine. After 10 minutes of baking, sprinkle the muffins with the sugar mixture.
Bake for another 5 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each comes out clean.
Take out of the oven, allow to cool in the pan on wire rack for 5-10 minutes.
After that time, pop out of the pan and serve warm with butter and extra jam.

Potato Leek Quiche

2012-03-21T11:26:00.000-04:00

They're the signs that Spring is here. Beautiful greens, the arugula, the leeks, the spinach, popping up at markets all over. They join the pinks and reds of those lovely spring radishes, which are perfect when cooked up in a copious amount of butter or to even add a peppery crunch to your salad.

Just when you thought you couldn't eat, or even look at another root vegetable, or open a mason jar full of last year's bounty, they appear.

The greens of spring let you know there's hope on the way.

I shouldn't complain. Our winter here in New England was mild in comparison to years past. This week, we've seen 70 degrees several time, in mid-March. I do get fairly excited, however, when I start seeing the early spring offerings pop up at the Newburyport Farmers' Market.

I picked up early spring leeks from Arrowhead Farm (Newburyport, MA) and several varieties of potatoes from Heron Pond Farm (South Hampton, NH). I love Heron Pond's potatoes. They come in a rainbow of colors, from blue, to gold, to red. They go well in quiche.

Simple. That's the point of quiche, right? Look in your refrigerator and if you have eggs, some vegetables, and some dairy, you're good to go. This is an easy, weeknight quiche. It doesn't call for egg separation, no heavy cream, or anything you might not have on hand. It deals with milk, eggs, and cheese. If you're feeling really healthy, ditch the crust. I won't lie, I had some store-bought pie crust in the fridge, and for a quick meal, I never hesitate to grab them. They make dinner, simple.

Potato Leek Quiche
Serves: 8

I've called for 1/2 a bunch of leeks. I used early spring ones, and I found using the entire bunch was too much, it will depends on the size of your bunch. Add them slowly to your egg mixture so that you can find the right amount for you.

Ingredients:

3 small potatoes (any variety will do), scrubbed clean (peel if you'd like, I didn't.)
1 9-inch pie crust (homemade, store-bought, whatever)
1 cup low fat milk
3 eggs
3/4 cup shredded Gruyere cheese (or cheddar, or Swiss, brie would be nice too)
1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika
3/4 teaspoon salt
dash of ground black pepper
1/2 bunch leeks, sliced into 1-inch pieces.

Instructions:

Place your potatoes into a pot of some variety and cover with cool water until there's about an inch covering them. Place on stovetop, bring to a boil, and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender (about 15-20 minutes).
Once their fork-tender, drain, and allow to cool enough so you can handle them, slice, and set aside.
Now, preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
Grease up a 9-inch pie pan. Roll out your pie dough to about 10-inches and place in your pie dish, folding the excess over, and crimping to your liking. (I'm awful at this.) Prick the side and bottom with a fork.
Now, place a sheet of parchment paper over your dough, and place several pie weights (or as I do, dried beans), over the parchment in the dish. This will allow your crust to keep its shape in the oven.
Bake the crust for 10-12 minutes or until golden. Take out of the oven and allow to cool on a baking rack, set aside.
While your crust is baking, make the filling: combine milk, egg, cheese, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl and beat lightly to combine.
Finally, add in your leeks, the amount should be to your liking.
Now, take your pie crust (make sure weights or beans or all out), place your potato slices on the bottom, just enough to cover, and then pour the egg-leek mixture over the potatoes.
Bake 35-45 minutes. The top will become golden, and 35 minutes will give you a more custardy filling. I baked to about 45, because the husband likes a firmer quiche. It's up to you.
Slice, and serve alongside a small salad of greens.

Sunday Stroll: The Winter Market

2012-03-18T13:32:00.000-04:00

Oh, give us pleasure in the orchid white,
Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;
And make us happy in the happy bees,
The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.

-"A Prayer in Spring", Robert Frost

Far too often, we move far too fast.

Our lives are a blur of appointments, events, deadlines, to-do's; a constant trail of the things we have to do, versus the things we want to do.

Introducing, "The Sunday Stroll".

I run during the week for exercise, I walk as well, but only to get my heart rate up and my mind clear. Those sessions have goals of endurance, time, the focus on the movement, not on the scenery.

So, upon being gifted by mid-March burst of beautiful spring temperatures, I elected that instead of driving about to the market, to the store, I'd simply walk it. I'd walk slowly and deliberately. I'd breathe in the sun-warmed air, and look at the flowers along the way. I'd notice homes I've never noticed before.

I'd take my time.

About a half-hour or so into what turned out to be two-plus hours meandering, I realized, I'd like to do something like this every Sunday, and share it; a reminder that slowing down, while not always possible, is always necessary.

The crocuses above was one the first things that caught my eye. I live in a city called, Newburyport. It's a small, seaside city right near the border of Massachusetts and New Hampshire. It was settled in 1635, given its official name in 1764. It's the birthplace of the U.S. Coast Guard, and it filled with the kind of New England stately homes that people travel far and wide to see. Those blossoms above grace the park near my home. Atkinson Common had it's start in the late 1800's, and it's a quiet, beautiful spot for all to enjoy.

I continued my wandering down Newburyport's historic "High Street". Here is where the sea captain's mansions reside. Beautiful homes ranging from the early 1500's (yes, before official settlement) to now. Along the way, a historical marker pointing the way to the site of the first ferry landing that took people from one side of the Merrimack River to the other.

My destination, the Newburyport Winter Farmers' Market, just under 2.5 miles away from my home, on the other side of the city. Green was the theme this week, as the warmer weather has given way to a host of spring greens, from chives, to green onions, to the leeks that I brought home from Arrowhead Farm, in Newburyport. I picked up some potatoes, from red, to blue, to gold, from Heron Pond Farm, in South Hampton, Ma. The world's best guacamole comes from Patty's Guacamole, out of Gloucester, Ma. I always pick up a container. No trip to market would be complete without a chai from White Heron Tea and an amazing breakfast wrap made with all local ingredients. They're out of Rollingsford, NH. I *love* seeing the market packed on a Sunday morning.

Armed with my wrap, my chai, and my much saner mind at this point, I head to the waterfront of Newburyport. A boardwalk stretches along the blue water of the Merrimack River, reaching out into the Atlantic Ocean, less than a mile from this point. I enjoy my breakfast, the quiet, and the sun, before my stroll back home.

Two glorious hours, five miles later, I reach home. Relaxed, content, a little more aware of where I live, ready to start the last gasps of the weekend.

Happy Sunday to you and yours....

Amaretto Cheesecake for #Baketogether

2012-02-29T14:59:00.001-05:00

I've often been accused of being an "old soul". I shouldn't even say "accused", I suppose, because I embrace the title.

I enjoy things from simpler times. From music, to art, to lifestyle, I enjoy simply and "tried and true". I'm a traditionalist, too often steeped in a sense of nostalgia.

Of course, this trait comes out quite often in cooking or baking.

I'm drawn to old recipes. Simple ones. Thus, there is nothing more treasured in my recipe library than the recipes handed down from my Nana Virzi. She passed away a year or so after my wedding, but she lives on in these recipes.

There's a back story here, and a box of hundreds of recipes, but that story, it's not for today. Today, I would like to talk of cheesecake.

A couple of years back, I asked my Aunt Claudette to send me what she had of my grandmother's recipes. In the mail, I received photocopies. Recipes, written in my Nana's handwriting, and the letter that originally accompanied my aunt's request for the knowledge.

They're beautiful. I treasure them. Among the ones sent, was a recipe for Amaretto Cheesecake.

Thus, when I saw that this month's Bake Together (brought to us by the lovely Abby Dodge) was cheesecake, I knew I had to finally make this recipe. It's simple, unfussy, and I can envision my Nana serving it at a dinner party. It's a little taste of a time gone by.

Amaretto Cheesecake
Serves: 8-12
Inspired by: Abby Dodge's Vanilla Cheesecake and my Nana

Ricotta is added in this cheesecake, making it closer to ricotta pie than tradition cheesecake. It's wonderful, and don't forget to add a little more Amaretto if you like. I did.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups coarse graham cracker crumbs
1/2 stick of butter, melted
1 15oz. container of ricotta cheese
1 8oz. pkg of cream cheese, softended
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup Amaretto
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspon salt.

Instructions:

Grease a 9-inch springform pan and set aside.
Combine crumbs and butter, press into the bottom and sides of the springform pan.
Chill crust for at least an hour.
While crust is chilling, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Now, beat together ricotta and cream cheese until smooth.
Add in remaining ingredients, beat until smooth again.
Pour into the crust/pan.
Bake 60 minutes or until full in middle.
Cool 20-30 minutes in pan, then remove to cool on a wire rack.
Cool completely (I like putting it the fridge) before serving.

Overnight Caramel French Toast

2012-02-23T11:57:00.001-05:00

Moderation with caramel, and sugar, and thick-sliced bread.

Sounds like a joke, right? I'm not kidding.

This is Caramel Overnight French Toast, and no, it's not my own recipe, I confess, but I want to share it with you because I constantly get asked for it. Truly, that's how this entire blog thing started. People would ask for a recipe and I'd post it here, so it was easier. I had no theme, no commitment to it, it was just a way to share my love for food with others.

I think that gets forgotten in the food blog way too often.

In the middle of deadlines, sponsorships, conferences, giveaways, and popularity, we forget that food blogs simply popped up to share a love of food. I think we'd all be better writers, developers, and people, if we remembered that the passion for food and sharing it, should be our first priority. Then again, I can say this because I have a day job that pays the bills.

Back to moderation, however. You know that's my "theme". The "lighter" part of the title of this blog has more to do with the "lighter" side of eating local. "Lighter", as in, a not so serious side of trying to live a more local and regional lifestyle. Yes, it wasn't thought out. Yes, I probably should change the name of this blog since most think it's about healthy eating. Most of my recipes are fairly healthy, but I'm a firm believer in moderation of all things, including those full of fat and sugar.

Including Caramel French Toast.

This is a Cooking Light recipe I stumbled upon a few years back. Ever since, it's become a choice for me to bring to holiday brunches, sleepovers, and when there's a special Sunday morning. It only comes out once or twice a year. The main reason is that it's super sweet. In moderation, that's perfect. The other reason, it does use corn syrup.

Before you skewer me for that, I'm here to tell you it's OK. I live and cook with mostly local products, and whole foods. I'm a true believer that if you can't pronounce it, you shouldn't eat it... regularly.

However, in moderation, it's OK. I use corn syrup, maybe, three times a year in a recipe. It has properties that lend itself to easy caramelization. If you really hate it, you can sub maple syrup here, but you won't get caramel.

Here's my deal and my confession. Every once in a while I'll eat something crazy processed. And yes, even though I know it's probably one molecule off from plastic, I'll have a fast food shake every once in a while, because I can. Frankly, where we veered off the path with processed foods is when they stopped becoming "treats". That once in a while thing you got when you were good at the dentist or something. However, when a trip through the drive-through became a several-times-a-week thing, we took a wrong turn.

You can live a life enjoying mostly whole and local foods, the best of what life and nutrition has to offer, but you can also allow yourself certain things, use "forbidden" ingredients, every once in while. It won't kill you. It won't upset your balance, as long as it doesn't become habit.

Heck, if you don't like these things, then don't eat them. Don't feel like you can't pick up something that's on the "bad" list, however. There's no good or bad, if you place limits and practice moderation. In other worse, don't beat yourself up. Life is too short to not enjoy guilty pleasures, that truly, aren't really guilty in the first place.

Until then, enjoy french toast, soaked in caramel.

Overnight Carmel French Toast
Source: Cooking Light
Serves: 8

Ingredients:

1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 cup light-colored corn syrup
1/4 cup butter
Cooking Spray
10 slices french (soft) bread (I like to use Texas Toast here)
2 1/2 cups low-fat milk
1 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions:

Combine light-brown sugar, corn syrup, and butter in a saucepan. Cook these over medium heat until mixture bubbles. Stir is constantly.
Coast a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray, pour caramel mixture into bottom of dish.
Put you bread slices in a single layer over the caramel mixture.
Combine milk, flour, vanilla, salt, and eggs in a large bowl, whisk to combine.
Pour milk mixture over bread, evenly.
Cover and refrigerate the dish, overnight, or for at least 6 hours.
In the morning, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Mix together your sugar and ground cinnamon, and sprinkle over bread.
Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until golden. Let stand for 5 minutes and serve.

Turnip Mochi Pancakes with Starfruit & Millet Risotto with Adzuki Beans

2012-02-19T16:50:00.002-05:00

Sometimes it's a good idea to go beyond your comfort circle. Outside of my comfort circle is pretty much any type of Asian cuisine. I love it when someone else makes it, but when I attempt, it's usually a disaster.

So when the fine people over at Marx Foods asked me to take part in their "East Meets Delicious" challenge, I was a little concerns, but I forged forward. I'm happy i did.

For the challenge, lucky bloggers were given a box of treats to work with. I received some amazing things Dried Maitake Mushrooms, Mochi Rice, Dried Star Fruit, Organic Millet, Adzuki Beans, and Hijiki. The mission? Use four of the ingredients provided to create an original appetizer and main course recipe.

Of course, I wanted to put a local spin on this challenge, using in-season ingredients. I picked up turnips and asian greens from Heron Pond Farm in South Hampton, NH from the Newburyport Farmers' Market, and I went to town.

I have to say, it was a challenge. Mochi is tough to work with when you make it into a paste. It's insanely sticky, hard to clean-up, but extremely tasty as well. I made into a seasonal appetizer, that ended up being quite difficult to stop eating. The millet risotto is a great whole grain alternative to regular risotto, and as i found, it's quite awesome to make into cakes and fry up the following day.

Turnip Mochi Pancakes with Spicy Starfruit Topping
Makes: 12-15 pancakes

Ingredients:

2 cups mochi rice
2 cups water
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 large turnips (or 3 medium, or 1 bunch small hakurei turnips)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chicken stock (or water)
2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

Rinse and drain mochi rice three times, letting it drain for at least 30 minutes the last time.
Put cleaned rice and water into a rice cooker and cook until done.
Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook and knead 30-40 minutes on medium speed until smooth. Place a towel over the bowl to keep the rice warm while it kneads.
While the dough is kneading, prepare the turnips.
Cut off the top and tail of the turnips, slice into 1/4 inch slices.
Melt butter in a non-stick 12-inch skillet (choose one with a lid) and layer turnip slices in pan. Sprinkle the turnips with thyme, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper.
Cook in butter over medium heat for 3 minutes.
Cover turnips with the heavy cream and chicken stock, put lid on and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, the turnips will be softened, transfer them to a food processor and process until slightly smooth with chunks of turnip.
Dust a clean work surface with LOTS of corn starch. Dust your hands as well. Transfer dough to work surface.
Form dough into little balls, once done, flatted each a touch and place just a touch less than a teaspoon of turnip mixture to each ball, re-roll ball so filling is covered.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet.
Once warm, work in batches, and pan-fry each ball (it will spread into a pancake), it will release on each side once done.
Transfer to a plate and serve with Spicy Starfruit Sauce (recipe below)

Spicy Starfruit Topping

Ingredients:

8-10 dried starfruit
rum
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons sriracha sauce

Directions:

Soak starfruit in rum over night.
Drain, and chop starfruit into little pieces.
Combine starfruit, sugar, and water in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until the fruit begins to break down and it reaches the consistency you desire.
Add sriracha and stir, cooking for 2-3 minutes until it's worked in.
Serve with mochi pancakes.

Millet Risotto with Adzuki Beans and Greens
Serves: 6

Ingredients:

2 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)
2 cups water
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 a red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon soy sauce, low-sodium
1 cup millet
salt
pepper
1/2 cup grated parmesan (or guyeyre, something with a nutty flavor)
1 cup adzuki beans (cooked)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 bunch asian greens
1 teaspoon soy sauce

Directions:

In a small saucepan, heat water and broth together until warm (not hot).
Heat olive oil in a dutch oven, once heated, add your chopped onion and cook until tender.
Add garlic and cook until fragrant (30 seconds or so)
Stir in your soy sauce and cook for another minute.
Now, add your millet, allowing the seeds to toast up 2-3 minutes.
Now, add the broth/water mixture a 1/2 cup at a time until the mixture thickens and the millet is tender.
At this point, stir in your cheese and the beans and keep warm.
Next, heat other teaspoon of olive oil, once warm, add greens and soy sauce to the pan and cook until just warm.
Top the risotto with the greens and serve.

Cheddar Peasant Boule

2012-01-31T10:49:00.001-05:00

I heard it again this weekend. It was at a gathering of amazing, creative, talented, and fearless women. In this case, however, there was a touch of fear. You could see it in their eyes, the way their voices cracked with a sudden lack of confidence.

The topic was baking with yeast.

You'll hear it all of the time in cooking circles, "Oh, you know, I just can't make anything with yeast in it, it never turns out". I know, I used to be one of those cooks.

Now, I can't get enough. Are my baked goods perfect? Not at all. Do they taste fantastic? Why yes, they do. Oh, and apparently Gordie the Pug loves it as well.

Truth be told, my first loaf of bread came only last year during #Charcutepalooza. I wanted a pumpernickel or rye to go alongside my Cider-Braised Corned Beef. So, I took a deep breath, read the instructions, and low and behold, later that day, I had amazing bread. I was emboldened by such a move, so then I tackled Italian Bread. That recipe has become my go-to for a nice side to any pasta dish, the key is the olive oil, I swear it.

Now, I'll be honest here. Do I make my own bread every week? No. Should I? Yes. This could be that bread. It's simple, with little work or clean-up involved. This could be that perfect bread. It's easily adaptable to whatever you want. It's brought to us by the talented Abby Dodge and a little group we call #baketogether (yes, people, the hashtag is connected to Twitter, and yes, you should try it out, my feed is full of amazing food and people).

"Bake Together" is a group of bloggers, cooks, people, that simply love the art of the baked good. Abby puts a recipe out there every month, and we all re-create it and post our creations. Anyone can join, and after Charcutepalooza, I needed some group baking or cooking love. This is perfect, and frankly, even more up my alley than the meat adventures. Confession here, I actually eat little meat, maybe once or twice a week.

You can throw this bread together in a few hours on a weekend, or in a morning. I'm in love with it, so please go and make it. Oh, and I promise you'll fall in love once you start baking bread. The smell of your kitchen will be irresistible, and you'll come back to it all, again and again.

Cheddar Peasant Boule
(printable recipe)
Yield: 8-10 slices
Source: Abby Dodge

I have added the cheddar to the recipe, but feel free to omit, or add whatever you what. That's what's great about this recipe, it's so adaptable!

Ingredients:

3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (15 ounces)
1 packet instant yeast (1/4 ounce)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
1 1/3 cups warm water (125 degrees)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used Cabot's 50% reduced cheddar this time around)

Instructions:

In the bowl of a standing mixer, whisk together flour, yeast, sugar, baking powder and salt.
Connect bowl to mixer fitted with a dough hook, and take your water (making sure it's 120-125 degrees) and slowly add to the dry mixture with your mixer set at medium-low speed.
Once the water is well-incorporated, push speed up to medium, and allow the machine to knead the dough until it is smooth, pulls away from the sides and the bottom. According to Abby, this takes about 6 minutes or so.
Now, take your melted butter and grease up a mixing bowl. Gather the kneaded dough into a ball and place in greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap tightly and place in a draft-free, warm area, and allow to rise about 45 minutes, or until doubled in size.
While the dough is rising, butter a 8-inch cake pan (I realized I had only 9-inch, so I improvised), and set aside.
Once dough has doubled in size, turn out onto a clean work surface. Deflate the dough with your hand, and at this point, shape into a little, fat rectangle, sprinkle cheese across the surface, roll up, and then shape into a 7-inch little rounded loaf.
Place the dough into your prepared cake pan and place in a warm spot to again double. This time it should only take about 25 minutes.
While the dough is rising again, make sure your oven baking rack is in the middle, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Once the dough has doubled (filled up the pan), place the pan into the oven.
Bake for 40 minutes or until the loaf has risen about 2 inches above the pan and when you knock on the middle, it sounds hollow.
Tip the bread out onto a baking rack and place right side up to cool. Slice, enjoy!

And just one more picture of Gordie the Pug, because he's so cute.

Spicy Asian Chicken and Noodle Soup

2012-01-25T10:32:00.002-05:00

OK, I'll fess up. Detox, well, I made it to day 6, before saying, enough is enough. I felt great, lost a few pounds, had energy, but when friends came bearing wine and Chinese food after shoveling on Saturday, I said, "this isn't for me". That being said, I'm being mindful. It was a good reminder that clean eating does wonders, and I needed more balance. However, it doesn't fit into my whole mantra of moderation, at least for very long.

So folks, I'm back. We won't mention that I'm back after I sampled one too many dips at a little AFC Championship party on Sunday (go Pats!), because that doesn't go well with the whole "moderation" theme either.

I will, however, begin with a soup that, while not my own, is an absolute favorite in this house. This is one of those, down and dirty, simple, "I have no time to really cook", soups. It tastes, however, like you slaved over it. It's a husband favorite, which I know for many of you is very important. It's also got a kick, but one you can adjust on your own. Hey, there's a bonus here as well, it's good for you!

Before I share this weeknight staple with you, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the talented Alex Marciello from the Newburyport Daily News here in town. She dropped by my kitchen, and chatted with me about my cooking, the blog, and my love for everything local. If you want to check out her work, do so in this article that came out in today's Daily News. I have to thank her, and the Daily News, for talking with me. You all know I love my little New England town, and there's something really heart-warming and fun about being in the paper where you grew up!

Spicy Asian Chicken and Noodle Soup
Source: adapted from Cooking Light
Serves: 4

I love this because it takes no time to put together, and I can adjust the vegetables involved with whatever is seasonal. In this case, all vegetables, minus the snow peas, were from local sources. They were either picked up at market, or they had a home in my freezer.

Ingredients:

3 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken breast
1/2 cup grated carrot (about 1 medium)
1/2 cup thinly sliced snow peas
2 teaspoons Sriracha (I add more, and have extra for serving)
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons thai red curry paste (I have also omitted once or twice)
1 (2-inch) piece peeled fresh ginger
3 ounces cooked wide rice sticks (prepare according to directions)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (I have omitted before as well)
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

Preparation:

Take chicken broth, water, chicken breast, carrot, snow peas, Sriracha, soy sauce, red curry paste, and fresh ginger, place in a large saucepan, or dutch oven and bring to a simmer.
Prepare your rice noodles according to package directions.
Remove ginger piece from simmering soup, and add your rice noodles, lime juice, and green onions to the soup.
Serve warm with extra Sriracha for a bit of an extra kick if you'd like.

The Mind-Body Challenge 2012

2012-01-17T11:09:00.000-05:00

Avocado with Bell Peppers and Tomatoes

Back to my roots, or at least back to the challenge that really started me blogging much more seriously.

In May of last year, feeling sluggish, I decided to look for some kind of cleanse. You all know me if you read this blog with any regularity, I'm not really into extremes. I wasn't looking for something all liquid, or meals that consisted of cayenne pepper and water. I wanted substance, I wanted to be healthy.

I ended up stumbling upon Whole Living's 28-Day Mind and Body Challenge. It's a cleanse they rework every year in January that focuses on clean, healthy eating. I want to say in advance, that these posts are in no way affiliated with the magazine, I just like to give credit where credit is due.

The detox omits alcohol (uh-oh), caffeine (how will I survive?), dairy (not too bad), processed foods (try to avoid those anyway), added sugars (oh I just might miss you), and gluten (this one is always the most difficult for me).

Last year, I ended up energized and held on to changes I made in the couple of weeks I stuck to it, long term. I'm hoping to hang onto them longer this year.

Roasted Peppers, Cauliflower, and Almonds

So how did this propel me into blogging? Well, I noticed when I started blogging about this challenge, that more people started reading and commenting. It also really pushed me in the direction of trying to eat local as often as possible. It was just simply better for me.

As you know, my commitment to local is always tempered with moderation. In looking at this cleanse, there are a lot of recipes that I can't keep entirely local, but I'm trying to at least keep one local ingredient in the mix. A lot of this stuff is out of season as well, but again, moderation tends to be key.

I'm going extreme for a few weeks, while again, against my moderate mantra, I need a shock to the system every once in a while. You want something a little less shocking? I love what Winnie over at Healthy Green Kitchen is doing with her "One Simple Change" Fridays.

I have to add that when I started this yesterday I also did something for my mind. I started my day off slow, chopping, blending. I reveled in the sun of my kitchen, turned on music, and began my day in a more positive frame of mind. I mean, this is for the mind as well, right?

So my produce bins are packed, I have some shred of motivation. Want to see what I'm eating? Here are the links for yesterday, since these recipes are not my own, but they're definitely worth sharing!

Breakfast:
Antioxidant Smoothie
-made with frozen Cider Hill Farm blueberries and raspberries I froze last summer.
-Green Jasmine Tea from White Heron Tea in NH. (Yes, this is cheating, but one cup of green tea a day is helpful and healthy.

Lunch:
Avocado with Bell Pepper and Tomatoes
-Sadly, the only thing local in this one is the garlic from Tendercrop Farm.

Dinner:
Roasted Peppers, Cauliflower, and Almonds
-Again, all purchased from Tendercrop Farm in Newbury, MA, but none is their own produce. They work with quality providers in the winter to provide other options they can't grow here in January, and I'd rather support them with dollars since I believe in their local meat/produce options at other points of the year. Local folks, here's a secret, many times their produce (theirs or otherwise) is cheaper (and MUCH higher quality) than what you can pick up at the local grocery store.

Snacks:
Various things - almonds, fresh fruit, and veggies with natural nut butters.

So wish me luck. I predict some crankiness from the lack of coffee and bread. I also predict a little burst in energy and much more awareness of what I'm eating than I have had in several months. I also predict that by the end I will have not sworn off bread, pasta, or wine for all time. That's just not going to happen.

Banana Bread Muffins

2012-01-02T12:20:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year to all of you!

I hope you capped off an amazing 2011 and are welcoming 2012 with open arms.

I know I am.

I've been silent as things in my life got reorganized with my day job. I've said before, I've been promoted, it takes more of my time, but one of my 2012 resolutions is to re-establish a better work/life balance.

I resolve to be more organized.

I resolve to take better care of myself and my family.

I resolve to get back to writing, baking, cooking, because it truly is my therapy.

I resolve to be more positive and happier.

I resolve to have tea and read a bit (of something) as many nights a week as my tired eyes allow.

This recipe is neither lighter nor local, I promise to get back there. These, however, are homemade, which is again all part of my focus, to make as much from scratch as possible, but also to not go overboard. I like to embrace moderation in all life, and I know that sometimes, convenience trumps all.

It's all part of the resolution to be more balanced overall.

I hope 2012 is already treating you well, and I wish everyone the happiest of New Year's!

Banana Bread Muffins
Yield: 1 dozen

These are perfect for a weekend morning treat. They're easy to throw together and you'll have almost everything on hand to make them in a pinch!

Ingredients:

Muffins:

1 cup granulated sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
3 ripe bananas
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Topping:

1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease/butter your muffin tins and set aside.

In one bowl (or a stand mixer bowl) cream the sugar and butter until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition.

In another large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and whisk to combine further.

In a small bowl, mash the bananas with a fork, add milk and cinnamon and stir.

Finally, add the banana mixture to the sugar/butter mixture and stir to combine. Slowly add flour mixture to the bowl stirring as you go until flour just disappears.

Spoon batter into your muffin tins, and set aside.

Now, for the topping - combine brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives (or in a food processor) until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle topping evenly over batter.

Pop into your oven for 30 minutes and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffin comes out cleanly.

Allow to cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before popping out to serve or cool completely on a wire rack.

Apple Snack Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

2011-11-29T10:09:00.001-05:00

Friends are like frosting.

Life is so much more enjoyable with them.

You could bake this cake, leaving it unfrosted and naked.

It would be lovely with a cup of coffee, but not as lovely as if you had decided to mound luscious layers of sugared clouds on top of it.

Friends in your life are the frosting on the cake. You can get by without it, but you miss it when it's not there.

I've been a busy lady as of late. My "real" job has taken a rewarding and amazing turn. However, usually when something is so rewarding and so amazing, it takes a lot of effort to cultivate. I'm in the middle of that as we speak (read? type?) here.

I had the opportunity this weekend to catch up with an old friend, to hash out tales of yore over bloody marys and brew.

It's amazing how good it is for the soul to sit and simply talk, not be judged, and then listen with the same regard. It's something I don't make time for enough when life is rushing by at 75 miles an hour.

The opportunity will present itself again in a week when I hop a train, heading for New York City, to catch up with more friends. It's difficult to carve time out when you have so little wood to work with. It's important, however, and I'll even say intelligent. It makes you who you are.

So, pray tell, what does this have to do with cake? This place, this blog, has long been a cultivator of friends for me. I've met people with a passion for food, and life. I've drifted away, and they welcome me back with open arms. I miss the discussion, the understanding. I miss the outlet.

And you know what? It's only up to me to make it happen.

The moral of this story? In the middle of decking the halls, stringing the lights, trying to decide what grandmother's house to go to, make time for your friends, it's good for your heat.

They put way more booze in the eggnog than grandma, anyway.

Apple Snack Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Source: Cake recipe from Cooking Light
Yield: 1 9x13 cake

Still have apples where you are? They make their way into many a farms winter storage. This is a perfect way to use local apples a touch past their prime.

Ingredients:

Cake

2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup olive oil
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups chopped and peeled apple
cooking spray

Frosting

8 ounces (1 block) block-style fat-free cream cheese
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 cups powdered sugar.

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and cloves. Whisk until well combined.
Now, add water, butter, olive oil, vanilla, and eggs to the dry mixture and stir until it all just comes together.
Finally, fold in your apple.
Pour your batter into a 9x13 baking pan coated with cooking spray.
Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cake.
Set aside to cool completely on a baking rack.
While the cake is cooling, make your frosting by combining cream cheese, butter, vanilla, cinnamon and salt in the bowl of your standing mixer (or in a large bowl if using a hand mixer).
Beat on medium speed until the ingredients are just combined.
Now, turning the speed to low, slowly start adding your powdered sugar.
Once all the sugar is added and incorporated into the frosting, turn the mixer quickly to high for a minute to whip some air into the frosting.
Frost your cooled cake, slice, and serve!

Sausage and Turnip Gratin Pasta

2011-11-12T15:21:00.001-05:00

I love turnips. Sue me.

I know it's not something most people would say they have an affinity for, but their spicy kick gives me reason to swoon.

Our love affair is rather new. I came across lovely cool weather hakurei turnips in my Winter CSA from Heron Pond Farm in South Hampton, NH, last year. I made a gratin out of them, my husband fell in love, and this torrid relationship has continued ever since. While I'm not taking part in a winter CSA this year, I'm glad I've done it once. I found so many vegetables that I simply would have passed by a year or so ago. You receive amazingly fresh foods, and they can spark your creativity in the process.

We're fans of comfort food in this house, especially once the cold weather seeps in. We're busy people. I help run a major market newsroom and my husband is in school and working at the same time. Even the pugs are busy.... sleeping 16 hours a day. On the weekends, we all like to curl up at night with a good movie, a good hockey game, a good bottle of wine, and a meal that will keep us warm all night long.

This pasta falls into the comfort food category. It's decadent and creamy without being too heavy. So the other night, when I had little else in the house other than turnips, again from Heron Pond Farm, and some hot Italian turkey sausage (yes, I use it in everything, I love it), this pasta was born out of necessity.

Sausage and Turnip Gratin Pasta
Serves: 4
Inspired by: GF-Zing adapted from Gourmet/2007

Ingredients:

2 bunches hakurei turnips, cleaned well, greens removed
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Romano cheese.
1/2 pound hot Italian turkey sausage (or regular Italian sausage)
1 pound dried penne

Instructions:

Cut off the top and tail of the turnips, slice into 1/4 inch slices.
Melt butter in a non-stick 12-inch skillet (choose one with a lid) and layer turnip slices in pan. Sprinkle the turnips with thyme, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper.
Cook in butter over medium heat for 3 minutes.
Cover turnips with the heavy cream and chicken stock, put lid on and cook over medium heat (making sure not to scald the cream) for 20 minutes.
While the turnips are cooking, boil the water for your pasta, cook until al dente, and drain, reserving some of the pasta water.
At the same time you're cooking the pasta, remove turkey sausage from their casings, and brown in a skillet. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate and set aside.
After 20 minutes, the turnips will be softened. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over top of cooked turnips and put lit back on for 3-4 minutes until cheese is melted over the turnips.
At this point, remove the lid, add your sausage and your pasta, and 1/4 of a cup reserved water from the pasta and toss until well-combined.
Serve with plenty of extra parmesan and romano cheese.

Apple Cider Cream Pie

2011-11-06T09:14:00.000-05:00

I'm only human. I'll start off with that. My life has been a roller coaster of ups, downs, and absolute craziness for the past few months. Sadly, the things and people in which I find sanity have fallen by the wayside.

Connection to my craziness? I believe so.

Time in my kitchen is precious. The newsroom can be crazy, home life can be off the tracks, and my body can be tired and sick, but the kitchen is where it all comes together. The issue, I find, is that pulling out of the pure fatigue and exhaustion to get myself in there, isn't the easiest task to tackle. Once I'm in there, measuring, dicing, stirring, tasting, I'm well on my way to getting back to my little corner of calm.

I've just got to get there.

I've neglected myself and sanity for the past 14 or so weeks. It's time to make a change. I've gotten back into the kitchen, although not as often as I'd like. This Sunday night, I'll start yoga again. Those classes are one of the few times I can recharge, shut down, and really concentrate on myself. I'm also making plans to see friends and family. They're the key to feeling more like "me".

I share this because, frankly, I'm pretty sure most people go through periods like this. This blog is part of my sanity, and getting back on track. What better to get back on track with than a pie that screams fall, made with local cider and cream, and that's a tad different from your normal autumn desserts. This pie is rich, but worth every bite you'll take, I promise.

Apple Cider Cream Pie
Yield: 1 pie
Source: Food & Wine

Ingredients:

1 pie crust (homemade, store-bought, however you would like it)

Filling and Topping

2 cups apple cider
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1 cup whipping or heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. You're going to pre-bake your crust. Roll your dough out to the size you want. Lay it in a prepared pie dish and put it in the fridge for about 15 minutes to chill. Now, take it out of the fridge, prick center and sides with a fork (to avoid shrinking of the crust) line it with parchment paper, and fill with pie weights. Bake in the lower-third of your oven for 15 minutes, then take the pie out, line the crust with foil, then bake for another 15 minutes until crust is set, but not browned. Allow to cool on a wire baking rack.
In the meantime, make the filling. In a medium saucepan, boil the cider until it reduces down to 1/2 a cup. This will take you about 10-15 minutes. Once it's reduced, set it aside to cool.
Once the reduced cider is cooled, whisk in 3/4 cup of the sugar, sour cream, and salt. Finally, whisk in your eggs.
Pour your custard mixture into the cooled pie shell (don't remove the foil strips) and bake the pie for 35 to 40 minutes, until the custard is set around the edges, but jiggly in the middle. Let the pie cool completely.
While the pie is cooling, take a bowl (metal is best, especially a stand mixer bowl) and place it and your beaters in the freezer to chill. Once chilled, using an electric mixer, beat the heavy cream with the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and the cinnamon until it's fully whipped.
Top the pie with the whipped cream, and serve.

Fresh Tomato Soup

2011-10-13T17:57:00.000-04:00

Certain dishes are like going home. They're the ones that wrap you up in a big, warm hug after a long day. They're the ones that take you back to cooking alongside your grandmother, or whoever did the cooking in your house. They can be pick-me-ups, cool-me-downs, and maybe even take-me-backs. They're pure comfort masquerading as food.

I've been waiting on this post for several days now. I've been far removed from cooking, writing, and, in general, communing with the food world I so often refer to as my therapy. Two months ago, I started a fantastic and exciting journey. I took the reigns of a morning newscast, learned how to get up every morning at 1:15 a.m., and I learned a lot about myself in the process.

I discovered I had resolve. I uncovered a creativity I had forgotten I had. I learned that old dogs can learn new tricks, and more importantly, they definitely should. Change, for better or worse, in the end, makes us all a little more open to the world. I made new friends, learned from new colleagues, and encountered challenges I had not yet stumbled across. And yes, I learned I could live, and be happy on (a lot) less sleep.

I learned home is where you make it.

So, now I embark on another journey, back to where I started, but with new challenges. You see, I've been charged (promoted) with taking the reigns of my old friend, the night news. Instead of hearing the alarm at 1:15am, instead, that's when I'll be crawling into bed alongside a loving husband, and two snoring pugs once more.

It's a bit like going home, but missing the new and exciting adventure you've been living thus far. I'm excited to again be with old friends, but certainly will miss the new ones. This however, is a new adventure in an old place. I've learned an immense amount to bring back to the table at which I once sat. It also brings me back to food and my writing, something I hadn't quite been able to figure in as of late.

But again, home is where you make it, and no one said it has to be in only one place. If you miss it, make one of those dishes I was talking about, like this tomato soup, and you'll be right back there.

Fresh Tomato Soup
Adapted from: Ina Garten
Serves: 5-6

If you still have the last of your garden tomatoes, or if they're still all over your local market, this is a perfect use of them. I used black, beefsteak, heirloom, and orange tomatoes in this soup. It's forgiving, use whatever you'd like. Pair it with a grilled cheese, and smile from ear to ear. Note: if you don't have a food mill, simply peel and seed all the vegetables below before cooking, and puree in a blender or food processor in batches at the end.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped sweet onions (about 2 onions)
2 carrots, unpeeled, and chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
4 pounds ripe tomatoes, any variety, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
3 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup milk
Parmesan cheese (for serving)

Instructions:

Heat your olive oil in a large pot, I use a dutch oven, over medium-low heat.
Add your onions and carrots to the pot, and cook until tender.
Next, add your garlic and cook for about a minute.
Now, dump in your tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste, basil, chicken stock, salt, and pepper and stir.
Bring the soup to a boil, and then down to a simmer, and simmer, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes until tomatoes are tender.
Finally, add your milk to the soup and process it through a food mill into a bowl, throwing away the pulp left behind.
Reheat the soup in your large pot and serve with plenty of freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Peach and Rhubarb Crisp

2011-10-03T09:37:00.001-04:00

The end of the summer and beginning of fall have brought a lot of changes to my life. I'm still going through a pretty crazy change in my professional life, and it's thrown a lot out of balance in my personal life. One of the biggest issues, as you've guessed, is keeping up with things here at Lighter and Local.

I miss it. I miss the writing, the photography, the cooking, the therapy that this little slice of the web brings me.

So I'm trying for a comeback here. I need this.

This past weekend, my husband and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary. Five years ago, on a rainy cold October day, I married a man I knew I could grow with. I knew marriage wasn't magic ponies, rainbows, and forever after. Marriage is work, but the pay off is what makes it worth it.

Our wedding day, Salem, MA.

Dave and I have been through a lot in our five years. We've lost a lot of loved ones. We've had our ups and downs, but we're both fighters. We know what's worth fighting for.

We're simple. We're happiest with a fantastic home-cooked meal, nothing fancy, just soul-warming. We're happy cuddling up on the couch with the pugs, watching a good movie, and enjoying just hanging out together.

This crisp is modified from the one I always make. It's one of my favorites. It's simple, but it lacks the pretense of anything complicated and fancy. It's a lot like marriage in some cases. It's successful if you have good ingredients, a good base, a fantastic heart, and are willing to modify along the way.

Peach and Rhubarb Crisp
Serves: 4-6
Adapted from: Cooks Illustrated

This is perfect for those end-of-summer and early fall peaches. They're still prevalent in New England even in early October. This is a perfect use for them before they're gone.

Ingredients:

Topping:

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Filling:

4 ripe peaches (I don't peel them, you can if you prefer that)
1 cup sliced rhubarb
zest and juice from 1 lemon
1/2 cup granulated sugar.

Instructions:

Topping:

Put the flour, sugars, spices, and salt in a food processor, fitted with a standard blade, and pulse twice to combine the dry ingredients.
Add your butter to the dry ingredients and pulse until the mixture ends up like coarse cornmeal. Do not over mix.
Put topping into the fridge for at least 15 minutes as you make your filling.
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Filling:

In a large bowl, combine fruit, lemon zest and juice, and sugar.
Toss until everything is well coated.

Assembling:

Grease a pie dish or baking dish, pour fruit mixture into your baking dish and distribute the chilled topping over the fruit.
Put into the oven and bake 40 minutes, then increase oven temp to 400 degrees for the last 5 minutes until fruit mixture is bubbling and topping is brown.
Remove from the oven, and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving with ice cream or whipped cream.

Ginger Peach Spice Cake with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting

2011-09-19T15:46:00.002-04:00

It's that time of year where you add the extra blanket to the bed. You wake up to a chill in the air, but by noon, it can still feel like summer. The warm weather is fading away into a New England fall. I cherish these few weeks. I'm sad to say good-bye to all that the summer has to offer, but there's nothing like fall in this part of the country. There's a magic there that words simply do not do justice.

I'm years out of school at this point. Ten years to be exact, since I left the campus of Syracuse University. I often reminisce about those days. They truly were my formative years. I made the friends that still shape my life today. I learned about life, love, and the heartache both can bring. For some people, the real living happens after they leave the safe confines of a campus. I began the process while in the folds of my education. In my first fall, outside those folds, the world stopped with the 9/11 attacks, and I learned, while living alone in my first apartment, how cruel and scary this world can be.

That aside, fall, still, to me, means a re-birth. Like those first days of classes, of a new school, it's a slate wiped clean. Each autumn represents a new chance to make changes, to savor every second, to tie up loose ends before the new year comes knocking. This year is no different for me. I'm in the middle of a possible transition in my career, a new schedule, filled with new challenges.

I'm a person constantly filled with nostalgia. I mourn good times that have passed by, but in the past years, have tried constantly to focus on the present. Autumn brings back a wave of memories every single year. This year, I'm struggling to look towards the future, finding issues holding on to the present. I will get there, however, I have to.

This cake represents the fleeting transition from summer to fall. Peaches are still everywhere in New England, sharing tables at farmers' markets with early season apples. The peach represents the last gasp of summer, while the spice cake reminds me of fall. So when you're in this early September, bake this cake, and slowly ease yourself into the next season, and the next part of life.

Ginger Peach Spice Cake with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
(printable recipe)
Yield: 1 9x9 square cake

Ingredients:

Cake:
Source: One Perfect Bite

5.5 ounces all-purpose flour (plus extra for dusting the pan)
1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 large egg at room temperature
1 1/2 egg yolks at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 ounces granulated sugar (a little under 1 cup of sugar)
1 tablespoon light molasses
1/2 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
2 large peaches, pits removed, peeled (if you'd like) and chopped roughly

Frosting:
Source: Smitten Kitchen

1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoons cornstarch (you use this because brown sugar is far more moist than powdered, and powdered sugar already has some in it)
1/8 cup powdered sugar
4-ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

Start with the cake. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x9 baking pan.
Melt 2 tablespoons of your butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Melt and cook 1-2 minutes until butter is light brown.
Add your spices (cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, cloves and nutmeg) to the butter and cook for 15 seconds, stirring constantly.
Remove the butter/spice mixture from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
While that's cooling, whisk together your flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
In another small ball, whisk together egg, yolks, and vanilla until well mixed.
In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream the leftover 6 tablespoons of butter, sugar, and molasses together until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Add your cooled butter-spice mixture to the sugar mixture and half of egg mixture. Beat on medium speed until the egg is incorporated, about 15 seconds.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and then pour in other half of egg mixture and beat until well-combined.
Now, reduce speed of mixer to low, add 1/3 of the flour mix, followed by half the buttermilk.
Add another third of the flour mix, followed by the rest of the buttermilk, and finally the rest of the flour mix.
Mix at medium speed until flour is completely incorporated into the batter.
Take the bowl off the mixer, and using a rubber spatula, fold the chopped peaches into the batter.
Pour into your prepared 9x9 baking pan, and bake for 32 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out cleanly.
Allow cake to cool completely on a wire rack, before frosting.
To prepare the frosting: First off, whisk together your brown sugar, cornstarch and powdered sugar and set aside.
In the bowl of a standing mixer (or in a regular bowl with a hand mixer), beat together cream cheese and butter until fluffy.
Add your vanilla extract to the cream cheese/butter mixture.
Add your brown sugar mixture to the cream cheese mixture, and beat until well combined.
Frost the cooled cake, slice, and enjoy!

Charcutepalooza September: Packing, English Pork Pie

2011-09-15T17:51:00.002-04:00

Well, I'm back. I fell off the Charcutepalooza wagon last month, having zero interest in terrines and zero time to complete the task. You see, I'll be honest here. I have very little love for random parts of pig, or any other creature. I know, I know, you're all going to tell me how fabulous pig heads, feet, or organs are. You going to tell me that I *need* to fall in love with cow tongue. The list goes on and on.

I've tried it. I've tried it all. There's nothing I won't try at least once in several different ways of preparation. I have an issue with gelatinous dishes. They repulse me. Weirdly, I eat sushi. Go figure.

Granted, I don't hate all of it. I love fois gras. I love a pate in the right setting with the right pieces with it. There are just bits and pieces to things like terrines and headcheese, that turn me the wrong way.

If you love it, go on with your bad self. I'm sure there's things I love that repulse you, that's OK. Each to their own.

Why am I telling you this? I feel like this is my confessional. I don't have the love for all things charcuterie that most of the members of this challenge do. I love sausages, fresh or cured. I love bacon, and smoked just about anything. I hope you all still love me.

On that note, I was thrilled to see English Pork Pie. Pastry doesn't scare me, I love making it, although I'm not talented in shaping it or rolling it out. This meat pie reminds me of a blended Tourtiere, which is one of my favorite things in this world. Alas, my recipe for that Quebec meat pie is one of my husband's family and I'm not allowed to share.

I followed the recipe in Michael Ruhlman's Charcuterie pretty much to the letter. I subbed more butter for lard, because frankly, I didn't want to go and get lard. This pie crust is no light matter. I think about four sticks of butter goes into it. I used some pork shoulder I had frozen from Kellie Brook Farm in Greenland, NH and grinded that on up.

Now my pork pie failed to have that nice high dome that others got. The filling spread out a bit before I got it all into the oven. No fear though, this is a fabulous treat. Perfect for a winter or fall Sunday meal, or a holiday. It's not hard to make, just a touch difficult to assemble and make pretty.

So this is it. I'm back. I'm not in the running any more, but that's OK. It's the community, the camaraderie, the challenge of Charcutepalooza that I love. And I hope I'm still allowed in the "Cool Kids Meat Club", even though headcheese makes me cry. I jest. Really. This pork pie, however, find a recipe and make it. It was lovely slathered in a good mustard, and served warm.

Lindsay Olives Giveaway Winner and Marx Foods Chile Challenge!

2011-09-13T15:48:00.000-04:00

Remember those lovely Lindsay Olives? I put together Jalapeno Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Olive & Corn Salsa with those babies, and I'm whipping up that Olive & Corn Salsa yet again for this weekend. Well, I owe you a giveaway winner announcement, so here it goes:

The winner of the Lindsay Olives Prize Pack is....

Sarah of TheChubbette!

Sarah - shoot me an email so I can pass your information onto the lovely folks at Lindsay Olives!

Now, remember this awesome Chile & Cheddar Pull Apart Bread? It's part of a really cool blogger challenge being sponsored by Marx Foods . They're a fabulous source for various gourmet ingredients. In this case, they challenged a group of food bloggers to see what they could come up with when given their dried chilies. Well, check out the Blogger Chile Recipe Contest for a look at some of the amazing things bloggers came up with. You can feel free to cast a vote for the bread, or any of the other amazing recipes out there. You won't look at a dried chile the same way again. Can you say, Mexican Hot Chocolate Covered Strawberries? Just awesome!

Housekeeping is now out of the way... stay tuned for this month's Charcutepalooza post, it's perfect for the fall!

Chile Cheddar Pull Apart Bread

2011-09-09T18:07:00.000-04:00

In the past year, I've crossed two things off my cooking "to-do" list. I've finally tackled baking with yeast, and I've finally figured out what the heck to do with dried chiles. Yeast always scared me. For some reason, I couldn't figure it out. I was afraid my bread wouldn't rise, it would taste "too yeasty". I never realized how easy it could be. This little trend of "pull-apart" bread, proves it.

Dried chilies, they're a whole other ballgame. I love "heat" in pretty much anything I eat. In general, the spicier the better. I knew dried chilies were a great way to bring this to any dish. These puya chilies bring so much more than a little spice, however. They bring a wonderful depth to this bread. They're not crazy spicy. You can pick your chili, according to your own tastes. I finally tackled them when I made my own chorizo not too long back.

I stumbled upon Marx Foods because of my interest in dried chilies. I heard they were putting together a little blogger contest where they'd send along some samples of their best dried chilies and see what we could do with them. Marx Foods is one of those spots where if you're looking for a specific gourmet ingredient, amazing artisan foods, and great cooking ideas, well, they have it. I honestly never realized there were so many types were available. I received several varieties, from the hot Habenero, to the more chocolatey Mulato chilies. I ended up going with the Puyas, because they carry just enough heat, without being overwhelming. They also have a touch of a fruity taste, perfect to pair with cheddar for this bread.

Ah, this bread. I've seen pull-apart breads all across the blogosphere as of late. They're filled with fruit, cinnamon, but it was a savory variety from one of my favorite Boston-area blogs, A Cambridge Story. That version is filled with sun dried tomatoes and basil, but I knew this was the perfect base for my pepper adventures. This bread falls apart, is amazing right out of the oven, and has just enough of a spark of heat, without it overwhelming this bread.

Chile Cheddar Pull Apart Bread
Yield: One loaf
Inspired and adapted from: A Cambridge Story

Ingredients:

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (343.75 grams)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup lowfat milk
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup water
2 eggs, room temperature
4-5 large dried Puya (or really any other) chilies
olive oil for drizzling
3/4 cup shredded extra-sharp cheddar (I used Cabot's Extra-Sharp)

Instructions:

In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine 2 cups of the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Set that aside.
In a small saucepan, combine milk and butter over low heat until the butter is just melted. Remove it from the heat, add your water, and cool the mixture until it's about 120 degrees.
Pour the milk and butter mixture over the dry ingredients.
Add your eggs one at a time, until they're well mixed.
Add in your half a cup of remaining flour, mix until smooth and then add the rest two tablespoons at a time.
Mix using the paddle attachment on your mixer until everything is just combined.
Switch to the dough hook to knead for a couple of minutes until the dough is smooth, but sticky.
Put your dough into a large bowl, greased with a little bit of oil, cover with plastic wrap, and a kitchen towel.
Place your dough in a warm, draft-free, spot to rise for an hour.
While the dough is rising, prepare your filling by first re hydrating your chiles.
Place the re hydrated chiles in a small food processor, add a little bit of water and process into a slightly liquid form (you should still have pieces of the chili intact). Set aside.
After your dough has risen for an hour (or doubled in size), punch it down to deflate it, and then place in the fridge for an hour or over night.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and grease a 9x5 loaf pan and set aside.
Now, lightly flour a flat service, shape the dough into a roughly 1x2 foot rectangle.
Drizzle the dough with a bit of olive oil
Brush on the chili pepper mixture with a kitchen brush.
Sprinkle cheese over the top of the chile mixture.
Cut vertically to make 6 even strips of dough.
Now stack those strips on top of each other and slice a second time, into 6, even stacks.
Place those stacks side-by-side in the greased pan, and allow to rise for another 45 minutes.
Finally, put that dough into the oven and bake on the center rack for 30 minutes.
Take out of the oven, allow to rest for 5 minutes, and then pull apart for bread goodness!

The chiles used in this recipe were provided to me, for free, by Marx Foods in order to create a recipe and enter their blogging contest.

Speaking of contests, if you entered the Lindsay Olive giveaway, I'll be announcing that winner on Monday!! Stay tuned!

Salted Caramel Brownies

2011-09-04T14:33:00.002-04:00

Salted caramel brownies - They're not lighter and they're not local. That's kind of a lie. It's a recipe from Cooking Light, so some of the fat has been stripped of these decadent bars. They're local because they were made from scratch, in my kitchen.

But let's be honest, shall we?

Even though they don't fit the title of this blog, would you blame me for sharing them? Would you stop reading this blog, angry that they don't quite fit the mold?

I doubt it. If so, I am sorry to offend you with these very lovely brownies.

I started this blog years ago. It had a different name, with a different purpose. I simply wanted to share my recipes and my writing with friends and family. I then used it to log a weight loss battle. Finally, in the end, I fell in love with sourcing local and regional food and this little slice of web heaven was born.

Times, they do change, right?

It's very easy to get caught up in the "food blog hamster wheel". You churn out posts, you tweet, you Facebook, you suddenly worry about how many people are coming to your site. You ponder if the food blogging community at-large likes you, are you part of the club? You start thinking about quantity, and not quality.

You forget it's about having a voice, starting a conversation, sharing something you love. You forget it's about community.

It's the community that surrounded fellow blogger, Jennie Perillo, after her husband suddenly passed away. It's a community that came together to help someone, that many have never met, but someone whose story and experience touched at our very hearts. More about the work to help out Jennie's family in just a moment.

If you've gotten this far, great job, I appreciate it. The point of this little speech from my soapbox is that I've been fairly silent the last couple of weeks. I've had a schedule change at work, an increase of responsibilities, and I've been trying to balance that with my family life. In short, I haven't had a lot of time to blog. In the beginning, I felt guilty I wasn't feeding the beast. What would people think?

Then, it changed. I cared less about the guilt, and realize how much I miss the community, how much I miss sharing with those who read this blog (and I thank every single one of you). I missed it being my outlet from my stressful day job.

The break from the blog reminded me why I love it so much. I think it's an excellent lesson for bloggers to learn. Sometimes you have to let go, let the guilt subside, remind yourself why you do this. I can say this because this isn't my full time job, I understand it's much different for those who use this as a way to make a living.

For the rest of us, however, sometimes I truly believe we could all use the permission to cut ourselves a little slack. Even if you don't blog, cut yourself some slack. So what if you missed a playgroup/email/sewing class. So if you need someone to say it, I will. Give yourself a break. You might find yourself much better when you return.

Salted Caramel Brownies
Source: Cooking Light
Yield: 16 small brownies, 12 larger ones (CL says the yield is 20, but frankly, that's too small of a brownie for me.)

I actually doubled this recipe for a 9x13 baking pan and it worked out perfectly. They were a little thicker, but honestly, I like it better that way. Be careful, these things are addicting.

Ingredients:

Brownies:

3.38 ounces all-purpose flour (about 3/4 cup)
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon backing powder
6 tablespoons butter, melted
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
cooking spray

Topping:

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 1/2 tablespoons evaporated fat-free milk, divided
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/8 teaspoon coarse sea salt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Start preparing your brownies. Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, brown sugar, and baking powder in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk until well mixed.
Combine your 6 tablespoons of melted butter, eggs, and the vanilla extract.
Add the butter mixture to the flour mixture and stir until well combined.
Pour batter into a 9x9 square metal baking pan lightly coated in cooking spray.
Bake brownies for 19 minutes or until a toothpick comes out from the center cleanly.
Cool in the pan on a wire rack.
Once brownies are cooled, begin making your topping. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 1 1/2 tablespoons of the evaporated milk. Cook the mixture for at least two minutes.
Take the mixture off the heat, add you vanilla, powdered sugar, and stir with a whisk until everything comes together and becomes smooth.
You're now going to pour the mixture over the brownies, and then use an offset spatula or just a regular one to make sure the brownies are well covered.
Allow to set for 20 minutes to set. (I found putting it in the fridge really helped with this step.
Finally, take a microwave-safe bowl, combine your chocolate and 2 tablespoons of the evaporated milk. Microwave for 45 seconds or until melted... make sure you stir it halfway through the cooking time.
Drizzle over the caramel topping on the brownies, sprinkle with your 1/8th of a teaspoon of sea salt.
Allow the chocolate to set, then cut into squares.

How to help Jennie Perillo's Family:

If you read a good amount of food blogs, you've seen the community reaching out to support Jennie, who lost her husband suddenly several weeks ago. Some people are doing auctions with proceeds going towards the family to help with things like health insurance and day-to-day expenses. There is a very simple way you can help out, by just making a donation. Click on the image below, and it will take you to Bloggers Without Borders. It's an amazing organization that brings food bloggers together to help those who need it. Jennie needs it right now, and I'm only too happy to pass along the link. So please, if you can spare just a few dollars, every single one counts. Thank you!