Winter Squash: A Study in Still Life Part II

I just know you are sitting on the edge of your seat waiting for this next post!  Well, wait no longer my friends...here is Part II.  I had grand ambitions of getting this to you much sooner, but the craziness of the season got the best of my time.  Rather than work my way through the natural order of a meal, as I had originally intended, I'm going to play the "I'm a woman-it's my prerogative to change my mind" card and instead give you a few recipes that might be fun to play with over the holidays if you have time.  I am at least sticking to one theme, and that is Breakfast!

This fall I heard that Willy St. Coop had developed a squash smoothie for their juice bar.  I have not yet tried one, but I have heard from reliable sources that they are wonderful.  I'm a big smoothie fan, but in all honesty the thought of this type of smoothie made me wrinkle my nose just a little.  And, because it sounded a bit off, I naturally had to try to make one for myself.  Those who know me well know that I am not one to shy away from oddities in the food world.  In fact, I relish them.   The results felt a bit Willy Wonka-ish...in a very good way.  It's like pumpkin pie in a glass AND it's good for you!  Doesn't get much better than that.  I've been imbibing these creamy delicious drinks on and off for the past few weeks for breakfast.  They are satisfying and actually keep me full until nearly lunch time.  Here's what I did:

1 hard winter squash (I used pumpkin, because I love them...butternut is also a great option)
**This is the time consuming do ahead part: cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds, roast flesh side down in a shallow baking pan (with a little water added) at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until the skin is browning and the flesh is nice and soft.  Let cool enough to handle, scoop flesh in to a bowl that can be used for storage, and mash the flesh just until it's a consistent texture.  You can do this any time in advance and store covered in the refrigerator.

Squash Smoothie
Ingredients
3/4 C. mashed roasted squash (see above)
1/2C Cottage Cheese or Plain Yogurt
1 banana** (see tip below)
1 C. milk (you can use any kind of milk you want...cow, almond, soy, rice...) OR Apple Cider
a slug of real WI maple syrup (probably a tablespoon or two)
5-6 good shakes of Penzey's Baking Spice  (you can substitute some cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cardamom)

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a good blender and blend until smooth and frothy.
The awesome thing about smoothies of any kind is they are hard to screw up.  You can adjust flavors and ingredients until you get a product that suits you.  This recipe will make a couple of 8 oz glasses and will store in the refrigerator for a couple of days if needed.

(If you spend a good amount of time in the kitchen and have the means I highly recommend getting a VitaMix blender.  It is definitely an investment, but I think it is a versatile workhorse and worth every penny.)

**Banana tip.  I buy free trade bananas from the bargain bin at the grocery store (WSC).  When they are nice and ripe I peel them and store them in a gallon sized freezer bag in the freezer.  When I need a banana for a smoothie or other recipe that calls for mashed banana, I pull one out and nuke it for approximately 30 seconds to thaw and use.**





Crock Pot Pumpkin Steel Cut Oats
(the original recipe can be found through this link)
A co-worker just told me about this idea and I can't wait to try it.  It sounds delicious and is a smart way to feed a crowd a unique and healthy breakfast or make some convenient freezer packages for busy days ahead.  As I said, I can't wait to try it...meaning I haven't given this recipe a "go" but it looks like it should be a winner and my co-worker raved about it, so I feel comfortable sharing it with you.  Besides, we can all try it together.  Let me know how yours turns out!  I modified the recipe a touch so you can use the squash you have on hand and with the changes I will make when I give it a try. The recipe calls for pumpkin, but I think you could use any variety of hard squash.  See the Squash Smoothie recipe above for instructions on roasting your squash.

Ingredients

2 cups Steel Cut Oats
1 1/2 C. mashed roasted squash/pumpkin
3 1/2 cups milk
3 1/2 cups water
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1 Tablespoon Penzey's Pumpkin Pie Spice or Baking Spice (you can also make your own)
1/4 cup brown sugar

Optional additions:  chopped apples, raisins, chopped walnuts or hickory nuts

Directions

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.  Cook on low 4-6 hours.  If it needs more sweetening when it's ready try adding Maple Syrup and add more milk if it's thicker than you like.  Oatmeal freezes very well.  Simply portion in to freezer safe containers.  **Remember to always label your containers because frozen food all looks the same and is nearly unrecognizable.**  When ready to eat, thaw and reheat. It is ideal to reheat oatmeal on the stove top and be sure to have more milk or water on hand.  

Makes 8 - 1 cup servings.

Sweet Potato Black Bean Burritos 
(for original recipe follow the link...below is my modified recipe)

I was recently asked to do some freezer cooking for a friend who was planning ahead for the arrival of their baby.  I've always frozen food as a preservation technique or when I have too much to eat at once, but until that moment I had never planned meals specifically to freeze for convenience later.  The research of recipes and techniques for this style of cooking was a lot of fun and this Sweet Potato Black Bean Burrito recipe inspired a breakfast burrito that has proven to be one of my favorites and something I plan to keep on hand at all times.  FYI, the cookbook I found most useful for this project is "Don't Panic - More Dinner's in the Freezer" by S. Martinez, V. Howell,  & B. Garcia.  The above recipe is a vegetarian  option and uses sweet potatoes, which can often be interchanged with hard squash in nearly every recipe.  I am a big fan of breakfast style burritos and Mexican style chorizo sausage which is why I modified this recipe to suit my taste.  I usually get my chorizo from Jordandal Farm , but I occasionally make my own using local ground pork.


Ingredients

2 Tbls cooking oil* (see tip below) or your leftover bacon grease, divided
1/2 lb Mexican style chorizo, casings removed1 onion, chopped
1 Red Bell Pepper** (see tip below), chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 large winter squash or 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 Tbls butter
6 Eggs (from a friend, farm neighbor, or farmer's market...pastured eggs taste better, are healthier, and are worth the cost) 12 (10 inch) flour tortillas
½ to one pound Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded


Directions


Heat large heavy skillet over medium high heat.  Add 1 Tbls oil or fat, when hot add ground chorizo.  Fry in skillet stirring often to break up in to small pieces.  When sausage is browned remove to paper towel lined plate, reserving fat in skillet, and set sausage aside.  


Return skillet to stove over medium heat.  Add another 1 Tbls of oil or fat, when hot add chopped onion and bell pepper.  Saute until beginning to soften, scrape up any crispy bits left in the pan from cooking the sausage.  Add a little water if needed to help loosen any stubborn bits.  Add garlic, spices, and squash.  Cook, stirring often, to combine for 2 minutes.  Cover skillet and continue to cook, stirring often, until squash is soft but not mushy, approx. 8-10 minutes.  While waiting crack eggs in to bowl and whisk briefly with a fork to combine.  Season with salt & pepper.  Remove lid, add black beans, and cook another couple of minutes to heat beans through and evaporate collected liquid. Remove contents of skillet to large bowl.  Add reserved chorizo to this bowl as well, stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. 


Return skillet to medium heat, add 1 Tbls butter.  When butter is foaming,  add whisked eggs and cook as scrambled until moist and glistening...they will seem undercooked.   Dump scrambled eggs in to bowl with black bean mixture, stir gently to combine.  Do not allow the eggs to brown or cook until dry or "done".  At that point they will be overcooked and rubbery. Check out this great video on cooking perfect scrambled eggs.  


Assembly

If you plan to freeze the burritos, allow filling to cool completely before assembly.  This is important! If you wan to eat them right away, carefully assemble with the hot filling.  Working with one tortilla at a time (they will be more pliable if room temperature or slightly warm...if you will eat them right away you can actually pre-heat each tortilla in a hot skillet first).  Lay tortilla on work surface.  Place 1/4 C. or so of filling in a line down the middle of tortilla (from top to bottom) leaving a good inch of space at each end.  Top with a couple tablespoons of shredded cheese.  Fold right side of tortilla over filling, fold top and bottom of tortilla next, and finish with left side being sure corners are tucked in and filling is completely contained.  Set aside seam side down.  Repeat until tortillas are used up. (My photos were taken after the fact, so I apologize that they don't follow my directions exactly, but they are still a useful guide)

For freezing: wrap each burrito in plastic wrap, followed by wrapping tightly in foil.  Label each burrito with a marker and freeze.

To eat from freezer:  if you plan ahead you can thaw them and heat in oven or microwave.  I never do that, so when I need to grab breakfast in a hurry I completely unwrap the frozen burrito (I save the clean plastic wrap & foil for another use), wrap the burrito in a paper towel, and microwave for 1 minute 30 seconds on 70% power.  I turn the burrito over and microwave another 1 minute 30 seconds on 70% power.  They are always perfectly reheated when I do this.  I top them with some of my canned salsa and enjoy.  These burritos are really tasty and satisfying!


*Cooking Oil tip:  I use Olive oil (not Extra Virgin) or Grape Seed oil for cooking; Sunflower Oil is being produced and sold locally from Driftless Organics and is a nice option as well.


**Bell Pepper tip:  Bell Peppers in their off season are expensive and have to be shipped to us from far off places.  During their peak season (late summer in our area), load up on these beautiful and tasty peppers from your local farmer's market.  Give them a wash, remove the stem and seeds, and chop or leave in large sections.  Place pepper pieces in freezer bags or containers and put in the freezer for use throughout the year.  When thawed they will lose their crunch, so won't be suitable for eating raw, but they retain their color and flavor so will be perfect for all of your cooked dishes.  


Whew!  There is a lot of information here.  But fun and delicious ideas for using your supply of winter squash.  Please let me know if you give these recipes a try.  I would also love to hear what your favorite uses for winter squash might be!  


Stay tuned for Part III where I'll share a versatile entree recipe that is great as a salad, side dish, or main course.  


One final thing I have to share.  I was very excited when Terese Allen and Joan Peterson released the first edition of their "Wisconsin Local Foods Journal" earlier this year.  I was even more excited to get my hands on a copy and saw what an amazing resource it really is.  The icing on the cake is that the proceeds from the book sales go to support REAP Food Group's food and sustainability programs.  As a leader on the board of Slow Food Madison, supporting local food groups who focus on sustaining our local food system is a priority for me.  I am such a fan of these women and this book is my favorite gift to give this year.  I anticipate it will become an annual favorite for years to come.

Happy holidays to you all and best wishes in the coming year!!

Winter Squash: A Study in Still Life part I

Winter squash is like a little ray of sunshine.  The varieties available make the fall farmer's markets look like a veritable candy store with the beautiful oranges, yellows, and greens that usher in our fall season.   Acorn, Butternut, Delicata, Hubbard, Spaghetti, Pie Pumpkin...just to name a few.  When these gems are stored properly (cool, dark, with moderate humidity...I keep mine in a single layer in my basement) they can feed us well in to our long Wisconsin winter.  They are loaded with vitamins and minerals and each variety has its own flavor and texture profile.

As with their Summer counterparts, Winter squash is very easy to grow.  If you have the space, a squash vine can give you quite a bang for your buck on the dinner table.  Or, if you have a CSA (like I did this year, thank you Primrose Community Farm!) you might have a stash of squash in your basement that can seem a little daunting.  Although we all love the familiar baked squash with butter and brown sugar there are all kinds of fun ways to enjoy this versatile vegetable.

Before I get in to the recipe portion of this post let's talk about the challenges to cooking with winter squash...cutting and peeling.  As we all know, winter squash comes in many shapes and sizes and has a very hard outer skin.  A large sharp knife and an easy to hold sharp vegetable peeler will make your life a little easier.  This is probably one reason that folks generally opt for the oven roasted squash dish I mentioned above.  Cutting the squash in half, baking, and scooping out soft flesh is definitely the easy way to go...not that there's anything wrong with that.

Peeling a smooth variety, such as Butternut, isn't as bad as dealing with a grooved squash like Acorn.  A tip I got from a friend is to pop the whole squash (uncut & unvented) in to the microwave for a few minutes.  This softens the skin just a bit and makes it easier to peel.  A smooth squash like Butternut is easiest to peel if you leave it whole and use a vegetable peeler.  (Please keep in mind, this is based on my personal experience and not some other kind of culinary edict)

There are a couple of ways to deal with the grooved squashes.

• Cut in half crosswise and scoop out seeds.  Microwave for 4 minutes or so on high to soften the peel and flesh a touch.  Cut halves in to wedges following the indents already present on the squash.  Peel each wedge with a vegetable peeler

OR

• Cut squash in half and scoop seeds.  Continue to cut each half in to 1 inch slices parallel to the first cut edge.  You will end up with rings.  Lay each ring on the cutting board and trim the peel from the flesh with the tip of a knife. (Sorry, bad blogger...I don't have a photo of this.  You'll have to use your imagination.)

One last thing to keep in mind is that once cooked and softened, nearly all squash peels are edible and may go completely unnoticed in your dish.  In some cases it can even add some decorative flair.

Let's get cooking!  Shall we start at the beginning of the meal hierarchy with soup?  Here is one of a few recipes that are my own.

Al's Squash Soup   

(Who is Al?  Just another nick-name folks)

1 large winter squash - halved and seeded
1/2 lb bacon or pancetta - diced
1 med onion - chopped
fresh Sage (large bunch) - leaves picked and stems discarded
2 Tbls fresh Thyme - leaves removed and stems discarded
1/2 C. Apple Cider
1 small bulb garlic
2-3 C. Chicken stock
1/4 C. Sour Cream or Creme Fraiche

Optional toppings:
crumbled Blue cheese
Walnuts roasted and finely chopped
Splash of an aged Balsamic Vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rub olive oil over squash flesh and season with salt.  Place in roasting pan flesh side down.   Place garlic bulb on a piece of foil, drizzle with olive oil, and wrap loosely with the foil.  Add garlic package to roasting pan with squash.  Cook until squash flesh is soft and skin easily pierced. (Approx 40 minutes)
2.  Check garlic after approx 30 minutes.  If golden and soft remove from oven while squash continues to cook.
3.  Meanwhile, pan fry the pancetta/bacon in a skillet over medium heat until brown and nearly crisp.  Remove from pan and drain on paper towel.
4.  Pour all but 2 Tbls of the rendered fat in to your BGB (Bacon Grease Bowl- everyone should have one in the fridge for reserved bacon grease).  Return the skillet with 2 Tbls bacon grease to the heat.  Fry sage leaves in hot bacon grease, add onion & Thyme and reduce heat to medium-low.  Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until caramelized.  (approx 20 minutes)
5.  When squash is ready remove from oven. Scoop soft flesh out away from skin and put in food processor.  Add roasted garlic (by squeezing softened cloves from skins) and onion-herb mixture.  Process until smooth. Pour all contents in to a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add apple cider and chicken stock until you reach desired consistency and soup is heated through.  Taste and adjust salt to your liking...keep in mind that crispy bacon will add a bit of salt to the soup.
6.  To serve: spoon soup in to warmed bowls.  Top with a small dollop of sour cream/creme fraiche, crispy bacon and any combination of remaining optional toppings.

Makes approx 8 C.

That's all for now.  Stay tuned for more!

The 3-way Chili

In our house my husband reveres chili with passionate monogamy.  He is the only one who makes it and it has to be done in a very specific way.  Bastardizing it with pasta of any kind is near sacrilege.  (Interesting, because he's from Green Bay which touts its own brand of chili that includes spaghetti...which is how his mom makes it!)

When my Cincinnati friends told me about their chili that can be enjoyed as 3, 4, or 5-way, it caught my attention.  What on earth could this kinky, open minded chili be about?  Although it can be enjoyed as 3-way, it turns out that this chili with a cult following, also must be done in a very specific way.

If you've never heard of it, Skyline Chili is a chain of restaurants in Cincinnati, OH, founded in 1949 by a Greek immigrant.  The chili is a fine textured meat sauce with a very distinct flavor profile.  Although the official recipe is a highly guarded family secret, most agree that the sauce must contain chocolate and cinnamon which are common spices in Greek cuisine.  Because of Skyline's history and popularity, "Skyline" and "Cincinnati" style chili have become synonymous.

So what's this 3-way all about?  Cincinnati chili is traditionally enjoyed served over spaghetti noodles and topped with lots of finely shredded cheddar cheese. (Chili + noodles + cheese = three, get it?)  Sorry to disappoint any other notions of enjoying 3-way chili...though I can't imagine what that would even look like.  Add Red beans OR onions and now you have it 4-way.  Add both red beans AND onions, and now you have it 5-way.  If you can believe it there is even more to this madness.  Once plated it is common to squirt hot sauce across the top and cover the whole mess with salty oyster crackers.  Check out the Webner House blog for all of the specifics.

After consulting a friend of mine from Cincinnati, here is the recipe I use to make this wonderfully unique chili.  It is inspired by Skyline Chili Copycat from Food.com.

1 Qt water
2 lbs ground beef
2 med onions, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 pint (16 oz) tomato sauce
2 Tbls cider vinegar
1 Tbls worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp (rounded) ground black pepper
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 bay leaf
1 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 to 1 tsp cayenne or ground red pepper
1/2 oz grated unsweetened chocolate or 3/4 Tbls unsweetened cocoa

Finely shredded cheddar cheese

1 lb spaghetti

Optional toppings:

Red Kidney beans

minced onion

oyster crackers

Sriracha hot sauce

1.  Fill saucepan with water.  Crumble raw ground beef in to pan of water. (Really, trust me).  It's okay if it's in clumps.  Bring water & meat to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat to a simmer.

2.  Add all remaining ingredients (except cheese & pasta).  Simmer uncovered 2-2 1/2 hours.  Remove bay leaf, skim off visible fat, and cool.  Best if left in refrigerator overnight before serving.  

I just added the beans right in to the chili before serving.

When ready to eat.  Cook up a pot of spaghetti noodles to al dente and drain.  Reheat chili.  Pile noodles on plate, top with chili sauce, followed by your choice of optional kidney beans and onion.  Finish off with a mound of finely shredded cheddar cheese.  Proceed with hot sauce and oyster crackers if you so desire and dig in!   

This chili can also be enjoyed in the same manner on hot dogs or over baked potatoes.  We enjoyed ours with a side of Stella's Hot Spicy Cheese rolls!

I make this chili when I have time to cook ahead and then portion it into freezer bags for use at a later date.  Makes it a quick and easy meal when you are short on time.  

**An important thing for you to know about me is that I am passionate about supporting local farmers and food producers.  Whenever I can I source my ingredients locally and will either list an item as such and include a link to the producer or put a list at the end of the post with the folks I bought my ingredients from.  If you ever want to know exactly where to get a food item locally, please don't hesitate to ask.  I would encourage you to give serious consideration to where your money is going and who you are supporting when you buy your food.  A smaller visible price tag on the front end is often NOT without a higher hidden price tag on the back end.  Another topic for another time, but if you want to know more in a fun way...watch Food, Inc.    (It's available on Netflix.)**

My sources for this meal:

• Ground beef- Jordandal Farms
• Onions & garlic came from my garden
• Spices- Penzey's
• Pasta- RP's pasta
• Cheddar cheese- Hook's Cheese

The $200 Burger

Although absurdly priced burgers do exist...think Kobe & lots of truffles...this $200 burger isn't exactly the cost of your lunch but more appropriately the cost of getting to lunch.  Popular among local aviators is a lunch rendezvous at Piccadilly Lily Diner at the Tri-County Airport near Lone Rock, WI.   The short flight from Morey Airport in Middleton, WI, has an approximate price tag of just under $200.  Tack on the real price of the burger (approx $6.50) and you've got your "$200" burger.

This lunch escapade was my most recent dining adventure.  The surgeon I routinely work with took up flying lessons just over a year ago and ever since has been regaling his surgical staff with stories from his time in the sky.  These stories were often ended with "When I get my license I'm taking you all up for a ride.  We'll go to Lone Rock and get lunch...the $200 burger." We would all politely nod our heads in approval with a chuckle while giving one another side glances of apprehension.  Though we were happy for his passionate pursuit, we weren't entirely sure we wanted to partake.  

The moment of truth finally arrived yesterday.  It was a beautiful clear (cold) day and we were expecting to finish our work early.  Our friendly surgeon announced, "Today is the day.  If you are all free, how about I take you to Lone Rock for lunch by way of a plane?".  What could we say?  How could we argue?  And, how could we say "no" to his look of sheer boyish delight?  I think, "Um, okay" was our collective answer.  Our apprehension wasn't so much about our new pilot's abilities, he's extremely conscientious, but more about falling from the sky while strapped in to a tin can with wings and, possibly even worse, about being too green around the gills to even eat once we arrived.  I popped my Dramamine equivalent and practiced my yoga breathing.  After all, what is life without some adventure? 

  

Thankfully our flight was uneventful and was actually quite beautiful.  Cruising at an altitude of 2500 feet gave our familiar Wisconsin River landscape a whole new appeal.  Our short flight to Lone Rock took all of 17 minutes from Middleton.  As you might imagine, the airport in Lone Rock is rather small.  A short runway that ends at a few small buildings.  The Piccadilly Lily was one of those buildings.  Once on the ground, our pilot taxied the plane right on over to the Piccadilly's "parking lot". The whole setting couldn't have been more quaint and unusual.  The restaurant is a small salt box diner like you'd expect to see in any of our tiny rural towns.  The parking lot, however, is designed for private airplanes.  Simply fly in and park your plane in the lot like a car.  It is quite a sight.  Once inside the diner we saw that there are parking spaces for cars on the other side, but what fun is that?

  

The diner has about 10 tables, one waitress, and a bustling lunch crowd.  The crowd was pretty mixed.  Everywhere from beautifully groomed men in starch white collared shirts with designer ties to guys who looked like they had spent just one day too long at Deer Camp.  Our foursome fit somewhere in between.  The walls are naturally adorned with aviation themed artwork of all kinds.  (The airport and diner seem to have quite a history, but unfortunately no website or online information to share.)

The menu is pretty traditional small town diner.  A large breakfast menu that is served all day and a smaller lunch menu comprised of burgers, a variety of sandwiches, and nearly any fried side you can think of.  The prices tell you that you are definitely not in the big city anymore.  

I had the Philly Steak sandwich with homemade "pub" chips on the recommendation of our waitress.  I'm not a connoisseur of Philly Steak sandwiches by any stretch, but I was hungry and it was tasty.  The pub chips were curly shaved potatoes that had been fried.  They were crispy and not at all greasy, but were deficient in salt.  My friends seemed to like their food well enough...eggs & hash browns, eggs Benedict, grilled ham & cheese and chili.  

This particular dining adventure wasn't really about the food.  It was about the whole experience.  An unexpected exhilarating trip in a small private plane to a tiny rural diner for lunch was something to relish.  Even after we were safely back on the ground in Middleton, it still didn't hit me until later that evening what an amazing experience I had just been treated to.  I can't say I'd go out of my way to drive to the Piccadilly Lily (though it appeared that many people do), but if you are ever offered the opportunity to fly in for the "$200" burger, don't hesitate, just say "yes"! 

When life gives you unending leftovers...make Hash

I do love Thanksgiving.  For the past few years we've been hosting our families in our home and it's been fabulous.  I really love planning and cooking for two days in order to see our extended families enjoying one another's company.  This is the only time every year that they all get together under one roof and it makes my heart smile.

Since I do the bulk of the cooking, the bulk of the leftovers end up staying with us.  It's kind of exciting for the first couple of days, but it gets old rather quickly.  And with only two of us eating said leftovers, they last longer than most microbiologists would recommend.

With our one week deadline looming, we have to get serious about getting this stuff eaten.  My favorite way of "cleaning out the fridge" so to speak, is making hash.  It's the perfect way to spruce up tired leftovers and Thanksgiving leftovers lend themselves particularly well.

After combing through the fridge my ingredient lineup included roasted root vegetables, turkey, gravy, fresh herbs, and a kale-swiss cheese-crouton dish I made a couple of days ago.

To make hash of any kind, everything should be nicely chopped so it mixes evenly in the pan and on your plate.  I decided to add some chopped red onion to the mix to liven up the flavor.  I preheated my cast iron skillet over medium heat, threw in some bacon grease (cuz everyone should keep a container of bacon grease on hand!) and started sautéing my onions.

When my onions were soft I added my leftover root vegetables.  My goal here was to get a little life and flavor back in to them.  A higher heat allowed them to get a little caramelization back on their edges.  I then threw in the turkey, herbs, and kale mixture.  I turned the heat back down to medium again and stirred everything to mix well.  Since this food had already been cooked before, I simply wanted to reheat and blend the flavors.  I now had a nice fond going in the bottom of the skillet.  I added the gravy, turned the heat down to low, and threw a lid on it.  After a couple of minutes I removed the lid and gave the bottom of the skillet a good scraping with a wooden spatula to get that yummy brown crust mixed back in to the hash.  That's it...hash is done!  I removed it from the heat and covered it to keep it warm.

I love poached eggs and in my opinion, no self respecting hash would be eaten without a cap of poached egg.  In my household we have two differing views however on how long to cook a poached egg.  I like mine medium (about 3 1/2 minutes) so the whites are cooked and the yolk is still runny.  My husband is more of a 4 1/2 - 5 minute guy...well done so to speak.  He likes the yolk to be just slightly soft but all solid.  Poaching eggs is intimidating for some people, but it's really not that complicated.  There are as many opinions on how to poach an egg as there are eggs, so I'm going to tell you how I do it.  It works every time for me.

My method for poaching eggs:
1.  Start with a small saucepan filled with a few inches of water and a good slug of white vinegar. The vinegar helps hold the egg whites together, and actually gives a nice mild acid flavor to the finished product.
 2.  Bring your water to a boil.  While you wait for your water to boil, crack your eggs in to individual small bowls or cups.
3.  After your water reaches a boil, turn the heat down to its lowest simmer.  As soon as your water stops bubbling, slide each egg carefully in to the water.  Don't be alarmed by the ethereal look of your whites at this point.
4.  Cover the pan and start your timer.  Timing your eggs takes a little practice, but as I mentioned, 3 1/2 minutes usually gets me a medium poached (large) egg.
5.  When the time is up, remove your eggs from the heat and check them.  You can carefully remove them with a slotted spoon and give them a little jiggle or soft poke with your finger to see if they are done to your liking.  If so, serve and enjoy.  If not, you can put them back in to your pan of hot water, cover, and cook for another 30-60 seconds.
6.  If you want them to look pretty, place the cooked eggs on a paper towel to drain and gently cut away the filmy white parts that didn't set.
7.   If you want to save them for later, you can put the cooked eggs in to a container of cold water, cover, and keep in the refrigerator.  When you're ready to eat them simply slide them back in to a pan of hot water for a few seconds to rewarm.

So there you have it.  Our dinner last night was Thanksgiving Hash with poached eggs.  I even incorporated a dollop of leftover Porchlight cranberry sauce.  It was delicious!  Just one more meal and we'll have our leftovers all polished off...one more thing to be thankful for.  Until next year!

Gingerbread...not just for men anymore

I have never been a Gingerbread fan nor have I ever had the desire to make little men or houses out of the stuff.  That said, however, while researching menu ideas for a recent Depression Era themed book club that I hosted, I was intrigued by the suggestion of "hot Gingerbread".  The Gingerbread recipe I subsequently settled on has changed my relationship with Gingerbread forever.  I don't know what good Gingerbread is supposed to taste like but this not too sweet cake is teeming with the familiar and cozy complexities of molasses, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.  I can't say that I'll be making little men or houses any time soon, but I will be making this cake again.  I served it with homemade sweet whipped cream kissed with vanilla and cinnamon.  If you are looking for a unique dessert to serve this holiday season, look no further.  (Disclaimer:  I love to cook, but I am not a baker.  To all of you bakers out there, feel free to correct any of my baking or cream whipping mistakes.)

The recipe that follows is my variation of Favorite Old Fashioned Gingerbread found at AllRecipes.com

Cozy Gingerbread Cake
1/2 C white sugar
1/4 C soft butter
3/4 C applesauce
1 large egg
1 C molasses
1 1/4 C AP flour
1 1/4 C Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1 C hot water
extra cinnamon for garnish

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour a 9 inch cake pan.
2.  In a large bowl cream together butter and sugar.  Add applesauce, egg, and molasses, blend well.
3.  In a separate bowl sift dry ingredients together (flours, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt)
4.  Blend dry ingredient bowl in to wet ingredient bowl.  Stir in the hot water.
5.  Pour batter in to prepared cake pan and bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
6.  Allow to cool in pan and lightly sprinkle with cinnamon before serving.

I served mine with a "special" whipped cream as I mentioned.  I used my Kitchen Aid mixer with the whisk attachment.  It is best if you can cool the whisk and bowl in the refrigerator for a bit before using and make sure your cream is cold.

1.  Pour 8 oz cold high quality whipping cream...NOT HALF & HALF, but real whipping cream (I used Organic Valley)... in the chilled mixing bowl.
2.  Begin whisking on low and gradually advance to high so as not to splatter everywhere. (you may use a hand mixer or even whisk by hand if you have the time and endurance)
3.  When cream thickens and begins to form soft peaks, slow speed and slowly add 1 heaping tablespoon of powdered sugar, a splash of vanilla, and a couple of hefty shakes of cinnamon.
4.  Increase speed again until cream is firm and airy.  CAUTION: DO NOT TAKE YOUR EYES OFF OF THE WHIPPING PROCESS FOR A SECOND! Your cream will turn to butter in an instant if you don't watch it carefully. (If this happens, don't throw it away.  Follow these directions and make yourself some yummy butter!) Once it starts to change from a liquid to a foam the rest of the process happens very quickly.
5.  Taste your whipped cream and adjust flavors as necessary by simply folding them in.  To serve, heap in a pretty bowl with a spoon so guests can serve themselves.  The whipped cream will keep in the refrigerator in a covered container until the cake is gone.

Delicious!!

How to Survive Book Club and Throw a Great Depression party

I belong to a book club and it still astonishes me.  When my friend, Katie, invited me to join her book club a few years ago I said, "I would love to, but I don't read.  Thanks for thinking of me though."  Thankfully she encouraged me to come anyway, assuring me that not everyone reads the books every time.  I discovered that although many of the ladies do read the books, this was the most amazing group of women and I felt so blessed to have been invited to be a part of something so enriching.  Book or no book, I learn something new from these women every time we get together.  And, low and behold, I started reading.  I was quickly reminded however as to why I don't read.  My reading time starts after I've crawled in to bed for the night and it ends about two pages later when I fall asleep.  At this pace I would get through a book a year and I would have to go back and review periodically what I had already read, as I would start to forget the beginning.  So, I became an audiobook listener and it has forever changed my life.  I can now keep up with the fastest of readers and have shocked myself to be one of the members in the group who routinely finishes the book.  For you audiobook naysayers...you know who you are (E.I.S.)...don't knock it til you've tried it.  And, if you've tried it and still knock it, then, well, what can I say...it works for me.

As part of our monthly Book Club we all take turns hosting and the host gets to pick the book for her month.  I volunteered for November and the book I chose was "Rules of Civility" by Amor Towles.  It is set in 1930's-1940's and was a great read (by "read", I mean "listen").  I like to use my host months as an outlet for making lots of fun food to share with friends.  With our meeting date being just after Thanksgiving I was trying to build a menu around that...but I was having a hard time.  It just wasn't coming together and I figured no one really wanted to eat my Thanksgiving leftovers.  Finally a lightbulb went on and I decided to do a Depression Era cocktail party in honor of our book.  "Depression Era cocktail party" seems a bit like an oxymoron, but the truth is despite the devastation to so many, there was still a high society who had plenty of reason to drink more Gin.

I had a great time researching menus and foods from that time period.  I was astonished to see how many foods we are so familiar with were actually invented during the 30's & 40's.  The processed food era began much earlier than I realized...much to my chagrin.  I found The Food Timeline particularly educational and helpful in my planning.  And, believe it or not, there is a Great Depression Theme Party planning site out there.  Who'da thunk?

Now that I had some great ideas I got to work washing my grandmother's depression glass and polishing her silver serving ware.  I was admittedly nervous about actually using, and risking damaging, my precious crystal and glass antiques, but what good are they sitting on a shelf?  I'm sure  they were beaming with pride and smiling on the inside to be sparkling clean and being used in the way they were intended.  (Images of Disney's Beauty & the Beast now dancing in my head) I set the stage in our formal dining room complete with a lace table cloth, a side bar for classic Gin Martinis, and my iPod queued up with a couple of hours worth of Big Band music.  I even donned one of my favorite vintage 1940's dresses for the night.  It was shaping up to be a fun evening.

So what of my menu?  Well, here it is including links to the recipes I used.
Chicken Liver Pate (from B.A. Foodist)
Deviled Sardines
Deviled Ham spread (from Umami Girl)
Sherry Cheddar spread
Blue Cheese-Caramelized Shallot spread (made with Hook's Blue Cheese)
Apple-Salami Porcupine
Salmon & Caviar Finger Sandwiches (I made mine as open faced toasts)
Stella's Russian Black Bread & White Bread toasts
Celery
Assortment of Crackers
Assortment of olives stuffed with Hook's Blue Cheese, garlic, and pimentos
Death's Door Gin for our martinis
Maple Meringues (from Simply Sifted)
Gingerbread Cake  (see my Gingerbread post for my variations)


The food and drink was a hit and everyone had a good time.  We had a fruitful discussion of the book and our impressions of the lives of women of the time.  One such discussion was the idea of dressing your best no matter what you were doing.  The timeless vision of women from the 50's vacuuming in their heels and pearls.  Our grandmothers refusing to leave the house without lipstick.  Meanwhile, look how we've evolved.  Without intending to be superficial, I believe it's true that how you look on the outside effects how you feel on the inside.  This became ever more apparent to me as I was cleaning up after the party still in my swanky dress and heels.  I did have a soft buzz from the gin, but there was a new swagger in my step.  A kind of, hmmm, I feel kind of feminine and sexy, even though I'm picking up dirty dishes and packing away uneaten food.  Before the real dirty work began I doffed the dress and donned my fleece.  With the dress and heels went my swagger.  Not feeling so feminine and sexy in my baggy pj's.  Maybe there was something to all of the fuss of creating a beautiful and put together exterior, no matter what.  Although oppressive in some regards, I think my grandmother may have been channeling me for a moment to show me the unspoken possibilities the women of the time experienced.


One final thing to share with you is the book within the book.  George Washington's "Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation" is referenced and even read through in this novel.  It is worth your time to look it over.  I think there are a lot of lessons to be learned and reminded of.  Our world could use more of this.  Just a few more things I have learned from belonging to my book club.

You Have to Start Somewhere...

So here I sit, about to embark on this new and frightful journey of blogging.  I have had far too many friends for far too long encourage me to do this.  It's taken me a couple of years to finally  muster up the courage to sit down and give it a go....so here it is....you have to start somewhere, right?

My most important disclaimer is that I am not a writer.  No, really.  That has been my biggest fear about starting a blog.  I don't want to look like an idiot and I want to be interesting.  Something funny now and then would be great too.  My vocabulary isn't the strongest and thank goodness for spellcheck!  Although poor grammar is a pet peeve of mine, I know that I am often in violation of many rules myself.  Whew, I feel better already!  I just want to be up front with you from the beginning.  If you don't have any expectations about my blog posts, then you won't be disappointed...sounds like a perfect plan to me!

So, I suppose you're wondering about the Earthmuffin thing.  Most people do.  That is the affectionate nickname my husband gave me back before he was my husband.  I guess you could say I have an  "earthy" side.  By earthy, I don't mean filthy like Pig Pen, but more like a lover of Mother Earth.  My old school friends tease me about being a tree-hugger.  Something I'm not ashamed to be.  As I've gotten older I've become more accustomed to the finer things in life, but my heart is still in the right place and I hope that my choices in life reflect that.

Earthmuffin came to life though thanks to Gmail.  When I was trying to set up my first Gmail account many many years ago (that's right kids, I remember when Google didn't exist!) it was nearly impossible to find a user name that wasn't already taken.  After a lengthy string of fruitless attempts at coming up with something worthwhile, my husband said "What about Earthmuffin"?  Hmmm, ok.  At this point I was game for just about anything.  If you can believe it, Earthmuffin was taken, so I added the year of my birth and voila!  People continue to laugh when I share my email address with them.

When one of my dear friends was persistently encouraging me to start a blog my biggest question was...but what do I call it?  You guessed it...Earthmuffin was her answer.  So, here I am.  I hope that if you stumble upon this blog you find something worth your time and decide to stay a while.  If nothing else it will allow myself and my friends to cross "get Alyssa to start a blog" off of our to do lists.  You have no idea how relieved I am to get this first post out of the way.
Cheers!