Trail of Crumbs: Penne With Popped Tomatoes, Anchovies, and Onions

Happy Halloween!  I'm terribly excited to see all the little ghosts and goblins out tonight.  We're still trying to work out the details about how we're going to trick or treat and hand out candy.   How do you do it?

Then again, we're completely unprepared for what this new neighborhood will bring in terms of trick or treaters anyway.  One neighbor told us they get lots of trick or treaters.  The other said it varies from year to year.  So we'll see.

In the meantime, I leave you with the final recipe from Trail of Crumbs.  One last midnight pasta.  This one, with the dark tapenade and charred tomatoes.  Seems fitting for a dark and spooky night.

Penne with Popped Tomatoes, Anchovies, and Onions (from Trail of Crumbs)

1 to 2 Tbsp olive oil

1 pint ripe cherry or grape tomatoes

salt and pepper

pinch of sugar

1 onion, sliced

2 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped

hot red pepper flakes

4 to 5 anchovy filets

1 tsp black olive tapenade

1/2 lb penne

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add tomatoes and cook, tossing often, about 10 minutes.  Cover and cook 3 minutes.
2.  Uncover, season with salt and pepper and a pinch of sugar.
3. Add onion, toss, and cook about 2 minutes.
4. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, anchovies, and olives.  Lower heat.
5. Cook penne in salted boiling water just until al dente.  Drain, reserving about 1/4 cup pasta water.
6. Add reserved pasta to skillet with tomatoes.  Toss in pasta and heat about 1 minute, adding some of reserved pasta water if too dry.  Toss to combine.

Trail of Crumbs: Spaghetti with Zucchini, Mint, and Pine Nuts

It's no secret I've been complaining about our late summer for weeks now.  The plus side of the unusually warm weather means that we've still been able to enjoy beach days with friends.

Thatbaby loves going into the ocean, but his friends were a little more hesitant.  They did enjoy jumping and splashing in a big hole we filled with water.  And sharing snacks.

And squirting each other with water guns, squirters, and buckets of water. 

Thatbaby tried to teach Lexus about the joys of splashing in the waves.  She taught him the beauty of sunbathing.

So even though I whine and moan, I do make lemonade out of lemons. 

Tonight's "Midnight Pasta" is perfect for after a beach day.  It's quick, which is important, because the sun just saps your energy.  The zucchini and mint also make it feel cool and fresh.  And summery.  Even in the fall.

Spaghetti with Zucchini, Mint, and Pine Nuts (From Trail of Crumbs)

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 shallot, sliced

2 small zucchini, cut lengthwise and sliced

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp hot red pepper flakes

1/2 lb spaghetti

2 Tbsp mint leaves

1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano

1/3 cup toasted pine nuts

1. Heat oil in large skillet on medium heat.  Add shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
2.  Add zucchini and cook about 5 minutes.
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add red pepper flakes.
5. Cook spaghetti in salted boiling water just until al dente.  Drain, reserving about 1/4 cup pasta water.
6. Add pasta to the skillet with shallots and zucchini.  Heat about 1 minute, adding some of reserved pasta water if too dry.
7. Remove from heat, add mint, half of the Parmigiano-Reggiano, and half of the pine nuts.  Toss to combine.

Trail of Crumbs: Spaghetti with Pancetta Cream

I mentioned yesterday that we carved pumpkins over the weekend, so I thought I would backtrack and tell you a little bit about the picking of said pumpkins.  Our pumpkin patch visit!

We actually had to institute the "you have to be able to carry it" rule when Thatbaby wanted the biggest pumpkins he could find.

We also instituted the "one pumpkin only" rule when he attempted to take home every pumpkin he could carry.

We relented a little on that last rule, and let him take home two.

And we also gave in on his request to go on a hay ride.  Which he really liked.  Except for the pokey hay part.  Good thing I had a nice, soft, non-hay filled lap for him to sit on.

And a close up of our finished products - I did the carving on Thatbaby's but I let him design it.  He requested "circle eyes" a "rocket ship nose" and an "airplane mouth."

I ended up going the ghost route.

Thatboy was inspired by the weird lumps and scars on his pumpkin and used it to create a brainy monster.

Trail of Crumbs last 3 recipes are all versions of "Midnight pasta" - pasta made after late nights out.  Midnight pasta sounds perfect for Halloween, doesn't it?  Well, at least it sounds spookier than it is.  Really, they're just very quick pasta dishes (that make liberal use of red pepper flakes.)

Spaghetti with Pancetta and Cream (From Trail of Crumbs)

1 tsp olive oil

5 oz pancetta

1 onion, thinly sliced

red pepper flakes

1/2 lb spaghetti

2 to 3 Tbsp creme fraiche

2 egg yolks

1 cup parmigiano-reggiano

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat.  Add pancetta and cook, about 6 minutes, until beginning to crisp but not burn.
2. Add onion, black pepper, and hot red pepper flakes.  Stir and cook about 2 minutes.
3. Cook spaghetti in salted boiled water just until al dente.  Drain, reserving about 1/4 cup pasta water.
4. Add pasta to skillet with onions and pancetta. 
5. Whisk together creme fraiche, egg yolks, and 1/2 cup parmigiano-reggiano.
6. Toss into pasta and stir, adding some of reserved pasta water if too dry.

Trail of Crumbs: Chicken in Vin Jaune with Morels and Creme Fraiche

Happy Halloween week my friends!  We spent all weekend decorating.  We started a couple weeks back, when Thatboy built and painted our tombstones.  That's right, tombstones.  Growing up, Thatdad always turned our front yard into a graveyard for Halloween, and it's a tradition I wanted to start up too.  Now that we have a front yard.

Saturday morning Thatboy painted the epitaphs on the stones while Thatbaby and I carved his pumpkins. 

Sunday morning, we got to decorating.  After we had the tombstones set up, I felt we needed a little something more.  So we introduced a new friend to keep an eye on them.  Thatbaby named him Jack. 

Thatbaby also had picked out a giant spider a couple weeks ago he really wanted to use in decorating the house.  After Thatboy hung it from a tree, I got inspired to create a spider infestation. 

I'm not letting the fact that it's still summer-hot out get me out of the Halloween spirit.  I'm going to keep acting like it's fall until Mother Nature finally gets the hint.  It's time for cooler weather!  Slow cooked dinners!  Mushrooms and roasted potatoes!

Join me in pretending that fall has arrived and hopefully it'll be here just in time for Halloween this Friday!

Chicken in Vin Jaune with Morels and Creme Fraiche (From Trail of Crumbs)

2 cups dried morel mushrooms

1 chicken, cut into 8 pieces

salt and pepper

nutmeg

1 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 to 3 shallots, diced

2 cups vin jaune or dry sherry

8 oz creme fraiche

1. Rinse morels in cold water, then place in a bowl and pour hot water over.  Let soak and plump, about 15 minutes.
2. Season chicken with salt, peppr, and nutmeg.
3. Heat butter and oil in a large heavy bottom pot on medium high heat.  Add chicken and let brown, turning once, about 10 minutes.  Remove chicken to a plate and reserve.
4. Add shallots to pan and cook 1 minute.
5. Add wine and bring to a boil.
6. Reduce heat to medium high and let cook, uncovered, scraping bottom of pan with a spoon, about 10 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half.
7. Remove morels from liquid, being careful to leave behind any grit.  Add morels to pot, stir in creme fraiche and add reserved chicken.
8. Cover and let cook another 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
9. Taste sauce and add more salt and pepper as needed.  Serve warm over rice or with roasted potatoes.

 

Trail of Crumbs: Cream of Chestnut Soup

 

I am so happy it's Friday.  I know you understand.  And I feel like this every week.  Because Friday means I (usually) have two days where I don't have to put out fires.  Or deal with ridiculously complicated situations that pop up.   I always imagine the weekend means I'll have time for myself, and even though that rarely happens, the fantasy persists.

This weekend we're prepping for Halloween!  Decorating the house, watching movies, carving pumpkins.  It's my most favorite time of year.  Along with the seasonal food that comes along with it.  

I wrote earlier that Kim Sunee uses chestnuts a lot in the book, often in ways I'm not accustomed to.   This is a recipe that I can get behind though.  Chestnut soup.  So perfectly autumnal, right?  Doesn't it just sound like something you would serve at Thanksgiving? 

The soup is sweet, a combination of the roasting of the chestnuts and the creme de marrons.  And with the warmth, it really brings to memories those street-corner roasted chestnuts.

Cream of Chestnut Soup (From Trail of Crumbs)

1 tsp olive oil

2 shallots, chopped

1 apple, peeled, cored, and chopped

14 oz roasted chestnut

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

3 to 4 sprigs thyme

1 quart chicken broth

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 to 2 tsps creme de marrons 

1. Heat olive oil in large soup pot over medium high heat.  Add shallots and apple and cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
2. Add chestnuts, salt, pepper, and thyme.  Stir and let cook about 1 minute.
3. Add broth and bring to a boil, skimming fat as it rises.  Reduce heat to medium low and let cook about 25 minutes or until chestnut and apple are tender.  Remove from heat.
4. Remove thyme sprigs and discard.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer chestnut, apple, and shallot to blender nad puree until smooth.
5. Add a little broth if too thick.  Pour back into the soup pot.  Heat to low. 
6. Stir in cream.
7. Stir in creme de marrons.

Trail of Crumbs: La Daube Provencale

This is not a weeknight meal.  This is a hang home all day and let things simmer kind of meal. Which is one of my favorite kinds.  Because it means I get to be home all day.  And that rarely happens.  Last weekend we had an uncharacteristically empty weekend.  Just a birthday party Saturday morning.

And yet, somehow we ended up going to a pumpkin patch, getting Thatbaby's hair cut, running some errands, painting tombstones and attending a street fair.  You know, your basic do-nothing weekend.

I much prefer the weekends where I can hang out at home with my family, smelling the wafting scent of marinated beef cooking and listening to the little bubbles popping as it gets softer and more tender over the hours.

Red wine adds depth and complexity to this relatively simple dish, and the orange adds a new flavor element.  Sunee adds tapenade to thicken it, but I didn't find it to really add anything.  Served over polenta, it's the perfect way to end a lazy day at home.  If those actually happened.

La Daube Provencale (From Trail of Crumbs)

3 lbs beef chuck

3 medium onions, quartered

3 to 4 carrots, cut lengthwise and cut into thirds

bouquet garni

3 cups dry red wine

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 slices thick cut bacon, diced

1/3 cup flour

1 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp pepper

3 to 4 garlic cloves, smashed and coarsely chopped

1 orange

1 1/2 to 2 cups beef stock

2 to 3 Tbsp black olive tapenade

1. Combine beef and 2 of the onions and next 3 ingredients in large bowl.  Let marinate 5 to 6 hours.
2. Heat bacon on medium high in a large heavy-bottom pot about 5 minutes.
3. Place flour in a shallow bowl.
4. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Remove beef with a slotted spoon and drain well.
6. Lightly dredge beef chunks in flour, adding a little more flour, as needed.
7. Add beef to pot and let brown, turning occasionally, about 8 minutes.
8. Add remaining onion and let cook about 5 minutes.
9. Add salt, pepper, garlic, and a strip of orange rund, and stir.
10. Add reserved wine marinade (reserve onions, carrots, and bouquet garni)  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium high and let wine reduce, skimming fat, about 15 minutes.
11. Add 1 1/2 to 2 cups beef stock or water, stir.
12. Add reserved onion, carrot, and bouquet garni.  Stir and cover pot and let cook on low heat about 3 1/2 to 4 hours. 
13. Remove orange rind and bouquet garni and discard.
14. Zest remaining orange and add to pot.
15. Squeeze juice from the orange, add to pot and stir.  Let cool, cover and refrigerate overnight.
16. Heat on medium to warm before serving and stir in tapenade.

Trail of Crumbs: Gratin de Salsify

If I learned one thing from my experience introducing Thatboy and Thatbaby to vegetables it's that everything is better gratin-ized.

If I learned two things, it would be that bacon gets most people to like vegetables.

These are two very important rules to keep in mind when you are embarking on a new adventure with a new vegetable.  Which is why I was only a little scared when I saw this recipe for salsify.  Salsify is a new one for me, and not an especially attractive vegetable, since it looks like a stick.

Sunee says that this is a twist on a Belgian dish using endives and ham.  Between you and I, I think I might like that version better, based on my experience with celery gratin.  But this wasn't bad, which is to be expected when you have a vegetable wrapped in prosciutto and buried in a cheesy creamy sauce.

Gratin de Salsify (From Trail of Crumbs)

4 to 5 stalks salsify, trimmed, peeled, and rinsed

2 to 3 lemon slices

2 to3 bay leaves

1/2 to 1/2 tsp salt

6 to 8 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 to 2 cups Mornay sauce

12 slices prosciutto

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Cut salsify into 4 inch pieces.
2. Combine salsify and next 3 ingredients in a large pot.
3. Add enough chicken broth or water to cover.  Bring to a boil and let cook about 8 minutes or until salsify is tender but not mushy.  Gently remove salsify with a slotted spoon and let cool.
4. Spoon a third of the mornay sauce in bottom of a baking dish.
5. Wrap each salsify with prosciutto and place seam side down on top of sauce in baking dish.
6. Cover with remaining mornay sauce.
7. Top with grated cheese and a crack of fresh pepper.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until top is golden and bubbly.

Trail of Crumbs: French Fry Po-Boy with Horseradish Creme Fraiche

Certain areas are known for certain food specialties.  In San Diego, it's Fish Tacos and Carne Asada fries.   When I lived outside of Pittsburgh, it was pierogies and Primanti Brothers sandwiches.  What separates a Primanti Brothers sandwich from elsewhere is the inclusion of french fries, IN the sandwich.  For the first 30something years of my life, I was under the impression it was a specialty unique to Western PA.  It's a genius idea, but really, who needs french fries sandwiched between bread?  Crazy midwesterners, that's who.

But in reading Trail of Crumbs, Sunee introduced me to the Southern variation.  New Orleans is known for a variety of food specialties too, including the "Po-Boy"  (which is one of Thatboy's favorites) a sandwich on a french baguette.  Typically I've had po-boys filled with meat, or shrimp, but according to Sunee, french fries are also a traditional choice.   She speaks of bars that had these delivered to patrons, and really, that makes sense too.  What sounds better after a night of drinking than french fries, slathered with horseradish cream, between a buttery french roll?

French Fry Po-Boy with Horseradish Creme Fraiche (From Trail of Crumbs)

2 large yukon gold potatoes

1 cup canola oil

sea salt

fresh-ground black pepper

1/2 cup creme fraiche

1 Tbsp mayonnaise

1 tsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp horseradish

hot sauce

1 loaf french bread

1. Peel potatoes then cut lengthwise into quarter-inch-thick sticks.  Rinse potatoes in several changes of cold water.  Drain in a colander, spread cut potatoes in a single layer on several paper towels, and pat very dry.
2. Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over moderate heat until it begins to shimmer.  Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 200 degrees.  Once oil is ready, fry potatoes, turning occasionally, about 6-7 minutes per batch, until golden.  Transfer fries with a slotted spoon to a baking pan lined with several layers of dry paper towels.
3. Sprinkle fries with salt and pepper and keep warm in oven.
4. Combine creme fraiche, mayonnaise, lemon juice and horseradish in a small bowl. 
5. Season with salt to taste.
6. Add a few dashes of hot sauce, if desired.  
7. Pile onto french bread.

Trail of Crumbs: Kimchi Soup

When you have a child, you inevitably hope that some of your best attributes get passed on to them.  "I hope he has your kindness."  "I hope he has my sense of humor."  

Inevitably though, you also pass on some of your less best attributes.  It appears I have passed on my faulty tonsils to Thatbaby as we are dealing with his second round of strep throat since September.  That's once a month, for those of you bad with math.  Exacerbated by the fact that we discovered he has a Penicillin allergy during the last go-around.

As a child, I had strep throat so often that I ended up having to get those faulty tonsils removed.  And if Thatbaby continues on this path, I forsee a similar future for him.  For now, it's time to stock the fridge with ice cream, orange juice, and soups.

Personally, although Thatbaby didn't appreciate it, I think this Kimchi soup is perfect for sick days.  The ginger, garlic, and kick of the kimchi helps to clear up sinuses.  And of course, soup just slides right now sore throats.  Plus leafy greens are great for iron - and just ask Popeye what that does for you.

Kimchi Soup (From Trail of Crumbs)

1 tsp peanut or vegetable oil

 1 1/2 to 2 lbs boneless pork butt or shoulder, trimmed of fat and cut into chunks

1/2 to 3/4 tsp salt

3 to 4 cloves garlic

2 tsp fresh grated ginger

6 cups chicken stock

2 to 3 cups kimchi

4 green onions

1. Heat oil in a large dutch oven or soup pot over medium high heat.  Season pork with 1/2 tsp salt and add to pot.  Let pork brown 8 minutes.
2. Add garlic and ginger and stir.
3. Add stock, stir, bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium low.  Skim fat as it starts to simmer and froth.
4. Add 1 to 2 cups kimchi, stir, and let simmer 1 1/2 to 2 hours until pork is fork tender.
5. Stir in the green onions and remaining kimchi.  Taste and add more salt, as needed.

Trail of Crumbs: Chicken Thighs with Cinnamon and Dates

I will probably always prefer white meat.  For years I refused to eat dark meat - thighs, legs, wings.  All I wanted was the breast.  It's not the worst thing in the world, chicken and turkey breast are healthier than their counterparts.

But I was missing out. 

Over the past couple of years I've come to embrace the dark side.  Chicken thighs especially.  They're so much better for slow cooking.  Both in the slow cooker, and for things like braising.  The bring a richer flavor to a dish that chicken breasts just don't.  And I love the way they fall apart, so tender!

I really liked this dish because of the combination of the chicken and sausage.  For me, that such a Cajun thing - Jambalaya, gumbo.  There's nothing Cajun about this dish.  With the dates and cinnamon it seems much more...North African?  I don't know, I just keep thinking of Morocco.  Sunee even suggest making this in a tangine.  It works just fine in a dutch oven, so if you're tangine-less, like I am, don't let it deter you. 

Chicken Thighs with Cinnamon and Dates (From Trail of Crumbs)

1 tsp olive oil

2 sausage links

6 to 8 skinless chicken thighs

1 1/4 tsp salt, divided

3/4 tsp pepper

1 onion, thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped

1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp hot paprika

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup orange juice

1/3 cup golden raisins or currants

2-3 carrots, cut lengthwise and halved on the bias

1 orange, cut into 8 wedges

12-15 dates, pitted

2-3 Tbsp chopped cilantro

1.  Preheat oven to 350. Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a large ovenproof pan or Dutch oven.  Cut sausage links into halves or thirds, depending on length, removing casings if desired.  Add sausage and chicken to pot in one layer.
2. Sprinkle with half salt and pepper.  Let cook about 5 minutes.  Turn meat over, season with remaining salt and pepper and let cook 5 minutes more.  Remove chicken to a plate.
3. Add onion to pot and let cook 5 minutes.
4. Add garlic, ginger, cinnamon, cumin, and paprika.  Stir and let cook about 3 minutes.
5. Add chicken broth and orange juice, raisins, and carrots, and stir.
6. Place chicken and sausage back in pot.
7. Add orange wedges and dates.
8. Stir, cover, and bake for about 1 hour 30 minutes, or until chicken and carrots are fork tender.
9. Top with cilantro and serve with hot buttered couscous and harissa paste.

Trail of Crumbs: Tipsy Melon with Prosciutto

We are all creatures of habit.  Me?  I look forward to my Friday night glass of wine.  It's the perfect way to wind down after a week.

In general I go with lighter reds like cabernet francs and pinot noir.  Thatboy likes dessert reds, like port.  Strong and sweet.  On their own, ports don't make my heart sing, but this is a really nice way to serve it if you're looking for both oomph of presentation and a way to improve on port.  The wine soaks in to the sweet melon, giving it a nice fruity flavor.  The salty prosciutto brings out the deepness of the port itself.  And I love the combination of sweet and salty, so melon and prosciutto is a winning combination anyway.

Tipsy Melon with Prosciutto (From Trail of Crumbs)

1 ripe summer melon

Port

prosciutto

1. Halve the melon.  Discard seeds.  Slice a small piece off bottom of melon so it will balance on a plate without wobbling.
2. Fill melons about a third with good-quality port wine.  Chill until ready to serve.
3. Serve with thin slices of prosciutto.

Trail of Crumbs: Chocolate Cake with Mascarpone-Chestnut Cream

For many, the only experience they will have with chestnuts is the song, where they are roasting over an open fire.   I'm actually lucky in that I have a little more experience than that.  Thatmom is a huge fan of roasted chestnuts, which are always a holiday marker for me.  First in the Thanksgiving stuffing, followed by the roasted variety sold on street corners in New York City.

So for me, chestnuts have always been a savory treat, which make their appearance in cold weather.  But Kim Sunee uses them often in her book.  The introduction was the cinnamon rolls.  A nice intro, because it showed how very sweet chestnuts can be, and makes them an excellent choice for desserts as well as stuffing!

Sunee connects the chestnuts to Corsica, where they are found in abundance.  In Corsica Sunee began feeling comfortable in her own skin, sunbathing and skinny dipping, eating campfire-side.  It makes sense that she pairs this chocolate cake with her time there.  It is at once freeing and indulgent.  The chestnut pairing well with chocolate in the way its brethren nuts do.  If you love nutella, this is a nice change of pace.  The bittersweet chocolate means it's not too sweet.  The mascarpone also serves as a nice change from cream cheese frosting and I would definitely use it again.

Chocolate Cake with Mascarpone-Chestnut Cream (From Trail of Crumbs)

8 oz bittersweet chocolate

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup confectioners' sugar

3 large eggs

1 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

8 oz sour cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

7 oz mascarpone

1 cup creme de marrons

3/4 cup chilled whipping cream

1 tsp grated lemon zest

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Melt chocolate in microwave at high for 30-second intervals until melted.  Stir until smooth.
2. Beat butter and confectioners' sugar at medium speed in an electric mixer, about 5 minutes or until well blended.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.
4. Add melted chocolate, beating just until blended.
5. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt.  
6. Gradually add to chocolate mixture, alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
7. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition.  Stir in vanilla.
8. Pour batter into lightly greased and floured deep 9-inch round cake pan.  Bake for 28-30 minutes. 
9. While cake is cooking, beat mascarpone and chestnut spread together at medium speed about 3 minutes or until light and fluffy.
10. Beat whipping cream in a medium bowl until soft peaks form.
11. Fold whipped cream into mascarpone-chestnut mixture.
12. Stir in lemon zest.  Cover and chill until ready to serve.
13. When cake is done, let cool in pan 5 minutes before turning out on wire rack.  Serve with mascarpone-chestnut cream.

Trail of Crumbs: Orange Couscous Salad

Yesterday Thatbaby had his 3 year well-visit with the doctor.  Because of poor planning on my part, I didn't schedule it well so to make my life easier, I worked from home yesterday morning.  I love working from home.  I feel so much more productive and I get so much more done.  Mostly because I don't have the distractions of the phone ringing or knocks on my office door.

And Thatbaby's appointment went really well.  It was one of our shortest and easiest ever.  Height, weight, vitals, and a quick question about teeth and potty training, then the flu nasal mist and we were out of there.  With a sticker of course. 

In order to celebrate our easy breezy day, I'm going to share with you one of my all time favorite easy breezy sides - couscous.  It's easy because you really can't mess it up overcook or undercook it. Just add hot water and cover.  When the water is gone, your side is ready.  I love couscous.  I was pretty excited to see a couscous recipe in Trail of Crumbs.  Especially one that uses fresh oranges from our tree.  I also really like the cucumber which makes it feel fresh and cool.

 Orange Couscous Salad (From Trail of Crumbs)

1 cup water

1 box couscous

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

2 oranges

2 Tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 Tbsp chopped fresh minut leaves

1 cucumber, pelled, seeded, and chopped

1 cup golden raisins

1. Bring water to a boil.  Pour couscous in large bowl and add water, stir, cover with plastic, and let steam 5 minutes or until couscous is tender.  Fluff with a fork.
2. Stir in olive oil, salt, pepper, and onion.  Let cool.
3. Zest both oranges.  Juice one of the oranges.  Remove white part of second orange and chop.
4. Add zest and chopped orange to couscous.
5. Stir in parsley, mint, cucumber, and raisins.  Cover and chill in the refrigerator 1 hour.
6. Taste and rectify seasoning by adding more salt and pepper, olive oil, and juice before serving.

Trail of Crumbs: Chilled Blueberry Soup

I'm ready for fall.  Cooler temperatures, chili, apple cider.  This delayed summer is for the birds.  It's October, but feels like August.  It's like someone forgot to tell Mother Nature to send in the crisp clear air and cool breezes.

Instead of bowls of chili, hearty fall squashes, and roasted veggies, we're still doing light salads and cold soups.

I am a strong supporter of cold soups in the summer.  Chilled cucumber soup, cold gazpacho.  It's as if the summer produce flavors come bursting out when the soup isn't steamy.

Fruit soups for me always seem more like dessert.  Especially when honey and vanilla are prominent ingredients.  This blueberry soup is a really nice end to a late summer meal, but also works as a topping for ice cream, pancakes, or mixed with a little sparkling wine.

Chilled Blueberry Soup (From Trail of Crumbs)

6 cups fresh blueberries

4 cloves

1/2 cup liquid honey

1 vanilla bean or 1 cinnamon stick

1 Tbsp lemon juice

3 Tbsp creme de cassis

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1.  Rinse blueberries and and place all but 1 cup in a large pot.  
2.  Add cloves and honey.
3. Split vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape seeds into pot using tip of knife, and add scraped bean halves (or scrape cinnamon into pot and add stick).
4. Add one cup water and stir.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and let simmer about 10 minutes.
5. Strain, using back of spoon to crush berries through a fine sieve into a bow.  Discard solids.
6. Let soup cool.  Stir in lemon juice, creme de cassis, and vinegar.
7. Add more honey as needed.  Chill in refrigerator 4 hours.  Serve in chilled bowls with reserved cup of blueberries.

Trail of Crumbs: Tons of Truffles

I freely admit to having expensive tastes.  I love lobster, Filet Mignon, and truffles.  My favorite is truffles on popcorn, although I'll take them in just about any dish.  So when I saw Kim Sunee's recommendations for how to use truffles, I wanted to try each and every one of them.  And so I did. 

Ideally, you would purchase fresh truffles, but these minced truffles were more convenient for me given the time of year.   They're also not that terribly expensive.  So grab yourself some truffles and join me as we put them on...everything.

This was Thatboy's favorite truffle manifestation.  Thatbaby was a surprisingly big fan also.  Guess he has expensive tastes too.  Toast baguette slices.  Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil.  Sprinkle with fleur de sel and truffles.

I loved this one.  Way more than I expected too.  Its so very crisp and refreshing.  And the truffles add a nice earthiness.  Thinly slice crisp celery ribs and toss in a bowl with extra virgin olive oil, fleur de sel, and cracked black pepper.  Top with truffle.

Truffles on pasta is basically a given.  Toss cooked fettuccine with cream and top with truffles, fleur de sel, a crack of pepper, and parmigiano-reggiano.

Of the two potato dishes, I actually preferred the roasted potatoes to the mashed potatoes. Which makes sense, since I also like truffles on my french fries.  Slip truffle between 2 very thinly sliced potatoes.  Brush with melted butter or olive oil and bake at 375 until crisp and golden.  Sprinkle with fleur de sel.

 Add truffles to hot potatoes mashed with cream and salted butter.

You can't go wrong with roast chicken in any form, but it's even more fun with truffles.  Before roasting chicken, slip truffle under the skin.  Reserve the pan juices to make a sauce and stir in some truffle.

 My least favorite use was this truffle dessert.  It was definitely a more acquired taste. Whip together 8oz of mascarpone and 1 cup powdered sugar until light and fluffy.  Whip 1 cup whipping cream and fold into sweetened mascarpone.  Add truffle and stir gently to combine.  Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Trail of Crumbs: Figs Roasted in Red Wine with Cream and Honey

Oh what a weekend my friends.  Between TMIL staying with us, Yom Kippur, and Thatbaby's birthday party I am already exhausted.  And it's still the beginning of the week!  I think I'll be able to catch up a bit next weekend.  Well at least next Saturday.  Sunday's going to be a long fun filled day.  Just in time for next week!

I have a hard time taking it easy.  There's just so much I want to do!  So many things I want to take advantage of.  Like the last of the summer bounty, which we're still raking in here because of the weather.  Big, sweet, berries, red juicy tomatoes, and sweet ripe figs. 

Kim Sunee describes the taste of her first fig as "a sweetness...deeper than honey."  Their sticky sweetness sticks to Sunee's lips in a near sexual allusion.  For me, both figs and dates have a candy-like quality.  They are perfect on their own, no need for adornment.  And yet, a simple syrup made from roasting in red wine yields a pretty simple yet fairly impressive dessert.

Figs Roasted in Red Wine With Cream and Honey (From Trail of Crumbs)

12 to 18 fresh figs

1/2 bottle red wine

3 Tbsp honey

1 cinnamon stick

3 Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp creme fraiche

1. Preheat oven to 375.  Remove stems from figs and cut a small X in top of each.  Place figs cut side up in an overproof pan.
2. Pour wine over.
3. Drizzle with honey.
4. With a knife, scrape cinnamon stick over figs, and add stick to pan.  Roast for 20-25 minutes, or until figs are tender, but not falling apart.
5. Gently remove figs using a slotted spoon and place on serving dishes.
6. Place pan over medium high heat, stir in sugar, and bring win to a boil.
7. Cook on high heat about 7 minutes or until syrupy.  Remove from heat.
8. Stir in creme fraiche.
9. Spoon wine and creme fraiche mixture over figs.

Trail of Crumbs: Almond Saffron Cake

Thatbaby got to spend his birthday at home.  I wasn't so lucky.  While I was working the day away, Thatbaby was going to the park, the book store, and getting spoiled rotten by our family and neighbors.

Thatbaby debated back and forth about what he wanted to do for dinner.  He was certain he wanted "red pasta" but the location was undecided.  For a while he wanted to eat at home, while I cooked.  Then he decided he wanted to go out.  One thing he was sure about was cake.  He knew he wanted chocolate cake.  And so that's what he got.  Because what would a birthday be without cake?

I recently had a discussion about cake.  For me, cake is always associated with a special event - weddings, birthdays, holidays.  When was the last time you just made a cake for the heck of it?  Usually it's a shared experience kind of thing, because very few eat a cake by themselves.

Quick breads on the other hand are good all the time.  What's the difference really?  Both are full of sugar.  Both are cake-like.  So why do I think cakes are a sometimes treat while banana bread is a household staple?  I think it's the frosting.  Frosting is the difference between a cake and a bread.  Just as frosting is the difference between a cupcake and a muffin.

Sunee transformed a Swedish holiday bun into an almond saffron cake.  This is the kind of cake you can have on a random weeknight, although I personally served it to company.  It is unfrosted, making it similar to the bread it was inspired by.

The cake is dense and rich, but the nice thing about almond cake is that it's never overpowering.  Which is nice if you want to make an average night seem a little more special.

Almond Saffron Cake (From Trail of Crumbs)

1/3 cup milk

1/2 tsp saffron threads

grated zest of an orange

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

1 cup butter, softened

8 oz almond paste

1 cup confectioners' sugar

5 large eggs

8 oz sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly butter and flour 2 8-inch round cake pans.  Heat milkin a small saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add saffron and zest.  Bring to a low simmer, remove from heat, and let steep.
3. Sift together flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl.
4. Stir in salt and set aside.
5. Beat butter and almond paste together at medium speed until creamy, about 3 minutes.
6. Gradually add sugar and beat until fluffy, scraping down sides.
7. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.
8. Gradually add flour mixture alternately with sour cream, beating at medium speed just until blended, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
9. Pour batter into prepared cake pans.  Shake pans gently or use spatulat to smooth tops.
10. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until tester inserted in center of cake comes out clean.
11. Let cool in pan on wire racks 5 minutes.  Remove from pan and serve warm, dusted with confectioners sugar.