kamillecscellick

P.A.C. Crisp (pear, apple, cranberry)

Crisp ala mode, what could be better?

Yesterday we had an Autumn Family gathering with the other families from our playgroup we go to Thursday mornings. I made this delicious crisp, along with the help of my trusty 2.75 year old assistant. I have to say that this crisp is exceptionally tasty. No, let’s not kid ourselves…it’s a complete foreshadow of everything Autumn (which is a GOOD thing indeed).

I was looking for something rustic, simple, and a ‘knock your socks off type of good,’ to make for dessert. I actually had never made it before, but I knew my Ina Garten hadn’t let me down so far, and her Barefoot Contessa at Home cookbook would for sure have a crisp recipe. I made a few adjustments from the original recipe, by using rapadura sugar, whole wheat pastry flour, using cranberries instead of dried, and adding cardamom (since there was orange in the recipe, cardamom screamed to be used). All of these made it taste great, especially the addition of cardamom.

The pears, apples, & cranberries sitting in sugary, spicy goodness.

Since my two year old helped make the crisp, she couldn’t stop talking about it the rest of the afternoon. The party was at 4:00 and she still needed to take a nap. She had a bit of a meltdown when I informed her that we weren’t going to the party quite yet, because she needed to take a nap. Her eyes quickly filled up with tears and some speaking in tongues began, to which effect something about not being able to eat the crisp was murmured. Poor girl, she even got a bit anxious as we were walking up to our friend’s door, where she looked around for the crisp then blurted with panic, “CRISP! CRISP?” And yes, she was the only kid at the dinner table eating her crisp after dinner, while all the others were playing downstairs (Then, was it bad to serve this for breakfast to her? I did put my foot down and say no to the ice cream she requested).

The crumb crust before entering the oven. Yes it’s a lot of topping, but keep piling it on.

And it must be said that I adore all of these ladies whom I get to share life with (almost) every week. We have been meeting weekly since just after V’s first birthday, which is almost two years now. I love how we have our similarities and differences, yet we still choose to be more than co-mothers, but friends. Each one of them brings a different gift to my life as a woman, wife & mom. There isn’t judgment on how we parent different or how we fail, but grace, because we understand (period). I also love how everyone is real & genuine. No one comes in with a, “Wow, I LOVE being a mother every second of the day (or everyday for that matter).” But there’s also not this, “Whoa, I hate being a mom and my kid is a….”

Instead, it’s a sincerity and a realness of “this mothering/parenting job is hard, and I don’t always like it, and I’m not going to be fake and make you think it’s the best job in the whole world 100% of the time. But I do value something higher, which means I will give up some of my rights, in order to provide my children with something greater. I not only value something higher, but love these stinkers so deep it hurts and am willing to go above & beyond for them.” That’s who these women are to me and I love them for it. So thanks Biz, Lindsey, Becky, Christine, Bethany, Megan & Talia–my Thursday mornings (although always running late & a bit disheveled) are my diamond in the rough as a stay at home mom and you ladies’ bring out a different spectrum of light in my diamond.

Last year’s Halloween party before many of the siblings were born.

P.A.C. Crisp (pear, apple, cranberry) (printable recipe)

Recipe is adapted from the Barefoot Contessa at Home cookbook. **A little side note: If you’re not familiar with other sugars like rapadura, I would encourage you to start baking & cooking with them. I get mine from the bulk section at our local Co-op, which is cheaper than buying it pre-packaged in the health/natural section of your grocery store.** The recipe also called for Macoun apples, but I used what I had on hand and I’m not too particular when the recipe calls for say ‘Granny Smith.’ Instead, I use what I know could create a good end product and wouldn’t dissolve into mush (say Red Delicious). My apples came from a friend’s tree, so I have no idea what they are called.

Ingredients:

3 ripe Bosc pears

5 apples (I have no idea what kind I used)

3/4 cup frozen cranberries (that’s what I had on hand, but you could use fresh)

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Squeezed juice of one orange

Squeezed juice of one lemon

1/2 cup evaporated cane juice sugar (this is sugar which is less refined and has a golden color to it)

1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

Topping:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup rapadura sugar (however, I know most people don’t have this, so do 3/4 of the above sugars)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup old-fashioned oats

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Peel and core the pears & apples. Cut them into large chunks. Put the fruit into a large bowl, toss with cranberries, zests, juices, sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, & cardamom. Pour into a 9×13 baking dish.

For the topping, combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal and cold butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the mixture is in large crumbles. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit, covering the fruit completely. You’ll notice that this is a lot of crisp topping, but keep packing it on and you won’t be disappointed.

Place the baking dish on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the top is brown and the fruit is bubbly. Serve warm (with vanilla ice cream to live on the wild side).

Maybe sitting by the fire eating the crisp with this little cutie could be better.

Juxtaposition

My mom is a woman who’s been through a lot of trials in her 53 years of life. We’ve bumped heads as we are similar in many ways, but we have also laughed, cried & encouraged one another through some pretty hard patches. And through our similarities there are of course the differences we hold. I (as you know) love love love to bake and love love to cook (bake is higher on the list), but my mom not so much. My mom love love loves to talk on the phone, and actually I’m not the biggest fan. I know she would say how I raise my girls, love my husband and tend to household duties is completely opposite to how she did those things when she was my age.

And although she didn’t necessarily teach me how to organize like Martha Stewart would have to her daughter (thank God), I would say my mom gave me gifts through her actions (those that surpass magazine covers or tangible sensibilities in Better Home & Garden magazines). Instead, she taught me what hospitality looked like (even though I didn’t know it was called that). Because my mom wasn’t the (and isn’t) type to say, “see, what I’m doing is called this…(fill in the blank).” She was simplistic in her love and grace to others (she’d probably disagree being hard on herself and call herself judgmental, but she always asked us kids for forgiveness when she was in the wrong).

I can recall my mom being the only parent who welcomed in kids to our home who were unwelcome in other “church” families’ homes. She had/has the knack of befriending just about anyone and “the least of these” are drawn to my mother. She loves without pretense and gives the benefit of the doubt. It’s the people who most of society, if they were honest with themselves, wouldn’t really want to hang out with or associate with. It’s what some might call ‘white trash, Walmart shopping, trailer park residing, welfare living, food stamp eating’ sort of people. I’m thankful for her goodness as she loves like Jesus, while providing me an example of how to love. She is so good about this and I find it to be a virtuous trait.

Christine Pohl, author of Making Room wrote:

Followers of Christ should offer a generous welcome to “the least of these,” without concern for advantage or benefit to the host. Because hospitality is a way of life, it must be cultivated over a lifetime. We do not become good at hospitality in an instant; we learn it in small increments of daily faithfulness. Hospitality is difficult because it involves hard work. People wear out and struggle with limits. Our society places a high value on control, planning, and efficiency, but hospitality is unpredictable and often inefficient. We insist on measurable results and completed tasks, but the results of hospitality are impossible to quantify and the work of hospitality is rarely finished.

One thing I think Pohl left out was, “Hospitality is messy.” It’s untamable, much like Aslan being described in the Chronicles of Narnia (who is the Christ figure in the series). We cannot guarantee that we will love every minute. We cannot control who it is that we are being called to show hospitality to in reality. And this is why hospitality is not entertainment. It’s not about having matching silverware and placemats, a fancy meal, or the best home to showcase it all in. That’s what Fine Living would tell you, but it’s the picture Jesus painted in his parable of having a fine feast inviting all the finest people in the land. However, none of them came. So the host went out & invited the ‘least of these’ from the streets to wine & dine at his feast (juxtaposition). He took any focus off himself to lavish it upon his guests. Making them the star.

So I ask myself (and my family), ‘how do we live in juxtaposition?’ I choose messy & unfinished, much like parenting right:) What do you do to live in juxtaposition? live in the messy & unfinished (‘rarely finished’)?

Pull out the recipe box

As I mentioned a couple posts back about my cooking class and all the wonderful food I enjoyed, but didn’t have the recipes quite yet. Well, I do now and I would love to share some of them with you. But before I do that…I have to tell you a rather sweet & lovely morning I woke up to.

First off, I had a date with Ben last night and dominated the conversation (thanks for listening). I dumped on him about how I’ve been feeling as a stay at home mom (ie trying to feed the kids in a fashionable time frame, wanting to enjoy a hot cup of coffee for once, trying really hard to run the inner workings of our house while spending quality time with my girls, etc etc etc). As he was listening, he asked, “what would your ideal day look like with the girls?” I think I repeated about three times, “well it would look like, no but that would be unrealistic,” while he would continue to say, “I didn’t ask what’s realistic, but idealistic” (here my realistic hubby telling his idealistic wife to stop being realistic–gotta love it).

So one of my answers was being able to enjoy a hot cup of coffee, sit down for breakfast all together and come home from Thursday playgroup with lunch already made to serve when we walk in the door (and a little bit more I’m leaving out, maybe it was a massage?). Well, listen he did. He took care of the oldest breakfast, had an americano for me and when I thought it couldn’t get any better…”here,” he said diverting my attention to a clear rubbermaid container, “a grilled cheese sandwich that just needs to be heated up and apple slices for the girl’s lunch.”

This is what hospitality looks like to a mother with two young children, who just the day before wanted to drive far, far away by herself. I’m blessed to have such a guy and I try really hard to not take it for granted. And as you read this and maybe make one of the recipes, I hope you will find someone you can bless through the simple act of hospitality, in the form of a meal.

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

adapted from Thomas Keller, Ad Hoc

I personally am not a big fan of fried chicken, but I do believe some of you are…specifically Liz S.

Ingredients:

1 gallon cold water

1 cup plus 2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons honey

12 bay leaves

1 head of garlic, smashed but not peeled

2 tablespoons black peppercorns

3 large rosemary sprigs

1 small bunch of thyme

1 small bunch of parsley

Finely grated zest and juice of 2 lemons

Two 3-pound chickens

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons garlic powder

2 tablespoons onion powder

2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

2 cups buttermilk

Vegetable oil, for frying

Rosemary and thyme sprigs, for garnish

In a very large pot, combine 1 quart of the water with 1 cup of the salt and the honey, bay leaves, garlic, peppercorns, rosemary, thyme and parsley. Add the lemon zest and juice and the lemon halves and bring to a simmer over moderate heat, stirring until the salt is dissolved. Let cool completely, then stir in the remaining 3 quarts of cold water. Add the chickens, being sure they’re completely submerged, and refrigerate overnight.

Drain the chickens and pat dry. Scrape off any herbs or peppercorns stuck to the skin and cut each bird into 8 pieces, keeping the breast meat on the bone.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne and the remaining 2 teaspoons of salt. Put the buttermilk in a large, shallow bowl. Working with a few pieces at a time, dip the chicken in the buttermilk, then dredge in the flour mixture, pressing so it adheres all over. Transfer the chicken to a baking sheet lined with wax paper.

In a very large, deep skillet, heat 1 inch of vegetable oil to 330°. Fry the chicken in 2 or 3 batches over moderate heat, turning once, until golden and crunchy and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of each piece registers 160°, about 20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to paper towels to drain, and keep warm in a low oven while you fry the remaining chicken pieces. Transfer the fried chicken to a platter, garnish with the herb sprigs and serve hot or at room temperature.

Mile High Buttermilk Biscuits

adapted Cooks Illustrated

These are truly a phenomenal buttermilk biscuit, which are super quick & easy.

Ingredients:

2 C flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

4 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 1/2 C buttermilk

Additional flour

2 Tbsp melted butter

Preheat oven to 500ºF. Spray a 9 in springform or cake pan with some nonstick spray.

Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt to a bowl and mix the ingredients together evenly. Using a fork or pastry blender, cut in the butter until the pieces are no bigger than a small pea. Fold in the buttermilk until everything is just blended, and there are no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix, the mixture should still be lumpy.

Line a plate or tray with some flour and using a 1/4 C measuring cup or 1/4 C ice cream/cookie scoop or eyeball it & use your hands, scoop out balls of the dough onto the tray of flour. Flour your hands and roll each ball around in the flour to evenly coat them in a layer of flour. The dough is very wet and very sticky. Place the dough balls into the prepared pan. Place 9 balls around in a ring and 3 balls in the center of the pan. Brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter.

Bake for 5 minutes at 500ºF (middle rack) and then lower the temperature to 450ºF and bake for another 15 minutes.

Apple Tarte Tatin

Pate Brisee

12 oz flour, sifted

1 tsp salt

8 oz unsalted butter, diced

1/4 C club soda (more or less)

Put flour, salt, and butter in food processor. Mix until it looks like grated parmesan. Add club soda a little at a time until pastry forms a ball and does not stick to sides. Dump dough onto a flat surface and push it away from you using the ball of your hand. Do this two or three times. Combine into a disc using your hands (don’t worry it will look pretty crumbly, which is normal). Put dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Let it rest on countertop for 10-15 minutes, till a bit pliable. Then roll for your pie pan.

Ingredients for Apple Tarte Tatin

8 tart (granny smith) apples

3/4 C sugar

1/2 stick unsalted butter

creme fraiche to serve

You need an oven proof frying pan – cast-iron ovenproof frying pan is fine.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Peel, halve, and core apples. Melt butter in pan on stove. Add sugar (just sprinkle it on top of the butter) and place the apples decoratively on top (cut side down). Cook slowly until caramelized. This can take up to one hour. Do not stir! (Clearly, low heat here.)

When cooked (check by lifting an apple and seeing what’s going on), remove from heat.

Roll the pastry, put it on top of the apples. Tuck the sides in. Cook in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove, take a flat dish and turn the tarte upsidedown. Serve warm with creme fraiche or vanilla ice cream. You can also scrape a vanilla bean into the apples at the beginning of the caramelization and let the pod sit in there with them, too, but it’s not totally necessary.

Poached Pears

Ingredients

2 cups Orange Muscat
1 medium red beet (1/4 pound), peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 (2-inch) cinnamon stick
2 Turkish bay leaves or 1 California
7-8 small firm-ripe pears (3/4 to 1 pound total), peeled, halved lengthwise, and cored

Bring wine, beet, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and bay leaves to a boil in a 1 1/2- to 2-quarts saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved.

Add pears and cover with a round of parchment paper. Simmer, turning occasionally, until pears are tender and liquid is syrupy, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer pears to a bowl. Discard cinnamon stick and bay leaves and pour syrup over pears. Cool completely in syrup, about 30 minutes.

Poached pears can be made 1 day ahead and chilled. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Pumpkin Pecan Scones

Today at church service was the first day that I didn’t have either of my girls with me from start to finish. It was nice to be able to worship and take in those precious moments of simply being. Our church family is going through I Corinthians right now. Our teaching pastor, Jim, spoke about the crux in the Corinthians lives. He was relating it to his mountain climbing experience; with the crux being the challenge/obstacle in the climb to get over.

This central idea of the crux was woven throughout the message, and eventually got me asking, “What is the crux in my life’s journey? What is the crux in my journey via mothering…via marriage…via my growing up family?” Sometimes the crux is only there for a season in our lives and it strengthens us for future cruxes, which are five times larger. Other times the crux is something that keeps getting brought up. In those instances, maybe the crux keeps coming up because we truly haven’t dealt with it.

Just in the mountain climbing scenario, the crux is only truly conquered when we deal with it head on. We cannot ignore it, climb around, or sit beneath it; rather, we need to do the hard work and climb over it. I believe the best part about this is how Jesus is waiting for us to ask for his help. (He’s only going to help when I ask for it. He never forces himself on me) The same is true for friends & family helping us get over the crux; but, only when we ask for their help.

One of my cruxes is being too helpful when people are hurting, but they’re not willing to change. I take on more than I should bear and it slowly destroys me (something I am trying to climb over). It’s learning to set up boundaries, knowing when to say no, and stripping off the Savior complex (not an easy task). But I’m hopeful! And with that, these yummy scones are an easy way to be helpful to anyone you meet without taking on more than you should bear (except eating a few too many).

Pumpkin Pecan Scones (printable recipe)

I was looking to create a scone recipe based on a wonderful pumpkin cookie I made from here. Now if you’re one of those people who is impartial to Starbuck’s Pumpkin Scones than you need to make these. Because these ones will knock your socks off and the Starbucks version will be a distant memory, while you’ll be having a “define the relationship” with these pumpkin scones.

Ingredients:

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup sugar (I use unrefined)

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (I seriously believe freshly grated makes a difference, but you could use the ground nutmeg from the store)

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 cup buttermilk (extra for brushing the tops of the scone prior to baking)

1 cup pumpkin puree (I used my own pumpkin puree, because that’s what I do, but I understand not everyone has this fetish, so buy canned pumpkin)

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup toasted & chopped pecans (plus some additional for topping, totally optional)

turbinado sugar for sprinkling

frosting recipe below

Preheat oven to 350. Dump both flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and all of the spices into a food processor. Process for 30 seconds (this will sift it, aerate it and incorporate all the ingredients). Dump the butter on top and pulse (for 1-2 second intervals) about 8-10 times. Dump contents into a large bowl & set aside.

Combine buttermilk, egg, pumpkin puree, & vanilla in a small bowl or mixing cup. With the dry ingredients, make a hole in the middle and pour wet ingredients into the hole. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula just till the wet & dry ingredients have been combined. You don’t want to over mix, because you’re aiming for a biscuit texture (which requires visible pieces of butter). Then, add the chopped pecans and combine with your hands (because that’s what they’re here for), once again being delicate with the dough. The dough should be a bit sticky, which is okay.

Separate the dough in half. Sprinkle flour on a flat surface and form one of the halves into a circle. I don’t use a rolling pin, but use my hands to shape the dough into a circle measuring about 1/2 inch high and 6-8 inches round (really you’re aiming more for the 1/2 inch height and the diameter is merely a gauge). Cut into 8 pieces. Repeat process with the other half.

Put a sheet of parchment paper on baking sheet. Place the scones on top. Brush with buttermilk & sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes. **Make frosting after your scones are baked, because the frosting has little window in terms of pliability/workability.** Top with frosting/icing & a pecan (or a some chopped pecans). Serve with some coffee.

Frosting

3 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

4 teaspoons milk (I used whole milk)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup powdered sugar

Combine butter, brown sugar, milk, & vanilla in saucepan over medium heat. Cook long enough to melt butter and sugar dissolves. Take off heat. Add powdered sugar and mix to combine till smooth. Use immediately by spreading on top of scones.

Heirloom Tomato Soup

Well, the week of Kamille is officially over as of a week ago. And although I was richly blessed by my husband for allowing me to take a three day cooking class, spend a couple evenings away from home and be creative away from typical mommy duties, it still made me feel like I wanted (and possibly needed) more time away. Is that horrible to say? I think I needed time to take in everything I learned, in order to apply it. But for anyone with small children knows, finding time to debrief is near impossible because life is always going.

However, after a couple days, I was able to apply some of my newly learned skills. My top priority being cutting apart a whole chicken and then making a stock out of the leftover chicken parts. So far I have two whole chickens cut down under my belt and about 100 more to go. It was great to make such simple dishes for dinner (using the chicken I cut up) and have Ben rave over them. He said of last night’s dinner (of roasted chicken breast stuffed with goat cheese & basil under the skin & roasted squash), “Mama, you did a good job! This is is what you would eat at a fancy restaurant.” I replied, “Are you teasing me?” Ben, “No, I’m serious!” What a great way to win over my heart (if you want to hit my soft spot you simply have to praise my cooking & baking…it doesn’t take much)

And I guess that’s what I have enjoyed about baking & cooking. It’s not only a simple (but big) way to show my family & friends I care for them—it is a means to allow the stresses of family, church, life, mommyhood to be taken from me for a short window. To simply peel potatoes & carrots is not an arduous job, but a time to think and let the cares of this world fall off my shoulder. To cut apart a chicken is not a complicated task, but a time to achieve something simple in a world so complex & difficult to grapple. To beat butter & sugar together at the mixer is not simply formulaic & mindless work, but a chance to watch the world unfold as freshly baked sweetness comes out of the oven. All of this is done to know myself in the midst of chaos and to know how to extend my world of blessing to someone who needs it most.

At my cooking class I made an Heirloom Tomato Soup. It was one of my favorite dishes, because it was a melding of complex and simple, much like life. It took only a handful of ingredients, but turned my mouth upside down as the flavors danced around.

Kamille’s Heirloom Tomato Soup (printable recipe)

Make a roux, which is a ratio of 55 flour to 45 fat (butter for this soup). Mix the ingredients together in a pan over medium high heat, constantly stirring until the roux forms a ball or it begins to smell like popcorn & hazelnuts. You can cook it as long as you like, but I cooked mine till it formed a tan color.

Ingredients:

Roux (transfer your roux from pan to a bowl to stop the cooking)

1 lb Heirloom tomatoes

1 garlic clove, minced

1 shallot, minced

about 1 1/2 cups of chicken stock (if you want to make it vegetarian than use vegetable stock)

Salt to taste

Freshly cracked pepper & olive oil drizzled on top

1. Score the bottoms of your tomatoes with an X mark.

2. Blanch your tomatoes for 30 seconds in scalding water, then submerge in an ice bath to stop the cooking.

3. Peel the skin off (as much as you can) and dice up your tomatoes.

4. Add about a tablespoon or more of olive oil to your pan and saute your garlic & shallot until fragrant, but not browned. Add your tomatoes and chicken stock to the pan. Cook over medium-high heat to produce a boil, then lower heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

5. Take pan off heat and use an immersion blender to process tomato mixture (if you don’t have an immersion blender then use a regular blender, but blend in a couple batches). Take your roux and add about a tablespoon to your pureed tomato soup. Mix and taste. Add salt. Mix and taste. Pour into bowl and top with freshly cracked pepper and olive oil.

**Most important item in all of this is to taste during every process. Taste your pre-cooked and cooked roux. Taste the tomatoes, shallot, garlic & chicken stock mixture. Taste so you know how much salt you need to add. Also, don’t be afraid of the salt, it is an essential ingredient that makes food “pop,” especially tomatoes. Serve with some crusty bread and enjoy.

Day One & Two

Chicken pot pie–comfort food!

Today was my first day of my cooking class. It was so relaxing to be able to learn & do something I thoroughly enjoy without two little ones at my feet. The majority of my cooking & baking knowledge is through trial & error and being self-taught via books. (I did take three years of home economics in junior high). I wasn’t fortunate enough to glean too much experience in the kitchen from my parents or grandparents either, which makes this ‘culinary intensive class’ a suitable fit for me.

So like I said in my last post about not being a novice in the kitchen, I’m finding that taking this three-day class is the best way for me to get hands on experience, knowledge, & visual teaching that I would otherwise not get. When looking at a cookbook there are so many classic dishes that I would love to make (or even learning classic techniques) & learn in a classroom setting. Now we didn’t make any demi-glace (which is what I would have loved to do), but we did break down a whole chicken to all it’s specific pieces (learning the different cuts, breaking points, and separating the thigh bone out of the thigh meat), and how much more cost effective it is to buy a whole chicken than simply buy chicken breasts, thighs, or drumsticks individually cut. Plus, there is something so empowering about doing it yourself. I highly recommend it. Actually, I’m going to buy a boning knife soon, along with a whole chicken simply to do it (yes I’m a nerd).

Brussel Sprouts with diced onions & pancetta

We also worked on making our own vinaigrette. Basically in making your own vinaigrette you want a 3:1 ratio of oil to acid (unless it’s something like lemon juice where you want equal parts), along with other parts (i.e. salt, pepper, dijon, etc). We made a lot of different food, which were shared in a communal dinner. It’s been really wonderful–truly truly.

Fried chicken with a buttermilk crust & seasoned flour

Today we made a chicken stock, brussel sprouts with pancetta, a carrot orange soup (ethereal), buttermilk biscuits, fried chicken, chicken pot pie, apple tatin, & drank a nice pale ale to top it off (and the sous chef made a devil’s cake with chocolate ganache). I’ll post some recipes for them later once I get my notes organized. And it’s not 10:00 at night. Tomorrow is my last day, but it’s been absolutely wonderful.

so I honestly felt this looked more deceiving than it tasted. I’m a chocolate person normally, but this apple tatin did it for me, especially with the vanilla ice cream accompaniment.

Devil’s chocolate cake with chocolate ganache

Summer Peach, Fall Apple, Hybrid Plum Jam

It’s a beautiful last day of summer with the projected forecast to hit a high of 79. Seems fitting to end summer on a warmer note. And although Autumn is my beloved of seasons (no doubt I pine for it’s arrival not long after it ends), the refreshment & excitement which summer sows is like that of a peach.

The other day while in the kitchen Ben said, “Wouldn’t you say that a nectarine or peach are the ultimate fruit?”

Me: “Yeah I would!”

Ben: (almost in a daze about it), “I mean, apples & bananas are good, but I could live without ’em.”

Me: “Yeah!”

Ben: “But a nectarine or a peach, I could eat those all the time. They’re juicy, sweet, and rarely disappoint.”

Me: “yeah I completely agree.”

Summer is peaches. It’s true, they rarely disappoint. They can quench both a thirst and a hunger inside. And there are so many things about Autumn that beat out summer in mind, but the fall apple doesn’t have anything on the summer peach. And as I was drinking a glass of water, clear, clean water, I paused and said, “Thank you God for this clean water that I take for granted! People in places like Haiti are without this simplest of gifts that I rarely rejoice in.”

And as I was thanking God for this simplest of gifts, it got me thinking about the ending of Summer and how I can steamroll ahead into Autumn, without a glimpse of a grateful heart for the summer. How I can tend to focus so much on the big picture, or my agenda, or who I want to become, or my goals, that I forget to delight in the little details of God’s goodness. Like my youngest clapping her hands for the first time, for oldest staying calm in the midst of struggling to put on her underwear, or the smell of fresh plum jam cooking on the stove top. It’s as my oldest says, “Gummies today the Lord has made?” Living in today, because the Lord has made it and delighting in it fully.

So as I breathe in the last of summer, so it only seems fitting to make a batch of plum jam. Thanks to my friend Megan who had an exploding Italian plum tree in their yard.

Plum Jam

It’s a hybrid not because it comes from a hybrid plum tree, but it’s a hybrid of two seasons colliding. This recipe is from the magazine Food & Wine, which can be found here. Note that when it says to squeeze the lemon over the plums, you are then suppose to add the squeezed lemon in with the mixture (as seen in my pics).

Plums sitting in sugar for an hour.

Cooking jam with half of lemon on top.

Wonderful afternoon snack, only thing missing is a cup of tea.

My Roots

I’m notorious for asking people, “What would be your last supper? I mean if you knew you were going to die tomorrow, or on death row, what would be that last ultimate meal?” Some people answer with something incredibly elegant (think five stars). However, I think most people go back to comfort. In fact, when Ben’s office had a celebration dinner for his five year anniversary, his co-worker called to see about his favorites. All of them very simple comfort foods (garlic mashed potatoes, steak, chocolate cake with ice cream).

Mine are Mexican comfort foods. Growing up in Yuma, AZ (a border town) has quintessential Mexican food. There are the special Mexican restaurants in Yuma, the taco stand 10 miles west from Yuma in Algodones, Mexico or in my adopted family’s home, where Mrs. Carrillo taught me how to make nopales con carne & Mr. Carrillo taught me the value of using salt to suck out the flare of jalapenos on my tongue. One of my favorites is Machaca, but not machaca huevos. The best is the machaca burrito from the beloved Chili Pepper (sidenote: it’s great how people who grew up in Yuma and moved away still salivate hearing the words…a B&C burrito (bean & cheese)…and upon return will stop at Chili Pepper before seeing the folks). The machaca burrito is a savory meat at it’s best. Truly there is something comforting about sucking out flavorful juices from this slowly simmered shredded beef.

So if I had one last meal, I would definitely have a machaca burrito on the menu. What would yours be?

Machaca Tacos (printable recipe)

I know many Americans prefer flour tortillas; but, please do yourself a favor and use warmed corn tortillas and you won’t regret it. However, if you make burritos than use homemade flour tortillas. Recipe adapted from http://www.texascooking.com

Marinade Ingredients:

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
juice of two limes
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup vegetable oil or olive oil

Machaca Ingredients:

2-3 lb Flank Steak
1 large yellow onion
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, minced
1-14 oz can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (I used Tabasco)
salt & pepper to taste
vegetable oil for searing beef.

For the marinade, combine all the ingredients in a bowl then whisk to an emulsion. Add the beef making sure every piece is evenly coated. Cover & refrigerate overnight. Before preparing, drain thoroughly and allow meat to come up to room temperature for about 30 minutes.

In a large dutch oven or soup pot, heat a few tablespoons of ol over medium-high heat until very hot. Sear the beef until a rich brown color is developed on all sides, as well as bottom of pan.

When all the beef is browned nicely and removed from the pan, add the onions, peppers and garlic to the hot pan. Saute for a few minutes then add the remaining ingredients to the pan along with the beef. Bring to a boil, scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer slowly for about 2 1/2 hours. The meat should be very tender and should easily fall apart when pricked with a fork.

You can either take the meat to a cutting board to pull it apart with forks, or do it right in the pot. Once you shred it, cook it on simmer for another 30-45 minutes.

Heat the tortillas on stove top for best results.

**I liked mine a bit liquidy, but you can cook in the last part until the liquid is reduced and very thick.

Tina’s PSL

PSL

What exactly is a PSL you ask? I had the same question as I was reading a good friend’s Facebook status. She wrote that she had her first PSL of the season and then a lot of Fall connotations. What was worst were the people commenting as if they had a clue as to what this PSL she spoke of. It was finally about 8 hours when enlightenment hit. The acronym code was broken…”Pumpkin Spice Latte!!”

Now it must be said that I am personally not a huge pumpkin fan. There are those who love everything pumpkin, those who cannot stand it, and those who are a bit impartial. Growing up I didn’t like anything pumpkin. For instance, the only pumpkin pie available in my house during Thanksgiving was the one from the grocery store. Neither mom or dad did much of baking pumpkin quick bread, pumpkin cookies, or pumpkin anything. Funny thing is when I entered college I got back to my middle school roots of home economics and my love of baking & cooking, which eventually led me to the “pumpkin.”

mise en place

I feel like one true sign of an affinity to baking is when you use ingredients that you may not personally adore, but use them to bless others that do. This is pumpkin for me (to some degree, as I’m not a lover nor a hater). However, you wouldn’t know this as I buy a sweet meat squash every year fall, bake it, puree it and freeze parts of it for later use. I guess most of this is aside from the point, well…onto the recipe I found for making your very own PSL at home.

Frothed & Steamed Pumpkin Spiced Milk

Shots of espresso

I definitely think this is intended for whipped cream, don’t skimp!

PSL (Pumpkin Spice Latte)

This recipe is taken from Baking and Books, with a little adaptation.

Ingredients:

1 cup milk (use whatever kind you typically drink)

a pinch of ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 1/2 Tablespoons pumpkin puree

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 tablespoon raw sugar or rapadura sugar (these are different & I used rapadura as I’m trying to use less refined sugars)

2 shots of espresso

2 tablespoons half & half

1-3 teaspoons raw sugar

Whipped cream

Combine milk, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, pumpkin puree, vanilla & 1/2 tablespoon sugar in a blender. Blend till frothy. Steam milk mixture to 160 degrees, or you can heat in a pan on top of the stove over low-medium heat till milk is 160 (be sure to stir if on top of stove).

Pull two espresso shots and pour in cup. Add warmed pumpkin milk, along with 1 tablespoon half & half, to your shots of espresso. If you taste your latte at this point all you will taste is spiced flavored milk and it’s not as appealing, so add however many teaspoons of sugar to the pumpkin milk until it reaches the right sweetness factor. Top with as much whipped cream as you’d like. Sprinkle a bit of nutmeg on top and cozy up to a good book.

(clockwise) Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves & rapadura sugar

**I would say the one downside to this recipe is the last two drinks, because the spices settle to the bottom of the cup leaving a bit of spice soot. I think the only way to counter this would be to seep the milk in whole cloves, nutmeg & cinnamon sticks; however, that would take a much longer time than it’s worth.

Some Redemptive Love & Sour Lemon Scones

While I was doing an internship with a college ministry called UCM a couple years back, I went with my fellow interns to the house of Dr. James Houston. He is the founder of Regent College and is from the UK. He is a wealth of knowledge, wisdom & insight. He is full of grace, hospitality and a breath of fresh air.

The UCM director would take the interns every year to Dr. Houston’s house to simply glean from his years of living with God. We were welcomed into his home with scones, breads, jam & tea. His wife Rita (who is Scottish, so don’t happen to ask her if she’s from England, because she’ll definitely put in her two cents on the subject) busily made the lunch while we were in the living room listening & asking questions.

Now, when one becomes an intern it isn’t uncommon to know of the specialness of visiting the Houston home. I can recall former interns stories of Dr. Houston speaking prophetic words into their lives and of Rita’s wit & hospitality. You expected that he would speak a special word to you personally and walk away holding a gem. You also knew that Rita would shower you with hospitality. Both of which made me very excited to be apart of this day. However, our intern day was a bit different. In fact, it was so different that he didn’t really speak a prophetic word to anyone, except me.

He spoke of a myriad of things from Romanticism to the Psalter to real spirituality. There was a key moment in the morning while he was talking about our ministries failing when we peg them as our own. And as he was talking I asked him a question. You know, I don’t remember what question I asked him or even remember completely what he was talking about. I do remember that I was genuinely seeking an answer to this question. I remember wrestling with the idea of ministry and church and how that all looked. Through my questions & his answers two things happened.

One was this deep penetration of his eyes locked on mine. It was probably one of the most powerful moments I’ve experienced. He knew I was struggling and wrestling, so as he answered me…it was as though everyone else in his living room disappeared and I was the only one he was tending. He was showing me hospitality at that moment. He was unveiling a glimpse of what it meant to be present to not only your guest, but the person made in Christ’s likeness sitting before him. I felt completely loved and cared for by his attentiveness to me and my earnest heart.

Second, was what came from our question & answer. I believe he asked me what I did with UCM, which I replied that I oversaw Evangitality, which is the hospitality ministry and expanded a bit about what we did and my vision for the students (meaning opening up ourselves & our stuff to anyone we encounter, in order that they would know they are a valued person of the Most High; as well as, giving them a hope).

He then had this, “AHHH” sort of expression and said something to the effect, “Well, you must have come from a home that was immersed in love, parents married…” Of course, my answer was,”No, actually it wasn’t, my parents are divorced and it was hectic at times.” Then, he said, “Oh (pause), well then, (with a look of reassurance) it’s a re-DEM-ptive love, isn’t it! It’s like Samson reaching his hand into the carcass of the lion pulling out sweet honey.” With that he left his eyes locked on mine as to give me a sense of my worth and out of a horrible beast of a past, God can still redeem it for sweet, nourishing ending.

That day I walked away feeling nourished by his hospitality, because although his wife was busily making the meal and too many times in our world (Christian and non) we associate the food with hospitality. But the problem with that is I was not so much nourished by the food, grateful yes, but by the care, counsel and genuine love I was shown by Dr. Houston. I saw a glimpse of God that day, through his act of loving this downtrodden 26 year old. He spoke God’s words upon me, “You’re my redeemed!” What a beautiful, glorious jewel to behold. So as I try to intertwine food with lovingkindness, (which is hospitality to the nth power) here are some delicious scones to share with a friend or a stranger as you give them a glimpse of God’s heart for them.

Sour Lemon Scones (printable recipe)

Adapted from Baked. I have made some minor changes, as I’m always experimenting to see if I can add whole wheat flour. And I must say that everyone at playgroup said these were great. As my friend Biz said, “they were better than bakery-awesome!” The whole wheat pastry flour makes a softer crumb, so these scones are not as biscuity in texture, but still very good.

Ingredients:

4 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup rapadura sugar

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, cubed & cold

1 large egg

1 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup grated lemon zest (from about 3 lemons)

1 teaspoon lemon extract (use the kind that is the real lemon essence, not artificial)

2 Tablespoons raw sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and ginger. Whisk until combined. Add the butter. **The recipe says: “Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until the butter is pea-sized.” However, I use my kitchen aid and mix to the same consistency and see no problem.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, 3/4 cup of the buttermilk, and the lemon zest. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and then gently knead the dough with your hands until the dough starts to come together. Move the dough to a lightly floured surface. Use your hands to shape the dough into two discs (about 1 1/2 inches in height). Do not overwork the dough.

Put the discs on the parchment lined pan. Make a 1/8 inch indentation to make 6 wedges, but do not cut all the way through. Brush each scone with the remaining buttermilk and sprinkle with raw sugar. Bake in the center of the oven for about 25 to 30 minutes (rotating the baking sheet halfway through the baking time) or until the scones are golden brown.

Transfer the scones to a cooling rack; they can be served slightly warm or completely cooled. Optional top with glaze below.

Scones can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Lemon Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

squeeze juice from half to 3/4 of a fresh lemon

Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl. You should come out with a not too thick and not too thin glaze that will be great for putting on top of your cooled (or slightly warmed scones, if you’re like me and trying to hurry out the door to playgroup).