Pillows A'Plenty

I've decided that "Pillows" are my signature dish. I did some experimenting this Fourth of July, thinking I'd monitor reactions on the party guinea pigs. Well, that didn't work out because they all disappeared the moment I set them down! I'll take that as a good sign.

I experimented with my very first whole wheat pastry crust, and it's delicious. I prefer it with the savory pillows, but I think extra sugar on top would make a difference on the sweet.

These are really easy to make, and easy to experiment with. The fillings need some tweaking, I admit. As usual, I didn't find the EXACT ingredients I wanted; our little grocery store didn't have Greek feta, so I was forced to try Mexican feta, which is incredibly bland, and not feta like at all.

Also, the ricotta and sour cream blend was delicious, but wasn't as flavorful as I would have liked.



But aren't they ADORABLE?!

Start with two batches of whole wheat pastry dough (one batch makes about 13 Pillows, so if its for a party, two batches will make enough for everyone.) I made each batch separately (rather than doubling the recipe, then splitting it) - but I'm sure it would work either way.

Whole Wheat Pastry Dough
7 Tabs butter (I used salted)
1 1/4 C. whole wheat pastry flour
1/8 tsp. salt
2-3 Tabs. ice water

Start with very cold butter (I stuck mine in the freezer for a while). Have your ice-water at the ready. Add flour and salt to a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Add butter one Tab at a time, and pulse processor until the butter is incorporated, and crumbled into pea sized bits. Add ice water one Tab at a time, pulsing, until the dough starts combining and forming a ball.

Remove dough from processor, shape into a ball, then wrap in cellophane, and pat into a disc shape. Refrigerate for about a half an hour.

Prepare fillings.

Roll out flat until about 1/8 inch thickness. Using a cutter, cup, martini shaker, or whatever you have on hand, cut into discs about 4 inches in diameter. Each batch makes about 13 discs.



Spinach and Feta Filling
2 cups frozen spinach (I used bag variety, but the packaged type would do)
1 1/2 cup feta cheese (give or take, separated)
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook spinach in microwave (or stovetop) until tender. Drain, and squeeze out as much water as you can. Add 1 cup of feta cheese (setting aside 1/2 cup) to spinach, stirring together with a fork (not too blended).

Spinach Feta Pillows
1 egg white (beat gently with a fork)
1 Tab kosher or sea salt

Place a pinch of plain feta cheese in the upper half of a dough disc. Spoon about a tablespoon of spinach and feta mixture on top, then fold disc in half. Seal edge by dipping a fork into egg white, and pressing fork around the edges.
Once all pillows are assembled, brush the top of each with egg white, and sprinkle with salt. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.




Blueberry Ricotta Filling
1-2 cups frozen blueberries
1/2 cup sugar (separated)
2 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 cup sour cream (optional)

Place frozen blueberries in a bowl and stir in 1/4 cup sugar, until blueberries are coated. Combine ricotta and sour cream. Add half of blueberry mixture, and stir until combined, gently squeezing juice from berries.



Blueberry Ricotta Pillows
1 egg white
1-2 Tab sugar

Taking one dough disc at a time, spoon a small amount of ricotta mixture into the upper half of the disc, then add about 1/2 Tab blueberries, then fold disc in half. Dip fork into egg white, and seal the edges as above. Pierce the top of each pillow a few times with a toothpick or skewer, brush the tops with egg white, then sprinkle sugar on top. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

Almond Pillows

What is a girl to do when she’s at home alone on a Saturday, too lazy to go to the store, and needing sugar like a cat needs it catnip (this is a profound need, if the cat is near enough to the nip to know it's there)? She scrounges through the cupboards, freezer, and cookbooks to see if there’s anything she can throw together. With sugar.

In the freezer? Frozen pie dough left over from Thanksgiving 2006 (basic Martha Stewart dough recipe). Also, some almond paste left over from Christmas Morning Bear Claws. What could a freezer and 6 or 7 months do to ruin these things? I decided not to answer the question, and to forge ahead.

I rolled the dough out to about 1/4 inch thickness, and cut it into circles with a cookie cutter. Then I put a small amount (about 1/2 Tab.) of the almond paste in the center, then folded the circles in half. I brushed the edges with egg whites, and used a fork to seal the deal. As a final touch, I brushed the tops with egg whites, and sprinkled with sugar, then baked them for about 25 minutes at 350 (or until golden brown).

While these DID taste a little like freezer (I ate them too fast to judge), I must say they were a wonderful invention. I have decided these are a staple, and perhaps a signature dish. I will make Pizza Pillows, Mexi-Pillows, Blueberry Pillows, Cinnamon Apple Pillows, Pumpkin Pillows, Pecan Pillows...need I go on?

Oatmeal Lace Cookies

I have always loved these cookies. A friend of the family used to own a food company in the Seattle area called “Canterbury Cuisine” – they sold healthy, gourmet baking mixes, soup mixes, etc. that required just a couple ingredients added in order to make all kinds of treats. I had the great fortune of babysitting for the owner, and would always salivate over the various mixes in her pantry.

One time, under the guise of a “baking lesson” I set about baking a cookie mix with my charges – it was an Oatmeal Lace Cookie mix. And to this day, I still dream about its deliciousness. I have not found a comparable recipe that can measure up to the crunchy and chewy texture of that mix, but I am beginning the journey now. I don’t care how fat it makes me, or my husband (who is actually starting to complain about what this blog has done to his waistline – this last batch of cookies particularly, as oatmeal cookies are his favorite. Though I ate WAY more than he did, and suffered for it in many ways) I will find the perfect recipe!

I started with the simplest recipe I could find – and simple as it is, it yielded a tricky result. The first batch just spread all over the cookie sheet, like one flat pan-sized cookie. I had to use a spatula to separate it into sections while it was still hot, then bake for a few minutes longer in order to get anything resembling a cookie. The second and third batches were progressively better, as I started with smaller scoops of dough, and fewer dropped on the sheet. Also, the original recipe said to bake for 8-10 minutes, but I found these needed at least 12 minutes in order to be firm enough to remove from the cookie sheet.

I think these would be even better with a little cinnamon added!

Warning: there is a LOT of butter in this recipe. A LOT. So these are very rich, as dainty as they look.



Oatmeal Lace Cookies (Trial #1)

2 sticks of butter, room temperature
3 c. oatmeal (uncooked)
1 c. sugar
½ tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. salt

Cream butter, sugar and vanilla and salt together in the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment. Once mixed, fold in the oatmeal, one cup at a time, ensuring each cup is sufficiently combined.

Drop in 1/8 c. sized balls onto a baking sheet (I used a silpat) with several inches between each scoop, as these cookies will flatten out completely as they bake.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool a bit on the cookie sheet (they harden as they cool) before transferring to a cooling rack.

Sweet and Savory Dinner Party

I did it again. Planned a party and a menu that meant 3 days of cooking. This time though, I enjoyed every minute of it, up until the last 5 minutes before guests arrived and I was frantically working on the cream sauce, and my phone was ringing…that stressed me out a little bit, but I threw my phone at Mr. Roux, and managed to get everything ready in time, so I could enjoy myself thoroughly with my guests.

The original invitation list was for about 15 people, about 10 RSVP’d, and only 4 were able to make it in the end. But I had determined to cook enough food for any number who wanted to come by, in the spirit of sharing the food fun. There were PLENTY of left overs! My ONLY complaint: 3 of the 4 guests were girls, who eat like birds, so they didn’t eat nearly enough in my opinion…

I’ve decided to host dinner parties on a regular basis, and am using my Buddhist group as an excuse. I am a member of this great organization (www.sgi.org - watch the video on the media tab! Or www.sgi-usa.org to find a group near you), and get to practice with the COOLEST people in the world, but after our small discussion meetings, there is NEVER enough time to hang out, chat, catch up, get to know each other… so the spirit of these dinner parties will be Dinner and Dialog – sometimes there will be 2 people, maybe someday 10 – I don’t care, I like to cook and I like to run my yap. The inaugural Dinner and Dialog was fantastic – and we were all shocked to see it was 3AM when the chat fest started winding down! Sure success.

Le Menu:
Roasted Vegetable Tapenade
Hummus
Irish Soda Bread
Parmesan Pepper Crackers

Iceberg wedges
Blue Cheese Dressing

Lemon Fusilli
Tuna Tartare served on Endive
Chicken Veronique

Lemon Yogurt Cake
Orange Chocolate Mini-Cakes
Homemade Grand Marnier Vanilla Ice Cream

I realize how ambitious this all looks. And I suppose it was. Honestly, each recipe was as simple as could be. I made the hummus, blue cheese dressing and lemon yogurt cake on Thursday evening. Friday night I made the orange chocolate cakes and the crackers. This left the roasted veg tapenade, ice cream, pasta, tuna, and chicken for Saturday. I got up pretty early to get started, and had JUST enough time.

I must officially thank Ina Garten once again for her inspiration and recipes! I took the liberty of some variations… here’s one, which is simultaneously an I Love Lucy moment; I added a cup of mayo instead of a half a cup of mayo to the Chicken Salad Veronique. I hate mayonnaise, so it was a tough 10 minutes for me scooping out un-stirred mayo from the mix. I ended up doubling the celery and grapes, and adding roasted pecans in order to bring balance back to the bowl.

Recipes/links** and commentary below! I only put pics of the most photogenic dishes below – sadly, I have neither the artistic eye nor photographic talent of Mallow who can make any dish look like a still life!

Roasted Vegetable Tapenade (variation of Roasted Eggplant Spread - see
Foodnetwork.com)

4 small zucchini
2 red bell peppers, seeded
1 red onion, peeled
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tb. Olive oil
1 ½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
1 Tb. Tomato paste

Preheat oven to 400. Cut veg and onion into 1-inch cubes. Toss them in a large bowl with the garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread them on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes until the veg are lightly browned and soft, tossing once during cooking.
Cool slightly.

Place the veg in a food processor fitted with a steel blade, add the tomato paste, and pulse 3 or 4 times to blend. Taste for salt and pepper.

(This was so delicious. I used the zucchini instead of eggplant, since it's the one food I hate. I would have liked it with olives and some spicy pepper as well!)

Hummus
2 cans chick peas/garbanzo beans, drained
¼ cup tahini
juice of 2 lemons
1 Tab. Pepper flakes
3-4 cloves garlic
2 Tab. Olive oil

Put everything but the olive oil in a food processor fitted with blade attachment. Blend thoroughly, adding the olive oil slowly while everything else blends.

(This makes a pretty mild hummus – you can really jazz it up with some artichoke hearts, roasted peppers, or any think you like!)

Parmesan Black Pepper Crackers (See Foodnetwork.com)

(I followed the recipe very closely, and ended up with very crumbly dough that was hard to roll into a log. It was much easier to deal with once frozen, but once cooked I found them a little too delicate to dip into either of my spreads. So we ate them for dinner on Friday.)

Irish Soda Bread (from “Barefoot Contessa At Home”)

4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for the currants
4 Tab. Sugar (optional)
1 tsp. baking soda
1½ tsp. kosher salt
4 Tab. (1/2 stick) Cold unsalted butter, cut into Tabs.
1¾ cups cold buttermilk, shaken
1 extra large egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp. grated orange zest
1 cup dried currants

Preheat oven to 375. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silpat.
Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is mixed into the flour.
With a fork, lightly beat the buttermilk, egg and orange zest together in a measuring cup. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. Combine the currants with 1 Tab. Of flour and mix into the dough. It will be very wet.
Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and knead it a few times into a round loaf. Place the loaf on the prepared sheet pan and lightly cut an X into the top of the bread with a serrated knife. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. When you tap the loaf, it will have a hollow sound. Cool on a baking rack. Serve warm or at room temp.

(I decided to make this easy slightly sweet bread to dip into the savory spreads, as I really like the combination of sweet and savory – go figure. It was particularly good with the veg tapenade. I might leave the sugar out next time if serving with savory stuff.)

Blue Cheese Dressing (from “Barefoot Contessa At Home”)
½ lb. Roquefort cheese (I used crumbled blue cheese)
1 cup mayo
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. tarragon wine vinegar
2 Tab. Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)

Place half the cheese, the mayonnaise, heavy cream, vinegar, 1 tsp. salt and ½ tsp. pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until combined but still chunky. The other half of the cheese should be crumbled over the top of salad, but I added it to the mix. It was too thick. If you’re using this as a dip, its fine to add all the cheese, but as a dressing, you only need half.)



Lemon Fusilli with Arugula (See Foodnetwork.com)

(This was SO delicious. The arugula wilts just so, and the tomatoes get tender and juicy! A great dish for feeding the masses.)


Tuna Tartare (See Foodnetwork.com)

(I was a little disappointed that the tuna absorbed the soy sauce enough that it turned sort of a brown/gray color, rather than a pretty pinky color. GREAT flavor, and so lovely with the avocado. The peppery endive is a great edible spoon.)


Chicken Salad Veronique (See Foodnetwork.com)

(Again, I hate mayonnaise, but if it’s a good balance and not too gooey, I can take it. This worked out perfectly. I really liked the added crunch and depth of the pecans.)

Lemon Yogurt Cake (See Foodnetwork.com)

(Once I poured the juice and sugar mixture over the warm cake, all I could think about was the fact that most of the syrup was ending up on wax paper on the tray below. Once the cake had cooled, I wrapped it in the syrupy wax paper, then wrapped the lot in plastic wrap, hoping the cake would absorb more as it rested. Success! Also, instead of the glaze, I used butter cream frosting, with added lemon zest. I probably won’t next time.)

Mini Orange Chocolate Chunk Cake (See Foodnetwork.com)

(Um… Yum!? These almost didn’t need the chocolate syrup. I think I would have preferred them with a glaze instead, so the chocolate isn’t so overwhelming. I could eat these all day on into the night.)

Vanilla Grand Marnier Ice Cream
4 egg yolks
½ cup sugar
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 cup cream + ¾ cup milk, scalded
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 ½ tsp. Grand Marnier liqueur

Beat egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer using paddle attachment on med. For 3 minutes, or until very thick. Reduce speed to low, and add cornstarch.

Slowly pour the hot milk into the eggs, with the mixer still on low. Next, pour this mixture (now like a custard) into a sauce pan and cook over low heat until the spoon coats with cream. (Don’t allow the temp to rise above about 150-160).

Pour the sauce through a fine strainer, add vanilla and Grand Marnier. Freeze using an ice cream maker per manufacturer’s instructions. Freeze in an air-tight container until ready to eat. Serves 4-5.

**My sincerest apologies! The hyperlink function is not currently working?! I have to annoyingly direct you to www.foodnetwork.com for recipe reference.

My First Cupcakes

I’ve never made cupcakes, probably because I figured I would eat them all in one sitting. But as they are probably still the number one fad-food going these days, I decided to try my hand. I don’t have a lot of strong opinions about cakes in general, except that I’m usually disappointed by them. They’re usually too sweet, or dry. The frosting usually just tastes like powdered sugar and butter. There are of course exceptions – my dad has an amazing chocolate cake with a chocolate ganache frosting that is a family favorite. We made it famous among friends at our wedding, when we shared the recipe and its secret ingredients with the kitchen at the Wild Basin Lodge in Estes Park, Colorado. All my friends had heard of these cupcakes, but didn’t quite get what we meant by “special” until they took their first bite.

I guess I also avoided making cupcakes because; what was the point? There is only one recipe that is worth eating: my dad’s. I also haven’t done the big taste-testing that a lot of people do, as most cupcakes taste the same to me (other than my dad’s). Magnolia never fails to disappoint. They taste like sugar mixed with sugar and flour. They set the trend, but the product in my opinion doesn't live up to the hype. There are many cupcakeries all over the city with their own version, many of them are former Magnolians, I hear. And I have friends who SWEAR by so-and-so’s and such-and-such’s cupcakes. I just haven’t really cared much. Yawn.

After an Armageddon-like rainy Sunday spent indoors, my husband and I decided to venture out during the eye of the storm, when the sky had stopped dumping, and there was an eerie warmth and quiet in the air. We made it to and from our Corner Vegetable Store just in time, as the sky opened up again, this time with electrical fury. Our fruit and vegetable market is so fabulous – it’s open 24 hours, and they have so much more than just the fruit and veg; tons of canned foods, baked goods, juices, cereal, herbs, some dairy, nuts, coffee beans by bulk…and all sold so cheaply that even if Fresh Direct DID deliver to us, we would continue to cross porn-store avenue to get our produce.

While there, Mr. Roux scanned the snack selections for some kind of sweet. There were the usual Entenmanns cookies and donuts, but he wisely passed them up when he saw the “25% more, free!” advertised on the boxes. He knew that we would eat all 125% ourselves, even though it was meant for a family. So I promised to bake something fun.

The cupcake recipe I dug out of an old issue of Cook's Illustrated. I trust their test kitchen implicitly, and wish I could just camp out in one, giving my opinions and consuming all the test foods – successes and failures alike. They touted this as the best cupcake recipe, so who was I to argue? They suggest a chocolate ganache frosting to pair with the simple yellow cakes, but I didn’t have all the necessary ingredients. I found an easy frosting recipe in my new Better Homes And Gardens Cookbook. (Tangent: I so wished that I would have gotten this red and white checkered cook book as a wedding present, but I didn’t. I always associated it with “your first year as a wife” kind of thing. So I bought it a couple weeks ago myself and realized it was the one key cookbook missing from my mostly cookbook-bare kitchen. From the notebook layout, the tabs, to the meat, herb, mushroom, and poultry guides within – this is the funnest cook book ever. Granted, the recipes tend to be for the “busy parent” – in that they are not all based on fresh ingredients, I find the variety and basics very helpful.)



Results: The cake is good! I like that they’re a little tangy – the sour cream keeps them moist and adds a little zip. I almost wish I had taken them one step further and added lemon zest. I might have over baked them, as the top of the cupcakes were a little crunchy on the edges (I like this, but I don’t know if it’s de rigueur). The frosting wasn’t the best pairing. As my husband put it “it’s like whipped cream, or cool whip. Not like frosting." And he’s right – I really liked it’s tanginess too – again from the sour cream, but it wasn’t substantial enough when spread on a dense cake. I think this frosting would be PERFECT on a really light lemon cookie, or a light, tart lemon cake. But these cupcakes really wanted something a little denser. I will say that I was pleasantly surprised by how well the frosting held up – I thought it would melt instantly, and run down the sides of the cakes. But it held up like a meringue. Mr. Roux ended up scraping off the frosting so he could eat four, one right after the other. I managed to eat two, and brought the rest in to work.

A couple of recipe notes: I didn’t have room temperature butter or eggs, as the recipe calls for. Per the test kitchen notes in Cooks Illustrated, I added the cold butter one tablespoon at a time to the dry ingredients in the mixer until they were blended, and got fine results. Also, where the cupcake recipe indicates your batter should be “smooth and satiny”, I found mine wasn’t as much of a satin liquid as I expected, a little doughier.
Lastly, I baked these in foil cupcake liners set on a cookie sheet – no cupcake tin required!

Yellow Cupcakes (from Cook’s Illustrated Jan/Feb 2005)

1 1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (one stick) unsalted butter (room temperature)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 large egg, room temperature
2 large egg yolks, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1) Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin cupcake tin with paper or foil liners (or place 12 foil liners on baking sheet).

2) Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Add butter, sour cream, egg and egg yolks, and vanilla. Beat at medium speed until smooth and satiny, about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula and mix by hand until smooth and no flour pockets remain.

3) Divide batter evenly among cups of prepared tins using 2 oz ice cream scoop or heaping tablespoon. Bake until cupcake tops are pale gold and toothpick or skewer inserted into center comes out clean, 20-24 minutes. Use skewer or paring knife to lift cupcakes from tin and transfer to wire rack; cool cupcakes to room temp about 45 minutes.
4) Spread 2 to 3 generous tablespoons of frosting on top of each cooled cupcake; serve.


Easy Crème Fraiche Frosting (from Better Homes and Gardens cookbook)

1 8 oz dairy sour cream
1 cup whipping cream
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a large mixing bowl combine sour cream, whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until mixture thickens and holds soft peaks. This frosts the tops and sides of two 8 or 9 inch cake layers, halve the recipe if making cupcakes (unless you like lots of left-overs!). Store frosted cake (or cupcakes) in refrigerator.

Pas Pots De Crème

Sigh. Heavy, heavy sigh. I’ve mentioned before that I have my I Love Lucy moments in the kitchen. They’re usually of the “hey, I can fix this and make it okay” variety, but sometimes they lead to great dissatisfaction and disappointment.
I’ve been coveting this recipe since January when I received my Martha Stewart February Valentine issue. I’ve had the expensive dark chocolate in the freezer for two months, somehow managing to ignore its presence every time I required a sweet, saving and hoarding it until I could try this recipe.
The thing I loved about this recipe is that the only sugar involved was that found in the chocolate bars themselves. I had even been dreaming up the subtle variation I could make to the recipe to make it taste more like Jacques Torres Wicked chocolate – the ingenious addition of cinnamon and pepper flakes, making it a little spicy, and bringing out the depth of flavor of the dark chocolate.

Wonderful intentions, all.

I’m sure every person who tries a new recipe makes mistakes. Even the kind I made. I bet even Ina Garten has made this kind of mistake, and just started over! But I realized my mistake too late, and decided to pout instead, and stubbornly move on to other things. Mainly TV watching.



I think the lesson here is to read the entire recipe through a FEW times before beginning. Maybe even just before measuring. That way, when you have poured the chocolate mixture into the serving dishes and are putting them in the oven, and you look back and realize that you poured the entire amount of cream (3 ½ cups) into the mixture, rather than reserving one cup for a whipped cream topping, you won't cry.

And as pretty as these look, they are mostly inedible. Imagine a delicious chocolate truffle, but a bowl sized portion rather than bite-sized. I have managed to find a creative use for my 6 portions of Pas Pots de Crème, but melting a spoonful in the microwave and pouring it over ice cream just doesn’t have the same enjoyment factor as a successfully tackled recipe.

Spiced Pots de Crème

6 ounces best quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
3 1/2 cups heavy cream (reserve one cup for whipped cream)
6 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1-2 teaspoon pepper flakes

Boiling water for pan

1. Preheat oven to 325. Put chopped/shredded chocolate, cinnamon and pepper flakes into a medium bowl. Bring 2 1/2 cups cream (remember to reserve one cup) to a simmer in a small saucepan. Pour over chocolate in bowl. Let stand 5 minutes, and then stir until smooth.
2. Whisk together egg yolks, vanilla, and salt in large bowl. Pour chocolate mixture through a fine sieve into the egg mixture. Whisk all ingredients together.
3. Place 6-6 ounce oven proof cups or ramekins into a roasting pan. Pour chocolate mixture into cups dividing evenly. Pour enough boiling water into the roasting pan so it comes halfway up sides of cups. Cover pan with foil. Cook until custards are barely set, about 2 minutes.
4. Transfer cups to a wire rack, and let cool slightly. Cover each cup with plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour (up to overnight).
5. Beat the remaining cup cream until stiff peaks form. Spoon a dollop over each Pot de Crème before serving.

Spicy Sautéed Collard Greens

The one vegetable I’ve always really loved is spinach. I would devour it even as a kid, and particularly loved it with red wine vinegar. To this day, I could eat huge, massive portions of this leafy green and not feel like I’m eating something good for me. My mom always gave us the frozen kind when we were kids – that came out of the package in a frozen solid, furry green block - and to this day, it’s still my favorite variety, even more so than fresh spinach.

I’ve tried to branch out a bit, and try all other types of leafy greens. I like salads, when my plate is piled with a variety of ingredients that makes the lettuce almost pointless (red peppers, apples, grape nuts, kidney and garbanzo beans, nuts, olives…). I prefer the crunch of romaine, but will tolerate a little limp red leaf thrown in. Frizee is stupid - bitter and totally unsatisfying to eat. Kale is good, when cooked to a spinach-like limpness and smothered with red wine vinegar. I’ll also eat kale when mixed in with other things – the vegan restaurant Angelica Kitchen in the East Village makes an amazing plate with seaweed, kale, steamed sweet potato, brown rice and tofu. That Wee Dragon Bowl with the Southern Style Cornbread, ginger carrot spread, and soup of the day is to die for when my body screams for fiber, nutrition, and passive aggressive thinly veiled contempt from a waiter. I also adore red Swiss chard.

But I don’t cook many of these very often. Sometimes I will buy a bunch of one green or another with the best of intentions, stuff it in the crisper drawer, and forget about it until it decomposes and is discovered as the source of that rotten smell of decay.

Like a lot of native North Westerners, collard greens were new to me when I moved to NYC. As a food popular in the southern US, rarely did its purveyors make their way to the often grey and misty upper left territories. But in the most diverse city in the world, southern delicacies are easy to come by – just like most any cuisine. My first few encounters with collards were in their usual form; long simmered with ham hock and bacon. Delicious. But I wondered about other, less meatified versions of cooking collards. While the traditional recipe is one I enjoy, I rarely have ham hock in my refrigerator, and usually my bacon is of the turkey variety.

Then came Restaurant Week in Brooklyn.

I had never taken advantage of Restaurant week – while I would LOVE to taste what the expensive, high-end restaurants have to offer on their Prix Fixe menus, usually 3 courses for a mere $20 – crowded, loud restaurants with trendy richers and poseurs slumming it with us plebeians just never held any appeal to me. But my experience last week with Tennille was enlightening. Maybe my original judgment was founded in places like Le Cirque (I say this not having the slightest idea what I’m talking about – maybe Le Cirque is a lovely place with lovely people, I’ve never been. I just know its name is usually used in a sentence following words like “Paris” and “Hilton” – two words when strung together tend to send a sliver of evil, and well, yes, envy, down my spine – but I wish her happiness and…self discovery, and a dose of unconditional love…from someone, hopefully her Daddy, who I suspect is the source of her very public attention pandering.)

So, after a day of “boutiquing”, during which I for the first time EVER bought a pair of designer jeans for more than $100, and expensive perfume oil, I was in an “I’m enjoying treating myself in a more-than-Old Navy-kind-of-way” kind of mood. We sat down for some decadent 4PM cocktails at a cute little bartique (I believe that’s two phrases I’ve coined in this paragraph) in Park Slope. I had a lychee martini. Are you kidding? It was so fruity and delicious, I had a second one. I don’t usually order the fruity drinks, but as I said, I was feeling decadent.

Leaving a bar when there's still daylight, with a buzz, tends to send the message “let’s eat!” to my feet. Knowing it was still Restaurant Week, we meandered down 5th avenue wondering if we could get into Applewood. Then we saw the mecca of untouchables in my restaurant rolodex. Blue Ribbon.

I associate Blue Ribbon with a few things: 1) After-restaurant-or-bartending-shift dinner. They’re open until like 4AM, and for people with a lot of cash in their pocket and a menu with a long list of appetizers it was always the perfect late night spot for my co-workers back in the day. 2) Bone marrow. One of my former fellow bartenders couldn’t wait to sink her teeth into their bone marrow with oxtail marmalade. I’m not kidding. 3) Best. Bread. Ever.

Blue Ribbon began in Manhattan, expanded to Blue Ribbon Sushi and Blue Ribbon Bakery, then spread its wings to the borough of Brooklyn, and landed in Park Slope – with Blue Ribbon and Blue Ribbon Sushi right next door to each other. I’ve drooled over their menu online countless times when searching for the perfect husband-Birthday dinner or Anniversary dinner meal. Since my husband’s Birthday happens to be on New Year’s Eve, I always ended up picking another more affordable option, to leave plenty of cash in the bank for presents and wine. And since we never really celebrated our “dating” anniversary formally, it was a little out of our league. But it has remained on the tip of my tasty palate of “must try for dinner sometime”.

I get a little bitter when I look at the prices, I must admit. There was one time while out with friends when we wanted dessert, and no one else was open, so we trudged into Blue Ribbon. We managed to get a table pretty quickly, and while their long list of sweets tempted me, I balked at the prices – “$11.50 for a strawberry ice cream sundae!? Call me when you’re serious!” but the phone rang and I picked it up, and it turned out they were serious. Very, very serious. If I had been allowed and not in public, and had I not been monitored by my bulimic (literally) friend, I would have licked the bowl of all its deep dark chocolate and fresh strawberry gooiness.

But dinner at Blue Ribbon eluded me, until now. We walked into a pretty packed bar, but at 5PM, still managed to get seats to perch on while we waited for our table. The bar tender was so friendly, in that “wait, is he flirting with me?” kind of way. The glass of Côtes du Rhône was very tasty, and 20 minutes later as we were escorted through the crowd of bar-stool vultures, I started hyperventilating a little bit.

We were seated on the middle banquette, packed in among other two tops, but it still felt private, and not like we were sitting on anyone’s lap. The prix fixe menu was promising; 3 courses for $21.12. We both picked the asparagus soup. Between the game hen and the sea bass, I selected the latter because it came with mashed potatoes and collard greens. Tennille was offered a grilled vegetable plate with spicy dipping sauce for a vegetarian option. The soup? Creamy and hearty at the same time. The fish? Flakey and steaky. The potatoes? Dreamy. And the collard greens? Inspiring. Hence, this post. But before I move on to my recipe, let me mention the dessert: Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding. Okay. Ummm…just like that Saturday evening a week ago, I am nearly speechless. Like no bread pudding I’ve ever tried – it was more like custard. There weren’t any strange bites with little crunchy chocolate chips like I feared. And the chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream? The perfect balance of sweet and flavor – not too sweet and sugary in that throat stinging kind of way. And the portions were so perfect, I was content but not uncomfortable after cleaning all my plates. And I cannot fail to mention the impeccable service. Friendly and available, and we were treated no differently than non-prix fixe customers.

So last night I decided to try my hand at collards. A friend once told me that “olive oil, garlic and pepper flakes make vegetables sing!” and I agree.

Spicy Sautéed Collard Greens

One bunch collard greens
2 Tb olive oil
1 Tb pepper flakes
3 garlic cloves (or 1Tb jarred minced garlic)
Salt
Vinegar (optional)

Heat olive oil in large skillet on medium high until very hot. Add garlic and pepper flakes. Wash collard greens, and tear leafs from stems. Discard stems. Chop or tear leafs into small, bite-sized pieces. When garlic and pepper flakes have softened, add greens to skillet and stir, coating the leaves. Cover, and reduce heat to medium/medium-low. Allow greens to steam/cook under lid for about 10 minutes stirring frequently, or until they have reduced significantly in size, and are a deep, dark green. Reduce heat to low. Allow to sit on low heat for another 10 or 15 minutes, or until a taste test indicates the leaves are tender and flavorful. Serve, splashed with vinegar if you desire.

Buttery Brioche Biscuits to Be

I love Ina Garten. Admittedly, I’ve only very recently discovered her. Shamefully, I’ve only watched her show on The Food Network a few times. But it only took one episode of The Barefoot Contessa to reel me into her perfect world, and now I want desperately to be a guest at her Hamptons house. I’ll run to the market for her! I’ll even get up early and make the coffee – I would become a morning person for her! I love her philosophy of simple ingredients, preparation and elegant but easy presentation. And she seems like the kind of host who would let you sleep in if you wanted. The favorite aunt who encourages you to just flip through magazines in her sunny kitchen while she prepares a picnic lunch that you nibble on later after a walk on the beach. Now that I think about it, this fantasy is probably more likely the life I want, than one she actually lives. In any case, her show reeled me in. And these fresh buttery brioche she effortlessly made for her husband as a welcome home breakfast were what catapulted me into this reverie.
I had the recipe sitting around the house for a couple weeks before I was able to schedule the various phases of its preparation. I had hoped to follow her lead and have warm buttery brioche for breakfast.
A friend of ours is gutting and re-building a 100 year old house in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It’s a big job, and he is in a transitional phase of having moved his belongings into the basement, and is making do with a mattress on the floor of his soon-to-be master bedroom. We’ve assured him that our lumpy, uncomfortable, eye-sore of a futon is always open to him, and after a long day of labor and dust inhalation, he’ll occasionally acquiesce. He came by last weekend, and I figured it was the perfect time to share the carbo-load, and send him on his merry way Sunday morning with warm buttery brioche. Things, as usual, didn’t quite work out the way I imagined. The brioche came out of the oven on Sunday at about 4PM (taking the setting of the clocks forward into account, my day had disappeared).
I assembled the dough on Saturday night, just like Ina. It was pretty straight forward – she’s pretty precise about the temperature of the water used with the yeast, and I don’t think our tap water was warm enough (I had just finished a ton of dishes), but I forged ahead.
The dough was a rich buttery yellow (thanks to the 2 sticks of butter and the 6 eggs– go figure), and the only problem I encountered was how stubbornly it clung to the paddle attachment of my Kitchen Aid mixer. Once I switched to the dough hook, it seemed to be getting a better workout.
I left the dough in the fridge over night as instructed, and pulled it out first thing in the morning to sit at room temperature for an hour. Well, by “first thing” I mean noon. Then because I was out of eggs, we collectively decided to go to a diner for breakfast. So its one hour counter time turned into probably two. Once I cut the dough into 20 pieces, and set them inside the baking tins, I allowed them to sit for about an hour and a half, rather than the two hours suggested - a fair compromise, I thought.
After 20 minutes in the oven, they were crispy and golden looking, and filling our loft with such a heavenly smell I couldn’t wait to test the results.
It’s not that I was disappointed, they were certainly satisfying, but in a home-made biscuit kind of way. A few posts ago, I mentioned a potato roll recipe I had wanted to get from Mallow for Thanksgiving – in the end, I used a recipe I found on-line. These would have been the PERFECT substitute for the dense homemade potato rolls I ended up serving my guests. I think next time, I’ll use a round biscuit cutter, and serve them as Buttery Brioche Biscuts instead.
Luckily, book club was on Sunday evening, so I pawned the majority off on my friends. But not before I had 4, and my husband about 8.

Cheesy Gooey Carbtastic Goodness

I don’t know the last time I had pasta – I don’t cook it as a rule. I’m the kind of person who has ONE meal with pasta and gains 10 pounds. It’s not that I’m anti-carb, I believe deeply and profoundly in their comforting qualities. For my own health purposes, I have to avoid them unless it’s an emergency. By “carb” I mean pasta, rice, four, sugar, fruits – most things yummy. The problem becomes one of self control. Given a box of cookies (in this example, Chocolate Covered Nutter Butters, the cruelest and most disasterous invention known to this woman), I will close my office door, and covertly, with a mug of milk, consume the entire box in one delicious, self-induced stomach-aching, fell swoop. Fruit? Why stop at a couple slices of pineapple? It is so juicy and sweet, I might as well eat the whole thing - stomache ache from the high-acid content be damned. (Am I the only person who feels the need to "hide" while I do this? Who am I hiding from? Maybe I've just revealed far too much about my own psyche...) For this reason, you will see most of my recipes on this site being of the high-protein and savory variety. Mallow is a genius with the sweets – she has self control, and the treats can make it over-night in her house so she can take them to work. A batch of cookies in my house means dinner, or a snack.
However, when I saw this dish being made on the Food Network, I felt an inspired need to re-acquaint myself with the comfort only certain foods like pasta can induce.
I decided to vary the recipe a bit, making it a little healthier, but maintain its integrity. I used whole-wheat macaroni, and I happened to have some extra veggies in the house, so I threw them into the mix. The end result was hearty and healthy, full of cheesy goodness. Macaroni and cheese purists would probably miss the creamy cheese sauce of the more traditional recipes, but in the end – this is just a different use of the Americanized pasta.
The best part? If you have kids who hate eating their greens, this is the best way to hide them. They’ll have no idea that they’re eating a veritable smorgasbord of antioxidants and vitamins. The cheese will trick ‘em.
Oh, and make sure you ask for help if you need it when draining the pasta from the heavy pan. I tried to be brave and strong, and my I Love Lucy moment of the day meant spilling a quarter of the pan of boiling water onto my bare-feet. Ouch.

Hearty Healthy Spicy Baked Macaroni and Veg
Salt
1 pound whole-wheat organic elbow macaroni pasta
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ pound mushrooms (I used button mushrooms)
½ cup chopped white onion
1 medium sized red bell pepper, chopped
1 small zucchini, chopped
2 cloves chopped garlic, minced
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes (make sure you buy a brand that doesn’t add sugar)
1 (10 oz.) package frozen spinach, thawed and drained (I squeezed the moisture out)
½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes (more if you like spicy; this amount yields pretty mild kid-friendly amount of spice)
½ cup bread crumbs
¼ cup grated Parmesan (plus 1/3 cup)
¼ cup grated Pecorino Romano (plus 1/3 cup)
2 tablespoons softened butter
12 ounces mozzarella cubed (about 2 cups, one standard sized package)
¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. About 8-10 minutes. Drain.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, onion, garlic and red bell pepper. Cook until tender – about 7 minutes. Add tomatoes, spinach, zucchini and red pepper flakes. Stir until combined and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, ¼ c. Parmesan, and ¼ c. Romano. Spray the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray, and sprinkle half the mixture inside the dish to coat.
In a large mixing bowl combine the vegetable mixture with the cooked macaroni, cubed mozzarella and the remaining Parmesan and Romano cheeses.

Add nutmeg. Stir until combined, and the mozzarella is evenly distributed and beginning to melt.

Spoon entire mixture into the prepared baking dish, and top with the remaining bread crumb mixture. Dot the top with the softened butter, cut into quarters.

Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30-40 minutes. Great as a side or main dish!

The Bollito Misto That Never Was

I started with this recipe: (Bollito Misto). My first “mistake” was the meat I purchased. In my little neighborhood of Brooklyn, it can be hard to find good meat. We have a corner grocery that I like to call “Third World” because for some reason there is often sawdust on the floor, and the only thing I feel I can safely purchase there are canned goods. Other than that, it’s kind of a haul to the better grocery stores, and even then I mostly find what I call “questionable meats”. In New York, we have something called Fresh Direct - an amazing online grocery store where you order your goods, and they are delivered right to your door. The only problem is that they have yet to add our zip code to their delivery area. So I often end up buying meat and other specialty items in Manhattan on my way home from work, at the usual Manhattan marked-up prices. I found a beef brisket at Food Emporium, a pre-packaged national brand, and figured it was worth a try.
I got tied up in the hell that is Manhattan on the weekend – I had to go to Bed, Bath and Beyond for some things, then Macy’s for some sheets (hell-on-earth any day of the week in NYC, even if you use a non-Perfume Department entrance). So after hauling 5 bags home on the crowded train, I categorically refused to go back out again for special ingredients for this recipe, and decided to make do with what I had in the kitchen. As I had promised Ms. Mallow that I would cook and take pictures this weekend with my inaugural Sweet and Savory site recipe trial, I scoured the refrigerator for appropriate substitute ingredients to try this yummy looking recipe.

I pulled out green cabbage, red cabbage, red onion, chicken bouillon cubes, and some leeks. Then I pulled out the package of beef brisket, and noticed it actually read “Corned Beef Brisket”. A different beast all together.

But then I realized what a great combination the cabbage would make with the Corned Beef! My German ancestors sang "Jawohl!". I also figured the leeks would make it even heartier. Even though using chicken broth with beef was in my mind a horrible faux pas, I was determined to make this meal.
Over-all, it was very simple. I hadn’t planned on making a dipping sauce as the original recipe called for simply because I lacked the ingredients. Since it was a completely different recipe now anyway, eliminating that last process made it all the easier.
After the initial searing of the meat (my apologies in advance to Mallow and other vegetarians for the carnal nature of these the pictures), it was just a matter of chopping and adding. I have to admit I’m very ignorant about herbs and spices. I have a general idea of which types of spices go with which cuisines (like, cardamom and curry are Indian, basil and oregano tend to be Italian…) but I am clueless otherwise, and probably tend to create ridiculous interpretations of what would otherwise be very sensible aromatic dishes. In this case I think I added Mexican Oregano, for no other reason than I was emptying a bag of the imported herb into my new magnetic spice containers, and had some extra I didn’t want to throw away. Not sure if that counts as a method when it comes to my madness.
The purple and green cabbage, combined with the deeper green of the leeks sure looked pretty in the red Dutch Oven (One of my favorite wedding gifts. Thanks Rose!) (Speaking of leaks, does anyone have a suggestion for getting these really clean? I chopped them into big chunks, and then rinsed each piece as thoroughly as I could. Is there a better/smarter way?) Once boiling, I lowered the temp to simmer, then covered the pan, and went on to more important things; drinking a beer and watching an episode of The L Word with my husband. As I sipped, I considered that adding a beer instead of the chicken broth may well have been genius! Ever cooked meat with beer?
Once the timer went off, and I had removed the meat and veggies, I boiled down the broth. It was a deep brownish-purplish color, very pretty, but a little too watery to be “gravy”, even once reduced. I ladled a little over the serving dish, and decided to save the leftover broth in case I am inspired later (suggestions anyone?).
The end result was very flavorful, though the cut of meat was horrible – there was a layer of gristly fat on the bottom of each slice that we had to cut off before taking a bite. My husband’s earlier “Leeks? Blech!” and my “You love leeks. I’ve cooked them before” were cancelled out by his “you’re right, I do like leeks. These veggies are good.” I always know I’ve done well by him when he shoves food down his gullet so fast, it’s as if he has never eaten.

The flavor of everything was great, but overall because of the bad cut of beef, it was a little disappointing. Also, looking at the pictures now, it looks kind of vintage East German, a little...grey.
I wonder what a real Bollito Misto would taste like? Once I track down a good cut of meat, I’ll give it a proper and less-improvised, whirl.

Nina Roux's Introduction: T'day 2006

I would say my cooking journey started around Thanksgiving 2006. After my wedding the previous July, I had a fully stocked kitchen – dishes and appliances I never imagined in my moved-about-once-a-year-all-through-my-twenties, twenties. I never even had a set of plates. Well, I bought 4 matching plates once at Fishes Eddy, but then promptly broke one. Or a room-mate did. (Isn’t that always the way? Now, thankfully my “room mate” is my “husband” and he only goes into the kitchen to see if there’s something to drink). Three isn’t a set, right? So anyway – for a creative-in-the-kitchen type, I was barely getting by using recycled pickle jars for Tupperware (still do, if they’re cute - or as vases), and using the wok with the ill-fitting lid my grandma gave me 8 years ago to cook EVERYTHING from steamed artichokes to tomato-meat sauce. Always making do - and rarely making anything - out of sheer frustration and a stubborn refusal to buy anything that I might someday get a better version of on a gift registry, meant that despite my greater inclinations, I was a bore in the kitchen.

So there I was, last fall, a married-lady-grown-up-person, post wedding-gift registry with a Kitchen-Aid mixer, a Cuisinart, a beautiful shiny SET of pans (thanks Mom and Dad!), matching silverware, mixing bowls, and an assortment of wooden and OTHER types of spoons, and absolutely NO excuses remaining to not cook on Thanksgiving.

There was one year, my first year in New York, in my Harlem apartment with the crooked floors, when I hosted an orphan Thanksgiving. I bravely offered to cook the main course and host the pot-luck party for friends stranded without family in NYC for the holiday. The sweet potatoes arrived, the stuffing arrived, and the mashed-potatoes arrived. My room-mate made deviled eggs. (She was an adorable, still adorable, vegetarian who ate nothing but junk food meals considered healthy simply because they lacked meat). I ventured to near-by Fairway to get the turkey, and instead brought home a delectable alternative; Pre-cooked maple ham! It was delicious! But when asked “why did you opt to serve ham instead of turkey for Thanksgiving?” my response was something like “it was easier.” What I was really thinking was just a longer version: “I’ve never cooked a turkey, wouldn’t know where to begin, don’t have the utensils or a cookbook or a pan to my name, and don’t they take like, all day to cook? Plus I had to work a shift waiting tables today, and I hope you also enjoy the leftover dishes I carted all the way up here from my SOHO restaurant job for you ingrates.” So ham it was.

In the years following that first T’day away from my family, I was spoiled by my boyfriend-now-husband’s parent’s gracious invitations, and his mom’s Thanksgiving spread (ham AND turkey! Leftovers to take home!) These holidays were much quieter than I was used to, as my husband is an only child. I was accustomed to the cacophony of 3 siblings, 2 nephews, a niece, various uncles, aunts, girlfriends, hanging out downstairs and watching a movie so as to not overwhelm the cooks, "who let Pepper in the kitchen? That dog is always underfoot!”, fights, laughter, tears, doors slamming, cars peeling up and down the gravel driveway, wind-storms blowing a branch through the dining-room window spreading glass all over the table, barbecuing the turkey because there is no power type of Thanksgiving. I ADORE these holidays, and miss them horribly - but haven't found the means to fly to Seattle for Christmas and Thanksgiving over the years, so I've had to settle for once-a-year cacophony. In the end, a peaceful South Orange, New Jersey table for four with formal china was a pleasant alternative. Then my boyfriend-now-husband’s parents moved to Virginia.

The year after they moved (2005), I talked my youngest brother into coming to NYC for the holiday, and we had a charming meal in an intimate bistro in Carol Gardens, Brooklyn. But four months after my wedding, with my well-stocked kitchen, I couldn’t justify another Bohemian Thanksgiving. I invited my brother to NYC again, summoned 3 other orphaned friends to join our table, and asked only that they bring the booze.

I started researching recipes in September. I decided on a Martha Stewart Thanksgiving, with a few variations; I was going to cut a few corners – like, no table decorations, and no soup course, and add a few touches – some family recipes, and vegetable broth instead of chicken broth for my vegetarian guest (my adorable old room mate had graduated from mac and cheese and pizza, and offered to bring green bean casserole, but I insisted on doing everything myself. A control-freak streak I didn’t know I possessed – likely handed down from my German and English generations past – introduced itself to my household. I have since worked with and continue to work with shamans and Exorcists to excise this trait, hoping to eliminate the newly mastered “martyr sigh” from my vocabulary.)

The choicest recipes in hand, I began scheduling my cooking and shopping. I made a weekly calendar, and sorted the dishes and chores by what could be prepared ahead. I estimated preparation time, considered cooking times, planned out re-heating times, and did all the grocery shopping in stages. Not owning a car makes this last chore such a pain. And for some ridiculous reason, Fresh Direct does not yet deliver to my zip-code in Brooklyn.

So here’s about how the week went (I’ve since burned the preparation calendar in a cleansing ritual, so this is a rough estimate based on my memory):

Saturday before T’day: Purchase non-perishable groceries
Emotional State/Surprises: Feeling confident, accomplished, organized. When did Target run out of roasting pans, and why didn’t I buy it last week when I first saw it?

Sunday before T’day: Clean house
Emotional State/Surprises: Feels good to have a clean home! Good thing I found all the extra things I needed, including roasting pan, twine, cheese-cloth, gravy boat, and turkey-baster in one spot! Thanks Bed, Bath and Beyond!

Monday before T’day: (After work) More non-perishable groceries
Emotional State/Surprises: Man, my back hurts from carrying all these groceries. Wait, why didn’t I send my husband to get a few of these on his way home from work? Oh, he doesn’t cook, so he doesn’t know the right things to buy, and it’s just “easier and faster” if I do it myself. Even though I wasn’t able to find everything, I’ll round up the last few items in my neighborhood.

Tuesday before T’day: (After work) Make and freeze pie crusts. Cut loaf of bread into cubes and let dry for stuffing. Make cranberry-pear chutney using fresh cranberries. Iron table cloth/napkins. Ethan arrives from Seattle. Send Ethan and husband to friend’s house to pick up Fresh Direct-delivered organic fresh turkey and brine mix. Clean turkey and put in Brine mixture in fridge. Cube celery and pears for stuffing, roast, peel and chop chestnuts for stuffing.
Emotional State/Surprises: Dishes. Why didn’t I consider how much extra work there would be with washing dishes in between each project? Why don’t more NYC apartments have dishwashers? What am I supposed to brine this huge freaking turkey in? I can’t leave it on the fire escape, can I? I think it’s too warm out. I guess I’ll use a garbage bag – I’ll rinse it out first, then put in all the water and the brine mix, then put the whole heavy mass in the fridge. It wont taste like garbage bag, will it? What am I going to do with all the crusts left over from the bread crumbs? I know, I’ll make pumpkin bread-pudding! I have all the ingredients! It’s not on my schedule, but it’s a fast recipe. Why am I light-headed? Oh my god, it’s 10PM and I haven’t eaten since 10AM. Let’s order some Mexican. Just get me some black bean soup – I’m too tired to eat. My back is killing me, I can only wash dishes by leaning my elbows on the counter at the sink. I’ve changed from my clogs to my slippers and back 3 times, trying to be comfortable. Man this kitchen floor is slippery. Why doesn’t my husband like washing dishes? Well, he cleans the bathroom. Boy, does my back hurt. I hope you brats are enjoying your burritos. I’ll get to my soup as soon as the damned chest-nuts are peeled. My soup is cold; I’ll put it in the microwave. Ah…let me just carry it to the counter to pour into my bowl…AAAAGH!! I’ve spilled boiling hot black-bean soup all over my hands, and in reaction have thrown it’s container into the air! It lands on the floor, splashing BLACK bean soup all over the kitchen! It burns! It burns! Rush to sink in tears, run hands and arms under cold water, crying “I just wanted to eat my soup!” Husband and brother rush to kitchen (for a change) to clean up soup for me. I decide to skip dinner. The pumpkin bread pudding was good though!

Wednesday before T’day: (After half day of work) Make home-made potato rolls. Assemble then bake Apple and Pumpkin pies. Make pecan tarts. Peel potatoes for mashed potatoes. Make Sweet potatoes, prepare for reheating tomorrow. Buy green salad ingredients. Make hummus. Assemble stuffing to prepare for baking.
Emotional State/Surprises: My back hurts. Dishes, dishes, everywhere. My hands are cracked and nearly bleeding they’re so dry from dishes. Thank god I only had to work a half day. The damned rolls are too dense, but taste pretty good – not sure where I went wrong, other than not using the recipe I wanted from Mallow…The pies are pretty, but look very “home-made” – I guess that’s the idea? I ended up NOT using fresh pumpkin for the pie – I’m such a loser. I ended up NOT doing twice-baked sweet potatoes. I’m so lazy. Sweet potato puree it is! Marshmallows will make it look legit. Hummus is my only appetizer, people are going to starve. I’ve already sent my husband to the store 4 times for items I forgot to buy. Hopefully someone will ignore my instructions and will bring some cheeses and bread. Should I go to the store? So tired…so…very...tired.

Thursday/T’Day/Emotional State/Results: Wake up at 9AM to remove turkey from fridge to let stand. Not a lot to do today!! Just have to schedule re-heating and cooking times. Once the turkey is room temp, I have to improvise a bit; since I’m not cooking the stuffing inside the turkey, I guess I should put something else in the cavity. I cut an orange in half, and poke cloves into the peeling, and sprinkle a bunch of cinnamon and nutmeg inside (genius!). Folks are arriving at 4, and hopefully everything is done and ready on time! Should I use the cheese-cloth soaked in white wine turkey recipe, or the maple glaze recipe? In the end, I forgo the cheesecloth, thinking the white wine might taste wonky with the cloves and cinnamon. Today is mostly about setting the timer to remind me to check/baste the turkey. Cook and mash the potatoes; sour cream or garlic?
The turkey thermometer popped up. The turkey is done at 3:15!? Gasp! Can I let it “sit” for longer than a half hour? Everything is re-heated. The salad is assembled. SALAD DRESSING!? Throw some olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper on and toss. My guests are seated at the table and I try to force them to eat their salads while I struggle through the gravy. EASY AS GRAVY MY ASS! I have no idea how it tastes. I sit down and realize:

Everything looks beautiful.
Everything came out on time.
The table looks beautiful.
I’ve out-done myself.
Everything tastes exactly how it should, and is amazing and flavorful.
I did this all myself.

I’m never, ever, ever, doing this again.

Mainly, I tried to understand how people do this every year, and mostly, why do they do this every year? I get that it tastes good, and you want to please the people you love. But I nearly broke my back and I still don’t know how I got away with just one melt-down (the black-bean soup debacle). I realize I didn’t cut any corners – didn’t have guests bring dishes, made my own rolls, didn’t use pre-cubed bread, made my own pie crusts…also, I didn’t have a dish-washer. I also imagine some people have hired-help. Also, I don’t think every person doing this has a full time job!!! Isn’t the point of Thanksgiving to come together and share a meal? And shouldn’t that include the cook? And why does it seem to be in my genetic make-up to NOT ask for help? As wonderful as everything tasted, next year I’m making dinner reservations at that charming, intimate bistro in our neighborhood, and tipping our server generously.

What I ultimately learned from Thanksgiving 2006, is that I do enjoy cooking. I can follow a recipe and can even improvise here and there. I tend to have creative solutions and alternatives at the ready in my mind. I just didn’t enjoy it as much as I could have, because I was so tired and cranky from over-extending myself. I enjoyed planning the meal and researching the recipes. I tend to enjoy this even on weeknights when I have the energy to make dinner. So with the encouragement of my best-friend-since-Jr. High, Mallow (far my superior in the kitchen), I’ve decided to challenge myself, and to share my kitchen foibles, fiascos, I Love Lucy moments, and the occasional success stories and happy mistakes with others. And the best news? My Christmas present from my in-laws: a beautiful, efficient, shiny portable dishwasher.