Flan

We finished last weekend with a flan, and I also made one for a Father's Day dessert. If I were a good little blogger I would look up and share the origins and influences of flan, but instead I will simply tell you what very little I know about making flans. The most important thing about flans is that my husband really likes them. Flans are quite tasty and not really that difficult to make, though there are a few tricks: It's essential to use a water bath while baking one to insure a smooth texture, and it's done baking when it no longer jiggles; they need to chill so must be baked well ahead of when you want to serve them; I've always used this ring mold (I think I bought it years ago at a yard sale) so I have absolutely no idea if you can make one using anything else; the caramelized sugar may look scrumptious after you've coated the ring mold, but if you take the tiniest little taste from the pot (you know, that indulgent finger-taste you just can't help yourself from taking whenever you're bake something) YOU WILL BE SORRY as it is REALLY hot; a flan uses 8 eggs, which can be great if your chickens are producing almost a dozen a day (like ours are), or a complication if the are not yet producing (like the little chickens of Lucy 'In the sky' (click here). This is my recipe for making flan.

Basic Flan
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a small heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat 1/2 c. sugar + 3 T. water WITHOUT STIRRING. Swirl once in awhile until the sugar turns honey-colored. Wearing an oven mitt (trust me, you should wear an oven mitt), pour into a 2-quart ovenproof mold and swirl the caramel around to coat the bottom and some of the sides, taking care not to burn yourself. Set aside.

Whip:
1 egg
7 egg yolks
2/3 c. sugar
1 1/2 t. vanilla
1/2 t. nutmeg or almond extract -NOT both
pinch salt

Add: 2 1/2 c. milk or almond milk
Pour over caramel in mold. Place in a larger pan and pour warm water for water bath to reach 2/3 height of mold. Bake 1 hour, or until no longer jiggles. Cool, then refrigerate for several hours or overnight. To serve: run a knife around edges to loosen custard. Set mold in hot water (in sink or water bath pan again) to reach 1/2 height of mold for 1 minute or so to melt caramel to unmold flan. Give a quick spin-wiggle to make sure the custard is loosened. Cover with a plate and quickly invert -it should plop right out.

Nun's Farts, New Lambs and Royal Blue

White Chocolate, Sour Cherry and Cardamom Rolls. Need I say more? The only change I made to the recipe (click here) was substituting chopped Baker's white chocolate for the chips, which was not an improvement as it melted a bit too much.



I was smitten with the recipe as soon as I saw it on Marie's blog, The English Kitchen. It contains white chocolate and dried sour cherries, two of my favorite things, and I must confess that I ate more than I should have of these -they are irresistible. They are also super easy to make, and when covered with plastic wrap and left overnight, delicious the following morning.



New lambs in the barn Thursday! What a nice surprise -two ewe lambs, one colored and one white, and both are doing well so far.



And I am slowly spinning this royal blue fiber, hand quilting a bit now and then on a grandmother's flower garden quilt I pieced years ago, and starting a (royal blue yarn) sock knitting project. I am so glad to see the end of April this weekend and I'm hopeful for a bit less rain next month. Happy May Day to everyone!

Cinnamon Craisin Rolls

Homemade cinnamon rolls -there are few things I find more cheerful in the morning. I don't make them all that often, but I always make them Christmas Eve so they are ready and waiting for us at the crack of dawn on Christmas morning. I often use different bread recipes -sometimes whole wheat, sometimes milk and honey, sometimes oatmeal- each has its own character and charm and I am always happy with the results. Here I've used a whole wheat dough, substituted craisins for the usual raisins, and I used pecans instead of walnuts -Yum!



After the first rise, I roll out one bread loaf's worth of dough to form a rectangle approximately 12 x 20 inches, melt 1/4 - 1/3 c. of butter and evenly spread it over the rectangle. I then sprinkle it with the following sugar mix, and add craisins/raisins (our kids find both craisins and raisins offensive and always petition they be omitted, but my husband and I like them included) and/or nuts.

1/4 c. sugar
2 T. brown sugar
1 T. cinnamon

No matter the bread recipe used, the key to exceptionally light rolls is to make a softish dough, and then to allow the shaped rolls to rise a bit longer than for a loaf of bread. Bake until rolls spring back when pressed gently in -350 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Cool somewhat and drizzle with glaze. When they are left overnight, we pop them in the microwave for 15 seconds to warm.

Glaze
1 c. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla
1-2 T. milk as needed to make a thin glaze



Cinnamon rolls are perfect for those special mornings like Christmas, but I think it is particularly nice to wake up and find a pan ready and waiting on an ordinary weekend morning -immediately made special 'just because.'

Butterscotch Cream Pie

My cousins, brothers and I all learned to drive on a tractor very similar to this one. Growing up on a ranch in Eastern Oregon meant we were all driving machines like this before we were in our teens. I remember being no more than five years old and the golden feeling of sitting on my grandfather's lap while he drove the tractor around the hay field.



This is my brother and his new toy. With our shared childhood memories, I know exactly why this old tractor puts a happy smile on his face -and I'm hoping he'll let me sit in its seat next time I visit him! I recently made Butterscotch Cream Pie (twice) and it reminded me of him as a kid. This pie was one of the things I would bake for my brothers where we were teens and it was one of his favorites.



Prebake a basic pie crust (click here). When I chill the dough for several hours before rolling it out, it always seems to result in a more tender crust, but my mom never does this step and her pies are always awesome!

Butterscotch Cream Pie Mix in top of double boiler: 1/4 c. brown sugar 1/3 c. flour 1/2 t. salt Gradually add 1/2 c. milk and stir to make a smooth paste, then add 2 c. more milk while stirring over boiling water. Cover and cook 15 minutes. I made this pie twice in one week. My son had requested a pie, any pie, and these photos my sister-in-law sent triggered thoughts of hay fields, teens and butterscotch cream pie. My recipe that I've used since high school, lists 1/3 c. flour OR 3 1/2 T. cornstarch and I chose cornstarch to make the first pie. Here's the thing with cornstarch: it results in a very silky texture, BUT the binding is very delicate (hence the silkiness), and if stirred as its cooling below a certain temperature (when the butter and vanilla were added in this case), it can break. As a result, the first of the two pies I made, was a pie crust with a really yummy tasting thin butterscotch sauce. He was perfectly happy to spoon the filling over ice cream with some of the crumbled up crust, but it REALLY TICKED ME OFF. The only way to redeem myself was to do it again -and I used flour for the thickener the second time. Beat 1/2 c. brown sugar into 4 egg yolks. Add, after lightening with some of the cooked custard. Cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add 1/4 c. butter and 1 t. vanilla. Pour into prebaked pie crust and cover with meringue -which technically speaking, makes this a Butterscotch Meringue Pie I suppose.



Meringue Beat 4 egg whites and 1/4 t. cream tartar until frothy. Add 1/4 c. brown sugar and beat to form soft peaks. Gently spread meringue on top of the butterscotch custard in pie crust, and bake 325 degrees until it browns nicely. I don't time it, I watch it because I have burned LOTS of meringues over the years by walking away for a few minutes.

This butterscotch pie is made of the simplest of ingredients, yet it's one of the tastiest pies you'll ever eat. I love the meringue swirls and the flavor of this pie, reminiscent of ranch life and driving old tractors.

Sugar-Frosted Cardamom Braid

"The smell of good bread baking, like the sound of lightly flowing water, is indescribable in its evocation of innocence and delight...Suffice it to say, then, that in the truest and least dialect way, good fresh bread and chuckling fountains are soul food." -M. F. K. Fisher

I had been thinking about cardamom bread for the past several days when I saw Nicole's post for the cardamom bread, Nisu at Arctic Garden Studio (click here). Her beautiful loaves were the inspiration for me to finally bake the cardamom braided bread I'd been thinking of. I wish I could remember where this recipe came from, but I have been making this bread for many years now, and I think all the different versions for this bread make a lovely loaf.

Sugar-Frosted Cardamom Braid

In microwave in a Pyrex measuring cup heat:

1 1/3 c. milk

1/2 c. sugar

2 T. butter -cut in pieces

Do not overheat (115 degrees). Stir to dissolve sugar and melt butter.

Place in bread bowl or stand mixer bowl:

4 1/2 c. bread flour

1 T. yeast

1 t. ground cardamom

1/2 t. salt

In a small bowl beat:

1 egg

1/4 - 1/2 t. lemon extract

Add lukewarm milk mixture and egg to flour mix. Beat with dough hook or spoon until it comes together. Continue kneading, adding 1 T. at a time of flour or water as needed, 5-10 minutes to make a smooth dough. Cover bowl with cling wrap and allow to rise until doubled in size. Punch down and divide into three equal balls. Rest 5 minutes. Roll each ball into a long rope (about 20 inches). On lightly greased sheet, braid ropes together, pinching ends and tucking under loaf ends to secure. Let rise until doubled. Mix 1 egg white + 1 T. water and gently brush onto loaf. Sprinkle with 1 T. coarse raw sugar and bake 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Slices of this cardamom braid with Pear Vanilla Jam for breakfast this morning was a good breakfast for those I love, and definitely food for my own soul. Ruth Reichl's reminder of why food matters (click here), reinforces my own belief of why baking bread is so important to me right now -it is a big yes in a world filled with no.

Solstice Loaf

On the calendar we are currently almost smack dab BETWEEN the solstices, and yesterday the weather was about as unencouraging as it is possible to be for going on a picnic, yet there was a small clamor in my family for a Solstice Loaf. When the kids were tots, before they became the young adults they are now, I ritually baked this loaf for family picnics celebrating the summer solstice, hence its name. Instead of making sandwiches, I would make this loaf, wrap it in foil, and then we would gather the kids and their STUFF (there's always a shocking amount of stuff required for taking kids of any age, anywhere), and a blanket or two, and we would go to a park on the river and revel in the afternoon light of the longest day of the year. Besides toting along for picnics, this loaf is also great for potlucks, New Year's Eve noshing, and for any make-ahead-take-along-type meal. Despite it's versatility and overall appeal, I only make it a few times a year, though it is simply scrumptious and my family loves it. I suppose by only making it once in a great while, I keep it special.



It is not that difficult to do, but it takes planning and a few ingredients I seldom have on hand, and I think it was the salami leftover from making the muffaleta sandwiches that prompted the request for making this solstice loaf in March. I make a dough for a single pizza crust (1 c. water, 1 T. yeast, 1 t. salt, 2 T. olive oil, 4 c. flour), let it raise, and then on an oiled sheet form a flat rectangle. Leaving adequate room on both sides to fold up and enclose the filling, I layer the following:

2-4 minced garlic cloves sauteed in 3 T. olive oil, cooled, and mixed with 8 oz. Neufchatel Cheese
2-4 oz. Italian salami (I used salami and mortadella here), deli meat or sausage -or omit meats for a vegetarian version (and add some diced red or green bell peppers instead)
3 sliced mushrooms
1/4 c. sliced green and/or black olives
4-8 slices of mozzarella or provolone cheese
3 T. pesto and/or chopped fresh spinach leaves
2-4 T. chopped sweet onions (I just used yellow onions here)



I fold up the edges and ends, pinch together and seal. Here is the tricky part: I turn the whole roll so that the seal is on the bottom. I suppose this step could be skipped but then the seam may pop open during baking, and I really hate it when it does that! Cut vents and bake 350 degrees for 30 minutes (or 400 degrees for 20 minutes), or until it's golden brown and the loaf sounds hollowish when tapped. Cool. Slice and wrap in aluminum foil for picnics or potluck toting. Or, as we did last night, slice and serve with warm soup, while marveling at the fury of the rain outside pounding on the windows.

Pacific Northwest-style Muffuletta Sandwiches with Manhattan-style Salmon Chowder

When I saw Greg Atkinson's Taste article, A Big Easy Best, in The Seattle Times on Sunday, I was keen to make his muffuletta sandwiches. When my husband glanced at the article with John Lok's gorgeous photo of these sandwiches (my rather pathetic photos by comparison are an embarrassment), he was immediately VERY keen for me to make them. The whole point of a sandwich, aside from the mobility factor, is that they're easy to make, and these sandwiches are very easy. In the Taste article, Greg suggested building them on kaiser rolls or a focaccia loaf, and on his blog, Westcoast (click here) he describes an olive oil bread made in New Orleans a friend prefers to use. Instead, I decided to make my grandmother's potato rolls (click here) shaped bun-style.

I love making any kind of bread. It's soothing and meditative. I find transforming a few basic ingredients into something as wonderful as homemade bread, to be an incredibly satisfying activity. Even though baking bread from start to finish -dry yeast to baked buns- takes up a major portion of a day, I like that it can so easily fit around other activities.

When I'm in the habit of baking most of our breads, as I am these days, I find commercial breads to be a serious disappointment. Even my lamest of loaves are pretty good stuff by comparison. To make any bread or roll recipe into a burger-style buns, I knead them especially well while keeping the dough soft, roll or pat them about 5/8 to 1/2 an inch thick to make 4-inch rounds, and allow a good final rising. I baked these at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. I had some extra dough that I made into two wee loaves and baked alongside for the same amount of time.

Home baked buns will turn any sandwich filling into an exceptional sandwich experience. Though these sandwiches would be good made with pretty much any rolls or bread, I must say they were pretty incredible made with these just baked soft potato buns.

Greg Atkinson's Muffuletta Sandwiches

To make the olive salad (for 2-3 sandwiches), combine:

1 c. minced Spanish pimento-stuffed green olives

3 pressed garlic cloves

2-3 T. olive oil
Spread this generously on one side of a split bun.

On other side, layer slices of:

mortadella

salami

provolone cheese

I also added a smear of mayo on this side of my bun. Greg suggest these be made half an hour or so ahead to allow the olive oil to soak into the bread. I'm going to remember these for taking this summer on picnics, but last night I felt we needed a soup alongside our sandwiches, and this Manhattan-style salmon chowder came to mind. I liked the color of the blue potatoes here, but others eating it weren't as impressed with the visual effect -though all agreed it was very good.

Manhattan-style Salmon Chowder

Melt:

1/4 c. butter

Add:

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 c. celery, chopped
Cook until tender. Add:

1 quart chicken stock

1 t. dried basil

1/3 c. dried Italian parsley

2 potatoes, peeled and diced

Simmer 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cube salmon trim (or a salmon fillet), saute briefly in 1 T. olive oil until done, and add to the chowder.

Banana-Nut Muffins

Yesterday, while I was waiting for my oven to preheat to bake these Cream Scones (click here) that I saw over at Food in Jars, I got distracted. Somewhere between washing the dishes, leafing through Diner Desserts, a cookbook by Tish Boyle I checked out from the local library, and looking at my calendar and noticing that today is Banana Bread Day (it's an old oven and it takes forever to heat up), I changed my mind and made these muffins instead. Diner Desserts is an absolutely charming cookbook filled with fun retro photos and fabulous recipes of, well, classic diner desserts. So far I have resisted buying it, but I couldn't resist making these muffins.

Banana-Nut Muffins
Adapted from Diner Desserts by Tish Boyle
Mix:
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. wheat germ
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. nutmeg
1 c. finely minced walnuts

Mix separately:
2 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/3 c. butter, melted
3/4 c. yogurt, plain
1 large egg
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 T. vanilla

Combine two mixtures without over mixing. Fill paper-lined muffin cups. I had a bit more than 12 cups of batter and baked the extra as an adorable little mini banana bread loaf. Bake 350 degrees 18-20 minutes for muffins and 5 minutes extra for the mini loaf.

Shepherdess Macaroni and Cheese

January in the Pacific Northwest is cold, wet, dark and gray. One of the bright spots in the month is having lambs. This is Little Big Guy born in October, making him several months older than our other three black lambs born last month. I love everything about having lambs and being their shepherdess.



Every January I make shepherdess-style macaroni and cheese, at our house aka Tamburger or Lamburger Helper. 'Bake until bubbly' is the sort of directions that I am drawn to this time of year, and with several odd bits of various cheeses lying about that should be used up, and ground lamb (and/or goat) in the freezer, this can be made without a trip to the store. The best macaroni and cheese is made from scratch, Comfort Food with a capital C, and the very best is whatever version you (or your mother or grandmother) make, and whatever style that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside just thinking about it. Some like myself, add ground meat and/or chilies, some use the sharpest cheese, one particular cheese, or a blend of several, and some prefer whole wheat pasta instead of semolina. The point being, that if you make a sauce with care for those you love, it will be the best, whatever style you make.

Shepherdess Macaroni and Cheese

Cook al dente 12-16 oz. small shell or elbow pasta

Meanwhile:
Saute 1/2 -1 lb ground lamb (or goat) and 1/2 onion. Set aside.

In a separate pan
Melt: 4 T. butter (you can use olive oil instead of butter, if you prefer)
Add: 1/3 c. flour
Cook a bit without browning. Stirring well with a gravy whisk or wooden spoon,
Add: 2 1/2 c. milk (whole, 2 %, 1/2 c. of cream as part of measure, if you like), making a smooth sauce.

Stir in:
2 1/2 c. cheese -grated cheddar, a mix of cheddar and Pepper-Jack, diced cream cheese, or whatever you have. I used Edam, Farmstead Gouda and an American style blend this time. I don't measure the cheese, but guesstimate for more or less that amount.

Butter well a 9 x 13 Pyrex dish, and sprinkle with Italian seasoned bread crumbs. Mix drained pasta, cheese sauce, and cooked ground meat together (in whichever pan used that appears able to hold all), then pour into casserole. Sprinkle with more bread crumbs and/or shredded or grated Parmesan cheese. Bake 350 degrees for 20-40 minutes, or until browned and bubbly. I served this with Irish Soda Bread -Comfort with a capital C.



After using up the odd cheeses, I noticed a pint of leftover sliced strawberries in the fridge that I felt should also be used up soon. With sliced rhubarb in the freezer, I had everything needed to make an amazing crumble, which could have very easily baked alongside the mac and cheese -if I'd have thought of that, which I didn't, but it could have.



Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumble is fantastic, a snap to put together, and it disappeared in no time.

Mix together in 8 inch square Pyrex dish:
1 qt. frozen rhubarb, thawed
1 pint sliced sweetened strawberries
1/2 c. sugar, or to taste
3 T. cornstarch

Mix in food processor and spread evenly on top:
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar or brown sugar
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/2 c. butter
Bake 350 degrees for 25-55 minutes.

Christmas Memories with Recipes: Sugar Cookies

Christmas Memories with Recipes was published in 1988 in which "25 of today's master chefs and leading food writers share their holiday-food recollections." It is a cookbook full of the kind of essays (with 150 recipes) that I love to read this time of year. Hidden inside are about a dozen or more of these paper snowflakes I've saved, created by one (or more) of my kids many years ago. It's always a charming surprise, as I tend to forget about the delicate paper snow flakes hidden between the pages from one year to the next, until one (or more) falls out as I begin to look through it, and I am reminded of my children cutting paper snowflakes during the holidays.



Holidays are filled with memories: dogs eating cookies, kids cutting paper snowflakes, and everyone frosting sugar cookies. This is a photo from several years ago. Frosting sugar cookies is something all my offspring have done since they were old enough to hold a knife, eating (and wearing) a little less of the frosting each year. The holidays wouldn't be complete without us frosting and decorating sugar cookies.



And not just for Christmas. My mom made sugar cookies for all the holidays, changing the shapes of the cookie cutters, and the color of the frosting, with the seasons. My brothers, cousins, and I, all fondly remember how special they were, and how excited we would be, whenever she made frosted sugar cookies. It was an inexpensive, simple yet very special, way to celebrate the holidays on our land-rich/cash-poor cattle ranch during the seventies. These are my BIG PINK COOKIES, sugar cookies with the frosting tinted pink and flavored with maraschino cherry juice and cherry brandy. I made some awhile ago, and a special "thinking of you" super-sized one, that I wrapped in bubble wrap and mailed to my daughter in Austin.

All holiday baking and cookie cookbooks include a recipe for sugar cookies. And like with the Noel Balls, many people also have their own holiday memories of their mom's sugar cookies, with her recipe. In the cookbook, Christmas Memories with Recipes, it is none other than Martha herself, who shares her story of Christmas Cookies, with a dozen of her holiday cookie recipes, including Noel Balls and Sugar Cookies. Granted, Martha Stewart and others, such as these ladies (click here), use a considerable amount of finesse and skill, and produce much more impressive looking cookies than the garishly frosted cookies created by my tots and teens -or the simple ones made by my mom. But it is both these simple and garish sugar cookies, completely lacking in finesse but tasting just as good (or dare I say, maybe better?), that are a big part of all the Christmas memories I cherish.

Sugar Cookies

Cream:

1/2 c. butter

1 c. sugar

1 egg

Mix separately in a bowl:

2 c. flour

1 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

Mix in measuring cup:

1/4 c. milk

1/2 t. vanilla

Alternate adding flour and milk mixes into creamed butter. Combine well. Chill. Roll to 1/4 inch thickness and cut with seasonal cookie cutters. Bake 350 degrees for 4-7 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

Candy Cane Cookies

The new cookies I want to bake this year for our holiday gift tins are these (click here). I spotted them at The English Kitchen, an absolutely charming blog I am completely smitten with! I confess that I very seldom just take a recipe and make it, no matter how good the source. I feel compelled to contrast and compare different cooks' versions, so before I made the Swedish Meatballs from Simply Recipes, I started to look through a few of my cookbooks. I didn't get any farther than a cookbook titled Eet Smakelijk. "In his native land, A Dutch host utters these words before each meal, Eet Smakelijk, meaning to eat well and with taste." It is a collection of recipes by members and friends of the Junior Welfare League of Holland, Michigan published in 1976, and a recent thrift store find of mine. It has two recipes for Swedish Meatballs -and a recipe for candy cane cookies. The following recipe is my combination of the one in this Dutch-American cookbook, The English Kitchen's recipe, plus another in Land O Lakes holiday booklet #74. Aside from being incredibly cute, I just know they're also going to taste really good!

Candy Cane Cookies
Cream:
1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. veg. shortening (or all butter)
1 c. powdered sugar
1 egg
1 t. almond or peppermint extract
1 t. vanilla

Add:
2 1/2 c. flour
1/2 t. salt

Divide the dough in half, blending 1/2 t. red food coloring into one of the halves. Refrigerate dough for an hour, if it seems to soft to work with. Roll 1 t. each of the white and red colored doughs into 4 inch long ropes. Place side by side, press lightly together at one end, twist ropes, and then roll so they hold together. Place on cookie sheet, curving one end to form into the shape of a candy cane. Bake 350-375 degrees for 9-12 minutes, or until set. Sprinkle with sugar immediately after removing from the oven. Let set 1 minute before removing to a wire rack and cooling completely.

Variation: Do not divide the dough and omit the red food coloring. Roll 1 T. dough into a 9 inch rope tapering from center to end, fold rope in half and twist, pinching the end into a point, and forming an icicle cookie. Bake and sprinkle with sugar, as with candy cane cookies.

Christmas Cookies and Cool Beans

These are probably my husband's favorite cookie. We include them in our holiday cookie baking, but also make them at other times of the year, as well. They are a little bit wholesome, a little bit decadent, completely delicious, and it wouldn't be Christmas at our house without them!

Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Adapted from the recipe on the back of the Ocean Spray Craisins bag

Cream until light and fluffy:
1 c. butter, softened
1 c. brown sugar

Add:
2 eggs

Combine and add:
2 c. quick-cook rolled oats (if you buy the thick old-fashioned kind like I do, half or partially grind them in a food processor)
2 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
1 t. baking soda

Add:
1 1/2 c. craisins (sweetened, dried cranberries)
9 oz. Baker's White Chocolate, chopped (best if chopped rather chunkily and not too fine)

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake 350-375 for 10-12 minutes until golden.



I realized last night that, besides foisting bean cookbook recommendations on complete strangers, beans were rather prevalent in this past week's meals: Mediterranean-style lamb and lentils; lamb burgers and baked beans; salmon with pasta, pesto and fava beans; honey and soy sauce glazed lamb ribs, Sara Jane's Chinese noodle salad, and (frozen) edamames; latkes and applesauce (our one beanless meal!); and last night's roast chicken, baked squash and Italian lentil salad. The Italian lentil salad was really good -and satisfying in the same way lentil soups are. Beans really are a perfect food. There are a a bajillion types of beans, and many different ways to cook them. Louis Armstrong signed his letters: Red Beans and Ricely Yours, showing his love and devotion to his favorite bean recipe. Tonight, I think I'm going to take a break from cooking with beans, and make the Swedish Meatballs from Simply Recipes, something I've never made or eaten before, but they look and sound simply scrumptious. Tomorrow though, I'll probably make black beans and rice burritos. As my friend Wendy would say, Cool Beans!



Italian Lentil Salad
Adapted from Bean Banquets by Patricia R. Gregory

Cook separately:
1/3 c. brown rice
1 c. brown lentils
Cook lentils until tender BUT firm. I know that's a complete contradiction of terms, but you know what I mean: just until they are tender to the tooth, but before the begin to lose their shape. 'Do not wander off while they are cooking' is what I kept reminding myself.

Meanwhile, saute in 2 T. olive oil until golden:
1/2 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove

Add:
half a 14 oz can (or pint home canned) diced Italian tomatoes (or 2 diced fresh tomatoes, during the 2 weeks in August when our PNW garden has ripe tomatoes)
1/2 t. Italian seasoning
Cook 5 minutes or so, until its dried out a bit.

Remove to serving bowl. Add:
1 T. pesto or 1 T. fresh basil, minced
2 T. red wine vinegar
1-2 T. more olive oil
drained tender lentils
cooked rice
1/2 t. salt or to taste
pinch cayenne (or 1 t. crushed red peppers)
Adjust pesto, vinegar, and salt to taste. Cool to room temperature and serve.

Variations: I think some cooked diced carrots, diced red peppers, or crumbled feta cheese might be tasty additions. The rice can be omitted and is not in the Bean Banquet recipe. I actually started following a completely different recipe that included rice. I started cooking the rice and lentils, then realized I was missing most of the major ingredients, so I changed recipes.

Praline-Topped Brown Sugar Slices

It is the season for cookie exchanges, mailing tins of cookies, holiday potlucks, and general noshing. It is time to bake lots of cookies. We traditionally bake and mail packages of cookies to our extended family for the holidays, a gift giving tradition I can wholeheartedly embrace. We try a different recipe or two each year, plus the standards that we always include: Noel Balls, festively frosted Sugar Cookies, and some version of Chocolate Chip Cookies, such as yesterday's recipe for Perfect Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies. About this time every year, out come the cookie cookbooks and my big black binder, and we deliberate over what we want to bake. Over a couple of days, each family member bakes a batch (or two or three) of their choice, then we divide, package, and mail them off. These Praline-Topped Brown Sugar Slices are our most requested recipe, and my brother-in-law won a cookie contest at his work with these. After reading the following recipe you'll know why -LOTS of butter, cream, brown sugar and pecans. These are obviously not for healthy eating, but for indulgence and celebrating. I just make sure that I'm not left alone for very long with a batch of them.

Praline-Topped Brown Sugar Slices

Adapted from Land O Lakes Recipe Collection #57

Cream:

1 c. brown sugar

1 c. butter

Add:

1 egg

2 T. half and half

2 t. vanilla

Mix well. Stir together, then add on low speed:

3 c. flour

1/2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. baking soda

1/4 t. salt

Stir in:

2/3 c. finely chopped pecans. Divide dough in half and form 2 logs using waxed paper or plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1-2 hours. Heat oven to 375. Cut rolls into 1/4 inch slices with a sharp knife. Place 1 inch apart on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake 7-9 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned. Cool completely.

In small saucepan, combine:

1 1/2 c. brown sugar

1/3 c. butter

1/3 c. half and half

Cook med-high, stirring occasionally until it comes to a full boil (3-4 minutes). Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook 1 minute without stirring. Remove from heat.

Stir in:

1 3/4 c. powdered sugar

3/4 c. finely chopped pecans (best if toasted, but I have a tendency to forget and burn them, so I usually just skip this step, and they are still incredibly delicious!)

Let stand 1 minute. Working quickly, dab a teaspoonful onto each slice and frost cookies (If it hardens too much, stir in a few drops of very hot water). Cool completely, and share.

Perfect Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Perfect Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Mix in bowl by hand:

1 c. white sugar

1 c. brown sugar

Stir in:

2 eggs

Add and stir in most, but not all, lumps:
1 c. mostly melted butter

1 c. PB

Add:

3 c. flour

1 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

Add:

12 oz. Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips

Stir together. Form 2 inch size balls and place on baking sheet. Bake 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack and cool until you can't wait any longer.

Potato Rolls

Thanksgiving is about the food. At some point in many a cook's culinary life, we decide we want to do something different for the feast. When we tentatively announce we're thinking about making this 'new thing,' the truth comes out that most everyone just wants the old things. They want the same old traditional foods with their Norman Rockwell appeal, and they want the same leftovers. Most of us want the turkey (even if we don't really love turkey) with stuffing, the mashed potatoes and gravy, the traditional family side dishes (whatever those may be), and pie -several kinds if we're greedy (and I am very, very greedy). We are all receptive to a new dessert, or vegetable side dish added -as long as we still get to have the same traditional ones we've always had. For Thanksgiving, as with all the other holiday dinners, my family always definitely wants to have my Grandma Arlene's Potato Rolls. Some years, as we plan to do this year, we drive to Oregon to be with my husband's family for the day. My youngest daughter makes her special cranberry sauce (she adds a half-pint of orange marmalade as it cooks), we usually contribute a vegetable, and I always bring potato rolls made the day before.



This is my cherished copy of the recipe, written by my grandmother Arlene. I usually halve the quantities, and make a few minor changes -substituting honey for sugar, butter for shortening, and buttermilk for milk. And it's usually cold here, so I often use Rapid Rise Yeast which will help it raise a bit faster.



Potato Rolls

Combine in a small bowl and leave 5 minutes:
1/4 c. water
1 T. rapid rise yeast (or regular yeast)

Mix:
1/2 c. hot mashed potatoes
1/4 c. melted butter
1/4 c. honey
2 t. salt
1 c. buttermilk
1 egg, slightly beaten

In a large stand mixer bowl, combine frothy yeast, potato mixture, and 2 c. bread flour. Beat well. Add more flour to make a soft dough (2-3 c. more), change to dough hook and knead well (6-8 minutes longer, if kneading by hand). Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and leave in a warm place (if you have one) to rise until doubled in size (1-2+ hours). Deflate and raise again. Shape into balls and place on a greased baking sheet. Rise again for 10-20 minutes or so (they are best if you are patient with this rising). Bake 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Makes 2 dozen rolls.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Again, a dessert recipe beginning with, 'melt 1 stick of butter.' Blame it on the weather, but I can't help myself and am drawn to these desserts in November. Or blame it on my son, who came home for a visit, after seeing Congo Bars and Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins posted together on my blog. Boy, was he disappointed! I had mailed some to his sister in Austin, and taken the rest to my spinning guild meeting, and there was nothing but crumbs left when he stopped by, hungry for home cooked desserts. Good Mom that I am, I immediately whipped up a cake and popped it in the oven, just for him.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake is such a 1950's June Cleaver sort of dessert, developed by the Dole company to increase the consumption of canned pineapple. Though I remember having it as a child once or twice, it is a cake that in all honesty, I have no nostalgia for, and that has never been a part of my own personal repertoire. Until now. There is an obscene luridness to its maraschino cherry studded appearance, and though I've made several other more swanky 1990's versions of upside down cake: cranberry, pear and gingerbread cake, and a mango with a cornmeal cake -all very good- I never really was intrigued by the classic pineapple version.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake came into radar range of this same son, and the question, "Why have we never had a Pineapple Upside-Down Cake?" was asked with with the bewildered tone of someone who had been deprived as a child. I hadn't quite realized that my son and husband are both really huge fans of pineapple (who says you can't learn something new about the men you think you know absolutely everything about after 20 and 43 years, respectively?). I stepped up to the oven immediately, and surprisingly, this cake is really quite delicious. Unpretentious, really quick and easy, good warm or cold, both with or without ice cream on the side. And it makes pineapple-lovers very happy.



Pineapple Upside Down Cake

In a 10-12 inch caste-iron skillet, melt:

1/2 c. butter

Add: 1/2 c. brown sugar and cook until it thickens and bubbles a bit. Remove from heat.

Arrange pineapple rings from a 20 oz. in skillet. Place maraschino cherries in center of each ring. This is optional if you think they are too weird of a food substance, or like my mom, don't like them.

Beat with mixer:

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. sugar

Add:

2 eggs

2 t. vanilla

Mix:

1 1/2 c. flour

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

1/8 t. nutmeg

Add flour mix, alternating with:

1/2 c. milk, buttermilk, yogurt or sour cream (I used buttermilk)

Stir, scraping sides of mixer bowl, until smooth, but do not over mix. Pour or spoon cake batter evenly over arranged pineapple in skillet. Bake 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until toothpick tests done. Let stand 10 minutes. Run knife around edge of skillet, if necessary, then invert onto large plate. Serve warm or cold, with or without ice cream. Personally, I like to have a slice with a cup of coffee for breakfast, but I suppose it's not the sort of thing everyone likes first thing in the morning.