Guatemala: Rice and Beans (and a Volcano hike!)

One of the best meals C and I had in Guatemala was also one of the cheapest meals we had. It was late on a Tuesday night after we hiked Volcán Pacaya. We struggled to find an open restaurant that we could agree on, so we ended up at the same restaurant we'd eaten at the night before, the Rainbow Cafe. Our meal, Tomato Tarragon Soup for me and Rice and Beans for C, rang up as a whopping 22 Quetzals or roughly $2.85 USD. It was cheaper, more filling, and much more delicious than the sandwiches we ordered the previous night. It might have been an extra delicious meal because of all of the extra calories we burned on our volcano hike (minus the calories we added back by eating volcano-roasted marshmallows).

Volcán Pacaya is an active volcano just south of Guatemala City. When I say it's an active volcano, I'm not pulling your leg. Twelve days after our climb, it erupted, closing the park and airport in Guatemala City. While at first take, it seemed unfortunate that we didn't see any lava, we were extremely thankful that we didn't. We are grateful that we didn't have the same bad experience that family friends of mine had a few years back. They family was forced to run (literally) down the volcano as it erupted. I heard that story after we got back. Thankfully none of them were seriously injured. We learned that maybe volcano hikes aren't the greatest idea. Consider yourself warned!

View on the way up

Ascending into the clouds

Clouds parted briefly so that we could see the "Peak"

Marshmallows roasted in a vent

Back to the food! The Tomato Tarragon Soup was warm and hearty, very appropriate for the chilly February night. My only complaint was that there wasn't nearly enough bread to savor it slowly! The Rice and Beans were simple. The rice was seasoned with a little bit of salt and the black beans were seasoned with garlic. What made it tip the scales was the small bowl of sour cream that they served alongside it. There was something absolutely perfect about the combination of rice, beans, sour cream and hot sauce (which we added from a jar on the table).

Objective
Create a rice and beans dish comparable to the one at Rainbow Cafe in Antigua, Guatemala using dried black beans to capture the right texture of bean.

Materials
0.5 pounds dried black beans
2 cloves garlic, minced
0.5 small onion,chopped
salt and pepper
3 cups rice, cooked
Chipotle Salsa, to serve
sour cream (full-fat), to serve
coarse salt, to serve
cilantro, to garnish

Methods
1. Sort and rinse the black beans under cold water. Add to a large saucepan and cover with 5-6 inches of water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. There are two choices to finish preparing the beans (a) overnight or (b) same day. To prepare the beans the same day, cover the pot and let the beans soak for one hour. Drain, rinse, and cover with fresh water. Bring to a boil with the garlic and onion. Boil the beans until they are soft (1.5-2 hours). Once the beans begin to soften, season with salt and pepper. To soak overnight, rinse the boiled beans under cold water until cool. Place in a large storage container, cover with water and let soak overnight. Then, drain, rinse, cover with fresh water and boil as stated before.
2. Once the beans are soft, drain the liquid.
3. To serve, put a scoop of rice in the bottom of a bowl. Sprinkle with coarse salt. Add a scoop of beans on top of the rice. Add a dollop of salsa and a dollop of sour cream. Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve.

Results
Delicious! Seriously, it's the spicy salsa plus creamy sour cream combination that takes it from beans-and-rice-rice-and-beans to a delicious meal. The beans have texture, setting them apart from canned beans.

Discussion
There's really nothing more to say about the dish other than that you should make this next time you're craving comfort food (warm and hearty but healthy). So, instead, let's talk about beans. I tried preparing dried black beans once before. It went so terribly that I used the rest of the bag for pie weights instead of food. So why didn't I just use canned beans for this recipe? Texture and technique. The texture of canned beans is a little mushier than what I wanted (after all, black beans are a star player in this dish). So, why do I care about the technique? The technique is a good life skill. What if there is an aluminum shortage and we run out of cans? Just kidding. Seriously though, what happens if I get plopped down in an area where everyone uses dried beans so the grocery store doesn't carry canned beans? Do I really want to learn the technique out of necessity? No, I want to be prepared for that day because I suspect that it'll be coming soon (in 74 days to be exact).

Coleslaw, Two Ways

I just told you about my experience taking the VegOut! Challenge to eat 30 vegetables in 30 days. Did you find it a little annoying that I didn't share any recipes for all those vegetables? I did. Sure, I gave you links to a few good ones, but that's not the same. I felt a little guilty telling you how great of an experience it was to eat 30 vegetables without giving you suggestions for eating 30 vegetables on your own! My food blog has started to morph into a dessert or baking blog, so my new goal is to post more recipes for main dishes and sides. Bring on the veges!

I'll start by sharing recipes for cabbage and fennel which I made into coleslaw, two ways. At the end of our 30 vegetables challenge, we had red, green, and Chinese cabbage in the fridge plus a giant jar of sauerkraut. I figured coleslaw would be the easiest way to use cabbage. Both of the recipes that I'm about to share make a reasonable amount that could easily serve 6-8 people. For a larger crowd (it's almost BBQ season), scale up. You won't mind having leftovers.

The first slaw is coleslaw with fennel. Fennel is an anise-flavored bulb-like stem supporting bushy leaves and tiny yellow flowers. Fennel seed is commonly used in Middle-Eastern and Asian cooking. You've probably bitten down into a fennel seed while eating sausage pizza. I thinly sliced the bulb-like stem and added it to my shredded cabbage and onion. The bulb provides a crunch and a sweet, licorice-like flavor. I left fennel seeds out of the dressing (I've never liked the texture), but feel free to add them for additional flavor.

Coleslaw with Fennel
(adapted from Simply in Season)
1/4 green cabbage, shredded
1/4 red cabbage, shredded
1/2 fennel bulb, thinly sliced, pieces of core removed
1/2 white onion, chopped
4 carrots, shredded

Dressing:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. cilantro
1/2 tbsp. dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. fennel seed (optional)
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Directions: Whisk together the dressing and pour over the salad. Toss to mix. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

The second slaw is a family favorite. It's calls for a boiling oil-and-vinegar dressing that was originally poured over just two ingredients: green cabbage and onion. I added red cabbage and carrots for color and added nutrition (bring on the antioxidants and vitamin-A precursors!). My grandma got this recipe from Cam Hubanks at the Avenue Bar in Madison, Wisconsin, one of our family's favorite spots to go for a Friday fish fry.  

Oil-and-Vinegar Coleslaw
(Adapted from Cam's Coleslaw)
1 small green cabbage, shredded
1 small red cabbage, shredded
1/2 onion, finely sliced
2 carrots, shredded

1/2 cup sugar
1 cup white vinegar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp. salt
1 tbsp. celery seed
1  tbsp. sugar

Directions: Sprinkle 1/2 cup sugar over the cabbage and vegetables. Set aside. Combine vinegar, oil and spices in a saucepan. Heat until boiling. Pour over the cabbage. Stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate. Keeps well. Please note that if you use red cabbage, the color will bleed.

The Avenue Bar no longer serves Cam's oil-and-vinegar coleslaw. Instead, they serve a traditional creamy, celery seedy coleslaw that's also very good.  Regrettably, I don't have that recipe to share with you. Instead, you'll have to try these two non-traditional versions. Enjoy!

Orange Chocolate Crinkles

Remember when I told you about my friend Andrea? A few years ago, Andrea and I got together to bake and decorate cookies for Valentine's Day. We made heart shaped vanilla shortbread cookies that we dipped half in chocolate and then drizzled with contrasting chocolate and sprinkled with colorful sugars and sprinkles. They were beautiful, but flavor-wise, nothing special. We also made Chocolate Orange Shortbread Cookies from Simply Recipes. 

If there had been a contest, the chocolate orange shortbread definitely would have won "best flavor." They were a tad salty, but delicious. I was surprised that just a little bit of orange zest could impart so much flavor into the cookies. Also, I was surprised by how well orange paired with chocolate. As I was preparing my homemade orange extract and thinking of ways to use it, I immediately thought of orange chocolate crinkles. Since my favorite chocolate cookies are crinkles and not shortbread, I figured I'd give them a try.

Objective
Make Nan's Chocolate Crinkles into orange chocolate cookies by adding orange zest and orange extract.

Materials
4 tablespoons butter
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 cup sugar
zest of 1 orange
2 eggs
1 teaspoon orange extract
splash vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup powdered sugar

Methods
1. In a microwave safe container, melt the butter and chocolate. Set aside to cool slightly.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, rub the orange zest into the sugar. Stir in the melted chocolate and butter. With the mixer running, add eggs, one at a time. Add the orange extract and vanilla. 
3. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into the wet mixture and mix until the flour is just incorporated. Chill overnight.  
4. Preheat the oven to 350º. Drop the dough by the teaspoon into the powdered sugar and shape into balls. Bake at 350º for 12 minutes on a greased baking sheet. *DO NOT OVER-BAKE*

Results
After tasting the dough, C said "I like this a lot because you can actually taste the orange without it being overpowered by the chocolate." The baked cookies lost a little bit of the orange flavor, but were still quite orangey. The cookies were gooey inside like a perfectly baked brownie.

Discussion and Future Directions
Though C liked the dough, he wasn't a huge fan of the cookie. I was a little shocked because he loves the version of this cookie that I make with Andes Mints in the center. He couldn't quite put into words what he didn't like, but I know he was overwhelmed by the amount of powdered sugar on the outsides! I'd intentionally left a lot on instead of brushing off the excess. Lesson learned for next time! The only improvement I would make would be to use higher quality chocolate. We're currently trying to eat through our cupboards and freezer so that we don't have to throw food away when we pack all of our belongings into storage (hmm, another hint). I had 4 oz. of unsweetened baking chocolate left in the cupboard and used it in the dough. High quality dark chocolate would have been a better choice. Again, lesson learned for next time! So far, I've probably made these cookies sound terrible, but they're not. They're quite good. So good that the first person who tried them asked for the recipe!

It's too bad C didn't like the cookies, because that was the extent of my Valentine's Day baking this year. Instead of eating them, he's taking them to the hospital this afternoon to give to his research mentors and one of the attending physicians we know who loves cookies! Luckily, I satisfied his sweet tooth the past few weeks with Blueberry Almond Galettes and Blueberry-Cherry Almond Galettes. He liked the second version so much that he requested another (either pie or galette) for Valentine's Day. We decided not to do anything for Valentine's Day this year--especially make a pie that we can't finish--because we're leaving for vacation the next day! Though we loved all of our trips to Buffalo and Madison this year, we're so excited to break routine and go on a real vacation that's about us, not about family or friends. Hopefully I'll have a delicious Mayan recipe to share with you when we get back!

Happy Valentine's Day to you and yours!

Orange Ricotta Muffins with Blueberries

Nearly three weeks after orange picking, I'm still on an orange kick. We lost one orange to mold, but the rest were eaten or juiced just in time to bring home 11 grapefruits. Don't worry, I don't foresee an inundation of grapefruit recipes any time soon. The last one I tried was a grapefruit meringue pie and while C maintained that it was good (and finished the pie), I thought it was disgusting. There's something about the flavor of grapefruits that I don't like--not the tartness, but the flavor. I'll stick to orange recipes! Today, that orange recipe is for orange ricotta muffins.

The last time I had leftover ricotta cheese I decided to bake muffins. I wanted to make lemon ricotta muffins with thyme and blueberries. I left out the blueberries and made Cooking Light's Tuscan Lemon Muffins but with a little barley flour and thyme sugar on top. I was out of olive oil, so I used canola. I think that might be why my muffins smelled and tasted fried. They were also a fairly dry. I was very disappointed. I left myself notes for how to try improving the recipe, but decided it would be best to just start over with a new recipe. I chose Orange Ricotta Chocolate Chip Muffins from Two Peas and Their Pod because Maria's recipe called for butter in place of oil. I hoped these would turn out better than just barely edible.

Objective
Use up leftover ricotta cheese to make muffins with homemade orange extract.

Materials
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
2 tbsp. brown sugar
zest from 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup ricotta
1/2 egg, beaten
2 tbsp. orange juice
1/2 tsp. orange extract
1 cup blueberries, frozen.
Topping:
2 tbsp. turbinado sugar
zest of 1 orange

Methods
1. Preheat the oven to 350º. Grease 8 muffin cups or line them with paper liners. Set aside.
2. Prepare the topping by combining the turbinado sugar and orange zest in a small bowl and rubbing the zest into the sugar (or use a mortar and pestle). Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the ricotta, beaten egg, orange juice, and orange extract. Stir in the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Fold in the blueberries.
4. Divide the batter evenly between muffin cups. Sprinkle the sugar topping over the muffins.
5. Bake at 350º for 20-25 minutes (less if you used fresh berries) or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Set on a wire rack to cool completely.

Results
These muffins are airy, lightly sweet, and orangey with juicy bursts of blueberry. Best warm out of the oven.

Discussion and Future Directions
I almost didn't try this recipe in favor of a second batch of Clinton Street Baking Co.'s Sunshine Yogurt Muffins. I'm so glad I did because though the recipes are similar, they make very different muffins. The Sunshine Yogurt Muffins give you a burst of tangy, citrusy sunshine to get you moving in the morning (really, they named the muffin perfectly). These muffins are airy, lightly sweet, and orangey with juicy bursts of blueberries. They lack the tangy component imparted by the lemon/lime of the Sunshine Yogurt Muffins.

The combination of orange and blueberry is very tasty. I'd considered adding finely chopped hazelnuts or dried cranberries, but I'm glad I chose blueberries because of the juices they impart. I prefer to make blueberry muffins to blackberry or raspberry because they don't have annoying seeds that get stuck in your teeth. If I had fresh cranberries (or even better yet, sugared cranberries) on hand, they would have been a great alternative for a tangier muffin. Requiring just 1/2 cup of ricotta cheese, a batch of these muffins is a great way to use up leftover ricotta you find hanging out in your fridge!

Supplementary Materials

Orange Cream Scones

There's a cafe in Madison, Wisconsin called Lazy Jane's. It's in one of the neighborhoods that's retained some of Madison's Vietnam-era hippiness. Willy Street is home to a many brightly painted homes, food co-op, a bicycle shop, a chocolatier, a number of thrift stores, and a slew of unique bars, restaurants and cafes. It's a great place to grab coffee and breakfast. Lazy Jane's is a popular choice because their lemon cream scones are considered by many to be the best in Madison.

I first heard of Lazy Jane's lemon cream scones when I was an undergraduate. I met two of my best friends in an advanced language course during the spring semester of my freshman year. On the first day of class, I sat by a girl named Laura and we became friends instantly. Sitting along the wall to my right was a girl named Andrea. We didn't really talk much or get to know each other until the following semester when we took a summer class in La Fonética. The subsequent spring semester, we found ourselves learning La Lingüística together with a quirky visiting professor from the University of Hawaii. We're still hoping to take him up on his offer to tomar un café when we make it to Hawaii! Instead of Hawaii, we found ourselves in Guanajuato, Mexico through different summer programs. Shortly after Andrea arrived, we sat on a bench in the rain tomando un helado and reminiscing about the silly things that happened in Professor Chandler's class!

Fuimos de paseo por Guanajuato!

By the time we returned from Mexico, Andrea and I had one literature requirement each to satisfy our Spanish degrees. I took a course in classical Spanish theater and Andrea took a themed literature course about náufragos. It was in the time after our days as Spanish students that our friendship really developed. She always wanted to take me for lemon cream scones at Lazy Jane's, but that was during my 3.5 years on a gluten free diet and they didn't serve gluten-free scones back then. While I was home for the holidays just last month, we decided to meet for breakfast. I knew our reunion had to be at Lazy Jane's because after hearing Andrea rave about their lemon cream scones for the past 5 years, I was determined to try one!

At 7:45 on Christmas Eve morning, we braved the brisk -12 degree temperature and met at Lazy Jane's. Though I ordered a full breakfast instead of a scone, I got to try a sample. It was a scone that was so light and moist that it might change your stance on the scone. I wanted to order one on my way out but decided to pass after seeing the line to order during the 10:00 rush!  Instead, I would try to make my own version when I got back to Houston. I opted for orange cream scones instead of lemon to take advantage of the oranges we harvested at Flayler Fruit Farm. While I haven't eaten enough of Lazy Jane's scones to effectively compare mine to theirs, I'm going to consider these to be a pretty good alternative.

Objective
Adapt Apt. 2B Baking Co.'s Rhubarb & Rye Scones into orange cream scones. The idea to use orange marmalade as the filling came from Kim Boyce's Strawberry Barley Scones. The glaze came from Clinton Street Baking Co.'s Sunshine Yogurt Muffins.

Materials
Dough:
4.5 oz. rye flour
6 oz. unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3 oz. granulated sugar
zest of one orange
zest of 1/2 lemon
4 oz. butter, cold and cut into small cubes
3 tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
4-5 oz. heavy cream (8-10 tablespoons)

Filling:
1 tbsp. orange marmalade 

Glaze:
1 tbsp. orange juice (or lemon if you like tart)
1/3 cup powdered sugar

Methods
1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, salt, granulated sugar, and citrus zest. Use your fingers to rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is crumbly with the butter well-distributed.
3. Pour in the orange and lemon juices and gently stir just to distribute the juices.
4. Pour the cream in slowly, about 2 ounces at a time, as you gently stir the dough. You only want to add enough cream to bring the flour together into a dough. Once you get there, stop. I used 4 ounces of cream.
5. Gather the dough together in a ball, give the dough a quick knead to incorporate any crumbs lingering in the bottom of the bowl, and slice the ball in half. Pat each slice of dough into to evenly sized 1" thick discs. Spread the top of one disc with orange marmalade, leaving 1/2 inch border at the edge. Set the second disc over the marmalade covered piece and press the edges together.
6. Cut the disc in half, then in half again, and finally, cut each of the quarters in half so that you finish with 8 triangles. Place the triangles on the prepared baking sheet with at least 1" of space between them because they will expand while baking. Brush the tops of the scones with cream.
6. Bake the scones for 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and place the scones, still on the baking sheet, on a wire rack and allow to cool for a few minutes while you prepare the glaze. 
7. Prepare the glaze by whisking the powdered sugar into the orange juice. Feel free to add a little zest for color/texture and/or use any pulp that made its way into the juice while reaming. Once you're done preparing the glaze, spread it over the tops of the warm scones and let the scones cool completely.
8. Best served fresh. Still very good if served after 24 hours of airtight storage, but after that, be sure to wrap and freeze them.

Results
Moist, tangy, orangey, and delicious. The marmalade adds flavor but also texture from the strips of rind. Better with the glaze than without because the glaze packs a citrusy punch.

Discussion and Future Directions
These scones are great with oranges, but I can't wait to try them with lemons. I added lemon juice and zest to the orange scones to add tartness because my oranges were very sweet. To take them to the next level, try using a combination of lemon, lime, and orange as with Clinton Street Baking Co.'s Sunshine Yogurt Muffins. To add more orange flavor, you could try adding about 1/2 tsp. orange extract (or lemon extract to up the tartness). The marmalade could easily be skipped but definitely adds a little something extra. You can find a recipe for 1-cup small batch of orange marmalade here. For lemon or lime scones, another jam, maybe blackberry or raspberry, could be substituted for the marmalade. The options are endless!

These scones are quick and easy to prepare making them an excellent treat for a weekend breakfast. I had the baking sheet of scones cooling even before C was ready to think about breakfast. He's a savory breakfast guy and I love sweet and savory breakfasts, so we ate our orange cream scones alongside sausage, egg and hash brown breakfast tacos. It was the perfect compromise to start to our weekend off right!

Supplementary Materials

Pick-Your-Own Oranges (and use all 10 lbs.)!

There are definitely some advantages to living in Texas. The first one that comes to mind is the weather. While my family up north was hunkering down for subzero temperatures and frostbite-in-five-minutes windchill factors due to the polar vortex winter storm, we were at a pick-your-own farm just outside of Sealy, Texas choosing the orangest of the oranges.

We left Flayler's Fruit Farm with 10 pounds of oranges for $10! The owner of the farm, Dick Flayler, is a U.S. Navy veteran who sells his fruit for $1-2 per pound, depending on the variety. He has peaches and citrus and told us that there are farms nearby with pick-your-own blueberries and blackberries. We enjoyed our time chatting with Dick. He was a neat guy and loved telling us about his farm (here's an article for more information on Dick and why he chose to have a pick-your-own farm). We definitely want to return during peach season, but we might be back as early as next weekend if the grapefruits are ready for picking!

Now, what to do with 10 pounds of the oranges? We left a dozen at our friends' house on our way back from picking. They already had clementines, so we couldn't convince them to keep any more. My goal was to throw away as little as possible, which meant I would have to find uses for a significant number of peels. Here are a few of the things I've been making with our fresh, picked-in-Texas oranges:

Fresh Orange Sherbet from Brown Eyed Baker

7 oranges (2 cups of juice and 1 tablespoon of zest)

--Way back in 2011, I made raspberry sherbet. It was my first experiment with sherbet which meant that I did a fair bit of research before I made it. While ice cream is generally made from a cream custard base, sherbet is made from whole milk. The tricky part about sherbet is that the lower fat content can lead to an icy product, so vodka or liquor is often added to prevent it from freezing like a brick. I was intrigued by this sherbet recipe because it uses heavy cream whipped to soft peaks. The whipped cream adds air and fat, which together, should help prevent the sherbet from becoming icy. In case that's not enough to prevent ice from forming, a few teaspoons of orange liqueur are included in the base. I cut the sugar down to 3/4 cup because my oranges were sweet. The flavor was incredibly orangey and delicious. The texture was creamier than your average sherbet (not surprising) but firm.

Clinton St. Baking Co.'s Sunshine Yogurt Muffins 

1 orange (1 tablespoon of juice and 1 teaspoon of zest)

I've wanted to make this recipe since I first got the Clinton St. Baking Company Cookbook in 2010. I forgot about the recipe until just recently, but didn't think I would make it because it called for both lemon and orange extract. I have lemon extract from when I made lemon poppyseed cake but I didn't want to buy orange extract only to give it away, pack it away for a year, or throw it away. With an abundance of orange peels, I decided to make some. Problem solved! For the muffins, I used a tablespoon each of lime and orange juice and a teaspoon each of lemon and orange zest. I made the glaze with 3 tablespoons made up of orange, lime and lemon juice (whatever was left in the pulp). I used homemade orange sugar for extra zest. The muffins were delicious. C described them as"Moist and tangy with a sweet glaze." I would describe them as airy soft and lightly citrusy. I will be sure to make these muffins again soon!

Orange Extract

1 orange peel

Homemade orange extract is surprisingly easy if you have high proof alcohol. I happen to have a bottle of Everclear on hand from homemade orange hop bitter that C and I are making. To make orange extract, I scraped the white pith out of the orange peels, thinly sliced the peels, put them in the bottom of an old marmalade jar, and covered them with 190-proof grain alcohol. Then I let them sit with a good shake every now and again, adding a few tablespoons of boiling water after 24 hours. Though I dipped into it early, the best thing to do is let it steep for 2 weeks, strain it into a clean air-tight glass container, and store in a dark cupboard.

Small Batch Orange Marmalade

3 oranges (3/4 cup pulp, 1 peel)

Thoroughly wash the oranges and 1 lemon. Cut the tops and bottoms off of the oranges. Cut off the orange part of the rind, leaving most of the white pith. Slice the peel into thin strips and roughly chop. Use your fingers to remove the remaining white pith and membranes surrounding the pulp. Collect the orange pulp in a measuring cup. To 3/4 cup pulp, add 1/4 cup water and the juice of one half lemon. Pulse in a food processor or blender. Pour into a small saucepan and add 1/2-3/4 cup sugar (to taste). Bring to a boil and simmer for 10-20 minutes or until it reaches about 220 degrees (alternatively, put a dollop on a small plate and put it in the fridge. If it firms as it cools, it's done). Move to a sterilized glass container (just fill it with boiling water prior to using), cool, and chill. Makes about 1 cup of marmalade. Tastes surprisingly good on peanut butter sandwiches!

Orange Sugar

1 orange peel

--To 1 cup of sugar (granulated or coarse), add the zest of one orange. Stir well and cover until ready to use. You can keep stirring in more sugar to make it last. Sprinkle on the top of muffins or scones before putting them in the oven, use in baked goods, drinks, or anything sweet that could use a hint of orange.

Dried Orange Peel

3 orange peels

--Scoop the white pith out of the orange peels. Thinly slice the peels and let them sit on a baking sheet for a few days until they've dried out completely (4 days should work if there isn't much humidity or if the heat is on). If necessary, you can bake them on the lowest setting in the oven. Grind (try using a coffee grinder) and use to replace orange zest. Or, don't grind them, and use the cute little curly cues for decorating baked goods or drinks.

Orange cleaner

2 orange peels + 1 lemon peel

--Cover citrus peels with vinegar. Steep for a week or two. Strain out the citrus peels, dilute 1:1 with water, and store in a spray bottle. Use as a surface cleaner.

Orange Themed Dinner

9 oranges, juice and peels

--Though I had plans for more orange baking, I came home to a full orange themed meal prepared by C! For pre-dinner drinks, he made a cocktail with freshly squeezed orange juice, Rhubarb Hop Simple Syrup, a dash of bitters, and sparkling wine. For the first course, he made a spinach salad with a pumpkin seed oil and orange (instead of pomegranate) juice dressing that he topped with orange segments, almonds, and cranberries. Then he served orange rosemary chicken with rice and brussels sprouts. For dessert, we had homemade orange sherbet. I was beyond impressed with the meal he made from what we had on hand. We'd been talking about all of the specialty oils and vinegars, rice and grains, spices, etc. that we need to use before we move in 7 months. Not only did he use oranges in each course, he used the spinach we had leftover from a potluck dish I made last week, pumpkin seed oil that's never been opened, rosemary from the rosemary Christmas tree I won at a white elephant gift exchange and the rhubarb hop simple syrup he got from my mom for Christmas. 

It's been exactly one week since we went orange picking. What's the current orange tally? 3 oranges! I'm actually a little sad that there are only three left. I was having fun! I'm hoping to squeeze a lot of life out of those 3 remaining oranges to make orange cream scones and orange scented chocolate crinkles. Stay tuned for those recipes as I'll be sure to share them with you if they turn out favorably!

Pho (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)

Have you ever had pho? If not, then I recommend that the next time you're craving soup, you head to a local Vietnamese restaurant and try a bowl. Pho is fairly simple in that it is a bowl of rice noodles topped with raw beef that's cooked upon addition of rapidly boiling beef broth. It's served with a plate full of garnishes often including Thai basil, cilantro, bean sprouts, green onions, hot peppers, lime wedges, and sauces like hoisin or sriracha. The secret to a delicious pho is not as simple because it is the creation of a flavorful broth. To master pho, you need a supply of beef bones and patience.

All week long, I've been craving pho. That usually isn't a problem because just the mention of it has C ready to jump in the car and head to our favorite Vietnamese restaurant in Houston. If I mention pho and we don't go for pho right away, C won't stop talking about it until we go (this has been known to last for weeks on end). Unfortunately, C's dinner calendar for the week was booked with activities for his global health residency program, so I was on my own. We'd just frozen a few steaks, so I decided to thaw them for pho. I'm not keen on using beef bones, so here is a simpler version for the everyday home cook.

Objective
Make homemade pho based on a recipe from Asian: Tasty recipes for Every Day, but using common pantry ingredients.

Materials
4 cups beef broth/stock (I used Better Than Bouillon)
2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cinnamon stick
6 black peppercorns
4 whole cloves
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 1/2 tsp. Chinese five-spice powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. fish sauce
1/2 pound beef steak (any kind will work), thinly sliced
1 pkg. rice noodles (thin or thick, your preference)

Optional garnishes:
Bean sprouts
Cilantro
Thai basil
Carrot, julienned
Green onion, thinly sliced
Jalapeño/serrano, thinly sliced (can de-seed for less heat)
Lime wedges
Hoisin sauce
Sriracha

Methods
1. To make the broth: Combine beef broth, ginger, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, cloves, coriander, Chinese five-spice, salt, and fish stock in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Add half of the thinly sliced beef (return the rest to the fridge) and simmer for 40 minutes. Taste the broth and adjust the spices if needed. Keep the broth at a rapid boil while you prepare the noodles.
2. To prepare the noodles: Bring a pot of water to boil and prepare the noodles according to the directions on the package. Once the noodles are soft, drain and rinse briefly with water. Divide the noodles into 4 serving bowls and top with the uncooked beef that remains. If you're cooking for fewer than 4, put the extra raw beef into a storage container then ladle over the remaining beef broth to cook the meat. Once cool, refrigerate. Store the leftover noodles in a separate container to prevent them from sucking up all of the broth.
3. To serve: Immediately prior to serving, ladle broth over the noodles and raw beef (make sure the broth covers the beef so that it can cook). Serve with a plate of garnishes.

Results
When C got home from his global health event, he took one bite, and said that this was the best homemade pho broth he's ever had. The broth was very flavorful and the meat that was cooked in the bowl right at the last minute was incredibly tender and delicious.

Discussion and Future Directions
The recipe we've used in the past is from Cooking Light. It satisfies the craving, but it isn't nearly as good as this recipe. If you spend the time needed to simmer the broth, you will be rewarded! Without a doubt, this is our new go-to pho recipe (I just can't tell C that it has fish sauce in it because he's a little squeamish with the stuff).

Supplementary Materials

Comforting Chipotle Turkey Chili with Corn and Okra

Today, cancer beat one of my friends. Greg was a kind, cheerful, and fun-loving graduate student at Washington University in St. Louis.  To get a sense of Greg's kindness, read this article about a fund raising effort he worked on as an undergraduate at Simpson. One of the most impressive things about Greg was that he was present. If you asked him to do something fun, like play tennis on the court behind the medical school, spend Easter dying eggs and playing frisbee in your front yard, or spend a hot summer day playing with a Slip'n'Slide in the back yard, he'd show up without thinking twice. If you couldn't find him in class or in the lab, he was probably at whatever seminar he could find that was offering free food. Less than nine months ago, Greg was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma. Just five months before that, he'd noticed on-and-off back pain, never imagining that it could be terminal cancer. As a developing scientist, and more specifically, a cancer researcher, he chronicled his journey on a personal blog that he titled "Model Organism: Greg Sibbel." Greg's cancer took him on a rough ride and stole his last breath when he was just 26 years and one day old.

Greg (top left) with friends at a "New Year's Re-Do" Party (Jan. 2012) 

Since I learned of Greg's declining condition this past weekend, my heart has been heavy. My heart aches because I lost a friend. However, what brings me to tears, is knowing how many people lost a best friend and colleague with whom they spent much of their time, not to mention Greg's incredibly supportive girlfriend, and his family who said goodbye to their son, brother, cousin, etc. for the last time. The world lost a great soul today and there is no doubt that Greg's spirit will live on in the hearts of those who knew him.

There isn't much I can do from Houston save letting those in St. Louis know how much I care about them. I wish I could make a giant pot of chili and spread of baked goods to send along to all of my former colleagues at WUSTL. While they mourn the loss of a loved one and celebrate the life and happiness that Greg brought to the table every day, I find comfort knowing that they can lean on each other for support.

Objective

Make a comforting, feel-good chipotle chili. Chili has always been my go-to comfort food. There are three recipes I make and this was the last one to be added to my repertoire. I found the original recipe in a Trader Joe's cookbook that I flipped through while dog sitting as an undergrad. I loved the addition of refried black beans (not used here because there is a very high meat to liquid ratio, but I recommend trying it if you ever add too much liquid to chili or if you desire a thicker texture). The recipe has since morphed into at least a few dozen variations. I learned that beef cannot be substituted for turkey but that more beans and vegetables are always welcome. Here's the version I made today using corn, in honor of Greg, who grew up on his family's farm in western Iowa.

Materials

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 lb. ground turkey

1 med. onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and diced

1 tbsp. cumin

1 tbsp. chile powder

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. Mexican oregano, crumbled

1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes

1 15-oz can diced tomatoes

1 15-oz can black beans (juices and all)

1 cup (half a jar) Frontera Chipotle Salsa 

1/2 to 1 cup frozen corn kernels, to taste (it will add sweetness)

1 1/2 cups frozen cut okra 

Greek yogurt (optional garnish)

Cheddar cheese, shredded (optional garnish)

Methods

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground turkey and diced onion. Stir frequently until the meat is cooked through and the onions are soft. Add the green pepper and spices. Continue to cook for a few more minutes. 

2. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, black beans, and 1/2 cup chipotle salsa. Stir in the frozen corn and okra. Bring to a simmer. Taste and add more chipotle salsa as needed. Simmer for about 15 minutes, until the frozen veges are warmed through.

3. Serve with a dollop of greek yogurt and a sprinkling of cheddar cheese.

Winter Squash Cheesecake with Pecan Streusel

Last fall, I set out to make a homemade pumpkin pie. I went to the Soulard Farmer's Market in St. Louis in search of a pie pumpkin, but all the farmers I talked to agreed that I should forgo the pumpkin for other types of winter squash. I settled on an orange striped cushaw squash. The farmer told me that the texture was similar to a butternut (meaning not stringy) but with a sweeter, nuttier flavor. It was almost 2 feet long, gourd-shaped, and a beautiful light orange with white stripes. It was a lot of squash to bake, but worth it. We used it to make a delicious pie with a decadent amaretto mascarpone mousse. It was the perfect end to a fall day spent playing in the leaves at Forest Park. I remember packing two pieces "to-go" for C to take with him on the plane back to Houston. It seems like all of those flights between Houston and St. Louis were a lifetime ago. I am grateful that we now live in the same city.

This past Saturday, it felt like fall might have finally made its way to Houston. When we woke up, it was chilly and the sky was a bit overcast. C put on a flannel shirt and I chose a sweater. It turned out to be a lovely, sunny day, though the high was only 67º. We met a friend for pastries, stopped at a coffee shop, grabbed lunch at the Korean Festival, and picked out pumpkins to paint (since they rot too quickly once they've been carved). While perusing the bins of pumpkins, I came across a bin of "decorative squash." I got excited thinking I might find a cushaw squash. Sure enough! There weren't any orange cushaws but there were a number of green cushaw squash to choose from. Since the price was per squash instead of per pound, C picked out the biggest one.

So far we've only prepared the neck and it made over 5 cups of puree! I'm hoping to cook the bottom bit by bit to use in dishes that call for chunks of cooked squash instead of puree. We'll probably be eating cushaw squash everything for the next month. Serendipitously, we have overnight visitors every weekend for the next 3 weeks, so we'll have plenty of mouths to feed! Plus, sleepovers are the best excuse for cinnamon rolls and I'm already dreaming up a cushaw squash version! In the meantime, I decided to make a cushaw squash cheesecake.

I met C on a chilly October morning two years ago. Later that evening, while we were talking at a Halloween party, it came up I liked to bake. He asked my specialty. I told him cheesecake (though I have no idea why). He keeps pointing out that we've been dating over a year and a half and I have yet to bake him a cheesecake. This one should satisfy him for at least another year!

Objective
Make a layered cheesecake using a cushaw squash. The filling was adapted from Pumpkin Streusel Cheesecake from Chocolate and Carrots and the crust is based on Graham Cracker Crust from The Kitchn.

Materials
For the crust:
2 cups graham cracker/gingersnap/coconut shortbread crumbs (or any combination thereof)
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger (omit if using gingersnaps)
pinch nutmeg
pinch cloves
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

For the cheesecake:
8 oz. reduced fat cream cheese
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
2 tbsp. sour cream or Greek yogurt
1/4 cup winter squash puree (see Supplementary Materials)
1 tsp. light brown sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ginger
pinch cloves
pinch nutmeg

For the streusel topping:
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup light brown sugar
pinch cinnamon
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes

Methods
1. Preheat the oven to 350º.
2. Make the crust: Crumble the graham crackers/cookies into a food processor. Add the sugar and spices. Process until the graham crackers are fine crumbs. Stir in the melted butter until well combined. Pat into a 9" pie plate, making sure to cover the bottom and sides. Set aside.
3. Make the filling: Cream the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Beat in the egg, then stir in the sour cream. Pour all but 1/2 cup of the batter into the graham cracker crust. Use a spatula to move the filling to the edges and smooth into an even layer. Stir the pumpkin/squash puree, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg into the remaining 1/2 cup filling. Pour over the bottom cheesecake layer and spread evenly. Bake at 350º for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the streusel topping.
3. Make the streusel topping: Combine the streusel ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Rub the butter into the sugar to form a crumble topping. Set aside. Once the cheesecake has baked for 20 minutes, remove it from the oven. Sprinkle the crumble topping in an even layer over the cheesecake. Return to the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the center of the cheesecake has set. Cool completely on a wire rack, then refrigerate overnight before serving.

Results
The crust was aromatic and flavorful (for full disclosure: I used 1 package of graham crackers and as many coconut shortbread cookies as it took to make 2 cups of crumbs). The cheesecake layer was thin but creamy with the flavor of pumpkin pie. The topping lent a crunch and was buttery and just sweet enough.

Discussion and Future Directions
This was a huge hit! We took it to a birthday party and came home with just one slice that was missing its tip. Everyone happily devoured their piece and I know at least one person had a second. The only complaint was that I didn't make two (after I shared that the original recipe made 2 cheesecakes). I was proud of myself for only making one because I suspected that if I'd made two, two would have been eaten. I was also very pleased that the pecan streusel turned out well after halving both the butter and the sugar. I certainly didn't miss either and actually thought that the butter could be reduced a bit more.

The only other change I might make in the future would be to make 1.5x the filling. The amount of filling here is the perfect amount for a store-bought graham cracker crust (because they're a little smaller than 9"). I think this turned out great (and lower calorie) as I made it, but it would have been nice to see a little bit more of the winter squash layer. Alternatively, I could put the squash layer on the bottom and the white layer on top. To tell it true, this recipe doesn't need tweaking! Plus, it would make a wonderful addition to a Thanksgiving table in addition to or in place of pumpkin pie.

Supplementary Materials

Winter Squash Puree
(For example: pumpkin, cushaw, butternut, delicata, or kabocha)
Preheat the oven to 350º. Line a baking sheet with greased foil. Remove the stem of the squash and cut the squash in half the long way. Scoop out the seeds and place the squash cut-side-down onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake until a fork easily pierces the skin and flesh of the squash. Depending on the size of your squash, this could range from 30 minutes to 90 minutes. Let the squash cool until you can touch it without burning your fingers. Scoop the flesh from the skin and process it in the food processor or blender until smooth. *If you're lucky enough to find a cushaw, you'll probably want to cut off the stem and the neck and prepare the neck and base of the squash separately.

Chicken Sausage and Vegetable Soup

Today is the fall equinox which marks the first day of fall. Two years ago, I celebrated the equinox at the Vinotok festival in Crested Butte, Colorado with my best friend from middle school. It was a very appropriate reunion as "our song" was Earth, Wind, and Fire's September about the 21st night of September. I was lucky enough to spend the summer after college living at a research station just up the road from Crested Butte. Every morning as I walked down the mountain from my rickety old cabin toward our laboratory, I looked into the face of  Gothic Mountain. From my bed each night, I listened to the water in Copper Creek rushing through the rocks. Every night when I made my way to the outhouse, bundled in layers and using my headlamp to find my way, I took a moment to look up at the stars. I've never seen as many stars as I could from our cabin at 9,500 feet, far away from city lights. In fact, I don't know that I ever realized there were that many stars.

Crested Butte is the wildflower capital of Colorado. Even though I was there the summer after a funky spring resulting in fewer flowers than expected, the mountain meadows were beautifully colorful. When I visited in September, I learned that they are equally beautiful in the fall when the aspens start to turn and the landscape shifts from blue and green to brown and gold.

With the coming of Fall, I've noticed myself gravitating toward fall clothing. I've even worn shoes to work instead of my commuter flip flops. The funny part about it is that the highs are still in the low 90s. When I go into work in the morning and while I'm in the lab, my clothes feel sensible. When I leave work and it's 94 "feels like 97," I regret my choices and wish I had elected shorts, a t-shirt, and flip flops. While visiting Wisconsin, we were spoiled with warm days and cool nights. We even got to eat meals on patios and wear jeans, comfortably. Fall isn't going to feel the same down here in Houston, but we have started getting cooler mornings that feel wonderful (and by "cooler," I'm talking 72 degrees) and have left me longing for fall colors and flavors.

My baked goods are starting to take on warmer, comforting flavors like cinnamon, peanut butter, and  apple. I'm forcing myself to save pumpkin for November. I'm starting to want soup and warm foods instead of salads every day. Last weekend, C made a barley vegetable soup, our roommate made an Italian seasoned zucchini and summer squash soup, and I made a cauliflower soup with blue cheese. Since then, I can't stop thinking about soup (and for some reason, sausage). Soup with sausage, yep, that's what I want!

Objective
Make a sausage and vegetable soup with kale and cauliflower. Recipe is based on Spicy Sausage Potato Kale Soup (from The Candid Appetite) and Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Stilton from Home Made Winter (by Yvette van Boven).

Materials
1/2 pound italian chicken sausage, sliced
1 tbsp. butter/olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
1/3 head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 stalks kale, leaves pulled from tough stems and chopped
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. salt
4 cups vegetable broth
Parmesan, for garnish (optional)

Methods
1. In a small saucepan, bring about 2 cups of water to a boil while you wash/peel/slice/dice/chop vegetables and sausage. To prepare the celery, chop off the white bottom and the leafy top. Peel the outer curve (you can peel the inner curve too, but it's a little challenging). Blanch the celery by dropping it into the boiling water for 30 seconds, then move it to a bowl of ice water. Once it's cool, chop it.
2. In a large saucepan, brown the sausage slices over medium heat. Once browned on both sides, move the sausage to a bowl or plate and set aside. Add butter (or olive oil) and swirl to melt. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and cauliflower. Cook until softened. Add the garlic, kale, pepper, red pepper flakes, and salt. Cook until the kale has wilted.
3. Add the vegetable broth and browned sausage. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Adjust the seasoning as necessary. Sprinkle with parmesan before serving (optional).

Results
Yum! There is a good amount of heat from the sausage and red pepper flakes. The cauliflower lends a buttery flavor and interesting texture, the kale adds greenery, and the carrots give it color. It's a lovely soup (sorry we devoured it too quickly for a photo).

Discussion and Future Directions
C and I both really, really enjoyed this soup. While some people think the secret to flavor is bacon, we agree that the secret is sausage (or chorizo). I was very pleased with this soup because I was afraid the cauliflower would make it a little weird. Like, weird flavor and weird texture. Thankfully, it worked quite well. I used celery, carrot, onion, and cauliflower because that's what I had in my fridge. I used kale because I really wanted to try a vege soup with kale again (I made one before that my family loved but I didn't think it was worth the effort roasting the veges). You could certainly use whatever you have on hand and use this recipe simply as a guide. You could also add beans or grains to add texture and nutrition. This is a great twist on chicken soup and perfect for capturing the flavors of fall.

Chili Cook-Off Vegetarian Chili

Guess what? I moved to Texas! I finished my master's degree in St. Louis and headed south. My experiments are starting to pick up at my new job and I'm jumping into life as a "Wisconsinite Displaced in Texas." The cheese and brat selections in Houston are far superior to those in St. Louis, many of the traffic lights are shorter, and I left town 2 days before a snowstorm that was the first of many. I walked in the surf on the Gulf of Mexico, saw my first rodeo, and went in the pool on Easter Sunday! With that and more in mind, I'd say that the move was a great idea.

Oh yeah, there's also a boy in Texas. For the past few months, that boy and I have been talking about hosting a chili cook-off. His work schedule is kinda crazy (he's a pediatric intern), so we had to schedule it during a month when he got weekends off (a rarity). Coincidentally, I moved to Texas during just such a month. Planning a chili cook-off over Easter weekend might not have been the best idea. We aren't religious, but it turns out a lot of our friends are. Even so, we ended up with 8 chili entries (3 vegetarian, 5 meat) and a number of "fixin's" and desserts. Entries included an okra, bean and Sriracha chili, a barley and bean chili, a bell pepper and bean chili, traditional Texan beef chili, tomatillo beef chili, chicken chili, ground turkey chili, and, believe it or not, a venison chili! Overall, our chili cook-off was a success and we had a lot of fun.

To prepare for the cook-off, we went to the grocery store and bought every type of dried chile available (including but not limited to ancho, New Mexico, morita, mulato, chipotle, arbol, guajillo, pasilla, Japanese, and pequin). I knew I wanted to make a vegetarian chili to be sure that there was at least 1 vegetarian option available. I started off by reading The Food Lab: How to Make The Best Chili Ever on Serious Eats. Kenji provides an excellent discussion of chili--from flavor, to texture, to ingredients, and beyond. The article links to Serious Eats' Best Vegetarian Bean Chili recipe, which I used as the starting point for my chile. At first, I wanted to use as many chiles and peppers as possible (we had serranos, jalapenos, manzana, red/orange/yellow bell, poblano, and a really long green one). I decided to limit the peppers to bell peppers because I thought they would hold their crisp texture better than the others (poblanos tend to get mushy and I wasn't sure about any of the others). I wanted to use a bunch of different types of beans to add character. I decided to add lime for acidity and cinnamon for sweetness because the flavor of the chiles didn't come out right away upon taking a spoonful. In the end, I stirred in some corn for color and texture. I'm proud to report that my recipe tied for best vegetarian chili.

Objective
Make a tasty vegetarian chili for the Chili Cook-off using dried chiles as the base of the flavor.

Materials

2 chiles New Mexico

2 chiles de arbol

2 chiles mullato

2 chiles pasilla

2 chiles guajillo

1 chile morita

1 1/2 tbsp. cumin

1 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. salt

2 limes

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 bell peppers (1 each: red, orange, yellow), chopped

28 oz. Kidney beans

28 oz. Black beans

14 oz. Great Northern White beans

14 oz. Black eyed peas

28 oz. crushed tomatoes
14 oz. diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups frozen corn

1 tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Methods
1. Prepare the chile paste: cut the stems off of the chiles and remove the seeds. Place them in a dry skillet and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. Add enough water to the skillet to cover the chiles (don't worry if they start to float). Bring the water to a boil, then remove the skillet from the heat and sit 15 minutes. 

2. Move the chiles to a blender with 1/2-1 cup of the chile water. Add 1 1/2 tbsp. cumin, 1 tsp. oregano, 1/2 tsp. ginger, and the juice of 2 limes. Blend to form a thick paste, adding more chile water if necessary.

3. In a large pot, heat 1 tbsp. olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook about 3 minutes. Add the minced garlic and chopped bell peppers. Continue to heat and stir until the onions and peppers have softened. Add the chile paste, beans, tomato, corn, soy sauce, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper. Stir the chili to mix the ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

4. After the chili has simmered, taste the chili for flavor. As necessary, add more salt, cumin, cayenne, cinnamon, ginger, oregano, and lime juice. Continue simmering until and adjusting the spices until you reach a flavor that you like. Beware that the longer the chili simmers, the intensity of the flavors will dissipate.

Results
Yum! Without meat, it's tricky to get chili with texture that isn't just mush. Using a variety of beans and adding corn helped a lot. The flavor is good. It's sweet with a little bit of spicy. After sitting in the fridge over night, the heat was lost and the chili became very mild.

Discussion
The biggest thing this chili lacks is something to chew. I don't like tofu or fake meat, so maybe the texture I should add is crunchy. Just a little something to give the teeth some resistance. Maybe sprinkling the top of each bowl with crushed tortilla chips would work. The other thing I'd like to taste is more heat. Most of the other chili makers used Sriracha. I know that I'm in the huge minority these days, but I've never purchased or used the stuff. I wouldn't have thought to add hot sauce because I wanted my heat to be authentic from the chiles I added. I ended up relying a lot on the cayenne for heat and the peppers for flavor depth. Hot sauce might be the key!

My usual chili recipe is a turkey and black bean chili with chipotle salsa. I've made it with and without meat, and either way, the flavor is hard to beat (the brand of the chipotle salsa is the key). For the chili cook-off, I was determined to use chiles and not chili powder. I'm glad that I did because it was a learning experience. It took a lot more tasting and adding spices than I'm used to, but in the end, I liked my product enough that I was glad I didn't use my usual recipe.

Lemon Pudding Cakes

Objective
Use my new ramekins from. Kitchen Conservatory to try making pudding cakes. I saw a recipe for lemon pudding cake in a magazine at the grocery store and knew I wanted to try making it for my mom. I'm not a huge fan of lemony desserts, but she is. She also loves powdered sugar on top of about anything, so I think she's going to love this. Makes three 3-oz servings.

Materials
2 teaspoon butter, melted
1 2/3 tablespoons flour
pinch baking powder
pinch salt
1 egg, separated
1/4 cup sugar (extra fine if you have it), divided
1 3/4 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1/2 lemon)
Zest of 1 lemon
6 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons whole milk
powdered sugar, for dusting

Methods
1. Preheat oven to 325°. Grease three 3.5 oz ramekins and place in a 8x8 inch baking dish. Bring about 2 cups of water to boil and keep warm.
2. In a large measuring cup, whisk egg yolk with 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons of sugar until smooth and pale in color. Whisk in melted butter, lemon juice and zest, milk, baking powder, salt and flour. Place in refrigerator (can make in advance, but be sure to stir well before using).
3. In a small bowl, beat egg white with 2 teaspoons sugar using an electric mixer on medium-low speed. Beat until the mixture forms stiff peaks (about 5 minutes). Fold the egg whites into the refrigerated mixture.
4. Divide the mixture evenly between ramekins. Pour the hot water into the baking dish until it comes half way up the outside of the ramekins. Bake 30-40 minutes or until the cakes are domed and golden. 
5. Dust with powdered sugar and cool slightly before serving (5-10 minutes).

Results
The cake is light and fluffy and the pudding on the bottom is creamy. The flavor is lemony yet sweet.

Discussion
These are delicious! Lemon isn't my favorite flavor and I still found it enjoyable. I was concerned that these wouldn't be good left over. However, I thought they were just as good cold the next day as they were warm from the oven. Next time I might try stirring in some fresh raspberries to give the dessert color and additional flavors. Blueberries might also be a nice touch.

This recipe can easily be scaled up to serve 6. The original recipe was for eight 6-oz servings. For a dessert, 3-oz is more appropriate that 6-oz. The larger recipe (3x all of the ingredients) can be made in an 8x8" pan instead of ramekins. The ramekins aren't required but certainly add to the aesthetic appeal.

Supplementary Materials

Sweet Potato Fries (Pappy's Style)

Objective
To make sweet potato fries like those at Pappy's Smokehouse. If you've never been to St. Louis, you may not know of Pappy's. If you've been to St. Louis and haven't been to Pappy's, you should probably go back to try their barbecue! I've had Pappy's twice since moving to St. Louis. The first time it was catered, so I not only missed the "whole experience," but I also missed the sweet potato fries. The second time I went on a date and it was absolutely incredible (though we decided that we were in such good moods that about anything would have tasted good). Back to the sweet potato fries! My second experience with Pappy's was much more rewarding because I got to have their coleslaw and sweet potato fries. The fries were small and thin like fast food fries. The outside had a granulated, sweet crunch, but the inside was moist and tender. They weren't overly sweet. The minute I left, I knew I needed more! Adapted from The Art of Doing STUFF.

Materials
1 medium-sized sweet potato, with the ends cut off
1-2 teaspoons cornstarch
olive oil, for drizzling
salt, for sprinkling
dark brown sugar, for sprinkling

Methods
1. Slice the sweet potatoes into medium to small fries (I like mine a little thin but wide so they look flat). Place them in a bowl of water to minimize oxidation until you're ready to use them.
2. Place an oven rack in the center of your oven and place another rack directly below it. On the lower rack, place a seasoned baking stone. Preheat the oven to 425° with the baking stone in it. Give the oven about an hour to preheat and heat the baking stone.
3. Drain the sweet potato fries and give them a squeeze in a paper towel to remove excess water.
4. Place a bit of cornstarch in a large plastic bag. Add the sweet potatoes and shake to lightly coat the potatoes. Transfer the fries to a baking sheet with sides.
5. Drizzle with a small amount of olive oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and about a teaspoon of dark brown sugar. Stir to coat the fries with oil and seasoning.
6. Bake 15 minutes then remove the fries and baking stone from the oven. Stir, then transfer the fries to the baking stone, leaving behind any excess oil. Return to the oven and bake another 15 minutes or until the fries are just beginning to crisp on the outside.
7. Cool slightly and serve.


Results
These are pretty close to Pappy's! The lack the chunk of particulate that Pappy's has. The outside is crisp and the inside is tender. The flavor is sweet.


Discussion and Future Directions
These are delicious! They are sweet and make the perfect health-conscious dessert. I dipped mine in a Cilantro&Chipotle dipping sauce to make them savory (see Supplementary Materials).The biggest difference was the lack of "crunch." Pappy's sweet potato fries have little granules of what must be some type of sugar on the outside. Next time, I would sprinkle the fries with sugar as soon as they come out of the oven. I can't decide what type of sugar to use, but I'm thinking I would try brown sugar while cooking for the flavor of the caramelized sugar and superfine granulated sugar to sprinkle on after baking. Even without the crunchy sugar, these are close enough for me to be satisfied!

Supplementary Materials

Cilantro&Chipotle Dipping Sauce
Mix equal parts mayonnaise and sour cream. Stir in chopped cilantro and pureed chipotle in adobo, to taste. Mix well and serve.

Celery Root and Butternut Squash Gratin

Objective
To make a recipe using celery root. Over the holidays, I had dinner at Brasserie V in Madison, Wisconsin. The chef rotates the sides, soups, cheese platters, desserts and aioli for their incredible frites, so you will always be able to try something different. My server had described a celery root slaw to me, but instead brought a vegetable side that he thought they'd run out of. I enjoyed the side but was a little disappointed that I didn't get to try celery root (also known as celeriac). My two big goals for 2012 are to say "yes" more often and to try new things. When I saw celery root at the grocery store, it reminded me of mandrakes from Harry Potter (see fig. 1). I decided I had to buy it and figured I'd find a recipe when I got home. I decided to try celery root and butternut squash gratin. Adapted from CHOW.

Fig. 1: Celery root or celeriac

Materials
Topping:
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon herbes de Provence
pinch dried thyme
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup milk
1 butternut squash, peeled, cut in half lengthwise and seeded
1 celery root, peeled and sliced in half
1 small onion, sliced thinly
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup gruyère cheese, shredded
salt and pepper

Materials
1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Grease an 8x8-inch baking dish.
2. Melt the butter in a medium sized frying pan. Add the onions and saute until translucent. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Mix the cream and milk in a large bowl. Add the sliced butternut squash and celery root. Mix to coat the vegetables with liquid.
3. Layer half of the squash and celery root in the bottom of the baking dish. Place half of the onions over the squash/celery root. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Repeat with the rest of the squash/celery root and onions. Pour any remaining cream/milk mixture over the vegetables. Sprinkle with salt and pepper then sprinkle the cheese on top.
4. In a medium bowl, mix together the ingredients for the topping. Sprinkle over the cheese.
5. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and the vegetables are soft. Let sit 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

Results
The dish tastes delicious! The celery root cooked more slowly than the butternut squash, so I left it in the oven closer to an hour.

Discussion and Future Directions
Celery root tastes like (wait for it..) celery! When I tried the celery root raw, I was concerned that the flavor would be overpowering in the gratin. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked the dish. The herbs and spices complemented each other nicely and added a good flavor to the dish. I was skeptical of adding walnuts to the topping, but it added a nice element of complexity to the topping.

The only complaint I have is that the celery root is much harder than the butternut squash and took longer to cook. Next time, I would make the butternut squash slices thicker than the celery root slices. I cut these by hand, but a mandoline would be a great way to control the thickness of the slices. I have a mandoline, but without a dishwasher, I hate using it! 

I reduced the fat from the original recipe by halving the cream with milk (I used fat free skim milk). To reduce the fat even further, you could try whole milk and see how it turns out. You could certainly leave out the cheese. To change the flavor, you could substitute other root vegetables (but be sure to account for differences in the firmness of the different vegetables). This is a delicious way to make a meal around vegetables!

Supplementary Materials