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Risotto, the butternut variety

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , on November 17, 2009| 1 Comment »

A mistake has been made.  Risotto is not difficult.  When I ask people about risotto the first thing they all most always say is “I love risotto!”.  When I ask them if they’ve made it I’ve gotten an almost angry “What? Are you kidding?” to a furtive side-eyed, foot shuffling “Well, no.”  The consensus is that it’s too difficult to make at home, they don’t have the cooking skills for that dish, it should be enjoyed in a restaurant on special occasions.  Bah!  Not true.  If you can stir a pot and pay attention for a few minutes at a time you can make risotto.  You should be making risotto.  All kinds of it.  It is such a comfort food, right up there with mashed potatoes and chocolate milk.  (Seriously, every couple of years don’t you just have to buy one of the little containers with the brown cows on it, shake it up, and chug it?) There is no secret handshake, no closely guarded ancient recipe.  Buy the right rice, keep your heat at a slow simmer, and stir often.  And yes, before you ask, this is another sq _ _ h recipe.  It will be refered to only as butternut (code name: The Big B) so as not to incite a “Not another sq _ _h recipe!  Let’s get her!” riot.  We won’t say the “S” word, and Big B is in the house.

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Tuscan Beans & Sausage

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on November 11, 2009| 2 Comments »

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Things are complicated these days.  Life has gotten busier, faster, bigger.  We are all so intent on flying around and through our lives as quickly as possible that we have books, television programs, and magazines devoted to telling us how to slow and simplify, classes to teach us to breathe, and therapists to force us to relax.  While they have a point, they seem to forget how much we and everyone else expects us to do in a single day.  I totally understand.  I know, I get it.  There are times that I worry over worrying.  Craziness abounds.  But I’ve got your back.  At least for this one small recipe.  This is minimum effort, maximum results.  It tastes like you spent a long time stirring and seasoning, channeling an italian nonna from long ago.  Ha! E’ la magia!  You might even have a bit of time to breathe.

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Ground turkey stuffed delicata squash

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , on November 9, 2009| 2 Comments »

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This is going to be a quick post, and really up until a few hours ago I didn’t think it would be a post at all.  I could show you some pictures, but in all honesty they’re not that pretty.  I could just give you the recipe, it’s not difficult.  But there wasn’t anything to really tie it together and make it feel like it had some substance, a story.  Now it has a little one.  My friend Lauren works out with me a couple days of the week, and inevitably we end up talking about food, what to eat tonight, or “you’re kidding me, you’re so not eating that tonight!”, what we’re cooking and how to cook it.  And what’s coming up on the blog.  As we know here from previous posts that I went on hard-shelled squash rampage, gathering as many as I could shove into the car.  I know….what was I thinking? Who can tell, but the upshot of all this, is that I’m working my way through all those squash things and I’ve talked about it so much that my friends now are thinking ‘What’s for dinner”  “Why squash is for dinner!”  I’m sorry guys, I’ll make it up to you, I promise.  I’ve been telling Lauren about this carnival squash that I’m going to fill with a savory bread pudding filling and bake.  I thought it would be yummy and creamy, maybe a bit cheesy, definitely savory.  She’s been giving me the wrinkled nose faces and then the mulling it over faces, and now the seriously thinking about faces combined with suggestions and questions!  Yeah….finally.  I’m on my way back from an art opening and I get texted from Lauren,(LT) “So if I try this squash thing, and cook it with buffalo and sausage like we talked about (I remember talking about adding sausage, thought it was a good idea.  I’m a little fuzzy on the buffalo thing.) does it matter what kind of squash I use?”  MT (my text) Try using an acorn style squash.  Spaghetti and butternut wouldn’t really work for this.  Also squash will be done if it’s soft when you poke it gently but it doesn’t collapse on itself.  LT “Hmmmmmm..ok.  Here we go 🙂  Cook at 450? ” MT “NO! 350 TO 375.”  LT (so cute!) “Oh…Golly…450 is way to hot”   MT “Ya Think?”  LT “I guess”   MT “You’ll do fine, will take at least an hour to cook”.  LT “Good to know, Thanks!”

So hours go by, no more texts.  She’s got under control.  Finally, I couldn’t stand it.  I had to know what happened with the darn squash!   MT “How did you do”    LT “Still cooking, damn.  Almost done”   I leave her to finish her meal and relax, figuring it’s just fine.  I get the next text, with a picture from her phone, of a stuffed squash on a plate by itself in weird lighting..lol.  Text is this:   “Looks gross, but tastes good!” If it tastes good, she did great!  That would be the hard part, getting everything seasoned and melded together to make something that tastes good.  But here’s the thing we all have to remember:

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Pear Crisp

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on November 4, 2009| Leave a Comment »

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It’s fall.  Not just the beginning, leaves are turning, crispy apple, time to get another blanket fall.  Fall as in warm scarfs, the first snow has already fallen, Thanksgiving is almost here fall.  Some of us are already mourning the summer’s bountiful gifts and getting used to turning on the oven every other day to cook.  The fruit and produce sections of the grocery are decidedly muted with the autumn colors of deep red, and green and orange.  Apples and pears, hard-shelled squash and potatoes abound, calling out for roasting.  And you know how I feel about roasting.  Happy faces all around!  All these lovely things to chop and season and stuff into hot ovens, making your whole house smell delicious and filling your belly with soft  warmth.  Late fall has always been a particularly lovely time, a celebratory time.  The harvest is in, the cupboards are filled, and we start to gather and settle ourselves.  I seem to be home more now, and thoughts of the coming holidays and gathering of friends and family are occupying my thoughts.  While I’m curled on the sofa, planning and dreaming, a bowl of this pear crisp, warm and fragrant is a fabulous thing to be holding.  Pears are at their best right now, and this crisp shows their creamy, melting side off.  If you make this once, I’m sure you’ll make it again.  I have pears on the counter again, waiting their turn.

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Spaghetti Squash with Pine Nuts and Ricotta Salata

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , on October 24, 2009| 2 Comments »

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I love reading cooking magazines and cookbooks.  I’m completely fascinated with people and the food they make and eat.  I especially like the stories that usually accompany the oft used and well-loved recipes we all keep tucked away.  You know the ones, where the cookbook falls open to the most splattered page, the faded, hastily penciled scrap of paper, or the one you can make while humming, or talking because your hands just know what to do without too much thought.  This recipe will become one of those for me.  It comes from an article in Food and Wine magazine about a group of men (The FourCoursemen) in Athens, Georgia whose love of cooking and food brought them together to cook, and who now host an underground supper club.  I’ve always wanted to attend one of those dinners, and I found their journey and recipes inspiring.  This recipe jumped out at me.  I love spaghetti squash, but I’ve found my approach to making it rather limited, the usual tomato sauce, or just butter and parmesan, occasionally mixed in with other veggies.  But this recipe had me thinking. I didn’t make his recipe verbatim, but followed his general lead and OMG!  I can’t wait to make it as he created it, because my little simplified version is just super. His full scale version must be spectacular. I was talking to my sister on the phone while I was mixing it all together and taking the pictures.  I finally got to put a bite in my mouth and I’m pretty sure I actually moaned and made unintelligible sounds for a minute.  I’m also pretty sure that she’ll be making this tomorrow due to listening to that reaction!  As soon as I was off the phone I sat right down and ate almost half of it. Seriously, make this.  I think you’ll find that spaghetti squash will be a fixture in your house.  I know that it will be in mine.

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Fall Vegetable Galette

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , on October 21, 2009| Leave a Comment »

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I’m in crisis mode.  The farmer’s markets are ending for the year here in Denver, and that always sends me into a mild panic.  I’ve settled into the rhythm of early Saturday mornings with my friend at the farmer’s market.  The day just starting, before the crowds, leisurely selecting what will be cooked and consumed for the next several days.  There is something very primal and grounding watching the growing season unfold before you.  We get excited seeing our favorite varieties appear and try not to be greedy, knowing that they’ll soon be gone for another year.  There’s only 1 or 2 more early Saturday mornings of sleepy driving, coffee, and wandering the booths selecting my dinner.  I find myself buying two of everything, trying to cram and stuff it all in before it’s gone. Last week I had to go back to the car to drop things off because it was too heavy to carry.  I’ll probably do the same thing this Saturday.  I can’t help it.  I know the stores will have fruit and produce but it’s not the same.  Anxious.  I get anxious.  Which brings me to this.  A lovely, beyond easy, delicious way to use some of my compulsive behavior’s bounty.  What is a galette?  It depends on what country you’re in.  Here, and to me, it’s a kind of freeform, flaky pastry filled with either sweet or savory ingredients.  Today, this is the one I’m having.

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Just a Chicken Pot Pie

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , on October 20, 2009| 1 Comment »

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I know, chicken pot pie……. yawn.  I’m also not going to tell you that this is the pot pie to end all pot pies, that it’s the most fabulous, wonderful, life changing pot pie you’ll ever have.  I will tell you that it’s very good.  I will tell you that you should make this, and that it was good enough that I would serve it to guests for dinner. Actually, I did serve it to a guest for dinner.  And I’d do it again.  I’ve been playing with this idea of doing a weeks worth of dinners for you, with cooking more than you need of some things and using leftovers for a few meals.  Trying to put together an easy, cohesive selection that would work for anyone, singles, couples, and families. I’m almost there, and I’ll tell you all about it when it’s done.  But this recipe was(is?) part of it.  You can use leftover vegetables and chicken, make a quick sauce, top it with store bought pastry, and you’re done.  I will start with a caution, however.  If you’re using crocks similar to those above, be careful when transferring it to the plate.  Silicon potholders can be slippery.  I wouldn’t want you to do what I did.  Which was dump the @#)(*$#)@ thing over on its side, puffy lid flying off, hot bubbling innards spilling out (luckily on the baking sheet) right in front of your guest!  Crap.  I had to get tongs out, set it up right, scoop and pour and reattach it’s little lid.  So people, use caution, and rubber tipped tongs.  No, I didn’t get a picture.

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Apple Dumplings

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on October 8, 2009| 2 Comments »

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Isn’t it amazing how the smell and taste of something can bring you back to a specific time and place?  Many years later and all you have to do is inhale deeply, put a bite in your mouth, close your eyes and you’re there.  Better and faster than “Beam me up, Scotty” or clicking your ruby slippers together. Memories come flooding back, filling you with a bit of the long ago happiness, the touch of a hand on your cheek or the wistful yearning for that distant past. These apple dumpling had me standing at the counter, thinking and feeling a late night many years ago.  The ex and I were coming home from a Grand Prix racing event in Watkins Glen, NY which was a good 5 to 6 hours from our home.  We went up for the weekend, sleeping in the back of the van (we were young..) walking ourselves to death around the track in cold, drizzly rain.  Of course the main event was on Sunday afternoon, making the journey home a long and dark one.  After driving for 3 hours or so, we decided we needed coffee and food, so we took the next exit off the highway into a very small town that was mostly closed and dark.  Just when we were going to turn back and try another exit, we saw a small diner, shining like a cheesy old movie set on the side of the road.  Cars were parked outside, the windows slightly fogged with warmth, the light beckoning us in.  We sat at a scarred and scratched old table, drank coffee and ate burgers.  The waitress came over, asked if we wanted anything else and without waiting for an answer said, “You should have our apple dumplings, we make them everyday, and they’re really good”.  We had one.  Warm, with vanilla ice cream melting down into a puddle around it, pastry shattering under our spoons. Spicy and sweet, we couldn’t scoop it up fast enough, our spoons clicking and pushing each other for the next bite.  Happy, with warm bellies, the rest of the trip didn’t seem as long or as cold.

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Rustic Apple Cake

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on September 23, 2009| Leave a Comment »

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Another day of rain here in Denver.  Fall has arrived, and not a gloriously colorful, graceful entrance.  Cold, wet, and dreary just plopped down in your lap. What you want to eat and cook changed dramatically in the past few days.  Baking, braising, and generally having the oven on and filling the house with warmth and things that smell good is where most of us want to be.  Apples will be the fruit we’ll be picking up and eating out of hand, filling cakes and pastries with, and slipping in next to onions and roasting.  This cake a great transition piece, easy to make and even easier to eat.  What makes it rustic? Well, there’s nothing pretentious about this cake.  It’s craggy and crumbly, studded with nuts, packed with apple pieces, and warmly fragrant with spices. There’s no frosting, or filling, and nothing dainty and petite about it.  It’s pretty great no matter when you eat it.  Warm and fresh out of the oven or the next day for breakfast (you know I’m the president of the Cake for Breakfast club).  It’s wonderful with tea in the afternoon, or even dolloped with rummy whipped cream.  It would be a wonderful gift for a neighbor or friend although I’m pretty sure you’re not going to want to part with it.  Make two!

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Peach & Almond Cream Tart

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on September 21, 2009| Leave a Comment »

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As I write this, it’s raining, cold, and overall dreary.  Nothing like the bright and sunny summer peaches above.  I’ve been wanting to post this one for a few weeks and as usual, life got in the way!  But still, I was in the market Saturday and the last of the local peaches were there.  So it’s not completely beyond the pale that this could be on your table.  What I really want to introduce to you is the almond cream. Swoon.  Almond cream.  This stuff is so good, the list of attributes could be very long but I’ll keep it short.  It’s really, really good.  It’s very easy to make.  It can be made ahead of time.  There’s no exotic ingredients. Did I say it was really good?  The next great thing about this tart is the tart dough.  It’s the go-to tart dough for me.  And it too can be made ahead and refrigerated until you’re ready to use it, or even frozen, so that you are always ready to astound and amaze on short notice!  I introduced it to you in the Cherry Macaroon Tart, and I’m going to keep using it until you try it. You’re gonna love me for it.  Let’s get started!

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