Sunshine in a Glass

Fresh squeezed OJ is nature's gift to get us through the dark days of Winter. It will fix what ails you, just sweet enough and rich with pulp, it's like drinking sunshine. Growing up on the East Coast of Central Florida, sandwiched between the warm Atlantic Ocean and miles upon miles of citrus groves, fresh squeezed OJ was a weekly ritual at our house. On Sundays, we would stop at a roadside stand to buy our supply of fresh citrus. I still remember the simple sign "Juicing Oranges" and a farmer in his Sunday overalls and fedora would load a bulging brown grocery sack into the back of our station wagon. At home, we cut them in half and took turns squeezing a bushel of golden fruit. The pulp and tiny seeds escaped from the juicer into the pitcher and into each awaiting glass. I just picked up a sack of Florida oranges in my West Virginia grocery store. I am ready for Winter.

Pizza Night in the Comfort of your Kitchen

A bulky but rather lightweight package arrived at my kitchen door.  It was addressed to me, strangely enough.  The sender label read ‘Primal Kitchen’ and I ripped open the box to reveal its contents--a gorgeous walnut pizza peel and a note from my daughter in college:

“Happy very late Mother’s Day and kind of late Father’s Day!  I hope you have plenty of patio pizza parties and I can’t wait to get in on them when I get home.” Of course I cried as I read the note aloud and we all reminisced about our tasty family tradition, pizza night at home.

At our house, it’s an all hands on deck affair.  I make the dough and everyone jumps in making sauce, grating cheeses, and prepping the toppings. For years, this happened like clockwork every Friday night.  Neighbors joined in on the fun and we have experimented with every possible topping combination, working lots of fresh veggies into the mix.

As our kids have gotten older, the frequency of this fun tradition has fallen off, though we pull it instantly back into the rotation whenever the mood strikes. It’s heartwarming to know that my faraway college student is eager to come home and rekindle the family pizza custom. I urge you not to delay, start a pizza tradition at your home today!

A few tips for successful pizza night

• heat pizza stone at 500 on the bottom rack of the oven. 
• lightly coat a pizza peel or a rimless baking sheet with cornmeal--stretch your dough on top of the cornmeal, then top the pizza.  Carefully slide the pizza off the peel or baking sheet and onto the hot stone (always check to see that the pizza hasn’t glued itself to the pizza peel before attempting to launch it onto the stone. Give a gentle shake of the peel--if the pizza seems to be stuck in any place, carefully lift up the dough and sprinkle a little more cornmeal on the peel)
• dough can be baked on a pizza pan or cookie sheet if you don’t have a stone; first lightly oil the sheet before laying down the dough.

Pizza Dough

This dough can be made in a Kitchenaid mixer with a dough hook, but the food processor works well for a single batch of dough. This makes enough for 3 large pizzas If making a double batchfor a pizza party! you will need to use the Kitchenaid. -- if you want to start off slow, you can chill the remaining dough balls for up to 2 days, or freeze them, well wrapped, for 2 months.

• 1 teaspoon Instant Yeast (also called "rapid rise")
• 3 cups bread flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1 to 1 1/4 cups water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• additional olive oil for bowl for rising, and for handling dough

COMBINE yeast, flour, and salt in the container of a food processor and pulse a few     times to blend.  Turn the machine on and add 1 cup water and 2 Tablespoons olive oil     through the feed tube. Process for about 1 minute, adding more water 1 tablespoon at a     time, until the mixtureforms a ball and is slightly sticky to the touch.  If it is dry, add     another tablespoon of water and process for 10 more seconds.  If the dough is too sticky,     add flour a tablespoon at a time. You want the dough to just barely stick to your fingertip.

KNEAD the dough with lightly oiled hands for a few seconds to form a smooth round     ball. Divide the dough into 3 balls. Brush a baking dish with a drizzle of olive oil and     place the dough balls in it.  Gently roll the dough around so that each ball is lightly coated     with oil and will not dry out.  Place the balls apart so they have room to rise.   

Cover the dish with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm draft-free area until the dough     doubles in size, usually about 1 hour (aha! the time it takes to make sauce, toppings, and     get the oven preheated) .The dough can rise slowly in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours, if     that is more convenient.  Let the chilled dough sit at room temperature for a few minutes before shaping.

Color is king when it comes to fabulous pizzas -- this one with Roma tomatoes, red onion, and asparagus.

Quick Pizza Sauce

I like to keep this sauce on hand to make English muffin pizzas for quick after-school snacks.  It can also be tossed with hot pasta as an easy marinara

• 2 cups canned diced tomato (I like to use Muir Glen crushed tomato)  
• 1 Tablespoon Olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste

    Combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl. (Quick!)Refrigerate leftovers for up to a week.

Spinach and Garlic Pizza

This is a family favorite!  When we moved from Houston, we craved the pizzas that we fell in love with at STAR Pizza.  I called them for their recipe for “Joe’s Pizza” and they wouldn’t share, so here’s our version. Really the BEST part about pizza night is everyone jumping in with topping ideas -- have fun creating your own favorites.

Start with a ball of dough and some quick pizza sauce, top with 

• 6 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (or fontina) and can be supplemented with asiago, parmesan or feta

For sautéed spinach and garlic:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced
• 5 ounce bag fresh ‘baby’ spinach
• salt and pepper

HEAT oil and garlic in large skillet over low heat until oil begins to shimmer and stir a few minutes until garlic gently sizzles.  When garlic is almost tender, add spinach to skillet a handful at a time, and add 1/2 teaspoon salt, stirring to evenly wilt spinach.  Remove from heat and season with pepper.

SPREAD pizza dough. Spoon about 1/2 cup of pizza sauce over dough. Sprinkle cheese over sauce. Distribute sautéed spinach and garlic over the top. Bake ina very hot oven (preheated to 500) for 10-15 minutes.

30 Days of Kitchen Fun!

My friends at I Love Nice People are rolling out  "A Month of Niceness" campaign, a great reminder to all of us to join them in doing a nice deed every day for the month. Their suggestion for today is "talk to someone who seems lonely" and of course my personal favorite is this Saturday's tip: "Make breakfast for your friends." I love their idea and checked in with Kate Webster, college student and co-founder of ILNP to ask about kicking off a similar calendar "30 Days of Kitchen Fun". In addition to granting approval for me to mimic her concept, she made the calendar for me. Talk about NICE!

Kate and I share some fun kitchen history--For her 10th birthday, she celebrated in the teaching kitchen with her friends and I was the lucky one who cooked alongside these cute 4th graders. I remember the scenario well--I had donated a class as part of a Hurricane Katrina fundraiser that our school was hosting and Kate's parents bought it. Next thing you know, the kitchen was full of giggling 4th grade girls. We had a ball and are in search of the photos to share the memories. 

Have a NICE day, and Happy Cooking!

Pastel de Tres Leches

Dreaming of jack-o-lanterns and sugar skulls, my mind is on holiday baking. Life’s pace of late has been unsustainable, so I’m off to the kitchen for some slow-down therapy. I’ve always been intrigued by the traditional fiesta cake “pastel de tres leches” and decided to give it a whirl for my daughter’s Spanish class Day of the Dead party. After poring over page after page of recipes, I settled on one from Pati Jinich of Pati’s Mexican Table. I’ve heard Pati on The Splendid Table radio show and each time I want to stop what I’m doing and dive into the kitchen with her. Here goes!

The cake is a magical blend of fluffy egg whites and creamy whipped yolks, sweetened with sugar and a good glug of vanilla, then folded with flour and baked.

The true alchemy occurs when the cake comes out of the oven. You pierce the cake all over with a fork and infuse it with a mixture of 3 milks--whole, evaporated, and sweetened condensed. I took a chance on caramelizing my sweetened condensed milk, a fascinating conversion that happens when you gently boil the unopened can in a pot of water.

The tasters responded with cheers of the highest praise: “It tastes like flan-cake!” Whether you’re celebrating The Day of the Dead or just need some down time in the kitchen, you’ll wow your tasting panel with this festive cake, perfect for any occasion.

Pastel de Tres Leches

adapted from Pati’s Mexican Table

For the cake:

• 9 eggs, separated
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups unbleached flour

For the leche syrup:

• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk, preferably caramelized (see recipe below)
• 1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

For the topping:

• 11/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

HEAT the oven to 350. Buttera 13 x 9-inch baking pan and line the bottom with a piece of buttered parchment paper.

WHIP the egg whites on medium speed with a stand mixer until they are foamy. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and whip in the sugar one tablespoon at a time while the mixer is running. Continue beating until the whites hold stiff peaks, about 5 to 7 minutes total. Transfer the whipped whites to a large mixing bowl and set aside.

POUR the egg yolks into the bowl for the stand mixer and beat on medium-high speed until thick and pale gold in color, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the vanilla to combine. Fold the beaten yolks into the egg whites.

SPRINKLE the flour over the egg mixture and fold gently to combine, scraping with a spatula so that the flour is well mixed. Pour the thick batter into the prepared pan and bake until the cake is golden-tan and puffy, and a toothpick comes out clean, about 22 minutes. Cool on a cooling rack for 10 minutes, then loosen the edges of the cake with a blunt knife.

TURN the cake out onto the cooling rack, remove the parchment, then invert the cake onto a large serving platter. Place strips of parchment paper around the perimeter of the cake, tucking them just beneath the cake’s edges. Poke the cake all over with a fork (I used a wide-tonged serving fork to make large-ish holes)--the top of the cake will look like a sponge.

MIX the leche syrup ingredients together in a large bowl or quart-sized Pyrex pitcher (you can do this while the cake is baking. If using caramelized sweetened condensed milk, you will need to whisk it well to get a smooth sauce). Drizzle the leche syrup evenly over the cake.

WHIP the cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla until fluffy and spread over the top of the cake and chill for one hour. Cut into squares and serve.

Muchas gracias to Pati for this recipe!

If you want to caramelize your can of sweetened condensed milk, remove the label from the can and place the unopened can on its side in a pot of water, covering the can with an additional inch or so of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low to keep the water at a low boil. Cover the pot and cook for 3 hours, making sure the water level stays above the can.

Using tongs, remove the can from the water and let cool before opening carefully. You will have a thick, golden caramel.

I got hooked on this when my aunt came for a visit when I was tiny. She made this, and we watched in amazement as she opened up the can of milk to reveal caramel sauce. She spooned it over vanilla ice cream topped with fresh pineapple and a sprinkle of dried currants. Such a fun food flashback!

Texas Trash (It's mighty reckless to mess with Texas)

Kickoff is looming and you’re in charge of the snacks. Raid the pantry and toss together a tasty cereal mix with a twist. Take the traditional back-of-the-box idea to the Southwest and pour on some spice.

Start with crisp cereal squares (or hexagons if you’re going with Crispix) and toss in a cup or two of this and that--pumpkin seeds (out of the shell pepitas), nuts, sunflower seeds, small pretzels, corn chips, cheese crackers (fish or bunny shapes are a fun bonus). 

Drizzle on the spice, I like to go bold with Chipotle Tabasco, and bake until crisp. You can check on it and stir from time to time as the scent drifts from the kitchen into the living room.

This concoction has become a party staple and one that never turns out the same way twice. All credit to my spice-stained copy of The El Paso Chile Company’s Texas Border Cookbook by W.Park Kerr and Norma Kerr. They call it Texas Trash, and since we don’t want to mess with Texas, we’ll leave the name alone. Feel free to tweak the formula and give it your own personal brand. Either way, it’s a winner.

Texas Trash

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 to 4 tablespoons hot sauce 
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons Ancho chile powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 4 cups mixed cereal squares ( I use Crispix and multigrain)
• 2 cups mini cheese crackers
• 2 cups small corn chips
• 2 cups small pretzels
• 1 cup pepitas
• 1 cup roasted peanuts
• 1 cup sunflower seeds

HEAT the oven to 250.

COMBINE the butter, olive oil, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Ancho chile powder, oregano, and cumin in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish and bake for 5 minutes to melt the butter.

TOSS the cereal squares, cheese crackers, corn chips, pretzels, pepitas, peanuts, and sunflower seeds in a large bowl to combine.

POUR the cereal mixture into the baking dish with the spiced butter and stir to coat evenly.

RETURN the dish to the oven and bake, stirring every 10 minutes, for 1 hour. 

LET COOL and serve in a large bowl or pack in an airtight tin for 2 or 3 days. 

SHARE the bounty, scooping servings into festive gift containers.

Makes 12+ cups

Crazy Good Breakfast Sandwich

Mornings can be crazy (we call it Pandemornium sometimes), so add some goodness to the crazy and you're set up for a perfect day. Eggs are a staple at our house. And bread. Our favorite bakery is closed on Sunday and Monday, so a Tuesday bakery run is a must. In case it falls off the to-do list, I try to keep some English muffins in the freezer, just in case.

Yes, I prefer the crusty multi-grain loaves from Charleston Bread, but in a pinch, the darkly toasted muffin is a fine canvas for my bed of arugula and egg over easy--enrobed with habanero jack. Tidy enough to eat in traffic, if necessary, but better at the kitchen table. Set the alarm, brew some coffee. Read the paper. Happy Cooking!

Crazy Good Breakfast Sandwich

2 slices whole grain bread 

1 teaspoon pat of butter

1 egg

Sprinkle of grated pepper jack cheese

Pinch of salt and ground pepper

Handful of fresh greens (I keep arugula and spinach on hand)

Additional goodness of your choosing--roasted bell peppers, tomato slices, avocado

TOAST the bread while you cook your egg.

HEAT a small skillet over medium heat and melt the butter, swirling the skillet to coat.

CRACK the egg into the skillet and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

COOK until the egg white looks set, about 2 minutes. Here comes the fun part...

FLIP the egg over and sprinkle with cheese (As Julia Child says,  "you have to have the courage of your convictions!") You can also flip it the old fashioned way with a spatula.

COOK until the desired degree of doneness, about 1 minute for 'over easy' or a little longer for 'over medium.' Crank up the heat if you like a crispy edge.

PILE some greens onto one slice of toast and slide the egg onto the greens.

TOP with the other slice of toast (or serve open-face if you prefer).

Makes 1, but you can easily make a dozen.

Taco (Salad) Tuesday

When you’re craving veggies on Taco Tuesday, reach for the salad bowl. I converted my simple ground beef ‘starter’ into taco salad for 2, with plenty leftover for Burrito Wednesday...Our dining numbers held at five for what I hoped was forever, but now they fluctuate. Two in college, a traveling husband, so this week the table is set for 2 and the skillet-ful of seasoned beef will stretch into lots of meals. I'll Mexify half of it, then season the rest with an Asian accent for noodle bowls.

Break out your iron skillet and the salad spinner and enjoy this any day of the week. Season it to suit your fancy and let me know about your delicious creations!

Taco Salad for 2, with DIY Leftovers

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced or crushed
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ancho chile powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 cup diced fire-roasted canned tomatoes
• Romaine lettuce, rinsed, spun dry, and torn into bite-size pieces
• Desired taco toppings--chopped tomato, jalapeno slices, cilantro sour cream, avocado, grated cheese, green onions, tortilla chips

HEAT the oil in a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium heat and add the onion.

SAUTE the onion until just tender, stirring occasionally.

ADD the ground beef and the salt, stirring to break up and cook just until no longer pink.

DIVIDE the mixture, scooping half into a bowl for later use and keeping half in the skillet.

ADD the chile powder and cumin to the skillet and cook 1 minute to toast spices.

STIR in the fire-roasted tomato and bring mixture just to a boil.

REDUCE heat to low and simmer for a few minutes while you assemble your taco salad toppings.

ASSEMBLE your salads as desired, topping a bed of lettuce with a few chips, a spoonful of warm meat, lots of veggies and a sprinkle of cheese.

CHILL the remaining taco meat for tomorrow's burrito, and freeze the reserved half for next week's noodle bowl.

Happy Cooking!

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Chipotle Sweet Potato Salad

Spicy is king in my kitchen, and smoky chipotle is where I go for a quick fix. Swirling a spoonful of the tangy adobo into simple black beans gives them a feisty kick. Or sometimes I’ll just eat it by the spoonful like peanut butter.

I had some leftover steamed sweet potatoes and wanted to jazz them up, so I tossed the slices with fresh lime, zest and juice, and a lovely dollop of chipotle, then another. Smoky. Sweet. Soeasy. Delicious. No recipe required. Summer Kitchen.

Happy Cooking!

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Carrot Ginger Soup

Market fresh carrots and snappy ginger dance together in this soothing-sunny soup

Handwarmer mugs, saluting West Virginia, from Wingard Pottery

This silky carrot soup is as quick to make as it is satisfying.  Sizzle some chopped onion in a little olive oil, add as much fresh ginger as you like–I go for a strong ginger bite.  Throw in a pound of sliced carrots.  Add vegetable stock and simmer until everything is tender. Then puree.  Done.  An immersion blender is key here.  Keep the soup right in its pot and buzz until smooth.

When my friend Amy sampled a spoonful, she sang, “OH!  This is OH, OHHH!  This is better than chocolate!”

The following day, she shared that she had enjoyed it cold, for breakfast.

Make a big batch to enjoy and share.  This soup makes its rounds in town whenever someone is under the weather.  Sunshine on a cloudy day.

Carrot Ginger Soup

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed or minced
• 1 to 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• 4 large carrots (about 1 lb. preferably organic), peeled and sliced
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth (I typically use veg.)

HEAT the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.

ADD the onion and saute for 5 minutes to soften.

STIR in the garlic and ginger and saute 1 minute (enjoy the fragrance!)

ADD the sliced carrots and cook for 5 minutes to soften.

STIR in 3 cups of the broth and bring to a boil.

REDUCE heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until carrots are tender.

PUREE soup in batches (blender or food processor), or in the pot with an immersion blender.

RETURN soup to the pot and heat, adding additional broth if needed and seasoning with salt (depending on saltiness of broth).

Let cool completely before packing in mason jars or containers.

Chill until ready to serve, then reheat. Some even like it chilled!

Share the love:)

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Chocolate Mousse in Minutes

“Five!!” my daughter Reilly exclaimed as she set our patio table for dinner on a recent late-summer evening. Five! I shared her glee. Since early January, we had dined without our fifth family member, Sara, and at last she was home. Five. Tink the glasses, give thanks and dig in. Family dinner. For two short weeks, the table was set for five. We all embraced our tradition of dining together, savoring the bounty of the season and catching up. Two short weeks and off she went, back to her beckoning college, to the land of infinite knowledge and new best friends. But mostly a kitchen-less place.  

While Sara was home she delighted in every cooking project possible, planned menus and did the shopping. She even invited friends into the mix for late night kitchen sessions. I can still hear their laughter. During her last seemingly endless semester away, she worked as an intern for Food52, the amazing recipe and happy cook website. She had mastered her way around the site and had curated a page of her favorite recipes. “Mom! Have you ever made 2-ingredient chocolate mousse?! We have to make it!” And off she went melting dark chocolate–first ingredient–with water–second ingredient, then whisking the luscious liquid into a velvety mousse. Tada! We tasted the ethereal creation and tapped our spoons together. Sublime comfort. She piped it into 6 small ramekins which we all enjoyed at her until-next-time dinner. The last ‘five’ until Thanksgiving. A week later, after moving Reilly into her freshman dorm, my heart ached. Two gone. Wiping away tears, I was poking around the fridge and way at the back, I discovered a tiny treasure. The last dish of mousse. I plunged my spoon into it, closed my eyes, and quietly savored each soothing spoonful. Suddenly we were five again and my sadness lifted. Chocolate therapy.

With tremendous gratitude to the team at Food52 for this life-changing recipe.

2-Ingredient Chocolate Mousse

makes 6 servings

• 3/4 cup water
• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I love Holl's)

HEAT water in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.

WHISK in the chocolate until mixture looks like chocolate sauce.

PLACE the saucepan in a large bowl half-filled with ice cubes.

WHISK the mixture until cool and thickened--it will hold the shape of the whisk.

PIPE or spoon into small dishes.

SERVE immediately, or chill to enjoy later.

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