All photos from the Library of Congress. Entire collection found HERE.

It’s also important that no matter where my next job takes me, I have changes to make in my own kitchen, too. During my time of unemployment, it’s been great to cook with such leisure while getting creative on a low budget. As often as possible, I incorporate seasonal produce, “from scratch” foodstuff, locally-sourced ingredients, regional specialties or any combination of these in my culinary adventures. I found a new comfort with cooking in 2011 and am ready to challenge myself, and my diet, in 2012. So, on to my (foodie) resolutions and my wordiest blog post to date:

1. Only eat bread I make myself.

If any food is especially a weakness of mine, it’s bread. May it be baguette, sourdough roll, uber-processed Wonder Bread, pita, tortillas, or bagels – I can’t get enough carbs! It’s a problem that needs to be curbed as I’ll probably never be inclined to live a low/no-carb/gluten-free lifestyle. In 2011, my pal Sunshine gave me her bread machine before her move to Florida. It was perfect timing as I was finally starting to overcome my hatred for dealing with flour (it gets EVERYWHERE!). The more bread I experimented with, in and out of the bread machine, the more I wanted to learn. So in the quest to eat less bread but learn more about breadmaking, I solemnly resolve to only eat breadstuff at home that I make myself. Note the “at home”…

My first loaf of white sandwich bread in 2012.
Recipe from Brown Eyed Baker that was so insanely delicious and simple

2. More fresh foods, less fresh food waste.

I’ve gotten in the habit of almost weekly trips to the Asian supermarket right up the street from us. The freshness and prices of their produce and meats are unbeatable and I learn a little more about the mysterious greens, sauces, and delicacies each time I go. Especially in the winter, it’s my go to place for fresh produce (literally 50% cheaper than the grocery store) and a great opportunity to cook something new. Last week, amazing kohlrabi puree! Come spring, I’ll be back in action with my Greensgrow farmshare as well, giving me greater opportunity to incorporate lots of healthy veggies into my diet (and resolution #3). This year, I’m really going to step it up, too. I can’t usually afford organic on the regular, though I wish I could, so at least I can solemnly resolve to consume more fresh foods and do so before they go to waste.

3. Canning EVERYTHING

Along with my distaste for working with flour, I have also denied my strong desire to learn how to can out of fear of doing something wrong and wasting food/killing Dre with year-old spoiled canned chili. Another part of the problem was financially committing to all the equipment needed. In 2011, I added a canning set and various Ball jars to my Amazon orders with hesitation as I knew they’d just sit in my cabinets for months, as they did. It wasn’t until Christmas that I finally decided what I wanted to gift myself – a massive 23qt pressure canner. And so the 2012 canning fest has commenced! Last week, I canned my first homemade batch of vegetable stock, knowing that it wouldn’t be a major lost if I screwed things up. But alas, aside from a serious boiling water burn on my hand, I came out with 4 beautiful quarts of bronze vegetable stock. Now I’m even more excited than ever for my farmshare this summer! So with all the equipment and foodstuff at my fingertips, I solemnly resolve to can straight thru the year to extend winter’s soups, summer’s bounty, and autumn’s harvest into 2013.

A gallon of vegetable stock, canned into eternity!

4. Travel no less than 12x

This is only somewhat food related in that I, and my family, plan most getaways around where I want to eat. I whined far too much during my unemployment that I wish I could be using the time to travel but felt guilty spending money on “leisure”. In 2012, I say “go eff yourself” to that notion! I wanna travel and I want to travel often and so far I have a solid start.

January = a double-date Amish Country B&B weekend with Jen & Brian
February = a ski trip to Lake Louise in Alberta, Canada with my family
March = a long-overdue trip to Boston via Megabus with Tomithy to explore and see my old Hawaii’an buddy, Jimmy.

So with 9 more months of travel to plan, I solemnly resolve, at least once a month in 2012, to getaway more than 50 miles from my house and explore the local dives and regional specialties along the way.

5. Take this blog more/less serious.

With all the free time I’ve had, I’m pretty disappointed in myself for the lack of blogging, especially since I’ve been cooking often. I get so wrapped up in clever anecdotes, tastespotting-worthy photos, and detailed recipes that I often just don’t share my food love at all. So typical of an introverted Cancer like me. But in 2012, I’m living by a new mantra – a new outlook that is vastly different from how I’ve approached so much in life – and that is, Progress not Perfection. I’ve never blogged for lots of hits or notoriety, I do it out of a sheer love of sharing good food with others. I need to allow that to be more natural, while at the same time, more frequent, so I solemnly resolve in 2012 to share my food love freely, often, and without judgement.

What are you resolving to do (or not do) this year, food-related or otherwise?

How are you doing with sticking to those resolutions?

I’m offically making a public decree that I’m not longer allowed to complain about baking. My cooking style doesn’t involve alot of precise measuring so baking has always been a chore for me. At this point, the reward is getting too good for me to deny my baking skills. Sweet, swirled, glazed skills…

These baby cakes were created totally out of necessity. Over Thanksgiving, my girl Sunshine, of a Blog Full of Jelly, came for a visit from her new home in Florida with some beautiful citrus in tow. First was a Buddha’s hand, a creepy claw-y shaped fruit with a bright citrus flavor and lots of rind. It’s STILL soaking in some vodka for some serious cocktail making. The other citrus wonder was a Ponderosa lemon - pretty much the BIGGEST lemon you have ever seen – and provided me with over a cup of juice. I also still had a bag of beautiful crimson cranberries from my last farm share pickup and I wanted to make something other than my Cranberry-Pear Shortbread Tart. Combine them with the need to whip up a homemade treat for our friends’, Doc & Erica’s, pre-Holiday house warming and I was ready to bake!

Check out my Mini Cranberry-Swirled Lemon Cupcakes w. Lemon Glaze recipe after the jump!

Mini Cranberry-Swirled Lemon Cupcakes w. Lemon Glaze

48 mini cupcakes
adapted from the Cupcake Blog’s Meyer Lemon Cranberry Cupcakes

Lemon Cupcakes

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/3 cup fresh (ponderosa or regular) lemon juice
• 1T lemon zest

Cranberry Coulis

• 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water

Lemon Glaze

• 2-3 T fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar

Equipment

• medium saucepan
• small metal sieve
• blender, food processor, or hand blender
• stand mixer
• mini cupcake pan(s)
• 3 mixing bowls

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. For Cranberry Coulis - Combine cranberries, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1/4 cup of sugar in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Boil about 5 min, stirring occasionally, until cranberries burst and break down.
3. Remove from heat. In a blender or food processor or with a hand blender, puree the cranberries until smooth.
4. Push cranberry puree through a metal sieve, discarding solids. Set cranberry puree aside.
5. For Lemon Cupcakes - Beat butter on high in a stand mixer until soft, about 30 seconds.
6. Add sugar. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
7. Add eggs one at a time, beat for 30 seconds between each.
8. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
9. Add about a third of the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and beat to combine. Add about a half of the milk and beat to combine. Continue adding, alternating between dry and wet and finishing with the dry.
10. Add the lemon juice and lemon zest, beat to combine.
11. Scoop into mini cupcakes pans about 3/4 full. Drop approx. 1tsp of the cranberry coulis on top of batter and swirl with a toothpick.
12. Place cupcakes in the oven and turn the oven down to 350 degrees. Bake for 15-18 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and let stand for 10min. Then remove cupcakes from pan and cool completely on cooling rack.
13. For Lemon Glaze – Combine confectioners’ sugar and 1.5T lemon juice in a small bowl and stir to moisten. Dribble additional lemon juice until icing slides off tip of spoon. Drizzle over cupcakes and serve.

Roast Beef Tenderloin w. Caesar Crust

Bon Appétit December 2011 pg 103 – Recipe

Cider-Brined Roasted Turkey w. Star Anise & Cinnamon

Bon Appétit November 2011 pg 94 – Recipe

Gnocchi Gratin w. Gorgonzola Dolce

Bon Appétit December 2011 pg 92 – Recipe

Brussels Sprouts & Butternut Squash w. Bacon Vinaigrette

Williams-Sonoma Thanksgiving: A Holiday Guide 2010 – Recipe

Glazed Carrots

Williams-Sonoma Thanksgiving: A Holiday Guide 2010 – Recipe

No-Knead Onion Rolls

Real Simple November 2011 pg 250 – Recipe

I put the rest of the fam in charge of booze, hors d’oeuvres, & dessert. I’ll report back once I’ve recovered from the Xmas gluttony.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Check out my General Tso’s Braised + Glazed Spare Ribs recipe after the jump!

General Tso’s Braised+ Glazed
Spare Ribs

Serves 2
Total time: 1.5 hours

Ingredients

• 1 dozen spare ribs (about 2 lbs), seperated
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup  rice vinegar
• 1/2 cup of hoisin sauce
• 1T sriracha
• 2T sesame oil
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1T vegetable oil
• 2tsp ginger, minced
• 5 garlic cloves/2T, minced
• 12 dried red chilis
• 1T cornstarch
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup scallions, chopped
• 4 cups of prepared white rice
• 2 cups steamed broccoli

Equipment

• wok with lid
• medium mixing bowl
• whisk
• baking sheet
• foil
• cooking spray

1. Combine chicken stock, soy sauce, hoisin, rice wine vinegar, sriracha, sesame oil, & sugar in a bowl. Whisk together and set aside.
2. Heat 1T vegetable oil in a wok over high heat. Add ginger & garlic and saute approx 30 seconds until fragrant without browning.
3. Add sauce mixture to wok. Add ribs and dried red chilis.
4. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to medium-low.
5. Allow to simmer for 30minutes and then flip/rearrange spare ribs. Add chicken stock as needed if liquid reduces too low.
6. Re-cover and allow to simmer for an additional 3o minutes.
   If prepping a day ahead, you can stop here. Remove from heat, allow to cool completely, and store in refrigerator over night. Resume with Step 7 approx. 30-45 minutes before serving.
7. Pre-heat oven on Lo broil setting. Cover a baking sheet with foil and coat with cooking spray.
8. Remove wok from heat and transfer ribs meaty side down on baking sheet. Broil approx. 4 inches from heating element for about 5 minutes. Turn ribs (or use my genius method noted below) and broil for another 5 minutes until glazed & crispy.
9. While ribs are under the broiler, return sauce to stove over medium heat. Whisk together cornstarch & water. Add to sauce and combine. Bring to boil, stirring regularly, for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to thicken.
10. Toss ribs and half of scallions in thickened sauce.
11. Plate 2 servings of white rice and divide ribs. Spoon extra sauce on top and sprinkle with remaining scallions. Serve with steamed broccoli.

I’m a genius.

When it came time to flip my ribs to the meaty side, I realized that they were too arched to magically stand up and broil to the level I wanted to achieve. Lightbulb moment! I grabbed my bundt pan, flipped it over opening side down, covered it with foil, and draped the ribs around the arched disc. Please note that all your ribs may not fit so you may have to broil in batches. Also, make sure to lower your oven rack down a level or two so that their is still a headspace of about 4″ between the broiler and ribs.

What Pumpkin laid before us that night was a beautiful balance of refinement and approachability; effortless expertise; living proof that loving what you do is the only option. Executive Chef/Owner Ian Moroney, Chef de Cuisine Chris Kearse, and Sous Chef Craig kept us laughing as they “stacked flavors” through 6 of their classic courses & new creations. Hey, guys!!

I consider myself to be quite knowledgeable about food (I read cookbooks like great novels), but these guys were throwing around ingredient names that I’ve never heard of. Good thing class was in session as they took turns explaining the obscure items and processes being used. I can’t act like I didn’t have to look some up again when I got home – like nasturtium. This peppery & tangy watercress was featured in an ice cream created using agar, flavored with black cardamom, atop ground almond, next to a sudsy mountain of sudsy apple cider foam.

What’s the orange and crimson flame on the back rim, you ask? A speck of flavor-packed honey-miso with a beautiful edible petal. It was already a bowl of amazingness and the starring layer was still to come – a simple velvety autumn vegetable soup. Lily, executive director of COOK, helped pour lakes of the sweet puree, flooding the textural shores with flavor and color.

If I didn’t know 4 more courses where headed my way, I’d have asked for seconds. Luckily, Chef Ian shared the recipe and some words of wisdom after my own food-loving heart.

“Recipes are meant to be changed. It’s most important to use quality ingredients and good cooking practices.” – Chef Ian Moroney

Pumpkin’s Autumn Vegetable Soup

1/2 lb of each, peeled & chopped

• carrots
• apples
• rhutabaga
• sweet potato
• onion

• 1/2 lb unsalted butter
• 1/2 qt heavy cream

1. Melt butter in a heavy pot and add onions, sweating until translucent over medium heat.
2. Add remaining vegetables and cover with water. Bring to a boil and then simmer until tender. Drain any excess liquid and return to pot.
3. Add heavy cream and salt, to taste. Puree with an immersion blender or standard blender. Serve.

4 more courses for your viewing and reading pleasure after the JUMP!

The intense color palate and complexity of each dish had my imagination on hyperdrive. The next course, curly-cues dancing over the vibrant orange of longneck butternut squash, whisked me away into a familiar fairytale complete with a pumpkin reference – Cinderella’s pumpkin carriage. The shaved celery root & whimsical greens were delicately tweezed over rich, perfectly prepared offal: evil-ly delicious stepsisters of pigs feet & sweetbreads chasing foie gras dressed in a huckleberry gelee fit for a princess. Mulled wine sauce, white balsamic, and argan powder completed the happily ever after.

Next up was a beautiful piece of pan-roasted sturgeon with a horseradish caviar sauce. If you haven’t had sturgeon before, like me, it’s a hearty mild white fish and Chef Ian cooked it to perfection. Beets rounded out this Russian-esque dish.

Have you ever heard of pork cooked in hay? Me neither, but apparently it’s a classic preparation that Pumpkin’s chefs took to the next level. They cloaked a beautiful roast in cheesecloth, covered it with hay, and sealed it in a plastic bag for a slow poach in their immersion circulator. Linda Geren, of the sustainable High View Farm in North Hanover, NJ, was on hand to make sure her ham (and hay) were duly represented. She certainly put her piggies in the right hands.

As with all the dishes, many components come together to perfectly achieve the flavor stacking that defines Pumpkin’s cuisine. The pork cooked in hay was modestly seasoned with a hint of honey, allowing the natural flavors to shine on their own or the chance to pair each bite with a different combination of the accompaniments: chestnut puree, parsnip, black garlic chips, salsify root cooked in red wine, and a lady apple stuffed with scrapple (you heard that right).

All that and we still had dessert! White chocolate is caramelized under the broiler and combined with goat cheese for the most decadent cheesecake I’ve ever tasted. Golden yam ice cream, textural argan powder, and candied poached cranberries offset the richness with savory and sweet. I can see why Chef Craig dubbed this dessert, “The Panty Dropper”.

Pumpkin’s cuisine pairs subtle moleculer gastronomy with big flavors, creating a Halloween memory I won’t soon forget. Their relaxed balance of complex ingredient combinations, technical preparation, and artful presentation, each aspect receiving equal attention, is one to be admired and deserves great recognition (more that I feel they receive). It is haute without intimidation, as Chef Ian and his crew at Pumpkin welcome you each night into the kitchen (literally) to learn and experience the love they put into each seasonal dish. Grab a few great bottles of wine and stop in to see them soon!

Pumpkin
1713 South Street
Philadelphia, PA 19146
215-545-4448
www.pumpkinphilly.com
Pumpkin Market
Twitter – @PumpkinPhilly
FB – Pumpkin BYO

Filed under: Restaurant Rewind ]]> http://nolovemoresincere.com/2011/11/11/restaurant-rewind-pumpkin/feed/ 0 nolovemoresincere butter chefs nasturtium ice cream + apple cider foam autumn vegetable soup butternut squash salad sturgeon pork cooked in hay pork cooked in hay plate panty dropper http://nolovemoresincere.com/2011/11/10/in-other-news-its-flava-time/ http://nolovemoresincere.com/2011/11/10/in-other-news-its-flava-time/#comments Thu, 10 Nov 2011 18:19:06 +0000 Erin L. http://nolovemoresincere.com/?p=1300 ]]> I love the BigSpot.com commericials – hello, who wouldn’t love a neck basket?!?! – but this new one is straight BOSS! Flava time ankle bracelet FTW.

PS I don’t endorse BigSpot.com, I just dig their ad agency’s sense of humor.

I’ve done nothing but gush since the rumors of Audrey Claire’s COOK – a studio kitchen hosting cooking classes and chef tastings. The corner space that once housed Snackbar transformed over months into an intimate gathering space to learn, dine, and make new friends. I’ve stalked the class listings since it’s opening in early September, kicking myself over not committing to classes that quickly sold out. Before I knew it, Halloween was rolling around and dressing up just didn’t thrill me this year. You know what did though? The promise of an intriguing meal with Pumpkin at COOK on Halloween night.

After dodging some costumed Rittenhouse youngsters, I was relieved to seek refuge in the comfortable space that is COOK. Lily and Jackie – the unassuming power-duo of cuteness who run the show at Audrey Claire’s COOK – greeted guests, hung coats, and encouraged mingling & exploration like hostesses you’ve known for years. After a quick intro, I explored my seat options among the crisp place settings. The counter seating is like an open bracket commencing a night of gastronomic commentary. Low light kept the seating area ambient while the illuminated kitchen and counter were ready to highlight every angle & hue of the night’s fare. The stage was perfectly set for a intimate dinner among 16 strangers.

I arrived early, not only to lock in some prime seat real estate, but also to indulge a growing hobby of mine – cookbooks. COOK’s library had some personal favorites – my technical bible Larousse Gastronomique; the beautiful imagery of NOMA; my current love affair with Gabrielle Hamilton’s Blood, Bones, & Butter – and plenty others that went right on my Christmas list. I’ll definitely be back to cruise their shelves again, just hope that I can figure out if/when they’re open to the non-class-attending public.

COOK’s retail Pantry is tucked in a nook past the library with more awesome kitchen whatnots. I’ll take one of these beautiful leather knife bags in case you’re feeling generous – either color, I’m not picky.

If you have a friend who calls her/himself a “foodie”, just stop in COOK for the perfect birthday/house-warming/holiday gift. Place a tin of COOK’s own mulling spices with a bottle of full-bodied Cabernet in the center of a tea towel, gather the excess fabric, and tie with kitchen twine. Attach a gift certificate for Twenty Manning, Audrey Claire, or a class at COOK and you’re set!

7 o’clock rolled around and we took our seats, the chefs in final prep mode. Our lovely hostesses kicked things off with a quick ice-breaker – introducing ourselves and sharing our favorite Halloween costume. I had plenty to choose from – Madonna in full blonde wig & cone bra in college, Elvira with a hair bump taller than Snooki herself, and a love affair with my Elmo last year as Cookie Monster-ette.

And then it was on to the food! Pumpkin seriously impressed me with a technical, yet whimsical autumn tasting – an amuse en bouche and 5 beautiful courses. I have to give it up to our hostesses, especially Jackie, for the wine selections, too. I like wine, I just don’t know wine, so these 3 immediately go on my list of bottles to pick up next time I head to a BYO like Pumpkin.

Throughout the meal, Lily & Jackie were fully engaged with the room. They cleared dishes, poured soup & wine, snapped photos for the COOKbook blog, and kept the conversation going as the chefs focused on serving the next course. I’d love to have such an awesome job spending night after night with the city’s best chefs and culinary contributors. They were such great hostesses that they sent us all home with these cute little plants.

So I think this is more than a crush. I LOVE COOK! It was such a fun, educational, indulgent night and I can’t wait to get back there soon. COOK just launched their list of classes for December and they’re already starting to sell out, so make your reservation today.

COOK
253 South Twentieth Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
215.735.COOK
www.audreyclairecook.com

TIP TIME! A good pizza dough is pretty easy to make at home, but if you’re short on time, pick up a $1/lb ball of white, wheat, or herb from Trader Joe’s or stop by your favorite pizza place. They usually will sell you a ball of their dough for just a few dollars.

One of my fave extras to order from the local pizza joint are garlic knots, usually halved and reheated in the toaster oven for a midnight snack. They seemed like the perfect remedy for my extra pizza dough and were really easy to make. I gathered some fresh herbs from my garden and had the rest of the ingredients on hand as pantry staples. In under 25 minutes, I had a plate of knots and the most satisfying garlic breath ever!

Check out my Easy Garlic Knots recipe after the jump!

Easy Garlic Knots

makes 8 knots

• 1lb pizza dough
• 1/2 stick (4T) unsalted butter
• 6 garlic cloves – minced
• fresh herbs – thyme, rosemary, oregano – chopped (dry if you have to)
• 1T shredded parmesan
• S&P, to taste
• marinara
• microwave safe bowl
• pizza stone or ungreased sheet pan

1. Preheat oven to 425degrees w. stone or pan in the oven.
2. Stretch dough out into a rectangular shape, about 1/4inch thick and 8″x10″. It doesn’t need to be perfect.
3. With a pizza cutter, slice the rectangle in half lengthwise. Cut each half in half lengthwise again and repeat one more time to create 8 strips of dough. Set aside.
4. Slice butter and place in microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 second intervals until melted.
5. Add garlic, herbs, parmesan, and S&P to the melted butter. Stir.
6. Take one dough strip at a time and dredge through butter.
7. Tie strip into a knot and continue twisting until ends are tucked in.
8. Dredge once again through butter mixture to collect garlic pieces on top of knot. Place on a clean plate.
9. Repeat with remaining strips.
10. With a spatula, transfer each knot to the hot pizza stone or sheet pan.
11. Bake 12-15minutes until golden and garlic begins to brown.
12. Serve immediately w. warm marinara sauce.

After too much time scanning my cookbooks & the internet for inspiration, I finally settled on a simple recipe for cranberry bars. I really don’t enjoy baking (messy flour + precise measuring, oh my!) so I was really excited to discover how insanely delicious and easy this was to make.

In an obvious improvement of Gourmet’s version, Picky Cook added raspberry jam & lemon to brighten the cranberries, but I still lived in fear of an over-tart end product. To buffer this anxiety and use up some produce “on the edge”,  I decided to add the sweetness of yellow pears (Three Springs Fruit Farm | Aspers, PA) reduced into a coulis which created beautiful rosey waves baked atop the cran-raspberry compote. It was the perfect slice of early autumn for an awesome weekend with friends. If only I could always shoot with this natural light and scenery!

Check out my Cranberry-Pear Shortbread Tart recipe after the jump!

Cranberry-Pear Shortbread Tart

Recipe adapted from Picky Cook who improved it from Gourmet

Equipment + Prep

• oven
• food processor
• blender or immersion stick
• 10″ pie dish for tart or 9″ sq dish for bars
• heavy 2qt saucepan
• parchment paper
• rubber spatula

1. Pre-heat oven to 375degrees.
2. Trace a circle of parchment using the base of the pie dish or criss-cross 2 sheets if using a square dish.
3. Grease parchment and sides of dish w. butter.

Shortbread Crust

• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 T vanilla extract

1. Blend cubed butter, 2 cups of flour, 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 T of vanilla extract in a food processor for approx. 1-2 minutes until combined but not over worked.
2. Press into bottom of greased dish with fingers and create a slight lip up the side.
3. Bake for approx. 25 minutes until golden.

Cranberry-Raspberry Compote

• 3 cups fresh (or frozen) cranberries
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup raspberry preserves
• zest of 1 lemon

1. While crust is baking, combine 3 cups of cranberries, 2/3 cup white sugar, and 1/4 cup of water in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook 6-10min, stirring occasionally, until cranberries burst. Remove from heat.
2. Stir in 1/4 cup raspberry preserves and zest of 1 lemon.
3. Puree mixture in a blender, food processor, or with an immersion stick. (You can push through a sieve, instead, but I enjoy the texture and nutrients from the skin)
4. Pour over cooked shortbread crust and smooth evenly with a rubber spatula.
5. Bake for approx. 20 minutes until slightly firm.

Pear Coulis

• 1lb pears (or apples), peeled + cored + chopped
• 1T unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• juice of 1 lemon

1. While cranberry tart is baking, melt 1T butter in saucepan over medium heat and add 1/4 cup light brown sugar. Stir and allow to dissolve for 1 min.
2. Add pears and lemon juice.  Cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly and using rubber spatula to mash pears. Once pears are almost dissolved, remove from heat.
3. Puree pear mixture in small food processor or with a immersion stick.
4. Spoon over baked cranberry-raspberry compote and smooth w. a rubber spatula.
5. Bake for approx. 10 minutes.

Cool and serve in pie slices or cut into bars w. a heavy dusting of powdered sugar, fresh whipped cream, or as is. Enjoy!

With little time to spare, I decided to recreate a dish I made last summer but had failed to record the recipe. I did a quick search for a “shrimp stuffed aubergine” and was pleased to see my Flickr pic of the 2010 creation come up on page 1 of the search! That was a start, but I needed more info on what recipe I built it from. It didn’t take me long to dig up this sad recipe… and my tweaks came flooding back to my memory. Seeing that I rarely make the same thing the exact same way twice, I got right to work on making this dish even better… and writing the recipe this time for you to enjoy, too! This dish is so savory, easy to prepare, and offers a beautiful presentation.

Check out my Shrimp Stuffed Aubergine (Eggplant) recipe after the jump!

Shrimp Stuffed Aubergine (Eggplant)

Serves 2

Equipment

• rimmed baking dish or sheet pan
• 10-12″ saute pan
• grapefruit spoon (one of my top 5 kitchen tools)
• foil

1. Preheat oven to 375degrees.
2. Line baking dish or sheet pan w. foil.

Eggplant Prep

• 2 small eggplant – approx. .5-.75lbs each or 1 large 1-1.5 lb eggplant
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• S&P

1. Wash and dry eggplant. Place on counter so they lay flat. Turn eggplant a quarter turn and cut lengthwise.
2. Using grapefruit spoon, perforate a border 1/4 inch around edge of each eggplant half.
3. Scoop out flesh of each eggplant half, coarsely chop flesh, and set aside.
4. Pour all of olive oil in first eggplant half. Swirl to coat entire inside. Dump extra oil into next half and repeat until all halves are oiled.
5. Season inside of each eggplant half w. S&P. Set aside.

Shrimp Stuffing

• 1/2lb of shrimp – raw, shelled, & deveined
• 1 medium shallot – minced
• 4 cloves of garlic – minced
• 1 Thai red chili pepper (optional) – minced
• olive oil
• eggplant flesh
• 1/2cup low-sodium chicken stock
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil + other fresh herbs (I used thyme + marjoram)
• 1/4 cup fresh shredded parmesan or reggiano
• 1cup + 3/4cup panko bread crumbs
• 1T unsalted butter

1. Heat saute pan over medium heat and coat bottom with olive oil.
2. Once oil is glistening, add shallot. Stir frequently to avoid browning until shallot is transparent, approx. 5 min.
3. Add garlic and saute for approx. 2 min, stirring frequently.
4. Add red chili pepper and eggplant. Saute for approx. 5 min until heated through.
5. Add shrimp, tossing frequently, and cook until partially pink, approx. 3 min.
6. Add chicken stock and bring to a quick boil.
7. Remove from heat and stir in 1cup of panko bread crumbs, fresh herbs, and cheese.
8. Divide and spoon mixture among eggplant halves.
9. Melt 1T of butter in microwave save dish, approx. 30 seconds. Add 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs and combine.
10. Divide and top each stuffed eggplant half w. butter + bread crumb mixture.
11. Bake for 10-15min until golden brown.
12. Serve immediately w. a green salad as a complete meal.

Feel free to lessen the bread crumbs to reduce the carbohydrate content and add any veggies of your choosing to bulk it up – tomatoes, zucchini, mushrooms, bell peppers, & spinach would all go great in this dish!

For most of the afternoon set-up, I checked in restaurants with my longtime catering pal, Harry Spivak, making sure everyone unloaded quickly and was situated at their stations. And along with that job, came dealing with your stereotypical chef personality traits – asking where their dedicated freezer space was (in a pier warehouse…), getting cursed out in a mix of English & French (guess who!), and endless inquiries of when the bar would be open. I’m used to it, enjoy it to some sadistic degree, and took it all in stride as the event professional that I am.

Before I knew it, I was speed-changing in a Porto-o-potty and slapping on a crimson-lipped smile as everyone from Rittenhouse “socialites” to CEOs of XYZ Company to the ex-Governor (who remembered who I was!) poured into the open-air Pier 9. The space really transformed as cocktail party met perfomance art – acrobats trapezing over a glass-topped bar, ballerinas floating above the who’s who of our great city, and the three belles of Strange Fruit teetering next to my soon-to-be-new-addiction, Federal Donuts. I soaked up what I could while I checked in press for most of the night, taking an awkward pride in knowing who most of the local food writers were before they could even get their name out. Any of you guys/gals hiring?

As the night wound down, I worked the room with requests to return all Feastival coats along with gift bags for the chefs. The busy bee that I was, I actually enjoyed eating with my eyes as I scurried past the remaining samples at each station. The crowd dwindled, the chefs migrated towards the bar, and I was officially relieved of a great day of helping to make some serious magic happen. So, I migrated to the bar, too… and not only because I needed a drink after a long day, but because 2 of my favorite Philly bartenders were pouring the booze. Colin, the no-longer bearded (sad face!) GM from Franklin Mortgage (the only bar I’d ever drink at if I could afford to), was on hand with the promise of whiskey. He took the edge off with a strong pour of Jim Beam’s Devils Cut in a martini glass, the last of the clean options. And you know I can’t have whiskey up without a beer… or beers. Thanks to my old co-worker and favorite day bartender from the Belgian Cafe, Lisa, I cruised through 2 Yard’s Pale Ales to end a perfect night.

I had every intention of getting up at a reasonable time yesterday to get some things done around the house. Then I woke up at 12:15pm. Might as well whip up brunch for 1!

Monday night, I made The Food Lab’s Sichuan-style Braised Eggplant (which was AMAZING!) and still had 1/2lb of ground pork leftover. When I saw it in the fridge the next morning/afternoon, I knew just what to make with it – breakfast sausage. I blended the pork with a few pantry items and garden herbs (no sage since Hurricane Irene drowned my plant), formed them into patties, and pan-fried them to crispy, yet juicy, perfection. They belonged on a worthy breakfast sandwich.

I toasted some sandwich thins in the pork-greased pan, smeared the top slice w. Shellbark Hollow fresh chèvre spread and topped it w. sliced red bell pepper. On the bottom slice, I piled 2 of my sausage patties on a fried (over-medium) Sandy Ridge Farm egg. It was a delicious combination of textures – toasty + creamy + crunchy + savory + yolky – and easy!

Check out my Pork Breakfast Sausage “recipe” after the jump!

Quick Pork Breakfast Sausage

makes (4) patties or multiply recipe to make more to freeze

• 0.5lb ground pork (or turkey)
• 0.5 shallot, minced
• fresh thyme, marjoram, + rosemary (other herbs like sage work well!)
• 3 pinches cayenne
• 2 pinches allspice
• 1 pinch of ground ginger
• a T or so of pure maple syrup
• S&P, to taste
• olive oil
• non-stick fry pan
• mixing bowl

1. Sauté the chopped shallot in a pan over medium heat w. a bit of oil for 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
2. Put pork and remaining ingredients in mixing bowl. Add shallots. Mix together with your hands.
3. Separate mixture into 4 equal portions and form into balls. Smash each ball into a patty, shaping edges as needed, and set aside (or freeze).
4. Reheat fry pan over medium heat. Add patties and allow to cook 3-5 min each side, until browned and internal temp reads 165°F.
5. Proceed to building a worthy breakfast sandwich.

At Paschal’s, I threw down on some fried chicken, mac-n-cheese, collards greens, + cornbread.

After I savored my last bite, I checked my Twitter to see that Taylor from Mac & Cheese shot me a strong recommendation to try One Flew South, the other suggestion on the F&W guide. Then there was Taylor’s follow-up: Do not miss anything “Benton’s” on the menu – bacon or ham – if you do pork. Oh, I do pork and I def have to do pork recommended by someone who’s been a vegetarian for over 20 years. I hopped on the tram and headed to Terminal E – proud in my Phillies shirt on a quest for bacon.

Sweet jesus… a beautiful, fine dining restaurant serving sushi and southern fusion… in an airport. While I waited for my Benton’s selection to arrive, I sipped on a serious, perfectly-made Vesper. Thank you, bartender who’s name I forget who has a dad who lives in Philly!

And then my glorious plate arrived… crisp frisee tossed w. a pink peppercorn vinaigrette flanked by Benton’s bacon + Sweet Grass Dairy goat cheese topped w. basil poached pears. It was so fresh with truly beautiful flavor combinations and damn near the best bacon I’ve ever had.

Did I mention I was in an airport?