cranberry applesauce to share

I recently made a large batch of this tart and delicious homemade applesauce for friends this February. The finished product was a home run!

Serve a spoonful atop oatmeal with a sprinkling of cinnamon or layer applesauce with Greek yogurt and granola for a delish breakfast parfait. Adapted from this recipe.

Cranberry Applesauce

yields approximately 3 cups

3 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and diced

1.5 cups fresh cranberries

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup apple cider

1 cinnamon stick

zest and juice of 1 lemon

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

pinch of salt

In a heavy saucepan, cook the apples, cranberries, sugar, apple cider, the cinnamon stick, and the zest over medium heat, stirring often, for 15-20 minutes, or until the apples are very soft. Remove the cinnamon stick and pass applesauce through a food mill or potato ricer. Stir in butter and salt. The applesauce keeps, covered and chilled, for 1 week.

This tart treat will keep you wanting more!

chocolate demo & breakfast for dinner

What a week!

Super Bowl, more snow days and pre-Valentine fun all packed in to one!

Have I got some comfort foods for you...

It all started on the chilly Sunday of the Super Bowl.

Although I'm not too interested in following football, I simply like watching the games and enjoying the food and drink that accompany the occasions.

After a trek for supplies, I spent the entire day preparing a Super Bowl feast for 30 fit for a king!

Chicken, Sausage and Pulled Pork Gumbo

When I said I was making a huge pot o' gumbo, I wasn't kidding.

I started by making a dark brown roux

(this was at "peanut butter" stage).

8 bell peppers, 4 red onions, 3 jalapenos, 2 pounds of rice, 8 pounds of chicken, 2 pounds of sausage, 3 pounds of okra, 2 pounds of pulled pork, 3 gallons of stock, 6 cans tomatoes, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, file powder and 7 hours later...

I was in business.

I cooled the gumbo down about 30 minutes, then we served it straight from the pot with homemade cornbread muffins crumbled right in the bowl.

Cornbread Muffins

Aunt Patti's 7-layer Dip

This dip is always the first to go at my family functions.

It begins with a layer of refried beans (use vegetarian if you please) + salsa + guacamole + sour cream + shredded cheese + black olives + sliced scallions.

Chill then enjoy with tortilla chips--

make sure to dip from the bottom!

Brisket & Hoisin Taquitos with three dipping sauces:

Jalapeno Ranch, Soy Ginger Reduction, Guacamole

Braised brisket tossed with hoisin sauce, fresh cilantro and scallions made a delicious taquito filling! I softened my flour tortillas in hot vegetable oil, rolled them with brisket mixture then baked them on sheet pans to crisp up.

Mexican Brownies with a Cinnamon Ganache

A dash of ancho chile powder in the batter and a sprinkle of cinnamon in the glaze added a kick of flavor to these luscious brownies.

These babies disappeared instantly.

After some brews, punch and camaraderie,

the party was one to remember!

On a later lazy evening alone,

I was craving breakfast for dinner and settled on some fluffy, buttermilk pancakes with ice cold milk:

Buttermilk Pancakes with Orange Marmalade Syrup

yields 8 pancakes

1 and 1/2 c AP flour

1 T sugar

1 t salt

2 and 3/4 t baking powder

1 egg

1 and 1/4 c buttermilk

1 t orange zest

3 T unsalted butter, melted plus additional for griddle

for syrup:

1/2 c orange marmalade

1 T lemon juice

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center of dry mixture and add remaining ingredients. Whisk from the center slowly incorporating the batter.

Let sit for 10 minutes.

Heat a large griddle or skillet over medium heat. Melt 1 T butter and scoop 1/4 cup increments of batter into rounds. Let pancakes cook on first side approximately 2-3 minutes until bubbles arise.

Turn heat down slightly then flip. Store first batch in a warm oven and repeat with remaining batter.

Meanwhile, heat marmalade and lemon juice in the microwave until warm and loosened approximately 1-2 minutes.

Serve atop hot pancakes with butter and a glass of cold milk.

Valentine cheer and the smell of cocoa were in the air after a festive Linguine and Dirty Martinis demo for the Junior Woman's Club of Fort Worth.

I arrived prepared for a three-pronged chocolate showing of simple techniques to use at home.

My demo included:

Chocolate & Toasted Almond Covered Cherries

Fleur de Sel Truffles

Cupid Chocolate Bark

before:

after:

The gals were given recipes and were full of great questions!

We simmered chocolate over a double boiler, made ganache, dipped cherries, rolled truffles and talked flavors.

There was fun had by all.

Many thanks to JWC for having me!

cocktail in hand & a gruyere-laced gratin

I've been reminiscent of growing up in Austin and my usual weekend breakfast with Mom and Dad. We lived downtown amongst the funky-hardwood homes of historic Hyde Park- far from suburbia. Every lazy Sunday, we would perch atop rickety wooden bar stools at the water-stained butcher block and chat amongst ourselves in the sun-drenched, sea-foam painted kitchen.

My mouth waters thinking about:

freshly-ground Anderson coffee and tart, grapefruit juice;
toasted wheat berry toast with apple butter and sour cherry jam;
softly scrambled eggs with a dash of cream;
paper towel-patted turkey bacon;
fresh berries & creme fraiche.

I've always been a juice addict (especially for fresh, tart grapefruit) so I recently took it upon myself to splurge on a juicer to fulfill all of my fresh-squeezed needs. After seeing Chef Wylie Dufresne juicing arugula on the tube- I knew the contraption was right up my alley. I designed this recipe to make by hand (no juicer needed) for those of you who don't impulse-buy kitchen appliances like me.

Ginger, Grapefruit and Habanero Juice

Serves 1.

juice of 1 grapefruit
1 T ginger, grated on a microplane
1/8 t habanero, grated on a microplane
Combine, chill then strain if desired. Garnish with grapefruit rind.

That evening, I couldn't pass up buying some gorgeous sea scallops at Central Market for dinner. For this recipe, I was inspired by some emerald, local thyme and a brightly-hued bunch of radishes. The savory shellfish were paired with these bright peppery vegetables, the lemon-laced herb, artisan salt and whole wheat pasta for depth.

Sea Scallops and Linguine
with Thyme Pesto, Easter Egg Radish & Black Sea Salt

Although the ingredients in this dish sound complicated, the dish is very simple to make.

Three steps:

1. make pesto
2. boil pasta
3. sear scallops

and you're finished!

Thyme Almond Pesto:

1/4 c fresh thyme
1/4 c almonds, toasted
3 T parmesan
zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
1 t honey
salt to taste
1/2 c olive oil

Combine all ingredients except olive oil and pulse in a food processor until smooth. Slowly stream in olive oil until desired consistency is reached. Season with salt to taste and set aside to later combine with linguine.

Pasta with scallops:

Serves 2.

1/2 lb fresh sea scallops, cleaned
1/2 lb pasta (I used whole wheat)
2 T unsalted butter
1/4 c easter egg radishes, sliced thin
fresh thyme to garnish
black lava sea salt to garnish

Put water on to boil for pasta. Meanwhile, season scallops with fresh ground pepper and a bit of salt. When water is boiling, add pasta and heat saute pan for scallops. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to hot pan and sear scallops on both sides until golden brown, about three minutes per side depending on thickness. Drain pasta and combine with butter and thyme pesto. To plate dish, place scallops atop swirled pasta and top with radishes and a sprinkling of black sea salt. Serve immediately.

I was spoiled silly on Superbowl Sunday with a decadent meal fit for a king (errr...saint)! Amongst camaraderie, tequila shots and birthday cake at my boyfriend's family's house, they served quite the spread:

Grilled beef tenderloin;
marsala glazed cremini mushrooms;
fusilli with fresh mozzarella, kalamata olives, sundried tomatoes, red wine vinegar
& a zucchini gratin with bumbling panko and gruyere.

I decided to end this post with an "Ode to Fred's" after a recent Sunday evening burger rampage. For some reason, I forget how truly delicious these greasy delicacies are until I sink my teeth into a new one. I decided on the smaller, 1/4 lb Fred's burger after a few too many jalapeno cheese fries. The savory beef, just-melted cheese and hand-cut fries were perfect with my frosty brew!

meat fab and the weekend I gained 20 pounds

Last week was a perfect week- I was off work for two days, my boyfriend was coming in for the weekend and we were road tripping together to go to Austin.

I also had a week of wonderful dining out and cooking. Monday morning began it all...

After a morning of Starbucks (hot green tea), Target and the bank, I met Cat at Central Market for lunch. I love the sandwich bar- so much to choose from.

I went for smoked turkey on sunflower bread (not on the menu but ask for it) with dijonnaise, provolone, cucumber, lettuce, tomato and avocado. I grabbed a side of pineapple and grapes and I was good to go.

Mine was tasty and simple but Cat's was definitely better...so pretty I had to take a picture. She got the oven-roasted turkey on ciabatta with an olive relish, sprouts, lettuce, tomato, oil and red wine vinegar. She also opted for fresh berries and blueberry lemonade. We sat outside...too beautiful to be stuck inside- great Monday.

Last Monday night was culinary class- meat fabrication. For me, it was a complete disaster. Maybe I'm just too hard on myself, but traditional beef recipes are just not my style. Within my group of three, we made:

Meatloaf with roasted garlic mashed potatoes and a horseradish, Worcestershire and ketchup glaze

Traditional beef stew with turnips, carrots and potatoes

Stuffed pork chops with a demi-glace

Pork shish kabobs with plum tomatoes, purple onions and rice pilaf

I was in charge of the beef stew, the rice pilaf for the shish kabobs and plating everything. The beef was tender, the vegetables were bright and the broth had good flavor but the stew never thickened to the right point, nor were the vegetables tender enough. The rice pilaf turned out ok. Sometimes the simplest things to cook at home are the most difficult to cook when you are in a industrial kitchen. So, in a nutshell...meat fabrication week was not my shining moment.

Thursday evening, my boyfriend Jared flew in from Nashville! By the time we got back from Love Field, most restaurants were closed so we hit up Boomer Jacks for some drinks and bar food.

Friday morning, we drove through Starbucks for a couple of hazelnut lattes, then headed to Austin to meet my Mom and my girlfriend Tyler for lunch at Blue Star Cafe. Amongst an appetizer of chicken quesadillas, we shared an Asian chicken salad, tarragon chicken salad sandwich, a maple-mustard turkey sandwich and a lemon cupcake. We returned to my parents house later for a quiet afternoon.

We had the whole family over for a Friday night cook-out. I was in charge of hors d'oeuvres, salad, sides and dessert (with my trusty sous chef, Jared) and Father James (good friend of the family) prepared the entree. The menu was:

Assorted beer and wine (La Crema chardonnay, Prosecco, Dos Equis and Shiner)


Roasted cashews with rosemary and cayenne

Roast unsalted cashews in a pan for a few minutes then toss with a few tablespoons of melted butter, minced rosemary and a few dashes of cayenne.
Garnish with a rosemary sprig in a pretty bowl.


Zucchini and shallot flat bread

Pre-made pizza dough is your best friend here- either get it raw from a pizza place or you can get the "dough in a can" stuff.
I rolled the dough into a rectangle, brushed the dough with olive oil and sprinkled fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt and pepper on top.
Top with thinly sliced zucchini and shallots.
Cook on 350 for about 15 minutes.
If the edges get too dark, cover with foil until the inside is fully cooked.
Cut into squares and serve on a rectangular tray or platter.


Arugula salad with fresh figs, crumbled asiago, toasted walnuts and a honey-garlic vinaigrette

Make the dressing...combine champagne vinegar, minced garlic, salt, pepper and honey and whisk in your extra virgin olive oil. I always eyeball my dressing proportions. If you do it and it tastes too much like vinegar, add oil...too oily, add an acid. Set dressing aside.
Toast your walnuts in a dry pan for a few minutes, slice figs and "crumble" your asiago wedge by taking off small chunks with a kitchen knife.
Toss all ingredients together with dressing, carefully not to bruise the figs. Garnish with more figs, asiago and walnuts on top.


Roasted new potatoes with rosemary

This doesn't get any easier. Slice red potatoes into uniform chunks (1.5 in x 1.5 in).
Arrange potatoes in a single layer on an edged baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt and freshly-ground pepper. Toss to evenly coat.
Roast at 350 for about 45 minutes (make sure you toss the potatoes around throughout cooking time and add minced rosemary halfway through to prevent rosemary from burning).
Serve on a large platter with string beans and chicken.


Haricot verts sauteed with butter and shallots

Snap the ends off the beans and blanch beans in boiling water for 3-4 minutes.
Immediately transfer to an ice bath to stop residual cooking and maintain pretty green color.
In a pan, heat olive oil and butter then add sliced shallots to saute.
After the shallots have become translucent, add the beans and coat evenly with the fat.
Add salt, freshly ground pepper and more butter if desired.
Saute until the beans are at your desired crispness.



Grilled chicken (marinated in a fig-chipotle sauce) stuffed with grilled portabellos, sun-dried tomatoes, prosciutto and goat cheese

I didn't make this one...but it looked pretty simple to to do.
Marinate boneless skinless chicken breasts in whatever sauce your desire. We used a fig-chipotle marinade.
Meanwhile, marinate two portabello mushrooms caps with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.
Grill both the chicken and mushrooms (only par-cook the chicken. After you stuff it, it will finish in the oven)
Butterfly each chicken breast and stuff with sliced, grilled portabello mushroom, a slice of prosciutto di parma, a pat of goat cheese, and a couple of oil-soaked sun-dried tomatoes (the oil from the tomatoes will keep the stuffing moist)
Transfer stuffed chicken to the oven until breasts are fully cooked through


Apple tart with cinnamon and lemon zest

My mom and I would always make this on the weeknights when I was in high school. It is so simple and tastes homemade.
You can either bake your own apples until softened or use frozen apples. We baked them.
After the apples are baked and cooled, combine with cinnamon, sugar and lemon zest.
Using a refrigerated pie crust, spoon in apple mixture and fold residual dough over to seal the filling in.
Top with an egg wash and turbinado sugar for crunch.
Bake at 350 until dough is golden brown.
Slice and serve warm with homemade whipped cream or vanilla-bean ice cream.

Homemade brownies (a la my grandmother, Becca)

Everything turned out delicious and disappeared within minutes. After dinner, a group of us headed to Kenichi for some sake and Sapporo.

Saturday morning, my mom and I made breakfast for the boys while they were glued to watching football.

We made really simple migas:
Cut corn tortillas into slices, saute with a bit of oil until crispy
In a separate pan, saute onions and red peppers until softened, add beaten eggs and season with salt and pepper
When eggs are cooked, fold in tortilla strips and top with shredded cheese. Cover pan to melt cheese.
Serve with salsa and fresh avocado slices.

Saturday night, Jared, Megan, David and i went to the Covey for dinner. The boys opted for beer (Texas Wheat, Weiner Bock, Amber Ale) and Megan and I split a bottle of Pinot Grigio. Once again, we were starving so we ordered way too much (and ate it all). To begin, we split a southwestern Greek salad with sweet peppers, feta and a hummus crouton. Next, we ordered the Ta-Tanka pizza (shaved bison, spicy Asian dressing, caramelized onions, fresh mozzarella and cilantro). It was SO delicious...perfect flavor combination. The pizza usually comes with roasted red peppers but I substituted them for the onions and cilantro. Try it!

Next, we ordered the blackened halibut tacos with a jalapeno cole slaw and a black bean and corn salsa. The tacos were flavorful and light with the perfect amount of heat. The corn and black bean salad was pretty worthless to me- not much flavor. Finally, we ordered the chocolate souffle served with vanilla bean ice cream. It was warm and gooey and the ice cream was addicting. Perfect dessert to share for an evening out.

Our weekend eating binge ended with Sunday morning brunch at Gloria's...huevos con papas with guacamole- too full to walk.

hors d'oeuvres and new fall attire

Oh, how do I miss Austin. Last Friday night Megan and I met my mom and her coworker at Hyde Park Grill...a local favorite. The restaurant is located in central Austin's historical Hyde Park- where I grew up. I was craving the steamed dumplings with chicken, ginger, cabbage and carrots. It was accompanied by a spicy Thai sauce that was almost too hot to handle.

After wine and their delicious margaritas were passed around the table, Mom ordered the crispy crab cakes with spiced, roasted sweet potatoes. Megan went for the eggplant sandwich- lightly fried with Gouda and olive tapenade with Hyde Parks' famous buttermilk-dredged french fries and remoulade for dipping. I was in a veggie mood...I ordered the veggie plate with steamed, crisp broccoli, sweet corn and cheese tamales, green chile mashed potatoes and a corn and edamame saute.

During the meal, dessert was the main thing on my mind. We ordered Wom Kim's Peach pudding (my favorite growing up)- a lightly sweetened, warm, airy cake atop ripe peaches served with fresh cream and the banana cream pie with mounds of homemade whipped cream and sliced bananas.

My mom had a "purse" party on Saturday afternoon and Megan and I were in charge of food. Our finger-food menu was:

Bruschetta with fresh garlic, white beans, sun dried tomatoes and chiffonade basil

Watercress salad with roasted cashews, Bosc pears and an Asian vinaigrette
(lime juice, olive oil, fresh cracked pepper and a touch of soy sauce)

Manchego cheese drizzled with a honey brown butter sauce with fresh figs

The party was great and we snacked all afternoon. Around 5 p.m., Megan and I met the "girls" of my family at the legendary El Patio for some nachos and margaritas. There is something about the nachos there that is so addicting. We then hit up Anthropologie on Lamar and 6th for some funky pieces for Fall- I left with an embroidered sweater, satin hoodie, vintage earrings and a cream blouse- mission accomplished.

For dinner, we met my friend Megan Rother and her boyfriend Joel at Cuba Libre on 5th and Colorado. After a pitcher of mojitos, we split a platter of coconut shrimp with a honey sauce, chicken satay with guacamole and veggie empanadas with a saffron sauce. After dinner, we hit up West 6th for some beer, shots and camaraderie.

Sunday morning breakfast was back to basics: scrambled eggs, sausage, blackberries and creme fraiche, cinnamon rolls, orange juice and coffee. We were then off to the Domain to hit up Betsey Johnson, Free People, Barney's and but of course...my home away from home...the makeup counter at Neiman Marcus (my mom and I both share this guilty pleasure). After making friends at the Chantecaille counter...it was back to Fort Worth.