And it tastes amazing. At least try this, please! It's so easy to make and if you don't like it for some reason, invite me over and I'll take the whole damn pan.

I can't believe I don't have to miss bread anymore. Holy crap, I might have a sandwhich tomorrow!

Flaxseed "Bread"

2 cups flax seed meal
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1-2 Tablespoons Splenda, or to taste
5 beaten eggs (or equivalent using egg whites)
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup macadamia nut oil

Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare cookie sheet with sprayed parchment paper or a silpat mat.

1) Mix dry ingredients well.

2) Add wet to dry, and combine well. Make sure there aren't obvious strings of egg white hanging out in the batter.

3) Let batter set for 2 to 3 minutes to thicken up some (leave it too long and it gets past the point where it's easy to spread.)

4) Pour batter onto pan. Spread it in roughly a rectangle shape an inch.

5) Bake for about 20 minutes.

6) Cool and cut into whatever size slices you want.

Makes 12 slices, each (using all egg whites):
194 calories
16 g fat (100% of this is the healthiest fat available: flax and macadamia nut oil)
7.8 g carb
6.6 g fiber (making the net carb for these 1.2 g each, if you're into that sort of thing)
6.8 g protein

Marilyn's Moroccan Stew

Extra virgin olive oil
Sweet Italian Pork Sausage (or whichever type of sausage you prefer)
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 orange bell pepper
1 medium onion (red or yellow)
1 large sweet potato
1 can Garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
1 cup chicken broth (or whatever broth you prefer)
Five-spice powder
Ginger powder
Curry powder
Ground cumin
Ground cinnamon
Salt & pepper (to taste)
1 cup whole wheat couscous (use regular or flavored if you prefer)
Buttah
Honey
Golden raisins (sultanas)

Note: You may wish to add garlic and fresh tomatoes to this recipe.  I do not add garlic due to my mild garlic allergy.  I have tried it with fresh diced tomatoes before and it was good, but it's already a hearty dish, and I'd rather not have to pop 5 antacids before eating this meal. ;)

Basic Directions:

1. Cut up sausage into bite-sized chunks. Brown in large frying pan or skillet in extra virgin olive oil.  Remove from pan.
2. Add diced onion, bell peppers, and sweet potatoes to pan. Saute on medium heat until tender.
3. Add Garbanzo beans.
4. Add chicken broth.
5. Add spices.
6. Cook for 5 minutes or so.
6. Add sausage to the mix.
7. Simmer for 10 minutes or so.
8. In separate pot, prepare couscous.
Bring 1 cup of chicken broth, salted, to a boil.  Add 1 cup of couscous.  Turn off heat.  Let sit for 5 minutes or until couscous is cooked.  Fluff with fork.  Add 1 pat of butter, tad of honey, and golden raisins. Mix.
9. Stir couscous into sausage/veggie mixture.  Turn off heat.
10. Let sit for 5 minutes or so to allow for couscous to absorb the goodness from sausage/veggie mixture.
11. SERVE & ENJOY!

If you try this recipe, let me know how you fare and if you made any edits to it.

Happy grubbin'!

3 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion diced
2 cups carrots cut in 1/4 slices (about 6 purple carrots from my garden)
2 cloves of garlic sliced
1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped (1 tsp dry)
1/2 tsp salt (more or less depending on how salty your broth is)
1 cup quinoa
4 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)
1 cup water
1-2 cups tomatoes chopped (and juices)
1 bunch swiss chard chopped into bite sized pieces

In a large pot heat oil over medium heat. Toss in onions and saute for 5 minutes or so. Add garlic, carrots, salt and thyme and continue to saute until the onions are soft and golden, and carrots have softened slightly, about 3-5 minutes more. Add the quinoa and stir. Turn heat up to high and add the broth and water. Bring to a boil then turn the heat down, cover and simmer for about 8 minutes. Toss in the chard stems, cover and continue to simmer for about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the chard greens and tomatoes with juices. Simmer uncovered for another few minutes until the greens and the quinoa are tender. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

This should make 4 generous meal portions or 6 or so side portions. If you have leftovers you may need to add a little more water when you reheat it because the quinoa will absorb most of the liquid when you store it in the refrigerator.

boxofbirds

This is what I know about sourdough bread.

You can buy sourdough starter, but I made mine from scratch. You mix together flour (unbleached organic, or whole wheat, or even rye) and water, cover with something breathable like cheesecloth, and let it sit till it bubbles. I added a splash of cultured buttermilk to mine as well, which gives it lactobacilus cultures for a jump-start. Whole grapes are another effective addition (that dull white coating is yeast). It's ready when it has a layer of foamy bubbles on top.

The starter needs to be fed each time before you use it, but it can sit dormant in the fridge (or other cold place) indefinitely between feedings. If it seems a little weak after a long period of inactivity, use some to make pancakes and feed it again. But I neglected mine all summer and it was just fine when I finally reactivated it. For feeding I mix in a cup of flour, and enough water to make it pourable. If you measure, the added ingredients should be equal amounts of flour and water by weight.

My basic bread recipe is 1 cup active starter, 2 cups flour, .5 cups water, and a heaping teaspoon of salt. I mix and knead it in a kitchenaid stand mixer, but you can do it all by hand if that's what you have. The dough is sufficiently kneaded when it's smooth and pliable, like soft modeling clay or skin. Let rise until it doubles in size (2+ hours), form into a loaf, proof for another hour or two, and bake at 450F for approx. 25 minutes. For handformed (no pan) loaves, I usually slash the top with a knife before baking so it doesn't explode out the side.

That's all. After this it's just practice, and practice, and more practice. Even the mistakes will be edible. If the dough doesn't rise, turn it into pizza instead.

Other recipes:
Sourdough biscuits: Cut 1/2 stick butter (4 tbsp) into 1.5 cups flour + 1tsp salt. Add 1 cup starter and a splash of cream. Mix. Bake @ 450 for 12 min.
Sesame wheat crackers: 1 cup sourdough starter, 2 cups whole wheat flour, 1 tsp salt, 1 tbsp sesame seeds, 1/4 cup oil. Split into 3rds to roll thin and cut into squares. Bake @ 300, 15 minutes on each side.

If you want a reference book, Classic Sourdoughs by Ed Wood is very thorough. The author is a pathologist who has collected sourdough cultures from around the world, and he gives detailed explanations of how and why sourdough works, including using grains other than wheat.

I used this recipe from Simply Recipes. Everything went pretty smoothly, but the end product was a little sweet for me. I'm going to cut the sugar by at least a quarter next time. I may try reducing the water a little, too, because it wasn't as thick as I was hoping even after cooking a long time.

One thing I really like about this recipe is you don't have to peel or core the apples! You just wash and quarter them cutting out any bad spots. Cook in the water and vinegar till mushy and run them through the food mill. It took around 10 minutes to mill 5 lbs of apples.

Here's what you end up with...

The smooth, buttery texture comes from using the food mill. Supposedy if you use a food processor you just get applesauce.

I cooked the apple butter for three hours over low and then a little longer over medium low while I sat in the kitchen with a book so I could stir frequently. It finally got thick enough for a wooden spoon to stand in, but not as thick as I was hoping.

I'm not a canner (yet), so I'm eating some now, giving some away now, and freezing the rest for later.

And here's the result!

My favorite apple butter snack is a toasted raisin english muffin with yogurt cheese (or cream cheese) and apple butter. Mmmm.

Anyway as I said I do like to try at least one new recipe each year - you never know when you're going to run into a "has to be there every year no matter what" dish, afterall! So I've begun surfing the net a bit (though I tend to rely more on my cookbooks and cooking magazines... I trust those sources more than random online recipes.) and you know what annoys me about recipe reviews? When people add things or leave things out/substitute instead of following the recipe EXACTLY and they review it anyway. I'm sorry, but that's NOT a fair review of the recipe, because you did not make the recipe. IMHO you should always make the recipe as it is written the first time. If you want to tweak it after that fine - but the first time you should not deviate from the recipe and if you do, then you should not go rate and review the recipe online because again, you did not make the recipe. You made a variation of it. So if it turned out like crap, and you give it a bad review/rating... maybe it wasn't good because of your alterations. Or maybe it was a crap recipe that your alterations made pretty good, so you give it a good rating and review. Again, not fair, not truly rating the recipe, and not giving people who have not tried it a really good idea of what the recipe is like.

It's one thing to say in your review that after making it as directed you tried again with whatever alterations/tweaks and you think it was better that way, but you should not straight up right off the bat tweak it then review the results of your experimenting. Ya just don't do that.

Anyway. I'm off to mull over my holiday recipes and start some planning. =)

• 2 garlic cloves, minced
  (I always add more)
• 1/2 C. chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon oil
  (whichever type you use)
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
  (or one can of diced toms)
• 2 cans (or five cups) chicken broth
• 1-3/4 C. water
• 1/2 tsp. each dried basil, oregano, and
  celery flakes
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 3 cans (or 1/2 lb. dry - cooked) great
  northern beans or pinto beans
• 1 C. uncooked elbow macaroni
• 1 tbs. minced fresh parsley
  (you can also use dried)

In a large saucepan, saute onion and garlic in oil until tender.  Add tomato; simmer for 5 minutes.  Add the broth, water, and seasonings.  Bring to a boil; cook for 5 minutes.  Add canned/cooked - dry - beans and uncooked macaroni; return to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until macaroni is tender.  Sprinkle with parsley.

I hope your family enjoys this one as much as ours does.  Until next time, dear friends, be Blessed!  In His grip - Lori

Salsa Crude (Pico de Gallo)

This recipe is an easy, classic chunky tomato salsa, posted at the request of my friend Robin for his daughter Felicity.  It's great by itself with corn chips, or as an accompaniment to fajitas, grilled steak or fish.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb/500g fresh, ripe tomatoes
• 1/2 a red onion
• 1 Jalapeno pepper, seeded & deveined
• 1 clove garlic (more if you like)
• Half a bunch of fresh cilantro/coriander
• 1 or 2 limes
• Salt & Pepper to taste

The first thing you'll want to do is seed the tomatoes.  Cut the tomatoes in half, cutting through the circumference (i.e. not through the stem).  Cup half of a tomato in the palm of your hand and squeeze gently.  If the tomato is really ripe, the seeds should squeeze out of the cavities between the fleshy parts pretty easily.  If the tomato is a bit firmer, you may need to scoop them out with your finger.  Don't worry about bruising the tomatoes - as long as you don't squeeze too hard, it won't matter.  You're going to chop them up anyway.

When you've seeded all of the tomatoes, chop them up - however coarse or fine you like - and throw them into a mixing bowl.  Then finely dice the red onion and the jalapeno and add to the bowl.  Mince the garlic and add it too.  Pull the leaves off the cilantro, chop them coarsely and add to the bowl.  Cut the lime in half and squeeze it into the bowl.  Mix it all up and give it a taste.  Add salt and pepper if you like.  If it's a little dry, or not tart enough, squeeze in the other lime.

If you want it hotter, you can add another jalapeno, or use something hotter (like a habanero).  You can also make this in the food processor if you want a smoother salsa.  If you do, it's even more important to seed the tomatoes.  The seeds are bitter if you chop them up in a food processor - a few are OK, all of them will ruin the salsa.

Classic Margaritas

If you feel like going all out, why not make some margaritas too?  Fresh squeezed lemon or lime juice, a little simple syrup to sweeten it up a bit, good tequila and some Grand Marnier are all you need.

Put 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Stir occasionally until the sugar has all dissolved (this should only take a few minutes), then remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Squeeze half a dozen medium sized lemons or limes. Mix in your simple syrup to sweeten the juice to your taste.  Go a little on the tart side, as the Grand Marnier is pretty sweet too.

Fill medium sized margarita glasses, wine glasses, or tumblers with ice.  Add 50 ml of your favorite tequila, and 25 ml of Grand Marnier.  Top off your glasses with the sweetened juice, give them a good stir, add a lime wedge, and drink up.

Margaritas are traditionally served in a glass rimmed with salt - I don't usually bother because it's kind of a nuisance, but I do like the contrast of sweet and salty, if someone else is doing the prep... If you want to give it a try, pour a few tablespoonfuls of salt into a flat dish or saucer.  Take a lime wedge and run it around the edge of the glass to wet the top centimeter or so, including the rim, then turn the glass upside down and swirl it around in the salt.  You should get a rim of salt sticking to the lime juice.  Fill with ice and mix drinks as above.

If you want a more elegant presentation, mix a batch of drinks in a cocktail shaker filled with ice, shake well, then strain into martini glasses.

Finally, a note about tequilas: there are three major classifications of tequila...

1. Silver - This is young, unaged tequila.  It is colorless, and has the lightest, crispest flavor.  Good in margaritas.
2. Reposado - tequila aged between 2 months and 1 year.  This tequila generally has a straw color to it, and has a bit more flavor.  Also good in margaritas - maybe add a bit more tequila, a bit less grand marnier to bring out the flavor of the tequila.
3. Anejo - tequila aged more than a year.  Anejos are darker in color (some will look like scotch) have the most flavor, and may be drowned out by the other flavors in a margarita.  A good tequila anejo is nice by itself (but please don't shoot it with salt and lime).

Not too long ago, you could pretty much only get Jose Curvo silver or gold (blech).  Now, there are literally hundreds of different tequilas available.  I'm partial to El Tesoro myself, although I think it was recently bought by Fortune Brands company.  Sauza and Herradura are also good bets that are widely available.  If you find yourself in a store that carries a wide variety of smaller brands, try something expensive - you'll be surprised how good it is.

Somehow, somewhere along the line we failed to pass on the "you get what you get and you don't throw a fit" mantra on to our girls. We were doing fine for a while but as they've made new friends, they've discovered families where complaining is allowed and mom is a short-order cook. We're working on that 'tude.

The rule in our family is the 3-bite rule. You must take 3 bites of a given dish but then are allowed to pass on the rest of it. Thankfully once lunch was served, even the naysayer liked this dish. Success!!

Sweet Potato Curry

• 2 TB EVOO
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and minced
• 1 TB curry
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp ground chipotle pepper
• 1/2 tsp jerk seasoning
• 3 cups water
• 1 TB chicken base (GFCF)
• 1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes
• 3 cups cooked beans (I used kidney beans today)
• 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat and add the onion. Cook until the onion has started to soften and add in the garlic and ginger. Cook for a couple of minutes before adding in the curry, cumin, chipotle, and jerk seasoning. Add in the water, chicken base and tomatoes. Bring to boil.

While the chicken broth is coming to a boil, peel and dice the 3 sweet potatoes. I diced these pretty small so that they would be easy to mash when soft. Once the broth is boiling, add the sweet potatoes and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Stir in the kidney beans and cook until heated through. Using a potato masher, mash some of the sweet potatoes to thicken the soup slightly. Serve over hot rice. Serves 8+.

What the kids thought: they all really liked this recipe and wouldn't mind if I made it again. Today's recipe actually filled them up which is a good thing. :) Cost break-down coming soon.

The following recipe was called Peanut Noodles with Zucchini. I changed the name because I made a few little revisions and after I made it my boyfriend called it "Peanuty Pasta Goodness"! And that it is!

To the recipe I added the following;

- I used 2 zucchini instead of 1. One of the reviewers recommended adding some sliced red bell pepper which I plan to do next time.

- I added Thai Style Baked Tofu from Traderf Joe's which I cut into bite sized chunks and added to the skillet after the zucchini had cooked for about 5 minutes.

- I added the juice of 1 lime to the sauce and as well as a little Sriracha.  

I served the rich sauce over whole wheat pasta and topped the dish with sliced green onions for a fresh n' crunchy bite.

I will definitely be making this recipe again!

Recipe rating: 4 out of 5 stars

http://theppk.com/recipes/dbrecipes/index.php?RecipeID=192#review

But October has a lot more going for it in other arenas of life. Most of us know that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Numerous 'Pink' campaigns are out in full force bringing our attention to this debilitating disease. But there are so many other celebrations going on in October that hardly anyone knows about.

Did you know that October is Adopt A Shelter Dog Month? Go Wild- Eat Country Ham Month? National Popcorn Poppin' Month? Sarcastic Awareness Month?

It's also Celebrate SunDried Tomato Month, Eat Better Eat Together Month, National Bake and Decorate Month, National Caramel Month, National Chili Month, National Down Syndrome Month, National Seafood Month, National Raptor Month, National Right Brainers Rule! Month, National Spinach Lovers Month, National Squirrel Awareness Month and National Vegetarian Month, among many many other oddball and interesting topics covered. Don't believe me?? Then check out this definitive source and see for yourself.

It's also National Fair Trade Month.

Fair trade certified products include coffee, tea, chocolate, fruit, rice, sugar, herbs, spices, and sometimes flowers. The label indicates that a fair price is paid for the products and fair wages are paid to the workers producing the item, with added investments in the communities where the products are grown. It also means that the farmers under the Fair Trade label use sustainable farming practices like composting, terracing and reforestation. Non-chemical alternatives to pesticides are used also, with less harm to workers and the soil. Fair Trade products in the USA generated nearly a billion dollars in 2007, with an additional $100 million in revenue to farmers and workers in rural communities. The income generated by purchases in the USA that's gone directly back to farmers has risen by 116% since 2005. In the push to have more say in where you're foods come from and who produces them for you, by looking for this label your dollars help millions of farmers make a livable wage, which translates to a far better quality of life.

October is also National Cranberry Month. Whew, this beautiful Fall month sure has plenty of accolades, doesn't it? Cranberries are loaded with fiber, Vitamin C,  and iron, and benefit your health in a multitude of ways. The fresh berry provides the highest level of antioxidants, but dried fruit and juice can also provide a  needed nutritional boost. Fresh berries can store for up to four weeks in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator, and can be held frozen for up to six months, so when you see the bags of fresh berries in the grocers, buy a bunch of them and stick them on ice.

Then get them out periodically and make this relish, and not just at Thanksgiving.

Kate's Sister Kris' Cranberry Relish

1 bag frozen cranberries
1 c. dried cherries
2 c. water
1/2 c. sugar

Place all ingredients in saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer until berries 'pop', mashing if desired. Allow to cool. This is delicious over ice cream, apple pie, in yogurt or as a relish with pork and turkey.

Additions to this can be frozen strawberries instead of the cherries, golden raisins, orange peel and juice, currants, apricots or any other idea your brilliant culinary mind can conjure up. Bottom line?? Just eat it.

I set out to attack Fettuccine Alfredo myself, since I havent really been able to find it the way I like it out there in the world or at least close to me (I concede that il fornio has a quasi alfredo dish that i love and Pasta y Basta in Amherst has a real good one too). Here is what I did.

12 oz dried egg fettuccine (cooked)
1 stick (1/2 cup) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (4 oz) plus additional for sprinkling
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Melt 3/4 stick of the butter n melt it into a large enough pan to toss the pasta in it. I used a wok. Toss the al dente pasta in the melted butter on low heat. Then add the cream cheese and .25 cup of left over pasta water and salt n peppa to taste. Then add the rest of the butter in thin slices.

Before I got all the pasta poppin, I steamed some broccoli and I cooked up some chicken like i did in Simplies but Goodies

I threw these in with the alfredo. It was great and took less then 15 mins. Cheap delicioius and easy. Add the boss and you have everything you could want in life. Bon Apetit.

Ingredients:

Three red, yellow, or orange bell peppers

1 T Extra virgin olive oil OR 1 T water

1/4 Medium onion

1/4 green bell pepper, minced

1 large clove garlic, minced

salt and pepper to taste

2.5 cups cooked brown rice

1 small can tomato paste

1 spring fresh Rosemary, minced

1/2 large zucchini, grated

1 cup VEGGIE stock/broth

Directions:

Preheat Oven 350 degrees

Cut tops off of peppers and remove membranes and seeds: set aside hollow peppers and reserve the pepper tops for another tasty meal later!

In a small pan, saute garlic, onions, green bell pepper in extra virgin olive oil or Tbs water.  Saute a med-low until onions are translucent. 

Meanwhile, combine cooked rice, tomato paste, salt, pepper, and rosemary in a medium bowl and mix until rice is distributed thoroughly.  Once saute is ready add it to the rice mixture.

Next, simply fill each pepper with the rice mixture and enjoy the aromas!  They only get better!  Once each pepper is stuffed, place the three peppers in an 8X8 baking pan. 

Pour the VEGGIE stock/broth in the bottom of the baking pan so that the peppers are surrounded in broth.

Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes.  Then remove foil, add shredded rice 'cheese' flavored shreds on top of each pepper.  Cook peppers for 15 more minutes, uncovered. (Peppers should cook for 50 minutes total).

*Adding the rice 'cheese' after 35 minutes is optional.  Foil needs to be removed at the 35 minute mark regardless! 

The rosemary is really a nice touch! The flavors marinate in this recipe so nicely and it is a great dish!  Serve with salad, and a veggie as a side dish such as steamed yellow squash or a sweet potato!  I followed my meal with Chocolate Ice 'Cream' which I made the night before... but your dessert choice will have to be up to you!  If you can even fit dessert!  Enjoy!

 With friends and family over and having tasty hummus, guacamole, or salsa for dipping...pita chips don't last long at my house!  If I didn't make them myself I would be buying bags left and right!  Paying $6.99 per bag would add up quickly, to say the least! 

I would like to share my recipe for anyone who is interested in making their own chips!  I'd like to state that you can follow the same method using corn or flour tortillas if you would like tortilla chips instead or in addition to pita chips!  Just as addicting as the ones you can buy out but you don't ruin your jeans by wiping grease off your hands! Sweet!

Ingredients:

Whole Wheat Pita Chips

Olive Oil (optional)

Sea Salt

Additional Seasonings (recommendations below)

Directions:

Preheat Oven 400degrees

Take three pieces of pita bread and cut bread in half and then cut each half into fourths (which should be in triangles)

You should have 24 triangles total.  Then take each triangle and cut at the crease, to make two out of one.

Take your 48 pita traingles and place them on two cookie sheets.  Arrange with as much space around them as possible for even crisping on each side.  If using Extra Virgin Olive Oil, brush a light coat over the surface of pita triangles.

Once coated, sprinkle (more or less generously, according to taste) sea salt over all chips.

Bake for 10 minutes.  Test crispiness of chips and continue baking for 2 minute intervals if needed.

Recommended Seasonings:

Sea Salt, Cracked Black Pepper, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, juice of one lemon, minced fresh basil.

Mix all ingredients together and spread on chips before baking.  This takes a little more time but the flavor is worth it!

Garlic is one of my favourite recipe additions.  I even own a couple of cookbooks dedicated to garlic, including 'Garlic, Garlic, Garlic' by Linda and Fred Griffith.  Garlic is very versatile:  from roasting it to bring out its sweetness to rubbing it raw on bruschetta toasts, it can be used in an endless number of dishes. There are even dessert recipes that use garlic, although they're a bit extreme for my tastes!

Garlic is closely related to the onion family.  It is used around the world for both culinary and medicinal purposes.  China is the world's largest producer of garlic, growing over 20 billion pounds a year, which they export worldwide.  Garlic is also grown in Canada and the United States and can often be found at farmer's markets in the summer.  It keeps well in a cool, dry, open place but do not refrigerate or freeze it.  I keep mine in a basket in the kitchen so it's always accessible.

Here are some garlic facts and tips you can use in your kitchen:

Garlic 101

To separate a head of garlic into cloves, peel off the papery outer layers and smash the top of the garlic head with the heel of your hand.  It should separate, allowing you to pull apart the individual cloves.

***

To peel the cloves, use the flat side of a large knife to lightly smash the side of the clove.  The skin will easily peel away.  The fresher the garlic is, the more the skin will stick to the cloves.

***

To chop garlic, peel the clove.  Using a sharp knife, cut into thin slivers and then chop up the slivers.

***

A microplane grater can be used if you need to mince garlic finely.  Just run a peeled clove over the microplane and put the grated garlic into your dish.

***

Another way to mince garlic is as follows: Put a pinch of salt on a cutting board. Place a peeled garlic clove on its side and smash hard with the side of a large chef's knife.  Use the knife to chop it finely.

***

Avoid using a garlic press if possible.  A lot of people swear they change the taste of garlic.  This is debatable but they are definitely a pain to clean.  It's much easier to use a knife or microplane.

***

Avoid pre-minced garlic that comes in a jar.  Compared to fresh garlic, it's very expensive and will not have the same pungent flavour as fresh.  Likewise, don't use garlic powder or salt - fresh is better!

***

If you're following a recipe that calls for garlic powder or garlic salt, you can make the following substitutions:  1/8 teaspoon garlic powder = 1 small fresh garlic clove.  1/2 teaspoon garlic salt = 1 small fresh garlic clove.  

***

Garlic burns very easily which can ruin a dish.  Watch it very carefully when sauteeing.  If I'm also browning onions, celery, etc.  I will add the garlic toward the end.

***

It's difficult to get garlic off your breath but chewing on a sprig of parsley can help.  There are also parsley oil capsules you can take that will help with garlic breath.  

***

To get garlic smells off your fingers after working with garlic, rub your fingers on something stainless steel, such as the blade of a knife.  You can buy stainless steel 'stones' that have been marketed specifically for this use but you can save yourself some money by using what you have on hand.

***

Roasting garlic mellows and sweetens its flavour.  It can be used in a number of ways, such as spreading on fresh bread, mixing with mashed potatoes and mixing with mayonnaise to make a delicious spread for sandwiches.

Roasted Garlic

• Whole heads of garlic (as many as you need)
• 1 Tablespoon neutral oil OR olive oil per garlic head

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Peel the outer layer off the garlic heads.  Slice the top 1/4 off each head, revealing the cloves.  Place them in an oven-proof dish and drizzle each head of garlic with oil. 
3. Cover the dish with a lid or foil and roast for about 1 hour.  Check on after and hour and spoon any juices over the cloves.  Return to the oven and bake for another 20 to 30 minutes or until the cloves are tender. 
4. Let cool and squeeze garlic out of the cloves and use as desired.

Bon Appetit and Enjoy!

• 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tbl unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tbl butter, melted
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional--I never use them)
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1-3/4 cups hot water

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9-inch square pan.
2. Lightly combine flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and 2 tablespoons cocoa in a large bowl. Stir in milk and melted butter, then spread in prepared pan.
3. Mix remaining cocoa with brown sugar, and stir in hot water. Pour over batter.
4. Bake about 45 minutes, until a knife inserted in top cake layer comes out clean. Spoon cake and sauce into bowls over vanilla ice cream.

From Fashionable Food by Sylvia Lovegren, p147.

this recipe is really easy and damn impressive, i think. all you need (besides the brie wheel) is: figs, brown sugar, almond slivers (toasted, natch), and vanilla. so simple!

you take half a cup of brown sugar and heat it through with a couple tablespoons of water. once the sugar is dissolved, add fig quarters plus a tsp of vanilla and boil for about 8-10 minutes until figs turn soft. then add almond slivers and pour the whole mixture over a wheel of brie (with rind on). bake at 325 for 15 minutes or until the brie gets nice and ooey gooey. serve with bread and crackers. voila, easy peasy!

i guarantee your guests will be licking this shit off their fingers, it's so good.

oh look, a whole wheel of brie...gone.

I have been loving my local library lately; I think I have been there every week since we moved to Omaha. On one of my more recent trips I picked up Down Home Wholesome by Danella Carter. This cookbook is filled with 300 low-fat recipes. Danella includes little stories with some of the recipes, and with her yeast roll recipe the story said these were her mom's yeast rolls and whenever they were invited someplace for dinner her mother's rolls were always requested. Since these rolls were infamous, I had to try them. They were delicious! I even made some mini yeast rolls for my girls to enjoy.

Yeast Rolls
Down Home Wholesome by Danella Carter

1 package active dry yeast
1 T honey
1/4 c warm water
2 c 1% fat milk
2 T butter
4 T sugar
1/4 tsp salt
5 c AP unbleached flour

Dissolve the yeast and honey in the warm water and set aside for 10 min. Scald the milk in a small saucepan. Add the butter, sugar, and salt, and let the mixture come to room temperature in a large mixing bowl. Add the yeast mixture. Add flour, a little at a time, until a soft dough is formed. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured board and knead until smooth, about 12 min. Shape the dough into a ball and place in a large buttered mixing bowl.

Lightly oil the top of the dough, cover with a plate, and let stand in a warm, draft-free place for 1 hour, or until dough doubles in bulk.

Butter two muffin pans. Punch down the dough with your fist, and knead for 3 minutes. Pinch off 24 pieces about 2 inches in diameter. Place each piece into a muffin cup.

Cover and let sit for 45 minutes, or until rolls have doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Oil the top of each roll. Bake for 15 minutes, or until tops are golden brown.

When I get an idea in my head, it's hard to let go.  Some people like to call that "obsession" or perhaps "OCD," but I like to think of it as inspiration slowly beating me into submission until I finally act upon it.  I've always wanted to make my own pasta.  I love the taste of fresh pasta compared to the stuff you buy in a box.  There's just something that makes it taste...better.  But, I always procrastinated because I didn't have a pasta roller to cut down on the work I would ultimately have to do.

It was then that I realized that I was complaining about the hard work that ultimately goes into making pasta.  Sure, making pasta dough is easy, but MAKING pasta used to be a long, laborious project.  Old Italian women, I'm assuming, had arms that could crush baby bears because of their upper arm strength after making pasta for their family.  And they did it more than once I week.  Here I was, complaining about a little elbow grease.  And I wouldn't make it easy on myself either.  Why make some regular ol' pasta when I can attempt to make a ravioli?  I was never known for starting small in my endeavors.  If I'm going to fail, I'm going to fail BIG.

So I pulled out the rolling pin and decided that this weekend I would finally tackle a long-time project.

Next time?  I buying a pasta roller.  There was something inherently zen in spending 3 hours to roll dough to 1/8" thick.  You get lost in it.  But after the first 90 minutes, you start to realize how sore your arms and back are.  2 hours in, I realized that the palm of my hands may never recover.  But hell if I was going to quit.  The ravioli kept coming.  1 dozen.  2 dozen.  3 dozen.  By the time I was done, I had nearly 4 dozen ravioli, and enough filling to probably make another 4 dozen.

The sauce is the easiest part of this meal.  I personally thought the flavors all went well together.  Katie wasn't so big on the ginger or citrus sauce, but to each their own as they say.  This recipe was a combination of a couple different ideas (here and here), and some hit or miss guesstimating on my part.  I will definitely be trying again, if only to get the herb and spice ratios right.

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Citrus Sage Sauce
Ravioli Recipe makes up to 3 1/2 dozen ravioli depending on size.
Citrus Sage Sauce serves 4

Dough:
2 Tbsp chopped fresh sage
2 1/2 cups unbleached flour, pre-sifted
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
water

Filling:
9 oz cooked butternut squash purée
1 oz grated parmesan
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/3 tsp freshly minced ginger
1/2 cup fine ricotta cheese
1 Tbsp sage leaves, chopped
Salt and pepper

Orange Sauce:
Juice of 2 large organic oranges
2 oz butter
6 sage leaves
1 inch ginger root
Salt and pepper

Steps:
Start by preparing your pasta dough ahead of time. Sift the flower and salt together. In a separate bowl, mix the sage, eggs, and 1/4 cup water. In a food processor, pulse sage, eggs, and 1/4 cup water until the sage is fine. Transfer the egg mixture to a stand mixture and gradually beat in the flour and salt. Add more water as necessary to obtain a stiff, but workable dough. Knead the dough for 5 minutes, transfer to a bowl and let sit, covered for at least 20 minutes.

To prepare the filling, mix together all ingredients in a food processor.

Use a pasta machine if you have one, otherwise roll out the dough by hand until it is 1/8" thick. Use either a ravioli maker, or use a medium sized round cookie cutter to cut out an even number of circles. Please 3/4-1 tsp of the squash mixture in the middle of a round of ravioli. Use water to brush the edges of each ravioli and place a second round of ravioli on top. Seal by pressing on the edges so that they stick. I also used a fork to crimp the edges while they dried.

Cook them in salted boiling water for 3-4 minutes or so, until the dough is Al Dente. If you are not eating them right away, let them dry for 2 hours, and then refrigerate until needed. Cook in boiling water for 14-15 minutes, until Al Dente.

Serve the ravioli with the orange sauce.

I was thinking about what one could do with brie that would be a little different than the usual baked brie and had a load of puff pastry in the freezer. I decided to change the scale and add bacon- how can you go wrong with those good ingredients?

4-5 slices cinnamon apple bacon (look for it in the deli)

4.5 oz. ripened brie (rind left intact - this is part of the flavor of the cheese!)

2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed

Place the bacon on a plate lined with a double layer of paper towels. Cover with an additional paper towel. Cook for 5-6 minutes in the microwave until bacon is crisp. Use a small biscuit cutter and cut rounds of puff pastry and place them in ungreased mini-muffin tins. Cut up brie in half inch cubes and put inside the mini crusts. Break up bits of the cinnamon apple bacon and place them around and on the brie. I baked these beauties at 400 degrees for 15 minutes and they puffed up like little towers. They're very architectural and delicious. Serve them right out of the oven- they're best melty and warm.

We had them as an appetizer and had a hard time eating the main course as we were all full of brie bites! The adults and kids alike wolfed them down with abandon!!

My experiemental brie was provided by Ile de France cheese company. Their cheese is of excellent quality. They have several other good recipes on their website. At the moment they're offering a dollar off coupon as well. I'm anxious to try their brie flavored with herbs.

Artichoke + goddess dressing = delish lunchtime snack! Excellent for days when you don't have time to cook, but you do have time to eat:

Boil a pot of water with about a quarter of a cup of vinegar (apple cider or rice wine is best, but if you don't have any, that's ok too). While it's boiling, wash the artichoke and cut an inch off the stem. Put the artichoke in the boiling water. Leave it there for 45-60 minutes, or until the lower leaves come off easily. Take out of water.

Keeps well in the fridge for several days. I recommend using Annie's Goddess Dressing as a dip. (Clueless as to how to eat an artichoke? Click here.)

• 2 eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• 75g unsalted butter, diced
• 100g caster sugar
• 2 unwaxed lemons,  zested and juiced

Meringue Ingredients:

• 2 egg whites
• 50g caster sugar

12 baked tart shells, cooled

To make the lemon curd, beat the eggs and egg yolk in a heatproof bowl.  Add butter, caster sugar and lemon juice.  Put the bowl over a pan of simmering water.  Stir until the mixture becomes very thick.  Take off the heat and strain into a clean bowl.  Add lemon zest.  Cover the surface of the curd with plastic wrap and then cool.  Fill each tart shell with the curd and chill for 20 mins.

Preheat the oven to 230C. 

For the meringue, whisk the egg whites until they hold stiff peaks.  Gradually add the sugar, beating until the mixture is stiff and glossy.  Fill a piping bag and swirl the meringue over the tarts or spoon on, if preferred.

Bake tarts for 2-3 mins or until meringue is golden brown at the edges.

Cool and serve.

Tart and lemony--just the way it is supposed to be!  These are like miniature pies.  :0)  I give this recipe a summery 8 chips out of a bag of 10.

Being by yourself is definately underrated.  It's overcast and kinda dreary today, so I'm thinking about dinner and a movie.  What a luxury to be able to snuggle up in this great Bath and Body works robe

 with an awesome chick flick and munch on popcorn.  I love the movie Pride and Prejudice,

what can I say Jane Austin is the bomb.  I have her complete unabridged works and I have the say the woman can write love story very well.  It's time to knock off of work and kick back with some Kiera Knightley...Knightley?  That sounds like a little bit of Jane Austin's Emma to me...

  I found this recipe in the September issue of Southern Living and all I can say is...yum!  Try this popcorn.  It's super easy and divine!

Oh, speaking of movies, did you hear that the new Harry Potter is coming out next month?  Hooray for Harry!  Check out the trailer here...