kamillecscellick

Posole

…and my daughter LOVES dinner. When my oldest was a baby and young toddler she loved food. The only food she rejected by 11 months was broccoli (still does & I still serve it). I could count on her to fill mama’s affirmation piggy bank when it came to dinner time with her moans of glee. When she turned 18 months, I thought I had it made because she never turned to the dark side (a.k.a. the food refusal face) and I must be doing something right. She ate veggies and I rarely gave her sweets, then it was around 22 months or so and little by little…another food was on the banned list.

Now as we celebrate her birthday week (turning three or “free”), she continues to throw a curve ball during dinner time. As I wait for her to say something like, “This is too gross for me!” She says, “I like my Posole!” Yes, I train my daughter in all things food.

A.) Don’t buy eggs with cracks…to which she continued chanting in the store to check-out.

B.) “Add a little cardamom & nutmeg”…she says this during pretend play (or was it while teaching a baking class about cardamom to her papa & auntie?)

C.) I say, “this is Posole, it’s part of your heritage,”…to which she replies, “more pork.”

And to that I say, “Eat more pork and make yourself some Posole!” It’s like eating pockets of tamales in stew form…doesn’t get much better.

Posole (printable recipe)

Recipe is adapted from Gourmet. As I said, I find the hominy reminiscient of the cooked masa found in tamales. This is not overly spicy. If you avoid spicy food, then add sour cream as dairy lessens heat. Plus, my 13 month old & almost 3 year old ate it asking for seconds & then some.

Ingredients:

2 dried guajillo chiles

2 dried New Mexico chiles

2 cups water

2 teaspoons dried oregano, preferably Mexican

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 can of stewed tomatoes, chopped

1/2 yellow onion, coarsely chopped (3/4 cup)

2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1-inch cubes (I used about 24 oz)

2 (29 oz) cans white hominy, drained & rinsed

Directions:

Stem and seed chiles. Combine with 2 cups water in a small saucepan, bring to a simmer, and simmer until softened, about 15 minutes.

Transfer chiles, with cooking water, to a blender. Add remaining ingredients except pork and hominy and blend until smooth (use caution).

Transfer chile puree to a 4-quart heavy saucepan, stir in pork, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.

Add hominy and simmer, covered, until pork is tender, about 30 minutes more. Skim fat from sauce and season posole with salt to taste. Serve with sliced cabbage, corn tortillas, sliced radishes, lime wedges, sour cream, fresh cilantro, or tortilla chips.

Meyer Lemon-Cranberry Scones

I have been thinking a lot about New Year’s Resolutions of late and whether I want to participate in them. I read recently on Simple Mom blog, where she renamed resolutions as “goals.” Now that’s my kind of anti-resolution, yet wanting to participate sort of thinking. As I have personal goals within my physical, mental, emotional, & spiritual being, there are also those goals, which aided in the advent of this blog. I have a couple, or a few, or…well maybe a few times a couple times a few more cookbooks in my library. And as I love food, there are so many tastes I haven’t experienced. But even more, as an avid baker & cook, there are even more foods I have yet to handle myself.

To say browsing through a cookbook to untouched foods is a bit daunting is an understatement. Seriously, where does one begin? Especially, considering food is ever evolving while your budget is not. All of this aimless wandering got me thinking about people and their bucket lists. The typical bucket list encompasses the places yet traveled or adventures yet conquered. And although I have places yet traveled and adventures yet conquered…it is the food yet melded, the dough yet risen, the desserts yet tamed in my red kitchen. Life is too short and I feel it only necessary to create a Baking Bucket List (more on this list later).

There are many categories in the baking world I have made many of, while other categories are completely lacking. One category that I know quite a bit about is…scones, which is good for me and you. Because if you stick with me on this, you will be happy at the end of eating them. I remember volunteering to make a breakfast item for a bunch of college students many years back. I intended to make cinnamon rolls (long story for another post), but it didn’t work out, so I bought this tiny, modest scone cookbook (before food blogs & quick recipe find). Only pictures of scones lie on the cover, while the rest are drawn. It goes to show that great cookbooks aren’t all about the pictures. These scones were have a hint of Meyer lemon, subtle tartness from the cranberries, richness from the cream & butter and sugary crunch from the turbinado sprinkled on top.

Meyer Lemon-Cranberry Scones (printable recipe)

This recipe is inspired from the Cran-Orange Scones found in my trusty scone book, Simply Scones. This dog-eared cookbook warrants fantastic scone results and has never failed me yet.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped fresh or thawed frozen cranberries, drained

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice, freshly squeezed

2 tablespoons heavy cream (you could substitute whole milk)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

zest of one Meyer lemon (for more flavor, add more zest)

coarse sugar for sprinkling & heavy cream for glaze

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400F. Put parchment paper or silpat sheet liner on a baking sheet, set aside.

In a small bowl, stir together the cranberries & 2 tablespoons of the sugar. Let stand about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir together the flour, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder & salt. Cut the butter into 1/2 inch cubes and distribute them over the flour mixture.

In another small bowl, stir together the eggs, juice, heavy cream, vanilla & Meyer lemon zest. Add the egg mixture to the dry mixture and combine using a fork. After the mixture is 3/4 combined, add the cranberries to the dough. Combine the rest until all of the dry mixture has been combined with the wet, forming a cohesive mound. Being careful you don’t over mix or over handle.

Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface, or directly onto the parchment and gently pat it into a 9-inch diameter circle. Cut about 1/8 inch into the dough, creating 8 slices (see image above), but not cut through the whole way. Lightly brush the scones slices with cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for 25-27 minutes.

Remove baking sheet to a cooling rack and leave for about 5 minutes. Cut all the way through the initial cuts and serve warm as is.

Quicky Sticky Biscuits

I recall a moment in time when our dear friend Hilary asked Ben, “Benny, what would be your top 10 books of all time?” Now, as my husband is a an avid reader as aforementioned, it would seem difficult to find a top 10. In fact, he just told me yesterday that he checked out the most books from the library than anyone else in his whole elementary school (back when he was in elementary school). But, he quickly named one off the top of his head (which is another hard thing for my introverted husband to do…he’s more methodical about his ideas & words), 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

If I could summarize what it is that he likes about it (as do I), I would say it’s a book of self-discovery put into action. It helps you find out who you are, what you are capable of and putting it into practice. This is huge for Ben. And as I’ve been married to him for 7 1/2 years now and a mother of two, I have SO appreciated this philosophy on life. It helps with focusing on the areas of life which are important, but not urgent. An example of this would be setting a date night with Ben, because although the dishes, laundry & bills are the urgent items in life…having uninterrupted time with my spouse is important for the long haul. It’s learning to not live life putting out the fires (searching at 5:00 what to make for dinner, searching for a snack 20 minutes too late as your child (or you) screams their head off).

As we approach the New Year, our family is writing up a Mission Statement, in order to live in the Important, but not Urgent. We are seeking to know what is best for our family and what aligns with our values, dreams & beliefs and not some other family. Our mission statement will give us direction for our long term goals and help us navigate in our short term goals. It is also mailable, because visions change course and we need to adaptability. I not only want to create a haven for Ben & the girls (and other children we might be blessed with), but also for people outside of it. For our extended family, friends, and the stranger & neighbor who we barely know. My life has been richly blessed by people who extended kindness, grace & overwhelming care when I needed it most. And sometimes it was surrounding a dinner table with food, while other times it was around a dinner table with a listening ear & loving embrace.

I hope you would be encouraged by the people who have done the same for you, or how you have been that person in times of need. May 2010 bring you clarity of perspective, dreams to dream & a dinner table open for an invitation. Maybe these Quicky Sticky Biscuits will cut through the awkwardness and create a yummy slice of hospitality.

Quicky Sticky Biscuits (printable recipe)

Recipe is adapted from the book, Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey by Jill O’Connor. These biscuits are not for the faint at heart. They are rich & buttery and they’re not ashamed to show it. If you’re looking for something light or watching your figure, be warned, as these biscuits will blow your 2010 resolution diet out the window. BUT, they are definitely amazing and worth bringing to a family brunch (so you won’t be tempted to eat too many).

For the Sticky Pecan Sauce:

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup dark corn syrup

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted

For the Biscuits:

4 cups bleached all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 cup (2 sticks) very cold or frozen unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces

1 1/2 to 2 cups cold buttermilk (I used 2 cups)

For the Topping:

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted (depending on how rich you want them, use 1/4 cup for less rich)

POSITION A RACK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE OVEN AND PREHEAT TO 425F. Grease a 9×13 inch pan with softened butter or spray with nonstick cooking spray.

TO MAKE THE SAUCE: Combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, and butter. Melt over low heat. When the butter is melted, increase the heat to high and bring to a gentle boil. Cook, uncovered, until the mixture thickens, 3-5 minutes. Stir in the chopped nuts. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Set aside.

TO MAKE THE BISCUITS: In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut the butter into the flour with a pastry blender (if you don’t have a pastry blender than use two butter knives to cut the butter). Blend until most of the mixture looks like coarse crumbs, with some of the bits of butter the size of small peas.

MAKE A SHALLOW WELL IN THE CENTER OF THE FLOUR MIXTURE AND POUR IN 1 1/2 CUPS OF THE COLD BUTTERMILK (I used the whole 2 cups at this point). Use a fork to blend the buttermilk into the flour to create a soft dough. If the dough seems too dry as you are stirring it, add the remaining 1/2 cup buttermilk. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead a few times to make sure it comes together. Pat the dough into a 3/4 inch thick rectangle. Use a sharp chef’s knife or bench scraper to cut the dough into 12 square biscuits.

TO MAKE THE TOPPING: In a small bowl, stir together the granulated sugar and cinnamon. Brush the tops of the biscuits with some of the melted butter and sprinkle with some of the cinnamon-sugar. Place the biscuits, evenly spaced, cinnamon-sugar-side down, into the pecan syrup-lined pan. Brush the tops (once the bottom) of the biscuits with more melted butter and sprinkle with a little more cinnamon-sugar.

BAKE THE BISCUITS UNTIL GOLDEN BROWN AND PUFFY, and the sticky pecan sauce is bubbling around them, 15-17 minutes (it took more like 23-25 minutes for me). Cool slightly, then place a large serving platter over the top of the pan and invert it. Remove the pan and allow the pecan sauce to fall around the biscuits. Use a small spatula to scrape any residual syrup from the pan onto the biscuits. Serve immediately (but they taste pretty darn good hours later).

Swedish Tea Ring (Vetekrans)

What was Christmas morning like in your family growing up? Waking up at the crack of dawn, scurrying to see what booty hung from the stockings, and a candy frenzied gaze after all the gifts were opened might be a typical American memory of a not too distant past. There’s also the spiritual side in the retelling of the Christmas story. Where a young girl, chosen by God, is to carry the Savior of the world in her womb. Having found favor with God, but is in the least of finding favor with her fellow neighbors, as I’m sure they snickered and cringed as she passed since the idea of a virgin birth was less than plausible for them.

As the only daughter, middle child between two brothers, Christmas morning turned from the coveted, “let’s just open our presents,” to drawn out expectation, but not due to a spiritual exercise. My father turned the one morning of glory into a full fledge DMV line. We would awaken bright and early with “OOO’S & AWWW’S” and running to our parents bedrooms to waken them from their slumber, in hopes of opening our presents. My mom would shuffle into the living room with half opened eyes & gingerly sit on the couch. On the other spectrum was our dad. Although he would rarely eat a full course breakfast the other 364 days of the year, he thought Christmas morning was the perfect morning to do so.

You might be thinking that a breakfast of ham, eggs, toast, coffee & orange juice, which Kenny the Bear eats regularly (Richard Scarry), is a splendid Christmas morning meal. You would be right if it wasn’t the prelude. Not only did my dad insist on eating Denny’s Grand Slam prior to opening presents, but personal hygiene tied for first on Christmas morning. When he woke up, he headed to the bathroom to shower, neatly comb his hair, clothe with a belt and put on some socks. Meanwhile, us kids, all under the age of 10 salivated at all the presents. But once he was done with his hygiene, he would head to the kitchen to make & eat his breakfast. No matter how much we tried to rush him, he would not budge.

With us on his heels, watching that final drop finish off his fork, we ran to the living room mumbling about our slaughter. However, my dad liked to teach us about anticipation & patience by saying, “Not yet, I need to get the camcorder out.” Now, we had one of those heavy duty kind, which my dad had to get just the right lighting, put it on the tripod, and connect it with the TV to see the final product. Finally, it was time to begin. But when the present opening actually started, my dad instituted the following rule, ‘We take turns opening presents, no two people at the same time, and say thank you for every gift received.’ I can still recall my older brother Willy’s friend Steve calling to see what he got for Christmas. Willy said, “I dunno, we’re not done opening our gifts yet…yeah, I know, by this rate we’re never gonna make it to San Diego (we went every year to my Aunt’s house).”

And now, as I experience Christmas on the other end, being the parent watching my girls experience the joy of what lies beneath the green/red wrapping…I can understand some of what my dad gave to us on Christmas morning. He taught us to slow down & to avoid the consumerist spirit, which lie so deep in my seven year old body. It was a gift to know that it’s okay to breathe in what I was being given and appreciate it; rather, than just throw it aside and search for more hidden treasure to rip to shreds. This is one tradition I hope to pass down to my girls. Well, the slowing down when it comes to opening the presents part, but not the four course breakfast eaten beforehand…instead, we’ve instituted the Vetekrans for Christmas morning. And that’s what I love about family traditions…you can keep some, throw some out, and create new ones altogether. **We’re also throwing out the camcorder.

Vetekrans (printable recipe)

This recipe is taken from The Great Scandinavian Baking Book. This is a refrigerator yeast dough, which is also a no-knead. This is a perfect sweet bread to have on Christmas morning, New Year’s or some other brunch where you don’t want to spend all your time with kneading & proofing.

Ingredients

2 packages active dry yeast (one packet is 2 1/4 teaspoons)

1 cup warm water, 105 to 115 degrees

1/2 cup melted butter

1/2 cup sugar

3 slightly beaten eggs

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

4 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup softened butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

3 tablespoons hot coffee or milk

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Directions: In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in the 1/2 cup melted butter, 1/2 cup sugar, the eggs, salt, cardamom, and 4 cups of flour until dough is smooth (I used about 4 1/2 cups). Cover and refrigerate 2 to 24 hours.

Turn dough onto a floured board and roll out to make a 20-to 24-inch square. Spread with a thin layer of softened butter right to the edge. Mix 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon and sprinkle over the butter. Roll up like a jelly roll.

Grease a baking sheet or use parchment and place the roll on the sheet, shaping it into a ring. Pinch ends together to close the circle. With scissors, cut almost through the ring at 1/2-inch intervals. Turn each piece so that the cut side is exposed. Let rise until almost doubled.

Preheat oven to 375. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until just golden. While ring bakes, mix the glaze ingredients. Brush while hot with the glaze.

Gingerbread Man Pancakes

This morning as I was nursing my youngest in bed, I heard my oldest tell Ben, “Pancakes?! Eat pancakes for breakfast?” There are so many reasons why pancakes were a bad idea. One we’re leaving today to stay the night in Seattle to fly out tomorrow to Arizona. Two there was still packing to be done. Three I have a house to clean up. Four, well, four is that pancakes take more time than say cold cereal. But, yes there’s a but, I haven’t made pancakes in a while and doing something a bit special on such a unroutinized day would balance our life out a bit. Plus, a day of traveling typically means eating food that isn’t the most appetizing.

I was determined to make some pancakes for these adorable monkeys, but NO BUTTERMILK. We have pre-vacation fridge, also known as post-vacation fridge. It’s that fridge where you don’t buy any perishables the week before you leave, so they don’t go bad while you’re gone. Hence, welcoming you to the same fridge upon your arrival. So, I wasn’t about to buy buttermilk last weekend when I didn’t have a need for it on my menu…only the basics. But now on pancake morning, there is no buttermilk. Sure, you’re saying, “Kamille, just mix some lemon juice or vinegar with whole milk,” but that didn’t sound too appealing and then I would have to wait for it to thicken.

So after perusing the Gourmet Cookbook I found this Gingerbread Pancake recipe. It required no buttermilk, but sour cream (which I had). They were a bit more fluffy & thick than your typical buttermilk pancakes, but delicious all the same. I recommend plopping them on the hot griddle, then spraying your spatula and pressing them down a bit. Then, once you flip them, press down again. By themselves, they don’t pop; however, once you add maple syrup & butter…let’s just say everything Christmas morning magic in your mouth. Well, I’m off as I need to finish the last details of packing and to 60 degree weather we go. Merry Christmas!

Gingerbread Pancakes (printable version)

This recipe comes from Gourmet cookbook. My oldest woke up saying she wanted pancakes and I needed to make something without buttermilk, since we didn’t have any on hand. I think these were the perfect pre-Christmas compromise.

Dry Ingredients:

1 cup unbleached flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Wet Ingredients:

3 tablespoons molasses (not blackstrap or strong flavored kind)

1 cup sour cream

1 egg

2 tablespoons whole milk

2 tablespoons melted butter, plus more for brushing the griddle

Preparation

Heat your griddle or skillet, brush with butter or spray.

In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients and set aside. In a small bowl, combine all wet ingredients. Add wet ingredients into the large bowl with dry ingredients. Stir until just combined.

If you want to make gingerbread man pancakes, spray or grease inside of cookie cutter before you put the batter inside (or you’ll have one sticky mess). Put the greased cookie cutter onto griddle and add some batter trying to smooth it evenly, so none of the griddle is visible. Cook for about 1 minute and then take your spatula and flip the pancake (with cookie cutter still attached) over. Gently push the batter down, in order to ensure cooking on the bottom.

Using a kitchen towel (since the cookie cutter is hot) jiggle the cookie cutter off the gingerbread man pancake and cook for a bit longer.

These pancakes by themselves aren’t very sweet at all, but definitely flavorful. So when you add the butter & maple syrup (because isn’t that what pancakes are about?) they’re a knock out. Plus, you can change up the cookie cutters and little people will love them.

French Lentil Stew

This is one of those throw em’ in their type of stews. I guess it’s technically not a stew under classic definition, but I feel like it’s more hearty than a soup. So that’s what I’m going with & I’m stickin’ to it. I made this for Ben’s birthday meal, because the meat dish just wasn’t happening as I, a) didn’t have any beef in the house & b) it was already 4:00 for a 5:30 dinner.

I combined a couple techniques from various parts of my culinary files within my head & one thing led to another…a creation was birthed. I liked the idea of adding tomato paste to my mirepoix (diced up carrots, onions & celery) and cooking it to create a depth of flavor. It reminded me of one of my favorite creamy tomato sauce recipes from Cooks Illustrated. I added red wine & saffron as well to create more than your run of the mill lentil soup (remember I was going for a stew here). After more little tricks, I would say I created one heck of a dish.

This is also a perfect Monday night, winter is here & we’re trying to eat semi-healthy in the holiday season sort of meals. Serve with some crusty bread and you’re eating like the peasants who served the king (because really the peasants ate more healthily anyway…just look at history).

French Lentil Stew (printable recipe)

You could easily use all vegetable stock for this and it would be just as great, or use beef broth for an added depth of flavor.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 celery, small dice
1 medium yellow onion, small dice
1 carrot, small dice
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
pinch of saffron
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 cup red wine
1 can (14 oz) stewed tomatoes
2 carrots, peeled & sliced into 1/8 inch circles
1 leek, thoroughly cleaned & chopped
3 cups vegetable stock
2 1/2 – 3 cups chicken broth
2 cups french lentils

Preparation:

Have your onion, carrot, celery & garlic mise en place via diced. Heat olive oil in dutch oven over medium heat. Add mirepoix and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add garlic & salt and stir. Cook for additional 1-2 minutes, till onions are soft & mixture is fragrant.

Add leeks & carrots, cook an additional 2-3 minutes, stirring to pick up browned bits.

Add saffron & tomato paste. Stir and increase heat to medium-high. Continuously stirring to cook tomato paste for about 1 1/2-2 minutes to deepen color of the paste. Add wine & cook while stirring for 2 minutes. Add the stewed tomatoes.

Add both vegetable & chicken stock. Stir to combine. Add your french lentils & lower heat to medium. Cook for an additional 30-45 minutes. Adjust flavoring with sea salt & pepper. Serve with the remainder red wine & crusty bread.

Cardamom Orange Cookies

The other day I heard these words from my very imaginative daughter’s mouth, “Put in some nutmeg, then cinnamon & CarDAmom in the crisp!” She was playing with her kitchen stuff, while replaying the time we made the P.A.C. Crisp together. It was a proud moment as a mama & lover of all things culinary…my almost three year old remembering the key ingredients to make a crisp “pop.”

Not only does she remember these sorts of things, but her delight in food is music to the ears. After baking the Cardamom Orange Cookies with her help, she eagerly awaited their arrival out of the oven (don’t you love how kids are really saying & doing what we as adults restrain). Once it was cool enough to handle, I put some of the citrus glaze on top and asked, “Is there any little girls who would like a Cardamom cookie?” She ran up & volunteered herself for the feat. Upon the cookie entering her mouth (as she is with most food she enjoys), the sounds of satisfaction like, “MMM…OH MY…(another)MMM, this is DElicious!” And so forth.

She has never been shy vocalizing her love for good food. When she nursed she let out big “MMM’s” and her first tastes of solids are equated with Bob Wiley eating Faye’s handschuked corn. I love this about her, which makes baking with her all the more enjoyable. I also love that she knows what cardamom is & how orange zest pairs well with it. So, in honor of cardamom and all things that go, “MMM,” I hope you’ll make these over the holidays to share (but don’t feel too bad if you eat more than you give away).

Cardamom Orange Cookies (printable version)

This recipe is adapted from Epicurious. I chose to take out the roll & cut method and simply rolled them into a log & cut slices from them instead. YUMMY!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons grated orange zest
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom (I used a mortar & pestle to grind the cardamom from the pod)
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Citrus Glaze

juice of one orange
2 cups powdered sugar
splash of orange oil essence (or extract)
2 teaspoons orange zest

Make dough:
Whisk together flour, zest, cardamom, and salt.

Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, then beat in yolk and cream. At low speed, mix in flour mixture in 3 batches just until a dough forms. Put the dough on parchment paper.

Mound the dough together and roll into a log. Once you get a basic log shape, position the dough in the middle of the parchment. Then, take the parchment that’s north of the dough and cover it over the dough. Take a bench scraper and push the edge of it at the base of the parchment covered dough, trying to make a concentric log. Roll the log so the parchment covers the whole thing and twist the edges. Refrigerate for 3 hours to overnight.

Cut and bake cookies:
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Remove firm dough. Unroll the parchment so the dough is still sitting on top of the paper. Place on a cutting board. Cut the dough into 1/8 inch. Transfer cookies to a parchment-lined large baking sheet, arranging them 1 inch apart.

Bake until edges are golden-brown, 12-15 minutes. Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes, then slide cookies, still on parchment, onto a rack to cool completely.

Make Icing:

Combine powdered sugar, juice orange, orange zest & splash of orange oil (or orange extract). Glaze atop cookies.

Grandma’s No Bakes

I can recall Christmas time in AZ as a little girl typically wishing I was someplace in the movies where snow wasn’t a foreign concept. But, despite my lack of cold powdery stuff anywhere within my perimeter, one of my fondest memories entailed a box awaiting my departure from the school bus.

My parents owned a mattress/bedding store growing up. I would ride the bus home, or shall I say, ride the bus to the store everyday. I was in the first grade, walking to the store anticipating the coming Christmas break (I was a huge daydreamer, so not being in a routinized setting meant the world to me). Upon my arrival, there was a package waiting for all of us to open. It was a big cardboard box from Oregon, which meant it was from Grandma Cox.

My grandma was one of those iconic grandmother types. She embodied everything grandmotherly (i.e. warm hugs, cards sent for every holiday, and that aura). I loved her more than just for what she gave us, but how she loved. She loved with an unconditional love. If she didn’t like someone, you would never know it, because she loved them immensely. So, whenever we received anything in the mail from her, it was as if we were getting a bit of her there with us.

And on that December day, when I walked through the store’s back door and scrounged through that box with my brother, the round tin was our golden ticket. My mom trying to enforce some constraint on our behalf, but I can still recall the chocolate peanut butter no bakes. I feel like these are the quintessential Christmas nostalgia cookie for me, because of my grandma.

Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bakes (printable recipe)

I used gluten-free oats, in order for my gluten intolerant friend to eat them. However, I did notice these had a bit of a chew to them. I think it’s because they were Bob’s Red Mill Oats. They were still wonderful and reminiscent of Grandma’s. This recipe is adapted from here.

Ingredients:

2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter

4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

1/2 cup whole milk

1 cup crunchy peanut butter

1 tablespoon vanilla

3 cups oats (I used gluten-free)

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, butter, cocoa & milk and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cook until mixture begins to boil. Allow it to boil without stirring for 2-2 1/2 minutes. Then, add the peanut butter, vanilla & oats, stirring it all together. Remove from heat and continue to stir to allow the mixture to coat thoroughly. Using a teaspoon or tablespoon (depending on what size you want), drop mixture onto wax paper. Allow to sit and firm up. Eat & drink with milk.

Twist on Tuna Fish Salad

During my dating years with Ben, I at a meager 19 years of age & at times a bit emotionally verbose. Well, that’s the nice way of putting it…I should say, more like you’re average, ‘head in the clouds, idealist romantic teenage girl, somewhat resembling Kelly Kapoor at my low points.’

Now, as I envisioned our relationship in my daydreamer television, a surprise homemade lunch would knock it out of the park. So, as I was working full time gaining Washington residence, while Ben went to school full time, I would typically visit him on a day off. And this day off entailed me making him a surprise lunch. I had just made homemade potato salad, which would accompany a tuna fish sandwich on an ethereal sunny Spring Bellingham day.

I was so proud of my domesticity and resourcefulness of using what was in my kitchen, and Ben was sure to LOVE it. It was an act of service & love…what was not to love about it. I caught the bus to campus and met him at the campus’ main bus shelter, where we walked to a little nook overlooking the bay. We sat down, me beaming to hear words of praise & exultation and begging for seconds.

As I pulled out the sandwiches & potato salad (I’m sure there was something else in there, but what ensued was a bit traumatic for me), I announced what lay wrapped in the wax paper & rubbermaid container to receive a reaction quite contrary to what I envisioned. Rather than being lifted upon his shoulders singing, “For she’s a jolly good lady…,” he gave a look. Yes, a look. The look an infatuated, emotionally volatile 19 year old NEVER wants to see from her boyfriend (God bless him for enduring). The kind of look that has detest written all over it…the crinkled nose, the squinched eyes & turned up brows & mouth, but with a hint of empathy mixed through it all. (I’m sure there was more empathy, but it got clouded)

Ben said, “Umm, I don’t like tuna fish.”

Me stunningly replied, “Oh. Well, I made homemade potato salad!” Hoping that that would cover a multitude, but he replied… with another look. “What!” I said. He simply had the look as if hoping I could read his mind, which I could, but at this point, I wanted him to tell me. Then, I called him on it (with a deep breath), “you don’t like potato salad either?!”

“No, not really,” he replied.

What ensued was not one of my proudest moments. Tears began to teeter, but eventually fell with force down my face and I believe I mumbled out something to the effect, “if you love me you would eat it!” Ben, in his righteousness, ate the sandwich that day, along with the potato salad. He did it without grumbling (for the most part) and satisfied my personal insecurity as a young lady.

I learned two things that day. Not any man would be willing to put up with such emotional displays, unless he himself was infatuated or if he could see something a diamond needing more polishing. And two, never, never will I insist that his love is dependent on what I make (well almost never:) ). But one things for sure, when tuna or albacore is bought in this household I know I could put our whole life savings on him not eating one bit. And in honor of love without reason comes a tuna fish salad for these dreary winter months when you need to be reminded of sunshine spilling on you.

Mise en Place

Albacore Salad (printable recipe)

I had a similar tuna fish salad sandwich while pregnant with my youngest and it forever changed my concept of how it’s made. This is very forgiving, so use more olives if you like, or less artichokes, or whatever. All of these naturally pair well together. And you can serve it on top of a bed of lettuce or as a sandwich.

Ingredients:

1-can water packed albacore, drained

zest of one lemon

juice of half lemon

1/4 of red onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons capers

1 tablespoon green olives, roughly chopped

4 artichoke whole canned artichoke hearts, sliced in quarters (I use water packed)

3 tablespoons mayo, I use light

1-2 teaspoons kosher salt

generous grinds of the pepper mill, or 1/2 teaspoon already ground pepper

Quarter your artichokes, dice your onion, chop your olives, zest lemon and set aside. Put drained tuna or albacore into a bowl. Add all of prepared ingredients, along with juice of half lemon, salt, pepper, & mayo. Mix together and serve it up, but not to someone who doesn’t like tuna fish from a can.

Cranberry-Orange Crostata

It’s been extremely cold outside lately. I took my oldest with me to the grocery store and just walking from the car to the store, I was regretting my decision to leave my gloves at home. But what got me was what I witnessed on our way home. A middle school aged boy walking home with shorts, lightweight sweatshirt & basketball jersey. Seriously?! I checked the temp stat once I got home…31 degrees, but feels like 21.

This makes me happy knowing we have heat in our home, a pot of chicken stock cooking, beds that are “just right” (I’ve been telling a lot of Goldilocks these days) and a family that is in anticipation during this Advent season. I was reminded yesterday about the need to believe again. Believe in the unseen & seen. To believe what continues to turn up empty. So, as Ben is sick in bed and me listening to the rhythm of the dishwasher, I will continue to hope.

And I think part of that hoping is tied up with food. We look forward to events to share life with one another, but also the food involved in the communal feast. This crostata or galette (there pretty much the same thing) is a delightful Holiday feast with the flaky crust, tangy cranberries, zest of orange & cardamom to bring it all together.

Cranberry Crostata or Galette (printable recipe)

I made this for a dear friend after she had her first baby. The crust is one I have used to make mini pecan tartlets, which is from The Pampered Chef. When I made it, I doubled the crust, in order to make another for later.

Ingredients:

Crust

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup cream cheese

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 beaten egg

turbinado sugar for sprinkling

Filling

2 cups frozen cranberries or fresh

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

zest of one orange

juice from one orange

2 tablespoons Triple Sec (or Cointreau)

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup turbinado sugar

Preheat oven to 350.

Crust: Combine all ingredients into a food processor to combine until it forms a ball. You could also beat your butter & cream cheese in a mixer, then add your flour. Separate into two equal disks. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Filling: Combine all of the ingredients into a pan over medium heat. Stirring to combine and wait till it starts to bubble. Turn to low heat and allow the cranberries to pop. Some of the cranberries will keep their form, while others will not. It will thicken up a bit, around 15 (if frozen) minutes. Taste to see if it needs more sugar. You still want the sour tang, but not overpowering you that you’re in a constant pucker face. Take off heat.

Assemble: If you have a pizza peel, then you could put some parchment on it and roll out your pastry dough on top. I have a pizza stone in my oven at all times & I simply slide the parchment with galette onto the stone. If you don’t have either of these, then put the parchment paper on a jelly roll sheet or cookie sheet. Roll it to 12 inches. Pour all of the cooked cranberries in the middle of the rolled out dough. You should have about a 2-3 inch circle of dough without cranberries on it. Carefully, fold up one part of the dough onto the cranberries.

Then, going counterclockwise, continue making folds with pleats, until you get to the last fold of dough. Brush your beaten egg over the dough & sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake for 30-35 minutes. OR…till the pastry puffs & is a lovely golden color. Let it cool for around 25 minutes before you slice into it.