12 Holiday Gift Ideas for Chefs, Cooks, Foodies & the Like

Why hello my peaches, and Happy Holidays to you all!

What with super shopping day, Black Friday (heavens, what a foreboding title!) behind us, and the holidays (Hanukkah! Christmas! Kwanzaa! New Years!) looming large, I thought I would break out my top 12 holiday present suggestions for all of the foodies, chefs, cooks and more in your life...all road tested and Fresh Approach approved!


Enjoy!

Mwoah,
Rachael


1. The exceedingly fabulous Mary and Chris of Maryink in Tennessee, have conjured up what can only be described as the must have item of the year. The Fruit Basket Waist Apron.

Sweet, but not cloying, these beauties are too good to be true.

They are hand screen printed on natural cotton duck and at $12 each. Really kids, at that price, how can you go wrong?

Available online from super-site Etsy.


2. Based in the Alps, Sarah Finn is an wood-working artist extraordinaire. Her incredibly stunning laser cut (that are sturdy and wipe-able!) place mats...well, sigh, right?

They measure 14"w x 17" and are just so darned stylish, I can't get over it. She also makes napkin rings and all sorts of other kitchen-centric fantasticness.

These beauties run about $25 each.


3. How sweet is this hand-crafted Pea Pod necklace? I love it so much!

Created by the brilliant Aimee Addison of Wear Me Jewels, in Eugene, OR, it is sterling silver and Russian Serpentine on a leather cord.

Pick yours up for $35

She also offers jewelry making classes if you are in the area!


4. Looking for something with an old school vibe? Want a way to bring that extra something special to your next cocktail soiree?

Look no further than the taste-titillating bitters brought to you by the Fee Brothers. ("Don't Squeeze, Use Fee's!)I personally have been using the limited edition Whiskey Barrel Bitters for months now and cannot imagine my mixology without it on hand. They also offer Grapefruit, Lemon and much more.

If you haven't experienced old fashioned, (since 1835!) hand-made bitters, I suggest you get your hands on a bottle, stat.


5. Why not get all those recipes you have been collecting organized into your very own personal cookbook from TasteBook? For me, this was a dream come true. Stunning results and easy as can be follow along directions. Get over there and be on your way to becoming the (self) published author you know you should be! 100 recipes for $35


6. Willow Pond Farm in Fairfield, PA offers the most incredibly delectable Rosemary Jelly. This truly artisan product is made one batch at a time with certified organic herbs from their own garden. Use it to make their famous thumb-print cookies, or go wild (as I did) and keep a jar on hand until next summer, so you can glaze fig tarts in the most unexpected way. One 4 oz. jar is $3.75 and they are available online, unless you want to go visit the farm! (I certainly would if I were anywhere nearby!)



7. Now, under normal circumstances I always advocate buying the absolutely highest quality (forged!) knife you can afford...but if you're picking up a gift for someone more focused on style, well, Los Angeles based CulinHome Decor knives are just too whimsical to pass up.

Available in three patterns, Hibiscus, Jax and Splash, they are just the coolest darned things goin'. Prices vary...check their site for where to buy in your area. In LA they can be picked up at Il-Lit-Erature on La Brea.



8. Wanna get your ham-on? (Jamon?)


If you are serious about the pork, and trust the ultimate food lover, Jeffery Steingarten's taste (and who doesn't, really) - the man who declared this is the tops - then get thee over to La Quercia Rossa for their ethereal Heirloom Breed Culaccia Prosciutto.

Simply the best. Hand crafted in Iowa. Prices vary. Also available from Williams-Sonoma.


9. And since we talked ham, I figure the next logical step, is cheese!

In this case, a sublime Gouda Boere Kaas, made right here in Southern California by the Dutch craftsmen of Winchester Cheese.

Their cheese is award winning and rightly so.

Available online or at The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills.




10. The Crystal Dragon martini glass, heck, the whole bar set, makes me dizzy with desire.

Could anything be more swank? Glamour, glamour, glamour.

The imperial design is sand-etched onto mouth blown clear lead crystal from Hungary and ready to make all your Eastern dreams come true.

Starting at $95 these beauties are available exclusively from Gumps of San Francisco.


11. Tell the truth, how excited would you be to receive an upside down tomato garden this holiday season? Seriously. Local tomatoes! As in, from your own kitchen! Too amazing!

"Hanging vines need almost no attention as tomatoes ripen in the air (not on the ground) where they wont rot. Complementary plants like basil, parsley, rosemary, and peppers can be planted on top, which holds up to 80 lbs. of topsoil. The compact planter can fit in any space with ample sunlight, even condominium balconies."

All this for $75 plus shipping!



12. Choco LA LA Fair Trade Chocolates. Those cheeky chocolatiers. Sassy and ethical, not to mention, makers of glorious, fresh, hand-made chocolates!

Try the dark chocolate truffles - "a rich dark center with a hint of chili and coconut, all enclosed in a dark chocolate shell."

For me, a trip to England is never complete without getting my hands on a box these (which also includes their chocolate covered mango...sigh.), and now, they are available online!


Prices vary.


Well there you go my dears, I hope you found something you like!
_________________________________


All of the photos in this post come from their respective websites. Credit where credit is due.

Wanna see my suggestions from years gone by? Check it out here and here.

One last gift suggestion...make a donation...there are a few worthy causes listed on the left...

German Cabbage Salad

.
And here I sit.

Hung over as can be.

Too much beer, I fear.

Pout.

We hit an early Octoberfest potluck party, repleat with Ommpah band and lederhosen. It was enough to make a girl long for the old country. Even if that country isn't her own. Beer was flowing, people danced. It brought a tear to my eye, I tell ya, a tear. Of joy.

The Ombudsman, being a German-American had graciously (if somewhat clumsily) acted as my sous-chef for this vibrant delight, and while he claims it is particularly inauthentic, he still contends it is lip smackin good. So there you go. From the horses mouth. Or, should I say, from the mouth of das pferd.

Inspired. Tangy. Crisp. Sweet. Sour.

Try it my peaches, and taste the joy.

1 head of red cabbage
4 red onions
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups red wine vinegar
2 cups cold water
Salt
Caraway seeds
Black pepper

Okay, so you slice the cabbage as thin as can be. Then you do the same with the red onions.

Grind about a teaspoon of caraway seeds.

Combine the sugar, vinegar, water, a bit of the caraway seeds and some salt. Add the onions, and simmer for 30 minutes. Taste and adjust any which way you think it needs.

Let that cool completely, then toss it with the cabbage. Let it all just sit and get mellow. Sprinkle with some more caraway, then eat. Makes a whole-lotta-food.

___________________________________

The Dutch originated coleslaw: kool means cabbage and sla means salad

Caraway seeds are not actually seeds, but the small ripe fruit of the caraway plant

Penne with Five-Spiced Pumpkin

.

Ever since The Ombudsman took me out for a rousing day of G-rated (actually, not entirely, that place has some racy stuff! And a lot of super duper icky stuff! So, you know. It was fun!) at the California Science Center, I have been thinking about the delicate balance of my body's culinary needs.

All that and I've been thinking I need a warm drink. Mmm. Yes, a warm drink.

Wait, no, what I really need is warm, hearty food. Yes. That's what I learned at the museum! Our bodies need a balance of nutrient rich foods as the weather turns colder. Who knew!

So in my science inspired mood, I contemplated dinner.

It would have to be something toothsome (oh for the love of/in the name of all that/for pities sake...did I just use that word? Gack. Sorry. Loathsome.), something with heft and stout resolution. Something carb-tastic (now, isn't that a much better word than toothsome? Yes, I think so too.) Something that positively reeks of late autumn, with the clever addition of Chinese five-spice powder. That all-balancing spice combo of note that incorporates all that is good in spirit and food balancing. It was what the doctor (had one practicing Eastern medicine been one involved) ordered for my scien-tiffic (oh wow do I think that's clever! Grin.) dinner bonanza.

Newly up-to-date on the human body and all its wonders, I cozied up to the Ombudsman with a steamy bowl of this all-nourishing, beta-carotene rich fantastic-ness. Balanced perfection. And it was warm and robust and filling and I'm sure your body will agree, super yummy.

So try it my dears, and taste the joy.


1 pound (whole wheat) penne pasta
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 cup fresh or canned pumpkin puree
1 T five spice powder
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1 teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce
1 teaspoon chile flakes
1/2 cup green onion
2 carrots cut into matchsticks (julienne)
1 cup green cabbage, finely shredded

In a large pot of boiling, salted, water cook the penne until al dente.

In a saute pan, heat the vegetable oil, then add the pumpkin and five spice and saute for one minute, stirring. Add the stock, hot sauce and chile flakes. Warm through. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Toss with the pasta, add carrots, green onion and cabbage. Toss, taste, and serve.

Makes four servings.

_________________________________

Emeril Lagasse will throw down his last "Bam!" on Dec. 11, when he tapes his last "Emeril Live!" for the Food Network. The show is being canceled after 10 years, though the network says his studio show will remain on the air. - TMZ.com

Five spice incorporates the five basic flavors of Chinese cooking — sweet, sour, bitter, savory and salty. It consists of cassia (cinnamon), star anise, ginger, fennel seeds and Szechuan pepper

Looking Back: Burgers

My blog may be horribly neglected, but fortunately I've still be cooking and taking pictures when I remember or have time. For this post, I'm going to go way back to the August issue of Cooking Light which featured several different tempting-sounding gourmet burgers. I've already reviewed the Italian Meatball Burgers, but we've also tried the Saté Burgers and the Southwestern Turkey Cheddar Burgers with Grilled Onions.

I don't have pictures of Saté Burgers, but they were quite good. This is a turkey and pork burger that combines the elements of a typical sate with ingredients such as peanuts, lime, cilantro and fish sauce. The result is an exotic, moist, flavorful burger. The recipe suggests skipping the bun and serving them with rice. We decided to be burger traditionalists and decided to serve them on hamburger buns but were put off by the fact that there was no sauce - it seemed like they would be a bit boring and bland just slapped on a dry bun. We decided to try them with bottled Teriyaki sauce and that worked pretty well, but I think perhaps CL knew what they were talking about when they suggested the rice.

Southwestern Turkey-Cheddar Burgers with Grilled Onion

The next burger we tried was the Southwestern turkey burger. This burger is a bit more straightforward, combining turkey with a few Tex-Mex spices and a bit of wheat germ. The burgers are topped off with grilled onions, cheddar cheese and a spicy Chipotle-Poblano ketchup that really takes this burger up a notch. Our only complaint with this burger is that it perhaps had a bit too much onion in the burger itself - this seemed unnecessary with the grilled onion topping.

As a side note, each of these recipes makes 6 burgers. We didn't want to end up with 2 leftover burgers, so instead of reducing the recipe to make 4, we upped the recipes to make 8 and froze the leftovers for a later meal. In fact, I think we still have some of the Southwestern burgers left, waiting for a cold day this winter when we want to bring a little summer indoors.

Only one burger left to try from that issue - the Korean Barbecue Burgers. Yum - I love Korean barbecue - called bulgogi and/or galbi - so we will definitely give these burgers a try and I'm pretty sure we won't be able to wait until summer......

On this day in..........
2006: Sweet Rolls on Sunday
2005: Would you cook if you couldn't taste anything?

Salt-Cod in Piquillo Peppers (Pimentos Rellenos de Bacalo)

.
Me, I'm a lucky girl to have two older brothers whom I love very much...the seriously brilliant one (IBBBH*) and the stunningly genius one (IBBBJ**).

And, heck yes, I'm bragging.

Both of my brothers are tall and handsome, hard working and goodhearted. (Frankly, I find it altogether shocking we all come from the same gene-pool. I can barely balance my checkbook half the time! So really, I got nothin' on um. Plus the really disconcerting part is that our sister is actually the smart one. Scary...innit?)

The younger (I'm the youngest) is the one who makes me laugh, he is the political one, with a serious penchant for quality foods, and the older one (well, also political) is the one who challenges me to be a better person, who sits up straight, and is infinitely patient.

IBBBJ lives in NYC. Making the world a better place. IBBBH resides in Southern Spain...making the world a better place too.

I love visiting NYC to hang out with my IBBBJ. I am always beyond excited to see him and go out do dinner, so he "can show off by getting (me) something fancy."

It takes a bit more to get organized enough to haul myself across two continents. But when I do I bask in the warmth of IBBBH's wonderfulness (no, not a word...) where the main focus is always family (and, flamenco, or so it seems. Lots of Flamenco.) and eating. This is me after all. While UBBBH is not exactly a foodie - he likes his brown bread and herring more than most things - he is indulgent (if not bemused) by my obsession.

What both of these boys (okay, fine, they are men) can agree on, food wise, is this extremely classic tapas, inspired by the bounty of Andalusia.

So easy to make, so deliciously tempting. It will make your head spin for a moment. In Spain, or New York, or where ever your family happens to be.

So try it my dears, and taste the joy.

8oz - 10 oz. salt cod
2 medium (Yukon Gold is best) potatoes, peeled and cut
3 cloves garlic
3 T Spanish olive oil
12 roasted piquillo peppers

Soak the salt cod over night in cold water. Change the water at least twice.

When it is softened, rinse the cod and flake.

In a medium sauce pan of cold water, add the cod, garlic cloves and potatoes. Bring to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are soft, then drain.

Add that mix to your food processor and puree, along with half the oil. Add more oil if it is still chunky, otherwise, use it all.

Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Fill peppers with the puree and serve on a bed of the extra puree (if there is any)

______________________________________
*How smart? He once co-authored a paper entitled: The Quantum Vacuum and the Cosmological Constant Problem

**How smart? He earned his masters degree at age 19.

Locally, piquillo peppers can be purchased at Surfas in Culver City, La Española in Harbor City and Nicole's in Pasadena. I have also seen them at Cost Plus, Whole Foods and Bristol Farms.

The name piquillo means "little beak". Traditionally piquillo peppers are grown in Northern Spain - GourmetSleuth.com

Happy Thanksgiving!

No food pictures to post today, so I'll just post a photo I took earlier this fall - I loved the way the fog was settled in amongst the fall foliage. And if you look closely, you can see Bailey out enjoying the beautiful day. We still have quite a few leaves on the trees around here! It looks more like the end of October than the end of November!

I continue to neglect my blog, but I appreciate all who stop by to take a look. Though I haven't been writing, I have been taking pictures of quite a few of our cooking ventures, so I hope to get caught up on my posts in the near future.

Have a wonderful holiday.

Haricot Vert with Filberts (Or, Green Beans with Hazelnuts)

.
Hello my dears!

I must start this post with a bit of info I am certain you don't need...but it is followed up at the bottom with a recipe that I am certain you do need...it's just too divine to pass up.

The somewhat (or, you know, entirely) irrelevant info, that I am compelled to share, is that I have got a stupendously random song stuck in my head in my head on auto-loop.

ACK!

I have only the slightest notion how it got there, (Okay, I confess, I know perfectly well how it got there, but I cannot fathom how it became so deeply lodged) and in all honesty, it's driving me to the brink...la lalalalla la la. The brink I say!

For DAYS, (going on weeks frankly) all the blessed souls around me have been pleading (at first with their eyes, then quite vocally) that I stop tra-la-la-ing the refrain every time there is even a hint of a lull in conversation... it really is that...well, catchy actually, but ultimately, bothersome.

So tell me my sweets, is there a cure? Is there anything to be done?

Whoa is me.

And much like that song, this recipe* is driving me to distraction as well. I must have some sort of compulsive disorder.

Happily, the dish (unlike the song) is easy to ingest, and that makes a happy girl indeedeeeee.

The combination of flavors and textures, the way it smells as it bubbles and sputters in the pan, it has a grip on me. I crave it.

And - bonus - it's perfect for a Thanksgiving side dish.

So my peaches, try it, and taste the joy.


2 Tablespoons butter
1 pound/4 cups French green beans, trimmed
1/4 cup filberts
Salt, pepper and lemon zest to season


In a large saute pan, melt the butter then add the beans and nuts. Let that cook until the butter is slightly browned, when that happens, remove from the pan, toss with salt, pepper and zest and serve.

*Adapted from a recipe given to me by She-Who-Inspires-Me, AKA Taji, at Simple Gourmet
_________________________

The Hazelnut Growers of Oregon accounted for 1/3 of the nation’s 27,000-ton production last year. Virtually all U.S. hazelnuts are grown in Oregon.

Fresh beans are classified into two basic categories: edible pod beans and shell beans. Green beans, otherwise known as snap or string beans, are the most popular edible pod bean in the United States. The lima bean is the most common shell bean sold in the United States.

Jamie Oliver will be returning to The Food Network with a new show called Jamie at Home. The show will feature him preparing meals with produce from his country garden. Each episode will feature a different ingredient and show a variety of recipes that focus on that ingredient. The show premiers on Saturday, January 12, 2008

Chocolate, Fig & Black Pepper Biscotti

.
Oh my goodness! Yet another post on baked goods! What is with me these days? Hmmm.

Well, on with the show...

Somewhere far back in the mists of time, I did some (*ahem*) work for a woman who had a thriving business selling "Famous Biscotti." Not sure how famous they really were in actuality, but they sure were tasty. Obsess-tastic, in fact. No doubt about. The woman had managed perfection.

What made her twice-baked bonne bouche so magically different from the norm, was that (they were just good!) she sliced them extra thin. One small change, that changed my entire view of the biscotti world.

I mean, how often have you taken a bite into one of these coffee-house favorites, and thought might you might just crack a molar? With a slender cookie, that problem evaporates like a martini left out in the hot sun (oh, what a sad thought!)...I mean, well, I mean the problem is solved.

My version, (which is not her recipe at all, mind you -- I say that because I would not be surprised to get a stern phone call if I posted anything even close to her recipe. She is a delightful person, but quite proprietary about her cookies and most assuredly not the type it's prudent to cross. That said, this version is all mine...promise) does utilize her fantastic technique none-the-less.

I mean hey, a good idea is a good idea, right?

Right.

This combo includes dense, chewy figs; rich, dark chocolate and a small hint of ground pepper, as a background note that gives it that extra something special. It just so happened that I used all organic ingredients, and super high fat European style butter too...if you have the option of doing so too, I encourage you to.

After having made the same version of biscotti for years, this was a welcome addition to my repertoire, and will - for sure - make an appearance in my own lil' flight-o-fancy life again soon...it's just my idea of wintery perfection.

So try this my peaches, and taste the joy. (That's my new "tag line." Do you love it? Hee.)



3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened (alkalized) cocoa powder
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup dried figs
Black pepper
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
White chocolate for garnish

Preheat your oven to 325F.

Line a baking sheet with foil or coat with baking spray.

Sprinkle the figs with a tiny bit of flour. Chop fine. The flour prevents (somewhat) the figs from sticking to your knife. When diced, grind a few turns worth of black pepper over the figs. No more than three turns. Set this all aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt.

Combine the sugar, melted butter, eggs and vanilla in another bowl. Using a wooden spoon, combine the flour mixture into the egg mixture and stir until well blended, then gently mix in the peppered figs and chocolate chips.

Pop that into the freezer for 10 minutes. No need to cover it, your pulling it out soon enough.

Divide the dough in half. Using floured hands, shape each piece into 2 1/2-inch-wide, 9 1/2-inch-long, 1-inch-high parallelogram. Transfer both logs to prepared baking sheet, spacing evenly.

Bake the biscotti for about 35 minutes, keeping watch they don't burn. Remove from the oven (leave the oven on though) and let them cool completely on the sheet on a cooling rack.

Transfer the logs to work surface. Using a serrated bread knife, cut on the diagonal (now do you see why I suggested the parallelogram?) into 1/4-inch-wide slices.

Arrange the slices, back onto that same sheet. Bake 8 minutes; then flip them over and continue to bake until just beginning to color, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer your biscotti to a cooling rack.

I drizzled the finished biscotti with melted white chocolate, but the photos were ghastly, so, while I think it looked fab, its not what I showed here...I do think its worth doing though. Melt some white chocolate in the top of a double boiler, then put it into a squeeze bottle, and do a nice zig-zag down each cookie. Let that cool completely, before serving.

_________________________________

Progressive Baker is an excellent resource if you ever want to fiddle with your baking formulas!

Biscotti was first created in the fourteenth century in the Tuscany region of Italy.

Columbus introduced cacao beans to Spain in 1504. They were not really popular anywhere else until almost twenty years later when Cortez, a Spanish conquistador, planted them in Trinidad, Haiti, Fernando Po on his way back to Spain from Mexico. - Cookies-In-Motion.com

Sweet, Sweet Potato Salad with Orange & Cranberries

.
I feel so lame!

I made this the other day as a way to kick off the holiday season...and I gotta say. It was not to my taste. (Too, too sweet.)

But I was, decidedly, in the minority. Everyone else present at it's mid-day unveiling devoured it, all while making happy-mouth sounds.

Just goes to show.

I am not the arbiter of taste. (Darn!)

Shrug.

It did take a purdy picture though! And who doesn't respond to a purdy plate of food, right? ...Right.

One of the people who did find it delectable (I am SO not that person.), said "it tastes like Thanksgiving in a bowl! Yum!" which was, technically, what I was going for, so that made me all warm and gooey inside.(But also a bit hungry, since I didn't eat much of it.)

What can I say, it's all about pleasing the peeps!

So, I am posting it here. Because, um, I said I would, and you are my peeps too, (awww) and I wanna share!

So try this my peaches, and (if you like the combo as it is...) taste the joy!


1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Zest and juice of one large orange
2 tablespoons Sherry wine vinegar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
5 lbs sweet potatoes , peeled, cut into cubes
1 cup chopped green onions
1 cup pecan bits and pieces
1/2 cup golden raisins (Sultanas)
1/4 cup dried cranberries


1/4 cup dried cherries

In a blender, combine the first seven ingredients. Whip-um-up. Set aside.

Boil your sweet potatoes until they are just tender. Drain and transfer to large bowl. Allow to cool then add green onions, parsley, pecans, and the sultanas and cranberries.

Toss gently with the dressing, trying not to squarsh (no, that is not really a word.) the taters. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Serves a gang of people.





___________________________________

Nutmeg has been cultivated for more than 1,000 years

Biodynamics, an agricultural movement, is based on a series of lectures given in the 1920s by Austrian philo�so�pher Rudolf Steiner. The movement views the vineyard (or farm) as an ecological whole—not just the vines, but also the soil, insects and other local flora and fauna. Or, "The microcosm reflects the macrocosm." - Food and Wine.com

Nearly four dozen people were arrested at a weekend party east of Peoria, IL. The gathering was advertised as a "triple-kegger" featuring pudding wrestling. -NBC.com

Books: Gluten Free Girl & a Recipe for Brussel Sprouts with Mustard

.
Shauna; home cook, blogger, wife, possibly-obsessed but-who-am-I-to-judge-Beatles fan, friend, author...had her people send me a copy of her recently published book, aptly titled Gluten Free Girl. Boo-ya! I felt so special, lemme tell ya!

My very own copy was on the doorstep Friday morning and I pounced, tearing open the package and flipping immediately to the acknowledgement page, where I already knew I was mentioned. (It's just all about me, isn't it! Ha ha ha) Oh kids, I was so giddy.

And I am giddy because a woman I just simply adore wrote such a beautiful tome.

I really hope you will buy a copy. It's both informative, lovely, funny and loving. A good read all around I would say...

Now, as part of her "Virtual Book Tour." She asked me to write an essay (I guess its true! You can take the teacher out of the school, but you can't take the teacher out of the -gluten free- girl! Ha!) about my life as a Covergirl...wait, no, about my life as a Gluten Free Girl! (So much more food-centric!) I think the idea is to have different prospectives on how her book can affect different people...as shown by the bloggers she is having participate. Pretty cool, right?

Well, as you can all tell, I'm not Gluten Free...but I am a huge fan of her site, and incredibly sympathetic to restrictive diets. Oh man, am I ever. Vegan? Kosher? Peanut Allergies? Macrobiotic? Halal? Low Carb? Just plain not in to something? I get it. Why? Because that is your body. You choose what goes in it, and only you know what makes you tick, so who am I to tell you what to, or not to, eat? Nope, I'd just rather, (Much like Shauna) you get maximum pleasure out of what you DO eat, and not focus on what you don't. (Phew! Heavy!) All that and I will say this...please...less packaged food, more cooking, ya? Ya!

(Me, I can't eat bananas. Happily, they are rarely the secret ingredient in anything...except at Jamba Juice...those peeps love them some 'nanas...stick um in everything...wassup with dat?)

So in the spirit of Mrs. Ahern, I will post today an entirely gluten free recipe...because as she says, its not what isn't in it that makes it good...it's what is...and this recipe was created with love.

Try it, and enjoy!

2 pounds Brussel sprouts, trimmed and halved
pinch of sugar and a pinch of salt
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
2 T. Dijon style mustard
2 t. brown sugar
pinch of salt
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
coarse black pepper

In a large pot, boil the Brussel sprouts, with a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar until just cooked through, about 4 minutes. Drain immediately.

In a blender combine the rest of the ingredients, and blend to emulsify. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Toss the b-sprouts with the dressing and serve at room temp or cold.

Makes 6-8 servings.

________________________________________________

Many of the recipes on this site are gluten free...just click the labels to see!

Info on Celiac.

Info on CVS. (I have that. Miserable business...)

Peanut Butter Brownie Update

A photo update, that is.

As I make recipes I've previously reviewed on this blog, I try to take new pictures if my previous attempts were lacking. This was one of those recipes......or photos.

Peanut Butter Brownies

I sure miss baking, but I just don't have as much time as I did last year. The weather has been pretty mild, so the focus has still been on outdoor work, but I think we've finished most of that for the fall. Hopefully that means I'll get more time to warm the kitchen with the smells of some fresh baked goodies.

Until then, I'll just keep checking Joe's blog to get my baking fix. No matter what's going on or how crazy things get, he's always got something delicious coming out of the oven. Speaking of which, now is the time to start betting on how many different cookies/confections come out of his kitchen this holiday season. Or how many pounds of butter he goes through!

Matcha Tea Cakes with Sultanas & Pinenuts

.
Take it from me, a joyous life is simple. It's all about injecting a bit of merry mischief into your days. Whimsical mischief.

For instance, yesterday after checking out a few houses we could never dream of having the funds for, (my goodness, the housing market! Sigh.) the Ombudsman and I balanced our day by heading to the MacArthur Park Tamale Festival (lovely tamales, underwhelming event.) and ending up at the ever charming Lucques many hours later for a glass of wine and a sample of their cheese plate. (Superb.)

In between we stopped in to a museum; and then accidentally (or, you know, on purpose) headed up to the rooftop of a building to amuse ourselves, despite the fact it was most likely not open to the public at that hour. Or ever for that matter.

After admiring the views (yes! that is exactly what we were doing! Admiring the views.) we wiggled our way into a star drenched private screening of a very odd flick and just as abruptly, left. Always good for a giggle.

See? Innocent (not at all criminal) mischief. Makes me a giddy girl.

Which is my silly way of introducing this cake. It's a classic (American style) tea cake...but it's also, a cake made with tea. A clever little double delight, eh? But it is a bit playful with the introduction of a fat handful of sultanas (so much more suave a word than golden raisin, me thinks.) some earthy green matcha and toasty pinenuts. Unexpected. Irreverent. A regular mash up, I'd say. Decidedly different. Almost sweet, but with a hint of something naughty. What more could a person ask for. Mischievous matcha. The key to happiness.

Do try it my peaches, and taste the joy.

Butter
Corn meal
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon each ground white pepper, nutmeg, mace and allspice
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 T plus 1 tsp matcha powder
1 drop green food coloring (optional. ONLY use this if your batter is a bit drab)
2/3 cup creme fraiche
1/2 cup golden raisins (Sultanas)
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1 bag frozen raspberries
1/4 cup sugar
Berries and mint sprigs for garnish


Preheat your oven to 350F.

Lightly butter and then dust with corn-meal, (adds a lovely crunch. If you haven't got any, just use white flour) four 4-inch mini springform pans. (You can also just do this in one large pan, a 10-inch springform should do it)

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the dry ingredients in a seperate bowl.

Using electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until well blended. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

On low speed, beat half the dry ingredients into butter mixture, then mix in the matcha, food coloring (if using) and creme fraiche. Beat in the remaining half of the dry ingredients. Toss the golden raisins and pinenuts into the reserved 2 tablespoons dry ingredients then fold that into the wet batter.

Spoon batter into prepared pan making sure to smooth the top. Bake for 15 minutes on the center rack. When a cake tester (or knife), inserted into the centers comes out clean, remove and transfer the cakes to rack and cool.

Meanwhile, combine the defrosted raspberries and sugar in a pan. Simmer until the berries break down (about 10 minutes) then strain and set aside until ready to use.

When the cakes are cool, cut around the pan sides to loosen cake; remove pan sides.

Pour some of the raspberry sauce onto a plate. Top with the cakes. Garnish with mint and raspberries if desired. (I do.)

_________________________________

Matcha is green powdered tea. It is uniquely Japanese and is the highest quality tea available in Japan

In the UK a teacake is a light, sweet, yeasted bun containing dried fruits such as currants, sultanas or peel. In the US, a teacake is a quickbread, also containing dried fruit.

Matcha is also the primary flavoring of Suntory's Zen liqueur, introduced to the U.S. market in 2005

Seattle-based Jones Soda Co., is selling holiday-themed limited-edition packs of flavored sodas.
The Christmas pack will feature such flavors as Sugar Plum, Christmas Tree, Egg Nog and Christmas Ham. The Hanukkah pack will have Jelly Doughnut, Apple Sauce, Chocolate Coins and Latkes sodas. Both packs are kosher and contain zero caffeine. - Boston Globe

Quinoa with Mint and Radishes

.
Oy.

I super-duper hope the current writers strike gets settled soon!

The economic ramifications get me all anxious. First they walk out, then shows shut down, then...sooner or later, we all feel the crunch.

I just have to clear my mind I suppose. No sense in fretting over something that I have no power over, right? Right.

Still. I'm a just a tad frazzled and it's only been a few days. I cannot even begin to fathom this debacle going on for (the predicted) months.

So, thinking about what can a girl do to settle a whizzing brain and a dizzy stomach, I figured a salad heavy on the mint was just what I needed. Somehow the idea of all that gentle goodness filling my tum seemed like the call.

The result was really light and refreshing. Personally, I think mint, parsley and basil all work perfectly well as salad greens and should be used accordingly...such as in this dish. Enjoy!

2 cups salted, boiling water
1 cup quinoa
1 small bunch radishes, cut into quarters (top to bottom)
1/2 cup kalamata olives, cut into quarters (top to bottom)
2 cups whole mint leaves, divided
1 cup parsley, rough chopped
Juice and zest of one small lemon
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
Olive oil as needed
Salt to taste

So when working with quinoa, it's always a really good idea to rinse it a few times in cold water. Supposedly this takes away any bitterness. I have never skipped this step, trusting it is really needed. That part is your call.

Add the quinoa to the boiling water and reduce the flame to medium. Allow to simmer, uncovered for about 15 mintues, or until the quinoa opens and you can see the white rings (it will be obvious, even if my description isn't.) Remove from the heat and drain.

While it is simmering away, rough chop 1/4 of the mint and finely mince 1/4 of it. Leave the rest of the leaves (1/2 cup) whole.

Rough chop the parsley.

Toss the rest of the ingredients together and then add a tiny bit of olive oil. (I found if you add more than a tablespoon the whole dish gets insanely heavy...) Taste and adjust as needed.

Serve room temp or cold.

Should serve about 4.

_____________________________________

I certainly am not the first person to think of this dish...check out this version.

Quinoa is available at Trader Joes. Assuming you have one nearby.

Ten small radishes equal 8 calories

On December 23rd in Oaxaca, Mexico, there is a Radish Festival that involves ornate radish carvings!

Delicious "Pumpkin" Pasta Recipe

Last week I was planning my menu and decided to crack open my 365: No Repeats from Rachael Ray. I didn't get very far down the list when I came upon a recipe for Pumpkin Pasta with Sausage and Wild Mushrooms. I didn't look any further - this sounded perfect.

I've put the pumpkin in quotes because I actually used butternut squash. My husband's great aunt was here for a visit earlier this year and brought us 4 or 5 huge butternut squash. The funny thing is, she said she didn't even plant any butternut squash - they were all volunteers! Anyway,I recently roasted all of the squash, pureed it (because of texture aversions, I can only eat it pureed), divided it into 2-cup quantities and put it in the freezer.

Pumpkin Pasta with Sausage and Wild Mushrooms

I did change up the recipe a bit from what was in the cookbook - I left out the olive oil which seemed wholly unnecessary, I drained the sausage and a few other changes. The recipe I've included in my link is slightly modified from the one in the cookbook, but I've tried to note the major changes. The recipe goes together quite easily, but it tastes like you went to a lot of work - that's my kind of recipe!

DH and the boys weren't quite sure when I rattled off the ingredients in the recipe, but I was pretty confident that we would all like it and I was right. It was a big hit - the 3 boys went back for seconds, always a good sign.

2 cups down, 12 more to go...........

Apple Spice Cake

.
When I meet a new person that I instantly feel I could pick a flawless gift for, I know I have found someone I can really call a friend.

It's a formula that has always worked for me. Plus I just love new people!

I could buy gifts in my (beauty) sleep for Ms McGee and the (former) Queen of the Valley. Simple. (If we still hung out. Which we don't. Pout.) And The Ombudsman? Heck, I have a list 20 items long and growing. Ms. Va-Voom? I send her random packages on a regularly scheduled basis. Can't help myself really. And if you happen to love The Original Peach too, I believe she has a wish list somewhere on her blog...but I never have to refer to it...

What makes my nearest and dearest so easy to gift, is simple. They all have taste, style and interests that are well-rounded, fascinating and/or fab. All the makings of a genius of a person and a delight of a friend. Nothing beige about my peeps.

Which brings me to The Hostess (and her one true love, The Host). I knew she was a sparkling-bright soul before I went to their house, but when I laid eyes on that setting, lemme tell ya...I could not help but sigh with delight. That girl, she has style for days. The best style imaginable. And The Host? Builds furniture! Simply inspiring. Clever, crafty, musical, cool, spirited people. And easy as pie to give gifts to. Don't you just want to, too?

It would be a bit random of me (though not entirely out of character, I assure you) to start shopping for people I just got to know but since she is such a fab hostess, and in need of a fab hostess gift, I was able to bring her this autumnal decadence without a second thought, and knew she would love it. And she did. And it was good and it was spectacular.

Dark, spicy, moist and delicious, what more could you ask for on a brisk fall day?

So try it, and enjoy!

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
Pinch of salt
1/2 pound of softened butter
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
4 large eggs
1/4 cup brandy
1 teaspoon baking soda mixed with 1 tablespoon warm water
4 apples (I used 2 Granny Smith and 2 Fuji), chopped into large chunks*
1 cup rough chopped pecans

* I peeled two of the apples, and left skins on the other two

Preheat your oven to 350F.

Prepare a 10-inch fluted tube pan by either buttering or using cooking spray, then dust the pan with white sugar.

Stir together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt.

In a stand mixer, beat the butter until creamy. Then go on and beat in the sugar. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Add the Brandy, baking soda and water. Stir in the flour and then the apples and pecans just until incorporated.

Get all that tasty batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour, or until a cake tester/thin knife comes out clean when inserted.

Let the cake cool completely before devouring. Serve with cinnamon whipped cream.

___________________________________

Burger King said Monday its first-quarter earnings rose 23 %, but shares of the world's second largest hamburger chain fell almost 4 % as three big shareholders disclosed plans to sell about a third of their holdings. Profits narrowly beat Wall Street expectations as movie-related marketing promotions and sales of chicken sandwiches and value breakfast items helped offset higher food costs.The fast-food company earned $49 million, for the three months ended Sept. 30, compared with $40 million, a year earlier. Burger King's growth strategy includes new product development, aggressive marketing, and a worldwide expansion that includes opening new restaurants and closing underperforming ones in the U.K. and elsewhere. - Fort Worth Star Telegram

Fresh apples float on water since 25% of their volume is air

North Americans eat an average of 18lbs of apples a year