image from smitten kitchen
I just took a peek at smitten kitchen and can’t get over how good these chocolate toffee cookies look. It’s hard to not immediately run home and start baking.
countdown to thanksgiving: spicy glazed mixed nuts
Monday is here again and I thought since Thanksgiving is just around the corner I’d start a little countdown. This week and next I’ll be posting an assortment of recipes/articles/ideas related to Thanksgiving.
I thought we’d start off with a nice little appetizer to whet your appetite. I always like to have little bowls of tidbits placed around the house so people can mingle and snack on some goodness before the main event. I saw this recipe for spicy glazed mixed nuts on David Lebowitz’s web site and it sounded perfect for a little pre-Thanksgiving snacking.
This recipe was really easy and can be made up to 4 days in advance. I used a combination of nuts I had in my pantry, whole almonds, pecans, walnuts and marcona almonds. You could use whatever you have on hand as well. First you toast the nuts and while those are toasting you just whip up the mixture, made with maple syrup, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, brown sugar and butter. Once my nuts were toasted, I carefully tossed them in a ziploc, added the maple mixture and played a little hot potato, making sure all the nuts got covered. I poured them back in the oven for a few minutes and let the sweet aroma fill the kitchen.
The result is a lovely sweet and salty nut with just the slightest tingle of spice. I actually thought they would be more spicy, so I might add a little cayenne next time, I just tried more and they were pretty spicy, I think I must have had some bum nuts the first time round but they were really delicious. I think they’ll go over quite well with a crowd of hungry folks.
spicy glazed mixed nuts
from david lebowitz
2 cups mixed nuts (untoasted); any combination of cashews, whole almonds, pecan halves, and hazelnuts, walnuts
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse or kosher salt
*2 cups small pretzel twists
1
Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and roast in a 350 degree oven for 12 minutes, stirring once for even toasting.
2
In a medium bowl, mix together the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, cayenne, and maple syrup. Add the warm nuts, pretzels, and salt, and stir until the nuts and pretzels are completely coated.
3
Spread the mixture back on the baking sheet and return to the oven for 10 minutes, stirring twice during cooking. Remove from oven and cool completely, separating the nuts and pretzels as they cool.
Once cool, they can be stored in an airtight container for 4 days.
* I didn’t have pretzels, so I didn’t use them. It was still good without them.
peanut butter crispy bars
Look at those pictures and try not to drool. This dessert is so deliciously good I can’t handle it. I’ve always had a thing for peanut butter rice crispy treats, so when I saw this recipe in my new Baked cookbook, I just couldn’t resist making it. Blame it on my sweet tooth.
I carefully gathered all the ingredients, including two chocolate bars (!!!) and got to work constructing the different layers. I have to say it the most work I’ve ever put into making a rice crispish bar, but man on man was it worth it. Just to give you an idea of the richness involved, first there’s a layer of sweetened rice crispy goodness. This is the only layer that I might adjust. I think this layer could have been a bit thicker, to balance out all the chocolate. But that’s just me. The next layer was a combination of milk chocolate and creamy peanut butter. Once that’s set you top the whole thing off with dark chocolate. Yikes! So much goodness!
This really was an amazing treat. It definitely requires a tall glass of milk to accompany it, but it’s a great grown up way to enjoy rice crispies. Pick up the Baked cookbook to get the full recipe. You won’t be disappointed.
dog bed
It’s been awhile since I posted a crafty project. With the holidays coming, I’m hoping to post more crafty ideas, so get ready. I think this is a great one to start out with because it’s an incredibly easy project that requires basic sewing skills.
For some reason we have an overflow of pillows in our apartment, so I decided to rid the closet of one of them and make Maude her own little bed that matched the decor in our apartment. If you don’t have a dog, you can also use this pattern to make a pillow cover. I make all my pillow covers because it’s so easy and it’s a great way to change the look of a room for not a lot of money.
When thinking about fabric, think outside the box and look at tablecloths and sheets. You often get much more fabric for pretty cheap. The fabric I used was from a table cloth I picked up at Anthropologie on sale for $14.95. So far I’ve made three square pillows and a dog bed from it. Also look at places like Urban Outfitters where they carry some awesome tapestries.
I’m not big on exact measurements, I eye it when I can, so that’s how I’m writing the directions. But if you’re more of a perfectionist than I (and it doesn’t take a lot), pull out your measuring tape, you should still be able to follow this pattern.
dog bed or throw pillow cover
1 piece of cotton fabric, at least two and a half times the size of your pillow
1 pillow
scissors
sewing thread
lots of straight pins
iron
sewing machine
1
If your fabric has a pattern, lay it out and think about what part of the pattern you’d like to show on the front of the pillow. Once you have decided, flip the fabric over and lay your pillow over that part.
2
Next pull one side of the fabric over the pillow so it covers 2/3 of the pillow. Do the same with the other side.
3
Trim above and below the pillow, leaving 2 inches on either side.
4
On the short sides, fold the fabric in about 1/2 inch, iron flat and sew a straight line.
5
Next, remove the pillow and flip the fabric over, so the wrong side is facing out. Pin the long sides and sew straight lines about 1/2 inch from the edge, taking care to go back and forth where the fabric overlaps itself (see circles).
6
Flip the fabric inside out, stuff your pillow in and tada! You’ve got yourself a dog bed or pillow!
corin hewitt: seed stage
Last weekend we took a trip up to the Whitney Museum to see the Alexander Calder exhibit. On the way up we happened upon another exhibit that caught our eye. Artist Corin Hewitt has intalled what the Whitney calls “part performance art, part live theater, and part meditation on ideas about still life.” Three days a week the artist is in the space moving around creating things from canned jars of fruit to images of his space, all a way to comment on transformation. I thought it was a really interesting and intriguing idea. Oh and the Calder exhibit was spectacular.
Whitney Museum
Corin Hewitt: Seed Stage
October 3 2008 – January 4 2009
soft pretzels
I saw this recipe for soft pretzels the other day and immediatley clicked on the link. There’s just something about soft pretzels that is so comforting, they seemed like the perfect rainy weekend snack. Once I arrived at the source of the link, Sugarlaws, there’s no way I could pass up making these. Her description raved about the goodness that these little twists of dough held.
I whipped up a batch Sunday morning and by that evening I’d already begun a second go round. They are pretty dang tasty. They are soft and yeasty on the inside with a golden slightly crispier outside dusted with salt. I do have to say since I overdosed a little bit, they aren’t as good the next day, so you may not want to get as ambititious as I did.
soft pretzels
from sugarlaws
1 tsp active dry yeast
Pinch of sugar
1/3 cup warm water
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp canola oil
3 tbsp baking soda
1 cup hot water (as hot as your tap can get)
Sea salt
1
Dissolve yeast into water with a pinch of sugar, let stand 10 minutes, until the mixture is creamy colored.
2
Mix the yeast mixture with flour, sugar, salt and canola oil, and knead until combined (a few minutes, not even 5). Let the dough rise in a greased bowl until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
3
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. When the dough has risen, pinch off a handful and roll it out into a long strand. Set aside. Repeat with the rest of the dough, about 6 times.
4
Once all the strands are rolled out, pick up the first one and stretch it out again (the gluten will have relaxed and it should stretch further now). Twist it into a pretzel shape and place it on a baking sheet lined with silipat or cooking spray. Repeat with the rest of the strands.
5*
Dissolve baking soda into hot water and stir until dissolved. Quickly dip each rolled pretzel into the mixture and place it back on the baking sheet. Sprinkle all the pretzels with sea salt, to your preference. 6
Bake for about 8 minutes, until pretzels have browned.
*I actually melted 1 Tablespoon butter and brushed the tops with it instead of using the baking soda mixture. It was tasty.
spiced honey
I don’t remember the first time I tried honey and cheese, but I do remember thinking it was one of the best things ever. This weekend after picking up some manchego cheese at the market, I decided to take it up a notch by adding some spices to the honey. Aaron suggested adding cayenne pepper, which sounded pretty brilliant to me. I also decided to try a less spicy route by adding freshly ground pepper and rosemary to different pot of honey.
The result? Awesome! I wasn’t sure my honey/cheese combo could get any better, but this definitely took it up a notch. The cayenne and honey was simple and subtle but provided the perfect little party on your tongue. The sweetness of the honey came through first, followed by the creaminess of the cheese and then you get little pricks on the back of your tongue. Good stuff!
Where the cayenne combo was sort of a step-by-step flavor, the ground pepper and rosemary concoction was a more round, full flavor. The rosemary just peeked through with flavor and seemed to enhance the sweetness of the honey.
Spiced honey is a super simple, but tasty pairing for your cheese. Try it out and experiment for yourself! You won’t be disappointed.
Cayenne Honey
1 Tablespoon honey
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Ground Pepper & Rosemary Honey
1 Tablespoon
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
2 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.
flatbush farm & fleisher’s
One of my favorite restaurants, Flatbush Farm just teamed up with Fleisher’s Grass-Fed and Organic Meats to announce an exciting event. Next Sunday, November 16 they will host a 5-course Butcher Dinner featuring a nose-to-tail dinner using Fleisher’s beef and pork paired with beer from local Brooklyn breweries.There will also be a demonstration of how to break down a pig. It’s sure to be an exciting evening filled with delicious food and drinks.
I hope to see you there!
call for reservations
Flatbush Farm
76 St. Marks Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11217
718.622.3276
thanksgiving countdown: butternut squash with pecans & blue cheese
As I was flipping through my Nigella Express cookbook recently, this recipe for butternut squash with pecans and blue cheese stood out. I’d never made butternut squash before, but there’s always a first and it’s hard to resist anything that has cheese and nuts involved.
Once I cut into the squash I was sad I hadn’t made it sooner, it was such a lovely vegetable. After I’d admired it for awhile, I cut it up into 1 inch cubes, sprinkled some thyme over top, drizzled a little olive oil over top and popped it in the oven. I let it cook up for awhile and pulled it out after the squash was tender to the touch.
That’s when the magic happens. I tossed a nice sprinkling of cheese and pecans over the squash and got ready to taste my first homemade butternut squash. Are you ready? Yum! It was tasty stuff! I liked the slightly sweet flavor of the squash paired with the tangy blue cheese and crunch of the pecan. This would make a great side dish for Thanksgiving, Nigella even reccomends it as a turkey alternative for vegetarians.
butternut squash with pecans & blue cheese
from Nigella Express
serves 6-8
4 1/2 cups butternut squash
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 stalks fresh thyme
1 cups pecans
1 cup blue cheese
1
preheat oven 425° F
2
Halve the squash, leave the skin on and scoop out the seeds. Cut the squash into 1-inch pieces.
3
Put the squash into a roasting pan with oil and strip about 4 stalks of thyme of their leaves and sprinkle over the butternut squash. Roast for about 30-45 minutes or until tender.
4
Once out of the oven, remove the squash to a bowl and scatter the pecans and crumble the cheese over top, tossing everything together gently.
5
Check the seasonings and add the last couple stalks of thyme, torn into small sprigs to decorate.