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You'll find over 200 of my favorite recipes here, including ideas for Quick meals, Cooking for 2, Feasting on Leftovers, and cooking with 5 Ingredients or Less. I'm adding new posts regularly; you can subscribe by email or RSS feed if you'd like to receive the latest recipes. Bon appétit!
Cocoa “Crazy” Cake
This Cocoa Cake is actually a variation of the popular “crazy cakes” that have been around for a while. The thing that makes them “crazy” is the fact that you can mix the ingredients right in the cake pan making them incredibly quick and easy.
This recipe is from a 1986 cookbook called The New American Diet, by Sonja L Connor, M.S., R.D. and William E. Connor, M.D. It is lower in calories and fat than many cakes, but it “hits the spot” when you just want a bit of chocolate snacking cake.
You could probably mix the ingredients in the pan, but I used a bowl. I think it’s easier to get everything well-mixed when you don’t have to work around the corners of the pan.
It had been years since I last made this cake. I found that it is still a great recipe for a quick dessert. You could frost it, but it is fine topped with just a dusting of powdered sugar.
The only thing I would do differently next time? Similar recipes include ½ teaspoon of salt, and I would add that next time. I think the authors of the book were concerned about sodium levels, but a bit of salt would have rounded out the flavor a bit more. I added it to the recipe below.
If you’re in the mood for a quick treat, Cocoa Cake may be just what you need!
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Cocoa Cake
(Adapted from a recipe in The New American Diet, by Sonja and William Connor)
Makes one 9×9-inch cake or 12 cupcakes
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1½ cups all-purpose flour (180g)
1 cup sugar (I used maple sugar, but regular is fine)
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
½ teaspoon salt (optional – not in the original recipe, but I recommend it)
3 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 cup cold water
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1. Preheat the oven to 350˚.
2. Stir the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.
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3. Pour the liquid ingredients into the bowl.
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4. Stir well with a fork or whisk until well blended.
5. Pour into an ungreased 9×9-inch pan. (Or make 12 cupcakes in a paper-lined muffin pan.)
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6. Bake cake for 30 – 35 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. (Bake cupcakes for 25 – 30 minutes.)
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7. Cool, dust with powdered sugar, and serve.
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If you’re interested, here are the numbers for 1/12th of the cake or 1 cupcake:
154 calories
4 g fat
28 g carbohydrates
152 mg sodium
1.8 g protein
Maple Butter Cake
Laura, who has become quite the accomplished cake baker, made this Maple Butter Cake for Bob’s birthday last July. It was such a hit, that I decided to make it for Carrie’s birthday celebration last week.
The cake recipe is from The Cake Bible, by Rose Levy Beranbaum. Rose has a Butter Cake recipe with the suggestion that it could be made with maple sugar. I used maple sugar from King Arthur Flour; it is more finely granulated than the maple sugar I can get at the grocery store.
The Maple Frosting is from Cupcakes: Luscious bakeshop favorites from your home kitchen, by Shelly Kaldunski. I was a little nervous about the egg white whipping for the recipe, but it turned out to be pretty easy.
My photos don’t really do justice to this cake, but I had to post the recipe because it’s definitely one that I want to save so I can make it again. It’s a great special occasion cake!
(Happy birthday, Carrie! 
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Maple Butter Cake
(Adapted from Rose Levy Beranbaum’s recipe in The Cake Bible)
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6 large egg yolks (112 g) (Save 3 of the egg whites for the frosting.)
1 cup milk (242 g), divided
2¼ tsp. vanilla (9 g)
3 cups sifted cake flour (300 g) (I did not sift it.)
1½ cups + 1 Tbsp. maple sugar (300 g)
1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. baking powder (19.5 g)
¾ tsp. salt (5 g)
12 Tbsp. (1½ sticks) softened unsalted butter (170 g)
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Two 9” x 1½” cake pans, greased, bottoms lined with parchment paper, and then greased again
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1. Preheat oven to 350˚.
2. Lightly mix the yolks, ¼ cup milk, and vanilla together in a medium bowl.
3. Put the cake flour, maple sugar, baking powder, and salt in the mixing bowl. Mix on low speed for a few seconds to blend.
4. Add the butter and ¾ cup milk to the bowl. Mix on low speed until blended, and then mix on medium speed for 1½ minutes. (Rose recommends high speed, if you’re using a hand mixer.)
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5. Scrape the batter down into the pan.
6. Add 1/3 of the egg mixture and beat on medium for 20 seconds. Add the next third; beat for 20 seconds. Add the final third and beat for 20 seconds.
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7. Divide the batter between the 2 prepared cake pans, spreading it out evenly.
8. Bake 25 – 35 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean and the cake bounces back when lightly touched in the center. (30 minutes was perfect in my oven.)
9. Cool on cake racks in the pans for about 10 minutes.
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10. Remove the cake from the pans and cool the layers on the cake racks. Cool completely before frosting with the Maple Buttercream Frosting.
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Maple Buttercream Frosting
(Adapted from a recipe in Cupcakes: Luscious bakeshop favorites from your home kitchen, by Shelly Kaldunski)
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3 large egg whites
¾ cup maple sugar
Pinch of salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces, at room temperature
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1. In a large, heatproof bowl, combine the egg whites and maple sugar. Place the bowl over, but not touching, simmering water in a pan. Whisk the mixture constantly until it reaches 160˚, which takes about 2 minutes.
2. Remove the bowl from the pan and beat on high speed for about 6 minutes, until the egg whites are fluffy and hold stiff peaks.
3. Reduce the mixer speed to medium. Add the salt, and add the butter a few pieces at a time. Beat until it is smooth and creamy.
(This didn’t happen to me, but Ms. Kaldunski says that if the frosting separates or becomes “liquidy”, you can remedy it by beating on high speed for 3-5 minutes more. It should become creamy.)
Yes, the cake is a little lopsided….that didn’t affect the taste!
Cranberry Gelato
When I saw Chef Dennis’ Cranberry Gelato, I knew exactly what I would be doing with my leftover Cranberry Chutney! I followed his excellent directions, but I substituted honey for the sugar which worked very well.
My finished Cranberry Gelato had tiny bits of cranberry in it. I liked it that way, but if you want a perfectly smooth gelato you could try running the cranberry sauce through a food mill before using it.
I don’t see why you couldn’t substitute other pureed fruits for the cranberry sauce. It would be fun to try different flavors.
Next time I make Cranberry Chutney, I’ll most likely make enough to make Cranberry Gelato, too! Thank you, Dennis, at A Culinary Journey with Chef Dennis for the inspiration!
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Cranberry Gelato
(Adapted from Chef Dennis’ recipe at A Culinary Journey with Chef Dennis)
The gelato will be like soft-serve ice cream right after you make it. Freezing it overnight will give it a better consistency.
Serves 6 – 8
2 cups cranberry sauce, chilled overnight (I used Cranberry Chutney)
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
½ cup honey (or sugar)
In the ice cream maker
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1. Mix the honey into the milk until it is well-blended.
2. Mix in the cranberry sauce and the cream and stir or whisk until it is all combined.
3. Freeze in your ice cream maker according to its directions.
4. Put the gelato in a container and freeze for at least 2 hours or overnight before serving.
Duchess Potatoes
Duchess Potatoes is a terrific recipe to serve for entertaining because it can be prepared ahead of time and baked at the last minute. We recently enjoyed Duchess Potatoes with a Rib Eye Roast. (Well, most of us did; Bob said he preferred “plain old mash potatoes”!)
One advantage of Duchess Potatoes over mashed potatoes when serving them with a roast is the fact that they can stand on their own. You don’t have to worry about making “jus” or gravy at the last minute.
I had never made Duchess Potatoes before because I thought I had to have a pastry bag to pipe them into beautiful rosettes. Then I read what Elise from Simply Recipes had to say about them. She suggested you could put them in a freezer bag and cut off a corner to pipe them. Or, she said you could even just spread the potatoes out in a baking and create peaks with the tines of a fork.
I do have freezer bags, but I’m always one to keep it simple and even that sounded a little fussy. I thought, why can’t I make little mounds of potatoes and use the tines of a fork to pretty them up? That’s what I did!
My Duchess Potatoes aren’t as pretty as they would have been if I had used a pastry bag, but they were very presentable and tasted terrific! (Click on the link for Simply Recipes above to see how beautiful they can be with the proper equipment!)
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Duchess Potatoes
(Adapted from Elise’s recipe at Simply Recipes)
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Serves 4-6
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2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
Salt
¼ cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
¼ teaspoon nutmeg (I just grated a bit of fresh nutmeg in with my Microplane zester.)
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 egg yolks
Yukon gold potatoes
Egg yolks
1. Put the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Stir in about 2 teaspoons of salt.
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2. Bring to a boil. Cover; reduce hit to a simmer and cook until tender, 20 minutes or so. (Exact time will depend on the size of your potato chunks.)
3. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter and set aside. (It’s to brush on the potatoes before baking.)
4. When the potatoes are done, drain them and then put them back in the pot over the heat for just a minute or two to evaporate any extra moisture.
5. Remove from heat. If you have a potato ricer, use it to rice the potatoes. It’s the easiest way to get smooth mashed potatoes. If you don’t have a ricer, mash them using whatever method you prefer, adding the cream, 2 tablespoons butter, nutmeg, pepper and egg yolks as you mash. Just don’t over-mash them or they’ll become gummy.
Ricing the potatoes
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6. If you have riced the potatoes, stir in the cream, the other 2 tablespoons of butter, nutmeg, pepper and egg yolks.
7. If you have one, use a pastry bag with a large star point to pipe the potatoes on a baking sheet. Otherwise, make rounded potato mounds on the baking sheet.
As you can see, I lined the baking sheet with parchment paper, but it’s probably not necessary.
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8. Using a fork, make ridges on the potato mounds.
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9. Brush the potatoes with the reserved melted butter.
At this point, you can refrigerate the baking sheet and bake the potatoes later if you want.
10. Bake the potatoes in a preheated 425˚ oven for about 20 minutes. (If serving with a roast, pop them in the oven while the roast is resting.)
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Perfect Rib Eye Roast
People are often nervous about roasting an expensive Rib Eye Roast. Although I’ve roasted many beef roasts, I admit that I always research different ways to do it every time. Even though it’s actually very easy.
This time I settled on the method from “CAREBEARCOOKING” on food.com. My 5.6 pound Choice Rib Eye Roast was approximately the same size as the one in the recipe (5 pounds). The only change I made was to cut the salt in half. The original recipe called for ½ cup of kosher salt; I used ¼ cup and it was plenty.
If you don’t have a meat thermometer, just follow the timing for this recipe and your roast should turn out fine. This recipe for Perfect Rib Eye Roast is very simple, but it makes a fabulous special meal for family and friends.
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Perfect Rib Eye Roast
(Adapted from a recipe from CAREBEARCOOKING on food.com)
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A Rib Eye Roast is the same cut as a “Prime Rib Roast”; it is simply a Choice grade of meat instead of a Prime grade. It’s much less expensive than Prime beef, and it is what you’ll find at most markets.
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For a bone-in roast, allow 1 – 1 ½ pounds per person. My 5.6 pound roast served 6, with just the meaty bones leftover.
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1 5-6 pound rib eye roast (choice cut “prime” rib roast)
¼ cup kosher salt
1 tablespoon garlic powder or 6 garlic cloves, crushed
Pepper, generous amount
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1. Allow the roast to come to room temperature (allow 2 – 3 hours).
2. Preheat the oven to 500˚.
3. Combine the salt and the garlic.
Salt and crushed garlic cloves
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Salt and garlic stirred together
4. Place the meat, bone side down, in a shallow roasting pan. (I found that my 12-inch cast iron skillet was a perfect fit.)
5. Add about 1/4 cup water to the pan.
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6. Rub the roast all over with the salt and garlic. Generously grind pepper over it.
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7. Roast the meat for 15 minutes.
8. Do not open the oven, but after 15 minutes turn the oven temperature down to 350˚.
9. Continue to roast at 350˚ for about 20 minutes per pound. (1 hour and 52 minutes for my 5.6 pound roast). This timing should produce a roast that’s Medium-Rare to Medium. If you have a meat thermometer:
Rare: 140-150˚
Medium: 150-160˚
Well: 170-180˚ (please don’t do this)
10. Allow the roast to sit for 15 – 20 minutes before slicing.
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Moghalai-Style Chicken
I am delighted to add Moghalai-Style Chicken to my repertoire! This fantastic curry, which I found in 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer, is so simple. In fact, I was amazed that it delivered so much flavor for so little effort. It is a mixture of sweet and spicy, and the almonds add just the right amount of crunch.
Serving the curry over rice, I found that it makes 5 – 6 servings. You could cut the recipe in half, but I recommend making the whole thing because it reheats beautifully.
Moghalai-Style Chicken is a quick, easy, and very tasty recipe for this busy holiday season. If you enjoy Indian flavors, I think you will love it!
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Moghalai-Style Chicken
(Adapted from a recipe in 660 Curries, by Raghavan Iyer)
I used chicken breasts, but I think boneless skinless chicken thighs would also work beautifully in this recipe. You can substitute 8 ounces of fresh spinach leaves, well washed and finely chopped, but the frozen spinach was so easy and worked great!
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Serves 5 – 6
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1 tablespoon garam masala
2 teaspoons coarse kosher or sea salt
½ teaspoon cayenne
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
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¼ cup oil (I used light olive oil)
1 large red onion, finely chopped
½ cup golden raisins
½ cup slivered blanched almonds
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 package (8 – 10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed (no need to drain)
½ cup water
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Steamed rice for serving (optional)
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1. Stir the garam masala, salt, cayenne and turmeric together in a small bowl so they are ready to go when needed.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
3. Add the onion, raisins, and almonds. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 – 20 minutes, until they’re starting to brown and the raisins are plump.
Onion, raisins, and almonds added to the pan
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onions, raisins, and almonds after about 20 minutes
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4. Add the chicken, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes.
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5. Add the spices, and cook for about 30 seconds.
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6. Stir in the spinach and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat so it is simmering; cover and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the chicken is done.
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7. Serve over steamed rice.
Quick and Easy Pizza Crust and Pizza Margherita for One
Now that I have the perfect pizza pan and a reliable pizza dough recipe, I can have homemade pizza that tastes great any time I want!
I made a Pizza Margherita for One today for my lunch! I found “Chef Rider’s” highly rated recipe for Quick and Easy Pizza Crust on allrecipes.com. I substituted honey for the sugar, but other than that I pretty much followed the original recipe.
Reading through some of the many reviews of this pizza crust, I discovered that you can tweak the original recipe quite a bit to make it the way you like it. Next time, I may try using some whole wheat flour for some of the white bread flour.
Other suggestions from reviewers included:
- Use whole wheat bread flour, white whole wheat flour, or all purpose flour or a combination of flours
- Give it a 2 hour rise
- Split the dough in 2 for tw0 12-inch pizzas
- Add garlic and herbs to the dough
- Freeze it, defrost it in the refrigerator, and bring it to room temperature (for about 1 hour) before using
- Use it to make breadsticks or calzone
- Use 1/3 of the recipe to make a deep-dish pizza in a 9-inch pie tin
- Two reviewers used the dough for cinnamon rolls
What really made the pizza work, though, is my new Lodge Cast Iron Pizza Pan. After reading all of the reviews on amazon, I decided to treat myself to one. I heated the pan up in the oven while I made the dough and pizza. I formed the pizza on parchment paper, which made it very easy to transfer the pizza to the hot pan. The crust was truly cooked perfectly! It was thin and crisp (the way I like it). If you can’t have a wood-burning brick pizza oven, I’m convinced this is the next best thing.
The recipe is supposed to make one 12-inch pizza, but I used my dough scraper/cutter to divide the dough into 5 equal pieces. I made a Pizza Margherita for One with one piece. I rubbed each of the remaining pieces with just a bit of olive oil and put each one in its own Ziploc bag to freeze.
I was skeptical of a pizza dough that was so quick, but I have to say the crust tasted pretty darn good. I suspect the dough that I froze will be even better after having time to develop more flavor.
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Pizza Margherita for One
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Quick and Easy Pizza Crust
(Adapted from Chef Rider’s recipe on allrecipes.com)
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Reading the reviews, I got the impression that if you use the whole recipe to make one 12-inch pizza, the crust is a bit thick. If you prefer a thinner crust, you’ll want to divide it.
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Enough for one 12-inch pizza, two thinner 12-inch pizzas, or 5 individual pizzas
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My new Lodge Cast Iron Pizza Pan
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2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (or one 1/4-ounce package)
1 teaspoon honey (or sugar)
1 cup warm water (110˚)
2 ½ cups (300g) King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
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1. Put a pizza pan (or pizza stone if that’s what you use) on a lower shelf in the oven and preheat to 450˚.
2. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water in a medium bowl. Stir in the honey. Let it sit for about 10 minutes. The yeast will be bubbly.
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3. Stir in the flour, olive oil, and salt. Beat until well combined. Let it rest for 5 minutes.
4. Put the dough on a lightly floured bowl. The dough will be quite sticky. Flour your hands and knead the dough for just a few minutes.
5. Divide the dough at this point, if that’s your plan.
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I divided the dough into 5 pieces. Here are the four ready to be frozen:
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6. Put the dough on a piece of parchment. It’s quite sticky, so put flour on your hands to press it out. (You could also use a floured rolling pin, but I found it easiest to use my hands.)
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7. Top the pizza the way you want.*
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8. Use the parchment to lift the pizza and place it on the hot pizza pan.
9. Bake until done. My thin individual pizza took 11 minutes. A larger, thicker pizza could take 15 – 20 minutes.
10. Let the pizza rest for 5 minutes before serving.
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Resting for 5 minutes
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*Toppings for my Pizza Margherita for One
- Spread a bit of olive oil over the crust
- Add mozzarella cheese (about ¾ ounce)
- Top with slices of tomatoes (1 plum tomato)
- Add basil
- Sprinkle with a bit of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
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Thin, crisp crust – just the way I like it!
Thanksgiving Traditions
Thanksgiving is just a few days away. Laura and I are in charge of pies, and I’m also bringing my Easy Cranberry Chutney to our family’s Thanksgiving feast.
These are the recipes I have been making for quite a few years; my family looks forward to having these favorites each year. Just click on the title for each one to see the original post and the recipe.
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Naturally Sweetened Pumpkin Pie
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Happy Thanksgiving to all!
(Don’t forget to save the turkey carcass to make Turkey Carcass Soup!)
Classic Meat Loaf from Cooking Light
While I still love my old Classic Meat Loaf recipe, this lightened-up version from the October 2011 issue of Cooking Light caught my eye so I decided to give it a try.
This meat loaf uses ground sirloin; my older recipe uses a combination of ground beef and ground pork. Substituting 1 egg white for 2 whole eggs lightens it up a bit, as does using panko bread crumbs instead of quick-cooking oats.
So what did I think of this Classic Meat Loaf? I thought it was really just about as good as my original, so I know I’ll be making it again. It had a good beefy flavor, and made great leftovers. And this time of year I like to have a few lighter recipes up my sleeve to balance out the upcoming holiday meals! 
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Classic Meat Loaf from Cooking Light
(Adapted from the recipe in the October 2011 issue)
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Serves 4
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1 teaspoon oil
½ cup chopped onion
6 tablespoons ketchup, divided
½ cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional, I didn’t have any so I didn’t use it)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
¾ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground sirloin
1 large egg white
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1. Preheat the oven to 350˚.
2. Heat the oil in a small saucepan. Add the chopped onion and sauté for 5 or 6 minutes, until tender.
3. Mix the onion, 3 tablespoons of the ketchup, and the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Mix until everything is just combined; do not over mix.
4. Spread a small amount of oil on a baking sheet. (Or use cooking spray.)
5. Shape the meat on the pan into a loaf that’s about 8 inches long and 4 inches wide.
6. Spread the remaining 3 tablespoons ketchup on top of the loaf.
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My meat loaf on a foil lined baking sheet. My advice: DO NOT use foil when you make it. The meat loaf stuck to the foil even though I had spread a bit of oil on it. It was difficult to remove. 
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7. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer registers 160˚.
8. Let stand for 10 minutes. (It will slice more easily after this rest period.) Slice and serve.
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Nutritional information per serving, as provided by Cooking Light:
Calories: 264 Fat: 11.8 g (sat 4.6 g, mono 5 g, poly 0.4 g) Protein: 25.3 g Carb: 13.3 g
Fiber: 0.9 g Chol: 74 mg Iron: 3.1 g Sodium: 525 mg Calc: 33 mg
Herb-Roasted Sausages and Butternut Squash
Herb-Roasted Sausages and Butternut Squash is a perfect fall dinner. It’s incredibly easy, so it’s perfect for weeknights. It all roasts together, so clean-up couldn’t be much easier. And it’s oh-so flavorful!
Carrie found the recipe on epicurious.com. It was originally published in the December 2003 issue of Bon Appétit. She made it, loved it, and told me I had to try it.
I chose to make it as written, but there are a lot of great suggestions for variations in the reviews of the recipe at epicurious. Some added a chopped apple (Carrie said she did this.) Shallots, onions, and red peppers are also mentioned as possible additions to the recipe. I think any of those suggestions would be great, but it is truly delicious just as it is, too.
I used Aidells Chicken & Apple Sausage, and it was a great choice. You could really use any sausage that you like, though. A good andouille sausage would give it a spicy, Cajun spin, for example.
If you add a lot of extra vegetables, you may need to use a roasting pan. I found that my 12-inch cast iron skillet worked perfectly.
For a fall meal that is simple and delicious, do try Herb-Roasted Sausages and Butternut Squash! I know I’ll be making it again, and it’s definitely one I will keep in mind for the busy holiday season.
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It definitely tastes better than this photo looks!
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Herb-Roasted Sausages and Butternut Squash
(Adapted from a recipe on epicurious.com, originally published in the December 2003 issue of Bon Appétit.)
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3 – 4 Servings
(I failed to take step-by-step photos to show how I cut up the butternut squash. Check out a great tutorial at Simply Recipes to learn how to do it. I do it exactly as Elise demonstrates. http://tinyurl.com/22vkqhs)
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6 cups ¾-inch cubes peeled butternut squash (about 1½ pounds)
1 pound fully cooked sausage (such as chicken and apple), cut into 1½-inch pieces
8 garlic cloves, peeled
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Butternut squash (image from 123r.com)
1. Preheat the oven to 450˚.
2. Combine everything except the balsamic vinegar in a roasting pan or 12-inch cast iron skillet. Toss to distribute the oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
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Ready to roast
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3. Roast for 30 minutes, until the squash is tender and the sausage is hot, stirring once after about 15 minutes.
4. When done, drizzle with the balsamic vinegar and serve.
Jamie Oliver’s Macaroni and Cheese
There are many different variations of Macaroni and Cheese. I’ve always been drawn to versions that use sharp Cheddar cheese, but last night I made one that had no Cheddar.
The recipe is from Jamie Oliver’s Cook with Jamie: My Guide to Making You a Better Cook. Laura and Byron had made the recipe and highly recommended it. With four different kinds of cheese, it sounded like it had to be especially good.
This Macaroni and Cheese is pretty simple to make once you have found the right ingredients. I think most well-stocked supermarkets should carry the Parmigiano-Reggiano, fontina, mascarpone, and mozzarella cheese.
Jamie makes the sauce in a skillet with the cooked pasta, and then he puts it in a casserole for the oven. I used my 12-inch cast iron skillet and just put it in the oven to bake and then broil for a couple of minutes. It worked quite well.
We really enjoyed Jamie Oliver’s Macaroni and Cheese. This is definitely a recipe that I would make again. Try it when you want a “mac and cheese” that’s easy and yet a bit more sophisticated than most.
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Thanks to Laura for taking this great photo!a
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Jamie Oliver’s Macaroni and Cheese
(Adapted from a recipe in Cook with Jamie: My Guide to Making You a Better Cook)
1 lb. macaroni (I actually used gemelli)
2 tablespoons butter
1 small bunch fresh marjoram or oregano, leaves picked (I used oregano.)
3 ½ oz grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more to grate over the top
3 ½ oz fontina or taleggio cheese, roughly torn or chopped (I used fontina.)
3 ½ oz mascarpone cheese
¼ of a fresh nutmeg to grate over the top (Optional; I didn’t use it.)
1 small ball fresh mozzarella cheese (about 4 oz.)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1. Preheat the oven to 400˚.
2. Clean and chop the oregano.
3. Put the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, fontina, and mascarpone in a bowl so they’re ready to use when you need them.
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4. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water for 2 minutes less than the cooking time on the package. (My gemelli said to cook for 12 minutes; I cooked it for 10.)
5. While the pasta’s cooking, heat the butter in a large skillet. When it starts to foam, add the oregano and cook for a minute or so, until it starts to crisp. If the pasta is not quite done, remove the skillet from the heat.
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6. When the pasta is done, drain it, reserving some of the cooking water.
7. Put the drained pasta, a couple of spoonfuls of the cooking water, and the Parmigiano-Reggiano, fontina, and mascarpone cheese in the skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the cheese has melted into a sauce. Add a bit more pasta water if it seems too dry.
8. Season to taste with salt and pepper and turn into a baking dish. (Or just leave it in the skillet if you’re using an oven- and broiler-proof skillet, like cast iron.)
9. Tear the mozzarella into small pieces and put them over the top, and sprinkle with some extra Parmigiano-Reggiano.
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A *horrible* picture, but it shows you the mozzerella distributed on top.
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10. Bake for about 10 minutes.
11. Turn the broiler on, and move the oven rack closer to the broiler. Broil for a minute or two until it has started to brown and crisp on the top. Watch closely to keep from burning it.
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Pumpkin Bread
October is pumpkin season, and this Pumpkin Bread is the perfect way to celebrate! If you’ve never made a quick bread before, this is the recipe for you! If you don’t have a mixer or food processor, this is the recipe for you!
This Pumpkin Bread is so easy that even 6-year-olds can make it! In fact, 6-year-olds did make it when our daughters were in 1st grade. Every fall their wonderful 1st grade teacher did a unit on pumpkins. Pumpkins were weighed, measured, and carved. Seeds were counted. There was talk about how pumpkins grow. It was such a fun way to incorporate math and science into the curriculum.
The school had access to a kitchen, so, under the guidance of teacher’s aides, the children measured and stirred the ingredients to make Pumpkin Bread. I’m sure it was the most delicious Pumpkin Bread they ever tasted!
Of course, the proud 1st graders wanted to share the recipe with their families, so the teacher provided a copy to those who wanted it. I still have that recipe and decided to make it again.
How can something so easy taste so good? Give this Pumpkin Bread a try, especially if you have a 6-year-old to help you make it!
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Pumpkin Bread
(From a classroom recipe; original source unknown)
Makes one 9×5-inch loaf (double to make 2 loaves)
1 1/3 cups (200g) flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ cup oil
2 eggs
1/3 cup water
1 cup canned pumpkin
1½ cups sugar
(Optional: nuts, if desired. I didn’t use them.)
1. Preheat the oven to 350˚.
2. Grease a 9×5-inch bread pan.
3. Mix flour, soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl.
4. Make a well in this mixture. Pour in the oil, eggs, water, pumpkin, and sugar. Mix well with a sturdy spoon. (Add nuts if using.)
Stir, stir, stir….
5. Pour into a greased baking pan.
6. Bake for 1 hour or until done. Cool for about 15 minutes, and then remove the bread from the pan.
Roasted Beets
I don’t know why I don’t use beets more often, especially in the fall when they’re at their peak. Roasted Beets are so easy to make. Once they’re roasted, my favorite way to use them is to add them to a salad. However, they could also be heated with a bit of butter and served warm as a side dish.
When we went to Carpinito Brothers’ Pumpkin Patch in Kent to get some pumpkins, I also bought some fresh beets which were grown on their farm. I chose the beets with the greens still attached so I could use them, too. We had the greens with our dinner that night, and I refrigerated the beets to use later.
A few days later I made Roasted Beets. They are incredibly easy to make. These three beets weighed ½ pound each, so we had enough to serve with our salad for three nights. Delicious!
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Salad with Roasted Beets, Blue Cheese, and a simple Vinaigrette
(Toasted chopped walnuts would be an excellent addition to this salad!)
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Roasted Beets
Keep in mind that beets will stain. I used an acrylic board (instead of my wooden one) when cutting them and wore gloves to avoid beet stains on my hands.
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Beets, scrubbed, in the baking pan with water…ready to be covered and roasted
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Any quantity of Fresh beets, greens cut off, with 1 – 2 inches of the stems still attached
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1. Preheat the oven to 350˚.
2. Scrub the beets well and put them in a baking pan.
3. Add water so it’s about ¼ inch deep.
4. Cover the pan with foil, sealing it around the edges.
5. Roast the beets for 45 minutes to 1 hour. (Timing depends on the size of the beets. My ½-pound beets took a full hour.) The beets are done when you can easily slip a sharp knife into the center.
6. When the beets are cool enough to handle, cut the top and the root end off. Hold them under cool running water and slip the skins off with your hands. (Wear gloves to avoid staining your hands.)
7. Use the beets right away, or refrigerate them to use later.
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To cook beet greens:
Cut the greens off, leaving an inch or two still attached to the beet root. To cook the greens, cut any tough stems from the leaves. Wash the leaves and stems well, and slice the leaves into smaller pieces. Heat a bit of oil or butter in a large skillet. Add the stems and a bit of water or broth and cook them for a few minutes. Add the greens and cook, stirring, for a couple of more minutes. Beet greens cook much more quickly than some other types of greens. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.
Cardamom-Scented Pear Crisp
Cardamom-Scented Pear Crisp is a fantastic fall dessert! Cardamom is a warm spice that is really wonderful with the pears. The topping has a modest amount of butter and sugar, making it a lighter crisp than others.
The recipe is adapted from a Mark Bittman recipe in The Food Matters Cookbook. He points out that imperfect, not-quite-ripe pears work beautifully in the recipe. I used Bosc pears which are a great variety for baking.
In The Food Matters Cookbook, Bittman presents desserts that feature fruits, whole grains, and a bit less sugar. He calls for whole wheat flour in the Cardamom-Scented Pear Crisp recipe. I used unbleached white flour. Since each serving only has about 1 tablespoon of flour, I think you can use whichever type of flour you prefer. It’s not going to make that much difference in the nutritional makeup of the recipe.
Following the recipe’s instructions, I baked the crisp at 400˚ and checked it at 30 minutes. (It said to bake for 30 – 40 minutes.) At 30 minutes the topping was almost starting to burn. I actually had to pick off a few pieces that were a bit too dark. Next time I think I will try lowering the heat to 375˚.
The Cardamom-Scented Pear Crisp served 8 people last night and got rave reviews. Topped with just a bit of vanilla ice cream, it was a great dessert!
Now I wish I had some leftover for breakfast! Get some pears. Make Cardamom-Scented Pear Crisp! It’s a great way to welcome fall!
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Update 10/13/11: I made the Pear Crisp again yesterday. I baked it at 375˚ for 30 minutes, and it was perfect!
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This photo made the Foodbuzz Top 9 on October 9!
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Cardamom-Scented Pear Crisp
(Adapted from Mark Bittman’s recipe in The Food Matters Cookbook.)
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Serves 8
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4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened, plus a bit more for greasing the pan
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used light olive oil.)
¾ cup brown sugar (I used maple sugar.)
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (I used walnuts.)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup rolled oats
½ cup (60 g) flour (white or whole wheat, your choice)
Pinch of salt
3 pounds pears (I used 6 Bosc pears.)
1 teaspoon cardamom
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1. Preheat the oven to 375˚.
2. Grease a 10-inch pie plate or an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan with a bit of softened butter.
3. With a fork, cream the ½ stick of butter, oil, and sugar in a bowl.
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4. Add the nuts, lemon juice, oats, flour, and salt and mix until well-combined.
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5. Peel the pears. Cut them in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to remove the core. Cut the pears into ¼-inch slices and put them in the prepared pan.
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6. Sprinkle the cardamom over the pears and toss well.
7. Crumble the topping over the pears.
Ready for the oven
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8. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the pears are hot, and the topping is just starting to brown.
9. Serve warm, topped with a bit of vanilla ice cream, if desired.
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Potato Cumin Curry
My Potato Cumin Curry is an adaptation of a Mark Bittman recipe in Kitchen Express. The original recipe is a pretty basic vegetarian curry; I added a jalapeno pepper, ginger, garlic, cayenne pepper, asafetida, and mango powder to spice it up.
Asafetida and mango powder are Indian spices that I happened to have on hand. I ordered them from indianblend.com. Just omit them, if you don’t have them.
This Potato Cumin Curry turned out to be quite spicy, which I liked. The heat of the dish depends on the heat of your jalapeno pepper, curry powder, and cayenne pepper. This can vary quite a bit, so use the amounts given as a guideline, and adjust to suit your taste.
I used canned chickpeas, which certainly made it quick and easy. This recipe will be so much better, though, if you cook your own chickpeas. Home-cooked chickpeas are much more tender and flavorful than canned ones.
Potato Cumin Curry is a quick dish that I would definitely make again. Next time I might add a couple of chopped tomatoes, or a can of drained diced tomatoes, to add color and another flavor.
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Potato Cumin Curry
(Adapted from a recipe in Mark Bittman’s Kitchen Express)
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Serves 4 as a main dish
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1 jalapeno pepper, minced
2 tablespoons minced ginger
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon mango powder (optional)
1/8 teaspoon asafetida (optional)
2 large russet potatoes (1½ pounds total)
2 tablespoons oil (I used coconut oil)
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 can coconut milk
1 cup water
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or 1¾ – 2 cups cooked chickpeas)
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Rice, for serving
Cilantro, for serving
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Jalapeno, ginger, and garlic
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1. Mince the jalapeno pepper, ginger, and garlic, and set aside. (Scrape the ginger with a spoon to remove the peel.)
2. Combine the curry powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, mango powder, and asafetida in a small bowl.
3. Peel the potatoes, and cut them into ½-inch cubes. Put them in a bowl of cold water so they won’t turn brown before you use them.
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4. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, just until they soften, about 3 – 4 minutes.
5. Add the jalapeno, ginger, and garlic. Cook, stirring, for about 1 minute.
6. Add the spices (curry powder, cumin, cayenne, mango powder, and asafetida) to the pan. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
7. Drain the potatoes and add them to the pan. Stir to coat with the spices.
8. Add the coconut milk and about 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat so it’s just simmering. Cover and cook until the potatoes are tender. This will take about 15 minutes.
9. Add the chickpeas and cook until the chickpeas are warm, just a few minutes.
10. Serve over rice, and top with chopped cilantro, if desired.
Katharine Hepburn’s Brownies
You don’t really need my blog post for Katharine Hepburn’s Brownies. Just do a Google search and you’ll get pages and pages of links to the recipe. There are many other excellent brownie recipes, so I’m not going to call this “the best”. But it is a very good brownie recipe, especially if you are a fan of fudgy brownies.
Liz Smith interviewed Katharine Hepburn in 1975 for a Ladies’ Home Journal article, and the recipe for the brownies was released to the public in that article. It has been a much-loved recipe ever since, and today it is alive and well on the Internet.
I looked at several of the links for the recipe and noticed that it is always the same. It seems that no one wants to tinker with Katharine Hepburn’s Brownies.
I made it exactly as written, as well, although I did omit the optional walnuts.
Sometimes you feel like a nut….sometimes you don’t.
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Katharine Hepburn’s Brownies
(Originally published in a 1975 Ladies’ Home Journal article)
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Makes 16
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1 stick butter, plus more for buttering the pan
2 squares (2 ounces) unsweetened chocolate
1 cup (192 g) sugar
2 eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup (30 g) flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
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1. Preheat the oven to 325˚.
2. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan.
3. Melt the chocolate and the butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat.
I used 2 ounces of 100% cacao baking chips.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sugar.
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5. Add the eggs and vanilla and “beat it all like mad”*.
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6. Stir in the flour and salt (and walnuts if you’re using them) and mix well.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40 – 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
8. “Take it out; let it cool; cut into squares and go crazy.”*
aaaaa* I’m assuming the quotes are from Katharine Hepburn from the original recipe.
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Potato Salad
I have made a lightened-up version of Potato Salad for over 20 years. Replacing some of the mayonnaise with yogurt reduces the fat and calories quite a bit. That means I can enjoy a larger portion of Potato Salad!
This potato salad is quite similar to the one my mom made. So to me, this is the “classic” Potato Salad. Mom most often used russet potatoes. And, yes, they will fall apart and not be in neat little cubes. That’s the way it’s this one is supposed to be.
One little trick that I like to do is to pour dill pickle juice over the hot potatoes. The hot potatoes absorb a lot of flavor before anything else is added. If you don’t want to use pickles or pickle juice, you can achieve a similar result by pouring a bit of vinaigrette over the hot potatoes. Use one that’s made with white vinegar (instead of red wine or balsamic) so the potatoes won’t darken. I have sometimes used a commercial nonfat Italian dressing; it adds flavor without adding any more fat.
I like to add chopped hard boiled eggs to the Potato Salad. Thinking that one of our guests (that would be you, Byron) didn’t like egg yolks, I carefully removed the yolks and just added the egg whites. As it turns out, I was mistaken. He does like hard boiled egg yolks. Next time I’ll add the whole eggs!
There is one thing you should know about using a yogurt-based dressing. If you make the Potato Salad ahead of time, it will absorb a lot of the dressing and may be a bit dry. I mixed the Potato Salad ahead of time with about 2/3 of the dressing. I reserved the rest. Just before serving, I added a bit more mayonnaise and pickle juice to the reserved dressing and mixed it with the Potato Salad. I find that this method works great!
In case you haven’t figured it out by now, this recipe is very flexible. Like my Twice Baked Potatoes, I probably haven’t made Potato Salad exactly the same way twice. So use this as a guideline. Make adjustments to make it just the way you want it.
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My version of Classic Potato Salad
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Potato Salad
Serves 6 – 8
Salad
3 – 4 large russet potatoes ( 2 ¾ – 3 pounds total)
8 Tablespoons dill pickle juice, divided (4 Tbsp to use initially, 2 Tbsp for the dressing, 2 Tbsp if needed just before serving)
½ cup diced sweet onion
½ cup diced celery
½ cup diced dill pickles
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
Dressing
1 cup plain yogurt (I used Fage Total 2%)
2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons dill pickle juice
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
To add later to the extra dressing when ready to serve:
2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons dill pickle juice
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1. Scrub the potatoes. Put them in a pot and cover with water.
2. Bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer until done. Depending on the size of the potatoes, it should take about 20 – 30 minutes, or until a knife slips easily into them.
3. Drain the potatoes. Remove the skin and put the potatoes in a large bowl. Using a dinner knife, cut the potatoes in the bowl into chunks.
4. Pour 4 tablespoons of pickle juice over the hot potatoes and toss gently. Set aside to cool.
5. When the potatoes are cool, add the chopped onion, celery, pickles and eggs.
onion and celery
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dill pickles
onion, celery, pickles and eggs added
6. Whisk the dressing ingredients together. Pour about 2/3 of the dressing over the potato salad and gently mix. Refrigerate the rest of the dressing; cover and refrigerate the potato salad until ready to serve.
7. At serving time, whisk the 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise and 2 tablespoons of pickle juice into the remaining dressing.
8. Add as much of the extra dressing as you feel it needs to make the potato salad the way you want it. Taste, and add salt and pepper, if needed.
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A little sprinkle of paprika would be nice, but I was out.
Twice Baked Potatoes
This is how I recently made Twice Baked Potatoes. I measured everything and wrote down what I used so I could call it a “recipe”. However, I don’t use a recipe for Twice Baked Potatoes, and I’ve probably never made them exactly the same way twice.
Twice Baked Potatoes are basically cheesy mashed potatoes baked in potato skins. I used a sharp cheddar to get more of a flavor bang from just 2 ounces, but you could really use any type of cheese that you like. I often use medium cheddar. As I’m writing this, I’m thinking blue cheese would probably be amazing!
This “recipe” for Twice Baked Potatoes will give you the basic info about how to make them. If you don’t have sour cream, just use more milk. You can add more cheese or butter for a more decadent version. I mix the cheese into the potatoes, but you could top the potatoes with some grated cheese, too.
Twice Baked Potatoes take a bit of time, but they are really easy to make and a perfect fall comfort food!
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Twice Baked Potatoes
Serves 4
(Simply cut the recipe in half for 2 servings. You can also multiply it to serve a crowd.)
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2 large russet potatoes (about ¾ pounds each)
A bit of olive oil
¼ cup sour cream (I used light sour cream)
2 tablespoons butter
½ cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated (2 ounces)
3 tablespoons milk
½ teaspoon salt
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1. Preheat the oven to 425˚.
2. Scrub the potatoes, rub a bit of olive oil all over them, and prick the skin in several places over the top. (Pricking them prevents potato explosions in the oven. Speaking from experience, you don’t want to skip this step!)
3. Put the potatoes directly on the oven rack and bake for 1 hour.
4. Remove the potatoes from the oven and lower the heat in the oven to 350˚.
5. Let the potatoes cool for a few minutes so they’re not too hot to handle. Slice them in half lengthwise and scoop out the potato.
Scooped-out potatoes
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6. Put the skins on a baking sheet. (I like to line it with foil for easy clean-up.)
7. Mix the sour cream, butter, cheese, milk, and salt into the potatoes.
8. Fill the potato skins with the potato mixture.
Ready for the oven
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9. Bake for 30 minutes.
Rosemary Shortbread
When Carrie was home last month she made the Rosemary Shortbread from Joanne Chang’s Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston’s Flour Bakery + Café. Chang comments in her notes that the cookies melt in your mouth, and, indeed, they do! I think it’s the cornstarch that gives them such a light texture.
The original recipe calls for light brown sugar; we substituted maple sugar. I find that maple sugar is usually a bit more coarse than cane sugar, so I usually give it a few whirls in my mini food processor to make a fine sugar for baking.
The recipe says it makes 12 – 15 cookies, but we cut them much smaller. We probably got about 20 cookies.
Rosemary Shortbread is another winner from Chang’s spectacular Flour cookbook! Give it a try; it’s an easy recipe to make and I think you’ll love this special shortbread.
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Rosemary Shortbread
(Adapted from the recipe in Joanne Chang’s Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston’s Flour Bakery + Café )
One tip: Please, do not substitute dried rosemary for fresh. I am positive that the results will not be nearly as good. Dried rosemary can often have a musty smell. In my opinion, it would be better to omit the rosemary than to use dried for this recipe. You should be able to find fresh rosemary at the grocery store. Use the extra rosemary when you roast a chicken or roast potatoes!
Makes 12 – 15 large, or 20 medium cookies
1 cup (2 sticks/228 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup (110 grams) packed light brown sugar (or maple sugar)
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1½ cups (210 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
½ cup (65 grams) cornstarch
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
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1. Cream the butter on medium speed in a mixer for about 2 minutes, until light. (This will take about 5 minutes if you’re beating it by hand.)
2. Add the sugar and beat on medium for 3 – 4 minutes. The sugar should be well-incorporated into the butter and the mixture should be light and fluffy.
3. Reduce the speed to low and add the egg yolk and the rosemary. Beat for about 1 minute.
4. Stir the flour, cornstarch, salt and baking soda together in a small bowl.
5. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating just until it is all blended together.
6. Form the dough into a disc about 1 inch thick on a piece of plastic wrap. Wrap it up and refrigerate for 20 minutes. This chilling time will make it easier to roll out.
7. Preheat the oven to 325˚.
8. On a floured cutting board, roll the dough into a rectangle that’s about 12 x 10 inches and ¼ inch thick.
9. Cut the cookies into the size you want and put them on a baking sheet 1 – 2 inches apart.
10. Bake for 18 – 20 minutes, until they are just golden brown. Check them after about 16 minutes; some ovens are hotter than others.
11. Cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for 15 minutes; then remove them to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
P.S. Nice job, Carrie!
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Chinese Chicken Wings
The Chinese Chicken Wings I made last night were a big hit, and they’re so easy to make! I was inspired by a recipe from Derrick Riches on about.com, but I changed it a bit.
I used chicken broth instead of white wine in the marinade, increased the garlic, and added rice vinegar and Sriracha sauce. After marinating for 7 hours, the wings were very flavorful, indeed!
The Chinese Five Spice Powder is the “secret” ingredient that sets these Chinese Chicken Wings apart. Be sure to use powder that is fresh so it has the best flavor. I found some in the bulk spices in the grocery store.
I grilled the wings, and it’s a great way to cook them. If you don’t have a grill, you could roast them in the oven. I’d line a baking sheet with foil, spread the wings out on the pan, and roast them at 450˚ for 30 minutes.
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Chinese Chicken Wings
(Inspired by a recipe by Derrick Riches on about.com)
Serves 4 – 5
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16 Chicken wings (about 3 pounds)
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup chicken broth
¼ cup oil (I used light olive oil)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1½ teaspoons Chinese five spice powder
1 tablespoon plain (unseasoned) rice vinegar
1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce
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I think Sriracha sauce is pretty widely available, but you could substitute Tabasco.
1. Combine the soy sauce, chicken broth, oil, garlic fresh ginger, Chinese five spice powder, rice vinegar, and Sriracha sauce together. (You can use a food processor or blender for this step, if you have one.)
2. Put the chicken wings in a Ziploc bag and pour in the marinade.
3. Put the bag of wings in a baking dish or pan (just in case of leaks) and marinate them in the refrigerator for at least 7 hours. Turn the bag over every once in a while to redistribute the marinade.
Wings in the bag, marinating
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4. Preheat your grill to high heat. (About 10 minutes for my gas grill.)
5. Remove the wings from the marinade, and discard the marinade.
6. Put the wings on the grill skin-side down and grill for about 3 or 4 minutes.
7. Turn one (or two if your grill has 3 burners) off. Turn the wings over and place them over the turned-off burner so they will finish cooking by indirect heat.
8. Cook by indirect heat for 15 – 20 minutes.
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Pass extra napkins!
Basil Hummus
Last weekend I found myself with a surplus of cooked chickpeas in my refrigerator. Elise Bauer (Simply Recipes) came to my rescue with her Basil Hummus. I love the beautiful green color, and I thought it was quite tasty and a nice way to change up hummus.
I followed the recipe and added the ¼ cup of water that Elise recommended. Mine turned out a little thinner than the way hers looked. I think it was because I used home-cooked chickpeas that had been frozen and defrosted. They may have contained more water than canned beans. I suggest making the recipe without the water, and then you can add some in if it needs it.
Elise uses 1 teaspoon of tomato paste. I happened to have some leftover tomato paste in the refrigerator to use. If you don’t have any, I think it would be fine without it.
Basil Hummus makes a great snack with pita chips!
Basil Hummus
(Adapted from Elise Bauer’s recipe on Simply Recipes)
Makes about 3 cups (It would be easy to cut in half.)
¼ cup pine nuts
2 cups basil leaves, packed (about 2 bunches)
3 cloves garlic
2 (15-ounce) cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained
¼ cup olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1½ – 2 teaspoons salt (try less if your canned beans are salty)
Several dashes of Tabasco
1 teaspoon tomato paste (optional)
1 – 4 tablespoons water, (optional; add if needed to thin the hummus)
1. Put the pine nuts in a small pan over medium heat. Cook them, stirring, until they start to brown. Remove from the pan to cool, and reserve a few of them for garnish.
2. Put the basil leaves in a food processor. Using a garlic press, squeeze the garlic cloves into the processor. Pulse until the basil is finely chopped.
Basil and garlic
3. Add the chickpeas, most of the pine nuts, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, Tabasco, and the tomato paste, if you’re using it, to the food processor. Process until the hummus is smooth.
4. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add salt or Tabasco, if needed.
5. Add the water if the hummus is too thick.
6. Put the hummus in a bowl. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle the reserved pine nuts on top. Serve with pita chips, pita bread, or crackers.
Pulled Pork in the Oven (or Slow Cooker)
Three weeks ago we hosted a family reunion for my cousins. With about 25 people attending, I decided to make it a potluck party. I made Pulled Pork in the Oven, a recipe that I had found on the Eating Well website. One of my cousins brought more than enough fantastic chocolate cupcakes for dessert, and everyone else brought a wonderful assortment of appetizers, salads, side dishes, and wine. It was one of the easiest parties ever, and we all had a great time visiting and catching up with each other!
The original Pulled Pork in the Oven recipe makes 12 (3-ounce) servings. I could have gotten away with doubling it, but I wanted to be sure to have enough food, so I tripled it. We had more than enough, and plenty for leftovers.
I bought slider rolls, which turned out to be the perfect size to use when you have a lot of other great dishes to sample at a party.
What I love about this recipe is that it is so easy! Once you get the sauce made, it just does its own thing in the oven. You don’t have to fuss over a barbecue for hours. Pulled Pork in the Oven is a great recipe if you ever have a crowd to feed.
One more thought….if you’re a fan of slow cookers, I don’t see why this couldn’t be done in one. Just prepare the sauce as directed on the stove, then put the sauce and the roast in the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 – 10 hours. I haven’t tried it, but I think I just might sometime.
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Pulled Pork in the Oven
(Adapted from a recipe from Eating Well)
This is the original recipe; it makes 12 (3-ounce) servings. Double or triple the ingredients to serve more people.
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons paprika (I used hot paprika)
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
12 ounces beer, preferably lager (1½ cups)
¾ cup ketchup (I substituted ¾ cup unsweetened ketchup plus 1/3 cup maple sugar)
¾ cup cider vinegar
½ cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced, plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
1 4 – 5 pound pork shoulder roast (I found that bone-in and boneless both worked.)
Slider buns or bread of your choice
Pork shoulder roast, sometimes called Boston butt
1. Preheat the oven to 300˚.
2. Heat the oil in a large oven-proof pot over medium-low heat.
3. Add the onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is quite soft. This will take about 20 minutes.
4. Increase the heat to medium. Add the chili powder, cumin, paprika, and cayenne. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
hot paprika
onions with spices added
5. Add the beer, ketchup, vinegar, mustard, tomato paste, chipotle pepper, and the adobo sauce.
6. Bring the sauce to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer until it has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes.
This photo shows my simmering sauce when I tripled it. It filled an 8-quart pot.
7. Trim the visible fat from the pork while the sauce is simmering.
8. Add the pork roast to the pot of sauce, spoon the sauce over the pork, and put a cover on the pot.
(If you’re doubling or tripling the recipe and you can’t put the pork in the pot, put the pork roasts in a roasting pan. Pour the sauce over them, and cover with heavy duty foil.)
3 pork roasts in a roasting pan
9. Put the pork in the preheated oven and bake for 1½ hours.
10. Turn the roasts over; cover and bake for 1½ more hours.
11. Remove the cover and continue to bake until it is fork-tender, or for 1 – 2 more hours.
12. Take the pork out of the pan and put it in a large bowl.
13. Let the sauce cool a bit, and then skim off some of the fat. Cook the sauce over medium heat so it can thicken and reduce a bit.
14. While the sauce is cooking, pull the pork into shreds using two forks.
15. Add some of the sauce to the pork and stir it together. You’ll probably have more sauce than you need to blend with the pork. Extra sauce can be served on the side for those who want more.
16. Serve hot on slider buns, or the bread of your choice.
The New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies
“Perfection? Hint: It’s Warm and Has a Secret”. Thus began David Leite’s July 9, 2008 New York Times article about his quest for the perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies. I’m here to tell you that I think he did develop the perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe.
I remember reading the article three years ago. I was impressed with all of the research he had done. He spoke with many experts, including Maury Rubin, Dorie Greenspan, and Jacques Torres.
The secret he discovered was that the dough must rest for at least 24 hours. A rest in the refrigerator allows the liquids to be fully absorbed, which immensely improves the flavor of the cookies. Leite learned that even Ruth Wakefield, the woman famous for her Toll House Cookies recipe, wrote that she chilled the dough overnight before baking it. Those of us who have used that recipe on the back of the bag of chocolate chips never knew the secret.
Leite also learned that the cookies must be large. A large cookie develops a crisp exterior and a soft interior. It is perfection.
I saved the article. I read about other people who praised the recipe. And I noticed that Amanda Hesser included it in The Essential New York Times Cookbook. I finally got around to making what I call The New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies. The time was right, since Carrie was home to help me make them, and eat them!
If there is a better chocolate chip cookie recipe, I haven’t found it. These are definitely the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever made! Don’t omit the sprinkle of salt before baking (like I did on one batch). It adds a wonderful dimension to the cookies.
If you’re an advocate of moderation, these cookies are large enough to share with another like-minded person. After tasting them, though, I’d be willing to guess that you’ll just get another one to split. You might as well just eat the whole thing!
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The New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies
(Adapted from the recipe in The Essential New York Times Cookbook. The recipe was developed by David Leite, who gave much credit to Jacques Torres’s recipes.)
I did follow the recipe’s advice to use a combination of cake flour and bread flour. You certainly could try it using all-purpose flour. I suspect that the results may not be quite the same, but the cookies will probably still be delicious.
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Makes 18 – 20 large cookies
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1¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons (8½ ounces) cake flour
1⅔ cups (8½ ounces) bread flour
1¼ teaspoons baking soda
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1½ teaspoons course salt (I used Kosher.)
2½ sticks (10 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1¼ cups (10 ounces) packed dark brown sugar (I used dark, Leite used light.)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
1¼ pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content *
Sea salt for sprinkling
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* I used what I could find at my supermarket: One 11.5 ounce bag of Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips and 8.5 ounces of Ghirardelli Mini Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips. (I didn’t realize they were “mini” until I opened the package.) The cookies were fabulous! Next time I’ll probably use all bittersweet chocolate. The point is this: use the best chocolate you can find and afford. Your cookies will be wonderful!
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1. Put the cake flour, bread flour, baking soda, baking powder, and course salt in a bowl. Stir or whisk well to combine.
2. Beat the sugars and butter together in a mixer on medium speed for about 5 minutes, until light and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition.
4. Mix in the vanilla extract.
5. With the mixer at low speed, add the flour mixture and mix just until the dough is combined, about 10 seconds.
6. Carefully stir in the chocolate pieces.
7. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. (When you bake the cookies, you can bake them in batches, keeping the dough covered and refrigerated for up to 72 hours.)
8. Preheat the oven to 350˚.
9. Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
10. Make 6 large balls of dough. They should each weigh about 3½ ounces. Arrange the 6 balls of dough on the baking sheet.
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11. Lightly press the dough down a bit with the palm of your hand, and then sprinkle the cookies with sea salt.
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12. Bake for 18 – 20 minutes. (20 minutes was perfect in my oven.)
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(I forgot the sprinkling of salt on this batch. Still delicious, but the salt makes them even better!)
13. Place the baking sheet on a rack to cool for 10 minutes.
14. Repeat with the rest of the dough, or cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate to bake the next day.
15. The cookies are really best eaten warm as soon as they’ve finished their 10-minute cooling off period. We found, though, that they are still extraordinary after they’ve completely cooled down.
Vij’s Spiced, Roasted Almonds or Cashews
Vij’s Spiced, Roasted Almonds make a great snack or appetizer with drinks. The spice blend makes them irresistible. The recipe is another winner from Vikram Vij’s and Meeru Dhalwala’s Vij’s: Elegant and Inspired Indian Cuisine.
The recipe suggests using almonds or cashews; I chose to use almonds. You can substitute ground cumin for the garam masala. It will still be good, but it will have a different flavor.
I don’t know of a substitute for the mango powder (amchur). Mango powder is used to give a bit of a sour, fruity flavor without giving moisture to Indian dishes. It can be found at Indian groceries. I ordered mine online from indianblend.com. I think it’s worth seeking out, but you could omit it, if you must.
Once you have the ingredients, the recipe is very quick and easy. It takes about 15 minutes to make it.
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Vij’s Spiced, Roasted Almonds (or Cashews)
(Adapted from a recipe in Vij’s: Elegant and Inspired Indian Cuisine)
1 lb whole raw almonds or cashews
2 Tbsp canola or coconut oil (I used coconut)
1 Tbsp salt
1½ teaspoons mango powder
1 Tbsp garam masala or ground cumin
1½ teaspoons cayenne pepper
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1. Preheat the oven to 375˚.
2. Combine the salt, mango powder, garam masala, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl.
3. If using coconut oil, heat it briefly in the microwave or on the stovetop until it is liquefied.
4. Toss the almonds with the oil in a medium bowl until they are well coated.
5. Toss the almonds with the spice mixture.
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6. Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes (4 minutes for cashews).
7. Stir the nuts and bake an additional 5 minutes (another 4 minutes for cashews).
8. Watch the nuts carefully; you want them to get slightly darker, but you don’t want them to brown.
9. Cool the nuts for at least 45 minutes before eating.
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Packed to give as a gift
Snickerdoodles
When my sister, Joan, and I visited Carrie in Boston last month we had the pleasure of stopping for breakfast at Flour in Cambridge. I had the legendary Sticky Bun and a fabulous latte. The Sticky Bun definitely lived up to the hype! YUM!
Sticky Bun and Latte at Flour, Cambridge
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After returning home to Seattle, I found myself wishing I could try some of the other goodies at Flour. So what else could I do but buy Joanne Chang’s Flour cookbook?
I have looked through the book from cover to cover, and there are many recipes that I would like to try. Carrie has raved about the cookies at Flour, so I decided to start there.
Snickerdoodles have always been one of my favorites, and Joanne’s recipe looked great. How can you go wrong with butter, sugar, eggs, flour, and cinnamon?
The recipe is quite easy with a stand mixer. Joanne says you can do it with a hand mixer or a spoon, but you’ll have to cream the butter and sugar for 10 minutes instead of 5. She suggests chilling the dough overnight before baking the cookies. The dough was very easy to work with after an overnight chill. I realize it means planning ahead, but I recommend it.
The Snickerdoodles were a big hit! The recipe was well-written and easy to follow and the cookies were fantastic! I’m looking forward to trying some of the other cookies in the book.
Snickerdoodles!
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Snickerdoodles
(Adapted, barely, from Joanne Chang’s recipe in Flour)
The original recipe calls for ½ cup sugar and ¼ cup cinnamon for coating the cookies. I found that half that amount was sufficient.
Makes about 30 cookies
1 cup (2 sticks/228 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cups (300 grams) sugar, plus ¼ cup (50 grams) for coating
2 eggs
2½ cups (350 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
2 Tablespoons (15 grams) ground cinnamon
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1. Cream together the butter and 1½ cups sugar. If using a stand mixer, cream them for 5 minutes on medium speed. If using a hand mixer or spoon, cream them for 10 minutes. Scrape the bowl with a spatula now and then to make sure everything is getting incorporated.
butter and sugar
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Creamed butter and sugar
2. Add the eggs and mix for 2 or 3 minutes.
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I like to put eggs in a small bowl before adding to the mixer so I can check for shell bits.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cream of tartar. (Original recipe calls for sifting them together. I didn’t do that.)
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Flour, baking soda, salt, and cream of tartar
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4. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture. Beat just until it’s evenly mixed; don’t over-mix.
5. Put the dough in a bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
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6. The next day, preheat the oven to 350˚.
7. Combine the ¼ cup sugar and 2 Tablespoons cinnamon in a small bowl.
(This was 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup cinnamon which was way too much!)
8. Roll the dough into small balls. Roll each ball in the cinnamon/sugar mixture and put them about 3 inches apart on the baking sheet.
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9. Flatten them slightly with the palm of your hand.
10. Bake for about 15 minutes. (Timing depends on a lot of factors. Check them after 12 minutes to see how they’re doing. They’re done when they’re slightly browned around the edges and still a bit soft in the center.)
11. Let them cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, and then remove to a wire rack to cool.
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Kielbasa Sausage a la Fenway Park
Bob and I both liked the Kielbasa sausages sold outside of Fenway Park in Boston so much that I decided to try to recreate them at home.
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This isn’t really a recipe. It’s all about the ingredients.
Start with a good quality Kielbasa sausage. I chose Hempler’s. It’s a local company based in Ferndale, Washington, which is near Bellingham. Their Kielbasa Smoked Sausage is a high quality product that contains no MSG. The Kielbasa is ¾ pound, so one sausage is enough for 3 generous servings.
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Metropolitan Market makes their own hot dog buns at their bakery. They are much better than average!
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For the peppers, I used Mama Lil’s Kick Butt Peppers.
I cooked some onions in a bit of oil over low heat until they were golden brown.
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To put it all together, I turned all three burners on my gas grill to high. After 10 minutes, I turned 2 of the burners off. I put the kielbasa over the lit burner and cooked it for about 4 or 5 minutes on each side. Then I moved it to the unlit section of the grill to finish cooking using indirect heat. I let them cook for about 10 minutes more.
(If you don’t have a grill, just cook them on the stove, preferably in a cast iron pan.)
To serve, cut the Kielbasa into 3 pieces. Put a piece on each bun. Top with grilled onions, Mama Lil’s Peppers, and Dijon mustard.
You can stand up to eat them like we did outside of Fenway, or you can do as we did at home and sit down at the table.
A Summer Weekend in Vancouver
Last weekend we had a lovely stay in Vancouver, British Columbia!
On our drive up to Vancouver on Friday we stopped for lunch at Lychee Buffet in Bellingham. I am normally leery of Chinese buffets, but this one is actually very good. We have never been disappointed. They offer an extremely wide variety of dishes and everything seems so fresh. On weekdays, it’s a very reasonable $7.49. On weekends, when they offer an even wider variety of seafood, it costs $11.79. You can order from a menu, but we’ve never done that. It’s located at Exit#253 off I-5. (Driving North, take exit #253 and turn right; driving south, take exit #253 and turn left.) It’s a great stop for a quick meal when you’re travelling through Bellingham.
Lunch at Lychee Buffet in Bellingham
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When we got to Vancouver, we drove directly to Gastown to meet our friend, Lorne, at his office. It was a beautiful afternoon to sit in the outside seating area of Chill Winston in Lorne’s building. We enjoyed catching up with him and had good Northwest beer and wine.
Bob and Lorne at Chill Winston
Since we had made a rather last-minute decision to go to Vancouver, I felt very lucky to get a room at our favorite Vancouver hotel, The Sylvia. They must have had a cancellation because the hotel is usually booked well in advance for summer weekends.
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The Sylvia Hotel was originally built as an apartment building in 1912. In 1936 it was converted into an apartment hotel. The hotel claims to have opened Vancouver’s first cocktail lounge in 1954. Renovations have been done over the years and today it is a very comfortable hotel that maintains its historic charm.
The rooms vary a lot in size. There are very small rooms, rooms much larger than ours, and suites. A few of the larger rooms even have kitchen facilities. This time our room was a standard room with one queen bed. It was quite adequate.
Our Standard Queen room at The Sylvia
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View from our room of English Bay
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One of the best things about The Sylvia is its location. It is right across the street from English Bay and First Beach. You can walk on the walkway or bike on the bike trail along the shore to Stanley Park. When the weather is beautiful, as it was last weekend, it seems that all of Vancouver is out and enjoying the beauty of English Bay.
After checking in, we went across the street to the park and the beach. Right now there is an interesting sculpture there called A-Maze-ing Laughter that is a part of the Vancouver Biennale.
A-Maze-ing Laughter, by Yue Minjun
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The Sylvia is the short building that looks like it’s covered with ivy. It’s actually covered with Virgina Creeper.
First Beach, English Bay
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Right around the corner from The Sylvia is Denman Street where you’ll find all kinds of interesting restaurants. Many of them look like they’re inexpensive ethnic restaurants. We didn’t try any of them on this trip, but in the past we have eaten at Raincity Grill, which is not an inexpensive ethnic restaurant. It’s just down the block from The Sylvia and is an excellent upscale restaurant featuring local Northwest food.
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Back at the Sylvia, we went into their bar for a drink before dinner. The bar is a very pleasant space with big windows looking out over English Bay. It’s a great place to sit and watch all of the activity going by. I had a Caesar cocktail, which is a very popular drink in Canada. It’s like a Bloody Mary, but it’s made with Clamato juice instead of plain tomato juice. The Sylvia’s version is made with Clamato, horseradish infused citron vodka, Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco. The rim of the glass is dipped in celery salt, and the drink is garnished with a celery stalk, a prawn, and an olive.
A Caesar Cocktail at The Sylvia
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We then took a cab to Vij’s for dinner. Vij’s is owned by Vikram Vij, who is a classically trained chef and sommelier, and his wife, Meeru Dhalwala. The food has been called the finest Indian food in all of North America. That may be true, and it’s definitely one of my favorite restaurants.
Vij’s does not take reservations and you almost always have to wait for a table. We’d never been there during high season before; we learned that the wait is even longer on a beautiful Friday night in July. We were told it would be 1½ – 2 hours. I like Vij’s so much that I don’t mind waiting for a table; Bob was not so happy about it, but he humored me. We gave them my cell phone number and went out for a walk. I assured Bob that it would not be 1½ hours; I think they overestimate the wait time so customers will be pleased when it’s shorter.
After walking around the neighborhood for a while, we went back to Vij’s and ordered a drink. I must say that Vikram Vij is a very good host to his guests who are waiting for tables. He walks around greeting people, and he has servers who come around with trays offering tasty complementary nibbles. At one point I also saw Vikram walking around with a tray of goodies to offer people. It’s like being at a cocktail party.
An hour and fifteen minutes after we first arrived, our table was ready. We ordered Spicy Sautéed Mangoes and Greens with Khoa (an Indian cheese) and Dates Stuffed with Walnuts and Khoa for an appetizer. It was quite unusual and very flavorful.
For one of our main courses (dishes are meant to be shared at the table) I have always ordered the Lamb Popsicles, which is fantastic. There is a recipe for it in my Vij’s cookbook so I may try to make it at home sometime. If you ever go to Vij’s for the first time, I highly recommend it. Last Friday, though, I wanted to try something new so I ordered the Goat Curry with Spiced Vegetables. I had never tried Goat before. I liked it so much that I may have to buy some and try fixing it myself. (I have my eye on Vikram’s Boneless Goat Curry in Vij’s at Home.) With the Goat Curry we enjoyed Vegetable Curry with Sesame Seed Rice Pilaf, an excellent vegetarian entrée.
I was happy to have the opportunity to eat at Vij’s again and grateful to Bob for being such a good sport about it.
Right next door to Vij’s is Vij’s Rangoli. It is a much more casual, and less expensive, restaurant which is also open for lunch. (Vij’s is not.) We have never eaten there, but we have gotten takeout meals and the food is very good.
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The next morning we had a leisurely (very slow) breakfast at The Sylvia. The dining room is bright and cheerful with large windows looking out at English Bay. We have eaten breakfast and dinner there before and had not encountered slow service. For some reason, last Saturday it was slow. The food was good, though, once we got it.
The menu has a great breakfast selection and the prices are very reasonable. I had my usual egg, toast, and hash browns. Bob wanted something to fuel his climb up the Grouse Grind, so he chose oatmeal and bacon. (Is it just me, or is that an odd combination?)
After breakfast we met our friends, Lorne and Margaret (aka Muggs), at Grouse Mountain. We could not believe all of the people who had the same idea. We last went a few years ago in September at about 8:30 in the morning. There were not many people that time. But this was, once again, “high season” in July on a beautiful Saturday at 11:30.
Grouse Mountain is just a short drive from Vancouver and offers something for everyone. The view of the city is breath-taking. You should be forewarned that the Admission, which includes the round-trip tram ride and some of the shows and activities, is not inexpensive. It’s $40 for adults, $24 for teens, and $14 for children. For a family, that would be a bit expensive, but it is a very unique experience and is especially worthwhile on a beautiful, clear day.
Lorne, Muggs, and Bob began their climb up the Grouse Grind. It’s a treacherous climb straight up the mountain. If you choose to climb to the top, you get a discounted ride back down on the tram; it’s about $12, I think. Walking down is not an option.
I chose to take the 6-minute tram ride up to the top. Because of the crowds, it took about 30 minutes to wait in line to buy a ticket and to ride up.
I was amazed at the amount of snow at the top, which I believe is about 3700 feet where the tram stops. Of course, we did have record-breaking precipitation in the Northwest over the winter with lots of snow in the mountains.
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Once at the top I headed for the 45-minute Lumberjack Show which I thoroughly enjoyed.
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After the show I headed back to meet the intrepid hikers when they got to the top. They made it in a respectable amount of time – just over an hour. After Cokes and iced coffees, we walked a short way to see the Wildlife Refuge which is the home of two grizzly bears. Unfortunately, the bears were in their den and not entertaining visitors.
After the tram ride back down to the parking lot, we agreed on the time to meet Lorne and Muggs for dinner and we headed back down to Vancouver.
On the way, we stopped to see Cleveland Dam. The dam was completed in 1954 at the head of the Capilano River. The dam forms Capilano Lake which is the source of 40% of Vancouver’s drinking water. You can walk on the dam and see the water rushing down into the river. There is a park with picnic tables, and the view of the mountains is beautiful. It would be a great spot for a picnic lunch.
Bob at Capilano Lake
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By the time we got back to the Sylvia, we were hungry, but we didn’t want to eat too much so late in the afternoon. We headed across the street to Mr. Tube Steak’s cart for hot dogs. They were just the right thing to enjoy at the beach.
It seemed that everyone who wasn’t at Grouse Mountain was at the beach!
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In the evening we walked down Denman to Coal Harbor to meet Lorne and Muggs for dinner at Cardero’s. The setting is beautiful with a view of the harbor and marinas, and the food was delicious. They feature fresh local seafood, and reservations are a must at this popular restaurant. I loved the Grilled Scallops, and the Linguine Vongole that Lorne and Muggs had looked terrific. Bob chose the local Fraser Valley Grilled Pork Chop which he enjoyed.
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Coal Harbor
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The walk back to the Sylvia was very pleasant. We walked down Gilford Street which is a quiet residential street that runs parallel to Denman. At Haro and Gilford, we discovered The Buchan Hotel. It’s a “budget, no-frills hotel” (their own description) with a great location. It’s a short walk to English Bay, Stanley Park, lots of restaurants, shopping and attractions. For those on a tight budget, it looks like it might be a great option.
At the base of The Buchan is a wonderful looking Italian restaurant, Adesso Bistro. It’s open for brunch on weekends and dinner is served daily. Their outdoor patio looked like a lovely place to be on a warm summer night. I’m filing it away as a place to try some time.
Continuing down Gilford, and about 2 blocks from The Sylvia, we were startled to see a skunk! We kept a safe distance, although I thought Bob got a little too close to it. We stopped in the bar at The Sylvia and asked the server about it. She said they are common in Vancouver and acted as if we were a bit strange to ask the question. Well, we have quite a bit of wildlife in West Seattle, but I’ve never seen a skunk in our neighborhood. It was quite exciting for us!
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View from our room Saturday night
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Sunday morning we once again had breakfast at the Sylvia. Service was much faster than the day before! I decided to try the Jogger’s Special with scrambled eggs and they were cooked perfectly! I love scrambled eggs when they’re done right. Bob had the smoked salmon omelette. I highly recommend breakfast at Sylvia’s, even if you aren’t staying there. The dining room is so pleasant and the food is terrific. After breakfast you can go for a great walk along the beach.
We checked out of the hotel and drove along False Creek to see the sights and then stopped at Vij’s Rangoli to get some food to take home. They used to sell frozen entrees, but now they carry refrigerated pouches. We got some Chicken Curry, Chickpeas, and Black Chickpeas which are all fine to bring across the border. You cannot bring lamb entrees into the US. We enjoyed the Vij’s takeout for dinner when we got home!
It was so great to see Lorne and Muggs, as always! And I’m so glad we got to go to Vancouver last weekend when the weather was perfect. This has not been such a great summer so far. Right now, in Seattle, it’s 57 and seriously raining. It’s probably about the same in Vancouver this weekend. Summer in the Pacific Northwest!
July 16…View out our front door….57 degrees and raining
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I love visiting Vancouver! I think it may be the most beautiful city in North America. Here are a few things we have enjoyed in Vancouver on past trips:
● The Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia is home to an amazing collection of Northwest Coast Native American art, including spectacular totem poles. Bill Reid’s best-known sculpture, The Raven and the First Men, is showcased in the Bill Reid Rotunda.
● The Bill Reid Gallery 639 Hornby Street. Open Wednesday – Sunday
● The Vancouver Aquarium in Stanley Park is a wonderful aquarium. The Orca statue, Chief of the Undersea World, in front of the aquarium was designed by Bill Reid, and it is gorgeous!
(Yes, I do like Bill Reid’s art!)
● There are a lot of interesting shops in Gastown. I have enjoyed exploring them when Bob has been busy with business meetings.
Chopped Salad
♫ Summertime, and the living is easy….and it just doesn’t get any easier than this Chopped Salad! I made a large salad to take to a 4th of July party, but you can make a small salad just for yourself in a very few minutes.
I headed to a local store that has a great selection of organic produce and shopped for the best-looking vegetables in a variety of colors. I came home with cauliflower, jicama, grape tomatoes, radishes, a yellow pepper, carrots, corn, and sugar snap peas. The bulk olive section had pitted Niçoise olives, so I bought some of them as well. Kalamata olives, which are probably more available, would make a good substitution.
At home I already had jarred pickled red peppers (Mama Lil’s, to add a bit of spice) and some spinach. I thought the spinach would hold up better than lettuce for a potluck salad.
The vegetables I chose are merely suggestions. You can use whatever appeals to you. My goal was to make a vegetable salad that would withstand sitting on the table for a few hours without having any ingredients spoil or wilt. If I were serving it right away, I might add chopped lettuce, cucumbers, and/or avocados.
For the dressing, I adapted Mark Bittman’s basic Lemon Vinaigrette from his How to Cook Everything cookbook. I wanted something simple that would spotlight the vegetables without overpowering them. It was a perfect match.
Simply add your favorite protein for a fantastic one-dish summertime meal!
This photo was one of Foodbuzz’ Top 9 for July 8, 2011!
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Chopped Salad
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Ingredients
An assortment of chopped fresh vegetables (8 – 10 cups for a large salad, less if serving fewer people) Suggested vegetables: Cauliflower, jicama, grape tomatoes, radishes, carrots, sugar snap peas, corn, yellow pepper
Pickled red peppers, to taste
Pitted Niçoise or kalamata olives
Chopped spinach or lettuce
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1. Chop everything into bite-sized pieces and put in a large bowl. I like to thinly slice the cauliflower.
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Carrots, white and yellow corn, sugar snap peas, and radishes
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Added to the bowl: Niçoise olives, yellow pepper, jicama (peeled and chopped), grape tomatoes (quartered), cauliflower (thinly sliced) and Mama Lil’s Peppers
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2. Toss with some Lemon Rosemary Vinaigrette (recipe below).
3. Taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper if needed.
4. Toss in some chopped spinach or lettuce, if desired.
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Lemon Rosemary Vinaigrette
(Adapted from Mark Bittman’s vinaigrette recipe in How to Cook Everything)
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon minced rosemary
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (I needed 2 lemons)
1 clove garlic, pressed
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1. Mix the zest, salt, rosemary and juice. While whisking constantly, slowly add the oil in a stream until emulsion forms. (Or do as I did, and put everything in a Blender Bottle and shake!)
2. Taste to adjust salt.
Rosemary Mustard Grilled Chicken Breasts
I’m sure Rosemary Mustard Grilled Chicken Breasts would be appreciated at any 4th of July get-together. After a few hours in an easy-to-make marinade, boneless chicken breasts are quick to grill. The result is chicken that is flavorful and not overcooked and dry.
The recipe is from Kalyn’s Kitchen. Kalyn writes that it is one of the most requested recipes on her blog, and I can see why. It’s so easy and it tastes great! In the summer, all you need is a big salad to accompany the grilled chicken.
I cut Kalyn’s recipe in half and made just 4 chicken breasts, but you can certainly double it to make 8. Kalyn says the Spike seasoning is optional, so you can leave it out. I omitted the celery seed; if you want to add it, use ½ teaspoon.
Kalyn advocates trimming the chicken breasts for grilling so they are about the same thickness overall. She also cuts slices into them at about ½-inch intervals when she’s using a marinade. The slices enable the marinade to more thoroughly penetrate the chicken, and they also help the breasts cook more evenly. I had never tried this method before but it seems to work quite well.
I found that my chicken was perfectly cooked after just 11 minutes on my gas grill, which was a much shorter time than Kalyn’s recommended 25 minutes. Timing will depend on the thickness of the chicken breasts and the heat of your grill. I use a meat thermometer to insure that the internal temperature has reached a safe 165˚.
Rosemary Mustard Grilled Chicken Breasts is definitely a recipe I’ll be making again! Next time, though, I’ll give the chicken more time to marinate. They were very good, but I think a few extra hours in the marinade would have made them even better!
Happy 4th of July!
Rosemary Mustard Grilled Chicken Breasts
(Adapted from a recipe on Kalyn’s Kitchen)
Serves 4
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Marinade:
¼ cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh garlic, pressed
1½ tablespoons minced fresh rosemary (or 1 tablespoon dried)
½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1½ teaspoons Spike Seasoning (optional)
1. Combine the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl or measuring cup.
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2. Trim the tenders from the chicken breasts. If the breasts have thin, narrow tips, trim them off, too. You can save the trimmings to make chicken broth.
3. Cover the breasts with wax paper and pound the thicker side. (I just used my fist to flatten them a bit.)
4. Make slices in the chicken breasts at about ½-inch intervals.
5. Put the chicken breasts in a Ziploc bag and add the marinade. Distribute the marinade around the chicken as evenly as possible.
6. Refrigerate the chicken for at 6 – 8 hours, turning the bag over occasionally during the day. (I actually only marinated mine for about 4½ hours and it was still good!)
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Ready to grill
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7. If using a gas grill, turn it on high to heat up for about 10 minutes.
8. Turn the heat to medium and grill the chicken, slit side down, for about 6 minutes.
9. Turn the chicken breasts over to cook for an additional 5 minutes.
10. Using an instant meat thermometer, check to make sure the internal temperature is 165˚.
11. When done, remove to a platter, cover with foil, and let the chicken rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
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A Weekend Getaway to Zillah
When summer is slow to arrive in Seattle, Bob and I sometimes head to the east side of the Cascades where it’s almost guaranteed to be hot and dry in June. This spring has been especially cool, so we went to Zillah for a one-night getaway.
The first stop of our trip was just 2½ miles from home. We had lunch (actually, for us it was an 11:00 brunch) at Zippy’s Giant Burgers. Zippy’s first opened on May 1, 2008 in West Seattle, but they found a larger space in White Center. They closed for a few months this spring to remodel the new space causing many of their loyal fans to go into a Zippy burger withdrawal. They reopened on May 31 and were so swamped on their first five days back in business that they had to close on June 5 because they ran out of food! Presumably they have learned to order more supplies. We are glad that they are now even closer to us.
At Zippy’s the chuck is freshly ground each day and the beefy flavor of their burgers is what makes them so fantastic. I usually get the Zip Burger w/cheese, which is a classic. I have also tried their house-made Black Bean Burger, and it is the best vegetarian burger I have ever tasted! Saturday I decided to try something different so I ordered the No. 11. The No. 11 features Mama Lil’s Kick Butt Peppers (new to me, locally grown and pickled peppers that are my new obsession), chipotle mayonnaise, lettuce, and Monterrey jack and smoked cheddar cheese. Perfection on a bun! This was easily my favorite meal of the weekend!
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Zippy’s fantastic No. 11
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After our burgers we headed to I-90 to make the 2½ hour journey over Snoqualmie Pass to Zillah.
The weather in the Yakima Valley did not disappoint. It was perfect – sunny, temperatures in the upper 70s and no humidity. It’s always a nice dry heat in eastern Washington.
Zillah is about 20 miles southeast of Yakima and is right in the heart of the Yakima Valley’s fruit and wine country. The climate is perfect for growing fruit, and the surrounding land is full of beautiful orchards and vineyards. With several cherry festivals on the calendar, we should have been able to find some at the fruit stands, but the season is a bit slow on the east side, too. The cherries appeared to be almost ripe on the trees, but it will probably be a week or two before they’re ready.
I learned from the Yakima Valley Visitor Guide in our hotel room that Zillah was named for Miss Zillah Oakes. Her father was the president of the Northern Pacific Railway. Zillah “would scream and cry on the way to the new town”. Her father promised to name the town after her if she stopped. I guess she did.
If you want fancier accommodations, you’ll probably be happier in Yakima, which is much a much larger town with a lot more options. We’ve always been happy being out in the middle of nowhere out in the country in Zillah. The Comfort Inn has all that we need; it’s clean, quiet, and has comfortable beds.
After checking in we went out on our tour of the wineries. For the most part, the people at the wineries in this area are very approachable and unpretentious. Tasting the different varieties of wine and learning a bit about how the grapes are grown is a great way to learn more about wines.
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We went first to one of our favorite wineries, Portteus. Portteus is family-owned. It was started by Paul Portteus; his adult children are now helping to run it as well. We were happy to find Paul pouring at the tasting bar on Saturday; it’s really fun to chat with him. He noticed Bob’s NW Explorations shirt so we talked about cruising in the Pacific Northwest as well as about Portteus wines. We really enjoyed the 2009 Bistro Red. The price was so reasonable that we bought a case of it, along with a couple of bottles of 2008 Malbec.
After Portteus, we followed the google map I had printed to find some other wineries in the area. There were a couple of them that we went into that just didn’t click with us for one reason or another, so we left without tasting. Two others that we did enjoy, though, were Tanjuli and Knight Hill.
Tanjuli was new to us and was a great discovery. There wines are a little pricier than our usual, but they were luscious. The one we loved, and apparently it is very popular with their fans, is the 2006 Petit Verdot. Here’s the description on their website: It’s a “bold, full bodied red that demands bold, full flavored foods”. We couldn’t leave without a couple of bottles. I will have to research to find the perfect meal to pair with it.
Knight Hill Winery is one of the newer wineries in the area, but the owners, Anne and Terry Harrison, are not new to the Yakima valley. After retiring from a career in farming they decided to start the winery. They grow some of the Syrah and Cab Franc grapes that they use, but purchase most of their grapes from other growers. Although it’s a lot of work to operate a winery, they are enjoying it. We thoroughly enjoyed talking with them and bought 3 bottles of their 2008 Dry Riesling.
Knight Hill Winery
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When we were done with our winery tours, we returned to the hotel to take the wines inside (you don’t want to leave wine in a hot car) and it was then time to think about dinner.
One reason we had always enjoyed staying in Zillah was the fact that it was home to our favorite Mexican restaurant and tortilla factory, El Ranchito. The food was authentic and excellent, and we always felt as if we had been transported to Mexico. Sadly, the restaurant and factory closed 3 or 4 years ago after having been in operation for about 50 years.
Without El Ranchito, the dining options in Zillah are limited. El Porton is right next door to the Comfort Inn. Apparently it is one of 4 restaurants. The other 3 El Porton restaurants are in Yakima. The online reviews for it were quite good and there was a large crowd on Saturday night. It may have fantastic food, but the décor and the menu seemed too much like any upscale Mexican chain in Seattle. We decided to venture out to find something else.
Three miles away is the town of Toppenish; with a population of about 9,000, it is larger than Zillah. It’s located entirely in the Yakama Indian Nation. (The “Yakama” spelling was reintroduced in 1994 to return to the original spelling.) The town is proud of its Native American and Western heritage and is known for the 73 murals throughout the town that depict scenes from its history.
We decided to try Villasenor’s Mexican restaurant in Toppenish. I had a “small” plate with one tamale and a chicken enchilada. It included refried beans and rice, so it was plenty of food. Bob had the Chile Verde with refried beans, rice, and corn tortillas. You can watch the excellent corn tortillas being made at the front of the restaurant. Our dinners were very good, but we still miss El Ranchito.
After dinner we went into a Mexican bakery down the street called El Porvenir to buy some bolillos (Mexican crusty rolls) for the picnic we were planning for Sunday. The bakery was just like one you would find in Mexico. There were all kinds of sweet treats, but we just bought 2 bolillos. After a quick trip to the grocery store in Zillah for salami, cheese, mustard, and bottled water, we were all set for a picnic lunch for our drive home.
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The first thing on the agenda the next day was to find breakfast. Now, if El Ranchito were still in business, that is where we would have gone just as we had done in the past. We had to find a new place. We packed our cooler with our picnic lunch, checked out of the hotel and headed out.
I had seen a full-page ad in the Yakima Valley Visitor Guide for The Branding Iron Restaurant in Toppenish. They’re open 24 hours and they have a large breakfast menu. It sounded like a good local place to try.
The Branding Iron definitely felt like a piece of Americana. Inside, it looked like a typical ‘50s or ‘60s diner; I think it has been the way that it is today for decades. A friendly waitress took our orders. Bob ordered the pork steak and eggs. The pork steak was about the size of his head! I tried it and it was cooked perfectly. I had basic eggs, hash browns and an English muffin.
For our return trip we took Highway 97 through the farmland until it joined back in with Interstate 82 just south of Yakima. We took Highway 12 through Naches and then continued on 410 towards Chinook Pass.
Highway 410 goes along the American River. We pulled over and found a spot for our picnic lunch. Before eating, Bob had to try fly fishing. The rivers were all running pretty high from the record snowfall over the winter. Bob didn’t expect to have any luck, and he didn’t. But he did get a line wet!
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The American River
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Fisherman Bob ready to go
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Getting a line wet
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While Bob was fishing, I took pictures of flowers
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When Bob was finished fishing, we sat on some of the numerous shopping bags that I keep in my car (Note to self: bring a tarp next time!) and started to make sandwiches with the bolillos when the black ants arrived. They are fairly large and they are biters! We quickly gathered up our lunch and ate in the car. We still had a view of the river and the nice breeze blowing through the car.
After lunch we headed for the pass. We were amazed at how much snow is still left. It was definitely 12 feet deep at one point. When we reached the summit we parked and got out to look around. There were so many people who had come to see and play in the snow. We met one man from Seattle who had just finished hiking to the top and skiing down. He said he found some fantastic snow! The area really looked like a winter scene, although the temperature was probably in the 60s.
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Snow at Chinook Pass, June 26!
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A man from Seattle who had just hiked up and skied down
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This is June?
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Back in the car, we headed down into western Washington where it was getting cloudy. Today in Seattle, the day after getting home, it’s 67 and raining. I really do like living in Seattle, but it is nice to escape to the great summer weather in eastern Washington.
Boston!
I know…. It’s been awhile since I’ve posted a recipe. An end-of-the-year 7-week gig as a substitute teacher in a kindergarten class kept me very busy until the last day of school on June 17. I relied on quick and easy recipes that are already posted on my blog.
The day after school got out I went to Boston for a few days. If you’re planning a visit to Boston, you may find this post interesting. If not, I promise I’ll be back in the kitchen soon to try something new!
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Last summer, after graduating from Pomona College, Carrie moved to Boston. Last Saturday, I finally had a chance to visit her. I was excited to see her, and I was excited to explore Boston since I had never been there before.
My sister, Joan, joined me on the trip. After going through security at Sea-Tac Airport, we stopped at Kathy Casey’s Dish D’Lish for some food to take on the flight. We both got a cup of the couscous salad which turned out to be a great choice. It was surprisingly filling and loaded with great flavor with chickpeas, nuts, and fruit.
Boston has a great public transportation system, so on our arrival we took the bus from Logan Airport to the South Station in downtown Boston. Carrie met us there and joined us as we continued on to our hotel.
After checking in, we headed to Cambridge to see Carrie’s apartment and then it was time to find dinner. I remembered the favorable review of Garden at the Cellar that Jen of Tiny Urban Kitchen had written. The restaurant was only 2 short blocks from Carrie’s apartment so we decided to try it.
There were so many interesting appetizers and small plates at Garden at the Cellar! We had a hard time choosing, but finally settled on Bacon Wrapped Dates, Crispy Lobster Tempura, Char Grilled Baby Octopus, Seared Scallops, and the Rosemary-Truffle Fries. Everything was great, but I especially loved the lobster and the fries. Although the restaurant didn’t seem too busy for a Saturday night, we noticed that the downstairs bar was packed. It’s apparently a very popular place for a drink and something to eat from the bar menu.
After dinner, we walked to Harvard Square to go to Grendel’s Den, a popular place for inexpensive food and drinks. We had an after-dinner drink, talked about plans for the next day, and then called it a night.
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On Sunday we met Carrie at her apartment and then headed to Zoe’s for breakfast. What a fantastic breakfast spot! There were so many choices on the menu; Carrie loves the Sweet Potato Pancakes. I decided to keep it simple, though, and chose eggs with homefries and an English muffin.
Our first activity was a stop at the Boston Public Garden where we saw the famous Swan Boats and the statues of the ducklings from Robert McCloskey’s Make Way for Ducklings. It was a beautiful day and Father’s Day, so there were many families enjoying the park.
Swan Boat at Boston Public Garden
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Joan and me and an anonymous father and child – Make Way for Ducklings on Father’s Day
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Next we headed to The Boston Common to walk The Freedom Trail. It winds through Boston and takes you to many of the historic sites in the city. Some of the highlights for me were:
The State House, which is called the “New State House” by Bostonians. During our visit it was decorated with a large banner congratulating the Stanley Cup Champions – the Boston Bruins. The Bruins had just days earlier defeated the Vancouver Canucks in game 7 of the championship.
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The Granary Burying Ground is where many famous Bostonians are buried, including Paul Revere and Mother Goose (Mary Goose) who died at the age of 42 in 1690.
The small marker on the right marks Paul Revere’s grave.
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The grave of Mother Goose
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The Old State House was originally the seat of the British government, but before the Revolution it became the Commonwealth’s first capitol building. It is from this building that the Declaration of Independence was read to the people. Today it is surrounded by the modern buildings of downtown Boston.
(To my fellow Seattleites – doesn’t the white tower on the left look like our own Smith Tower?)
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We walked to the Boston Harbor where I had hoped to see the USS Constitution (“Old Ironsides”), but she was not in port when we were there. Next time.
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At this point on the Freedom Trail we were in North Boston, which is a large Italian neighborhood. There are many Italian restaurants, but we chose to have lunch at Neptune Oyster. Our mission was to try their lobster rolls after reading about them in a Gourmet article from 2008. They don’t take reservations so a wait is not unusual. On Sunday (Father’s Day) we were told the wait would be 1½ hours. They took my cell phone number and we headed off to explore some more of The Freedom Trail.
Since we had to wait so long for lunch, we decided to have dessert first. We made a quick stop in Modern Pastry Shop (which Carrie likes better than the more famous Mike’s) and got cannoli to go. We found a bench at the nearby Paul Revere Mall and ate our cannoli by the statue of Paul Revere on horseback. After our dessert break we headed to The Old North Church.
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The Old North Church was Paul Revere’s destination on his midnight ride on April 18, 1775. From the steeple, he hung two lanterns to let the patriots know that the British were arriving by boats on the Charles River. (“One if by land, two if by sea” – Longfellow) The interior is quite beautiful. It is painted white and the pews are divided into individual family boxes. Today The Old North Church is an active Episcopal Church.
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We decided to head back towards Neptune Oyster. When we were less than a block away my cell phone rang. Our table was ready!
I was tempted to try one of the many varieties of raw oysters that they have, but I knew I would have plenty of food with the lobster roll. Carrie, who doesn’t like mayonnaise, ordered the “Connecticut-style” warm roll with melted butter. I ordered the cold roll, Joan ordered the warm roll, and we split them. The cold, traditional roll was very good, indeed. It was just lobster, and lots of it, tossed with just a bit of mayonnaise and served in a brioche roll. We all agreed, though, that we liked the warm lobster roll best. It was incredible! People around us were ordering other things from the menu and everything looked fantastic. I highly recommend Neptune Oyster if you’re ever in Boston.
After lunch we headed to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Isabella Stewart (1840 – 1924) was from New York City. She married John Lowell Gardner, Jr., who was from Boston, in 1860. Isabella and Jack, as he was known, travelled the world and loved art; in 1891 Isabella inherited a fortune from her father and she and her husband used the money to collect art. They planned a building to house the art, but Jack died in 1898. Isabella completed the project and she moved in to the 4th floor (not open to the public) in 1901. In 1903 she opened the museum to the public. Isabella decided how the art should be displayed in the museum; in her will she stipulated that everything should remain as it was and that nothing could be identified by labels. I thoroughly enjoyed visiting this unusual museum. The building, with its beautiful courtyard, is as fascinating as the art that it houses.
As we were walking out of the museum, Carrie got a call from her friend, Mairead. She and her mom were just pulling up across the street from the museum to meet us. We had planned this rendezvous, and the timing was perfect! I had met Mairead in Italy when she and Carrie were studying abroad, and again at Pomona College where they went to school. I was excited to meet Mary Kate! She generously let Carrie stay with them in Andover when Carrie first moved to the Boston area. Carrie lived with them for about a month while she found a job and then an apartment in Cambridge. She is Carrie’s “Massachusetts Mom”. Plus we have the same name! We’re both Mary Kathleens!
Carrie, Joan, and I hopped in their car and we headed to Brookline where we went to J.P. Licks, a local “homemade ice cream café” that features their own roasted coffee as well as their ice cream. They have several locations in the Boston area and are very popular. I was still too full from lunch to try the ice cream, but I had an excellent iced coffee latte. Carrie’s boyfriend, Rhett, who lives in Brookline, took a brief break from work to meet us.
After our coffee/ice cream break, Mary Kate took us on a bit of a driving tour around Brookline, Allston, and as far west as Boston College. It was fun to see some of the neighboring areas of Boston. We ended up back at Carrie’s apartment to relax and visit before Mary Kate and Mairead headed back to Andover. It was so great to finally have a chance to meet Mary Kate, and it was fun to see Mairead again.
Dinner Sunday night was at one of Carrie and Rhett’s favorite Italian restaurants in North Boston, Ristorante Limoncello, and Rhett was able to meet us there for dinner. It was excellent! I thoroughly enjoyed the Taglionini al Limoncello, which was fresh homemade pasta with shrimp and a tasty tomato cream sauce. Carrie enjoyed her Rosette al Montasio ed Olio di Tartufo (pasta with Montasio cheese, prosciutto, and white truffle oil). Joan had the homemade cheese ravioli with a flavorful tomato sauce, and Rhett chose a stuffed pork chop that looked terrific! Dinner at Ristorante Limoncello was the perfect end to a full day.
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Monday morning we met Carrie and headed off to the Central Square Flour in Cambridge for breakfast. I had heard of Flour, and I thought the Cambridge location was the original. I learned from the website, though, that Joanne Chang opened her first Flour in South Boston; the Cambridge restaurant is her third location. If you are in Boston, I highly recommend Flour for a breakfast or lunch stop. Everything looked so good! There were sweet and savory choices in the morning. For lunch there are several sandwiches to choose from. Carrie says the cookies are addictive. I chose the sticky bun and a latte for my breakfast. It was, without a doubt, the best sticky bun I’ve ever had! I’m really not much of a yeast baker, but I have requested Chang’s Flour cookbook from the library (there’s a waiting list here in Seattle) and it may be one I have to add to my own cookbook library. The sticky buns are featured on the cover!
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I had eaten almost half of the sticky bun before I thought to take a picture!
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Our plan after breakfast was to take the Red Line and then transfer to the Green Line to go to Boston University where Carrie will be starting graduate school in September. When we got there, though, we heard that an elderly man had fallen on the tracks and the Red Line was shut down. (We were glad to learn later that he had been rescued and was recovering in a hospital.) So we walked through the MIT campus and across the Boston University Bridge to BU’s campus. It was a bit of a hike, but it was interesting to see some of the MIT buildings.
Boston University is a large private research university with over 31,000 students. It is the fourth largest employer in Boston. Carrie’s personal university world, however, all lies just east of the Boston University Bridge.
We first stopped in the George Sherman Union, the student union which is quite attractive inside with several restaurants in the food court for a quick meal or a cup of coffee. It was here that we learned that BU’s Boston terrier mascot is named Rhett.
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Mugar Memorial Library, the main campus library, is right next to George Sherman Union. Just a few steps east of the library is the College of Arts and Sciences where Carrie will be taking her graduate courses in Art History.
College of Arts and Sciences
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It was a beautiful afternoon, so we checked out the “beach” behind the College of Arts and Sciences. There was no sand to be found, but it is a nice park-like area overlooking the Charles River. Carrie commented that grassy areas by water are often called beaches in Boston. We enjoyed sitting on a bench in the shade and watching the crazy squirrels.
After a walk through Carrie’s graduate school building it was time to start thinking about lunch! (It’s all about the food.)
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We headed to The Publick House in Brookline. For some reason, macaroni and cheese is a big deal in Boston. Carrie said it’s featured on a lot of menus. She especially likes the “award-winning” mac and cheese at The Publick House, so I was looking forward to trying it. Alas, it is not open for lunch. We must have had bewildered “where now?” looks on our faces because a man passing by said, “Try The Abbey across the street!”
The Abbey appears to be a relatively new restaurant. The interior was quite nice and we were greeted by good smells when we walked in. The waitress informed us that they were out of the burgers and the chicken sandwiches, which seemed a bit odd at 1:00, but there were plenty of other choices on the menu. Joan chose the smoked cod fritters and arugula salad from the Small Plates and Appetizers. Carrie went for the spicy tomato bisque and grilled cheese Panini. I was actually in a burger mood, so I settled for the 4 oz. filet mignon sandwich with crispy shallots, horseradish aioli and hand-cut French fries. It was so good that I was glad I hadn’t been able to order the burger. The steak was tender and cooked to perfection. The fries were outstanding and there were plenty to share with Joan and Carrie.
At this point we decided it was a good idea to go back to Carrie’s apartment for an afternoon rest before going to Fenway for a Red Sox game! Joan and I actually took short naps.
After a short walk around Harvard Square we went to Rhett’s office building in the Coolidge Corner area of Brookline to get our Red Sox tickets. Since he had to work a bit longer, he would meet us at Fenway.
After iced coffee and iced tea at Finagle-a-Bagel we boarded a very crowded Green Line train. Besides being the train to take to Fenway, it was rush hour. Fortunately, it was a short ride.
Dinner was, of course, kielbasa on a bun with onions, peppers, and mustard from one of the vendors just outside of the stadium. Bob is still talking about the kielbasa he had at Fenway when he visited Carrie in April. He calls it the best “hot dog” he ever had…. In his life…. I don’t think I could have gone home if I hadn’t tried one. It was actually very good and substantial enough to be a filling dinner. We ate it standing up watching the Red Sox fans stream by.
Once inside the stadium I could see why it’s a favorite. The small size makes it feel much more intimate than most baseball stadiums. I felt close to the action even though we were in the bleachers behind the outfield. For the most part, the advertisements in the stadium are subtly painted signs. The weather was perfect, and it was a great baseball experience! I cheered for the Red Sox (since they weren’t playing the Mariners), we joined in singing “Sweet Caroline” just before the bottom of the 8th, and the Sox beat the Padres 14 to 5.
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After the game we walked away from Fenway to find a less crowded spot for buses, trains, and taxis. We bid adieu to Rhett, and walked to a spot where Carrie could catch her bus. Since we had an early morning flight, we said our goodbyes to Carrie, and Joan and I got a taxi back to our hotel.
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Our trip to Boston was too short, but we crammed a lot into a couple of days. I’m looking forward to my next visit to see more!
Mandarin Orange Cake
If you want a super-easy cake that people will rave about, Mandarin Orange Cake is the recipe for you! This is the cake to make when you’re in charge of taking a dessert to a potluck event. It’s easy to make, it travels well, and everyone is crazy about it!
Mandarin Orange Cake will not be the most beautiful cake at the party, but its homely looks are quickly forgotten as soon as people taste it. It really is that good! The mandarin oranges are the “secret” ingredient…they are not detectable in the finished cake.
My family got the recipe from the The Arboretum Restaurant in Chaska, MN. My mom enjoyed having lunch there in the ‘70s; she either got the recipe from the restaurant, or it may have been published in the Minneapolis paper.
Last weekend I made half of the recipe for Laura’s birthday and I baked it in a 9-inch round cake pan. An 8×8-inch square pan would have worked equally well. The full recipe is baked in a 9×13-inch pan.
Mandarin Orange Cake
(Adapted from a recipe from The Arboretum Restaurant in Chaska, MN)
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Makes a 9×13-inch cake (cut the ingredients in half to make a 9-inch round or an 8×8-inch square cake)
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For a 9×13-inch cake:
2 cups flour (240 g)
2 eggs
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups drained mandarin oranges (two 11-oz cans)
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1. Preheat oven to 350˚ and grease the cake pan.
2. Combine all of the cake ingredients in a bowl and beat with a mixer until well blended, about 3 or 4 minutes. Pour into a greased 9×13-inch pan.
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Half of the recipe in a 9-inch round pan
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3. Bake for 35 minutes. When the cake is almost done, make the glaze.
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For the Glaze: (This is for a 9×13 inch cake; cut in half for a half cake)
1½ cups brown sugar
6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons milk
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Combine the glaze ingredients in a saucepan and boil for 3 minutes. Poke holes in the hot cake and ladle the hot glaze onto it until all of the glaze has been used.
Hot brown sugar and butter glaze
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Pouring the hot glaze over the hot cake
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Ready to eat!
Joan’s Eggs
Joan’s Eggs is a fantastic breakfast casserole! It couldn’t be easier and everyone seems to enjoy it. I’ve been making Joan’s Eggs for almost 30 years and it’s always well-received. It would be a great choice for a Mother’s Day brunch!
It’s actually best if it’s assembled the day before and then baked the next morning. Last weekend I made it in the morning and baked it right away. It was very good, but I discovered that it really does have a better custardy consistency if it is allowed to sit overnight before baking.
I got the recipe years ago from a close friend who happens to be named Joan; she claims, however, that it is not named after her. In my mind, though, it’s her recipe and whenever I make it I always think of our friend, Joan.
This recipe makes 4 servings. Double the ingredients and bake it in a 9×13-inch pan to serve 8.
Joan’s Eggs, baked and ready to be cut for brunch:
Joan’s Eggs
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Serves 4 (double the ingredients and bake in a 9×13-inch pan to serve 8 people)
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4 slices white bread (crusts removed, buttered)
4 eggs
1 cup milk
½ pound cheddar or jack cheese, grated, or a combination of both
½ teaspoon dry mustard
½ teaspoon basil
½ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon cayenne
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1. Tear the bread into small pieces and place in a greased 8×8-inch casserole.
2. Beat eggs, milk, seasonings, and cheese together. Pour over the bread.
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3. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
The next morning:
4. Take the casserole out of the refrigerator and preheat oven to 350˚.
5. Uncover the eggs and bake for 45 minutes.
Scotch Teas
How about a quick treat that’s perfect for tonight’s dessert or tomorrow’s lunch box? Scotch Teas are made with only 5 ingredients….and you probably already have them at home!
My mom used to make Scotch Teas when she wanted to make a quick cookie. I’m not sure of the exact origin of her recipe, but my notes say that it’s from a pre-1946 Better Homes & Gardens cookbook.
With butter, brown sugar, and rolled oats for the main ingredients, Scotch Teas deliver rich, delicious flavor for very little effort. Enjoy!
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Scotch Teas
(Adapted from one of my mom’s recipes, attributed to an old Better Homes & Gardens recipe)
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Makes 16 squares
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½ cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups rolled oats (regular oatmeal, not quick-cooking)
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
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1. Preheat the oven to 350˚.
2. Melt the butter in a pan.
3. Add the brown sugar, and stir until it is dissolved and well-blended.
4. Stir in the oats, salt, and baking powder.
5. Spread in an 8×8-inch baking pan.
6. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, until lightly browned.
7. Cool in the pan for about 15 minutes; cut into squares while still warm. Allow to cool completely before serving.
Boiled (or Steamed) Artichokes
One of the signs of spring is seeing large artichokes in the market! Some people may be intimidated by them, but they are actually very easy to prepare.
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Boiled artichoke with Mustard Sauce
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For years I have steamed artichokes because it seems that steaming is the method preferred by many chefs today. However, I recently read James Beard’s take on artichokes in his classic cookbook, American Cookery. Beard says, “Advocates of this method [steaming] say the vegetables taste better, but I am not convinced of this.”
So, in the interest of science, I recently tried both methods.
About a week ago I steamed a large artichoke. Kalyn, of Kalyn’s Kitchen recommends removing the choke before steaming, so I decided to try this. It worked pretty well, although the artichoke discolored fairly quickly where the choke had been removed. I peeled the long stem and also steamed it. The artichoke was very good served with some melted butter. The stem was also delicious. (Kalyn’s recipe also gives directions for pressure cooking artichokes. Be sure to check it out if you have a pressure cooker.)
Artichoke with choke removed, ready to be steamed
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Steaming the artichoke
First I cut off the top of the artichoke.
Steamed artichoke served with melted butter
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Yesterday, I decided to try boiling an artichoke, and I prepared it in the more traditional way.
First I cut off the top of the artichoke.
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I trimmed the leaves with scissors. Then I cut the long stem off and peeled it.
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Ready to boil
While doing all of this trimming, I had a large pot of water coming to a boil. When it was boiling, I added some vinegar and a bit of oil (as suggested in Sunset Fresh Produce). I added the artichoke and the stem and boiled for 45 minutes.
After boiling, I let the artichoke drain, upside down, for a few minutes.
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Artichokes are often served whole – one per person. It makes a great presentation, but then each diner has to deal with cutting out the choke when they get to it. That’s not really a big deal, but it is a bit messy at the table.
This artichoke was large enough to serve two, so I cut it in half and removed the choke just before serving. It makes it much easier to eat at the table. The choke is easily removed with a spoon.
Choke still in the half on the right; it’s removed from the half on the left
The stem of this artichoke was fibrous and inedible except for the very interior. I don’t think the difference was the cooking method; I think the second artichoke may have been a bit older.
So which method did I prefer? I actually found the boiled artichoke to be perhaps a bit tastier and a bit more tender. Maybe the vinegar and oil in the boiling water made a difference. It’s certainly an easier method for people who don’t have a large steaming pot. In the end, though, either method works.
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Boiled (or Steamed) Artichokes
(Adapted from ideas in James Beard’s American Cookery, Kalynskitchen.com, and Sunset Fresh Produce)
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Allow ½ – 1 artichoke per person.
¼ cup vinegar
2 tablespoons oil
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For serving:
Melted butter
And/or
Mustard Sauce – For 2 servings, combine 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, and ½ teaspoon vinegar.
1. Bring a large part of water to a boil. Add the vinegar and oil.
2. While the water is coming to a boil, prepare the artichoke(s). Cut the stem from the bottom of the artichoke so it will sit flat. Peel the stem.
3. Cut the top from the artichoke.
4. Trim the leaves with scissors.
5. When the water is boiling, add the prepared artichoke and stem. Boil for 45 minutes.
(Alternatively, steam the artichoke over boiling water for 45 minutes.)
6. Drain the artichoke, upside down, for a few minutes.
7. If desired, cut the artichoke in half and remove the choke.
8. Serve the artichoke and stem with melted butter or mustard sauce for dipping.
Pasta e Fagioli….or Pasta e Ceci
The ingredients in Arthur Schwartz’s recipe for Pasta e Fagioli in Naples at Table are very humble – beans and pasta are the main ingredients. When combined, however, as they are in this classic dish from Naples, they become a comforting meal that is full of flavor. It makes you think you are in an Italian trattoria.
The night before making it, I soaked some chickpeas and then cooked them the next day. Ready to prepare Pasta e Fagioli, I pulled out Naples at Table and realized that the recipe calls for cannellini beans, not chickpeas! Oops! I had so wanted to make a classic version of Pasta e Fagioli.
I turned to Frank Fariello’s excellent blog, Memorie de Angelina. Frank has a recipe for Pasta e Fagioli and he also uses cannellini beans. However, he points out in his notes that other beans can be used, and chickpeas are a wonderful choice! Yay! When made with chickpeas it is called Pasta e Ceci! That works for me!
You could use canned beans, although this is one recipe where cooking your beans really does make a difference. The cooked dried beans are much more tender than canned beans; they have a better texture for this dish. The chickpea broth from cooking the beans is so fantastically delicious – I can just eat it with a spoon. It contributes a lot to the excellence of this Pasta e Ceci. So…for the best flavor and texture, get dried beans and cook them.
At a typical meal in Italy, Pasta e Fagioli, or Pasta e Ceci, would be served as a Primo (first course) followed by the Secondo (the main course, usually featuring meat). At our house, though, it made a fantastic vegetarian dinner served with bread and a salad!
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Such a humble-looking dish, yet so delicious – Pasta e Ceci!
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Pasta e Fagioli, or Pasta e Ceci
(Adapted from a recipe in Naples at Table, by Arthur Schwartz)
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Serves 4
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¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus ¼ – ½ cup more to make the Hot Pepper Oil*
2 large cloves garlic, finely minced
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 canned and peeled plum tomatoes
½ teaspoon salt (perhaps a bit more if your tomatoes are unsalted)
2½ – 3 cups cooked cannellini beans or chickpeas, with enough of their cooking liquid to barely cover them
6 ounces large tubular pasta, like rigatoni, or ziti, penne, or ditali
Hot Pepper Oil, for serving
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Hot Pepper Oil
Break 1 or 2 dried hot chilies (any variety), seeds and all, into ¼ – ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil. Let soak for several hours.
Hot Pepper Oil
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Cooking the Beans
Makes almost 3 cups.
Put 1 cup cannellini beans or chickpeas in a large pot. Cover with water so there is at least 2 inches of water over the beans and soak overnight.
If you don’t want to soak them overnight, cover with water so there is at least 2 inches of water over the beans. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let them sit, covered, for 1 hour.
Drain the beans and cover with plenty of water again. Bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes. Lower the heat and simmer for 40 minutes. Add 1½ teaspoons salt and simmer until tender, 10–15 minutes more. (Optional: Add a sprig of rosemary when you add the salt. Remove when the beans are done.)
Drain the beans, reserving enough broth to cover them.
Cooked chickpeas, just covered with cooking broth
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Rigatoni and chickpeas ready to be transformed into Pasta e Ceci
Pasta e Ceci
1. Heat a large pot of water for the pasta.
2. Put the ¼ cup olive oil, garlic, and pepper flakes in a 2½ – 3 quart pan.
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3. When the garlic starts sizzling (don’t let it brown), crush the tomatoes into the pan with your hands. (Or cut the tomatoes up roughly and add them.)
Three canned tomatoes ready to be crushed into the pan
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4. Add the salt and simmer the tomatoes for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking up with the back of a wooden spoon, if necessary.
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5. Add the beans and their liquid, and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Using a spoon, smash a few of the beans against the side of the pan.
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6. While the beans are simmering, add a tablespoon of salt to the boiling water and cook the pasta until it is almost done. (My rigatoni box said to cook for 10 minutes; I cooked it for 8 minutes.)
7. When the pasta is done, reserve ½ cup of the cooking water and then drain the pasta. Add the pasta to the beans; stir and cook for about 2 minutes so the pasta can finish cooking and absorb some of the flavors. Add a bit of the reserved pasta water if it seems too dry.
8. Cover the pot, remove from the heat and let it sit for 5 – 10 minutes.
9. Serve and pass the Hot Pepper Oil at the table to drizzle on top of individual servings.
Molto squisito!! (Very delicious!)
Lamb Shanks Braised with Tomato
In all my years of cooking, I had never prepared lamb shanks. That’s kind of surprising to me because I do love lamb. I have now added lamb shanks to my repertoire; yesterday I made Cooking Light’s version of Lamb Shanks Braised with Tomato and it was fantastic!
I researched many recipes before deciding on this one. I liked its simplicity. I felt confident that a slow braise would marry the flavors together beautifully, and I was right! Although the ingredients are very simple, the sauce was incredibly flavorful after the long braise. Smashed Yukon gold potatoes made a great accompaniment, but polenta or pasta would be equally good.
Most recipes call for four 12-ounce lamb shanks. The ones I got at QFC were huge! They were 1½ pounds each, so I bought two for 4 servings. Smaller ones may have made a nicer presentation, but the large ones worked just fine.
The recipe called for 2 (14-ounce) cans of diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano. I’m not a big fan of seasoned canned tomatoes, so I substituted a large (28-ounce) can of Italian plum tomatoes. I cut them up and added my own garlic, salt (they were unsalted), basil, and oregano.
You could easily cut the recipe for Lamb Shanks Braised with Tomato in half if you just want 2 servings, but this is one of those recipes that tastes even better heated up later. You might as well cook the whole thing and savor the leftovers!
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Lamb Shanks Braised with Tomato
(Adapted from a December 2009 recipe from Cooking Light)
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Serves 4
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4 (12-ounce) (or two 1½ pound) lamb shanks
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
¾ cup dry red wine
2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano*
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
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*Or substitute for the seasoned tomatoes:
1 (28-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes and their juice (cut into small pieces)
½ teaspoon dried basil
2 cloves garlic, pressed
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt, if the canned tomatoes are unsalted
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These two lamb shanks are 1½ pounds each! That is huge, but to be fair I have to point out that this is a small baking sheet.
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1. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add a small amount of olive oil, just to cover the bottom of the pan.
2. Season the lamb with the ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper.
3. Put the lamb in the hot pot and brown on the first side for about 4 minutes.
4. Turn the lamb over and brown the second side for about 4 minutes.
5. Remove the lamb from the pan and add the minced garlic. Stir and sauté for about 15 seconds.
6. Add the wine, stirring to bring up any browned bits. Cook for about 2 minutes.
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7. Stir in the tomatoes (along with the seasonings if you are using unseasoned tomatoes) and cook for about 2 minutes.
8. Return the lamb to the pan. Spoon some of the sauce over it. Cover and reduce the heat so it is simmering. (I had to turn the burner down to the lowest setting and it was still simmering pretty vigorously.) Simmer for 1 hour.
9. Turn the lamb over and spoon some sauce over it. Simmer for 1 – 1½ hours more until the meat is very tender.
10. Remove the meat to a plate and cover with foil.
11. Skim some of the fat off of the sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil and boil for about 10 minutes, until it is reduced a bit and thickened.
12. Return the lamb to the sauce and cook for 3 or 4 minutes until it is heated.
13. Stir in the parsley and serve.
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Date-Nut Muffins
I love making goodies sweetened with pure maple syrup, maple sugar, or honey. Today I found a recipe for Date-Nut Muffins in The Laurel’s Kitchen Bread Book and decided to give them a try.
Of course, I did make a few substitutions. Instead of whole wheat pastry flour, I used King Arthur Unbleached White Whole Wheat Flour, and I substituted quick oats for the wheat germ because that’s what I had on hand. I processed the oats in my mini food processor for a few seconds so they were more like wheat germ in texture. The original recipe uses light molasses; I used grade B pure maple syrup instead.
I’m quite pleased with the way these muffins turned out! They’re subtly sweet; they taste like muffins, not like cupcakes! The amount of dates and nuts provide the perfect amount of interesting tidbits. And, for anyone who cares, each muffin has only 110 calories!
Muffins are so quick and easy to make….I don’t know why I don’t make them more often. They’re a perfect addition to a quick breakfast and are excellent for snacking. I like to put them in a freezer bag and freeze them so I can pull them out for a quick treat when I want one.
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Date-Nut Muffins
(Adapted from a recipe in The Laurel’s Kitchen Bread Book)
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Make 12 muffins
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1¼ cups white whole wheat flour (the weight is 150g for King Arthur flour)…………………….. …………..or 1¼ cups whole wheat pastry flour
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
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½ cup chopped dates
½ cup chopped nuts (I used pecans and almonds)
½ cup quick-cooking oats (processed until it resembles bran) or wheat germ or bran
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1 egg
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup (or light molasses)
2 tablespoons oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon lemon rind
¼ teaspoon allspice
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1. Preheat the oven to 375˚. Grease 12 muffin cups, or line them with cupcake papers.
2. Stir the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together in a medium bowl.
3. Stir in the dates, nuts, and oats.
4. Break the egg in a second medium bowl, and beat well.
5. Add the maple syrup, oil, buttermilk, lemon rind, and allspice to the egg and beat until everything is well-blended
6. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients; stir until just mixed.
7. Fill the muffin cups and bake for 18 – 20 minutes.
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A bit of butter never hurts…..
Kidney Beans and Rice (Rajma Chawal)
A few weeks ago I had never heard of Rajma Chawal (Kidney Beans and Rice), but today I offer you two versions of it! Both are delicious and I would happily make either one again.
I first learned of Rajma Chawal (pronounced “chavel”) when my sister mentioned she had tried, and liked, the recipe for Red Kidney Bean Curry on Smitten Kitchen. I still had some small red beans left from making Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice, so I used them to try the recipe.
I followed Deb’s recipe on Smitten Kitchen exactly as she had written it (with the exception of using small red beans instead of kidney beans). I used the full ¼ cup of chopped fresh ginger; she had suggested using half of that.
Our verdict on Deb’s recipe? It was delicious! We both really enjoyed it, although it was much milder than most curries that I make. It was very flavorful and makes a quick weeknight meal if you use 2 cans of kidney beans or have some beans already cooked. You’ll find the recipe here on Smitten Kitchen.
Red Kidney Bean Curry from Smitten Kitchen, made with small red beans and garnished with green onions
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Pleased with Deb’s recipe, I decided that it was definitely “blog-worthy”.
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Then, last week I got my copy of Vij’s at Home: Relax, Honey: The Warmth and Ease of Indian Cooking, by Vikram Vij and his wife, Meeru Dhalwala. I am such a fan of their first book, Vij’s: Elegant and Inspired Indian Cuisine and of their Vancouver restaurants, Vij’s and Rangoli, that I preordered Vij’s at Home last September as soon as I learned that it was going to be released this spring. I had kind of forgotten about it, so I was very pleasantly surprised when it arrived last week!
Vij’s at Home is a visually beautiful book, with lovely photos and friendly prose that makes you feel as if you are sitting with Vikram and Meeru at their dining room table talking about their food and the recipes. They take you into their home to introduce you to the Indian food they enjoy with their daughters. There’s a great introduction to Indian ingredients and they give suggestions for pairing wines with the food (Vikram is a certified sommelier).
There are recipes for seafood, poultry, and meats that look fantastic, but I found myself especially drawn to the vegetarian dishes. There are so many interesting recipes that are now on my “must try” list!
Looking through the book I discovered their recipe for Kidney Beans and Rice (Rajma Chawal)! I learned from their introduction to the recipe that kidney beans are very popular in India; Rajma Chawal is an Indian comfort food that is as well-loved in India as macaroni and cheese is in North America. Just as there are many versions of macaroni and cheese, there are many versions of Rajma Chawal. This recipe is Vikram and Meeru’s favorite version.
The ingredients are very similar to the ones that Deb used, but Vikram and Meeru use more of the spices. It definitely has more heat than the version on Smitten Kitchen.
I cooked a pound of dried kidney beans for the recipe, but Vikram and Meeru actually suggest using canned beans to make it quick and easy. They also say that you could use pinto beans if you prefer them to kidney beans.
If you enjoy beans, you’re in for a treat with Rajma Chawal! I highly recommend it. You can’t go wrong with either the Smitten Kitchen or the Vij’s at Home recipe. And I also recommend Vij’s at Home, if you’re looking for a new cookbook of inspiring Indian recipes to add to your collection!
Kidney Beans and Rice (Rajma Chawal) from Vij’s at Home
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Kidney Beans and Rice (Rajma Chawal)
(Adapted from the recipe in Vij’s at Home: Relax Honey: The Warmth and Ease of Indian Cooking, by Vikram Vij and Meeru Dhalwala)
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Serves 6 – 8
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½ cup cooking oil (I used light olive oil)
2 cups chopped onion (1 large)
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic (about 6 cloves)
2 tablespoons finely chopped ginger
1½ cups chopped tomatoes (3 medium) or 1 can (14.5 oz) chopped tomatoes, drained
1½ tablespoons mild Mexican chili powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cayenne
½ cup plain yogurt, stirred (optional)
3 cups water (more for a soupier curry)
3 cans (14-oz each) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
5 – 6 cups cooked rice, for serving
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1. Measure the chili powder, turmeric, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, and cayenne into a small bowl so the spices are ready to go.
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2. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.
3. Add the chopped onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is starting to turn light brown. This will take 8 – 10 minutes.
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4. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute.
5. Add the ginger, tomatoes, and the spices in the bowl to the pan. Cook, stirring this masala occasionally, for about 8 minutes, or until the oil has risen to the top.
Masala for Rajma Chawal
6. Put the yogurt in a bowl. Add about 3 tablespoons of the masala to the yogurt and stir well.
7. Add the yogurt combination to the pan. Cook for about 2 more minutes.
8. Add the water and the beans. Bring to a boil and cook for about 3 minutes.
9. Serve over rice.
Mom’s Rotisserie Chicken
Mom’s Rotisserie Chicken is a blast from the past – at least it is for me, my brothers, and my sister.
Back in the ‘60s my family lived in a suburb of Minneapolis (Edina, to be exact). Mom and Dad installed an outdoor grill powered by natural gas, and they grilled year-round. Mom did most of the grilling in the summer, but Dad would bundle up and go out in the snow in the dead of winter to grill steaks.
On Sundays, Mom would often go to early Mass, return home, and put a chicken or two in her marinade. (She often made two chickens. Our family of six would make short work of one of them and the other was used for leftovers.) When it was time to cook the chicken, she would put it on the rotisserie rod and cook it on the grill. It always cooked to a dark ebony color and was moist and flavorful. We called it Rotisserie Chicken and I never got tired of it.
Looks very much like Mom’s Rotisserie Chicken
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I recently found Mom’s hand-written recipe for the marinade and decided to give it a try.
I don’t have a rotisserie on my grill, but years ago Mom gave me an electric vertical rotisserie. It might have turned out a bit better on a grill, but my electric rotisserie produced a chicken that was the same dark ebony color that I remember, and it really was quite good.
Bob says that the rotisserie is kind of a pain to clean, but the chicken is excellent so it’s worth it!
In the rotisserie – the chicken is done!
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Mom’s Rotisserie Chicken
If you don’t have a rotisserie, you could marinate the chicken and roast it. I would put it on a rack so the skin can get crispy and start it breast-side-down at 425˚ for 20 – 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375˚; turn the chicken over and continue to roast until it is done. Timing will depend on the size of the chicken, but total time should be about 1½ – 2 hours for a 4 – 5 pound chicken.
1 chicken
½ cup dry sherry
½ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar (I used honey instead)
½ teaspoon garlic powder
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1. Combine all of the marinade ingredients.
I used my Blender Bottle to mix the marinade. It’s super fast. When finished, just put some hot water and detergent in it and shake to clean (as shown in photo). Mom would have loved this simple gadget!
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2. Put the chicken in a large zip-loc bag and pour in the marinade. Refrigerate for 6 – 8 hours, turning the chicken over occasionally during the day.
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3. Cook the chicken on a rotisserie according to the manufacturer’s directions, or roast it in the oven (see note at the beginning of the recipe).
Ready to roast in the rotisserie:
My 5.5 pound chicken took 1 hour and 50 minutes in my electric rotisserie.
