Call Me Donkey

I have a guilty pleasure.  I know, I say it like I have just one *pfft*, but I'm open about this one.  It's a pleasure I do not deny myself and I won't hide it.  I'm not ashamed of it.  I heart Gordon Ramsey.  I have a friend who despises him, for what reason I do not know, but I suppose it's fair.  He's not everyone's cup of tea.  He is, for me, one of two chefs that I adore purely for their unabated love for taking simple, fresh ingredients and turning them into masterpieces.  Since returning home to Canada, I have taken my kitchen by storm; whirling around trying any new recipe I can get my hands on, however simple or challenging.  I believe this has taught me to take a second look at what we're putting in our mouths and make sure it counts.  I want it to be healthy.  And I want it to be good.  Damn good.

And so, in my foodie blog surfing, cookbook page flipping, and chef-driven boob-tube addiction (I don't remember that last time I watched something on television that wasn't related to food, unless my husband has the remote, and then there's usually a ball and a ref involved), I have found a few dishes here and there that piqued my interest.

Gordon Ramsey's Beef Wellington has been one of them.  I've seen him make it a thousand times on Hell's Kitchen.  And I've loved watching him call the innocent, doe-eyed dude a donkey when it comes out wrong.  It can't be that hard, can it?  Then, I got Ramsey's iPhone app.  Lo and behold, the Wellington was an item, with video thank you my dear chef Ramsey, that you could take a crack at if you had the balls to attempt the 'expertise' level recipe.  It was with great excitement and slight trepidation that I made up my mind to master this Wellington.  I would not be called a fat cow by the man.

And so it began.  I followed all of his tips.  Watched all of his techniques.  And had a good go at it.  

Ramsey calls for the sirloin to be wrapped in mushrooms and proscuitto.  Check.

Sirloin seared and resting.  Water sauteed out of the mushrooms and cooled.  Proscuitto on the plastic wrap, mushrooms down, sirloin ready.  What is all of the hullabaloo about?  

And wrapped!  Now for the puff pastry.

Now I suppose I was feeling a little confident at this point, how could I not?  It was lookin' good.  Ramsey called for the puff pastry to be rolled out to the thickness of a £1 coin, which lets face it, I don't really know how thick that is.  Is that like a Loonie?  A Twoonie?  Maybe a quarter?  Eff.  Let's just wing it... that's what I do, right?  Pastry rolled, sirloin wrapped, wellington egg-washed, and into the oven it went.

I have to confess that I although I wasn't feeling totally cocksure about my Wellington, I was, let's say, feeling upbeat.  I had done it (so far) without any major hiccups and was happy I could deliver a good result.  After 35 minutes in 350ºF, I popped it out, and let it rest like a good girl should.

Not to shabby right?  

As I sliced into the, what looked to be pretty perfect Wellington, I was feeling hopeful.  Could I really have done it on my first try?

It turns out, the hardest part of the damn dish was cutting it with the precision of a ninja on a dark starry night.  

The puff pastry flaked away, shifted, was a mangled mess.  It looked as if I had maimed it with a kid's beach toy instead of my new, fancy knives.  Looking at the puffy, meaty mess, I felt injured.  It happened.  I had failed.  It tasted delicious but looked like a pile of discombobulated meaty delicacy.  Had Ramsey been in my kitchen, he would have called me a stupid donkey and thrown a fork at me.  I would have deserved it.

I have resolved to try it again.  I was convinced, by the sheer taste alone, that I could do better.  I had to.  And I think I even know what my nemesis was: £1 coin puff pastry.

Anyone have a £1?  Wellington, you will not defeat me.

'Tis the Season to Eat Leftovers

As we all step boldly into the New Year with fresh resolutions and hearts floating on the fluffy, thick high that comes from the thought of new beginnings, most of us are also pondering what we just don't need anymore.  Let's call it a little more reflection.  Say, that bad habit you've been meaning to crack, or that daily extra-hot-quad-shot-skinny-minny-upside-down-inside-out-round-and-round-*gasp*-venti-extra-whip-caramel-macchiato, or heck, why not that miniature hippopotamus that surreptitiously crawled under your belly when you were preoccupied with sugarplums dancing in your head.

Or it may just be that leftover turkey lounging in the back of your fridge that you've be gazing at, wondering how you could possibly eat more turkey.  Boy howdy, do I have the solution for you!

 

Turkey and Leek Pie 

 

Inspired by Jamie Oliver during the standard New Year's Day recuperation period, it's as yummy as it sounds.  And simple to boot!  With all of 6 ingredients (sans seasoning of course), it not only used up our leftover turkey, it turned it into something I would consider making turkey in the middle of June... just for this pie. 

 

With a quick throw-together of onion, garlic, bacon, leeks, turkey, and stock... the savory, gooey mess topped with flaky puff pastry, was deeeelish!  Ok, so maybe puff pastry doesn't fall into the 'healthy beginnings' that often accompany blossoming resolutions, but it was worth the extra exercise.  And well, if you're hell bent on bein' good... you could substitute the puff for mash or leave it off altogether, but it wouldn't really be a pie then would it?

I can't say I really measured anything as I made this recipe.  I sort of just grabbed the leftovers and made them by bitch.  So start by preheating your oven to 375°F.  Snip half a package of bacon into a large pot on a medium heat.  Drain most of the grease off before adding approximately 3 or 4, depending on their size and how much turkey you have, prepped leeks (washed, trimmed; white end chopped into chunks, green end finely chopped) and some chopped onion and garlic to the pot.  Add a lug of olive oil and the butter and let it all fry off a few minutes so they're well coated in the butter.  Add a pinch of salt and pepper then pop the lid on top, turn the heat down to medium and let them cook away gently for 30 minutes, stirring every 5 to 10 minutes to make sure they don’t catch.  There’s going to be enough moisture in the leeks to keep them happy in the pan so they should be soft and melt in your mouth once they’re done.

When your leeks are ready, add the turkey meat to them and stir.  Add the flour, mix it in well then pour in your stock (I added about 3 cups, but base it on how much turkey you have and how much slurpy yum you want) and stir again. Add a couple big spoonfuls of crème fraîche or sour cream, then turn the heat up and bring everything back up to the boil. Have a taste and add a bit more salt and pepper if it needs it then turn the heat off. Spoon the thick leek and turkey mixture with that wonderful gravy into a pie plate or casserole dish.

Dust a clean surface, roll out your pastry so it's about double the size of your dish.  Sprinkle with fresh thyme and rosemary, fold over and roll out carefully so you have the right size for your dish.  Don’t worry if a few bits stick out here and there.  Lay your pastry on top, tuck the ends under then gently score the pastry diagonally with your knife.  Add a pinch of salt to your beaten egg then paint this egg wash over the top of your pastry.  Pop your pie in the oven for about 35 to 40 minutes or until the pastry is puffed up and golden brown.

Gather some friends, grab a glass of wine... I might reach for an Alsatian Gewurztraminer... and enjoy! 

My Life Under Vacuum

As self-admitted in previous blogs, I have a bit of an addictive personality.  And if you know me at all, you know that I am completely addicted to food.  Cooking, eating, baking, sharing... if it involves food, I'm in.  

I have, in my many hours of watching the Food Network, seen numerous different chefs (professional and aspiring) use the sous vide method in the effort to produce impeccable and delectable results.  I was intrigued to say the least.  So, when I received the tremendous gift of a sous vide machine, I was first shocked that I, a humble home cook with no 'formal training', had before me a machine that most people have never even heard of and was secondly, quite excited to start experimenting.  

If you fall into the category of wondering what the heck a sous vide machine is, you are not alone.  Sous vide, French for "under vacuum", is a method of cooking food sealed in airtight plastic bags in a water bath.  Often for extended periods of time, like the leg of lamb I am currently sous vide-ing for my mother's birthday, a mere 48 hours, at an accurately determined temperature much lower than normally used.  The aforementioned leg of lamb is chillin' out at 62°C.  The intention behind this method of cooking is to maintain the integrity and nutrition of ingredients.  The perk is that we have enjoyed succulent cuts of meat of all kinds that are, in our opinion, restaurant quality at a much more affordable price.  

So, as said, my addiction has caused me to sous vide pretty much anything I can get my hands on.  My first attempt was a couple of baseball cut sirloins with a dash of spice and a bit of garlic and ginger.

Vacuum packed steaks, ready for the sous vide machine.

I slipped them into the machine at 56°C, the scientifically determined temperature for medium-rare meats, for a couple hours until my husband returned from his basketball practice.  The beauty of the machine is that it never goes above your selected temperature, so even though my husband was running late, our steaks were not overcooked, dried out, or resembling something like a hockey puck.

  

No, instead I eased the tender steaks from the bag to flash sear them before serving, let them rest, and sliced into the perfectly medium-rare steak like it was a slab of soft butta.  

My husband likes this picture because it "fully encapsulates the sexiness that this steak was."  'Nough said.

And we can cook more than just a perfect steak; medium-rare from edge to edge and succulent as could be.  You can do stews, curries, vegetables, fruits, even a chocolate ganache.  It saves you money since you can purchase cheaper cuts of meat as the machine tenderizes as it cooks and there are no lost nutrients as when you boil or steam items.  For all of the perks, check this out: 

http://www.sousvidesupreme.com/en-us/product_info.htm

I picked up a discounted lamb rack during the holidays; I was tired and had little patience to make a big fancy dinner.  Instead, I just threw some spices on the lamb, chucked it into a vac-pac, slipped it into the machine, and walked away to complete other holiday tasks.  4 hours later, we were enjoying the most tender and flavorful lamb I have ever had.

 

I have since made a pork roast, a leg of lamb, baby back ribs, and all kinds of awesome.  And I came home yesterday with the Sunday grocery run full of meats to try in the sous vide machine.  A curried pork roast, a couple lemon garlic cod, caper butter Basa filets, and a couple more steaks for good measure.  

A friend asked me the other day if I would be interested in starting up a supper club.  A time for us to share quality food and friendship together.  Have you been listening to anything I've been blogging?  Is your mouth watering at the sight of the juicy cuts of yum above?  Interested in a supper club.... *pfft*  Hell yeah I am!

Blueberry Breakfast Bars

My husband and I are die-hard snoozers.  We are guilty of carelessly hitting the snooze button time and time again just to catch those extra nine minute intervals of doze time.  (And a nine minute snooze?  Don't even get me started on that).  It's stupid really.   But it means that we're often running out the door; beginning our days without breakfast in our bellies.  So I was quite excited to happen upon a recipe for breakfast bars.  They are not exactly the most nutritious breakfast as, though they have fruit and oats, they are no stranger to sugar.  

I suppose you could cut down on the brown sugar and substitute organic honey, but heck, they just wouldn't be the same.  They are not only delicious with a dollop of healthy yogurt, but were a welcome addition to our throw-'em-in-your-bag-and-out-the-door-you-go-breakfast of banana muffins routine.


They're, as I have come to affectionately describe them, a cross between a crumble and a fruity sandwich cookie.  



Baked in two parts:  


First, the lower layer.


Then the fruit middle and 'crumble' topping.

Easy enough to whip together before making dinner and yummy to boot.  The original recipe called for raspberries, but as I had heaps of blueberries in my freezer, I made the simple substitution.  I'm confident that any berry or reasonable fruit substitution could be made and the recipe would hold up (and by reasonable I mean the obvious no-no's like watermelon).

For the crust and crumb: 

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 1/4 cups rolled oats

3/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

3/4 cup butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

For the fruit filling:

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 tbsp grated lemon zest

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 tbsp flour

1 pound blueberries, fresh or frozen

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp butter, melted and cooled

Make the crust and crumb: Preheat oven to 350°F.  Put a long piece of parchment paper in the bottom of a 9x13 glass or light-colored baking pan the pan, letting the parchment extend up the sides and end a bit.  (This will make it easy to remove the bars from the pan after they have baked).  Butter the parchment.

Put the flour, brown sugar, oats, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a food processor.  Pulse in short bursts until combined.  Add the butter and pulse until loose crumbs form.  (As a lazy side note, if butter is melted and mixed with dry ingredients, a nice crumb can also be formed).  *Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the mixture and set aside.  Pour the rest of the mixture into the prepared pan and push crust into an even layer.  Crust should touch the sides of the pan.  Bake until golden brown, 12-15 minutes.  Transfer to wire rack and let cool.  Keep oven on.

Make filling: in a bowl, whisk sugar, lemon zest, cinnamon, and flour together. Add fruit, lemon juice, and butter.  Toss gently until fruit is evenly coated.

Assemble and Bake: spread filling evenly on top of the cooled crust.  Sprinkle the reserved crust mixture evenly on top of the filling.  Bake for 35-45 minutes, rotating the pan once or twice, until the top is golden brown and the filling starts to bubble around the edges.  Transfer to wire rack and let cool.  Cut into squares and serve.  

I wrapped the bars in parchment and chucked them in the freezer with our other quick breakfasts.  They're particularly yummy, and actually quite reminiscent of dessert crumble; I kind of feel like a kid sneaking a treat when I eat these for breakfast.

The Perfect Cookie

I have, in my search for the perfect cookie, tried many different recipes whose origins range from library books to foodie blogs to family recipes.  I am, as already noted, a big fan of just winging it; never following a recipe to the 'T'.  That often doesn't work out so well with cookies, but every once in a while you get lucky.


So, as I was perusing the Smitten Kitchen blog, as I am oft to do, I found a fabulous recipe for Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip, and Pecan Cookies.  I figured they were definitely worth a quick whip together while I was making my Amped Up Beer Nuts (otherwise known as Sugar-and-Spice Candied Nuts).


Soft in the middle, crispy on the outside, and with a very grown-up hint of orange zest..... 

.... these cookies have most certainly earned a place in the family recipe box.  

And though I was slightly taken aback when the recipe produced three dozen morsels of goodness, I was so very thankful as my first bite of warm, chocolately-crunchy-yum assured me I had found the perfect cookie.  These cookies were so good, they made me wonder if I'd missed my true calling.

And while I consider myself a perfectly reasonable person, I am choosing to keep this recipe to myself.  If I gave it to you, you wouldn't love it nearly as much as when I surprise you with a plate full of what may very well become my signature cookie.  Yes, you could find the recipe online if you did a bit of searching, but the mystery would be gone and I can't have that, now can I?

Amped Up Beer Nuts

My husband often gives me a hard time that once I find something I love, I'm a complete addict.  Of course, I would fervently deny that I have, in any way, an addictive personality.  


Me?  


I have, however, come to realize that he's dead right.  Did you hear that my love?  You were right.  I was wrong.  


I cannot deny it any longer, when I find something fabulous, I am a woman on a mission and I cannot be stopped.  


So when I found this Texas-themed honky-tonk Sugar-and-Spice Candied Nuts recipe, I knew I was in trouble. They are, as accurately described on the Smitten Kitchen blog: dangerous.  Read it again and believe it.

DAN-GER-OUS!

I also have the 'bad' habit of never following a recipe to the 'T'.  It's probably some deep-seated aversion to following direction, or a wonderfully creative streak ;)

I'm inclined to think it's more of the latter!  So, instead of using merely pecans and almonds, I went all out and used a nut mix which also included hazelnuts, brazil nuts, and cashews.  They were sinfully easy to prep and bake and a mason jar full of 'em will make quite the holiday gift.  They're sweet, crispy, and have just the right amount of kick.  They are delicious with a beer and the game and will be terrific while mingling at the New Year's Eve party.  

Often, I'm torn between sharing a recipe I love by shouting it from a mountain-top and guarding it with my life because I want to keep the fame that automatically follows the smile that sweeps across your face.  But these nuts need to be shared.

Let's face it, it's candied nuts, you could probably figure it out!

Sugar-and-Spice Candied Nuts 

Adapted from Elizabeth Karmel of Hill Country


1/3 cup dark-brown sugar
2/3 cup white granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt (I might up this by a 1/2 tsp. next time for more of a sweet/salty balance)
Generous pinch of cayenne pepper (I swapped this with 1/4 teaspoon of hot smoked paprika)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pound walnut or pecan halves or whole peeled hazelnuts
1 egg white, room temperature
1 tablespoon water
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Mix sugars, salt, cayenne, and cinnamon, making sure there are no lumps; set aside. Beat egg white and water until frothy but not stiff. Add walnuts, and stir to coat evenly. Sprinkle nuts with sugar mixture, and toss until evenly coated. Spread sugared nuts in a single layer on a cookie sheet fitted with parchment paper. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven, and separate nuts as they cool. When completely cool, pour the nuts into a bowl, breaking up any that stick together.

I dare you to put these out at your next party.  They will disappear before your eyes and you'll be the talk of the game.

As for my newest addiction, I blame my friend.  She introduced me to the Smitten Kitchen Blog and I'm hooked.  My Tuesday night was filled with not only nuts, but cookies and bars too.  Yes, I made three delightful goodies, all inspired by Smitten Kitchen.

But I couldn't possibly give away the other two recipes now... you'll have to wait for the next blog!

Grandma's Shortbread

When my husband and I were living overseas, we did our best to celebrate the holidays by surrounding ourselves with friends and hold on to as many of the traditions we grew up with.  It was, however, quite difficult to replicate Christmas without snow or readily available Christmas treats like candy canes and boxed chocolates.  There was no early eggnog gracing the shelves in November, no gingerbread houses to be decorated, no trees strapped to the roofs of cars, or a schwack of holiday parties to keep you busy.  No.  Turkey and eggnog was only to be found after an hour-long plus trek to a Costco (and back!), candy canes and gingerbread kits were sent from Canada, and holiday parties consisted of school plays and potlucks with lots of KFC.

So, one year, we decided to throw a real Canadian Christmas for all of our friends.  It took 12 hours to roast the smallest turkey I could find in my toaster oven (the largest available).  We made two bigs pans of stuffing, enough mashed potatoes and gravy to serve an army, and a big salad.  Did I mention I only had burners?  Roasted veggies was just not an option.  Rum and eggnog, a first for friend from Australia, flowed freely.  Cheese and wine graced our bellies all night.  And my friends finished their made-with-care-and-holiday-spirit dinner with my Grandmother's shortbread.


I called my mom and asked her if she would refresh my memory and share the family recipe with me again.  She responded by not dictating the recipe, or sending an email.  Rather, she sat down at her table, and wrote in her perfectly beautiful cursive the recipe that my grandmother used when making our Christmas cookies.  And then she tucked it in a box with a special surprise and shipped it all the way to Taiwan.  I opened that box weeks later, nervous that I had not received a cookie recipe for our party, and found not only my mother's note, but two of the cookie cutters my mother and I used year after year to make our family shortbread.  A bell and Rudolph.  I had been looking for traditions everywhere and there, in a small box, all the way from Canada, I stared at a treasure.

I made my grandmother's shortbread for my friends and they smiled with every, melty bite they enjoyed.

This year, as we're back home in Canada, I made them again; but with different cutters, as I begin to build my own traditions.

During this holiday season, may you keep old traditions and form new.

And may you be surrounded with loved ones and lots of shortbread.

Happy Holidays to you and yours.

                                      xoxo

Hello New Friend

I realize it's been a long while since I've posted and I have no good reason for not keeping up with it.  I have most certainly been cooking away and trying new things. 

I have been making particularly yummy things with my new KitchenAid Stand Mixer.  First, before I go into the details of how much I love (literally, l-o-v-e) my new mixer, I should say that if you do not have one, get one.  Put it on your Christmas wish list, ask for it as your anniversary present, heck, go buy it for yourself.  You will not regret it.

I had my heart set on the mixer for awhile and I think I used it three times on the first day I had it.  My friend once, let's say 'questioned' rather than 'criticized', my use of the mixer on Thanksgiving day to whip my potatoes rather than just use a plain, old masher.  Well.  Why wouldn't I?  They were scrumptious garlicky-herby clouds of yum.

I truly use it for so much more than just mixing cakes and whipping soft peaks into whites.  No, I use it to whip up a quick batch of pancakes for my sleepy husband on a Sunday.  I use it to mash up those back-of-the-fridge avocados that have just been waiting to become gaucamole.  I have made countless dozens of banana muffins for the freezer, or to keep the kids occupied while the girls chat over brunch.  I've brought back a friend's long-forgotten childhood favorite: yorkshire pudding.  I don't even need to go into the cookies galore that have been made.  And did I mention I prepped a wicked meatloaf in about 5 minutes flat?

But one thing that I was pleasantly surprised to see come out of my beautiful new mixer, was a recipe that I borrowed from another blog.  I made "buckeyes" from the Smitten Kitchen blog and they were fabulous!  

http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/10/buckeyes/

The recipe, however, made about a million little balls of deliciousness; I took them to work, I gave them to family, I tucked some away in the fridge, and I still had enough to feed a small army.  They are sweet, tiny balls of homemade-peanuty-goodness but they aren't for the faint of heart when it comes to sugar.  I didn't have any cream cheese so I substituted eggnog, which, in hindsight, may not have been the best substitution since I had to more, yes MORE, sugar.  But they turned out just as yummy as hoped.


And now that it's the holiday season, I can't wait to make my Grandma's shortbread and a newfound addiction; rum cake.   Mmmmm.


So, as I said.  Go get yourself the one thing that is not only going to revolutionize your kitchen, but your life!

A Dessert to Die for....

I will admit that I have a sweet tooth.  And I like to bake.  A dangerous combination.

Now, I don't consider myself a boastful person but I do know in what area I can confidently say I got me some skillz.  I have cupcakes down pat.  Cookies on the other hand... not so much.  Cookies were always kind of my nemesis; every time I tried my hand at the most basic chocolate chip cookie recipe, I failed.  Miserably.  They were never good enough.

And then, I decided to tackle them.  Me and the cookie.  We were going to have it out.  I have, quite successfully, man-handled the chocolate chip cookie and had a heart-to-heart with the maple-glazed pecan cookie.  I have, however, severed ties with the white-chocolate cranberry macadamia nut creation that didn't much resemble a cookie at all.  Gone are the days of waiting anxiously, gazing through the glass door of the oven, hoping they wouldn't turn out to be a gooey, greasy mess.  But I digress....

Cookies were but one baking hurdle.  Then came bars.  I grew up eating one particular sweet treat that I longed for as an adult and never had the recipe.  Lo and behold, as I meandered up and down the grocery store aisles one day, I was reunited with my childhood love, in sweet, delicious, dessert bar-form of course.  The Magic Cookie Bar.  It is as elusive as it sounds and even more delicious than you could imagine.  It's sweet and salty, gooey and crunchy.  And painfully easy to make.  Now, there are some recipes I keep secret; like my grandmother's shortbread cookie recipe.  That's under family recipe lock n' key.  The Magic Cookie Bar recipe, on the other hand, cannot, in good conscience, be kept a secret.  Some things are just too good to not be shared.

Eagle Brand's most famous and popular recipe, it was invented in the 1960s, originally named the "Hello Dolly".  A simple layered bar that takes 8 minutes to whip up and is in and out of the oven in 25 minutes, the Magic Cookie Bar is easy to make and always delicious.  Check it out in my "Recipes I Love" and let me know if you love it as much I do.  I dare you ;)

Now to tackle pie!

Pizza Party

My husband and I like to enjoy a good pizza now and then... the trick is finding a 'good' pizza.  We fell in love with pizza while on a trip with friends in Venice.  Of course, there are mixed feelings amongst us North Americans when it comes to traditional pizza; pizza the way it is supposed to be.  We, too often, are presented with a pie of sub par ingredients on a doughy wheel.  There are, of course, some people who prefer the Western-style pizza, but we, on the other hand, crave the thin, hand-tossed crust graced with fresh, local ingredients.

While in Taiwan, we revived my husband's family tradition of pizza night.  These nights were enjoyable but severely limited due to our lack of a real oven and quality ingredients.

So, last week, we invited some good friends over for a more laid-back dinner party; a pizza party, to be exact.  I took my first stab at making pizza dough from scratch and was thoroughly impressed to discover that it was not only easy, but delicious too!  (see "Recipes I Love" for a wonderfully simple pizza dough recipe).

The wives whipped together two pizzas; a classic pepperoni and bacon with a fresh tomato base for the men and something a little less traditional....

A medley of portabello and crimini mushrooms blanketed a basil-infused dough bestrewn with a light fig glaze and creamy goat cheese.  We fibbed a little with the husbands and called a straight "mushroom pizza" just to get them to try it.  And they loved it.  How could they not?  It was inventive and delicious.

So I encourage you, the next time you have a hankering for a pizza pie, to treat yourself to something really terrific and make your own.  It's easier than you think!

Traditions Renewed

Wine.  Food.  Friends.  All the things you need for a great dinner party.  Sure, everyone could use a little entertainment but that’s usually what the wine is for… no?

I have long been a fan of cooking my heart out for the ones I love and revel in finding the perfect wine to compliment the menu I’ve prepared.  So it shouldn’t surprise my husband that I am as giddy as a kid on Christmas morn when the new Food & Wine issue arrives in the mail.  Those delicate little magazine pages are full of inspiration that is far from flimsy and though some recipes may not pique my interest, they are straight-forward and simple to pull out of any well-stocked pantry.  And delicious too! 

So it is with great excitement that, as I prepare to move into a new home, my mind is already a-whirl with the ideas of all the fantastic dinner parties to be had.  And it struck me that we so often underestimate the value of sharing a meal with the ones we love.  A resurrection of the tradition of gathering to chat over a cocktail, reconnecting with a warm meal, and relaxing with a glass of wine is in order.

Everyone’s lives are busy; filled with long work days, slow meetings, bad traffic, soccer practices, ballet lessons, piano class…. you name it, we’ve shoved it into our schedule.  So the little morsels of time we steal away from meals are spent in a drive-thru, arguing with the tardy pizza-delivery boy, or whipping to the grocery store for some prepped and ready food that is bound to be dull.  I, too, am guilty of being too busy to care what I’m putting in my mouth, but I am, more and more, realizing the beauty of winding down with a glass of wine, surrounded by friends.  Of course, it can’t be done every night; it would soon turn into a chore if that were your goal.  But how much more effort would it take to make a few extra servings of your favorite meal and invite your friends over?  Besides, everyone has to eat.

There are a great number of terrific resources for you to explore when planning your next dinner party.  Of course, I’m biased and think Food & Wine is a great place to find recipes and wine pairings; full menus for your next soiree.  A site that allows you to browse by menu, dietary considerations, prep method, seasons, even by main ingredient for those days when you’ve had a rutabaga lingering in your crisper or have been dying to try your hand at duck.  Check out: http://www.epicurious.com/ for these fantastic ideas.  

Epicurious App

As an aside since I believe apps are for a whole different blog post; epicurious.com has a terrific iPhone app which makes stopping by the grocery store convenient and inspiring all at the same time!

Not to mention, the other great apps that have revolutionized my life: Nigella Lawson and Jamie Oliver.  Now if only Gordon Ramsey would jump on the bandwagon!

But back to the real challenge....

   

If your life needs a little oomph, I challenge you to seek out a recipe, invite your friends over, and uncork a bottle of wine; new or tried and true. 

Cookies Galore

As the title of my most recent favorite library book is titled; you guessed it, it's all about cookies.

Growing up, I don't remember my mother baking a great deal of cookies.  And as I started experimenting more in my own kitchen, cookies never really came into the mix.  I always had other things I craved; cupcakes... bars... tarts...

Then, a little book tucked away on a top shelf at our local library caught my eye and I decided at that moment that I would venture to master the cookie.  Ok, so maybe not all cookies, but a couple great ones I could steal away and place in my 'family recipe' vault most definitely.

I began with a Honey Lemon cookie which is one of the simplest cookies I've come across but something I'd pay good money for in a bakeshop.  It is, essentially, two honey lemon biscuits sandwiched together with a creamy, tangy frosting.  It's like two ridiculously yummy biscuits squished a lemony cloud of goodness.  'Tis a keeper for sure.

After this initial attempt, I was feeling pretty good about my skillz, so I pulled up my bootstraps and tried my hands at the Maple Glazed Pecan cookies.  I have to admit that I've never been someone that follows recipes to the absolute measure and make flippant changes whenever I see something I'm not crazy about.  And let's face it, Pure Maple Syrup (the good kind) is pricey... so I threw my substitutin' into high gear, whipped out the Rogers Golden Syrup and chucked all caution into the wind and added butterscotch chips too.  What the hell right?  It's just a cookie for Pete's sake!

Dad sneaking dough... they never grow out of it!

What began as a 'what the hell, we'll give it a shot' night of trying two different kinds of cookies; Pecan cookies and White Chocolate Cranberry Macadamia Nut cookies, turned into a surprisingly delicious evening.  The White Chocolate cookies ended up being a bit of a gooey mess on the first batch... but nothing that a hefty handful of oatmeal can't fix.

They look yummy at this point... the finished product wasn't so hot.

I was disappointed with the quality of the White Chocolate cookie recipe, and there are so many other tremendous ones in the book that I'm fine with abandoning it altogether.

The Pecan cookies, on the other hand, came out as little round morsels of butterscotchy heaven that were the victim of a pecan explosion.  Coming from a person who is not a huge fan of caramel or butterscotch, these cookies made me rethink all of my predispositions to the flavor.

Heaven

If I'm being completely honest, as I bit into my first Pecan cookie, I turned to my husband and said, with intermittent moaning that would have given anybody the wrong idea: "these cookies are totally going to put me on the mommy map.  Our kids will win battles with these cookies."  Another one for the family recipe vault fo sho.

Our cute pooch loved them too ;)

Could you resist that cuteness?

And if you're dying for the recipe, I'm not adverse to sharing 'family' secrets *ahem* or library book recipes.  So message me... I'm happy to spread the sweet, sweet cookie love.