The morning after my last day of school involves cleaning. When I can finally get a chance to sleep in for an extra two hours I get out of bed and start unpacking my school bag. Loose papers, empty lipstick, missing hair ties, and an overload of pens come tumbling out onto the floor. I hate clutter, so the things I don't need any more -good bye- go into the garbage pile and I feel so relieved. Everything from last semester is no longer needed (I have digital copies of most things anyways). I love that feeling of ending strong and starting fresh; one more semester to go! I need room for the pile of clothes and toiletries I have to take with me to Italy next semester. After I treck outside in my dads over-sized sneakers and cheetah pajamas to throw everything away, I go inside to make myself coffee, pulling out a hand- me- down vintage Italian coffee carafe because I can't stop thinking about Italy. I enjoy a cup of coffee from Cafe du Monde and snack on some raspberry vanilla cookies before another whimsical afternoon shopping in an overstuffed mall.
Cream of Wheat Keeps me Cozy on Days like Today.
My dad always made cream of wheat for me when I was little. I don't think I know of anyone that even eats the cement like porridge. I only describe it this way because I think that's what people may think of when they see it; but I love it. It was one of those things that I shared with my father and often my mother, but something my dad would usually make just for the two of us. My brother- forget it- he was happy eating a bowl of sugar coated cereal waking up hours after we sopped up our bowls anyways.
Add macerated blueberries and cherries to hit the tart notes, toasted sunflower seeds for a little crunch, and heavy cream to keep it luscious. The heavy cream really does bump up the mouth feel and flavor, but who am I kidding, you already know this.
It's not about the Turkey
Calling out to all you sweet tooths! Thanksgiving is about eating the pie that you secretly indulge on weeks before the holiday. Sometimes it's more about sweet than savory. How did the pumpkin pie come to be? It has been modified many times since Colonial America. Quince, pear, and apple tarts were standard pie fillings; pumpkin did, however, find its way on the tablescape in other forms: bread. When those did make pumpkin pie it was made with a unique pairing of ingredients. Some versions include the layering of apple and pumpkin, thyme, and marjoram, others include the addition of molasses, and then the boiling of pumpkin in milk and baked without a crust. In 1705, Thanksgiving was delayed for a week due to lack of molasses to make pie.
Although I was never interested in history I think this is pretty interesting. So today I give thanks to my ability to make a pie. Thank you, God for all our blessings; our family, our friends, and pie.
Halloween: It's Only Good for One Thing
If this was the first and only halloween party I was going to host while in college I needed to make it unique and memorable. I could not stand the idea of those red solo cups full of watery beer and off brand vodka. It could not be a drunken mess of a party, it had to be more than that. So off I went to Hobby Lobby to find what I needed to make my halloween fantasy come alive.
Tablecloth: Think potato sack jumping at the country fair. It's festive and fall like, and perfect as a table runner. Our table is black so there was not need to use a full tablecloth, just something to add texture.
Glass Jars: Tall cylinders create height while the bulbous fish jars create length. These are very inexpensive and can be used over again and again for other parties, food items, or as flower vases.
Plastic Scoops: I am not keen on the idea of grabbing unwrapped candy with bare hands so buy scoops. Simple ones could be white or clear plastic so they don't capture the guests eye too much.
Baggies: The plastic baggies are there for a treat to take away. If guests want to eat at the party or save some for later then they have their trick or treat bags.
Center Piece: One of the most important elements on any table. The black lit up tree studded with candied pumpkins is a really great way to express the over- all vibe of the table. You must not leave any table blank in the center, always break it up with something that pops out and gives a great visual.
Leaves and Things: I love bringing in nature to my tables. Flowers do not fit the theme, so here we use dead leaves and tree branches to create that eerie, cold feeling of the season.
Candy: As much as I wanted to go for the expensive brands like, Lint Truffles, it's often unnecessary. Kit Kats, Reces, M&M's and Twix are beyond the best candies for halloween parties. Stick to the classics.
Figs & Toast
Just Treats Here No Tricks!
The Apple crisps are perfect as individuals. Cut up your favorite tart apple like granny smith or pink lady and bake with a crumble of AP flour, almond flour, oats, brown sugar, and butter. Add leftover apple butter to enhance its richness too.
I cheated and used boxed brownie mix because quite honestly, boxed brownies are some of the best sweets to cheat with. Scoop them into cute patterned cups and bake until you smell them in every room of the house. Find the best seven minute meringue frosting recipe at Bon Appetite.com and color it a light orange pastel for a delicate Halloween triple brownie treat.
Nasturtium Capers
Inspired by my Ecology professor, I have been picking nasturtium seeds for weeks now! I am currently seed saving and germinating some other nasturtium seeds as well. Nasturtiums are amazing! Not only are they perennials meaning their rootstock grow back annually- making this better for the soil- but the entire plant is versatile. From the lily pad like leaves known as nose twists, to the yellow and orange flowers and its seeds, you can utilize this plant for so many things. My cousin Chelsea decorated the top of an ice cream cake with the edible flowers; who would think? The leaves have an antibacterial property, as well as vitamin C and iron which makes it common to add in a salad.
The Apple Trilogy
What could you possibly do with 12 pounds of apples. Apple picking, even for two doesn’t allow you to pick just a few apples and run along to the pumpkin patch. Apple picking means buying in bulk the best crop of the year. Apple infused Rekya vodka is the perfect way to use up those apple skins from making apple butter. Just add star anise,a cinnamon stick, nutmeg, and vanilla. As for the apple butter, use similar spices, with the addition of Crown maple syrup, and apple cider. Leave it to cook for many hours. We used 12 apples, and it took 4 hours to get thick, gooey, and caramelized. Leave it coarse or purée until smooth.
The Apple creme brulee was an experiment. Chris and I tag teamed this one. We cored, made custard, and filled the apples baking them in a water bath at 250 degrees. After sitting over night, we torched them with sugar. A very comforting, luscious fall treat.
Peaceful Eating
Boys and their food. I had hoped it came out the way Chris once made it for me, but food tastes different when different people make it, so it’s lovely to see all variations. So, he was happily eating it regardless. Spaghetti (grandma made that executive choice) ricotta, big smashed cloves of garlic, a cup or more of finely grated Parmesan, cracked black pepper, and baby basil leaves. I think I found my love for pasta through my grandmother who would bring me her leftovers a few times a week growing up. Now that we cook for her more often, she gets to decide what she wants sometimes and usually that means it's either burgers or pasta.
The Invereted Flower
Wasps, specifically Fig Wasps, are the reason why this delicate fruit is available as a decoration for pastries, part of an elegant breakfast, or made into Fig Newton cookies. Wasps tunnel themselves into the fruit, detach their wings, nest their eggs, and allow for pollination to occur. We are simply eating the dissolved body of a wasp, how interesting! Because figs flower internally, other pollinators besides the honey bee, were brought into nature to get the job done. Who knew... This mutual relationship is vital for the survival of the Fig Wasps and the production of Figs. So we owe it to those pesky bugs that sting like crazy; they are good for something.
Crumbles for Your Late Night Thoughts
After a 12 hour day of picking at, and munching on baked sweets, the best way to end the day is to continue eating sweets. Coming home to mamas apple crisp is the best fall Sunday night treat. Whipped cream, vanilla bean frozen custard, or as is. Sometimes sipping on cold milk helps flush down the butter in the crumble.
Wine Berries
It's a nice thought, but no. These berries aren't known to make wine, but they are however, related to blackberries and the many ways you can manipulate them. It's common to see these plump guys, on the side of a highway growing wildly; so the next time you are in a summer road trip, traffic jam, take that time to berry pick.
An Obsession Since My Pre- School Days
I live for pasta. I know that a few of my past posts have digressed this fact, but I will continue to tell all. I remember when I was in elementary and middle school, I would always boil Swanson Chicken broth while cooking a pot of pasta to add to it. Tortellini was my favorite type of stuffed pasta to eat in soup. And because I did not know how to make them then, my mother would buy the frozen kind. Although you could barely taste the filling inside them, I continued to crave the al dente crevices. So for me, eating any type of pasta is about texture. I also loved, loved, loved, when my mother made tortellini with cream sauce and shrimp. We had this only once every few months because of the potential heart attacks one bowl of it could cause.
I am a huge fan of these babies. One of my recent posts about ravioli's, features the recipe for the filling that I used to create these tortellini. I dare you to give it a try! I have copied a link below to help guide you through the shaping process of tortellini.
Tomatoes, Peaches and Parm
A unique combination that's absolutely delicious. Although tomatoes and peaches are at the tired end of their season I am craving their fruitful flavors. Sarah Copeland would feed me such flavorful salads for lunch every time we worked together. I could not quite figure out how she could make such greens and veggies taste so ridiculously good. I would crave her salads on my way to work at eight or nine in the morning. I would always always look forward to lunch about an hour or so before. I would never think to create a salad with parmesan, peaches, and tomatoes. Ever. I think this was a good call! Thank you for the inspiration Sarah, for taking me out of my comfort zone with salads.
There is Nothing Like Produce from Farmers Markets
I cannot tell you how happy it makes me to get these beautiful heirloom tomatoes from the market. The absolute best time of the season to buy is in August when they are at their peek in the season. Cut them into a peach salad, blanch them quickly into pasta with arugula pesto, or munch on them for a snack before and after lunch. Cherry tomatoes are really like candy if you buy them right. I could eat these like grapes, really.
Breakfast for Dinner? I think so!
I suppose you don't see BLT sandwiches on a breakfast buffet, but when you have heirloom tomatoes from the garden, a few packs of unopened bacon staring at you in the fridge, and bread from Bread Alone, I think it's fair to assemble. Whether you want to make your own mayo with an egg yolk, virgin oil, mustard, and lemon that is up to you. There is few store bought items you just can't compete with and Helamans Mayo is one of them. So, of course, I used that here!
Oatmeal pancakes take place at either end of the table some with choco chips and others without. Made with whole wheat flour and ground oats these pancakes were flat and crisp, just the way I prefer! It's common to describe pancakes as light and fluffy, but variation in texture is good too. As the pancakes came out of the cast iron skillet I smeared them with pear compound butter. The tree in my family's backyard is flourishing with pears, so I felt I needed to start putting them to cooking use. I cooked the pancakes in a medium round cast iron skillet, great for even cooking and texture.
The eggs here are simple. Parmesan, Romano, kosher salt, cracked black pepper, a handful each of parsley and basil from the garden, chopped. As the eggs cooked I scrambled them and toward the end added four dollops of sour cream. Add the cheese and herbs and cover to melt. So so yummy.
Garnish the table with a vintage pot of tea and press some coffee for the decaf drinkers (yes we are finicky when it comes to caffeine) to create a comforting, mouth watering meal.
This Centerpiece is a Bit Cheesy
When hosting a party for thirty, a number not exactly large and not too small, a great way to seat guests is at one long table. There is something so special and intimate about gathering family and friends to sit amongst each other. It reminds me of how a European grandmother would gather her kids and grandchildren for a Sunday night dinner. Long tables are for long, drawn out laughs, making closer bonds with old friends and sharing childhood stories with cousins.
The best part of setting a table is creating a story for the guest. It's quite easy to curate something classy yet rustic for a gathering of people be it large or small. I am a huge fan of using a charcuterie board as a centerpiece. The two boards used above are 8-foot untreated cedar wood. Various types of brie, swiss, and cheddar line the board alongside cured meats, roasted peppers, olives, and crostini. To add a bit of variation I baked off small casserole dishes of cherry tomatoes and garlic in olive oil and then topped them with goat cheese. Flower arrangements and fresh pears from the yard make a beautiful bouquet on the table. Tablescapes have endless possibilities, all it takes is a little bit of sun and passion.
If You Aren't Vegetarian You Should Try ABCV
The title, ABCV is abbreviated to mean ABC Vegetarian. Jean George, chef, and culinary gastronome owns restaurants around the country, with a few more locations in NYC. His first ABC kitchen lies in the ABC Carpet and Home store on 38 east, 19th street. Vegetarianism is quite trendy today so opening a veggie-forward restaurant was a successful idea. I had never been to a vegetarian/ vegan eatery, but I really wanted to delve into this one, another seemingly unique concept like the other Jean George restaurants.
I always wear a hat to NYC, something I started doing when I was younger. I only own two good hats though, one for winter and one for summer. Of course, this hat seems a bit pretentious, but it was actually a hammy down. Posing the Sparkling Rosewater Lemonade next to my hat was just a way for me to say "I have landed at my eating destination!" I was waiting for my friend and mentor Alison Awerbuch, while seated at the bar enjoying this "prim and proper" lemonade. A combination of bubbles and lemonade that will probably become my new favorite combinations.
The essence of the restaurant was feminine, and I really liked that. Every detail, from light fixtures, chairs, tables, and plates were relatively dainty with a splash of pastel shades of pink, bright white, or neon yellow. The restaurant aesthetic was beautiful. Every decoration matching the variety of colors on each appetizer or entree; it just flowed you know?
The beets were fabulous. Before I went to ABCV I watched a video on how to make this dish. I don't think I could imagine anyone utilizing a tortilla press for something this brilliant. Chef de cuisine Neal Harden seeps flavor all over the dish; under and over the beets and within the avocado mash. This meal was delicious, and yes I was satisfied.
Oki Gnocchi
I have been lusting at the thought of purple gnocchi for weeks! The secret of how they turned purple is my own, but I will say they taste like any generic potato gnocchi recipe regardless! Sweet Italian sausage is a great pair with any pasta dish, and happily, I found a few links in the fridge. Green peas are a beautiful addition to color along with torn garden basil and nasturtium leaves. And although my mother got snippy when I cut her sunflowers off the plant, I continued to use them for a burst of color in the photo~ sorry mama, but I did feed you dinner.
Dig In! Forget the Plates...
Cookie skillets are one way to satisfy a hankering for something sweet. Brownies, and cookies and mint chocolate chip ice cream is the best combination! I am biased, I suppose since I love mint chip. My girl friends love cookie skillets, and instead of going out five times a week to get one, I decided we try and make a jumbo one at home.