I have a new cookbook crush. In fact it may even be an infatuation. It started innocently enough, with a link from Heidi to a video interview with Yottam Ottolenghi. Now I had heard the name Ottolenghi mentioned before in vegetarian circles- always with proclamations of incredible food and concepts. Yet watching the video brought the passion and love embodied in Ottolenghi’s food to life. An Israeli born restauranteur who runs several eponymous restaurants in London with a Palestinian head chef, I immediately jumped over to Amazon and bought his new vegetarian cookbook, Plenty.

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I know what you are saying. Eggplant bacon? Seriously? My thoughts exactly.

The world of vegetarian and vegan cuisine can have a lot of strange faux meat products. Everything from mock chicken nuggets to frozen veggie burgers with a disturbing brown color and ‘grill marks’. I have largely avoided these products since: 1.) most contain gluten to hold the veggie ingredients together 2.) processed food just really isn’t our thing and 3.) I’ve found the best way to enjoy a vegan diet is to stop focusing on meat replacement. However when I saw recipes for eggplant bacon on respected vegan food blogs curiosity got the better of me. (more…)

I have a tortured relationship with persimmons. Only a few short years after discovering their intoxicating sweetness, the joy of eating a warm hachiya plucked from a tree, and the sensual texture of ripe persimmon sliding down my throat- I up and moved to the Midwest. Pure torture I tell you! Persimmon trees, laden with orange orbs begging to be picked and eaten on the spot are nowhere to be found. (more…)

I first attempted to make a pumpkin pie from a whole pumpkin when I was in high school. Thanks to my Dad, I had conquered my fear of pie crusts and thus happily volunteered to make the pumpkin pie for our neighborhood Thanksgiving potluck. I don’t remember where I found the recipe, but when I read the words “pumpkin puree” I thought I could just use a pumpkin from our garden to make the puree instead of using canned pumpkin. What I failed to realize was that it is necessary to cook a pumpkin before pureeing the flesh. (more…)

Are you ready to talk about Thanksgiving? Now that November has arrived it seems that everywhere I look there are images, recipes, and ideas for the upcoming holiday. Usually I’m not one to jump on the bandwagon, but Thanksgiving just happens to be my #1 favorite day of the year. Why, you ask? Because it is all about the food, of course! No gifts to give, no fireworks to dodge, and no romantic moods to create- simply a giant feast where everyone can eat, drink, and be merry. This year, for the first time, I managed to get ahead of the game and pull together an entire menu of Thanksgiving classics for you to enjoy. (more…)

Have you ever been to a raclette party? A fun cheese-centered meal (similar to fondue), raclette is the perfect way to spend a leisurely winter evening with friends and family. Originating over 700 years ago* in the Swiss Alps, raclette is the name of both the meal and the cheese. Traditionally the cheese is a semi-hard Swiss cow’s cheese called “raclette” (named for the French verb, to scrape) however if you have trouble finding true raclette cheese Emmentaler or Jarlsberg cheeses can be used instead. Originally, sheepherders in the Swiss Alps would sit alongside a campfire with a hunk of raclette cheese and small potatoes wrapped and nestled among the coals. Once the cheese was warm they would scrape the cheese onto the potatoes and enjoy a warm lunch in the field. (more…)

The weather is at it again- seesawing between warm days and crisp nights. I love fall. My flip flops can still make an appearance but the flannel sheets and cold air from open windows mean summer has packed its bags until next year. In the kitchen I am ready to say farewell to gazpacho and to welcome autumn flavors with open arms. A recent weekend trip to Minneapolis (to find clothes that fit an expanding belly!) took us past several apple orchards. Never one to pass up fall apples, I arrived home with several bags of apples and a jug of freshly squeezed apple cider. (more…)

After a summer hiatus it is time to get back into the swing of The Daring Kitchen challenges. The official line for this month is: The September 2010 Daring Cooks’ challenge was hosted by John of Eat4Fun. John chose to challenge The Daring Cooks to learn about food preservation, mainly in the form of canning and freezing. He challenged everyone to make a recipe and preserve it. John’s source for food preservation information was from The National Center for Home Food Preservation.

Apple Butter. Two little words that invoke vivid memories of the first month of school and a kitchen filled with the scent of warm apples and cinnamon. Each fall when the apple trees near my childhood home filled with ripe fruit, my mom would quickly follow her famous apple cake with a big batch of apple butter. I never understood that apple butter didn’t actually contain real butter. The smooth decadent texture will have any kid convinced that mom has temporarily forgotten her judicious butter rules and is allowing a free for all in which you can slather apple butter on anything you like. I would beg for apple butter on my peanut butter and honey sandwiches and would take nothing else to school for lunch until it was gone. (more…)

Oh and a final note- It can be rather difficult to estimate the right size pumpkin for the quantity of soup. I’d recommend erring on the smaller side, knowing that you can always add more soup if needed.

How to Make a Pumpkin Tureen (Printable Instructions)
Adapted from Entertaining Ideas from Williamsburg

As fresh loaves of bread now emerge from my oven on a weekly basis, it has become necessary to get creative and ensure that it does not got to waste. Besides enjoying lots of toast and jam for breakfast, I have also started to work bread into our dinners. In moderation, I’ve found that bread is a great meal extender- allowing small quantities of other ingredients to shine while ensuring we are still full and satisfied. (It is also is very budget friendly- which is always appreciated!)

A big loaf of leftover sourdough inspired me to create an Autumn riff on a traditional panzanella (Italian bread salad). I cubed the loaf of bread and then toasted it with a red onion and sweet potato to create the base of the salad. Toasted pepitas added a flavorful nutty crunch, while a big pile of grated Parmesan cheese melted around the warm bread cubes nicely.

To create the dressing, I played around with a combination of sage, garlic, olive oil, cider vinegar, and thyme until it had just the right balance of savory herb flavor, pungent garlic, and bright acidity. Once mixed together, the flavors melded beautifully and created a savory alternative to traditional panzanella.

This would be a delicious salad to take to a potluck and would shine as a side dish alongside my favorite roast chicken with meyer lemon and sage. Or if it is a Tuesday night and you just want something simple, dish up a bowl for dinner and call it a day!

Autumn Panzanella (Printable Recipe)
Serves 4 as a main course or 8-10 as a side salad

Be sure to allow the finished dish to sit for an hour before serving. This is necessary for the flavors to fully develop, otherwise the bread will not have time to absorb the dressing and may taste rather bland.

Ingredients:

Salad
10 cups cubed Sourdough bread (cut into 1″ pieces)
1 cup diced sweet potato (about 1 medium)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large red onion, cut into 1/2″ wedges
2 cups diced fresh tomato (or a 14oz high quality can, drained)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup pepitas, toasted (pumpkin seeds)

Dressing
1/4 cup Olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon fresh sage, minced
1 teaspoon, fresh thyme
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon herbes de provenence

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees, with a rack in the middle. Line a large rimmed baking pan with foil, and evenly spread the bread, sweet potato, and onion across the sheet. Drizzle 1/4 cup of olive oil over the baking pan, and then toss all ingredients so they are evenly coated with oil. Place the pan in the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring the contents occasionally, until they are evenly toasted and the vegetables are soft.

Meanwhile, assemble the dressing. Place olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, sage, thyme, vinegar, salt, pepper, and herbes de provenence in a blender. Blend in quick five second bursts, until the garlic is emulsified and the ingredients are well combined.

Once the bread and vegetables are toasted, place them in a large bowl along with the diced tomatoes, grated Parmesan, pepitas, and dressing. Gently toss all ingredients until they are well combined and the bread is evenly coated with dressing.

Cover the salad, and let it sit at room temperature for an hour, which will give the bread time to absorb the flavors of the salad. Once the flavors have melded together nicely, taste the salad to see if it needs any additional salt, pepper, or apple cider vinegar. Adjust seasonings to your taste, and serve.