the final stretch

Welcome to October, the greatest month of the year, the real welcome wagon of Autumn, and my birthday month! Though I've been counting down for the past thirty days, we've now entered the final countdown and are quickly approaching my big day. Don't worry though, I'm checking off items from my dirty thirty to-do list just as quickly as the days go by. Here's another update for those of you who are keeping track of me and my homework. For our second installment, numbers 31 through 60 -

#32. look at all this pretty stationary waiting to be
signed, sealed & delivered to the perfect pen pal!

31. Get health insurance - It took a long while and there were many medical problemos along the way. I became a familiar face at the urgent care clinic and got used to waiting hours and hours for a new dose of asthma meds. But I survived it and now I have a job that I love and that loves me back by providing me with health care options! Though now that it's October, just about anyone can find themselves some form of these benefits.
32. Collect correspondence with friends - I love pen pals! I actually have a drawer full of cards, postcards and stationary just waiting to be mailed out. I love the excitement of getting something other than a bill or take-out menu in my mailbox (I don't mind catalogues so much because I love fake shopping,) and I like to surprise other with that same joy and delight. I actually just read this Buzzfeed bit about how everyone needs to start writing more letters and I couldn't agree more. If you'd like to be my pen pal, just send me your address!
33. Live through a blind date - A mutual love of mopey, sad sack indie rock does not make for a joyful date. It does, however, make for a good concert buddy so thanks for that set-up Mom.
34. Be a gracious guest - Well, I've never been banned from anyone's home and I usually come with a bottle of wine or homemade baked goods.

#38. one of many pairs crowding my closet.

35. Invest in ear plugs - We have oodles of these lying around the house but I have to say that I'm not particularly fond of them. My dad gave me a bunch when I moved to noisy New York but I actually enjoyed the city sounds. I much prefer some quite music through ear buds than the muffled, pseudo silence of little foamy bits in my ears.
36. Know your blood type - I've been a regular blood donor since my 18th birthday. The Red Cross and I are pretty friendly.
37. Confront someone who's done you wrong - It hurts to be honest sometimes, to know that you've done wrong and that has done wrong to you, to admit all of those wrongdoings. But it's awfully cathartic when you can air it our and let it go. Sometimes it takes longer than you'd like, but it's always worth it in the end, grudges just weigh you down.
38. Walk in heels - After I broke my leg I was terrified of two things - that I'd never ride my bike again and that I'd never wear heels again. Thankfully I've been able to continue doing both things. 
39. Watch the sun rise and set on the same day by yourself - At times I can be both a night owl and an early riser so the opportunities to follow the sun are not foreign to me. Most frequently, I enjoyed the orbits while Honey napped on our camping trip to North Carolina.

#39. sunrise.

#39. sunset.

40. Disagree. Out loud - I'm from New Jersey; I love a good debate.
41. Memorize your ring size - In case you care to buy me anything off my baubles, bling & shiny things Pinterest board, I wear a 6.
42. Have a mantra - Does "It's always better with bacon" count? Other than that, I'd have to say that my favorite word to live by is 'hopeful', my own realistic version of optimism.
43. Open a bottle of champagne - Haha I'm an old pro! My other mantra might just be Hester Browne's words of wisdom - "Always keep a bottle of champagne in the fridge for special occasions. Sometimes the special occasion is that you've got a bottle of champagne in the fridge."
44. Adopt an awkward teenager - My time as an after-school librarian was well spent mentoring and befriending dozens of awkwardly goofy but brilliant teens. They reminded me of better versions of my past self and I relished being the grown-up friend they needed.

#47. style icon

45. Eat soy - I love soy! Tofu, edamame, miso, all of it. I'm definitely not veggie but I do participate in Meatless Mondays and many Tofu Tuesdays.
46. Cultivate your own style / 47. Dress for longevity / 48. Own a cashmere sweater - Two words for you - Preppy & British. I love a classically chic outfit that is so timeless it could have been worn by a Hepburn or a Hathaway. The key is fit and fabric. I like to live by the word of Tim Gunn I'm a huge fan of J. Crew, Boden, Jack Wills, Madewell, Kate Spade & Anthropologie. Mix in a few key vintage, trendy or antique pieces for an effortlessly fashionable look that will never go out of style. 
49. Defy gravity - The kindly Jewish lady on Orchard Street helped me with this one. A quick glance at my boobies and she knew exactly what I needed. Never again will I be confused by all those ill-fitting over-the-shoulder boulder holders regular stores have hanging on the racks (no pun intended!)
50. Use a great dermo / 51. Get a massage - Ahh to be pampered. I miss NY for this very reason - the best facials in the world could be had at Christine Chin Spa and a great massage was right around the corner at the cheapy nail place. Gosh I miss those $8.50 manis!
52. Sleep in a hammock - I'm slightly terrified of hammocks because of an incident a few Fourth of Julys ago when I was rudely flipped out of one and did some damage to a few ribs (thanks again for that Pat, and happy birthday tomorrow!) But that fear hasn't stopped me from dozing poolside at the old homestead.

#49. do you buy a Titzling or do you buy a Brassiere?

53. Own a toolbox with all the basics / 54. Hook up something high tech by yourself - My father gifted me a basic blue toolbox when I moved into my very first apartment Junior year of college. It's followed me around ever since and helped me hang pictures, build a bookshelf, put together awful Ikea furniture, and so much more. High tech though? Does scanning photos and creating a digital catalog of my archive count? I'll say yes.
55. Memorize your favorite smells - Surround yourself with them. Like the sparks song says "the olfactory sense is the sense that most strongly evokes memories of the past." Spaghetti sauce cooking on the stove, delicious foods roasting or baking in the oven, fresh cleaned sheets with lavender spritz, a light breeze carrying hints of the bay, and freshly sawed wood. But my two favorite scents are ones that immediately bring back memories of the past and people - I love the waxy, perfumed scent of lipstick because it makes me think of my mom and her reminder to always wear lipstick. I also love the smell of pipe tobacco because it makes me think of my dad. Not because he smoked a pipe but because when I was little he would take me to the hardware store with him and the old man who worked there smoke pipes. I love those sentimental smells.

56. Fall in love (or lust) without blowing off your friends - Why would I want to ditch all of my awesome gals for my equally awesome guy? That seems so silly, especially when their combined awesomeness makes my life so much better!
57. Care about where your food comes from - I absolutely care about what I put in my body and where it all comes from. If I could always shop locally, organically and seasonally I would but it gets to be very expensive. I'm very fortunate to have a few very well supplied and varied farmers markets and little shops in my neighborhood and I frequent them as often as my wallet allows.

#58. the good life.

58. Fly first class - :) This might just be my favorite of all 100 items on the list, mostly because I never thought I'd be able to get it checked off since I don't frequently travel by plane and I'm certainly not wealthy enough to buy a first class ticket. But, every once in awhile things work out and prove that patience truly is a virtue. Here's how it all went down - On my way back from the SAA conference in New Orleans my flight was running a little late because of some passenger confusion. When I heard my name called over the loudspeaker my eyes nearly fell out of my head from rolling so hard. I begrudgingly walked up to the check-in desk only to find out that they simply wanted to see if I would mind them moving my seat to convenience a few difficult passengers. Of course I didn't mind, put me in the teeny tiny bathroom for all I care, just get me home to Honey! I could tell that, despite my flexibility, the poor airline staff was still having difficulties with a few of the not-so frequent fliers so I went back up to the desk and told them to seat me last. That they really could put me anywhere, just worry about getting everyone else on the plane first. And as a joke I let them know that I wouldn't mind sitting in first class if that's the only place they could find me a seat. Well, my kindness and easy breezy attitude didn't seem to be getting me that fancy front row seat because I found myself being shuffled to the back of the plane... only to be tapped on the shoulder and informed that seat 3C was available for me. 3C?! I was greeted with a chilled glass of white wine, a smile, and a huge reclining seat. Kindness and patience really do pay off!
59. Carry something to read, a notebook and a pen at all times - In our fast-paced modern times all of these items have essentially been replaced by our smartphones. Unfortunately they run out of a charge every now and then. I've always got a pen and a piece of scrap paper in my purse or pocket. To read, well I'll read just about anything and those free newspapers are always lying around cities when I've left one of my many books or magazines at home.
60. Make a killer cocktail - I've hung out at enough bars and befriended enough bartenders to learn a few tricks of the trade. I prefer the classics and perfected the art of the Manhattan, the Martini, and the Negroni. Though I really love going out and watching the real masters at work, I might just mix you up something if you came by for a visit.

Stay tuned throughout the rest of the week. I'll do my best to put aside party planning and keep you posted about my progress. Four more days!

hungary/hungry like the wolfs

Last night I shared my dinner party menu with you; the theme was March: in like a lamb, out like a lion/in like a lion, out like a lamb. And though I certainly found inspiration in the seasonal uncertainty us Baltimore folks have seen over the past few weeks, the dishes I prepared were not brand new to me. They come from one of my all-time favorite vacations, shown in the picture I shared. A few years ago I went to Budapest in search of something and came home with a full stomach and no awesome new Hungarian words for my foreign vocabulary. I tried so many amazing foods while I was there but there was one flavor that really stood out and stuck with me as one that I wanted to incorporate into my cooking - hot Hungarian paprika! Based on my March menu, you can see that the Eastern European cuisine has stuck with me and now I think it's about time I shared the flavors with you, darlings. (Also, please don't mind the photos, I had to capture shots of my leftovers because I was afraid I'd scare away the folks by having my camera out to capture their every deliciously satisfied nibble.)

this light and crisp Spring salad represents the lamb of March

To start, or finish depending on your preference, I prepared a simple Spring salad with frisee, mache rosettes, and sliced radishes. I originally planned on using watercress because I like the bitter creaminess of it, but then I saw the mache rosettes and they just looked so pretty. I'd never had this green before but it looked pretty similar to watercress so I gave it a shot; it was kind of the same but maybe a little sweeter. I topped the salad off with a tasty mustard vinaigrette that was super simple to make. In a small jar shake/stir together 1/3 c garlic infused olive oil, 1/8 c red wine vinegar, 1/8 c white vinegar, 1 bulb diced shallot, a pinch of sugar, dash of salt, and a few (or many, knowing me) turns of the pepper grinder, and 1 heaping tbsp whole grain mustard (my favorite is Tin Mustard for its mild flavor; I used the last of it for this recipe and don't know when I'll make it back to Bk to get some more, egads!) Refrigerate the dressing before serving. I like to serve the salad naked and let guests spoon their own dressing because everyone likes a different green to vinaigrette ratio. Ooo I also got to use my new salad plates! I found the whole set of four for only $9.99 at Home Goods! After all what's a dinner party without proper salad plates? What are we, animals?

Since I've been been piling my plates with veggies lately, the side salad was only the tip of the green iceberg. Uborkasalata is a mild Hungarian cucumber salad that kind of tastes like pickles and reminds me of the cucumber salad at M Shanghai. Using a mandolin, slice two large, peeled cucumbers, sprinkle with about 1tsp salt, and squeeze out all the water by putting the slices in between two sheets of paper towel, two plates and putting about 3-5 lbs of weight on them. Drain the water from the cucumbers every few minutes for an hour, changing the towels as necessary. In a medium sized bowl whisk together 1/4-1/2 c water (depending on how dry you were able to get the cucumbers,) 1/4 c white vinegar, pinch of sugar, and dash of garlic powder. Soak the cucumber slices in the liquid mix for a few hours in the fridge (at least 3 hours) until you're ready to serve. This dish should be served chilled. Make sure you serve it with a slotted serving spoon so that the vinegary juices don't get all over the hot dishes on your plate!

My third and final veggie dish was a quick and easy sauteed kale. Double or triple rinse 5-6 cups torn kale leaves, (they're usually pretty sandy when you get them fresh) but don't completely dry them. In a large skillet, heat up about 1-2 tbsp hazelnut oil with 1/2 tsp minced garlic, 1 tbsp diced shallots, and a handful of chopped hazelnuts. Add the damp kale leaves to the skillet and let cook down until it's wilted and tender. Season with course salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.

And now for the main course! The spaetzle can be made a couple of hours ahead of time which is probably a good time saving idea, especially since it will heat back up when you toss it with the brown butter. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a large bowl mix 3/4 c scant cold whole milk, 3 eggs, 1tsp salt, 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper, and 1/2 tsp fresh ground nutmeg. Add 1 c whole wheat flour and 1 c all-purpose flour in half cup batches and stir furiously, the batter will be pretty goopy. Using a colander, a slotted spoon or a bachshaufel, push the batter through in stringy, squiggly batches into the boiling water. Let simmer for about two minutes while the strands float to the top. Set cooked spaetzle aside in a covered, buttered bowl. Prior to serving, heat up about 1/4 c unsalted butter in a hot skillet until it starts to brown, toss the spaetzle in the butter until warm and serve immediately alongside the creamy paprika chicken which is also quite easy to make -

creamy paprika chicken

ingredients

5 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into large chunks

2 1/2 tbsp paprika - equal parts smoked paprika mixed with hot Hungarian paprika (like Szeged)

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1 onion, chopped

5-6 ripe plum tomatoes, chopped
1-2 c sliced mushrooms (optional)

2/3 c sour cream

course salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

directions

1. Toss cubed chicken in half the paprika mix with a little salt and pepper and set aside while you heat one tbsp butter in a large pan over a medium high flame. Cook the chicken, tossing occasionally until it is cooked through but not overcooked. Remove chicken to the bowl but keep the juices in the pan and slightly lower the heat.

2. Add the second tbsp butter to the pan adding the onion and cooking until softened, making sure to scrape up all the browning bits in the pan. Add the rest of the paprika and continue to cook, stirring and scraping for a couple minutes. Add in the tomatoes and 1/2-3/4 c water (depending on how much juice you've already got in the pan) and stir until the tomatoes are softened and the liquid is saucy. Add the mushrooms, if desired, and allow to cook through.

3. Dump the chicken and juices back in the pan to reheat and finish cooking, about five minutes. Stir in the sour cream and bring the mix to a simmer. Season with extra paprika, salt and pepper before serving  on top of or next to the spaetzle. YUM!

they might be leftovers, but they're still delicious!

                                                                                                                                                           
All of this tasty goodness was served up with two Austrian wines, a red and a white (I went to Austria on that trip, too!) They were both bold a dry and perfectly complimented the whole meal. Thanks to the folks at Chesapeake Wine Co. for the recommendations! This is truly one of my favorite meals and it turns out that the Wolf folks love it, too! I think I did a darn good job and genuinely impressed and satisfied our guests. How could a meal this filling and flavorful not put a smile on your face and some warmth in your belly! It's absolutely perfect for cool or chilly nights or just when you need something comforting. Something you'd want to enjoy while sitting around the kitchen table with your family.

looking over the Danube to Buda from Pest 

P.S. Earlier in the post I mentioned my trip to Budapest and that my reason for going there was a little bit of a search. What exactly was I searching for? Well, it's a little corny and embarrassing but I was out to find my soulmate. You see, my adorably, madly in love, amazing parents who have been married for about a billion years met at a bar in New Brunswick when they were teenagers (you could drink at 18 back in the day.) The bar was called the Budapest. So in my silly, dreamy mind I thought that if I went to the actual city of Budapest I might have a chance of meeting my soulmate. I didn't find my soulmate on that trip but, along with some great culinary inspiration, I was able to do a bit of self discovery. Hungary was the most foreign place I had ever been to but I still managed to get by (with the help of the amazing folks at Carpe Noctem Hostel) and explore one of the most beautiful cities I've ever seen. Hmm, maybe I'll have to go back through my photo albums (yeah, I think this was before I even owned a digital camera) and share a photoblog of my Budapest memories with you, darlings. Something to look forward to soon!

stark raving mad

I love counting down to things.  Whether it's a holiday, an occasion, or the release of something awesome, the anticipation and excitement that goes along with counting down to it makes the actual event even better.  There are a few things that I'm pretty pumped for right now but one far more than the rest - the season five premier of Mad Men!  And I'm not the only one who's getting super pumped for the big day (March 25th.)  Banana Republic is already displaying and advertising their line of 60s inspired clothes and Estee Lauder has released a Mad Men makeup collection.  And though I do look great in a wiggle dress and bright red lipstick, these "inspired by" collections aren't really what gets me going.  Instead, it's the themed viewing parties that are thrown by fans and for fans.  Parties where we can dress up and surround ourselves with all things 60s and drink classic cocktails, munch on favorite appetizers, dance to swinging sounds and watch as our favorite characters wrap themselves up in beautiful, stylized drama.  C'mon, we all know I love a good theme party!

Well, I don't have cable so my fellow Bettys and Joans and Peggys are going to have to find somewhere to go to watch the show, especially since the premier is an extra long, movie-like episode.  But that's just the viewing aspect.  The party can actually start at home with vintage cocktails and snacks.  And thanks to the smarty pants folks over at Nobody's Sweetheart, we've got Sally Draper's cocktail guides.  These are awesomely illustrated guides to all the classic cocktails seen on the show that you might stir up while slipping into your swing skirt or your skinny tie and suit.  Since the weather is warming up a bit, I suggest going with a nice, cool cocktail like a Manhattan or a Cuba Libre.  And if little Sally Draper can't seem to whip up something to your liking, head over to the official 1960s Cocktail Guide for Mad Men fans.  Quite a bit of crossover but the official guide introduces other libations like a tasty Negroni or the champagne classic and one of my fizzy faves, the French 75.  No matter what, make sure your liquor cabinet is fully stocked and that your freezer is packed with plenty of ice because when it comes to these, you might not be able to have just one.  And if your friends hear that you're whipping up a pitcher of Tom Collins', you might end up having an impromptu pre-viewing party party.  Also, to keep it accurate, make sure you've got the appropriate glasses.  I'm the kind of gal that drinks wine out of juice glasses and I have been known to take a shot of whiskey from an empty baby food jar, but that doesn't mean that I don't have a cabinet filled with proper tumblers and lowballs and flutes and other vintage barware.  If you want to make it truly authentic, get some tiny umbrellas and cute stirrers and colorful toothpicks while you're at it - getting drunk looks classier when you do it right!

But it's important to remember not to drink on an empty stomach.  So you'd better eat something before you start throwing back those Brandy Alexanders.  And what better to snack on than Trudy's Rib Eye in the Pan or Sal's Spaghetti and Meatballs or Betty's Around the World Gazpacho?  That's right, all your favorite Mad Men recipes have been compiled into a new cookbook for all of us fans of the show and theme parties.  It's got episode recaps, recipes from the show, and recipes from restaurants visited on the show.  And they've visited some really great restaurants on the show - Keen's, PJ Clarke's, and the Grand Central Oyster Bar to name a few.  I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of The Unofficial Mad Men Cookbook: Inside the Kitchens, Bars, and Restaurants of Mad Men, hint hint to any of you looking to get me a hostess gift or something.

All of these resources combine to give you the perfect tools to create a pretty amazing Mad Men viewing party in case you can't find one that someone else put together and you can just enjoy.  But what's the fun in that?  Planning a party is half the fun!  And if you need more tips, check out the show website for an official party planning pack... and be sure to send me an invite.  I've already got this year's premier outfit all laid out!

aloha amanda!

My dear friend Amanda has decided to take herself on the adventure of a lifetime - she's moving to Hawaii for a couple of months!  To send her off in fashion, we threw her an Aloha party and I fixed her up this delicious pineapple upside-down cake.  Though I used the same recipe that I always do, I tried it out with a different pan this time.  I'm sure we all remember the debacle of my Thanksgiving pear & walnut upside-down cake.  Well, this was a much more successful venture.  Perhaps it's because I waited until the cake was finished before I started indulging in the bubbly... or maybe it's because I used my beautiful chrysanthemum bundt cake pan.  Because of the deepness of the pan, the dense cake seemed to fluff up a bit.  Plus the ooey gooey melty caramel poured off of it like a volcano which was appropriately Hawaiian.  Funny fact - for Amanda's birthday last year, I fixed her up one of the world's best coconut cakes.  Something about the choices she makes for her sweet tooth lead me to believe that she had a predisposition to become a Polynesian Princess.  We're all sure to miss our dear gal and eagerly await her suntanned return.  Maybe I'll fix her up an apple cake to welcome her back to the Empire State.  And since Aloha means goodbye and hello, I don't think it would be too much of a stretch to say that another Aloha party will be in the works!  So, until your return, know that we love you and will miss you and hope that you have a great trip!  And Amanda, be sure to bring us back some awesome Kona coffee, macadamia nuts, and any other tasty treats from the islands.

we miss you already! xoxo

a champagne toast to the end of the world

Here's to the end of 2011.  It's been an interesting year to say the least, one filled with new friends, blizzards, broken bones, broken hearts, hurricanes and hopefulness.  I'm glad it's wrapping up and I am really excited about the prospect that tonight might just be that awesome New Year's Eve that I've craved all my life.  You know, the one that's spent wandering around with your friends, hopping from one awesome party to the next, having an epic kiss at midnight and then stumbling home around lunchtime on New Year's Day, covered in sequins, glitter and smeared lipstick?  Yeah, that's the kind of night I'm hoping for.  A 200 Cigarettes kinda night!  And though my dinner tonight will probably consist of something I rummage out of the back of the refrigerator as a mere sponge for the copious amounts of champagne I plan on enjoying later on in the evening, that won't stop me from providing my lovely readers with a New Year's menu that's sure to cap off 2011 right.

mmm look at paul rudd's side burns... i want to kiss him at midnight!

You see, last year, in an attempt to enjoy a quietly romantic holiday with my special someone and our favorite couple, I pulled out all the stops and made a fancy delicious dinner for four with the theme of the menu being, duh!  Champagne!  The food was wonderful and we had a lovely supper together before kicking off what would turn out to be a messy countdown and 2011 kickoff.  But let's not blame it on the food!  If you're looking for a quiet night in or a bit of pre-party dining with friends, you can't go wrong with this quick and simple meal.

new year's champagne supper

herb salad with walnuts & gorgonzola in a champagne vinnaigrette

creamy rosemary dijon roasted new potatoes

pan-seared asparagus

forty clove garlic roasted chicken

pear champagne sorbet

Everything on the menu is super easy but it's all so flavorful that your guests will rave about it and your belly will be happy and full and ready to start guzzling flutes of sparkly goodness.  I will admit that I did cheat a bit and roasted the chicken in a 40-clove garlic chicken braising base that I found at Williams-Sonoma but instead of slow cooking chicken pieces, I oven-roasted a whole chicken which I constantly basted with a mix of melted butter, homemade chicken stock and the 40-clove garlic braising sauce.  It was one of the most tender, juicy and flavorful chickens I have ever made so I make no apologies for the shortcuts I took.  The asparagus was simple, just a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper, nothing too crazy but I wanted more green than just a salad.  The salad on the other hand...

herb salad with walnuts & gorgonzola in a champagne vinnagrette

ingredients

2 c butter lettuce, rinsed and torn

1 c fresh curly leaf and flat leaf parsley, rinsed and torn

1/2 c fresh cilantro, rinsed and torn

1/2 c fresh fennel leaves, rinsed and torn

2 tbsp champagne vinegar

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 tsp dijon mustard

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

fresh ground salt and pepper

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 c crumbled gorgonzola

directions

1. In a large salad bowl, toss greens with cheese and walnuts.  Let chill aside until ready to serve.

2. In a smal dish, whisk together oil, vinegar, mustard, lemon juice, s&p until you have reached a dressing-like consistency.  Chill until ready to serve.  Lightly dress the cold greens with the vinnaigrette.

How easy is that?  And let me tell you, it's one of the best salads you've ever had.  Toss in some arugula for a bit of bitter spiciness or maybe chopped chives or fresh sweet basil, a red onion for some zest.  You can get really creative but this recipe is great and crisp and fresh and really pops, even in the dulls of winter.  You'll need something warm and creamy to pair with the crispy, refreshing salad, though.  That's where the potatoes come in.  I can't quite remember where I first saw this recipe for dijon roasted new potatoes, but I've made enough tweaks to it and fixed it up enough times without the recipe that I can safely say I've made it my own at this point.  It's always a hit and will make a great side next to nearly any meat or fish.  This time around I decided to make them a little creamy and toss in the extra bonus of fresh rosemary.  That's the great thing about a simple and basic recipe - it affords itself so easily to tweaking and experimentation once you've got the outline set in stone.

creamy rosemary dijon roasted new potatoes

ingredients

1 lb new potatoes thinly sliced, like potato chip thin

3 tbsp whole grain dijon mustard

1 tbsp champagne dijon mustard

1/4 c cream

1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped

directions

1. In an oven-safe casserole dish, toss all the ingredients together so that each potato slice is coated.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and start to brown.

I told you this meal was easy.  It gives you more time to reflect on the past year, consider your resolutions and enjoy time with your friends and family or random strangers that you'll be dining with.  The item on the menu that takes the longest time and is the most difficult is the dessert, especially if you don't have an ice cream maker which I did not.  Thankfully I have one this year, but I haven't busted it out just yet.  However, the meal would not be complete without a little bit of sweet to top it off before you start counting down or counting calories since we all know that tomorrow brings those horrible weight loss resolutions.  So enjoy the sweets now!  You only have a few more hours.

pear champagne sorbet

ingredients

4 pears, peeled and chopped (I used one of each kind I found in the store - Bartlett, Bosc, Anjou & Starkrimson, kind of like I did with that disaster of a cake)

3 c champagne or prosecco (you can use the cheap stuff but make sure you serve the good stuff to drink)

maybe a cup of sugar (it depends on how sweet your liquid and pears are, it's really to taste I think)

directions

1. It was a year ago so I don't really remember how this was done or exactly what the ingredients were but here's what I can recall.  Puree the pears and sugar in some water on top of the stove until they've reached a creamy consistency.  Mix with the champagne and pour into a metal pan, like one you'd use for brownies.  

2. Place the pan flat in the freezer and scrape the bottom about every 20 minutes for a few hours until all of the liquid is frozen and nothing is left on the bottom of the pan.  Keep frozen and continue to scrape until you're ready to serve.

3. When you're getting ready for dessert, remove the sorta sorbet from the pan and put it in a deep bowl.  Stir the mix until it looks more like a sorbet and serve immediately in pretty dishes with a flute of champagne on the side.

And there you have it - a wonderful meal to end the year on.  With that, I'm off to enjoy the last good day of the year with some wonderful friends.  And when midnight strikes I'm hoping for a big fat smooch, lots of sequins, sparklers, and a toast of real pain for my sham friends and champagne for my real friends.  Happy New Year everyone!  Here's hoping this isn't the beginning of the end of the world and that 2012 is just the beginning!

not just for jam anymore

I've had a lot of free time on my hands lately.  A lot of free time.  I wish I could say that I've been really productive with this time and that I've gotten a lot of work done or that I've read a bunch of books on my reading list or that I learned a new language or something.  But I haven't done any of that.  Instead, I've been taking advantage of the free cable by gorging on food channels and cooking shows while simultaneously perusing the internet for new foodie blogs to read or recipes to try out.  Not a complete waste of time because when I came across these tiny pies on Serious Eats the other day, I was truly inspired.  How adorable would it be to serve everyone their own little personal pie in a Mason jar?  I love Mason jars and I love pies so it seemed like a totally natural combination.  Plus, I've been itching to make a pie from scratch lately; can you believe I've never done that?  Well I almost did it this weekend.

Since I went a bit nuts baking and cooking up a storm this weekend, my mom convinced me to cheat and take the easy road for my pie crust by buying the already prepared kind from the grocery store.  Though I complained and whined about how wrong it is to cut corners, I'm kind of glad we did because being back in the kitchen the way I was the past few days really wore me out.  And we all know how important the pie crust is to the overall yumminess of the pie, so it would be pretty awful if I ruined the crust because that would ruin the entire pie since it's so itty bity.  So I succumbed to my mom's advice regarding the prepared crust and focused all my energy on the filling.  I've always been a huge fan of apple pies and since it's apple season, what better pie to bake than a warm, cinnamon-y apple pie?  So off we went to pick up a variety of apples because the more the merrier, and we came home with Granny Smith, Honey Crisp and Empire apples.

Now, I have major plans for an ultimate apple pie but the time isn't right for that yet so I had do a little research with an ancient copy of The New McCall's Cook Book for perfect apple pies but it just didn't seem to be what I wanted.  I remember being a kid and walking around the corner to buy those mini French Apple Pies that had plump, sweet raisins in them and how much I loved them.  But I had just made oatmeal raisin cookies the previous night and didn't want to use raisins again so I chose to go with a similar but more seasonal fruit - cranberries!  With my filling planned, I started lining seven Mason jars of various sizes with crust before figuring out that I had run out and wouldn't have any to top the jars with.  No worries because aside from my love of French apple pies, I also have a fondness for the sweet and crumbly topping of a traditional Dutch apple pie.  For something so all-American, this was starting to get awfully international.  But this globetrotting recipe turned out to be a huge hit, even with the biggest apple pie critic I know - my dad.  He loved it and even called me today to tell me that it was even tastier the next day after the ingredients had marinated a bit.  Me and my mom liked it a la mode with the new Sweet Chai Tea ice cream from Haagen Dazs for a little extra kick of Autumnal spice!

mason jar cranapple pies
ingredients
8 c apples, peeled and chopped into small chunks
1 - 1 1/2 c dried cranberries (use as much or as little as you want)
2/3 c sugar
2 tsp fresh ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 c plus 2 tbsp flour
1/2 c packed brown sugar
1/4 butter, room temp
rolled pie crust (homemade or store bought, whatever's easier)
directions
1. Preheat oven to 425.  Line shallow jars (7-10 depending on depth and size) with pie crust up to the lip and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, toss together apples, cranberries, granulated sugar, lemon juice, 2, tbsp flour, 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 tsp nutmeg.    Scoop into lined jars being mindful of any gaps or wholes that might not have any apples; the shape of some jars makes filling them kind of like doing a puzzle.
3. In a separate bowl combine remaining cinnamon and nutmeg with flour and brown sugar, blending with a fork until it it well combined and looks crumbly.  Evenly top each pie with the streusel topping filling the jar to the top.
4. Place all the jars on a baking sheet and bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the pie crust starts to look golden brown.  Let cool before serving because the filling will be super hot.  Serve each jar individually, on its own or a la mode with a scoop of chai ice cream and enjoy!

How perfectly adorable are these?!  Beyond a sweet and delicious dessert for the people you love, I can think of a few other uses for these little cuties.  Wouldn't they make wonderful place holders or seat markers at a dinner party?  You could put each guest's name on the lids (oh yeah, make sure you don't overstuff the jars so that you can put the lids on them for storage,) and put them at everyone's assigned seats.  You could freeze them before baking them and give them as gifts around the holidays, or give them fully baked as a hostess gift the next time someone invites you to a dinner party.  You might want to be careful when giving them as hostess gifts though because that gal might ask you to bring dessert to her next dinner party, so you'd better be prepared.  Or how about favors for a wedding or a shower?  They could be seasonal and local for the time and place of the event - cherry or strawberry rhubarb in the Spring, berries or peaches for Summer, pumpkin or pecan for Winter.  I can just imagine an idyllic Autumn wedding on a rustic orchard with teeny tiny apple pies in Mason jars as favors!  Almost makes me want to get married all over again... almost.  The jars don't necessarily have to be stuffed with pie either.  How about a cobbler or just the filling for future pie preparedness?  The possibilities are endless, always adorably sweet and sure to be a big hit with all the recipients.  What ideas do you have, readers?  How would you make this perfectly personal recipe your own?  How do you plan on dishing it out?  Let me know, I love hearing from you.

gluten-free gluttons

One of my favorite things to do is entertain.  I love to prepare a big feast and have a bunch of friends over to eat and drink and chat and be merry, maybe watch a movie or a football game, play some music or bust out the karaoke machine.  The only issues I ever encounter when hosting these dinner parties (other than running out of food or booze) are dietary restrictions.  A lot of folks these days are on special diets; but whether they're vegan or vegetarian, low carb, gluten-free, or diabetic, they deserve to eat as many tasty and delicious meals as anyone else!  So when I hosted a ladies night last night, I took all that into consideration and came up with a pretty tasty and festive feast - 

I whipped up a tasty south of the border fiesta, perfect for a sweltering summer evening.  With my famous summer squash slaw, overloaded tacos fille

d with brea

de

d an

d unbrea

de

d fish or spicy, pulle

d chicken, fiesta corn, chips & salsa, an

d enough guacamole to last a lifetime (or an evening with four hungry la

dies!) we were nearly stuffed and certainly satisfied. 

sneaking tastes before we even sit down

barefoot in the kitchen

can't get enough of that summer squash!

But one very important thing was missing - dessert.  As you've noticed from my previous posts, I rely pretty heavily on the old flour, butter, sugar combo.  In other words, not friendly for the gluten-free crowd.  But if I was going to create a confection worthy of my gal pals, I had to make a few substitutions.  And is there a better fill-in for flour than ground almonds?  I think not!  Well, unless you have a nut allergy but fortunately, none of these gals suffer from that unfortunate fate.  To match our Mexicali cena, I devised an awesomely rich, sweet, savory and spicy cake deserving of this very post.  

my gluten-free goddess

flourless mexican chocolate cake with cherries and almonds

ingredients

1 c halved pitted cherries

3/4 c sugar

1/2 c unsalted butter at room temp

4 eggs

6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 c finely ground almonds

1/2 c cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp fresh ground cinnamon

3/4 tsp cayenne or chipotle pepper

dash of course salt

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Blend butter, sugar, cocoa powder and spices together until creamy.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing well.  On a low speed, blend in ground almonds 1/2 c at a time.

2. In a small saucepan on a low heat, melt chocolate chips.  Stir melted chocolate into the batter very well.  Pour batter into a greased 8" pan.  Stir in halved cherries.

3. Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.  Serve with fresh cherries and salted caramel sauce.

cherry challenge part dos?

mmm salted caramel

devoured!

Now, the specifics of my delish new dish may not be exact because I'm quite certain I was suffering from heat exhaustion (or too much white wine consumption) while I was baking, so just make sure the pre-baked result looks like a proper cake batter.  But whatever I did, it was a total success and my ladies loved it.  And I love my ladies!  Thanks for an amazing night Paula, Isabelle and Victoria... you gals are beyond amazeballs and I love the heck out of each and every one of you!  I anticipate many more ladies nights in the future.

a sweaty and satisfied chef