pork + fruit

the best thing about summer, in my humble opinion, is the abundance of delicious fresh fruits available. when i saw cooking light's recipe section on fruity summer recipes, i couldn't resist test driving a couple. i decided to try two recipes that paired fruit with pork, a meat i revere above all others and is good for grilling. the integration of fruit into a main dish was similar in both recipes.

the first was grilled pork chops with two-melon salsa.
salsa:
1 cup chopped seedless watermelon
1 cup chopped honeydew melon
3 tbsp finely chopped sweet onion (i used vidalia)
1 tbsp finely chopped jalapeno pepper
1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 tbsp fresh lime juice

1/8 tsp saltthe pork chops were brushed with a mix of olive oil, chili powder, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper (i don't really measure these things) and grilled.

i considered this the more successful of the two recipes. the marriage of melon and meat was satisfying, with the cool juciness of the melon complementing the pork. the salsa could also stand on its own.

ta-da

the second was brined pork tenderloin with plum and jicama relish. the tenderloin was brined for 1 hour prior to grilling in 1/2 cup kosher salt dissolved in 8 cups cold water. it was only sprinkled with pepper post-brine.

relish:

black pepper

1&1/2 cups diced plums

3/4 cups finely chopped jicama

1/2 cup finely chopped red onion

2 tsp grated lime rind

2 tbsp fresh lime juice

1 tbsp honey

kosher salt

1 serrano chile, seeded and chopped

very pretty, but without substance

this combination was less delightful, although as fruit goes i prefer plums to melon. the best part of this dish was the brined pork tenderloin, which was very tender and had a great flavor. as for the relish, i felt the textures of the jicama and plum were at odds with each other. and this is my fault (because of course i didn't measure), but the jicama to plum ratio was too large. rather than this being a cohesive entree, it seemed cacophonous.

important to note, neither salsa nor relish was very tasty the next day after a night of marinating in the fridge. the flavors became too tart.

i make a good thing

i have a love-hate relationship with martha (you know which martha i mean). i oscillate between my ambition to emulate her homemade goodness and my desire to throttle her for lowering my self-esteem through impossibly concocted recipes and crafts like constructing a wreath from marshmellows and apple cores. she's like the f-ing macgyver of the domestic world.

i would like to reassure you that this is entirely one-sided. martha does not know me and there are no existing restraining orders.

her recipes are what really get me. complicated and demanding, yet described and executed with the grace of asking someone to sit down for tea. i'm sure she doesn't even break a sweat while constantly whisking egg whites and sugar in a heat-proof mixing bowl nestled on a pot of simmering water. i do, however. i know this because i attempted, for a holiday picnic, to make not one, but two types of martha cupcakes: roasted banana with honey-cinnamon frosting and strawberry with strawberry meringue buttercream. the whole venture required 8(!) sticks of butter and 11 eggs.

the roasted banana were the more difficult of the two cupcakes, but had the easier frosting.

1) preheat oven to 400. place 3 unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet and roast 15 minutes. the peels turn dark brown and they are HOT. they are supposed to cool before peeling and adding them to the batter, but mine were still a little steamy. reduce oven to 350 after roasting bananas.

2) combine 2 cups cake flour, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 3/4 tsp salt. set aside.

3) cream 1 stick butter and 3/4 cup sugar until pale and fluffy. while creaming (for some reason, this always seems to take forever), separate 3 eggs. add yolks one at a time to butter and sugar.

4) scrape down sides of bowl as needed. add roasted bananas and beat to combine. add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with addition of total 1/2 cup sour cream. beat in 1 tsp vanilla extract.

5) in another mixing bowl with mixer on medium speed, whisk egg whites to soft peaks. fold egg whites into batter in three additions.

6) fill lined muffin tins 3/4 full. bake at 350 for about 20min until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. transfer t0 wire racks to cool completely.

7) frosting: beat 2&1/2 cups powdered sugar, 2 sticks unsalted butter at room temp, 2 tbsp honey, and 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon until smooth.

since the strawberry cupcake recipe is available online, i will just include the pain-in-the-ass-yet-delicious strawberry meringue buttercream frosting.

1) puree 8 ounces (1&1/2cups) coarsely chopped strawberries (hulled).

2) combine 4 egg whites and 1&1/4 cups sugar in heatproof bowl of electric mixer set over a pan of simmering water. whisk constantly by hand until mixture is warm to touch and sugar has dissolved. mixture will feel smooth when rubbed between your finger tips. (this is where the sweating began. my kitchen is freaking hot. and i was starting to get kind of pissed at this point.)

3) attach the bowl to the mixer and whisk at gradually increasing speed until stiff peaks form. continue mixing until mixture is fluffy, glossy, and completely cool (test by touching bottom of bowl). this takes about 10min.

4) with mixer on medium-low speed, add 3 sticks (1&1/2 cups) of butter a few tbsp at a time, mixing well after each addition. once all the butter has been added, scrape down sides of bowl with spatula and switch to paddle attachment. continue beating on low speed until all air bubbles are eliminated, about 2 min. add pureed strawberries and beat until combined. the result will be pretty, frothy pink frosting.

now, as a bonus fourth of july ohh-ahh, i actually went to michael's and purchased decorating tips and bags to pipe the icing onto the cupcakes rather than just slathering it on with an old pharmacy spatula like i normally do. i have never piped icing onto a cupcake before. the results were mixed (see below), and of course in no way resembled martha's masterpieces. but whatever.

behold! the mighty cupcake!

it seemed like everyone at the picnic enjoyed the cupcakes. it's important food be visually appealing, but let's face it, taste is what counts, right?

summer pasta

pasta is one of my favorite foods because it is quick, easy, and versatile. it can be served with vegetables, meat, or just plain with a splash of olive oil. in the summer, though, i've found a lot of traditional pasta pairings are just too heavy. red sauce and meatballs are not harmonious with humid evenings on the patio and teary glasses of iced tea.

when i came across a recipe from mario batali, "pennette with summer squash and ricotta", it sounded like the perfect way to enjoy pasta in the summertime. i've prepared similar dishes before, but what really intrigued me about this was the addition of mint.

1) cook 1 pound pennette rigate in water salted with kosher salt (i used whole grain penne from barilla)
2) whisk together 1 cup fresh ricotta and 3 tbsp olive oil. add 1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano (i used pecorino romano because i do not have mario batali's cheese budget) and whisk till combined. whisk in 2 tbsp warm water, then another tbsp if necessary to loosen the consistency. i also added a splash of lemon juice to give it a little citrus kick.
3) slice 1 pound summer squash or zucchini, or combination, into 1/3" thick half moons (i did not feel it was necessary to get out the ruler. mine were probably all different thicknesses). heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and cook squash until just tender. season with maldon salt. um, i didn't really know what maldon salt was so i used lemon sea salt flakes that i had in my cabinet.
4) drain the pasta and reserve 1/3 cup pasta water.
5) add the pasta and reserved water to the squash, mix well. cover and steam over low heat for about 2 minutes.
6) stir in 6 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh mint, season with maldon salt and pepper, and transfer to serving bowl.
garnish with dollops of whipped ricotta with additional grated parmigiano on the side. the photo in the magazine had this really creamy looking ricotta sauce. mine looked lumpy like cottage cheese, but tasted fine.
the mint gave the dish a unique twist and an invigorating tanginess. perfect for a hot summer night on the patio.

adventures in meat: skirt steak

i am a lazy american. yes, i shop at kroger. weekly. granted, my shopping pattern probably befuddles the marketing analysis on the kroger plus card - hardly any processed or pre-packaged foods and a careless disregard for sales, coupons, and little yellow tags.

what does this have to do with skirt steak?

well, i've noticed a lot of recipes call for skirt steak. because the kroger co has to trim the number of cuts available in the meat department to make room in the store for frog-shaped watering cans and tiki torches, i have never been able to locate a skirt steak at the local kroger. i've asked meat department employees, and they have directed me to flank steak.

which i now know is not the same thing.

i decided this week to stop being lazy and actually go to a butcher. wassler meats to be precise. wassler had been recommended to me in the past for breakfast sausage (thanks, john!) so this week i bought all my meat there.

a google search told me skirt steak comes from the "plate" (see below) and is actually the diaphragm muscle. apparently it has a tendency towards toughness but has a good flavor. often it is used in fajitas.

the skirt steak i got was frozen. when it was thawed and unwrapped, what i beheld surprised me. i wasn't really expecting such a long strip of meat, displayed here by my mom.

i understand the use as fajita meat. my recipe was not for fajitas, however, but thai grilled skirt steak from the april 2010 food and wine. i marinated the steaks for nearly 24 hrs in the following mixture:

1/4 cup seasame oil

1/4 cup soy sauce (tamari)

2 tablespoons each of finely chopped ginger, garlic, cilantro, and salted roasted peanuts

2 scallions, minced (i used green onions)

1 tablespoon each of light brown sugar, lime juice, and chile oil (i used mongolian fire oil, which is a little different)

half of the marinade is reserved for the sauce and the other half coats the meat. to complete the sauce, add 1/4 cup chicken stock to the reserved marinade.

after marinating, the steaks were grilled for about 2 1/2 minutes on each side to keep them rare and prevent toughness from setting in. a light sprinkle of salt and pepper and the skirt steak was ready.

the quick time on the grill was well rewarded - the meat was very tender and flavorful. skirt steak is also a reasonably priced cut, so the ratio of enjoyment to price was favorable.

i paired it with red curry peanut noodles from a 2008 food and wine, using udon noodles instead of the spaghetti the recipe called for. the noodles were good and could stand alone. if i make them again, however, i will probably add more chicken stock and lime juice to the sauce. the peanut butter made it a little thick and sticky. i would rate the skirt steak experience a success.

guest post: sourdough pancakes

i have at least five posts simmering on the back burner. i am way behind. i've been wanting to write about my friend elisa's sourdough pancakes for about a month cause they are amazing. so i asked her to write about them for me.

background: i was introduced to these pancakes through our running/breakfast club. in general, i do not really care for sweet breakfast food, so these pancakes are really right up my alley. they have a more complex and distinct flavor than regular pancakes. by trade, elisa is a chemist and has this delightful hobby of baking, which i frequently benefit from.

Adapted From Breads from the La Brea Bakery

510 g (18 oz) sourdough starter

2 T. vegetable oil

2 eggs

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. baking soda

1 t. baking powder

Preheat griddle to 375F. Whisk starter to homogenize. Whisk in oil and eggs. Sprinkle dry ingredients on top and whisk thoroughly. Or, just whisk all 6 ingredients together… I’m always paranoid the leavening will get clumpy. Cook on one side until slightly dry around the edges and bubbles form, flip. Also, I find I don’t need to grease a non-stick surface.

My starter was created using the method described in Breads from the La Brea Bakery by Nancy Silverton. Hers is a complex process, but her attention to detail and weight measurements appealed to chemist brain. I’ve also made her basic bread recipe with great results. However, I decided not to use her method for maintenance. I would have gone poor from purchasing flour and crazy from the three times a day feedings.

So then, both Joe Pastry and Sourdough Home are good resources for making and maintaining. For me*, I leave my starter in the fridge (feeding it once a week) when I’m not using it regularly, and if I am keeping it at room temp, I feed it twice a day. Feedings consist of equal weights of water (softened, filtered “city” water, because that’s what comes out of the tap) and Gold Medal bread flour, with amounts ranging on just enough for maintenance to whatever I need to add to build it up for making bread or pancakes. And contrary to what you might think, a starter is actually pretty easy to take care of and use. Just don’t completely forget about them, kinda like a house plant.

*Some sourdough purists out there might look at what I do and want to ban me from the club, but I say, to each their own. This is what works for me.

serve with real maple syrup...mmm!

saturday breakfast club

this week the girls came over to run westside style. this does not mean our morning run consisted of fleeing the police and/or an assailant. it means lots of hills, including the slow, painful negotiation of harrison avenue. we were bolstered by the cool weather and the promise of breakfast, including fresh fruit, bacon from eckerlin, and bacon and tomato biscuits (can never have too much bacon!).

bacon and tomato biscuits

1 tomato, seeded and chopped

8 strips of bacon

1/2 onion chopped

1/2 cup mayo

dried basil

3 oz swiss cheese

instant buttermilk biscuits- the regular size, not big fat grands

these are a really easy breakfast treat. preheat oven to 375. slice the bacon and fry it up to desired level of crispness. (i usually find pre-slicing is easier than crumbling later, but obviously it can be done either way) mix all ingredients save biscuits in a bowl. spray a mini-muffin tin and fill each well with half an instant biscuit. scoop some bacon 'n' tomato mixture on top of each. bake for 10-12 minutes and be prepared to eat 5 of them yourself.

saturday morning breakfast club

so my girlfriends and i have decided to make calorie cancelation a weekly routine: run 3 miles and then enjoy a delicious breakfast guilt-free.
my contribution this week was jam muffins. the jam was homemade wild blackberry, courtesy of my friend elisa. it looks like caviar in the photo.

jam muffins
2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup melted butter
8oz. plain or vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup milk
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
jam or jelly of your choice

whisk the yogurt and milk together. combine all the ingredients, including the milk and yogurt mixture. grease muffin tin and fill each well halfway with batter. top with jam/jelly and more muffin batter. bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes.

elisa brought the most amazing sausage from eckerlin meats at findlay market. seriously the best breakfast sausage i've ever had. heavy on the mustard seed and pepper, the texture was uniform and crumble free. so, so good.

jewish coffee cake

a couple girlfriends and i got together to run saturday morning and share breakfast. we each contributed a dish. i piped in with "i'll make jewish coffee cake!", which was met with "what the hell is that?".
in my family, we call a lot of specific foods "jewish", for no apparent reason. for example, salted rye=jewish rye. when i asked my mom what made the below coffee cake jewish, her response was she had no idea. but it's a family favorite, so here's the recipe.

cake
1/4 lb. butter
1 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs, unbeaten
1 c. sour cream
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla

topping
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1 c. chopped walnuts

cream butter and sugar. add unbeaten eggs, one at a time. add flour, soda and baking powder mixture alternately with sour cream. add vanilla last. put half of batter in a well-greased tubular pan. cover with half of topping. put remaining batter on top and the balance of topping. bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.

enjoy with friends who smell as bad as you do after running.
if you want to be more politically correct, you can call it sour cream coffee cake.

kentucky butter cake

much like paula deen, i love butter. unlike paula deen, however, i am not from the south and have no old family recipes that keep cardiologists in business. so i have to turn elsewhere.

my mom started making kentucky butter cake years ago, and i have rediscovered the recipe recently. it's so easy and universally appealing, i have made it for four different events already this year. it can be served with whipped cream and fruit, but really it's quite stellar all on its own.

so, here it is, courtesy of nell lewis of platte city, missouri, winner of the 1963 pillsbury bake-off: kentucky butter cake.

cake

3 cups all-purpose flour (i use king arthur organic)

2 cups sugar (domino!)
1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup buttermilk (you can substitute milk and 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice, but i always buy the buttermilk)

1 cup butter, softened (unsalted, of course)

2 tsp vanilla or rum extract (i use vanilla)

4 eggs (i've noticed since i started using cage-free organic "expensive" eggs, they have a much more vibrant color than regular)

butter sauce

3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter

3 tablespoons water

1-2 tsp vanilla or rum extract (again, i use vanilla. and the 2 tsp)

heat oven to 325. generously grease and lightly flour 12-cup bundt pan or 10-inch tube pan (and fingers). in large bowl, combine all cake ingredients; blend at low speed until moistened (inevitably, flour goes flying out of my kitchen-aid). beat 3 minutes at medium speed (the batter starts to get kind of light). pour batter into greased and floured pan.

bake at 325 for 55-70 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes clean.

while cake bakes, lick batter off paddle and bowl. does a lady ever reach a certain age when she should no longer lick the bowl? i submit, she does not.

in a small saucepan, combine all sauce ingredients; cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until butter melts. do not boil. using long-tined fork (i use the grill utensil), pierce cake 10 to 12 times. (ok, since this is literally the most delectable part of the cake to eat, i pierce it many, many times to ensure maximum penetration) slowly pour hot sauce over warm cake. let stand 5-10 minutes or until sauce is absorbed. invert cake onto serving plate. just before serving, sprinkle with powdered sugar (meh, i never do that)

maybe this is on its way to becoming an old family recipe.

break out your blowtorch

i'm on a martha stewart kick, and i like desserts that involve fire. my friend elisa, an accomplished baker, adapted this martha stewart recipe to make a s'mores cake, using a springform pan. (when she sent me the email with the recipe link, she wrote "Ok, so I didn't know that "she" had anything to do with it!")

mountains of marshmellow-y goodness, slightly runny because of the heat

elisa is from minnesota, so no pansy williams-sonoma kitchen torch for her. this is a hardware store version, directly from her dad's garage. besides flaming marshmellow on s'mores cakes, it also comes in handy for soldering pipes.
we each got to toast our own marshmellow to desired browness. mmm....campfire flavor on a plate!

what do you feed a foodie?

as related by liberal foodie and get in mah belly, i had the absolute pleasure of hosting them and beth (and our husbands) for dinner last week. of course, i had anxiety about what i should serve. what do you make for people who actually like food, and don't just eat it to survive? i stuck to some tried and true dishes to alleviate the anxiety. sorry, i'm a wuss when i have to make food for other people to eat.

first, i decided to make an easy appetizer: radish-chive "tea sandwiches" (whatever that means)
1/4 cup butter at room temp
3 tbs minced chives, divided
1 tbs toasted sesame seeds (just toss for a few minutes in a hot skillet)
3/4 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger
1/4 tsp sesame oil
16 1/4-inch-thick baguette slices
10 radishes, thinly sliced

mix butter, 2 tbs chives, sesame seeds, ginger, and oil in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper. spread butter mixture over each bread slice. top with radishes, overlapping slightly. sprinkle with remaining chives.

i am a huge fan of pork. it is one of my favorite meats (along with turkey). i feel like you have to love something to be able to prepare it well. so for the main course, i decided on our family's special occasion (puts in appearances on christmas eve and birthdays) pork tenderloin teriyaki.

marinade, per 1 1/2 lb pork tenderloin:
4 tbs soy sauce (i used tamari)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 tsp light brown sugar
2 tbs olive oil
1 tsp ground ginger

combine it all and marinate the pork for your desired amount of time. i slice the pork pre-marinating and put it all in a ziploc for the day (refrigerated, of course). you can cook the pork under the broiler or on the grill as you see fit. just a few minutes on each side. i don't use a thermometer; i use the juice-is-clear-it-must-be-cooked method.

i also made a greek salad, which i was thinking the whole time i was eating it didn't taste quite right. the next morning, i realized when i opened the refrigerator it was because my dumbass forgot to add the feta. oh well.

all in all, it was a wonderful evening with great food and great conversation. can't wait to do it again.

at last

2 things:

1) SO happy kate winslet finally won an oscar

2) SO happy i finally found champagne vinegar

this little bottle is hard to find. the quest for champagne vinegar began when i saw the recipe for goat cheese cheesecake with honeyed cranberries in food & wine february. it was the only thing on the ingredient list i could not easily procure at my local kroger's. and i did check about 10 kroger's, including kenwood and hyde park. not because i have OCD and/or ridiculousness, but i happened to be on rotation last month with the clinical pharmacist team that goes from store to store. so i was already there and just had to walk to the vinegar aisle, surprised each time to find pomegranate but no champagne. i also tried world market and country fresh market to no avail.

a trip to jungle jim's paid off.

finally, i could make my cheesecake.

of course, in my feverish obsession to find the fabled vinegar, i failed to recollect only 1 teaspoon is called for in the recipe. now i have enough left over to create this cheesecake (topping) approximately 30 more times.

the recipe was pretty straightforward and simple when i got down to it. the finished product, however, met with mixed reviews. i thought it was a fun twist on an old favorite. my mom liked the topping but doesn't like people messing with the standard cheesecake. brian wouldn't try it because he hates goat cheese.

for comparison, below is the photo from food & wine and the picture of mine. guess which is which. ha.

souffle

i attempted my first souffle today. i'm not optimistic, but its in the oven baking right now and in 30 minutes we will know for sure. i believe my problem area is going to be that i didn't beat the egg whites enough therefore it won't rise properly. i guess its good that i'm able to identify my problem.............my mom used to make cheese souffle on cold winter days (like today) so i called her for the recipe. it was translated over the phone with quite a few substitutions and corrections for the recipes. i'll try and make it readable (and usable later).

i'm a little embarrassed to show this. i was right it didn't rise....although it did taste just like i remembered just more dense.

cheese souffle

melt 2 tbsp of better over low heat until melted, then add 2 tbsp of flour, a little pepper for tasting, 1/4 teaspoon dried mustard and 2/3 cup of milk. remove it from the heat to add the milk. then put it back on the heat to bring to a boil. after it reaches a boil add 2/3 cups of cheese and 2 egg yolks (save the white you'll need them in a minute). fold those into the boiling mixture. now my mom takes it off the heat and lets it sit while mixing 2 egg whites and 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar in a separate bowl. they need to be very stiff so she recommends a mixer (hand or stand) and not a whisk (this was my fatal error b/c i was thinking of cleaning up later and wasn't able to beat them enough).

after those mixtures are completed fold the white mixture into the cheese mixture into the ungreased (she stressed this several times) bowl/dish that you are using.

although she said she never does this it is recommends sticking the souffle dish inside a larger dish with water in it the bottom of the pan.

bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes or until golden brown on top.

good luck. when this does turn out right it is VERY good.

what better way

to spend an evening than watching the UC game and making homemade bread.......uc wasn't offering us much entertainment. we had to occupy ourselves somehow.

here we mix the yeast (2 packets) with warm water (2 1/2 cups at 105-115 degrees)

add 1 tablespoon of melted butter and 1 tablespoon of salt to yeast mixtures. mix it. we used a mixer so it quite easy. place it in a greased bowl and let rise in a warm place until doubled for approximately 1 hour. there's crosley in the photo, eternally crumb rummaging.

punch dough (krissy's favorite part) down after it has risen and divide it into 2 parts. hell yeah! i can take out my aggression! it's so satisfying.

roll it out with rolling pin. then take the corner of the rolled out dough and roll up into a log. place the 2 loaves on a greased baking sheet that is sprinked with cornmeal. cover and let rise until doubled for approximately another hour.

once its rises again make 4 diagonal cuts on each loaf of bread. bake at 450 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush with egg and water beaten together. bake for another 5 minutes after brushing with egg/water mixture.

baking bread isn't half bad if you have an activity while the dough rises. we do not recommend watching uc lose miserably.

favorite cookies

i am powered through the holiday season with a constant sugar-high. i eat cookies for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and the occasional snack. my top 5 favorites are candy cane cookies, russian teacakes, snickerdoodles, orange and white chocolate chip, and gingerbread. oh, i also love french lace and meringue (called styrofoam cookies at our house). and thumbprints. and the hershey kiss ones. ok, i guess i can't limit it to five. while i (obviously) love most cookies, one absolute standout is the candy cane cookies from betty crocker's 1963 cooky book.

candy cane cookies

1 cup shortening (use 1/2 butter and 1/2 crisco)

1 cup confectioner's sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp. almond extract

1 tsp. vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp red food coloring

1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy (i don't do this step. i hate mint flavored anything)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

heat oven to 375. mix shortening, sugar, egg and flavorings thoroughly. mix flour and salt; stir into shortening mixture. divide dough in half. blend food coloring into one half.
roll a 4" strip from each color. place strips side by side, press lightly together and twist like a rope. place on ungreased baking sheet. curve the top down to form handle of cane.

(as you may well imagine based on the amount of shortening in the dough, this is a fairly greasy enterprise. i was home by myself and therefore have no photos of the actual cane-forming. i included this helpful illustration from the cooky book for reference.)

bake about 9 minutes until lightly browned. while still warm, remove from baking sheet with spatula and sprinkle with sugar (and peppermint candy, if desired).
eat them all and don't share any, even when your sister calls from colorado and asks you to send her some. she can make her own damn cookies.

what are your favorite holiday cookies?

what is a nog?

every year (well, almost every year. more on that later) when we decorate the christmas tree my family drinks homemade eggnog. it must be from the candy cane cups. it is the only day of the year we make eggnog and the only day we use the candy cane cups.what exactly is a nog anyway? the origin is unclear. some believe “nog” refers to a noggin, which was a wooden mug that was used to serve drinks in taverns. others think eggnog is related to various milk and wine punches from england (called "posset"), but in america rum was used in the place of wine. rum came to america via the triangular trade from the caribbean; thus it was more affordable than the heavily taxed brandy or other European spirits. in colonial america, rum was commonly called "grog", so the name eggnog could be derived from the term for this drink, "egg-and-grog", which corrupted to egg'n'grog and soon to eggnog.

either way, it is a family favorite. here is our recipe, taken from mccall's cook book, 1963. my parents started my sister and i on this as kids, so there is no rum in our version.

spicy eggnog

1/2 cup sugar

dash allspice

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

3 eggs, separated

2 cups milk, chilled

1 cup light cream, chilled

nutmeg for sprinkling

1. combine sugar, allspice, cinnamon, and nutmeg in bowl, set aside.

2. in large bowl of electric mixer, at high speed, beat egg whites until soft peaks form.

3. gradually beat in half of sugar mixture until stiff peaks form.

4. in small bowl, beat egg yolks until lemon colored. gradually beat in remaining sugar mixture until thick and smooth.

5. thoroughly fold into whites. stir in milk and cream; mix well.

6. serve well chilled, each serving sprinkled with nutmeg.

frothy and delicious! although i do have to admit, this year i cheated and served hood's sugar cookie eggnog sprinkled with nutmeg. it was ok. this was pretty much a sin, but when we got around to the tree decorating at 9pm, a carton and a sprinkle was all the eggnog i could muster.

ps. the christmas tree lights blew a fuse.

halloween mac & cheese

our halloween traditions do not revolve solely around tormenting our dogs with costumes and seeing how many reese peanut butter cups we can hide from the neighbor kids. we also indulge in the annual halloween mac and cheese. do not let this imply the mac and cheese is in any way halloween-y, we just eat it every year on halloween. i think we figure we're going to eat candy and drink beer, we may as well do it up right with a super calorie-packed side dish.
i have to say this, i make some badass macaroni and cheese. the secret to my pasta casserole prowess? the 19th edition of the better homes and garden cookbook, published 1949. back when people ate butter and weren't afraid of lard and bacon. the binding may be cracked and the pages yellow, but it holds a treasure of classic recipes. (this may be the same recipe as in the current cookbook, but i can't say)


baked macaroni and cheese (i usually double this recipe, cause it's that good)

8oz macaroni
3 tbsp butter (BUTTER, people, not margarine)
3 tbsp flour
2 cups milk (go for the whole milk. you know you want to.)
salt and pepper
1/2 lb grated american cheese (i use sharp american. cheddar is good, as is the casserole mix championed by my friend elisa)
1 cup dry bread crumbs

cook macaroni in boiling, salted water. Drain and rinse. make white sauce of butter, flour, milk, and seasonings; add two-thirds of the cheese; stir until melted. (whisk count: 1) pour over macaroni in greased baking dish. sprinkle remaining cheese and bread crumbs over top. bake in moderate oven (325) 30 minutes.

only once when making this have i accidently grated my finger. ouch.



i saw mac and cheese recently on 'throwdown with bobby flay' that is 7 cheeses and 2000 calories a serving. looked incredible and may be duplication worthy.

the werks

my mom and i have been stalking the werkhaus (formerly mio's) on werk road awaiting the arrive of their seasonal pumpkin praline torte. we have been interrogating the servers. we have been examining the dessert case. we made brian call to see if it was available yet. our persistence was finally rewarded two fridays ago.

we eat at the werkhaus fairly regularly because the food is decent and the prices reasonable. it's kind of like something easy i would cook at home - straight-forward sauce, pasta, pizza. but it's nice to take a break and have someone else do the work (i resisted the urge to very cheesily say "werk"). i love their caesar salad and recently my favorite dinner has been the baked mostacolli. brian's crazy about the lasagna. it's warm, hearty wintertime food.

their desserts are always good - chocolate decadence, double lemon, cheesecake. but we really adore the pumpkin praline, made extra special by the fact it is only available a few weeks out of the year. luckily, they are very generous with the recipe, which i will in turn pass on to you. i made it last thanksgiving and it was met with good reviews, although i don't think it tasted as yummy as at the werkhaus.

• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup butter
• 3 tbsp whipping cream
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans

in a heavy saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter and cream. cook and stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Pour into two well greased 9x2 round cake pans. sprinkle with pecans. cool.

• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 2/3 cup sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups canned pumpkin
• 2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt

in a large mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar, and oil. add pumpkin and vanilla. combine dry ingredients, add to pumpkin mixture and beat until just blended. carefully spoon over brown sugar mixture. bake 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. cool for 5 minutes, remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely. place one layer cake, praline side up, on a serving plate.

• 1 3/4 whipping cream
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• additional chopped pecans

in a mixing bowl, beat cream, sugar, and vanilla until stiff. spread 2/3 over cake on plate. top with second layer (praline side up) and spread remaining cream in center of cake. sprinkle with additional pecans. refrigerate.

makes 10-12 servings.