Parsnip, Fennel and Tarragon Soup with Squash and Apple Turkey Cheddar Sandwiches

We used to have this designated area in our living room, originally called "the reading nook."  It was a futon mattress covered with pillows and surrounded by books.  This eventually got phased out to make space for the nugget boy. But that reading nook actually had very important second function, which became our more commonly used term for the space.  It was called "the mope hole."  The mope hole was a fun place for - you guessed it! - moping.  Mad or sad or stressed about something?  Just go to the mope hole and hug a pillow!  Snuggling into a makeshift fort of books and pillows is a surefire way to lift a dark mood.  After a good mope, the sun shines brighter, the birds chirp more beautifully, the grass is greener, the sky bluer, I'm sure you get the cliched picture.  But alas, I am a woman without a mope hole.  So instead, I look to delicious food to eradicate a foul mood.  A warm bowl of parsnip, fennel and tarragon soup served with a grilled turkey, apple, and squash sandwich, all melty with cheddar, was just the thing to help me recently on a cold, (relatively) dark day.

Ingredients
6 peeled parsnips, cut in half lengthwise
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced on mandolin
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
salt, to taste
white pepper, to taste
1/3 cup tarragon leaves
2-3 tablespoons of juice from Meyer lemon
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 cup ricotta
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 cups chicken stock
deli turkey slices
slices of good quality cheddar
a roasted slice of acorn squash
slices of Granny Smith apple
good quality Dijon mustard
slices of whole wheat bread
1 tablespoon canola oil

Instructions
Heat oven to 400.  Place parsnips and fennel in baking dish.  Cover with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until tender and brown.  Remove from baking dish and place in a pot.  Add tarragon, lemon zest, lemon juice, ricotta, whipping cream, and chicken stock.  Blend everything together with an immersion blender (or pour into a blender or food processor), and puree until smooth.  Gently heat the soup until hot.  To assemble the sandwiches, place the turkey, cheddar, squash, and apple slices between the slices of bread, and smear one piece of bread with the mustard.  Heat oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat and place the sandwich(s) in it.  Bronze one side of the sandwich, then flip over to bronze the other side.  Serve the soup with the turkey sandwiches, and feel your mood, hopefully, become a happy one.

All about Cheddar Cheese

Cheddar is one of the most popular cheeses in the world and one of my favorites. It originally came from Somerset, in England but is now produced in many  parts of the English speaking world and beyond. But only 14 makers are licensed to use the EU Protected Designation of Origin “West Country Farmhouse Cheddar” which indicates it's still made in the traditional way.

The process for making cheddar is similar to other cow's milk cheeses, with the addition of a unique process that has taken on the name "cheddaring." Slabs of curd are stretched, then piled on top of each other to help drain the whey. This helps to harden the cheese and develop acidity and flavor. Farmhouse cheddars are traditionally wrapped in cloth and then aged. Good English cheddar should be buttery and nutty in flavor and should have a soft crumbly texture. Cheddar improves with age, developing those crunchy crystals of calcium lactate you find in other aged cheese, like Parmigiano Reggiano. 

I recently got a chance to try some Westminster cheddar, and am happy to report that it is very widely available in supermarkets. Westminster aged cheddar cheese is made on England’s oldest cheddar making farm in North Somerset only 15 miles from the village of Cheddar. The Barber family has been making cheddar since 1833 and is reputedly to be the oldest cheddar making family in the world. The milk from their cheddar comes from Holstein Freisian cows. The cows are grass fed for 8-9 months of the year depending on the weather ( free from growth hormones, RBGH or RBST). As with all cheeses, the flavor is very much an expression of what the animals eat. What sets their cheddar apart? They hand turn the cheddar and it's not blast chilled, this lets the starter culture have more time to develop. They also mature the cheese at a slightly higher temperature to let the cheese mature again and develop in flavor. 

While the popularity of cheddar has a lot to do with the influence of the expansion of the British Empire and milk rationing during WWII (cheddar was virtually the only cheese made in England during the war), it's versatility in cooking is also undeniable. If you are enjoying aged cheddar, it's good to at least try it on its own. Here are my tasting notes:

Farmhouse

Aged 10 months, it's buttery, creamy texture that melts and lasts on the finish, much sharper than domestic "extra sharp" cheddar with a richer flavor but not acidic. 

Sharp

Aged 12 months, it is both sharper and drier than the 10 month, but still very creamy with no bitterness, a bit fruity.

Vintage 

Aged15 months, it's even sharper, but less salty, little bit of crunch from the crystals, nutty.

Farmer's Reserve

Aged 2 years it represents only 2% of total production. It's the driest, with more crunch, complex but still creamy and earthiness.

Some of my favorite ways to use cheddar:

* Grilled cheese sandwiches

* Served with my favorite chutney and bread

* In macaroni and cheese with Spanish peppers

* In cheddar biscuits

* As a topping on chipotle chili 

* In fondue

* In a souffle

* On double stuffed baked potatoes

* In cream of broccoli soup

* In chile cheddar bacon waffles

* In corn chowder

Disclaimer: My thanks to Westminster Cheddar for supplying me with samples. 

Chocolate and Olive Oil Crostini

A setting or rising sun is one of those sights that we, as a species, love to behold.  So colorful and and epic and majestic, it inspires a sense of wonder and awe.  Unless you are a certain two year old.  The sun is totally old news, apparently, for him.  A sunset, though, is exciting for one and only one reason - it is a harbinger of the moon!  Our little guy is quite taken with the moon, and has a deep love for just sitting outside and gazing up excitedly at it.  Moon watching, actually, can begin as early as 3 or 4 pm. That's when we start to think the moon is out.  So we have to go outside and check if it can be seen.  As expected, it usually is not visible at that time.  So we keep checking again and again and again.  And eventually, that wonderful moon of ours does indeed make an appearance (though I'm not sure how he will take the news that the moon goes through a "new moon" phase).  And when that happens, he scoots some chairs out to the deck and demands a moon watching companion. If Max was running the show, one would do nothing but moon watch from 4 pm until bedtime.  But, as you can imagine, that leaves no time to do things like, I don't know, make dinner.  So compromises are made.  Full on moon watching begins after dinner once the dishes have been cleaned up.  We go to the deck, bundle up, sit on on the chairs that Max so helpfully brought outside, and eat a snack while gazing up at the moon. These crostini with a chocolate and olive oil drizzle, mint leaves, coconut flakes, and vanilla salt make for a fun moon watching snack.  Packed onto a tray and taken outside, it is a delicious companion to celestial observations. And of course, it can be eaten indoors as well.

Ingredients
3.5 ounces good quality chocolate ( I used a Lindt 70% cacao bar)
1/4  cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 baguette, sliced
vanilla salt
white pepper
1/3 cup chopped mint leaves
1/3 cup coconut flakes

Instructions
Heat oven to 375.  Place the baguette slices on a baking sheet (I used a Silpat to line mine).  Pour 1/4 cup olive oil in a bowl, and brush the oil on each slice.  Sprinkle a bit of vanilla salt and pepper on each.  Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden-brown.

Place the chocolate bar (chopped) and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small microwaveable bowl. Carefully melt the chocolate and olive oil together (about 30 seconds).  Stir the mixture.

Have fun with these - drizzle the chocolate and olive oil on the crostini, or use it as a dip.  Sprinkle more vanilla salt on top, if desired. Or throw on some mint leaves and/or coconut flakes.  Whatever floats your boat!

Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies with Fruity, Nutty, Chocolaty Flair

I am beginning to think the only holiday traditions we have are intending to do festive activities and not following through.  For instance, this year we were going to carve pumpkins for Halloween, like we did last year.  Didn't actually happen.  It got pushed back and back until it would have been December 1 and we would have been the weird people with a jack o lantern out on the porch in December instead of glittery Christmas decorations. For Hanukkah, we plan to make latkes at least one of the nights.  This year we managed to make some before Hanukkah started.  But not during.  Even though we swore to ourselves we would.  Quite frankly, there didn't seem to be any reason not to make these again. We were looking forward to them! We actually completely failed to celebrate this holiday. Candles were bought for the menorrah and never even lit.  And now on to Christmas, we still have a few days, but it is looking increasingly likely that the gingerbread houses will not indeed be assembled and decorated.  Perhaps we crack under holiday pressures? At some point these things sound super fun but once they are upgraded to the category of tradition they also bring a sense of obligation, a yoke we refuse to wear?  Lazy? Busy? Perhaps we prefer to go with the flow, and see what new fun things each season brings? I have no idea.  But there is actually one tradition - ok, I'm not using that word anymore - one activity that always happens this time of year... one that, without fail, actually happens.  The cookies are always baked.  The exact list of cookies changes each time.  There are a few stalwarts, lending their years of experience to the annual cookie brigade.  But it is the addition of new cookies that adds excitement and a sense of whimsy to the mix.  These particular cookies are actually a hybrid between the new and old- a former heavy hitter recipe from my mom that got a bit of a chocolate makeover.  So here are some shortbread thumbprint cookies filled with either apricot or orange spread.  Or a raspberry, for funsies. Drizzled with a chocolate and almond ganache. Toasted almond slices optional.

Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups flour
1/3-1/2 cup apricot or orange spread
raspberries
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1-2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/3 cup toasted almond slices, optional

Instructions
Using electric mixer, cream butter and sugar.  Add in extract.  Slowly stir in the flour.  The mixture will look sandy at first, but the dough should come together, just keep the mixer going.  Feel free to add just a touch of milk if it doesn't seem to come together.  Refrigerate for at least an hour.  Form into 1-inch balls.  Use the handle of a wooden spoon to press an indentation into the ball.  Fill with either the apricot spread or place a raspberry in there.  Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned.  Cool for a minute on the tray then move to a cooling rack.  Combine chocolate chips and cream in a microwaveable bowl.  Carefully microwave for 30 seconds, or until the mixture is melted.  Stir in the almond extract.  Drizzle chocolate mixture over cookies.  Add toasted almond slices to each cookie, if desired.

Giving the Gift of Experience 2012

I'm sure you've heard that experiences are appreciated and more memorable than things. Speaking personally, I have no more room for stuff. If it doesn't fit in the refrigerator or my jewelry box, it's going to be tough to find a place in my overstuffed apartment. But a tour or a class is something I always appreciate. You know what they say, give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

Here are my ideas for the best experiences in San Francisco and beyond...

A stop at Craftsman & Wolves for a treat

Edible Excursions
Neighborhood food walking tours are not just for tourists! In fact, most of the people who go on Edible Excursion tours are locals. Even if you know your own neighborhood, have you really dug into Japantown or the up and coming parts of the Mission? Nothing could be better than going with an expert.

I've been on several of Edible Excursions tours and loved all of them. The most recent tour is of the 18th Street corridor and what could be more fun than hanging out with one of the tour guides, local DIY diva Karen Solomon! She not only lives in the Mission but can make great personal recommendations for where to eat, drink and shop in the area. See the murals at the Women's Building, nibble on pizza, slurp a sangria and have a lick of ice cream all the while learning about new and not so new hot spots on 18th Street and Valencia Street. Tours range from $50-75 and are well worth the price given how much food you'll eat and fun you'll have.

San Francisco Cooking School
Just last month I got a chance to take a tour of the newly launched school and to chat with some of the instructors. I was really impressed. The space on Van Ness is gorgeous and the teachers experienced and enthusiastic. What sets this school apart is that even the classes for non-professionals are hand's on, not just demos. Learn how to make and decorate cupcakes from Kara of Kara's Cupcakes! Learn to make pasta from Viola Buitoni! Buitoni, a name synonymous with pasta. Make Asian dumplings with Andrea Nguyen, author of the book, Asian Dumplings.

The Boothby Center for the Beverage Arts
I have a confession to make, I am lousy at creating cocktails. Oh I can follow a recipe like anyone else, but coming up with something new is a challenge. I love learning about spirits and playing with them. In San Francisco we actually have a non-profit organization dedicated to to preserving the cultural heritage of saloons and their cocktails in San Francisco, while also celebrating California's culinary philosophy and tradition via special public events, publications and educational seminars. I would LOVE to take a class with one of my (and I think everyone's) favorite local bartenders, Reza Esmaili and learn to make market fresh cocktails! But check out the schedule and find something that rings your bell.

Forage SF
I've been fascinated by the foraging trend. I grew up in the Bay Area and ate fish and seafood, mushrooms and fruit all harvested locally by family and friends. I've been on many nature walks and mushroom hunts and always learned a lot. Forage doesn't just hold markets and dinners, but wild food walks. They are two hours, held in both San Francisco and the East Bay and cost only $40. If no one buys me this as a gift, I plan on buying it for myself!

Autumn in Italy
Are your ready for the trip of a lifetime? I just came back from Emilia Romagna, and created a slide show for Frommer's on what has to be one of the best food destinations in the Italy. My friends and fellow bloggers and Italian food enthusiasts Hedonia blogger Sean Timberlake and Italy in SF blogger Vanessa DellaPasqua who runs Global Epicurean have put together a second trip to Italy (on the heels of their sold out first trip), this time to focus on gathering porcini mushrooms, but also to try formaggio di fossa, visit a tartufo festival, learn to make pasta and piadina and of course get up close and personal with Parmigiano Reggiano, prosciutto and balsamic vinegar in their birthplace. And so much more! Check out the full itinerary and make someone's dream come true.

Parmesan and Asiago Frico Squares with Fennel and Orange Salad

Party food is just so fun - dips, miniature, bite size morsels served on toothpicks, communal foods in general.  Party food makes me happy.  But the parties themselves stress me out.  Or, more precisely, the people at the parties stress me out.  Sometimes my evening is spent feigning interest in riveting topics like the virtues of cloth diapering.  Other times it might be spent wondering how to respond when someone snidely remarks "What? you haven't read anything from David Foster Wallace?" No, I'm sorry, I have not.  He is on my ever-expanding to read list, incidentally.  But I feel that there is no reason to be so mean about this current lacunae.  Ugh, and my hyper analytical brain starts trying to read something more into everything said to me or trying to appear as some very fuzzy, very blurry simulacrum of an "Interesting Person" (not that I really am).  And after a few hours of this, my brain and nerves are all exhausted and then bed sounds like the most amazing place ever created in the entire world.  I guess it's no secret that I'm an introvert :-P  But the food, that never fails to pick me up, helping me get through these strained hours and making it all worth it.  Here are some Parmesan and Asiago frico squares topped with fennel salad and a bit of orange.  Some party food to calm those party nerves.  And a glass of wine never hurt.

Ingredients
For the frico squares:
1 cup Parmesan
1 cup Asiago
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

For the fennel salad:
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced with a mandoline
1/4 cup thinly chopped Romaine lettuce
1/4 cup arugula
1/4 cup chopped parsley
3 tablespoons fresh grapefruit juice
1 orange, supremed

Instructions
Heat oven to 350.  Place the cheeses, flour, and black pepper in a medium bowl and mix all together.  Place mixture on a Silpat or parchment lined baking sheet.  Pat the mixture onto the sheet as thin as possible.  It won't cover the entire sheet, probably about 2/3 of it.  Then bake for about 10-15 minutes, or until the mixture smells cheesy, is bubbly, and has become golden.  Take out of the oven, and once the frico has cooled, cut into squares.

Place fennel, Romaine, arugula, and parsley in a bowl.  Drizzle grapefruit juice over the mixture.  Place a bit of salad on each frico square and top with a chunk of orange.

Rocky Road Recipe

Did you know that Rocky Road was invented in Australia? It seems like such an American candy, but there are different versions in other parts of the world. In Australia the candy has things like coconut and fruit jellies in it. The Rocky Road in the United Kingdom has marshmallows, cookies (or biscuits as they call them), chocolate, raisins and a dusting of powdered sugar. While I like the idea of adding crisp cookies to Rocky Road, it just does't seem like Rocky Road to me without nuts, and toasted walnuts in particular.

I blame Tori Ritchie for making me take on Rocky Road. Her email newsletter this week had a recipe for it and after that I was a goner. Rocky Road is one of those things you can't really mess up. I think the easier the better. With all due respect to Michael Ruhlman, the ratios are a bit fluid here, you can add more or less chocolate or nuts as you like. I've seen recipes that have 1 part chocolate to 1 part marshmallows and others have 2 parts chocolate to 1 part marshmallows. Of course, the better ingredients you use the better it will taste. But honestly I made this with supermarket chocolate chips and it was pretty darn good! 

This would be a fun thing to make with kids and makes a nice gift too. My version uses nuts, marshmallows and cookies, but no raisins or powdered sugar. The cookies really add a nice crunch and make the candy seem a little less rich somehow (so I end up eating more?). Try it with different kinds of cookies and let me know what you think. I used Anna's Orange Thins in mine but I bet Ginger Thins or Almondina cookies would be good too. 

Rocky Road

Ingredients

3 cups chocolate chips, bittersweet or semi sweet or a combination

2 cups mini marshmallows

1 cup toasted chopped walnuts

1 cup crushed shards of thin crunchy cookies such as Swedish thins or Moravian cookies

Instructions

Place the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes at 50% power. Remove from the oven and stir, then repeat as necessary until the chips are melted and smooth. Do not overheat them. 

Add the marshmallows, toasted walnuts and cookies to the bowl melted chocolate and stir gently with a rubber or silicone spatula until all the ingredients are coated in chocolate. Spread onto a parchment lined baking sheet and allow to cool and harden. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container. 

Enjoy!

More Books for Cooks 2012

You know the drill, if you want your gift to arrive by December 24th, today is the last day to order with free Super Saver Shipping on Amazon. Of course, you could just go to a bookstore instead! 

Every year there is a whole new batch of cookie books. Dozens I dare say. Here are a few worth your while. The Daily Cookie is written by a blogger I consider a friend, Anna Ginsburg. She is a baking whiz! Her blog is Cookie Madness and she is a past winner of the Pillsbury Bake-Off. Anna's recipes are very well-tested and never terribly complicated. Bar cookies, drop cookies, sandwich cookies and brownies are all included. Most recipes have photos and for each cookie and each day of the year there is a holiday or special event you can learn about. 

Simply Sensational Cookies is another major cookie compendium. What I like about this book is that each recipe is rated--from easy to complicated so you know what to expect. The lovely photos are from White on Rice Couple bloggers, Diane Cru and Todd Porter. 

Tate's Bake Shop: Baking for Friends is a more general baking book, but I include it because I think many will be familiar with the cookies from Tate's Bake Shop. The recipes in this book are very clear and easy to follow. 

Cookies for Grown-Ups is a truly unique book, with lots of savory cookies, sophisticated flavors (like pink grapefruit and poppyseed or green apple, horseradish and ginger) and boozy ones like lime and tequila or Cookie Mary with all the flavors of a bloody mary! Ok, it's a little wacky, but fun. 

For those who choose savory over sweet, a nice option is Salty Snacks, which features recipes for chips, crackers, pretzels, dips, crostini, and all kind of goodies that go with drinks. It's a great book for those who like to throw cocktail parties. 

Another cool book inspired by a farmer's market is In Season, by food editors from New York magazine. This is not a regional book and should be useful for just about anyone in the country (ok maybe not Alaska or Hawaii!) The recipes come from different restaurant chefs and I like that recipes are from all corners of the globe, some traditional and many are modern. I have bookmarked Michael Anthony's Green Garlic Sauce, Cauliflower Tabbouleh and Sake-Poached Cherries. I just wish the book wasn't organized by season since in many places seasons overlap. 

Most regional and farmer's market books disappoint me. But two really impressed me this year. My favorite was Pike Place Market Recipes. Seattle local Jess Thomson has gathered and developed recipes using the abundance of that legendary market. But you don't have to live in Seattle to make recipes like Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Stumptown Barbecue Sauce, Carrot Soup with Cumin and Honey, Hot Sweet Mango Pickles or Marche's Mussels with Pernod Cream. I particularly like the 10 Ways tips that feature suggestions for how to use apples or bread or charcuterie. The photos of locals vendors and dishes add to the pleasure of this smaller format volume. 

A lot of pretty books this year didn't have much substance when I digger deep into them, and a few failed when I tried some recipes. But Southern Comfort really impressed me. Recipes like Oyster Swiss Chard Grain with Country Bacon, Grilled Calamari stuffed with Cornbread and Collards and Potato Gnocchi with Mustard Green Pesto all feel new and exciting yet familiar. I think this book went largely under the radar for most people but it's a good one. 

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. 

Easy Almond Cookies Recipe

This is the easiest almond cookie recipe ever. And I bet you could use an easy cookie recipe about now. It requires only a few ingredients and you prepare the dough in the food processor so making them takes maybe 10 minutes and there's barely any clean up. They are a variation of almond macaroons, rich and chewy with just a little crunch from the almond on top. The secret is a hint of almond extract, and to really processing the ingredients until they make a very easy to work with dough.

I was recently sent some almonds from the Almond Board and I was looking for a good way to use them. There are lots of similar recipes to this one, but the comments on Epicurious led me to make a crucial change in the recipe. I cut the sugar in half. I also made slightly larger cookies than the recipe calls for and skipped dusting them in confectioners sugar. It might seem odd to add almond extract to almond cookies, but without it they can be a little bland. Because they are such dense little bites, they won't crumble making them good for travel or shipping. They are gluten free and have no added oil or butter.

While no one eats cookies for health purposes, these are pretty healthy. Lots of research has been done on almonds and they are a true nutritional powerhouse very high in manganese, vitamin E and magnesium and eating them lowers cholesterol and reduces the risk of heart attack. So eat them in good health!

Easy Almond Cookies
Makes 14 cookies, but recipe can easily be multiplied
adapted from a recipe published in Gourmet magazine, 1997

Ingredients

1 cup blanched almonds, whole or slivered
1/3 cup sugar
Pinch salt
1 egg white
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
14 whole almonds

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor combine the almonds, sugar and salt. Process until very finely ground. Add the egg white and almond extract and pulse until the dough comes together. Roll the dough into 14 evenly sized balls, and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Press one almond into the center of each cookie, pressing down slightly.

Bake for 10 minutes or until just starting to show a hint of gold. Let cookies cool on the pan, then transfer to an airtight container.

Enjoy!

Pomegranate Banana Dip, Sugar and Spiced Tortilla Chips, and Red Laser App

Today we're reviewing a free app called RedLaser, and pairing this review with another type of app... chips and dip!  When I saw this opportunity through Daily Buzz Moms to use a list making and shopping app for the iPhone (the app also works on the Android and Windows Phone), I thought, maybe, just maybe, now I will become a person living in the year 2012 (almost 2013-where does the time go!).  So I seized the day and all that carpe diem jazz.  I decided to just take the plunge into this new era of life.  One filled with order and ease and apps, to make everything in your life run smoothly.  A whole new Jenn...  To read the full review, hop over to our brand spanking new Review Blog page!  It is an interesting app, and worth a read.

Pomegranate Banana Dip

Ingredients
8 ounces cold mascarpone cheese
3 tablespoons confectioners sugar
1 small, ripe banana
3 tablespoons pomegranate juice
2 tablespoons grapefruit juice
1 teaspoon grapefruit zest
pinch salt
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds (arils), plus more for serving

Instructions
Place mascarpone and sugar in bowl of electric mixer and beat on medium speed. Mix in remaining ingredients.  Sprinkle top with additional pomegranate seeds.  Serve with Sugar and Spiced Tortilla Chips and fruit (I like it with apples).

Sugar and Spiced Tortilla Chips

Ingredients
4 tortillas, each cut into 8 equal size wedges
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground clove
pinch salt

Instructions
Place tortilla wedges in bowl, toss with oil, cinnamon, sugar, clove, salt.  Use tongs to distribute oil and seasonings as evenly as possible on the tortilla wedges.  Bake at 350 for about 8-10 minutes, until crispy.  Serve with dip.

Orange and Anise Cookies

I love all the nuances and quirks of people.  They can be so strange and fascinating.  For instance, take Seth and me.  We love pajamas.  Love them.  Nothing makes us happier than being all cozy and comfy at home.  But when we eat, we rarely use paper plates and paper napkins.  We get out the place mats and plates and utensils and cloth napkins, even when we get takeout Chinese or pizza.  And we eat like this while wearing pajamas.

There are many things that Seth doesn't eat that I enjoy.  I love fruit and fruity desserts.  Seth doesn't. And it is a bit random what I actually find worth making for myself (and Max) and what I don't think is worth it.  Like cheesecake - I won't make it.  Even though I adore it and used to have my mom make me some for birthday cakes growing up.  But banana bread is a yes.  Desserts with peanut butter are generally a no (Seth hates peanut butter in sweets).  But I make apple pie at least once a year.  These cookies are also a yes.  Seth doesn't particularly love anise, but Christmas isn't Christmas without these cookies for me.  They are adapted from my dad's mother's famous recipe.  They are like anisey, orangey little cakes with a cream cheese frosting.  And I crave these every year.  So while peanut butter blossom cookies won't make the cut on the holiday cookie list - these are always at the top.

Ingredients
For the cookies:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 cup whole milk or buttermilk
2 teaspoons anise extract
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice

For the icing:
8 ounces cold cream cheese
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 cups confectioners sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons anise extract
1 tablespoon orange juice
pinch salt
pinch allspice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions
For the cookies:
In a medium bowl, mix flour, salt, baking powder, allspice, orange zest.  Cream butter and sugar.  Add egg and egg yolk, and beat until incorporated.  Add milk, anise, and orange juice into the butter mixture.  Slowly stir in flour mixture.  Once the flour has been incorporated, refrigerate the dough for a few hours or overnight.  Bake at 350 for about 8-10 minutes.  Once cool they have cooled, frost with the cream cheese icing.

For the icing:
Beat cream cheese, butter, and sugar in mixer.  Add in remaining ingredients and beat gently until a spreadable icing remains.  Feel free to add more sugar if the icing is too liquidy, or to add more liquid if it is too stiff.

Saeco Syntia Focus Espresso Machine Review

The Saeco Syntia Focus espresso machine is the most impressive kitchen appliance I have ever had the pleasure of reviewing. I never thought I would actually be reviewing any kind of coffee maker because while I frequently drink espresso in Italy (as in multiple times a day) I rarely drink coffee at all in the US. So no regular coffee maker fits the bill for me. It's either an Italian espresso machine and a top quality Italian brand of coffee (illy is my preference) or why bother? 

First a little story. When I was in Italy this past October I ended up in Parma a little too early for an appointment with my guide, so I went to get an espresso with my driver, Gianni. He told me he had an espresso machine at home that he and his wife use every day, and proudly that it came from Saeco, a company headquartered near Bologna, his home town. Saeco first launched a completely automatic espresso machine for home use in 1985 and purchased the iconic Italian brand Gaggia in 1999, and then in turn was purchased by electronics giant Philips in 2009. 

I have not tested other espresso machines, but I can tell you what I consider the top 10 advantages of the Saeco Syntia Focus. 

1. Small. The machine take up less counter space than a traditional coffee machine and grinder.

2. Flexible. Each cup is brewed exactly as you like (espresso or "long" American style) or hot water.

3. Easy. Actually it's super easy to use, no fancy settings or complicated programming options.

4. Economical. Because you only make what you want, not a whole pot. 

5. Versatile. A small second reservoir allows you to add another kind of ground coffee (like decaf). 

6. Fresh. It uses a ceramic grinder to grind each cup to order.

7. Quick. Start up takes less than a minute and a half out of stand by mode.

8. High quality. It produces great cups of coffee including espresso with real crema.

9. Sleek. This is a stylish machine you enjoy having on display on your counter.

10. Foam. It features a steamer for quickly frothing and heating milk. 

The negatives for this machine would be if you prefer super oily dark roasts, those beans can clog the grinder over time. Or if you are a real control freak and want a less automated machine. And it's pricey. I've seen it on sale with free shipping for as low as $699 but the list price is $999.

So is the Saeco Syntia Focus right for you? If you want to enjoy espresso and cappuccino at home, in addition to regular American style cups of coffee, it just might be worth the splurge. And you know, this is the season for splurges.

Disclaimer: This product was provided to me for review purposes. I was not paid to write this or any other post.  

My Favorite Neighborhood Shops for Speciality Foods

The Candy Store is a cute as a button (make that button candy) little shop with sweet staff including the ebullient proprietor, Diane and her husband turned candymaker Brian. If you're a brittle fan do try Brian's coconut curry cashew brittle. I could tell you about my favorite candies in this store like the marshmallow ropes, peanut butter malt balls, or the realistic French "river stones" each filled with a surprise of apricot paste, marzipan, almonds and a thin layer of chocolate, but really, what fun would that be?

Head over to the store to discover something that makes you happy--something from abroad like a Cadbury Flake bar, or from your childhood like Zotz or Pop Rocks. Try a sample of matcha caramels or chocolate covered pistachios. Some items available online. Candy is one of the last affordable luxuries and it makes people smile! If that isn't reason enough to indulge, I don't know what is.

Cheese Plus is hands down, the best specialty food store near my home. The prices can be a bit on the high side, but owner Ray Bair carefully chooses every item and if you want a great bottle of jam or my friend Alison's fabulous chutney or fresh pasta, the best couscous, or outstanding salami, this is the place. It's not a big store, but there is plenty to choose from and I've never bought anything that disappointed me. You can easily put together a picnic basket, gift box or find just the right hostess gift here not to mention holiday gift. 

Right now they have those exquisite Robert Lambert fruit cakes with rare citrus, Rustichella d'Abruzzo panettone in flavors like fig and chocolate or cherry. A perfect stocking stuffer? The truffle trio with honey, salt and carpaccio at a very attractive price. The store really knows cheese well, as you might expect. In fact, right now if you sign up for their cheese of the month club you'll get a pound and a half of cheese each month and won't pay a penny for shipping. If you have questions or want to find something special in that department, this is a good place to look.

David's Tea is a Montreal based tea company with stores all over the place and a huge selection of tea. I spoke with the David Segal, the co-founder and he told me all about the teas and blends he creates and carries--black, green, herbal and even non-tea varieties such as his fruit and vegetable based infusions. I think its fair to say it's his passion for tea and sharing the pleasure of tea that has led to his success. Visiting the store I've always been warmly greeted and offered a sample or two plus the opportunity to smell any of the teas I like.

David's Tea strives to make tea accessible for the newbie with creative and exciting flavors like Vanilla Orchid, Coco Chai Rooibos and Ice Cream Cake, a black tea flavored with white chocolate, vanilla, carob, sprinkles and little bits of freeze-dried ice cream, and yet satisfies the tea connoisseur with a great selection of oolong and puerh teas and more. They also carry a nice selection of exclusively designed unique tea accessories like tea cups and infusers and have lots available online. The tea collections are seasonal so of course, there's a Winter season collection with flavors like Cookie Dough, Banana Dream Pie. Chocolate Chili Chai and Alpine Punch. 

Buyer's Best Friend Mercato is a tiny retail store in North Beach. I've been told the Haight location is much bigger but this is the one that's closest to me. I like being able to find local treats like Clarines Florentines, Oren's Kitchen enticing nut mixes (like wild rosemary almonds or Indian Ajwain cashews) and Dang Foods utterly addictive toasted coconut chips. North Beach is looking up these days with more and more great restaurants and shops. Don't miss this one if you're in the area.

Bonus online store
I have been lucky enough to try a sampling of some of the items available from New York Mouth. While the name might suggest only items from or for New Yorkers, they actually have good stuff from all over the country. And by good stuff I mean artisanal and hand made edibles. Some of my favorites have been  Kings County Jerky Co. sweet and garlic Korean beef jerky, Spoonables thick and rich caramel sauce with sesame seeds, zingy Rick's Picks handy corn relish, The Uncommon Pickle's pickled cherries and award winning Sour Puss Pickles pickled ramps. While this is only an online store, shopping, picking goodies or gift collections is as much fun as receiving the treats creatively wrapped up in corrugated cardboard, orange tape and a reusable canvas bag. 

The Candy Store
1507 Vallejo St @ Polk
San Francisco

Cheese Plus
2001 Polk St @ Pacific
San Francisco

David's Tea
2123 Polk St @ Broadway
San Francisco

Buyer's Best Friend Mercato
450 Columbus Ave @ Vallejo
San Francisco

New York Mouth (online only)

Disclaimer: I have received some review samples from David's Tea and New York Mouth. 

Prosciutto and Papaya Skewers with Basil and Raspberry

I find it fascinating that a miniature stick of wood can make something instantly party-fancy.  Yes, party-fancy is a term.  Or it will be.  I'm sure of it.  2013 is a blank canvas at the moment.  I can color it however i want!

If you just threw some basil, prosciutto, papaya, and raspberries in a bowl, it would basically be a salad. And my heart would break just a tiny bit.  Salad, in theory, tends to make me sad.  Though in practice I do actually enjoy them...

But stick the same ingredients on  toothpick - and yes, I can get excited about that. The miniature stick of wood turns the salad into such cute and festive party appetizers, I become smitten instantly.  The toothpick - Oh, it's magic!

Ingredients
basil leaf
prosciutto, torn into chunks
papaya - cut into chunks
raspberry
toothpicks

Instructions
Place one of each on a toothpick.  I liked doing them in the following order - basil, prosciutto, papaya then raspberry.  Serve and eat!

Kitchen Gift Guide 2012

I've already written about many of my favorite kitchen goodies from silicone spatulas to Microplane graters and the Vita-Mix blender. Here are some more things I appreciate most in the kitchen. They have each withstood the test of time, especially the cookware. Buy them for yourself or someone you love. 

I have every brand of cookware possible--Calphalon, All-Clad, Le Creuset--you name it. But the pots I use the most are from the Anolon Chef Clad line. They are handsome brushed aluminum with stainless steel and can be used on all cooktops and even under the broiler. In my experience they really hold up better than the other top brands and are cheaper. What more could you ask for? Right now the best deals (good discount and free shipping) are on the Anolon site. There is also a lifetime warranty. 

As much as I'd like to, I can't quite give up on non-stick pans. With every non-stick pan I've always found there are some compromises but the Zwilling Spirit line of non-stick pans give me everything I want. They are easy to clean, with a great non-stick Thermalon ceramic surface that has not chipped after almost 6 months of use. The pans are PTFE and PFOA free, heat resistant to 500 degrees! and really substantial with good weight and even heating, so no hot spots or buckling. The pans are pricier than some non-stick, but totally worth it. A must for crepes and eggs. 

I wouldn't have thought that I would get that much use out of this set of Trudeau colanders but I probably use them daily. They are just perfect for washing vegetables and fruit and draining pasta, I especially like the small one for berries. 

I have lots of ramekins and prep dishes, but I use these Trudeau silicone pinch bowls the most. They are very stable, grooved so they don't slip in your hands, yet bend for easy pouring. They wash up easily and I must say they are much prettier in real life than they are in this photo.

You are probably thinking I have lost my mind, but my Brother label maker now is permanently in the kitchen. I label almost everything that goes into the refrigerator and freezer. The labels peel off only when I want them to and there are no longer mystery containers lurking. My model is no longer available but any Brother model should be fine. 

More kitchen gifts and goodies 

Disclaimer: I received the Trudeau and Zwilling products as review samples. This post contains some affiliate links.

The Bus Cake, with Eggnog and Chocolate Chip Batter

Yep, it is indeed a bus-shaped cake.  You totally know that your life isn't complete until you've experienced the bus cake.  When most of us are out and about, buses are just another mode of transportation peppering the landscape. But to a certain 34 inch tall toddler, this mode of transportation is the most amazing thing ever.  Ever.  One never knew how much joy was to be had by a bus sighting until now.  His enthusiasm for this marvel of human innovation is so infectious, both Seth and I even find ourselves becoming genuinely excited when we spot a passing bus.  And a corresponding twinge of sadness when said bus moves out of sight.  Countless minutes have been spent doing Google image searches of buses, taking time to admire each and every bus on the page.  He is a delightful bus companion, radiating toddler glee while riding in this most favored vehicle, and every few minutes exclaiming "bus," as though I would have forgotten that we were on a bus.  Since it was his birthday last week, we decided to tackle a bus-shaped cake.  I made the icing and cake, and Seth assembled it into its bus form.  We originally wanted a double-decker London style bus, but we belatedly realized that much more cake would be needed.  Oh well... he recognized it immediately, exclaiming, "BUS!" and dove right in, so mission accomplished.  With the eggnog and chocolate chip batter and buttercream frosting, it was pretty tasty as well.

adapted from
cooking light pound cake

Ingredients
Cake:
3 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup egg nog
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Icings:
1/2 pound unsalted butter
3 cups confectioners sugar, whisked
1 tablespoon heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
red food coloring

1/2 pound unsalted butter
3 cups confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
black food coloring

Decorations:
4 mini chocolate frosted donuts
2 yellow chicklets for the front lights
2 red chicklets for the tailights

Instructions
For the icings:  Beat butter in electric mixer.  Add in sugar.  Mix in cream, extracts, salt, and red food coloring.  Set aside, and repeat process for the black icing.

For the cake:  Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.  In another bowl, stir eggnog and buttermilk together.  In mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Add in eggs one by one, being sure to mix well after each one.  Mix in vanilla extract.  Turn mixer to lowest setting, and alternate between adding flour and the buttermilk/eggnog mixture into the mixing bowl.  Once the flour and buttermilk mixtures have been incorporated, place batter in two greased 9x5 loaf pans and bake at 350 for about 50 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean.  Cool in pans for 10 minutes then remove to cool on wire rack.

For the assembly:  Once the cakes have cooled, cut into rectangles by slicing off any ends and curved parts, you want nice rectangles to work with.  Spread red icing on one and stack the other on top.  Place donuts where they will eventually fit as wheels, and tracing around them, cut out chunks of the cake to make wheel wells.  We didn't think of this until after making the cake, which is why the wheels stick way out on the sides.  Spread red icing all over.  Spread the grey-black for windows.  Pipe grey-black around the windows using a a pastry bag or ziplock bag with a corner cut off.  Paint the donuts with the grey-black frosting, and use toothpicks to keep the wheels in place.  Add the yellow Chicklets to the front of the bus and the red ones to the back.

Holiday Gift Fairs 2012

If you are interested in San Francisco Bay Area made treats and treasures, these three gift fairs should be on your radar for this weekend, December 7 - 9, 2012. 

La Cocina Gift Bazaar
This year the La Cocina Gift Bazaar is taking place downtown! It will be at the Crocker Galleria at 50 Post St from Friday, December 7th from 1 pm - 7 pm. There will be live music and plenty of delicious things to eat and give as gifts. Some of my favorites include Kika's Treats, Global Grub, Maite Catering, Love & Hummus and Azalina's. This is a great event, put on by San Francisco's first non-profit incubator kitchen.  I've gone every year. Don't miss it! 

Speakeasy Holiday Indie Mart
Hosted by Indie Mart this Saturday, December 8th, from 12 pm - 6 pm is the Speakeasy Holiday Indie Mart at Speakeasy Ales & Lagers, 1195 Evans Ave, Bayview. Tour the brewery, purchase packaged foods and sweets or find something to eat at one of the food trucks. A shuttle will be available for $3 to get you there, look for details coming soon. Sorry I don't have a listing of vendors, but I'm sure this will be a worthwhile event.


SFMade Holiday Gift Fair
I'm a big fan of the Fort Mason farmer's market and this weekend there is even more reason to go, the SFMade Holiday Gift Fair will be taking place from 10 am - 6 pm at the Herbst Pavilion. Keep an eye out for local favorites including Bi-Rite, Heath Ceramics, The Chai Cart, Poco Dolce, also NeoCocoa and Clairesquares (both of whom will also be at the La Cocina event on Friday). 

Holiday Cookbook Gift Guide 2012

 Here are my picks for great gift worthy cookbooks! From coffee table books, to DIY books and more... 

Big and beautiful coffee table books

Some cookbooks are really coffee table books. They are large, filled with glossy photos and tell intriguing stories--they are the anti-ebook. The recipes and the restaurant recommendations are kind of secondary. These two books will satisfy the armchair traveler who loves to eat.

Lonely Planet's Food Lover's Guide to the World: Experience the Great Global Cuisines is over 300 pages of stories, photographs, recipes, and recommendations for where to find some of the most iconic dishes in the world--everything from Korean Bibimbap to Argentinian Empanadas and French Tart Tatin. Along the way you'll find food festivals and drinks, rules of etiquette, cooking schools, ingredients and markets. This is a book probably written using clips from guide books and then some. It definitely is the right book for someone who travels a lot or plans to. There is plenty of advice and direction for where to go, what to eat and even how to eat it. The recipes are definitely secondary. Some of them are not terribly well written but they do add flavor to the book.

Saveur The Way We Cook: Portraits from Around the World is a glossy book of full page photographs, there are some stories too, but mostly it's photos. At the back of the book are 50 recipes including Bistro French Fries, Layered Herring Salad and Dry Cured Olives with Rosemary and Orange. It's a book to get lost in, not so much for planning trips like the Lonely Planet book. It's as if Gourmet and National Geographic somehow came together in one. It's a book that truly appreciates the food ways of foreign places--be they in Tennessee or Tehran.This book is for anyone who enjoys photography as much as travel and exploration. 

Make it

For DIY types, a how to book and a jar of something delicious is probably the best gift of all. I've picked three that I think really stand out.

Mother in Law's Kimchi is the best kimchi I have ever eaten. Really. So I couldn't be happier to see The Kimchi Cookbook, filled with recipes for making spicy succulent kimchi and using it, from Lauryn Chun. The photos make kimchi sexy! I've bookmarked Quick Cucumber and Chive Kimchi and French Breakfast Radish Kimchi. There are recipes for kimchi and recipes using kimchi, like Kimchi Cornmeal Pancakes.

The ingredient section will help get you up to speed on what's necessary to create authentic Korean flavors. But the uses of kimchi are not all traditional. Pair this book with a jar of kimchi (perhaps even homemade!) and give it to your favorite chile head. 

Jams are hot stuff. I am going to share some of my favorites in another post for now let me say, making jam rivals eating it. It's an outlet for creativity and allows us to preserve the best of every season. I've reviewed jam cookbooks in the past, but I particularly like Jam On (from Laena McCarthy of Anarchy in a Jar)because it enables you to customize and come up with your own flavors, there's also pickled fruit, fruit butter and shrub recipes and some nice suggestions for ways to use jams and marmalades you might not have considered like in a roast chicken recipe, in cocktails and even risotto. I tried Anarchy in a Jar jams and was mightily impressed. My favorite was the Grapefruit and Smoked Salt Marmalade, but any jar plus this book would make a truly fine gift for the DIY maven in your midst. 

For the hardcore DIY types, kimchi and jam may be child's play. But I bet making salami isn't. Michael Ruhlman's Salumi will walk you through the steps and techniques to making Italian style salami and many variations. Cotechino, pancetta, lonza, coppa, even culatello which is not imported from Italy to the US, t's all here.

There are also recipes for using your homemade product like Coppa, Orange & Onion Salad and Spuma di Mortadella.

For someone who has already taken on charcuterie, this is what comes next.

And now for something completely different

Perhaps it's because I went to Israel this year, but Jerusalem is the cookbook I keep gravitating towards. The sensibility is just different. And yet very appealing.

Written by a Jew and an Arab both from Jerusalem, it's hard to put your finger on because the dishes featured have Middle Eastern, Eastern European and Sephardic roots. But it has a freshness and vibrancy that speaks to the place that inspired it. So some of these recipes may be familiar, but many are combinations that will excite you! Roast Chicken with Clementines & Arak, Butternut Squash & Tahini Spread, Lamb Stuffed Quince with Pomegranate & Cilantro and Swiss Chard Fritters are just a few of the intriguing recipes in the book.

Wild and wonderful 

This is a trend I predicted for 2012. And it continues to take off with two fantastic books that help you find you to find, cook and enjoy foraged wild ingredients. 

The first recommendation is for Foraged Flavor. This book really makes it easy to explore and identify edibles in your backyard and beyond. The photos are great. The recipes are eclectic with Italian, French and Asian playing starring roles. They are mostly very easy and very appealing.

Recipes include Daylillies stuffed with Lobster, Avocado and Sushi Rice, Purslane Eggplant Caponata and Dandelion Flower Jelly.

A Feast of Weeds is a bit more academic, not surprising since it was written by an Italian professor. The book explores the literary side of the plants that you can find and cook. The recipes are solidly Italian and anything but run-of-the-mill! Consider Pomegranate Risotto, Polenta with Nettles and Spaghetti with Wild Arugula. Talk about cucina povera. This is the real deal.

While written by a professor the book is very approachable and easy to use and appreciate.

The book features lovely drawings but no photos. The essays that go with each ingredient are less field guide and more Humanities or Classics major. You can read an excerpt.


So pretty! 

For someone who loves to entertain, nothing could be a more welcome gift than this gorgeous gold trimmed little volume--Ladurée: Entertaining: Recipes, Ideas & Inspiration which comes packed in tissue in it's own box.

While not terribly practical for weeknight dinners, it will be a great source of inspiration with stylish tips and modern recipes like  Lobster Rose Petal Carpaccio and Sea  Bass Tartar with  Grapefruit and finally classics like Orange-Passion Fruit Macarons, Tableware, glassware, and yes, etiquette are all addressed. For the girliest girl (or boy) on your list or that relative that has everything. 

For other books I've recommended this year:
Mexican Cookbook Roundup

The Epicurious Cookbook & MyRecipes America's Favorite Recipes

Food Blogging Resources

Cookbooks for Right Now

DIY Canning & Preserving

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links