Strollin' on a Sunday

I always like to start my entries with a little background information. This entry is no different. Jon loves San Francisco. Loves it loves it loves it. Me? I'm really not a fan. How can anyone not like San Francisco? Easy. Have them spend every trip to San Fransisco with my in-laws. Jon's parents live about thirty minutes from the city. However, on every trip we take to visit, we end up spending the entire time sitting on the couch staring at each other because Jon's parents don't believe in television, nor do they feel any compunction to entertain their guests. So for me, "going to San Fransisco" means wanting to gouge my eyes out.

We have tried to rectify this situation. I tell Jon all the time how much I hate San Francisco, mostly because we never go to the city. Jon's solution? He told his parents I'd like to go into the city on trips. Well according to the in-laws, the only thing to see in the city is the Museum Of Modern Art. So now anytime they hear the word "city" a trip to the MOMA is planned. Now don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of art in general, but I prefer the classics - preraphaelite, impressionism, etc. I have been to the San Fransisco MOMA more times than I have been to any other museum in the entire world - and that's saying quite a bit since I used to go to the Smithsonian museums on a yearly basis. When we go to the city, "we" meaning his parents, Jon, and I, we go straight to the MOMA, walk around until his dad complains he's been there too long and there's too much sex, violence, and excrement in the art work, and then we get in the car and come home. "Going to San Fransisco" means going to a place I don 't like and listening to people complain.

I have never been to Chinatown, Alcatraz, or Union Square, I went to Ghiradelli Square once years ago with my mother on a college scouting trip. Fisherman's Wharf I visited once while I was giving a college tour. I travel to the Bay Area between 3 and 5 times a year, but ask me to recommend a restaurant or activity and I'm completely unhelpful. You mean San Fransisco has restaurants? Other museums?

I'm really working hard at getting Jon to take me places I might enjoy. Unfortunately most of the time his parents join us, making it less pleasant. Take for example our plan last year to walk the Golden Gate Bridge. Here's the picture I tried to take of me and Jon......notice any "extra" personalities who had to jump in the picture? Notice how happy I am?

This trip M&B had mentioned the Sunday farmer's market at the Ferry Building. I had actually heard about how fun and neat this was and was surprised when Jon mentioned he knew about it. "You mean you knew there was something fun in the city I'd enjoy and in the past 7 years haven't thought of taking me there? I assumed you'd never heard of it." Of course that means a trip was in order, so Sunday morning we headed into the city. I was so thankful it was just the two of us, and we had so much fun!


The building itself is beautiful, sitting on the bay with the Bay Bridge behind it. And yes, I had to ask what bridge that was because really? well? The market is not a farmer's market in the true sense of the word. Rather it is a conglomerate of small shops selling fresh artisan cheeses, breads, chocolates, and every form of olive oil you could ever want to purchase. Jon was first attracted to the mushroom shop - and I will leave it to your imagination to determine why. As he perused posters displaying poisonous mushrooms, I tasted truffle salt, truffle oil, and came across a "grow at home mushroom farm." I don't even want to begin to wonder what that white mound is made of, but sure enough, there are mushrooms growing out of it. I am sure it would be a fantastic conversation piece in any home.



We also made a quick stop at the seafood store where they were selling fresh oysters on the half shell for $1.50 each. Jon had to have one, and spent the rest of the day saying how it was the best oyster he'd ever had. I'll take his word for it. For me, the highlight of the trip was M's recommendation of Miette - french for "crumb." M had recommended the macaroons, but as soon as I saw the cupcakes I knew I had to take one of those also.



So we loaded up on macaroons and a gingerbread cupcake with cream cheese frosting. The cupcake was really the perfect size, small enough for a couple bites. The cake was sweet and a little sticky, which meant there wasn't a miette to be found - ironic, non? The frosting was perfect because it wasn't too sweet. Jon thought it tasted more like cheesecake than frosting.
And of course we had to get some macaroons - Macaroons are, after all, the new cupcake. This was Jon's first taste of french macaroons and he was very confused at first glance. On first bite however, he was quickly won over. We got a chocolate, coffee, hazelnut, vanilla, and pistachio and it's hard to pick a favorite. The "cookie" part is chewing and moist, while the cream center is rich and sweet.



We sat on a bench overlooking the bay while we snacked and drank coffee. It was the ideal Sunday morning and a nice change of pace from our usual in-law routine. Unfortunately it passed far too quickly, and it wasn't long before we had to head back for more "good times" with Jon's parents.

Oh So Lucky

No, not me. Although I have my days. The title of this post is in reference to Jon. He is the oh so lucky one. I mean obviously, he's lucky because he has me. The more time I spend with his family the luckier I realize he is. But other then me, Jon is lucky to have some very good friends. We spent the day with two of those friends yesterday - M and her husband B. Jon and M have been friends since high school. M still lives in the same area where they grew up, and whenever we visit Jon's family she makes sure to plan a day away from Jon's family for me. "Kate's break day" included a trip to Redwood Park with Ringo and M&B's dog Sonnybear. The dogs hit it off immediately and the 3 hour hike didn't feel nearly that long! After our day in the woods it was time for a night in the city.

M&B took us to Potrero Hill, a San Francisco neighborhood which seemed a world away from the hustle and bustle of downtown. We began the night at Lingba Lounge.



Lingba Lounge is dark and hip with crazy chandeliers and monkeys everywhere. Even on the drinks!


I was definitely tempted by the "monkey bowl" which came with a polaroid picture of you and said drink. Instead I stuck to the "safer" choices of lychee martinis and guava cosmos. Jon stuck with Lingba Lemonades which were a combination of bourbon and lemongrass syrup. The drinks were pretty and potent, which is the way I like my drinks.


After drinks we headed over to our dinner reservations at Baraka. M ensured we ate "downstairs" which is apparently the cool place to eat at Baraka. We were the only people in the downstairs area and our waiter was a lot of fun.

M was overjoyed at having a partner to split a bottle of Malbec with her, and I was only too pleased to oblige. We let M&B do the ordering, and I'm so glad we did because they food was beyond words!
We started out with the house special goat cheese and prosciutto wrapped dates. We loved the goat cheese, but my favorite was the dates. They were stuffed in cheese and tasted like little pieces of heaven - sweet, salty, and gooey.


When we ordered our meals and sides, our waiter recommended we get the sides first to snack on while we waited. So we had spanish fries and flat bread. While M raved about the fries being the bes thing she'd ever eaten, Jon declared the flatbread other worldly. Fingers were dipped in the sauces when the bread disappeared within moments.




For dinner we split three meals between the four of us. With all the other food this was a very wise decision. We had 2 orders of the lamb tagine with succulent, tender, flavorful pieces of meat. They also ordered seared ahi, which I can't speak on since I don't eat fish, but everyone else really enjoyed it!

We also ordered dessert, a trio of sorbet - grapefruit, green apple, and blood orange, and chocolate banana bread pudding. Of course, by this time the bottle of wine was empty and my camera was long forgotten, so please be content with me telling you the desserts were just as good as the dinner.

Seriously, I am so thankful for Jon's friends. I guess that makes me oh so lucky too!

This little piggy went to the market....

My friend A had a really crappy birthday last year. Oh do I understand crappy birthdays! But this one was her 30th and I was so upset it wasn't good that I had been telling her all year we were going to "redo" her 30th this year. Of course, she didn't want a big deal made of her birthday, and the only way we were able to get her to celebrate was to have her birthday under the guise of a "holiday party."

A is a woman of two personalities. On the one hand, there is nothing she likes better than something small and intimate with the people who are important to her. She is very close to her family and her close friends are kept close. On the other hand, there is nothing she likes better than to hit the hottest clubs with people you and I would only read about the next day.

For her birthday, we chose to do the "small and intimate" kind of party. L graciously offered her beautiful new home for the occasion and volunteered to cook. Personally, I think this is mostly due to Nemo, the small wonder due to arrive some time in March and causing her to want to stay at home and be all motherly and junk.

Since I can never arrive empty handed, I had to bring something. And it had to be something "classy" since A herself was tempted to bring caviar (unfortunately we're the wrong kind of crowd for caviar). Prosciutto practically screams classy. Especially when its wrapped around goat cheese.

The evening was wonderful with lots of laughs, great conversation, and great food. All the elements of a great birthday party. Maybe we can talk A into turning 30 again next year!

Prosciutto Rolls

3 oz cream cheese, room temp
4 oz goat cheese, room temp
12 slices prosciutto
fig jam
baby arugula leaves

1) Mix together cream cheese and goat cheese
2) lay out 3 slices of proscuitto so they are barely overlapping and the long part of the rectangle is facing you.
3) Spread the fig jam on the bottom half of the prosciutto rectangle.
4) Spread the cheese mix on the top half of the prosciutton rectangle.
5) Place argula leaves over fig half.
6) Starting at the bottom, roll up the proscuitto jelly roll style.
7) Repeat with remaining ingredients until you have 4 rolls.
8) Wrap each roll in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour
9) Slice rolls into bite size pieces

Breakfast or lunch?

I spend a lot of time listening to the radio in the morning. I have several radio shows I flip between (I hate commercials). I get a lot of information from my stations. Local news, current events, sports, activities, humor, and every now and again meal ideas. The other week, one of my stations was talking about a local restaurant they really enjoyed. Two of the personalities claim the best thing on the menu is the Monte Cristo sandwich. This was a new one for me and I had to look it up. Google is your friend. A monte cristo sandwich is a cross between a sandwich and french toast. I knew right away it would be a big hit with Jon. The Monte Cristo is both savory - with ham, cheese, and turkey and sweet - with powdered sugar and raspberry. Basically its a grilled cheese on crack.

I was right about the reaction...kinda. When I placed the sandwich on the table, Jon looked at me as though I might be on crack. I begged his indulgence to at least try it, and my ever indulgent husband tried it. He really liked it. Although he felt the raspberry preserves were an unnecessary addition.

Monte Cristo Sandwich

4 slices of bread
dijon mustard
deli sliced turkey
deli sliced black forest ham
deli sliced swiss cheese
1 egg
2 Tbsp water
3 Tbsp butter
powdered sugar
raspberry preserves

1) Spread 2 slices of bread with dijon mustard. Top with turkey, ham, and swiss cheese. Place other slices of bread on top.
2) Melt butter on skillet. Lightly beat egg with 2 Tbsp water. Dip both sides of sandwich in egg and place on skillet. Cook sandwich until it is golden brown on both sides.
3) Sprinkle powdered sugar on top of sandwich and top with raspberry preserves.

It's hard to be a Jew at Christmas

Chanukkah came and went so fast this year, if you blinked, you missed it. I always have mixed feelings about the holiday. Growing up I was the only Jewish kid in my school (well, except for Alex, but given that he's the younger sibling no one expected him to know much of anything.) This meant that every year in December it was my job to inform the entire school what Channukah was and how it was celebrated. There's nothing more fabulous for a self-conscious tween than having her get up in front of her peers and explain why and how she's different from all of them.

As I've gotten older, my role as "Jewish educator" hasn't changed. It seems no matter where I go am always the only Jewish person. In college my roommates delighted in learning the Channukah blessing and singing it each night (A even called me once when we were no longer living together so she could sing with me once again).

I was also the one in charge of teaching my in-laws. This is a feat in itself because they regard ritual objects as decorations. When I arrived at their house yesterday afternoon I noticed they were using the menorah as a centerpiece.....

My favorite part of Channukah is my dad's latkes. Unlike other family traditions, the latkes have evolved over time, getting better and better. The first big change came when my dad used powdered sugar instead of flour by accident. No matter how much he added, the potatoes just wouldn't stick together. However, they tasted excellent. Now his latkes use both - but of course I can't tell you the quantities - that's a family secret. The came the day when he used sweet potatoes instead of baking potatoes - I think those are my favorite!

This year dad made his famous latkes, just as good as always. However, now that I'm an old married lady, I need to make my own latkes for my family. Since dad makes the good ones, I had no need to try to recreate his recipe and disappoint myself. Instead I just used a quick, shortened version. Of course, I love dad's better - all crispy with potato poking out everywhere. Jon however prefers these which are more pancake like.

Latkes

2 1/2 cups grated potato
1/4 cup grated onion
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp AP flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil

1) Squeeze as much moisture out of grated potatoes as possible. In medium bowl, combine potatoes, onion, eggs, flour and salt.
2) Heat oil on griddle over medium high heat. Drop potato mixture onto hot griddle by spoonful and spread into 3" pancakes. Cook until browned on bottom (reduce heat if necessary).
3) With a spatula, turn pancakes and cook until crisp, about 2 minutes.

The true test

Have you ever tried to make someone else's recipe? Inevitably, it is never as good as when the original person made it. There is a solution to that problem. It's almost too easy. Make someone else's recipe you've never tasted!! (I told you it was easy) We just completed a recipe exchange on the What's Cooking Board.

Ordinarily a recipe exchange would require you to send someone a food product you made with the recipe included. However, this could be very dangerous when you're sending food to people you don't know. What's to stop me from putting a little arsenic into that apple pie? Or including rat poop in the chocolate chip cookies? Ah, but the WC girls are too wise for these tricks. Perhaps its because the board is chock full of evil geniuses like myself, they have devised a solution to this problem. It's almost too easy. Don't send food. Instead we just submitted our favorite dessert recipes to Katie who distributed them electronically.


I was very excited to receive my recipe for Christmas Chocolate Cherry Cake. Chocolate and cherry is my favorite chocolate fruit combination. I love whipped cream frosting. Then I began to shop for ingredients. It is quite clear that whoever loves this recipe does not live in Orange County, California. First of all, cans of pitted dark sweet cherries in light syrup do not exist in my local supermarkets or specialty stores. Cans of cherries in heavy syrup leered at me as I made my way down the canned fruit aisle. Jars of cherries with pits in light syrup gave me the finger. Then I went searching for kirsch. Stupid kirsch. Luckily I'm enough of an alcoholic to know it's cherry brandy. Unluckily I had thrown out my bottle when we moved in August. Even more unluckily none of the stores carried it. When I asked cashiers for help they looked at me as though cherry brandy existed only in my head. Finally I was able to find a single bottle in a store, hidden behind peach and apricot brandy. Mission accomplished.

For the most part I stuck to the recipe completely. The changes I made were very minor and I'll note them in italics. The cake itself was heavenly. Not too heavy, not too rich (I attribute this to the amazing whipped cream frosting - never sticky and heavy like buttercream). The cherry flavor in the chocolate cake was subtle, and yet toned down the chocolatiness of the cake itself. I actually ate a whole piece of cake! I won't even begin to tell you how many pieces Jon ate.........

Christmas Chocolate Cherry Cake

1 18.5 oz. package devil's food cake mix

1 16 oz. can pitted dark sweet cherries in light syrup (ummm...yeah...I ended up using a jar of morello cherries from TJs. I had to pit a bunch of them, even though they were semi-pitted. I used a little more than half a jar.......)

kirsch (cherry brandy)

4 squares semisweet chocolate (I actually just bought a big block of chocolate...who knows how many squares)

2 cups heavy or whipping cream

1 tablespoon sugar

Maraschino cherries for garnish (Because I had leftover morello cherries, I used these instead)

Early in Day:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 10" by 3" springform pan. Prepare cake mix as label directs: pour batter into prepared pan. Bake cake 45 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched with finger. Cool cake in pan on wire rack 10 minutes; then careully remove side of pan; cool cake completely on wire rack.

2. Meanwhile, drain cherries and research 2 tablespoons syrup; cut each cherry in half. In medium bowl, stire reserved syrup, cherries and 3 tablespoons kirsch; set aside. (Basically I just combined 2 Tbsp syrup, cherries, and 3 Tbsp kirsch)

3. From chocolate squares, with vegetable peeler, shave some chocolate curls for garnish. Coarsely grate remaining chocolate to decorate side of cake. (I just kinda went crazy here. I probably had too much grated chocolate, but since most of it ended up on the counter I say no harm, no foul)

4. When cake is cool, with serrated knife, carefully cut cake horizontally into 2 layers. (If you like, remove bottom of pan.) Place one cake layer on plate. With fork, prick top of cake layers; spoon all liquid from cherry mixture in bowl over layers.

5. In small bowl with mixer at medium speed, beat heavy or whipping cream, sugar, and 1 tablespoon kirsch until soft peaks form. Spread cake layer on plate with 1 1/2 cups whipped cream. Spoon cherries onto cream; top with remaining cake layer. Frost side and top of cake with about 2 cups whipped cream. With hand, gently press grated chocolate onto side of cake. Spoon remaining whipped cream into decorating bag with medium rosette tube; pipe border around top of cake. (Confession - I forgot to read this part until I was frosting the cake, and I didn't feel like looking for my pastry tips so I skipped it completely) Garnish top of cake with Maraschino cherries and chocolate curls. (Again, I used the morello cherries) Keep cake refrigerated. Makes 24 servings.

All that's missing is the wine

The other day I was talking to C about how I consider her a wine expert, while I "just know what I like." It's actually surprising I don't know more about wine considering I love to drink, and I love all the sterotypical wine pairing foods - cheese and fruit. I blame my parents. See neither of my parents are wine drinkers. And yet, my mom was a cheese girl when she met my father. You may wonder what a cheese girl is. It is not, as one might imagine, a woman made of cheddar. Instead, it is a girl who works in a cheese store trying to get customers to come in and try their wares. Much more like a cheese prostitute. Or to be more accurate - a cheese pusher. The first taste is always free, that's what gets them hooked. Then when they come crawling back for their next fix that's when you hit them with the high end expensive stuff. I'd like to tell you this is how my mother hooked my father, but this is only half true. My father was interested in what my mother was selling, but I'm not talking about the cheese.

Baked Brie with Pears

2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 ripe medium pears, peeled, cored, sliced
1 egg
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 medium wheel brie

1) In a skillet, stir butter and sugar over medium heat until butter melts.
2) Add pear slices, cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool.
3) Heat oven to 400. In bowl, beat egg with 1 Tbsp water, set aside.
4) On a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry to 12" circle. Place brie in center. Spoon pear mixture on top. Gather up[ edges to encase cheese completely. Brush top and sides with egg mixture. Place on baking sheet. Bake 24 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before cutting.

A little whisky never hurt no one

Mmmmmm I love double negatives! I love them almost as much as I love shrimp. I love them almost as much as DH loves his scotch. And DH loves his scotch. I almost was afraid to ask him if I could "borrow" some to make barbeque sauce. (Borrow is in quotes because it would be returned to him, but in a different form......) Luckily, DH agreed. And he was really pleased with the outcome. It was so simple, but every bite was met with a sigh or murmer of approval. It just goes to show. You really can't go wrong with simple shrimp. And if you get your eater drunk enough, anything tastes good.

Shrimp with Whiskey Barbeque Sauce

3/4 cup scotch whiskey
1 Tbsp ketchup
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1/2 Tbsp minced cilantro
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1) In a small saucepan, heat whiskey to boil. Reduce about 6 minutes.
2) Stir in ketchup, brown sugar, cilantro and keep warm.
3) In skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and shallot and cook one minute.
4) Add shrimp. Cook 4 minutes or until pink. Drizzle hot glaze over shrimp.

Fancy Fall Feast

We're pretty much getting to the end of fall. It's December, and here in Southern California its freezing out! Yesterday morning I had to sit in my car while I waited for the ICE on my WINDSHIELD to melt. There's no supposed to be ice in Southern California!

The end of fall means the end of my squash cooking. Pumpkin, butternut, acorn - all those warm cinnamony flavors that remind me of changing leaves and crisp air give way to wintery treats like peppermint and cocoa. This dinner is a farewell to fall and a welcoming of winter. The warm squash with the earthy lentils echo the warm earthy flavors of the chicken. In contrast, the bright colors of the crisp green beans and tomatoes serve as a contrast, like the cold winds that are currently sweeping through Southern CA.

Chicken with Pomegranate Sauce

3/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup sparkling wine
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces
3/4 cup pomegranate juice
2 tsp adobo

1) In medium bowl combine 1/4 cup orange juice, sparkling wine, lemon juice, 1 Tbsp oil, garlic, shallot, salt, pepper and chicken. Pour all into ziplock and marinate in fridge for 2 hours.
2) In a small saucepan combine remaining orange juice with pomegranate juice. Bring to a boil and reduce about 10 minutes. Let cool. Stir in adobo.

3) Heat remainin oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken, cook 4-5 minutes or until cooked through. Serve chicken topped with sauce. Lentil/butternut squash rice

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3/4 cup orange juice
1 cup cooked rice
3/4 cup cooked lentils
1/3 cup parsley, minced

1) Preheat oven to 375. Line baking sheet with foil. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. In large bowl toss the squash with 1 Tbsp oil, salt and pepper. Bake in oven for 30 minutes.
2) In a small bowl whisk together remaining oil and orange juice.
3) In a large bowl toss squash, rice, lentils and parsely. Top with desired amount of dressing.

Tomatoes and beans

1 chopped plum tomato
2 Tbsp olive oil
garlic powder, salt, and pepper
1 lb green beans

1) In a small bowl toss tomatoes with oil, garlic, salt, and pepper.
2) Steam green beans and top with tomatoes

The first and last

When I was little, my dad got my mom a waffle iron for Mother's Day. It was that year I learned my mother HATES getting appliances for gifts. I don't think she used that waffle iron ever. I certainly don't remember ever having waffles for breakfast. Lucky for me she's a pack rat and doesn't throw anything away.

There have been a lot of raves lately on What's Cooking for Pumpkin Waffles. I had some leftover pumpkin I wanted to use up and stole the infamous waffle iron to make them. It was my first time making waffles,a nd will likely be my last. Me and the waffle iron? We don't get along so well.

My first waffle came apart when I lifted the top. It was burnt and destroyed. Thinking firsst waffles are like first pancakes, I gave it another go. This time the batter came gushing out the sides and the waffle was still inedible. It was at this point Jon came to try to "help". His first waffle was no better than mine, but beginning with his second he began having success! The recipe claims the waffles will be a nice golden brown - boy were they right! Jon was afraid we'd burned them at first, until he tasted it and realized they were just "naturally burned colored." This entire batter made about 6 edible waffles and 1 very frustrated cook. I told Jon I was done with waffles, but he was disappointed because he liked these so much. So from now on, he's in charge of waffles in our house.

Spiced Pumpkin Waffles from Recipe Zaar

1 1/2	cups all-purpose flour
3	teaspoons baking powder
1/2	teaspoon baking soda
1	teaspoon cinnamon
1	teaspoon nutmeg
1	teaspoon ground ginger
1	pinch salt
2	eggs
1/4	cup firmly packed brown sugar
1	cup canned pumpkin puree
1 2/3	cups milk
4	tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

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1. Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt in large bowl.
2. In a second bowl, add eggs, sugar, pumpkin, milk, and butter; beat well.
3. Gently fold in the flour mixture.
4. Cook according to your waffle iron directions.
5. I do these in my belgian waffle iron and it uses about 1 cup batter and takes 4-5 minutes to bake.
6. They come out a nice deep, golden brown.
7. These are great with a little bit of syrup, but would also be great with honey butter.

It's beginning to look a lot like.....

Now that Chanukkah is officially over, I can start gearing up for Christmas. Chanukkah and Christmas are so far apart this year I've really been focusing on just Channukah. Growing up. I only celebrated Channukah, but since Jon's Catholic, ever since we've been together I've celebrated Christmas with his family. As much as they hate the fact that I'm Jewish, it works out very well for them because there's never any fighting about where we'll spend Christmas.

Last year was our first married Christmas, and first Christmas living together. We marked the occassion with a tree and the entire selection of Crate and Barrel Ornaments. Unfortunately, we had to wait and get our tree until after finals, so we had slim pickings. This year we went early and got an amazing tree. Jon thinks its one of his favorites.
We also have loads more ornaments this year, like the ones from my Secret Santa, our Mammoth trip, and the one Lucy brought back for me from Salzburg.
The tree is decorated, the stockings are hung, it's time for Christmas!

The day we decorated was also the day we took a fieldtrip up to LA with our favorite tour guides, Liz and Bill. "Lill" or "Biz" as they are known by the papparazzi, had been talking about Ethiopian food for ages and how much they loved it. We were finally able to join them for a jaunt to their favorite restaurant.
The story begins like a classic horror story. It was a dark and stormy night. There were 6 of us piled into the car (Kim and Corey were also up for an adventure that night). As Bill navigated his way to a back alley parking lot behind the restaurant we followed nervously. The restaurant was small, but warm and after several attempts, the entire group was able to sit correctly on the chairs....well except for Jon. He flaunts convention. We place our order with the waitress who cautioned us about our multiple raw meat choices (Corey is apparently a vampire). The food came out in large gobs on a large pancake.
It was definitely intimidating. But our fearless leaders showed no hesitation before diving in and scooping up the piles so we were quick to follow. The food was delicious. Very fragrant and flavorful. Don't ask me what we had, I couldn't even begin to tell your. But by the end of the night we were all stuffed, warm, and happy. What a successful adventure!

You gotta have friends

There are very few qualities I have that I pride myself on. I don't rave about my beauty or intelligence, you'll never hear me brag about my financial saavy or ability to name all the members of NKOTB. However, I am an excellent friend. It's something I really do pride myself on because I'm just that good. If you're a friend of mine I will do just about anything for you. I have left work to drive 90 minutes when a friend had her wisdom teeth out. I have helped a friend move all the belongings of her apartment into a storage unit when I was running a 100 degree fever. I will drive anywhere and do anything.

I don't ask for much in return, perhaps too little. Once you're my friend, you're my friend for life. Even if we don't speak often, even if we fight. There are a few exceptions however. Once you hurt me or someone I love, we're pretty much done. There's a girl in my law school who invited a bunch of my friends to a party, but didn't invite me. My friends swore it was an oversight and wanted me to come with them. Instead I decided I'd never go out of my way for this girl. By the end of law school, this girl was on the outs with all my friends because she was only interested in talking about herself and never had time to be a true friend. Guess my instincts paid off.

It's much worse if you hurt someone important to me than if you hurt me. See, part of being a good friend is I'm intensely loyal. I don't let anyone talk badly about my friends, I don't let anyone treat my friends poorly. In high school, my friend S was friendly with a girl. S was always complaining to me about how this girl was nice to her when they were alone, but not so nice when other "popular" people were around. It really hurt S's feelings and I never forgave that girl. Did that girl ever do anything mean to me? Nope. She barely spoke 2 words to me until she found out we were going to college together. But by then, the damage was done.

So how to you join the ranks of friends? It's very simple. All it takes is meeting me. I would much rather be friends than enemies, so I give everyone the benefit of the doubt until they proove otherwise. Don't believe me? Jon and I moved into our place at the end of August. While he was moving in, Jon met our neighbor and his wife. She was large with child ;-) We never really had any deep conversations with them, mostly the typical "hey neighbor" as we passed each other. On November 21, I passed Mrs. Neighbor on my way out with Ringo. She was really big. I knew she was due in December, so I asked how things were going. She told me the baby was so big, they were going to induce labor the next week! 3 weeks early! Mr. Neighbor asked us to keep an eye on their place while they were at the hospital because they'd be there almost a full week. We did more than that. I got to work and this was waiting for them when they got home:
From left to right: Crockpot full of crockpot lasagna, french bread, fruit salad, green salad, chicken and broccoli casserole, and bagels.

I knew they were going to be busy and probably would have no groceries in the fridge when they returned from the hospital so I made some food to last them a couple days till they got settled in and could get to the store. They were so grateful, but for me that's what friends do ;-)

Appetizers

Tis the season for Holiday Parties. And with that in mind, here are a few of my favorite appetizer recipes. These are good if you're hosting, but also great if you want to bring something to a party you're invited too. One word of advice - check with the host/hostess first. No one likes a "friend" who brings something to a party forcing the host to hide what they made so the guest's dish may be served.

Brie with Nuts and Honey

We're big cheese people in my family. And every dinner party means there'll be cheese and crackers. And one constant is brie. This is way easier than baked brie and takes minutes to throw together.

1/4 cup butter
1 cup coarsly chopped walnuts
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
2 Tbsp honey
Round of brie

1) In a nonstick skillet, melt butter. Stir in walnuts, cinnamon, honey, and nutmeg. Cook, stirring constantly, until bubbling.
2) Pour over cheese and microwave 1 minute.

Knorr Spinach Dip

In general I prefer hot spinach dip. Specifically the kind with artichokes. However, hot dip doesn't stay hot for very long, so if I'm going somewhere I'd prefer to bring something cold. This is obviously not my recipe, but can be found on the back of the Knorr Vegetable Recipe Mix. After experimenting with several types of spinach dip, Jon has decided this is his favorite.

1 pkg baby spinach, chopped
1 container sour cream
1 cup reduced fat mayo
1 pkg Knorr Vegetable Recipe Mix
1 can water chestnuts, chopped
3 green onions, chopped

1) Combine all ingredients
2) Chill 2 hours

Pizza biscuit snacks

This is a derivation of my pepperoni snacks, but healthier and vegetarian. Because you never know if people are eating meat or not.
1 pkg refrigerated biscuits
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped spinach
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 cups marinara sauce
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1) Preheat oven to 375. Press each biscuit into muffin pan, pressing gently to fill cups
2) In 10-inch skillet, heat oil and cook spinach, bell pepper, and onion until tender. Stir in marinara sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes.
3) Spoon marinara mixture into muffin cups.
4) Bake for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 5 minutes.

Artichoke Garlic Bread

This is a spin-off/combination of two recipes. The first is my friend's garlic jalepeno bread. It's a great recipe, and very popular among my law school friends, but I'm not a huge jalepeno girl. I do however love my artichoke bruschetta which combines artichoke hearts with tomatoes, basil, oil, and garlic. It seems only natural to adapt the recipe to create a cheesy garlic bread with artichokes!

1 can artichoke hearts
1/2 cup italian dressing
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 cup grated parmesean cheese
1 loaf french bread, halved lengthwise

1) Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients except bread.
2) Spread on bread. Bake 20 minutes

Seven Layer Dip

This is another family favorite. I used to love my mom's seven layer dip, which she didn't make very often. That and her velveeta/salsa didn't make appearances frequently, but when they did they were gone pretty quickly. Jon especially likes the flavors of this one because the meat is so flavorful.

1/2 jar of your favorite salsa
1 cup of pico de gallo (my store was out so I had to use pico de gallo salsa which is not nearly as good)
1 can refried beans
1/2 lb ground beef
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup guacamole
1/2 cup sour cream

1) Cook ground beef with your favorite salsa. Add salt, pepper, and garlic to your liking.
2) Spread layer of beans in glass dish.
3) Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese then layer beef on top.
4) Add leftover cheese followed by guacamole, sour cream, and pico de gallo.

It's been a long, long, long, long

I haven't posted in a while. Not because I haven't had exciting things happen, or because I've been sitting around, but because I really haven't had the time at all. See, last week I started a new schedule. Traffic is getting worse and worse and worse so I am now getting up at 5 AM so I can leave the house by 5:30. This gets me to work at 6:30. What do I do for the next 2 hours? I go to the gym. It's really a great plan because
1) I don't hit any traffic so I'm in a better mood all day
2) I get a longer workout in before work so I'm in a better mood all day
3) My hair and makeup actually looks good because its fresh and hasn't been in a car for 2 hours.

The only downside is I have a 9PM bedtime. Considering I get home around 7pm, that doesn't leave a lot of time for blogging. Especially if I want to eat dinner. And look for work.

It also means we're eating a lot of leftovers - I'm trying to make meals that will last a couple days to cut back on the amount of time I'm in the kitchen on weeknights. A whole chicken is perfect for that! Especially one with apple walnut stuffing. Especially when the fall weather is definitely confusing itself with winter. Come back fall! It's too soon for you to leave us!

Roast chicken with apple walnut stuffing

1/2 cup chopped celery
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup apple juice
1 pkg stuffing mix
1 chopped, peeled apple
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 whole chicken

1) In a large skillet over medium heat, cook celery and onions in butter about 5 minutes. Add chicken broth and heat for 2 minutes.
2) In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients (except chicken). Add celery and mix well.
3) Loosely stuff chicken and roast chicken at 350. Place remaining stuffing in greased baking dish and place in oven with chicken last 30 minutes of cooking.

I guess it's a pot.....roast.....

This is a VERY deep question. If you make a roast in the crockpot.....is it automatically a pot roast? I feel that it is since it's a roast made in a pot. Pot roast was one of the first dishes I ever made in my crock pot. Stick some meat in there, a little beef broth, and voila! This is the Italian version because it uses Italian seasonings and pepperchinis. And everyone knows pepperchinis are Italian.....

Italian Pot Roast

1 tri tip roast
1 can of beef broth
3 pepperchinis
1 onion, chopped
1/2 tsp dried oregeno
1 Tbsp fresh basil
1/2 tsp Italian seasonings


1) Place all ingredients in crockpot and cook that for about 3-4 hrs on low.

Another one for company

I think it must have something to do with the holidays, but I've been trying out lots of meals that would be great for company.

There are two qualifications I have for "company food"

1) It should be easy to make
2) It shouldn't look like it was

Of course, taste is important, but that's true of meals I make even when its just for us.

Beef Wellington Pockets are a great company meal because they're so easy to make and looks super fancy. It's the puff pastry. It makes everything look better. Golden pastry pockets - what's not to like? I especially like that they're individualized servings which means everyone gets the perfect amount and gets to eat at the same time - another important factor of company food.

Jon took one bite of this and didn't even finish chewing before I got a thumbs up. It really was oh so good! It definitely will be served again when I'm trying to impress....maybe for the inlaws?????

Beef Wellington Pockets

2 tbsp. Butter

8 oz. fresh mushrooms

1 minced shallot

1/2 tsp. chopped fresh parsley

5 oz. coarsely grated Gruyere cheese

8 oz. julienned rare roast beef (I use the precooked one from trader joes)

2 tbsp. prepared horseradish

2 sheets puff pastry

1 egg, beaten with 1 tsp. water

Sauce:

1/4 cup sour cream

2 Tbsp prepared horseradish

1 clove minced garlic

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Melt butter in large skillet over medium high heat.

2) Add mushrooms, shallots, and parsley. Saute 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Drain well.

3) Lightly grease rimmed large baking sheet. Toss cheese, beef, horseradish, and mushroom mixture in large bowl to blend. Divide mixture into 6 portions.

4) Place 1 sheet of puff pastry on work surface. Cut into 3 even strips. Spoon 1 portion of filling mixture into center of each strip. Fold up sides on pastry, pinching to seal (do not compress filling).

5) Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining puff pastry sheet.

6) Brush pastry with beaten egg mixture. Bake until puffed and golden, about 20 minutes.

7) Meanwhile, prepare sauce: Combine sour cream, horseradish, and garlic; blend well.