Party Food!!

Husband and I threw our second annual holiday party, and of course, the theme was food. Not only did we serve lots of food (and wine) but we asked our guests to bring a donation to the food shelf, and they really surpassed our expectations. Now, we just need to drop off the 8 full bags of goodies in the next week.

As for the food, there were some basics. Sliced peppers and musrhooms with a dill dipping sauce was an easy, and healthy addition to the table. I actually a made a new recipe out of Cooking Light for Edamole, but the taste testers didn't like the texture or the taste, so we used a tub of pack-up dip. The recipe is not on their site yet, but its essentially a guacamole, but uses edamame instead of avocados. Sorry, I'll stick to avocados next time.

The most unique appetizer I made is from Food and Wine Magazine, and was featured in one of their email blasts. Bagel Chips with Ricotta, Chive oil and Prosciutto. They couldn't have been easier, and were snatched up almost immediately. The chip was crunchy, the cheese creamy and the chive oil had just a bit of bite. I will make these again, without a doubt.

Another fun appetizer from Food and Wine were these great little Mini-Mac-N-Cheeses. The reviews said they were outstanding, and while they were fun and really cute, they were by far not tastiest thing on the table. I was happy with my presentation, though, served in a cake dome.

There were many other delicious snacks that I didn't get photos of. One was the crock-pot full of Spicy Cocktail Meatballs. Guests were raving about them, and they all wanted to know the secret ingredient. I have to admit I cheated a bit hear and used frozen meatballs with cocktail sauce, jalapeno jelly and an onion. Really, really, REALLY easy.

And of course, cookies and chocolate. This tray shows a bunch of the cookies I made, including the Martha Stewart Gingerbread Men, the not as good as expected Cooking Light Sesame cookies, the Jensen family traditional Bon-bons (sorry, not sharing this one), the just-okay Chai Shortbread, the really yummy Lime Coolers, delicious and sinful Death By Caramel Bars, and the Devil's Delight (Mexican) Chocolate Cookies.

And there was wine, and beer and sparkling juice. We never got around to opening the champagne, so we'll have to do that at the next party. It was fun, we gathered lots of food, which is fabulous on its own. What's more fabulous is a house full of friends who are smiling and laughing and having a great time. Happy New Year to All!!

A Great Christmas Menu, Part 2

So, after all of that good food, Husband and I drove north for another 24 hours of good eats. We started that evening with wine, and salmon and those beautiful truffles I wrote about a couple weeks ago. We tried the Key Lime, HOT Chocolate and the Chai Tea. My favorite was the HOT chocolate, which did have a kick, but wasn't overpowering (Mother-in-law might disagree).

But the real food started the next day. After a breakfast of bloody mary's and a quick snowshoe outing, we started the real meal.

Our theme was "A Tour of Europe" and although we spent a lot of time in France, we did make our way to other countries. The main dish was a herbed roasted beef tenderloin. Which was essentially a large tenderloin rubbed in a herbed pesto, and served with a shallot sauce. I tend to be rather picky about what kind of beef I eat, but tenderloin is a cut of meat I accept with open arms. Low in fat and that nasty gristle, you can often cut it with a fork. Its just pricier than most other cuts, but the holidays are for celebrating, so we went for it. And this recipe couldn't be easier. We made the sauce a couple days ahead, and put the pesto together first thing in the morning so it could marinate for 6+ hours. Then just roast it in the oven. The recipe said 35 minutes, it was more like 50, but it was perfect.

To go with the beef we made a beautiful mushroom risotto. I think a lot of people find risotto intimidating to make, but its really quite simple and even easier if you have a guy floating around who can sit and stir the darn stuff. That's the problem with it, it needs to be stirred constantly for about 20 minutes, and where there are other dishes to be made, well, it's hard to lose a hand to stirring.

This dish turned out to be the hit of the evening. And I have to admit, it was darn good. Rich, but not too fattening, the truffle oil accentuated the mushrooms and worked very well with the beef and shallot sauce.

Also on the side were roasted vegetables. A beautiful combination of peppers, eggplant, onions, squash and potatoes, they also matched the cozy theme of the meal, yet fancy enough on their own. Of course there was bread and good butter, and a lively apple salad with gorgonzola that we somehow found room for.

And then came dessert. Snow had started falling again, and it was beautiful out there. But we still had to drive the hour home, so there was little time to waste before cutting into this beautiful torte. Officially called Sachertorte, it is a traditional Austrian dessert. Its comprised of a not-too-sweet chocolate cake with a apricot jam and a boiled chocolate frosting coating it. It sure is beautiful, and served with a large dollap of whipped cream, it sure was tasty. Even after that full meal, the torte wasn't too sweet, we were able to handle it. I still have some in the fridge and think it might be for dinner.


It was a beautiful Christmas, with lots of good food, family and snow. I just love the snow, don't you?

A Great Christmas Menu, Part 1

Like most people, I usually celebrate the holidays twice. Once with Parents, Brother and his family, and Sister if she's in town. The second time is with the In-laws. And both events this year were full of just amazing food, and lots of it.

For my side of the family, Sister-in-Law was kind enough to host (with Brother, of course) and their three kids. Hosting such an event for 10 people is a lot of work, and I imagine even more work when you're 7 months pregnant (which she is), but she did a beautiful job and the food and atmosphere were fabulous. She chose pork tenderloin, which is always a good choice. It is very versatile, fairly inexpensive so its good for a group, and it doesn't take that long to cook. She also made a potato recipe that I made last year, because we knew it was a hit. Amazingly it's from Cooking Light, and called, Asiago, Potato and Bacon Gratin. This does not, I repeat, does not taste like a light dish. I think it is the reduction of the milk that is added to a casual roux. The mixture thickens and when poured over par-boiled potatoes, forms a rich sauce.

My contribution to the meal was a stuffing. I found the recipe on epicurious.com and chose it beacuse I thought the apples would pair nicely with the pork. It is called Apple Shallot Stuffing, and although a bit of work, well worth it. It was dark for a stuffing, but the currants and walnuts provided some contrast to the apples and bread. I also brought a loaf of flaxseed bread with cranberries and there was a salad served. Mother brought dessert, and I don't know the exact name, but it was a frozen concoction of pumpkin and ginger snaps. Very festive, and I've never been known to turn down anything pumpkin or ginger. Maybe she'll provide a link in the comments section so we can all know more about it. Its an ideal recipe, because you have to make it ahead.

A happy surprise was the two boxes of chocolate covered pretzel sticks sent by Sister from her husband's families home town. I will try to take a picture of them if there are any left on Saturday, and dig up some more information. I did test one of each (dark and milk chocolate), just to make sure they were good.

So, more tomorrow, part 2.

No Longer A Bank...

We took some clients to lunch last week to celebrate the holidays, and I used it as an opportunity to check one of the new restaurants in town. We chose Bank, not for any one reason, but because it's new and in the heart of downtown, which can always be fun. (You will have to forgive me for the lack of photos, but I didn't think it appropriate to pull out the camera and start shooting my client's meals. I'll try to describe things the best I can.)

Bank is in the former home of, yes, you guessed it, a Bank. My bank, in fact. I remember sitting in the huge space after my checkbook was stolen, trying to remember the last place I wrote a check. They kept much of the space intact, and even store the wine in the vault, complete with the thick vault door.

The food, which was good, was not as memorable as the space. For appetizers we had the calamari (served with a darn good miso mayonaisse) and the deviled eggs (served with a thin slice of truffle. When I noticed a client pull the truffle out of the egg and set it on the edge of the plate a small part of me died. But there's really no way to say, "Ahem, you gonna eat that little sliver of heaven that you just disregarded?"

I chose the mushroom risotto for my entree, with the fear that it would be too big, or too salty or too rich. But it was none of the above. It has the essence of mushrooms without being overpowering. Though it would have been nice to see more than shitakes. The menu said oyster mushrooms were in it as well, but I didn't see any, even after explaining to a client that no, oyster mushrooms are not the same as oysters.

Dessert is not always a priority with me, and certainly not after a bowl of risotto, but its the holidays so we splurged. We ordered three (there were 11 of us): A grapefruit bombe served with dark chocolate pretzels, a frangelico chocolate cake, and my favorite, the crepe served with bananas, apples and caramel sauce. And then, a silver rack of shot glasses appeared before us. Called the banker's dozen, Bank serves a rack of nine shot glasses, each with a different dessert inside. Lets see if I can remember them all. Panna Cotta, Raspberry Crips, Cashew Caramel, Pumpkin Pie, Carrot Cake, Chocolate Cake, Cheesecake, German Chocolate Cake, and yep, I'm missing one. The server brought us each a small spoon, which we were too use to scoop a bite and pass them around. But really, we're not that close. So we each chose one that sounded good and scooped a bit out. Most of them were good, yet not award-winning, except for the concept. That was surely a winner, and something to bank on!

(Sorry, couldn't resist.)

Marshmellows

Makin' marshmellows on Design*Sponge

This is the cutest thing ever. Jen sent it to me from a favorite site, Design Sponge. And I love the idea of making Marshmellows, even though I learned a few years ago that they are not vegetarian. I didn't realize that gelatin contains bones. I did some research :

Gelatin is a protein, made from the hydrolysis of collagen, a protein that makes up about a third of all mammalian tissue. Collagen is what makes up much of the connective tissue, tendons, and the protein part of bones.

Now that I've grossed you all out, we should all make marshmellows!!!

I Love Gingerbread Men!!

All of 'em, all sizes, all genders. I grew up making many, many cookies with my sister and mother, and have never really slowed down. So far this year I've made 8 batches of cookies, and I have two left to go. Is that kind of insane for a family of two? I don't think so. I pass the cookies around during the holidays and serve them at all the Christmas functions. But I have to admit I have a favorite. What's funny, is that I use a different recipe every year because I can never seem to find the same one year to year.

This year I used Martha Stewart's Basic Gingerbread People recipe, and boy was it easy. In the past I've made recipes with crystalized ginger and other crazy ingredients, but this one was just plain and normal. The cookies have a wonderful bite of spice, and the chilled dough was very easy to work with. Husband and I decorated last night, and while I like to keep mine simple with just faces and buttons, he has more fun. See the little man in the upper right with the scar on his chest. He looks scared. Was it open heart surgery or a puck to the sternum? We'll never know.

There's this Truffle store on Grand Avenue....

That makes just the most insanely beautiful truffles. It's called Just Truffles. We stopped in the other day to load up on holiday treats for some clients, and a little box of 8 of the gorgeous things ended up in my hands. The individual truffles are listed on their website, but I'll walk you through the box I brought home. Starting from the front, right side we have Key Lime, Chai Tea, HOT Chocolate (with Habanaros), Tenors Temptation (created for Luciano Pavarotti), Grand Marnier, Cafe au Lait, Baileys and Chocolate Malted.

I haven't tasted them yet, because I'm saving them for Christmas Eve. It's been a tradition since I met Husband, that we drink champagne and eat nice chocolate late into the night. We've tried Godiva, BT McElrath and others. I think this year might be the best.

When I told Husband that I got truffles for the holidays, he assumed I meant the savory, found in the ground by pigs kind of truffle. Sorry, I can't afford those kind. Regardless, we got to talking about truffles vs truffles. So off to Wikipedia I went. They had a nice description, but no history. I found more through Google, including what I suspected: Chocolate Truffles got their name because they look so much like the savory, found in the ground by pigs kind of truffle. Huh.

I have to say, these truffles from Just Truffles look so much better than the porous, oddly shaped truffles found in the ground. And while the taste may not necessarily be better, it will certainly be different.

A Perfect Hostess Gift

Every year I try to come up with something creative to give as hostess gifts for all the crazy parties I go to. This year I didn't have to go far. The December issue of Bon Appetit had a recipe for these fabulous Candied Espresso Walnuts. Yum.

I don't drink coffee anymore, so just the scent of espresso beans in the kitchen made me smile. The walnuts ended up tasty like salty-sweet-crunchy coffee. A treat and a pick-me-up, all at the same time. I found the to-go containers at Paper Depot and designed a little label to identify the treats.

First Round of Holiday Cookies

I've started the holiday cookie baking, and so far I am not impressed. All three of these recipes are from the December issue of Cooking Light, and I have to remember that baking can't be light. Anyway, from left to right are the Chai Shortbread, the Crunchy Sesame Cookies and the Chocolate Almond Cherry Crisps. The Chai shortbread needed more spice, but the texture is fabulous and they're very easy. The Seseme cookies also had a fabulous texture, but the flavor was odd. They start tasting like peanut butter, but have a sharp aftertaste. The crisps were good. I made them for a party, and a friend brought the same ones. I don't like fruit with my chocolate, but the dried cherries didn't bother me, and added a bit of tang to a lucious combination of chocolate, almonds and rice krispies. Now I have a box of the cereal I need to use up if anyone knows some fun recipes. So they were all edible, but probably not keepers. I'll be baking more, so stay tuned.

A Quick Field Trip

A co-worker and I had a few minutes to kill today after letterpress printing our holiday cards, so we stopped at one of our favorite markets, United Noodles. The photos show the wide array of food available at the Asian grocery. I just like checking out the packaging. But this one is great. Its "Uncurdled Bean Curds"!

The Best Part is the Crust, Right?

I heard about these Bakersedge pans last winter, and just ran across them again. How much fun are these? The zig-zag shape makes sure that everyone gets a bit of the crunchy outer edge of the brownie, or cake, or bread. Yum.

A Snow Day

We were supposed to get 6-10 inches of snow this past Saturday, and for once, the forcasters were'nt completely wrong, just a bit ambitious. The snow started as soon as I went outside in the morning, and it continued until late in the evening. It was beautiful, though, large flakes, that swept through the air on their way down. The temp was in the high teens, so it was very bareable.

But it still made me want to hibernate and make something warm for the tummy. So, I made a White Chili. The recipe is from Cooking Light and it was completely different than the Red Meat Chili I made a couple weeks ago. For starters, this one called for chicken breast and white beans. In addition, it has tomatillas in it. I love tomatillas, partly for the name, and partly for the lovely little paper-like skins that surround them.

So, instead of a thick, tomatoey chili, this one was tart and light and refreshing. Perfect before a walk through the freshly fallen snow.

(I'll work on getting a photo of the snow for those of you in warmer climates.)

I also made jalapeno corn muffins, but they were a lot of work, and really, not that good. So I won't share the recipe. You can see the photo, and at least they looked good.

A Happy Happy Hour and a Bit of Sushi

Met J and T for dinner the other night and after much debate of where to go, we chose Calhoun Square so we had multiple options. And I think we made a good choice. We started at Chang Mai Thai and were happy to learn they have an awesome happy hour. We had $3 glasses of wine and $3 appetizers. We shared the Happy Shrimp (fried coconut shrimp served with two sauces), Fried Scallops (with a kick-ass jalapeno dipping sauce), and the Fresh Springrolls (which were made really good with the variety of sauces we now had). We rounded it out with another round of wine and headed upstairs to the sushi restaurant.

I had never been to Sushi Tango, and frankly, I doubt I'll go back. It wasn't bad, but it was a bit beat-up and the layout was a little awkward. I requested we start with the soft shell crab, which was not a disappointment. Then we shared a platter of sushi, including a really tasty, and fresh Crunchy Roll (shrimp tempura among other things), a special roll with Spicy Tuna, Albacore and Avocado, the Avocado and Asparagus roll and of course, Spicy Tuna Roll. T and H also shared the Unagi Roll with eel. I'm still not eating that after the illness episode years earlier. Just ain't jumping on that train quite yet.

The sushi was fine, not the best and not the worst I've had. The company was fabulous, as always.

Christmas Cookie Time!!

Thursday's Taste section featured their annual Christmas Cookie winners, and there are a couple I think I need to try. The Lime Coolers sound fabulous, and different. As do the Chai cookies. More after I give them a try!

I've Been Slacking.

Today is the last day of NaBloPoMo. And I was doing so well...... But i missed a couple days. Things have been busy, and strangely, food has not been a priority (WHAT??)

For example, while fending off a nasty cold with Airboune and Cold-Eeze, I just couldn't even think of something to make for dinner last night. The only thing I was craving was ice cream. I called Husband for ideas, and he reminded me I'm an adult and can eat ice cream for dinner. Oh, yeah, Wanna pick some up? And he did. But he also recommend I pick up a take and bake pizza at Papa Murphy's on the way home.

Good idea. So I chose to do a large pizza. On Husband's half I did Gourmet Italian and on my half the Gourmet Vegetarian. I was worried about the crust because it look really thin, but it baked up really nicely. The crust was far from soggy and was even crisp in the middle. that's a priority in my pizzas. Its all about the crust. And the vegetables on mind were endless, with peppers, onions, mushrooms, zucchini and even artichoke hearts.

It was good, and we were happy, and I didn't have to cook!

An Impromptu Stir-fry

For Sunday's dinner, we both wanted anything but turkey, and nothing to do with mashed potatoes. We chose, then, to make a stir-fry. I ran through the new Super Target and picked up as many fresh, organic vegetables as I could find, including green and red peppers, carrots, zucchini, onions and mushrooms. A bit of chicken and a packet of sauce (is that really cheating) and we had dinner.

I love stir-fry's and I'm not sure why we don't make them more often. They're so versatile. I've used pork and beef and have skipped the meat all together. I've used water chestnuts, or bamboo shoots, or just peppers. I guess anything could go. This would be a great dish to whip together after a trip to the farmers market. Which I terribly miss, by the way.

By Special Request, The Good Earth.

A good friend, who moved away years ago and just refuses to move back, has a favorite restaurant in town and requested I post about it. Well, this past Saturday, Husband and I were in the neighborhood early in the morning and stopped in for breakfast. It was his first time there, and it didn't disappoint. I rarely get there for breakfast, and was happily surprised when our server offered a "complmentary caramel bun." Well, that's a no brainer. We split it and then I picked up the plate and licked it. Not really, but I could have eaten another dozen of the little guys. But then, the main dish:

I chose a breakfast quesadilla, because really, you can never go wrong with a quesadilla. This one was full of eggs, black beans, tomatoes and other goodies, served with guacamole, sour cream and salsa. It was huge, and I only could down half of it. But no worries, the rest of it was gulped down a few hours later.

The Good Earth is not a vegetarian restaurant. Many people think it is, but really, its more about fresh ingredients, hormone-free meats and tasty grub. Oh, and it is vegetarian friendly, which at times can be hard to find. Its a favorite, had been for a long time. And its not fancy, but its consistent, friendly and yummers.

Thanksgiving, Part 2.

On to the main course.

On paper, as in a recipe in a magazine, cooking a turkey sounds really easy. Start it in a hot oven, turn it down and when the dark meat is 165 degrees, pull the bird out the often, and let it rest. But what happens when the carver announces that the bird is still bleeding? I guess put a cover on the potatoes, put some foil on the yams and pour another glass of wine.

After a slight delay and a quick debate on if its safe to eat undercooked poultry, we sat down at the table. I listed the menu the other day, so I won't bore you with it again. But the photo above shoes the Yams with Orange-Chipotle Glaze. They were good, but could have used more bit, at least they weren't too sweet. Also in the photo are the Wasabi and Green Onion mashed potatoes. They were excellent. Potatoes, cream and butter, what could go wrong?


On the other end of the table were the roasted green beans (in a hot oven until toasty), the cranberry sauce and a cornbread stuffing with root vegetables. I really liked the stuffing because of the surprises. There were all kinds of vegetables, including carrots and parsnips and even some mushrooms. But all the flavors melded together really well.

So even after a turkey fiasco dinner was great. While cooking we were fortunate to spot a family of deer as well as a few wild turkeys. They were happy to be outside, and not in the oven.

Thanksgiving, Part 1.

Lets start with appetizers...

It has become a bit of a tradition to make Husbands favorite, Tuna Tataki, on Thanksgiving. Its fairly simple, some ginger and sesame seeds, soy sauce, lime.. sear the tuna for just a minute and serve. I just adore raw or seared Tuna, look forward to this fabulous treat every time.

And then, of course, cheese. We had a garlic cheese, a brie, cheddar and some great smoked gouda. It always reminds my of my crazy days waiting tables at the Pannekoeken Huis. Smoked gouda and metwurst omelette? And this wine was darn good as well. Slightly fruity and very refreshing.

Happy Turkey Day!!

I wish everyone a very, merry thanksgiving. I'll be cooking and sipping wine and cuddling with the dog. So enjoy your day off and always have fun in the kitchen!

I finally tried it. Bewiched.

There's a new deli in the neighborhood, and while I've stopped by there many a late afternoon for one of their butter-laden oatmeal or peanut butter cookies, I haven't truly attempted a meal. the main reason is the price. These guys have gotten a lot of press. The paper covered them last week and gave them a great review (3 of 4 stars). There are a couple of dialogues on Chow.com.

Most sandwiches fall between $9.50 and $11.50. That's fine for dinner or on the weekend, but for an everyday lunch, it just can't happen.

So, today I went down for soup. Co-worker has raved about the soup since the place opened, so I decided to give it a shot. There were four soup offerings today, and they all sounded good. They had their Ministrone, Tomato and Bread with Basil, Beer Cheese (that brought back memories) and Shrimp Bisque. Knowing the cheese or bisque would send me to the couch for a nap, I chose the tomato. And I was pleased.

The soup was served piping hot and was loaded with tomatoes, fresh basil, chunks of great bread and I even saw a few roasted garlic slices. And it tasted like everything I just listed. Very fresh, perfect for a quick lunch on a cold November day. And it was served with dense, crunchy bread. And I got a cookie. Peanut Butter this time.

So, yes, I recommend it. But maybe bring a friend, share one of their huge sandwiches. or go for the soup and a cookie, plenty of food and a little change in your pocket as well.

Spelt Bread

I've been experimenting with alternative foods, and discovered a tasty treasure with Spelt Bread. It is really very low in wheat and gluten, so easier to digest. And the best part, is that it actually tastes like bread! I have to have peanut butter on something for breakfast almost everyday. And this spelt bread stuff is ready to tackle my Real Chunky Peanut Butter.

Here are a couple links for more information. But try it, I think you'll be surprised.

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=143

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spelt

Note: Regarding a photo of the peanut butter toast.... I ate it too fast. So, no photo. But you all know what peanut butter toast looks like, right?

Yams!!

Such a fun word to say. Yam, yam, yam. I'm making them for one Thanksgiving dinner and got this response when I offered to bring them to the second Thanksgiving.

"No, Sam-I-Am, I do not like yams. I do not like them on a tram, I do not like them served with jam - I do not like them Sam-I-Am!! Sorry I couldn’t resist."

I don't like them served with jam either, just a bit of butter and they're perfect. Since there are so many misconceptions about these fabulous, and ugle, vegetables, I thought I'd look up some details.

Wikipedia says,
Yams are high in Vitamin C, dietary fiber, Vitamin B6, potassium, and manganese; while being low in saturated fat, sodium, and cholesterol. Vitamin C, dietary fiber and Vitamin B6 may all promote good health^[3]. Furthermore, a product that is high in potassium and low in sodium is likely to produce a good potassium-sodium balance in the human body, and so protect against osteoporosis and heart disease^[4]. Having a low level of saturated fat is also helpful for protection against heart disease

I work with a woman who will just pop a yam into the microwave and eat it as is. They're sweet, and hearty and make a fabulous meal on the go. I'm not sure why I don't bring them home more often, except that Husband doesn't like them. Sweet Potato's are grown in the U.S. and are often called Yams.

I'm also a fan of Cooking Light, so here are a few recipes with yams. If you try one, let me know how it is!

Praline Banana-Yam Pudding

Sweet Potato-Pecan Pancakes Yam Nuea Yang (Spicy Beef Salad)

Thanksgiving Menu

There's not much eating going on since I've been under the weather for the last couple days, but we did plan our thanksgiving menu, so I'll share that since it sounds fabulous.

For an appetizer, Husbands favorite Tuna Tataki (we like Wolfgang Pucks recipe on foodnetwork.com), and my favorite, a cheese platter.

Roast Turkey with Truffle Gravy (Nov. 07 Cooking Light, page 136)

Wasabi and Green Onion Mashed Potatoes (Nov. 07 Bon Appetit, page 155)

Cornbread Stuffing with Roasted Fall Vegetables (Nov. 07 Bon Appetit, page 144)

Roasted Green Beans

Spiced Cranberry-Orange Sauce (Lund's Real Food, Winter 2006)

Yams with Orange Chipotle Glaze (Lund's Real Food, Winter 2007)

Good Bread with Herbed Butter

For dessert, a apple-lingonberry pie from a local bakery.

And wine, plenty of wine.

AwesomeIngredients: Truffles

A teammate and I were driving to Duluth this weekend and we got to talking about Truffles. Not the tasty bites of chocolate, but the ugly, earthy fungus that make savory dishes taste orgasmic. I've tasted truffle oil at various restaurants over the years, but last fall at the now closed Willi's wine bar, we were introduced to the ethereal combination of green apple, spanish mahon and truffle oil. Wow. We recreated it at Thankgsiving and a often as we could after that. In honor of this Thanksgiving, and the fact that the little bottle will probably appear again, I did some research on truffles.

Truffles are highly prized as food. Wikipedia says they have the smell of sunflower seeds or walnuts, but all I can really smell is earth. Kinda like a very intense mushroom smell. The two most common kinds of truffles are Black and White. The black sell for about $400 per pound, while the white can go for as much as $2,000 per pound. Most are found in France and Italy. There is also truffle oil available (way cheaper). And now that I've done research, really, really disappointing. This is what I found:

Contrary to popular belief, and even the belief of most restaurant chefs, the New York Times recently reported that most truffle oil does not, in fact, contain any truffles. The reality is that the vast majority of truffle oil is actually olive oil containing a synthetic flavoring agent, called "2,4-dithiapentane." Indeed, Daniel Patterson reported in the New York Times on May 16, 2007 that "[e]ven now, you will find chefs who are surprised to hear that truffle oil does not actually come from real truffles." Nevertheless, many chefs continue to use synthetic truffle oil, which is inexpensive, because they consider it to be "a reasonable substitute."

But I'm not ready to believe it. We read the ingredients on our bottle of Urbani Truffle oil, and it didn't say anything about a synthetic additive, just "truffle aroma."

I've seen truffle oil and truffle salt at my favorite local deli, Surdyks. As for the real thing, I've only seen them online. Here are a few links to check prices or splurge.

At GourmetFoodStore.com.
http://www.gourmetfoodstore.com/truffles/french-truffles.asp

Dean and Deluca:
http://www.deandeluca.com/caviar-foie-gras-charcuterie/truffles-and-mushrooms.aspx

SurLaTable:
http://www.surlatable.com/product/o+%26+co.+black+truffle+oil.do?search=basic&keyword=truffle&sortby=gsa&asc=true&page=1

Chicken with Cherry Tomato Sauce from Cooking Light.

Husband made dinner last night! Yeah! It was a recipe we've made before and I planned to make it, but he beat me home and I was very happy to see dinner was started when I got home. The recipe is called Parmesan Chicken Paillards with Cherry Tomato Sauce. The chicken is coated in parmesan cheese and them pan seared. Overall we found the dish salty (me) and bland (husband). The tomato sauce would have been perked up with the addition of good green olives. At least the chicken was nice and tender because he pounded it. (That would be the Paillard technique.)

We probably won't make the recipe again, but the technique of pounding the chicken and coated it with parmesan is a keeper.

Quail Eggs at Spoonriver. Or not.

I met a couple friends for lunch at one of my favorite restaurants the other day, Spoonriver.
This gem of a restaurant is owned by Brenda Langton, of my other favorite restaurant, Cafe Brenda. Before we got there, JD called and said she would not eat Quail Eggs. Try as I might, she absolutely refused. I didn't even realize they were on the menu, but then I remembered that JD is a self-proclaimed "picky-eater" and I shouldn't have been surprised. She also said there were plenty of other things on the menu she would enjoy.

And enjoy we did. The service at Spoonriver is just really amazing. Our server was laid-back, friendly, new his food, had a sense of humor and really made it a lovely experience. I think he's waited on me before, and he's definitely good at what he does.

The friends ordered the Ceaser salad with Free Range Chicken. I ordered the vegetarian special, which was a Zuni Stew served with a Spicy Cheese Quesadilla. The Stew was loaded with Beans and tomatoes and squash and all kinds of good things, including toasted pumpkin seeds on top. The Quesadilla has some sort of mellow spice along with the cheese and crunchy tortillas. The Salads were a hit with the girls, as was the beautiful space of the restaurant.

But we did decided next time we meet its for happy hour so wine can be poured. What were we thinking?

Something Pretty to Clean that Kitchen With

I saw these cool dish towels on Chow.com the other day and thought they looked really fun. Why not add some lively linens to your kitchen.

And then, I remembered a woman I met this summer, who makes her own and sells them locally. Sarah Kusa makes beautiful pieces, including placemats, table runners, dish clothes and napkins. Its holiday season, someone on your list would appreciate these, right?

Nothing Like a Bowl of Chili on a Chilly November Day.

Except when its 63 degrees outside, and we've just come in from playing tennis in shorts. But still, a spicy bowl of chili sounded good, so we made a big pot. I used a pound of the ground beef from my meat package from Otis Family Farm, and for the first time in my life, the groundness didn't freak me out.

So a sizzling pan with onions, green peppers, carrots (my addition) and the beef. The adding beef (or chicken) stock, tomatoes, black beans, garlic and handful of spices and let it simmer. Fifteen minutes later, we had a pot of hot, steamy chili. Looked like there was enough for a few days, but after a hearty dinner and the next day's lunch it was gone.

Husband asked if it was hard to make, and the answer is simply, No. there's some dicing and some waiting, but overall Chili is one of the easiest things to make. He thinks we should make it every week so its always around. Not a bad idea. It would go even faster if two people were dicing :)

Yes, I had Cheese for Dinner.

So, the other night was Husband was out with the guys, I had what every foodie really wants to have for dinner. Yep, wine, cheese and bread. Yum. I ran over to Lund's and asked the cheesemonger what she would recommend. The bottom one in the photo was a double cream brie. It was oozy, even right out of the cooler. Spread on warm bread, it melted. And even better straight off the knife. The top cheese in the photo was Beecher's Flagship Handmade Cheese. It had a hard, but flaky texture, and again was almost better alone than with the bread. But a dinner of just cheese is silly, so I threw in some bread.

Burgers, Beets and Birthday Cheesecake?

Part 2 of my great-aunts birthday celebration at W.A. Frost included a whole lot of burgers. My beautiful niece devoured a lovely cheeseburger and I had a plate of beautiful beet risotto with mushroom sauce and broccolli.

The burger looked great. H got the portebello burger, which she absolutely loved. My biggest fear about a portebello burger is that the mushroom would be too much to handle. But this one looked great. There was avocado and pepperjack cheese as well, and I definitely know what I'm ordering next time. Oh, the the fries I kept stealing off plates had to be hand-cut. Maybe a plate of those next time, too.

But the beet risotto was darn good as well. The broccoli was a nice contrast to the rich risotto, and makes for a very pretty plate as well. The risotto had a great beet flavor, without knocking me over the head with the earthiness. The mushroom sauce was all mushroom, and I would love to know how they made it. I think it would be great on just some short pasta and a lot of parmesan cheese. Yum...

For dessert I ordered my aunt the caramel apple cheesecake. I wanted something that could hold a candle and the banana fritters didn't sound like the thing. And it was beautiful. I can't remember Frost putting so much effort into their plating on past visits, but I have to say it really was a nice surprise. Although not a cheesecake fan, the star-shaped cookie that came with the cake had a beautiful clove/cinnamon/ginger flavor. Yum.

Birthday Pumpkin Scones

It was my great-aunts 94th birthday last week and its been our tradition (since her 90th) that all the ladies in the family take her out to tea. This year the tea house was booked, so we took her to lunch at another favorite historial site, W.A. Frost.

Frost has a beautiful patio out back and its a favorite of mine for a mid-summer cocktail. Or brunch, or lunch like we did today.

To begin with, my aunt loves her sweets, and she deserves them because she's one of the most amazing, inspiring women I've ever met in my life. At 94 she's sharp as a tack and her sense of humor keeps all of us rolling. For her birthday, I borrowed a recipe from Morning Coffee & Afternoon Tea, and baked her pumpkin scones. She's a fan of Pumpkin Pie and her building does not provide breakfast, so it was a no-brainer.

When I opened the tin at the restaurant, the warm, autumn scent of pumpkin filled the room. I hope she enjoys them.

More on lunch tomorrow.

A Cute Holiday Idea

If you're like me and like to give homemade gifts for holidays, these paper pans are perfect. I spotted them in the local newspaper yesterday, and I can't stop thinking about them. There are many shapes and sizes out there. There are even really great wood pans.... the ideas for homebaked goodness are flowing in!!

Cozy, warm stew.

We whipped up a tasty seafood stew (Southwest Cilantro Fish Stew from November 2007 CL) last night from the current issue of Cooking Light. A bit of chopping and 20 minutes of waiting, and dinner is served. I would make a couple changes next time, though. More spice to begin with. The recipe calls for one sliced jalapeno, but next time I'll add two. It also called for 1/2 pound shrimp and 1 pound halibut. I would double the shrimp and go with smaller ones. Then the final five minutes of cooking time would probably be shorter as well. And maybe skip the celery. JT from my office would require it as she hates celery. As for Southwest, I didn't catch much of that flavor. It needed more spice, more southwest. Maybe some chipotle or crushed red pepper.

Enjoy!