Resolve

Remember that glorious Russian feast I keep promising you? Today’s the daaay!

But. (I know, I hate buts too.)

You’re not getting any pictures of the food. I had some, quite a few actually, but they are no more. My purse (with phone) was rather traumatically stolen at the end of April (hence April being a rather rough month), and alas, those darn thieves just didn’t want to return my fancyschmancy phone with all the pictures of food on it. I hope they enjoyed the Merriam-Webster word of the day and Kittens of Instagram as much I did. So, I had the phone remotely erased. Which, honestly, probably doesn’t matter anyway, since it’s almost definitely in some warehouse or en route to being completely out of reach. Hey! Maybe someone is enjoying his or her my fancy phone right now. Really glad I paid $100 three weeks before to have the shattered screen fixed. I’m sure everyone involved appreciates it. (Ahem.)

Ironically, “figure out how the Cloud works so I can back up all my pictures” was on my to-do list, nestled inside a little black Moleskin notebook, which was also in the purse. I was on the verge of celebrating my lack of will to do anything (you know, since the to-do list was stolen) when the nice police (and I say “nice” quite sincerely – the police were wonderful) returned a few of my belongings, including the to-do list notebook but noticeably not including the phone or wallet. (Seriously, punks? You want my library card? I hope you check out lots of books about how assaulting people in the middle of day is rude. But hey, thanks for taking my voucher for a $15 brunch entree with unlimited mimosas out of my wallet before you took the rest of it. I’ll be needing that.)

Loathing sarcasm and the urge to throttle glass bottles against the ground aside, I’m starting to get over it. I went outside the other day (by myself!) and only looked behind me, like, 10 times to make sure I wasn’t being followed. Baby steps.

Aaaaaanyway. All that is to say: I have no pictures of past food adventures, save for the few that survive on instagram. I have learned my lessons: I will take pictures with a real camera from now on. I won’t walk on sunny, quiet, pretty [deserted] streets (in my own neighborhood, no less) anymore. I’ll try my hardest not to be afraid, which is something I already struggle with. I’m sure somewhere, sometime, someone wise said something along the lines of: “What are you waiting for? Get on with your life.”

So here we are.

The second annual Old Russian New Year’s Party was another success. Really, when you combine good food, infused vodka, and wonderful people, I don’t know how you can go wrong. Most of the food was more suited for mid-January consumption, when it’s cold outside but you can still drink just enough vodka to feel comfortably warm and be able to climb onto your roof.

Old Russian New Years, take two

Bread: black, rye.

Borsch.

Badrijani nigvzit.

Pickles: cucumber, red pepper, okra.

Cheese-carrot-garlic spread, baklazhanaya ikra, lobio.

Vodka: lemon, pepper, plain, honey, and caramel.

Feuerzangenbowle (pictured, in part, above)

Sunflower seed butter cookies, toffee chocolates, pomegranate seeds.

Of all of these morsels, the badrijani nigzis are definitely my favorite. Affectionally dubbed “vegan egg rolls” by a friend who happens to be vegan, they are Georgian (the country, not the state), spunky, and fabulous. For ease of terminology, let’s call them eggplant rolls. The eggplant rolls are a work of genius – simple, garlicky, genius. You take strips of lightly fried eggplant, make a filling of ground walnuts, garlic, onion, and celery, roll the filling into the strips, and garnish the whole dish with bright pomegranate seeds that give the perfect tangy punch to foil the rich, garlicky eggplant rolls. Well done, Georgia. Well done.

Eggplant Rolls (Badrijani nigvzit)
filling adapted from Please to the Table by Anya von Bremzen, method adapted from this lovely post

Note: These will be especially delicious in the summer, when the eggplants are fresh and delicious. However, I fear you won’t be able to easily track down pomegranates in the summer, and the pomegranate seeds really add a little somethin’ to the dish. I’m working on substitutes and hope to report back later with success. [Update: Maybe fresh currants would be nice? They're slightly sour and have the same sort of burst-in-your-mouth qualities, and are slightly easier to come by in the summer than pomegranates.] The filling will likely make more than you need, but it makes an excellent spread for toast or in a sandwich, would be great thinned with pasta water for a unique sauce, or would almost definitely be delicious dolloped on a lamb chop or baked potatoes. Go ahead, get crazy.

Also: these are best prepared at least two hours in advance of serving, and are even great prepared a day in advance. This allows the garlic to mellow and the flavors to meld.

• 3 medium eggplants
• salt
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 2 cloves garlic
• a sliver of onion, finely chopped
• 1 small rib of celery, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika (original recipe calls for hot Hungarian, I had sweet Hungarian. Adapt for your tastes.)
• finely chopped parsley and cilantro, totaling about 3 tablespoons combined (again, adapt to taste)
• 5 tablespoons vinegar (I used red wine, the original recipe calls for tarragon)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 3 tablespoons water
• pomegranate seeds to garnish (just seed a whole pomegranate, you’ll find uses for any leftover seeds)
• vegetable or peanut oil (or any other oil with a high smoke point)

1. Prepare the eggplant: slice the top off each eggplant. Unless the peel seems particularly thick, there is no need to peel. Slice eggplant from top to bottom into roughly 1/4 inch thick slices. (Really wish I had pictures, but look! Google does.) Lay the slices in one layer on a paper towel-lined sheet and liberally apply salt. Let sit at least 30 minutes to expel liquid, then rinse and drain the slices in a colander. Pat dry and set aside.

2. While the eggplant are expelling the liquid, prepare the filling: grind the walnuts and garlic in a food processor or mortar and pestle. If you are without either, chop everything up as finely as you can. Place in a bowl and add the onion, celery, paprika, cilantro and parsley, vinegar, water, salt, and pepper. Stir well. Set aside.

3. Cook the eggplant: In a lage skillet, heat a thin layer of oil over medium heat. Add the eggplant in a single layer and don’t crowd them too much. Work in batches if you have to, adding more oil if needed to prevent sticking. Cook the eggplant until golden brown and easily pierced with a fork. (I’d guess about 5 minutes per side.) If in doubt, try tasting a little nibble – if the texture is chewy or rubbery, cook a little longer. It should be soft, and delicious. Set the cooked strips aside on more paper towel-lined sheets.

4. Assemble: when the eggplant is cool enough to handle, place a spoonful of filling on one end of a strip. Roll the eggplant closed. (Reference google if you can’t picture it.) Place seem-side down onto serving platter, cover, and refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight.

5. Serve the rolls at room temperature garnished with pomegranate seeds.

~~~

Don’t be put off by the name of this next one: Eggplant caviar. Or, if you are put off by the name and afraid others might be too, here it is in Russian: baklazhanaya ikra, pronounced “bach-luh-zhahn-ah-yah eek-rah.” One of many versions of a poor man’s caviar, this tastes anything but. It’s silky, garlicky, and perfect spread on slices of black bread. My host mother in Russia would make this often, and her version included zucchini, eggplant, carrots, tomatoes, onions, and presumably a mystery ingredient only available in Russia, as I have been haunted by and as yet unable to recreate her version. Luckily, Anya von Bremzen saves the day again. Below is an Odessian version of the dish.

Baklazhanaya ikra
adapted from Please to the Table by Anya von Bremzen

Note: This is another dish best made in advance, to allow the flavors to mellow and meld.

• 1 large eggplant
• 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium tomato, finely chopped (and peeled, if you like)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• salt and pepper, to taste
• chopped parsley and/or cilantro, to garnish

1. Preheat oven to 375 Fahrenheit. Pierce the eggplant in several places with a knife and bake on a baking sheet until soft, about 50 minutes, turning midway through. Set aside to cool (and turn off the oven.)

2. Once cool, cut eggplant in half lengthwise. Scoop out the pulp and place into a large bowl.

3. Add the onion, tomato, garlic, oil, and vinegar, mashing everything together with a fork. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for several hours.

4. Serve garnished with cilantro and/or parsley. I enjoy it best on slice of black bread, but white or rye are nice as well. It’s also great in an omelet or as a pasta sauce. I’m also dreaming of using it on pizza (specifically, grilled.)

~~~

Last but not least, a vodka infusion. Last year, I gave you a lemon vodka that took a whole two weeks to infuse. Guess how long this year’s took? Less than a day. And it was, dare I say, even better than last year’s. I’m also guessing it would welcome a spot in your summer cocktail repertoire.

Lemon-infused vodka
adapted from Please to the Table by Anya von Bremzen (starting to sense a theme here?)

• grated zest of 2 lemons (zest only, no white pith)
• 750 ml good-quality vodka (I used Skyy, Ms. von Bremzen suggests Stolichnaya)

Add the zest to the vodka and infuse at room temperature for at least 4 hours, but no more than 12. (I did around 8). Strain and chill.

You could mix this vodka with some bubbly water and a little simple syrup, or during the summer with some sopping ripe, crushed raspberries. But really, this vodka is so tasty you should just drink it like it was meant to be: icy cold and straight up, followed immediately by a little bite of food (we found that pomegranate seeds made excellent chasers).

I leave you with (again, I know) the wise writings of Anya von Bremzen, on how to take the proper shot of vodka.

Until next time, with promises of more pictures.

Kara

To May

April was a rough month, but here’s lookin’ at you, May.

It’s been hard to find the words to write, so for now I hope you’ll like these pictures and links (and look for the guava mojito recipe that I sneakily snuck as well). Recipes soon.

-Kara

No visit to Colorado would be complete without trusted helpers making brownies.

~~~

An unexpected, wonderful visit and the feast that ensued: fish tacos, sopa de arroz, black beans,
cactus salad, and a riff on this shredded cabbage slaw.

~~~

David Lebovitz’s Pickled Red Onions; a mish-mashed quinoa salad.

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Introducing: Fidough, the sourdough starter.

Sourdough English muffins – no going back.

~~~

Guava mojito: Muddle 10 or so mint leaves in a glass, add 2 ounces of white rum,
about 6 ounces guava juice, and ice. Stir to combine. Top with sparkling water.

~~~

B’s Birthday decor.

Smitten Kitchen’s Butterscotch Banana Tarte Tatin (from the cookbook!).
Yes.

Birthday dinner. (Nuggets.)

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Ginger scallion sauce – Note to self: never make only a half batch again.

~~~

Most important.

~~~

Looking back at these pictures, April doesn’t seem half bad.

And that’s what matters.

A few salads

Only a little more than a month remains before the farmers market down the street starts up again, and I am so so so so so so so excited because a) fresh fruits and veggies and meats and flowers and QUICHES and cheeses etc., etc. will be only seven, ittybitty blocks away and b) we’re working for the fruit stand at the market for the second year in a row and it will be wonderful. If you’re in DC, come visit. It’s grand.

Until the glorious time of fresh produce arrives, though, here are a few winter-friendly salad recipes.

The first comes from Fergus Henderson, via Food52. Look at the colors! How could I resist?

Red Winter Salad 
aka, This Might As Well Be Russian
adapted from Fergus Henderson’s Red Salad, via Food52

For one serving:

• 1 small, raw beet, peeled and finely grated
• a sliver of red cabbage, finely sliced (to equal about a cup of sliced cabbage)
• a sliver of red onion, finely sliced, or one green onion, finely sliced
• a tablespoon (or less) of capers
• a dollop of thick yogurt (Greek or strained)
• a few sprigs of parsley
• olive oil, to taste
• red wine vinegar, to taste
• salt and pepper, to taste

Combine beet, cabbage, onion, and capers in a small bowl. Drizzle olive oil and vinegar to taste, adding salt and pepper to taste as well. I started with roughly a tablespoon each of oil and vinegar and then adjusted to be how I liked – a little punchy, with a nice olive oil note at the end.

To serve, place the salad on a plate. Dollop your yogurt next to the salad, then arrange the parsley next to that (sort of in a triangle, re: the picture above). Drizzle with more olive oil and some pepper, if you like. To eat, drag a little bit of salad into a little button of yogurt, and snatch a bit of parsley too. Repeat.

Salad number two also uses beets, so buy more than one. You know when things just come together, like the internet, sliced bread, or gin and tonic? This salad is one of those things. The dressing is a blend of tahini, roasted sweet peppers (the small kind, although bell peppers would be nice too), red wine vinegar, a good bit of fresh dill, and salt.

The dressing is really the star of the show, and also masquerades as a dip by night. Have some cauliflower languishing in the back of your fridge, begging to be used from the bottom of your crisper drawer? Cut it into florets, generously drizzle on some olive oil, cumin, salt, and pepper, and roast for 20-30 minutes in a 380 degree oven. The cauliflower gets all browned and caramelized, and happens to be delicious dipped in the tahini-pepper-dill dip. But anyways, back to the salad:

Roasted Beet and Garbanzo Salad 

For two servings:

• 1 beet, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch cubes
• olive oil
• 1 cup garbanzo beans (either canned or made from dry beans)
• 3 small, sweet peppers, roasted and skinned (I roast according to these instructions)
• 2-3 tablespoons tahini
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, or to taste
• a good handful of fresh dill, or to taste (or parsley or cilantro or, well, any other herb)
• salt and pepper, to taste

1. Roast the beets: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Arrange beets in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, a splash of red wine vinegar, and salt and pepper. Combine with your hands so the beets are evenly coated. Roast for 25-35 minutes, turning halfway through, until easily pierced with a fork and nicely browned in places. Set aside to cool.

2. Make the dressing: In a small food processor, pulse the roasted peppers, tahini, red wine vinegar, olive oil, dill, and salt and pepper. Taste and adjust ingredients to your taste. I usually add a little more vinegar or olive oil, and almost definitely add more salt. (I really, really like the combination of tahini and red wine vinegar.) Note: this recipe will probably make more dressing than you will need. As I mentioned above, it is also a fantastic dip. Cauliflower, pita chips, flatbread? Done.

3. Assemble the salad: In a medium bowl, combine the beets and garbanzo beans. Drizzle on a bit of the dressing. Mix. Taste. Add more dressing if you’d like.

That’s all for now, folks.

Oh, and this:

Spring. It is coming.

Kara

Who Doesn’t Love a Little Irish?

I’m not sure which I like more, breakfast foods or St. Patrick’s Day food.  Good thing it’s March, and I have an excuse to have a little extra corned beef!  Almost every time we go out for breakfast, I get corned beef and hash.  Jason doesn’t like any of it, except for the kind I make at home.  Who wouldn’t take that pat on the back?  I know I will!

Normally, this dish consists of ground corned beef, ground onions, very finely diced potatoes, and topped with fried eggs.  I will still eat it, and love it, but Jason won’t.  A few years ago, I decided to find a way to make him love the dish as much as I do.

First off, peel and dice potatoes.  I used Russet potatoes because that’s what we had.  I think I prefer Yukon Gold, though.  They provide a bit of extra creaminess.

Next, dice one small onion.  Chop leftover cooked corned beef, as well as roasted green chiles just to make the dish a little more Colorado.  It is fantastic!

In a skillet, cook the potatoes in some butter, probably 3 tablespoons or so.  If in question, add more butter.  Lets face it (to quote my least favorite celebrity chef): butter does in fact make it better.  Season the potatoes with salt and pepper.

In a separate skillet, cook the onions, corned beef, and green chiles until the unions are slightly softened in just a bit more butter.

Combine the corned beef mixture with the potatoes, and keep them warm while you make the eggs to go on top.

Make as many eggs as you want, and cook them however you like.  My personal favorite is two eggs, fried, over-easy/ almost over-medium-ish.  Place the eggs over the mixture, top with sliced green onions (would you expect anything else?) as well as your favorite hot sauce.

Enjoy, especially since it is almost St. Patty’s Day!

Janessa

Winter’s final hurrah

It’s that time of year again. Maslenitsa began the 11th and goes until the 18th, which means you have FOUR WHOLE DAYS left to make more blini than is possible to eat in one sitting. This year, I am attempting to up the ante and make these:

Have you heard of Anya von Bremzen? Have you heard of a little (500+ page book) called Please to the Table by one Anya von Bremzen? If you haven’t, consider yourself informed. I dare you to try any recipe from the book and not fall immediately and completely in love. I have five recipes from this book that I still need to share with you, and here I am giving you a picture (taken from my phone, no less!) of a recipe that I haven’t even made yet. Anyways, this book. Is amazing. It’s so amazing (and possibly out of print…) that it usually runs at least $100. Completely worth it, yes, but I just couldn’t get myself to pay that much for a book that didn’t involve the word “text” in front.  Instead, I checked it out from the library for months on end (although I’m pretty sure other DC Library users didn’t care or notice). Until. One day. I found. The book. Used. For much less than $100. Much, much less. It’s out there, people. It’s waiting for you to find it. YOU HAVE TO GO FIND IT. IT’S AMAZING. I’m almost 1000% positive that even if you don’t really like Russian food, you’ll really like this cookbook, because it’s not a 500+ page cookbook about how to make cabbage, it’s a 500+ page cookbook about food from Armenia! and Azerbaijan! and Lithuania! and Georgia! and Uzbekistan! And everywhere else in the former Soviet republics. Dear Tom, thank you for giving away your cookbook. I am forever grateful.

Aaaand that was a huge digression. I didn’t even plan to tell you about my love affair with this cookbook in this blog post. That was supposed to be saved for the post I still need to write about Old Russian New Year’s 2.0. So, back to our originally scheduled blog post:

It’s that time of year again! I do hope you will make blini, but I also realize that it’s almost St. Patrick’s Day, which is apparently a really big deal. So tonight I’m here with a recipe that came about from needing to use all the produce before it spoiled – and if you really want it to, it could also be served at a St. Patrick’s Day gathering of some sort. The recipe uses lots of root veggies and sturdy greens – perfect for this time of year when it’s fiiiiiinallllyyyyy getting warmer out but the superfreshlocal produce isn’t yet available.

Roasted Veggies on Taytos with Pesto

Notes: Do you guys mind that I don’t give specific measurements for recipes? I’m being serious here: I’d love your input. I know I write things like “add as much salt as you want!” or “just add enough until you think it’s good!” and I really do realize that could be frustrating if you’re a person who needs specifics. So please, please, will you comment and let me know if I’m being too vague? That being said, this recipe literally came about by pulling everything that was about to go bad out of the fridge and then cooking it and putting it together. So, well, I don’t have very specific measurements. But here we go. ALSO: if you want this to be vegan, make the Taytos using just olive oil and cooking water from the potatoes (or veggie broth), and omit the cheese from the pesto. One more thing: this is a long recipe which might make it seem complicated, but it isn’t. I would suggest reading it all the way through before you start, though, as it requires a little multi-tasking.

For the Taytos:

• 4 medium-sized Russet potatoes
• 2-3 tablespoons cream cheese
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

For the Pesto:

• 1 cup of packed herbs/sturdy leafy greens (I combined parsley and kale, you could use basil, cilantro, why not dill? and kale, chard, maybe collard greens?)
• 2/3 cup toasted walnuts
• up to 1/2 cup olive oil
• a good-sized knub of hard cheese, such as Pecorino Romano, Parmesan, etc., shredded. I won’t give you specifics here because I only added cheese because it was about to spoil – you can use as much or as little as you like.

For the Veggies:
Note: feel free to omit, add to, or otherwise edit the veggies you use.

• 1/2 a head of cauliflower, separated into bite-size florets
• 10 or so radishes, cut in half
• 1/2 small onion, chopped
• 1 small eggplant, chopped in 1/2-inch cubes (no need to peel if it’s a small eggplant, as the skin will not be so thick)
• salt, pepper, red pepper, to taste
• olive oil
• vegetable oil (or any other oil with a high smoke point)

Make the pesto. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Or, chop everything really finely by hand and stir together in a bowl. Set aside. Note – you can make the pesto up to a week in advance, just store it in the fridge until ready to use.

Start the Taytos: Bring a large pot of water (large enough to fully immerse the potatoes in) to a boil, add the potatoes, and cook until easily pierced with a knife, about 20-30 minutes. I’m not actually sure if proper potato-boiling protocol would allow you to cover the pot while the potatoes cooked, but I did and found that they cooked more quickly, with no noticeable compromise to flavor.

Meanwhile, make the veggies:

1. Preheat your oven to 380 Fahrenheit.
2. Spread the chopped eggplant onto a paper towel-lined plate and lightly salt. Allow to sit for at least 15 minutes. (This apparently makes the eggplant less bitter, but I’m skeptical if you need to do this with small eggplant since small eggplant usually = young eggplant = not as bitter. But, I did it, and it was delicious, so I’m recommending you do as well.)
3. Arrange the cauliflower and radishes on an oiled, foil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle a little more olive oil over the veggies. Lightly salt, pepper, and add other spices as desired. I added Aleppo pepper, since I’m obsessed with it.
4. Once oven is preheated, put the cauliflower and radishes in the oven for 15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, oil a large saute pan with a thin layer of vegetable oil. Saute the onions over medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes.
6. Dab the eggplant with a paper towel to absorb the liquid expelled from the salt.
7. Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the eggplant, adding more oil if necessary to prevent sticking. Cook eggplant, turning occasionally, for 10 – 15 minutes. Taste the eggplant as it cooks – if it feels rubbery or doesn’t have an appealing texture, cook it a little longer. Eggplant can be tricky, but if you cook it over high heat it can also be delicious.
8. Don’t forget about those veggies in the oven! After 15 minutes, stir everything around and put back in the oven for another 5 – 10 minutes. I like my veggies to be a little crispy on the edges, with dark, brown bits starting to show. If you like them less done, by all means take them out earlier.
9. Once the eggplant is finished, remove from pan and place on another paper-towel-lined plate to absorb excess oil.

Back to the Taytos!

1. Once the potatoes are done cooking (i.e. easily pierced with a knife), remove from water and place in a bowl or a stand mixer. Be sure to save some of the cooking water. 
2. Make the Taytos (Which at this point I’ll tell you are actually just mashed potatoes. But calling them Taytos makes them more Irish. See?) I recently learned from Braeden’s cousin and her husband that a stand mixer, i.e. KitchenAid, does wonderful work of making mashed potatoes. But, use whatever method you like best. Comine the potatoes, cream cheese, sour cream, salt to taste, and mash until you get the consistency you’d like. Add some of the potato cooking water if you need to thin it out, or drizzle some olive oil in for a little more flavor.

 Assembly:

1. Spoon some Taytos into a bowl. 
2. Drizzle some pesto on top of the Taytos.
3. Top the pile with a combination of the roasted veggies and eggplant/onion mixture.
4. Dollop a bit more pesto on top of all o’ that.

Pour yourself more wine, make a toast to spring’s arrival, and enjoy.

Kara

Schnitzelzeit (Schnitzel Time!)

Although I know I’m not German, my children don’t realize that.  They think since their grandparents lived there for so long, we are actually German.  Not to disappoint them, tonight is about the Schnitzel.

To start, slice pork tenderloin and pound it until it is very thin. Make sure to cover the pork in plastic wrap.  If you don’t, you may end up with pork splatters all over.  It’s not pretty!

Next, get everything ready for the breading by combining the following in three separate containers.

Flour Mixture:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 tablespoon onion powder (if you haven’t learned by now, I add it to almost everything)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder

Egg Mixture:

• 3 eggs
• a bit of salt and pepper
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons milk

Breadcrumb Mixture:

• 3 cups breadcrumbs
• A bit of salt and black pepper

Place a piece of pork in the flour mixture and coat it thoroughly.  Shake off any excess flour and place it in the egg mixture, and then coat it in the breadcrumb mixture.  Place on a drying rack while repeating the process with the remaining pork.

Pan-fry the schnitzel in a bit of oil, until they are golden brown on both sides.

After they were all cooked, Jason removed all but 2 tablespoons of oil from the pan.  He added a bit of flour to create a roux, and then added some chicken stock and heavy cream to make a delicious sauce.

On the side, we had braised cabbage.  Kara taught me to make this, and it is beyond phenomenal.  She will have to tell you about it one day!

Janessa

Chicken Tortilla Soup

After a long, four-day weekend, we had yummy chicken soup on Monday.  We were in the mountains overnight, and I’m so glad I have finally realized that we play a little too hard, and pre-planned a comforting soup for tonight when we returned.

The night before we left to go to the mountains, we had some friends over and made our favorite fried chicken.  I have talked about this recipe before, and it is a must make if you like fried chicken!  We bought two cut up whole chickens, and used the wings, thighs, as well as the spine for a roasted chicken stock. We always make WAY too much food, so we had plenty of chicken left over to go into the soup.

To start, sauté ½ of an onion, 2 cloves of, and one bell pepper, all finely chopped.  After they are slightly softened and aromatic, ladle stock into the pot.

We added the following spices: salt, pepper, onion powder (I add it pretty much to everything I cook), chili powder, paprika, crushed red pepper (not too much, so the kids would still eat it), and a bit of cumin to appease my husband (I’m not a big fan, the smell reminds me of elephants at the zoo), and 2 bay leaves (just remove them at the end). Next, add sliced chicken as well as any other desired vegetables.

Toward the end, we added 1 tablespoon heavy cream, just to give the soup a yummy creaminess.  Lastly, serve the soup and garnish with some grated cotija cheese, and sliced green onions.  Jason also made some fried tortilla strips, and they were delicious!

On the side, we of course served a grilled cheese sandwich.  This time it was ham with colby jack cheese! It doesn’t quite go with the theme, but it was delicious nonetheless.

Janessa

Banana chocolate rum bread

Of all the family stories, the one most fascinating* to me is that of my great-grandpa.  My mom can tell this story better than I, but it involves the Great Depression, hitching rides on trains from West Virginia out to the promise of the West, singing gospel songs on the radio along the way, and eventually, happenstance-ly, meeting the brother of the woman who would eventually become my great-grandma.  Maybe we can get Mom to tell the story in its entirety.

I was very young when those great-grandparents passed away, but I still have two solid memories of my great-grandpa:

1) Whenever my mom and I visited, he would have fresh, summer-ripe peaches for me to eat, but insisted that they be peeled by dropping them in a pot of boiling water to slip the skin off. This, of course, took time – time for the pot of water to boil, time to allow the peaches to cool before slurping them up, and time wasted (in my 3- or 4-year-old mind, at least) that could have been spent slurping up more peaches.

2) He made the best banana bread. Without doubt. No banana bread could ever rival his banana bread.  As such, I’ve long given up the dream of ever having delicious banana bread again. (I had very sophisticated tastes at 3 or 4 years old, believe you me.)

Sometimes, though, a memory wants to be more than just remembered – it wants to be recreated, tried again, honored, even.

So here we are. Luisa sums this recipe up quite perfectly:

“What sets it apart from other banana breads is the huge amount of brown sugar in the batter. It entirely replaces the usual white sugar and adds not only to the appealing dampness of the final product, but it also gives the banana bread a depth of caramel flavor and a warmth that I wasn’t expecting. It’s not overpowering – molasses doesn’t waft up from the crumb – but it’s more nuanced and delicious. Also, you don’t purée the bananas – you mash them with a fork, leaving little lumps and bumps in the batter that give each finished slice tenderness and cozy banana flavor.”

With a description like that, how could I not try to make banana bread that even my 3- or 4-year-old self would love?

…except when I started to mix the ingredients together, I came to a realization that, hopefully, a 3 or 4 year old wouldn’t come to: What goes quite, quite well with brown sugar, ripe bananas, vanilla, and chocolate? Rum – just a dash – a taste – a hint – of rum.

The bread/cake comes from Nigel Slater, and it is absolutely a-ma-zing. Don’t wait 20-something years to make this banana bread, ok?

Banana chocolate rum bread
adapted from The Wednesday Chef/Nigel Slater 

A note about measurements: In my “I just graduated from college! I need to have a decently stocked kitchen! I need a digital scale!” phase, I purchased a digital scale. I believe it was this one. It’s super convenient and accurate and has all those nifty weight options. What I’m saying is, I left the below measurements in grams. Sorry if that makes this recipe difficult to convert, but maybe this is life’s hint that it’s time for you start your “I found a delicious-sounding recipe! I need a digital scale!” phase.

• 250 grams all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 125 grams softened butter
• 235 grams muscovado or dark brown sugar or turbinado sugar
• 4 to 5 ripe bananas
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon rum (I used Mt. Gay Eclipse Black rum)
• 2 large eggs
• 100 grams dark chocolate, chopped (mine happened to be of the salted-nutty variety, and it was splendid)

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F. Line a standard-sized loaf pan with parchment paper, or grease/butter a loaf pan if you recently ran out of parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Add the eggs and beat until combined and slightly fluffy.

3. Peel the bananas and mash them with a fork in a medium bowl.  You want the bananas to be a little lumpy and not completely pureed. Stir the vanilla extract and rum into the bananas.

4. Fold the chocolate and mashed banana mixture into the butter/sugar/egg bowl.  Gently mix the flour and baking powder into the banana batter.

5. Scrape the batter into the loaf pan and bake in the oven for 50 – 55 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the bread is browned and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.

6. Remove the bread from the oven and let sit on a rack for 15 minutes, then gently plop the bread out of the pan and allow to cool completely on the rack.

Luisa says the bread will keep for a week or more – we’re on day three and it’s more than halfway gone, so I doubt we will have the chance to test its longevity. Also, this bread is quite good toasted, with a pad of butter. Or, nutella. Surprised?

In other news, I have about five (5!!!) other recipes I neeeeeed to tell you all about. Omg, you guys, they’re great.

Kara

*Ok there is actually another story about a different great (or maybe great great) grandpa who may or may not have been a dear, close friend of Pancho Villa and fled Mexico after that all went down, but that story is more family legend than fact. Maybe.

Apple Pie With Altitude

I love, love, love apple pie!  When Jason and I moved to Colorado almost 11 years ago (I can’t believe it has been so long), I thought all of my baking recipes would still be ok.  Unfortunately, we had to suffer through quite a few soggy piecrusts until my brilliant husband realized what to do… Cook the apples in order to activate the flour just a little bit before baking them!  It sounds simple enough, but that little trick will make the pie absolutely amazing.

To start, make a piecrust.  I always listen to my mother when it comes to the crust; you must add sugar.

Pie Crust
Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens and Tami Elder

•  2-¼ cups all-purpose unbleached flour
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 2-½ tablespoons chilled butter
• ½ cup vegetable shortening
• 8 to 10 tablespoons very cold water (I usually add ice to the water)

Combine the flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl.

Cut the butter and shortening into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter until the mixture becomes coarse crumbs.

Mix in the cold water, a little bit at a time just until it comes together.  Be careful to not overwork the dough, or else it will result in a tough piecrust.  Separate the dough in two, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to use it.

When I make a pie, I always double the piecrust recipe.  With the leftovers, we roll out the dough, sprinkle it with cinnamon and sugar, and bake in a 375-degree oven until the edges are golden brown, approximately 15 minutes.  Our mom always did this for us when we were kids, and we absolutely loved it.  My kids do as well!

Next, make the pie!

Apple Pie
Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

• 8-10 granny smith apples, peeled and sliced
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose unbleached flour
• 1-teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine the ingredients in a large bowl.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and melt 4 tablespoons of butter in the skillet.

Add the apple mixture and cook until they are slightly softened, about 15 minutes.

While the apples are cooking, roll out the piecrust and place one in a pie plate.  (My mom got this pie plate for me when they went to Poland for Thanksgiving.  It is beautiful!) Place the cooked apples in the pie plate, and top with the remaining piecrust.  Seal the edges of the pie, and cut a few slits in the top to let steam escape during baking. Sprinkle the top with a little bit of sugar.  Before baking, cover the edges of the pie with strips of foil to prevent the crust from over- browning.  Bake the pie in a pre-heated 375-degree oven.  Bake for 35 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes.  Be sure to put a lining of foil or an extra baking sheet under the pie in the oven, because this pie can spill over.  It’s full of ooey gooey goodness!

Let the pie cool, slice and enjoy!

Janessa

Comfort Food

If your home is anything like mine, you are probably on football overload about about now.  Needless to say, we are in complete mourning due to the loss of our beloved Broncos. L  Then yesterday, the Seahawks lost too??? I was in need of some good food, so my hubby made our ultimate comfort meal for dinner.  We have affectionately named this dish Chicken Bake somewhere along the line.  I must give you a brief bit of history on this meal…this was the first thing that Jason made for me when we were dating.  It was good enough for me to marry him.  Well, that and the fact that he’s really cute!

This is basically a casserole using cream of mushroom soup.  Jason makes his own, but you could absolutely use a canned one.  In my opinion though, nothing beats the homemade one.

To start off, make the sauce.

Cream of Mushroom Soup/ Sauce:

• 8-10 sliced mini portabella mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed
• ½ small white onion, chopped
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 2-½ cups milk, we used 2%
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder

Sauté the mushrooms and onions in the butter, season with salt and pepper.  Let them soften just a little bit.  Stir in the flour, and let that cook for a little longer.  Add the milk and bring to a boil.  Once it boils, lower the heat; add the paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder and stir.  Continue to let simmer until everything else is prepped and ready to go.  There are times when the Mr. has added a bit of sour cream (approx. ¼ cup) to the sauce.  It adds a really nummy tanginess.

Next, prepare the rest of the veggies.  We use carrots, more onions, garlic, and Yukon gold potatoes.

 

See?  My youngest has really gotten into her new kiddie camera; it’s really cute how many pictures this kid takes! Except when we have to replace the batteries…. HA! Oh, and make sure to keep all of the veggie trimmings to make a delicious stock. We use it instead of water for rice, couscous, quinoa, etc.

We always pre-boil the potatoes a wee bit before they go into the dish.  Crunchy potatoes are not very good in this!  Sauté the remaining veggies in oil or butter.  When they are slightly softened, add the veggies to the mushroom sauce.

To prepare the chicken, take 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts and slice them into tenders.  You can use pre-prepared chicken tenders if you prefer.  Season with salt and pepper.  Finally, combine all of the ingredients into a greased 8”x11” glass baking.  Cover with foil and bake in a 425 degree oven for 20 minutes.  Remove the foil, and sprinkle the top with French fried onions.  I’ve always wanted to find a way to make my own, but haven’t…. If you know of a good recipe, please let me know!  Bake for another 5 minutes, and serve.

This is truly my ultimate comfort meal!  And remember, my dear Broncos… There WILL be next season.

Janessa