Sprouting Wings

With Thanksgiving knocking on the door the other night, I began thinking of ideas for hors dourve experiments that will compliment the season and add some zing to the usual. I wanted an addition to the Floridian delights of yesteryear and homely comfort food of Ohio. We ran the gamut of casseroles growing up from veg-all, sweet potato, green bean, asparagus, and the more traditional southern thanksgiving side variants like mustard & collard greens, turnips, and maybe even rutabagas even once or twice. One aspect that stuck out in my mind was the fact that we always shunned Brussels sprouts.

A vegetable at the height of harvest in the fall, it seems strange that we avoided it like the plague. Dawn and I are becoming more friendly and acquainted with the little guys since she made her fall pizza with them. It seems like a first time at the pool experience- dipping your toes in and deciding when to accept the otherwordliness of water surrounding you. The learning process has proven an aid to push us outside our holiday comfort zone and give us a new appreciation for the neglected orbs.

Avoiding the displeasing mushy texture was high on my agenda second to complementing the earthy bitterness of the sprouts themselves. First and foremost they had to be the star of the show not the complement. To up the ante I used some meaty portobellos and  thick-cut pepper bacon for the umami kicker. The result turned out beyond Dawn and my expectations leaving us believers and hopefully you too as this hor dourve will spruce up your holiday get together like no other sprout will.

Brussels Menagerie

1 # Brussels sprouts (if frozen, thawed)

4 or 5 pieces peppered bacon roughly chopped

1/3 C all purpose flour for dredging

1 T bacon grease (optional)

1 C thick slicked portobello mushroom

1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp soy sauce

Dredge sprouts lightly in flour. Place bacon grease in skillet, if using, and cook bacon until crisp then remove from skillet. Make sure skillet is smoking hot, then add sprouts, and bacon. Shake skillet often to keep sprouts from sticking and to assure a crisp crust on all sides of sprouts and bacon. After sprouts and bacon are crisp, add lemon juice, soy sauce, and salt and pepper shaking to coat.

If using dish for hor dourves, follow directions the same except:

a. cut mushrooms pieces in squares approximately the diameter of your sprouts

b. carefully third sprouts before dredging in flour.

This will allow you thread a slice of sprout, bacon, and mushroom on a skewer to serve at parties or any other occasion when the idea strikes your fancy. Enjoy.

The Holidays are Here

I mentioned earlier how much I love Christmas, and with Thanksgiving over, I wish I was sharing the first holiday baking post I had planned for some peppermint bark short bread and other goodies I made for my extended family's annual Christmas party/family reunion after Thanksgiving. Somehow though, in the mad rush between class Wednesday, Thanksgiving Thursday, Black Friday followed immediately by travel to visit family in Pennsylvania and Maryland, I forgot to take a picture. And of course, its the end of the quarter, so chance are Daniel will be carrying the blog for the next week. 

With the mad rush of the weekend past, I thought I would use my (late) post as a chance to reflect about the wonderful, carb-loaded meal we shared at Thanksgiving and the special time we get to spend and memories to share with our families and each other. I'm not gong to give the recipes for the dishes, although if you have a special request for something I'd be happy to type it up for you (once my final papers are typed and done ;)). 

Enjoy the pictures and the Christmas and Holiday Season!!!

The Dinner

The turkey, prepared by my parents. I'm not sure why I couldn't get a good picture, it just seems wrong to take a picture of its missing head or its backside...

  A Yellow Squash casserole, traditional holiday fare in my family's home.  I don't think I can remember a Christmas, Thanksgiving, or Easter dinner in which my mom didn't prepare this for us. 

   

Cornbread stuffing. The best way to describe dressing, is the essence of the holidays for me at least. With the onions, celery and tons of sage, it makes the house smell like the holidays. The leftovers don't last too long in our house either. (That's Daniel's legs in the background too :))

   Green bean casserole, because it's just not the holidays without it, or more precisely without nibbling some of the crispy french onions while everything else and everyone proceeds to the table.

 

A homemade cranberry sauce prepared by Daniel & I the night before. For my first attempt, it turned out pretty well although I'll have to play with the flavors more in the future.

  Potatoes roasted with sage and topped with bacon crumbles. A welcome new addition to our Thaknsgiving table this year, and most likely a new staple as well. 

     

 Sweet potato yeast rolls with cinnamon brown butter that I made in lieu of the yeast rolls I made last year. I should probably ask the family which they prefer, but I liked the unique color of these and the little bits of sweet potato.

 

Fruit salad prepared by mom and marinated the night before. Before serving, the grape, orange, mixed fruit, pecan, and coconut concoction are topped with fresh sliced banana.

The Desserts

 

An egg custard pie Daniel made using a recipe from his great-grandmother.

 

Pumpkin spice bars with buttercream frosting made by my mom. Quite honestly the moistest cake I've ever had.

 

Bourbon Pecan Tart made by my sister and I together.

Cure for the Common Macaroon

Sometimes my curiosity gets the best of my cooking sense; it can turn out intriguingly well or unusually strange. It is kind of like fishing in a sense- despite the fact you have caught many fish in your life before and in the same spot with the same bait, when the slightest element is changed the whole trip, or dish in this sense, goes to pot. On the occasion of experimentation the other night when Dawn was grading papers, I looked through the cabinets to figure out what I could concoct cookie-wise. Dawn becomes a bit scared when I begin making unusual noises in the kitchen such as mincing objects that sound like they should not go into a certain dish, and this occasion was no different. I told Dawn before I searched through the cabinets that I wanted to make polenta pound cake to which she responded, "we don't need that much dessert."

After more brain storming I found white grits, shredded coconut, ginger root, and apple cider. A combination of ingredients seldom thought of together and you may be thinking it sounds rather hair brained yourself, yet the result is a sort of revamping of coconut macaroons from their mundane stupor. Life consists of juxtapositions and cooking is no different evidenced in the flavor profiles of sweet & sour, crispy & succulent, crunchy & gooey, and salty & sweet just to name a few. These cookies played on the crisp toasted coconut up against the moist grits livened by the fresh ginger. I will toast and grind some coriander when I make them again but for this experiment I used a pinch of cumin for earthiness. They say that curiosity killed the cat but in this case it turned out pretty well.

Ginger Coconut Macaroons

4 T. peeled pureed ginger

4 T. apple cider
1/2 t. cumin
3/4 C. white instant grits
1 3/4 C. water
1/2 tsp. plus 1 T. vanilla extract
5 T. all purpose flour
4 T. shredded coconut plus 1/3 C. for topping (all toasted)
1 T. balsamic vinegar for topping
1/3 C. dark brown sugar plus 1/4 C. for topping
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/3 tsp. baking powder
1 egg

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toast grits until toasted corn aromas begin emanating and grits begin to become tan. Dump into microwave safe bowl with water and sugar and cook in microwave for two minute intervals, stirring to avoid clumps, until grits are cooked but still slightly soupy. Toast coconut in cast iron skillet until an amber hue. Remove grits from microwave and add cider, flour, ginger, coconut, cumin, and vanilla. Once mixture has cooled some add egg, baking soda, and baking powder. Scoop heaping tablespoons of mixture, which will be on the wet side, onto silicone baking sheet covered pan. Bake for approximately six to seven minutes.

While cookies are baking heat vanilla, balsamic, and sugar in small pan until thickened into a light syrup. Once cookies come out of the oven, while still hot, dip tops of cookies in syrup and into toasted coconut. Let cool and enjoy. 

Sweet Pick Me Ups

Daniel and I have noticed (and are very very appreciative :)) of the rise in comments on our blog lately, so I thought it may be a little time for some reflection. Not too long ago, Eat Live Travel Write posted about why she began her blog, and although we've only been doing ours for a few months, its quickly become a part of our routine that is enjoyable and rewarding. It's interesting what our original thoughts about how the blog would shape up were in comparison to what it looks like. 

Because I like to bake, and Daniel likes to cook, we somewhat assumed my posts would mainly be baked goods or desserts, and Daniel would post on the never-ending experiments in the kitchen when he gets a chance to cook. Looking back, I realize that we are at the brink of the holiday season, and I haven't posted a single solitary sweet so far. As I began writing a post on this super-super-sweet Caramel Cashew Tart from a recent issue of Bon Appetit, I felt a slight twinge of guilt however. I know that I'm already overwhelmed trying to decide what to desserts to make for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I'm even lucky enough to have a few birthdays throw in the mix (my dad was a Christmas eve baby) with the extra excuse to make more, and am still feeling stressed at the decision. So, fear no more, you will not get a desert from me. Not today anyway.

Instead, I thought I'd offer you not one, but two breakfast treats to hold you over until your turkey, ham, tofurkey, etc., has finished or to please your out of town or overnight guests. The pumpkin scone recipe is still under construction. I've struggled with the pumpkin scone for sometime, as I would like a traditional scone texture, but would still like it to...I don't know...taste like pumpkin. These come pretty close to what I've been searching for. They're a little more chewy than the traditional scone, but either way they still pair nicely with a cup of coffee. I didn't want them overpoweringly sweet, so I dusted mine with a little bit of granulated sugar while they were still warm. Alternatively, you could of course add a cinnamon and powdered sugar glaze or a nice frosting swirl to achieve some extra sweetness.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Scones

3/4 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup oat flour

1/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/2 cup dried cranberries

3 tbsp chilled heavy cream plus more for glaze

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1 egg yolk

Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine first 10 ingredients in large bowl, blending well. Using back of fork or pastry cutter, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add cranberries and toss to distribute evenly. Whisk heavy cream ,pumpkin, and egg to blend in small bowl. Gradually add pumpkin mixture to dry ingredients, stirring minimally until evenly moistened.

Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface. Gently knead to bind. Pat inf 3/4-inch-thick round. Cut the round into 6 wedges. Arrange scones on prepared sheet, spacing at least 1 inch apart. Brush scones with cream to glaze* (optional).

Bake scones until puffed and brown and tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 22 minutes. Serve warm. 

The second breakfast treat pictured above are part of a batch of pumpkin biscotti from Simply Recipes . Suffice it to say, these were amazing. Daniel I think was a little bored with my overzealous use of pumpkin this fall, and he was not excited about the infamously dry hard biscotti, but these were quite tasty. The link to the recipe is posted above. I did have to bake mine a little longer and leave them out a little to dry, and of course I had to alter the spice's a little (or double the cinnamon, ginger, and cloves), but the cookies were quite tasty and the recipe was quick and simple getting them into the oven. 

Hope these ideas come in handy as you get ready!!

Bits of Simplicity

The other day Dawn and I went exploring all around Columbus looking for some different haunts and muses that we had yet to see. We went to some old favorites like North Market for the last outside market day and some other local shopping ventures before being pleasantly surprised by a visit to Carfagna's Italian Meat Market. As we walked in the door it had the ambiance of a tiny local grocer from back home with the smell of pork wafting through and a sense of personality that is often sought but never found at large grocers.

With the butchers' joking with a younger colleague about his date the prior evening and him desperately attempting to change subject, the personality was warming and specialized as we found excellent carnaroli arborio, small vintage Italian wines, and more meat varieties than I could name. I passed by rabbit saddles and marvelous double-smoked bacon making it a miracle we didn't spend a fortune. The Spanish chorizo definitely ended up in the basket as well as a pack of prosciutto chunks that I envisioned in a rich marinara sauce.

For some reason, maybe subconscious, the idea of baked pasta came to mind as I pulled the prosciutto out of the fridge. After preparing some macaroni  noodles as it seems we have a surplus of them lately (still some of the pantry oath that is more or less a a loose guideline) and sauteing the onion and crushed garlic, I cleaned the pan out and crisped the thin sliced prosciutto to add some texture then the tomato paste and dry red wine to add needed richness to the dish. The way disparate ingredients become intermingled amazes me sometimes and this dish is no exception. The rich tomato and pork nature of the dish make it a quick week night winner that is sure to please.

1/2 # prosciutto chunks finely diced

3/4 # al dente macaroni noodles

1 small can tomato paste

1/3 C. middle-aged fontina or gruyere cheese (I used the homemade fresh milk cheese I had in the fridge)

1/3 C. mozzarella cheese

1/2 tsp. anchovy paste

1/2 medium spanish onion finely diced

5 cloves diced garlic

4 T. olive oil for sauteing

1/3 C. dry red wine (such as chianti)

1/4 C. whole calamata olives

Preheat oven to broil. Saute onion and garlic for about 4 minutes or until slightly browned. Add tomato paste, olives, anchovy paste, and wine and cook until reduced but still thinner than desired consistency. Add cooked macaroni noodles, as I see these hold the sauce better, and stir the ingredients together in oven-proof skillet for a couple minutes. Sprinkle cheese on top and cook in oven on middle rack for 4 minutes or until cheese becomes bubbly and golden brown. Remove from oven, allow to cool at least 5 minutes, then slice into pie shapes, and enjoy. 

A Holiday Pizza; AKA Early Ideas for Leftovers

I'll admit, I'm one of those stubborn people who complain about Christmas items showing up in the store before Halloween is over. And rightly so, in my opinion. I love Christmas. I'll never forget how shocked Daniel was to experience just how much my Mom, Sister, and I love Christmas.  And, now that Halloween is over, I'm ready to be in the Holiday mood. I wont start playing my Christmas movie marathons until it gets a little closer, but I'm already looking forward to an evening with Jimmy Stewart and claymationed Rudolph, not to mention the baking and candy-making marathons.

Anyways, on to the recipe before I get too excited. With the holidays on my mind, I reflected that it seems as if its been a little while since we blogged about a unique pizza creation. So, while I should have been thinking about school and reading, I decided to try a new 'Thanksgiving-esque' Pizza. Naturally, I decide this under our new 'eat from the pantry' policy, which I more or less failed at. Already. One week in. Oh well.

Originally I wanted to do something that included turkey, cranberries, kale and pumpkin. While at the store, I forgot about the turkey, could only find dried cranberries, and the decided to allocate the kale for another meal. I did however find some tasty Brussels sprouts and portobello mushrooms to make up for the green and 'meaty' portions of the pizza. Ideally, I think it would be fun to try and make it again with some Thanksgiving leftovers, maybe making a tart with a stuffing crust instead, but for a weeknight 'fun' meal, this worked pretty well.

Coming home, and still not working on school, I set to roasting the Brussels sprouts, soaking the cranberries in hot water, sauteing the mushrooms with some butter and sage, and making a savory pumpkin sauce with onions, sage, and garlic. Combined, the steps did eat up some time, but I could have easily done most of them in advance before heating up the pizza stone and putting the pizza together. Although Daniel came home and looked at it somewhat hesitantly, overall it turned out well. I look forward to trying it again and hope it may serve as some inspiration for you to use your Thanksgiving leftovers!

Dawn's Thanksgiving-esque Pizza

Prepared pizza dough; recipe available here.

Toppings:

1/4 Cup Dried Cranberries

1/2 Cup Warm Water

2 Handfuls Brussels Sprouts (8-10)Rinsed

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper to Taste

1/2 Portobello mush room cap; chopped

1/2 Tbsp Butter

1 Tsp Dried Sage

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Sauce:

1/2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1/2 Small Onion

3 Cloves Garlic

1 Handful Fresh Sage, sliced thinly or 2 tbsp dried

1 Cup Pumpkin Puree

1/4 Cup Dry White Wine

1/2 Cup Chicken Stock

1 Tbsp Dried Thyme

1/4 Tsp Smoked Paprika (Optional)

Salt & Pepper to Taste

1. Preheat oven to 400. If doing in one cooking session, place pizza stone in as well to preheat. If using dried cranberries, place cranberries in small bowl with hot water. Let stand until ready to top pizza.

2. Toss Brussels sprouts with olive oil and season with salt and paper. Place on roasting sheet. Roast for approx 30 minutes, carefully stirring every 5-8 minutes. Sprouts should be brown on the outside with a few crisp black spots.

3. Meanwhile, in small saute pan, melt butter over medium heat and saute mushrooms 5-7 minutes, adding sage midway. Season with salt & pepper. Set aside.

4. In medium saucepan, add remaining olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil and pan are warm enough, place diced onions and minced garlic in and saute until onions are transparent and garlic begins to brown. Deglaze pan with white wine, stirring constantly. Add pumpkin, stock, and spices. Reduce heat and simmer 10-15 minutes until you achieve an appropriate consistency.

5. Once brussels sprouts are done, set aside until cool enough to handle. Increase heat to 475. Once cool enough to handle, cut brussels sprouts in half.

6. Once oven is heated, place cornmeal on pizza peel. Toss pizza dough to desired thickness and shape. Add pumpkin sauce and arrange toppings. Top with shredded cheese if desired (Parmesan & Fontina Cheese recommended).

7. Place cornmeal on pizza stone. Carefully slide pizza onto stone and cook 8-10 minutes until crust is golden brown in color.

8. Carefully slide pizza onto peel and remove from oven. Allow to cool 3-5 minutes before slicing.

Enjoy!

A Seafood Tribute

Our trips (California, Mexico, Florida, and England) are definitely on my mind at this moment and it has mixed with my cooking routine. Dawn and I are trying to stick to what is in the pantry before our trips to reduce the huge amount of ingredients in it, to regiment ourselves, and to save some money. My grandmother and great-grandmother are always on my mind when I begin thinking about Southern dishes and these dishes are no exception. I had the seafood left over from the Halloween wine tasting Dawn and I went to- that we made a seafood melange pizza and lump crab dip- and with the cold weather creeping on here in Columbus last week, a nice seafood stew sounded appropriate.

My grandmothers gumbo consists of a healthy dose of crushed tomatoes, lump crab meat, minced shrimp and bits of okra that give it a silky texture similar to her tomato gravy. The crumbs I attempt to carry away from cooks I have known are reaches at knowing their mindsets and ingredient combinations so as to add tidbits to my own knowledge. This in essence also passes their wisdom along to those I run into contact with. My grandmother also always serves her gumbo on top of a bed of long grain rice and never with filé powder. Maybe it is a Floridian switch from our Cajun neighbors to the West, but variety and locality are the spices of life.

From what I remember, my grandmother also uses garlic, onion, horseradish, tomato, okra, and heavy cream for added smoothness. My version is similar other than omitting crab meat and adding mussels, squid, clams, and several different vegetables and seasonings. Instead of adding rice to the bottom of the bowl for starch I made some oniony hush puppies as I can see my granddad on the screen porch with the blue flame burning beneath the cast iron dutch oven, spider in hand dipping and rolling those golden orbs of hush puppy goodness. Two generations later I use ingredients my grandmother has probably never heard of- the tanginess of fish sauce and bite of chili paste for a more complex edition. And now I pass the baton on to others hoping like the fly on the wall I can see the crumbs of gumbo, hush puppies, or grits I have passed on to the future.

850 Gumbo

(Approximately 5 servings)

¾ # smoked sausage

¼ # each- clams, shrimp, mussels, and squid

¼ C. garlic chili paste

1 C. ketchup

1 quart seafood stock

¼ C. (Korean) fish sauce

1 large spanish onion roughly diced

6 cloves garlic

3 tablespoons Louisiana hot sauce

1 T. olive oil and 1 T. bacon grease for sautéing 

½ C. each  mixed vegetables- corn, okra, red, and bell peppers

3 T. Parsley

1 t. worcestershire sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté onions and garlic on medium heat with olive oil and bacon grease until softened in large stock pot approximately five minutes. Add seafood and simmer for a couple minutes until flavors are combined. Add ketchup, garlic chili paste, and hot sauce and simmer for about five minutes or until liquids begin to thicken some. Add seafood stock and lower temperature after placing lid on pot and simmer for at least one hour stirring occasionally. Ten minutes before desired consistency add parsley and salt and pepper to taste.

Can be refrigerated for up to four days and reheated before serving.

Onion studded Hush Puppies

(Makes approximately 16)

½ spanish onion finely chopped

1 C. yellow cornmeal

½ C. all purpose flour

½ t. baking soda

1/3 t. baking powder

1 t. cayenne pepper

½ C. buttermilk shaken

1 T. bacon grease

1 egg

2 ½ C. vegetable shortening for frying

Combine ingredients in bowl and avoid over stirring. Spoon 1 teaspoon drops of hush puppy mix into 350 degree oil and cook until slightly over golden brown turning constantly. Break open first hush puppy to make sure it is set in center.

English Cheddar Cheese Grits 

(Makes 4 small servings)

1 C. quick cooking white grits

1 ½ C. water

1 t. smoked Spanish paprika

½ C. grated sharp white English cheddar

1/3 C. grated monterrey jack cheese

1/4 C. heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine water and grits over medium heat in small saucepan. Stir continuously until slightly more runny than desired consistency. Reduce heat and add cheeses, heavy cream, paprika, and salt and pepper. Serve piping hot. Grits should be taken off heat before desired consistency as they become thicker when cooling.