Cooking in Cathedral Hill

The Best Part of My Thanksgiving Meal

2010-11-14T20:59:00.003-06:00

Recipe

Thanksgiving is fast approaching, and if you're anything like me, you've been thinking about what your menu will look like this year. While I make one or two changes every year, this stuffing is one thing that has been a mainstay on the menu for as long as I can remember. To be honest, it's so popular among my family and friends that I break it out on a quite a few occasions outside of Thanksgiving (shameful only because it is ridiculously decadent and unhealthy). One of my preschool teachers even requested it for her birthday treat this year! (That would be Ms. Nicole, who has also requested soft pretzels. She comes up with the best birthday treat requests.)

It's a pretty simple recipe - soft bread, celery and onions, seasonings, wild rice, and lots of butter - that originated with Betty Crocker, and was tweaked to its current blissful perfection by my mom, who's been making it for years. Because we have vegetarians in my family, we've never treated this recipe as literal "stuffing" and put it inside of a turkey - more of a side dish so that everyone can enjoy it. The recipe I've posted here reflects that, but if you want to use it the traditional way it's easily done.

I have Chinook Books (formerly Blue Sky Guides) to give away again this year! It's full of Minnesota-based coupons for local eco-friendly restaurants, entertainment venues, and other fun stuff. If you're one of my Minnesota readers and are interested in winning a copy, leave me a note in the comment section or send me an email. Tell me what your favorite Thanksgiving dish is - I want to know! I'll choose a winner on Saturday, November 20, so be sure to comment or email before then.

Looking for more Thanksgiving-friendly recipes? Try this Streuseled Sweet Potato Casserole or these Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes.

A Hearty, Healthy Fall Stew

2010-10-08T20:18:00.005-06:00

Recipe

Moroccan Chickpea and Spinach Stew

This lovely stew has been a staple recipe for both my sister and I over the last month or so. We originally made it because of its nutritional value (and because we were slowly but surely working our way through my copious amounts of CSA tomatoes), but it has stayed in our recipe rotation since then because it really tastes fantastic. It's packed full of chickpeas, which makes it quite filling and protein-rich. The recipe calls for slightly mashing some of the chickpeas, which adds a nice, thick texture, but isn't a necessary step if you don't want to bother. Tomatoes and baby spinach get plenty of vegetables in every bowl - and, coincidentally, you can make this work year-round even if you try to buy fresh produce only in season: canned tomatoes can be substituted for fresh, and just about any leafy green could work in place of spinach (think chard, kale, etc.). What really makes this soup special and crave-worthy, though, is the heady flavor created by the Moroccan-influenced spices. Cumin, paprika, a pinch of cayenne, and...the rock star of this stew, in my opinion: cinnamon. Yes, cinnamon. Trust me, it's delicious.

On another note: if any of my blog readers are members of St. Paul's Mississippi Market Co-op, please consider voting for me! I am running for their Board of Directors, and the election runs until October 20. If you read my blog, you already know how passionate I am about healthy, whole foods, so I'll spare you my spiel...but I would appreciate your vote. Thank you!

Looking for other hearty soups and stews? Try Oven Beef Stew or White Chicken Chili.

A Brownie That Covers All the Bases

2010-09-28T16:17:00.002-06:00

Recipe

Fudgy, Chewy, Cakey Brownies

Sometimes you just want a plain, old-fashioned brownie...no frills, no fuss - just pure chocolate bliss. If you're in that kind of a mood, read on, because I have just the thing for you. The recipe title says it all here: these brownies somehow manage to be fudgy, cakey, and chewy - all at the same time! Amazing, no? Something for everyone! I tend to like my brownies a little more on the chewy-cakey side, and less fudgy; Dariush likes his a little more fudgy and less cakey. Incredibly, these brownies lived up to their name and made us both happy. This is a Pam Anderson recipe (no, not that Pam Anderson) from her cookbook The Perfect Recipe, which is full of wonderful staple recipes, like these brownies and some pretty great pancakes. She's the executive editor of the illustrious Cook's Illustrated, so she really knows her stuff - these brownies included.

Happy fall, Cathedral Hill readers!

In other fabulous basic recipes: Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and Basic Marinara Sauce.

A Standing Ovation for Summer

2010-09-14T07:00:00.002-06:00

Recipe

Farmer's Market Pesto Pasta

Hello, dear readers! I'm jumping back into blogging while there's still time to celebrate the best time of the year for fresh fruits and vegetables in Minnesota: both the farmer's market and my CSA box are still brimming with the bright colors and heady scents of sun-ripened vegetables that signify summer is taking its final bow until next year. What a glorious summer for eating and cooking it has been!

This pasta creation has been one of the best things I've come up with this summer...it's been a great way to use up all the vegetable odds and ends I seem to find when I get to the bottom of our CSA box each week. The basics are pasta (whole wheat at our house - yes, we've officially made the switch) and fragrant, bright green pesto (I've been enjoying pistachio nuts instead of pine nuts in my pesto this summer, in order to stay away from the odd pine mouth phenomenon)...followed by pretty much anything that strikes my fancy and/or I need to make use of. The photo above has been my favorite combination: roasted corn, tomatoes, and fresh mozzarella. It's a sweet-slightly smoky-slightly salty combination that epitomizes summer in a single, perfect bite. Don't have these ingredients on hand? The options are really only as limited as your imagination: broccoli, mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, olives, peas, zucchini, spinach, arugula, shrimp, feta, chicken...whatever you want to include in your standing ovation for summer.

In other final days of summer cooking: Creamy Corn with Chives and Zucchini Spice Cake.

Embracing Brussels Sprouts

2010-02-12T21:00:00.003-06:00

Recipe
Golden-Crusted Brussels Sprouts

Have you ever tried these little green orbs of deliciousness? I'd only had Brussels sprouts shaved in quiches and such until I tried this recipe - never on their own. I admit I was fairly apprehensive about giving them a shot - they have quite a reputation for being the stuff of children's dinner table nightmares. But, I've been on a mission this winter to add some new seasonal vegetables to my cooking repertoire, so I dutifully searched for a recipe that looked appealing and trudged to to the store to pick up a bag.

I suppose you can guess from my reference to "orbs of deliciousness" that I am now an official Brussels sprouts convert. But not just any Brussels sprouts, my friends: these Brussels sprouts - courtesy of Heidi Swanson at 101 Cookbooks. These sprouts are halved, tossed with a bit of olive oil, then cooked in a skillet until the insides turn a deep caramel brown. Heidi tosses hers with a bit of grated cheese - which is very good - but at our house, we love them splashed with balsamic vinegar (really, we love almost anything splashed with balsamic vinegar, but I digress). They are amazing enough that I have, on several occasions, cooked a pan of them and eaten them as a snack. If you already love Brussels sprouts, I think this might be your new favorite recipe. If you don't like them, I think there's a good chance these will convert you. And if you're like me and you hadn't really tried them before, you'll be glad you did.

How about another giveaway while we're here? I started graduate school this fall, and it's keeping me pretty busy. During the week, we've been relying heavily on the quickest, easiest things we can throw together. I have an extra copy of Cooking Light's Fresh Food Fast, which contains all 5-ingredient-or-less, 15-minute recipes - or "grad school cooking", as I like to call it these days. Say hello in the comment section or send me an email, and I'll choose someone at random to ship this lovely book off to. If you'd like to mention what some of your favorite quick weeknight meals are, I'd love to add some more to my list! I'll choose the recipient on Saturday, February 20, so make sure to respond before then.

Interested in more winter vegetables? Try Sautéed Kale or Broccoli with Red Pepper Flakes and Toasted Garlic.

Making Friends with Veggie Burgers

2010-01-18T10:18:00.004-06:00

Recipe
Red Lentil Chickpea Burgers with Peanut Sauce

We try to follow a relatively flexitarian diet in our house - meaning we don't eat meat with every - even most - meals. It's a choice we've made for financial, environmental, and ethical reasons...and having several vegetarians in our lives that often eat meals with us hasn't hurt, either. The biggest reason we often eat meatless meals, though, is simply because there are so many delicious vegetarian recipes that have become our favorites. The veggie burger - that quintessential veg-friendly offering at many bars and burger joints - has not generally been one of my favorite entrees. Although the concept is great, I rarely meet a veggie burger that I like: they are too often tasteless, dry, and crumbly. Determined to find something palatable, I've been experimenting with recipes at home...and after running the gamut of veggie burger options, I've finally found one that I'm excited about:

And here it is. The base of these burgers is a combination of red lentils (which are wonderful all on their own) and chickpeas, which add extra substance and bulk. Add a few spices, vegetables, and some bread crumbs to hold everything together, and you've got yourself one decent veggie burger. Notice I said decent. These burgers aren't bad on their own, but what really makes them something special is the tangy, slightly spicy peanut sauce that accompanies them. A basic Asian-inspired peanut sauce, it's whipped up in a blender and ready to go in less than a minute - and we wouldn't love these burgers so much without it.

While the sauce is quick to put together, the burgers themselves are a little tedious - particularly because they have to chill before they are cooked. Luckily, they keep (and freeze) well, so the easiest way to enjoy these is to make a big batch when you've got some time, form them into patties, and keep them in the freezer the same way you would those pre-packaged Boca burgers - just take out a couple at a time when you're ready to cook them. We usually eat ours over brown rice, but they're great wrapped in pitas, too. They're healthy, filling, and tasty, but the best part? I can finally call the veggie burger my friend - my work on this front is complete.

Want more veg-friendly fare? Try a Rice Omelette or Chipotle Macaroni and Cheese.

Finishing the Year with a Familiar Favorite

2009-12-29T17:30:00.004-06:00

Recipe

Rice Krispie Bars

Everyone loves Rice Krispie bars, right? And most everyone has a unique way that they prefer them...with chocolate chips, with peanut butter, with frosting on top...I even know someone who prefers the packaged Rice Krispie Treats you can buy at the store to homemade ones (which I don't quite understand, but to each their own). Personally, I like them best pure and unadulterated - and if we're getting really picky, I like to call them "bars" and not "treats". I make them the way my mom made them when I was little: with considerably more butter, marshmallows, and Rice Krispies per pan than the recipe printed on the back of the cereal box calls for. The result is (I think) more chewy and satisfying than the standard Rice Krispie bar, and it's a dessert that pleases friends and families just as much as some of the fancier desserts I make. If I'm making them for my sister or other vegetarians in my life, I'm careful to use marshmallows that are free of animal byproducts - I find them at my local co-op.

I won't go into another long soliloquy about why I've been away from my blog for so long - my first semester of graduate school has definitely taken its toll on other areas of my life. Know that you have been missed, blog readers, and I'm excited to make blogging a more regular priority in 2010. Happy (almost) New Year!

Searching for other easy dessert recipes? Try a Chocolate Deli Cake or Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies.

The Fast and the Fabulous

2009-11-01T15:50:00.003-06:00

Crustless Spinach and Turkey Quiche

I've been on the lookout lately for meals that can be prepared quickly with relatively little fuss (I haven't made a dish that requires more than 45 minutes in the kitchen from start to finish in months), and that reheat well, so we have quick, grab-and-go meals to turn to throughout the week. Quiches of all sorts are great for this: they come together fast, lend themselves to endless variations, and make excellent leftovers. If it's a crustless quiche, all the better - who has time to fuss with a crust? Versions of this spinach and turkey quiche grace our dinner table regularly - and also show up often in my lunch bag at work. Sometimes I follow the recipe exactly (it's excellent as is), sometimes I omit the turkey to make it vegetarian-friendly, sometimes I toss more vegetables in or vary the types of cheese...as long as I stick to the egg-liquid-flour ratio, it turns out fabulous every time. Fabulous and fast - these days, that's my kitchen mantra.

On to other business: how about a giveaway? This one is relevant for my Twin Cities readers only: I sell Blue Sky Guides as a fundraiser for my early childhood center every fall, and I hung on to an extra one this year for Cooking in Cathedral Hill. For those of you who are unfamiliar, it's a coupon book full of discounts on local, sustainable businesses. I use it mostly for the grocery coupons - many of my favorite stores are featured (Whole Foods and Mississippi Market, for example), as well as some of my favorite brands (Organic Valley, Peace Coffee, etc.). There are also great coupons for local restaurants, activities, and other Twin Cities businesses. If you don't have one yet and you live in the area, I promise you'll love it. If you already have one (and if you know me personally, you may have purchased one from me - thank you!), maybe you know someone who would like one as a holiday gift. Either way, if you're interested in a free thank-you gift for reading my blog, let me know by leaving a comment on this post (or send me an email, if you're more comfortable with that). Nothing fancy - just say hello and let me know you're out there! I'll select a winner at random next Sunday, November 8, and contact him or her so I can ship out the Blue Sky Guide. To my beloved, non-local readers - have no fear! I've been collecting cookbooks for giveaways and I'll be sure to include everyone next time around.

Happy November, everyone!

Looking for other ways to use up a dozen eggs? Rice Omelette and Custardy Popovers.

Bringing Root Beer Aficionados to Their Knees

2009-10-03T14:45:00.003-06:00

Recipe

Root Beer Chocolate Bundt Cake

Root beer has such a strong, distinct flavor that I think it's usually one of those things you either love or you hate...I fall squarely into the former category. I don't drink any other soda, but if I'm offered a frosty mug of root beer, I definitely won't turn it down. Root beer floats? Best thing ever! Root beer barrels? Fabulous! Root beer chocolate bundt cake?! Swoon.

Root beer and deep, dark chocolate is not a flavor combination I had considered prior to making this cake, but let me tell you, it's pretty darn amazing. You have a few options when making this: you can make the cake with straight root beer, and it will come out with a subtle root beer taste in the background. Alternatively, you can substitute 1/2 cup of Root Beer Schnapps for some of the root beer in the recipe, and the root beer flavor in the cake will be much more pronounced. If children will be eating your cake, you'll probably want to stick with the plain root beer. However, if you're making this for a group of adults and you're thinking you don't want to go to the trouble of buying Root Beer Schnapps just for this recipe (as I thought myself), it's worth the trip to the liquor store. Even if you have no other use for the Schnapps, it keeps forever and I'm pretty confident you'll want to use it when you make this cake again...and again. Your second option is to sprinkle a little sea salt over the top after frosting the cake...or not. I love salt, and thought it accented the chocolate and root beer flavors wonderfully, but if this doesn't appeal to you, it's certainly not necessary. Lastly, your third decision is whether or not to serve this cake with vanilla ice cream, for a pseudo-root beer float experience. But let's be serious here: this is not much of a decision, is it? Break out the ice cream, my friends - you'll have deep, long-lasting regrets if you don't.

Interested in other unique flavor combinations? Bacon-Wrapped Dates and Double Chocolate Cherry Cookies (with wine!).

I'm Back!

2009-09-15T11:30:00.000-06:00

Recipe

Zucchini Pie

It's been a long summer away from my lovely friends in the blogging world...and a busy one! We're all settled in to our new home, and have started the many renovations we have planned (I see many long years of remodeling in my future!). In addition to all the hustle and bustle that comes with moving, I applied for grad school over the summer, and started my classes last week. There's definitely been a lot going on in my little part of Cathedral Hill, but I'm anxious to get back to cooking and writing about food, so here we go!

It's still quite warm here in Minnesota, and I'm seeing lots of zucchini at the farmer's market and my friends' gardens. If you've got zucchini you're looking to use up, this recipe for zucchini pie might fit the bill. I've been making it a couple times every summer for the last few years - I love it because it highlights two of my favorite late summer ingredients: zucchini and basil. Somewhat quiche-like in texture (but a little less eggy and minus the crust), this pie makes a great main course served with a salad for a light meal, but it's equally delicious as a side dish or as part of a breakfast or brunch. Really simple to throw together (just toss everything in a bowl and stir), this was one of the first things I made when we got our kitchen up and running in our new house. Try it soon before the zucchini crop peters out for the year...I promise you'll be glad you did!

Looking for more zucchini? Zucchini Spice Cake and Balsamic Zucchini.

A Summer Hiatus

2009-07-08T12:43:00.003-06:00

I owe my sincerest apologies to all of you, lovely readers, for the extended gap in my posting the last couple months. Dariush and I have been going through the process of purchasing a home, and the process turned out to be much longer and more involved than we had anticipated...and my precious blog has taken a backseat while we sorted everything out. Happily, the house is now ours (and in the same neighborhood, so I can still "cook in Cathedral Hill!). Unhappily (for my personal comfort and for the sake of this blog), this house needs a quite a bit of love and will require a great deal of attention from both Dariush and me this summer. Suffice it to say, there will not be much cooking happening in our new Cathedral Hill kitchen for the next couple of months.

One of the biggest reasons we fell in love with this house, however, was the beautiful, expansive kitchen (complete with a fireplace...in the kitchen! I can hardly believe it!), and I am anxious to get back to my regular cooking (and blogging) schedule this fall. So, Cooking in Cathedral Hill will return to its regularly scheduled programming at the beginning of September.

I appreciate the emails and comments I've received from friends, family, and strangers who are still interested in my blog, and those of you who keep checking back from time to time. Please know how much I miss this space and how anxious I am for my home life to settle down a bit so I can get back to writing here. To show you just how much I appreciate all of you, dear readers, I thought this would be a good time to offer the first ever Cooking in Cathedral Hill giveaway! I have a copy of one of my favorite cookbooks, Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook by Beth Hensperger and Julie Kaufmann (slow cooker meals really come in handy, especially when you have a barely-functioning kitchen) to pop in the mail to one of my loyal readers. Leave me a comment below, or send me a private email if you prefer - just something to let me know you're still here after my absence. (make sure to leave me an email address to contact you if you win, of course). I'll select the winner at random next Thursday, July 16, and contact that person to get their mailing address.

I hope everyone is having an absolutely wonderful summer, and I'll see you all in September!

- Elisabeth

Embracing Spring

2009-04-21T18:15:00.001-06:00

Recipe

Citrus Herb Salmon

Spring signals a return to light, bright flavors with lots of color after the heavy, heartier dishes of winter. This salmon is the perfect meal with which to embrace spring: infused with the warm weather aromas of citrus and fresh green herbs, it's a light, healthy meal that won't send you into a food-induced coma - instead it may inspire you to get outside and enjoy the spring air! The dish is ridiculously simple to put together: salmon fillets are sprinkled with lemon and orange zest, then decked with sprigs of fresh oregano, thyme, tarragon, and chives, and finally, layered with thin slices of lemon and wrapped in foil. The result is a stunning presentation for minimal effort (no tedious chopping of the herbs, just a few quick passes across the grater for zest) with a delicate, tangy bite. Thank goodness for spring!

Last year at this time...Jerk Turkey Slow Cooker Soup and Two Layer Key Lime Pie.

Anxious to Go Camping?

2009-04-09T12:15:00.001-06:00

Indian Spiced Roasted Chickpeas

Camping and hiking season are almost upon us, and DR and I are always on the lookout for new foods to take along with us on our treks that are lightweight, high in protein, and can be eaten at room temperature. These chickpeas meet all of those requirements, and they're also quite delicious - delicious enough that we've been eating them at home for snacks, even though we haven't started hiking yet this year. It's a simple concept: chickpeas tossed with a little oil and lemon juice, coated with various Indian-inspired spices (cinnamon, cumin, and coriander, to name a few) then roasted in the oven for about half an hour. The end result is a flavorful, portable snack that's crisp on the outside, creamy on the inside, and - due to the high protein content - very satisfying. These make a great appetizer for a Southern Asian-inspired meal, too - in fact, I made some for a recent book club meeting, and they were the perfect accompaniment to my friend Kim's vegetable curry. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for nicer weather - I know many of us are anxious to break out our tents and head out on the trail!

Last year at this time...Stovetop Baked Beans and Apple Crumble with Golden Raisins.

Comfort Food for Blustery Weather

2009-04-06T11:15:00.002-06:00

Recipe

Baked Potato Soup

Just when I start to think that soup season is almost over, Minnesota plays a dirty trick on me and I wake up to snow on Sunday morning...on April 5th - you have got to be kidding me! The one good thing about the stubborn wintry weather here is that a big bowl of soup still sounds like the perfect end to a chilly day, so I've taken the opportunity to test out a few new soup recipes the last couple weeks before the weather gets warm enough that soup no longer sounds appealing. I'm pretty picky about my soup, so most of the recipes I've tried didn't make the blog cut - except this one. This soup is exactly what it sounds like: a baked potato in soup form, complete with all the trimmings...and it is oh-so-comforting on a blustery day. Creamy and thick, it's easy to tailor to individual preferences, because everyone can add their own toppings as they see fit. Served with a hunk of crusty bread, it's comfort food at its finest. As long as it stays on the cooler side in Cathedral Hill, I'll be looking for excuses to make this soup as often as I can until warm weather (finally) arrives.

Last year at this time...Creamy Vegetable Chowder and Oreo Crunch Brownies.

Looking for a New Friday Night Dinner?

2009-03-20T15:45:00.001-06:00

Recipe
Drunken Cheesy Bread

This is one of our favorite Friday-night meals: it's quick enough to throw together when you come home from work, cheesy enough to be considered a little indulgent, and it calls for wine (you know, in the recipe...in addition to however many glasses you polish off while cooking and eating - seriously, we don't mess around on Friday nights). I suspect the only reason I haven't posted about it yet is because we always seem to eat a whole pan before I get around to taking any photos of it. In addition to being a perfect Friday night (or really, any night that suits your fancy) meal, this is also one of the most cost-effective things I make, because it just uses up odds and ends that I already have lying around. The basic ingredients are bread, cheese and wine, augmented by anything else you want to use up - meat, vegetables, herbs...this is the perfect recipe to be creative with. The end result will be a cheesy, wine-soaked strata-like dish that begs to served with a buttery Chardonnay and is the perfect finish to a long work-week.

Last year at this time...Slow Cooker Macaroni and Cheese and Breakfast Couscous.

Fresh From the Oven...

2009-03-14T11:00:00.007-06:00

Recipe

Soft Honey-Yogurt Rolls

Making homemade bread is definitely a time and energy commitment, but I think it's a worthwhile commitment to make, because the end result is, well...homemade bread! These rolls were the highlight of my weekend when I made them to accompany a hearty stew a couple weeks ago, and I can't wait to make them again. The recipe is from Baking Bites, and I chose it because the use of yogurt in the dough piqued my curiosity. The original recipe Nicole posted is for sandwich rolls (and really, these would be great as sandwich rolls if you're so inclined), but I made smaller versions and used them as dinner rolls. The yogurt adds a tenderness to the finished product that helps keep them nice and soft, and makes the recipe relatively healthy. Most of the moisture in the recipe comes from the yogurt, so there's very little fat added (many roll recipes call for butter) - just a tablespoon of oil for a 16-roll recipe. The recipe also calls for honey, which adds a lovely natural sweetness to the bread that I really liked. A huge thank you to Nicole at Baking Bites for this wonderful recipe - she has a great site with tons of helpful baking tips - if you haven't already, head over there and check it out!

Last year at this time...New Orleans Style Barbecue Shrimp and Banana Cream Pie.

Happy Birthday, Chelsea!

2009-03-07T12:50:00.004-06:00

Recipe
Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

I've been hanging on to my grandmother's carrot cake recipe for a long time, putting it up on a pedestal as "the best" and refusing to try any other versions...partly because it is quite good, but mostly because I miss my grandmother terribly and the recipe reminds me of her. When Chelsea, one of our center's assistant teachers, asked for a carrot cake with lots of frosting for her birthday treat at work last month, I decided it might be time to give another carrot cake recipe a try- just to see if I could find something I liked even better than my grandma's.

Turns out...I did! This recipe is from the famed Mrs. Fields, and it is the best carrot cake I've ever had (no matter how much I love my grandma, and I love her a lot). The cake itself was fabulous: moist, delicate, and just the right amount of spice. The frosting was simply heaven: I've never made cream cheese frosting with butter before, but it adds an extra layer of creaminess that put this whole cake over the moon. The original recipe is for a two layer cake, which is the way I made it for Chelsea's birthday. To be honest, the next time I make it (and there will certainly be a next time), I will probably make it as a single layer cake in a sheet pan: it's a very moist cake, and I had a hard time keeping the layers together once the cake had been sliced. I'm a carrot cake purist, so I left the nuts and raisins out of the cake, but for those of you of like them in there, they can easily be added.

Chelsea is one of our college students that helps out at the center part-time, and she is a very, very sweet girl. She is such a hard worker, and the kids just adore her. I'm so glad she's part of our team, and we were all so happy to celebrate her birthday with her. Happy birthday, Chelsea!

Last year at this time...Irish Bread Pudding with Caramel Whiskey Sauce and Barbecue Fries.

A Meal for a Special Occasion

2009-03-02T19:40:00.001-06:00

Recipe

Black Pepper-Crusted Standing Rib Roast

I was on the look-out for a traditional-meat-and-potatoes kind of special occasion dinner that I could make for a celebration we had planned for my dad a couple months ago when I came across this recipe. I don't generally cook with large cuts of meat, so they don't often make it onto our table at home...when they do (mostly at Thanksgiving and other holidays), I want to make sure it's a really wonderful recipe - and this roast certainly met my expectations. I find large hunks of meat to be quite intimidating in the kitchen, so DR usually takes over most of the prep and cooking for these kinds of meals - he gets most of the credit for this one. And really, he deserves a lot of kudos because this roast was wonderful - probably the best I've ever had. First, the roast is slathered with a lovely concoction of cracked pepper, butter, and garlic, like this......then it's roasted in the oven to the perfect temperature (medium rare-ish). Finally, it's served with au jus that's been simmered on the stove with a little wine and some of the reserved pepper butter. With a side of creamy mashed potatoes (that make the perfect vehicle for any extra au jus), this meal is bound to impress any meat-loving guests that come to your table. And if you're not sure about trying this on your own, drop me a line...I'm happy to let you borrow DR for the evening!

Last year at this time...Vegetables and Rice with Peanut Sauce, Banana Orange Oat Muffins, and Macaroni and Cheese.

On Vacation

2009-02-24T20:20:00.001-06:00

Cooking in Cathedral Hill has been on vacation for the last week or so...but I haven't forgotten about you, dear readers! New posts and recipes will be up and running by the end of the week. Happy almost-spring!

Happy Birthday, Mary!

2009-02-15T06:00:00.004-06:00

Recipe

Boston Cream Pie

We celebrated Dariush's mother's birthday recently, and we had a fabulous time. First, we went out to dinner at Moscow on the Hill, a wonderful Russian restaurant that's just down the street from our house, and not to be missed if you're ever in the Cathedral Hill neighborhood (highlights of the meal were DR's shot of horseradish vodka and an accordion player that moves from table to table). Then we headed back to our house for the Boston Cream Pie that Mary had requested for her birthday dessert. If you're not familiar with Boston Cream Pie, it's really not a "pie" at all: it's a layer of vanilla pastry cream sandwiched between two layers of yellow cake, then frosted or glazed with chocolate. I was a little nervous when I was tasked with making one - it was my first time and I had a hard time finding a recipe that had lots of positive reviews, which is usually what I look for when I'm trying something new. I ended up going with a Joy of Cooking recipe that Anna reviewed at Cookie Madness (Anna's reviews are great: she has a detailed, frank style of writing about recipes that's very helpful when you're trying something new). The end result was perfectly lovely: custardy, smooth vanilla pastry cream; crumbly, rich cake layers; and a thick chocolate frosting that was just the right amount to coat it all evenly. My only trouble was with spreading the frosting - in the end, I walked away in exasperation while Dariush broke out his blow torch to make it smooth (and no, I'm not talking about one of those little kitchen torches people use for crème brulée - I'm talking about a full-size, workshop-style, propane torch...this is how we do things in Cathedral Hill, my friends). All in all, I'll be anxiously waiting for an excuse to make a Boston Cream Pie again - I think it's fast becoming one of my favorite desserts.

Last year at this time...Basil Shrimp with Feta and Orzo and Nutella Cheesecake Brownies.

Loving Winter Greens

2009-02-09T20:30:00.000-06:00

Recipe

Sautéed Kale

In a search for seasonal vegetable side dishes that don't involve squash or sweet potatoes, I've stumbled upon a new love: winter greens. Chard, kale, escarole, and their cousins - in addition to being ridiculously good for you - brighten up dull winter plates with splashes of vibrant color that our eyes have been longing for since summer. Kale is my new favorite: it's dark, flavorful, and slightly chewy, even when it's cooked. And this recipe is my favorite way to prepare it: boiling the greens first, then sautéeing them with a little olive oil, onion, garlic, and crushed red pepper for heat, then finally, finishing with a splash of red wine vinegar. The end result is a dish that tastes leafy and healthy, a little spicy and a little tangy and just...really, really good. And the best part? Not only does it taste really good - knowing how many vitamins and nutrients you're giving your body, you somehow feel virtuous eating it. Not too bad for a humble side of greens.

Last year at this time...Spaghetti with Turkey Meatballs and Miniature Vegetable Quiches.

Celebrating Soup Season

2009-02-02T21:13:00.005-06:00

Recipe

Turkey and Wild Rice Chowder

The first time I made this recipe, it was in an attempt to use up our leftover Thanksgiving turkey. I've made it a couple times since then - not because we still have leftover turkey in the freezer, but because it's so good that I haven't wanted to wait to have leftovers to make it again. A bowlful of creamy chowder studded with carrots, celery, corn, and lots of wild rice (plus a little bacon for salty flavor, if you're into that kind of thing...I am!) is the perfect cozy Sunday lunch. This is a really hearty soup that's filling enough to stand by itself as a meal (with a hunk of crusty bread, of course). If you don't want to use turkey, chicken makes an excellent stand-in. Making soup is one of my favorite cold-weather activities, and I'm betting on having at least one more month of soup weather to take advantage of before the spring thaw comes - who's with me? Get your stockpots ready!

Last year at this time...Cranberry-Glazed Pork and Inside-Out German Chocolate Cake.

More Sweet Potato Love

2009-01-25T20:40:00.007-06:00

Recipe
Vanilla Mashed Sweet Potatoes

I know, I know, the last time I posted about sweet potatoes, I said they were the best I'd ever had...but a girl can fall in love more than once, right? These vanilla sweet potatoes are every bit as lovely as the streuseled sweet potatoes I hold so dear, but a little less decadent and well-suited for a more casual meal. Roasted sweet potatoes are mashed with cream that's been simmered with vanilla beans and a little orange zest to create a rich, creamy side dish that's almost sweet enough to be called dessert (it's certainly delicious enough that I personally wouldn't hesitate to hide in the corner with a bowlful and call it a treat...ahem). I picked up this recipe from Heidi Swanson's blog, 101 Cookbooks - she has all kinds of fantastic recipes over there that are definitely worth checking out, and has even come out with a couple cookbooks of her own. She got the recipe from Terrance Brennan's Artisanal Cooking, and if this recipe is any indication, that is one fabulous cookbook - I ordered my copy this weekend.

A couple notes: If you're thinking to yourself, "why, those potatoes in the photo don't look like sweet potatoes - I think this girl has lost her mind!" I assure you they are indeed sweet potatoes. They're a variety called boniatos that have a cream-colored flesh and a more delicate flavor than standard sweet potatoes - DR and I have recently discovered them, and we are so glad we did. If you don't have vanilla beans and don't want to buy any for this recipe, vanilla extract can be substituted with similar (although not quite as good) results. If you would like some vanilla beans but think they're too expensive at the grocery store, I order mine from Arizona Vanilla Company...they're organically grown, high quality, and less expensive than what I usually see in stores. Vanilla beans are, in my opinion, worth having on hand for lots of things...but even if you buy them for this recipe alone, it's worth it. I'm off to polish off the leftovers now. Hooray for sweet potatoes!

Last year at this time...Oven Beef Stew and Honey Peanut Butter Banana Muffins.

A Mid-Winter Taste of the Tropics

2009-01-22T15:20:00.003-06:00

Recipe
Banana Coconut Muffins

If you're like me and have a whole gang of overripe bananas in your freezer waiting to be used up, this is the perfect recipe for you. These banana muffins are everything a muffin should be: soft and moist, sweet and portable...just like tiny little individual banana breads, but with a bit of a twist. Adding shredded coconut gives these muffins a unique, slightly tropical flavor that makes them a little more exciting than a more traditional banana muffin. They make a great weekday breakfast or afterschool snack, and with the toasted coconut on top, they're even pretty enough to package up as a homemade gift. And hey, if you live in Minnesota and you close your eyes tight enough, you might be able to pretend (for a few seconds, anyway) that you're on a tropical island instead of stuck in the miserable winter weather we've been having lately. Who else is ready for spring?

Last year at this time...Chicken Noodle Casserole and Cranberry Feta Pinwheels.

First Crockpot, Then Beans, Next...The World

2009-01-18T14:00:00.003-06:00

Recipe

Slow Cooker Tex Mex Chicken and Beans

Crockpot recipes are the most popular thing on my blog: I get more emails and comments about them than anything else I post about. I can only assume it's because other people have the same love/hate relationship with their crockpots that I do: the idea of coming home after a long day at work to a warm meal that's all ready to go is immensely appealing, but so often slow cooker recipes don't live up to expectations and turn out dry, overcooked, and flavorless. This is why it's a big event around here when I discover a new slow cooker recipe that does live up to its promises...and do you what makes this particular recipe an even bigger event? Not only did I get to use my crockpot, but it's also the first time I've successfully cooked with dry (read: not canned) beans! I've been wanting to tackle dry beans in my kitchen for a long time, but have always been daunted by the amount of time they take. This recipe is a great start if you're like me, and trying dried beans for the first time (if you're already comfortable cooking with dried beans, it's still good!): everything cooks together in one pot, and doesn't require any babysitting. In addition to being ridiculously simple, it also tastes fantastic: chicken and pinto beans in a creamy, stew-like sauce that's great on its own, but even better wrapped in warm tortillas or spooned over rice. As with most slow cooker recipes, the cooking time may vary a little based on the size and model of your crockpot, so you might want to give this a test run when you're around the house the first time, just to make sure everything is done properly. Now that we've conquered crockpots and beans, there's no limit to what we can accomplish! Hooray!

Last year at this time...Crab and Corn Bisque and Corn and Smoked Mozzarella Mashed Potatoes.

Holiday Dessert Wrap Up, Part II

2009-01-12T13:00:00.003-06:00

Recipe

Coconut Cream Tart

The second tart I settled on for my family's Christmas celebration, after choosing the Cranberry-Chocolate Tart, was this coconut one. I had some hesitations about it - the reviews it had received on Epicurious were decidedly mixed, and I'm not always sure how big of a coconut fan I really am. I stuck with it though, convinced that it would be the perfect foil to the deep, dark flavors of the chocolate tart. The end result put all my misgivings to shame: this was one amazing dessert. Turns out I do like coconut a whole lot - as long as it's prepared properly and not overpowered by lots of sugar and fake stuff (Hostess Sno-Balls, I'm looking at you).

This is another layered tart - a coconut-shortbread crust, topped with thick coconut custard, then a tangy, barely-sweet cream. The custard was incredibly rich and creamy - I think Dariush deemed it "the smoothest thing he has ever tasted". The cause of all this smooth, rich goodness was cream of coconut: a thick, white substance that is less liquidy than coconut milk, and difficult to find in a store if you don't know where to look (I didn't, but I do now, thanks to the always helpful staff at Kowalski's on Grand - it's with the other alcoholic beverage accompaniments, like Bloody Mary mix and such...and now I can't wait to try the coconut cream in piña coladas, which was its original intent...but I digress). The cream topping was a mixture of whipping cream, sour cream, and just a teaspoon of sugar...a traditional sweet whipped cream would have been too much, and the tanginess of the sour cream made it just right. All in all, a completely fabulous tart that I will make again and again...and thus concludes my 2008 holiday dessert wrap-up. Thank goodness people still have birthdays coming up.

Last year at this time...White Chocolate Raspberry Bars and Onion and Fontina Beer Bread.

Holiday Dessert Wrap-Up, Part I

2009-01-09T18:00:00.004-06:00

Recipe
Cranberry Chocolate Tart

My sister hosted our family's Christmas Eve celebration this year, and we had a wonderful time (thanks, Anna!). I was tasked with dessert, and as soon as I saw this beautiful recipe in Bon Appetit, my heart was set on making tarts for Christmas. Tarts, in general, are such a pretty dessert, and this particular tart was no exception: it was so lovely, I almost didn't want to cut it up! It starts with a rich, dark chocolate crust, which perfectly complements the next layer - a smooth, just-barely-sweet mascarpone cream (not the same kind of sugary sweet as more typical pastry creams - just a hint of sweetness here), and finally, finishes off with a layer of tart, cooling cranberries. The cranberry layer is held together with gelatin, but vegetarians and vegans take heart: I made this with a kosher, vegan-friendly gelatin , and it worked just fine. This tart was the perfect end to our festive evening together...I can't wait for an excuse to make it again. Of course, being the over-the-top dessert aficionado that I am, I wasn't satisfied with only making one tart for Christmas...I had to make two (hey, people need choices!). Stay tuned for the lovely Coconut Cream Tart that accompanied this one - I'll be posting soon!

Last year at this time...Garlicky Green Beans and Barbecue Roasted Salmon.

Sweet Potatoes (Hold the Marshmallows) to Please Every Palate

2008-12-27T13:40:00.006-06:00

Recipe
Streuseled Sweet Potato Casserole

I love sweet potatoes all fall and winter long - baked sweet potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, sweet potatoes in soup, sweet potatoes both sweet and savory...you see, I could almost write a poem detailing my affection for sweet potatoes! This particular sweet potato recipe, however, is my favorite of all my favorites - the best of the best. I'm not a big fan of the sweet potato-marshmallow concoctions that grace many a table at this time of year, and this recipe is the closest I'll come to a sweet potato dish along those lines . Mashed sweet potatoes are whipped with cream, maple syrup, and vanilla to make an airy, creamy mixture that's spread into a pan, topped with a streusel of chopped pecans, brown sugar, and butter, then baked to warm, heavenly perfection. It's a holiday side dish that will make everyone happy: if you've got people who can't stand the thought of a sweet potato-marshmallow casserole, then they'll be pleased to have this delicious alternative...and if you've got people who will be disappointed that you didn't use any marshmallows in your holiday meal, I'll bet they'd be pleasantly surprised to taste these potatoes and find that they're just as good - if not better - than what they're normally used to. I hope everyone had a lovely holiday this week...now to start planning for New Year's!

Last year at this time...White Chicken Chili.

It's Not Too Late for Pumpkin!

2008-12-21T21:14:00.007-06:00

Recipe
Cream of Pumpkin Soup

I teach a cooking and literacy class for the kids at my center once a month...it's my favorite part of my job. Every month, we read a story, then make a recipe together that goes along with the story. Last month, we read a book called Pumpkin Soup by Helen Cooper (a very cute children's book - I linked to Amazon if anyone is interested in checking it out), then we made...pumpkin soup! Not too surprisingly, this soup was not a big hit with the kids - they like it better when we make muffins and pies. It was, however, a BIG hit with the teachers - I've had more requests for this recipe (I even had one teacher ask me to make her a batch to take home) than any other recipe I've ever made for the staff at the center. I've made it at home a couple times now myself, and it really is pretty darn good...hands down the best pumpkin soup I've ever had. I know pumpkin and its subsequent flavors tend to be more of a fall thing for many people, but if you're not sick to death of pumpkin yet, I highly suggest you give this recipe a go. It's quite simple to throw together (really, preschoolers can make it), it's creamy, it's filling, and on a chilly day, it will coat your throat with gingery, cinnamony goodness and make you warm from the inside out.

It's not too likely that I'll get another post up this week, with the holiday busyness upon me, so...Happy Holidays, everyone! I'm so grateful for everyone who stops by here. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season with good food, family, and friends. And while we're on the subject, I'd like to put in another plug for donating to your local food shelf as part of your holiday tradition. I know this holiday season finds many people in tight financial circumstances, but I figure if I have enough to spend on a Christmas meal for my own family, I can spare enough to help another family who might not have a holiday meal otherwise. As I've mentioned before, Second Harvest Heartland is a wonderful hunger relief organization that serves the Upper-Midwest area, and they need donations more than ever at this time of year. Have a great week, lovely readers!

Last year at this time...Broccoli Tofu Stir Fry and Creamy Feta and Chive Dip.

On the Bacon Bandwagon

2008-12-17T05:00:00.003-06:00

Recipe

Bacon-Wrapped Dates

These dates were the one new appetizer I tried out for Thanksgiving, and they were so popular that I was barely able to sneak in a picture of the last few that were left before they were all gone! There's not much of a recipe, here - just pitted dates wrapped in half a slice of bacon each, then baked in the oven for 10 minutes or so. I generally get into more fussy, complicated appetizers, and this is by far the easiest thing in my party repertoire. The dates get nice and gooey as they warm in the oven, and salty bacon acts as the perfect complement to their sweetness. These are so delicious, and so easy to make, that I (somewhat embarrassingly) made some for a snack for Dariush and I on a quiet night at home last week, and we ate them all by ourselves. (Seriously, nothing says "indulgent" like making yourself a plate of cute little appetizers when you know full well that you've got no one coming over and nothing to do - kind of ridiculous, but I can't wait to do it again.) Even if you're not a big fan of dates (I'm really not, myself), I'm pretty sure you'll still love these because, really, bacon makes just about anything taste good. If you're looking for a new holiday appetizer recipe, I highly suggest you put these on your list. Once you're on the bacon bandwagon, you'll never want to jump off.

Last year at this time...Creamy Shrimp and Gruyere Pasta and Chocolate Deli Cake.

A Bowl Full of Clouds

2008-12-12T05:00:00.007-06:00

Recipe

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

So, I didn't end up going with the Sage and White Cheddar Mashed Potatoes for Thanksgiving as I had previously planned. I decided they might be a little too non-traditional for some of my less adventurous Thanksgiving guests, and that I should go with something simpler and plainer to highlight Dariush's mother's gravy that everyone loves so much. I'm really not a fan of just plain old boiled-then-mashed potatoes, though, so I figured I could safely jazz it up just a little bit by adding roasted garlic. My gamble paid off - the mashed potatoes were a hit, and they have now made it into my own regular, non-holiday recipe rotation. This recipe is as bare bones as mashed potatoes are likely to get in my house: baking potatoes mashed with a bit of buttermilk, a little butter, and lots and lots of garlic that has been drizzled with olive oil and slow roasted in the oven beforehand. Although this year, our potatoes weren't so much mashed as beaten...you see, Dariush gave me a KitchenAid stand mixer for my birthday this year, and we look for every possible excuse to use it - so we had great fun whipping the potatoes and all their accompanients in my beautiful new kitchen appliance instead of mashing them by hand. The result was the fluffiest, lightest mashed potatoes I've ever had: from here forward, all mashed potatoes in my kitchen will be similarly treated. If you don't have a stand mixer, a hand mixer would probably work just as well, and I highly recommend you try this technique as soon as possible if you haven't already done so. You won't be disappointed, and your potatoes will be like a bowl full of clouds. It doesn't get much better than that.

Last year at this time...Barbecue Meatloaf and Spinach Balls

Cookie Nirvana

2008-12-08T05:00:00.002-06:00

Recipe
Oatmeal Cookies

Generally speaking, I like my cookies plain and unadulterated, without lots of "stuff". I realize I'm probably in the minority, but I don't like too many chocolate chips in my cookies, too many M&M's, too many raisins - you get the picture, right? That's why these oatmeal cookies suit my tastes perfectly: there's no extra chunks of anything in them to mess with my cookie zen. Once I found this recipe, I knew I'd never need to try another oatmeal cookie again: I wouldn't be able to improve on these. Simple and chewy, these cookies do have one distinction that make them stand out from the pack: a dash of holiday spices - cinnamon, ginger, and cloves - to keep them from being too plain and ordinary. Kids love these oatmeal cookies because there's nothing too fancy or foreign going on with them...and grown-ups love them, too. Because sometimes we all just want a simple plate of cookies and milk - what's more zen than that?

Last year at this time...Custardy Popovers, Wild Rice Soup, and Raspberry Cream Muffins.

A Festive Holiday Treat

2008-12-02T15:00:00.009-06:00

Recipe
Sugared Cranberries

I had every intention to get a blog post up this past weekend - but my best intentions flew out the window with all the Thanksgiving hoopla! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday.

I finally had the foresight to snap a quick photo of my favorite holiday snack before everyone gobbled them up last Friday...aren't they pretty? I've been making these cranberries every fall and winter for the last couple of years or so - they're my go-to snack to break out for guests - and really, to eat all by myself, if we're being honest. They're very easy to make: fresh cranberries steeped overnight in a simple sugar-water syrup, then rolled in sugar the next day. The concept is ingenious...and I'm always pleasantly surprised by how much people like them. They're the perfect balance of tart and sweet, and they make a tiny *pop* in your mouth. Best of all, they're so sparkly and festive, they can do double-duty as a centerpiece on the table! Need one more reason to try these? They're very light and not at all filling - so if you're having a dinner party and don't want everyone snacking on heavy appetizers before the big meal, these cranberries are the perfect solution.

Our Thanksgiving celebration this year was absolutely lovely - a wonderful combination of family, friends, and food (just as Thanksgiving should be, I suppose). I won't bore you with all the details - but hopefully you won't mind indulging me if I post some parting photos of our evening, taken by our dear friends Kate and Jim (who added so much joy to our holiday weekend, we wish they were in Minnesota all the time - love and miss you guys!):

Last year at this time...Cinnamon Scones, Pumpkin Cheeseball, and Cider-Roasted Pork Loin.

Rich and Decadent...in 30 Minutes or Less

2008-11-25T07:39:00.005-06:00

Recipe

Bow Ties with Sausage, Tomatoes, and Cream

Usually, it works out that my most decadent recipes are also my most time-consuming ones. Unconsciously, I've started to cultivate an attitude that the really spectacular, company-worthy recipes must involve a lot of time and detailed steps to truly be the best of the best (for reference, see the insanity that is some of our Birthday Treat Days at work). Then, a recipe come along that reminds me how quick and easy a fabulous dish can be: like this pasta, which has become my new best friend. With over 5oo positive reviews on AllRecipes, I can't imagine anyone being disappointed with this. The recipe is wonderfully flavorful and rich, but requires the most minimal of time and effort to throw together. Bow ties are the perfect shape for this dish: the sturdy noodles have little pockets that are simply destined to hold this rich, creamy tomato sauce. This recipe was my first foray into cooking with Italian sausage, and I was thrilled with the results - what flavor! With the cream and sausage, this pasta is a bit on the indulgent side...but that just means that Dariush and I both are all the more excited about it - a meal that tastes like something special in under 30 minutes is a rare occasion in our house.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, everyone! Dariush and I won't be hosting our big day until Friday...I'll try to pop in and get a post up on Friday morning before the festivities start here. I wish all of you a wonderful meal with wonderful family and friends. If, like me, you're wanting to help some families that are less fortunate this year, Second Harvest Heartland is a wonderful hunger-relief organzation that serves the Upper-Midwest area - they're always looking for donations and volunteers. We have so much to be thankful for this year, and we're happy for the opportunity to share what we have with others who really need it.

Last year at this time...Elevator Lady (Molasses) Cookies and Crockpot Beef Carnitas.

Making Plans for Leftovers...

2008-11-21T07:35:00.012-06:00

Recipe

Turkey or Chicken Tetrazzini

Dariush and I have hosted a Thanksgiving celebration for the last three years, and every year he's been in charge of the turkey while I do the side dishes (with some help from our families). Dariush makes, hands-down, the best turkey I've ever had: he uses Alton Brown's recipe for Honey-Brined Turkey, builds a smoke bomb with hickory chips, and cooks it on the grill all day. If you haven't tried this popular method of cooking a turkey, I highly recommend it. It's great for two reasons: first, because it's cooked on the grill, it frees up oven space (and who doesn't want more oven space on Thanksgiving?), and second, because the end result is a moist, smoky turkey that's much more flavorful than the typical oven-baked bird. I'll make sure to get a good photo of it this year and post it after Thanksgiving - it's very impressive.

But I digress. Since DR's turkey is so awesome, I like to make sure that I make good use of all the leftovers we inevitably have every year. As I've mentioned before, I'm not a fan of gravy, so the traditional hot turkey sandwiches don't really do it for me, as far as a leftover plan goes. Instead, I like to use our leftover turkey in soups, stews, and pastas. This tetrazzini recipe is our favorite - total creamy, filling comfort food. If you're not familiar with tetrazzini, it's simply noodles baked with a creamy Parmesan-sherry sauce, usually some kind of non-red meat, and often mushrooms (although I typically leave these out). We like the recipe we use so much that we eat it more often than just with leftover Thanksgiving turkey - it's wonderful with chicken, too. Next, I'm on the hunt for some kind of turkey-wild rice soup to try with our leftovers this year - if anyone has a favorite recipe, send it my way!

Last year at this time...Rosemary Focaccia Bread and Moroccan Chicken

The Great Thanksgiving Dilemma

2008-11-18T07:13:00.007-06:00

Recipe
Mashed Potatoes with Sage and White Cheddar

The dilemma of what to serve for Thanksgiving is an internal struggle for me every year. On one hand, I want all my favorites that I've had every year since my childhood (my mom's stuffing, her cranberries, pies, etc.) - all the things that I know and love and really only have once a year. (And honestly, now that I celebrate Thanksgiving with DR's family, too, it's even harder to decide - his mom makes a killer stuffing as well.) On the other hand, the cook in me wants to try new things, experiment to my heart's content - and I've saved a pile of new turkey/stuffing/cranberry/potato/pumpkin recipes to that end. Which to choose? If only Thanksgiving came twice a year! Usually, the part of me that craves my familiar loves wins over...for the most part. I try to make one or two exceptions every year, just to keep my inner chef happy.

This year, I think we may be giving some new mashed potatoes a chance, because I've happened upon this delicious recipe. It starts with plain old boiled potatoes - but then it gets a little more interesting. The potatoes are mashed with cream that's been merrily simmered along with sage in a bit of browned butter. It sounds heavenly just reading that sentence, doesn't it? After mashing, a cup or so of sharp white cheddar is stirred into the potatoes, then they're scooped into a baking dish. After generously sprinkling the top with more cheddar and sage, the potatoes are baked in the oven until the top gets crispy. Gravy is one of the only Thanksgiving-related foods that I'm not fond of, but for those who want it: DR says gravy would be great on these (and if you make a sage gravy, all the better). The best part for those of us who will busily cooking a Thanksgiving meal this year: they can be made ahead, right up to the part where they go into the oven. And yes, they are really, really good.

Last year at this time...Cran-Apple Muffins and Creamy Swiss Quiche

Macaroni and Cheese with a Kick

2008-11-10T06:00:00.001-06:00

Recipe

Chipotle Macaroni and Cheese

I never tire of trying out new macaroni and cheese recipes - although I do think I've narrowed the field of traditional versions to a few favorites: this one, that one, my mom's, my Aunt Laurie's, and the stuff from the deli counter at Whole Foods (that's not too many favorites, right?!). As far as non-traditional macaroni and cheese recipes go, this chipotle version is far and away the best I've had. It's creamy and comforting, just like proper macaroni and cheese should be...but it also has a substantial kick to keep it interesting. Where does this kick come from, you ask? Well, let me tell you: it comes from a tablespoon of chipotle chiles in adobo sauce and a can of diced tomatoes with green chili peppers. Ingenious, I think - and I've yet to make it for anyone who hasn't absolutely loved it. My mom loved it so much that she's been asking me for the recipe for weeks - here you go, Mom! Sorry it took so long.

On another note, happy birthday to me! It was my birthday last Friday, and I've had a wonderful weekend celebrating. Thank you, thank you to all my co-workers, friends, and family for making this a great start to my 28th year. I am so lucky to have such fabulous people in my life!

Last year at this time...Maple Snickerdoodles and Classic Corn Chowder

Election Day

2008-11-04T06:00:00.003-06:00

I'll be too busy standing in line waiting to vote, then glued to the television watching election coverage to do much blogging today. I hope everyone who hasn't already done so is planning to vote today. Happy Election Day!

The Perfect Edible, Shippable Gift

2008-11-01T06:00:00.005-06:00

Recipe
Rosemary Roasted Cashews

It's my brother-in-law Damion's birthday in a few days. He lives in Virginia, and he's an avid reader (and a pretty excellent writer, too), so I usually send him a book for his birthday. (This year, I got him Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson, which is excellent book, if you haven't read it yet.) He also likes coffee, so I usually send him a Starbucks card...but not this year. This year, I wanted to send him something more personal, something homemade. This was a bit challenging because it needed to be something I could package and ship. He's not too big on sweet stuff, so I decided to go the savory route. Damion loves cashews (they always have a giant Costco-sized jar in the cupboard that he snacks on), so I thought Ina Garten's recipe for Rosemary Roasted Cashews would be perfect. I've made these a couple times now, and they are absolutely delicious and addictive. Roasting the cashews in the oven lends a deep, toasty flavor to the nuts. After roasting, they're tossed with brown sugar, cayenne pepper, a little butter, and fresh rosemary, which makes for a fabulous salty/sweet/spicy/earthy taste combination. If you're looking for a new holiday appetizer or an easy homemade gift, this is a great option. Damion's cashews won't reach him until next week, but I'm pretty confident he'll adore them as much as I do - and I'm pretty confident you'll adore them, too. Happy November, everyone!

Another Slow Cooker Success

2008-10-27T05:00:00.002-06:00

Recipe

Slow Cooker Thai Chicken

I always feel a bit triumphant when I discover a new crockpot recipe that I like: as I've mentioned before, they're few and far between at our house. It is so nice, though, so convenient, to be able to toss something in there before you go to work in the morning, and come home to a house that smells delicious and a meal that has prepared itself while you were away. For this reason, my crockpot and I press on: many things we try together don't work out, but when they do - bliss. This chicken recipe is one of the happier results of my slow cooker experimentation. Although the recipe is called "Thai Chicken", I suppose it's something more like Thai-inspired chicken, because I'm fairly certain that there aren't any authentic Thai recipes that call for salsa as an ingredient. Nonetheless, it does have a distinctly Thai peanutty flavor that I love, and it takes the most minimal of effort on my part, so its authenticity doesn't concern me too much. The recipe calls for chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts - an important distinction in crockpot cooking, because in my experience breasts tend to dry out in the crockpot, while thighs stay moist. Toss in a little lime juice, peanut butter, ginger, soy sauce, and the aforementioned salsa, and you're set to go. After it's cooked, the recipe is finished off with a sprinkling of cilantro and crushed peanuts and served over rice. A big thanks to Claire797 on the CLBB, who originally shared this recipe - my crockpot and I both appreciate it!

Plain and Simple

2008-10-24T08:00:00.005-06:00

Recipe

Vanilla Pudding

Once cool weather comes around, I go deep into comfort food mode and don't generally snap out of it until March. Words like "creamy", "hearty", and "robust" float around in my head when I'm planning menus, and I gravitate towards simple, homey recipes. As far as desserts go, nothing fits the bill quite like homemade vanilla pudding. Thick, creamy, and comforting, this particular recipe has a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth texture that will make anyone who tries it an instant fan. I use lots of vanilla: vanilla extract, vanilla bean seeds...I even leave the whole vanilla bean pods in the pudding to steep while it cooks to maximize the vanilla flavor (just don't forget to take them out again - nobody likes to bite into a vanilla bean!). Vanilla pudding, in and of itself, might not sound too swoon-worthy - and it certainly is a plain and simple, nothing fancy kind of dessert - but trust me when I tell you it's so good, you won't care that it's not fancy.

Alternative Energy

2008-10-21T08:00:00.002-06:00

Recipe

Power Sticks

We can't seem to make it through a whole box of cereal at our house without the last 1/4 of the box or so getting stale. Dariush and I have been trying to tighten up our budget and waste less food, and this recipe is very conducive to that - in addition to being pretty darn tasty. It uses up my last bits of cereal (and it doesn't much matter what kind), and the rest of the ingredients are simple things I almost always have around: honey, peanut butter, powdered milk, and occasionally, some dried fruit. The appearance isn't too pretty (somewhat phallic, and somewhat turd-like, unfortunately - so unattractive that I'm hesitant to post a photo of one unwrapped!), but these make a a great energy-boosting breakfast or mid-day snack. They keep well at room temperature, so I often make a batch to take along on camping trips. They also hold up in the freezer if you need to store them for longer periods. In my experience, they taste better and cost less than the typical energy bar, and they still provide a fair amount of protein and are just as portable. Plus, they let me finally get rid of that lingering raisin bran on top of my fridge. Alternative energy that's convenient and cost-effective - if only it were so easy in other areas of life!

Happy Birthday, Nicole!

2008-10-17T19:00:00.015-06:00

Recipe

Soft Pretzels

I've never met anyone who loves pretzels as much as dear Ms. Nicole, so I shouldn't have been surprised when she told me what she wanted for her birthday treat. Instead of making a batch of SuperPretzels (you know, those ones in the freezer section at the grocery store? They're not bad!), I did some digging and came up with this recipe from King Arthur Flour (really, between the tres leches cake and now these pretzels, I've put KAF on a pedestal so high they'll never be able to climb down). In a word, these pretzels are amazing, and I'm basically indebted forever to Nicole for prompting me to learn how to make them - I am not exaggerating a bit when I say they are one of the best things I've ever eaten.

I'm not particularly experienced in working with yeast breads, but this recipe is fairly simple and I got the hang of it after a couple batches - so don't be intimidated if you're not a regular bread baker. The recipe is a straightforward yeast bread that's rolled into long ropes, then shaped into pretzels. DR turned out to be quite skilled at this, so he rolled most of them for me - and look, he even made his name in pretzel dough! Let me tell you, sometimes it's nice to be with someone who gets pleasure out of simple things:

After they're shaped, the pretzels are dipped in a baking soda wash, which is what gives most soft pretzels their crispy exterior. After baking, this is where these pretzels stand out from any other: they're brushed with a generous amount of melted butter. Seriously. The King Arthur website describes these pretzels as ethereal, and I truly can't think of a better word for them than that. I sprinkled half of the pretzels with coarse sea salt, and half with cinnamon and sugar. Both were incredible. Other toppings would be great, too - garlic, sundried tomatoes, even a chocolate drizzle...I think I would make these every weekend if I thought it was a sane choice for my waistline.

Nicole is our middle preschool teacher at the center, and she's great. She's one of the most easygoing people I've ever met - an especially useful personality trait when you teach young children. She has a kind heart and a passion for helping even our toughest kids - I'm so glad she's on our team, and I'm also glad she asked me to make pretzels...but I've mentioned that already, haven't I?

The Great Cornbread Debate

2008-10-13T05:30:00.002-06:00

Recipe

Swedish Corn Bread

Sweet vs. savory cornbread: in this great food debate, I am not firmly entrenched on either side. I admit to being a bit of a waffler, an "independent", if you will: sometimes a chunk of salty, spicy cornbread is really what I'm after. Other times, something sweet - almost dessert-like - really hits the spot. My sister makes awesome savory cornbread that I could eat all day long if given the opportunity. But when I'm in the mood for the other kind of cornbread, this adaptation of an old recipe from Gourmet is the one I turn to. Deliciously sweet, crumbly, and buttery, the addition of vanilla will put you over the moon if you love sweet cornbread (and even if you don't normally prefer your cornbread sweet, I don't think you'll be able to resist this one). Dariush and I really like it for breakfast - it's also good paired with chili, barbecue, or just about any kind of soup. Not particularly light, this cornbread is an indulgence that is probably best in small amounts - but the recipe makes enough for a crowd, so make sure you have lots of people to share it with. Regardless of where they stand in the Great Cornbread Debate, they'll thank you - I promise.

Welcoming Fall with Open Arms

2008-09-29T05:00:00.002-06:00

Recipe

Cranberry Barbecue Beef

The temperature outside seems to indicate that fall has finally arrived in Minnesota, and I couldn't be more ready for it. In fact, I couldn't really wait for it cool down enough last week to make one of my favorite cool weather recipes: these lovely beef sandwiches (as you can see from the photo, we had quite the contrast of seasons on our plates - cranberry beef and watermelon, which was still looking really good at the store a week ago). This is a great recipe to make on a weekend when you're just hanging around the house - braising the meat takes a few hours, so it's the perfect thing to have simmering on the stove on a chilly Sunday afternoon. The result is an amazingly tender, peppery, sweet-smoky shredded beef that makes delicious sandwiches or a comforting dinner served over mashed potatoes. Don't you just love fall?

Happy Birthday, Dariush!

2008-09-26T04:00:00.003-06:00

Recipe
Tres Leches Cake

DR and I both fell in love with the Tres Leches Cake at Cafe Latte on Grand Avenue as soon as we discovered it. Usually, we don't agree on desserts (he likes chocolate, I prefer vanilla - that kind of thing), but this cake is something we both adore equally. Two years ago, for Dariush's birthday, I picked us up two individual slices of cake from their bakery. One year ago, in a fit of overindulgence, I ordered him an entire cake, and we proceeded to polish off the whole thing between the two of us in roughly a week. This year, I decided it was about time I learned how to make it myself (and we brought it to a bar where we celebrated with friends and family, so we didn't have a reason to eat half a cake apiece).

My cake didn't turn out exactly like Cafe Latte's (seriously, if you live in the Twin Cities, you must try it - it is to die for)...but it was close enough to make me very, very happy. Tres leches cake (Spanish for "three milks") is exactly what it sounds like: a white sponge cake soaked in three kinds of milk - condensed milk, evaporated milk, and cream. This may not sound like anything special, but I'm here to tell you that I've never had anything else quite like it. Tres leches cake is incredibly delicate, sweet, and moist. There are as many versions as there are ways to serve it: I chose a recipe from the esteemed King Arthur Flour, and elected to make a two-layer cake with a simple whipped cream frosting and fresh raspberries - just like the one we love so much at Cafe Latte. (Unfortunately, I only have pictures of the frosted cake before we sliced it - I forgot to take the camera to the bar, and we didn't take any leftovers home - lesson learned from last year: too much Tres Leches is not a good plan for the waistline). I wouldn't hesitate to do it this way again for a special occasion, but if you're looking for something a bit simpler, just keep the recipe amounts the same and bake it in a single layer in a 9x13 pan. This way, you can have this fantastic cake even when you don't have as much time to fuss around... ¡fabuloso!

Dariush, as most of you already know, is my lovely boyfriend. We first dated in high school, then took our own paths for a while, before finally ending up here...back together again. We've been in a relationship for 4 years now, and although it hasn't been smooth sailing all the way, we're pretty happy together. DR is the kindest, most gentle guy I know - and also one of the most social, easygoing, overall-fun-to-be-around (it's a nice contrast to the slightly obsessive, mildly controlling, slow-to-warm-up-to-new-people parts of my personality that are oh-so-charming). We make a good team, if I do say so myself, and I feel very, very lucky to be sharing my life with him. Here's to my dear, sweet Dariush...I'm looking forward to celebrating many more birthdays together.

Rise and Shine

2008-09-23T05:00:00.003-06:00

Recipe
Morning Glory Muffins

I have to admit, I'm not really a morning person. I'd much rather stay up late at night - finishing a good book or spending time with a good friend - than get up at sunrise for pretty much any reason. Sadly for me, this preference really conflicts with my line of work- we have kids and teachers at the center at 7:00 a.m. sharp, which means that I'm up at 5:00 most mornings in order to be ready to meet them there. One thing that helps me hop out of bed when I'm feeling reluctant to do so is knowing that I have something really good waiting for me for breakfast...like these muffins. They are the most excited I've been about breakfast in a while: they have a hearty, healthy taste that's particularly satisfying early in the morning. Packed with fruits and nutritious stuff like wheat bran and ground flax, they still manage to taste pretty darn good - nothing like the dry cardboard taste I often associate with "healthy" baked goods. They'll keep well on your counter for a few days, and they'll make an excellent candidate for the freezer after that...and maybe, just maybe they'll motivate you to get out of bed on those mornings when you can't possibly fathom doing so. Happy fall, everyone!

Sweet and Salty Rice

2008-09-19T05:00:00.003-06:00

Recipe
Coconut Rice

This Thai-inspired rice pairs well with many things: curries, peanut sauces, stir fries, shrimp, chicken, tofu, vegetables, beef, pork...it's one of the most versatile (and delicious) side dishes I can think of. As an added bonus, DR and I also think it's excellent all on its own, and have been known to eat it without accompaniment on occasion. Sticky, a little bit salty, and a little bit sweet - if you're a fan of coconut, you'll love this rice. It can hold its own against any coconut rice I've had in a Thai restaurant, and it's not much more complicated than making a regular pot of rice. A big thanks to RebeccaT on the CLBB who originally shared this recipe - it's fantastic!

Happy Birthday, Nicol!

2008-09-16T05:00:00.000-06:00

Recipe

Inside-Out German Chocolate Cake

While I haven't been intending to neglect my blog lately, the truth is, I haven't had much in the way of amazing new recipes to report on. I've produced quite a few dishes that have been "just okay," but not worthy of being repeated or blogged, and I've been making a lot of our summer favorites to wrap up the season - which has been great for us to have so many repeat meals we love - but not so great for Cooking in Cathedral Hill, as I've already shared all of our summer favorites with you! Until I get back in the groove of discovering new, blog-worthy recipes, here's one that bears repeating, because it a) is absolutely fantastic and b) it gives me the opportunity to sing the praises of someone I think is really wonderful.

Nicol is one of my blog's most avid readers (one of the many things I love about her), so when it was time for her to choose a birthday treat, she picked something right out of Cooking in Cathedral Hill - Inside-Out German Chocolate Cake! Now, I've talked about how amazing this cake is once before, but I'll briefly highlight again: this cake is really a crowd-pleaser. Insanely decadent and gorgeous presentation, this is the definitive German chocolate cake in my book - I'll probably never make another recipe. The photo above is what the cake looks like before it's glazed - you can see all the wonderful, gooey filling inside. The photo below is the finished, glazed cake. It's a bit of work to put together, but that makes it all the more perfect for special occasions like birthdays and holidays. Or an Oktoberfest celebration, if you're looking for a good excuse to try this soon! I'm planning to make one for Dariush's mother's annual Oktoberfest celebration next month.

Nicol is our "jack of all trades" at the center - she cooks, she shops, she helps out in classrooms, she answers phones, and she's so in tune with the needs of the center that she almost always has a new idea up her sleeve for rearranging a classroom or fixing a tough spot on the staff schedule. She's also turned out to be a wonderful friend: in the last year, I've happily discovered that we share a lot of common interests - from books to politics to the way we see the world - and she's picked me up from a bad day more times than I can count. She's also responsible for most of the gorgeous birthday treat photos on the blog - she's much more skilled with a camera than I am! Other random things she's good at: making pizza, recapping Lost episodes, quitting smoking, and telling it like it is to anyone who will listen. Happy birthday, Nicol - you're the best!

Magnificent Marinara

2008-09-03T04:30:00.002-06:00

Recipe

Basic Marinara Sauce

I have to admit to being pretty nonchalant about tomato sauce - most of time, I just use a jar of Newman's Own when I need a marinara and call it a day (which honestly isn't bad in a pinch, but seriously - I needed to step it up). This probably explains why I never got too excited about making spaghetti, though - because while Newman's Own is okay, it's got nothing on Alysha's Magnificent Marinara. I must say, now that I've tried her marinara sauce, spaghetti has become a much more exciting event in my life. This recipe is the brain child of Alysha at The Savory Notebook, and it's gained quite a following - with good reason. The subtle blend of flavors make this one heck of a tomato sauce - one of the best I've ever had, in fact. Alysha says the biggest trick to her sauce is carmelizing the onions - the technique imparts a smooth, mellow taste that she hasn't been able to find in other marinara recipes. I love the flavor that the addition of red wine adds to the sauce - and the slight sweetness from a hint of sugar isn't too shabby, either.

This sauce is a great jumping off point for lots of meals - pizzas, sandwiches, and all kinds of pasta dishes, from lasagna to clam sauce to simple spaghetti. Fortunately, it's an excellent candidate for the freezer - so now that I've jumped on the Magnificent Marinara bandwagon, I'm going to make sure I always have some waiting for me in the freezer. Bravo, Alysha - thanks for sharing such a classic recipe! I'm so happy I can check this off my list of basic cooking techniques to master.

Happy Birthday, Matt!

2008-08-29T04:30:00.001-06:00

Recipe

New York Style Cheesecake

For Mr. Matt's birthday a couple months ago, he told me he wanted cheesecake. "What kind of cheesecake?" I asked, "Chocolate? Caramel? Strawberry? Lemon? Snickers?" "Um... just regular cheesecake," he told me. I was mildly disappointed by this, thinking there is no fun to be had with plain cheesecake when there are so many interesting cheesecake recipes out there, just waiting for me to try them (you see, birthday treat day at work isn't only about the birthday person - I have an unflattering habit of making it a bit about my own preferences as well). Turns out I was wrong, though - there is great fun to be had with plain cheesecake...if you're planning to use this amazing recipe. The uniquely high oven temperature results in a golden exterior with an incredibly creamy interior: this is traditional New York-style cheesecake at its absolute finest. A tall, rich cheesecake with just a hint of lemon and a high, buttery shortbread crust that melts in your mouth - quite frankly, it's the best plain cheesecake I've ever had...and I've had a lot of cheesecake, so I consider myself highly qualified to judge such a thing.

Mr. Matt is one of our preschool teachers that has recently joined the center, and he's absolutely fabulous. Naturally patient, funny, and professional, the kids adore and respect him, and I couldn't be more thrilled that he's a part of our team...I'd happily make him a plain old cheesecake any day of the week. Happy birthday, Matt!

Tip of the Month: Dryer Sheets Help Clean Dishes

2008-08-26T05:00:00.002-06:00

I really hate washing dishes. Who doesn't? I know, I know, but I think I may hate it slightly more than the average person. Especially pots and pans that I've baked with - food gets stuck on like glue and sometimes it's almost impossible to get it off. I'm a big fan of soaking - I will let an offending pan languish in the sink for a couple days, "soaking", until...well, until Dariush can't stand looking at it anymore and washes it, basically (yes, he complains about this often). Unfortunately for me, I no longer have my days-long soaking excuse, because I've discovered the fabulous little trick of sticking a dryer sheet in a pan with stubborn bits stuck inside it. It works wonders - just stick one in and cover it with warm water, let it soak overnight, and the next morning, you'll have a pan that's perfectly easy to clean. I've read that the anti-static agent in the sheets weakens the bond between the food and the pan, but I honestly have no idea if that's true - I just know it works. And it makes it more difficult to slowly chip away at Dariush's patience and sense of order until he finally does the dishes. Thanks a lot, Downy.

Zucchini Season is Upon Us

2008-08-23T08:10:00.010-06:00

Recipe
Zucchini Spice Cake

I know many people this time of year who are all in the same boat...and that boat is sinking under the weight of all the zucchini they're pulling in from their garden. We don't have a garden full of zucchini at our house, but we take full advantage of the season by loading up at the farmer's market and happily taking some off the hands of our beleaguered friends and family members. We've had lots of Balsamic Zucchini, and this weekend I'm making a pot of Creamy Vegetable Chowder, so I wanted to make sure I balanced out all the savory zucchini recipes with something a bit sweeter. That's where this wonderful spice cake comes in. I got the recipe from Diana's Desserts, a website with lots of mouth-watering recipes that I can't wait to try. I wouldn't have really considered myself a fan of spice cake before this, but I think that's most likely because the only spice cake I've ever had has been from a packaged cake mix. Let me tell you, this zucchini cake is much, much better than a box of spice cake mix. Made with simple ingredients, it's the cinnamon and cloves added to the batter that gives this cake it's wonderful flavor. Shredded zucchini lends moisture and a bit of righteous virtue to the recipe (hey, you're eating vegetables!) and the simple frosting, with a generous pinch of cloves, is the perfect finishing touch. If your vegetable drawer is weighted down with pounds upon pounds of zucchini, this is one of many delicious ways to start clearing it out...you know, to make room for more.

A Salad That's Open to Interpretation

2008-08-20T05:00:00.003-06:00

Recipe

Spicy Asian Tofu and Noodle Salad

Asian peanut noodles are one of my favorite things to make in hot weather. Best eaten cold or at room temperature, you don't have to heat up the oven to make them, and - best of all - it's easy to use a basic recipe as a jumping off point to incorporate whatever fresh summer vegetables you have on hand. This particular recipe is my favorite because it's fairly simple, and it has just enough of a spicy kick to keep it from being boring. It's a great recipe to be creative with: I love it with tofu, but chicken, shrimp, or pork are also good. The variation pictured above has bell peppers and grated carrots because that's what I had at home when I made this, but many, many other vegetables are fantastic in this, too: snow peas, edamame, bean sprouts, corn, broccoli...the possibilities and combinations are almost endless. Give it a shot and see what you come up with!

On a less uplifting note, the Cooking in Cathedral Hill basement flooded this past weekend...such a bummer! My blogging may be a bit sporadic as we work on putting everything back to order at our house. I appreciate everyone's patience and loyalty to the blog...it's been a chaotic summer!

Cookies Everyone Will Love

2008-08-16T09:48:00.011-06:00

Recipe

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sometimes, I forget how much I like chocolate chip cookies until I have a really great one. These whole wheat cookies I made for my family while my sister was visiting reminded me just how good a chocolate chip cookie can be. Chewy, with just the right chip-to-cookie ratio, you'd never know that these cookies have been made slightly healthier with whole wheat flour (and I do say slightly, because let's not kid ourselves here, there's still two sticks of butter and quite a bit of sugar in these little golden brown discs of heaven). In fact, I think the whole wheat flour actually enhances the texture of the cookies - it makes them a bit chewier than cookies made with all-purpose flour. They were a big hit with my family...who can resist chocolate chip cookies? It's a good thing I had plenty of people to share these with, because the recipe makes a lot of them. If you want to make them for a smaller crowd, you can always cut the recipe in half. Once baked, they freeze well (I tested it out with a couple), so if you can't eat them all, you can always save some for later!

Our Favorite Way to Grill Chicken

2008-08-11T06:00:00.003-06:00

Recipe

Spicy Honey-Brushed Chicken

Trying to sneak in a couple more grilling posts in this last month of summer...it sure has flown by, hasn't it? This has been both mine and DR's favorite grilled chicken recipe this year. I'm not always chicken's biggest fan: because it's such a lean meat, it's very easy to dry out - not to mention that there sure seem to be a lot of flavor-less chicken recipes floating around out there. Fortunately, this chicken recipe has neither of the two pitfalls that I often associate with chicken. The first layer of flavor comes from a dry rub of chili powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper (among a few other things) - this is where the "spicy" part of the recipe comes in. The second layer of flavor imparts a hint of sweetness: the chicken is basted with a mixture of honey and cider vinegar. The result is a spicy/sweet flavor combination that's amazingly good. This recipe calls for chicken thighs - although you could probably use breasts if you wanted to, thighs don't dry out as easily as breasts do, so we really like them...especially when we're grilling. There's still a few warm weeks left in Minnesota perfect for cooking outdoors - try this one while you still can!

Happy Birthday, Caryn!

2008-08-08T06:00:00.001-06:00

Recipe
Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake

Ms. Caryn, one of our infant teachers, wanted Special K bars for her birthday treat... but our center is peanut-free so she had to choose something else instead. Fortunately, she chose a raspberry and white chocolate cheesecake, which turned out to be a very happy turn of events for everyone! This cheesecake was absolutely beautiful to look at - the layers of black, pink, and white made for slices with great visual appeal...and it tasted just as wonderful as it looked. Raspberry and chocolate, as a rule, is just about one of the best combinations ever invented - and this cheesecake was no exception. Creamy and rich, I'd have a hard time choosing a favorite between this and that other wonderful cheesecake recipe I made for someone's birthday...the Toffee Crunch Caramel Cheesecake. It's a good thing there's time enough in my life for many cheesecakes, isn't there?

Caryn is one of our infant teachers who will be leaving us soon to pursue a nursing career. I will miss her very much! She has a fantastic sense of humor, and she really loves and appreciates every single kid at the center. She always has a smile on her face and a positive attitude - she's been a pleasure to work with. I'm glad I got to make her a cake while she was here...I'll miss you, Caryn!

Tip of the Month: Summer Smoothies

2008-08-06T06:00:00.000-06:00

I have to start this post by apologizing for my week-long, unplanned blogging hiatus! My sister and her kids are visiting from out of town, and spending lots of time with them - combined with a crazily busy week at work- added up to precious little time for blogging. I've been cooking up a storm, though, so I have lots of new recipes to share! First, though, a new kitchen tip...

I've become a big fan of smoothies lately: I've been making one for breakfast every morning for the last month or so. Smoothies have a few things going for them that I've deemed worthy of my admiration: they're cold (so refreshing in the oppressive summer heat - anyone else ready for fall?!); they're easy to throw together (I can make them on weekday mornings); and they're portable, (I don't have to stop everything I'm doing to sit down and eat breakfast). I use a fairly simple formula for making my smoothies - just fruit, yogurt, juice, and...

A tablespoon of ground flax seed. Have you heard all the buzz about flax seed? I know I'm a bit slow on this, but I've recently jumped aboard the flax bandwagon and am feeling quite virtuous for doing so, so bear with me for a moment. Flaxseeds are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and lignans. Studies have found that the Omega-3 acids and lignans in flaxseed may benefit the heart, posess anti-cancer properties, and possibly even help to reduce the size of some tumors (based on research done on laboratory mice). It also can reduce the inflammation associated with arthritis, Parkinson's disease, and asthma, help lower cholesterol, and stabilize blood sugar levels. Pretty impressive, I think! You can read more about the health benefits of flax here. You can purchase flax in whole seeds, or in ground flaxseed meal...the ground flax allows your body to get more of the benefits than the whole seeds. It has a nutty, earthy flavor that isn't entirely unpleasant, but honestly isn't something I've totally fallen in love with either. That's why I've been putting a tablespoon in my breakfast smoothies...the flavor of the flax is barely noticeable amid the fruit and yogurt, and the texture isn't much different than if you added, say wheat germ or protein powder to your smoothie.

So, did I talk you into trying a smoothie for breakfast? I don't generally stick to a recipe, I just follow a basic formula and use whatever fruit and yogurt combination sounds good to me. Lately, I've been drinking mango-peach smoothies every morning, but banana-strawberry is another of my favorites. If you want a basic "smoothie formula" to follow, you can find that here. Happy drinking!

One of My Favorite Summer Meals

2008-07-27T08:22:00.006-06:00

Recipe

Sloppy Joes

At my high school graduation open house many years ago in June, my mom served sloppy joes: I think this may be why sloppy joes will forever be a "summer food" to me, even though they may not be to most people. I'm here to tell you though, that even if you wouldn't typically associate sloppy joes with warm weather, they're a great dinner to break out a busy summer night. They're made on the stovetop, so you don't have to turn on the oven in the summer heat, they're fast and pretty easy to make, they're a perfect alternative for when you're tired of grilled hamburgers (this usually happens for me about 3/4 of the way through the summer), and a big pile of fresh summer fruit is the perfect sloppy joe accompaniment. There you go: four reasons to put sloppy joes on your menu this week. I'm sure many people already have a favorite sloppy joe recipe - I like to use a little red wine vinegar and barbecue sauce in mine. What foods do you associate with summer?

Happy Birthday, Maria!

2008-07-24T16:28:00.007-06:00

Recipe

Black Bottom Cupcakes

I've been looking for an excuse to try David Lebovitz's popular cupcakes for a while now, and finally found an opportunity - my friend Maria's birthday! Chocolate cupcakes with a cheesecake-like center, these cupcakes definitely lived up to the fabulous reputation they've earned among many bakers I know: there aren't many desserts where you get cheesecake and chocolate in every bite. In addition to tasting incredible, they're also really easy to transport because they aren't frosted, so they're a great option for when you need to bring something to a party.

Maria is one of the new friends I've made in my book club. I liked her instantly the first time I met her - she loves food and books, two qualities that are pretty much guaranteed to make you my friend. She's also funny, smart, and compassionate...most definitely deserving of a fantastic dessert on her birthday, don't you think? Happy birthday, Maria!

If You Love Sweet Corn, Read On...

2008-07-22T06:00:00.001-06:00

Recipe

Creamy Corn with Chives

Half the summer is over already (can you believe it?!), and I think it's safe to say that I have found the side dish of the summer. At first, it was hard for me to fathom eating fresh sweet corn any way other than in its purest form: on the cob. Fresh corn (not frozen or canned, only fresh will do!) easily falls into my "top ten favorite foods" list, and I don't like to use it in recipes with lots of other ingredients, for fear of making the corn take a backseat to other flavors. I'm so glad I branched out a bit and gave this recipe a try, though...pureeing the corn and cooking it with a little butter, salt, onions, and chives doesn't dilute the delicious sweetness one expects from fresh corn, but somehow magnifies the flavor of the corn. It's like...essence of corn, if you'll pardon the silly expression. The steps to make this are a bit fussy, but if you love corn, it's worth it: the resulting dish is creamy, flavorful, and the perfect sweet/salty balance. I'm going to make it as many times as I can before our all-too-fleeting Minnesota corn season is over - I hope you'll have a chance to try it, too!

Happy Birthday, Amanda!

2008-07-17T06:32:00.008-06:00

Recipe

Chocolate Ice Cream Cake

We celebrated my good friend Amanda's birthday at work a few weeks ago, and she wanted a chocolate-mint ice cream cake for her birthday. This has been one of my biggest baking challenges to date: I had never made an ice cream cake before, and was unsure how to go about it. After consulting many recipes for different versions of ice cream cake, I ended up taking my inspiration from this post on Baking Bites, a site I just discovered that has lots of wonderful dessert recipes.

I made two layers of my mom's famous chocolate cake, sandwiched a layer of mint chocolate chip ice cream in between, and frosted the whole thing with vanilla buttercream. The finished cake, in my humble opinion, was out of this world. Not too fancy or gourmet, but absolutely fabulous nonetheless. I used mint chocolate chip ice cream per Amanda's request, but I'm excited to try this cake again with other ice cream flavors...like my favorite, raspberry chocolate chip!

Since we're not a large group, I made a standard 9-inch round cake for our staff. If you wanted to take this cake to a larger gathering, you could easily double the recipe and make a large sheet cake, as Nicole does on Baking Bites. Plan ahead for some freezer space before you make this, since you will need to store the cake in the freezer at various stages. Here's a photo before the cake was frosted - it kind of looks like a giant Oreo!

Amanda is our incredibly patient, creative, organized toddler teacher and she's one of the biggest assets we have at the center - in addition to being a wonderful friend! I've known Amanda for a long time, and I'm thrilled to have her on our staff team. This cake was challenging, and I don't know that I would have done it for just anyone...but if anyone deserves a fabulous cake on her birthday, it's Amanda. Happy birthday!

An Alternative to Ice Cream for Dinner

2008-07-15T11:00:00.000-06:00

Recipe

Taco Pasta Salad

There are some humid summer days where I just can't stand the thought of eating a hot meal. You know, those days where nothing much sounds good, except for maybe fresh fruit and ice cream? Well, since I can't just eat ice cream and fruit all summer long, I've been experimenting with pasta salads and taco salads the last couple weeks. This recipe is the best of both worlds...a taco salad and a pasta salad, all in one bowl! Pasta, ground turkey, black beans, fresh tomatoes, bell peppers, and cilantro all combine with a creamy taco-inspired lime sour cream dressing to make a salad that's light enough for summertime, but filling enough to make you feel like you've really eaten a meal. This recipe makes a lot of pasta salad, so it's great for a potluck or picnic - or to pack for lunch at work or school for a week. Add a couple slices of watermelon and you've got the ideal summer meal...and maybe you can even save some room for ice cream when you're done.

Happy Birthday, Kim!

2008-07-12T09:03:00.011-06:00

Recipe

Lemon Buttermilk Pudding Cake with Fresh Berries

I had a birthday dinner for my good friend Kim a few weeks ago, and when I asked her what she wanted for dessert, her response was, "I've been thinking of something like cake with creamy lemon inside." After sifting through a few lemon curd-filled cake recipes, we settled on this gorgeous pudding cake with fresh berries. Pudding cakes are a unique dessert, and quite easy to make. Even though you mix all the ingredients together in one bowl, the laws of baking science mean that it comes out of the oven with two distinct layers: a delicate cake on the top, and a creamy pudding on the bottom...it's a pretty neat trick for minimal effort. This particular pudding cake is infused with lemon in both the cake and the pudding - it's one of the most lemony desserts I've ever had, so it's the perfect thing for citrus-lovers. Topped with a few fresh berries and whipped cream, there's just enough sweetness to balance the tangy citrus flavors, and it looks beautiful on a plate.

Kim has been one of my best friends since I was 5 years old (really!), and I feel so fortunate to have her in my life...she's like family to me. We've shared almost our whole lives together: from Barbies and dress-up to break-ups and new jobs, new houses, and ever-changing lives - no matter what life throws at us, our friendship has only grown stronger. Kim has been in Peru the last couple weeks, hiking Machu Picchu, but I hope she stops by and reads this when she gets back (especially because she's been asking me for the cake recipe - sorry it took so long!) so she knows just how important she is to me. Happy birthday, Kim - here's to a year of new milestones...it's been an amazing journey.

Expecting a Bumper Crop This Year?

2008-07-09T05:00:00.001-06:00

Recipe

Balsamic Zucchini

I know many people who are looking for ways to use up zucchini at summer's end. We're not growing any ourselves this year, but I do like to stock up at the farmer's market. I love zucchini in sweet recipes like breads and cakes, but this year, I'm excited to have discovered this savory recipe that makes the zucchini the star. Parmesan cheese, toasted pine nuts, and balsamic vinegar elevate the humble vegetable into something worthy of a special occasion (and you can even leave the pine nuts out if you don't have any/don't like them - it will still be wonderful). The recipe calls for broiling the zucchini...but if you don't want to heat up your kitchen, this could easily be done in a foil packet on the grill. It makes a lovely accompaniment to just about any summer meal, and it would be perfect for a tapas party, too! Oh, the bounty of summer...

The Quintessential Summer Pasta

2008-07-02T04:40:00.004-06:00

Recipe

Summer Tomato Pasta

This fantastic pasta recipe has made the rounds in my family for the last several years: my mom, my sisters, Dariush, and I crave it all summer long (in fact, DR starts asking me to make this every winter, and doesn't stop asking until summer - and tomato season - finally hits). It's the perfect blend of midsummer ingredients: fresh tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella. ...But, you might say, there are plenty of recipes that incorporate these three ingredients - so what makes this one the best? Lemons! I never dreamed how perfectly harmonious lemon zest could be with tomatoes and balsamic vinegar until my sister first made this pasta for me. It really elevates the dish to a whole new level of flavor. Try it once, and I'm certain it will become a summer tradition for you, just as it has for my family.

Dariush and I are headed out hiking for a few days, so I'll be taking a brief blogging hiatus - I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday weekend!

Tip of the Month: Purchasing Organic Produce

2008-06-30T05:00:00.008-06:00

Like many others, I'm concerned about the various risks that different foods and eating habits pose to my health, and I try to find a balance between being cautious and being reasonable. I prefer to buy organic, local produce when I can...but it isn't always the best option. Sometimes I can't find something I need in an organic variety...and sometimes it's a bit cost-prohibitive, and I've been trying really hard to get a better grip on my grocery budget, in addition to being careful about what I eat. I know financial concerns are a common worry for many of us lately, with rising costs in gas, food, and other expenses.

So, how do you balance the desire to eat healthy food with the desire to tighten your budget? One way that's been working for me lately is to stick to The Dirty Dozen: a list compiled by the Environmental Working Group of the twelve fruits and vegetables that consistently carry higher levels of pesticide residue than others. I have this list posted on my refrigerator and I consult it every time I make my shopping list. Does this mean these are the only items I buy organic? Not always...but these are the items I'm certain to buy organic every time. Is this the best solution for purchasing produce? Maybe not the best for everyone, but it's a compromise that's working for me right now. Every consumer needs to find a balance that makes sense for them, and it isn't the same for everyone - I'm simply offering one of many ideas that may help when you're making choices about where and how you purchase your food.

If you're interested in reading more about how this list was developed, about how other fruits and vegetables outside the Dirty Dozen rank in terms of pesticide residue, or you'd like to download a handy guide for your refrigerator, you can check out more information at EWG's Food News site. If you have other tips or ideas for reducing your grocery budget, I'd love to hear them - send me an email!

Cool as a Cucumber

2008-06-24T20:58:00.011-06:00

Recipe

Tzatziki (Greek Yogurt and Cucumber Dip)

This is what I'll be eating for lunch most of the summer: pita bread, carrot sticks, and this creamy, cool tzatziki - it's the perfect thing in the middle of a hot day when nothing else sounds appealing. Cucumbers and yogurt are two of my favorite foods in the summertime: there's just something about them that instantly makes me feel cooler (which is a good thing, because - I don't know if I've mentioned this on the blog before - I absolutely despise being hot). There are a million different variations on tzatziki, but this recipe is my favorite: in addition to tzatziki standards like cucumber, Greek yogurt, and dill, cumin and coriander add enough spice and flavor to make this recipe unique. This makes a great simple lunch with some pita bread and raw vegetables, but there are many other possibilities for it, too: it's great on burgers, vegetable sandwiches, or as a dip with meatballs, chips, or carrot and celery sticks at a party. With so many different ways to use this, tzatziki makes an appearance in our house at least once a week all summer long.

Bringing the Big Apple to Cathedral Hill

2008-06-22T09:30:00.006-06:00

Recipe

Black and White Cookies

Since I'm from Minnesota, and unfortunately know precious little about New York culture, I had never heard of "black and white cookies" before stumbling across this recipe when searching for new cookies to try. Apparently, if you've ever lived in New York, these cookies are nothing new to you - it sounds like they're a popular New York tradition. After making this recipe, I have to say...the rest of the country is missing out! These are thick, soft, cake-y cookies, and the icings add just the right amount of sweetness and visual appeal. I made a batch of these for Dariush's mom for Mother's Day, and was pleased with the results - they're just so pretty and unique. Of course, we kept a few leftover cookies for ourselves, and Dariush especially loved these. I made smaller cookies so we would have more of them - but if you want to make true New York black and white cookies, you'll have to make them really big - 1/2 cup of batter for each cookie! I'm so glad I'm aware of these cookies now...I think a trip to NYC is in short order so I can taste the real thing. Who wants to come with me?

A Growing Love for Vegetables

2008-06-20T06:00:00.005-06:00

Recipe
Broccoli with Red Pepper Flakes and Toasted Garlic

I've been collecting and experimenting with lots of vegetable side dish recipes lately, in a concerted effort to learn to enjoy cooked vegetables...not just eat them because I should. I'll eat just about any vegetable raw, or cooked into a main dish like a quiche or a casserole, but I have some issues with cooking them as a side dish. I've come to realize that what I really have is just an aversion to those frozen bags of vegetables that have been boiled or steamed...I need flavor! I need crunch! Fortunately, there are countless ways to prepare vegetable side dishes that don't involve just boiling them in a pot of water and plopping them on a plate. This broccoli recipe is one DR and I both really love - the broccoli is only sautéed for a few minutes, so it stays nice and crisp (an important feature to picky vegetable eaters, such as myself), it's infused with a lovely toasted garlic flavor, and the red pepper flakes add enough of a spicy kick to keep it interesting. The last selling point for this recipe is what I just realized as I was typing it up for the blog this morning: it's written by my friend Lia Huber over at Swirling Notions! She occasionally writes for Cooking Light and other magazines in addition to her work at Swirling Notions, and she's fabulous. Thanks for the recipe, Lia!

In Praise of Lemons

2008-06-18T04:00:00.008-06:00

Recipe

Lemon Buttermilk Bread Pudding with Blackberry Sauce

I love bread puddings, but they're typically fall/winter recipes for me. I'm so glad I've found this lemon and blackberry version that practically begs to be served in warm weather...nothing says summer quite like the tangy bite of a dessert with citrus and berries! This bread pudding is very lemony (which I love), but it's balanced with creamy, mellow buttermilk, and given a syrupy sweet finish with blackberries pureed with a bit of sugar. . I tried serving this several ways: warm, room temperature, and chilled (all in the name of science, I swear): my favorite way was to eat the pudding at room temperature with the blackberry sauce warmed and spooned over the top - although all three options really were delicious. Lemon desserts are my most current love in the kitchen, so if you have any favorites, please send them my way!

Tofu That Almost Anyone Will Love

2008-06-13T05:00:00.000-06:00

Recipe

Golden Tofu Triangles with Rich Peanut Sauce

In the last couple years or so, I've come to really appreciate tofu - it's one of the most versatile things I cook with. It takes on the flavors of other ingredients beautifully, it's inexpensive, easy to work with, and it doesn't spoil as quickly as meat or produce. This recipe for tofu with peanut sauce is one of my favorites - I first discovered it on a fellow food blogger's site, Cooking the Books. The peanut sauce, which includes lime juice, ginger, and curry paste, is incredibly rich and flavorful. When making tofu recipes like this one (cooking the tofu in a skillet versus things like puddings that call for blending the tofu with other ingredients), it's best to buy extra-firm tofu that's packed in water. Before you fry it, press the block of tofu between two plates for about 20 minutes - you can even stack a couple heavy cans on top of the plates to get as much water out of it as you can. After pressing out the excess water, blot the tofu with a paper towel before you toss it in the skillet with a bit of olive oil, and the texture of your tofu should turn out perfect every time. We've been quite fond of eating this over rice, but I'm sure it would be fantastic over noodles, too. If you're a bit skeptical about tofu, this is a great recipe to start with: the flavors are fairly familiar for most people and it's very simple to prepare. This may be the recipe that makes a tofu convert out of you!

A Thai Twist on Summer Fruit

2008-06-11T06:00:00.005-06:00

Recipe

Thai Fruit Salsa

I mentioned that I was sad to say goodbye to the spring rhubarb in my last post, but let me tell you, I couldn't be happier to embrace the summer melons. Most of the time, I'm content - and even prefer - to eat fruit on its own, unadorned and uncomplicated by other flavors. This last weekend, though, we had a very belated birthday dinner for my good friend Kim, and I thought the occasion called for something a bit more unique than just a plain old bowl of fruit. Since we were having Thai curry for dinner, I was hoping this Thai-inspired fruit salsa would be the perfect complement. Dariush and I were both a little skeptical as I was putting the recipe together (I believe I recall him saying, "you're putting jalapeños in with the fruit?" while scrunching up his face), but in the end, all turned out well. The sweet tropical flavors of cantaloupe, mango, and strawberries combined with Thai-inspired notes like basil, jalapeño, and lime was incredibly refreshing on a warm, humid summer evening (...alright, I know it didn't get that hot this weekend in Minnesota, but seriously, in the kitchen? I was dying). It was a great accompaniment to our tofu curry, but I also see a bright future for this summer recipe alongside grilled chicken, pork, or fish. Now that we've gotten over our skepticism, I'm thinking this fruit salsa will be in regular rotation at our house for the next few months.

A Match Made in Heaven

2008-06-08T08:13:00.009-06:00

Recipe

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Rhubarb season is already winding down in Minnesota, and I feel like I really missed the boat this year...I've only tried one new rhubarb recipe! I'm disappointed in myself, because I love, love, love rhubarb and always want to take full advantage of it while I can - time just flew by so fast this spring, didn't it? I'm hoping it will stick around in the farmer's market for a couple more weeks at least, if only because I'd like to make this fabulous crisp a couple more times. This recipe highlights the classic tart-sweet combo of strawberries and rhubarb (one of the best food pairings there is), baked with a buttery oat topping. On its own, its simple goodness is a wonderful treat...but I think all crisps are meant to share a bowl with vanilla ice cream, and this one is no exception: absolute heaven. I hope you can still get your hands on some rhubarb this year to give this recipe a try - I'm certain it will be one of the best desserts you eat this season.

Instead of Getting Take-Out On Your Way Home...

2008-06-05T19:52:00.012-06:00

Recipe
Thai Ground Beef

...try this! Dariush and I have been loving this Thai-style recipe for a fast weeknight meal. There's not a lot of prep work (chopping ingredients and such) involved, and it's made in one skillet - two important features when you come home after a long day and just want to eat dinner without fussing too much. The bonus is that it's actually really good, which is more than I can say for a lot of other quick meals I throw together when I'm in a hurry. Lean ground beef is sauteed in tomato sauce, coconut milk, lime zest and juice, and curry paste, (among a few other things - but these are the ingredients that dominate the flavor of the dish) making the finished product tangy, sweet, and spicy all at once. We've been rolling it up with coconut rice and big leaves of lettuce to make wraps, but it's good with flour tortillas, too. If you ever cook Thai food, you probably already have all the ingredients to make this in your kitchen; if you've never tried cooking Thai food before, this is one of the easiest recipes I can think of to start with!

So Many Things to Love in These Cookies...

2008-06-04T06:00:00.002-06:00

Recipe

Double Chocolate Cherry Cookies

Chocolate, cherries, red wine...I just don't think you could possibly fit more things I love into one tiny little package than you can with these cookies! I made these to take along on our last weekend camping trip after reading about them on Cookie Madness, and I do believe they are just about the most delicious thing that has ever accompanied anyone, anywhere on a camping trip. Chocolate cookies with dark chocolate chunks baked in are fantastic in their own right, but this particular recipe takes it to the next level with tart dried cherries (which perfectly complement dark chocolate, in my humble opinion). These cookies get even better because they have red wine - yes, red wine - stirred into the dough! Seriously, how great is that? In the final baked product, you can taste just a hint of red wine in the cookies - especially when you bite into a cherry - but a hint is just enough to add the extra layer of flavor that make these cookies really stand out. We didn't have any wine with us when we were camping, but we did eat all the cookies (shocking, I know), so I'm anxious to try these again at home when I can have a glass of wine along with them and see if that brings out the flavor even more. This recipe was a finalist in Food Network's Ultimate Cookie Recipe Showdown - I haven't tried any of the other finalist recipes, but I'm can't believe this didn't win: they really are that good.

Muesli: My Favorite Summer Breakfast

2008-05-31T17:23:00.006-06:00

Recipe

Swiss Muesli

I'm having a hard time choosing a favorite recipe between the Mediterranean version I last posted about and this Swiss muesli. They really aren't all that different, to tell you the truth: this version features green apples and dried cranberries instead of apricots and dates, and doesn't use any honey, so it's a little less sweet and more tart than the Mediterranean muesli, but the base ingredients of yogurt, milk, and rolled oats are the same. Both kinds are a fabulous way to start off my morning, so...I think I'll skip choosing a favorite, and just alternate between these two recipes all summer long. Sounds like a good plan, doesn't it?

**Happy Grand 'Ole Day, St Paul readers!**

Hooray for Spring!

2008-05-29T08:20:00.006-06:00

Recipe

Raspberry Chicken

Last night, I had the perfect spring meal: wild rice, a spinach salad with fresh berries, and a chicken breast sauteed in this delicious sauce from The Silver Palate Cookbook. It was light, fresh, and a little elegant...everything you could possibly want a spring dinner to be. The co-op down the street had raspberries on sale a couple days ago, so I picked some up on a whim, then came home and found this chicken recipe. The chicken breasts are browned in a little butter, then set aside while a simple sauce of finely chopped onions, raspberry vinegar, cream, and a bit of tomato sauce is prepared. The chicken is then returned to the pan to simmer in the sauce, and finally, a few fresh raspberries are poached and sprinkled over the top. The result is a fabulous contrast of sweet and tangy flavors that elevates the sometimes-boring chicken breast into something worthy of a special occasion. Although this would make a great meal for guests, it's easy enough to throw together for a quick weeknight meal - as I did last night - and just enjoy by yourself on a warm evening. Don't you just love spring?

Happy Birthday, Kelly!

2008-05-27T07:52:00.009-06:00

Recipe

Classic Angel Food Cake

It was my business partner and good friend Kelly's birthday earlier this month, and angel food with strawberries and whipped cream is her favorite dessert, so happily, I can now add this cake to my repertoire of birthday treats. In the past when I've wanted angel food cake, I've just bought it from a bakery and been perfectly happy - for some reason the idea of making it from scratch has always intimidated me. Fortunately (for me and everyone at work), this cake was not nearly as difficult to put together as I thought it would be, and was the perfect spring dessert with a handful of sliced strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream - light and airy with a subtle flavor from the almond extract in the batter. With the additional advantage of being lower in fat and calories than most of the desserts I make, I have a feeling angel food cake is something that will be making an appearance in my kitchen often this summer.

As I mentioned above, Kelly is my business partner and close friend - she does so much for other people, so I was thrilled to be able to do something for her on her birthday. Without her, I wouldn't have had the amazing opportunity to own and direct our own center - there's been lots of ups and downs in the last six months, but it feels like things are starting to settle a bit and we're finding a comfortable pace for ourselves. So...happy birthday, Kelly - you have so many accomplishments to be proud of this year! I'm so glad you're a part of my life. Thanks for picking such a delicious cake for your birthday - and thanks to the always fabulous Nicol for the wonderful pictures!

Rice Perfection

2008-05-22T05:38:00.004-06:00

Recipe

Mexican Rice

Every time I've tried to make Mexican rice at home, it falls far short of restaurant (or taco stand) quality: it always turns into a gloppy, flavor-less mess...until now. I am happy to say that I have found the "ultimate" Mexican rice recipe - at least for me. It's dry, fluffy, and packed with flavor - just like the rice from a Mexican restaurant or taco stand. It's a little bit of work to make, but so worth it. The first time I made it, it was as a side dish for enchiladas, and it was a bit of pain, as far as rice is concerned - so now, I've learned my lesson, and I make big batches and freeze them. This rice is a fantastic side dish, but it also makes a great meal on its own with some black beans stirred in. I don't believe I'll ever need another Mexican rice recipe again - I'm confident that anyone else who tries this recipe will be as excited as I am!

Muffins with a Surprise Inside

2008-05-20T05:41:00.007-06:00

Recipe

Cinnamon Jam Muffins

I think I've found a new favorite muffin recipe! I'll admit, I didn't have high hopes for these when I first looked at the recipe...jam inside a muffin sounded a bit odd to me, and the ingredients looked like they might produce a fairly bland muffin. These turned out to be such a happy surprise! I've decided that jam inside a muffin is not odd at all - it's ingenious. The little fruit-filled pocket in the center of each muffin adds moisture and flavor, and the cinnamon-spiked batter is the perfect compliment to the jam. I've used strawberry jam both times I've made these, but I'm anxious to try them with homemade rhubarb jam this summer. These were a big hit at work: almost more popular than my Cinnamon Scones - which says a lot about how good they are, because everyone at work loves the Cinnamon Scones! They also come together quickly and are fairly healthy, so I'm certain this will be going to the top of my "most-used recipe" pile.

A Twist on Meatballs

2008-05-17T20:17:00.008-06:00

Recipe
Mexican Meatballs

I'm fairly certain these meatballs aren't authentically Mexican, but let me tell you, they're pretty darn good, Mexican or not. Made of ground pork mixed with sauteed onions and jalapenos, they have a unique, kicky flavor that's highlighted by simmering in tomato salsa. Dariush gets most of the credit for putting these on the table...he followed my directions, but the execution was all his (I threw together the salad and a dessert). Preparing a meal together on the weekends is a great way for us to spend time with each other (and drink lots of wine!) - I think this is one of the best meals to come out of our team effort in quite a while. This recipe, however, is really simple enough for one person to throw together, even on a weeknight - so anyone can give it a try!

Tip of the Month: Make Use of Your Ice Cube Trays

2008-05-15T05:50:00.010-06:00

I've gotten a few emails requesting that I share some of my favorite kitchen tips on my blog, so I thought I'd start writing a monthly "tip post", in addition to sharing recipes. I'm certainly not an expert or a professional when it comes to cooking and baking - and I rely heavily on others more experienced than me when I need help or advice in the kitchen. In an attempt to pay it forward, I'm more than happy to share the ideas I've come across that have found their place in my cooking routines. If you have any kitchen tips, I'd love to hear about them - send me an email, or simply leave a comment on the blog.

I used to hate recipes that called for tomato paste. Inevitably, recipes call for 1-2 tablespoons, and even those tiny little cans hold more than 2 tablespoons of tomato paste. The leftover paste would always languish in a plastic container in the back of my refrigerator until I completely forgot I had it...and eventually found it again, looking... less than fresh. Well, I no longer loathe tomato paste, thanks to my trusty ice cube tray! My ice cube tray is one my best friends in the kitchen - I can freeze all kinds of leftover ingredients in small portions, then simply thaw when I'm ready to use them. Freezing that leftover tomato paste, buttermilk, or vegetable broth instead of tossing it or letting it sit in your refrigerator (as I was prone to do) can eliminate a fair amount of wasted food and save money...the next time you need 1/4 cup of buttermilk, you won't have to go buy a new carton!

Dariush is not a big fan of my ice cube tray trick. I tend to freeze ingredients and then leave them in there, so we don't have any trays to make ice. I would caution against doing this - apparently it irritates people when they go to the freezer for ice and come out with coconut milk. Ideally, you should freeze your ingredients in the tray, then transfer them to a plastic container or bag (labeled, of course). The standard ice cube tray holds about 2 tablespoons of liquid per slot, or 1 tablespoon of thicker, more solid ingredients (like tomato paste). If you want to be exact, measure your ingredients as you're putting them in the trays. That way you'll know how many cubes you need to thaw the next time you make a recipe that calls for, say, 1/2 cup of chicken broth. Of course, if it's an ingredient that you often use in larger amounts, ice cube-sized portions may not be practical - but you can always freeze in larger containers, too.

Not all ingredients freeze well: through trial and error, I've come up with a list of items I've had success in freezing: you can find the list here. Some ingredients freeze well only in certain situations: wine, for example, freezes beautifully if you plan to thaw it and use it for cooking, but thawing it and using it for drinking probably wouldn't be as successful. Homemade sauces fit into this plan, too - make some pesto ice cubes, then add a couple to your next bowl of soup to perk it up a bit!

...Now, who would like to come over and organize all my "ingredient cubes" for me? There's a drink with coconut milk ice cubes with your name on it...

More Asparagus...

2008-05-13T05:00:00.002-06:00

Recipe

Triple Sesame Asparagus

We've come across a new favorite side dish in our house: this wonderful, Asian-inspired asparagus. The vegetables are blanched just until they turn a vibrant green, then shocked in ice water and tossed with sesame seeds, sea salt, and sesame oil. Served at room temperature, this asparagus is crispy, salty, and delicious. It would make a great tapas or potluck dish, since it doesn't need to be served hot, and the black and white seeds against the bright green asparagus make for an appealing presentation. If you don't have/can't find two different kinds of sesame seeds, just one will do - I think the white ones may be easier to find in stores. Asparagus season will soon be a distant memory (sob), so I'll be squeezing this recipe into our menus as much as I can for the next couple weeks - I hope you can find a way to fit it in, too!

Better Than Store Bought

2008-05-08T05:51:00.004-06:00

Recipe

Chewy Granola Bars

Dariush really likes Quaker Chewy Granola Bars - they make an easy, quick snack for him at work, so we go through a couple boxes a month. I'm not a big fan of the Quaker bars myself, so in an effort to find a granola bar that we both like, I decided to give this recipe a try. They turned out really well...a bit thicker and chewier (and more filling, in my opinion) than the standard granola bar, and without the partially hydrogenated oils that come along with many of the store-bought versions. They were a perfect make-ahead breakfast for me, and a great snack item for Dariush, which is exactly what I was hoping to find. There's lots of room for flexibility with this recipe - I added shredded coconut, peanuts, and a few chocolate chips to ours, but there are as many possibilities as your imagination can come up with. Almonds, cashews, dried fruit, carob or peanut butter chips...I can't wait to experiment some more with these and find our favorite combinations. Whip up a batch this weekend and see what your favorite version is - I'd love to hear about it!

Happy Birthday, Susie!

2008-05-06T05:30:00.008-06:00

Recipe

Toffee Crunch Caramel Cheesecake

We have lots of spring and summer birthdays at work, so it's safe to say that there will be quite a few birthday treat blog posts popping up around here - and birthday treat posts are some of my favorite posts to write, so I'm very excited! Even better, my friend Nicol will now be in charge of "birthday treat photography", and she's MUCH handier with the camera than I am, which is great...because now I have beautiful photos to post, like this one:

That is one good-looking cheesecake, isn't it? I think it may just be the best cheesecake I've ever had! It starts with a delicious gingersnap crust, then a basic cheesecake made with brown sugar, but the real kicker...the oh-my-goodness-this-is-the-mother -of-all-cheesecakes finale...is the topping: homemade caramel sauce and a ring of toffee candy bar pieces. This dessert was incredible! My two baking tips: first, try to use whole English toffee bars (like Heath or Skor) and cut them up into big chunks - using the toffee baking bits you can usually find in a bag near the chocolate chips at the grocery store won't yield very big chunks for the topping. Second, the trickiest part of the recipe is the caramel sauce - you have to watch it carefully, as it can go from "perfect" to "burnt" very quickly. All in all, though, it's a fairly easy recipe to put together - especially if you've made cheesecakes before.

Susie is one of our preschool teachers, and she's lots of fun (she loves cheesecake, which automatically makes her fun in my book). I'm so glad she picked this recipe for her birthday, because it probably isn't something I would have ventured to make otherwise. She has a son, Gabe, who is in our middle preschool room, and I don't think he was too excited about the cheesecake...but he was a good sport and hung out with her in the staff room while we had birthday treats anyway. Thanks again to Nicol for the fabulous photos, and to Susie for letting us celebrate with her!

'Tis the Season...

2008-05-04T08:30:00.009-06:00

Recipe

Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Browned Butter

Asparagus season has finally come to my neighborhood co-op, and I couldn't be more excited! One of best things about eating with the seasons is that you can take the time to fully savor and appreciate every fruit and vegetable when they are at their peak. I'm sure by the time asparagus season winds down, DR and I will be completely sick of it, because we've been eating it several times a week...but by the time asparagus comes around next year, we'll be craving it all over again. This particular asparagus recipe is one of our current favorites: the asparagus spears are roasted in the oven with a bit of salt and pepper, then drizzled with a sweet and tangy mixture of balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, and butter that's been slightly browned on the stove top. The balsamic-butter sauce would be delicious on just about any vegetable you can think of...cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots would all be excellent candidates. For now, though, I can't imagine eating it with anything but asparagus, since it's availability is so fleeting. Stay tuned for more asparagus posts to come - we're not sick of it yet!

Planning for Cinco de Mayo Festivities?

2008-04-30T17:57:00.007-06:00

Recipe

Mexican Corn Pudding

If you are, I have a great recipe for you! Sadly, DR and I will not be having a Cinco de Mayo party this year, but I did do a Mexican theme for my dad's birthday party a few weeks ago, and stumbled across this wonderful corn pudding. I found it on Epicurious, but the original recipe is from Chef Miguel Ravago, and it's reportedly the most popular dish at the Sunday brunch buffet at the Fonda San Miguel restaurant in Austin, Texas. The consistency of this recipe is halfway between pudding and bread - very similar to spoon bread. Poblano chiles, bell pepper, and whipped egg whites work together to elevate this from a plain corn pudding to a sweet and spicy, souffle-like dish with classic regional Mexican flavors. I altered the baking time a bit from the original recipe, as mine wasn't nearly done in the 45 minutes it called for (my sister had to help me to finish baking it in the microwave, as we were in a bit of hurry - thanks, Anna!), so I've entered this as one hour of baking time for my recipe files - you may want to check it a bit sooner - you'll know it's done when a toothpick in the center comes out clean.

Congratulations, Lea!

2008-04-27T08:37:00.007-06:00

Recipe

Orange Cupcakes with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

A couple weeks ago, we had a baby shower at work for Lea (you may remember her from my post about Outrageous Oreo Crunch Brownies), one of our teachers who's been at home on doctor-ordered bed rest due to some complications with her pregnancy. She's still on bed rest (though we're expecting she'll have her twins sometime this week!), but she was able to come up to work for a few hours so we could all celebrate with her. We were all very excited to see Lea again, and I was very excited to have an excuse to break out to the newest addition to my kitchen - a cupcake tree! Here it is, adorned with Lea's cupcakes:

Isn't it cute?! Even better than my new cupcake tree, though, were the actual cupcakes...they were FABULOUS. I love citrus desserts, and these orange cupcakes were no exception. Pure orange extract and a bit of orange zest infused what would otherwise be plain white cupcakes with wonderful flavor, and the cream cheese frosting, with more orange zest and extract, was amazing - I could have eaten it by itself with a spoon and been perfectly content. I got this recipe from a book called Sweet Gratitude: Delicious Ways to Bake a Thank You for the Really Important People In Your Life by Judith Sutton (what a great title for a cookbook!), and I can't wait to try more recipes from it. With any luck, the next time I make treats for Lea, she'll be at home cuddling with her two new baby boys. In the meantime, if anyone hosts an event that calls for cupcakes, let me know, because I have a great cupcake tree that I can't wait to use again....

Happy Earth Day!

2008-04-21T19:30:00.006-06:00

Recipe

Pommes Anna

Pommes Anna (Potatoes Anna) is a traditional French dish consisting of thinly sliced potatoes layered and cooked in lots of butter. Sounds good, doesn't it? Potatoes...butter...YUM. Fortunately, Cooking Light, one of my favorite recipe sources, found a way to lighten up this classic dish using less butter and making it much more figure-friendly without compromising flavor - this is a recipe I can definitely get behind. It's also a good excuse to use my cast iron Dutch oven (which is one of my favorite items in my kitchen), because it's a stovetop-to-oven recipe. If you don't have an oven-proof skillet or Dutch oven, I imagine you could transfer the melted butter to a covered casserole dish with similar results. These potatoes are perfect - light, buttery, and quite pretty to serve. They also reheat well, so they make great leftovers, and potatoes are such a versatile side dish - they go with almost anything. Typically, the layered slices should produce a single potato wreath that you can just flip right out of the pan..as you can see from the photo, I haven't quite perfected that technique yet! I'm happy to keep practicing though, since these potatoes taste wonderful regardless of what shape they come in.

Have a wonderful Earth Day, everyone - I hope we can all find ways to celebrate that honor our planet. For my part, I picked up some reusable shopping bags at the grocery store last weekend - no more "paper or plastic?" for us! To check out Earth Day events in your area, you can find a national round-up of activities at Envirolink.

An Old Favorite

2008-04-20T09:42:00.007-06:00

Recipe

Coconut Shrimp

Shrimp is one of my favorite foods...well, actually most seafood in general I just LOVE. Sadly, I live in the Midwest, where fresh seafood isn't exactly easy to come by (for just this reason, I think I'm destined to live on the coast someday!). This recipe for coconut shrimp has been one of my tried and true favorites for a few years - really, since I first began cooking regularly. It makes a great appetizer for a party, but I make it most often for myself as a main dish, and serve it over rice or with a side of pasta and a salad. There are lots of coconut shrimp recipes out there, I know, but what makes this one my standby? The hint of spice that the cayenne pepper lends to the recipe and the slight tang from the lime juice combine perfectly with the sweet coconut flakes to make this one of my favorite ways to prepare shrimp. And since it's baked - not fried, like most coconut shrimp that's served in restaurants - I don't feel quite so guilty eating a big plateful.

Mad About Muesli

2008-04-13T19:42:00.004-06:00

Recipe

Mediterranean Muesli

I just can't get enough muesli lately...not the dry cereal kind, but this wonderful fresh combination of yogurt, oats, nuts, and fruit. This Mediterranean version uses dates, apricots, and honey for a heady sweet flavor that's offset by crunchy slivered almonds and a bit of oat bran for a healthy dose of fiber. As with most of my breakfast foods, I throw together a big batch on Sunday evenings, and then eat small portions of it throughout the week. Fresh muesli is good in my refrigerator for a maximum of four days, so I never make more than four days' worth at a time, and I always leave the fresh berries out and add them to individual portions just before eating. Now that strawberries are just starting to come into season - soon to be followed by all my other favorite berries - I'm looking forward to lots of muesli breakfasts this spring and summer.

A Family Tradition

2008-04-02T19:43:00.010-06:00

Recipe

Swedish Tårta

My great-great aunt Norma (or "Nornie", as she was known to many) was a hugely important part of my childhood. I grew up living next door to her and my great-great uncle Earl, and the two of them were like grandparents to me and my two sisters. They loved us all unconditionally, and thought everything we did was wonderful - they rarely missed one of my spelling bees or school programs, and every picture I drew them, every school photo of mine found a prominent place to be displayed in their home. They took care of us when we were sick, and waited at the bus stop with me, my younger sister, and my mom every year on the first day of school. I have countless wonderful memories of my beloved B'Earl and Nornie...I was so lucky to have them in my life and miss them both terribly. I grew up with a lot of people loving me, and a lot of people to love. I have a wonderful family. Almost all of my memories from my childhood are happy, and I am so grateful for that. The unconditional love, the constant encouragement and praise, the comfort and security that was my relationship with B'Earl and Nornie is inextricably woven into the story of my childhood, and my life would not be what it is today if they hadn't been a part of it.

(Swedish Tårta, unfrosted)

Aside from all the gushing sentimentality in this post, another wonderful thing about Norma was that she was an amazing cook. Celebrations at her house always included a fantastic spread of food, much of which showcased her and Earl's Swedish heritage. I grew up with lefse, hardtack, (and stories of lutefisk, although I never actually experienced it myself). Her desserts were legendary: I've blogged before about her wonderful, comforting rice pudding, and now that I've finally mastered her famous (in my family, anyway) Swedish Tårta, I'm thrilled to share the recipe. This is a traditional hot milk sponge cake, layered with thick vanilla custard and bananas, then frosted with whipped cream and fresh fruit. Since I learned how to make it, it's been my most often-requested dessert for birthdays and other family celebrations. It's a fairly involved recipe, but the results are heavenly. This cake is phenomenal even if you didn't know Earl and Norma...and if you did, warm memories of the two of them makes each bite that much more delightful. Either way, make it once and this might become a tradition in your family too...I guarantee people will ask you to make it again and again.

I've Missed My Blog!

2008-03-25T06:16:00.008-06:00

Recipe

Spinach Artichoke Dip

I've been extremely busy at work and in my personal life the last week or so, and I haven't been able to update my blog. I've surprised myself at how much I've missed it! Posting about cooking and recipes on here is a part of my life I really look forward to - the time I spend on my own blog (and reading others' blogs) is a relaxing "port in the storm" of the hectic weeks that my life has been lately. So, thank you - to everyone who reads this blog, to everyone who leaves me comments and sends me emails, to all the other food bloggers who provide me with wonderful recipes and reading material - all of you that make up my little blogging world - I appreciate it more than you know.

Even though I haven't been blogging lately, I have been cooking and taking lots of photos - so I have plenty of material to post! I made this artichoke and spinach dip for my book club a couple weekends ago - it's been a reliable party recipe for me for a few years, and it's always popular. The creamy dip is studded with chunky artichoke hearts and flavorful spinach, and it's wonderful with carrot and celery sticks, but even better with toasted baguette slices or tortilla chips. There's a local pub in Highland Park that Dariush and I like to visit that has homemade macaroni and cheese with spinach-artichoke dip stirred into it on their menu (can you hear the excitement in my voice?!)...although I haven't yet tried it, the concept sounds heavenly - I'm a bit hesistant to try it at home, because I'm sure it's a heart attack on a plate, but...but...well, maybe if I just try a very small bowl. And then go for a run or something afterwards. I'll be sure to let you know how that goes!

Making the Most of a Sale

2008-03-23T08:26:00.007-06:00

Recipe

Baked Fish Casserole

When I saw wild-caught Pacific cod on sale at the neighborhood co-op (see why Pacific cod is a more ocean-friendly choice than Atlantic cod here), I picked up a whole bunch. I wasn't really sure what we would do with it, but I was thrilled to find such a good deal. I came home and started searching for recipes. Salmon is the only kind of fish we eat at home on a regular basis: I struggle with preparing most other kinds of fish - I usually end up drying them out. I am happy to report that I avoided the dreaded "drying out" with this fish casserole, however. DR and I both loved this - probably because the fish is complimented by some of our favorite ingredients: wine, cheese, and bread! Seriously, if you've got those three things together all in one recipe, not much can go wrong. Quick enough to throw together on a weeknight, this also reheats really well so it makes great leftovers, and just about any flaky white fish can be substituted. I probably wouldn't have taken much notice of this recipe if I hadn't found that fish on sale at Mississippi Market, but now that I know how fantastic it is, this will definitely be in the regular rotation at our house. Sale or not, if you give it a try, I think you'll be adding it your menu plans often, too!

Two Layers Of Lime = One Fabulous Pie

2008-03-19T21:10:00.011-06:00

Recipe

Two Layer Key Lime Pie

Finding a traditional Irish dessert to bring to work for St. Patrick's Day is no easy task. My standard St. Patrick's Day recipe, Irish Bread Pudding with Caramel Whiskey Sauce, isn't really well suited to sitting out all day in the resource room at school - so this year, I decided that a "green" treat would have to be festive enough. Key lime pie sounded like a great idea, so I searched around a bit and found this Bon Appetit recipe from the Keylime Bistro in Florida (sounds authentic, doesn't it?) and decided to give it a try. In a word, this recipe was fabulous. A graham cracker crust with a bit of granola mixed in for extra crunch? Check. A traditional layer of tangy key lime? Check. A second layer of rich, creamy, sweet lime topping? You bet. It didn't look quite green enough when I was finished, so I zested some lime and sprinkled it over the top:See? Pretty! Citrus desserts are one of my favorite things, and I tell you, I could not leave this pie alone for the life of me. I think I could eat it just about every day. Unfortunately, it doesn't last that long...after a couple days, it starts to get a little weepy, so I would recommend eating it quickly (which won't be a difficult task, I promise you). I hope everyone had a wonderful St. Patrick's Day!

Three Cheers for My Crock Pot

2008-03-17T20:59:00.009-06:00

Recipe

Jerk Turkey Slow Cooker Soup

Over the weekend, I did lots of cooking and baking and one of the best things to come out of my endeavors was this turkey soup - another slow cooker success! It's warm and comforting (which is a good thing, because yes, we have fresh snow here in Minnesota again - ugh), and it's got just enough of a spicy kick to make it interesting. Because it's a broth-based soup, it's relatively low in fat and calories, but it's loaded with enough chunks of tomatoes, black beans, and turkey to really fill you up. Corn bread would be the perfect accompaniment for this soup - unfortunately, my corn bread this weekend was not as successful as this soup, so I'll have to keep working on that one. This now makes...count them...THREE reliable recipes that have turned out well in my slow cooker - I think I'm finally starting to like the blasted thing!

One Last Scent of Apples Baking Before Spring...

2008-03-13T06:33:00.008-06:00

Recipe

Apple Crumble with Golden Raisins

One last cool-weather dessert before spring: this combination of apples baked with golden raisins, cinnamon, and a crumb topping is simple, comforting, and delicious. Quite like having apple pie without having to go to the trouble of making a crust, the old-fashioned flavor of this dessert was something I looked forward to having after dinner several nights in a row. It was great on its own, but it reached perfection when it shared the bowl with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. There are definitely things to love about the cooler months: baked apples are something I'll miss until fall comes around again. That's the great thing about different seasons though...there's always something to look forward to as they change.

Is It Grilling Season Yet?

2008-03-11T05:54:00.011-06:00

Recipe

Stovetop "Baked Beans"

Homemade baked beans make me long for warm days and meals prepared on the grill like hamburgers and corn on the cob - doesn't that sound wonderful? Unfortunately, here in Minnesota, there's still snow on the ground and Dariush hasn't headed out to the grill yet this year...but soon, I hope - very, very soon. (can you tell I'm ready to be done with winter?!) This is my favorite baked bean recipe, and they're not even really baked (hence the quotation marks around the title)! In the summer, I love them because they're prepared entirely on the stovetop and I don't have to heat up the house by turning on the oven. Their sweet, smoky flavor is wonderful just about any time, with any meal, any season - but I love them best in warm weather, as an accompaniment to whatever DR's cooked up outside.

Happy Birthday, Lea!

2008-03-09T08:10:00.011-06:00

Recipe

Outrageous Oreo Crunch Brownies

It's time for another birthday post! We had another teacher's birthday a few weeks ago, and she couldn't decide between brownies and ice cream or an Oreo cake for her treat. I found this recipe for Oreo Crunch Brownies over on Joe's blog, Culinary in the Country (thanks, Joe!), and it made her decision much easier. When I read about this recipe on his blog, I knew it was the perfect choice (it's a Barefoot Contessa recipe, and I haven't had a bad dessert from her yet!). ...Sure enough, these brownies are incredible - they're just about the richest, most sinful thing I've ever tasted...which is exactly what good brownies should be. As you can see from the photo above, they're loaded with huge chunks of Oreo cookies - the trick is to cut the Oreos into big enough pieces so that they don't just disappear into the brownies when you stir them in. I'm so glad we were able to celebrate Lea's birthday with her - she ended up having to take a leave of absence shortly after her birthday...she's expecting twins in June, and she's now home on doctor-ordered bed rest. She's an absolutely amazing teacher, and we can't wait for her to come back. Lea loves food more than anyone else I know, so stay tuned for the baby shower post that will be coming this summer - I'm sure I'll have lots more treats to share!