exit, pursued by bear

for the recipe queue.

I have a ton of photos that I need to download from my camera -- but while I'm working up the energy to accomplish that task, here's a delicious looking soup that I came across today, from Serious Eats (via The Kitchn) -- "Lentil and Bacon Soup"

{Photo from Serious Eats}

It's a recipe from Charlie Trotter -- from his Charlie Trotter Cooks at Home cookbook. I've never been to his famous Chicago restaurant, but my father has -- and claims he had one of the best (and most expensive -- fortunately he wasn't paying) meals of his life.

I'm anxious to give this recipe a try -- if it's any good, I may just have to pick up Mr. Trotter's cookbook -- I've had my eye on it for a while now. Although, how bad can it be -- THERE'S A HALF A POUND OF BACON IN IT, lol.

Lentil and Bacon Soup
- serves 2 to 3 -

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound bacon, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup yellow onions, diced
• 1/2 cup carrots, diced
• 1/2 cup green lentils
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 1/4 cup scallions, thinly sliced
• salt and pepper

Procedure

1. Add about three-quarters of the bacon to a large pot. Cook over medium heat until the fat has rendered and the bacon has slightly crisped up. Dump in the onions and carrots and cook until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.

2. Drain any excess fat. Then add the lentils and half of the stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 40 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. Pour in the rest of the stock, season with salt and pepper to taste, and increase the heat to medium. Cook for 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, cook the rest of the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crispy, about 10 minutes. Remove pieces and drain on a paper towel.

4. Pour some soup into a bowl and top with some sliced scallions and crispy bacon.

cookies for Santa.

I really wish I had the patience (and talent!) to make these:

{"Holiday Cookie Cutter Set" from Martha Stewart for Macy's via the Holiday Gift Guide}

That Santa cookie cutter is especially cute. (I can't find these anywhere -- has anyone seen them?)

{"Decorated Santa Cookies" from Martha. More details here.}

Need a good sugar cookie recipe for cut outs? (Who doesn't?!) Here are a few I've come across over the past few days:

- Martha's recipe, used in the episode for decorated Santa cookies
- Essential Recipe No. 2: Sugar Cookies (article from Blueprint ... sniff.) and recipe.
- Perfect Sugar Cookies and Royal Icing (also from Martha).
- Recipe: Best Cut-Out Sugar Cookies (from TheKitchn -- note this makes a large quantity).
- "My Favorite Christmas Cookies From Childhood and Beyond" from The Pioneer Woman Cooks (with "non-sweet egg yolk glaze")

Hopefully this might help get some home baked cookies out to Santa this year! :o)

Merry Christmas Eve, everyone!

foodie gifties.

Or gifties for foodies, whichever you prefer!

Desperate for last-minute gift ideas? Fear not! I thought this "Un-Gift Guide 2008" round-up from The Kitchn was very helpful, especially "Gifts from The Kitchen" section, which has lots of recipes for gifts you can make.

I think I'm going to try the salt caramels and the peppermint patties. Oh! And definitely the Oreo truffles, which I've been meaning to make for ages. I think I'll make some regular ones, plus a batch with Trader Joe's Candy Cane Joe-Joe's (peppermint filling and bits of candy canes -- my husband LOVES them).

And if you're looking for more candy ideas, check out this post: Candy for Giving and Party Snacks: The Full Roundup"

Yum!

warm and comforting.

I've been chilly all day, so I'm in the mood for something warm and comforting for dinner. I made this recipe when Jeremy and I first started dating (he has an almost unnatural love for mashed potatoes, so I knew he'd love it) -- but for some reason, I haven't made it since (I think it's the matchstick carrots -- it's something too specific for me to regularly have on hand).

And since I don't have 3 hours or so to spare for making pot roast ... this will be tonight's winning recipe!

{Photo: Brian Hagiwara via Good Housekeeping}

Here's the recipe:

Chicken with Smashed Potatoes, Potpie Style

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pound(s) baby red potatoes, each cut in half

• 1 tablespoon(s) vegetable oil

• 4 medium (about 1 1/4 pounds) skinless, boneless chicken-breast halves

• 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt

• 1/4 teaspoon(s) ground black pepper

• 1 1/2 cup(s) (about half 10-ounce bag) matchstick-thin carrots

• 1 cup(s) chicken broth

• 1/4 cup(s) heavy or whipping cream

• 1/2 teaspoon(s) dried tarragon, crumbled

• 1 cup(s) tiny frozen peas, thawed

• 1 tablespoon(s) margarine or butter

•  Tarragon sprigs for garnish

Preparation

 

1. In 5-quart Dutch oven, place potatoes with water to cover; heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 12 minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender.

 

2. While potatoes are cooking, in nonstick 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; cook 6 minutes. Turn chicken over. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook 8 minutes longer or until juices run clear when thickest part of chicken is pierced with knife. Transfer chicken to plate; keep warm.

 

3. To same skillet, add carrots, broth, cream, and dried tarragon; cover and cook over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until carrots are tender. Remove skillet from heat and stir in peas.

 

4. Coarsely mash potatoes with margarine and remaining salt and pepper.

 

5. Spoon potatoes onto platter; top with chicken and vegetable mixture. Garnish with tarragon.

Let's hope we both like it as much as we did a few years ago ;o)

some lovely little things.

I think this pedestal bowl is so beautiful:

{"Mercury Glass Pedestal Bowl" from NapaStyle: $88 Sale $52.99}

I just got this "NapaStyle" catalog in the mail for the first time. It's full of wine and foodie-type gifts. But they also have some very pretty decorative pieces, like this pedestal.

I also like these candleholders:

{"Mercury Glass Candleholders" from NapaStyle: $78}

But ... my favorite thing from this catalog?

The Prosciutto Pate.

{Deliciousness in a jar: $16}

I have no idea if this is any good or what exactly it might taste like. But it had me at its very name, combining two of my most favorite appetizer-y foods. How could it not be anything but delicious? It's prosciutto AND pâté! Win-win!!

candy cane cake.

Doesn't this cake look so pretty and festive?

{Candy Cane Cake from Sunset magazine, via MyRecipes.com}

I'm not even all that crazy about peppermint -- but I think this would be so fun to make and serve at a Christmas party -- it looks so lovely atop that green cake stand.

Here's the recipe:

Candy Cane Cake

Prep and Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes.

Yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup sifted cake or pastry flour
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 12 egg whites, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 8 ounces peppermint candy canes
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Sift together flour and 3/4 cup sugar. Sift again and set aside.

2. In a large bowl or standing mixer, beat egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar and salt. Beat until soft peaks form. Add 3/4 cup sugar and the vanilla and almond extracts. Continue beating until egg whites are firm but not dry.

3. Sift one-third of the flour-sugar mixture onto the egg whites and, with a rubber or silicone spatula, gently fold the mixture into the egg whites. Add remaining flour in two batches, folding gently after each addition. Turn batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan and bake until browned and firm to the touch, 50 to 60 minutes.

4. Invert cake (in pan) on a cooling rack for at least an hour. When completely cool, run a long, thin, sharp knife between cake and pan to loosen, and remove cake.

5. Put candy canes in a large sealable plastic bag. Crush them into small pieces with a meat pounder, rolling pin, or the bottom of a small frying pan. Sift crushed candy with a fine-mesh strainer and reserve candy dust for another use (see Notes). Set crushed candy aside.

6. In a large bowl, beat cream with remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar until soft peaks form. Frost cake with whipped cream using a spatula to form swirls and peaks. Sprinkle frosted cake with crushed candy canes. (To get candy on the sides, hold your hand about 1 in. from the cake and gently toss crushed candy at the sides.) Serve immediately, using a serrated knife to cut slices.

Notes: For a shortcut version, start with a store-bought angel food cake. The very fine candy "dust" left over from crushing the candy canes is delicious sprinkled on vanilla ice cream or stirred into hot cocoa. To maximize the dramatic look of this cake, add the crushed candy just before serving; the moisture from the whipped cream makes the peppermint begin to "melt" after half an hour.

deck out the halls, etc.

Pics like this make me (briefly) wish for a more traditional chandelier in our dining room:

{"Ornate chandelier" photo by Ditte Isager for Domino magazine}

When I did a quick google search for the photographer's web site, I was reminded that I had read about her before (and very recently!), in this post from design*sponge: "in the kitchen with: ditte isager." Actually, what I remembered was the fabulous fruit meringue cake that is featured:

{yum!}

I've only ever eaten this type of meringue while in England, and I can just perfectly imagine the texture and taste of this -- slightly crisp, slightly chewy, and just sweet enough. The idea of actually making a meringue makes me nervous, but apparently it's easy.

Oh, and she apparently just photographed the new Gordon Ramsay book, Cooking for Friends. I still love him, despite his recent unfortunate behavior (very disappointed, btw, boo.).

Anyway, let's focus on happier things -- like this glittery photo and yummy looking meringue! Hope everyone has a lovely weekend! Happy Friday!

and so it begins ...

{Amy Butler's home from the November/December 2007 issue of Blueprint}

Oh how I long to be at home, curled up with on the sofa with my husband (and a Frenchie or two). The holidays turn me into a total homebody, more so than usual. And now I'm anxious to get fully into the holiday spirt (something I rigidly put off until the start of December: I like my holidays appropriately separated).

After a lovely Thanksgiving, we hosted a party for family and a few out of town guests on Saturday -- two dozen people crowded into our little house, filling it with lots of love and laughter. Our dogs were in heaven -- being passed from lap to lap, snoozing under the dining room table that held a buffet full of goodies, angling for dropped morsels, scampering about. A lot of time and effort went into getting the house ready for company and preparing the food, but it was worth it: we had a wonderful evening.

And just as we had shuffled everyone out the door, the doorbell rang again -- and we found four lovely friends standing on our doorstep. More wine was poured and leftovers were happily eaten. So helpful when one is trying to clear out the fridge ;o)

Welcome, winter!

soup's on.

This weekend I was at Trader Joe's and I almost picked up a bag of leeks, because they looked so gorgeous - lovely and green. I ended up not buying them, because I couldn't really think of anything off the top of my head that I wanted to make. But then this morning I got this e-mail from MyRecipes.com (part of their "Dinner Tonight" series) and I may just have to go back and grab those leeks ;o)

{"Potato, Corn, and Leek Chowder" via Dinner Tonight from Cooking Light}

I love anything with leeks in it, and corn chowder is one of my favorite ... chowders -- so I can't wait to try this recipe. Doesn't it look so yummy, warm and comforting? Perfect for when you're huddled on the couch with your husband and two furry friends ;o)

Potato, Corn, and Leek Chowder

Yield
6 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups)

Ingredients
2  tablespoons butter
1  tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped leek (about 1 large)
1/2  cup finely chopped celery
1/2  cup finely chopped red bell pepper
2  cups whole milk
3  tablespoons all-purpose flour
3  cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2  cups fresh corn kernels (about 4 ears)
2  pounds cubed peeled Yukon gold or red potato
1  teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
3  tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Preparation
Heat butter and oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add leek, celery, and bell pepper; cook 4 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring frequently. Combine milk and flour in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Slowly add milk mixture to pan, stirring constantly. Stir in broth, corn, potato, salt, and freshly ground black pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until potato is tender. Stir in parsley and chives.

The recipe recommends serving with hot sauce, which seems like an excellent suggestion. Any other soup suggestions for the cold weather?

an Italian flair.

My parents have had this cookbook, The Essential Italian Cookbook, for years. It is worn, stained and well-loved. I'm fairly certain that they have made most, if not all, "50 Classic Recipes," ("With Step-By-Step Photographs").

{via Amazon.com}

Several months ago, I asked to borrow it, as I wanted to make "Petti di Pollo Ripieni," or as it's helpfully subtitled: Stuffed chicken breasts. This recipe involves such delicious things as: chicken, Parma ham, Bel Paese cheese, asparagus. So very yummy. Instead of letting me borrow it, my parents generously gave me their copy, asking only that I would copy out some recipes for them whenever needed.

This seemed like an excellent deal. Yesterday, my father called in his favor, and asked me to send me the recipe for Tiramisu. Which he is apparently planning on making for Thanksgiving.

{tiramisu trifle via "notes from my food diary"}

I have vague memories of him making this for our lovely turkey holiday in year's past, so this probably is just merely a continuation of my family's long-standing, fervent, but rather quiet yearning "To Be Italian."

I suspect that this secret desire among my father and his family stems from growing up amongst innumerable Italian families, in and near an Italian neighborhood. However, my father would vehemently deny these urgings, if ever questioned about them.

Further complicating the matter is our last name, my maiden name, which everyone thinks is Italian, especially here in Saint Louis. People often even try to make it sound more Italian by adding an "o" to the end. Everyone's always very proud of themselves when they hear it for the first time, "Oh, Italian, right?" No. Not right.

Our name is, and always has been, Spanish. Spain, by way of Mexico. And it's not like we really try to deny that cultural aspect of our family. We don't, at all. We embrace it! We have enchiladas for Christmas and everything ;o)

So I guess, prodded into an Italian heritage largely due to neighborhoods and name confusion, my family decided to embrace it. And two of my uncles and I have brought great honor to our family by marrying into (legitimate) Italian families. The rest? Failures, especially my dad who had the audacity to marry an English woman. MAJOR fail ;o)

I kid, I kid ...

Since I had to copy out this recipe for my dad, I thought I'd share it here with you, in the spirit of misguided heritages and a desire to belong. Let me know what you think if you try it out:

Tiramisu

Mascarpone coffee dessert

Ingredients:

2 egg yolks

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Few drops of vanilla extract

1 cup mascarpone cheese

¾ cup strong black coffee

2 tablespoons Marsala

1 tablespoon brandy

5 ounces lady fingers

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

2 tablespoons grated semisweet dark chocolate

 

1.       Mix the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl, beating with a wooden spoon until they are creamy. Add the vanilla and fold in the mascarpone cheese. The mixture should be thick and cream.

 

2.       Make the strong black coffee in a jug or cafetière, then mix with the Marsala and brandy in a bowl. Quickly dip the ladyfingers in the coffee mixture. They should absorb just enough liquid to flavor them without getting soggy and falling apart.

 

3.       Arrange some of the soaked ladyfingers in the base of a large attractive glass serving bowl or 4 individual serving dishes. Cover with a layer of the mascarpone mixture.

 

4.       Continue layering alternate layers of ladyfingers and mascarpone, finishing with a top layer of mascarpone. Sift the coca over the top and sprinkle with grated chocolate. Chill in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours or until set. The flavor improves if the tiramisu is left overnight.

I'm not a huge fan of tiramisu myself (gasp!) -- a belief which will probably cause me to get my familial Italian green card revoked. And as this recipe seems more trifle-like, be forewarned if you have very specific ideas of how tiramisu should or should not be prepared.

Oh, and I highly recommend this cookbook, especially the aforementioned Petti di Pollo Ripieni recipe. Delicious, very impressive to your dinner party guests and quite easy to make! Check it out if you're in the market for a new cookbook -- the photographs are particularly helpful.

Anyway! Aren't families great? Seriously, love 'em.