It's hard to believe it is the week of The Food Holiday, aka Thanksgiving, and I've written almost nothing about Thanksgiving food. I wish I had an airtight excuse, but here's the real reason: basketball season has started. My evenings are now taken up with yelling at the TV and glaring at my husband if he so much as whispers that I might be scaring the dog. At the moment, however, it's halftime, so if I type quickly I'll get another post in.
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I'll have to save my turkey frying tips for next year, since this year I'm going to take notes to be sure I'm telling you the right things to do. But just so I don't completely miss out on talking turkey, here's a tip. My roasted chicken and wild rice soup is amazing with leftover turkey (and freezes wonderfully). I posted the recipe here.
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Of the many things I am thankful for this year, one of them is our supper club. We have an amazing group of people who are pulled in 14 million different directions during our daily lives, but we all come together to break bread at someone's house once every 6 weeks. We do it potluck style, with the host and hostess providing the main dish, and everyone else filling out the meal. Each dinner has a theme, and our latest theme was Fall Harvest. Let me tell you - we outdid ourselves. Seriously. I asked everyone to send me their recipes so I could post them here. I'll do them in order of the meal.
First up, Attorney Mom with appetizers!
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Red Onion Jam with Bacon and Bourbon
3-4 large red onions, thinly sliced
3/4 package bacon, cooked and finely chopped
2-3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons bourbon (or substitute 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
2-3 tablespoons Olive oil
In a large saucepan, saute the onions with olive oil until they begin to soften. Add the chopped bacon, and continue to cook over low heat. Once the onions begin to reduce and thicken, add the brown sugar, to taste, and the bourbon or vanilla. (I actually used vanilla, but "onion and vanilla jam" sounds repulsive, although the result is quite tasty...so you may want to use the official recipe name for your guests!) Cooking time is around 35-45 minutes, and you will know your jam is done when it's the consistency you wish to spread onto a cracker. Continue stirring throughout the cooking process. Serve warm or at room temperature with crackers or toast points.
Ginger-Apricot Chutney
* I adapted this recipe from one that did not use quantities, and I also added extra ingredients to get the smell I was looking for, so all quantities are approximate, and please use your nose as your guide!
1/2-3/4 pound dried apricots, chopped (quantity per size of your crowd)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger
1 small pinch cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2-3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
5 whole cloves
Place apricots in large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, and then simmer over low heat. Add lemon juice, ginger, cayenne, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves and continue to simmer, covered, until the mixture begins to thicken. Approximate cooking time is 35-45 minutes, or until whenever the apricots are a desirable consistency. Continue stirring during the cooking process. Continue to add water if it boils off and you desire to keep reducing the mixture. Give it a taste before you finish cooking and add any additional quantities of the ingredients above. Once done, remove cloves, and serve warm or at room temperature.
Happy eating, and Happy Thanksgiving!
Monday, November 23, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
The Great Pumpkin, Part 2
News flash: did you, dear reader, realize that Thanksgiving is NEXT WEEK? Yes, a week from tomorrow. I truly did have it in my head that we were still 2 weeks away. We are hosting this year, and I had a moment of panic when I thought about all the things I haven't done to get ready. Like, plan the menu. Grocery shop. Make my pie crusts like I so smugly instructed the rest of you to do on Monday. Put extra leaves in the table. Polish silver. Stock up on liquor.
Ah -ha! You thought that last one was to survive the holiday, didn't you? But no. It is the super secret ingredient in my pumpkin pie.
Here's what you do: follow the instructions for pumpkin pie on the back of a Libby's can of pumpkin. But, before you add the evaporated milk, remove one shot glass worth of it. Then add one shot of Mount Gay (dark) rum. And carry on with making your pie - same cooking time, etc.
Do you think that sounds crazy? It's not - it's wonderful. Your guests will never know there's rum in the pie, but it gives it a depth of flavor that can't be beat. Serve with homemade whipped cream, and enjoy!
Ah -ha! You thought that last one was to survive the holiday, didn't you? But no. It is the super secret ingredient in my pumpkin pie.
Here's what you do: follow the instructions for pumpkin pie on the back of a Libby's can of pumpkin. But, before you add the evaporated milk, remove one shot glass worth of it. Then add one shot of Mount Gay (dark) rum. And carry on with making your pie - same cooking time, etc.
Do you think that sounds crazy? It's not - it's wonderful. Your guests will never know there's rum in the pie, but it gives it a depth of flavor that can't be beat. Serve with homemade whipped cream, and enjoy!
Monday, November 16, 2009
The Great Pumpkin, Part 1
First, a question: Is it possible to die of cabin fever?? We had 3 straight days of rain, and now I've had 4 days of sick kids. The result is that I've been stuck in the house even more than usual (since I work from home, I'm already here a LOT), and I am literally about to climb the walls.
Next, the real topic of the day. Pie. Before the boys got sick and I lost 4 days of my life, this was going to be the Thanksgiving Of Two Pies. I've been searching for the perfect apple pie recipe for several years, and I have finally found a couple that look like winners. My plan for this past weekend was to test both of them and settle on one for Thanksgiving, to accompany our traditional pumpkin pie. Alas, it now ain't gonna happen. We shall remain a One Pie Family for yet a while longer. On the upside, I suppose it gives me something to look forward to next year. (See how in the Thanksgiving Spirit I can be?).
Which brings us to pumpkin pie. I am famous for my pumpkin pie. Seriously. Or rather, I am famous for my grandmother's pumpkin pie, as this was originally her recipe. (At first I was honored that she gave it to me and I got to be the Pie Maker, but I've gotten wiser to her tricks and I now realize this was just her way of passing on the dessert responsibilities.) And to make your Thanksgiving that much more fun, I'm now sharing it with you.
Part one: Tonight, after kiddos are in bed and you've started the laundry, make your pie crusts. Yes, make them yourself. They are so, so easy to make, but the trick is to make them ahead of time. Disaster always looms when you haven't given yourself enough time to let them come together in the refrigerator (there is a technical baking term for that, but I can't remember what it is).
Here you go. This recipe is for one pie crust, so double it if you need to.
12 tablespoons very cold butter (I find it handy to dice the butter and then stick it in the freezer while I get everything else ready)
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt (Do NOT forget the salt. Last year I was rushing and forgot the salt. Oh what a disaster that was. My poor family was so polite and ate the pie anyway, and didn't say a word, but when I took my bite I just about spit it out across the table. Gross. Let this be a lesson to you. And NO, this is not why I am famous for my pies.)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/3 cup very cold vegetable shortening (I buy the Crisco sticks, stick them in the freezer with the butter)
6-8 tablespoons ice water (about 1/2 cup)
Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, pour the ice water one tablespoon at a time down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball. Once the dough begins to form a ball, you can stop adding the water. I find that here, where it's so humid, I often only need 5 or 6 tablespoons of water, but if it's drier where you are, you might need all 8. Dump the dough out on a well-floured board and quickly pack it into a ball. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, put into a resealable freezer bag, and pop into the freezer until next week.
Part II comes tomorrow...theoretically...
Next, the real topic of the day. Pie. Before the boys got sick and I lost 4 days of my life, this was going to be the Thanksgiving Of Two Pies. I've been searching for the perfect apple pie recipe for several years, and I have finally found a couple that look like winners. My plan for this past weekend was to test both of them and settle on one for Thanksgiving, to accompany our traditional pumpkin pie. Alas, it now ain't gonna happen. We shall remain a One Pie Family for yet a while longer. On the upside, I suppose it gives me something to look forward to next year. (See how in the Thanksgiving Spirit I can be?).
Which brings us to pumpkin pie. I am famous for my pumpkin pie. Seriously. Or rather, I am famous for my grandmother's pumpkin pie, as this was originally her recipe. (At first I was honored that she gave it to me and I got to be the Pie Maker, but I've gotten wiser to her tricks and I now realize this was just her way of passing on the dessert responsibilities.) And to make your Thanksgiving that much more fun, I'm now sharing it with you.
Part one: Tonight, after kiddos are in bed and you've started the laundry, make your pie crusts. Yes, make them yourself. They are so, so easy to make, but the trick is to make them ahead of time. Disaster always looms when you haven't given yourself enough time to let them come together in the refrigerator (there is a technical baking term for that, but I can't remember what it is).
Here you go. This recipe is for one pie crust, so double it if you need to.
12 tablespoons very cold butter (I find it handy to dice the butter and then stick it in the freezer while I get everything else ready)
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt (Do NOT forget the salt. Last year I was rushing and forgot the salt. Oh what a disaster that was. My poor family was so polite and ate the pie anyway, and didn't say a word, but when I took my bite I just about spit it out across the table. Gross. Let this be a lesson to you. And NO, this is not why I am famous for my pies.)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/3 cup very cold vegetable shortening (I buy the Crisco sticks, stick them in the freezer with the butter)
6-8 tablespoons ice water (about 1/2 cup)
Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, pour the ice water one tablespoon at a time down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball. Once the dough begins to form a ball, you can stop adding the water. I find that here, where it's so humid, I often only need 5 or 6 tablespoons of water, but if it's drier where you are, you might need all 8. Dump the dough out on a well-floured board and quickly pack it into a ball. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, put into a resealable freezer bag, and pop into the freezer until next week.
Part II comes tomorrow...theoretically...
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Shepherding in Fall
Savannah has had a nasty bout of cold and rainy weather (though luckily for us, it never lasts. This weekend looks to be sunny and in the 70s - woo-hoo!). We were in the mood for something new and cozy, so, totally seduced by his show on this a few weeks ago, I tried Alton Brown's Shepherd's Pie. If you have meat and potato lovers in your house, this is the recipe for you. But caution: this is not a good weeknight recipe. The recipe says 45 minutes to prep but it took me well over an hour to get it all together. Yes, much of that was because of little rugrats and their distressingly-easy-to-break-if-you-step-on-them toys that were underfoot, but still. This would be better to make on a Sunday afternoon, giving you the leftovers either for Monday lunch or dinner. That said, it was absolutely delicious and definitely a keeper. The original recipe with my notes follows.
Shepherd's Pie
Ingredients
For the potatoes:
1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes (Whoa. Let's stop right there. Yukon gold potatoes make much, much better mashed potatoes - and potato salad - for that matter. I used 4 large ones.)
1/4 cup half-and-half (Clearly I am not a stickler for following someone else's directions, because I substituted this as well. I did 1/4 cup skim milk.)
2 ounces unsalted butter (This, according to my kitchen scale, is just shy of 4 tablespoons.)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 egg yolk
For the meat filling:
2 tablespoons canola oil (Again with the substitutions. I used olive oil.)
1 cup chopped onion (I used one medium-sized Vidalia onion.)
2 carrots, peeled and diced small (I love carrots in stews and soups, so I actually doubled this to 4 carrots.)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 pounds ground lamb (Sigh. Can't I do ANYTHING right? I'm beginning to think I didn't actually follow his recipe at all. Funny how I do all these things as I go along, and it's not until I start to write it all down that I realize how many liberties I took. But, our grocery store did not have ground lamb, so I substituted a combo of ground beef and ground pork. It was absolutely wonderful, but I would like to try it with lamb at some point. I supposed without lamb it's not even technically Shepherd's Pie, but Cowboy Pie or Pig Farmer Pie doesn't have the same ring to it...)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons freshly chopped rosemary leaves (No more fresh herbs in the garden, so I just substituted 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary.)
1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme leaves (See above, here I did 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme.)
1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1/2 cup fresh or frozen English peas
Directions
Peel the potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch dice. Place in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. (Alton doesn't say anything about salting your water, but salt it just like you would if you were cooking pasta.) Set over high heat, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, uncover, decrease the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until tender and easily crushed with tongs, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Place the half-and-half and butter into a microwave-safe container and heat in the microwave until warmed through, about 35 seconds. (I skipped that step altogether. I just added them straight to the potatoes and figured they'd warm up enough. I did cut the butter into 4 or 5 pieces so it would melt more easily.) Drain the potatoes in a colander and then return to the saucepan. Mash the potatoes and then add the half and half, butter, salt and pepper and continue to mash until smooth. Stir in the yolk until well combined.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the filling. Place the canola oil into a 12-inch saute pan and set over medium high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion and carrots and saute just until they begin to take on color, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir to combine. Add the lamb, salt and pepper and cook until browned and cooked through, approximately 3 minutes. Sprinkle the meat with the flour and toss to coat, continuing to cook for another minute. Add the tomato paste, chicken broth, Worcestershire, rosemary, thyme, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer slowly 10 to 12 minutes or until the sauce is thickened slightly.
Add the corn and peas to the lamb mixture and spread evenly into an 11 by 7-inch glass baking dish. Top with the mashed potatoes, starting around the edges to create a seal to prevent the mixture from bubbling up and smooth with a rubber spatula. Place on a parchment lined half sheet pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 25 minutes or just until the potatoes begin to brown. Remove to a cooling rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.
Absolutely delicious! And perfect on a chilly and rainy night. Happy eating!
Shepherd's Pie
Ingredients
For the potatoes:
1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes (Whoa. Let's stop right there. Yukon gold potatoes make much, much better mashed potatoes - and potato salad - for that matter. I used 4 large ones.)
1/4 cup half-and-half (Clearly I am not a stickler for following someone else's directions, because I substituted this as well. I did 1/4 cup skim milk.)
2 ounces unsalted butter (This, according to my kitchen scale, is just shy of 4 tablespoons.)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 egg yolk
For the meat filling:
2 tablespoons canola oil (Again with the substitutions. I used olive oil.)
1 cup chopped onion (I used one medium-sized Vidalia onion.)
2 carrots, peeled and diced small (I love carrots in stews and soups, so I actually doubled this to 4 carrots.)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 pounds ground lamb (Sigh. Can't I do ANYTHING right? I'm beginning to think I didn't actually follow his recipe at all. Funny how I do all these things as I go along, and it's not until I start to write it all down that I realize how many liberties I took. But, our grocery store did not have ground lamb, so I substituted a combo of ground beef and ground pork. It was absolutely wonderful, but I would like to try it with lamb at some point. I supposed without lamb it's not even technically Shepherd's Pie, but Cowboy Pie or Pig Farmer Pie doesn't have the same ring to it...)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons freshly chopped rosemary leaves (No more fresh herbs in the garden, so I just substituted 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary.)
1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme leaves (See above, here I did 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme.)
1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1/2 cup fresh or frozen English peas
Directions
Peel the potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch dice. Place in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. (Alton doesn't say anything about salting your water, but salt it just like you would if you were cooking pasta.) Set over high heat, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, uncover, decrease the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until tender and easily crushed with tongs, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Place the half-and-half and butter into a microwave-safe container and heat in the microwave until warmed through, about 35 seconds. (I skipped that step altogether. I just added them straight to the potatoes and figured they'd warm up enough. I did cut the butter into 4 or 5 pieces so it would melt more easily.) Drain the potatoes in a colander and then return to the saucepan. Mash the potatoes and then add the half and half, butter, salt and pepper and continue to mash until smooth. Stir in the yolk until well combined.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the filling. Place the canola oil into a 12-inch saute pan and set over medium high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion and carrots and saute just until they begin to take on color, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir to combine. Add the lamb, salt and pepper and cook until browned and cooked through, approximately 3 minutes. Sprinkle the meat with the flour and toss to coat, continuing to cook for another minute. Add the tomato paste, chicken broth, Worcestershire, rosemary, thyme, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer slowly 10 to 12 minutes or until the sauce is thickened slightly.
Add the corn and peas to the lamb mixture and spread evenly into an 11 by 7-inch glass baking dish. Top with the mashed potatoes, starting around the edges to create a seal to prevent the mixture from bubbling up and smooth with a rubber spatula. Place on a parchment lined half sheet pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 25 minutes or just until the potatoes begin to brown. Remove to a cooling rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.
Absolutely delicious! And perfect on a chilly and rainy night. Happy eating!
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Stir It Up
Attorney Mom guest blogs today. Happy Veteran's Day, and a special shout out to Hunter Army Base here in Savannah.
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This blog is fabulous for quick, fresh meals, and every single recipe works, like magic! (Note from Barefoot Savannah: Why, thank you!) I wanted to add one of my "go-to" meals because on the days I get home close to 6 o'clock, this is my lifesaver, and only requires having a fridge and/or freezer full of odds and ends!
Best Stir-Fry Ever:
2 cups basmati rice (rice comes in lots of varieties, but this is my favorite, and does double duty, as you'll see in a bit!)
1/2 cup Coco Lopez coconut milk (this is optional; if you are having a spicy stir-fry, sweet rice can be an excellent counter. If you do use it, just substitute 1/2 cup coconut milk for 1/2 cup of the water you need for your rice)
1 package chicken breasts, chopped into slices
1 head broccoli, chopped
1 cup edamame beans, shelled and defrosted if taken from freezer
1 pepper, your color choice, sliced
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
Any other veggie you find in your fridge!
1/2 to 1 cup Hoisin sauce (I've found it! The secret to making your stir fry taste like take-out! Hoisin!)
Olive oil
Cashews
A generous handful candied ginger*, 10-20 pieces, chopped
This whole process should take you about 20 minutes: Start your rice, with all water or the water/coconut juice combo as above. With a little olive oil, start browning your chicken. As the chicken cooks, add hoisin sauce, in an amount per your tastes, with a little water to thin it out. Now, add in your vegetables in order of how crunchy you like them (veggies you like more well done go in first, veggies you like to remain crunch go in last). Continue cooking chicken/veggies until almost done, and then add candied ginger. Once chicken/veggies are completed, add cashews (optional), and serve over rice. Done! Enjoy!
Wait, how does that basmati rice do double duty? Since you made 2 cups of it, you have leftover rice...and tomorrow, you can add curry powder and peas, for a great Indian side dish! (Oh, how I love Indian food. And curry powders come in many varieties, so happy searching for your favorite! Mine is called Maharajah).
*Buy candied ginger in bulk, at whatever store sells spices in plastic bags, rather than jars. It is appalling how much you will pay if you try to buy this at the last minute, at the local grocery store, in the spice section. One does learn the hard way!
***
This blog is fabulous for quick, fresh meals, and every single recipe works, like magic! (Note from Barefoot Savannah: Why, thank you!) I wanted to add one of my "go-to" meals because on the days I get home close to 6 o'clock, this is my lifesaver, and only requires having a fridge and/or freezer full of odds and ends!
Best Stir-Fry Ever:
2 cups basmati rice (rice comes in lots of varieties, but this is my favorite, and does double duty, as you'll see in a bit!)
1/2 cup Coco Lopez coconut milk (this is optional; if you are having a spicy stir-fry, sweet rice can be an excellent counter. If you do use it, just substitute 1/2 cup coconut milk for 1/2 cup of the water you need for your rice)
1 package chicken breasts, chopped into slices
1 head broccoli, chopped
1 cup edamame beans, shelled and defrosted if taken from freezer
1 pepper, your color choice, sliced
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
Any other veggie you find in your fridge!
1/2 to 1 cup Hoisin sauce (I've found it! The secret to making your stir fry taste like take-out! Hoisin!)
Olive oil
Cashews
A generous handful candied ginger*, 10-20 pieces, chopped
This whole process should take you about 20 minutes: Start your rice, with all water or the water/coconut juice combo as above. With a little olive oil, start browning your chicken. As the chicken cooks, add hoisin sauce, in an amount per your tastes, with a little water to thin it out. Now, add in your vegetables in order of how crunchy you like them (veggies you like more well done go in first, veggies you like to remain crunch go in last). Continue cooking chicken/veggies until almost done, and then add candied ginger. Once chicken/veggies are completed, add cashews (optional), and serve over rice. Done! Enjoy!
Wait, how does that basmati rice do double duty? Since you made 2 cups of it, you have leftover rice...and tomorrow, you can add curry powder and peas, for a great Indian side dish! (Oh, how I love Indian food. And curry powders come in many varieties, so happy searching for your favorite! Mine is called Maharajah).
*Buy candied ginger in bulk, at whatever store sells spices in plastic bags, rather than jars. It is appalling how much you will pay if you try to buy this at the last minute, at the local grocery store, in the spice section. One does learn the hard way!
Monday, November 9, 2009
Pizza Pizza
Let me begin by saying I am a classic late adopter. I don't have an ipod. I can barely figure out Facebook. I've only sent 3 text messages in my life. My cell phone does not take pictures. So when I find something out there in the world that actually makes my life easier, my first instinct is to jump for joy. And my second is to immediately look around to see if everyone else in the world has already been using it for the past 10 years.
My latest discovery: fresh pizza dough from the grocery store (at our Publix, it's sold in the bakery section). We love pizza. Love it. (Though really, who doesn't?). Every where we have lived we've had a favorite pizza joint and it's always been our traditional Friday night food. I must admit, though, in the 2 years we've been in Savannah we've not found just the right pizza place that has the perfect blend of excellent pizza, convenient location, and good service. So for the past few months I've been making it at home, which is ridiculously fun to do with kids. (Note: I buy 3 or 4 rolls of it at a time and freeze them until needed).
It's harder than you would think to really perfect the pizza technique, which is why I haven't blogged about it until now. At this point, I've got it down to a system. Today's post is less of a recipe and more about pointers that I, ahem, learned the hard way.
1) A pizza stone really does make a difference. I got one at World Market for $12, and pizza on that has a much crisper crust than pizza done on a regular baking sheet. It's worth the money (and, if you're in Savannah, the hassle of going over there and fighting your way through the parking lot from hell).
2) The instructions on the pizza dough say to let it rise on the counter for 30 minutes before rolling out. I've found 1 - 1.5 hours is much better, the dough is much, much easier to handle and roll out if you give it a bit longer. (And before long you'll roll it just a little bit and then start throwing it in the air, much to the amazement of your children. Let me tell you - nothing says Mommy Is A Rock Star like a competent pizza toss).
3) Sprinkle your pizza stone liberally with cornmeal. Not flour. Not just a little cornmeal. Lots and lots of it. This is the only thing that will keep it from sticking.
4) For homemade pizza sauce I do 6oz tomato paste, 4oz water, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Play with the seasonings until it's just right for you. My kids LOVE painting the sauce onto the pizza dough.
5) Top with mozzarella cheese and your favorite toppings. (Also a great kid activity)
6) Bake at 425 until the cheese is melted and the crust has cooked (this is about 20 minutes, give or take a few).
Enjoy!
My latest discovery: fresh pizza dough from the grocery store (at our Publix, it's sold in the bakery section). We love pizza. Love it. (Though really, who doesn't?). Every where we have lived we've had a favorite pizza joint and it's always been our traditional Friday night food. I must admit, though, in the 2 years we've been in Savannah we've not found just the right pizza place that has the perfect blend of excellent pizza, convenient location, and good service. So for the past few months I've been making it at home, which is ridiculously fun to do with kids. (Note: I buy 3 or 4 rolls of it at a time and freeze them until needed).
It's harder than you would think to really perfect the pizza technique, which is why I haven't blogged about it until now. At this point, I've got it down to a system. Today's post is less of a recipe and more about pointers that I, ahem, learned the hard way.
1) A pizza stone really does make a difference. I got one at World Market for $12, and pizza on that has a much crisper crust than pizza done on a regular baking sheet. It's worth the money (and, if you're in Savannah, the hassle of going over there and fighting your way through the parking lot from hell).
2) The instructions on the pizza dough say to let it rise on the counter for 30 minutes before rolling out. I've found 1 - 1.5 hours is much better, the dough is much, much easier to handle and roll out if you give it a bit longer. (And before long you'll roll it just a little bit and then start throwing it in the air, much to the amazement of your children. Let me tell you - nothing says Mommy Is A Rock Star like a competent pizza toss).
3) Sprinkle your pizza stone liberally with cornmeal. Not flour. Not just a little cornmeal. Lots and lots of it. This is the only thing that will keep it from sticking.
4) For homemade pizza sauce I do 6oz tomato paste, 4oz water, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Play with the seasonings until it's just right for you. My kids LOVE painting the sauce onto the pizza dough.
5) Top with mozzarella cheese and your favorite toppings. (Also a great kid activity)
6) Bake at 425 until the cheese is melted and the crust has cooked (this is about 20 minutes, give or take a few).
Enjoy!
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Happy Birthday Boys!
There's no rest for the weary around here! Most people have a moment to catch their breath between Halloween festivities and gearing up for the Thanksgiving/Christmas rush, but not us. We have one little boy's birthday the first weekend of November and the other little boy's birthday the second week of November, so we've been in serious celebration mode for a while now. It's a bit crazy, but it's fun.
We had a big family dinner this weekend celebrating both birthdays (2 and 5, and could they get any cuter?? NO!). The 5 year old and I made the birthday cake together Saturday morning. His choice this year: pumpkin cake. Mmmmm. (His little brother, when asked his cake preference, answered "Cake." What kind of cake? "Cake." Ok. He's easy to please). This was the first time we tried this recipe, which I tore out of the Everyday Food magazine a couple years ago, and it is the perfect fall birthday cake.
Pumpkin Spice Cake
2 sticks of unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour (Note: my friend Lisa, who is an amazing cook, swears by King Arthur flour for all baking. It's now on my grocery list.)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
Your favorite frosting
Preheat oven to 350 degrees; grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans. Sift together flour, spices, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a mixer, beat together sugar and butter until light and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in pumpkin puree. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture and mix until just combined.
Divide batter between your prepared cake pans. Bake 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes in pans, then cool on wire racks. Frost them with your frosting of choice, and enjoy!
We served with dulce de leche ice cream...YUM.
Happy Birthday boys - Mommy loves you.
We had a big family dinner this weekend celebrating both birthdays (2 and 5, and could they get any cuter?? NO!). The 5 year old and I made the birthday cake together Saturday morning. His choice this year: pumpkin cake. Mmmmm. (His little brother, when asked his cake preference, answered "Cake." What kind of cake? "Cake." Ok. He's easy to please). This was the first time we tried this recipe, which I tore out of the Everyday Food magazine a couple years ago, and it is the perfect fall birthday cake.
Pumpkin Spice Cake
2 sticks of unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour (Note: my friend Lisa, who is an amazing cook, swears by King Arthur flour for all baking. It's now on my grocery list.)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
Your favorite frosting
Preheat oven to 350 degrees; grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans. Sift together flour, spices, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a mixer, beat together sugar and butter until light and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in pumpkin puree. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture and mix until just combined.
Divide batter between your prepared cake pans. Bake 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes in pans, then cool on wire racks. Frost them with your frosting of choice, and enjoy!
We served with dulce de leche ice cream...YUM.
Happy Birthday boys - Mommy loves you.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Ew. For the bunny, not for you. Oh. Whew.
(You will understand the title of this post if you also could recite Sandra Boyton books in your sleep).
We do not eat enough vegetables around here. This is due to two factors. First, although I love to eat salad, I find it so ridiculously tedious to make. You have to do all that the washing, or, if you get the bagged salad, picking through and tossing the nasty bits. Then there's the scraping. And the chopping. And the tossing. And the extra salad bowls to wash. And after all that work, it's not even the main dish, or something you can freeze so you have it on hand later! Grrr - irritating to me. So we do not have a salad with dinner as often as we would like. Actually, this is one of the things DH loves about eating at my parents' house - not only do they always serve salad, but my mom puts things like onion and hearts of palm in her salad, which never make an appearance in any salad of mine.
Which leads us to the other problem with vegetables in our house. DH and I don't like the same ones. Yes, there are the basics that we generally agree on: lettuce, tomatoes, corn, peas, green beans, sweet potatoes, and lima beans (with the caveat that they must be perfectly done and salted just right or I will not eat them, whereas DH will eat them cold right out of a can which just about makes me want to vomit). But these start to get a little boring after a while, and we diverge dramatically when it comes to other sections of the veggie aisle. DH will eat a green pepper like it's an apple, whereas I can't even eat one to be polite. I love broccoli, and he will grudgingly take a small bite if it's raw and covered in ranch dressing. He likes squash, I think it tastes like feet.
One of my all time favorites is brussels sprouts. I love them. To me they taste like the essence of how a vegetable should taste: earthy, slightly bitter but not terribly so, hearty enough to stand up to the meat on your plate but not so overwhelming that they take over your whole palate. They just taste green and fresh to me, and I would eat them once a week. Except for the little problem of a husband who not only will not eat them, but hates the smell of them and complains about having to be in the same room as them.
So last night, when DH was working, I made a huge batch of roasted brussels sprouts. I was so, so pleased with myself as I sat there munching on them like they were Halloween candy, until it dawned on me that this is what life has come to: finding happiness in a crunchy, salty brussels sprout.
I really need to get out more.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
1 package of brussels sprouts (approximately 20-25) (I say one package because our grocery stores don't sell them loose - only in those net-like bags. Have not tried frozen brussels sprouts for this)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
Preheat oven to 400. Wash brussels sprouts and trim bottoms. Cut each one in half. Toss with olive oil and salt, spread on half sheet pan. Roast for 35-40 minutes until brown and crisp. Serve right away.
We do not eat enough vegetables around here. This is due to two factors. First, although I love to eat salad, I find it so ridiculously tedious to make. You have to do all that the washing, or, if you get the bagged salad, picking through and tossing the nasty bits. Then there's the scraping. And the chopping. And the tossing. And the extra salad bowls to wash. And after all that work, it's not even the main dish, or something you can freeze so you have it on hand later! Grrr - irritating to me. So we do not have a salad with dinner as often as we would like. Actually, this is one of the things DH loves about eating at my parents' house - not only do they always serve salad, but my mom puts things like onion and hearts of palm in her salad, which never make an appearance in any salad of mine.
Which leads us to the other problem with vegetables in our house. DH and I don't like the same ones. Yes, there are the basics that we generally agree on: lettuce, tomatoes, corn, peas, green beans, sweet potatoes, and lima beans (with the caveat that they must be perfectly done and salted just right or I will not eat them, whereas DH will eat them cold right out of a can which just about makes me want to vomit). But these start to get a little boring after a while, and we diverge dramatically when it comes to other sections of the veggie aisle. DH will eat a green pepper like it's an apple, whereas I can't even eat one to be polite. I love broccoli, and he will grudgingly take a small bite if it's raw and covered in ranch dressing. He likes squash, I think it tastes like feet.
One of my all time favorites is brussels sprouts. I love them. To me they taste like the essence of how a vegetable should taste: earthy, slightly bitter but not terribly so, hearty enough to stand up to the meat on your plate but not so overwhelming that they take over your whole palate. They just taste green and fresh to me, and I would eat them once a week. Except for the little problem of a husband who not only will not eat them, but hates the smell of them and complains about having to be in the same room as them.
So last night, when DH was working, I made a huge batch of roasted brussels sprouts. I was so, so pleased with myself as I sat there munching on them like they were Halloween candy, until it dawned on me that this is what life has come to: finding happiness in a crunchy, salty brussels sprout.
I really need to get out more.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
1 package of brussels sprouts (approximately 20-25) (I say one package because our grocery stores don't sell them loose - only in those net-like bags. Have not tried frozen brussels sprouts for this)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
Preheat oven to 400. Wash brussels sprouts and trim bottoms. Cut each one in half. Toss with olive oil and salt, spread on half sheet pan. Roast for 35-40 minutes until brown and crisp. Serve right away.
Monday, November 2, 2009
For Better and For Worse
One of the most amazing things to me about having kids is how much better, and how much worse, certain events are with them. I'm talking about things that otherwise barely registered with me in my pre-kid adult life. Two classic examples: Halloween (for better) and Fall Back (for worse).
As an adult, I never really cared one way or the other about Halloween. It was cute to see the kids around the neighborhood, and I sometimes remembered to buy a pumpkin for the front porch. Very occasionally we would go to a costume party and sort of half heartedly dress up in something at the last minute. But for the most part it just didn't really matter all that much. Now that we have kids, though, the whole month is a celebration. Picking out pumpkins, carving with friends, settling on a costume after much agonizing over it, getting boo'd and driving around like maniacs trying to find someone to boo, school parades, trick or treating - it's all so, so much better through the eyes of children, and I love it.
***
Time changes, on the other hand - let me just say I am seriously contemplating a move to that little section of Indiana that doesn't mess with this stupidity. So much worse when you have kids. You have to adjust not just yourself, but your entire household, which is comprised mainly of people who cannot tell time and surely in their short little lives have never managed to just suck it up and push through. In fact, I actually think the fall back change is harder because it's not an extra hour of sleep, it's really just an extra hour of parenting schedule-screwed, cranky and sugar-crashing little children. Thank goodness for Mondays and the retreat of my much quieter office...
***
This Saturday, in what may have been the first of a new annual tradition, we had a bunch of friends over so that we could protein load the kids before embarking on the trick or treating activities. We had macaroni and cheese, ham and cream cheese roll ups, and fruit for the kiddos. For the adults I made a huge batch of lentil and sausage soup and served it with homemade bread. My soup recipe is almost embarrassingly easy, and because it's one of those soups that tastes better the next day I made it Friday afternoon, and then just warmed it up on Saturday. This is adapted from Ina Garten's recipe in her Paris cookbook. Her original version with my notes is below.
Lentil and Sausage Soup
Ingredients
1 pound French green lentils (Note: My grocery store doesn't carry green lentils, so I just use regular brown ones. Still delicious. Also, because I like to make a huge batch of this soup in order to have enough leftover to freeze, I do 1.5 pounds of lentils.)
1/4 cup olive oil, plus extra for serving
4 cups diced yellow onions (3 large) (I don't do the leeks - below - because I just find leeks way too high maintenance since they can be so sandy. Instead I do 4 large onions. And I try to do the sweet onions (Vidalia if you can find them) rather than just the normal yellow onions)
4 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts only (2 leeks)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (2 large cloves)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves (I never have any fresh thyme left from the herb garden by the time it's cool enough to be thinking about making soup, so I just do 1/2 tablespoon dried thyme)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 cups medium diced celery (8 stalks)
3 cups medium diced carrots (4 to 6 carrots) (I love carrots in soup, so I actually double this and use 8-10 carrots)
3 quarts Homemade Chicken Stock, recipe follows, or canned broth (I keep an extra quart of stock on hand, in case the soup gets too thick since I increase some of ingredients. For reasons I do not understand, I've never had to add more, but you don't want to risk it)
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 pound kielbasa, cut in 1/2 lengthwise and sliced 1/3-inch thick (Let's all be honest here - the sausage is the best part! I put in 2 pounds so that no one's bowl lacks for plenty of it.)
2 tablespoons dry red wine or red wine vinegar
Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving
Directions
In a large bowl, cover the lentils with boiling water and allow to sit for 15 minutes. (It just occurred to me - perhaps the reason that I never need the extra stock is because I always, always get distracted with another project and soak my lentils much longer than 15 minutes. I've probably gone and halfway cooked them so they don't use up as much of the stock.) Drain. In a large stockpot over medium heat, heat the olive oil and saute the onions, leeks, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, and cumin for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are translucent and tender. Add the celery and carrots and saute for another 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock, tomato paste, and drained lentils, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour, or until the lentils are cooked through and tender. Check the seasonings. Add the kielbasa and red wine and simmer until the kielbasa is hot. Serve drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with grated Parmesan.
I just put leave this simmering on the stove with bowls and spoons for people to help themselves. Entertaining this way truly could not be any easier.
Happy eating!
As an adult, I never really cared one way or the other about Halloween. It was cute to see the kids around the neighborhood, and I sometimes remembered to buy a pumpkin for the front porch. Very occasionally we would go to a costume party and sort of half heartedly dress up in something at the last minute. But for the most part it just didn't really matter all that much. Now that we have kids, though, the whole month is a celebration. Picking out pumpkins, carving with friends, settling on a costume after much agonizing over it, getting boo'd and driving around like maniacs trying to find someone to boo, school parades, trick or treating - it's all so, so much better through the eyes of children, and I love it.
***
Time changes, on the other hand - let me just say I am seriously contemplating a move to that little section of Indiana that doesn't mess with this stupidity. So much worse when you have kids. You have to adjust not just yourself, but your entire household, which is comprised mainly of people who cannot tell time and surely in their short little lives have never managed to just suck it up and push through. In fact, I actually think the fall back change is harder because it's not an extra hour of sleep, it's really just an extra hour of parenting schedule-screwed, cranky and sugar-crashing little children. Thank goodness for Mondays and the retreat of my much quieter office...
***
This Saturday, in what may have been the first of a new annual tradition, we had a bunch of friends over so that we could protein load the kids before embarking on the trick or treating activities. We had macaroni and cheese, ham and cream cheese roll ups, and fruit for the kiddos. For the adults I made a huge batch of lentil and sausage soup and served it with homemade bread. My soup recipe is almost embarrassingly easy, and because it's one of those soups that tastes better the next day I made it Friday afternoon, and then just warmed it up on Saturday. This is adapted from Ina Garten's recipe in her Paris cookbook. Her original version with my notes is below.
Lentil and Sausage Soup
Ingredients
1 pound French green lentils (Note: My grocery store doesn't carry green lentils, so I just use regular brown ones. Still delicious. Also, because I like to make a huge batch of this soup in order to have enough leftover to freeze, I do 1.5 pounds of lentils.)
1/4 cup olive oil, plus extra for serving
4 cups diced yellow onions (3 large) (I don't do the leeks - below - because I just find leeks way too high maintenance since they can be so sandy. Instead I do 4 large onions. And I try to do the sweet onions (Vidalia if you can find them) rather than just the normal yellow onions)
4 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts only (2 leeks)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (2 large cloves)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves (I never have any fresh thyme left from the herb garden by the time it's cool enough to be thinking about making soup, so I just do 1/2 tablespoon dried thyme)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 cups medium diced celery (8 stalks)
3 cups medium diced carrots (4 to 6 carrots) (I love carrots in soup, so I actually double this and use 8-10 carrots)
3 quarts Homemade Chicken Stock, recipe follows, or canned broth (I keep an extra quart of stock on hand, in case the soup gets too thick since I increase some of ingredients. For reasons I do not understand, I've never had to add more, but you don't want to risk it)
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 pound kielbasa, cut in 1/2 lengthwise and sliced 1/3-inch thick (Let's all be honest here - the sausage is the best part! I put in 2 pounds so that no one's bowl lacks for plenty of it.)
2 tablespoons dry red wine or red wine vinegar
Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving
Directions
In a large bowl, cover the lentils with boiling water and allow to sit for 15 minutes. (It just occurred to me - perhaps the reason that I never need the extra stock is because I always, always get distracted with another project and soak my lentils much longer than 15 minutes. I've probably gone and halfway cooked them so they don't use up as much of the stock.) Drain. In a large stockpot over medium heat, heat the olive oil and saute the onions, leeks, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, and cumin for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are translucent and tender. Add the celery and carrots and saute for another 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock, tomato paste, and drained lentils, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour, or until the lentils are cooked through and tender. Check the seasonings. Add the kielbasa and red wine and simmer until the kielbasa is hot. Serve drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with grated Parmesan.
I just put leave this simmering on the stove with bowls and spoons for people to help themselves. Entertaining this way truly could not be any easier.
Happy eating!
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