Spiced Cranberry-Ginger Cider with All the Fixins'

From my perspective, the people who celebrate Christmas fall into two camps.  First, there are the ones who wait until December to decorate.  They let Thanksgiving shine all on its own, without Christmas trying to nudge its way into the spotlight.  And then there are the ones who start decking the halls well before Thanksgiving, letting all the holidays sort of blend together into two, big, rosy, festive months.  We fall into the latter camp.  We are just such big fans of Christmas lights.  They make everything so cozy! And the cats - well, they are definitely Christmas fans, as garland and the tree make for some super amazing toys.  So we like to extend this Christmas cheer as long as possible.  We decorated last weekend, and made this drink to kick off a season of baked goods, good cheer and festive lights.

Ingredients
2 cups cranberry juice
2 cups ginger ale
3 cups apple cider
12 whole cloves
3 star anise
2 cinnamon sticks
2-inch orange peel
2-inch chunk of ginger
1/2 cup cranberries
orange slices, for serving

Instructions
Put everything into a medium-sized pot over medium heat.  Once the mixture is nice and hot, and the aromatics are fragrant, ladle into mugs for serving.  It is also good served chilled. Serve with orange wedges and extra cinnamon sticks.

Thanksgiving Recipe Round-up!

I love a good list.  LOVE it.  Like really love it.  List making is so therapeutic, putting a bit of order and tidiness onto our messy and chaotic world.  So right now I am smack dab in Thanksgiving list mode - what to make, what groceries are needed, a master list of all the tasks to be done, and a schedule for said tasks to be accomplished.  And of course, this list - a list of possible foods to fill out the Thanksgiving menu.  Here we have some possible ideas for appetizers, side dishes, and some desserts (beyond the pumpkin pie) to round out your feast.


Appetizers

Butternut Squash Crostini

Mushroom Puffs

Herbed Goat Cheese Dip with Asparagus Spears

Side Dishes

Stuffing Pasta

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Butternut Squash and Apple Risotto

Scallion and Cheddar Drop Biscuits

Roasted Radishes with Vanilla Salt and Basil

Chantilly Potatoes

Desserts

Thick and Creamy, Earl Grey and Lavender Hot Chocolate

Baked Apples with Pine Nuts, Juniper Berries, and Orange

Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

Very Vanilla Egg-Free Ice Cream
We just love putting this stuff on our desserts instead of whipped cream!

Stuffing Pasta

Apparently, I've been born without the genes that makes one enjoy stuffing.  Or dressing, as the case may be.  I don't know why that happened in life.  But I just can't seem to like it.  No matter what wonderful things go into it.  Not even my gram's famous stuffing.  None of it.  But stuffing (or dressing) has been deemed a necessary component of the Thanksgiving feast.  And I can't bring myself to make it any more, to once again be disappointed that my genetic makeup prevents me from savoring each bite of this dish.  To once again, get my hopes up, to think that this one stuffing is the one I will like... then have those hopes dashed.  So instead of stuffing, I like doing a pasta dish that I like to think captures a bit of the essence of stuffing.  But not in stuffing form.  In pasta.  So here is a simple dish with brown butter, pancetta, fresh herbs, hazelnuts, and parmesan cheese.  Never disappoints.

Ingredients
2/3 pound farfalle pasta
4 ounces cubed pancetta
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup torn sage leaves
1 tablespoon fresh thyme and/or rosemary leaves
pinch nutmeg
white pepper, to taste
kosher salt, to taste
1/3 cup chopped hazelnuts, toasted
juice from 1/2 a lemon
2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile,
heat olive oil over medium high heat in skillet and add the pancetta.  Cook until the pancetta has a nice golden brown color (about 5 minutes).  Take off heat and set aside.

In large sauté pan, melt butter over medium-low heat.  Add sage, thyme, and rosemary and let the butter brown, about two minutes.  You will see brown specks that have formed on the bottom of the pan.  Be careful to not burn the butter.  Add pepper, salt and nutmeg, as well as the reserved pancetta.  Sprinkle chopped and toasted hazelnuts.  Take off heat and add lemon juice.  Add pasta to the brown butter mixture and toss with cheese.  Adjust seasonings to taste.

Thick and Creamy, Earl Grey and Lavender Hot Chocolate

Around this time of year, we become a bit introspective, reflecting on those things for which we are grateful.  I've got to say, I'm so grateful that chocolate exists.  I mean, what else is there in our cupboards, ready on standby to be deployed into whatever goodies we feel like whipping up?  Chocolate chip cookies, brownies,  mousses, ice cream, the list is endless.  What else goes with so perfectly well with so many different fruits (and vegetables - I'm looking at you zucchini!).  When there seems to be a dearth of produce to turn into dessert, who is always there?  Chocolate of course!

As Americans, we are looking to Thanksgiving and thinking of turning harvest foods like squash, apples,  pears and brussels sprouts and such into delicious feast food, I wanted to make sure chocolate still felt included in all the festivities.

Using half and half and the chocolate chips made this into a wonderfully thick and creamy hot chocolate, not quite pudding, but almost!  And it was ever so gloriously luxuriant, an edible tribute to our good friend chocolate.

Ingredients
2 cups half and half (or whole milk)
6 ounces good quality semi sweet chocolate chips or chocolate bar
pinch vanilla salt
2 teabags earl grey tea
1 tablespoon of lavender buds in a teabag (or just strain the lavender before serving)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions
Place half and half, chocolate chips, vanilla salt, earl grey teabags, and the lavender tea bag in a small pot over medium-low heat.  Stir continuously, melting the chocolate into the milk. Once the mixture is nice and hot, and the chocolate is melted, stir in vanilla extract and remove the teabags.

Olive Oil from Spain

Next week I'll be in Spain, tasting the gourmet food and wines of the Basque region, then heading out into the country to visit wineries, a cheese maker and a fish cannery, finally ending in Madrid. But while I'll be indulging in all things Spanish, you can get a taste too. 

Olive Oil from Spain is highlighting different olive oil varietals during Olive OIl from Spain Restaurant Week from November 12 -18, 2012 here in San Francisco. Of course Spanish olive oils are not just used in Spanish cooking so in addition to Contigo and Canela, Atelier Crenn is also creating special dishes, inspired by the four most popular Spanish olive oil varietals, picual, hojiblanca, arbequina and cornicabra. 

I highly recommend dining at Contigo, I've loved it since day one. I celebrated a birthday at Atelier Crenn earlier this year and was really wowed by the experience, from the food through the service and wines. I've only been to Canela once, and it was right after it opened. It was a bit hit or miss, but it was early days. You can also find Spanish olive oils at local Draegers, Mollie Stone's or Whole Foods. 

I got a chance to try each of the varietals, which are often featured in blends so I really didn't know what each tasted like on it's own. Here are my tasting notes:

Arbequina 

- Buttery, mild, with a bite on the finish

Drizzle on raw or cooked vegetables and grilled dish, not recommended for cooking

Cornicabra

- Pungent and bright, fruity

Use with warm salads, cooked vegetables and sauces such as mayonnaise

Hojiblanca

- Mild, sweet, creamy and smooth

Recommended for frying and in making bread, pasta and pastries 

Picual

- Grassy, notes of hay

Best used for frying also it was suggested paired with orange and chocolate

I also got a sneak peek at the dishes that will be served at Atelier Crenn. As you might expect the dishes that chef Dominique Crenn created were wildly creative, beautiful and exciting. 

Clockwise: Hamachi, caviar, beet gelee and celery sorbet, Tomato, olive rock and chèvre, Squab, sunchoke and huckleberry, Fallen olive dessert

Courtesy of Olive Oil from Spain, here are some very cool ideas for ways to use olive oil you might not have considered:

* For a fast appetizer, pour it over fresh chevre or feta cheese with some pepper flakes and chopped herbs. 

* Use instead of mayonnaise in your egg salad sandwich or deviled eggs. 

* Dress up chocolate ice cream by scooping into small rounds and placing them atop a small pool of olive oil.  Sprinkle with Maldon salt. 

* Mix with honey and orange juice. Serve over chilled orange slices with julienned mint. 

* Toss on popcorn with a little salt and hot or sweet pimentón for Spanish-style popcorn. Goes especially well with Almodóvar films. 

Virtual Book Launch Party for An Edible Mosaic: Middle Eastern Fare with Extraordinary Flair

We usually don't post on a Friday, but today is a special day.  We are participating in a virtual book launch party!  An Edible Mosaic: Middle Eastern Fare with Extraordinary Flair by the absolutely amazing Faith Gorsky comes out today, and we are so excited to (FINALLY) be able to get a hold of this book from one of our favorite bloggers.  Her book has over 100 Middle Eastern recipes, with a focus mainly on dishes from the Levant, but also a few recipes from other areas of the Middle East.  Her recipes are authentic Middle Eastern, but streamlined for today's cooking with an emphasis on demystifying techniques and ingredients that can be difficult for most of us to master.  The book is available to order on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.  So you definitely want to get a copy of this - doesn't this sound like such a valuable addition to the cookbook collection?  I totally think so.

Faith is letting us share a recipe from her book today - Saffron Rice with Golden Raisins and Pine Nuts.  Such a gorgeous and delicious dish!  This recipe is actually vegan, so it is perfect for incorporating into a vegan or vegetarian meal, but it is also wonderful served with chicken, beef, lamb, or seafood.  Faith recommends pairing the rice with her Shrimp in Aromatic Tomato Sauce.

After you check out the recipe below, please head over to Faith's blog to check out her virtual book launch party to see the other bloggers who are participating.  Also, as part of her virtual book launch, Faith is hosting a giveaway of a fabulous set of prizes.  Be sure to head over and enter!

Saffron Rice with Golden Raisins and Pine Nuts

ROZ MLOW’WAN

Recipe courtesy of An Edible Mosaic: Middle Eastern Fare with Extraordinary Flair by Faith Gorsky
(Tuttle Publishing; Nov. 2012); reprinted with permission.

Serves 4 to 6
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes, plus 15 minutes to let the rice sit after cooking

1½ cups (325 g) basmati rice, rinsed
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons pine nuts
1 onion, finely diced
4 tablespoons sultanas (golden raisins)
1¾ cups (425 ml) boiling water
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon saffron threads (or ½ teaspoon turmeric)

1. Soak the rice in tepid water for 10 minutes; drain. While the rice is soaking, put half a
kettle of water on to boil.
2. Add the oil to a medium, thick-bottomed lidded saucepan over medium heat. Add
the pine nuts and cook until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Transfer the pine nuts to a small bowl and set aside.
3. Add the onion to the saucepan you cooked the pine nuts in, and cook until softened and
just starting to brown, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the rice and cook
2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the sultanas, boiling water, salt, and saffron (or
turmeric), turn the heat up to high, and bring it to a rolling boil.
4. Give the rice a stir, then cover the saucepan, turn the heat down to very low, and cook
until tender, about 10 minutes (do not open the lid during this time). Turn the heat off
and let the rice sit (covered) 15 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
5. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle the toasted pine nuts on top; serve.

OPTIONAL Add two pods of cardamom, two whole cloves, and one 2-inch (5 cm) piece of
cinnamon stick at the same time that you add the rice.

ORIGINAL POST on An Edible Mosaic

Apple Pomegranate Fruit Bars with Rose and Ginger

I love that I am 28 years old, with a child of my own, and I can go to my gram's and still be treated like one of the grandkids.  When we were visiting friends and family back East last month, Max and I ended up with extra time to spend at her place, and it was AWESOME!  She fed us amazing baked goods. She gave us books to read to keep us busy (picture books for Max and Christmas-y cook and craft books for me).  I even had my friend Vicki come over and my gram made us all a homemade spaghetti dinner.  With both coconut pie and shortbread bar cookies with an apricot filling for dessert!  Yay for two desserts!  It probably sounds like she was babysitting both me and Max.  And that is probably a true statement.  I even needed her medical help with this weird thing that had popped up on my arm.  I apparently was the recipient of a spider bite.  I have no clue how that happened.  But my gram took care of it.

So after we got back, I missed my gram!  How could someone not miss gram?  And then I remembered that she gave me the recipe for her shortbread bar cookies with the apricot jam!  I didn't have any jam around, but I had gone to the farmer's market recently.  I combined her cookies with ingredients I had on hand, and it made me feel like she was right next door for a moment.

Ingredients
3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 apples, chopped (I used Granny Smith and Pink Lady)
pomegranate seeds from 1 pomegranate
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon ground dried rose leaves, plus more for sprinkling on top
2 teaspoons ground ginger

Instructions
Heat oven to 350.  Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar.  In a bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and salt.  Then slowly mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, toss the chopped apples, pomegranate seeds, sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, rose and ginger.

Press 2/3 of the reserved flour mixture into a greased 9 x 13 baking pan.  Pour apple mixture over it.  Then sprinkle remaining flour mixture.  Dust a bit of sugar and ground rose on top.  Bake for about 35 minutes, until golden brown and the apples have cooked.  Remove and set aside until cool.  Cut into squares for serving.