Quince & Apple Gingerbread

Judging from what I've baked lately, I clearly have a thing for spice cakes and cookies. There's something about the way cinnamon, ginger, molasses and cloves envelope a room in an intoxicating warm aroma that makes me feel like all is right with the world. This cake has an impressive list of ingredients to gather together but it's worth it, the complex sweet and spicy flavor is just the thing to eat on a cold night in December (and it goes perfectly with a healthy dollop of whipped cream). If you don't have quince lying around, you can substitute an Anjou or Asian pear and still end up with a fantastic cake.

Apple and Quince Gingerbread (From Apt. 2B Baking)

2 large apples
1 large quince
4 ounces plus 1 ounce butter
4 tablespoons coarse sugar (turbinado or light demerara)
6.5 ounce all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
3.75 ounces brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger root
2 tablespoons molasses
3 tablespoons rum or bourbon
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup buttermilk
10 walnut halves (optional)

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350º. Butter and flour a 9'' cake pan.

Core and peel the apples and quince then cut into thin slices. Melt 1 ounce of butter in a skillet and stir in the apple and quince slices until coated with butter, then add 2 tablespoons coarse sugar. Saute over medium heat stirring occasionally until the fruit has softened and caramelized slightly. Set aside to cool while you prepare the cake batter.

In a medium bowl sift the flour, baking soda, salt and spices.

In a stand mixer cream the butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time. Then beat in the zests, grated ginger, molasses, rum or bourbon and vanilla extract.

Slowly stir in the flour mixture followed by the buttermilk until the batter is smooth.

Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan, top with the sautéed apples and quince, then pour the rest of the batter on top and smooth with a spatula. Arrange the walnut halves on top (if using) then sprinkle with the remaining coarse sugar.

Bake the cake for 45-50 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. This cake is best the day that it's made, but will last for a few days in an airtight container.

Lebkuchens- The Spice Cookie With The Cool Name

The last couple days have been tough and I needed to find some way to calm my mind. Since sitting quietly is challenging for me, I went into the kitchen. Cooking is my version of meditation— it engages my hands and mind enough to leave space for the small quiet voice I often forget to listen to. I wanted to bake cookies— it seemed like the perfect way to love my kids and make the house smell like home. I realize it's kind of a Pollyanna way to try to make sense of a completely senseless tragedy but as I was dropping those cookies onto the sheet tray, I sent prayers of healing and protection to the families in Connecticut and for all of us. Cookies won't change the world but it's what came to mind on a rainy afternoon in December.

Since baking is problematic for me, I tend to stick to cookies that don't require a rolling-pin and aren't too sticky. These lebkuchens fit one of my criteria (they don't need to be rolled out) but are super sticky. I didn't believe the dough really needed to be frozen for 4 hours, I thought 2 hours on a cold porch would be sufficient. Wrong. Definitely put the dough in the freezer, it's going to make the experience so much more pleasant for you, trust me.  Otherwise, these cookies rock. They're crunchy, chewy, sweet and spicy all wrapped up in one round-ish cookie package. I'm trying to build a repertoire of Christmas cookies I can manage and these lebkuchens are at the top of the list.

Lebkuchen(From Food And Wine Magazine)

Cookies
1 1/2 cups blanched whole almonds
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon fine salt
inch of freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1/2 cup sweet orange marmalade
1/4 cup finely chopped candied ginger (1 ounce)
1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
5 large eggs

Icing
3 cups plus 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Cookie Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350°. Spread the almonds on a rimmed baking sheet and toast for about 10 minutes, until fragrant and lightly golden. Let cool completely. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder, cinnamon, ground ginger, cloves, allspice, salt and nutmeg.

In a food processor, pulse the cooled almonds until coarsely chopped. Add the brown sugar and pulse until incorporated. Add the marmalade, candied ginger and molasses and pulse until the mixture is well blended and the nuts are finely chopped. Add the eggs all at once and pulse until just incorporated. Add the dry ingredients and pulse until incorporated and the batter is uniform in color. Scrape the soft batter into a bowl, cover and freeze until very firm, at least 4 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350° and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a 2-tablespoon ice cream scoop, scoop 8 level mounds onto each baking sheet, about 3 inches apart. Freeze the remaining batter between batches. Bake the cookies in the upper and lower thirds of the oven for about 20 minutes, until risen and slightly firm; shift the pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through. Transfer the sheets to racks and let the cookies and pans cool completely. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Icing Preparation
In a bowl, whisk the confectioners’ sugar with the milk and butter. Spread the cookies with icing and let dry completely before serving or wrapping.

Chicken Liver Pate With Quince, Pancetta & Calvados

I have a distinct memory of being a six year old at the dinner table with a plate full of liverwurst. I wasn't a fan of liverwurst in my younger years and if memory serves me correctly, I don't think I touched it. Fast forward 36 years, liverwurst has been reimagined as pâté and not only do I eat it with verve, I make it on a regular basis. I have to admit, my pâté bears very little resemblance to the Oscar Meyer liverwurst of my youth— it's not wrapped in yellow plastic, pancetta from Northern Waters Smokehaus plays a strong supporting role, the quince adds a hint of floral sweetness and chestnuts give it a satisfying crunch. Perhaps if I was presented with a fancy liverwurst/pâté at the tender age of six, I would've jumped on the organ meat bandwagon a lot sooner. Regardless, I'm on the bandwagon now and it's proving to be a pretty sweet ride.

Chicken Liver Pate With Pancetta, Quince And Calvados (Adapted From Fine Cooking Party Food)

3 containers (15 ounces each) fresh, all natural chicken livers
6 tbsp olive oil
1 pound pancetta, cut into 1/4 inch dice
3 shallots, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 quince, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch dice
1 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
1 tsp rosemary, finely chopped
1 cup Calvados
2 sticks of butter (16 tbsp), at room temperature
3/4 cup chestnuts, coarsely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparation
Rinse the livers and trim off the tough tissue that connects the lobes; pat dry.

In a sauté pan over medium high heat, sauté the chestnuts until they are fragrant and start to turn golden brown. Set aside.

In a sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat and add the chicken livers, seasoning with a small amount of salt. Cook the livers, turning once or twice, to medium rare, lightly browning on both sides, about 4 minutes. Set the livers aside and add the pancetta, shallots, garlic, quince, rosemary and thyme to the pan. Gently sauté over medium heat until the pancetta is slightly colored and the shallots and quince are softened. Add the Calvados and deglaze the pan, scraping with a wooden spoon and cooking until the Calvados is reduced to about 1/3 cup. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a food processor, combine the cooled livers, pancetta mixture and butter; process until well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Line small bowls or ramekins with plastic wrap. equally divide the chestnuts among the bowls and then add the pâté, lightly it covering with the plastic wrap and refrigerate until set. Grind additional pepper over the top before serving with crackers or slices of baguette. Keeps for a week in the refrigerator and up to 3 months (well-wrapped) in the freezer.

The Best Corn Chowder

What's not to love about corn, potatoes, cheese and bacon? Not much, in my book. There is even less wrong when the recipe comes from the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten. Corn chowder is my favorite harbinger of the shorter days and colder temperatures of autumn. I make a huge batch every fall and freeze it to eat over the winter— there is something about corn and potatoes that makes me so happy. It's always a good idea to have a couple of soups or chowders in your repertoire so if you need a quick and dirty dinner idea, you are in business. This chowder can be easily doubled or tripled and freezes brilliantly.

Corn Chowder With Cheddar Cheese(Adapted From The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten)

8 ounces bacon, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
6 cups chopped yellow onions (4 large onions)
4 tbsp butter
1/2 cup flour
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
12 cups chicken stock, preferably home-made or low sodium
6 cups medium-diced red boiling potatoes, unpeeled (2 pounds)
10 cups corn kernels, fresh (10 ears) or frozen (3 pounds)
2 1/2  cups half-and-half
1/2 pound sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

Preparation
If using fresh corn, cut the kernels off the cob and blanch them for 3 minutes in boiling salted water. Drain and reserve. Place the corn cob and half and half in a sauté pan and simmer over medium low heat for 20 minutes. (If using frozen corn you can skip this step).

In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, cook the bacon and olive oil until the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and butter to the fat, and cook for 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent.

Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, and turmeric and cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and potatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. ) Add the corn to the soup, then add the half-and-half and cheddar. Cook for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve hot with a garnish of bacon.

Cranberry & Quince Preserves

The Owl And The Pussycat Edward Lear

Dear Pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling Your ring?" Said the Piggy, "I will." So they took it away, and were married next day By the Turkey who lives on the hill. They dined on mince, and slices of quince, Which they ate with a runcible spoon; And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand, They danced by the light of the moon, The moon, The moon, They danced by the light of the moon.

In my search to find a new preserve to serve with pâté and cheese, I ran across a recipe with what seemed like a beautiful combination— quince, cranberry and ginger. Not being one to let a little thing like difficulty in locating or unfamiliarity with an ingredient stop me, I decided this preserve was 'the one'. The entire breadth and depth of my experience with quince could be summed in five words: quince paste and manchego cheese, I had never eaten or even seen a quince before. Given the fact I live in Bayfield and exotic fruits are not part of the food scene up here, I knew I may have a problem. Julie came to my rescue, went to the Co-op in Ashland and special ordered a case of the most lovely yellow misshapen orbs I had laid eyes on.

Quince are an ancient fruit, cultivated sometime between 200 B.C.E and 100 B.C.E in Mesopotamia. While they are a member of the apple and pear family, they were cultivated long before apples and many ancient references, like Eve's forbidden fruit, were most likely quince, not apple. They are also associated, in Greek mythology, with love, marriage, fertility and Aphrodite. I had no idea quinces were basically the fruit equivalent of love potion number 9, a matchmaker and a fertility goddess all rolled into a baseball sized package. While it's pretty much inedible raw (it has a tart, astringent flavor and dry texture), it comes to life when cooked. It's unique fragrance, a mixture of pineapple, guava and pear, combined with its sweet apple and rose petal perfumey flavor are enough to make me swoon, or dance by the light of the moon.

Cranberry & Quince Preserves(Adapted from Apt. 2B Baking Co.)

1 1/2 lbs fresh or frozen cranberries
1 1/2 lbs peeled, cored, and diced quince (1/2'' sized pieces)
4 cups dark brown sugar
3 cups water
2 oz peeled and grated fresh ginger, about a 3'' long piece
1/4 cup crystallized ginger, chopped
1/4 tsp cloves
Zest and juice of one lemon
Zest and juice of one orange
Cleaned and sterilized jars and lids

Preparation
In a large pot over medium high heat dissolve the sugar into the water, then add the cranberries, chopped quince, grated ginger, crystallized ginger, cloves, lemon zest and juice, and the orange zest and juice. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the quince is soft, the cranberries have popped and the mixture has thickened slightly, about 45 minutes.

Ladle the hot preserves into prepared jars, wipe the rims with a clean towel and process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Makes about 4 pints.

Roasted Bone Marrow & David Sedaris

Okay, I bet you are wondering where I'm going with this one; what does a satirist like Sedaris have to do with roasted bones? Allow me to explain. David and marrow will forever be entwined in my food memory because I ordered roasted veal marrow for the very first time at Lake Avenue Cafe before we went to see Sedaris at the DECC. It was a big moment for me. I have a book, My Last Supper , which asks famous chefs 'what would be your last meal on earth?' and Anthony Bourdain, sans clothing, answers, 'roast bone marrow with parsley and caper salad, with a few toasted slices of baguette and some good sea salt'. If it's good enough for his last meal, it would be sublime for my Friday night dinner.

I'd heard about the joy of beefy buttery marrow but my dogs eat raw bones and it was hard to imagine making a dinner out of what they are gnawing on under the table. It's not that I'm adverse to sharing with the dogs but other members of my household might take umbrage with such a dinner plan. Up to this point, bones at the Dougherty's were for canines only but it was all about to change. I'm tremendously glad I ordered them— it truly tastes like beefy butter and the tangy parsley and caper pesto was the perfect counterpoint to the rich and subtly sweet marrow.

As we were leaving the restaurant, I knew what I wanted to eat on Saturday night, more marrow, but wasn't sure where to procure veal bones in Bayfield. I buy the dog bones at the IGA (which are essentially the same thing) but I figured I would have a much higher chance of success in getting Ted to slather his toasted baguette with marrow if it came in a different package than George's bones. I called my favorite grocery store in Duluth, Mount Royal, and sure enough, they had beef bones and were open until midnight. This is when I knew I had some of the very best friends in the world, they agreed to be dragged along on my marrow quest at 11 o'clock after we saw Sedaris. We headed back to Bayfield with my groceries (they also carry my favorite butter from Eau Claire) and I went to bed a happy girl.

In case you are thinking, beefy butter? That sounds like a heart attack waiting to happen. Let me put your mind at ease, marrow is seriously good for you (within reason). While there is a fair amount of fat in each luscious spoonful, it's also full of vitamins and minerals, has a healthy dose of monounsaturated fatty acids and has zero saturated fat. Plus, you can share with your dogs after you've cleaned out the marrow— now that's my kind of meal.

Roasted Beef Marrow with Parsley and Caper Pesto (adapted from The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating by Fergus Henderson) 

8 3"-4" long pieces beef marrow bones
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
2 small shallots (about 1/3 cup)
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tbsp salted capers, rinsed
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
Maldon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 - 10 slices baguette, brushed with olive oil and toasted

Preparation
Preheat oven to 450°. Place bones, wider cut side down, in a roasting pan. Season with salt and pepper. Roast bones until marrow is soft and begins to separate from the bone but before it begins to melt, 15-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of bones.

Meanwhile, place parsley, shallots, garlic, oil, lemon juice, and capers in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Season pesto with salt and pepper.

Serve the bones, pesto, parmesan cheese, toasted baguette slices and additional Maldon salt and pepper on a platter. Using a long, thin spoon, scoop marrow onto toast, top with pesto and garnish with a pinch or two of salt and parmesan.

Shrimp & Tomato Bisque

I picked up an old cookbook, Soup A Way Of Life by Barbara Kafka the other day and started leafing through it. It had been quite a while since I used it, I rarely need a recipe when I make soup— most of the time my inspiration comes from leftovers in the fridge. Shrimp bisque seemed like a whole different deal—the combination of big flavor, smooth texture and pieces of tender shrimp required some finesse and technique. This recipe delivers on all counts, it's one of the best shrimp bisques I've eaten.

Barbara said in the preface of her cookbook, 'Soup is easy food, easy for the eater and easy for the cook. Aside from a few basically restaurant soups, traditional and complex, a little variation in ingredients or technique will only personalize the soup rather than causing disaster'. Personalization instead of dinner disaster, now that's the kind of food I can wrap my head around. Another bonus of becoming a soup making fiend— leftovers in the freezer. They come in remarkably handy when you realize it's 8 o'clock and you haven't even started thinking about dinner. Don't freeze the cooked shrimp in the soup. It's best to add new uncooked shrimp to the re-heated soup before you serve it (make sure to cook the shrimp thoroughly in the soup prior to serving it). There is nothing more disappointing than rubbery shrimp in a beautiful tomato bisque.

Shrimp Bisque(Adapted From Soup A Way Of Life By Barbara Kafka)

6 cups seafood stock (I used this one, or you can make your own)
2 cups dry white wine
12 - 14 large shrimp in the shell
7 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
 carrot, chopped
1 rib of celery, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 whole cloves
1 sprig thyme
1/2 cup of Cognac or brandy
One 28 ounce can of tomatoes and purée (I used Carmelina's, my favorite)
2 tsp tomato paste
8 tbsp flour
2 tbsp mild paprika
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
5 tsp kosher salt
Hot red pepper sauce, to taste (I used Frank's Hot Sauce)
Fresh lemon juice, to taste

Preparation
Peel the shrimp, reserving the shells, quarter and refrigerate. In a medium stockpot, heat 2 tbsp of butter and the olive oil over medium-high heat, add the shells and cook for 8 - 10 minutes. Remove the shells and add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, cloves and thyme. Lower the heat to the lowest possible level and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.

Pour in 2 cups of white wine and the brandy. Raise the heat. Bring just to a boil. Add the seafood stock and bring to a boil. Stir in the tomatoes (with the purée or juices) and tomato paste and bring to a boil again. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes. Very carefully, purée the stock with an immersion blender or a counter top blender until it's very smooth. Keep warm on the stove top.

In another medium stockpot, melt the remaining butter over low heat. Stir in the flour and paprika to make a roux. Cook, alternatively stirring and mashing the roux down in the pan, for about 5 minutes.

Whisk in 1 cup of the pureed stock into the pan until smooth. Slowly whisk in the remaining liquid. Bring to a boil, whisking frequently, to ensure a smooth soup. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring with a wooden spoon, especially around the edges of the pan, for about 10 minutes. Stir in the cream, salt, red pepper hot sauce, lemon juice and shrimp. Cook until shrimp is pink and heated through, about 3 - 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Knock Your Socks Off Duck- Yes, It's That Good

It's going to be a good winter around the Dougherty house. My exploration of meatballs is well underway and I've recently added duck to the agenda. For some reason, cooking a duck in my very own oven never occurred to me. Which is really strange given the steady stream of cookery ideas that pop into my head randomly throughout the day. I don't know if it was the whole fancy French confit bit or that there aren't any duck hunters under this roof but up to this point, my kitchen has been a quack-free zone.

It all changed when I was strolling through the Washburn IGA. I happened to look in the frozen meat case and there it was— 5 pounds of duck, wrapped in white plastic and ready to come home with me. I had a new cookbook on the shelf, Canal House Cooking Vol. 2 with a recipe for duck with apples and onions— perfect for my two IGA frozen lovelies. The Canal House series wasn't on my radar until Jill gave me the cookbook for my birthday— I was immediately taken with the pictures, layout and recipes (it's good to have friends who love good food and design). There are 8 or 9 volumes, each book costs about 10.00 and they are so pretty to look at— I can't wait to cook my way through all of these lovely pages.

Duck With Apples And Onions(Adapted From Canal House Cooking Volume 2)

One 5 - 6 pound duck, cut into 8 - 10 pieces, including excess skin and fat, diced (I spatchcocked the duck, instead of cutting into pieces)
4 small onions, halved lengthwise
4 apples, peeled, cored and quartered
2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme, plus extra for garnish
1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary, plus extra for garnish
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup port
Salt and pepper (I used my herbed garlic salt)

Preparation
Season the duck on all sides with salt and pepper. Arrange the duck skin side down in a large skillet with a cover. Scatter the skin and fat around the duck. Cook over medium-high heat (resist the temptation to turn the duck; leave it skin side down the whole time) until the duck is very well browned, about 20 minutes. Leave the duck skin side down, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 45 minutes more. Transfer the duck and most of the cracklings from the skillet to a platter with a slotted spoon. Place in a warm oven (don't cover, the skin will get soggy) .

Add the onions cut side down along with the apples, thyme and rosemary to the skillet with all the duck fat and juices. Increase the heat to medium-high and brown the onions and apples, taking care to keep the onion halves whole, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook until the apples and onions are tender, about 15 minutes more. Remove the onions and apples from the skillet and arrange them around the duck.

Pour off and discard the fat from the skillet. Add the port and cream to the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits form the bottom of the skillet. Pour the sauce over the duck, garnish with reserved thyme and rosemary and serve.

What Do You Do With The Ham Bone?

Monte's ham was the gift that just kept giving and giving and giving. Eventually, there's only so much ham a girl can eat, I froze the remaining meat and spent a couple of minutes contemplating the rather large ham bone sitting on my counter. Split pea soup was the first thought that came to mind but since I  find the texture of pea soup akin to mealy gruel, I needed another idea. When I make my Cuban black beans, I throw a little ham in for a subtle smoky (and porky) flavor. What if I added more broth to the Cuban beans and made it a soup? I had nothing to lose, there was a ham bone on my counter, black beans in the drawer and assorted vegetables in the refrigerator. Don't you love it when you come up with an entire meal from leftovers and ingredients you have lying around your kitchen? I felt thrifty and inventive— all at the same time.

Ham and Black Bean Soup

16 ounces dry black beans
2 quarts water bone from a large ham
2 red peppers, chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, minced
1 poblano pepper, minced
2 chipotle peppers, minced
1 onion, finely chopped
28 ounce can of diced tomatoes with the juice
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
2 tbsp dried oregano
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 cup dry white wine chicken or vegetable broth (preferably home-made or low sodium), enough to just cover the other ingredients
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Preparation
The night before you make the soup, pick through the beans and remove any bad ones. Put the beans into the pot and add 2 quarts of water. Remove the beans that float. Allow to soak overnight. Drain.

Place the ham bone in the bottom of the slow cooker pot. Add the soaked beans, all the peppers, onion, tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, garlic and white wine. Add broth, just enough to cover everything. Put on the lid and cook on high for about 6 to 7 hours or on low for 9 to 10 hours, until the beans are tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper, add the cilantro, stir and cook for another 30 minutes. Serve with sour cream, avocados and chopped green onions.

An Italian Take On Ham & Rice Hot Dish

Comfort food comes in lots of shapes and sizes. Whether you are making a rice hot dish with ham and peas or a ham and pea risotto, it's all about a creamy pot of rice and ham. There were a lot of leftovers from my Monte's ham dinner and since it's gets dark in what used to be the mid-afternoon,  carbs and salty meat sounded like just the thing for dinner. I have nothing against a good, old-fashioned hot dish (I have a few standbys from the Our Lady of Grace cookbook) but I was in the mood for risotto. I love the process of standing at the stove and adding the broth little by little until you have a beautiful creamy sauce. Perfect for a dark and cold winter night.

Ham and Pea Risotto

3 tablespoons butter
¼ cup shallots, chopped
2 tbsp garlic, minced
2 cups Arborio or Carnaroli rice
1 cup dry white wine
6-8 cups chicken broth (preferably homemade or low sodium)
1 cup grated parmesan
1 cup diced or shredded ham
1 cup peas
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

In a large saucepan bring the broth to a simmer.  Cover and keep warm over low heat.

Heat the butter in a heavy large (and preferably shallow) pot over medium heat.  Add the shallots and garlic and sauté until just tender, about 5 - 7 minutes.

Add the rice and cook over medium-high heat for about one minute, stirring to coat with the butter. Add the white wine and stir until the wine is absorbed, about 30 seconds.

Add the first addition of simmering stock, about 1/2 cup. Stir until most of the liquid is absorbed. Add another addition of stock and stir until most of the liquid is absorbed. Repeat this process until the mixture is creamy and a bit loose; the rice should still have some chew to it. The process will take about 20 minutes.

Turn off the heat and stir in the chopped ham, peas and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.

Monte's Ham & Dijon Roasted Potatoes

I once told my friend, Tammy, as we were putting in the garden at my house— 'hostas are the ham of the garden world. They're not fussy, are a crowd pleaser and deliver every time'. Hostas and ham, who knew? We all need a couple things in our lives that require very little intervention and feed a crowd or fill a shady garden. I had seen Monte's ham recipe in a number of magazines but the preface to the recipe in The 150 Best American Recipes sealed the deal, "Watching the other guests devour the glazed, glistening hunk o' pork, he (Monte) begged his hostess for the recipe. 'Buy the cheapest ham possible, glaze the hell out of it, and cook it for a long time' was her pithy, right-on response." With those Dorothy Parker-esque directions,  I knew what kind of ham I was making for dinner.

Of course, there were potatoes to accompany Monte's ham masterpiece. While I am a big fan of au gratin potatoes, I was in the mood for something less creamy with a little more bite. These mustard and rosemary potatoes were just the ticket— they're flavorful and develop a beautiful crust as they are roasting. I even found the Fine Cooking magazine from December 2000 in a pile of magazines I had in a box, complete with the original recipe and a piece of rosemary tucked between the wrinkled pages.

Mustard and Rosemary Roasted Potatoes(From Fine Cooking Magazine & Molly Stevens)

1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 tbsp dry white vermouth or other dry white wine
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tsp coarse salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds red-skinned potatoes, cut into 1 inch dice

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mustard, olive oil, vermouth, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper. Add the potatoes and toss to coat. Dump the potatoes onto a large rimmed baking sheet and spread them in a single layer. Roast, tossing with a spatula a few times, until the potatoes are crusty on the outside and tender throughout, 50 - 55 minutes. Serve immediately.

Ted Makes Dinner

I remember the first dinner I made for Ted— chicken fajitas with the Lawry spice package, flour tortillas and shredded cheese. I was 19 years old and while I had eaten, walked through and emptied the dishwasher in my Mom's kitchen, I hadn't ever cooked a full on dinner. I was so happy when Ted walked in the apartment that evening so many years ago and said, 'it smells good in here'. Looking back, I'm pretty sure that's where it started for me— the realization that cooking is more than eating, it's about creating space for nurturing and loving the people in our lives (even new boyfriends).

That first fajita meal awakened my inner cookery maven but I still had a lot to learn. I wanted to stretch my fledgling culinary wings beyond fajitas and toasted tomatoes with provolone but didn't know where to start. I was working at Ki Clayton in Southdale and we carried a couple of cookbooks by Susan Branch, I purchased them one afternoon and started planning my first 'real' meal made entirely from scratch. As it turns out, it was the best place to start— the recipes were easy, nearly foolproof and Susan lived in Martha's Vineyard (I've always a thing for Cape Cod). I lost the original cookbooks somewhere along the way (too many moves using the famous 'throw everything in black garbage bags and hope for the best' method). I found them this summer at a used book store and it was so good to turn those pages again. Looking through the cookbooks, I traveled back to the first time I made pesto, green bean salad with basil dip, ribs and cherry tomatoes stuffed with bacon and cream cheese. Food is truly my conduit to the past and memories I thought I had forgotten.

Ted had a couple of signature dishes from Susan's cookbooks and this smoked salmon pasta was his pièce de résistance. I was not, and still am not, good at anything resembling mise en place. I prefer to cut, mince and measure as I go along my merry way making dinner, not the best method if you are sauteing anything. Thankfully, Ted is very good at the prep work and I tended to leave the recipes where you needed to have everything ready to go into the sauté pan in quick succession to him. He also makes a mean Kung Pao chicken but I'll leave that for another post.

We were casting about for dinner ideas last week and as I was scanning the bookshelf, Susan's cookbook, Heart Of The Home, jumped out at me. I knew exactly what to eat for dinner and Ted was game to tackle the prep and execution of one of our favorite pasta dishes from our early years in Lowertown. It was as good as I remembered— smoky fish, white wine, shallots and pine nuts. It was nice to sit in the kitchen with a glass of wine, chatting with Ted and watching him cook. We have changed and grown in ways we couldn't have foreseen as a young couple but sitting in our kitchen, I realized it's everything I had hoped for and more.

Pasta With Smoked Salmon And Peas(From Heart Of The Home By Susan Branch)

3/4 cup dry white wine
4 tbsp shallots, minced
1 1/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup cooked peas
3 tbsp fresh dill, snipped
1/3 pound smoked salmon, sliced
4 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
8 ounce narrow egg noodles (or whatever pasta you prefer)

Toast the pine nuts in a small skillet with a tablespoon of butter. Set aside on a paper towel to drain. Cook the peas and set aside.

Put the white wine and shallots together in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Allow the wine to reduce by about a tablespoon. Stir in cream; bring to a boil and simmer for 5 - 6 minutes. Cover the pan and remove from heat. Put the pasta into boiling water and cook until al dente, rinse in cool water and drain. Put the pasta into a serving dish. Bring the sauce back to a boil, remove from heat and add peas, dill, pine nuts and smoked salmon. Stir to combine and pour over pasta, toss to coat. Serve immediately.

What's For Breakfast After The First Snowfall??

Popovers, of course. Okay, maybe not 'of course', there are lots of good options for breakfast on a snowy morning but we are on a popover kick around here. I've spent most of my life as a true popover failure— they flopped instead of popped. Sadie's good friend, Emma, comes from a family of popover masters and I even tried their recipe with zero success (Emma was very sweet and said some encouraging words as we ate our custardy and flat popunders). It all changed last weekend when I bought a new popover pan in at the Blue Heron Trading Company and we have popovers popping all over the place.

One of the blogs I follow, David Lebovitz, had a post about sugar crusted popovers— perfect for the morning after our first snowfall. I used the Meeker's recipe, buttered and sugared the popovers and had the most lovely morning watching the snow fall outside my kitchen window.

Meeker's Famous Popover Batter

Popover Batter 3 eggs
3 tbsp oil (I used melted butter)
1 1/2 cup milk (I used whole milk)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 cup flour

Sugar Coating
2/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup melted butter

Softened butter, for greasing the pan

Preparation
Preheat oven to 425 degrees and butter the popover pan.

In a blender, combine eggs, oil, milk and salt. Turn on blender and slowly add flour. Continue blending until it takes on a heavy, smooth, consistency.

Fill each popover tine 3/4 full. Bake 20-25 min. on middle oven shelf. Resist temptation to open the oven and peek in. Popovers should be puffed and golden.

Remove from the oven, wait a few minutes until cool enough to handle, then remove the popovers from the pans and set them on a cooling rack.

Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Thoroughly brush each popover all over with the 1/4 cup of melted butter, then dredge each puff generously in the sugar and cinnamon mixture to coat them completely. Let cool on the wire rack.

What Makes A Pie A Tart??

I have to admit, I looked up the difference between a pie and a tart. For some reason, the word tart always reminds me of Bernadette Peter's character in Blazing Saddles and I knew what made her different from a pie. It turns out, the difference has to do with the pan and where the crust is located. My dessert creation was a hybrid because I used a tart pan but the crust goes up the sides (like a pie). Regardless of its hybrid nature, it was a delicious dessert— not too sweet with a buttery crumb topping. I used a Pillsbury pie crust and it worked out brilliantly. Some day I'll tackle pastry dough, maybe sometime in 2015.

Apple, Strawberry & Sour Cherry Tart

4 Honeycrisp apples, peeled and roughly chopped
2 cups strawberries, sliced
3/4 cup sour cherries, roughly chopped
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 Pillsbury pie crust

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Roll out the pie dough and place in a buttered tart pan. Place the apples, strawberries and sour cherries in a medium bowl and toss with 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon. Evenly scatter the apples, strawberries and cherries in the tart pan and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1/4 cup of butter. Mix thoroughly and place on top of the fruit in the tart pan. Place the tart pan on a sheet tray and bake for 1 hour or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.

Pumpkin Dog Biscuits For The Boys

I'll be the first to admit, Dougherty dogs have a pretty nice life. In fact, I doubt they are aware they're of the canine persuasion— they definitely prefer chairs at the table and riding shotgun (with the seat warmer on) to the floor or back seat. After my persimmon bread mishap, I decided homemade dog treats are the way to go— the target audience will always appreciate the effort and they are super easy to make. Since Thanksgiving is in a couple of days and pumpkin pie is too messy to feed to the dogs, I found a recipe for pumpkin dog biscuits. The boys were pleased.

Peanut Butter & Pumpkin Dog Treats from Allrecipes.com

7 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
6 eggs
1 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Preparation Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together the flour, eggs, pumpkin, peanut butter, salt and cinnamon in a bowl. Add water as needed to make the dough workable, but the dough should be dry and stiff. Roll the dough out to about a 1/2 inch thickness and cut into 1/2 inch pieces.

Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for about 40 minutes, or until hard.

Tomatillo & Chicken Chili

Chili is a family favorite and makes an appearance at dinner a couple of times a month. What's not to love about a steaming bowl of meat in a spicy sauce topped with sour cream and cheese? There was a bunch of tomatillos on the counter, chicken thighs in the freezer and my favorite Carmelina tomatoes on the shelf— it looked like chili was on the docket for dinner. I always make a double batch so I can freeze the leftovers— having food in the freezer gives me a sense of security, kind of like a dinner safety net.

Chicken And Tomatillo Chili

12 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless 3 sweet red peppers, chopped 2 red onions, chopped 2 serranos, seeded and minced 36 tomatillos, halved 4 tbsp cumin 4 tbsp ancho chile powder 3 tbsp Tajin Classico seasoning 2 tbsp oregano 2 tbsp chili powder 1 tbsp sugar 2 tbsp oil 2 tsp kosher salt 2 (28 ounce) cans of chopped tomatoes in purée 3 (15 ounce) cans of butter beans (or any kind of bean you prefer) 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Preparation In a large sauté pan over medium high heat, add oil and onions—sauté for 10 minutes or until onions are softened and golden brown. Add peppers, cumin, ancho chile powder, oregano, Tajin, chili powder and salt and saute for an additional 5 minutes or until the spices are fragrant.

Cube the chicken thighs into 1 inch pieces and set aside.

In a medium stockpot or crockpot, add the chicken, sautéed vegetables, tomatillos and tomatoes and purée. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, if using a crockpot, or simmer, uncovered, on the stove top for 45 minutes. Add the beans and cilantro and cook for an additional 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

What's Easier Than A Roasted Chicken??

I think roasted chicken was the first convenience food— it's not fast but about as hands off as you can get for a decent dinner. Plus, it is my fall back meal when I am fresh out of creative dinner options. Liz was over and mentioned her Mom used to stuff roasted chickens with apples— a twist on chicken I couldn't wait to try. As I was rooting through the fruit in my fridge, I noticed there were pears and grapes that were perilously close to their expiration date— if an apple was a good idea, pears and grapes were a brilliant idea.

I roast two chickens at a time for a couple of reasons— there are hungry people in my family and any leftovers can be re-purposed as a sandwich or salad for lunch. I guess that leads me to another question, 'what is better than leftover roasted chicken for lunch'? I'll save my answer for another post, I need to think about it.

Roasted Chicken With Roots & Fruits

2  4 - 5 pound whole chickens, preferably free range 2 apples, cut in half 2 pears, cut in half 1 1/2 cups red grapes 5 carrots, peeled and sliced 3 parsnips, peeled and sliced 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed 2 onions, peeled and sliced 4 tbsp olive oil salt and pepper

Preparation Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Salt and pepper the interior of the chicken and place on baking sheet, lined with parchment. Place one apple, pear and a couple slices of onion in the cavity of each bird. Drizzle olive oil over each bird, rub to spread it evenly and liberally apply salt and pepper all over the chicken. Place the remaining onion, parsnips, sweet potatoes, grapes and carrots around the chickens. Toss with the remaining olive oil, season with salt and pepper and place in oven. Roast for about 1 1/2 hours or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and a thigh. Allow the chicken to rest for about 10 minutes and then move to a platter. Arrange the vegetables around the chickens, pour any accumulated pan juices over the vegetables, carve and serve.

Seriously Good Italian Meatballs & Marinara

As I mentioned in the Indian meatball post, this is the winter I seriously intend to master the meatball— in all forms and cuisines. These Italian meatballs are good and super easy to make— important criteria for weekday meals. Homemade pasta sauce is surprisingly easy as well. It takes more time than opening a jar but is definitely worth the extra effort (and it freezes well). I stopped buying prepared pasta sauce about a year ago, after I found these canned tomatoes (link here). The quality of the tomatoes make a huge difference because my sauce is simple and the tomatoes are featured front and center. I have two other Italian meatball recipes in the hopper— they are not quite as easy but since I am on a mission to master the meatball, due diligence is important.

Seriously Good Meatballs & Marinara

Meatballs 1 pound ground beef (don't use extra lean, a little fat is good) 1 pound ground pork 1 cup fresh bread crumbs 1/2 cup Parmesan, finely grated 1/2 cup Romano or Pecorino, finely grated 1/3 cup milk 1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped 1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 medium red onion, chopped 2 eggs 3 tbsp olive oil

In a medium bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and milk and let sit for 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients except olive oil by hand, using a light touch. Take a portion of meat in hand, and roll between palms to form a ball that is firmly packed but not compressed. It's important to handle the meat as gently as possible, too much processing will result in tough meatballs. Repeat, making each meatball about 2 inches in diameter.

In a large, heavy pot heat olive oil over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add meatballs in batches. Do not crowd. Brown well on bottoms before turning, or meatballs will break apart. Continue cooking until browned all over. Remove meatballs to a plate as each batch is finished. Let meatballs cool slightly; add to sauce or cover and refrigerate until needed. Makes about 16 meatballs.

Marinara 2 28-ounce cans whole peeled  tomatoes in juice, drained, juice reserved, tomatoes finely chopped 1/2 cup butter 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 medium red onion, chopped 3 tbsp fresh basil, chopped 1/2 tsp (or more to taste) kosher salt 1/4 tsp black pepper

Preparation Combine tomatoes with juice, butter, garlic, onions, salt and pepper in large wide pot. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add basil and season sauce with more salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Another Use For Red Wine

Not that I really needed another use for red wine, my first choice (in a nice big glass) was working out brilliantly. What I really needed was good red wine vinegar. When we lived in Minneapolis, Bill's Imported Foods was my spot for all sorts of kitchen supplies— olive oil, French feta, Moroccan olives, cornichons and wine vinegar. Since Bill's is about 200 miles away and my trips back to Minneapolis are infrequent, I needed another plan of attack.

I googled 'homemade red wine vinegar', bought a mother (from here), bought a crock (from here), grabbed a nice bottle of wine and set out on my latest culinary journey. It's going to be a long one, at least 10 weeks according to Paula Wolfert, but I have a feeling it's going to be well worth the wait. Trust me, you'll be the first to know if I made the red wine vinegar of my dreams or something that smells like 'furniture polish'. Lord knows I have a steady supply of red wine to keep my mother happy and well fed. If it works out, I will have fresh wine vinegar forever— how cool is that??

Making Red Wine Vinegar By Paula Wolfert (From Food and Wine Magazine October 2006)

Buy a 1-gallon earthenware crock with a top-quality wood or plastic spigot. Add water to the crock to check for leaks; drain the crock.

Buy an 8-ounce bottle of commercial mother from a wine and beer-making supply shop (or get it from a friend).

Add 2 cups of good red wine and 1 cup of filtered water to the crock (or enough to at least cover the spigot), then add the mother. Cover the crock with a double layer of cheesecloth and fasten with a rubber band (or just use the lid with the hole in it).

Set the crock in a warm (70° to 90°), dark spot and let stand for 1 1/2 weeks.

Add red wine to the crock in three 2 1/2-cup installments over the next 1 1/2 weeks; the crock should then be two-thirds full. Once a thin veil has formed on the surface, add the wine through the tube of the bulb baster tucked under the edge of the veil. Let the crock stand for a total of 10 weeks. Check periodically: If your vinegar ever begins to smell like furniture polish, discard it, wash the crock and start over.

Bottle the vinegar when it smells sharp and crisp: Strain it into sterile bottles through a plastic funnel lines with a paper coffee filter. (If you plan to start the process over, leave 2 cups vinegar in the crock and just add wine and water.) The vinegar will mellow in the bottle and improve with age, but if you plan to keep it more than 4 months, pasteurize it: Heat the vinegar to 155° in a stainless steel saucepan and hold it there for 30 minutes. Store the vinegar in sterilized, well-sealed bottles in a cool, dry place. Use homemade vinegar for dressings and sauces and as a seasoning; never use it for pickling

Goat Cheese Pasta With All Sorts of Good Stuff

I like to cook but there are days when I just want to eat dinner, watch a movie and call it a day. That's where pasta and a fridge full of delicious but disjointed ingredients comes in handy— dinner in less than 30 minutes and two dirty pans.

Goat Cheese Pasta With All Sorts Of Good Stuff

1 pound pasta 6 - 8 ounces goat cheese (I used Sassy Nanny Lake Effect) 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced 1 red pepper, sliced 1 package of mushrooms, quartered 6 - 8 slices bacon 2 cloves garlic, chopped 2 tbsp olive oil 1/4 cup white wine

Preparation Cook pasta. Drain, reserve 2 cups of pasta water (keep warm) and return pasta to pot. Add a little olive oil or butter to pasta to keep it from sticking.

Fry the bacon in a large sauté pan until crisp. Remove the bacon and reserve 2 tbsp of bacon fat. Add the onion, red pepper and mushroom to the pan and sauté over medium heat until vegetables softened and onions are starting to caramelize (about 8 - 10 minutes). Add the garlic and wine and continue to cook until most of the wine has reduced by half.

While the vegetables are cooking, heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Add whole chicken breasts and cook thoroughly. Slice and keep warm.

Place the pasta and goat cheese in a large bowl, add enough warm pasta water to make a creamy sauce, add vegetables, sliced chicken breasts and crumbled bacon, toss and serve immediately.

Totally unrelated to goat cheese pasta but I looked down while I was preparing dinner and saw the dogs totally cashed out in a row. 'Falling back' from daylight saving time has been a hard transition for my little men.