20 Questions with Laura

Laura Securro is a principal at a school in South Florida. Lucky them! She smiles wide at all times and we met when she was a first year teacher in Charleston, West Virginia. I was a volunteer with AmeriCorps Farm to School and she welcomed me into her classroom to do cooking demonstrations and tastings with her students any time, even sharing her cell number. She was new to the classroom and I was just getting started, too. Our passions for kids and food collided and we had the best time catching up recently.

Laura shared her devotion to cooking, a lifelong love her parents cultivated. Cooking is her hobby and a release when she gets home from a busy day at school. First things first, she gets into her comfy clothes, puts on some music and cooks up some fun! Tacos aren’t just for Tuesday, they are a staple for any night of the week when a quick meal is in order.

What’s your 20 minute recipe? Tacos! I use that very broadly. I can literally do anything with that theme! I usually keep everything on hand for it. While you’re  browning your meat whether its beef, chicken, fish or shrimp, you get the rest going. Refried beans, slaw with crema. Taco seasoning goes a long way! If you don’t have a big thing of taco seasoning, I don't know why. Guacamole! I always have ripe avocados. My secret is a little olive oil and a LOT of lime juice! Salt and I’ll add in some chili powder, taco seasoning for a kick and chopped up red onions. I cook a batch of dried black beans for the week and use them. 

What’s your favorite city? My favorite place to go is a place I’ve never been. I love new experiences. Really, I would say Grand Rapids, Michigan where I went to college. They have Art Prize every fall. The whole city gets decorated by art by all the local artists. Great food, great night life. There’s a river that runs through. It gets rated as one of the top cities for young professionals.

What’s your Favorite restaurant in your current city? Oh that’s a really loaded question. We live in Delray Beach. I’ll say Death or Glory, I have to give them a shout out! They go all out for Halloween and have some healthier spins on food. They do Cheeto dusted chickpeas. Fun drinks and good food. I love the Bear Shack, too. When you go out to a restaurant, you’re looking for good atmosphere, good food and drinks and a good time!

Treasured find in the back of your fridge? I’m the lemon queen! My father had this love of lemons. I start to get panicked if I’m down to one or two. I drink my water with lemon and I really think it enhances everything! Carrots are great with lemon.

Who taught you to cook? Both my parents. Not one more than the other. I’m 100% Lebanese. My mom made the best food, even fried chicken! My father made more of the everyday food. He could make even an average meal amazing! I watched them, loved being in the kitchen. I think when your parents enjoy it, it’s automatic for the kids.

What’s your go-to dish for company? A really good charcuterie board! There’s so many good things you can do with that for an appetizer. For the main dish I’ll do a big salad with garlic bread and chicken parmesan. I start with a good jarred sauce that I doctor up. I love mushrooms in my sauce. Lots of fresh parm on top. Makes a really good party night!

What’s on your cooking playlist? My top one is Laid Back Beach Music Radio on Pandora! I literally tell Alexa. Tied with Bob Marley. Makes you feel like you’re on vacation. 

Coffee, tea, or Kombucha? That’s a hard one! I would probably pick kombucha over everything. I love kombucha! You feel healthy after you drink it. 

Date night--at home? or out? Date night in for sure. If my husband takes over he will make tuna tartare and some scallops. If I’m cooking, I make his favorite meal, a turkey meatloaf with cauliflower mashed potatoes. Really the best date night in is homemade pizza! You can go any direction with this, I try to encourage my friends to do this with their kids. 

Most stained cookbook? Probably my Lebanese cookbook. Or Hungry Girl. I used that all through college. Really easy recipes.

Surf? or Turf? Oh you’re killing me! I’ll say surf. I’ll always pick the scallops or crabcakes on the menu. We had a house on Cape Cod and grew up eating a ton of seafood

Indispensable kitchen tool? My lemon juicer, that old school one. Tied with a baking pan, I mean what would you do without a baking pan?!

Staple childhood comfort food? Macaroni and cheese. A good mac and cheese is...and I love making it homemade! I love a good homemade mac and cheese. 

Who would you most like to share a meal with? past, present or fictional? I’m embarrassed to tell you.I watch the Housewives shows to unwind.  Bethany Frankel from the Housewives, she’s the Skinny Girl. She does a lot of giving back and she is really entertaining! 

Ideal grilled cheese? There would be no cheese I would leave out! I would put every cheese in the universe on it, including feta and havarti! Gouda, brie, everything. I would throw in some slices of bacon, too.

Favorite pizza topping? Mushrooms for sure.

Where would you want to take a cooking class? I know this sounds so cliche, I mean Rome, Italy! With a grandma who will show us how it’s done! We had a trip to Italy planned, we’ll have to get there one day. 

What’s your Counter Intelligence cooking tip? Is this my secret power kind of thing? I can make anything out of anything! Give me something random, throw me ingredients and I’m confident I will make something awesome! 

Three things next to your stove? Four things. Olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sea salt and pepper. 

Favorite Sports Team? I would say anything Michigan. Detroit Redwings. I do love going to hockey games! 

What do you miss most about Charleston? The seasons and the leaves changing. Wearing those fall clothes and being outside and enjoying the beautiful mountains! I miss my family and friends, the West Virginia people and PEPPERONI ROLLS! 

What’s the secret to perfect guacamole? Read ahead and cook along! (PS it’s red onion, tons of fresh lime juice, good salt and a drizzle of olive oil. Ohhhhh and of course the best ripe avocados)

Laura’s Guacamole

Laura is on autopilot when it comes to taco night. She varies the fillings but one thing is a constant: homemade guacamole. Keeping avocados on hand makes it an any time staple! As I made a batch per Laura’s instruction, I was reminded of the BEST guacamole ($19! And worth every penny) I’ve ever tasted. It, too, was finished with olive oil and had the dreamy consistency of velvety with perfectly ripe melt in your mouth chunks. The homemade version matches the $19 batch!

For one and a half ripe avocados, you’ll need half of a small red onion, finely chopped, the juice of a lime, more if the lime isn’t super juicy or you like it extra lime-y, about a half teaspoon coarse sea salt and a drizzle of good olive oil. Mash the whole avocado with the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl. Add the remaining half avocado and cut it in leaving soft chunks. Scoop into a serving bowl and drizzle with another splash of olive oil. Serve with your favorite tacos or chips, or straight from a spoon.

20 Questions with Tammi

“There’s no way a movie script can come close!” according to a good friend of Tammi Arender regarding our ‘how did this happen?’ friendship. A new-to-Charleston news anchor from Louisiana with a passion for cooking and a show (WOWKitchen) invited me to join her for one of her cooking segments. We made Personal Peach Pies on TV and continued with some more kitchen fun. This was five years ago and I had just published my first cookbook which Tammi was happy to promote. She wasn’t too happy about living in West Virginia and as I tried to win her over, she announced:

GIRL you’re too late. I’m going home!

I think she lived in West Virginia for about a hot minute. I stayed 24 years, true love.

The following Spring, one snowstorm too many and a well timed job offer had me uprooting from West Virginia to sunny South Louisiana. I messaged Tammi, ‘guess who’s moving to Baton Rouge?’ and her reply: 

GIRL, get OUT! 

We reunited at the LSU v Alabama game and from time to time when she visited from north to south. Then she left last fall to work for the Ag Network in Nashville, reminding me, “I’m a farm girl from Tallulah, Louisiana. These are my roots!” She’s been zigzagging since and as we caught up last week, she was on the road from Dallas to Nashville where she’s lived on and off for 17 years to return to the anchor desk for RFDTV. She will be on the air September 14.

What’s your 20 minute recipe? I don’t really have a Tex-Mex background, but I will put ANYTHING on a quesadilla! As long as I’ve got a tortilla and some cheese, I can turn a quesadilla into a gourmet meal. It just depends on what’s left in the fridge. I like to roast a whole chicken and debone it and store it in little baggies. I’ll put that on there with homemade pesto and my go-to Swiss cheese and a slice of cornmeal candied bacon. Let it get bubbly under the broiler, fold it over and I’m in heaven. I’ll jog from Baton Rouge to Gonzales to eat what I want.

What’s your favorite city? My favorite city that has my heart is Tallulah, Louisiana where I was raised. She’s crying. I was raised on a farm there. That’s HOME! I quit a job, sold a house and a Harley Davidson and moved to Nashville. NOT to become a country singer. I moved there to cover the Country Music Awards. I knew it was the place where I wanted to live and work. It’s the only other place on the planet I felt like could be home aside from Louisiana. It’s the perfect combo of country and city having all the advantages of big city but it still has that country hometown feel. Also, I’m a sports fanatic! If you’re a sports fan, you love Nashville (I confess I’ve never been! “Oh girl, you have GOT to come!”)

What’s your Favorite restaurant in your current city? Oh wow, well when I go home it’s the Waterfront Grill in Monroe, Louisiana and for so many reasons. The food is phenomenal and the location! It’s on the banks of the Bayou DeSiard across from the University of Louisiana Monroe where I went to school. The dish is called Catfish DeSiard and it is fabulous! I know it’s three and a half hours from Baton Rouge, but you have GOT to go!

Treasured find in the back of your fridge? You can never ever come to my house and I not have it. It’s my Geaux Nuts mixture, a great snack and something I crave. Walnuts, cashews and pecans and I don’t overdo the sugar so it’s not candied. I roast them with a little melted butter and a secret ingredient. Here’s a hint: it’s not cayenne! I’m on an 11 hour trip and made a batch of Geaux Nuts before I left so I’ll arrive in Nashville with this and won’t starve to death before I unpack my kitchen. 

Who taught you to cook? Myself! I would say my daddy because he LOVED to cook. I watched him, but I was such a tomboy that I stayed outside on a horse or the Harley. Then one winter when I was living in Baton Rouge I decided to make handmade bread rolls like the bread at the Little Village restaurant. I thought I’m gonna try to make that bread and that’s what got me addicted to cooking 20 years ago. My mother collected cookbooks and I started reading them like John Grisham novels. It became an obsession with cooking and baking!

What’s your go-to dish for company? It would have to be my shrimp and grits. 

What’s on your cooking playlist? I’m a country music fan first of all. Tim McGraw! And I love Michael W. Smith, old school Christian music. And Danny Gokey! I absolutely adore him and Steve Wariner, too. My playlist is the strangest combo of Christian and country music that you have ever heard.

Coffee, tea, or Kombucha? COFFEE!! Don’t even mention the others. I love CC’s dark roast. I used to have it shipped to me three bags at a time in Nashville. Now I can get it in the store there. 

Date night--at home? or out? Skip date night, let’s not go there!

Most stained cookbook? Louisiana Festivals by Enola Prudhomme. She signed it! When I was with WBRZ she and Paul would cook for our show. Actually Paul would come to us and we had to go to Enola in Lafayette. That cookbook has stayed with me for the last 25 years. I move around a lot!

Surf? or Turf? I’m gonna have to say a combo. A well-cooked steak is hard to beat. As a Louisiana girl I can’t say no to shrimp or crawfish.

Indispensable kitchen tool? I’m a good knife girl. I didn’t realize how special a good sharp knife is! Such a valuable tool in the kitchen no matter how much it costs. I’m a sweet potato freak! They are hard to cut. You’ve got to have a good knife.

Staple childhood comfort food? My dad was the cook in the family, but my mom! The one thing she made that I can’t replicate and neither can my sister is my mom’s banana pudding. When I need to feel comfortable I look for something close. That’s my goal in life is to crack the code of Gloria Arender’s banana pudding.

Who would you most like to share a meal with? past, present or fictional? Is it too cliche to say Jesus? I would have loved in his day and time to just have a normal conversion about life! Here’s a food related question to Jesus. Why on earth was an apple the fall of mankind?

Ideal grilled cheese? I am the ultimate grilled cheese girl. I want it done in a skillet, four cheeses and one of them has to be that processed cheese in the little wrappers, plus Swiss, cheddar and parmesan. If I have all those in my fridge, it’s going on there. I’ll cook it in the Iron skillet and put one on top for a 1920’s panini. 

Favorite pizza topping? I’m an Italian sausage girl.

Where would you want to take a cooking class? In Paris, France. I’ve conquered southern home cooking and frou frou cooking has never been my deal. If I ever have the money I’ll go spend six months at Le Cordon Bleu.

What’s your Counter Intelligence cooking tip? Don’t skip good quality ingredients. My tastebuds rule my world. Use real butter. Use good bacon. Use high quality vanilla. Food is our connection to people. Skip the mani-pedi’s, skip the jewelry and fancy clothing. Don’t skimp on food.

Three things next to your stove? I infuse my own olive oil with garlic and lemon, so it’s there. The Louisiana Festival Cookbook stays on the counter. I leave the butter out on my grandmother’s butter dish.

Favorite Sports Team? I lived in Nashville when the city bought the Houston Oilers and turned them into the Tennessee Titans. I became a Titans fan because I was so invested. There was never a time in my life when I wasn’t rooting for the Saints!

From oven to plate in minutes! Pesto, cheese, white beans and sausage melted inside a tortilla. Instant fiesta!

Quickie Quesadilla—A gourmet meal inside a tortilla

Tammi says “I will put ANYTHING in a quesadilla” and her go-to is with fridge staples pesto, Swiss cheese, chicken and cornmeal candied bacon. I went with what I had on hand: pesto, Jack cheese, white beans and sausage crumbles from Iverstine’s. 

HEAT your broiler to low or high (your oven, your call) with the rack placed a few inches below. BRUSH a large tortilla with olive oil and place it on a baking sheet. Quick toast it under the broiler just until it gets blistered. Remove from the oven and flip the tortilla over. Top with a good smear of pesto or other sauce of your choosing, a good handful of grated cheese (please DIY) and some cooked veggies or meat (again your call). COOK this creation under the broiler until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove your open face quesadilla to a plate, fold it in half and serve with salsa or more pesto if you like.

20 Questions with Adam

One of the first gems I discovered when I moved to Charleston, West Virginia was Mountain Stage. I was at the live show in 2011 when the show’s co-founder and executive producer, Andy Ridenour, passed the baton to Adam Harris who has been producing the show ever since. I met Adam a few years later when he attended a cooking demonstration I was doing at Capitol Market. We forged our friendship over music and cooking, occasionally bringing some of the Mountain Stage production staff to Darin Fisher Designer Kitchens for some day-after-the-show cooking therapy.

When Adam brought some fresh ramps back to Charleston from his family’s property in Greenbrier County, we folded the seasonal allium into biscuits. When he and Trish got married, I was thrilled to be invited to contribute to their dessert display. His knowledge of musicians, NPR stations across the nation, the Mountain Stage roster over the decades, and World Wrestling Entertainment is nothing short of encyclopedic. If I could transport three things from Charleston to my new home in Louisiana, it would be Mountain Stage, Charleston Bread, and Ellen’s Ice Cream.

What’s your 20 minute recipe? I’ve been trying to hone my timing for things like this. You know, 30 minute meal is the goal. I try to do my, how do you say it? Mise en place, get all my ingredients ready. Cajun chicken pasta is a good one, it’s pretty simple. We also do a salmon that’s really good, and fast. We do asparagus and top it with a lot of parmesan cheese. My thing has been parmesan cheese. I keep a block handy.

What’s your favorite city? I would probably have to say Chicago. That’s where my wife is from. Lots of culinary diversity. We love a Polish buffet, and there’s a place that does an upside down pizza, like a potpie but pizza. Really I’m a connoisseur of Charleston. I can make anybody feel like a local here. 

What’s your favorite restaurant in your current city? Oh gosh, I hate to single one out. I like Big Joe’s for bar food. I’m not gonna order a burger anywhere else, and they have award winning mac and cheese. I like Kobe for ramen.

Treasured find in the back of your fridge? I have some trout from Greenbrier County in my freezer. I’ve learned to use mustard in just about everything. Dressings, marinades, I even coat chicken nuggets in it before the breading. We have three mustards going. It used to be barbecue sauce, now we’re into mustards.

Who taught you to cook? Can I say April Hamilton? Legitimately, you opened my eyes at the cooking demonstration at the Capitol Market. We make that pineapple fried rice all the time. Who knew it was so easy to make fried rice? My mother did a lot of cooking, but I wasn’t observing that much. My dad was a beef farmer. We ate a LOT of beef. I was a freshman in college before I realized not a lot of people have a freezer full of beef! In college I survived on making the same stuff all the time. Ramen, frozen chicken Cordon Bleu, curly fries. I look back on it now and think, ‘how boring!’

What’s your go-to dish for company? For summer cookouts and street festivals, I always bring my cucumber sandwiches. They are so tasty and refreshing! I have a good recipe. Can that be my 20 minute recipe? You can definitely make them ahead so the flavors get acquainted.

Surf? or Turf? If I had to pick, I’d pick turf since my dad was a beef guy. It’s hard to beat the combo of the two.

What’s on your cooking playlist? We’re listening to NPR, All Things Considered or Marketplace. We listen to less music at home than you would think. Nothing too distracting, maybe some jazz. Now if we’re outside grilling, we like some good country, you know, Alan Jackson, Pam Tillis -- I love her -- or the great Kathy Mattea.

Coffee, tea, or Kombucha? Yes to the first two and absolutely NOT to the third one. The labels are so promising and purifying, but no offense, I think it’s an acquired taste. My first taste was not pleasant!

Date night—at home? or out? Now there’s no date nights out anywhere. Really we’re more likely to go to the Fish Market or get some steaks and cook at home. If we are out downtown, we might hop around to a few spots and get some snacks.

Most stained cookbook? Definitely April’s Counter Intelligence. It opens right up to the biscuits page. We print a lot of recipes off the internet and keep a big binder going. There’s a lot of stained pages in there, too.

Indispensable kitchen tool? I use my cheese grater all the time. I have a cool one with two different sides, one for my parmesan and one for grating for my pimiento cheese.

Staple childhood comfort food? I’ve got a good one. My grandmother coated her bacon in flour before cooking it. My wife calls it farm bacon. You wet it first with water to get the flour to stick, then cook it on low in a cast iron skillet until it gets a golden brown crust. It has a nice sweet taste. Try it you will LOVE it! It’s not something you should eat every day. It’s the ultimate comfort food.

Who would you most like to share a meal with? past, present or fictional? WOW! That’s such a toughie. Do I get to cook the meal with the person? Dinner with Chuck Prophet, the San Francisco rock n roller. He was on the first Mountain Stage show that I interned. February 5, 2006. He’s the first person I saw interact with our band. Watching the process was WOW! Now he has a video with Southwest Airlines (two free bags!) where he’s making guacamole and limeade in San Francisco with his band. There’s always Vince McMahon from WWE. I’d love to share a T-bone with him. I could go on and on. The best way I could show love to anyone is through sharing a meal.

Ideal grilled cheese? Hmmmm, wow, one of the things I made growing up. I like it classic, with a slice of tomato is hard to beat. And with tomato soup of course. I had an experience with a grilled cheese sandwich in Scotland, the first time I had it with tomato.

Favorite pizza topping? If I had to pick one, definitely banana peppers. Pepperoni, sausage, banana peppers, that’s a perfect pizza to me.

Where would you want to take a cooking class? A bread baking class in northern Minnesota, at the North House Folk School in Grand Marais. That’s where it’s at!

What’s your Counter Intelligence cooking tip? Experiment. No sense in sticking to a recipe. If you don’t have an ingredient, substitute!

Three things next to your stove? Pasta strainer, cutting boards, a big container of black pepper. I use it on everything! I always have some citrus close by, too.

What’s your favorite sports team? My favorite professional wrestler is Chris Jericho from Manitoba. He wrestled in Beckley, West Virginia when I was about 10 years old. It was his first job in America. He’s reinvented himself numerous times. He is the GOAT! I’ve always had a special admiration for him. I also love the West Virginia Power.

Adam’s cucumber sandwiches, perfect for company or pack them up for a picnic. Ready in 20 minutes with extra points if you make them ahead.

Adam’s Cucumber Sandwiches

Follow Adam’s lead: first a whisper of soft butter on the bread which keeps the cucumbers from weeping into the bread, and plenty of black pepper. This one is so crucial he texted me to remind me: Don’t forget the black pepper! He also said “the KEY is you gotta mash it down with your hands and cut into 2 bite pieces”

• 12 slices thin sliced white bread (Charleston friends: Go with the Blue Monday loaf at Charleston Bread)

• soft butter, about 2 tablespoons

• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise

• 1 teaspoon mustard

• 2 Tablespoons feta cheese crumbles

• Black pepper

• 2 cucumbers, peeled in stripes to make it ‘fancy’ and thinly sliced

• 1 carrot, peeled, then finely cut into julienne or grated

LAY out the sliced bread on a large cutting board. Spread each with a whisper of butter on the side facing up.

MAKE the spread by combining the mayonnaise, mustard and feta in a small bowl and mixing to mash the feta a bit. Divide this spread evenly on top of the buttered bread slices, then liberally sprinkle with pepper.

TOP half of the bread slices with cucumber and carrot, then cover with the other spread-topped bread slices.

MASH the top of each sandwich gently with your hand while you cut the sandwich into 2-bite pieces using a bread knife.

PACK the tiny sandwiches into an airtight container and refrigerate overnight, if desired. Keep them in a cooler for your next picnic, or serve them with a spot of tea on the front porch.

20 Questions with Ellie

Ellie Goldman’s mom Christie stopped me in the produce section of our favorite Charleston grocery store about 10 years ago to inquire about cooking classes for kids. “My daughter loves to cook!” she explained. She signed her up for my Summer cooking camp and suddenly Ellie and I became fast friends. Fast forward, Ellie is now deciding which college she will attend in the Fall.

On any given night, one of the three Goldman kids will plan the menu and make dinner for the family. Her younger brothers (and of course her parents and neighbor grandparents!) will miss her in the kitchen once she leaves for college. They can all be sure she will know how to feed herself (and likely throw a fabulous dorm room dinner party!) at whichever university she chooses.

What’s your 20 minute recipe? I like to make butter and salted pecans. I make them around the holidays and also mom keeps pecans in the freezer so I can make them any time. It’s just pecans, butter, and I like to use J. Q. Dickinson salt. We gave them to all our neighbors at Christmas, wrapped in little takeout boxes lined with tissue paper.

What’s your favorite city? Chicago. I love the shopping and the big city vibe. It’s clean and progressive, I like that!

What’s your favorite restaurant in your current city? Pies and Pints. I like all their pizza varieties and usually fall back on the sriracha shrimp.

Treasured find in the back of your fridge? Godfather peppers from (our neighbors) the Leefs. They can be used on anything! I like them on steak, or from a fork.

Who taught you to cook? My mom taught me, she’s a really good cook! My grandma taught me to bake.

What’s your go-to dish for company? I like to make a cheese platter with crackers, grapes and apples. It always features brie baked with honey.

What’s on your cooking playlist? I like to turn on happy upbeat music that makes you feel happy and good!

Coffee, tea, or Kombucha? Coffee! We have an espresso machine and I like it with almond milk and a little sugar.

Dinner with friends—at home? or out? I like to cook for people. It’s more fun than going out.

Most stained cookbook page? I have been collecting recipes in a notebook and the most stained page is the recipe for red velvet cupcakes.

Indispensable kitchen tool? Silicone baking mats for cookies or macarons. They make life so much easier!

Staple childhood comfort food? PB&J, grilled. Creamy peanut butter and strawberry jam, on Charleston bread if we have it.

Who would you most like to share a meal with? past, present or fictional? The young actor Timothy Chalamet. I really like the films he’s in.

Best thing you’ve ever eaten in an airport? a great fresh food breakfast in Chicago. I don’t remember the name of the place but it was great finding greens and fresh stuff.

How do you like your toast? Wheat, toasted not too brown with creamy peanut butter right on it, then honey.

Favorite pizza topping? Banana peppers, they go well on a lot of pizzas.

Where would you want to take a cooking class? at a vineyard in Italy.

Three Instagram accounts you follow? Taste of All Charleston, elaborate cakes, and videos of exotic foods

What’s your Counter Intelligence cooking tip? If you are baking macarons, make them in the winter when it’s drier.

What’s your favorite sports team? Virginia Tech. I’ve been brainwashed by my parents.

Quick to make and great for gifts, Ellie loves these butter and salted pecans.

Ellie’s Butter and Salted Pecans

all you need is butter, pecans, and salt. For each cup of pecans, you’ll need about a tablespoon of melted butter and a half teaspoon of salt. Toss this trio together in a bowl, scrape it all out onto a rimmed baking sheet (preferably lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper for easy cleanup), add another good sprinkle of salt, and bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes. Check at 10 minutes when the aroma begs you to open the oven door. Have a peek. Depending on how you like them/the oven, cook a few extra minutes without leaving the kitchen. Remove the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool, then store in an airtight container for up to a week or wrap for gifts.

Citrus Bliss

Well hey there, December! You always sneak up on me and this year I'm ready for the most wonderful time of the year. It's easy to get overwhelmed by the lists, the parties, the so many things to do. Let's take this month one day at a time and enjoy the festivities! I'll be sharing simple recipes to feed the soul. I was born in the kitchen and I hope you'll come along for the fun! Fresh citrus is my favorite fuel. It's perfection in this nutritious sipper. 

Citrus Bliss 

You hardly need a recipe for this! Fresh citrus makes it sing:)

• 1 tangerine or orange, peeled and segments separated, seeds removed
• 1 banana, sliced 
• 3/4 cup lemon yogurt
• 3/4 cup fresh tangerine or orange juice
• 3/4 cup ice cubes

If time permits, freeze the tangerine segments and banana slices (ideally, individually freeze them, then pack in freezer bags for easy access and smoothie bliss). Combine the tangerine, banana, yogurt, and juice in the container of a blender. Mix on low to blend, then increase the speed and drop in the ice. Blend until creamy, dreamy. Pour into 2 glasses and sip away!

Sweet Potato Sunset and Handmade Pita

Cooking is contagious. The joy spreads with each swipe of the rolling pin, the aromatherapy of a burst of lemon, the chime of the oven timer. Imagine the joy spreading to children, the sum of their ages equaling less than half of mine. I’m in heaven.

“Keep the menu simple with plenty of hands-on to keep the energetic group focused,” I reminded myself as I planned the class. Pita bread and some colorful roasted vegetables seemed like the right fit. During the growing season, these petite chefs are gardeners with the SCRATCH project, an after school “grow to eat, eat to live” program in Huntington. Their sweet potato harvest sold out at The Wild Ramp and they would be planting summer squash next. 

The dough doubled on the drive from Charleston to Huntington, a quick hour west on the interstate. Veronica unlocked the door. “Welcome to Huntington’s Kitchen!” This teaching kitchen, originally installed by Jamie Oliver in 2009 is a cooking instructor's fantasy: A full wall of ovens plus four prep areas and one for the instructor, each equipped with a cooktop and kitchen tools. I am in my element and I'm committed to the commute. I had a half hour to unpack and preheat the ovens before the tempo increased. The pizza stone and cast iron griddle needed to be blazing hot for the pita, and the second oven was readied for roasting the vegetables.

Huntington's Kitchen is now a collaborative teaching kitchen which partners Cabell-Huntington Hospital and Marshall University Department of Dietetics to enhance, promote, and improve healthy eating.

Suddenly it’s showtime and when you are surrounded by hungry kids in the kitchen, you can’t miss a beat. I show them why you have to poke holes in the whole vegetables before roasting them, then slide the sheetpan loaded with sweet potatoes and zucchini into the oven, out of sight.

Now for the dough. They saw a puffy globe flop onto the prep table. We got to discuss what it looked like before the drive. It was a softball, way down inside the bowl, now its crown reached the plastic wrap. We use a butter knife to cut it in half, then each half into two again. And again. It’s math without a worksheet. 

Each of our eight bits of dough land in a set of tiny hands and are shaped into large golfballs, pressed flat in a sprinkle of flour, and rolled out into a thin pancake. Then you take away one, more math, and you have seven -- the five second rule does not apply, but laughter prevails. In a perfect world, there would be a set of identical rolling pins, but we make do, sharing our mis-matched collection. 

Two at a time and for just three long minutes our flatbreads bake on our hot stone and griddle, puffing into a mylar balloon or blistering like a tortilla, depending. Then we wait. With wide eyes, the pint-sized bakers can witness the steam escaping from their rounds of handmade bread and it’s time to make something delicious for dipping.

We smash, then peel, whole cloves of garlic, and pass around lemon wedges for squeezing. We have to fish out the seeds, enough for the SCRATCH kids to plant an entire citrus grove. Next time we will use a strainer.

The roasted vegetables are now just cool enough to handle and we pass around the knives, butter knives, with a quick tutorial. Like a color by number, we toss them into the food processors, first green with its lemon and garlic notes, then the sweet potato with a hot pepper accent.

We spoon our concoctions into ramekins and break our bread. I watch in awe as they tear their pita and rake it through their palettes of vegetable dips. “I can’t believe we made bread and got to use a knife!” Junior, the lone 5-year old announced at the table. 

I think he caught the bug.

Pita Bread

Adapted from David Tanis First Time's the Charm with Fresh Pita

Makes 8

• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 1/2 cups unbleached flour, plus extra for rolling
• 2 teaspoons 'instant' yeast
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for the bowl

Combine the whole wheat flour, unbleached flour, yeast, salt, and sugar in the work bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to blend. Add the water and olive oil through the feed tube and blend until a smooth ball of dough forms.

Let the dough rest in the work bowl for 10 minutes and check the consistency. Dough should be soft but not sticky. If it is sticky, add a bit of flour, 1 tablespoon at a time and pulse to blend. If the dough is too firm, add a bit of water, 1 teaspoon at a time. Blend the dough for 30 seconds and turn out into a large-ish bowl that has been lightly oiled with olive oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to rise in a warm-ish place until doubled in size, about one hour.

Place a baking stone or large cast iron griddle into the oven and heat the oven to 475.

Lightly flour a work surface and turn the pillow of dough out onto the flour. Divide the dough into eight equal pieces, roll them into rough golfball shapes, then press each into a disk (all this handling is the kid-equivalent of kneading). Roll each disk into a 6-inch circle and feel free to discuss the merits of geometry.

Carefully place one dough circle at a time onto the heated stone (or griddle) and bake for two minutes. Turn over with tongs and bake for one minute on the second side. Remove each pita to a basket or plate while you continue baking the whole batch.

Sweet Potato Sunset Dip

a blend of roasted sweet potato and a little spice

Makes about 3 cups

• 3 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed and pricked with a fork
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespooons tahini
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper
• ½ teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
• 1/4 cup water as needed to 'thin' the dip

Heat the oven to 400. Place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for about one hour, until soft (gently squeeze with a pot holder to check). Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Peel the sweet potatoes and roughly chop them, then place into the work bowl of a food processor. Add the olive oil, tahini, garlic, jalapeno, and salt. Blend until smooth, adding water as needed to achieve the desired consistency.

Transfer to a bowl and serve with pita for dipping.

Zucchini-Greeny Dip

adapted from LifeLab 'Garden Sprouts Camp Recipes'

Makes about 3 cups

• 5 medium zucchini, scrubbed and pricked with a fork
•  3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for garnish
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon salt (or more to taste)

Heat the oven to 400. Place the zucchini on a baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes, until soft (gently squeeze with tongs to check). Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Trim off the stem end and roughly chop them (use a large cutting board to contain all the juice). Scoop the zucchini into the work bowl of a food processor. Add the olive oil, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and salt. Blend until smooth with a few bits of the green skin freckling the dip.

Transfer to a bowl and drizzle with a bit of olive oil for garnish. Serve with pita for dipping.

Tremendous thanks to

• West Virginia State University Extension and SCRATCH Project Production Coordinator Valerie Bandell
•  Huntington's Kitchen  
• Tori Lavender, for quietly capturing the scene with her photos
• Elizabeth Wirts, my assistant for this class and a volunteer with George Washington High School Healthy Living Club

Discover a New Recipe

How do you get a room full of kids (and their reluctant cooking teacher) to eat their just-harvested beets? Whirl them into some homemade hummus! When I was invited to cook with a group of students from SCRATCH, a community garden program focusing on youth who bring their farm to the table, I couldn't believe my luck. They arrived with about a bushel of beets which we scrubbed and roasted and then let the food processor do the work of turning our golden hummus into a hot pink discovery. Then it disappeared just as magically. These happy growers are amazing kitchen hands and I can't wait to see what they harvest next. Happy Cooking!

Hot Pink Hummus

We made a double batch of classic hummus, then scooped out half and added the beets to the processor. A couple of swirls of the machine and gold turned to the most amazing pink

• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 (15-ounce) can chick peas, drained and rinsed
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for storing
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 2 small beets, roasted until tender and peeled

PULSE the garlic in a food processor to mince. Add the drained chick peas, lemon zest and juice and boiling water. Blend for 3 minutes, scraping the side of the container after 1 minute. Add the olive oil, salt, and beets and blend until smooth. Transfer to an airtight container and drizzle the top with a bit of olive oil to keep from drying out. Refrigerate for up to 1 week

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